WMSR — QT Chapter 144

 

WMSR – QT Chapter 144

By

siofra

Chapter 144: The Senior of the Apocalypse

The person dispatched by Gu Song moved with great speed—running out and sprinting back, returning within half an hour, out of breath and looking deathly pale. Visibly tense, he immediately shouted upon his return: "It's bad! Zombie rats have genuinely appeared inside the base, and the man who was bitten by a zombie rat and transformed into a zombie is also real!"

Upon hearing this update, Gu Song could no longer remain seated. He knew in his heart that no matter how audacious someone might be, absolutely no one within the base would dare to intentionally release zombies inside.

With real zombies now surfacing, what did that signify? Furthermore, with the base's ability wielder forces currently stretched to their absolute thinnest, a lack of control could easily trigger catastrophic devastation. Gu Song had numerous close friends and relatives among his outpost faction—hundreds of whom resided right here within this sanctuary—giving him no room to remain calm. An even greater indicator convincing Gu Song that this crisis was authentic was the behavior of the coordinator in charge of the rodent-sweep operations: earlier, that man had come to pressure him, but now that a real zombie had been discovered—logistically the prime moment to ramp up political pressure—the individual had completely vanished. What did that imply? It meant that coordinator was desperately struggling to contain an escalating catastrophe and completely lacked the bandwidth to mind his corner.

Gu Song abruptly pivoted to look at Bai Yichen, who had been closely tracking the development and naturally overheard the outpost member's report. Catching Gu Song's gaze, Bai Yichen stated directly: "Go ahead. The base is critically short on manpower right now; go assist. There won't be any problems on my end."

Gu Song's lips twitched, and ultimately he could only offer a grim nod. Before departing, he solemnly summoned several members of his outpost faction, instructing them to ensure Mr. Ling was rigorously protected.

Finally, Gu Song warned Bai Yichen: "Mr. Ling, now that zombie rats have been found in the base, safety is compromised. Make sure you don't step outside or wander around under any circumstances."

Addressing Gu Song's anxiety, Bai Yichen assured him: "Rest assured, I won't step a foot outside this door."

Hearing this, Gu Song felt marginally more at ease. Daring not to delay any further, he immediately rushed toward the slums sector to see where his assistance was required—understanding all too well that creatures like zombie rats favored the chaotic, cluttered environments typical of slum districts.

Following Gu Song's departure, the remaining outpost members appeared deeply shaken. The intrusion of zombie rats into the base represented an apocalyptic emergency to them; even operating within a major sanctuary like the Lingxiao Survivor Base, such a crisis at their former minor outpost would have guaranteed catastrophic casualties if not total annihilation.

For a time, everyone lost the inclination to speak, plunging the interior into an oppressive silence.

"Pardon me, is Mengchen inside?"

Without warning, a melodic, gentle female voice chimed softly. The outpost guard on duty raised his head, an unmistakable flash of awe crossing his eyes.

It was an exceptionally stunning woman clad in an elegant long dress, her hair cascading in an alluring sweep across one side of her cheek—exquisite and captivating. The sole jarring element was that her makeup appeared somewhat overly heavy, though it failed to obscure her striking natural beauty.

These outpost guards had arrived at the sanctuary alongside Lin Jiawen and his group relatively recently, spending most of their time stationed within District B. Consequently, their familiarity with the base's residents remained shallow, leaving them entirely unacquainted with Qi Yuanyuan. Staring blankly at the sudden appearance of this beauty for a moment, they nodded blankly in subconscious response.

Yet retaining a shred of baseline prudence, while somewhat disoriented by a super-beauty, they refrained from granting unrestricted entry. However, given the woman's familiar, intimate form of address, they found themselves uncertain of her exact relationship with the resident inside, prompting them to default to a safe protocol: "We'll go inform Mr. Ling."

The woman nodded with graceful, amiable poise, radiating an air of refined breeding that clearly marked her as a resident of District A—instantly reinforcing the guards' confidence that she possessed a genuine prior connection to Mr. Ling.

Upon receiving the guards' description, Bai Yichen deduced the visitor's identity. After all, aside from Qi Yuanyuan, what other exceptionally attractive woman who recognized him existed?

Yet Bai Yichen held zero intention of admitting her. Considering that Qi Yuanyuan operated within Xiao Yi's faction, nobody could predict whether Xiao Yi had embedded further hidden contingencies—and Qi Yuanyuan might well serve as the linchpin of that scheme. Maintaining physical distance remained his wisest strategic choice.

At that juncture, Bai Yichen remained oblivious to the fact that Qi Yuanyuan had already been discarded into the slums by Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi had naturally omitted any active mention of the exile, while Lin Jiawen—though unearthing Qi Yuanyuan's subsequent location through private investigations—deliberately withheld the intelligence from Bai Yichen out of personal possessiveness. Fearing that Bai Yichen might harbor misplaced compassion upon learning of her wretched destitution, Lin Jiawen judged that allowing her to quietly vanish into obscurity was the optimal resolution.

Yet Lin Jiawen could never have anticipated that a minor selfish omission would cascade into the current volatile scenario. Because Bai Yichen was ignorant of her banishment, and the outpost guards failed to recognize her, they evaluated her status purely through her high-end attire and her apparent familiarity with Bai Yichen, causing them to completely drop their guard. Had they possessed the slightest inkling that she originated directly from the slums—where a zombie outbreak had just erupted—their vigilance would have spiked instantly.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuanyuan—having donned the single remaining piece of exquisite apparel she salvaged when dragged into the slums, caking her face in heavy cosmetics, and sweeping her hair across one cheek to mask her festering facial wounds—grew acutely anxious upon noting Bai Yichen's reluctance to emerge. She recognized that her biological countdown was rapidly narrowing.

Observing that Bai Yichen made no move to step outside, she took the initiative to raise her voice: "Mengchen, come out! I have something vital to tell you!"

Bai Yichen initially resolved to ignore the summons, but as Qi Yuanyuan persisted without surrender, he responded flatly: "I fail to see what topics exist between us worth discussing."

Unaccustomed to shouting across open courtyards—and recognizing that his natural vocal timbre tended toward a low register—Bai Yichen stepped directly into the main entry hall to ensure his words carried clearly to the perimeter.

The moment Qi Yuanyuan caught sight of Bai Yichen's silhouette entering her visual field, her eyes ignited with a blinding, desperate intensity: "The information I hold is something you desperately need to hear. It concerns a direct secret belonging to Xiao Yi."

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