Chapter Fifteen: Almost Lost Control

"You’re Xiao Ma." Liu Jing, the business department manager, walked over and stared at Ma Yi, so surprised she couldn’t speak. Just moments ago, she’d been naked in front of him—he’d seen it all. She had once considered keeping this young employee with no social connections or relatives, not because Ma Yi was particularly attractive, but because such people were easy to handle and useful.

After her divorce, Liu Jing had kept a few company employees before, giving them some money to part ways once she was done. Those men, after sleeping with her, even felt pleased with themselves. But Liu Jing knew perfectly well who was really playing whom.

"What a coincidence." Ma Yi smiled as he looked at Manager Liu. She had taken care of her body well. No matter what she might have thought back then, she had genuinely helped him. Ma Yi felt good about her, almost like she was an elder sister. If the world hadn’t changed, he might even have wanted to be ‘kept’ by Manager Liu Jing.

"How are things outside now? Has the government started rescue operations?" Chen Yuanshan’s nephew, Chen Liang, glanced at Ma Yi, burping quietly to himself and thinking, Damn, this guy is really tall and strong.

"What government? The country doesn’t exist anymore. Don’t you all know what’s going on outside? Haven’t you been online?" Ma Yi asked, astonished. These were supposed to be social elites, yet they didn’t know something as basic as this? He continued with a calm voice, "Ninety percent of the population has turned into zombies. In our city alone, there are over two million of them."

"What!" Everyone in the room cried out in shock. The deputy manager, Zhao, was utterly stunned, his face drained of color. All his hopes and dreams vanished in an instant.

"Well, it’s embarrassing to say. Our villa district is great, but the signal tower’s always been an issue. We used to rely on the community’s wireless network, so no one cared about the signal tower being unreliable," Chen Yuanshan sighed.

"Does this mean humanity is finished?" Chen Yuanshan asked, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. When he’d first returned to the villa, he’d watched the news. Society was unstable, but no one understood the government’s power better than people like him who dealt with it every day. He hadn’t thought much about it—after he got home, he didn’t question why there was no rescue. He assumed the chaos was nationwide, and the government simply couldn’t cope. He’d comforted himself by believing that things would get better if they held out a bit longer.

"Pretty much. Just look at your villa district. How many households are still safe? The wider society is the same—one in ten survive at best," Ma Yi nodded.

"That’s true. I’ve checked from upstairs. Apart from the residents, all the maids and gardeners have turned. There must be hundreds. By the way, with so many zombies around, how did you get here?" Chen Liang suddenly looked at Ma Yi, his eyes filled with excitement. If Ma Yi could make it here, either the zombies had left, or Ma Yi knew a safe route.

"I fought my way through," Ma Yi replied, noticing the hope in Chen Liang’s eyes. Chen Liang clearly thought Ma Yi must know a shortcut in and out.

"Just surviving out there is good enough. There are even more zombies outside than there are here," Ma Yi added.

"You fought your way in?" Chen Liang shuddered, eyeing Ma Yi again. He had the height, the explosive muscles—intimidating, but only someone like him could cut through a horde of zombies. As for himself, he might do fine with women or driving a sports car, but fighting zombies? He wouldn’t even make a mouthful for them.

"Xiao Ma, I’ll follow you from now on. Wherever you go, I’ll go," Liu Jing said, her gaze shifting. She didn’t care about Ma Yi’s transformation over the past few days—she quickly pressed her body against his arm, her full chest rubbing up against him. She knew all too well: in this new world, survival depended on attaching herself to someone brave and strong.

"Don’t be like that. I’m just here to scout the area. My wife and sister-in-law are waiting for me at home. This place is pretty good—far from the city, not too many zombies, good for surviving in the future. You all should eat well and try your best. There’s plenty of supplies outside," Ma Yi said, checking the time. It was time to head back. If he returned late, Liu Wen would worry. He quickly tried to shut down Liu Jing’s advances.

"You’re married? How come I never heard about that? Tell me the truth—are you just saying that because you think I’m dirty?" Liu Jing was taken aback and looked at her own body. She had already investigated Ma Yi before trying to seduce him and knew he was an orphan who’d never even had a girlfriend.

