Chapter 235

Chapter 235: A Massive Super Virus Outbreak, Everyone Is Afraid

Chong Ming’s voice sank as he asked: “How long has the version 2.0 living dead virus been in my Zhenlin Empire, and which planets did they send it to?”

Zhong Li He’s anxious voice grew more urgent: “According to the news Kong Que got, the virus has been in the Zhenlin Empire for twenty years. It was sent to three planets: Capital Planet, Nanbei Star, and Blazing Star.”

“The amount they smuggled in is far beyond what you and I can imagine. If there is a large-scale outbreak, it will definitely be worse than the living dead catastrophe we had in the Western Kingdom more than two thousand years ago.”

“I have already notified the Western Kingdom’s healers and researchers, and the space star territory stations near Nanbei Star and Blazing Star. Cruiser warships are on standby. If you need anything, just tell me. I can give the order to set out at any time.”

Chong Ming answered in a low voice: “Alright. I understand. Thank you.”

“There is no need to say thank you between you and me,” Zhong Li He said.

Chong Ming answered “alright” again, then cut the call. After thinking for a moment, he reopened his light-brain wrist terminal and began to give orders, organizing troops and deployments. His deep, steady, serious voice echoed through the huge lab.

None of the lab staff dared to breathe too loudly. Everyone stood at their stations, faces tight and serious.

That living dead catastrophe in the Western Kingdom two thousand years ago, with eight million dead, was a story every researcher had to listen to at least once before becoming a researcher. Too many died and the infection spread too fast. It was a taboo, a lesson, a wound that had to be brought up again and again as a warning.

Seeing that her Sister Tea did not know any of this, Cheng Lin Yue quietly opened her own light-brain wrist terminal and pulled up all the photos, information, and videos from that old Western Kingdom living dead catastrophe, then sent them over to Jiang Tea Tea.

After Jiang Tea Tea finished looking at the photos and videos, she raised her head and looked at Chong Ming. He was still handling every detail calmly, not in a hurry at all, as if even if a planet exploded in front of him, he could keep his face unchanged.

Sui Xuan Chu, Cheng Xiao Ting and the other six males stared at their idol, their heartthrob, as he carried out all kinds of secret deployments without the slightest panic. The worship in their eyes almost could not be held back.

After giving the last order, Chong Ming turned and looked at Jiang Tea Tea. When his eyes met hers, he paused for a second and asked: “Jiang Tea Tea, just now you said you remembered that they are living dead, zombies. Where have you seen them before?”

She had not only seen them. She had fought them. She had killed them.

But that was long ago. If she had not seen these things again now, she would not have remembered.

But… how could she tell him?

Should she say she ran into them in a small secret realm by accident during cultivation practice?

If she said that, wouldn’t she expose that she was not the real Jiang Tea Tea?

If he decided to check and she was exposed, with her contract with the fake young miss unfinished and the babies still in her belly, she would be locked up for sure. [With babies in my stomach, locked up and exposed, that’s just a dead end.]

Jiang Tea Tea let out an awkward sound: “Where I saw them… was it in a show, or in a novel? Let me think.”

Chong Ming’s golden eyes grew deep: “Alright. Take your time. There’s no rush.”

Jiang Tea Tea nodded and pointed into the glass room: “Can I go in and take a closer look at those two living dead?”

Maybe those two living dead were not the same as what she had seen in that small world. To be sure, she had to look more closely.

Chong Ming nodded: “Yes. Get her a protective suit and take her in.”

At first Jiang Tea Tea wanted to say she did not need a protective suit. Her whole body was wrapped in layers of spiritual power, especially her belly, which had been reinforced several times.

But she thought again. If she went in without any protection, she would stand out and draw attention and suspicion.

Jiang Tea Tea put on the protective suit and followed the researchers inside. She did not know if it was because she was a demon, or for some other reason, but after she entered, even though she was wrapped tightly, the two living dead tied to the tables started struggling more fiercely and howling even louder.

Since their bodies were rotten and they were tied down, their rotten flesh and bloody water fell off in chunks as they fought.

The sealed lab had the air circulation monitoring system on, but even so it could not fully clear out the foul smell.

A researcher reminded Jiang Tea Tea: “Be careful. They’re angry. Stay farther away from them. Don’t go any closer.”

But if she did not get closer, how could she observe them carefully?

Jiang Tea Tea waved at the researcher who warned her: “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

The researchers could not help looking at Commander in Chief Chong Ming.

Chong Ming nodded slightly at them.

The researchers stopped trying to block Jiang Tea Tea.

