Chapter 424: The Dumbfounded Changjing Support Army
The comrades from Changjing, filled with blood-boiling passion and a resolve to die if necessary, rushed to Shou’an for an emergency rescue.
But when they arrived, there was no bloody massacre. The cowardly warlords of Shou’an had already mustered the courage to start cleaning up the battlefield.
The severed limbs and corpses had been gathered and disposed of, leaving only bloodstains and grime on the ground.
Having experienced a city breach before, they knew that no matter how scared they were, they had to clean up the bodies quickly. Otherwise, the smell of blood would attract more zombies in no time.
The Changjing support army stood dumbfounded, staring at the three barely-alive mutant zombies. They turned to Shou’an’s leader, Ge Haibin, and asked in shock, “You guys did this?”
When did the Shou’an base become so powerful?
Just a year ago, they had been overrun by zombies and fled in panic, begging for aid from all directions.
Ge Haibin didn’t dare to take the credit:
“No, no, no. We have no idea what happened. These three just suddenly started self-harming and ended up like this.”
The Changjing general looked at him like he was insane, filled with disbelief.
Is this guy talking nonsense because he’s been scared witless by the zombies?
Mutant zombies, with intelligence almost equal to humans and deep hostility toward them, would never harm themselves voluntarily.
But after conducting their investigation, the facts were undeniable. Survivors from Shou’an all reported the same story with consistent details of the zombies’ self-destructive behavior, ruling out the possibility of a coordinated lie.
The general was too stunned to speak and, unable to make sense of the situation, decided to report everything directly to Changjing.
When Changjing’s government received the news, the entire conference room fell into a dead silence. No one spoke.
It was too bizarre.
Finally, the President made a decision—to transport the three mutant zombies to Taoyang as experimental specimens.
After all, only Taoyang had the capacity to securely contain living mutant zombies.
And so, the next day, Su Tao signed for the delivery of the three mutilated mutant zombies she had tormented.
Listening to the Changjing general’s report, Su Tao feigned a shocked expression, then solemnly promised to ensure the zombies’ secure containment and guaranteed there would be no escape incidents.
The bewildered support army had no choice but to return.
No one was happier about the arrival of the three broken zombies than Shen Wencheng. If anyone loved zombies, it was him. His previously gloomy mood vanished, and he eagerly had the zombies sent straight to his laboratory.
Before he could disappear, Su Tao stopped him.
“Wait a minute.”
Shen Wencheng scratched his head and looked at her curiously. “What is it, Boss Su?”
“Is there still no direct and effective way to kill mutant zombies?”
When it came to professional questions, Shen Wencheng became serious. He shook his head and replied:
“No way to kill them—unless they want to die themselves, like Eyes Burials.”
Su Tao’s heart clenched slightly at the mention of Jiang Yu, who was silently following her from the shadows.
“The true terror of mutant zombies isn’t just their strength—it’s their immortality. As long as they have time and food, they can regenerate from any injury. The virus strain inside them has evolved through years of mutation and now coexists symbiotically with their bodies. To kill them, we would need to crack the virus’s DNA and develop a serum that disrupts its sequence.”
Su Tao nodded, but her thoughts drifted.
So… every time she captured a mutant zombie, she would have to lock it up indefinitely?
At this rate, Taoyang would start resembling a collection vault, slowly amassing a variety of bizarre and terrifying mutant zombies.
And yet, Taoyang’s tenants seemed remarkably resilient. Despite having five living mutant zombies confined just a wall away in the experimental base, not a single tenant had canceled their lease.
What Su Tao didn’t realize was that Taoyang’s tenants felt too safe to worry. Even knowing there were mutant zombies nearby, they trusted Taoyang’s security measures.
Besides, moving elsewhere meant facing the very real risk of being killed by zombies, not to mention losing the superior living conditions. Only a fool would voluntarily leave.
Two days later, Shen Wencheng, visibly excited, came to report his research progress:
“Boss Su, thanks to those three mutant zombies, our research has jumped to 80% completion! It’s fascinating—these mutants are so diverse! Remember that zombie with the shriveled lower body? We’ve labeled it ‘Spine Split.’”
“According to our findings, it had congenital spina bifida and had been paralyzed for years. After mutation, it grew cartilage tentacles from its spine and kills by slicing victims in half. Each mutant also has unique dietary preferences. For example, Spine Split favors spinal cords and internal organs, which accelerate its growth after consumption.”
“That zombie called ‘Hua Pi’ was similar—it suffered from severe lupus before mutation, which made it obsessed with human skin and viscera.”
“And ‘Eyes Burial’ had congenital vitreous opacity and severe myopia, which affected her vision…”
As Shen Wencheng spoke, Su Tao’s mind drifted.
All these mutant zombies had been patients before the apocalypse.
In a world where even healthy people struggled to survive, those with chronic illnesses or disabilities had faced even worse odds.
When the zombie virus mutated them, it not only freed them from their ailments but also granted them terrifying powers. It wasn’t hard to imagine that these mutants viewed the virus as a savior and harbored deep resentment toward the humans who once ostracized them.
In a twisted way, everything started to make sense.
In the end, humans were still fighting against their own kind.
Unwilling to delve deeper into the implications, Su Tao gave Shen Wencheng some words of encouragement and sent him on his way.
Shortly after he left, Su Tao received an unexpected call from Minister Xu in Changjing.
After some brief small talk, Minister Xu casually asked:
“By the way, has Mr. Shen’s team discovered why those three mutant zombies suddenly started self-harming? I could hardly believe my ears when I first heard it.”
Su Tao immediately sensed the hidden probe in his question.
Why would he ask her about the research? Changjing had their own personnel embedded in the experimental base, receiving real-time updates on any findings.
Minister Xu was clearly fishing for information directly from her.
Cunning old fox.
Su Tao paused before responding, “If I said I don’t know anything about it, would you believe me?”
Minister Xu replied without hesitation, “No.”
At first, he hadn’t considered Su Tao.
The whole incident was too strange—too impossible—and she had never left Taoyang.
But during his investigation, a mother and daughter described a “transparent barrier” that had shielded them and trapped the mutant zombies inside.
That instantly reminded Minister Xu of Taoyang’s protective shield.
If that barrier could protect people, it could also imprison zombies.
