The Walking Dead: Rebuild

Chapter 157 Temporary Research Center
Old Downey watched the surrounding environment uneasily along the way, very afraid that a group of fast-moving zombie monsters would suddenly rush out from all directions and intercept his car and kill him like what he just saw.

However, the journey back made him feel relieved. The journey of several hours was uneventful. When he was still a few hundred meters away from the Arkansas stronghold, he suddenly received an order from Professor Mallock.

"Mr. Downey, please stay where you are and do not move forward. Our staff will disinfect you."

Hearing this, Old Downey suddenly felt a little scared, fearing that he would be treated as a virus and eliminated together like the plot in some movies, so he was silent for a few seconds and asked in a dry voice:
"Mr. Mallock, are there any other team members back?"

Professor Maloch's voice did not fluctuate, and he still said seriously:
"Not yet, you are the first one back."

Old Downey was silent. He was not a person who was good at words. He raised his head and looked out the window. Seven or eight researchers wearing closed protective suits had walked to his car, holding a shower-like device in their hands. The jet system began to use various disinfection methods to disinfect the entire exterior of the car.

A few minutes later, these workers dealt with Downey himself and the fungus zombies he placed in the carriage.

In the end, Downey was locked in a sealed room for isolation observation, and the fungal zombie samples he brought back were sent to Professor Mallock's temporary research room to begin preliminary research.

After eating, drinking and sleeping, I was asked some questions about Texas.

After being imprisoned for about a week and undergoing several blood draws and examinations, Old Downey was finally released.

After he was released, he learned that of the ten survivors who went to Texas with him, only he and the two middle-aged couples managed to come back alive.

Of course, the People's Federation did not break its promise. Not only did the three survivors receive a reward of [-] contribution points, but even the injection of the mysterious medicine that Old Downey was most concerned about would be arranged with the consent of the president.

………………

A week later, in the Melfa Research Center, after receiving Professor Maloch's preliminary research data, Lyon immediately talked with Hathaway and Dr. Melfa.

"It's not bad. According to Professor Malloc's research, the infection of this fungal virus is stronger than that of ordinary zombie viruses."

"But their main routes of infection still rely on airborne and contact transmission, and the possibility of infection for ordinary people is not high."

"As long as the density of fungi in the air does not exceed a certain limit, or we are scratched and bitten by these fungal monsters, we ordinary people will not be infected by these fungal viruses."

Hathaway took the report and quickly entered the scholar mode, explaining the information of this fungal virus to Leon in a serious manner.

Dr. Melfa frowned, picked up the report, and remained silent for a long time.

Leon somewhat understood Dr. Melfa's thoughts. Virus serum and virus antibodies were not an easy research project. Dr. Melfa has been working hard for this research over the years.

But in less than four years, the zombie virus serum has mutated several times, and now, another fungal virus has appeared and is mixed with the zombie virus, which really catches people off guard.

If the development continues like this in the future, the successful development of zombie virus serum and virus antibodies will be far away.

However, as an excellent researcher, Dr. Melfa quickly calmed down and said to Lyon with the report:

"The situation is still optimistic."

"As long as we protect ourselves against this fungal virus and create equipment that can measure its concentration in the air, we can prevent ordinary survivors from being infected by it to a large extent."

"Leave this problem to Hathaway and I. In about half a month, we should be able to create a device that can detect the concentration of fungal viruses in the air."

"At that time, we will start a new set of research projects to study this new type of fungal virus."

Hearing that the infectivity of fungal viruses was not as strong as expected, Leon secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded to Dr. Melfa and said:

"No problem. Researching zombie viruses is related to the safety of all human beings. I will do my best to assist you."

Hathaway thought for a while and said to Dr. Melfa:
"Doctor, should we also need live samples?"

"After all, a report is a report, and Professor Malok only collected samples from zombie corpses, which cannot be used as the most realistic basis. We need to study the capabilities of these fungal viruses in a living state."

"Only in this way can we reduce unnecessary accidents."

Dr. Melfa was a little hesitant. She thought about it for dozens of seconds before saying to Lyon, Hathaway:
"We cannot yet confirm whether living mycoviruses are more infectious, so we cannot risk bringing them back from Arkansas."

"Well, let's transport some more professional scientific research equipment to Arkansas and establish a cutting-edge scientific research center there, with me personally leading the team."

"Although the coexistence of fungal viruses and zombie viruses has made the world more complicated, no one can tell whether this is a good thing or a bad thing."

"We must have the most accurate intelligence in order to make timely and corresponding countermeasures."

It is estimated that Dr. Melfa was hit hard by the emergence of mycoviruses. Lyon gave some advice, but the doctor insisted that the details of mycoviruses must be known as soon as possible in order to contribute to the progress of virus serum research.

Otherwise, even if a serum against zombie viruses is developed, it is not certain whether it will be effective against the latest changes in the virus.

The three discussed for a while, but in the end they couldn't defeat the old-fashioned Dr. Melfa.

After thinking about it, Lyon finally decided to send both the Abraham team and the Jasmine team near Arkansas to the front line stronghold.

With these elite members of the Sting Team around, he didn't need to worry too much about combat matters.

Therefore, under Lyon's operation, an expedition team of more than 300 people, escorting a large amount of supplies, began to travel from Georgia to Arkansas.

At the same time, he also issued a mission to the Jasmine team. After the expedition team arrives, they will take people to the Wesson Institute of Virology on the Mexican border to transport various research equipment there back to the temporary research center in Arkansas.

………………

On the Ohio side, after formally meeting the leaders of the survivor camps Jesus had found, Rick decided to talk to the Salvation Army first.

