Rewriting the Apocalypse

31_ The Chosen One

What they had expected to be a flawless plan quickly fell apart.

The next day, Chen Xu was supposed to help Derek escape while the secret guild launched an attack on the government. But when the time came, Derek was nowhere to be found.

He Kwok had already gained control over the security cameras, but no matter how many feeds he scanned, Derek was missing from every room.

Immediately, they sent an urgent message to the secret guild, calling off the attack. There was no point in creating chaos if they couldn't retrieve Derek. They needed to figure out what had happened before making their next move.

For now, they pretended not to notice anything, blending in as if nothing had gone wrong—while the secret guild, on the other hand, was growing increasingly restless.

- You useless people. Find him before I come there myself after finishing this damned task. -

Yang Yifei’s message to Ling Song’s subordinates was curt and filled with barely restrained fury.

While the government base remained outwardly calm, tension simmered beneath the surface.

He Kwok stood in line at the dining hall, waiting for his turn to grab food. His mind was elsewhere, replaying everything he knew about the disappearance. The government was definitely hiding something.

The thought alone wasn’t surprising. He was well aware of their human experimentation projects—after all, the other generals, including himself, were permitted access to those rooms. But something about this situation felt off.

After taking his tray, he made his way to an empty table, preferring to eat in peace. He had barely settled down when he felt a tap on his back.

Predictably, it was Ji Zeyan.

Hi Zhi, his stalker-like companion, had once told him that persistently seeking out the same person every day could be considered a form of stalking. It was a sign of interest.

He Kwok didn’t particularly care, but he had noticed that Ji Zeyan had somehow gained significant favor with the commander. His sudden rise in rank was unusual, and He Kwok had no idea how he managed it. Top-secret projects weren’t disclosed to just anyone—if Ji Zeyan had access to them, then something serious was at play.

"Can I eat with you?" Ji Zeyan asked carefully, almost as if he feared rejection.

"Of course." He Kwok smiled faintly.

Ji Zeyan sat across from him, clearly pleased. His slightly messy hair and glasses obscured much of his face, but the excitement in his tone was impossible to miss.

"What’s your schedule today?" Ji Zeyan asked casually.

"Nothing much. Just training the soldiers until 15:00. After that, I'm free. Why?"

"Oh, no reason… I was just wondering if you’d like to visit my lab. You’ve never seen it, have you?"

He Kwok shrugged. "Not really. I’ve seen glimpses of it on the security cameras, but that’s about it."

Ji Zeyan, sensing his lack of interest, quickly added, "We’re working on something new—a phone that can make calls and send messages! It’s been a real challenge, but I’m getting closer to a breakthrough. I was hoping…" He hesitated before continuing in a softer voice, "...that you’d praise me for it, you know."

He Kwok raised an eyebrow, lips twitching slightly in amusement. Ji Zeyan was, in many ways, predictable—but that just made him all the more entertaining.

"Well." He Kwok said, taking a bite of his food, "I suppose I’ll have to see it first before I decide if you’re worth praising."

Ji Zeyan pouted but didn’t argue, already planning how to impress him.