Apocalypse Chapter 45: I Like You

Chapter 45: I Like You

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Since high school, Jiang Rong felt different from his male classmates. Whenever his male classmates gathered to discuss which female classmate looked good, he never found it interesting. The porn male classmates enjoyed watching made him physically uncomfortable every time he was forced to watch them.

Although he wasn’t interested in girls, he found himself admiring the abs and Adam’s apples of guys, sometimes even getting lost staring at the models in men’s fashion magazines. After realizing his peculiarity, he searched online and found out that there were people in the world who were not attracted to the opposite sex but to the same sex, and they were called homosexuals.

In some foreign countries, two people of the same sex could love each other and get married. However, in China, where Jiang Rong lived, homosexuality was still taboo.

Upon discovering that he was gay, Jiang Rong was in turmoil for a while. He felt like an outsider, unable to fit in with everyone else. His gloominess didn’t escape the notice of his parents, and with their careful guidance, he confessed his sexual orientation to them.

Initially, Jiang Rong’s parents thought homosexuality was a disease, so they took him to see a psychologist. However, the doctor told them that homosexuality was a genetic issue, and Jiang Rong’s preference for men might be innate and cannot be cured. After grieving for a few days, Jiang Rong’s parents accepted it and comforted him instead. In their eyes, as long as their son was happy, it didn’t matter whether he liked men or women.

However, despite his parents’ apparent acceptance, they still worried about his future. They worried he wouldn’t have a normal family and would end up lonely in old age, and they worried he wouldn’t have descendants and would face criticism in the future.

During Jiang Rong’s senior year in college, his parents suddenly came to his school to take him back to their hometown. At first, he thought something had happened at home, but as they approached their hometown, he learned the truth: his parents had adopted a son for him, and today they were going to introduce him to his son.

He was dumbfounded at first and strongly resisted the idea. How could he, a young man who hadn’t even come of age, suddenly become someone else’s daddy? Wasn’t this a joke? But when he saw the crying baby in Jiang Zixuan’s home, he found himself reaching out and holding the helpless, crying child. Strangely, the crying stopped as soon as the baby was in Jiang Rong’s arms, and the baby reached out a pink hand towards him, tears still in his eyes.

The adoption process for Jiang Xiaoheng was legal and reasonable. To ensure Xiaoheng wouldn’t face any criticism in the future, Jiang’s parents sold their house and cut off all ties with their village.

If it weren’t for the Great Crisis, Jiang Rong would have lived with Xiaoheng in City C and never had any contact with people who knew the truth about his past. He wouldn’t have revealed his sexual orientation to anyone other than his parents or dwelled on the hardships he faced over the years.

The warm water from the shower sprayed down on Jiang Rong’s shoulders and back. The young man, with wet hair, had red eyes, showing a vulnerability and sadness he hadn’t displayed before.

Jiang Rong knew he was displacing his anger; his problems shouldn’t be taken out on Guan Shao. Maybe it was because he was hurt, or because he saw someone he didn’t want to see, but now his emotions were unstable. “Guan Shao, I like men. Are you scared?”

Since he realized his sexual orientation, Jiang Rong knew his path in love wouldn’t be smooth. Though the Jiang family wasn’t wealthy, his parents had a stable relationship and were open-minded. He hoped to one day meet a good partner who would resonate with him spiritually and understand and accept him in life.

But whether it was the discrimination against homosexuals in today’s society or the indulgence of homosexual groups, Jiang Rong was told repeatedly that finding someone to live a good life with was too difficult.

Over the years, he had tried. But the people he met either distanced themselves from him after learning about his sexual orientation or only wanted to sleep with him. After experiencing several hurts, he stopped thinking about it altogether. Especially after experiencing his past life, he had seen the dark and cruel side of human nature. In this life, he just wanted to live a good life with his son and didn’t want to think about romantic affairs anymore.

He was different from Guan Shao; he liked men, while Guan Shao might like women. If Guan Shao had any sense, he would leave the bathroom after hearing those words.

But Guan Shao didn’t even change his expression. “What’s so scary about that?”

