Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

Xie Xuezheng ignored him, following his daughter around. ”Ningning, Dad has something to say to you.”

Xie Ning turned to face him. ”What else is there to say?”

”Ningning.” Xie Xuezheng quickly closed the small meeting room door and walked over to his daughter, speaking in a low voice. ”All these years, Dad has been so busy with work that I’ve neglected you and your mother.”

”I know I was wrong. Over this past year, I never should have delegated something as important as posting a mission to find you to... to Kang Yunru.”

”I honestly didn’t know Kang Yunru would pull these kinds of tricks behind my back. She never told me the truth about you and your mother. Not once.”

”I had no idea things were like this. All these years, I’ve been completely buried in my research. It’s my fault, all of it. I neglected you both...”

Xie Ning looked at the man before her and, for a moment, almost wanted to laugh.

There was a time when all she wanted was for her father to spare her a single glance.

When she stood before that warm villa, where it felt like spring year-round, she dreamed that her father would suddenly throw open the door, rush out, and hold his daughter tightly, comforting her. ’It’s okay, Ningning, it’s okay. Dad’s here for you now. Don’t be afraid. It’ll be all right. Everything will be all right.’

”Do you think you can just say you’re sorry and expect to be forgiven?” Xie Ning’s tone was perfectly level, her voice soft.

Now, she didn’t even have the energy to argue with him.

Her indifferent gaze made Xie Xuezheng’s heart clench with anxiety.

He would have preferred it if his daughter had screamed and yelled at him. Any outward display of emotion would be better than this look of complete apathy.

”Do you know there was a time I really... I really, desperately needed you?” Xie Ning leaned against the conference table, her gaze distant as she looked at her father.

”Back then, if you had shown me even a sliver... just the tiniest bit of kindness, maybe I wouldn’t have hated you so much.”

Xie Ning sighed, her voice perfectly calm. ”Your work is noble. You’re helping all of humanity by developing a cure for the zombie virus.”

”As... a member of the human race, I am very grateful for the great contributions you’ve all made.”

’Your scientific breakthroughs saved most of the people in the world. But when your daughter was in the most pain, at her most helpless, when she needed you most—you never appeared. Now your daughter is so strong she doesn’t need any help, so your presence is simply pointless.’

...

Gu Chen reached out and touched her forehead. ”Still running a fever?”

Xie Ning shook her head.

”I saw you didn’t have an appetite earlier, so I got you some porridge to go. After you take a shower, have Song Kexin heat it up for you and eat it, okay?”

”Okay.” Xie Ning nodded obediently, not refusing his offer.

”Don’t worry about anything today. Just go back and get some rest. You can come help at the city wall tomorrow morning.” Gu Chen ruffled her hair and smiled. ”Don’t worry. Your boyfriend’s got this. Nothing will happen.”

”Okay.” Xie Ning gave a small nod and cradled the disposable bowl of porridge.

It felt warm.

「Meanwhile, in the main control room.」

Several technicians furiously typed away, their keyboards clattering.

”Judging by the speed of the main horde’s advance, they’ll reach the southeastern perimeter of the Jingji Base within half an hour.”

”Superpower Teams One, Two, Three, Four, and Five are all geared up and on standby.”

”Captain Lu, look at this.” A technician pointed to a dense black mass at the top of the screen.

”Looks like some Mutated Birds are headed this way.”

”Issue the orders,” Lu Wei said, his expression calm. ”Superpower Teams One, Two, and Three will be responsible for handling the aerial targets. Teams Four and Five will be on standby at the wall for now.”

”Ready the laser shield.”

”How long can it hold?”

”About an hour. It’ll need to be recharged after that.”

”Then take out the flyers within that hour.” Lu Wei grabbed a file and hurried out. ”Get Teams Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine ready as well.”

With this many zombies besieging the city, they had a tough fight ahead of them.

「At the same time, on the base’s main plaza, searchlights simultaneously blazed to life.」

Li Dawei chewed on a piece of sweet potato, cursing under his breath. ”Making all the Superpower User teams gather here... what the hell are they doing? It’s the middle of the night and the wind is freezing.”

”Li Xiang, what’s going on up front? Can you see anything?”

”I think something’s happened,” Li Xiang said with a serious expression. ”I saw them wheeling out small artillery pieces and moving them onto the walls.”

”Holy shit, you’ve gotta be kidding me.” Li Dawei stuffed the rest of the cold sweet potato into his mouth, chewing as he spoke. ”Xiang, take a closer look. Can you see where Xie Ning is?”

”Why are you always looking for her?”

”Hey, just look, will you! Find out where she is. We just need to run over to her side when things go down. That’s the plan.”

”I see the Swift Leopard Team coming over.”

”What’re you looking at the Swift Leopard Team for? Nothing to see there. I told you to look for Xie Ning...” Before Li Dawei could finish his blustering, he turned his head and saw Zhuang Lei, the captain of the Swift Leopard Team, walking toward them with a stony face.

”What’s up?” Li Dawei said, shrinking his neck a bit as he glanced at Zhuang Lei.

”Command told us to come over. We’re forming groups of about a hundred Superpower Users to go up on the walls in shifts.”

”What’s going on?” Li Dawei asked Zhuang Lei, completely bewildered. ”Do you guys know? Have you seen Xie Ning?”

”Haven’t seen her.” Xu Yu couldn’t help but roll her eyes. ”Why is it ’Xie Ning, Xie Ning’ with you all day? Who is she to you? You think you can’t survive without her?”

”With my fucking temper, I really don’t want to put up with your shit...” Li Dawei raised his hand to slap Xu Yu’s face, but Zhuang Lei stopped him with a sharp glare.

”What do you think you’re doing?” Zhuang Lei blocked Li Dawei’s hand, glaring at him. ”Don’t go looking for trouble.”

”Who’s looking for trouble? This woman of yours is the one looking for trouble! Was I talking to her? Why’d she have to stick her damn nose in it?”

”You better watch your mouth!” Xu Yu’s voice rose in anger.

These past few days, the refugees had been fawning over her so much she was on cloud nine. How could she possibly tolerate such a disrespectful attitude from Li Dawei?

’What was Li Dawei anyway? A Third or Fourth Rank Power-type Superpower User, maybe? At best, he could only throw his weight around in a small place like the Golden City Base.’

’And where was this?’

’This was the Capital.’

’All the High-level superpower users were gathered here in the Jingji Base. Someone like Li Dawei was completely out of his league.’

Just then, a few young men in military uniforms hurried over, carrying registration books and urgently organizing the superpower teams.

Li Dawei quickly raised his hand. ”Sir! Sir! I propose we team up with Xie Ning! The Fierce Tiger Squad strongly requests to form a joint squad with the Starfire Team!”

”These guys from the Swift Leopard Team aren’t a good fit for us.”

Feng Lijian, the man Li Dawei had called ”Sir,” strode over with his men. ”What’s all the racket? Everyone, get in line.”