“Mm.” Suo Tian nodded, then pulled me over to sit on the sofa beside him.
A few middle-aged men in casual clothes were seated on the chairs nearby, while on the sofa opposite us sat Gao and a burly man in a white suit with a small mustache.
He had big eyes, a large nose, and a wide mouth, with a bold, imposing look on his face.
Gao sized me up with a playful look.
Thinking back to how he had, at least indirectly, saved our lives last time, I nodded at him and smiled as a greeting.
Who would’ve thought he’d suddenly let out a snort of laughter, immediately drawing the attention of the others.
The old man in military uniform spoke first. “Xiao Gao, what’s so funny?”
“Nothing… just seeing Suo Tian’s wife so stunning, makes me want to get married too.” Gao rubbed his nose as he spoke, sneaking a couple more glances at me.
The old man in uniform paused for a second, then burst out laughing.
“Oh? Even getting married, you have to wait and follow behind Xiao Tian?”
At that, the man nicknamed Bai Wuchang, who had been silent until now, turned his head toward Gao.
“What? Just because Xiao Tian’s wife is pretty, does that mean mine isn’t?”
As soon as he said that, Master Gu shot him a sharp look like a blade.
Gao froze and quickly waved his hands. “Pretty, pretty! Sister Ting is very pretty—no fairy could compare!”
Only then did Bai Wuchang and Master Gu’s expressions ease.
Watching from the side, I found it quite amusing.
These people weren’t as unapproachable as I had imagined.
The middle-aged men asked a few simple questions about Suo Tian’s injuries, and everyone exchanged greetings.
Finally, the old man in military uniform turned to Suo Tian, pointed at me, and asked bluntly, “Can she be trusted?”
Suo Tian didn’t answer.
Instead, Master Gu cleared his throat and spoke up, “Xiao Tian is a sensible man. If she weren’t trustworthy, he wouldn’t have brought her here.”
I subconsciously tightened my grip on the corner of Suo Tian’s clothes.
Sensing it, he reached out and held my hand.
With Master Gu speaking up, the old man in uniform didn’t press further.
After glancing around at everyone, he dropped the joking demeanor from earlier, his expression turning suddenly serious.
Looking at Gao, he asked, “What’s the situation outside the base right now?”
Gao also dropped his casual attitude. “Four groups of walkers have converged. It’s essentially a full encirclement. Other than helicopters, there’s no safe way out.”
“What about the safe passage?”
“Too many walkers. Those metal structures aren’t reliable.”
“I just need to know whether it’s been built.” The old man frowned.
“It’s been completed.”
“Where does it lead?”
“To the neighboring city. There are guards stationed at the exit.” After a brief pause, he added, “Should we merge the neighboring city into our control as well?”
The man in uniform waved his hand. “Not necessary. The base is no longer taking in survivors. Expanding there would make it harder to manage. The central command is already expanding elsewhere—we just need to secure this place.”
After saying that, he turned to Bai Wuchang. “Da Bai, what about your side?”
Bai Wuchang nodded with a hint of apology. “We haven’t found the cause. The samples we collected have been sent to Master Gu. It appears to be an ordinary viral infection—nothing else could be identified. We’ve already conducted a full sweep of the mall, including reviewing all surveillance footage. We only saw the infected entering the mall; there’s no evidence of anyone deliberately guiding them inside.”
Hearing this, I froze.
The mall?
From the way they were talking, it sounded like what happened that day wasn’t just a outbreak of chaos—but something deliberately orchestrated?
The old man in uniform nodded and waved a hand.
“That’s fine. If someone can stir up this kind of unrest three times in a row, it’d be strange if you could easily track them down.”
At that point, he casually glanced at me before continuing, “Now listen carefully—today’s wedding is meant to lure out the big fish. Orders from above are absolute. All of you, stay sharp. Get this done while keeping casualties to an absolute minimum.”
At those words, Suo Tian’s grip on my hand suddenly tightened.
He glanced at them, pressed his lips together, and said, “Send Chen Yang back first.”
Hearing that, the old man in military uniform glanced at me and frowned at Suo Tian.
“Let her stay with Tingting. If we suddenly send someone back now, it’ll attract their attention.”
“No. Chen Yang can’t stay here.”
Master Gu also frowned. “Xiao Tian!”
I quickly tugged on Suo Tian’s hand. “I’ll be fine staying here.”
“What’s gotten into you, Xiao Tian? Is it really worth it over a woman? Let her stay with my wife—don’t worry, nothing will happen,” Bai Wuchang added.
Suo Tian pressed his lips tightly and said nothing more.
After scanning the room, he grabbed me and started to walk out.
“Xiao Tian!” Master Gu’s voice clearly carried displeasure.
