When Jiang Tao appeared, Jiang Congwen was extremely excited. He immediately grabbed Jiang Tao’s hands, and after seeing that he wasn’t injured, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
“You’re back. That’s all that matters. Next time, don’t act recklessly again.”
Jiang Congwen had never allowed Jiang Tao to go out on missions. This time, Jiang Tao had left with a group of people without permission.
The concern on his father’s face fell into Jiang Ran’s eyes.
His dark eyes remained completely emotionless, as still as a dead pool of water.
It was only then that Jiang Tao seemed to notice Jiang Ran. He raised his chin slightly, looking rather proud.
“Dad, I’ve heard about what happened at the base. Don’t worry. I have a solution.”
The moment he said this, everyone in the room was stunned.
The ability users in the base all turned toward Jiang Tao.
Everyone except Jiang Ran.
Jiang Tao swept his gaze around the room. Seeing the eagerness and anticipation in everyone’s eyes, he was extremely pleased.
He spoke with absolute confidence.
“This time, I brought back Dr. Yang, a biologist, along with several experimental zombies. Dr. Yang has already developed a drug. Once it’s injected into a zombie, the zombie will rapidly evolve and mutate into an ultra-high-level zombie.
“Because of the drug, these zombies will obey human commands. And ultra-high-level zombies can basically control lower-level zombies.”
For the base, this was indeed shocking news.
It meant that they would finally no longer have to confront the zombies head-on.
They wouldn’t have to risk their lives anymore.
They could even use these zombies to attack ordinary zombies and then eliminate the controlled zombies afterward. If everything went according to plan, they might eventually be able to wipe out all the zombies.
And they wouldn’t lose a single soldier in the process.
Xu Feiyan was the first to stand up and support Jiang Tao.
“That’s wonderful, Chief! With a drug like this, our base won’t just be able to eliminate the zombies and reclaim human territory. We can even make the other bases submit to us. If the zombies are ultimately wiped out using a drug developed by our base, then our base will become the highest authority in the human world!”
They would become heroes and leaders to all of humanity. At the same time, the threat of zombies would disappear, and they wouldn’t have to worry about turning into zombies themselves one day.
Wasn’t this the kind of status that ordinary people like them before the apocalypse had never even dared to dream of?
Jiang Congwen was captivated by the glorious future Xu Feiyan had painted for him. His eyes grew brighter and brighter.
“Good! Good! As expected of my son.”
He looked at Jiang Tao approvingly, filled with anticipation for the plan.
“Then I’ll leave this matter to you. From today onward, I announce that everyone in the base will follow Team Leader Jiang Tao’s orders and cooperate with him to produce more of this drug.”
Amid the excited cheers of everyone, only Jiang Ran remained completely unmoved.
His voice was cold and indifferent.
“The higher a zombie’s level, the closer its intelligence becomes to that of a human. Nothing with its own consciousness will obediently allow itself to be controlled.
“You want to capture ordinary zombies and turn them into ultra-high-level zombies? Be careful. You might end up playing with fire and getting burned.”
Jiang Ran hated zombies. He loathed them beyond measure, and everyone in the base knew it.
Hearing this, everyone assumed that he simply didn’t want to cooperate with zombies.
Several neutral members spoke up.
“Team Leader Jiang, don’t worry. We only want to use zombies to deal with zombies. Once the disobedient zombies have been eliminated, we’ll immediately destroy the zombies controlled by our drug as well. We absolutely won’t allow a single zombie to remain in this world and threaten humanity.”
Jiang Tao, however, didn’t think so.
He believed Jiang Ran was only saying these things because he was afraid that Jiang Tao would finally accomplish something great and surpass him in prestige. That was why he wanted to undermine the plan and turn everyone against it.
“Dr. Yang has already conducted numerous experiments. All the zombies controlled by the drug obey him perfectly. If he tells them to go east, they absolutely won’t go west.
“Right now, the only thing we’re lacking is a large supply of the medicinal ingredients needed to manufacture the drug. All we need to do is gather resources and assist Dr. Yang.”
After saying that, he clapped his hands confidently.
“Bring it in.”
Everyone turned toward the door.
Two ability users from the base entered, escorting a zombie that was covered in rotting flesh but had a powerful, muscular build.
The zombie’s eyes were blue.
Its deep-blue irises resembled an ocean with no visible end, inexplicably filling everyone with fear.
An ultra-high-level zombie.
It was a type of zombie that even they had never encountered before.
However, they had heard other ability users talk about them. Everyone who had encountered an ultra-high-level zombie had either died…
Or become one of them.
The ability users in the conference room were so frightened by the zombie that they instinctively backed away several steps.
