Chapter 33
If they were heading to City Z, they needed to prepare thoroughly.
City Z was nearly overrun with zombies, with only official rescue teams still combing through for survivors. They analyzed the city routes and deemed it unlikely they’d encounter one another, so they didn’t pin their hopes on being rescued.
After lunch, the buzzcut man led Wen Li and another team member to search the town. They found only a fraction of their belongings from the SUV; much of it had been damaged during the rough journey. Dirty clothes could be washed and worn again, but any food exposed to zombie blood was inedible. Fortunately, two barrels of drinking water stored in the trunk remained untouched.
Aside from gathering usable supplies, they needed tools to transport that precious water. With any luck, they might even find a vehicle.
Wen Xin was given a task too, accompanying Xu Qiang to examine the scene where they’d been surrounded by zombies. He accepted the notebook and pen Xu Qiang handed over without question but felt a bit unsettled when he saw him pulling out sterile lab containers.
What situation would require sterile lab bottles?
Noticing his puzzlement, Xu Qiang smiled. “You probably think it’s strange we carry these around, huh?”
As he spoke, Xu Qiang efficiently sliced pieces of flesh from the giant zombie’s various parts and sealed them in the containers, carefully labeling each.
“We have a bio-research department back at the base studying the zombie virus to see if they can develop a vaccine,” he explained. “Their research hit a bottleneck recently, so they asked us to collect samples from any special zombies we encounter on missions—anything that might be useful for research.”
A possible zombie vaccine?
Hearing this, Wen Xin couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope, lifting some of the weight off his chest.
Xu Qiang used a tape measure to get a rough estimate of the giant zombie’s height and note the extent of its mutations. He finished by rubbing his face wearily and muttered, “But who’d expect to actually run into a monster like this?”
“Look at these muscle structures and their density. Even with a Gatling gun, who knows if that would be enough to stop it.”
Wen Xin noted the measurements, unable to resist asking, “Have you encountered zombies like this before?”
Xu Qiang clicked his tongue. “Of course not. Zombies used to just be infected humans, and the human form doesn’t get taller than about three meters.”
Wen Xin fell silent, glancing down at the giant zombie, which was at least four meters tall.
“That’s why I said before,” Xu Qiang continued, “if zombies can mutate or evolve, then we’re in real trouble.”
The cause of the zombie virus hadn’t even been discovered yet. Now, an upgraded virus? It felt like they were being driven to the edge.
In times like this, Xu Qiang wished he could format all the viruses like a computer—if only it didn’t mean erasing human lives as well.
Wen Xin’s mood grew somber as he recalled something important. “Did we ever figure out how our location got exposed?”
From Wen Xin’s perspective, it seemed that someone nearby might have lured the giant zombie to ambush them. However, last night’s chaos didn’t give him the chance to check for any suspicious figures.
If they could track down the source of the leak, maybe they’d find some answers.
Xu Qiang frowned deeply.
This question had been gnawing at them—no one wanted to believe they’d been betrayed.
Finally, he replied hesitantly, “We only reported our location three times, the last being an emergency change of route using a local radio station’s transmitter.”
“There’s a small chance we were monitored, but it’s unlikely. The situation was urgent, and we weren’t even sure the message got through.”
Finishing up the measurements, Wen Xin gave Xu Qiang a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Then he noticed the canary looked a bit lost in thought. Handing the notebook and pen to Xu Qiang, he approached him.
“Feeling down?”
The boy snapped out of his thoughts, meeting Wen Xin’s gently smiling eyes.
The canary was surprised. Wen Xin should be feeling the same pain of separation as he did after parting with the little fox and the little green cat, yet he seemed to have recovered quickly.
When he didn’t answer, Wen Xin took the initiative. “Are you thinking about Xiao Qi?”
The canary nodded instinctively and asked, “Do you miss them?”
To his surprise, Wen Xin admitted readily, “Of course, how could I not?”
