Lian Ru Ning sat on a bench in the hallway, holding a cup of cold tea in her hands. Aside from occasionally glancing at the tightly closed office door, most of her time was spent observing the people bustling through the corridor.
Because the administrative government building had merged with the offices of law enforcement agencies, all the space had become cramped and crowded. With many people on duty, everyone seemed busy, making quiet individuals like Lian Ru Ning stand out, drawing the attention of some passersby.
"Hey, you look new around here. Are you a survivor or part of some unit?" Occasionally, a man would come over and ask her.
Though most had no ill intentions, people naturally gravitate toward beautiful things.
"I'm just here waiting for someone." After giving this reply to five different people, the office door finally opened.
As Hao Jian stepped out, she immediately spotted Lian Ru Ning, who looked quiet and well-behaved. Just as she was about to smile, she noticed the man standing beside her.
Her smile faded slightly, but she still gave Lian Ru Ning a pleasant one. "You've waited long."
The man, upon seeing Hao Jian, didn't react much. After all, her face was still covered in ash from escaping a fire, and nobody had offered her water to wash her face during the inspection. Her hair was also gray with soot. How could someone with such a disheveled appearance make a striking impression?
"Who is this?" Hao Jian glanced at the man.
Lian Ru Ning smiled and went forward to take her hand. "I don't know him, never met him."
"I’m—" the man began to introduce himself, but Hao Jian quickly interrupted, turning to Lian Ru Ning. "I heard we can get lunch. Are you hungry? Let's invite Peng Mao and Xin Ting to join us for a meal!"
"Sure!"
The two walked away hand in hand, leaving the man standing there awkward and disappointed. He quickly composed himself, realizing there was no point in trying to befriend someone uninterested.
After making sure the man wasn’t following, Hao Jian turned to Lian Ru Ning and teased, "I'm really envious of my little sister. Everywhere you go, you’re the center of attention."
Lian Ru Ning squeezed her hand tightly and took out a tissue, helping Hao Jian wipe her face. "If you'd take the time to clean yourself up a bit, you'd be like walking pheromones."
"I'm going to clean up soon, but if I get hit on later, junior sister, don't get jealous."
Without missing a beat, Lian Ru Ning pinched the soft flesh on the back of Hao Jian's hand, causing her to wince slightly in pain.
They found Peng Mao and Xin Ting talking with Wang Zishao. Hao Jian wasn’t too surprised to see the department head's secretary lingering around them. Based on the conversation, it seemed Peng Mao and Xin Ting had approached her to inquire about leaving Hong Kong by sea.
Although Hao Jian didn’t know the exact number of coastal patrol ships, she knew the authorities were both defending against foreign forces and building sea bases, so there was no way they would make a special trip just for Peng Mao and Xin Ting.
All Peng Mao and Xin Ting wanted was permission to sail. They could figure out the boat situation themselves. Wang Zishao had already overheard this through a bug, so she had reported it to her boss. The head had even discussed it with Hao Jian, but she hadn’t given an answer yet. Wang Zishao, therefore, had no definitive response for them either.
However, Wang Zishao hinted at an opportunity. "In two days, we’ll have a ship leaving. I can’t disclose specifics, but it will pass by Haichuan Bay. While it's still some distance from Yang City, it's not in the densely populated delta region."
Peng Mao and Xin Ting's eyes lit up. "Can we board that ship?"
Wang Zishao glanced at Hao Jian and smiled. "It’s getting late. You should go to the cafeteria for lunch. We’ll talk later."
Peng Mao and Xin Ting didn’t notice, but Lian Ru Ning caught that subtle exchange. A faint suspicion grew in her heart, and she tightened her grip on Hao Jian’s hand.
Hao Jian glanced at her and took out four meal tickets. "One per person. Lose it, and no meal for you."
The tickets, stamped by the department, bore dates and codes and were labeled "No copies accepted." It was hard for outsiders to get their hands on one to sneak a meal.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, they found it packed. Many people were sitting on the floor, holding trays as they ate. Since this place used to serve only administrative staff, the cafeteria was small, with just three levels. Now it was overwhelmed with law enforcement personnel coming to eat whenever they weren’t on duty or patrol, making space even more scarce.
As they stood in line, they overheard others discussing the situation around meal tickets. Not everyone could get three meals a day. Due to strategic development reasons, the authorities weren’t going to support freeloaders, so those who worked outside the office received more meal tickets each month than the office workers. Even among the office staff, there were different levels of privilege. High-level decision-makers enjoyed better conditions, including private rooms in the government building with full amenities, albeit small ones.
Secretaries like Wang Zishao, on the other hand, only had basic privileges, though their accommodations were still decent. The government building had been renovated and now included fifteen floors, with smaller buildings on the sides and back. Many offices and meeting rooms had been repurposed as dormitories.
As for food, due to the risk of infection in mammals, the menu no longer included fresh meat or vegetables. Instead, there were processed meats, shrimp, crabs, and preserved foods like salted fish.
Despite shrimp and crabs being delicacies before, no one seemed interested in them now.
