Doomsday police, please show your god/demon ID card.

The group exchanged glances, their faces darkening slightly.

no...

Why does it feel like I've been humiliated out of nowhere?

"Ahem~" Tang Long touched his nose and coughed lightly. "Alright, enough nonsense! What exactly do you want to say?"

Chen Ming immediately said.

"I've been wondering how the flesh cocoon can control so many zombies at the same time, and even make them exhibit basic cooperative behaviors such as patrolling and guarding."

"Now I think I understand! It's not controlled directly by 'thought,' it's 'broadcast'!"

"A broadcast?" Tang Long frowned slightly.

"That's right, it's broadcasting!" Chen Ming nodded. "It uses bioelectric signals that we can't directly perceive, but which can be transmitted through the mycelial network to broadcast!"

"All the zombies infected by the mycelium are like receivers, passively receiving this 'basic instruction set' to move, attack, stop, or return... Simple, but effective!"

"To give an analogy, the flesh cocoon is like a broadcast tower, the mycelium is like the data cable connecting it to the zombies, and the zombies are like radios."

Su Yan frowned, recalling the chaotic roars and primal hunger she had felt when she touched the mycelium: "So... what I heard back then was probably just 'noise' from a broadcast signal?"

"Very likely!" Chen Ming nodded excitedly. "When you came into contact with the mycelium, your brain detected this abnormal bioelectric signal, but it couldn't interpret it. Instead, you were overwhelmed by the strong instinctive emotions contained within it, which caused you to fall into a coma."

"Ha! We already guessed that idea of ​​yours," Wang Hu immediately chimed in, still somewhat unconvinced.

However, that statement is not entirely wrong!

The conclusions drawn earlier were largely the same as what Chen Ming said, only expressed differently.

The others also looked over with curiosity.

Chen Ming put his hands on his hips, tilted his head at a 45-degree angle, and glanced at everyone with disdain.

"Mortals are just mortals! How could they possibly guess the thoughts of a genius?"

"Calling you stupid is actually a compliment."

"Now that I know how the flesh cocoon controls the horde of zombies, severing that connection is as simple as that, isn't it?"

Tang Long gritted his teeth, feeling a bit like hitting someone.

However...

next second.

He suddenly realized what was happening and stared at the other person in astonishment: "You can sever the connection between the hordes of zombies?"

Chen Ming nodded, his expression becoming more serious.

"That's right!"

"Since the flesh cocoon controls zombies through resonance frequencies!"

"Just take the analog signal, reverse it, analyze it, and then play it in reverse!"

"Theoretically, given enough power, we could even destroy its mental core directly!"

As he spoke, Chen Ming pressed a button on the controller.

hum-

A sharp, piercing noise came from a small speaker installed below the drone.

"I rewrote its control program and added a small noise-generating device."

"Now, it can not only observe, but also conduct tactical interference and counterattacks!"

He sighed as he said this.

"Unfortunately, due to hardware limitations, I cannot perfectly reproduce the entire control signal, and the power is far from sufficient to directly affect the core of the cocoon."

"But the hordes of zombies he's controlling should still be effective!"

Wang Hu's eyes shone like light bulbs. He stepped forward and patted Chen Ming's shoulder forcefully.

"You little rascal, you're a fucking genius!"

He's not angry anymore. If what Chen Ming said is true, this thing could be very useful!

To be honest, he was somewhat impressed by the other person's intelligence.

Tang Long's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the unremarkable, even somewhat ugly, drone on the table and pursed his lips.

"Effective distance? Duration?"

"I haven't actually measured it, but conservatively speaking, the core interference range radius is about 20 meters. Beyond that distance, it will probably be significantly reduced."

Chen Ming answered fluently, clearly having already calculated it.

"As for the duration, it should last for 20 minutes on a full charge, no problem."

As he spoke...

He then pulled out several old, damaged walkie-talkies from under the worktable.

"In addition, I also found this. Although most of the chips were ruined, I pieced together the usable parts and modified them into a short-range encrypted communication channel."

"Although I haven't actually tested it, the effective range should be around 600 meters! However, its anti-interference capability is average, so I don't recommend using it in densely built-up areas, but it should be enough to maintain basic communication between squads."

Tang Long picked up a walkie-talkie. It was heavy in his hand, with a rough casing and a crooked antenna, but the indicator light was flashing a faint green light.

"How's the sound quality?" Tang Long asked.

"Anyway, I can hear it." Chen Ming turned his head away, looking somewhat guilty.

Tang Long's lips twitched; the sound quality was probably not very good.

but...

Something is better than nothing!

In modern times, who doesn't know the importance of instant messaging!

"Well done." Tang Long patted the other man on the shoulder and said solemnly, "If we can wipe out the monsters in the supermarket this time, you'll deserve the credit!"

