What?! I Became the Zombie Beauty in the Villain’s Arms

Chapter 283: Funny?

The torrential rain poured relentlessly for an entire month.

Extreme weather events became devastatingly frequent. Vicious thunderstorms, accompanied by massive tsunamis, struck the coast repeatedly, causing global sea levels to rise continuously over the course of those four weeks. Despite possessing absolute defense systems and rapid emergency response protocols, even the central headquarters was struggling to manage the colossal, ferocious rainfall triggered by this unprecedented natural disaster.

In just one month, the regions outside the headquarters’ walls had been subjected to catastrophic flooding. The entire continent was gradually being swallowed by the rising waters.

Crucially, humanity’s clean drinking water had been largely polluted. In this post-apocalyptic world—which had originally boasted highly advanced filtration technology and an abundance of water—clean resources were rapidly becoming scarce.

The parasites lurking on the seabed were growing increasingly rampant. Their mutations were so extreme it was more accurate to describe them as entirely new species. They constantly threw themselves against the coastal barriers, desperately trying to leap from the churning sea onto the shore. Every single creature that managed to drag itself up was unspeakably terrifying. They were colossal, horrifying masses covered in dozens of multi-jointed limbs and leaking toxic pus; and to the survivors’ horror, such nightmarish abominations were gradually becoming the new norm.

These aquatic parasites and the evolved zombies were acting like frenzied madmen. However, after the initial shock and panic faded, the surviving population gradually grew accustomed to the new reality. After all, the apocalypse had been raging for five or six years now. They had seen all sorts of weird, terrifying shit.

As the situation outside worsened, more and more refugees gathered at the capital.

With the high command’s permission, the refugees fenced off a designated sector of land within the perimeter. Aided by military supplies, they began rapidly constructing a dense network of corrugated tin houses.

It started as a sprawling ground-level shantytown. But as the floodwaters periodically breached the outer drains, forcing the residents higher, the structures began to stack on top of each other. In just one month, the rickety tin settlement had climbed to over ten stories tall, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the capital’s sleek, high-tech high-rises.

It obviously wasn’t a sustainable, long-term solution, but with the world drowning outside, it was the only viable option they had.

When Pei Xiqing first saw those towering, corrugated “high-rises,” she felt a mix of deep worry and profound shock. The headquarters had always been defined by its immaculate, futuristic skyscrapers; you never saw such simple, unadorned, desperate structures here. The sprawling tin towers looked like a chaotic construction site, or perhaps a vision of a forgotten slum from a long, long time ago.

She had come out with Duan Xiaolin. Having stayed cooped up in the villa for an entire month, she had finally decided to go for a walk. Seeing this staggering scene after only taking a few steps into the city left her feeling deeply emotional and strangely nostalgic.

Time really did fly in the apocalypse.

But when she turned her head to share the thought, she realized Duan Xiaolin had vanished, leaving only Shadow standing behind her in a daze.

Pei Xiqing waved a hand in front of his mask. “What are you staring at?”

Shadow snapped back to reality, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Ahem… nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Really?” Pei Xiqing leaned against a railing, her back to the towering tin structures, and gave him a teasing, knowing look. “What’s been going on with you lately? For the past few days, it feels like our stoic Brother Shadow has been a bit out of sorts.”

Shadow stiffened. “What nonsense are you talking about? There’s absolutely nothing going on.”

“If you say so.” Pei Xiqing turned back around, pausing for a moment before suddenly asking, “How are things holding up in the village lately?”

“Not great. Something happened.”

“Hmm?” Pei Xiqing’s tone instantly shifted to concern. “What happened?”

She vividly remembered the events that had unfolded in the days immediately following the start of the torrential rain. After the Lin family’s atrocities were thoroughly investigated, the family had suffered a devastating, fatal blow. Lin Ziyan had been imprisoned in the deepest level of the water dungeon, and due to the sheer volume of brutal murders he was responsible for, he had been swiftly sentenced to death.

After witnessing Lin Ziyan’s execution, her thoughts had immediately turned to the innocent people back in the village. She had immediately dispatched Shadow to check on them and ensure they were taken care of.

Under her orders, Franlun operatives had heavily reinforced the village’s structures and delivered a massive stockpile of essential supplies. Just a few days ago, she had received a report stating the village’s situation was stable and there was no need to worry.

It had only been a few days. What could have possibly happened already?

