There are many ways for humans to be infected by zombies. Yu Yan did not know why the man had suddenly turned, but he was not afraid. He had discovered shortly after arriving in this world that he could control zombies.
Watching the zombie slowly crawl up from the floor, Yu Yan recalled an old human experiment at an inappropriate moment: does a human head remain conscious after being severed? A great scientist had once used his own death to prove that a human retains consciousness for about eleven seconds after decapitation.
He wondered if the same applied to zombies.
With a heavy thud, Yu Yan looked down in disappointment at the zombie’s limp body. He had failed to extract the crystal because it was wedged firmly in the zombie’s hard frontal bone. Yu Yan picked up the dagger the man had dropped earlier and attempted to pry the crystal loose.
Inadvertently, his fingers brushed against something. At the base of the hilt, there was a mechanism that felt like a spring. He flipped the blade over to examine it and accidentally covered his hands in a greasy black liquid. As the stench of zombie blood filled the air, he instantly understood the man’s identity.
He was a follower of the Church of Heavenly Foundation.
They believed that zombies were a form of divine punishment, much like the frequent natural disasters that occurred before the apocalypse. They believed that only when all of humanity turned into zombies would human sin be washed away, allowing the Earth to be reborn. In the original story, they even attempted to collaborate with a massive zombie horde to cause the fall of the Coastal Base, a place that prided itself on a population density of thirty people per square kilometer.
However, that zombie horde was supposed to arrive in two months, not now.
Yu Yan’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door being pushed open roughly. He stood up to face the newcomer. Shan Ze stood in the doorway, dressed in black and completely drenched. Rainwater dripped from his clothes and pooled into a stagnant puddle at his feet. His face was streaked with water and his eyes were red as if he had been crying.
From the man’s heavy breathing, Yu Yan knew this was merely the physical result of intense exertion. Shan Ze’s voice was cautious and hoarse as he asked if Yu Yan was alright. Yu Yan found the question strange. The room was covered in blood and a body lay at his feet; the situation was obvious.
Assuming that Shan Ze would rush forward to embrace him, Yu Yan allowed a self-deprecating smile to cross his lips. He replied with a sharp tone that he was doing perfectly fine. His harsh words, combined with his eyes that had turned a subtle shade of red, made him look like a monster about to break free from its cage in the blood-scented room.
Lightning flashed outside and the rain intensified. Amidst the booming thunder, Yu Yan held the dripping dagger and walked slowly toward the drenched man. Using his blood-stained hand, he affectionately stroked the man’s reddened eyes and asked softly why he had returned so suddenly.
Shan Ze’s gaze was vacant as he replied that he did not know.
“No, you do know,” Yu Yan said with a slight curve to his eyes. He asked if Shan Ze remembered the person he had sent to monitor Qin Shu. To help him remember, Yu Yan mentioned the short-haired girl named Bai Xin.
After a long silence, Shan Ze squeezed out a single word: “Yes.”
So you did know. You knew exactly who arranged the events of tonight.
Yu Yan’s voice rose over the sound of the thunder as he stated his demand: “I want to see Li Rui.”
Yu Yan met Li Rui the following evening in his private office under a low moon. The autumn wind was cold, so Yu Yan had dressed warmly to stay comfortable and to prevent others from recognizing him. Before leaving, Shan Ze had wrapped him up tightly, leaving only his eyes visible behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses.
Sitting in a grey armchair, he slowly unwound the black and white checkered scarf Shan Ze had tied around his neck. The only sound in the quiet space was the water being poured from a kettle. When the scarf was removed, the sound of the water stopped and was replaced by a gentle male voice.
The man remarked that he was so happy to hear from Shan Ze that Yu Yan was alive that he nearly jumped for joy. The owner of the voice was a modestly dressed old man with a kind face and white hair. His wrinkled hands held two white porcelain mugs. He naturally handed one to Yu Yan, noting that because of his age, he had not actually jumped.
The connection between Shen Mian and Li Rui dated back to before the apocalypse, specifically to an experiment called Project Angel. The full name was “A Feasibility Study on Extracting Active Substances from Extraterrestrial Meteorites to Enhance the Human Body.” It was a precursor to the national space migration plan and the beginning of the apocalypse. Shen Mian was among the first researchers involved, and Li Rui was one of its primary supporters. They had worked together for years, so their familiarity was unsurprising.
Under the cold white light of the office, a silver ring on the old man’s finger reflected a bright gleam. Yu Yan smiled as he took the steaming mug, asking with innocent curiosity why Li Rui was so happy given that Yu Yan had already sent word five days ago.
Li Rui looked puzzled, then thoughtful, and finally apologized. He claimed the security office must have intercepted the correspondence again and promised to hold their superiors accountable. The old man’s expression was sincere, but Yu Yan could not help but frown. He pointed out that he had sent someone to deliver the message in person.
Li Rui looked stunned and asked seriously if Yu Yan was certain the messenger had actually spoken to him. Yu Yan confirmed it. If not for that message, the assassination attempt the previous night would not have happened. Very few people had the authority to call Shan Ze away under the pretext of discussing defense against a zombie horde.
Li Rui’s expression soured instantly. He suggested that the messenger must have encountered an Awakened.
Yu Yan was unfamiliar with the term and looked confused. Li Rui explained that their doctrine stated that heaven is the master of all things. He described a group called the Church of Heavenly Foundation, who believed that natural disasters and zombies were punishments from a heavenly master. Those who followed this master were called Awakened and were said to possess powers beyond those of ordinary ability users, such as the power to manipulate minds or create illusions.
None of this had been mentioned in the original story.
Perhaps noticing the skepticism on Yu Yan’s face, Li Rui stopped explaining and instead asked a question from long ago. He asked if Yu Yan remembered why Project Angel was suddenly halted. Yu Yan gave the answer found in Shen Mian’s records: a reagent leak caused a mass infection.
Li Rui revealed that the official story was merely a way to appease the public. He claimed the real reason was that the extraterrestrial meteorite used for the experiments had been stolen, forcing the project to stop immediately.
Yu Yan was not one to believe things without evidence, especially when they came from a potential enemy. Just as he was considering the likelihood of Li Rui inventing a story to deceive him, Li Rui provided proof. It was a video stored on his office computer.
Li Rui turned the screen toward Yu Yan and pointed to a loading video. He explained it was the final recording made when the military was sent to recover the meteorite. He noted that the memory card had been tampered with, but it might provide some answers. As Li Rui spoke, the video finished loading and began to play automatically.