Morning, 10:40 am. Shanghai, a luxurious villa in the heart of Starryfu.
Within the beautiful villa, a sturdy middle-aged man with an authoritative aura was discussing the situation of the apocalypse with his family. However, the seating was a bit bizarre on the dinner table.
While eating cereal for breakfast, three of the family members made a clear distinction between themselves away from the beautiful woman in her early-twenties seated at the back of the intricate marble table.
Leaving the beautiful woman in a white t-shirt isolated at the back of the table, the three ignored her like a block of air. Within the family of four, there was the sturdy middle-aged father, a pompous-looking wife wearing fancy earrings, an attractive white-lotus teenage girl, and the isolated Zhi Ruo.
In reality, this docile-looking Zhi Ruo was the step-granddaughter of that 'kind-looking' old man who Feng Hui had met previously. Regarding the old man's shamelessness, it was truly a disgusting sight to behold.
From the looks of it, the old man was tragically separated from his powerful family during the time of the apocalypse. Therefore, he had met a tragic end even with an amazing status. In the end, the power one would receive from a high position was something fragile.
In a man-eat-man world, personal strength was the only thing that mattered!
"Update us on the situation outside, Steward Tang." Lifting his head from his intricate white bowl, Yang Jian calmly looked at the white-haired man standing by the bleached wall.
Steward Tang, an aged man with white hair, respectfully informed the middle-aged father, "The final stronghold of our thousands of survivor bases has met its end. Once again, it was those damned lemures. Each time we create a secure base, those cursed lemures end up causing inner turmoil within our ranks!"
With a slightly hesitant voice, Steward Tang added, "Should we create another stronghold for survivors? We can't afford to lose any more citizens… China has suffered too much due to this accursed apocalypse. In merely two months, our glorious nation was ruined. Likely, there aren't even ten million of us left."
"No. I won't permit another public military base. The lemures will destroy everything again! The nation doesn't have any more resources to waste for the public." With an overbearing voice, Yang Jian declared.
In these two months, every time the government tried to fight back, the lemures would end up ruining the entire mission. Regarding this, Yang Jian was furious! As a strong commander for his beloved nation, this was an infuriating discovery.
In fact, with China's immense state-of-the-art military power, even the stronger monsters such as the orcs and kobolds were not a match. Instead, the everlasting problem was the physically-weak, tall purple lemures!
By controlling the minds of the leading figures within the base, the lemures would begin tearing apart the stronghold from the inside! This resulted in mass hysteria within the survivors. Inside the base, no one could trust anyone! It resulted in anarchy and utter chaos.
In the entire leadership echelon, there was no one who could withstand the lemures' enticing spells and mind control. From now on, the citizens could only depend on themselves. It was too dangerous to form another base.
Nearing August, China's government had nearly entirely collapsed. In the recent decades, the military families were largely in control of the nation. Yang Jian's household was a strong military family with deep roots.
In the history of China, there was the rising and falling of numerous prominent figures in the past couple of decades. Nowadays, the authority within the nation was wholly shifting over toward the military families with extended histories who held power. However, no single entity or family was allowed to hold sole power over the nation!
In the modern world, there were numerous small wars leading up to 2057, but none of the world superpowers dared to attack the other in fear of mutual destruction. With the innovative advanced technology, a world war would be too devastating! Instead, all of the countries solely focused on battling against the dangerous birth-rates, poverty, and shortage of resources. There was a united front in this regard!
Looking directly down the middle of the marble table, Yang Jian stared at the docile, pale Zhi Ruo. Feeling the slits between his white teeth containing chunks of food, his mood wasn't pleasant.
With an unpleased voice, Yang Jian spoke to this beautiful daughter who his master-like father had forced him to adopt decades ago, "Zhi Ruo, how is everything?"
In reality, the deity-like man who forced the old man had helped their military family rise to the peak. It was not an ungrateful request without the appropriate payment!
"The food is nice… I like it." Zhi Ruo shyly said from the back of the table. Across her delicate face, there was visible unease and fear. Looking at her cruel father, she didn't dare to loudly speak up.
"I'm not talking about the f*cking food!" Slamming the dinner table, Yang Jian stood up from his seat and roared. "I'm talking about enchanting that damned gang leader with your beauty! For some reason, that evil bastard is the sole person who can resist the lemures' mind control! We need him to willingly join our next mission!"
Hearing this loud roar from her father, Zhi Ruo's delicate face turned even more pale. Shaking, she softly replied, "I don't know…. I don't think he likes me. I tried to talk to him, but he just ignored me."
It was the first time Zhi Ruo had ever tried to entice a man. Before the apocalypse, she was still a wealthy, lofty daughter. Albeit unloved, she was still treated with some respect due to the interference from the 'kind-looking' old man.
