Chapter 74

"Are you thinking that I'm overreacting? Spending a lot of resources and manpower to build city walls and fortresses? These things seem useless, and the slow-moving zombies aren't worth our attention? It's not strange to have such thoughts—facing the unknown, humans' first reaction is fear. As we gradually adapt to these foreign creatures, we try to find their weaknesses. Heh! You're not afraid of zombies now; you can deal with them using sticks and stones. Because you have immunity, you're not afraid of the virus, and you won't be infected."

"But the problem isn't as simple as you think. They will mutate again. The second, third, fourth time... just like humans grow from children to young adults and then to middle age. They will start to run and jump, and their attack methods will become more diverse. Do you remember what you said when you killed that zombie? It was agile, faster than ordinary zombies. The dark red skin on its body is the most obvious feature. These second-stage mutants will become more and more common. They are not ordinary zombies, but blood zombies."

Dong Guoping's heart trembled, and he muttered, "Blood zombies?"

Su Hao nodded calmly and pointed to the zombie head hanging nearby: "As for this one, it's no longer in the category of zombies. It is based on a zombie, but it has been infected by another organism, resulting in a new kind of creature."

"Fresh flesh isn't just liked by zombies; mosquitoes and flies also have the same preference. They live together in dirty, dark environments where dampness and darkness easily breed bacteria. These tiny organisms first infect insects, and then they enter the zombies through mosquito or fly bites. Take a mosquito as an example: the mutated bacteria first cause infection in its body, producing adaptive effects while the bacteria itself is also assimilated by the mosquito's genes. When the mosquito bites a zombie to suck pus, the bacteria it carries are transferred to the zombie, leading to a second parasitic infection..."

"Wait—"

Dong Guoping interrupted Su Hao, asking urgently: "This, this doesn't make sense. Foreign viruses can indeed cause cross-infections, but the immune system minimizes the possibility of genetic parasitism. We have skin, muscles, and a biological immune system that can kill most foreign bacteria. This is an instinct all animals have. Just a mosquito or fly bite, how could it..."

"You've forgotten the most critical issue."

Su Hao's voice was calm: "Zombies are not humans. The virus has destroyed their nervous system, causing all internal organs to lose their original functions. They have almost no vision, and their sensory system is reduced to hearing and smell. Their muscle tissue is all rotten, and their skin has lost its protective function. They have no pain sensation, and their tactile sense is very vague. In this situation, their reaction to mosquito bites is naturally not as sensitive as humans. The simplest example—after a mosquito bite, the skin swells and stimulates the nerves to produce itching and pain. With the nervous system's warning, you would use various methods to drive away the mosquitoes and seek medical treatment if you feel unwell. Zombies, however, have no reaction to bites. Their living environment is the dark corners that mosquitoes and flies love. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands... mosquitoes and flies suck the rotten fluid from their bodies, and a large number of bacteria carrying mosquito genes parasitize inside the zombies. From the outbreak of the virus to now, it has been more than eight months. The parasitic bacteria have adapted to the environment; they have begun to control the zombies' brains, completing the transition from guest to host. In a situation where they cannot resist and have no way to get treatment, the zombies can only be controlled by the parasitic bacteria, becoming new carriers."

As he spoke, Su Hao pointed to the antennae on the zombie's head: "You've seen it; they are changing, growing body parts that are completely different from humans. It won't be long before their appearance and behavior become more like the host, the previous genetic organism carried by the parasitic bacteria."

Dong Guoping understood what Su Hao meant.

He instinctively felt fear, and his posture became stiff. His eyes, filled with shock, stared fixedly at the hanging zombie head, occasionally glancing at the blood zombie, his gaze flickering back and forth.

At this moment, Dong Guoping suddenly had an urge to turn and run out of the room. The uncontrollable horror made his hands and feet cold, and his mind fell into darkness and confusion.

He was not cowardly and had never feared death.

But as Su Hao had said—facing something completely new and unfamiliar, humans always feel genuine fear from the heart.

"It... it... they, will... you mean, they will turn into insects?"

Dong Guoping's face was as pale as a corpse, his teeth chattering, his words incoherent, mixed with intense "clicking" sounds.

"Mosquitoes and flies are just the most common types."

Su Hao's voice was cold as ice: "The one you killed should carry cockroach genes. The immune system of zombies is very fragile; any bacterial contact can cause a controlling mutation. There are many similar sources of contact, not just insects, but also rats, cats, dogs, poultry... even other large animals."

Dong Guoping asked in disbelief: "I've seen zombies eat dogs. Could... could food be a source of infection?"

