Shen Feng sat in the special car, looking at the brilliant lights around him. For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to civilized society, or perhaps to a time of peace. He hadn't seen neon lights on the streets for a long time. As Shen Feng admired the streetlights, he felt a deep sense of nostalgia. Although less than five months had passed, Shen Feng felt as if he had been living in the apocalypse for a very long time.
When the car arrived at a certain location, Lu Yizhen got out. Before parting, he bid farewell to Li Keyi, saying, "Goodbye, it was a pleasure working with you. If the laboratory needs my help in the future, just call me anytime."
"Yes, if there's an opportunity, I will," Li Keyi replied with a smile.
Shen Feng sat in the passenger seat. After more than half an hour, he finally arrived at the laboratory with Li Keyi. The laboratory was heavily guarded. Even though Li Keyi had a pass, she still had to be registered before entering. This was a separate complex of buildings, with people in white coats walking back and forth. Even though it was night, the lights in these buildings were still on.
"Don't you guys sleep at night?" Shen Feng couldn't help but ask.
Li Keyi shook her head and said, "How could we not sleep? We're not robots. We're just researchers. In this situation, we're always very busy. We want to achieve results as soon as possible, so we're working harder now. On average, we sleep about five hours. However, many of us are evolved humans, and our bodies can barely cope."
Shen Feng nodded. He hadn't expected that it wasn't just soldiers who were working hard, but even the researchers were desperately studying.
Soon, Shen Feng was brought to Director Yang's office. He was specifically responsible for researching the behavior of Corpse Kings. Knowing oneself and one's enemy leads to victory, so understanding the enemy is very necessary. Only by understanding the enemy can one make corresponding deductions and guess the enemy's intentions as accurately as possible.
Director Yang attached great importance to Shen Feng's information and quickly rushed to his office. He asked, "Shen Feng, what did you discuss with the Corpse King of Rongcheng? Did the Corpse King say anything special?"
Shen Feng thought carefully and replied, "The Corpse King told me his identity. He said he had human memories, so he could speak human languages. Is this important?"
Director Yang shook his head and said, "I know these things. They're not important. Continue."
Shen Feng continued to recall and said, "Then it was the Corpse King's request. He asked me to kill him. He said he didn't want to be experimented on by humans, so I granted his wish. At that time, he also said to pay attention..."
"Pay attention to what?" Director Yang asked impatiently.
Shen Feng replied, "The Corpse King told me to pay attention to the ocean. He said there are many terrifying existences in the ocean."
Director Yang slapped the table and stood up, excitedly saying, "That's it! That's it! Now it seems my guess is correct! My guess is really correct!"
Shen Feng looked at Director Yang with confusion and said, "You don't need to be so excited, do you? Even if there are monsters in the ocean, it doesn't have much to do with us. After all, our main enemies are zombies and mutated beasts. Ocean creatures, at least for now, have nothing to do with us."
Director Yang said seriously, "You don't understand this. What I care about is not the monsters in the ocean, but the Corpse King himself! You say, why would a Corpse King from Rongcheng know about things in the ocean? Is he lying? Why would he lie? He was already on the brink of death."
Shen Feng shook his head, not understanding.
Li Keyi helplessly shook her head and said with disappointment, "So stupid. This means the Corpse King has special communication channels, connecting from Rongcheng to the ocean! They can still sense things across thousands of miles!"
Shen Feng immediately became suspicious. "How is that possible? The Corpse King doesn't have satellite assistance. How could he be in contact with the monsters in the ocean?"
Director Yang was in high spirits and said directly, "Nothing is impossible. On the contrary, my guess is more reliable! You say, why are the Corpse Kings near Yanjing acting in concert? Is it really a sudden whim? Why didn't they act earlier? Wasn't the beginning of the zombie outbreak the most opportune time for coordinated action?"
Shen Feng shook his head, not knowing what to say. A glimmer of understanding suddenly appeared in his mind, but he suspected he might be wrong.
