Chapter 537

"The Grape Ditch place isn't anything special, so why are the zombies all gathering there... or did something happen later to cause this?"

Zhang Su tightened his bedding. It was already very late, but he couldn't sleep at all. Thoughts flew through his mind, and then he thought of the second piece of news.

Compared to the Grape Ditch zombie horde, Zhang Su cared more about the second one, because this news came from a camp in the Beihe area and involved intelligence related to the sea!

Water Bear Survivor Organization news: Dozens of kilometers off the Pigeon Nest Beach, there are strange spherical objects floating, about the size of an ordinary SUV, irregularly releasing blue electric arcs. The arc range covers over a hundred meters. It's not obvious during the day, but at night it's like a disco light ball. Since the coastline has frozen, it's impossible to go out to sea to investigate the specific situation.

The news wasn't complicated; it was just that an unidentified object had appeared outside Pigeon Nest Beach. Zhang Su didn't know what that thing was, but that location was exactly on the route from land to Fu Wei's laboratory!

If it were just some human facility left at sea, it wouldn't be a big problem, but if it were related to this catastrophe, it wouldn't be simple.

Although there was no solid evidence to indicate that the zombie transformation was related to other civilizations, a consensus had basically been reached among the vast majority of people in Tianmayu that the catastrophe was triggered by other civilizations, only they didn't know where this civilization came from.

It could be an alien planet, or it could be the center of the earth; in any case, it was definitely not human itself, at least not the human technology of this era.

If it were a product of another civilization, that would be rare!

It's a pity that for people at this stage, going out to sea is too difficult. And even if they could go out to sea, according to the intelligence, it affects a hundred meters of sea area when releasing electric arcs, which is very likely to cause harm to ships and people. If they want to get close, they have to find a way! In any case, this is a very important piece of intelligence. No matter which aspect you look at it from, this ball is a good thing. Once there is an opportunity, they must find a way to get their hands on it!

"This news cannot let Fu Wei know, otherwise he will definitely go crazy..."

Zhang Su couldn't help but shake his head inwardly, his fingers gently stroking the notebook.

Fu Wei was already obsessed with the high-end equipment in the laboratory. If he were to know that a suspected artifact of another civilization had appeared at sea, I'm afraid he would walk to the seaside even in his wheelchair...

Setting aside Fu Wei's unrealistic impulses, Zhang Su himself had also been thinking about going out to sea. Whether it was to better utilize zombies or to conduct in-depth research on countering the zombie transformation, the participation of high-precision instruments was needed.

And the only place where it was certain those instruments existed was Fu Wei's laboratory on the island.

"A boat is easy to handle, but opportunities are hard to find..."

Zhang Su turned over, and then remembered the last piece of special intelligence.

Back in Qingxian, they first received radio signals from survivor camps in other cities, the Tang Cheng Righteous Path Association. He didn't expect Liao Youzhi to have contacted them in Qincheng as well.

A month ago, the specific date was not recorded, an expedition team from the Righteous Path Association came to Qincheng from Tang Cheng, crossing regions.

According to the news recorded by Liao Youzhi, the Righteous Path Association's expedition team was there to obtain intelligence on the survivor camps in Qincheng, and at the same time, they extended an olive branch to the Survivor Alliance, hoping Liao Youzhi could lead people to join the Righteous Path Association and completely abandon the Qincheng area! According to the Righteous Path Association's expedition team's rhetoric, Tang Cheng is an old industrial city. If human technology is to recover, it cannot do without industry, so they hoped to win over people from surrounding cities and concentrate them in Tang Cheng for common development, which would definitely be better than tourist cities like Qincheng and Chengcheng.

Since the Survivor Alliance was still in Qincheng, it could be determined that Liao Youzhi did not accept the Righteous Path Association's invitation at that time.

If it weren't for this turn of events, Zhang Su felt the Righteous Path Association would definitely continue to recruit the various forces in Qincheng. Unfortunately, the situation was now dire, and with the distance of several hundred kilometers between the two places, it wouldn't be easy to make contact again.

As fellow humans, if the Righteous Path Association's development philosophy was very healthy and could really lead survivors to create a comfortable living environment, Zhang Su would be very conflicted. While feeling fortunate, there was also a faint sense of displeasure.

Unknowingly, his mindset had changed. From a small survival team of two or three people, it slowly grew into a team, and then slowly became the leader of four or five hundred people, receiving the respect and flattery of his subordinates. These were achievements truly made with his own hands. To say he would give it up...

