Chapter 142 - 139: The Arrival of the Apocalypse Big Shot 16

Chapter 142: Chapter 139: The Arrival of the Apocalypse Big Shot 16

Ji Xiaosong’s voice pierced through the courtyard. Upstairs on the second floor, Ji Youshu, who was adjusting a radio, jolted. The soldering iron in his hand skittered across the metal workbench, sending up a shower of sparks.

He practically slammed open the French doors and rushed onto the terrace, only to freeze mid-step at the sight of the figure in the courtyard.

Lin Xiaoxiao was wrapped in Ji Xiaosong’s beige trench coat. The gentle curve of her five-month pregnant belly was visible in the morning light.

The moment she looked up at him, Ji Youshu’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently. His hand, gripping the railing, crushed the concrete into a spiderweb of cracks.

"Xiaoxiao?"

His voice was as hoarse as if it had been scraped with sandpaper. As he vaulted over the third-floor terrace railing, his superpower spiraled out of control. Huge slabs of earth and rock erupted from the ground, tightly enclosing the courtyard.

When Song Ya came up from the basement carrying a medical kit, she saw her son half-kneeling in the center of the earthen enclosure.

Ji Youshu’s hand trembled, hovering over Lin Xiaoxiao’s abdomen. "It’s mine, right?"

Before Lin Xiaoxiao could answer, he continued, "It has to be mine. I’m going to be a father!"

Ji Youshu was absolutely certain the child was his.

If it weren’t, his sister wouldn’t have brought Lin Xiaoxiao back.

"Yes. Five and a half months along."

Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly grabbed his wrist and pressed his hand to her belly, letting Ji Youshu feel the baby move.

In this cruel, apocalyptic world, every day was a life-or-death struggle against the reaper. Just surviving was a blessing.

Lin Xiaoxiao thought back to those difficult days of survival in the ruins. Hunger and fear were constant companions, the roars of zombies seemed to echo in her ears, and every breath tasted of despair.

But the Ji family had not only a sturdy shelter but also abundant supplies. Their lives were stable and orderly, a stark contrast to the world outside.

Ji Xiaosong had extended a helping hand when she was at her most desperate, pulling her back from the brink of death.

Lin Xiaoxiao looked down at her swelling belly. It held her and Ji Youshu’s child—a continuation of life, and a bond of love.

In the past, she and Ji Youshu had fought constantly over all sorts of conflicts. The harsh words and angry expressions still felt so vivid.

’But now, against the backdrop of the apocalypse, after walking the line between life and death, what do those arguments even matter?’

Now, she only felt an immense sense of peace, as if all their past conflicts and entanglements had been washed away by the apocalyptic disaster.

She understood just how precious it was to have a warm harbor and family by her side in a world where you could lose everything at any moment.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s confirmation made Ji Youshu flinch as if shocked, but she held his hand fast, refusing to let go.

A faint flutter of movement from the baby, like the brush of a butterfly’s wings against his nerve endings, sent a tremor through his entire body.

The awful things he had blurted out during their arguments suddenly exploded in his ears. The image of Lin Xiaoxiao’s pale face from the video call two months ago overlapped with her appearance now, and his stomach clenched so hard he nearly threw up.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t know back then..."

"Well, you know now."

Lin Xiaoxiao released his hand, her tear-soaked lashes casting a shadow. "Is a man who’s about to be a father supposed to still be kneeling?"

A storm of superpower energy suddenly swept through the courtyard. Countless pieces of earth and rock shot up from the ground, rapidly assembling into a simple stone chair.

Song Ya quickly steadied the medical kit that had almost been knocked over. Watching her son wrap the pregnant woman in twenty-three different protective shields until she looked like a glowing cocoon, she couldn’t help but chuckle. "Youshu, are you wrapping a fragile package?"

"Mom!"

Ji Youshu’s ears turned bright red, but his movements became even gentler as he directed the earth and stone to move Lin Xiaoxiao toward the temperature-controlled room. "Xiaoxiao is pregnant. It’s my child. I..."

"You need to bring her inside first, not leave her out in the cold wind."

Song Ya flicked away one of the overloaded protective shields and smiled at Lin Xiaoxiao. "Dear child, you’ve been through so much. If you don’t mind, you can stay with us from now on. Everyone in our family is a Superpower User, so we can offer you some protection."

How could Lin Xiaoxiao possibly refuse? "Thank you, Auntie..."

"Still calling me Auntie?"

Song Ya laughed. "You’re carrying Youshu’s child, so you’re my daughter-in-law now. It’s time to change how you address me. We can register for marriage here in Chenming City. You two should go get your marriage certificate this afternoon."

"Right! Xiaoxiao, you rest for a bit. We’ll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get our marriage certificate this afternoon."

Ji Youshu had calmed down a little by then. The shock of losing and then finding his lover again had made him momentarily lose control of his emotions.

Ji Xiaosong had other tasks to attend to. She quickly said, "Mom, you guys take my sister-in-law for a prenatal check-up. I still have a mission to complete, so I won’t be going with you."

After saying goodbye to Song Ya and the others, Ji Xiaosong found a deserted spot and released the ten people from her spatial storage.

As planned, she took them to the power plant, gave some instructions to the administrator, and then left.

The labor force for the power plant and the mines was made up of offenders like them. Once Lei Hu and his group were inside, it would be difficult for them to stir up any trouble.

Rushing to make up for lost time, Ji Xiaosong finally regrouped with Gu Lin at 1:30 PM.

Seeing Ji Xiaosong return unharmed, Gu Lin and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are they all delivered?" Gu Lin asked, stepping forward.

"They’re all delivered."

Ji Xiaosong nodded, taking off her goggles. "Everything’s been arranged at the power plant. They won’t be able to pull any stunts."

"Then let’s get moving. We should be able to reach South City by tonight."

Everyone got in the vehicles, and they continued on their way.

The moment Ji Xiaosong stepped into South City, the scene before her was just as she had expected.

As far as the eye could see, everything was a blackish-purple.

The ground was covered in mottled stains, and the walls of buildings were pitted and uneven from corrosion.

It was clearly the unrestored aftermath of devastating acid rain.

The base in South City was officially established, but because of the scarcity of High-level Superpower Users in the area, the city’s reconstruction had been fraught with difficulty.

This was precisely why Ji Xiaosong and Gu Lin had received the mission to lead a team here to help, hoping to contribute to South City’s rebuilding efforts.

When Ji Xiaosong’s twenty-person team arrived at the main gate of the Southern City Base, Base Commander Xiao Qin Feng was already waiting for them.

Upon seeing the team, Xiao Qin Feng immediately strode forward to greet them, his face filled with eagerness and anticipation.

He first nodded to Ji Xiaosong and Gu Lin, then raised his voice and said, "We’ve been waiting for you! It must have been a long journey."

Then, he turned to the rest of the group and gestured for them to enter. "Everyone, please come with me. We’ve arranged a place for you to rest. Go and get settled in first."

Led by Xiao Qin Feng, the team entered the base in an orderly fashion. Discussions about the reconstruction of South City were about to begin.

Just as she sat down in the conference room, Ji Xiaosong saw someone unexpected.

"Xiaosong, long time no see."

Zhou Ziheng’s father, Zhou Jian Country, walked over, his face plastered with a seemingly friendly smile that held a hint of calculation and eagerness to please.

He strode quickly to Ji Xiaosong’s side, extending a hand for a handshake. "Ah, Xiaosong," he said enthusiastically, "you’re a huge help now. South City is counting on capable people like you for its reconstruction."