Jiang Rong thought Guan Shao hadn’t heard him clearly; he frowned. “Did you not hear what I said? I mean…”

Guan Shao looked seriously into Jiang Rong’s eyes. “You said you like men. What’s wrong with that? I like men too. Isn’t that normal?”

Jiang Rong: ???

Guan Shao bent down as usual. “Lift your foot.”

Jiang Rong obediently followed Guan Shao’s instructions, resting his left foot against the wall. Guan Shao held the front half of his foot, gently massaging foam onto Jiang Rong’s delicate ankle. A ticklish sensation spread from his foot, and Jiang Rong couldn’t help but want to pull it back. But Guan Shao held on tightly. “Don’t move. Your balance isn’t stable; be careful not to fall.”

Jiang Rong’s brain felt a bit muddled. Did he hear Guan Shao correctly just now? Did he also say he liked men? And that liking men was perfectly normal?

Guan Shao scrubbed carefully, even cleaning between Jiang Rong’s toes. “In this world, aside from women, there are also men. What’s wrong with liking men? As long as we don’t steal, don’t harm anyone, and don’t break the law, why should we be afraid?”

Hearing this, Jiang Rong’s eyes reddened even more. He and Guan Shao shared the same views. During the time when people around him looked at him with colored glasses, he had asked himself countless times: he just liked men, why should he be labeled as queer and dirty?

Guan Shao spoke seriously, “As adults, I believe as long as we don’t harm society, others, or ourselves, what we like is our personal freedom, and others have no right to interfere.”

Jiang Rong’s nose felt sour; Guan Shao’s words touched his heart. Yes, his liking for men hadn’t harmed anyone, so why should he be criticized?

Guan Shao gently released Jiang Rong’s foot and turned to the other one. Actually, he understood Jiang Rong’s thoughts. Prejudice was a deadly weapon in society, and not everyone was as lucky as he was to have a group of friends who understood him.

Jiang Rong’s body trembled slightly as warm water dripped from him. He felt Guan Shao gently embrace him, and Guan Shao’s gentle voice came, “Jiang Rong, don’t be afraid. Whatever happens, I’m willing to face it with you.”

Afraid of pressing against Jiang Rong’s hurt arm, Guan Shao’s embrace was gentle and restrained. He spoke softly, “You might not believe it, but I noticed you the first time I saw you. It was at Chenggang Gym. I wanted to get your contact information. But then I saw the photo of Xiaoheng on your phone, I thought you had a family, so I gave up. I thought that was our only chance encounter, and we might not see each other again. But on that rainy night, you actually saved me. You say, isn’t that fate’s guidance? If you don’t dislike me, could you give me a chance to take care of you and your son?”

Jiang Rong’s ears turned red all of a sudden, even a faint blush spread across his cheeks. “This… isn’t this too sudden?”

After pondering for a moment, Guan Shao nodded. “Yes, you’re right, I did act abruptly. We haven’t known each other for long, and you don’t know what kind of person I am. It was rash of me, but Jiang Rong, I’m serious. I hope you can carefully evaluate me. If I don’t do well, you can kick me out at any time.”

Jiang Rong opened his mouth, unsure of what to say for a moment. To say he didn’t feel anything for Guan Shao was impossible. Over this period of time, he felt there was an extraordinary understanding between him and Guan Shao. How should he put it? Everything they did together felt invigorating.

His parents had once told him that when you meet the right person, just seeing their face makes you happy, thinking of them makes you feel at ease, and when you can’t see them, you worry involuntarily. He hadn’t reached that stage yet, but the sense of security Guan Shao brought him couldn’t be expressed in words. He did want to keep Guan Shao around, even if Guan Shao lived in his house indefinitely. If it were someone else, he would definitely find an excuse to make them leave.

Guan Shao looked down and smiled meaningfully. “Turn around, let me help you wipe your back.”

Following Guan Shao’s gaze, Jiang Rong wished there was a crack in the ground he could slip into. He turned to face the wall, using his intact arm to cover his vital areas. “Don’t bother, it would be impolite to wipe anymore.”

The bathroom door opened, and a smiling Guan Shao walked out. He immediately noticed Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao peeking in from outside the door. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Xiaoheng asked anxiously, “Uncle Guan, did you help Daddy clean up properly?”

