Chapter 592: Stunning Transformation

At the end of the corridor, Qiu Hui lay quietly, the sedative still releasing its effect in her body; her headache had not fully subsided, lingering in a dull throb, but she could think—of the past, the present, and a future that might not exist—and tears streamed down her face.

In her sorrow, the door lock clicked; she quickly turned her head, wiping her tears against the pillow, but before she could speak, a low "ao wu ao wu" sound rose, making her heart tighten.

"Qiu Hui, how's your headache?"

Zhang Su placed the zombie on the floor and asked casually, instantly noticing she had been crying; he had no comfort to offer, so pretending not to see was the best avoidance.

Qiu Hui looked at the zombie on the ground with fear, nodding slightly: "It's tolerable for now, Brother Zhang—what is this supposed to be for?"

"Oh, just see how the zombie reacts to you. Don't be nervous."

Zhang Su smiled, his expression relaxed.

Don't be nervous? What joke is this? Well, since you say it's fine, then I won't be nervous—Qiu Hui felt a strange, inexplicable sensation in her chest.

"I'll leave the zombie here—it can't move. Don't be afraid. After my partner and I leave the room, observe its behavior and report back to us later. During this time, you need to use your voice to attract and provoke it. Understood?"

Zhang Su explained the method to Qiu Hui: a simple test, no instruments needed, direct and straightforward.

"Okay… I'll try."

Qiu Hui reluctantly agreed.

"There's no danger. Don't worry."

Zhang Su pressed firmly on Qiu Hui's shoulder, giving her a reassuring glance—his emotional transmission was so strong that not only Qiu Hui, but even Xie Yan, standing behind him, felt a wave of calm.

"Once we close the door, you can begin."

With that, Zhang Su and Xie Yan left the room, leaving behind the moaning zombie and Qiu Hui, her face heavy with worry.

Gently closing the door, Zhang Su pulled out a cigarette pack, extracted two cigarettes, handed one to Xie Yan, lit his own, and exhaled slowly. He claimed he'd wait for Qiu Hui's report, but he himself would listen—the slightest sound inside the room couldn't escape his ears.

Xie Yan wanted to strike up a conversation, but seeing Zhang Su lost in thought with no interest in talking, he said nothing, smoked mechanically, and pondered the issue of the pale golden thalamus.

Inside the room, the zombie twisted and growled continuously, its state unstable—turning its head left to bite, then right to bite, its gray-white double row of teeth appearing especially sharp.

"Hey, you damn thing, why are you lying there? Get up! Get up and eat someone…"

Qiu Hui turned her head to look at the zombie on the ground and began taunting it, as Zhang Su had instructed.

Outside, Zhang Su clearly heard Qiu Hui's voice and the zombie's howls, but so far, nothing could be confirmed—he still needed to wait.

This wait lasted three or four minutes. Just as he crushed out his cigarette, Zhang Su's eyes suddenly brightened—the room had changed. The zombie's cries had stopped; only Qiu Hui's intermittent curses remained. Xie Yan crouched by the wall, chin propped on his hand, utterly unresponsive; due to the decent soundproofing, he heard no clear sounds, lost in silent contemplation.

Inside, Qiu Hui's taunts continued, but the zombie had fallen utterly silent.

As Qiu Hui muttered on, watching the zombie shift from agitation to stillness, a chill suddenly ran through her.

"Hey, you damn thing, move already! What's this? You were so powerful before—get up and bite me! Hey…"

Seeing the zombie truly unresponsive, Qiu Hui panicked—because this meant she had become one of them.

Her curses grew louder, but to no effect. The zombie slowly turned its head, ignoring her completely—as if she were air.

Qiu Hui shook the gurney hard, producing a clattering noise, trying to move toward the zombie—but she couldn't. All her efforts were futile. The zombie had entered a trance-like state, vacant and dull.

"Wu wu wu… move… bite me… you…"

Qiu Hui finally broke down and cried. She didn't know what she was anymore—human or zombie. It was too tragic.

The zombie, surprisingly tender, saw Qiu Hui crying and remained silent. Women, after all, prefer solitude when sad.

Click.

The door lock clicked. Qiu Hui's crying halted; the zombie on the ground also froze.

Zhang Su and Xie Yan entered the room. The zombie immediately sensed the scent of fresh blood, twisting its head toward them, gnashing and biting, its remaining stub of an arm straining toward them—heartbreakingly earnest. "What's the situation?"

Zhang Su feigned ignorance, though he already knew the outcome.

