The mutation core of the zombie monster was a deep red, resembling a crimson crystal. Xu Duoduo held it in her hand. This core had to be handed over to headquarters as per mission requirements.

Meanwhile, the Cheetah Team and White Dove Team successfully rescued the survivors.

Da Qiao's friend was easy to identify—antennae on her head, butterfly wings on her back, floral markings on her face, and pitch-black eyes.

To be honest, "pretty" wasn’t the word anyone would use to describe her.

Jin Chuanqiong, that shameless guy, had already gone off to curry favor with the big shots from the Research Institute, not sparing even a glance at the Withered Butterfly mutant. The survivors couldn't help but sigh.

"Thank you so much. No one expected the evolution to happen so quickly. Even us second-tier mutants couldn't defeat that zombie monster. It's terrifying!"

"Exactly! Even one-star zombies are becoming more common in the hordes. There's no end to killing them. A single team can't possibly handle them all."

"Thank goodness headquarters hasn’t abandoned us. I really thought we were done for this time."

The Desert Team, tasked with collecting contaminated materials, arrived shortly after. They had already lost several teammates, their expressions heavy with grief but also relief.

"Good thing that monster didn’t come inside. We really wouldn’t have held out until now," someone remarked.

Jin Chuanqiong, ever eager to claim credit, raised his voice and said, "Of course, of course. Sorry for the scare. Since headquarters sent us to rescue you, even if we encounter the most dangerous monsters, our Golden Eagle Team will give it our all to protect you!"

His shameless, glory-grabbing attitude was so repulsive that the Rose Team couldn’t hold back. They immediately spoke up to the survivors, "This mission's success is all thanks to the 3A Special Operations Team. They’re the ones who really put in the hard work."

Jin Chuanqiong glared at the Rose Team, but when he saw them activating their abilities, he backed down.

The Golden Eagle Team lacked any healers, while the Rose Team had two, which allowed them to recover much faster than the others.

The researchers from the institute also expressed their gratitude. "Everyone has worked so hard."

Some had already noticed the 3A Team during the battle. Upon hearing the researchers' words, they exclaimed in awe, "So they’re the 3A Team? Incredible! I saw them from the fourth floor of the institute. They handled the monster almost entirely on their own. They’re amazing! No wonder they’re the 3A Team."

Hearing this, the members of the Cheetah Team and White Dove Team immediately grew excited.

"Amazing, right? Captain Qin and his team are absolutely unbeatable!"

"They’re insanely strong! They can shapeshift on command and fight like perpetual motion machines—never tiring!"

"Even their rookies are monsters! That chainsaw weapon is so rare to see!"

"The squad leader is super cool!"

"Yeah, and reliable too! She looks so small and cute, but in battle, she’s a total beast. When she came back to save us earlier, she was so badass!"

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The researchers and Desert Team members were completely baffled. They had no idea who this "squad leader" was.

The Cheetah and White Dove Teams eagerly explained, "She’s the rookie in Captain Qin’s team! The zombie-mutant! She’s incredible!"

At the mention of "zombie," many faces turned pale. After being surrounded by hordes of zombies for so long, they had developed a psychological aversion to the word. It immediately brought to mind the giant zombie monster and the decaying zombie army.

They initially assumed this "zombie-mutant" must look horrifying, but when they glanced over, they couldn’t spot anyone who looked out of the ordinary. Instead, all they saw was a petite girl who looked just like any other young woman.

"Wait, who’s the zombie-mutant?"

"Yeah, all I see is a pretty young lady. That red dress really stands out!"

"That’s her!"

"What?! No way!"

Everyone was stunned. That petite girl, with nothing but pale skin to set her apart, was actually the infamous little zombie from the H City Survivor Base?

Xu Duoduo, oblivious to their shock, was focused on observing the Withered Butterfly mutant. The mutant introduced herself as Zhou Siqi.

Her personality was rather cold, a stark contrast to the lively and mischievous Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao. How could two people with such different temperaments even be friends?

Chen Xiaofei, full of curiosity, asked, "Hey, when you hang out with Da Qiao, doesn’t she bully you to death? She’s so sly, a total schemer!"

Zhou Siqi shook her head. "Da Qiao is nice. She doesn’t bully me."

Bai Shu, unwilling to waste time, quickly cut in, "Chen Xiaofei, shut up already. Does this zombie monster have anything your institute needs? If so, collect it quickly. Otherwise, we’re burning it to ashes."

Better to destroy it completely than risk it mutating into something even more dangerous.

Zhou Siqi nodded and pulled out various bottles and tools from her spatial storage card. Donning gloves, she began meticulously collecting samples, ignoring the strange looks from others.

Xu Duoduo noticed the metal collar around Zhou Siqi's neck and felt a sense of shared suffering. She approached Zhou Siqi, asking for a pair of gloves and a bottle, and started helping her collect samples.

Zhou Siqi was momentarily surprised, her wings fluttering slightly. In a soft voice, she said, "Thank you."

The sight of the two mutant "little monsters" working together was oddly endearing, evoking both pity and a sense of cuteness.

Qin Luo sighed and joined them, unable to bear the sight of Xu Duoduo looking so pitiful. Her downtrodden appearance tugged at his heartstrings.

Seeing this, Chen Xiaofei felt too embarrassed to just stand around and also began helping collect the contaminants.

Meanwhile, Bai Shu was busy taking photos and recording videos for his report. Wang Weihu went to liaise with the researchers, informing them that the mission was complete. He explained that the next step was to arrange for the logistics team to escort them back to the base or have them follow one of the rookie teams.

The rookie teams were surprised and immediately started chattering.

"Brother Wang, if we’re heading back, what about you guys? Aren’t you coming with us?"

"Yeah, let’s go back together! I still want to exchange contact info with you guys. Maybe we can team up again next time—it feels so safe working with you!"

"Where are you guys going? Take us with you!"

The rookie teams now looked at Wang Weihu like he was their father, clinging to him like baby birds begging to be fed.

"We’re used to taking on additional missions along the way. Are you sure you have the stamina to keep up? There’s no guarantee we won’t have to fight another tough battle later. Do you think you’re ready for that?"

Wang Weihu scolded them one by one, pointing out their mistakes. "If you’re weak, train harder! Go back and work on your response times. By the time you arrived, your teammates could’ve all been dead! And the one who got bitten during yesterday’s zombie sweep—step forward! How long has it been since the apocalypse started? You still haven’t adapted to the pace? With so many teammates covering for you, you still got hurt?! If you get bitten, fine, get treated later, but what’s with all the screaming and crying?"

He had held back from scolding them mid-mission, fearing it would crush their morale. But now that the mission was over, he didn’t hold back, thoroughly lecturing them.

The rookies wilted under his words, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.

None of them had expected Wang Weihu to be so fierce after the mission. His scolding made them feel utterly useless.