Guan Shao scratched his head awkwardly. “Not finished yet.”

Jiang Xiaoheng tilted his head, puzzled. “Why didn’t you finish?”

Guan Shao rubbed the heads of the two children. “Because it would be impolite to continue.”

After saying this, Guan Shao happily walked towards the kitchen, leaving the two children staring at each other. “Impolite? Just wiping the body, how could that be impolite?”

***

In the evening, the well-rested espers gathered at Jiang Rong’s house for a meeting. They chose to meet here because the matters to be discussed were important and shouldn’t be known to outsiders for the time being.

Among this group, only Ruan Hanyu was visiting for the first time. For this occasion, she specially brought a box of beautifully crafted snacks. When she saw Little Fairy, Ruan Hanyu’s eyes widened: such a big Eyries cactus!

Jiang Rong had set aside a room as a meeting room. As soon as they entered, everyone was attracted to the shiny crystal nuclei piled on the large round table. Except for Jiang Rong and his two companions, everyone else was seeing crystal nuclei for the first time.

Pan Pan couldn’t help reaching out to touch a brown crystal nucleus. “Boss Jiang, what is this?” 

He really liked this thing and didn’t want to let go at all. He used to see female colleagues unable to move when they saw jewelry, and now he finally understood that feeling.

Jiang Rong invited everyone to sit down. “The reason I invited everyone here today is to tell you something. Why don’t you guess what these things are?”

Everyone expressed their opinions, but only Wang Chunlan gave the correct answer. “Are these energy crystals that grow in mutant animals and plants?”

Jiang Rong’s eyes lit up. “Sister Chunlan is right. How did you figure it out?”

Wang Chunlan smiled. As a doctor, she was particularly sensitive to wounds. Today, the group of mutant wild boars that were killed had a round hole in their heads. She had been wondering what these pigs had encountered to cause such unique injuries. Now, seeing the crystal nuclei on the table, she connected them to those wounds.

Jiang Rong gave her a thumbs up. “Sister Chunlan is right. These things are called crystal nuclei, and they are extracted from the heads of mutant wild boars.” 

Hearing Jiang Rong’s words, Pan Pan immediately put the crystal nucleus back on the table as if he had been electrocuted.

Guan Shao added, “In addition to mutant wild boars, crystal nuclei will grow on all mutant animals and plants. The higher the level of the ability, the larger the crystal nucleus. Each type of ability produces crystal nuclei of different colors. For example, here, green crystal nuclei correspond to wood abilities, and brown crystal nuclei correspond to earth abilities.”

Ruan Hanyu’s voice trembled. “Brother Guan, are you saying… we have such things in our heads too?”

Guan Shao nodded. “Yes.”

Jiang Rong explained, “Crystal nuclei can help mutants improve their ability levels.” As he spoke, he took out a green crystal nucleus from the pile and demonstrated in front of everyone. “Guide the power in the crystal nucleus with your own ability. As long as the power in it doesn’t conflict with your own ability, you can absorb the power of the crystal nucleus for your own use.”

Jiang Rong’s fingertips oozed green ability, and to everyone’s surprise, the green crystal nucleus turned into white powder. Everyone was stunned, looking at each other. “This…”

This is astonishing! If this news were to spread, it would surely cause a huge stir among the mutants. Jiang Rong spoke slowly, “Based on my findings, most mutants can accurately find crystal nuclei suitable for their use. Take a look and see if there are any crystal nuclei here that you are particularly interested in, ones you really want to have.”

Although he felt a bit reluctant, Pan Pan still grabbed the same brown crystal nucleus again. “I think I quite like this one.”

Not everyone was as lucky as Pan Pan. Ruan Hanyu and Wang Chunlan and her daughter didn’t find crystal nuclei suitable for them. They felt all the crystal nuclei were more or less the same.

Jiang Rong comforted them, “Wild boars are good at digging soil, so there are more earth-type awakened mutants among them. Don’t worry, as we collect more crystal nuclei in the future, there will definitely be some suitable for you.”

