Apocalypse Chapter 89: Despair

Chapter 89: Despair

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Ruan Hanyu and Wang Chunlan were busy in the conference room discussing upcoming work plans when suddenly a rustling noise came from the rooftop. Tiles began to cascade down in a noisy clatter.

Pushing open the window, they saw Little Guaiguai curling into a ball and rolling down along the roof ridge. In no time, the bloodthirsty red vines had rolled out from the main base, heading southeast.

On the road to the southeast, more and more bloodthirsty vines gathered, forming a vast sea of red. Ruan Hanyu’s eyes widened. “Chunlan, come quick! What’s wrong with Little Guaiguai?”

Wang Chunlan stared intently at the advancing vines. “Could Jiang be summoning them?”

Ruan Hanyu frowned. “But Jiang is at the hospital with Xiaoheng, right? Why would he summon Little Guaiguai now?”

Suddenly, realization hit them both. “Oh no! Jiang and the others are in danger!”

The blood-red vines swarmed in from all directions, quickly surrounding the entire hospital. The vines wrapped tightly around the pillars and clung to the walls, sending a chilling warning to everyone nearby.

The patients inside the hospital had never seen anything like it. From their rooms, they pointed and murmured at the sight outside. “What’s going on?” “No idea, why are there so many Little Guaiguais? Did something happen to Jiang?” “Oh my god, Jiang can’t be in trouble!”

Jiang Rong’s heart pounded with dread. Meng Liang was far too cunning—a beast lying in wait, baring his fangs when least expected. To get close to him, Meng Liang had even changed bodies.

And to lower Jiang Rong’s guard, Meng Liang had repeatedly shown off his golden esper powers right in front of him. His concern for Xiaoheng was all a ruse to catch Jiang Rong off-guard and take control. If not for Xiaoheng, Jiang Rong would already be Meng Liang’s puppet.

The bloodthirsty vines had already ensnared Liu Heng’s limbs. At Jiang Rong’s command, Liu Heng could be torn apart in an instant.

Jiang Rong held Xiaoheng close by the bedside, his gaze burning with loathing at the upside-down Liu Heng. Blood dripped from Liu Heng’s orifices, his pupils milky white, his body convulsing as resistance left him.

If Jiang Rong were an ordinary esper, he would have launched a counterattack without hesitation after such an assault. But he wasn’t just any esper—he was the leader of  the Spark Base, and Liu Heng was the newly appointed leader of the Peace Base. Because of their positions, Jiang Rong couldn’t kill Liu Heng—he had to keep him safe.

Just then, Guan Shao and Chu Qiang burst into the hospital room, finding Jiang Rong’s expression grave.

“Meng Liang possessed Liu Heng,” Jiang Rong explained. “He tried to control me while I wasn’t paying attention.”

Chu Qiang immediately cursed loudly. “Damn it! I treated that bastard like family, and he wants to turn us into puppets?!”

Guan Shao glanced at Jiang Rong. “Are you okay?”

Jiang Rong shook his head solemnly. “I’m fine. Now that you’re here, how do you want to handle him?”

Chu Qiang cracked his knuckles, eyes fierce. “Cutting him down is too easy! Lock him up—I won’t rest until every last cell in his body is wrung dry. Liu Heng and Meng Liang together don’t even equal Xiao Jiang’s pinky finger. Killing them would be too merciful.”

Jiang Rong nodded. “It’s in your hands.”

At that moment, Jiang Xiaoheng, still curled in Jiang Rong’s arms, coughed quietly twice.

“Daddy… I don’t feel well…”

Jiang Rong looked down sharply. His pupils contracted in alarm. Xiaoheng’s face had turned pale and sallow. Dark red blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, nose, and eyes—blood even seeped from his ears. Xiaoheng’s voice was weak. His small body trembled uncontrollably. “Daddy… it hurts…”

Jiang Rong tightened his hold on the child and dashed out of the room, shouting, “Doctor! Doctor, hurry!”

*

Jiang Xiaoheng had single-handedly thwarted Meng Liang’s assault. Meng Liang was an adult, a fully developed psychic esper, while Xiaoheng had burned like a candle—fiercely sacrificing himself just to buy his Daddy some time.

But after a candle burns out, all that’s left is the wax residue—and Xiaoheng was no different. After reviewing Xiaoheng’s scans, the doctor shook his head helplessly at Jiang Rong. “At best, three months. I’m sorry. We’ve done all we can.”

The light in Jiang Rong’s eyes flickered like a fragile candle flame, vulnerable to the slightest breeze. He lifted his head in stunned disbelief as the doctor’s words echoed in his mind. Three months? Who had only three months left? Xiaoheng? Impossible. Xiaoheng was only four and a half years old—so young, with a whole future ahead.

He shook his head, voice barely a whisper, “There must be a mistake. I don’t believe it.” His Xiaoheng was so precious—how could he be sentenced to death? The team burst out at once. “Doctor, are you sure? Could you check again?” “Chunlan, you’re a doctor too, say something!” “Maybe it’s a misunderstanding?”

