CFM Chapter 3

“Why are there so many people?” Luo Junming, the captain of the rescue team who had pointed his gun at You Guan, briefly introduced himself to everyone, then muttered a complaint before making arrangements without the slightest mercy.

“There’s only one vehicle. It’s impossible to take everyone. Some of you will have to stay behind and wait for us to take the others to a safe location before we come back for you.”

“How can that be acceptable?!”

“Captain, you’ve seen it yourself. The zombies are right behind us. If they break through the glass and rush out, we’ll all die.”

“That’s right, Captain. Please think of something. We can’t stay here. Besides, you know we’ve been researching merfolk all this time. Losing even one of us would be a significant loss to the scientific community today.”

Luo Junming’s face darkened. “Enough. Keep running your mouths, and not a single one of you will leave.”

Who would dare continue after that? The area fell silent.

Luo Junming selected a group of people and had them board the vehicle first. He left several weapons for the others to defend themselves. “The magazines are all full. Don’t go firing blindly and wasting ammunition at every little sound.”

The people holding the guns were tense from head to toe. They swallowed nervously and nodded.

You Guan and Wang Qiutian were fortunate enough to be among the first group to be evacuated. The two sat in the truck’s crowded cargo bed, facing several exhausted rescue team members. One of the women stood out particularly.

She had dyed her hair golden blonde and had large eyes. She wore a black combat uniform, and her body was spotless. At that moment, she was carefully wiping her black high-top leather boots bit by bit with a damp tissue.

Noticing You Guan’s gaze, she raised her delicate eyebrows slightly. “Little brother, if you keep looking at your big sister like that, you’ll make her shy.”

You Guan quickly judged that this was someone with a very outgoing personality and decided to strike up a friendly conversation with her. “Big sis, I’d like to ask where Yu Zong went.”

The woman raised her hand and pointed toward the driver’s seat, teasing him, “He’s in the passenger seat. What, interested in him?”

To some extent, the apocalypse was more open-minded than the peaceful era. Because no one knew when the zombies might breach the city walls, people no longer suppressed their emotions. Same-sex relationships were commonplace, and many people respected them as well.

“A little.” You Guan answered honestly without giving it much thought. “I’m a keeper of low-tier merfolk. This is my first time seeing him. I’m a little curious. He looks very serious and doesn’t talk much.”

The woman held a hair tie between her teeth and gathered her hair into a high ponytail. “I admit, he’s definitely handsome. But his personality is absolutely terrible. So let me give you a word of advice, little brother. Stay as far away from him as possible. Otherwise, you’ll end up miserable.”

You Guan: “Got it. Thank you, big sis.”

The truck was a modified vehicle that had been repurposed after being abandoned. A simple partition of sheet metal and glass separated the driver’s cab from the cargo bed, so You Guan could only see part of the back of Yu Zong’s head.

He only believed half of what the woman had said. The only way to know whether someone had a good personality was to spend time with them.

The vehicle rattled and swayed as it made its way along the road. The journey was far from smooth. Every so often, zombies would rush toward them from the roadside at the sound of the engine, only to be sent flying when the truck struck them.

By the time night was approaching, the truck arrived outside the botanical garden.

As soon as he got out, You Guan spotted a man standing atop the tallest building in the garden, holding a pair of binoculars. The man gestured toward the truck, signaling that it could enter.

“Everyone out.” The moment the truck stopped, the woman snapped her fingers and jumped down first.

Wang Qiutian was just about to get up when a rescue team member shoved past him, making him stagger sideways. The other man shot him a fierce glare before jumping down.

You Guan kept a steady hand on Wang Qiutian’s arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Wang Qiutian sighed gloomily. “When you’re under someone else’s roof, you have no choice but to bow your head.”

You Guan raised a hand to pat his head. Seeing that Wang Qiutian didn’t seem to mind, he gave him a few more gentle strokes.

Throughout the journey, none of the other team members had been willing to say a single word to them apart from that woman. Whenever they glanced their way, their eyes were filled with disgust and disdain.

Even the cleaners at the research institute enjoyed better treatment than ordinary people in the base, which had long fueled resentment among the masses. The research had been going on for over a decade without any progress. It was like feeding a cow the finest fresh grass every single day, only to find that you couldn’t squeeze even a single drop of milk out of it in the end. It was enough to drive anyone mad.

—

The zombies in this area had been temporarily cleared out. Surrounding it were the electric fence walls left behind from the early days, which could continue to be used after some simple repairs.

Luo Junming led everyone into a cultivation room, the only place where they could successfully shelter from the wind and rain.

After the apocalypse began, the climate became bizarre. It was common for all four seasons to pass in a single day, with extreme cold and extreme heat becoming the norm.

Luo Junming told everyone to find a place to stay wherever they liked. You Guan squeezed into a corner with Wang Qiutian. After looking around, he couldn’t find the protagonist anywhere.

Wang Qiutian: “What are you looking for?”

“Yu Zong.”

