Chapter Forty: Eradicating the Zombies on the Island

On the deck, several team members moved about, carefully inspecting their surroundings. The salty tang of the sea breeze filled the air, and the silence was broken only by the rhythmic crash of waves.

“There’s no real damage here, the deck is still solid.”

“The equipment in the cockpit is intact, almost everything can be operated.”

“Fuel level’s around seventy percent!”

...

The team members each reported the status of the areas they checked. Hearing these updates, Chen Yi felt his anxiety ease slightly. With seventy percent fuel left, the ship could still be used for some time. However, he faced a serious problem—he had no idea how to pilot a ship.

It was like having the perfect tool, but not knowing how to use it; utterly futile.

He looked troubled, furrowing his brow as he turned to his teammates. “Does anyone know how to operate this thing?”

The team exchanged glances, each looking at the other, then all shook their heads.

Just as Chen Yi sighed in frustration, one of Hu Sanhan’s men stepped forward. “Actually, Boss Hu knows how to pilot a ship.”

“Really?” Chen Yi’s eyes lit up, hope rekindled in his heart. “Hu, you know how to drive a ship? Even one this big?”

The man nodded earnestly. “That’s right. Boss Hu was a fisherman for a while—his family’s been in the fishing business for generations.”

“When he was young, he even graduated from the Naval Academy. He returned home early, though I’m not sure why.”

“I’m from the same hometown as him, I know all about it.”

At that moment, the rescued crew member spoke up as well.

“I’m willing to join your team and teach you what a crew needs to do.”

“With a captain and everyone working together, piloting the ship won’t be a problem.”

The issue was swiftly resolved. Chen Yi felt a surge of joy and sighed with relief. “That makes things much easier.”

“We’ve got someone who can pilot the ship, so setting sail won’t be so difficult now.”

“Let’s report our findings first, then check the other ship to see if there’s anything else usable.”

Chen Yi, Lu Kai, and the other team members finally returned to the base.

No sooner had they stepped out of the cabin than they were met not by a peaceful paradise, but by a terrifying hell.

Several ragged zombie corpses began to rise from the ground, emitting guttural growls like demons crawling out of the depths.

“What’s going on? Why are there so many zombies here?” Lu Kai instinctively drew his weapon, his voice thick with confusion.

Chen Yi scanned the area and immediately spotted the source of the problem.

In the low-lying areas of the base, several zombies that had been washed up from the water were mutating. The rain-soaked corpses were reviving at astonishing speed and, clearly, becoming much stronger.

“This isn’t good—the rain washed them up here,”

Chen Yi analyzed quickly, then shouted, “Everyone, join the fight! Take down these mutated zombies!”

At Chen Yi’s command, the team sprang into action.

Lu Kai frowned and glanced at the distant water, where several zombies had begun to move slowly toward the base. The sight made his heart sink. “Damn it, so many zombies are flooding in!”

“Stay focused, don’t get distracted!” Chen Yi’s twin-bladed knife gleamed coldly in the sunlight. With a swing, he decapitated the first zombie that lunged at him.

He had developed a reflexive response in these apocalyptic battles, his blade extending to strike down the undead.

“Chen Kai, zombies on the left! Don’t let them surround us!” Chen Yi called out.

Lu Kai snapped to attention, instantly changing his strategy. He moved quickly to the left, gripping his weapon tightly and slashing fiercely at the incoming zombies.

Amidst the flashes of blades and flying flesh, he had no time for fear; all his focus was locked onto the enemies before him.

Meanwhile, the other team members sprang into action.

Some used flamethrowers to clear out dense clusters of zombies.

Others in the rear picked off distant targets with precise sniper shots.

In the chaos, Xiao Yaxi remained undisturbed, still sleeping peacefully in Chen Yi’s arms.

“Hu, watch out! Zombies are attacking from behind!”

Chen Yi shouted a warning to Hu Sanhan, who was locked in fierce combat.

Then Chen Yi leapt onto a high mound, gaining a vantage point from which he could see the increasing numbers of zombies at the edge of the base.

“Everyone, charge with me!”

Chen Yi led the charge, swinging his twin-bladed knife as he rushed toward the side with the most zombies.

Lu Kai followed without hesitation, matching Chen Yi’s pace.

“Charge! If we don’t kill them, we’re dead!”

“We can’t let these beasts live—not a single one!”

“Haha! Watch this!”

“You disgusting things, today I’ll send you to the underworld!”

“Dead and still causing trouble—quiet down already!”

...

At last, with Chen Yi and the team working together, the zombie horde was gradually suppressed, and most of the mutated creatures were eliminated.

The air was thick with the stench of corpses and the acrid smell of burnt gunpowder.

Hu Sanhan thrust his machete into the ground, sat down, and panted heavily.

His long breaths, mingled with the sound of sweat dripping, seemed especially jarring in the silence of the post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Chen Yi sat nearby, but his breathing was steady, as if he’d merely returned from a stroll.

Hu Sanhan wiped his brow, turned to Chen Yi with a trace of admiration in his eyes. “You’re something else, not even tired.”

Chen Yi shrugged and smiled. “I’m young—it’s only natural.”

“Hmph, so you’re calling me old?” Hu Sanhan feigned annoyance, then laughed. “Looks like I’ll have to push myself harder—can’t let you youngsters outdo me!”

“I am a leader, after all!”

Chen Yi chuckled, “Then I’d better work harder, or it’ll be trouble if you catch up, Hu!”

The two exchanged light-hearted banter, easing the tension that had just gripped them.

The sweat on their foreheads was gradually dried by the breeze, while before them lay a chaotic scene of corpses and blood; the stench lingered stubbornly in the air.

It was then that Hu Sanhan noticed the little girl in Chen Yi’s arms, brow furrowing in puzzlement. “What’s with this young lady?”

Chen Yi gently patted Xiao Yaxi’s back and explained softly, “Her name is Chen Yaxi. We rescued her along the way—it wasn’t easy for her, surviving all this alone.”

Hu Sanhan saw the girl sleeping peacefully in Chen Yi’s arms and sighed, his eyes full of praise.

“This little one is extraordinary. She’s destined for greatness.”

Chen Yi nodded, a smile on his lips. “The future Chen Yaxi will be strong indeed.”