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

Li Ya and several other girls who had also experienced similar trauma silently gathered around her, offering tissues and water, and whispering words of comfort.

After learning from their fragmented accounts of the coercion they had suffered, the murder of their companions, and even being treated like merchandise and manipulated, all the surviving girls involuntarily turned their gaze to the back of the man at the end of the corridor, calmly inspecting his magazines as if he had just taken a walk.

At that moment, they suddenly realized with absolute clarity:

In the apocalypse, there is no law, no order. And when people's hearts break free from their constraints, the malice and cruelty they reveal are often colder, more ruthless, and more despairing than zombies that only know how to devour.

They want to survive in this hell, and perhaps... they really need a powerful protector who, at least for now, still has some principles.

Li Ya finally understood more deeply why Lin Chen insisted on not taking in any male members for the time being.

In the early stages of an imbalance of power and moral decay, certain desires and evil thoughts can easily spiral out of control.

..............................

Three hours later.

The entire five-story, sprawling "Shangyue Tiandi" shopping mall was finally completely cleared out. All the lurking zombies were eliminated, and Lin Chen looted all the uncontaminated and valuable supplies in the shops on each floor.

Lin Chen led his team back to the empty atrium hall on the first floor.

At this moment, there were no longer just a few people behind him. Apart from Li Ya, who had always stayed close by his side, the group had grown to include twenty female survivors, including Su Yun, Zhou Xiaomin, and Zhang Jing.

Most of them were covered in dirt and looked tired, but their eyes were no longer as unfocused as before, and they seemed to have regained their composure.

Lin Chen stopped, turned around, and calmly surveyed the crowd.

His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear due to the emptiness and silence of the hall, every word ringing in the ears:

"You all know what's going on outside." He pointed to the phones that most of them were still clutching tightly in their hands. "Whether it's short videos or social media platforms, they're flooded with apocalyptic scenes and information."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over each face—young or mature—but all filled with unease and anticipation:

"I've cleared the zombies out of the mall. You now have two choices."

"First, stay here. Wait for the 'rescue' you might be looking for."

"Second, leave now. Go outside, gamble your own luck, and find another way to survive."

His tone remained calm throughout, without deliberately exaggerating fear or making false promises, but this calm statement carried more weight than any roar, like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.

"But I suggest," he continued, meeting the crowd's gaze openly, "that you come with me."

"I can't guarantee absolute safety. There's no absolutely safe place in the apocalypse," he said frankly. "But you've all seen my spatial ability—it can hold massive amounts of supplies. To be honest, I've stockpiled enough food, water, medicine, and other necessities to last us a long time. At least, by following me, you don't have to worry about starving, dying of thirst, or freezing to death due to a lack of warm clothing in the short term."

He paused briefly, then added a crucial condition:

"Of course, I won't support a bunch of idle people who just eat and do no work. If you want to stay and receive shelter and supplies, you must pay the corresponding price. You need to participate in combat, clear zombies, collect supplies, and undertake guard and logistical work to the best of your ability. In the apocalypse, there are no parasites."

Although Lin Chen knew in his heart that as long as he gave them the Creation Crystal, these girls would eventually develop absolute loyalty and obedience to him.

But he still wanted to conduct such a selection process—the criteria for selection would no longer be simply appearance, but rather character, courage, and the most basic survival wisdom.

The apocalypse is long and cruel. If you are surrounded by selfish, cowardly, scheming people or people who are completely unable to adapt to the bloody rules, even if you can forcibly control them with the Creation Crystal, it will only continuously deplete your patience, energy and precious resources.

He feared that he might not be able to resist cleaning up such a "burden" himself, which would be a real waste of the Creation Crystal.

He raised his wrist and glanced at his tactical watch:

"You have ten minutes to think it over. Stay or leave, the choice is yours."

After he finished speaking, he said no more, turned around and walked to the broken glass door of the mall. He stood quietly facing the still falling blood rain and the desolate street, leaving the space for thought and choice entirely to the group of women behind him whose fates had suddenly taken a turn.

Almost without any hesitation—

Li Ya was the first to step forward and walk to Lin Chen's side. She didn't say anything, but simply reached out and gently took Lin Chen's strong arm, standing quietly beside him.

Her actions were both a silent form of support and a clear example for others who were still feeling lost.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Yingxue, who had been holding her younger sister's hand tightly, exchanged a glance with Jiang Yingyue. The two sisters simultaneously wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of their eyes, held hands, and ran to stand beside Li Ya.

They had tried to contact their family countless times, but all they got was a busy signal or a message that the call could not be connected.

They knew in their hearts that their loved ones, thousands of miles away, were probably doomed. The man before them was their only hope.

Zhou Xiaomin nervously tugged at Su Yun's sleeve, her voice still trembling slightly: "Sister Yun...we...we really have to go with him? To a completely unfamiliar place?"

Zhang Jing also looked at her nervously. As the youngest and most promising regional operations manager of this chain of upscale restaurants, Su Yun had always been a trusted boss in their work, and at this moment, she was their pillar of support.

Su Yun did not answer immediately. Her gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Lin Chen's tall and proud back.

After a moment, she took a deep breath, her tone regaining its usual calm and composed manner:

"We definitely have to follow along."

Seeing the surprise and confusion on their faces, she lowered her voice but spoke clearly, explaining to them: "Someone like Hao Yong, on the very first day of the apocalypse, wanted to use brute force and his newly acquired superpowers to distribute women as spoils of war, thereby winning people's hearts and establishing his 'kingdom.' And this person at the door—"

She gestured to Lin Chen, "From the moment he came in to kill, to clearing out the mall, and then giving out the choices just now, did you see him touch any woman? He didn't even glance at her. This shows that he at least has his own rules and bottom line, and isn't just a beast driven purely by desire."

She paused, then continued her calm analysis: "More importantly, he has a gun and powerful superpowers, capable of conjuring up all the supplies in an entire shop out of thin air. What does this mean? It means he controls the most basic and crucial resources for our survival—food, water, and a safe place to live."

With him, at least for the short term, we won't have to worry about our next meal or a sip of water anymore, wandering aimlessly like headless flies through a city full of monsters.

Zhou Xiaomin bit her slightly chapped lips and hesitated, "But... what if he changes in the future? Like Hao Yong..."

"At least not now." Su Yun looked directly into her eyes, her tone resolute. "Besides, Xiaomin, Xiaojing, do we have a better choice? Leave this mall alone? There are endless zombies outside, blood rain has polluted almost all water sources, and the police and army have not shown any signs of large-scale operation. The communications are chaotic and filled with despair."

She glanced around at the other survivors, some bewildered, others expectant, and her voice was steady and strong:

"Unless you're confident you can survive three days in this hell on your own, or have the ability to quickly assemble a team that's completely obedient to you and capable of protecting itself... wake up. The most rational and likely path to survival right now is to follow a powerful individual who has strength, rules, and hasn't completely spiraled out of control."

Zhou Xiaomin and Zhang Jing exchanged a glance, finally made up their minds, and quickly followed Su Yun's footsteps, joining the group.