The Idea of an Overt and Covert Base

"It's getting late. We should leave." Mu Xiao interrupted An Rongru's daze.

"Mm, okay." An Rongru came back to her senses, her cheeks slightly flushed. She knew that from now on, she belonged to this man, yet she did not even know his name. It felt as though she had been far too casual, but what else could she do under the circumstances? To make herself feel a little better, she carefully asked in a soft voice, "What's your name?"

"Mu Xiao."

Without looking back, Mu Xiao headed downstairs.

An Rongru hurriedly got to her feet, but she had fallen while fleeing the Zombies earlier and sprained her ankle. Her emotions had been too turbulent for her to notice before, but as soon as she stood, a needle-like pain shot through her ankle. She was also hungry and exhausted. After evolving into a New Human, her body had already reached its limit. She gritted her teeth and took two steps, only to be overwhelmed by hunger, exhaustion, and pain. She collapsed helplessly to the floor again.

"Hmm?"

Mu Xiao looked back at her. She looked frail enough to be blown over by the wind, but her expression remained resolute. She did not make a single sound of pain, nor did she ask him for help.

This woman is pretty strong on the inside. Mu Xiao's impression of her improved slightly. He turned around, walked up to her, and squatted down. "If something happens in the future, just tell me directly. You don't need to tread on eggshells around me. I'm not an unreasonable person, but you can't refuse any of my orders."

When An Rongru heard the first part of Mu Xiao's words, she felt that perhaps he was not as she had imagined. But by the time he reached the final sentence, she did not know whether to laugh or cry.

And you call that reasonable?

Ignoring whatever An Rongru was thinking, Mu Xiao took out a large amount of nutrient solution and other food from his backpack. "Eat as much as you can."

An Rongru was already starving. Seeing food placed before her, she did not stand on ceremony and took some to eat. Suddenly, she felt Mu Xiao remove her high heels. She instinctively drew back her foot, but it was quickly caught by a large, warm hand. That warmth sent a numb sensation through her entire body.

"You..." A springlike shyness flickered in An Rongru's eyes. Her delicate, pale face burned crimson, making her seem even more infinitely alluring.

"Don't move. Your foot is injured. If we run into danger, it'll slow everyone down when we're escaping." Mu Xiao held her cool, snow-white foot. It was fine, soft, and smooth, like holding a piece of exquisite jade. The exposed portion of her calf beneath her dress was supple and rosy, inviting one to reach out and stroke it properly.

Mu Xiao had strong self-control and had little interest in doing anything else. He took a low-quality Blood Bead from a small cloth pouch and gently crushed it. A small amount of blood-colored mucus flowed out, which he spread evenly over An Rongru's smooth, pale foot. The gradually warming, soft sensation beneath his hand was indeed rather pleasant.

"Applying a Blood Bead externally isn't very toxic, but you need to be careful if you ingest it. Remember to wash it thoroughly with clean water and strong liquor to reduce the virus as much as possible. Once your physique has been strengthened to a certain degree, though, the virus will be assimilated and eliminated by your genes." As Mu Xiao explained, his large hand gently kneaded the soft skin of her foot, waiting for the Blood Bead's healing properties to seep into the sprained area while enjoying the soft feel of her foot.

Under the caress of his hand, An Rongru's cheeks turned as red as rouge. Her small mouth kept releasing soft breaths. How could she possibly focus on what he was saying? All she felt was wave after wave of heat that left her limbs weak and boneless, spreading throughout her body. The tender flesh between her thighs, covered by her underwear beneath her dress, moistened unconsciously.

"Does it feel good?" Mu Xiao suddenly asked without warning.

"Mm!" An Rongru let out a soft, fragrant cry. Her voice carried a cloying trace of arousal. She quickly noticed her own abnormal reaction, and her beautiful face grew even hotter. Her watery eyes met Mu Xiao's slightly teasing gaze, then darted away timidly. Her flushed cheeks seemed ready to bleed. She had never expected a man she had known for such a short time to awaken the dormant desire within her.

