Thrive in Catastrophe - Chap 2
Chapter 2 Come back alive
Xiao Yan lowered his head, holding a piece of leaf in his hand.
He placed the leaf by his nose and sniffed, there is still a fresh aroma coming from it, which is a distinct different from the putrid smell from zombies.
The fragrance flow into his lungs as he breathed, and quietly seeped into every of his cells.
The female soldier sitting on the front turned her head back and saw Xiao Yan placing a leaf on his face.
He has his eyes closed, as if he was lost in thoughts, or perhaps, his brain is actually in a blank state.
Looking at his expression, she smiled heartily, “Hey, you’re so strange.”
“Strange?” Xiao Yan opened his eyes and looked at her.
“The others are scared to death, and all they can think of is to fled into the cabin. Yet, you still have the spare effort to pick up tree leaves?”
“Our aircraft crashed and all of the research data are scraped. This leaf is the only yield, it’s a very valuable sample.”
The female soldier suddenly reddened, “Don’t you try to act cool with me here, I haven’t got a slightest interest in a B class apprentice!”
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“It seems, for the sake of picking up girls, I should work harder to raise my research rank to A.”
“Yeah right, that’s got nothing to do with effort, it’s about talent,” she rolled her eyes at Xiao Yan.
“Alright. By the way, what’s your name?”
“What’s the use of knowing my name? Maybe you won’t even know it’s me when my name is engraved on the monument someday.”
After mankind moved into the underground city, Charles, they spent nearly 50 years to study on the “comet” virus. From the virus, researchers have successfully extracted its most complex viral gene chain, and created a new virus named “X”.
When the X-virus enters the human body, it fuses with the human gene rapidly, which then increases the physical abilities of the infected human in all aspects.
These people have self-healing ability that is ten times faster than ordinary humans, and they do not lose their own mental judgement like the zombies did.
However, this is not a superpower, but an “overdraft”.
Generally, humans who are injected with X-virus won’t be able to live more than a decade. And the reason Special Task Forces has such powerful combat capabilities is because of this virus.
“Though I’m not a A class researcher, but I do have good memory, are you sure you don’t want me to remember your name? I was thinking, perhaps someday when I’m old and feeble with powder-white hair, sitting in the courtyard under the artificial sunlight, with a cat lazy as me curled on my lap. Although there is no children by my side, I will tell my cat stories instead. I will describe to it, a girl that I once met, I will explain in detail, about her dark brown hair, her bright eyes, and her exquisite figure, but sadly, I do not know her name.”
Xiao Yan leaned forward. He knows his looks are not stunning, but there are women who find his smile charming, even his friend Casey was always stumped by his shameless smile when they were getting into a fight.
“…… Reeve.” After saying her own name, the female soldier flushed in red.
“Reeve, I’ve got it remembered,” Xiao Yan winked at her.
Reeve hmphed and turned away.
An announcement then sounded, it was Mark’s voice.
“Hey, rookies —— sorry we can’t send you back to the base immediately, because we have a mission to complete!”
The apprentices in the cabin were fairly calm after hearing the news.
“We are going to a nuclear power plant built two hundred years ago to get some nuclear materials.”
As the population in Charles grew, energy shortage becomes a problem. Xiao Yan had heard that the military plans to explore the nuclear power plants and other energy facilities built two hundred years ago to retrieve the available resources and bring them back to Charles.
Mark continued to speak in a nonchalant tone.
“Initially, there were two technical soldiers that came with us, but who knew that they would freak out at the sight of the zombies and started running around the place till we can’t even chase them back. And then —— they were eaten by the zombies!”
Everyone flinched and gasped.
Mark sounded so joyous until the students started to question if this guy had been crossing his arms and enjoying himself while watching the two technical soldiers being killed.
“As you know, we’re ill-bred fellows! We know nothing about removing whatever nuclear reaction device, does any of you know? Tag along with us! Let’s get this done as soon as possible and we can head back home quickly.”
“This guy’s kidding right? The nuclear power plant is definitely going to be full of zombies——”
“Those zombies’ going to eat us all up! No matter what, I’m not going!”
Everyone is talking. After experiencing the incident just now, who would want to risk their lives again?
Meanwhile, the aircraft has arrived at an abandoned nuclear power plant.
Looking from above, a desolated land covered by steel can be seen, as if it is waiting to be awaken from its deep slumber.
Through the cloud of dust, one can see a few zombies wandering mindlessly, the sound of the aircraft triggered them to raise their heads, their eyes that were once lifeless were then filled with bloodthirsty desire.
“Hey, we have to get prepared for the mission! Who exactly is coming with us!”
The cabin was in dead silence.
“Hah? No one?! We’ll just pick randomly then!”
Mark opened the door of the cockpit, and turned to Captain White, “You’re definitely coming with us, since you’re the only one with a rank here!”
Captain White remained silent. He did not refuse, but his face muscle tightened.
“Now…… who’s next?”
The others tensed up, Reeve rolled her eyes at Mark, “Ugh, you’re so boring!”
“It’s you then!” Mark pointed his finger at a senior apprentice, “ You look kinda smart!”
“I…… I’m not going……”
“Not going?” Mark’s grinning face turned vicious, “Then I’ll throw you out from here! We’re not bringing back a good-for-nothing!”
“You…… You’re are abusing your power! This is threatening!”
“I am threatening you, so what?” Mark grunted, “I can throw all of you out one by one in just a blink of an eye!”
“I’m not going!”
