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Chapter 91

 

The security guard and the housekeeper exchanged confused glances, as if they didn’t quite understand what Hao Jian was getting at. 

 

Seeing them play dumb, Hao Jian decided to be direct. "I’ve been wondering why 'Wujie' chose Hua Cheng Garden as their base. If we’re talking about wealth, the residents of Century Garden are much richer, aren’t they? And in terms of safety, Hua Cheng Garden is close to Haixin Island, which makes it a less secure choice. Yet, 'Wujie' seems to know exactly which households here are the wealthiest…" 

 

Her analysis led to one conclusion — there was an informant inside Hua Cheng Garden. Someone who had been living there for a long time and knew the residents well. 

 

A security guard who watched the residents come and go daily would naturally have the opportunity to observe them closely. Hao Jian hadn’t initially suspected the housekeeper, but when she specifically mentioned that the 'Wujie' members were carrying rifles, it raised a red flag. How could a housekeeper be so certain that everyone was armed with rifles? How did he know none of them had handguns? 

 

After Hao Jian laid out her suspicions, the two people's faces changed. 

 

Realizing Hao Jian wasn’t holding her gun, the security guard decided to make a move first. He lunged at her, aiming to pin her down and take her weapon. 

 

However, Hao Jian had anticipated this. She had already stored her gun in her system’s inventory to prevent it from being snatched. It would appear in her hand the moment she needed it. 

 

The guard grabbed her by the neck, squeezing hard. The housekeeper frantically searched Hao Jian’s waist for a gun, but finding none, she panicked. 

 

At that moment, a gunshot rang out. 

 

The security guard froze in shock. 

 

Another shot followed. The guard’s grip loosened, and he collapsed into a pool of blood. 

 

The housekeeper screamed in terror when she saw the gun in Hao Jian’s hand. 

 

"Cough, cough..." Hao Jian gasped for air, rubbing her sore neck. 

 

The sensation of being strangled wasn’t pleasant. Luckily, the guard hadn’t squeezed hard enough to knock her unconscious, or she wouldn’t have been able to pull out her gun in time. 

 

The guard was still alive, though blood was gushing from two bullet wounds in his stomach. The sight made the housekeeper tremble in fear. 

 

Hao Jian gave her a cold look. "What’s wrong? Never seen a scene like this before, even as a member of 'Wujie'?" 

 

The housekeeper nodded, then shook her head, trembling. "I’m not a member of 'Wujie'! I was… I was forced to be an informant!" 

 

The woman went on to explain that her son had joined 'Wujie.' He needed to prove his worth to gain a foothold in the organization, so she was coerced into providing inside information about Hua Cheng Garden — such as which units were unoccupied, or which families had more money. 

 

"And him?" Hao Jian pointed at the wounded guard. 

 

"He is one of them. He was planted here as an informant too. When he saw me and Huang You escaping, he followed us. He was worried I’d reveal their secrets." 

 

 

"Then why didn’t you kill Huang You?" 

 

Hao Jian wasn’t particularly suspicious of Huang You. His grief and anger when talking about his father’s death seemed genuine. Of course, she wasn’t completely convinced, but for now, her priority was dealing with these two. 

 

"I… I wanted to take Huang You to Haixin Island to seek refuge. When he found out, he insisted on coming with us. I thought you were a police officer who could save us!" the housekeeper said, pointing at the guard. 

 

Hao Jian sighed. The woman’s naivety was frustrating. After everything she’d done, she still saw herself as a helpless victim? 

 

Suddenly, loud noises echoed from downstairs. It sounded like the zombies had broken through the glass doors. Hao Jian pushed two ping pong tables to block the staircase before turning back to the housekeeper. 

 

"There are only two ways out of here. Either you tell me everything you know about this operation — how many of them are armed, where the other informants are — or you stay here with him and enjoy the company of the zombies." 

 

Hao Jian held the rope that was their only way down. The housekeeper, terrified, spilled everything she knew. 

 

She revealed that the 'Wujie' operation had eighteen armed members, including two middle-aged men referred to as "Southern Church Deacons." The rest were senior members of the organization. 

 

In addition to the gunmen, there were dozens of regular members carrying knives and clubs. Some blended in with the refugees, while others followed the gunmen. Her son was one of them. 

 

After hearing the details, Hao Jian made her decision. She needed a live witness, so she let the housekeeper climb down first. 

 

As for the security guard, he was too badly injured to take along. 

 

Before she left, the guard grabbed her pant leg, his voice weak. "Save me… I’ll tell you something important." 

 

"Say it or don’t. I’ll figure it out either way," Hao Jian replied. 

