Chapter 54: I Now Unilaterally Announce a Cold War with Him
“This time when we went to collect building materials, we noticed something strange about the person we were meeting. Sure enough, at night, this person would turn into a spirit, and during the day, he’d possess someone else’s body, using them to commit crimes and make profits. After I killed him, I inherited his ability. That’s why you felt I was so eerie, like a ghost.”
“But it’s nothing serious. This side effect will disappear in a few days.”
Su Tao swallowed hard. “You make it sound so simple, but I bet this person wasn’t easy to kill, right? In a wandering spirit state… hard to see, impossible to touch, and could abandon a body and switch to another at any time.”
Shi Zijin was silent for a moment. “Yes, Xiao Jian was possessed by him. He controlled Xiao Jian’s body to self-harm, right in front of me.”
Oh, God.
Su Tao didn’t dare continue this topic.
Under the moonlight, both of them fell into silence, with only the faint sound of the wind.
After a long while, Su Tao asked, “When is your next mission?”
Shi Zijin couldn’t help but rub his temples at the thought. “In a month.”
Su Tao scooted closer to him, leaning her head toward him:
“I wanted to discuss something with you—can you take me along?”
Shi Zijin turned to look at her, “Are you too bored? Have you had enough of Taoyang and Dongyang? Looking for a vacation?”
Su Tao kicked his lounge chair.
“Can you not be so sarcastic? Do I seem like the type who has nothing better to do? If it wasn’t something really important, I wouldn’t step a foot out of Taoyang.”
She wanted to kick him again, feeling he was being downright unfair.
Shi Zijin grabbed her ankle. “Use words, not feet. We’re by the pool. If you kick me in, I’ll pull you down with me.”
Su Tao felt like her ankle was locked in iron; she couldn’t move at all.
Her stubbornness flared up. She kicked off her shoe with her other foot and aimed straight for his chest.
But such a small trick was nothing to Shi Zijin. With one hand, he lifted both her feet.
Su Tao let out a small scream, wrapping her arms around his neck, terrified of falling.
“If you don’t want me to go, then just say it. Why bully me?”
“Then tell me why you want to go. It’s dangerous out there—not just from evolved zombies but also from the early summer heat and water shortages.”
Su Tao looked at him seriously. “I can’t explain why, but I have to go. It’s really important to me.”
“I’ll have to think about it. If I take you with me, you’ll be my responsibility. I’ll be fully accountable for your safety.”
Cen Tianjiao came out just in time to hear half a sentence: “You’ll be my person.”
He looked at the two hugging by the pool, stunned.
He immediately pretended he hadn’t seen anything, turned around, and put his arm around Dang Xingyan’s neck to stop him from looking back.
“Old Dang, you’re older than our captain. It’s time to think about your personal life…”
Dang Xingyan: ?
…
Su Tao tightened her grip around his neck. “You have to take me. Bringing me along will bring tons of benefits. Taoyang has everything. With me there, you’ll have food, water, and supplies, and the journey will go smoothly.”
Shi Zijin tugged at her arm. “Then you’ve miscalculated. Even without food or water, we can still keep going.”
Su Tao hugged him even tighter, resorting to moral coercion:
“Don’t you care about your brothers? Aren’t you worried about them enduring hardships with you?”
Shi Zijin started prying her fingers off. “Not really. They’re tough.”
Su Tao used both legs, clinging to him like a koala:
“Major Shi, you’ve changed. You used to care so much about your subordinates. Tomorrow, I’m going to tell Cen Er, sow discord between you two.”
Shi Zijin was surrounded by her sweet girlish scent, his face numb. He delivered his final ultimatum:
“Let go, or we’ll meet underwater.”
“If you promise me, I’ll let go.”
Her answer was a splash—Shi Zijin took her into the water with him.
*
Twenty minutes later.
Zhuang Wan helped Su Tao dry her wet hair, puzzled:
“How did you end up in the water fully clothed? And with Major Shi, no less.”
Su Tao said, “I’m now unilaterally announcing a cold war with him. Until we make up, don’t mention him to me.”
Zhuang Wan paused, then suddenly thought of something, letting out a chuckle:
“So, Major Shi didn’t agree to take you? I told you he wouldn’t. He’s a very responsible person. If he took you out and something happened, he’d blame himself for the rest of his life.”
Su Tao let out a long sigh and collapsed face-down on the bed.
If she could go by herself, she would.
But she didn’t have the skills—didn’t know the roads, couldn’t face dangers head-on, and if transported back to Taoyang, she’d have to start over again.
The only person who could help her accomplish this was Shi Zijin.
She still had a month to persuade him.
But since she initiated this cold war, she couldn’t end it too easily.
She’d give him the silent treatment for a few days—hmpf.
*
The next morning.
Cen Tianjiao brought his mother over.
The old lady was nearly sixty but full of energy, carrying bags upon bags as she moved swiftly.
The old lady’s eyes crinkled with a smile as soon as she saw Su Tao. “What a pretty girl! How old are you?”
Cen Tianjiao quickly introduced, “Mom, this is the boss of Taoyang, Boss Su.”
It seemed the old lady’s eyesight wasn’t great. She leaned in to get a better look at Su Tao:
“Oh! You look so young. That’s great! Tell me, girl, are you married? My Tianjiao is 24 this year. What do you think of him? Is he good enough for you?”
Cen Tianjiao was so terrified his soul nearly left his body. He instinctively glanced at his boss, his palms and soles cold with fear:
“Mom! Mom! You’ve misunderstood. Boss Su already has someone. Please don’t cause trouble!”
Su Tao: ?
She has someone?
The old lady let out two “ohs,” then suddenly slapped Cen Tianjiao on the back:
“Useless boy! Of course a good girl like her wouldn’t be interested in you.”
Dang Xingyan, who had been teased about being single yesterday, stood nearby, thoroughly enjoying the show.
Zhuang Wan led them through the check-in process. Before they even reached the new apartment, the old lady was already marveling at the clean hallway:
“This is so clean! I haven’t seen such a clean hallway in years. The places I’ve lived in recent years were so filthy, and some people would even… you know, relieve themselves anywhere. Oh my, do they wipe this handrail every day? There’s not a speck of dust. Did you hire cleaners?”
Zhuang Wan smiled and said, “Yes, our cleaning supervisor here is Aunt Qi. Her contact information is at the entrance of the apartment building. If you ever find a public area that needs cleaning, feel free to reach out to her.”
The old lady sighed in admiration. “This is so nice. My Tianjiao really brought me here to enjoy life.”
Cen Tianjiao finally saw an opportunity to make his presence known and tried to make his mother happy: “There’s also a terrace and a pavilion outside. Many of the ladies living here are around your age. When you’re free, you can get to know them, chat when you have time.”
The old lady suddenly became a bit sad. “My old best friend left too soon. If only she were still here, she could’ve come with me and enjoyed this life too.”
When they entered the apartment, the first thing the old lady noticed was the semi-open kitchen.
With a “snap,” she shook off Cen Tianjiao’s supporting hand, rushed over swiftly on her own, and touched the clean stovetop, the brand-new cabinets, and the small appliances. Her old eyes reddened with emotion.
