Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person - Chapter 190 141: The Attraction Hypothesis
In the early morning, Zhang Su pointed at the four zombie corpses lying at the gate and asked Lu Yubo, “Did you lure them here for fun?”
Streaks of dirty blood remained on Lu Yubo’s food sampler as he shook his head, “These are wandering zombies; I was busy working on the barbed wire earlier.”
Zhang Su squatted down, peering through the branches at the zombie corpses, and said, “Zombies’ ability to sniff out living people is definitely stronger than before. Otherwise, there’s no reason for these zombies to wander off the highway and into the glass factory.”
“Brother Su, is there a possibility…”
Liu Tianji approached Zhang Su and tentatively said, “I have an immature idea; can I share it?”
“Speak freely; we don’t go in for all that workplace formality here.” Zhang Su indicated for Liu Tianji to continue.
Liu Tianji nodded, “I’ll analyze it from what I understand. Could it be that the zombie virus doesn’t just react to nearby living creatures but subconsciously senses them from a much broader range? Moreover, the more living beings there are, the clearer the perception.”
Upon hearing Liu Tianji’s words, Zhang Su was taken aback, “You mean we are like signal emitters, and zombies can detect the signals we emit, then move toward areas where the signal is densest?”
“Yes, yes, Brother Su, that’s exactly what I mean. My ability to express it isn’t great, haha.”
Liu Tianji quickly offered a compliment.
Lu Yubo, standing on the side, listened dazedly, muttering, “Damn, if that’s the case, isn’t the safe base with a large group of survivors screwed over…”
At this point, he looked at Zhang Su in shock, “Brother Su, do you remember the zombie horde we encountered on the street near Yileiwen Convenience Store?”
Zhang Su nodded, speaking gravely, “If Xiaoliu’s guess is correct, that zombie horde is moving toward some large survivor settlement!”
At this juncture, the three looked at each other, a chilling sense spreading from the bottom of their hearts.
For some reason, a bizarre idea suddenly arose in Zhang Su’s mind. The entire world seemed to transform into a human body, with zombies as the body’s immune cells, and humans, or rather living beings, turning into viruses or bacteria, hunted down by these immune cells…
“Dinner’s ready, Sister Tan and Brother Zhuzi made a huge pot of noodles; it smells amazing. Hmm? What are you three plotting in such seriousness?”
Zheng Xinyu came over to call them to eat, noticing the trio’s unusual expressions.
“It’s nothing, let’s eat first.”
Zhang Su waved it off, then headed toward the factory building.
A bowl of hot noodle soup, enhanced with instant noodle seasoning and a poached egg cooked in the soup, filled everyone with warmth, and the happiness of it all made some people’s noses tingle.
While tidying up the dishes, Zhang Su clapped his hands and said, “Um, about what Xiaoliu mentioned earlier; I find it quite plausible, so let’s all discuss it.”
Zhao Dezhu contentedly picked his teeth, leaning against the wall with satisfaction, “Buddy, what’s this about? You seem pretty serious.”
“That’s right, it’s a serious matter, which is why I waited until after eating to tell everyone; otherwise, I feared it might ruin your appetite…”
Zhang Su’s words instantly snapped the slightly relaxed crowd into attention.
He then made public Liu Tianji’s earlier conjecture.
“This, can’t be real, can it?”
Many reflexively chose disbelief, while some fell into silent contemplation.
“Our understanding of the zombie species is still too limited. We don’t even know how zombies came about, always assuming it’s due to a virus. But whether that’s truly the case, we don’t know. Based on some time’s observation, I believe Xiaoliu’s ‘attraction hypothesis’ stands.”
The ‘attraction hypothesis,’ a term coined by Zhang Su.
“Then…” Zhang Ya raised her hand, saying, “If this hypothesis holds true, wouldn’t it mean that the more densely populated large safe zones become prime targets for zombie attacks?”
“Humans are social animals; banding together is our tool against the apocalypse. The appearance of zombies seems like a constraint on our behavior, which seems plausible.”
Yuwen mused thoughtfully, speaking slowly.
“I think it’s possible; otherwise, why would zombies in urban areas flock to the suburbs? I guess it’s because there are more rural survivors gathered together, increasing density, thus attracting them.”
Zheng Xinyu expressed her own speculation.
Yu Qing raised her hand, “Let me add, although I primarily taught chemistry, I’ve also taken courses in biology. From a biological standpoint, zombies could very well evolve to sense humans or possibly target other living beings; it’s hard to say.”
Just like that, everyone gradually enriched this attraction hypothesis with their discussions.
“Do you think there are still surviving research institutions conducting studies? Is there a chance our society can return to the way it was?”
