Chapter 19: Zhao Qiang's New Phone
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The bus was accelerating toward the outside of the encirclement, but things were not going as smoothly as expected. The zombie army clearly had no intention of allowing anyone to escape its territory. It focused more and more of its attention on the bus that was trying to flee.
“Old Cai, the bus is in trouble. Find a way to help them!”
“Roger that. We’re on our way. Brother, watch yourself!”
“All right. Show time!”
When he fired his last bullet, Zhao Qiang tossed aside the Type 95, which was hardly better than a fire poker, and with a sharp ring drew two machetes from behind his back. There were no wounded and no burdens. It was time to make these bastards pay!
Even now, Zhao Qiang still did not know what kind of zombie had attacked the convoy. The severed arm found inside the Tiger tank resembled the arm of a Shredder, but despite the battle having gone on for so long, Zhao Qiang had yet to find a Shredder with only one arm. Fortunately, that kind of attack had not happened again.
In any case, the best solution was to eliminate the culprit before a second such attack occurred.
For some reason, Zhao Qiang noticed that the zombies around him had become far faster than before. Even the most ordinary zombies had reached the speed of Agility-type zombies, and quite a few of them seemed to be carrying something in their hands.
Perhaps they had been holding those things before they died! Zhao Qiang consoled himself in secret. He had never seen zombies carrying objects before, and this was the only explanation he could come up with—one he did not even truly believe himself.
“Zhao Qiang, Doctor Mei has discovered something very interesting. Do you want to hear it?” Cai Jiashu’s voice came through the headset.
“I’m busy right now. Can’t it wait?”
The Tiger tank was equipped with a high-powered radio and could remain in contact with the base at all times, but Zhao Qiang had no way to stop. He was already surrounded by every kind of zombie imaginable.
“I suggest you listen,” Cai Jiashu advised. The situation inside the Tiger tank was hardly optimistic either. Large numbers of zombies were besieging both it and the bus. Cai Jiashu had to be extremely careful, clearing a path for the bus without allowing the Tiger to fall beneath the iron fists of a Shredder.
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“Let’s hope it’s good news!”
Zhao Qiang twisted aside and dodged an iron rod. Now he was certain that the zombies were not merely carrying the objects in their hands. Once those varied objects fell into zombie hands, they became weapons! The iron rod was only one example. Countless other things could serve the same purpose. Anything the zombies could find had become a weapon with which to attack Zhao Qiang.
“Do you remember the zombies we captured for Doctor Mei to study?”
“I remember. Get to the point!”
“You probably won’t believe this.”
“Damn it, spit it out! I’m busy!”
“Doctor Mei says they possess intelligence!”
“What? That’s impossible!”
Zombies were human beings transformed after death. Magnetic resonance scans had shown that, apart from the region of the brain responsible for instinct, the other areas responsible for thought and emotion no longer displayed any activity. This meant that zombies could not possess intelligence—except for the mysterious Wise Ones.
So far, not a single Wise One had been captured alive. Whenever a squad wiped out all resistance and appeared before a Wise One, it would enter a strange state. The moment it came into contact with a human, it would release a massive stream of consciousness that knocked the person unconscious. Afterward, the Wise One would become a corpse in the truest sense of the word.
“Hard to believe, isn’t it? I don’t believe it either! But Doctor Mei says those zombies have already learned how to put their toys into the correct holes!”
Mei Qiu’s research on the zombies was extremely comprehensive. Their blood, bodily functions, and every related test were proceeding in an orderly fashion. Putting toys into the correct places was one of the tests. Under normal circumstances, it was merely an intelligence test for infants. Zhao Qiang had observed it several times before, and back then the zombies had shown not the slightest interest in those plastic objects.
As the tests continued, Mei Qiu discovered that the zombies were gradually revealing signs of intelligence. Sometimes they would stare into a mirror for a long time, performing all sorts of actions as they observed their reflections, until they grew bored and smashed the mirror. All of this indicated that they possessed a certain degree of consciousness.
After that, the zombies displayed still more signs of intelligence, such as putting toys in the correct places and manipulating or operating complicated objects.
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“I understand.”
“You understand? Just like that? If you really do, then we’re in serious trouble!” Cai Jiashu’s voice became intensely agitated. “Do you know what this means?”
“It means I’ve got a new iPhone!”
As he spoke, Zhao Qiang casually shoved an iPhone into his coat pocket. These damned zombies had no idea how to appreciate anything! He had wanted to buy a phone like this for Peng Sha for a long time, but its price was far beyond what he, a salaried worker, could afford, so the plan had always been put off. He had never expected to find one in a zombie’s hand today—only to have the zombie use it as a brick to attack him!
“What? Were you even listening to me? If those zombies really can learn to use tools, we’re in deep trouble!” Cai Jiashu was enraged by Zhao Qiang’s nonsense. If zombies could now learn to use simple tools, then sooner or later they would learn to use firearms. Just imagine humanity facing countless zombies armed to the teeth. That would truly be the end of the world.
“I told you, I understand! There are more than a hundred zombies in front of me carrying weapons. If you don’t have anything new to say, I’m signing off!”
Zhao Qiang was growing impatient. Zombies carrying weapons were everywhere before him, swinging iron rods and hurling bricks down upon his head.
“Damn it, I’ve got the phone. Who’s going to bring me a charger?”
Zhao Qiang continued weaving through the zombie army. To find a Wise One, there was only one method: exploit its timid nature. By attacking in different directions, he could determine where the zombie army was most densely concentrated—and that was usually where the Wise One would be.
There!
At last, Zhao Qiang spotted the target he had been searching for. A group of Shredders was surrounding another Shredder with only half an arm remaining, all moving in the same direction as Zhao Qiang. Amid the zombie army that had locked onto him as its target, this small group stood out conspicuously.
“Bring me my charger!”
With a roar, Zhao Qiang chased after them without hesitation, despite having nothing but a knife in his hands.
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