Chapter 89: Dawn Breaks Through the Darkness

Chapter 89: Dawn Breaks Through the Darkness

Afterward, the safe zone entered a period of recuperation and rest. Shenchi, Cao Kun, and Ming Jing had accumulated enough points in the guild to qualify for promotions, but ultimately, they chose to remain with the Self-defense Corps.

They lived a simple life, rising with the sun and retiring at dusk. Occasionally, they would join missions that typically lasted ten days to half a month.

The territory of the Lu'e City safe zone expanded outward, more than doubling its original size. The survivors who arrived during the sixth-level zombie wave were not allowed to settle directly within Lu'e City; instead, they were placed in the outer districts, which continued to expand until one day all territories could be reclaimed.

The osmanthus tree in the courtyard bloomed for two days after Anna's intervention, but it was not the season for flowers. Nevertheless, Cao Kun and Xiao Yu collected the petals. Cao Kun said he wanted to make osmanthus cakes for Shenchi, though he did not know how. Surprisingly, Xiao Yu knew how to make them.

The two spent a long time in the kitchen, and the final product looked and tasted great.

This made Cao Kun extremely proud. He took many photos and sent them to friends, showing off without sharing any.

Days passed, peaceful yet beautiful. More pregnant women appeared in the safe zone, and baby products became increasingly popular. Cao Kun often stared at Shenchi's belly, even touching it while they were intimate.

He thought he was being subtle, but his curious gaze betrayed him.

During a routine checkup, Shenchi asked Xia Yi, "Will I get pregnant again?"

Xia Yi was taken aback. "Didn't I tell you?"

Shenchi: "Tell me what?"

Xia Yi: "Your uterus and the vagina attached to your rectum are gone."

Shenchi: "…When did this happen?"

Xia Yi thought for a moment. "Probably on the day you came to Lu'e?"

Xia Yi was puzzled. "Why didn't I tell you? Did I use telepathy?"

Shenchi: "…"

Seeing his reaction, Xia Yi laughed. "Do you want another child with Cao Kun?"

Shenchi blushed and got out of bed. "No."

Then he added, "Don't jump to conclusions."

Two years later, on the first day of the new year, at four in the morning, people were still asleep when Xia Yi burst into Shenchi's house, "Good news! The sixth-generation perfect vaccine has been developed. The 'apocalypse' is ending!"

Shenchi, Cao Kun, and Ming Jing looked at Gu Yibei.

Gu Yibei, with dark circles under his eyes, shrugged. "We just finished a meeting. At five-thirty, the relevant officials will hold a press conference to announce this news. From today, the pharmaceutical company will start full-scale production, aiming to vaccinate everyone by next year."

Ming Jing sighed deeply. "Amitabha, dawn breaks through the darkness."

Unlike the fifth-generation vaccine, which produced antibodies but only had a 46.7% cure rate and a 0.1% chance of awakening abilities, the sixth-generation vaccine generated protective antibodies within two weeks, providing true defense against the virus. Afterward, annual antibody level checks would suffice.

Thus, the C1S9 flu virus would be eradicated, and zombies would cease to exist.

However, this led to several issues. Where would the energy cores come from once all zombies were eliminated? How would devices like energy shields and guns, which rely on these cores, continue to function?

If energy cores ran out, powerful ability users might become humanity's next threat.

Gu Yibei: "Your concerns are valid. In fact, the government anticipated this issue since the first batch of ability users appeared. Over the past three years, research teams have worked tirelessly to find alternatives to energy cores, experimenting with various materials. Fortunately, a suitable replacement was found a year ago."

Xia Yi asked Shenchi and Cao Kun, "Do you remember Wanqian City?"

Shenchi and Cao Kun exchanged glances. They had gone to Wanqian City with Deng Hu and seven others to find research data on solar technology and rescue surviving researchers. They were betrayed by Jin Shufan and later learned that the researcher in Wanqian City was Zhong Botao.

Shenchi: "Yes, it was nuked. Is the new energy source related to Wanqian City?"

Gu Yibei nodded. "Since the outbreak of the C1S9 flu virus three years ago, the climate north and south of the Zhanling Blue River diverged drastically. Every day, countless lives vanished, and new species emerged, especially around the Blue River region. In the past three years, development there has been unimaginable."

"Wanqian City, located north of the Blue River watershed, was affected by polarized climates and the nuclear cleanup three years ago, leading to more severe mutations than near the Blue River. The new energy source is found here."

Cao Kun frowned. "Wouldn't extracting the new energy source be challenging?"

