"Two women?" Su Jin's hands froze over the whetstone.
He shot a sideways glare at Cheng Du, who was honing a blade right next to him.
Cheng Du blinked rapidly. "I... I gave the order, Director. I explicitly told them no outsiders."
Spinning around, Cheng Du barked at the three patrolmen. "What the hell is wrong with you three? Didn't I say to chase off any strays on sight?!"
One of the guards opened and closed his mouth like a fish before stammering, "Y-yes, Captain Cheng, but these two are special!"
"Special how?" Su Jin's brows slammed together.
"The kid is whatever, but the older one... she's Jiang Yu!" The guard shot him a loaded wink. "She looks a bit rougher than on TV, but we interrogated her. It's definitely her!"
"Jiang Yu? Who the hell is Jiang Yu?" Su Jin looked at Cheng Du.
Cheng Du gaped at him, utterly bewildered. "Director, you don't know Jiang Yu? The pop idol? She's an A-lister! The wet dream of half the men in this country!"
"Though personally... her singing is trash. Total industry plant, riding on her looks. Probably slept her way to the top."
Su Jin mulled this over for a second, then pushed himself up. "Let's go take a look."
Flanked by Cheng Du, he followed the three guards toward the main entrance.
Jiang Yu was clutching Ding Ling tight. Both were dressed in filthy, torn rags, huddled together on the concrete steps with their heads bowed.
The two guards watching over them were flushed with excitement and pity, continuously murmuring soft words of comfort.
"Look up," Su Jin commanded flatly.
Jiang Yu immediately raised her head.
When she did, Su Jin's heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
Even smeared with soot and grime, her extraordinary beauty was completely arresting!
Her facial structure was flawless... an alluring maturity that a greenhorn like Fu Qingdai couldn't hold a candle to.
She was leagues above those dime-a-dozen internet influencers who relied on beauty filters and casting couches.
Coupled with that fragile, grieving-widow demeanor... honestly, it squarely hit his particular kinks.
But right now, at this hellish juncture, he had zero mood for romance, and even less courage to mess around.
Who knew if he'd end up catching some mutated alien syphilis.
These two showing up out of nowhere was wildly suspicious. How the hell did they survive the meat-grinder outside to reach this specific gate?
"You're Jiang Yu? The pop star?" Su Jin asked.
Jiang Yu nodded, a picture of tragic misery. "Sir, my sister and I barely escaped here alive... please, can you take us in? We'll do any work, we just need a bowl of rice."
Su Jin narrowed his eyes, studying her like a lab specimen.
Taking his silence for rejection, Jiang Yu immediately threw herself to her knees, dragging Ding Ling down with her. "Please, sir, have mercy! We don't eat much, we swear we won't cause any trouble!"
"Director, this is just too pathetic, let's take them! We have enough rations for two more mouths," one of the lovestruck guards pleaded.
Su Jin's temper violently snapped. "Do you two want to be thrown to the Zombies?! Get the fuck back to your posts!"
"Burn this into your skulls: you are soldiers now! Without my direct authorization, no one breathes, let alone questions my decisions! Do it again, and you're exiled!"
The blood drained from the two guards' faces. They snapped panicked salutes and scrambled back to their stations.
The remaining three guards audibly gulped and stood at rigid attention.
Su Jin exhaled a slow, harsh breath and locked his gaze onto Ding Ling. "What's your name?"
"Ding... Ding Ling," she squeaked timidly.
"Her surname is Jiang, yours is Ding, and you two are sisters?!"
"Not by blood..."
Observing Ding Ling with cold, clinical detachment, a sickening sense of dread began to pool in Su Jin's gut.
Days ago, when he was speeding down the street, he had spotted the silhouettes of three adults and one child... and that small shadow felt exactly like a little girl.
With Zombies flooding every street, two women 'accidentally' stumble to the Talent Residential Community, and one is a child? Was he supposed to believe in coincidences?
Coincidence or not, putting a bullet in both their heads right now was the most tactically sound option.
But openly executing them would be a logistical headache. This woman was famous; the grunts had already recognized her, and rumors would spread like wildfire.
Butchering a helpless celebrity without ironclad proof would shatter the fragile camp morale.
Plus, he had captured test subjects. He could throw these two into a sealed room with them to verify their humanity...
Su Jin's gaze flicked back to Jiang Yu. Against his will, his eyes softened at her tear-stained face, before slowly drifting down to the generous swell of her cleavage.
Cheng Du watched Su Jin staring, then looked at Jiang Yu. His eye twitched violently, his back molars grinding together.
Motherfucker, little Fu is already annoying enough to deal with.
Now some big-titted floozy shows up! And a celebrity to boot!
The Director is going to be completely pussy-whipped!
He doesn't have time to screw around right now! The whole team's cohesion will shatter!
Hell no! I won't let this happen!
I must protect the big picture!
Acting on sheer panic, Cheng Du jabbed a finger at the guards and roared, "We are at maximum capacity! No outsiders! Who knows what kind of infectious diseases they're carrying?! Military orders are absolute! Grab these two bitches and... throw them out!"
Su Jin shot Cheng Du a look of pure surprise, suddenly flooded with appreciation.
Cheng Du usually acted like an unreliable clown, but he was actually demonstrating lethal caution at a critical moment.
Not bad. Truly an excellent display!
Seems I've been underestimating him.
"Sir!" Jiang Yu sobbed hysterically, wrapping her arms protectively around Ding Ling. "If you won't take me, at least take my sister... I'm begging you! Just treat her like a stray cat or dog, please!"
"Hold your horses. Tell me exactly how you got here," Su Jin demanded coldly. "Every single detail. Which streets did you take? What did you encounter? Don't skip a single breath."
"We started from Wushan Road..." Jiang Yu recounted her harrowing tale step by step, while Ding Ling continuously scrubbed at her tears next to her.
After letting her finish, Su Jin gave a slow nod.
He had memorized the topographical maps of every street in a five-mile radius; it was a matter of life and death.
Based on Jiang Yu's timeline and landmarks, the story held water.
Her emotional breakdown regarding family casualties also fit the psychological profile perfectly.
Tactically, there were no visible holes in her story.
"How long since you last ate?" Su Jin pressed.
"Five days without a real meal... we scavenged a little, but barely anything... we only drank from sealed bottles we found..." Jiang Yu choked on her sobs, looking incredibly fragile and pitiful.
"Sir, could you please just spare a few scraps of food..." she begged.
Su Jin cast a glance over his shoulder into the hall. It was ration time, and the heavy, savory scent of hot stew was wafting through the open doors.
Jiang Yu and Ding Ling both swallowed audibly.
Seeing Su Jin seemingly hesitate, Cheng Du aggressively closed the distance, his expression dark. "Director! What is there to think about?! These two are highly suspicious and filthy! They're just deadweight. Kick them to the curb!"
Then he leaned in close to Su Jin's ear, hissing urgently, "Director, you seriously can't touch a piece of meat like this! I'm telling you, the entertainment industry is a cesspool. Who knows how many casting couches she's been on. She's definitely riddled with STDs! You stick it in there and your dick will literally rot off! I swear to God!"
"Hold off." Su Jin raised a hand to silence him. His eyes slowly raked up and down Jiang Yu's voluptuous curves.
Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he ordered, "Go. Cook two bowls of minced meat noodles. Then drag this mother and daughter out to the steps... and make them watch me eat it."
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