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

Two and a half hours later.

The tracked vehicle drove into the military base in the south of the city and came to a steady stop at the entrance of the underground command center.

Staff Officer Chen jumped out of the vehicle and strode inside. He Jun and two soldiers followed behind, and Tang Xiaoran also walked quickly.

The door to Commander Peng's office was open.

When Staff Officer Chen went in, Commander Peng was standing in front of the huge map of Guangzhou, with his back to the door, seemingly lost in thought.

"commander."

Commander Peng turned around.

"Are you done talking?"

"We've finished talking."

Staff Officer Chen recounted the entire process in detail, including Lin Chen's attitude and conditions, especially the phrase "We'll do it ourselves tomorrow."

After listening to Staff Officer Chen's report, Commander Peng remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he sighed.

The sigh was soft, yet carried an indescribable heaviness: "I never expected that the other party would possess a method to upgrade superpowers. And they've already amassed such a substantial fortune."

Staff Officer Chen remained silent. He had witnessed He Jun's actions firsthand.

Both being S-rank, He Jun is now at Tier 4. Conventional firearms can no longer penetrate his defenses; they bounce off his skin. Moreover, he is as fast as lightning and strong enough to tear apart an armored vehicle with his bare hands.

If superhumans continue to grow like this, even the "Nuclear Peace Guardians" might not be able to deal with them in the future.

Commander Peng withdrew his gaze.

"Are they willing to share this method?" he asked.

Staff Officer Chen was taken aback for a moment, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.

"I haven't had a chance to ask yet."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "At the time... I was just too shocked."

Commander Peng glanced at him but did not blame him—anyone in that situation would probably have lost their composure.

"So, what do you think," Commander Peng walked back to his desk and slowly sat down, "how should I choose?"

Staff Officer Chen remained silent.

"It's a matter of each person having the ability," Commander Peng said. "Or should we agree to give them 90%?"

Staff Officer Chen shook his head.

he does not know.

This multiple-choice question is too difficult.

Agreeing to 90% is tantamount to admitting that the military has no bargaining power with Lin Chen.

They refused, declaring it a matter of mutual respect—but with 107 S-class personnel on the other side, what could the military possibly rely on?

The office fell silent again.

a long time.

Commander Peng spoke up: "Let's rely on our own abilities."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of decisiveness.

Staff Officer Chen raised his head.

"It'll be easier to explain to the soldiers..."

Staff Officer Chen remained silent for a moment.

He understood.

It's not that we don't know the odds are low. It's that we can't let the soldiers feel that their commander doesn't even dare to fight for a chance.

"Yes, Commander." Staff Officer Chen stood at attention.

"Then I'll trouble you to make another trip," Commander Peng said. "Since the other party has agreed to take action tomorrow, let's eliminate this hidden danger as soon as possible."

Staff Officer Chen nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Commander Peng called him over.

Staff Officer Chen stopped in his tracks.

"Didn't you put some old-fashioned radios into service a few days ago?" Commander Peng said. "These things are still usable."

He paused.

"Take a telegraph machine with you. And two soldiers who know how to operate it."

"Ask them if they're willing to cooperate long-term. In the future, when we encounter tough challenges like this, ask them to help us out."

"If they agree, let them stay there permanently."

Staff Officer Chen was silent for two seconds, then nodded heavily: "Yes, Commander."

Commander Peng stood in front of the huge map of Guangzhou, with his back to him.

The dim light shone down from above, casting a long shadow over him.

"From Lin Chen..." Commander Peng began slowly, his voice soft, "I saw a glimmer of hope for ending the apocalypse."

Staff Officer Chen was stunned.

Commander Peng turned around, a smile appearing on his face, a smile that was somewhat complicated—was it relief? Or self-mockery? He himself couldn't tell.

"I originally wanted to assess his character and, if possible, give him a helping hand."

"But their strength is undeniable... Wouldn't it be ridiculous for us to offer them support with our meager resources?"

Staff Officer Chen remained silent, feeling a sense of helplessness in his heart.

He understood what Commander Peng meant.

The apocalypse has arrived, bringing devastation and death. The military should have taken the lead in saving the people.

Unfortunately, their strength is limited. Even though they are working desperately to clear out the zombies every day, they haven't even finished clearing this small area in the south of the city.

Having come this far, they can no longer see where the road ahead leads. They also cannot find a way to end this nightmare.

But today, at the Mountain and Water Garden, they saw a glimmer of hope.

107 S-class, 1740 A-class, and the unfathomable Lin Chen—if anyone in this world could truly end the apocalypse, it would probably be him.

Commander Peng has always prioritized the country and its people. How could he not want to lend a helping hand when he saw such a trend?

He was willing to be a stepping stone for restoring order to this ruin.

Staff Officer Chen lowered his eyes and did not reply.

Commander Peng didn't seem to need him to respond.

After a moment of silence, Commander Peng spoke again: "Pay close attention to his character."

Staff Officer Chen raised his head.

"As long as he's not a tyrannical and bloodthirsty person," Commander Peng said, "we'll cooperate with him more in the future."

Staff Officer Chen looked into Commander Peng's eyes and nodded heavily.

"clear."

He then turned and left. Outside the door, he gathered He Jun, Tang Xiaoran, and others, and assigned a telegraph machine and two soldiers who knew how to operate it.

We set off for the Mountain and Water Garden once again.

When the group stepped into the landscape garden again, the sight before them made Staff Officer Chen pause slightly.

The trading area in the inner city was more than twice as bustling as it was in the morning.

I don't know where all these people came from—men and women, young and old, wearing all sorts of clothes, some even carrying bulging backpacks.

They were gathered in front of shops converted from villas, exchanging crystal cores for goods.

Clothing, food, clean water, weapons... the supplies on the stall were neatly arranged, and the variety was so complete that even Staff Officer Chen was somewhat surprised.

"Make way, make way!"

A middle-aged man, carrying a large piece of frozen meat, squeezed through the crowd with a grin, calling out to the person behind him, "Old Zhang, do you have enough crystal cores? If not, I can lend you two!"

"Get lost!" a head popped out from the crowd. "I hunted four today, I'm richer than you!"

Laughter erupted from all around.

Staff Officer Chen stood still, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Those smiles... were real.

It's not the kind of forced laughter in an apocalyptic world, meant to comfort oneself. It's the kind of genuine laughter that comes from the heart, from the feeling that life can still go on.

He had never seen that kind of laughter in the military shelter.

The people there looked tired, numb, or with an unspoken heaviness on their faces—everyone was just getting through each day, and who knew what tomorrow would bring.

But the people here are different.

They seem to be...alive.