Inside Base B, in the military building, in the office on the first floor.
“Dad, is this matter just being settled like this? Aren’t we going to inform Tang Ke first?” Tang Qi was a bit worried. Deciding a lifelong matter without discussing it with Tang Ke beforehand wasn’t very appropriate.
“We’ll tell him when he comes back.” Tang Yi didn’t care. Marriage was naturally a matter for the parents to decide. Since Tang Ke’s parents agreed and let him take charge, this was a decision they had made together.
“Won’t it be too rushed?” Tang Ke said he’d be back at the end of the month, and to get engaged the day he returns, wasn’t that a bit too fast?
“This is for Little Ke’s own good. Liu Zhengnan’s son is useless. Even though she isn’t his biological child, he’ll rely entirely on this daughter in the future.” Tang Yi was Tang Ke’s uncle, and Tang Ke had always listened to him. “Besides, he’s not losing out. Liu Zhengnan’s daughter looks quite good.”
Tang Qi nodded in agreement at that point. She did look good, and her temperament seemed obedient. He knew his own personality well, he wasn’t suited to be a leader. He fully agreed with Tang Ke taking the position, stabilizing it, and controlling the entire base’s power. A political marriage was currently the most effective method.
“Then I’ll go make arrangements first.” Tang Qi got up to leave.
“Make it as grand as possible,” Tang Yi instructed his son. “This is the first engagement among the younger generation of the Tang family. We can’t lose face. Oh, and invite the people from the other bases as well.”
“Okay, I’ll handle it now. And tell them not to leak any information. We’ll give Tang Ke a surprise.” A great beauty plus a powerful family, Tang Ke should be very satisfied.
At Base L, inside a low-key yet luxurious villa.
“How is Base B’s research on the antiviral serum going?” Yan Bin asked as he poured himself alcohol.
Han Fei took the glass handed to him. “They’re still conducting experiments, but I heard it’s progressing very smoothly.”
“Tang Yi’s successor is getting engaged at the end of the month,” Yan Bin said, sharing intel sent by the people he had placed inside Base B.
Han Fei’s hand paused mid-air holding the wine glass. “Tang Ke? With who?” Tang Yi’s successor should be Tang Ke. He had met him several times; calling him the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Tang family was no exaggeration.
“Guess,” Yan Bin said, downing his drink and pouring another. He still had nightmares every night, the same youth with a bluish face lying on the bed, a heart-piercing pain flooding his limbs, unbearably real for something that should have been a dream.
Han Fei thought. If Yan Bin put it this way, it must be someone they both knew. Someone qualified to marry into the Tang family wouldn’t be ordinary. He tested the waters: “Don’t tell me it’s Liu Zhengnan’s daughter? Called…” He thought for a moment. “Liu Yue? That’s her name, right?”
“Mm, it’s her,” Yan Bin nodded.
“Sh*t, since when? That old fox Liu Zhengnan. Last time if you had agreed, wouldn’t the protagonist have been you?” Han Fei mocked with contempt. That woman came to Base L wanting to cooperate, but never followed up. It was obvious she was offering herself. They didn’t accept, so she immediately went to find a better target.
Yan Bin hated being threatened or strung along. That woman happened to do both. He retorted coldly, “She’s not bad looking. Why didn’t you take her?”
“You know very well, I’m not interested in women anymore.” Han Fei curled his lip.
“Just because we weren’t interested doesn’t mean others aren’t.” Yan Bin didn’t care. In the apocalypse, the strong were respected. Who had time to tolerate being threatened by a woman? Political marriage was a distant term, and whether it happened depended entirely on whether he wanted it. He hated people scheming around him. The rules of the game must be in his hands.
“What about Base M?” Han Fei switched to the topic he cared about.
“Feng Zhe is in power.” Yan Bin emptied another glass.
Han Fei snorted, drank his wine, and lit a cigarette. “I overestimated that Liao Feifan. All that ability, yet he let a woman play him.”
“Have people keep a close eye on the research institute.” If the serum succeeded, Base B could no longer be underestimated. The medicine alone would attract large numbers of high-level ability users. Base S would no longer matter, they could take over anytime. Only Base B and Base M would remain.
