Apocalypse Chapter 78: Out of Control

Chapter 78: Out of Control

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Meng Liang’s health was indeed failing. After more than an hour of conversation between the two sides, he showed severe signs of discomfort. Seeing this, the healing espers immediately stepped forward to treat him.

Meng Liang, now on oxygen, apologized, “Chief Jiang, it was a pleasure talking with you. But my body really isn’t up to it. Please, take your time to explore the Peace Base…” He glanced at Zhou Xing as he spoke. “Make sure to take good care of Chief Jiang and his team.”

Zhou Xing stood up quickly. “Don’t worry, Boss!”

Jiang Rong shook Meng Liang’s hand once again, sincerity in his voice. “Director Meng, please rest well. Once you recover, I’ll come to visit again.”

As they left Meng Liang’s office, the members of the esper squad exchanged glances, each quietly breathing a sigh of relief. It was their first time facing a psychic esper directly, and everyone had stayed on high alert.

Jiang Rong also exhaled subtly. He had expected Meng Liang to try using his power to spy on or control him, but throughout the entire meeting, Meng Liang’s energy had remained still.

Had he thought too ill of Meng Liang? Or was the director’s body simply too weak to control others anymore? After all, Jiang Rong remembered that Meng Liang was unlikely to survive more than two months.

Zhou Xing suggested, “Chief Jiang, there are several scenic spots inside the Peace Base. Let me take you around.”

Leilei chuckled, “Uncle Zhou, I don’t want to see the sights. I want to eat something delicious. Does the Peace Base have good food?”

The comment broke the tension, and everyone laughed. Wang Chunlan ruffled Leilei’s hair. “This kid has no respect for elders! Zhou, don’t mind her—I’ve spoiled her rotten.”

Zhou Xing scratched his head with a smile. “No problem at all! Honestly, I hate sightseeing too. What’s so great about scenery? Eating is the best! Let me take everyone to a great restaurant here. Come on.”

After Jiang Rong and his group got into the car at the building entrance, the smile faded from Meng Liang’s face. His dry, slender fingers clenched the wheelchair’s arms until his knuckles turned white.

“What a pity…” he muttered. It was a pity that his reputation had attracted so much attention, and too many people now knew he was a psychic esper. Jiang Rong and the others had been warned in advance and were wary of him. His power was control, but if the opponent had strong will and protective esper abilities, he couldn’t influence them.

Liu Heng bent down, handing Meng Liang a cup of water. Meng Liang turned his head and took it. The transparent cup bore two pairs of silver eyes etched onto its surface. Meng Liang spoke slowly and deliberately, “Have someone watch them closely. Find the right moment to infiltrate.”

The voice replied softly, “Yes…”

*

Zhou Xing led them to a place called Hanzhong Street. Before the Great Crisis, it was a famous snack street. Now it has become the busiest street in the entire base—not only frequented by espers but also by ordinary people with means.

Jiang Rong’s underground shelter had an exit near Hanzhong Street, but he’d never been there before. For espers, it was paradise; for him back then, it was another world.

Zhou Xing led everyone into the most luxurious hotel on Hanzhong Street. As soon as they entered, he told the receptionist, “Bring out all the signature dishes from the kitchen.”

Everyone looked up in awe at the golden, splendid lobby.

“Really impressive,” someone said. To maintain such star-level hotel service and quality even now was no small feat. But how many espers and ordinary people rooted in the Peace Base were truly simple?

Once seated, the dishes that came out astonished everyone. Anything that flew, swam, or crawled, if you could think of it, this hotel could serve it.

Take the steamed yellow croaker in front of them—its flesh tender and fresh, obviously not frozen. The waitress in the private room smiled sweetly and said, “This is a freshly caught yellow croaker from the East China Sea. Please, enjoy.”

The East China Sea was five to six hundred miles from the Peace Base. Before The Great Crisis, even getting a fresh yellow croaker was difficult—let alone now. The fact that the Peace Base could provide live fish like this showed just how powerful they really were.

Wang Ting poked a piece of fish into his mouth, tasted it, then sighed, “Delicious.” But he still preferred the taste of the Spark Base’s cicada ball soup.

The meal was a joyous occasion for everyone. By the end, no one could eat any more, yet the dishes kept coming.

Leilei looked at the food unwilling to leave it behind. She looked at Zhou Xing pleadingly, “Uncle Zhou, can I pack these leftovers to take home?”

Zhou Xing, already tipsy, slurred, “Pack… pack… what? If Leilei likes it… let them make another table!”

Leilei hurriedly said, “No, no, this is plenty.” Then she asked the server for a dozen takeaway boxes and, together with her mother, carefully packed the food into insulated containers.