Gu Yibei: "Yes. Changes in the local ecosystem and the surrounding cities create natural barriers. Three elite teams entered the area over three months a year ago, but only one person returned with valuable samples of the new energy source."

Ming Jing furrowed his brow. "Can this new energy source replace energy cores?"

"Yes," Xia Yi answered confidently. He had participated in many experiments and was one of the main researchers, so he was certain about the new energy source replacing energy cores.

"Get ready. I expect orders will come soon. This mission will take at least three to five months," Gu Yibei stretched. "Got anything to eat? We haven't eaten in eight hours, just had some water. I'm starving."

Shenchi stood up. "I'll make some noodles. You two can take a shower and sleep here."

"I'll help you." Cao Kun followed Shenchi into the kitchen.

At five-thirty, 207 news channels across 218 safe zones and bases live-streamed the announcement of the sixth-generation perfect vaccine. The news sparked nationwide celebration.

The government then outlined its plans and speeches were given by relevant officials.

This news was a significant relief.

It was a weekend, and school was closed for the day. Shen Pingan did not need to attend school, but she could not stay home. She invited her classmates to go out early in the morning.

Shenchi was not worried. Although Pingan was young, she was wise beyond her years, a dual-ability user with self-defense skills. Additionally, security in Luoyang was excellent, with patrol teams operating 24/7, and the locals were more accepting and fond of children than ever before, ensuring her safety.

Unexpectedly, Pingan also brought Xiao Yu along.

Shen Pingan and Xiao Yu met their friends at a VR training facility. It was spacious, well-equipped, and simulated outdoor scenarios, making it an ideal place to enhance combat skills for Lu'e residents.

An adult and a group of children arrived, swiped their identity cards, and the system displayed their personal information, reservation records, and session times. They were scheduled for the first batch, with two full hours.

Ping'an and the others chose summer, so as soon as they entered the training ground, they saw the devastated skyscrapers, with the blazing sun overhead, cracked roads, and a foul smell in the air, with flies buzzing everywhere.

The children weren't new to this; they all knew the rules. The difference this time was that Ping'an had brought her grandmother along, playing the role of a survivor, while they were the rescue team, aiming to successfully save the survivor.

Ping'an held out her hand, "Victory!"

The other children placed their hands on top, "Ah ah, victory!"

As the game began, Shen Pingan walked forward boldly with a little follower. Suddenly, a zombie dragging its intestines appeared from around the corner. Upon seeing them, it paused for a moment before lunging at the two children!

Shen Pingan shivered, and in the next second, the air distorted, a chill swept through, and the wide road was instantly frozen, including the unfortunate zombie.

Shen Pingan hummed and snapped her fingers, causing all the ice to shatter into ice flowers. Then she created an ice layer to walk across.

Zhuangzhuang looked at the huge pit below his feet, waved his hand to fill it with soil, leveling the ground before chasing after her with short arms and legs, shouting, "An'an, control your powers."

"Ga Da Zhuang!" Shen Pingan turned back and glared at him, "What An'an? Call me Boss!"

Zhuangzhuang corrected himself, "Boss."

Screams of both fear and excitement echoed continuously in the training ground.

Meanwhile, Shenchi and Cao Kun were at home pickling cabbage. This delicacy could be eaten spicy or sour, perfect as a side dish or snack, and they were preparing plenty for the coming winter.

"Dad! Daddy!" Ping'an ran over, sweating profusely, "Is Grandma really my grandma?"

Cao Kun, seeing his daughter, tore off a strip of spicy cabbage from the bowl and fed it to her, "Slow down, try this first."

Shenchi didn't understand, "What?"

Ping'an chewed with her cheeks puffed up, speaking with a mouthful, "Daddy said only Daddy and Dad can enter my space, right? But, Xiao Yu Grandma entered my space!"

"What!"

Shenchi looked at Cao Kun, whose face had changed. Shenchi had told him about his parents, and he knew that Shenchi's parents were his biological parents.

So, Xiao Yu... is his mother?

"Don't panic, let's go see Aunt Yu first," Shenchi said, looking at his daughter, "An'an, where's Grandma?"

Ping'an: "In my space."

Ping'an led her father and dad into the space, where Xiao Yu was sitting by the Spirit Spring, playing with water. Seeing Shenchi and Cao Kun, she excitedly pulled Shenchi over, bent down, scooped some water, and offered it to him, "Baby, sweet water."

Shenchi drank from Xiao Yu's hand, then glanced sideways at the man standing motionless beside them.

Shen Pingan tilted her head, observing her dad, then suddenly ran to Xiao Yu, tugged at her skirt, and cooed, "Grandma, Grandma, my dad wants to drink too. Can you feed him?"