"Wu wu wu…" Qiu Hui wept uncontrollably: "I—I, it, it doesn't react to me at all! I—I, Mr. Zhang, am I a zombie now? I don't want to be a zombie—I'd rather die! Just let me die!"

Thinking of her situation, Qiu Hui was heartbroken—but she didn't notice Zhang Su's eyes gleaming, nor did she see Xie Yan's expression, as if he'd just discovered a new continent.

"Qiu Hui, do you smoke?"

Zhang Su suddenly asked a question with no apparent relevance.

Both Qiu Hui and Xie Yan froze. What kind of question was this? Before she could react, a cigarette was shoved between her lips, and with a snap, a flame ignited.

"Smoke one. It helps calm your nerves."

After lighting Qiu Hui's cigarette, Zhang Su turned to Xie Yan: "Old Xie, how do you explain this situation?"

Xie Yan rubbed his chin, hesitating slightly: "This likely relates to Qiu's physical condition. The concentration of zombie nanomachines in her body has reached a delicate equilibrium, placing her between human and zombie, possessing traits of both species. It's an extremely rare coincidence!"

"Cough cough cough…"

A coughing fit erupted. Qiu Hui occasionally smoked, so she wasn't usually choked—but hearing Xie Yan's words had terrified her.

"Cough… Mr. Zhang, does this mean I won't live long?"

Zhang Su gave a bright smile: "Why wouldn't you live long? We've already figured out how to control it. As long as you suppress the headache, you won't lose your mind. Right—you still feel numbness in your body? That should be manageable with medication. I'll ask Xiao Shan later. Today, hundreds arrived at the camp from Qincheng—survivors. One of them might be a doctor specializing in this. Solving these issues will be easy. Then you can return to a normal life."

Today, several hundred people arrived at the camp, all survivors from Qincheng; among them might be doctors with relevant expertise—solving these problems would be a breeze, and then you could return to a normal life.

Qiu Hui, cigarette dangling from her lips, looked like a landlady—her face filled with disbelief. The change had come too fast.

"But it's not all good news!"

"I knew it…"

Zhang Su suddenly shifted tone. Before he could continue, Qiu Hui cut in: "Brother Zhang, I have to say this now—I'm afraid I won't get another chance."

Zhang Su suddenly changed the subject, but before he could continue, Qiu Hui cut in: "Big Brother Zhang, I must say this now—I'm afraid I won't get another chance."

Xie Yan's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. Was this some explosive revelation? He wasn't meant to hear this—he started to withdraw—when Zhang Su spoke.

Xie Yan's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly—what kind of explosive news was this? It wasn't the kind to hear here; he was just about to step away when Zhang Su spoke.

Zhang Su offered no obstruction. He understood Qiu Hui's state—she sounded like she was leaving a final message. Perhaps it was important.

"Brother Zhang, you must pay attention to Liu Lan!"

"Huh?" Zhang Su froze. This didn't sound like a dying confession—and who was Liu Lan? Seeing his confusion, Qiu Hui explained: "You're too busy to remember, but you must've forgotten Liu Lan. She's also from the Women's Corps. She came with us from Kuanzhuang—short hair, single eyelids, plain and unremarkable."

"Hmm… now that you mention it, I recall her vaguely. You want me to watch her—but doesn't she have relatives who went with Lei Youliang to the Qinglong Army?"

A nearly invisible figure surfaced in Zhang Su's mind.

There was deep enmity between Tianmayu and Kuanzhuang. Earlier, their combatants clashed violently in the Qinglong Army; over a dozen from Kuanzhuang died, including their leader. Some of the dead had relatives left behind in Kuanzhuang, later absorbed by Zhang Su and brought to Tianmayu.

Zhang Su had clearly explained the whole story to Kuanzhuang's people. Most understood the instigator was Lei Youliang, and those once filled with resentment gradually forgave him—but not everyone.

Zhang Su had clearly explained the full story to the people of Kuangzhuang; everyone understood that Lei Youliang was the instigator of the conflict. Some who had once harbored resentment gradually let it go, but a few still held onto their grudges.

"No, Liu Lan has no relatives. She loves Lei Youliang. I found out by accident. More than half a month ago, one night, I overheard Liu Lan muttering his name. Through the window, I saw her looking at her phone, whispering things like 'it's unfair you died… I'll join you below…'"

"No, Liu Lan had no family. She loved Lei Youliang—I found out by accident. More than half a month ago, one night, I overheard Liu Lan muttering Lei Youliang's name. Through the window, I saw her looking at her phone, whispering about how unjustly she'd died, about going down to join him…"

(End of Chapter)

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