Chapter 63: Zombies x Face Slapping x Anatomy (7) + (8)

Chapter 63: Zombies x Face Slapping x Anatomy (7) + (8)

-1-

The estimated duration of the first defensive battle was eight and a half hours.

During this period, the frequency of zombie attacks varied, and the defense team took turns to rest in perfect coordination.

The playlist ranged from children's songs to New Year's gala performances, then to Xihedagǔ and Tan Qing Shui He, and is now paused, with a large screen showing "1818 Gold Eye" for everyone.

Special personnel had pre-allocated work and rest times, and people were living in an orderly manner in the new base, feeling more relieved than anxious.

They could climb up to the third-level defensive wall to see the situation outside, or voluntarily apply for armed training, striving to find controllable points in an out-of-control world.

The peaceful and tranquil life seemed to have rapidly collapsed within a few days, far exceeding any existing imagination.

Currently, the only person in the base who felt like every second was dragging on might be Jin Mingmao.

He had memorized English books and Chinese literature books, recited the Korean lyrics of several Girls' Generation songs word for word, and was currently memorizing Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs" and the entire "Chuci."

"Auspicious day, good time, solemnly I will please the Supreme Sovereign..."

System: "It's only been five hours, and his defense value has already reached 350! Developing him morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and laboriously isn't harming him!"

"No time to play the deep and affectionate role with this guy," Keding said. "There's so much work to do; I'm really struggling to keep up."

According to the analysis of the trench warfare experts and Keding's own judgment, they had constructed three lines of defense.

The outermost first line of defense was entirely equipped with mass-produced civilian combination weapons, including but not limited to flour cannons, fertilizer explosives, liquor incendiary bottles, and various types of fireworks.

The second line of defense was fully deployed with professional automated designs, equipped with night vision and infrared sensing systems, capable of efficient combat at night and scanning to eliminate any stragglers.

If thousands of zombies rushed over, the automated defense line could accurately throw white phosphorus incendiary bombs to quickly clear dangerous clusters.

The third ring of defense was composed of snipers, machine gunners, and multiple high-firepower artillery platforms, ensuring mutual support and leaving no gaps.

When necessary, all three lines of defense would open fire simultaneously, making it relatively easy to defend the city.

Zombies continued to pour in from the south, and rescue signals came from other directions, shaking the original plan.

"We are trapped in a factory! Help! Help! We are about five kilometers away, with no food or water nearby, and around fifty-six people are trapped!"

"Do you accept people from our neighborhood? We are out of ammunition and supplies, and several households have chronic patients, and no one is taking care of them!"

"Commander! I've checked the nearby university with a drone, and it's completely empty. We can use it to accommodate refugees!"

The network signal was intermittent, but the rescue information was overwhelming.

Many public drones were broadcasting rescue calls, detailing how many refugees needed to be rescued from various locations.

The population of S City was approximately ten million, and currently, about thirty percent had been bitten and infected, with the situation worsening continuously.

Keding pressed his forehead, going through the messages one by one, pondering how to respond.

He knew that all this was the suffering of a parallel world and understood that if he rashly showed too much kindness, the outcome could be the collapse and destruction of everyone. Every action had to be considered in the long term.

Should they attack the second base of Zodiac and the third base of Olszowka?

System: "You don't look like you're hesitating. Just do it if you want to."

Keding: "Give me some face!"

System: "You're like someone preparing to bring wild cats home! You say you can't keep a second or third cat, but you've already named them!"

Keding: "I'll mute you!"

The bad news was that millions were still in dire straits, and the city's power and water supply systems would gradually collapse, and the network wouldn't last much longer.

The good news was that although the containers were used up, mechanical automation construction could still be arranged to build earth and stone walls near the university town, which were strong enough to withstand zombie attacks.

The faculty and students of S City University of Science and Technology had been evacuated in advance, and the empty campus could be used to remove concrete and asphalt from the playground for farming.

There were plenty of seeds and fertilizers available, and if planted in time, there might be a chance to eat some small fruits next year!

Another wave of explosions and blasts startled Jin Mingmao, interrupting his recitation for several seconds.

Zombies were blown into pieces, temporarily halting the seventh attack.

He Shuangqiu glanced back at him coolly, and the latter, suppressing his fear, continued to recite: "The imperial son descends to the northern isle, his eyes dim with sorrow..."

Before he could finish, a fleet of helicopters broke through the sky, the sound of their rotors creating a powerful gust.

The young man looked up and saw a dozen combat helicopters flying in formation toward the base, all the latest model Cobra SH-97s.

The hurricane-like wind made He Shuangqiu's coat flap like a swallow's tail, but he stood firm without retreating.