"Not shrimp or crabs again! Last time I ate them, I had diarrhea for a whole day. They must’ve been caught from polluted rivers..." they overheard someone complaining.
Upon hearing that, Lian Ru Ning silently decided against getting shrimp or crabs, opting instead for stir-fried ham with snow peas and a spicy radish dish.
The cafeteria’s menu had fresh seafood, processed meats, and preserved foods, but each person could only get one portion of meat and one portion of vegetables. There were also noodles, often served with ham or pickled cabbage, but no fresh eggs or meat.
Peng Mao and Xin Ting, who hadn’t had rice in a long time, were moved to tears when they took their first bite. "It’s so good..."
After all they'd been through, they'd barely been able to get by except when they were with the Coast Guard. This was the first real meal they'd had in a long time. They had all lost quite a bit of weight in the last ten days.
"I wonder how much longer we can live like this," Xin Ting said worriedly. "Crustaceans may not get infected, but they can still be unhealthy if the water is polluted. It's not like tap water, which is filtered and treated. And other meats are even less safe. Who knows if the zombie virus will affect the land and make the crops toxic as well..."
Hao Jian had also noticed the lack of variety in the menu. Even fish, which had been a staple food before the apocalypse, was only available as a preserved food such as salted fish. She voiced her concern to the system: "Has there been any research on how the virus affects fish?"
"Fish are chordates. Due to the large number of species to be studied, we haven't been able to complete a complete study of other animal groups besides arthropods. Preliminary results show that certain species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and bony fish are susceptible to mutation by the Q virus.
Since there were too many species to study and not enough researchers, most were focused on developing a vaccine for the Q-virus and studying how arthropods avoid infection. Research on the relationship between other animals and the virus was scarce.
To prevent infection, the authorities had temporarily banned the consumption of fresh fish.
"And how does the infection spread?"
"For the most part, through blood and wounds. In mammals, it can also be transmitted sexually."
Aside from human zombies, mammalian zombies posed the greatest threat to humans. Overall, the virus wasn’t very human-friendly.
____
After lunch, Hao Jian fetched some water to wash her hair. It took three buckets to get her hair clean. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, she finally looked less disheveled.
Wang Zishao lent her a hairdryer, which Lian Ru Ning used to help dry her long hair. Up close, the scar on Hao Jian’s forehead was still visible.
"No matter what decision you make, I’ll understand and support you," Lian Ru Ning said suddenly.
Hao Jian’s eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled. "How does my junior sister know I’m about to make a decision?"
"I overheard Secretary Wang’s conversation with Xin Ting. To let them board the ship, there’s probably some condition that requires you to agree to something in return, right?"
Hao Jian grabbed Lian Ru Ning’s hand holding the hairdryer and placed her other hand on Lian Ru Ning’s neck. The latter, drawn closer by the gesture, was soon kissing her.
If not for the faint hum of the hairdryer reminding Lian Ru Ning of its presence, they might have lingered longer in their embrace. She quickly snapped out of it, glancing around for any hidden cameras.
"My junior sister is so clever. I guess I won’t be able to keep any secrets from you in the future."
"I don’t want to pry into secrets you don’t want to share," Hao Jian chuckled, lightly tapping Lian Ru Ning's nose. "But there are some things that require your permission this time."
Hao Jian's invitation to join the "Special Response Team" was within Lian Ru Ning's expectations. Shi Gongzhu had mentioned that the "Special Response Team" was a large department, further divided into different roles. Due to internal security concerns, the leaders of each department were worried about leaks, so they needed to recruit ordinary people whose identities weren't recorded in the system. This way, they could avoid detection by enemy forces and use the identity of ordinary individuals to act more conveniently in sensitive areas.
However, regardless of the reason, once someone joined, their identity could be exposed, making them susceptible to attacks. Previously, Hao Jian had been a temporary worker for the Mobile Unit; could she remain there forever? If the security department director requested her to join a reconnaissance unit, carrying out scouting tasks, or even asked her to infiltrate enemy forces, what then?
She openly analyzed these issues with Hao Jian, who chuckled in disbelief. "Have you watched too many undercover dramas, Junior Sister?"
"Then why do they recruit you instead of internal personnel?" Lian Ru Ning retorted.
"..."
Okay, her analysis was spot on, and her intuition was accurate. If Hao Jian really joined the "Special Response Team," she would naturally enjoy many privileges. However, it might also require her to undertake dangerous tasks, such as scouting forces opposed to the government, including but not limited to organizations like "Wujiao." If necessary, she might even have to infiltrate "Wujiao."
Because she would be disguised as an ordinary person, it would make her cover easier to maintain. After all, it wasn't only "Wujiao" that could recruit undercover agents among government personnel, right?
"Personally, I wouldn’t want you to take risks, but your abilities can help in this chaotic world. While you may not be able to end the zombie apocalypse, at least you’ll contribute your part. If I were in your position, I think I would do the same if the government had a need for me, so I’ll respect your choice."
"You have to pay a price for what you want." Hao Jian smiled, pulling Lian Ru Ning’s hand to turn off the fan.