Apocalypse Chapter 37: Revenge

Chapter 37: Revenge

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Jiang Rong lifted his head from behind the computer and gestured towards the queue of people with a slight smile, “Could you take a break for a moment? I’m a bit busy right now. Can we talk in detail later?”

He wasn’t trying to neglect Pan Pan; he was genuinely busy. With over thirty wolves to skin, there were several thousand kilograms of meat to handle. Even with just a few of them, it was indeed a bit overwhelming.

Pan Pan nodded, “You go ahead and get busy.” Then he quietly stepped aside.

As the sky grew darker, only one lamp was lit in the activity center. This lamp hung above the table where the meat was being portioned, illuminated by a car battery. The bulb was low wattage, casting a dim yellow light, and with the moving shadows around, Jiang Rong’s eyes were a bit blurry.

But having any light source was already good; most people were working in darkness. To save electricity, Guan Shao and the others had lit a bonfire on the side to help with the meat preparation.

The weather was already hot, and with the fire, the smell of the wolf meat became particularly strong, attracting many flies and mosquitoes. Poor Guan Shao, still recovering from his injuries, had to endure being bitten by mosquitoes.

Suddenly, a bright light pierced through the crowd and shone onto the table. Jiang Rong looked over and saw a bright “street lamp” erected on the square in front of the table. Although called a street lamp, it was actually just a large light bulb supported by bamboo poles. The bulb looked peculiar, not commonly seen, but it was powerful and illuminated a large area.

As the bulb swayed slightly, Jiang Rong squinted and saw Pan Pan standing under the “street lamp.” It seemed that Pan Pan had lit the lamp himself. Adjusting the direction of the bulb with one hand, he looked serious and focused, finding the optimal angle in no time.

With sufficient light, the speed and efficiency of everyone’s work greatly improved. Seeing the light, the atmosphere became more lively.

After a busy period, Jiang Rong finally caught his breath. He took two bottles of water from the basket and walked towards Pan Pan. As he approached, he realized that the light bulb above was from Pan Pan’s electric scooter. No wonder the bulb looked strange; it was previously embedded in the front of the scooter.

Thin wires connected the bulb to the electric scooter’s battery. Jiang Rong couldn’t help but praise, “Impressive.”

Pan Pan modestly smiled, “My dad is an electrician. I learned a bit from watching him work.”

Handing the bottled water with ice chips to Pan Pan, Jiang Rong said, “Very impressive.”

Taking the mineral water bottle with ice chips, Pan Pan took a sip and then closed the lid. He straightened up, “Jiang Rong, I want to join your team.”

Before coming to the activity center, Pan Pan was constantly nervous. He probably knew why Jiang Rong and his group specifically called him here. Pan Xiaoquan, that idiot, must have leaked the news about his ability to Jiang Rong’s group. Otherwise, why would they only look for him? He had been thinking about how to protect himself and how to draw clear boundaries with them.

But when he arrived and saw Jiang Rong’s group, his thoughts quickly changed.

The situation outside was chaotic, with some espers aggressively claiming territory and looting resources. However, Jiang Rong and his group didn’t. They could have united to sweep the surrounding villages and seize a large amount of resources, but they didn’t do that. Instead, they distributed the wolf meat they hunted to ordinary people.

The value of meat now was well known to everyone. Jiang Rong and his group didn’t exploit the villagers opportunistically; their exchange standards were almost the same as before the Great Crisis.

After arriving here, he saw the long-lost smiles and expectations on people’s faces, and his anxious heart gradually relaxed.

After seeing Jiang Rong and chatting with him for a while, Pan Pan’s previous thoughts began to waver. He realized he had been too wary of other espers. Perhaps not all espers were ambitious; some just wanted to live in peace.

During the time Pan Pan spent staring at the bowl of soup, he had been struggling and hesitating, wondering whether he should change his original intention. It was at that moment that he met Jiang Rong’s son. He was a child without abilities, well-raised and obedient. Even Pan Pan, who usually didn’t like children, couldn’t help but glance at him more.

Just those few glances caught Jiang Xiaoheng’s attention. He asked Pan Pan if his wound hurt and took out a peppermint candy from his pocket to offer him.

Just a few words with the child, and Pan Pan started to like him. Family upbringing reflected a person’s character, and Pan Pan believed that someone who could raise such a child couldn’t be a bad person.

After taking a few sips of water, Jiang Rong spoke up, “Actually, we don’t have a team temporarily. But if you’re willing to join, we welcome you.” 

