Chapter 43: Something is wrong with you

According to the markings on the map, after leaving the Doomsday Merchant camp, Fang Heng needed to traverse a section of forest before reaching the highway.

The initial route was the most rugged.

Because there were no roads, the large truck was exceptionally bumpy.

Worried that the fragile items in the truck's cargo box might be damaged, Fang Heng could only slow down.

"If this keeps up, I'm definitely going to get hemorrhoids..."

Fang Heng complained in a low voice, his buttocks aching from the jolting.

Once this mercenary recruitment mission was finished, he decided he would simply spend the time to build a road to avoid this suffering.

Nearly an hour and a half later, Fang Heng turned the steering wheel, guiding the truck onto a well-maintained secondary highway.

Only then did the truck begin to gradually accelerate.

The mission difficulty was only C+, and he encountered no significant dangers along the way.

When he occasionally encountered zombies blocking the path, Fang Heng mostly just drove around them.

If they were truly impossible to bypass, Fang Heng would opt for stability.

He would slowly bring the truck to a stop, get out to deal with the zombies, and then continue forward.

After a total of three and a half hours, Fang Heng arrived at a detached villa less than five hundred meters away from the abandoned factory.

This was the delivery location indicated by the mission marker.

The detached villa had three floors in total, surrounded by three layers of wooden spiked traps of varying sizes.

Fang Heng could see dark red bloodstains remaining on the spikes.

These low-level defensive structures were very effective against mindless, low-level zombies.

"Mr. Qiu! Are you in? Wirtel sent me to deliver supplies to you!"

Fang Heng stood outside the small house and shouted toward the villa.

There was no response from within.

Strange? Why is no one here?

Fang Heng tried shouting again.

"Mr. Qiu! Your package! If you're not taking it, I'll leave it in the delivery locker!"

Still no response.

Fang Heng frowned. He wondered if he should get closer and use a small hammer to tap on the window to see the situation inside the villa.

Just as he lifted his left foot, Fang Heng pulled it back.

It was strange; he had a premonition.

There was danger in this villa.

*Eh? Could my passive skill, Danger Perception, be working?*

While Fang Heng was wondering, he suddenly keenly sensed a slight rustling coming from the nearby bushes.

He snapped his head to the side.

A head poked out from the low bushes.

"Keep it down. Are you trying to attract all the nearby zombies?"

Qiu Yaokang beckoned to Fang Heng.

"Follow me first."

Fang Heng sized up Qiu Yaokang, nodded, and followed him into the low bushes.

Behind the bushes was a gap in a broken wire fence.

Following closely behind Qiu Yaokang, Fang Heng squeezed through the gap into the villa's backyard.

In the backyard, Qiu Yaokang put considerable effort into lifting a hidden underground passage entrance beneath the turf and securing the steel plate of the entrance.

Good grief!

Only then did Fang Heng realize that the entrance to this building was in the backyard, accessible only through a downward tunnel.

Despite Qiu Yaokang's thin, seemingly malnourished appearance, he certainly knew his way around digging tunnels.

Qiu Yaokang looked to be in his early thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a white research coat, and medical gloves.

"Wait a moment."

As Qiu Yaokang spoke, he crawled into the passage and quickly pushed a small trolley back out.

"Wirtel mentioned you to me. Help me bring all the supplies inside, thank you."

"We're walking through the bushes? Aren't we using the main entrance?"

"The main entrance? You're thinking too small."

Qiu Yaokang shook his head.

"The main entrance is filled with traps I've set; it's an entrance reserved specifically for invaders."

"Hiss..."

Fang Heng drew in a sharp breath.

No wonder he had sensed danger earlier.

The boxes Wirtel had packed in advance were large and heavy. It was a bit much for Fang Heng to carry alone, so he worked together with Qiu Yaokang to transport them.

After several trips and several batches, the two finally moved all the supplies from the truck into the passage leading to the backyard basement.

The underground passage was quite large.

Fang Heng surveyed the layout of the basement.

At a glance, he could see several independent rooms.

The hallways were also kept very clean.

It was evident that the place was cleaned regularly.

Qiu Yaokang took out a tissue and carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I'll trouble you to help me move the boxes into the laboratory as well, thank you."

"Laboratory? Where?"

As Fang Heng spoke, he bent down to prepare to move a box.

"Wait a minute!"

Qiu Yaokang raised a hand to stop him.

"Hmm?"

"Go to the changing room over there first. There are new protective suits and hats inside. Change into them, and remember to wash up and put on gloves."

"Uh..."

Fang Heng sized up Qiu Yaokang from head to toe.

"Is that really necessary?"

"Hurry up, don't waste time."

"Fine."

Fang Heng didn't want to waste time either.

He walked into the changing room, put on a protective suit, a hat, and gloves, and then followed Qiu Yaokang into the laboratory.

The laboratory was even larger than Fang Heng had expected.

He even saw several dissected zombie corpses lying on the dissection tables in the corner of the lab.

"Help me out. There are three boxes with white stripes in the hallway. Place them there, against the wall, thank you."

Fang Heng nodded and, with considerable effort, lifted the boxes from the passage, carried them into the laboratory, and set them heavily on the floor.

Qiu Yaokang had already exhausted himself while helping move the boxes earlier.

Even now, his hands and arms were still trembling slightly.

Leaning half of his body against the laboratory wall, he observed Fang Heng.

"Your strength and stamina are quite good."

Fang Heng glanced at him.

*Probably a bit better than a science nerd like you!*

Qiu Yaokang frowned.

"Don't look at me like that. I perform one hour of scientific exercise every day. Recently, due to staying up late, my physical condition is only slightly inferior to an average person."

*Right, you're just amazing!*

Fang Heng set down the second box heavily.

Moving boxes alone was tiring; he didn't feel like chatting and only wanted to finish the task quickly so he could go back to delivering goods.

Qiu Yaokang adjusted his glasses and scrutinized Fang Heng.

"Please help me push the boxes into the corner, thank you."

"Got it," Fang Heng replied, turning his back to push the boxes.

Qiu Yaokang lightly took a pack of tissues from his pocket and tossed it toward Fang Heng's back.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Fang Heng suddenly raised his hand and caught the flying pack of tissues mid-air.

"Damn! What are you doing?"

Fang Heng felt a bit of irritation.

If you're not going to help, fine, but what's with throwing tissues at people?

Qiu Yaokang didn't answer; he just stared intently at Fang Heng.

Fang Heng felt a bit unnerved by the gaze.

"What are you staring at me for!"

Qiu Yaokang continued to stare.

"Something is wrong with you."

Fang Heng: "You're the one who's wrong!"

Qiu Yaokang retracted his aggressive gaze.

"Your physical fitness is higher than that of an ordinary person, and your perception is at least twice that of an average person."

Fang Heng's mouth twitched upon hearing this.

*You caught me! You little genius!*

*I've maxed out my basic attributes in Constitution, Agility, and Strength! And I even learned a B-rank Perception skill!*

Qiu Yaokang turned and walked toward the laboratory door.

"Follow me."

"What now? Not moving boxes anymore?"

"I don't need you to move boxes anymore. Just help me do one more thing, thank you."

"Can I choose not to help?"

"Don't waste everyone's time."

*You really are something!*

Fang Heng was almost amused by his own anger.