When Ruan Ning and Lin Yang left, they saw that there were still many onlookers gathered near the market entrance. However, none of them dared to go in. They only stood at the side, pointing inside and whispering among themselves. Everyone was gossiping about what had happened inside.
What surprised them somewhat was that, in a corner of the crowd, they also saw Jiang Jingchao, Jiang Jingyang, Uncle Jiang, and Aunt Jiang.
The incident at the market had caused quite a commotion. After all, the base higher-ups had even sent over an official team and several researchers from the research institute. No one was blind. As long as they were still in the market, they would have seen that scene.
Quite a lot of people knew about it, and the story spread hotter and hotter. Less than an hour had passed from the time the incident happened until it ended, but it was likely that not only everyone at the market that afternoon knew about it, even more than half the survivors in the base knew too.
“Chaozi, Yangzi, you two still haven’t taken Uncle and Auntie away?” Lin Yang asked.
Jiang Jingchao looked helpless. “We originally wanted to go in and take a look, but there were too many people. We really couldn’t get in.”
Jiang Jingchao and Jiang Jingyang had also considered whether to investigate the situation, but in the end, there were simply too many people gathered around. Many wanted to find out what had happened, and the two of them just could not squeeze in.
On top of that, they had to take care of their parents beside them and were also afraid something might happen in such a crowded, mixed place, so they did not go inside to join the excitement. They stayed at the edge of the market, watching from the outside and asking around about what had happened.
They heard that in the eastern district of the market, someone had turned into a zombie in public. After turning into a zombie, he injured dozens of people and killed several. The people sent by the base had originally wanted to calm the matter down and simply take away the zombified person, but in the end, the surrounding people resisted them. Under pressure, the base finally said they would definitely investigate the truth within three days.
Ruan Ning had not expected that after being passed around by different people, the news would turn into this. The general content was correct, but some of the details had been exaggerated. For example, the person infected with the zombie virus this time had not actually injured any nearby survivors, not even one.
However, perhaps humans were naturally more willing to believe a more dramatic version of events.
If Ruan Ning and the others had not been there at the scene, they might have believed this version too.
When Jiang’s mother heard that Ruan Ning and Lin Yang had been at the scene when the incident happened, and that the infected man had even rushed toward them, she looked both of them up and down with worry on her face.
“Xiao Ning, Xiao Lin, are you two children alright? Why did this have to happen while you were out shopping?”
Jiang’s father also asked about their condition.
Ruan Ning looked at the people in front of her and said in a relaxed voice, “Uncle, Auntie, don’t worry. We’re both completely fine. Look at us, do we seem injured? But this time, it really was all thanks to Brother Lin Yang. He was the one who dealt with the man infected by the zombie virus. Also, the reason the base gave a clear response so quickly today was because of the idea he came up with.”
Although their main goal this time was to rest and recuperate, they would not stay in Yancheng Base for long. But since they had encountered this matter, they could not leave at ease without waiting for the truth to be investigated.
Back at the market, it was not that Ruan Ning and the others had wanted to stir up trouble or deliberately make things difficult for the people sent by the base. It was just that the one-week investigation period proposed by the person in charge was indeed too long. Just as the person beside them had refuted, if there really was a major problem, after that much time, their bodies might already be cold.
Someone infected with the zombie virus appearing inside the base was no small matter. Fortunately, today it had been discovered in time, and the infected person had quickly been controlled. If it had been discovered late, after he had rampaged through the market and injured many people, or if he had spread the virus to more people somewhere they did not know about, then this safe base might become even more dangerous than the outside.
If that really happened, it would not be a matter of only a few or a few dozen deaths.
Yancheng Base currently had several thousand survivors. In such a densely populated place, if several zombies appeared without anyone being prepared, the result would not be much different from when the apocalypse first broke out more than two months ago. Hundreds, or even thousands, of people could die.
Ruan Ning and the others also wanted to know the truth of this matter as soon as possible. Forcing them to investigate the facts quickly under pressure was better than letting them drag it out day by day.
…
After Jiang Jingchao and Jiang Jingyang listened to what they said, they exchanged looks. Although they had heard others talk about the matter earlier, they had still had many doubts in their hearts.
But now it was different. Since even the two people beside them said so, and they were direct witnesses to the incident, the credibility was naturally on a completely different level from the words of strangers.
Realising the seriousness of the matter, Jiang Jingchao frowned and said, “Then we shouldn’t stand here any longer. Let’s hurry back and tell Brother Gu and everyone else about this.”
Ruan Ning and Lin Yang had the same thought, so as soon as the matter at the market ended, they hurried back.
**
At the research institute.
“Everyone, be careful. Don’t let the zombie scratch you.”
A group of people worked together to carry the infected person into one of the laboratories. Then they untied the rope from his body and replaced it with handcuffs and shackles, locking him to the wall.
“Elder Han, I’ll leave today’s matter to you. You must find out as quickly as possible what exactly is going on with this person carrying the zombie virus. Otherwise, I’m afraid if we can’t give an explanation on time, those people might tear the base apart,” the buzz-cut man said worriedly.
Elder Han was the oldest of the three researchers who had gone to the market earlier. Before the apocalypse, he had already been a highly respected senior expert. After the apocalypse, his field of expertise was very useful for zombie research, so the base had immediately sent people to protect him and then recruited him into the research institute. They had always attached great importance to him.
So even when the man, who was an ability user, spoke to Elder Han, his attitude was very respectful, and he did not dare act rudely. He knew some inside information. Yancheng Base and Base No. 3 in B City were jointly developing a medicine that could purify contaminated water. He had heard that they had already made some progress.
