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"I am what?" Aries chuckled inwardly at Estrella's question, fully aware of the answer she desired. Looking into Estrella's eyes, she said, "I'm your dog, Boss." For the next dozen seconds, everything seemed to freeze. Observing Aries kneeling before her, looking devout yet with a hint of cunning in her eyes, like a seemingly gentle creature ready to reveal venomous fangs at any moment, Estrella had to admit that at this moment, she felt a bit intrigued. After a while, Aries clearly saw the pleased smile on Estrella's lips. She knew she had succeeded. She had succeeded in staying alive under Estrella's control and had completely fallen from the position of a subordinate to becoming her dog. There were still a few hours until dawn. Estrella instructed a servant to bring a leash and personally put it around Aries's neck, as if bestowing a favor, tethering her by her side. The next day, when Amber called Aries, she heard her voice hoarse. Amber hesitated and asked, "Miss Aries, are you sick?" Aries had just fallen asleep not long ago, disturbed by this phone call after a night of heightened tension. Now, as she relaxed, her mind was not quite clear. After a while, she slowly responded, "It's nothing, just a bit of a sore throat." Pausing, she asked, "What's the matter?" "Nothing..." After a moment of hesitation, Amber spoke, "I'm just a bit worried. The person in the warehouse is dead. I'm wondering if Boss will..." Aries lay on the bed, her throat burning. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. The heavy fatigue throughout her body made it impossible to even think of moving a finger. Hearing Amber's words, she gazed blankly at the ceiling. "Will what?" she asked in a cold and hollow tone. Amber fell silent for a moment, then earnestly said, "Miss Aries, it's my fault for mishandling things. If Boss questions, you don't have to cover for me." Given Estrella's temperament, if she wanted to punish a subordinate, that person wouldn't live another hour. Amber felt strange because she had heard about Estrella's style. Aries pulled the corners of her mouth, feeling a bit self-delusional. But just a newly recruited follower, how deep could the bond be to make her protect her in front of Estrella? Aries couldn't muster a smile; the fact was just that. Speaking in a raspy voice, she said gently, "It's okay. I've already reported the situation to Boss. Don't worry." She had just spent the night learning how to bark like a dog at Estrella's feet, losing all dignity. "Do your job well and don't disappoint me." Amber, surprised at the favor, quickly responded, "Thank you, Miss Aries. I won't let you down." After hanging up the phone, Aries fell into a drowsy sleep for over an hour, only to be awakened by the knocking of the servants outside Estrella's door.
"Aries, the boss wants you to come over." Aries, opening the door, was in her pajamas with messy hair and a noticeably tired expression. The servant looked into her eyes and said solemnly, "Immediately."
Aries understood; the servant was not targeting her. Estrella's words held absolute authority in the entire Jiang residence. If she said 'immediately,' no one could make her wait. Otherwise, the servant wouldn't have reminded her like this.
Aries nodded, dismissing the thought of going back to change clothes.
Wearing pajamas and slippers, she went upstairs. Aries stopped in front of Estrella's study, raised her hand to knock, got Estrella's permission, and then walked in.
The spacious study had a set of high-end desk and chairs, with a large embroidered map of mountains and rivers hanging on the wall, outlined in gold thread. It radiated an imposing aura in the light, giving off a subtle sense of oppression for anyone standing in front of it.
Both Aries and Estrella hadn't slept for a night, but Aries, with dark circles under her eyes, looked haggard. Estrella, on the other hand, appeared radiant, seemingly in a good mood. She leaned back in a large, soft chair, her gaze leisurely assessing Aries from head to toe. Knowing the question to come, she asked casually, "How's your rest?"
"Not bad." Aries didn't want to dwell on this question. Changing the subject, she asked, "Boss, did you call me for something?"
"Come here." Estrella lifted her chin, summoning Aries as if calling a dog. "Come to my side and kneel."
Aries hesitated. She thought the punishment from last night was over, but something had evidently changed. In the brief pause, Aries circled around the desk and walked to Estrella's side. She knelt on one knee beside her, obediently saying, "Boss."
In the next moment, the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against her forehead. Aries' mind buzzed for an instant, going blank.
Estrella squinted her eyes, coldly saying, "You hesitated."
Aries didn't speak. Her body remained stiff, and the gun pressed against her forehead slowly moved, tracing her cheek to her jaw. It lifted her chin, forcing her to meet Estrella's gaze. Those eyes were sharp, with a proud and domineering expression, like a queen looking down from a high perch.
Estrella lightly uttered three words from her mouth, asking slowly, "Who are you?"
Aries' eyes flickered quickly. She understood this was a replay of last night's play. Irritating Estrella was not a wise move; this woman was capable of anything, even pulling the trigger in the next second, piercing her skull.
So, Aries obediently said, "I'm your dog, Boss."
Estrella chuckled, and the hand pressing the trigger suddenly exerted force.
A 'click' sound echoed. Although no bullet was fired, Aries felt as if her soul had left her body in that instant.