“Was it the floods?” she asked urgently. “Did the houses collapse? Are they out of supplies? Was there a virus outbreak? Did anyone get hurt?”

Shadow paused for a few long seconds. “…It’s none of that.”

“Then what is it?” Pei Xiqing demanded, her face pale with mounting anxiety. Since she couldn’t read his expression behind the mask, her mind raced to the worst possible scenarios. “Was there a parasite swarm attack? Did the zombies breach the perimeter?”

“…No. Not exactly.”

“Then what exactly is it?!”

Shadow was silent for a painfully long moment before finally muttering awkwardly, “Well… they can’t go up the mountain to cut firewood anymore. The severe mudslides have completely washed away the upper slopes and uprooted all the timber. There’s literally nowhere left for them to safely chop wood.”

…What?

Pei Xiqing stared at him, absolutely stunned for two whole seconds.

Looking into the slightly embarrassed eyes of the deadly operative beneath the terrifying mask, she genuinely didn’t know whether to feel profoundly relieved or utterly exasperated.

But after processing the “crisis,” she couldn’t hold it back anymore. She burst out laughing.

Shadow shifted uncomfortably. “What are you laughing at? Is it really that funny?”

“I’m not laughing at the village’s situation,” she assured him, still giggling. “The mudslides are a serious, unavoidable disaster. It makes perfect sense that the trees were destroyed and the remaining timber is too wet to burn. No, I was just laughing at you, Brother Shadow.”

“Laughing at me?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly is so funny about me?” he asked defensively.

“If they’re out of wood, then just send them a shipment of charcoal! Aren’t there dozens of high-tech heating solutions available here at headquarters? Just dispatch some to the villagers. It’s far too dangerous for them to be wandering the mountains chopping firewood in this weather anyway.”

“Oh. Good point,” Shadow muttered.

Pei Xiqing hadn’t left her house for a month, spending every single day eating, sleeping, and lounging around the villa. After chatting with him for a bit longer, she stretched and prepared to head downstairs to explore the interior of the massive tin-roofed settlement.

Shadow immediately fell into step behind her.

Unexpectedly, Pei Xiqing paused and shot him a wicked, smiling glance over her shoulder.

“By the way, remember when we were at the Ghost Market and I mentioned introducing you to someone? Well, I’ve been keeping an eye out for you lately, Brother Shadow. Why don’t you come with me right now? We can go meet some nice girls!”

Shadow froze in his tracks. “Huh?!”

“Where did Brother Duan go, anyway?” she asked, looking around.

“Brother Duan went inside. He’s currently inspecting the building up ahead.”

“Perfect. Let’s go in and take a look together.”

Shadow desperately tried to backtrack. “It’s still raining heavily outside, and there’s a lot of deep water pooling on the ground…”

But Pei Xiqing had already popped her umbrella open and was heading down the stairs by herself.

“I don’t need you to introduce me to anyone!” Shadow called after her frantically. “Hey! Don’t wander around in there alone, that place is packed with rough men!”

He hurriedly rushed after her.

By the time he finally tracked her down inside the sprawling tin structure, Pei Xiqing was squatting on the ground next to a young boy. She was pointing at the small, ragged brush the child was using to shine shoes and chatting animatedly with him.

The interior stairwell of the settlement was incredibly narrow and reeked heavily of rust and dampness. The passageway was so cramped that only one person could squeeze through at a time. It was dark, suffocatingly claustrophobic, and every available square meter was crammed with desperate refugees.

The moment Pei Xiqing’s pristine figure appeared, countless people poked their heads out of the cramped hallways to stare—most of them hardened, desperate men.

Just as Shadow was about to push his way through the crowd to reach her, a hand reached down and effortlessly pulled Pei Xiqing up from the dirty floor.

Duan Xiaolin stood there. He was dressed casually, looking more like he was taking a leisurely evening stroll than conducting a critical military inspection. He wore a pair of elegant gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a relaxed, casual air that perfectly complemented his refined, scholarly demeanor.

He firmly grasped Pei Xiqing’s wrist, giving it a slight tug to draw her safely against his chest.

“There’s a much nicer building over there. Shall we go take a look?” he murmured.

Pei Xiqing’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

“Walk.”

“Let’s hurry.”

Shadow breathed a massive sigh of relief. Seeing that she was safely back under Brother Duan’s protection, he decided to simply follow them at a moderate, respectful distance.

