Apocalypse Chapter 56:  Acquaintance

Chapter 56:  Acquaintance

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Little Guaiguai’s figure flashed twice underwater and then disappeared. The ripples on the water surface spread out, and soon there was no trace of it. This scene left everyone standing on the approach bridge horrified: If it were them dragged into the water, could they survive?

The answer was negative. Once in the water, any organism needing air couldn’t breathe. Even the most powerful espers would lose their combat effectiveness after inhaling water. No wonder they felt a chill; for terrestrial organisms, mutated water plants were their natural enemies.

Seeing no movement on the water surface, Jiang Rong’s mind went blank for a moment. He couldn’t believe that Little Guaiguai was dragged down by the water plants like that. Could it still come up?

Although Little Guaiguai hadn’t been with them for long, during this time, Jiang Rong had already regarded it as a precious family member. Seeing a family member fall into the water, Jiang Rong was frantic.

The sudden turn of events also caught Guan Shao off guard. While his power was formidable, water conducted electricity, and once his ability was activated, Little Guaiguai might be swept into it.

Guan Shao quickly asked, “Jiang Rong, can you still contact Little Guaiguai?”

Jiang Rong didn’t answer Guan Shao.Turning around, he saw Jiang Rong staring fixedly at the water surface, his face slightly pale, his eyes unconsciously revealing concern.

Guan Shao reached out, “Don’t worry. First, see if you can contact Little Guaiguai.”

When Guan Shao’s hand touched Jiang Rong’s shoulder, Jiang Rong, who had been staring blankly, suddenly snapped out of it. He closed his eyes and entered the realm of his mind. If Little Guaiguai had really met with misfortune, there must be something he could see in his mind. As soon as he entered the mental realm, Jiang Rong saw a particularly active Little Guaiguai. It resembled a vibrant fire coral, swaying each vine flamboyantly.

Little Guaiguai flicked its vines and exclaimed, “Master Jiang!” 

It looked energetic, completely unlike being subdued and beaten by mutated water plants, and it even seemed excited.

Jiang Rong’s tense nerves relaxed, and his heart settled down. “Little Guaiguai, are you okay? Can you deal with the mutated water plants?”

Little Guaiguai boasted, “No problem!” 

After saying that, it became lively again. Whether it was Jiang Rong’s illusion or not, he felt that there were more vines splitting off from Little Guaiguai, and the whole vine seemed to have grown a size larger.

In contrast, Jiang Rong was more concerned about Little Fairy’s situation. Upon seeing Jiang Rong, Little Fairy weakly greeted, “Master Jiang…”

Thinking that Little Fairy knew Little Guaiguai had fallen into the water, Jiang Rong asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Little Fairy whimpered, “Cartoons…” 

On the second day without cartoons, every minute and every second was unbearably long. Jiang Rong was speechless. Having lost access to cartoons, Little Fairy’s life had lost much of its joy. With teammates standing by, Jiang Rong couldn’t spend much time in the mental realm. After confirming that Little Guaiguai was okay, he opened his eyes and said, “Little Guaiguai is fine.”

Hearing this answer, Guan Shao also breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”

Originally, Jiang Rong wanted to try to observe the battle between Little Guaiguai and the mutated water plants, but as soon as he activated his ability, he felt dizzy. Underwater visibility was poor, and both Little Guaiguai and the water plants were strange creatures. All he could see was a tangle of red and black.

Seeing Jiang Rong rubbing his temples in distress, Guan Shao chuckled, “Don’t worry. Little Guaiguai is a plant; it may not necessarily be inferior to mutated water plants.” 

Little Guaiguai emerged after the Great Crisis, growing alongside the black rain. It possessed both animal and plant characteristics, so it might not necessarily lose to mutated water plants.

Jiang Rong nodded, “I understand.” 

He understood the logic, but the thought of Little Guaiguai alone underwater while everyone watched from the shore made him feel sorry for it.

Chu Qiang and the others hurried forward, “Xiao Jiang, how is it now? Is Little Guaiguai okay?”

Before Jiang Rong could speak, Ruan Hanyu exclaimed, “Look! Little Guaiguai is coming out!” 

