122 The Mystery of the End Times Part 1
Cong Xia was startled. “Oh, your… your father.” But he had just heard from Xiao Wang that it was someone named Commander Cao?
Cheng Tianbi said, “Change your clothes and come with me.”
“Huh? Why should I come along?”
“Don’t you remember?”
Cong Xia suddenly recalled that due to the connection between the Ancient Jade and Puppet Jade, he and Cheng Tianbi were still bound within a four-meter range.
He hurriedly changed into clean clothes, but the thought of meeting Cheng Tianbi’s father made his heart beat faster.
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Ubldt Mkydck alrzkle nyzxzu, “Aknl Usxxydela.”
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“Zlp.” Ubldt Mkydck pllxle alzwnvydv vs nsdvkdwl vbl vsrkn.
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Ekvb nsdvasz shla yv zlypv y bwdeale vbswpyde vassrp, kq rzynle kd ydnkldv vkxlp, bl oswze cl nsdpkelale y rsolaqwz qktwal obsx vbl lxrlasa oswze byhl vs cl nywvkswp sq rzsvvkdt ytykdpv bkx. Ls osdela Ubldt Mkydck oypd’v osaakle ycswv bkp ryaldvp. Gqvla vbl yrsnyzurpl, vbl rszkvknyz rsola xwpv byhl elnzkdle, yde xkzkvyau rsola vssj ralnleldnl. Ebslhla nsdvaszzle vbl xkzkvyau oswze byhl vbl wrrla byde. Fsxlsdl sq Uys Hbkmkyd’p aydj, bso nswze bkp zkql cl kd eydtla?
Wsa psxl alypsd, Usdt Dky qlzv y zkvvzl ekpyrrskdvle. “Mkydck, R eked’v jdso uswa qyxkzu oyp ps kdqzwldvkyz.”
Cheng Tianbi’s expression remained indifferent. “It has nothing to do with me.”
“Huh?” Cong Xia noticed that Cheng Tianbi didn’t seem pleased about meeting his father, and the fact that they had different surnames… Perhaps…
Xiao Wang drove the car into an elevator, and as it descended, it brought them to the second floor, the same floor where Cong Xia had a conversation with Cong Zhenzhong yesterday, containing many meeting rooms.
Xiao Wang parked the car in front of a fully enclosed conference room. “Comrade Cheng, you can wait here for the Commander. He will be here shortly.”
Both of them entered the conference room, and Cong Xia felt a bit nervous. After a while, the door was pushed open by a guard.
Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia stood up, and a tall middle-aged man walked in with his head held high. There was a resemblance in his facial features to Cheng Tianbi, and like Cheng Tianbi, he exuded an imposing aura.
Cheng Tianbi calmly gazed at him and saluted. “General Cao.”
Cong Xia stammered, “Ah, General Cao, hello.”
General Cao Zhixian’s sharp gaze swept over the two, finally resting on Cheng Tianbi, his eyes darkening. “Tianbi, do you need to be so formal with me?”
Cheng Tianbi lowered his hand and remained silent, standing still.
General Cao Zhixian then looked at Cong Xia. “Is this the young friend who came back with you? You are Professor Cong’s nephew, right?”
Cong Xia nodded. “Yes, you can talk. I’ll wait outside.”
General Cao Zhixian grunted in response and found the nearest chair to sit down.
After Cong Xia left and closed the door, he noticed four guards standing outside, all looking at him.
Cong Xia said, “I’ll wait here.”
One of the guards suggested, “Comrade, let me take you to the rest area.”
Cong Xia forced a smile. “No, I can’t stay too far away from this conference room. Whether you believe it or not, something binds me to the people inside.”
The guard looked puzzled.
“Just let me stand here.”
The guard didn’t argue and continued to stand watch.
Cong Xia leaned against the wall, thinking about the similarities in appearance between General Cao Zhixian and Cheng Tianbi. They looked quite alike, even their temperament was somewhat similar—both seemed reserved and serious.
