Chapter 40

The fish caught from ice fishing were hung up on the rooftop by Zhou Yun and Guan Yuanfeng, where they froze, greatly enriching their diet.

Some of the ordinary fish were carefully coated with sea salt by Zhou Yun, then dried in the cold wind every day, transforming into a uniquely flavored dried fish. The fish meat turned a charming translucent color and was delicious when steamed with vegetables or used in soups.

Afterward, Zhou Yun often immersed himself in the laboratory and nursery, focused on artificially cultivating red mushrooms and continuously developing mutated medicines. He extracted useful alkaloids and worked on the unfinished projects from his previous life, keeping detailed records.

In the dome greenhouse, over the course of several months, Zhou Yun used mutated cacti and other mutated plants, persistently applying his cultivation techniques. As a result, he produced a large quantity of mutated medicines and even began ensuring that the fresh vegetables they ate daily were mutated varieties.

Meanwhile, Guan Yuanfeng continued to take Comet with him to various parts of Danlin City to fight zombies and transport supplies. Every day, he would return and proudly display his spoils to Zhou Yun.

He traveled quite far but always made sure to return home before six o’clock and had never encountered any survivors. The nearest survival base was Bei Ming City, over a hundred kilometers away, separated by rivers and mountains. With the heavy snow and zombies, they hadn’t encountered any survivors.

Without realizing it, Guan Yuanfeng was nearing the fourth tier of abilities. His lightning bow and arrow skills were already flawless, able to strike accurately and summon lightning chains that could instantly kill seven or eight ordinary zombies at once. The whirlwind with lightning made his strikes even more impressive.

Zhou Yun witnessed Guan Yuanfeng unleashing a hurricane on the ice surface of the reservoir. The snow and ice on the trees in the entire mountain forest were blown away by the strong winds he created, and the bare branches swayed and broke, as if ravaged by a storm.

This was already the effect of a fourth-tier ability, but Guan Yuanfeng’s ability core had not yet reached the fourth tier. Zhou Yun marveled at his progress, knowing that, theoretically, Guan Yuanfeng’s advancement should be slower than most, but he was invincible at the same level and could challenge higher tiers, often with a one-to-one exchange due to his wider meridians.

For example, Zhou Yun himself had reached the fourth tier after receiving the wood-type crystal core from the zombie king that Guan Yuanfeng had brought back, but after that, his progress slowed down significantly. He had reached the peak of the third tier when performing grafting for Guan Yuanfeng, and now Guan Yuanfeng had reached the third-tier peak while Zhou Yun still lingered in the early stages of the fourth tier, struggling to advance.

Guan Yuanfeng was incredibly diligent, constantly absorbing crystal cores, battling, and refining his body and spirit.

Comet had also reached the third-tier peak, no longer just using fireball skills but now able to unleash a fire dragon. Its speed had increased so much that, at times, Zhou Yun could barely see it, as zombies were unable to catch up with it.

Zhou Yun believed that with Guan Yuanfeng and Comet, they were practically invincible in the world.

However, the man and the dog spent every day fighting zombies, directly challenging zombie hordes and bringing back large amounts of zombie crystal cores, which they casually washed and stored in barrels.

In this long winter, spring finally arrived in April of the following year with thunderclaps.

As the temperature gradually warmed, everything began to revive. The mutated plants Zhou Yun had planted the previous year on Yuexi No. 3 finally began to thrive after enduring a harsh winter. They were now getting some sunlight and rain, growing rapidly.

Guan Yuanfeng did not know that this was the result of Zhou Yun tirelessly providing energy to the mutated plants throughout the winter. To him, it seemed like the flowers on Yuexi No. 3 had bloomed overnight.

The sweet osmanthus seemed to have been infused with new vitality, its branches and leaves lush and vibrant, and the fragrance of its flowers filled the air. Its emerald-green leaves gleamed in the sunlight, and its clusters of white flowers, heavy with life, bloomed intensely, their strong fragrance wafting through the entire yard.

The trumpet vine was also flourishing, climbing and spreading wildly with the help of the spring sunshine and rain. It bloomed with orange-red flowers, gently swaying in the spring breeze, curiously exploring the surrounding world. Before long, the vine had covered the entire wall, its colors dazzling and vibrant.

