Dark Apocalypse

Episode 35

Strange Siblings



Faced with Ling Ao's unwavering expression, Miao Yun Yao felt herself on the verge of collapse. Her deep concern for her daughter, combined with the sight of Ling Ao's shameless demeanor, made her experience, for the first time, a profound sense of helplessness. She acutely felt the vulnerability of being a woman in this apocalyptic world.

She was no longer the proud, wealthy wife she once was, nor the strong, domineering woman surrounded by sycophants. Now, she could barely protect herself.

"The sooner, the better," Ling Ao pressed, his voice cold and calculating. "The longer we delay, the slimmer the chance of Xiao Ya surviving. And if it drags on, even if you agree, Madam, I wouldn't risk my life for someone who's almost certainly dead. Do you understand?"

Seeing Miao Yun Yao's expression, Ling Ao tightened his grip, knowing that he was close to achieving his goal. With just a little more pressure...

"If... if Xiao Ya... is willing..." In the end, her concern for her daughter triumphed, but Miao Yun Yao left herself a way out. She proposed that Ling Ao could only proceed if Shangguan Ya agreed voluntarily, leaving no room for coercion.

In other words, Ling Ao could not force her, it had to be mutual consent. Perhaps such a tactic would have been ineffective in the past, as Shangguan Ya seemed to harbor a fondness or admiration for Ling Ao—at the very least, it was clear she wasn't indifferent to him. Given the context of the apocalypse, where women often found themselves drawn to heroism, it was only a matter of time before Shangguan Ya ended up in his arms.

However, now... Adam sneered, watching coldly from the side. Ling Ao had once abandoned Shangguan Ya in his bid for survival, so could even the most naive woman still regard him with admiration?

Ling Ao clearly had thought of this as well. His face darkened with displeasure, though he understood that this was Miao Yun Yao's strategic move. But instead of rejecting her, he nodded in agreement.

"Alright! Since Madam insists, then I am reassured!"

Clapping sounds echoed through the room. It was Adam, who had been watching the exchange with a grin. "How delightful! How very delightful! Should I offer my congratulations? Or perhaps, is it too early?"

Both Ling Ao and Miao Yun Yao glared at him with fury, but Adam ignored them. He stretched out on the sofa, casually waving his hand at Ling Ao.

"Brother Ling Ao, I wish you a safe journey..."

"Hmph!" Ling Ao's reaction revealed a hint of unease. Was it because of the strength Adam had displayed during the virus fusion? It was clear he didn't wish to provoke him.

Regardless, Adam found amusement in the scene. While his former strength had diminished, he was confident that if it came to a fight, Ling Ao would not find it easy to overpower him.

Adam had a seventy-percent chance of ensuring that, should he survive, Ling Ao would meet his end. Though this confidence was blind, it was unwavering.

Ling Ao eventually left, though Adam did not know how he would convince the Li siblings. All he knew was that Ling Ao had been escorted by a survivor to the elevator and descended with it.

The elevator was the only remaining point of access to the building. Other stairwells had been sealed off, with passages from the second to the fourth floors blocked to prevent the zombies from ascending. This was to minimize the chances of the zombies hearing sounds from the survivors on the fifth floor. It was, by all means, a secure place.

The sole operational elevator served as the only link to the outside world, as zombies could not use it, eliminating any risk of their intrusion.

Survivors occasionally formed teams and used the elevator to go out on missions, traveling to a nearby supermarket to gather supplies. However, the elevator was generally off-limits, with those returning from a mission being quarantined to ensure they hadn't been infected.

Adam learned all this after Ling Ao's departure, gathering information from the survivors living there.

"Li Yalin and Li Yalin... though their orientations are rather unconventional, they're quite capable," Adam remarked, considering the system in place. Despite its quirks, it seemed to be working well.

"Staying here for too long will eventually cause problems," he muttered. "The nearby supermarket won't be a never-ending supply of resources. And it's unrealistic to expect the missions to always go smoothly."

Miao Yun Yao had been silently following Adam, though she had not spoken. Adam, not wanting to dismiss her, simply let her accompany him.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded. Though the situation seemed safe for now, the apocalypse had only begun a few days ago. Time would inevitably bring new challenges, and when that time came...

"Actually, there were originally over sixty of us..." a survivor, who had been speaking with Adam, suddenly glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention, and began to complain.

The man, in his forties, was short and stocky, his round figure giving him a somewhat jolly appearance. But his squinty eyes marred his overall look.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Adam asked, intrigued.

He glanced at Miao Yun Yao, a brief flash of admiration and envy crossing his face. "Young man, your wife is quite beautiful..."

"She's not..." Adam started to correct the misunderstanding, but found himself at a loss. He couldn't fathom why this man would assume such a thing, especially when Miao Yun Yao, despite her youthful appearance, was clearly old enough to be his mother.

"Well, I understand, I understand. It's all the rage now, this sibling romance... but, well, before all this madness began..." The man's expression made Adam laugh and shake his head.

Miao Yun Yao, oddly enough, didn't respond or refute him, which was even more perplexing.

"Uncle, you mentioned there were over sixty people originally? Why are there only fifty or so now? What happened?" Adam asked, his suspicion growing.

"They're all dead! All of them!" The man's face darkened with sorrow. "Most of them died while searching for supplies... including my only son..." His voice cracked with grief. "There were still plenty of supplies, but they insisted on going out twice a day—everyone was required to rotate. And that brother and sister..."

Hmm? Did the survivors have some grievances against the Li siblings?

Suddenly, a woman in her forties burst out of a room, grabbing the man by the arm and pulling him back inside, slamming the door shut.

"You two seem to be idle, just in time for a conversation..." At that moment, the Li siblings themselves were walking toward them. It was none other than Li Yalin and Li Yolin, the pair who were always seen shutting themselves away to play games.