Chapter 55

"Doctor Lan, the problem of the body becoming stiff hasn't been resolved yet?" The burly man who entered with the short man asked, his voice loud, as if he was always shouting even when speaking normally.

Doctor Lan shook his head and said, "It's difficult!" He paused for a moment and continued, "I suspect that the batch of drugs provided by the people from Yuansheng Island is substandard. At first, when used on people, they could still move normally, and their activities were no different from those of normal people. But over time, their limbs and bodies gradually became stiff."

The burly man said, "That's troublesome. Those people are not on our side; they only provide us with drugs and exchange people for drugs. Even the lady can't do anything about them."

Doctor Lan nodded, looking regretful.

The short man glanced at the quiet girl on the operating table and suddenly said, "This girl is quite pretty." He licked his lips and his eyes showed a lecherous look.

Doctor Lan glanced at him, his face showing annoyance, and shouted loudly, "Lü Tong, I know what you're thinking, but you'd better put those thoughts away."

Lü Tong, scolded by Doctor Lan, smiled awkwardly but was not angry. He then defended himself, "Doctor Lan, there's no need to get angry. Aren't these people going to be sent to Yuansheng Island to grow tobacco? What's the big deal if I touch her?"

"Hmph!" Doctor Lan grunted displeased, staring at him and said sternly, "At least the lady must see her first. If the lady decides to keep this girl, and finds out that you've touched her, you know what will happen to you."

Lü Tong shivered at these words, his face changing rapidly, and for a while, he was uncertain. After a while, he apologized to Doctor Lan, "It's my fault. Thank you for reminding me, Doctor Lan. I was rash and didn't think it through."

Seeing that he admitted his mistake, Doctor Lan didn't press the issue, "Since you know you were wrong, let it go."

The burly man suddenly interjected, "The people from Yuansheng Island are strange. They grow tobacco but insist on using these living dead."

Doctor Lan glanced at him and said calmly, "Do you think that tobacco is ordinary? It's all illegal drugs, taboo in any country. The people from Yuansheng Island can't afford to let the secret leak out."

He looked at the quiet girl and continued, "These living dead are perfect. They don't have emotions, don't need wages, don't get tired, and won't leak secrets. They do whatever they are told and eat whatever they are given. They are the best labor force in the world."

Xu Mo, hearing this, felt even more chilled. He thought, "What is Yuansheng Island? From what they said, the drug that turns people into living dead is provided by Yuansheng Island. Could Yuansheng Island be a base for a cult? Did Xu Rulan's husband, Luo Shi, and even Xiao Man's father, all get sent to Yuansheng Island?"

Imagining them being controlled like living dead, working tirelessly under the whip, he shivered again.

Luo Ci's fear intensified, and her body trembled violently. She was so scared that she fainted, clearly unable to bear the fear.

Doctor Lan put down his cup and looked at Lü Tong and the other man, "I was too nervous when I injected the woman. I'll take a short nap." He paused and then instructed, "Don't let the others escape. You know the consequences."

Lü Tong, hearing this, felt uneasy and said, "We'll go out and check if Jia Lao San has found them. If not, we'll help him search."

Another doctor suddenly interjected, "Don't forget to bring your gun. It's better to shoot them dead than to let them escape."

"Understood!" Lü Tong responded, "I already have it." He lifted his shirt, revealing a gun on his waist.

The doctor said, "I'll also take a nap like Doctor Lan. You two do as you please."

Lü Tong smiled flatteringly, "Rest well, gentlemen. We won't disturb you." He called to the burly man and they left the room.

Once they were far away, Doctor Lan said calmly, "Ignore them. They are responsible for capturing people. We just need to rest."

The other man responded. The two of them then left the room, closing the door behind them.

Xu Mo, hearing their footsteps getting closer, became extremely nervous. He dragged Luo Ci further behind the shelf to avoid being seen.

Fortunately, the two men just passed by the door without looking inside, and went into a nearby room. The door closed, and it seemed they had entered and locked the room.

Xu Mo felt slightly relieved and pushed Luo Ci. She woke up from her faint, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she was about to scream.

