Chapter 23: "Zombies"?

"Uh... uh..."

At this moment, many people on the streets of Loja were wandering aimlessly, blood streaming from their mouths and noses, their eyes vacant, emitting low growls. 

When ordinary passersby walked by, these people would unconsciously approach them.

However, that was all they did. 

People only needed to quicken their pace to avoid them. Even if someone was surrounded, "they" wouldn't do anything extreme; they would just gather around the normal person. With a little effort, one could push them away and escape.

?

Seeing this situation, Ryan was puzzled. His first reaction was to reach for his waist, unzip the tool pouch on his left side, and take out a device that looked like a black mask, which he then put on.

Due to mosquitoes, climate, and close contact with wild animals, Africa had countless infectious diseases.

Ryan had heard about this in school, and after being transferred to the Kenyan base, Krauser had strictly ordered them not to visit local African villages or cities during their leave, restricting them to the base for entertainment.

Disturbing the local residents' normal lives was one reason, but the most crucial reason was that Krauser didn't want them to die from an unknown virus.

So, facing the situation in Loja, Ryan's first priority was to ensure his own health, guarding against diseases that might be airborne. He temporarily categorized those behaving strangely as "patients."

He then entered a small alley and retrieved a handgun from his holster, a modified HK USP.40 equipped with an RMR red dot sight.

As soon as he drew it, he performed a one-handed chamber check.

The RMR sight, which stood for "Ruggedized Miniature Reflex," was developed by Wingspan Optics and introduced in 2009, but due to Atlas's influence, it was available nearly 30 years earlier.

Following Samuel Young's earlier company development policy, Atlas focused on individual equipment research. Samuel conveyed design concepts from his previous life to the research department, resulting in a wide range of products in this field.

Atlas's "Atlas Tactical Innovations (ATI)" division, for example, produced competitive, combat, and stealth versions of popular firearms, along with related modifications, enhancing performance while also aesthetically improving the firearms. They even offered custom services for customers.

Atlas frequently sponsored Hollywood action and crime films, where main characters or positive supporting characters used Atlas Tactical weapons, maximizing the "star effect" and profitability for Atlas.

However, Ryan didn't opt for his company's flashy products, which were seldom used even by ARS regiments.

Features like reduced weight and ultra-light triggers were suitable for civilian competitions like IPSC, but soldiers saw them as unreliable and prone to accidental discharge. Furthermore, the Investigation Department and ARS regiments had dedicated gunsmiths.

At this moment, after confirming his gun was loaded, Ryan switched the safety off, keeping the handgun ready to fire, and returned it to the holster.

Though those patients seemed non-threatening, his intuition told him something was off, especially since the symptoms of these patients closely resembled the fictional enemy, "zombies," they had learned about during training.

Ryan rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a wrist-mounted computer, and immediately reported the situation in Loja.

He then used the computer to pull up a satellite view, swiping the screen with his right index finger to confirm his location and the route to a specific destination.

As he left the alley, Ryan pulled up the hood of his jacket to conceal his skin color as much as possible.

While heading to his destination, he noticed some patients would suddenly roll their eyes back and collapse, convulsing briefly.

During this time, the local residents finally reacted.

However, they didn't attempt to rescue the patients; they just stood and watched from a distance.

Once the patients were completely stiff and motionless, the onlookers would carry them away and dump them in the grass or corners away from the road.

"."

Witnessing this, Ryan, despite being prepared, found it hard to understand the casual disposal of bodies...

But upon reflection, the local people likely had no means or knowledge to manage infectious diseases properly.

Ryan had the determination to uphold justice, but addressing or solving the root causes of these issues was beyond his scope.

He merely felt a sense of helplessness.

The residents' casual behavior indicated that such occurrences had been happening for some time.

Continuing along a more secluded road for over ten minutes, Ryan arrived at one of the few three-story buildings made of concrete and steel in Loja.

The ground floor had signs in both English and French, including a supermarket, a barbershop, and a "club" with a sign featuring red high heels, illuminated by pink lights.

Ryan's destination was this 24-hour club.

But he hadn't walked far before a towering man, standing over six feet tall with a 20-inch bicep circumference, blocked his way and demanded, "Hey, kid, what are you here for?"

Ryan pulled down his hood and replied, "I'm looking for work; I'm a bit short on cash lately."

The man, eyeing Ryan suspiciously, then stepped aside and opened the door for him, saying, "Go in, but don't cause trouble, or I won't hesitate to bash your head in."

"Thanks."

Thump... Thump...!

As soon as Ryan stepped into the club, he was assaulted by deafening electronic music. He saw a heavily made-up female receptionist sitting behind a security window, with a sign on the window reading "Check Your Guns."

After a moment's hesitation, he handed over his weapon through the slot in the window, opening the safety first.

This club, after all, was the freelance mercenary gathering spot Ryan had paid an extra $10 to learn about from the bartender. Only by going inside could he potentially obtain high-value information.

Walking through the dimly lit corridor, he reached an open dance floor and bar area, where the sight of neon lights outlining the dancers' curves added a "pink" and "vibrant" atmosphere.

"Yeah! Shake it! Shake it!"

"Haha! Take one off for everyone!"

The mercenaries around the dance floor cheered wildly, throwing money in the air, venting their pent-up emotions.

However, what caught Ryan's attention instantly was a group sitting in a corner booth, whose attire and demeanor stood out starkly in this setting.

Students and teachers?

There was an elderly man with white hair and glasses, and the other three men and one woman looked like they had just graduated from college.

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