This 'Dad' Is Not That 'Dad'

Zhao Mingkai stood ready at the gap on the third floor, holding a steel pipe.

His legs trembled, weak and rubbery.

┌(.Д.)┐

Shen Jin covered his head, "Are you planning to dance a steel pipe routine for the zombies to disgust them?"

"Stop messing around, I... I want to protect everyone."

Zombies roamed the second floor, occasionally roaring. The more sensitive ones were already heading towards the third floor.

Shen Jin grew anxious, "If you guys keep staying here, I'm running off on my own!"

"What are you running for? To hide under Director Shang's skirt again? I'm so done with you. I never expected you'd be involved with Director Shang, becoming her lapdog."

"I won't let you talk about Shen Jin like that!" Zhao Mingkai protested.

Shen Jin was deeply touched. As expected, only his good brothers from the company would stand up for him at a crucial moment. Was it wrong of him to say that to Zhao Mingkai just now? He couldn't let down his fellow warriors.

"His stomach has been bad since he was a kid. The doctor told him he had to be careful with his diet his whole life. What's wrong with eating some soft food? Huh?"

(°ー°〃)

Shen Jin's expression froze.

"I knew it. When we voted for the planning manager last year, the results were so obvious, but Shang Qian insisted on voting for him and even argued with the chairman. No wonder~~ an old flame!"

These people only saw Shen Jin coming out of Shang Qian's room and naturally assumed he had been hiding there all these days, living a wild life with Shang Qian.

"Shang Qian acts so proper all day, she wouldn't even join us for fun. Turns out she had someone inside to cater to her!"

"I can't believe I trusted Shang Qian's word about the equal distribution of food. We've been eating less and less these past few days. I knew something was wrong. They must have eaten it all!"

Zhao Mingkai was stunned. He had just made a casual joke, wanting to change his image as a straight man in everyone's eyes and, at the same time, relieve his own near-panic.

He hadn't expected it to turn into a session of mocking Shen Jin.

Who could have imagined? Shen Jin had climbed up from the outside, left foot over right foot, from the window.

Shen Jin was shocked. They were all such a loving family just a moment ago, and now they were attacking him!

After such a long time apart, shouldn't they be catching up and showing concern?

"Stop with the useless talk. Everyone, quickly think of a way. Can we cover this with some bedsheets?"

Balding Director Wang didn't want to waste any more words. The reality was right there. Regardless of past conflicts, they needed to figure out how to survive first!

Shen Jin couldn't be bothered with the few people spewing sarcastic remarks.

"If you don't trust me, there's nothing I can do. I'll go hide in the dorms myself."

Shen Jin didn't want to reveal the system's abilities in front of others. Since no one was listening to him, he decided to hide in his room, seal the door, and wait for Comic Book Man to wake up before escaping.

If Groundhog Shen Jin Voldemort wanted to leave, the zombies would have a hard time stopping him.

"That's right! If we can't deal with the zombies, we should just hide ourselves!"

"Hide in the dorms and wait for the zombies to disperse on their own."

"Let's go together!"

"Li Jie, I'll hide in the same room as you."

"I'll go check on Director Shang."

In the face of crisis, quite a few men still remembered their primal instinct for procreation.

The more than 20 people scattered instantly, all retreating to their dorms, and by the sound of it, they even barricaded the doors with furniture.

(─.─||)

"Unbelievable!"

Shen Jin looked at his colleagues, who had vanished except for Zhao Mingkai, and a warmth welled up in his heart.

"As expected, it's still you, Mingkai..."

"Brother Jin, give me a hand. My leg cramped. Put me in Director Shang's room, thanks."

"..."

Shen Jin kicked him into Lu Qiang's room and closed the door.

"Peh! Such ungrateful wretches!"

But ultimately, the company's people were all inside. Below, two zombies were already clinging to the broken furniture, struggling to climb up.

"Great Stone Seal Technique!"

(∩ω)--*

Biubiubiu~~ Shen Jin flicked out a pile of stones, instantly sealing the gap.

