Chapter 20: They Came for Me

Chapter 20: They're Coming for Me

The Plot Guide: "...The target has appeared. He can help you solve your biggest problem right now."

Yan Shenyun picked up a small piece of canned meat with a silver fork and nodded in the air toward Shu Hanqing's direction.

"Hello."

The man's voice was rich and magnetic, but carried little emotion: "Would you two mind giving me just two more minutes? I just managed to pry it open with my knife."

Sensing their wariness, Yan Shenyun spoke up: "No need to be afraid. My psychic power is more than enough to handle a few zombies."

Shu Hanqing's gaze slid from the can of meat to the rotting creature, docile as a house pet.

It all clicked for him—no wonder this frail, delicate top-ranked psychic had managed to survive this long in the heart of the infected zone.

He hadn't even looked relieved to see them, let alone cried tears of joy.

So this guy had never planned on running at all, and he probably wasn't going to die anytime soon. He'd just turned this wreckage into his own personal kingdom, running the most vicious mutant zombies around the clock as his doormen and food-finding slaves.

Psychic powers really were something, huh.

Shu Hanqing raised his hand, face completely blank, and pressed the talk button on his radio.

"Shengsu Unit One reporting. Target located in Building Three, fifth floor, left side. I repeat, he's alive. Get an evacuation route ready now."

Soon, Lei Zheng's reply came through: "Copy that. Everyone, fall back."

Static hissed through the room.

Shu Hanqing lowered the radio and locked eyes with Yan Shenyun, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Apologies, Professor Yan, but the whole building's perimeter is under full-scale alert. We don't have time to sit around waiting for you to finish your canned meat."

With that, Shu Hanqing shot Yun Ying a subtle look from the corner of his eye.

Yun Ying and Shu Hanqing were in perfect sync, her brain working at lightning speed. Without even half a second of hesitation, she shot forward like an arrow and, before Yan Shenyun could react, grabbed the heavy black briefcase by the table—the one supposedly stuffed with top-secret intel—and nodded firmly at Shu Hanqing.

Yan Shenyun watched his briefcase being forcibly taken away, a faintly amused, almost comical look flickering across his handsome face.

He set down his silver fork, raised an eyebrow, and said in a mocking tone: "Central Base is supposed to be the top safe zone. So this is how your military squad treats invited guests—like a bunch of bandits pulling a robbery?"

Shu Hanqing couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense. His right fingertips clenched hard in midair, and in an instant, the moisture in the air around them compressed and condensed at breakneck speed, coalescing into a solid Water Chain as thick as a baby's arm, shimmering with cold blue light. It tore through the air with a whistle and clamped down on Yan Shenyun's upper body with ruthless authority.

Shu Hanqing's arm tensed, and the water chain snapped taut as he dragged the pampered chief professor out the door in long, swift strides, giving him no chance to argue.

Caught completely off guard and yanked forward like a dog being walked, Yan Shenyun got to his feet, opening his mouth as if to speak, then stopping.

A crack finally showed in his composure. In a refined voice barely holding back his fury, he objected: "Excuse me... show some respect. Don't treat me so roughly..."

Before Yan Shenyun could finish his protest about human rights and respect, a flurry of urgent footsteps came pounding up the stairs.

Rong Hua took the lead, with Qi Zhuo right behind him.

Seeing Shu Hanqing was safe, he let out a massive sigh of relief, then his gaze landed on Yan Shenyun, bound by the water chain: "So this is that Yan Shenyun?"

Rong Hua stared at the blue water chain, completely baffled.

Shu Hanqing figured this professor was too precious to handle alone, so he needed someone tough to take full charge of him. He shoved the loose end of the water chain into Rong Hua's hand.

"Here—this professor is very important. You're the strongest, so you're definitely responsible for protecting him."

The look in his eyes was like he was handing over something precious to Rong Hua.

In that split second, Rong Hua was like a purebred wolfdog that had just been praised to the skies by its owner—his chest unconsciously puffed out a little more, and his invisible furry ears and tail were practically wagging into orbit.

"Don't worry, Hanqing. I'll definitely keep him safe."

Shu Hanqing: "Professor Yan, sorry for the trouble. Things downstairs are critical—we need to move out now."

Yan Shenyun: "...Let me go. I can take care of myself."

Shu Hanqing looked at Rong Hua's smug, cocky expression and complained to the Plot Guide: "...I really want to knock this top-tier psychic out so he doesn't hold us back."

