Chapter 45. Corpse Disposal.
Ten minutes later, Fu Qing, carrying a huge bundle wrapped in tent cloth on her shoulder and holding a cardboard box containing chicks in one hand, walked towards the black car parked by the roadside.
Judging from her relaxed posture as she walked, no one would guess that the "package" weighed more than 80 kilograms.
Using the car keys she found on the skeleton, she opened the trunk and threw the package inside, the immense weight causing the car to shudder violently.
Fu Qing closed the trunk, leaned against the car, and began to seriously consider how to dispose of the body.
Dawn was approaching, and she had to finish everything before then.
As for the black jacket and baseball cap, she had already gotten information out of the two men while they were unconscious. After a few questions, she discovered that they knew nothing about the zombies and were just unlucky guys who had been temporarily hired. So she personally tied them up and threw them into the room upstairs that was filled with the smell of gasoline, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Before leaving, Fu Qing confiscated the knives from them. If they were lucky enough to find sharp objects in the room and use them to untie the ropes, they would have to keep sharpening them for a day or two.
The gasoline stains on their baseball caps hadn't been wiped off yet, and now they were all over their black jackets. In the dry autumn and winter weather, they had to constantly worry about igniting a spark, making it a truly long and arduous ordeal.
Fu Qing didn't intend to waste time on the two minor characters. Besides, the two didn't recognize them and wouldn't dare to call the police because of their status. Fu Qing took photos of them from head to toe for his records, and that was the end of the matter.
Fuqing doesn't plan to return to this old house in the future.
She tapped on her phone, which happened to be on the photo app.
The album contained photos of her black jacket and baseball cap, which had been beaten into a swollen mess during interrogation—a truly unsightly sight. She frowned, quickly swiped her fingers across the screen, switched apps, and opened the map app.
Fu Qing never considered the possibility of letting the skeleton go.
Putting aside the immense harm such a morally bankrupt cult member could cause to society, he absolutely cannot be allowed to live. Even if we call the police and hand him over, a charge of burglary wouldn't imprison him for long.
When the apocalypse arrives and prisons and other facilities fall, the skeletons will regain their freedom.
At that time, what follows him may not be a simple tool in a black jacket and baseball cap, but a massive number of low-level zombies, or even evolved mid-level zombies.
Fu Qing didn't want to imagine the impact an intelligent zombie would have on humanity.
She had to deal with him on the spot.
As for the body, Fu Qing's first reaction was to take it back to the school, throw it into the garbage incinerator, and hide it using the system's "shielding" function.
The entire Fangzhou was under Fu Qing's control; she was confident that no one would discover her presence there.
As long as the other believers don't report it to the police, no one will ever know that the skeleton is dead—and what are the chances that a group of cult members will actively report it to the police?
But after the skeleton died, Fu Qing looked at him and changed his mind.
The body was cold, the head hung limply, and the skin was bluish-gray; a light press would leave a noticeable dent.
Even before he truly died, he was already shrouded in the aura of death.
Anyone who sees it will realize something is wrong.
After a forensic autopsy, the doctor will quickly notice the abnormalities in the body and there is a high probability that a virus will be found.
Fu Qing no longer wanted to hide the body.
She was willing to take a risk to sound the alarm for the world.
"System, is disposing of a body an act that you prohibit?" Fu Qing asked.
She didn't mention the potential consequences of the skeleton being disposed of, thus exploiting a loophole.
If the system doesn't allow it, Fu Qing has other reasons prepared, such as the system not mentioning the existence of a zombie king and his followers, which means that Fu Qing is not the only one who knows about the apocalypse, and secrets can't be kept forever.
How can it be considered her fault that the believer's death led to the exposure to the virus?
The system emitted a hissing electrical crackling sound; the CPU was practically burning out before the belated electronic voice finally sounded in my mind: "Not belonging."
Fu Qing nodded, then there's no problem.
That saves her from wasting her breath.
The remaining question is how to dispose of the body while minimizing trouble for oneself.
This is, after all, a society governed by the rule of law. The worst-case scenario is that you might finish dumping your trash this morning and then be robbed by police tonight.
Fu Qing had even prepared herself to stay within Fangzhou like other teachers and never leave the school again.
Stockpiling supplies can be done through online shopping or entrusted to students. Anyway, we only need to wait ten months for normal travel to resume.
Using ten months of free travel to allow the authorities to detect the virus earlier is definitely worthwhile.
With the system providing cover, in the eyes of the police, Fu Qing, who was hiding in the school, would seem to have vanished from the face of the earth. No one could discover her existence, let alone forcibly take her away from Fangzhou.
There is no such person as Fu Qing in this world. She has no identity, no biometric information, and there is no way to investigate her.
But this was a choice she had to make. Fu Qing still needed to spare some energy to investigate the zombie believers, and if possible, she hoped to remain free.
Fu Qing's gaze lingered on the black sedan beside him, and he asked thoughtfully, "System, if I want to dispose of a body, do you have a way to cover my tracks and prevent the police from finding me?"
