11: Chapter 11 Data-Driven Survival

4:17 AM, Beiling City, East District.

Commander Lin Dong crouched behind an overturned box truck, his tactical flashlight illuminating the road twenty meters ahead.

As the beam swept across, seven or eight wandering zombies turned their heads, their pupils contracting to the size of pinpricks under the harsh light.

He did not turn off the light, but simply watched the zombies' reactions quietly.

"Company Commander, they've stopped moving." A voice suppressed with trembling came from behind him.

The speaker was one of the newly joined survivors, a nineteen-year-old college student named Zhang Xiao, who was gripping a piece of rebar he had picked up from a construction site.

Commander Lin Dong did not answer, but instead stared at the semi-transparent panel floating on his retina:

【F-Class Zombie x7】

【HP: 95 / 112 / 87 / 103 ...】

【Threat Rating: Low】

【Current Status: Alert (Light Stimulus)】

【Behavior Prediction: Light source lasting over 3 seconds will trigger hostility, movement expected to start in 2.8 seconds, movement speed 3.1 m/s】

Three seconds exactly.

The group of zombies began to move, starting with a slow pace, then accelerating into a jog.

Their twisted limbs dragged across the ground, creating a grating, screeching sound.

Commander Lin Dong turned off the flashlight, pulled Zhang Xiao back five steps, and hid in the shadow of the truck.

After losing the light source, the zombies wandered in place for about forty seconds, then dispersed, returning to their aimless state of roaming.

"Did you understand?" Commander Lin Dong's voice was very soft, yet clearly audible on the silent street.

Zhang Xiao swallowed hard: "They... chase light?"

"Not just light." Commander Lin Dong pointed to his own eyes, "Did you see the numbers above their heads?"

"Numbers?"

"Focus your attention now, stare at the one wearing the blue work clothes."

Zhang Xiao blinked hard, then suddenly gasped: "I... I see it! A health bar? Like in a game?"

Commander Lin Dong nodded.

This was the first rule he discovered after his panel awakened—not everyone could immediately see the zombies' data.

Zhang Xiao had only gradually activated this ability after being in contact with him for six hours, while the other survivor, the forty-year-old chef Old Zhou, still saw only ordinary zombies.

"Digitized survival." Commander Lin Dong stood up and brushed the dust off his pants, "This is our only reliance for survival.

The zombies' strength, speed, hostility range, and attack interval can all be quantified.

If you can see it, you already have one more life than the others."

He raised his wrist; the luminous hands of his military watch pointed to 4:23.

"There is one hour and forty minutes left until dawn. We have three things to do: first, find the anti-inflammatory medicine that Li Na and the others need; second, figure out the distribution pattern of the zombies in this area; third—"

Before he could finish, a roar came from the distance.

The sound was different from the whimpering of ordinary zombies; it was sharper, carrying a texture like metal rubbing against metal.

A line of red warning text automatically popped up on the panel on Commander Lin Dong's retina:

【Mutant fluctuation detected】

【Distance: approx. 220 meters】

【Direction: Southeast (towards the abandoned shopping center)】

【Threat Rating: Medium】

"Let's go." He did not hesitate, pulled Zhang Xiao up, and moved quickly along the base of the wall.

When they returned to the military underground parking garage, the sky was already turning a pale gray.

The first line of defense Commander Lin Dong set up was a military truck lying across the entrance, its cargo bed piled high with sandbags found in the warehouse.

Two armed soldiers crouched behind the sandbags, their gun barrels pointed toward the street. Seeing Commander Lin Dong's figure, they finally relaxed.

"Company Commander." One of them was senior private Wang Lei, twenty-one years old, from Shandong, his face still bearing youthful innocence, "Sister Li has a fever, 39.2 degrees."

Commander Lin Dong nodded and walked quickly into the depths of the parking garage.

The B2 level of the underground garage had been converted into a temporary camp.

More than twenty military vehicles were arranged in a semicircle, facing outward, with all their headlights turned on, illuminating the open space in the center.

A dozen or so survivors were either sitting or lying down, staring blankly at the ceiling.