“Got it.” Han Fei took several deep drags before stubbing out the cigarette. “Alright, I’m heading back.”
At the door, he hesitated as he opened it and said, “Drink less. About that matter, I don’t blame you.”
Yan Bin didn’t respond. Holding the bottle and glass, he went to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window and sat down. The soft click of the closing door returned the room to silence. Alone, the place felt hollow. Staring at the pitch-black night sky, he drained another glass. Maybe he really had lost control.
At Base M, in a suite as luxurious as a presidential room, Liu Yue crossed her legs, glancing impatiently at Feng Zhe. “You’ll come with me to Base B in a few days. Have someone watch Liao Feifan carefully. He’s still useful.” Her cousin looked decent enough, not very capable but clever in small ways. Overall she was satisfied, or she wouldn’t have chosen him as a puppet.
“Of course. You’re my only cousin. I must bring a big gift for your engagement.” Feng Zhe’s tone was ingratiating. His cousin’s ability and methods were extraordinary. “Don’t worry, that kid is surrounded by our people.” He despised Liao Feifan, just a dog wagging his tail at Liu Yue, no brains at all.
“Mm.” Liu Yue nodded in satisfaction.
“In the future, Base B will be ours, along with the antiviral serum from the research institute.” With her looks, the Tang family’s boy would fall head over heels for her.
“It’s too early to say that. First we need to help Liu Zhengnan consolidate power in Base B.” Although she said that, Liu Yue looked proud. The Tang family all had a great impression of her, especially Tang Qi and Tang Zhi, who both had fallen under her skirt. But she didn’t care for them; she wanted only the best. Tang Ke, heh, in this lifetime all your deep affection will belong to me.
There were two knocks on the door before it opened from the outside. Feng Zhe’s two subordinates came in, carrying a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old unconscious boy.
“Hello, Miss Liu.” They greeted respectfully.
Feng Zhe saw the unconscious youth and immediately smiled, waving his hand. “Go, go, we’re talking business. Just put him in the room.” This boy was the son of a steward in the base. He had had his eyes on him for a long time.
Liu Yue frowned lightly and warned softly, “Don’t go too far. Be careful not to leave clues.”
“Don’t worry. You know me. I’ll handle everything cleanly.” Feng Zhe was proud. Dead people wouldn’t reveal secrets. His hobby had only been discovered by a few close people.
As long as the traces were wiped clean afterward, Liu Yue didn’t mind. “Then I’m leaving. Make sure everything in the base is arranged before you go.” She swayed her hips as she walked out.
Feng Zhe swallowed hard as he watched her voluptuous figure. His cousin looked pure on the outside but was vicious to the bone and had a fiery body, exactly his type. If only he could sleep with her once. But he didn’t dare. He had seen too many of her methods over the years. Like that girl who used to follow Liao Feifan… he shuddered. Turning into the inner room, he looked at the naked youth, took off his shirt, unbuckled his belt, and decided to satisfy himself with the boy first.
Life still had to go on. Early the next morning, regardless of how angry he had been the night before, Qi Yue, as the oldest, prepared breakfast. These days, the three of them had been getting along relatively peacefully, except for the two still not getting along with each other.
Buns, stuffed pancakes, porridge, small pickles. By the time he finished, the other two had gotten up and washed. After days of Qi Yue’s plenty of food and care, their complexions looked much better. The marks on their faces had faded, returning to their handsome looks.
Lin Yuze was still in his usual black casual clothes. Tang Ke had removed his green uniform and was also wearing casual clothes. Each had his charm.
Qi Yue sat at the table and began eating. He glanced once at the two across from him, then looked away. “I’m going out later.”
Tang Ke bit into a bun, delicious. Little Yue’s cooking was amazing. Without thinking, he said, “Where are you going? I’ll go too.” He came here to take Qi Yue away, so naturally wherever Qi Yue went, he would go.
Lin Yuze calmly ate, waiting for the rest.
