[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times":3,"chapter-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-239":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Fiercest Man in the End Times",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2319477,4536,"Chapter 239: New Material?","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-239",239,"\u003Cp>“What’s so amazing? Eat while you talk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su pushed Fu Wei toward the washbasin; after studying the zombie for so long, he needed to wash his hands properly before eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never expected the zombie virus to have such incredible mutation capabilities—it actually altered its cellular structure based on the environment. This zombie’s skin is entirely hardened into living stone. Judging by skin activity, this stone layer hasn’t reached its full form yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Wei didn’t even look at the food; he grabbed a spoon and shoved it into his mouth. He didn’t need to eat, but he was already enthusiastically discussing zombie research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su paused at this, then asked: “So you mean this zombie hasn’t reached its strongest state yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a fair interpretation,” Fu Wei nodded. “Take humans as an example—this stone skin is like new flesh forming over a healed scar. I don’t know how long it’ll take for full skin hardening. Even with instruments, we’d only get rough estimates, and individual variation exists. But I’m certain these special zombies will become far harder to deal with in the future!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking, Fu Wei gestured with his spoon: “With its current defense, this zombie can easily resist ordinary slashing and piercing damage. Even explosives cause limited harm. Boldly estimating, once the skin fully hardens, even smaller-caliber firearms won’t penetrate it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bound zombie lay on the bed, watching the two with wide eyes, only able to emit muffled roars—completely helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su pushed Fu Wei back beside the low cabinet and sat down on the stool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the internal condition of the brain, it’ll take some time to explore—probably three to five days, maybe longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Wei spread his hands; some things simply required time to verify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can still watch a fireworks show, haha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He put down the spoon, wheeled his chair over to the zombie, unafraid of its blood-red eyes, picked up a short dagger, pressed the zombie’s head down, and said: “Look!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Wei then slashed across the zombie’s skull with the dagger—the wound was clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Dechu was eager to speak, forgetting his own decision to stop offering strategies after just half a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sure you all know why I called you here today—yes, it’s about the Green Dragon Corps’ grain collection!” Zhang Su twirled a cigarette between his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mild-mannered Yu Wen proposed a plan that was anything but mild—either don’t strike, or strike to kill. Far more effective than his father-in-law’s bomb-and-run tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way! We worked hard to save these winter supplies—we won’t hand them over!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How ironic: something everyone wanted to kill instantly becomes a hot commodity the moment it gains utility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Wei wolfed down his meal, wiped his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Wei frowned, thought for a moment, then said: “Capturing them carries high risk, Mr. Zhang. I suggest we wait and see the results before deciding—no need to rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone agrees with me, but our current problem is straightforward: if we refuse to hand over grain, we’ll inevitably clash with the Green Dragon Corps. With our current strength, launching a direct assault on their base is suicide. So we must deal with the grain-collection squads they send out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During zombie cleanup, many leftover food supplies and other materials were found—also a decent income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two people immediately supported Zhao Dechu’s idea, but seeing Zhang Su, Yu Wen, and several other seasoned members remain calm, they realized the plan had flaws and quickly suppressed their smiles and praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su gave instructions, picked up the tray, and left the lab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Wei pointed the spoon toward the balcony: “I cut off a palm-sized piece of skin from the zombie’s calf and hung it on the balcony. If the skin remains hardened after separation from the body, this could be an entirely new, highly effective, albeit slightly disgusting, protective material!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Yu Wen said: “Bombs are useful, but not used this way. If we can’t wipe them all out at once, we’ll just alert them—that’s the last thing we want. My suggestion: lure them in, then trap them like fish in a jar. Not a single one must escape. The general idea is like this...