10: Chapter 10 Cold and Aloof Older Sister?

I don't know how much time had passed.

As his consciousness slowly returned, Chen Ye felt his eyelids were heavy as lead, and the lingering soreness from the strange electric currents still gnawed at his bones.

He struggled to open his eyes. What came into view was not the glaring white light of the interrogation room, but a cold, white, orderly ceiling.

This was a double-occupancy hospital room with two military cots placed side by side, the bedding printed with a light gray military emblem.

The walls were so clean they lacked any unnecessary decoration, and even the windows were fitted with frosted glass.

Outside the door, it was unusually quiet, with only the occasional sound of soldiers' rhythmic footsteps in the distance; there was none of the noise typical of a regular hospital.

Chen Ye let out a sigh of relief instantly.

It wasn't the interrogation room, nor was it the terrifying Superpower research institute; it was a hospital exclusive to The Authorities.

This meant that from start to finish, the other side had not obtained concrete proof that he was a Superpower user; after their attempts at probing yielded nothing, they had simply dumped him here.

"But this interrogation was too sloppy; it felt like they were just going through the motions!" Chen Ye felt puzzled again in his heart.

"And that feeling just now was definitely not just a simple electric current. It seems The Authorities already have Superpower users!"

His memories from his previous life were as clear as yesterday. After the exotic beasts descended, humans awakened Superpowers due to radiation pollution, and in the early stages, The Authorities had zero tolerance for malicious Superpower users.

Anyone targeted was directly taken to a secret research institute for live experimentation, and the outcome was horrific.

Being sent to a hospital instead of a dissection table was already a stroke of luck.

He moved his fingers; the handcuffs on his wrists had long been removed, leaving only a few faint red marks.

Chen Ye remained calm and secretly activated his shared Healing Ability.

A gentle, warm current slowly coursed through his limbs and bones, and the tissue damage caused by the electric current healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, the soreness and pain dissipating bit by bit.

With his strength restored, he braced himself against the head of the bed and sat up.

Just as he was pondering how to leave quietly, the hospital room door was pushed open directly.

A robust man nearly one meter ninety tall walked in at the very front.

He wore a crisp, dark green military uniform, his shoulder insignia sharp and distinct, with black sunglasses perched on his face, exuding a cold, iron-blooded aura that kept strangers at a distance.

Behind him followed an armed guard and a female doctor in a white coat holding a tablet.

The man walked straight to the hospital bed, his gaze landing on Chen Ye.

Before he could speak, the female doctor reported softly: "Captain Lu, the examination is complete. The target's vital signs are stable, and no traces of extraterrestrial radiation pollution have been detected."

The man called Captain Lu took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of deep, cold, and sharp eyes.

He bowed slightly to Chen Ye and gave a standard military salute.

"Apologies, comrade. I am Lu Zheng, captain of the Special Operations Team. This operation was a wrongful arrest, and I apologize on behalf of the operations team for the harm caused to you."

"You are free to leave now."

Chen Ye looked the man before him up and down. His gaze was firm, his mental state extremely full; he looked like a military officer executing orders.

His eyes turned cold, and he was not polite in the slightest: "The nurse who was with me, Qin Ruoxue, where is she?"

Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, his tone flat and firm: "You do not need to know her identity; we will ensure her absolute safety."

These words completely ignited Chen Ye's anger. He raised his eyes abruptly, his voice carrying suppressed fury: "What about the wrongful arrest? Can The Authorities just arrest unarmed civilians at will?"

"She is just an ordinary nurse. Your duty is to protect the masses, not to abuse your power and make random arrests!"

Lu Zheng was clearly stunned for a moment. He looked up and down at the seemingly frail young man before him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. In his experience, ordinary civilians would have been timid and submissive when facing the military; this person actually dared to confront him directly.

"You certainly have backbone." Lu Zheng's tone softened slightly, "I will only tell you this: she is a key protected person of ours, and she is currently safe and sound."

"Additionally, intelligence indicates that not only did you protect her, but you also killed that primordial strange beast that controlled the illusion?"