So he was only putting on a brave face…
A bitter expression crossed the boy’s face.
He didn’t know how to tell Wen Xin that he, too, would soon be leaving.
After so much time together, all the creatures understood that Wen Xin enjoyed a lively home. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so readily brought them into his life, despite the risks they posed.
And now, as his once-busy home became quiet and lonely, how cruel was that for Wen Xin?
Seeing the boy’s conflicted face, Wen Xin suddenly burst out laughing.
“What are you worried about?” he asked pointedly. “Do you think that once you’re all gone, I’ll end up stumbling around, starving, getting hurt, and crying myself to sleep?”
Well, the canary had worried about Wen Xin going hungry.
For mutants, staying fed meant keeping enough energy to survive.
But the rest of his concerns didn’t make sense.
In all his time here, he’d never once seen Wen Xin cry.
Even during brutal training, Wen Xin had endured pain without shedding a tear.
Wen Xin’s tone had a hint of teasing, accompanied by a bright smile.
Seeing the boy hesitate, Wen Xin reached out, lightly tapping his forehead. “What do you take me for, huh?”
“A priceless artifact in a museum? Or a fragile porcelain vase?”
The canary muttered, covering his forehead.
Though he’d thought of Wen Xin as both on more than one occasion.
Wen Xin would definitely get mad if he said that.
“Ah Jiu,” Wen Xin continued, abruptly changing the subject. “Do you hate Xiao Qi?”
The question struck the canary to his core.
He froze, then slowly shook his head.
“I don’t hate Xiao Qi.” The boy looked up, his gaze unwavering. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”
Back at the base, the little fox had been the only creature to protect him, allowing him to survive to this day.
Such a loyal friend could never be blamed.
Noticing that Xu Qiang had quietly left, probably not wanting to intrude, Wen Xin sat down with the boy on a stone ledge nearby.
He wanted to help the canary resolve any lingering doubts before he left.
“So, what were you thinking about earlier?” Wen Xin asked. “I saw you staring at Xiao Qi’s keepsake.”
Xiao Qi’s keepsake was a tuft of fur the canary had plucked from his chest.
Later, the violet squirrel had added cotton stuffing to it, tying it into a soft, fox-like doll.
At Wen Xin’s question, the canary instinctively wanted to stay silent.
That morning, he’d been grappling with a deeply personal struggle, something he’d always kept buried.
The wall around his heart didn’t yield easily.
But it wasn’t the first time Wen Xin had tried to soften it.
Encouraged by Wen Xin’s supportive gaze, the canary finally began to relax.
Nervously, he opened his mouth—a process that took him five long minutes to manage.
Wen Xin waited patiently, as he always did.
Finally, the canary spoke up.
“How can I be so weak?”
It wasn’t a question or a challenge; he was stating a fact that weighed on him.
The canary’s hand tightened on his knee.
Without Wen Xin prompting him, he continued.
“If I were stronger, I wouldn’t have to rely on others when zombies attack. I could defend myself.”
“If I were stronger, I could have fought back when Xiao Qi lost control, instead of being caught so easily.”
He turned to meet Wen Xin’s gaze. “Once, I read something in a book.”
“‘If you fall with every storm, it only means you’re not strong enough.’”
Wen Xin had always known of the canary’s obsession with growing stronger.
But this time, his eyes held something new, something hopeful—a glimmer of purpose, as though he’d found his path.
It was as if, after being lost for so long, he’d finally discovered the way forward.
Looking at him, Wen Xin couldn’t help but be moved.
He reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair.
“So, have you found a way to get stronger?”
Not wanting to disrupt his newfound resolve, Wen Xin’s voice was gentle.
But the canary still flinched, averting his gaze.
Had he found a way to get stronger?
Of course.
It was the same path every mutant had to face—evolution.
But he’d never fully considered what that meant until now.
This morning, he’d felt a faint premonition.
It was subtle but powerful, like a meteor crashing into a pond, setting off an explosion within him.