From this hunt, they obtained 87 crystal nuclei. Apart from the ones absorbed by Jiang Rong and held by Pan Pan, there were 85 crystal nuclei left. Among these, there were nine colored crystal nuclei, and the rest were transparent.

Jiang Rong divided the colored and colorless crystal nuclei into two piles. After looking around, he solemnly said to everyone, “Now I want to discuss the issue of distributing crystal nuclei and seek everyone’s opinions.”

Crystal nuclei would become the most important resource for mutants in the future. Besides being able to exchange them for valuable items, they were also the energy reserves of mutants. The more powerful a mutant, the more crystal nuclei they needed. Everyone present understood this principle, so their expressions became serious.

Throughout history, the distribution of benefits has always been a contentious issue. If the issue of crystal nucleus distribution was not resolved, it would sooner or later cause great trouble among the mutants.

Remembering from his past life, there was a base in the neighboring province that attracted many mutants at its peak. But not long after, the base was destroyed. Later, it was heard that the ruling mutants were too greedy and almost took away all the crystal nuclei from the base, which led to a mutant riot.

Jiang Rong didn’t want to be a fool, nor did he want to exploit mutants. He spoke slowly, “We are a team, and I think we should evenly distribute what we obtain during missions.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone shook their heads in disagreement. Pan Pan’s expression turned serious. “Boss Jiang, I don’t think this is appropriate.”

Although they were a team, not everyone faced the same risks. Just take yesterday’s action, Jiang Rong and Guan Shao killed the most mutant wild boars. Pan Pan and Ruan Hanyu only managed to kill wild boars under Guan Shao’s guidance, so they had no face to ask for an equal share of crystal nuclei.

Wang Chunlan and her daughter agreed with Pan Pan’s statement. “There’s a saying, ‘Those who work hardest should get more.’ I think those who put in more effort should get more crystal nuclei.” 

Wang Chunlan and her daughter were only doing logistics work, and they didn’t even get blood on them, so how could they take crystal nuclei obtained by risking their companions’ lives?

Jiang Rong had a different understanding of this. “I understand everyone’s thoughts, but this is what I think. We are a team, and if we consider the team as a bucket, the members of the team are like the wooden boards that make up the bucket. How much water the bucket can hold should not be determined by the highest board but by the lowest board. If we want to go further and longer, every member of the team must improve. If we concentrate the crystal nuclei in the hands of already powerful members, won’t the strong become stronger, and the weak progress even slower? I suggest dividing the crystal nuclei equally, referring to crystal nuclei that everyone can absorb.” Jiang Rong picked up a transparent crystal nucleus and explained, “From my observation, this type of crystal nucleus is suitable for many mutants. In the future, when dividing, we will divide these kinds of crystal nuclei.” As for the colored crystal nuclei, if there are ones suitable for everyone inside, everyone can just take them.”

The process of collecting crystal nuclei was like opening blind boxes, depending on luck to see what kind of crystal nuclei and what level they got. Jiang Rong used the crystal nuclei on the table as an example, “For example, among the crystal nuclei collected this time, there are four earth-type crystal nuclei, so these earth-type crystal nuclei will go to Pan Pan. Next time, if we collect water-type crystal nuclei, we’ll reserve them for Hanyu. In short, the crystal nuclei obtained by our team’s missions should be supplied to our own people as much as possible.”

As for crystal nuclei that team members couldn’t absorb for the time being, Jiang Rong also had his own thoughts. “Crystal nuclei that team members temporarily cannot absorb will be kept by me for now. After the base is established in the future, many mutants will come to seek refuge. At that time, we can leave them as rewards or exchanges.”

Chu Qiang hesitated for a while but couldn’t hold back in the end. “But Xiao Jiang, if we divide them equally, won’t you and Master Guan lose out?”

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao looked at each other and smiled. “The most important thing for a team is unity. Don’t worry about one or two crystal nuclei. Everyone will encounter situations of losing out or gaining an advantage. If I lose out this time, maybe I’ll take more advantage next time.”

After looking at each other, everyone accepted Jiang Rong’s proposal. In no time, a small pile of crystal nuclei appeared in front of each person. The crystal nuclei varied in size, but overall, everyone received a fairly equal amount.

