Cannon Fodder And The Protagonist Are A Perfect Match [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 18

After getting out of the vehicle, Yu Yan finally saw the sky he had missed for so long. Beneath it lay dilapidated skyscrapers and endless devastation. The late September autumn wind blew past, bringing the fresh scent of food that masked the stench of decay, while also swirling discarded instant noodle packaging across the ground.

Yu Yan kicked away a wrapper that had stopped at his feet and looked in the direction it had come from. There stood a square folding table set up by the roadside, where a man was using an induction cooker to boil noodles. The man had regular features and a sallow complexion; he was neither handsome nor ugly. Dressed in camel colored casual wear, he was the type who would vanish into a crowd.

Cen Nan stood beside him and introduced him. “That is Cui Zheng.”

Hearing her voice, Cui Zheng waved cheerfully from across the road. Yu Yan remained silent because he noticed the power cord for the induction cooker was connected to the engine of the vehicle behind him. Through the rising steam of the boiling water, he could faintly see a man with a caved in skull sitting in the driver seat.

Cen Nan and Tao Yingying walked habitually toward the table. Yu Yan followed and sat on a small stool, realizing that the vehicle he had been in was a black off road SUV with raised suspension. The body was dented and covered in unknown stains. There were three such vehicles parked bumper to bumper along the road.

After distributing the bowls and chopsticks, Cui Zheng climbed into one of the cars alone. Through the closed window, Yu Yan could only see his mouth moving. Cen Nan followed his gaze, her expression softening. “He is talking to the base.”

“For this rescue operation at the underground research facility, the base sent an armed force and four ability teams. We broke away to act independently, focusing only on rescuing you. As long as we report that you have not been found, we have an excuse to stay in City H.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Cui Zheng climbed down from the car and walked over with a look of worry. “We cannot use that excuse anymore. The higher ups have ordered us to return immediately to prepare for a coming zombie tide.”

Cen Nan’s brow furrowed. “Wasn’t it only half a month since the last zombie tide? How could it be happening again so soon?”

Tao Yingying did not care about the logistics; she was single minded. “We have to wait for the Captain.”

Cen Nan, taking advantage of her height, affectionately patted Tao Yingying’s head. “Do not think about that for now. Let us eat before the noodles get soggy.”

Cui Zheng sat down, and the group lowered their heads to eat. Yu Yan looked at the instant noodles in his bowl, which even had added luncheon meat. He stirred them for a long time before tentatively taking a small bite, only to quietly spit it onto the ground.

Sitting beside him, Cen Nan noticed this and put down her chopsticks with irritation. “What is that supposed to mean?”

In an apocalypse where water sources were contaminated, any bit of food was incredibly precious. Did this person not understand the value of hard work?

Cen Nan’s interrogation drew the attention of the other two. Under their focused stares, Yu Yan’s expression remained unchanged. “It is nothing. I just suddenly do not feel hungry. Please, continue eating.”

He stood up and walked away, ignoring the voices behind him as he paced along the curb with a heavy heart. He was hungry, undeniably so, but when the noodles entered his mouth, he found them foul and reeking, much like the crows currently pecking at carrion. It was disgusting.

A flash of red crossed Yu Yan’s eyes. A crow flapped its wings to fly but plummeted vertically after passing a building, becoming a puddle of gore on the pavement. After using his power, Yu Yan felt even hungrier.

When an enticing sweet fragrance drifted through the air, extreme hunger prompted him to cast everything aside and pursue it. Passing through a narrow alley, Yu Yan first saw a beautiful young man with a bleeding forehead being surrounded by three bikers. The youth had lovely, pitiable eyes and fair skin. He was dressed neatly but was now sprawled on the ground like a lamb waiting for the slaughter.

Yu Yan closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, shaking his head to clear it of murderous intent. Outside the alley, the voices of the bikers were arrogant.

“I asked you why you were running. Do you think two legs can outrun two wheels?”

“Come back with us. We will make sure you live a much better life than you would out here alone.”

“That is right. Our boss is an ability user. He is the one who chased all the zombies out of City H.”

The chattering voices gave Yu Yan a headache. He barked irritably, “Shut up!”

The air grew quiet for a moment before a disdainful voice spoke. “Who do you think you are? Trying to be a hero? Look at those thin arms of yours.”

The voice stopped abruptly, turning into a cry of terror. “There is a wound on his arm! He has been bitten!”

