Chapter 6, The Corpse Appears

Rehn scolded: "Sir, we have found a survivor, but he has gone mad and actually bit me..."

Suddenly, a series of gunshots rang out from outside. Everyone felt it was abrupt and was momentarily taken aback. Matthew's face was instantly shrouded in shadow. He quickly reacted, grabbing his gun and charging out first. Wang Zongchao exchanged glances with Kaplan and the female lead, and they followed suit.

Mu Gang shot a glance at Zheng Zha, suddenly letting out a furious roar as he charged forward and knocked Zheng Zha to the ground. Although he tried to lower his voice to avoid being overheard by the mercenaries in the control room, his anger overflowed as he exclaimed, "Apologies? You have rendered someone disabled, and you think a mere apology suffices?"

I work at a company where, to put it nicely, I am a combat coach, but to put it bluntly, I am just a more advanced enforcer. What reason do you think the company has for letting someone like me, who is unrelated to research, know about these matters?" Wang Zongchao had a look on his face as if he were looking at an idiot.

Mou Gang held the knife tightly in his hand, hesitating for a moment, but ultimately could not bring himself to strike. In the end, he threw the knife forcefully away and, panting heavily, said: "Forget it, I will settle the score with you once everyone is alive and well!"

Matthew did not say much, but he also carried the equipment inside with him. As a responsible captain, he would not stand idly by while his team members were in danger. The female protagonist and several mercenaries followed him inside as well

You are quite ruthless; for the first time, I feel that the newcomer is even stronger than I am. At this moment, Zhang Jie also stepped forward to offer a compliment.

I used to be part of the company's logistics staff and only knew that those researchers were working on a project to resurrect the dead. Zheng Zha was also aware that completely claiming ignorance would only raise the other party's suspicions, so he interjected at the appropriate moment.

With this sweep, Wang Zongchao's body turned at least one hundred eighty degrees. At this moment, he finally released the zombie head that he had used as a pivot, and that zombie's head also turned one hundred eighty degrees in a sudden glance back, immediately falling to the ground

Then, in the vacant gazes of several companions, he placed the steel pipe against the bare forearm of his severed right hand and began to bind it with the rope borrowed from the mercenaries

Observing the fierce battle before him, Wang Zongchao appeared contemplative. At that moment, Matthew suddenly turned around and handed him a handgun along with two magazines, saying: "I may not be able to take care of you later. Each magazine contains fifteen rounds. Just like Zhang Jie did, aim for their heads!"

Is this the enhancement of the main deity? From his current performance, it seems to be at the level of an elite special forces soldier, which is not too extraordinary. However, my intuition tells me that he seems to be hiding something.

Matthew said: "So you just shoot?" Clearly not in agreement with the other party's abrupt decision to fire.

Kaplan reported based on his observations: "It shouldn't be a problem, all defense systems have been shut down, we can swagger directly out of the hive."

Kaplan had no choice but to act quickly, and within three seconds, he shut down the power of the Flame Queen. The image vanished, and everything around them darkened due to the loss of energy, except for a few backup lights that flickered like will-o'-the-wisps.

Kaplan paused for a moment upon hearing this, and Matthew had already shouted out: "Continue, do you really believe a computer that nearly killed us?"

The surface of Restaurant B remains as calm as when I first arrived, while the mercenary, Rain, is standing inside complaining about something

In other words, our only difficulty now is to break through the obstruction of the zombies and return to the main control room after they discover the existence of the zombies. Wang Zongchao nodded in understanding; he knew that he still had to accompany the mercenaries for a while, as they had no reason to stay behind, but that would change once the existence of the zombies was discovered

Wang Zongchao smiled silently; although the price he paid was considerable, to some extent, he had earned the trust and commitment of the mercenaries, which was still worthwhile. Next, he borrowed a length of rope from the mercenaries.

"No, you cannot do this," a clear and melodious voice of a young girl echoed. Then, on a circular metal panel in the room, a delicate-looking little girl appeared out of thin air, pleadingly addressing Kaplan. Her expressions and tone were extremely vivid; if it weren't for her somewhat transparent petite body, others would almost believe she was a real person. In reality, she was merely a high-tech three-dimensional projection, the humanized appearance of the Flame Empress.

