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Chapter 195

Chapter 195: The Belated Big Chapter – The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Book Online

The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse

It was the same conference room as last time.

The same people were there, but the atmosphere was completely different. As soon as Ji Qige entered the room, his previously relaxed demeanor turned serious. After sitting down, he immediately said to Ji Zhaotang, “Give them the documents.”

Ji Zhaotang took a document from his briefcase and handed it to Third Brother.

Ji Qige said, “This contains the conditions proposed by the Capital Base for you.”

The more Third Brother read, the tighter his frown became. After finishing, he didn’t say anything but handed the document to Gu Ning, who then passed it to Jia Daozhang, and so on. Everyone’s expression was equally grave.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

When Cheng Ming, the last one, finished reading and handed the document back to Gu Ning, Third Brother finally spoke, “Mr. Ji, I’m afraid we find these conditions difficult to accept.”

Gu Ning didn’t say anything, just carefully examined the document.

Although the document was four pages long, it only had two main points.

First, Third Brother would continue to serve as the base leader, but the Capital Base would send specialists to assist in managing the base.

Second, the Oasis Base, like Bases Two and Three of the Capital Base, would retain its management rights but must acknowledge its subordination to Base One. Resource sharing and transparency were required, and the base’s management had to adhere to Base One’s standards. This meant the Oasis Base would have to abolish free housing and start charging people Crystal Cores or supplies, just like Base One.

Ji Qige didn’t frown at Third Brother’s firm rejection. Instead, he looked directly at him and said slowly, “Third Brother, I’ve looked into your background. You’re a soldier, the captain of the third company of the first artillery regiment. You’ve received many commendations and honors in the military. You should understand better than most what it means to be part of a nation.”

He emphasized the word “nation,” his tone neither too heavy nor too light, but filled with pressure.

Third Brother, not yet a seasoned politician, couldn’t keep his composure after Ji Qige’s words. He was clearly shaken by the questioning.

Ji Qige didn’t give Third Brother time to recover. He continued, “A nation cannot have two regimes. You can have your own military and manage this base, but this power must be granted by the nation and must be supervised by the nation.”

“I think Seventh Brother might be confusing the Capital Base with the concept of the nation,” Gu Ning suddenly interjected, cutting off Ji Qige. She spoke calmly but firmly, “I don’t believe the current Capital Base is equivalent to the nation. This land is our nation, not the Capital Base or any regime. What matters most in a nation isn’t the land beneath our feet, but the people living on it. When the Capital Base turns away so many people, leaving them hungry, cold, and fearful, it has already lost the right to govern this nation.”

Ji Qige’s eyes narrowed slightly, showing a mix of surprise, admiration, and realization. But he quickly regained his composure and said steadily, “If you were managing Base One now, I believe you’d make the same choice. It’s a necessary trade-off.”

“Perhaps,” Gu Ning replied noncommittally, then added, “But at least I wouldn’t covet a base that someone else built with their own hands.”

“The Oasis Base’s stance is that it is and will always remain a completely independent base, not subordinate to any other base. If resource sharing and transparency are to be mutual, we’re all for it—if the Capital Base is willing to share resources and be transparent with us, we’d welcome it. As for maintaining a standard, it shouldn’t be the Oasis Base lowering its standards to match the Capital Base’s. Instead, the Capital Base should strive to meet our standards. From what I know, the Capital Base has far more resources than we do. But if people flee to our base because of the Capital Base’s stinginess, our doors will always remain open.” Gu Ning glanced at the document in her hand, then looked directly at Ji Qige and continued, “As for the so-called ‘assistance in management’ mentioned here… if someone from Base One wants to come to the Oasis Base, we welcome them. But as the saying goes, ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Once they’re here, how we arrange things is our business.”

Ji Qige smiled, “So the Oasis Base’s stance is that you won’t accept any of the Capital Base’s proposed terms?”

Gu Ning didn’t back down, “From a certain perspective, yes.”

The atmosphere became deadlocked.

Ji Qige suddenly stood up, “If that’s the case, then there’s no need to continue this discussion.”

Ji Zhaotang also stood up, thinking Ji Qige had been provoked by Gu Ning, and said anxiously, “Seventh Brother…”

Ji Qige raised his hand, stopping Ji Zhaotang from continuing.

As he walked out of the conference room, his expression softened. He turned to Gu Ning, who had followed him, and said, “Just now, I was speaking to you as a special envoy from the Capital Base. Now, I’ll speak to you as your Seventh Brother. The Capital Base is currently divided into two factions. One faction hopes to coexist peacefully with the Oasis Base, each minding their own business, and you could help the base accommodate survivors. The other faction insists on bringing the Oasis Base under control, even if it means using force. The two factions are at a stalemate, and these documents were just to test your reaction—they’re not the final terms. But this matter isn’t small, and it won’t be resolved quickly. It could take anywhere from ten days to half a year.”

He continued, “When I return, I’ll convey your stance, but I can’t predict what the outcome will be. However, I’ll do my best to mediate and hope for a result that both sides can accept.”

