Chapter 27: The Landlady’s Sugar-Coated Bullet
Thinking of this, Su Tao had an epiphany.
Her domain could accomplish almost anything; there was no need for the hidden task to be issued to her.
This meant she might have to leave Taoyang to trigger the hidden task?
Su Tao thought it over. She indeed hadn’t set foot outside for a while, so it made sense there had been no trigger.
But as a total weakling, leaving Taoyang would be like a lamb to the slaughter—she was terrified.
“What’s wrong?” Shi Zijin noticed her pained and conflicted expression.
Su Tao decided to shamelessly ask, “Do you have someone suitable to be my bodyguard? I can pay them. In exchange, your people can live here rent-free for as long as they want.”
That way, she’d dare to leave.
Shi Zijin raised an eyebrow, “That’s quite the generous offer. Do you think I’m suitable?”
Su Tao quickly waved her hands, “Major General, you’re overqualified! Just find me someone defensive, not necessarily a strong fighter. I just need personal safety.”
The top-secret abilities in Dongyang—who knew Shi Zijin’s true strength? She definitely couldn’t afford him.
“Do you want a man or a woman?”
“A woman!” After all, close protection would make the opposite gender inconvenient.
“I’ll have her come to you tomorrow.”
Su Tao immediately beamed, “Then stay safe on your mission!”
Shi Zijin looked at her bright, smiling face, smiled himself, and nodded solemnly, “I will come back safely.”
*
In the afternoon, after lunch, Zhuang Wan came to Su Tao with a gloomy expression.
“Xiang Bin came to find me again. He insisted on seeing you. Fortunately, you’ve been cooped up in your room these days, or he’d have cornered you.”
Just as she finished speaking, the doorbell rang.
Zhuang Wan shot up, “It must be Xiang Bin. He probably saw me come in. I’ll go send him away.”
Su Tao stopped her, “I’ll handle it. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner we get peace.”
She opened the door, and Xiang Bin’s face lit up when he saw her. He immediately began, “Su—”
Su Tao cut him off, “Don’t try to play the emotional card. Just tell me what you want.”
Xiang Bin swallowed the rehearsed plea for Su Jianming, “Your father wants to see you and apologize.”
“Where?”
Xiang Bin was stunned. He thought he’d have to persuade her for ages, but she agreed just like that.
“At your home. Your mother misses you too.”
“Then tomorrow at four in the afternoon. Go notify them.”
After saying this, Su Tao slammed the door shut.
She was fed up—with all the “mom” and “dad” nonsense. She just wanted to swat away all the annoying flies as quickly as possible.
Zhuang Wan tactfully said her goodbyes and closed the door behind her.
The next day, the bodyguard arranged by Shi Zijin arrived at Su Tao’s door.
According to the information Shi Zijin provided, the newcomer’s name was Guan Zining, and her ability was called “Corrosion,” which fell under the category of mental abilities.
She could invade an enemy’s body and mind, causing brief confusion and slowed movements, which could buy her teammates valuable time for retreat and rescue.
Even when facing that bizarre mutated zombie, Guan Zining could still secure a few seconds.
A classic support-type talent.
She fit Su Tao’s requirements perfectly—if she couldn’t win, she’d run. Never take unnecessary risks. As long as she gained enough time, combined with the system’s teleportation feature, she could safely retreat back to Taoyang.
Although Su Tao was quite satisfied, Guan Zining didn’t seem too happy with her employer.
From the very first meeting, Guan Zining tried to assert dominance:
“Although Major Shi arranged for me to come here and I must obey, let me be clear—I’ll only protect you for three months. After that, I have to return to my team. I don’t want my skills to go to waste here.”
Su Tao didn’t show a pleasant expression either: “What’s wrong with being here? Do you think being here will bury your talents and diminish your life’s value? If that’s how you feel, then you might as well go back now. I can’t afford someone like you.”
She moved to close the door.
Guan Zining hadn’t expected her to be so tough and was momentarily stunned.
She had intended to put on a show and intimidate this seemingly ordinary girl, to vent the frustration she’d been holding back. Instead, she ended up getting intimidated herself.
If she went back now, Major Shi might just skin her alive.
Guan Zining held the door open and softened her stance: “Sorry, I was feeling a bit disappointed and spoke out of turn.”
Going from a respected pioneer soldier to a personal bodyguard—anyone would feel the sting of disappointment.
Su Tao paused and said:
“Regardless, since you’re here, if you can’t change the situation, then accept it. I won’t treat you poorly, and I won’t make you do dangerous things. If you want to leave after three months, I won’t stop you. But while you’re protecting me, you must listen to me and do your job properly.”
These words made Guan Zining realize that this employer might not be so easy to handle.
Sure enough, no one under Major Shi was a pushover—they were all tough cookies…
Su Tao led Guan Zining to Room 005, a double room that had been rebuilt after a previous fire. It had remained vacant, and now it would serve as Guan Zining’s temporary lodging.
Looking around at the well-equipped and convenient room, Guan Zining thought this was way better than the shared dorms back at the base.
There was even a private bathroom and a small south-facing balcony!
Hmph, a sugar-coated bullet. Her purpose wasn’t personal enjoyment but to serve the greater good of humanity!
She still wanted to fight alongside her teammates, shedding blood and sweat on the battlefield.
Su Tao added further instructions:
“I’ll only bring you along when I leave Taoyang. Otherwise, you can manage your own time. You can go outside and fight zombies if you want—I won’t stop you.”
Su Tao had already figured out that Guan Zining was just a battle maniac.
Freedom to move around? Guan Zining’s mood improved even more.
“You can eat at the small canteen, dry your laundry at the back door, and buy daily necessities at the grocery store by the entrance. My assistant will fill you in on the rest of the details. Feel free to explore and get familiar with the place.”
Guan Zining had heard that living in Taoyang was very convenient, but this brief introduction made her realize just how true that was. No wonder people outside were fighting tooth and nail to move in.
Su Tao called Zhuang Wan over, then retreated to her room to enjoy a relaxing soak in the small hot spring. She had a leisurely lunch and began her routine of reviewing tenant information.
The rental contracts for Zhou Hai, Zhou Yang, and their group had expired. After renewing the leases, Su Tao earned 30,000 federal credits.
Now, she had 300,000 credits in savings. She planned to buy a Jeep in the next couple of days.
Since she intended to leave Taoyang to trigger hidden quests, she needed to be fully prepared. A good vehicle—a top-notch escape tool—was essential.
At 4 p.m., Su Tao finally finished getting ready. She called Guan Zining, and they leisurely walked to their destination.
Guan Zining was puzzled: “Didn’t you agree to meet at 4 p.m.? We’re only leaving now, and on foot? They’ll be waiting forever!”
Su Tao said, “They need my help. What’s wrong with making them wait?”
She wanted the Su family to wait, to be angry, and to be utterly helpless against her.
