Chapter 646: News of Awakened Animals

Precise orders were issued, ensuring everyone knew what to do and got moving.

The people on Tianma Yu responded to Zhang Su’s warning with lightning speed; no one suffered serious injury, at most minor scrapes and bruises, and they acted with swift, decisive efficiency after receiving instructions.

“Hurry, hurry, move! Take your gear and head down the mountain first—I’ll be right behind you. Watch out for zombie ambushes!”

After reiterating his warning, Zhang Su rushed upstairs to his home, found No.1 Program sitting quietly inside with no abnormalities, and finally relaxed.

“Aowu.”

No.1 Program made a sound as Zhang Su turned to leave.

Zhang Su turned back, guessing she wanted to know what had just happened, and said: “An explosion happened elsewhere—the shockwave reached our camp. No major issues. Your window’s shattered. Go stay in the bedroom.”

No.1 Program’s eyes flickered like breathing lights, then she nodded gently and rose to walk toward the inner room.

Watching No.1 Program’s increasingly agile steps, Zhang Su noted her progress was better than expected. After she entered the bedroom, he locked the door behind him and left.

Downstairs, a “flash of lightning” dashed to the broken gate of Xiao Xingyun.

“Xingyun? You okay… Holy shit, is that what you brought back? Fast as hell!”

Xingyun’s fur was untouched, his chest heaved, two thick plumes of white vapor spewed from his nostrils—he carried a chicken and a duck in his mouth. Though limp, both occasionally flapped their wings, clearly still alive.

Unable to bark, Xingyun raised a paw and gestured toward the mountain slope.

“Alright, alright, lock them in the kitchen first! Good job—well done. Go get the rest of the chickens and ducks blown away, bring them all back to the kitchen, and I’ll reward you later.”

The kitchen window at Xiao Xingyun was small and high off the ground; once inside, the chicken and duck couldn’t escape.

Xingyun, thrilled, wagged his tail and leapt straight to the air vent, tossed the birds inside, then turned and sprinted off—clean, efficient, blazing fast.

“Mr. Zhang, that dog of yours, Xingyun—it’s special, understands human speech, shows human-like awareness, and has formidable combat strength, right?”

The five from Longtou Camp had spontaneously begun cleaning Xiao Xingyun’s yard and had watched Zhang Su’s exchange with Xingyun. After Xingyun left, Shen Linrui approached Zhang Su and asked.

Zhang Su’s gaze flickered at Shen Linrui’s words: “You know so much—do you also have an awakened animal companion?”

To Zhang Su now, Xingyun was no longer livestock or a pet—he was a full companion, a secret member of the Yanluo Corps.

The five from Longtou Camp exchanged knowing smiles. Shen Linrui said: “To be honest, Longtou Camp has a similar little creature—extremely powerful. If it chose to kill zombies, it’d outmatch any one of us, unless you use a gun.”

“Oh? That’s impressive. I’d really like to meet it sometime. Mind telling me what kind of animal it is?”

This was Zhang Su’s first time hearing news of another awakened animal. He pulled out cigarettes and offered them around.

“Thanks…”

Shen Linrui took a cigarette, lit it, and smiled: “It’s a hamster. Its owner’s also a case of ‘fame by association’—a thirteen-year-old girl named Jiajia. When Jiajia first arrived at camp, you know—Yanluo Wang, you’re a leader, you understand how a little girl like that gets treated. Lots of men wanted to… take advantage of her. All of them got taught a lesson by Lightning. The worst ones? Straight-up bitten to death.”

“Lightning’s the hamster’s name. The boss found out, naturally. He tried to trade supplies for Lightning, but Jiajia refused, and Lightning wouldn’t agree either. After negotiations, Jiajia finally agreed to let Lightning help with camp work—in exchange for peaceful living.”

Zhang Su internally scoffed. Though the man spoke gently, the dark undercurrents were obvious. Still, it was normal. He was puzzled: what could a tiny hamster possibly do?

“Help with camp work? A palm-sized thing—what does it even do around camp?” “Hey, don’t underestimate Lightning. Tiny and fluffy as it is, it digs and tills soil faster than anything. With Lightning’s help, all our greenhouse plots are tilled by it—plus it pulls weeds too. More efficient than machinery. One mu of land takes half a bag of dried meat. Worth every bit.”

Shen Linrui spoke of Lightning with a smile—he clearly adored the little creature.

Zhang Su rubbed his cheek, picturing a hamster plowing and weeding. He didn’t doubt it—but it felt absurd. He shook his head and asked: “So Lightning’s forelimbs must be strong. Has it ever been used to kill zombies?”

“Of course we tried. How could we not? Its claws are vicious. But it refuses—and Jiajia won’t let it.”

Shen Linrui spread his hands.

“Alright… A little girl’s protective of her companion—understandable. If I get the chance, I really want to see Lightning. Hey, don’t waste time here—go down the mountain. Many are injured down there. Need hands.”

Zhang Su invited the five from Longtou Camp to leave mainly because he didn’t want them lingering at Xiao Xingyun.

After leaving the yard, Zhang Su sent someone to guide the five down the mountain, while he himself headed for Cuileng Pavilion.

“Huh? Duan Wu, Dr. Fu—you’re here too?”

Zhang Su arrived at Cuileng Pavilion and found Duan Wu, Fu Weijun, Xie Yanshan, and Zuo Fengjuan all busy cleaning. Even Qiu Hui, missing a leg, was sweeping with a cane.

“Bah, Fu can’t join research, but he insisted on coming to help clean. So here he is. Don’t know what he’s good for—just sits there. I end up doing everything.”

Duan Wu grumbled as he sorted through debris.

“Mr. Zhang, don’t worry—Cuileng Pavilion’s fine. Only windows and doors got smashed. The important stuff is untouched.”

Xie Yanshan knew exactly why Zhang Su had rushed over and quickly reported to reassure him.

“Good. Stay safe. I’m heading down—the situation below is grim.”

With that, Zhang Su left Cuileng Pavilion.

The camp’s losses weren’t nearly as severe as imagined—because each guesthouse was built in different locations, not all were as unlucky as Xiao Xingyun…

For example, Wangshan Guesthouse, due to terrain, escaped direct impact. Cuileng Pavilion, serving as the lab, was also fine. Ju Wuying’s Jingxin Courtyard similarly avoided the direct shockwave—only minor damage, no serious harm.

Ding Yongguo’s newly built blacksmith shed was structurally sound, but half of it collapsed when a flying window smashed into it, then ignited by a red-hot steel chunk. Luckily, the fire was small and immediately contained.

Seventy percent of the vehicles in the parking lot had shattered glass. Over a dozen light vans overturned. Fatso 003 slept soundly. The fire zombie remained still, unaffected.

Of the two vegetable greenhouses, one was incredibly lucky—unharmed. The other was half-destroyed, roof gone, leaving only lonely metal frames sticking from the ground. Fortunately, it didn’t fully collapse—otherwise, the burning stove would’ve sparked a fire.

Yi Xiaoling, Mo Qianlan, and others worked in teams: some flashed flashlights as they hurriedly harvested vegetables before they froze—these were precious food supplies!

Those with strong hands-on skills were repairing the greenhouses.

The pigs and sheep were in the best shape—unharmed. They’d been kept inside the guesthouse buildings anyway. After the shockwave, cold air rushed in; the pigs huddled together, shivering. The sheep? Calmly lying on the ground, chewing grass…

The biggest problem was the damaged wiring. The painstakingly installed power lines and surveillance signal cables needed complete replacement. Some surveillance cameras were simply gone.

(End of chapter)