Forty years old, awakening attribute panel

Chapter 276

Their appearance brings new hope to this doomsday team, but also adds a lot of complex emotional entanglements and survival challenges. Facing these new members, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli must re-evaluate their survival strategy. At the same time, the arrival of Annie and Ethan also brings a touch of warmth and humanity to this cold doomsday world.

In the original movie, Neville's desperate fight with the zombie leader ended in a tragedy of mutual destruction, and Anne took the antidote entrusted by Neville before his death and her son Ethan, and embarked on a journey to the survivors' settlement. However, in this reality that is different from the plot of the movie, the true identity of the mother and son is full of doubts, because they are actually undercover sent by the zombie leader and are part of the infected new humans. This sudden change has made the already challenging living environment even more complicated, and Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli's faces are naturally not much better. The two exchanged a look, and without saying much, they tacitly decided to go out to discuss countermeasures.

"What should we do?" Jiang Sheng's voice revealed a hint of anxiety.

Moon Hyo-ri frowned, and she asked Kang Seung in return, actually giving herself a chance to think: "What do you think?"

Jiang Sheng's eyes became sharp, and he made a decisive gesture with his right hand in the air, showing his determination. Moon Hyo-ri, a decisive woman, after a brief consideration, proposed a compromise plan: "Let's observe for a while. If they really pose a threat, then we will have to take action."

They quickly reached an agreement and turned back to the house. Anne in real life was more charming than in the movie, with her golden hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a simple black short-sleeved T-shirt and tights. If it weren't for the devastated scene around her that reminded them that they were in the end of the world, she would look more like a girl next door who came to visit a friend.

Neville was still busy in the basement, while Anne was sitting quietly on the sofa holding Ethan. Moon Hyo-ri sat opposite her and began to ask questions cautiously.

"Which direction are you coming from?" Wen Xiaoli asked in English.

"Southampton," Anne's answer was brief and direct.

Moon Hyo-ri continued to ask: "Southampton is not close to here, how did you get here?"

A trace of sadness appeared on Anne's face: "We escaped with other survivors. At first, there were 14 of us in total. But when we were crossing Dix Mountain, we encountered a large number of zombies. Most of our companions were unfortunately attacked by zombies. The remaining few chose to leave alone after being infected with the virus to avoid dragging us down." Her words were full of nostalgia for her deceased companions and uncertainty about the future, making it difficult to judge the authenticity of her story.

Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli listened to Annie's narration, but they were constantly analyzing and weighing in their hearts. In this doomsday world, trust has become an extremely luxurious thing, and every choice may be a matter of life and death. They must explore the truth as much as possible while ensuring the safety of the team, and this is undoubtedly the biggest test they are facing now.

Moon Hyo-ri's question hits the nail on the head. Her eyes are as sharp as a hawk, as if she wants to penetrate Annie's soul and find the truth. "Are you infected with the virus?" This sentence is not only a question, but also a verdict, foreshadowing that the next conversation will determine the fate of Annie and her son.

"No." Annie answered without hesitation, holding Ethan's hand tightly, as if it was her only support. Her eyes stayed on Jiang Sheng's face for a moment, as if seeking a little understanding or sympathy, and then turned firmly to Wen Xiaoli, with a hint of hurt in her voice: "Do you think I'm a zombie?" Her words were mixed with disbelief and grievance, as if in such a world, being misunderstood as an enemy is the greatest sorrow.

Moon Hyo-ri's answer was cold and direct, a simple nod, as if she had already passed a verdict on Annie. "Yes!" She did not hide her doubts, because in the doomsday environment, anyone could be a potential threat.

Anne's reaction was almost instinctive. She stood up suddenly and stretched her hand towards the sunlight coming in from the window, as if to use this most primitive method to prove her innocence. "How is it possible? Zombies are afraid of light." Her action was both a form of self-protection and a silent protest, trying to break the shadow of distrust hanging over her head.

Jiang Sheng observed this scene, thinking about the next strategy in his mind. He whispered to Moon Hyo-ri in Chinese: "Ask her where she is in Dix Hills." Behind this instruction, he had his considerations hidden. By verifying the specific details, he might be able to uncover a corner of the truth.

