I have a persona specifically for acting.

At the moment the scream rang out, Tong Zhao charged in.

She moved swiftly, delivering a precise high kick that sent the zombie crashing against the wall. Then, using a crowbar, she smashed the zombie’s head to bits, ensuring it could no longer pose any threat. Only then did she turn to embrace the falling Anna. Blood gushed from Anna’s neck wound, which had been bitten, and she tried to speak, but her shattered throat could only produce incoherent sounds.

Feng Sisi, originally worried that she might be exposed, felt a vague sense of relief upon seeing this scene.

“Sis, I-I didn’t expect there to be a zombie inside, and Anna was attacked…”

Feng Sisi, feeling both guilty and frightened, weakly showed her fear to her sister, her mind still reeling.

They were real sisters, after all; her sister surely wouldn’t turn against her over someone she had only recently met!

Tong Zhao didn’t respond but simply stared fixedly at Feng Sisi.

The director used the eye-tracking system to switch the camera angles, allowing the audience to see where Tong Zhao’s gaze was focused at that moment:

First on Feng Sisi’s eyes, then on the location where the zombie had fallen, and finally on Anna’s expression, which was beginning to freeze.

Through this sequence of camera shots, most of the audience understood.

Tong Zhao knew that Anna’s death had some hidden aspects.

[On one side is protecting her sister, and on the other side is a stranger she has just met—she would probably see through it but choose to keep quiet.]

[Unexpectedly, Xu Zhu’s true self is so selfish. However, I’m quite interested. Such a cruel and selfish person should be very intriguing on a talent show. I want to catch up on “Star Selection Girls” now.]

[I came from “Star Selection Girls,” where I was into her sweet and soft princess persona. I can’t accept this change… I’m unfollowing. Compared to her, Tong Zhao and this foreign actor are much more likable and charming.]

[Speechless!! I was into the sisterly Yuri dynamic based on the plot setup, but with the younger sister being so toxic, I can’t keep up with it.]

How Tong Zhao will handle this unexpected development has become a major dilemma.

Killing someone demands a price, but Feng Sisi’s crime is rather subtle.

Moreover, it would be strange for the sister to actually kill her.

If she lets her off lightly, the audience’s perception of Tong Zhao will also become subtle.

The key point is—

It’s inherently inappropriate for Tong Zhao to act as a judge.

Why should she?

Yet, she’s the only one who can make this judgment. Given her previous demeanor and actions, pretending not to notice would only lead to the audience, who stand on moral high ground and love to make cold comments, steering the narrative. In this era of instinct-driven cinema, even villains and shameless people can have fan appeal. The worst is a muddled, indecisive, and mediocre personality.

It wasn’t Tong Zhao’s fault, but she had to take the fall.

Tong Zhao pushed away the zombie, closed the toilet lid, placed the nearly dead Anna on top, and adjusted Anna’s head to face the right way.

As the audience wondered what Tong Zhao was going to do, she cast a cold glance at Feng Sisi.

“There’s not much time left.”

In the next moment, things took an unexpected turn.

Tong Zhao kicked Feng Sisi’s knee with precise force, making her collapse to the ground, her knee striking the dirty, cold floor. As Feng Sisi cried out in pain, Tong Zhao grabbed her by the back of the head and forcefully pressed it down.

“Sis, what are you doing… Sis… don’t kill me…”

“Who said I’m going to kill you? I’m not like you. Murder is a grave crime.”

The director zoomed in for a close-up of Feng Sisi and then cut to a medium shot of the whole scene. Tong Zhao was pressing Feng Sisi’s head to make her bow in front of Anna. Tong Zhao had also positioned Anna’s face to ensure she could see this moment clearly: “Apologize to her.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional. I saw the zombie as soon as I opened the door. I was scared too!”

Feng Sisi sobbed uncontrollably.

