Chapter 199 - 184: Where Is Your Ship?

Chapter 199: Chapter 184: Where Is Your Ship?

Meng Dongqing was a brand new SSR they had pulled during their ten-day rapid clearing operation.

The lead researcher at Huayuan Biotechnology Company, she specialized in mRNA vaccine research and was highly accomplished in virology and gene coding.

She had been taking annual leave to accompany her child on a cruise and ended up trapped in a nearby hotel, where she was rescued by Yu Dong and his team.

Fortunately, her thirteen-year-old son had survived as well.

This made Meng Dongqing deeply grateful to Yu Dong’s team, who had orchestrated the entire operation.

Otherwise, the two of them would most likely have died on the cruise ship.

And now that she was safe, the first thing on her mind was studying the zombie virus.

This was her area of expertise.

’Forget a complex mRNA vaccine. If I can just create an inactivated virus vaccine, we can inoculate everyone and make the survivors immune to the zombie virus.’

’It would be my contribution to Yu Dong’s team and the soldiers liberating the city.’

Besides, she was personally fascinated by the zombie virus.

It overturned everything she thought she knew about viruses...

All of this required an advanced research institute to carry out. The cruise ship was definitely not an option.

Only the medical research institute with the negative pressure lab that Yu Dong and the others had used for quarantine had the right facilities.

"Perfect. Tomorrow, we’re taking a boat to the North River District. We’ll pass by the institute, stop at the nearest port, clear out the zombies, and then I’ll have a team escort you there."

"Also, it probably won’t be safe for you to live at the institute by yourself. I’ll assign three people to go with you, specifically to protect you and take care of your daily needs."

"Oh, right. Let me call the institute first. We can pick up Lawyer Ji while we’re at it..."

Yu Dong was willing to spend the manpower and resources to protect a rare asset like a biologist.

’What if... she actually makes a breakthrough?’

Yu Dong didn’t understand biology, but he respected it.

"Thank you for your support. I will do my best to understand the S-virus."

Meng Dongqing didn’t refuse. She did indeed need people to handle trivial matters so she could focus on studying the virus.

Yu Dong called Lawyer Ji, who answered quickly.

"Lawyer Ji, I have good news. We can come to the institute and pick you up tomorrow."

"Uh... I might not be able to leave just yet."

"Oh? Why? Is the institute surrounded by zombies? Are you still safe?"

"Not at all. It’s quite safe here. I figured it would be a while before you could get here, so I took the time to study the institute’s facilities. I even recruited some surviving villagers and fishermen from the area to help with defense. We’re pretty secure at the moment. It’s just... I’m afraid I can’t leave. They all still need me."

Yu Dong was stunned. Lawyer Ji had actually established their own settlement!

Yu Dong was about to suggest they all come to the cruise ship base, but in an instant... he had a realization.

’Why try to draw everyone to the cruise ship base?’

’Managing the cruise ship is already complicated. More and more survivors will keep arriving, and things will gradually get bloated.’

’But the institute... it’s in a good location, has solid buildings, great equipment, and a large-scale biolab. All of that is incredibly important!’

If there was a stable settlement at the institute, with people regularly clearing out nearby zombies, Meng Dongqing’s research would be much safer.

Maybe in the future, if they found other researchers in the biological sciences, they could send them directly there to settle in.

Yu Dong realized: having a settlement controlled by an ally was a better deal than bringing all those people to the cruise ship!

"Lawyer Ji, what do you need over there? Food? Drinking water? Anything else? I’m sending a scientist to the institute by water tomorrow. She’ll be studying the zombie virus there. We can bring you some supplies at the same time."

"Food and water are okay. We had some stored here, and we scavenged a lot from the local homes... The main thing we’re short on is diesel. The institute has its own diesel generator, but the reserves are low. We’re using very little electricity right now. If your people need to use the lab’s functions, the power supply will have to be restored."

"I understand. I’ll have some barrels of diesel loaded up to send over. See you tomorrow."

