Chapter 44: Breaking the Jar of Jealousy

While Du Yun and Dou Zhi were learning about the zombies, the leader had already begun assigning tasks. The leader, Skinny Monkey, and Du Yun were responsible for gathering supplies in the general store, while Da Zhuang, who had dealt with zombies several times before, was tasked with collecting data related to them.

“This zombie is different from the ones we’ve encountered before. Looks like we’ll be able to gather more information,” Da Zhuang said, his spirits high as he pulled out a small dagger and started his work.

Du Yun watched him carefully collect samples like hair from the zombie, an indescribable feeling rising in her chest. It was a tingling sensation, somewhat fearful, but not overwhelmingly so. Remembering what Dou Zhi had said about the energy crystal, the feeling intensified.

“Let’s go,” the leader called, walking ahead, but when he noticed Du Yun hadn’t followed, instead staring intently at Da Zhuang, his expression darkened. He strode back, grabbed her hand firmly, and pulled her toward the general store.

“Hey, what’s going on!” Du Yun struggled to keep up, bewildered by the leader’s grim look.

“Nothing, just supplies,” the leader replied, his heart sour and stifled, as if a whole jar of vinegar had been smashed. Was this jealousy? The realization struck him abruptly.

“Oh!” Realizing this was serious business, Du Yun saw Skinny Monkey already inside and hurried to follow the leader toward the storeroom.

The general store was a small shop in town, with a large backyard but a genuinely modest storeroom. Du Yun followed the tall leader into the low, cramped rooms, where everything was revealed at a glance.

Miscellaneous daily items were bundled and hung or stacked in the corners. Bolts of colored cotton wrapped in oil paper sat on shelves, and large cloth bags, their contents unknown, were piled against the walls, old and chaotic.

Du Yun’s heart stirred at the sight—surprised how similar the goods of Green Wild Star were to those of Blue Wild Star. If she brought them home, her family would surely be delighted. What caught her off guard, though, were several yellow cardboard boxes printed with elegant lettering, clearly superior to the rest. She wondered what they contained.

The leader spotted the boxes at once, his eyes lighting up as he strode over and drew a small knife from his belt, quickly slicing them open.

Inside, neatly arranged, were palm-sized tubes resembling toothpaste, each labeled “Grade Nutrient.”

“Nutrient packs!” Du Yun exclaimed in genuine surprise. Even in 3016, these were considered high-end goods, yet here they were in a small-town general store on Green Wild Star. It was astonishing.

A box held about fifty tubes. Du Yun felt as if she had discovered a treasure. In her experience, even the lowest grade nutrient pack could sustain a person for three days, selling for around a thousand Huaxia credits—definitely high-end.

With fifty tubes in a box, that was a single person’s supply for one hundred and fifty days; even for four people, it would last a month. With these, they could easily survive until they reached the city to board a small starship—nothing could be better.

Du Yun saw a hint of joy on the leader’s face and felt her spirits lift. The other boxes held ordinary food supplies, but she wasn’t disappointed; with the nutrients, their energy needs were already met.

With their supplies secured, Du Yun felt half her worries fade. Suddenly she remembered what Dou Zhi had said about the zombies’ energy crystals. She hesitated, then said, “That little zombie looked different from the others. Maybe there’s something special about it. Should we go back and check? I heard high-level zombies sometimes have energy crystals gathered in their bodies.”

“Energy crystal?” The leader stopped sorting supplies, surprised, and after a moment asked seriously, “What do you mean?”

“I’ve only heard rumors—supposedly high-level zombies have energy crystals, usually in the chest or head, and they’re said to be very useful,” Du Yun replied, startled by the leader’s intensity, then realized he was asking about the crystals themselves.

“Let’s go see,” the leader said, his expression inscrutable as he hefted the box of nutrient packs and grabbed a food supply box, heading out of the storeroom toward the courtyard without looking back.

“Leaving already?” Du Yun glanced at the storeroom full of goods, then at the leader striding away, stamping her foot in frustration. She wasn’t willing to leave so much behind, but her curiosity about the energy crystals was strong.

Gritting her teeth, Du Yun reached for the remaining cardboard boxes, then hurried after the leader. At the storeroom door, she looked back wistfully, determined to return and scour the storeroom after investigating the energy crystal.

She jogged after the leader back to the courtyard, where Da Zhuang had already finished with the zombie and was crouched on the ground, lost in thought.

“Anything special about the little zombie?” The leader asked, eyes fixed on the body.

“Muscle reinforcement is obvious, which would increase speed. The nails and teeth are also strengthened, boosting attack power,” Da Zhuang murmured. In just a few days, someone could be transformed into a zombie—such drastic changes. The zombie virus was truly formidable.

“Anything else?” The leader nodded, waiting for more.

“Anything else?” Da Zhuang looked up, confused. “That’s it. The skin is slightly tougher, but about the same as regular zombies.”

Seeing Da Zhuang’s puzzlement, the leader stopped asking. He pulled a pair of gloves from his backpack, took Da Zhuang’s dagger, crouched down, and tore open the little zombie’s shirt.

The blade sliced through tough flesh, and fresh red seeped out.

“Careful, boss! The virus can infect through wounds!” Da Zhuang cried, alarmed. He had been extremely cautious, but the leader was so bold.

The leader didn’t seem to notice, methodically searching beneath the blood. Suddenly, his whole body tensed. With a slight force, he raised his hand—and in it was a bright red object.

An energy crystal.