What caught more attention, however, was the mutated camellia that had been transplanted from the mountain. As spring arrived, its deep green, waxy leaves were adorned with bowl-sized flowers. Each petal seemed to have been carefully cut from satin, shiny and beautiful, blooming fervently. From the villa window, the sight of the flowers and trees looked like a magnificent spring painting.

The “measuring heaven ruler” plant also showed incredible growth. In just a few days, it had grown like countless small green dragons, winding up and tightly coiling around the iron railing. Its dense, emerald-green leaves seemed to dress the rusty railing in a new green coat, rejuvenating the once worn-out rail and infusing it with the breath of spring.

At Moon Creek No. 3, it wasn’t just the flowers and plants that were thriving. The bees, having hibernated throughout the winter, awoke from their slumber. After a winter of diligent feeding with honey from Zhou Yun, the bees had grown plump, each one noticeably larger than ordinary bees.

They swarmed out of their hives, flying in all directions to collect nectar. Their transparent wings shimmered with a golden glow in the sunlight, brimming with the energy of spring.

The flowers Zhou Yun had transplanted from the nursery last year were mostly planted by the lake. The apricot and peach trees had bloomed, their pink and white flowers wafting like smoke and mist, providing a rich nectar source for the bees.

The entire neighborhood was filled with the busy figures of the mutated bees, buzzing joyfully as they darted through the flowers, collecting pollen and nectar to bring back to the hives and make sweet honey.

They were so large, however, that every time Guan Yuanfeng saw them land on the petals and extend their long proboscis to skillfully suck the nectar, it sent a chill down his spine.

But Zhou Yun was thrilled, his eyes shining with excitement, “Mutated royal jelly is a great thing. If combined with mutated ginseng… and beeswax… we should divide the hives.”

Even Comet, seeing the bees, would consciously avoid them. Despite their wings and stingers, they were Zhou Yun’s precious bees, and Comet didn’t dare to provoke them.

When the spring thunder rumbled and the snow melted, Zhou Yun couldn’t wait to begin digging the soil in the neighborhood to plant the mutated seeds he had collected all winter.

Throughout the harsh winter, many plants in the neighborhood had died. Zhou Yun spent several days walking by the lake, finally deciding on a planting plan for each plot of land.

Guan Yuanfeng went out specifically to bring back a digger and plowed the land again. Under Zhou Yun’s guidance, they planted corn, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, glutinous rice, soybeans, and many other crops.

The two of them worked for two weeks to plant all the necessary crops. They also made a special trip to the farming supply street and loaded a car with useful farming equipment, seeds, and tools, installing an automatic sprinkler system next to the fields.

Zhou Yun began transplanting the mutated trees he had cultivated on the rooftop greenhouse to the neighborhood, choosing the most suitable spots for each tree based on their habits.

Now, they had a mutated mulberry tree, a mutated sandalwood tree, and a mutated yew tree. Among them, the yew tree was Zhou Yun’s greatest focus. Every day, he carefully infused it with his powers, measuring its growth, eagerly waiting for it to grow taller.

The mutated mulberry tree he transplanted from the mountain, after a bit of Zhou Yun’s nurturing, sprouted fresh, green branches and leaves, perfect for silkworm cultivation.

Zhou Yun immediately began his silkworm project, starting by hatching silkworm eggs in the rooftop greenhouse.

Moon Creek No. 3 had one room set aside as the silkworm room, where Zhou Yun carefully raised the hatched silkworms with mutated mulberry leaves, washing and drying the leaves every day to feed the silkworms.

For a time, Zhou Yun was so focused on the silkworms that he neglected the poultry and livestock upstairs. Fortunately, Guan Yuanfeng took care of them. After a winter, the two of them, along with Comet, had eaten most of the free-range chickens they had brought from the nursery, leaving only a few hens that were still laying eggs.

Now that the weather had warmed up, and the zombies in the neighborhood had been cleared out, the area was relatively safe, being on the mountainside.

Guan Yuanfeng decided to move the larger animals like geese, rabbits, and sheep to a newly enclosed grass area next to Moon Creek No. 3. He built a large livestock pen and allowed the chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, and rabbits to roam freely on the grass.

There was also a large ornamental banyan tree on the grass, and in the spring, its shade swayed in the breeze. The livestock and poultry enjoyed wandering beneath it.

This new area clearly delighted Comet, who joyfully watched the animals every day. The animals, already familiar with the large dog, were no longer afraid of it, and even the geese dared to fight for food with Comet.