Where Little Guaiguai had fallen, a large dark shadow appeared, revealing that the sediment at the bottom of the water had been stirred up, making the water within a hundred meters turbid. Red vines were faintly visible beneath the gray-black water surface, and as the splashes grew larger, countless bloodthirsty vines emerged from the water. Each vine of Little Guaiguai was wrapped around a large clump of dark-green water plants. These arrogant water plants hung limp, looking no different from ordinary water plants.

The red vines waved wildly, causing large clumps of water plants to fly up. Some plants plopped back into the water and flowed eastward with the current, while others were flung onto the bridge by Little Guaiguai.

Leilei squinted with joy, “There’s an idiom called ‘Scattering Flowers by Celestial Maidens’; now it’s ‘Scattering Grass by Little Guaiguai.'” 

A mass of black water plants fell in front of everyone with a thud. Guan Shao inspected them and said, “No danger.”

The temperature on the bridge was extremely high, causing the water plants to dehydrate quickly. Before long, their true appearance was revealed. Pan Pan exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, it’s water orchids.”

Water orchids were a common type of water plant with long, slender leaves resembling orchids. They were often used as ornamental plants in aquariums. Pan Pan used to have a colleague who liked to keep ornamental fish, and under that colleague’s influence, Pan Pan had become familiar with several types of ornamental water plants.

The water orchids before him looked no different from those Pan Pan had seen before, except that the leaves of the mutated water orchids were dark green instead of emerald green. After dehydration, the water orchids appeared shriveled, their slender leaves drooping sadly.

Guan Shao pinched a leaf of the water orchid and pulled it, easily stretching a one-foot leaf into a one-meter length. Seeing this, two espers looked at each other, then grabbed the leaf and, with effort, extended it to a length of eighteen meters. The seemingly slender leaf was exceptionally tough, even stronger than nylon rope.

Chu Qiang laughed, “This is better than zip ties. Let’s take some back; they’ll definitely come in handy in the future.” 

Mutated animals and plants surely had their merits. Now, whenever encountering new mutated species, everyone would carefully study them to see what uses they could derive. Leilei agreed and collected all the water orchids that fell on the bridge into the space.

Chu Qiang leaned against the bridge railing and shouted into the water, “Little Guaiguai, throw up some more. We can use these as zip ties!”

Little Guaiguai didn’t know what zip ties were, but it understood Chu Qiang’s meaning. With a “whooshing” sound from below the bridge, soon the bridge was covered with wet water orchids.

Chu Qiang leaned on the railing, watching with great joy. “Little Guaiguai is really something. I wonder how many leaves that mutated water orchid has grown underwater. How long can it withstand Little Guaiguai’s pulling?” 

This scene reminded him of watching his father pluck feathers from a chicken when he was a child. The mutated water plants were like the plucked chicken.

Seeing his excitement, Chu Qiang cheered Little Guaiguai on, “Little Guaiguai, keep it up!”

Little Guaiguai, buoyed by the support of its companions, swayed proudly as its vines danced in the air. Its aura expanded, and the red vines became even clearer in the dark water. Amidst the turbid river, Little Guaiguai paddled about, darting back and forth, sometimes near and sometimes far.

After observing, Jiang Rong noticed that Little Guaiguai’s path led directly across the river, firmly remembering the task Jiang Rong had given it: to clear the way for everyone in the water.

Realizing this, Jiang Rong commanded, “Everyone get in the vehicle, we’re continuing across the river!” 

The main bridge of the river spanned six thousand three hundred meters, with thousands of vehicles congesting the roadway. Guan Shao maneuvered the steering wheel slowly through the traffic. “When we have enough manpower at the base, we’ll recover these stranded vehicles.”

Although these vehicles may seem like scrap now, with proper utilization, they could be valuable resources.

Jiang Rong agreed, “Yes, not only do we need to recover the vehicles, but we also need to reorganize the production and processing enterprises in the base.” 

Just thinking about the tasks ahead made Jiang Rong feel the weight on his shoulders increasing.

Looking at the piled-up vehicles by the roadside, Jiang Rong sighed, “I used to find traffic jams annoying, and during holidays, everywhere was crowded with people. Now I realize that true peace and prosperity mean people can travel freely wherever they want.”

