Chapter 84: The Zombie Tide Has Arrived

Chapter 84: The Zombie Tide Has Arrived

In the reception room, in addition to Ming Jing and a few others, there were two unexpected guests—Ji Kaiwen and Ke Luo.

This time, Ji Kaiwen brought bad news—that Ke Luo had also discovered he had "reincarnated" this morning.

This was indeed bad news. With one more person "reincarnating," it meant that the possibility of Jiang Zhendong and the others "reincarnating" increased, and there might even be a chance for everyone to "reawaken."

Cao Kun asked Ke Luo, "When did you die?"

Ke Luo understood what he meant and said, "After the boss. After the boss was crushed by that monster, I couldn't hold on much longer due to severe injuries and kicked the bucket. When I woke up, I was here."

Cao Kun suddenly realized he had missed a question, "Monster?"

"Yes, a three-headed, six-armed monster created through human experimentation by Jiang Zhendong and Zhong Botao. It has no thoughts and its actions are controlled by Jiang Zhendong. It possesses speed comparable to speed abilities and strength comparable to strength abilities, along with dynamic vision and ultrasonic group attack capabilities. It's almost a combination of all genetic evolution abilities. Its terror is comparable to a top-tier level-six zombie!"

Ji Kaiwen shrugged, "At least I, who am also level six, couldn't defeat it."

Originally, according to past events, Jiang Zhendong used infrasound to summon zombies and the "monster" as his trump cards only surfaced after the level-six zombie tide. Lu Yu also added Jiang Zhendong and his group to the blacklist at this time.

Now, Jiang Zhendong was blacklisted earlier by Lu Yu due to illegal human experiments, and the infrasound summoner appeared earlier too. It was uncertain whether the "monster" would also be created earlier.

Everyone fell silent. After a moment, Ming Jing said, "They've been so quiet recently. Could it be that someone else has reincarnated and knows everything that will happen, and the plot has changed?"

Ming Jing's words resonated with everyone. They all felt that if someone on Jiang Zhendong's side had "reincarnated," he would use the opportunity of the level-six zombie tide to attack them, or even the safety zone in Lu Yu.

Cao Kun asked, "Is it possible that Jiang Zhendong died before Ke Luo?"

Ji Kaiwen and Ke Luo both said, "No."

Ke Luo continued, "That bastard Jiang Zhendong released the monster and ran away. He had a wind ability user protecting him, so there was no way he could die before me."

Shenchi asked, "Is there a water ability user around him?"

Ji Kaiwen replied, "No."

Cao Kun crossed his arms, "Then Shen Tian is likely to have reincarnated."

Gu Yibei asked, "Assuming he reincarnated, what would he do?"

Cao Kun said, "It depends on how he died."

Shenchi recalled Jiang Zhendong's gaze towards Shen Tian in the past and said, "His death must be related to Jiang Zhendong."

Xia Yi asked, "Is there a possibility they might turn against each other?"

Shenchi shook his head, "The possibility is very small. Shen Tian understands the situation well; openly betraying now would only lead to death. Jiang Zhendong is already suspicious and wouldn't give him the chance. Unless... he knows staying with Jiang Zhendong means certain death."

Based on these speculations, Shenchi and the others began discussing the level-six zombie tide that would occur in half a month.

Currently, among the seven people present, Shenchi, Cao Kun, Gu Yibei, and Ji Kaiwen had reached level five, while Xia Yi, Ming Jing, and Ke Luo had reached level four. But they alone couldn't handle level-six zombies.

So, how could they avoid more casualties from the level-six zombie tide and weaken Jiang Zhendong's power? Timing was key.

After two hours of discussion, when Ji Kaiwen and Ke Luo left, Ming Jing asked Shenchi, "Brother Shen, is Ping An's space situation as expected?"

Shenchi explained Ping An's spatial situation and its protective mechanism.

Xia Yi said, "Spatial abilities are too special. According to Shenchi, each upgrade evolves different functions. We can speculate on what new functions might appear at level six, which can help Shenchi prioritize which ability to upgrade."