The zombies below sniffed. The strong scent of humans was gone.

"Roar! Woo~ Wah!"

A horde of zombies began to roar in frustration. Another day with no human meat to eat.

Shen Jin knocked on Balding Director Wang's door. "Let me in."

Slipping inside, he found only two other people in the room besides Comic Book Man Sun Can: Director Wang and Li Jie.

"What are you doing in here?"

Shen Jin furrowed his brow, looking at Li Jie sitting next to Comic Book Man.

"Ah, my room is full of perverts, I can't handle it. I came here to get away," she said.

Director Wang thought to himself, Isn't it because you're too promiscuous? Everyone knows you're involved with them.

Shen Jin nodded, feeling that Li Jie, a delicate woman, was truly pitiful. With those two eye-catching bunny hair clips, so many people in the company desired her.

He figured her past three months in the apocalypse probably weren't happy either.

Alas, how pitiable.

"Bang bang bang!"

Someone was banging on the door!

Director Wang's expression stiffened. "Shh! Is it a zombie?"

Li Jie also turned pale with fright, clutching Sun Can's chest muscles tightly.

Shen Jin slapped the door open.

It happened so fast!

Before Director Wang could even react, a figure lunged in from outside.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! You scared me to death! You actually made me stay with a dead person, it was terrifying! The zombies would smell me and eat me too!"

Zhao Mingkai blurted out a string of words as soon as he entered.

Shen Jin was speechless. If zombies could get in, they would have started smashing the door already.

Would it have been your turn to come and go?

"Alright, quiet down a bit."

Shen Jin glanced at the time; it was almost 12 o'clock. Not going back this late meant he couldn't have lunch properly, and his little niece would have no one to feed her. She must be running around in circles, anxious.

Maybe I should move the masked man to the tunnel?

No, that won't work. I can't carry him that far.

Or maybe I should find a pit and bury him first? Dig him up and sun him after dinner?

Li Jie looked at Zhao Mingkai with disgust. Recalling what she had said that morning, she felt utterly foolish. People like him were destined to be alone forever.

Death is like the wind, always by his side!

Who knew Zhao Mingkai would suddenly get defensive? He touched the still slightly red mark on his left cheek and snapped at Li Jie, who was looking at him with disdain:

"Let me tell you! Don't think you can get away with anything just because you're a bit attractive. I've disliked you since we were at the company. If it weren't for the chairman being your father, I certainly wouldn't have treated you so nicely! Pfft, you slut!"

Balding Director Wang looked astonished. He thought, Li Jie has this kind of connection? She's been hiding it so deeply. Then why did she still go sleep with the manager? Could it be because of... her hobbies?

Shen Jin was also shocked. Do you need connections even to get a sales position in this company?

"Wait, that's not right, Little Zhao. The chairman's surname is Qiao, so that doesn't match up at all?"

Li Jie was also bewildered, pointing at herself. "Me?"

Zhao Mingkai spat. "Don't pretend. I saw it that day! If I hadn't returned to the company late at night to get something and happened to pass by the chairman's office, I wouldn't have discovered your connection. No wonder you get priority with clients and your performance has always been top-notch."

Shen Jin, who had been quite bored, perked up. "And then, then what? What did you discover?"

Zhao Mingkai glanced at Li Jie and said smugly, "That day, I walked past the office area and saw the light was still on in the chairman's room. I figured he might have forgotten to turn it off. As I walked by, I overheard a secret!"

"What?"

"I heard Li Jie calling the chairman 'Dad' inside! And not just once, she kept calling him that, praising how amazing and great the chairman was. Her voice sounded very intimate! I guess it was because the company made a lot of money during that period when houses were selling well.

Hey! Why are you all looking at me with that expression!"

("▔□▔)/("▔□▔)/("▔□▔)/

Li Jie listened, and the more she heard, the more something felt wrong. By the end, she was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Shen Jin and Director Wang looked like they were holding back laughter with constipated expressions:

"Brother! This 'Dad' isn't that 'Dad'!"