Suddenly, he felt a slight tug at his pant leg.

Looking down, he saw the little boy who had just been chatting with Pei Xiqing. The kid was looking up at him expectantly.

“Big brother, would you like me to shine your boots? That pretty lady just told me I’m really good at it.”

Shadow crouched down. “Can you even handle military-grade combat boots?”

“Uh-huh! I can!”

Shadow still had strict operational orders to follow and couldn’t abandon his guard post without explicit permission. He gently patted the boy’s head. “I’m on duty right now. I’ll come visit you next time.”

Unexpectedly, Pei Xiqing suddenly turned around and waved at him from down the hall. “Brother Shadow! Brother Duan just said you don’t need to follow us anymore! You’re officially off the clock. Go do whatever you want! Bye~”

Shadow let out a long breath. Finally, I don’t have to play the third wheel anymore.

He patted the child on the shoulder and sat down heavily on the small, rickety wooden stool.

“Alright kid, let’s see what you’re capable of.”

“Does the big brother like that pretty sister from earlier?” the child asked innocently as he squatted down and began vigorously scrubbing the mud off the heavy combat boots.

Chapter 284: You Are a Married Woman

Shadow nearly fell out of his chair. He glanced around frantically, and after confirming that Brother Duan was nowhere in sight, he quickly shushed the boy. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Did this brat want to get him killed?

“Ah… I guess I was wrong,” the boy said, sticking his tongue out playfully.

“Of course you were wrong.”

“I just saw that you were really worried about that pretty sister, so I thought you liked her. But she already has that scary uncle with her, so you don’t stand a chance anyway…”

Shadow sighed. Forget it. This kid was too clever and mischievous for his own good. He looked to be about ten years old, and there was something oddly familiar about his face.

“Last time at the restaurant, that lady saved us,” the boy continued as he worked. “She even helped my sister by taking her to the hospital. We all really like her. We’re just worried she might end up with a bad boyfriend, like that annoying guy from before.”

“So you’re trying to vet her boyfriends for her?” Shadow asked, amused.

“Quietly,” the boy whispered, looking cautious. “If a guy is mean to her, we’ll lure him into the alleys and smash him with these metal sheets!”

Shadow let out a loud laugh. “You kids are quite something. You’ve got a lot of nerve.”

“We have nothing left to lose, so we’re not afraid of anything,” the boy replied seriously. “We remember clearly who treats us well, unlike you adults who only know how to lie.”

The boy worked diligently, scrubbing the combat boot until it was spotless. As he moved on to the second boot, he looked up again. “Big brother, do you have someone you like?”

For once, the hardened operative found himself stammering. “…Why are you little brats meddling in everything? Just take this food and eat!”

Meanwhile, Pei Xiqing and Duan Xiaolin walked through the narrow, twisting alleys of the tin-roofed slum. When they finally reached the end of the cramped passage, the view suddenly opened up. Pei Xiqing held her umbrella high, squeezed past the last corrugated wall, and stopped in her tracks.

Before her lay a lush, green vegetable patch.

Her eyes widened in absolute wonder. “Wow… how is there a vegetable garden here?”

Duan Xiaolin gently brushed a speck of dust from her hair. “The locals must have figured out a way to cultivate it to pass the time.”

“I never expected to find something like this here.”

It was built onto a makeshift balcony, appearing as if out of nowhere. Various vegetables were planted carefully in repurposed containers. It was obvious that many people had poured a great deal of effort into maintaining it. Surrounded by rusted metal and decay, the vibrant green was like a resilient sprout in a barren desert. It offered not just sustenance, but a profound sense of hope.

“With all the water resources so heavily polluted, how did they even manage to grow these?” she murmured.

“Perhaps,” Duan Xiaolin said softly, “miracles can happen wherever there is a will to live.”

Sadly, this rare glimmer of green hope didn’t last long.

Just three days after Pei Xiqing discovered the garden, it was completely swallowed by an incredibly fierce tidal wave. Not only was the vegetable patch gone, but the towering tin-roofed settlement that the refugees had worked so hard to build was also wiped off the map overnight.

When Pei Xiqing heard the news, she was still in a groggy daze. She sat up in bed, the blankets falling away to reveal her bare skin. Her exposed shoulders and collarbone were littered with dark, suggestive hickeys.

Hearing the faint sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen, she quickly threw on some clothes and hurried downstairs.