She stepped forward to the side of the test tables.

“Hhh… hhh…”

“Hhh… hhh…”

The tongues of the two living dead on the tables had already rotted away. They could only make hoarse breathing sounds. Their eyeballs were gone, but they still locked accurately onto Jiang Tea Tea’s position and made noises at her.

In the protective suit, Jiang Tea Tea could not sense them clearly, so she took the suit off. Under the worried eyes of the researchers, she went back to the middle of the two living dead tied to the tables.

She stretched out her hands and pressed her palms to their brows. Instantly, the two living dead, who had been thrashing nonstop, shrank down like frightened quail.

After about two or three minutes, Jiang Tea Tea pulled her hands back. There was no rotten flesh, pus, or blood from the living dead on her hands at all.

The two living dead she had touched now lay there motionless, like they were asleep or dead.

Only after Jiang Tea Tea walked out of the room and the door closed did the two on the tables return to how they were before, struggling and thrashing.

Sui Xuan Chu, Huang Da Zhuang and the others wanted to rush forward to meet Jiang Tea Tea when she came out, but with Commander in Chief Chong Ming standing right at the door, they chickened out and did not dare.

“Did you find anything?” Chong Ming handed Jiang Tea Tea a disinfectant wipe so she could clean her hands.

Jiang Tea Tea took it. As she wiped, she answered: “I saw their memories. They volunteered to be test subjects for money.”

“The lab told them this was the final test before a state-label medicine went on the market. One day of testing would earn them one thousand star credits, and the test would last forty-five days.”

“For money, they went into the lab, thinking that after being tested for forty-five days, they would get a big income.”

“They never thought people were actually using them to experiment with awakening supernatural abilities – in other words, the living dead virus version 2.0.”

“The researchers in the lab wanted the living dead virus to make a person not fear pain and have endless strength. If they could optimize the virus and someone could withstand it, they could make a new kind of supernatural ability.”

“With that lucky thinking, they used money as bait to gather some beastmen and pure humans, and tricked them into volunteering as test subjects.”

“In the memories of these two, there were at least several thousand, even tens of thousands of test subjects. And it wasn’t just one lab, but several labs.”

“Chong Ming, on Capital Planet there are still several labs connected to the Yellow Dragon Clan and the former director of the Supernatural Abilities Institute, Li Ao, that have not been found.”

Chong Ming’s face was stern, his gaze sharp: “I understand. I’ll have people start a full-planet scan.”

Jiang Tea Tea was silent for a moment: “I want to see Chong Xing Qi.”

Chong Ming frowned slightly: “You want to see him. Did you find something?”

Jiang Tea Tea nodded: “In the memories of those two living dead, I saw a flash of a young, handsome Yellow Dragon Clan member in a white coat. He looks like him, but also not quite like him.”

“I suspect it’s him and also not him. I need to face him in person, and maybe even peek into his memories to be sure.”

Chong Ming nodded: “Alright. I’ll have people arrange it.”

When Chong Ming said “arrange”, he actually meant “have people capture Chong Xing Qi.”

But before Chong Xing Qi could be brought to the Imperial Military Headquarters, a large-scale virus outbreak exploded in Nisu Town, a remote town in the far south of Capital Planet.

The beastmen and pure humans infected with the virus first felt weakness in their arms and legs. Then their skin began to ulcerate and ooze pus. Whether they lay in healing pods or took medicine, nothing worked.

The town had a permanent population of seventy thousand. In just three days, several thousand people were infected. The town’s two healing institutes were completely overwhelmed and could no longer take in more infected people. Only when they could no longer suppress the situation did the news leak out.

The news was not reported layer by layer up to Chong Ming. Instead, it exploded directly onto StarNet, with photos and videos. The whole town looked like a hell on earth.

In the blink of an eye, the story spread all over StarNet, shot up the hot search list, and drew the attention of people all over the M31 Star System.

“By my Beast God above, this is too scary. The legendary people-eating-people is actually happening in a time of fast interstellar technology. It’s unbelievable.”

“Isn’t the Zhenlin Empire supposed to have the most advanced medical system in the whole M31 Star System? Don’t they also have the only Level S variant plant-type ability healer? Don’t you dare hide now!”

“Hahaha, this is great, just great. We of the Insectoid Race were still planning to attack the Zhenlin Empire. Now it seems there’s no need. Once this man-eating living dead zombie virus spreads from planet to planet, we can just come later and do a big cleanup. Won’t all the planets of the Zhenlin Empire become ours then?”

