Chapter 64: The University Town Exploration Plan

"Boss, we were preparing for the English proficiency tests when the zombie virus broke out. It was a weekend, and the exam room was packed with people. Test papers were scattered all over the floor, desks and chairs were knocked sideways, and it was as chaotic as a boiling pot of water. The proctors were nowhere to be found, and terrified screams echoed continuously through the enclosed teaching building. Many people were trapped at the doors and in the aisles by the surging crowd, unable to move forward or backward. Cries and calls for help were everywhere, and an atmosphere of fear and despair spread through the air," a young man recalled with lingering fear, his face somewhat pale.

Another young woman chimed in, "Yes, no one knew what was happening at the time; everyone thought it was a drill or a prank. By the time we realized the truth, it was already too late. The exits of the teaching building were jammed solid with dense masses of zombies, looking like a writhing wall of rotting flesh. As far as the eye could see, there were only decaying limbs and twisted faces, making one's scalp tingle, let alone trying to escape."

Jiang Qiyu nodded, gesturing for them to continue.

What she cared about wasn't the students, but the factories surrounding the university town.

She remembered that this university was the best in the city, once ranking among the top in the entire province. With its strong academic atmosphere, it had cultivated countless top-tier technical and research talents. Surrounding the university, several industrial parks had been established based on these higher education resources, attracting a large number of high-tech enterprises and forming a once-prosperous industrial zone.

Thinking of the high-end equipment, unexhausted supplies, and buried technical blueprints that might still be stored in those factories, Jiang Qiyu felt a faint surge of excitement. She knew deeply that if these resources could belong to the base, it would be equivalent to injecting much-needed blood into its future development, and their importance was simply incalculable.

"There are many factories around the university town—pharmaceutical plants, electronics factories, and a few large food processing plants..." The young man seemed to understand Jiang Qiyu's focus and quickly added.

"Right, the pharmaceutical plant and the food processing plant! Which department is your professor from?" Jiang Qiyu pressed on.

She remembered that both students seemed to be biology majors. If their professor was still around, he might be of great help.

She vaguely remembered that in her past life, the Dawn Base had also tried to crack the secret of the zombie virus, eagerly hoping to develop a cure or vaccine. Unfortunately, the base lacked professional talents in this field, and the research work remained stagnant, ultimately forcing them to give up in despair.

Now, the appearance of these two biology students might bring her new hope and make up for the regrets of her past life. If she could find their professor, a biology expert, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

"Biomedical Engineering. Professor Liu... his main research direction is virology." At this point, the young woman's tone dropped, "If only Professor Liu were still here..."

Jiang Qiyu's heart stirred. Virology! Wasn't this just delivering a pillow right when she felt sleepy? "What do you think could be the cause of this zombie virus outbreak?"

The two students exchanged glances, seemingly confirming each other's thoughts. The young man hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously, "We've discussed this privately as well. We think this zombie virus outbreak might be the result of some new type of virus accidentally leaking from a laboratory, or perhaps a failed biochemical weapon experiment..."

The young woman bit her lower lip gently, her hands clasped together as if struggling to organize her words, and then added, "It could also be a virus that naturally existed in nature, which mutated under the influence of certain environmental factors." She paused for a moment and continued, "Or it might be caused by some unknown ray or cosmic radiation that mutated the virus and then spread rapidly..."

"Professor Liu is much more knowledgeable in this area. He once said that virus mutation is very fast and hard to predict..." The young man sighed, "It's a pity we can't contact him now..."

"Where does your professor usually live? Does he have any family or friends?" Jiang Qiyu continued to probe, trying to gather more information about Professor Liu.

"Professor Liu lives in the faculty residential compound on campus. His wife passed away a few years ago, and he only has one daughter, who is studying abroad," the young woman replied.

"Understood." Jiang Qiyu nodded, already forming a preliminary plan in her mind.

Professor Liu's life or death was currently unknown and his whereabouts were uncertain, but she secretly decided that once the team reached the university town, she must make every effort to find this virology expert. If he was still alive, bringing him back to the base was undoubtedly the best choice.

She took the map of the university town out of her backpack and carefully spread it flat on the table. Based on the location information of the factories and the residential compound provided by the two students, she used a red pen to carefully mark the approximate areas of the pharmaceutical plant, the food processing plant, and the faculty compound on the map.

Jiang Qiyu put down the red pen, her gaze sweeping back and forth across the map, and then looked up at the two students: "Are you familiar with the terrain of these places? For example, which roads might be relatively clear, or where might be more dangerous."

The young man nodded, frowning in thought for a moment before saying, "There is a trail around the pharmaceutical plant that leads to the back gate of the school. Sometimes when we wanted a shortcut to class, we would walk that way. But now with the zombie outbreak, if people gathered at the back gate, there might be many zombies blocking the road."

"The food processing plant is on the other side of the university town. To get there, you usually have to pass through an old residential area where the houses are densely packed and the alleys are complex. Cough... I guess it's much more dangerous than the school's back gate," the young woman added from the side.

Jiang Qiyu drew a few more arrows on the map as markers and tapped the table lightly: "We'll go to the pharmaceutical plant first, plan the route well, and prioritize avoiding main roads and areas with heavy foot traffic. Use the trail you just mentioned as much as possible, traveling on foot or with small vehicles without making loud noises, and bypass all avoidable danger points."

"As for the food processing plant, that old residential area can actually be utilized." She pointed to the old residential area on the map and continued, "Zombies generally track their prey by sound and smell. We can arrange for someone to create a fake target first and lure the zombies away. Once the surrounding danger decreases, we will enter the plant from another route and quickly take away all the supplies we can carry."

The young man showed a trace of hesitation: "But relying just on the few of us... it's too risky. And if there are too many zombies, what if we can't lure them away effectively..."

Jiang Qiyu raised her eyes to look at him, her tone firm: "I will prepare a backup plan, and we won't resort to this method unless it's an extreme situation. If there are too many zombies, we can retreat; if it gets too chaotic, we'll find another opportunity. We won't waste manpower on unnecessary risks, but these critical supplies must be secured ahead of others."

"And the faculty compound," the young woman spoke up again, unable to help asking, "Could Professor Liu already have..."

Jiang Qiyu shook her head to interrupt her: "We have to try no matter what. If he is no longer around, there might still be his past research materials left in that house. Mark all location information as key points. Move fast, find the person and evacuate immediately to avoid unnecessary engagement."

She took a slight breath and pointed to the path leading to the pharmaceutical plant: "The first stop is the pharmaceutical plant. As for your responsibilities, you are familiar with the route, so you will be responsible for guiding and preparing simple transport tools. Once the supplies are transported to the rendezvous point, I will decide the next step."

The two looked at each other and nodded solemnly, "Understood!"

Just then, Zhou Yuan's voice came from downstairs, "Boss! Dinner is ready! Today we have your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs!"

Jiang Qiyu stretched and stood up from her chair, "Let's go, time to eat! Only with a full stomach do we have the energy to work!"