Intentions and Movements

Pang Xuejun had been with the Jian Family longer than any other employee. Before An Rongru married into the Jian Family, he had already served as her husband's bodyguard. After her husband passed away, he became An Rongru's bodyguard and driver. But as a mature and alluring widow, having a man constantly by her side was somewhat inconvenient and could easily invite gossip. That was why An Rongru transferred Pang Xuejun away from her side. Still, she did not mistreat him, placing him in charge of order throughout the villa district and giving him the authority of a manager.

"So that's how it is. Is he a decent person?" Mu Xiao asked as he chatted with An Rongru in the room, listening to her brief introduction of Pang Xuejun.

"He's rather quiet, cold on the outside but warm within. My husband trusted him greatly when he was alive, and I also feel that he's someone reliable." A gentle gleam flickered in An Rongru's beautiful eyes as she gazed at Mu Xiao with limpid eyes. "Actually, I know he has some feelings for me. It was just that back then, the gap in our status was too great, so he never dared cross the line. But now that the world has changed, he may not think that way anymore. That's why I don't want to come forward and persuade him either, lest I owe him a favor. After all, I've always regarded him only as a dependable right-hand man..."

"Mm." Looking at her exquisitely elegant face, Mu Xiao reached out and gently stroked her jade-smooth cheek. "You're mine. No one can take you away. You don't need to explain too much to me. I know you're not that kind of loose woman, and I'm not a petty man."

"I just didn't want you to misunderstand me." An Rongru's heated cheeks enjoyed Mu Xiao's gentle caress, blooming with a dazzling blush.

Her beautiful eyes beneath her lashes, clear as autumn waters, fluttered shyly. Amid her noble beauty was a mature, seductive charm that stirred the heart.

Seeing her bashful, alluring arousal, Mu Xiao lightly pulled her soft, full body into his arms. As though she had anticipated what was coming, her lovely face reddened like sunset clouds. She cooperatively closed her shy, watery eyes, her soft, plump red lips parting and closing slightly as they breathed out an intoxicating fragrance, presenting an irresistible invitation.

"Someone's coming." Ruining the mood, Mu Xiao tapped her soft, moist red lips with a finger, signaling for her to compose herself before seriously listening to the movement outside.

An Rongru's face turned crimson, burning hot as she felt utterly embarrassed.

Jian Hanyao shared one trait with Mu Xiao: neither of them found it easy to trust others. In the past, it was because her family possessed extraordinary wealth, and many people had designs on both her and An Rongru, which had made her vigilant. Now, amid the apocalyptic disaster, her distrust of human nature was steadily deepening. One dark incident after another in the villa district had made her clearly understand the terrifying complexity of human nature.

Therefore, even when facing Pang Xuejun, a man who had once loyally served her family, Jian Hanyao still took safety precautions before opening the door and letting Pang Xuejun and the other two inside.

Pang Xuejun was a vigorous middle-aged man. It was not hard to see that in his youth, he must have possessed a handsome and resolute face.

Pang Xuejun wore a set of black Mechanical Inner Armor, with a gun and military saber at his waist. He was broad and imposing, his eyes bright and spirited, his expression stern and upright. His entire body exuded a grave, steady aura. Standing outside the door, he was like an unshakable mountain.

Of the three, one was male and one female, both following Pang Xuejun's lead. They wore different models of Mechanical Inner Armor and appeared to be between twenty-five and thirty. Their features were proper, their expressions indifferent, and their armaments matched Pang Xuejun's: one ranged weapon and one military saber or short sword for close combat.

Clearly, there were already New Humans among them with the "Mechanical" ability. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to repair equipment with mechanical components.

This little demon, Jian Hanyao, had not come unprepared. She wore an "A-Class Swiftwalker—Mechanical Inner Armor" with azure patterns, a high-speed, agile model. In her hand was an "A-Class Deep Blue Shield" the size of a fist. Once activated, it could form a deep-blue energy barrier capable of resisting A-Class energy,

and even reflecting an opponent's energy, making it an excellent shield. At her waist and in her other hand were an "A-Class Nuclear Gun" and an "A-Class High-Temperature Short Sword." She was completely armed for battle.

However, she could only use a small portion of these equipment's functions, because someone else had repaired them for her. They could not possibly devote their full effort to repairing her gear, and the New Humans with the "Mechanical" ability might not necessarily have been capable of fully restoring all the equipment.

Yet these high-performance items—whether Jian Hanyao's A-Class Mechanical Inner Armor and weapons or Pang Xuejun's group's A-Class Mechanical Inner Armor and weapons—were not rare in this villa district. The wealthy, high-status upper-class residents had been able to buy high-performance equipment from the black market or the military as long as they were willing to spend money, using it to protect their lives.

Thus, after the apocalyptic disaster struck, some villa owners' collections of high-performance equipment were quickly seized by a group of New Humans and became their gear. However, such equipment could only be successfully repaired by those with the "Mechanical" ability.

Because An Rongru's villa district had not officially opened and few owners had moved in, the high-performance equipment naturally could not meet the needs of every New Human here. Otherwise, when Mu Xiao and An Rongru first encountered those two New Human security guards, they would not have been wearing only protective suits. High-performance equipment was in severe shortage, and even their weapons consisted only of C-Class Stun Guns.

