Tang Xiaoman looked like she had seen a ghost—she nearly screamed out loud.
With a “whoosh,” Fubao darted into the storage room, circling her a few times and wagging its tail wildly.
Tang Xiaoman swallowed her scream, steadied herself, and finally recognized that the person standing in front of her was Zhou Yichen.
“You… when did you get here? No—when did you enter my storage room?! No, that’s not right—how do you even have the key to my storage room?!” she asked warily.
Zhou Yichen looked at her with an unreadable expression.
“I heard Fubao barking, so I came to check. It was locked inside, so I opened the door.”
He held up his “lock-picking tool”—a simple piece of wire.
Tang Xiaoman was stunned speechless.
He even had this skill? Was he secretly a locksmith before becoming a special forces soldier?
She wanted to ask what exactly he had seen—but didn’t even have the courage to say it.
Had her space secret been exposed just like that?
For a moment, she seriously considered the urge to silence him permanently.
Perhaps her killing intent was too obvious, because Zhou Yichen instinctively stepped back.
“The others are outside watching,” he warned, lips pressed tight, eyes alert.
Tang Xiaoman calmed herself and indeed saw several heads peeking from different corners.
She was furious.
These guys weren’t sleeping—they were eavesdropping?!
Too idle!
Tomorrow she would increase their training intensity by two levels. Let’s see if they’d still have the energy to gossip.
Unable to suppress her anger, she suddenly grabbed Zhou Yichen and pulled him into the storage room.
“Bang!” The door slammed shut. “Click”—it locked.
Fubao: “……”
Why did the owner only take the captain inside and leave it outside?!
It scratched the door frantically.
Outside, chaos erupted.
The bodyguards hiding in the shadows all came out, male and female alike, gossiping excitedly.
“The boss dragged Captain Zhou into a little black room!”
“Oh my god, is Captain Zhou going to be forced into something…?”
“No way, Captain Zhou is really strong!”
“Or… maybe he didn’t resist?”
A female bodyguard covered her face. “Miss Tang came down in pajamas with her hair loose—she probably just showered. This is clearly intentional!”
Another asked, “Why not go to her room? Why the storage room?”
A silence fell.
No.09 suddenly said, “Maybe… for extra刺激 (thrill).”
That single line detonated the entire group.
Just as they were about to analyze the “battle situation,” No.01 walked out expressionlessly.
“Disperse. Stop gathering. Get back to work.”
His voice was cold, his gaze sharp.
Without Captain Zhou present, No.01 was in charge, and his authority was strong.
Seeing his expression, everyone exchanged looks and, with unspoken understanding, dispersed.
Only Fubao stubbornly stayed by the door.
No.01 glanced at the tightly shut storage room and sneered.
Looks like Captain Zhou had submitted to Miss Tang.
Hmph. So much for moral integrity.
Not everyone could remain as principled as he was.
He was no longer envious of Zhou Yichen’s position at all.
Inside the storage room, Tang Xiaoman pinned Zhou Yichen against the door.
“Speak. Why are you following me?” Her gaze was murderous, accompanied by a chilling grinding-teeth sound.
Zhou Yichen calmly scanned the empty room.
“I saw you go downstairs and followed to check the diesel generator’s noise reduction performance.”
That reminded her—she had indeed assigned him that task, and he had completed every assignment perfectly.
Her grip loosened slightly, but she remained wary.
“What did you see?”
“I heard Fubao barking. I knocked. There was no response. Fubao kept barking, so I worried something had happened and opened the lock.”
He paused.
“I only saw Fubao… and you were gone.”
Tang Xiaoman’s pupils contracted sharply.
“So… what did you see?” she pressed.
Zhou Yichen met her gaze.
“You have an ability.”
Tang Xiaoman: “……”
So direct she didn’t even know how to react.
“There’s too much stuff in that storage room—diesel tanks, gas cylinders. No one could move them instantly without a trace. When I opened the door, only Fubao was there, and you were gone.”
He lowered his voice.
“Do you have another space?”
That was the only logical explanation.
Tang Xiaoman’s expression darkened.
“This is my secret. I don’t want anyone to know.”
“I didn’t tell anyone.” He paused. Then asked calmly, “Are you going to kill me to silence me?”
Tang Xiaoman: “……”
She hadn’t fought him before, but she had seen him in action.
He was strong. Extremely strong.
If they fought one-on-one, she wasn’t certain she would win.
After thinking, she threatened, “Unless you swear never to reveal my secret, I have ways to make you shut up forever.”
Zhou Yichen answered without hesitation.
“I swear I won’t tell anyone—unless you want to kill me to silence me.”
Then he added coldly, “If you try, I’ll shout your secret to the entire world before I die.”
Tang Xiaoman: “……”
What a stubborn one.
But she believed him. He definitely had the ability to do it.
She let go of his neck and patted his shoulder.
“As long as you don’t betray me, I won’t mistreat you. I’ll promote you. Honestly—do you know the apocalypse is coming soon?”
Zhou Yichen: “……”
She wasn’t just mysterious—she was borderline delusional.
Tang Xiaoman continued confidently, “Follow me and I guarantee you’ll have meat, alcohol, and women in the apocalypse!”
Zhou Yichen finally snapped. “Can you… let go of me first?”
Only then did she realize half her body was still pressed against him.
Her pajamas had loosened during the struggle, a few buttons undone.
The summer heat made everything even more obvious—their body temperature, their breath, the closeness.
She froze.
Then panicked.
She quickly stepped back and frantically fixed her clothes.
Zhou Yichen turned his face away, but his ears were completely red.
After she finished dressing, she stared at him seriously.
“Keep your mouth shut. Not a word about tonight.”
“I swear I won’t tell anyone—unless you want to kill me to silence me.”
She believed he meant it.
“I won’t kill you. The apocalypse is coming—we need capable people. You’re useful. I wouldn’t waste you.”
Zhou Yichen: “……”
There she goes again.