It wasn't that he couldn't bear to, he really couldn't bear to!

"Power is really a good thing; it makes people unable to stop."

Zhang Su was not someone who didn't dare to admit what he had done; he was very clear about his inner changes.

"Sigh, why think so much? It's really worrying about nothing!"

Comforting himself, from the news obtained so far, the Righteous Path Association was indeed very large, but Tianmayu's development was also good. Rather than worrying about the infiltration and erosion of other forces, the ordinary zombies that were as crazy as dogs, and the big guys as strong as oxen, were the biggest difficulties at the moment!

"The methods for dealing with zombies need to be updated and iterated. If Chen's special situation becomes common and can be controlled..."

"What on earth is that thing at sea? Dr. Fu's laboratory... no one should be going to that place, right?"

"Tianmayu's energy system needs to be updated..."

"Hey, Hubby, what's going on with Chen? What did you two talk about?"

Zhang Su was letting his imagination run wild when a voice suddenly came from behind him, giving him a start.

"Holy crap, weren't you asleep?"

He had heard Zheng Xin's breathing was steady earlier and thought she had fallen asleep.

"I was dozing off, but I suddenly remembered Chen calling you away. I know he's not right, can you tell me? What did you two talk about?"

Zheng Xin turned over, swooshed into Zhang Su's bedding, and lifted a leg directly onto Zhang Su's stomach.

Zhang Su looked at the stains on the ceiling, pondered for a while, and said softly: "His body has had some issues..."

"Oh no, he's not going to turn into a zombie, is he?" Zheng Xin asked with concern. This concern had nothing to do with romantic feelings, but was purely out of concern for a companion.

Zhang Su pursed his lips and said in a deep voice: "There are no signs of turning into a zombie, and it has given him power that doesn't belong to him. From past experience, every rainfall will have an impact on him. As for what it will develop into in the future, it's hard to say..."

"Are these strange phenomena related to the time point when he was first bitten?"

Zheng Xin asked curiously.

"At present, we can only draw this conclusion. The time point at that time was indeed very coincidental. If we could find similar situations, that would be great, and we could have a reference, but unfortunately there are none... Hey, don't tell anyone what I told you today!"

"When have I ever gossiped? Don't worry, I'll keep it to myself!"

"I believe you..."

Zhang Su nodded. The reason he was willing to share with Zheng Xin was that she was indeed tight-lipped, and he also hoped to hear her predictions and analysis on some things, which could serve as a reference.

"Hey, Hubby, do you think if Chen really turns into a zombie, he will become that kind of humanoid zombie, possessing the zombie's super-fierce combat state while being able to maintain his sanity? Roar roar roar, just like that guy we met in the Green Dragon Legion?"

Zheng Xin was quiet for a moment, a sudden thought occurring in her mind.

Zhang Su turned his body, looked at Zheng Xin seriously, and said with a helpless expression: "Wish Chen Hanzhou well..."

"I didn't say anything bad, but I really think it wouldn't be bad if that happened..."

"Cough, cough, cough... hiss! You call this thing 'not bad'?" In a spicy hot pot restaurant next to the pickled fish restaurant, Chen Hanzhou held a cigar between his fingers, coughing from the smoke, and his ribs, which hadn't fully recovered, felt a burst of pain.

Just now, Pan Guoliang had given Chen Hanzhou a cigar, telling him it was a good thing that could relieve pain and soothe the nerves...

"You're doing it wrong! Come, let me teach you!" Pan Guoliang took the cigar from Chen Hanzhou's hand, took a deep drag, swirled the smoke in his mouth, and then slowly exhaled.

"See that? This thing isn't a cigarette. Are you crazy for inhaling it into your lungs? Try again..."

"No, no, no, don't mess with me anymore..." Chen Hanzhou waved his hands repeatedly.

"Not smoking?" Pan Guoliang's eyes rolled, and he smiled: "Not smoking is fine too. Come, tell me, what happened when you were fighting earlier? How did you suddenly become so fierce? Is there some secret?"

"No secret, just practice more if you're bad! I'm going to the bathroom..."

Saying this, Chen Hanzhou stood up, clutching his abdomen, not wanting to continue discussing this topic.

There were plenty of people who couldn't sleep. On the roof of the air-conditioned room on the top of the Le-Gou Mall, Wang Xin and Zhang Ya were wearing thick clothes, sitting back-to-back, forming a Kappa logo. One was looking to the southeast, the other to the northwest, chatting in the night.

