RIACMET chapter 118

 

The idea that zombies could evolve back into humans was clearly nonsense, yet many people believed it.

The idea was that they were getting faster and moving with the agility of normal humans. It was as if they were slowly coming back to life.

Some of the claims were utterly absurd and anti-human: “Zombies are still people. Humans should learn to coexist peacefully with them until they turn back.”

This notion was so ridiculous that people wanted to hunt down whoever said it and throw them into a horde of zombies to see how “peaceful coexistence” would go.

Honestly, all sorts make a world.

At first, that kind of statement might seem optimistic. But, in reality, it only makes it easier for radical individuals to fall into extreme delusions and do things like what Xiaoya’s mother did.

Currently, research institutions at every base have managed to capture a few zombies for study.

However, since the apocalypse started less than a year ago and zombie evolution progressed far more rapidly than expected, the authorities still haven’t come to any solid conclusions.

The only thing they broadcast repeatedly every day was a simple reminder:

“The dead cannot come back to life. Don’t let grief over lost loved ones consume you. Never try to feed your zombie relatives.”

Jiang Nian already knew what the final conclusion would be.

Not long after the extreme heat wave in his past life, Central Broadcasting, along with a group of experts led by S Base, made an official announcement.

No matter how much zombies evolved, they could never return to being human. They were dead, mutated by a specific virus.

Even worse, their extreme craving for human flesh and blood intensified with evolution. The more they evolved, the more ravenous they became. If they went too long without feeding on humans, they’d die.

In short, the ultimate end of zombie evolution was self-destruction.

Low-level zombies without crystal cores could survive for about two years without eating human flesh.

However, if they fed on humans, their survival time increased exponentially.

For evolved or mutant zombies with crystal cores, if left unchecked, humans wouldn’t be able to consume them quickly enough.

Most importantly, after the poisonous rain, zombies became the main source of apocalyptic virus contamination. As long as zombies existed, the pollution would never go away.

Peaceful coexistence was impossible.

We must never let them go.

“Zombies…they’re corpses first and foremost.”

Jiang Nian casually brought up this idea during the group’s discussion, presenting it as a speculative thought.

His teammates found it convincing, at least far more reasonable than the idea that zombies could return to human form.

After pitching the tents, they began preparing dinner: self-heating meal boxes and snacks made of fruit and vegetables.

Huang Qian had grown the vegetables using her superpower in the small garden on the balcony at Jiang Nian’s place before they set out. There were watermelons, melons, cucumbers, radishes, and cherry tomatoes.

The days were hot and the nights were short. They were all a little worn out from being in the car all day. After eating, they got ready to rest and recharge for the next day.

Cheng Jing double-checked that the alarms were working. Tang Yi sent the drone up again to patrol the area. Finally, Lu Ningzhou sealed the hidden entrance he’d made in the wall.

Liao Yu put a bucket of ice in each tent to keep it cool, so no one would overheat sleeping in their clothes.

With Liao Yu around, they never ran out of water. If they ever needed to quickly melt ice, Cheng Jing was there to help. They had everything they needed for daily life. In short, they were comfortable. Eating, drinking, and bathing weren’t a problem.

A well-equipped team with balanced superpowers wouldn’t be in bad shape even when sleeping outdoors.

They took turns showering, changed into clean clothes, and went to their tents to rest.

As night deepened, the surroundings grew quiet. Only the sound of a gentle breeze and the occasional howl of an animal from far away could be heard.

Since there was a zoo in Xihe City, running into a few protected animals was totally within the realm of possibility.

Inside the tent, Jiang Nian reviewed maps under the light of his headlamp. Spread out before him were several maps of Xihe City and related guides.

After sending their coordinates to Zhou Li, Cheng Jing came over.

“What is it?”

Jiang Nian pointed to a page of the strategic map and showed it to him.

“I just found out that the Xihe People’s Hospital branch was built only a few years ago. Due to delays in interior construction, however, it had only been open for less than half a year before the poisonous rain hit. The inpatient building and several outpatient clinics hadn’t even fully opened yet.”

He wouldn’t have known that if he hadn’t bought the most up-to-date version of the map.

“Huh? That’s new.”

Cheng Jing couldn’t help but be surprised. He glanced at the brief description on the map, touched his chin, and thought aloud,

“A hospital that’s only been in use for under six months, and it wasn’t fully open yet? That means fewer facilities, and…”

Jiang Nian finished his sentence for him.

“Yeah, fewer facilities, but also fewer people.”

Since the inpatient building hadn’t fully opened, the population inside would have been low. Naturally, that meant fewer zombies. It was a win for them.

Cheng Jing nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. If there’s one part of a hospital that’s always packed, it’s the inpatient department.”

“… ”

After a short pause, Jiang Nian added.

“But since the hospital has already opened, there must be a pharmacy and a medical supply area. That’s good news.”

Their goal in scavenging the hospital wasn’t to carry off large pieces of medical equipment. They could just report any significant finds to the base. Whether or not the base sent people out was up to them.

Although Xia Weiwei said in his past life that exploring Xihe City wasn’t dangerous, Jiang Nian knew that the rescue and exploration teams from S Base were not your average squads.

He was worried that their assessment of the risk level might be far too forgiving. Just because the rescue team said it was safe didn’t mean it really was.

However, knowing this new information helped him relax.

Cheng Jing understood his concern and reassured him.

“We’re not under strict orders to complete this mission. If things get risky, we can pull back. We can also call Zhou Li and have them send in reinforcements. We have options. We’re not going to rush into anything. Don’t overthink it.”

They weren’t short on supplies. They came out to earn extra points and get field training. There was no need to risk their lives. Staying safe was more important.

“I know. I’m just subconsciously overworrying. I get it.”

Jiang Nian smiled, folded up the maps, lay back, and stared at the tent ceiling.

The more ties you had, the more you had to worry about. After all, it was his idea, so he should take it seriously.

Cheng Jing pulled out a rechargeable mini fan and a small nightlight.

He placed the fan on the other side of the ice bucket to blow cool air their way and set the nightlight in the corner of the tent. It gave off just the right amount of warm light.

Once everything was set up, he turned off his headlamp, lay down next to Jiang Nian, and gently patted his back.

“Go to sleep, Nian Nian. You’ll be exhausted the next few days.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Nian closed his eyes as instructed, feeling the breeze from the fan, and slowly began to relax.

After a while, Cheng Jing asked again.

“Is it too hot? Can’t you fall asleep?”

The guy who usually acted like a spoiled kid and caused a fuss in the dorm hadn’t said a word tonight.

Jiang Nian kept his eyes closed and answered.

“No, I’m fine. You should sleep too, Brother Jing.”

To be honest, he was feeling hot; he was used to having air conditioning every day. But he couldn’t say that; otherwise, Brother Jing would try to cool him down. He might even bother Liao Yu.

He wasn’t that delicate. He couldn’t bear to make others suffer just to keep himself comfortable.

It’s fine to act spoiled with your boyfriend at home, but when you’re out in the field, you’ve got to toughen up.

“…Alright.”

Cheng Jing tilted his head slightly. He was just settling down when the man beside him began breathing evenly. He had already fallen asleep.

After closing his eyes, however, his emotions stirred quietly.

He was strong. He had decent power. He could definitely protect his lover and keep him out of danger. Then why was he bringing him out here into this mess?

Wasn’t that a bit strange?

Would a capable man really take his partner out to fight zombies?