Zhou Yun continued to plant more mutated “measuring heaven ruler” plants around the area. In the spring, they grew quickly, and in just a few days, they shot up significantly, their new spines fuzzy and prickly.

Guan Yuanfeng found it amusing to see Zhou Yun busy every day, though he was happy. He took Comet to the mountain forests near the reservoir and the surrounding neighborhoods, following Zhou Yun’s guidance on identifying mutated plants, hoping to find any that had survived the harsh winter, and if possible, catch some mutated animals for food.

After the snow melted, his morning runs switched from the treadmill to off-road running with Comet, checking the neighborhood’s mountain for any remaining zombies or mutated animals.

One morning, before dawn, Guan Yuanfeng went for a run with Comet, and upon returning, brought with him a giant bamboo rat. It had been cooked, with its tender inside and crispy outside, but its muscular body was still impressive.

Zhou Yun was quite surprised: “Where did this bamboo rat come from?” He examined it and said, “It looks mutated? It’s even bigger than a cat…”

Guan Yuanfeng replied, “Yes, I saw it running in the bamboo forest behind the mountain. At first, I thought it was a wild cat, but then I realized it was a bamboo rat.”

Zhou Yun smiled, “Not bad, bamboo rat tastes quite good.”

He set the hoe on the nearby railing, reached out to take the bamboo rat, looked at it carefully, and asked with a smile, “How do you plan to cook it? Red-braised?”

“Anything,” Guan Yuanfeng replied, noticing Zhou Yun was wearing gloves and a straw hat. He asked, “What are you planting so early in the morning?”

Zhou Yun said, “I’ve been raising mutated earthworms all winter, and I’ve put them in your garden.”

Guan Yuanfeng looked down at the moist soil that had just been turned over but couldn’t see anything. Just as he was about to say something about breakfast, he suddenly furrowed his brow, quickly looked up, and with a wave of his hand, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky.

Zhou Yun didn’t react in time and looked up in surprise, just in time to see a silver drone being struck down by lightning not far away.

He was stunned for a moment, but Comet quickly ran over and fetched the drone, flying it back.

Guan Yuanfeng glanced at it and said, “CH8018 drone, compact and lightweight, mostly used for reconnaissance, usually carried on helicopters.”

He thought for a moment, then said, “You go inside the house, don’t come out.” He ordered Comet, “Stay with the doctor, protect the doctor.” Comet barked in acknowledgment.

Zhou Yun saw his serious expression and didn’t object, obediently picking up the bamboo rat. “Alright. I’ll be in the kitchen, call me if you need anything.” Recently, they had mostly been working in the community, and the villa had also set up a kitchen and rooms to make it easier to cook or rest after working outside.

Guan Yuanfeng nodded, watching him and Comet head back to the house. He soon heard the familiar hum of a helicopter rotor above, the sound of a helicopter’s spinning blades.

—–

In the blue sky, a military-green armed helicopter appeared, circling like a giant metal bird. The early spring sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, shining on the body of the helicopter, giving it a dazzling glow.

“Silver Dove-90” helicopter, Guan Yuanfeng quickly recognized the model. It was a four-rotor, dual-engine general-purpose helicopter with excellent stability and flight performance, commonly used for transportation, rescue, and special operations. It could carry 11 fully-armed soldiers and crew.

His expression became serious as he watched the helicopter slowly get closer. He clenched his palm, summoning lightning power.

The side door of the helicopter suddenly opened, and a man leaned out, holding up a flag that flapped in the wind. He used the flag to signal and shouted with a loudspeaker, “Captain! We’re here!”

Guan Yuanfeng looked up at them, his brows relaxed, though his demeanor remained serious. He reached out and gestured for them to land at a spot on the small community square nearby.

Zhou Yun, in the kitchen, noticed the guarded expression on Guan Yuanfeng’s face had softened, replaced by a hint of excitement.

Guan Yuanfeng walked toward the square. It was a flat area, free of obstacles like wires, trees, or buildings, ideal for landing.

When he reached the edge of the square, he extended his arms horizontally, palms down, signaling the helicopter to descend. Then, he made a motion with his arms crossed beneath his body, signaling the landing.

The helicopter slowly descended, and Zhou Yun stood by the door, watching a few young men in military green combat suits, all with crew cuts, step off the helicopter. They immediately saluted Guan Yuanfeng. After he returned the salute, they stood still, wiping their tears, visibly emotional.

