The male supporting character was actually myself.

The female lead, Han Sha, asked first, "Jiang Chen, what exactly do you do for a living? How did you open the electronic lock of the safe house so easily? You're not... an undercover investigator or something, are you? An employee of the Guardian?"

“Of course not. I introduced myself before as an animal keeper, feeding elephants.” Jiang Chen didn’t intend to hide it any longer and shrugged and smiled. “But I also have a part-time job—a private investigator. I occasionally take on small jobs, like this time I came to the island to find someone.”

He enlarged the hand-drawn picture on his phone and handed it over. "I'm looking for a 32-year-old woman with reddish-brown curly hair, fair skin, black eyes, a noticeable scar on her forehead, a small black mole above her right nostril, and this uniquely styled ring on her hand. The client said someone saw her on a resort island three years ago, but hasn't heard from her since."

The handsome middle-aged man took a sip of his drink, his expression grave as he muttered, "Private investigator? Ha, it seems you're not only failing your mission this time, but you've also gotten yourself into big (no good) trouble. And... usually, this kind of disappearance is not a good sign. Be prepared that the person you're looking for may already be dead, or perhaps they've changed their way of life and are still wandering somewhere on this island."

Julia looked up at him without saying a word, but tears welled up in her eyes.

"I was quite optimistic before I went to the island, but it seems that it is not good news now."

Jiang Chen sighed and shook his head. "I've checked the information of every tourist who has entered and exited the resort island since it started operating, and there's no one who matches the criteria. If she's neither a tourist nor a staff member, that explains why we can't find her even though someone has seen her before."

Duruel clearly didn't understand the implication between him and the handsome older man. He frowned and thought for a moment before asking in return, "You mean that the woman had an accident while playing, and then the Guardian Company covered up the information?"

“It’s not impossible, but the probability seems low.” Jiang Chen continued his analysis: “Have you considered this issue?”

The resort island has been operating for five years now. How many zombies were there on the island back then to keep the fighting going for so long?

Zombies don't reproduce, so how does Guardian Angels manage to produce a huge profit from a large number of them, given that they don't breed?

Apart from the handsome older man, everyone else looked at each other in bewilderment.

Clearly, even Mark, one of the staff members, hadn't considered this issue. He carefully recalled the island's workflow: about ten days of rest dedicated to maintaining the island's security system, and the remaining twenty days were open to the public.

After all, the presence of real zombies attracts many curious tourists, making the island packed every day during its open season. For example, my own group of five had to spend five days and five nights on the island, meaning we needed to hunt at least a hundred zombies each day to keep the island a popular destination.

Other, more expensive packages are even more thrilling, with the number of zombies each tourist hunts increasing exponentially...

Five years have passed since the operation began. Even if the island had been densely packed with zombies back then, it would have been impossible to sustain such a long-term and large-scale hunt.

So where are the zombies that are being released every day coming from?

Chapter Five: Conspiracy Theories

Jiang Chen's question was clearly chilling upon closer examination. After a moment of silence, everyone else turned pale and looked at each other.

"Damn it! You mean—Guardian Angel Corporation is involved in human trafficking?!" Durul was the first to swear. "The woman you're looking for was probably sold to this island? And then we lost contact with her just because she became that kind of..."

He ultimately couldn't bring himself to say the word "monster".

"Oh my god!" Han Sha became more and more frightened as she leaned against her boyfriend, trembling.

Before this moment, they had always believed that the zombies they were hunting were infected and left behind on the island.

The thought that the people who might fall to their guns today were ordinary people who had been maliciously turned into zombies filled everyone, including Mark, with mixed feelings.

"Host, the script shows the subsequent plot." The little white cat's paws holding the script trembled slightly as it whispered, "It seems that the mission world this time changes constantly based on the protagonist's actions."

We pried open the door to the safe house to keep her temporarily safe, so the part about the female protagonist escaping the resort island after a series of dangerous ordeals disappears. Now it's a shorter sentence—Eight hours later, the resort island completely spiraled out of control, and the authorities used bombs to completely level it; the entire resort island disappeared into the sea. Twenty-four hours later, large numbers of zombies appeared on the coastline; three months later, the mission world was completely destroyed.

"Wow... the female lead's plot armor is way too weak! She kept trying to survive, but she still got blown up."

Jiang Chen frowned upon hearing this.

Did the out-of-control zombies jump into the sea and come ashore in the next eight hours? Or did the virus spread and pollute the seawater? How can we guide the female protagonist to completely eliminate the zombies and prevent the mission world from facing annihilation?

This is a classic example of a chain reaction battle. I must find the key points and then gradually pull it back on track!

“Various methods of trafficking and exhuming corpses can illegally obtain a large number of people to replenish the island’s zombie reserves.” Jiang Chen frowned slightly, his voice becoming heavier. “So many people go missing and die every day around the world. The huge profits from the resort island are enough to make the Guardian Company take risks.”

