Chapter Fifty-One: Complete Eradication!
“Continue the interrogation!”
The scar-faced man gestured with a wave of his hand. Immediately, two soldiers stepped forward and dragged the bespectacled man—who was now so terrified that he was wetting himself and crying uncontrollably—into a corner, where they continued to pummel him with fists and boots.
He activated his wrist computer, inserted a red encrypted cable, and the communications screen popped up at once.
On the screen appeared the sharp, competent female superior whom Gao encountered earlier. The moment they connected, there was no small talk; the woman got straight to the point: “What’s the situation?”
The scar-faced man replied coolly, “He escaped three hours ago. Is there an intelligence leak?”
“Impossible! This is a one-way classified assignment. No third party knows,” she answered emphatically.
“He checked the locations of mechanical police assembly plants nationwide—over a thousand facilities. The search area has expanded. I need your help,” said the scar-faced man, his tone even.
“Alright. Tell me what you need.”
“Access the surveillance satellite network. I want the flight paths of all aircraft that passed overhead the Experimental Zone 69 in the last three hours.”
Her expression darkened. “I don’t have clearance for that.”
The scar-faced man shrugged indifferently. “Is that so? Well, then, due to the intelligence gap, the mission will be declared a failure. According to protocol, the deposit will not be refunded.”
“Wait. I need some time!”
“How long?”
“Around forty minutes. But I demand execution of the final directive!” she replied through gritted teeth.
He was genuinely surprised. “Are you sure? The Night of Slaughter is over. This is an experimental zone—every media outlet in the world is watching. A single misstep means utter ruin.”
“If I can’t eliminate those who know the truth, I’m ruined already. I have to take this risk!”
“Very well, if you insist. Transfer ten times the reward to my account. And be mindful of the time—the virus mutates quickly. After ten hours, it will undergo secondary mutation, and the vaccine’s effectiveness will drop to thirty percent.”
“I am fully prepared!” Her voice was icy.
“Let’s hope so.” The scar-faced man raised an eyebrow indifferently, cut the communication, and shouted back, “Brothers, get ready to evacuate!”
“What’s going on, boss?”
“That woman’s lost it! To cover up her unauthorized deployment of troops, she paid ten times the reward to initiate the final directive!”
The group exchanged glances, then burst into cheers. “Fantastic, we finally get another break!”
“I’m taking my wife to Bliss Space!”
“What’s so great about a space? I’m headed for the amusement park!”
“I’m going to the South African Gold Vault!”
One after another, they chattered excitedly, each more enthusiastic than the last.
The scar-faced man shook his head. “Don’t celebrate too soon. The previous contract is still in effect. We’ll hear back in forty minutes. For now, get moving—we’re leaving in forty minutes!”
The group responded in unison and scattered from the hotel.
By now, the bespectacled man had been beaten unconscious, lying on the ground, bloody and battered, blood trickling from his mouth.
Dragging a large case from the vehicle, the scar-faced man retrieved a bottle labeled as hazardous material. He carefully set a forty-minute countdown and tucked it under the bar counter.
Soon, more team members returned, each escorting captives. The hostages looked bewildered and fearful.
After thirty minutes, the lobby was crowded with forty or fifty heads. Some dared to ask questions, but were immediately silenced by beatings.
Under the threat of firearms, no one dared protest.
A subordinate reported, “Boss, the numbers are about right!”
The scar-faced man nodded. “The timing works out too.”
Just as he spoke, an image appeared on his wrist computer.
In the past three hours, sixty-five flight paths had crossed the experimental zone, most connecting directly to airports. Only three landed in the affluent district.
He memorized the three coordinates and waved his hand. “Get ready, we’re pulling out!”
The mercenaries surged out, leaving the hostages behind, bewildered and exchanging confused glances.
What was all this for?
After all that effort to gather them, they did nothing and just left them behind.
Had the leader lost his mind? Or had they received new orders midway?
While they wondered, a hissing sound came from beneath the bar.
A pale green mist erupted, instantly filling the entire lobby.
The hostages panicked, fleeing the hotel in terror.
But as soon as they reached the street, they dropped like dominoes, collapsing to the ground. Minutes later, they rose again, shivering and twisted, their forms already transformed.
In the lobby, the unconscious bespectacled man convulsed, jolting upright as if shocked.
His wounds looked even more hideous, and in the green mist, the capillaries on his face and body took on a faint green hue.
His limbs were stiff, his pupils pale, and with a twisted grimace, he staggered outside.
He had become a zombie.
Roars echoed in the streets as the recently quiet experimental zone was plunged back into chaos.
Screams pierced the air, lingering long and loud.
To be honest, this batch of zombies was unimpressive. They were slow, their movements distorted. Apart from being instinctively drawn to flesh and blood, they were easily distracted by sound.
So, after the initial chaos, the survivors of the Night of Slaughter once again armed themselves and stepped outside, gathering to systematically clear the zombies.
Unfortunately, they didn’t realize this virus could be transmitted through the air.
Even without being bitten, close contact or prolonged shooting at close range could turn one into a zombie.
And the bespectacled man, who had absorbed the most green mist, became another source of infection.
With every step he took, the virus spread further.
Even if a bullet took him down, his corpse remained a breeding ground for the virus.
Thus, gunfire in the experimental zone didn’t die down—it only grew more intense.
An hour later, all the survivors realized something was terribly wrong with these zombies. Without hesitation, they abandoned their homes and tried to flee.
To their horror, they discovered the isolation walls, dismantled that morning, had been re-erected at some point.
The modular steel walls, connected with locks, stood three meters high and were topped with an electrified grid. Escaping was a fool’s dream.
But with zombies closing in from behind, there was nowhere to run.
Just as they resolved to break through the barrier by force, a tide of mechanical police flooded into the experimental zone. Without warning, they opened fire.
Bullets rained down. The survivors, faces frozen in disbelief, fell one after another.
The mechanical police advanced in formation, weapons at the ready. Their voices boomed out, cold and mechanical:
“Virus detected. Complete eradication.”
“Virus detected. Complete eradication.”
“Virus detected. Complete eradication.”