Chapter 25 The Apocalypse 24
This statement is tantamount to an immediate death sentence.
Mu Huai saw Lu Xuejin's thin body tremble violently. The young man's bloodshot eyes stared at him, like a stray cat driven to the brink of despair, its fur standing on end, even its breathing trembling.
He took a step forward, and Lu Xuejin immediately tensed her back, her fingernails gleaming coldly under the light. Mu Huai had no doubt that if he got even an inch closer, those hands would tear his throat open without hesitation.
"...Don't come any closer!"
The warning, squeezed from his throat, was thinned and shrill with fear, sounding pitiful.
Lu Xuejin's eyes reddened even more. He frantically gripped the smooth fabric of his suit on his knees, his knuckles turning white and trembling from the force.
The man in front of him was a dangerous object that could explode at any moment. Mu Huai's sigh or a glance could instantly ignite the already tense atmosphere in front of the sink.
However, Mu Huai only took one step forward—he bent down and picked up the handkerchief, which was even softer from being wet, from Huo Shen's hand, who was lying on the ground.
Lu Xuejin stared intently at him, her pupils narrowing to the size of needles like a wild beast.
He tried his best to appear fierce, but in Mu Huai's eyes, the young man was curled up, his white shirt soaked through, revealing patches of flesh. The hair tied at the back of his head had come undone in the fierce resistance, hanging messily over his shoulders and clinging to his cheeks. His bluffing appearance was both pitiful and endearing.
It doesn't look like a hideous zombie at all.
Lu Xuejin probably thought he was going to report her, and her eyes followed his every move closely.
To everyone's surprise, Mu Huai simply closed the bathroom door calmly, turned around, and gently pressed his index finger to his lips, silently saying: "Don't attract anyone else."
Silence.
Lu Xuejin suddenly held her breath, as if someone had suddenly handed her a bamboo pole while she was drowning, and a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in her panicked eyes.
Dong Yao watched the whole thing unfold and couldn't help but marvel at his host's superb acting skills. If it were Mu Huai, he probably would have been fooled by that pitiful, helpless appearance as well.
“You…” Lu Xuejin stammered, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say for a long time.
He blinked anxiously, his thick eyelashes fluttering like startled butterfly wings.
Mu Huai leaned against the door, quietly observing him for a long time.
Although they are zombie eyes, they are very beautiful.
The colors were far brighter than previous experimental subjects, as beautiful as a pair of pure, natural gemstones.
After a long pause, Lu Xuejin finally mustered the courage to speak: "Mr. Mu, please, please don't report me."
He looked up pitifully, his voice filled with sobs: "I don't know when I got infected. When I came to my senses, the color of my eyes suddenly changed, and my fingernails became strange. I thought I was just sick, but they said... this is a zombie."
"But I'm nothing like those zombies outside!" the young man sobbed, tears welling in his eyes. Like a drenched kitten, he cautiously observed Mu Huai's expression, and seeing that Mu Huai didn't even flinch, his voice grew even more pitiful. "I thought before that I shouldn't have gone into the base... I was afraid of harming others. But, but... what will Mingchuan do..."
"He's only just turned 18, he's still a child!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Huai frowned slightly.
“Mr. Mu, I don’t have an appetite for humans like those zombies. You can check and you’ll see that I eat normally every day and have never bitten anyone.” Lu Xuejin presented various pieces of evidence to try to prove her harmlessness. “You see, I have no appetite for you either.”
To increase the credibility of her explanation, Lu Xuejin used the sink to support herself as she stood up, staggering two steps forward. "Look—"
He gently parted his lips, revealing small, sharp teeth hidden inside, and the tip of his wet, red tongue was faintly visible.
"..." Mu Huai blinked and subtly looked away.
"Don't move away, look!" Lu Xuejin pulled at her bright red lips with her fingers, trying to let Mu Huai see more. "Normal saliva secretion means that physiologically, I don't crave human flesh and blood."
He slowly approached, pleading in a pitiful voice, "Mr. Mu, please spare me. I swear, I will never harm a human. If I ever lose control, just kill me!"
