Every time he opened the small notebook, for Tang Xiaoquan, it was no less than the start of a spiritual cleansing.

And as the apocalypse continued, this feeling only grew deeper for him.

Today's entry could be said to be the most terrifying and the one he was least willing to make since his survival began.

Because it involved a phenomenon he neither wanted to mention nor could avoid: animal mutation.

Undoubtedly, this was also a term that Tang Xiaoquan invented himself.

If the corpse dog they encountered in the village last time was merely an isolated case, or a result of a random viral mutation.

Then the five corpse dogs they faced in the fields yesterday thoroughly shattered this hopeful wish.

Animal mutations exist! This is indeed a terrifying and horrifying development, though Tang Xiaoquan could not confirm if all creatures could be modified and mutated by the zombie virus, he was certain that this phenomenon was real.

Additionally, Tang Xiaoquan paid special attention to the timing of these related events.

He was shocked to discover that be it zombie dogs or Runners, they almost always appeared about a month after the apocalypse outbreak, which meant that the virus itself or the hosts were gradually adapting and coordinating with each other, achieving so-called "evolution."

This realization greatly worried Tang Xiaoquan. If this "evolution" wasn't a short-term process, but a long-lasting, continual alteration, then more powerful and terrifying mutant creatures stronger than zombie dogs and Runners would surely appear in the future.

Moreover, through yesterday's battle, Tang Xiaoquan found that unlike the first lone zombie dog they encountered, the five corpse dogs yesterday had some basic ability for coordinated hunting.

This was evident when they bypassed the protective male group of eight and attacked the panicked women, there were signs of some strategy.

In other words, his previous theory about mindless corpse mutations was declared wrong, though there was no evidence yet to prove that post-mutation creatures have complete intelligence.

But whether out of instinct or evolution, yesterday's zombie dogs did indeed exhibit traits of "intelligent combat."

And if "evolution" can also alter the "intelligence" system of mutated hosts, then the ultimate fate of mankind...

At this point, Tang Xiaoquan's pen came to an abrupt halt, various thoughts suddenly flooded his mind like a beast unleashed.

In the end, he sorrowfully left six small dots at the end of the entry, then slowly closed the notebook.

Yes! Six small dots, a simple ellipsis, yet the helplessness and concern for human fate it contained could probably only be understood by Tang Xiaoquan himself.

As the sun set, the sunlight faded away, and tonight's moonlight wasn't bright, much like Tang Xiaoquan's mood, cold and dark.

Most of his companions noticed his strange demeanor, but every time they asked him about it, he would respond with an ambiguous smile. Though they wanted to relieve his troubles, they didn't know where to start.

Tang Xiaoquan had no choice in this matter. As someone who frequently read psychology books, he naturally knew that sharing with others at such times was the most appropriate and correct way.

But... how could he explain the matters on his mind to everyone at this moment?

After all, even if he spoke frankly, it wouldn't change anything, and would instead cause unnecessary worry among his companions.

So... let these damned "inferences" rot within himself!

During dinner, Wei Yang prepared a pot of hot soup noodles made with fermented bean paste for everyone, carefully adding some crushed peanuts and dehydrated vegetable bits from instant noodles for seasoning.

The purpose was to slightly improve the monotonous diet of the survivors.

Honestly, this kind-hearted girl really went through a lot of effort; even Aunt Zhao, who was quite old, secretly admired the girl's perseverance and attentiveness after seeing Wei Yang racking her brain every day, using the scarce grains and lack of seasonings to prepare three meals for everyone.

After dinner, the survivors once again took out their poker cards and began a battle, as this was one of their few entertainment activities now.

"Damn, if we could get a few computers linked and play a few rounds online, it would be great!" Wang Qiang lamented while shuffling his cards.

As soon as he said this, Wen Quanxin and Wu Chao, who were of similar age, immediately chimed in agreement.

"Yeah, I've almost forgotten what a keyboard feels like now!"

"Ah, forget computers, I'd be satisfied with just a PSP!"

"Right! Speaking of which, when we have a chance to go out, we should indeed get a handheld game console. Hell, we might not have electricity, but we can still use batteries!"

"Yeah! What Little Wen said is true, if we're going to get one, we'd better do it quickly. Otherwise, in a few years, when all the batteries are dead and expired, we won't ever have the chance to play games again in our lifetime!"

"Alright, stop being a jinx, Chaozi, always saying ominous things. Come on, hurry up! Play your card!" Wang Qiang interrupted the pointless complaints.

However, as they say, words spoken without intention can land on intentional ears. The casual words of Wu, Wen, and Wang sparked some thoughts in Tang Xiaoquan's mind.

But before Tang Xiaoquan could ponder further, a rolling thunder broke the silent dusk.

The sky seemed to become depressed instantly, and the half-crowned moon was completely engulfed by thick clouds at this moment.

The candlelight on the table started swaying uncontrollably, and the shadows cast on the walls danced like being driven by some magical power.

Raging winds swept the ground, raising dust, and the trees outside the factory constantly let out "swish-swish" wails.

In an instant, a bolt of lightning struck down fiercely from the sky, like a giant dragon piercing through the clouds, shattering the sky-obscuring clouds.

Soon, strings of silver thread fell, starting sparsely and then becoming denser, finally forming a seamless curtain.

Almost at the same time, everyone inside the factory stopped what they were doing, they all looked out the window, when they saw the thousands of "silver threads," when they heard the familiar "drumbeat," everyone's face showed an indefinable joy.

It was raining! The moment survivors had been long awaiting had finally arrived!

"Splash!" Whether due to excitement or nervousness, in any case, Lin Junfu stood up abruptly from his seat, so much so that the sudden motion knocked the chess pieces to the ground.

Without caring to pick up the fallen pieces, Lin Junfu immediately raised his arm and shouted, "Everyone, don't just stand there. Hurry up and bring all the pots, bowls, and pans to the open area to collect the water!"

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