"New mission. There's a secret lab in the wilderness of the south. Your task is to infiltrate, kill everyone inside, and bring back the research results." Estrella released her grip, and the gun clattered on the floor in front of Aries. "Use this gun."
"Understood." As Aries picked up the gun with a bowed head, she felt a hand on her head. The gentle touch allowed her no time to sense the tenderness, and the next moment, her hair was ruthlessly yanked upward. The force felt as if it could tear off her scalp.
Aries gritted her teeth, forced to lift her head. Her entire body tilted in the direction of the force, and a cold, mysterious fragrance wafted over her. Her lower lip was bitten hard, and Aries stared in shock. Her tightly clenched teeth were pried open by an assertive tongue, and before she could even whimper, that tongue invaded.
No resistance!
In that moment, the four words flashed in Aries' mind. Her tense body suddenly relaxed. She looked into Estrella's eyes, which, even during such an act, were still filled with a fierce hostility, showing no sign of desire. Aries met her gaze for two seconds, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to be ravaged.
After a while, Aries was released. The feeling of oxygen deprivation made her dizzy. She almost knelt unsteadily but stabilized herself by placing a hand on her knee. Gasping for breath, she kept her head low.
Estrella lowered her gaze, staring at the slightly parted, blood-red lips that she had bitten. A hint of crimson flashed in her eyes. After a moment, she relaxed, leaning back in the chair, and said leisurely, "Be good."
The engine roared as Aries drove to the edge of Zone D. The surroundings were littered with incomplete bodies and garbage, no longer within the safe zone. Without hesitation,
In the apocalypse, the safe zone had become the last and greatest fortress for people. Its position was unquestionable, but beyond its borders, there were forces that didn't tolerate the oppressive rule of the safe zone's hierarchy. Some chose to run to the wilderness, where zombies and mutated creatures roamed, to establish their own rule.
Aries had visited many wilderness outposts, and they always existed in unexpected places. Living conditions were mostly terrible, and the people there were desperados. Compared to the ruthless actions taken by Zone D residents for food, the sins in the wilderness outposts were open and acknowledged, often glorifying violence.
Devoid of any conspiracies, as long as someone had a big fist capable of crushing anyone who dared to challenge them, they could become the leader there. In the daytime, they would flaunt their power among a group of ragtag individuals. At night, they would drink nauseating low-quality liquor, reveling in debauchery with dirty women. In the early morning hours, someone's head might be smashed with a bottle, and the next day, a new overlord would emerge.
Honestly, Aries didn't dislike this straightforward and brutal lifestyle. Stripping away the hypocrisy and pretense, the safe zone and wilderness outposts weren't much different. Regardless of location, human nature wouldn't change.
"Only the two of us for this mission?" Amber asked in surprise.
Independent labs existing in the wilderness were much more troublesome than outposts. Because one couldn't expect a group of research-focused lunatics to defend against zombies and mutated creatures ready to attack at any time. If an independent lab appeared in the wilderness, it meant there were likely substantial arms and even superhumans present.
"It's Boss's orders," Aries said. "That's how she operates. She only gives orders, without considering the life or death of her subordinates. We just have to find a way to complete the mission."
Amber fell silent, staring at the red dot on the display screen with a heavy expression.
"Although we're indeed on a path that might lead to death, we're not dead yet," Aries said, glancing at her inexplicably. "Don't look so gloomy. Boss kindly gave us weapons for this mission."
"What kind of weapons?" Amber's eyes lit up; she guessed they must be something powerful.
Aries tossed her a handgun, exactly the one Estrella had given her. Amber's expression froze, and picking up the gun from her lap, she fell into silence again.
The uncrowned king of the safe zone, sending two people on a dangerous mission equipped with just a handgun—this seemed too shabby when spread to others.
The focus now wasn't Estrella's face but their life assurance. Amber furrowed her brows.
Aries, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. Considering the dangers of the apocalypse, even in the safe zone, surviving one more day was considered a gain. Ironically, the more one wanted to live longer, the less they could treat life and death seriously. Sometimes the "desperado spirit" had a good chance of turning things around when faced with life and death situations.
Clearly, this Miss Eleven's understanding of the situation wasn't sufficient.
Aries turned on the radio. The signal was intermittent since they were quite far from the safe zone. The radio emitted noisy sounds continuously, and she patiently tuned the dial until finding a relatively stable signal.
"The number of zombies around here is increasing," Amber, whose psychic ability wasn't very effective below the third rank, expressed her worries. If she were at the third or fourth rank, she wouldn't be so concerned about this mission. Aries, with her carefree attitude, probably had a high-ranked ability at her disposal. As her follower, Amber could only do what was within her capability; otherwise, she would appear useless.
"This isn't a safe zone; it's strange not to have zombies," Aries replied casually, raising the volume of the radio. The rhythmic rock music with a strong beat could easily stir emotions. Aries floored the gas pedal, and the car surged forward, knocking away zombies attracted by the sound with a resounding crash.