"...Maybe!" Jack frowned at the thought of the entertainment industry's dirtiness and said, "But I still think you're a bit different from those so-called stars!"
"What's different? Just that I haven't sold my looks for profit?" Bai Ru tilted her head and asked with interest.
"Pretty much!" Jack thought for a moment and said, "You're very beautiful; among all the girls here, you're one of the top two. But when I first saw you, you were hiding in the crowd, not using that advantage to come over and talk to me like the other girls! It's not that I'm overly confident, but the reality is that you can't survive on your own, so that's what sets you apart from the others!"
"But didn't I also strip in front of you like them? Showed you everything?" Bai Ru made Jack's face turn red, then teased, "And how do you know I'm not pretending to be different to attract your attention? Acting is my specialty, you know!"
"Uh? I hadn't thought of that!" Jack scratched his head, puzzled, and said, "You can't really be thinking that way, can you?"
"What do you think? Otherwise, why would a beautiful woman like me stay up all night to come here and chat with you?" Bai Ru rolled her eyes and said irritably.
"Was it really necessary to get my attention like this?" Jack frowned and said, clearly confused.
"Isn't it necessary?" Bai Ru looked at Jack seriously, paused for a moment, and then said in a suddenly low voice, "When a person who originally lived in a relatively comfortable environment suddenly sees their relatives, friends, and colleagues turning into man-eating monsters one after another, being killed and eaten right in front of them, I think anyone would feel a profound fear of such brutal death. No one can be an exception. So I believe that as long as we can survive, it doesn't matter what we have to pay. Although it's not something we want to do, it's necessary. After all, living is the most important thing!"
"I can understand that!" Jack nodded slightly but frowned and said, "But if it's not me you encounter, this approach could very well harm you!"
"Do we have any other choice?" Bai Ru smiled self-deprecatingly, shook her head lightly, and said, "Even if it's not you we encounter, as long as he can help us survive, I think we would all do our utmost to please him. Just like how Cao Mei made us strip naked the day before yesterday. We are basically traditional women; wouldn't we feel some resistance in our hearts? But once we recognized the reality, everyone stripped off quickly, and the last bit of resistance disappeared. If we want someone to protect us, we must also give something in return, right? Are you really just a nice guy, Jack?"
"While I understand your mindset, I really can't agree with your opinion. You seem like such an independent woman, yet you say something like this. Honestly, I'm quite surprised. Don't you think that even as a woman, if you find the right way, you can live well in this world without a man?" Jack leaned back in his chair, looking at Bai Ru with a slightly heavy expression.
"Is that hard to imagine? Maybe yesterday morning when I got the gun, I still had some resistance to this idea, thinking that with a means of self-defense, I could live a wonderful life even without a man. But after going through all this, I realized how ridiculous our previous thoughts were. Maybe you didn't notice, but when that living corpse lunged at me yesterday morning, I was so scared that I lost control… I wet my pants! It was only because I was wearing dark jeans that I avoided embarrassment at that moment. Phew… I never thought that one day Bai Ru would be scared enough to wet her pants. That was simply unbelievable!"
Bai Ru spoke slowly, without blushing or showing any embarrassment, as if she were talking about something completely unrelated to her. She gently shook her head and continued, "I always thought I could be as strong as the characters I played, to be a strong woman, or even become a lone ranger like them. But until that stinking living corpse grabbed my leg tightly and tried to bite me, I realized I was scared, really scared, to the point of losing control. That's why I yelled at you so much yesterday; I just wanted to relieve the fear inside me… Sigh~ But looking back, I don't feel ashamed. While it can't be said that women are inherently timid or weak, we are indeed weaker compared to you men. It doesn't seem strange for such things to happen to a woman…"
Bai Ru slowly raised her head to look at Jack, whose expression was complex, and said, "And tonight, when we encountered that corpse William, four of our sisters were scared enough to wet their pants, including the bravest one, Jiao Jiao. Hehe~ Brave Jiao, she must have been terrified, thinking we were doomed! However, when you stepped on the gas and charged towards corpse William, I deliberately looked at everyone's expressions. Every woman had a face full of fear and panic, including Cao Mei, who closed her eyes. But you men? I noticed that at that moment, there was no fear on your face; your eyes were filled with endless ferocity. Even that cook, whom everyone looks down on, was shouting crazily. Hehe~ I think… this is probably the inherent difference between men and women!"
"Sigh~" Jack sighed heavily, flicked the cigarette butt from his hand, and leaned back in his chair, saying weakly, "What you say is understandable. After all, you were just ordinary women before. No one would expect you to become brave warriors without going through trials; that's unrealistic. So finding a man to rely on is indeed the wisest choice. Just like Thomas Hong, she went to great lengths to please me tonight. I know what she's thinking; she's a good woman. If this were in the past, such a thing would have been impossible!"
"I hope you don't look down on her for this. What she's doing is not just for herself, but for all her sisters!" Bai Ru looked at Jack seriously and said earnestly.
"I understand!" Jack nodded and said with a tone that was almost certain, "I promised her I wouldn't abandon her, and I will do my best, but in this environment, my promise really feels like it's worth nothing!"
"Here are eight words for you!" Bai Ru said with a smile, extending her hand to make a "8" shape and said to Jack, "Leave it to fate, do your best!"
"That's easier said than done!" Jack shook his head gently and said helplessly, "I'm just afraid of letting Thomas Hong down, and in the end, I won't be able to help you at all!"
"Then it depends on our fate, and as long as you do your best, Hongjie will definitely understand. Besides, the sisters all call her Hongjie, not just because she's the oldest, but because Thomas Hong always thinks of everyone and cares for everyone meticulously. We all respect her from the bottom of our hearts. When she actively flirts with you, what is it for? How could the sisters not understand? We all know she's afraid you'll abandon us!" Bai Ru sighed and said.
"In fact, some things really can't be generalized. Even if none of you do that, I, Jack, wouldn't easily abandon you. It may sound a bit grand, but I still want to say that perhaps the future of all humanity rests on your shoulders!" Jack looked at Bai Ru with a serious expression, his tone heavy.
"Maybe, but the current environment has taught us not to be naive anymore. Trying to bind you with your kindness is less effective than using something more practical to move you. Being a person also requires empathy, and besides…" Bai Ru suddenly looked Jack up and down with a playful expression, smiling slightly as she said, "Aren't you enjoying it too?"
Jack felt very uncomfortable under her gaze. After his face turned slightly red, he pretended to be tough and said, "Actually, I find it hard to refuse, afraid of hurting her feelings!"
"Hehe~ Is that really the case?" Bai Ru covered her mouth and chuckled, then deliberately straightened her perfect waist and said, "What if it were me? Would you also feel embarrassed to refuse?"
Jack felt a warmth in his heart from Bai Ru's words, greedily glanced at her long, beautiful legs, then awkwardly coughed and said, "I told you, you really don't need to do this!"
"Hehe~ Don't worry!" Bai Ru suddenly stood up, placing a jade-like hand on Jack's shoulder, and said in a very ambiguous tone, "Even if I want to be your woman and let you protect me, I won't let you have it so easily. I will slowly make you like me, love me, so that you will cherish me, right? Haha…"
In a series of silver bell-like laughter, Bai Ru left, leaving Jack alone, his face flushed and his heart feeling like it was being clawed by a cat, sniffing the lingering scent of her body in the air. Jack let out a deep breath but shook his head; he really couldn't understand what kind of women he had saved. Each one was not only stunningly beautiful but also shrewd like fairies. Now he could finally somewhat understand how Tang Seng felt after being captured by that group of spider spirits back in the day. It was truly a case of being unable to resist!