Chapter 3: The So-Called Reliable Female Friend
The second-floor hall was an area that only first-level mercenaries or above could set foot in.
Compared to the first floor, the differences here were truly numerous.
Unlike the relatively noisy first floor, the number of mercenaries here was not large.
Inside the spacious hall, there were only a little over ten people, making it seem somewhat deserted.
The furnishings throughout the hall were more magnificent.
The tables and chairs provided for rest and waiting were also equipped with simple recreational items like playing cards and dice.
In a corner, a rather dated radio played jazz music from the last century.
More importantly, there was no thick bulletproof glass separating the mercenary waiting area and the business processing counters.
And the young service ladies behind those counters were undoubtedly the most eye-catching scenery here.
Not only were they superior in appearance and charm, but compared to the plainly dressed service staff downstairs, their work uniforms were vastly different.
Deep V-necklines unabashedly revealed cleavage.
Thighs wrapped in fishnet stockings under short skirts exuded an alluring fleshiness……
That's right, as long as it was out of their own volition, they could provide certain special services to mercenaries.
This was also considered extra income outside of work.
Zhong Jing, once in her youth, had inevitably let her gaze linger too long on these service staff.
But at this moment, she was completely unconcerned……
Perhaps it was because she was so anxious that she found it difficult to spare too much attention for such meaningless things.
Or perhaps…… some kind of change was slowly and clearly spreading through her body……
“Please help me contact Number 24, and also arrange an independent meeting room.”
As soon as she came up, Zhong Jing walked straight towards the nearest counter.
Before the smiling service lady could speak to greet her, she impatiently blurted out her request.
“Ah…… oh, please wait in Room A3, I will contact Number 24 for you immediately.”
The originally well-rehearsed service lines were caught in her throat.
Zhong Jing's impetuousness made her give up her original intention of earning some extra money.
Being able to become a service lady on the second floor wasn't just about having a pretty face.
A mere pretty vase wouldn't have the ability to deal with all sorts of mercenaries.
Their service efficiency, honed through rigorous training, was their important asset for standing here.
In the blink of an eye, the simple grading was completed, and Zhong Jing's request was arranged.
Taking the key handed to her, with ‘A3’ written on it, Zhong Jing immediately walked towards the corridor beside the counter.
After finding the assigned room, she inserted the key, opened the locked door, and then walked in.
Behind the door, the narrow room occupied a very small area, at most a few square meters in size.
The furnishings within were also very simple, with only two sofas facing each other and a small square table placed in the middle.
However, this small room was not as simple as it looked: the surrounding walls were not cement or some wooden partitions, but specially treated soundproof walls.
The decorative wallpaper stuck to the walls was actually made of sound-absorbing cotton.
All four sides, top and bottom, were airtight.
The only light source came from the chandelier overhead.
Such an enclosed space had many uses.
It was generally used as a private space for mercenaries to consult in detail about mission content, especially when taking on special missions that required secrecy.
In such cases, the consultant could be a staff member of the Security Business Processing Center.
It could also be the person who issued the mission or their agent, engaging in face-to-face discussions with the mercenary to jointly negotiate the contract content.
The processing center was responsible for providing the venue and was not directly involved.
Of course, Zhong Jing's purpose was merely to hide her appearance……
If she were to appear in public with her current appearance in such a situation, trouble would definitely be unavoidable……
“Hello, I am Number 24.”
She didn't have to wait long.
The voice Zhong Jing had been most anticipating came from outside the door.
And this also made the heart that Zhong Jing had been forcibly suppressing finally feel a wave of tension again.
The unease in her heart made her uncontrollably rub her fingers on the sofa beneath her.
She had clearly rehearsed it countless times in her mind, but when it really came to this moment, all her mental preparations went down the drain.
After slightly adjusting her posture to make herself appear more upright, Zhong Jing conveyed permission to the person outside the door: “Please, please come in.”
As the words fell, the turning doorknob was accompanied by the crisp click of the lock……
A familiar smile, a familiar appearance.
