Chapter 19: Mission Objective
"What are you doing here?"
A deep voice rose behind her.
Xiao Mei, who had been bending down to speak with Pao Pei, slowly turned around. Zheng Han stood there, just a step away. His tall frame cast a long shadow over her, backlit by sunlight filtering through the broken buildings. Beneath the brim of his cap, his sharp eyes locked onto her with unwavering focus. He shifted slightly to block Xiao Mei, then moved forward to stand protectively in front of Pao Pei, peering into the darkness ahead with a tense expression.
"For your safety, I need you to wait in the car with Qin Hao," he said, voice low and firm, the concern in his tone barely concealed.
Xiao Mei didn't answer right away. She picked up Pao Pei and hugged him close, gently stroking his fur as she considered her options.
"I'll come with you," she said firmly. "I'm the only one who's faced it directly before."
The image of those blazing red eyes was still seared into her mind. It had a chance to harm her—but it hadn't. She needed to know why.
"I can't allow civilians to put themselves in danger. It's better if you leave the city with Qin Hao," Zheng Han refused her immediately, his voice resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.
Pao Pei, nestled in Xiao Mei's arms, let out a sharp "Meow!" and shook his head slightly—a signal for her to stop arguing.
Xiao Mei tightened her hold on him, lips pressed together in a slight pout of dissatisfaction, but eventually gave a small nod.
"Fine," she said, a little curtly. "I'll leave the city with your team."
Since he wouldn't let her join, she wouldn't insist.
Zheng Han gave her a brief nod before issuing his orders to the two teams.
"Qin Hao, you lead the team. Get the targets out of the city and wait at the pickup point. Xiao Mei goes with you. Don't engage until reinforcements arrive!" His voice was sharp and commanding.
"Understood!" the team replied in unison.
They split into two groups as instructed—Zheng Han leading one team to pursue the creature into the shadows, while the other group escorted the short-haired woman and Xiao Mei toward the outskirts.
Before leaving, Zheng Han glanced back at his team. His expression was heavy, every step weighed down with tension. He smiled once at Xiao Mei before turning away, disappearing into the ruins.
Xiao Mei watched him until the tall figure vanished into the dark, deserted alleyways.
The atmosphere around her was thick with tension. Only the sound of the wind whistling through the broken buildings broke the silence, as the evening sun dipped lower, painting the sky a wash of crimson and dusky orange—like a vast, somber canvas.
Qin Hao took over command in Zheng Han's place.
Xiao Mei was placed in the center of the formation, walking alongside the short-haired woman, whose cheeks still bore the streaks of dried tears.
"Your friend will be safe," Xiao Mei said softly, breaking the oppressive silence, trying to offer comfort.
"I held her hand... but..."
Tears welled up again, streaming down the woman's face, her soft sobs mingling with the steady sound of their footsteps.
For a moment, Xiao Mei was at a loss. She only wanted to offer some comfort, but instead, it seemed she'd shattered the woman's fragile composure. She didn't know how to make the atmosphere better, so she quickly introduced herself.
"My name's Xiao Mei," she said gently. "And this here is Pao Pei."
She lifted Pao Pei a little for the woman to see. He huffed at her and turned his head away in a show of mild disdain.
"Sorry... he's not the most friendly," Xiao Mei said with a sheepish smile. "By the way, what's your name?"
Until now, she had only known Zheng Han and Qin Hao by name. The others were strictly professional, offering little more than silent protection.
"I'm Yu Yan. You can call me Sister Yu," the woman replied, her sobs finally subsiding.
The two of them continued walking, talking quietly. Xiao Mei noticed that Yu Yan looked weak—likely from lack of food and water. Her body was dirty and thin, and because she was already tall and slender by nature, the malnourishment made her seem even more fragile.
Yu Yan shared her story: she was a nurse from the surgery department, and the woman with glasses who had been taken was Dr. Yang Yunjing, a surgeon from a private hospital in Henan.
On the day the meteor rain fell, they had been in the middle of an emergency surgery. Thankfully, the hospital structure was strong, and the building survived without much damage.
The real problem was the patients—many were already weak, and the virus spread rapidly among them. The hospital became one of the first places where zombies overran the staff. She and Yang Yunjing had barely escaped by locking themselves in the staff room.
"Luckily, a few of the young doctors had a habit of stashing snacks there," Yu Yan said, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, sneaking a glance at Xiao Mei, who was rummaging through her backpack.
"You're really beautiful," Yu Yan said suddenly, a small laugh escaping her. "I didn't think I'd meet someone who's still so pretty—and even smells nice—in times like these."
Xiao Mei lowered her head, hiding a small, shy smile. She cleared her throat and joked lightly,
"This perfume... was definitely worth every penny."
The two of them exchanged glances and burst into laughter. The atmosphere during their journey brightened a little. Even the soldiers guarding them couldn't help but smile quietly at their conversation.
Their group arranged their formation so that Xiao Mei and Yu Yan walked in the center, flanked closely by soldiers on both sides for protection. Qin Hao led at the front, with another soldier watching his back, while two more soldiers brought up the rear. Altogether, eight of them marched along the main road, heading out of the city on foot.
Xiao Mei took out some dried mangoes and shared them with Yu Yan. As they walked, they nibbled and chatted, occasionally telling each other funny stories from their lives. Yu Yan mentioned that doing this helped patients relax after going through stressful situations.
Qin Hao signaled for them to halt. They stopped to rest under a large tree by the roadside. Dry leaves crunched and swirled in the breeze, and the temperature had noticeably dropped. Xiao Mei sat down on the grass beside Yu Yuan, visibly exhausted. Their pace was slower than usual because they had to accommodate her.
Pao Pei rolled out of Xiao Mei's arms and climbed up the big tree. It perched on a branch with a wide view of the surroundings, standing guard.
Using binoculars, Qin Hao scanned the area. When he spoke, his deep voice carried a trace of worry.
"The atmosphere is unusually quiet. We haven't encountered a single zombie along the way."
He glanced around with a heavy heart. No footsteps, no groaning—only a silence that pressed down on them with every passing moment. With their captain absent, the responsibility for everyone's lives now rested squarely on his shoulders.
"I think we might still be within the territory of that evolved creature," Xiao Mei offered her opinion. "Ordinary zombies probably wouldn't dare enter its territory."
From the pet supply store to their current location, they had traveled nearly three kilometers without encountering even one zombie. The best explanation was that fear kept the zombies at bay.
"You think... it's an evolved zombie?" Qin Hao asked, squinting at Xiao Mei with suspicion. Could this woman know more than they did?