12: Chapter 12 Data-Driven Cognition

The darkness before dawn is always the thickest.

Commander Lin Dong lay on the roof of an abandoned bus, observing the intersection three hundred meters away through a low-light night vision device. The world inside the night vision device was a sea of varying shades of green; the slowly moving figures appeared as a deeper, inkier green—a sign that their body temperatures were lower than those of normal humans.

"The body temperature of a zombie is on average 6 to 8 degrees Celsius lower than that of a living human." He calculated silently in his heart. "This means infrared equipment will be severely interfered with during the day, but at night..." He glanced at the faint white light appearing in the east, "The night is almost over."

The panel in the top right corner of the night vision device displayed real-time data:

【Zombie count in target area: 47】

【Density distribution: 12 in the center of the intersection, 18 on the southeast sidewalk, 17 in front of the northwest shops】

【Level composition: 44 F-Class Zombies, 3 E-Class】

【Threat rating: Low】

【Suggested route: Detour along the east shop awning to the southeast corner, sound source induction deviation value must be controlled within 15 meters】

Commander Lin Dong turned off the night vision device and rubbed his sore eyes. From 11:00 PM last night until now, he had been lying at this observation post for six hours. The old wound on his left arm throbbed faintly in the early morning cold—a memento left from a military exercise five years ago—a piece of shrapnel still remained next to his ulna.

"Company Commander."

A very low call came from behind. Commander Lin Dong did not turn his head, only raising his right hand to make a "keep silent" gesture.

The one calling him was Platoon Leader Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang, also one of the three soldiers Commander Lin Dong had brought out from the military camp. This veteran of six years of service was thirty-one years old this year, three years older than Commander Lin Dong, but he was used to calling Commander Lin Dong "Company Commander"—even if this "company" now only had a few people left.

Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang crawled to Commander Lin Dong's side, handing over half a piece of compressed biscuit and a military canteen. Commander Lin Dong took them but didn't eat immediately, asking instead: "How is Li Na?"

"Her fever has broken." Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang lowered his voice. "That little girl is tough; her temperature hit 39.8 degrees last night. I thought she wouldn't make it, but it broke on its own at four this morning. Assistant Physician Zhou said it was caused by the wound infection, but it didn't damage the bone, and she will be able to move in a few days."

Commander Lin Dong nodded and took a bite of the compressed biscuit. The salty, astringent taste spread in his mouth. He chewed mechanically, his eyes never leaving the intersection.

"Observed all night, any discoveries?" Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang asked.

"Many." Commander Lin Dong swallowed the biscuit and unscrewed the canteen to take a small sip—water had to be rationed. "Look at the one in the red down jacket at the southeast corner."

Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang followed his gaze. On the sidewalk at the southeast corner of the intersection, a figure in a puffy red down jacket was pacing back and forth. Unlike the other zombies wandering aimlessly, this figure's range of activity was significantly smaller, in a circular area of about ten meters in diameter.

"It is..." Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang squinted, "guarding something?"

"Food." Commander Lin Dong took a small notebook from his pocket, filled with densely recorded data. "At 23:17 last night, it entered this area for the first time. At 23:41, it attacked an F-Class Zombie that tried to approach the sewer manhole cover. In the four hours that followed, it drove away 7 approaching zombies and attacked 3."

He turned the page: "The attack pattern has a pattern. When the intruder is less than 5 meters away, it will pounce directly; when the distance is 5 to 8 meters, it will hiss a warning; beyond 8 meters, it only turns and stares, not attacking actively."

Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang gasped: "You... you watched all night?"

"Must figure out the patterns." Commander Lin Dong's tone was terrifyingly calm. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Right now, our knowledge of these monsters is almost zero; every piece of data could save our lives in the future."

He pointed to another direction: "Look at the two in front of the convenience store at the northwest corner."

Those were two zombies of significantly different sizes. A tall male and a short female—judging by their clothing, they looked like a couple. They stood in front of the convenience store's shattered glass door, occasionally peering inside, but never going in.

"This position is also interesting." Commander Lin Dong said, making another note in his notebook. "There is food in the convenience store, but they don't go in. Two possibilities: First, they have no instinctive need for food; attacking living people is purely predatory behavior. Second, there is something in the convenience store that makes them afraid."

