Apocalypse Chapter 41: Spreading Rumors

Chapter 41: Spreading Rumors

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

After Jiang Rong fixed the Bloodthirsty Vine, he felt both fearful and close to it. Evidence of this was whenever Jiang Rong turned around, he could see the red vines peeking out, but when he approached, they would retract.

Jiang Rong initially wanted to keep an eye on the Bloodthirsty Vine in the warehouse, but whenever they wanted to drive home, the vine would chase after the car with all its might. Seeing the vine act like this, he felt as if he was abandoning a kitten or puppy; how could he bear to leave it behind?

But the Bloodthirsty Vine was so big, how could they take it home? After careful consideration, Guan Shao made a decision, “Let it sit on the roof of the car.”

With no space left in the backseat or trunk, there was no other choice but the roof. Jiang Rong nodded slowly, “Okay. You stay on the roof, remember to hold on tight and don’t fall off.”

The Bloodthirsty Vine quickly climbed onto the roof of the off-road vehicle, extending its vines tightly around the roof rack. The red ball waved on the roof, and the long vines twisted into various shapes.

As the car started, the two could hear the rustling from the roof. Looking through the rearview mirror, they could see the long vines of the Bloodthirsty Vine hanging behind the car, resembling a red cloak.

It was Jiang Rong’s first interaction with the Bloodthirsty Vine. He hesitated and said, “Why do I feel like it’s quite happy?”

Guan Shao’s deep eyes reflected in the rearview mirror, shifting from the Bloodthirsty Vine to Jiang Rong’s face, “It’s still a child; fluctuations in a child’s emotions are normal.”

The Bloodthirsty Vine emerged after the Black Rain, and from any perspective, it was like a baby. Although it was hurt by Jiang Rong, being able to sit on the roof, feeling the wind and letting its vines sway with it, brought it joy.

Jiang Rong thought Guan Shao made sense; it seemed he couldn’t be too harsh on the Bloodthirsty Vine. Rules had to be set for children, but gentleness was also necessary when needed. The Bloodthirsty Vine enjoyed the feeling of the wind on the roof. Even after Jiang Rong arrived home, it refused to come down from the top of the car.

When Wang Chunlan and her daughter first arrived at Jiang Rong’s home, despite hearing about Little Fairy’s reputation before, they didn’t take it seriously. How big could an Eyries cactus be? Could it be as big as the ones grown in botanical gardens for decades?

However, when they saw the mountain-like body of Little Fairy, they were all dumbfounded. Pan Pan, who had just joined the team of espers, was so shocked he couldn’t finish his words, “S-So big!”

Little Fairy saw so many people for the first time. It shook its body and spikes, then lowered its body towards the crowd. Its gigantic size was extremely oppressive. Pan Pan’s face paled, “It, it’s coming over!”

Jiang Rong said calmly, “Don’t be afraid; Little Fairy knows its limits.”

Chu Qiang laughed heartily, “Let me tell you guys, Little Fairy is amazing, the head guardian of the house. Without Jiang Rong’s approval, not even an ant can crawl into the yard.”

Wang Chunlan and her daughter looked at Little Fairy with strange light in their eyes. They only knew Jiang Rong was powerful before, but they didn’t know how strong he really was. Today, witnessing Little Fairy and the Bloodthirsty Vine, they felt incredibly relieved. Encountering Jiang Rong’s group after the Great Crisis was an honor for them.

Watching the excited crowd, Jiang Rong lowered his eyelids to hide his emotions. Since he decided to form the team of espers, he knew his home’s location would eventually be exposed to others. Instead of hiding, it was better to be open about it. Besides, with Little Fairy around, who would dare to wander near the yard without permission?

Jiang Rong warmly greeted everyone, “Rest in the house for a while; we’ll leave later. Leilei, you can put the solar panels in the yard.”

Leilei replied, and everyone headed towards the gate. At this moment, they heard Little Fairy’s excited voice from behind, “Master Jiang!”

Jiang Rong turned around to see the Bloodthirsty Vine climbing onto Little Fairy. The red vines wrapped around the green Eyries cactus, reminding him of scenes from his past life where the Bloodthirsty Vine devoured other mutated plants and animals: the red vines would entangle them and then absorb their blood or power.