Seeing that Wang Zongchao's injuries were temporarily not serious, Matthew looked at Kaplan. The computer expert was already covered in beads of sweat on his forehead and said, "I have already turned off all the defense systems!"

Until the moment of life-and-death struggle, one can never perceive the terrifying, demonic aspect of such a martial artist's level of skill

Guan Gong does not open his eyes; when he does, it is to kill. A martial artist like Wang Zongchao, who has reached the realm of concealing his essence and energy, usually remains like a sheathed sword, revealing not a hint of sharpness. However, when it comes time to strike, his ferocity is akin to a demon from hell, capable of silencing a child’s cries at night and leaving people in shock.

Zombies possess only the instinct to feed, lacking any self-preservation awareness; they mechanically reach out for "food" and do not understand how to evade or counterattack when attacked

Wang Zongchao had been listening attentively, as it was crucial intelligence. According to the movie plot described by Zhan Lan, they would later have dealings with the Flame Empress.

With a clenched jaw, he picked up the instrument from the ground and walked towards the corridor. His earlier negligence had nearly cost five lives, and now he must risk his own life to validate the correctness of this judgment

J. D. was taken aback, unable to believe what he was seeing. Upon closer inspection, he found that they were all dressed in work uniforms or research attire. Some of these "people" had already begun to decay, and there were others whose ankles were completely twisted and deformed yet still walking. He even saw one whose head was reduced to half, with the grayish-white brain matter exposed and swaying slightly with each step, yet it continued to approach with a slow but determined gait. There were others with completely twisted and deformed ankles still walking, and he even saw one whose head was reduced to half, with the grayish-white brain matter exposed and swaying slightly with each step, yet it continued to approach with a slow but determined gait.

With his reminder, others also noticed that Matthew's name had disappeared from the watch

With this thought in mind, Wang Zongchao suddenly stepped forward and charged towards those zombies

Matthew hesitated for a moment and said loudly: "Alright, everyone maintain formation. J.D., go find the exit! Rain, guard the prisoner, and the rest follow me!"

However, the emergence of zombies has completely revealed how unspeakable everything in this filthy research center is. This terrifying biological weapon, once unleashed, has the potential to annihilate the world. In order to conceal this secret, the employer has made it clear that they have no intention of allowing them to leave alive

Rein questioned, "Commander? Wasn't our order to remain on alert here after obtaining the Flame Empress motherboard and wait for the follow-up troops?"

These damned Thomases, once I get out, I will definitely shove a gun up their asses!" Matthew cursed fiercely, his eyes bloodshot.

"Fire! I don't think a guy with half a brain is still human," Wang Zongchao said helplessly to J.D.

Zheng Zha raised his gun and fired, seemingly without the need to aim, yet he always scored a headshot with each shot, appearing quite formidable

What is a zombie

In the past, it was reasonable for individuals with disabilities to have hooks attached to their hands, as this allowed them to grasp many objects and effectively protect their wounds, making it a useful weapon in combat

However, he soon looked stern and said: "Did you truly not know of the existence of zombies before?"

"You cannot disable my abilities; if you do, everyone will perish here..." Seeing that no one was paying her any attention, the Flame Empress continued to persuade.

Matthew nodded and said, "Alright, then we will now ... ... "

Matthew walked over, and when he saw the pool of blood, his expression changed dramatically. The blood was clearly the kind that would only appear from a corpse. It was half-dry, half-wet, and quite viscous. The shadow in his heart grew even larger. He stood up and shouted, "Quickly leave the beehive"

Seeing a living person rushing towards them, the zombies sluggishly extended their hands towards Wang Zongchao, resembling a group of hungry ghosts fighting over blood food in hell

Everyone looked at him as if he were a monster, their gazes filled with both fear and reverence

At this moment, everyone had just recovered from the thrilling and intense struggle with the corpses. Matthew patted Wang Zongchao on the shoulder and said with a wry smile: "It is only now that I fully realize it was right to bring you along. It seems that even if it were just you alone, you could handle all the zombies here!"

