Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

Returning to the room, Zhang Su saw Zhong Xiaoshan teaching Zheng Xinyu some wound treatment techniques and teased, “Everyone’s so motivated, making me look like I’m just slacking, haha.”

All work and training are scheduled during the day, with evenings reserved for rest, but many people use this time to keep learning, either practicing more or picking up survival skills they’re not familiar with. Of course, some also relax by dating or watching TV.

“There’s nothing else to do if you don’t learn, anyway. You can’t just sit around doing nothing…”

Zheng Xinyu made a funny face.

“Bored, huh? Here, I’ve got something good for you guys!”

Zhang Su sat on the bed, taking out the vacuum-packed package given to him by Fu Weijun and handed it to them.

Zheng Xinyu took the bag first and looked at it before passing it to Zhong Xiaoshan, puzzled, “What is this, a stone?”

“No rush to reveal the answer. Let’s see if Xiaoshan can guess what it is.”

Zhang Su had a peculiar look on his face.

“You want me to guess?” Zhong Xiaoshan pouted, looked at it, and squeezed it. It was a bit hard but not so much that it couldn’t be squeezed, with a slight rebound.

The unique texture made her furrow her brow, “Brother Su, this… feels like some kind of biological tissue!”

“Whoa!” Zheng Xinyu exclaimed, jumping back with an exaggerated expression, “You’re kidding, right!”

She was indeed immune to gory scenes, but holding an organ-like substance in her hand felt too strange.

Zhong Xiaoshan looked at Zhang Su, waiting for an answer.

“Hehe…” Zhang Su took the sealed bag back from Zhong Xiaoshan and said, “Don’t be surprised when I tell you this is a zombie’s thalamus.”

“Thalamus? Which part is that…”

Zheng Xinyu was a bit confused and didn’t understand.

Zhong Xiaoshan made a funny face of disdain and said, “The thalamus is a structure in the brain, found in the diencephalon!”

“Yuck…”

Zheng Xinyu rolled her eyes and mimed vomiting, saying, “Brother Su, where did you get this from, did Dr. Fu give it to you?”

“That’s right!”

Zhang Su laughed, “It may look insignificant and a bit strange considering its origin, but it has an unexpected use you wouldn’t guess.”

Then Zhang Su recounted Fu Weijun’s demonstration process, though he wasn’t planning to demonstrate himself…

“Such a miraculous effect?”

“A miracle cure for injuries!”

The two women were amazed, and their gaze towards the grayish thalamus changed.

“Dr. Fu didn’t further explore it, only tested it on surface wounds. If there’s a chance in the future, we could see if it works on internal injuries, bone injuries, and so on.”

Zhang Su said, ripping open the vacuum packaging, “Xiaoshan, go get me a clean little medicine box. I’ll keep one as backup, and you can hold onto the other three.”

This miracle cure naturally needed to be given to the camp’s medics.

“Is there a specific dosage?”

Zhong Xiaoshan handed Zhang Su a medicine box about the size of a tile, then took three thalami from him and put them into the medical box.

Zhang Su shook his head, “You’ll need to figure that out. I just saw Fu Weijun slicing a thin piece, like the size of a fingernail, and using that amount as a dosage.”

To the three of them, it had become a kind of medicine.

“Then… this medicine is too important. Should we use it for everyone?”

Zhong Xiaoshan asked cautiously.

Zhang Su looked puzzled at Zhong Xiaoshan, “Why not? I’ve left them with you for everyone to use. Don’t worry about using it in non-urgent situations, as we’re not sure about the side effects yet.”

“I mean, if others learn we have something this valuable, won’t it cause trouble?” Zhong Xiaoshan said seriously.

“Pfft…” Zhang Su couldn’t help laughing at Zhong Xiaoshan’s solemn expression, “Just make up a reason, like you brought it from the city before. Believe it or not! Don’t worry too much about insider leaks. It’s not like before, with good things like this, everyone will only feel more connected and won’t want outsiders to know! We’ll capitalize on this information gap. Sooner or later, others will find out, and it won’t be so special anymore.”

“Got it!”

Later, they spent some time studying the thalamus, also discussing the potential of other organs. But without various evidence to support their ideas, it remained purely speculative, not even reaching the level of a hypothesis…

That night, many people would struggle to sleep, like the villagers from United Village who narrowly escaped death or the additional night watch personnel.

Suddenly having over ten more people in the camp made Zhang Su uneasy since the people of United Village were shaken and emotionally unstable, making it hard to ensure they wouldn’t act irrationally.

