The zombie had failed to bribe him—and had only managed to anger the captain.
Fu Qi said she spent every day reading novels and watching TV shows, picking up all sorts of nonsense. As captain, he was going to clean out her backpack.
When he unzipped it, he found nothing but foundation, phones, and novels—things like My Grandmother and Me: Two or Three Stories, The Tyrannical Prince’s Quest for Immortality, and Three Minutes to Teach You High Emotional Intelligence. Fu Qi’s eyes nearly went black.
It was all because he’d gone looking for books in the middle of the night and hadn’t paid close attention to the titles. Now look at what had happened—the zombie’s brain had been ruined by them.
He tried to throw the books away, but the zombie refused. Every day, she hugged her backpack and wouldn’t let go, even declaring that if he threw it away, he would have to throw her away with it.
There was no way he could throw away such a treasure.
Fu Qi settled for the next best thing and asked her to toss out the dead phone. Qin Zhen still refused, saying that if humanity ever returned to normal, she wouldn’t have to buy a new phone. That would save a great deal of money.
She didn’t need to sleep and guarded her treasures closely, never giving Fu Qi a chance to throw anything away. But once they reached the Dayu Base, that would be up to her no longer.
The facilities outside the Dayu Base were similar to those at the Dawn Base, with winding roads and plenty of barricades. However, there were several more security checks, and at every one of them, they had to open their bags and hand over one-third of their supplies—excluding weapons.
If they surrendered a third at every checkpoint, would they have anything left after three?
Fu Qi said that was simply how private bases operated. If they wanted to stay, they had to be prepared to be stripped bare.
“I told you to leave half of it outside. We could’ve gone back to retrieve it when we left. Now that it’s fallen into someone else’s hands, you’ll never get it back.”
The zombie’s heart was practically breaking. She accused him, “Why didn’t you tell me ear—earlier?”
“If I’d told you earlier, how would you ever learn your lesson?” Fu Qi took the opportunity to establish his authority as captain. “Will you listen to Captain Fu from now on?”
Qin Zhen once again witnessed the wickedness of the human heart.
What she found even harder to accept was that she had been willing to give up her beloved treasures for the sake of the mission, yet the inspectors had still picked through them with disdain. Afterward, they even openly used their radios to complain to the people at the next checkpoint: “Two poor wretches coming through. One has nothing at all, and the other brought nothing but trash. What bad luck.”
Poor Wretch Number One, Qin Zhen, lost three candies, six novels, one Rubik’s Cube, five charged phones, and five bottles of foundation after passing through security.
Poor Wretch Number Two, Fu Qi, had used up nearly all his supplies already, so all he lost was half a packet of biscuits.
The zombie was furious. Not daring to vent her anger at outsiders, she tugged on the captain and complained, “Is this what you meant by being fully prepa—prepared?”
It really was strict—so strict that they had stripped her down to the last scrap.
Fu Qi said, “What else can we do? Take the things back by force?”
Taking them back was obviously impossible. If they started fighting right after entering the base, they would be thrown out, and the mission would be over.
The zombie’s heart ached for her treasures, but she was even more responsible than that. She couldn’t bring herself to do something like this.
Seeing her so gloomy, Fu Qi finally relented. “Don’t worry. Someone will come to meet us soon, and they’ll return everything.”
The reason was simple. The leaders of private bases cared deeply about their authority. They wouldn’t allow outsiders to interfere in the base’s affairs, and they were even more wary of government personnel showing up.
Fu Qi had held a special status several years ago. Although he could no longer be considered a government employee, no one could be certain which side he truly belonged to.
Aside from that, among the better-known combat teams, the “Apocalypse’s Number One Team”—even if it wasn’t unquestionably ranked first—had consistently remained in the top three. Any private-base leader hoping to expand would inevitably try to win them over.
What was more, they had encountered Ye Hui on the way there. Dayu Base could not possibly have made no preparations.
