Three days after leaving the safe zone, Chi Ying’s attention gradually shifted from carving marks on the car to observing Zhang Bin.
Something about him felt… off.
It started on the first night. When she handed him a bowl of rice, she noticed that his body temperature was unnaturally cold—like someone who had been dead for a while.
Then came his voice. Zhang Bin claimed he had a cold, which explained the hoarseness, but to Chi Ying, it wasn’t quite right.
It sounded almost like human nasal congestion… but there was also a strange wheezing undertone. A raspy “ho-ho” kind of breath.
That’s when she began watching him more closely.
During the day, Zhang Bin behaved normally. But last night, when everyone was asleep, he did something strange.
In the middle of the night, he got up quietly and left the camp.
Thanks to her sharp hearing, Chi Ying woke up to the sound and decided to secretly follow him.
They hadn’t reached the city yet. The group had stopped along a backroad Gu Chi had identified as the shortest path to headquarters.
The road was partially blocked by trees, adding an eerie stillness to the night.
Zhang Bin moved cautiously, glancing back every few steps as if worried someone might be following.
His movements were quiet, practiced—unnaturally so. Only after walking several hundred meters did he relax and begin what looked like… a ritual.
Chi Ying crouched behind a tree, moonlight trickling through the branches. It landed on her shoes, shining a little too brightly. She quickly pulled her legs back, hoping not to get caught.
Luckily, Zhang Bin didn’t notice her.
He stood in a clearing, stretched out his arms, and tilted his head back—so far that it looked inhuman.
Chi Ying stared. Was his cervical spine still intact?
That posture… no normal person could bend their neck that way.
Was he really doing some kind of religious ceremony? Was this why he snuck off in the middle of the night?
The thought made her snort internally. If he was that devout, the Virgin Mary ought to grant him sainthood.
Then Zhang Bin opened his mouth wide, and a sharp, compressed sound echoed from deep in his throat.
Chi Ying froze, watching him hold the pose for five full minutes.
This didn’t feel like a prayer. It was more like… communication. But what kind of communication sounded like that? And why did it feel so wrong?
By the time he straightened up, he glanced around once more and quietly made his way back to camp.
Chi Ying waited a while longer before sneaking back as well.
Something’s definitely not right with that guy.
She decided she’d find a chance to tell Gu Chi in the morning. Maybe he could make sense of it.
The Next Morning
Chi Ying forced herself to get up early.
When she was just a character in a game, she never noticed how wonderful it felt to sleep in. But now, living in the real world, every extra second of rest felt like a treasure.
Since Gu Chi was in another car and their meals were just grab-and-go rations eaten on the move, this morning might be her only chance to talk to him privately.
The early summer morning, even in the apocalypse, was beautiful. Cuckoos called out in the distance, their cries mixing with the hum of crickets.
It was the kind of sound that reminded people of life before the end—soft, nostalgic, and oddly comforting.
But in a world overrun by zombies, that same sound now felt strangely disorienting.
For a moment, Gu Chi found rare peace in the midst of chaos.
“Gu Chi!”
“…”
He gritted his back molars.
No matter how many times she said it, he still wasn’t used to Chi Ying calling his name so casually.
“Yeah?”
“I need to talk to you about something.” Chi Ying lowered her voice, careful not to wake the others.
Before she could start, Gu Chi cut in, “Wait—before that, I want to ask you a question.”
Chi Ying blinked. “Sure?”
“How old are you?”
…Huh?
She was confused. Why ask that now?
“…I’m eighteen.” Well, technically, her in-game character was a two-hundred-year-old fairy.
But she’d always been set at eighteen—forever young, forever beautiful!
And since the game had only been live for about twenty years, claiming she was eighteen wasn’t a total lie.
Gu Chi gave her a look. “The truth.”
“…Twenty,” she admitted.
He pressed his lips together. Almost ten years younger than him.
No wonder her behavior always seemed so baffling. It was like watching performance art.
So this is what they meant by a generational gap.
“Is something wrong?” Chi Ying tilted her head.
“You call me by my name, but I’m ten years older than you.”
