Chapter 47: Three Ground Rules

Shaking her head, Su Meiqin spoke as if giving an order, “Hey, I’m fine now. Hurry up and lift this persuasion thing!”

“That’s impossible.”

Kong Zhe refused her outright. Then, seeing murderous intent flash in her eyes, he offered an explanation: “This skill is permanent. Once you’re persuaded, it can’t be undone—so there’s nothing I can do.”

“What?” Su Meiqin exclaimed, though in her heart she knew he wasn’t lying. She quickly pressed him, “Isn’t there any kind of dispel or purification spell that can lift it?”

“Don’t bother hoping. That won’t work either. This is a top-tier S-rank skill—even S-rank dispel won’t undo it. There’s only one way to break it…” Kong Zhe spoke calmly.

“What way?” she demanded.

Kong Zhe smiled and looked at her seriously. “The persuaded unit must die.”

He was telling the truth. The rules of Divine Persuasion were clear: he only had two persuasion slots, so unless the puppy or Su Meiqin died, he couldn’t persuade anyone else. If a persuaded unit died, the master would also suffer, falling into a weakened state for some time. This mechanism was, in part, to prevent awakened individuals from abusing their pets.

There was another way: if he died and was reborn, he could change history and undo the persuasion. But Kong Zhe had no intention of mentioning this—his rebirth opportunities were extremely limited, and he wouldn’t waste one for this, especially since he benefited from the arrangement. Only a fool would undo it!

“How could this happen?” Su Meiqin murmured, sitting dazedly in her chair, her face alternating between pale and flushed in dramatic fashion.

She certainly wasn’t about to die to break free, but if not… Did that mean she was bound to this fate forever?

Unconsciously, Su Meiqin glanced at Kong Zhe across from her, meeting his eyes. Startled, she quickly looked away, but then, unwilling to seem weak, glared back at him fiercely.

Kong Zhe found her antics amusing. He had just reviewed the details of Divine Persuasion and now understood Su Meiqin’s condition: she retained her own consciousness, but could not resist his commands.

After a moment’s thought, Kong Zhe stood, wanting to test the limits of her obedience.

“Stand up.”

“Huh? Why should I?” Su Meiqin protested, but her expression changed dramatically as her body rose without her consent.

“You—!” Su Meiqin was furious, but before she could speak, Kong Zhe continued.

“Be quiet. Come here.”

Su Meiqin found she couldn’t open her mouth, and her body moved forward automatically, stopping in front of Kong Zhe.

The puppy watched curiously from the side, wondering if this was his master’s new pet.

“Hmm, very obedient,” Kong Zhe nodded in satisfaction. “Now, squat.”

Su Meiqin squatted down automatically.

“Show me your hand.”

Reluctantly, she formed her hand into a cat’s paw and placed it into Kong Zhe’s.

“Very good! Just as obedient as the puppy.” Kong Zhe nodded, pleased. “You may speak now.”

“You bastard, how dare you compare me to a dog!”

Freed from her restraint, Su Meiqin immediately shouted in rage.

“Woof woof!” The puppy barked at her in protest, as if to say, “What’s wrong with being a dog? Are you looking down on dogs?”

Su Meiqin ignored the puppy, glaring fiercely at Kong Zhe. She wanted to raise her fist and strike him, but her body refused the motion.

Only then did she realize—not only could she not harm him, she couldn’t even summon a hostile thought against him.

She was shocked. Was this the power of an S-rank skill? It was simply overwhelming! Unable to defy his words, impossible to harm him—she had become his possession.

She tried several times, but no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t resist the skill’s effects. Su Meiqin became dispirited. She had thought, with the world changed, her skills would let her shine, but now… Was she destined to remain someone else’s subordinate all her life?

Kong Zhe noticed the disappointment on her face, knowing that she must feel terrible inside.

Thinking back to her former brilliance in his previous life, even now she was someone with an exceptionally proud spirit. A person of such talent should have been dazzling, yet at the start of the apocalypse she had become someone’s pet—it was no wonder she suffered.