"Their digestive function is generally weak, and they produce very little stomach acid. Humans are the most hygienic animals on Earth, which, to some extent, has weakened our immune system. The original body of a zombie is just an ordinary person, and other species' genes can easily destroy the original cellular structure. Even if the bacteria in the food are killed by stomach acid, they can still cause infection through hair or skin contact. To put it bluntly—just a rat sneezing at a zombie's feet could give the zombie a chance of being infected."

"As for their appearance... they will become similar, but not exactly the same. Infected zombies have both human and parasitic virus genes in their bodies. They might each make up fifty percent, or one side might have a complete advantage. But no matter what, they are no longer human, and their food range will change according to their body structure."

"They still like fresh flesh and don't refuse leaves and weeds. They might even enjoy sweet and sour ribs, braised fish, and spicy cabbage like we do..."

Su Hao was not exaggerating without purpose. All of this was the result of systematic research on mutated organisms in the future world.

Even if Dong Guoping didn't notice the changes in the zombies, others would.

All the comprehensive research data on mutated organisms used the initial zombies as a reference, covering aspects such as bone and muscle strength, intelligence, and nerve reaction speed.

The blood zombies' overall capabilities are about twice those of ordinary zombies. Their appearance marks that the mutated organisms are no longer in the "—1" stage but have entered the true "1" level.

As for the other type of zombie controlled by foreign genes, they are currently in the second mutation stage, slightly stronger than ordinary zombies. According to the classification, they are still between "—1" and "1."

The silence and the smell of blood in the room grew thicker.

Su Hao turned, walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out of the room. He looked at the distant, undulating mountains and took a long breath.

He straightened his upper body and felt a faint sense of reflection in the cold air.

The prototype drug indeed had the power to change the world. Su Hao believed he could influence more people, but he could never change the evolution of the virus and zombies.

What was to come would eventually come.

Dong Guoping dragged his heavy feet and walked out of the room with a wooden expression, standing behind Su Hao.

He finally understood what Su Hao had said before about zombies reproducing.

Dong Guoping had no desire to probe into Su Hao's secrets. Although he was curious about why Su Hao knew all this, since Su Hao didn't want to say, Dong Guoping didn't want to ask more.

This was the默契 between the "worker bees" and the "queen bee."

After a few minutes of silence, Dong Guoping spoke again.

"Will... will we die?"

"Anyone can die."

Su Hao began with this philosophical statement: "We are enhanced humans, and they are mutated organisms. This is like ordinary people using guns to deal with wild beasts. The key is who is smarter, who is more tenacious, who has better patience and perseverance?"

Dong Guoping nodded, suddenly thinking of another question: "Those monsters parasitized by foreign genes should have a more appropriate name than 'zombies.'"

"Of course they do."

Su Hao smiled, and his smile seemed to have a calming effect.

"They are called 'near-humans'—creatures that look like humans, have human genes, but are not human."

...

In the afternoon, all core team members, including Cao Rui and Du Tianhao, were summoned to the "Castle" meeting room.

According to Su Hao's original plan, he would submit the third zombie observation report to the Academy of Sciences in a week. However, the blood zombies and near-humans discovered by Dong Guoping made him feel the need to revise the plan and make changes to some team regulations.

"Starting tomorrow, everyone's shooting training intensity will double. We have ample ammunition reserves, and we must improve shooting accuracy as much as possible. It's winter, and there's not much work in the fields. Leave the minimum necessary guard forces at the farm and vineyard, and the rest will go out to hunt zombies and gather usable supplies. The blood zombies and near-humans are currently in the mutation stage; this is our last chance to collect silver bones on a large scale. In the future... these monsters will become increasingly difficult to deal with."

"By the latest, tomorrow, Zhou Chen must complete the blood screening of all new team members. I plan to separate the three city bases. 'Castle' daily affairs will be handled by Old Song. In the future, Old Song will be the city lord. The city bases and 'Castle' will become two completely independent teams. Of course, this is a disguise. A large force would attract military attention and cause many unnecessary troubles. Remember—in front of outsiders, Old Song and I are two independent team leaders. 'Castle' and the city camp will have normal resource trade, including weapons, ammunition, gasoline, food... all these will be claimed as exchanges. I will take two hundred people, and Xin Yan, Cao Rui, and Du Tianhao will each lead a small team in the city camp. All heavy equipment and vehicles will belong to 'Castle.' The relationship between the two teams will be ordinary, not intimate, and not hostile."

Su Hao's words left the attendees puzzled.

