Chapter 90

Lin Feihu stared at the paper in front of him, lost in thought.

That was the last message from Lin Zou's team.

They reported: They had arrived at the designated area outside Kunming and were setting up the protection according to the original plan.

At the bottom right corner of the page, the exact time when the message was sent was noted.

It had been over a month since then.

No second telegram had come. Lin Zou's team had vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

What had happened to them?

Had they been besieged by a large group of zombies?

Had their radio equipment been damaged?

Or, was it a human conspiracy?

Instinctively, Lin Feihu placed the third possibility as the first.

It started with Han Fei.

Then came Lin Jingshang.

Now, it was his son, Lin Zou.

Who was trying to get to him?

Who was plotting in the shadows?

Who wanted to destroy everything he had?

Lin Feihu felt a sense of fear.

There were many powerful entities in this world, more formidable than "Shengfei." He had originally thought he could become stronger and gain more in this chaotic world, but he never expected things to turn out this way.

The door was quietly pushed open from the outside. A tall, slender young man with a fair complexion walked in and silently stood behind Lin Feihu.

"Any news?" Lin Feihu's voice was hoarse, but there was a hint of hope in his words.

The young man's expression was somber as he shook his head: "The radio waves remain silent. We've been calling on all channels, but we still can't find Little Zou and the others."

Lin Feihu slowly turned around, raised his head, and looked at the young man with a somewhat dazed gaze. At the same time, he extended his wrinkled, scaly hand and tightly grabbed the other.

In the light from outside, the young man's face appeared somewhat pale. His hair hung down from his forehead, almost reaching the tip of his nose. His long eyelashes made his black eyes appear large and bright. His slender shoulders gave him a somewhat feminine quality, soft and somewhat cold.

He was Lin Feihu's eldest son, Lin Yu.

"Why is this happening? Why is this happening?"

Lin Feihu kept repeating these words. Compared to over a month ago, he looked even more aged and frail, his hands and shoulders trembling involuntarily.

Lin Yu said nothing. He squatted down and hugged his father tightly. The two of them clung to each other, as if they never wanted to let go.

Lin Feihu felt his son's shoulders were solid, radiating a comforting warmth.

"Take all the direct subordinates, bring enough weapons, ammunition, and supplies, and find them. You must find them."

As they embraced, Lin Yu felt his father's heart pounding fiercely and heard Lin Feihu's almost hoarse roar.

"There aren't many people left in the Lin family. He is your only brother, your closest relative."

By the end, Lin Feihu was almost sobbing.

Lin Yu gently patted his father's shoulder. This was the only comfort he could offer at the moment.

"Bring your brother back, sob, must, must bring him back."

"Kill those who are plotting against us in the shadows."

"Kill, kill them all."

Lin Yu nodded repeatedly. He bit his lip, and his eyes glinted with a sharp, knife-like hatred.

The sound of the helicopter's engine was loud, and the rapidly spinning propellers stirred up strong air currents. Many zombies were attracted by the flying machine passing overhead, following the sound from the distant city, gathering outside the tall, sturdy steel fence of the command post.

They stretched out their hands and necks, desperately trying to shorten the distance to the slowly descending helicopter, but to no avail.

Li Daoyuan, dressed in a gray-green wool coat, jumped out of the cabin and returned the salute to Wu Guoguang, who had been standing at attention on the parade ground.

"What is so important that you had to come here in person?"

Wu Guoguang said, stepping forward to shake Li Daoyuan's hand.

This morning, he had received a special communication from KD03 base, informing him that Li Daoyuan needed him to accompany him to Su Hao's team.

"The promotion order issued by the Group Army Headquarters, I am responsible for executing it."

Li Daoyuan shook his head with a bitter smile and waved the briefcase in his hand: "Besides this, there are some very important things. Given the gravity of the matter, I had to come."

Wu Guoguang nodded silently, glancing at the horde of zombies outside the steel fence, a look of worry on his face.

"These mutated creatures are becoming more sensitive to sound and direction. Last month, when the plane delivered supplies, their reaction wasn't as strong, and there weren't as many. Now, even the slightest noise can draw them from far away. This is not a good sign."

"They are evolving."

Li Daoyuan cast his gaze in the same direction as Wu Guoguang, then withdrew it and asked seriously, "Do you have any good suggestions?"

"We need to increase manpower, fortify this place, and add more heavy weapons, upgrading it to a fortress or a stronghold."

Wu Guoguang's words were not a joke: "There is another option—retreat and leave this place."

These two methods were what Su Hao had told him.

A look of worry appeared on Li Daoyuan's usually calm face.

Wu Guoguang was right; the threat from the zombies was indeed growing.

Just last week, a five-man patrol team from KD03 base went missing. The day before yesterday, the patrol team found their bodies in a mountain hollow five kilometers away. The victims' flesh had been completely devoured, and their weapons and ammunition were scattered around, along with various personal items. No zombies were found at the time, and the surrounding environment resembled the nest of some animal.