Xia Yi listed out the functions that appeared after each level of Shenchi's upgrades.

Ming Jing looked at it and said, "Each function appears based on human needs. Following this logic, the next function should be allowing living beings to enter... making Brother Shen's space a mobile fortress!"

Gu Yibei was puzzled, "But why would there suddenly be a Spirit Spring? Because of life and death?"

Shenchi said, "No, currently, my state remains unchanged when entering and leaving the space. If it's about life and death, it should evolve a 'time' function first."

Cao Kun said, "What if we don't consider the Spirit Spring as a healing source but just water?"

"This makes sense. Assuming the space evolves planting and breeding functions, it would need water and time to grow, so time is essential too."

Xia Yi wrote down the key points on the notebook and ranked them: space, soil, oxygen, entry permission, water, time, allowing life forms to enter, planting and breeding.

Ming Jing stared at the words for a while and suddenly said, "Brother Xia, cross out 'space,' add 'gravity' after 'soil,' and cross out 'planting and breeding,' adding 'life and death' and 'cycle.'"

Xia Yi followed the instructions. The revised list read: soil, gravity, oxygen, entry permission, water, time, allowing life forms to enter, life and death, cycle.

Gu Yibei pondered, "Isn't this a whole new world?"

Everyone looked at the slightly modified list, unable to hide their shock.

Only Ming Jing seemed thoughtful.

Time flew like an arrow. By early August, the north once again faced severe cold, but this time, the safety zone in Lu Yu was well-prepared.

Spring and winter transitioned smoothly, covering the world in snow, and fewer pedestrians were seen on the streets.

During this period, Gu Yibei kept sending people to monitor the safety zone's activities, but until two days ago, they still hadn't found the fourth reincarnated person or anyone acting abnormally. Hongshan Base remained quiet too.

Perhaps, the reincarnated individuals were only Shenchi, Ji Kaiwen, and Ke Luo.

Their views aligned—neither risking telling others about Shenchi's reincarnation nor watching helplessly as compatriots died. So two days ago, Xia Yi had used Ming Jing's special ability—the sixth sense—to warn the higher-ups about potential dangers in the coming days.

This wasn't baseless. After all, coastal areas had turned into seas, with few survivors, and zombies were migrating inland. With the current seasonal change, a massive zombie tide was possible.

Especially with the flooding caused by the melting Arctic this summer, communication equipment repairs lagged behind, making it difficult for smaller safety bases to survive if a large-scale zombie tide occurred or higher-level zombies appeared.

Finally, the higher-ups acknowledged Ming Jing's warning.

Hearing this news, Shenchi heaved a sigh of relief. When he realized his own mindset, he was startled. He had always thought that these people were destined to die sooner or later. If they couldn't live beautifully until the end, it might as well be better to die early and be free.

However, at some point, his thoughts had quietly changed.

Struggling to survive was also a form of beauty.

On the last day before the sixth wave of zombie attacks, Shenchi sat on his balcony, wearing thick cotton clothes. The balcony was lined with newly planted Chinese cabbage. Xiao Yu stood behind Shenchi, holding a comb and gently brushing his hair.

Cao Kun had been watching for quite some time.

Shenchi had gone from being moved to feeling drowsy.

Shenchi was very sensitive to the cold; in winter, he wore high-necked clothing. He unfolded the collar and buried half his face in it.

Seeing Shenchi occasionally close his eyes, nodding off like a chicken pecking rice, Cao Kun handed the black wristband on his wrist to Xiao Yu. "It's already very smooth. Tie it up."

Xiao Yu glanced at him, gathered the hair together, and then used the wristband given by Cao Kun to tie up Shenchi's hair.

She then circled around to the front, squatted down, and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Shenchi's ear, saying earnestly, "Baby looks beautiful with long hair."

Cao Kun looked at Shenchi, who had combed all his bangs back, revealing his entire face, and smiled. "I also think long hair is beautiful."