Chen Ming was stunned for a moment, then his whole face lit up.

He seemed to be trying to maintain a calm expression, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but grin.

"Of course!" He stiffened his neck and cleared his throat. "This is just basic operation."

Tang Long smiled but didn't expose him.

He looked at the drone again, his fingers tracing its rough, patched exterior.

"Tomorrow," he said in a deep voice, "we'll find a safe place to test the effects of this 'mental noise'."

"yes!"

......

The next morning, the sky was gray and gloomy.

The atmosphere inside the police station was tense, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Everyone's gaze was subtly drawn to the ugly drone on the worktable.

suddenly.

A voice rang out.

"The test site was chosen in Block 3 on the east side."

Tang Long drew a circle on the simplified map.

"There is a small group of zombies controlled by mycelium, about twenty in number, about one kilometer away from us, which makes it easy to retreat."

"Wang Hu, you and I will be responsible for close-range surveillance."

"Luo Yongchao and Liu Qiang, set up a sniper position on the third floor of the residential building behind us, ready to provide fire support at any time."

"Su Yan, you monitor the overall situation and notify us immediately if anything unusual happens."

"Chen Ming," Tang Long said, looking at Chen Ming, "I'm entrusting the drone equipment to you."

Chen Ming pushed up his non-existent glasses on the bridge of his nose, raised his chin, and said with a smug look, "Don't worry, get ready to witness a miracle!"

Wang Hu, carrying a fire axe, glanced at him sideways: "If you dare to attract more zombies, I'll be the first to kick your messy hair like a ball."

"A crude brute," Chen Ming scoffed.

......

One hour later, on Block 3.

The putrid air was still and stagnant. Seven or eight zombies were scattered on the street, moving slowly, their black mycelial patterns barely visible in the gloomy light.

Tang Long, Wang Hu, and Chen Ming hid behind an abandoned bus.

In a window on the third floor of a nearby residential building, Luo Yongchao and Liu Qiang flashed by, their gun barrels already locked on the ground below.

"Su Yan, how is the situation?" Tang Long asked in a low voice into the walkie-talkie.

Su Yan's intermittent voice came through the walkie-talkie, mixed with the crackling sound of electricity.

"The situation is... normal. I haven't sensed anything. There are still... extra zombies nearby."

"Damn it!" Wang Hu muttered to himself, "This crappy walkie-talkie is worse than me shouting."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming glared at the other party. Wang Hu immediately raised his fist, which was as big as a clay pot, and shook it, which frightened Chen Ming so much that he quickly shrank back.

Seeing this, Tang Long looked somewhat helpless and scolded in a low voice.

"Stop playing around! Let's get started."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming took a deep breath, and his expression changed from nonchalant to very focused.

His fingers flew across the tablet.

buzzing-

The patched-up drone struggled to spin its four propellers of varying lengths, emitting a tractor-like roar, and wobbled as it took off.

Finally, it hovered above the heads of the zombie horde.

The zombies on the ground did not react to the loud "iron bird" and continued to wander around numbly, like puppets on strings.

"They're not responding, so it seems the signals controlling them have a very high priority," Tang Long analyzed.

"Hmph~ Just you wait and see!" Chen Ming snorted and pressed a red button on the tablet.

Om-! ! !

A sharp, high-frequency noise, almost piercing eardrums, burst forth from the small speaker installed under the drone.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a steel needle piercing straight into a person's brain.

Tang Long and Wang Hu frowned instantly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"Damn! That voice is awful!" Wang Hu couldn't help but complain.

However, the next second.

The sight on the street made him swallow his complaints.

The zombies that had been wandering around suddenly froze in place, as if a pause button had been pressed.

One second, two seconds... three seconds...

Their bodies began to twitch uncontrollably, and their heads twisted at an eerie angle.

The black mycelium on its body began to flicker violently, the light flashing on and off, before finally going out completely.

It worked!

Wang Hu's eyes widened, and his mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg.

"This...this piece of junk actually works?"

Tang Long's heart skipped a beat as he stared intently at the zombies below.

What happens when the connection is severed?

The zombie closest to the bus suddenly raised its head after a violent convulsion.

Its cloudy eyes were no longer empty and numb, but replaced by a most primal and pure madness.

"roar--!!!"

A roar unlike any it had ever heard before erupted from deep within its throat.

The next moment, it abandoned its original wandering target, got on all fours, and pounced on the bus like a cheetah!

The speed is at least twice as fast as before!

"Watch out!" Tang Long's pupils contracted.

boom!

The zombie's body slammed heavily onto the bus, making a loud thud.

The loud noise seemed to be a signal.

All the "offline" zombies on the street came back to life.

They no longer cooperated or formed any formation; they simply followed their savagest instincts, drawn by sounds and the scent of living things.