They still had 300 tons of barreled diesel stored in the warehouses at A Port.

And there was even more at the B Port fuel depot. Yu Dong and his team had found the relevant workers who could help them easily draw fuel from it.

For now, fuel was abundant.

"Leader... could I trouble you to look after my son? I think he’ll be safer here on the cruise ship."

"Of course. He will receive the child stipend and your special contribution stipend. The cruise ship base will take care of your child, even if... you don’t come back."

"Good. That sets my mind at ease. I’ll take one of my group’s graduate student assistants with me tomorrow."

Going out always came with risks.

Meng Dongqing needed Yu Dong’s promise.

And Yu Dong understood her worries as a mother.

After she left, Yu Dong remained at his post as a steady stream of people entered the office to discuss various matters with him.

His office was never empty.

It was one hell of a packed shift.

Meanwhile, after Lin Mo finished distributing the point chips and explaining the system, most of the people in the assembly hall had left. Only... Yang Yi remained, sitting dazedly in the front row.

Lin Mo rubbed her face, which was stiff from talking so much. She took a few sips of her now-cold tea, composed herself for a moment, and then walked over.

"Yang Yi, do you hate us?"

Yang Yi looked up at Lin Mo, the light gone from her eyes.

"Perhaps this is an opportunity for you to change your philosophy on survival, isn’t it?"

"How about you try being... an independent woman?"

"Stop depending on men to live. Join the workforce, earn points, and become a part of this team."

Yang Yi looked stunned for a moment before saying:

"But... I’ve never had a job. I’m afraid I can’t do it."

"It’s okay. Everyone starts by trying. Anyone can do the simplest jobs. I’ll help you integrate with the group."

"Oh..."

Yang Yi still didn’t seem to want to talk. Lin Mo sighed softly.

She knew this would take time. If Yang Yi was left on her own, she could very well become a liability...

"By the way, it’s just the two of us now. I’m curious, what did Lin Xiaojun say to you back then that made you so dead set on not exposing what they did?"

"They... the last time, they took a lot of photos of me... really obscene ones. They said if I dared to tell, they would show them to Wen Jie, show them to everyone on the ship, so everyone would see me like that..."

"Disgusting." A chill filled Lin Mo’s eyes.

"Right, Lin Xiaojun also said that once the authorities arrived, we could go live on their territory. He said the authorities looked very capable, so everyone should just keep their heads down and not cause trouble. Once we got to the official territory, he would find a job monitoring surveillance feeds and never bother me again..."

Hearing this, Lin Mo’s expression turned a little strange.

After Yang Yi had left, she asked herself, ’Was he just saying that for Yang Yi’s benefit, or... would he really have chosen to lay low in the face of absolute power?’

No one could answer that question now, because Lin Xiaojun had already been executed by firing squad.

「On the evening of the tenth day of the apocalypse.」

Wang Dingbei began his radio broadcast.

He called on survivors near their cleared routes to take advantage of the light rain on the 11th day, when fewer zombies would be out, and make their way along Binhai Avenue to rendezvous at the cruise ship.

He also mentioned that they had left many shared bikes with broken locks along the way for people to ride over directly.

...

「Dawn on the 11th day of the apocalypse.」

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and a drizzling rain fell.

A fully fueled cargo ship departed from Huangyang Port A, heading for Bailu Fishing Port.

At the same time, Qiao Yunliang’s troops also set out. They traveled by vehicle toward Binhai Avenue to clear the zombies on the stretch leading to Bailu Fishing Port.

The two groups would rendezvous at Bailu Fishing Port and, ahead of schedule, carry out a special operation to the North River District military sub-area today.

This operation would directly affect the future of Yanhai City.

With more ample weapons and ammunition, even the climbing zombies... would be no match for them.

The 20-kilometer sea route would be a quick journey.

「An hour later...」

Yu Dong received a call from Qiao Yunliang.

"We’ve already taken Bailu Fishing Port. Where’s your ship? Why can’t I see it?"