"What did you do in your previous job? You always say programmers are boring, is that really the case?" Zhang Ya held a gun in her arms. People in love have hot hearts; even in an environment of minus twenty degrees, she didn't feel cold. Similar topics had been discussed many times, but the past life was something to yearn for, and they always loved to change angles to reminisce.

"That's a stereotype. It's true that our work content is boring, but we people aren't boring, and life is very rich too. We are always in contact with the internet and can always get first-hand information. We can see many gossip news earlier; what you guys talk about is all the leftovers we've already seen!"

Wang Xin said happily, his face filled with a happy smile. Enjoying duty with his lover made him feel warm, and he didn't forget his real work, scanning the distance and occasionally shining a high-beam flashlight.

"Sigh, now even the leftovers are gone..."

Wang Xin's joke didn't make Zhang Ya feel better. She sighed and patted the cold roof, full of nostalgia.

"I don't think I've told you, I worked here for a while before, five or six years ago. At that time, I was a shopping guide in a clothing store. I hadn't been in Qincheng long, it seemed to be my second job.

At that time, I worked so hard, chasing after customers' butts every day, holding a pile of clothes for customers to try on, just to sell one more piece. When I got my salary, it was 1,800. I couldn't even bear to buy a bottle of skin cream. Now that I think about it, those bitter days were incredibly happy..."

"Isn't it pretty good now? You don't even need to wipe your face, haha, back to nature. But it is indeed a bit dry; if there are conditions, you still have to maintain it."

Wang Xin said, touching his cold cheeks, which were indeed a bit rough.

"Yeah, dry, my face is a bit dry... Hey? Xiao Ya, what's wrong?" After touching his face for a long time, Wang Xin noticed Zhang Ya hadn't spoken, and he could feel her mood was slightly low.

"Xinxin, do you think we... still have hope?"

Zhang Ya lowered her head, burying her face between her knees, as if that gave her more security.

Wang Xin pursed his lips and suddenly smiled: "What kind of talk is that? Of course we have hope. We're all together and doing well. You wouldn't be able to cheat on me, would you? Or are you afraid I'll cheat on you? I didn't go out to play tonight!"

"You know what I'm talking about, don't change the subject."

Zhang Ya was in no mood to joke with Wang Xin. After experiencing the thrilling moment in the afternoon, she was always uneasy inside.

Wang Xin took a deep breath of the cold air, flicked the cigarette butt away, looked up at the ink-like sky, and said: "Zombies are getting stronger, and we are getting stronger too. Don't be so pessimistic. This doesn't seem like your personality, cheer up!"

As he spoke, Wang Xin stood up and jumped, then suddenly gave a wicked smile, turned around, bent over, and leaned on Zhang Ya's back, whispering: "Xiao Ya, look, the scenery here is unique, surely no one will come to look for us. Shall we... unlock a new map?"

Zhang Ya didn't make a sound after hearing Wang Xin's words, her head full of black lines as she said: "It's so cold, what kind of dream are you having!"

"How could it be a dream? I'm wide awake, hehe..."

"You're really dreaming!"

Also talking about dreams, the atmosphere between Yu Wen and Zhao De was significantly more tense.

"If it weren't for today's snowfall, and life was getting better and better, I wouldn't oppose you and Qingqing having a child at all, I'd even support it. But in the current situation, I firmly disagree!"

Coincidentally, the "dreams" Wang Xin and Zhao De had were the same, but with a small difference: one didn't consider making a baby, while the other wanted to...

When Zhao De implicitly revealed his thoughts to Yu Wen, he was immediately met with a severe reprimand.

"I was just... hehe, I didn't do that, I was just..."

"From the perspective of humanity's big picture, raising offspring is an unavoidable responsibility for every survivor, but I don't want Qingqing to take risks. You can call me selfish, or you can call me narrow-minded. I'm just giving you a reminder: when you can't see a clear future, don't do irrational things!"

Yu Wen was originally half-lying down, but sat up straight when he reached the emotional part.

"Understood, understood, Uncle, don't worry, I won't be rash, and Qingqing won't either, don't worry."

Zhao De especially regretted bringing this up just now, blaming himself for being idle, and ending up getting lectured.

"I believe Qingqing wouldn't agree to such a risky request either, right?"

Yu Wen asked.

"Hmm..."