If he could, he would rather not have Spark Base and all its abilities, and instead go back to the days before the Great Crisis. Back then, everyone lived and worked in peace, without the terrifying mutated flora and fauna, without constant fear and anxiety.

Guan Shao comforted him, “Things are as they are, don’t dwell on them. Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll wake you when we’re across the bridge.”

Jiang Rong agreed, closing his eyes, “Okay, tonight you sleep, and I’ll keep watch for you.”

After over three hours of effort, the convoy finally reached the other side of the bridge. Finally, there was a passable bridge over the river. At this moment, Little Guaiguai also rolled ashore from the reeds under the bridge.

When it first entered the water, Little Guaiguai’s diameter was only a little over two meters, but after a fierce battle, it doubled in size, resembling a fiery red ball. Little Guaiguai only cleared a few hundred meters on either side of the bridge, yet it had grown so large. This indicated just how much mutated aquatic vegetation lay at the bottom of the water.

Once ashore, Little Guaiguai shook its vines. With each shake, numerous fish and shrimp fell out. Chu Qiang quickly picked up the wriggling fish and shrimp scattered on the ground, “Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve had seafood. Xiao Jiang, I’ll show off my skills later and make a pot of fresh river delicacies!”

Before Jiang Rong could respond, Chu Qiang exclaimed, “What the hell! Why does this carp have teeth? Damn, it’s mutated? This is outrageous!”

Chu Qiang angrily slapped the carp twice. It seemed like tonight’s river delicacies would have to be canceled.

The blood-red vines split from the middle, forming two balls with a diameter of over two meters each. After spending so much time with Jiang Rong, Little Guaiguai had also figured out a pattern. If its body grew too large, Master Jiang wouldn’t be able to take it everywhere.

Little Guaiguai swiftly climbed onto the heavy truck. Seeing that it hadn’t exceeded the width of the truck, it proudly swung its vines: it had slimmed down successfully again!

The split blood-red vines wouldn’t go to waste; Jiang Rong usually used them to mark territory. Previously, for every village they took over, he would insert a vine of blood-red vines at the village entrance.

Those vines had grown considerably now. If Little Guaiguai were to collect all the scattered vines, it would be as big as a mountain.

According to their previous practice, Jiang Rong would take Little Guaiguai’s branches back to the base. But watching the occasional mutated aquatic vegetation poking out of the river, he had a new idea.

The bridge spanning the river connected the north and south, allowing people from the north to run to Spark Base. Jiang Rong wanted to leave Little Guaiguai’s branches on the bridge for two reasons: firstly, to have it help guard the bridge and serve as a signboard for the base, and secondly, to remove the mutated water grass from the riverbed and increase their own strength. However, he needed to discuss this with Little Guaiguai. 

Jiang Rong knew that the branches split from Little Guaiguai shared the same consciousness as the main body, but he wasn’t sure if the bloodthirsty vines could control the branches at a distance. Moreover, all the branches split from Little Guaiguai before were within Spark Base. It was uncertain whether it would be willing to leave such a large branch miles away.

Jiang Rong extended his hand toward Little Guaiguai, “Little Guaiguai, come here.”

The two balls quickly rolled toward Jiang Rong, and he inputted some abilities into the balls. He pondered, “Little Guaiguai, are you willing to watch over the bridge?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Little Guaiguai happily responded, “No problem!”

It liked this steel bridge, especially the suspension cables on the bridge, where it could bask in the sun. With plenty of food under the bridge and a breeze on top, this was a great place for it, so of course, it was willing.

Jiang Rong spoke slowly, “Little Guaiguai, we’re already beyond the range of our base here. If you stay, you might encounter danger.”

Everyone was speechless. What nonsense was Jiang Rong talking about? Leaving the bloodthirsty vines here would be the greatest danger to other mutated flora and fauna, right?

However, they could also understand Jiang Rong’s feelings. Little Guaiguai was indeed well-behaved. Even though Jiang Rong knew that its branches and the main body were no different, he still couldn’t bear to part with it.

Little Guaiguai shook its vines, “Got it.”

