The laptop screen displayed real-time footage of Sixth High's surroundings as students recognized familiar landmarks leading to the riverside highway. The Cube remained passive under Zhang Xiaowen's control, its toy car form weaving through zombie legs near the train station. Data streams in the corner tracked outdoor temperature and undead density.
"This isn't ordinary RC tech..." a student whispered.
"Self-made modifications," Zhang lied smoothly, basking in their awed expressions.
The screen suddenly highlighted a crimson-marked zombie – *Muscle density +12.7%, Neural activity +8.3%*. A pop-up warned: [Primary Evolutionary Stage Detected].
"Evolving zombies?" Zhang's throat tightened. She clicked the attack command. Crosshairs locked onto the creature's skull.
*Twang!*
Two hypersonic darts fired from the toy car's hidden ports. The enhanced zombie collapsed, milky eyes staring lifelessly at the camera. Girls screamed while boys gripped makeshift weapons.
Continuing reconnaissance, the Cube's sensors mapped the riverside highway. Flood barriers created natural choke points, with only seven vehicles blocking the route. [Route Clearance Probability: 91.6%] flashed across Zhang's screen.
Breaking away temporarily, the Cube raced toward a rare metals trading company. Security cameras showed stacked rhodium and iridium ingots – cosmic feast for a starving mech. Energy tendrils extended from its chassis, slowly dissolving precious alloys into upgrade fuel.
At dusk, the Cube returned to find students savoring stolen luxuries: tinned sardines with soda crackers. Moonlight streamed through broken windows as Zhang curled up with a stuffed rabbit.
"Never knew stars could outshine city lights..." she murmured, fingers brushing the Cube's warm chassis. "What if we're the last humans? No more hotpot... no birthday messages..."
The Cube dimmed its optics to standby mode, recording her whispered fears. Outside, evolutionary tremors stirred in the horde – claws lengthening, synapses rewiring. The real battle hadn't yet begun.