"What could make zombies afraid?" Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang was puzzled.

Commander Lin Dong did not answer, only writing in the notebook: 【Hypothesis: Mutants have territorial awareness, and high-level individuals have a suppressive effect on low-level individuals.】

He closed the notebook and took one last look at the zombie in the red down jacket: "Remember that position, the sewer manhole cover. When we clear them out later, prioritize dealing with it."

At 6:17 AM, the sun had fully risen.

Commander Lin Dong took Private Zhang Haiyang down from the top of the bus and returned to the temporary shelter—a two-story pharmacy on the street. The first-floor entrance was blocked by cargo shelves and sandbags, leaving only a side door for entry and exit. The second floor had been cleared out as a temporary camp, where five survivors were lying or sitting, their expressions dull.

Besides Private Zhang Haiyang, there were two other soldiers: senior private Veteran Liu Chuang, twenty-one years old, two years in the service, a special driving technician; Private Wang Hao, nineteen years old, having just left the company for three months. Plus the Communications Soldier Li Na and two students—a boy and a girl, both students from Beiling University, rescued from an internet cafe last night.

As soon as Commander Lin Dong walked in, everyone's eyes focused on him.

"Company Commander." Veteran Liu Chuang stood up. He was cleaning his gun; a Type 95 rifle was polished until it shone. "How is it?"

"Figured it out." Commander Lin Dong walked to the window and pointed outside. "There are forty-seven at the intersection, including three Mutants—the kind that are faster than ordinary zombies. We have to clear them out to get the resources on the other side."

"Resources?" The male student asked timidly. His name was Zhao Ming, wearing glasses, studying computer science.

Commander Lin Dong glanced at him without impatience, explaining patiently: "There is a military truck at the southeast corner of the intersection; I saw it last night. The cargo bed is closed, and judging by the sinkage of the tires, what's inside is not light. It's either ammunition or supplies."

He paused: "Whatever it is, we are short of it."

Li Na lay on the floor mat in the corner, her face pale but her eyes bright: "Company Commander, that distress signal..."

"Still repeating." Commander Lin Dong nodded. "The transmission source is to our east, about ten kilometers away. If there is a regular army stronghold there, we must go and rendezvous. But to get there, we must first have enough ammunition and supplies."

He looked around: "Therefore, this intersection must be crossed."

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

Assistant Physician Zhou—strictly speaking, just a medic, a twenty-three-year-old female soldier Zhou Ping—asked: "Company Commander Lin, you said those zombies... Mutants, what exactly is going on? Why are some fast and some slow?"

Commander Lin Dong was silent for a moment, then raised his right hand.

Just as he concentrated, a translucent light screen appeared before his eyes. He knew others couldn't see this—he had tried last night, asking Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang if he could see anything in front of him, and Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang had looked blank.

【Name: Commander Lin Dong】

【Age: 28】

【Occupation: Soldier (Former Reconnaissance Company Commander of an Army Mechanized Infantry Brigade)】

【Level: Lv.6】

【Attributes: Strength 12, Agility 14, Spirit 16, Constitution 13】

【Talent: Military Expert (S-Class, not fully activated)】

【Skills: Precision Shooting Lv.3, Tactical Planning Lv.4, Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.3, Driving Lv.3】

This panel appeared suddenly on the night the meteorite fell. Commander Lin Dong remembered that moment—he had awakened in the military barracks, the sentry outside the window had already turned into a zombie and was crazily slamming against the glass. The moment he rolled out of bed, a white light flashed before his eyes, and then this panel appeared.

At first, he thought something was wrong with his mind. But soon he discovered that this panel could "see" other people's data.

For example, now, he looked at Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang:

【Name: Zhang Haiyang】

【Level: Lv.4】

【Status: Mild fatigue】

【Threat rating: Medium (against zombies)】

Looked at Veteran Liu Chuang:

【Name: Veteran Liu Chuang】

【Level: Lv.3】

【Status: Healthy】

【Specialty: Special vehicle driving】

Looked at the Mutant in the red down jacket outside the window:

【Unknown target】

【Level: Lv.3】

【Type: Mutant (Speed Type)】

【HP: 200 / 200】

【Threat rating: Medium】

【Note: Movement speed increased by 150%, but defense reduced by 30%】

Commander Lin Dong withdrew his gaze, weighing his words: "Regarding Mutants, I can only say... what I see is different from what you see."