The red vines climbed up the suspension cables of the bridge, adding a bright touch to the bridge. Little Guaiguai was very satisfied with its new base. It shook its vines contentedly, gesturing in the shape of a heart.

Jiang Rong lowered his head and asked the Little Guaiguai beside him, “This is the first time we’ve left the vines in such a distant place. Can you adapt?”

Little Guaiguai twisted its vines, “No problem!” 

As long as the vines came from it, they were all part of it. The more scattered they were, the stronger its power became.

Upon learning that Little Guaiguai would stay on the bridge to guard it, the espers on the bridge made several huge iron signs. The signs read: “I am Little Guaiguai, the bloodthirsty vine of Spark Base, stationed on the bridge to protect passing pedestrians. I am on a mission, please do not attack me.” 

The giant iron signs were hung at the entrances of the bridge on both sides, with the words painted in bright red, easily visible at a glance.

After settling Little Guaiguai’s branches, Jiang Rong looked ahead and said, “Let’s go.” 

When Spark Base became strong enough in the future, he wouldn’t let Little Guaiguai split itself anymore. He would come to take away Little Guaiguai’s branches and let it roam freely in the base.

***

Ten kilometers along the riverbank road towards the estuary, the group came across an industrial park. Several large material factories they were looking for were located in this industrial park.

By the time they reached the outskirts of the industrial park, darkness had descended, and they were destined to camp outside tonight. The espers, who had been busy all day, found a vacant spot in the industrial park and stopped there. They lit a campfire and prepared dinner.

When going out on a mission, it was essential to have a full stomach. The taste of the food could be mediocre, but the portion had to be sufficient. Of course, if the food tasted good, it would be even more enjoyable.

Chu Qiang volunteered to take charge of the cooking, while Wang Cheng and others assisted. During this time, Jiang Rong turned on the car radio and his personal radio.

From the radio came Jiang Xiaoheng’s tender voice, “Daddy, where are you? Are you tired?”

Jiang Rong’s exhausted mind and body instantly eased. He spoke softly into the radio, “Daddy has arrived at the destination and will be back tomorrow. Daddy is not tired. How was your day, Xiaoheng?”

Jiang Xiaoheng chuckled, “It was good. Today, my brother and I stayed at our house. Aren’t we brave? Aren’t we little men?”

Jiang Xiaoheng’s voice was soft, with a slight upward inflection at the end. Every time Jiang Rong heard his voice, his lips would involuntarily curl upwards. “Yes, Xiaoheng and Xiaohao are very brave. You’re the bravest little men.”

From the car radio came Jiang Hao’s cries. The little guy increasingly wanted to make sounds. Jiang Rong chuckled, “Is Xiaohao okay today? Be careful with your brother.”

Jiang Xiaoheng leaned in next to the radio and began to share what happened today. There was a new tiger at home, adding a playmate for them. Today’s conversation mostly revolved around the tiger, Junjun. The relationship between the kids and Junjun had improved rapidly. Today, they had taken it to Uncle Li and Aunt Li’s orchard to play and also strolled around Fishery Village Three.

Jiang Xiaoheng described everything in great detail, even how much food they fed Junjun, he wanted to tell Daddy. After talking about Junjun, Jiang Xiaoheng remembered something, “Daddy, when my brother and I were strolling in the market today, we met an uncle. He said he’s our relative and wanted to give me candy.”

Jiang Rong raised his eyebrows slightly. “Did you accept the candy?”

As the population of Spark Base grew, there would always be people trying to establish relationships with the core figures of the base. Jiang Xiaoheng would encounter various people giving him things in the future. Jiang Rong anticipated this situation and had told him in advance: never accept things from unfamiliar people.

Jiang Xiaoheng proudly replied, “No, I told him, ‘Thank you, Uncle, but Daddy said I can’t eat too much candy, or I’ll get cavities.'”

Jiang Rong smiled gently, “Xiaoheng did the right thing.” 

His son was always obedient and would firmly remember what he said.

However, Jiang Xiaoheng’s next words made Jiang Rong wary. The little guy said, “Daddy, that uncle looks like you. Is he really our relative? He said he also has the last name Jiang.”

The curve of Jiang Rong’s lips slowly straightened, and there was a hint of anger in his eyes. “No, he’s not. We don’t have such relatives. If you see that uncle again, remember to stay away from him.”

