Chapter 8 - The Harsh Reality

Qin Jun might have matured somewhat due to his family background, but An Mian never expected that he would give the order to shoot and kill without any hesitation!

An Mian couldn't help but wonder if, just moments ago at the entrance of Jiang University, Qin Jun had thought about killing her as well.

The very thought sent a shiver down her spine. This Qin Jun—he was nothing short of a demon!

Li Han was equally stunned. He never imagined that the soldiers would actually open fire!

All he had done was make a few snide remarks!

Is talking trash a crime?

He had never gotten into trouble for it before!

Panicking, Li Han grabbed his phone and screamed, "I'm Xiao Li, a content creator with two million followers on Kuaiyin! You can't kill me!"

He clutched his phone like it was a lifeline.

Xie Han, standing next to Qin Jun, sneered and said, "No, you have nothing."

What did that mean?

Li Han froze, then looked at his phone, and his eyes widened in disbelief. His account on Kuaiyin had been silently deactivated!

Not only that, but his bank details and ID information were also showing as invalid.

It was as if he no longer existed.

Although he was still physically standing there, legally, he had vanished...

There was no person named Li Han in this world, nor was there a Xiao Li.

Li Han's mouth gaped open, his body trembling violently as fear filled his chest. Tears involuntarily welled up as only two emotions dominated his mind—fear and regret.

Who on earth had he provoked...?

Then, a gunshot rang out, and the internet celebrity with two million followers simply ceased to exist.

In both a legal and physical sense, he was gone.

After this incident, the people on the bridge fell silent and still. No one dared to say a word against the privilege Qin Jun's group openly flaunted.

They were terrified.

In times of peace, people like Qin Jun might seem no different from ordinary folks.

They would wait in line at the airport, stop at red lights while driving, and even politely give way to elderly people who lacked decorum.

But all of that was just a facade, a performance.

They had cloaked the world in a veil of gentleness and deceit, creating a fairy tale for the common people.

However, once their fundamental interests were threatened, they would tear away that facade without hesitation, revealing the brutal and bloody reality underneath.

In a crisis, a squad of soldiers would come to fetch Qin Jun, who could leave the lockdown area without any permit. There would even be a private plane waiting for him.

But as for these ordinary people, they would be left to die in the quarantine zone.

Even if they had done nothing wrong.

But that's just how it is—some lives are simply worth more than others.

In the eyes of certain people, even a single hair on Qin Jun's head was more valuable than the lives of tens of thousands...

Chen Zhong's face remained expressionless, but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of pity.

He knew all too well that in the apocalypse, privilege would become even more terrifying!

The emergence of evolvers would create a stark divide between the higher and lower classes.

Some evolvers might even come to see themselves as a new breed of humans, while those who hadn't awakened would be regarded as mere livestock, fit only to be enslaved.

But Chen Zhong's pity only lasted a moment. In the apocalypse, emotions like pity and compassion were luxuries one could scarcely afford.

To survive, learning to be cold was a necessary lesson.

After passing through the checkpoint with An Mian, Chen Zhong was greeted by the sight of a world ablaze with light. It was like a completely different world compared to the quarantine zone!

Yet Chen Zhong knew that the outside wasn't safe either. Within a few hours, the military's blockade would be breached, and everything would descend into chaos!

Then, Chen Zhong's gaze settled on a tall tower in the distance—the landmark building of Jiangjing, the Oriental Tower!

According to his memories from his previous life, by tomorrow, an SSS-level talent seed would appear there!

He was just one step away from his rise to power!

...

Beside Qin Jun, Zhao Yi whispered, "The plane is ready. I've arranged for someone to take you to the military airport."

But Qin Jun shook his head and said calmly, "There's no rush."

Zhao Yi was taken aback. He hadn't expected that even in such a critical situation, Qin Jun would be in no hurry to leave!

Qin Jun might not be in a rush, but Zhao Yi was.

If anything happened to Qin Jun, the consequences would be catastrophic for him!

Anxiously, Zhao Yi tried to persuade him, "But the chairman ordered—"

Qin Jun cut him off, "I'll explain it to my father."

Seeing that Qin Jun was adamant, Zhao Yi had no choice but to nod.

Given how precarious the situation was, now was the best time to escort Qin Jun out. If the situation spiraled out of control, getting Qin Jun to the airport might require even more manpower and resources.

How many more lives would be sacrificed because of this privileged young man's whims?

"And one more thing."

Just as Zhao Yi was about to arrange the security details, Qin Jun's voice rang out again.

"Commander Zhao, I don't like having my decisions questioned, no matter the reason." Qin Jun said this with a smile.

But that one glance from him sent a shiver down Zhao Yi's spine!

Here was a man of real power in the garrison, yet he felt a hint of fear in front of a mere twenty-year-old.

Zhao Yi took a deep breath and nodded, "I was presumptuous. I apologize."

This scene left An Mian, who was trailing behind them, utterly dumbfounded.

She had met Zhao Yi before—a man of significant power in the Jiangjing garrison. Even her father treated Zhao Yi with utmost respect.

And yet here Zhao Yi was, being scolded by Qin Jun without the slightest hint of anger, even showing fear?

It was only at this moment that An Mian began to understand, if only slightly, what Qin Jun had meant earlier when he said that just being a Qin gave him the freedom to do as he pleased....

At that moment, Qin Jun suddenly turned around, pointing at An Mian and the others, and smiled, "They're all my...friends, Commander Zhao. Make sure they're protected. No one is to leave without my permission."

Hearing this, Chen Zhong's heart sank.

This wasn't protection—this was imprisonment!

Su Ya followed closely behind Qin Jun, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

She had once been Qin Jun's girlfriend, but she had never fully understood his background. All she knew was that the Qin family was extremely wealthy, able to manipulate the business world at will.

But it was only now that Su Ya realized just how terrifying Qin Jun's background truly was.

Even a powerful colonel was acting meekly in front of him!

The Qin family...

Could it be *that* Qin family?

And then there was what Zhao Yi had said about the Chairman Qin...

Su Ya's heart raced as she finally pieced it together—Qin Jun was the only son of Qin Yuan, the country's Chief Executive and the head of the Cardinal Chamber's seven top giants!

A flicker of ambition sparked in Su Ya's eyes. She had to become Qin Jun's woman!

No matter what!

Even if she couldn't be his only woman, it didn't matter if she ended up as nothing more than his plaything!

Su Ya knew that with Qin Jun's background, even being just his plaything would make her a figure of significance in the eyes of others...

She was tired of living an ordinary life!

To catch a glimpse of the world from the top of the mountain, she was willing to sell her dignity and soul—what did that matter?

But Su Ya was also keenly aware that, despite being the campus beauty of Jiang University, her looks and body were hardly valuable in the eyes of someone as powerful as Qin Jun...

What kind of woman hadn't Qin Jun played with?

Su Ya had long understood this.

If she did nothing, she would definitely be abandoned by Qin Jun.

Or rather, she had already been discarded by him...

She had to do something, prove that she was useful to Qin Jun!

Only then could she regain his favor!

Su Ya glanced at Chen Zhong, her ex-boyfriend, who stood there expressionless. He was the perfect pawn...

She was an exceptionally intelligent woman and had sensed Qin Jun's hostility toward Chen Zhong.

This hostility wasn't because of her; Su Ya knew clearly that she held no weight in Qin Jun's heart.

How could Qin Jun possibly target Chen Zhong because of her?

________________

(A/N)- please don't forget to give power stones and reviews so I know if i should continue this novel or not.