Chapter 66
TL: Moonlit
Upon hearing the news, when Wen Qingling was about to leave, she made some arrangements. She instructed the sisters and the blood corpses to be extra vigilant.
As their son was not in the base, Jiang Lan and her husband Wen Zheng came up with a plan. They organized a team of civilized corpses to form a patrol squad. The squad consisted of skilled soldiers who had been brought back by Wen Qingling. With the storage of weapons filled with ammunition, it wouldn’t be easy for anything to ambush them.
To be on the safe side, Jiang Lan and Wen Zheng discussed the matter. They decided to form teams of five, with each team assigned an SUV for patrolling within the city. Each team was fully equipped with guns filled with ammunition. Let’s see who would dare to attack them.
Without Wen Qingling’s psychic abilities for exploration, they could only rely on manual patrols. Fortunately, the number of civilized corpses in the base had exceeded ten thousand and was increasing every day. They had an abundance of corpses, so who would they fear?
Just one hour after Wen Qingling left, the patrol team made a discovery outside the southern city. They spotted an old truck carrying a group of people rushing towards the southern city, with a swarm of corpses chasing behind them. The situation was extremely dangerous.
The patrol team parked their vehicles and waited at the entrance of the southern city. The old truck continued driving until it was close to them before finally stopping. The pursuing corpses also came to a halt. When faced with powerful beings of their kind, they instinctively avoided confrontation and wouldn’t rush to their deaths, even though the civilized corpses wouldn’t kill them.
Someone in the driver’s seat shouted, “Help! Help! Is Dr. Wen here? Our base is under attack by corpses, and many people have been infected. We need Dr. Wen’s help! We have crystal nuclei; we brought them!”
The two soldier zombies glanced at each other, then approached cautiously. They checked the driver’s seat and the cargo area, finding people in both places. Roughly counting, there were around twenty to thirty people. Some of them had more severe injuries, with dark bruises around the wounds, indicating that they were bitten by corpses. Others didn’t seem to be injured, and their wounds were not visible.
“Wait here.” The soldier zombies stepped back and quickly discussed with the other three. One of them went back to report, while the remaining four stayed behind.
They all knew that Lord Wen liked to save people and earn crystal nuclei. But now that he wasn’t here, they were unsure whether they should save these infected individuals or not. They would have to consult with Jiang Lan and Wen Zheng first.
When the soldier zombie delivering the report found Jiang Lan and Wen Zheng, Jiang Lan was comfortably lying on a chair with a face mask on, muttering, “Most of the face masks from before the apocalypse has expired. There are very few that haven’t expired. Don’t ruin my delicate little face.”
Wen Zheng took a sip of the blood anemone tentacle tea and said, “Don’t worry, the ingredients in your mask are different now. You’re no longer human; you’re a corpse. Expired skincare products can’t do anything to you.”
Jiang Lan glanced at him and asked, “Are you indirectly saying that I have thick skin?”
Wen Zheng: “…”
Wen Zheng’s survival instinct kicked in, “How could I? I was praising you. You were born beautiful, and you don’t need any skincare to look pretty.”
Only then did Jiang Lan let him off.
Wen Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. With their son not at home and his wife getting angry without anyone to share the burden, he felt a bit stressed.
The soldier zombie stood outside the door and shouted, “Report!” Jiang Lan jumped up from the chair, asking eagerly, “Did something come our way?!”
Wen Zheng: “…”
Why are you so excited? Are you itching for a fight?!
The soldier zombie reported what they had discovered outside the southern city, and Jiang Lan and Wen Zheng exchanged glances.
Since the “General” caused a commotion, they haven’t treated any infected individuals. So why are there still infected people daring to come here?
Wen Zheng: “How many people?”
Soldier Corpse: “Around twenty to thirty.”
Jiang Lan: “That’s quite a lot. Do they have enough crystal nuclei? We extend credit to the corpses, not to humans.”
Soldier Corpse: “They claim to have crystal nuclei.”
Wen Zheng nodded. “Since they know our son can save them, they should also know our pricing standards.”
“Our son needs crystal nuclei, and there’s business at our doorstep. We can’t turn them away,” Jiang Lan made a decision. “Kui Bao, let’s go. We have guests.”