In truth, the old man knew that he should not treat this little beauty too badly. After all, what if that deity-like man returned to witness their disrespect toward his daughter? Likely, their entire family would be skinned to death!
"Hmph. With your heavenly beauty, how could he not like you? Likely, Gan Gao just wants to see our next move. That damned gang leader wants to see how far we are willing to beg for his help!" Collapsing on his chair, Yang Jian snickered in annoyance.
"Father… I don't want to be with that bad man." With a shaky voice, Zhi Ruo softly murmured. A second later, she added, "I-I don't like him. I don't want to go back."
"So what?! The nation needs that man's assistance. Are you telling me… you're not willing to save the nation?" Reaching the end of his sentence, there was an unbelievably-threatening tone in Yang Jian's voice. Depending on the little beauty's next answer, there would be dire consequences.
"N-no… I will, Father. Please don't be mad." Lowering her beautiful face, Zhi Ruo tried to calm her father down. From ever since she could remember, her father has always hated her presence.
Why was she treated so differently compared to her little sister? It was unfair, but Zhi Ruo never dared to approach this topic. Looking at her white-lotus eighteen-year-old little sister, she clenched her snowy teeth.
Seeing her beautiful elder sister's pitiful look, Yang Qingling chortled, "Big Sister, Daddy is doing this for your good. That man is very powerful. It will be beneficial for your future!"
If that was true, why didn't her little sister take up the mantle of being the tasty offering then? To be the sacrifice, there wasn't even the slightest of thanks from the shameless family. Zhi Ruo was extremely depressed as a result of the overwhelming loneliness from living with this unfeeling family every day.
"Listen to your little sister's words. How come you're not as intelligent as her?" Rubbing his beloved daughter's soft head, Yang Jian stared ruthlessly at the twenty-four-year-old Zhi Ruo.
Initially, Zhi Ruo was supposed to graduate this year from her six-year-long course. Finally, she could have escaped this cruel family, but this hateful apocalypse stopped her.
In reality, Zhi Ruo had wanted to leave much earlier, but the 'kind-looking' grandfather would not allow her to. Every time she asked, the old man would respond with, "Soon. Don't worry."
The old man would delay his answer constantly. This year, he had eventually relented, "After graduation, I'll allow you to leave, but don't come crawling back for help."
When Zhi Ruo heard this earlier in the year, she was ecstatic. With a grateful voice, she had exclaimed, "Thank you!"
Listening to her father's shaming words, Zhi Ruo lowered her head even more. From all this never-ending disrespect, her manner eventually became extremely docile and shy. Initially, she was a lively child, but she did not dare to even speak loudly anymore.
Yang Jian was about to continue shouting at his annoying daughter, but he was halted from a loud shout across the hallway.
Shu Shuang, the bald general, stormed into the dining area. With an unrelenting stare, he deafeningly declared, "There is a man outside who wishes to enter for discussion! We must permit it!"
Looking eye-to-eye at his bald general, Yang Jian was stunned. Lifting his bushy brow, he replied, "Brother Shuang, what is the meaning of this?"
As war comrades, the two of them were warm and close with one another. Instead of having a higher-up relationship, Yang Jian was dear friends with this bald man. However, even as friends, this bald man would never dare to speak out of place.
Toward his commander, Shu Shuang had always been respectful in the past. Thus, Yang Jian was surprised by this loud, insensible voice.
"Brother Jian. In the past, I was gifted one wish from yourself. Well, I am using it now! Supposedly, I'm allowed to receive anything I want?" Shu Shuang unwaveringly looked at his lifelong friend.
Recalling his announcement in handing the bald general the right to any one wish, Yang Jian clenched his teeth, "Indeed, I do remember. But… Brother Shuang, isn't this request a bit too out of place?"
"No, it's the perfect time! We must allow the black-robed man outside entrance; otherwise, the situation could become dire! Furthermore, he could even help us turn this entire apocalypse around!" With a commanding voice, Shu Shuang gracefully declared.
"Fine... I've always trusted your judgment. Brother Shuang, I'll allow it just this once, but I'm definitely going to expect an explanation later." Moments later, Yang Jian ended up nodding his head. With some unease, he added, "However, just who is this man?"
Ignoring the last sentence, Shu Shuang merely smiled, "Thanks, Brother Jian. I'll go inform him now."
Without hesitation, Shu Shuang began leaving the dining room. Under the shocked looks of the family, Yang Jian was completely speechless.
With a sad look, Zhi Ruo watched everything occur without saying a single word. For her, life was too unfair. The treatment within her family was filled with inequality.