Hearing her natural question, the system was momentarily stunned, thinking that the label on it was not "Management System" but "Criminal System".
Aren't simulation management games supposed to be heartwarming, happy, and full of pink bubbles? How come the style suddenly changed and became a bloody and evil legal channel?
Furthermore, when you said you were going to dispose of the body, your tone was far too natural. Did you have any awareness that you were committing a crime?
Fortunately, it has neither a brain nor a heart, otherwise it would probably be quite frightened.
A crackling current surged through the chip. The system steadied itself, then answered fearfully but honestly: "If you wish to dispose of the body in a designated area, I can provide you with a driving route that minimizes the coverage of cameras, much like the navigation route left in your car."
Fu Qing listened quietly.
If the host she finally found was sent to prison for murder, the mission would be practically a failure. She had long since discovered that the system would help with small things within the allowed scope, or do things that were insignificant to the main mission but were actually quite helpful.
For example, finding this small courtyard, or helping to avoid surveillance cameras.
Fu Qing couldn't help but feel fortunate that the system she was bound to wasn't like those in some novels, which would turn around and harm the host.
At least for now, the system seems pretty good.
Unaware that it had just received a bright red "good guy" stamp in Fu Qing's mind, the system, while its chip frantically searching, dutifully analyzed: "However, the corpse is an overly clear clue that cannot be concealed by blind spots in our thinking. Once we find information about you on the corpse, or trace his movements before his death through his identity, the chances of finding you will greatly increase."
In other words, the system can only provide assistance, but it cannot completely erase the connection between the corpse and Fu Qing.
To put it simply, a blind spot in thinking is like a corner covered in shadow on a street that's brightly lit by the summer sun.
Wearing black clothes and a black hat, and obediently crouching in the shadows, passersby may not notice you.
But if you're going to dance and party in the shadows, or do something extremely outrageous, the blind spot will be broken.
Killing someone is clearly within the scope of "extremely outrageous" actions. Fu Qing had anticipated the system's response and was not disappointed: "That's enough."
The skeleton had no good intentions towards the students. The man in the black jacket and baseball cap was not a clean freak and might even have been wanted by the police. This trio, each with their own ulterior motives, must have tried their best to conceal their whereabouts on the way here, which made it easier for Fu Qing to clean up the mess to some extent.
In addition, she had chosen the courtyard to lure out believers, and had already considered the location. It was a self-built house in the countryside with few surveillance cameras along the way, and she avoided most of them with the help of the system's alerts, so she didn't leave many clues in this regard.
Throughout the night, Fu Qing wore a gas mask and double surgical gloves, with her hair tucked into a cap, making it almost impossible for any genetic information to remain.
Even if there were, it wouldn't be possible to pinpoint her.
Finally, and most importantly, the skeleton's skin was decaying and it was difficult to determine the exact time of death. Apart from tonight, Fu Qing had been almost always on campus, as Bai Tang and others in the same dormitory building could attest.
The system can also access monitoring data when necessary.
All these factors combined minimized the risk of finding her.
After a busy night, as dawn approached, a time when one should be most tired, Fu Qing's mind was surprisingly clear.
After quickly weighing the pros and cons, and concluding that he had a high chance of escaping if he disposed of the body correctly and carefully, Fu Qing made his decision.
She barely hesitated before turning around, opening the door, getting into the driver's seat, and setting her phone's navigation to a location at the foot of a mountain about half an hour's drive away.
The area around City S is mountainous, with many scenic spots that attract visitors for spring outings. However, the scenery on this mountain is relatively unremarkable, and at this time of day, which is a weekday, there won't be many people there.
It took less time than expected to reach the destination, and the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn.
As dawn broke and the torrential rain of the night subsided, the entire mountain was shrouded in thick fog, with visibility extremely low.
Following the system's prompt, Fu Qing parked the car behind a patch of overgrown weeds, then carried the package up the mountain on foot. After only a few steps, he was already soaked in moisture and felt a biting chill.
Fortunately, in this kind of weather, everyone just wanted to stay home, and not many people went up the mountain for a stroll. Fu Qing successfully found an open space near the mountain trail and threw the skeleton under a tree.
The body lay on a dead leaf, and soon small insects crawled onto it, burrowing into the nasal cavity and ear canals.
Those who constantly claim to be at the top of the food chain will eventually become nourishment for the decomposers at the bottom after they die.
Fu Qing glanced at him one last time, adjusted her mask, and left without looking back.
The rain is still falling.
...
Guided by the system's navigation, Fu Qing drove the skull-themed black car all the way back to Fangzhou.
This car is important evidence, and it is far more difficult to destroy than the body itself. Hiding it on campus is the safest option.
Fangzhou has its own underground parking lot, but its usage rate has been very low since the start of the semester. Even though the forum has long been promoting the necessity of getting a driver's license and more and more students are going to learn to drive in groups on weekends, the number of people who can afford to buy a car while studying in other places is still a minority.
