After arriving in the capital, Chen Chao and his group noticed that the number of wandering corpses along the way had significantly decreased. By the time they reached the inner ring, the streets were almost devoid of any zombies. The ground was littered with overturned and burned transport vehicles, tank tread marks, and the broken remains of soldiers in camouflage uniforms.
The remnants of smoke and fire lingered in the streets, while the towering skyscrapers stood like cold tombstones, silently mourning the fallen. Bright red paint scrawled on the buildings pointed the way toward the city center, humanity's base and the country's last line of defense.
The crimson arrows were a glimmer of hope in the darkness and despair.
Many survivors in the city were likely saved thanks to these directions.
Following the arrows, Chen Chao and his group advanced toward the city center. Soon, they arrived at humanity's last stronghold. The walls, constructed from a mix of wood and bamboo, rose to six stories high, patrolled by soldiers keeping a vigilant watch. Tanks parked outside the walls projected a sense of immense military strength and security.
From another direction, a transport truck roared back into the city, its bed packed with people—many of them disheveled, gaunt, and clearly survivors.
Chen Chao summoned Chen Shiyu from his dimensional space, and the group moved toward the main gate of the wall.
A middle-aged soldier on duty saluted the returning transport truck before noticing Chen Chao and his companions. Once the truck passed through the gate, the soldier approached them.
He scrutinized the group and was surprised to find them unusually clean compared to other survivors, who were typically covered in grime and reeked of decay. What astonished him further was the presence of a little girl, appearing to be about seven or eight years old—an obvious burden in such times. Yet, she hadn't been abandoned, which seemed unbelievable to him.
His gaze softened slightly as he smiled. "You all, follow me."
Chen Chao took the lead, followed closely by Chen Shiyu, Fan Xiangyu, You Qian, and Heiyue, who all walked in step with him.
Fan Xiangyu gazed at the human base with a trace of nervousness in her eyes. She had remained unusually quiet the entire journey. The ten specialized zombies under her control had been stored in Chen Chao's dimensional space.
Before long, the group followed the middle-aged soldier through the gate.
Inside the wooden-and-bamboo wall, a large number of workers were busy constructing a more robust concrete fortification. The new wall had already reached a height of ** meters, with a thickness of nearly ten feet, sturdy enough to withstand anything but an assault from a golden-scaled behemoth.
Numerous transport trucks were parked by the roadside. The truck that had just entered was at the front, with soldiers helping the survivors disembark.
"Follow them to the vaccine testing center. Once it's confirmed that you're not infected, accommodations will be arranged," the soldier instructed, pointing to the survivors from the truck.
You Qian grinned broadly. "Don't worry, we're all uninfected. Look at us—not a scratch!"
The soldier's expression turned stern. "Rules are rules."
You Qian shrugged, muttering under his breath, "So rigid."
The soldier escorted Chen Chao and his group to the survivors, saluted a young officer with a lieutenant's badge, and briefly explained the situation before returning to his post outside the wall.
The young lieutenant glanced at Chen Chao's group, his expression mirroring the middle-aged soldier's surprise. However, he asked no questions, simply barking, "Everyone, follow me to the vaccine testing center. Don't fall behind!"
The dozen or so survivors followed him in a scattered line.
Among the group of ragged survivors, Chen Chao's group stood out like nobles among beggars.
They arrived at a building marked "Virus Testing Center" in bold painted letters. Two staff members in white hazmat suits approached the lieutenant at the entrance, exchanged a few words, and then led the group inside.
Fan Xiangyu's heart tightened. Virus testing? She was a zombie herself! The virus coursing through her body could easily infect millions—a walking biohazard.
Chen Chao shot her a quick glance, signaling her to stay calm.
His gaze inexplicably reassured her, and she took a deep breath, forcing down her anxiety.
Inside, all the staff wore white hazmat suits and respirators. One of them organized the survivors into a line for blood testing.
The test was straightforward: a blood sample to detect any viral infection, as 99% of cases would show up in the bloodstream.
When it was Fan Xiangyu's turn, just as she was about to extend her hand, Chen Chao whispered imperceptibly behind her, "Keep walking. Don't stop."
She hesitated but instinctively obeyed. When she passed by the nurse without stopping for the blood draw, the nurse seemed not to notice her and instead moved on to Chen Chao behind her.
Fan Xiangyu quickly realized that Chen Chao had bent the light to distort the doctors' perception, making her invisible. He must have been manipulating their vision since they entered the building, thus avoiding detection.
Her nerves calmed as she caught up with the group.
Soon, everyone in Chen Chao's group completed the blood draw and joined the other survivors in the waiting area.
Hours later, a middle-aged doctor and a soldier entered. The doctor, holding a clipboard, scanned the room. "Zhao Hua?"
The survivors exchanged glances until a timid voice answered, "M-me. That's me." A plain-looking young man stepped forward.
The doctor looked at him without expression. "You've consumed contaminated tap water. Mild infection. You'll be taken to the quarantine zone for treatment."
The young man's face paled. "No, I haven't!"
The soldier beside the doctor stepped forward, coldly snapping a pair of gloves onto his hands. Gripping Zhao Hua's wrist, he quickly cuffed him. "Resist again, and you'll be shot."
The hallway fell silent.
The other survivors watched in fear as Zhao Hua, despondent, was taken away.
The doctor announced indifferently, "The rest of you show no signs of infection. Head to the gate. Someone will assign you housing. You'll need to return for testing every ten days."
The survivors sighed in relief and hurriedly expressed their thanks.
Chen Chao, Chen Shiyu, and the others headed outside, where a transport truck approached. A burly man with a lieutenant's insignia stepped out of the driver's seat, offering the young officer a cigarette before nodding toward Chen Chao and the group of survivors.
"These the new ones?"
The lieutenant patted his shoulder. "Yeah. There are a few good prospects among them. Sort them out."