Jiang Rong’s scalp tingled, and his voice became urgent, “What are you doing?! Get down!”

The Bloodthirsty Vine was inherently ferocious. Although it was now under Jiang Rong’s control and feared him, it had no fear of Little Fairy. They had exchanged greetings in the mental space, but whether the Bloodthirsty Vine saw Little Fairy as a companion or food was unclear to anyone.

The moment Jiang Rong called out, his ability surged toward the Bloodthirsty Vine. If it harmed Little Fairy due to his momentary weakness, he wouldn’t forgive himself.

However, before his ability enveloped the Bloodthirsty Vine, the red vines on Little Fairy had already rolled into a ball and fallen heavily from the Eyries cactus. It shrank behind Little Fairy, trembling, “Obeying… don’t kill me…”

Little Fairy tilted its body, using the spikes to block Jiang Rong’s stern gaze. It said softly, “Friend, friend ~ cartoon ~”

Jiang Rong was speechless. So, it turns out Little Fairy actively invited the Bloodthirsty Vine to climb onto its body, wanting to watch cartoons with its new friend. This… what a misunderstanding. Seeing the cowering Bloodthirsty Vine, Jiang Rong pursed his lips and waved at it, “Come here.”

The Bloodthirsty Vine hesitated for a moment but obediently rolled towards Jiang Rong. As it rolled, its vines trembled, “I’m obedient…” 

When Jiang Rong’s hand touched the blood-red vine, the Bloodthirsty Vine suddenly shook. A gentle ability flowed from Jiang Rong’s fingertips onto the vine. Jiang Rong apologized, “I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.”

When the psychic power touched the Bloodthirsty Vine, every vine trembled uncontrollably. It remembered the taste of this power absorbing its own strength. In its young life, it suffered the most excruciating torment. Its branches would wither and break, a pain far worse than the fireball that had fallen on it this morning.

The Bloodthirsty Vine trembled its vines, silently awaiting the impending pain. However, as the psychic power flowed into its body, it not only didn’t feel any agony but instead felt incredibly relaxed. This sensation was even more comfortable than being full after a meal. Its vines were filled with strength, eager to grow a few more tendrils.

The Bloodthirsty Vine secretly observed the direction Jiang Rong left, raising a vine from the ball, and tiny branches grew from it. So this person not only brought it pain but also made it feel so comfortable. It seemed it wasn’t so afraid of this person anymore…

Leilei neatly placed the collected wooden boxes in the courtyard of Jiang Rong’s home. After running back and forth more than a dozen times, Jiang Rong’s home inside and outside the courtyard was filled with wooden boxes. Roughly estimating, there were tens of thousands of solar panels here. With so many solar panels, it was enough for the people in several nearby villages to have electricity.

However, Jiang Rong only took out one box of panels, half of which were installed on Uncle Li’s villa roof, and the other half on the roof of the activity center. In mid-July, the early morning was already hot, but the market was bustling with people, and the heat couldn’t dampen everyone’s enthusiasm for exchanging goods.

Since the opening of the activity center, except for the first time when the market opened at night, subsequent exchanges were held during the day. The benefits of daytime markets were obvious; there were fewer opportunists and thieves, and looting incidents were rare. Under Jiang Rong’s management, the market began to stabilize and develop.

Surviving neighbors gathered from all directions, bringing extra items from home to exchange for what they needed here. The market was open from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. every day, and people started lining up outside the activity center with their belongings as early as 5 a.m.

At 6 a.m., when the market was busiest, Chu Qiang drove his pickup truck into the activity center. Seeing the truck, many people crowded around. Everyone knew that this truck belonged to the team of espers, and whenever it entered the market, it meant something good was available. Chu Qiang got out of the car, “Make way.”

The crowd wasn’t stupid; they saw the large wooden box behind the pickup truck. The box was printed with the logo of Lean Solar Electronics, causing a stir in the crowd. “Solar panels! There are solar panels today!”

