Ch 112: Opening a Survival School Before the Zombie Outbreak

Having spent only a single morning at Fangzhou, Special Operations Team captain Bai Xianglei grabbed lunch and immediately drove away from the school without pause, heading for the temporary command center established by the Special Operations Group.

The command center had been set up in another factory building near the chemical plant that housed Fangzhou’s escape tunnel exit. The team had renovated the site directly from the existing industrial complex. With the original perimeter walls and barbed wire already in place, it was easier to defend, and its location conveniently allowed them to help guard Fangzhou’s escape route as well.

Of course, the two factory buildings were not directly adjacent. A stretch of distance remained between them, ensuring that zombie activity drawn by human presence would not gather near the chemical plant.

The day before, Tian Xuejun had already promised Fu Qing that daily patrols would include a sweep around the chemical plant to clear nearby zombies, meaning Fangzhou would no longer need to send people there weekly.

When Bai Xianglei returned, he saw the abandoned factory gates standing wide open. Several trucks moved constantly in and out. The moment supplies were unloaded, soldiers stepped forward to transport them to different buildings.

Armed guards had already been stationed at the entrance to the compound.

The team had arrived late the previous night and stayed here overnight, but Bai Xianglei immediately noticed that in just one morning, the place had changed again.

He entered a central building in the compound. It had not yet been fully cleaned. Broken bricks and shattered glass still covered the floor. Although one room had been cleared to serve as an office, even the desks and chairs were leftovers from the former factory director’s office, hastily wiped down and extremely crude.

Tian Xuejun was discussing something with several others around a map when a knock interrupted them. Seeing Bai Xianglei, she paused in surprise.

“You’re back already?”

She had told him to report promptly if anything came up, but this report had arrived far sooner than expected.

Bai Xianglei could only smile wryly. Plans simply could not keep up with reality.

He delivered a full report of his extraordinary morning at Fangzhou and concluded tactfully, “Her strength is… far beyond what we imagined.”

Tian Xuejun fell silent, recalling the Yongxin Road pedestrian street incident she had just heard about that morning during a meeting with S City officials.

Combined with Bai Xianglei’s account, she finally grasped how formidable the “human who survived until the very end of the apocalypse” truly was.

She understood why he had rushed back to report immediately. Translated on Hololo novels. When issuing orders the previous day, she had assigned the special operations team three tasks: close protection, intelligence gathering, and surveillance.

That final task existed to guard against the one-in-a-thousand possibility that Fu Qing might harbor hidden motives or intentions harmful to humanity or to the country.

But if Fu Qing’s strength truly matched Bai Xianglei’s description, then the team stationed beside her might not be capable of stopping her at all.

Tian Xuejun gestured for the others in the room to leave before asking, “Do you think Fu Qing is trustworthy?”

Bai Xianglei stiffened. After only a brief moment of thought, he straightened and answered firmly, “This is only my personal judgment, but based on what you previously told us about Fangzhou, combined with what I witnessed and experienced this morning, I believe Principal Fu Qing is unquestionably on humanity’s side.”

As captain of a special operations unit, Bai Xianglei was far from a simple brute. In Tian Xuejun’s view, he was often exceptionally perceptive.

She trusted his judgment, not merely because she felt the same, but because she knew his words were never driven by blind passion.

Sure enough, after stating his intuition, he continued with concrete supporting evidence.

“Yesterday we investigated the identities of Principal Fu Qing, teacher Zhao Yunxiao who accompanied her, and student Xue Ran. Aside from Xue Ran, we found nothing.”

“They’re like people who appeared out of nowhere.”

In China, living without an identity was nearly impossible. Bai Xianglei did not believe the two had spent more than twenty years hidden in remote wilderness.

In his view, the only explanation was the existence of the system.

He then emphasized another point.

“In contrast, Xue Ran’s records are completely clear and intact, without the slightest sign of fabrication. She’s also the child of a martyr, a protected status under long-term local government attention. Altering her records would be virtually impossible.”