He didn’t like beating around the bush, and Pan Pan’s proactive attitude pleased him.

Pan Pan solemnly said, “But I have a condition for joining.”

Jiang Rong nodded, “Go ahead.”

Pan Pan said, “I want to bring my mom with me. Of course, she doesn’t need your care; she can live in her own house most of the time. But if I’m going out with you, my mom needs to stay in a safe place.”

Observing the ordinary people with Jiang Rong, their rosy complexions and neat clothes, Pan Pan knew they must have been well taken care of. He hoped his mom could have a life like this too. If Jiang Rong’s group couldn’t accept it, he would leave immediately. He didn’t want his mom to be in danger while he was risking his life.

Jiang Rong nodded, “Okay.” He understood Pan Pan’s feelings; when he went out to work, he also made arrangements for his son. After a pause, he continued, “If we go out together in the future, your mom will be with my son and Chu Qiang’s parents. How do you feel about that?”

Pan Pan breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on his green face, “Boss, I’ll follow your command from now on.”

Jiang Rong: !!! The term “boss” came too suddenly, and Jiang Rong felt like his temperament had undergone a radical change. He tactfully said, “How about you change the title?”

After thinking for a while, Pan Pan readily nodded, “Brother Jiang!”

Jiang Rong was speechless.

At midnight, Pan Pan’s electric scooter ran out of battery, leaving only a flickering firelight in the activity center. But now the wolf meat had been divided up, and only a few people remained to finish up at the activity center.

Jiang Rong rubbed his sore shoulders and said, “Finally, it’s over. Next time, if we have to divide meat again, I’ll definitely find more people to share the workload. If this continues, who can handle it?”

Guan Shao sat on the steps on the side, drinking most of the water from a pot. “Once bitten, twice shy. We’ll know better next time.”

Hu Hechu had been busy for hours, and now he couldn’t even stand up. He sat on the steps with his head down, hands trembling slightly. Jiang Rong handed him a bottle of mineral water. “Take it easy, Xiao Hu. I’ll have Chu Qiang take you home when he comes back.”

As they spoke, the sound of a pickup truck came from outside the activity center. Before long, Chu Qiang drove into the parking lot with the pickup truck. He had been busy all day transporting goods back and forth, but thankfully, he had good stamina, or he would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

Chu Qiang jumped down from the pickup truck and greeted Pan Pan and Hu Hechu. “Let’s go, I’ll take you guys back.”

It was only then that Pan Pan remembered the main task of coming to the activity center today. He still had a troublesome cousin to deal with.

Pan Xiaoquan had been tied up for hours, and when he saw Pan Pan, he was so scared that tears streamed down his face and his body shook uncontrollably. In the dim firelight, Pan Pan looked at Pan Xiaoquan expressionlessly and said, “Get in.”

Pan Xiaoquan trembled and scrambled into the back of the pickup truck. Seeing this scene, Jiang Rong couldn’t help but feel incredulous. Pan Pan seemed like a pushover to him, so why was Pan Xiaoquan so afraid of him? But it was none of his business.

After dealing with Pan Xiaoquan, Pan Pan turned to Jiang Rong and bowed. “Brother Jiang, thank you today. I’ll take care of things at home tonight, and I’ll report on time tomorrow afternoon.”

Jiang Rong nodded slightly. “Alright, be safe on the way.”

After the pickup truck left, Jiang Rong and Guan Shao walked side by side towards Chu Qiang’s house. It was time to pick up their two sons. After a busy night, Jiang Rong and Guan Shao didn’t smell very good. Especially Guan Shao, who was covered in blood stains. Even before they reached the village, the dogs started barking wildly.

Guan Shao looked down at his clothes and said with disgust, “I stink.”

Jiang Rong smiled. “Let’s go to Chu’s house and take a shower first. Chunlan is a doctor; she can help with your wounds.”

Soon, they arrived at Chu Qiang’s house, where lights were on inside and outside the courtyard. Chu Qiang’s family was working overtime to organize the goods they had obtained that day. The courtyard was filled with goods, almost overflowing.

Seeing Jiang Rong come in, Chu Qiang’s uncle hurried over. “Xiao Rong, you’re just in time. Where do you think we should put all these things?” They had run out of space in their spare rooms.

Jiang Rong thought for a moment. It seemed urgent to build a warehouse. “Is there any space left at Uncle Li and Aunt Li’s house?”

Uncle Li hesitated. “There are plenty of empty rooms… but Xiao Rong, are you sure you trust us to store your things?” The goods were valuable. If something happened to them, how could he explain to Jiang Rong and his wife?