Wang Zongchao turned around and saw that Zhang Jie did not fire his gun; instead, he was spinning a Desert Eagle on his fingers, allowing the approaching zombies to come closer. Then, he gripped the handgun and fired in rapid succession, instantly headshotting several nearby zombies, causing them to fall to the ground. His speed and accuracy in shooting far exceeded that of an ordinary person, at least surpassing that of a standard qualified soldier

J. D. opened the gun bolt and said: "Stop! Otherwise, I will shoot!"

As he approached the zombies, Wang Zongchao made a sudden dash, leaving behind a blur of shadows. He lunged forward, his only left hand clenched into a fist, striking at the necks of the three closest zombies

Upon entering the control center, a small space of approximately 20 to 30 square meters appeared before Wang Zongchao.

Suddenly, a voice exclaimed: "He is gone!" When everyone turned to look in that direction, they discovered that Zhang Jie was squatting there, staring at the pool of blood.

Matthew was taken aback by the words, and then recalled Wang Zongchao's extraordinary speed and skills in the laser passage, involuntarily nodding his head. He then turned around and handed the gun and bullets to Zheng Zha

This is indeed the case in large enterprises; apart from senior leadership, each individual only knows a small part of their responsibilities and is only required to perform well in that specific area, remaining unaware of everything else, especially in situations where the company's activities are confidential.

"So what problems do you think will arise after we close her down?" Matthew asked

Seeing that he only had one hand, it was indeed inconvenient. Miao Gang quickly stepped forward to help. This awkward middle-aged man was at a loss for words to express his gratitude for the life-saving assistance he received, repeatedly uttering only "thank you" and "sorry".

It seems that after he emerged from the laser channel, he achieved some kind of breakthrough, likely of a mental nature... It appears that I truly should not underestimate anyone who has been chosen by the Lord God... In terms of potential, they all seem to have the possibility of growing very strong...

Wang Zongchao looked at him in surprise, feeling quite astonished by his potential

Wang Zongchao thought with some malice: "As long as this guy's report is good, there will definitely be no good outcome. This guy truly has the potential to be a jinx."

Kaplan opened the portable keyboard in his hand to input the program, raised the mainframe of the Flame Empress, and then without further ado, began to dismantle the mainframe of the Flame Empress, taking away her motherboard. This was originally the task of their group.

Instead of wasting time on these trivial matters, it would be better to take advantage of the time when the characters in the plot have all left to discuss the next steps of the plan! At this moment, Wang Zongchao had already firmly tied the iron pipe to his right forearm, and the curved shape perfectly formed a hook, temporarily playing the role of a pirate captain.

That guy just collapsed right here

It was unclear whether it was due to the words of the Flame Empress or the dimming light that cast a more sinister atmosphere around, but everyone involuntarily shivered

"Heavens! Are you crazy?" Ryan looked at Wang Zongchao in disbelief, and even Zheng Zha and the others were astonished as they turned to Wang Zongchao. In their view, making such a move in the face of terrifying zombies was no different from committing suicide.

"That's different. 'She cannot lie to humans' only ensures that every word she says to us is not a falsehood. It does not mean she cannot conceal certain things or mislead us by deliberately emphasizing certain facts while ignoring others, nor does it mean she cannot kill humans." Kaplan shook his head

You are more familiar with the plot than I am, so stay and discuss it. I will go in and see what they are talking about. Wang Zongchao noticed that those few "companions" did not intend to follow him into the control room, and he understood that according to the plot, entering the control center of the Flame Empress was optional.

In the original plot, Matthew was supposed to die here. Although he has not died now, the main god's distance restriction on him has been lifted. The only dangers we should consider next are from the zombies and crawlers... Now, let's discuss what we should do next. Zhang Jie continued to explain, and compared to the venting introduction before the horror movie began, his tone has become much more relaxed, indicating that the performance of certain newcomers has gained his recognition to some extent

Bang

I remember that I obtained information about the Flame Empress before. It mentioned that when the program for that entity was initially designed, the designers were concerned that her level of intelligence and human-like qualities were too high, which could lead to a loss of control. Therefore, they specifically set a restriction: 'Under no circumstances can she lie to humans.' Could it be that her threat is real? Kaplan recalled something, speaking with confusion.

The metallic walls surrounding the area emit a faint glow, and in the center stands a metallic instrument resembling a large tree, with countless bulbs of various colors flickering incessantly, imparting an air of mystery to this space

At this moment, Wang Zongchao was walking back towards the crowd with a petite female zombie held by her neck in his left arm, dragging her along face down like one would carry a small cat. Despite her continuous struggles, it was of no avail.

