Apocalypse: Modifying Everything, Building an Iron Fortress

Chapter 25: Can I Sleep with You Tonight? I … I’m a Little Scared!

“Huff … Huff …”

“Roar, roar, roar …”

“Grr, grr, grr …”

As the two finished watching the second video, the zombies on the street began to act strangely.

Although the commotion from the residential building earlier had drawn away some of the zombies, there were still at least a hundred wandering on the street.

Suddenly, a few of them started attacking their own kind, biting and devouring each other.

“What’s going on? Why are they starting to kill each other?” Liu Yuqing couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Maybe … it has something to do with your earlier guess.”

“Earlier guess?” Liu Yuqing was puzzled for a moment, then remembered, “You mean, these zombies are starving and are eating their own kind to fill their stomachs, to avoid starving to death?”

“Not just that. Look closer.” Jiang Cheng’s eyes were deep as he shook his head slightly.

Liu Yuqing, still confused, focused her gaze back on the street and observed carefully. Her eyes widened in realization. “They’re devouring the weaker zombies, the old, sick, and frail ones!”

“Exactly. This might not just be about filling their stomachs; it could be about eliminating the weaker, useless zombies!”

Jiang Cheng nodded.

He then turned his gaze away, a subtle hint of seriousness flashing across his face. “Zombies can evolve, perhaps not only due to innate mutations but also through this act of mutual devouring …”

The mutated zombie from the news earlier, the one that had been infected and turned into a monster, likely represented a case of innate mutation. Where there’s innate mutation, there’s bound to be an acquired method of evolution!

From his observations, he noticed that every time a zombie devoured another, its body exhibited slight, almost imperceptible changes.

This devouring might be the acquired method of evolution!

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuqing was stunned. “You mean to say that through this devouring, they might evolve into the kind of mutated zombies we saw in the video?”

“Don’t overthink it; it’s just my speculation.”

Jiang Cheng patted Liu Yuqing on the shoulder, gently drawing the curtains closed as he spoke.

“Come on, let’s get some rest. We have to travel tomorrow.”

“Mm …”

Together, they headed back to the restaurant.

Just as Jiang Cheng was about to enter the employee rest area to sleep, he felt a tug on the hem of his shirt.

“Hm?”

Jiang Cheng turned, puzzled, and saw Liu Yuqing standing behind him, her head slightly lowered, face flushed. Sensing his gaze, her face turned an even deeper shade of red, extending down to her neck. She bit her lip, gathered her courage, and softly asked, “Can I sleep with you tonight? I … I’m a little scared!”

Jiang Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then a playful smile tugged at his lips. “You trust me that much?”

Hearing his response, Liu Yuqing’s face turned as red as a tomato, and she didn’t know how to reply.

Seeing this, Jiang Cheng shook his head and stopped teasing her. “Don’t worry, I’m not in the mood tonight, but I can’t promise anything in the future.”

Indeed, he wasn’t in the mood tonight. It was already close to 2 a.m., and although his body had been strengthened, he wasn’t made of iron; he needed rest.

Moreover, today’s events had taught him many things, and he needed time to plan for what was to come.

As for Liu Yuqing, she was undoubtedly a beautiful and capable woman, and he liked her, but he wasn’t the kind of person who let his lower instincts rule him. He knew well enough when and where certain actions were appropriate.

Given the current situation, with so many zombies outside and the immense danger looming, if he still didn’t prioritize rest and instead thought about indulging in other activities, that would be a death wish.

“If you’d had any bad intentions, you would have acted by now, and I wouldn’t have had the strength to resist. So, I might as well be straightforward.”

Seeing Jiang Cheng’s response, Liu Yuqing’s expression softened into a smile.

Jiang Cheng shrugged. “You’re quite practical.”

With that, they both entered the employee rest area.

The rest area wasn’t particularly large—after all, the fifth floor wasn’t that big, and with so many businesses and the high cost of renting space, it was unlikely the employee rest area would be very spacious.

There was only a single bed, but it was just big enough for two people if they squeezed together.

At this point, Jiang Cheng didn’t care about such details; having a place to sleep was good enough.

As for Liu Yuqing, although she was a bit embarrassed, the thought of the zombies roaming the streets and the faint sound of their teeth gnashing made her less picky.

In the end, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The night passed without incident, and the next morning, sunlight streamed in.

Jiang Cheng squinted as he woke up, instinctively trying to stretch but realizing that his hand was gripping something …

“Hm?”

“Mmm …”

A soft, sleepy murmur came from the girl in his arms, snapping him fully awake. Jiang Cheng opened his eyes and found himself locking eyes with the now-awake Liu Yuqing.

“…”

Jiang Cheng’s expression remained calm, showing no sign of panic. He even gave a slight squeeze before letting go.

Not bad!

He cleared his throat and casually checked the time. “It’s 6 a.m. We don’t have much time. Let’s get something to eat and start working!”

With that, he climbed out of bed and began dressing.

Liu Yuqing, already blushing furiously, couldn’t even bring herself to look at him.

“Mm!”

She nodded slightly, responding softly.

She wasn’t sure how she felt. Normally, she was very aloof and strong-willed.

But after meeting Jiang Cheng yesterday, she found that she couldn’t maintain her strength around him, and even felt an inexplicable dependence on him. Like what just happened—she felt no resentment or resistance in her heart! It was a strange feeling, but she kind of liked it.

After getting up, Jiang Cheng first asked Jarvis to check the situation on the street and inside the supermarket to confirm that nothing unexpected had happened.

He also confirmed that the number of zombies on the street was decreasing as the sun rose and the temperature increased, just as he had previously observed.

With that assurance, he and Liu Yuqing went to freshen up and quickly prepared something to eat.

By 7 a.m., they had finished eating, and there were only a few zombies left outside!

“Let’s start loading supplies!”

Jiang Cheng immediately called out, leading Liu Yuqing to the second floor to start gathering food.