Xiao Yu looked at Cao Kun, who had been taking regular doses of Spirit Spring water, improving her mental state significantly. Her intelligence now matched that of a five-year-old, capable of expressing emotions and desires normally. Xia Yi had said she might fully recover with continued treatment.

Xiao Yu bent down, scooped a handful of water, and ran to Cao Kun, offering it to him, "Drink."

Cao Kun looked at her, lowered his head, and drank the water.

It tasted bittersweet.

Xiao Yu looked at him and asked, "More?"

Cao Kun nodded, "Yes."

So, Xiao Yu scooped another handful of water for Cao Kun.

When they came out, Cao Kun had drunk his fill.

Cao Kun handed a few strands of hair with follicles from himself and Xiao Yu to Xia Yi, asking him to conduct a paternity test.

Xia Yi: "I'll have the results in six hours."

Cao Kun: "Thanks."

Six hours later, the results showed a probability greater than 99.99%, confirming a parent-child relationship.

Ming Jing didn't come back for lunch but joined them for dinner. Throughout the meal, Shen Pingan kept glancing between her grandmother and her dad. Ming Jing also learned about Xiao Yu being Cao Kun's mother, surprisingly without any shock.

The only one unaware was Xiao Yu herself.

In today's society, nightlife no longer existed. Work ended at six, and most people spent their evenings at home, usually going to bed by ten.

Cao Kun pushed open the bedroom door and brought a chair to sit by the bed. Xiao Yu was sleeping soundly, and the slight noise he made did not disturb her.

Cao Kun's father was arrested when he was five and died in prison when he was seven. His mother left him on the day his father was sentenced and never looked for him again. From the age of five, he became an orphan.

He was adopted by his uncle and aunt, but even though they tried their best to treat him equally, he still felt like an outsider.

Did he hate them?

He once did.

For a child, parents are everything. Without them, how could he remain calm?

But now someone told him that the people he once hated and resented were not his real parents. His mother had even become mentally unstable searching for him after he was kidnapped by human traffickers.

Cao Kun carefully examined the woman lying on the bed. He couldn't remember when she first appeared in their hometown, but he had seen her searching for her child countless times.

A deep sadness welled up within him, making it hard to breathe.

Cao Kun buried his face in Xiao Yu's hand. He had called this woman "Mom" many times.

In fact, the first person to call her was not him, but Shenchi. After he discovered it, he would occasionally mimic Shenchi and call Xiao Yu "Mom." She was a wonderful woman who loved her children dearly, and both he and Shenchi were her children.

This feeling was beautiful.

He never imagined that one day it would come true in this way.

The door creaked open, and Shenchi saw Cao Kun get up. "Back already?"

Cao Kun: "Yeah."

"Hug me." Shenchi walked over and hugged Cao Kun.

Cao Kun did not refuse Shenchi's kindness. He buried his head in Shenchi's neck and spoke in a muffled voice, "Do you think I actually have no blood relation with my uncle and aunt, and am not their nephew?"

Shenchi said, "I think your uncle and aunt might be unaware of it. Think about Cao Zilong; if he knew, given his personality, would he keep quiet about it?"

"Yeah, you're right." Cao Kun rubbed Shenchi's back, feeling his warm body where they touched, and said, "Don't worry about me. I'm not doubting my uncle and aunt. The fact that Xiao Yu is my mom... I'm actually quite happy about it."

Shenchi: "Mm."

"Do you think my new mom is confused or has some special ability? Why does she call you 'Baby' on your first meeting, but never calls me 'Baby' even though I'm her biological son? Did she know back then that you'd be her other son and was helping her son chase after a partner?"

"Your imagination is wild." Shenchi laughed and pushed away the person rubbing against his neck, knowing this person's mind was full of nonsense.

"Shen Xiaochi," Cao Kun pushed Shenchi onto the bed, speaking deliberately, "Let's make love."

Shenchi's ears turned red. "It's daytime, don't joke around."

"Daytime makes it more exciting." Cao Kun bit Shenchi's earlobe gently.

Shenchi exclaimed, "The curtains!"

"No need to pull them."

The next day, the mission order indeed came down, instructing them to depart in a month. Their task was to venture deep into the Zanglan region to find new energy sources. Once found, they were to report immediately, protect and collect samples from the area, and establish a base for future extraction.

They named this new energy source: Luojingyi.

Looking at this name, Shenchi fell silent. Cao Kun hugged him, "Our country's original intention remains unchanged. Isn't that good?"

Before departure, they all received the sixth-generation vaccine. Since the antibodies produced by the sixth-generation vaccine destroy the body's original immune system, they stayed in medical pods for two weeks until they recovered.