But as the beneficiary, Kong Zhe could only offer comfort. “Don’t worry, I won’t restrict you. Just now was a test, a bit of a joke—don’t take it to heart.”

“Hmph!” Su Meiqin snorted coldly, but felt his sincerity and her expression softened.

Whatever the circumstances, he had saved her, and there was another thing that reassured her: he seemed to treat her well. So far, he hadn’t forced her to do anything outrageous, and spoke to her gently, even considering her feelings.

This, however, confused Su Meiqin. She didn’t believe he was so easygoing—the killing intent he radiated proved he wasn’t a benevolent soul. Why, then, was he so kind to her?

But that wasn’t her most pressing concern.

“Ahem,” Su Meiqin coughed twice. When Kong Zhe looked over, she pouted slightly, face stern. “Given the situation, I won’t say more, but I have three demands you must agree to, or I’ll rather die!”

“Go ahead,” Kong Zhe replied, knowing she would set conditions sooner or later. With her pride, she could never accept being a mere pet. He was not surprised, and listened attentively.

Su Meiqin saw he was listening seriously and nodded. “First, you must never force me to do anything I dislike.”

“A reasonable demand. Agreed,” Kong Zhe said, pulling an apple from his ring, wiping it casually, and taking a bite.

“Second, anything I obtain in combat is mine—you can’t take it.”

Su Meiqin spoke fiercely, as if the expression would give her leverage in negotiations.

“I never intended to take your things. If you need, I can even give you equipment.”

Kong Zhe was telling the truth. His plan was always to let her develop freely, not to limit her. With her abilities and his occasional help, she’d surely rise again to become the supreme human, and he’d gain a powerful ally who would never betray him.

Su Meiqin was surprised by his easy agreement, but quickly masked her expression and said coldly, “Third—and most important.” Her face was grave, and she enunciated each word: “We are both human beings. Do not treat me as a servant. We are equals.”

“I never thought otherwise. You’re just too sensitive,” Kong Zhe shrugged. “All right, I agree to your three demands. But why is it only you making demands? Can I make one?”

“What more do you want?” Su Meiqin glared at him.

Kong Zhe understood her meaning—she was really saying, “You already have me, what more could you possibly want?”

He shook his head with a slight smile. He had already gotten plenty, so he didn’t press the issue. With a chuckle, he changed the subject.

“I suppose you don’t really understand the current world yet…”

Kong Zhe summarized the apocalypse for her: the awakened, equipment levels, the gradation and value of various treasures, and both the current and upcoming world situations.

Though it was basic knowledge, it was the most crucial—allowing her to quickly grasp the apocalypse and seize every advantage.

In his previous life, it had taken Kong Zhe a whole year to figure out the game mechanics of the apocalypse, missing countless opportunities in the process.

Now, he imparted all that knowledge and experience to her in one go. Even if she didn’t gain everything, at least she would avoid many pitfalls.

From the moment she was persuaded, their fates were bound together. In a sense, her strength was his strength, so Kong Zhe would spare no effort in teaching her.

Su Meiqin started out indifferent, but the more she heard, the more shocked she became—she wished she could write down everything he said.

If this apocalypse was a game, then Kong Zhe had given her a complete strategy guide before it began. While others had to explore from scratch, her starting point was leagues ahead.

But Su Meiqin couldn’t understand how Kong Zhe knew so much after only one day of apocalypse.

To her question, Kong Zhe merely gave a mysterious smile. “Just think of me as a beta tester—I naturally know more than you open testers.”

“Huh? …Public restroom?”

…

Unconsciously, he had spent nearly an hour talking with Su Meiqin. In that time, they’d come to understand each other, their relationship no longer as tense, and they could even joke occasionally.

Though Su Meiqin was a persuaded subject, from another perspective she had gained a powerful companion—someone she never had to fear would harm her, someone she could trust with her back.

This persuasion relationship, though unfair to her, was undeniably strong. Even if relatives betrayed each other, she and Kong Zhe would never betray one another.