Cannon Fodder And The Protagonist Are A Perfect Match [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 17

“You do not need to introduce all that. I only need to know that you are here to save me and whether you are capable of getting me out.”

The man in the white lab coat turned away coldly. Shan Ze felt a twinge of abandonment, but his stoic nature kept his expression unchanged. He silently picked up the forgotten blade from the floor. The sound of the sword sliding into its scabbard sliced through the stagnant air.

“I will get you out,” Shan Ze said firmly. “I promise.”

Yu Yan, who was busy gathering his things, remained skeptical. It was hard to trust a man who had dropped his own weapon just moments ago. But Shan Ze was serious. He could feel his power returning. His internal injuries were healing at a rate that caused a noticeable itching sensation, and as for the wounds inside his mouth, he was recovering quickly.

Shan Ze instinctively licked the roof of his mouth with his intact tongue, recalling where the zombie had previously plundered. He had heard that before an ability user turned into a zombie, their cellular activity reached an unprecedented peak. He intended to get Shen Mian to safety before that transition occurred. There was no better place for that than with his teammates.

In the wide, brightly lit corridor, scattered groups of zombies wandered aimlessly. A black shadow flashed past, and the zombies suddenly collapsed. It was Shan Ze, carrying Yu Yan in a bridal carry because the scientist’s movements were far too slow.

Yu Yan gripped a 13 inch aluminum alloy briefcase tightly. His hair whipped in the strong wind generated by Shan Ze’s speed. He squinted, watching in awe as one zombie after another had its forehead pierced by currents of electricity. He could not help but feel a slight chill in his own head.

Turning his face away, he found himself looking at Shan Ze’s sharp, smooth jawline. Above it were pale pink, thin lips. Yu Yan remembered they tasted quite good.

Noticing the gaze, Shan Ze lowered his head slightly. “Is something wrong? Are you uncomfortable?”

His voice was deep. As he spoke, sparks of light flickered in his dark eyes like passing meteors.

“I am fine,” Yu Yan replied. He just felt a little sleepy.

When Yu Yan woke up, he felt a hard, uncomfortable surface beneath him. He tried to sit up, only to find his limbs tied down with restraints. It felt exactly like being one of those ability volunteers on the fifth floor of the underground research facility.

In an instant, countless dark and sinister thoughts flashed through his mind. Then, a second later, they were dispelled by a stuttering female voice. “You, you are awake. You did not turn into a zombie.”

The voice came from his right. He turned his head to see a girl sitting on a car seat, holding a crossbow. She was thin with a weary face and long, smooth black hair. Dressed in a white dress and sitting on a gray car seat, she appeared unexpectedly well behaved.

Unsure of the situation, Yu Yan asked tentatively, “Who are you?”

The girl struggled to answer. “I, my name is Tao Yingying.”

Hearing the name, Yu Yan’s anxiety vanished. Tao Yingying had been mentioned in the original story as a member of Shan Ze’s Blade Team. She possessed a physical enhancement ability and was nicknamed The Clairvoyant. More importantly, her nature was as pure as a blank sheet of paper; she would answer whatever she was asked. Though she had a stutter, it did not diminish her usefulness.

Yu Yan softened his tone, adopting a gentle manner. “Can you tell me where this is, why I am here, and why you are here?”

“This is” Yu Yan pricked up his ears, waiting for the answer. “This is inside a car.”

Yu Yan: “…”

Never mind, on to the next question.

“You, you were brought back by the Captain.”

Yu Yan comforted himself. It is okay, one more question.

“I, I am responsible for watching you.”

Yu Yan felt exhausted. “I see. And why do you need to watch me?”

“Captain said you might turn into a zombie. We have to watch you.”

Yu Yan pressed further. “Why is he not watching me himself? And who else is with you?”

“Captain said he has things to do. We”

Before Tao Yingying could finish, the car door on her left was pulled open. A woman with a curvaceous figure and a captivating face appeared against the dim, overcast sky.

Under Yu Yan’s scrutiny, she spoke provocatively. “The people watching you include me.”

Yu Yan withdrew his gaze, feeling irritable as he listened to the woman gently coaxing Tao Yingying out of the car. The door closed again, and the woman pulled a dagger from her waist, efficiently cutting the restraints binding Yu Yan.

Yu Yan sat up and rubbed his wrists while staring at her. As he moved his feet, he accidentally kicked something. Following the sound, he saw his briefcase.

The woman sat in Tao Yingying’s previous spot and introduced herself. “I am Cen Nan, also a member of the Blade Team.”

Yu Yan said nothing, but he mentally recalled her data. Cen Nan possessed a plant based ability, had a straightforward personality, and harbored a secret crush.

“Cui Zheng is the other man responsible for watching you; he is also a team member. The reason the Captain is not here is that he may have been infected with the virus by you. Of course, the Captain only told me that.”

Hearing this, the memory of that hazy kiss floated into Yu Yan’s mind. He was not worried at all about Shan Ze turning into a zombie. After all, Shan Ze was the protagonist, the darling of the world. Even if he did not know who had first said that, 001 would not let him lose the main lead during his very first investigation.

More than that, he was curious how Shan Ze had described the situation. Cen Nan’s face darkened with anger when she heard his inquiry. “If the Captain had not just finished a fierce battle with two mutated zombies, there is no way you could have scratched him.”

Scratched him, Yu Yan thought playfully.

Seeing him remain silent, Cen Nan calmed herself and continued. “The Captain ordered us to stay in City H for seven days. While waiting for his return, we are to observe your condition. We cannot watch you every second, so the restraints were a safety measure. After seven days, whether he returns or not, we will go back to the base. And you”

Cen Nan looked at Yu Yan with a complex expression. “Whether you have turned into a zombie or not, the Captain ordered us to take you back to the base and hide you.”

Recalling the unintentional look of longing in the Captain’s eyes during those instructions, Cen Nan felt her hand itch for her knife. She really wanted to stab someone.

Noticing the look in Cen Nan’s eyes that suggested she was clearly misunderstanding something, Yu Yan mischievously chose to remain silent.

The underground research facility was located on the outskirts of City H, next to a national highway. To the north was the city center; to the south was the Coastal Base. The maximum transformation period for a human was seven days. If they were to wait for Shan Ze, they would naturally stay on the northern path.

As for why he needed to be hidden, Yu Yan was not as sentimental as Cen Nan. Even if he did turn into a zombie, the anomalies he had shown in the lab were enough to make him a protected research subject. And if he did not turn, the reason for hiding him was even clearer.

Yu Yan figured the somewhat dull Captain had noticed it too: the abnormal fall of the research facility. Whether it was the impossibly fast collapse or the mysterious failure of security measures, everything pointed to the fact that someone did not want a zombie serum to exist. As the person most likely to develop that serum, Shen Mian was constantly in danger. The best way to protect him was to let those who wanted him dead believe he already was.

However, there was a more pressing issue. Yu Yan touched his empty stomach. “How many days have I been asleep?”

“Five days,” Cen Nan replied. She stood up and opened the car door. She turned back to him and called out, “Come on down. It is time for lunch.”