**Chapter 31: The Remote-Control Race Car**

As the boys and the six delinquents hauled carts of charred zombie remains to the incineration pit, they spotted Zhang Xiaowen walking back with the miraculous toy car and a new companion—a towering German Shepherd. The dog's intimidating frame made them instinctively shrink back, until they noticed the three squirming puppies cradled in Zhang's arms.

Inside the glass-walled clubhouse, the puppies instantly became the center of attention. Girls cooed over their fluffy fur and tiny licks, their laughter easing the group's lingering tension. The mother dog, now named *Dahei* ("Big Black") by Zhang (despite the Cube's insistence on "German Shepherd Unit 01"), sniffed warily at the lingering stench of decay but gradually relaxed under Zhang's gentle pats.

"Put her bed near the armory," the Cube advised via earpiece. "A live alarm system beats any lock."

"Brilliant! Once the pups grow up, we'll have three more guards," Zhang grinned, arranging a nest of torn quilts behind the ammunition crates.

——

That night, under a full moon, Zhang and the Cube sat on the rooftop ledge. Crickets chirped as silver-blue light bathed the golf course.

"Isn't the moon beautiful?" Zhang sighed.

"I'm not looking at it," the Cube replied, its optics fixed on the horizon.

"Then what *are* you staring at?"

"Myself. Figuring out where I fit in this… organic chaos."

Zhang rolled her eyes. "You're right here, you walking philosophy textbook."

They discussed plans: fortifying the perimeter, restoring power, training a militia. The Cube nominated Fatty Wang and Gao Dong for firearms training. "Leave logistics to Teacher He. You're better suited as… a guardian deity."

At dawn, the Cube transformed again—this time into a sleek blue race car with aerodynamic curves. Zhang gaped. "So cool! If only you were life-sized…"

"Scouting the nearby town. Back by dusk." Tires screeched as it peeled out, leaving rubber streaks on the asphalt.

Fatty Wang and Gao Dong nearly tripped over each other watching the toy car vanish in a cloud of dust. "How does it *drift*?!" Fatty exclaimed.

"Upgraded AI," Zhang said vaguely. "Round up ten volunteers—five guys, five girls. We're starting a defense squad."

——

Meanwhile, the Cube tore through abandoned highways, its engine whining like a hornet. It swerved around rusted cars, hopped over potholes, and even launched off a ramp formed by collapsed scaffolding. A frog mid-leap became an accidental projectile, limbs splayed comically before plopping into a ditch.

Approaching the derelict town, the Cube hit a speed bump and transformed mid-air. Thirty centimeters of polished metal landed in a superhero pose, red optics scanning the silent streets. Graffiti peeled from boarded-up shops: *"God abandoned us."*

Its sensors pinged. Movement flickered in an alley—too agile for zombies. The Cube extended a blade from its forearm. "Show yourself."

A shadow darted, followed by a child's whisper: "Look, Mama… a talking toy!"

The Cube froze. Two emaciated figures emerged—a girl no older than eight, clutching a rusted kitchen knife, and her mother, whose hollow eyes widened at the mech's glowing gaze.

"Query: Survivors?" the Cube intoned. The girl nodded, her knife trembling.

Back at the resort, Zhang's laptop buzzed with an alert:

*Scout Report: Township 3.2km NE. Civilian contacts (2). Threat level: Low. Recommend retrieval.*

She smiled, stroking Dahei's head. The shepherd thumped her tail, puppies tumbling at her paws. Somewhere beyond the hills, the Cube's diplomacy protocols activated—offering candy synthesized from its polymer reserves.

Survival, it realized, required more than bullets. Sometimes, it meant becoming a child's first glimpse of hope in a broken world.