Their relationship must be average at best. Cheng Tianbi didn’t call him “father” when they met, instead, he addressed him as “General.” I wonder what they are talking about inside.
Curiosity got the better of Cong Xia, and he couldn’t help but think about eavesdropping on their conversation. All he needed to do was slightly enhance his hearing. But, was that not too invasive? Well, maybe just a little bit.
Cong Xia couldn’t resist the temptation and focused his energy on his auditory nerves. Despite the excellent soundproofing of the conference room, it was no match for his evolved hearing. He quickly heard their conversation.
General Cao Zhixian said, “I’ve had people searching for you during the ten months you were missing. Why didn’t you inform me as soon as you returned to Beijing?”
Cheng Tianbi calmly replied, “There were tasks to handle.”
“Aren’t you here to see Guo Chengming? I’ve been looking out for him all this time, and yet, you’d rather seek help from outsiders than come to your own father?”
“Professor Cong has already arranged everything,” Cheng Tianbi replied.
General Cao Zhixian sighed, “Tianbi, do you know how worried I was during the time you were missing? I’ve advised you so many times not to join the Special Warfare Division Nine. They undertake the most dangerous and challenging missions, with no recognition, sealed records, and not even publicized ranks. What exactly are you pursuing? If you had come to me, you would have been promoted to at least an ensign by now.”
Cheng Tianbi remained silent.
General Cao Zhixian continued, “But you have done well. Now you are a natural force evolved individual, more important than any military rank. You truly are my son, Cheng Tianbi.”
Cheng Tianbi’s voice remained flat as he said, “General Cao, do you know that all higher-level evolved individuals have lost their reproductive abilities?”
This time, General Cao Zhixian fell silent.
“No one can carry on your bloodline. I never wanted it before, and now it’s impossible.”
General Cao Zhixian slammed the table heavily. “The issue of reproduction will be solved by the Brain Domain Evolvers of the Academy of Sciences. It’s not just our family’s concern; it’s a major problem concerning the reproduction of all humanity. They will find a solution.”
“This has nothing to do with me.”
General Cao Zhixian sighed heavily, “Tianbi, after all these years, can’t you let go of the past?”
Cheng Tianbi remained silent.
Cong Xia could imagine the expression Cheng Tianbi probably had on his face, his usual cold and indifferent look, as if nothing could touch his heart. He didn’t know what had happened between Cheng Tianbi and his father, but the fact that Cheng Tianbi didn’t bear his father’s surname suggested that it was probably another family drama.
After a while, Cheng Tianbi said in a deep voice, “Are the people from the Ninth Division still alive?”
General Cao Zhixian sighed, “After the earthquake, the people from the Ninth Division were dispatched as the third batch of support to Qinghai, just like the previous two batches, they vanished without a trace. There’s no longer a Ninth Division; in the first two months of the apocalypse, all animals and plants underwent frenzied evolution, and all the food rotted away. Humanity was caught off guard, and these two months were the deadliest in Beijing. Aggressive creatures, hunger, plague, and sudden drops in temperature caused the disappearance of three million people within half a month. The military was also significantly reduced in numbers, and the Special Warfare Division merged from nine divisions into three. The Ninth Division of the Special Warfare Division no longer exists.”
Cong Xia felt heavy-hearted upon hearing this. The first two months of the apocalypse were indeed the deadliest, leaving a deep impact on everyone. The disaster came without warning, and no one was prepared. Overnight, everyone fell into extreme panic and despair, safety and sustenance were no longer guaranteed, and large numbers of people either died at the hands of mutated creatures or perished from hunger, thirst, and cold.
The apocalypse occurred during early summer, and as the weather gradually turned hot, the bodies of the deceased were not properly dealt with, leading to massive outbreaks of plague in the cities. People died in waves, marking the darkest period for humanity. Many individuals hadn’t adjusted their mindset from the civilized era and were forced to face a cruel fate, leading to the majority not being able to endure the harsh conditions.