The most likely explanation was that they were deliberately pretending not to know about their arrival, allowing the people below to search them first. Only after testing them would they come out to receive them.
“How long will that take?” Qin Zhen asked.
“Not long,” Fu Qi said.
The Dayu Base had a strict hierarchy and could be divided into three layers, inside and out. They were currently in the outermost slum district, which was crowded and filthy. Some people even spread mats on the roadside and slept in the open.
The only place that was relatively clean was a shop where goods could be exchanged. It operated beneath a makeshift wooden shelter, guarded by a burly man carrying a gun.
The shop was shabby and cluttered, and even the smell coming from its wares seemed none too pleasant.
Feeling sorry for the zombie after her treasures had been confiscated, Fu Qi spotted a jar of candy inside the shop. He didn’t want to mistreat one of his team members, so he told her to wait outside while he exchanged the remaining half packet of biscuits for candy.
When he came back out, he saw the zombie obediently standing where he had left her. She was still in one piece, though her hair was a little messy—and the backpack slung over her shoulder was gone.
“Where’s the bag?”
Qin Zhen reached behind her and felt around, then went blank. “It was just here… Someone bumped into me… A th—thief!”
Realizing that she had been robbed, the zombie frantically looked around. But the person who had bumped into her had vanished without a trace.
They had been inside the Dayu Base for less than three minutes, and the honest, inexperienced zombie had already lost an entire backpack full of treasures.
The sky came crashing down around her.
“You humans are so, so e—evil!”
Humans had no way to argue with her and could only try to comfort her. “It’s okay. We still have one peachwood sword left.”
Fu Qi had been carrying it for her. Exposed to the elements, it looked worthless, but it had stayed safe and sound with them.
The dejected zombie smacked him with the peachwood sword the moment she heard that.
Play-fighting among themselves was harmless, but they couldn’t let anyone bully one of their own. Fu Qi unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into the zombie’s mouth, then handed her the other two. He told her to wait there while he went to find her a bag.
After he left, Qin Zhen stood by the roadside, clutching the few supplies they had left and crunching candy between her teeth.
She couldn’t taste its sweetness. She simply liked the sensation of chewing it.
Just as she was imagining what it might taste like, a figure slammed into her from the side. The zombie, who knew nothing of the world’s dangers, had no time to react before someone grabbed her by the arm and yanked her backward. She let out an “Oof!” and crashed into the person’s arms. After hurriedly steadying herself, she realized it was Fu Qi.
Fu Qi had never really left. With one arm around Qin Zhen, he seized the thief’s arm with the other and twisted it behind his back. A crisp crack rang out, followed by a scream of agony.
“Just because she didn’t make an issue of it, you thought you could keep trying your luck?” Once he had subdued the man, Fu Qi released the “easy mark” of a zombie and crouched beside the thief. “Stealing is against the law. Didn’t you know that?”
The thief grimaced in pain. Knowing he was no match for Fu Qi, he apologized immediately. “I was wrong. I’m sorry!”
“Where is it?”
“I hadn’t even gotten it yet, big brother!”
“You’d better tell the truth,” Fu Qi said. “That backpack contains two zombie-disrupting agents recently developed by the North City Base. They’re meant for Academician Jiang…”
Private bases were governed by strength and tended to be chaotic. Theft and robbery were common. After Qin Zhen had been robbed, many people nearby had seen what happened but chosen to mind their own business. Yet the moment Fu Qi said those words, the crowd erupted. Whispers spread rapidly, rolling outward like waves.
As the name suggested, zombie-disrupting agents could interfere with a zombie’s judgment. At a critical moment, they could save someone’s life.
Perhaps no one would have believed such a claim from an ordinary person. But Fu Qi had subdued the thief in the blink of an eye with his bare hands, which was enough to show that he was no ordinary man.
And the North City Base he mentioned was the center of the government, far ahead of other bases in supplies, manpower, medical facilities, and more. No one could help but believe him.