In the corner, Communications Soldier Li Na was leaning against the rear wheel of a command vehicle, her face flushed, a towel found from somewhere laid across her forehead.

Seeing Commander Lin Dong, she wanted to stand up, but was stopped by a gesture.

"Let me see the wound."

Li Na's right shoulder was wrapped in bandages; it was a gunshot wound left by the criminal gang in the battle last night.

Commander Lin Dong carefully peeled back the edge of the bandage; the skin around the wound was already red, swollen, and shiny, with a slight fluctuant sensation when pressed.

"It's infected." His voice did not waver, but he was calculating rapidly in his mind: eight hours after the gunshot wound, body temperature 39.2 degrees, local redness and swelling diameter of about twelve centimeters, signs of pus formation—72% probability of Staphylococcus aureus infection, 8% risk of tetanus, 20% for other bacteria.

"It needs debridement, it needs antibiotics." He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the people around him, "Who has a medical background?"

No one answered.

Commander Lin Dong took a deep breath, opened the panel, and switched to the 【Survivor Management】 interface:

【Current Survivors: 17】

【Combatants: 7 (5 original soldiers + 2 awakened ones)】

【Non-combatants: 10 (including 3 wounded, 2 children)】

【Medical Resources: First aid kit x3, bandages x5 rolls, alcohol x500ml, antibiotics: 0】

Antibiotics: 0. This number was like a thorn in his eye.

"Company Commander." Wang Lei leaned in, lowering his voice, "There's a community hospital two kilometers to the east; why don't I take a few people to go..."

"No." Commander Lin Dong interrupted him, "Operating during the day has a death rate four times higher than at night. Plus, the gunshots from last night have likely already attracted the nearby zombies; going out now is equivalent to suicide."

He took out the type 95 rifle from his backpack and checked the magazine—17 rounds left.

"Wait until dark. Before that, first figure out the situation in this area."

From eight in the morning to four in the afternoon, Commander Lin Dong did three things.

First: climb onto the ventilation duct on top of the garage, use binoculars to observe all streets within a three-hundred-meter radius, and mark a point on the map for every zombie he saw.

In eight hours, he marked four hundred and thirty-seven points.

Second: compile the basic data of all survivors.

【Survivor Data List】

Name: Li Na

Former Occupation: Communications Soldier

Age: 24

Status: Gunshot wound infection

Strength: 7

Agility: 9

Spirit: 13 (abnormally high)

Constitution: 6

Special Talent: 【???】 (Not activated)

Name: Zhang Xiao

Former Occupation: College Student

Age: 19

Status: Mild stress

Strength: 6

Agility: 8

Spirit: 10

Constitution: 7

Special Talent: 【Data Vision】 (Activated)

Name: Zhou Jianguo

Former Occupation: Chef

Age: 43

Status: Left arm fracture (old)

Strength: 9

Agility: 5

Spirit: 8

Constitution: 8

Special Talent: None

...

Commander Lin Dong looked through them one by one, his brain working rapidly.

Out of 17 people, only 7 had combat capability, and only 3 (including himself) could see zombie data.

This meant that once a chaotic battle occurred, most people would only become a burden.

Third: test the behavioral patterns of the zombies.

He had Wang Lei create noise at different distances and from different directions, then recorded the zombies' reaction time, movement speed, and gathering quantity.

In one afternoon, they obtained a dozen sets of valuable data:

【Noise source distance 50m, volume approx. 60 decibels (normal conversation)】

Zombie reaction time: 4.7 seconds

Movement speed: 2.8 m/s

Attraction quantity: all zombies within an 80m radius (approx. 20-30)

Sustained attention time: 35 seconds after noise stops

【Noise source distance 100m, volume approx. 80 decibels (car horn)】

Zombie reaction time: 2.3 seconds

Movement speed: 3.2 m/s

Attraction quantity: all zombies within a 150m radius (approx. 60-80)

Sustained attention time: 2 minutes after noise stops

【Noise source distance 200m, volume approx. 100 decibels (gunshots)】

Zombie reaction time: 0.8 seconds

Movement speed: 3.5 m/s

Attraction quantity: all zombies within a 300m radius (approx. 200+)

Sustained attention time: 5 minutes after noise stops, with a continuous gathering effect

Commander Lin Dong copied the data into a notebook found in the car, each set of numbers written neatly and clearly.

