Gu Xiangwan suddenly looked up at Zhou Wangye, afraid of being misunderstood.
“President Zhou, I absolutely don’t mean that. I only offered to help because I was worried Miss Lin Ran might not manage on her own. I have no intention of taking the zombie core.”
Lin Ran immediately jumped in, playing along: “Then I misunderstood Secretary Gu.”
But despite her words, Lin Ran’s expression clearly conveyed another meaning: You really are trying to snatch the core from me!
Gu Xiangwan persistently looked at Zhou Wangye, as if waiting for his decision.
Zhou Wangye sighed deeply, suddenly feeling a little tired.“Lin Ran, stop fooling around. We need to focus on the task at hand. This zombie core is yours—you won’t be deprived of it.”
Seeing the hopeful look in Gu Xiangwan’s eyes, he added, “Secretary Gu wouldn’t do that anyway.”
Lin Ran, looking at Gu Xiangwan, smirked: Ha, you’re so hypocritical, so self-righteous… hah, you really have to keep up that act, don’t you.
Those in the car also nodded in agreement: Secretary Gu wouldn’t compete with Miss Lin Ran.
Wasn’t that obvious?
Even the President had said the core belonged to Miss Lin Ran—it naturally belonged to her.
They all knew their place—they would never think: now that the apocalypse has come and they’ve awakened abilities, they are on equal footing with the President.
They were never equals with Zhou Wangye—they were his subordinates. Naturally, they followed his arrangements.
Even if they awakened abilities, how could they compete with Zhou Wangye’s dual-element powers?
Besides, without his business vehicle, how could they even gather supplies on foot?
Just the zombies along the coastline would be enough to overwhelm them.
And they still had to return to the capital.
Without the President’s helicopter, how would they get back?
Even after returning, they’d still have to follow him.
The President’s grandfather had authority in the capital; they wouldn’t dare ignore Zhou Wangye and start over on their own.
Gu Xiangwan was touched by Zhou Wangye’s words: “Secretary Gu wouldn’t do that.”
She knew the President trusted her.
Lin Ran, seeing Gu Xiangwan’s blatant expression, thought: Is Zhou Wangye blind? He can’t even see this?
But then she remembered—this was a brainless Mary Sue novel. Just by the title—“Apocalypse Favorite: The Base Boss Loves Hard”—logic wasn’t a priority.
She didn’t bother with it, instead pulling Secretary Wang to prepare.
Outside the business car, the cloaked zombie watched.
For the first time, it saw its zombie minions vanish before its eyes.
Finally, it was enraged!
This was bullying zombies—utterly unreasonable!
It had been bullied before the apocalypse, and now, as a mutated zombie, it was still being humiliated?
Unacceptable.
These rich humans would pay.
It first controlled ordinary zombies, keeping them a short distance from the car so they couldn’t be taken away.
Then the mutated zombies hiding at the back of the horde were sent to surround the business car again.
These mutated zombies were initially meant to be reserved for critical moments.
But it had ambitions—since fate had awakened it as a mutated zombie with strong psychic control, it refused to remain an ordinary, mediocre zombie.
Eating human brains would never satisfy it.
Before the apocalypse, it had been oppressed.
Afterward, it wanted to become the Zombie King, take over the city, and kill all those humans.
Become the true king!
Thus, these mutated zombies would be its trusted subordinates in the future.
But in the current situation, it had no choice but to use them.
A burst of flames engulfed the vine that Secretary Wang had secretly hidden under the car.
“Ah!” Secretary Wang cried out in alarm. Zhou Wangye released a water jet to extinguish the fire.
The vehicle shuddered violently under the impact of concentrated psychic energy.
Outside the car, more than ten mutated zombies of various forms surrounded the business vehicle.
Eight high-level mutated zombies continuously unleashed elemental attacks.
Blazing fireballs struck the car doors.
Ice spikes collided with the glass, ringing with sharp clangs.
Metal blades scraped the vehicle with grating screeches.
Most terrifying of all was the psychic-type mutated zombie.
It swung a rusted firefighter’s axe, each strike causing the bulletproof windows to tremble violently.
Meng Yan, in the driver’s seat, was only half a meter away from the swinging axe.
If the glass shattered, he would be the first to be injured.
He was the only ordinary human in the car without awakened powers.
Yet this retired soldier displayed remarkable composure.
He remained calm, quickly adjusted his seat to the farthest back position, and steadily looked at Zhou Wangye: “President Zhou?”
His eyes, tempered by life-and-death trials, were full of unreserved trust.
He was confident the President would have a plan.
“Open the sunroof.”
Zhou Wangye’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion.
Lin Ran instinctively looked up as the sunroof slowly opened.
Suddenly, Zhou Wangye stood, half his body leaning outside the car, right palm raised flat.
“Thunder Serpent—Awaken!”
At his deep voice, blinding electricity erupted.
Not simple arcs of electricity, but a massive serpentine thunderbolt, coiling like a living creature, emitting a shrill screech that made teeth ache.
The thunder serpent seemed alive, splitting into multiple strikes, accurately biting each mutated zombie.
This was Zhou Wangye’s new ability after breaking into high-level—an intelligent arc that automatically seeks enemies within five meters.
Lightning energy dominated all elemental attacks; the previously frenzied horde was frozen as if paused.
All zombies froze in place, their eyes’ faint light extinguished by the electric glow.
“Truly a male lead,” Lin Ran silently sighed.
Breaking two levels in a short time, such talent was terrifying.
But it wasn’t over.
A sharp gleam flashed in Zhou Wangye’s eyes. His left hand traced a mysterious pattern in the air.
Moisture in the air condensed into pale blue water energy, swirling like a fine veil around the raging thunder serpent.
“Combine!”
With a shout, the two powers fused perfectly.
The blue-purple electric glow mixed with water mist expanded instantly, its brilliance forcing everyone outside to instinctively close their eyes.
When the light dissipated, only ten charred zombie corpses remained outside, frozen in their final positions.
A gentle breeze blew, turning them into flying ash like burnt charcoal.
Water conducts electricity!
Meng Yan exhaled slowly, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel.
Had he not witnessed the overwhelming power of abilities, he might have remained calm.
At this moment, his determination to grow stronger surged like never before.
Outside, the cloaked zombie watched, its subordinate mutated zombies turn to ash under the lightning.
From its withered throat came a furious, hoarse roar.
This roar was unlike any zombie sound before, penetrating the car with a chilling, nerve-wracking force.
“Not good!”
Before the words finished, everyone in the car felt as if their heads had been struck by a hammer, excruciating pain forcing them to bend over and cover their heads.
Lin Ran felt as if her skull would explode.
A strange psychic energy attacked the spot in her mind where her ability core resided.
She had forgotten—psychic zombies not only control low-level zombies but can directly attack humans’ minds.