Kui Bao, dressed in children’s clothing, jumped directly from the second floor and ran towards Jiang Lan with short legs. Jiang Lan picked up the little one, instructing Wen Zheng to bring a blood anemone, let it absorb enough corpse poison, and leave it for Kuibao’s dinner.
The soldier zombie was a bit dumbfounded. “Are you going to personally go over?”
Jiang Lan: “Of course. Our son is not at the base, so we must be cautious. How can we let outsiders in? We will go out to meet them. Let’s go with some people.”
Wen Zheng drove, taking his wife and Kui Bao to the outskirts of the southern city. As expected, they saw an old truck with many people inside, all looking exhausted.
Wen Zheng parked the car, and Jiang Lan patted Kui Bao, asking him to stay in the car. She and Wen Zheng got out.
The soldier zombies waiting on this side were a bit confused. What would they do if something went wrong?
Jiang Lan had already removed her face mask. She was well-dressed, with a well-proportioned figure, exuding an aura of a strong woman. “Those who want treatment, step out of the car, line up, and exchange crystal nuclei. Then we will provide treatment.”
The people from the driver’s seat and the cargo area all got out and lined up obediently, waiting to exchange their crystal nuclei.
Jiang Lan gave a signal to one of the soldier zombies to collect the crystal nuclei.
The soldier zombies followed the order and went to collect the crystal nuclei. “100 ordinary zombie crystal nuclei per person.”
Someone was skeptical. “We want to see Dr. Wen. Who among you is Dr. Wen?”
Wen Zheng stepped forward. “I am Dr. Wen.”
The person stared at Wen Zheng. “No, I heard Dr. Wen is very young, and you are not Dr. Wen.”
Wen Zheng received a critical hit of 10,000 points. “I am Dr. Wen! The young Dr. Wen you mentioned is my son!”
The person stammered, “Then… do you have the skills of Dr. Wen?”
Wen Zheng raised the cloth bag in his hand. “Rest assured, I guarantee I can cure you.”
The person looked at the bag for a moment. “We want treatment first and then we’ll pay with the crystal nuclei. Is that okay?”
“No, take it or leave it. After all, it’s not us who will die,” Jiang Lan shrugged. “Husband, let’s go home.”
The person hurriedly said, “Okay, okay, we’ll exchange the crystal nuclei.”
The soldier zombies collected the crystal nuclei one by one. More than twenty people exchanged their crystal nuclei, and the rest were accompanying them and not injured.
Jiang Lan put all the crystal nuclei into her handbag and then spoke up. “Line up properly, one by one for treatment.”
The soldier zombies maintained order, and the first infected individual was brought in. Wen Zheng took out the small blood anemone from the cloth bag and placed it on the wound of the infected person. The blood anemone automatically extended its tentacles to absorb the virus.
After treating one person, let them leave immediately without lingering. By the time they were treating the sixth person, the waiting individuals had already gathered around them. Fortunately, the soldier zombies blocked them, or else they would have surrounded Wen Zheng and Jiang Lan. It was common for humans to gather and observe, and they were curious about the healing process of the blood anemone. It didn’t seem too abrupt.
However, their timing was too coincidental, and Wen Zheng and Jiang Lan had to be cautious.
Wen Zheng said, “Line up! Don’t crowd here. Come one by one!”
Just then, someone shouted, “Attack!”
The person being treated snatched the blood anemone from Wen Zheng’s hand and ran away!
At the same time, the people surrounding them suddenly lunged at the soldier zombies, Wen Zheng, and Jiang Lan. The couple retreated and jumped, leaving the battlefield. The “infected” individuals who hadn’t been treated yet jumped and pounced on them like locusts.
Wen Zheng and Jiang Lan stood firmly on a low building. Jiang Lan waved her hand and said, “Kill them all!”
The civilized zombies hidden in the dark all jumped out, creating a chaotic scene. The sound of guns resonated everywhere. The five soldier zombies trapped in the enemy’s nest quickly retreated. They had witnessed the gun technique and grenade-throwing skills of the civilized zombies. It was common for them to accidentally hurt themselves. The soldier zombies had seen how the civilized zombies threw grenades, which would bounce back and hit them on their own heads. Can you believe it?
Luckily, they forgot to pull the safety pin on the grenades; otherwise, they would have blown up their own heads!
