Chapter 59: The Weight of Regret

Gao Weiwei stared at the barrage of accusatory messages in the group chat, her heart so heavy she wished she could die. She zoomed in on the photo of Liu Shuang'er—her stunning figure, her flawless outfit—and a surge of jealousy erupted inside her. Her eyes turned red, tears streaming down her face as her body trembled with sobs. 

Between choked breaths, she muttered to herself, "Huang Ming… you're mine. It's those three vixens who seduced you, isn't it? You loved me so much before… why would you abandon me?" 

Beside her, her best friend Chen Xiaoyan rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into her skull. She couldn't hide her disdain. With a mocking tone, she reminded Gao Weiwei, "Before the apocalypse, you were the one who went to a hotel with Liu Gui and dumped Huang Ming the same day. Remember? This is all your fault! Huang Ming was a good man—you betrayed him for Liu Gui! He didn't abandon you; you threw him away!" 

Gao Weiwei's chest tightened as if stuffed with cotton, suffocating her. Clutching her head, she let out a gut-wrenching scream, "Enough! Shut up! Just shut up…!" 

Chen Xiaoyan had no patience left. What a waste of a perfectly good man. Without another word, she stormed off to her bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. 

Meanwhile, Wang Lei sat chewing on a stale piece of expired bread, his mouth watering as he zoomed in on the photos of lavish meals. He thought back to how he had mocked Huang Ming in the group, puffing himself up like some big shot. Now, he could only shake his head bitterly—turns out I was the clown all along. 

Swallowing the dry bread, he let out a self-deprecating laugh, "Maybe I'm not even clown-worthy. He probably doesn't even see me as a threat—just a dead man walking. Why would he bother with a corpse like me? Pathetic… I'm truly pathetic." 

Wang Gang, sprawled on his couch, felt a rush of relief when he saw Huang Ming's photos. Thank God I never badmouthed him. Seizing the opportunity, he spammed the chat, tagging Huang Ming repeatedly, "Bro, I'm just as capable as Li Chang'an! Take me in, I'll be loyal! Please, give me a chance!" 

His groveling was shameless, his tone desperate. Not to be outdone, Ma Tao and Ji Dayong jumped in, their sycophantic messages even more exaggerated. Only Wang Lei stayed silent, his pride refusing to let him beg. 

Huang Ming ignored them all. They still have food—they won't starve yet. He had bigger concerns. Aside from those seven murderous girls, how many others are still alive? And more importantly—are any of them trustworthy? 

Pondering this, he sent Zhou Ting a message, "Zhou Ting, do you think there's anyone else we can trust? Ask Wang Xue and the other two if they know anyone reliable." 

"I don't have anyone in mind, but I'll check with them. By the way, Ming… those three beauties you've got hidden away, eating like royalty—color me jealous!" 

Huang Ming smirked at her envy. No skills, no rewards. That's just how it is. "Zhou Ting, those three are geniuses—a doctor, a biotech expert, and a mechanical engineer. And their looks? Just as good as yours. If you want my favor, bring something to the table. Jealousy won't get you anywhere." 

"I know, I know. I'm working on it!" 

"Good. Now go ask Wang Xue." 

"On it!" 

By the time Huang Ming finished the conversation, his three学姐 had already devoured the entire plate of crab—ten whole crabs, and he'd only gotten one. They're getting way too comfortable. Still, seeing them in high spirits, he pulled out another steaming plate from his dimensional storage. Before he could even reach for one, all three women had already snatched a crab each. 

Seriously? Huang Ming's eye twitched. 

Dinner ended at 9 PM. The table was a mess, so the three women handled cleanup while Huang Ming enjoyed a long, hot shower. When he stepped out, they were lounging on the couch, scrolling through their phones. He plopped down beside them and checked his messages. Zhou Ting had already replied. 

"Ming, Wang Xue and the others discussed it and recommended two people—Hong Qiaoli and Shi Xiaoqin. They've had close contact with these two before." 

Huang Ming trusted Zhou Ting's judgment to some extent, but he had never met Wang Xue or her friends. Skeptical, he typed back, "Do you know them? Are they reliable?" 

Zhou Ting, comfortably sprawled on her bed, had already done her homework. She replied swiftly, "Of course I know them—same department. But you know how it was before the apocalypse. I was too popular to mix with the average crowd. Still, I looked into their backgrounds. Both are ambitious, and lately, they've been sleeping around with guys from the group. I'm worried they might be fair-weather friends. If they find a better deal, they'll betray you in a heartbeat." 

Huang Ming frowned. So they're opportunists. Is it even worth bringing them in? He needed time to think. 

"Good intel. I'll consider it carefully tonight. No need to rush a reply to them. By the way, how'd you get this information?" 

"Thanks to you taking me in, everyone's sucking up to me now, hoping I'll put in a good word for them. So I played along and pumped them for info. Got plenty of dirt on those two." 

Huang Ming was impressed. Zhou Ting was sharp—she had a knack for gathering intelligence. Maybe she could be useful after all. But she still had to prove herself further. 

"Not bad. Get some rest. We'll see what tomorrow brings." 

"Will do. Goodnight, Ming!" 

After ending the conversation, Huang Ming briefed the three women on what Zhou Ting had shared. 

Liu Shuang'er leaned lazily against his shoulder, silent. 

Gu Anqing pondered for a moment before speaking uncertainly, "If they're useful, why not use them? It's just a few extra mouths to feed. Just don't let them get too comfortable. What do you think?" 

Huang Ming shrugged. He hadn't made up his mind yet. 

Lu Yusi chimed in, "I say we hold off. The girls still have plenty of food—they can help each other out. Let's wait and see how things develop." 

Liu Shuang'er stretched and finally spoke up, her voice calm but firm, "Yusi's right. If they're confirmed snakes, we can't risk bringing them in. They'd leak intel about our floor, maybe even scheme behind our backs. There are still plenty of survivors in other buildings. We're not afraid of them, but it's better to stay low-key."