Seeing the commotion grow, the thief panicked and hurriedly explained, “You’re lying! There’s nothing but junk in there. There aren’t any zombie-disrupting agents!”
Fu Qi didn’t bother explaining. He only asked, “Where is it?”
The thief hemmed and hawed, still refusing to answer. Fu Qi twisted his arm again without mercy. The man let out another howl and finally revealed where he had hidden the things.
Just as Fu Qi was about to take him there to retrieve them, a patrol arrived. The man leading them was a heavily built, middle-aged man leaning on a cane. The moment he saw Fu Qi, he put on a false smile and greeted him.
“Our base is rather disorderly. I hope you’ll forgive us, Major Fu.”
“You’re too kind, Young Master Ye.” Fu Qi was just as insincere. “Just call me Fu Qi.”
The moment Qin Zhen saw the cane, she knew who he was: Ye Peng, the nephew of Ye Xunqing, the leader of the Dayu Base; Ye Hui’s cousin; and the base’s second-in-command.
Before the apocalypse, the Ye family had owned businesses overseas and ranked among the wealthy elite. After the apocalypse began, they quickly gathered a force around themselves, using the supplies in their hands to gradually develop a secure base. The entire place was, in every sense, ruled by the Ye family alone.
After exchanging a few more hollow pleasantries, Ye Peng turned around and berated the patrol team. His meaning was roughly that honored guests had arrived at the base, so why hadn’t anyone thought to attend to them? Once he had finished scolding them, he ordered someone to retrieve Qin Zhen’s backpack. Then he personally led Fu Qi and the zombie into the inner district to rest.
Fu Qi didn’t stand on ceremony either. He reached out a hand toward Qin Zhen. “Come on, Little Zombie. Let’s go see your grandmother with Young Master Ye.”
Zombies weren’t good at pretending. She had originally wanted to appear a little more polished and had been mentally running through the advice from Three Minutes to High Emotional Intelligence. Yet all she managed was a stiff, cold smile.
Fu Qi took her hand and said, “She’s in a bad mood. Please don’t take it personally.”
Ye Peng laughed heartily. “Of course, of course. Major Fu, Ms. Jiang, this way.”
Except in emergencies, vehicles were generally forbidden inside the base. Young Master Ye was an exception. He took the two of them straight to the innermost district and courteously showed them to a detached bungalow. After a brief introduction, he invited them to a banquet at his family’s home that evening.
Once he had left, Fu Qi searched the room from top to bottom. Only after finding no listening devices did he allow Qin Zhen to speak.
The zombie’s first words were an exclamation of wonder. “There’s electricity!”
“Most bases have electricity,” Fu Qi said. “It’s just that energy is limited, so it can’t be used on a large scale. It’s generally reserved for research institutes and treatment centers.”
Qin Zhen couldn’t have cared less. The treasures confiscated from her at the security checkpoint and the backpack that had been stolen from her had all been returned. She hurried off to charge everything and couldn’t take in another word.
After charging her devices, taking a shower, changing into clean clothes, and putting on a beautiful new makeup look, evening had arrived.
The banquet was being held in the small white building where the Ye family lived. Although it was already late at night, the place was brightly lit, and the banquet hall was even more lavish. Beneath the glittering lights, the tables were piled high with fruits, vegetables, and delicacies, making it feel as though they had stepped into another world.
“He has meat too!”
This was the first time Qin Zhen had ever seen someone eating meat.
It wasn’t that she had never seen ordinary chickens, ducks, or other animals. Fu Qi had told her that after the apocalypse, corpses were everywhere, and those animals might have eaten human flesh. If they didn’t want to contract some unknown virus, it was best not to eat them.
Since the Great Yu Base was able to serve such food to its guests, it was clearly safe. They were being remarkably generous.
And the more generous they were, the more it showed how badly they wanted to keep them there.
“Don’t let yourself be dazzled,” Fu Qi warned. Ever since the zombie had tried to bribe her last time, he had felt that she had picked up some bad habits and had no choice but to remain on high alert. “This is a test, understand? If you can’t withstand the temptation and become corrupt, you can forget about ever having a clean identity again.”
