Chapter 98: Betrayal

The night was long.

When Yi Chen arrived at the Grand Theater, he was met with a scene of carnage. The ground was splattered with blood, and dozens of bodies lay scattered, mauled beyond recognition. There were no signs of a struggle; this had been a one-sided, overwhelming slaughter.

From Zhou Shiwen’s earlier call, Yi Chen knew he had been duped. It was a trap. Zhou had intended to use trackers to hunt the infected, but the cunning lurkers had turned the tables, successfully baiting and wiping out his elite squad of scouts. In the center of the stage lay five blood-stained trackers. Yi Chen had heard from Zhou that these had been implanted by Ouyang Hong himself, positioned dangerously close to the heart—impossible to remove without professional expertise. It was clear that Ouyang Hong was with the infected, and for some reason, he had removed the trackers, assisting the lurkers in this trap and dealing a heavy blow to Zhou Shiwen.

Under Yi Chen’s command, the lynxes fanned out to pick up the scent. Their sense of smell was keen; although the trace left by the lurkers was negligible, they managed to catch a faint trail. Once they memorized the scent, they could track the targets through the city. Yi Chen, in turn, could use his mental connection with them to expand his sensory range and quickly pinpoint the locations of the lurkers and their kin. Of course, all of this would take time. The inner city was vast, and the enemy’s counter-reconnaissance skills were formidable; it would not be easy.

Cleanup crews began to arrive, hauling away the bodies and clearing the scene. Yi Chen ordered his lynxes to slip into the shadows—their specialty—to remain unseen. He had already tested this tactic upon returning to the inner city. The lynxes moved through the dark, and while the guards were focused on Yi Chen, they had slipped through the gaps in the gate with lightning speed. Most people noticed nothing; those with sharp eyes only caught a fleeting glimpse of a dark shadow, but looking again, they saw nothing. Knowing who Yi Chen was, the guards were fearful and eager to avoid any trouble, so they dared not question him. Thus, he and his lynx pack had entered the city without incident.

Yi Chen prepared to leave the theater. The lynxes had memorized the scents; his objective was met, and staying longer would be a waste of time.

Just as he reached the entrance, his phone buzzed.

"What bad news is it this time?" Yi Chen braced himself.

"The central laboratory of Future Tech has been compromised," Zhou Shiwen’s voice sounded even more exhausted than before.

Future Tech was responsible for developing new weapons and gear to combat zombies. The combat suits and weapon supplies that Yi Chen and Bai Ge had used during their hunt for the crawlers had all come from there. While standard firearms and sharp blades could dispatch common zombies, they were ill-equipped for variants like the crawlers. Until it was clear whether the zombies would continue to evolve, the conglomerate had to be prepared.

"We lost several combat suits, but that is not the worst of it," Zhou paused. Some matters were top-secret, and he hadn't intended for Yi Chen to know, but the situation was spiraling beyond his control, and he felt a sense of looming crisis.

The Future Group had previously controlled six infected individuals, including the assassin Zhang Lei, each possessing unique abilities. The top brass wanted to know if these abilities could be replicated on a mass scale, and whether they could be utilized as soldiers to fight the zombies. The genius physician Ouyang Hong had been appointed as the project lead, reporting his progress regularly. He was incredibly passionate, pouring his entire being into the research. However, his philosophy was black and white, with no middle ground, and his methods were extreme. The leadership had no objections; they only cared for results, not the process. As long as Ouyang Hong delivered, they were happy to provide funding and encouragement.

Ouyang Hong had proposed a plan to tailor weapons and equipment to the specific abilities of the infected to maximize their potential. The proposal was approved. Future Tech worked overtime to develop the gear, but Ouyang Hong had been in no rush to authorize their deployment, and they remained in the lab.

It was around that time that he learned of Yi Chen’s existence. After reviewing medical records from Xinhua Hospital, he realized that compared to the six infected he already had, Yi Chen was far more aggressive and suited for combat. Later, upon meeting Yi Chen and analyzing his blood, he concluded that Yi Chen was a rapidly growing threat that had to be eliminated. But the higher-ups had ignored his warnings.

With the central lab now compromised, the custom weapons and gear had vanished. It was clear the enemy had acquired them. Their goal was obvious: they were building an army.

Listening to Zhou, Yi Chen understood the source of his anxiety. Ouyang Hong had likely defected. While he might have been coerced into helping at the theater, this was different. The weapon specifications were top secret; given Ouyang Hong’s meticulous nature, he would never have shared them. Zhang Lei certainly wouldn't have known, and since the lurkers' memories were based on their previous incarnations, they wouldn't have known to target this.

"I suspect they won't make a move in the short term. The infected just had their trackers removed; they need a place to hide and recover," Yi Chen thought of Liang Bing’s recovery speed and told Zhou that such wounds would require three to five days of rest.

"Can I have the *Shengxie* now? I need a weapon," Yi Chen said.

"This failure was costly. The *Shengxie* is gone, too. I assume they packed it up with the rest," Zhou said helplessly.

Damn. The lurkers were clearly wary of him, stealing his weapon as well. But if they were fully equipped and he had nothing, how was he supposed to fight empty-handed?

After hanging up, he looked up and saw a pale light creeping across the horizon. Dawn was coming. He thought to himself that Zhou Shiwen had it rough; with so much chaos in the inner city overnight, he was busy trying to recruit him, dealing with betrayal from his own ranks, and managing the aftermath.

Yi Chen steeled himself and started moving. The real confrontation was about to begin. A brutal battle lay ahead.