A middle aged man with a buzz cut noticed Yu Yan’s fingernails, which had grown sharply during his previous transformation. He shouted with certainty, “He is a zombie! Xiao Jun, get the gun the boss gave us!”

The man called Xiao Jun had yellow hair and was frantically rummaging through his pockets while sitting on his motorcycle. After finally pulling out a handgun, his hand shook, and the weapon fell to the ground, sliding toward the beautiful youth.

Without thinking, the youth grabbed the gun and pointed the dark barrel at the yellow haired man. He skillfully flipped the safety catch and threatened, “If you do not want your head blown off, get out of here.”

The man with the buzz cut spat on the ground in frustration. He waved his hand and shouted, “Retreat!”

The motorcycles roared to life as the bikers left one by one. The youth turned his aim toward the alley entrance, but a moment later, his palm went numb, and the gun fell from his hand. Immediately after, a man in black with a blade jumped down from a nearby roof. Under the youth’s wary watch, the man silently picked up the suspected zombie and carried him away.

Having escaped danger, the youth wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but the appearance of zombies on the other side of the road forced him to pick up the gun again.

On the other side of the alley, Cui Zheng looked at a displeased Cen Nan while he packed the dishes. “Were you not protecting Dr. Shen? Why did you come back alone?”

Cen Nan’s voice was muffled. “There is no need. Someone else is already protecting him.”

As for who that person was, Cui Zheng remained silent as he looked at the dark figure approaching from a distance. Tao Yingying was very happy to see her Captain return. Shan Ze comforted her with a few gentle words before climbing into one of the SUVs, carrying the clearly unwell Yu Yan in his arms.

Once inside, the curtains fell, blocking out any prying eyes. Shan Ze gently laid Yu Yan on the back seat. After using his ability to power the overhead light, he saw Yu Yan’s struggling face and closed eyes. He looked fragile, which made Shan Ze hesitate.

He wondered if he should restrain the man to prevent him from transforming into a zombie again. After all, his current condition was very similar to how he had been in the underground facility. Amidst this hesitation, the man on the back seat opened his eyes. They were normal eyes, though unfocused and glazed.

Shan Ze felt slightly relieved and asked softly, “Do you need any help?”

A soft, lingering hum came from the man’s nose, sounding like a pampered murmur. It made Shan Ze’s heart soften. “What do you need me to do?”

The man spoke the words Shan Ze remembered vividly. “Hungry. I am hungry.”

Shan Ze’s heart raced, and he tried to remain calm. “I will get out and get some food for you.”

He moved to stand up, but a cold, weak hand caught him. “No. I do not want those.”

Not those? Then what? Shan Ze could not help but think of that nearly mad kiss. Perhaps it was the cramped cabin, the dim light, or his own inexplicable selfishness, but he slowly leaned down toward the man’s thin lips.

His last bit of logic made him stop just as his short hair brushed against the man’s forehead. He asked in a low voice, “Do you need me to kiss you?”

At such a close distance, neither of them smelled pleasant, yet an ambiguous atmosphere developed between them. Yu Yan did not speak, but his unintended upward movement was the best answer.

Shan Ze leaned in and pressed against the man’s cool, soft lips. He used his tongue to part the man’s teeth, kissing him with a delicate tenderness. It was a kiss entirely under his control, free of the scent of blood, and its style reflected his own nature: reserved yet possessive.

As they shared the kiss, Yu Yan felt his strength gradually returning. Once his vision fully focused, he pushed away the man who was kissing him with closed eyes.

Shan Ze lowered his gaze as he was pushed back. The dull yellow light from the ceiling cast a small shadow beneath his long, thick eyelashes and over the slight dark circles under his eyes. Yu Yan looked away guiltily and whispered his thanks.

Shan Ze restrained himself as he stood up. “You are welcome. Please stay in the car and rest.”

The car door was opened and then closed. In the quiet cabin with the engine off, Yu Yan stared blankly at the overhead light. The power of an ability user came from their mutated cells; the DNA sequences of these cells were similar to those of zombies but differed in their transcription pathways.

In other words, every mutated cell stored power. If this power were extracted and condensed into a solid form, it would become the core crystal found in a zombie’s brain. Yu Yan realized that the bodily fluids of an ability user could serve as food and provide him with energy. He thought this might be why he felt his body recover after kissing Shan Ze.

However, this was still just a hypothesis. A hypothesis had to be tested. With only Shan Ze as a single sample, he could not support his theory; he needed more subjects.