After marveling at the ingredients, Qin Zhen became fascinated by the crystal chandelier overhead, imagining how beautiful it would look hanging in her own tomb. She nodded absentmindedly. “I know, I know.”
Fu Qi still wasn’t reassured.
What if the Ye family had the ability to get the zombie access to the internet?
He lowered his voice and said, “No matter how prosperous this place is, I’m not staying. And don’t even think about staying either. Do you hear me?”
Qin Zhen only liked the luxury here; she had never intended to stay. She was unhappy that Fu Qi suspected her and asked, “Why?”
“Because without me covering for you, you’ll be exposed very soon.”
“So what? I zombie. Not die.”
“That’s right, you won’t die. You’ll only be locked up.” Fu Qi said, “Do you know about laser excision? They’ll chop off your hands and feet and lock you in a glass cage. Lasers will be waiting on all eight sides. Every time you regenerate even an inch of flesh, the laser blades will cut it off. You’ll stay alive, but without hands or feet, and you won’t be able to escape. They’ll also have an endless supply of zombie flesh to use in experiments…”
He paused, then added, “Or to eat.”
The thought was so horrifying that even the zombie was frightened. It reminded her of the ancient punishment of turning someone into a human pig. But she knew Fu Qi was trying to scare her, so she stubbornly said, “You’re, you’re lying. There’s no high, high technology.”
“It’s not that there’s no high technology. It’s that high technology is controlled by the people at the top,” Fu Qi reminded her. “Think about your watch.”
That was enough to frighten the zombie. She hurriedly grabbed Fu Qi’s arm and said, “I was joking, Captain. Cap-Captain, I’m a good team, team member. I won’t become corrupt.”
Only then was Fu Qi reassured.
After that scare, the bustling scene of people drinking and exchanging toasts no longer seemed remarkable to Qin Zhen. It only struck her as strange. She asked, “Do people really become cor, corrupt?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“One of my classmates.”
“What happened to him afterward?”
“He died.”
“…”
He had said it like some kind of deadpan joke. Qin Zhen didn’t believe him and urged him to explain further.
Fu Qi thought for a moment before saying, “He abandoned his mission halfway through and stayed at that private base. At first, he enjoyed a period of comfort. Later, the base was torn apart by internal conflict, and many people died. The corpses mutated into zombies and attacked the living. The base fell just like that. Only sixteen people managed to escape.”
Qin Zhen couldn’t tell whether he was telling the truth or not, but she had no time to think about it, because Ye Xunqing was approaching with a group of people.
Ye Hui was among them, still wearing that handsome leather outfit. She looked both cool and wild.
“So this is Ms. Jiang?” Ye Xunqing asked. He appeared to be in his fifties and looked very kind.
Ms. Little Zombie knew that he was no good. Following the plan they had made earlier, she nodded stiffly and asked, “Where’s my grandmother?”
“Academician Jiang is completely absorbed in her research. She refuses to leave the laboratory no matter what we say.”
“I’m going to see her,” Qin Zhen said.
Ye Xunqing continued, “The laboratory is sealed off. It can’t be opened casually.”
His meaning was obvious. Even if she was Academician Jiang’s own granddaughter, she still wouldn’t be allowed to see her.
Ms. Little Zombie had no idea what to do and looked toward her captain.
Ye Xunqing also turned to Fu Qi. “I hear the North City Base has developed a zombie inhibitor?”
“Yes. The North City Base asked me to take it to the Dawn Base so Academician Jiang could produce it in large quantities. But since Academician Jiang wasn’t there, I brought Ms. Little Zombie here instead.”
Ye Xunqing’s eyes lit up. “Where’s the medicine?”
“I can only hand it over to Academician Jiang personally,” Fu Qi said regretfully. “Unfortunately, Academician Jiang won’t be able to leave the laboratory anytime soon. It seems Ms. Little Zombie and I will have to wait.”
