TL: Moonlit
Xiao Hen still didn’t know that Wen Qingling had gone out and returned with a subsidiary base. He originally wanted to go to the Xiang County base to find people, but unexpectedly ran into Wen Qingling in the outer city.
“So it ended so quickly?” Xiao Hen was surprised.
He thought that Wen Qingling would plan the scope and construction of the planting area together with Chang Boheng. He didn’t expect Wen Qingling to come back so soon.
Wen Qingling replied, “It’s just a few words. Do I have to help them build the city walls?”
Xiao Hen was taken aback. “Build city walls?”
Wen Qingling briefly explained the situation of the Xiang County base to Xiao Hen. With the sudden increase in population, the base couldn’t accommodate everyone, so he had to let them move to the county town of Xiang County.
Xiao Hen stared at him for a long time, and Wen Qingling asked, puzzled, “What are you looking at?”
Xiao Hen smiled, a satisfied smile. “I didn’t expect you to voluntarily help the Xiang County base.”
Wen Qingling said with a pale face, “Because they gave me a lot of crystal nuclei.”
Xiao Hen’s satisfaction froze. “…”
Those guys from the Xiang County base tempted his little zombies with crystal nuclei?!
Xiao Hen took a deep breath. It seemed that he was being delusional. He thought that Wen Qingling was getting closer to humans because he listened to his persuasion. He didn’t expect it was all because of the crystal nuclei they offered.
Xiao Hen laughed. He knew very well that Wen Qingling’s help to the Xiang County base wasn’t solely for the crystal nuclei. Otherwise, when the Ling City base actively approached him and offered to hire him with crystal nuclei, he didn’t budge. Therefore, the crystal nuclei were only secondary. Willingness was the main factor.
Wen Qingling didn’t understand why he was laughing. “Are you bored? Why are you wandering around the outer city?”
Xiao Hen replied, “I came to find you. The research lab has made some progress, and Old Zhu wants you to come and take a look.”
Wen Qingling’s eyes instantly lit up. Without saying a word, he got in the car and headed toward the research lab.
Xiao Hen, who was left behind, was helpless and had to drive his own car to catch up.
The Western City Research Lab was now well-established. This was a crucial research facility, and with the presence of the sisters, Wen Qingling was not worried about security issues. After Xiao Hen took over as the Commander-in-Chief of the civilized city, his first priority was to protect the research lab. He understood the significance of this place to civilized zombies and its attraction to humans.
The research lab was important, and it was not excessive to have strict defense measures.
Xiao Hen didn’t have the confidence to think that he was the only spatial ability user in the world. If he could easily move equipment and empty the food supply, other spatial ability users who knew about the situation in the civilized city could easily steal the research data. Xiao Hen had to be cautious.
When Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen arrived at the research lab, the four research assistants were delighted, but Old Zhu was nowhere to be seen.
Xiao Hen asked eagerly, “City Lord, as expected, we have finally researched the potion you wanted.”
Wen Qingling asked, “Where is Old Zhu?”
One of the assistants replied, “Old Zhu is still conducting research.”
Wen Qingling went to find Old Zhu in the research lab. Through the transparent glass door, he saw Old Zhu wearing a white lab coat, fully focused on his research. Wen Qingling stood outside for a while and didn’t ring the bell.
Wen Qingling turned his head and asked the four research assistants, “What kind of potion did you research?”
“It’s here. Please have a look.” Mu Yi led Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen to the adjacent research room and took out three test tubes containing different-colored liquids from the refrigerator: one light red, one transparent colorless, and one bright red.
Wen Qingling didn’t understand. Why were there three tubes? And three different colors?
Mu Yi explained, “The light red one is an antidote to the zombie virus. The detoxification component is extracted from the secretion of the blood anemone tentacles, suitable for humans infected with the zombie virus.”
Wen Qingling “…”
Was it that easy to research an antidote to the zombie virus?
Did the Central Mega City struggle for two to three years, only to achieve nothing? What about the results?
Mu Yi looked at their expressions and paused before saying, “In Old Zhu’s words, if the formula and answer are given, even if the process is incorrect, it would be an insult to the white lab coat.”