Jiang Rong paid special attention to Jiang Xiaoheng, someone who looked like him and had the last name Jiang… Apart from Jiang Zixuan, he couldn’t think of anyone else.

When they brought Xiaoheng home, both families agreed to keep this matter buried forever. Jiang Zixuan’s family agreed to act as if they didn’t know Xiaoheng, even if they saw him. To bring the child home, Jiang Zixuan’s family was given the house in River’s Bridge. Jiang Rong couldn’t understand why Jiang Zixuan suddenly broke this agreement and came looking for Xiaoheng. What was his motive?

No matter whether Jiang Zixuan wants to gain benefits from Xiaoheng or genuinely wants to acknowledge Xiaoheng, Jiang Rong will not allow such a thing to happen. Although Xiaoheng is not his son by blood, he is a child whom he has taken care of and raised little by little. They have depended on each other for their entire lives, and he will never allow anyone to destroy their father-son bond, let alone allow the child to know about his own background.

Xiaoheng’s voice came through the radio, “Okay, I’ll remember, Daddy. Rest early today, I’m going to take a bath with my brother. Be safe, and come back earlier tomorrow.”

Jiang Rong replied calmly, “Alright, baby. You two sleep early too.”

After the radio was turned off, Jiang Rong held the radio with a dim and unclear gaze. When Guan Shao came in with dinner, he noticed that Jiang Rong seemed to be enveloped in a layer of hostility. He handed the bowl of food to Jiang Rong, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

The hostility around Jiang Rong gradually dissipated, and there was a hint of unnoticed loss in his voice, “Jiang Zixuan… Xiaoheng’s biological father contacted Xiaoheng today and gave him candy.”

Guan Shao nodded understandingly, “I see… Find a reason to drive him away.”

Jiang Rong calmly took the bowl of food, “I don’t care about Jiang Zixuan. What I care about is Xiaoheng.” 

After all, Jiang Zixuan is the child’s biological father. There are countless ways he could make Jiang Zixuan disappear forever, but what if the child learns the truth in the future? Will he resent Jiang Rong for preventing him from acknowledging his own father?

Guan Shao understood, “I understand your feelings. When we get back to the base, we’ll find an opportunity to talk to Jiang Zixuan and see what his intentions are.”

Jiang Rong lowered his head and looked at the noodles in the bowl, “Hmm.”

The noodles were mixed with cabbage and canned luncheon meat, tasting delicious. Everyone enjoyed the meal together, and after eating and drinking their fill, Jiang Rong’s mood also calmed down.

At the moment, they were studying the map of the industrial park together. There were dozens of companies, mostly material processing enterprises, including sand mining, cement production, and steel rolling. They were confident they could find plenty of materials here. After some discussion, they decided to visit the nearest cement factory first.

At that moment, Leilei ran over and whispered something to Chu Qiang. Chu Qiang looked surprised, “Stealing pots?”

Jiang Rong also raised his head, “Stealing what?”

Leilei hesitated, “Uncle Jiang, just now Ruan and I caught someone trying to steal our pots. Could you come and take a look?”

Jiang Rong quickly saw the person stealing the pot. The man had gray hair, and he looked dirty and thin. In front of him was a large pot with only a little soup left. Tears rolled down his sunken cheeks, and his voice hoarse with pleading, “Please, give us something to eat. My mother and my son are starving to death. I have no other choice. I don’t want to do something so disgraceful.”

The man in front of him was one of the helpless ordinary people under the Great Crisis, just as Jiang Rong had experienced in his previous life. In the face of hunger, even the most dignified person could only compromise with a pot of soup.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Rong said to Leilei in a calm voice, “Leilei, give him some food.”

Upon hearing Jiang Rong’s voice, the man raised his head in astonishment. He squinted his eyes and looked carefully at Jiang Rong’s face. After a while, he said unbelievably, “Is it… Master Jiang Rong?”

Jiang Rong looked puzzled, “Who are you?”

Tears flowed even more fiercely from the man’s eyes, “It’s me, Li Bin from the Civil Housing Design Institute in City C. Do you remember me? I drew the plans for your house.”

 

 

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