The day after leaving the pods, a meeting was held. Relevant personnel and future teammates formally met in the conference room. They were all dressed in uniform, making their ranks and backgrounds clear at a glance.

"...That's the general situation. We depart in three days. Get to know each other better and communicate more. Meeting dismissed."

After the leader left, everyone started chatting and introducing themselves. This time, besides Shenchi and Cao Kun, four other comrades were participating in the mission.

"Hello, I'm Zhen Shuai, a Level 5 strength-type ability user! This is my wife, Li Shuting, a Level 4 ultrasonic ability user and head nurse in Zone B, with extensive battlefield medical experience. She can control certain plants and animals and use ultrasonic waves for echolocation..." This man, wearing a crisp military uniform and looking no older than twenty-five, stood beside a petite woman, endlessly praising his wife.

Shenchi looked at the sunny and cheerful Zhen Shuai and frowned slightly.

Cao Kun: "What's wrong?"

"I feel like I've seen him before, and his name sounds familiar..." Shenchi looked at the smiling Zhen Shuai, sifting through memories, finally settling on a bumpy truck ride.

Shenchi paused. He knew who Zhen Shuai was—he was the original buyer of the green-skinned jade material in the jade shop!

Zhen Shuai was lively and talkative, quickly mentioning the valuable stone he almost bought before the apocalypse.

"That piece of stone had been sitting in a corner for a long time. I saw it once and couldn't forget it. Thinking I might win big, I decided to take a chance since it was cheap. But when I went to buy it, someone else had already purchased it and uncovered an exquisite blue water jade, selling it for $2.5 million! That's over ten million yuan!" Zhen Shuai winked at Li Shuting, "I had good instincts, didn't I?"

Li Shuting nodded with amusement. She had heard this story many times. Initially, she would tease him, but now she just smiled to give her husband face.

Shenchi took a step back.

Cao Kun: ?

Shenchi whispered, "I bought that jade."

"Wow!" Cao Kun lowered his voice, "How much did you pay?"

Shenchi: "Forty thousand."

Cao Kun excitedly slapped Shenchi's shoulder, "Good job, Shen Xiaochi, you got a great deal!"

Shenchi stumbled, drawing attention from the others. Everyone knew about Shenchi and Cao Kun's relationship. Although same-sex marriage wasn't legally recognized yet, it was widely accepted.

After the meeting, Zhen Shuai and Li Shuting left together. In the previous life, Zhen Shuai had no Li Shuting, no rank, no comrades-in-arms, and no rescue by the army after a fever-induced coma. After uncovering the green-skinned jade, he was betrayed, kidnapped, and beaten by friends.

He woke up in a locked rental apartment, escaped after awakening his strength-type ability, and found the world completely changed.

In this life, he didn't get that jade, so none of those events happened, although his friends still betrayed him.

So he never regretted losing that jade; instead, he was grateful to the person who bought it, hoping they would be safe.

Before departure, Shenchi, Cao Kun, and others swore an oath under the national flag, then boarded the plane, escorted by a wind ability user to their destination.

Amidst the roar of engines, a helicopter flew northward across the sky.

Beside a cracked field, a young man stiffly raised his head, following the path of the flying plane with his eyes. After a long while, he lowered his head again.

At this moment, a large Hummer approached. The driver honked several times, but the person blocking the road remained motionless.

The driver got out angrily and shouted, but the person standing in the middle of the road turned around, dazed, emaciated, and seemingly on the brink of death.

The driver grimaced, turned to leave, but after a few steps, returned, placing a bottle of water and two bread loaves on the ground, "Here, take it."

The young man waited until the others left, then slowly walked over and bent down to pick up the bottle of water. However, his fingernails were long, and as he looked at his hand, his fingertips moved, and the long nails retracted.

The young boy mimicked the man's actions, twisting off the bottle cap and tilting his head back, only to splash water all over his face.

He blinked, and the water droplets on his eyelids trickled down the corners of his eyes. He tilted his head to look at the remaining water in the bottle for a moment, then tilted it back again, pouring the rest on his face.

Then, holding the empty water bottle, he walked while imitating the man's tone: "Here you go."

"Here you go."

Author's note:

The story concludes here with "confetti~". I'll be revising it later. Thank you, Xiao Tian, for sticking with me until the end "bows." This is my first book, and there are many areas for improvement. I will work hard to get better. Thank you once again for your encouragement and understanding! See you next time ＾3＾

The first twenty Xiao Tian who leave comments on this chapter will receive small red envelopes. Not sure if there will be any, but one must have goals, right? Hahaha~

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