“Sigh...” Sun Ya let out a long breath. “Since things have reached this point, there isn't much left for me to say. It's just that when I think about how this ragtag bunch of ours has to be used like special forces... I really have no confidence deep down.”
“We have no choice; we have to bite the bullet and do it!” Su Jin slammed a hand on the table. “You two should get some rest early. As soon as you wake up tomorrow, we'll start going to each building to run the tests. Within three days at most, we'll have screened everyone, and we'll finally have a team we can rely on.”
“After that, I'll leave the team to you two while I head out to hunt zombies. If possible, I want to capture a covert mutant. We still need a deeper understanding of their motives and behavioral patterns.”
Sun Ya and Wei De nodded in unison.
Then Sun Ya said, “Xiao Li, the equipment is all set, and we start testing tomorrow. Since the women will be taking part in the operation, we all know their character and their attitude toward you and the team. I think it's time to tell them the whole story.”
“Agreed. I'll make the announcement to everyone tomorrow,” Su Jin nodded.
The two elders nodded, rose together, and walked over to the sofa to look at the slumbering Fu Qingdai, their eyes filled with expectation.
A prophet in the apocalypse.
Hopefully, she could work another miracle...
The next day, bright daylight flooded the world.
Su Jin stood on the balcony with his eyes closed, his arms outstretched as he bathed in the sunlight.
A powerful pump surged through every muscle in his body, and the clothes across his back even stirred faintly.
Just as he was relishing the thrill of his enhanced strength, a shout of surprise from Fu Hu came from behind him.
Su Jin spun around quickly and crouched beside the sofa.
Fu Qingdai stirred and woke up, flinching slightly at the sight of the group staring down at her.
“Daughter, how do you feel? Do you have any special abilities?” Fu Hu asked hurriedly.
Fu Qingdai rubbed her slightly disheveled hair, blinking repeatedly.
“I feel... hard to say. I don't seem to have that qi sensation you talked about. Dad, bring me the bows to try!”
Fu Hu quickly fetched three bows.
Fu Qingdai picked up the fifty-pound bow and drew it effortlessly.
Smiles began to spread across the onlookers' faces.
The seventy-pound bow was just as effortless.
Their smiles widened further.
When she drew the ninety-pound bow with casual ease, Fu Hu could finally contain himself no longer. “Great! Your strength has definitely increased by a ton, and this isn't even your limit!”
Fu Qingdai's lips twitched with suppressed excitement.
She was finally no longer dead weight!
Yet the next moment, the corners of her mouth drooped again.
Then what was all that pig feed I ate before for?
Su Jin's face stiffened slightly, and he stepped forward, asking anxiously, “Qingdai, is there nothing else besides your strength?”
An increase in physical strength was a standard effect of consuming a flesh bulb—merely a matter of degree.
Brute strength wasn't very useful; a special ability was what truly mattered!
“No... I don't feel anything else...” Fu Qingdai replied weakly.
Seeing the disappointed looks around her, she began to understand.
Outsiders and even her parents had pinned their hopes on her, waiting for a special ability to emerge.
Yet now... she seemed to have nothing at all, making her perhaps the most useless person who had ever taken a flesh bulb.
The delightful feeling from gaining newfound strength vanished completely.
Her face paled as she looked up at Su Jin. “Brother... am I useless...”
“No, not at all.” Su Jin draped an arm around Fu Qingdai's shoulder and comforted her softly, though he couldn't completely hide the bitterness at the corners of his mouth. “Maybe your ability is something you need time to discover. Right now, your strength is already far beyond an ordinary person's. Remember, what you can do isn't what matters—what matters is that you're here.”
Fu Qingdai felt utterly downcast. Just as she was about to nod, her gaze suddenly darted sharply toward Cheng Du.
Cheng Du shivered all over, hugging his chest with both hands in alarm. “Qingdai, are you okay?”
Her gaze softened gradually, revealing a trace of bewilderment.
Just now, she had felt a chilly, sinister aura radiating from Cheng Du, but the moment she looked at him, it had vanished.
“What's wrong?” Su Jin asked, releasing her.
“Nothing... I just want to be alone for a bit.”
The others dispersed with disappointment lingering in their hearts.
An hour later, everyone had finished breakfast.
Su Jin looked across the room at each person in turn, then stood up. “Now that everyone has eaten, there is something I need to explain to you formally. This is mainly for our female comrades; the rest already know.”
“I know you've probably been wondering privately why Old Fu and the others went to such great lengths to spend an entire day outside, only to bring back a cage of rats. The truth is, this matter is of vital importance...”
Su Jin laid out everything regarding the covert mutants.
The expressions of the women shifted constantly before eventually settling into grim resolve.
“That's how things stand. Elder Sun, Elder Wei, and I have already figured out a solution. As long as we get through this final hurdle, we can build a team and establish a new home! I'm telling you this because you are trustworthy, and to keep you safe. I require all of you to maintain strict secrecy. If word leaks out, it will pose a massive obstacle to organizing our team going forward.” Su Jin slammed a fist onto the tabletop, his gaze sweeping over the three women.
“Do all three of you understand?”
Zhang Wan nodded grimly. “Don't worry, Director. I won't let them flap their gums. If anything goes wrong, you can hold me accountable.”
Su Jin nodded in satisfaction.
Ever since the apocalypse began, Zhang Wan had grown increasingly quiet, but she remained in charge of every household chore, large and small, as well as managing the resources.
Fu Qingdai was her daughter, naturally, and Auntie Liu, who had always kept a low profile, had long since deferred to her completely.
“Excellent! Take a short rest, and we move out immediately!”
Starting with Building 1, Su Jin led several people to Room 201.
According to the notebook in Zhang Wan's hands, 201 was occupied by a bachelor.
When they knocked on the door, a man in an undershirt poked his head out in pleasant surprise.
Seeing Su Jin and the others, he blurted out excitedly, “Can we go outside now? Has the government arrived?”
Su Jin raised a hand and shoved him back inside. “Step back! Back into the bathroom!”
Anxious and uneasy, the man was pushed all the way into the bathroom, his backside bumping against the washbasin.
Zhang Wan and the others moved swiftly to inspect the surroundings, eliminating spots where rats could easily hide without being detected, and casually stopped up the squat toilet drain.
“What... what are you doing?” the man stammered nervously.
Su Jin offered a calm smile. “You guessed right just now. The government has come to rescue you, but on orders from above, you need to stay in an enclosed space for a one-day observation period. First, it's to maintain order and stability within the team and test your obedience and mental resilience. Second, we need an extra day to monitor you, since the infection has an incubation period.”
“Until we return tomorrow, you must stay inside this bathroom and are not allowed to go anywhere. If you need to relieve yourself, use plastic bags.”
“The drain is plugged to prevent infected small animals and toxic gases from coming up. There have already been precedents in the residential complex, so under no circumstances may you unplug it. During this lockdown, make sure you do not touch any snakes, insects, rats, or ants, nor may you swat them, to prevent the risk of infection and other diseases. We will place a paper seal on the door, but we will leave you with a day's supply of food and water.”
“Remember, if the seal is broken, the organization will assume you have voluntarily forfeited your chance of rescue!”
Chapter 58