Jin Mingmao's glasses were blown off, and he covered his face with his sleeve, barely able to see the lead helicopter hovering in mid-air, while the others landed near the central ring iron wall.

Several fully armed teams disembarked in quick succession, and the central helicopter lowered a rope ladder, from which a tall man descended calmly, surrounded by swiftly arriving mercenaries.

He wore a private-made military uniform in silver and black, his 1.87-meter frame exuding danger and charisma like a mane lion.

His long military boots were spotless, and his deer leather gloves were adorned with silver stars.

The young man watched silently as he approached step by step, the two overlapping shadows merging silently.

Doctors and mercenaries, both accustomed to walking the fine line between life and death, engaging in the most meticulous and dangerous gambles.

Jiang Yi stood before him, chin slightly raised.

"Don't you like this appearance of mine?"

"Very unfamiliar," Keding said. "You're really tall."

...And so tall in every world! This is unreasonable!

Jiang Yi smiled with pursed lips. "I wish I could see your original form, but unfortunately, I haven't had the chance yet."

While they were making small talk, Jin Mingmao remained in a seated position, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at the two men before him.

It felt as if he were in a primitive animal world, where he was reduced to a weak and small hyena compared to these two, unable to compete with their luxurious fur or sharp claws.

The sense of dominance between males was pervasive, and even though the tall man hadn't glanced at him, Jin Mingmao felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

What made it worse—what made it even worse—was that the man was openly showing favor towards his boyfriend, smiling and talking to him!

Pride and shame hit Jin Mingmao hard, making him feel extremely tormented, filled with hatred and a sense of being completely outmatched.

Fine, He Shuangqiu, when did you quietly climb up to such a high branch? How much interaction and entanglement do you have with such a warlord behind my back?

No wonder you've changed from your former meek and easy-to-manipulate self, daring to step on my face and act tyrannically. It turns out you have someone backing you up!

What, is that man not enough for you? You want to play both sides, hooking him and me, and still won't say those two words: 'break up'!!!

The system whispered, "Wow, eighty points of defense breakdown right away. Good grief, this guy's competitive awareness is quite strong."

Keding: "Why? Doctor Jiang didn't provoke him..."

The system wasn't quite sure either: "It seems Jiang Yi's looks are just too overwhelming, making him feel wronged."

After the small talk, the mercenary leader stepped forward, and TOM and JERRY saluted solemnly.

Only then did Jiang Yi turn to look at the pale-faced Jin Mingmao, glancing sideways and asking, "This is... a prisoner?"

"Oh, let me introduce you," He Shuangqiu smiled, helping his disheveled boyfriend up. "This is my boyfriend, Little Jin. This is my friend, Jiang Yi."

"Ding! Defense breakdown plus twenty!"

"...Why is your boyfriend in shackles?"

"I'm afraid he might run around and get into trouble. I'd be so sad if something happened to him."

"Ding! Defense breakdown plus twenty!"

"Is that so?" Jiang Yi chuckled softly. "If you're worried about my safety, you can put shackles on me too. I don't mind."

Jin Mingmao couldn't catch his breath.

You! You're clearly a dangerous character who can handle both black and white!

You have eighty fully armed mercenaries following you! And you brought a dozen fighter jets!

—Who the hell would worry about your safety!!

Trying to poach right in front of me! You're really something!!

"Oh wow, defense breakdown plus one hundred," the system said. "Doctor Jiang is really good at assisting. A few casual words and he's pushing the person to the brink."

Keding: "So he was helping? I thought he was flirting with me. Scared me there for a moment."

The system, frustrated: "You dense head!!!"

Clearly not done playing, Jiang Yi squatted down and picked up the textbooks, examining them seriously.

"Are these also part of the safety measures?"

"I'm afraid he might get bored running around everywhere with me, so I found some educational materials for him to read in his free time." The young man turned and smiled at Jin Mingmao. "Honey, you won't hold those little disagreements we had against me, will you?"

If the mercenary leader weren't standing there, Jin Mingmao would have spat in He Shuangqiu's face and stopped pretending to be affectionate.

Break up! You crazy bastard, get lost! So what if you have guns to threaten people?

If I had any chance at all, you wouldn't be acting so high and mighty here!

But now, in Jin Mingmao's eyes, He Shuangqiu was not only a deranged and outwardly strong but inwardly weak base commander; he was also associated with this unfathomably dangerous figure.

He didn't know what the relationship between the two was—maybe distant relatives, maybe foul-smelling secret lovers.

Standing before them, Jin Mingmao felt an indescribable sense of humiliation and frustration, but he had to grit his teeth and swallow it.

"...No problem, we've always been f-i-n-e." Jin Mingmao took He Shuangqiu's hand, forcing a sweet smile. "Baby, I've memorized all the poems you asked me to. Can we rest now?"