Wang Zongchao immediately noticed the bloody hand of Ren, which bore clear marks of having been bitten. Wang Zongchao looked at Zhan Lan, his eyes revealing his question. "Has she been infected by a zombie?"

Matthew was the first to fire at the zombies. The leading zombie, which had been struck by a latte, was knocked back, but soon it staggered to its feet again. Despite having been hit by more than ten bullets, it surprisingly did not bleed much at all

Although the terrifying nature of the creature known as the crawler had already been anticipated, the intensity of the warning signs it brought before an actual confrontation was unexpected. Observing the countless containers in the entire restaurant, Wang Zongchao estimated that the pressure of facing it head-on was no less than that of single-handedly confronting an entire army.

Outside the machine room, it seemed that Zhang Jie and the others had already discussed their strategy, and they quickly followed behind them as they came out. Zhan Lan subtly pulled his hand, urging him to keep a distance from the mercenaries, and then whispered to him: "We have decided that when they discover the presence of zombies, we will excuse ourselves by saying we are too exhausted or that we need to take care of the injured, and stay in the main control room of the Flame Empress for the remaining three hours. According to the plot, they will reinstall the Flame Empress, and we can use the laser channel to fend off the zombies and crawlers. This is the safest and most reliable method we have discussed."

"I suppose it is I who should apologize? If it weren't for my indiscretion, you wouldn't have..." At this moment, Zheng Zha stepped forward and said with deep regret.

After they entered, Wang Zongchao bent down to pick up a section of iron rod that had been bent by the door. He clamped one end with his right arm and held the other end with his left hand. With a forceful pull, the iron pipe, which was as thick as his arm, surprisingly began to twist with a creaking sound

Bang

After such treatment, Wang Zongchao's right hand has regained approximately 70% of its combat capability, and his overall combat effectiveness has only diminished by about 10%

Rehn exclaimed in dissatisfaction, "Sir, but he has already gone mad!"

Zhang Jie fired the Desert Eagle in his hand, and the immense power of the Desert Eagle instantly shattered the zombie's head, as if a watermelon had exploded. He let out a cold laugh and said, "You all go find the exit, leave this to me!"

However, he did not want to miss a single word they said, as being overly superstitious about the plot often leads to overlooking certain details and variables, resulting in mistakes. Therefore, after he finished speaking, he went into the control room of the Flame Empress. Zhang Jie, seeing this, wanted to call out to him, but seeing that he was walking too quickly, he had no choice but to give up. After that, he gathered Zheng Cha, Zhan Lan, and a few others to discuss quietly.

Three zombies fell, creating a space in the midst of the horde. Wang Zongchao stepped forward, gripping the head of a nearby zombie with his left hand. Before the zombie could react, he used its head as a pivot, leaping into the air, his feet sweeping fiercely towards the heads of several zombies in front of him

Just as Wang Zongchao burst out, everyone ceased firing to avoid accidental injury, and at that moment, they were left dumbfounded, watching the chaos as the zombies fell one after another, their necks broken under Wang Zongchao's ghostly strikes

Zheng Zha was knocked to the ground, let out a bitter laugh, and suddenly saw the spring knife that Wang Zongchao had just used to sever his arm lying nearby, so he grasped it firmly in his hand

Matthew struck the wall with a fierce punch, feeling the rage within his chest threatening to burst forth. The recent scene in the laser corridor had made it clear to him that the employer had intentionally set them up to be cannon fodder. However, this was not a new revelation; throughout his extensive career as a mercenary, such occurrences had happened countless times. For those of them who sold their lives for others, only those with sufficient strength could earn their commission, while the weak were merely expendable.

Wang Zongchao shook his head and said, "Do not be frightened by these zombies. In fact, aside from their terrifying appearance, they are not even as formidable as a group of desperate little thugs! They are slow to react, uncoordinated in their movements, and stagger as they walk. As long as you are careful not to be surrounded or caught by them, there is really nothing to worry about. Moreover, when attacking them, I noticed that they have completely lost the biological instinct for self-preservation. No matter how dull an ordinary person may be, they would instinctively blink to protect themselves when something flies towards their eyes, but these creatures have lost even that basic awareness. This means that any strikes you make against them will not provoke any defensive or evasive actions to lessen their injuries! Additionally, they do not actually intend to attack us; their movements are less about aggression and more about competing for food to tear and bite. They do not punch or kick; their only actions are to grab, tear, and bite!"

