Chapter 55

Lu Tao had no idea what Wei Wenyuan was up to. He only felt that this old man, who looked rather sleazy, seemed to be carrying out some kind of plan.

He could only try to pay attention to the other's movements.

..

At seven in the morning, the sky had not yet fully brightened, and Wei Wenyuan had already wrapped himself in a coat and walked out of the building. He cautiously looked around for a few minutes, confirming that there were no zombies nearby, before returning to the ground floor of the building, pushing out a bicycle, and riding it unsteadily down the road toward the southern part of the city.

The empty streets exuded a sense of death, and a cold, damp feeling hit him.

Those were tiny raindrops or the humid mist in the air, which instantly woke Wei Wenyuan's drowsy brain. He spat on the ground with great malice and hummed the vague lyrics of "Sister, you sit in the boat, brother walks on the shore, love and affection sway on the bed" as he pedaled the bicycle forcefully.

He avoided the corpses lying on the road and the abandoned vehicles crowded on the important roads. Unlike humans, these mutated zombies did not need to go to bed to sleep; they would lie down wherever they were tired. Some "corpses" were actually zombies in a brief state of hibernation. As long as there was movement nearby and they smelled the scent of a living person, they would quickly wake up and pounce with their fangs and claws.

At a crossroads, Wei Wenyuan stopped. He squinted his eyes and stared at a "Crown" car that had flipped over in front of the "Rou Ting Beauty and Body" store, several dozen meters away.

The car was black, with a very beautiful streamlined body.

Wei Wenyuan had once thought about buying such a car and fantasized about driving it with a beautiful woman, just like those rich people. He had been to car shows a few times, where the models standing in front of the cars were so beautiful that they made him drool. They didn't care about their exposed sexy underwear and thongs, posing in various seductive and alluring ways for photos. Whenever this happened, Wei Wenyuan felt his crotch harden involuntarily, and he felt young and vibrant, as if he had become decades younger.

The "Crown" car was now unrecognizable. Through the front windshield, one could see a skeleton lying in the driver's seat. A tie, soaked in blood and turned black, hung from the dried neck, clearly belonging to a male. On the adjacent seat was a headless corpse. To be precise, the upper body had disappeared, leaving only two legs that were rotting and inverted. It seemed that during the accident, the body had flipped over, and the legs in high heels were stuck in the sunroof. In the morning light, the milky white high heel that was inverted on the roof was quite noticeable. Wei Wenyuan's mind was filled with thoughts of the sexy models at the car show...

"Women... hehehe! Women..."

He laughed triumphantly, his shoulders shaking.

Last week, Wei Wenyuan found two bags of rice in a room. These past few days, he had been living comfortably—not just Li Jie, but the other two women on the fifth floor had also slept with him, in exchange for a few rice balls. Thinking about the past, where could he have found such good things? Those women had eyes higher than giraffes, even saying things like "I'd rather cry in a BMW than laugh on the back of a bicycle."

Hehehe... Now, he could just throw a few rice balls, and they would obediently lie in bed, legs spread, forming a vulgar "eight."

So, money was just a pile of waste paper; food was the most important thing.

Thinking about this, Wei Wenyuan felt full of energy, and the speed of his bicycle increased.

He didn't notice that about a hundred meters behind him, someone else was following.

..

The people in the bank building woke up as usual. When Xin Yan walked out of Su Hao's room in her pajamas, it didn't cause any surprise or commotion. Everyone was used to it and busily went about their tasks.

Li Xiaomei had moved to the camp in the wilderness, and the logistics affairs in the building were now managed by Han Ying and a few other women. Tao Yuan was responsible for recruiting newcomers at the camp outside the city. He had to ensure that those entering the camp had enough recognition of Su Hao before injecting them with the immune serum, which was Su Hao's blood.

The antifungal hormone that Su Hao brought from the future world was almost running out. He currently had an extremely large amount of the hormone. According to the price in that time dimension, this precious liquid was enough to buy the entire world.

Whenever he thought about this, Su Hao felt an indescribable impulse. He even wished time would pass faster so that people outside would quickly discover the effects of the hormone.

About half a kilogram of silver bones was stored in the underground vault. According to the rules, team members had to hand over 50% of the silver bones they obtained from killing zombies. From the perspective of the "Queen Bee" and "Worker Bees," this relationship was not exploitative; Su Hao was just preparing for the future and accumulating necessary resources.

The entire building was orderly. After breakfast, people went out in batches according to the pre-planned schedule.

Some went to distant gas stations to collect fuel.

Some transported prepared building materials to the camp outside the city.

