Chapter 81、Current Girlfriend or Ex-Girlfriend?

"Hmm?"

Zhao Siqi suddenly furrowed her brows, her demeanor turning icy cold. "Boss, do you know that man?"

"If I'm not mistaken... your ex-husband's name is Chen Qiuren, right?"

Yi Bai looked at Zhao Siqi, but fell silent as he realized something. He noticed that, at some point, a sharp scalpel had appeared in her hand, spinning slowly between her fingers.

"Boss, if the person you want dead is him, I can assure you, there are a thousand and one ways to kill him."

Zhao Siqi's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint, dangerous smile curling on her lips.

"A thousand and one ways..." Yi Bai swallowed hard. The woman before him was undoubtedly attractive, but she radiated a dangerous aura that he couldn't ignore.

"No. I'm not killing him."

"Then, may I ask, where is Mr. Chen Qiuren?"

Zhao Siqi's eyelashes fluttered as her smile deepened, tinged with a subtle, almost seductive charm. "Since you've mentioned his name, you must know him... or at least, be able to find him?"

Before Yi Bai could decide what to say—whether to offer an excuse for Chen Qiuren or try to speak well of him—suddenly, a familiar voice boomed from outside.

"Boss! Boss!"

"I'm not going to the trading market today! I'm heading out with the team to look for medical supplies, and maybe some ingredients for making medicines!"

"By the way, do you want me to bring back anything? I can grab some games for you when I'm out..."

The door swung open as Chen Qiuren rambled on, only to freeze mid-sentence. His face, which had been plastered with an ingratiating smile, stiffened instantly. He stood motionless as if frozen in place.

The next moment, he spun around hastily. "Ah, I just remembered! I need to double-check the gear before heading out..."

"Chen... Qiuren!"

Zhao Siqi's cold, sharp voice rang out like a blade, and just three words were enough to make Chen Qiuren freeze in the doorway, paralyzed with fear.

The room fell silent. Yi Bai glanced at Zhao Siqi, then at Chen Qiuren, and couldn't help but remind him.

"She's calling you."

"Uh…"

Chen Qiuren turned slowly, his face contorting into a strained, awkward smile. "Boss, who is this? My new colleague?"

"You don't recognize her?"

Yi Bai raised an eyebrow, surprised. Chen Qiuren shook his head solemnly. "Boss, you know me—I've never been interested in women. I don't fool around with strangers."

Not interested in women? Does that mean he's interested in men?

Yi Bai said nothing but subtly shifted in his seat, instinctively putting more distance between himself and Chen Qiuren.

Zhao Siqi's lips curled into a chilling smile. "So, I'm just a stranger?"

"Ah? Oh! Dr. Zhao!"

Chen Qiuren's eyes widened as if he had just recognized her. His face broke into an exaggerated grin, unmasked joy flooding his expression. "How did you end up here? Wow, look at me—what bad eyes I have! Long time no see, old friend!"

Zhao Siqi's smile remained cold. "So, I'm just a friend?"

Chen Qiuren gave a sheepish laugh. "Well... a girlfriend?"

"Not worthy of the title."

Zhao Siqi twirled the scalpel between her fingers, her voice as cold as her smile. "Mr. Chen, you're so charming, but someone like me, so unremarkable, could never catch your eye. How could I ever be worthy of being your girlfriend?"

Cold sweat broke out on Chen Qiuren's forehead. "So… ex-girlfriend?"

Zhao Siqi fell silent, her beautiful eyes narrowing dangerously, her presence suddenly exuding a palpable threat.

"Alright, alright," Yi Bai interjected, sensing the rising tension. He turned to Zhao Siqi, his tone firm. "Chen Qiuren is under my command. Whatever grievances you have with him, you can speak to me about it, and I'll handle it."

"But let's not let this escalate. Understood?"

Yi Bai's voice brooked no argument. Zhao Siqi glanced at him, then at Chen Qiuren, and her icy expression softened into a polite smile.

"As you wish, my boss."

"I won't cause trouble," she added, her eyes once again falling on Chen Qiuren. Her smile was laced with something unsettling. "After all, we're old friends. I'll have to catch up with him... slowly."

Yi Bai could sense the hostility in her words, but he wasn't sure exactly what had happened between them. Whatever it was, it wasn't the sort of issue they'd openly discuss.

