Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Deal

Lin Dong looked around cautiously. This area was not his own territory; there was a chance another zombie king might appear, so it wasn’t wise to linger. He should return and study the zombie evolution serum.

“Let’s go. Time for your injections.”

“Injections?” Tank winced at the word, his rear already aching from past needles—a psychological scar he couldn’t shake.

Back at the skyscraper zone, giving injections was a job best left to the Doctor.

Some elite zombies had been injured in the recent battle, their flesh torn, dark blood oozing. Since the Z virus had healing properties, Lin Dong decided to start with them, a form of reward for their valor.

The crate of Z virus contained a full five hundred doses.

The Doctor picked up a syringe, drew the serum, and plunged it into the zombies’ necks. As he slowly pushed the plunger, the pale blue liquid entered their bodies.

Lin Dong stood at the window upstairs, watching from above.

The serum worked remarkably well. As soon as it was injected, wounds on the zombies began to heal—visible to the naked eye.

A guttural growl escaped the zombies’ mouths, their faces enlivened. The Z virus stimulated their nerves, enhancing their reaction speed.

Lin Dong recalled the lab report: it would take twenty-four hours for the Z virus to fully integrate with the zombies. The effects would be even more pronounced then.

His elite zombies were already gifted—not yet awakened, but their bodies had evolved: sharper claws, tougher bones, keener sense of smell. Now, with the Z virus, their strength surged. Each could rival a B-class human awakener.

These five hundred zombies were the cream of the crop, a veritable ace zombie legion—a potent weapon in Lin Dong’s hand.

Today, Lin Dong led his horde to another zombie king’s territory, slaughtering its underlings. The enemy would not take this lying down.

Zombies were violent by nature, addicted to slaughter. Any who became a king was not to be trifled with.

Lin Dong guessed the rival would certainly seek revenge.

......

At this moment, the atmosphere at Tech Corporation was grim. They had just received terrible news.

The Z virus retrieved from headquarters had been lost!

Director Ye Jian sat in her office, her face dark as thunder.

“Speak. What happened? Where did the Z virus go?”

“Director Ye, according to satellite positioning, the plane crashed in a zombie territory,” an assistant replied.

“Damn!” Ye Jian cursed. The evolution serum falling into zombie hands—wasn’t that like throwing meat to a dog?

They’d hoped to recover it, but now it seemed hopeless.

“Any word from Sun Dabiao and his team?”

“None...nothing at all. Odds are, they’re in serious trouble,” the assistant replied weakly.

Ye Jian thought it over. It was definitely over—the serum lost in zombie territory had no hope of retrieval.

The crucial issue: without the Z virus to boost cellular activity, they couldn’t inject the Q virus to modify bones. The cultivation plan was dead in the water.

They had a complete zombie cultivation plan, but now everything was disrupted.

“Which zombie king’s territory did the plane crash into?” Ye Jian asked.

“Based on collected intel, that zombie king is extremely powerful—an estimated thirty thousand zombies under its rule, not inferior to the skyscraper zone’s king. It’s classified as a five-star zombie nest.”

“Damn it!”

Mentioning the skyscraper zone king infuriated Ye Jian. The Hunter King action squad’s annihilation had disgraced the company. Sooner or later, the king would have to be dealt with and their reputation restored.

Now, with zombie king cultivation impossible, maybe...cooperation with other zombie kings was an option.

The king of the crash zone seemed a promising candidate.

Strong, with territory close to the skyscraper—after the apocalypse, only the fittest survived, the weak perished. Surely it wanted to expand its domain.

With a common enemy, they might become temporary allies.

“I think...I should negotiate with the zombie king in the crash zone,” Ye Jian mused.

The assistant quickly advised caution.

“Director Ye, zombies are bloodthirsty—they kill at the slightest disagreement. Isn’t it too dangerous for you to negotiate?”

“True,” Ye Jian nodded. Who knew what the zombie king wanted? Did it like communicating with humans? Negotiating with it was as risky as skinning a tiger.

So...someone should go first to test its attitude. Ye Jian looked up at the assistant.

“Then you go.”

“What???” The assistant’s face was full of confusion.

......

Night fell, darkness enveloped the land.

In the city of the apocalypse, it was pitch black, the darkness so thick one could barely see their own hand. The night wind carried the scent of blood and decay.

Zombie roars echoed sporadically.

They fought each other, hunted mutant beasts—slaughter was everywhere, danger omnipresent.

Lin Dong hunkered down at home, holding a wineglass in one hand, sipping crimson liquid, the other hand tapping out replies on his phone.

The pale glow of the screen illuminated his handsome face.

The message was from Cheng Luo Yi: only two simple words.

“Trade.”

---

“How much do you want?” Lin Dong replied.

Cheng Luo Yi typed slowly—after ten years in a mental institution and no schooling, her spelling was poor.

“Two hundred pounds of white flour, do you have it?”

“Yes.”

Lin Dong’s storage space held billions in supplies; two hundred pounds of flour was a mere drop in the bucket.

Moments later, Cheng Luo Yi replied.

“Good. I’ll trade four crystal cores.”

“No problem.”

Lin Dong had said before: if she needed food, she could exchange crystal cores for it. Thus, this conversation.

They set the time for the next morning, the meeting place a plaza not far from Lin Dong’s territory.

The following day.

In the shelter, Cheng Luo Yi rose early. Her residence was a large military-green tent; as Awakened No. 001, she enjoyed special privileges.

Other survivors fared worse, some in small tents, others sleeping outdoors on newspapers.

Cheng Luo Yi stepped outside, sunlight painting her pale face radiant.

Other awakened ones bustled about—building homes, digging tunnels. When they saw her, they all greeted her.

“Luo Yi, last night you said crystal cores could be traded for food. Is it true?” a short young man blocked her path, eyes darting.

Cheng Luo Yi glanced at him.

“It’s true. I’m going out now to make the exchange.”

“Oh...” The short youth was curious. Crystal cores were precious, but without food, people would starve. Who was this person willing to trade food for crystal cores?

He must have a lot of food.

Thinking this, the young man’s eyes flickered.

“I happen to have a crystal core myself. Can I come with you to trade?”

“You may,” Cheng Luo Yi replied after a moment’s thought.

A subtle, sinister smile curled on the young man's lips.

“Thank you so much...”

......