Jiang Rong smiled. “What’s there to worry about? There’s still Hu Zi, right? Besides, these goods are meant to be used. If you and Aunt Li need anything, just take it from there.”

Uncle Li and Aunt Li’s eyes turned red again. “Xiao Rong, don’t worry, we’ll take good care of your things.”

Looking at the courtyard full of goods, Jiang Rong sighed. “It would be great if we had a space-type esper.”

When he was stocking up, he envied those with space-type abilities. Their ability to carry space was light and convenient, making it incredibly easy to collect things. A space esper was equivalent to a large department store, but such abilities were hard to come by.

Jiang Rong just sighed inadvertently, not noticing the meaningful exchange between Wang Chunlan and her daughter, who were sorting out the goods in the courtyard.

* * *

After Guan Shao finished washing up and took his medicine, Jiang Rong prepared to take his sleeping children home. At this moment, they heard the horn of a pickup truck outside. Chu Qiang rushed in holding someone. “Chunlan, come help!”

Jiang Rong glanced over but couldn’t see the person’s face clearly, but he noticed a blood-stained light green dress. It was Ruan Hanyu!

Jiang Rong’s heart sank. It seemed he was right; someone had robbed Ruan Hanyu. He and Guan Shao exchanged a glance and quickly returned to the direction of the living room.

Ruan Hanyu lay pale on the sofa. The shy and kind girl was now lying with her eyes closed, her cheeks swollen and her neck bruised. Her beautiful green dress was torn, splattered with dark red bloodstains. Wang Chunlan pulled a piece of cloth in front of the sofa, shielding everyone’s gaze.

Chu Qiang stood under the eaves, his face grim. “Just now, I took Pan Pan and the others to the Fifth Village and passed by the Sixth Village on the way back. When I saw the door of Ruan’s house wide open, I felt a chill. I was sure something had happened.”

Jiang Rong had intended for Ruan Hanyu to go back with Pan Pan and the others, but Pan Pan stayed behind. So Chu Qiang took Ruan Hanyu out alone and brought back the remaining 19 bags of cat litter exchanged by the village.

Ruan’s house was just in front of the Sixth Village. After Chu Qiang had moved the cat litter, he specifically instructed Ruan Hanyu to lock the doors and windows and be careful. After confirming that Ruan Hanyu had locked the door, he left at ease. But a few hours later, when he passed by Ruan’s house again, he found the door wide open. Alarm bells rang in his mind, and he felt that something must have happened.

When he rushed into Ruan’s house, he found five bodies lying in the living room, and blood stained half of the room. In a corner of the living room, he found Ruan Hanyu lying on the ground. After checking her pulse and breathing, he found she was still alive and hurriedly brought her back.

Chu Qiang gritted his teeth. “Those dead people were from nearby villages, usually idle. They probably heard that Ruan Hanyu had exchanged a lot of meat and targeted her. Those beasts…”

If it was just about stealing meat, Chu Qiang wouldn’t say much. But if they laid hands on the girl, it crossed his bottom line.

As they spoke, Wang Chunlan emerged from behind the curtain, her eyes reddened. “There’s nothing majorly wrong with her, just multiple soft tissue contusions.”

As a woman herself, Wang Chunlan could understand the vulnerability of women and the helplessness they feel when facing violence. When examining Ruan Hanyu, her hands were trembling. She couldn’t imagine how she would feel if this happened to her daughter. Seeing the injuries on Ruan Hanyu, she felt heartbroken and unable to breathe.

Chu Qiang’s voice trembled, “Did those beasts… violate her?”

At his words, Wang Chunlan’s lips curled slightly, showing a comforting smile. “The girl was lucky. She wasn’t violated.”

Upon hearing the outcome, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief without showing it. Thank goodness, those beasts hadn’t inflicted irreparable harm on Ruan Hanyu.

At this moment, screams came from behind the curtain, and Ruan Hanyu finally woke up. Wang Chunlan and Chu Qiang’s mother quickly pulled back the curtain and rushed in. “Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now.”

In the past few hours, Ruan Hanyu had had a nightmare. After Chu Qiang left, she closed the doors and windows and focused on dealing with the meat. With no electricity at home, the meat exchanged had to be processed quickly to prevent it from spoiling.

Just as the meat was about to cook, she heard the sound of the door being pried open in the courtyard. The gate before the Great Crisis could easily be opened even by petty thieves. In a few strokes, the gate was opened. Five men broke in, and Ruan Hanyu tried to hide, but her house was small, and she was soon dragged out of the cupboard by someone.

