007, do you intend to steal the leading man?

A few seconds later, the blinding white light faded.

The system gradually calmed down. [Now, we just need to find the female lead, and we can begin the mission!]

Shen Shiwei moved the hand covering her eyes, her gaze landing squarely on the face of the man standing inches away. His bone structure was exceptional, with well-defined, deep-set features and a sharp, piercing gaze that carried an aloof air of "no strangers allowed." His skin was not fair, but a tanned, wheat-colored tone, and his eyelashes were long as he lowered his eyes to look at her.

Shen Shiwei was somewhat mesmerized, until the man shifted his stance and set her down from his arms. As she stood on the ground, a sharp pain suddenly shot through her ankle. Losing her balance, she tumbled back into the man’s embrace.

"Are you alright?" The man maintained a slight distance, holding her arms to steady her.

"My foot hurts."

The man instinctively looked down at her ankle. He crouched directly, his fingers brushing against the red, swollen area. Then, he stood up and said, "It’s only a minor sprain. I’ll help you apply some medicine once we get to the car."

Shen Shiwei sized the man up. He was wearing military-green tactical gear and black combat boots, with a black strap fastened around his right thigh holding a handgun.

A soldier!

Her eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth curled upward. *So this is the male lead… he’s so handsome!*

The system immediately went on high alert. [Host, what are you thinking? The male lead belongs to the female lead! The outcome of trying to steal the male lead from her will be miserable!]

The system’s words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing Shen Shiwei’s impulsive, romantic obsession. Her gaze shifted to the right, landing on the man’s companion. Dressed in the same uniform, he was also quite good-looking. If she could make him like her, she would have another bodyguard.

Wei Qing climbed down the last section and jumped to the ground. Seeing the two men's attire, he finally exhaled in relief. "Are you here to rescue us?"

"Yes. Are there any other survivors here?"

Just as Wei Qing was about to answer, Shen Shiwei cut in. "No, there aren't. It’s full of zombies inside, which is why we had to climb down from the window." She looked pitiful, her voice soft. "I was so scared."

As she spoke, she looked at the companion next to the male lead.

He looked a bit shy under her gaze, scratching his face with a blush. "Our car is just up ahead. Captain," he said, turning to the male lead for instructions, "should we take these two students to the car first?"

"Let's go together," the male lead said, his dark eyes scanning Shen Shiwei with a critical look. "Are you sure there is no one left inside?"

Shen Shiwei stepped back, looking slightly frightened. "No one left." She paused, then added, "I never lie."

"Let's go. On to the next location."

As Shen Shiwei took a step, the pain forced her to double over. Wei Qing reached out to steady her, but she instinctively dodged him. She looked at the man in front and said, "I can't walk."

The next second, the male lead stood directly in front of her, turned his back, and crouched down. His voice was calm. "Get on."

Shen Shiwei struggled to suppress the smile tugging at her lips. She carefully scanned him for dirt; once she confirmed he was clean, she climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Shen Shiwei said smugly to the system, [The male lead initiated this, I can't be blamed.]

System: [...] The system silently grumbled: *Even knowing her tragic ending, this villainess still can't change her nature!*

Wei Qing lowered his eyes, sighing with disappointment as he looked at his own dirty hands. He followed behind the group, his eyes fixed on Shen Shiwei’s back.

"What is your name?" Shen Shiwei rested her head on the man’s shoulder, her warm breath hitting his ear as she spoke. His earlobe turned slightly red, but his voice remained steady. "Lu Sui."

"Which 'Sui'?"

Lu Sui’s companion pulled a notebook and a pen from his pocket. He flipped to a page, wrote down the name, and showed it to Shen Shiwei. "This character."

Shen Shiwei looked at him and asked with a smile, "And what is your name?"

He wrote down his own name and gave a hearty laugh. "Here is my name."

"Song Yingjun?" Shen Shiwei said. "The name fits the person." She paused, then asked, "So, you are soldiers?"

Song Yingjun replied, "Yes, from the C-District of Port City..."

He stopped mid-sentence because Lu Sui shot him a glance.

Shen Shiwei tilted her head. "Hm? Why did you stop?"

"We're here," Lu Sui said.

He walked to the green off-road vehicle and carefully set Shen Shiwei down. Before anyone could speak, a dull gunshot rang out. Shen Shiwei jumped, and when she looked back, she saw a zombie with its head blown off by a bullet, brains splattered across the ground.

Shen Shiwei quickly averted her eyes, but the way she instinctively gripped Lu Sui’s clothes betrayed her nervousness and fear.

Lu Sui quickly opened the car door and helped her inside, with Wei Qing sitting beside her. Song Yingjun took the wheel, while Lu Sui sat in the passenger seat, eyes fixed on the surroundings.

"Don't drive inside," Wei Qing said suddenly. "I escaped from there. The teaching building is full of zombies. Even if there are survivors, two people can't save them."

Song Yingjun countered, "Our mission is to rescue survivors. But don't worry, we won't put you in danger."

Shen Shiwei looked out the window nervously. Along the way, she hadn't seen any zombies or shadows of people. Everything was eerily quiet, and she had a sudden, ominous premonition.

Wei Qing’s eyes were fixed on a teaching building ahead. It was the chemistry laboratory building. Since the outbreak happened during class, most of the zombies were trapped inside. If there had been any survivors, they would have fled long ago.

"Don't go," Wei Qing said. "Yesterday, when my classmates and I escaped, twenty people became three. It’s not just being bitten—sometimes, without any warning, people just turn into zombies."

He looked at Lu Sui in the front seat, his tone urgent. "You’re soldiers; you must know more than us. Don't you know why this is happening?"

Lu Sui suddenly spoke up. "Yingjun, stop the car."

Song Yingjun braked instinctively and looked at him. "Stop here?"

Lu Sui checked his gear and said, "Take these two students to a safe place. I’m going over there to investigate."

Song Yingjun was stunned. "Captain, you're going into the building alone?"