She walked a little too fast, and her trembling legs nearly gave out. Gripping the staircase railing for support, she called out, “Brother Duan… I just saw on my communicator that headquarters was attacked?”

“Mhm,” he acknowledged calmly, not looking up from the stove. “The waves reached category 10 last night. Sections of the headquarters’ outer defenses were breached.”

“I figured it wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer,” she sighed.

Duan Xiaolin walked over, effortlessly scooped her up into his arms for the remaining steps, and gently placed her in a chair at the dining table. “Let’s eat first.”

“Are you heading out soon?” she asked.

“Yes. I need to go deal with the fallout.”

She reached out and grasped his hand. “If anything happens, tell me directly. Don’t try to shoulder it all by yourself. Time has flown by so fast, and everything is happening so suddenly… but at least we had a month to prepare.”

Duan Xiaolin chuckled softly. “Alright, I will.”

Pei Xiqing ate her breakfast with a lingering sense of trepidation. The weather outside was truly apocalyptic. It felt as though endless earthquakes and tsunamis were raging in a relentless assault against the city. Even just sitting in her chair, she could feel the ground trembling continuously beneath her feet. The bowls and chopsticks resting on the table rattled with every tremor.

Yet, the man sitting beside her remained as steady and immovable as a mountain. He was completely unchanged from his usual self, displaying absolutely no signs of tension or panic. With that kind of unshakeable resolve, he was bound to succeed at whatever he set out to do.

After finishing breakfast, Pei Xiqing still felt a deep exhaustion lingering from the previous night’s activities. She knew she was powerless to stop the raging storm outside, and going directly to the disaster zones would not only be too physically demanding, but might also make her a burden to the rescue teams.

However, there was still one area where she could be of use.

She activated her communicator. “Brother Qiu Chao…”

“What’s wrong?” Qiu Chao answered, the chaotic sounds of the medical ward echoing in the background.

“Are you busy right now?”

“That’s an understatement,” he sighed. “Viral infections, parasitic mutations… several people inside headquarters have already been infected. I currently have two patients in isolation who are on the verge of being completely replaced by the parasites. Are you interested in coming over to take a look? I guarantee it’ll broaden your horizons.”

“Sure, that’s actually exactly what I was hoping for,” she replied.

Qiu Chao laughed on the other end of the line. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to just sit still. I’ll send an aircraft to pick you up right away.”

“Thank you, Brother Qiu Chao~” she sang sweetly.

“Tsk, don’t try to charm me. You’re a married woman,” he teased, though in truth, he was quite pleased to hear from her.

“Okay, okay.”

Pei Xiqing quickly changed into practical outdoor clothes, grabbed a hat, and headed for the door. She was deeply interested in the parasitic mutations. Based on her knowledge of the original plot, she felt she could roughly deduce what was happening.

However, the moment she stepped outside, the sheer scale of the devastation shocked her to her core.

Standing on the porch, she had a fleeting, disorienting thought that her home had somehow been uprooted and drifted into a completely unfamiliar landscape while she slept.

The environment was entirely unrecognizable. Ruins of shattered buildings and heaps of industrial debris floated lazily on the murky floodwaters. The elegant hot springs and meticulously manicured gardens that had once surrounded her neighborhood were completely gone, replaced by a vast, desolate expanse of muddy water. It really felt as though she had taken a nap and awakened in a different world.

In the distance, an aircraft approached, flying low against the stormy horizon. Pei Xiqing sighed and rubbed her temples. Her house hadn’t moved; the tsunami and torrential rain had simply been that destructive.

And this was merely the initial stage of the natural disasters. When the true cataclysm arrived, would the world really be able to withstand the impact? If the heavily fortified central headquarters was reduced to this state, the conditions at the outer bases must be unimaginable. She could only hope for the best.

As the aircraft touched down, Pei Xiqing quickly climbed aboard.

During the smooth flight, she began reviewing the digital medical files Qiu Chao had forwarded to her device. They detailed the biometrics of the two patients infected by the mutated parasite.

She stared intently at the fluctuating values displayed on the screen, her expression grave and solemn.

Seeing her focus over the video feed, Qiu Chao raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Can you actually understand that medical data?”

If she could, that would be incredibly impressive. Even he and his top researchers hadn’t been able to make sense of the erratic anomalies so quickly.

“No, I don’t understand the numbers at all,” Pei Xiqing admitted flatly.

