After Marking the Villain Professor (ABO, GL) - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The zombies were deliberately lured by Qi Rui’s team—two large, one small, exactly three.

The larger ones were barely recognizable; one lacked an arm, moving sluggishly, while the other, missing a leg, could only crawl.

The small one was more intact, looking the most human-like. But even as a human, it had been weak, and as a zombie, its strength was no match for the others.

None of the three were strong, not yet fully over the wall into the courtyard, but no one dared let their guard down or retreat. Even the more timid students, legs trembling and sweating profusely, stood their ground.

Sun Xiahe let out another scream, drawing the zombies’ attention, making them scale the wall faster.

Xu Si’s contempt for her grew.

To be scared of such weak zombies—if they faced a real horde, she’d be the first to cause trouble.

Sure, the boss had been scared at first, but even when she vomited, she hadn’t made a sound. Sun Xiahe, wanting to kill zombies with the boss? Laughable.

“Boss Xu, what’s the plan?” a student asked.

“The zombies are in the courtyard. No time to prepare—quick, like we said, three to a group.”

“We’ll take the smallest one. You handle the rest.”

The bolder students, not waiting for Xu Man’s reply, assigned tasks and charged forward with knives.

Of course, they had their own motives, wanting to tackle the seemingly weaker, more normal-looking zombie.

Naturally, some students weren’t happy.

“Why do you get the small one?”

“Yeah, that’s not fair. You’re stronger—why not take the bigger two?”

“Stop arguing, okay? They’re all the same. If you can’t agree, forget groups—everyone go together.”

“Easy for you to say. The smallest one’s obviously the weakest.”

“Quit fighting, or we’re all done for!”

The zombies weren’t even close, but the students were already bickering, scattered like loose sand.

After all, everyone feared death. Facing these things head-on for the first time, their mental resilience was weak. Panic, fear—all emotions surged, creating this mess.

Snapping back, Xu Man looked for Xu Si, only to find he’d vanished again.

The three approaching zombies brought back memories of chopping limbs, paling her face.

Live zombies were fundamentally different from zombie parts.

As the zombies entered the courtyard and Xu Man and the students stood frozen, Qi Rui, watching from the second floor, frowned.

A few days of training weren’t enough for these inexperienced students.

He raised a hand, signaling his team to prepare for a rescue.

“Deputy Captain Qi, let them handle it,” Zhou Yutao’s voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Qi Rui turned quickly. “Professor Zhou, you’re here.”

“Yes,” Zhou Yutao nodded, her gaze settling on Xu Man’s slightly trembling hand.

Qi Rui glanced at Xu Man too. “Aren’t you worried about Boss Xu, Professor?”

Zhou Yutao smiled. “What’s to worry about? If she fails and gets infected, she’ll go on my dissection table to help me develop the antidote. If she succeeds, even better…”

If she succeeded, she’d end up in her bed, easing her uncontrolled pheromones.

She’d be hers either way.

Her tone was so casual that Qi Rui couldn’t tell what she was thinking. He noted silently that Professor Zhou was as cold and rational as ever, using even an alpha she was interested in without fear of her death.

Qi Rui didn’t notice Zhou Yutao’s pupils constrict sharply when the small zombie rushed toward Xu Man.

Xu Man took a deep breath, picturing Zhou Yutao’s face, thinking that if she backed down today, the zombies would storm the villa and hurt her.

‘Manman, you need to try harder.’

Zhou Yutao’s gentle words echoed, igniting a sudden courage that overcame her fear.

“Shut up and do as he says!” Xu Man pointed at the student who’d first suggested splitting up, silencing the chaotic group.

A usually soft-spoken person turning stern carried weight, especially given Xu Man’s status here due to her resources.

The student immediately led two others toward the small zombie. Inexperienced and hesitant to strike fatally, they left an opening, and the zombie lunged toward Xu Man.

Without hesitation, Xu Man swung her knife, severing the zombie’s head. It rolled to her feet, its eyes glaring at her.

Her hand, holding the knife, trembled again.

Belatedly, panic and fear hit her.

This zombie she’d beheaded looked too human.

‘It’s a zombie, not a person,’ she told herself repeatedly, gradually overcoming the fear.

Seeing this, the students sprang into action. Though it took effort, they killed the other two zombies without anyone getting hurt.

“Boss Xu, you’re amazing, taking down a zombie alone!”

“Thank you, Boss Xu. If you hadn’t saved me today, I’d be dead.”

Today’s events made the students admire Xu Man even more.

Their gratitude and praise didn’t stir much in Xu Man. Instead, her thoughts drifted to Zhou Yutao.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhou Yutao was watching from the shadows, the smile in her eyes deepening.