Wang Qiutian was puzzled by You Guan’s interest in Yu Zong. “Weren’t you afraid of him before? You called him a monster and said you wouldn’t feed him even if you had to give away your supplies for free.”

“…” You Guan looked completely serious. “Today, I was won over by his heroic feat of saving a damsel in distress.”

Wang Qiutian was successfully convinced. “Actually, I think he’s impressive, too. And he’s really handsome.”

You Guan gave him a strange look. “You’re into that type?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m straight!” Wang Qiutian rolled his eyes at him. “You’re the one who just got burned by my cousin. Don’t go falling for someone else only to get burned again. You and Yu Zong have a reproductive barrier between you. You wouldn’t be able to date even if you wanted to.”

You Guan: “…”

When Luo Junming came back in, Yu Zong was following behind him. The man was still dressed the same way, with his brows furrowed and eyes lowered, clearly displeased. The reason was that he now had an extra pair of handcuffs on his wrists.

The handcuffs had been specially made and were fastened very tightly. You Guan could see that the skin on Yu Zong’s wrists had already been rubbed raw.

“I heard he goes berserk very easily. Unless there are special circumstances, he’ll have restraints on his feet as well as his hands.”

After hearing Wang Qiutian’s words, You Guan withdrew his gaze and silently thought that the protagonist really had it rough.

This suffering wasn’t limited to physical torment. It also included humiliation and degradation of the mind. No one treated him like a human being, even though he still had a human appearance at this moment.

Sighing, he summoned the system. “Surely I wasn’t brought here just to watch the show, was I?”

【Of course not.】After several more conversations, the system’s tone was no longer so mechanical. 【We hope you can prevent the world from being destroyed. It’s as simple as that.】

You Guan: “Bro, could you do me a favor and write out the words for ‘simple’?”

【…】250 paused for two seconds. 【If the world perishes, you’ll die, too. Saving everyone is the same as saving yourself.】

After dropping those words, the system vanished.

In just a few short sentences, it had conveyed an enormous amount of information.

Changing the world meant changing Yu Zong. The hatred in his heart could no longer be allowed to grow, and he couldn’t suffer any more harm from external forces.

For someone whose mind was gradually becoming twisted, even being accidentally bumped into by someone while walking down the street could very well give rise to thoughts of revenge against society.

You Guan rubbed his temples. His head hurt so much. Was he seriously supposed to become a wholesome, doting mother figure who would lovingly nurture a child?

Ever since Yu Zong entered this cultivation room, he had constantly felt a gaze falling on him.

Unlike the curious, probing gazes of the past or those filled with complicated emotions and disgust, this gaze was simply and purely “looking” at him.

Irritated, he turned toward those eyes, only to discover that the young man had a vacant expression and was lost in thought.

About ten seconds later, those eyes refocused. Without any warning, he got up and ran outside.

The sound of vomiting and a sour sensation surged up his throat at the same time. You Guan nearly threw up his entire stomach. After a prolonged bout of retching, he weakly leaned against a withered tree trunk.

Just moments ago, the blood-soaked zombies and the corpses he had seen along the way had all rushed into his mind at once.

The emotions he had been suppressing ever since transmigrating into the novel erupted in an instant.

He didn’t have any tissues on him, so he could only wipe the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Being as fastidious as he was, the sour stench on the back of his hand nearly made him throw up all over again.

“There’s water over there.” The woman who had spoken earlier walked out, with Yu Zong behind her.

Yu Zong’s handcuffs were temporarily unlocked. He walked past You Guan and continued forward. The woman pursed her lips and led You Guan to wash his hands, pointing at the yellowish water as she said, “This water is only for use, not for drinking.”

“Where’s he going?” You Guan asked, shaking the water off his hands.

The woman replied, “To the warehouse in the back. We won’t be able to leave tonight, so we need to find some wood to keep warm.” She patted You Guan on the shoulder. “You come along, too.”

During their casual conversation on the way, You Guan learned that the woman’s name was He Huanhuan. She was only two years older than him, yet she had already been involved in rescue operations for eight years. In other words, she had started fighting zombies out in the field at the age of sixteen.

“Sis Huan, if everything goes smoothly, can we reach the Falcon Base tomorrow?”

“Not sure.” A complicated look flashed across He Huanhuan’s face. Before they set out, her superiors had told them that the people they were rescuing were nine important scientists. Now, however, there were suddenly more than twenty additional people.

There were already enough ordinary humans at the base. The higher-ups were simply unwilling to take in any more.

Thinking of this, she was reminded of Yu Zong again.

The idea of carrying out the rescue alone had been proposed by Yu Zong himself, yet he clearly didn’t seem like someone who enjoyed helping others.

He Huanhuan could sense that when Yu Zong returned, the murderous hostility in his eyes had been intense. It was as if a ferocious beast had been stained with blood and wanted to go on a rampage, but could only forcibly suppress the urge because of some kind of restraint.

He Huanhuan suddenly stopped, and an idea began to form in her mind.

