Chapter 634: Another Layer of Insurance!

Zhang Su arrived at Cuileng Pavilion just as Zuo Fengjuan exited Qiu Hui’s room, carrying used bowls and chopsticks. After a brief exchange, Zhang Su did not go straight to Xie Yanshan but entered Qiu Hui’s room.

“Big Brother Zhang!”

Qiu Hui had just finished eating and was reclining on her bed scrolling through a drama on her phone. Seeing Zhang Su enter, she immediately sat up, balancing steadily on one leg.

“Ha, you look great—recovery’s going well!”

Zhang Su stared at Qiu Hui in surprise. He’d been too busy these past three days to visit, and truly, three days without seeing her made her seem like a new person. The pitiful state she’d been in still lingered in his mind.

Qiu Hui hopped in a circle around the spacious part of the room, delighted: “Once the headache faded, the numbness gradually receded too. It hasn’t vanished completely, but with the medicine my sister-in-law brought, it’s now under control—within tolerable limits. And… for some reason, my body’s gotten stronger…”

“Not just stronger—I’ve gained more strength, better balance, and I barely stumble on one leg anymore. My joints are more flexible than before!”

Zhang Su gestured for her to sit, smiling: “These changes must be tied closely to the zombie virus inside you—and the Zombie Transformation Blocker too. Excellent. Better than I expected.”

Hearing this, Qiu Hui grew melancholy, sitting on the edge of the bed: “Fate is cruel. I don’t mind the suffering, but losing a leg… it’s a permanent disability. I’ll never be equal to a whole person.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic. Flowers bloom again. There are miracles everywhere now—limb regeneration might not be impossible!”

Zhang Su spoke with subtle implication.

Since Qiu Hui’s condition kept improving, he would reveal more secrets to her. Given her unique situation, she would inevitably be assigned to critical missions—and thus encounter many secrets.

“Limb regeneration? Oh my god, I never dared dream of that. But you’re right—anything’s possible in this world now. Big Brother Zhang, thank you—you’ve given me hope!”

Freed from pain, Qiu Hui regained her usual cheerfulness; her smile returned more often.

Zhang Su paused, then asked: “Qiu Hui, you used to be troubled by your immunity to zombies. Has that eased?”

“Much better,” Qiu Hui nodded frankly. “I’m just not smart enough to overthink things. These past few days, Dr. Xie talked with me and explained how special this ability is. Now I actually feel proud of it—I’m eager to contribute to the camp.”

Xie Yanshan was far better at this than Fu Weijun. If it had been Fu Weijun, he’d never have taken time to comfort an injured person.

“Good. I’ll let you in on something: you’re not the only one with this ability. A handsome young man also got it. Once you recover further, I’ll form a special unit—you’ll both join it to handle special situations!”

Zhang Su crossed his legs, grinning.

He didn’t tell Qiu Hui the full truth: there’d be one even more unusual member in this group.

Qiu Hui didn’t blush like a shy girl—she laughed boldly: “So there’s a handsome guy assigned to me? The organization’s thinking of my happiness?”

In the apocalypse, it wasn’t just men who had physical needs—everyone was the same.

Zhang Su smirked, standing: “Of course. The organization must care about personal happiness. Ha! Rest after your meal, keep exercising. I’m off.”

“Let me walk you out—I can manage.”

Qiu Hui jumped up at once, hopping on one leg to open the door for him.

Zhang Su didn’t stop her. The best care for a disabled person is to give them dignity.

Leaving Qiu Hui’s room, Zhang Su listened briefly and knew exactly which room Xie Yanshan was in. He knocked at the door, then entered.

Knocking was basic courtesy; walking in directly was the privilege of a leader.

“Mr. Zhang, you’re here.”

Xie Yanshan turned, handed the test tube to Zuo Fengjuan, then gestured for Zhang Su to come to his desk.

“Earlier… luck cooperated well with my tests and yielded some accurate data.”

Speaking of Luck, Xie Yanshan wore a strange expression. He’d initially thought Luck was just a dog with a bit of human understanding—but soon realized it was far more: it understood everything, processed information rapidly, and often anticipated his words before he finished speaking.

But one thing annoyed him: Luck’s gaze… always carried a faintly disdainful side-eye.

Xie Yanshan had asked Luck why it looked at him that way. Each time, Luck would grin, shift to a normal expression—exactly like a mischievous child.

“Efficiency’s good. Tell me.”

Zhang Su’s interest sparked instantly.

“Luck ate half a hen—I plucked the feathers for it, didn’t cook it. The meat weighed about eight hundred grams. Afterward, Luck was enhanced: speed increased by forty-five percent, jumping ability by thirty-six percent, and strength the most—doubled, over one hundred twenty percent of its original level!”

