Chapter Twenty-Two: The Return Plan

“Dad, are we heading back to the villa next?” Alice nestled in Laura’s arms in the car, her voice sweet as honey, completely oblivious to her mother’s slightly awkward expression.

Laura had heard the whole story from Alice. That mysterious man was the one who changed her daughter’s fate. Later, his identity had been clarified—he wasn’t the second son of the Wang family, whom Laura had met for a matchmaking date. But her daughter stubbornly refused to address him differently, leaving both adults in an awkward situation.

For Guo Lang, things were conflicted. To be honest, a seductive woman like Laura had an even greater impact on him than a soft, cute girl. Still, with Alice present, if he did anything, his title as “Dad” would be set in stone, and he’d have to truly take responsibility. If his parents found out he’d gotten involved with a foreign woman who already had a daughter, they might just kill him.

Laura, for her part, was simply embarrassed. She was mature and had a different appreciation for attraction. At her age, seducing younger men didn’t interest her; she preferred men who were masculine, mature, and steady. She was deeply grateful to this mysterious young man, but honestly, she didn’t feel any spark—especially after he had sent her daughter into danger while he stayed back and fired shots from afar. That struck her as rather sleazy—not someone she could entrust her life to.

“I remember after I took out that guy, I also shattered some glass. That should’ve attracted a lot of the undead, so how did you two get out so quickly?”

“The big guy had that black liquid on his face. It looked disgusting, but it scared the undead away. Mom and I dabbed a little on ourselves and ran out,” Alice explained matter-of-factly.

Guo Lang’s eyes lit up. “What about that liquid?”

“It was gross, so of course we wiped it off as soon as we were out!” Alice replied as though it were obvious.

Guo Lang felt deflated; he should have expected that. If they had a mother zombie’s corpse, the combat team would surely smear themselves with a bit of her vomit. If only he’d told Alice to bring some back—once he had his tech-tree set up, he could have someone study it and maybe develop a weapon from it.

Now, it was a missed opportunity. It would be hard to get another chance like that.

“Sir… may I ask how to address you?” Laura asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“My surname is Guo. Just call me Xiao Guo.”

“Thank you so much. I will never forget what you’ve done for Alice and me!”

“You’re too polite. I get along well with Alice, and she’s very gifted.” Guo Lang frowned slightly. Though Laura’s words were full of gratitude, he could sense a subtle hint of distance.

“So, where are we headed now? Back to the villa, as Alice said? I heard you’ve prepared a lot of supplies there?” Laura pressed on.

“Yes, that’s the plan, but we’re running late today. We probably won’t get out of the city before nightfall. On the way, I spotted a military outpost at the edge of the Noble District. I plan to stay there for the night.”

“There’s a military outpost?” Laura’s face lit up.

Through the rearview mirror, Guo Lang noticed Laura’s changing expression and frowned even more deeply. As expected, this woman was highly vigilant around him and eager to break away. The moment she heard about a military outpost, her reaction was obvious. Guo Lang grew wary. He’d invested too much in Alice—nobody was taking her, not even her own mother.

“I’d advise you not to put too much hope in the military…”

“What do you mean?” Laura’s eyes flashed with wariness, then she smiled politely.

Guo Lang, ever sensitive, noticed that fleeting caution and cursed her inwardly for being ungrateful. Still, in front of Alice he kept his composure and spoke earnestly, “The government system has basically collapsed. When Alice went to save you, she ran into a congressman named Allen. You’ve probably heard of him.”

Laura paused, uncertain. “The presidential candidate? Oh, right. My secretary mentioned that the chairman and Congressman Allen were supposed to visit for an inspection this afternoon.” Sharp as ever, Laura instantly pieced together the rest. Congressman Allen had a strong political background and was a powerful contender for president. If the government still functioned, the military would have rescued them immediately. In reality, the military had the capacity for an organized response, but instead of sending paratroopers, they’d set up a perimeter. The truth was clear.

They were holding power for themselves. With the government paralyzed, military leaders wouldn’t risk their own necks to save former officials. The problem was, the military was divided into sectors. If every sector chief acted this way, what would the future hold?

The thought sent a chill through Laura. Without checks on military power, would the army behave as before? Of course not. Such an army would inevitably become corrupted. With morals decayed, could she and her daughter really be safe in such an environment?

