Suzy’s eyes locked with one of the women in the group.
She felt an immediate flash of familiarity—the woman’s face looked recognizable, yet she couldn’t quite place where she had seen her before.
The woman was also frowning, staring intently at Suzy as if trying to piece together a puzzle in her mind.
The rest of the group looked back and forth between the two of them, thoroughly bewildered by the silent staring contest.
Finally, a short-haired girl standing next to the woman nudged her elbow gently, keeping her voice low as she said,
"Tina, what’s wrong? Is there something off about that girl?"
Tina pulled her gaze away, but after just a couple of seconds, she couldn’t resist sneaking another peek at Suzy.
"She looks really familiar. I’m certain I’ve met her before, but... I just can’t remember where."
Nadine blinked in surprise. "No way... What are the odds of bumping into an acquaintance all the way out here? I wouldn’t bet on that."
Tina gave a small shake of her head. "I wouldn’t call her an acquaintance."
If they were actually close, the memory would have clicked instantly. When on earth did I see her...? Tina racked her brain at lightning speed.
Meanwhile, Suzy had already decided it was time to slip away.
She realized she had drawn far too much attention to herself and had zero interest in starting unnecessary drama. Tina’s glare had been so pointed that ignoring it was impossible—Was that meant as a warning? Suzy wondered internally.
Just as Suzy turned to make her exit, a vivid memory flashed through Tina’s mind like a bolt of lightning.
It hit her!
"Miss Kale! It is you, isn’t it?!" Tina bolted upright, crying out in shock.
Suzy froze dead in her tracks, turning her head back in complete astonishment.
Miss Kale...? She actually knows me! But I still have zero memory of who she is!!
Suzy offered a slightly stiff nod.
Seeing her confirmation, a bright grin broke across Tina’s face. "I knew I wasn’t mistaking you!"
Once she confirmed Suzy’s identity, Tina rushed over, her eyes shining with unsuppressed excitement.
Closing the distance in a few quick steps, she clasped Suzy’s hands, beaming with surprise. "I can’t believe I’m seeing you again after all this time in the apocalypse! Talk about a twist of fate!"
Tina’s intense enthusiasm was almost overwhelming. Under normal circumstances, Suzy might have made a polite excuse to slide away. But knowing Tina held critical information about Adam, she held her ground.
"It really is fate," Suzy offered a warm, polite smile, doing her best not to look too stiff.
"Why don’t you join us for a bit? It’s not every day we bump into someone we know," Tina invited warmly.
Wanting nothing more than to gather information, Suzy agreed without hesitation. "Sure! I’m not in any rush anyway."
With Suzy’s nod, Tina led her over to their setup.
Her teammates didn’t mind at all; one even proactively fetched a folding chair for Suzy to sit on.
The other woman in the squad offered a friendly smile. "Since you’re Tina’s friend, you’re a friend of ours too."
Sensing their genuine hospitality, Suzy smiled back in appreciation.
Once they took their seats, Tina finally released Suzy’s hands, though her eyes remained glued to her face.
"Is... is there something on my face?" Suzy asked, shifting uncomfortably under the intense gaze.
Tina’s stare was almost a little too intense. In fact, her expression almost made it seem as though... she was looking right through her at someone else.
"N-No, nothing at all! I just really didn’t expect to cross paths with you out here in the end times."
Realizing she was staring, Tina drew back her gaze with an embarrassed, apologetic chuckle.
"You probably don’t remember me too well, but I saw you a few times back then, so you left quite an impression. I’m Tina Becker..."
Noticing that Suzy hadn’t fully placed her yet, Tina began introducing herself properly.
Following her explanation, the pieces finally clicked together in Suzy’s mind.
Tina had been one of Adam and Leonard’s long-term corporate partners. Before the apocalypse, she had visited their offices multiple times for business negotiations and bumped into Suzy on a few occasions.
Suzy had been exceptionally striking—her striking beauty paired with a frail, delicate aura made her hard to forget. After a few encounters, Tina had naturally memorized her face. Learning later that she was Leonard’s niece only made the impression stick even more.
On several of those visits, Tina had gone out of her way to greet Suzy. But since their meetings were few and far between, Suzy had only felt a vague sense of familiarity without being able to put a name to the face.
Now that Tina laid it all out, Suzy finally remembered.
"It really is a twist of fate!" Suzy couldn’t help but marvel.
Her pre-apocalyptic impression of Tina had been quite positive—the woman had always been polite whenever they ran into each other, and her uncle had mentioned her several times as a reliable business partner.
To cross paths in a brutal, life-or-death apocalyptic world—thousands of miles away at Black Mist Base, no less—was nothing short of a miracle!
After sharing a few nostalgic laughs, Tina asked with genuine concern, "Miss Kale, are you still in touch with Leonard... I mean, your uncle? How is he doing?"
As she asked, Tina’s eyes subtly scanned the surroundings, seemingly searching for a familiar silhouette.
At the mention of Leonard, the light in Suzy’s eyes dimmed slightly. Noticing the shift, Tina’s heart sank, her own expression darkening in anticipation of bad news.
Catching Tina’s sudden look of dread, Suzy quickly clarified, "My uncle should be completely fine! He’s currently in a very safe place, but we’re not together right now. We had to split up temporarily."
Hearing that, Tina’s eyes instantly lit back up with life.
"Is that so? Thank goodness... That’s wonderful news," Tina exhaled, a relieved smile returning to her face.