Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Xiao He stood at the laboratory door for a long time, looking dazed, like a frozen sculpture.

Until a mocking voice startled him awake—

"Who are you? What are you doing standing here?"

Xiao He froze, then looked up abruptly and saw Li Xin leading Lin Yang, Wang Lu, and several other team members toward them.

He instinctively took a step forward, trying to block the door, forcing a stiff smile: "I...I am..."

Lin Yang interrupted, "You're not trying to say you're Dr. Bai's assistant, are you?"

Xiao He's expression froze for a moment, then he went along with it: "Yes, yes! This young man is really smart!"

—He meant to say he was just passing by!

Upon hearing that he was Dr. Bai's assistant, Li Xin's eyes lit up and her smile became even more solicitous.

"Oh, it's Dr. Bai's assistant! My apologies for not recognizing you. Is Dr. Bai inside? Would you mind letting me know?"

Xiao He awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth: "This... the doctor, he..."

Lin Yang interjected again, "You're not going to say 'The professor is too busy to see guests,' are you?"

Wang Lu rubbed his forehead and whispered a warning: "Lin Yang!"

Lin Yang pursed his lips, but the curiosity in his eyes was unmistakable.

Xiao He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound steady:

"Yes, the doctor is currently organizing important data and it's not convenient to disturb him at the moment."

Li Xin raised an eyebrow, his gaze seemingly sweeping over the closed door, before finally shrugging helplessly.

"Alright, since the doctor is busy, we'll come back later."

Seeing the group turn to leave, Xiao He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Xin suddenly turned back and asked casually:

"By the way, bro, have you seen two men and a woman pass by here?"

"One is our captain, one is our vice-captain, and there's another... well, a rather clingy kid."

Xiao He's heart skipped a beat, and her fingertips unconsciously gripped the recorder tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

He tried his best to remain calm, but his voice was a few decibels tighter than before: "I...I didn't see it."

Lin Yang looked him over suspiciously: "Brother, you don't look well... why are you sweating?"

Xiao He subconsciously raised his hand to wipe his forehead, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly: "N-nothing..."

Lin Yang scratched his head and muttered, "Something feels off... Could it be that Captain Liu and the others are inside?"

These words were like a spark thrown into a hot oil pan.

Xiao He was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Who is this guy?! Why does he talk so much?! Every word he says hits the nail on the head!

Although Wang Lu glared at Lin Yang, doubts also surfaced in his eyes. If nothing was wrong, why was this assistant so nervous?

At this moment, worry gradually overwhelmed curiosity.

Xiao He's back was soaked with cold sweat, and his fingers gripped the recorder so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Even his voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"No, impossible... The doctor is conducting a classified experiment, and any outside interference is strictly prohibited. How could there be anyone else present?"

He deliberately emphasized the words "classified experiment" in an attempt to suppress everyone's suspicions with the solemnity of scientific research.

But his shifty eyes and stiff body betrayed him.

"You guys didn't actually detain Captain Liu and the others inside, did you?" Lin Yang blurted out his suspicion.

Xiao He screamed inwardly: I didn't! I didn't! I'm innocent!

He had no choice but to speak out, and could not tell the truth:

Your team leader Liu "executed" my doctor on the spot, and then the zombie king joined the battle.

Then my PhD student took the initiative to invite your team leader Qin, and in the end... the scene turned out like this.

Thinking about this, Xiao He couldn't help but fall into deep thought—

Was this a case of Captain Liu "forcibly taking" or his PhD student "partially agreeing"? Who suffered the loss?

Just then, Li Xin's keen ears caught a very soft, suppressed moan coming from behind the door.

The voice was so familiar; it sounded exactly like Liu Yunshu's breath when she was overcome with emotion.

Considering Xiao He's attempt to cover up his true intentions, he had already guessed most of it.

He strode to the door, flicked his fingers and knocked urgently on the door panel. The sound was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the door.

"Captain Liu? Qin Mutou? Little Chu Sheng? If you're in there, say something."

"The supplies outside have almost all been moved, we're just waiting for you."

The sounds from inside the door suddenly stopped.

A moment later, Chu Sheng's soft, slightly impatient complaint came through the door:

"Second Brother, stop making a fuss! We're playing Dou Dizhu with Fourth Brother, and we're in the middle of a crucial round!"

"Little Four?!"

Lin Yang's eyes widened, and he suddenly turned his head to look at Xiao He.

"You PhD students... have become the fourth child?!"

He felt as if he had been struck on the top of the head by a thunderbolt—

Scalding someone's butt with a knife?! That's unbelievable! Is that even possible?!

Xiao He: "..."

He felt that his worldview was undergoing a second earthquake following the collapse of the apocalypse.

How exactly does this zombie king's brain work?

"What?! You guys were doing this behind my back?!"

Li Xin instantly exploded, his roar making the door panel seem to vibrate.

Before anyone could respond, he reached out to push the door open, but Xiao He swiftly stopped him.

"Mr. Li! The doctor's experiment really cannot be disturbed!"

Xiao He's voice was almost split in two, his hands braced against the door with all his might, veins bulging on his forehead—

He simply couldn't imagine what a cataclysmic scene would unfold once that door was opened.

"An important experiment?"