Zhao De nodded gloomily. Yu Qing indeed didn't agree, which was why he came to talk to Yu Wen, hoping Yu Wen could help persuade Yu Qing. After all, being a grandfather still had some temptation, but he didn't expect the other party to be so rational.

Yu Wen softened his tone and said: "Xiao Zhao, your growth is obvious to everyone, and I am also very gratified. Qingqing also often tells me about your progress. This is a fact that none of us can deny, but this... cannot change the big environment. Look at this afternoon... sigh, let's not talk about this afternoon!"

The encounter in the afternoon caused no small psychological impact on the few people who stayed in the Le-Gou Mall. That feeling of touching death was hard to handle.

After a moment of silence, Yu Wen spoke again, earnestly: "Let's not talk about anything else, I'll just mention one point, you remember it well..."

Zhao De felt his father-in-law's tone suddenly become solemn, so he quickly became serious and said: "Hey, Uncle, you say it, I'll remember it well."

"First, I'll state my position: I also hope to be a grandfather in my lifetime, but you must never take risks. You remember, when Xin and Xiaoshan are pregnant, then you and Qingqing can... do you understand what I mean?"

Based on Yu Wen's understanding of Zhang Su, his decisions were the reliable weather vane. If he decided to continue his bloodline, then that would be the foundation of stability. At the very least, he would make various decisions and efforts for the sake of stability.

Zhao De suddenly realized and nodded slowly: "Understood, I understand!"

"Did you guys understand?"

In another restaurant, Pang Dakun was holding a lock core, explaining lock-picking knowledge to Wu Lue and Qi Xiaoshuai.

"My eyes have learned it, but I think this thing still needs practice!"

Qi Xiaoshuai touched the bridge of his nose, took the lock core from Pang Dakun's hand, and fiddled with it, but didn't feel anything. It seemed he wasn't cut out for this.

Wu Lue smiled and said like a fanboy: "I also think that only practice can yield true knowledge. After watching so many teachers' works, only tonight's practice let me know that it was so refreshing. Ah, I haven't lived in vain, I really want to have a few more rounds."

Qi Xiaoshuai and Pang Dakun looked at each other. It turned out this guy hadn't put his mind on lock-picking at all, but was thinking about the things of keys poking into lock holes.

"Brother Wu, I know I'm a few years younger than you, but I also want to advise you. Some things, we can't overdo. My master taught me before, saying that in this world, there are only exhausted oxen, but no plowed-out fields. Our consumption is too great day by day, you must not go again!"

Pang Dakun looked like a precocious youth, earnestly educating Wu Lue, which made Qi Xiaoshuai on the side laugh strangely.

"You little bird, go away, go away. I heard that you finished in less than three minutes, and you still have the nerve to educate me? Although it was my first time too, I am a man who persisted for a full five minutes! So what if I have a few more rounds? I am strong and healthy, are you afraid they will suck me dry?"

Wu Lue clearly refused to admit defeat, straightening his back and patting his chest.

He was indeed much stronger than when the disaster first broke out. The dark circles under his eyes were gone, his hollow body had become sturdy, and his whole spirit was full! Qi Xiaoshuai waved his hand and said: "Luezi, don't be brave. Basic self-discipline must be there. Our bodies are good, but to tell you the truth, if you really get stuck by those big sisters just now, three of you wouldn't be enough. When you run into zombies and your legs tremble, see if Brother Su doesn't chop you!"

Speaking of the key point, Wu Lue's face twitched. He stopped being brave, gave a dry laugh, and said sheepishly: "We're just talking big, how could we really have several rounds? At most one, just one, definitely won't have weak legs!"

"You're for real, and you're going again?"

Qi Xiaoshuai saw Wu Lue's lingering interest and knew what he was planning.

"First taste of the flavor, hard to extricate myself. Just one round, let's go, let's go together. Opportunities are rare. We're going to guard civilization tomorrow, and then we'll return to Tianmayu. We won't have these conditions in the future!"

Wu Lue didn't dare to go downstairs alone and planned to pull Qi Xiaoshuai and Pang Dakun along.

Qi Xiaoshuai turned to look at the pitch-black mall, occasionally hearing whispers and coughing sounds. He laughed and waved his hand: "I'm a bit tired, I won't go, hehehe..."

Pang Dakun was more direct, putting the lock core on the ground and saying: "Brother Wu, you can't go. If you go again, I'll tell Uncle!"

(End of chapter)