Xu An interrupted He Ci, "You don't need to explain to me. We never had anything between us. Who you're interested in is your business."
Just as He Ci was about to argue further, Zhou Haimei couldn't stand it anymore. She shoved He Ci away and shouted, "Do you know that a good dog doesn't block the way?"
After speaking, she turned to Xu An, "An'an, let's go. Oh, is this Gou Dan? So cute!"
"Some people are truly worse than dogs," Zhou Haimei said sarcastically. She then took Gou Dan's leash, squatted down, and whispered something in Gou Dan's ear. The next second, Gou Dan started barking furiously at He Ci, scaring him into turning and running away.
"Hahahaha..."
"An'an, when you date in the future, keep your eyes peeled. You must avoid渣男 (zhānán - scumbag guys) who change their minds easily."
Xu An watched He Ci flee and couldn't help but laugh, "I'm not dating anyone."
She blinked and smiled slyly, "Haven't you heard, Sister Mei?"
"Heard what?" Zhou Haimei asked curiously.
"With no man in my heart! My sword naturally becomes divine!"
"Hahahaha..."
The two girls, walking a dog, laughed freely in the small garden. Xu An suddenly felt that making a friend might not be a bad thing.
"Sister Mei, why did you move?"
"I heard you were living here, so I moved to be closer to you." Zhou Haimei said casually.
But Xu An still detected a hint of something unusual in her tone.
"By the way, An'an, haven't you noticed that the sun outside the lighthouse has disappeared recently? The weather feels foggy. I wonder where we've flown to now."
Zhou Haimei complained. Xu An listened and subtly glanced outside the lighthouse, which was enveloped in mist, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night.
She had been too busy lately to pay attention to the external weather. Xu An calculated the time in her mind; the fog had likely appeared in the last few days.
She recalled the scenes of people fighting each other in the fog in her previous life, and an involuntary shiver ran down her spine.
"Xiao An, what's wrong?" Zhou Haimei keenly sensed Xu An's unease. "Did you catch a cold? Although the lighthouse has a constant temperature system, you should still remember to add clothes."
As she spoke, Zhou Haimei took off her jacket and draped it over Xu An's shoulders. Seeing Xu An wave her hand to refuse, Zhou Haimei said with a playfully coquettish tone, "No! Listen to me, put the clothes on."
Xu An wanted to explain that she wasn't shivering because she was cold, but Zhou Haimei didn't listen. She had to settle for asking, "Aren't you cold?"
"Don't underestimate me, Sister. I was in the special forces before. When I was on a mission in the snow-capped mountains, I endured a whole day wearing only a team vest, and in the end, I took out the enemy leader with a single shot."
Although Xu An had long suspected that Zhou Haimei's skills weren't those of an ordinary person, she hadn't expected her to have a military background.
"So, Sister Mei, are you still...?"
Xu An didn't finish her sentence, but Zhou Haimei naturally understood. "Sort of. I hold a nominal position in the army."
Upon hearing this, Xu An frowned and looked at Zhou Haimei. She felt that even Qin Chuan would barely be a match for Zhou Haimei. With such formidable strength, why was she only holding a nominal position on the lighthouse?
Zhou Haimei seemed to notice Xu An's gaze and gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Don't you understand?"
She walked Gou Dan, her steps unconsciously slowing.
"I don't understand either. I don't think I'm any worse than those men, yet I was excluded from missions again and again."
"Did you try to fight for it?"
"An'an, do you know the total population of the lighthouse?"
Xu An didn't have a precise number, but in her previous life, she heard a boy say it was around fifty million.
"The total population on the lighthouse exceeds eighty million, with military and armed forces accounting for nearly a tenth. After speaking, Zhou Haimei seemed to have composed herself, regaining her proud and radiant demeanor. "Not everything will have a result just because you strive for it."
Zhou Haimei's words somewhat surprised Xu An. She hadn't expected the lighthouse's capacity to increase so much after its reconstruction in this life.
While sighing, Xu An also felt a sense of relief. At least more people on land could be rescued this way.
However, facing Zhou Haimei's helplessness, Xu An felt empathy. She gently patted Zhou Haimei's slender yet strong shoulder, "It's okay, Sister Mei. With your outstanding abilities, you'll be recognized sooner or later."
Zhou Haimei seized the opportunity to hug Xu An, "Hahahaha, then I'll take your good words." Her tone shifted, "However, I'm not one to just wait and accept fate. I've also signed up for this expeditionary force. Although the expedition mission hasn't been announced yet, the fact that it's being held with such fanfare means the people behind it are not simple."
"The people behind it? Isn't this operation officially organized?"
"No, the government is just a figurehead. I heard the sponsor behind it is the 'gold patron' of this competition. He's recruiting this batch of mercenaries, reportedly to carry out some secret missions."
Xu An listened to Zhou Haimei's words with astonishment. She had always thought that the official armed forces were insufficient, which was why this competition was being held.
"There are many complexities and factions involved. Sometimes, just being in a high position doesn't mean you'll be utilized. Look at the casualty compensation this time; it's the highest it's ever been."
Xu An nodded in agreement. Even before the apocalypse, she hadn't seen such high compensation.
"Does the government allow the recruitment of such private soldiers?" Xu An asked doubtfully.
"That's not something us common folk should worry about," Zhou Haimei smiled at Xu An. "Everything is definitely within the lighthouse's control. Let's not overthink it. Let's run!"
"Okay."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Haimei, leading Gou Dan, shot off like an arrow. Xu An smiled, cast aside her doubts, and hurried to catch up.
Gou Dan, looking at the beautiful sister with red hair running ahead, kept sticking out its tongue. For the first time in its life, it began to doubt itself.
As a Husky, it was actually being dragged along by someone!
Gou Dan felt wronged but didn't say it. Its four legs couldn't outrun the two-legged little lady!
Xu An was also panting as she chased behind. Finally, at the end of the garden, Zhou Haimei slowed down and gradually stopped.
A few drops of thin sweat beaded on Zhou Haimei's flawless, porcelain-white skin, which had no visible pores. Apart from a slight blush on her cheeks, she wasn't even out of breath.
She looked at the panting Gou Dan and Xu An, who was bent over supporting herself, and smiled faintly, "An'an, you and your dog aren't up to par!"