The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 53

Zhou Quan stared at Ning Ximing for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into a hair-raising laugh.

He clutched his chest, laughing so hard he was gasping for breath, his words coming out in broken pieces. “Ning Ximing, you… you really aren’t even pretending anymore.”

Ning Ximing looked at him, her eyes like a deep, still well, without a ripple. “Commander, you jest. What right do you have to say that about me?”

The atmosphere in the room was terrifyingly oppressive, as quiet as dead water. At that moment, even the drop of a needle would have been clearly audible.

Xie Zhitian looked at the two people at a loggerheads, and she could roughly deduce the true nature of their relationship.

Without a doubt, Zhou Quan needed Ning Ximing’s power. The process of modifying the xenomorphs was fraught with danger; a single mistake could cost a life. Therefore, he had to recruit a top-tier modded human to participate in this plan, to serve as a powerful safeguard in case the xenomorphs went berserk.

But excellent modded humans all held important roles in their respective districts and couldn’t be poached just by throwing more money at them. Ning Ximing was likely someone he had gone to great lengths to get into the underground palace.

As for the grudges and entanglements between them, that was unknown. But from the current situation, it seemed Ning Ximing was not here of her own free will but was being coerced.

However, Ning Ximing had only recently arrived at District 7. Under normal procedures, her self-destruct system remote control should not have been sent over yet. But for someone like Zhou Quan, it was not impossible for him to have obtained it through other means.

Zhou Quan’s tone turned sinister. “Good, very good.”

His gaze roamed over Ning Ximing. “Ning Ximing, do you really think you can negotiate terms with me?”

Ning Ximing remained calm. “Until the plan is over, you will need my assistance.”

She gestured toward Xie Zhitian and the others. “And they have valuable experience for the third step of the experiment. The experiment is at a standstill right now. If you don’t find that a pity, you can kill us all now.”

Although Zhou Quan was filled with frustration, he knew Ning Ximing was right. Given the current circumstances, he was truly at her mercy. Time was of the essence. If he acted in a fit of pique and harmed someone, causing a reduction in manpower, it would only delay his plan.

Zhou Quan was silent for a moment, then forced a difficult smile. “Look at you. Young people are so hot-tempered. Just calm down.”

His face was pale from blood loss, looking like a ghost under the dim light. “Today’s experiment is temporarily suspended. You’ve all worked hard recently, so go back and rest.”

At this moment, a guard arrived with a doctor. Several people scrambled to put the limp Zhou Quan onto a stretcher and carefully carried him out.

Ning Ximing said to the two remaining guards in the room, “Take them back to the rest area.”

The two guards dared not delay and responded in unison, urging Xie Zhitian and the other three to leave.

Passing by Ning Ximing, Xie Zhitian stopped.

She turned her face and said earnestly, “Sister Ximing, thank you just now.”

Ning Ximing’s eyes flickered for a moment, as if a slight ripple had spread, but it quickly froze over again. Her face was cold. “Go back. Hurry up.”

It was noon when they returned to the rest area. Not long after, a simple lunch was delivered, likely at Ning Ximing’s instruction.

Xie Zhitian got up to get the food and shared it with the others.

Today’s meal was stir-fried cabbage, shredded potatoes, and rice. It didn’t look very appetizing, but no one was picky, as they needed to replenish their energy.

Liu Yunna put a spoonful of shredded potatoes into her bowl, looking a bit worried. “What do you think Zhou Quan will do with us? Will he hold a grudge?”

Although Zhou Quan had told them to rest, she knew he wasn’t that kind. Besides, he had lost a hand and wouldn’t get over it so quickly. He just wanted to consider his next move and delayed the experiment out of fear of another accident.

Luo Yang said in a low voice to comfort her, “We should be safe for now. Zhou Quan is more anxious than we are. It would do him no good to harm us at this time.”

Everyone could see how anxious Zhou Quan was this morning. He must have encountered some unexpected obstacles and needed to master the modded xenomorph technology quickly.

Zheng Lin agreed. “Right, don’t worry too much. Focus on healing your injuries. And Sister Ximing is here. She’ll protect us.”

Hearing Ning Ximing’s name, Xie Zhitian’s chopsticks paused.

She looked up and asked Zheng Lin and Liu Yunna, “How much do you two know about Ning Ximing?”

The two of them exchanged glances and then both shook their heads.

Zheng Lin said, “There are guards everywhere here that Zhou Quan arranged. Sister Ximing can’t have any contact with us outside of work, but we still feel she’s a good person. She’s strict with us only because she has to be, working under Zhou Quan.”

Liu Yunna said, “In the beginning, some people who had been punished by Sister Ximing held a grudge and called her Zhou Quan’s lackey, but they gradually came to understand her. Many times, if Ning Ximing hadn’t stepped in to punish us first, we would have fallen into Zhou Quan’s hands and been tortured in secret, with a much worse outcome.”

Luo Yang asked, “The people Ning Ximing punished, Zhou Quan wouldn’t punish them again?”