Gu Ning felt slightly relieved and said, “Thank you, Seventh Brother.” She was grateful to him. He had already revealed a lot of insider information within his limits, not to mention his efforts on behalf of the Oasis Base in the Capital Base. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have gotten so much information. After all, when it came to political intrigue, they were no match for the people in the Capital Base.

“No need to be so formal among family,” Ji Qige said with a smile, his tone much lighter than the cold one he’d used in the conference room. “I won’t stay for dinner today.” He nodded to Third Brother and the others, “You can stop here.” Then he said to Gu Ning, “Walk me to the door. I have some personal matters to discuss with you.”

Third Brother and the others stopped there. Cheng Ming watched as Gu Ning, Ji Qige, and Ji Zhaotang walked out, feeling somewhat defeated.

As they walked, Ji Qige said to Gu Ning, “Ji Jiuzhe mentioned in his letter that he’s dealing with some things and can’t come home for now. I know his character—if he doesn’t want me to know, there must be a reason. Since you were able to bring his letter, you must have a way to contact him. Please pass on a message for me: tell him that the family is worried about him, and no matter what, he should come home to put their minds at ease.”

Gu Ning nodded, though her heart was heavy. No one knew better than her that, in a way, the Ji Jiuzhe of this world was already gone. How long could this excuse last? A year or two, maybe, but five or ten years? Still, worries aside, she couldn’t think of a solution. She could only take it one day at a time. Fortunately, she had Zhuang Chen and Yi Shaoqing to help, which eased some of the pressure.

When they reached the car, Ji Qige said kindly to Gu Ning, “When you have time, come visit. My uncle and aunt would be delighted to see you.”

Gu Ning thought for a moment, then said, “Once things are settled, I’ll come.”

Ji Qige raised an eyebrow, seemingly pleased with her response. He got into the car and closed the door, but then suddenly rolled down the window and asked Gu Ning, “Was it Ji Jiuzhe who taught you what to say in the conference room?”

Gu Ning was momentarily stunned, then her eyes sparkled with mischief, “He just told me that Seventh Brother is a fox.”

Ji Qige rolled his eyes and teased, “I always wondered what kind of girl Ji Jiuzhe would like. Now I know. Alright, we’ll be off now.” He turned to Ji Zhaotang, who was still standing outside the car, “What are you waiting for? Get in!”

Ji Zhaotang looked at Gu Ning with a troubled expression, then said reproachfully, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you and Ninth Brother are a couple?”

With that, he got into the car and drove off, leaving Gu Ning standing there, covered in dust and utterly confused.

The pressure from the Capital Base was undoubtedly immense for Gu Ning and Third Brother, and it made them realize the importance of strength. Currently, the Oasis Base had seventy Special Ability users, but Base One of the Capital Base alone had nearly four hundred, not to mention the combined numbers from Bases Two and Three, which were staggering. This was unavoidable. Before Gu Ning and the others arrived at the Capital Base, most Special Ability users from the settlement points had already been recruited by the Capital Base. The dozen or so Special Ability users they had managed to recruit were mostly those who had arrived at the Capital Base during the period when Special Abilities had disappeared, so they had gotten lucky.

The chances of evolving Special Abilities in subsequent batches were extremely low.

Once, the odds were as high as 30:1, and not a single Mutation System Special Ability user had appeared since. The capacity of the Special Ability pool was only half of what it had been during the initial evolution with Gu Ning, which was quite disheartening.

Gu Ning also considered that the unusually high probability of evolving Special Abilities when she, Zhang Xiaobai, and Jia Daozhang had evolved might have been due to her. She tried using an Evolution Crystal Core once, but it had no effect. Under the pressure from the Capital Base, Gu Ning decided to reluctantly try using a Mutation Crystal Core. The energy contained in a Mutation Crystal Core was several times that of a regular Evolution Crystal Core. After consuming one, Xiang Xu had jumped directly from the fourth tier to the fifth tier. Each tier in the Psychic System Special Ability was more difficult to achieve than in other systems, even among Mutation Systems. This showed just how terrifying the energy in a Mutation Crystal Core was.

If it didn’t work, it would mean wasting a precious Mutation Crystal Core. Gu Ning’s stock of Mutation Crystal Cores was already running low. In nearly three months, they had only managed to obtain one Mutation Crystal Core. Using one meant one less, so Gu Ning’s decision was a significant one.

She gathered the people on the list in a room.

There were sixty-three Crystal Cores in total, the last of the Oasis Base’s stock, aside from those in Gao Yue’s research lab.

This meant sixty-three people had this opportunity.

Before this, a group of people would get this chance every half month. The last group had sixty-four people, and only two had successfully evolved.

Even though the odds were incredibly low, everyone in the room hoped they would be one of the two. Their faces showed unmasked excitement, anticipation, and anxiety. Only the mute boy sat silently in the corner, showing little emotion. He had been given this chance, but he didn’t seem particularly excited, even a bit listless. He He and Wu Sen were on their second attempt, so they weren’t as excited, mostly just nervous.

There wasn’t much introduction.

Each person was handed a Crystal Core.

No matter how many times they saw it, people were always captivated by the beauty of the Crystal Core.

