Chapter 118

Chapter 118

The notion that "Superpowered Zombies could eventually revert to humans" was absurd, yet it got a lot of people agreeing.

The reason was their increased speed and human-like agility, as if they were slowly "coming alive again."

Some even propagated "crazy talk" like "Superpowered Zombies are still people, and humans should coexist peacefully with them before they revert."

It was so outrageous that one couldn’t help but want to drag those who spouted such nonsense and personally throw them in with the zombies.

Truly, you get all kinds of weirdos in this world.

At first glance, it might seem like a positive possibility, but in reality, it only pushed unstable people to fall into dangerous thinking, leading to actions like what Xiao Ya’s mother had done.

By this time, research facilities in every base were, to some extent, keeping zombies locked up for research.

However, since the apocalypse had struck less than a year ago, and the zombies' evolution was indeed unexpected, there was no official word yet.

The daily broadcasts merely reminded the public:

"Dead is dead. Do not let grief drive you to obsession, and don’t try to keep your zombie family around."

Yet Jiang Nian knew that from his past life, shortly after the extreme heat, the central broadcast, with experts from Base S leading the charge, had announced:

No matter how much Superpowered Zombies evolved, they could never become human again. They were dead bodies warped by a special virus.

Moreover, their unstoppable craving for human flesh meant the more they evolved, the hungrier they became. If deprived of human prey, they would starve to death eventually.

In short: the ultimate evolution of Superpowered Zombies was a dead end.

However, a low-level zombie without a core could survive for about two years without consuming flesh, left alone.

If it had tasted flesh, its lifespan would multiply.

That’s not even counting evolved zombies with cores or Superpowered Zombies. Left unchecked, humanity would never outlast them.

Most critically, after the toxic rain, Superpowered Zombies had become walking virus bombs. Just having them around spread the virus, making peaceful coexistence impossible.

Thus, they could never be left unchecked.

"First and foremost, a Superpowered Zombie is already a corpse..."

Jiang Nian subtly slipped in what he knew into the discussion as speculation.

His teammates found it reasonable—far more so than the idea of zombies turning back into humans.

With the tents set up, they prepared a simple dinner: MREs supplemented with fruits and snacks.

These were grown by Huang Qian using her superpower in Jiang Nian’s balcony "tiny garden patch"—watermelons, melons, cucumbers, radishes, and cherry tomatoes.

The blazing heat and barely any night meant exhaustion from being worn out from riding all day. After eating, they rested to recharge for tomorrow.

Cheng Jing made sure the alarms were working, Tang Yi sent the drone for another patrol, and Lu Ningzhou sealed the hidden door of the camouflage walls.

Liao Yu provided each tent with a small bucket of ice to cool the air, making it bearable to sleep fully clothed.

With Liao Yu around, water was never an issue. Cheng Jing helped accelerate ice melting when needed, and daily necessities had everything they needed. Life was convenient—food, drink, and hygiene were never a problem.

For a well-equipped team with balanced superpowers, even camping out wasn’t half bad.

After a quick round of freshening up and getting ready, everyone headed to their tents.

As night fell, the surroundings grew quiet, with only the faint sound of wind and occasional animal calls in the distance.

Xihe City had a zoo, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they happened to encounter some protected animals.

"..."

Inside the tent, Jiang Nian switched on his headlamp to study the maps—several maps of Xihe City and related guides spread out before him.

After sending their current coordinates to Zhou Li to check in, Cheng Jing moved closer and asked,

"What is it?"

Jiang Nian pointed to a page in the guide map and said,

"I just noticed that the branch of Xihe City People’s Hospital was completed years ago, but due to delays in interior construction, it had only been operational for six months before the acid rain came. The inpatient ward and some outpatient departments weren’t fully operational."

If this wasn't the latest edition, he wouldn’t have known.

"Huh? That new?"

Cheng Jing was also surprised. He skimmed the brief description on the guide map, rubbed his chin, and mused,

"A hospital that’s been operational for less than half a year and isn’t fully open yet… It probably isn't well-equipped in many aspects, so they'd have fewer supplies..."

Jiang Nian continued his train of thought,

"Right, less stocked, but also fewer people."

Especially since the inpatient ward wasn’t fully open—fewer people meant fewer zombies, which plays to their advantage.

Cheng Jing nodded in agreement,

"That’s true. If there’s any place in a hospital with a lot of people, it’s definitely the inpatient ward."

"..."

After a brief silence, Jiang Nian added,

"But since the hospital was already in operation, it must have a pharmacy and a medicine storage… So, this is actually good news."

Their main targets in searching the hospital were the pharmacy and medicine storage. As for large medical equipment—since they couldn’t carry it—they could report it to the base and let them decide whether to retrieve it.

Though they had Xia Weiwei’s previous timeline's intel that exploring Xihe City wasn’t dangerous, S Base’s exploration and rescue team wasn’t your average team.

Jiang Nian worried that their threat assessment might differ from the average person’s. Just because the exploration team deemed it safe didn’t necessarily mean it was.

Now, knowing this detail, he could relax a little more.

Understanding his concerns, Cheng Jing reassured him,

"We’re not here on a must-complete mission no matter what. If it’s dangerous, we retreat—or just call Zhou Li to send reinforcements. There’s always a solution. We won’t act recklessly, so don’t overthink it."

They weren’t short on supplies. This trip was more about earning some extra credits and field experience—no need to go all out. Safety and stability came first.

"I know… I just get these worries sometimes. I get it."

Jiang Nian smiled, folded the maps, and lay down, gazing at the tent roof.

The more ties you have, the more worries you carry—especially since it was his suggestion in the first place. Can't be too careful.

Cheng Jing took out a battery-powered fan and a small night light.

He placed the fan on the other side of the ice bucket to blow cool air their way, then set the night light in the corner of the tent, where the light was just the right brightness.

After that, he turned off his headlamp and lay down beside Jiang Nian, patting the back of his hand.

"Sleep, Nian Nian," he said. "The next few days are gonna be rough."

"Mm."

Jiang Nian obediently closed his eyes, gradually relaxing as the cool breeze from the fan drifted over him.

"..."

After a while, Cheng Jing asked again,

"You hot? Can't sleep?"

The one who was always complaining about being hot in the dorm hadn’t said a word about it today.

Jiang Nian kept his eyes shut as he replied,

"No, it’s fine. You get some sleep too, Brother Jing."

Truth be told, used to AC, he did feel quite warm now. But he couldn’t say it—otherwise, Brother Jing would go through all sorts of trouble to cool him off, maybe even bother Liao Yu for help.

He wasn’t some fragile thing. If he couldn’t handle this much hardship, there was no point in coming out at all.

At home, he could indulge in playful little games with his boyfriend, but outside, he needed to toughen up.

"...Mm, alright."

Cheng Jing turned his head slightly, waiting until the breathing beside him grew steady and even—proof that the other had truly fallen asleep—before adjusting his own position.

Yet, once he closed his eyes, a strange feeling settled over him:

By any reasonable standard, his conditions were decent, his abilities passable. He could easily shield his loved one from danger, pampering him away from harm. Yet here they were, roughing it outdoors, facing crises head-on to scavenge supplies.

Wasn’t that just absurd?

What kind of self-respecting man would bring his partner out to fight zombies?