Apocalypse Chapter 82: Children and the Persistent Cat

Chapter 82: Children and the Persistent Cat

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

A raging fire broke out in the northwest corner of the residential district, and countless zombies writhed within the flames. Gu Zefeng stood atop a tall building, watching coldly as the zombies struggled in the blaze. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Now this is satisfying.”

Clearly, they could have dealt with the zombies more efficiently. Why use the most primitive, clumsy method to eliminate them? Gu Zefeng took a deep breath and slowly raised his hands beside him. As his power released, a layer of platinum-colored protective shield appeared around him.

Outside the shield, wild winds whipped the flames upward. Madness flickered in Gu Zefeng’s eyes. “Burn! When it’s all gone, it’ll be clean!”

The fire surged and spread, igniting the nearby buildings like a fuse. Amid the flames, faint cries and pleas for help echoed. Unfortunately, those wails failed to move the arsonist’s hardened heart. The weak sounds were soon swallowed by the roaring fire.

Seeing the smoke and flames rising from the northwest corner, Jiang Rong froze. “What’s going on? Why is the northwest corner on fire?”

Their goal was to exterminate zombies—not destroy the entire residential district. Survivors were still likely inside. Every survivor in the pharmaceutical factory zone was a valuable asset. That was why the espers were fighting so hard.

At that moment, the drone feed showed the northwest street of the residential district engulfed in flames. Many apartment buildings were burning or close to catching fire. Some windows stood open in the firelight, where survivors poked their bodies out, desperate to escape the inferno.

How could flesh and blood withstand flames? As the drone captured the scene, survivors were consumed by the fire. These poor people had barely survived the Great Crisis and natural disasters, evaded zombie hunts—and yet perished at the hands of espers who were supposed to protect them.

Meng Weixian’s face went grim as he controlled the drone. It didn’t take long before he locked onto the arsonist atop the tallest building. Before the drone could get closer, he identified the culprit. “It’s Gu Zefeng.”

Seeing the drone circling above, Gu Zefeng raised his middle finger in its direction, his face dripping with mockery and taunts. “Come on, come catch me.”

Guan Shao clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles whitened. His gaze darkened as he looked at the screen. “Jiang Rong.”

Jiang Rong responded, “Yeah.”

Guan Shao spoke calmly. “If Gu Zefeng keeps destroying things, even if Zhou Xing and the others survive, they’ll be burned alive. I’m going to deal with him. You and the team keep slaughtering zombies.”

Jiang Rong frowned, worry flickering across his eyes. Gu Zefeng was a level three esper, while Guan Shao was only level two. The power gap between levels three and two was significant. Did Guan Shao really stand a chance?

Moreover, Guan Shao was about to enter the Sovereign’s territory. Would the Sovereign’s espers attack him on sight?

Seeing Jiang Rong hesitate, Guan Shao said seriously, “Gu Zefeng and I will fight sooner or later. Rather than letting him run wild, it’s better to settle this early.”

He stared straight into Jiang Rong’s eyes. “Trust me. I’ll be back before dawn.”

Jiang Rong thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Stay safe. I’ll have Little Guaiguai clear the way for you.”

Jiang Rong also wanted to go with Guan Shao, but he couldn’t. Two espers fighting was a personal dispute at most. But if he got involved, it would be different. As the leader of the Spark Base, even if he didn’t strike, someone might exploit his position afterward. If that sparked conflict between the Spark Base and the Sovereign Base, it would only bring unnecessary trouble.

Guan Shao drove away in the team’s best off-road vehicle. Watching the taillights disappear down the road outside the residential area, Jiang Rong felt an invisible thread tighten around his heart. Saying he wasn’t worried was a lie. The more things escalated, the more he had to stay calm. He turned and saw Chu Qiang giving him a thumbs-up. Jiang Rong asked, “What’s up?”

Chu Qiang admired him. “Xiao Jiang, your composure is impressive. If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t let Master Guan go alone. How can you be so trusting?”

Jiang Rong lowered his gaze seriously. “I don’t trust him, but I trust him.” Guan Shao was his man; he understood his temperament. Without confidence, Guan Shao wouldn’t have gone on a suicide mission.

Before, things had been too rushed for Jiang Rong to ask about Gu Zefeng. Now, since they had some rest, he wanted to take this chance to ask what grudge existed between the two.

Hearing Jiang Rong’s question, Chiang Jinhu and the others fell silent. After a moment, Weng Chenggang spoke. “Boss Jiang, do you know the Cang Lang Special Forces?”

Jiang Rong wasn’t very familiar with the military. He shook his head honestly. “Never heard of them.”

But Chu Qiang and the others knew the special forces well. “Yeah, aren’t they the toughest special forces?”

Weng Chenggang nodded. “Right. The Cang Lang Special Forces pick elites from the entire army’s special troops. Out of three thousand, only a hundred remain. Me, Gu Zefeng, and the others here were all warriors in that unit.” These soldiers were forged through countless trials — each one an elite among elites. Jiang Rong’s eyes widened in surprise. “Special forces?”

He knew Guan Shao had served in the military before becoming a mercenary but had never realized he was once in the special forces. Seeing their sharp skills now, it made sense.

Weng Chenggang continued, “Master Guan is our captain. Gu Zefeng is one of our deputy captains. Back then, our team had a great bomb disposal expert named Yun Que. Yun Que was Gu Zefeng’s childhood friend. They grew up together, enlisted together, and were selected into the Cang Lang Special Forces as a pair. Their bond was very strong.”