Qiu Chao sweatdropped. “Then why do you look so deadly serious?”

“Because,” she murmured, her eyes still locked on the files, “I just noticed some very… interesting details about these two.”

Chapter 285: Standing on Equal Footing with Brother Duan

Ten minutes later, she arrived at the headquarters laboratory.

Qiu Chao was wearing his mask, but the eyes visible above it were bright and youthful, looking like those of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy. Under his unblinking stare, Pei Xiqing couldn’t shake the feeling that she was talking to a high schooler.

“What are you looking at?” he asked.

“I just think you’re handsome,” Pei Xiqing replied dryly.

“Good eye.” Qiu Chao flashed her a thumbs-up. “Much better than Sister Long Yan’s taste, that’s for sure.”

Pei Xiqing raised an eyebrow. “Do you have some kind of problem with Sister Long Yan?”

“A problem?” Qiu Chao said seriously. “I have a lot of problems with her. You have no idea…” He leaned in closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “If it weren’t for her, Franlun would have gained another great general.”

“Who?”

“You’d be shocked if I told you.”

“Really?” Pei Xiqing smiled faintly. “It must be Brother Huihua.”

Qiu Chao’s pupils trembled slightly. He slowly straightened up and stared at her. “…You’re really something. Brother Duan really tells you everything, doesn’t he?”

“Brother Duan didn’t tell me.”

“Then how did you know?”

“Just a guess.”

Qiu Chao frowned. “How do you guess something like that?”

“When Sister Long Yan took me to a restaurant recently, I noticed the dagger she was carrying,” she explained. “I had passed by a blacksmith’s shop on the way and saw the exact same style of craftsmanship. They were forging something very similar, and I could tell at a glance that both pieces were made by the same person.”

“…Awesome.” Qiu Chao gave her another thumbs-up. “But you definitely don’t know the specific details; you’ve only guessed the broad strokes. If you want the juicy gossip, we have plenty of time…”

Before he could finish, Long Yan stepped out from the hallway behind him and smacked the back of his head. “What nonsense are you babbling about? Did I just hear someone say I have bad taste?”

Qiu Chao laughed nervously. “No, no, I was just joking!”

Long Yan wasn’t amused. “Shut up. Aren’t the ongoing crises at the base enough to keep you busy? You’re the only one with enough free time to stand around gossiping. The patients inside are waiting for you, Lord Franlun. Stop wasting time out here. If you’re in the mood to gossip, then clearly you aren’t busy enough.”

Qiu Chao quickly turned and pulled Pei Xiqing by the arm. “Come on! Tell me what interesting thing you found. I asked you earlier but you wouldn’t say. It had better be something I don’t already know.”

Pei Xiqing allowed herself to be dragged into the inner laboratory.

The vast room was filled with rows of advanced, high-precision instruments. Everything looked incredibly expensive and fragile. Not daring to touch anything carelessly, she navigated the narrow aisles of equipment before finally saying, “I discovered that the two infected patients you showed me the files for both carry the zombie virus.”

Qiu Chao stopped in his tracks, turning to her with a deadpan expression. “Why are you telling me something I already know? I was well aware of that.”

“It isn’t an ordinary zombie virus,” she clarified.

“How is it unusual? Is there a mutated strain out there that I’m unaware of?”

“It’s the same one I had.”

Qiu Chao’s demeanor shifted. “How do you know that?”

“Look at their arms.”

Pei Xiqing walked further inside. Soon, they stood before a reinforced containment room where the two infected individuals were being held. Through the thick, transparent glass, she pointed toward them. Even from a distance, she could clearly see the dark, necrotic lividity spreading across their arms.

The corpse spots were deeper and more severe than the ones that used to plague her own body, but she was eighty percent sure it was the exact same viral strain.

Qiu Chao stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Really? I had almost forgotten about the unique virus in your system.” There were countless virus strains ravaging the apocalypse, and Pei Xiqing happened to carry a highly unique mutation. He grabbed her arm, pulling her deeper into the testing area. “Come on, your timing is perfect. Help me run a test.”

“Test what?” Pei Xiqing asked warily.

“Let’s see if the dormant virus in your body is the trigger for this new mutation.”

“Hold on a second…”

“What’s wrong?”

“If my old virus was the trigger, the apocalypse would have descended into total chaos a long time ago. Don’t jump to crazy conclusions, okay?”

