C88 Each of Them Had Their Own Problems, and the Window Paper Could Not be Opened Lightly.(2)

Qin Mengli turned and made her way back to the car, heading straight to the second floor. Sun Meng paced the expansive second level several times before turning to Qin Mengli and murmuring, "Just as I thought!"

Qin Mengli cast a glance at the vacant carriage, immediately understanding Sun Meng's implication. "Mengli, Bing never left the car!" Sun Meng asserted, looking her in the eye. "Where have the dismantled chairs gone?"

Though equally puzzled and intrigued, Qin Mengli maintained her composure, stepping closer to Sun Meng and whispering, "Curiosity isn't always a virtue. There are things we're better off ignoring."

"But aren't you curious?" Sun Meng pressed in a hushed tone. "All those things, how did they vanish? And how did Bing conjure them up again? Could Bing be some grand magician capable of making things disappear?"

"It's magicians who can do that, not illusionists. Illusionists are all about sleight of hand," Qin Mengli corrected her, stealing another look at the carriage's interior. "But Tang Bing has indeed made everything disappear."

"I just can't wrap my head around it," Sun Meng confessed, shaking her head. "It's illogical! Bing's pockets can't possibly hold everything, can they? Mengli, is this why you've been restless?"

Qin Mengli eyed Sun Meng, her thoughts racing—I'm restless because you snuck into Tang Bing's room last night, and who knows what you two were up to. Plus, your tossing and turning kept me awake! Are you trying to probe me?

With a subtle nod, she responded, "Yes, that's it. Are you also losing sleep over this?"

Sun Meng's gaze was intense as she scrutinized Qin Mengli, finding no clues in her expression. Internally, she breathed a sigh of relief—Mengli didn't seem aware of her late-night visit to Bing's room. That was a close one!

With a smile, she nodded. "Exactly! I'm just so curious. Despite constantly reminding myself to resist, I can't stop wondering!"

Nice try, Qin Mengli silently scoffed, fully aware of Sun Meng's antics from the previous night.

Nevertheless, she addressed Sun Meng, "You, me, Zhao—we've all sensed it. Tang Bing has an unknown secret, perhaps the key to his newfound prowess. We're all curious, all eager to uncover it. And Bing must be aware of our curiosity. It's like a thin sheet of paper, ready to tear at the slightest touch. But what I need you to understand is that no matter how curious we are, we mustn't tear through that paper. Zhao and I are just as curious as you, but we all know the consequences of crossing Tang Bing's boundaries. You're aware of that too, aren't you?"

"Yes!" Sun Meng couldn't help but think to herself, I know more than you think—I even touched it last night! And then something totally unexpected happened...

As the thought crossed her mind, her cheeks flushed with color.

Qin Mengli, oblivious to her friend's sudden embarrassment, continued, "I think he might be like those mutated zombies, probably endowed with some kind of special power, or what you might call a superpower! It sounds like something out of sci-fi, sure, but with zombies running around, superpowers don't seem all that far-fetched!"

"He must be able to transfer objects to another space and then bring them back—that's got to be his superpower!" Sun Meng exclaimed with excitement. "So does that mean Brother Bing is like Superman? We've actually met a real-life Superman—how amazing is that!"

You're oversimplifying it! Qin Mengli sighed internally at Sun Meng's elation. "Mengmeng, if Tang Bing is keeping this under wraps, it means he doesn't want anyone, including us, to be in on his secret."

"But we already know!" Sun Meng interjected. "He definitely has superpowers!"

"Even so, we can't talk about it!" Qin Mengli cautioned with a frown. "Have you forgotten how ruthless he can be? He's killed people before!"

At the reminder, Sun Meng shivered slightly but quickly recovered with a smile. "But Brother Bing only takes out those who threaten him or the team! We're his teammates; he wouldn't harm us!"

"That's assuming we don't know his secret," Qin Mengli whispered. "Do you get it?"

