Rebirth before Apocalypse: My Whole Family are Bigshots!-Chapter 218: The Role of Math Problems

The zombie in a suit walked stiffly, holding a pink makeup bag, with a face painted like a wailing ghost, step by step out of the living room.

Zhang Yiming watched the back of the zombie in a suit, lost in thought.

When there’s time, it’s necessary to educate zombies about aesthetics.

Zombies like the one in a suit have strong mimicry abilities, with faint self-awareness, and love mimicking others.

Just imagine his zombie underlings with bizarre makeup, following him around.

Too silly!

He’s not Leng Yebai, he doesn’t need such silly underlings.

Fan Tangtang glanced at the newly emerged zombie in a suit, blinked obediently, and didn’t dare to say it looked bad.

Afraid Aunt Wang might also do her makeup.

Fan Tangtang whispered in the old zombie’s ear, "Grandpa, don’t just stand here, hurry back!"

To avoid being caught for a makeover.

He himself was fast, so he wasn’t too worried.

But Grandpa’s movements were stiff; if he got pulled in for makeup, he probably wouldn’t escape.

"Gran~dpa~"

The old zombie made two sounds from its throat, as a response to Fan Tangtang, standing still.

Its grandson was here, so it couldn’t go elsewhere.

"Fan Tangtang, go back and do your math problems!"

Fan Liping got a headache the moment he heard the word "grandpa."

Back in the day, before washing his hands of it, Mr. Fan was a notable figure, a famous boss, and everyone had to call him Brother when they saw him.

Now, when he sees others, he has to call them—Grandpa.

What a huge contrast!

He hopes that when his zombie dad gains more self-awareness, he won’t beat Fan Tangtang.

"Okay."

Fan Tangtang responded, turned back reluctantly, winked at Bai Xiqin, and dragged the old zombie away.

He hoped that when the brother’s sister beat Brother Zhang, the commotion would be bigger.

Then he could come watch the show.

He couldn’t imagine what Brother Zhang getting beaten looked like.

But just the thought of Brother Zhang getting hit could make Fan Tangtang laugh out loud.

"Doing math problems?" Bai Xiqin was puzzled looking at Fan Tangtang’s back.

Zombies, doing math problems?

What’s that about?

Taking college entrance exams?

"Thinking more will help zombies absorb crystal cores better, make them smarter, and level up faster," Zhang Yiming explained.

He had seen all kinds of zombies, each with its own characteristics.

Most zombies increased their rank by devouring flesh and blood.

But there were only so many survivors, not enough for all zombies to evolve.

And there was a small part of zombies with faint self-awareness that could evolve by absorbing crystal cores.

This was just a tiny fraction; they absorbed crystal cores unintentionally, and as consciousness became clearer, evolution sped up.

For those like him and Fan Tangtang, fully awakened in consciousness, the more they exercised their brains and absorbed crystal cores, the faster their rank would improve.

Whether human, zombie, or mutant animal, the change happened in the brain.

Exercising the brain could activate the hypothalamus, effectively assimilating superpowers when absorbing crystal cores.

"I see."

Bai Xiqin felt slightly dazed.

Back when she was locked in the laboratory, besides being injected with all kinds of drugs, sometimes she was made to watch movies and TV shows.

These movies and TV shows were all about the apocalypse, stimulating her brain with these images.

Ensuring that her time confined in the lab wouldn’t make her sluggish, keeping her mind active.

"It’s getting late, why not stay for a meal?"

Zhang Yiming glanced outside the window; the sun had unknowingly reached its zenith.

Unconsciously, they had chatted for so long.

After this, who knows what the next meeting will be like.

Even if the Bai Family accepted that he was a zombie, there were still many in the world who didn’t accept such self-aware zombies.

Maybe, next time they met, they’d belong to different camps.

Zhang Yiming’s eyes dimmed slightly for a moment, then returned to normal.

For him, there was no such thing as camps or no camps.

What he wanted was to become human, just like Xiao Niu.

He gathered so many zombie underlings just to see the end point of zombie evolution.

"Okay!"

Bai Anhai quickly agreed after taking a glance outside.

It was already late March, and the weather had gotten much hotter.

In the warm spring March, while the spring breeze was supposed to be mild, the midday sun was scorching.

The bus was parked far away, too lazy to walk back to cook.

Today it was his turn to cook, so he wanted to slack off.

Since Zhang Yiming invited them, Fan Liping and his wife naturally headed towards the kitchen.

Zhang Yiming didn’t usually eat, the kitchen was only used by the couple, and there were lots of groceries inside.

Every time Zhang Yiming came back from outside, he would bring some human food.

Sometimes he would even stare at the food in a daze.

Fan Liping and his wife thought he might be longing for the time when he was human!

Fan Tangtang was still young, vaguely aware of his identity but didn’t feel much difference from before.

Except for the change in food.

But Zhang Yiming was a vibrant college student, meant to enjoy all the joys that youth brought, but he turned into a zombie.

What he endured was more, heavier than that of Fan Tangtang.

In front of the Bai Family, Zhang Yiming always appeared gentle and sunny, but when alone, he seldom smiled.

Clearly a gentle face, yet cold to the bone.

Maybe only in front of a certain person, or related to her, would he show a smile.

"Go help with cooking!"

Wang Yiyun ran to the kitchen, pulled out Hu Meiling, and then pushed Bai Anhai in.

If a man doesn’t cook, what’s he good for?

Bai Zhengxuan, Bai Yifan, and Leng Yebai were much more sensible, lining up to head toward the kitchen.

The whole village was silent, filled with a thick scent of decay.

Only in the central house was there the aroma of human activities.

In the living room, besides Zhang Yiming, there were only Bai Xiqin, Wang Yiyun, Liu Jing, and Hu Meiling left—a few fairies.

Zhang Yiming sat quietly on the sofa, a gentle demeanor, the entire person exuding warmth to the core.

Since he didn’t see aversion or fear in her eyes, he feared nothing else.

It was the only warmth this cold world offered him.

"What made you become... this?" Bai Xiqin looked at Zhang Yiming, her dark eyes blinking.

"A few days before the apocalypse, I was diagnosed with brain cancer, died, lived again, then became like this," Zhang Yiming said softly.

He initially thought he’d never speak of his past, an untouchable wound.

But after realizing Xiao Niu didn’t despise his filthy self, he strangely began to see it not as a wound.

But as a fortune.

If he hadn’t become a zombie, he might never wake up again, become earth’s dust, unable to see this apocalypse, unable to see her.

He surprisingly felt a bit of fortune.

Fortunately, he became a self-aware zombie.

"Sorry."

Bai Xiqin awkwardly smiled at Zhang Yiming.

Accidentally uncovered his scar.

"It’s okay."

Zhang Yiming slightly curled his lips.

After speaking out, he felt less suppressed.

Like he had hidden something for so long, thought it a shame, not wanting it revealed.

Now suddenly exposed, he found that it wasn’t shameful at all.

Like a weight lifted.

So good, he didn’t have to hide it with all his heart anymore.