The Plot Guide: "..."

The whole tug-of-war in reality lasted barely a blink of an eye.

The moment Rong Hua took the water chain from Shu Hanqing, his fingers clenched hard. With terrifying brute strength, he yanked the blue chain and took off in huge strides, heading down.

Yan Shenyun was used to being treated like a VIP by the top leaders of every major safe zone—a top-tier genius. He had never been treated like this in his life.

Under Rong Hua's overwhelming brute force, the frail, delicate chief professor suddenly lost his balance and stumbled after them in a completely undignified mess.

The thin black-framed glasses on his nose nearly went flying, and the elegance and refinement etched into his very bones vanished completely in that frantic sprint.

But it still wasn't over.

Rong Hua, sprinting ahead, turned back and said to Qi Zhuo with disgust: "This pretty boy is a total liability. Qi Zhuo, don't just stand there—each of us grab an arm and haul him along!"

Suddenly grabbed by both arms from either side and dragged along, bounced around so hard he nearly puked, Yan Shenyun: "..."

The team successfully regrouped with the two main military units led by Mu Ye and Lei Zheng on the first floor.

The water chain that had been clamped around Yan Shenyun dissolved back into invisible mist and scattered into the air.

Finally released, Yan Shenyun was a complete wreck. He braced one hand against the wall, his chest heaving hard. It took a long while for this usually pampered chief professor to finally straighten up and push his glasses, which had nearly been jolted off, back up his nose.

The defensive barriers on the first floor, originally meant to hold back zombies, had been violently smashed open by Rong Hua and Qi Zhuo, creating a wide-open escape route.

He had to admit—the process was crude, but damn efficient.

The moment Yan Shenyun got his footing, before he could even look up to find anyone, Shu Hanqing had already taken a barely noticeable step back.

His tall frame blended seamlessly into the shadows of the group.

Shu Hanqing thought, don't see me, don't see me.

It was in that step back that Shu Hanqing's gaze happened to land on Mu Ye.

He wasn't sure if he was just being paranoid, but Shu Hanqing saw it with his own eyes, clear as day—in that split second when Mu Ye looked up and his eyes landed on Yan Shenyun, his expression twisted in a grotesque, violent way, and a bone-deep terror flickered in the depths of his eyes.

That wasn't the wariness of facing a strong enemy. That was the kind of terror you'd feel if you saw a demon that could skin you alive.

The whole scene was absurdly strange.

Shu Hanqing racked his brain, but no matter how hard he tried to recall, across both his past and present lives, Mu Ye absolutely should never have met Yan Shenyun before.

After all, Yan Shenyun was the most elite and mysterious brain in the entire apocalypse. His very existence had always been the military's most closely guarded secret, normally only shared among a select few top military and political bigwigs in a handful of super safe zones.

He simply wasn't someone a squad like theirs would ever get to meet.

Before Shu Hanqing could think deeper, Lei Zheng nodded at Yan Shenyun: "Professor Yan, this way, please. The backup convoy on the perimeter will be here shortly. General Lu has been expecting you at the base—we need to move."

Yan Shenyun's noble, handsome face had been as dark as iron the whole time, and Lei Zheng's words didn't ease his scowl. Instead, he turned his head slightly, his dark eyes fixed like a viper's on Rong Hua, who was dusting off his clothes, and spat out coldly: "What's your name?"

Rong Hua: "I never change my name, sitting or standing—Rong Hua. What's it to you?"

Yan Shenyun said flatly: "Good. Once we're back at the base, I'm going to file a complaint with your top leader about how you've been treating research staff."

Rong Hua snorted coldly.

Soon, the roar of engines filled the air. The backup members who'd been holding down the perimeter arrived in several heavily armed vehicles fitted with reinforced steel bumpers.

With crisp slams of car doors, the group got into position, forming a defensive line, escorting the temperamental Professor Yan back toward the base.

On the desolate wasteland road back, the blood-red sunset on the horizon had already sunk into the dead, silent dark.

Whatever Lei Zheng's tactical reasoning, when he reassigned the seats, he placed Rong Hua and Yan Shenyun in the same vehicle.

On this highway through the infested zone, where high-tier zombie hordes could strike at any moment, putting the team's strongest, most destructive wood-element mutant beside Yan Shenyun for close protection made sense.