He tried to explain in a way they could understand: "In my field of vision, there is a set of numbers above every zombie's head. Ordinary zombies are F-Class, with vitality between 80 and 120, and their movement speed is at the level of a normal person's jog. Mutants have level classifications, higher vitality, and special abilities."

"You can see data?" Zhao Ming's eyes widened, "Just like in a game?"

"Something like that." Commander Lin Dong nodded. "So I know that the zombie in the red down jacket is a speed-type Mutant; its movement speed is two and a half times that of an ordinary zombie, but its defense is lower. A headshot will solve it."

Zhou Ping frowned: "This is too... fantasy-like."

"The apocalypse is already here, what's fantasy and what's not." Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang was quite open-minded, "What I care about is, with this data, how do we fight our way out?"

Commander Lin Dong walked to the window and pulled open a slit in the curtain: "I plan to act at two in the afternoon. When the sun is strongest at noon, the zombies' activity level drops by about 15%, and their vision is also affected—their eyes seem sensitive to strong light."

He drew a sketch on the ground with chalk: "The six of us will be divided into two groups. One group is me and Zhang Ocean Zhang Haiyang, responsible for clearing Mutants and attracting the main force. The other group will be led by Veteran Liu Chuang, with Wang Hao and Zhao Ming following; your task is that truck. Veteran Liu Chuang has a special driving license, so if the truck can start, start it immediately."

"What about me?" Li Na struggled to sit up.

"You stay." Commander Lin Dong's tone was unquestionable, "Assistant Physician Zhou will also stay to take care of Li Na. If we fail, you are the last seeds."

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Li Na bit her lip, wanting to argue, but meeting Commander Lin Dong's gaze, the words died in her throat. It was a firm look filled with warmth—not a company commander's order to a soldier, but a man's promise to his companion.

"Remember," Commander Lin Dong looked at everyone, "no matter what happens, staying alive is the most important thing. If the person is gone, everything is gone."

1:47 PM. The sun was blazing.

Commander Lin Dong and Zhang Ocean had already moved into a residential building on the west side of the intersection; they were on the third floor with a clear field of vision. Veteran Liu Chuang was leading two others in an ambush in an alley on the east side, only fifty meters away from the military truck.

Commander Lin Dong checked his equipment again: a Type 95, four magazines totaling 120 rounds, two grenades, and a combat knife. Zhang Ocean’s equipment was similar, though he carried an extra fire axe found in the pharmacy—for close-quarters combat.

"Let's begin." Commander Lin Dong took a deep breath and pulled a black object from his backpack—a cell phone connected to a palm-sized Bluetooth speaker.

He had found it in the pharmacy last night. The phone still had half its battery, and the speaker was loud enough.

Commander Lin Dong turned on the phone and opened the music player. He chose a song—not randomly, but calculatedly. Music with heavy bass travels further and has better penetration, making it more effective at attracting zombies.

"Pick something auspicious," Zhang Ocean grinned. "How about the 'March of the Volunteers'?"

"Too serious." Commander Lin Dong selected a rock song, turned the volume to the maximum, and tossed it out the window.

The phone and speaker landed on the concrete ground below. The screen shattered, but the music blasted out—

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"

The heavy bass drumbeats were like a heartbeat, instantly exploding across the silent street.

Within three seconds, all the zombies stopped in their tracks. Their necks turned stiffly, their heads snapping in unison toward the source of the sound.

At five seconds, the nearest zombies began to move.

At ten seconds, all the zombies at the intersection began to converge on the phone. They didn't walk fast, but that uniform turning and movement made one's skin crawl.

Commander Lin Dong stared at the panel, reciting the data under his breath:

"All 47 attracted... average movement speed 1.2 meters per second... expected to gather in 30 seconds... that Mutant is moving!"

The Mutant in the red down jacket didn't lunge for the phone like the other zombies. It stood in place, its head turning left and right as if it were trying to judge something. Two seconds later, it suddenly looked up—straight at the window where Commander Lin Dong and the others were!