Li Xin raised an eyebrow, a dangerous glint flashing in her peach blossom eyes, and suddenly exerted force with her feet.

I don't think so!

The two immediately started shoving each other at the door, while Lin Yang and Wang Lu stood by, at a loss.

Just as chaos was brewing—

With a soft "click," the door was pulled open from the inside.

Qin Zheng stood at the door, his figure blocking most of the view inside.

Two buttons on the collar of his combat uniform were undone, revealing a section of his collarbone with faint red marks, and his earlobes were even more strikingly red.

His usually stern face was flushed with a faint blush and a hint of dishevelment that was barely perceptible.

"You damn Qin Mu Tou! How could you..." Li Xin was furious.

"Lin Yang! Wang Lu! Take your men and retreat!"

Qin Zheng's voice was deeper than usual, carrying an undeniable air of authority, directly interrupting Li Xin's accusations.

Under Qin Zheng's icy gaze, Lin Yang, Wang Lu, and the others subconsciously shrank back, their feet seemingly nailed to the spot.

Qin Zheng's current appearance is completely different from the cold and hard captain they are familiar with.

The ambiguous marks under the collar ignited the gossip fire in their hearts, but no one dared to utter a sound.

"Once the supplies are moved, lead the team back to base. You don't need to worry about things here."

Qin Zheng's voice was still deep, but it carried a hint of hoarseness that had not yet subsided.

His gaze swept over Li Xin, the warning clear: "You too."

"On what grounds?"

Li Xin broke free from Xiao He's obstruction, her peach blossom eyes filled with anger and resentment, and reached out to force her way through the door.

"Why aren't you including me in the game of Dou Dizhu? This is so unfair! Team Leader Liu is still inside!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Yunshu's voice, tinged with a hint of reproach and languor, came from inside the room: "Li Xin, stop fooling around."

Immediately afterwards, Liu Yunshu walked out, supporting her waist.

Her sideburns were slightly disheveled, her cheeks were still flushed, and her eyes were misty with a layer of moisture, like a begonia after the rain.

The coat was casually draped over her shoulders, but it couldn't hide the faint red marks on the side of her neck.

The sight warmed Li Xin's heart, and her anger was instantly replaced by a bittersweet feeling of grievance.

"Captain Liu..."

Li Xin leaned closer, his voice softening, but his eyes remained stubbornly fixed on her.

"Why don't you include me in your games?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft chuckle came from inside the room.

Bai Shuliu walked out slowly, her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses shining brightly.

The white coats had been meticulously rearranged, with only a few barely noticeable wrinkles remaining at the collar.

He looked at Li Xin, a playful smile curving his lips: "This is the 'second brother who's best at talking' that Chu Sheng mentioned?"

"Who else could it be?"

Li Xin raised an eyebrow in response, his gaze sweeping over Bai Shuliu from head to toe without any politeness, finally settling on his probing eyes.

"You're Dr. Bai? You're more interesting than the rumors suggest. But we'll have to wait in line."

Bai Shuliu was not annoyed but laughed, her smile deepening.

"Queuing? The word 'queuing' doesn't exist in my dictionary, Bai Shuliu's dictionary. I only like..."

His gaze shifted slightly, sweeping over Liu Yunshu with undisguised interest.

"Be the variable that breaks the balance. Besides, such a valuable 'research sample' naturally requires personal observation to obtain first-hand data."

"Research sample?" Liu Yunshu raised an eyebrow with interest.

Before she finished speaking, she stretched out her long arm and grabbed Bai Shuliu's slender waist, pulling hard.

Caught off guard, Bai Shuliu stumbled forward, her nose bumping into the woman's fragrant shoulder.

The scent, a mixture of lingering passion and the smell of gunpowder, once again forcefully invaded his senses.

This caused his heart, which had been dormant for many years, to pound uncontrollably once again.

He could clearly feel the strength emanating from her palm—warm, solid, and with a sense of control.

This creates a fascinating interplay between his current gaze and the burgeoning curiosity and interest.

"The PhD student is using me as a case study."

Liu Yunshu's breath brushed against his sensitive earlobe, carrying a lazy huskiness, and her fingertips lightly caressed the waistline beneath his white coat.

"Then I'd like to see how many rounds your willpower as a 'researcher' can last?"

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses, quickly replaced by a stronger sense of interest and a desire for challenge.

Bai Shuliu not only did not struggle, but instead leaned forward slightly.

He breathed warm air into her ear, his voice deep and resonant like an elegant cello:

"Team Leader Liu wants to test my tolerance threshold? I'd be happy to oblige. I've always had great confidence in the stability and consistency of 'experimental' data."

The onlookers standing in the corner were completely stunned.

Lin Yang nudged the petrified Xiao He beside him with his elbow, his voice low but unable to hide his excitement:

"Eh! This...this...is this the legendary...Queen and her...uh, darling husband's portrait?"

Xiao He: "..."

He felt that his values ​​had been shattered into pieces and scattered by the wind, and could not be glued back together.

Liu Yunshu tightened her grip on Bai Shuliu's fingers, pulling her even closer until their bodies were almost completely joined.

She could clearly smell the clean disinfectant scent on his white coat, mixed with a hint of cool cedarwood.

Out of place with the harsh dust and smoke of the apocalypse, it only fueled her powerful desire to conquer.