The soldier zombies escaped in a miserable state. They were not as panicked when facing the enemy’s siege, but being killed by their own kind was a different matter. It was too frustrating. Even the coffins couldn’t contain them. They would definitely crawl back up and come back to life!
As soon as the soldier zombies landed in the broken truck’s bucket, they saw a small black dot flying toward them.
The five soldier zombies: “…”
They turned around and jumped off the truck!
“Boom!”
An explosion sounded, and the ground trembled three times. Two zombies were instantly blown away.
The civilized zombie who threw the grenade excitedly said, “I got them! I got them!”
Another civilized zombie slapped him on the back of his head and said, “You also got your own kind!”
The civilized zombie who witnessed the scene rushed over to see if the soldier zombies were dead. Fortunately, the worn-out truck shielded them, barely saving their lives. Facing these warriors, the five soldier zombies felt like crying without tears. When throwing grenades, couldn’t they check if there were their own kind nearby?!
No matter how skilled the attackers were at jumping, in the end, they would all end up lying down.
Kui Bao crawled out of the car and ran over to retrieve the snatched blood anemone. The person who grabbed the blood anemone was already dead.
Kui Bao handed the blood anemone back to Jiang Lan, who pinched its little chubby face and said, “Kui Bao is such a good boy.”
With its blood-red eyes, Kui Bao stared longingly at the blood anemone. Afraid that Jiang Lan wouldn’t understand, it stuck out its little tongue and licked its lips, clearly expressing its desire to eat.
Jiang Lan picked up Kui Bao and instructed it, “You can’t eat it now. Wait until tonight.”
Kui Bao extended its small hand, wanting to hold the anemone itself.
Jiang Lan handed it the blood anemone, and the little one happily carried it back to the car.
Jiang Lan placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the entire scene. “You want to ambush me? You’re still too inexperienced!”
Since Wen Qingling had specifically warned them, how could they be careless? When they came over, they also brought the civilized zombies along. They were hidden nearby without revealing themselves. If these people were really seeking help, they could leave after treatment. But if they had other intentions, they would have to stay here.
Knowing it could be a trap, Jiang Lan couldn’t bear to give up so many crystal nuclei. Therefore, she devised a plan, first bringing the crystal nuclei over and dealing with the situation afterward.
Wen Zheng instructed the soldier zombies to check. If they didn’t have a hole in their heads, they would get patched up. With the presence of the soldier zombies, it was hard to feel at ease without weapons covering their heads. They always felt that the soldier zombies could jump up at any moment, and indeed, when the soldier zombies were checking and patching up the weapons, two seemingly dead zombies suddenly jumped up and were shot down again.
Just as they had resolved this issue, gun noises sounded from the other side, indicating that they were also under attack.
Jiang Lan and Wen Zheng didn’t linger and hurried back to the base, taking charge of the headquarters.
During the construction of houses in the city center, Shi Chong, Ji Rong, and Xiao Hen all heard gun noises and explosion sounds, which surprised them. They decided to go and take a look, but the civilized zombies who were building houses with them stopped them, saying that if they roamed around Ling City, no one could guarantee their safety. After all, without Wen Qingling present, no one could control so many zombies in Ling City.
After considering the number of zombies in Ling City, Ji Rong decided it was better to obediently wait for their leader to return before making a decision.
The first to return before Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen were two large trucks filled with mutated livestock and poultry. They had just arrived in South City when they were spotted by patrolling soldier zombies. After confirming that it was Wen Qingling who sent them to deliver the mutated animals, they were allowed passage and brought inside.
Xiong Shu and his men were astonished when they saw the towering walls. Inside Ling City, there really was a base!
Moreover, it was such a large base!
The walls seemed to stretch endlessly! They were so high and so big! They wanted to stay!
Although Jiang Lan had seen Xiong Shu before, for safety reasons, she had someone watch over them and not allow them to roam freely in the base. They were waiting for Wen Qingling to return. The two trucks filled with mutated animals had already been taken to the breeding area.
Jiang Lan and Wen Zheng inquired about the situation from Xiong Shu and the others. They learned that there had been trouble at the Nan Yan Base, with man-eating creatures hiding within the human base. Xiong Shu didn’t know the specific details, but Wen Qingling instructed him to take his men and escape in a vehicle, and that’s what he did, fleeing all the way to Ling City.