Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Chen Jianhua looked up from the list of supplies in his hand and casually asked Zhang Hui beside him, "Secretary Zhang, why didn't Mayor Chang come to check on things in person today?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hui immediately put on a smile: "Chief of Staff Chen, Mayor Chang... has some urgent business to attend to today and can't get away. He specifically instructed me to make sure you and the military comrades are well received. I will take full responsibility for all handover matters."

"Important matters?" Chen Jianhua raised an eyebrow. But in this freezing weather, surrounded by powerful enemies, what could be more important than receiving a large amount of military supplies?

He said, half-jokingly and half-probingly, "Could it be that he's gone off to relax? Or has his ability made some kind of breakthrough? I heard you guys killed quite a few Tier 2 zombies these past few days?"

Zhang Hui's heart skipped a beat, but his smile remained unchanged, even becoming more enthusiastic: "Staff Officer Chen is truly well-informed. To be honest, Mayor Chang is indeed working hard to improve our capabilities?"

"Oh?" Chen Jianhua's interest was piqued, and he leaned forward slightly. "Trying to break through to the third tier?"

After all, the military killed quite a few second-tier zombies yesterday. Since he was not a combat-type ability user, the crystal cores were given priority to He Jun, Song Jiangtao, and others who were combat-type abilities.

Zhang Hui nodded: "Yes. The mayor attaches great importance to this and hopes to achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible so that he can better cooperate with the military in clearing out the zombies."

"Rare indeed," Chen Jianhua exclaimed, then casually asked, "What kind of superpower did Mayor Chang awaken? It must be quite powerful, right? I haven't seen him use it much before."

This problem is like a fine needle, catching you off guard.

Zhang Hui's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and his smile seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Well..." Zhang Hui chuckled, his gaze instinctively avoiding Chen Jianhua's probing look and glancing elsewhere.

His fingers clenched tightly beneath the gloves to barely keep his voice steady. "The specifics... I don't know much either. The mayor is a low-key person and rarely uses his superpowers. I've never had the honor of witnessing it firsthand."

He paused, then added, "It's probably some kind of auxiliary function, since the mayor mainly focuses his energy on management and coordination."

This statement is watertight, and the reasoning seems reasonable.

But Chen Jianhua was no ordinary person; his eyesight, honed through his military experience, was exceptionally sharp.

He caught Zhang Hui's fleeting stiffness and the small, unconscious clenching of his hand.

As intelligent as Zhang Hui was, from Zhang Zicheng's sudden "surrender" and Leng Zhijie's obviously strange, puppet-like state, he had already pieced together a vague but terrifying guess in his mind.

He didn't know the exact name of Chang Chengye's special ability, but he could roughly guess its effects.

This secret was like a red-hot iron, burning in his heart day and night.

But there was nothing he could do.

The mother and sister were in the shelter, receiving "preferential treatment" but also being under invisible surveillance.

He appeared to be a high-ranking official, deeply trusted by Chang Chengye, but this very trust was the most solid cage.

With his meager superpower level, even inferior to that of the纨绔 (spoiled brat) Chang Hao, it would be an impossible task for him to leave quietly with his family.

If he shows any unusual behavior, Chang Chengye will never let him go—he knows too many secrets, those shady deals before the apocalypse, the methods used to rise rapidly after the apocalypse…

Chen Jianhua looked at Zhang Hui's evasive smile and the hands hidden behind thick gloves, and understood.

He didn't press the matter further when the other party refused to answer.

Everyone has secrets, especially in this post-apocalyptic world where order has collapsed.

His core mission for this trip was to hand over supplies. As for whether Chang Chengye himself was good or evil, or whether his superpowers were black or white, they were not important in his strategic considerations.

"I see." Chen Jianhua withdrew his gaze, looked back at the list, and his tone returned to its usual businesslike calm. "Mayor Chang is very thoughtful. Let's hurry up and check the next batch."

"Okay, Staff Officer Chen, this way please." Zhang Hui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped aside to lead the way.

Meanwhile, in the basement of the central villa.

The persistent frigid temperatures on the ground forced Chang Chengye to move his study to the underground space, where it was easier to keep warm.

Chang Chengye's gaze was fixed on the ten second-tier zombie crystal cores in front of him.

This was obtained at a great cost yesterday and today, painstakingly hunted from the horde of corpses by Leng Zhijie, an S-rank henchman controlled by his puppetry skills. Leng Zhijie himself was also seriously injured as a result and is currently recuperating.

At this moment, Leng Zhijie was affected by the puppetry technique, and his intelligence was damaged. Although he had an S-level talent, his mind was not working well, and he was weaker than a true S-level. He could only be considered a "pseudo-S-level". Otherwise, he would not have suffered such serious injuries.

Chang Chengye reached out his hand, and one, two... crystal cores were put into his mouth one by one. Without chewing, they turned into streams of energy that rushed into his limbs and bones.

After the energy of the sixth second-order crystal core was incorporated into the body, the energy that was already at a critical point and about to overflow finally found a breakthrough!

"Buzz—"

A barely audible rumble emanated from his body, and a faint black aura seemed to flash through the pores of Chang Chengye's body. Immediately afterwards, an aura several times stronger and more solid than before spread out from his body.

Third tier!

His tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, a gleam of light flashing within them. His previous weariness and gloom were replaced by a powerful, almost manic joy.

He could no longer contain himself, and abruptly stood up from his chair, spreading his arms wide, letting out a hoarse yet extremely arrogant laugh:

"Hahaha... It's done! It's finally done!"

Laughter echoed in the enclosed basement.

Outside the study, Chang Hao, who had been waiting for a long time, heard the laughter. His heart pounded, and he forgot all about etiquette, pushing open the door and rushing in, his face filled with eagerness and hope: "Dad! It's done? You leveled up?!"

Normally, Chang Chengye would have scolded his son for his rashness.

But at this moment, he was smug and self-satisfied. He merely glanced at his son, his face filled with undisguised delight: "Not bad! Your old man here is now at the third level!"

Upon hearing this, Chang Hao was overjoyed, as if he himself had been upgraded.

He was never the type to pursue personal power; before the apocalypse, he was a spoiled rich kid.

After the apocalypse, his father's strength became his greatest reliance and source of confidence.

The stronger the father, the more privileges and security he can enjoy.

"Great! Dad, now we can go deal with Tianshui Garden!" Chang Hao rubbed his hands excitedly.

Chang Chengye's smile froze. He had really brought up the very thing he shouldn't have said; his smile instantly vanished by half.

"We should take this matter into consideration. That kid killed quite a few level two zombies yesterday, so he must have leveled up to level three by now."

Chang Hao immediately deflated: "Yeah, his dad has already reached level three. Lin Chen killed so many level two zombies yesterday, he must have reached level three too."

"Tell me, what news has been circulating this morning?" Chang Chengye asked casually, taking a sip of tea.

In Chang Hao's view, upgrading one's superpower is a very simple matter; all it takes is consuming crystal cores.

But his father actually spent the whole morning bathing, changing clothes, and adjusting his mindset. Apparently, it was said in martial arts novels that if you are in a bad state of mind when improving your strength, you will go into a state of demonic possession.