Every cell in Luo Xiaole's body practically leaped upon hearing this.
What did it mean? Did zombies have a chance to turn back into humans?
Seeing her expression, the staff member immediately understood her assumption. He said with some difficulty, "But it's not a true return to being human. It's more like people like us... but with human hearts, still zombies..."
After speaking, he glanced at Luo Xiaole apprehensively, expecting her to be surprised. To his surprise, her expression actually calmed down.
"You mean, they maintain their zombie appearance but retain their human reason, right?"
Seeing her articulate it so precisely, the person immediately understood. "You've seen reverse-zombie humans before? Could it be Madam... but that's not right. When Madam left, the zombie virus hadn't spread on a large scale yet..."
Luo Xiaole was completely bewildered. Madam?
This "Madam" couldn't possibly be Qin Mingyang's mother. After all, everyone here called that one "Young Madam," and she didn't have any zombie traits...
Wait, could it be Mo Chen's mother?
"Are you referring to the Qin family's First Madam? The one who committed suicide years ago?" Luo Xiaole asked anxiously.
"Hush!" The person was terrified, as if afraid of being overheard. He pulled Luo Xiaole to a corner far from the office.
"You mustn't speak of such things carelessly. I'm only telling you because you asked! First Madam didn't commit suicide! I once secretly saw a classified file that was nearly destroyed. First Madam was... dismembered by Grandpa..."
What!!
Luo Xiaole was suddenly shocked and tried to piece things together.
"Connecting what you said earlier, so Qin Li was working on the zombie virus, and First Madam discovered and opposed it. He then infected First Madam with the virus, intending to control her. But First Madam was later zombified by you, her mind returning to human consciousness, yet Qin Li used her zombie appearance to dismember her...?" As she spoke, even she found it hard to believe.
"Y-yes..." The person was also drenched in cold sweat. This was a top secret of the Qin family; he hadn't even told his colleagues. Yet, with each recollection, he felt Qin Li's terror and cruelty more intensely.
Luo Xiaole felt a wave of physical discomfort for no reason. So Qin Li's act of doting on his wife was all a show, just to gain a reputation as a loving husband and father?
But everyone wasn't blind. Otherwise, the gossip about him abusing First Madam wouldn't have secretly spread among the servants...
His actions were truly disgusting.
"But did you leave behind any evidence?" Luo Xiaole asked casually, as this matter was too sensational. Without proof, a single voice wouldn't be enough to reveal the truth.
"Yes, I've kept that document hidden in my personal space, unseen by anyone. Perhaps someone who couldn't bear it secretly collected it at the time. I'll get it for you." The person rummaged through his belongings and finally produced screenshots of the scene and photos of the dismemberment...
The staff member rummaged again and pulled out another file, handing it to Luo Xiaole. "Last time I saw you looking for their information, I happened to organize a copy. I always felt you'd need it."
Luo Xiaole looked down. It was precisely the receipt for Qin Li hiring assassins to kill her parents...
Along with the death reports and assassination receipts of other researchers from the same period...
Luo Xiaole's lips tightened, her hands trembling. Only now could she completely confirm that the person who had targeted her parents back then was indeed Qin Li himself.
"I will make him pay!" Luo Xiaole gritted her teeth and said resentfully.
With all the evidence in hand, Luo Xiaole carefully stored everything away.
She reached out and patted the staff member's shoulder. "The information you provided is very useful. Don't worry, your family is now my responsibility. I'm leaving right now." She then turned to leave.
The person's eyes instantly reddened. He had revealed all the crucial secrets. What awaited him now was likely an abyss from which there was no escape...
Luo Xiaole, like a spring, bounced back and handed him several vials that looked like potion bottles. "These are painkillers and stabilizers. Take them, just in case."
For some reason, she had a sense of unease.
After Luo Xiaole left, the tears in the person's eyes could no longer be held back and fell.
Since Qin Mingyang activated the ring, he had become like a changed person, exhibiting zombie-like frenzied characteristics...
Now, he was also locked in this laboratory by Qin Mingyang...
He knew very well that he didn't have much time left to live...
Whether Qin Mingyang went berserk or Qin Li's plan succeeded, they would be dealt with immediately.
But he couldn't escape. If he were discovered missing, his family would be cruelly dealt with.
He could only try to buy Luo Xiaole more time...
He tightly clutched the small bottles Luo Xiaole had given him, as if grasping his last hope. He thought to himself, Little bean sprout, I'm sorry. My family, I entrust them to you from now on...
...
Luo Xiaole wasted no time and headed straight for Mo Chen's room. Luo Shu and the others were indeed still there.
Good heavens, had this place turned into a communal dormitory again?
"Zhou Xiaojun!" Luo Xiaole shouted.
"I'm here!" Zhou Xiaojun, with his mouth stuffed full, poked his head out from the pile of chocolate wrappers on the floor.
"Come with me." Luo Xiaole said nothing further, stepped forward, and slung Zhou Xiaojun over her shoulder.
"???" Luo Shu, witnessing this bizarre scene, dropped his potato chips in surprise...
"Is she carrying a pig?"
"Ahhh, Luo Shu, shut up!" Zhou Xiaojun snapped. How could this witty and handsome him be compared to a pig?
It was utterly unreasonable!
"Ahhhhhhh!" Then he let out an uncontrollable scream.
Luo Xiaole was actually carrying him and leaped directly from the windowsill. The feeling of weightlessness was distinct, followed by an instant landing!
"Ga..." His scream got stuck in his throat.
"Alright, we've landed. Cover your mouth and don't make a sound," Luo Xiaole instructed.
He quickly complied.
Luo Xiaole nodded in satisfaction and then, with a slight push of her toes, made an incredibly powerful leap, soaring onto another rooftop and darting between buildings...
Zhou Xiaojun's heart was pounding out of his chest. This was too... too thrilling!!!
"Concentrate and help me listen for any keywords related to these names..." Luo Xiaole told him the researcher's name and his family's information.
"There... I've got it! Stop..." Zhou Xiaojun finally heard the keywords amidst the crowd.
"There's a team leaving the city right now, and it's related to the names you just mentioned!"
Zhou Xiaojun felt like he was going to fly apart. He had finally heard it!
Leaving the city?
Luo Xiaole frowned. The zombie king was being kept outside the city. How could their family members be living outside?
While Zhou Xiaojun was about to faint, Luo Xiaole finally followed the clues, leaping and darting a few times to arrive in front of several simple houses.
Inside a few rather crude rooms, she found the researcher's mother and the families of other researchers...
"Holy crap!" Looking at the scene outside, then at the scene inside.
"This Qin Li is outrageous! The zombie king's breeding ground is right across the street, and they're actually keeping the researchers' families here! Is he even human!"
Qin Li, who was "not human," suddenly sneezed several times, as if someone were scolding him...
Finally, Luo Xiaole, through her "connections" at the main gate, managed to sneak the family members into the capital base undetected...
She handed them over to A Ling and the others.
They would hide them for now.
Returning to the Qin residence undetected, still carrying Zhou Xiaojun, Luo Xiaole happened to pass by the bathroom.
Wait...
She froze abruptly and looked at the bathroom wall. As Mo Chen had said, there were faint traces of black blood seeping from the corners...
This wasn't right...
First Madam had been dismembered and died years ago. If she were embedded there, why would the wall still be seeping blood?