 

The guard tightened his grip. "I’ll talk… Our deacon’s name is Wang Zhiyong. He’s forty years old. He’s the one who recruited so many of us… He—" 

 

"What about the other deacon? What’s his name? Who are the Southern Church’s leader and priest?" Hao Jian interrupted. 

 

"There shouldn’t be two deacons here… The other one is probably the priest." 

 

Hao Jian considered the terms "deacon" and "priest." When pronounced in local dialects, they sounded similar, so it was possible the housekeeper had misheard. 

 

"What do you know about your priest?" she pressed. 

 

"I don’t know his name. He has black hair and foreign features. He—" 

 

Before the guard could finish, a zombie climbed up the stairs and began pounding on the barricade. 

 

Hao Jian knew she couldn’t stay any longer. She apologized to the guard and slid down the rope. 

 

The guard struggled to his feet and tried to climb out the window. Just as he made it over the ledge, a zombie grabbed his leg and sank its teeth in. 

 

His agonized screams echoed behind her. 

 

Hao Jian didn’t look back. She sprinted after Huang You and the others. 

 

Huang You and his two companions waited anxiously downstairs. Their hope was that Hao Jian would safely escort them out of the area. However, their nerves were rattled when the sound of gunfire echoed from upstairs, followed by the desperate pleas of the nanny. 

 

The sporting goods store clerk grew uneasy. "We need to leave, now." 

 

"Wait," Huang You said firmly. "Let’s give it a bit more time." 

 

"Wait for what? That woman is clearly with them!" the clerk argued. 

 

The swimming coach hesitated. "I don’t think so… She doesn’t seem like a bad person." 

 

"Are you serious? After all these days on the island, can you really tell who’s good and who’s bad?" 

 

The swimming coach fell silent, unable to respond. "But without her, how are we going to get to the harbor?" 

 

Reluctantly, the three stayed put a little longer. Sure enough, moments later, the nanny came stumbling down the rope. Her legs were trembling, and she clung to Huang You. "We need to run! Now!" 

 

"What happened? What’s going on upstairs?" Huang You asked. 

 

The nanny avoided the truth. Seeing that Hao Jian hadn’t followed her down, she simply said, "She killed the security guard." 

 

The group was shocked, their resolve shaken. Finally, they decided to make a run for it. 

 

However, as they disappeared around a corner, Hao Jian emerged from the window. She had anticipated the nanny’s escape and had already placed a tracking device on her. 

 

This was thanks to a recent discovery: a hidden feature in the system. Although the system map couldn’t track all living beings’ movements, she found a tracking device in the system store labeled “System Exclusive”. 

 

Curious, she theorized that since it was a system item, it might integrate with the system’s functions. Her theory was proven correct when a red dot appeared on her map, representing the nanny’s location. 

 

The system didn’t flag this as a bug or issue, leading Hao Jian to believe it was one of the system’s hidden functions. 

 

It had taken her some time to notice the system’s nuances. If she hadn’t been idly browsing the store, she might never have seen the small “System Exclusive” tags beneath certain items. At 150 points per tracker, it was an expensive investment, but the results were worth it. 

 

Still, this newfound power came with a sobering realization: if someone else discovered this feature, it could be used against her or her loved ones. The thought sent a chill down her spine. She made a mental note to warn Lian Ru Ning about this risk. 

 

Following the tracker, Hao Jian quickly caught up to the group. Seeing her approach, they broke into a desperate sprint. 

 

She sighed and called out, "Keep running, and I’ll start shooting." 

 

This usually triggered two reactions: people either ran faster or stopped dead in their tracks. 

 

This time, most chose the latter. Exhausted from fleeing, they reluctantly stopped to catch their breath. 

 

"Do you want to get to the harbor safely or not?" Hao Jian asked. 

 

Panting, Huang You glared at her. "You killed someone. You’re one of them!" 

 

Hao Jian chuckled. "And you didn’t think to ask why I killed him?" 

 

The group hesitated, their curiosity piqued. Hao Jian turned her gaze to the nanny. "Did you really think I’d let you leave without a backup plan?" 

 

The nanny’s face paled with fear. She couldn’t fathom how Hao Jian had found them so quickly. 

 

Hao Jian turned to Huang You. "Don’t you get it? The reason your family was targeted… it was them." 

 

Huang You froze. "Them?" 

 

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He whipped around to face the nanny, his expression a mix of betrayal and disbelief. 

 

"You…" His voice trembled. "You’re with them?" 

 

The nanny panicked. "Huang You, it’s not like that! I was forced! I had no choice!" 

 

Enraged, Huang You shoved her. "I’ll kill you! I’ll avenge my father!" 

 

Hao Jian had to step in, pulling him away. "I understand your anger, but I need her alive. I have to bring her back as proof." 

 

Turning to the two remaining men, she said, "Help me restrain him. Unless you want to attract more zombies with all this noise." 

