Chapter Two: Virus and Medicine

At the entrance of the residential complex, Lin Yi opened his phone and meticulously searched the map.

Ding, you have a new text message.

The familiar number was from his comrade, An Jingtian.

"Lin Ge, I heard you're in need of money lately. I still have a substantial amount of my severance pay. Just send me your account number."

"Come visit me when you have the time. My sister keeps asking to see you."

Lin Yi felt a warm current flow through him as he read the message.

Not only was An Jingtian a comrade, but they had been friends and brothers since childhood, even before they enlisted.

They had grown up together, and it was An Jingtian's parents who had helped with his schooling fees.

Before Lin Yi could reply, another message arrived.

"Recently, the weather keeps changing. Take care of yourself. Don't end up like me with a fever."

"My eyesight isn't what it used to be. I need glasses to see things now. Please don't laugh at me when we meet."

Thud.

Lin Yi, about to respond, froze in place. His phone fell to the ground.

A chill ran up his spine as he stood there, paralyzed.

An Jingtian, who had been a reconnaissance soldier with excellent physical condition and eyesight, was now experiencing a sudden decline in vision and fever.

These were clear early symptoms of the zombie virus infection!

From his memory, the first wave of the zombie virus had already infiltrated certain individuals.

The symptoms included fever, declining vision, and cold limbs.

As the memories and clues connected, Lin Yi's eyes grew bloodshot.

In his previous life, when the apocalypse broke out, he and An Jingtian had planned to meet outside the city.

However, An Jingtian never appeared, and there was no news of him.

He had initially thought An Jingtian was delayed by some matter.

What he did not expect was that An Jingtian had perished due to the viral outbreak, which was why they lost contact.

His best friend had died because of the virus, turning into a zombie and suffering for eternity!

It was like a burning pain in his heart!

Lin Yi's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

Knowing how An Jingtian had died, he would never allow such a tragedy to happen again.

He quickly recalled his memories.

There had to be a way!

After a long moment, Lin Yi's eyes, still red, lifted with resolve.

Blood replacement.

It was the only method he could think of to delay zombification.

The zombie virus concentrated in the heart during the early stages, forming a core.

Only by introducing the blood of an awakened individual before complete zombification could this process be delayed.

An Jingtian had much better physical fitness than ordinary people.

Generally, the better one's physical condition, the longer the resistance to zombification.

Two hours!

Lin Yi quickly remembered the details of infected individuals from his past life.

An Jingtian could hold out for a maximum of two hours after the apocalypse began!

So...

Prepare supplies within three days, get the equipment, and then rush to An Jingtian's side immediately!

With this plan in mind, Lin Yi swiftly formulated an action plan in his mind.

Like a silent statue.

Five minutes later, Lin Yi stepped out with determined strides, heading towards the distance.

Three days would be enough!

....

Hongyun Credit Company.

In the spacious finance office, three people sat facing each other.

"Mr. Lin, you must repay the 1.7 million within three days."

"Interest is set at 7%."

"If you can't pay back on time, we'll have to seize your house. We hope you don't default."

Lin Yi nodded calmly. In three days, the money would be nothing more than scraps of paper.

In six months, there would be so much cash on the streets that it would be useless.

In the apocalypse, only food and strength would be valuable.

He had already borrowed from every online lender he could find.

He had also mortgaged his house and car to the "bridge" company as quickly and recklessly as possible.

A total of 3.4 million in cash, including the dowry he had transferred.

Though the amount wasn't huge, it was enough to purchase a large supply of survival resources.

With the apocalypse not yet begun, money was still the best tool to pave the way.

After nodding and bidding farewell, Lin Yi headed straight to his job at the pharmaceutical company.

As he left, the two lenders behind him exchanged odd glances and couldn't help but whisper.

"Zhang, I checked this guy's information."

"He even dared to mortgage his wedding house, and the interest is 7%. He hasn't even paid back a penny. What a ruthless guy."

"Who cares? He probably lost all his money gambling online..."

"In three days, if he doesn't repay, we'll seize his house."

....

Pharmaceutical Company.

Lin Yi walked into the building with practiced ease, quickly flashing his security badge.

The gatekeeper, not yet having had a chance to recognize him, only saw the badge slowly fall to the ground.

"Name: Lin Yi"

"Gender: Male"

"Age: 24"

"Position: Special Medicine Courier"

Ding!

The elevator opened.

Lin Yi went straight to the third floor, swiped his card, and walked directly into the laboratory.

It was a holiday and lunchtime.

The laboratory, usually staffed by a dozen people, now had only one intern on duty.

