Chapter 4
1885 Words
You Must Join Us
Sheng An sat on the plush sofa, her posture exuding a calm authority.
Nearby, Hao Jingye was stationed at the dining table, surrounded by a maze of computer equipment and a camera stand set up for live recording.
Jiang Yu, on the other hand, was perched nervously on a stool directly opposite the sofa.
Three plainclothes policemen stood strategically around the room: one at the door, and the other two flanking Jiang Yu, their eyes fixed on her with unwavering intensity.
Jiang Yu’s discomfort was palpable. She shifted restlessly, her gaze flitting to the camera that seemed to amplify her unease.
"Do you have to film this?" Jiang Yu's voice was a mere whisper.
She had been so overwhelmed with recent events that she hadn’t had the chance to wash her greasy hair or face, let alone put on makeup. Sitting across from the impeccably groomed Sheng An only heightened her self-consciousness.
Sheng An nodded gently. "Yes, we need to document this."
Jiang Yu could only console herself with the thought that it was merely for documentation of her "interrogation."
It shouldn't be a big deal, right?
Unbeknownst to her, in a conference room on the other side of the camera, over a hundred leaders and relevant personnel were glued to a large screen. They held notebooks and pens, scrutinizing every detail of Jiang Yu's appearance and demeanor as if each strand of her greasy hair held a clue.
Sheng An broke the silence, "Let's get started."
Jiang Yu stammered, "W-what?"
With a deliberate motion, Sheng An placed a gun on the table, its barrel pointed in Jiang Yu's direction. She twirled a pen in her fingers, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Jiang Yu, I don't have much time for small talk. The fact that I'm here means I have all your information. You have no other choice. Regarding your rebirth and the space, I think you'd prefer to tell us yourself."
Jiang Yu's heart pounded.
Tell them herself...
That meant there were other ways to make her talk.
Her scalp tingled, but she was unwilling to admit it. She gritted her teeth and said, "I really don't know what you're talking about."
Sheng An looked at Hao Jingye.
Hao Jingye's demeanor turned stern as he spoke seriously:
"Jiang Yu, 24 years old, graduated a year ago. Your parents passed away five years ago, and you've been living alone ever since. You had a boyfriend, Yu Litian, but you broke up recently because he cheated on you. During your four years in college, you supported both Yu Litian and your roommate Chen Jiao Jiao."
Jiang Yu's head snapped towards Hao Jingye, horror etched on her face.
No one would feel comfortable being exposed like this.
Sheng An raised an eyebrow. "You really were a pushover."
Jiang Yu: "..."
—She already realized that, no need to emphasize it.
Hao Jingye continued, "But five days ago, you started to change. You installed a steel door, replaced the windows with bulletproof glass..."
Jiang Yu interrupted anxiously, "I was afraid my ex-boyfriend and his mistress would come looking for trouble! What's wrong with that? Is it not allowed?"
Sheng An smiled and shook her head. "Of course it's allowed. But tell me, where did the missing iron gate go? Why was it gone after you went to the basement empty-handed?"
Jiang Yu: "!!"
She almost stopped breathing.
Hao Jingye: "In the past two days, you bought 135 bags of rice, 120 bags of flour, 5 boxes of salt, 5 boxes of sugar, and other items from the supermarket..."
Sheng An glanced around the room, smiling faintly.
"Where did you put all that stuff?"
Jiang Yu: "..."
She was speechless.
—How did they even know how much she bought?!
Who had the time to count all that?!
At a loss for words, Jiang Yu clamped her mouth shut, feeling increasingly uneasy.
It was clear they had "evidence." Her mind was racing, but she couldn't think of an explanation.
The disappearance of the items was a fact.
Maybe...
She could secretly move the items somewhere else?
She sneaked a glance at Sheng An, feeling that this person was not easy to fool.
Sheng An's expression changed. She sighed and looked at Jiang Yu with focused eyes:
"Jiang Yu, I have a hundred ways to make you talk, but I chose a peaceful approach because I don't just want information from you. I want you to join us in fighting the apocalypse."
Fighting the apocalypse?
Jiang Yu almost thought she misheard.
Her expression turned mocking. "Humans can fight the apocalypse? Do you even know what an apocalypse is?"
How could anyone say such a thing?
Fight the apocalypse?
Ridiculous. These people had no idea what kind of disaster it was. Mere mortals, talking about fighting the apocalypse.
How arrogant?
Jiang Yu trembled at the thought of the events 21 days later.
Sheng An remained expressionless and calm:
"You might think we're arrogant, but if we do nothing, what happened in your previous life will happen again. The land will be devastated, and human civilization will gradually disappear..."
"There are over a billion people in this country. We cannot retreat. Since we know, we must do everything we can."
Jiang Yu: "Doing everything you can won't make a difference!"
"I know," Sheng An said slowly. "In 21 days, a meteor shower will strike the Earth, causing catastrophic damage. After that, natural disasters will continue..."
With each word Sheng An uttered, Jiang Yu's body tensed more.
Were there other reborn individuals?!
Had the country really learned about the apocalypse?
"The country knows more than you think and has done more than you imagine."
