Chapter 56

Wen Yi kicked Xue Ling off the vehicle, and she didn’t allow her back on for the entire day.

Wen Jiuze placed his heavy, stiff arm on Xue Ling’s shoulder, and with the tablet in hand, he let out a series of hearty laughs. He told her:

“It’s useless. You won’t be able to get on Wen Yi’s good side. She’s really hard to please and doesn’t like making friends.”

Xue Ling actually didn’t want to make friends with Wen Yi, she just found it more relaxed to interact with her.

Although Wen Yi used her words to try to convince Xue Ling to participate in experiments, she still treated her like a normal person.

In the camp, while others didn’t scream and run away when they saw them, they still instinctively kept their distance.

Many people would quickly look away when their eyes met. They dared not look at their faces for long.

If Xue Ling accidentally got too close to them, they would show expressions of fright and stiffly move away.

Even the researchers who were willing to talk to them would have curious looks in their eyes.

Among the crowd, Xue Ling still felt like she was some kind of monkey or alien.

Xue Ling wanted to have a normal conversation with someone. She could chat with Wen Jiuze, but sometimes he could be annoying, always creating problems when there were none.

Besides, there were some things that she couldn’t discuss with Wen Jiuze and Wen Yi was a great listener.

Xue Ling realized that as long as Wen Jiuze wasn’t around, Wen Yi was usually willing to talk to her more.

Holding the new tablet she was about to receive, Xue Ling typed: “She’s so busy. She only eats one meal a day.”

If only she could eat for her. She was really hungry.

Wen Jiuze, holding the old tablet, started gossiping about Wen Yi: “Can you believe it? Wen Yi must envy zombies because they don’t need to eat. She used to be very picky about food.”

Wen Yi opened the car window and stuck her face out above them. “If you want to gossip, do it when you’re back. Don’t do it right next to my window.”

With that, she slammed the window shut.

The experiment here was finished, and they were soon preparing to head back to the base.

They began dismantling the tents and packing up equipment. Everyone had something to do except for Xue Ling and Wen Jiuze.

Wen Yi wanted to temporarily arrange for the two of them to go to Zeng Yitong’s medical vehicle, but Wen Jiuze refused. He insisted on driving his own vehicle and following the convoy.

Wen Yi was too busy to argue over such small matters, so she let him have his way.

The convoy set off, with large vehicles leading the way. In case of road damage, they could quickly stop and handle the issue.

Wen Yi’s RV, the medical vehicle, and some other core researchers’ vehicles were in the middle of the convoy, escorted by military-green armed vehicles at both the front and rear.

Wen Jiuze’s weathered vehicle was also mixed in, and as they passed, everyone would take a second glance at it.

This convoy looked very official, with a strong military presence. Compared to the previous one, it exuded a stronger sense of authority. Even a typical zombie horde would pose no threat, as they would be dealt with immediately up ahead.

They arrived at Beizheng Base much faster and more smoothly than expected.

Behind the sign reading “Beizheng Base” was a field of wheat, divided into sections by countless fences. The endless green waves of wheat rippled in the wind.

The cars drove down the wide road between the fields, and after a long while, they finally saw the tall walls of Beizheng Base and its electric fence.

The walls stretched far into the distance, and Xue Ling gazed out the car window, seeing only the high-rise buildings that rose from behind the walls, reminiscent of the big cities from before.

In just three years, a completely new city had been built here.

She wondered what it looked like inside. She glanced outside but saw that the convoy didn’t enter through the main gates of the base. Instead, it turned left, driving along the long, towering city wall.

They passed through a wheat field, then a large area of solar panels, and then complex, winding roads that seemed to lead nowhere. Finally, they entered a tightly secured complex of buildings.

The walls here were taller than the ones around the large base they had just passed, though the buildings inside were not very tall, mostly no more than five stories.

Each area was separated by walls, and there were guards at every gate.

After entering, the convoy was checked several times before slowly proceeding deeper into the compound.

Xue Ling glanced out the window and made eye contact with a row of soldiers on guard. They held their guns and maintained a steady, unblinking stare.

