Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

A brief silence followed, during which Duan Wuhu watched Zhang Su puff on his cigarette without speaking. Feeling anxious, he asked, ”Brother Zhang, you’re not supporting them doing those strange experiments, are you?”

”Sigh...” Zhang Su exhaled a cloud of smoke and spoke earnestly, ”Old Duan, many things aren’t about what I want. The development of the situation will force us down roads we don’t want to take. Let’s talk about the Cyan Dragon Corps...”

”We took down the Cyan Dragon Corps’ Grain Collection Team with careful planning. But if it weren’t for the zombie hoard—no, if it weren’t for the internal factional struggles within the Cyan Dragon Corps that led them to be destroyed by the hoards, could we withstand an attack when they come with 004 to Celestial Horse Island? Do you think ordinary guns and cannons could cause much damage to 004?”

Before obtaining the Venom Liquid, Zhang Su was helpless against 004, but now he has thought of a way to counter it. There will be casualties, but victory can be achieved, albeit a terribly grim one.

If faced with an unstoppable zombie hoard, leaving the camp to go far away would be somewhat acceptable. But if they were exterminated by other Survivor Forces, Zhang Su would never resign to it.

Duan Wuhu frowned in thought, his mind laboring to find a way to handle the situation Zhang Su described. But after extensive consideration, it seemed like fleeing or surrender were the only options...

He wasn’t belligerent, but the idea of raising hands in surrender when attacked by others was something he couldn’t do. Basic pride remained.

”Sigh, Brother Zhang, what do you think the future of this world will become?”

Duan Wuhu didn’t answer Zhang Su’s question, but his reaction indicated he no longer stuck to his own viewpoint. Some things will definitely happen, whether accepted or not, if you can’t accept them, you’re forced to.

”Some things will change, some things won’t, just like we used to say: if you can’t change the world, change yourself. Isn’t that just what we’re doing now?”

As the leader of Celestial Horse Island, Zhang Su can’t even change Qin City, let alone the world. At best, he has the ability to shape the camp as he wishes.

”That’s right, I suddenly thought of something Jack Ma once said—how I couldn’t even change my mom, let alone the world. How naive, hahaha!”

”Exactly, think less about pointless things, live more openly. Come on, help me carry the bodies, Dr. Fu is anxiously waiting.”

Zhang Su extinguished his cigarette, patted Duan Wuhu’s shoulder. This physical education teacher’s mental state did not match his physique or appearance—beneath his rugged exterior lay a sensitive heart.

The two retrieved the corpse of the Venom Zombie from the vehicle and moved it into Cui Leng Pavilion. These matters couldn’t be entrusted to anyone else.

”Thanks Mr. Zhang, Brother Duan, quick, put the body on the bed!”

Fu Weijun had been waiting for a while, having already moved Li Zhaohua’s corpse to the balcony for natural frozen preservation, clearing the experimental bed for the Venom Zombie’s body.

”Mr. Zhang, let me do it, let me... Hey!”

Xie Yanshan was perceptive and wouldn’t let Zhang Su handle things personally, quickly stepping forward to help Duan Wuhu lift the body onto the experimental bed.

”This corpse...”

Fu Weijun moved his wheelchair next to the body, put on gloves and gave it a poke. Its skin and flesh were cold and hard, reminiscent of dried meat. He brushed off the surface dust, and with a peculiar expression, he asked, ”Mr. Zhang, where did you find this corpse... It’s been dead for a while, hasn’t it?”

”It’s been some time.” Zhang Su nodded, not explaining the origin of the Venom Zombie, and besides, he didn’t know when Ju Mumio had hung it up.

”It likely died shortly after its strange transformation. Given these circumstances...”

Fu Weijun looked at Zhang Su hesitantly, ”Mr. Zhang, could you wait a moment for me to extract the Venom Liquid?”

”Alright, you guys go ahead.”

Zhang Su had come to hear the research results about Li Zhaohua’s body. Since the other was eager to dissect, he didn’t rush them. He had no pressing matters and sat watching the others busy themselves, using the opportunity to learn more about the laboratory’s work.