Most of the students who can drive to school are local students, either bringing a car that their parents don't usually use, or they are extremely wealthy.
As a result, an interesting polarization occurred in the parking lot, with Audis on one side and Altos on the other.
Fu Qing drove into the parking lot, found a corner to park, turned off the engine, and tore off a dust cover to cover the black car.
In time, once this cloth is covered in dust, its existence will be completely forgotten.
After doing all this, Fu Qing felt relieved. She carried the cardboard box full of chicks upstairs through the emergency exit to the teachers' dormitory, knocked on Liu Yingchun's door, and entrusted the chicks to her care.
If they can be raised, then raise them; if they can't, bury them in the experimental field to serve as fertilizer for the next crop. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, there's nothing wrong with that.
Fu Qing rarely visited, so Liu Yingchun was quite surprised to see her. She was even more astonished when she saw Fu Qing holding a box of noisy chicks in her arms.
"Oh dear, what happened? Why are there injuries on every wing?" She picked up a chick's wing to examine it, slapping her thigh in distress. "Even if you're craving it, you can't just eat it raw! This is so cruel, who did this?"
Fu Qing: "I did it."
Liu Yingchun: "..."
Grandma Liu's wrinkles deepened instantly. She touched her silver hair, coughed lightly, and changed the subject: "Perfect timing. I was just wondering where to find teaching aids for the breeding course. Leave these chicks to me; I'm sure I can raise them."
She paused, then muttered softly, "If they die, I'll deduct their credits..."
Upon hearing this, Fu Qing could already foresee that even if these chicks were to die, a chick that looked exactly the same would appear at the school the next day without anyone noticing.
Most people Liu Yingchun's age have experience farming and raising animals, so she has no problem with not having experience. Fu Qing entrusted the chicks to her with peace of mind, and only when he left Grandma Liu's dormitory did he feel that the long night was finally over.
She ate a few bites in the cafeteria, returned to her room, washed up, and then collapsed onto her bed, falling into a deep sleep.
The advantage of not having to teach is that you can sleep until you naturally wake up. Fu Qing slept until noon, and the first thing she did when she opened her eyes was to look at the sky outside the window.
The weather outside has cleared up.
The body was dumped near the trail. Judging from the weather, it's very likely that someone has already gone up the mountain and discovered the body.
Fu Qing withdrew his gaze, got up, exercised, washed up, ate, and took a routine stroll around the school to check on the teaching of each subject. Before he knew it, it was three or four in the afternoon.
She opened her phone's push notifications; the local news was quiet, with only items like minor accidents at intersections causing major traffic jams, or film crews starting production in S city and attracting crowds.
Looking at the "Nearby" function on social media apps, some people in City S complained about the sudden drop in temperature overnight. When they woke up in the morning, they didn't have time to get ready and could only wear their old, wrinkled clothes to work. Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered the elevator, they smelled the same musty smell of old clothes on their colleagues.
Some people are also complaining about power outages caused by the heavy rain, massive traffic jams in the city center this morning, and children being late for school and family members being late for work.
Further down are local food and travel recommendations;
A recent piece of gossip from the High-tech Zone;
A food delivery thief from a certain university has finally been caught; it turns out he was a student leader…
Fu Qing scrolled down through the posts until she finally came across a new notification.
[Shocking! Has anyone heard? XX Mountain in S City...]
Having detected the keywords, Fu Qing's finger twitched slightly, and she immediately clicked on the details.
The contents that caught her eye made her lips twitch.
This push notification turned out to be a promotional advertisement from a farmhouse restaurant at the foot of the mountain.
[S City XX Mountain Tiantian Farmhouse Promotion! Tea brewing, fishing, boating, BBQ... only 99 yuan per night, all-inclusive, plus free access to various entertainment activities!]
Fu Qing: "..."
May the world be free from sensationalist propaganda.
She clicked "not interested" without expression, returned to the homepage, and refreshed it several times, but the local S City page remained peaceful and serene.
Could it be that the news hasn't been released yet, and the information has been blocked?
No, the skeleton didn't leave any identification or cell phone, so it's highly unlikely that anyone would call the police for him. When a body like this is difficult to identify, the police should proactively seek clues from the public.
Even if the discovery of a mysterious virus led to a news blackout, the speed shouldn't have been this fast.
Fu Qing's doubts gradually spread.
She kept an eye on the homepages of various apps, but until evening, no relevant news appeared, whether it was local news, online discussions, or police reports and missing person notices with blue backgrounds and white text.
On the third day, Fu Qing finally couldn't hold back any longer and decided to go back to the site where the body was dumped to check on the situation.
She changed her shoes, carried a hiking backpack, and dressed like an ordinary picnicker, walking up the hiking trail.
They walked for a short while and arrived at the place where they had previously left the skeleton.
Fu Qing stopped in her tracks, her body soaked with morning dew, becoming exceptionally stiff and heavy.
The fallen leaves twirled away from the branches and floated lightly to rest in the clearing in the woods.
The bodies that should have been here have disappeared.
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