XG 16 - My mother's new filters are too thick!

Wong Xue Guo was silently eating the orange-flavored energy bar when she saw her mother's silhouette passing by the display window. Immediately forgetting the food, she sprang up from her seat and rushed to the metal door to let them in.

Her anxiousness had her body moved without thinking and only came back online midway through her sprint. Thinking that her mother might not bring danger back to their base, she continues on her way.

"Guo Guo!" The one that had the least courage, Low Lin Ya, was the first to react. "Don't!"

Vihaan and Chen Yibo simultaneously grabbed their weapon, ready to fight if there was any danger. As for Chen Jiang An, he was flustered to the extent of knocking over his weapon instead of grabbing it.

Wong Xue Guo grabbed onto the door handle but did not open it. "Mother?"

"Guo Guo, it's fine. Open the door."

Recognizing her mother's voice, she opened the door and let them in.

Suzie Yap entered the store with the unconscious Nurul Hanani and Low Lin Ya stepped forward to help with the weight.

"Nothing happens while we are gone?" Suzie Yap asked her daughter with a concerned gaze.

"No."

Suzie Yap smiled. "That's good. I've brought back some medicine, so if baby isn't feeling well, tell mummy, okay?"

Wong Xue Guo shook her head. "I'm fine. Mother should eat medicine if you are hurt. I have also picked some clothes that fit your size."

With a heart-melting expression over her daughter that was clearly concerned about her, Suzie Yap hugged her daughter and showered her with mindless praises.

Wong Xue Guo's body was in a dilemma, unsure whether to break out goosebumps or not. The sudden extreme affection was a little hard to digest. As for her mind, it was a broken recording of 'My mother's new filters are too thick!'.

From the beginning, Vihaan and Kim Sung-Ho only saw that they have a good mother and daughter relationship, so they just accepted it. Cheng Jiang An was considered a classmate that did not know about the Wang family matters.

As a close friend, Low Lin Ya was in the know, but seeing Suzie Yap's caring reaction, she just assumed Mrs. Wong finally came around and left it at that.

It was only Chen Yibo that faintly frowned at their interaction. As a neighbour and also family friend, he had socialized with the Wong family often and was clear about how the family members interacted with each other.

Chen Yibo's heart throbbed in envy at the scene of the mother and daughter hugging. Nevertheless, he was still happy for Wong Xue Guo that her mother finally came around.

"Hani is burning up!" Low Lin Ya retracted her scaled hands and exclaimed after she touched Nurul Hanani's flushed cheeks.

"Don't worry, the worst has passed. She is now adjusting and will be fine soon." Suzie Yap had helped Nurul Hanani wear her tudung again, hiding her hair which more than half had turned white. Luckily her eyebrows were still black, and with the tudung, the sight of her would not alarm others.

Low Lin Ya sobbed. "She's even thinner than before."

Nurul Hanani's frame was now very skinny, resembling an anorexic. Her family would be extremely shocked and will have difficulty recognizing her if they saw her.

However, it was actually a normal body size among those with the activated ability so Suzie Yap was used to it. On the other hand, she was slightly uncomfortable with her current healthy body size and even felt she was heavier. Do not judge from the cover, because their skinny frame was actually more powerful and stronger than normal humans.

"We will be moving after she wakes up?" Vihaan asked as he passed a bottle of water to Suzie Yap.

Suzie Yap accepted the friendly gesture. "Yes. We need to leave here before morning arrives."

Vihaan's face changed. "What will happen when morning comes?"

In the past life, Suzie Yap only realized her daughter was in trouble when the housekeeper informed her that she had not returned. It was approaching midnight at that time, with Wong Xue Guo and Chen Yibo's phone unreachable. It was only from her housekeeper's mouth did she finally know her daughter was in the shopping mall where news of rabid humans was running amok in it.

If it was not because she had some dealings with the army force, she would not be able to enter the shopping mall to search for her daughter. Thanks to her interference, the shopping mall was allowed to continue standing until sunrise.

