Chapter 302

"Exactly! Just think about it, if Ling Jing bites someone, that person becomes completely under his control.

If he bites all of us, wouldn’t the whole world be under his command?

That’s terrifying!

And another thing, I’ve heard that Ling Jing never eats with everyone during meals. Not just one meal, but every single day.

As the saying goes, skipping one meal makes you hungry, but he skips all three meals every day. Isn’t that strange?

What’s even weirder is that he feeds his puppets raw meat!

Tell me, apart from animals, what else loves raw meat?"

"Zombies!"

"Exactly, zombies!"

"So, if Ling Jing doesn’t eat with everyone, does that mean he’s also eating raw meat like his puppets?

And to avoid being seen as different, he hides away and secretly eats raw meat by himself?"

"Yeah, I think that’s highly possible!"

"Oh my god, what kind of monster is Ling Jing? He can control zombies, eats raw meat—could he also be a zombie?!"

"!!!"

"That could really be the case!"

"Thinking about it gives me chills! It’s absolutely chilling!"

"..."

Meanwhile, Yun Xiaoxiao and the others were completely unaware of this conversation.

They were busy counting the supplies and crystal cores they had gathered that day.

"I didn’t steal it!"

A furious voice suddenly rang out.

The voice was loud, and everyone nearby turned to look.

A girl with a bun hairstyle was glaring at a middle-aged man, her face filled with anger.

"Stop lying! Little girl, don’t you know stealing is wrong? At such a young age, you’re already stealing and refusing to admit it!"

"I said I didn’t steal it, and I didn’t!"

The girl’s voice was full of both frustration and defiance.

The middle-aged man pointed at the jade pendant hanging around the girl’s neck.

"This is the only keepsake left by my late wife. It was custom-made, and there’s no other like it in the world. I lost mine this morning, so if it’s not you who stole it, who else could it be?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The girl kept denying it, which only made the man angrier.

He had lost his pendant that morning and had searched everywhere for it.

Now, it was hanging around this girl’s neck—how could it not be her?

The girl touched her pendant, her eyes red.

"I’ve been wearing this since I was a child. How could it be yours? If you lost yours, why don’t you go look for it instead of accusing me? This is bullying!"

"Little girl, let’s be fair. This pendant really is the only keepsake left by my late wife.

If you like pendants, I can get you any style, any design you want.

Just ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍give this one back to me, okay?"

The man’s tone softened a bit.

It was clear he had deep feelings for his late wife.

"This is mine. How can I give it back? What am I supposed to return?" The girl’s eyes were filled with stubbornness.

The onlookers couldn’t stand it anymore.

"Little girl, I’ve seen Brother Wang’s pendant before, and it’s exactly the same as the one you’re wearing.

Stop lying.

Even if you admit you stole it, we won’t blame you.

What’s important is to admit your mistake and correct it.

Just give it back to Brother Wang. He needs it to sleep peacefully every night."

"Yeah, pendants aren’t even valuable these days. There are jewelry shops everywhere. You can get any pendant you want. Why steal someone else’s?"

"Why won’t you listen? I didn’t steal it. This is mine!"

"Has anyone seen her wearing it before?" A woman stepped forward.

She glanced around. "If anyone has, please come forward and vouch for this girl."

But after waiting for a while, no one stepped forward.

"I’ve always kept it hidden under my clothes. It’s been cold, so no one’s seen it before."

Seeing the distrustful and suspicious looks from everyone, the girl grew anxious.

"Stop explaining. Explaining just means you’re hiding something. Just give it back."

"Yeah, stealing is stealing. Acting like this only makes people look down on you more."

"She didn’t steal it."

Just as most people were convinced the girl was a thief, and others were still undecided, a young voice spoke up.

The crowd parted, and Yun Xiaoxiao stepped forward.

"This big sister is telling the truth. The pendant really is hers."

Hearing Yun Xiaoxiao’s words, the girl was so moved she almost cried.

When everyone had labeled her a thief, having someone suddenly stand up for her felt like a miracle.

It was like someone stranded in a desert for days, dying of thirst, suddenly finding a sip of sweet water.

She looked at Yun Xiaoxiao with gratitude.

"Little Base Leader Yun, have you seen her wear it before?" someone asked.

Yun Xiaoxiao shook her head.

"Then..."

Everyone was puzzled.

If she hadn’t seen it before, why was she so sure the pendant belonged to the girl?

Many had questions, but out of respect for Yun Xiaoxiao’s position, they didn’t dare ask.

Finally, the middle-aged man couldn’t hold back.

"Little Base Leader Yun, can I ask why you’re so sure the pendant belongs to this girl?"

Yun Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I can’t explain it."

Everyone: "..."

At that moment, Yun Xiaoxiao noticed someone’s gaze seemed off.

His eyes kept darting toward the middle-aged man.

She suddenly had an idea.

"However, I can try to help you find the real thief."

Hearing this, everyone looked at her curiously.

Yun Xiaoxiao walked up to a man in a gray down jacket.

The man hadn’t expected Yun Xiaoxiao to approach him, and for a moment, he looked panicked.

He had just heard her say she was going to find the real thief.

Had she figured something out?

The man avoided eye contact, forcing an awkward smile.

"Little Base Leader Yun, what... what do you need from me?"

"Did you take the pendant?" Yun Xiaoxiao asked directly.

In truth, the man’s thoughts had already betrayed him.

She just wanted to confirm it further.

Sure enough, the man immediately shook his head in denial.

"How could I? I’m a grown man. What would I do with a pendant? I don’t even wear that kind of thing."

Yun Xiaoxiao continued calmly, "Did you lose it, or did you hide it somewhere?"

The man didn’t understand why Yun Xiaoxiao kept asking questions after he had already denied it.

He didn’t answer.

But the moment she asked, he had already subconsciously revealed everything in his mind.

Yun Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow and pointed at him.

"The pendant is in your tent."