Chapter 225: They Can Harm Us, and They Can Harm Others

"Good! Even if those barricades you built can't stop the zombies, they shouldn't have ended up this bad! I want to know right now—how did the fire start? Didn't I tell you not to use fire, not to use fire? Did you forget?"

Zhang Su pressed Wang Longzhong for answers, having assumed that with just a few days left until the United Village moved in, everything would be settled—only to find the quarry still had problems at the last moment.

"Boss Zhang, I didn't want to set fire either… This has to do with another change in the zombies besides their hopping!"

Wang Longzhong reached for a cigarette, realized his pack had long vanished, took one from Zhang Su and lit it. "Before the zombies crossed the barricades, we fired several volleys with our firelocks. Once they got over, we immediately charged with weapons—according to experience, we were supposed to trap and kill them, using the barricades and zombie corpses as shields. But then…"

"But some of the zombies were different—some looked like they were wearing armor from ancient generals in TV dramas. Axes, hoes, cleavers—all thudded against them, spraying dirt and debris. Only stabbing them in the eye sockets killed them instantly. Too hard to kill!"

Hearing this, Zhang Su and the others exchanged glances but didn't interrupt—let him continue.

"When cold weapons failed, some of our men got wounded. I immediately ordered explosives thrown. Then the worst thing happened… After a few rounds of detonations, the zombies caught fire. Once burning, they grew stronger, faster—like they'd become an entirely different thing. Terrifying. No wonder you told us not to use fire!"

Zhang Su rubbed his forehead, massaging his temples.

"We only recently discovered through testing: live zombies that catch fire gain a massive power boost—as if drawing energy from the flames. But eventually, they still burn to death, unless they accidentally fall into water. But you mentioned they're impervious to blades… Fu Wei, what's your take?"

Zhang Su didn't dwell on the United Village's use of explosives to ignite the zombies. By that point, using their strongest available weapons was inevitable—they simply hadn't known burning zombies were that dangerous.

Fu Wei frowned, adjusted his glasses, and muttered: "Impervious to blades, enhanced defense, dirt spraying on impact… This kind of change has never been seen before. How many of these heavily armored zombies are there?"

"Hope so."

Hearing this, Zhang Su suddenly understood. "Could it be related to those zombies being trapped in the quarry?"

Fu Wei gave a firm analysis.

Duan Wu stood nearby, arms crossed, his face lighting up at this: "Touch something, become it? The Shield Agency's here!"

"Even without live zombies for dissection, one thing's certain: their defense has strengthened, and their stone-like skin is definitely tied to the quarry. Special environments trigger unpredictable zombie mutations. Mr. Zhang, don't worry—this isn't the norm. It's an isolated case!"

Zhang Su's lips twitched—he hadn't expected this PE teacher to be so well-read.

"You said about thirty percent of the zombies changed? Individual variation seems tied to time and environment. This phenomenon is incredible!" Fu Wei's face glowed with excitement; he rubbed his hands. "Mr. Zhang, did you capture any live ones?"

"Right after the disaster broke out," Wang Longzhong answered without hesitation, the memory of luring zombies into the quarry still vivid.

As leader of the safety camp, Zhang Su could project optimism, but inside, he was always bracing for the worst—preparing for a hundred percent difficulty even when facing ten percent. Only by planning ahead could he survive.

"And… Mr. Zhang, who's to say mutated zombies can't be turned to our use?"

"If we could get a live one to study, that'd be perfect. I've never heard zombies mutate due to special encounters—this discovery is huge!"

Zhang Su believed the stone-skin zombies were isolated cases, but he didn't relax.

Zhang Su and Wang Longzhong both shook their heads…

"How long? When were the earliest zombies trapped in the quarry?"

"Yes, yes! Those zombies were all lured into the quarry by us earlier. The dead ones were dumped into that big pit too…" Wang Longzhong added quickly.

Fu Wei remained optimistic, waving his hand: "Special environments are rare. Zombies affected by them are rarer still. They'd need to be exposed for over two months, plus possibly other unknown factors. Alone, none of these conditions matter—but combined, they're extremely strict."

"If zombies evolved stone skin because of the quarry, then others might have evolved under different environments—we just haven't encountered them yet."

Fu Wei looked impatient, rubbing his hands together, visibly itching to get started.

Fu Wei asked with keen interest.

"That high a percentage?" Fu Wei was startled—he'd assumed maybe ten or so. At thirty percent, that meant hundreds. He frowned, muttering: "Could these zombies have had some special experience?"

Wang Longzhong frowned, thought, nodded, then shook his head: "Not too many—roughly one in every three or four regular zombies. About thirty percent? Something like that!"

