Chapter 78

Ying has long been accustomed to the Dean's outbursts. She maintained a nearly fixed stance, her tone and rhythm precise like a machine, as she tried to defend herself: "They have done their best. Each research team is meticulously analyzing the newly discovered red zombies. Many people have been working continuously for several days without rest..."

"The more they do this, the angrier I become—"

Wang Qinan let out a "hmm" and slowly opened his eyes. He shook his head and sighed, "You should have seen the two latest intelligence reports from the military—our French counterparts have taken the lead in zombie research. They are trying to implant memories into captured zombies to use them as new biological weapons. The Americans have developed a new stimulant using zombie gastric fluid. When used with an immunity agent, it can increase the user's strength by more than three times within half an hour. Note, this is for ordinary people, not enhanced humans."

"Why are all the researchers under me like carbon copies? Why has no one ever thought of these things? Last month, I gave the 66th research group a new project to analyze whether zombie body fluids could be converted into strong acids. Those bastards actually refused the project, saying it was impossible. One brat even privately mocked me, asking if I had watched 'Alien' and developed delusions... Damn it—how do you know it's impossible without trying? Science comes from imagination; the brain is not a machine that only repeats the same actions. They just focus on data comparisons, blood analysis, and neural reflex experiments... Why can't they try something different? Think outside the box and attempt other aspects? Damn it, this is what the national education system calls high-tech talent—a bunch of empty-minded, unimaginative pigs—"

Ying no longer spoke.

She had no say in this matter.

She also knew that although the Dean had a bad temper, what he said was true.

After a few seconds of silence, Wang Qinan brought the cold steamed bun he hadn't finished to his mouth, took a fierce bite, and mumbled, "Go to Kunming now and bring back the zombie parasitized by insects. Also, notify the Archives Bureau to upgrade Su Hao's researcher status to the next level. Ask him if he wants to work at the Academy of Sciences or continue his field research there. If he chooses the latter... give him a set of independent quantum communication systems, a set of 'B' level research equipment, and one hundred units of first-stage enhancement drugs."

The last few sentences made Ying's expression freeze.

"So many?"

Ying's eyes revealed unprecedented shock, "Sir, this exceeds the normal limit. One hundred first-stage enhancement drugs... this is really too much."

Wang Qinan was unmoved and continued, "In addition to these, give him a second-stage drug."

Ying opened her mouth but quickly closed it. Her brain felt overwhelmed. What she heard contradicted her logical concepts.

"Don't worry! I'm not crazy; I know what I'm doing."

The Dean swallowed the food in his mouth, picked up the cold tea on the table, and took a sip, speaking seriously, "The world is changing, and rules and regulations can be broken at any time. That young man surnamed Su is smart; he's one of us. The military is likely interested in him too, but that's not important. He's a researcher, and that's enough."

Ying still didn't fully understand Wang Qinan's words.

"He never wanted to leave that city from the beginning. Ha! This isn't a time of peace; it's really hard to survive in an environment full of zombies. KD03's report mentioned that he has friends and companions. A group of survivors fighting against zombies, always worthy of respect. Of course, he might have ambitions, wanting to gain more in this chaotic era. This isn't strange. A person who earns the recognition of their companions through their own efforts deserves a reward. The old days of competing based on family background and wealth have harmed many excellent young people. Such tenacious and persistent young people are rare. Giving him some appropriate help isn't excessive. I'm curious and somewhat expectant. Perhaps he will bring me some unexpected surprises."

Ying understood and nodded in agreement.

...

The sky remained overcast.

Tang Zhi stood behind a thick wall, holding a wooden leg she had taken from a chair, half-turned, and nervously watching the street through her bangs.

She was a very fat girl—1.62 meters tall, weighing 74 kilograms.

This was her record from this summer.

At that time, Tang Zhi always felt troubled, always worrying about how to lose weight. She tried many methods: swallowing castor seeds, drinking water with Cassia seeds and lotus leaves, weighing her food to the gram before each meal, and exercising vigorously...

The word "thin" seemed to have no connection with Tang Zhi. She always stared at the slender and graceful figures on the street with eyes that seemed to be on fire. She always looked pitifully at the pretty dresses and high heels in the store windows like a lapdog.

She wasn't unable to buy them, but she couldn't wear them—her fat legs looked strange with dresses, and the delicate high heels formed a stark contrast. In short, Tang Zhi was the type of person who was mocked and ridiculed by her peers. Although they didn't say it to her face, they often referred to her as "fat girl," "fat woman," or "pig" behind her back.

Actually, Tang Zhi was very beautiful.

She had a straight nose, high cheekbones, small lips, and almond-shaped eyes with a heart-shaped face. If not for the excess fat occupying the remaining space under her skin, she would have been a real beauty.

This wasn't just a comforting lie—on the other side of the wall was a shop window, and the smooth glass surface reflected Tang Zhi's figure.

She wasn't fat at all now, at most, she was solid. Her old and dirty jeans tightly hugged her firm buttocks and legs, looking very attractive. Her short top was pushed up by her full chest, the neckline open, revealing a large, impressive bust that would make most women envious.