“We often received classified missions, most of which had to remain covert. Once, we were tasked with infiltrating an enemy country to capture a fugitive criminal. The criminal was cunning, hiding deep in the rainforest, surrounded by raiders and armed groups. That mission was a near-death experience for us all. Yun Que stayed behind forever to clear the way for everyone else.”

Thinking of the painful memory, Chiang Jinhu and the others showed grim expressions. “Xiao Que was a real man.”

Jiang Rong analyzed, “Did Gu Zefeng blame Yun Que’s death on Guan Shao?”

Meng Weixian sighed. “Yeah. Gu Zefeng believed Yun Que died because of Guan Shao’s command mistakes. After that mission, they fell out. Not long after, Master Guan left Cang Lang.”

Chu Qiang muttered, “That’s so unreasonable. Why blame your teammate instead of the criminal? Did Master Guan really mess up?”

Wang Ting answered seriously, “No one in Master Guan’s position would have commanded better than he did.”

Jiang Rong understood. “Gu Zefeng just needed someone to vent his anger and despair on. He chose Guan Shao, convinced it was his fault. No matter how well Guan Shao performed, it wouldn’t matter.”

Weng Chenggang gave a bitter smile. “Who knows what’s really in his heart… After Yun Que died, Gu Zefeng never confided in us again.”

The group fell silent. After learning about Guan Shao and Gu Zefeng’s past, Jiang Rong’s feelings grew more complicated. Former teammates now drawing blades on each other—it was a bitter outcome anyone would pity. Then the radio crackled with An Ran’s voice. “Team leader Jiang, we found surviving espers. I need your support.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Rong perked up. “On our way.” He put aside the feud between Guan Shao and Gu Zefeng for now; the priority was finding survivors.

*

In the middle of the residential area stood a plaza, where a large mall was built. Espers who had entered the district were trapped inside the mall for over half a month. Over six hundred espers had endured among the zombies—now fewer than one hundred remained.

They were starving and ragged. When reinforcements finally broke open the mall doors and entered, the trapped espers nearly cried out in relief. “Family! You’re finally here!”

Zhou Xing was so hungry his eyes practically turned green. After a brief nod with Liu Heng, he hurried to Jiang Rong, begging, “Team leader Jiang, please, spare me some food!”

Liu Heng laughed. “Old Zhou, you’re from the Peace Base. Why come begging for food at the Spark Base? Here, take a pack of instant noodles.”

Zhou Xing shook his head heavily. “You don’t understand. Once you’ve eaten the Spark Base’s food, who wants instant noodles?”

Besides espers, there were also ordinary people in the mall. Both espers and civilians were close to their physical limits. After discussing with An Ran, Jiang Rong decided they would rest in the mall to recover some strength. After the exhausting overnight effort, the reinforcements were just as worn out.

They lit a campfire inside and boiled fragrant instant noodles. Survivors gathered, clutching bowls and eating heartily. At last, smiles returned to their gaunt faces.

Wondering about Guan Shao’s situation, Jiang Rong climbed to the rooftop terrace of the mall to look northwest.

In that direction, only fire and smoke were visible. Too far away to make out details, Jiang Rong lowered the binoculars and furrowed his brow deeper. Then a hoarse meow came from behind him.

Turning, he saw a tiny figure about ten feet away—a child so thin he looked almost emaciated, shorter than Jiang Xiaoheng by half a head. The child wore an oversized cotton jacket, and dirty hair hung past his shoulders.

In the child’s arms was a scruffy cat, skin and bones beneath its fur. In the weak firelight, the cat’s eyes glowed faintly red. The child’s eyes, like the cat’s, were large and round, flickering with nervousness.

Jiang Rong was startled—he hadn’t expected any survivors on the terrace, let alone such a small child. Ever since a child had clung to him on his last Peace Base mission, he always carried some candy on him.

He fumbled in his pockets and soon pulled out a few milk candies. “Come here, little one. Uncle’s got candy for you.”

To avoid frightening the child, Jiang Rong crouched down carefully and peeled back the wrapper to reveal the creamy white candy. The sweet aroma drifted over, causing the child to sniff. Jiang Rong smiled and stepped closer, placing the candy in front of the child. “Eat it. Don’t be afraid.”

The child looked down at the candy, then back up at Jiang Rong’s face. He clutched the cat tighter and swallowed hard. Jiang Rong carefully broke the candy, handing the smaller piece to the child. “Eat slowly. Don’t choke.”

The child’s mouth moved as the sweet flavor made him smile. Jiang Rong placed the remaining candies in the child’s palm. “Take your time. Later, you’ll come downstairs with me to register. We’re leaving here, and you’ll come with us. Are your mom and dad still around?”

The child chewed earnestly and looked up into Jiang Rong’s face. At the words “mom and dad,” his eyes suddenly brightened. He croaked hoarsely, “Daddy.”

When Jiang Xiaoheng learned to speak, Jiang Rong often guessed the meanings of his jumbled words. Hearing the child call “Daddy,” Jiang Rong guessed, “You mean your daddy is on the rooftop?”

The child stepped closer, close enough for Jiang Rong to smell the stench on him. He handed over the scruffy cat. “Daddy.”

Jiang Rong blinked. “Huh?”

What did that mean? Was he saying the scruffy cat was his daddy?

 

 

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