The virus was always shrouded in mystery, so much so that even someone as knowledgeable as Old Lan couldnât fully unravel its secrets. However, ever since the evolution of the master ball became more pronounced, Ling Mo had gained a deeper understanding of it.
In his eyes, the virus resembled a rapidly evolving colossal creature, using the entire world as its platform to achieve this goal. No matter how much other Zombies and creatures evolved, they were merely parts of this grand scheme. Ling Moâs goal, naturally, wasnât to be trapped in this endless cycle but to find a way to break free from it entirely. Yet, judging by the current situation, that dream was far from realization.
That said, infection wasnât entirely a bad thing. At least for humanity, the emergence of superhumans provided them with some level of survival competitiveness. But this small amount of strength felt far too insignificant⦠like the three individuals standing on the rooftop at this very moment.
The existence of Zombie Puppets was the critical factor in Ling Moâs success. However, since his main body had undergone long-term modifications by trace amounts of the virus-and due to the peculiar connection he shared with Zombie Puppets-the more intense the evolution of a zombie puppet, the more severe the impact on his main body. As for this connection⦠Qi Tianyi and the others had experienced something markedly different from Ling Mo. While Ling Moâs transformation was gradual, theirs was forcibly activated.
The activation of the virus in their bodies granted them the ability to push their potential to the limit, achieving Zombie-like levels of explosive strength and speed. Yet for the human physique, such extreme bursts of power inevitably came with severe side effects. This was why Ling Mo often pointed out that Qi Tianyi hadnât mastered the technique fully. In his view, the method clearly had room for improvement⦠although it seemed the actual steps might only be found in the hands of Chief of Staff Wang.
âTo be honest, this method would be far more useful to me⦠I just wonder, in the hands of that Chief of Staff Wang, has this technique of deliberate activation been pushed to its limitsâ¦â
Simple activation was far from enough to counteract the Zombie virus.
Ling Mo was pondering this issue in his mind when the secretary poised herself in a ready-to-attack stance, warily watching him. As she occasionally glanced at Qi Tianyi, her expression became increasingly anxious. Meanwhile, Qi Tianyi was gradually losing consciousness amidst his convulsions. Even when he briefly regained awareness, he only managed to mutter âI have alreadyâ¦â before falling silent again.
To Ling Mo, the full version of that sentence was clearly âIâve already given up on treatment,â but in the secretaryâs understanding, it was akin to an adrenaline shot directly into her blood vessels.
Surely, thereâs hope!
âSo tell me, what is it that you really want? Did you go through all this trouble just to kill us? You should know that if we miss the meeting, someone will come looking for us,â the secretary asked again. As she spoke, her face swelled slightly, as if a fist was about to pop out from her forehead.
Ling Moâs eye twitched at the sight, and he couldnât shake off a subtle feeling. Although Qi Tianyi was the captain on paper, his strength wasnât much greater than that of the secretary⦠Of course, if Qi Tianyi ever found out about Ling Moâs assessment, he might just be angry enough to come back to life. After all, if he didnât rely on the advantage of being a Zombie, he wouldâve been torn apart by now.
Thinking along this line, the deepest hidden nail wasnât likely Qi Tianyi⦠His presence simply served to better conceal the existence of that nail, meaning he was just a Pawn displayed on the surface.
While the ambush on Ling Mo certainly involved Qi Tianyi, the true source of danger came from the intelligence the nail obtained through the Second Camp. Unless that nail was removed, Ling Moâs actions here would remain perpetually restricted and exceedingly perilousâ¦
As a cautious person, Ling Mo always adhered to the principle of eradicating the problem at its root. So when he spoke, he broke the current stalemate: âSimple, I want to talk to the Boss behind all this.â
His words were abrupt, and combined with his stiff expression, they carried an air of âyouâre not qualified.â
The secretary was momentarily stunned⦠She stared at Ling Mo in bewilderment, unable to discern anything from his expression.
âDoes he really know something?â the secretary hesitated, thinking to herself.
Qi Tianyi, lying on the ground, let out a few more cries, but his movement only resulted in faster blood circulation. Before he could fully open his eyes, he started convulsing again.
Ling Mo seized the moment and added, âBetter decide quickly; time wonât wait for anyone.â
The secretary gritted her teeth in contemplation for a moment before sharply demanding, âWhat do you want to discuss?â
â¦
âMm mm!â
In a room inside the building, Yang Mei, who was tightly bound, struggled with difficulty. She had regained consciousness relatively early, but the Patrol Team captain who had fainted alongside her still lay limp in a chair, eyes closed. He wasnât even aware that one of his arms was hanging in a loop above his headâ¦
The other end of the rope was tied to Yang Meiâs ankle, meaning any significant movement would cause a heavy object suspended above the patrol captainâs head to mercilessly crash downâ¦
âWhy does this kind of vicious setup always come so easily to him? Is he a born criminal mastermind?â Yang Mei thought, frustrated. This constraint meant she had to minimize her movements, increasing the difficulty by several notches⦠As for hoping those two guards would come to check on them-who knows what that captain had told them, as she hadnât heard even a footstep for nearly an hour!
However, at that moment, an abrupt sound disrupted the silence in the room.
âBeep beep beep!â
The ringtone of the communicator had just sounded when it seemed to be answered automatically.
This strange situation caused Yang Mei to halt her movements immediately.
âZzzzâ¦â
In the silence, the static from the communicator transitioned from faint to clear, gradually reaching Yang Meiâs hearing range. She twisted her neck with difficulty, searching for the source of the sound.
âHe wouldnât be so careless, but what exactly is the purpose of leaving a Communicator?â Yang Mei considered several possibilities, but despite her speculation, she was utterly unprepared for the first words that came through: âHi, did you sleep well?â
âUhâ¦â Yang Mei was momentarily stunned by instinct, then immediately became furious.
She was familiar with that voice! It was the same one that came from that zombie face!
Although she had already suspected that leaving the Communicator was part of some devious plan, calling in just to mock her was beyond shameless! Additionally, as soon as she recognized the voice, her earlier musings about how the Communicator had automatically picked up slipped from her mind. This meant she didnât notice the Red Glimmer that briefly flashed through a gap in the window.
On the Rooftop, Ling Mo waved the Communicator in front of him, making sure that even its faintest noises were audibly projected: âNow you understand, I have quite a few hostages in my hands. If the captainâs life isnât leverage enough, adding these hostages should make my bargaining chips substantial. As for what we discuss and how it goes, I make those calls, not you, alright?â
âYouâ¦â The secretaryâs expression turned resentful. While this information couldnât be verified, after witnessing Qi Tianyiâs fate, she couldnât easily question Ling Moâs capabilities⦠And even though the sounds coming from the Communicator were indistinct, it was clear a woman was âwhimpering.â
âEven at a time like this, he wonât waste anything! So he planned this even while hitting me, calculating exactly when Iâd wake up to use me like thisâ¦â Yang Mei fumed internally.
But Ling Mo, after setting down the Communicator, had a different thought: âDidnât think it would actually come in handy.â
Qi Tianyi was just one of the bargaining chips, and demonstrating a stronger threat was Ling Moâs ultimate negotiation tactic. When possible, heâd opt for a more intricate method to extract the information he desired without needing to resort to direct confrontation.
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