Pluk!
A newspaper landed squarely on the head of a bald middle-aged man who was enjoying coffee with his peers.
"Hahaha," the laughter of his friends erupted, making him even angrier.
Irritated, he grabbed his checkered sarong and ran after the rude newspaper vendor.
"Hey, you! How could you just toss that at an old man like me? My head is pounding!" he shouted, his voice trembling with irritation. Filled with frustration, he snatched up his sandal and hurled it at the vendor, his anger boiling over.
Hearing the shout and something hit the back of his neck, the newspaper vendor turned around, "Sorry, man!" He instinctively ran away, clutching his bicycle.
"What news is that? So serious," he muttered as he entered his yard with a frustrated expression.
"Look at this, man! Scientists have created a cure to fight zombies!"
"What zombies? I'm sure this is just a government trick. What if that cure contains poison to kill us, like with Covid?"
"Whew, even if they gave me money, I wouldn't drink it,"
"Well, I don't want to die either…"
…
After the newspaper reported on the purification process, various responses emerged. Currently, the military personnel were receiving vaccinations as the primary defense.
This was done voluntarily by several of Jeffry's trusted associates, and there was no coercion. Only ten people agreed to be vaccinated, while the others strongly opposed this trial, causing a commotion to avoid becoming test subjects.
The faces of these ten individuals were featured in the newspaper as the first to receive the vaccine. Some who saw it felt pity and concern for their safety.
Karina huffed in annoyance, as if they were mocking her research. But it was good; she wouldn't have to waste resources.
Outside the room, Jeffry was observing the vaccination process through a transparent glass.
"We can't continue this, sis. It hasn't been tested to standard. What if it kills people?" Lily insisted to Jeffry.
"Bottom line, it can't be distributed."
Hearing Lily's last statement made Jeffry turn his head, a displeased expression showing on his face.
"Who are you to stop this? Even after two years, your group has made no progress; all you've done is waste resources," he said, annoyed with what the main character of this film was doing. Even as the main character, this woman contributed nothing to the research.
Lily's face paled at Jeffry's words. It was true that her team had always failed in their research.
However, she couldn't just stay quiet. Even though she had failed, she still didn't know if her sister's boyfriend's research was successful, or what if it harmed people.
She couldn't just remain silent. With a piercing gaze, she glared at Jeffry. "Just because he's your sister's boyfriend, you think he can act arbitrarily. It's better if he just stays in the military."
"Lily, stop," John said, noticing the dark expression on his friend's face.
"Look, John, Jeff can't even respond to me; this is dangerous for the people."
Thud!
She slammed her hand on the table in front of her.
"If you can't contribute, shut your mouth and leave now."
With tears starting to stream down her red face, Lily walked out, crying.
"Jeff has changed," she said sadly, running away.
John saw Lily leave and immediately followed her.
After the argument, Jeffry felt dizzy. He raised his right hand and began to gently massage his forehead.
…
A few days later, another zombie attack occurred, and this time the attacks happened in succession. However, there was a significant change in the military's response to this attack. Not a single zombie managed to touch the base because ten soldiers had advanced to the front lines.
One soldier began to emit fire from his hands to destroy the zombie creatures. Tens of thousands of people watching the battle were in awe.
"Whoa, look at that! Wow, he can shoot fire from his hands!"
"No way, just like a Power Ranger!" shouted one spectator, filled with admiration.
Even some people took out their phones to record the event, even though there was no signal; at least their phones would ease their boredom.
Various comments filled the base, but Karina, watching the battle from the second floor, only smiled with satisfaction for the ten people who became her test subjects.
She had deliberately given them the fire element, as it made it easier to destroy zombies than other elements.
In her previous life, it took her ten years to develop elemental powers, and she started publishing them after thirteen years of research. She was confident this element would be the most successful among her other studies.
Before injecting them, she certainly didn't just give it to anyone; she also provided neutralizing pills as a precaution for potential traitors.
Karina watched the battle until the zombies were completely eradicated, leaving nothing but ashes. The officials only needed to clean up without having to carry the dead bodies away.
Some people who witnessed the battle tried to find out what kind of medicine was given to the ten individuals, causing a crowd to gather in front of the Haven headquarters.
Due to the overwhelming interest, soldiers were deployed to secure the building and manage the riots.
"Everyone, pay attention!"
Hearing the voice over the loudspeaker, the crowd stopped talking and listened attentively.
"Information about the research will be published in tomorrow morning's newspaper; please do not gather, as we do not know if any of you have the virus."
After hearing the announcement, everyone dispersed and returned to their homes, anxiously awaiting the next day.
…
In a slum outskirts area, Haven headquarters, a group of people in black clothes with prominent tattoos covering parts of their bodies gathered. Among the crowd stood a man with striking red hair, clearly the leader of their group.
"Boss, if we can get that medicine, we'll get rich quick,"
"Yeah, that's right. I saw with my own eyes; all the zombies turned into roasted chicken."
Such shouts echoed among the group members.
"Silence everyone!" he said in a loud and firm voice.
"Tomorrow morning, you all go get the newspaper," he continued arrogantly.
As the leader, Yuta felt he had to acquire that medicine, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to get it.