Gu Chi looked at her and said after a moment, “Today’s situation was really strange.”
“That…”
“As of now, no one in the alliance has seen what the zombie leader looks like. Zhang Bin doesn’t show any signs of low-level zombie mutation.”
“…”
“However…” Gu Chi shifted his tone, “I’ll keep a closer eye on Zhang Bin. Until this situation is fully investigated, I won’t let the team take any risks.”
At that, a smile finally lit up Chi Ying’s face. Her eyes sparkled like stars scattered across the night sky.
Gu Chi caught a glimpse and felt a sudden discomfort. He looked away.
“You should head back and stay away from him. Also… I’d like you to keep this from the others for now.”
Chi Ying scrunched her nose, hesitant to agree. If she stayed silent, the others might be caught off guard…
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect them.”
Gu Chi’s words soothed her concerns. Chi Ying nodded.
“Captain, what were you talking about with that girl?” Lu Yunfei grinned, teasing as they returned.
He didn’t notice how Song Shi’s expression darkened instantly. She muttered to herself, “What took them so long?”
Gu Chi glanced at Chi Ying beside him. “Just talked for a bit.”
After a pause, he added, “We ran into too many zombies today. Chi Ying said she got scared.”
“…”
Chi Ying’s eyes widened.
She did not!
Song Shi smiled gently, but her tone was tinged with something cold: “We’re used to this kind of life. It’s understandable she was frightened—anyone would be, seeing this for the first time.”
“I don’t blame her,” Mu Yu added, still shaken. “Even I got scared by that zombie crowd.”
“Captain, what was that about? I’ve never seen zombies attack in such a coordinated way.”
Gu Chi shook his head. “We won’t figure it out just by guessing.”
Chi Ying subconsciously turned to Gu Chi and met his gaze. A quiet understanding passed between them.
“You stay here,” Gu Chi said. Then he turned to Professor Lin, seated nearby. “I want to take Zhang Bin out with me. Do you agree?”
Everyone looked at him in surprise. In the back, a flicker of cruelty flashed across Zhang Bin’s face.
Had this man figured something out?
Professor Lin hesitated. He couldn’t keep up with the young man’s thinking. “I suppose that’s possible… but why bring him?”
Gu Chi had expected the question and answered calmly, “I suspect the zombies might’ve undergone a second mutation. Only you and Zhang Bin understand this stuff.
I need to guarantee your safety—so of the two of you, Zhang Bin is the only one I can take.”
“I’ll go with you too,” Lu Yunfei offered lazily.
“I want to go!” Mu Yu chimed in quickly.
The others also looked eager to join—unwilling to let Gu Chi face danger alone.
“Go together?” Gu Chi’s tone dropped. He spoke seriously, “With your current power levels, you won’t be able to help. Worse, I’ll have to split my attention to protect you. Things out there aren’t looking good, but I can manage on my own.”
“Stay here and focus on recovering your powers.”
His words silenced them. He was right—they’d only drag him down.
Chi Ying watched quietly, munching on metaphorical popcorn. Gu Chi’s the villain, right? He’s not going to die so easily. She just had to wait for him to come back.
[That might not be possible.]
Chi Ying: Huh?
[Do you know why Gu Chi ends up being the final villain in the book?]
She frowned, thinking. “Because he clashes with the protagonists? Or maybe… he sacrifices others in the name of the greater good?”
[Nope.]
Chi Ying: Then what?
[He’s a decent supporting character at first. But during a mission in the middle of the story, he’s bitten by a zombie. He doesn’t turn into a low-level one—but mutates into a leader with high intelligence and strategy.]
Her eyes widened.
[Afterward, he hides his identity and uses his military rank to infiltrate the human alliance headquarters. It’s not until the end that the heroine discovers he’s the zombie leader. Biggest twist in the novel.]
Chi Ying: …
Chi Ying: So… are you saying Zhang Bin might be the one who bit him?
[Could be. The book never said when exactly he was bitten. But if you don’t want Gu Chi to turn into the zombie leader, you’d better go with him. You’re strong enough to keep that from happening.]
Chi Ying hesitated, then slowly raised her hand. “I… want to go too.”
“…”
Gu Chi’s mouth twitched. Why is this girl always trying to stir up trouble?
“No.”