Ye Xunqing’s expression stiffened for a moment.
Fu Qi continued explaining in a mild tone, as though he hadn’t noticed the awkwardness at all. “Oh, right. The medicine isn’t actually in Little Zombie’s backpack. I made that up. You understand—if I hadn’t said that, the patrol team probably wouldn’t have come so quickly.”
The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.
After a few seconds, Ye Xunqing raised his glass as if nothing had happened and said, “Captain Fu does love to joke… Academician Jiang is completely devoted to her research and won’t be coming out anytime soon. Why don’t the two of you stay at the base for a while and relax?”
He even specifically instructed Ye Peng to take the two of them around whenever he had the time, so they could get to know each other better.
After everyone had left, Qin Zhen asked Fu Qi what they should do.
“They’re trying to wear you down with honeyed words and sweet promises,” Fu Qi said. “They want to corrupt you with sugar-coated bullets.”
Ms. Little Zombie had just been threatened, so she declared firmly, “I refuse!”
“Then we’ll have to take the initiative,” Fu Qi said. “First, find someone to win over and turn into an inside contact.”
“What do we use to win them over?” Little Zombie racked her brains. “You don’t have anything with you. We can only use… use my… foundation. Don’t touch it. Not my phone, either. We can only use that novel… the one about improving social s-s-skills. Keep that one. The rest can go.”
Fu Qi thought the other books could perhaps be spared, but the one about improving social skills absolutely had to be thrown away. There was no room for negotiation.
“We’re trying to win over someone from the base’s upper echelon, not a scrap collector,” he said.
Little Zombie, stung by his mockery, slipped her arm through the captain’s and secretly pinched him on the arm.
Their target needed to hold a certain position in the base, preferably with access to the laboratory. After considering their options, they decided that someone from the Ye family would be the best choice.
There were only three people in the Ye family. Ye Xunqing was busy entertaining guests, Ye Peng was standing beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the guards some instructions, and Ye Hui was…
“She’s looking at you!” the zombie exclaimed, turning around in alarm and tugging anxiously at Fu Qi’s sleeve.
Fu Qi noticed it too. “Should I go over and sound her out?”
“Go!” Little Zombie thought she had discovered a breakthrough and was eager for the captain to hurry over. But when he really started to leave, she hastily grabbed him again and reminded him, “Remember to pinch your v-voice and put on an act!”
Fu Qi nearly burst out laughing. “Got it.”
Then he cleared his throat and headed over in an exaggerated falsetto.
Qin Zhen stood alone by the window with a wineglass, pretending to admire the view as she waited. From the corner of her eye, she occasionally glanced in their direction. The two of them seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, though for some reason, they kept looking over at her from time to time.
She assumed she had been sneaking glances too obviously and was afraid of ruining things, so she stopped looking altogether.
During that time, several people came to speak with her. One, claiming to be a researcher from the laboratory, came to offer her greetings on Academician Jiang’s behalf. Another was a young woman who asked what kind of foundation she used. The last was Ye Peng, who asked whether she was enjoying the food at the banquet.
The latter could have served as a target, but Little Zombie was no good at socializing. She also disliked the smell of alcohol on him. After struggling with the decision for a while, she ultimately kept a cold expression and said very little.
After all, Fu Qi had said that Academician Jiang was being held there by force. As her granddaughter, she was perfectly entitled to give them the cold shoulder.
Ms. Little Zombie maintained that icy expression for half an hour. By the time Fu Qi returned, she could no longer change it back.
“Are you angry?” Fu Qi leaned closer. “Weren’t you the one who told me to go sound someone out?”
“My face got… stiff,” Little Zombie said.
Once Fu Qi understood what had happened, his shoulders shook with laughter. He barely managed to suppress the urge to rub her face for her, and instead found an excuse to take her back to their quarters.
With no outsiders around, he rubbed her face a little, and the zombie soon returned to normal. She asked, “What did you find out?”