"Lin Ge?"

The intern, a year younger than him, looked surprised at Lin Yi, who was disheveled and had sleepy eyes.

Click.

Lin Yi locked the laboratory door behind him, ensuring no one could escape.

Without wasting words, he got straight to the point.

"Where are the Giant Lizard Extract and Snake Venom Purifier?"

"Lin Ge, there's no delivery task today. What do you need them for?"

The intern looked bewildered and uneasy.

The names Lin Yi mentioned were all highly valuable drugs that needed to be registered.

"You shouldn't know about this!"

Lin Yi's voice was cold, almost like a warning.

The intern seemed to sense something.

The coldness and impatience in Lin Yi's eyes made him feel somewhat intimidated.

After a moment of hesitation.

"Lin Ge... I really can't."

Lin Yi glanced at the wall clock. He didn't have time to waste.

These two types of medicine were crucial to his plan.

Clink.

Lin Yi pulled out bundles of cash from his backpack and threw them on the floor.

"Here's 700,000. Consider it my purchase."

"It's just missing the registration paperwork; the company won't hold it against you."

The intern stared blankly at the pile of cash on the floor, somewhat at a loss.

700,000...

The company's external sale price was about this amount.

Lin Yi decided not to waste more time talking and rushed into the laboratory.

Time was of the essence; there was no room for hesitation.

Although he could have taken the medicines without paying a penny,

In three days, money would be worthless, and since they knew each other, spending money to solve the problem was preferable to killing for the medicine.

Behind him, the intern, coming to his senses, wanted to stop him.

But remembering Lin Yi's cold gaze and the pile of cash,

He comforted himself.

Forget it... Lin Ge has paid the money; it's not too much of a violation.

In his impression, Lin Yi, once amiable and mild-mannered, seemed like a different person.

Lin Yi roughly opened all the cold storage cabinets.

After some rummaging,

He held up a test tube under the overhead light, staring at two vials of blue liquid.

The deep blue liquid looked strange under the light.

It was mesmerizing.

Giant Lizard Extract: Extracted from the blood essence of North American Giant Lizards, it greatly enhances strength for a short period.

Snake Venom Purifier: Stimulates the heart and lungs to forcibly increase explosive power and endurance.

As special medicines, these two vials were highly effective but also came with significant side effects.

However, Lin Yi didn't care.

As long as he could awaken his abilities, his body would return to its perfect state after awakening.

Severed limbs would regenerate, diseases would disappear.

Every awakened person would become a perfect warrior.

Moreover, their physical fitness would be enhanced as well.

Driven by his desire for power from his past life, Lin Yi quickly gathered the remaining medicines in the laboratory.

Good things should not go to waste.

His backpack, now with half of the cash missing, was filled with 30 vials of medicine.

These medicines would cease production after the apocalypse began, so the fewer there were, the better.

Acceleration, explosive strength, pain resistance, and improved focus.

In the early days of the apocalypse, a single vial could even turn the tide of battle.

With these medicines, he felt more confident in his plan.

Lin Yi walked out of the laboratory, satisfied, as the intern behind him hurriedly packed the money with a fearful head bowed.

"Keep this secret for three days. After three days, you can tell whoever you want."

He left those words and entered the elevator, turning to face the intern.

Their gazes met from afar.

The coldness in Lin Yi's eyes made the intern shiver.

Such a frightening gaze.

....

As the elevator descended, Lin Yi carefully considered which supplies to buy, his mind racing.

Food needed to be high-calorie canned goods.

He must prepare plenty of portable chocolate and energy bars.

Under the powerful abilities of awakened individuals, energy consumption far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Water, a batch of bottled water would suffice, but it's good to mix in some glucose.

Weapons, crossbows are unnecessary.

After awakening, there is no need for such primitive ranged attacks.

As for firearms.

Guns are hard to come by and take up a lot of time.

Forget it.

Combat suits should be stocked up.

High-intensity combat easily damages clothing.

As for blast shields and bulletproof vests.

Lin Yi shook his head slightly.

With several times the physical strength, bulletproof vests are useless and only hinder agility.

Regarding weapons.

Cold weapons are a good choice.

Several alloy weapons would ensure he wouldn't be left unarmed due to dull blades.

After the apocalypse, weapons and artillery will be significantly weakened due to the constraints of the rules.

With the exaggerated strength of awakened individuals, cold weapons are more suitable for combat.

Ding, first floor.

Lin Yi stepped out of the elevator, quickly scanning the map on his phone.

His eyes were filled with determination.

"If I remember correctly, there's a crucial piece of equipment here that can help with awakening!"