As night passed and morning arrived, nothing happened.

The sudden changes in United Village disrupted some of Zhang Su’s plans, and now there were four matters at hand.

First, the materials from United Village should be retrieved if possible; they couldn’t be just left behind.

Then there was the issue of clearing new land!

“After negotiating with Old Wang about your integration into Celestial Horse Island, I’ve found a good spot for you all. It’s Madian Village, southeast, the closest village to Celestial Horse Island. It’s cleaned out for you to live in, and in the future you can farm and raise livestock around Madian Village.”

Zhang Su said to the people from United Village in front of him, “I’ve been there to check it out. There are some intact greenhouses nearby, and with your skills, I’m sure you can quickly start planting crops again.”

“Boss Zhang, you saved our lives, we’ll listen to you. Whatever you say, we’ll do!”

Wang Longzhong, on behalf of the remaining dozen villagers, pledged.

The villagers of United Village nodded repeatedly. The tragic events of the previous night were fresh in their minds, and after escaping, they discussed many things among themselves. They knew they owed their survival to the group that helped them, and while grateful, they understood their fates were now intertwined. To continue receiving protection, they had to work hard!

“Lu Yubo, Wang Xin, Zhang Ya!”

Zhang Su called out three names, and the three stepped forward from the crowd behind him.

“See these three? They’ll lead you to Madian Village today to clear out zombies. Everyone should go to Teacher Yu to collect weapons! But remember, today is not just about clearing zombies!”

At his words, everyone from United Village looked at Zhang Su.

“It’s about fighting for your new home, no slacking off. Each person must kill at least ten zombies, understand? Those who don’t reach ten won’t have dinner tonight, and those who exceed twenty will get a down jacket as a reward! Wang Xingui, you count!”

“Alright, alright, okay.”

Wang Xingui realized it was a task that might make him unpopular, but under his uncle’s gaze, he quickly agreed.

After instructing the people of United Village, Zhang Su pulled Lu Yubo and the other two aside for a private conversation. No one could hear what was being discussed, but Lu Yubo and the other two seemed shocked.

“Brother Su, you must be joking, ten zombie brains, alive?”

Lu Yubo thought he misheard.

“That’s right. The Dr. Fu who joined us yesterday needs zombie brains for experiments, and they must be alive. I thought, since we only need the brain, there’s no need to bring the whole zombie back. It’s too dangerous. Just cut off the head and bring it back in a sack. Be careful, and it should be fine.”

Zhang Su remembered the miraculous effects of the zombie thalamus. Depending on the zombies that wandered into the camp every day wouldn’t provide enough supply, especially given Fu Weijun’s comments on the potential for failure in extracting the thalamus.

“Then you have to lend me the Dog Leg, other weapons can’t cut through the neck!”

Lu Yubo slyly eyed the scabbard at Zhang Su’s waist.

“Darn, you’re still thinking about it? Isn’t a fire axe good enough?” Zhang Su didn’t bother arguing, handing over the scabbard to Lu Yubo, “Make sure to return it, and don’t break it, got it?”

“Hehe, got it, got it!”

Lu Yubo was thrilled. Even now, with an automatic rifle ready, he still had a fixation on cold weapons.

“What about you two? Do you want some? You can borrow from Zhuzi and Xiaochen.”

Zhang Su looked at Zhang Ya and Wang Xin; the Dog Leg Military Saber’s material and sharpness were unrivaled among the camp’s cold weapons, indeed very effective.

“I can’t, not good with it, I’ll use a long weapon to assist them…”

Zhang Ya waved her hand, feeling unsure about handling such a job.

Wang Xin patted the fire axe strapped to his back, “This thing is pretty good for chopping heads.”

“Alright then, the heavy task is in your hands. Be careful, and don’t tell me any nonsense about getting bitten or scratched, no rookie mistakes allowed!”

Zhang Su urged.

“Understood, Brother Su!”

The three nodded earnestly, even the usually joking Lu Yubo turned serious; this wasn’t a joking matter.

“Oh!” Zhang Su called out just as the three were about to leave, “Keep an eye out for who among them has good combat potential and is worth training.”

Lu Yubo and the others understood, knowing Zhang Su aimed to expand the combat team, and they nodded in agreement.

Soon, the three led the people from United Village to collect weapons and set off. Since the distance was short, the two three-wheeled carts from last night were just right for the job.