He even suspected Fu Qing had intentionally brought Xue Ran along so investigators would verify her background and thereby indirectly confirm the truth of her claims.

“Besides Xue Ran, we also obtained a student roster from Fangzhou. After verification, every student’s identity is genuine. All two thousand-plus of them were ordinary students before entering Fangzhou, each with established social connections and clean histories. Calling them upright and reliable wouldn’t be an exaggeration. I believe they are trustworthy.”

Bai Xianglei recalled how, during the morning tour, every student they passed greeted their principal.

The sincerity and warmth in their eyes could not be faked.

“From my observation, these students genuinely trust Fu Qing. They chose to follow her of their own accord.”

That morning had genuinely been enjoyable for him.

Students like Song Rushuang showed none of the scheming or calculation common in society. Instead, they carried a kind of youthful straightforwardness, clear in their sense of right and wrong, honest and unguarded. Perhaps people like that judged character most accurately.

And in just a few short hours, Bai Xianglei had already felt Fangzhou’s strong unity.

A group with such a positive atmosphere could only exist under an outstanding and inspiring leader.

Worried his evidence might still be insufficient, Bai Xianglei finished speaking and looked at Tian Xuejun with some tension.

She nodded. “I understand.”

“Your strength already ranks among the best in the military. With eleven additional team members, if even that lineup cannot reliably monitor Fu Qing, sending more personnel would serve no purpose.”

After all, she added silently to herself, escaping encirclement was probably what Fu Qing did best.

Unlike Bai Xianglei, Tian Xuejun knew Fu Qing had returned from the apocalypse. The simulation scenario he described therefore struck her even more deeply.

“Besides, we already made a promise that only twelve personnel would enter Fangzhou. That was a commitment made in the name of the state. We absolutely cannot be the first to break it,” Tian Xuejun said. “So I understand the situation you described. You may head back now. I’ll handle the rest.”

Bai Xianglei paused in surprise, then relaxed as understanding dawned.

With Tian Xuejun’s words, the team’s future “surveillance” assignment would, in practice, shift into one of cooperation and coordination.

Yet even after receiving her assurance, he did not leave immediately and remained standing in front of the desk.

Tian Xuejun raised an eyebrow. “Something else?”

“Uh… Principal Fu Qing asked me, before I left, to pass along a question. She wanted to know whether you’d have time this afternoon for an operational meeting.”

Tian Xuejun: “……”

“She knew you were coming to see me?” Her mouth twitched slightly.

Bai Xianglei looked equally helpless. “I only learned after arriving at Fangzhou that any phone calls or radio communications made within the campus can be detected by the system.”

They could not contact anyone directly from inside the school. But the moment he left campus, Fu Qing would naturally guess what he had gone out to do.

Even if he wanted to conceal it, there was no way to hide it.

Tian Xuejun pressed a hand to her forehead. In other words, Fu Qing was also observing and testing their attitude.

They did not dare fully trust her, and likewise, how could she entrust them with complete faith at the very beginning of cooperation?

The difference was that her probing was far more open and straightforward.

She had knowingly asked Bai Xianglei, who was going to discuss matters concerning her, to deliver a message before leaving. Translated on Hololo novels. What exactly was that supposed to mean?

Amused yet thoughtful, Tian Xuejun suddenly realized that both she and the higher command had made a mistake.

The mistake was treating someone who had survived alone through years of chaos and brutality in the apocalypse as though she were a docile, well-socialized civilian.

If cooperation was to proceed smoothly, they would have to offer absolute equality and respect without reservation. Otherwise, unnecessary and meaningless testing might only push her away.

The realization sharpened her expression.

She looked at Bai Xianglei. “When is the meeting scheduled?”

He checked his watch. “Two o’clock this afternoon. Fifteen minutes from now. They’ll come over themselves.”

Tian Xuejun nodded. “Notify everyone. Prepare for the meeting.”

