Chapter 407: Success
Old Mei’s senior apprentice finally completed the expansion plan for Taoyang to accommodate three thousand people by the end of October.
Old Mei took off his reading glasses and examined the blueprint carefully, muttering several “hmms” without giving any feedback.
The apprentice stood silently by his side, barely daring to breathe. Even Su Tao felt a bit anxious.
Why had the old man become so fond of keeping people in suspense?
“Hmm… not bad. You’re officially graduated,” Old Mei finally declared, putting down the blueprint.
Both Su Tao and Zheng Xing let out a long sigh of relief.
“But,” he added, “you still need to keep learning under me. Don’t think you’re all grown up now—you’ve got a lot left to master.”
Zheng Xing grinned. “Got it, Master.”
As Old Mei strolled leisurely out of the office, he turned back to Su Tao with a proud smile.
“My little apprentice has talent. Most people couldn’t keep up with how fast he learns.”
Su Tao nodded vigorously, flattering the old man until he beamed with pride.
With the blueprint in hand, Su Tao wasted no time getting started on construction.
According to the plan, at least 10,000 square meters of land needed to be added to accommodate the new residents. This included not just living quarters but also new offices, training grounds, and other facilities.
The expansion practically wiped out the crystal core reserves they had been saving.
But when Su Tao thought about the potential profits from the coastal region, she felt energized again. According to Gu Mingchi’s ambitious projections, this venture could bring in three to five thousand crystal cores.
A few more trips like that, and she’d be set for life.
Sure, the projection seemed a bit overblown, but Su Tao was more than willing to buy into the dream—it even felt exciting.
So that evening, when Shi Zijin came by to check in, he found her hard at work, full of energy.
Since awakening her powers, Su Tao had noticed a significant improvement in her physical stamina. She could now stay up half the night working and still manage a couple more hours in the morning without feeling exhausted.
After working, she attended a meeting in Dongyang and then joined an online conference with the leaders of Changjing to discuss the logistics of the three thousand incoming residents.
One critical point: the scientific researchers arriving from Changjing to study the zombie serum and vaccine would need to operate under complete secrecy. This precaution was to prevent mutated zombies from infiltrating human society and sabotaging the research.
Everything was progressing smoothly and moving in a positive direction.
After finishing her lunch, Su Tao finally had a moment to relax in the afternoon—only to notice something off about her cat, Chili.
It had vomited.
In fact, Chili had been acting strange for a while—less energetic, napping more, eating less, and, most worryingly, not even bothering to fight with White Sesame anymore.
Su Tao, previously overwhelmed with work, had overlooked these signs. But today, with time to spare, she thoroughly examined Chili and found nothing visibly wrong. Turning to the internet, she searched for possible causes.
What she found scared her. It could be a simple hairball issue, or something far more serious—gastroenteritis, or even internal parasites.
Since online information wasn’t always reliable, Su Tao decided to find a veterinarian.
However, as Ma Dapao and Zhuang Wan had already discovered, skilled vets were rare in these times—mostly employed by wealthy families and not easily hired away.
Eventually, through Wen Man, she managed to secure a vet who would be flown in on a private plane in a few days.
Feeling guilty, Su Tao called to thank Luo Yan, who had arranged the vet.
“As long as Chili’s okay, let us know the results. Manman’s been worried sick,” Luo Yan reassured her over the phone.
Just as they were about to hang up, Su Tao suddenly asked, “Uh… can sterilization be reversed?”
There was a brief pause before Luo Yan awkwardly replied, “Yes… why do you ask?”
“No reason—just curious. Thanks again!”
After the call, Su Tao pondered the growing sophistication of the system’s medical shop. With each upgrade, it seemed to offer increasingly advanced technology.
Perhaps one day, Manman’s dream could come true.
The thought lifted her spirits, and her good mood persisted until late that night when she received an exciting message from Xu Qi—they had captured Huapi!
Su Tao bolted upright in bed. “Did you really catch her?!”
Though she had been confident in their plan, the memory of Jiang Tong’s tragedy had weighed heavily on her mind, making her uneasy.
Hearing confirmation that the mission was successful felt almost surreal.
Xu Qi, trying to remain calm, couldn’t entirely hide his excitement.
“Boss, it’s true! Just like you predicted—by the time she arrived, she was barely conscious, covered in wounds. She could barely move.”
Su Tao repeated “Good!” three times in relief and urged them to return quickly.
But before she could finish, Shi Zijin, who had been quietly listening nearby, spoke up.
“No need. I’ve already arranged for a helicopter. Head east for 500 meters—you’ll see it. Bring her back immediately. No mistakes.”
Xu Qi was stunned.
Who was that man? And why did his voice sound so familiar?
Su Tao quickly followed up. “Hurry—see you in three hours!”
After ending the call, she turned to Shi Zijin with a wry smile.
“You’re surprisingly reliable for a ghost.”
Shi Zijin responded smoothly, “I’ll get you a pink helicopter of your own.”
Su Tao froze, then burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, at the capture site—
Xu Qi oversaw the operation as a terrified Xiong Tai dragged the trapped and weakened Huapi onto the helicopter.
When Xiong Tai realized this zombie was even more terrifying than Bone Wings, he almost wet his pants in fear. Only Xu Qi’s gun at his back kept him moving.
Once they were airborne, the tension finally eased for those on the ground.
However, hidden in the shadows, an unusually short, sallow-skinned man observed the scene with cold disdain.
“So what if you catch a few weaklings?” he sneered.
“In this insane world, zombies will reign supreme. Pathetic, fragile humans… wiping them out is as easy as moving a finger.”