He Shuangqiu blinked, looking relieved.

"Baby, you still love me so much. I'm so happy."

"I won't make you memorize books anymore. Let's rest and eat first."

Jin Mingmao, who had eaten just four hours ago, was now starving again. After holding hands for only a couple of seconds, he turned and quickly took the hot boxed meal offered by TOM, eating rapidly without caring about the others.

In front of this boyfriend, Jiang Yi handed a wet wipe to He Shuangqiu.

"Oh, thank you." He Shuangqiu wiped his hands carefully.

Sure enough, he's a doctor! Always remembers to disinfect, what a good habit!

Jin Mingmao choked on the cashew chicken, his eyes glaring at the wet wipe like knives.

Too disgusting, these two guys, still being all cozy in front of him!

He Shuangqiu, you despicable man, what do you think love is!

-2-

Originally, there were sixty people, but with the arrival of a large force, the number quickly expanded to nearly one hundred and fifty, and their mobility became exceptionally good.

Keding and Jiang Yi discussed for a moment and arranged a team to work with the unmanned construction team to expand the school campus, preparing to set it up as the second base of Zodiac.

The screening and resettlement of refugees can take place there, and they can also start digging and preparing for planting as soon as possible.

Another team will head northwest to rescue the trapped civilians in the factory and scout the location for the third base.

Once all three bases are running smoothly, they can build a security wall and independent roads to enclose a larger safe zone in the triangular area.

Although Jiang Yi arrived later than expected, he was like a timely rain, easily relieving Keding's long-term worries.

If he hadn't come, Keding had planned to spend some save points to risk rescuing people, which might result in a few deaths or injuries, but at least he would have a clear conscience.

Both deputies had experience teaching in mountainous areas and working in social services, giving them some understanding of human nature. They had discussed the entry criteria for the base with Keding several times.

"Boss, my suggestion is that regardless of age or gender, anyone who wants to seek refuge must take on a job and complete it on time and in full."

"Yes, even if the refugee is disabled, they can always pack lunch boxes or count items."

A small favor earns gratitude, but too much charity breeds resentment. If they provide unconditional aid, it could bring many unwanted elements into the otherwise peaceful and harmonious base.

Keding added several clauses to this.

There are three things that are absolutely forbidden in the base. Once discovered or reported and verified, the perpetrator will be immediately expelled from the base and left to fend for themselves.

These are theft, bullying, and sexual harassment.

Anyone joining the base must sign the relevant terms, clearly defining their responsibilities and obligations.

He didn't know how long this mini-society would last or how much pressure it would bear, but maintaining order both internally and externally was equally important.

Jiang Yi's arrival also brought new legal experts and sociologists, who immediately went to the hospital meeting room to collaborate with the deputies on refining the regulations.

Outside the triple iron walls, zombies were blown apart like tomato stew.

Inside the iron walls, emergency medical points, surveillance cameras, and wireless communication stations were all set up. Several generators, mostly in good condition, were found in the hospital's underground warehouse.

What they were waiting for now was the end of the first battle.

Jiang Yi arrived half a day later than expected because he had personally toured the southern front and gathered two pieces of sensitive intelligence.

"I witnessed a giant amalgamation," he said. "About seven to eleven meters tall, it's an abnormal creature formed by the unconscious gathering of zombies, with varied appearances and very difficult to kill."

If it were just ordinary zombies biting around, residents equipped with bite-proof suits could quickly escape, making survival less challenging.

But whether due to genetic mutation or some other reason, the situation was several times worse than anticipated.

"On the southern front, a giant amalgamation may appear every few dozen kilometers, related to the density of human traffic."

Keding asked, stunned, "How high are we standing right now?"

"This building is about twenty-five meters tall," Jiang Yi replied. "You're like a snack within reach on a shelf."

Keding was silent for a long time.

Jiang Yi looked at him.

"Are you afraid?"

"No, I feel like I've been re-created by Isayama Hajime."

"…?"

Jiang Yi ignored the name and continued, "The second piece of sensitive intelligence is that the zombies themselves have no self-awareness. The absence of the brainstem does not affect their movement, and they seem to follow a unified command."

Keding frowned. "Based on my observations today, they seem to collectively know where to go, and it's not entirely due to sound guidance."

"They have a collective consciousness," Jiang Yi said. "I'm not certain, but I have a hypothesis that they might be controlled by bioelectricity or regulated by some pheromone."

"If we can find the hidden neurons, these zombies will immediately lose their leader and direction."

"Easy enough," Keding said. "I caught one alive. We'll study it later."

Jiang Yi wore a strange expression. "You... what?"

