After testing her abilities, Xia Zhiyue was engrossed in a book detailing the usage of similar powers, compiled by other ability users in the base.
Once she felt she had a good grasp of the material, she began to practice. The book mentioned that to improve one's abilities, it was best to engage in actual combat or absorb energy from zombie cores.
Xia Zhiyue's anticipation for the upcoming outing in a few days grew even stronger.
Xing Yuan, perhaps sensing she had made a mistake, was unusually well-behaved these past few days. Even when Xia Zhiyue, engrossed in practicing her abilities, neglected her, Xing Yuan didn't complain.
Instead, she was as thoughtful as a child caring for an elder, occasionally bringing a basin of sliced fruit or lukewarm water.
Though she said nothing, it felt as though she conveyed everything.
Therefore, as soon as Xia Zhiyue finished reading, she took Xing Yuan out for a walk.
While Xia Zhiyue wasn't particularly skilled at childcare, she had her own methods.
Children's preferences were generally similar. If one thing didn't work, she'd try another; there was always something that would satisfy her.
"A Yuan has been so good lately, what gift do you really want?" Xia Zhiyue asked, looking at Xing Yuan, who had already played over a dozen games but still wore a solemn, unhappy expression.
The height difference between them wasn't significant. Xia Zhiyue sat on a chair, slightly tired, watching Xing Yuan stand before her, feeling quite puzzled.
"Sister, do you really want me to make a request?" Xing Yuan seemed to have been waiting for this, and suddenly leaned forward.
In just a few days, Xing Yuan's mental development had progressed further.
"Yes, go ahead!" Xia Zhiyue rubbed her temples, seeing no issue with it.
"Then, my request is, no matter what I do from now on, you are not allowed to send me away, nor are you allowed to leave yourself. If you ever do, no matter what I do, you are not allowed to be angry with me." Xing Yuan inexplicably felt the need to say this, as if only with this assurance could she find peace.
"That's all? Of course, no matter what happens, I won't abandon you. A Yuan is so cute, I could never bear to," Xia Zhiyue said with a smile, her whole body suddenly relaxing.
"Cute?" A hint of unrestrained laughter touched Xing Yuan's lips. Since her sister thought of her this way, she would naturally grow to be as she imagined.
The destination this time was not close, with over a dozen trucks following in a grand procession. Their mission was long-term, aiming to bring back as many survivors as possible.
Although they might find some usable vehicles locally, after so long, most would have been rendered scrap.
The devastation on the ground was more than mere ruins. Zombies, lacking much intellect, acted purely on instinct. They would push through mountains, cross seas, and when buildings blocked their path, they would simply tear them down.
Not everyone turned into a zombie; many became food for the zombies, or their bodies were left to the elements.
Normally, they didn't have the spare time to pay attention to these corpses, their features unrecognizable. But now, with no zombies daring to approach, they had the leisure to observe their surroundings. Regardless of who caused this situation, it was unforgivable.
The convoy returned three months later, laden with people.
They had left with only twenty to thirty people, but returned with two to three hundred.
During their absence, research had also made significant breakthroughs, bringing them close to developing a cure.
Xing Yuan had now recovered all her memories as a researcher in the laboratory. As an assistant who had researched the zombie virus, Xing Yuan was confident she could develop the cure, but for some reason, she was not particularly willing to do so.
At this moment, she leaned against Xia Zhiyue with a naive expression, her heart filled with peace. This person gave her a sense of profound familiarity, and though she had never met her before, she genuinely did not want to leave.
Because everyone perceived Xing Yuan as mentally immature, many things were not kept from her.
From this limited information, she pieced together her own origins.
Many years ago, she had used her knowledge to secretly conduct a DNA test with Bi Cheng'e. The results showed they were not related.
Although Xing Yuan had little interest in her supposed biological parents, she detested the feeling of being deceived. Therefore, she had been secretly observing Bi Cheng'e all these years.
She knew what he was researching, but she didn't care. However, when his research failed and was about to become one of those so-called "works," Xing Yuan couldn't stand it.
She had personally witnessed most of Bi Cheng'e's steps in creating his works. Since he had failed, she would complete it herself.
She failed, and she succeeded.
The work still bore many flaws and imperfections. But for some unknown reason, she had the day of memory recovery.
Perhaps it was related to her own origins, as her existence was born from Bi Cheng'e's wish. After her birth, Bi Cheng'e invested heavily in her; the yearly doses of medication she consumed were astronomical.
Those medications could stimulate the body's potential, making her far stronger than ordinary people.
As Xing Yuan entered the research lab, she saw a familiar face. She had seen him before; he was one of the people she had tied up at the end, only for him to escape.
He was now disheveled, and upon seeing Xing Yuan, he instinctively trembled.
He had been very afraid of this seemingly expressionless person before. Since joining that laboratory, he had never seen Xing Yuan's expression change; she always appeared calm and aloof.
On that day, it wasn't just him who saw it.
The professor had developed the same symptoms as the zombies outside, and then Xing Yuan knocked him out and brought him into the laboratory.
Not long after, news of the professor's death spread. Connecting the dots, wasn't the truth obvious?
However, he instinctively did not reveal the truth, claiming ignorance and stating he had suddenly heard someone died and then fled. Since most of those people were gone anyway, wasn't it up to him to decide what was right and wrong?
Xing Yuan, feigning innocence, coaxed information out of him. As she looked at him, a hint of satisfaction flickered in her eyes.
He was startled. Could these be the eyes of someone without memories and with incomplete mental faculties? He felt as though this person remembered everything.
He left in a panic.
For the first time after leaving the laboratory, Xing Yuan did not return immediately. After shaking off the people following her, she silently appeared before him.
Those people had grown accustomed to Xing Yuan's compliant nature. Her sudden disappearance momentarily caught them off guard, so they did not immediately notify their superiors.
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