It was a disaster. Ruan Hanyu cried out to the heavens, but even if she screamed until she lost her voice, no one would come to her rescue. In despair, she only had one thought in her mind—hatred. Hatred for these intruders in her home, hatred for her own powerlessness to resist. Before she passed out, the entire living room suddenly lit up, and then she lost consciousness.

After realizing she was safe, Ruan Hanyu burst into tears. She was socially anxious, never speaking loudly on ordinary days, and never expected to encounter such a terrifying ordeal. Holding Wang Chunlan, she cried as if she wanted to vent all the grievances in her heart.

This was a good thing; it was better to cry than not to cry. In a previous life, Jiang Rong had seen a girl who had been violated choose suicide with his own eyes. Ruan Hanyu’s ability to cry meant she still knew fear.

Suddenly, Guan Shao lightly tapped Jiang Rong’s arm, indicating to him to look at the small table next to the sofa. There was a cup of water on the table, half full, with a layer of white substance attached to it. As Ruan Hanyu cried, the layer of white substance quickly piled up.

Taking advantage of everyone’s distraction, Jiang Rong picked up the cup and looked at it. With a light scrape of his finger, a layer of white frost appeared on his fingertip. Sensing the warmth of his finger, the frost quickly melted.

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao looked at each other in astonishment. Was this… an ice-type esper?

***

In Ruan Hanyu’s current situation, it was obvious that she couldn’t continue staying at home. Since Chu Qiang had brought her back to his house, she could only stay at Chu Qiang’s house for now.

With the surplus rooms at home occupied by goods, and now with another girl, Chu Qiang had no choice but to give up his own room. Tonight and for the next few days, he could only sleep at Jiang Rong’s house.

Walking on the road, Chu Qiang couldn’t help but continue thinking, “Xiao Jiang, who do you think saved Ruan Hanyu in the end?”

When he went to Ruan’s house, he didn’t see anyone else besides the dead and Ruan Hanyu. Those dead people had a miserable appearance, with dozens of stab wounds in their chests and abdomens, almost draining them of blood.

Ruan Hanyu herself had said she didn’t know who did it. There were five big men, and even if she exerted all her strength, she wouldn’t be a match for any of them. Moreover, she was almost knocked out by then, completely powerless to resist. Even if she were given a knife, she wouldn’t have the strength to hold it.

Chu Qiang couldn’t figure it out. “If it was Ruan Hanyu, I couldn’t find the murder weapon. If it was someone else, then who could it be?”

Carrying Jiang Hao, Guan Shao walked ahead, and after hearing what Chu Qiang said, he asked back, “Have you noticed that the temperature at your home seems a bit different?”

Chu Qiang was taken aback. “Different temperature?” 

What was different? It was so hot now that they could only dare to turn on the air conditioning for a few hours to save electricity.

Jiang Rong pursed his lips, a glint of surprise flashing in his eyes. A water-type esper was already powerful, let alone a king of the water-type, an ice-type esper. Being able to extract moisture from the hot air and condense it into ice, and accurately send ice blades into the chest of the assailant… Ruan Hanyu’s ability was incredibly terrifying.

Such an esper, he wanted to invite her to join his esper team. But Ruan Hanyu had been frightened today and needed a few days to recover. This matter wasn’t urgent; he could wait until she recovered to discuss it slowly.

As the group walked through the orchard, Chu Qiang suddenly remembered something. “Hey, Xiao Jiang, you won’t believe what I saw when I dropped Pan Pan off just now.” 

He had intended to tell Jiang Rong when he got home, but besides Ruan Hanyu’s incident, he only remembered it now. Jiang Rong responded, “Hmm? What happened?”

Chu Qiang vividly began to gossip. When the pickup truck stopped at Pan Pan’s door, an old lady pounced from inside. Before Chu Qiang could open the car door, the old lady, wiping tears, began to cry out loud. And upon hearing the old lady’s voice, Pan Xiaoquan cried out loudly, “Grandma, they abused me.”

As soon as he cried, seven or eight people came out from inside the courtyard, both men and women, old and young. They walked to the vicinity of the trunk, supporting Pan Xiaoquan from the car. For a moment, cries rang out incessantly, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think there was a funeral being held.

Chu Qiang glanced at Pan Pan who said sarcastically, “Relatives from my stepfather’s side.”