Before getting into the car, Yan Shenyun cast a loaded glance in Shu Hanqing's direction.

Shu Hanqing felt a chill run down his spine at that look, and his heart sank instantly.

He thought to himself with some worry: Could this Professor Yan be holding a grudge against him too?

This guy was way too petty. If he already had it out for him over the Water Chain incident, then once they returned to the base, how was Shu Hanqing supposed to ask him for help removing the Thunder Mark?

Before he could snap back to reality, Lei Zheng's gaze swept toward Shu Hanqing: "Shu Hanqing, you're riding in our vehicle—take the passenger seat."

Shu Hanqing shot it down without a second thought.

He had absolutely no desire to cross Lei Zheng or Yan Shenyun right now. If Yan Shenyun started nitpicking him in the confined space of the vehicle, bad-mouthing him in front of Lei Zheng, he didn't have the time or energy for military investigations.

Moreover, somewhere along the line, Mu Ye had begun to look visibly distracted.

Just as they were about to head out,

Rong Hua suddenly came tearing over.

Ignoring all the stares, he strode up to Shu Hanqing and, without a word, grabbed his face firmly with both hands.

"Shu Hanqing, don't look at Mu Ye, don't look at Mu Ye—not even once!"

Shu Hanqing thought, "It's not like I'm blind."

He felt his cheeks ache from Rong Hua's bruising grip, awkwardly avoided the smirking looks around him, and pushed Rong Hua away with one hand, muttering under his breath: "Yeah, yeah. Get in and go."

"Rumble!"

The engine roared like a beast on the dead, empty road, tires grinding over rubble and belching thick, acrid exhaust.

The military vehicles led the way, while the Shengsu Squad brought up the rear as the rear guard.

But barely a dozen kilometers down the ruined road, from deep within the growing darkness, noise suddenly erupted from a half-collapsed commercial ruin not far ahead.

Shu Hanqing whipped around in the jolting back seat.

Out of nowhere, without any warning, hundreds of crazed zombies surged forth like a black tide.

They all charged madly toward the lone rear vehicle in an overwhelming wave!

"Roar!"

The snarling was right on top of them. The leading high-tier mutated zombies leaped, their rotting, reeking bodies slamming against the windows on both sides of the vehicle. Their withered fingers left bloody streaks across the glass as they snarled and howled at those inside.

Sang Mai, in the driver's seat, his face ashen, stomped on the gas with all his might: "Hold on!"

The modified vehicle's wheels plowed through several zombies that had lunged at it, the dull crunch of breaking bones and sticky black blood splattering beneath the tires.

But before the truck could break free, no matter how frantically Sang Mai floored the gas, the wheels just spun.

Their vehicle, surrounded by an ever-growing tide of corpses, was getting left further and further behind Lei Zheng's vehicles ahead—they had fallen off.

Ahead was a wall of darkness—countless zombies stacked into a human wall, blocking the only escape route.

If they delayed any longer, once the surrounding hordes closed in from all sides, everyone in this vehicle would be swarmed and buried alive under the monsters.

In that desperate moment, Mu Ye, who had been sitting in the passenger seat motionless as a statue the entire time, suddenly raised his hand without a flicker of emotion and pulled the door latch.

He turned sideways, his military boot planting directly on the head of a zombie poking its head in as he jumped down.

Shu Hanqing's eye twitched, his heart jumping into his throat. He lunged from the back seat, his fingers almost grabbing Mu Ye's jacket, and yelled hoarsely at his retreating back: "Mu Ye! Are you insane?! Come back!"

Mu Ye slowed to a stop amidst the swirling blood mist and the howls of monsters.

He muttered something under his breath.

The roaring of the monsters was too loud.

Shu Hanqing couldn't hear his words, but he could read Mu Ye's lips.

Mu Ye's lips formed the words—

...Don't worry about me, they're after me, and only me.

Mu Ye's tall frame hit the ground in a roll, and then something unbelievable happened. The frenzied zombies that had been swarming the truck, clawing at the chassis, all let go of the vehicle at once the moment Mu Ye landed.

Their dead, bloodshot eyes turned eerily in his direction, completely ignoring the scent of living humans ahead, zeroing in on Mu Ye alone.

Hundreds of zombies all surged toward him.

At that very second, Sang Mai in the driver's seat, drenched in sweat, yanked the gear shift and shouted in triumph: "...It's moving! Brother Shu, the vehicle is moving!"