"Company Commander, why are you recording these?" Wang Lei asked, puzzled.

"Because these are our weapons." Commander Lin Dong closed the notebook, "If bullets run out, we can find more; if people die, they are gone forever. But these data, as long as they are kept in our heads, will always be our capital for survival."

He stood up and glanced at the sky—the sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the last traces of red at the edge of the sky were rapidly fading.

"Prepare yourselves; after dark, we are going to the community hospital."

At 7:00 PM sharp, night had completely fallen.

Commander Lin Dong selected four people: Wang Lei (Wang Lei, excellent shooting performance), Zhang Xiao (has Data Vision, runs fast), and two young men rescued from the criminal gang—they were originally construction workers, physically strong, and willing to do anything to survive.

Equipment: one type 95 rifle (for Commander Lin Dong), two type 54 pistols (for Wang Lei and Zhang Xiao), two iron pipes (for the workers), two walkie-talkies, three flashlights, four backpacks.

"Remember the rules." Before setting off, Commander Lin Dong crouched on the ground and drew a simple map with a stone, "We will follow this road, the total distance is about 1.8 kilometers. There is a cover point every fifty meters, which I marked last night. At no time are you allowed to talk, and you are not allowed to shine a light directly into a zombie's eyes. If you are discovered, according to the data we tested this afternoon, you will only have three to five seconds of reaction time."

He looked up at Zhang Xiao: "Your task is the most important. If you see a zombie, tell me its level, HP, and movement speed immediately. One decimal place, understand?"

Zhang Xiao nodded nervously.

"Let's move."

Five figures moved quickly along the base of the wall, their footsteps as light as cats.

The first leg of the journey: five hundred meters, passing through a residential area.

The street was filled with overturned vehicles and scattered luggage, and occasionally one could see a few already rotting corpses—not zombies, but people who had truly died.

Zhang Xiao fought back the urge to vomit, staring intently at every shadow.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

"Front right, thirty degrees, fifteen meters." His voice was kept extremely low. "F-Class, HP 87, facing west, stationary."

Commander Lin Dong made a hand gesture, and the five of them circled around from behind a van, brushing past that zombie. At the closest point, they were only three meters away; Zhang Xiao could clearly see the dried blood on the zombie's face and the maggots wriggling in its eye sockets. He bit his lip hard, not daring to make a sound.

The second leg of the journey: four hundred meters, passing through a small wet market.

The situation here was much more complex. Half of the market's roof had collapsed, and overturned stalls and rotting vegetables were everywhere. The air was thick with a suffocating stench.

Commander Lin Dong stopped in his tracks and raised his fist—halt.

He saw it.

In the open space in the center of the market, at least thirty to forty zombies were gathered together, huddling around something and gnawing on it. Warnings popped up densely on his panel:

[F-Class Zombie x37]

[E-Class Zombie (Strength-type Mutant) x1]

[Threat Rating: High]

[Distance: 40 meters]

Commander Lin Dong slowly raised his night-vision binoculars.

That E-Class Mutant crouched in the center of the zombie pack; its build was a size larger than an ordinary zombie, its right arm was abnormally thick with muscle fibers exposed like coiled tree roots. It was tearing at a corpse, stuffing every piece of meat it ripped off into its mouth, making a tooth-grinding chewing sound.

[Mutant Data]

[Level: Lv.5]

[HP: 550/550]

[Strength: 24 (Estimated)]

[Agility: 8]

[Special Ability: Heavy Strike (Can deal 150% damage)]

Commander Lin Dong's pupils contracted slightly.

24 points of Strength. He remembered testing it this afternoon; an ordinary adult male averaged between 8-10 Strength. 24 points meant this thing could shatter a person's sternum into fragments with a single punch.

He slowly backed away, gesturing for everyone to take a detour back the way they came.

