[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-zombie-apocalypse-creation":3,"chapter-zombie-apocalypse-creation-zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-653":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Zombie Apocalypse: Creation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1887383,2510,"Chapter 653: Culprit and Risks","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-653",653,"\u003Cp>\"They are not going to get away from this,\" Xiaoyun murmured as he firmly crumbled the magazine in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good luck with that... Anyway, you should probably read what’s inside the magazine. It isn’t all that bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can’t be good with that stupid cover.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun still unfolded the magazine as he began reading the first page. He was a little surprised as the insides were all praises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a list of achievements. Only praises were used. Not a single negative thing was listed against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of the battles he had participated in were listed, from the first battle against the gang members in the mansion all the way to the present day in Shenzhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next page was even more praises, with praises towards how he managed to build Luoping from the ground up, to navigating various crises against all odds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It even started to make him feel a little embarrassed by the sheer amount of praise. Still, the front cover was just too unacceptable for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone really had done their research on this...\" Xiaoyun murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s what I thought too when I read it... Anyway, you should probably just ignore it. We need to focus our attention on work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s there to work on? I thought I already filled up with shortages.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like helping me set the fines for these companies. Come over here. Don’t just sit there and do nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xiaoyun left the administrative building in the afternoon, he got a little phone call from Yueyue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had found one of the accomplices. To be exact, the soldier who took the picture and shared it with an unknown journalist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering Yueyue’s office, the soldier was standing right by the door. Her eyes glanced at Xiaoyun for a second before looking back down to the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s the soldier who took the picture and shared it?\" Xiaoyun questioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Based on Houqin’s shift schedule on that day in the military base and the image on her phone, it’s pretty much confirmed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yueyue opened the phone and opened up one of the chats, he could see the image right there, the same image on the magazine cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why? Why do you think this was a good idea to take a picture of me and share it with your friends?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier remained silent as Xiaoyun looked her dead in the eyes. He just couldn’t understand what the soldier was thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you found who the friend is on the other side of this message?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t really find it. The person on the other side is using a burner phone with a stolen SIM card.\" Yueyue answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s your name, soldier?\" Xiaoyun asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"M-My name is Chen Ling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chen Ling, whose your superior, which unit do you belong to, and what rank are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My superior is... W-Will she get in trouble if I say her name?\" The soldier questioned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaoyun, I can give you her basic information——\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to hear it from her. Who’s your superior, which unit do you belong to, and what rank are you? Answer my question.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds of silence, Chen Ling finally spoke up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My superior is Liu Ming, and I-I’m in the 2nd Army Corp, 32nd Infantry squad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long have you been in the army?\" Xiaoyun questioned again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"F-Five months.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, since March... Do you know what the consequences of your action will be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I’m sorry, Commander. I didn’t know he was going to put it into a magazine like this. I-I only shared it as a-a joke.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A joke. Do you know how my reputation was ruined because of this? Half of the town saw me naked, and you think it’s a joke.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun’s tone got louder and louder, the soldier moved back more and more until her back was against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry, Commander. Please don’t fire me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yueyue, what’s the punishment for violating someone’s privacy and leaking classified information while on duty?\" Xiaoyun asked out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dishonorably discharged with ten to twenty years in prison. Her kids and grandkids, if she had any, would be forbidden from working as a government employee.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"C-Commander I-I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I give you one chance. Tell me who’s the person on the other side of the phone, and I will lighten the punishment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a whole minute of silence, Chen Ling finally cracked under pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I don’t know who’s the person on the other side. A-All I know is they called my number a few months back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you just started falling in love with him?\" Yueyue asked this time as she scrolled over the messages on the phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier’s face flushed, making Xiaoyun quickly take a look at the phone again in Yueyue’s hand before connecting the dots in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really fell in love with a person over the phone and sent this picture to show off? Was that all you intended to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ling slowly nodded her head, making Xiaoyun facepalm as he couldn’t believe the truth behind the image leak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You never saw this person in real life? Only through text messages and nothing else?\" Xiaoyun questioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can go back to your post. But your phone will be seized... Don’t repeat the same mistake, do you understand me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Y-Yes, sir!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier finally looked up for once, the depressing mood vanishing away as Xiaoyun let out a small sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can go now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chen Ling left the room, Xiaoyun turned around, taking a seat right across from Yueyue’s desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why did you just let her go like that?\" Yueyue curiously asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What else am I going to do? Put her in jail and waste tax money for someone who can be a productive soldier out in the field?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But not even any punishment of any sort?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think I want the entire military to know about it, too? Having half of the town know about it is embarrassing enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I guess... Do you want me to keep trying to find the person behind this?\" Yueyue asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just try your best,\" Xiaoyun answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway, anything you need to report to me since I was gone? Nothing important that I should know about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nope, nothing. Unless you want to read as few criminal cases that we busted open... Actually, wait, there is something you might want to read about.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yueyue quickly moved her monitor, letting it face Xiaoyun directly as it shows an entire list of salvage groups in their settlements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I had been having my agents keep tabs on all the registered and unregistered salvage groups in the various cities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there is something that I found that might raise some eyebrows. But just as a caution, I’m not certain if this information is fully confirmed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she clicked on her mouse several times, the page switched from an unarmed salvage group to an armed salvage group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Armed salvage group? What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, that’s exactly how I reacted when one of my agents reported the information... Some of these salvage groups had been handcrafting guns.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun fell into silence. His mind didn’t even need to think for a second about why these salvage groups were trying to get their hands on some firearms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inherent design of the salvage group was a cut-throat business, one that had much competition and rivalry that could end up very bloody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a temporary solution that had turned into a thorn in his side. A problem that might have become too difficult to tackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have they brought these weapons into Luoping or Guangzhou?\" Xiaoyun cautiously asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As of now, none. They had purposely left it out at their salvage bases outside of our zone of control to avoid detection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at the names listed on the suspected list, Xiaoyun could see that even the smaller salvage groups had the possibility of being armed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just continue keeping a monitor on them... Try to gather a list of the violations and some hard evidence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anything else you need to show me before I go?\" Xiaoyun asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s it. I got nothing else.\" Yueyue murmured as she turned her computer back towards herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay then. See you later tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun exited Yueyue’s office, he immediately noticed the workers outside all turning their attention towards him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you looking at? Go back to work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of the workers immediately looked away, but the smile on their faces told everything he needed to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For fuck sake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not wanting to stay in the building any longer, he immediately left the intelligence building before heading back into his car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside, he started the engine, driving straight towards the logistics office as he floored the gas pedal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need something to make everyone forget about this... But what can I do to distract everyone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun wondered as he turned his steering wheel to the right, taking a little loop before arriving at the logistics building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good afternoon, sir.\" The guard saluted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good afternoon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he parked his car in the park lot and exited the car, he could feel the atmosphere feeling a little more tense than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>",1532,"2026-06-10T06:59:53.682Z",1,"novelbin.me","27f131bd399d14ac063a1b48acc8928ff513565a9289353dfbaa6c8b9c5a5a2c","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-602","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-802",829,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fzombie-apocalypse-creation-cover.jpg"]