Lin Zhuoran suddenly recalled that Xu An had previously cautioned them that if anyone in the bunker was in league with those who raised zombies, they would undoubtedly try to eliminate them.
Looking at Xu An's eyes, Lin Zhuoran felt inexplicably guilty. "I haven't agreed yet. I told her that we'd discuss it after you woke up."
Xu An nodded, "I know." Although she had been asleep, someone had been watching over her. Zeyuan had already relayed every word of Lin Zhuoran and Yu Qin's conversation to Xu An.
Xu An, now awake, instinctively nodded. Lin Zhuoran was not entirely foolish; at least she knew to ask for her opinion. "What do you think?" Xu An didn't rush to share her thoughts, instead asking Lin Zhuoran to voice hers first.
Zhou Haimei also rubbed her eyes and woke up. This was the most peaceful night she had slept since coming down. "What's wrong?" she asked, noticing the subtle atmosphere between Xu An and Lin Zhuoran.
"Yu Qin came to find me and said Dr. Zhang Bo is forming an exploration team and wants us to escort them."
"Us?" Zhou Haimei was surprised. "When you say 'us,' you don't mean me and An An, do you?" Seeing Lin Zhuoran nod firmly, a crack appeared in Zhou Haimei's composure. "Isn't this clearly a trap for us? Did you agree?"
A hint of embarrassment flickered across Lin Zhuoran's face. She seemed to want to explain, but felt her words would be too weak. Xu An and Zhou Haimei had only arrived at the bunker yesterday. Unless someone was deliberately seeking them out, they might not even know of their existence. If it wasn't intentional, why would they specifically name these two to go together? "You should make your own decision. This is, after all, about your own safety."
Xu An spoke then, "Where is the place you are going?" Lin Zhuoran's eyes immediately lit up. "It's the same as our goal, also the 'Daren Liu' (打人柳). I think you two are going for the same reason. That way, we don't have to go alone, and it's relatively safer."
The three talked until late into the night, finally agreeing to act with Lin Zhuoran. The next morning, Yu Qin came to find Lin Zhuoran. After receiving an affirmative answer, Yu Qin relayed that they were scheduled to depart at two o'clock in the afternoon.
Outside the bunker, Yu Qin looked at the three walking towards her with some confusion. "Sister Zhuoran, where is your car?" Lin Zhuoran had anticipated this. "The tires have issues, and there's no more fuel. Did you not have any spare seats on your end?" Yu Qin's expression was somewhat troubled. Just then, a middle-aged man with a head full of white hair but still spirited emerged from behind Yu Qin. "The three of you can get in my car. It's a military pickup, but it's loaded with equipment, so you might have to squeeze in. Please don't mind."
Upon hearing this, Xu An and Zhou Haimei pursed their lips and remained silent. Only Lin Zhuoran looked at him familiarly. "We don't mind, hello Dr. Zhang Bo." Hearing the man's identity, Xu An finally took a closer look at him. Despite the harsh conditions of the apocalypse, the man was still dressed in a neat shirt. His hair was meticulously combed, and his fair skin bore a polite and serene smile. "It's good that you don't mind. I'm already very grateful that you're willing to escort me." He exuded an air of scholarly refinement.
Xu An felt a slight surprise. This man seemed like a true scholar. After all, while education, experience, and even identity could be faked, the innate aura of having read widely and possessing deep knowledge was undeniable. "It's nothing, we're just earning some extra money," Xu An said outwardly in a business-like manner. They weren't doing this escort duty for free. It was best to clarify things beforehand to avoid future misunderstandings.
As soon as Xu An got into the car, she saw various testing instruments placed in the trunk. Many were unlike anything Xu An had ever seen, let alone recognized by name. Zhou Haimei, however, was more knowledgeable and could identify a few. "What exactly is your doctor researching? Why is there even a centrifuge here?" Lin Zhuoran, who had been a car salesperson before the apocalypse, naturally didn't know what a centrifuge was. As for the doctor's identity, she herself only had a vague understanding. "I heard the doctor is researching human gene chains. I don't know the specifics, but the doctor is very popular and highly regarded in the bunker. Apart from the two of you, everyone else here is voluntarily helping the doctor without compensation."
"Without compensation? In this day and age, people still risk their lives for others for free?" Zhou Haimei sounded somewhat dismissive. "It's true. When the doctor first arrived, there wasn't much fuss. But later, he used the food he brought to help many impoverished people who couldn't afford rent and also helped others fight for justice. After sharing all his resources except for those useless old instruments, a new faction gradually formed in the bunker, led by the doctor."
As Lin Zhuoran spoke, Xu An keenly picked up on a potential issue in her words. "You're saying that the doctor helped the poor people in the bunker, and that's how this new faction formed?" "Yes, is there a problem?" "No problem. Then, is this doctor not on good terms with your bunker's owner?" Lin Zhuoran nodded. "Yes, because the doctor couldn't pay his rent with supplies several times, and his instruments took up space and consumed a lot of electricity, Hao Cheng had many conflicts with him."
"So that's how it all connects," Xu An said, as if solving a case, decisively concluding, "It seems this Zhang Bo is also one of the people being set up this time." She paused, a peculiar smile appearing on her face. "Killing two birds with one stone. I'm increasingly curious to see what kind of person this Hao Cheng is." The others understood Xu An's implied meaning, and Lin Zhuoran's heart grew cold.
Xu An sat in the trunk, lost in thought. She closed her eyes, and the others didn't dare to disturb her. There were two such pickup trucks. One was the one Xu An and her companions were in, carrying the detection equipment. Closely following behind was the one driven by Yu Qin and her group.
"What do you think of that doctor? Does he seem suspicious?" Xu An, with her eyes closed, was clearly addressing the spatial tree. "What, you suspect that person?" Zeyuan also emerged, chatting idly with Xu An. "Don't you find this man a bit too composed?" "Composed?" Zeyuan let out a light laugh. "Are you thinking about how there are no more 'holy mothers' in this world and now there's a 'male holy mother'?" Hearing Zeyuan's scoff, Xu An felt speechless, thinking, *No, I'm not.*