Surviving the Apocalypse with the Young Miss - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Abnormalities

Surveillance… cameras…

Tong Xiangyu closed her eyes, identifying the two words Song Ge had traced in her palm on the first pass.

Her eyes flickered slightly beneath her lids. Song Ge was succinct; she clearly wanted to warn her that this room was bugged, with their movements being monitored in real-time. But where was the lens? And how did Song Ge find it?

Tong Xiangyu wanted to draw a question mark in Song Ge’s palm. But before she could move her finger, Song Ge gripped her hand firmly.

In this specific situation, Tong Xiangyu’s heart leaped into her throat, thinking this was another signal. But after waiting a long while, there was no follow-up. Instead, she heard the sound of Song Ge’s light, rhythmic breathing from beside her.

Tong Xiangyu: “…”

This girl… she gets me all nervous and then just falls asleep?!

Song Ge had indeed fallen asleep quickly. Although their supply situation had improved significantly after unearthing the courier truck, she never dared to lower her guard. Whenever Tong Xiangyu and the others slept—day or night—Song Ge took the watch. Between traveling and staying awake on sentry duty, she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in ages; her rest was always in fragments.

Now that they were about to face an even thornier, unknown situation, she had to seize every moment to recharge her energy. Since these people had gone to the trouble of arranging all this and even prepared dinner, it meant they intended to try the “carrot” before the “stick.” Everyone prefers to get what they want without shedding blood. Right now was likely the safest they would be in this “base.”

As for why she alerted Tong Xiangyu to the cameras: it was because this innocent, naive young lady, who always believed in the inherent goodness of people, was far too relaxed. She was so satisfied with this place that she looked like a fool who would help her kidnappers count the ransom money. Song Ge’s brief reminder was meant to put her on guard, but she didn’t say more to prevent Tong Xiangyu from overacting. If the girl’s behavior changed too drastically, it would alert their monitors, startle the snakes, and cause the situation to spiral out of control.

Song Ge’s sleep efficiency was high. After two hours of deep rest, her spirit was restored. When she woke, the sky hadn’t even fully darkened yet. Her shoulder felt warm; she turned her head to see the young lady clutching her arm, fast asleep. Tong Xiangyu was still wearing that scavenged pink dress she refused to part with. Because her legs were curled up, the hem had hitched up high on her snow-white thighs. The thin blanket they had shared had long since been kicked aside, sliding halfway onto the floor.

Song Ge carefully extracted her arm. Tong Xiangyu didn’t wake, her breathing long and steady. Song Ge gently pulled the dress down to cover her legs, then walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside just a fraction.

When they had first met Zeus’s group, the sun was setting, but even after a nap, there was still a lingering glow on the horizon. Song Ge checked her watch—it was 7:30 PM. The daylight hours were getting longer.

“…Song Ge?” a groggy voice came from behind.

Song Ge let go of the curtain and turned to see Tong Xiangyu sitting up halfway. A pampered young lady was truly different; even sitting there with a dazed, bedheaded expression, she looked charming and likable.

A perfect little lamb, Song Ge thought. At least, that’s how she appeared in the eyes of those people.

Song Ge said, “Good timing. Someone is coming.”

Tong Xiangyu, still half-asleep, let out a confused “Eh?” and asked how she knew. Right then, a polite knock sounded at the door.

Song Ge: “I just saw them walking over from the window.”

This was a deliberate lie. She didn’t need to look to know; the people behind the monitors would know exactly when they woke up and would naturally send someone to fetch them.

Song Ge said, “Wash your face. I’ll get the door.”

“Mhm, okay!” Tong Xiangyu hurriedly nodded, switched off the small electric fan on the nightstand, and hopped off the bed.

Before opening the door, Song Ge specifically closed the bedroom door.

Nana wasn’t at all surprised to see Song Ge. She asked with a smile, “Did I wake you guys up?”

Song Ge: “No, we just woke up.”

Song Ge stepped aside to let the woman in and closed the door. As Nana brushed past, Song Ge caught a scent—a heavy perfume that was different from before. It was unlikely they were using scent-based traps, but Song Ge still frowned and held her breath; the smell was far too pungent.

Through the corner of her eye, Song Ge saw Nana walk straight toward the small room where Yue Yao was staying, completely ignoring the larger sun-facing room. This further confirmed the existence of the surveillance.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Yue Yao answered, running cheerfully to open her door. Her spirited appearance showed she had also caught up on her sleep.

“Zeus blamed me for not asking about your tastes,” Nana said, smoothing her hair. The perfume scent grew even stronger, though she clearly didn’t notice. She smiled at Yue Yao and then at Song Ge. “But I remembered we have a chef who lived in Kecheng for years. I’ve asked him to take charge of the kitchen tonight. He won’t disappoint you.”

When the woman tucked her hair back, Song Ge caught sight of a fresh red mark behind her ear—a long, thin line that looked a bit like a scrape or Gua Sha marks. Song Ge didn’t know what it was, but her gaze didn’t linger for a second.

At that moment, Tong Xiangyu poked her head out of the bedroom while brushing her teeth. The pigment spots from her allergy had long since faded, and her delicate face was currently dotted with water droplets, her skin white with a rosy glow, looking as soft as a peach.

Blinking her round almond eyes, Tong Xiangyu said happily through the toothpaste foam, “You have a chef from Kecheng? That’s amazing!”

Song Ge remained stoic, but internally she wondered if this young lady was so airheaded that she’d forgotten the warning after one nap.

Nana was exceptionally warm toward Tong Xiangyu, laughing brightly. “There are many more good things here. You’ll find out as you stay longer.”

Nana led them downstairs, listing the dishes they would be having. Tong Xiangyu asked curiously, “Sister Nana, does everyone eat together?”