She thought to herself, “They are truly well-trained.”

Only one relatively young soldier couldn’t hold back. He widened his eyes slightly when he saw her, and his mouth dropped open. His comrade next to him quickly nudged him with his elbow, and he quickly shut his mouth.

But Xue Ling had already caught the look in his eyes—the surprise of seeing a “zombie driving a car.”

The serious, solemn atmosphere of the base made Xue Ling involuntarily feel tense.

The car stopped in the parking lot of a small white building, and Wen Yi came over and said, “You two wait in the medical vehicle for now. I’ll come back to arrange things later.”

She needed to find her teacher first and settle their identities.

Inside the medical vehicle, Zeng Yitong was still strapped to a restraint bed, and Wen Yi’s junior, Xu Zhihua, was sitting nearby organizing data.

Xu Zhihua was a quiet girl, and she awkwardly invited them to sit on the side.

Wen Jiuze tapped on his tablet. “They even arranged for someone to guard us. Are they worried we’ll run off?”

Xue Ling quickly pressed the button to turn off the automatic reading function. Then she typed, “Actually, it could also be seen as a form of protection.”

Xu Zhihua awkwardly interjected, “Senior Wen is doing this for your safety.”

“This is an auxiliary base of Beizheng Base. It’s home to important researchers, and the security is very tight.”

“Senior Wen’s teacher, Professor Rong Lanjia, is the director of the Medical Research Institute. But there are also several deputy directors under her, and there are different factions, so there’s some competition between them.”

“Your situation is unique, and Senior Wen needs to report to Professor Rong first, complete the necessary formalities, and then ensure your safety in this base.”

“Otherwise, there are too many variables, and you might be forced to cooperate with experiments.”

Wen Yi went straight to her teacher’s office to discuss Xue Ling and Wen Jiuze’s case.

“My suggestion is not to treat them as test subjects for now. Their identity as zombies will be a great help for us in carrying out search missions in the city.”

“I’m aware of Wen Jiuze’s abilities. With him, we can restart the tasks that were previously impossible to complete.”

Professor Rong Lanjia was already quite old, with short, graying hair, glasses, and eyes that always appeared wise and gentle behind the lenses.

She listened intently to her student’s explanation and set down the application form in her hands.

“I understand what you’re saying. It certainly seems helpful to us, but are they truly controllable? The most important thing is whether you can guarantee that. As their guarantor, if anything goes wrong, you will also bear responsibility.”

“Teacher, if it were just Wen Jiuze alone, I wouldn’t choose to cooperate with him. I wouldn’t feel comfortable entrusting important tasks to him. But after observing, I believe that with Xue Ling present, he is controllable.”

“I trust my judgment and can take responsibility for my decision.”

…

When Wen Yi returned to the medical vehicle, she brought the identity badges and new clothes for Xue Ling and Wen Jiuze.

Wen Jiuze’s outfit was similar to the military green uniform worn by the soldiers, while Xue Ling’s resembled the attire worn by researchers like Wen Yi.

Wen Jiuze had no particular feelings about it, but Xue Ling was excited. She eagerly looked over the uniform and identity badge she had received.

“Getting a work uniform means you’re about to start working. How can you be so happy? Are you silly?” Wen Jiuze’s electronic voice was crisp and clear.

Xue Ling was happy because, “We successfully joined the organization! No exams required!”

She had secretly reviewed public exam materials on the way here.

No interviews, no exams. She was delighted.

Wen Yi led them to their assigned rooms to rest, a quiet little white building where Wen Yi also lived.

The rooms were small single units, with Xue Ling’s room next to Wen Jiuze’s.

“We’re staying in separate rooms?” Wen Jiuze was dissatisfied.

Xue Ling thought there was no problem with staying separately, since the rooms were right next to each other.

She innocently looked at Wen Jiuze, who then turned to Wen Yi, “Did you arrange for us to stay apart?”

“You two can figure out your accommodation yourselves. I’m not in charge,” Wen Yi responded coldly, her expression indifferent.

