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

Li Zhenbang's hoarse and bewildered question startled everyone present, and then their faces showed surprise and relief.

"It really works!" Su Yun couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

"Dad! You're awake! How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?" Li Ya was overwhelmed with joy and hurriedly leaned over to ask, her voice choked with suppressed sobs.

"Xiaoya...where is this?" Li Zhenbang's eyes were still a little unfocused as he tried to make out the unfamiliar surroundings. "I just...I think I had a dream. I dreamt that you said you were pregnant and that I was going to be a grandfather...I got anxious and woke up."

Li Ya's face flushed bright red instantly, and her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Lin Chen, who was standing to the side.

Lin Chen raised his hand, habitually touched his nose, looked away, and pretended not to see her gaze.

"Dad, this is the Mountain and Water Garden, our sanctuary." Li Ya composed herself and explained, "You said it was a dream, I... I'm not pregnant."

She and Lin Chen had only known each other for seven days. Even if she were pregnant, it would be impossible for her to find out so quickly.

"Really?" A clear hint of disappointment flashed in Li Zhenbang's eyes as he murmured, "Sigh, all that excitement for nothing."

"Gurgle..."

Just then, a loud and abrupt rumbling sound came from his abdomen.

Once bodily functions are restored, an intense feeling of hunger instantly overwhelms you.

He hadn't had a proper meal in many days, and today's high fever had taken a toll on his health, leaving his stomach completely empty.

Upon hearing the voice, Li Ya immediately snapped out of her embarrassment and quickly got up to help her father: "Dad, are you hungry? Let's go to the cafeteria and get something to eat."

Lin Chen also stepped forward to help, and the two of them, one on each side, carefully helped Li Zhenbang up from the sofa.

Only then did Li Zhenbang finally have the energy to carefully observe his surroundings.

The familiar layout confirmed to him that this was indeed the property he had secretly given to Xiaoya's mother years ago, which later ended up in Li Ya's name.

But what puzzled him was why so many people were gathered in the room.

And they were all young and beautiful girls?

What is their relationship with Xiaoya?

And who is this young man supporting her?

Countless questions swirled in his mind.

A short while later, Lin Chen and Li Ya helped Li Zhenbang walk towards the underground cafeteria.

Seeing this, the other girls wisely dispersed and went about their own business.

Inside the canteen, cooks were still busy cleaning up.

Upon seeing the two leaders, Lin Chen and Li Ya, enter, supporting an elderly woman with a haggard appearance, they immediately stopped what they were doing and greeted them respectfully.

"Prepare some easily digestible, warm, and nourishing food and send it over," Lin Chen instructed.

"Okay, coming right away!" the cook replied, immediately turning around to prepare.

The two men helped Li Zhenbang sit down at a dining table.

Soon, a bowl of soft, sticky rice porridge, several plates of light side dishes, and a bowl of steaming soup were served.

Li Ya carefully served her father his meal.

After eating the warm food, Li Zhenbang's originally pale complexion gradually regained some color.

His previously weak and powerless body seemed to be infused with new life, and his eyes gradually became clear and sharp, restoring the demeanor of the richest man in Guangzhou before the apocalypse.

With a clearer understanding of the situation, Li Zhenbang's spirits noticeably improved.

He began to scrutinize Lin Chen, who was sitting opposite him, with a serious and critical eye.

"Are you the leader here?" Li Zhenbang asked, his voice still a little hoarse, but it had regained its composure.

Lin Chen met his gaze without flinching: "Yes."

"What is your relationship with Xiaoya?" Li Zhenbang's question was direct and carried a sense of oppressive authority from someone who had long held a superior position.

Li Ya opened her mouth as if to speak, but Lin Chen stopped her with a look.

"Xiaoya is my woman now," Lin Chen said calmly, looking directly at Li Zhenbang, "and also my partner in the apocalypse."

His answer was also direct and frank.

Li Zhenbang's brows furrowed instantly, and the imposing aura he had cultivated over many years of business experience and commanding authority unconsciously emanated from him.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have felt the pressure long ago.

"Is she your only woman?" His voice deepened, carrying a questioning tone.

