The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 45

Region 7 is located approximately 1,000 kilometers northeast of Region 14.

Before setting off, Xie Zhitian and her companions discussed and refined their plan.

Tang Zhuoran and Xia Fufeng, disguised as business people heading to Region 7, departed first. They drove a small truck loaded with local specialties, enough to sell for about a week based on previous experience.

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang left a day later with another staff member from their region to handle the transfer of the cyborgs. After completing the handover, this staff member would return to Region 14.

This arrangement effectively concealed their connection with Tang Zhuoran, preventing any suspicion. Xie Zhitian also carried a small communication device to stay in contact with Tang Zhuoran’s team.

The accompanying staff member, Chang Yue, was an experienced administrator with over a decade of driving experience. The three decided not to stop and aimed to reach their destination on the same day by leaving early in the morning.

In a pre-apocalypse world, driving over 1,000 kilometers in one day, even with three people taking turns, would be difficult. However, with virtually no other vehicles on the road, traffic wasn’t an issue. The car could maintain a high speed, which was usually fast enough to outrun any mutated creatures. So, if all went well, they could arrive at Region 7 before dark.

Xie Zhitian’s group traveled light in a four-seater sedan, bringing only a few changes of clothes and some basic necessities.

Although no one in Region 7 should have recognized her or Luo Yang, they still used makeup and prosthetics to slightly alter their appearances. This made them look like two ordinary, fresh-faced young women who wouldn’t stand out in a crowd.

“Have you memorized all your new identity information? Once we enter Region 7, you must use your new identities and not show any flaws,” Chang Yue reminded them from the driver’s seat.

“Don’t worry,” Xie Zhitian replied. “We can write it out with our eyes closed.”

She and Luo Yang each held a file containing the details and personal history of the cyborg they were replacing. Xie Zhitian was posing as a cyborg named Su Qing, and Luo Yang as one named Qiao Yu. Both were young women of similar age and build.

“That’s good,” Chang Yue said.

She paused and then added, “Our region has been secretly sending a batch of plainclothes guards over the past few days. If you encounter any danger there, you must contact Captain Tang immediately. Don’t be a hero or risk your lives for nothing.”

Luo Yang, sensing the concern in her voice, smiled slightly. “We know, and we’ll protect ourselves.”

Before leaving, they had consulted a lot of information about Region 7. The leader of Region 7 was Zhou Quan, a middle-aged man in his forties who had been a high-ranking politician before the apocalypse. Region 7 was a large area with about 2,000 cyborgs. It had several large biotech companies before the apocalypse, and some of their equipment remained, making their biological technology relatively advanced.

Xie Zhitian and her team had already discovered that Region 7 was not only recruiting more people but also secretly sending people to Region 14 for some kind of experiment. While the purpose of these experiments was unclear, everyone in the know was concerned that Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang might become test subjects.

Because of this, Tang Zhuoran had repeatedly told the two before they left that if they were really going to be used for experiments, they must immediately call for help. The mission’s failure was a small price to pay for not becoming an experimental subject.

The three of them left at dawn and arrived at their destination at seven in the evening.

After a journey of more than ten hours, Chang Yue was tired, but seeing her two companions still full of energy, she couldn’t help but sigh. The physical fitness of cyborgs was indeed much better than that of ordinary people. But then she remembered that Xie Zhitian was only a regular human, and she wondered how her stamina could be so good.

Following the location provided by the staff in Region 7, the car stopped in front of a small building. A guard came out to greet them. “Are you the new cyborgs?”

Xie Zhitian rolled down the window. “Yes, we’re from Region 14.”

She subtly glanced around and noticed the area was somewhat desolate. Besides the two-story building in front of them, there were no other structures. On the way there, she had already felt like they were driving to a more and more remote area, with overgrown weeds on both sides of the road and no people in sight. This was within their expectations.

The guard was clearly familiar with the process. “Go upstairs and find a man named Gao Hua. He will arrange everything for you.”

Xie Zhitian looked at the darkening sky. “Is he still working this late?”

The working hours for most departments in the regions were usually from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon, with a one-hour lunch break. Normally, there shouldn’t have been anyone at this hour.

The guard replied, “The staff in charge of cyborg personnel matters have been working overtime lately. There’s someone on duty 24/7.”

“I see,” Xie Zhitian nodded.

It seemed Region 7 was in serious need of cyborgs.

She parked the car and went upstairs with the other two.

The building wasn’t very big, and there were only three or four rooms on the second floor. A few oil lamps lit the hallway, and the dim light cast shadows on the weathered walls. The peeling paint created grooves that looked like twisted words, adding a touch of eeriness.

