Chapter 497: A Flawed Logic
After finishing his conversation with Zhou Ke’er, Zhang Yi stepped out of the car.
He gazed at the white Gothic-style church, his emotions complicated.
"Am I just overthinking this… or is it real?"
If the Followers of the Snow God truly had the ability to control the zombie horde, there was no reason for them to wait until now to act.
Unless there was some special reason.
But if Yuan Kongye was really the mastermind, she had the perfect opportunity a few nights ago to eliminate everyone while they were weak.
That, too, didn’t make sense.
And from her behavior, she didn’t seem like someone capable of commanding a zombie horde.
The more Zhang Yi thought about it, the more the logic didn’t add up.
No matter how he looked at it, the Followers of the Snow God didn’t have the means or motive for such a scheme.
His suspicion was purely based on her multiple abilities.
"I should investigate further in secret."
With that thought in mind, Zhang Yi’s attention was drawn to the sound of coughing in the distance.
He looked up and saw Bian Junwu coughing violently, while Wu Di and Baili Changqing watched him with concern.
Bian Junwu had a white handkerchief pressed against his mouth, coughing so hard it seemed like his lungs might give out.
Zhang Yi frowned slightly.
"Could it be… Yuan Kongye is wary of the Jiangnan District people?"
Zhang Yi shook his head, realizing he was becoming too paranoid.
He was thinking like a conspiracy theorist, scrutinizing everything with suspicion.
Shoving his tangled thoughts aside, he walked toward Bian Junwu’s group.
The investigation team members had different reactions when they saw him.
Most of them were friendly.
Bian Junwu had previously mentioned wanting Zhang Yi to join their investigation team.
He was nearing the end of his life due to the side effects of his ability and had been searching for a new member to replace him.
Zhang Yi’s performance in Tianhai City, particularly during the recent battle, had earned the team’s recognition.
Although his sniping skills overlapped somewhat with Qi Guangming’s, having two snipers in a squad wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Besides, they had different specialties.
Only Wu Di looked at Zhang Yi with clear hostility.
Zhang Yi had no idea when he had offended Wu Di, but he had no interest in unnecessary conflicts and chose to ignore him.
"Captain Bian, how’s your condition?"
Zhang Yi approached with concern.
Bian Junwu removed his handkerchief, and Zhang Yi noticed the dark red stains on it.
His heart sank—Bian Junwu was clearly terminally ill.
It seemed that during the last decapitation operation, he had used his abilities again, worsening his condition.
Zhang Yi felt a pang of regret.
Bian Junwu had left a good impression on him—calm, wise, and incredibly strong.
Without his team’s help, Tianhai City likely wouldn’t have survived the zombie crisis.
Bian Junwu spoke in a flat tone, "Same as always. Won’t live much longer."
He was discussing his own death, yet his face remained emotionless, as if he had long since come to terms with it.
Wu Di looked anxious. "Boss, don’t say that! We need to head back to Blizzard City as soon as possible. If you receive treatment there, we can at least stop the deterioration!"
Bian Junwu shook his head.
He knew his own body best.
Jiangnan District had tried every method to save this battle-hardened Delta-class Superhuman.
But mutation was irreversible.
The consequences of using his ability had to be borne by him alone.
Bian Junwu turned to Zhang Yi. "We’ll do one final sweep, confirm there are no Zombie Kings left in Tianhai City, and then we’ll leave."
He suddenly smiled. "So, what do you think? Tianhai City is in ruins now. It’ll be difficult to withstand any future disasters, natural or man-made. Want to come with us?"
"Not just you—your friends can come too."
Zhang Yi’s group was full of elites. If they went to Blizzard City, they could all find decent positions.
Zhang Yi chuckled. "I don’t have any plans to leave yet. But maybe in the future."
Wu Di snorted. "As if you can just pick and choose! You think Blizzard City is a place where anyone can just walk in?"
Zhang Yi didn’t bother arguing and simply smiled. "I still have friends here. Besides, Tianhai City is my home—I’m used to it here. Leaving isn’t easy."
Bian Junwu didn’t push the issue.
"Think it over. With your abilities, you deserve a bigger stage."
Zhang Yi glanced at the others. Wu Di, as usual, had an arrogant expression, always looking down his nose at people.
Not wanting to continue the conversation, Zhang Yi simply told Bian Junwu to take care and was about to leave.
Wu Di suddenly called out, staring at him intently with a provocative tone.
"I heard you’re strong—one of the top fighters in Tianhai City. Want to spar with me?"
Some of the investigation team members exchanged glances—some amused, others deep in thought.
Bian Junwu said nothing.
He simply watched Zhang Yi, curious about how he would respond.
Zhang Yi didn’t hesitate.
He immediately raised his hands in surrender.
Grinning, he said, "Brother, spare me! I’m not much of a fighter. My skills are only good for sniping and carrying supplies."
"You’re an elite from Blizzard City. If we fight, wouldn’t that just be bullying me? I surrender! I surrender!"
Zhang Yi had no idea why Wu Di was so hostile toward him.
But he wasn’t the type to get into meaningless fights.
People who constantly sought to prove themselves were the first to die. Zhang Yi understood that well.
Besides, when he did choose to fight, it meant he was prepared to kill.
And there was no benefit to killing Wu Di.
So, he wouldn’t fight.
Wu Di was caught off guard.
He hadn’t expected Zhang Yi to just surrender outright.
Furious, he pointed at Zhang Yi. "You didn’t even fight! How can you just give up? You’re supposed to be a leader in Tianhai City, and you have no shame?"
Zhang Yi simply waved his hand with a smile.
"What leader? We’re just a group of friends sticking together. They listen to me out of respect, that’s all."
"I’ve got things to do. We’ll talk later!"
With that, Zhang Yi quickly walked away, not giving Wu Di another chance to pick a fight.
Wu Di was so angry he trembled.
Pointing at Zhang Yi’s back, he turned to Bian Junwu. "Boss! This guy is a coward! You really want him on our team? Just look at him—he doesn’t belong with us!"
Baili Changqing burst into laughter.
Even Bian Junwu smiled.
He looked at Wu Di with a meaningful gaze and said, "That’s exactly why I like him."
"If everyone in the investigation team were like you, we’d be doomed."