Chapter 402: Infection
Ling Yu couldn’t fly back to Taoyang in a second. The place where the backpack was found was already near the Shou’an Base. Even flying at full speed, the earliest it could arrive would be dawn.
It was destined to be a sleepless night.
Luckily, with her newly awakened abilities, Su Tao’s physical strength could endure. Since she couldn’t sleep, she stayed up all night working.
She finished building the small villa she promised Wen Man and Luo Yan in one go. She even added a 100-square-meter courtyard connecting to Xiao Wenyu’s property, turning it into a shared backyard for both families.
Wen Man’s house had three floors above ground and one basement level, with a layout similar to Xiao Wenyu’s. The main difference was the addition of a sunroom specifically for future pets.
Shi Zijin hovered in the air, watching her work energetically. After a while, he floated off to continue his night patrol, keeping an eye on the area within a ten-mile radius of Taoyang.
He didn’t know when he would get a break—there was still a drama he hadn’t finished watching.
At dawn, before Ling Yu returned, Su Tao received shocking news—Jiang Tong’s skin had begun to rot and decay on a large scale.
When Zhuang Wan went to check on Jiang Tong in the morning, the room was filled with a strong smell of blood. Blood stains covered the bed and floor, with dark red liquid pooling under the bedside table.
Rushing over, Zhuang Wan found Jiang Tong furrowing her brows in unconscious pain. Alarmed, she immediately called Su Tao.
“H-How did this happen?” Zhuang Wan was deeply shaken. When they brought her back, it seemed like she only had minor external injuries. How did she deteriorate into a bloody mess overnight?
Su Tao’s heart clenched in panic. For the first time, she felt helpless. She hadn’t expected Jiang Tong’s condition to worsen so drastically.
Zhuang Wan suggested, “Should I call Old Zhong to check on her? This can’t go on.”
Su Tao clutched her aching head. “Your Old Zhong can treat humans—can he treat zombies?”
“I don’t know…”
With no better options, Su Tao called Zhong Gaoyi. “Might as well try,” she muttered.
When Zhong Gaoyi arrived and saw Jiang Tong’s rotting flesh, he was visibly startled. After a brief pause, he turned to Su Tao with a serious expression.
“Boss Su, you… never mind. I can’t treat her. This isn’t a normal injury. Anything related to zombie infections—Mr. Shen is the expert.”
His words were a clear reminder that Jiang Tong should be handed over to Shen Wencheng.
“How long can she last like this?” Su Tao asked.
Zhong Gaoyi shook his head. “I’m not sure. She might not die immediately, but she’ll remain in this decayed state. She’s in severe pain—look at her face.”
Jiang Tong’s face was contorted in agony, veins bulging on her forehead. Occasionally, her body twitched involuntarily.
Strange red blotches were creeping up her face. At this rate, her features would soon rot like the rest of her body.
Zhuang Wan, heartbroken, covered her mouth to stifle a sob. The girl was as young as Chenxi—her life had been tragic even before this ordeal. Fate seemed unbearably cruel.
Su Tao’s mind went blank. She began to question herself—was she doing the right thing by keeping Jiang Tong alive?
Would it be kinder to let her die than to endure this agony or be dissected on an operating table?
Gripping her head, her lips drained of color.
Zhong Gaoyi quickly turned and said, “I’ll go find Mr. Shen.”
As he left, Su Tao opened her mouth but couldn’t produce a sound.
Zhuang Wan hugged her and whispered tearfully, “You’ve already done your best.”
Su Tao crouched down, covering her face. She remained there even when Shen Wencheng arrived hurriedly with a medical kit.
“My God, you actually caught her!” Shen Wencheng exclaimed.
He swiftly opened his kit, used a scanning device on Jiang Tong, and after studying the results, he injected her with a large syringe of clear liquid.
Zhong Gaoyi thought to himself—when it came to zombie-related emergencies, Shen Wencheng was undoubtedly the most capable.
After administering the injection, Shen Wencheng sighed with relief. “The decay won’t spread for now. Can someone help me move her to my lab? Boss Su? Boss Su, are you okay?”
Su Tao slowly stood up, gesturing toward Jiang Tong. “What happened to her?”
Shen Wencheng glanced at the scan results. “It looks like she was infected by another mutated zombie. I’ll need to study her in the lab for a precise diagnosis.”
A chill ran down Su Tao’s spine—Hua Pi.
The festering red blotches matched the symptoms of a severe skin disease—likely a deliberate infection during their confrontation.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take her now. Our research has been stalled for too long. Tonight, my team’s pulling an all-nighter,” Shen Wencheng said, clearly excited by the new subject.
He was so focused on Jiang Tong that he didn’t notice the grim faces around him.
Su Tao was about to agree when Jiang Tong’s weak voice suddenly broke the silence.
“B-Brother… Brother…”
Zhuang Wan, unable to bear the sound of her cries, fled the room. Zhong Gaoyi followed to comfort her.
Only the trembling voice of Jiang Tong, the frozen figure of Su Tao, and the oblivious Shen Wencheng remained.
It took a while for Shen Wencheng to connect the dots—this research subject was the younger sister Jiang Yu had previously brought to Taoyang.
Since he had been engrossed in his experiments, he hadn’t paid much attention to the people around him. It was only through frequent interactions with Jiang Yu that he remembered.
He hesitated and asked cautiously, “Is Jiang Yu unwilling?”
It was understandable—who would want their sibling to become a test subject?
But Shen Wencheng prioritized the greater good. If it were his family, he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice them for the sake of humanity.
“I can talk to him,” Su Tao said, her voice strained. “But can you give us some time?”
Shen Wencheng’s expression grew conflicted. “Boss Su, we’re working against the clock. Every second counts—every day we delay means more lives lost. Please, convince Jiang Yu. Their contribution will be remembered when this nightmare ends.”
