After Turning Into a Girl, I Kept My Girlfriend in the Apocalypse - Chapter 4

Bai Lu was dangerous.

This was what her half-baked woman’s intuition told her.

Getting too close might mean being devoured completely.

System, you’ll help me, right?

Of course. We share common goals.

Forget it. Why overthink it?

If she wants to play with fire, I’ll add fuel to the flames.

Even the fiercest wolves can eventually be tamed into dogs.

System, activate the Safehouse. Also, convert the Second Bedroom into a Secret Chamber.

Understood. Safehouse countdown: 2:23:59:47.

By the sixth day, they wouldn’t have to worry about zombies here anymore.

But there were still urgent matters to address. Even with maxed-out favorability, she would eventually have to subdue Bai Lu, and she doubted she could match her in a straight fight.

The strength-enhancing potions and skills in the Shop wouldn’t unlock until the Cataclysm.

Those types of medicines were also unavailable and needed to be found in the real world.

According to the plot, on the seventh day, after Cheng Gong abducts Bai Lu, gang members would appear in a dark alley.

Behind them, the “Red House” would provide the protagonist with many useful tools.

These permanent NPCs were always present, but dialogue could only be initiated during plot-triggering events. Reality, however, was different.

System, do you have any self-defense items?

Recommended: Electric Neck Collar, Electric Wristband, and Electric Waist Belt Set – Price: 150 Gold Coins

Upon equipping the set, the host will be enveloped in an electric field. Anyone who touches the host will be stunned by a high-voltage shock.

What’s the principle behind this? Will it really not shock me?

System-certified. Rest assured.

For travel, we recommend the Invisibility Cloak – Price: 500 Gold Coins

While it won’t make you truly invisible, it will significantly reduce your presence, causing people to subconsciously overlook you.

Now this is a divine artifact.

Equipped with her new tools, He Ning left home promptly at ten o’clock.

The late-night streets were eerily deserted, as if the End Times had arrived early.

Occasionally, she passed black vans from which faint sobs could be heard, or others that slowly cruised in search of lone women.

Thankfully, the tools worked as advertised. Otherwise…

If they’re this brazen now, what madness will they descend into in ten days?

After navigating over a dozen narrow alleys, He Ning finally found the bald, scarred man in the alley opposite the Security Bureau.

Right under their noses, huh? Not even trying to hide.

She waved a hand in front of the man’s face, but he didn’t react. She lowered the cloak’s hood.

“Um…”

“&%! You scared the hell out of me!”

The man drew a dagger and stepped back several paces.

“Relax. I’ve been here the whole time. You just didn’t notice me. I’m here to buy something. The Red House, right?”

The man frowned, thinking for a moment. Yeah, there was a woman wandering around here for ages, getting in the way. How did I not notice her?

“You know about the Red House? Then you’re a customer. What do you want?”

The man sheathed his dagger, scoffing. Just a frail girl.

“Hypnos’ Tears and Panrose’s Corridor.”

“Ah, you know your stuff. Got the cash?”

Hearing He Ning use the code phrase significantly lowered his guard.

This wasn’t the usual underworld slang, but a simple code phrase reserved for customers who spent a certain amount or made specific contributions. The cops would never know it.

“Of course.”

“Come with me.”

The two walked deeper into the alley, leading to a side room in a small courtyard. Hidden beneath the floor was a secret door leading underground.

To avoid being traced, He Ning had exchanged her last two thousand yuan for cash.

“Here, take this. Don’t want you getting snatched up as merchandise, ha ha.”

She carefully accepted the badge the man handed her, took a deep breath, and descended into the darkness.

The underground club, despite its name, wasn’t predominantly red. Instead, it was brightly lit.

The guests were dressed in dazzling outfits and wore masks, presumably to conceal their identities.

Occasionally, the anguished cries of women echoed from certain private rooms.

This place was dangerous.

“Jack, an old client. Take care of her,” a manager-like man instructed, leading He Ning to a booth.

“Miss, will you only be needing those two items?”

“Yes, temporarily.”