"Holy crap!" Zhang Ocean instinctively ducked his head.

"Don't move." Commander Lin Dong remained motionless, merely narrowing his eyes. "It didn't see us. It's... listening."

Sure enough, the Mutant stared at the window for a few seconds. Finding nothing unusual, it finally turned and walked toward the phone. However, its speed was noticeably slower than the ordinary zombies, and it looked back as it walked.

Commander Lin Dong quickly recorded in his notebook:

[Inference: Mutants are more alert to unconventional sounds, and their intelligence is significantly higher than that of ordinary zombies.]

[Inference: They seem able to judge the authenticity of sounds? Further verification is needed.]

Thirty seconds later, most of the zombies had gathered around the phone, huddled in a mass. They circled aimlessly in the music; some tried to bite the phone with their mouths, but only bit their companions' legs.

"Now's the time." Commander Lin Dong waved his hand, and he and Zhang Ocean simultaneously raised their guns.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two gunshots rang out almost at the same time.

The head of the Mutant in the red down jacket exploded, and its body slumped over. Another male Mutant standing by the convenience store was also hit, but the bullet only struck its shoulder. It let out a sharp howl and turned to charge toward Commander Lin Dong's direction!

"Finish it!"

Commander Lin Dong quickly shifted his aim, and his second bullet hit the Mutant's head. Its running body went limp as if its bones had been removed, sliding for over two meters.

A prompt popped up on the panel:

[Killed Lv.3 Mutant ×2, obtained 40 energy points]

[Killed F-Class Zombie ×0, obtained 0 energy points]

Without time to look, Commander Lin Dong had already raised his gun to continue firing. He and Zhang Ocean fired alternately, each bullet aimed at a zombie's head. The zombies huddled together became sitting ducks, falling one after another.

But the gunshots also brought new trouble.

From the street to the east, more zombies began to appear. Commander Lin Dong glanced at the panel:

[New zombies: 83... 127... 204... rapidly increasing]

"Veteran Liu Chuang! Do it!" Commander Lin Dong roared into the walkie-talkie.

The moment Veteran Liu Chuang heard the gunshots, he had already rushed out.

Behind him followed Wang Hao and Zhao Ming. Wang Hao held his gun on alert, while Zhao Ming's legs were weak, but he still gritted his teeth and followed.

Fifty meters, covered in ten seconds.

The cab of the military truck was empty, and the keys were not in the ignition. Veteran Liu Chuang didn't panic—he had driven trucks in his hometown before enlisting and knew how to start this type of military vehicle.

"Climb up!" he shouted to Wang Hao. "Lift the tarp!"

Wang Hao climbed onto the truck bed and forcefully pulled back the heavy green tarp. Sunlight shone in, and a glint of golden-yellow dazzled his eyes.

"It's... it's bullets!"

Dozens of ammunition boxes and four oil drums were stacked neatly in the truck bed. Veteran Liu Chuang jumped onto the bed and pried open a box—7.62mm rifle rounds, 500 rounds per box, packed to the brim.

"We're rich!" He was ecstatic but immediately forced himself to calm down. "Zhao Ming! Find some wires! Hotwire it!"

Zhao Ming scrambled to rummage through the toolbox. Veteran Liu Chuang jumped down into the cab and yanked open the cover under the dashboard, revealing a dense cluster of wires.

Just then, a sharp screech sounded from behind.

Veteran Liu Chuang whipped his head around—hadn't that Mutant in the red down jacket been killed by Commander Lin Dong? But what he saw wasn't red, but a grayish-black figure crawling out of a manhole cover!

It was a much smaller Mutant, looking like a child. But it was faster, crawling on all fours like a beast, its blood-red eyes fixed intently on Veteran Liu Chuang.

The panel data automatically popped up:

[Unknown Target]

[Level: Lv.4]

[Type: Mutant (Stalker)]

[HP: 150/150]

[Threat Rating: Medium-High]

[Note: Expert at stealth and ambush, fast attack speed, extremely low defense]

"Shit!" Veteran Liu Chuang instinctively grabbed his gun.

But that Mutant was too fast! It pushed off with its limbs, launching itself at Veteran Liu Chuang like a spring. The twenty-meter distance was shortened to five in the blink of an eye—

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out, and the Mutant was knocked off course mid-air, tumbling twice on the ground. Wang Hao stood on the truck bed, the muzzle of his gun still smoking.

