Chapter 105: People, Authority, Power

“Fire!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

At Li Qingshui’s command, a dozen or so flares shot up into the sky from the high ground. Accompanied by deafening artillery blasts, shells were hurled toward the areas previously marked by Liu Chang.

The bombardment lasted through a dozen rounds. Liu Chang watched the dazzling flares burst forth, now wearing a specialized gas mask—more accurately a biohazard mask—cradling a young girl in his arms as he gazed toward a direction obscured from his view.

The crimson fog blocked his sight, but he could imagine what awaited along the banks of the Yellow River after successive rounds of shelling.

One by one, soldiers would perish in agony under the onslaught of the super bacteria unleashed by Li Qingshui—survival was impossible. Yet Liu Chang wondered what passed through their minds in those final moments: terror of death, longing for their mothers, or perhaps, finally, a peaceful acceptance that ended all disputes.

Seated atop the high ground, Liu Chang turned his gaze to the figure commanding the artillery—a silhouette responsible for the deaths of thousands. Silently, he pondered the transformation of that man.

The apocalypse and evolution—what profound changes could they bring to a person?

Before the end of days, that man was merely an ordinary high school biology teacher—perhaps talented, but amidst the crucible of society, destined to remain just that.

After the apocalypse, with his brain mutated, he now stood atop China’s pyramid of power—an influential figure whose mere wave of the hand could decide the fates of tens of thousands.

In peaceful times, power alone could bring about fundamental change. Yet in chaotic eras, what immense shifts could absolute power combined with absolute wisdom impose on a person’s mind?

Could wisdom truly control Li Qingshui—could rational sparks quell the swelling emotions? Liu Chang did not know.

Compared to him, Liu Chang was but a small player. Even in this apocalypse, his abilities barely sufficed for self-preservation. Had it not been for his early stride in the wave of great evolution, he might have fared no better than the struggling civilians outside.

Perhaps the little girl he vowed to protect would be taken by villains. Perhaps his own life was precarious. Perhaps, under the relentless threat of fear and death, he too might abandon his moral code, turning into the very kind of person he once despised, committing acts he found abhorrent.

“People are always driven to it,”

This cold, dark humor felt so fitting and brutal amid the apocalypse...

Amid the ceaseless artillery, Liu Chang suddenly felt a surge of insight. Staring at the sky ablaze with fire, he felt as if standing in the eye of a storm—still calm for now, yet the world had changed beyond recognition.

The bombardment continued.

Only after nearly all the bacterial bombs were expended did the thunderous artillery fire gradually cease.

The world returned to silence.

When the shelling ended, Liu Chang rose to his feet. The storm outside was passing, the eye shrinking. The hardships ahead were inevitable.

I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.