He could become stronger, rising from B-level to A-level, even reaching the peak of S-level.
He really could!
The canary’s lips moved, then he gritted his teeth. “Yes, but I have to leave.”
He drew in a deep breath, his voice trembling. “Wen Xin, if…if I told you that I’d be gone in three days, would you be scared?”
Before he asked, the canary had thought Wen Xin might fall silent or say he was scared.
But to his surprise, Wen Xin’s face softened, his eyes filled with joy.
“If that’s true, then more than being afraid of you leaving, I’d look forward to seeing you again.”
Seeing the boy’s stunned expression, Wen Xin extended his hand.
As he’d once done by the flowerbed, he cupped the boy’s face, helping him look upward.
“Do you remember what I once told you?”
Feeling a warm surge in his chest, the canary calmed his breath and nodded.
Raising his hand, he pointed to the vast sky. “You said I’d stand tall and look down over countless people.”
He smiled as he said it.
As he did, his face held an unexpected fierceness.
Turning back, the canary said, “Wen Xin, wait for me. I’ll show you the view from the top.”
“Then, everyone who looks up to me will look up to you, too.”
*
The buzzcut man and the others soon returned, triumphantly dragging a pedal tricycle from a backyard.
They loaded up the supplies and set off toward City Z.
They encountered no further threats, not even from the figure lurking in the shadows.
Xu Qiang claimed their mysterious observer had probably fled after seeing the zombie horde decimated overnight.
Wen Xin wished he’d been able to witness Ah Lü’s battle.
It was a massive snake, green as a rainforest, something you’d never see in the city!
The thought made Wen Xin chuckle.
After traveling day and night, they finally reached the outskirts of City Z within two days.
They weren’t looking to enter the city and face its zombie horde; their destination was a gas station on the roadside.
The station was in ruins.
The signs and posts had toppled, dark liquid was splattered over walls and floors, and the air was thick with the scent of gasoline and blood.
The zombies in the abandoned cars clawed at windows, leaving bloody handprints and growling menacingly.
But to Xu Qiang and his team, it was almost enough to make them cry with joy.
Because they’d found a car they could use.
It was missing a rearview mirror, with busted headlights, a dented hood, and an empty gas tank. But the engine and chassis were intact.
For now, that was enough.
So, sleeves rolled up, they set to work, cautiously draining whatever fuel they could salvage from other vehicles.
By dusk, they’d finally collected enough fuel.
The sunset painted the sky red, casting long shadows over the mountains.
The buzzcut man decided it was late and suggested resting in the station’s office for the night.
And then, the canary announced his departure.
Wen Xin, who’d expected it, calmly bid him farewell.
Watching the boy disappear into the dusk, Wen Xin turned to leave, only to hear a bird’s call.
“Chirp.”
He looked over and saw a small golden bird peeking from the shadows.
Seeing no rejection from Wen Xin, the little bird fluttered over, gracefully perching on his shoulder.
As their eyes met, the bird seemed a bit flustered.
But it extended its neck to nuzzle against his cheek.
Wen Xin didn’t have to guess that this was Ah-Jiu’s true form.
With a gentle expression, he reached out and stroked the bird’s head.
It tilted its head up in response.
Then it raised one wing, revealing a row of tawny feathers.
Carefully, it plucked one and placed it in his hand.
With a solemn look, Wen Xin took the feather. “I’ll keep it safe.”
The bird chirped with joy, then took flight, soaring into the sky.
.
At that moment, Xiao Hei sat on the car roof, eyes closed as if resting, but opened them slightly at a sound behind him.
The blue little cat raised its head. Its tone was still sluggish, “You were telling the truth?”
Xiao Hei remained silent.
The blue little cat pressed on, this time with a hint of accusation, “Becoming a fully evolved being and retaining one’s self…was that a lie?”
Ah-jiu’s exchange was so touching… QQ Hopefully Ah Lu too will be able to reveal his true form in front of Wen Xin someday
Thank you for the chapter!