Guan Yuanfeng’s teammates had finally arrived.

Although they were a winter late.

Zhou Yun silently watched for a while, noticing that Guan Yuanfeng turned and glanced in his direction before giving a brief instruction and walking toward him.

Zhou Yun had just skinned the bamboo rat, taking out a wood-type crystal core, placing it aside, and cutting the rat into pieces. He smiled as he looked at Guan Yuanfeng, “Your teammates, right? Should I cook some more rice? How many teammates are there?”

Guan Yuanfeng replied, “Seven. Just make a simple hotpot, I’ll have them help out. They might stay for a few days, and their appetites are probably big. Sorry to trouble you.”

Zhou Yun looked at him and smiled, “No trouble at all, guests are always welcome.”

For some reason, Guan Yuanfeng felt there was something more to his smile, his heart skipped a beat. But just then, a voice came from outside the yard: “Report! Captain? Is this the place?”

Guan Yuanfeng quickly said, “Let me introduce you.” He headed out, and Zhou Yun tossed the bamboo rat into a pressure cooker, added some water, and turned on the fire. He washed his hands and went out to greet them.

The young soldiers entered the yard and were immediately stunned by the flowers everywhere. “Captain, this villa is something else! These flowers are amazing! Did you plant them?”

Guan Yuanfeng cleared his throat, and his team immediately fell silent, looking over at him. He introduced Zhou Yun: “This is Dr. Zhou.”

The soldiers immediately stood at attention and shouted in unison, “Hello, Dr. Zhou!” Their voices were loud, unified, and their smiles were bright. They all had steady gazes and upright postures, clearly well-trained.

Zhou Yun couldn’t help but smile back, “Hello everyone, I’m Zhou Yun, Zhou from ‘Zhou Dao’ and Yun from ‘Geng Yun.'”

Guan Yuanfeng introduced his teammates, “This is Vice Captain Jiang Rongqian.”

Jiang Rongqian was of medium height, with slightly dark skin and a gentle smile. He stepped forward and shook Zhou Yun’s hand: “Hello, Dr. Zhou, I’m the communications officer, Jiang Rongqian, ‘Rong’ from ‘Rongmao’ and ‘Qian’ from ‘Qianxu.’ I’ve been following Captain Guan for many years.”

Zhou Yun smiled and shook his hand, “Communications officer? So the drone earlier was your responsibility?”

Jiang Rongqian laughed: “We were planning to find a flat spot to land and scout the area for zombies, but then we saw Captain Guan…”

The team behind him started chatting excitedly: “We saw the Captain standing on the screen, and we couldn’t believe it. Just as we were getting closer, bam! We saw the Captain look up, raise his hand, and the screen went black! The drone was gone!”

“Captain actually has superpowers now!”

“Lightning powers, that’s so cool!”

“The captain is still as sharp as ever!”

“There’s only one lightning-powered person in our base, and they’re from Team 2, hehe. They always acted so high and mighty, but now look at this.”

Zhou Yun was amused by their teasing. He glanced at Guan Yuanfeng, who was also watching his soldiers, his eyes scanning each face as if confirming their growth and changes.

But he was still keen enough to catch Zhou Yun’s gaze. He coughed lightly, and everyone fell silent again. Jiang Rongqian spoke up, “No need for the captain to introduce us, let’s do it ourselves. Kexin, you go first.”

A slender soldier stepped forward, her voice clear and bright, her eyes sparkling: “Demolition expert, Dong Kexin.” She was a female soldier with short hair almost shaved to her scalp, wearing oversized combat gear. At first glance, it was hard to tell she was a woman, but upon closer inspection, her delicate features and some mixed-race traits became evident.

Next, a tall, slim soldier stood up for his introduction: “Wu Jun, sniper.” He had long arms, slanted eyes that were still bright, and a quiet demeanor.

“Driver, Zhang Qi!” Zhang Qi was a helicopter pilot, tall, handsome, and energetic, with an approachable smile. “I’m also the sniper’s assistant.”

“Liao Jinsheng, scout!” Liao Jinsheng appeared very young, probably in his early twenties, with round eyes that were always alert and lively. He couldn’t sit still, his gaze often wandering, and he seemed particularly interested in the large dog, Comet, following Guan Yuanfeng, occasionally trying to tease it.

“Tang Ancheng, assault specialist.” Tang Ancheng gave a hearty handshake with a naive smile. Zhou Yun affectionately responded, “I thought Captain Guan was tall enough, but you’re even taller. What a strong physique.”

