Jogging all the way, he arrived at the building's entrance.
Cheng Du nervously stepped into the corridor.
Seeing the first-floor security door wide open, he tiptoed inside.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold and he saw the entryway, Cheng Du's entire body went rigid!
He stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.
A distinct, unmistakable moan drifted out from deeper inside the apartment...
"How could..." Cheng Du's face turned a sickly green. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, then forced his stiff legs to carry him further inside.
The sound was crystal clear. It was coming directly from the master bedroom.
Covering the ten-yard distance, Cheng Du pressed his back flat against the wall right beside the bedroom door.
The noises from inside grew louder, mixed with the distinct, desperate pitch of crying.
He swallowed hard and tilted his head up.
The master bedroom door had a small frosted window set into it, originally covered by a cloth curtain.
But the curtain had been half-torn down. If he just leaned over, he would have a perfect line of sight into the room.
Cheng Du frantically regulated his breathing.
Just take a look... it can't be what it sounds like. There has to be a hidden reason. He couldn't just jump to conclusions so easily.
After all, the Director wasn't the kind of starving dog who lost his mind at the sight of a pretty woman. He had never shown this kind of predatory behavior before, so why the sudden feral outburst?
Is the Director just hiding his true nature that deeply?
After another violent mental debate, Cheng Du gripped the doorframe and slowly peeked through the window.
Inside, Jiang Yu lay on the mattress with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Su Jin's face was twisted into a feral snarl, his bare torso drenched in sweat, his muscles violently flexing as he moved rhythmically.
An exfoliating bath towel had been tossed carelessly beside the bed...
What else could it possibly be?!
They were already jointly cultivating the Grand Perfection of human biology!
"Ugh!"
Cheng Du felt like he had taken a bullet to the heart. The color completely drained from his face as his lips flapped uselessly.
He yanked his head back and slid weakly down the wall... eventually dragging himself out of the apartment building like a soulless husk.
Standing under the blistering sun, Cheng Du stopped in his tracks, feeling an icy chill seep into his bones.
After holding it in for a moment, he finally broke, burying his face in his hands.
I never thought the Director was actually this kind of degenerate. All my loyal admiration, thrown right to the dogs. An animal. He's a fucking animal. Using a rough exfoliating towel for foreplay and just going at it? Zero hygiene!
.....
After ladling out the final portion of stew, Fu Qingdai offered a gentle, serene smile to the profusely thankful survivor.
She picked up a small clipboard and ticked off a box.
Turning to Fu Hu, who had been standing guard beside her, she said, "Dad, there are still five people who haven't collected their rations."
"Hmm. Must be the perimeter patrol. They haven't rotated back yet," Fu Hu replied casually. "Let's step outside for a bit. The stench in here is getting lethal. We need fresh air."
Fu Qingdai nodded and followed her father toward the exit.
"Dad, there are too many bodies packed in here. As the weather heats up, aren't we risking an outbreak of regular diseases?"
"Without a doubt. Piling up like cordwood is a ticking time bomb. But the Director said we only need to hold out for another day or two. The convoy is fully prepped; we'll be rolling out soon."
Father and daughter stood by the entrance, greedily inhaling the clean air.
Shoving over two hundred unwashed people into a single hall to eat, sleep, and relieve themselves... the smell was practically a biological weapon.
Especially for Fu Qingdai, who still needed to bathe regularly, the suffocating atmosphere was becoming unbearable.
Fu Hu shaded his eyes with his hand and scanned the courtyard. His gaze suddenly hardened, locking onto a five-man squad a short distance away.
"What are you lot doing over there?" he bellowed. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Report, Captain Fu! Captain Cheng Du ordered us to lock down this kid. He said she's extremely dangerous and we need to watch her like a hawk!" a guard yelled back.
Fu Hu squinted at the child trussed tightly against the tree trunk, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
He wasn't shocked that the kid was tied up; anyone could be a Disguised Infected.