“Are we there?” You Guan stopped along with her. Ahead of them stood two wide-open gates that Yu Zong had just entered.

“We’re here.” He Huanhuan started moving again. After leading him inside, she pointed at the dried-up trees in the soil and said, “Break off some branches. The more, the better.”

You Guan began working diligently. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that He Huanhuan wasn’t moving. Puzzled, he straightened up and looked over at her.

At some point, a knife had appeared in the hand wearing a black fingerless glove, while the other glove had been removed and was now clenched between He Huanhuan’s teeth. She glanced at Yu Zong’s back, then drew the blade across her palm. Blood immediately welled up.

Not understanding what was happening, You Guan’s eyes widened in surprise.

In the quiet surroundings, the suppressed, rapid panting was especially conspicuous. Following the sound, they looked toward Yu Zong. The man’s head hung slightly, the veins on his neck beneath the collar bulging, and the wooden stick in his hand snapped into several pieces in an instant.

Blood kept dripping from He Huanhuan’s hand as she spoke in a leisurely tone, “No wonder you wanted to go rescue people. Yu Zong, you want to vent the desire in your heart by killing zombies, don’t you? You want blood, right?”

Big Sis, do you really have no idea that you’re dancing back and forth on the edge of danger?!

You Guan took off his jacket and wrapped it around He Huanhuan’s palm, then hurried over to Yu Zong. In a fluster, he began rubbing his back. “Calm down. You’re a human being. You mustn’t let the lure of blood tempt you.”

Yu Zong seemed unable to hear anything at all. His gaze was fixed intently on the blood-soaked fabric.

His throat was parched. An unprecedented thirst seized his mind, and he licked his dry lips restlessly.

He Huanhuan knew all too well how dangerous Yu Zong was in this state. The reason she dared to take the risk was that she knew she only had to call out to Luo Junming for him to activate the punishment program in the neck collar.

But she hadn’t expected that idiot to charge straight at him.

“You Guan, get over here!” He Huanhuan’s expression was grim. The knife in her hand shifted direction, ready to be thrown at Yu Zong at any moment.

You Guan hesitated, but ultimately decided that he couldn’t just leave things alone.

If he left, Yu Zong’s next target would be He Huanhuan. She and the others had leverage that could restrain him.

The original text had described the collar’s punishment mechanism. It used a special electric current that could paralyze Yu Zong’s nerves, leaving him sprawled on the ground like a rabid dog, with his hands and feet convulsing.

Every electric shock was a brutal flesh-rending lash to Yu Zong’s psyche.

Just as he was about to continue trying to soothe him with words, a dark shadow flashed before his eyes. A powerful hand clamped down on his shoulder. The back of his head, whose pain had already begun to subside, was struck again. The pain was so intense that his vision went black.

Yu Zong’s tall, imposing body restrained You Guan. His lips pressed against the warm skin of You Guan’s neck, while the pulsing blood vessels and the living warmth of his body continually stimulated Yu Zong’s consciousness.

Bite down. If he bit down, the thirst would disappear.

Bite down. The unbearable hunger would vanish.

You Guan had slender arms and legs and was utterly incapable of resisting that tremendous strength. His heart had already leaped into his throat with fear. Catching sight of He Huanhuan reaching for her communicator, he shouted frantically, “S-Sis Huan, I can talk him down!”

He Huanhuan didn’t listen to him. Into the communicator, she called out, “Yu Zong has lost control.”

The pain intensified noticeably. You Guan’s already trembling heart finally couldn’t take it anymore. He began shouting a jumble of nonsense in desperation. “Bro, bro, I haven’t bathed in ages! My blood doesn’t smell good! I’m one of your own kind! You’ll regret it if you bite me!”

The flesh of his neck was clearly being pulled by Yu Zong’s teeth. Just as he was about to cry out in pain, Yu Zong, who had been braced over him, collapsed heavily onto him, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The electric current spread to You Guan, making him tremble along with Yu Zong. Within just a few seconds, he lost consciousness.

By the time he woke up again, it was already dark outside. In the cultivation room constructed of glass, he could see the stars simply by looking up. You Guan placed both hands over his abdomen and wanted to cry. He remembered foaming at the mouth without a shred of dignity.

In that other world, he had always lived a relaxed and comfortable life. The darkest period of his life had been when his parents passed away at an early age.

The inheritance his parents had left him was substantial enough to ensure he never had to worry about food or clothing. He didn’t need to clock in at work and listen to his boss nitpick everything he did. On ordinary days, aside from being a lazy bum, he would occasionally meet up with friends. Whether at home or out and about, he always kept himself neat and clean.

What had happened today was the only dark stain in his life.

Seeing that he had been staring blankly ever since opening his eyes, Wang Qiutian anxiously called out with a miserable expression on his face, “Sis Huan, come take a look at him! Could the electric shock have messed something up in his head?!”

He Huanhuan approached and felt You Guan’s forehead. His temperature was normal.

She then gently patted his cheek. “Are you all right? Can you hear me?”

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