"Cheng E? That name sounds familiar. I think I've heard it somewhere, but where?" Ran Fangxu gently patted his head, lamenting his failing memory with age.
"Old Ran, I remember now. Don't you have a junior disciple with that name? You mentioned him once when you were drunk," Qiu Chang was the first to recall, reminding his friend.
"Yes, I do have a junior disciple named Cheng E, but it might not be the same person. He's been out of touch for a long time," Ran Fangxu smacked his forehead, the memory resurfacing.
"Do you know the full name of the owner of this laboratory?" Ran Fangxu's heart was filled with unease. His junior disciple had a bit of a rebellious streak when studying under their master. Could it be that he had actually brought his previously proposed theory to fruition?
"Wait! Let me look." The work badges Xia Zhiyue had collected now proved useful. She dumped them onto the table and began searching for the names.
Naturally, the others didn't stand idle and joined the search.
"Found him!" someone exclaimed.
Ran Fangxu looked at the name and photo on the badge, falling into silence.
No way! That madman actually attempted his own insane idea from back then.
"Master, my theory is perfectly reasonable. Humanity is constantly progressing. One day, they will be able to discard our current perceptions, become powerful, and even evolve into a new species," Bi Cheng'e argued with fervent passion.
"Absurd! After following me for so many years, this is what you've learned? Huh! You've been with me for three years, and you still harbor such anti-human sentiments. If what you say were true, then humans would cease to be human." The master coughed violently in anger.
"Get out! Leave my sight, and never claim to be my disciple again."
"Master, this is how the most powerful race in the world will be achieved. I will succeed, just you wait and see!" Bi Cheng'e declared, then stormed out. He was never heard from again.
The memory ended, and Ran Fangxu remained somewhat dazed. His master had passed away two years prior. However, if he knew that his most valued disciple had become so radical, he would likely have died with unrest.
After all, on the night before his master's death, he had been incessantly muttering about this disciple, regretting his harsh words back then. He had ultimately left with regret.
"Then, have you seen him?" Ran Fangxu asked urgently.
"No... When I went to the laboratory, I only saw Xingyuan."
"I see!" Ran Fangxu was disappointed but quickly regained his composure.
While it was highly probable that Bi Cheng'e was responsible, there was no concrete evidence. He didn't want to suspect his junior disciple.
"Alright, we would like to draw some of Xingyuan's blood for our research. We hope you can cooperate," Ran Fangxu's face resumed the serious demeanor expected of a researcher.
"Okay!" This had been discussed beforehand, and Xia Zhiyue had no objections.
Xingyuan didn't resist either. Xia Zhiyue had already explained the situation to her, and she seemed to have a strange affinity for needles.
After the blood was drawn, the leader of the Kyoto base specifically arranged for a Chinese teacher to come and teach Xingyuan how to speak. Communicating in her current state was too troublesome.
Xia Zhiyue strongly agreed. She wasn't a teacher, and teaching Xingyuan to speak was indeed very difficult. Especially when Xingyuan, after finally uttering a couple of words, suddenly let out a few roars that summoned nearby zombies, she felt immense pressure.
The Chinese teacher was also under a lot of pressure. She had taught many students, but she had never taught a non-human before!
She nervously followed her usual teaching methods, minimizing interaction with Xingyuan during the process.
To soothe Xingyuan's emotions, Xia Zhiyue stayed by her side, conducting what she considered childish literacy lessons. Occasionally, when Xingyuan encountered difficulties, she would patiently guide her.
Through this interaction, Xingyuan progressed rapidly.
Xia Zhiyue came from a well-off family and had an older brother. Her family was very supportive, allowing her to venture out with confidence.
At this moment, Xia Zhiyue returned home, feeling a little nervous. Seeing her family safe and sound, she felt a surge of joy.
"You're back!" Father Xia, as usual, was a man of few words.
"Sit down quickly! Dinner will be ready soon." Mother Xia, as usual, was gentle.
Xia Zhiqian was also sitting on the sofa, leisurely reading the newspaper.
Although supplies were scarce in the post-apocalyptic world, being together as a family was a rare warmth.
Xia Zhiyue's eyes welled up slightly, and she lowered her head to eat. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had spent such quiet time with her family.
Since reaching adulthood, she had chosen the profession of a celebrity and was constantly busy. When she occasionally saw her family, she would only offer a brief greeting. Their relationship seemed to have grown distant.
Even though they hadn't spoken much, Xia Zhiyue felt deeply moved. She knew that no matter what, this was her home. No matter how much she suffered outside, as long as she returned home, her family could always sense her sadness and provide her with a spiritual refuge.
There were many helplessnesses in adulthood, but at this moment, Xia Zhiyue resolved that no matter how busy she was in the future, she would make more time to visit.
Returning to the government-assigned residence, Xia Zhiyue was pounced on by Xingyuan as soon as she entered.
Xingyuan's aggrieved gaze seemed to accuse Xia Zhiyue of abandoning her.
"I just went out for a bit, I won't leave you," Xia Zhiyue lay on the ground, struggling to get up before turning to comfort Xingyuan.
Xingyuan didn't believe her at all, saying word by word, "Pretty sister is a bad person! I'm going to lock you up with me, then sister can stay with me forever."
Suddenly, as if under some enchantment, Xingyuan gently approached Xia Zhiyue, nuzzled her nose against her, and then bit Xia Zhiyue's lip.
She had always known she wasn't a normal person. Recently, she had remembered more things, such as her blood having the potential to turn people into zombies or grant them special abilities.
But at this moment, Xingyuan was thinking of turning Xia Zhiyue into a zombie.
Although most people became ugly after turning into zombies, if someone who was already beautiful became a zombie, unless they were injured, their appearance would generally not change much.
The enraged Xingyuan wanted Xia Zhiyue to become a zombie because, if she did, she would have to obey her and would never think of leaving her again.