Chapter 115: Xiao Jing Four Years Later

After finishing his sentence, Liu Chang turned to the one-armed woman. “He Zhi Zhi, if there’s nothing else, I’m going to bed. Please keep an eye on this person for me. After you finish cleaning the room, you should get some rest early too. By the way, Xiao Jing didn’t sneak out to play today, did she?”

“No, I locked her in the room,” He Zhi Zhi replied.

“That’s good.” Liu Chang nodded. “Now that I think about it, girls are better behaved when they’re little—those cute, obedient little girls. But once they hit puberty, they turn into little bandits… sigh…”

With a sigh, Liu Chang opened the inner room of the bar—a series of suite-like rooms. This bar was a family-style establishment where business was conducted outside, and lodging was provided inside. Taking out a key, he unlocked one of the bedrooms. Inside was a girl with dyed blonde hair.

“I’m back,” Liu Chang said to the girl lounging on the bed, legs crossed, playing on her laptop.

“I know. I knew you were back even before you entered the bar,” the girl glanced at him, pouting but otherwise ignoring him.

“Dye your hair back tomorrow. Also, don’t dress so revealingly,” Liu Chang stood before her, frowning deeply as he looked at the pink, translucent nightgown she wore. “A young girl should dress modestly. Even at home, don’t wear such revealing clothes, okay?”

“None of your business. You’re not my dad,” the girl continued to play on her computer.

“I’m your brother!” Liu Chang’s temper flared a bit at her attitude, but he took a deep breath to suppress his anger. “Are you still mad at me for interfering in your love life?”

“Yes.” At this topic, the girl finally put down her laptop, shifted position, and leaned against the bed’s headboard. “Who do you think you are, telling me who I can fall in love with?”

“The third oldest!” Liu Chang said offhandedly. “Never mind what number I am to you, you can’t be with that guy. Find someone your own age, someone honest. I looked into that guy—he’s a punk. Around here, he’s caused a lot of trouble for young girls. He’s in his twenties, just a lowlife thug from some gang. If you see him again, I’ll break his head.”

“Go ahead and try. Like anyone cares,” the girl rolled her eyes, dismissive of Liu Chang’s words.

“If you don’t care about him, why are you involved with him? Are you out of your mind?” Seeing her attitude, Liu Chang’s anger ignited fully. He pointed at her and shouted, “Look at yourself! Thick makeup, your face is so caked with powder it could stop a bullet, dyed yellow hair, always dressed like an outcast from the early 2000s. What exactly are you trying to do? After everything you’ve been through, can’t you grow up a little?”

“You like mature?” The girl heard Liu Chang and struck a defiant pose.

“Stop changing the subject,” Liu Chang grabbed her ankle and pulled her back into a proper position, then continued, “Get yourself back to normal.”

“I’m normal. You’re the one who’s not. You just can’t face what’s inside yourself,” the girl’s anger suddenly flared. She kicked Liu Chang in the stomach, then stood up. “What’s wrong with me? What do you care? Why do you even bother?”

“Why should I care? What did I ever ask from you? If you’re disgusted with me, just say it. Stop making trouble all the time. Are you trying to push me out?” The girl curled her lips. “Fine, push me out. You’re powerful now, your nose is even better than He Zhi Zhi’s. You don’t need me anymore. You can handle any danger on your own. I’m useless to you. If you want me gone, just say it. I can live on my own anyway.”

“Go then!” Liu Chang shouted. “Go live on your own!”

“See? You really want to kick me out!” The girl burst into tears. “You really want me gone!”

“Damn, I can’t talk to you. We have no common ground,” Liu Chang said, his anger halving but frustration growing. “Do whatever you want. But I’m telling you, if you don’t get back to normal and cut off contact with that guy, you’re not going anywhere.”

“Fine. I’ll cut off contact with that guy and get back to normal. But…” The girl cried, “You have to hold me to sleep at night like before, and carry me everywhere during the day. Otherwise, I’ll stay like this.”

“Hold you? You’re sixteen already, almost an adult. How can I hold you?” Liu Chang’s head ached hearing this same old demand. “Have you ever seen a teenage girl still sleeping with her dad?”

