Despite expecting there to be abundant information on the Lord, Yan Lidong wasn't anticipating the sheer quantity. He also wasn't expecting the… intensity with which his supporters treated him.
Apparently, the Lord had established a team of five people who took care of the highest threat-level zombies. Piper was his first teammate, followed by, surprisingly, the Warden: the same girl who tried to kidnap—rather, politely dragged him into a cramped maintenance room—at the subway station. She did also save his life, but Yan Lidong was awfully petty. Hunter, the clueless oaf trapped in a pretty boy's body, joined later down the line. Magonia had initially been a rogue who acted on her own, though she accepted the Lord's offer after he scouted her out.
As for the relationships within the team, online forums had countless speculators gathering every day. They were discussed with such fervour that Yan Lidong felt they would beat out the popularity of most A-list celebrities back then.
Before he could dig further, somebody walked in. He pulled up the spreadsheet and quickly wiped his browsing history, though he doubted that his employers would care enough to check. They expected him to be gone within a few days, after all.
"Oh man, the old clerk's gone already? I was going to ask her if she finally managed to confess to the Lord," the woman who walked in muttered. The scanner showed that she was a regular civilian.
"The previous clerk just got fired for his confession, though I can't be certain we're talking about the same one. He was a man who seemed to be exceedingly average by all metrics, perhaps…" Yan Lidong pondered, recalling his current appearance. "Quite similar to myself."
"Wrong one, then; the one I talked to was a delicate, timid girl with a pretty face. So she was rejected, huh? Even though everyone said the Lord was fond of beauties? That's a shame. Man, I hope one of you guys will last longer this time around…" she mumbled. "Ah, not that I'm trying to discredit you. Who knows, maybe you'll hold out for more than a week!"
So the civilians were also aware of the utterly horrific state of employment at the Guild. Yan Lidong, who had long perfected his customer service smile, paid her words no mind. "I hope so too. Well, that should answer your question. Can I help you with anything else?"
The woman perked up. "Right, I came here because I saw a few dozen zombies just down the block. Pretty dang brutal, too! A bunch of evolvers were fighting for their lives back there, even though they seemed to be mid-levels."
"...please lead with that next time," Yan Lidong replied. "I've recorded it. I'll contact the higher-ups, too—it will be dealt with shortly."
He looked at what Hunter had scribbled on the note. After a few more seconds of staring, he slowly put it back down and leaned back in his seat, humming as he fell into thought.
The handwriting was utterly indecipherable. Had someone told him that they were ancient runes, or a sketch of a horrific monster, he would believe them unconditionally. Beyond that, though, he noticed that there was no phone in sight; rather, there was a crystalline object on his desk that emitted a faint glow. As he glanced at it curiously, the woman noticed his line of sight.
"Hey, have they told you about these crystal things? Actually, have they told you anything at all?" she asked.
Yan Lidong helplessly shook his head. "Nothing. All I have is this note, but I don't dare to try and decipher it. For all I know, it could release an ancient spell and hex me."
She laughed. "Hunter left it, then? Well, I've never seen you around before, so you're probably from a different city—makes sense that you'd be a bit clueless. Anyways, these crystals are zombie nuclei, but serve as glorified walkie-talkies. Apparently, they have some kind of inherent connection with one another, so a bunch of evolvers with heightened hearing imbued their power into them. They're used for communication now. Not sure how, but the Lord managed to bring them under his control," she explained. "Most of us regular folk just use phones, though. These things better for the Lord 'cause they're sturdier and can't get hacked."
"Is that so…" Yan Lidong mumbled, absentmindedly tapping the crystal. He started when a hologram appeared above it, displaying a contact list. He looked up with a smile. "Ah, I see. Thank you for your help. How did you know about this, though?"
She grinned sheepishly. "I was a clerk a few months ago, but the Lord was just too charming… Really, who can resist him?" she squealed. "You can see how that ended up, though. Luckily, he didn't hold it against me, and I can still come here—well, it's more likely that he just doesn't remember me."
Yan Lidong, who had yet to see the Lord, was growing increasingly curious. Still, he unfortunately had a job to perform, so he quickly contacted Hunter, who promptly picked up.
"Hey, new kid! Chan… Chin… uh, clerk. Wait, if you're calling, that means you understood my note, didn't you?" his voice grew further away, seemingly having turned to speak to someone else. "He understood my handwriting! See, I told you there's nothing wrong with it!"
A distant, bored voice came through. "Colour me surprised, though I'm pretty sure he just fiddled with the nucleus and figured it out himself. Your handwriting would make a demon piss itself in horror."
"...I'm telling the Lord that you were mean."
"Huh?! Wait, no—!"
Yan Lidong cleared his throat. "Apologies, but there's quite an emergency near the Guild. A horde of zombies has appeared, and even mid-level evolvers seem inadequate."
He heard a yelp on the other end. "What do you mean the mid-levels can't handle it?! Hey, Piper, get out there! Right now!"
The other voice came through again. "What? Why me? Ugh, stop pushing me! Fine, fine! Just make sure the Lord comes to back me up! And don't tell him anything I've said to you!"
Hunter groaned. "You're gross, but sure, I'll try to find him, and my mouth is shut. Just go already!"
"Yay~! Alright then, I'm off."
Shuffling noises came from the other end as Hunter grumbled with annoyance. "You heard that, right? The Lord will be there… if I can find him, at least. Make sure you don't fall for him, no matter what! I'm hanging up now."
As the line disconnected, Yan Lidong tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk, musing on Hunter's words. Though he was horribly curious about what the Lord was like, and especially how he interacted with Piper, at that time, he could sense the man's bloodlust from such a large distance away... perhaps it would be best to avoid him. As much as he loved being a nuisance, he was always reluctant to face the consequences of his own meddling.
"Wait, the Lord will be here? I just have to see him! Hold on, I'm telling my friends to come over!" the woman exclaimed, frantically typing on her phone, snapping Yan Lidong's thoughts back to reality.
Well, if there was going to be a crowd anyway… His lips slowly curved howards. Maybe joining in on the fun would be harmless.