Apocalypse: I'm the Landlady of the Refuge

The director picked up the teacup at hand and took a leisurely sip, "Young lady, I heard you’re from Liancheng? Then why did you suddenly think of coming to our Jiang City?"

Ji Wanwan sneered in annoyance, "Director, don’t you know? Liancheng has two big bases, and they’ve scavenged all the resources clean. If we don’t leave, wouldn’t we just be waiting to die?"

"Oh?" the director looked over curiously, "Since Liancheng has bases, why didn’t you go to one of the bases in Liancheng?"

Ji Wanwan shook her head like a rattle-drum, "Those two bases are like fire and water, always fighting each other. It’s easy to get killed, and we’re certainly not going to go there and die!"

Watching Ji Wanwan’s "I’m the smartest" expression, the director’s eyes lit up with affection, and his smile grew even more cordial, "You guys are pretty smart."

Ji Wanwan wasn’t modest at all, giggling, "Of course~"

Seeing her laugh, the director laughed too.

As they laughed, the director’s gaze suddenly turned sharp, staring straight into Ji Wanwan’s eyes with a stern and cold expression, "Young lady, did you and your friend find your accommodations last night comfortable? Did you take a walk around the refuge?"

Ji Wanwan’s expression became dazed, her eyes unwittingly glazed over, and she opened her mouth vacantly, "No, not really used to it, haven’t slept in a bed for a long time, tossed and turned for most of the night without falling asleep, so I took Old Xu out for a walk..."

Lin Changhe’s eyes burst with keen light, impatiently pressing, "Where did you go for a walk?"

Ji Wanwan’s gaze remained unfocused, "Went to... went to... went to..."

All of a sudden, Ji Wanwan lowered her head in embarrassment and started laughing, "Went to Brother Zhan’s place..."

As her words fell, dead silence enveloped the room.

Guo Dacheng’s eyebrows furrowed, his face showing unexpected disapproval as he silently reprimanded Lin Changhe for false intelligence.

Although the director in the wheelchair still wore a gentle smile, the atmosphere around him had clearly darkened.

Lin Changhe also froze on the spot, as if he was about to shatter.

He carefully lowered his gaze to look at the director.

Seeing that the man was unmoving as a mountain, with only the corner of his mouth losing some of its smile, the color drained from Lin Changhe’s face.

Suddenly, he let out a tremendous roar, "Impossible! I could not have made a mistake! This young lady is lying! She’s lying!!"

Guo Dacheng started to chuckle coldly, "Are you suggesting that the director’s hypnotism failed?"

Lin Changhe trembled all over and instantly became quiet as a mouse.

Xu Siming, however, was completely confused, "What lying? What hypnotism?"

He reached out to pull the dazed Ji Wanwan into his arms protectively, his face full of wariness, "What have you done to my friend?!"

As if inadvertently, the director tapped his teacup gently and chuckled, "Your friend is fine."

Accompanied by the "thud" of the teacup hitting the table, Ji Wanwan stiffened, and her distracted eyes slowly focused, "Eh, why do I feel like I just dozed off?"

Xu Siming examined her seriously, looking her over from head to toe, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Ji Wanwan shook her head like a rattle-drum, "Nope, I’m all good."

Xu Siming breathed a sigh of relief, "Good."

After speaking, he raised his head to look at the director, with indignant muttering, "What in the world do you want?! If you don’t trust us that much, then just don’t take us in! Xiao Wan, let’s go!"

"Ah?" Ji Wanwan subconsciously glanced outside, a bit reluctant to leave, "Are we really going?"

Xu Siming stood his ground, "They don’t welcome us here, what’s the point in staying?!"

Ji Wanwan lowered her head in disappointment and muttered, "Alright then."

Just as the two were about to turn and leave, the director spoke up, "Hey, my two young friends, don’t be angry. There are many people in the refuge, and we were only trying to test you a bit for everyone’s safety. I apologize for our rudeness."

Xu Siming huffed twice, "So what about now? Can we go back?"

The director made a gesture of invitation.

Lin Changhe was anxious, "Director! We can’t let them go! I guarantee I absolutely did not see wrong!"

The director gave Lin Changhe a look, and the latter immediately silenced himself.

Ji Wanwan gave Lin Changhe a sidelong glance with disdain and snorted. She then happily pulled Xu Siming away, bouncing out of the Small Bamboo Courtyard.

Watching the two of them gradually walking further away, Lin Changhe became incredibly anxious, "Director!"

Guo Dacheng spoke coldly, "As dull as a pig, these two, if they really are the individuals you describe, then their strength must be unfathomable.

You should know, up to now, no one has been able to withstand the director’s hypnotism, so if they intended to conceal last night’s actions, do you think they would tell just because you yell at them here?"

Lin Changhe’s face turned red and white in quick succession, unwilling to accept it, he muttered, "So we should just let this matter go?"

"Let it go?" The director lightly rubbed his amputated leg and let out an ambiguous smile, "Heh, who has ever let me off the hook?"

...

The small earthen house.

Once inside, Xu Siming’s tense lips split into a wide grin.

He laughed until he was in tears, "Xiao Wan, you playing the big fool was quite convincing."

Ji Wanwan: "?"

She couldn’t sit still any longer, "What are you saying! What is that supposed to mean! I was obviously portraying a naive and ignorant young girl, unexposed to the ways of the world!"

Xu Siming, "Pfft...okok, whatever you say is right, but can we really fool them like this?"

Thinking of the man with the amputated leg, Ji Wanwan’s expression suddenly became grave, "That man is not simple, deceiving him won’t be easy."

The atmosphere turned serious in an instant, Xu Siming stopped smiling as well, "What do you mean? Is it related to his hypnotism on you just now?"

Just now in the Small Bamboo Courtyard, if it hadn’t been for the System’s sudden intervention at the crucial moment, she probably would have fallen for the director’s trick.

Hypnotism so powerful and domineering that it left one completely unconscious with a single glance was simply unheard of.

Ji Wanwan twiddled her fingertips, "Yes, his hypnotism is very powerful, you must be careful, try not to make eye contact with him as much as possible."

Reflecting carefully on all the details just now, Ji Wanwan added, "This won’t be easy to simply brush aside, they will likely take further action very soon.

By the way, Senior, I involved Zhan Yu just now, and I’m afraid Lin Changhe and his people might have already taken action against Zhan Yu. I’ll go investigate and come back soon."

Xu Siming had not given as much thought as Ji Wanwan, nor was he very clear on why she dragged Zhan Yu into it, but he always believed in one thing, Xiao Wan must have her reasons for doing so, hence he nodded, "Be careful in everything! I’ll wait for you!"

Just as Ji Wanwan had predicted.

When she arrived outside Zhan Yu’s tent, he had already been taken away by Guo Dacheng under the pretext of a mission.

Looking toward the orchard behind the hill, Ji Wanwan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Zhan Yu, I hope you are clever enough to hold your ground and understand the reason behind my actions...

...

For the most of the day that followed, Ji Wanwan and Xu Siming stayed in the small earthen house, quietly observing the changes and attempting to contact Zhou Kai through the walkie-talkie.

But Zhou Kai did not respond at all.

Before they knew it, night had fallen.

Once again, a bonfire was lit within the refuge...