Chapter 658: Breaking into an Empty House
The fire in Dongming City raged all night. When Ling Mo and his group emerged from an abandoned motel early the next morning, they could still see thick black smoke in the distance.
....
The sky appeared as if it had been completely blackened, and a pungent smell lingered faintly in the air.
Seeing this scene through the desolate buildings, anyone would feel that the world was slowly being consumed.
“The fire was intense, drawing all the zombies nearby towards it,” Mu Chen said, cautiously peeking out and glancing up and down the street. He then looked relieved.
Ling Mo, with a backpack slung over his shoulder and his hands in his pockets, walked out, looking as though he hadn’t fully woken up. However, his eyes were still bright. Standing on the steps at the door, he calmly reminded, “Don’t forget, we have a half-turned right here. If you want to see zombies, just turn around.”
“Huh?”
Mu Chen instinctively turned his head, only to meet a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Xu Shuhan, being restrained by Xia Na, was stretching one arm forward, her eyes wide open, baring her teeth at Ling Mo and Mu Chen. After growling a couple of times, a look of confusion flashed in her eyes, and she gradually quieted down.
But Mu Chen was still thoroughly spooked, his scalp tingling.
If it were an ordinary zombie, it wouldn’t be so bad. But this was someone they knew, which was much more terrifying.
Seeing Xu Shuhan like this, Mu Chen couldn’t help but feel that her chances of recovery were slim. But considering Ling Mo hadn’t given up, how could he so easily pa.s.s judgment?
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt indignant: “Why does she only show hostility towards the two of us?!”
As he spoke, he glanced at the three girls.
These three had no qualms about standing close to Xu Shuhan. Xia Na was even responsible for restraining her, yet Xu Shuhan seemed to ignore the three girls nearby and only showed aggression towards the two guys.
This didn’t make sense!
Ling Mo thought seriously for a moment and then said, “Maybe it’s the attraction between opposites…”
“Don’t give me that nonsense!” Mu Chen snapped.
“Alright, let’s get moving. The branch is currently empty. We’re heading to the Niepan headquarters soon, so it’s a good time to stock up on supplies,” Ling Mo said.
Mu Chen’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! This is the perfect opportunity to break into an empty house!”
“But the branch is actually divided into two parts: one is the living quarters, and the other is… let’s call it the office,” Mu Chen explained.
Before Ling Mo could respond, Mu Chen continued, “Let’s head to the office. Most of the supplies are stored there.”
This time, they didn’t need to take any detours. In just an hour, Mu Chen led Ling Mo and the others to the entrance of a hospital.
“This is it?” Ling Mo asked, surprised.
No wonder he was puzzled—the hospital looked incredibly old.
It seemed like a relic from the last century, and now it appeared even more desolate.
Tattered curtains flapped out of open windows, and the red brick exterior was covered in yellowed plants. These vines were different from the ones that used to climb walls; they looked more sinister and emitted a strange odor.
These were also things that had grown due to the Virus infection. At first glance, they didn’t seem like much, but once they covered the entire building, they looked like countless hands reaching out from the walls.
The pitch-black entrance was a mess, making it hard to imagine stepping inside, let alone a.s.sociating it with a branch of Niepan.
For a moment, Ling Mo thought Mu Chen hadn’t needed to take any detours at all. Even if he had wandered nearby, he would never have guessed that this was Niepan’s Dongming branch.
“This is it,” Mu Chen confirmed. “Don’t look at the surface; the real branch is underground. These old buildings have large bas.e.m.e.nts, which have been put to good use.”
“That makes sense; it’s quite well-hidden,” Ling Mo nodded.
Although it was a bit different from what they had imagined, the group followed Mu Chen inside.
The moment Ling Mo stepped through the door, he felt the temperature drop several degrees.
Behind the door was a dimly lit hallway, with the lower half of the walls painted green. Large bloodstains splattered across the walls made them even more conspicuous.
All the yellow wooden doors along the hallway were open, allowing the wind to blow in from one end and out the other. The entire hallway was filled with the creaking of the doors and the howling of the wind, creating an eerie atmosphere.
“I thought the place you guys stayed would be a bit better,” Ling Mo said, following behind.
Since this was a Niepan branch, there obviously wouldn’t be any Zombies, but the environment still put everyone on high alert.
“Safety comes first,” Mu Chen said as he led them straight through the hallway and down a staircase. “Besides, the conditions here are much better than what most survivors have. But this place is nothing compared to the headquarters. Although I’ve never been there, you could tell from that headquarters member we saw last night. Remember, all the resources at the headquarters are gathered from branches like ours.”
“Yeah, you’re basically working for the headquarters,” Ling Mo said bluntly.
Mu Chen opened his mouth but then sighed helplessly, “It’s a matter of willing submission… But thinking about it now, it really is exhausting.”
This rare display of emotion surprised Ling Mo.
Mu Chen was speaking sincerely. After resting for half the night, he was feeling much calmer.
Initially, he had approached the task of helping Ling Mo train the Miracle Team as a transaction, but now he was genuinely enthusiastic.
At least he didn’t have to worry about being backstabbed or getting caught up in petty rivalries.
Ling Mo might have many secrets, but one thing was clear to Mu Chen.
As long as no one threatened him, things would be peaceful.
But if anyone tried to harm him or his girlfriends, he would show no mercy.
“Being upfront about everything makes it easier to get along,” Mu Chen thought.
After descending the stairs, they came to a large iron door.
Ling Mo looked up and was speechless.
A wooden sign hung nearby with large characters that read: Morgue Entrance Here.
Mu Chen followed Ling Mo’s gaze and was momentarily stunned as well.
Most people had found the sign amusing when it was first put up.
Now, it just seemed ironic…
“Crack, crack, crack…” Mu Chen pushed the door open with all his might.
This office wasn’t just a storage place for supplies; it was also where Number 0 had been.
But now, the place was incredibly dim, with various items scattered on the floor and most of the doors left open. Clearly, anyone who was still here after last night had already left.
This was understandable; even if those people didn’t know about the branch’s downfall, they had witnessed Number 0’s death.
As they pa.s.sed the Laboratory, Ling Mo went inside for a look and found a corpse, now turning blue, inside an incubator.
Contrary to his expectations, the baby looked relatively normal, except for its slightly larger-than-average head.
It was unclear where Niepan had found this human baby, but just thinking about how they had sacrificed an innocent life for an experiment made Ling Mo’s blood boil.
He frowned slightly and thought, “This is truly despicable.”
If so many had been sacrificed for Number 0, the creation of Number 1 must have been accompanied by countless deaths and suffering.
“Ling-Ge, come take a look over here,” Xia Na suddenly called out.
Ling Mo turned around to see the three female Zombies pulling Xu Shuhan over to a cabinet, with Xia Na waving him over.
He quickly walked over and saw that several drawers had been opened, revealing a mess of jars and bottles.
But what stood out the most was a half-burned notebook on the table.
Apparently, those who fled had intended to burn the notebook, but only managed to char a corner, leaving the rest intact.
Frowning, Ling Mo flipped through the pages and was soon pleasantly surprised.
They were the researchers’ notes!
And most of them were about Psychic Power research…