It took the five of them a full twenty minutes to circle around the perimeter of the market. By the time they returned to their planned route, everyone's back was soaked in cold sweat.

The community hospital was a small four-story building, its white exterior tiles already mottled and peeling. Two ambulances were parked at the entrance, doors flung open, with stretchers overturned on the ground inside.

Commander Lin Dong didn't rush in blindly; instead, he first circled around the hospital once.

First floor: emergency room, pharmacy, registration desk. Through the glass doors, he could see five or six zombies wandering inside—some in white lab coats, some in patient gowns, and one in a security uniform.

He couldn't see the second floor or above clearly, as most of the windows had their curtains drawn.

"The pharmacy is on the first floor," Wang Lei whispered. "Going through the main door is fastest, but those zombies..."

Commander Lin Dong shook his head and pointed at a side window. "That's the doctor's office; it should be connected to the pharmacy. The window isn't closed."

They crept under the window. Commander Lin Dong slowly peeked up and glanced inside—the office was empty, with half a cup of leftover water and an open medical record still on the desk.

He gently pushed the window open and vaulted inside, with the others following close behind.

The office door was ajar, and the whimpering of zombies came from the hallway outside. Commander Lin Dong peered through the crack in the door: at the end of the hallway, a female zombie in a white lab coat had her back to them, repeatedly banging her head against the wall.

"F-Class, HP 103," Zhang Xiao reported.

With a wave of Commander Lin Dong's hand, the five filed out, moving toward the pharmacy while hugging the wall.

The pharmacy door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open a crack revealed pitch-black darkness inside.

Commander Lin Dong turned on his flashlight, and the beam swept across—rows of medicine shelves were neatly arranged, filled with boxes of medication. His heart gave a hard thud, but he immediately forced himself to calm down.

"Look for antibiotics," he said in a low voice. "Cephalosporins, penicillins, amoxicillin... take photos of any words you don't recognize, quickly."

The five split up, searching as quietly as possible.

Commander Lin Dong quickly scanned the shelves: cold medicine, painkillers, vitamins, stomach medicine... no, no, no.

Suddenly, a roar erupted outside.

This was followed by the sound of glass shattering and hurried footsteps.

"Company Commander!" Wang Lei's voice came from the pharmacy entrance. "That thing found us! Also, outside... those zombies outside are coming too!"

Commander Lin Dong rushed to the door and looked, his heart sinking instantly.

That female zombie in the white lab coat had already turned around and was charging toward them. Outside the hospital's main entrance, at least a dozen zombies had heard the commotion and were frantically crowding against the glass doors. Cracks were already appearing on the glass.

[Warning: Large-scale zombie gathering]

[Count: 23 (continuously increasing)]

[Estimated time until glass door failure: 45 seconds]

"Retreat!" Commander Lin Dong decided instantly, but he stopped just as he turned. "Wait—"

He saw a small label on the top shelf: [Antibiotics]

"Cover me, thirty seconds."

Commander Lin Dong didn't explain; he climbed directly up the medicine shelves. The shelves wobbled, and boxes of medicine came clattering down.

Wang Lei and Zhang Xiao rushed to the pharmacy entrance, aiming their guns down the hallway. Two workers raised iron pipes, guarding below Commander Lin Dong.

The cracks in the glass door grew denser and denser.

"Twenty seconds!" Wang Lei shouted.

Commander Lin Dong's hands moved quickly, searching the top shelf: Cephradine, Amoxicillin, Roxithromycin... there! A whole box of Ceftriaxone Sodium for injection, and a box of oral Cefixime. He stuffed both boxes into his backpack, then grabbed a few bottles of saline and disposable syringes from nearby.

The glass door shattered.

Zombies surged in like a tide, led by that Strength-type Mutant. With a swing of its thick right arm, it sent a registration desk flying.

"Ten seconds!"

Commander Lin Dong jumped down from the shelves, stumbling slightly upon landing as a sharp pain shot through his ankle.

"Go through the window!"