This was far from what he had imagined. The situation differed greatly from traditional labs teeming with precise instruments. They relied heavily on CNC and mechanical arms for cutting, here, various crude tools took turns in action—there was skill, but not much, as long as the purpose was achieved.

In a flurry of actions, it didn’t take long, four or five minutes at most—counting the time it took to fetch tools. Fu Weijun and the others managed to open a hole in the Venom Zombie’s skull. The strength and precision were comparable to those warriors on the front lines.

Fu Weijun then donned gloves and cautiously reached into the open skull, retrieving a walnut-sized container. It shimmered like a crystal, although it didn’t emit light. The surface cuts reflected light spectacularly.

”Do you think this could have evolved naturally?”

Unimpressed, Zhang Su shook his head at the sight of the container.

Frowning, Xie Yanshan nodded solemnly, ”Mr. Zhang, don’t doubt it—this is creation. Which civilization it hails from remains unknown, very mysterious.”

”Ah, what a pity...”

Fu Weijun didn’t join the discussion, instead lamenting while shaking the crystal container in his hand.

”Has it... evaporated?”

Zhang Su noticed that only about half the viscous liquid remained within the container, understanding what Fu Weijun regretted.

Fu Weijun nodded with regret, ”Possibly... It’s attributable to the cessation of secretion after death. Brother Duan, do you mind fetching a glass bottle?”

”Here you go.”

Having grown accustomed to the work of the laboratory, Duan Wuhu swiftly handed a suitably sized glass bottle to Fu Weijun.

”Hmm...” Fu Weijun cautiously poured the Venom Liquid into the glass, remarking, ”We guessed wrong—it shouldn’t be evaporation but concentration.”

”Certainly more viscous than before!”

Serious, Zhang Su nodded, observing as Fu Weijun didn’t scrape off the residue from the container wall, amused at how natural the placement was.

”Its color’s deeper, too, and it flows less readily. Here you go, Mr. Zhang, handle with care.”

Fu Weijun secured the small glass bottle—found at a town nail salon—and it was quite handy in the lab.

”What does the difference in concentration signify?”

Carefully rotating the glass bottle, Zhang Su didn’t need an external comparison to see the differences between the purples—this one was at least two shades darker.

”Perhaps, with equal quantities, the explosive power will be greater. For now, that’s the best guess... Or, Dr. Xie, any thoughts?”

Fu Weijun looked at Xie Yanshan, having formed a congenial bond quickly, as their interests didn’t clash. Their discussions stayed academic, backed by logical and theoretical bases, not heated tirades.

”Sorry, my thoughts are limited to direct impact... Perhaps there could be differences in explosion reaction rates or triggers?”

Uncomfortable wearing borrowed glasses, Xie Yanshan removed them, speaking unsurely.

Already understanding the main explosive function of the Venom Liquid—comparable to the energy of nuclear reactions, a hazardous substance—he was cautious in offering opinions.

”I see...” Relieved, Zhang Su saved the glass bottle, indicating the crystal container in the corner, smiling, ”Then I leave it to you both to investigate and inform me.”

Having seen through a small trick, Duan Wuhu felt awkward. But Fu Weijun and Xie Yanshan weren’t troubled, nodding agreeably—with smiles of delight.

No choice soon, strict governance on hazardous substances urged them towards research ingenuity.

”Dr. Fu, what were you going to tell me before?”

”Ah, the research on zombie transformation shows a discovery.”

Excited by this, Fu Weijun said, ”This is a significant discovery! Brother Duan, could you stand watch at the door?”

This made Zhang Su raise a brow. Whenever Fu Weijun became cautious, it meant a major breakthrough. Even Xie Yanshan and Duan Wuhu showed seriousness, piquing his curiosity. Yet, as a leader, acting composed was expected, simply waiting patiently.

Once Duan Wuhu checked the door for eavesdroppers, Fu Weijun spoke solemnly, ”After communication with Dr. Xie and dissecting Li Zhaohua’s corpse, we found that the Zombie Transformation Liquid can destroy Zombie Robots!”

”Destroy Zombie Robots?”

Momentarily lost, Zhang Su realized this with an astonished look, ”Does that mean it can reverse a zombie back into human? Wait... No, completely transformed ones are dead. So, it can halt the replication of zombie robots in the body?”