“You’re not my dad. I don’t even know who my dad is!”

“I’m not your dad, but I’m your brother. Don’t talk to me like that. Do as you please. And don’t go out tomorrow either!” With that, Liu Chang slammed the door shut with a bang. Inside, he heard the sound of things being thrown around.

The noise made his temples throb painfully. Irritated, he sighed deeply and returned to his own room.

Just then, He Zhi Zhi knocked and entered.

“What? Another fight with Xiao Jing?” She sat by Liu Chang’s bedside.

“Yeah. She picks fights for no reason, dresses like some monster,” Liu Chang sighed heavily. “She’s worse than before. Back then, she was little but obedient and sensible—a strong girl. What happened to her now?”

“Probably frustrated,” He Zhi Zhi said with a sly grin. “Haven’t you noticed she likes you?”

“I know, but liking her is one thing. I see her as family, and I don’t feel that way about her. She’s too young—no curves, no figure.” Liu Chang rolled over. “Besides, if I got involved with her, I’d feel a sick, incestuous vibe. Just thinking about it makes me nauseous.”

“So why do you interfere with her love life?” He Zhi Zhi laughed.

“Just seeing that guy makes me mad. If she picked a decent boy, I wouldn’t care. But she’s with some womanizing punk. Damn it, the more I talk about it, the madder I get.” Liu Chang grabbed the gun on the table and jumped off the bed. “I’m pissed. I’m going for a walk.”

“You’re not going to cause trouble with that guy, are you?”

“We’ll see.” Liu Chang slammed his door and left the room. He Zhi Zhi watched his retreating figure, smiled, and didn’t stop him. She took off her jacket and lay down on the bed to sleep.

Outside the bar, Liu Chang wandered aimlessly through the streets of Zhengzhou in the dead of night, taking in the new era’s architecture.

Most buildings were remodeled versions of old structures from four years ago, but with significant differences from before. The city had no plants, but scattered within were patches of private farmland growing strange crops. The streets at night were no longer as deserted as four years ago because the city was almost free of danger—except for the sewers, where other species still lurked.

Four years ago’s massive plant extermination turned Zhengzhou into a barren land. With the plants gone, insects and animals lost their habitats and fled to the surrounding jungles.

Humans had regained absolute control over the region.

Over four years, society had been completely transformed.

The currency system still existed but had switched to a new denomination—without an economy, there was no communication. Bartering was strictly forbidden. Under strict enforcement, humans maintained a monetary trading system.

The political system remained city-state based. The regular army was under the control of the research institute, merging into a new centralized government. The city’s political-military power was officially held by a man named Xie Hang, who seemed to grasp the city’s entire military and political authority.

But this was just a facade. Half of Zhengzhou’s residents knew that besides Xie Hang, there was one person who truly held absolute influence—the man whose face was printed on the currency: Li Qingshui.

As Liu Chang wandered the streets of Zhengzhou, he saw men and women drunk, stumbling home.

Since the apocalypse, drinking had become a favorite pastime for all ages—anyone with some spare money and enough food would buy alcohol.

In this new world, no one worried about the distant future—no homes to buy, no studying, no college entrance exams, no marriage, no children. Everything happened naturally; if it worked out, great, if not, so be it—because no one knew if they’d live to see tomorrow.

This overwhelming pressure drove people to drown their excess emotions in alcohol. And invariably, when truly drunk, everyone would mutter the names of their deceased loved ones.

Liu Chang was no different. When drunk, he called out for his parents and grandmother.

Four years had passed, and Li Qingshui had never found a single direct relative for him. Those vanished figures had probably disappeared with time, their smiles lost forever.

“Handsome, want some service?” A woman approached him. “Only seventy bucks, the price of two jin of liang beans. Not expensive, right?”

“Not expensive, but I’m not in the mood,” Liu Chang stepped aside to continue walking but was grabbed by the corner of his clothes.

“Please, business is bad. If not today, no food tomorrow.”

“Then walk with me for a bit.” Liu Chang took out a hundred yuan and handed it to the woman.