Moon Hyo-ri understood and quickly relayed the question to Annie, who answered: "A car wash near Route 230." This simple description was like a key that would open the door to verification.

Jiang Sheng said nothing more and immediately stood up and left the room. Although he could not go to the scene to investigate in person, he knew that the real-life map on his personal terminal was enough to be his clairvoyance. Through the power of high technology, he could transcend the limitations of space and trace the traces of history.

The image on the screen gradually became clear, and the car wash in Dix Hill came into view. As the map zoomed in, details appeared one by one: several cars covered in dust were parked in front of the store, silent as relics forgotten by time. The dark red bloodstains scattered on the ground were dull in color, indicating that they had been there for more than a few weeks. These silent evidences began to weave a picture that did not match what Anne had said.

Further exploration, the camera turns to the broken glass window, where two shrunken limbs lie, and the blood around them is splattered, as if telling of a tragic fight, where life was taken away in the most cruel way. This scene is undoubtedly a direct denial of the fight that Anne said took place two days ago.

Combining all the observations, the conclusion is self-evident: indeed, there was a fierce battle around the car wash, but this does not match the timeline described by Annie. In this doomsday world full of dangers, every trust needs to be supported by evidence, and facing possible threats, Jiang Sheng knows that he must make the most rational, and possibly the most ruthless, decision.

From this subtle clue, we can further speculate that Annie's experience is far more complicated than she revealed. She may have indeed set foot in the dangerous car wash and fought a life-and-death battle with those irrational zombies. However, when she faced Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli, she obviously underestimated their survival wisdom in this doomsday world - they not only rely on force, but also master advanced scientific and technological means, such as real-world maps. Such resources make her seemingly impeccable lies instantly vulnerable.

This extra half month has become the biggest mystery of the whole incident. During this time, Annie may have encountered unimaginable challenges, and it is even possible that, as Jiang Sheng suspected, she fell into the control of the zombie leader. In a world full of zombies, every day may mean new horrors and challenges. How she survived in such an environment and finally escaped with her child is undoubtedly a curious story.

As night gradually approached, Jiang Sheng realized that time was running out. In the doomsday world, night often means more unknowns and dangers. He touched the sharp bone-chopping knife on his waist, and his eyes revealed determination. He didn't have time for lengthy psychological warfare, and every decision could be a matter of life and death.

Moon Hyo-ri saw Kang Seung re-entering the house, and her face was full of confusion. But Kang Seung did not explain immediately, but adopted a strategy that seemed relaxed but actually concealed a hidden meaning. He sat opposite Annie, with a smile that hid a deep meaning, trying to detect Annie's true intentions through interaction with Ethan.

Anne's fluent Chinese answers and gentle touch on Ethan seemed to have inadvertently brought them closer, but when Jiang Sheng asked for a hug, her subtle reaction exposed her inner vigilance. At this moment, Jiang Sheng's inner balance completely tilted, and he decided not to give the other party any chance.

Just as Jiang Sheng was about to take action, Annie showed her hidden side. Her small body burst out with amazing strength in the face of crisis. She used the coffee table beside her as a cover, cleverly dodged Wen Xiaoli's shooting, and protected Yisen at the same time, showing extraordinary vigilance and survival skills.

Kang Seung and Moon Hyo-ri were forced to retreat, and they quickly adjusted their tactics, using the windows as cover to prepare to fight the unidentified woman. And Annie's somewhat playful laughter not only revealed her surprise at being discovered, but also revealed a hidden strength and calmness.

"Fuck you." Jiang Sheng's roar was accompanied by the roar of the assault rifle. The sofa was torn to pieces under the intensive firepower, but Annie disappeared from their sight again like a ghost, leaving behind a series of unsolved mysteries.

This series of confrontations not only exposes the positions and strengths of both sides, but also foreshadows the cruelty and complexity of this doomsday survival struggle. Annie's true identity, her relationship with the zombies, and why she chose to lie have become key puzzles that Kang Seung and Moon Hyo-ri must solve. In the context of the doomsday, trust is particularly luxurious, and every judgment and action may determine the direction of their respective destinies.