Tang Ancheng chuckled sheepishly. He was a giant, standing two meters tall with a strong build. He had earth-based powers, but his mental faculties were a bit slow due to a childhood fever. Zhou Yuanfeng had mentioned that he was the only one who helped carry him when they went to the base in the past, especially through tough terrain.

After Guan Yuanfeng passed away, Zhou Yun later learned what had happened, and later still heard that the giant had also sacrificed himself — in the apocalypse, too many people died, and they were just names on a list.

Zhou Yun looked at him, a bit moved, and his gaze landed on the last young man, who was different from the others. He was the only one not wearing combat gear, sporting a neatly tailored woolen coat, his handsome face exuding a scholarly, refined air.

Guan Yuanfeng introduced, “Su Jianing… He’s also a medical student… You should have common topics to discuss.”

Su Jianing stepped forward and shook hands with Zhou Yun. “Hello, Dr. Zhou. What department are you from? Which university did you graduate from? Maybe we’re alumni. Who was your supervisor? Maybe I know them. After the apocalypse, all medical experts were gathered at the Zhongzhou Base.”

Zhou Yun smiled. “It wasn’t a particularly famous university, and my supervisor wasn’t well-known either; he passed away a long time ago. I studied traditional medicine. It wasn’t easy to find a job, so I returned home and worked in a hospital. Nothing impressive.”

Su Jianing said, “You must have taken good care of Brother Guan’s leg, right? It’s the first case of a limb being regrown after awakening a power. I was shocked when I saw it today. I wonder if Dr. Zhou has kept any records. When we get back to Zhongzhou, the experts there will definitely be interested in this data.”

Zhou Yun smiled, “I’m not sure when Captain Guan’s powers awakened. One day, he suddenly started using lightning powers, and then his health recovered, and he could walk. I didn’t keep any data.”

He exchanged a brief, calm glance with Guan Yuanfeng, who was looking at him from the side. They continued talking to Su Jianing. “Aren’t all lightning-powered people supposed to have strong healing abilities?”

Su Jianing believed it. “Of course not! Although most powers enhance physical fitness and offer some healing abilities, they can’t regrow a limb. I was lucky to awaken light-based powers, with some healing capabilities, but I can only heal external wounds and stop bleeding… Brother Guan… this is truly a miracle. The experts at the base will definitely want to see your data.”

Su Jianing looked at Guan Yuanfeng with excitement. “I heard from General Tan that you didn’t have a fever, so it was assumed you hadn’t awakened any powers. But you surprised us all!”

His eyes suddenly turned red. “I’ve always felt guilty, continuously improving my healing powers, thinking I’d get here to help you. But then, in winter, the base was constantly attacked by zombie waves, and we couldn’t get to you… Captain, how did you awaken your powers?”

Guan Yuanfeng’s gaze tightened, his brow furrowing. He didn’t answer but said, “Let’s go inside.”

The team members entered the spotless house and sat on the soft leather sofas. They looked around at the luxurious decor, complimenting, “We thought you were living in dire conditions, but you’ve got this big villa. You’re living comfortably!”

Jiang Rongqian said, “It’s true, Captain. We were worried you might be running low on food, so we brought some, but your place is much better than we imagined.” He took the water cup Zhou Yun handed him and smiled. “Thank you, Dr. Zhou.”

Guan Yuanfeng glanced at Zhou Yun. “Don’t treat them like guests. They can help themselves. You don’t need to be busy. Sit down.”

As soon as his words fell, several of the young men jumped up, “I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

Zhou Yun laughed, “Then someone come and help me cut some fruit.”

Tang Ancheng stood up eagerly. “I’ll do it.”

Zhou Yun got up and went inside, with Comet following happily behind him, wagging its tail. Tang Ancheng followed them to the kitchen. In the living room, they heard Zhou Yun quietly asking Tang Ancheng something. Then they heard Tang Ancheng’s loud voice laughing, “No! No taboo! We eat anything! Really, hot pot? Meat is in limited supply now!”

“Rabbit meat? We can eat that!”

Tang Ancheng’s voice rose again, “If you don’t eat spicy, we can do chicken soup hot pot! We’re good with that!”

The young guys all looked excitedly at Guan Yuanfeng: “Captain! Is there really hotpot?”

Guan Yuanfeng: “…”