“Then why do you want to approach the outpost?” Laura asked, puzzled.

A smart woman indeed, Guo Lang thought. He knew he couldn’t fool her with half-truths—only honesty might work. After considering, he replied sincerely, “The military hasn’t changed too much yet. The sector leaders are still feeling their way; it’s relatively safe for now. I only plan to stay overnight. Afterward, I’ll look for a safer place and gauge the situation. And…” he paused, “you’ve seen Alice’s condition. If someone high up in the military notices how unusual she is, what do you think will happen?”

Laura’s face turned pale. She forced herself to remain calm, her tone cold. “So, Mr. Guo, what are your plans for us?”

Just as I thought, she’s ready to cut ties, Guo Lang fumed inwardly, but he kept his voice level. “You can stay and observe. If you decide I’m untrustworthy, and want to take Alice and leave, I won’t stop you.”

Laura was taken aback by his sincerity and, from a negotiation standpoint, his willingness to make such a concession. By contrast, she herself seemed petty. Laura finally felt a twinge of guilt, but for her daughter’s sake, she decided caution must come first. With grace, she said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my daughter and me. I hope you’ll remember your promise.”

“Of course. As a Chinese, my word is my bond,” Guo Lang replied with righteous air, while inwardly he seethed, “Damn it, if you dare take Alice away, I’ll lock you in the basement, put you in a Japanese-style SM outfit, feed you B-Serum every day, and make you do it a hundred times a day!”

Alice, meanwhile, nestled quietly in Laura’s arms, saying nothing. She sensed that her parents didn’t seem to get along.

----------------------------------------

“Captain, look—it’s the same car that drove into the city yesterday morning!” On the city’s edge, at the outpost Guo Lang’s group had passed before, a sentry spotted their vehicle again. By coincidence, the same sniper was on duty.

“You’re sure?” The captain happened to be present as well.

“Absolutely. That fancy off-road vehicle is unforgettable,” the sniper replied.

The captain frowned. “So you’re telling me someone drove into the city from outside, stayed all night, and just drove out unharmed?”

“It sounds unbelievable, but that’s what happened!” The sniper adjusted his scope and confirmed, “That’s the same guy as yesterday.”

As he was about to say more, he suddenly noticed the driver looking right at him.

The eerie, unsettling moment nearly made him pull the trigger—after all, the man was still several kilometers away, and the sniper was high up. How could he possibly have spotted him?

“What’s wrong, David?” the captain asked, instantly sensing something was off.

“He… he seems to be looking at me!” David stammered.

“Nonsense!” The captain rolled his eyes. No one could see that far, even with perfect vision.

“He really saw me. Now he’s making hand signals.”

“What signals?” The captain’s expression turned grave. If David was right, these people warranted attention—not only had they entered and exited the dense city unscathed, but they’d also noticed the outpost from such a distance. These were no ordinary survivors. It had taken them a full day and night to capture this industrial building with under three hundred people, losing dozens of soldiers in the process. Their company originally had 120 men, medics, and support staff; now, less than 60 remained. And this was just the outskirts—the number of undead in the city proper was far higher. In those dense districts, a single high-rise could house thousands; anywhere could have tens of thousands of people. The undead population had only multiplied. He estimated that to break into the city center would require three full divisions, at least. Sure, using missile strikes would be easier, but then the cost of rebuilding would be enormous, and all surviving civilians would be lost.

“They… want to come in.”

The captain fell silent for a long time, weighing the risks. The situation was unclear and these people were unpredictable, but their mission was to cover civilian evacuations. Even though they hadn’t seen a single survivor in days, they were soldiers carrying out orders, even at the cost of not knowing their own families’ fates. If they refused these people, what was the point of their presence here?

“Sir?” David turned to his commander, hopeful. “Should we let them in? At least we can learn about the city center. There’s no point sitting in this damned place forever.”

“Headquarters sent us here for a reason. As soldiers, our duty is to obey orders—don’t get emotional.” The captain glanced toward the off-road vehicle and sighed. “Send a team to escort them in. We really do need information on the city center. If HQ suddenly orders us to retake it, we need to be prepared.”

“Yessir!” David replied, excitement in his voice.