57: Chapter 57 Come find me tonight

A blue Tier 2 beast king core, two Tier 2 cockroach cores, and two Tier 1 mutant cores were all spread out in his palm.

Chen Ye panicked instantly and hurriedly looked around.

Seeing that only Zhao Hu was standing nearby and the soldier in the driver's seat was quite far away, they couldn't possibly hear the conversation here.

He immediately raised his index finger to his lips, lowered his voice, and said urgently, "Shh! Keep it down! If anyone else hears this, we're done for!"

He knew clearly that in the early days of the apocalypse, beast cores had already been listed as controlled materials by The Authorities, and civilians were strictly forbidden from hoarding them privately.

This was an ironclad rule that the news had repeatedly emphasized yesterday!

He did not want to come into conflict with The Authorities, nor did he want to attack his own people; he just wanted to keep a low profile and develop silently.

Liu Lingwei raised an eyebrow, fiddling with the beast core in her palm, her tone tinged with a hint of mockery, "Now, do you still want to be an ordinary person?"

Chen Ye sighed helplessly and had no choice but to compromise, "What exactly do you want?"

"Join my Demon Hunting Squad." Liu Lingwei's eyes were serious, staring intently at him, her cold, clear eyes full of determination.

Chen Ye looked into her clear, persistent eyes, realizing that forcibly resisting would definitely not be beneficial.

After all, he did not want to be listed as a reactionary force by The Authorities. It wasn't that he was afraid of being hunted; he was confident in his own strength at this moment.

It was mainly because he did not want to hurt these official combat personnel; they were innocent.

Helplessly, Chen Ye knew he couldn't refuse outright right now, but he didn't want to agree immediately either, so he could only stall, "I'll consider it."

Liu Lingwei's tone was unquestionable, "I'll only give you one night. Tomorrow morning, I want to hear your answer."

Chen Ye sighed inwardly: At midnight tonight, the apocalypse's most severe global beast tide will descend. Whether you can even worry about me by tomorrow is another matter entirely.

Liu Lingwei turned to Zhao Hu and said, "Zhao Hu, escort Mr. Chen Ye back to the Residential Community."

"Yes!" Zhao Hu stood at attention and saluted.

The two exchanged contact information, and then Chen Ye wanted to leave.

As Chen Ye turned to leave, Liu Lingwei suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of doubt, "Is my Superpower related to you? Why are you also able to control exotic beasts?"

Chen Ye paused, speaking vaguely, "Perhaps it's just a coincidence with our Superpowers."

He then followed Zhao Hu through the heavily guarded formation of military vehicles.

On the way, Zhao Hu leaned in close to Chen Ye, lowering his voice with a mischievous smile, "Brother Chen, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart."

"Our captain has been bringing you up every day lately! She's usually known as a 'tomboy'—training ruthlessly, hitting hard, and never giving men the time of day."

"She invited you personally this time, which definitely means she's interested in you! Put in some effort to win our captain over, put in a good word for us, and maybe our training will be easier in the future!"

Chen Ye hadn't expected him to say these things; just how afraid of her were these guys, to the point of wanting to marry their captain off as soon as possible?

Chen Ye feigned ignorance and said, "I didn't see that at all. You guys had better think of another way!"

At this moment, Zhao Hu put his arm around Chen Ye's shoulder and laughed, "Hey brother, don't pretend. Even though our captain follows a combat-oriented path, you've seen it yourself—she's a top-tier beauty!"

"So many people in our squad have their eyes on her! Don't waste this opportunity."

Hearing this, Chen Ye felt like gossiping a bit, "Then where did all these people who have their eyes on her go? How come they haven't won her over yet?"

Zhao Hu looked around, and after making sure Liu Lingwei wasn't following them, he whispered, "They were all beaten to the ground by her; not a single one dared to pursue her anymore!"

"But you're different. I can see that she really acknowledges your strength. Good luck!"

Chen Ye was just about to ask something else when he was interrupted by the sounds of greetings from those around them.

The special operations team members along the way waved enthusiastically when they saw Chen Ye. These were all the members he had saved at the Guangming Residential Community during the day, and they had long since accepted him as one of their own.

Looking at these passionate, sincere, yet down-to-earth soldiers, a faint touch of emotion stirred in Chen Ye's heart.

Returning to the entrance of the apartment building, under the dim light of the hallway, a delicate and graceful figure stood quietly.

Shen Jiaojiao had changed into a beige knitted long dress, the hem falling to her ankles, softly outlining her graceful figure.

Her jet-black hair was draped softly, and her skin was as white and lustrous as jade.

There was a hint of worry on her delicate face, like a lily blooming quietly in the dark night, beautiful and moving.

Chen Ye walked up and asked softly, "Why are you waiting here? Where is Sun Haoyu?"

Shen Jiaojiao raised her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, her petite chin slightly lifted, her voice soft yet firm, "I told him to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to see if we can still process the divorce papers."

Chen Ye hadn't expected Shen Jiaojiao to be so decisive after everything she had been through.

This was quite unexpected for him.

But thinking about Sun Haoyu's behavior over the past two days—how he almost cost her her life several times and even held her hostage with a knife—

It would be abnormal if she weren't so resolute.

Chen Ye sighed with a helpless smile, "We're in the middle of the apocalypse, with exotic beasts besieging the city and order collapsing; the Civil Affairs Bureau has long since stopped working. How could you possibly process those papers?"

"If you want to make a clean break, I can help you draft a divorce agreement as a form of proof."

Shen Jiaojiao shook her head gently, her gaze exceptionally stubborn, "No, I must do it completely. I don't want to have any nominal ties with him anymore."

Chen Ye looked at her stubborn yet fragile appearance and stopped trying to persuade her.

Then, with a grave expression, he lowered his voice and said word by word, "Shen Jiaojiao, remember, after twelve o'clock tonight, you must come to my room."

Shen Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, a faint blush spreading across her fair cheeks, her petite earlobes heating up slightly, her eyes full of confusion and shyness, "Wh-why?"

Chen Ye looked up at the ink-black night sky.

As if seeing the shadow of the beast tide about to sweep across the globe, his tone carried an unquestionable solemnity, "Because the true apocalypse is about to arrive."

Shen Jiaojiao watched Chen Ye's resolute back, listening to those words, "The true apocalypse is about to arrive."

Although endless confusion surged in her heart, that trust born from relying on each other for survival left her without a shred of hesitation.

With a solemn expression on her beautiful, refined face, she nodded gently, her voice soft yet heavy with conviction, "I'll remember. At midnight, I will definitely come to find you on time."

Chen Ye nodded slightly and reminded her, "Take the opportunity to rest early and conserve your energy; tonight is destined to be a sleepless night." After saying that, he turned, pushed open his door, and gently closed it behind him.

Shen Jiaojiao stood alone in the silent hallway. The evening breeze blew in through the gaps in the window, carrying the faint, cold, fishy scent unique to the apocalypse. She lowered her eyes to look at her slender fingertips, her jade-white toes curling slightly as she stepped on the soft carpet, while Chen Ye's words echoed repeatedly in her heart.

"Could a catastrophic disaster really descend at midnight?"