She stared at him, undeterred. If he didn’t take her, she could always spill the truth to the others—and he knew they’d chase after him.
Gu Chi stared back, then almost laughed out of frustration.
He gritted his teeth. “Yunfei, give her a gun.”
“Brother Gu! You’re actually taking her with you?”
“She’s got her uses.”
“What kind of use?” Song Shi asked sharply.
Gu Chi glanced at her, but didn’t reply.
Hell if he knew. Maybe she was just here to make things worse.
Lu Yunfei nodded approvingly. “Chi Ying should go. Captain can protect her, and this girl’s luck is insane. She’ll definitely bring him back safely.”
“Don’t jinx it,” Mu Yu laughed, but didn’t object.
Ever since Chi Ying joined, she’d become their good luck charm. First, she found supplies in a looted supermarket. Then Gu Chi’s powers advanced. Later, she was the one who discovered Professor Lin and Zhang Bin.
Song Shi clenched her jaw but said nothing.
Chi Ying slouched in the back seat, watching Gu Chi dispatch the surrounding zombies. She didn’t say a word.
Gu Chi glanced at the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You weren’t this quiet when you threatened me earlier.”
Chi Ying: “…”
“Why’d you insist on coming?”
Why?
“Just… wanted to. What if you got ambushed by zombies?”
Gu Chi raised an eyebrow. “And what would you do then? Help me kill them?”
Chi Ying: “…”
Well… yes, actually.
He opened the door and turned to Zhang Bin in the passenger seat. “Can you tell if they’re showing signs of secondary mutation?”
Zhang Bin shook his head. “No. They seem just like the ones I’ve seen before.”
“That’s strange. Any theories about their behavior?”
“I—I’m not sure…”
“You’re a researcher. Haven’t you heard plenty of theories from the professor?”
Zhang Bin let out a low growl—but covered it up with a cough.
Gu Chi stepped out of the car. “We didn’t find the zombie leader at Lab 36. I think these zombies were acting under orders.”
“Y-Yes.”
He kept a focused expression, seemingly analyzing things.
“If that’s true, we’re outnumbered. Our only hope is to find the leader. Will you come down and help?”
“…Sure,” Zhang Bin forced a smile.
Gu Chi turned back. “Chi Ying, stay in the car.”
“…Oh.”
—
Chi Ying sat silently, exchanging thoughts with the system.
“How strong is a zombie leader?”
[Hard to say. Even the protagonist Ye Wuhan—an eighth-level ability user—struggled to take one down.]
Chi Ying blinked. Gu Chi was only level seven…
“What about the weakest kind?”
[Even a fourth-level user like Lu Yunfei wouldn’t stand a chance. Maybe someone at level five could survive.]
Chi Ying frowned. Not good odds.
After a pause, she made up her mind and quietly opened the car door.
“Let’s go see.”
—
The city was a wasteland. Trash and blood-stained signs littered the streets. No sign of life remained.
She followed the faint growls of the zombie horde. Along the way, countless corpses lay on the ground—heads pierced by ice blades. A few zombies still clung to life, which she finished off with ease.
As she walked, unease crept in. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of frozen zombies—too much for Gu Chi to have used his power like this so soon after recovering.
“Ho ho!”
Snarls echoed around the corner.
Chi Ying’s pace quickened.
—
When she arrived, Gu Chi was down on one knee, blood coating his arms and legs. Behind him, Zhang Bin raised a clawed hand—fingertips matching a zombie’s gray-green hue—about to strike Gu Chi’s exposed neck.
Chi Ying’s eyes widened. A green light flashed in her gaze.
Wind surged.
The air around her swirled into a storm of leaves and debris. In a blink, she closed the distance.
Her hand struck Gu Chi’s nape just as Zhang Bin’s claws grazed it. Blood welled up from the scratch.
She exhaled, relieved.
[Host!!]
Chi Ying flinched at the system’s shriek.
What? What’s wrong?
[You’re insane! What if you get infected?! What if you turn into a zombie?!]
Chi Ying: ...Pfft.
[How can you laugh right now?!]
She chuckled inwardly.
“You’ve never played games, have you?”
[…No?]
Chi Ying: “Then you wouldn’t know—bosses always have status immunity.”
A small smirk crept onto her face.
Because she was the boss.
Loveguy On CFRFGC Chapter 1