Chapter 219: Please Tell Your Story

"Oh my god!"

Zhang Su grabbed Fu Weijun's arm, examined the scar, felt its texture—utterly real—and asked, "What's the principle behind this?"

Duan Wuhu was also stunned, sitting aside with his mouth slightly open, waiting for Fu Weijun's answer—he knew nothing about this!

"As you've seen, the zombie's thalamus has healing effects on external human injuries. As for specific dosage, efficacy, or whether it can treat other wounds, I didn't dare to continue testing."

Fu Weijun spread his hands.

"You didn't dare to continue testing… From your tone, this effect was discovered by you personally? Then please explain your psychological motivation for making such an attempt…"

Zhang Su's lips twitched—he truly admired this scientist, and unconsciously slid the plastic bag containing four zombie thalami closer to himself.

"Like humans, zombies rely heavily on their brains. I analyzed each brain region one by one. During testing of the thalamus, I discovered unique properties—it could stimulate cellular repair and regeneration. Thus, I concluded the thalamus possesses wound-healing capabilities!"

"So I tried using zombie thalami to treat wounds. First, I applied them directly to the wound—no effect. Then I ground them into powder and applied the paste—still no significant effect, but I sensed a faint reaction: cellular activity clearly increased. Finally, I swallowed a small piece. Within less than two minutes, I felt itching at the wound site, and the wound began healing at a visible rate. Success!"

Fu Weijun spoke casually, but Zhang Su and Duan Wuhu listened in horror. They prided themselves on their courage, unafraid of zombies—but compared to this scientific madman, they were nothing. He actually ate zombie brain. Who could top that?

"Can the thalamus heal itself? If it regrows after being cut off, does that mean these thalami are effectively infinite if used sparingly?" Zhang Su stared at the four thalami before him with exaggerated awe—but Fu Weijun quickly shattered his fantasy.

Zhang Su asked with a strange expression.

"Sorry, there's a prerequisite: the zombie thalamus can only regenerate if soaked in a special nutrient solution. I confirmed this, but unfortunately, I no longer have that solution."

Zhang Su solemnly raised his thumb—this kind of courage was incredibly rare.

Fu Weijun shook his head, a look of longing crossing his face, as if remembering his laboratory.

"I came to Qincheng primarily to study aquatic organisms. There's an island off Beihe with an ideal environment, so I rented it and built a small lab."

"Good, good, good! Ancient times had Shen Nong tasting hundreds of herbs; today we have Fu Weijun eating thalami. Fine… awesome, truly awesome."

Eight hundred zombies—that's eight hundred healing miracles!

Zhang Su fell silent, realizing the gap between himself and Fu Weijun. The demeanor of a Beijing aristocrat truly was different.

"The ones I brought to Qincheng are all used up, but I still have more at the lab on the island off Beihe—too bad getting there is extremely difficult…"

"Oh, actually, it was an accidental discovery. I noticed the removed thalami could regenerate on their own, so I began researching it."

"In short, I deeply admire your great spirit of scientific exploration… I'd really like to know: what unique property of the zombie thalamus led you to make such a bold attempt?"

Fu Weijun spread his hands and spoke lightly—he had spent over twenty million on that lab, but as a second-generation heir, he didn't care about the cost, all he wanted was to pursue science.

"What nutrient solution? We've collected many things from pharmacies—maybe we have what you need!" Zhang Su sounded excited.

Duan Wuhu grinned: "Fate is cruel—Weijun, if you'd just stayed on that island, your life would've been so peaceful…"

"The nutrient solution is too precious. Why not just extract the thalamus directly from zombie heads? Recently, a massive horde attacked the safe camp. If we'd known thalami had this miraculous healing effect, we wouldn't have burned them—we lost trillions!"

Fu Weijun spread his hands: "Not ordinary nutrient solutions available on the market. I tested every kind the Survivor Alliance could find—no effect, and some even had negative side effects. I used a highly specialized organ preservation solution, with an extremely complex composition, imported specifically from abroad. According to the company's data, besides me, only one official lab in the south ordered a batch."

Zombies eating human brains is normal; humans eating zombie brains? That's reversing heaven and earth!

Fu Weijun shook his head: "No, I said—I made this attempt only after rigorous research. The zombie thalamus isn't biological tissue so much as a mechanical component. Nearly all its cells have been replaced by disabled zombie robot parts—a phenomenon never seen in any other brain tissue!"

Fu Weijun smiled and shook his head: "Brother Duan, you're overthinking. My island's supplies are restocked every ten to fifteen days at most—I barely survive a month. Honestly, I'm glad the disaster hit while I was in Qincheng."

