dorable zombies always have privileges.

  Xu Duoduo, the little zombie, was particularly endearing. Everywhere she went, there were people who wanted to "adopt" her.

  Qin Luo immediately yanked Xu Duoduo back into his arms protectively and declared, “No way! Absolutely not! Keep dreaming!”

  Xiao Qiao stuck out her tongue at him and teased, “Bleh, stingy man, go drink some cold water.”

  Even Da Qiao couldn’t help but laugh. “I heard the Golden Eagle Team got punished? Each member fined a million points, a 3,000-word handwritten self-reflection, ten days of confinement, and they even had a new member assigned to monitor them. Headquarters really went all out this time, huh?”

  Hearing this, Qin Luo couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh as he thought about Bai Shu’s handiwork. “Serves them right.”

  When he turned back, he saw Xiao Qiao holding a piece of jelly, trying to coax the little zombie. Alarmed, he quickly pulled Xu Duoduo behind him to hide her. “By the way, I actually wanted you to check her body this time. I feel like her white-haired state is more stable this time compared to before. Her intelligence hasn’t regressed as quickly and seems much more normal.”

  Da Qiao used her ability, **Diagnosis**, to take a look at Xu Duoduo. “She’s fine, really. She’s quite healthy. No need to get so worked up over small things.”

  She explained that as abilities strengthened, it wasn’t unusual for side effects to lessen.

  Only then did Qin Luo relax. Finally, he couldn’t hold back anymore and snapped at Xiao Qiao, “What on earth are you giving her?”

  Xiao Qiao clicked her tongue and put her hands on her hips. “No gratitude for my kindness! I’m giving it to Baobao, not you! It’s the latest research—diluted mutation core jelly! It’s super tasty! Didn’t everyone complain that the nutrient solutions were cold and emotionless? Headquarters is literally working hard to satisfy you big babies!”

  She added sarcastically, “Our Baobao is the best. She eats whatever she’s given.”

  Xu Duoduo, holding a dozen or so jelly packs of various flavors, felt a little guilty. She had been treating these as snacks. In truth, though, she still preferred chomping directly on mutation cores—they were crunchier and more flavorful, like chewing on hard candy.

  Hearing this, Qin Luo became intrigued. “What else do you have? I’ll stock up on more.”

  To feed the little zombie, of course.

  Seeing this big spender, Xiao Qiao’s eyes lit up. At this moment, Qin Luo resembled a servant buying cat food and toys for his feline overlord—obviously the type to spend generously.

  She immediately perked up. “We’ve also got diluted serum luncheon meat! Sausages! Yogurt! Cheese sticks! How about it? Want to buy a ton?”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Qin Luo was genuinely tempted. “Hmm, give me a box of each to try.”

  Passing by, Professor Ji overheard this and chuckled as he knocked on Xiao Qiao’s head. “Alright, stop messing around. Those items were developed for distribution and testing. If Duoduo likes them, she can grab some herself from the office.”

  Professor Ji was as gentle as ever. Smiling, he asked Xu Duoduo if she remembered the way.

  Xu Duoduo nodded obediently.

  Hearing this, Qin Luo immediately bristled. “Qiao Weimo! You were even trying to scam my points?! From now on, you’re not allowed to go near Xu Duoduo!”

  Xiao Qiao stuck out her tongue and ran off. “Our department is underfunded! What’s wrong with pulling in some investment from you?”

  Qin Luo yelled after her, telling her not to run if she had nothing to hide. “She’s totally untrustworthy.”

  Professor Ji chuckled. “Don’t take her too seriously. Research can be stressful, and she’s just teasing you. Since you’re here, why don’t you do an ability monitoring check? The diluted mutation core serum you used earlier didn’t cause any side effects, did it?”

  Qin Luo hesitated, feeling a bit awkward. “It’s… fine.”

  The only issue was that a certain little zombie seemed to like him even more now—constantly wanting to touch and hug him. If denied, she’d get upset, and if upset, she’d cry. The problem was, every time she touched him, his legs would go weak, and he’d have… reactions.

  It was giving him a headache.

  Seeing his discomfort, Professor Ji assumed something serious had happened and urged him to quickly get the monitoring done. “Duoduo can entertain herself for a bit.”

  Xu Duoduo nodded and watched as the big dog (Qin Luo) followed Professor Ji for his ability monitoring.

  In everyone’s eyes, she was just a speed-type mutant. They didn’t pay too much attention to her abilities.

  Which, honestly, was a good thing.

  As Qin Luo walked away, he couldn’t help but shout back, “Xu Duoduo, don’t wander off. If anyone bullies you, remember to fight back.”

  Professor Ji, reminded of the last incident, found this amusing. “You’re overly protective.”

  Qin Luo mumbled, “I have to be. She’s timid.”

  Professor Ji recalled photos circulating on the forums. The little zombie was fierce in fights—timid was the last word anyone would associate with her. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

  Ah, youth.

  Xu Duoduo didn’t wander far. She found a familiar bench and sat down.

  This time, the person beside her was an old acquaintance—Brother Rabbit, the itchy-furred mutant. Perhaps because Xu Duoduo’s white-haired appearance made her look more like a mutant, he actually struck up a conversation with her. “Hey, which department are you here for? If you’re not sure, I can help you figure it out.”

  Brother Rabbit was very enthusiastic. “Don’t be shy. All newbies are like this. Last time I had itchy fur, Brother Chicken helped me out. What’s your mutation type? Why are you so white and fluffy? My fur’s white too, so we’re practically family. If you have any questions, just ask me. Seriously!”

  The white-haired little zombie turned to look at him. With his pink-and-white rabbit ears, Brother Rabbit was indeed quite cute. But Xu Duoduo felt that as a zombie, she should be single-minded. Since she had already tugged on the big dog’s ears, it wouldn’t be appropriate to tug on someone else’s.

  She was a zombie with principles.

  So she politely declined.

  Seeing her wave her hand without saying a word, Brother Rabbit immediately started crying. “Wahhh, you’re so pretty, but so pitiful! You can’t even talk? What’s your mutation type, animal or plant? Don’t tell me you’re a cotton spirit?”

  As a rabbit mutant, his eyes turned even redder when he cried, making him look even more pitiful.

  Xu Duoduo was startled, but before she could react, another familiar face arrived. Brother Chicken’s bright red comb was impossible to miss. “Cluck cluck, what are you crying about now?”

  Brother Rabbit immediately found a sympathetic ear and began rambling. “There’s a new pitiful rookie here!! She can’t even talk. Worse off than us animal mutants!!”

  Brother Chicken, ever the comforting elder, immediately offered his advice. “Cluck cluck, listen, sis! Take it from me, it’s no big deal. Being unable to talk is fine. Being a mutant is fine. I’ve got connections and can help you find a job, no problem!”

  He continued, “This base is great, cluck cluck. As long as you work hard, you’ll get by. Doesn’t matter if you’re human, not human, or something in between. Laziness won’t get you food! That’s true in any era! Oh, by the way, New Year’s is coming up in a few days. Our community is organizing a New Year’s Eve party!”

  The enthusiastic Brother Chicken invited the white-haired zombie to join the party. “It’s easy to come up with an act! You’re so pretty—how about a dance? Or we could do a comedy sketch together. There are prizes and bonuses for the winners, cluck cluck!”

  Brother Rabbit immediately nodded. “I think that’s a great idea!!”

  Xu Duoduo: …

  Maybe skip the sketch? These two could probably win first place with a stand-up routine.