The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 62

Afternoon sunlight, warm and golden, streamed through the window, bathing the green plants in a faint, shimmering light.

Several cups of hot tea sat on the table, their fragrant steam rising in delicate wisps. The white bone china plates, rimmed with gold, gleamed with a subtle luster. On a nearby tea stand, an assortment of exquisite, colorful pastries shaped like small animals was arranged, a beautiful sight. This scene was a rarity in the apocalypse, a testament to the thoughtfulness of whoever prepared it.

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang were waiting in a reception room in District 7. Xia Wan had mentioned that the Queen was sending someone to meet them, and the day had arrived sooner than they expected.

They wondered who the Queen would send and what they would talk about.

Xie Zhitian stared blankly into her teacup, watching the leaves float up and down.

Facing a top-level leader, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

Soon, the door to the reception room opened, and a graceful figure entered.

It was a beautiful young woman, who looked to be about twenty-five. She wore a tailored white shirt and dress pants that accentuated her slender, straight figure. Her long, ink-black hair was pulled up, revealing a pale, elegant neck.

Xie Zhitian’s eyes paused. The woman in front of her felt familiar, as if she had just seen her somewhere not long ago…

“Hello,” the woman said with a warm smile, interrupting Xie Zhitian’s thoughts. “Do I look like my sister, Xia?”

Xie Zhitian was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized. “Are you Xia’s sister?”

The woman smiled and nodded. “Yes, my name is Xia Zheliu. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She extended her hand and lightly shook hands with the two girls. “Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang, right? I’ve heard so much about you and have been looking for an opportunity to thank you. Xia can be a handful, and I’m so grateful that she was able to return unharmed because of your help.”

Xia Zheliu’s tone was gentle, but her sincerity was palpable.

She shared similar features with Xia Fufeng, but her demeanor was completely different. If Xia Fufeng was a warm, little sun, then Xia Zheliu was like a clear, cool spring, clean and refreshing inside and out.

Xia Fufeng and her sister had a close relationship, and she always spoke of her with pride. She said Xia Zheliu was an incredibly brilliant scientist in the field of biomedical sciences, one of the best in the country.

Luo Yang shook her head, a faint, soft smile appearing in her eyes. “Miss Xia, you don’t have to be so polite. We helped each other. Xia also helped us a lot; if it weren’t for her cleverness, we would have suffered casualties.”

“Xia isn’t very good at social interactions, so I’m truly happy that she has such wonderful friends like you.”

Xia Zheliu said softly. She picked up a pair of tongs from the tea stand and placed a pastry on both Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang’s plates, and then one for herself. “Since someone went to the effort to prepare this, we shouldn’t waste it. Let’s eat. Think of this as afternoon tea; there’s no need to be formal.”

Xie Zhitian couldn’t help but smile. Although Xia Zheliu worked for the Queen, she was completely unpretentious, which made the nervousness Xie Zhitian felt earlier melt away.

The Queen was very clever to choose Xia Zheliu to act as an envoy.

Luo Yang had her guard completely down and already considered Xia Zheliu a friend. She took a small bite of a pastry and then asked, “Does Xia know you’re back?”

“Not yet, I just arrived,” Xia Zheliu said, winking mysteriously. “After I finish here, I’m going to pick her up from work and give her a surprise.”

“You two have a great relationship,” Xie Zhitian said.

Xia Zheliu happily admitted it. “Of course. Xia is eight years younger than me. I watched her grow up. Even though she’s an adult now, whenever I think of her, I still remember what she was like as a child.”

She looked at the two women across from her, her tone candid. “You’re Xia’s friends, which makes you my friends. There’s no need to hide anything between friends, so I’ll be direct. The country’s situation is currently unstable, and the Queen needs capable people to assist her. I’m wondering if you’d be willing to join her?”

Although Xie Zhitian was prepared for this, hearing Xia Zheliu say it still made her feel a moment of bewilderment. She knew that this choice was a fork in the road of destiny, leading to two completely different life paths.

But she didn’t have an answer yet.

Having been in the military for many years, Luo Yang was clearly more experienced with this kind of situation.

She asked Xia Zheliu, “What exactly does the Queen want us to do for her?”

Xia Zheliu replied, “Our country appears peaceful on the surface, but a storm is brewing underneath. The matter with Zhou Quan is a perfect example.”

She organized her thoughts and began to explain slowly.

During the process of establishing the new order, the country had gradually split into two factions. One side, led by Queen Hua Xian, wanted to adapt to the new situation quickly, develop the economy, and get people’s lives back on track. The other side, led by the supreme commander Gu Hong, was very dissatisfied with the current state of affairs and was eager to start a revolution.

This was not a secret. Anyone with a minor official position could feel the subtle power struggle between the two factions. In the beginning, because survival was not guaranteed, this struggle was not very intense. But as the number of aliens decreased and the situation stabilized, the conflicts became more and more fierce.

The vast majority of the commander’s supporters were men. They were used to the previous social structure where men held a dominant position. However, after the apocalypse, women’s power surged, and men’s status declined day by day. Women, who had previously been suppressed, rose to the historical stage, while men retreated to the background. Therefore, they were very unhappy with the current situation and were desperate to restore things to their original state.