Fortunately, Xu Mo was prepared. He had his hand on her mouth and, seeing her intention to scream, he covered her mouth and nose tightly, preventing any sound.

Luo Ci, struggling to breathe, held his hand and blinked repeatedly, signaling him to let go. Xu Mo whispered, "Don't speak. They are still here."

Luo Ci, scared and shocked, nodded. Xu Mo then released her hand and, holding her hand, walked quietly and carefully to the next room.

Luo Ci was so scared that her limbs were weak, and she could only move with Xu Mo's help.

They reached the door of the room, and Xu Mo grabbed the doorknob, lifted it, and gently pushed the door. This way, the door wouldn't make any noise.

Inside the room, An Jing was still sitting on the bed, her eyes open but lifeless. She didn't react to their presence.

Luo Ci couldn't help but ask, "Brother Xu, is An Jing... is she dead?"

Xu Mo didn't answer. He walked up to her and checked her breathing. Although it was weak, it hadn't stopped. He also felt her body, which still had a temperature, unlike a zombie. Clearly, she was still alive, even though she had been injected with drugs and turned into a living dead.

He tried to pull her, but her body was heavy and didn't move. Xu Mo was worried, "If this is the case, how can I take her out?"

Luo Ci, seeing Xu Mo's actions, understood his meaning and asked, "Brother Xu, can we... can we take her with us?"

Xu Mo shook his head. An Jing had no consciousness, and even if he and Luo Ci tried to take her, it would be impossible.

He then looked at the nearby table. The bell that had awakened An Jing was there, along with a black whip about half a meter long.

Xu Mo had an idea, remembering what Doctor Lan had said. The sound of the whip was used to drive away, while the sound of the bell was used to summon and command. If he took the whip, he could use it to drive away the living dead if he encountered them.

As for the bell, Xu Mo looked at it again. The two men had used this bell to awaken An Jing. He didn't know if only this bell could awaken people who had been injected with the drug, but the material and design of the bell were clearly not ordinary. Taking it would at least cause some trouble for these people.

He was worried that the bell might make noise when he moved, so he took some paper towels from a nearby drawer, stuffed them into the bell to block the beads, and then put it away safely.

He then picked up the whip and looked at An Jing, thinking, "The whip can drive the living dead, but according to Doctor Lan, An Jing hasn't formed a conditioned reflex yet. She can't move on her own, and even if I and Luo Ci save her, carrying her would be difficult."

Thinking about this, he decided to leave her behind. He called to Luo Ci, and the two of them quietly left.

They retraced their steps and climbed up the ladder.

On the way, nothing unexpected happened. Lü Tong and the burly man had gone out to help Jia Lao San search for them and hadn't returned. From their conversation, it was clear that Zhou Huai Zhong and the Guang brothers hadn't been caught.

Xu Mo and Luo Ci walked to the door of the metal house, listened for a moment, and, hearing no noise, walked out.

Once outside, they didn't walk on the path but went directly into the weeds, passing through the back door of the yard and walking to the back mountain.

Xu Mo had made up his mind to find Zhou Huai Zhong and the others first. After finding them, they would decide whether to stay and fight or leave.

With the whip in his hand, the living dead were no longer a threat. If the enemies were only the four he had seen and Jia Lao San, with Zhou Huai Zhong's skills, they could hide and launch a surprise attack. As long as they didn't give the enemies a chance to draw their guns, they might have a chance to win.

However, it was not easy to find Zhou Huai Zhong and the others. Xu Mo instructed Luo Ci to call Zhou Huai Zhong again, but the call still went unanswered, with the system indicating the phone was off.

He guessed that Zhou Huai Zhong and the others might be hiding somewhere or planning something, and they had turned off their phones to avoid being detected.

The two were anxious, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, a sinister laugh came from the direction of the temple, followed by Zhou Huai Zhong's voice shouting, "Run, damn it, something's wrong, run!"

His voice was urgent and full of panic.

——

PS: Thank you to Changsheng Xing for the support.

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