Chapter 89

In the future world, Luther Cavitz is hailed as "the greatest man." This title was proposed by the British. To some extent, it can be seen as a manifestation of Anglo-Saxon self-importance.

After all, no other country or region agrees with this claim.

Especially during the United Nations General Assembly at the time, the French even used the sharpest words to mock: "Luther Cavitz is just a relatively lucky guy. He accidentally found the key to his neighbor's house, went in, and discovered that his neighbor was a thief who had stolen the national treasury's gold. He then reported it and received a series of 'law and order hero' titles, and that's all there is to it."

However, it cannot be denied that the appearance of silver bones completely changed the difficult situation where humans were at a disadvantage in the fight against zombies since the outbreak of the virus. The enhancement effect of silver bones on augmented humans, as well as the expansion research in alloys and other areas, made humans start to view zombies with a different perspective, leading to the discovery of more and more secrets within these mutated organisms, from which they sought other useful components for humans.

According to the history familiar to Su Hao—Luther Cavitz will report his findings to the British military in four months, which is this May.

The British authorities kept this report under wraps for nearly eleven months while imprisoning Luther Cavitz. It wasn't until his companions found more silver bones in the zombies based on the diary he left behind and quickly spread this news among the survivors in London that the British were forced to release Luther Cavitz. At the same time, they elevated his status to that of a world hero. Clearly, the British did not want the existence of silver bones to be known by outsiders. Any country's authorities would want to keep this secret to themselves. Possessing silver bones means having true augmented humans, not just those who have been injected with first-stage agents and still have their bones and central nervous systems in their original state, known as "half-augmented humans." The powerful 9mm and 12.7mm individual weapon systems were also quickly put on the agenda by military forces around the world during this period, rapidly replacing the existing small-caliber firearms. Luther Cavitz undoubtedly counts as the luckiest guy after the Black Era—unable to keep the secret, the British simply put him on display, using his identity as "the greatest discoverer of this century" to seek more material aid and technological exchanges from other countries. As a result, Cavitz himself completely shed his survivor status and became a major figure with a reputation and fame far surpassing any celebrity in the civilized era.

Su Hao remained silent. He gazed at Wang Qianian's stern expression on the screen, his black jade-like eyes showing no emotional fluctuation, only a calmness like a deep pool. After deep consideration, Su Hao chose to hand over the silver bones at this time. Returning from the future world to the present, Su Hao has had some impact on this timeline. At least, some people in this city who were supposed to die in history are still alive. He is unsure whether this change will affect Luther Cavitz in Britain, or whether it will prompt that lucky guy to discover the silver bones earlier. Su Hao feels that this honor should belong to him. Whether it's the Academy of Sciences or the military, they will maximize the benefits of silver bones in a short time.

According to the plan Su Hao made before crossing the timeline: he originally intended to hand over the silver bones to the military to secure a position like a major general.

Of course, this was not a regular combat unit but a nominal honorary title. However, at that time, it meant absolute safety and life protection for Su Hao. Now, with the prototype agent, everything is different. I am the "Queen Bee." My greatest goal is to expand my "hive" as much as possible. Su Hao believes Wang Qianian can understand his words. He mentioned that he is sending people to hunt zombies in large numbers, searching for silver bones on every corpse to prove his hypothesis with quantity.

This is an experiment, and it means that many people already know that silver bones can be found in zombies. Su Hao subtly forced Wang Qianian to make the silver bones public. Only in this way can he meet his requirements and gain the most and greatest benefits.

The reason he remained calm in the face of Xiao Lin's entrapment is also because of this—once the discovery of silver bones is made public, the military will definitely react. They need a symbolic figure, and Su Hao can take the opportunity to raise his price. Besides, based on his understanding of Wang Qianian, if he first hands over the silver bones to the Academy of Sciences, the fat dean will definitely treat him as a confidant. Wang Qianian is never stingy with his own people, and one could even say he is extremely generous. Su Hao's ambition is great—he wants to occupy this city and make it a strong and stable base.

The "Shengfei" Group's reinforcements will soon arrive. Those people will spark a new round of chaos. Su Hao is confident he can defeat his opponents, but he doesn't want to attract more attention. Wang Qianian gave him 100 units of standard enhancement agents, plus the now public silver bones... These things can hide his true strength and dissuade other outsiders from greedy thoughts. The communication ended, but Wang Qianian still stared at the screen. Night Shadow stood behind him in a standard stance, her ice-cold face showing a faint surprise. It was the first time she saw Wang Qianian lose his composure. Subconsciously, Night Shadow's evaluation of Su Hao rose a notch.