“How could that be?” Nana laughed. “We have over six thousand people here. Not even a five-star hotel ballroom could fit that many at once. Usually, everyone eats on their own. This compound consists of residential buildings with kitchens in every unit; they just need to collect their ingredients daily. However, every day, the survivors of one building take turns having the honor of dining with Zeus. That’s why Zeus specifically asked to have you at his table—you are very important guests.”

“Look,” Nana said, pointing to a residential building that was completely dark. “Tonight is Building 6’s turn.”

Tong Xiangyu looked up and realized it was true. While Building 6 was pitch black, Buildings 10, 9, and 8 were all lit up. She could hear the sounds of people talking and laughing; it felt very much like normal life. Looking at this, Tong Xiangyu felt a sense of trance: Could such a peaceful scene really exist after a monster outbreak?

“It really is like a paradise…” Tong Xiangyu sighed.

Nana smiled. “It’s all thanks to Zeus. Without him guiding our path and seeking hope for our lives, we would have been torn to shreds by zombies long ago. After all, in a crisis, the country we trusted chose to abandon us immediately. This isn’t just ‘like’ a paradise; it is a true paradise.”

Tong Xiangyu nodded in agreement. “I see.”

As they spoke, the streetlights along the dim road suddenly flickered on. Tong Xiangyu gasped in wonder, “God! There are even streetlights! Yaoyao, how long has it been since we saw streetlights?!”

Yue Yao also nodded excitedly, looking around with curiosity. Nana laughed and expanded on the topic of the streetlights to other features of the base.

Song Ge walked with her hands in her pockets, saying nothing. She could see exactly what the young lady was doing; she wasn’t being airheaded—on the contrary, she was so guarded and nervous that her reactions were exaggerated. However, given her age and beauty, it was perfectly normal for her to be this excited after a terrifying escape. It wouldn’t raise any suspicion.

They arrived quickly. From a distance, Song Ge heard the lively sounds of a crowd and smelled the aroma of food. It was another residential building, but this one had its internal walls removed to create a brightly lit banquet hall. Each hall held six large round tables, each seating over a dozen people. At a glance, there were indeed about six hundred people as Nana had said.

However, Song Ge noticed that while there were men, women, young and old, the majority were elderly, children, and women—as if they had been hand-picked. No, not “as if”—they were hand-picked. According to Nana, the daily operation here required many managers and laborers, like the two young, strong men at the gate. But here, to put it bluntly, it was almost entirely the “weak and vulnerable.”

There was only one purpose for such an arrangement: to gain trust. Elderly people and children are the least threatening. The more natural, innocent, and happy they appear, the safer an outsider feels.

Like the kind-hearted young lady, Song Ge thought. She was suddenly glad she had given Tong Xiangyu that warning in advance.

The head table was at the very back. Nana led them inside, and a child pointed at Tong Xiangyu, shouting, “Pretty sister!” Despite her internal tension, Tong Xiangyu gave the boy a gentle, friendly smile. The boy’s face turned bright red instantly. An elder nearby quickly pulled the boy’s hand down, telling him to be quiet, and put a chicken leg in his bowl.

Nana brought them to the head table, but Zeus wasn’t there yet. Nana asked a man, “A-Yu, where’s Zeus?”

“The Leader is inside making toasts; he’ll be back soon.” The man called A-Yu was young, looking under thirty. He was about 1.7 meters tall with a buzz cut and healthy, tanned skin. After answering Nana, his gaze moved to Tong Xiangyu and the others. After a bold appraisal, A-Yu was clearly satisfied. He walked to Tong Xiangyu’s side with a beaming smile and pulled out a chair for her. “Sit, sit. Don’t just stand there.”

He was too close. Tong Xiangyu shied away slightly but sat down with a smile, gathering her skirt. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It’s my honor to serve a little beauty.” A-Yu smiled at her. Seeing she wasn’t looking at him, he went to pull out a chair for Yue Yao. Yue Yao thanked him nervously. By the time A-Yu went to move a chair for Song Ge, he found she was already sitting next to Tong Xiangyu, eating.

A-Yu gave Song Ge a second look.

Just then, Zeus returned. His face was flushed, clearly having already had a few drinks. His laughter was hearty. “You’re here!”

“Hey, everyone, quiet down.” Zeus’s voice wasn’t loud, but with a slight wave of his hand, the entire banquet hall became so silent you could hear a pin drop in three or four seconds.

Zeus said, “Let me introduce our new guests of the Morning Sun Self-Defense. Three little beauties from Kecheng: Miss Tong Xiangyu.”

Tong Xiangyu lifted her skirt with perfect etiquette and bowed to the crowd, receiving a burst of thunderous applause!

Zeus continued, “Yue Yao!”

Yue Yao mimicked Tong Xiangyu’s bow. Though it was a bit awkward, she also received warm applause.

Zeus: “And, Song Ge!”

Song Ge didn’t stand up. Her chopsticks were holding a piece of food. Seeing Zeus look over, she raised an eyebrow. “Is it mandatory to stand?”

“No, of course not.” Zeus laughed, appearing very approachable and considerate. Even though Song Ge didn’t stand, the others still gave her enthusiastic applause.

After the introductions, Zeus told everyone to eat and drink their fill. The scene immediately resumed its lively atmosphere, as if a “play” button had been pressed.

Zeus, holding a wine glass, walked behind Song Ge. He leaned down, placing a hand on the back of her chair. “I specifically ordered the chef to make Kecheng specialties. Taste them and see if they suit your palate?”

Song Ge said tonelessly, “Please step back. You’re spitting on me.”

Zeus’s expression froze.

Sitting next to her, Tong Xiangyu was startled. Even though she knew something was wrong, how could Song Ge offend this man so directly?!

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