Chapter 112 — Father and Son
“No! Absolutely not!” Liu Xiangyu sat upright, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.
Before the apocalypse, Yan Gexin’s family had less power than hers.
But when the apocalypse began, her own father had turned into a zombie and died.
Now she could no longer compete with Yan Gexin’s influence in the base.
The only thing tying him to her now was their marriage.
If her pregnancy gave him an excuse to divorce her, she would be forced to leave the military compound.
Outside the compound, there was nowhere truly safe.
That absolutely could not happen.
Zhang Su finished taping the bandage. His smile grew even brighter.
Today he had heard quite an interesting piece of gossip.
He wondered what Yan Fei would think when he learned that his mother was pregnant again—with a half-sibling whose father was someone else.
Zhang Su’s movement to stand seemed to wake Liu Xiangyu from her thoughts.
She suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Dr. Zhang, I want to terminate the pregnancy. Can you help me?”
Zhang Su raised one eyebrow high, smiling faintly.
“Mrs. Liu, I’m a surgeon, not a gynecologist.”
Of course, such procedures technically fell under surgery—but this woman always insisted on seeing top specialists.
And he certainly wasn’t a gynecology expert.
Liu Xiangyu stood up abruptly, her face gloomy. After thinking for a moment, she walked to the man beside her.
“Immediately find me a gynecology specialist. And remember—don’t let Yan Gexin know. If he finds out, you won’t escape the consequences either!”
The man sneered, picked up the medical record, and left.
Only then did Liu Xiangyu turn back and force a smile.
“Sorry to make a spectacle of myself, Dr. Zhang. I’ll take my leave.”
“Take care.”
Zhang Su twirled his pen, smiling.
This gossip was very entertaining.
He happened to know the head gynecologist personally. Later he could ask around and confirm whether Yan Fei’s unborn half-brother—or sister—really existed.
Then he could use the information to tease… no, inform Yan Fei.
Life needed a bit of entertainment.
—
On the first day back to work after the siege, Luo Xun returned home and summarized the day’s news.
He realized there had been quite a few major developments.
For example—Yan Fei now had a level-three crystal core and could advance to level three.
For example—the military would soon hold an awards ceremony.
And for example—Zhang Su had informed Yan Fei that his mother had conceived a half-sibling who might soon be aborted.
“How old is your mother this year…?” Luo Xun asked cautiously.
Yan Fei was already twenty-seven, yet his mother could still…
Well.
“Fifty… two? Three? Four?” Yan Fei frowned, trying to remember.
After a long moment he shook his head.
“I haven’t seen her in years. Even on her birthday, my secretary buys a gift and delivers it to her. So I really don’t know.”
“….” Luo Xun looked at him silently, swallowed, and asked again, “Then… about her pregnancy…”
His own mother was pregnant, the child wasn’t his father’s, and his parents weren’t even divorced yet. Facing something like that, what would Yan Fei, as her son, feel?
Yan Fei felt nothing.
“They both already have their own lovers. My father just hides his more carefully—even professional detectives might not find out. She, on the other hand, has always been flamboyant, with strong backing in her family and a careless personality. I first saw her fooling around with her lover when I was five.”
So… he had worried for nothing again?
Luo Xun let out a small sigh of relief. As long as it didn’t affect Yan Fei’s mood, that was fine.
Yan Fei suddenly smiled, a hint of meaning in his eyes.
“But actually, this makes things more convenient.”
“Hm? Convenient how?” Luo Xun asked, confused.
Yan Fei rubbed his hair.
“Nothing. I’m planning to attempt the level-three breakthrough. Do you want to come watch?”
When he advanced from level one to level two, nothing unusual had happened. Everyone else who advanced had succeeded smoothly too—no one had exploded or gone insane during the process. Earlier that day on the wall, the other metal-type ability users in their team had also succeeded in their breakthroughs.
With so many precedents, Yan Fei thought it would be fine to let Luo Xun watch and see whether his own upgrade showed any differences.
Since Yan Fei didn’t want to explain the earlier matter, Luo Xun didn’t ask further. Hearing this, he smiled and nodded.
Last time he hadn’t been allowed to watch—now that Yan Fei didn’t stop him, of course he wanted to see.
The two went to the second-floor bedroom.
Yan Fei brought the large bag of crystal cores he had received that day. They spread a plastic sheet on the bed and poured the cores onto it with a clattering sound.
