Volume One, Chapter 20: Lin Ye's Curiosity

Mu Qing leaned against the cold wall, her body exhausted, yet her mind raced with frantic energy. Watching the numb, slightly relieved faces around her, she finally couldn't hold back and whispered to Liu Ying beside her, "Those soldiers earlier... are they from our government army? Their equipment looks incredibly advanced!"

Liu Ying let out a satisfied burp and shook her head. "I don't know. But... it doesn't really feel like it, does it?" She furrowed her brows in thought. "They’ve been guarding this villa the whole time. It just feels... well... very different."

"Hah," Li Hua, lying on the floor with his legs crossed, let out a scoff, sounding like a seasoned veteran. "Why are you little girls bothering with such things? Who cares what kind of big shots they are! As long as they give us food and keep us alive, they’re the bosses! Knowing too much won't do you any good. Just be glad you're still breathing!"

Liu Ying pursed her lips but didn't argue, clearly agreeing with Li Hua. However, the doubt in Mu Qing's heart only deepened. Different? How so? That cold, ruthless efficiency, that devastating firepower, that sense of absolute, singular obedience... Images of Chen Feng’s cold gaze and his warning that they "don't keep useless people" flashed through her mind.

"Then..." she hesitated, unable to resist asking, "do you know... who their leader is? The one they take orders from?"

"I know this!" Liu Ying suddenly perked up, sitting bolt upright. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light with the excitement of sharing a secret. "Let me tell you! When we first arrived this afternoon, that cold officer mentioned it!" She lowered her voice deliberately, creating an air of mystery. "The big boss behind those heavily armed, terrifying soldiers is a mysterious person known as 'the Marshal'!"

"The Marshal?!" Mu Qing gasped. The title sent a shockwave through her heart! What did "Marshal" mean in this era? It was the highest honor and rank in the military! How could such a person be in a private villa complex?

"Shh!" Liu Ying quickly signaled for her to keep it down. "That’s right! The Marshal! That cold officer said, 'They are loyal only to the Marshal,' and 'They obey only the Marshal's orders!' It sounded so imposing! I just don't know what this 'Marshal' looks like, or how old he is... But to command such powerful soldiers, he must be a massive figure!" Liu Ying’s eyes were filled with awe and curiosity.

Mu Qing’s heart hammered against her ribs. "The Marshal"... The title hit her mind like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a tempest. Mysterious, powerful, ruthless, and wielding destructive force... The title itself held a lethal allure. Hadn't she fled the Morning Light residential complex just to find a glimmer of survival and sanctuary? And this "Marshal" seemed to be the very person capable of providing exactly that in this desolate wasteland!

She subconsciously clenched her fists, her eyes flickering with complex emotions in the dim light—curiosity, awe, and a hint of a desire she hadn't yet realized herself: a longing to draw closer to the source of that immense power. In the corner, the man with the crew cut, who had been sitting with his eyes closed as if sleeping, felt his eyelids twitch imperceptibly at the mention of the title, before returning to his calm.

***

Night had fallen deep. Inside the villa's operations room, the lights were soft. Chen Feng had just finished reporting the results of the recent skirmish and the situation regarding Mu Qing. Lin Ye listened to the system notification of "+103 Merit Points" in his mind, though he felt a pang of disappointment at the lack of a blueprint.

"A woman? Came here alone in the middle of the night?" Lin Ye put down his electronic pen and looked up from the map of Donghai City, his brows slightly raised, clearly interested. "And she was carrying climbing gear and a blood-stained ice axe?"

"Yes, Marshal," Chen Feng nodded. "The equipment is professional—climbing ropes, harnesses, and descenders, all accounted for. The blood on the ice axe was fresh. Based on her route and physical state, it’s highly likely she encountered and killed one or two stray zombies along the way."