“It was already fast before—now forty-five percent faster? And it eats like a beast—half a chicken gone!”

Zhang Su marveled, silently calculating what his own combat power would be if he received the same boost. He had no exact idea, only that it would be very strong.

Even the weakest members of the Yanluo Corps—Wu Lue, Pei Lan, Zhong Xiaoshanyi—if they took the pill and gained Luck’s results, two of them could handle a big brute together!

Humans couldn’t rely solely on raw strength to fight zombies, but personal combat power was a vital safeguard. The “Power Pill” was like a brain stimulant for healing or a bulletproof vest—it was another layer of insurance for human survivors. Xie Yanshan smiled broadly: “It gets better. In its excited state, alertness, smell, and vision all improved slightly—hard to quantify. The boost lasted ten minutes, then began fading, returning to normal after twenty-five minutes, followed by a fatigue phase lasting about half an hour. After recovery, according to Luck, its body received a slight permanent enhancement.”

Zhang Su stared in disbelief: “After tapping its potential, it still gains permanent improvement? No wonder it was so eager to eat that chicken.”

“Mr. Zhang, forgive me for saying this, but while temporary power boosts through potential exhaustion are undeniable, I doubt the body can truly strengthen afterward—or perhaps it’s another form of potential exhaustion. You could interpret it as pre-spending life energy.”

Xie Yanshan spoke seriously. In his knowledge system, stimulants couldn’t have long-term effects—and the stronger the stimulant, the worse the side effects. Everything was conserved!

Zhang Su didn’t argue with Xie Yanshan, but he didn’t doubt Luck either. It was too unusual—perhaps fundamentally different from humans.

“Fine. Let’s not debate whether it improves permanently. At least, short-term bursts are guaranteed. Can we calculate a safe dosage for humans based on Luck’s parameters?”

“Safe dosage is relative. During my tests on Luck, I monitored all vital signs. When strength increased, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen all soared far beyond normal levels. Its body is strong enough to endure it—but if applied to humans…”

Xie Yanshan didn’t finish, but the meaning was clear: everyone’s physiology differed, and so did their tolerance for drugs.

Zhang Su nodded. A thorny problem. From rumors he’d picked up, Tan Huajun and Zhao Dezhu both had high blood pressure, not to mention the older Wang Longzhong. Others might too—he just didn’t know.

“Before you formulate doses, we need a basic physical exam for every Yanluo Corps member. If we don’t know their health data, using stimulants blindly could cause ruptured blood vessels.”

“Absolutely necessary. We can tailor gentler doses for each person.”

Xie Yanshan spoke cautiously.

“Correct. Safety first—start as mild as possible.” Zhang Su added: “You’ll oversee this entire experiment. Understood?”

Fu Weijun would force even inedible things down people’s throats. This was meant to be ingested—and Zhang Su wouldn’t let him touch it.

Xie Yanshan smiled and nodded: “I understand. I take full responsibility. Any problems fall on me.”

“Any progress on that thing?”

Zhang Su asked.

“That thing?” Xie Yanshan blinked, then chuckled wryly: “Mr. Zhang, I’m stretched too thin—I simply haven’t had time.”

He knew Zhang Su meant the black cube. Researching it was far more complicated than the “Power Pill”—and so far, no concrete plan existed.

“If you don’t have time to study it… I’ll keep it for now. When you need it, come get it.”

No one knew what the black cube did—but Zhang Su knew it was precious. Leaving it at Cuileng Pavilion felt unsafe.

“Hmm… I actually want to find time to study the black crystal too.”

Xie Yanshan sighed.

The two went to the next room. Zhang Su leaned close—the crystal was pitch-black inside, revealing nothing.

“Is this thing durable?”

Zhang Su picked up tweezers and pinched it—it was surprisingly heavy for its size.

“Remember the bones you took from zombies? Same thing—no measurable hardness value.”

Xie Yanshan stared intently at the black cube.

“You think… since it gives power to the liquefied gas zombies, could it be an energy source itself? Like a battery for an electric moped?”

Zhang Su looked at Xie Yanshan.

“Energy source… battery… hmm… Mr. Zhang, how about this—this afternoon, I’ll start studying this little cube. I’m just too curious, ha!”

Xie Yanshan rubbed his hands. The “Power Pill” paled next to the black cube.

“Alright. Take your time with the pills.” Zhang Su patted Xie Yanshan’s shoulder, checked his watch—it was nearly time. “I’ve got selection tests this afternoon. Keep working—I’m off.”

“Ah, Mr. Zhang, take it easy.”

Watching Zhang Su leave, Xie Yanshan immediately turned his gaze to the black cube. His mind buzzed with ideas—he decided to test its strength thoroughly.

“Start with fire!”

Muttering to himself, he placed the black cube on a petri dish with tweezers, then left the lab.

(End of Chapter)