Zhou Xing, still woozy, joked, “Our Leilei, so thrifty and hardworking…”

Leilei looked at the untouched dishes with a pang in her heart. “These dishes haven’t even been touched. I want to take some home for Xiao Hao and Xiaoheng.” Though Xiao Hao and the others wouldn’t go hungry in the base, they had surely never seen so much good food.

Jiang Rong felt a sharp sting in his chest. He had lived more than twenty years in peaceful times and had seen and eaten all kinds of food, but his baby was still so young. In this life, the good things he’d seen were too few. Jiang Rong stood and shook his head. “You all keep chatting—I’m going to the restroom for a moment.”

The waitress led him toward the restroom. Jiang Rong’s cheeks flushed slightly as he said, “I know. You can head back first.”

As the waitress turned away, Jiang Rong did not head toward the restroom. Instead, he changed direction and walked toward the hotel’s back door. Right outside the back door was an alley called Guozi Alley—a place where the poor gathered to trade goods and share news.

In his previous life, Jiang Rong often brought Xiaoheng here. Guozi Alley and Hanzhong Street were only a hundred meters apart, but the worlds they represented were miles away. Stepping out the back door, a stench immediately hit him, overpowering the hotel’s lingering scents. His previously muddled mind suddenly cleared.

Guozi Alley was busiest at night—between five and seven o’clock—when ordinary people, having finished their workday and collected their daily points, came here to see if they could find anything they needed. The air was thick with haggling voices, children crying, and pungent smells.

It was noon now, so the alley wasn’t crowded. But only a few steps in, Jiang Rong’s legs were suddenly grabbed. Looking down, he saw a child about the same age as Xiaoheng, with a dirty little face and pleading eyes.

“Brother, please, just one bite…” the child begged.

Many children came to the base with relatives but hadn’t been properly settled. With limited strength, the only way to get food was either to steal or beg. Guozi Alley’s crowds made it a hotspot for beggars. When luck was good, they might get a bite or two; when it wasn’t, they’d come away with bruises.

The child wore a ragged T-shirt, his small body trembling slightly. His dark eyes were full of fear—fear of being kicked or beaten, and even more fear of going hungry.

Seeing the child, Jiang Rong couldn’t help but think of last life’s Xiaoheng. Back then, whenever Jiang Rong worked, Xiaoheng either huddled in their tiny dorm or, like this child, came to Guozi Alley to beg.

Once after work, Xiaoheng had pulled a half-used candy from a torn pocket and handed it to Jiang Rong with a proud smile, saying he could work now and help lessen Daddy’s burden.

Jiang Rong never knew how many legs his baby had clung to or how many kicks he’d taken to earn that half candy. After that day, Jiang Rong vowed to starve himself rather than let his child come to Guozi Alley.

Xiaoheng was a good kid and obedient, but a child’s nature couldn’t be contained. He still came to Guozi Alley to play with friends and followed the other children begging adults for food.

He never stole—until one day when he was accused of theft and beaten half to death. Jiang Rong could no longer endure that life. He packed up his son and left the base decisively.

The child still pleaded pitifully, “Brother, just one bite?”

Jiang Rong emptied every pocket but found nothing to give. “Let go of me first. I’ll go buy you something to eat.”

The child released his hold on Jiang Rong’s leg and followed closely with every step.

Jiang Rong knew Guozi Alley well. After a few steps, he found the small grocery store he’d often visited in his past life. Without a Peace Base points card, he could only trade personal belongings.

He took off his watch and pushed it toward the shopkeeper. “Exchange this for a bag of milk candy. I’ll pick up my watch later.”

The shopkeeper didn’t even look up. “It’s not a luxury watch, and you want a bag of milk candy? That’s all you get. Take it or leave it.” He grabbed a handful of candy from a sack and tossed it on the counter.

The child’s eyes lit up as he reached a grubby hand toward Jiang Rong. “Thank you! Thank you, brother!”

Jiang Rong had just dropped a piece of candy into the child’s palm when suddenly two or three dozen children swarmed out of nowhere. They clustered around Jiang Rong, begging desperately, “Brother, just one bite! Please, one bite!”

With so many children and only a handful of candies, even breaking the sweets into pieces left some kids empty-handed. After realizing Jiang Rong had no more candy, those unlucky children chased after the lucky ones who had some.

The first child to get a candy fiercely protected it as he ran down the street. Jiang Rong stood still, squinting against the blinding sun. In a daze, he saw last life’s Xiaoheng—the effort it took to hold onto that half candy, the strength it took not to eat it himself.

