[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-zombie-apocalypse-creation":3,"chapter-zombie-apocalypse-creation-zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-788":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},1887637,2510,"Chapter 788: An Invitation from Beijing?","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-788",788,"\u003Cp>\"You want to get some food?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun and Houqin walked down the street together, it was fortunately much less crowded than earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Houqin, what do you think of the date so far?\" Xiaoyun suddenly asked as they walked past a full restaurant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... I think it had been great.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only great? Is there something I can do to make it perfect? Did I do something wrong somewhere?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question went unanswered as Houqin kept her mouth shut, not giving him the answer he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was it the lunch? Or me forgetting the ticket? Hey, don’t just stay silent. I’m serious. I want to make sure everything is going smoothly—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Houqin’s interruption shook Xiaoyun a little as he didn’t expect her to turn around and look him in the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You, Xiaoyun. Next time, I’m going to be the one making the date. I don’t want you to be the only one doing everything for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay. That’s fine. You can plan out the next date if you really want to... Actually, when do you want to go on a date again then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about next—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could give her answer, Xiaoyun’s phone suddenly started ringing. Taking it out, Yuqi was calling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s fine. Take the phone call first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun walked off for a bit and took the phone call, he held down his anger as Yuqi’s cold voice came out next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaoyun, I need you back at the office right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s the matter? Can it not wait until tomorrow or until I get back home? You know I’m still on a date with—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Gansu friends are here again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good evening, Mr.Chen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good evening.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun quickly shook hands with the young man sitting right across from Houqin, who had two bodyguards standing right by the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s just cut to the chase, Mr.Zhang. It’s something important that you wanted to talk about, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I like how direct you are. Ahem, you had heard about how the military remnant had taken over Beijing, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do. What about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They had sent out an invite to all leaders of settlements in the country for talks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Talks?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun was a little dumbfounded as his head wrapped around what kind of talk would be taking place at the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They wanted peace talks. A united front across all human settlements against the zombies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A united front, huh. Is this why you came here a day after the Mid-Autumn Festival rather than be with your family?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangfei’s face flinched for a second, but he quickly recovered as he shook his head before speaking up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My father is the one who personally recommended them to send you an invite... Can I be personal with you for a second?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could continue, one of the guards behind him suddenly cleared his throat, seemingly as if he was warning Zhangfei to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know who I’m talking to... Mr.Governor, I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t recommend you go on this trip at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, both of the guards started clearing their throats, interrupting the conversation completely as Yuqi got up from her seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excuse me, Miss Yuqi, can you bring us to a break room? We’re a little thirsty right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single look, Yuqi led both of them out of the office, leaving only Xiaoyun and Zhangfei in the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr.Governor—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to call me governor, just call me by my first name... Why do you not want me to go on this trip?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because it’s a one-way trip.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A one-way trip?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangfei’s revelation shocked Xiaoyun a little. Although he expected something similar, he didn’t expect it to be taken that far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re most likely imprisoning you at the capital, then use you as a negotiating piece to force your settlement into capitulation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no way that’s what they’re doing. That would literally go against the spirit of a united front against the zombies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr.Chen, do you really think the meeting is just for a united front?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun didn’t answer right away this time as he sat there in silence, his mind thinking about what the possible reasoning could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, all the reasoning led up to one answer. The same answer that Zhangfei had already stated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you have any evidence?\" Xiaoyun questioned, his heart still not really trusting Zhangfei’s word on face value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I don’t have any evidence. But I know for a fact those military remnants aren’t the same as the ones at the beginning of the outbreak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, Xiaoyun sat there in silence. His mind knew Zhangfei’s warning had some truth to it, but it felt irrational just to assume it as fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that’s really the case, why would your father request an invitation for me? Are you saying your father is sabotaging me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? No. He’s... He’s thinking you’re the only one who could resist them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Resist?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangfei’s answer made him a little intrigued, as his mind already started forming an idea of what he could be saying next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We, as in the Western Theater Command, had managed to form a semi-alliance in the northwest since the start of the outbreak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short pause appeared as Zhangfei’s face hesitated for a second, but he eventually continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although we had accepted them as the superior command, they had only been more and more demanding recently.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Demanding what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oil, salt, sheep, all kinds of resources we had gathered for ourselves were forced to be sold at an unfair price that they arbitrarily set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They even requested our men to be at the capital doing the most dangerous job for them on the battlefield.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I’m understanding this correctly, your father wants me to go so they can use me as the potential shield to block everything?\" Xiaoyun questioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course not! My father was only doing this because the civilians are fed up with the unfair treatment by the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I-I just feel like you deserve to know the truth. I don’t want to sell out a man like you who’s...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangfei’s voice became quieter and quieter before it became completely inaudible as he looked a little upset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhangfei, I just want to thank you for your honesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can tell your father that I’ll be going on this trip to the capital.\" Xiaoyun interrupted as Zhangfei’s eyes widened in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? Why would you go on to accept this trip? I literally just told you they’re setting up a mousetrap for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know. But have you thought about what the consequences of my not going? The only settlement leader who chose to ignore the military’s invite?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Zhangfei fell into silence. Xiaoyun’s answer had caught him completely offguard as he didn’t think about that at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s nothing they could do to you. Y-You’re all the way over in Guangzhou.\" Zhangfei argued as he finally came up with a response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhangfei, do you really think your father is the one who made the invite?\" Xiaoyun questioned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course he did. That’s what he told me... If it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t even know your existence—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you just said you had troops sent to the capital to work for them, and you guys do trade regularly with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I find it hard to believe they don’t know who I am. The chance of them knowing me through your father is extremely low.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangfei sat still, frozen in place as if something just shook him internally. His face shifted from anger to confusion within a matter of seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why would my father lie to me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He probably just wanted to test you. That’s all... I would do the same if I were in his shoes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\" Zhangfei questioned again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look, you had been talking to me as if we were long-time friends even though we had met for less than 24 hours total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He probably wanted to see if you’ll be naive enough to be honest... Notice how your security guards cough so much earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Liang and Uncle Wu... H-He wouldn’t dare do this to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They tried to warn you, but it seems like you had failed the test... Now, please excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun got up from his chair, heading over to the exit before he turned around to look back at Zhangfei one last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As a piece of advice, you might want to check your clothes or shoes. They probably had bugged you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bugged?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhangfei took his jacket off and looked around, he couldn’t find the concealed mic that Xiaoyun was talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, where did Xiaoyun go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuqi questioned as she came back to her office with the two guards, looking a little confused by the empty seat next to her chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He went to the bathroom... Uncle Liang and Uncle Wu, you guys didn’t bug me, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What bugged? What are you talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1500,"2026-06-10T06:59:54.885Z",1,"novelbin.me","0b2bf1e27cc094bac5fdf031da90378a6eb9423e18ebcfc92aeccd954fb81997","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-544","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-543",829,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fzombie-apocalypse-creation-cover.jpg"]