Chapter 121

Chapter 121

After Chu Ya entered the canteen with the Black Wolf, he found the kitchen in disarray. However, from the traces of rummaging and the wide-open food cabinets, it was clear that what had entered wasn't a zombie. It seemed that at the first sign of zombies, someone had thought to stockpile food and quietly entered the canteen to take all the ingredients.

He searched the entire kitchen but found nothing; even the bottles on the spice rack had been plundered. However, there were plenty of stainless steel spatulas left.

Fortunately, as he was about to leave the canteen hall, he noticed a half-deflated jute bag partially hidden behind some tables and chairs. The Black Wolf dragged the bag out, revealing that it still contained over a dozen sweet potatoes, enough to get them through the day.

Shen Juanjuan and the Teddy Bear were still dealing with the group of zombies.

"Chu Baolong, this one was trying to get in, but I tied it up so you could kill it. This one should count for me too."

"Awooo!"

Shen Juanjuan, somewhat unhappy, said, "Then I won't help you anymore."

The Teddy Bear remained silent.

"I killed four more, and you also killed four more."

This time, the Teddy Bear did not object.

When there were about ten zombies left below, the Teddy Bear seemed ready to jump into the crowd but hesitated upon seeing their mangled faces, black tongues, and gums. He retracted his foot just as it was about to step out.

"I'll kill two, you move aside, then I'll kill two more." After killing several zombies, Shen Juanjuan's courage grew. He leaned out the window and shouted, "Thick-skinned ones, wait for me to finish you off!" Then he coaxed the Teddy Bear, "Look, my weapon fell down. Can I borrow your arm? Just for a moment? If you lend me your arm, I'll let you play with all my treasures."

"Awooo!" The Teddy Bear turned away, unwilling.

"There's a Mutant climbing up. I'll tie it up, and if you lend me your hand, we can kill it together, okay?"

This time, the Teddy Bear nodded.

When the Black Wolf and Chu Ya heard the commotion and rushed over, they saw Shen Juanjuan and the Teddy Bear standing by the window, with a pile of dead zombies lying below, and six or seven more zombies stacking themselves to climb the wall.

Seeing a zombie's head appear outside the window, Chu Ya was about to release his mental energy when the zombie suddenly froze. Shen Juanjuan, holding the Teddy Bear's paw, raised their arms together and brought them down, the claws piercing the zombie's skull.

"We killed another one!" Shen Juanjuan laughed, leaning out the window to taunt the zombies below, "Come on, come and catch me! Ow, ow, it hurts so much, ah! I'm dying!" Then he pulled back his hand, "You can't catch me, I was just kidding, hahaha..."

Chu Ya's heart almost leaped out of his throat as he quickly dispatched the remaining zombies. Only then did Shen Juanjuan notice him and the Black Wolf, jumping up excitedly.

"Shen Miaomiao, did you see me kill those Mutants? These are the ones I killed, I just protected them!"

"Awoooo!"

"I killed them with Chu Baolong."

Chu Ya hurriedly said, "You two go inside, I'll be right up."

Chu Ya led the Black Wolf into the Bitao Building, closing the door behind them. Shen Juanjuan and the Teddy Bear had already run down the stairs.

The Teddy Bear eagerly extended its paw, and Chu Ya understood, handing it a handkerchief. Shen Juanjuan hugged his waist, his face flushed with excitement, "We were upstairs and saw these thick-skinned ones trying to climb the windows, so we came down immediately. I scolded them, tied them up, and used my weapon—oh, my weapon fell outside."

Chu Ya held back Shen Juanjuan, who was about to run out, and took out two spatulas from the Black Wolf's backpack, "Here are your weapons, one for each of you."

"Roar!"

"Yours is still in the bag, you can get it later," Chu Ya said to the Black Wolf.

Chu Ya led Shen Juanjuan upstairs, where he continued to recount the events, accompanied by various gestures and expressions. Chu Ya listened with a racing heart, saying, "Next time something like this happens, stay in the room and wait for me to deal with them."

"But Chu Baolong and I can kill them," Shen Juanjuan said.

