78: Chapter 78 Taking in Subordinates

“Where did Mommy go? Why hasn't she come back yet?”

“Daddy, why are these people lying on the ground? Did they faint from hunger?”

The little girl held Liu Dahai's hand, following timidly by her father's side.

Liu Dahai lowered his head; the thrill of having just slain his enemies quickly faded, replaced by an endless sense of sorrow.

He crouched down and used his sleeve to wipe the dust from his daughter's cheeks:

“Be good, Xiaohua. These uncles are just too tired and fell asleep.”

“Then what about Mommy? Is Mommy asleep too? When will she come back to be with Xiaohua?”

The little girl asked, looking up.

Liu Dahai's throat choked up; for a moment, he didn't know how to answer.

“Mommy went to a very far place to take care of something very important. When she's done, she'll come back to see Xiaohua.”

“Don't be afraid, Xiaohua. Daddy will get you something delicious right away.”

The man scooped up his daughter and patted her shoulder comfortingly.

The little girl nodded as if she understood, her small hands tightly hugging Liu Dahai's neck, burying her little face in the crook of his neck, murmuring softly:

“Daddy, Xiaohua is really so hungry...”

Upon entering the Villa, Liu Dahai froze.

Bright lights, an incredibly warm living room, and the mouth-watering aroma of stewed meat wafted over.

Is this the apocalypse?

The scene before him made him almost think it was a hallucination caused by extreme hunger.

Things that shouldn't exist in the apocalypse were all present in this Villa, lacking nothing.

A woman wearing a silk robe was lazily leaning against the leather sofa in the center of the living room, her long, fair legs crossed, holding a glass of red wine in her hand, looking at them with a faint smile.

The woman's complexion was rosy and full of vitality. Her well-maintained face showed no trace of the hardships of the apocalypse; instead, it added a touch of mature charm.

It was his former female boss, Zhang Xinmei.

A “boom” went off in Liu Dahai's mind, and he almost stopped thinking.

“Daddy, it smells so good...”

Xiaohua stirred in his arms, her little nose sniffing hard at the tempting aroma of meat in the air, drool almost flowing out.

“Dahai, long time no see.”

Zhang Xinmei put down her wine glass, her gaze circling from Liu Dahai to the Xiaohua in his arms, finally landing back on Song Yang.

Song Yang walked over to the dining table nearby, where several exquisite side dishes were laid out, and a large pot of steaming stewed meat in the center was especially fragrant.

“Eat first.”

Song Yang pulled out a chair and gestured to Liu Dahai.

Like a marionette, Liu Dahai mechanically walked over while holding his daughter.

He placed Xiaohua on the chair and stood to the side, feeling somewhat awkward.

“Boss Zhang...”

Liu Dahai's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice dry.

Everything before him was too unreal.

The world outside was hell, but this place was like heaven.

And Song Yang, the young man who had saved him and his daughter like a god descending from the heavens, seemed to have an inextricable connection with this “heaven.”

Zhang Xinmei stood up slowly, walked to the dining table, and personally served Xiaohua a small bowl of soft, tender stewed meat, carefully picking out the bones.

“Little sister, you must be starving, right? Eat up.”

Zhang Xinmei pushed the bowl in front of Xiaohua with a gentle smile.

Xiaohua glanced timidly at Liu Dahai. Seeing that her father did not object, she picked up a small spoon and eagerly scooped a piece of meat into her mouth.

“Mmm... delicious!”

Xiaohua's eyes lit up, praising it indistinctly, and she began to eat quickly in small bites.

Watching his daughter wolf down the food, Liu Dahai's eyes grew hot, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Zhang Xinmei held her wine glass, her gaze falling on Liu Dahai:

“I remember you took your wife and daughter back to your hometown when the apocalypse first started, didn't you? How did you end up here?”

Liu Dahai took a deep breath and began: “Boss Zhang, when it was just getting dark, I drove out of the city with Xiaohua and her mother.”

“The road out of the city was severely blocked, and then those things rushed out from the darkness.”

Liu Dahai's voice began to tremble, “White, human-like monsters, with terrifying strength and speed. They overturned the cars in front and then started killing people.”

“I was lucky; my car was behind, so I managed to turn around in time and fled desperately back into the city. But Xiaohua's mother was injured in the major artery by those monsters, and the bleeding wouldn't stop no matter what. She passed away before we even got back to where we used to live.”

“Later, the food at home ran out quickly, so I had to take Xiaohua to find a safer place to scavenge for more food, and that's when we ran into that pack of animals outside.”

“Eat first. We'll talk about other things after you're full.”

Hearing her boss say this, Liu Dahai's gratitude was beyond words.

He nodded, picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat, and slowly put it into his mouth.

The meat was fragrant and tender; it was the best thing he had ever eaten in his life.

But for some reason, tears fell uncontrollably, mixing with the food as he swallowed it, tasting bitter and astringent.

After eating until full, the little girl held her round, bulging tummy and leaned into Liu Dahai's arms.

“Daddy, Xiaohua has never been this full before. It's so delicious.”

Her voice grew softer and softer, and she actually fell asleep with a smile.

Looking at his daughter's peaceful sleeping face, Liu Dahai could no longer suppress the surge of emotions in his heart. His knees went weak, and with a “thump,” he knelt straight down toward Song Yang.

“Big Brother!”

“Your great kindness and virtue, I, Liu Dahai, will never forget! From now on, my life is yours. Whatever you tell me to do, I will do it without a second word!”

Song Yang frowned, “Stand up. You are not allowed to kneel.”

“Xinmei said you were a veteran. Are you trying to prove that a soldier's knees are weak?!”

Liu Dahai jerked his head up, a flash of astonishment in his bloodshot eyes, followed by deep shame.

He was a soldier, with an iron backbone. If it weren't for his daughter, and if it weren't for this apocalypse crushing all his dignity, he would never have come to this.

He gritted his teeth and slowly stood up, his back straight as it had been when he was in the army:

“Mr. Song, I understand. From now on, wherever you need me, Liu Dahai, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!”

“I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but before meeting you, my only plan was to take Xiaohua and live one more day for as long as I could.”

“Now, as long as Xiaohua can live safely, I will do anything.”