Chapter 70: The Mind of a Zombie

Compared to their previous journey, the return trip took significantly less time. This was partly due to the reduced size of the convoy, but also because they took a different route back. When they had evacuated the freight yard, Chen Liu had used cluster bombs to lure countless zombies, making it impossible for them to retrace their steps. So, not long after getting onto the main highway, under Xie Han’s direction, the convoy veered off onto a wild, overgrown dirt track.

Chen Liu asked anxiously, “Xie, are you sure this is the right way?” His doubt was understandable; the path was swallowed by tall weeds, obliterating any trace of the original road. It was impossible to tell where the road had once been. Moreover, he couldn’t fathom how Xie Han knew this path would lead back to the base—such minor roads were rarely marked on any map.

Xie Han smiled mysteriously. He could hardly admit that he was navigating by the map in his mind; that would sound absurd. He merely offered Chen Liu a reassuring glance and said, “Don’t worry, there won’t be any problems.”

The only real trouble with this route was that, hidden beneath the wild grass, it was sometimes hard to be certain they were on the right path. Luckily, the King Hummer’s off-road capabilities were exceptional, so these difficulties were minor. Once the route was confirmed, the heavy trucks behind could follow easily.

From time to time, they passed through villages, from which zombies would pour out in swarms as soon as they heard the engines. Fortunately, the numbers in these villages weren’t too high—usually between five hundred and a thousand. For a convoy with eight King Hummers, this was no real threat. More often than not, they simply outran the zombies without wasting ammunition.

This dirt road merely circled the outskirts of Wantian City. As they drew closer to the city, they could hear, from a distance, the fierce rattling of machine-gun fire.

Chen Liu chuckled, “That Gao Tianhao really did go to Yong’an Freight Yard. Too bad it’s already swarming with zombies.” Xie Han, for his part, admired Gao Tianhao’s courage. “He’s nothing if not bold,” he said. “All those zombies, and he still wants to take the goods from the yard? I wonder if he brought enough bullets this time.”

Judging by the usual timing, Gao Tianhao’s convoy should have reached the freight yard around eight o’clock. Yet now it was nearly noon, which meant they had been holding off the massive horde for almost four hours.

Both Xie Han and Chen Liu were astonished. Against a practically endless tide of zombies, four hours would require an unimaginable expenditure of ammunition. Considering the vast warehouses at the freight yard, Gao Tianhao’s ambitious streak meant that, in those four hours, he could have emptied out most of the contents.

Chen Liu sighed with regret. “What a waste—all those supplies, and Gao Tianhao gets them for free.”

To avoid running into Gao Tianhao and his hunting party, Xie Han’s convoy picked up speed. The King Hummers and the heavy trucks performed admirably, and after over an hour of jolting along the muddy path, they finally rejoined the main highway leading to their base.

All the while, Xie Han’s mind was preoccupied with the enigma of the zombies. After this period of observation, he knew them well. Zombies rarely strayed far from the place where they had first been infected. Most of the time, they lay dormant, only roused by stimuli like sound or the scent of blood.

Zombies, generally, have no conscious thought; their activity is confined to fixed areas. In the villages they had passed, unless the sound of engines lured them out, the entire settlement would be deathly silent, devoid of the slightest sign of life.

Yet there was something puzzling. By all logic, zombies should not stray far from their territory. Even if they did, some subconscious instinct would lead them back. So why were the zombies in Wantian City different? Not only did they move about, but they did so with apparent purpose. This was both perplexing and unsettling.

Sometimes Xie Han wondered—did zombies truly lack all thought? In his view, their bodies were still supported by the nervous system in their brains. This could explain why their brains remained the most vital part of them. The activity of their nervous systems suggested a significant chance that a form of consciousness might still exist—one that humans had yet to understand or detect.

“What if, among the zombies, there are a few that have evolved to possess this kind of consciousness, and can even command others through it? What then?”

His own speculation startled Xie Han. It was almost too outlandish—terrifying, even. In these post-apocalyptic times, everyone knew zombies were mindless husks, attacking anything they saw, smelled, or heard. Their bodies were rotten, nerves dead to pain, and without feeling, they showed no fear of any attack. Unless their brains were destroyed, they were like immortal cockroaches.

Then Xie Han suddenly remembered the data he had from his second-level clearance; it contained records on humanoid R3s. Their method of attack was a powerful psychic wave. If such a wave could resonate with the mental activity of zombies, could it be possible to command these seemingly mindless creatures?

The implications were chilling—a zombie with immense power, able to direct millions of others. What would that mean? Xie Han did not dare to think further.

He summoned Zhou Ruomeng and presented the question seriously: “Ruomeng, do you think my guess could be correct?” Despite her highly advanced programming, Zhou Ruomeng was still an AI. She shook her head. “I lack the necessary data clearance to answer. However, based on your level-two files, it is possible. If you had level-three clearance, the information on zombies would be more complete, and you might find your answer.”

“Damn these permissions…” Xie Han cursed inwardly. “How much more do I need to upgrade?”

Zhou Ruomeng replied, “Your current gene score is at 5120, about halfway to the third gene state.”

Xie Han was dissatisfied. “How is this gene score calculated? Why is it increasing so slowly?”

Zhou Ruomeng laughed. “Your growth rate is actually quite fast. The specifics of score acquisition and calculation will be available at the third clearance level.”

Xie Han felt a bit frustrated. If the third gene state was this slow to reach, and Zhou Ruomeng still called it fast, how long would it take to reach the ultimate tenth level?

(Don’t fear the strength of the zombies—for humanity will always find a way to overcome. Long live humanity.)