And to be honest, in some countries, people are really worthless.

Especially for those recruited through fraud and kidnapping, it's practically risk-free and incredibly profitable. Corpses are even less valuable; as long as there's demand, this shady trade will never disappear.

"Damn it!" Durul slammed his fist against the wall, gritting his teeth and saying viciously, "If the suspicions are true, we... are all accomplices!"

With tears in her eyes, Julia said firmly, "We should find a way to find out the truth. If it's true, we should expose everything about the resort island!"

The handsome uncle silently screwed the lid off the wine jug and put it in his pocket, scoffing, "Expose? Girl, you're too naive. The Guardian is a top-tier conglomerate with top-notch connections, power, and wealth. Do you really think you have any say in front of such a behemoth? I'm afraid that before anyone even sees the exposure, you'll become a zombie on the island for people to hunt."

There are plenty of people in the world who can understand this, but have you heard any related comments before?

Ah, back then…

Jiang Chen looked up and saw that the other person only said "back then" and then stopped, just smiling coldly as if he was a little drunk. "That's good! That's good too. Let's just wait here. Guardian Company will definitely not be willing to lose such a big piece of the pie. They will send troops to besiege it, just like back then."

"Waaah..." Julia covered her face and began to sob softly, it was unclear whether she was crying about her own situation or about those who had been turned into zombies.

The female protagonist, Han Sha, curled up next to her boyfriend and whispered, "Do you think... if Jiang Chen hadn't helped us open the safe house and hide, we would definitely have had to find another safe house. There are so many zombies roaming the island, it's very possible that..."

Could this have been a conspiracy from the very beginning?

To dispel certain suspicions, Guardian Company deliberately changed the safe house password, leaving tourists on the island with nowhere to escape, and refused to contact headquarters for emergency assistance, waiting for us to turn into zombies to replenish their inventory. The dead tourists will naturally be compensated by insurance companies, and in a few months, Guardian can change its identity and continue profiting from human suffering!

"No, it can't be that vicious, can it?" Mark's face turned pale.

But if her "conspiracy theory" holds true, it could indeed explain why large numbers of zombies suddenly appear at night and why people can't enter safe houses due to incorrect passwords...

"The island has dedicated power supply equipment, so there's no risk of power outages; it undergoes thorough maintenance every month, making it unlikely that the cages will malfunction; moreover, headquarters has a riot control team, and the technologically advanced riot suits are not something that zombies can easily attack or contaminate with their hands and teeth; not to mention, they also possess ample and powerful weaponry..."

The more Mark analyzed it, the more he felt it was a huge conspiracy, nothing more than a smokescreen used by the Guardian Company to silence gossip!

"What should we do now?" Han Sha looked at her teammates with a terrified expression, her voice trembling. "We are a team, and we are very likely the only team that has survived and guessed what's going on. We have to stick together and find a way to survive!"

Jiang Chen sat in the corner, racking his brains for a solution.

Hiding here offers relatively safe refuge from zombies, but if we do nothing, the world will be destroyed; should we find a reason to take them out? Countless zombies roam outside at night, and even with the aid of Horcruxes, it's impossible to protect everyone...

The safe house was quiet; the only sound was the breathing of a few people.

He took out his phone from his pocket and quietly typed a message for the little white cat perched on his shoulder.

"Find some tools to protect the entire island and ensure no zombies pollute the seawater?" After reading its host's instructions, the fluffy little ball nodded and scratched its round, furry belly a few times. "Okay, meow! This tool should meet your requirements, host!"

One-time use A-grade item - Impregnable Fortress.

After using the prop, you can select an area for all-round protection. For ten hours, it will be impenetrable, and you will not be able to find any flaws, whether you go up in the air or down on the ground.

Jiang Chen deleted the text on her phone and gave it an OK sign.

The little white cat slammed the button in its hand to the ground, and a cloud of smoke rose up as it waved its paws, bringing the entire island into the range of the item's effect.

"Next, keep an eye on the script and see if it changes the future development of the mission world."

"Okay, meow!" The fluffy ball didn't dare to slack off at all, staring at the script without even blinking. A few seconds later, it suddenly remembered something, slapped its forehead, and exclaimed in surprise, "Host, how could I forget my signature skill?!"

Jiang Chen frowned slightly. "Your specialty? You mean eating and drinking for free and waiting to win without lifting a finger?"

The little white cat blushed and shouted, "No way! Host must have forgotten, just you wait and see!"

It took a deep breath and held its breath in the stance of a boss cat, then its white fur stood up, making it look like a bigger, rounder, and softer ball of fur.

After holding it in for a while with all my might, suddenly there was a soft "boom"!

Chapter Six: Predicting the Future?

"Chirp chirp chirp~" A small white pom-pom bounced around, chirping to make its presence known.