The news spread like wildfire to every corner of the activity center. People eagerly stared at the wooden box, lining up under the eaves, waiting for their belongings to be exchanged for a panel. Some astute individuals in the crowd began to negotiate joint exchanges; even with just one panel, they could charge their phones or power electric fans.

The weather was getting hotter and hotter nowadays, and without air conditioning or fans, everyone was struggling. Watching the people lining up under the eaves, Chu Qiang couldn’t help but smile. He called out to Pan Pan, “Come on, Pan, it’s our turn.”

When Pan Pan and Chu Qiang took out the first solar panel from the wooden box, the crowd erupted, “Solar panels! They’re real!”

“I heard the team of espers went to Lean Solar Electronics and found a lot of solar panels.”

“That’s great! If the espers can’t use so many panels, we should be able to exchange for them soon!”

“Don’t talk, listen to the exchange rules.”

The crowd’s eyes became increasingly eager, almost glowing with anticipation at the sight of the solar panels. Chu Qiang tied several panels to himself, then swaggered through the crowd, “Make way, make way~”

Just as everyone thought he would go to the previous stall and set up his goods, Chu Qiang turned and headed up the stairs of the activity center. Pan Pan followed closely behind, shouting, “Make way~”

The crowd was puzzled. Where were the espers taking the solar panels? At this moment, someone with sharp eyes spotted Chu Qiang’s group, “Look! They’re on the roof!”

Chu Qiang and Pan Pan searched for a suitable angle on the roof, and soon installed several solar panels. The brand new solar panels quickly proved their worth as the large ceiling fan on the first floor of the activity center started spinning, bringing a cool breeze.

Feeling the cool breeze, the crowd cheered, “Power’s back! Power’s back!”

After the cheers died down, they began to focus on another issue, “When will it be our turn to exchange for panels?”

At this moment, a voice came from the crowd, “Don’t dream. I just heard from Li Guofu at the back that the panels found by the espers aren’t for exchange; they’re only for their own people.”

The crowd looked towards the source of the voice, only to see Village Chief Zhang from Fishery Village standing solemnly by a pillar. Seeing everyone’s gaze on him, Village Chief Zhang subconsciously reached for his pocket, but there were no cigarettes there anymore. He could only awkwardly pat his pockets.

Questions arose from the crowd, “Chief, you can’t say that casually. What do you mean by ‘only for their own people’?”

Village Chief Zhang had come early today and went to Uncle Li’s house in the back village to exchange for some fresh fruit. Just as he was bargaining with Old Li, he saw Chu Qiang and his group driving into the yard, then they went to the roof and installed several solar panels.

Overjoyed, Village Chief Zhang cautiously asked Chu Qiang if the remaining people would soon be able to use the solar panels. However, Chu Qiang just smiled and said nothing.

After Chu Qiang’s group left, Village Chief Zhang looked at the ecstatic Uncle Li and Aunt Li. After half a pack of cigarettes, he managed to extract some information from Uncle Li’s mouth.

Village Chief Zhang sighed, “Tell me honestly, if you were the espers, would you be willing to take out the solar panels for exchange?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd fell into silence. Yes, everyone knew how precious solar panels were now. Not to mention going to Jingyi Solar Energy to find them, many villagers didn’t even dare to leave the brigade’s range for fear of being harmed by mutated plants and animals on the road.

The espers have to risk their lives to find solar panels, so why would they take out the panels, obtained at the cost of risking their lives, to exchange for the local specialties of the villagers? They could easily hoard the panels for themselves to exchange for even better things in the future. Someone in the crowd muttered, “But they are espers. They have greater abilities than us, so shouldn’t they help us?”

Village Chief Zhang coldly snorted, “Should? What do you mean by should? They’re not your parents. It’s already good enough if they take care of the folks in the village more often. Do you want to morally blackmail them?”

The person who had just muttered was silenced by the accusations from the crowd, “You can’t talk when you’re not in pain. If you have the ability, go up yourself.” 

“Exactly, don’t digress. We haven’t asked the main point yet!”

At this moment, someone asked the key question, “Village Chief Zhang, what did you mean by ‘their own people’? Why would the espers install solar panels for Uncle Li? Aren’t they ordinary people?”

