Chapter 106: The Emotional Investment Method

The young man before her was none other than Jack. In the Veil of the Deer and the Cauldron world, he had once purchased a subtle facial modification procedure. After the adjustments, his features leaned toward a more Western appearance, even his irises had turned a striking sky blue.

Thus, Alice did not suspect for a moment that this boy standing before her was the very same one she had met in the Hive.

Resting his head on Alice’s shoulder, Jack spoke in fits and starts, “My father came here to work… I came along with him… I never expected such a disaster to happen… Could it be that the apocalypse is upon us?”

Alice could not see Jack’s expression clearly, but from the tone of his voice, she thought he was sobbing, missing his father deeply.

Upon hearing that Jack’s father had fallen into a horde of zombies while trying to save him, Alice felt a surge of respect for Jack’s father.

“Listen, everything is over now. You have to be strong, don’t let your father down,” Alice said earnestly, gripping Jack’s shoulders as she gazed into his bright blue eyes.

“Yes, I will be strong!” Jack’s emotions calmed, evidently encouraged by her words.

“This place isn’t safe. We have to leave the city!” Alice scanned their surroundings and spotted a pile of firearms. “Do you know how to use a gun? Let’s get out of here together.”

“Of course!” Jack replied, then hesitated before adding, “Thank you, ma’am. By the way… why are you dressed like that? Are you a police officer?”

“No,” Alice said with a complicated expression, shaking her head. “I’m Alice, an employee of Umbrella Corporation, a security personnel. My situation is a bit complicated; I’ll explain when there’s time. For now, we need to move quickly! I have to change clothes and gear up.”

“My name’s Jack. I’m a sophomore in college. My dream is to join Umbrella Corporation after graduation. You know, it’s a great company!” Jack said proudly.

Alice let out a mocking chuckle and stepped deeper into the gun shop where some tactical gear was displayed.

“Are you mocking me?” Jack protested indignantly. “Sure, Umbrella is hard to get into, but I’ll succeed. Actually, I’m a computer expert—my skills are impressive!”

“If you knew Umbrella’s true nature, you wouldn’t want to join,” Alice said as she grabbed some gear, then without hesitation, she shed her lab coat, revealing that she was bare beneath.

“So they…” Jack’s face showed shock. Then, glancing at Alice, his cheeks flushed. “Y-you don’t…”

“What? Don’t tell me you don’t have a girlfriend. Now’s not the time!” Alice turned with a smile, unfazed by Jack seeing her like this.

“No…” Jack admitted dejectedly. “Girls don’t like guys like me. I’m not good at talking, nor baseball or basketball. So I just spend all my time studying computers. Actually… I find it more interesting!”

“Hurry up and change. We need to grab more guns and put on professional gear.” Alice changed clothes swiftly—jeans, a mesh top, with holsters on her thighs, back, and arms holding various firearms.

She looked both alluring and deadly.

Jack mimicked her, awkwardly trying on some equipment. “Alice, how do I wear this?”

“I’ll help you!” Alice smiled and stepped forward.

Like a boy just discovering love, Jack’s face flushed, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Alice helping him gear up. Softly, he said, “Alice… you’re like an angel… without you, I’d be dead.”

Alice could see the admiration and affection Jack showed her. Whether man or woman, such feelings would warm the heart—unless the other was someone they despised.

Smiling brightly, Alice picked up some guns and stowed them for Jack. “Let’s go.”

Outside, Alice scanned the street and spotted a motorcycle parked nearby. After a moment’s tinkering, she started it. “Hop on.”

“Alice, do you think we can escape the city?” Jack climbed on carefully, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I heard not long ago the city was sealed off—no way out. Seems like Umbrella did that. Do they want us all dead here? We can’t escape unless there’s a helicopter.”

“They sealed the city?” Alice frowned, accelerating smoothly down the road. “Don’t worry, we’ll get out, and we’ll find a helicopter!”

“Alice, can we find a computer? If we have one, we can learn Umbrella’s plans!” Jack suggested.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely!” Jack said confidently. “Trust my computer skills—I once hacked into Umbrella’s network and sent them my resume!”

“Alright!” Alice said, pressing harder on the throttle as they headed toward the main road.

Alice’s figure was slender, not voluptuous—no softness in her arms as Jack held her—but she was still beautiful. Jack held her comfortably and slipped further into his role, tentatively saying, “Alice, after we get out of this city… can I stay with you?”

“My mother died in a car accident years ago. Besides my father, I have no other family,” Jack said, his mood sinking. “The bio-weapon virus is uncontrollable; the world will plunge into chaos. You have no family either, and though you’re strong, you’ll need allies. My computer skills are strong—I won’t be a burden. If danger comes, I’ll protect you with my life. Is that alright, Alice?”

Hearing such a straightforward confession, Alice could feel Jack’s dependence on her. Indeed, a tech-savvy young man, having lost his only family and facing death, rescued by a goddess-like figure—of course he would fall for her.

It all made perfect sense—his expressions, gestures, words perfectly fitting his character. Alice had no doubts. She turned to Jack with a radiant smile. “No problem!”

“Wonderful!” Jack said happily, gripping Alice’s hand a bit tighter.

A woman’s compassion and maternal instinct made Alice unwilling to refuse Jack, at least for now. And this “handsome man’s ploy” was only at its first step.

The motorcycle sped past two blocks, and beside the road, they spotted a church with gunfire and fighting noises coming from inside.

“Someone’s trapped!” Alice said. “Jack, I’m going to rescue them!”

“Yeah, I’m coming with you!” Jack said firmly.