At this moment, Director Yang said with certainty, "These zombies in the north started acting together only after the Corpse King of Rongcheng was defeated and died. Therefore, the surrounding Corpse Kings knew this and were afraid of being defeated one by one. Under the pressure of humanity, they were forced to unite. Their goal is also very simple: to break through Yanjing. As long as Yanjing is breached, their mission will be completed!"
Shen Feng was confused by this explanation. "I didn't study much, don't lie to me. There are at least a billion zombies nationwide. With such a large number, you tell me that the zombies felt pressure and united. Aren't we the ones feeling the pressure?"
Director Yang waved his hand gently and said seriously, "Please do not doubt the intelligence of the Corpse Kings. The intelligence of the Corpse Kings is very high. As you said, the Corpse Kings have memories of their past lives, so they are definitely not dumber than humans. Then, do you think the Corpse Kings, without modern equipment, can sit back and relax? If I were a Corpse King, I would definitely gather them as quickly as possible and eliminate humanity to survive!"
Shen Feng suddenly understood, but then he had a new doubt. "However, according to what you said, the Corpse Kings in North China felt pressure and were forced to unite. Then why didn't the Corpse Kings in Central China react? Why didn't the Corpse Kings in South China react either? Most importantly, the zombie population in the south is larger than in the north. Even if there was a counterattack, wouldn't the Corpse Kings in the south have counterattacked first?"
Director Yang did not evade this question and said seriously, "This is because the pressure is different! If I'm not mistaken, the Corpse Kings also know the temperature difference between the north and the south. With the cold wave moving south, the north will definitely be covered in ice and snow. If they don't counterattack now, they will have no chance in the spring of next year, because at least half of the ordinary zombies will freeze to death. Therefore, the Corpse Kings in the north are under the greatest pressure, and they are the first to act. These zombies have targeted their objective and started to gather. For this reason, zombies from several northern provinces have gathered, reaching a number of two hundred million. This is their counterattack before death, their final madness! Besides this, there is no other opportunity!"
Shen Feng heard this, and all his doubts disappeared. He understood why the Corpse Kings were besieging Yanjing at this time, and he understood the Corpse Kings' predicament.
"So, the Corpse Kings also know the threat of falling temperatures? Why did the Corpse Kings launch the general offensive now? Why didn't the Corpse Kings act earlier? After all, they could have attacked a month earlier!" Shen Feng continued to ask.
At this moment, Director Yang spread his hands, indicating that he didn't know the reason. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Perhaps the Corpse Kings are not monolithic. They were probably haggling for the past month. In any case, it's no longer important. The Corpse Kings have missed the best time to attack. Just wait for the heavy snow, and we will win!"
Shen Feng's doubts were slightly alleviated by this explanation, but Shen Feng's intuition told him something was wrong. In the past month, had the Corpse Kings really done nothing? Were the Corpse Kings really so foolish as to wait until the last few days to launch the general offensive? It was abnormal, too abnormal.
At this time, Shen Feng gave all the information he had to Director Yang. Director Yang excitedly sat down and began to write a report. He wanted to publish his research, so he asked Li Keyi to escort Shen Feng away. Li Keyi agreed.
As they left the laboratory, Li Keyi suddenly asked, "Shen Feng, can you find the Corpse King's head?"
Shen Feng nodded nonchalantly and casually replied, "Yes, I have one right here."
Li Keyi was overjoyed and quickly asked, "How much do you want for it? I'll buy it. Even if I have to pay in gold, I'll accept it, as long as you sell me the Corpse King's head!"
Shen Feng shrugged and said, "I'm not selling it. This is my treasure. I'm counting on getting two ability users as subordinates. If I sell it, wouldn't I be losing out big time!"
Li Keyi's face showed disappointment. She understood that such a valuable item could not be easily bought or sold. Then, would her dream of becoming an ability user never be realized? Thinking about it, Li Keyi felt very uncomfortable.
"Is there really no possibility?" Li Keyi looked at Shen Feng hopefully.
Seeing her like this, Shen Feng thought, "Why not tease her a little? It's also a way to get revenge for Chu Chaoyan."
Therefore, Shen Feng pretended to be profound, looking Shen Feng up and down with a presumptuous gaze, and said, "Unless..."
