The Faceless CEO

"How did you know all of this?" Victor asked, now fully turning to face the old woman. His grip on the shotgun loosened slightly, resting the weapon against his side, but his stance remained guarded.

The woman didn’t answer immediately. She merely glanced at him before making her way toward Nathan’s seat. Nathan and Amanda, already standing beside each other, lowered their heads in silent acknowledgment as she passed.

With a weary sigh, she settled into the chair, her frail frame sinking into the worn cushions. She heaved a deep breath before her lips pressed into a tight frown. "Let’s just say," she murmured, her voice laced with something bitter and unspoken, "I was one of the investors behind this antidote madness."

Her jaw clenched, the tension evident in the way her weathered face hardened.

Victor and Hiroshi stiffened, their muscles tensing at the revelation.

"The very first infected human was brought into a government lab," she continued, her fingers idly gripping the armrests as she began to rock slightly, despite the fact that it was a swivel chair. "Scientists scrambled to find a cure—an antidote, at the very least. But desperation comes at a price."

She let out a hollow chuckle. "They turned to the wealthy, the powerful, asking for investments. And, of course, to save humanity, the rich poured millions, even billions, into making this antidote a reality."

Her expression darkened, eyes narrowing as she spat the name like venom. "But that one-of-a-heartless-beast, Xianyu Zhao, the faceless CEO of Ember Company, took advantage of the situation."

The chair let out a soft creak as she stopped rocking. "He gathered all the investments under the guise of aiding the research. But in truth? He funneled everything into his own project." Her voice dropped lower, almost seething.

The room grew eerily still, the weight of her words settling like a storm about to break.

"And that is how the Codes were created—born out of Xianyu Zhao's insatiable curiosity," the old woman continued, her voice steady despite the bitterness beneath it. "Although, somehow, he succeeded with Code Nine… but before they could even take proper samples, the lab was overrun with zombies." She exhaled sharply. "Not that it would have mattered. We highly doubt that Monster Zhao ever intended to distribute the cure to the people."

Hiroshi hesitated before raising his hand slightly, a cautious attempt to interrupt. "Pardon my question," he began, drawing the old woman's sharp gaze. "B-But how did you come to know about the Codes? Were their identities made public before the outbreak?"

The old woman stilled for a moment, then let out a dry chuckle. "Good question," she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Then, her expression darkened. "And the answer is no."

She leaned forward slightly. "I had someone working in the lab to ensure the experiments were proceeding as planned. He kept me updated... until one day, he went missing." Her fingers curled against the armrest. "I believe they turned him into a specimen, just like the rest."

Victor took a slow step forward, his voice firm yet laced with unease. "Azumi. Azumi Yanai. Is she really one of these experiments?"

The old woman didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached into her pocket and carefully pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Her hands, aged and trembling, delicately unfolded it, spreading the fragile document across the table with utmost caution, as if it might disintegrate at the slightest wrong move.

The ink was faded, the edges worn from time, but the moment Victor’s eyes scanned the list, his shoulders visibly dropped.

"Azumi Yanai," Amanda read aloud, her voice barely above a whisper. She swallowed hard. "So, she is Code Nine."

"As I overheard earlier," the old woman began, her voice sharp, "Code Nine was the one who escaped, while the other was taken..."

Her piercing gaze shifted to Amanda, who visibly tensed under the scrutiny.

Amanda averted her eyes almost immediately, her gaze flickering to the ceiling as if the peeling paint above held all the answers she couldn't give.

The old woman exhaled through her nose, her fingers tightening into a fist. "Then there's a great chance," she continued, her tone laced with certainty, "that Xianyu Zhao is still alive."

She leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. "And if that's the case... he's still after the Codes. Pursuing them—hunting them down—to continue whatever sick joke he’s been planning all along."

"Perhaps… do you know where he might be hiding? Where can we find this man?!" Hiroshi's voice carried an urgency that couldn't be ignored. Finding Xianyu meant finding Adelina.

The old woman sighed, shaking her head. "Xianyu owns vast lands across countless places. He could be anywhere." Her expression darkened. "But if you ask me… before anything else, you should know who you're dealing with before you make your move."

Her sharp gaze locked onto Hiroshi and Victor, scanning their worn-out faces, their restless eyes filled with concern, fear, and something deeper—desperation.

"I recognize that look," she murmured, her voice quieter now. "The weight of fear, of helplessness when someone you love is out there, and you have no idea if they're alive or dead." She leaned forward slightly. "I do not claim to understand love, but I do know one thing—impulsive actions rarely end well."

Then, she fully turned to Victor, studying him as if she could read him like an open book.

"Is Azumi your lover?" she asked, straightforward and unfiltered.

Victor didn’t hesitate. He nodded—fast, firm, without a second thought.

A small, knowing smile tugged at the old woman’s lips. "Then you have no reason to worry," she said simply. "Even if she’s out there in the dark, alone, she will never turn into a zombie."

Victor inhaled sharply, his hands tightening into fists.

"She is Code Nine. The only perfect experiment Monster Zhao ever created…" The woman chuckled, a dry, almost mocking laugh. "And yet, he still lost her."

"So we find her before Zhao does, right?" Victor stepped even closer, his eyes burning with urgency.

Before the old woman could nod, he turned to Hiroshi, motioning toward him. "And Adelina, too?"

The old woman remained still, her gaze unwavering as she shifted her focus to Hiroshi. "Since your lover is one of the Codes," she said slowly, "what exactly can she do? As far as you know?"

Hiroshi hesitated, his brows furrowing in thought. Then, as if something clicked, he gasped. "A-Ah! S-She can heal fast, right?" He quickly turned to Victor for confirmation.

Victor nodded. "Yeah. That’s what we’ve noticed."

"Oh! Wow! How come I couldn’t do that?" Nathan gasped, clearly fascinated, before looking at Victor with curiosity. "What about Code Nine?"

Victor's jaw tightened. "Her name is Azumi," he corrected, his voice edged with quiet frustration. He exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "I don’t know," he admitted, a raw pain slipping into his voice. "I… I didn’t even know she was turned into an experiment."

His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"All I know," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion, "is that she’s a soft, delicate woman. Someone who needed protection."

The old woman’s lips tightened, her expression unreadable. "I understand your frustration," she said evenly, "but for now, all you can do is trust her—and her abilities."

She turned slightly, raising a hand toward Nathan.

Without a word, Nathan immediately understood. He reached behind him, grabbing a rolled-up paper before handing it over. The old woman tucked the crumpled list of names back into her pocket, then carefully unrolled the new sheet across the desk.

It was a city map.

Marked with multiple red Xs, the paper looked worn from frequent use, the ink smudged in places.

"These," she muttered, running a finger across the edges of the map, "are the places we’ve already searched." Most of the Xs stretched near the map’s borders, nearly out of range.

"For the Codes?" Hiroshi asked, his eyes narrowing.

The old woman shook her head. "No. For Monster Zhao. We need more men to expand the search tomorrow, and since you two are already here…" She lifted her gaze, pinning them with a firm stare. "Consider it part of your rent payment."

Victor’s jaw clenched. "But what about Azumi?" He took another step forward, almost colliding with the desk, desperation bleeding into his tone. "She doesn’t even remember anything. I can’t just go searching for this Zhao man while she’s out there—alone."

Nathan leaned back, crossing his arms before flashing a knowing grin. "Oh, don’t worry about that," he said, sounding far too confident.

Victor scowled. "What do you mean?"

Nathan tapped the edge of the map. "The Codes have an unexplainable connection with each other. It’s not something science ever documented properly, but it’s real." His grin widened. "We’ll know where to find her—when it happens."