Even though her suspicion felt absurd, Ran Qing kept the matter in mind, as it could at least be considered a clue.
Although Wan Yu found the situation highly questionable, they couldn't just stay in the hotel and wait for resources to dwindle. Gritting his teeth, he left a few people to guard the place and took some of the more capable individuals out to search for supplies.
Xia Zhiyue and the others weren't idle either, but in the eyes of many, their "vase" image was too deeply ingrained. Chefs handled the cooking, and workers repaired the walls. Ultimately, they were assigned a role that was akin to being the face of the group.
This meant taking turns at the entrance to check people in and out, recording personal information, assigning rooms, and delivering meals. The work wasn't strenuous, just a bit varied.
When Xia Zhiyue was busy, Xing Yuan would sit quietly nearby, not interfering.
Ever since Ran Qing began to suspect Xing Yuan's identity, she had been making contact with her intentionally or unintentionally. For instance, she would "accidentally" bump into her while getting things, orchestrating numerous encounters.
After several days of observation, Ran Qing compiled the strange characteristics she had noticed. Xing Yuan's body temperature was very low, and she always wore long sleeves, never seen rolling them up.
As a makeup enthusiast herself, Ran Qing could tell at a glance that Xing Yuan was always wearing makeup and colored contact lenses.
All these strange phenomena ultimately pointed to one conclusion: Xing Yuan was a zombie.
Although Ran Qing still couldn't comprehend how this zombie seemed to possess intelligence, she dared not reveal her findings to others, nor did she want to anger this zombie.
It was obvious that an entity capable of instilling fear in so many zombies would not be weak in combat. With many people already out searching for supplies, if this creature were provoked, they might all be devoured before any reinforcements arrived.
Xia Zhiyue noticed Ran Qing's change in behavior even more clearly. Previously, she had approached them with earnestness, saying strange things, and deliberately trying to get close. Recently, however, she seemed to have suddenly gone silent.
Despite the strangeness, Xia Zhiyue didn't think too much of it.
Until one day, Ran Qing suddenly mustered the courage to approach her.
She said, "Zhiyue, I need to talk to you about Xing Yuan's identity."
Ran Qing held her tea, her expression extremely tense.
She knew this was a risky move, but it might also lead to the best outcome. Perhaps this strange individual held the key to the world's restoration.
Ran Qing's gaze was firm as she said, "You probably don't know about my family background! Today, I formally introduce myself: Ran Fangxu is my paternal grandfather."
Ran Fangxu. The name sounded somewhat familiar. Xia Zhiyue thought carefully, then suddenly pulled out her phone to check her browsing history.
The name was indeed listed. Xia Zhiyue remembered that when she was a student, she had a period where she was particularly fond of scientific researchers and had specifically studied them.
Ran Fangxu was the most famous bio-genetic expert in the country.
"Then it's a great honor!" Xia Zhiyue, considering their shared surname and appearances, didn't doubt her, but she was a bit puzzled as to why she was bringing this up now.
"Miss Xia, today I am not speaking to you as a colleague from the same company and profession, but as a family member of a researcher," Ran Qing said solemnly.
"What do you want to say?" Xia Zhiyue's expression also became serious.
"Miss Xia, you must know that her identity is special. If we keep her here, our safety may not be guaranteed."
"More importantly, we might be able to discover something from her. For both practical and emotional reasons, I hope Miss Xia can cooperate."
"She is innocent, and she is also a victim," Xia Zhiyue explained anxiously.
"Rest assured. We are humane. We only want to bring her to our newly established Kyoto Base. There, she will receive excellent care, and we will only need to take a small sample from her for research. It will not endanger her life," Ran Qing reasoned, appealing to both logic and emotion.
"Furthermore, now that I have discovered this secret, others will eventually find out too. You can't keep it hidden forever. Besides, don't you want this apocalypse to end sooner?"
Sensing Xia Zhiyue's wavering attitude, Ran Qing immediately added fuel to the fire.
"Alright! Then you must guarantee that you will not harm her," Xia Zhiyue nodded with a heavy expression.
"Good! If Miss Xia is worried, you can come with us. We were already planning to send people to the Kyoto Base in batches; it's just a matter of time." Ran Qing's eyes were filled with excitement. She felt she was now contributing to scientific research.
After those who had gone out searching for supplies returned, Ran Qing took the two of them to speak with Wan Yu about the matter.
"Really?" Wan Yu asked incredulously. He then walked over to Xing Yuan and grabbed her wrist.
With a "bang," Wan Yu was flung against the wall by Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan quickly hid behind Xia Zhiyue. She didn't want to be touched by someone unattractive.
"Stop fooling around!" Xia Zhiyue stroked Xing Yuan's head, though her tone lacked much blame.
Having been thrown, Wan Yu grudgingly accepted the reality. Within the army, his strength was ranked highly, and the person before him indeed possessed far greater strength than an ordinary person.
Then, as if struck by an idea, his eyes lit up.
"So, she can control all zombies, and zombies won't attack her even when they're nearby?"
"Yes, that should be the case. If it weren't for her, I might not have made it back," Xia Zhiyue, unsure of Wan Yu's intentions, chose to tell the truth.
"Excellent!"
He had been worrying about how to safely escort so many people to the Kyoto Base. Now, with such a powerful asset, wouldn't that be an easy task? However, before that, the authenticity needed to be confirmed.
"How about this? Tomorrow, we'll take her out to see. It's not that I don't believe you, but this matter is too incredible. The Kyoto Base won't be able to attend to us anytime soon."
"If Xing Yuan truly possesses this ability, then we can set off as soon as possible," Wan Yu said, his tone filled with excitement, his gaze towards Xing Yuan becoming fervent.
Startled by this ravenous gaze, Xing Yuan hid even more securely.
"However, there's still a small issue," Xia Zhiyue hesitated.
"She's a bit clingy. I might have to go with you. Otherwise, I'm afraid she won't cooperate."
This was something Xia Zhiyue had decided in advance. If she wanted to protect Xing Yuan, she had to make others see her value. But she also had to accompany her, lest she feared Xing Yuan's stubbornness would lead to her being easily sold off by others.