“Oh——”
Mark left the cockpit and came in front of the senior apprentice. His safety equipment was removed, and was lifted up by Mark and then dragged towards the cabin door.
“You wanna have a nice free fall, or go down with us, hmm?”
Mark’s eyes were filled with excitement, and the next second, the senior apprentice peed in his pants.
“Please don’t do this! They just students!” Captain White came forward to stop Mark.
In the cockpit, a cold voice sounded, “Mark, stop playing.”
The voice has an inexplicable strength in it, making people to obey uncontrollably.
Mark let out a low grunt and dragged the apprentice back to his seat. Then, he turned to Captain White and asked: “Why don’t you choose one to come with us then?”
“I…… Or I’ll go alone……” although Captain White is afraid, he understands that these students are inexperienced, they won’t be able to help much even if they go.
“What if you died halfway? Who’s gonna remove the nuclear material for us?” Mark seemed anxious to see the world plunged into chaos, as if the more the students are afraid, the happier he becomes.
“……” for a moment, Captain White did not know how to answer him.
“Come on! Hurry up and choose one!” Mark really lost his patience.
The moment Captain White turned back and look, everyone either lowered their heads or turned away.
Xiao Yan looked out through the window.
As long as a living human enters that area, the zombies will definitely swarm over. During then, he’s afraid that even these special force soldiers will be overthrown, whether or not they are able to protect them is obscure.
No one dares to meet with Captain White’s eyes, the sound of heartbeat can be heard by the ears, and no one wish to hear their name coming from Captain White’s mouth.
“Erm…… Xiao Yan…… You come with me……”
Xiao Yan nearly cough out a mouthful of blood. He looked at Captain White’s eyes in astonishment, why him?
This time, Captain White was the one to look away.
Xiao Yan then recalled, he just played bridge game with Captain two days ago, and it seems that among these students, the only name he knows is Xiao Yan.
What does this mean? Having a little friendship with you was a mistake? To think that he had just escaped from death, isn’t he suppose to be in his room back in the base, having a nice bath, and then enjoying his life at the bar with a glass of Bloody Mary in his hand?
“Alright! All set!” Mark raised his arm haughtily, “Let’s go!”
What do you mean ‘All set!’? Nobody ever asked for his opinion, have they?
The others looked at him in sympathy, some were relieved that they are not chosen. Even the senior that peed in his pants out of fear, was sitting in his seat solemnly, as if nothing had happened just now.
What is this? What does this mean?!
Xiao Yan has a sudden impulse to jump off the aircraft.
At this time, Heine’s commanding voice came from the cockpit, “Reeve, you’re in charge of the aircraft. Mark, let’s go.”
“Yes sir!” Reeve looked back at Xiao Yan, and mouthed, “Come back alive okay!”
Before he could react, the cabin door was opened, and Captain White was dragged over by Mark, laid backwards and dived down the sky.
The sound of rope sliding off can be heard, looks like Mark has had the rope tied to the door earlier.
“AH——”
Captain White’s pathetic scream pierce through the sky.
The cold wind gushed in and crumpled everyone’s face.
Xiao Yan was terror-stricken.
Heine Burton came before him, “If you make any noise, I’ll break your neck.”
His eyes, are a gust of wind like the dawn that was silenced in darkness, that swept through the nerves of Xiao Yan, leaving only a moment of chill.
Before Xiao Yan could digest what he said, Heine scooped him by his waist, and with a light leap, they left the cabin.
At that moment, Heine tightened his arms instantly. The strength of his muscles made Xiao Yan felt as if his bones would be crushed in seconds.
The wind is whistling by his ear, as if his soul is drawing away from his body. Xiao Yan has his eyes shut tight, not to say to scream, even his breathe are stuck within his throat.
Then there was a sudden jolt, Heine landed on the ground. His hair raised up due to the inertia from the fall, allowing Xiao Yan to have a clear look on his features.
He never thought that a man’s facial features can be so refined and delicate, every curvature is just right, and every depth on his face is alluring.
The arm encircling his waist loosened, Xiao Yan landed abruptly, with his face on the ground, followed by a painful muffle coming from him.
“Follow me, and follow my orders. If you become a burden, I will leave you behind.”
Heine turned around, his hands stretched to his back and pulled out a blade from the sheath. The blade emits a flash of coldness, Xiao Yan got up from the ground quickly and followed Heine.
Two zombies had their mouths wide opened, drooling with yellow mucus. Their body wavered from left to right, and suddenly, they stormed towards them.
Xiao Yan’s pupils constricted at the sight, as if he could see the image of himself being torn apart from their eyes. His legs could not move.
Heine darted forward, raised his hands in an inhuman speed, and slashed, two zombies were beheaded, and the world went silent once more.
Xiao Yan gulped.
Too fast!
This, is Heine Burton. No wonder so many special force soldiers worshiped him as a god.
Xiao Yan had a feeling, as long as he follows this man, nothing can hurt him.
By the time he snapped out of his daze, Heine was gone, and Xiao Yan failed to keep up.
A zombie leaped down from above and straight towards him.
His legs went numb. Xiao Yan kneeled on the ground with a zombie hovering above him, mouth wide opened, and only inches away from his forehead.
I’m finished——
Xiao Yan wasn’t sure if he should review on his life, but there was one thing he is certain of: what miserable death he has, to be bitten to death by zombies!
Suddenly, a figure appeared on his side, a sharp edge of a blade pierced into the zombie’s throat and penetrated its brain.
