Apocalyptic Crisis

"Ah!"

In the moment when the rogue's frigid and razor-sharp tendrils, as hard as steel, pierced through his body, Ye Zhongming couldn't help but let out a cry.

In the haze, the touch, however, was a realm of warmth and smoothness.

Ye Zhongming's gaze gradually focused, and he saw a familiar and beautiful face.

Her?

Didn't she die not long ago?

As if confirming something, Ye Zhongming wanted to rise from this incredibly familiar body, but the woman tightly encircled him with her limbs.

Ye Zhongming stopped in confusion, only in his sweeping gaze did he comprehend some things.

A water cup with cartoon patterns, a luminous alarm clock, plain-patterned curtains, and the woman in his arms all transported Ye Zhongming back to a scene he had experienced before.

September 10, 2220, in the afternoon.

An hour before the unprecedented disaster struck.

Wasn't he supposed to be on a mission? After being attacked by those cursed insects, he barely escaped, only to be ambushed by the lurkers. Tentacles emerged from the ground and pierced his body. With his experience, that was undoubtedly a fatal injury.

But now... this deeply engraved memory of daytime passion brought everything back to ten years ago, the beautiful afternoon just before the disaster.

Years of cultivating composure allowed Ye Zhongming to think quickly. In just ten seconds, he confirmed that this wasn't a semblance of returning to ten years ago but an actual return.

Glancing at the time on the clock – September 10, 2220, 15:35 – an hour and five minutes before that unforgettable moment.

At 16:40 on September 10, 2220, a terrifying event would occur, and thereafter, the Earth would plunge into a cold apocalypse.

Ye Zhongming stood in a daze for a moment, with only one thought in his mind – was this a divine favor or another punishment?

Slowly lifting his hands, Ye Zhongming observed his fair and delicate palms with clear patterns, healthy skin, a stark contrast to his hands ten years later. This pair once used for holding pens and turning pages, now bore calluses from gripping guns and scars from countless battles.

Was he given a second chance? Ye Zhongming felt numb. Not everyone would consider a second chance fortunate. After enduring a nightmare-like decade, facing it all over again might not be considered lucky, especially for Ye Zhongming.

A decade of a cold, bloodthirsty existence devoid of warmth and hope? Ye Zhongming bitterly smiled, unsure if, having experienced such a desperate life, he could endure it again.

As for clinging to his woman like an octopus, Ye Zhongming didn't feel warmth as he did in the 'ten years ago.' Instead, a sense of repulsion arose because he knew that in the next moment, his girlfriend would propose a breakup.

Bai Shishi, Ye Zhongming's girlfriend, the person most frequent in his rented room, they had been in love since their sophomore year. Calculating it, it had been almost two years now.

For Ye Zhongming, who had lost his parents, he valued this relationship greatly. Any normal, kind, and faithful person would treasure their first love, especially when the object of affection was a beauty like Bai Shishi.

However, the significance of this affection would deepen when the relationship couldn't continue, and the pain would be particularly profound.

In his previous life, Ye Zhongming initially hated her, thinking she betrayed him. But in this life, having learned the truth, he harbored no resentment. Perhaps her change of affection carried a tinge of cruelty, but he knew that only yesterday did Bai Shishi agree to be with the person who forcibly stole her love.

"Actually, I appreciate the care you've given me in these two years. I'm a careless person, often neglecting your feelings. I apologize," Ye Zhongming began to think rapidly.

The man who had just been affectionate suddenly left. Bai Shishi couldn't suppress a sense of emptiness, strengthening her existing feelings of guilt. However, when she heard Ye Zhongming's words, her charming eyes widened slightly, an instinctive reaction to unexpectedness.

"I'm also grateful for your presence, a diligent student who skips class to accompany me. But these farewell gestures, akin to charity, only serve to satisfy your guilt for leaving. For me, it has no effect," she retorted.

"Zhongming, you..."

Waving his hand, Ye Zhongming interrupted Bai Shishi, going to the window. He gazed at the school playground in the distance, where a few energetic figures were playing football. On the bleachers sat a girl in white, holding a water bottle and tissues, gently watching her lover.

"Love may be an indispensable part of life, but it is by no means everything. I agree and sincerely hope you remember this. Now... everything might be fine, but if things change and the world becomes dangerous everywhere, lives as cheap as grass, I hope you can give up on love. Because that love may not be as beautiful and loyal as you imagine."

"What do you mean?" Bai Shishi suddenly found it hard to understand this person she had been with for two years. Were his words implying something?

"If things continue as they are now, I won't deny that Qin Jun is an outstanding person. Perhaps he will be a good lover and husband. However, he..." Ye Zhongming suddenly didn't know how to continue, directly telling Bai Shishi that the person who won her affection would abandon her in critical situations, using her as bait to escape during alien attacks, might she believe it? The scene he witnessed half a year after the disaster hadn't happened yet, and speaking about it would only be treated as a joke.