Qi Yue, with his mouth full, mumbled, “I’m going hunting.” He hadn’t gone out since Tang Ke arrived. He was almost going crazy being cooped up. More importantly, he was embarrassed. Those two were too shameful that day, probably the whole settlement already knew the two men had fought over him.
Tang Ke immediately leaned closer. “Yueyue, I want to go too. I’ve never been.” His voice carried a fawning tone. After getting repeatedly rejected in the past days, he realized being forceful backfired, he needed a new strategy.
“Fine, fine.” Qi Yue couldn’t resist someone being soft. He looked toward the other one for confirmation.
Lin Yuze said calmly, “I’m going too.”
Tang Ke protested, “Yueyue, let just the two of us go, okay?”
Qi Yue froze. Absolutely not. Last time he went alone with Lin Yuze, his belly button had been touched. He dared not go alone with Tang Ke, who always had ideas about him. He said firmly, “We’re all going.”
After packing up, they set out. But as soon as they stepped outside, Qi Yue regretted it. The settlement was small; everyone knew everyone. The car had barely moved before several residents greeted him.
“Qi Yue, well done,” a middle-aged man said, giving him a thumbs up.
“Qi Yue, you’re something,” another acquaintance said, winking.
Under all the pointing and whispering, Qi Yue slumped his shoulders and drove out, annoyed. He had known it, his obedient, harmless image was completely destroyed by those two.
Tang Ke looked smug. Good, let everyone know. He was set on Qi Yue. The brat behind him was the one who didn’t know his place. How had he never seen before that he was so sinister? Truly his misstep.
Their luck wasn’t bad. Not far into the grasslands, they found a herd of mutated bison. After a chase, they successfully killed one. They dug out the crystal core, cleaned the meat, and set up for grilling.
Except for the two ignoring each other, the atmosphere was pleasant, at least in Qi Yue’s opinion. Tang Ke was attentive, fetching water, lighting the fire, setting up the racks, helping everywhere, and occasionally taking advantage by touching his hand or arm. Whenever Qi Yue got angry, Tang Ke immediately switched to a pitiful, obedient look.
Lin Yuze, usually quiet, got no benefits these days, and seeing Tang Ke like that, silently glanced at him with disdain.
Tang Ke ignored him. He didn’t know why, he just liked Qi Yue. Everything about him felt right. He leaned over and kissed Qi Yue while he was turning the meat.
Qi Yue was furious. He elbowed him hard in the stomach, making Tang Ke grunt. This pervert, always taking advantage. He didn’t want anyone. He wanted to be free. Ignoring him, he walked toward the vehicle.
Tang Ke rubbed his stomach, eyes darkening, and followed.
Qi Yue took out the fishing rod. It had been days since he came out, so he had come prepared. The small river had fish and shrimp. Since it was still early and they weren’t in a hurry, he decided to fish.
None of them noticed that in the dense grass, a mutated leopard was crouching. Its green eyes glowed faintly, staring at the riverbank. It was level eight, extremely patient, concealing its presence completely, waiting for the right moment.
Qi Yue took out a folding chair, lay on it, and dozed.
Tang Ke fished beside him. Lin Yuze stood near the grill, watching the meat. His ability could detect within about 500 meters. Everything was quiet, nothing seemed wrong.
The three were spaced apart, looking like they were on vacation before the apocalypse.
They planned to stay outdoors for a few days, so they weren’t in a rush. Only when the sun was about to set did Qi Yue stand up, satisfied, to pack their spoils.
Half a bucket of fish. He glanced at Tang Ke’s bucket, completely full. He pouted.
Elsewhere, the bison head had become a delicious-looking roast under Lin Yuze’s care.
They prepared dinner, leaving only a cow leg outside for the night and putting the rest into the space. Lin Yuze gathered firewood, Tang Ke cleaned the fish, and Qi Yue squatted to build a small stove, the previous one was too big.
The mutated leopard silently crept closer. Like zombies, mutated animals attacked the relatively weaker target or the one with lower ability. After observing for a long time, it chose Qi Yue. The scent of an ability user was irresistible; drool dripped from its mouth.
