No one understood the cruelty of the apocalypse better than Li Chen.
Outside, there were earthquakes, tsunamis, and zombie attacks.
Inside, order had vanished and civilization had collapsed!
Ordinary people did not even possess the most basic survival skills.
Li Chen was not a god.
He could not save everyone in Donghai City.
He could only choose to preserve some of the researchers.
It was not merely to research the zombie virus, but to preserve the legacy of human civilization!
The establishment of a system of knowledge required the accumulation of several eras. Once it was broken, it would be difficult to recover.
Noah displayed a map of Donghai City.
Several moving red dots appeared at the airport.
"The first infected person has appeared at Donghai City International Airport and is spreading the infection at a rate of ten people per minute."
"It is estimated that the infected population will reach the city within an hour."
"It is recommended that the host immediately take twenty combat soldiers to the research institute."
"Available transportation: modified bus."
"The route map is as follows."
As Noah's voice fell silent.
A route through the city was immediately projected onto the massive screen.
Donghai City's international airport was in a remote location, thirty kilometers from downtown.
It mainly handled international flights.
Apparently, an infected person from another country had brought the virus to Donghai City!
The map showed that the infected people at the airport were still moving.
They would not necessarily turn into zombies immediately.
Those in good health might remain in incubation for a while, but no longer than twenty-four hours.
Li Chen's expression turned solemn.
"Deploy the modified bus. Notify the combat personnel to assemble at the entrance."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chen grabbed an Electromagnetic Cannon and headed out.
About thirty minutes later.
Li Chen led twenty combat soldiers to the entrance of the Donghai City Research Institute.
However...
"Ah! Help!"
"Mom! What are you doing?! Why are you biting me?!"
"Can someone save me?! I have money!"
"Help! I've never even been in love. I don't want to die yet..."
At that very moment.
The once prosperous human civilization had completely vanished.
The streets were already filled with wailing.
Vehicles had collided with one another and come to a stop in the middle of the road.
People fled in every direction.
As far as the eye could see.
Scene after scene looked exactly like something from a movie.
Loved ones who had once been familiar became hideous in the blink of an eye, pouncing on the nearest people and biting them madly.
Even the police maintaining order had been scattered by the crowd.
A few kind-hearted people still tried to stop it all.
But they were trampled beneath the crowd!
Bang!
It was a gunshot.
At Li Chen's command, flames burst from the muzzles of the artificial humans' guns.
Bullet after bullet tore through the vehicles and struck the zombies directly.
Anger burned in Li Chen's dark eyes.
Under the cover of their firepower, he turned and entered the research institute.
According to Noah's original estimate, the infected would need at least an hour to reach the city.
But a wealthy man had been infected with the virus and even taken a helicopter home.
He had directly brought the fall of the city forward by half an hour!
Silence.
The research institute stood in stark contrast to the streets outside.
There was not a single person in sight. Only empty desks and chairs lay scattered across the corridors.
The twenty combat personnel surrounded Li Chen as they advanced step by step toward the core laboratory.
Suddenly.
"Professor, do you think those people outside..."
"Shh, be quiet."
Two voices came from nearby, and Li Chen stopped in his tracks.
They came from the storage room.
Knock, knock, knock—
Li Chen walked over and lightly knocked on the wooden door.
More than twenty gun barrels immediately aimed at the doorway!
After a moment of silence, a crisp female voice came from the storage room. "Who is it?!"
"I'm here to save people," Li Chen said slowly.
A moment later, the storage room door opened.
A young woman in a white lab coat stood at the entrance, her face full of surprise.
Behind her was a man around fifty years old.
He leaned against a chair, wrapped in bandages and apparently injured.
"Professor, we're saved!"
The woman pulled the door wider in a few quick steps and hurriedly said.
"My name is Ning Jing. I'm an intern at the research institute, and this is my professor, Doctor Yang!"
"He's injured and urgently needs treatment."
"What's happening outside? Are you from the military?"
A barrage of questions came at him.
Ning Jing had clearly mistaken Li Chen and his group for the national Rescue Force.
Li Chen frowned as he looked at Doctor Yang's arm.
"How did he get injured?"
The zombie virus could be transmitted through saliva and blood.
If Doctor Yang had unfortunately been bitten...
"When we entered the storage room, a shelf fell on him."
"Let's go quickly. The research institute isn't safe right now."
Ning Jing hurriedly explained.
She had just witnessed one of her usually kind senior colleagues suddenly turn hideous.
He had bitten other colleagues!
Li Chen nodded and waved his hand.
At once, all the combat personnel turned their gun barrels outward and formed a protective formation.
"Are there any other survivors in the research institute?" Li Chen asked.
"There should be. There's an isolation zone in the laboratory. It's tightly sealed, so the others may be hiding there." Doctor Yang, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke.
Li Chen wasted no more words. He protected Doctor Yang and Ning Jing as they headed toward the isolation zone step by step.
Roar!
As they went deeper inside, they encountered quite a few zombies.
Some were sprawled over corpses, chewing on them.
Others staggered to their feet and attacked Li Chen's group.
But before they could get close, they fell beneath the artificial humans' guns.
Ning Jing looked at those once-familiar faces, unable to bear the sight.
But in the end, she said nothing.
Beep, beep—
Doctor Yang used his card to unlock the access door.
Inside the isolation zone, six researchers in white lab coats all stood up.
"Professor!"
"Doctor Yang!"
"Thank goodness you're all right!"
The moment they saw Doctor Yang, tears filled their eyes.
"All right, keep quiet."
"This young man saved me."
Doctor Yang gently waved his hand.
At once, everyone's gaze fell on Li Chen.
"Whatever you have to say, let's leave first. Things are already chaotic outside, and once it gets dark, the streets will be even more dangerous."
Li Chen spoke calmly.
"Where are you taking us?"
Ping Tou stood up, suspicion in his eyes.
Ning Jing lacked life experience. Seeing that Li Chen's subordinates carried weapons, she assumed they were from the military.
But Ping Tou was different. One look at the artificial humans' attire told him that they were not military personnel.
Everyone here was a researcher incapable of even restraining a chicken.
What if Li Chen had malicious intentions...
Ping Tou immediately pulled Ning Jing behind him and spoke with righteous conviction.
"Professor, Junior Sister, we'll stay here. We're not going anywhere."
"I believe the chaos outside is only temporary. The country won't abandon us!"
"This guy's origins are unknown. What if he intends to harm us?"
Pfft—
Li Chen could not help laughing.
Doctor Yang's face darkened.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
If Li Chen truly had ill intentions, he would have acted downstairs long ago!
Furthermore, as a senior academician, Doctor Yang had access to more information.
The military was probably in complete chaos right now.
If they wanted to wait for rescue, who knew how long that would take!
Ping Tou glared, unconvinced.
"Professor..."
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