“You’ve been researching this all along?”
Lu Heng knew Long Cheng had been researching zombies. He had initially thought the man was studying the zombie virus, searching for an antibody to save humanity.
He hadn't expected that this man would create such a large base and employ so many people for research, only to prolong his own lineage.
However, could that zombie truly continue his lineage?
Lu Heng had never considered this point before.
Although high-level zombies recovered their original human intelligence and emotions in their brains, had their other bodily systems also recovered, and even gained the ability to reproduce?
Lu Heng had never thought about this. It was likely that in both his lives during the apocalypse, very few people would have paid attention to this detail.
“Hand him over to me. As long as he doesn’t actively harm humans, I won’t kill him. As for your concerns about lineage, you don’t need to struggle anymore.”
No matter what, even if zombies gained reproductive capabilities, this planet would not allow zombies to reproduce again. They could only perish. The current generation of zombies was already humanity's nightmare. Zombies could not coexist with humans.
“No, you can’t take him. This is my only request. I’ll trade Long Cheng for him.”
The man became frantic, taking a few steps towards Lu Heng, his eyes gradually showing a hint of madness.
“Then you can die. Only one of you, you or your son, can live.”
As he spoke, Lu Heng raised his hand and waved it towards the man. The man's head instantly separated from his body. His eyes bulged in disbelief, and as he tried to say something, only a few short "uh-uh" sounds escaped his lips.
The moment Lu Heng killed the man, his eyes darted towards the Level 9 zombie. The zombie seemed to raise its hand, but in the end, it only lifted it slightly before weakly letting it fall to its side.
“You felt it?” He hadn’t expected that this Level 9 zombie, while under Lin Xue’s control, would still react upon seeing its father killed. Although the reaction was imperceptible, it was still a deviation from Lin Xue's control.
But as the room door opened again, Lin Chongshan, standing outside, looked at Lu Heng and his group emerging and asked, “Did he let you go? Or…?”
“He made a deal with me using Long Cheng. Long Cheng will be managed by Wuming City from now on. As for you all, stay put in Long Cheng for now. Once my people arrive to take over, we’ll discuss your fates. If anyone causes trouble during this time, the fate of the person inside will be your tomorrow.”
After speaking, Lu Heng summoned the Pterodactyl, and with Lin Xue and the zombie aboard, they quickly left Long Cheng.
Watching the shadows disappear towards the city walls, someone beside Lin Chongshan asked, “What happened to Commander Sun? Who did he say would face that fate just now?”
Lin Chongshan was stunned for a moment. He took a few steps towards the door, and upon seeing the person inside who was decapitated, he couldn't help but retreat, collapsing onto the ground.
He muttered, “It’s over, it’s all over…”
At this moment, the others also reacted, walking to the doorway to look inside. Upon seeing the headless corpse, they were all terrified. Some even wet their pants.
“What… what do we do…”
“Commander Sun is dead…”
“Seal the news. All of you, keep this matter buried. Lord Lu, the city lord, just warned us. You all know his capabilities. If you don’t want to die, shut your mouths.”
Finally, Lin Chongshan regained his composure. As the second-in-command who was most involved in the base’s affairs, he now commanded those around him, his eyes scanning everyone present, remembering them.
Hearing Lin Chongshan’s warning, and recalling the implicit threat from Lord Lu, everyone shivered again, a chill running down their spines.
After all, the deceased Commander Sun was a Level 10 ability user, yet he had died silently at Lu Heng’s hands. Moreover, that Level 9 zombie had been controlled by him, showing no signs of struggle or frenzied behavior.
Therefore, Lord Lu’s threat was not empty. If they revealed what had just happened, their lives would surely be ended by that person.
“Clean up the inside, and then everyone just wait for people from Wuming City to arrive.” Lin Chongshan glanced back at the room with a sense of defeat, then stood up and walked away.
After so long, everything had turned to dust. After immersing himself in the marketplace, he had gradually lost himself. His sense of responsibility as a soldier had also faded.
He suddenly felt that everything he had done after the apocalypse was wrong. He had not only betrayed his original beliefs but had also failed his son.
He was a disgrace to humanity, a disgrace to fatherhood.
…
Inside Wuming City, Lu Heng brought Lin Xue and the others directly back to his courtyard in the inner city.
“Release your control over it.”
Hearing Lu Heng’s command, Lin Xue nodded. Soon, the Level 9 zombie gradually recovered. It looked around the unfamiliar environment with a dazed expression.
“Can you speak?”
The zombie’s throat moved, suppressing its craving for Lu Heng. “Yes.”
Its voice, rough from the glass, was difficult to bear, sounding very unpleasant.
But it was a zombie that could speak, which was already remarkable.
Lu Heng noticed the zombie was suppressing its craving for blood and the scent of humans.
He took out a cup of ancient well water and placed it in front of the zombie, then sat down on the sofa.
“Try drinking this.”
The bodily functions of ordinary zombies were in a state of death. They couldn’t really feel hunger or thirst. Their harm to humans stemmed from the instinctual reactions of the zombie virus.
Lu Heng had previously made zombies fight and upgrade each other. He discovered that no matter how many of their own kind were present to be killed, these zombies would pounce on each other and devour them.
In fact, if humans were in front of them, they would react the same way.
No matter how many humans were placed before them, those zombies would incessantly bite and consume human flesh and blood.
Some low-level zombies had lost internal organs. When attacked by other zombies, their insides were already emptied, but as long as their brains were intact and had produced crystals, they were as if alive again.
Even without digestive organs, they would continue to bite and consume.
The Level 9 zombie stared at the cup of water Lu Heng had placed in front of it. Although it had regained intelligence and emotions, these normal human actions had been forgotten.
It looked stiffly at the cup, unsure of what Lu Heng wanted it to do.
“Lin Xue, show him.”
Lin Xue walked to the cup of water and took a sip.
The Level 9 zombie tilted its head, staring at Lin Xue. It didn’t drink the water and spoke again in a hoarse voice, “Com… rade.”