Wang Chunlan pressed her lips tight, tears glistening in her eyes as she shook her head at the crowd. Only because she was a doctor did she fully understand how grave Xiaoheng’s condition was. Even the doctor’s prognosis of three months was optimistic. Xiaoheng’s organs were rapidly failing—any minor illness could take him.

Ruan Hanyu’s voice cracked with tears. “Is there really no hope? It’s all our fault. If we hadn’t been careless and missed Meng Liang’s plot, Jiang wouldn’t have been caught off guard and Xiaoheng wouldn’t have suffered this.”

Wang Chunlan turned her head to wipe away tears. “At least for our base, there’s nothing more we can do. But if we can find a top-tier healing esper, maybe Xiaoheng can still be saved.”

Guan Shao scanned the room. “Then we find a healing esper. Qiang, send messages to every base. As soon as there’s a response, we’ll send someone to bring them here.”

Chu Qiang nodded quickly. “Got it!” Finding a healing esper was the top priority now. The base construction could wait.

Jiang Rong only saw mouths moving around him. His mind felt hollowed out, and the ringing in his ears made it impossible to hear a word. Slowly, he turned and walked out of the meeting room toward the hospital. Xiaoheng needed him.

Xiaoheng had been moved to a special ward. To see him, visitors had to don thick protective suits and pass through multiple sterilization layers. He lay on a wide hospital bed, hooked up to countless tubes.

When Jiang Rong entered, Xiaoheng was gazing weakly out the window. Outside the thick glass, Little Guaiguai and Little Fairy peeked in. Seeing Jiang Rong, Little Guaiguai made a heart shape with its paws before tugging Little Fairy away.

Xiaoheng struggled to turn his head. When he saw Jiang Rong, he managed a weak smile and reached out a small hand. “Daddy.”

In just a few days, his once plump cheeks had hollowed. Jiang Rong could barely feel Xiaoheng’s weight anymore. Separated by the protective gear, he couldn’t touch the softness of his son’s hair or skin. Listening to his son’s labored breathing, his vision blurred and the inside of his mask fogged.

Xiaoheng rested his head against Jiang Rong’s arm, his right hand clutching his Daddy’s finger tightly. Having been in the ward so long, he had so much he wanted to say. He spoke of the amusing things happening in the ward, the bizarre dreams he had, and the things he wished to do.

Since he was young, Xiaoheng had been a child who loved to share. He was good at noticing the beauty around him. Listening to his innocent words, Jiang Rong felt his heart repeatedly sliced by countless tiny knives. He responded more slowly each time.

Feeling the heaviness in Jiang Rong’s mood, Xiaoheng squeezed his finger and whispered, “Daddy, I’m not really your baby, am I?”

Jiang Rong was startled, his voice rising two octaves. “Who said that? You’re my baby!” From the moment he’d taken Xiaoheng in, Jiang Rong had considered him his own son. No one was going to whisper lies in Xiaoheng’s ear without consequences.

Xiaoheng spoke softly. “I know. I can hear the thoughts of those around me. I’m not really Daddy’s baby. I’m just like Big Brother and Yuan Yuan—one of Daddy’s adopted children.”

Hearing Xiaoheng’s words, Jiang Rong’s anger turned to sorrow. Xiaoheng’s powers were too strong. Since awakening his psychic abilities, he could hear the hidden voices in people’s hearts. Everything meant to be hidden was no secret to him.

At that moment, Jiang Rong hated Meng Liang with a burning passion—he wished he could tear him limb from limb. Yet, Xiaoheng’s words made his fury and desire for revenge vanish. Xiaoheng lifted his small face and smiled brightly. “But I’m Daddy’s favorite baby. Even if I’m not really Daddy’s son, in my heart, Daddy is the best Daddy in the whole world.”

Jiang Rong’s chest tightened. He leaned down and touched his forehead gently to his son’s. “Xiaoheng, you’re the best baby in the world. Being your Daddy is my greatest fortune.”

Xiaoheng pressed his lips shyly. “Daddy… I did something bad. I never told you because I was scared. At first, I didn’t like Yuan Yuan. I thought she was mean and unreasonable, and she always took up your attention.”

“Remember when you asked why Yuan Yuan and I fell into the river? That day, when we were walking, I pushed her. I wanted to bully her when you weren’t around. But then we both fell in.”

“I thought Yuan Yuan would tattle on me, but she didn’t say a word. She even let Junjun rescue me first. Daddy, Yuan Yuan is a good baby.”

After saying that, Xiaoheng glanced nervously at Jiang Rong, lowering his voice. “Daddy… am I a bad baby?”

Jiang Rong tugged at the corner of his mouth as tears slipped down his cheeks. “How could you be? Xiaoheng, you’re wonderful. You just want Daddy’s attention. I’m sorry, Xiaoheng. Daddy… Daddy let you down.”

