CHAPTER 249: CHAPTER 249

He adjusted the feed, highlighting markers in a soft blue overlay.

"Her immune response is completely different. Not only does it resist the pathogen, it’s actively reversing it."

"Reversing it?"

"Regeneration. Cell purification. It’s not just resisting mutation—it’s rewriting it."

Qingran’s breath caught.

"She really is the cure..."

"Yes," Lingquan confirmed, his voice quiet now. "But she’s not a solution in a bottle. Her blood carries the code, but we’ll need to process it into a neutral format. The raw antibodies could be too strong for unstable systems."

"How much time will it take?"

"If I push the synthesizer now? Fifteen minutes. Less if you help."

She pulled on gloves. "Then let’s get it done."

They worked in sync, Qingran moving like a seasoned medic, Lingquan like a machine. Blood was fed into the centrifuge, purified, stripped down to its essential compounds. Qingran tweaked the stabilizer ratios, adjusted saline balance, filtered out volatile enzymes.

Minutes passed like seconds.

Then the soft chime of completion.

A single vial of glowing serum slid into place.

Qingran stared at it. It was barely the size of her thumb, but it pulsed faintly with light.

"This will stop the mutation?"

"Yes," Lingquan said. "But it will only work in early stages. Advanced cases will need direct transfusions."

She cursed under her breath. "So we’ll need more of her blood if anyone’s past the critical line."

"I can develop a stronger form if I study her genetics longer. But we need to keep her alive long enough to do that."

Qingran grabbed the vial and turned toward the exit.

"She’ll live. That’s my job."

Outside, the world roared back to life. The panic was louder now, people crying out, clawing at each other. One of the infected had collapsed entirely, his body shaking violently.

"I have the serum!" Qingran yelled, holding it up as she re-entered the store.

Everyone froze.

"You," she pointed to the younger man who had been convulsing on the floor, his skin greying. "He’s still early. Bring him here."

Ruihuang moved instantly, dragging the boy closer.

Qingran knelt beside him, loaded the serum into a small injector, and pressed it to his neck.

A faint hiss.

The boy spasmed once, then again.

Then he lay still.

Tense silence followed.

Everyone stared.

And then...

His breathing leveled. The black veins receded slightly.

Color began returning to his lips.

"It’s working..." someone whispered.

Qingran stood. "We have enough for two more doses right now."

Meng Nian moved without a word, already lifting the second patient from where she was slumped behind the snack shelf. Her eyes were open but unfocused, lips cracked, and her nails scratched faint red trails down her arms where the itching had started.

Qingran pressed the second injector to her neck and administered the serum. The girl let out a low gasp, her body twitching once as the antidote hit her bloodstream. It took a beat longer this time, but the change still came—slow but undeniable. Her twitching stopped. Her muscles loosened. Her fingers stopped clawing at her skin.

"That’s two," Qingran muttered, her hand already reaching for the last vial. "Who’s next?"

"I’m fine," said a man near the door, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him.

Ruihuang’s eyes were sharp. "Step forward."

"No, really, I—"

"Step forward."

The man obeyed reluctantly. Qingran spotted the signs immediately—discoloration along the jawline, sweat pooling unnaturally at the temples, and when she grabbed his wrist, his pulse was erratic.

"You’re not fine." Her tone left no room for argument. "And you’ve got about ten minutes before your organs start reacting."

She pressed the final dose into his neck. He winced, but otherwise stayed still.

This time, the serum took a bit longer. Lingquan’s voice hummed in her ear.

[His system is more unstable. The virus advanced deeper.]

"Will it hold?" she asked quietly.

[For now. But we’ll need more serum soon. This dose only slowed it.]

Qingran stood slowly. All three recipients were breathing easier, their eyes clearer, the aggression fading. She turned to face the room.

"We need more blood," she said.

The silence that followed was heavy, but no longer afraid. Instead, eyes turned toward Shen Li with a strange, reverent weight.

Qingran felt it shift and stepped in front of her instantly.

"She’s not your miracle vending machine. She’s a person. Don’t look at her like she owes you anything."

Shen Li stepped forward before Qingran could finish.

"I said I want to help.." she said. Her voice was steadier now. "If you need more, take it. I’m the cure after all."

Qingran looked at her for a long beat. Then nodded. "Alright, I’m going to have to take a few more pint from you.."

"You ready?"

Shen Li nodded.

Qingran slid the needle in cleanly and set up the tube. Blood flowed smoothly, rich and red. It entered the filtration device instantly, Lingquan’s custom one, already synthesizing what they needed.

"How many doses?"

[With this draw? Maybe six.]

That wasn’t enough.

But it was a start.

Time passed in tense silence. Outside, the infected groaned faintly, kept calm only by the few doses already given.

Survivors stood at the ready with bats, blades, and steel rods just in case it failed.

But it didn’t.

One by one, people improved.

Shen Li didn’t flinch the entire time, even when her face turned a little pale and sweat broke on her brow.

Qingran pressed a bottle of water into her hand and sat beside her.

"You’re pretty strong for a teenager.."

Shen Li smiled "For someone who’s now a orphan, I adapted quickly.."

Qingran eyes widened, and then she patted her hand. "I used to think I was an orphan..until I realized only my mom had died, I still had a father who didn’t care about me and a brother who didn’t know about my existence. We only got to meet each other briefly, I’m a bit pained that he looks so much like our mum, now I can’t punch him in the face.."

Shen Li smiled, luckily there were other body parts "If you can’t aim for his face, then a punch to the gut or a kick to the balls would do the trick. Some dirty bastards I ran into few days ago, I made sure to crack all their eggs, even if they survive this nightmare, they would never be able to have children, they don’t deserve those kids.."

-_-

Qingran coughed slightly, what a scary teenager, she reminded her of herself when she was younger.

"I’m kinda old now..haha, you remind me of my younger self.."

Qingran stood up, she wouldn’t take anymore blood from Shen Li, after all the goal was to locate and find the cure. She has already done that.

She would use these pints, to create pills, Lingquan said her blood could be a component to transform the zombies back to humans but there wasnt a single zombie in the whole of zone 2.

I guess I’ll just have to keep her close.

"Alright, we’re done. I’ll have someone make a meal for you, so you can replenish your blood back, you must be feeling a little light.."

Shen Li gave a half-shrug, as if it was no big deal, but the slight sway of her posture betrayed her exhaustion.

"Not gonna lie, I feel like I’m floating," she mumbled.

Qingran caught her arm before she could tilt too far, steadying her with a firm grip.

"Can I sleep next to you today?"

Qingran blinked, this was the first time she was getting such a offer.

"I mean, you can but I’ll be too busy working on something to actually be beside you .."

Shen Li shook her head "Its okay, I just want to know I’m beside you.."

Qingran rubbed her neck, bringing out a futon from her space.

"Well if you put it that way, don’t feel sad if I’m not there. Follow me.." they walked to much more free and private part of the store, there were less and at the same time more shelves in this area.

"You can get a little bit of privacy here, if you want to clean up. What’s your size, I’ll get some clothes for you.."

"Oh a size small.."

Qingran nodded and brought out movable and breathable clothes for her.

"Thank you.."

Qingran gave her a quick glance, "I should be thank you kid, someone will come find you when it’s dinnertime. Don’t wait up for me.."