What baffled him was how a child that young had survived long enough to wander into their compound.
"Dad, I'll bring their rations over to them," Fu Qingdai offered.
Fu Hu nodded. "Go grab the food. But stay behind me, don't get too close. I don't know if the Director signed off on this kid's status. If Cheng Du tied her up this tight, he might have spotted a serious problem."
Moments later, Fu Qingdai balanced five portions of food and water, following Fu Hu over to the trees.
Seeing the saintly girl personally delivering their meals, the guards' heat-exhausted grimaces vanished instantly, replaced by wide, beaming smiles.
They unconsciously puffed out their chests, accepting the food and water with a chorus of fervent thanks.
Fu Hu rested his hands on his hips, his eyes raking up and down Ding Ling's bound form. "What's the story with the kid? Do any of you know the situation?"
"Report, Captain Fu. We're in the dark," one guard replied. "Captain Cheng Du just told us to guard her... But she looks like she's been starving for weeks. With the sun beating down like this, leaving her tied up is going to kill her."
Fu Hu observed her closely.
Ding Ling's lips were violently cracked, her eyelids drooping; she looked like she was teetering on the edge of death.
Sensing Fu Hu stepping closer, Ding Ling slowly fluttered her eyes open. "Uncle..." she croaked weakly.
"She stays tied up!" Fu Hu barked, his posture stiffening into military rigidness. "Cheng Du's orders are the Director's orders! And the Director's orders are absolute!"
"Remember why this organization trusts you—you've all passed strict quarantine and observation! Any outsider could be a carrier. The virus has an incubation period. If one of us goes down, the entire camp falls!"
"I've seen it happen with my own eyes! Burn that into your heads!"
"That being said... the kid is pathetic. Once the Director screens her and clears her, we'll patch her up. But if she dies before then... that's just her fate. Hell... in a world like this, surviving is often worse than dying. Especially for a child."
"Makes sense. Captain Fu is right," the five guards muttered, exchanging glances and nodding in grim agreement.
Motherfucker!!! What the hell is wrong with these people?! Do they have zero empathy?! Ding Ling's sclera began to flush with an angry red as she hung her head, screaming curses in her mind.
No... these animals are too disgusting. If I stay tied up any longer, I'm going to snap and slaughter them all.
Just as her bloodlust threatened to boil over, a delicate, unearthly fragrance drifted into her nose.
Ding Ling flared her nostrils, sniffing deeply. She slowly raised her head, peering past Fu Hu's bulky frame to lock onto Fu Qingdai standing behind him. A visceral flash of predatory greed ignited in her eyes.
This girl... hiss! Her scent is unique. It's incredibly special. She smells delicious! She looks absolutely delicious! And her status in this camp is high, yet she looks so incredibly fragile and easy to snap!
Fu Qingdai had been safely tucked behind her father, quietly observing the bound child.
The very second Ding Ling lifted her head and their eyes met, Fu Qingdai froze solid.
Violent goosebumps erupted across her skin, every hair on her body standing on end!
The ambient light of the world seemed to instantly bleed away, devoured by a suffocating, glacial wave of pure, malicious killing intent.
Under this terrifying psychological pressure, Ding Ling's cute, innocent face visibly warped in Fu Qingdai's vision, twisting into something grotesque and demonic.
This wasn't just a bad feeling; the malice was practically manifesting in the physical world. It was an aura no ordinary human could ever project!
Fu Qingdai's body shook uncontrollably. A wave of immense terror crashed into a sudden, euphoric realization.
Even the slowest mind would have connected the dots at this point.
I really do have an Ability! It's a sensory perception Ability! The overwhelming dread Cheng Du had projected at her earlier hadn't been her imagination.
She still didn't understand why Cheng Du harbored malice toward her, but the suffocating aura bleeding from this little girl was fundamentally different from his. They weren't even on the same planet!
She wants to eat me! She's a Disguised Infected!