When Mu Xiao's palm left her foot, she felt an emptiness in her heart. But soon, she saw him raise his hand toward her cheek and gently stroke it.

An Rongru's face was thin, yet still soft and elegant, with fair, smooth skin. Feeling Mu Xiao's intimate gesture,

her heart suddenly raced. Beneath her delicate brows, her beautiful eyes held a hint of spring. The blush on her lovely face spread all the way to her ears. She lowered her slender neck slightly, as though she understood something, and could not help closing her eyes, silently accepting what he intended to do next. She only hoped that after Mu Xiao had his way with her, he would sincerely treat her well and protect her. Then she would be content.

But the intimacy An Rongru had imagined never came. She only heard Mu Xiao's calm voice.

"I hit you a little too hard earlier. One Blood Bead had some excess medicinal effect left, so it could help remove the swelling on your face. It's much better now." As Mu Xiao spoke, he released her cheek and picked up some food, stuffing it into his mouth.

An Rongru realized that she had misunderstood. Her beautiful cheeks immediately became covered in a dense blush, as if layered with brilliant rouge. She felt somewhat disappointed, but even more touched. She suddenly realized that this man was not that difficult to get along with. At the very least, he had boundaries and did not covet her body like other men. Her money was useless now, so he could not possibly be after her wealth. If he valued anything, it could only be her strength...

I'd rather be someone capable.

In an instant, An Rongru understood many things. Her mood relaxed, and the food in her mouth seemed to acquire an unusual flavor.

Mu Xiao had nearly finished the food he had taken out. He stood and said, "Take off your high heels. I'll find you another pair of shoes. It'll be easier to run if we encounter danger."

"Mm." An Rongru obeyed without question. Then she seemed to think of something and said awkwardly, "Could you wait while I wash up in one of the rooms first?"

She had gone out of control while "torturing corpses" earlier and was covered in black blood. She felt somewhat uncomfortable about it. She was also afraid Mu Xiao might leave and that she would encounter danger, which was why she asked him to stay a while.

"It's almost five o'clock. We have to leave by six. If we're still outside after dark, I may not be able to protect you." Mu Xiao's expression was serious.

"The villa I live in is nearby. It only takes five minutes to get there. Even taking into account the trouble we might encounter on the way, we should be able to return to my villa before six. Besides, the road to the villa is a private passage belonging to our villa complex. There may not be many monsters wandering there, so we might get back even faster."

An Rongru recovered her composed, dignified air as she spoke fluently. At the same time, she had a private thought in her heart—she wanted to return home and see whether her daughter was safe.

"That place is your property?" Mu Xiao suddenly asked.

"Mm." An Rongru nodded. Seemingly understanding what he wanted to ask, she said, "It was only developed recently, and there aren't many residents living there. The machinery, facilities, security systems, armed systems, and so on are all the most advanced systems on Earth. Ordinary people can't afford them. I was preparing to build a top-class villa community, but then this disaster happened."

As she spoke, she could not help feeling a little regretful about her business.

"Oh." Mu Xiao did not care about her business. He had something else in mind. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Which direction is your villa? And are you familiar with the owner of this Lawyer Building?"

An Rongru did not know why Mu Xiao was asking, but she told him the direction of the villa and explained that the owner of the Lawyer Building happened to be one of her villa owners. However, she rarely saw that owner, even within the villa complex.

"So that's how it is." Mu Xiao nodded, understanding that the underground passage beneath the Lawyer Building probably led there.

If possible, could he designate An Rongru's villa complex as an overt base? The Lawyer Building could serve as a covert base. After all, she said the villa complex was a high-end residential area. If all its systems could be restored, it might have formidable defenses...

Mu Xiao considered it silently. But there were far too few people at present. He could not have his little sister doing dangerous things, and An Rongru alone, a "beautiful married woman soldier," could not accomplish much. For the time being, he could only put this incomplete plan aside.