"Ouch--" That childish scream made people's hearts tighten. The little boy Ethan was thrown towards Jiang Sheng and his men as a human shield. At this moment, Jiang Sheng was shocked beyond words. He had never thought that a mother would make such a decisive move. Ethan was flying in the air, his face quickly turned blue-black, and the blood vessels under his skin bulged out, like an intricate spider web, reflecting a weird and terrifying scene.

"Bang-bang-bang--" Moon Hyo-ri reacted quickly and fired three shots in a row, trying to stop this heinous act. The bullet passed through Ethan's head, and his thin body fell heavily to the ground like a discarded sack. The solemnity and sadness in the air almost solidified, but the battle did not stop.

Then, Anne's voice came from behind the sofa, and that voice carried some strange temptation: "I'll give you a chance. Lay down your weapons, and I will grant you the ability to live forever."

"Immortality? Like those walking corpses?" Jiang Sheng's words were full of disdain. He couldn't believe such a false promise.

"How ridiculous! Do you think I look like those ugly losers?" Anne's retort was full of sarcasm. She slowly stood up from behind the sofa. Her posture was elegant and weird, not like an ordinary person at all.

Faced with this sudden provocation, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli did not hesitate. They opened fire quickly, hoping to take this opportunity to end the battle. However, what they did not expect was that Annie seemed to have mastered some incredible ability. Her figure was erratic in the rain of bullets, as elusive as a phantom. In a flash, she appeared in front of them. With a light wave of her hand, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli were hit by an invisible force and fell heavily to the ground, dizzy.

Jiang Sheng, who was lying on the ground, had a thought in his mind. He had always thought that the zombie leader was the biggest threat they had to face, the "night demon" in this doomsday world. But now, this woman showed a fighting power that surpassed the zombie leader. They were no match for her at all, and she could move freely in the sun without any impact. All signs showed that this woman was the real "night demon" and the ultimate enemy they had to face. "You are the night demon?" Jiang Sheng's voice trembled, and he realized that his previous judgment was completely wrong.

The female night demon's face was also covered with blue veins. Her laughter echoed in the room, full of sarcasm and complacency: "Don't you think it's too late to know now?" As she laughed wildly, her mouth full of dark blue veins revealed gleaming fangs, exuding a breath of coldness and death.

At this moment, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli realized that they were not facing an ordinary enemy, but a night demon with unimaginable power. In this doomsday world, the rules of survival have been rewritten again, and they must find a new way to deal with it, otherwise, what awaits them will be an irreversible ending.

Under the shadow of death, Jiang Sheng instead summoned up a desperate courage. He stood up from the dust, a sneer on his face, as if he had already put life and death aside. "I don't think it's too late at all." His words were full of provocation, and he spread out his left and right palms, showing his chips.

"Since you are not one of those ordinary zombies with low intelligence, you should know how amazing the power of modern technology is. I have buried no less than a ton of TNT explosives around this house. As long as I press this button in my right hand, the entire building will be reduced to nothing in an instant." Jiang Sheng's words were full of determination, as if he was ready to perish together with his family at any time.

He changed the subject and gently raised a ping-pong ball-sized ball from his left hand, "In addition, we have to thank you Americans for creating so many high-tech weapons. We were fortunate to get this today in the Federal Secret Service Building - a depleted uranium bomb." There was a hint of pride in Jiang Sheng's tone, as if this small ball was the last trump card in his hand.

"If Lord Night Devil has some knowledge of chemistry, you should know what depleted uranium is. Once depleted uranium is used as an explosive, its power is so terrifying that I'm afraid you haven't had a direct experience of it. Moon Hyo-ri, why don't you give Lord Night Devil some science advice?"

Moon Hyo-ri also stood up and took out an identical depleted uranium bomb from her pocket. Her expression was calm and resolute. "Uranium is extremely flammable. Once detonated, the intensity of its burning will be far beyond imagination. It can even melt steel at high temperatures. However, considering the low radioactivity of depleted uranium, the destructive range of this bomb is roughly limited to a 5×5 area." Her words were clear and calm, explaining the characteristics of the depleted uranium bomb clearly.