Their research indeed had an advantage over Central Mega City. They already knew the effects of the blood anemones, so they only needed to search for useful components within it, which was much simpler than Central Mega City’s aimless searching and experiments.
Wen Qingling nodded slightly, understanding the situation. He said, “So the other two are what? Inferior products?”
Mu Yi replied, “No, the colorless and transparent potion is a zombie virus vaccine. Its main components are extracted from the tentacles and surface of the blood anemone. This vaccine takes effect faster when injected compared to oral administration. However, considering the scarcity of resources in the post-apocalyptic world, Old Zhu modified the vaccine to be taken orally. The injected vaccine takes effect immediately, while the oral vaccine requires half an hour to two hours, depending on individual constitution.”
Wen Qingling was puzzled. The blood anemone treatment involved both detoxification and antibodies, so there should be limitations when it came to potions. Otherwise, there would be no need to separate them.
Wen Qingling asked, “Could the bright red potion be a zombie transformation agent?”
Wen Qingling didn’t think they would research it so quickly.
But indeed, they did.
Mu Yi confirmed, “Indeed, it is a transformation agent for zombies. This one is suitable for transforming an ordinary zombie. The main component is the blood anemone’s secretion. The more secretion from a blood anemone, the more transformation agent can be produced.”
It was truly a pleasant surprise. Despite Wen Qingling urging them every day, they managed to achieve three results in just over a month. Truly worthy of being national treasures in viral research!
The four research assistants also felt helpless. They thought about their busy and futile work at the Central Mega City Research Institute. They spent their days either in experiments or on the way to experiments, but they hadn’t achieved any results in over two years. And now, Old Zhu had just woken up, and he had already produced three achievements. The researchers at Central Mega City would probably be crying in the restroom.
Wen Qingling asked, “Have you tested the potions?”
“We have tested the transformation agent, but we need to find human subjects for the detoxification agent and the vaccine. It seems a bit difficult to find humans within the civilized city.” Old Zhu walked in.
Wen Qingling held Old Zhu in high regard and asked, “How is the transformation agent’s effect?”
Wen Qingling wasn’t particularly interested in the detoxification agent and vaccine for humans. What he cared about most was the transformation agent for zombies. That was the most crucial achievement he had been eagerly waiting for.
Old Zhu said, “There’s no perfect solution in the world. If you want to transform as many zombies as possible with the least amount of blood anemones, it can be achieved. However, the strength after transformation is not as good as directly consuming the blood anemone. The test subjects for the transformation agent are in the testing area. You can go and take a look.”
Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen followed Old Zhu to a large sealed room. Inside, there were more than ten people, all young men. They were chatting and their expressions were lively. Their attitudes were calm, and they didn’t seem much different from humans.
When they heard the door opening, they all stood up and looked gratefully at Old Zhu.
Old Zhu introduced Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen to them, and they respectfully greeted them. Since waking up, they had been in the testing area, and the only people they saw regularly were Old Zhu and the four research assistants. They were unaware of the outside world.
Xiao Hen carefully observed them. From their words and behavior, there was no sign of anything amiss. They seemed more natural than the civilized zombies transformed by consuming blood anemones. They were almost indistinguishable from humans.
Wen Qingling also observed them closely, furrowing his brows lightly. He felt a very weak connection between himself and them, even though they were so close. If the distance were greater, would he still be able to sense such a faint blood connection?
Wen Qingling asked, “When you mention their strength, what exactly do you mean?”
Old Zhu explained, “I mean their overall physical qualities. The strength enhancement of civilized zombies who consume blood anemones goes far beyond scientific explanations. It’s as if their bodies have been forcibly strengthened by some kind of energy. On the other hand, the transformation agent provides less energy, resulting in a lower degree of enhancement. So they don’t have the strength comparable to third-level evolved zombies but only possess the strength comparable to first-level evolved zombies. Of course, I’m not just talking about physical strength but a balanced overall quality.”
Wen Qingling questioned, “Are they still considered civilized zombies?” Their lively expressions and human-like behavior, coupled with the weak connection Wen Qingling felt with them, made him suspect that they were no longer civilized zombies but had become humans instead.