"Go wash up, but you have to be done before I return." Seeing the hesitation on An Rongru's face, Mu Xiao understood that she was worried about danger. Pointing to both ends of the corridor, he said, "I'll set up proximity bombs in front and behind. If there's an explosion, I'll come back immediately. You need to react quickly too."

Mu Xiao handed her the High-Vibration Electromagnetic Military Saber and the Laser Gun. "Use these to defend yourself if you run into trouble. I'll be back as soon as possible."

As long as someone had activated the bloodline genes of a New Human, they could use restored energy weapons. Even though An Rongru had only just become a New Human, she could still use them. She simply lacked the mechanical ability to restore, modify, and regularly clear the Negative-Ion Virus from them.

New Humans possessed an invisible Antibody Magnetic Field that automatically isolated the Negative-Ion Virus in the air, so the weapons they carried naturally did not need to fear contamination. Fixed machinery, however, had to undergo regular maintenance, with the accumulated Negative-Ion Virus on its components frequently cleared away for it to remain usable over a long period.

Of course, if one learned a mechanical-type Soul Secret Art, machines could automatically form antibodies and resist the virus in the air, eliminating the need to frequently clear the virus from within them.

But if weapons were placed in the hands of Old Humans, they would quickly become contaminated by the Negative-Ion Virus. Old Humans had no antibodies in their bodies and carried mutated magnetic fields themselves, making the Negative-Ion Virus even more complicated. The weapons would be affected almost immediately and become unusable unless their components were changed. Naturally, that would take a great deal of effort...

An Rongru nodded and accepted the two weapons. Still worried, she subconsciously grabbed Mu Xiao's hand. "You really won't abandon me?"

"If the danger is beyond my capabilities and threatens my life, then I might abandon you. After all, neither of us has saved the other's life, and we don't know each other that well." Mu Xiao answered with complete frankness.

"Even though that hurts, I don't know why, but hearing you say it makes me feel more at ease." An Rongru gave him a gentle smile, soft and elegant.

"Then can you let go of my hand?" Mu Xiao said with a half-smile.

"Ah..." An Rongru's cheeks reddened, and she quickly released him.

"Go on." Mu Xiao said it and turned to arrange the bombs.

"My shoe size is..."

"I got a rough idea after touching them, but I don't know your exact measurements..."

Just as An Rongru was about to remind him, Mu Xiao's shamelessly embarrassing words reached her ears.

Muttering a quiet complaint, An Rongru hurried into a nearby room with the bashfulness of a young girl in love. Her peach-blossom-red face could not hide her mature, bone-deep charm.

Mu Xiao returned to the underground floor. There were several break rooms there, and they happened to contain some women's belongings. He could probably find a suitable pair of shoes for An Rongru. Besides, with one more person, he needed to carry an extra set of equipment. Although there was no time to restore it now, he could make preparations once they reached a safe place.

There were only nine sets of Mechanical Inner Armor in total. Mu Xiao had taken two for himself, and the rest were useless sitting here. He might as well give one to An Rongru to strengthen her defenses. After all, she counted as a soldier now. If she died carelessly, everything he had done before would have been wasted.

Especially since Mu Xiao still did not know An Rongru's ability and could not assess how useful she would be to him. But he would not underestimate any ability. Whether it was an offensive type or a support type, any ability was good as long as it was used properly.

Mu Xiao took one more set of Mechanical Inner Armor with him. He planned to keep it for his little sister's protection. He left the remaining armor where it was. Carrying it all would be far too inconvenient if he encountered combat.

Looks like I won't make it back home tonight... Mu Xiao felt somewhat worried about his little sister. But after nightfall, the roads would be filled with unknown dangers. Even if he headed home now, there would certainly be many obstructions along the way. There simply was not enough time to get back before dark.

However, he had already made arrangements before leaving. Mu Xuanyin had probably completed her physique strengthening by now, and there was enough food at home. As long as Mu Xuanyin did not go outside, she would not be in much danger.

Thinking that through, Mu Xiao finally felt a little more at ease.