“May the Beast God bless us. Our Insectoid Race will soon own the richest planets in the whole M31 Star System without losing a single soldier. Sure enough, bugs need dreams. Look, our dream is about to come true. A like for our great Insectoid Race, who will soon own the richest planets in the M31 Star System.”

“You bugs upstairs, get lost. Just because there’s a virus outbreak in the Zhenlin Empire doesn’t mean we’ll all die. You’re daydreaming here. Aren’t you afraid the Beast God will send punishment from the sky and wipe out your Insectoid Race?”

“No wonder you live on the poorest, most remote planets in the entire M31 Star System. It’s because you’re bad, rotten to the core.”

“Even if the Zhenlin Empire has to blow up a planet, we will not let you stinky bugs take advantage. Who do you think you are, talking here about dividing up our planets? Pah, shameless worms.”

“I support the Zhenlin Empire. Virus outbreaks happen every year among different races on different planets. Some deaths are unavoidable.”

“The Insectoid Race always daydreaming about splitting up other people’s things is disgusting.”

“You Insectoid Race people already have a pile of your own crap, yet you still care about others. Tsk tsk. Don’t think we don’t know that one of your ten High Generals, Atuya, is about to break off her engagement with your big imperial prince.”

“By Insectoid Race law, females are honored and males are low. High General Atuya has been engaged to the big imperial prince for so long, they should have married already. She likes him, spoils him, and lets him do whatever he wants.”

“Too bad, too bad. The Insectoid Race’s big imperial prince pushed his luck and made High General Atuya truly angry. Now she’s going to break off the engagement.”

“Hey, you upstairs, how do you know so much? Are you a bug clan member?”

“Nope.”

“Then guess.”

“Oh my swan, you people are completely off topic. We’re talking about a super virus outbreak in the Zhenlin Empire. What are you all saying?”

“Since there’s a super virus outbreak, there’s really no need to worry. Just look back at that super virus over two thousand years ago in the big empire. The answer was: kill.”

“You upstairs, where are you from? Why are you so full of killing intent?”

“Everyone’s family is family. Unless we have no other choice, how can you talk about killing?”

“If it’s really like the super virus outbreak in the Western Kingdom more than two thousand years ago, I agree to killing.”

“Are you crazy?”

“I’m not crazy. I’m right now in the center of the virus outbreak in Nisu Town in the south of Capital Planet in the Zhenlin Empire. My family and I are at home. We all agree that if the virus can’t be stopped and we sadly become infected hosts, we agree to be killed so we don’t infect more people in the empire.”

“Yes, I agree too. If I become an infected host, I agree to be shot, burned, and buried without condition.”

“My family and I don’t want to become infected hosts who infect more people. The empire has worked so hard to become strong. We can’t let our infection spread to more people.”

“Some of you who hope the whole Zhenlin Empire gets infected, give up that idea. Even if we have to be shot and burned, we will not let everyone on Capital Planet be infected.”

“They really love their families and their nation. For them to say such things, they’re already heroes. I admire them. You Insectoid Race people, stop yapping. If you keep it up, I’ll start attacking you all the same.”

When the large-scale outbreak in Nisu Town exploded on StarNet, the main media department, in order not to expand the impact, took it on themselves to remove the hot search and press it down.

The small town’s outbreak, which had already rushed to the top of the hot search lists, was pushed down in an instant. Comments were banned. Sharing was banned. The hot search ranking fell lower and lower.

The hot search was just about to completely disappear, which almost caused a backlash among StarNet users all over the M31 Star System and among the people of the Zhenlin Empire, when suddenly all the suppressed hot searches were released again.

All of the Zhenlin Empire’s mainstream imperial authority media stopped whatever news or shows they were airing and switched at once to a live emergency broadcast of Chong Ming speaking to the whole empire and even the whole M31 Star System.

He wore a straight military uniform. Facing the camera, his golden eyes were firm. His voice was calm, deep, serious, and steady as he spoke: “Hello, everyone. I am Chong Ming. A super virus infection has broken out in Nisu Town on Capital Planet. I am very sorry. I only learned of this major public health emergency twenty minutes ago. That is my failure.”

“Right now, the military authorities have already dispatched the army, military physicians, and emergency rescue ships. People in Nisu Town who are not infected, please get ready. Pack simple luggage. Keep your light-brain wrist terminals on. The rescue army and information department will use the positioning signal from your terminals to carry out a full rescue, transfer you, and put you in quarantine.”

“For your infected family members, the nation will also do everything possible to treat them. In this rescue mission, Level S Variant Plant-Type Ability healer Jiang Tea Tea and the empire’s Crown Prince will be with you.”