Chapter 60: Indiscriminate Strikes  

With the insights from his three senior classmates, Huang Ming's thoughts became much clearer. 

"As long as I can provide them with food, they'll obey. But you're right—right now, we shouldn't waste time on them. The priority is getting Li Qingya's mutated zombie head!" 

Gu Anqing strongly agreed. She believed intelligent zombies couldn't be allowed to evolve further. A zombie with intelligence was far more terrifying and harder to eliminate than one with mere strength. 

"Exactly. We can start tomorrow. With Wang Xue and the other two handling labor, I'll have more time to help you develop weapons and gear." 

"Anqing, could you make combat suits for Li Chang'an and Wu Dashan tomorrow? The same model as mine." 

Gu Anqing nodded. 

"Don't worry, I've got it covered." 

Lu Yusi then spoke up. 

"Huang Ming, remember to bring both a live zombie and a dead one to the lab tomorrow. Shuang'er and I need to study them." 

"Consider it done." 

After a brief discussion, they had a clear plan for the next day. 

By 9:45 PM, it was still early, so they turned on the TV to check the news. Most reports were uneventful, except for one: 

*"Tianhai City will experience a power blackout starting at 8:00 AM tomorrow, June 2. Electricity will only be available from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM daily."* 

Gu Anqing was the first to react. 

"Things must be dire outside. Energy and manpower are stretched thin." 

Lu Yusi added, 

"Survivors in Tianhai are going to have an even harder time." 

Liu Shuang'er sighed in relief. 

"Good thing Huang Ming has his own power supply. Otherwise, we'd be in trouble too." 

A blackout was no issue for Huang Ming. His energy reserves could power this place for centuries. Unless he expanded into a massive base, energy was the least of his worries. 

The four of them lounged on the sofa, watching the news and casually discussing the situation. 

Then, the broadcast shifted to footage of global military strikes—missiles and suicide drones raining down on hordes of zombies. 

The most shocking scene was Lion Country deploying a weapon the world had long forbidden: a nuclear strike on its own soil, targeting the iconic Statue of Liberty. 

The screen showed a missile descending before the feed cut to a blinding flash and a mushroom cloud. 

Even through the screen, Huang Ming shuddered. Against such destruction, humans were nothing but ants. 

Mutants? Evolved zombies? Even the supposedly indestructible zombie virus would be obliterated in the face of nuclear fire. 

But the indiscriminate nature of these attacks filled Huang Ming with unease. 

His three seniors wore equally grim expressions. The footage reminded them of the missile that had struck near Tianhai's Penghu District not long ago—the shockwaves had rattled their windows to the brink of shattering. 

Gu Anqing broke the silence. 

"Huang Ming, we need an intelligence network. At the very least, we should know what the authorities are planning to avoid getting caught in these strikes." 

Liu Shuang'er rested her chin on her hand. 

"But none of us have any experience with that. Where would we even start?" 

Lu Yusi's eyes lit up with an idea. 

"Actually, we might have a solution. I know someone who could handle intelligence—if she's still alive. I haven't been able to contact her for days." 

Her voice trailed off, her expression darkening. Whoever this person was, she meant a lot to Lu Yusi. 

Huang Ming raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh?" 

Lu Yusi didn't keep them waiting. 

"She's my best friend, Bai Feifei. We were high school classmates. She's a computer science major, but when the outbreak hit, she was at Tianhai University of Science and Technology for a competition. It's not close—normally a short drive, but on foot, it'd take at least half an hour." 

Gu Anqing immediately objected. 

"That's too risky. There's still that three-meter-tall brute outside, not to mention other mutated zombies along the way. And who knows if Tianhai Tech has another intelligent zombie like Li Qingya? Bai Feifei might be valuable, but this is suicide." 

Liu Shuang'er agreed. 

"Plus, our drones don't have the range to scout that far. We wouldn't be able to provide intel for you on the way." 

Huang Ming rubbed his temples, frustrated. He wanted to rescue Bai Feifei—she could be crucial for their future intelligence network. But as things stood, venturing beyond campus was beyond his capabilities. 

Seeing his hesitation, Lu Yusi quickly clarified. 

"I'm not suggesting we go now. It's just… have you all forgotten something important?" 

The others turned to her. 

A confident smile curled on Lu Yusi's lips. 

"You're forgetting I'm a bioengineering expert. Right now, the key is studying Li Qingya's head. Remember what I said before? Mutants and this zombie virus are linked. If zombies can evolve, maybe humans can too—under extreme circumstances. There's a secret here, Huang Ming. Haven't you ever wondered if you could grow stronger, just like the zombies?" 

Huang Ming's pupils contracted. 

*Grow stronger?* 

Of course. If zombies could evolve, why couldn't he, as a mutant, push his own limits? 

Before he could speak, Lu Yusi continued. 

"If Huang Ming becomes stronger, or if we find a way to neutralize mutated threats, rescuing Bai Feifei won't be as dangerous. The real fear comes from the evolved zombies. Ordinary ones are no threat to Huang Ming, especially with Anqing's gear." 

Gu Anqing nodded in agreement. With her equipment, normal zombies were harmless to Huang Ming. The real obstacles were the mutated ones. 

Liu Shuang'er understood now. 

"Right. And with my medical serums, ordinary zombies won't be a problem." 

Lu Yusi's plan was clear: study Li Qingya, unlock the secrets of mutation, and turn the tide in their favor. 

Only then would they stand a chance.