Jiang Tao smiled.
“Don’t be afraid. This zombie is completely under my command now.”
He clapped his hands and looked at Jiang Ran.
“Since Big Brother doesn’t believe me, why don’t you cooperate and help me demonstrate?”
He pulled out a small bell, shook it three times toward the zombie, and then issued a command.
“Go. Pour my big brother a cup of tea.”
Everyone knew that Jiang Ran hated zombies.
Jiang Tao knew it better than anyone.
Jiang Ran glanced coldly at Jiang Tao, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes appearing on his face.
“Have I ever told you not to get in my way?”
Seeing Jiang Ran lose his temper, Jiang Tao smiled faintly.
“Big Brother, don’t be angry. I’m only trying to help you vent your anger. You hate zombies, so I’ll make a zombie submit to you and serve you. I’ll make it bow and scrape before you.”
Jiang Ran said nothing more.
The water dispenser was near the entrance of the conference room, and the blue-eyed zombie had already walked over.
It moved with surprising agility, filled a cup of water, and turned around to walk toward Jiang Ran.
Its deep-blue eyes were cold and vacant.
Holding the cup of water in both hands, it came before Jiang Ran and then knelt on the ground. Raising the cup high above its head, it respectfully offered the water to him.
Everyone stared at the scene in astonishment.
It really worked.
They could actually control a zombie—and not just any zombie, but an ultra-high-level zombie!
It was as if everyone could already see the dawn of victory.
They could see the zombies being wiped out, the apocalypse coming to an end, and humanity eventually being ruled by them.
Jiang Ran didn’t miss the sinister, vicious glint that flashed through the zombie’s eyes the instant it knelt down.
He looked at the zombie and reached out, seemingly intending to take the cup.
It was at that exact moment that Jiang Tao quietly shook the bell.
No one noticed.
And at the same moment, lightning suddenly erupted from Jiang Ran’s hand, striking the blue-eyed zombie with its full force.
“Crack! Crackle!”
The violent sound of electricity instantly filled the conference room, startling everyone into scattering.
The powerful energy and pressure accompanying the lightning made everyone’s hair stand on end.
The zombie’s rigid body collapsed to the ground.
Before it could hit the floor, Jiang Ran snatched the cup from its hands. Then he stood up and walked toward Jiang Tao.
His sudden movement caught everyone completely off guard.
No one had expected Jiang Ran to suddenly attack the experimental zombie.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
They had thought this was their only experimental specimen.
Xu Feiyan couldn’t hold back and roared furiously.
“Jiang Ran, you’ve gone too far! This was our only hope! You’re going against the entire base!”
Jiang Congwen also glared at Jiang Ran angrily.
“You’d better give me a reasonable explanation.”
Jiang Ran walked up to Jiang Tao and slowly pulled open his collar.
Then he poured the cup of ice-cold water straight down the front of Jiang Tao’s shirt.
The freezing liquid trickled down Jiang Tao’s neck.
His face went blank, and his hands clenched tightly into fists.
Before he could unleash his anger, Jiang Ran grabbed him viciously by the throat.
Jiang Tao didn’t even have time to resist before Jiang Ran lifted him off the ground with one hand.
He couldn’t breathe.
He desperately tried to pry Jiang Ran’s hand away.
Jiang Ran’s expression remained emotionless as he tightened his grip.
Only then did Jiang Congwen snap out of his shock.
He couldn’t provoke this monster.
If Jiang Ran went berserk, he might destroy the entire base before the zombie horde even arrived.
“Jiang Ran, let’s talk this out. Let go of Jiang Tao.”
He hurriedly softened his tone, speaking with even a hint of caution.
Jiang Ran continued choking Jiang Tao until he was nearly suffocating before finally throwing him aside.
Jiang Tao slammed into the wall and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He knelt on the floor, one hand clutching his chest.
He had arrived full of confidence and pride.
Now, he was utterly humiliated.
Jiang Ran looked at him as though he were nothing more than an insignificant insect.
“If I hadn’t promised Grandpa that I wouldn’t kill you, do you think you’d have the right to stand in front of me and speak?
“Remember this: if you want to stay alive, stay away from me.”
The murderous intent in his eyes was completely undisguised.
At that moment, no one dared to provoke Jiang Ran.
Jiang Ran truly was a madman.
He had no humanity and was terrifyingly cold.
Everyone suddenly remembered what had happened three months earlier, when he had first arrived at the base.
That was when he had finally been reunited with his parents.
His biological mother had turned into a zombie that very day.
He had picked up a gun and, without the slightest hesitation, aimed it at his own mother after she became a zombie.
Then he pulled the trigger without showing her even the slightest mercy.