"There are other forces eyeing this city."

Su Hao continued: "We don't know the details of the external forces. Besides the 'Shengfei' Group, which we have continuously eliminated, other powerful groups will continue to move in. Apart from us, there are no large teams in this city with more than five hundred survivors. Many people are still alive, and many who left have returned. We must quickly contact them and turn them into our people. Even if not everyone is willing to join, we can change their minds through frequent interactions. Note: during this process, absolutely do not leak any secrets. Our team structure, number of people, silver bones, weapons, and equipment... all this information must be kept confidential. Based on Zhou Chen's regular blood sample testing of new members, we can consider forming several peripheral teams. Use food and weapons to make them dependent on 'Castle,' and then select highly trusted individuals for injections."

Su Hao looked around the attendees and smiled faintly: "We need to make the city's order appear chaotic, making it impossible for outsiders to intervene. Of course, this chaos is not aimless. We can hunt all external groups but must not conflict with the military. The current situation is very favorable for us. The military inspection station has a good relationship with us. Wu Guoguang is unaware of the connection between the city bases and 'Castle.' With my current researcher status... heh! If an external group is powerful and threatens the existence of the city bases, he will definitely stand on our side."

No one opposed Su Hao's new plan, and many offered suggestions and supplements.

Su Hao was the "queen bee," and this was the true reason he dared to divide the team's control.

Although the actual components of the prototype drug were unknown, this mysterious substance had indeed become the best bond between Su Hao and the team members.

Dividing the entire team into city and outside parts made the surrounding environment safer.

Even if the 'Shengfei' Group suspected one team, they would try to win over the other. At such a time, an attack from behind by our own people could have unexpected effects.

As for the military... Su Hao had never thought of opposing them.

They were an incredibly vast beast, controlling all the state machinery inherited from the civilized era. Without sufficient power, Su Hao had no chance of overthrowing, destroying, or swallowing them.

He had to find more allies, gain more benefits, and desperately strengthen himself.

Compared to the early stages of the virus outbreak, the work of gathering refugees in 'Castle' and the city bases had become easier. Those who survived the zombies no longer held illusions. They fled the city and spent the entire summer in the wild. Death, disease, danger, hunger... they experienced all kinds of suffering unimaginable in the civilized era. The most sensitive parts of their nerves were occupied by the constant fear, and their minds were filled with thoughts of survival. They were wary of strangers and could be easily moved by a bun or a bowl of leftover food.

In short, if the same amount of food was given to a hundred survivors, Su Hao could only gain the recognition of half, or even fewer, in the past few months. The rest were just suspicion, ridicule, disgust, greed...

Now, the recognition rate had increased to eighty or ninety percent.

Only those who have experienced hunger understand the value of food and the luck of getting a bite to eat when on the brink of death.

They are easily grateful and more likely to become "worker bees" from outsiders.

This is not deception but reality.

...

The winter sky is rarely clear, often overcast for weeks.

Li Li sat on the sofa in the bank building's hall, smiling at Yang Lulu, who was playing with a doll.

Every so often, Li Li would bring snacks and toys collected from city stores.

He treated this little girl, who had just turned nine, like a younger sister and often came to spend time with her. Li Li usually stayed for no more than half an hour.

Yang Lulu had a good impression of this young soldier, even feeling close to him.

She liked having such an older brother.

Su Hao came up from the basement, holding a half-wet cloth, wiping the blood off his hands. Li Li looked up, and the two nodded at each other.

Su Hao looked at Li Li, his expression thoughtful.

After a few seconds of thought, Su Hao seemed to make a decision. He waved his hand and said, "Little Li, come here."

The two walked into the basement.

A part of the parking lot connected to the vault was converted into a medical room. Su Hao walked in front, lifting the white curtain, and Li Li followed, seeing two bodies on the flat operating table, their bodies cut open, muscles severed, and internal organs removed.

To be precise, one was a blood zombie, and the other was a near-human.

These were brought in by Dong Guoping from the No. 1 gas station last night.

Su Hao and the remaining personnel in the building worked through the night, completing all the details of the dissection scene before Li Li came to visit Yang Lulu.

"These are the two zombies we discovered last night. They are very strange, unlike any zombies we've encountered before. I made detailed dissection notes and videos. I originally planned to send them to Captain Wu today, but since you're here, could you do it for me? I have a lot of things to handle, and the data on these two zombies is still being organized. Tell Captain Wu to submit the notes to the Academy of Sciences as soon as possible. Some of the information is very important. I hope... my guess is wrong."