Chapter Fourteen: In Ancheng, I Call the Shots

Li Muwan’s eyes were a striking blue, her skin clear as ice, her bones like jade. She gazed at Gu Lang with a look of pleading.

“You… you can talk?” Gu Lang was taken aback.

Shouldn’t it have been me who awakened your intellect?

Then it occurred to him—Li Muwan was of Silver rank, perhaps that was the reason.

Sure enough, the system prompt appeared once more.

[Notice: As your rank increases, host, you must be careful when recruiting future members to your harem. The higher the zombie’s rank, the higher the intelligence. At Silver level, with sufficient favorability, intelligence can be restored immediately. At Gold level, wild zombies naturally possess intelligence!]

This was not good news.

Recruiting a Golden-level wife in the future would be even more difficult!

Putting these thoughts aside, Gu Lang spoke with care.

“What exactly happened to your sister?”

Li Muwan shook her head, her voice sorrowful. “When the apocalypse broke out, our family was having dinner at home. There are many people in my family, and we were surrounded by zombies. My sister braved the danger to get me out, then went back inside to rescue the others. I don’t know if she’s alive or dead…”

“Where is your family’s home?” Gu Lang pressed, frowning.

“It’s to the south, about six kilometers away, in a villa community!”

Gu Lang nodded. Convenient—it was on the way, as he was headed to the factory in the south.

Just then, the system issued a new set of tasks—two this time.

[Mission One: Go to the villa community and rescue Li Muwan’s sister! Mission requirement: Whether human or zombie, all must be brought into the harem!]

[Reward: 10 free attribute points, one special gift pack!]

[Mission Two: Head to the southern factory and kill its master! There’s a powerful human in the SPC factory. Eliminate him and take over everything he owns!]

[Reward: 10 free attribute points, advancement reward!]

Wait!

A powerful human?

Gu Lang immediately seized on the key detail.

So there’s someone in this SPC factory after all!

Could it be a relative of Green-Hair? If I killed Green-Hair, would this person come seeking revenge?

No matter—it didn’t matter who he was, since he had to be eliminated regardless!

Gu Lang understood that in the apocalypse, might makes right, and killing was commonplace.

Even without grudges, Gu Lang would not hesitate to kill.

Moreover, both missions required a long journey south. Gu Lang decided preparations were in order.

“Let’s rest for now. It’s getting late.”

A short while later, in a café within a city park—

Gu Lang had sealed the place with wooden boards, making the spacious, warm room their temporary camp.

He had no intention of returning to his old apartment complex. It was too small, and nothing worth missing. He still had a base-building item to use later at the factory.

The four of them made beds out of café tables and chairs, preparing to spend the night there.

“Gu Lang, let me give you a massage!” The little girl dove into Gu Lang’s arms, her delicate white hands kneading his shoulders—eager to outdo Yu Qiuchi after not performing well during the day.

“Hmph! Little one, your technique is no good!” Yu Qiuchi came over, looking at the little girl with disdain, and began massaging Gu Lang’s shoulders herself.

The softness beneath her bra made Gu Lang feel thoroughly pampered.

Indeed, it was different from the little girl’s approach—hers was more adorable.

Watching the three interact, Li Muwan’s cheeks flushed. Her intelligence restored, her feelings for Gu Lang were like those of a first love. But since she was not familiar with Gu Lang, she could only watch shyly.

Gu Lang noticed this, but he was in no hurry—he would act once the mission was complete.

…

Meanwhile, at the city’s edge, a massive factory’s gates were tightly shut.

The factory was enormous—there were dozens of dormitory buildings, even a sports field. With such a dense population, the place was crawling with zombies and extremely dangerous.

At the factory’s core, in a luxurious office, two men were in conversation.

“What’s going on? Why hasn’t the supply squad returned? Are they all dead?” spoke an older man, a scorpion tattoo on his face.

“Boss! The apocalypse is full of danger—it’s normal if they died. We only sent one Bronze-level with them.”

The scorpion-faced old man sneered. “Heh, if it was zombies, so be it. But what if it was a survivor camp?”

“You mean… there’s a new camp out there?”

“Exactly. Even though the supply squad was weak, there were over a dozen, and a Bronze-level expert among them. To wipe them out, it must have been a group—likely a safe zone!”

A cold light gleamed in the scorpion elder’s eyes.

“This is An City. We set the rules. Go and find out! If you can, kill them!”

…

An City, villa district, a lavish mansion.

Standing on high ground, Gu Lang drew in a sharp breath.

“So many? Aren’t villa neighborhoods supposed to be deserted?”

Looking out, the villa district was crawling with zombies.

“Let’s just drive through and smash our way in!” Yu Qiuchi pumped her fists, eager for action.

“Are you stupid? Gu Lang wants to get through unharmed. He should use zombies to clear a path!” the little girl piped up crisply.

Gu Lang shook his head. The situation was tricky.

The villas weren’t like the park—the area was smaller, but the zombies were densely packed.

Clearing them out was impossible; forcing a way through would be suicide.

This damned system really knows how to give me hard choices!

“Gu Lang, we can go through the back garden—there are no zombies there!” Suddenly Li Muwan spoke up.

Gu Lang was startled. It really was best to rely on someone who knew the terrain.

“Very well. Lead the way!”

A moment later, the group was stunned.

Before them stretched an enormous garden, with every kind of flower, tree, and pavilion. It was the private garden behind the Li family’s villa.

“Wow! Your family is really rich!” the little girl exclaimed with envy.

“So what? After the apocalypse, it’s all just worthless paper,” Yu Qiuchi said scornfully; she thought following Gu Lang was all that mattered.

Only two or three scattered zombies appeared along the way, and Gu Lang dispatched them with a single punch each.

Soon, the group reached Li Muwan’s home.

Here, too, zombies swarmed, but a light still shone from a window on the second floor.

“My sister’s alive! She’s upstairs!” Li Muwan was overjoyed—the second floor was her sister’s room.

Gu Lang frowned, analyzing the situation.

The villa was large, the zombies spread out—at least a hundred of them.

The little girl and he could control ten each, but that left over ninety—too many to fight through.

Even if they forced their way in, the commotion would attract more zombies nearby. They’d end up trapped inside.

“Is your sister able to move? If she can coordinate with us, it might be easier!” Gu Lang considered an inside-outside plan.

“I’ll try!” Li Muwan picked up a stone and tossed it through the window.

A response came quickly—a figure appeared at the window.

She had long hair streaked with gold, pale blue eyes, and a lively, cheerful face—a mirror image of Li Muwan, except one was icy, the other radiant.

“Sister…”

Suddenly, Li Muwan froze.

Li Xiaoxiao’s skin was ashen and her pupils clouded gray.

Upon seeing them, she grinned—and leaped straight from the window.

She landed from the second floor without so much as a gasp, completely unscathed.

Li Muwan’s sister had already become a zombie!