As for this round, the bombing had also been delayed. Suzie Yap checked her phone and confirmed that the delay was extended to sunrise as a reciprocity act. Her husband had called the army ahead, using the past favor of contributing medicines to the army force. The army was willing to spare some time for Ms. Wong to continue their business transaction.

"When sunrise comes, the bombing squad will take down this building, regardless of any survivors," Suzie Yap revealed.

It was cruel for the survivors, but the government had to pass down this order for the sake of the rest of the citizens.

Wong Xue Guo's eyes flashed. "They are not afraid of the family member's anger? Or… they plan to lie that everyone in this building is infected?"

Suzie Yap rubbed the speck of dry blood on her daughter's forehead. "Every human's life in this country is in the government's hands. The prime minister had to do drastic actions just to contain the infection while they could still do so. They do not need to worry about finding the cure, as other countries with the best technology will do it for them."

"Surely not all will agree with the order?" Vihaan frowned. "Some of their family members might be inside here."

"You are right." Suzie Yap chuckled and stared at Low Lin Ya who unconsciously flinched under her gaze.

In the past, Suzie Yap knew from Chen Yibo's mouth that her daughter was bitten to save Low Lin Ya. She succeeded in saving her friend, but her friend developed mental depression after watching both of her best friends die because of her choice. After few years, Suzie Yap heard she committed suicide.

Moving her eyes away, Suzie Yap continued, "That's why some higher-ups will work together to have a private jet to land at the rooftop to get their family members out."

While there were some politicians that agreed to stop the infection, some will secretly rescue their family members that were stuck inside the mall behind others' backs. They did not care if their action might bring out the infected from the red zone, all for the sake of rescuing their loved ones.

As the apocalypse had barely started, not everyone was in a panic, choosing to wait for the government to settle it. Just as not everyone takes the infectious human rabid news seriously, thinking the news was hyping it to scare people.

"Lin Ya, soak them with water to lower down Hanani's temperature." Chen Yibo passed a stack of towels and Low Lin Ya took it without fully processing his words, used to listening to their class monitor.

"... Ok! Ok!" Low Lin Ya finally caught up with the rationality in doing so.

"Mother, go and change. You must be uncomfortable." Wong Xue Guo handed the clean clothes, which Suzie Yap accepted happily.

Wong Xue Guo then went to help Low Lin Ya. While wiping Nurul Hanani's forehead, she accidentally pushed the tudung until it revealed the hairline.

Eyes shook from the sight of white hair, she glanced at Low Lin Ya who happened to be wringing the towel and soaking it with water they got from mineral water bottles. She lowered her gaze, adjusted the tudung to hide it, and pretended she did not see it.

Among them, it was her mother that knew the most about these zombies and their characteristics, yet she only revealed the information if necessary. However, everyone that had survived long enough could easily notice the zombies had white hairs and might generalize it.

But her mother will definitely not allow a ticking bomb to stay close to them. The white hair must be a side effect left behind from the zombification.

Chen Yibo and Chen Jiang An wanted to search for ice to help reduce Nurul Hanani's temperature, but Suzie Yap told them not to. Everyone was suspicious, as ice would definitely work better than water, but kept silent about it.

Luckily, it took an hour and forty minutes for Nurul Hanani to wake up with body temperature lowered to a safe degree, but still much higher than normal temperature. Seeing Nurul Hanani smiling, looking energetic with her mind working normally, her two good friends also finally put down their worries.

Low Lin Ya checked Nurul Hanani's phone and cheered. "My dad says the jet will be arriving soon!"

Swallowing the last bite, Suzie Yap tossed the empty energy bar wrapper. "It's time to move."

Side Theater:

Author: Where did you throw the wrapper…?

Suzie: Floor. Got a problem?

Author: Don’t litter around, ah…

Suzie: Who would care about rubbish at this time?

Author: Me.