Under the ceiling light, the crystal cores glittered brilliantly.
Aside from some level-one cores, the rest were all level-two and level-three!
It seemed the base had indeed been generous this time—not only giving valuable rewards, but even distributing level-three cores.
Metal-type crystal cores were silver-gray.
Although level two and level three were the same color, their shades were clearly different.
Level-two cores looked pale and dull, while level-three ones were darker and brighter, with a stronger metallic luster.
Among the pile were not only zombie cores but also some from metal-type zombie rats—the smaller ones.
Yan Fei picked up a level-three core and held it in his hand.
He looked at Luo Xun.
Luo Xun nodded.
Only then did Yan Fei lean against the bed and close his eyes.
When the crystal core was completely absorbed, a metallic glow suddenly appeared on his body. Starting from his head, it swept across his entire body in a flash.
It looked as if someone had shone a metallic light across him.
Luo Xun clenched his fists, staring at him nervously without blinking.
When Yan Fei finally opened his eyes, Luo Xun asked carefully, “How is it?”
Yan Fei felt the warm flow of ability energy inside his body and smiled.
“Upgrade successful.”
Only then did Luo Xun finally relax, a broad smile appearing on his face.
“When you upgraded just now, it looked exactly the same as when the others upgraded earlier today. I didn’t notice any difference.”
So it was the same?
That made things easier.
Yan Fei felt relieved. Even though he still planned to upgrade at home in the future whenever possible, there might eventually be situations where he had no choice but to upgrade in front of others.
Now that he knew his process looked the same as everyone else’s, one potential risk was gone.
—
A week passed after the zombie siege.
Life in the base gradually returned to normal.
Those who needed to go outside for missions went. Those who needed to find work inside the base searched for jobs.
The military’s commendation ceremony was about to take place.
Anyone who had performed well in battle would be publicly praised and receive rewards. Even ordinary people who participated in the defense would receive compensation according to their performance.
However, ordinary rewards had already been distributed at supply exchange stations during the past few days.
Those with outstanding achievements would receive their awards at the ceremony.
On that day, Luo Xun’s group received another day off.
They could sleep late in the morning and report to the base around one in the afternoon. The ceremony itself would take place in the evening.
But since their achievements had been so “outstanding,” the base leaders wanted to meet them beforehand.
They put on their usual military work uniforms and followed Captain Guo to the tallest building in the military camp.
That building served as the office for the base’s military leadership.
In front of it was a wide plaza—the place where the ceremony would be held later that evening.
Their team did not enter the building. Instead, they waited outside for the leaders to come out and “inspect” them.
About five minutes later, several base leaders finally emerged.
“Well, well—aren’t these the famous ‘Millstone Team’?”
“Hahaha! Of course they are! They’re quite famous in the base now!”
From Captain Guo to the last member of the metal-type wall-construction team, everyone’s smiles began twitching.
They had heard about this nickname before.
But hearing it said publicly was another matter entirely.
Their original team name might not have been impressive, but it was still better than “Millstone.”
Now that the leaders had called them that openly, the “donkey pushing the millstone” joke would probably follow them forever.
The leaders began greeting the team members one by one.
When they reached Yan Fei at the front, they looked somewhat surprised and patted his shoulder.
“This young man looks very spirited!”
“Yes, indeed!”
“So this one is also a metal-type ability user?”
“Such a promising young man…”
When Yan Fei didn’t smile, his appearance could simply be described as handsome.
Only when he smiled did that slightly seductive charm appear—unlike Zhang Su, whose entire demeanor looked improper whether he smiled or not.
With Yan Fei attracting most of the attention at the front, people like Luo Xun behind him were barely noticed.
Their group standing there quickly attracted attention from passersby and even people watching from the office windows.
After the leaders finished their “inspection” and left, Captain Guo prepared to take them away.
Just then, several people walked out of the office building.
“Yan Fei?!”
Hearing the voice, the group stopped and turned.
A man in his fifties stood there.
Tall, with a powerful aura of authority—very similar to the leaders who had just spoken with them.
Luo Xun’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
He studied the man carefully.
The nose and face shape resembled Yan Fei’s. The body build was similar too.
He seemed to be the same man Luo Xun had once seen outside the cafeteria.