Lin Yuze bent down to pick up more wood. Suddenly, he felt an odd aura. He straightened and scanned the area. Strange, he had checked before and found no danger. How could this happen?
He was level seven high-rank. He could easily detect mutated species below his rank but would struggle with those above. He pushed his spiritual power outward, searching. Then he found it, an eighth-level mutated leopard. “Be careful!” he yelled.
At the same time, Qi Yue and Tang Ke also felt danger. A blast of air shot toward Qi Yue.
Tang Ke was beside him. Instinct told him the danger was aimed at Qi Yue. He had no time to attack, only to tackle him and shield him.
At the moment the leopard’s claw was about to strike, a faint sound sliced through the air, hitting its paw. The leopard howled and fell aside, rolling and rising again, staring viciously at Lin Yuze.
Lin Yuze held an energy gun, breathing hard. That was close.
Qi Yue looked at Tang Ke pressing him down. Tang Ke shielding him wasn’t necessary, he could have dodged himself. He had his space ability.
Tang Ke held him tightly. He had been truly scared. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here,” he whispered, eyes locked on the leopard, ready to attack.
The leopard, having missed its kill and injured its paw, became enraged. It opened its mouth and fired bursts of air bubbles that exploded in the air.
Behind the vehicle, Qi Yue, still being shielded, calmly took food out from his space: small buns, beef jerky and ate. With a swallow, he disappeared.
Neither Tang Ke nor Lin Yuze noticed; their attention stayed on the level-eight air-attribute leopard.
“Stay here, don’t come out,” Tang Ke whispered, unaware Qi Yue was gone.
Plants, ice, wood spikes, the energy gun, air bubbles, Tang Ke and Lin Yuze attacked simultaneously.
The leopard, unable to get the upper hand, leapt into the tall grass. After the apocalypse, the grasslands had grown unnaturally thick. Some grass was taller than a person. Even though the leopard was twice its pre-apocalypse size, the grass hid it.
Lin Yuze moved to the car to join Tang Ke. Then they noticed, Qi Yue was gone. They didn’t know he could become invisible.
Tang Ke nearly broke down. He jumped up and shouted frantically, “Qi Yue! Qi Yue! Stop messing around, get out here!”
Lin Yuze’s eyes reddened. He stood up and ignored the risk, sending his ability outward to search.
Their shouts made Qi Yue’s heart soften. Concealing his presence, he moved toward the target. He had already located the leopard.
Its paw injured and pierced by the energy shot, it still didn’t want to leave its prey. The scent of ability users was too tempting. It lay in the grass, watching the two by the car. It was uneasy, its original target had vanished.
Five meters, four meters, three meters, Qi Yue crept forward silently.
Grass rustled. The leopard stood, fur bristling. It stared in Qi Yue’s direction but smelled nothing and saw nothing.
Sweat rolled down Qi Yue’s forehead, dripping into his shirt. He stared without blinking.
“Qi Yue! Qi Yue!” Tang Ke’s voice grew louder, trembling. “Get out here, d*mn it!”
The leopard instinctively glanced toward the voice.
Qi Yue seized the chance. The blade struck. With a thud, the leopard’s head rolled off.
D*mn, what a nice knife. Clean cut. Didn’t even feel resistance.
Lin Yuze and Tang Ke heard the noise and rushed over.
Qi Yue revealed himself. D*mn, beef jerky always made his form return when touching mutated creatures. He dug out the crystal core and put it into a small pouch.
He turned and saw the two approaching silhouettes. Grinning, he lifted the pouch to show them his trophy.
One figure rushed over first, tackled him to the ground, and hugged his neck tightly. “Where the h*ll did you go? Don’t scare me again.” Tang Ke’s voice trembled. It was a level-eight mutated animal. God knew how worried he had been.
Pinned beneath him, Qi Yue silently hugged back. He could feel Tang Ke’s pounding heartbeat. His eyes grew hot. He had always thought Tang Ke was playing with him. When had it changed? When had he begun to sense genuine worry? He felt a little secretly pleased.
He blinked hard and looked up, only to meet Lin Yuze’s eyes, filled with deep affection…
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