*

Heading south along Guozi Alley, the surrounding buildings grew more and more dilapidated. Eventually, the group moved from street level down underground. After a few hundred meters, a subway entrance appeared.

The subway led down to the Peace Base’s underground city. A ten- to fifteen-minute walk from here was the basement where Jiang Rong had lived before. He’d walked this path countless times and could navigate it blindfolded.

Inside the subway entrance, the light dimmed and the air grew foul. The walls were covered with unsightly graffiti. Dozens of heavily made-up women stood near the entrance, dressed in skimpy clothes that flaunted their assets to the fullest.

Seeing Jiang Rong, several of them waved and called out, “Handsome young man, come here! Special prices just for you!” “Fifteen points, satisfaction guaranteed!” “Oh, you’ve got some spirit, huh?”

Jiang Rong pushed off their hands with a blank expression and moved forward. After a few steps, a familiar voice called out, “Jiang… Rong? Master Jiang?”

Looking toward the voice, Jiang Rong saw a heavily made-up woman under the dull lighting. Her makeup was so thick he barely recognized her. She clutched her clothes nervously, both excited and embarrassed.

“Master Jiang, it’s me—Duan Jie!”

Jiang Rong was stunned. Duan Jie? What was she doing here? He remembered that last life, after entering the base, Duan Jie had quickly climbed up the esper ranks. Until Jiang Rong left the Peace Base, she had lived well. How had she fallen so low as to be standing on this street?

What Jiang Rong didn’t know was that without his protection, Duan Jie’s life had been miserable. From City C to the Peace Base, she had suffered countless hardships. By the time she arrived, the once fresh and beautiful woman had become weathered and ordinary.

Without beauty or skills to survive, Duan Jie had ended up here—sold like merchandise, picked over by others. Seeing Jiang Rong again, tears streamed down her face. “Master Jiang, please save me. Save me…”

Jiang Rong sighed. When he was first reborn, he’d felt some resentment toward Duan Jie, but now seeing her like this, a deep sadness welled up inside him. Just as Duan Jie was about to say more, one of her friends whispered, “Stop crying, the big clients are coming!”

Duan Jie hurriedly wiped her tears, pulled out makeup to freshen her face, and with her friends, turned toward the subway exit. Jiang Rong looked back and saw four or five espers approaching. Soon, one of them had Duan Jie and her friends in his arms, their smiles charming and confident—nothing like the tearful woman from moments ago. Jiang Rong was speechless.

He turned away and continued down the narrow, dim corridor. The fifth underground city of the Peace Base appeared before him. There was no grand decoration here—only endless, packed basements. Every room was crowded, filled with every smell and every sound imaginable.

Following his memories, Jiang Rong walked up to the dormitory from his past life. Inside, only a dim energy-saving light was on. Through the faint glow, he saw the bed where he and Xiaoheng had once slept. That narrow bed, less than a meter wide, had been their shared resting place for over two years.

They had lived like rats in a gutter, never seeing the light of day. The underground city of the Peace Base was an iron cage, and there they had slowly drained all their strength…

Someone inside the dorm looked up at Jiang Rong, puzzled. “Who are you looking for?”

Jiang Rong said nothing. After scanning the room, he turned around—and found Guan Shao standing not far behind him. A complex mix of emotions stirred inside him as he said, “Guan Shao.” When had he followed him here without Jiang Rong noticing?

Guan Shao nodded and stepped forward. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Jiang Rong tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace than anything else. Guan Shao furrowed his brow and gently touched Jiang Rong’s forehead. “If you don’t want to smile, then don’t. Don’t force it.”

On the way back, Jiang Rong remained unusually quiet. Guan Shao walked beside him, shielding him from prying, ill-intentioned eyes. After a long while, Jiang Rong finally spoke.

“If I suddenly left the restaurant, it must have drawn the attention of the people here at the Peace Base.”

His memories from his past life had controlled him—he had walked all the way from the restaurant down to the underground city. If Meng Liang wanted to, he would definitely notice something was off. This was no longer something Jiang Rong could brush off as “just getting lost.”

Guan Shao wasn’t worried. “We came to the Peace Base to communicate. Going down to the underground city personally will give us a deeper impression of the place. Meng should understand that.”

Jiang Rong nodded. He hadn’t broken any Peace Base rules, so even if Meng Liang noticed his odd behavior, he probably wouldn’t do anything to him. After a pause, Jiang Rong said, “Guan Shao, our base must be built properly—built into a place where every child can have candy to eat…”

Guan Shao pulled Jiang Rong’s watch from his pocket and put it back on his wrist. “The Spark Base will become the best base. Everyone will eat well, dress warmly, and live good lives.”

 

 

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