Someone answered the question, “Didn’t you forget? Uncle Li and his family had a good relationship with Jiang Rong before.”

Village Chief Zhang sneered, “What’s the value of personal relationships these days? Before the Great Crisis, having many friends meant a smoother path, but now it’s better to have fewer hangers-on. If good relationships in the past could guarantee protection, then Village Chief Zhang would have been protected long ago.”

Someone speculated, “Uncle Li and his family are ordinary people, but they have a mutated dog. Once the dog joins the ability team, won’t the people also receive protection from the espers?”

Someone in the crowd chuckled, “Wow, it used to be dogs relying on people’s power, now it’s people relying on dogs’ power.”

After some noisy discussion, someone expressed concern, “We don’t have mutated dogs in our homes. Even if we want to join the ability team, they won’t accept us, right? What can we do? Are we just going to wait obediently to die?”

Village Chief Zhang looked around and said, “The ability team doesn’t lack mutated plants and animals. You all know about Jiang Rong, the leader, right? He’s a wood-type esper who can control many mutated plants. They also have another mutated dog and don’t care about one dog.”

Someone impatiently said, “Village Chief Zhang, can you stop beating around the bush? How exactly did they get the protection of Jiang Rong and his team?”

Village Chief Zhang leaned against a pillar, “You want to know? Bring out something to exchange.” 

He had just taken out half a pack of cigarettes. These people actually wanted to extract information from him without giving anything in return? Impossible.

Some people felt that Village Chief Zhang was just pandering to the crowd and turned to leave, but more people stayed behind. They put down the things they had brought in front of Village Chief Zhang. Village Chief Zhang packed the miscellaneous items into the backpack on his chest and lowered his voice, “Uncle Li handed over everything in his house. Their orchard, the mutated dog Tiger, the big villa, their private land… even their own bones.”

The people who heard this news were stunned, “What does that mean?”

Village Chief Zhang continued in a low voice, “I heard from Uncle Li that the ability team is preparing to build a base. Those who join the base will receive the protection of the espers free of charge. If you want to join the base, you have to show sincerity, voluntarily hand over belongings, and be at the disposal of the espers.”

Someone sneered, “Are you kidding me? Isn’t this just handing over everything you own for protection? After they take the money and the land, will they still treat ordinary people kindly? Anyway, I won’t be that stupid. I won’t hand over my things.”

Others expressed different views, “Money isn’t worth much nowadays, let alone houses and cars. Without the protection of espers, how long can ordinary people survive? Let’s not talk about other things; if this heat continues, people will die sooner or later. Humans are social animals; one person can’t survive alone. Sooner or later, you have to find a backing. It’s better to find Jiang Rong and his team. At least we know where they stand.”

The first floor of the activity center was in an uproar because of this, but Chu Qiang acted like he hadn’t heard anything. He swaggered away from the activity center with Pan Pan.

Pan Pan worriedly asked, “Brother Chu, won’t the solar panels be stolen at the activity center?” There were eight solar panels, enough to power large appliances like air conditioners. With so many people and so many eyes at the activity center, it was hard to guarantee that someone wouldn’t covet them.

Chu Qiang grinned sinisterly, “With so many people watching during the day, who dares to act? Don’t worry even more at night.” 

Whether it was Tiger or the Bloodthirsty Vine from Jiang Rong’s house, they could give a profound lesson to anyone who wanted to steal the solar panels.

Seeing Pan Pan still hesitating, Chu Qiang suggested, “Why don’t you try tonight? If you can steal the solar panels under our noses, you can join our ability team tomorrow, and then we’ll increase security.”

Pan Pan shook his head repeatedly, “No, no, no, I don’t want to confront the Bloodthirsty Vine.” 

The Bloodthirsty Vine at Jiang Rong’s house could survive as long as a small piece was pulled off. It might be a poor victim in front of Mr. Jiang, but it would be a ruthless monster in front of others. He didn’t want to provoke trouble.

Chu Qiang laughed, “You can rest assured. If someone can steal these solar panels from under our noses, they can join our ability team.” 

