Fight, Flight, or Freeze: The Healer's Story
Chapter 292: Always

Chapter 292: Always

Chang Guo Zi watched the guard in front of him processing the almost thirty women that they had saved from the mall.

He got to spend the last week watching as his men and friends fell deeper and deeper under whatever spell they had placed on them to the point where he wondered why he was so special as to not be affected.

’Your heart is full, and you have no doubts about your future.’ The words Si Dong told him rang in his head every time he started to be tempted to surrender to one of the women. And they did try. He had to give them that.

He couldn’t put a finger on what exactly they were doing, but every time one of them got too close, all he could think of was Lai Dan Dan and the expression she would make every time he walked into the guild building.

And then, when he looked at the woman in front of him again, he noticed that they were a little less enchanting, a little less sparkly.

But the guards at the checkpoints didn’t seem to think the same as they tripped over themselves getting the women set up with City A citizenships and access to some of the better rings.

After almost two hours of standing in the same spot, Chang Guo Zi was finally at the front of the line. "Name?" sighed the guard, clearly not as happy to be dealing with him as he was with the women.

"Chang Guo Zi," he replied.

"Purpose?"

"I was sent out on a mission to try and find some things for the princess. You just processed the other teams on the mission with me."

"I’ll tell you who I processed or not," snapped the guard, and Chang Guo Zi bit his tongue. He knew he couldn’t respond in any way, or there was a chance that he would be sent into isolation for two days just in case he was bitten by a zombie.

Yes, that was just how backward the administration was here at City A. They firmly believed that the zombies were a result of a virus and that being bitten by one was how you turned into one.

No amount of explaining would convince them otherwise, and those who tried were either thrown into jail or executed.

And knowing that there was a potential for a zombie attack, Chang Guo Zi wasn’t willing to take the chance of being locked away from his team.

Yes, they were acting like idiots, but that wasn’t a good reason for him to turn his back on his men.

"Of course, Sir, my apologies," he smiled. His fists clenched behind his back; he had never had to bow down to people like this before. He used to be a proud member of the Wang family military, and now, he was reduced to calling 17 year olds ’Sir’.

The kid grunted and shifted through a pile of paper.

"What did you say your name was again?" asked the guard, his head jolting up to look at him.

Well, that wasn’t a good sign.

"Chang Guo Zi," repeated the man slowly. Closing his eyes, he wondered what new shit had hit the fan.

Did the princess realize that none of her teams came back and was going to punish all of them? Was that why the guard asked for his name again?

"Come right in. You are wanted at the guild headquarters. The new head has left a message for you that it is an emergency, and you must go at once." The guard paled as he continued to read the note taped to Chang Guo Zi’s name. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Of course, Sir. Thank you," murmured Chang Guo Zi, a look of confusion passing over his face for a brief second before he managed to compose himself.

Picking up his backpack, he took the piece of paper that the guard handed to him and quickly made his way to the second checkpoint.

If there was a new head of the guild, that meant that something had happened to the old one.

A change of power like that was not something that the guild could deal with, with an attack coming at any moment. The guild had to be strong and firm, any upset and the house of cards would come crumbling down.

Reaching the second gate, Chang Guo Zi went to the front of the line and passed him the paper that the previous guard had passed him. One look at it, and he was immediately pushed through the gate and entered the fourth circle.

Amazed, Chang Guo Zi looked down at the paper. It was a list of maybe about five numbers. He had no idea what they meant, but clearly, they were bad, and the guards knew it.

The situation happened one more time before the man was able to get into the third circle. He ran straight to the guild headquarters, not stopping for a second to talk to his men who were trying to flag him down.

Slamming open the doors, he breathed a sigh of relief when Lai Dan Dan rose from her desk and rushed over to him. "You’re okay," she breathed, and Chang Guo Zi could hear her choking back the sobs.

"I’m okay," he assured her, stroking her hair. "But what about you? Are you okay? Did you get hurt when the new head took over?"

"No, it was bloodless. Apparently, our old head lost the guild in a hand of poker." She shrugged like it wasn’t that big of a deal before she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down to her level.

For a moment, Chang Guo Zi was lost in a cloud of her scent as he unknowingly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in closer. "There is something bad going on right now," she whispered into his ear, bringing him back to the present. And whatever it is, it’s big. The new head was attacked in his office last night, and today, it’s like hell is raining down on all of us. You need to go see him; he’s been calling for you. But be careful."

"Always," he assured her. Kissing her forehead, he untangled his body from hers and went directly to the stairs. There was only one way to find out what happened. And what was to come next.