At this moment, Wang Zongchao truly witnessed a group of people slowly walking around him. Most of them were dressed in researcher attire. This group moved stiffly, their bodies exhibiting a state akin to that of corpses, with signs of decay and dislocated bones. It was as if the corpses had risen to their feet.

While running, Wang Zongchao suddenly felt a wave of pressure hitting him. The further he went, the greater the pressure became, until he reached Restaurant B, where the pressure peaked. Looking at the containers in the packed restaurant, he saw them all change from red to green. Wang Zongchao felt a tingling sensation on his face, and goosebumps rose on his skin.

"Gun?" Wang Zongchao glanced at the gun in Matthew's hand and shook his head apologetically, saying, "I have always focused on martial arts and do not know how to use a gun"

A series of loud crashes and the sound of bones shattering erupted, as at least five or six zombies were swept away. Among them, four fell to the ground with either broken necks or shattered skulls, unable to rise again. Additionally, several other zombies were knocked down and sent sprawling.

In this moment of impact, eight zombies from the horde were transformed into actual corpses, while another four or five zombies were knocked away, causing immediate chaos within the horde

Did you forget that she deceived you and led us into a death trap? If it weren't for Wang Zongchao and the others, at least three of us would have died

Wang Zongchao attempted to swing the hook twice in the air, the iron hook producing a heart-wrenching sound as it sliced through the air, leaving behind two fleeting afterimages. It was believed that any enemy standing before him would be even more ruthless in the blink of an eye! Meanwhile, those around him had become numb from his series of actions, beginning to display expressions of nonchalance.

At this moment, Wang Zongchao not only had not sustained any injuries on his entire body, but there were also hardly any splatters of zombie blood on his clothes. This was a deliberate result of his efforts to avoid infection by the virus. If one were to overlook the female zombie he was holding in his hand, he appeared to be an ordinary, refined white-collar worker.

Matthew shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "There are no follow-up troops left... Prepare to leave"

With a "crack," the neck bones of the three zombies facing Wang Zongchao snapped, their bodies collapsing to the ground like puppets that had lost their strings. There should have been three distinct sounds, but Wang Zongchao's three punches were delivered so swiftly that although the punches struck in succession, the three sounds merged into one.

The dense horde of zombies was quickly cleared, and the scattered zombies that emerged afterward were even less of a match for Wang Zongchao. Three minutes later, apart from the numerous fallen zombies on the ground, there were hardly any standing zombies left in front of everyone.

Zhan Lan understood his meaning and nodded slightly

The actions are too sluggish, and the reactions are too slow. If we do not consider the psychological pressure brought by their terrifying appearance, they are actually less threatening than a group of thugs wielding knives

Matthew walked over and frowned, saying: "What happened? I heard gunshots"

Taking advantage of the chaos among the corpses, Wang Zongchao bent down and leaped forward, his movement akin to a fierce tiger hunting or a majestic eagle capturing a rabbit, and he instantly vanished into the mass of bodies

Others thought he wanted to fight with a switchblade against Miao Gang, but unexpectedly, he turned the knife around, got up, and extended the handle of the knife in front of Miao Gang, sincerely saying in a low voice: "This is indeed my fault. If you feel unsatisfied, just stab me a few times with the knife!"

As his fist emerged, his arm suddenly elongated, trembling and shaking violently, akin to a highly elastic iron bar being struck, producing a resonant hum. The fist shot forth, resembling a red tassel spear quivering and thrusting wildly.

At that moment, a sound of metal scraping came from not far away. Ryan and J.D. both held their guns and walked towards the sound. After taking a few steps, a man dressed in a research suit emerged from around the corner, dragging a hammer behind him, while several unsteady "people" followed him.

It is important to note that while he was still on the train, he only exhibited the qualities of an ordinary white-collar worker with relatively good physical and mental attributes. However, now, as a white-collar worker who had never handled a firearm before, his performance is truly hard to believe