The five of them rushed toward the doctor's office. Wang Lei kicked open the ajar door, and Zhang Xiao—

Commander Lin Dong had no time to think; his body instinctively leaned back, and he fell out of the window. The Mutant's fist grazed past his scalp and smashed into the window frame, sending brick and stone flying.

"Run!"

The five of them ran back like mad. Behind them, a world-shaking roar came from the hospital, followed by the sound of more glass breaking—the zombies were chasing them out.

At 1:20 AM, Commander Lin Dong and the other four finally lost their pursuers and returned to the garage camp.

Li Na's fever had reached forty degrees, and she began to talk incoherently. Commander Lin Dong didn't have time to rest; he immediately used alcohol to disinfect a syringe and drew a dose of Ceftriaxone Sodium according to the instructions.

"It might hurt, bear with it," he said softly, then plunged the needle into Li Na's deltoid muscle.

After administering the medicine, Commander Lin Dong slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

Zhang Xiao handed him a bottle of water, his hands still shaking. "Company Commander, that moment just now... how did you know that Mutant would miss?"

Commander Lin Dong took a sip of water, remained silent for a few seconds, and then slowly said, "I wasn't sure it would miss. But I calculated the data."

He pulled out that notebook from his jacket and turned to the latest page. It was densely packed with equations:

[Mutant Attack Judgment]

[Arm Length: approx. 1.2 meters (Mutated right arm)]

[Attack Radius: 1.5 meters (including forward body lean)]

[Windowsill Width: 0.4 meters]

[My distance from windowsill edge: 0.3 meters]

[Attack Coverage: Sector area with 1.5-meter radius]

[Conclusion: If it attacks in a straight line, my head is within the kill zone. But if it follows the pattern I observed earlier, favoring a 'sweep' over a 'thrust'...]

"I observed that Mutant twice," Commander Lin Dong closed the notebook. "The first time in the market, it used a vertical motion when tearing the corpse. The second time in the hospital, it used a sweep when smashing the registration desk. This shows it doesn't act purely on instinct; it chooses its attack method based on the target's position. I bet that since I was prone on the windowsill, my position was lower, making it more likely to use a sweep."

He looked up at the four stunned people. "I won the bet. But if it had used a straight punch then, you'd be looking at a corpse right now."

Silence.

After a long while, Wang Lei finally spoke with difficulty. "Company Commander... is that brain of yours even human?"

Commander Lin Dong didn't answer, merely looking at his panel:

[Mental Attribute Temporarily Increased: 16→18 (High Focus State)]

[New Skill Obtained: [Tactical Deduction (Lv.1)] - Allows rapid calculation of enemy movement trajectories in combat; current success rate 65%]

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

In the early morning camp, only Li Na's breathing gradually steadied. But Commander Lin Dong knew this was just the beginning. The commotion at the community hospital would surely have alerted zombies in a wide area; tomorrow, or the day after, they might gather here.

And that person who escaped...

The thin, glasses-wearing figure flashed through his mind.

The last glance that person gave as he fled wasn't at Commander Lin Dong, but at that silver-gray heavy truck—the base vehicle.

Commander Lin Dong opened his eyes and glanced at the massive silhouette covered by a tarp in the deepest part of the garage.

"Wang Lei," he said softly.

"Here!"

"At dawn tomorrow, clear out the entrance to level B3. I need a safer place to deploy that thing."

Wang Lei was taken aback for a moment but immediately gave a standard military salute. "Yes, sir!"

Commander Lin Dong closed his eyes again.

On his panel, a new prompt was flashing:

[External Threat Detected: Upward trend in Mutant gathering]

[Potential Threat Detected: Hostile human faction (base vehicle information leaked)]

[Recommendation: Complete base vehicle deployment as soon as possible to activate defense systems]

In the distance, from some unknown ruin, came a long and shrill roar.

That sound didn't seem like an ordinary zombie.

Zhang Xiao sat up abruptly, his face pale. "Company Commander... what was that?"

Commander Lin Dong didn't open his eyes, merely saying flatly, "Sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

But his right hand had already quietly tightened its grip on the gun beside him.

[End of Chapter]