Thinking this, Luo Xun couldn’t help glancing at Yan Fei.
Yan Fei’s expression remained calm, as if being called was as ordinary as the sun rising each day.
But after seeing the man, he turned to Captain Guo and said calmly, “I’ll go for a moment.”
Then he stepped out of the formation and walked toward the man, giving Luo Xun a reassuring look along the way.
Luo Xun steadied himself.
He knew he had to trust Yan Fei to handle it.
“Xiao… Fei. It really is you?!” Yan Gexin looked surprised when he saw his son.
Unlike Liu Xiangyu, he was not completely indifferent toward Yan Fei. Though he hadn’t been particularly attentive, he had still searched the base records for information about his son.
Unfortunately, he had never found anything.
Looking at his expressionless son, he sighed after a long moment.
“Come with me.”
He led Yan Fei to his office.
The office building was large, but many leaders worked there. For someone like Yan Gexin—who held no military command—having a private office was already fortunate.
Most leaders from the eastern base who had fled here were sharing offices with others unless they brought their own armed followers.
After sitting behind his desk, Yan Gexin noticed that his son had already sat down across from him without waiting to be invited.
Strangely, that casual attitude made him feel slightly relieved.
“Why didn’t you come look for me after arriving at the base? I had people keeping an eye out for you.”
Yan Fei raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of mockery in his gaze.
“Look for you? I arrived here earlier than you did.”
Yan Gexin froze.
He didn’t know that the team outside was the famous “Millstone Team,” but now he understood something clearly.
His son had never intended to rely on him.
He would rather join a lower-level team than come to his father.
After thinking for a moment, when he had seen him from the window just now, several people who held military authority had been receiving them downstairs. From that alone it was not difficult to judge that the team must have earned merit during the defense of the city and would probably go up on stage tonight to receive commendations. Otherwise, why would those people bother meeting them?
Then considering his son’s position in the formation and the attitude those leaders showed toward him…
An ability user!
Once he realized that, Yan Gexin quietly let out a breath of frustration—the same frustration that had weighed on his chest ever since the apocalypse began. Before the apocalypse he had been a civilian official with no connection to the military. Afterward he hadn’t awakened any abilities either. If things continued like this, sooner or later he would be completely pushed out of the center of power.
“How have you been lately? Are you living well in the base?”
Seeing that his father had started circling around the topic, Yan Fei didn’t hurry. He interlaced his fingers and rested them on the knee he had raised.
“Very well.”
Yan Gexin assumed he was pretending to be strong. He opened the drawer beside him and placed several items on the desk.
“These are meal vouchers for Cafeteria No.1—you should know it, the one on the top floor of the cafeteria building. Are you living comfortably now? If you’re sharing a room with others, just tell me. I can arrange a single room for you.”
If this had been before the zombie siege, Yan Fei might have had some interest in those meal vouchers.
But now…
Not really.
Cafeteria No.1 rarely served meat these days. More importantly, most of the vegetables used there were mutated crops, and their taste was quite terrible. Considering that at home they had plenty of fresh vegetables that could be picked anytime, how could he be interested in those?
According to Captain Li, the vegetables Luo Xun delivered were already reserved entirely by several high-ranking figures. Ordinary people couldn’t even touch a single leaf.
As for living arrangements?
Please.
They had personally participated in constructing the military housing. How could they not know the size and layout of those buildings?
So Yan Fei merely looked at his father with a faint smile.
“If you have something to say, just say it.”
Yan Gexin had always known his son was difficult. Especially now that the elders Yan Fei respected were all gone. If Yan Fei was truly an ability user…
Then he couldn’t control him anymore.
After a long silence, Yan Gexin finally spoke.
“The situation in the base isn’t very good right now. The power structure from before the apocalypse can’t continue. Now whoever holds military power and large numbers of ability users has the real voice here.”
He looked directly at Yan Fei.
“You’re already twenty-seven this year. You should start thinking about personal matters.”
Yan Fei raised an eyebrow again, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
“Oh? So who are you planning to sell me to?”
Yan Gexin took a deep breath to suppress his anger.
“What nonsense are you talking about? The commander of the Third Legion, Commander Zhu, has a daughter. She’s twenty-one this year. With your appearance and qualifications, pursuing her shouldn’t be difficult.”
Although the girl seemed to have someone she liked already—a doctor—but Yan Gexin believed that man’s appearance probably couldn’t compare with his son’s.
