The Whole Story

The Full Story

Mu Xiao, An Rongru, and Jian Hanyao sat on the sofa as Jian Hanyao began explaining the full story behind the drastic changes in the villa district: how many New Humans were in the security team, how many neutral New Humans there were, and how many ordinary people had survived.

"On the first day the world changed, I happened to be online and learned the news immediately. I also had part of the authority over the villa district's main system, so I found out that unrest had broken out here too. That was why I quickly took safety precautions."

Jian Hanyao recounted what had happened on the first day of the apocalypse. "But on the second day, that damned beast Song Tianhu led most of the guards around to search for survivors. Using the excuse of fighting monsters together, he killed most of the monsters with weapons and put on a hypocritical show for everyone. Yet some idiots actually believed in his goodwill, allowing him to quickly gather all the normal people in the villa district. But that damned animal was really sending most of them to their deaths, using them to clear out the powerful monsters in the district. He even absorbed some of the special power left behind after those monsters died. By the third day, he had already become the strongest person here. Most people no longer dared defy him. He even allowed those damned guards to commit evil everywhere. They even tortured several women to death. Some men couldn't stand it and were brutally murdered too. And a few shameless bitches actually threw themselves at them..."

The girl spoke as if she had swallowed gunpowder, growing angrier with every word. Her pretty, delicate face twisted into a vicious expression, as though she wanted to chop those people into mincemeat.

Before long, Mu Xiao and An Rongru understood why the girl bore such deep hatred.

"Those shitty scum actually set their sights on me! If I hadn't taken precautions early, learned that the outside world had fallen into chaos, and noticed that dead beast's abnormal behavior through the villa district's main system, I might have gone with him. Instead, I hid at home and prepared for the worst. At first, weapons and equipment still worked, and those idiots' gear wasn't as good as mine, so they didn't dare provoke me. But after the third day, no machinery could be used anymore. Those idiots came looking for trouble again. Fortunately, I had already taken out the antique weapons my dad collected. Otherwise, those lowly bastards might have gotten the chance to take advantage of me..."

Jian Hanyao was like an enraged young tigress. Her eyes flashed as she clenched her pearly teeth, cold light shooting from her gaze.

"Antique weapons?" Mu Xiao understood why all machinery had failed, but he did not understand what kind of "antique weapons" had remained unaffected.

Jian Hanyao disdained answering Mu Xiao. An Rongru quickly stepped in to mediate and explained, "My husband liked collecting firearms from the previous century when he was alive. Unlike most modern weapons, which have been converted into energy weapons, Hanyao probably used the firearms in the basement to protect herself."

"Mom understands me best." Jian Hanyao affectionately wrapped her arm around An Rongru's, shot Mu Xiao a provocative look, and then complained to An Rongru, "But after they found out our family had those firearm collections, they started watching our house. I can't even go out to hunt monsters..."

Mu Xiao could not be bothered to argue with a little girl. He thought to himself, I'd forgotten about firearms from the early stages. They really are extremely useful. Weapons made purely of metal, without mechanical components, give many humans hope of evolving into New Humans. But once evolution reaches the middle stage, these firearms can barely pierce the defenses of mutated monsters, much less New Humans who have mastered abilities.

He knew that as the Age of Evolution increasingly marched into another new world, those firearms would eventually become truly useless antiques.

"So you stayed here by yourself and refused to leave, creating a standoff with them?" Mu Xiao asked Jian Hanyao evenly.

"Why should I tell you, you—"

Jian Hanyao curled her lips. Just as those deeply disrespectful words were about to leave her mouth, Mu Xiao slightly raised his cold, sharp eyes. It was as if two blades had stabbed toward her. Terror coursed through her body, and she swallowed every curse she had wanted to say.

"Hanyao, what happened after that?" An Rongru smoothed over the conflict between them, sighing bitterly inside. She knew her daughter had already locked horns with Mu Xiao.

"How could I possibly be in a standoff with them? The villa district is just split into three factions now. One is made up of the security team. They have the most ability users—more than thirty. The second consists of some bodyguards and staff, but they have the fewest, with only around ten ability users. The final faction is made up of the villa owners, and they have more than twenty ability users."

Jian Hanyao glared at Mu Xiao, both frightened and angry, unable to understand why this man was so terrifying.

"Mm." Mu Xiao fell into thought. He understood that the ability users Jian Hanyao mentioned were actually New Humans. There were fifty to sixty New Humans in the villa district altogether. Without knowing what abilities these people possessed, it truly would not be wise to act rashly.

After thinking for a while, Mu Xiao asked, "How did you learn about their situation?"

"Some of the owners are close to my mom, and they told me some things. Besides, they want to recruit me and make me new combat strength for their faction." This time, Jian Hanyao answered Mu Xiao's question honestly.

It seemed there were quite a few smart people. They all had the idea of turning the villa district into a base.

At that moment, Mu Xiao understood their intentions. The villa district built by An Rongru had a beautiful environment, complete facilities, and stood at the border between the city and its outskirts. Its population was neither too dense nor too sparse. It could serve as a stronghold, from which they could slowly hunt monsters, increase their strength, swallow up territory piece by piece, and vie for supremacy...