“You were scared, you could have run away, you could have asked me for help. It’s really hard to believe how you’ve changed. Feng Sisi, if you truly felt guilty, you wouldn’t have lied to me just now.”

With her face pressed to the floor, Feng Sisi, her dignity shattered, shouted back, “I’m your sister! You want me to apologize to a stranger and even hit me! Who is the real sister here?”

Tong Zhao ignored her and continued to press her head down until Anna, having lost too much blood, finally passed away. Then, she pulled Feng Sisi off the floor and said, “Clean yourself up and get in the car.”

Feng Sisi, quietly crying, used a tissue to wipe off the dirt. With the city’s water supply contaminated, she dared not turn on the faucet to wash her face, fearing contamination through her mucous membranes. Her once-white forehead was now marked with red bruises, looking pitifully tragic and forlorn.

“You’re so frightening. I really didn’t do it on purpose…”

The close-up shot clearly captured Feng Sisi’s guilty expression.

“Alright, let’s say it wasn’t intentional,”

Tong Zhao turned around, sweeping her bangs back to reveal her smooth, full forehead. Her pale skin was almost translucent, accentuating her short, jet-black hair. Her cold, exquisite beauty momentarily made one forget their surroundings: “Someone died for you. Is it too much to ask for you to bow dozens of times in apology? Or do you want to die here like her?”

“With the blood supply to the retina being compromised from massive blood loss, Anna would soon experience dizziness and blindness. What did she feel seeing me before she died? Was she scared and helpless? My actions may seem extreme, but they were the only way to make her feel a little better in that moment.”

In “The Story of Ming Emperor,” Tong Zhao’s voice was soft and sweet, capable of infusing even the simplest phrases with a tender, lingering tone that stirred listeners’ hearts. On some male-dominated forums, quotes from Concubine Chen were even edited into standalone audio clips, with high download numbers.

But in “Countdown 72 Hours,” the same voice was cold and sharp, with a slight rasp.

This time, female viewers found it quite satisfying.

Previously, while the audience enjoyed watching Tong Zhao’s head-bowing actions, they also found it a bit strange.

After all, the female lead, Feng Yanqi, shouldn’t have such a personality.

People admire strength but also fear extreme violence.

But after Tong Zhao’s explanation, the emotional logic made sense. It highlighted her strength while still showing her softer, human side. A paranoid madman can be captivating in certain situations, but a warm, positive personality is the mainstream choice.

[Despite how brutal Tong Zhao was earlier, why do I feel she’s so warm?]

[I’ve become her fan! She’s so cool, absolutely amazing!]

[As an M, I really envy Feng Sisi…]

[I’ve already edited out the clip of Feng Sisi being forced to bow. I’m declaring it the most stress-relieving video of the year. Selfish people like her should be made to bow to Anna—bow hard and bow fiercely!]

Men are quick to solve their business in the restroom. Song Kaiyu, who was waiting in the car listening to music, was surprised to see only two people return when three had left. His girlfriend remained her usual calm self, while Feng Sisi looked particularly disheveled. Her eyes were as red as a rabbit’s, clearly from crying, and her forehead was also bruised.

“What happened?”

Song Kaiyu, puzzled, took out iodine from the car’s first aid kit and a bottle of mineral water, asking Feng Sisi to clean the wound on her forehead.

Feng Sisi gratefully accepted the items.

In response to Song Kaiyu’s questions, she shook her head, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. She glanced at her sister with immense grievance, her feelings left unspoken.

Tong Zhao didn’t pay much attention to her performance and simply said, “Anna was attacked by a zombie in the restroom, and we couldn’t save her in time.”

Internal conflicts are detrimental to the whole team.

Under the pressing time and harsh conditions, Tong Zhao had no intention of delving further into the matter before finding the antidote.

