Chapter 22 Welcoming a New Life

Then, Mu Wanqing’s voice rang in my ears, carrying an unmistakable note of finality.

"Once the baby is born, we will leave immediately. We won’t be a burden to you."

I frowned, my bewilderment swirling like a thick fog. I couldn't help but interject, "That’s not necessary. You can stay for a few more days. A newborn cannot handle such a journey; you at least need to wait until the child is stable."

Mu Wanqing seemed to have touched a raw nerve. She refused sternly, "I don’t want to implicate you. If they find this place, we’ll all be dead!" A flicker of fear and resolve flashed in her eyes, sending a sudden chill down my spine.

The more I heard, the more confused I became. What could have happened to leave her so panicked? "This... what is actually going on?" I asked, stumbling over my words.

Just then, Xu Hanfeng, who had been smoking in silence, seemed piqued by our conversation. He stubbed out his cigarette, walked over slowly, his eyes glinting with a sharp, piercing light.

"Are you being hunted? What kind of organization could make you this terrified?"

At the mention of this, a flash of undisguised killing intent surged in Mu Wanqing’s eyes—an intent as cold as ice, enough to make one shiver.

"The Jiang Group!"

My heart tightened at the name. Them, again! The events of a few months ago flooded back to me. How had they not been "consumed" by the zombie horde?

I furrowed my brows, the question slipping out before I could stop it: "That’s a coincidence. We are quite 'familiar' with the Jiang Group ourselves. We escaped from one of their survivor bases. I thought we had wiped them out, so how are they still around?"

Mu Wanqing looked stunned, her delicate brows knitting together. She asked in disbelief, "You’ve encountered the Jiang Group? And... you wiped them out?"

I took a deep breath and began to recount that harrowing past. I gave a brief summary of how we had been lured into the Jiang survivor base, how we discovered the zombies in the warehouse, and how we witnessed the riot of ten thousand zombies as they surged out like a tidal wave, mercilessly slaughtering the survivors.

Naturally, I omitted my own pivotal role and my special abilities, downplaying it by saying we had simply been lucky to escape.

Mu Wanqing listened with a mix of skepticism and complexity, but in the end, she chose to believe us.

"This region is the Jiang Group’s Base No. 9," she said, her voice growing cold and heavy.

"At first, I thought the relief organization established by the Jiang Group truly wanted to help survivors rebuild their homes, so I joined them. But later, I discovered some unspeakable secrets. The operation of every base is actually intended to provide a steady supply of food and vegetables to their high-ranking officials."

"Even worse, they capture zombies to conduct various experiments and modifications."

As she spoke, she heaved a heavy sigh, a glimmer of pain flashing in her eyes.

"Once, the base received a secret message claiming that there was a person in the north who was not only immune to zombie attacks but could even control them!"

"The people of the Jiang Group went insane, starting to use living people for experiments—they didn't even spare infants. I couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so I led a group of people to escape, along with that pregnant woman."

After hearing her story, although I was mentally prepared for the Jiang Group’s atrocities, I still couldn't help but feel a chill.

Xu Hanfeng shot me a quiet glance. I knew he was thinking the same thing: we had already known that the Jiang Group was researching and creating a zombie legion.

But what about Jiang Li? Was he still alive? Had he escaped? And to think he had leaked information about me!

A sense of dread gripped me. If the Jiang Group found me, we would all be in grave danger. We had planned to head for the 104 Military Base, but if we were captured by the Jiang Group first, we wouldn't be working on a cure—we’d be forced to develop toxins.

...

Just as our group was huddled in the courtyard, discussing the situation, a series of "waa—waa—waa" cries suddenly erupted from the house—crisp and loud, piercing the silence of the night.

Jiang Hanchuan ran out like a soldier returning from the front lines, panting, his face full of joy as he shouted, "It’s born! It’s a boy! Both mother and child are safe!"

In the courtyard, our group looked toward the house in unison, the expectation and joy in our eyes bright enough to light up the night sky.

A new life had arrived! The tension that had kept our nerves taut finally snapped, and the smiles on our faces were more radiant than any blooming flower.

Xu Hanfeng took a cigarette from his pocket with deliberate, slow movements, his fingers trembling slightly as he lit it.

I stood with my arms crossed next to Xu Hanfeng, gazing at the house in a daze, and said thoughtfully, "Boss! A newborn baby cries. Do you think that’s joy for life, or fear of this world?"

I watched him as I spoke, trying to discern something from his expression. But Xu Hanfeng didn't answer me directly; he just took another deep drag from his cigarette, the smoke forming a hazy mist before his eyes.

He looked off into the distance, his eyes gleaming with complex emotions—a mix of infinite longing for the future and deep reflection on everything before us.

——————

On a distant hilltop, several figures emerged from the shadows, well-equipped and holding assault rifles. The cold, metallic luster of their weapons flashed in the dark like the eyes of the Grim Reaper.

"Captain, we’ve tracked them to this direction, but... the footprints have disappeared."

The leader, a hulking man with eyes as sharp as a falcon’s, simply stared ahead, his gaze burning as he scanned for any anomalies.

Then, he spat out a cold sentence: "A bunch of useless trash. You couldn't even keep an eye on a few people; it’s been two hours since they ran, and you’re only just noticing?"

The men behind him shuddered, clearly intimidated by their captain's authority. They dared not speak another word.

The leader seemed unsatisfied with his subordinates' reaction and let out a cold hum. "Find them before the Young Master returns, or both you and I will end up as test subjects."

"Yes!" the men replied in unison, their voices trembling slightly.

"Expand the search radius! Don't leave a single corner unchecked!"

As the sky gradually darkened, the leader stood in the heart of a dense forest, his eyes flashing with the cunning and ruthlessness of a leopard. He commanded, "Everyone, activate thermal imaging. A group of fugitives won't stop to deliberately erase their tracks. They must be in this area!"

As his words fell, the group behind him moved swiftly and orderly, taking out thermal imaging equipment and putting on night-vision goggles.

"Captain, we have a hit!" a clear voice rang out from nearby.