Perhaps they heard footsteps, because shortly after they went upstairs, one of the doors opened, and a figure emerged, stopping at the doorway.

It was a tall, young man who greeted them enthusiastically. “Are you the cyborgs from Region 14? It must have been a long journey. Thank you for all your hard work.”

The three of them politely greeted him. “Are you Mr. Gao?” Chang Yue asked.

“Yes, that’s me.” Gao Hua welcomed them inside. “You must be Sister Chang Yue. You don’t have to be so formal, just call me Little Gao.”

Chang Yue gave a superficial response, but she felt a bit uncomfortable.

When it came to work, it was best to keep it professional. People who acted overly familiar right away often had an ulterior motive.

“These are the cyborgs from our region who applied for a transfer, Su Qing and Qiao Yu,” she introduced. “They are very capable and I’m sure they’ll do a great job here. These two girls have had a difficult life and have been through a lot over the years.”

Xie Zhitian noticed a flash of satisfaction in Gao Hua’s eyes when Chang Yue said “have had a difficult life,” even though it was only for a moment, she still caught it.

“Oh, who could say otherwise?”

Gao Hua poured a cup of hot water for each of them. “If it weren’t for this damned apocalypse, they would probably have gotten married, had children, and lived a happy life.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhitian scoffed inwardly. It seemed that no matter where you went, some people still believed a woman’s greatest happiness was marriage and childbirth. Of course, women’s status was lower than men’s before the apocalypse. The beliefs of some people were deeply rooted and couldn’t be changed overnight.

She glanced at Luo Yang beside her and saw that she was also slightly frowning, clearly disagreeing with Gao Hua’s words.

Chang Yue took two files from her bag and handed them to Gao Hua. “These are their personal resumes. You can keep a copy.”

Gao Hua quickly flipped through them and then looked up. “I remember our application was approved for three people. How come there are only two?”

Chang Yue had already prepared her answer. “One of the girls was supposed to come, but she was accidentally injured in a fight with a mutated creature a few days ago. The doctor said she needs at least three months of rest and can’t do any heavy work, so she won’t be coming for now.”

Gao Hua’s voice was full of regret. “Oh, in that case, there’s nothing we can do.”

He then asked Chang Yue, “When can we get the remote controls for their self-destruct systems?”

Chang Yue replied, “According to national regulations, the self-destruct system remote controls can only be transferred to a new region after the cyborg has personally applied for it at least one year after the personnel transfer. The remote controls are sent by special personnel arranged by the army. There must be no less than four people in the delivery, and if anything goes wrong, everyone involved will be held accountable. This is to ensure the safety and rights of the cyborgs.”

She recited the relevant regulations, her expression slightly annoyed. “Since you are in charge of cyborg personnel, you shouldn’t be unaware of this.”

Gao Hua smiled awkwardly. “Of course I know. I was just asking. It’s been a bit busy lately, and my mind is a little fuzzy.”

Xie Zhitian’s eyes narrowed.

Based on Gao Hua’s behavior, it seemed he was eager to get the cyborgs’ lifelines into his own hands, which was why he deliberately probed. If Chang Yue’s tone had been even slightly lenient, he would have continued to push and ask if he could get the remote controls earlier.

It looked like whatever Region 7 wanted the cyborgs to do was against their will, otherwise they wouldn’t need to use the remote controls as a threat.

Gao Hua checked the documents and had Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang sign in. Then he said, “You’ve had a long journey. Our facilities are limited, but you can stay here for the night. I’ll make you something to eat, and you can get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to your workplace.”

Chang Yue said, “No need. You can just arrange things for these two. I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be staying for dinner. I also have work back in Region 14, so I have to leave early tomorrow morning.”

Hearing that Chang Yue was leaving in the morning, Gao Hua’s demeanor relaxed a bit. “Sister Chang Yue, it must be tiring. Please, go ahead and get busy. I’ll take care of these two.”

Before she left, Chang Yue discreetly gave Xie Zhitian a look, signaling her to be careful from now on.

Xie Zhitian understood, and she winked back.

The door closed again, and only the three of them were left in the small office.

“There are sweet potatoes in the next room,” Gao Hua said. “I’ll go cook some sweet potato porridge for us. It’s too late tonight, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll treat you to a proper meal tomorrow.”

Although he said this with a smile, there was a subtle glint of malice in his eyes. In the flickering light of the lamp, his expression became unsettlingly strange.

Xie Zhitian smiled. “That would be great. Thank you, Big Brother Gao.”

She put on an innocent, curious expression. “Big Brother Gao, what will our main tasks be here?”

“That’s a secret for now,” Gao Hua said, his eyes shifting. The smile on his face deepened. “But it’s a very important and confidential mission. You two must do your best.”

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