"Yes," Keding said, in a good mood. "I caught one alive."

"And that drone seemed to hear a command that was a bit off. It not only packed a zombie human but also a zombie puppy."

A zombie human.

Jiang Yi, hearing this term, looked at Keding with a mix of amusement and exasperation, wondering what goes through his mind.

"Where are they?"

"They're being disinfected in the slaughterhouse," Keding said. "We need to wash and sterilize them before observing and studying them. If they bring in any pathogens, we won't have any vaccines."

Modern food processing disinfection standards! You can completely trust them!

Not just broad-spectrum disinfectants and UV light, these little zombies will undergo microbial testing before entering the lab!

Jiang Yi laughed, holding his head.

"...You're still the same."

He instructed his subordinates to set up a sniper rifle and looked at Keding.

"Want to give it a try?"

Keding rubbed his hands together: "I won't be responsible if I miss."

"Go ahead."

Jiang Yi bent down to adjust his ambush position, his tone calm as if explaining the use of a scalpel to him in the past.

"Kassel H72, light armor-piercing, 50 caliber, semi-automatic with manual follow-up for rapid fire suppression."

"The trajectory is stable, the damage is impressive, but more importantly, the accuracy is excellent."

Keding adjusted to the view through the electronic scope with one eye and asked, "Did you know how to use this before?"

"If it's Jiang Yi, he played with it for a while during his studies abroad."

"If it's Jiang Yi, he knew from a young age, already with stable muscle reflexes."

The man stood beside him, his voice soft.

"Now, let's lock onto the target."

"Southeast," Keding reported the position, "that bald zombie uncle, 872 yards away."

"I see him. Be careful with the recoil; aim two body lengths lower than expected."

Keding took a deep breath, hesitant to pull the trigger.

"I heard the recoil on snipers is very strong..."

"It's fine." Jiang Yi said, "Don't worry."

Keding focused on the target, pressing his shoulder firmly against the side of the gun as Jiang Yi guided him, mentally prepared for a miss.

He had heard Lao Zhang say that actual shooting required muscles to buffer the recoil; if not, the gun would veer off course due to the counterforce.

At that moment, his breathing paused, time seemed to stand still.

The moment he pulled the trigger, the sharp bullet shot out, still making a loud noise despite the suppressor.

"Bang!"

The inertia made his entire body jolt backward unexpectedly, but he was steadied by the solid chest behind him. The bullet hit the target precisely at the same moment, and the zombie fell to the ground with a thud.

He found himself completely enveloped in his embrace.

Broad, strong, and reassuring, capable of canceling out all impact.

Keding froze, somewhat dazed, unable to process all the information at once.

Jiang Yi maintained the half-hug, leaning in to say, "Very good, continue."

Keding didn't have time to ponder whether all sniper training involved such close physical contact, obediently saying yes and continuing to chamber another round, focusing on the electronic scope for the second shot.

As the bullets whizzed through the night air, the cash register beeped along.

"Defense down by eighty! Another eighty! Another eighty!"

The young man was still immersed in the beginner's guide to firearms, slightly annoyed by the noise.

"What now?"

"Weren't we supposed to stop him from reciting? Why is he still losing defense points?"

The system glanced at the human-shaped ornament next to the big black fat guy and said, "I don't know, maybe he's just enjoying it."

"…?"

He Shuangqiu temporarily said, "Wait a moment," rubbing his shoulder and turning to walk towards Jin Mingmao.

The latter, restricted by the mercenary rules, no longer had to recite texts but had to stay within five meters of He Shuangqiu and avoid any suicidal behavior.

While He Shuangqiu was playing with the gun, Jin Mingmao had been staring at him the whole time, feeling humiliated.

I'm right here, why don't you break up with me if you have the guts!

You're not playing with a sniper rifle, you're clearly just cuddling and flirting!

He couldn't understand why He Shuangqiu kept him around even after climbing the social ladder. There must be some secret he didn't know!

Could it be... his blood is the antidote? His genes are unique?

He Shuangqiu repeatedly said he needed to protect his safety, so there must be something special about him, it must be true!

"Get up," He Shuangqiu pulled Jin Mingmao, "come, sit on this flat area, there are no corners here."

"You won't bump into anything now, be careful when moving around."

For an adult to fall and lose defense points like that...

Jin Mingmao had a mouthful of curses, but he turned to glare at Tom and Jerry and swallowed them back, even saying thank you.

Jiang Yi leaned against the wall waiting for him to return, smiling, "Worried he'd get bored?"

"Not really," Keding nodded, "just afraid the target might get hurt, then I'd have to reload."

The system couldn't stop laughing.

Keding asked in his mind, "What now?"

"Nothing, I just got a bit carried away too."

"…?"