"The Platoon Leader said! There's something wrong with the manhole covers!" Wang Hao shouted, his voice trembling.

Veteran Liu Chuang didn't have time to say thanks. Seizing the moment the Mutant was knocked down, he raised his gun and fired three consecutive shots at its head. The Mutant convulsed a few times before finally falling still.

[Killed Lv.4 Mutant ×1, obtained 60 energy points]

In the distance, Commander Lin Dong's gunshots were becoming more frequent, meaning there were more and more zombies. Veteran Liu Chuang discarded his empty magazine, reloaded a new one, and dove back into the cab.

"Found the wires!" Zhao Ming handed over two wires.

Veteran Liu Chuang took them, expertly stripped the insulation, and shorted them—

The engine roared to life!

"Get in!" Veteran Liu Chuang shouted to Wang Hao and Zhao Ming. Wang Hao jumped down from the truck bed, and Zhao Ming scrambled into the passenger seat. Veteran Liu Chuang shifted gears, released the clutch, and floored the accelerator; the truck surged forward.

He turned the wheel, and the truck sped toward Commander Lin Dong's position. At the intersection, Commander Lin Dong and Zhang Ocean were retreating while firing, followed by a dense black mass of zombies.

"Company Commander! Get in!"

Commander Lin Dong's eyes lit up when he saw the truck. He gestured to Zhang Ocean, and the two of them ran to opposite sides, creating distance from the zombies. Veteran Liu Chuang seized the opportunity and drove the truck through the middle, stopping right in front of Commander Lin Dong.

Commander Lin Dong grabbed the door handle and jumped onto the running board: "Go!"

The truck roared as it sped off, leaving the pursuing zombies far behind.

The truck drove east for ten minutes until the zombies' howls were completely out of earshot before stopping.

Several people jumped off the truck and leaned against the side, gasping for breath. Zhao Ming sat directly on the ground, his whole body shaking.

Commander Lin Dong did a head count: everyone was there, no casualties.

He walked to the back of the truck, looking at the bed full of ammunition and oil drums. A trace of a smile finally appeared on his usually calm face. "Veteran Liu Chuang, well done."

Veteran Liu Chuang grinned, but thinking back to that scene, his smile turned into lingering fear. "Company Commander, your judgment about the sewers saved my life. One really did crawl out from down there. If it hadn't been for Wang Hao's shot..."

Commander Lin Dong patted his shoulder and walked to the side of the truck bed, looking at the corpse of the killed Mutant—Veteran Liu Chuang had thrown it onto the truck as well.

He opened his notebook and made another entry:

[Discovery: The sewer system may contain Mutant nests; it is recommended to stay away.]

[Stalker-type Mutant: Lv.4, extremely fast, expert at sneak attacks, but extremely low defense; can be killed with a headshot.]

After writing, he put away the notebook and walked to the cab. Li Na and Assistant Physician Zhou were still at the pharmacy, but they had driven too far and needed to go back to get them.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the truck's radio—

"...Zzt... Beiling City East... Zzt... survivors... please proceed to... repeat... this is Beiling City East... Survivor Base... please proceed to..."

Commander Lin Dong snapped his gaze toward the radio.

It was a signal on a military frequency, played on repeat, mechanical but clear.

Zhang Ocean heard it too, his eyes widening. "Company Commander! It's a distress signal!"

Commander Lin Dong stared at the radio, and a new prompt suddenly popped up on the panel:

[Special energy fluctuation detected]

[Source: 12.7 km East-Southeast]

[Level: ???]

[Suggestion: Investigate]

He raised his head and looked toward the east.

That was the direction of the signal.

And also the direction of the Mutants.

Li Na's voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie, intermittent and mixed with static interference: "Com... Company Commander... come back quickly... something... is attacking the pharmacy... more than one... they're... they're knocking on the door..."

Commander Lin Dong's expression changed.

He thought of the Stalker that had crawled out of the sewer.

He thought of the manhole cover that the Mutant in the red down jacket had been guarding.

A thought flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning—

They... are organized.

[End of Chapter]