Shenchi glared at Cao Kun. He pulled Xiao Yu closer and tidied up the loose strands of her hair. "Xiao Yu is also beautiful."

Xiao Yu became happy, touched the hair clip, and started twirling around.

Since she was rescued, Xiao Yu had been living here. Every morning, the first thing she did was look for Pingan and Shenchi, calling them "baby" incessantly.

Oddly enough, whenever Pingan was around, she only recognized Pingan as her baby. Without Pingan, she only recognized Shenchi, showing no reaction to anyone else.

In recent days, she had been taking water from the Spirit Spring daily, and her mental state had noticeably improved. Occasionally, she would praise others, though mostly Shenchi and Pingan. This indicated that she was beginning to express her own opinions.

Although there was still a long way to go before she regained full consciousness, there was at least hope.

Shenchi wanted to check if Pingan had woken up, but after a few steps, Cao Kun grabbed his hand.

Cao Kun squeezed his palm. "I knew your hands would be cold. You're always like this in winter. If you're cold, come to me."

Shenchi withdrew his hand. "Stop joking, Pingan must have woken up."

Cao Kun grabbed Shenchi's hand again. "I'm not joking. Is it appropriate to hug Pingan with such cold hands?"

Before Shenchi could say anything, Cao Kun lifted his shirt and stuffed Shenchi's hands into his belly, making him shiver immediately.

Shenchi's hands were enveloped in warmth, which felt very comfortable, but he didn't show it, just looking at Cao Kun coldly.

Cao Kun grinned. "Warm, right?"

At night, after Xiao Yu left, Shenchi placed the sleeping Pingan, still clutching a milk bottle, in the crib. After successfully swapping the bottle for a pacifier, he went to the bathroom to wash the bottle and air it out, and took a shower.

After the shower, Shenchi removed the wristband. His hair had grown to his shoulders. He reached up to touch it, looking at himself in the mirror. Although he used to detest this androgynous appearance, now he changed it because of someone else's preferences.

Twirling a strand of hair, Shenchi pondered the answer when the bedroom door was gently knocked on.

Shenchi opened the door. "What is it?"

Cao Kun pointed inside. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

Shenchi stepped aside.

Cao Kun, dressed lightly, entered and exaggeratedly rubbed his arms, mumbling, "Wow, it's so cold in here. Aren't you cold?"

Shenchi was wearing a cotton pajama set. Since he had just taken a shower, the heat hadn't dissipated yet, and he hadn't felt the cold.

He put on a coat. "Why are you here?"

"I do have something," Cao Kun said. "I want to sleep with you."

Shenchi's heart tightened.

Cao Kun watched his face turn red and laughed. "What are you thinking about, Dad?"

Shenchi grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "Get lost."

"Not going." Cao Kun held the pillow and lifted the blanket, lying down. "The heater broke, I'm afraid my daughter will freeze. I came to warm her up. You can't deprive me of my right to love my daughter!"

Shenchi: "Then love her, I'll sleep in the guest room."

"No way... Hey, you're really going?"

Cao Kun threatened, "I'm telling you, if you leave and the baby cries in the middle of the night, I won't take care of her."

Shenchi closed the door and left.

Cao Kun: "Tsk, really uncooperative."

Cao Kun quickly followed, grabbed Shenchi's hand, and, catching him off guard, lifted him over his shoulder.

Shenchi had never been treated like this before and was momentarily stunned. Once he reacted, he began kicking and punching.

"Cao Kun, are you crazy?! Let me go!"

Cao Kun lightly patted Shenchi's bottom. "Be good. Don't make too much noise, or we'll attract Ming Jing. How would we explain this?"

As soon as Cao Kun finished speaking, Ming Jing's laughter echoed from the bedroom. "Don't @ me, I know nothing! I'm asleep!"

Shenchi: "..."

Cao Kun: "... Haha, Ming Jing is too cute."