“Mingchuan finally has a place to stay, I don’t want him to keep wandering around…”
The fearsome Deputy Captain Luo of the hunting team was described by him as if he were a child who needed to be taken care of.
Mu Huai had heard their story. Although they were not related by blood, the two brothers supported each other as they grew up, and never abandoned each other even when the world changed drastically. This bond, stronger than kinship, eventually evolved into an even more intense love after they reached a safe place.
What does the shepherd boy have to compare with Luo Mingchuan?
For a fleeting moment, a faint sense of envy stirred in Mu Huai's heart. However, this emotion quickly subsided and disappeared without a trace.
He calmly examined and weighed the options.
According to the rules, infected individuals must be killed without exception. The hunting team's ironclad rule is clear: anyone carrying a zombie bite is prohibited from returning to base; those with wounds must be quarantined for observation.
People who can awaken superpowers after being infected by zombies are extremely rare.
No one wants to risk their life to accept a time bomb; what the base needs most right now is stability.
However, if a specific drug to control the zombie infection is developed, many people will be saved, and humanity will successfully complete its genetic evolution, embracing the new era as our predecessors envisioned.
Lu Xuejin...
He was so small and timid, yet he painted so well. His life, just beginning to blossom, shouldn't wither and die.
If only there were a cure that could save him.
Mu Huai thought that the development of effective drugs had been stuck in a stalemate for too long, and that a special case like Lu Xuejin might be the key to breaking the deadlock.
Moreover, after all, his younger brother had caused Lu Xuejin so much trouble...
There are many high-sounding reasons that could justify keeping him, but Mu Huai knew that it was mostly personal motives.
As for the true reason behind this selfish motive, he did not want to delve into it.
I won't report you.
Lu Xuejin's tense face immediately lit up, and her voice trembled with excitement: "Really? Really? Thank you, Mr. Mu, thank you so much..."
“But given the danger you pose,” Mu Huai interrupted him, “from this moment on, you must be under my constant surveillance. Can you accept that?”
The young man nodded without hesitation.
At this moment, the "corpse" on the ground stirred—Huo Shen groggily opened his eyes, about to wake up.
"I……"
What happened?
My head...it hurts so much...
The overlapping and illusory shadows in my field of vision made it seem as if two figures were standing beside me.
I vaguely remember him taking out a handkerchief, wanting it, wanting it—and then what happened?
The man struggled to sit up.
Mu Huai knew Huo Shen's character well. From being an illegitimate child to wielding great power, he seemed easy to deal with, but in reality, he was cunning and calculating. If he were to make a scene, this matter was destined to end badly.
He had just taken out the potion to make Huo Shen unconscious again when the frail young man beside him, who had been pleading with him desperately, made his move—
Without hesitation, Lu Xuejin threw a punch, striking Huo Shen precisely in the jaw. The man, who had just regained consciousness, collapsed again, unconscious.
The movements were clean and efficient, with a force far exceeding expectations.
Mu Huai: "..."
Lu Xuejin timidly raised her eyes: "...I'm afraid he'll wake up and call for help."
Mu Huai sighed and raised his hand—Lu Xuejin trembled and instinctively shrank back, but she forced herself not to dodge, letting Mu Huai's palm fall.
With dry fingertips, she gently wiped away the traces of tears or water from the corner of his eyes.
"Don't be afraid." Mu Huai supported Lu Xuejin's taut yet supple waist and slowly helped him up. "Don't worry about him, let's go first."
The restroom was in a secluded location, and no one would come looking for him anytime soon. He planned to take Lu Xuejin out of the venue first, and then deal with the rest of the matter.
After calming down, Lu Xuejin's eyes returned to normal. Apart from her slightly disheveled clothes, reddened eyes, and water streaks on her body, there was nothing unusual about her.
Mu Huai held his arm and could clearly feel the warmth under his palm.
A sharp-toothed, normally warm, crybaby zombie.
Who could bear to point a gun at him?