While Ye Zhongming pondered, Bai Shishi was completely shocked. She knew that Ye Zhongming would soon hear about her being with Qin Jun, but she didn't expect him to know everything overnight. She had been absolutely discreet before. Did he really notice?

Thinking of this, Bai Shishi's complexion turned somewhat pale, as if she had been caught doing something shameful.

In fact, it truly was something that couldn't bear the light.

"Do... do you know... know him?" Ye Zhongming nodded, "Every night, 99 roses with no signature placed in the lobby of your dormitory building, a love heart made of a thousand candles on your birthday night, caring text messages with a low frequency but consistent, concert tickets, horticultural society admission, coffee shop membership card, lectures from Oxford University professors... even as a man, I have to admit, Qin Jun is not only handsome, comes from a good family, but also handles things beautifully. He knows your preferences well. Compared to me, who clearly doesn't understand girls after ten years of the apocalypse, he is indeed a better match."

A commotion from the campus outside reached their ears; it seemed like break time. Ye Zhongming glanced back at the astonished and somewhat frightened Bai Shishi.

"Finally, no matter how you think about it, I must say this: be cautious with Qin Jun. He is someone who can share joy but not bear suffering together. When something concerns his personal interests, he can abandon everything, including love, including you."

"Do we still have a chance?" However, a relationship of several years couldn't be easily severed. Ye Zhongming hesitated for a moment but ultimately made an effort to hold on. Yet, the person on the bed averted her gaze.

He understood.

What was abandoned had to be abandoned. Bai Shishi had made her choice, and he wouldn't deliberately try to change it just because of a dream that occurred once every ten years. Moreover, with Ye Zhongming not even knowing how long he could survive, what right did he have to interfere with others? Besides, with the cold personality he developed in the last ten years of the apocalypse, along with the possibility of the butterfly effect from his rebirth, everything had changed. Perhaps Qin Jun and Bai Shishi would live a better life.

Ye Zhongming quickly put on his clothes. During the brief conversation with Bai Shishi, he had already accepted many things. His emotions stabilized easily due to his ten years on the edge of life and death. Accepting the miraculous event of his rebirth, Ye Zhongming quickly made a choice between suicide to escape the damned doomsday and living again – the former was swiftly dismissed from his mind.

Since he had a second chance, he might as well live it well.

Opening the drawer, he found his bank card – compensation from his parents' fatal accident. It was the legacy they left him with their lives. For so many years, Ye Zhongming hadn't used a single penny, insisting on earning his own living. This money was more like a memorial. But now, things were different; he knew that if his parents were in the heavens, they would certainly approve of using this money as capital for his future survival.

"What are you doing?" Bai Shishi, with a frightened look, watched Ye Zhongming who seemed to be leaving.

She knew she loved this man, but as graduation approached, a man with no parents who didn't even know his own future was unable to give her a bright prospect. That was why she chose to leave. However, when this departure suddenly became beyond her control, an inevitable sense of unwillingness arose. Even if they parted ways, this man should still belong to her, at least for a short period.

Dressed neatly, Ye Zhongming checked the time again – 15:50. Fifty minutes remained before the disaster struck. Considering what needed to be done, time was clearly insufficient. After a brief hesitation, Ye Zhongming made the most crucial decision for himself. Faced with Bai Shishi's inquiries, he couldn't help feeling annoyed.

"I need to handle some matters. Before I return, you better leave quickly and find Qin Jun. Since you've made your choice, be resolute. Your usual character is like this anyway." Ye Zhongming frowned slightly, saying as he walked out. However, thinking of the woman who had been with him for two years, he added another reminder, "Sooner is better. Qin Jun's side should be temporarily safer. Once something happens, that place will be the government's first consideration for rescue. There, perhaps... you can live better."

With that, Ye Zhongming quickly left, leaving Bai Shishi still sitting on the bed, lost in thought.

For Ye Zhongming, the two most urgent tasks now were buying necessary medications and acquiring combat tools.

Time is scarce; Ye Zhongming descended the stairs, hailed a cab, and headed straight to the car rental agency. He maximized his credit card, acquiring a semi-used pickup truck. Next, he visited the bank, leveraging a distant relative's connection to withdraw all his funds. Racing to the hospital, he purchased a substantial amount of heparin, along with other essential medications and medical instruments. This expenditure totaled more than seventy thousand yuan. Observing Ye Zhongming carrying two large bags of medicine, many onlookers deemed him eccentric.

Indeed, considerable savings could be achieved by buying from a pharmacy, but Ye Zhongming was indifferent. While hospital medications were undoubtedly expensive, they were genuine. Moreover, in a matter of minutes, these exquisitely printed sheets would become worthless imitations, destined for obscurity.

Placing the medications in the car, Ye Zhongming contemplated where to procure some weapons. Guns were undoub