Others searched the city for usable resources, hunted zombies, and collected items.

Everyone had their own tasks, and life was tense but fulfilling.

Whether inside or outside the city, people would often encounter other survivors. Regardless of how they conversed or what excuses they used, team members would not reveal any secrets or force them to join.

Because they were the "Worker Bees."

When the virus outbreak occurred, many people fled the city, and many survived.

Just like in peacetime, encountering strangers on the road was not a big deal. People did what they had to do. But they didn't know that one of the survivors they encountered was named Wei Wenyuan.

He had been riding his bicycle around the building for a few days, already familiar with the nearby roads.

Wei Wenyuan was very shrewd. He didn't get close to the building but circled around on the street two or three hundred meters away.

He had seen Su Hao and Xin Yan and knew they recognized him. So, he only occasionally interacted with other team members.

Besides, his plan didn't require him to risk getting close for observation. He just needed to understand the main streets.

..

Lu Tao stood at the intersection for about half an hour, hesitating to approach the building.

Just as he crossed the road and was about fifty meters from the building, a not very loud but clear and shocking command came from the rooftop.

"Stop—"

It was a large, middle-aged man in a black coat, holding a rifle and aiming at Lu Tao's chest.

Lu Tao immediately raised his hands to show he had no ill intentions.

The side door of the building opened, and two fully armed, wary men came out.

Lu Tao carefully described the appearances of Su Hao, Xin Yan, Du Tianhao, and Yang Luolu, and repeatedly stated that he wanted to see one of them or the leader of the team.

Unfortunately, Su Hao, Xin Yan, and Du Tianhao were all out on other tasks. As for Yang Luolu, the nine-year-old girl, she lived in the camp in the wilderness, which was safer than the city.

The guards confiscated Lu Tao's weapons, tied his hands, and locked him in a storage room on the first floor, with someone assigned to watch him.

They couldn't determine if Lu Tao's words were true, so they contacted Su Hao via radio, asking him to return as soon as possible.

..

Two hours later.

"Is it you who wants to see me?"

Looking at Lu Tao sitting across the table, Su Hao's face clearly showed a hint of anger.

He was about to meet with the inspector from the military command, but the sudden situation in the building had disrupted his plans.

Lu Tao looked at Su Hao. He was puzzled; this young man was about his age, yet he exuded a fearsome aura.

He nodded: "We've met."

This statement surprised Su Hao and further angered him.

"I haven't reached the point of memory decline; many things are still stored in my mind."

Su Hao sneered, "I remember you, and the other two."

He was referring to the "Leopard Head" and Li Shunfa he had encountered at the gas station.

Lu Tao didn't argue or mention anything about joining the team.

Clearly, the team was hostile or cautious toward outsiders. They wouldn't kill him, but they wouldn't actively accept outsiders in this situation.

"Maybe I'm being overly worried, but your situation is indeed dangerous."

Lu Tao looked into Su Hao's eyes, filled with doubt, and said seriously, "Someone is out to get you."

Su Hao was taken aback and instinctively judged that the other was lying. He leaned back in his chair, coldly staring at him. After a few seconds of silence, he shook his head and smiled faintly.

"There's no need to exaggerate to me. If you need food, water, or a safe place to stay, you can just ask directly. I'm not hard to talk to, but you must—"

"Do you know a man named Wei Wenyuan?"

Lu Tao interrupted Su Hao. He moved forward and described the man in detail: "About sixty years old, about 1.65 meters tall, very thin, somewhat bald, and walks with a wide gait."

Su Hao scrutinized Lu Tao's face and found no trace of deceit or cunning in his cautious, clear eyes.

"—I've seen him."

Su Hao nodded slowly, and the scene of the shop in the alley came to mind: "Wei Wenyuan? That's his name?"

Lu Tao didn't answer directly: "I don't know what grudge you have with him, but he might want to kill you."

He emphasized the word "kill," and the atmosphere in the room immediately became serious. The two other team members at the door subconsciously gripped their guns, their eyes flashing with a cold light.

Su Hao smiled faintly and said calmly, "It seems you know him well?"

Lu Tao nodded: "We lived together, but not in the same room."

"I see."

Su Hao was still smiling. He had changed his attitude and felt some goodwill toward this young man, with his guard not as strong as before: "Alright! Tell me what you know."

Lu Tao's expression was unusually serious. He looked at Su Hao for several minutes before slowly saying, "I don't know his specific plan. How to put it... He traded food for a few live rats from me."

"Rats?"

Su Hao stared into his eyes, his voice filled with doubt.

"Yes, rats."