Seeing the figure about to walk in, Zhong Jing's body involuntarily flinched slightly.
“Hello, sir…… Eh? It's A Jing, do you have time to come here and play?”
At first glance, the familiar military coat and height of the person sitting upright on the sofa in the room made her feel somewhat surprised.
This kind of tightly wrapped attire was not common on the other person, not to mention those changes that felt wrong but she couldn't pinpoint where, making this form of address sound slightly hesitant.
“Yes, it's me…… Sister Shang Shu.”
Hearing the other person call her by her real name instead of her work number, it was indeed someone she knew, no doubt.
However, this voice…… Although Zhong Jing deliberately changed her voice, and it sounded muffled after being filtered by the gas mask, Shang Shu, who was already familiar with Zhong Jing's original voice, still felt a little strange.
“A Jing, what happened to your voice?”
“Uh—some things happened…… that I can't quite explain either.”
Seeing Shang Shu's slightly puzzled expression, Zhong Jing couldn't help but give a wry smile.
“The only thing that won't change is that I am Zhong Jing, and I hope you can be mentally prepared for what I'm about to say and what you'll see, and keep it confidential from everyone……”
“I see, I understand.”
Before Zhong Jing could finish her words, Shang Shu had already turned around, locked the door from the inside, and sat down on the opposite sofa.
Her gentle smile remained, quietly demonstrating her qualification as a competent listener.
This series of simple actions was not just due to Shang Shu's somewhat airheaded nature, but also her unconditional trust in Zhong Jing.
This was the best response, and it also brought a warmth to Zhong Jing, whose heart had fallen into helplessness.
Alright, since the other person has responded, what should I do next?
The person before her was the only one she could trust in the entire Chu Sheng City.
They had known each other since the orphanage.
She had always been like an older sister figure to her.
Moreover, her help would be indispensable for the upcoming investigation work at the Security Business Processing Center.
Even if there was suspicion, that was also very normal.
Anyway, countless explanations and pieces of evidence had been prepared before this.
Even if she couldn't prove she was Zhong Jing, at least she could make the other person believe that she had a very important relationship with Zhong Jing.
Having made up her mind, Zhong Jing reached out and took off her hood, goggles, and gas mask all at once.
As the disguise was removed, everything that had made her uneasy was revealed.
Slightly messy long hair cascaded smoothly down from the back of her head.
And that beautiful and tender face was finally completely revealed to Shang Shu from under the layers of concealment.
The scene that met her eyes made Shang Shu's expression gradually change from bewilderment to near suffocation.
She covered her mouth in astonishment, her eyes widened involuntarily, and she almost stopped breathing.
Underneath the mercenary attire was not the familiar image of Zhong Jing, but a beautiful girl with exquisite features.
Seeing the change in Shang Shu's expression, a helpless, wry smile hung on Zhong Jing's lips: “Overnight, for unknown reasons…… I became like this……”
“Overnight……” muttering as she recovered from the shock, Shang Shu's gaze carefully examined that captivating face.
Then her gaze roamed over the entire body to confirm that this familiar set of clothes was not a coincidental similarity.
Then her gaze finally landed on Zhong Jing's deep pupils.
Shang Shu's face, which always wore a smile, rarely adopted an extremely serious expression.
With a serious tone, she confirmed again, word by word: “A Jing is now…… a girl?”
“Mm, I haven't had a systematic check-up yet, but probably…… yes.”
Zhong Jing lowered her head and stared helplessly at the tips of her shoes.
Was I suspected?
That's right, this was also understandable.
Even Zhong Jing herself found it hard to accept her current appearance, let alone others.
Shang Shu would inevitably need some time to digest this news.
It was my own expectations that were too high.
Just as Zhong Jing took a deep breath and raised her head, preparing to explain further, suddenly, a dark shadow rapidly enlarged in her vision.
Before she could react, two soft, elastic mounds were already pressed against her face, burying her deeply within them.
The ensuing sense of suffocation made Zhong Jing want to struggle free, but the arms tightly hugging her head gave her no room to struggle.