Lin Chen's expression remained unchanged, as if the invisible pressure did not exist.

He remained calm and said, "Of course not. But she will be one of the most important women in my life."

Seeing that Lin Chen was not only unaffected by his imposing manner, but also remained calm and composed, and even made it clear in his words that his daughter was not the only one, he was surprised.

Li Zhenbang's suppressed anger suddenly flared up.

He let his precious daughter become "one of" someone else's? How can he tolerate this!

Li Zhenbang's face darkened, and his tone suddenly became stern, a mixture of paternal authority and the arrogance of a former tycoon. "Immediately sever all ties with other women! Treat Xiaoya well from now on, and I might overlook it. Otherwise—"

He stared at Lin Chen, his tone suddenly becoming harsher, "Then please leave Xiaoya!"

"Impossible." Lin Chen answered without the slightest hesitation. He even leaned forward slightly, meeting Li Zhenbang's gaze without flinching. "Besides, I won't let Xiaoya leave."

"Dad! That's enough!" Before Li Zhenbang could speak again, Li Ya suddenly stood up, her voice still clear and crisp, "This is the apocalypse! You're no longer the richest man in Guangzhou who could command the wind and rain! Stop putting on your old airs!"

"Besides, didn't you also have so many concubines?"

She gave Lin Chen a deep look: "I'm following Brother Lin willingly. And—"

She paused for a moment, then uttered words that left Li Zhenbang speechless: "I personally found the other women around Brother Lin!"

These last words struck Li Zhenbang like a thunderbolt.

He looked abruptly at his daughter, then at Lin Chen, whose face remained calm. Anger, astonishment, and disbelief mingled on his face, ultimately giving way to a sense of helplessness.

"Alas, what a tragedy, what retribution." Li Zhenbang sighed deeply, his voice filled with indescribable bitterness and a sense of fate.

In a daze, he seemed to see again the look of anger, disappointment and heartache in the eyes of his former "fathers-in-law".

Now, that gaze seems to have traveled through time and space, landing on himself.

A belated wave of sorrow suddenly surged to the tip of my nose, my eyes welled up uncontrollably, and tears streamed down my face.

When Li Ya saw that her father not only hadn't calmed down but had even started to "cry," she panicked. Her earlier toughness vanished instantly, leaving only the daughter's instinctive heartache for her father.

She rushed over, frantically trying to wipe away his tears, her voice softening: "Dad, don't cry. You're such a grown man, why are you still crying? I'm really happy and content with Lin Ge, don't worry about me."

Li Zhenbang, however, turned his head away in a huff, refusing to look at her or say a word, like a sulking old child.

Li Ya turned to the other side, but he turned his head back, stubbornly maintaining his stance of refusing to communicate.

As the saying goes, "Old people are like children." Lin Chen, standing to the side, found it rather amusing to see the usually dignified and profound former richest man revealing such a childlike side.

Feeling a pang of emotion, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, but she quickly picked up her water glass to hide it.

Li Ya, with her sharp eyes, caught a glimpse of Lin Chen's expression—wanting to laugh but trying hard to suppress it—and was immediately filled with both embarrassment and annoyance.

She temporarily let go of her sulking father, rushed to Lin Chen's side, and pinched his waist with precise precision.

"Don't laugh! You're still laughing!" she scolded in a low voice, her face flushing.

"Ouch, be gentle, be gentle... I dare not laugh anymore, I really dare not laugh anymore..." Lin Chen quickly begged for mercy, but a smile was still on his face, and the two of them laughed and joked together.

The playful sounds, full of life, reached Li Zhenbang's ears. Although he was still tilting his head, his eyes unconsciously glanced at the young couple.

Looking at the genuine, radiant smile on her daughter's face, the pure joy in her laughter, and recalling the melancholy look on Li Ya's mother's face when she passed away.

I recall Li Ya's words, "Don't you have just as many concubines?"

As a father, he may never be able to accept Lin Chen, but his daughter's happiness at this moment is real and radiant. In this precarious world, what could be more precious than this?

He exhaled a long, deep breath, and suddenly felt a sense of relief.