Love was possessive. Xiaoheng didn’t have a mother, and even the fatherly love was split among Xiao Hao and Yuan Yuan. No matter how generous or selfless he was, resentment lingered in his heart.

He was just a child. Why should he be the one to always be understanding and obedient? He could have been spoiled and willful, but Xiaoheng never once showed dissatisfaction in front of Jiang Rong.

Jiang Rong’s tears flowed harder. He was a failing father. So caught up in his own affairs, he had neglected his son’s feelings. “I’m sorry, baby…”

Seeing Jiang Rong cry, Xiaoheng couldn’t hold back anymore either. He raised a hand and gently touched Jiang Rong’s face through the mask. “Daddy, don’t cry. Don’t cry. You’re a good Daddy. I’m proud every day to be your baby.”

“Daddy, if someday I’m not here, don’t be sad. You have Uncle Guan to take care of you. I’ll tell Big Brother and Yuan Yuan to listen to you and not make you angry anymore.”

*

Jiang Rong didn’t know how he had left the special care ward. All he felt was a suffocating tightness in his chest. After pulling off his mask and taking two steps forward, he simply couldn’t move anymore.

Chu Qiang and the others could only watch helplessly as Jiang Rong’s body slid slowly down the wall. The young Daddy buried his face in his hands and wept like rain. The last time he had cried like this was when he realized both his parents were gone.

Back then, Xiaoheng was by his side. For the sake of his child, he could pick himself up after crying. But now Xiaoheng was about to leave—so small, so afraid of the dark—and Jiang Rong, as his Daddy, felt utterly powerless.

Jiang Rong’s desperate sobs drew quiet tears from the esper team members.

Through the haze of tears, Guan Shao bent down and embraced Jiang Rong. Suppressing his own emotions, he encouraged him, “We will find the best healing esper. Xiao Jiang, you have to be strong. Xiaoheng needs us. We can’t fall now. It’s not the worst yet—stand up.”

Jiang Rong gasped for breath, wiping his tears roughly. “Right, right… it’s not the worst yet. We can’t give up, can’t give up…”

*

From six to six-thirty in the evening was the broadcast time for  the Spark Base’s “Little Stars Speak.” Since the program’s launch, its ratings have steadily climbed. According to data, the two child hosts attracted over five million live listeners.

Before the Great Crisis, five million wasn’t remarkable. But now? That was huge, especially considering the Spark Base’s total population didn’t even reach one hundred thousand.

Recently, the ratings had begun to slip. The original two little hosts were gone, replaced by new ones. Though the new hosts were competent, listeners still missed the soft, gentle voices of the original duo. Without their lighthearted presence, the show felt soulless.

At six o’clock, many people tuned their radios to the familiar channel, hoping to hear the two children’s voices.

After the cheerful music ended, the voice that came through was not childish, but a young man’s hoarse tone.

“Dear listeners, I am Jiang Rong from the Spark Base, and I am the Daddy of hosts Jiang Hao and Jiang Xiaoheng.”

Hearing Jiang Rong’s voice, many turned up their volume. “No way— the Spark Base’s leader is hosting the broadcast today! Let’s hear what he has to say!”

Wearing a headset, Jiang Rong’s voice spilled out in heavy, measured words.

“My baby, Jiang Xiaoheng, is sick. He blocked an attack from a psychic esper, which caused multi-organ failure. The doctors say if this continues, he has only three months left.”

“Xiaoheng is only four years old. He’s lively, smart, and obedient. His life has only just begun and shouldn’t end like this. I beg all listeners—please, help my baby. Help Xiaoheng.”

“We need doctors, we need treatment methods. If any of you know doctors or have ideas for treatment, please contact the Spark Base. We have opened a 24-hour radio channel. Please, extend a helping hand. I am willing to give everything to save my child.”

At that moment, the broadcast room door opened. Guan Shao entered, followed by Jiang Hao and Jiang Yuan. Jiang Hao quickly put on a headset and pressed the button.

“Dear brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas listening, I’m Xiao Hao. My little brother Xiaoheng is sick—really sick. He’s in a glass ward, and the doctors only let me see him twice a day.”

“The doctors say that if he doesn’t get good treatment, my brother will never leave the glass room, and he won’t be able to play with me or my friends anymore.”

“Everyone, my little brother is so cute, his smile is the best. We have a new little sister now. My sister and I wait every day hoping Xiaoheng can come home. Please help us—I have a full set of Meow Meow Team cards, and I’m willing to give them all away if it can help Xiaoheng get better.”

Then, the soft voice of little Yuan Yuan came through the radio, full of childlike innocence.

“Brother Xiaoheng, it’s me, Yuan Yuan. Can you hear my voice? Today, Teacher Yuan taught me phonics, but I just can’t get it. When will you come out to teach me to write?”

“Big brother, I miss you. Please get better soon, okay?”

 

 

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