Although the man himself was an ability user, his family members were not. Because water sources had been contaminated, the price of clean water was now calculated by the millilitre. If this continued, his family would soon be unable to afford water.
Sigh. If he had known things would become like this, he might as well have awakened a non-combat water ability back then. At least then, he would not have to worry every day about having no water to drink.
Because the research institute usually needed quiet and freedom from outside disturbance for experiments, it was located in the northwest corner of the base, some distance away from the market.
During the time it took to carry the man back, the signs of zombification on his body had become more and more obvious. His pupils had changed from scarlet to greyish-white, with more visible whites of the eyes. The iconic zombie-like nails had also already appeared on his hands.
If he had looked like this earlier, there would have been no need for Elder Han and the others to examine him. Any survivor living in the apocalypse would probably have been able to tell that this person was definitely a zombie.
“…Actually, this is not the first case like this in the base. It’s just that today’s zombification happened at the market, so the news spread very quickly. The previous cases were all sealed off by the base authorities. Only our research institute and a small number of people outside know about them,” Elder Han explained.
“Since similar cases already happened several days ago, Elder Han, have you made any progress?!” After hearing this, the man seemed to guess something, and his expression inevitably became somewhat excited.
When Elder Han had asked him earlier to tell everyone there would be a three-day deadline, he had actually been very panicked inside.
If they could not find out anything within three days, the base would not dare punish Elder Han, a researcher. The one who would suffer would only be him. When such a major incident happened, even if it was only to calm the anger of the people, they would always need to find someone to take responsibility.
Now it seemed that Elder Han had asked him to say that because he already had some degree of confidence.
Elder Han nodded. As he looked at the data in his notebook, he said, “Mm. We have tested the blood samples from the previous people sent here, and we also had their bodies dissected. I suspect that they became like this because they accidentally ate something. As for what exactly it was, we will only know once the others finish analysing the food residue in their stomachs.”
When the man heard this, he could not help letting out a sigh of relief.
Since it was related to food they had eaten, then there should not be any major issue with Yancheng Base’s management. It was not that they had allowed people carrying the zombie virus to enter.
In that case, not only would the matter be much easier to resolve, he also would not need to worry about whether his family was safe inside the base.
Otherwise, if it really had been entirely the base’s fault, this matter would have been extremely difficult to handle.
Fortunately, things were not as serious as they had imagined.
**
On the other side.
Ruan Ning and the others finally returned to the villa.
As soon as she entered, Ruan Ning saw that there were many people in the living room. Everyone had gathered together. Apart from the six of them, the other members of the Morning Light Squad had already returned.
Gu Yicheng sat in the middle. His expression looked somewhat ugly. Only when he heard movement from the entrance and saw them appear, confirming that every absent person had returned without missing anyone, did his expression relax.
“I heard something happened at the market. How are you? Did anything happen to you?” he said in a low voice.
The others also expressed concern for Ruan Ning and the group that had returned late.
They had heard the news and returned half an hour earlier. Only these six had not come back. After waiting for a long time without any news from them, they had all been worried that something had happened to them over there.
Ruan Ning and Lin Yang had participated in the entire incident at the market and had only returned after it ended.
“Brother, we’re all fine.” Ruan Ning also realised that the others must have returned some time before them, which was why everyone looked so tense. So she honestly told everyone everything that had happened at the market.
The rumours outside made the situation sound much more dangerous and dramatic than it really had been. No wonder they were so worried about those of them who had gone to the market and had not yet returned.
“Ningning, before you went out, didn’t I tell you not to go near dangerous places? Why don’t you know how to take proper care of yourself? Is understanding the situation more important, or is your safety more important? Hm?” When Gu Yicheng said this, his expression was very solemn.
Ruan Ning knew that he was worried about her safety. Although at the time, it was because the person infected with the zombie virus had already been subdued by Lin Yang that they had continued staying there, her lips moved, but she still did not refute him. She obediently stood to the side, her eyes slightly lowered, like a student who had done something wrong.
Seeing her like this, a trace of helplessness flashed through Gu Yicheng’s dark eyes. No one knew how anxious he had been while waiting in the villa for half an hour without seeing anyone return.
If not for the fact that he knew she was with Lin Yang and not alone, and that Lin Yang would take care of her, and if not for the possibility that they might not necessarily have been at the place where the incident happened, Gu Yicheng would not have been able to hold himself back from running out to find her. Fortunately, not long after, the few people who had not returned all came back.
Seeing Ruan Ning being scolded because of this, Lin Yang could not help defending her. “Brother Gu, don’t blame Sister Ruan Ning. We were already there at the time. With such a good opportunity to understand the situation, it would’ve been a pity to leave.”
When Gu Yicheng learned that they had been at the scene of the incident and had not immediately left after danger occurred, he had thought about properly scolding the young girl, so that she would learn her lesson and not go toward dangerous places for excitement in the future.
But now that he saw she was unharmed and looked so obedient while listening to him, Gu Yicheng could not bring himself to say anything too harsh to her.
Thankfully, nothing had happened this time.
It seemed that only by keeping her by his side at all times could he feel completely at ease. Gu Yicheng did not want to see something like today happen a second time.
As for the person infected with the zombie virus, Gu Yicheng was not in a hurry. He did not think the same way as the others. He felt that the possibility of someone carrying the zombie virus sneaking into the base was actually not very high. It should be that something had gone wrong in another area.
For example, when the water contamination issue had first appeared at Base No. 3 in B City, some people had drunk too much contaminated water because they lacked food and wanted to fill their stomachs. Afterwards, symptoms of zombification had appeared on their bodies.
As for the exact situation, they could wait until the base gave its answer three days later.
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