"Unless what?" Li Keyi took the bait as expected and quickly asked.
Shen Feng suddenly stopped, placed one hand on the wall, and said with a wicked smile, "Unless you spend the night with me!"
Shen Feng performed a "wall slam," propping himself up on the wall with one hand to tease Li Keyi. He looked like a hooligan, and there was a flaw in this as well, because Shen Feng was slightly shorter than Li Keyi, so Shen Feng had to look up at Li Keyi. Li Keyi leaned against the wall, and her eyes suddenly became resolute.
"You said it, no backing out!" Li Keyi quickly said.
"Ah?" Shen Feng was surprised that she agreed so readily. He was immediately flustered. He just wanted to tease Li Keyi, because such a condition was clearly impossible for a proud woman like her to accept. After all, once she agreed and it got out, Li Keyi's reputation would be ruined. Anyone with principles would not agree to Shen Feng's terms, but Li Keyi's tone was firm, and she actually agreed.
This time, Shen Feng was flustered and quickly changed his tune, "I was just saying it casually, just kidding. Who am I? For my wife, my love is stronger than gold. I would never lay a hand on another woman. Please know this!"
After saying that, Shen Feng turned and left. He regretted it a little. Why did he say such an unnecessary thing, which made him unable to back down?
Of course, Shen Feng also had his reasons. Why did Li Keyi agree to his terms so easily? Did she really want to become an ability user so badly? Shen Feng thought that Li Keyi was also a woman who thought highly of herself, and was accomplished in both literary and martial arts. She shouldn't have agreed to such a vulgar condition so easily, but that's exactly what happened.
Li Keyi, however, chased after him, unwilling to give up, and seriously discussed the transaction, "Why are you going back on your word? You clearly stated the condition, why are you going back on your word? Do you think I'm not good enough for you? I just want to become an ability user. Can you not be so heartless?"
Shen Feng said as he walked, "Please maintain your integrity. Why do you have to become an ability user? You are already an evolved human, a third-tier evolved human. Ordinary ability users are no match for you. Moreover, you are a researcher. Isn't it better for you to be protected and do experiments honestly? Why do you want to fight and kill?"
Li Keyi caught up with Shen Feng and explained, "Because I lack the strength to protect my family. I am not strong enough as an evolved human. I must become an ability user to have the ability to face danger. You are an ability user, so you don't think much of it, but it's different for me. I dream of becoming an ability user every night!"
"There are still over a hundred million living people in the country, but how many ability users are there? It's more than one in ten thousand. The total number of ability users in the country is less than a hundred, fewer than the heroes of Liangshan. Evolved humans are as common as hair, but they have nothing special besides brute strength. I must become an ability user. I want to possess enough powerful strength."
Shen Feng didn't bother to explain much. He took out the pistol he was carrying and handed it to Li Keyi, saying, "Don't you want strength? Here, this gun can kill me at close range. Is this strength strong enough?"
"Do you even understand how strong an ability user is!" Li Keyi was truly angry. She grabbed Shen Feng's collar and said directly, "The power of firearms has its limits, but the evolution of ability users is currently limitless. Ability users can be killed by firearms now, but what about in the future? What if they evolve five, six, or even ten times? How strong will ability users be then, have you ever imagined?"
Shen Feng quietly took back the pistol, shook his head helplessly, said nothing, and turned to leave.
In Shen Feng's opinion, Li Keyi was crazy. This was what Buddhism called becoming possessed by a demon. What is a demon? Obsession is a demon, and the more obsessed one is, the deeper the possession. She had so many things to cherish, and she didn't need to be an ability user to protect her family, but Li Keyi was stubbornly determined to become an ability user. This was completely insane. Even if she became an ability user, what could she do?
Nowadays, the safest place is always in the city. As long as one stays in the city, safety can be guaranteed. Zombies cannot enter the city, nor can mutated beasts. Ability users, however, often have to appear on the battlefield. The battlefield is the most dangerous place, and no one knows if they will die in the next battle. Everyone is worried about the upcoming battles, and Li Keyi did not see this. She had been blinded by the allure of ability users!