"Is this kid deliberately lying to me?" Suddenly, Wang Qianian blurted out, then muttered to himself, "Silver bones... something with bone-strengthening effects found in zombies. Although it has only been tested on rats, this method is clearly applicable to humans. Strengthening bones and the central nervous system... my God! What those guys said is true; we can indeed solve this crisis on our own."

These words sounded somewhat nonsensical. Wang Qianian did not intend to explain further. He tugged at his dirty white coat, reached for the file holder on the side of the desk, and pulled it over, angrily searching through the pile of papers that spilled out. Night Shadow stepped forward, puzzled, and asked, "What are you looking for?"

"Dissection records—"

Wang Qianian roared. His voice sounded like a brown bear in heat, unable to be satisfied, and agitated.

"I have over 6,000 biological researchers and nearly 500 research teams. Since the outbreak of the virus, they have dissected at least 2,000 zombies and are raising a similar number for daily behavioral observation. These damn guys are just a bunch of idiots! Idiots! Idiots! Not a single one thought to look for hormones or similar substances in zombies. So many people, and they can't even match a kid who was fleeing in Kunming. These bastards should all be exiled. I'll send them all outside to experience the threat of zombies firsthand, using 'fear' to rev up their rigid, dogmatic brains—"

Night Shadow stood beside him with a cold expression. Wang Qianian's loss of composure made her find it somewhat amusing. Night Shadow suddenly realized—Su Hao's status in the fat dean's mind was rapidly rising. That young man was indeed smarter than most researchers in the Academy of Sciences and very cunning. This was not a derogatory term. After all, Su Hao is still part of the Academy of Sciences, one of their own.

"Su Hao has probably known about the silver bones for some time. Perhaps, he not only experimented on rats but also used this substance on himself or others."

Night Shadow chose her words carefully: "The military set up a monitoring station in Kunming several months ago. Su Hao could easily get the immune agent. Last month, when you had me deliver 100 units of enhancement agents to him... all these factors combined mean he could experiment with silver bones without any danger. I think what he said about 'research results' is not just a guess but... an existing reality."

Wang Qianian picked up a dissection record, glanced at the date at the top, tore the entire document to pieces, and crumpled it into a ball. Then, with indescribable frustration and disgust, he threw it hard at the opposite wall. Night Shadow continued her reasoning: "Su Hao did not hand over the silver bones to the military but to you. This means he trusts you enough. Otherwise, the military monitoring station is nearby, and he wouldn't have gone out of his way to do so."

Wang Qianian involuntarily frowned, turned his body, and looked at Night Shadow in surprise: "It's rare. After so many years, this is the first time I've heard you speak up for another man."

Night Shadow's cold expression remained unchanged: "I'm just stating the facts."

Wang Qianian nodded reluctantly: "You're right! His affiliation is with the Academy of Sciences, our people. Xiao Lin, that stupid woman, did a great job this time. She probably didn't realize that her unintentional actions would give me such a big gift. Hmm... throwing out a decorative vase and getting back a smart and cunning kid. Ha! This deal is good, a sure win."

As he spoke, the old fat man's angry tone grew louder again: "Order all research teams to immediately stop their current work and dissect all the zombies they are raising. I want to see the latest dissection reports from each team in no more than two hours. All data must be clear and detailed, with no speculation. Otherwise, I will apply to the military to form a combat unit made up of those idiots and send them to the front lines to carry out the most dangerous missions—"

Night Shadow was immune to the old fat man's rant. She raised her head, saluted, and then turned to leave. As she prepared to pull open the door, she suddenly heard Wang Qianian's voice full of doubt behind her.

"I don't know why, but I find this kid Su Hao very likable... damn, I'm not gay, and I have no interest in men's butts. Why do I have such strange thoughts?"

These words sounded somewhat terrifying. Night Shadow wanted to laugh but didn't dare, so she held back her laughter and walked out of the room with a strange expression.

Tang Zi stood in the middle of the empty street, looking up at the gray cloud in the sky that slowly changed shape. The gray cloud resembled Chen Yao's profile. This natural coincidence lasted for less than two minutes before the cloud layer gradually descended toward the ground. Raindrops began to fall from the sky, and the edges of the cloud that resembled Chen Yao became blurred, like an ink painting. Finally, it was completely swallowed by the dark sky and disappeared into the dense, misty rain.

"Husband! Don't worry, I'll avenge you—"

Tang Zi muttered, subconsciously stroking the skull hanging around her neck.

That was Chen Yao's head—his flesh had long rotted, and the soft tissues like his eyeballs had been removed, soaked in a formaldehyde solution, dried, and then coated with a thick layer of tung oil. Despite the cold weather, Tang Zi wore thin stockings and a short skirt. She had on a pair of bright red high heels, and her long, black, shiny hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. She wore a thin, tight black cashmere sweater. This wild and sexy outfit made her look very alluring, especially her full, elastic chest, which was like a pair of shockingly large balls. It made people want to reach out and touch, then pinch hard.