Jiang Sheng took a step forward with Moon Hyo-ri's explanation, his eyes flashing with determination, "How about giving it a try? See if what we said is true or not."

The female demon's eyes revealed a hint of hesitation, and her body involuntarily took a small step back, but she quickly regained her footing and raised a sneer at the corner of her mouth, "Do you think I will believe your threats?"

"Come and verify it if you have the guts. Since we dare to stay here, we are ready to die." There was no wavering in Jiang Sheng's words. The tacit cooperation between him and Wen Xiaoli seemed to tell Ye Mo that they were not bluffing.

The female demon's eyes moved back and forth between the depleted uranium bomb in Jiang Sheng's left hand and the detonator in his right hand. In the end, she did not choose to take the risk. In such a confrontation, the contest of wisdom and courage is far more complicated and subtle than a simple armed conflict. Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli used their deep understanding of the rules of the doomsday world and their clever use of technology to successfully gain room for negotiation despite the disparity in power.

"If you have the guts, don't leave this house!" The Night Demon left a threatening remark, and then with a few clever jumps, his figure disappeared without a trace in the twilight. Although they temporarily got rid of the direct threat of the Night Demon, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli did not relax, but became more depressed. They understood that this was only a temporary calm, and the real battle was about to come.

They quickly fixed the m134 machine gun on the windowsill, and prepared individual rocket launchers, grenades, assault rifles, and boxes of bullet chains one by one. Every corner was filled with their carefully arranged defense lines. Tonight would be their last battle against fate to decide whether they could safely leave the world of "A Legend of One Man". If they won, the two of them would be able to escape, and if they lost, they would become one of the walking dead, or add two gradually decaying corpses in a back garden of this city.

The last rays of afterglow in the sky gradually sank into the high-rise buildings, and the sky and the earth seemed to be covered by a gray veil, foreshadowing the arrival of night. In front of the window, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli sat opposite each other, with a bottle of Remy Martin placed in the middle. The atmosphere was solemn and solemn. Jiang Sheng picked up the wine glass, looked at Wen Xiaoli deeply, and asked softly: "If I die, will you remember me?"

Moon Hyo-ri raised her glass and clinked it with his, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, and she whispered, "I don't know, maybe." After that, she drank it all in one gulp, as if she wanted to temporarily numb herself with the alcohol.

Jiang Sheng also drank the wine in his glass in one breath and began to talk about his past: "My father died when I was very young, and my mother raised me single-handedly. She never wanted to bow down to others. In order to make a living, she worked as a factory worker, a street cleaner, and a nanny. In this way, she supported me to finish college."

Moon Hyo-ri listened quietly, refilled his glass, and raised her glass to pay tribute: "Your mother is really great!"

Jiang Sheng smiled bitterly and drank another cup. "Yes, but as a son of mine, I didn't let her enjoy even a single day of happiness. Instead, I may have to let her suffer the pain of losing her son."

Moon Hyo-ri looked at him, a gentle light flashing in her eyes, and comforted him: "The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop, the son wants to support his parents but they are no longer there. If you have the opportunity to return to your original world, you must be filial to your mother."

Jiang Sheng's eyes became unusually bright at that moment, and he said firmly: "There can only be one time of regret. If it happens again, it is not God's problem, but my own failure to work hard enough. For my mother, I will do my best to live, not only for survival, but also for the day to be able to repay her for all she has given." Under the haze of doomsday, this persistence and desire for family affection has become the strongest armor in their hearts.

Moon Hyo-ri wanted to comfort Kang Seung, but her attention was drawn to the movement on the street. She stood up quickly, her eyes revealing alertness: "They are coming."

Jiang Sheng said nothing more, but took the bottle and took a deep sip, as if to use the strong liquor to build up courage, and then cursed: "If you want to die, die with glory, if you don't want to die, live a long life, drink it!" He used this sentence as his oath, took out a lighter, and resolutely lit the fuse that had been placed under the window sill. The flames "hissed" and quickly spread to the car wreckage in the distance, and finally "boomed", and a raging fire soared into the sky. However, compared with last night, the fire tonight seemed much weaker, obviously lacking sufficient fuel.

