Chapter 8: Conditions
In a luxurious villa, Shen Shao Jie stripped off his clothes, threw them on the sofa, lit a cigar, and pondered the girl’s words, a serious expression on his face.
His men exchanged glances. One of them spoke respectfully, “Master, is what the girl said credible?”
Such a shocking claim, unknown even to the government, couldn’t possibly be true.
“Regardless of its truth, we must prepare,” Shen Shao Jie thought. The girl hadn’t fabricated the story to get the weapons; her eyes had been sincere.
He instructed his men, “Gu Mo, investigate the girl’s recent activities. Meng Yong, gather food, preserved goods, and water. We’re temporarily halting arms sales.”
“But Master, we promised the Thunderbolt Gang a shipment. Halting sales might cause trouble,” Gu Mo hesitated.
“Keep them waiting. Push it to next month. If necessary, cancel the deal,” Shen Shao Jie decided. If the girl was right, he couldn’t sell his arms; he needed to buy more.
Gu Mo considered this; if the girl was telling the truth, they couldn’t sell their arms. He replied, “Yes.”
The night was cool. The winding mountain road was quiet.
Su Mo parked her car a short distance from the villa, stored it in her spatial storage, and walked for a few minutes.
Seeing the dark villa, she frowned. It was already 11 PM; her brother hadn’t returned from W City.
Concern welled up. She took out her keys, but her eyes narrowed.
Someone was inside!
With a sharp gaze, Su Mo took a silenced pistol from her spatial storage and slowly opened the door.
The living room was silent.
However, in the faint moonlight, she saw someone on the sofa.
Clad in black, he exuded a dark aura, filling the room with gloom.
“Who’s there?” Su Mo’s voice was cold.
The figure trembled, slowly raising his head. Upon seeing Su Mo, his aura darkened.
Suddenly, the lights flickered on, illuminating the villa.
Su Mo was surprised to see her brother, “Big Brother?”
Su Hao remained silent, his eyes fixed on the girl, her expression uncertain. When had the timid, withdrawn girl changed?
Su Hao glanced at her gun, his expression cold, “I had no idea my dear sister had taken up firearms.”
Su Mo froze, feeling the chill. Slowly lowering her gun, she said after a moment, “Big Brother, you know I sold all my property, land, and investments.”
“How long did you think you could hide it?” Su Hao said coldly. He never imagined his usually quiet sister was so bold. Not only had she sold all her properties, but she had also unfrozen her family’s assets.
Silence filled the room. Su Mo hadn’t expected him to find out so quickly. Despite his coldness, she sensed underlying concern and worry.
A pang of sadness struck her. Even at the brink of death, her brother had always protected her. This time, she would protect her only family.
Taking a deep breath, Su Mo met his gaze with unwavering determination, “Big Brother, I know you’re angry, but listen to me carefully. Every word is important.”
Seeing her serious expression, Su Hao felt that she was about to reveal something shocking. He nodded, “Go ahead.”
“During my coma, I had a dream. At the end of this month, the world will collapse. Plants will mutate, animals will evolve, and over eighty percent of humanity will become zombies. They are inhuman, mindless, driven only by instinct to bite. The infected will mutate within a minute. The world will be reshaped.”
Recalling the events of her previous life, even she felt a chill. Seeing Su Hao’s disbelief, she continued, “I know it’s hard to believe. I didn’t believe it either, but I discovered my body has mutated.”
Su Mo gestured toward a coffee table, then a side table; both vanished.
Su Hao practically leaped, his eyes wide with disbelief, “This…”
“This is my ability,” Su Mo calmly said, restoring the furniture.
“In my dream, some survivors will gain abilities. They’ll have the powers of wood, water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, mind control, speed, strength, and invisibility. I have a rare spatial ability.”
Su Mo looked at Su Hao, waiting.
Silence descended. Su Hao’s voice was low, “Will humanity be extinct?”
Su Mo hesitated, “No. Not in the next few decades, at least.”
____________________
Chapter 9: The Apocalypse
In the brightly lit room, Su Hao sat with a cold aura, silent. After a long moment, he looked up, “Go to bed. You’ve been out all day.”
Su Mo’s eyes widened, then softened. Nodding, she rose and went upstairs; she trusted her brother to handle things.
Watching her disappear, Su Hao’s eyes deepened. He looked at the moon, its cool light tinged with a chilling crimson glow, an ominous sight.
His lips tightened, his eyes resolute. He picked up his phone and made a call.
Ring…
“Hello…” A rough voice, overlaid with loud music, answered.
Frowning, Su Hao said, “It’s me.”
A pause, then, “Su Zong? Please hold…”
A door closed; the background noise faded. “Su Zong, you’re calling about my proposal?”
“I accept your proposal, but the payment will be different,” Su Hao’s gaze was fixed on the window, the moon now tinged with crimson, making him clench his fist.
A pause, then a tentative, “How so, Su Zong?”
“Don’t worry, Li Zong, it’s something you can do,” Su Hao flicked his lighter, nonchalantly.
