DDT - Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Zombie King × Little White Flower (12)
As they walked, ordinary people on the street caught sight of the troop of soldiers. Expressions of terror crossed their faces, and they quickly moved to give them a wide berth.
Yi Shuhan, eager to get home, didn't notice anything amiss, but Chi Junluo saw it all clearly. It seemed this B City Base was definitely problematic.
The hotel where Chi Junluo and Yi Shuhan were staying wasn't far from the Advanced Research Institute. After about a half-hour walk, the group arrived before the heavily guarded facility.
After a series of body searches, inspections, and identity registrations, the two were finally allowed to enter the Institute with the squad.
The Institute was surrounded by high walls, and the buildings within were uniformly white, without a speck of any other color. The walls were pristine, showing that the place was well-protected and had likely never suffered an attack. Chi Junluo frowned slightly.
After passing through the cluster of pure white buildings, the stone-faced man led Chi Junluo and Yi Shuhan to a stop in front of a two-story duplex. "Ladies, this is Mr. Yi Mingchang's residence. This is as far as I go."
The man bowed respectfully to them, then turned and led the soldiers away, leaving only two to guard the gate.
Yi Shuhan looked at the house before her, tightened her clenched fists, and gave herself a silent pep talk. She took two steps forward and pressed the doorbell on the exquisite ebony door.
A moment later, the sound of footsteps came from inside. A rough-looking hand pushed the door open, revealing a man who looked like a butler standing ramrod straight in the doorway. His expression was indifferent, betraying no emotion. He simply gave a slight bow. "Welcome home, Miss Yi Shuhan."
He then nodded slightly at Chi Junluo before leading them into the house.
He first showed them to the sofa, brewed some tea, and then said to Yi Shuhan, "Miss, Mr. Yi is waiting for you in the study upstairs. Please go on up."
Hearing that her father was actually waiting for her, Yi Shuhan's heart leaped with joy. She glanced back at Chi Junluo, who gave her an encouraging nod. Happily, she followed the butler upstairs.
A short while later, the butler came down alone and stood before Chi Junluo with a cold demeanor. "Miss, allow me to take you to the luxury residence Mr. Yi has gifted you."
After speaking, he stood there, allowing Chi Junluo to size him up.
Chi Junluo's expression remained unchanged. Finally, she nodded. "Let's go. This will give Shuhan and her father a chance to catch up."
Chi Junluo stood up and followed the butler out of the duplex, heading directly southwest.
The houses grew sparser along the way, gradually giving way to one small villa after another. The surroundings were planted with numerous green trees and lawns. At first glance, it was as if one had returned to the time before the apocalypse, to that peaceful and serene world.
The butler led Chi Junluo on a winding path, eventually arriving at the center of the villa district. Here stood a three-story villa, complete with a beautiful outdoor swimming pool. Tall trees formed a natural fence, blocking any prying eyes from the outside world.
The butler brought Chi Junluo to the main gate, told her the passcode, and then departed with an air of nonchalance.
After the butler left, Chi Junluo's face turned completely cold.
This was all far too abnormal.
If housing in an apocalyptic base reflected a person's status, then judging by the duplex from earlier, Yi Shuhan's father only held a relatively high position within the Institute. Within the base itself, his status wasn't high enough—otherwise, why wasn't he assigned a villa?
Looking at the eye-catching villa before her, a building that would be impressive both before and after the apocalypse, Chi Junluo knew in her heart that someone with Yi Shuhan's father's capabilities couldn't afford to give away such a valuable residence. He didn't even live in one himself, so how could he possibly hand one over to someone else?
Chi Junluo deftly entered the passcode. The gate opened with a hum, and she stepped into the villa's garden. The gate slowly closed behind her.
From behind a thick tree opposite the villa, a tall, slender man in a sharp suit stepped out. A wicked smile played on his lips as his scarlet tongue lightly licked them. He stared at the gate and let out a series of sinister chuckles, his eyes filled with malice. After a long moment, he turned and left.
Meanwhile, standing behind the curtains on the third floor of the villa, Chi Junluo silently watched the sleazy-looking man below. Her profound gaze pierced through the gap in the curtains, fixed on the man's back as he excitedly departed.
Another overconfident fool with ulterior motives.
Chi Junluo snorted coldly. A sudden chill ran down the suited man's back, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Cursing under his breath as if he'd seen a ghost, he quickly vanished from Chi Junluo's sight.
Inside the duplex.
The second-floor study.
Yi Shuhan knocked on the door. "Come in," a stern voice called out.
With a heart full of excitement, Yi Shuhan turned the handle and pushed the door open.
A well-dressed, middle-aged man sat bolt upright behind a desk. He wore a pair of exquisite gold-rimmed glasses, giving him an incredibly refined appearance.
This was Yi Shuhan's father, Yi Mingchang.