Fu Wei stared at Zhang Su with bright eyes.

Zhang Su agreed Fu Wei's logic made sense. With zombies outnumbering humans a hundredfold, if they could be harnessed for various uses, it'd be a valuable direction.

In a short time, they'd already discovered zombies' high flammability—corpses were no longer waste but useful. Live zombies' thalami could even be used for healing.

Research on zombies was still in its infancy—so limited by equipment that they hadn't even properly taken the first step. If they could improve their research environment, more discoveries would follow—and zombies would have even more uses!

"Boss! Boss! Two guys on three-wheeled carts just arrived at the mountain gate—they say they're from the United Village, and they're completely clean!"

Wu Lue's voice crackled through the radio, clearly questioning why they hadn't joined the battle.

Zhang Su looked at Wang Longzhong with a questioning gaze.

"Yes, yes! Two of our men rode three-wheelers to lure zombies—must be them!"

"Ah, I see. Go check on them, then take them to rest. Calm down your men—we'll discuss plans tomorrow!"

Zhang Su waved him off, and Wang Longzhong left.

The door closed. Fu Wei couldn't wait: "Mr. Zhang, these special zombies are worth studying—and…"

He hesitated, lowered his voice: "Zombies are a double-edged sword—they can harm us, but also harm others."

"They can harm us, but also harm others."

Fu Wei's words struck a chord with Zhang Su. Images of the burning zombies—crazed, bloodthirsty, violent—swirled in his mind.

If they could be weaponized, they'd be a devastating tool—against human enemies.

After all, in this world, the threat wasn't just zombies—it was humans too. You always had to prepare for both possibilities.

"We'll study this slowly. Tomorrow, I'll lead a team to capture one. They've already been scattered by the United Village—once we find them, catching them won't be hard!"

Zhang Su decided to take the initiative.

Settling for temporary safety in one corner was no long-term solution. Gaining an early advantage in information meant seizing the future—like the thalami discovery. He believed this finding was among the most advanced in the world—perhaps even leading by a wide margin.

Stone-skin zombies were terrifying—but held immense research value. No one knew what help they might bring humanity. If the risk was manageable, research must begin immediately!

"Good, good, good!" Fu Wei nodded eagerly. "Thank you in advance, Mr. Zhang. When we make progress, I'll share it with everyone immediately."

Zhang Su saw Fu Wei was a pure scientific fanatic—his joy lay in exploration, in uncovering more unknowns. How those discoveries were used? He didn't care at all.

"Alright, that's settled. It's late. Rest. I'll go check on the United Village people."

Zhang Su glanced at the time, stood, and left the room.

Before he reached the end of the corridor, he heard Duan Wu's puzzled voice from inside.

"Wei Jun, you just said using zombies as weapons—they can harm us, harm others? What do you mean?"

"Literally. Use them right, and they serve you; use them wrong, and they threaten others." Fu Wei answered calmly.

"But… don't you think this is… too… uh…"

Duan Wu stalled, unable to find the right word. After five seconds, he continued: "Isn't this just… evil? Using an alien race against your own kind? It's wrong."

"Brother Duan, we shouldn't be ruled by emotion now. I urge you to view this rationally. I can tell Mr. Zhang isn't a monster—he's nothing like Liao Youzhi. He won't attack innocent survivors. Assuming that, the targets are enemies. Aliens are enemies. Human enemies are enemies too—no difference!"

Fu Wei's voice was cold, emotionless—just as he said: absolute rationality was terrifying.

Zhang Su's heart stirred. He hadn't expected such a stark difference in opinion—and hadn't realized Fu Wei saw so clearly. He walked to the stairwell, lit a cigarette, and waited. Moments later, Duan Wu spoke again.

"Maybe I'm just not rational enough."

His voice carried deep sorrow.

"I know Yu Nuo's betrayal hurt you deeply—but isn't that the beauty of humanity? Light and darkness, both are expressions of human nature… I hope you find your way out of this darkness. That woman isn't worth a single thought."

Zhang Su froze. If Fu Wei hadn't mentioned it, he'd never guessed Duan Wu had a past with Yu Nuo.

"Forget it, forget her. Just talking nonsense. Don't take it seriously—consider it me blowing smoke."

"Alright. I'll read. Why don't you go out? We're guests here—we should be helpful. My legs won't let me move. I'm relying on you."

"Saying that… Fine. Rest. I'll go."

Hearing this, Zhang Su quietly descended the stairs, left the courtyard as if nothing had happened, and headed toward Qingfeng Xiaozhu, where the United Village had been settled.

(End of Chapter)