Instead of returning to the main hall, they quietly left along the outer corridor, encountering a spoiled young man who came out for a smoke along the way.
"...Lu Xuejin and Mu Huai?" The second-generation was so surprised that he almost dropped his cigarette. Recalling the intimate posture of the two with their arms entwined, he exclaimed, "Holy crap, holy crap!"
He exclaimed in disbelief, "No, Mu Huai actually succeeded?"
"Mu Huai and Mu Tong, damn, they're brothers!"
Mu Huai has always been cold and aloof, like a robot, spending all his time in the research institute; I've never seen him show any desire. But now, suddenly, he's gone so far as to act so outrageously.
Regardless of whether the shepherd boy knew about it or not, Lu Xuejin already had a registered husband, didn't she?
The second-generation kid thought about it and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement: How exciting!
He flicked the ash from his cigarette, not even bothering to smoke anymore, just wanting to watch the excitement.
Luo Mingchuan finally finished dealing with the base's high-ranking officials and returned to the meeting room. Looking around, he couldn't find Lu Xuejin amidst the elegant ladies and charming women.
Where did you go to play this time?
His brows furrowed immediately, and he summoned a nearby waiter to inquire.
"That gentleman just went to the restroom." The waiter had a deep impression of Lu Xuejin and paid special attention to her whereabouts.
"When was that?" Luo Mingchuan pressed for details.
"This..." The waiter was speechless, unable to give a precise time for a moment.
"Isn't this Deputy Captain Luo? It's an honor to meet you." Someone approached with a wine glass, the lingering smell of cigarette smoke still clinging to him. "I just ran into Mr. Lu. He left with Mu Huai. I thought it was Deputy Captain Luo's arrangement, but now it seems that's not the case?"
In that instant, both the second-generation heir and the waiter clearly saw the change in Luo Mingchuan's expression.
The second-generation heir's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the glass, his heart pounding with cold sweat.
...It really is as terrifying and horrifying as a demon.
Then, that mischievous urge to watch the fun came over me.
This is going to be interesting!
"To Greenery." He raised his glass to Luo Mingchuan's hurried back, took a slow sip, and then suddenly remembered—where was Brother Huo?
"Does going to the toilet take this long?" the second-generation rich kid muttered, secretly amused. "Is he sick?"
...
The dark-colored sedan slowly merged into the traffic on the main road.
Mu Huai observed Lu Xuejin's condition through the rearview mirror.
The young man in the back seat initially observed the buildings and roads outside the car warily, his nose slightly wrinkled. But as he gently sniffed the sedative packet inside the car, his tense back gradually relaxed, and he pressed against the back of the seat, almost sliding down.
Mu Huai tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel and asked, "Should we tell Luo Mingchuan?"
"Ah." Lu Xuejin suddenly came to her senses, placed her hands back on her knees properly, and sat up straight.
After a moment's hesitation, he spoke tentatively: "I was just saying... Mr. Mu, you introduced me to a job that requires me to be on duty at the workplace, is that alright?"
It seems she didn't want Luo Mingchuan to worry.
His taking people away without any reason is indeed misleading; he should at least find a legitimate reason.
Mu Huai thought to himself calmly.
"Can."
As I was pondering which easy vacant positions were available at the research institute, the car suddenly lurched, as if it had been pushed. Glancing at the rearview camera, I saw a tall man chasing after the car.
Mu Huai: "..."
Dongyao: [A mysterious man chasing a car late at night. Who is he? It's so hard to guess.]
It complained to Lu Xuejin: "Baby, the male lead is too clingy. He follows you everywhere you go."
Although he knew it was a loving couple, seeing Luo Mingchuan's sour face everywhere he went was really annoying.
Under the light, Mu Huai recognized the other person.
He stepped on the brakes.
Thud—
The car window was knocked loudly, and seeing that Lu Xuejin hadn't reacted yet, Mu Huai rolled down the window for him.
Luo Mingchuan stood outside, his tall figure almost blocking out all the light, casting a heavy shadow.
His dark eyes were fixed on Lu Xuejin, and his voice was low and concise:
"get off."
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