Suo Tian turned back to look at him and repeated, “Chen Yang can’t stay here.”
Just as he finished speaking, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.
The old man in uniform had just said “Come in,” when the door burst open.
Several people in different uniforms rushed in, looking panicked.
“Master Gu, someone has already infiltrated. The alcohol in the back kitchen has all been found to contain the virus.”
“What?!” Master Gu’s voice shot up.
The old man in uniform also sprang to his feet. “Has anyone come into contact with that batch of alcohol?”
“It was already sent out—we have no way of calculating how many guests have drunk it,” the uniformed man said, wiping sweat nonstop.
From the drastic change in everyone’s expressions, it was clear just how serious the situation was.
Most of the attendees at this wedding were core figures—at the very least, team members.
If they had drunk alcohol laced with the virus, what that implied…
“Seal it off! Seal everything off! Not a single mosquito gets in or out!”
The old man slammed his hand onto the coffee table, his anger beyond words, as he issued strict orders to those present.
“Send people outside to investigate! Search every household! If any similar substance is found—leave no one alive, burn them all! It takes several hours for the virus to manifest. During that time, find that person! With such a large-scale plan, they’re either acting personally or they’re a core figure. Capture them!”
Everyone in the room except Master Gu stood up, acknowledged the order, and rushed out.
Only Suo Tian, still holding my hand, remained where he was.
After everyone had left, Master Gu frowned and said to Suo Tian, “No one is allowed to leave now. You know the rules better than anyone.”
Suo Tian struggled for a moment, then looked at me and said softly, “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.” Knowing how serious things were, I nodded.
After glancing at Master Gu and the old man in uniform, Suo Tian finally turned and ran out.
Once he left, the room fell silent.
After a long while, the old man in uniform, having calmed down from his fury, gestured for me to sit closer.
I looked at the two silent old men, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Sorry… I’ve caused you trouble.”
Master Gu looked at me. “How long have you known Xiao Tian?”
I froze for a second before answering, “A little over a year.”
“That’s not very long. I’ve never seen him treat anyone like this before.”
After a brief hesitation, I said, “Actually… I just found out I’m pregnant. He’s not usually like this—he’s probably worried something might happen to the child.”
At that, both the old man in uniform and Master Gu’s expressions softened, their tone immediately gentler.
“That explains it. I was just wondering if that might be the reason.”
After the old man spoke, Master Gu nodded at me with satisfaction.
“A happy occasion, a happy occasion. Do your best—take good care of the child.”
There was another knock at the door.
This time, it was the same beautiful woman from before.
After greeting them, she said, “The equipment in the surveillance room is all up and running. Should we go now?”
The old man in military uniform waved his hand. “Let’s go.”
As he stood up and headed out, he glanced back at me. “You come with us too.”
I quietly curled my lips in self-mockery…
This time I really was benefiting from “status through the child.”
If it weren’t for him, I’d probably have been thrown to the front lines as a scapegoat no matter what.
The surveillance room was also on the second floor, but at the very end of the corridor.
As I followed them along the carpeted hallway, I could still faintly hear the lively noise from downstairs—everything felt festive and full of joy.
I sighed inwardly.
Unfortunately, all of this was just a beautiful bubble.
In a few hours… this place would probably turn into a bloody hell.
How many more souls would end up crowding the road to the underworld?
When we entered the surveillance room, Master Gu said to the guards at the door, “Bring Tingting here.”
Inside, there was only a long sofa facing an enlarged display wall showing over a dozen surveillance feeds, covering almost every corner of the estate.
After sitting down with Master Gu and the others, I carefully searched the screens for Suo Tian.
It took me a while before I finally spotted him in the last camera—standing silently in a corner of the courtyard, observing the crowd.
Not far from him stood Gao and Bai Wuchang, each holding a glass of wine.
They weren’t drinking—just holding them and pretending to chat.
I knew they were actually watching everyone around them.
Before long, the beautiful woman returned, leading in a delicate-looking girl wearing a white wedding dress.
The girl had gathered up the hem of her gown in her hands, revealing the sneakers on her feet.
A wedding dress with sneakers…
I couldn’t help but take a few more looks at her.
She bore about a fifty-percent resemblance to Master Gu.
Their facial features weren’t exactly alike, but the expression—the overall demeanor—made it obvious she was his biological daughter.
When she first saw me, Tingting froze for a moment, not reacting right away.
After Master Gu introduced us, she immediately broke into a cheerful grin and greeted me enthusiastically.
After greeting the old man in uniform, she squeezed in beside me and whispered, “Hey, tell me quickly—how did that monster end up falling for you?”
The moment I heard that, my face went completely dark.
— The end of the Chapter–
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