BXBX NOVEL Chapter 73 - 73 Zombie Virus_l
“Nice car! It’s rare to see an electric one!”
As Wang Tao was driving slowly into the base, a soldier following outside the car struck up a conversation.
“It’S passable, but I have to stick to less crowded areas, otherwise the electric
car is useless.”
Wang Tao shook his head.
“That’s true! If you really run into a big wave of zombies, no car would suffice…”
The soldier nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the sentiment.
“Smoke?”
Wang Tao took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed one to the soldier.
Upon seeing the cigarettes, the soldier seemed tempted, but he still shook his head and declined.
“Are your rules that strict?”
Wang Tao was a bit surprised. In the post-apocalyptic world, they still abided
by rules so strictly?
The soldier scratched his head.
“It’s not that, you guys have to pass an inspection first, to make sure the people
and things in your car are all right after…”
“Oh, I get it!”
Wang Tao suddenly realized. It wasn’t about strict rules, but cautiousness; they were wary of strangers.
Wang Tao could understand, so he put the cigarettes away.
Soon, the car entered the checkpoint within the base.
“Hello, survivor. Please get out of the car for inspection.
Wang Tao and Han Rui both got out of the car, and two people in white protective suits approached them with flashlights.
“Take off the face mask and look at me.”
Wang Tao removed his face mask and looked at the person in front of him. The person took out a flashlight, shined it in Wang Tao’s eyes, looked carefully for a moment, and then gave an okay sign to someone behind.
Han Rui’s inspection was done as well, and there were no issues.
Then the inspectors asked Wang Tao and Han Rui to wait while they checked the car.
Curiously, Wang Tao asked:
“Can you really tell if someone’s infected with the zombie virus just by looking at their eyes?”
One of the people in the white protective suits explained:
-A person infected with the zombie virus will have white pupils and some black blood vessels in the whites of their eyes. The more severe the symptoms, the deeper the infection. If you come across such people in the future, you must stay vigilant.”
“So that’s how it is…”
Wang Tao had never encountered an infected person during the incubation period, so he had no chance to notice these details.
“Huh?”
At that moment, the person checking the trunk of the car suddenly let out a surprised gasp.
The others and the surrounding soldiers all gathered around, curious- if there were danger, they wouldn’t make such a sound, but would shout “danger” or “suspicious item.”
Wang Tao was puzzled about what they had found; he remembered that other than some food, he hadn’t placed anything else in his car.
“Damn, so much food, and there’s even cigarettes!
All of a sudden, a soldier blurted out impulsively.
Wang Tao took a couple of steps and now he too saw the things that had surprised everyone.
It was just some food with a short shelf life from a convenience store, perhaps a bit much, but his appetite was big and it wasn’t so shocking to warrant such a fuss. As for the cigarettes, he didn’t smoke, and many of these were spoils from looting corpses. He was thinking of trying to trade them for other goods after entering the Survivor Base.
Han Rui also spotted the food and subconsciously swallowed. She hadn’t eaten for two days.
“Is there a problem?”
Wang Tao asked.
“No problem! I’m just a bit surprised you brought so much food, and all these cigarettes… Cigarettes are valuable stuff!”
The soldier spoke somewhat sheepishly.
“That so, haha, I just got lucky, found them on the way.”
Hearing this, a few soldiers rolled their eyes.
Given Wang Tao’s burly stature and the blood-stained weapons in his vehicle, saying he just happened upon these items? Who would believe that! Of course, luck played a part, but he had surely killed plenty of zombies. Particularly, some of the cigarette packs were stained with blood.
“Would anyone want these kinds of cigarettes?
Wang Tao picked up a blood-stained pack of cigarettes.
The cigarette pack was smeared with blood, but the inside was clean. Adhering to the principle of not wasting, Wang Tao naturally took the cigarettes with him.
However, he didn’t deliberately clean the exterior of the cigarette packs, instead keeping those with an unsightly appearance separate.
“Of course, these cigarettes are in high demand in the base! Are you worried they might be contaminated with the zombie virus? If so, you don’t need to worry. The Government conducted experiments that showed the zombie virus loses its viability 72 hours after leaving its host, which means they become non-toxic. If you’re concerned, just leave the cigarettes for more than three days…”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Wang Tao was surprised.
“These are the findings of experts after conducting experiments. However, the internet had gone down by that time, and there was no way to spread the word to every survivor…”
A soldier explained.
“That’s better than I expected…”
Wang Tao was somewhat pleased, knowing that in the future he could also collect items stained with blood. Of course, not for his own use since it was somewhat revolting, but useful for trading with others.
Considering their behavior, there must be some kind of marketplace within the Survivor Base where he shouldn’t have trouble selling his goods.
The inspection of the vehicle was also swiftly completed. The check wasn’t as thorough as Wang Tao had imagined; they mainly just verified that his eyes looked normal and that there were no zombies hidden in the car. There wasn’t any scrutiny of bloodstains, weapons, or similar items. They didn’t even notice the handgun in the car.
“Alright, you’re both clear to enter. But you need to register, and right now you’re on temporary status. If you want to get a permanent ID, head to the administrative building…”
The soldier informed them and then let them pass.
Next to him, Han Rui finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had been deceived by survivors before. Although she had great faith in the Shuize Survivor Base, she hadn’t fully entered it yet. Now, reassured by the lack of any hassle, she completely relaxed.
Wang Tao didn’t hurry off but took out a few packs of blood-stained cigarettes and handed them to the soldiers and inspectors.
“This…”
“First meeting, I look forward to your care in the future.”
The individuals quietly accepted the items without a sound.
“Haha, we’re all survivors struggling in the apocalypse; looking after one another is natural!”
At that moment, the soldier who first chatted with Wang Tao leaned in close and whispered:
“1 can see you’re a capable guy, brother, so here’s a tip: you should get a permanent residency. The base is recruiting now, and it’s quite easy to get qualified, and this status comes with many benefits. Also, as you probably know, everyone at Shuize Base has to work. I’d personally recommend you apply for a role as a base guard or a Hunter, especially the latter….”