Chapter 17 Mutant Ants

Chapter 17: Mutant Ants

If only we had wings, then we could...

Vehicles on the road lay mangled, flames swaying eerily within the black smoke. Scattered human remains littered the dusty ground, and wandering zombies, finding no fresh prey, resorted to feeding on these gruesome scraps.

Suddenly, the roar of a car engine echoed from afar. The zombies turned their glowing green eyes toward the sound, but in the blink of an eye, all that remained was the car's receding exhaust. Their faces, devoid of muscle control, twitched slightly before they resumed gnawing on the dried flesh on the ground.

After resting at the convenience store for a few days, Bai Suizhi and Kahn resumed their journey. Having considered issues like traffic paralysis and zombie blockades, they had mapped out a relatively suitable route.

This route passed through remote and difficult-to-traverse areas, taking about twice as long as going through the city. However, the sparse population made it safer and more reliable compared to urban areas.

In the car, Kahn unwrapped a rice ball and handed it to Bai Suizhi. Bai Suizhi took it casually, his fingertips accidentally brushing against the back of Kahn’s hand. Both paused for a moment. Bai Suizhi nonchalantly accepted the rice ball, while Kahn lowered his head and silently began unwrapping his own. A restless tension simmered in the silence between them.

Since their night at the convenience store, the atmosphere between them had grown strange. Neither had slept well that first night in the lounge, so Bai Suizhi suggested sleeping on the floor. Kahn, of course, refused.

After arguing over who would take the floor, they decided to take turns, one night each. While this solved their insomnia, their interactions became those of near-strangers. They unconsciously avoided eye contact when speaking and even deliberately steered clear of physical contact.

Both noticed the subtle shift in their relationship, but their interpretations and feelings about it were entirely different.

Bai Suizhi was like a cautious and meticulous scientist, formulating countless hypotheses about the change in their relationship. These required repeated verification to ensure the accuracy and reliability of his conclusions.

So, Bai Suizhi carefully observed and recorded these changes, pondering the underlying issues, and quietly striving to achieve the research results he desired.

"What does he feel for me?"

"Is it more than just gratitude?"

"Why does he trust me so much? We’ve only just met."

"Is it just because I saved him? But he saved me too—doesn’t that cancel it out?"

"Could it be that he feels even a little... a little bit of affection for me?"

...

Kahn’s thoughts, on the other hand, were much simpler. He directly and clearly drew a disheartening conclusion from the changes in their interactions: Bai Suizhi is avoiding me.

Take the rice ball incident, for example. In Kahn’s eyes, Bai Suizhi had recoiled as if touching something harmful the moment their hands brushed. Moreover, Bai Suizhi no longer looked him in the eye when speaking, instead coolly gazing elsewhere.

"Why has he suddenly become so distant?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Has he started to see me as a burden?"

...

Bai Suizhi said cheerfully, "Although this route is more remote, there are far fewer zombies and obstacles. We should arrive in about two days."

Kahn ate his rice ball as if it were sawdust. "Mm." Once they reached the base, Bai Suizhi would have a reason to leave him behind.

In the evening, they habitually found a secluded spot to rest. After a quick wash with bottled water, they leaned back in the car seats to discuss the next day’s route. Suddenly, Bai Suizhi opened the sunroof and excitedly pointed to the stars. "I happened to glance at the sky and noticed so many stars tonight. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this many. Take a look!"

Kahn looked up as well. The sky was a tranquil, soft blue, dotted with shimmering stars that reflected in his sapphire-like eyes like moonlight on a lake, hazy and beautiful.

Bai Suizhi turned to Kahn with a smile and was instantly captivated by those indescribably beautiful eyes. He stared intently at Kahn’s profile, his heart pounding wildly. The darkness hid his gaze perfectly, and Kahn remained unaware, devoutly watching the sky and making wishes whose nature he himself didn't understand.

The next day, they set off at sunrise. Midway, Bai Suizhi frowned and asked, "Do you hear that sound?"

Kahn listened carefully. "It sounds like... a buzzing noise." He squinted ahead and saw a dark mass moving toward them on the ground.

"Turn around, now!" Kahn shouted urgently.

Bai Suizhi also spotted the dark mass and swiftly turned the car around. "What the hell is that?"

Kahn stared grimly into the rearview mirror. "It looks like ants."

"Since when are ants that big?!"

A terrifying suspicion dawned on them. "Animals..." they thought simultaneously, "can animals be infected too?"

The realization sent chills down their spines. If animals could be infected, then creatures like ants and mosquitoes—ubiquitous and invasive—would be impossible to guard against.

The mutant ants had grown significantly larger, at least as long as an index finger, and were covered in a thick shell, making them hard to crush. They were also faster. Despite Bai Suizhi flooring the accelerator, they were already closing in on the trunk.

"This won’t work—they’ll get in sooner or later! Kahn, get the gasoline ready. I’m driving into the wheat field we just passed."

Kahn immediately understood Bai Suizhi’s plan. He turned to retrieve the gasoline, placed it in front of himself, then helped Bai Suizhi put on protective gear before equipping himself and keeping a wary eye outside.

They soon reached the wheat field Bai Suizhi had mentioned. "Ready?"

"Mm!"

Bai Suizhi accelerated straight into the field. Kahn quickly rolled down the window, poured out the gasoline, and lit a strip of cloth torn from his clothes before tossing it out. After swiftly doing this, he rolled the window back up.

However, a few ants still managed to crawl inside. Their mouthparts formed a tube-like siphon, aimed at sucking their blood. Kahn, wearing gloves, crushed them with all his strength, while Bai Suizhi, one hand on the wheel, helped eliminate the mutant ants.

The wheat field behind them burst into flames, creating a natural fire barrier that cut off the ants and diverted a large part of the swarm. After exhausting all efforts to kill the ants inside the car, the two remained on high alert for any stragglers that might emerge from hidden corners.

Bai Suizhi said grimly, "We need to change our route." Their original plan had been to avoid large hordes of zombies by passing through remote villages and mountainous areas. But if animals could mutate, this route was no longer safe. A few mutated cows or sheep could easily overturn their car, and being "grilled beef and mutton" wouldn't do them any good then.

Moreover, zombies were large, visible, and their strength fell within human limits. But animals like cattle and sheep, accustomed to hard labor and constant movement, would possess strength far beyond what two ordinary men and a small car could withstand.

Kahn asked, puzzled, "Did they mutate recently? Back in the residential area, we never saw animals mutate, and the official announcements never mentioned animal infections."

Bai Suizhi replied, "There are many possibilities. Maybe the zombies, starving, started eating animals, and the infections spread among them. Or perhaps the animals mutated long ago, but there weren’t enough cases for the authorities to notice."

Uncertain of the situation, they could only take things one step at a time.

Kahn asked, "Can we make it through the city?"

Bai Suizhi thought for a moment. "It’ll be difficult. The zombies are likely concentrated there, and the roads are probably blocked. We might not even get through."

Kahn sighed, "If only we had wings, we could just fly over." In desperation, he uttered this childishly naive remark.

Bai Suizhi’s eyes lit up. "We may not have wings, but we have great inventors. Let’s take a helicopter!"

"A helicopter?"

"Yes! There’s a helicopter rental company around here, but it’s in Zone A." Zone A was the most densely populated area, the very place they had initially planned to avoid.

Bai Suizhi asked, "Want to take the gamble?"

Kahn took a deep breath. "Let’s gamble."