"Mhm!" Sun Meng nodded cheerily, though it was unclear whether she truly grasped the gravity of the situation.

Watching her, Qin Mengli couldn't shake her concern. She feared that Sun Meng's naivety might drag them both down. Tang Bing had become an enigma, a far cry from the man he once was, particularly since Mengli had rejected him so harshly.

Her worry was that Sun Meng might inadvertently cross Tang Bing's line, making him distrustful of the whole group.

The best-case scenario would be him leaving the team, forsaking them to fend for themselves—a situation that would leave them teetering on the brink of death. Yet, they might still stand a slim chance of survival. The worst-case scenario, however, was too grim to ignore: in a fit of rage, he might kill those who knew too much. Given his track record, a few more wouldn't make much difference to him.

"Mengmeng, I'll distract Teacher Lin and the others in a bit," Qin Mengli whispered, "and then you and I will act like we're moving and disposing of the dismantled seats."

"But there's nothing here, how can we move them?" Sun Meng asked, puzzled.

"We're just pretending!" Qin Mengli said with a frown. "We just need to make sure Teacher Lin and her group can't see or are too preoccupied to notice us."

"Oh! But we don't actually have anything to take apart," Sun Meng said, turning to her. "What are we going to show them? How will we convince them?"

Qin Mengli sighed, feeling weary. "Who said anything about showing them? We'll just say we moved everything to the abandoned warehouse out back. Do you really think they'd be so idle as to go check?"

"That makes sense!" Sun Meng had an epiphany.

"Okay! I'm going to lead them away now. Just make sure you don't slip up," Qin Mengli cautioned.

"Got it!" Sun Meng nodded, "I understand. But Mengli, if you and Teacher Lin are so close, why keep this from her?"

"I've already told you, some things are better left unsaid! Even if Teacher Lin and I are as close as mother and daughter, it's better the fewer people know. And those who are unaware are safer. I'm protecting them too, you get that?" Qin Mengli challenged.

Sun Meng nodded, half understanding, "Alright, let's go with that plan."

Meanwhile, Tang Bing was oblivious to Qin Mengli and Sun Meng's secret conversation. He and Zhao Dagang were busy swiftly transporting the remaining supplies in the supermarket.

They passed over any packages that were damaged, even if they still looked fresh, not wanting to take any chances. With so many zombie corpses around, there was no telling if the zombie blood had contaminated the supplies or if the virus could be transmitted through the air into the food, potentially harming people.

In any case, Tang Bing wasn't about to gamble with their safety.

Besides, they had enough supplies for now; there was no need to joke around with their lives.

The two men coordinated their efforts, moving only the supplies they deemed safe. Zhao Dagang focused on snacks and cases of water, drinks, and beer, while Tang Bing handled the staples like rice, flour, and noodles.

The division of labor was incredibly efficient. In just about a day, we managed to clear out all the remaining supplies!

"Dagang!" As he worked, Tang Bing kept recalling Zhao Dagang's smile and the words he had said to Sun Meng. He couldn't resist asking, "Did you hear anything last night?"

"Last night?" Zhao Dagang continued packing, not even glancing up as he replied, "Nothing! I had a great sleep and didn't wake up until the sun was shining. Why do you ask? Was there some kind of incident last night?"

Tang Bing scrutinized Zhao Dagang's demeanor. It appeared utterly natural, not at all like he was fabricating a story. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that Zhao Dagang's look that morning was one of someone privy to a secret. And the comment he made to Sun Meng only added to his suspicions.

With that in mind, after a brief pause, he probed further, "By the way, Dagang, what was that you mentioned about Sun Meng acting like a thief in the night?"

"Oh, that?" Zhao Dagang chuckled, "I was just speaking off the cuff. If she hadn't been up to something, why would she have such dark circles? And the same goes for Miss Qin, haha!"

Tang Bing was at a loss. Staring at Zhao Dagang, who remained effortlessly natural, he found it impossible to discern whether he was speaking the truth or weaving lies.