Zhang Su offered lavish praise, then shifted tone: "Dr. Fu, aren't you afraid of turning?"

"Your lab is on the island?"

"No, no…" Fu Weijun waved his hands with a smile: "It must be extracted live. Mr. Zhang, don't feel sorry."

"Live extraction…" Zhang Su murmured, picturing Fu Weijun's work again.

A young man with leg disability sat in a wheelchair, holding a scalpel. On the bed lay a bound zombie—possibly lying face-down or on its side—while he skillfully opened its skull, removed the brain, and placed it into a glass container… or maybe even a rice bowl…

"Weijun, does the Alliance know about this?"

Duan Wuhu asked cautiously.

He could imagine—if Liao Youzhi learned live-extracted zombie thalami had healing power, even more people would die needlessly!

"This is my personal research project. I told no one—not even kept lab notes. All the key details are right here…"

Fu Weijun tapped his own head, wearing a wise smile—the true kind of wisdom, not the sarcastic kind.

"If the thalamus can heal wounds, can it prevent zombification from zombie bites?"

Zhang Su asked the most critical question.

"I'm sorry."

Fu Weijun shook his head regretfully: "I secretly gave a woman involved in the zombification project a thalamus. Her wound healed as expected—but the zombie robot still took over her body. This path doesn't work."

Zhang Su sighed—he realized Fu Weijun had already tested everything he could think of. He instinctively activated a 【Perception Tag】 on Fu Weijun, and instantly three bubbles appeared above his head.

【Bold and Detail-Oriented】【Photographic Memory】【Arrogant Talent】

Fu Weijun's willingness to eat zombie brains alone had already shattered Zhang Su's understanding of 【Bold and Detail-Oriented】—yet according to Fu's own account, he'd indeed conducted rigorous validation before taking that final step.

What surprised Zhang Su most was Fu Weijun's 【Photographic Memory】—too bad his legs were disabled; otherwise, this ability could've had a far greater stage.

As for 【Arrogant Talent】—those with talent naturally have the right to arrogance. But Zhang Su didn't sense it in Fu Weijun—perhaps because he dared not be arrogant toward Zhang Su…

Recalling earlier, Fu Weijun hadn't greeted anyone else at all, and since arriving at the camp, he'd acted as if everyone else didn't exist…

"Cough… Dr. Fu, will you still need these thalami for research?"

Zhang Su believed Fu Weijun was an absolute genius, but the camp lacked the equipment for him to fully utilize his talents—otherwise, he might make even greater discoveries.

Fu Weijun shook his head: "I give them to you, Mr. Zhang. Consider it my contribution to the team. I can teach you how to perform live extraction—it requires some skill, but once learned, you can do it yourselves."

"That's great!"

Zhang Su had already decided who would learn: Zhong Xiaoshanjian, a core member with some experience.

"My research on the thalamus is complete. Now I need to explore further through practice—I should begin studying other zombie brain tissues. Too bad all my equipment is still at LeGou Mall—the progress will be painfully slow…"

Zhang Su winced—he could never go to LeGou Mall to retrieve equipment for Fu Weijun. That was the headquarters of the powerful Survivor Alliance. Facing them outside was one thing, but breaking into their stronghold? That was sheer madness…

To be blunt, even going to the island lab off Beihe would be better than going to the Survivor Alliance!

"What equipment do you need? Could you get it elsewhere? Like schools—high schools or universities—don't they have plenty of lab gear?"

Zhang Su asked. If possible, he planned to establish a dedicated zombie research department.

"No way…"

Fu Weijun shook his head calmly: "Speaking of equipment, I actually owe thanks to the Survivor Alliance's second-in-command—he led a team to scavenge equipment from several hospitals in the city. As for true professional gear, only my lab off Beihe has it—or… there's another lab in Tangcheng. Its equipment isn't as complete as Beihe's, but it's usable!"

Fu Weijun spoke earnestly—his words clearly hoped Zhang Su would retrieve his equipment.

"Beihe… Tangcheng… both are far away."

Zhang Su sighed. He could see Fu Weijun's longing—it was his own desire too, but reality was too harsh.

Qincheng is about 150 kilometers from Tangcheng. In the past, that was less than two hours by car. Now? It might as well be a lifetime.

Even getting from Tianma Yu to Beihe meant over fifty kilometers—and crossing water. How could that be done?

Zhang Su remembered he'd once taken a yacht key from Su Chu, who had seized Yi Leiwen Convenience Store—but so much time had passed; who knew what condition that yacht moored by the sea was in now…

(End of Chapter)