73: Chapter 73 Deposit: One should be prepared to accept a deposit.

The helicopter roared and flew away.

Only He Manman was left on the rooftop.

The cold wind, carrying the sour, rotten smell after the acid rain, whipped her white dress against her legs.

She hugged her arms tightly, and her eyes quickly turned red.

"Lin Yuan..."

He Manman's voice was soft.

"Shen Qingyue was just too anxious..."

Lin Yuan looked at her.

He didn't speak.

He Manman bit her lip and forced a little smile.

"I am Shen Qingyue's best friend. When you two got married, I even helped you decorate your wedding room."

"You won't make things difficult for me, right?"

Su Xiaonuan stood behind Lin Yuan, her tablet already open.

She looked down and recorded.

[He Manman: Shen Qingyue's best friend.]

[Status: Still trying to maintain dignity after being abandoned.]

[Preliminary assessment: Stupid.]

Lin Yuan turned and went downstairs.

"Follow."

He Manman breathed a sigh of relief.

She thought she had bet correctly.

Lin Yuan was indeed still sentimental.

Five minutes later.

The first-floor living room of Tiangong No. 1.

He Manman forced herself to sit on the edge of the sofa and secretly looked around.

Climate control system.

Clean carpet.

Fresh fruit.

In the distance, there was even a giant projection screen and a swimming pool.

Outside, hordes of zombies were biting everything, but here it felt like an apocalypse luxury mansion experience hall.

"Lin Yuan, you are living too well here, I'm really proud of you."

A hint of greed couldn't help but rise in her eyes.

Shen Qingyue said Lin Yuan was only fit to be a soldier.

But this soldier seemed much wealthier than they had imagined.

Footsteps approached.

Wang Ya walked out of the kitchen carrying a fruit platter.

She was wearing a dark blue, form-fitting combat suit, and her figure was sharper than before.

Her grayish-white skin looked cold under the lights.

He Manman turned her head.

The next second, a scream squeezed out of her throat.

"Zombie!"

She fell off the sofa and crawled backward on her hands and feet.

The hem of her skirt quickly became soaked.

Pale yellow liquid spread along the carpet.

The living room was quiet for half a second.

Tang Qiqi hugged a throw pillow and poked her head out.

"It's leaking fluid."

Although she felt uncomfortable, her tongue was as venomous as ever.

Wang Ya looked down at the fruit platter in her hand.

Then she looked at He Manman on the floor.

She didn't speak, just placed the platter in front of Lin Yuan.

Su Xiaonuan frowned.

"Robot vacuum, come here."

He Manman trembling reached for her phone.

She wanted to call Shen Qingyue.

She wanted the helicopter to come back.

But there were only three words on the screen.

No Service.

He Manman's face turned pale.

"How can there be no signal?"

Su Xiaonuan's voice was steady.

"Tiangong No. 1 has activated military-grade EMP signal shielding.

Except for authorized devices, all other electronic devices are disconnected."

He Manman looked up.

"This is illegal detention!"

Su Xiaonuan looked at her.

"Yes."

Tang Qiqi whispered a follow-up jab.

"Version outdated, suggest updating."

He Manman crawled toward Lin Yuan.

"I really didn't come to harm you.

Shen Qingyue just asked me to stay and see the situation.

I don't know anything."

Su Xiaonuan looked down at her tablet.

"Mr. Lin, this woman is worthless.

It's a waste of food.

I suggest locking her in the B3 level."

Wang Ya stood to the side, silently watching the show.

She had originally thought Mr. Lin wanted a change of pace.

Now, looking at He Manman on the floor smelling of urine, she felt that she didn't even deserve to touch the strawberries on the plate.

Lin Yuan leaned back on the sofa.

The system scanned.

[Ding! This target's attractiveness is < 85. Suggest the host find a higher-tier beauty.]

She didn't even count as a resource.

He picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Fat Dragon."

"Mr. Lin."

"Come here.

Throw this thing into the third underground level.

Don't kill her."

He Manman's body stiffened.

"You can't do this!"

Su Xiaonuan took half a step back, avoiding the wet patch on the floor.

"A deposit should come with the awareness of being one."

Five minutes later.

Fat Dragon came in with two subordinates.

He glanced at the carpet and then at He Manman.

"Tsk."

"Is it trendy to come with a watermark now?"

He Manman screamed and tried to dodge.

Fat Dragon's subordinates each grabbed an arm and dragged her toward the elevator like a dead dog.

The elevator went down.

B3 level.

Titanium alloy sealed chambers were lined up.

There was a smell of disinfectant in the air.

Fat Dragon threw He Manman into the interrogation room.

Tools hung on the wall.

Some hadn't been cleaned yet.

He Manman just looked up and happened to see a pair of pliers.

Fat Dragon had just taken them down.

He Manman knelt.

Bang, bang, bang.

Her forehead hit the floor.

"I'll talk!

I'll tell you everything!

Don't touch me!

Please, don't touch me!"

Fat Dragon was stunned for a moment.

He looked at his subordinate beside him.

"I haven't even started the business process yet."

The subordinate was also silent.

This job was too easy.

Less than ten minutes later.

Su Xiaonuan returned to the living room with the tablet.

"Mr. Lin, I got it out of her."

Lin Yuan was eating a strawberry.

Wang Ya brought it to his lips with her fingertips.

The bottom of the strawberry had been removed.

Tang Qiqi stared at that strawberry, her expression complex.

Su Xiaonuan began.

"Shen Qingyue awakened a system.

