Read Novel Full Chapter 470:
Chapter 470: Chapter 470:
A slow smile spread across his face.
"If I can kiss you," he said smoothly, "you can dock my entire salary."
Martha stared at him, utterly stunned. Since when did he become this brazen? Taking a deep breath, she snapped,
"Get out, Kael."
But before she could turn away, he leaned in swiftly and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
Martha’s face instantly flushed crimson.
"Kael!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the office. "Did I say you could kiss me?"
Hearing his full name, Kael froze for a split second, then looked at her with a faint grin.
"I heard you say kiss me," he replied shamelessly.
Martha glared at him, her eyes sharp and burning.
"Clearly, you know exactly what you did wrong."
Kael shifted uneasily as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"That might be true," he admitted after a pause, "but I couldn’t do anything about it. It came naturally... Now that I’ve already done it... "
Before he could finish, Martha’s jaw tightened. Fury simmered just beneath her calm exterior.
Kael noticed the way her fingers curled, the way her shoulders stiffened, and how he hesitated.
"Are you... angry?"
Martha stayed silent.
Instead of answering, she turned away, burying herself in the stack of reports on her desk, the papers rough beneath her fingertips.
’Focus on work,’ she told herself, forcing her breathing to steady.
Kael, unfortunately, didn’t stop.
"If you’re really that angry," he added lightly, "you can return the favor by kissing me back."
With that, he leaned forward, presenting his face with exaggerated confidence.
Martha’s heart betrayed her, skipping a beat before shame and anger surged together.
The heat rushed to her cheeks as she shoved him hard.
"Get away from me!"
Kael stumbled back a step. Instead of being offended, a strange pride bloomed in his chest.
’If she reacted this strongly,’ he thought, ’then she definitely felt something.’
That thought lingered with him even as he stood there alone, watching her glare at him like a drawn blade.
Martha, on the other hand, nearly regretted not throwing him out right then.
Over the next three days, she seriously considered firing Kael more than once.
Then the news arrived.
Zombies were rushing toward the base.
The report hit Martha like a sudden chill.
Her first instinct was to inform Ivy, but Ivy was busy with her wedding preparations.
She had been very clear; unless it was absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to be disturbed.
This situation was important, yet Martha hesitated, unwilling to interrupt the rare peace Ivy finally had.
As pressure mounted in her chest, Kael hovered nearby. When he learned what was happening, he spoke calmly.
"I can help you handle this."
Martha looked at him sharply, but he continued before she could refuse.
"If you listen to me, I can make sure you won’t need to contact Ivy at all. We can deal with this."
Martha exhaled slowly.
"Zombies aren’t the only problem," she said, her voice low. "It’s the refugees."
Kael’s expression turned serious as he waited for her to continue.
"More and more people are lining up outside the base," Martha explained.
"We’re running partial verification, but many can’t enter because their identities aren’t clear. In the apocalypse, no one thought carrying ID cards would matter. People traveled light, carrying only what they needed to survive."
She paused, the noise of the crowd echoing faintly in her ears.
"As a result, they’re stuck outside. The area around the base is already overcrowded, and there’s barely any space left. The people in line are getting agitated, and so are the refugees."
Her voice tightened.
"If we don’t find a solution soon and deal with the incoming zombies, there’s a high chance that people right outside our gates will turn into zombies."
"If we don’t find a quick solution," Kael said, his voice steady but urgent, "then they didn’t come here without reason. Since they’re already at our gates, that itself means a solution exists."
Hearing those words, something clicked in Martha’s mind. She straightened, waiting for him to continue.
"There is a solution," Kael said firmly. "And it’s a simple one."
He stepped closer to the table, placing his palm against its cold surface.
"We tell the refugees this: if they help us deal with the zombies, we’ll let them enter even if their information is incomplete. After that, we conduct thorough background checks."
Martha tilted her head slightly, listening intently.
"We use lie detectors," Kael continued. "Not machines... people with the ability to distinguish truth from lies. They’ll be able to see far more than any document ever could."
The idea grew clearer as he spoke.
"With that information, we can filter everyone properly. Those who are useful to the base can stay. Those who pose a threat will be removed."
His fingers curled slightly as he added,
"Anyone who comes here just to create chaos won’t risk their life fighting zombies. They’ll hesitate. They’ll retreat."
He paused, then continued more thoughtfully.
"Those who do fight with their lives on the line fall into two categories. One... they’re innocent people who just want to survive. Two... they might have ulterior motives and are trying to infiltrate the base as spies."
Kael’s eyes darkened with understanding.
"We add this as a key part of the background verification," Martha said.
"Direct questions. Ask if they’re connected to the Black Vultures or any other bases. Ask if they’ve come here to observe, sabotage, or spy."
A cold resolve settled in her chest.
"If they lie, the truth will surface. If they tell the truth, we’ll know where they stand. That way, we won’t just filter out the obvious troublemakers... we’ll expose the real masterminds hiding among them."
"But I don’t understand," Martha frowned slightly, her fingers tapping against the table as the distant noise of the crowd seeped through the walls.
"If this is just about learning their background, why don’t we conduct the background checks first, before asking them to fight?"
Kael shook his head immediately.
"That’s not what I meant."