Banquet

In the distance, a silver drone flew over and stopped in front of Born. An ethereal voice then sounded from the drone.

"Hello, Born. I am Aileen, Angelica's sister. The Red Sea branch of the Star Laboratory cordially invites you to visit the Red Sea Restaurant the day after tomorrow at 8 a.m."

"The banquet attendees will include Angelica, Fern, Edwin, Aileen, and the former mayor of Dover City, Stanley."

Before Born could say anything, the silver drone ascended again and quickly disappeared from sight.

Red Sea Restaurant? As a guest? Before the apocalypse, the Red Sea Restaurant was one of the top-rated establishments in the area, hosting various high-profile banquets and gatherings of celebrities. But the term "guest" in the context of the apocalypse felt strangely out of place.

"Edwin, Stanley?" Born murmured.

Lane paused, burying his head in Born's chest and softly said, "Stanley was the mayor; you should know that. Edwin is the chairman of the Edwin Group."

"You've heard before that the Edwin Group is one of the top conglomerates in the entire Aurora Province."

Dover City was just a city within Aurora Province. Born frowned slightly; the people attending this meeting were all significant figures.

"By the way, what were you going to tell me earlier?" Born suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Lane shook his head, smiled, and leaned against Born's shoulder, counting the stars one by one. After an unknown amount of time, Lane finally fell into a deep sleep.

Born kissed Lane's forehead and whispered, "You little fool."

He picked Lane up and carried him to the room. That night, he did nothing but hold Lane and sleep deeply.

The next day.

In the meeting room, Emerson was looking at the map, frowning involuntarily.

"Red Sea Restaurant is located in the center of Dover City. You don't even have to think about it to know that place is crawling with zombies. It's definitely a trap; there's no need to go," Emerson said with a cold snort, slapping the table.

The exhibition hall and the Star Laboratory were both located on the outskirts of Dover City. Even so, there were plenty of zombies nearby. But the Red Sea Restaurant, right in the city center, would have zombies numbering in the thousands.

"At least in the millions," Born said with a smile. He looked relaxed, as if a million zombies were nothing to worry about.

"That's all the more reason not to go. Even if, by some miracle, the Star Laboratory really is hosting a banquet at the Red Sea Restaurant and inviting all these big shots, what if they poison the food? Those bastards…" It was clear that Emerson was genuinely worried about Born.

Born stepped forward and patted Emerson on the shoulder. Yes, they were inviting important people. Had Born become one of Dover City's big shots without realizing it?

The chairman of the Edwin Group, Edwin. The chief scientist of the Red Sea branch of the Star Laboratory, Aileen, representing a renowned conglomerate. The former mayor of Dover City. These were people who, before the apocalypse, had nothing to do with Born. And now, they were all going to the same meeting?

"If they're inviting important people, how could they fear a little obstacle like this?"

"I'm going. I have to go." Born's tone was light, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

Emerson pointed at Born, unable to say anything for a moment. He looked at the map, his expression serious.

"Then we need to plan a route. We can't go down Red Sea Avenue. We'll have to go through the residential areas and use the buildings for cover…"

In a short time, Emerson had mapped out a feasible route for Born. He was integrating into the base, and his actions showed that he prioritized Born's safety.

Born listened carefully, not missing a single detail.

In the afternoon, Born called back the big cat and assembled thirty elite legion members dressed in maid uniforms. For some reason, Lane said he was very tired and didn't want to participate in this mission. Born didn't force him.

With Pearl, Mia, and Teri, Born set out for the Red Sea Restaurant. The banquet was at 8 a.m. the next morning, so they needed to leave early to make it on time.

The combat vehicle roared to life. With the machine gun clearing the way, Born exchanged for twenty thousand rounds of ammunition, carelessly tossing them into the vehicle to use as needed.

As the sky darkened, Born and his group sat in the combat vehicle, with the Red Sea Restaurant just ahead.

"Arrived twelve hours early. Cut the engine and rest well," Born ordered.

The Red Sea Restaurant was located on Red Sea Avenue, Dover City's most bustling street before the apocalypse. The street was now densely packed with zombies, completely filling the road as far as the eye could see. Fortunately, when they parked, the maid corps equipped their automatic crossbows to shoot down the zombies. The piled-up corpses created a natural defense for the combat vehicle.

Zombies were sensitive to sound, so everyone remained quiet inside the vehicle. Suddenly, zombies in the distance began converging in one direction. Born's eyes narrowed, and he signaled to Mia.

Mia understood, handed him the binoculars.

"It seems we're not the only ones who arrived early," Born whispered.

In the distance, after about an hour of zombie frenzy, the horde finally stopped. A group of about forty to fifty people rushed into a nearby building and shut the door behind them. The distance was too great for Born to see clearly, but he got a general idea.

This group was well-equipped with automatic crossbows and melee weapons, efficiently killing zombies with minimal noise.

After some time, gunfire erupted from the rear. This time, a group of people in white combat uniforms, each bearing a five-pointed star on their chest, appeared.

Born squinted his eyes. These were people from the Star Laboratory. He spotted Aileen, who was even more stunning in person than in her photos, walking in the middle of the group with her arms crossed. Her long hair flowed behind her, and her cold, aloof demeanor gave her an air of an ice queen.

Next to Aileen was a little girl with a vacant expression—Angelica. Seeing Angelica again, Born felt that she had changed. The once lively and sometimes silly Angelica, whose eyes were her most captivating feature with their clear brightness, now had eyes devoid of any light.

The Star Laboratory was formidable. They almost forcefully pushed their way through, paying no heed to the zombies attracted by the noise of their combat. When they reached the entrance of the Red Sea Restaurant, the Star Laboratory team threw a smoke grenade that emitted a blood-red smoke. The zombies were instantly drawn to the smoke, completely ignoring the Star Laboratory members, who then strolled into the restaurant without a care.

Born took a deep breath, gaining a new understanding of the Star Laboratory's capabilities. Beyond their biochemical weapons, the Star Laboratory's combat prowess was not to be underestimated.

"The guests have arrived early too. Let's sleep. Tomorrow morning, we attend the banquet!"