For someone like Zhao Siqi, Yi Bai knew he couldn't deal with this alone. He decided to call Jiang Xiaoci for help.

"Miss Zhao, you're probably not familiar with this place yet," Yi Bai said, thinking quickly. He then activated the communication channel on the surveillance terminal. "Xiaoci, please come upstairs."

"Yes, sir."

Jiang Xiaoci's soft voice came through the terminal. She was always quick to respond to Yi Bai's requests.

"Jiang Xiaoci is my assistant and also the main administrator of our settlement," Yi Bai explained to Zhao Siqi. "She'll be up shortly to arrange your room, meals, and tasks."

"You can ask her for anything, or come to me directly if you prefer."

"…Chen Qiuren." Yi Bai turned to the man. He waved his hand dismissively. "Why are you still standing there? Get to work! Why are you here wasting time instead of researching the flesh-eating bacteria?"

As much as Yi Bai disliked Chen Qiuren, he was giving him an easy way out to avoid the tension in the room.

"Uh, okay, boss."

Chen Qiuren nodded quickly, but his feet remained planted firmly on the ground.

"Why aren't you leaving?"

Yi Bai frowned, growing impatient. Was he so stunned by his ex-lover's presence that he couldn't move?

"Boss..." Chen Qiuren managed to force out a painfully awkward grin. "My legs… they're numb… I can't move."

"Numb?" Yi Bai raised an eyebrow. "You're a grown man, and you're telling me your legs went numb just from standing for a while?"

"Boss, it's… my… old friend gave me something."

Chen Qiuren gave Zhao Siqi a furtive glance, his eyes pleading, as if silently begging for mercy.

Yi Bai blinked, taken aback.

He turned to look at Zhao Siqi, speechless for a moment. So, these two were the type who liked to slip poison into people's drinks without a word.

"Are you complaining that I shouldn't have done that?" Zhao Siqi raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking to Chen Qiuren.

Chen Qiuren quickly shook his head, too afraid to say anything more.

"Since the boss still needs you, I'll let it slide this time," Zhao Siqi said, waving her hand dismissively. "Go on."

Without offering any antidote, Chen Qiuren bolted from the room like a man escaping a tiger's den, not daring to look back.

"Huh?" Yi Bai muttered, curious. "What's this trick? If it's a paralytic poison, it should take some time to wear off. How did his legs recover so quickly?"

"Boss, it's a neurotoxin—newly developed, by me," Zhao Siqi explained, a gleam of pride in her eyes as she twirled a strand of hair. "And that man has decent poison resistance, so he recovered quickly."

"I see."

Yi Bai nodded, intrigued. "So, you have a special way of handling bacteria and viruses?"

"Recently, our settlement has been dealing with a dangerous strain of bacteria—'flesh-eating bacteria.' It's not from Earth..."

Yi Bai went on to explain the situation with the flesh-eating bacteria, and Zhao Siqi listened attentively. After a pause, she spoke.

"Since Mr. Chen's toxin works, it means this kind of bacteria can still be addressed with medical techniques," she said thoughtfully. "If you trust me, I could try helping."

Just as she finished speaking, footsteps echoed outside.

Both Yi Bai and Zhao Siqi turned their heads. Jiang Xiaoci had arrived.

"Miss Zhao, feel free to try. I fully support you," Yi Bai said.

With Zhao Siqi now part of their team, Yi Bai felt a renewed sense of hope that she might have the unique insights they needed to counter the flesh-eating bacteria.

Jiang Xiaoci greeted Zhao Siqi with a warm smile as she entered.

"Miss Zhao, follow me, please," she said.

"Mm."

Zhao Siqi nodded, her eyes lingering on Jiang Xiaoci as the two women left the room together.

After they were gone, Yi Bai leaned back, his mind turning.

"This is getting interesting," he murmured. "Two killer doctors."

He could tell Zhao Siqi was loyal—for now. But what had Chen Qiuren done to her? Whatever it was, it was clear that their past was filled with bitterness.

Yi Bai didn't have time to explore that mystery. The threat of the flesh-eating bacteria still loomed, and time was running out.

"Still need to check the rewards from the last round," Yi Bai muttered to himself, glancing over his inventory. "Maybe there's something new to help me survive the second apocalypse."