A sigh of relief. “In that case, I’ll host dinner tomorrow. Are you free, Su Zong?”
“Agreed.” Without further ado, Su Hao hung up after the other party confirmed.
Su Hao looked upstairs, a deep concern in his eyes. He leaned back, closing his eyes. It would be a sleepless night.
Night passed; dawn arrived.
Sunlight streamed through the window. Su Mo sat up, looking at the scenery, breathing the fresh air.
A shadow of sadness crossed her face; in a few days, such beauty would be gone.
Sighing softly, she quickly got up, washed, and went downstairs.
It was already 8:30 AM. The closer the apocalypse came, the more anxious she felt. But she found her brother wasn’t there.
Their conversation last night had greatly impacted him. Shaking her head, she ate a little, then entered her spatial storage.
Su Mo continued gathering food, water, clothing, and shelter. But she noticed something strange—others were also collecting supplies, causing shortages.
She thought of the menacing man, his arrogance and danger, wondering if she had done the right thing by telling him.
A wave of worry washed over her as she stood at an intersection, watching the bustling streets and traffic, a sense of sadness filling her heart; this vibrancy would soon vanish.
Under the scorching sun, Su Mo felt restless. She checked her phone; today was the last day of peace.
Closing her eyes, she turned away from the city’s splendor; she couldn’t save everyone, couldn’t change fate.
The sun set; night approached. The darkness held a mysterious air; the moon hung in the sky, exuding a chilling presence.
In the villa,
Su Mo stood by the window, her mind elsewhere. The only light came from the TV, playing local news.
Suddenly, the TV crackled, then a serious voice repeatedly announced, “Whether you believe it or not, at midnight tonight, humanity will face its greatest catastrophe. Prepare food, water, and clothing…”
The announcement sent A City into a frenzy. A mysterious post appeared on the city forum, but the author was untraceable.
Mystery filled the city; some believed, some didn’t.
Shortly after, the mayor issued an apology, calling the announcement a prank and promising to find the culprit.
Su Mo glanced at the TV, turned it off, and the room fell silent, except for the chiming clock.
Looking at the sky, she had done all she could. Belief or disbelief was beyond her control.
Night deepened; the air grew heavy.
Su Mo didn’t know how long she stood there, her body tense, her blood seeming to freeze. Her eyes were fixed on the hillside.
A beam of light hit the window. She moved forward, her eyes on the light source.
Her cultivation had enhanced her night vision. She saw a black truck, unmarked and fast-approaching.
Su Mo narrowed her eyes; the hillside was an exclusive area. Such a vehicle was unusual.
The light drew closer; Su Mo’s breathing grew shallow. The truck slowed and stopped near the villa.
Su Mo tensed, her hand instinctively reaching for her waist.
A slight sound; the car door opened, and a figure emerged.
Su Mo recognized him immediately, “Big Brother.”
Her tension eased; she went downstairs and saw Su Hao entering.
Click! The lights illuminated the room.
Seeing Su Mo safe, Su Hao sighed in relief, “Why the darkness?”
“I wanted to get used to it,” Su Mo replied, referring to the lack of electricity in the apocalypse.
Su Hao nodded, “Bring the car inside. Let’s go.”
Su Mo went outside, and her eyes widened at the sight of the vehicle’s contents.
Under the moonlight, the truck was filled with weapons—guns, blades, all radiating a bloodthirsty aura.
Su Mo felt her blood boil. Heavy weaponry—exactly what they needed. She didn’t recognize some of the items. Where had her brother obtained them?
Su Mo quickly stored the truck in her spatial storage, then saw her brother emerge from the villa. “Where did you get these?”
She knew her source wouldn’t sell, and might even buy more. This amount of weaponry was unusual.
Seeing her curiosity, Su Hao patted her head, “It’s almost midnight. Pack your things.”
Su Mo nodded and went inside.
Night fell; a foreboding air hung heavy.
A blue Hummer roared down the road.
Su Mo sat in the passenger seat, watching the scenery blur past. The wind was refreshing, but her heart was heavy.
Sensing her unease, Su Hao sighed, “You’ve done all you could; the rest is fate.”
Su Mo nodded; she knew this. They drove in silence to the city.
The city lights shone brightly. But soon, all this would be gone; darkness, decay, blood, and the vibrant city would vanish like a dream.
Su Mo watched impassively as they passed through the streets and stopped near a large supermarket. She had planned to buy it after returning from Xi Yue Province; her brother had been faster. He had seized it and sealed it off.
It was almost midnight; the city’s lights still shone bright.
Su Mo, feeling the impending end, looked up.
The sky was filled with a crimson glow; the moon, a blood-red orb, radiated a sinister light.
Su Mo’s breath hitched, “Big Brother.”
Su Hao, opening the door, turned and saw the red sky. His heart skipped a beat. Taking a breath, he said, “Let’s go.”
Su Mo didn’t look back. She grabbed her bag and entered the supermarket.