Qiu Chao studied her intently. “The fact that you’re standing here so calmly means you already have a theory about what’s actually going on, don’t you?”

“You could say that,” she replied. “And I’ve discovered more than just the virus strain.”

“What else?”

“These mutated parasites have a weakness. There’s something they’re afraid of.”

“Oh? We’ve tried countless methods and couldn’t isolate a weakness, yet you actually found one?”

“I can only test my theory. I’m not entirely sure yet.”

“A theory means there’s still hope.”

Pei Xiqing crossed her arms. “If I help you with this experiment, there has to be something in it for me, right?”

“Benefits? What could you possibly want that you don’t already have?” Qiu Chao asked in genuine confusion. “You’re asking me for a reward? I can just make one call to Brother Duan… he can solve anything for you.”

He turned to grab a communicator, but Pei Xiqing quickly stopped him. “Let me tell you my price before you call him.”

What she wanted wasn’t something Duan Xiaolin would ever willingly give her.

“Then tell me.”

“I will be your test subject for free today. In exchange, I want full access to the classified files regarding these experiments and the progress of the headquarters’ biological research. Don’t even think about hiding anything from me.”

Qiu Chao’s eyes darted around nervously. “No way… I’d need to ask permission for that…”

Pei Xiqing grabbed his sleeve. “No.”

“You’re putting me in a really tough spot,” Qiu Chao groaned, rubbing his neck. “You know there are some things I just don’t have the authority to share, especially when it comes to classified experiments. There are too many moving parts. If someone investigates a data breach, I’ll have to bear a massive amount of responsibility.”

“Are you telling me the great Captain Qiu Chao can’t make a simple executive decision? Don’t be ridiculous,” Pei Xiqing said with a sweet, coaxing smile. “If even Brother Qiu Chao can’t make the call, then who can? You’re a top official in Franlun—a man who stands on equal footing with Brother Duan! Aside from him, you are the highest authority in Franlun and this entire headquarters. If you can’t authorize this, then no one can. Fine, if you really can’t do it, I’ll just go find Brother Duan myself, and I absolutely won’t cooperate with your experiments later.”

Qiu Chao narrowed his eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

“Absolutely!”

“…If I agree, will you fully cooperate with my testing?”

“Without question.”

“Alright. Come inside with me. I’ll log in with my credentials, and you can look up whatever you want yourself.”

“It’s that simple?” Pei Xiqing hadn’t expected him to fold quite so easily.

Qiu Chao smiled brightly behind his mask. “Of course!”

Pei Xiqing narrowed her eyes slightly. Why do I feel like I’ve just walked into a trap?

Setting her suspicions aside, Pei Xiqing followed him to begin studying the newly emerged mutated virus.

It took five or six grueling hours of effort. Outside, the ground shook violently from the relentless tremors, but inside the fortified laboratory, everything remained perfectly stable and secure.

Eventually, Qiu Chao seemed to make a breakthrough. Muttering to himself, he rushed off to the adjacent lab room to continue his work, leaving her alone.

Pei Xiqing was just happy she could help. Spending hours lying inside various scanning machines, having her blood drawn, and enduring mild drug trials hadn’t been in vain. The two infected patients in the containment room had long since lost their minds, their human consciousness slowly eroding away under the parasite’s influence. Even if they somehow survived, a core part of their humanity would be lost forever.

Taking advantage of Qiu Chao’s absence, Pei Xiqing sat behind the main control panel and entered the access credentials he had provided. A massive trove of classified documents populated the screen. She sifted through them one by one until she finally found what she was looking for tucked inside a heavily encrypted folder.

The folder was protected by several complex layers of security. If she had entered the wrong password randomly, it would have immediately triggered a base-wide lockdown alarm, just like the incident at the Third Base.

But with Qiu Chao’s bypass instructions, her access was smooth and unimpeded.

She opened the files and successfully uncovered the truth behind the “fake pregnancy” plan that Qiu Chao and Duan Xiaolin had engineered for her months ago.

The records detailed her precise physical condition at the time, alongside the progress of various experimental drugs and cellular therapies. Reading through the dense medical jargon, the chilling reality finally clicked: it hadn’t been a fake pregnancy at all. It was a highly complex, systematic virus transfer protocol.

However, reading the ongoing requirements for her treatment sent a chill down her spine. The sheer number of high-grade crystal cores needed to sustain her stability… it was a bottomless pit.

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