"Host, let me introduce it to you one more time—this is my tail ball clone, and it's very useful!"

The fluffy ball proudly introduced, "I'm too timid to go outside and investigate for the host, but the tail ball clone isn't afraid! It can follow commands and do a lot of things for us. However, the tail ball clone is weak and doesn't have hands or feet, so it's probably not reliable for manipulating things."

Jiang Chen looked at the little white cat with an appreciative gaze, feeling that it was becoming more and more useful.

Tailball clone was sent out to check the situation; Little White Cat stared at the script; while he pondered that once he had more information, he could consider using a recording device to broadcast the situation on the resort island online, so that Guardian Company could no longer cover it up and could completely solve the problem of the continuous generation of zombies from the root.

"Let's first get a good understanding of our teammates' situations. At this point, we don't need to hide anything anymore. Anyone with ability, connections, or secrets can speak out. We need to be honest with each other and help each other to have a chance of survival."

After mentally preparing for the worst, the female protagonist, Hansa, spoke first: "I'm 25 years old, from Zofin, and I work as a fitness instructor. The reason I came to this island for vacation is because my boyfriend, Durul, has always wanted to try fighting zombies..."

She glanced up at the others with slight unease, her voice lowering slightly, "There's another reason I haven't even told Durul—lately I've been having the same dream, a dream of the apocalypse with zombies everywhere. Then I go out to find water and get chased by a group of zombies, falling off a rooftop..."

That feeling was so real, so desperate and terrifying; it always made me uneasy.

"My intention in coming to the island was to confront my inner fears through sightseeing and killing, and to cultivate a belief in myself that 'zombies aren't that scary' and 'under the suppression of human weapons, they are merely targets for slaughter.' I never expected to encounter this situation."

Oh open?

A female protagonist who can foresee the future?

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. If someone were more cautious and kept having these kinds of dreams, they would probably hoard water and food and start building a safe base. But she just went and invited zombies to her door. Her thought process was a bit reckless.

And I really didn't realize she was a fitness instructor!

She does have a great figure, but her personality doesn't quite match it. No wonder she was able to fight her way out in the original story. If it were someone with less stamina, like Julia, she probably wouldn't have been able to hold on much longer.

“I’m 26 years old, from Zofin, and a typical 996 office worker. My company is right above the gym where my girlfriend works. My biggest hobby is playing video games, especially post-apocalyptic zombie games, so I’ve always wanted to experience the thrill of killing zombies myself.”

Durul shrugged and waved his hand, saying, "I don't have any other secrets, I just want to find some excitement."

When it was Jiang Chen's turn, he spread his hands and said frankly, "I just confessed my true purpose. I am 24 years old and I come from Dalamar. Also, if possible, I have a way to film the situation on the island and post it on the Internet."

"So that's what you were thinking, host! No wonder you asked me to set up the recording machine. You've really thought of everything!" The little white cat gave its host a thumbs up while wagging its fluffy tail as it worked. "I'll get it done soon. You can edit and publish it however you like, host."

The handsome middle-aged man glanced at him, shook his head, and sighed, "So what if you can post it online? Even if the entire resort island is razed to the ground, the power of discourse will still be in the hands of Guardian Company. They can just say the video is fake and delete the source file, and they'll completely deny your claims."

That's useless, and I don't think things will really get that bad; we'd still be able to escape this island alive.

"We should give it a try; it might work."

"Well, that's true. Anyway, it's already like this, so let's try anything."

After a brief conversation, the handsome older man made no attempt to introduce himself. Julia's lips trembled a few times, and tears welled up in her eyes again. "I'm just twenty years old this year, and I came from Luvian."

I used to avoid this island because my older brother, who was eight years older than me and was my only relative in the world after our parents died in a car accident, was sent to the resort island as reinforcements during his first mission seven years ago, and... he never came back.

I don't know what happened to him, how he died, or whether he also became one of those living dead wandering the island. But I was only thirteen years old at the time, and was placed in an adoptive family, living under their roof, so I had no way of knowing what happened afterward.

I was saddened when I learned that the resort island had been developed into an entertainment venue.

The zombies, hunted and killed for their amusement, were once human too! They had family, friends, their own wishes and loved ones. Just because they were infected with the zombie virus, did they deserve to be tortured and killed?

Shouldn't the relevant departments allow those who suffered tragic fates and died with dignity, and then completely destroy this terrifying virus?

Why treat them like prey, prey that's less than wild beasts?!

She covered her face and wailed, tears streaming through her fingers, making the atmosphere in the safe house even heavier.

“I was abused by my adoptive family. I was beaten, scolded, and treated like a slave. I finally made it to the age of eighteen and was able to be independent. I escaped to Luvian to start over.”

God must hate me so much. He took away my parents when I was young, then my brother, and now even my hope!

I was fired and lost my job; my money was stolen; and my landlord tried to take advantage of me...