Cao Kun threw Shenchi onto the bed. Due to his posture earlier, Shenchi's shirt had ridden up, exposing a large portion of his waist and abdomen—pale, slender, and with well-defined abs, not at all like someone who had given birth.

Cao Kun's hand roamed unscrupulously over Shenchi's waist, even pinching it.

Shenchi curled up like a shrimp ball instantly. "Trying to die, huh?"

Cao Kun was completely unfazed by his threat. He knelt on the bed, approaching Shenchi. "I just found out that you're so ticklish, huh?"

Cao Kun usually came across as quite aggressive, and now, with Shenchi lying there with disheveled hair, being looked down upon from above made him seem even more threatening.

Cao Kun grabbed Shenchi's kicking foot and tickled the sole with his claw-like hands.

Shenchi: "Hahahaha!"

Shenchi suddenly stopped laughing. "…"

Cao Kun: "Hehe…"

The two wrestled and tickled each other on the bed, Cao Kun discovering for the first time how many ticklish spots Shenchi had. The laughter wouldn't stop, and they struggled to maintain their composure.

"Da-da~"

The two immediately froze.

In the crib, Shen Pingan smiled and smacked his lips.

Shenchi pushed Cao Kun away, pulled his clothes back in place, and then drew the blanket over himself, turning his back to Cao Kun, clearly not wanting to continue this childish game.

Cao Kun glanced at the quiet crib, sighed helplessly, and covered himself with the blanket.

After the change of seasons, the temperature fluctuated rapidly, causing several air conditioners in the villa to break down. There were no air conditioners in Shenchi's space either. He had bought everything he could think of, but forgot about the air conditioners.

Fortunately, despite the severe wear and tear, the safety zone still had production lines, though output was limited, mostly relying on existing stock.

Looking at Shenchi sleeping beside him, Cao Kun said, "Let's buy new air conditioners when we get back."

Shenchi softly acknowledged with a hum.

With Cao Kun's presence, the room became warm. Shenchi hadn't lain down long before drowsiness overcame him, and he soon fell asleep.

Cao Kun listened to Shenchi's steady breathing, lifted a strand of hair from the pillow, and inhaled Shenchi's familiar scent before closing his eyes.

The next day, Shenchi handed Pingan and Xiao Yu over to Xia Yi. They boarded a helicopter and headed straight for Hongshan Base.

Today's snow fell slowly, and the rolling hills lay quietly beneath them. They landed on a high-rise building a thousand miles from Hongshan Base.

In the previous life, today, the zombie horde would pass through Chuanshan Base and Abolei Safety Zone, arriving at Hongshan Base thirteen hours later.

But this time, thanks to sending wind and speed ability users ahead to relay messages, any base unable to resist the horde would evacuate early. As a result, the horde might reach Hongshan Base in less than five hours.

Once the horde arrived here, they would also notify Luye City Safety Zone for support.

However, none of them expected the horde to reach Hongshan Base in just five hours!

First, a dark wave appeared, gradually thickening like someone was outlining it with a marker. Dust billowed as if following the strokes, sweeping across the land.

The ground shook, the mountains swayed, and birds cried out in alarm.

Shenchi gazed into the endless distance, an incredulous thought crossing his mind. He turned to Ke Luo.

Ke Luo was stunned. "Over three million… already…"

"Jiang Zhendong is quite something," Gu Yibei said coldly. "He wants to drag the entire Hongshan Base down with him."

Cao Kun stood up. "He certainly made a lot of noise, but let's see if he can last."

Cao Kun extended his fist.

Gu Yibei smiled and bumped fists with him.

Cao Kun looked at the others.

Shenchi zipped up his jacket to the top, stepped forward, and raised his fist.

Ji Kaiwen, Ke Luo, and speed ability user Jiang Mian also grinned and joined in, each raising a fist.

The six formed a circle.

Cao Kun: "See you."

Bright fireworks exploded in the sky, and people in Luye City immediately reported it to the authorities.

Xia Yi watched the red signal flare, indicating extreme danger, slowly disappear in the sky, his heart pounding with uncontrollable anxiety.