The closest zombies immediately turned around and charged toward the bus, roaring.

Further away, they began attacking and tearing at each other, instantly turning the scene into a bloody inferno.

"They've gone out of control!" Wang Hu raised his fire axe, his face grave. "But they seem... even more troublesome!"

"Test successful, as long as we can cut off control!" Tang Long quickly made the judgment. "Chen Ming, turn off the noise, let's retreat!"

"clear!"

Chen Ming immediately turned off the noise and controlled the drone to return to base.

Without the stimulation of high-frequency noise, Tang Long and Wang Hu felt much clearer-headed.

"roar!"

Another zombie pounced, its claws scraping against the car window with a piercing sound.

"Damn it, this is never going to end!" Wang Hu roared, swung his fire axe, leaned out of the car window, and chopped it down hard!

puff!

The zombie's head flew off with a sound.

[Police Officer Tang Hu, killed a regular zombie, Order Points +1]

"Team Leader Tang, this won't do! The noise will attract even more zombies!" Wang Hu shouted.

Tang Long was also nearby, firing shots continuously.

bang bang bang~

Holding the walkie-talkie, he yelled, "Old Luo, prepare to fire! Cover our retreat!"

"receive!"

boom!

A flash of fire appeared at the window on the third floor.

A zombie that was about to leap up had its head explode instantly, splattering black blood everywhere.

[Police Officer Luo Yongchao, killed a regular zombie, Order Points +1]

"Walk!"

Tang Long grabbed Chen Ming, who was still operating the tablet, while Wang Hu brought up the rear. The three of them quickly broke away from the cover of the bus and rushed back towards the alleyway they had come from.

"Uh~ Uh~~"

The alley was narrow, crowded with zombies chasing each other frantically, their roars echoing incessantly, sending chills down one's spine.

boom!boom!

Luo Yongchao's gunshots rang out continuously, each bullet accurately taking down a zombie charging at the front, buying the three of them precious few seconds.

Then, Liu Qiang, who was standing next to him, took a Molotov cocktail out of his bag and threw it violently towards the horde of corpses.

boom!

Flames shot into the sky, forming a temporary cordon at the entrance of the alley!

......

Inside the police station.

The alloy gate slowly descended, shutting out the faint roars coming from outside.

They were all panting heavily.

Wang Hu plopped down on the ground, wiped his sweat, then suddenly stood up and walked over to Chen Ming.

Chen Ming froze for a moment, instinctively shrinking back, his face wary: "You... what are you going to do?"

Wang Hu grinned and patted Chen Ming's shoulder hard with his large, fan-like hand.

"Good lad! You've got real talent!"

"Cough cough!" Chen Ming was so shocked by the slap that he almost fainted, but he still held his neck straight and looked arrogant.

"I've already said it, the world of geniuses is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

Tang Long couldn't help but laugh at his demeanor.

but...

I no longer felt that this kid deserved a beating.

"The plan is feasible." Tang Long walked to the map, his eyes sharp. "'Mental noise' can instantly dismantle their organization, turning them from an army back into a rabble."

Su Yan's face was still a little pale. She added, "But at the same time, it will also cause you to fall into a strange state of berserk behavior, with increased aggression and speed."

"If we were surrounded inside the supermarket, the situation would be even more dangerous."

Chen Ming thought for a moment and then continued, "When the mental noise is played, these mycelial zombies will receive two signals at the same time. At this time, they cannot perceive the outside world, or rather, they cannot distinguish which command to execute."

"It's like a couple raising a dog together. The male owner tells the dog to sit, and the female owner tells it to stand. The dog doesn't know what to do at first."

"That's why we see those zombies standing still at first."

"This situation could last for a few seconds, or it could last for a few minutes."

Tang Long nodded; he remembered too.

When the drone played the sound, the zombies did indeed remain motionless.

Chen Ming continued.

"But when the drones sent out signals and completely replaced the control of the cocoon, the backlash began!"

"The instructions that the flesh cocoon gives to these 'fungus zombies,' while currently undecipherable, are likely related to organization, discipline, and order."

"Otherwise, those hordes of corpses wouldn't give people a sense of simple organization, like an army."

"The sound played by the drone is a reverse playback of the resonant frequency emitted by the cocoon, which should be related to chaos and riots..."

"That's why these zombies suddenly went so crazy, even starting to attack each other."

Wang Hu chimed in, "So that's how it is!"

"I told you, zombies don't usually attack each other; they're only interested in humans, or living things."

"Therefore, a direct assault is still not advisable." Tang Long walked to the wall and stood in front of the map hanging there.

The finger pointed to the location of the supermarket.

My thought is...

He paused suddenly at this point.

He turned to look at Liu Qiang behind him.

"By the way, Lao Liu! Have you finished preparing everything I asked you to?"