Zheng Lin said, “From what I’ve observed, no. Zhou Quan has a unique trait; he’s incredibly hypocritical. He loves to pretend to be a good person in front of his subordinates to win them over. Whenever those people were whipped by Ning Ximing, they would be covered in blood, looking miserable. This not only let Zhou Quan vent his anger but also gave him an opportunity to be the good guy. With Ning Ximing playing the villain, he must have been quite satisfied.”

Xie Zhitian didn’t quite understand Zhou Quan’s psychology, but upon reflection, in her previous world, there were also many leaders who liked to hit someone and then offer a carrot. And if the blow came from someone else, he could completely take on the role of the good guy, thereby gaining a twisted sense of satisfaction.

She asked, “So the locals from District 7 don’t know much about Ning Ximing either?”

Liu Yunna said, “I’ve had contact with a few warriors from District 7, but when I mentioned Ning Ximing, they all looked unfamiliar. Ning Ximing must have been brought directly into the underground palace right after she was air-dropped. No one here knows her.”

Zheng Lin recalled, “I heard from the first group of people who arrived that not long after we got to the underground palace, Zhou Quan brought Ning Ximing in and told everyone to listen to her from then on.”

Xie Zhitian nodded thoughtfully. “Got it. Sister Ximing is indeed very mysterious.”

Since Ning Ximing intended to protect them, getting her help would surely be beneficial to their and Tang Zhaoran’s plans. If possible, she wanted to talk to Ning Ximing.

After finishing lunch, the few of them planned to rest for a bit.

Xie Zhitian hesitated, then pointed to Luo Yang and said to Zheng Lin and Liu Yunna, “Luo Yang and I want to talk about some private matters. Can you two give us a little space?”

Since entering the underground palace, she had rarely had the chance to talk to Luo Yang alone. She could only briefly pass on the messages Tang Zhaoran had sent during breaks for work and meals. Tang Zhaoran had sent her many more messages this morning, and she wanted to relay them to Luo Yang and also supplement what they had missed.

It wasn’t that Xie Zhitian didn’t trust Zheng Lin and Liu Yunna, but the time wasn’t right yet, and the more people who knew, the more dangerous their situation would be.

Luo Yang understood her intention and seconded, “Yes, we have something to talk about. We’d appreciate it.”

Zheng Lin and Liu Yunna were stunned for a moment, and their expressions gradually became complicated, mixed with a hint of gossip.

Zheng Lin was straightforward. “No problem. Just tell us where you want us to go.”

Liu Yunna said, “If you need, we can stay in the bathroom for a while.”

Xie Zhitian was bewildered, feeling that the look in their eyes had changed. But she didn’t have time to think about it and just said, “No need, no need. You two just rest on the left side, and we’ll have a quick private chat on the right side.”

The design of each cubicle in the rest area was quite spacious, about twenty square meters, more than enough for four or five people. As long as they were near opposite walls and spoke in low voices, they couldn’t hear what was being said on the other side.

Zheng Lin and Liu Yunna were very cooperative. They immediately spread out their beds, lay down to rest, and honestly turned their backs to the wall, not looking at their side at all.

Xie Zhitian was amused by their seriousness. She looked up at Luo Yang and found the other girl smiling back at her, like a pure white flower blooming in a dark cage.

Her heart inexplicably settled down, and she said softly, “Give me your hand.”

Luo Yang didn’t understand but obediently extended her hand to her.

Xie Zhitian reached out and held it, then quickly let go.

Luo Yang lowered her eyes, and a piece of chocolate lay quietly in her palm.

Her eyes welled up, and she said in a low voice, “Zhitian, you…”

Xie Zhitian smiled at her. “Eat it quickly.”

This was a piece of chocolate she had taken from her personal space. Fearing it would attract attention, she hadn’t taken much, only a small piece.

Luo Yang looked at her, and a faint light seemed to be sparkling in her clear eyes. She pursed her lips, tore open the wrapper, and broke the small piece of chocolate in half.

Before Xie Zhitian could react, one half was already at her lips.

She instinctively opened her mouth and bit the chocolate. The chocolate melted on her tongue, and the rich cocoa aroma instantly filled her mouth, a sweetness that made her heart flutter.

Luo Yang put the other half in her mouth and then gently licked the corner of her lips.

She held Xie Zhitian’s hand and said softly, “Zhitian, you’ve lost weight recently.”

Xie Zhitian’s eyes softened. “You too.” She paused, then added, “It’s okay. Captain Tang said we’ll be able to get out soon.”

The two of them lay down on the thin straw mat. Xie Zhitian pulled a blanket over them as a cover and took out her communicator, giving a simple summary. “Captain Tang said that a lot of manpower has been deployed, not just from our district but from other districts as well. The operation should be in two to three days.”

She handed the communicator to Luo Yang, scrolled back a few pages, and lowered her voice. “All the information is here. Check if there’s anything we missed before.”

Luo Yang took it and was about to read it carefully when the screen suddenly flickered, and a new message came in.

She was slightly startled, read the line of numbers twice, and then her expression suddenly became serious.

The message read: “Ning Ximing is not on the roster of modded humans in District 7.”

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