Chapter 577: Learning to Let Go

A zombie corpse lay sprawled on Zhang Su's back, its lower jaw gone, its body emaciated—even smaller than an adult woman—yet this tiny zombie possessed an unfathomable ability!

Maple Folklore adjoined Cuileng Pavilion, less than thirty meters away; Zhang Su didn't even use the main entrance. Seeing no one around, he found a spot to stand on tiptoe, leapt over the wall, and vanished from the rooftop.

As soon as he landed in the courtyard, Zhang Su saw Duan Wu standing at the stairwell, smoking in silence. They locked eyes, both startled, each taken aback by the other.

"Damn, Brother Zhang, you… this… this… come on, just put it here."

Duan Wu was startled by Zhang Su's sudden descent, then saw the zombie on his back—his hair nearly stood on end. He tossed away his cigarette and helped lift it onto the stairs.

Looking at the small but horrifying zombie, Duan Wu's face wrinkled as he whispered: "This is a mutated zombie, right?"

It sounded like a pointless question—ordinary zombies Zhang Su would never bring to the lab—but not asking felt like leaving something unsaid.

Zhang Su nodded, gazing thoughtfully at Duan Wu: "Old Duan, you're not on lookout here—you're blocking me. What's going on?"

"Heh, you can't hide anything from me, that's no fun. Heard you took on nine at once—real impressive. Shame I couldn't go down the mountain, missed the whole show…"

Duan Wu chuckled, scratching the back of his head. He truly regretted it—there'd been too much work in the lab, so he'd only glimpsed a few blurry, pixelated screens on the monitors. Better not to watch at all.

Zhang Su's expression turned odd as he listened. Fu Wei was clearly analyzing data with Xie Yan, and two other voices were present—one unmistakably Liu Tianji. The situation was better than he'd expected; he relaxed, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and offered it forward.

"Old Duan, you've got something on your mind. Speak up—what's wrong?"

"I just smoked one, no more…" Duan Wu pushed away the cigarette Zhang Su offered, smiling awkwardly: "Actually, nothing much… I just wanted to ask about Yu Nuo—uh, how is she? I looked around but didn't see her. Didn't she come?"

"Ssshh…"

Zhang Su inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, watching Duan Wu through the smoke: "Old Duan, some women you just can't cling to. You understand?"

"Huh? Why say that? Did something happen to Yu Nuo?"

Duan Wu asked nervously, then sighed, speaking to himself: "If something happened, it's not surprising. Liao Youzhi was a twisted bastard. I hope she didn't suffer when she left."

"You're good at comforting yourself…" Zhang Su was amused by Duan Wu's demeanor, then his face hardened: "Yu Nuo's death has little to do with Liao Youzhi. It's mostly our fault."

As he spoke, Zhang Su felt calm. He wanted to see Duan Wu's reaction.

"Huh?" Duan Wu blinked, frowning: "Brother Zhang, was there a conflict?"

He didn't think Zhang Su was the type to hold grudges. After all, Yu Nuo and Zhang Su had only exchanged a few sharp words—no real stakes involved. It shouldn't have come to life or death.

"Not a conflict—more like a storm. You'd think it absurd… When we returned to the city, our first stop was LeGou Mall to absorb the Survivors' Alliance. And damn—Yu Nuo openly incited the survivors to rebel against us!"

"Huh?"

Before Zhang Su finished, Duan Wu let out a strange laugh—this news was too absurd.

"The Survivors' Alliance fighters are dead or surrendered—hardly any left who can fight. What did she think she could use to resist?"

"Don't doubt it—too many people know. I truly can't understand her thinking. Old Duan, can you explain it?"

"I can't explain it…" Duan Wu shook his head, bewildered, then took a deep breath: "Brother Zhang, this is entirely Yu Nuo's own doing. It's not your fault, not anyone's. Honestly… 【28】 Her mind was already twisted. Death was a fitting end. If she'd come to Tianma Isle, you'd have been stuck too. This outcome suits everyone. If she'd just…"

Her mind had already twisted; death was a fitting end. If she'd come to Tianma Isle, you'd have struggled too. This ending suits everyone. If only she'd…

Blabbering, blabbering.

As Zhang Su had said, Duan Wu was exceptionally good at self-consolation. He kept talking, while Zhang Su stood opposite, carefully sensing his emotions—no anger, no hatred, little sorrow, mostly regret. He could see Duan Wu slowly letting go. Who had killed Yu Nuo? Duan Wu didn't ask. Zhang Su didn't say. Some things were better left unclear.

"Huh."

After about three or four minutes, Duan Wu exhaled deeply, as if blowing away some long-held obsession—his eyes grew clearer.

In the apocalypse, one of the most vital mental skills to learn is letting go.

"Have you been stuck in the lab lately, staring at weird doctors every day? Your mood's been off. How about I assign you an outside job? Get out more. You've seen it—lots of women arrived. One's bound to suit you. In this world, we can't be picky."

Zhang Su patted Duan Wu's shoulder, giving him a look every man understood.

"Picky? Brother Zhang, you're teasing me… I'm perfectly comfortable here. Don't make special arrangements. Uh, let's hurry up—Wei Jun's gonna start yelling to come downstairs again."

Duan Wu turned, picked up the zombie corpse: "Whoa, this thing's light—barely… sixty jin? What's so special about it?"

Seeing Duan Wu's state seemed genuinely improved, Zhang Su didn't press further. As they climbed the stairs, he said: "Its ability's interesting. When alive, it had a black-gas shield around it—bullets couldn't penetrate. Then…"

"Mr. Zhang, you're finally here!"

As they reached the second floor, Fu Wei wheeled his chair up to them.

He'd heard Duan Wu talking and knew Zhang Su had arrived, so he came to the doorway to wait.

He greeted Zhang Su, but his eyes locked fixedly on the corpse cradled in Duan Wu's arms.

"Dr. Fu, that's rude. You don't even look at the person you're greeting."

Zhang Su teased him for his distraction.

"Sorry…" Fu Wei realized it was inappropriate, cleared his throat, and turned his face toward Zhang Su with visible effort: "Mr. Zhang, this zombie… come on, quick, it's cold outside—let's go inside and talk."

Standing in the stairwell was terribly impolite. Duan Wu quickly wheeled back, gesturing toward the lab.

Puff.

Inside the lab, Duan Wu placed the zombie corpse on the bed, then sat aside, curiosity on his face, waiting for Zhang Su to reveal the answer.

"Ah, that cut—stunning…"

Xie Yanshan held a desk lamp, studying the zombie's corpse. Seeing the clean, even incision at the jaw, he couldn't help murmuring in awe, turning to Zhang Su: "Mr. Zhang, if I'm not mistaken, only you could have made that cut?"

A veteran like him clearly understood social nuance—he'd never miss a chance to flatter.

"Correct. I did cut off its jaw. Strange thing is—once the jaw was gone, its ability vanished. Without it, it was weak as dirt, easy to kill. Right, I hadn't finished describing this zombie's condition—since you're all here, let me continue…"

Zhang Su then revealed everything he knew about the liquefied gas zombie—no secrets, no concealment. He hoped the lab could uncover more possibilities; he'd never withhold knowledge.

Upon hearing the zombie's ability, Fu Wei and the other two reacted differently.

Duan Wu nodded, looking impressed but confused. Xie Yanshan rested his chin on his hand, frowning deeply. Fu Wei circled the corpse eagerly, eyes gleaming with anticipation—as if he couldn't wait to dissect it.

(End of Chapter)