"Are you saying that zombies have developed human consciousness?"
The apartment door had been closed, and Ning Yu poured a glass of water for Lin Hao, though he showed no intention of drinking it.
He gently bit his lower lip, looking down at his feet.
"Yes, although I don't understand why, but she gradually became less aggressive."
"She could even recognize me."
"Once she reached out her hand, and I instinctively moved away, only to realize she just wanted to touch my face."
Shen Yiyue remained silent on the other side, not participating in the conversation.
Although she knew who the man was when she heard Ning Yu say 'Lin Hao', seeing his dispirited state and that he didn't recognize her, she stayed back, accompanying her sister.
"If that's the case, then why..."
Ning Yu felt confused.
"Later, as you said, we ran out of food."
Lin Hao's eyes were completely lost in memories, a thin layer of mist covering them.
Tears rolled down from his eyes without him noticing, dropping onto the floor.
Ning Yu noticed fine lines had appeared at the corners of his eyes, which shouldn't be there at his age.
"I couldn't find any meat anywhere, and she became aggressive again."
"I felt there was no point in continuing like this, I had nothing left to live for."
"So I opened the door and unfastened her chains, wanting her to eat me."
Ning Yu felt her soul shaken, but somehow understood Lin Hao's actions.
"But she..."
Lin Hao could barely control his emotions, his lower lip trembling.
"She fought against her hunger, pushed me away, and knocked me unconscious."
"When I woke up, I found her lying on the ground, having stabbed herself in the head with a kitchen knife."
"She... committed suicide."
Lin Hao only realized his tears had soaked his clothes when Ning Yu handed him tissues.
He silently took them and wiped his face.
"She took out that note again and placed it on the table, weighing it down with cutlery."
Lin Hao pulled out something familiar to Ning Yu from his pocket - a crumpled piece of notebook paper with three characters written in elegant handwriting:
"Stay alive."
Lin Hao carefully put the note away, then clenched his fists tightly, his arms trembling.
"I swear!"
"I will find the people who created this virus."
"I curse them to hell!"
"How dare they... how dare they take her away from me."
"I'll make them pay!!"
He gritted his teeth, his nails digging into his palms, almost shouting the words "make them pay" in a hoarse voice.
Shen Qianqian, hearing this voice, raised her head fearfully:
"Sister..."
Shen Yiyue stroked her head and took her sister's hand:
"Come on, let's go read in the room?"
Only then did Lin Hao realize his emotions had gotten too intense, and he quickly wiped his face, showing an apologetic expression:
"I'm sorry... truly sorry..."
Ning Yu sat silently across from him, and after a while, she asked:
"Why are you so certain this is man-made rather than a natural disaster?"
As soon as she asked this, Ning Yu remembered the biomedical textbooks she had seen at Lin Hao's house that day.
Lin Hao, having recovered from his emotional outburst, didn't directly answer her question:
"I saw you go to Zhuang Wugou's office at the research group last night, so you really did come here."
"Yes, thanks to your intelligence."
Ning Yu nodded, not rushing to press for answers.
"I came to see you for two reasons."
"First, to give you the serum you submitted yesterday, though that's just an excuse to see you."
"Second, to warn you to be careful of Zhuang Wugou - he's definitely not what he seems."
Lin Hao looked at Ning Yu seriously.
"After joining the research group here, I've been looking for opportunities to study the T-virus."
"Zhuang Wugou always has us put the virus directly into machines for purification, never giving us chances to study it independently."
"I secretly kept some samples and discovered some issues in my private research."
"These viruses, after purification, not only enhance human bodies and awaken abilities but also contain other hidden information."
"Someone has hidden metadata in the T-virus's genetic sequence, involving some cryptography knowledge that I haven't decoded yet."
"But it's clearly artificially inserted large data sequences, and I'm absolutely certain there's something hidden in there."
"And Zhuang Wugou, he rarely participates in research work, yet understands the T-virus very well and possesses much advanced knowledge."
"I know he must know something about what's going on, but I haven't dared to do anything about it."
Ning Yu understood his meaning: when you're under someone's roof, what can you do even if you suspect something? Could you confront them directly?
"I'm also interested in his secrets."
Ning Yu spoke softly, causing Lin Hao to start slightly before his eyes widened and he leaned forward:
"Really?"
"Perhaps we can work together."
Ning Yu gazed at Lin Hao with her amber eyes, speaking calmly.
"What else do you need for your research?"
"I need more preliminary purified T-virus serum."
He answered without hesitation.
"With more serum and enough samples, I'll have a better chance of cracking the encryption key."
"No problem."
Ning Yu agreed immediately.
When she goes out with the expedition team to kill mutant zombies, she can give the serum directly to Lin Hao instead of through the research group's window.
Going through the window would mean it going straight into the machines, leaving Lin Hao no chance to study it.
"You need to be careful to hide your actions."
"Don't worry, Zhuang Wugou trusts me completely, he has no suspicions about me."
Ning Yu and Lin Hao arranged secret meeting methods and code words, ensuring their actions wouldn't be noticed by the Ark Base.
"As soon as there's any progress, I'll contact you immediately."
Lin Hao said this before leaving, putting on his gold-rimmed glasses, transforming back into that scholarly, frail-looking young man.
He opened the door and left.
Ning Yu stared at Lin Hao's departing figure, her mind wrestling with a series of questions.
The T-virus was really man-made - why would anyone create such a thing?
Was Zhuang Wugou involved in its creation?
If he was, why would he then create an ark to save humanity?
What was the connection between the blue-haired girl who didn't kill her last time and the T-virus?
Her head felt chaotic with many unanswerable questions.
"Knock knock knock"
Shortly after Lin Hao left, there was another knock at the apartment door.
Did he forget something?
Ning Yu went to open the door again.
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