Gu Ning looked at the Mutation Crystal Core in her palm. It was almost transparent, yet stunningly beautiful. This was the purest Mutation Crystal Core she had, and she could almost see the energy flowing inside it. Just holding it made her feel the restlessness of her Special Ability.

Everyone was mesmerized by the Crystal Core in their hands. It wasn’t just a Crystal Core—it represented the possibility that their fate could change the moment they swallowed it. Even if the chance was only one in thirty, they were still狂热 about it.

Being a Special Ability user was a title everyone in the apocalypse deeply desired.

Compared to those who longed to change their fate, Gu Ning bore much more pressure. Her fate wasn’t just her own—it was tied to the future of the entire base.

She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and tossed the Crystal Core into her mouth. Unlike regular Evolution Crystal Cores, which melted instantly, the Mutation Crystal Core slowly dissolved into a cool stream that slid down her throat—

Everyone else in the room followed suit, swallowing their Crystal Cores and feeling the cool, refreshing sensation spread through their bodies.

Then, the room fell into complete silence. Everyone’s eyes were wide open, and they held their breath, waiting anxiously for the lucky ones to emerge…

One minute passed…

Two minutes…

Three minutes…

The room remained eerily quiet, so silent you could hear a pin drop, accompanied by the sound of heavy breathing…

Failure.

That was the thought that crossed everyone’s mind at that moment.

Not a single success.

This group had set a new record: 63:0. It was likely the lowest success rate in history.

Method and Jia Daozhang, standing by the door, exchanged a glance, both seeing deep disappointment in each other’s eyes.

Jia Daozhang took a deep breath and said, trying to sound lighthearted, “Alright, everyone, don’t be too disappointed—”

A dull thud from the corner cut him off.

Almost everyone turned to look.

In the far corner of the room, the mute boy had collapsed, his eyes closed.

Jia Daozhang, seemingly encouraged, said happily, “See, we at least have one—”

“Thud.”

Another dull sound interrupted him.

From the same direction, everyone turned to see He He, who had been sitting next to the mute boy, collapse as well.

Jia Daozhang opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Wu Sen, who had just looked thrilled, suddenly closed his eyes and fell to the ground.

Then, as if by some miracle, people in the room began to fall one after another, like harvested wheat…

Until only Jia Daozhang and Method were left standing. They looked at the room full of collapsed bodies, stunned and speechless.

After a long while, Jia Daozhang finally snapped out of it and said to Method, “Method, am I hallucinating?”

Method, staring at the sea of bodies, swallowed hard and said, “Then we must both be hallucinating.”

They looked at each other, then seemed to remember something at the same time. In unison, they said, “Gu Ning!” They immediately turned to look at her, only to find her still unconscious, leaning against the wall. No one had noticed her earlier.

In the space of her mind, the Special Ability sea was churning violently, like boiling water. With a splash, the Giant Bear’s massive body emerged from the water, a large silver fish in its mouth. It frantically paddled to the shore, not stopping until it was ten meters away. The fish in its mouth thrashed, slapping the bear’s face. The bear bit the fish in half and dropped it on the ground. It stood up on its hind legs, looking around for the familiar figure, but couldn’t find any trace of Gu Ning. Confused, it scratched its head, glanced at the increasingly turbulent sea, and decided it was safer to return to its den. It would ask the human what was going on when she returned—if she could understand it, that is. Picking up the halved fish, the bear lumbered up the mountain. As it turned, countless green light points poured down from the misty sky…

In the spacious room, invisible green light points filled the air. Meanwhile, in the classroom building, while everyone was diligently taking notes, Xiang Xu was zoning out. She only needed to glance at the words on the blackboard to memorize them. She seemed bored, but suddenly, her eyes lit up. She reached out joyfully, staring at the air as countless green light points flowed through her fingers. She followed the light points, her gaze turning toward the direction of Gu Ning’s location… More green light points came from afar, riding the wind, passing through forests, rivers, buildings, and people, gathering in the room. They were drawn by a powerful force, rushing toward Gu Ning and settling on her body, seeping through her clothes and skin, merging with her—

If Method and Jia Daozhang could see the green light points, they would have been shocked to see Gu Ning wrapped in a glowing green shroud. But they couldn’t see it. To them, Gu Ning, asleep, looked no different from the others in the room.

The Special Ability sea gradually calmed, and the last of the green light points merged into it, restoring the sea to complete stillness.

The green light points attached to Gu Ning’s body slowly floated up and drifted toward the others lying on the floor, settling on their bodies…

The Door to Rebirth in Apocalypse

The Door to Rebirth in Apocalypse

末世重生之门
Score 8.4
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2015 Native Language: Chinese
Two parallel universes. On the day of the apocalypse, the trajectory of history driven into two different paths, completely altered the two universes. One is a heaven, and one is a hell. One is an era of peace while the red flag fluttered. One is the end of the world where zombies rampaged, and lives devastated. Gu Ning tried to survive in the apocalyptic world, trying all her best to protect her family and loved ones. Yet, she dies brutally on the streets after being betrayed. She woke up in a strange dimension. An empty dimension, and a door. Opened the door once, it is the peaceful era. Opened the door again, it is the end of the world.

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