With that, she stood and strode quickly toward the compound entrance to personally receive them.

*

At precisely two o’clock, Fu Qing arrived at the command center compound, driving herself and bringing six students along.

All six were former members of the elite class, among the earliest students to return to campus. The rest were still on their way back.

Although Fu Qing had later selected five of them to form an elite squad after graduation, that did not mean the remaining elite-class students had reverted to ordinary status. Compared to others, they maintained closer ties with the principal and often still acted alongside her.

Following Fu Qing into the heavily guarded compound, the students could not help glancing curiously at the armed soldiers stationed everywhere.

But once they were led into the meeting room and seated, their expressions immediately turned serious.

Watching them, Tian Xuejun could not help feeling impressed.

She herself had never married, but many of her friends had children around this age. Fangzhou’s students were completely different from those she had known. The latter were flowers raised in greenhouses, carefully protected. These students, however, seemed already weathered by storms in the wild, hardened and strong beyond their years.

After taking her seat, she turned toward Fu Qing.

Fu Qing did not waste time with pleasantries and spoke directly.

“I’m here to discuss the Believers.”

When explaining the system earlier, she had already mentioned the Zombie King and the Believers organization, so everyone present knew of their existence.

But she had not yet had time to explain the details.

She proceeded to outline the Believers’ infection methods and explained how eliminating Believers could correspondingly weaken the Zombie King’s abilities.

It was another flood of information. After struggling to digest it, Tian Xuejun summarized carefully:

“So all zombie evolution is closely tied to the Zombie King’s own abilities. And the Believers, also called intelligent infected, retain human intelligence while possessing zombie powers. Each one is personally infected by the Zombie King, and every infection consumes some of its energy. In exchange, they become tens of thousands of times more troublesome than ordinary zombies.”

“The Zombie King relies on Believers to expand its influence and accelerate the spread of the virus. For example, causing shelters to fall, or disguising themselves as allies to infiltrate human strongholds and betray them at critical moments…” She paused before continuing. “But if we eliminate enough Believers, we can significantly weaken the Zombie King.”

“Once weakened to a certain degree, killing it becomes much easier. And once the Zombie King is dead, zombies will stop evolving.”

She added an example:

“Suppose there are tens of millions of zombies in the world right now. Most are basic zombies, one in a thousand are intermediate, and one in ten thousand are special variants. Over time, basic zombies could continue evolving. Eventually, intermediate zombies might even make up more than half the population.”

“But if the Zombie King is killed, all basic zombies will remain at their current stage. Only people bitten by intermediate or special zombies would have a chance of becoming higher-level zombies, and those limited numbers would be fully manageable with human capabilities.”

“Humanity will then see the dawn of victory over the apocalypse.”

She looked toward Fu Qing, a trace of hope in her eyes. “That’s correct, isn’t it?”

Tian Xuejun realized that once again, Fu Qing had brought hope to humanity.

“Basically correct, but there’s one point that needs clarification,” Fu Qing said. “Not all Believers have the opportunity to meet the Zombie King or be personally infected by it. Many of them are ordinary people who, driven by various selfish motives, joined the organization voluntarily and chose to help spread the virus.”

One officer’s eyes widened. “How is that any different from betraying humanity?”

“There is no difference. That is precisely their goal,” Fu Qing replied, shaking her head. “Which is why hunting the Believers must be placed on the agenda immediately.”

“My original plan was to divide the entire student body into two groups. One would remain to defend the campus, while the other would form multiple squads to search for Believers outside and eliminate them one by one. But considering the students’ real-world circumstances, I allowed a one-month return period.”

“During this month, Fangzhou is short on personnel, but eliminating Believers cannot be delayed. That’s why I’m here to request your assistance.”

Tian Xuejun answered without hesitation. “As long as there’s anything we can help with, we will do everything in our power. Just say what you need.”

