Afterlife Department

"The signal tower?" Huo Ling muttered after he heard what Yi Bing said when they were outside.

Yi Bing stared at him. "Are you not going to report this to me?" he asked with a serious face.

Huo Ling inwardly rolled his eyes knowing that Yi Bing is just acting. Puh-lease… you can hear us earlier and you are secretly listening! He thought. How can Yi Bing not know about his and Qi Ying's conversation?

But, he has to force a smile on his face and make his voice sound polite. "Of course I definitely will, sir." He answered. He spoke the last word through his gnashed teeth while he smiled, obviously fake, to the point that his eyes turned into crescents.

Yi Bing felt his chest hurt for suppressing his laughter. "Ehem." He coughed as he covered his mouth with his fist to hide the smile that appeared on his lips.

Huo Ling is clearly very angry but can still smile and lie through his gritted teeth… Yi Bing really feels Huo Ling is such a treasure. Yi Bing is self-aware that he is enjoying his superior position to 'bully' his subordinate.

Huo Ling's face darkened and a vein appeared in his forehead when he saw that Yi Bing's icy-blue eyes are twinkling with delight. Fck you. He inwardly cursed his superior. "Qi Ying said that there was a zombie surge in the signal tower." He spoke. "According to the novels that I have read before when I was still alive, a zombie surge only happens if there is a large number of humans in an area. In short – " he looked at Yi Bing. " – there is a human base, and that will become a feast for the zombies if the humans in the base can't defend themselves or retaliate." He told him.

Yi Bing stared at Huo Ling. "… you read novels?" he asked.

Huo Ling. "…" that is where you focused on? He thought, on the verge of hitting his superior. "I am not an outgoing person so I read novels at home." He still answered. "… don't say anymore or I will really hit you." He added when he saw that there was sympathy in Yi Bing's eyes. Yes, he is a loner. So what?!

Being alone is more enjoyable since other people are just annoying. You have to divide your time to entertain them! It is better to spend this time on reading novels than entertaining them!

Yi Bing retracted his gaze. "A human base, huh…" he muttered. "But, based on your conversation with Qi Ying earlier, it seems that he doesn't know that there is a base near the signal tower." He said.

Huo Ling nodded as he also realized this point. "So, either that there was a base and no one found out even until that base was attacked and everyone died, or – " he looked at Yi Bing.

" – there was no base there since the beginning." Yi Bing continued what he is about to say. "I think this is more possible since, if there was really a base there, the people in that base should have already sent messages to the others as the signal was still working." He explained.

Huo Ling nodded. "You are right." He agreed. "So, there really is no base. Then, why did the zombies attack the signal tower?" he asked.

"Let's go and check to find out." Yi Bing spoke.

Huo Ling opened his communicator. When they were still at the Northern Military Base, there was a signal and electricity as they are using solar panels. So, Huo Ling was able to enter their database. Fortunately, this became his habit, or else he can't connect to the mall's database right now as there was no electricity here nor a signal.

"Let's go, then." He spoke after they saw the map.

…

Qi Ying is fidgeting on his seat after he saw Huo Ling and Yi Bing left, leaving him with Xi Kai's group.

"What? You want to follow them?" he heard Xi Kai asked.

Qi Ying was startled and his back straightened up.

"Do you know what are they going to do? They are a couple." Xi Kai grinned as he looked at Qi Ying. "If you go outside now and find them, you'll just interrupt their fun time." He told him.

Qi Ying's face flushed red. He is already old enough to know about this stuff. "I – I know." He answered. "I – I'm not going to f – follow them…" he said.

"Oh? Then, you are going to stay here?" Xi Kai asked.

Qi Ying stiffened.

"You are really going to stay here? You are not afraid that I will kill you?" Xi Kai asked.

Qi Ying's eyes widened and his face paled but he fought the urge to run. "Y – you won't." he answered.

Xi Kai's brows raised. "What made you think that I won't kill you?" he asked as he took out a dagger.

Jenny was just watching while grinning. Chichi and Lan looked indifferent while Rei feels anxious. But, she didn't dare speak for Qi Ying since she is afraid of Xi Kai, this dangerous man.

"I – it's because there is no need for you to kill me." Qi Ying answered as he took a deep breath. "My brother owns you base now. If you will go back there and he'll find out that you killed me, he definitely won't let you in the base and will kill you." He spoke. "The same for Yi Bing and Huo Ling." He looked at Xi Kai. "My brother entrusted me to them, and they also vowed to protect me. If they know that you killed me, they will fight you." He told him. "Although you have more people and all of you are ability users, but the two of them are stronger than you." He said.

Xi Kai fell silent while Jenny's smile disappeared. Of course, they already felt that Yi Bing and Huo Ling are strong. Stronger than Xi Kai. Xi Kai also knows that the two have a sense of responsibility so that really will kill him if Xi Kai would kill Qi Ying. He isn't afraid of Qi Ming. But, though it is shameful to admit, but he is more afraid of these two strangers that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Tch." Xi Kai clicked his tongue and closed his eyes to sleep. The women also turned to sleep.

Qi Ying sighed in relief. "Actually… there is also one more reason why I feel that you won't kill me." He spoke. Hearing that Xi Kai didn't speak, he smiled. "Because you are a good person. If you are not, then you would have already beaten me up while we are still in the Northern Military Base, even if my brother was still there and is watching." He explained.

He didn't hear Xi Kai speak, nor the women. After a while, he scooted to the side and also began to sleep.

….

"There are only a few corpses here, but not enough to form a base." Yi Bing spoke after he backhandedly punched a zombie that approached him.

"They must be the workers here that were unable to escape." Huo Ling said when he saw a corpse that was lying by the doorway, obviously trying to escape when it was bitten and eaten by a zombie.

Although their bodies are of a corpse, but because of Shen Sheng's Conferment Seal, they have vital signs which makes the zombies sense them and attack them.

"There were fewer zombies here… they all must have already left after attacking the signal tower." Yi Bing said and looked at the signal tower lying across the ground.

"Why would they attack it, though? I thought that it was the humans that they only attack." Huo Ling said, then paused. "Oh. And animals, too." He added.

"But, there is nothing around here for them to attack." Yi Bing muttered as he looked around. They already have checked the surroundings. "It is impossible to have a zombie surge when there are only just a handful of humans, right?" he asked as he turned to Huo Ling.

Huo Ling nodded. "That is right." He answered as he pinched his chin while looking pensive. "This is really puzzling…" he muttered.

"Why don't we ask Qi Ying? Or Xi Kai, too?" Yi Bing suggested. "Maybe Xi Kai knows something." He said.

Huo Ling nodded. "Let's go back, then." He said.

Northern Military Base.

Hu Feng frowned after he heard what Wen Yan said. "Another signal tower was attacked?" he asked.

Wen Yan nodded. "This is already the third one." He spoke. "The first one was in F City. The second one is in the B City, which will be passed by Xi Kai's group. Then, the third one is in L City." He told him.

"Why the signal tower?" Hu Feng asked. "Did someone make a base there? But, it is impossible. There is radiation. They will die first from radiation before they can die from the zombies' attack." He said.