Zombies were extremely sensitive to the scents emitted by living creatures, except for those that had evolved to Level 3 or above, whose skin had evolved to be intact. If they were clean, their bodies would not retain any odd smell.
However, zombies generally carried an extremely strong stench of rotting flesh, particularly the ordinary zombies. Since the Apocalypse, not a single piece of intact flesh remained on their bodies, only nauseating pus-filled blood within their shells.
And this pus-filled blood was the raw material used to create "Sorrow Liquid." By allowing the pus-filled blood to ferment naturally over time, the anti-life substances within reacted chemically, turning it into a black, viscous liquid. This liquid was commonly used as Sorrow Liquid.
It had the power to cause a stench so potent it could kill. The overwhelming odor was hailed as an excellent item for impeding the sense of smell of zombies!
In front of the factory entrance where Tang Ye stood, there was a small wall built from zombie corpses, slathered with black Sorrow Liquid. Tang Ye arrived, instantly hit by an indescribably foul odor, convincing him that the place harbored his own kind, with no living beings present.
But Tang Ye was not foolish; the construction of such a wall here, and with such deliberation, was obviously the work of survivors, indicating that people were living inside!
"Found it."
A smile appeared on Tang Ye’s face as he strode toward the factory entrance, but as he reached the doorway, his figure suddenly vanished from sight, like a ghost.
Within the factory, in a bedroom converted from an office, there unfolded a shameful scene that defied description.
The naked man above had distinct, well-defined muscles that hinted at the sheer power they contained.
The woman beneath him was emaciated, her body devoid of any beauty due to malnutrition over a long period. However, the man did not care about that; in the post-apocalyptic world, people only had two things they could do. First, try to survive at all costs.
After what seemed like an eternity, she exhaled a breath, watching the man climb off her and light a precious cigarette, then sat on the edge of the bed to smoke alone.
She dared not move recklessly, not knowing what fate awaited her if she did; the man held enough power here to be like an Emperor of old times, who could dictate life or death at his whim!
Now she lay there, like a soulless doll, lying on the bed, dully waiting for him to finish his cigarette. But this wait was long, at least for her.
Gurgle~
Perhaps too hungry, the woman’s stomach protested with a grumbling sound. She could no longer hold back and tentatively asked, "Brother Shi, can... can I have something to eat now?"
Hearing her words, the man’s face showed impatience. He pressed his two-thirds smoked cigarette against her body, the burning tip scorching her shoulder and making her scream tearfully in pain.
"Why the rush? It’s not like I won’t give it to you. Here, take this, you filthy b*tch!"
Brother Shi threw a plastic bag from the desk at the woman. It contained a bundle of light pink powder—its exact nature unknown. She caught it and her face immediately showed unabashed joy,
Hastily bringing her hands together, she squeaked her thanks to the man before her.
"Thank you, Brother Shi! Thank you, Brother Shi!"
"Now, get the hell out!"
At this saintly hour, Brother Shi had lost all interest in the woman, let alone someone of her sort. He promptly told her to leave, and she had no intention of staying longer, continuously expressing her gratitude as she got out of bed and left the room.
Once the woman was gone, Brother Shi carefully wrapped the unfinished cigarette in paper and placed it inside a 1956’s packaging box, hiding it in the cupboard.
In the post-apocalyptic world, if you had to name the most luxurious item, it was undoubtedly the cigarettes that had been widely available before the Apocalypse.
Just as the man finished preparing to leave, standing upright, he suddenly felt a very unfamiliar presence behind him.
"Who’s there!"
He spun around quickly, but there was no one behind him, which puzzled him.
However, a strange male voice emerged from nearby shortly after.
"Looking for something? I’m right here."
The voice was faint, betraying no emotion, yet it startled Brother Shi, who thought he had encountered a ghost. He looked toward the bed again, still no one there, but this time, without waiting for an explanation, he turned back and saw a man standing right where he had been moments before, holding a pack of cigarettes—the same 1956’s!
"Not bad, still able to enjoy a smoke, huh?"
He had never seen this man before. The man’s features were arranged in a peculiar way, not ugly, but an unconventional, seductive kind of handsome, an otherworldly kind of handsome!
This extreme handsomeness imbued the man with a touch of the demoniac, as though he had stepped right out of an animated series, the incongruity striking when set against reality.
This man was Tang Ye!
He opened the cigarette box, took out a whole cigarette, placed it in his mouth, and began to smoke. Tang Ye suddenly realized he was a person with poor self-control; once touched by something addictive, he could never give it up, just like the cigarette in his hands.
"Who are you?"
Brother Shi asked, frowning. He could not sense the presence of either human or zombie from Tang Ye, but Tang Ye’s eerie way of appearing made Brother Shi hesitate to make any rash moves.
To Tang Ye, it was as if he were returning to his own home. He casually sat on the bed, crossing his legs and sizing up this man called Brother Shi.
His gaze made Brother Shi feel uneasy all over.
"Who are you? How did you get in here? If you don’t talk, I’m calling for help!" he threatened Tang Ye. However, his threat seemed like a joke to Tang Ye.
"Call for help? Heh, there are over a hundred people here; finding so many must have been quite a challenge, right? I only need to sacrifice one person if I come here, but if you want to drag everyone else down with you, I wouldn’t mind at all."
To Brother Shi, Tang Ye’s words were a clear message that he had the confidence to take down everyone here, which made Brother Shi hesitate. He was not the sort to sacrifice his ego for the greater good; rather, because he knew that in the face of absolute power, no matter how many people he had on his side, it was useless.
It was like in pre-Apocalypse times where you could boss around and make a call to bring three or four Wuling vans full of people when someone displeased you, but against the military forces of the nation, you were nothing!