“…Would you prefer ‘Brother Gu’? Or maybe… Uncle Gu?”
“…Forget it.” Gu Chi inhaled deeply. “Just pretend I never said anything.”
He’d wanted her to stop calling his name so casually, but “Brother Gu” gave him flashbacks to Song Shi’s voice—and he didn’t like that at all.
And “Uncle Gu”… That just hurt his soul.
“Anyway,” he said, “what did you want to tell me?”
“Oh, right! That guy you brought back from the lab—Zhang Bin—I think there’s something wrong with him.”
Gu Chi raised an eyebrow. “What kind of wrong?”
Chi Ying explained everything she saw the night before.
Gu Chi didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be thinking.
“Anything else?”
“Yeah. His body temperature is way too cold, and his voice is… weird.”
“Zhang Bin said he’s sick. That could explain both.”
Chi Ying nodded. That was fair.
Still, something didn’t sit right with her.
“Anything else?”
She shook her head.
“All right. Thanks for telling me.”
“Brother Gu! What are you doing?”
Song Shi’s voice was as sugary as ever, but her eyes were filled with cold hostility.
She was furious.
This woman had finally been dumped in the safe zone, and now she was back—sticking to Gu Chi like glue.
And now, talking privately with him in the morning? What next?
She forced a smile. “You’ve been out here chatting for quite a while…”
Chi Ying’s eyes curved in amusement.
Wow. That was one sour tone.
Gu Chi, noticing Chi Ying’s smile, paused.
What’s she laughing at?
“We just happened to be out here, so we chatted a little.”
“Brother Gu, are you lying to me?” Song Shi’s tone slipped, her jealousy bubbling up. “She just got here—”
“What does that have to do with you?” Gu Chi interrupted, frowning.
He didn’t want to spread suspicion until he had proof. And telling Song Shi anything now would only complicate matters.
“Get your things ready. We’ll talk later.”
Song Shi clenched her fists, biting down the urge to lash out.
Later That Day
Something wasn’t right.
They had encountered far too many zombies on the road, all seemingly drawn to them.
Zombies rarely acted with strategy. But today? They moved with intent.
The last time Gu Chi had seen this was back at Experimental Base No. 36.
When Lin Xun’s team was barely hanging on, Gu Chi’s voice came through the communicator.
“Switch positions. You take the rear.”
Mu Yu, nearly spent, cleared a path with the last of his powers. Lin Xun slowed his vehicle, letting Lu Yunfei’s car surge forward.
As soon as Gu Chi took point, everything changed. The zombies didn’t even get close—each one fell before they could strike, pierced by icy blades.
Lin Xun sighed in relief.
Without Gu Chi, a Level 7 ability user, they’d have been overwhelmed for sure.
But Gu Chi wasn’t as relaxed. Even for him, maintaining that level of output for hours was draining.
“Yunfei, look for the nearest city.”
“Huh? Aren’t we heading straight to HQ?”
“Not now. Find shelter first. Something’s wrong.”
Lu Yunfei’s expression darkened. “Understood.”
From the top floor of the temporary shelter they found, he peered down at the zombie horde below.
His stomach turned at the sight.
If they hadn’t changed course, they would’ve been overwhelmed.
“Captain, what the hell is going on?”
Gu Chi shook his head.
Mu Yu spoke up, pale: “It’s insane. That number of zombies shouldn’t be gathered in one place, especially not on this route. It’s like… like they knew we were coming.”
“Gu Chi?” Chi Ying poked her head over.
He turned to her.
She motioned him closer and whispered, “I think… it was Zhang Bin.”
Gu Chi didn’t react visibly, but she could tell he wasn’t surprised.
“Why do you think that?”
“You remember what you said before? About the lab? That the professor’s theory was proven?”
“Yeah. Professor Yu believed that as zombies evolved, one with superior intelligence and strength would emerge as a leader. The rest would follow its commands. That theory held true in the No. 36 base.”
“You wiped out the low-level zombies there,” Chi Ying said quietly. “But… what about the leader?”
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1