"Oh?" Lin Ye leaned back slightly into his comfortable leather chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. "Interesting. A woman... she has quite the nerve. Wasn't she afraid of being eaten by zombies? Or is there... something special about her?" A glint of inquiry flashed in his eyes; his curiosity about the uninvited guest was piqued. "Go, bring her here. I want to see what kind of person she is."

"Yes, Marshal!" Chen Feng saluted and turned to leave.

***

A few minutes later, Mu Qing followed Chen Feng through the luxuriously carpeted corridor, her heart pounding wildly. When she heard that the "Marshal" had specifically requested to see her, she was stunned. See her? Why? She was just a survivor who had barely escaped! Panic flooded her. "Marshal"? The title itself carried an overwhelming weight of authority.

Her mind uncontrollably conjured up terrifying images: a bloated, middle-aged bald man? Or a fierce, squint-eyed old man with a scarred face? The fact that he specifically asked to see her, a "campus belle"... the motive was self-evident! Had she just escaped the tiger's den only to fall into a wolf's lair? Or worse?! If that were the case... she clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. She would rather die than submit!

"We're here." Chen Feng’s cold voice echoed before the door, cutting off her wild thoughts. Mu Qing trembled as she looked at the heavy, ornate wooden door, which felt like the entrance to hell. Her voice shook visibly. "Um... Officer... does the... the Marshal... have any reason to see me?"

"I don't know," Chen Feng replied, brief and indifferent. "You'll know when you go in." He raised his hand and knocked.

"Enter." A young, steady voice with a unique, magnetic tone drifted from inside, piercing clearly through the door and into Mu Qing’s ears.

***

That voice... so young?! Mu Qing froze, as if struck by an electric current! All her terrifying visions of "old men" and "thugs" were instantly shattered! She subconsciously, almost instinctively, reached up to gently pat her chest, which was heaving from tension, and let out a long, silent sigh of relief. Thank goodness... it wasn't the situation she had imagined.

Suppressing the tumultuous doubt and the re-ignited curiosity in her heart, she pushed the door open. The scene inside left her stunned once more. Extreme luxury and cold, military precision blended together in a strange harmony. Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights flickered like distant stars, and the expensive mahogany desk was covered with complex digital sand tables and maps.

Behind the desk, a figure, shockingly young, was hunched over, intently studying the map spread out before him. His slender fingers tapped lightly on a specific area, his brow furrowing in contemplation one moment and smoothing out the next. He seemed entirely lost in his own strategic world, completely unaware of her arrival.

Mu Qing held her breath, observing him cautiously. He wore a well-tailored, dark casual outfit. His posture was upright, his profile sharp and clear, his nose bridge high, and his focused expression exuded a calm and a sense of command far beyond his years. Just sitting there, he radiated an invisible aura of authority that made one subconsciously want to submit.

"Cough..." Mu Qing’s throat was so dry from nerves that she couldn't help but let out a soft cough.

Lin Ye looked up at the sound. Their eyes met! A flash of astonishment crossed Lin Ye’s eyes! Even though he had seen his fair share of beauties in his past life and this one, the woman before him was undoubtedly top-tier! Her skin was as white as snow, and her features were as exquisite as if carved by a master artist, especially those eyes—clear and stubborn, yet filled with the panic of a startled deer. Even in her tattered, dirt-stained climbing gear, she couldn't hide that breathtaking beauty.

However, that admiration quickly cooled as he noticed the climbing suit—it was clearly torn and covered in large, suspicious, dark red stains. Everyone liked beautiful things, but in this apocalypse, clean, high-end goods often meant trouble and burdens. He frowned slightly.

Meanwhile, Mu Qing was even more shocked! He really was a young man! And... absurdly handsome! Not the soft, pretty-boy kind of handsome, but a powerful, intelligent, and cold handsomeness that felt aggressive! Especially those deep eyes, which seemed to pierce through her soul, carrying an unquestionable majesty. This was the "Marshal" that those wolf-like, ferocious soldiers were loyal to? She couldn't believe it! The contrast was just too immense!