Pan Pan looked ashamed. “How about not giving me the transparent crystal nuclei? I already have four earth-type crystal nuclei.” 

Apart from the largest brown crystal nucleus, there were three crystal nuclei of the same color among the colored crystal nuclei. Feeling particularly embarrassed holding these crystal nuclei, He clearly put in the least effort but got the most in return.

Jiang Rong laughed. “Didn’t I say? Everyone will encounter situations of losing out or gaining an advantage. If next time there isn’t even a single earth-type crystal nucleus, you’ll just have to watch us distribute crystal nuclei.”

Pan Pan scratched his head embarrassedly, but in the end, he still held onto the crystal nuclei in front of him. “Boss Jiang, I’ll make sure to absorb them well and improve my abilities sooner, not to disappoint everyone’s expectations.”

After a burst of laughter, after a while, Wang Chunlan asked, “By the way, Xiao Rong, I wanted to ask, do we need to recruit more people for our team?” 

With only seven people, their strength was somewhat insufficient, so it would be best to have a few more people. After thinking for a while, Jiang Rong said, “We definitely need to recruit more people, but we must carefully screen the candidates. We can’t let wolves into the house, nor can we miss out on talented individuals. I think the size of our team shouldn’t exceed 15 people. It’s hard to manage if it’s too large.”

Having too many people also had its risks. If they recruited people with ill intentions, it would not only drag down the team but also harm the people inside the team.

Guan Shao spoke solemnly, “After the base is established, many will come seeking refuge. Keep your eyes wide open and make sure to scrutinize excellent candidates.”

Jiang Rong concluded, “Our team has just been established, and many systems and rules are not yet complete. But that’s okay; we’ll gradually improve and perfect them.”

After distributing the crystal cores, Jiang Rong had something else to say, “Just now we were discussing the allocation of crystal cores during team activities, now let’s talk about the allocation of resources and crystal cores during solo missions.” Jiang Rong looked around and continued, “If you find resources or crystal cores during solo missions, you can keep the crystal cores, but you must turn over two-fifths of the resources.” 

The operation of the base couldn’t be done without espers; since the espers chose the base as their refuge, they should contribute to its construction.

In the previous peaceful base, if espers found resources, they needed to surrender four-fifths. Jiang Rong set this figure, and everyone found it acceptable. With the core issue of resource allocation resolved, everyone felt relieved. They were full of anticipation and spoke freely about the base they wanted to establish.

Pan Pan couldn’t help but say, “When I was returning home today, the villagers bombarded me with questions. Didn’t we say we had no plans to build a base? The villagers were anxious, they kept begging me to persuade you all, asking if we could establish a base.”

Among the seven espers present, only Pan Pan still lived in his hometown. The nearby villagers dared not come to Chu Qiang’s or Jiang Rong’s houses; they could only ask Pan Pan. This morning, several waves of people came to Pan Pan’s house, all for the sake of joining the base.

Thinking back to a few days ago when they thought joining the base was not worth it, and now seeing them come with all they had to beg, Pan Pan felt relieved.

Chu Qiang chuckled, “They’ve become scared.”

Previously, the nearby people thought they could survive even without the protection of espers. But now it was different. River’s Bridge, such a large village, became ruins overnight. Who could guarantee the safety of their own village? Who could ensure they could survive unscathed under the rampage of mutated flora and fauna?

Compared to their lives, money, wealth, and land were not important. Even if they had plenty of resources, they needed life to spend them.

Jiang Rong pondered, “I estimate that in the next two days, there should be people from Qiang’s family coming.”

This was also Jiang Rong’s plan. Rather than openly recruiting people like other bases, it was better to have people come to seek their protection with sincerity and respect.

Leilei wasn’t interested in the games between adults; she was more concerned about their future home. “Uncle Jiang, when will our base be established? How big will it be? Oh, by the way, what will it be called?”

Jiang Rong raised his eyebrows slightly, “If everything goes smoothly, the base will take shape within a week. Initially, the base won’t be too big, only including several nearby villages. As more people join, the base will gradually expand. As for the name of the base… we haven’t thought of one yet. Everyone can think about it after returning home and give our base a catchy name.”

 

 

This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.