The man nodded and handed over a tablet. “This is our top-selling high-potency tranquilizer. Each ampule contains 4 milliliters, colorless, odorless, and with no side effects. It takes effect in just twenty seconds and lasts for twenty-four hours. The price is one thousand yuan.”

That was reasonable. Half an ampule would be enough, and she’d keep the other two just in case.

“Another item we’ve developed is the explosive collar. It automatically detonates if the wearer moves more than twenty meters away from the safety equipment. The price is eighty thousand yuan.”

What the hell?

Are they really going this far?

“Do you have a Taser version? The kind that incapacitates people?”

“Ah, that’s an older model. We’re currently out of stock. This new one…”

He Ning quickly interrupted him. Bringing explosives home? How reckless can you be?

“No, what if he throws away the key and tries to take me down with him?”

“Hmm, we hadn’t considered that risk. No one’s ever suggested it before.”

No sh1t. Anyone who would have suggested it is already dead.

“Please come back in ten days. We’ll have restocked by then. We apologize for the inconvenience to your shopping experience.”

The man’s humble demeanor didn’t fit the image of a gangster; he seemed more like an ordinary salesman. The greatest secrets are hidden in plain sight, after all.

“Also, can you fabricate news? I want to invite a friend to stay at my place for a few days.”

“Of course. Whether it’s faking a resignation and running away, being scammed and kidnapped, or a vacation accident, we can handle it. We guarantee it won’t be traced back to you. We can provide you with one hundred thousand yuan today. Do you need it?”

He Ning nodded, looking tempted.

“Of course, but not now. I’ll come back after I’ve secured him, to avoid any complications.”

Seven days later, the Red House Society would offer services to fabricate false leads, diverting investigations and evading the Peacekeeper’s scrutiny.

But He Ning didn’t want to expose her information, fearing she might become a potential target when the apocalypse arrived.

“I’ll take two tranquilizers for now. I’ll come back for the rest in ten days.”

“Very well. We look forward to your return.”

Leaving the Red House, He Ning let out a long sigh of relief. Now she finally had everything she needed.

The autumn wind howled, sending withered leaves rustling to the ground with an eerie sound. She quickly pulled up her hood, afraid of being abducted by criminals.

As she exited through a back alley, she saw an unmarked van pull up. Two men were dragging a dazed woman inside.

The woman looked like Solis, a colleague who had stayed late to work today.

The company usually provided transportation for employees working overtime. Had they really sent her here?

Rounding the corner, He Ning spotted her boss in the passenger seat.

So he was involved in the disappearances too.

A company trafficking people, a shady shop fabricating false testimonies, a gang operating across from the Security Bureau…

The waters ran deep here, like a plot in a game where everyone was acting their part. The beautiful protagonist, trapped in one hellhole after another.

On the fourth morning, He Ning woke up early, feeling anxious.

She had only a little over three hundred coins left. She had intended to stock up on supplies, but ended up exchanging them all for Gold Coins.

Although the items in the Mall weren’t expensive, less than twenty thousand Gold Coins wouldn’t last long.

She could only hope for generous rewards later and take things one step at a time. After all, her luck had never been particularly good.

“Ningning, you’re up so early today?”

The two friends met at a breakfast stall.

Bai Lu wore a black dress that perfectly hugged her slender waist and delicate arms.

Her long legs, paired with brown tights and combat boots, struck a perfect balance between sweet and edgy.

Her chestnut-colored hair swayed gently in the cool morning light, creating a picture of effortless beauty.

“Hehe, were you waiting for me on purpose?”

“Yes, I was.”

Slap!

Bai Lu unexpectedly slapped her own butt.

“Trying to peek under my skirt, pervert~”

“Just checking the color, tsk tsk, green—so refreshing~”

“Hmph~”

He Ning turned away, feigning anger.

These little interactions between best friends are so nice.

“Okay, okay, don’t be mad. You can touch me too!”

Huh?!

On the street? Isn’t that a bit much?

Bai Lu slowly guided He Ning’s hand toward herself.

Thank goodness, thank goodness—no weird things down there!