"Awoo," the Teddy Bear, still wiping its paw, echoed.

Chu Ya sternly explained the dangers of zombies, including the risk of mutation from bites, but the child, having just killed so many zombies, didn't seem to take it seriously, looking excited no matter what he heard.

Worried that Shen Juanjuan wouldn't take it seriously, Chu Ya lowered his eyes sadly, "I know you can kill them and protect yourselves from being bitten, but I want to fight too, to fight with you. If I come back and find you've already killed all the Mutants, I would feel quite sad."

Shen Juanjuan was stunned for a few seconds before comforting him, "Next time we see Mutants trying to climb the windows, I'll stay in the room and wait for you to fight them."

"Alright, remember to wait for me," Chu Ya said.

"I will wait for you," Shen Juanjuan patted his hand, "Good boy."

Chu Ya checked the corridor windows and opened an adjacent room, dragging out an iron cabinet and other heavy furniture with the two quantum beasts to block the window. Shen Juanjuan helped enthusiastically, dragging an iron stool to give to Chu Ya, placing it on top of the iron furniture.

It was now getting dark, and not just Shen Juanjuan, but Chu Ya himself felt hungry, realizing they had only eaten breakfast all day.

"Come, let's go cook."

"Cooking? Cooking..." Shen Juanjuan's face suddenly turned grim, shaking his head vigorously, "I won't eat Mutant meat, no matter how fragrant it is. No, Mutant meat stinks, really stinks."

The Teddy Bear gasped in shock, immediately covering its chest and making two dry retching sounds.

On their journey from Mixin Town to Linya City, they had always eaten whatever Mutants they killed. Shen Juanjuan naturally assumed they would eat the meat of the human Mutants they had just killed.

"No, we won't eat that kind of meat," Chu Ya shook the jute bag on the Black Wolf's back, "We'll eat sweet potatoes, which are both fragrant and sweet."

"Oh, sweet potatoes, fragrant and sweet sweet potatoes." Shen Juanjuan shook his head happily, hugging Chu Ya's waist and looking up at him with a smile, "I'm a sweet potato person, you can eat me, I'm a fragrant and sweet sweet potato person."

Laughing and chatting, they reached the fourth floor, where Chu Ya led Shen Juanjuan into the small kitchen mentioned by the researcher. He washed the sweet potatoes under a faucet, while the Teddy Bear washed its head and bathed at the faucet next to it.

Chu Ya placed the sweet potatoes in a pot to steam. Once they were cooked, he took out two to cool and carried the rest to the third floor, handing them to Xu Wangduo.

"I'll distribute them to everyone, thank you for your hard work," Xu Wangduo took the sweet potatoes, "After dinner, we'll return to the lab to continue our work."

Seeing the dark circles under Xu Wangduo's eyes, Chu Ya knew he hadn't rested much. He wanted to say it wasn't urgent, but he also knew that with the outbreak of zombies in the city, the research couldn't be delayed. He nodded, "You focus on your work, everything else is my responsibility."

"You focus on your work, everything else is my responsibility," Shen Juanjuan extended one hand and decisively waved it in the air.

Xu Wangduo looked at Chu Ya and Shen Juanjuan, feeling a mix of emotions at the thought of these two children protecting a group of adults. He could only sincerely express his gratitude: "Thank you."

"Oh, thank you, hahaha, don't be like that, it's so funny."

After dinner, Chu Ya took Shen Juanjuan back to the house. He stayed with Shen Juanjuan and the two quantum beasts on the living room sofa, playing until Shen Juanjuan started yawning, then he helped him wash up and go to bed.

"Shen Miaomiao, will there be Mutants coming tonight?" Shen Juanjuan asked, rubbing his eyes.

"No, I'll keep watch."

"If they come, wake me up. I'll kill them all."

"Okay, sure."

Seeing Shen Juanjuan fall asleep, Chu Ya got up and walked to the window. It was already night, and parts of Linya City were in darkness due to power outages. Gunshots still echoed from various places, but they were much less frequent than during the day. It seemed that survivors had found hiding spots, while those who hadn't became part of the wandering figures on the streets.