"Yaoyao, you're still so guarded around us." Du Banxiang smiled faintly. "We're not your enemies. At the very least, we each helped repair the things you're wearing."

She was the woman among Pang Xuejun's group of three, formerly a management employee in the villa district.

"Hmph. I used quite a few old-fashioned grenades to trade for your help repairing my equipment. And the 'A-Class Water Mirror—Mechanical Inner Armor' on you, as well as Wu Xiaoyu's 'A-Class Steelification—Mechanical Inner Armor,' were also equipment I half-traded and half-gave to you. So I don't owe you any favors. You owe me instead."

Jian Hanyao snorted coldly, displaying a proud, ungrateful attitude.

She had already become wary of Pang Xuejun's group. More than ten of their people had died under unclear circumstances before, and they must have noticed something. Perhaps they knew that New Humans could absorb one another's abilities, yet they had not revealed it, effectively concealing such a major matter from her.

A strong young man, Wu Xiaoyu, as Jian Hanyao called him, also said mildly, "If we truly intended to make enemies of you, we wouldn't have come with only three people every time."

"Enough. What do you want?" Jian Hanyao asked impatiently.

Du Banxiang and Wu Xiaoyu shook their heads with bitter smiles. Even in the face of a world-ending disaster, this young miss still maintained such a terrible temperament, without the slightest hint of humility. They truly did not know how she would survive in the future.

The two shared the same sentiment as Mu Xiao.

"Miss Hanyao, may we go inside and talk?" Pang Xuejun asked with the same rigid expression and neither servile nor overbearing manner he had always possessed.

"Mm." Jian Hanyao nodded. She had a basic level of trust in Pang Xuejun, but she immediately pointed at the other two. "But those two can't."

"Okay, okay." Du Banxiang was nearly defeated by this girl. If An Rongru had not once possessed the virtue of treating worthy people with courtesy, she truly would not have wanted anything to do with this arrogant brat.

Wu Xiaoyu did not want to stoop to Jian Hanyao's level either. He said nothing, which showed that he was somewhat displeased.

Pang Xuejun had brought the two with him to guard against the security guards' group. Coming alone carried unpredictable risks. One more person meant one more source of strength, and in the event they needed to flee, they could divide the enemy's forces. Moreover, the two he brought had relatively good temperaments. He understood Jian Hanyao's bad personality; if he had brought someone else, they might have angered her and caused an unnecessary conflict.

The two walked one after the other into the elegant, cozy living room.

As Jian Hanyao led the way, she remained constantly alert to the person behind her, treating Pang Xuejun as though he were an enemy. If he launched any sudden attack, she was fully prepared to fight. Pang Xuejun had once been an elite bodyguard, so he naturally saw her vigilance and understood that it was not easy for a young girl like her. Thus, every step he took remained at a safe distance, maintaining a balance between them.

"We plan to leave tomorrow. If you're willing to come with us, then as long as I'm alive, I'll take good care of you on your mother's behalf." Pang Xuejun sat on the sofa and went straight to the point.

"This is my home. I'm not going anywhere." Jian Hanyao answered decisively.

Pang Xuejun frowned, mistakenly believing that Jian Hanyao was staying to wait for her mother and did not wish to leave. Someone had been missing for several days during an apocalyptic disaster. Although Pang Xuejun desperately did not want to admit it, he did not believe An Rongru showed any sign of still being alive.

"Madam's fate is unknown, but you'll definitely be in danger if you stay here," Pang Xuejun said. "Those people in the security team are not good people, and the owners' side are no saints either. While we're here, they have to fear us as a third party. But once we leave, you'll be isolated and helpless. Unless you join one of their sides, they won't tolerate your existence."

"I know, but I still won't leave." Jian Hanyao refused without hesitation.

Before Mu Xiao arrived, she might have considered Pang Xuejun's proposal. But the appearance of this mysterious expert had given her other ideas.

"If you leave with us, we can search for your mother on the way." Pang Xuejun offered a highly persuasive bargaining chip.

Had An Rongru not returned, Jian Hanyao might have agreed without even needing to think about it. But things often turned out unexpectedly.

"I know what I'm doing." Jian Hanyao's pure, beautiful face was exceedingly solemn, making her look like a little adult.

At that moment, Pang Xuejun could no longer see through the little girl he had watched grow up. He did not know what she was truly thinking.

The two remained silent for a long time.

At last, Pang Xuejun said something that left Jian Hanyao greatly shocked.

"Originally, I intended to tell you this only if you agreed to leave with us, because that would mean you were one of us. But for your safety, I'll tell you anyway. I hope you remain wary of the others."

Pang Xuejun said, "The abilities that have appeared in us can actually be absorbed from one another. In other words, if we kill other ability users, we can absorb their power and increase our own combat strength. Those ten-plus companions of ours were killed by Song Tianhu's group..."

He paused there. Seeing Jian Hanyao's expression of surprise, shock, and disbelief, and expecting such a reaction from her, he continued, "Therefore, we've decided that on the day before we leave—tonight—we'll kill Song Tianhu and most of his subordinates. We'll avenge our companions and absorb their power, allowing us to survive better in this world."

Hearing that they intended to kill Song Tianhu, Jian Hanyao looked utterly stunned. Her earlier surprise had only been an act so as not to arouse suspicion, but this time, she was genuinely shocked.