"Hello, Father." After entering, Yi Shuhan bowed respectfully, greeting the father she hadn't seen in over a year.
"Hmph." The man behind the desk grunted dismissively, continuing to write something on a piece of paper.
"Father, how is the research on the anti-zombie virus reagent coming along? If possible, I'd like to participate in the research as well!" Yi Shuhan bowed deeply again, her voice filled with anticipation.
At these words, Yi Mingchang looked up and sized up his daughter.
The air around him stirred on its own. Small gusts of wind lifted several thick books, suspending them in mid-air.
"My daughter, you remain as ordinary as ever, so utterly average. In this dog-eat-dog apocalypse, you are still just a mediocre, common person." Yi Mingchang's face was cold as he reached out to touch one of the thick books. "Yi Shuhan, you disappoint me greatly," he said in a deep voice.
"How can an ordinary person participate in high-end research?" Yi Mingchang took the book from the gust of wind, which immediately dissipated, vanishing without a trace.
Hearing this, Yi Shuhan secretly clenched her fists. "Father, please believe me, I can do it! I have the skills to have survived this long in the apocalypse!"
Yi Shuhan argued back in a clear voice.
Yi Mingchang watched Yi Shuhan's eagerness to prove herself to him. It was all so familiar.
This child of his had been like this since she was young, always trying to please him, always bringing home piles of awards, always achieving grades that made other parents and children envious. She was always so mature and sensible, always doing things to make him happy.
But he didn't need it. And it wouldn't make him happy.
For decades, he had long since lost the right to be happy.
"Since you're so eager to prove yourself, since you think you have the ability to develop a drug to resist the zombie virus, then be in the first-floor hall at 7 a.m. tomorrow. I will take you to the research center."
Yi Mingchang's eyes were dark, as if he had made some kind of decision as he spoke.
"Yes, Father!" Seeing her father relent, Yi Shuhan responded happily.
"That's enough. Stop embarrassing yourself here and get out," Yi Mingchang said, his tone laced with displeasure.
Yi Shuhan, however, was already used to it. Her father had always treated her this way. She was accustomed to it.
Yi Shuhan had grown up without a mother; her father had raised her single-handedly. In her heart, her father was her entire world. Even if her demanding father looked down on her for not having an ability, it was understandable. If she lacked an ability, she would make up for it in research. Yi Shuhan firmly believed that everything her father did was ultimately for her own good.
After all, she was his daughter.
Yi Shuhan exited the study with the utmost respect, gently closing the door behind her.
When she got downstairs, however, she found that Chi Junluo, who should have been sitting in the living room, was gone.
Yi Shuhan quickly asked the butler where the other young lady had gone.
The butler claimed not to know, only saying that the young lady had made an excuse about having something to do and left early.
Yi Shuhan remembered how back in J City, Chi Junluo had said she was also coming to B City to find someone. She must have been impatient and gone ahead to search for her family.
Although she was a little worried about Chi Junluo, the thought of her strength reassured her. She wouldn't be at a disadvantage out there. Now that they had both reached their destination, B City, it was time to part ways. After all, they each had their own paths to walk. It was time to go their separate ways.
Though she felt a pang of nostalgia for the few short days she had spent with Chi Junluo, Yi Shuhan understood that they were bound to separate eventually.
Yi Shuhan followed the butler to her room. Closing the door, she collapsed onto the large bed, but she was no longer in the mood to roll around. For some reason, a corner of her heart suddenly felt empty, a hollow and uncomfortable feeling.
The next day arrived quickly. Chi Junluo had originally planned to find Yi Shuhan first thing in the morning. She had a gut feeling that Yi Shuhan's father was definitely trouble. With the heroine over there by herself, she couldn't rest easy.
However, Chi Junluo's expression darkened. An uninvited guest had appeared in her living room. Chi Junluo leisurely straightened her clothes and slowly descended the stairs, her cold eyes fixed on the young man in a suit and slicked-back hair who had let himself in.
Seeing her come downstairs, the man quickly stood up and introduced himself elegantly. "Hello, beautiful lady. My surname is Wang. You can call me Brother Wang. May I ask your name?"
Chi Junluo stopped on the stairs, not descending any further. She looked down on the man who called himself Brother Wang and opened her mouth with a sarcastic retort, "Brother Wang? Are you a dog? So fond of showing up uninvited."
The man's smile froze on his face, and for a long moment, he couldn't think of a reply.
This woman was fiery.
Meanwhile, at the duplex.
Yi Shuhan was waiting in the main hall early in the morning. Yi Mingchang arrived belatedly and led her into a room that looked like a storage closet. Once the door was shut, it revealed a massive elevator inside. Yi Mingchang pressed his finger to the panel, unlocking the fingerprint scanner. The elevator began its descent, carrying Yi Shuhan down to the mysterious Advanced Research Institute.
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