If we say Pan Pan is the “dragging oil bottle” brought by his mother, then Pan Xiaoquan is the golden grandson eagerly awaited by the dozen or so people in the Pan family. Since he was young, Pan Pan has been told by the elders in the family that he doesn’t have the blood of the Pan family and cannot be compared to Pan Xiaoquan.

Upon receiving the news that Pan Xiaoquan was detained by the espers, this group of relatives gathered at their home. Clearly, it was Pan Xiaoquan who angered the espers by stealing the incomplete circuit board to exchange it. However, these relatives could twist the truth and blame him. They said he was the instigator, claiming that if he hadn’t gone out to find these circuit boards, where would Pan Xiaoquan have stolen them from?

Under the accusations of their relatives, Pan Pan could only ride his electric scooter to fetch people.

Now that they’ve brought him back, they didn’t expect this group of people to continue finding fault. “What were you doing? It took you four or five hours.” 

“Why didn’t you take care of Xiaoquan properly? You actually let him sit in the trunk on the way back.”

Seeing such a scene of twisting facts, Chu Qiang was directly shocked. He couldn’t believe that such shameless people existed in the world. He saw through it all. Chu Qiang is a righteous person, and Pan Pan is now his teammate, so of course he has to look out for him. So he lowered his voice and asked, “Pan, do you need me to speak up for you?” 

The identity of an esper is very useful; sometimes just a word can shut these people up. Pan Pan looked gratefully at Chu Qiang but spoke firmly, “Brother Qiang, some things I have to handle myself.” 

With that, he opened the car door and got out with difficulty.

The crowd escorted Pan Xiaoquan towards the courtyard, and only Pan Pan’s mother went against the crowd to greet Pan Pan. “Pan, are you okay?”

Pan Pan smiled, “Mom, don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Pan Pan’s mother looked shriveled and weary, her eyes red and swollen. “Blame me. If I hadn’t been so short-sighted, you wouldn’t have had to deal with espers. Mom understands now. Mom will go with you, endure a little hardship, a little tiredness, it’s okay, we won’t endure this kind of treatment anymore.”

Pan Pan reached out to wipe the corner of his mother’s eye, then took out a half bottle of mineral water from his pocket and handed it to her. “Mom, we’re not going anywhere. This is our home, and they’re the ones who should leave. Don’t worry, after today, they won’t dare to meddle in our affairs again.”

While Pan Pan and his mother spoke quietly, there were screams and curses coming from the courtyard, “Dragged oil bottle, get in here! How come my grandson is all bruised and purple again?”

Pan Pan whispered softly, “You stay outside, no matter what happens later, don’t come in.”

Pan’s mother wanted to hold her son back, “Pan, come back, don’t argue with them, you’re not their match.”

But Pan Pan was fast. He entered the courtyard and conveniently locked the gate behind him. His mother could only stand outside, anxious. Seeing Pan’s mother extremely anxious, Chu Qiang couldn’t help but speak up, “Auntie, don’t worry, Pan Pan is more capable than you think.”

He hadn’t understood before why Pan Pan, as an esper, would tolerate ordinary people. But on the way here, he chatted with Pan Pan and learned the reason: Pan Pan didn’t want to reveal his identity as an esper before.

This silly child thought that as long as he didn’t expose himself as an esper, he could avoid dealing with other espers and save himself a lot of unnecessary trouble.

However, abilities may not always be hidden. Once, when he went out to find supplies and used his abilities, he happened to be seen by Pan Xiaoquan. Afraid that Pan Xiaoquan would expose his secret, he threatened him. It was because of this threat that Pan Xiaoquan looked like a mouse seeing a cat when he saw him.

And those relatives of the Pan family didn’t know about this. They thought Pan Pan and his mother were just ordinary people. As long as they drove them away, they could rightfully take over their property and supplies.

Thinking of the grievances he had suffered during this period, Pan Pan felt that he had been stupid. He chuckled, “It’s okay, it’s not too late for revenge now.”

With a single hand patting on the courtyard wall, a dark yellow ability surged like electricity, quickly drilling underground along the courtyard wall. The ground began to shake and crack, and the black-yellow soil rushed out of the concrete ground, condensing into two giant hands towering three meters high in the air.

The activation of abilities was swift, and the relatives of the Pan family had no time to react. One giant hand slammed fiercely towards the people clamoring in the courtyard. Those who didn’t dodge in time were heavily knocked to the ground, and for a moment, the sounds of bones breaking and wailing filled the air.

Pan Pan stood in the palm of the other giant hand, overlooking the fleeing relatives, the oppression in his eyes finally dissipated. The criticisms that had troubled him for so many years finally stopped.

 

 

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