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The room was small, with only one window, a single bed, and a rocking chair for the elderly man. At that moment, the old man sat in the sunlight streaming through the window, cradling his cat. Lin Yi stood at the door, hesitant to step closer. It wasn't that he didn't want to approach; he felt an invisible force preventing him from doing so, a power so strong it made his heart tremble.
"Mr. Leader," Lin Yi said, feeling an unexpected pressure despite the old man's kind gaze.
"That's just a title people give me; you can call me Kofi," the old man waved him over, though a hint of weariness crossed his weathered face.
Lin Yi couldn't help but wonder what supported this centenarian. Just then, he noticed that the invisible aura in the room seemed to dissipate, allowing him to take a few steps toward Kofi. Now he could observe the old man closely; age spots covered every inch of his face, yet his silver hair remained meticulously groomed. The deep-set eyes and high cheekbones told everyone that this man had lived a long life.
"Sir, may I ask why you called me here?" Lin Yi stood respectfully to one side, like a loyal subordinate.
Kofi glanced away and gestured for Lin Yi to sit down. Lin Yi figured the old man wanted to talk for a while; standing stiffly beside him felt oppressive.
"I just wanted to chat. It's a pity we couldn't meet last time," Kofi said. A set of porcelain teacups appeared on a tray beside him, featuring a blue-and-white teapot and two cups the size of a baby's arm.
Kofi shakily filled both cups with tea and handed one to Lin Yi. However, as Lin Yi caught the cup, Kofi's hand trembled, spilling some tea.
"It seems I've really aged; I can hardly hold a cup of water," Kofi chuckled self-deprecatingly before sipping from his cup, closing his eyes and savoring it with a contented expression.
Lin Yi imitated Kofi's actions and took a sip, only to suddenly grimace as if he had bitten into something bitter. He prepared to spit out the tea.
"Just bear with it, young man; drink it down, it'll get better soon," Kofi urged knowingly.
Lin Yi felt as if he had swallowed something incredibly bitter but managed to force it down. Soon after, he detected a fragrant aroma wafting from his mouth into his nose. Remembering Kofi's expression, he mimicked him again and found himself salivating as a faint sweetness danced in his mouth.
"This is so sweet! So fragrant!" Lin Yi exclaimed like a child who had just tasted their favorite candy.
"Yes, it's one of the perks of living long—I cultivated a new variety of tea," Kofi said with his eyes narrowed into slits, revealing a childlike smile on his otherwise gaunt face.
"You are quite thoughtful, sir," Lin Yi smiled back at Kofi and took another sip. In an instant, he found himself enjoying the transition from bitterness to sweetness in the tea.
"Indeed, I'm too thoughtful; that's why I know so many troublesome things—it's hard to die peacefully," Kofi placed his cup back on the tray and absentmindedly stroked the fat cat resting on his lap.
Lin Yi sensed that Kofi was about to discuss serious matters now and straightened up nervously.
"What kind of benefits would make you surrender to Zombie?" Kofi suddenly asked without preamble.
"What?" Lin Yi was taken aback at first but quickly responded with surprise: "How could I possibly surrender to Zombie?"
"What if I offered you enough benefits? For example, what if Zombie promised you immortality?" Kofi pressed further.
"What meaning would there be in an immortality gained through betrayal? Would I have to live forever in guilt?" A figure flashed through Lin Yi's mind briefly before he pushed it away.
"What if someone did that?" Kofi shifted slightly closer to Lin Yi.
"I would kill them!" Lin Yi answered almost without hesitation. He wasn't overly passionate but still held firm principles—there could only be one existence between Zombie and humanity!
"It seems I didn't invite you for tea in vain," Kofi relaxed visibly at Lin Yi's response; wrinkles formed around his smile.
At that moment, Lin Yi understood why Kofi had summoned him but couldn't fathom why this outsider had earned such trust from him.
"I think you've guessed it; I need your help to eliminate the traitors in Addis Ababa Defense Zone!" Kofi's murky eyes suddenly sparkled with intensity and coldness.
