The suffocatingly oppressive air in the dormitory became extremely strange at this moment. Mo Xiaotian slumped on the ground, and the terror of surviving a near-death experience quickly transformed into a near-fanatical excitement after he saw clearly that the other party was not a monster.
Mo Xiaotian held onto the edge of the bed and scrambled up tremblingly, ignoring the cold dampness at his crotch. His eyes were fixed on the black-clad soldier standing before him, who looked like he had stepped out of a sci-fi movie. The streamlined ballistic armor, the cold tactical gas mask, and the thick aura of iron and blood were more shocking to a shut-in than any hero's arrival.
"Mil... Military? Did the army send someone to rescue us?" Mo Xiaotian asked incoherently, his voice filled with ecstasy. "Big brother, what's the situation outside now? Is a large-scale counterattack about to begin? Are we safe?"
However, the soldier just leaned coldly against the dormitory's icy wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, his tactical knife already sheathed, and a specialized rifle hung diagonally across his chest. His two glowing blue electronic eyes showed no emotion, as if Mo Xiaotian were merely a speck of dust floating in the air. This aloof and relaxed arrogance made him seem even more unfathomable.
Meeting with such a cold reception, Mo Xiaotian shrank back and awkwardly leaned toward Lin Xuan, lowering his voice with an inquisitive tone: "Lin Xuan... where on earth did this guy pop up from? What exactly happened down there just now? Why did he come up with you?"
Lin Xuan took a deep breath of the blood-scented air, his brain working rapidly. The existence of the system absolutely could not be exposed; in this world where morality had collapsed, any trump card that defied common sense had to be hidden at the deepest level. He feigned exhaustion and shook his head, a perfectly timed look of lingering fear appearing on his face.
"I don't know either..." Lin Xuan whispered, pulling Mo Xiaotian toward a corner. "I was blocked by a dozen zombies downstairs just now. Just when I thought I was dead, he suddenly charged out from the shadows. Those movements... were hardly human. He's been following me ever since he saved me. I tried talking to him, but he ignores me."
At that moment, you issued a command to the system in your mind: [Set a reasonable public identity for the Black Watch Soldier: Name "Chu Wenhai", performing a protection mission.]
[Command received, synchronizing personality logic...]
The soldier, who had been as still as a statue, suddenly moved. He slightly adjusted his stance, and a low, raspy synthesized electronic voice with an unquestionable sense of authority came from the speaker under the gas mask:
"My name is Chu Wenhai."
The voice echoed in the cramped dormitory, carrying a cold, metallic quality.
"I belong to a Special Task Force. My mission is to ensure the safety of Mr. Lin Xuan until evacuation orders are issued. Beyond that, the rest is military classified; I will not answer any irrelevant questions."
These words were like a heavy bomb exploding in Mo Xiaotian's mind. He stood frozen in place, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a fist, his gaze jumping back and forth between Lin Xuan and Chu Wenhai.
"Pro... Protect Lin Xuan?" Mo Xiaotian gasped. The way he looked at Lin Xuan instantly changed from "fellow sufferer" to "beholding a god." "Lin Xuan, what kind of background do you have? At a time like this, the higher-ups actually sent a special forces soldier of this caliber into the school specifically to protect you? Is your dad some big shot in the military district? Or is your family actually doing secret weapons research?"
Lin Xuan chuckled inwardly, but maintained an expression of "I'm shocked too" on his face: "I... I really don't know. My parents are just ordinary wage earners. There must be some misunderstanding, or... is there some secret in my family I don't know about?"
This ambiguous answer was actually more persuasive. At this point, Mo Xiaotian had completely hallucinated a grand drama of the year about a "discarded son of a military big shot being rescued by a secret unit during the apocalypse." The slight sense of distance caused by his earlier fear vanished instantly, replaced by a nearly fawning sense of urgency. He knew that in this zombie-infested hell, clinging to this incredibly thick thigh was his only way to survive.
"Brother Xuan! From now on, you're my real brother!" Mo Xiaotian grabbed Lin Xuan's arm, his tone so sincere he was almost crying. "Since Big Brother Chu is here to protect you, can you talk to him and... maybe take me along too? I can work, I can help carry things, I definitely won't hold you back!"
Looking at Mo Xiaotian's humble state, Lin Xuan felt a bit of sympathy; after all, they had been roommates for a long time. Lin Xuan turned to look at "Chu Wenhai," who still maintained a cold appearance, but his blue electronic eyes flickered slightly as if waiting for your next command.
Lin Xuan stepped forward, intentionally putting on a tentative air: "Big... Big Brother Chu, since your mission is to protect me, we need food and water now. Can you take us to the supermarket downstairs?"
Chu Wenhai lowered his head slightly, his voice hard and cold: "As long as it does not threaten your life, I can execute combat commands. However, I suggest moving quickly; the scent of blood will attract a gathering of zombies."
Lin Xuan turned back to look at Mo Xiaotian, a meaningful curve appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Did you hear that? Grab your backpack, we're going to 'restock'."
Mo Xiaotian hurriedly fished out several large hiking bags from under his bed and even stuffed a few folding fruit knives into his pockets.
Lin Xuan stood at the edge of the balcony, looking out into the deep darkness. With a special soldier like Chu Wenhai, he wondered if everything would proceed smoothly from here.