 

The two men scrambled to hold Huang You down. The nanny stood trembling, her face pale. 

 

Hao Jian addressed her coldly. "Let’s go. I won’t tie you up, but if you run again, I’ll find you. Just like I did this time." 

 

The nanny no longer dared doubt her. The five of them, each with their own thoughts and fears, began their journey toward the harbor. Along the way, they had to fight off zombies and dodge more dangers. 

 

By the time they reached the harbor, the sun was blazing overhead. They crouched in the bushes, carefully observing the situation. 

 

Several armed men were loading supplies onto yachts and preparing to depart. Hao Jian recognized immediately that these weren’t members of the island’s security forces. 

 

Among the group, she spotted two foreigners — one, a middle-aged man with brown hair, and the other, a young man with golden blond hair. 

 

Her mind flashed back to what the injured security guard had said: the cult’s "priest" was a foreign-looking man. But neither of these men seemed to match that description. 

 

After the group departed, two yachts remained at the dock. 

 

However, none of them knew how to pilot a yacht. 

 

"You wait here," Hao Jian instructed. She found a small boat nearby and approached a familiar face — a Special Response Unit member who had dropped her off earlier. 

 

"Any progress?" the unit member asked. 

 

"I found three civilians and one 'Wujie' informant. They’re hiding outside the harbor." 

 

Taking the radio he handed her, Hao Jian calmly reported, "This is Hao Jian. Codename: ‘Kind Soul.’ We’ve got a few stragglers heading west." 

 

The radio crackled to life with a swift reply: “Received.” 

 

Seeing the man on the other end suppressing a laugh, Hao Jian raised an eyebrow. “What are you laughing at? Weren’t you guys the ones who came up with that codename for me?” 

 

He stifled his grin and followed Hao Jian to bring Huang You and the others back. 

 

The group was temporarily detained on Haixin Island, while Hao Jian made her way to the command center to report on the mission. 

 

At the command center, she unexpectedly ran into Huang Sheng. It was the first time the two of them had crossed paths in an official setting. Given her direct involvement in the operation, they quickly exchanged intel. 

 

“There’s something off about this whole mission,” Huang Sheng said, his expression thoughtful. “At first glance, it looks like we’ve forced ‘Wujie’ into a desperate retreat. But honestly? These guys feel more like cannon fodder.” 

 

Hao Jian frowned slightly. She had also found the two foreigners from earlier suspicious. “Do you think any of their core members might’ve been among the ones who escaped? I heard they have a Deacon and a Priest involved.” 

 

Huang Sheng nodded. “We’ve already sent teams to pursue the escapees, though honestly, catching them isn’t our top priority. The real news is that we’ve finally gotten leads on Wujie’s Hierarch and their High Protectors.” 

 

Hao Jian raised an eyebrow, surprised. “That went smoother than expected.” 

 

Huang Sheng gave a small smile. “Turns out, we’re not the only ones taking action. Another team managed to capture someone named Wang Zhiyong. He gave us a lot of intel.” 

 

“That’s their Deacon,” Hao Jian confirmed, her eyes narrowing in thought. 

 

Huang Sheng paused before continuing. “According to his confession, their Hierarch and High Priest aren’t active in the south. They operate in the central region. That means this case will be handed over to the central forces to handle the manhunt.” 

 

At that moment, another operative rushed into the room and addressed Huang Sheng. “Get ready. We’re heading to Foshan immediately.” 

 

Huang Sheng straightened. “What’s going on?” 

 

“New intel just came in. Their real target wasn’t Ersha Island, Haixin Island, or even us. This whole operation was a diversion to lower the security of other cities!” 

 

Hao Jian’s heart sank as the pieces began to fall into place. That nagging sense of unease she’d felt throughout the mission finally made sense. 

 

Just as Huang Sheng had pointed out, Wujie’s operation seemed sloppy, riddled with holes. At first, she thought it was arrogance on their part. But now, it was clear that their real goal lay elsewhere. 

 

“Why Foshan?” Hao Jian asked, puzzled. 

 

Determined to find out, she sought out An Minghui, one of the higher-ranking officers involved in the mission. 

 

When she posed her question, An Minghui’s expression grew grave. “Foshan is one of our grain storage bases. And we’ve just received confirmation — both from intercepted messages and from the captured Deacon — that Foshan is their true target.” 

 

Hao Jian’s mind raced. She did a quick mental calculation and realized something unsettling. 

 

“Wait… Isn’t this around the same time Brotherhood Guardians are supposed to be heading to Foshan to meet up with Lian Rumeng?” 

 

An Minghui nodded grimly. 

 

“What a coincidence…” Hao Jian muttered, her unease deepening.