Old Zhu said, “I don’t know how you define ‘civilized zombies.’ If it refers to any zombie that has undergone a transformation, then yes, they are. But if it’s based on zombie behavior and infectiousness, then they may not be considered civilized zombies. When I was researching the transformation agent, I intentionally incorporated a detoxification component so that it can eliminate the zombie virus they carry during the transformation. Once the virus is cleared, they no longer pose a risk of infection.”
Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen were both shocked.
Wen Qingling furrowed his brows and asked, “So are they humans then?”
Could it be that they accidentally created a potion that transforms zombies into humans?
Old Zhu shook his head and explained, “They are humans, but also not quite. Their cellular structure differs from that of humans. Human cells have a limited number of divisions, but their cells can continue to divide beyond the human limit and remain viable. At the moment, I haven’t found the upper limit of their cell division, and their cells are filled with power. That’s why their overall strength surpasses that of ordinary humans.”
He continued, “Moreover, their cell division is highly regular, and their cells possess immense energy. The chances of free cells attacking regular cells and causing pathological changes are greatly reduced. In other words, their lifespan will be much longer than that of humans, and they are less prone to illness. Unhealthy cells also have difficulty attacking healthy regular cells. They should be well-suited for the current unstable environment.”
Old Zhu added, “I forgot to mention that the detoxification agent, vaccine, and transformation agent are all designed for ordinary zombies. They won’t be effective against evolved zombies because the virus in evolved zombies is different. Their virus is stronger, more destructive, and harder to detoxify.”
“The detoxification agent and vaccine for evolved zombies require more time for research. As for the transformation agent for evolved zombies… in simple terms, increasing the dosage would work, but that dosage might require an entire blood anemone. So I suggest that for transforming evolved zombies, it’s better to use blood anemone directly. Since they are still considered civilized zombies, using blood anemones would be more effective. Let’s not burden the research lab further. Oh, we’re short on manpower, and time-saving is the most important factor.”
Wen Qingling and Xiao Hen listened in silence.
Wen Qingling thought, Is this the future development trend of zombies?
Xiao Hen thought, Is this the future development trend of humans?
Old Zhu calmly dropped a bombshell, “If we insist on defining them, then they should be the true ‘New Humans.'”
Wen Qingling: …
Did his mutated zombie blood actually create New Humans?
Is he truly the leader of zombies?
Xiao Hen had always believed that there would come a day like this, but he didn’t expect it to happen so suddenly. However, he didn’t feel the ecstatic joy he had imagined. Perhaps it was because the people who needed saving were no longer around. Instead, he felt fortunate for making the right choice.
Xiao Hen looked at these true “New Humans,” not the counterfeit ones created by Xu Shengfei, and asked Old Zhu, “Do they possess human emotions?”
Old Zhu looked at him strangely and replied, “I think that’s beyond my area of expertise. Shouldn’t you find a psychologist or emotion expert for that?”
Xiao Hen looked at Wen Qingling, actually wanting to ask Old Zhu if there was still a possibility for Wen Qingling to regain human emotions.
But before Xiao Hen could ask, Old Zhu said, “Don’t bother looking. He is an exception. There is only one perfect mutant in the whole world like him. I have studied his blood, and there are many questions that even I cannot answer. However, I can confirm one thing: his blood, after being infected with the zombie virus and fused with ability powers, has undergone a mutation. Especially the Wood-type ability power, which makes his blood akin to a seed. With just a drop of blood, no matter how severe the injury, he can revive using external energy.”
Xiao Hen: …
No wonder his blood can grow blood anemones. It’s like a seed, isn’t it?
Old Zhu continued, “Instead of hoping for him to regain human emotions, you should consider him as a plant. Have you ever seen a plant with emotions?”
Xiao Hen: …
Xiao Hen couldn’t accept this analogy. He was clearly a person, so how could he be considered a plant? Even if he fused with the Wood-type ability power, he was not a plant. He was certain that the day he regains human emotions will come.
Wen Qingling wore a wooden expression on his face and said, “I’m still here. Can you show me a little respect? The predecessor of zombies was at least a human. Am I not even that anymore?”
Old Zhu solemnly replied, “Your composition is more complex.”
Wen Qingling: …
Thank you for analyzing me so thoroughly.
I like this Zhu Baizhang HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA XD
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