Tan Huajun asked with a worried look.
“It’s definitely impossible to go back to how it was. The people who turned into zombies are certainly dead for good, even if the virus is removed, they can’t be saved. It’s irreversible… By this calculation, at least ninety percent of the people are dead. Qin City used to have a million permanent residents, now not even a hundred thousand are left. There’s no way it can return to what it was!”
Wu Lue said with deep pessimism.
“The survival rate isn’t that high. It might have been in the early outbreak, but later it’s at most three percent. The technical institute Pei Lan and I escaped from didn’t even have three percent!”
Chen Hanzhou said, with his arm in a sling. After being bitten, his personality gradually returned to what it used to be, and he started talking again.
Pei Lan chimed in, “Chen Hanzhou is right. Our school didn’t have many people, probably around eight thousand, definitely not over ten thousand. Fewer than two hundred survived. The critical point is that after escaping the school, many couldn’t hold on for long, just like us, right?”
Back when they escaped the institute, over ten people left together. Now only the two of them are left, with no news of Kuang Miao and Song Yijun, at most four people.
Calculating by the school’s survival rate, it falls below one percent…
“Finding out the zombies’ habits is supposed to make us more proactive in solving the problem. Why is this conversation turning so bleak?”
Zhang Su sensed the atmosphere was off and quickly changed the tone: “We need to think positively and not slack off. No matter how formidable the zombies are, as long as we work together, one plus one far exceeds two. Sand becomes a tower, rivers into a sea, we can definitely survive this messed-up apocalypse and live better day by day!”
Woof!
His rousing words incited a strong dissatisfaction from Good Fortune. Can’t we just talk nicely? Why insult me?
Everyone knew Zhang Su was trying to boost morale. From recent experiences, they could truly feel the change; from initially not daring to step outside, to now having food, drinks, and showers, along with a space for chatting. The change was substantial.
Everyone held a positive outlook on the future.
Nonghua Glass Factory served as a temporary camp. Zhang Su planned a three-day rest, allowing everyone to recover before considering a return to the urban zone. Meanwhile, he kept planning with a few others on how to acquire weapons from the military camp on Wenhua Road.
Unfortunately, they had too little intelligence, only a vague structure of the military camp provided by Zhao Dezhu. As for the current situation of the camp, they knew nothing, making the plan appear hollow.
Although the days seemed leisurely, no one truly relaxed to enjoy the warmth of the winter sun. Everyone was in training, with a strong sense of urgency; only those on watch could catch a brief respite.
A whole day passed swiftly, very peacefully, with no people or vehicles passing by the road in front of the glass factory. Occasionally, zombies attacked the fence and the wall behind the factory, further supporting the attraction hypothesis.
At night, Pang Dakun actively climbed onto the rooftop to take the watch after watching cartoons, while the tired group drifted into dreamland.
“I feel like everyone is pretty much rested. We can set out tomorrow.”
Zhang Su said, lying on the bed and murmuring to Zhong Xiaoshan beside him, as Zheng Xinyu took the first watch shift tonight.
“I know you want to quickly check out that military camp, but we said three days, let everyone have the full rest.”
Zhong Xiaoshan suggested.
“I just said two to three days, didn’t specify it had to be exactly three…” Zhang Su chuckled, turning over and said, “If possible, I’d want to live this safe life continuously. Unfortunately, the defenses here are too weak, every night I’m worried someone might break in.”
Zhong Xiaoshan turned to look at Zhang Su, saying, “We now have sixteen people. Are there many teams stronger than ours?”
“Not many?” Zhang Su extended his restless hand from under the blanket, saying, “Never be arrogant, and never underestimate those outside. Just looking at the village on the other side of the Shuwa Village river, Beiliang Village, they took in survivors from other villages, their numbers surpass ours by far!”
“If they come back here to gather supplies, is there a possibility of conflict with us? These are all possible scenarios, so establishing our own safe base quickly is crucial!”
Zhang Su pulled Zhong Xiaoshan into his embrace, her hair freshly washed from yesterday carried a nostalgic fragrance.
“I suggest we stay three days, because everyone deep down thinks you plan to stay three days. Saying we’re leaving tomorrow might seem hasty. But it’s your decision; I’m just giving a suggestion from everyone’s psychological perspective.”
Zhong Xiaoshan said softly.
Zhang Su, with keen hearing, caught on to many conversations, naturally knowing everyone’s thoughts. He nodded slightly, “Alright, let’s stay one more day and set off the morning after tomorrow!”
After that, there was no more chatting in the bedroom, replaced by another sound that no one liked listening to, which won’t be described here.