In anger, Li Daoyuan led a whole company to ambush in the area. By dawn, they had shot six mutated creatures returning to the mountain hollow along the stream.

These were no longer the zombies he was familiar with. They had human bodies, but their heads had evolved into compound eyes, and their arms were nearly two meters long. If he had to compare them to any animal, Li Daoyuan thought they resembled locusts.

Looking at the zombies outside the command post, Li Daoyuan couldn't help but think of the notes and videos Su Hao had submitted to the Academy of Sciences. The insect-like corpses in the footage were strikingly similar to the monsters he had killed in the mountain hollow.

"Human-like."

This was how Su Hao referred to these mutated creatures in his notes.

Now, it seemed quite fitting.

Sighing, Li Daoyuan quickly dispelled the unrealistic thoughts in his mind. He turned his gaze to Wu Guoguang: "I will convey your suggestions to the higher-ups. Whether they will be accepted is not something we can control. Let's go now, to meet the person who even President Wang speaks highly of."

The helicopter slowly descended on the road in front of the bank building. After releasing its passengers, the plane immediately ascended, drawing the zombies attracted by the noise toward the command post.

Su Hao and Li Daoyuan were carefully examining each other.

Both men were of similar build and height. Compared to each other, Su Hao had a mysterious and somewhat gloomy aura, with a gentle gaze. Li Daoyuan, though not as handsome, exuded a strong, hard, and resolute military presence, with a more piercing gaze.

"Are you Su Hao?"

"I've heard of your name, Lieutenant Li Daoyuan."

Both men spoke almost simultaneously, their words having the same meaning. This unintentional synchronization surprised the other accompanying personnel and the two men themselves. After a moment of silence, Su Hao and Li Daoyuan both laughed.

"It's rare for you to come. No matter what, you must stay for a meal today."

Su Hao quickly called Xingyan and others to prepare, saying warmly, "Although the situation isn't good, I still have some food that tastes decent enough."

This was not an exaggeration. Two weeks ago, Du Tianhao's team found two large pieces of shark fin in a jewelry store. Priced at nearly 200,000, they were displayed alongside two golden Buddha statues. Su Hao gave one to the people in "The Castle," and Old Song's message back was, "Not much to eat, taste is average, not as good as vermicelli. Rather than waste it, save it for guests."

"No need to trouble yourself, we are on a tight schedule."

Li Daoyuan smiled and thanked him.

He opened the briefcase, took out the promotion order issued by the Group Army and a low-temperature refrigerated box containing fifty first-stage enhancement drugs, and handed them over.

The rank of second lieutenant was the result of the Group Army Chief of Staff, Chen Yanlin, working hard to secure it.

"We are now colleagues."

Li Daoyuan took the box containing the new uniform and insignia from the guard and pulled out a new military ID card from his inner pocket, saying regretfully, "Your unit is under the New Equipment Development Department, directly supervised by the Group Army Headquarters. Otherwise, I would really like to have you as a subordinate. Haha, working with you should be very pleasant."

The entire meeting was conducted in a relaxed atmosphere.

On one hand, Li Daoyuan was very talkative.

On the other hand, Su Hao receiving a military rank was worth celebrating.

This meant that Su Hao was a regular officer. With this identity, many things would be much easier to handle.

Moreover, he was a "D1" level researcher. Even in the worst-case scenario, the Academy of Sciences would always be a strong support.

However, in the eyes of ordinary people, Su Hao with an officer's identity was clearly more authoritative and worthy of following than Su Hao the researcher.

"The base has allocated you a batch of weapons and communication equipment. I will try to deliver them as soon as possible. You know, the zombies are much stronger now, and transporting supplies is very difficult. Without sufficient personnel to guard, the journey will be dangerous."

Li Daoyuan was the type of person who didn't like to drag things out. He briefly explained his purpose, completed the handover procedures, and then ordered the guards to contact the helicopter.

Su Hao smiled and took out two silver bones from his pocket, handing one to Li Daoyuan and one to Wu Guoguang.

Li Daoyuan held the silver bone with his fingers, examining it carefully in the light, and asked curiously, "What is this?"

"The topmost protrusion of the zombie's tail vertebra."

Su Hao said calmly, "It might be a solidified hormone."

Wu Guoguang asked straightforwardly, "What is it used for?"

"Based on my guess, it should strengthen bone tissue."

Su Hao did not use an absolute tone, "It carries a virus and can only be used by immune individuals."

"Use it?"

Wu Guoguang was surprised, unsure, "This thing is solid, it can't be injected. Do you mean to eat it?"

Su Hao nodded, "It can be dissolved by stomach acid. I have conducted many such experiments."

Li Daoyuan and Wu Guoguang's faces simultaneously showed surprise and shock.

"Further testing of this silver substance will take time, but the main components can be determined. It has a very obvious effect on strengthening bones and the central nervous system. It is non-toxic and can be found in every zombie, though in small quantities."

Su Hao did not reveal more information about the silver bones.

The vague statements he made were consistent with the lack of research equipment in the bank building. Su Hao did not force Li Daoyuan and Wu Guoguang to eat the silver bones, but he subtly indicated his intentions.

