Chapter 132: The Corpse Tide

Nearly three-quarters of the Inner City is protected by a glass dome, which is the primary reason so many survivors remained and most of the original order was preserved when the apocalypse first struck.

However, the remaining quarter lacks any such protective measures. This black rain arrived suddenly, and inevitably, some were doomed to suffer.

Yi Chen immediately dialed Bai Ge’s phone. He knew that the buffer zone between the outer perimeter and the Inner City had no dome.

After the ringing went on for a long time, she finally answered.

"Bai Ge, what’s the situation? Speak to me!" Yi Chen urged, frantic.

"Everyone here is finished..." Bai Ge’s voice trembled, her spirit completely shattered.

She had challenged tasks that seemed impossible and had slain dozens of zombies single-handedly, but now, sitting in her car, she watched as the hundreds of security personnel gathered at the scene were drenched by the black rain and infected by the virus.

They were paralyzed with terror; many opened fire, sending blood and rainwater spraying in all directions.

They had gone mad! Is there anything more terrifying than knowing you are about to die?

As a matter of fact, there is.

Those who fell soon clawed their way back up, lunging at the others, biting and tearing at their flesh.

At the same time, the zombies on the other side of the moat seemed to have received a sudden order to charge. They swarmed across the water, slamming into the first layer of defensive gates that the Future Group had reinforced several times.

Boom—with almost no effort, they broke through!

Under the baptism of this second black rain, the zombies had mutated further; their bodies were stronger, and their movements were far more agile.

The second-layer electric fence zone might once have been an extremely effective defense, but now, there was no one left to throw the switch.

"Is this heaven's will?" Tears streamed down Bai Ge’s face involuntarily. She felt as if she were submerged in icy water, her terror beyond any description.

"What heaven's will?! Pull yourself together and get out of there!" Yi Chen wished he could reach through the phone and drag her to safety. He could hear the roars of countless zombies rising one after another, growing louder by the second, and yet Bai Ge was still frozen.

Dazed for a few seconds, Bai Ge finally snapped back to reality. She slammed on the accelerator, knocking down and running over several zombies that had just finished their transformation nearby.

Her small white car was like a lonely boat in a violent storm, pursued by an endless sea of zombies.

With Bai Ge finally moving, Yi Chen dared not waste more time. He immediately called Zhou Shiwen, but there was no answer.

With the black rain falling and the Inner City falling, the Chairman of the Future Group was likely far too busy managing the emergency to pick up.

Yi Chen sensed through his "Mountain Cats" that the tide of corpses had breached the defensive zone and was spreading into the city at breakneck speed. They constantly created new companions along the way without ever stopping to feed.

Their objective was clear—this was a calculated siege!

Alarms blared across every street and alley. A cold, female voice repeated over the broadcast: "Citizens, please do not panic. Lock your doors and windows at home and wait for rescue..."

However, several traffic accidents had already occurred in various districts. Panic spread, everyone scrambled to flee, and the order the Future Group had struggled to maintain collapsed in minutes.

Listening to the wails and screams, Yi Chen felt as if a hole had been gouged out of his chest.

The scene was a carbon copy of the day the apocalypse began.

People had spent nearly three months in the "Dream Island" of the Inner City, seemingly forgetting the true state of the world. Paralyzed by the illusion they had created for themselves, they had no idea how to respond.

So this was what Zhou Shiwen meant when he said people were willing to live a lie? Heh, how laughable.

Yi Chen dialed Ling Lan.

Ling Zhe had already secured a small cargo truck and was loading everyone up to leave.

"Waiting at home for rescue? I’d be a fool to believe them!" Ling Zhe, having gotten behind the wheel, was overcome by a manic energy, his personality shifting completely.

"We’re planning to head to the train station. Everyone can sense that the number of zombies is unprecedented. At this rate, even if the Future Group manages to regain control, it will take them quite a while," Ling Lan said.

Her judgment was sound, and Yi Chen felt relieved.

For his crew, fleeing was second nature; after all, it was all they had been doing before they arrived in Nanchuan. With Liang Bing accompanying them, it shouldn't be a problem, and with the addition of Xue Man and Chang Qing, they were fully capable of protecting everyone.

"Where are you? Are you meeting up with us?" Ling Lan pressed.

"You go on ahead; I’ll follow shortly," Yi Chen replied. His mother and sister were still at the Old Factory. He wasn't sure if the Infiltrator would appear during the chaos, and he had to get them out and send them to safety.

Staring at the entrance to the Old Factory, Yi Chen gritted his teeth and rushed in. This was no time to worry about his family discovering his secrets.

In a dark room in the building across from the Old Factory, someone lowered their binoculars and made a call.

"Director Mu, the target has entered the building. Please be prepared."

"Ouyang Hong, where exactly is my daughter?!" Mu Zongxing’s voice, frantic and furious, came through the phone.

"I don't know either," Ouyang Hong replied with a bitter smile, glancing back at the shadow lurking behind him.

"The Inner City has been overrun by zombies. Was this your doing?!"

"This has nothing to do with me... You know as well as I do, it was the black rain."

"Get out! You and that monster played me, and you're telling me this?" Mu Zongxing was so angry he could hardly breathe.

"I was forced into it!" Ouyang Hong protested.

While they were speaking, the shadow had vanished.

Ouyang Hong had previously approached Mu Zongxing in secret, hoping to jointly eliminate Yi Chen and the Infiltrator to reshuffle the Future Group.

Mu Zongxing hadn't given an answer at the time, but after weighing his options, he had agreed to Ouyang Hong’s suggestion—to set up a suitable battlefield for Yi Chen and the Infiltrator.

Both had assumed the plan would proceed smoothly, but the Infiltrator had sought out Ouyang Hong over the last two days.

It was clever; it knew Ouyang Hong had never truly been on its side.

It simply turned the tables. While it couldn't directly issue orders to Ouyang Hong, it had ways of making him reveal his plans.

Who isn't afraid of death?

Ouyang Hong was no exception, and he quickly spilled the details of his temporary alliance with Mu Zongxing.

The Infiltrator intended to exploit this plan. Whether it would succeed depended on whether any hitches occurred in the various stages of the operation.

It knew Mu Zongxing’s weakness. Last night, it had infiltrated the Mu residence and taken his daughter, Mu Qing.

It had left behind clear traces, enough for Mu Zongxing to know it was the monster's work.

Mu Zongxing was driven to the brink of madness, but he couldn't report it; if the group launched a thorough investigation, it would only expose his own clandestine actions.

He had no choice but to follow Ouyang Hong’s instructions and carry out the mission.