“Ye Hui is a clever woman,” Fu Qi said. “She knew what I was trying to do, so she laid everything out plainly. She’s seen Academician Jiang, but she doesn’t have the authority to bring her out. The laboratory is the most important place in the base, and outsiders aren’t allowed in. If you and I want to see her, the only way is for the Dayu Base and the government to reach an agreement and stand on the same side.”
The zombie knew that was impossible.
The government could never simply allow Dayu to dominate unchecked. And judging by Dayu’s behavior, it didn’t look like they were willing to submit, either.
Besides, Academician Jiang was a national asset. Why would they share her with him?
“An agreement on the surface will do,” Fu Qi said. “History is full of examples of people deceiving themselves like that.”
Little Zombie’s brain capacity was limited, and she couldn’t understand what he meant. Fu Qi insisted that she think about it, then left halfway through the explanation to take a shower.
By the time he had finished showering and was lying in bed, Little Zombie finally arrived at a vague guess. She leaned over beside him and asked, “You mean… a political m-marriage?”
“That’s the feudal-era term,” Fu Qi corrected her. “In modern civilized society, we call it a marriage alliance.”
Little Zombie offered an elderly-sounding critique. “You humans are really good at b-burying your heads in the sand.”
Fu Qi laughed.
She asked again, “How do we arrange it?”
“You marry Ye Hui.”
The zombie thought about it, then her eyes lit up. Clinging to Fu Qi’s shoulder, she asked, “Captain, you marry her?”
Fu Qi raised an eyebrow at the excitement on her face. “You want me to?”
“You’re Princess Fragrant,” Little Zombie said, stumbling over the words. “Throughout history, so many princesses have been able to marry off for their countries. You’re a princess too, so you should fulfill your m-mission!”
She had made a surprisingly reasonable argument. After finishing, she tried to bind her own captain morally to the cause. “Can’t you show a little s-sacrificial spirit?”
“Princess Fragrant” replied, “Then you’re the Frost Princess. If you were needed for a political marriage, would you be willing?”
“…The Glazed Princess!”
The Glazed Princess loudly corrected him, then declared with righteous fervor, “I would! I’m willing to make the sacrifice—especially if the marriage p-partner were someone like Ye Hui, who’s clever and charming!”
“All right, go ahead.” Fu Qi looked at her tenderly and patted her on the forehead. “The Ye family wants Academician Jiang in the first place. If there’s going to be a political marriage, it would naturally be best to marry into the family through their only relative. Since you’re willing, Ms. Little Zombie, go on. It’s time for you to make your contribution.”
“…Huh?”
Ms. Little Zombie was so stunned by this earth-shattering turn of events that it took her a long while to process it. “W-wasn’t I supposed to marry Ye… Ye Hui?”
“Yes.”
“She’s a woman?”
“That’s right.”
The zombie was horrified. “How can two women form a marriage alliance?!”
“You and your husband were able to get married, so why can’t two women form a marriage alliance?” Fu Qi said calmly. “Besides, I told you a long time ago that in our era, all sexual orientations are respected.”
Qin Zhen: “…”
He really had said that!
Fu Qi continued, “To be honest, one of our teammates even married the big tree at the entrance to Xiarong Village. That tree saved his life twice, so they were clearly destined for each other.”
Ms. Little Zombie was on the verge of breaking down. “B-but I already have a h-husband!”
“You don’t just have a husband—you have a boyfriend, too.”
Fu Qi remained completely unruffled. “But as your boyfriend, I’m very broad-minded. I don’t mind you taking on another fiancée. After all, you don’t mind me going off to marry into another family, so how could I possibly mind you?”
Under Ms. Little Zombie’s incredulous gaze, he continued in an unhurried tone, “Go with peace of mind, Little Zombie. Don’t worry. The three of us will definitely get along peacefully, cherish you together, and make you the happiest, most successful zombie alive.”
Qin Zhen: “…?!”