This was a form of psychological suggestion.

Based on trust, Wu Guoguang should take the silver bone upon returning to the command post.

As for Li Daoyuan, it might take a bit longer.

Since he was an officer, his actions must be from the military's perspective. Of course, he must also prioritize the Academy of Sciences. If the ratio were to be divided, it would be about 30% for the military and 70% for the Academy.

Therefore, Su Hao's reporting the existence of the silver bones to the military through Li Daoyuan was a normal situation report. Wang Qian would not investigate this matter deeply, as detailed testing and efficacy analysis could only be done by the Academy of Sciences.

This matter was crucial to Su Hao's next plan.

Ten minutes later, Li Daoyuan and Wu Guoguang boarded the helicopter.

Xingyan walked to Su Hao's side, looking at his eyes watching the plane fly away, and asked, puzzled, "Do you want to help them?"

This referred specifically to Wu Guoguang and Li Daoyuan, both front-line commanders. Facing constantly mutating zombies, their situation was becoming increasingly difficult, and they could encounter danger at any time.

Su Hao nodded and said calmly, "They are good people. Good people shouldn't die."

In the military computer archives of the future world, there is a record of all the casualties since the virus outbreak.

Li Daoyuan: Special envoy of the 71st Group Army to KD03 base. Died in battle on June 18, 2023, at the age of 31. Posthumously promoted to colonel.

Wu Guoguang: Special envoy of the 71st Group Army to Kunming inspection station. Died in battle on January 6, 2023, at the age of 42. Posthumously promoted to major.

Su Hao did not want them to die as they did in another timeline; he wanted them to live.

To the east of the city, there was an abandoned vegetable market.

Zhang Lin stood behind a mini van, nervously watching a zombie about ten meters away.

He was slim but very fit, with a demeanor reminiscent of martial arts star Jet Li.

Many acquaintances said Zhang Lin's profile resembled Jet Li.

He thought so too.

So, he got a set of black tight-fitting clothes and liked to wear a fabric belt, like in ancient costumes. Even when riding a tricycle to sell fried potatoes, he had movie posters from "Fist of Legend" stuck on the side of the vehicle.

"Don't move around. Wait for the right moment to attack."

This was said by Lin Siwen.

He stood next to Zhang Lin, half-bowed, holding a sharpened axe, staring fiercely at the zombie, ready to charge out at any moment.

Lin Siwen was two heads taller than Zhang Lin, very robust, with muscles like a pig fattened on urine.

His skin was rough, his face full of lumps and bumps, and his exposed chest was covered in a mass of black hair.

This fierce appearance was intimidating.

Zhang Lin did not react to Lin Siwen's words. He tightly gripped the fork in his hand, vigilantly observing the zombie.

The fork was a custom-made steel pipe about two meters long, with six sharp steel prongs at the end. It looked like a broom, very sharp and practical.

This thing was made by Zhang Lin from materials found in a hardware store.

Lin Siwen mocked, "It's just like the rake used by Zhu Bajie to plow the fields."

The zombie was blocking the entrance and exit to the vegetable market.

On the opposite side, about fifty meters away, there was a door.

Before the virus outbreak, Zhang Lin often came here to buy potatoes in bulk.

He knew there were many potatoes behind that door, in a storage room that was not very noticeable.

Suddenly, he charged out, swinging the fork and fiercely stabbing the zombie's neck.

Zhang Lin had been waiting for the zombie to turn its back completely.

This was a dark red blood zombie.

Of course, Zhang Lin did not know the term "blood zombie." He only knew that this red monster was more agile, stronger, and had sharper teeth than the zombies that appeared a few months ago.

If it were a regular zombie, he and Lin Siwen would have already taken action and killed the dirty creatures.

The dark red blood zombie was caught off guard. The fork pierced through its flesh and, with the powerful thrust, pinned it to the wall.

This happened suddenly, but the blood zombie did not give up. It struggled, writhing between the fork and the wall, extending its tongue and clawing the air, reminiscent of a snake pinned by the throat.

Lin Siwen pounced from the other side of the mini van, swinging the axe and chopping at the blood zombie's neck.

"Crack"

The stench of blood splattered everywhere, and the grotesque head rolled off the shoulders like a ball. Zhang Lin quickly retrieved the fork from the blood zombie and ran into the vegetable market.

Using the steel bars to pry open the lock, they pushed the door open. The two of them frantically loaded the withered potatoes from the basement into the prepared burlap bags.

The storage room was dry, and the potatoes were well-preserved. Although some had sprouted, they could still be cooked and eaten.

Excitedly, they carried the burlap bags full of potatoes and pulled open the slightly ajar door. Just as they were about to step out, Lin Siwen's smile froze.

Outside, two fully armed men stood there.

They held guns, the barrels pointing at their heads.

(Characters in this section: Book friend "Ghost Shadow" plays Zhang Lin. Book friend "Savvy Will End" plays Lin Siwen. Applause and votes)

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