"This, eat it," Jeffry said, offering a peeled slice of apple. Karina accepted it with a smile and promptly popped the apple slice into her mouth.
"Miss Karina, please eat this beef to boost your protein intake," said Cores with his usual smile.
"For this period, I'm avoiding meat; I'm on a diet," Karina replied with a smile as she glanced at the meat dish in front of her. From the texture alone, she knew it was human meat.
"What a pity; this dish was specially prepared to welcome the headquarter leader. Well then, Mr. Jeffry, please enjoy it."
Hearing this, Jeffry stayed silent, refusing to respond, focusing instead on removing watermelon seeds for Karina.
Although only briefly, Karina caught a glimpse of irritation in Cores' expression.
Changing her demeanor, Karina nudged Jeffry with her elbow.
"Even if you don't trust Mr. Cores, at least respect him. Don't ignore his words. If you keep acting like this, we should just break up."
Hearing Karina's words, Jeffry's eyes widened in shock, and the tweezers he was holding fell onto the plate with a loud clatter. Moments later, recalling their discussion the night before, he regained his composure.
Closing his eyes briefly, he said, "We in the military have specialized meals with carefully managed proteins, carbohydrates, and fats."
Then he looked at Karina with a serious expression, his tone soft but firm. "Don't joke like that again."
"My apologies; I didn't mean to cause any conflict between you," said Cores.
"Don't worry, sir. Anyone who disrespects you is also insulting me, and I will not let that happen."
"We need to talk!" Karina declared, grabbing Jeffry's hand.
Karina glanced around, searching for hidden cameras. Once she was sure everything was clear, she hugged Jeffry's waist tightly.
"Don't joke like that again."
Slowly, Jeffry's hands encircled her waist, making a smile bloom on her lips.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, leaning her head against his broad chest.
"How about Eila?" she asked softly.
"I've given orders to bring Eila to the headquarters first. Don't worry," Jeffry said, stroking her long black hair.
"Ah, so you're here!" exclaimed a woman in surprise, covering her eyes with her hand.
Hearing the voice, Karina immediately released her embrace.
Feeling the warmth disappear, Jeffry could only scowl, glaring sharply at the woman who had arrived unexpectedly.
"What is it?" he snapped.
"Mr. Cores is calling for Miss Karina," the woman replied nervously.
"Alright, let's go!" Karina said, holding Jeffry's hand. But as they started to walk, an outstretched arm stopped them.
"Miss Karina alone."
Jeffry's displeased expression was evident as he glared at the woman with murderous intent, intimidating her into lowering her gaze.
What's that mutant planning now? Jeffry thought angrily. However, a gentle hand on his arm calmed his fury. Looking at Karina, he reluctantly said,
"Fine."
0o0
"If Mr. Cores allows, I can retrieve the information," Karina said, her tone deliberate. Hearing this, Cores laughed inwardly. Soon, he would become even more powerful, unrivaled by anyone.
"No, stealing is a sin, no matter what," he replied, masking his excitement.
"I won't steal; I'll persuade my boyfriend, sir."
"Thank you for your sacrifice. In your next life, you will find happiness. And with this medicine, the people here will surely be helped. I was saddened to see so many people suffering on streets filled with creatures of doom."
Hearing this, Karina could only curse inwardly. The man before her was utterly hypocritical.
o0o
Crash!
The sound of shattering glassware echoed loudly.
"Damn it! Why does it keep failing?" The angry shout reverberated in a pristine white laboratory.
Creak!
Hearing the door open, the person's expression instantly changed.
"Are you alright?" the visitor asked, walking quickly toward them, concern evident on their face.
"Brother Jhon, why are you here? I'm sorry, I broke the lab equipment. I haven't been feeling well today," she said, holding her head to support her act.
"Don't push yourself like this. If you fall ill, I'll feel guilty toward your late father."
"I'm fine, and I need to complete this research. Tsk..." she murmured weakly, one hand clutching her head.
Moments later, Lily collapsed to the side with a convincing expression. Jhonny quickly caught her slender waist, ready to support her.
"Don't overdo it," Jhonny said, guiding Lily to the sofa.
"But maybe Brother Jeff was right. I'm useless. It's been over a year of researching zombies, yet I've achieved nothing but wasted time and resources."
Hearing Lily's regretful words, Jhonny's face turned grim.
"You don't need to worry. Once Jeff returns, I'll confront him," he said firmly.
"No, don't. Jeff is the headquarters leader; he has many responsibilities. This is my fault for being useless. Hic hic..."
"Fortunately, Karina is smart. She just joined the research team but has already made significant discoveries that are beneficial to society. At least I'm relieved that there's progress in this research," Lily added with a sad tone.
Hearing this, Jhonny lowered his gaze, his hands clenched in suppressed anger. If only he were stronger, Lily wouldn't feel so inadequate.
But wait—wasn't Karina recruited to be part of the military? Why was she suddenly on the research team? And wasn't she untrained in science?
Jhonny's brow furrowed as he pondered this. How could Karina produce such groundbreaking results so quickly when even senior scientists had failed? Something didn't add up.
Noticing Jhonny's reaction, Lily smiled smugly. She had just planted the seeds of her suspicion. She also doubted that the medicine was truly discovered by Karina and suspected it was the work of another scientist deliberately hidden.
Just because Karina was the headquarters leader's girlfriend didn't mean she could deceive the public like this. She couldn't stay silent; justice had to prevail.
"Brother Jhon, don't be mad. I'm fine," Lily said, tugging on Jhonny's hand and offering her best smile.
Unable to meet Lily's gaze, Jhonny turned away, guilt filling his heart. Both his childhood friend and Jeffry had given him sorrowful smiles.
He rose from the sofa, looking at Lily. "You need to rest. Don't clean up the shards yourself—call the lab staff. I need to help Jeffry kill that mutant."
After saying this, he left the laboratory to find Jeffry. There was something he needed to confirm today.
0o0