Lu Tao frowned: "As far as I know, a few other people are also helping him with the same thing. He has many rats, twenty, thirty, maybe more. Wei Wenyuan doesn't lack food, and I don't think he would cook rats. He himself said they are dirty and can't be eaten."

"He has been going out frequently lately. I followed him here. Wei Wenyuan's behavior is strange; he seems to be avoiding you, focusing on the surrounding terrain and streets. This morning, I followed him for several streets, and he was writing notes. Besides you, there's no one else around. He hasn't tried to contact you, so he must have some grudge. In short, he might be planning something crazy. Wei Wenyuan has killed before; he threw a roommate off the building just to fight over a piece of clothing."

"Of course, I might be overthinking. Too many people have died in this city, and our enemies are zombies and those monsters, not each other. Regardless of whether my guess is correct, I think it's necessary to warn you. The little girl at the gas station was very cute; she should live a good life..."

Lu Tao's narration was not long, and he occasionally smiled bitterly, his voice hoarse.

Su Hao didn't press further.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket, offered one to Lu Tao, who declined, and then lit it, slowly smoking. The room soon filled with smoke, and the atmosphere became silent.

The virus outbreak had drastically reduced the human population, and rats had become the most abundant mammal species on Earth. In the eyes of future humans, rats held a very important position. Due to their numbers, many mutated creatures fed on rats. These seemingly weak animals had astonishing reproductive capabilities. They could be found everywhere in cities, wilderness, and forests.

Su Hao didn't think Lu Tao was lying.

Much of what he said matched Su Hao's own experiences.

Indeed, the events in the alley were enough to make the old man named Wei Wenyuan furious and kill. He had a good reason to plan something crazy and cruel.

As for the rats... Future hunters often used them as bait. In some aspects, human wisdom was the same throughout history. Although he didn't know the specific process, Su Hao could guess how Wei Wenyuan planned to use the rats.

"Thank you for telling me this."

When he spoke again, Su Hao's face was full of smiles: "I think we can be friends."

Lu Tao also smiled—he admitted that the building's strict defenses had shocked him. The guards' initial cold hostility had scared him. But the more he saw, the more he wanted to join this team. Loose teams couldn't adapt to the harsh reality. These people were strict with outsiders but extremely united internally. He liked it here and wanted to stay.

"I need to go back for a bit."

Lu Tao pushed his chair back, stood up, and sighed: "I have some things in the camp. They are ordinary, but very precious to me. I hope you understand."

Su Hao looked into his eyes: "Photos or a diary?"

Lu Tao was surprised: "You... how do you know?"

Su Hao laughed and shook his head—he was a time traveler from the future and understood the last psychological anchor of post-apocalyptic humans. Food and water were just material to satisfy physiological needs. In terms of thoughts and beliefs, many survivors used photos or diaries to mourn the dead.

Especially photos of deceased family members, which were the last memorials in the hard times.

Su Hao opened his waist bag, took out a tube of his own blood, placed it in his palm, and handed it over.

"What is this?" Lu Tao was curious.

"It will make you immune to the virus."

Su Hao said calmly, "I don't want anything to happen to you. Because from now on—you are one of us."

..

Lu Tao politely declined Su Hao's offer to send a car and rode his bicycle back alone.

He hid the bicycle deep in the green belt, covering it with some dead branches. Although he was only going upstairs to get some light items, Lu Tao was still cautious.

There were no zombies nearby. Moving the heavy cabinet blocking the building entrance, a pair of wary eyes appeared behind the iron gate. He looked at Lu Tao and unlocked the door from the inside.

It was a bald, strong guard.

He held a steel pipe with a sharpened tip, looking at the empty backpack on Lu Tao's shoulder and said with a half-smile, "Looks like you had a bad day?"

"Yeah! Ran into a group of zombies, almost didn't make it back."

Lu Tao smiled half-heartedly, looking tired: "Let's go out another day. I know a place that hasn't been visited yet. It has a lot of stuff."

The bald man leaned in with interest: "Oh! What kind of stuff?"

"Mainly cigarettes and alcohol. There are premium Yuxi cigarettes, and Moutai and Wuliangye liquor."

Lu Tao was telling the truth.

He and the bald man had a good relationship, and he always brought something back for him. Since he decided to leave the team, Lu Tao wanted to leave something good for the bald man. Or... take him along?

Cigarettes and alcohol immediately attracted the bald man. He licked his lips and his smile grew wider.

Suddenly, a shadow of sadness flashed in the bald man's eyes, and his expression became serious. He patted Lu Tao's shoulder and glanced upstairs, his voice slightly strange: "—Be careful."

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