Sheng An finished speaking and extended her hand.
Hao Jingye immediately handed her a tablet.
Sheng An placed it on the coffee table, facing Jiang Yu.
"Nine days ago, the first person with special abilities was discovered. Seven days ago, a reborn individual was found. Six days ago, the country began formulating emergency plans and established the Doomsday Special Affairs Bureau. Five days ago, preparations began nationwide."
She calmly stated each fact that stunned Jiang Yu.
"Jiang Yu, you've been stockpiling supplies recently. You must have noticed the rising prices of grains, right?" Sheng An asked, looking at her.
Jiang Yu nodded instinctively.
The prices had more than doubled!
But ever since the meteor news, there had been various rumors online, and people were buying rice and salt.
So although she found the price increase strange, she didn't think much of it.
Could it be...
Sheng An: "Yes, the country has been stockpiling grains and purchasing from abroad."
She swiped the screen, showing a series of images—
"Not just grains. Five days ago, shelters began being built on the foundations of air-raid shelters. In 21 days, each city will have several shelters, each stocked with food and supplies."
"The Communications Department is working overtime to equip each shelter with communication devices. Even if signals are lost and satellites are destroyed, the shelters will form a network, centrally coordinated by the state."
"In addition, hundreds of military factories are working around the clock. Thousands of factories have been producing non-stop since five days ago, and all remaining market resources are being reclaimed..."
Sheng An leaned forward, staring intently at Jiang Yu:
"Jiang Yu, do you still think the country is powerless in the face of the apocalypse?"
Jiang Yu had almost stopped thinking, holding her breath, stunned by the information.
Sheng An continued to press, her sharp eyes filled with complex emotions, making it impossible not to be moved.
"Jiang Yu, the country's current response is largely due to the meteor shower. Information from reborn individuals is scarce, and the apocalypse is not yet 100% confirmed."
"You are the key."
Her eyes were intensely serious, as if piercing Jiang Yu's soul.
Sheng An: "If we can get more definitive information from you, the remaining 21 days can be used to do even more. Moving core factories underground, harvesting crops, evacuating people..."
"Jiang Yu, as a reborn individual, you can't just sit back and do nothing. Your rebirth can achieve much more and bring greater value. It's about countless lives and the hope of the nation!"
Jiang Yu trembled under Sheng An's gaze.
In her mind, two conflicting thoughts were tearing her apart.
She couldn't admit it!
She had a space. What if admitting it led to her being experimented on?
But...
If she admitted it, could it really bring hope?
She was just an ordinary person, a bit selfish, but not someone who enjoyed disasters.
Moreover, facing Sheng An's earnest gaze, she couldn't help but feel stirred.
In both her past and present lives, she had never been regarded so highly...
Seizing the opportunity, Sheng An said, "You don't have to worry about anything else. Join us, and you'll be our teammate, protected by the state."
She reached out, holding Jiang Yu's cold, trembling hand, and smiled warmly:
"Jiang Yu, even if your situation is unique, no one will harm you. Being different or unusual isn't necessarily a bad thing. It could be a good thing.
"The arrest warrant is a last resort. You are the hope of the nation.
"That's why I'm sitting here, in your home, communicating with you in a way that makes you comfortable."
Jiang Yu's eyes were filled with struggle.
She wanted to speak, but fear held her back.
Rebirth and the space were her biggest secrets. Should she really reveal them?
Sheng An: "Oh, by the way, with the state stockpiling supplies, if you join the Doomsday Special Affairs Bureau, your living conditions in the apocalypse will be no worse than before. You can stockpile all you want, but in the bureau, you'll have state-provided chefs and supplies from the national warehouse... The state will protect you and provide for you."
Jiang Yu: "..." That was tempting.
"In special times, special policies apply. The bureau has arrest powers. For example, if someone causes trouble or obstructs your mission, you can handle it within reason and regulations," Sheng An added.
Jiang Yu didn't understand.
Sheng An smiled slightly. "For example, Yu Litian and Chen Jiao Jiao."
Jiang Yu: "!!!"
They hit the nail on the head.
Sheng An withdrew her hand, sighed, and said sadly, "Fine, if you don't want to, we won't force you."
Hao Jingye maintained a serious expression but couldn't help but give a thumbs-up in his mind.
As expected of Sister Sheng!
Gentle? A "gentle" with a gun barrel pointed at you.
First, threats, then persuasion, playing the victim, appealing to a higher cause, and finally, presenting her as the "hope" and "future of the nation," followed by enticement, and then a strategic retreat...
This was a custom-tailored "interrogation" plan for someone like Jiang Yu.
Emotional, soft-hearted, indecisive, and naive, yet having experienced the apocalypse and rebirth, Jiang Yu's personality wouldn't respond to harsh interrogation.
Not forcing her?
What a joke. If Jiang Yu really refused to talk, Sister Sheng could "force" her on the spot.
Her gun was loaded!
Sure enough.
When Jiang Yu felt Sheng An's warm hand leaving, she instinctively grabbed it.
Then, she stammered, "For the sake of the nation, I-I am willing to tell you everything and join you."
- Writer