Seeing that her sister didn’t expose her, Feng Sisi let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Well, it can’t be helped. If I had known, I would have gone in with you. Let’s make sure we stick together next time, no matter what.” Song Kaiyu, who was unaware of the full truth, was deeply troubled. It was hard for him to accept that someone who had been with them moments ago was now dead. The sense of despair from the zombie outbreak overwhelmed him.

“Okay, Kaiyu, I’m really scared…”

The comfort she couldn’t find from her sister, she fully sought from Kaiyu.

Feng Sisi looked at him brightly.

Unfortunately, he was too preoccupied with mourning the loss of a teammate to notice her subtle advances.

He didn’t realize it, but the onlooking audience saw it all clearly.

[No way, is someone really trying to hit on the sister’s boyfriend? Did I misread the character setting? Is this really the timid and sweet younger sister? This is quite eye-opening.]

[It’s probably a case of desperation leading to a hasty solution. Is Tong Zhao’s “true self” really this bad at comforting people?]

[Huh? Are you kidding me? Tong Zhao wasn’t good enough? Every time a zombie appeared, she was the first to protect her teammates. If I were in a ranked game and encountered such a pro, I’d be scrambling to hug their leg and call them ‘daddy.’ Noobs who win by luck need someone to comfort them? Do they think they’re a princess or something?]

[Coming from “Star Selection Girls,” I’m really disgusted…]

[This might be just instinct-driven cinema.]

Ordinary viewers were reflecting on human nature, while fans of Tang Jingjie were becoming agitated: [Monsters and demons stay away from my baby, Mama doesn’t approve of this marriage!]

[It’s normal to have a CP in acting, and being with the female lead is quite good—she can protect and take care of the baby.]

…

From similar comments, it’s clear that the proportion of Tang Jingjie’s fans who are his “mama fans” is extraordinarily high.

Back to the show.

From Tong Zhao’s calm analysis of the street, zombies are light-sensitive and will only be active indoors during the day. She instructed Song Kaiyu to avoid shaded areas while driving. Sure enough, when they passed under a bridge, they spotted a zombie lying on the road, asleep.

Just as the audience was praising the female lead for her intelligence and bravery, an off-road vehicle appeared, blocking their path.

“There are other survivors in the city!”

Song Kaiyu’s eyes lit up, and Feng Sisi also became alert.

She didn’t want to continue living under her sister’s control.

After causing the woman’s death, she felt her sister wouldn’t protect her unconditionally as she used to…

“Be careful, hold your gun steady,”

Tong Zhao, who had previously maintained a neutral expression, showed a slight change in her demeanor, without any joy at encountering other survivors.

Deep down, Tong Zhao’s intuition warned her that, in extreme conditions, living humans could be more dangerous than zombies…

Outside the show, the entire directing team was suddenly energized.

“Alright, alright, the plot is finally getting back on track.”

The somewhat irrelevant screenwriter was deeply moved: “Is the conflict I designed finally going to be put to use?”

In the setting, even if people come into contact with contaminated sources, some individuals with unique genes or constitutions don’t die immediately but instead gradually turn into zombies, becoming increasingly malevolent in the last three days.

The main characters encounter a small group of villains.

In the face of the conflict, the male lead, Song Kaiyu, showed courage and responsibility, while Feng Sisi, as an intern nurse, treated their wounds afterward, demonstrating the “every member is useful, each with their own shining qualities” trope of typical mainstream drama…

An off-road vehicle aggressively stopped their car, and a muscular Black man got out with a hockey stick:

“Hand over your supplies and women!”

He keenly spotted the Asian girl in the passenger seat, his eyes lighting up.

A woman?

Tong Zhao raised an eyebrow: “Is he calling me?”

The three had been living abroad for some time and had encountered people of various qualities. They naturally did not judge others by skin color, but it was clear that the newcomer was hostile. Song Kaiyu gritted his teeth and said, “I will protect you…”

“I understand English. He’s asking the women to get out of the car.”

Tong Zhao expertly chambered her gun and opened the car door. “Wait for me in the car.”