Volume One, Chapter 19: The Truth Behind the Source of Infection

Page 1/3

Duan Wei smiled and said, "Of course, you are our heroes."
"However, the intelligence will take a little time. My people are still organizing the data. As for supplies, rest assured, there will be enough food and water tonight."
Gao Yang fixed a sharp gaze on Duan Wei but said nothing.
He sensed Duan Wei’s hidden intentions but chose not to expose them for now.

That evening, the hall on the isolated island was filled with food and brightly lit.
The island’s residents were gathered for a banquet. The atmosphere seemed lively, yet Gao Yang keenly noticed a trace of unease and fear behind their expressions.
"These people aren’t happy," Lin Xue whispered. "It looks like they’re hiding something."
"Stay alert," Gao Yang replied quietly, never letting go of his baseball bat.

When the feast began, Duan Wei raised his glass with a smile. "Thanks to your brave actions, you’ve solved a major problem for us. To show our gratitude, I propose a toast in your honor!"
The islanders reluctantly raised their glasses, but their eyes betrayed their struggle.
Gao Yang remained still, staring coldly at Duan Wei. "What exactly are you planning?" he asked quietly.

Duan Wei set down his glass, smiling faintly. "Don’t be nervous, it’s just a celebration. You are our honored guests—enjoy the night."

Suddenly, the hall’s doors were flung open, and several guards dragged in a man covered in blood.
His face was pale, eyes filled with terror.
"Duan Wei, you can’t do this!" the man shouted, struggling. "These people are innocent!"

Duan Wei’s smile vanished instantly. He stepped forward and said coldly, "Those who betray me have no right to speak of innocence."
Gao Yang and Lin Xue exchanged a glance, their hearts tightening.

Duan Wei turned to Gao Yang with a chilling tone. "Since you’ve completed your mission, I might as well tell you the truth. This island you see, seemingly a refuge, is actually our ‘trading ground’ with the zombies."
"A trading ground?" Lin Xue asked in shock.

Duan Wei nodded slowly. "We regularly sacrifice some humans to the zombies’ controller—the ‘Mother Nest’—in exchange for safety on this island. Otherwise, this place would have been devoured long ago."
Zhou Cheng stood up angrily. "Are you mad? You sacrifice innocent people for your own benefit!"

Duan Wei sneered. "This is the apocalypse. Survival is what matters most. Without my decisions, you wouldn’t even be standing here to accuse me."
Gao Yang gripped his baseball bat tightly, his eyes icy. "So you were planning to offer us as sacrifices too?"

Page 2/3

Duan Wei spread his hands, feigning helplessness. "Sorry, you’re too strong. Sacrificing you might have bought us longer peace."
Before he finished, a low, guttural roar came from outside the hall.
Everyone froze.

"Oh no!" Duan Wei’s guards burst in, panic-stricken. "The zombie horde is attacking! They… they aren’t following the deal!"
Duan Wei’s face darkened. "Impossible! I just sacrificed a group of people!"

Gao Yang said coldly, "It seems the Mother Nest has no intention of honoring your rules."
Outside, the zombies’ howls grew louder.

Soon, a massive wave of zombies broke through the defenses and flooded the island.
"Run!" Zhou Cheng shouted, grabbing Lin Xue and rushing toward the back door.
Gao Yang swung his baseball bat, lightning crackling in his palm, striking down the advancing zombies.

He glanced back at Duan Wei, sneering, "You have only yourself to blame."
Duan Wei tried to speak, but more zombies poured in, overwhelming his guards one by one.

The three of them dashed out of the hall, taking refuge in a dilapidated house.
Lin Xue gasped, terrified. "What do we do now? This island can’t be defended!"
"Leave here," Gao Yang said decisively. "But before we go, we must take all the intelligence and supplies we can carry."

"But what about the residents?" Lin Xue hesitated.
Gao Yang was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Save as many as we can."
Zhou Cheng nodded. "The residents seem discontent with Duan Wei. We can try leading them to evacuate."

Without further words, Gao Yang led the two toward the island owner’s office.
There, they found documents and hard drives detailing Duan Wei’s dealings with the Mother Nest.

Meanwhile, the island residents spontaneously organized to resist the zombies.
They raised weapons and fought a deadly battle.

Gao Yang and the others returned to the dock, loaded as many residents as possible onto a small boat, and departed from the island.

Page 3/3

As their boat pulled away from the shore, Lin Xue looked back at the burning island and murmured, "If Duan Wei had chosen to fight alongside everyone from the start, would things have been different?"
Gao Yang clenched his fists, his gaze resolute. "Humanity can choose to sacrifice, but never to fall. He has paid the price for his choices."

The small boat gradually faded into the distance, the island’s flames vanishing from sight.
The salty sea air filled the atmosphere as the boat cut through the waves.

Gao Yang, Lin Xue, and Zhou Cheng sat aboard, carrying the rescued residents and crucial intelligence, heading toward the next point marked on their map.

"Did you notice?" Lin Xue broke the silence softly,
"The files mention an experimental facility just a day’s journey from here."

"An experimental facility," Zhou Cheng repeated, frowning. "The infection source data might have leaked from there."

"If that’s the true origin, we have to check it out," Gao Yang said calmly but firmly.
"Only by uncovering the truth can we hope to end this nightmare."

That night, they camped near an abandoned dock.
The firelight flickered in the darkness, but the mood was tense.

"We leave at dawn, but we must prepare for the worst," Gao Yang told Zhou Cheng and Lin Xue.
Lin Xue nodded and quietly asked, "If the infection source is really there, how do we handle it?"

"First find it, then figure it out," Gao Yang’s eyes were steely. His hand brushed over the baseball bat, lightning glimmering faintly.

At daybreak, they set out for the experimental facility.
The entrance was hidden beneath dense overgrowth, untouched for years.
A rusty gate stood ajar, the faded sign barely legible, but the letters “INFEC” could still be made out.

"Infection Center," Zhou Cheng whispered, a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

Gao Yang pushed open the gate. Inside was a dim space filled with the stench of rot and chemicals.
The walls were plastered with warning signs; shattered glass and rusted equipment littered the floor.