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao sat quietly on chairs, waiting for Wang Chunlan to diagnose Jiang Hao. Upon learning that Chunlan was a healing esper, Jiang Rong immediately thought of Jiang Hao’s condition. How great would it be if they could make the child speak?

Wang Chunlan’s ability was milky white. As her ability moved around Jiang Hao’s neck, her expression became calmer, but her eyes grew more serious. When she removed her fingers, Jiang Xiaoheng immediately leaned forward, “Aunt Chunlan, is Xiao Hao’s illness cured?”

Wang Chunlan rubbed Jiang Xiaoheng’s soft hair and smiled, “Xiao Hao has no problem; he will be fine soon.”

Jiang Rong said gently, “Xiaoheng, can you take Xiao Hao to read some books first? Daddy and Aunt Chunlan have something to discuss.”

Jiang Xiaoheng agreed and took Jiang Hao’s hand, “Brother, let’s go read about Transformers!”

Jiang Hao nodded slowly and followed Jiang Xiaoheng to the bedroom. Jiang Rong pointed to the direction of the study, “Let’s go in and talk.”

As they entered the study, Guan Shao closed the door. Jiang Rong eagerly asked, “Sister Chunlan, about Xiao Hao…”

Wang Chunlan said softly, “Xiao Hao’s organs are normal. He should be able to move and speak normally. At first, I thought he might have autism, but after careful observation, I found that his symptoms were different from autism.”

Jiang Hao responded to external stimuli, and he had stable emotions and broad interests, especially when it came to meeting the expectations of those around him. If he were truly autistic, he would only immerse himself in his own world.

Wang Chunlan explained, “If autistic children are like clams shutting themselves in shells, Xiao Hao is like shutting himself in a glass house. I feel that his symptoms are more like childhood hysteria. Has this child been through something that made him shut himself off?”

Guan Shao’s eyes dimmed, “It’s my fault for not finding him earlier.” 

Life was already problematic for adults after the Great Crisis, let alone for children. Jiang Hao was the child of Jiang Zhen, Guan Shao’s deputy. Before the Great Crisis, Jiang Zhen had to work outside to make a living. After a while, his wife couldn’t stand it and divorced him, leaving Jiang Hao with him. But Jiang Zhen’s job was special, and he spent very little time with his child. So, reluctantly, he had to leave the child with his grandmother.

After the Great Crisis, Jiang Zhen’s grandmother never woke up, leaving Jiang Hao all alone. When Guan Shao found the child, he was guarding his grandmother’s corpse… The scene was too tragic, and Guan Shao couldn’t help but feel endless remorse and self-blame.

Jiang Rong comforted him, “Don’t worry, the child’s situation isn’t that bad yet. Let’s listen to what Sister Chunlan has to say and see if there’s any way to help the child recover.”

After pondering for a moment, Wang Chunlan honestly confessed, “Xiao Jiang, you know I used to be an obstetrician and gynecologist. I don’t have much knowledge about children’s diseases. But I heard from my former colleagues that the best treatment for childhood hysteria is psychotherapy and suggestive therapy. No matter how good the expert is, they can’t compare to the understanding and companionship of family members. Everyone should treat Xiao Hao like a normal person and tell him that he can speak, guiding him to open up.” After a pause, she suggested, “I’m just a half-baked doctor. If possible, you should still find a specialist in this field for treatment.”

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao nodded seriously, “Got it, thank you, Sister Chunlan.”

After Wang Chunlan left, Jiang Rong asked seriously, “Guan Shao, do you still want to take Xiao Hao to other places to seek treatment? Maybe there are other espers who can treat Xiao Hao’s condition.”

Guan Shao shook his head without hesitation, “No. We won’t leave.” 

How many bases would he have to visit to find an expert in childhood diseases? Instead of searching for a needle in a haystack, it would be better to stay and build the base properly with Jiang Rong. Once the base was established, wouldn’t there be good doctors? More importantly, he had a strange feeling. If there was anyone in this world willing to sincerely treat Jiang Hao, it would be Jiang Rong. Wang Chunlan was right; for Jiang Hao now, the companionship of family was more important than anything else.

He and Jiang Rong were now Jiang Hao’s family.

 

 

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