His tone carried unconcealed suspicion; clearly, he did not believe an ordinary person could fight against a strange primordial beast.

Chen Ye sneered, leaning against the head of the bed with a look of disdain: "I already said it was Zhang Hao. Why are you still fixated on me?"

His heart was already churning with great waves: "Could it be that The Authorities knew it was me from the beginning?"

But why be so polite to me? I haven't done anything beneficial to society; killing the exotic beast was purely for self-preservation.

Chen Ye lowered his head in thought: "There is no need to confront The Authorities head-on right now. Surviving is the only truth."

He then said straightforwardly: "Since it was a misunderstanding, can I leave now?"

"Of course." Lu Zheng nodded.

"I can't leave empty-handed." Chen Ye was not polite at all, "You wrongfully arrested me and even tortured me; there must be some compensation, otherwise I'll just stay here."

"What do you mean?" Lu Zheng asked in a deep voice.

"Prepare some compressed biscuits, canned meat, and preferably some medicine for me. The more food, the better."

Lu Zheng hadn't expected him to make such a pragmatic request. He was stunned for a second before agreeing: "No problem. A car will be arranged to take you back in ten minutes, and the supplies will be fully prepared."

The journey was smooth and unimpeded. Carrying a heavy bag of supplies, Chen Ye was driven back to his Residential Community by a military off-road vehicle.

The sky had turned completely dark. It was the second night of the apocalypse, and the air was filled with a suffocating, bloody stench. In the distance, within the city, sirens and fire truck alarms wailed one after another.

Urban order was still barely functioning, but it revealed an undisguisable panic.

There were still sporadic pedestrians on the streets, all looking panicked and walking in a hurry.

Most people were still holding onto a fluke, thinking that The Authorities could suppress the exotic beasts and that the attacks were only temporary.

Only Chen Ye, a reborn person, knew clearly that this was just the beginning; the exotic beast attacks would become more and more violent with each wave.

Smashing, looting, and burning would break out on a large scale, and human order would completely collapse very soon.

Chen Ye carried the supplies toward the stairwell, unable to help but complain internally.

He had just bound such a top-tier beauty like Qin Ruoxue, and he hadn't even farmed much Symbiosis Value before being forcibly separated by the military.

Arresting him and then releasing him—the whole process reeked of something strange. Coupled with Qin Ruoxue's special identity, there was definitely something fishy going on here.

He had to find a way to investigate when he got home—what exactly was the background of this little nurse?

Just as he reached the elevator, the elevator door opened slowly with a "ding."

A tall, cold, and glamorous figure walked out; it was the dance teacher who lived opposite him, Shen Jiaojiao.

She wore a white, tight-fitting camisole dress, the form-fitting cut outlining a smooth and upright figure, with a silver satin short jacket worn over it.

Her long hair was permed into large waves, hanging casually over her shoulders. Her makeup was cold and exquisite, and her brows and eyes carried an inherent, detached arrogance. Usually, when she met Chen Ye, she would always look straight ahead, too lazy to even spare him a glance.

But at this moment, her expression was panicked, her steps hurried. She was clutching a limited-edition handbag tightly, her eyes darting around in a fluster; the calmness and aloofness of the past were gone.

The moment they brushed past each other, Shen Jiaojiao's wrist slipped, and a black velvet jewelry box fell straight to the ground.

Chen Ye subconsciously bent down and reached out to pick up the box.

The touch of the velvet was soft and delicate; it was obvious that it contained valuable jewelry.

Just as he handed the box to Shen Jiaojiao, she recoiled half a step as if scalded, her brows knitting tightly, her face full of disgust.

Her cold voice, carrying unconcealed sarcasm, smashed directly at him: "Who let you touch my things? You've dirtied it!"

Chen Ye's hand holding the box paused in mid-air, and a playful smile slowly curled up at the corners of his mouth.

An aloof Ice Queen? The apocalypse has already descended, and she's still putting on airs like a spoiled miss?