However, his decision was opposed by Sean.

"Rick, your decision was wrong."

"If you go to negotiate with them first, we will lose the opportunity to strike first."

"If we have another fight later, they will inflict more losses on our soldiers."

Rick feels that he is not wrong. Although the Salvation Army has done many wrong things, there are also many things that it has to do in order to survive. There are very few simple good people in this world.

Moreover, the Salvation Army has thousands of people, and it is impossible for everyone to be bad people. Once the two sides really start a war, many innocent people must be forced to die in vain.

However, his reason was not recognized by Sean. "The Salvation Army is not a group of believers. Didn't they kill all the men in the beach hotel?"

"People died at the top of the mountain village, the college camp, and the miner's camp."

"With so many sacrifices, should we just pretend that nothing happened?"

Although Rick felt that what Sean said was reasonable, his sense of responsibility as a good person forced him to think that he must give the people of the Salvation Army a chance for a peaceful solution.

In the end, the two had a quarrel, and neither could convince the other, so they pushed the issue to Leon.

Leon found the contrast between the two ideas very interesting.

It stands to reason that Sean's thoughts are more in line with the concepts of modern survivors. Everything should be done by oneself, and as long as it is beneficial to oneself, one can do it.

But Rick's concept is very humane. Although it is a little stupid and a little hypocritical, if he is just an ordinary team member or ordinary resident, no one wants his leader to be a selfish person with no bottom line. .

Just like the front and back of a mirror, both people have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as a leader of a force, Leon thought about it and said to Rick:
"Since the people of the Salvation Army are equipped with iron armor and have a large number of people, I will send thirty main battle tanks and twenty other land combat vehicles, a mobile force of about 300 people, to support you."

"Didn't the survivor named Jesus pretend that he was an undercover agent from Shandingzhai?"

"You can use this to set up a scam. I will send someone a batch of super anesthetic smoke so that you can capture a batch of Salvation Army soldiers alive."

"At that time, you will have weakened the power of the Salvation Army and have a bargaining chip with the Salvation Army."

"As for whether to completely destroy the Salvation Army, it depends on whether their leader understands the situation or not."

With the support of the President, Rick was full of motivation. He told Sean, Jesus and others the battle plan he received from Leon.

No one dared to disobey the command of the supreme leader of the People's Federation, and Lyon's plan was also very feasible. After they discussed the details and assigned their respective tasks, they began to implement the plan.

………………

A few days later, Negan, who was staying in his palace, suddenly heard some interesting news.

"The top village was occupied by a group of soldiers?"

"Yes."

Jesus raised his head and looked at the man sitting on the throne. This was the second time he had been with Negan at close range. In the past, even if Negan inspected his base, he would stay away to avoid provoking this smart guy. people's attention.

But today, he took the initiative to come to the door and report the news, which indeed aroused Negan's interest.

Negan touched the stubble on his chin, placed Lucille on the ground, and asked with interest:
"What kind of soldiers are they? How many are there?"

Jesus pretended to think about it for a moment and spoke the words he had already prepared.

"I don't know where the deserters came from. There are not many deserters, only about 50 of them, but their equipment and weapons are very good. There is also a tank and several armored vehicles."

"The people in Shandingzhai did not dare to resist when they saw their tanks, and they have now occupied them."

"However, the group of deserters did not start a massacre. They just robbed some of the food and occupied the place where we lived."

Hearing the number of these soldiers, Negan put down his guard. In his opinion, no matter how powerful the military soldiers were, a team of 50 people would not pose any threat to him.

After thinking about it for more than ten seconds, Negan said:

"Go back and find out about them and see if they have any other companions. We won't go to Shandingzhai to collect tributes this month. It's best not to let them know about our Salvation Army."

Jesus nodded, bowed respectfully and left.

After he left, Negan immediately called the other men, found a man with burn scars on his face, patted his face with his hand, and said:
"Dwight, follow Jesus quietly later and go to the top of the mountain to observe their situation and see if a pair of soldiers really occupied the top of the mountain."

"Observe well and tell me everything you see, okay?"

Dwight lowered his head, acted very submissive, and said:

"As you command, the great Negan."

Seeing Dwight's meek and obedient look, Negan couldn't help but reveal a smug smile on his face and said:
"I know about your secret meeting with Shirley, but now Shirley is my wife."

"If I find you next time, I will burn the other side of your face in front of her."

Dwight trembled when he heard this, seeming to remember the pain of having half his face burned off, and said with a trembling voice:

"Yes, the great Negan."

………………

Inside the mountain village.

Daryl, wearing a straight military uniform, sat boldly on the seat that originally belonged to Gedgoli, looking at the trembling old man in front of him with cold eyes.

That knife-like look made Gedgoli, who originally wanted to say something, couldn't help but tremble all over, unable to say anything.

In fact, the information Jesus told Negan was basically not lying.

There is indeed an army occupying Shanshanzhai and equipped with many advanced weapons.

However, this team is not some CRM deserters, but an elite force led by Daryl.

And in order to ensure that the information would not be leaked and to make the performance more realistic, everyone in the Shandingzhai Village except Jesus thought that this force was really bad guys, and no one dared to really resist them.

According to the plan discussed with Rick, Darryl restrained the other soldiers in the team and robbed most of the food and shelter in Shandingzhai, but he did not kill them all. Instead, he gave the villagers some rations and supplies for the army tent.

As for the so-called leader Gedgory on the top of the mountain, when Daryl learned about what this old man had done from Jesus’ mouth, he instinctively thought that this guy was just a coward, and only allocated him a room in the mansion to store cleaning materials. He left the utility room in the tool room and ignored him.

(End of this chapter)