"Of course not. I’ve never been married. I found my wife by chance." Ma Yi, deep down, despised these promiscuous people, but he couldn’t deny that he felt a bit envious. Still, he now had a wife, even if they hadn’t truly become a married couple in every sense.

"You saved my life, and I have no other way to repay you. If nothing else, let me spend a night with you," Liu Jing said, giving Ma Yi a lingering look. She had long desired this young man’s body, and now was her chance. Who knew if there would be another opportunity? Who could predict what tomorrow would bring? It was better to seize the moment.

"That’s right, brother. You saved our lives, and we have nothing else to offer. These ladies aren’t virgins, but they should show their gratitude," Chen Liang said, signaling to the three female public relations managers. Since Ma Yi was so capable, now was the time to curry favor. Hadn’t Ma Yi just said he might move here soon? Better to lay the groundwork now, or it might be too late later.

In an instant, several women, including Chen Yuanshan’s secretary, gathered around Ma Yi, thanking him profusely, letting their bodies brush against his.

Ma Yi sucked in a breath—this was the first time he’d been surrounded by so many women, all of them quite beautiful. Otherwise, how could they have gotten involved with the Chen family? He’d always thought he’d be single for life, but suddenly, fortune had smiled on him. He didn’t know if he should thank the apocalypse itself for bringing him everything he now had, elevating him up the ladder of life.

Inside, the devil kept urging him to try, while reason—the little angel—reminded him not to betray Liu Wen. The struggle was fierce, but Ma Yi knew himself. In the end, he held back, not wanting to risk infecting anyone for a mere night of pleasure. He decided to return home, test himself, and if nothing happened, maybe he’d visit these colleagues later. Who knew, perhaps he would move here tomorrow. For now, it was best to go home.

Forcing his massive body out from among the women, he wore a regretful smile. "Let’s leave it for today. I’ll be moving here soon enough—you’ll have plenty of chances to thank me. I’ll look after everyone as best I can, but let me be clear: I’ll help a little, but you can’t depend on me entirely. You still need to make your own efforts."

Before anyone could react, Ma Yi fled the villa in a hurry. He was truly afraid that, if he didn’t restrain himself, he’d try these former bosses’ ‘skills’ and end up infecting one of them. Then they’d either be bitten and turned by zombies, or he’d have to kill them to silence them. It was better to endure for now.

"In the future, we need to treat this brother with respect. Keep our egos as low as possible. With him here, we won’t starve. As long as he’s human, we should find his weaknesses and please him," Chen Yuanshan said from behind his desk. His nephew and the deputy manager sat silently on the sofas, listening.

"Uncle, I understand. You all know my bodyguard—he’s a retired soldier, one of the best, but even he couldn’t get out. For Ma Yi to come and go among zombies, his strength must be off the charts," Chen Liang nodded. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to go out, but they were used to power and status and dared not risk their lives. When things got desperate, they’d sent the bodyguard to fetch food, only to watch him get swarmed and torn apart by zombies.

"Good. And you, Xiao Zhao?" Chen Yuanshan looked at Deputy Manager Zhao. He’d originally planned to keep him on to help run the company once things stabilized, but now that seemed unnecessary. Still, Zhao had managed the company for years, so some consideration was due. If Ma Yi took offense at Zhao’s earlier words, that could create a rift. If Ma Yi really had a problem with him, it didn’t matter whether Zhao was killed or handed over to Ma Yi—it was all the same.

"Don’t worry, boss. I know my place. From now on, I’m just a lackey." Anyone who makes it to deputy manager isn’t naïve. No one climbs that high by being honest and straightforward, unless it’s a family business. Everyone at this level has fought tooth and nail to get there.

Chen Yuanshan’s wife entered the study and stood quietly by, listening to the men talk. She never interfered with men’s affairs. Chen Yuanshan’s kindly demeanor was just an act; behind every success lay a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood. She was content to play her role—she didn’t care if he took a mistress. In the past, it was about vanity, having food and drink, spending money, singing with her friends, playing with young men. Now, survival was all that mattered. She kept her opinions to herself and behaved.