Yan Fei let out a short laugh, the disdain in his eyes completely undisguised.
“Sorry, but I like men.”
With a loud bang, the thread of rationality in Yan Gexin’s mind snapped.
It had to be said—this sentence carried devastating impact. No matter what rebellious words Yan Fei had said before, none were as powerful as this.
“You… We spoiled you too much while you were growing up!” Yan Gexin slammed the desk angrily and began pacing around the room. “Whatever you wanted as a child, we gave you! Other children had something—you had better! Even things children overseas had—you also had! We raised you all these years, and this is how you repay us?!”
Yan Fei remained seated with the same faint smile, completely ignoring the accusations.
He admitted that since childhood he had lacked nothing materially.
But how had those things come about?
From the moment he could remember, he had almost never lived with his parents. He had always been alone at home. His parents each had their own careers and their own real homes where they could rest.
He himself had simply been an obligation between the two families—a prop occasionally taken out and displayed once a year.
As for toys, snacks, and gifts during childhood?
How did he buy birthday presents for them nowadays?
Through the secretary.
He had learned that trick directly from them.
After Yan Gexin vented a long string of complaints—releasing all the grievances and frustration he had accumulated since the apocalypse—he gradually calmed down.
After all, he needed his son’s help now.
If Yan Fei truly was an ability user, then they absolutely couldn’t fall out completely.
Once he realized that, he spoke again in a calmer tone.
“I know… some things are complicated. I also understand that the base now has certain unhealthy trends. The gender ratio is severely unbalanced. Maybe after the apocalypse you haven’t had many opportunities to interact with women. Now that I’m here, I can introduce—”
He glanced at Yan Fei reluctantly.
“Even if you still feel that way afterward… once you’re married and have a child, who you like or who you spend time with afterward won’t matter. As long as the family is stable, I won’t interfere anymore.”
Yan Fei suddenly laughed.
He glanced sideways at him coldly.
“What a pity. I won’t let any child grow up the way I did—‘raised with great expectations’ and ‘spoiled with endless indulgence.’”
Yan Gexin’s expression changed again.
Before he could speak further, Yan Fei stood up. A trace of malicious amusement appeared in his smile.
“There’s something you probably don’t know yet. My mother—your nominal wife—is pregnant. She’s currently asking around everywhere to find out where she can get an abortion and which gynecologist has the best surgical skills.”
He brushed imaginary dust from his sleeve and walked toward the door.
“I’m sure many people would be curious about this. Don’t worry—I’m not ashamed. If anyone asks, I’d be more than happy to discuss it with them.”
Yan Gexin looked like a fish thrown onto dry land.
His mouth opened wide, but no sound came out.
Liu Xiangyu… Liu Xiangyu!
Why had he ever agreed to marry her?!
How many troubles had she caused since their marriage?
Before the apocalypse, his father-in-law had always helped clean up the mess. After the apocalypse, everything became his own burden.
He slammed his fist on the desk angrily, all his usual composure gone.
Suddenly—
The office door swung open again.
Yan Fei had returned.
He walked straight to the desk without even glancing at Yan Gexin and picked up the meal vouchers lying there.
Hmm.
Quite a lot.
Enough for half a month.
“You…” Yan Gexin’s voice turned hoarse, but Yan Fei gave him no chance to continue. He shook the meal vouchers in his hand.
“There’s no fresh stewed meat at home anymore. I have to nourish my lover a bit.” Otherwise, after being sprayed with so much saliva by him, how could he leave empty-handed?
Lover?
Yan Gexin remembered that Yan Fei had just admitted he liked men, and then recalled how he had used Liu Xiangyu’s situation to threaten him. Wasn’t that clearly a warning—not to interfere in his private affairs?
This son of his—he understood him far better than Liu Xiangyu did. If he pushed him too hard, he might very well bypass him entirely and attach himself to someone else.
Yan Gexin panted heavily for a long time before he could calm down. When he had first recognized Yan Fei earlier that day, he had even thought that perhaps his luck was finally about to turn after the apocalypse.
Who could have imagined…
“Liu Xiangyu!” he roared.
Had that woman caused him too little trouble already? Since the apocalypse began, how many times had he been given a hard time or put in difficult positions because of her? This time, he absolutely could not tolerate it!
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