Tang Zi remembered that she dressed like this last summer. At the time, Chen Yao didn't say anything, but his eyes were on fire, like a man who had just been released from prison after decades without touching a woman, seeing a sow and thinking it had double eyelids, a sex-starved demon. Hanging a skull around her neck as a necklace was a very unconventional act.

Tang Zi stubbornly believed this was the most suitable outfit for her—my husband! Even if he's dead, he's still mine! She dragged a thick iron chain. The other end of the chain was tied to the half-dead Lin Zhou. The food in the small bank building was good during this time. He was fed more and gained some weight, his face no longer pale but rosy and full of energy. Lin Zhou didn't want to eat so much. At every meal, Tang Zi would glare with red eyes, grab his throat, and insert a funnel into his mouth, forcing the food into him like a French chef fattening a goose. She had to ensure that this damn man stayed alive, healthy, and alive until the day she decided to kill him. Now, it was almost time. Tang Zi pulled the chain, grabbed Lin Zhou's neck, and dragged him over. On the ground nearby, several steel bars were already deeply inserted into the ground. Tang Zi tied Lin Zhou to the top of the steel bars, ensuring that his hands, feet, and body were securely fastened with wire, making it impossible for him to escape. Only then did she tear off the large piece of tape covering Lin Zhou's mouth.

"You, you crazy bitch, I'll—"

Lin Zhou had been suppressed for a long time. The sudden freedom of his mouth made him curse uncontrollably. However, his cursing lasted for less than two seconds before Tang Zi's furious punch hit his face. The powerful impact made Lin Zhou dizzy, and he even heard the crisp sound of his jaw breaking. Then, Tang Zi, like a mother beast, grabbed his chin, shook it back and forth, and dislocated the joint, then forcibly realigned it in the most brutal way. Su Hao's blood was the best evolutionary agent. The team had a large stock of silver bones. After a few days, Tang Zi had already become a third-stage augmented human. Lin Zhou could not resist.

He couldn't even escape from the steel bars—this vicious and brutal woman was truly terrifying. She had even severed his tendons and ligaments. Even as an augmented human, he was paralyzed. Lin Zhou's mouth was full of blood. He had never regretted anything as much as he did now—he should have killed this bitch earlier. Even if he had to rape a corpse that night, it would have been better than this fate. Tang Zi opened the backpack beside her, took out a box of morphine injections, and used a large syringe to inject several doses into Lin Zhou's body.

"What... what are you going to do?"

The pain he had just endured made it difficult for Lin Zhou to speak. He felt his tongue swell, and intense fear overwhelmed his mind. He struggled desperately, trying to escape, but he could do nothing.

In the distance, a shrill alarm sounded at the street corner.

A black "Jetta" sedan drove around the corner.

Through the front windshield, it was clear that the driver was Xin Yan. She drove slowly, and the continuous car alarm attracted the attention of all the surrounding creatures. About a hundred meters behind the car, many dark, swaying figures gradually appeared, and more and more of them.

"Enjoy it slowly!"

Tang Zi extended her tongue, licking Lin Zhou's face like a snake. Then, she maliciously pulled at Lin Zhou's cheek, cackling, and turned to leave.

The zombies, attracted by the alarm, gathered from all directions, surrounding the steel bars where Lin Zhou was tied.

Lin Zhou kept screaming. His eyes were full of fear and helplessness.

The zombies were pulling at his legs, eating his flesh.

The sensation of skin and muscle being torn from his body was excruciatingly clear.

He could see his calves and thighs disappearing at an alarming rate.

Soon, everything below his buttocks was completely devoured by the zombies.

These filthy, mutated creatures were clearly not yet full. They raised their heads, stretching their arms to reach more flesh, trying to pull Lin Zhou off the steel bars. Tang Zi had tied him at just the right height—zombies could only eat his legs but couldn't reach his abdomen. The effects of the morphine began to show. Lin Zhou no longer felt pain, and the blood from his leg wounds was minimal... No, it wasn't just the morphine; they must have injected him with other substances as well. To stop the bleeding, to soothe his nerves, to prevent him from dying too quickly. Thinking of this, Lin Zhou, with a pale face, couldn't help but scream like a madman. Tang Zi stood on the rooftop of a building a hundred meters away, watching the scene with a fierce expression, her eyes burning with the flames of revenge, tears welling up and rolling down her cheeks. Su Hao had said: zombies are evolving. They won't always be so stupid. There is a dark red blood zombie that can jump and climb. Lin Zhou won't last long. He will be eaten alive, leaving nothing behind.