The past few months had been more effective than the so-called "fat-burning boot camp" she had paid tens of thousands of yuan for.

Every day, she had to run around for food and safety, always on guard against zombies lurking in corners and the malicious gazes of other survivors.

A cold wind blew, and Tang Zhi instinctively hugged her arms, gripping the wooden stick tightly.

She hadn't eaten since last night. Her stomach ached with hunger, making strange noises. Tang Zhi quickly tightened her stomach, bending over to suppress the sounds and avoid attracting the attention of the sensitive zombies.

Tang Zhi subconsciously turned her head to look at her side profile in the glass.

Almost there, a bit thinner, and she could wear a mini skirt and high heels with pride.

Damn it! If those damn bitches and men call me "fat woman" again, I'll smash their heads with this stick—

This thought had been in Tang Zhi's mind for many years, but she never had the chance to act on it.

Looking at her impressive figure in the mirror, Tang Zhi burst into tears.

She was really hungry. Even the thick, tapering wooden stick in her hand reminded her of delicious ham.

Her father, mother, grandmother, grandfather, uncle, and aunt were all dead.

That day was a family gathering. No one knew who bit whom first, but everyone in the room was biting each other. Her mother and grandmother gnawed off her father's head, her grandfather tore off her aunt's thigh, and her uncle was pushed onto the sofa, his belly ripped open, and he started gnawing on his toes like the Big Bad Wolf... Oh God! How dirty! Her uncle's foot odor and athlete's foot were so severe that the smell from his feet in the summer was worse than shit.

Tang Zhi was dragged out of the house by Chen Yao. Fortunately, she wasn't injured.

Many people thought Chen Yao was interested in Tang Zhi for money or some hidden purpose—Chen Yao was very handsome, the kind of tall, sunny, and likable type. Tang Zhi, though very white, was chubby like a fully inflated ball. The two of them looked completely mismatched. Many of Tang Zhi's female friends, ignoring their friendship, viciously went after Chen Yao. These women always dressed provocatively, flirting with Chen Yao, falling or twisting their ankles, or screaming at the sight of mice and cockroaches, pushing themselves into Chen Yao's arms like heat-seeking missiles.

Chen Yao's response was always the same: he would smile, hold Tang Zhi's hand, and walk past them.

This made Tang Zhi feel very happy, and she burst into tears again.

Tang Zhi's mother was the head of the Women's Federation, her father was the chief of the police station, and her grandparents were retired high-ranking officials. Although their family wasn't rich, they were wealthier than ordinary people. These conditions largely made up for Tang Zhi's physical shortcomings and made her instinctively worry about her boyfriend's true intentions.

She asked Chen Yao: Why do you like me?

Tang Zhi knew that women who asked such questions would never get a real answer. Only a fool would admit it was for money and status. In all those inspirational, youth, and idol dramas, the handsome men always gazed deeply into the eyes of the ugly women and said, "I love you" with a voice so smooth it made you want to vomit.

The stories on TV were like legends.

Chen Yao had an answer for Tang Zhi's question—I like fat girls.

That was all he said.

Then, Chen Yao warned Tang Zhi never to ask such a stupid question again.

The wind grew colder.

Tang Zhi huddled, nervously and fearfully looking toward the distant street corner.

Two weeks ago, they met a survivor from the west.

He told the two young people that there were soldiers at the city's central command post, distributing free drugs. As long as you got the injection, you wouldn't be infected if bitten by a zombie. This news excited Tang Zhi and Chen Yao, but the survivor said the soldiers only gave injections and didn't rescue people or distribute food. To get real safety, they needed to go north. According to the soldiers, there was a powerful team with a well-defended camp, and their leader was surnamed Su.

Tang Zhi and Chen Yao decided to follow the survivor.

To reduce the risk, the three of them could only travel during the midday when zombies were less active. Unfortunately, last night, the survivor couldn't resist the hunger and was searching for food in a shop when he was caught and killed by two zombies hiding behind the shelves.

Tang Zhi and Chen Yao had to continue in the direction the survivor had mentioned.

North was a direction.

There were no specific street names, house numbers, or precise coordinates.

Zombies were more active in the cold winter than in the summer, making it even harder to navigate the city. Tang Zhi and Chen Yao's location was particularly special—several nearby streets were infested with hundreds of zombies. They seemed to have made this area their new home, spreading out to find food in the morning or afternoon and returning to gather at night.

Tang Zhi and Chen Yao waited for almost a week, and finally, a car drove down the cross street. The zombie horde was attracted by the engine and vibrations, slowly moving toward the end of the road.

They took the opportunity to escape from their hiding place and ran north.

The city was almost empty.

There was no one to ask for directions or guide them.

The two starving people could only navigate through areas with fewer zombies. As a result, they gradually veered off course and ended up on the east side of the city.

Half an hour ago, Chen Yao saw a zombie.

It was a police officer who had been bitten in the neck and had since mutated. His skin was rotten, looking like a grotesque doll that had been soaked in