The name is [Apocalypse Mall System].

Its function is to exchange crystal cores for supplies, medicine, and weapons."

Lin Yuan bit into the strawberry.

"Continue."

"Grandmaster Ling Suzhen already knows about the existence of the mall.

The official emergency team believes Shen Qingyue has strategic value, so they sent a helicopter to take her to the South Suburb Military District."

Lin Yuan laughed.

Shen Qingyue was truly a pig.

Such a big secret as a system, and she dared to tell others casually.

The South Suburb Military District, Grandmaster Ling Suzhen, the Mall System.

Once these three cards were combined, it would be very troublesome.

At this moment, the walkie-talkie rang.

The guard at Villa No. 12 reported.

"Mr. Lin.

Xia Qingqiu wants to see you.

She says she wants to save students."

Lin Yuan leaned back on the sofa.

"Bring her."

...

Villa No. 12 basement.

Xia Qingqiu sat on a folding bed.

The phone screen lit up and then dimmed.

Her parents' number, powered off.

Her friends' number, busy signal.

In the school colleagues' group chat, the last message stopped at 3 AM.

[There are still children in the Sports Stadium.]

After that, no one replied.

She had always believed that order would return.

But now, order was like a kite with a broken string, and no one knew where it had flown.

The phone suddenly vibrated.

A WeChat message popped up.

It was a student from her class.

[Teacher Xia, we are in the Sports Stadium.]

[There are more than twenty classmates here.]

[We are running out of food.]

[Your boyfriend said you know the passwords for the cafeteria cold storage and warehouse.]

[Please, tell us.]

Xia Qingqiu stared at the words "boyfriend".

Zhou Zihao.

A few seconds later, she rushed to the door.

"I want to see Lin Yuan!"

The guard didn't move.

Xia Qingqiu knelt down.

"I beg you."

"I beg you to let me see him."

...

Tiangong No. 1 lobby.

When Xia Qingqiu was brought in, her knees were already broken.

She knelt in front of Lin Yuan, her hair sticking to the side of her face.

"Mr. Lin.

There are still students at Ston School.

They are trapped.

Please, save them."

Lin Yuan sat on the sofa scrolling through his phone.

"Teacher Xia, the old debt hasn't been cleared yet.

You stood me up before.

Now you dare to ask me to save people with just empty words?"

Xia Qingqiu's lips turned pale.

She knew.

Now was not the time to reason.

"As long as you are willing to save them.

Whatever you want, I will give."

She looked up, her eyes full of tears.

Lin Yuan chuckled.

"I don't believe you."

Xia Qingqiu's body trembled.

She bit her lip, supported herself on the carpet with her hands, and crawled toward Lin Yuan.

Then she raised her hand and unbuttoned the top button of her shirt.

One.

Two.

The third one hadn't been undone yet.

Wang Ya, who was nearby, walked over and grabbed her hand.

The movement wasn't heavy.

Only then did Xia Qingqiu clearly see the white in Wang Ya's eyes, and she widened her eyes in terror.

"Teacher Xia, you are not yet qualified to serve Mr. Lin."

Lin Yuan signaled for Wang Ya to let go.

"I can go to the school and take a look."

Xia Qingqiu suddenly looked up.

"But if you break your promise again..."

"I will kill you along with your students."

Xia Qingqiu's tears fell.

She lowered her head.

"Understood."

"Very good."

Lin Yuan pressed the walkie-talkie.

"Qin Yumo."

Footsteps came from the second floor.

Not fast.

Very steady.

Qin Yumo appeared at the top of the stairs.

Her red hair was tied into a high ponytail.

A black tank top clung to her shoulders and back.

With every step she took, the air in the living room seemed to be pressed down a notch.

Tang Qiqi sat in the corner, hugging a throw pillow.

Seeing her, her eyes lit up for a moment.

But the next second.

Qin Yumo walked to Lin Yuan, lowered her head.

"Master."

The light on Tang Qiqi's face went out.

She bit a corner of the throw pillow.

Sister Yumo said that too smoothly.

This isn't scientific.

Lin Yuan looked at Qin Yumo.

[Target Qin Yumo (Attractiveness 85), Current Favorability: 41%.]

[Physique 24 (+12), Spirit 28 (+14)]

[Superpower: S-Rank [Wild Resonance].]

Lin Yuan stood up.

"Come with me to Ston School.

Help Teacher Xia take a look at that group of people hiding in the Sports Stadium."

Qin Yumo looked up.

Her eyes were as bright as a freshly unsheathed blade.

"Understood."

Lin Yuan walked toward the door.

"Let me see.

The Valkyrie's first battle."

Qin Yumo curled the corners of her mouth.

"I won't let you down."

Tang Qiqi couldn't sit still.

"I'm going too!"

Lin Yuan turned back.

"You?"

Tang Qiqi hugged the throw pillow tightly, bracing herself.

"I can cheer for you."

Lin Yuan looked at her reduced favorability.

"Get in the car."

Tang Qiqi immediately jumped up.

"Alright!"

At the same time.

Ston School Sports Stadium.

Zhou Zihao stood behind the door, clutching his phone.

On the screen were the last two words replied by Xia Qingqiu.

[Wait for me.]

He smiled.

Then he turned around and looked at the twenty-plus students in the corner of the Sports Stadium.

"Teacher Xia will come.

She is the softest-hearted."

In the corner.

A boy in a school uniform kept his head down.

On the back of his hand, a thin black line was crawling up along his veins.