Chapter 135: The Second Mutant
Zhang Yi looked at Zhou Ke'er and said, "Ke'er, thank you for your hard work!"
Zhou Ke'er smiled and shook her head. "I'm happy to help you."
As they were chatting, Xie Limei suddenly walked over, holding her child. Her face showed a pitiful expression as she spoke to Zhang Yi, "Zhang Yi, we haven't eaten all day. Could you please get something for me and the baby?"
Zhang Yi looked down at her with a mocking gaze. If it weren't for Uncle You, he would have thrown this troublesome woman into the snow long ago. But now, she had successfully earned Zhang Yi's disdain, making her as good as dead in his eyes.
For now, he had other people to deal with, so he temporarily spared her life. Without saying much, he waved his right hand, and a box of instant noodles appeared in front of Xie Limei.
"Take these. After all, you are Uncle You's family, and I won't let you go hungry."
Xie Limei stared in shock. "What... what kind of magic trick is this?"
Zhang Yi couldn’t be bothered to explain. He didn't care if Xie Limei knew about his abilities. After all, a dead person couldn't reveal secrets.
"I saw eggs in the kitchen, and there are chicken bones in the trash."
She looked weak, but her eyes were fixed on Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi, annoyed, remarked, "There are only instant noodles. Eat it or leave it."
Seeing Zhang Yi’s anger, Xie Limei stepped back and quietly said, "Alright, instant noodles are fine. I was just asking."
Zhang Yi supported Zhou Ke'er back to her room. She smiled and said, "Now we have another troublemaker at home."
Zhang Yi replied calmly, "She won’t be a trouble."
Seeing Zhou Ke'er’s legs were weak from fatigue, Zhang Yi placed her on the bed and gently removed her shoes. Her toes, covered in black stockings, curled up cutely.
"I’ve been standing all day, my feet might smell..." she murmured.
Zhang Yi's smile turned a bit wicked, but seeing Zhou Ke'er so tired, he decided to let her rest for now.
"How is Uncle You? How long will it take for him to recover, or is it just a temporary recovery, and he won't last long?" Zhang Yi asked.
Zhou Ke'er's eyes showed a strange expression. She said, "He was seriously injured and lost a lot of blood. We didn't have any blood bags. Initially, I thought it would be very hard to save him."
Zhang Yi frowned. He hadn’t considered the need for blood bags, not being a professional medical worker.
"Then how did you manage to save him?" he asked.
Zhou Ke'er looked puzzled. "At first, his heart rate was close to zero, but suddenly, his body seemed to undergo some change. The activity of his cells increased rapidly, and even the bleeding reduced significantly."
She spread her hands, indicating her confusion.
"I can't explain it."
Zhang Yi was stunned. He was all too familiar with such extraordinary occurrences because he had experienced them himself! Uncle You might have awakened some special ability.
Since his rebirth, Zhang Yi had considered the possibility. Gamma rays had altered his genetic sequence, turning him into a mutant. So, could others also develop abilities?
Over the past month, in a community of over a thousand people, no second mutant had appeared, suggesting that the conditions for mutation were extremely stringent. Genetic mutations are rare, and the direction of mutation is uncertain.
Yet, Uncle You had become the second mutant, besides Zhang Yi himself!
"Could near-death situations trigger awakening? That might be a prerequisite," Zhang Yi thought.
"If so, the conditions are too harsh. If the mutation doesn't include self-healing, the person would die even after awakening."
"If Uncle You hadn't met me, he would have died."
Zhang Yi relaxed, realizing the probability of encountering other mutants in the future was extremely low. He wondered what kind of ability Uncle You had awakened.
After some thought, Zhang Yi told Zhou Ke'er, "From now on, give Uncle You a daily dose of muscle relaxants or sedatives. It shouldn't affect his health but will control his actions."
Zhou Ke'er was surprised but quickly understood.
"Is Uncle You like you, having developed some special ability?"
Zhang Yi nodded. "I think so, but we have no experience with this. We don’t know what he might become."
"Do you know the Hulk? He mutated due to gamma radiation."
Zhang Yi spread his hands and smiled wryly. "If Uncle You turns into the Hulk and loses control, he might destroy the house!"
He exaggerated, but in reality, given the principle of energy conservation, even if Uncle You transformed, he wouldn't possess great strength in his current state. For safety, Zhang Yi needed to observe him to ensure his mutation wasn’t harmful.
Zhou Ke'er nodded. "That’s simple. Leave it to me."
Zhang Yi kissed her and gently said, "You’re tired today. Get some rest."
Zhou Ke'er glanced outside. "What about Uncle You? Can Xie Limei take care of him?"
Zhang Yi smiled faintly. "She’s a troublesome woman but not stupid. She knows that if anything happens to Uncle You, I'll kick her out immediately. So she’ll take better care of him than you."
Zhou Ke'er nodded in agreement. "That makes sense."
Zhang Yi told her to rest and then left the room, only to find Xie Limei making instant noodles, her eyes darting around as if looking to steal something.
Zhang Yi approached and said, "Sister Xie, you can stay with Uncle You. You’ll be able to take care of him at night."
Xie Limei nodded obediently, appearing very compliant. Zhang Yi gestured for her to enter the room. She complied, and Zhang Yi locked the door from the outside.