Lin Yi's heart raced as he realized that even Kofi, as Supreme Leader, couldn't handle this matter alone—its difficulty was evident.
"If you succeed, I'll hand over the entire Addis Ababa Defense Zone to you as long as you help us resist Zombie's invasion," Kofi added urgently upon seeing Lin Yi's hesitation.
Suddenly, Lin Yi felt an ominous presence approaching him without any visible source. It was like a sword hanging over his head, making him uneasy.
"I don't have such grand ambitions; I just want to live a stable life," Lin Yi frowned. It seemed Kofi was determined to make him agree to this request.
"Those capable should work harder; besides, this task isn't too difficult—the highest combat power on their side is only Seven-Star Level. Are you really afraid?" Kofi's expression shifted slightly before he spoke again.
"Seven-Star Level? Such high-level combat power would surrender to Zombie?" Lin Yi was bewildered; he couldn't understand how this situation could arise.
"When there are benefits involved, there will always be betrayal. You see betraying humanity as shameful; not everyone thinks that way!" Kofi's demeanor shifted back into that of an elderly man whose vitality had waned once more.
"So who are the traitors?" As Lin Yi asked this question, his heart raced even faster.
"The Iron Wolf Brigade!" Kofi pronounced each word deliberately as if they were heavy blows striking against Lin Yi's still relatively weak heart!
"That’s impossible!" Lin Yi nearly dropped his teacup in shock; he never imagined such a possibility! Just moments ago, he had been receiving an award alongside Iron Wolf Brigade’s leader. Even earlier than that, they had tested new weapons together—and even further back—they had executed missions in areas occupied by Zombies!
"There’s nothing impossible about it. Did anyone believe over a year ago that Zombies would occupy nearly all human living space?" Kofi appeared calm now while continuing to sip his tea.
"But that doesn't make sense! We just eliminated so many Zombies together—including Nine-Star Zombies!" At this moment, all Lin Yi felt was shock—he completely forgot that it was he and Li Qiweng who had taken down those Nine-Star Zombies.
"This operation was highly confidential; there has never been any Three-Star or higher Zombies present there. But why did they encounter ten Five-Star Combat Power Zombies right away—and even one Nine-Star Combat Power Zombie at last? Does that make sense?" Kofi spoke slowly but firmly enough that Lin Yi found no opportunity to interject.
"What role did Paul play in this operation?" Paul only possessed Three-Star strength; in Lin Yi’s view, he should have been forced into surrender by Zombies.
"He is the traitor with Seven-Star Level Combat Power whom you need to deal with!" Kofi raised an eyebrow and looked deeply into Lin Yi’s eyes with significant meaning behind them.
"But Paul only has Three-Star strength!" Lin Yi exclaimed in shock as half of his tea splashed onto the floor—he was confident in his judgment!
"Yes, what you saw was indeed Three-Star—that is his actual strength! But one major reason for his betrayal is that Zombies can instantly elevate him to Seven-Star Level!"
"This..." Although Lin Yi wanted to deny it vehemently, he knew it was possible—he himself was living proof of such rapid evolution among Zombies!
"But even so—it wouldn't be enough for him to betray us! He’s young yet already a general—his future is limitless!" Lin Yi argued further; he truly couldn’t believe Paul would do such a thing!
"In comparison to the whole world, what does one country matter? The more one possesses, the greedier they become. I've lived for over a hundred years—I still want to live well."
Kofi stood up shakily as if something needed doing. Instinctively, Lin Yi moved closer to support this frail old man who seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
However, Kofi merely waved him off and walked over to a bookshelf against the wall. His thin fingers searched along its surface until finally pressing on an inconspicuous spot on the cabinet.
"I've already found someone to help you; you don't need to worry about facing this alone. But I still want you to know: kindness in the jungle world only leads to self-harm."
Lin Yi remained silent; he understood his own nature—but could such things be changed so easily?
"Captain!" Suddenly an astonished voice rang out beside Lin Yi’s ear.
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