He was worried about the orphanage and was just about to call when the phone rang.

"Brother Yun Tuo."

"How's the situation over there? Do you have electricity? Bitao Tower uses stone to generate power, so it shouldn't be cut off." Yun Tuo's voice carried a hint of fatigue.

"Don't worry, everything is fine, and we have power. How about the orphanage?"

"The orphanage is normal, but it's too close to the shelter, and the constant gunfire has attracted too many zombies." Yun Tuo laughed bitterly. "It's a vicious cycle; we have to shoot the zombies, but that attracts more of them."

"Can you hold out?" Chu Ya asked, concerned.

"No problem. The orphanage has plenty of newly trained sentinels and guides; they're as good as a team."

Hearing the faint smile in his voice, Chu Ya finally felt relieved.

Yun Tuo added, "The orphanage has enough food stockpiled, so don't worry about the kids or the staff. By the way, the cafeteria next to Bitao Tower has a lot of food. Move it all to Bitao Tower; it should last you for a while."

Chu Ya didn't mention that the cafeteria was empty and simply said, "We have enough food, and I'll take care of the researchers. How is Chairman Xiao? I tried calling him earlier, but couldn't get through."

"I talked to him this morning, but the signal was lost in the afternoon. But he should be fine," Yun Tuo's voice grew somber. "He's an A-level sentinel, so the zombies aren't a threat to him. However, many people are trapped at the docks, and different factions are involved. Their grudges run deep, and even surrounded by zombies, they can't put aside their conflicts."

Chu Ya couldn't do anything about it and said, "Don't worry. In this situation, they won't fight each other anymore."

Yun Tuo replied, "Xiao Rui knows what to do. By the way, the communication center is unguarded. I estimate that in a day or two, we won't be able to contact each other by phone. If anything happens, come directly to the orphanage."

"Got it."

Chu Ya spoke a few more words with Yun Tuo before hanging up and began to consider the next steps.

He could take Shen Juanjuan back to the orphanage anytime, but what about the researchers? The city was full of zombies, and if he brought along the dozen researchers, he couldn't guarantee their safety on the way. Moreover, the instruments in the building couldn't be moved, so they had to stay in Bitao Tower.

Yun Tuo had to protect the students at the orphanage, and Xiao Rui had to protect the people trapped at the docks. Neither of them could come to Bitao Tower, so he and Shen Juanjuan would have to stay here for a while longer.

But Bitao Tower was running out of food, and the dozen sweet potatoes would be gone in one meal. With so many mouths to feed, he needed to find a solution.

Food...

Chu Ya's gaze fell to the right. Although it was dark, he knew that area was the planting zone, where rows of sweet potatoes and corn were grown.

There were several planting buildings in the planting zone. Given the sudden and fierce outbreak of the zombie wave, the crops inside must not have been harvested in time. He could go and get some sweet potatoes and corn.

Chu Ya wanted to go to the planting zone immediately, but thinking of Shen Juanjuan who had just fallen asleep, he couldn't bear to wake him. He decided to wait until the next morning.

Chu Ya also washed up and went to bed. Black Wolf prepared to leave the room to patrol the building, gently nudging Teddy Bear: "Roar?"

Teddy Bear was playing with the stainless steel utensils Chu Ya had brought back, completely engrossed. He didn't even look up and just let out a low growl.

Black Wolf crouched in front of the sofa, inviting Teddy Bear to ride on its back.

"Ao." Teddy Bear shook his head.

Black Wolf walked to the door alone, head down, spine sagging, exuding loneliness and desolation.

Bang!

It bumped into a chair, and Teddy Bear, who was waving a utensil, looked up.

Black Wolf limped to the door, opened it, and walked heavily down the corridor. Teddy Bear watched its back until he finally jumped off the sofa and followed, holding the utensil.

Under the patrol of the two quantum beasts, the night passed relatively peacefully. Only in the middle of the night did zombies push against the furniture blocking the windows, causing the iron stool on top to fall and make a loud noise.