At the same time, Shang Shu's slightly hurried breathing came from above her head.
“Too, too cute, I didn't expect A Jing to be so outrageously cute as a girl……”
Closing her eyes, Shang Shu's face was filled with intoxication.
Her cheeks rubbed against the top of Zhong Jing's head.
The comfortable feel of the hair made her reluctant to stop her actions.
Even through a layer of a military greatcoat that smelled slightly musty, she didn't mind holding this delightful little cutie in her arms at all.
What…… What is going on?
This completely unexpected development left Zhong Jing stunned for a moment, but the ensuing sense of suffocation immediately made her realize something was wrong.
Zhong Jing tried to struggle, but Zhong Jing, whose strength had been severely weakened, was no match for Shang Shu.
Shang Shu, infatuated with Zhong Jing, seemed to have forgotten everything around her and didn't notice Zhong Jing's resistance at all.
Feeling Shang Shu unconsciously increase her strength a little, Zhong Jing's struggles became more violent.
The gradually intensifying suffocation made her try her best to let out a faint cry for help from the gaps.
“Mmph…… Shang…… Sister Shang Shu…… let…… go.”
In a daze, she vaguely saw the revolving lantern of her life……
Fortunately, when this faint voice reached her ears, Shang Shu promptly sobered up from her intoxication.
After glancing down at Zhong Jing, whose face had turned pale, she hastily let go of her hands.
Freed, Zhong Jing immediately took large gulps of air.
Fresh air rushed back into her lungs.
The sensation of breathing made her feel grateful that she was still alive.
I…… I'm still alive?
Zhong Jing had never expected: that escaping Shang Shu's chest confinement would actually give her the same life realization of ‘it's great to be alive’ as surviving and returning from the Ruined City Nuclear Wasteland Area?
Could these two things actually be compared?
“A Jing! Are you okay? Because it was so comfortable to hug…… so I accidentally…… treated you like a doll at home……”
Shang Shu, realizing the excessiveness of her actions just now, was somewhat at a loss and immediately apologized profusely.
Plush…… plush toy?
Zhong Jing, who had caught her breath, suffered mental trauma no less severe than physical trauma after hearing Shang Shu's comment.
She had a deep impression of Shang Shu's fondness for plush toys.
She had seen the dolls in Shang Shu's home.
Dolls of all sizes and various shapes filled every corner of the room.
Among them, there were several large dolls as tall as Zhong Jing.
Even so, Shang Shu still invested most of her monthly living expenses into her hobby of collecting dolls.
Although she could understand it somewhat based on Shang Shu's preferences, this so-called understanding was undoubtedly a sharp arrow piercing her self-esteem……
She had never thought that one day she would actually be compared to a plush toy on the same scale.
This body, soft as a plush toy without a hint of muscle, I'm really sorry!
However, compared to these, Zhong Jing had something she cared about more.
Clearly, she hadn't produced any convincing evidence so far, but why…… “Does Sister Shang Shu really believe I'm Zhong Jing?”
“A Jing is A Jing, that won't change. Didn't A Jing say so before?”
Shang Shu's natural smile seemed a bit silly.
Her matter-of-fact tone, on the contrary, made Zhong Jing feel a little guilty in her heart.
She hadn't shown the same trust towards Shang Shu……
Two years of mercenary life had taught her to doubt everything.
Sister Shang Shu was still that Sister Shang Shu, but she was no longer the young boy from two years ago……
No, she wasn't even a boy now!
“Sister Shang Shu, I'm fine.”
Seeing Shang Shu's self-reproachful expression, Zhong Jing suddenly felt a little amused, and at the same time, a warmth spread through her heart.
In this era, only this person could give her this kind of warm feeling, allowing her weary heart, after experiencing danger, to always find a place to temporarily relax, just like now.
This trust calmed her anxiety slightly.
Zhong Jing squeezed out a comforting smile from the corner of her mouth, signaling the other person not to worry.
“Then…… can I hug you again?”
“No, I refuse!”