She added, “Just a reminder—don’t attack anyone in the base. Otherwise, if you get dragged into the lab for forced experiments, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“And I need to rest now. If you argue or fight outside my door, keep it quiet. The walls aren’t soundproof.”

She then entered her own room.

Wen Jiuze grabbed the door to Xue Ling’s room and resisted her efforts to close it.

Xue Ling held up her tablet and said, “I need to shower. You go out.”

Wen Jiuze responded, “Haven’t I seen it before? I even helped you wash.”

Xue Ling shot back, “Go take a shower in your own room.”

Wen Jiuze quipped, “We’re both zombies and don’t sweat, so why bother showering?”

Xue Ling firmly replied, “You can’t lie down with me without taking a shower.”

She shoved him out, slammed the door, and then walked around the room with her bag before heading into the bathroom.

After locking the door, she inspected her face in the mirror, carefully undressed, and checked her body thoroughly.

Next, she pulled a soft measuring tape from her bag and measured her hands, legs, waist, and other parts of her body, making sure to record the data.

The reflection in the mirror showed a figure that seemed a little thinner than in winter.

This year, her transformation had been greater than in the past two or three years.

She had noticed it but couldn’t pinpoint the reason. It wasn’t until she heard Wen Yi’s words during their last conversation that she understood why.

Before, she had never bitten a living person, and Tai Sui had been stabilizing her condition, making her look slightly better than other zombies.

After reuniting with Wen Jiuze, she had bitten several people. The virus inside her body had started to multiply and strengthen, disrupting the balance. The medication from Tai Sui and the virus began to clash, gradually consuming her more intensely.

Wen Yi had said she would shrink in the future.

What would she shrink into? Would she turn into a dried-up mushroom?

Xue Ling imagined it while standing under the shower.

Actually, zombies could wash up any way they wanted, but she still took her time. She washed her hair with shampoo, applied conditioner, and carefully cleaned every part of her body with body wash.

She changed into her new uniform, making sure each corner of it was neat. After drying her hair, she tied it up with a hair tie.

Then, she took the tablet Wen Jiuze had gotten for her, snapped a photo of herself as a memento, and didn’t forget to make a peace sign.

After tidying up, she opened the door and looked out. As expected, she saw Wen Jiuze leaning against the doorframe.

His hair was still wet, and he had changed into a military-green uniform, looking almost too handsome. If there was a zombie beauty contest, he’d probably win first place.

As soon as the door opened, he walked in and sat down in the only chair in the room.

“You took too long in the shower. Is something wrong?”

Xue Ling shook her head, sitting in front of Wen Jiuze and poking at the tablet. A voice came from it: “Wen Jiuze, you can’t bite people, understand?”

Wen Jiuze’s first reaction was, “Why do you listen to Wen Yi so much? Do you have to repeat everything she says?”

Xue Ling put on a serious expression. “You promised me you wouldn’t bite anyone.”

“I got it,” Wen Jiuze replied casually. “Don’t worry, I won’t cause trouble in this base.”

Xue Ling responded, “You can’t bite people outside either.”

Wen Jiuze raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like someone who enjoys biting people? Who do you think is the real biter between the two of us?”

Xue Ling frowned. “…I’ve decided to cultivate self-restraint and never bite anyone again.”

Wen Jiuze gave her a thumbs-up.

Xue Ling punched him in response.

Wen Jiuze was confused. “Why are you hitting me again?”

Xue Ling replied, “You were mocking me.”

Wen Jiuze defended himself. “I was encouraging you.”

Xue Ling sighed. “That makes me uncomfortable, so I wanted to hit you.”

Wen Jiuze shrugged. “I don’t mind, but I’m already hard, does it hurt when you punch me?”

Xue Ling punched him three more times, showing by her actions that it didn’t hurt.

Suddenly, Wen Yi’s cold voice echoed from next door. “Lower the volume of the reading aloud function and go downstairs if you want to hit someone. Hit him hard.”

The room had zero soundproofing.