Chapter 9: Is It Only Your Family That Has a Background?
1327 Words
Since strengthening his body, Lin Yuan had never fully revealed his maximum speed, but now, he finally had a chance to put it to use.
Considering that the rescue team would arrive early the next morning, Lin Yuan gave Shen Rong enough time to rest.
Afterwards, he lit a cigarette and sat by the window, slowly reminiscing.
【Current Level: Level 1 Zombie】
【Evolution Progress: 1/500】
【Abilities: Agile movement, life sense】
【Talent: Virus Absorption (absorbs virus energy through killing zombies; one ordinary zombie increases the evolution progress by one point.)】
It took biting Shen Rong a hundred times to complete the first stage of evolution. Though the effects weren’t immediately visible, Lin Yuan could feel the immense power hidden within his body. Shen Rong's situation was clearly due to the virus granting her a regenerative ability, though it was unclear if others had developed similar traits. Even though Lin Yuan had acquired the zombie evolution system, his body hadn’t yet shown any particular abilities, and he wondered if there was a chance of awakening some special power. However, just the physical enhancements alone were enough to rival those with special abilities.
For now, the main problem was knowing too little about the virus. To gain detailed information, he would need to join the rescue team and learn more about the cause of the apocalypse.
The next morning, the entire city became lively, with the sound of gunfire drawing closer and helicopters flying overhead, signaling that the rescue team had reached the city’s outskirts.
Although the zombies were terrifying, no carbon-based life form could survive the barrage of modern weapons.
The gunfire started at six and continued until nine, but there was still no sign of the rescue team arriving near the office building.
The radio kept reassuring the city's survivors, reminding them that chaos was more likely to break out as the rescue drew near. Some people, afraid of being left behind, were even considering heading toward the rescue team’s location to meet up with them.
After a good sleep, Shen Rong had mostly recovered. The dense red marks on her body had all disappeared, leaving only faint traces. Her complexion, nourished and radiant, was full of vitality.
“Brother Yuan, are we going to just keep waiting here?”
She was impatient for the rescue, at least to lead a stable life.
"Are you really so eager to join the rescue team, be assigned to a refugee camp, and receive just enough food to survive while not even being able to guarantee your own safety?" Lin Yuan retorted.
The joy of being rescued caused most people not to consider what would come next.
"How could that be? Our country’s policy is to treat every citizen equally. Haven’t there been disasters before? The refugees always had enough food," Shen Rong replied, slightly dismissive. Even though she was just a small business owner, she thought she would still be treated differently.
"Don't be so naive. The rescue speed in the past was because transportation was easy and unobstructed. But now? Zombies are everywhere. The rescue team has to clear the way before advancing slowly. How much food do you think they can carry?"
Lin Yuan always considered the worst-case scenario, and this could be even more frightening than he imagined.
"Maybe if you reveal your ability, you’ll get special treatment. But I bet many people will covet the genes behind this rapid healing. Even if they don’t slice you up for research, the rest of your life might be spent in a lab or a petri dish."
Shen Rong shuddered at his words, unable to imagine the torment she would endure in such a situation.
"That can’t be, right? Our country’s scientists are still humane."
Although Shen Rong said this, the fear in her eyes had already taken root deeply.
“Don’t underestimate human nature. If eating your flesh could give them the ability to heal rapidly, do you think they’d eat you on the spot or keep you captive, cutting off a piece every day?”
Shen Rong trembled again, the joy of gaining a special ability completely vanished, leaving only fear.
“Then what should I do? Are we still going out?”
At this point, she had no direction and felt utterly lost.
“Of course, we’re going out. Following the rescue team will be safer. You don’t want to stay trapped here forever, right? Just keep your ability hidden, and don’t let a third person know about it.”
The gunfire outside grew closer. Lin Yuan began packing supplies, strapping a large bag onto himself, ready to leave at any moment.
Before long, hurried footsteps could be heard outside, with bullets whizzing past. One by one, zombies fell to the ground.
“Survivors nearby, stay in your rooms and do not move. Find cover and protect yourselves. We will rescue you as quickly as possible!”
It was difficult for survivors trapped in high-rise buildings to come down. Even though most of the zombies had been drawn elsewhere, there were still plenty of them trapped inside the building.
Standing by the third-floor window, Lin Yuan could clearly see the fully-armed rescue soldiers, dressed in camouflage uniforms with black helmets and rifles in hand. They advanced in teams of three, covering each other as they moved slowly forward.
“See that? That’s what you call professional!”
The sci-fi-looking weapons and gear were the dream equipment of every man. A few people in the high floors of the office building opened their windows to call for help, while others from different floors did the same, eager to be noticed by the rescue team and not be left behind. This was why the rescue operation, which had started at six, had only progressed such a short distance by nine. Each neighborhood's rescue took a long time, not to mention the hassle of dealing with troublesome people shouting, "Rescue me first! Hurry up! My dad is Yang Chaoming!"
On the fifth floor across the street, a woman was shouting at the top of her lungs, her voice filled with the joy of being saved but also carrying a tone of entitlement and command.
“Who is Yang Chaoming?” Lin Yuan looked at the woman, a bit envious. People like her always seemed to enjoy the best treatment, whether in peaceful times or the apocalypse.
“You don’t know Yang Chaoming? He’s a big shot in this area.”
Hearing the woman’s call, one of the soldiers on the ground took out binoculars to check and contacted someone via radio. After all, the offspring of high-ranking individuals often enjoyed special privileges, and the soldiers didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble.
“See? I told you we’d get rescued first. I’m not like the rest of you,” the woman boasted loudly from the window, the more people heard her, the stronger her sense of superiority seemed to grow.
“Damn it!” Lin Yuan cursed under his breath. He opened the window and shouted outside, “Yang Chaoming? He’s nobody! My dad is Lin Chaoming! Come rescue me first!”
After yelling, Lin Yuan quickly ducked back inside, opened the door, and started heading out.
“Hey, does your family have connections too?” Shen Rong, surprised, thought Lin Yuan came from some influential family and hurried to catch up.
“Hell no, I’m an orphan.”
The zombies on the third floor were all trapped on the fourth, so there was no need to worry about running into obstacles. Lin Yuan had already scouted the route.
Before they even made it out of the office building, they could hear the noise from outside.
“Yang Chaoming? He’s nobody! My dad is Sun Chaoming! Rescue me first!”
“Yang Chaoming? He’s nobody! My dad is Zhang Chaoming! Rescue me first!”
The cries for help echoed one after another.
- Writer