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, that’s a good plan—no soldiers needed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s that weird?” Zhang Su pointed to his temple. “What about the head? Will its defense improve too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If… I mean, if this petrified skin can really be used as armor, should we capture some in advance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dr. Fu has thought this through thoroughly. Fine, keep working. I’ll leave now. If you need anything, tell Duan Wu or the camp—we’ll do our best to assist. And notify me immediately of any progress—haha, I’m looking forward to it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su said: “Three major issues: First, we don’t know the size of their grain-collection squad. Second, we don’t know when they’ll depart. Third, we don’t know their route. So no… Wait, are you suggesting we bury bombs at our own doorstep, Zhu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su did not demand that the United Village surrender all their supplies—he left them a portion as a reward for their initial land-reclamation efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, Zhang Su didn’t rest. He gathered Guo Dachao and others, took the welder, and headed straight for Niuziquan Town to continue repairing the excavator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll speak first! I’ll speak first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The repair process didn’t go as smoothly as Guo Dachao expected. He thought it’d be done by afternoon, but it would take at least another full day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su nodded inwardly; his amateur skills clearly couldn’t match a professional’s—he’d already thought ahead, figuring out how to use the zombie’s petrified skin to protect humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dr. Fu, I’m wondering: since ordinary zombies’ thalamus can heal external wounds, could this special zombie have even more benefits for us humans?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The head’s still the weak point, haha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t this just the Achilles’ heel of the Golden Bell Shield...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As dusk fell, the group had no choice but to return to Tianma Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dinner, the United Village members finally returned. After a full day’s work, they’d cleared a clean area in Madian Zhuang—three rows of zombie-infested houses were fully sanitized. But for safety, only the middle row was habitable; the rest served as buffer zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, everyone pooled ideas to refine and expand Yu Wen’s plan. After over two hours of discussion, they drafted three varying response strategies, depending on the Green Dragon Corps’ troop strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su realized a serious problem: if mutated zombies shifted from threat to resource, such resources were scarce. According to Wang Longzhong of the United Village, after burning the ones destroyed by fire, fewer than two hundred remained—and they were scattered, hard to capture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Zhang Su’s three questions raised, those who had cheered earlier fell silent, now considering other options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This discovery delighted him—he hadn’t reached the worst possible state yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not exactly…” Zhao Dechu scratched his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Ge is right—we won’t bow to force. We won’t hand over the grain!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone present had fought their way out of the city—none were cowards. Opposition to handing over grain was unanimous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Zhang Su gathered everyone in the main hall of Xiao Xingyun Guesthouse, excluding only the surveillance personnel. Only Wang Longzhong and Wang Xinggui from the United Village attended; the rest were too exhausted and had gone to rest after eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su had strong confidence, but never arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Wu was also present. Hearing Zhang Su’s words, he looked confused and raised his hand: “Brother Zhang, what Green Dragon Corps? What grain collection?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many readers are anxious: zombies keep upgrading, but humans aren’t getting stronger—that’s a very real concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qingqing made a batch of explosives—let’s bury them along the road. Damn it, blow them straight to heaven!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Wei’s face lit up: “Actually, I’ve made an interesting discovery!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, Teacher Duan doesn’t know about this yet… uh… Teacher Yu, you tell him! We’ll continue—earlier, Teacher Yu pretended to cooperate and tricked them away, but I believe we must never compromise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su stepped closer, took the dagger, and stabbed the zombie’s arm—the resistance was immense, like piercing a wooden board; he had to press with great force to break through. Then he sliced across the zombie’s face—immediately, a deep cut appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Above the neck, the skin’s color changed, but its defense didn’t increase. I don’t know if it’s because it hasn’t fully hardened—or if it’s just like this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly, big brother! No compromise! We don’t even raid others—how dare they come raiding us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-plus of them had turned Tianma Island into something respectable—not just because of terrain advantage, but proof of human ingenuity. And the Green Dragon Corps has a military base behind them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the two locations are dozens of kilometers apart, and with communications severed, their outlying squads are cut off from reinforcements—creating plenty of room for maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The land-reclamation process was grueling, but under the leadership of Lu Yu and three experienced hands, it proceeded without any fatalities—only minor scrapes and bruises, which were now negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm… My idea is to have humans exploit zombies. Imagination and hands-on ability are humanity’s greatest assets. Too many power-up tropes—let’s switch things up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t like it, feel free to criticize lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1539,"2026-06-20T15:15:16.164Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0cabde3bd5bb3328aef501da49379aeb646cd26ddc5a64e0a9a3983a80cf008f","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-240","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-238",694,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-cover.jpg"]