RIACMET chapter 272

 

[The timeline returns to when Jiang Nian still small.]

The younger Jiang Nian was clingy and spoiled, but his wild personality remained unchanged.

Shaking his wet head, he poked and prodded Cheng Jing’s body restlessly. Then, he opened his mouth:

“Brother Jing, do you want to try this size?”

From Brother Jing’s reaction and the look in his eyes today, it was clear that he had been reminded of when they first met.

Back then, he hadn’t been “broken” yet. He was full of fire and ambition, and his love at first sight had been returned. There were no regrets in his youth.

However, since he had always had such a reasonable and steady boyfriend, things hadn’t been particularly wild. Sometimes, dating even felt like attending prep school.

“You really are…”

Cheng Jing’s hand paused while drying Jiang Nian’s hair, and the hairdryer knocked gently against Jiang Nian’s head.

“Cut it out.”

Jiang Nian turned his head.

“I’m serious.”

Cheng Jing’s expression turned stern.

“No, you’d better behave. You’re underage right now.

Jiang Nian: “…”

All right, neither of them had changed. Brother Jing was still Brother Jing.

Unable to sleep because of his restlessness, they ended up talking late into the night, having a serious conversation for the first time in a long while.

They talked about everything: from the moment they met, to dating, falling in love, breaking up, facing the apocalypse, dying tragically, and being reborn again.

There were regrets and sighs and things that were hard to let go of. Fortunately, they were given another chance, and this time, they chose each other without hesitation.

“Brother Jing, I’m really glad I met you.”

Jiang Nian let out a slightly dramatic sigh, moved by long-buried emotions. He thought seriously about the main reason he hadn’t become twisted after everything.

He was deeply loved by his mother while growing up. As an adult, he was fortunate enough to fall in love with someone who was good inside and out. Brother Jing had always given him hope, light, determination, and a deep sense of security.

Thoughtful Cheng Jing replied:

“I can only be better when you’re with me.”

That was the truth. From his mother’s reaction, it was clear that if Nian Nian weren’t around, he really might have lost his mind.

The ruthless actions he took in his past life while seeking revenge also showed how dark his heart once was.

“Yeah, I’ll live well.”

Jiang Nian said firmly. Life is fragile, so cherish it. They’d gone through so much to finally reach this point. All they had to do now was treasure it.

The next day, Jiang Nian had fully recovered. The first thing he did was pounce on Cheng Jing and “chew him up.”

Any plans to go out were put on hold indefinitely.

…

Now fully back to himself, Jiang Nian first trained with his teammates to loosen up, and then threw himself back into work.

The researchers at Laboratory Building No. 3 had made new breakthroughs in pure energy extraction and conversion. He actively cooperated and no longer resisted entering the lab.

As Minister Wang said, Jiang Nian was the hope against the apocalyptic zombie virus, not the final answer. No one had the right to treat him like an object.

With official support, the protection of his lover and teammates, and the backing of South City Base and brain evolution professors, the extreme voices that once demanded he be put on the experimental table slowly faded away.

No one dared to say anymore that someone with superpowers like him should unconditionally sacrifice himself.

Meanwhile, South City Base continued to receive alarming signals from various places—some periodic, some strange—which drew the attention of the authorities.

Minister Wang received insider intel:

Survivors and infected individuals from other countries had secretly infiltrated the country and escaped detection.

Since the apocalypse began, the country had deployed most of its superpowered forces to guard the borders, which had been successful. This also meant that any escapees were likely not good people.

Consequently, Yang Kai and Master Gao remained at the base while a nine-person team, led by Cheng Jing, prepared to depart for the source of the suspicious distress signals.

Their custom-designed apocalypse RV had been upgraded. This mission involved driving it along the border regions to conduct a special survey and respond to any abnormalities they encountered.

Of course, aside from the vehicle, Zhao Lei’s work ring stored aircraft and ample munitions. Considering the team’s current superpower capabilities, Jiang Nian made a cautious assessment:

A team like theirs could walk through the apocalypse with ease.

“…”

The RV rumbled down a cracked road. The team worked together to fight zombies and collect crystal cores, searching every hidden building they passed.

It felt just like the early days of the apocalypse when they left Qingyun City for South City Base—except now, zombies were more dangerous and other survivors weren’t always friendly. They had to be more cautious than ever.

When they encountered survivors in need, they provided appropriate assistance. Those who were ungrateful were detained and handed over to official base labor forces for construction duty.

As for the rare few who risked everything just to stir up trouble, they were dealt with on the spot to prevent harm to innocents and worse consequences.

In short, they now acted on behalf of the authorities.

Boom!

The sound of thunder and explosions echoed in the distance.

A few hours later, they entered a rainy area. The temperature dropped, the air turned damp, and an old, familiar scent returned to the wind.

Recently, cloud formations suitable for creating artificial rain have appeared more frequently. The government initiated many rounds of rainfall and dispersed purification agents into the sky.

There were even aircraft spreading various plant seeds.

Now, it was Cheng Jing’s turn to drive. Jiang Nian sat in the passenger seat, leaning against the window and gazing outside. Spots of green had begun to sprout on the scorched earth, and the shadows of wildlife could be seen again in remote valleys.

Disasters still occurred—smoke clouds, earthquakes, poisonous miasma from underground, and heavily polluted black water—but with fewer people, the likelihood of being affected was lower.

It felt like, after being sterilized so thoroughly, the earth was slowly starting to recover.

The central broadcasts had shifted their focus to highlight mankind’s efforts to rebuild and reclaim the homeland, which uplifted the spirits of those who survived the catastrophe.

“I suddenly want to get caught in the rain.”

Jiang Nian said softly, smiling. With a purification system by his side, getting wet wouldn’t matter.

“Be patient a little longer. Wait until the rain falls naturally, and you can get as soaked as you want.”

Cheng Jing answered offhandedly, watching raindrops streak across the windshield. In the dim light, the world really did look a little more normal.

They say water is the source of life. The same rain that once carried poison would someday bring healing.

Jiang Nian turned to look at him, his smile deepening.

“All right, let’s make sure we enjoy it properly.”

He wasn’t being childish or dramatic. In both of his lives, he had never been rained on, and he was truly looking forward to it. It was a feeling no one else could really understand.

There was still a long road ahead in the fight against the apocalypse. No matter how bleak things were, the survivors continued to fight for life.

This time, their team was patrolling the borders. Hopefully, when they returned to South City Base, they would hear the official announcement that the Level 1 Apocalypse Alert had been lifted.

That the Level 1 Apocalypse Alert had finally been lifted.

That was everyone’s greatest wish.

[Full text complete.]

 

---

The translation is finally complete. Thank you for reading until the end! 💕 Feel free to check out my other projects: But He’s Beautiful and Running an Inn in the Deep Mountain of the Demon Realm.