The sound of gunfire began to be as dense as frying beans, interweaving with the crackling of the fire outside, echoing in the empty buildings, forming a symphony of doomsday. Facing the flames and bullets, the zombies showed amazing fearlessness, charging forward desperately, as if no force could stop them.

Dr. Neville was not able to participate in the defense because he was at a critical stage of the experiment, which gave the zombies an opportunity to rush to the edge of the house. They frantically knocked on the windows, fences and protective panels, and some even set up simple ladders to try to climb to the roof. Soon, some zombies successfully jumped into the house, but they were greeted by ruthless machine gun fire, and they were instantly turned into cold corpses.

However, the zombies' offensive did not weaken, and more zombies crossed the fire wall and rushed towards the house. Due to the lack of sufficient combustion materials, the zombies actually used their bodies to wade out a bloody road, and the zombies behind stepped on the corpses of their companions to continue moving forward. The scene was shocking.

"Awoo, awoo, awoo, awoo~~" The miserable howls of the zombies echoed in the night sky, and the dense army of zombies approached the house like a tide.

"Fuck you, I'll kill you!" Jiang Sheng roared, pulled open the protective plate, set up the Gatling gun, and fired fiercely at the sea of ​​zombies in front of him. "Da da da da da da..." The fire net of death was woven by bullets, which instantly dispersed the first wave of zombies. Some zombies tried to block the muzzle of the gun, but they were shattered by the power of NATO standard bullets, showing the last dignity of human technology in the doomsday.

In comparison, Moon Hyo-ri's task was slightly easier. She only needed to focus on the zombies jumping off the roof. The zombies on the other sides were attracted by Jiang Sheng's firepower in the north, like iron filings attracted by a magnet, and rushed towards him. Moon Hyo-ri's accurate shooting and Jiang Sheng's firepower coverage formed a perfect complement. In the baptism of doomsday, the two wrote their own survival legend with tacit understanding and courage.

"Ammunition--ammunition!" Moon Hyo-ri's urgent cry rang out amid the hail of bullets. She quickly picked up the ammunition box beside her, rushed to Jiang Sheng's side, and quickly fed the ammunition belt into the gun slot of the M134, providing fire support while ensuring that Jiang Sheng's weapon would not misfire due to the exhaustion of ammunition. "Da da da..." Jiang Sheng's arms were numb due to the continuous recoil impact of the M134, but his will was extremely firm, and he continued to shoot mechanically. Outside the house, zombies surged in like a tide, as if all the zombies in Manhattan had gathered here, the scene was horrifying.

"Bang, bang, bang—" The situation on the roof was not optimistic either. Zombies fell like raindrops. Although Moon Hyo-ri's shooting was accurate, she gradually felt exhausted and her movements began to panic. After all, her physical strength and endurance were not as good as Jiang Sheng's. Faced with the increasing number of zombies in the house, the shadow of despair began to spread in her heart.

But Jiang Sheng did not give up. His mind remained amazingly calm, and he shouted, "Don't use pistols, use machine guns to shoot them, or blow them up with grenades if that doesn't work!" In response to Wen Xiaoli's question about the safety of the house, Jiang Sheng shouted, "It's already this time, and you still care about the house?"

Moon Hyo-ri followed the instructions and immediately changed her strategy. She picked up her assault rifle and fired at the zombies that were howling and approaching, successfully forcing them to retreat. However, the number of zombies in the house continued to rise, and some zombies even broke through the defense line and broke into the basement. The situation was critical and there was no time to lose.

Moon Hyo-ri continued to fight the zombies upstairs, and Kang Seung anxiously shouted, "Quick, go down to the basement! I can't hold on here any longer." Finally, Moon Hyo-ri retreated quickly to the basement at Kang Seung's urging. Kang Seung followed closely behind, holding two boxes of precious bullets in his arms, preparing for the next battle.

The door of the basement slammed shut behind them, isolating them from the roar and chaos of the zombies outside, but also foreshadowing that they had entered a smaller and more tense combat space. The two leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, ready to face the next unknown challenge. In this closed space, they must rely on limited resources and cooperation with each other to survive in this doomsday world.

(End of this chapter)