"Why don't you join the owners' faction?" Mu Xiao said. "The fact that they can live in this high-end villa district means they are capable, intelligent, and successful people. Their intelligence should not be any lower than those guards'. They also have more than twenty New Humans, enough to barely contend with the security faction. That's much better than guarding this place alone."

"Join them?" Jian Hanyao sneered. "They claim to have ties with my mom, but in this world ruled by chaos and darkness, how much are such ties worth? Oh, right—money is useless trash now too! They think they can win my favor by trading information. In truth, they only want the firearms in the basement. They want to arm the survivors on a large scale, wipe out the security faction completely, and then rule this villa district."

"Hmph, those idiots think I don't know anything. They want to win my favor, so I don't mind using them to gather the intelligence I want. I can also carve out a safe space for myself amid the struggle between their three factions, let them fight each other to the death, and then wipe them all out in one stroke."

There was no sunlight on Jian Hanyao's pure, youthful face—only darkness, along with a vicious, sinister sneer.

"Hanyao, don't let your thoughts become so extreme." An Rongru loved her daughter dearly, but she was also worried about the changes in her personality.

"Mom, this world isn't the same as before. Our status and money are useless now. From now on, we can only rely on our own strength. Before, every night when I thought you might not come back, I hated myself for being powerless. Now that you're back, I have to work even harder to gain strength. I want to protect you, Mom. I won't let those bastards set their sights on us, mother and daughter!"

Jian Hanyao's eyes flashed like cold lightning, sparks flying within them. She fixed Mu Xiao, an outsider, with a sharp stare, clearly treating him as an imagined enemy.

This girl is truly something else. No wonder she could become a powerhouse in the future. Mu Xiao admired Jian Hanyao's understanding and adaptability in the face of the world's upheaval. Unlike other girls, she was not filled with panicked fear and helplessness. Instead, she possessed an extraordinary ability to accept reality. Most importantly, she had the resolve to become strong.

"You're not the only New Human, Hanyao. Mom is a New Human too. In the future, I can protect myself, and I can protect you as well. I don't want you to put too much pressure on yourself or live too hard a life. As long as we can survive, that's enough." Moved by her daughter's words, An Rongru's expression softened as she wrapped an arm around Jian Hanyao's shoulders and pulled her into her embrace.

"This is our home. Those bastards want to take over our home? Keep dreaming." Jian Hanyao spoke with unyielding defiance.

"You can't contend with them right now. If they truly go to war, the first person they eliminate will definitely be an unstable factor like you, especially since you possess weapons that Old Humans can use." Mu Xiao felt that her thinking was still somewhat naive. He stated plainly, "Even if they don't target you, all it takes is for someone to incite the survivors to come here and seize your weapons. When people are helpless and afraid, once they find something that can protect their lives, they will become mad with desperation. By then, you'll be isolated and helpless unless you kill everyone—but that assumes you have enough bullets."

What Mu Xiao did not expect was that the basement truly contained a great deal of firearms and ammunition, as well as Jian Hanyao's ruthlessness.

"Don't worry. There are enough bullets to kill thousands of people. If they push me too far, forget those few hundred survivors—even the guards and owners, I'll kill every last one of them." A bloodthirsty flush rose on Jian Hanyao's soft cheeks. She looked like a demon wearing the guise of an innocent young girl.

"Rongru, did you really give birth to this daughter?" Mu Xiao asked with complete seriousness.

"She's like this, but as long as you treat her well, she'll treat you ten times better." An Rongru naturally understood what Mu Xiao meant. She also knew very well what her daughter liked most: excitement, bloodshed, and violence. That was why she had developed such a strange personality.

"Don't expect me to treat you well. And don't call my mom so intimately." Jian Hanyao knitted her delicate brows and spoke with great displeasure.

An Rongru's cheeks reddened as she hurriedly hugged the little troublemaker tighter.

"You raised your combat power yourself, right?" Mu Xiao stared at Jian Hanyao solemnly. "That means you've killed people before and seen bloody scenes, correct?"

"Of course. On the first day, when I learned the villa district had fallen into chaos, I went out that afternoon to kill those monster people." Jian Hanyao lifted her pale chin proudly, as if she had done something extraordinarily impressive. Yet An Rongru, who held her in her arms, was already frightened out of her wits. She was just... just far too bold. She was utterly lawless.

This girl is unbelievably fierce. Mu Xiao secretly broke out in a cold sweat.

She had not feared that the chaos in the world might only be temporary. Instead, she had guessed that it would last, that the world had entered an apocalyptic disaster. That was why she had acted so fearlessly.

"Hanyao! How can you have no sense of restraint? If the world returned to normal in a short time and those people could be cured, then killing them would make you a murderer!" An Rongru released Jian Hanyao and glared angrily at the lawless girl with her beautiful eyes.

"I could say it was self-defense. Besides, if the world returned to normal, then as long as I killed in self-defense, money could settle it. What's there to be afraid—"

Slap!

Jian Hanyao had only gotten halfway through her indifferent reply when An Rongru, unable to contain her anger, slapped her. Then she caught Jian Hanyao's body and hugged her again, but began crying first herself. Through sobs, she said, "I don't want my daughter to become a cruel person... This world is already terrifying... I don't want my daughter to become a terrifying stranger too..."