Cong Xia recalled that it was also the most challenging time for him and Cheng Tianbi. Cheng Tianbi’s mutation ability had just awakened, and they were constantly on the run, hiding and surviving. They had once been so hungry that they had to eat rats and insects, and they had been chased by a pack of wild dogs into an underground tunnel.
However, they also coincidentally obtained the ancient jade, which helped them endure the initial difficulties. After they acquired the ability to protect themselves, their situation gradually improved. Nevertheless, the challenges a person faced were directly proportional to their abilities, and at least for now, they couldn’t be considered safe.
Cao Zhixian continued, “The Beijing Military Region’s three group armies have now been reduced to two. One is my 27th Group Army, and the other is Xu Ying’s 14th Group Army. The 35th Group Army, which the Ninth Division of the Special Warfare Division was once part of, suffered heavy losses during the large-scale rodent infestation in the first month of the earthquake and has been integrated into the other two groups.”
Cheng Tianbi remained silent all along, and Cong Xia could empathize with his feelings now. After going through so much hardship to return to Beijing, his organization was no longer in existence.
“Tianbi, the current situation is very favorable for both of us, father and son. Xu Ying doesn’t have a natural power evolved individual as his son. I believe you can understand. You also have a certain relationship with Professor Cong. If we join forces with him, we can definitely control the situation in Beijing. I won’t let Xu Ying and the radical faction, led by Zhuang Yu, dominate the future of humanity.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“You just arrived in Beijing today and aren’t familiar with the situation yet. When you understand, you’ll know what I mean. Stay at the Academy of Sciences for a few days; it’s safe here. You can go out, but you must be accompanied by guards. When you figure things out, come find me.”
Then, Cong Xia heard the sound of something being placed on the table.
Cheng Tianbi asked, “What is this?”
Cao Zhixian replied, “Take it with you for now. It’s the new currency, but now, the equivalent of exchange is no longer gold; it’s…energy.”
Cong Xia was shocked, and all the guards noticed his sudden change in expression, looking at him in unison.
Cong Xia quickly concealed his surprise. There’s already a new currency in Beijing? What does it mean that the equivalent of exchange is energy? Does that mean the country has converted its gold reserves into energy reserves? But what kind of energy? Where does the energy come from? What is the significance of having energy reserves?
It seems he really knows too little about this place.
After a while, the door opened, and Cao Zhixian was the first to walk out.
Cong Xia nervously looked at him. In front of Cao Zhixian, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. He had slept with the man’s son last night and eavesdropped on their conversation today…
Cao Zhixian nodded at him, “Young comrade, what’s your name?”
“Cong Xia, Xia of summer.”
“Thank you for taking care of Tianbi on the way.”
“No, it’s actually him who takes care of us.”
Cao Zhixian smiled lightly and patted his shoulder, “Take care of each other.”
Cong Xia nervously smiled.
“Let’s have a good chat another day. For now, you can rest. Don’t worry about the bounty notice. If I had known they were offering a reward for my son… Hmph, what nonsense.”
Cao Zhixian walked away with the guards.
Cong Xia entered the meeting room, and Cheng Tianbi was still sitting in the chair, lost in thought. There was a thick stack of banknotes in front of him. Cong Xia walked over, picked them up, and looked at them. There were no portraits on the banknotes, only the panorama of the National Academy of Sciences, with a denomination of one thousand. “What is this?”
Cheng Tianbi replied calmly, “Didn’t you overhear it all?”
Cong Xia felt embarrassed, “Tianbi, how did you know?”
Cheng Tianbi said, “I knew you would eavesdrop.”
Cong Xia looked at him with guilt, “Tianbi, I’m sorry. Actually, I’m not normally like this. I just…”
“It’s okay. About my matters, if you want to know, I will tell you.”
Cong Xia lowered his head and whispered, “Forget it, although I’m curious, I don’t want to ask anymore. I’ll wait until you want to talk about it.”
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