Chapter 17 - Encounter with Xiao Mei
Xiao Mei lay in wait, quietly observing the group as they carefully made their way past. They moved in silence, alert and cautious, each armed and stepping with firm yet stealthy strides. Xiao Mei unconsciously held her breath, afraid even the slightest sound might give away her position.
Pao Pei kept his eyes locked onto the group without blinking. He recognized them! Two of them, to be exact—the tall man leading the group, and another carrying a radio on his back. Were they out hunting for people again? This time, they brought more men than before…
Oh no!! That man was looking this way... Pao Pei tensed. It was the first time he had encountered a human with such sharp senses. As a second-tier guardian, he could easily conceal himself. No human should have been able to detect him. Xiao Mei, possessing spatial abilities, naturally kept her scent hidden within her dimension. Unless someone came face-to-face with them, it was nearly impossible to track them down.
...But this man... he was just like a predatory beast.
Zheng Han had felt it—an unshakable sensation that someone was watching him. It first began that morning, during a mission to search for a VIP. His instincts had warned him: they were being observed. The unseen watcher had lingered until the mission ended, then vanished without a trace. And now—again!! Someone was watching from the shadows.
There was no killing intent, no sign of a predator ready to strike. Just an unseen, uninvited guest, observing them from afar.
Still, Zheng Han's squad continued forward. But the pressure radiating from their captain did not go unnoticed. Instinctively, his men heightened their vigilance. Whenever the captain tensed up, it could only mean one thing—something wasn't right.
Without needing orders, the squad adjusted formation. Instead of surrounding the two women in the center, they now partnered off, flanking them individually.
...And Zheng Han stepped forward, leading the way!
Xiao Mei noticed the sudden shift in their movement. She glanced at Pao Pei, raising an eyebrow in silent question.
"They know we're watching," Pao Pei whispered, his voice low. He transformed into a small, fluffy white cat and climbed onto Xiao Mei's shoulder, speaking in barely a breath of sound.
"The tall guy in front—that's the one Pao Pei saw this morning. And the other one with the radio." He nearly whispered right into her ear.
"The big guy... he's their leader?" Xiao Mei studied the man carefully. He must have stood around 190 centimeters tall—maybe even taller. His build was thick and solid like a bear. Short black hair peeked out from under a black baseball cap. He wore military-style gear, maybe security forces, with sun-darkened skin and sharp, rugged features hinting at mixed heritage. Strapped to his side was a silenced pistol, just like hers.
"He's definitely the leader. Pao Pei can feel the energy inside him. He's mutating."
"Zombie?!" Xiao Mei gasped sharply. She couldn't see any bite marks on him.
"He's evolving... not becoming a zombie. He might develop special abilities. Hmm... Pao Pei thinks he's one of those exceptionally strong types."
Warm-blooded creatures mutated far more easily than cold-blooded ones. That was why they had already encountered mutant rats—but no mutant snakes or frogs yet.
"They've stopped moving…" Xiao Mei's heart hammered in her chest as the group backed up against a wall and turned to face in her direction.
"He's coming this way!!!" she squealed when she saw the tall man stride straight toward her.
"Master… We should go greet them before he comes to us," Pao Pei advised after quickly sizing up the situation. He judged they could handle this group if needed. It would be better to approach them first, in a friendly manner.
"Alright! I want to know who they are too," Xiao Mei said, slipping downstairs to the first floor. She hid behind the counter and waited.
"Hey! Let's talk first! Don't come any closer!" Xiao Mei called out, her voice clear and firm, just before he could open the door.
Zheng Han froze at the sound of a woman's voice. Her tone was bright and pleasant, without a trace of fear. In fact, she sounded a little stubborn. Since he didn't sense any murderous intent from her, he decided to take the risk and open the door.
"Alright, miss. I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm a soldier on a mission," Zheng Han said, holstering his gun at his thigh and raising both hands to show he meant no harm.
Peeking over the edge of the counter, Xiao Mei saw his empty hands and slowly emerged from her hiding place, Pao Pei still perched on her shoulder.
"You're here alone?" he asked gently, trying his best to sound non-threatening.
Xiao Mei hesitated a little, then gave a vague answer. "I came out to search for food."
Just then, Pao Pei let out a perfectly timed, tiny "meow," immediately drawing Zheng Han's attention.
He stepped toward Xiao Mei slowly, his gaze locked onto her. "It's dangerous for a woman to be alone here. Just a few blocks away, you'll run into a horde of zombies numbering in the thousands."
Xiao Mei stared back at him, then replied, "Thanks for the warning. But I won't be heading that way." As she spoke, she took a slight step back, signaling her discomfort with his approach.
Zheng Han noticed, feeling a little embarrassed for making the small woman uneasy. He cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped back half a pace.
"Uh, sorry... I shouldn't have... gotten too close," he said quietly, not wanting to make things any more tense.
"It's alright. I'm just… a bit overly cautious," Xiao Mei replied calmly. She reasoned that if he was truly a soldier, he probably had no ill intentions toward civilians like her.
Zheng Han nodded. "You... don't look like the average survivor," he observed, his eyes sweeping over her carefully.
Xiao Mei furrowed her brows slightly upon hearing that.
"How am I different?" she asked.
Zheng Han smiled faintly before answering her question.
"You look like someone who eats well and sleeps soundly. Your body is spotless—there's not a speck of dirt on you. And, uh... you even have a faint scent on you."
This woman was dressed neatly in clean white clothes and smelled like she had just taken a shower. She must be living in comfort and safety. In a world like this, who else would keep a pet and even come out searching for pet food? It was far too unusual.
"Oh... I drove here," Xiao Mei replied with an awkward chuckle, trying her best to appear natural, even though she felt nervous inside. Before leaving the house, she had showered, dressed carefully as usual, and even sprayed on some perfume—completely forgetting that this was now an apocalyptic era.
Zheng Han let out a soft laugh at her not-so-convincing answer.
He didn't press further but simply extended his left hand toward her.
"I'm Zheng Han, a soldier," he introduced himself in a gentle tone.
Xiao Mei looked at his hand before reaching out her slender one to shake his in return.
"I'm Xiao Mei, a survivor... who happens to be clean," she said, smiling with her eyes and playfully winking at him.
Zheng Han blinked in surprise before breaking into another laugh, his voice sounding warm and steady.
Xiao Mei tilted her head to glance to the side, then leaned slightly to look behind him suspiciously.
"Those people running this way... Are they soldiers too?" she asked, puzzled.
Zheng Han followed her gaze and sighed softly.
"That's our communications officer," he explained.
"Ohhh," Xiao Mei responded with a small sound of realization.
Zheng Han stepped aside to meet the subordinate who was running toward him.
At that moment, Pao Pei, who had been silent all along, took the chance to whisper urgently in her ear,
"Be careful, Master."
Xiao Mei stiffened slightly before moving her lips to ask,
"What's wrong?"
Without moving, Pao Pei simply darted its eyes toward the building across the street.
"Something's watching us... and it's not human," he said.
A chill shot down Xiao Mei's spine, her heart skipping a beat—
when those blazing red eyes locked onto her!