The researchers, who were taking turns sleeping, were startled awake and grabbed iron bars to check the second floor. They found that the zombies outside had been killed by the two quantum beasts and returned to their rooms, trembling, to continue sleeping.

The next morning, before seven o'clock, Chu Ya woke Shen Juanjuan.

Shen Juanjuan was still half-asleep, lying limp in Chu Ya's arms. However, when Chu Ya dressed him, he cooperated by lifting his hands and feet.

"We're getting up early today to go to the planting zone to pick corn and make breakfast for everyone," Chu Ya explained while placing the still-closed-eyed Shen Juanjuan on the ground.

Before letting go, Chu Ya saw Shen Juanjuan start to slump like a noodle and quickly held him, gently poking his face: "Let's go pick corn first, and then we can sleep more. What do you think?"

Shen Juanjuan showed no reaction, so Chu Ya said, "There will be many Mutants on the way. I can't do it alone; I need your help to sort them out."

Shen Juanjuan's eyelashes fluttered, but he remained asleep. Chu Ya sighed and placed him back in bed, preparing to go to the planting zone with Black Wolf.

But just as he turned around, he heard Shen Juanjuan's voice: "Who do you want to comb your hair?"

Chu Ya was taken aback, turned back, and saw Shen Juanjuan had opened his eyes. "No one."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Hmph!"

Seeing his sarcastic demeanor, Chu Ya found it somewhat amusing and asked, "Can you help me comb my hair?"

Shen Juanjuan didn’t answer but started to slip off the bed. Chu Ya took his shoes and put them on for him, then lifted him up and set him down. "Let's go."

Shen Juanjuan stared at him without moving. Chu Ya asked again, "Don't want to go?"

"I do." Shen Juanjuan held his hand, a hint of joy in his expression. "Let's go, hurry up."

The two left the room, and the Teddy Bear and Black Wolf, who were playing in the hallway, followed them. Shen Juanjuan remained silent as they went downstairs, an unusual quietness that lasted until they reached the ground floor, where he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Didn't brush teeth, didn't wash face, hahaha..." He was animated, his face full of pride. "You forgot, right? I haven't brushed my teeth or washed my face. I didn't say anything, waiting until we got here to mention it, hahaha."

Chu Ya: "..."

"Hahaha! I didn't brush my teeth or wash my face." Shen Juanjuan was overjoyed. After he had laughed enough, Chu Ya said, "I'm going to open the door now. No matter how happy you are, don't make a sound, or we'll have to go back and brush our teeth and wash our faces."

Shen Juanjuan covered his mouth. "I know, it might attract Mutants."

The door to the ground floor opened, and Chu Ya mounted Black Wolf, placing Shen Juanjuan in front of him, with the Teddy Bear sitting behind.

Linya City was now free of gunfire, eerily quiet, with the distant moans of zombies unusually clear.

Black Wolf hid at the end of a wide alley in front of Bitao Building. Chu Ya looked at the zombies staggering on the street and whispered, "We'll do it like before. Just run, and kill any Mutants that catch up to us."

Shen Juanjuan let out a soft "Ah," "I didn't bring my weapon, I forgot it."

"Awooo..." The Teddy Bear proudly twisted around to look at its back.

Chu Ya found a cloth belt and tied it around its waist so the spatula could be carried on its back.

"It's fine. That weapon would only hinder you. Use Psychic Attack. If there are many Mutants, use Psychic Bind. It will scare them so much they'll tremble."

After reassuring Shen Juanjuan, Chu Ya gave a low command, "Let's go!"

Black Wolf shot onto the street like an arrow. At this moment, Shen Juanjuan's spirit power entered Chu Ya's mental domain.

Their appearance was like a stone thrown into a calm lake or a flame ignited under a pot, causing the temperature to rise rapidly. The zombie horde roared and chased after them, running swiftly on the street and through the corridors of buildings, turning the relatively peaceful morning of Linya City back into chaos.

"Psychic Attack! Psychic Defense!" Shen Juanjuan, seated in front of Chu Ya, squinted his eyes against the morning breeze. "Mutants are coming, there are so many of them."

"Don't worry, I can take care of them," Chu Ya replied.