The commander’s faction also harbored great malice towards the modified. After successful modification, the power women gained far exceeded that of men. Male modified individuals were not as strong and suffered heavy losses on the battlefield. Only a handful survived, making up less than 1% of the total modified population and were completely useless. Gu Hong was not only angered by the male modifieds’ incompetence but also envious of the female modifieds’ abilities, so he went out of his way to suppress them.

But even with the commander’s side being so unhappy, the highest ruler of the country was still the Queen, so they could only find ways to accumulate power, hoping to overthrow the existing government. For example, Zhou Quan was one of the commander’s people. It was an unspoken, open secret. That’s why Zhou Quan secretly did things that went against the government’s orders, aiming to use aliens to cultivate a stronger military force to help Commander Gu Hong oppose the Queen.

Xia Zheliu summarized, “I’ve been working for the Queen for almost three years, and I know she’s an upright and open ruler who always considers the greater good and puts the interests of the people first. But the commander is different. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. As long as it benefits him, he doesn’t care if a large number of lives are sacrificed. His subordinates are all people with similar ways of thinking. Zhou Quan is the best example; he simply regards the lives of his subordinates as expendable resources.”

She seemed to recall an unpleasant memory, and her expression became serious. “Both of you are very young and might not remember many things from your childhood. In the past, the status of women in our country was not high. They were discriminated against in all aspects. Many girls didn’t even have the chance to go to high school. As soon as they became adults, they were immediately married and became housewives, having to rely on men for survival. It’s a very stupid thing to entrust your happiness to others. Domestic violence, infidelity, gambling, emotional manipulation… any one of these things could easily destroy a girl, and they happened every day.”

Xie Zhitian felt a chill down her spine. She suddenly thought of Xiao Wen. Xiao Wen’s vile methods were endless, all to emotionally manipulate and suppress women. According to Xia Zheliu, there were probably thousands upon thousands of Xiao Wens in the commander’s faction.

Like Zhou Quan, who deliberately selected female modified individuals to enter the underground palace to breed aliens, treating them as expendable resources who could be used and silenced at will. If his plan succeeded, he would have both a new type of weapon and suppressed the power of female modifieds, which was truly vicious.

If these people succeeded and reached the pinnacle of power, the country would be doomed. Now, girls had gained strength and could live freely in the sunlight without relying on anyone for survival. If things were to go back to the way they were, women would once again become accessories to men, reduced to maids and baby-making machines.

Xie Zhitian asked, “What is the Queen’s attitude towards this?”

Xia Zheliu answered calmly, “Ever since she ascended the throne, the Queen has been fighting for women’s rights. After a few years, the status of women in our country has significantly improved. In today’s society, there are independent women working everywhere. Girls who have gained power have become more aware, and public opinion has undergone a tremendous change. The old theories of a woman’s place being in the home and dedicating themselves to their families have become outdated. Achieving self-worth and realizing one’s full potential have become the mainstream.”

Xie Zhitian’s eyes welled up, and she felt a sense of deep emotion.

She praised sincerely, “The Queen is an excellent leader.”

“She’s not just an excellent leader, but a leader with warmth,” Xia Zheliu said with a smile. “However, joining the Queen’s faction is not an easy task. The missions can sometimes be very difficult and have a high degree of danger. And once you join, you must see it through; you can’t give up halfway, as it would affect the entire plan.”

After hearing her words, Luo Yang looked thoughtful. “Executing missions… are you referring to fighting against people with malicious intentions like Zhou Quan?”

Xia Zheliu replied, “Yes, there are many people who do shady things like Zhou Quan. Their methods may be different, but they all boil down to suppressing women and restoring male dominance. We have to eliminate these people one by one and not let them succeed.”

She paused, then added, “This is a matter that concerns the rest of your lives, so there’s no need to rush your decision. The Queen also specifically instructed me not to put any pressure on you. Let me know when you’ve thought it over. Even if you ultimately refuse, it won’t have any negative impact on you. I promise.”

Luo Yang lowered her head and remained silent for a while, as if she was seriously contemplating something.

A moment later, she asked Xia Zheliu a question. “What happened to Zhou Quan?”

Xia Zheliu didn’t expect her to ask this suddenly and was slightly taken aback, but she answered truthfully, “When Zhou Quan fell down the stairs, he suffered a severe spinal cord injury. He’s a high-level paraplegic and can’t move anything below his neck. His crimes are unforgivable, and he will definitely be sentenced to death. Right now, he’s just lying in bed, waiting to die. However, he’s fully conscious, so he suffers every day.”

She added, “The incident in District 7 has a wide-ranging impact and involves several districts. The Queen is handling this case personally. Every person involved will be questioned and analyzed based on the actual circumstances. No one who was forced will be wrongfully punished, and no one who committed evil will be let go.”

Luo Yang let out a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of satisfaction. “Then how does the Queen view Ning Ximing, and how is she handling her case?”

Even though Xia Zheliu said the Queen was excellent and reliable, Luo Yang would not easily decide to pledge her loyalty to anyone until she understood them better.

The government’s attitude towards the modified had always been subtle; there was encouragement and support, but also suppression. Looking back now, it really did seem like two forces were in a power struggle.

The Queen’s handling of this matter would be enough to show her true attitude towards the modified.

“The Queen said that Ning Ximing has a big heart and exceptional abilities. She’s a rare and outstanding talent,” Xia Zheliu said with a smile, her voice gentle. “However, you should now call her Commander Ning.”

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