In truth, this responsibility had never belonged solely to Fu Qing or Fangzhou. They had simply taken it upon themselves first.

“Currently, 721 people have returned to Fangzhou. After evaluation, I believe 151 of them are better suited to remain on campus,” Fu Qing said, listing precise figures.

These were students who had excelled in infrastructure and agriculture courses. Naturally, their combat ability was comparatively weaker.

“Of the remaining 570, I will divide them into teams of five, forming 114 squads that will rotate deployments outside. What I hope you can provide is manpower to assist the students in hunting Believers,” Fu Qing continued. “Infected Believers, the intelligent-type zombies, are far more dangerous than ordinary zombies. The students have experience. Their five-person teams will be the operational core. Your role will be to support them: seal roads, evacuate civilians, and remove external risks while they fight.”

The people in the meeting room exchanged uncertain looks.

Soldiers… cooperating under students’ command?

And during combat, they would merely stand by?

One officer could not help speaking up. “Our troops won’t participate in the fighting? But…”

“I don’t need soldiers,” Fu Qing said calmly. “Regular police officers, auxiliary officers, even volunteers will do. It may be difficult for them to face evolved zombies alone, but alongside the students they can focus entirely on logistics. That way, you can preserve elite forces for places that need them more, such as shelters and hospitals.”

With the virus spreading, manpower was needed everywhere, and elite combat personnel were especially scarce.

Not every soldier qualified as elite. Most people, even with training, could not reliably hit fast-moving runner-type zombies with firearms. Those creatures resembled legendary battlefield champions of ancient warfare, capable, exaggeration aside, of fighting an army alone.

One mistake could cost dozens of lives, sometimes even casualties caused by friendly fire.

Since the previous night, Tian Xuejun and the senior leadership had been overwhelmed by manpower shortages. Fu Qing’s proposal struck directly at their greatest concern.

But that would mean…

She blurted out, “Then wouldn’t the task of killing evolved zombies fall entirely on those five students?”

The infection efficiency of evolved zombies was terrifying. They had to be eliminated, yet the cost of doing so was equally enormous.

Before this, Tian Xuejun and the others had already prepared themselves to pay for it with human lives if necessary.

Now, with only a few words, Fu Qing had taken that burden onto herself.

Along with it, she had taken responsibility for the lives of thousands of soldiers.

If things proceeded as Fu Qing proposed, Tian Xuejun would no longer need to worry about heavy casualties among her forces. But Fangzhou’s students would also have no backup.

She found herself unable to agree.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Xue Ran spoke before Fu Qing could respond. “We will make thorough preparations. Please trust us.”

Her tone was serious.

Then she added quietly, “Besides, we’ve already worked together for a long time. Bringing in people without coordination would only slow us down.”

She looked up, her expression clearly saying: You understand what I mean, right?

Tian Xuejun choked slightly on the blunt honesty. Fu Qing’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“Fangzhou lacks manpower, and you lack elites capable of confronting evolved zombies alone,” Fu Qing said. “Our cooperation complements each other perfectly, doesn’t it?”

After several rounds of internal debate, Tian Xuejun finally relented. “I understand. We can try this arrangement for a period of time.”

Fu Qing nodded, making no attempt to argue over how long that trial period would last, and continued:

“Additionally, once personnel are assembled, whether online or gathered offline, everyone must undergo unified training before formal operations begin.”

“The training will be fully overseen by Xue Ran.”

Xue Ran straightened her back as the room’s attention turned toward her.

Before coming, the principal had already told her that beyond early training, all squads participating in Believer-hunting operations would also operate under the command of Xue Ran and several other elite-class students.

Identifying Believers, confirming infection types, assigning appropriately matched teams, and supervising operational planning would all rely on their experience.

No one else was capable of taking on that responsibility.

Under the table, Xue Ran quietly clenched her fist, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.

The principal had not lied. Even without joining the elite squad, she could still shine in her own way.

₊˚.🎧📓✩

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