Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 885 - 710: The Rat and the Ship

Two hours ago, Huai Shi woke up to hear the delicate sound outside the car window.

"Is it raining?" he raised his eyes and asked.

"Yeah, but not much," Ueno, who was driving, replied, "We’ll be there soon, Boss, you can sleep a little more."

"I’ve slept enough. Do you have a cigarette?"

"Yes, please have one."

Ueno hurriedly parked the car by the roadside, ignoring the furious honking from the cars behind on the narrow one-way street, turned around and took out his own cigarette, offering it with both hands.

Then, he respectfully lit it for Huai Shi.

"Tell me, Ueno..." Huai Shi looked at him, unable to resist asking, "Have you ever doubted me?"

"Hm?" Ueno in the driver’s seat turned his head again, "Boss, what are you saying?"

"I mean, you’ve been struggling for so many years, and yet you let a kid like me ride on your head and even consider such a person as your ’Affiliate’, it must be hard, right?"

Huai Shi calmly asked, "Although others are quite displeased, why have you never opposed? You even show such respect. To be honest, I’m ready to prove myself, but you’ve never doubted me one bit."

"Ah, if I have to say..." Ueno scratched his bald head, embarrassedly smiling, the scar on his face curving into an arc, "Maybe because I’m not good at thinking."

"Hm?"

"Since I was a kid, my reactions have always been a bit slower than others. I couldn’t understand the things teachers taught. My mother always thought I had some kind of illness, maybe I really have some problems, but there’s no cure for being stupid, I’ve grown up, and the only advantage I have is being slightly stronger and not afraid of pain despite the slow response.

So my mother always told me that it’s okay to be a little dumb, just listen to what others say, as long as you listen to the right person, you can live better than those who use their brain."

Ueno drove the car, answering, "If it weren’t for Big Brother Fujimoto, maybe I would have already been sold to a black factory to work until I die, right?

Big Brother Fujimoto has never harmed me, and he’s quite righteous, promoting me to this level. I think the people Big Brother Fujimoto chooses should never harm me... Ahahaha, I carelessly said a silly thing, Big Brother Huaizhi, don’t mind."

As he spoke, he went on laughing to himself.

His sharp teeth were like those of a shark.

"So pure," Huai Shi sighed, "Have you ever thought about switching to another line of work?"

"Eh? That’s impossible, Big Brother Huaizhi, we don’t even have legitimate licenses and certificates. Even if we work at a convenience store, when they see you’re a Hybrid, the hourly wage will be suppressed to less than half of others’...it’s impossible to survive. Someone as good-looking as Boss Huaizhi may earn big money, but we can’t."

Without any flattery, Ueno scratched his head saying the truth, "Only Extreme Path wouldn’t dislike us. You see, as long as you can fight, that’s all that matters...I won’t hide from you, I’m super resistant to beatings, even when several people tried to stab me before, I knocked them all down."

Huai Shi shook his head helplessly, sighed, pinched his brow, "Ueno, do you know what Extreme Path means to me?"

"Ah?" Ueno wanted to turn back confused, but facing the intersection ahead, he could only listen intently.

Then, he heard the calm voice from the Huai Zhisu People.

"All Extreme Path, all so-called righteousness, are actually like mice."

Huai Shi looked at the world outside the window submerged in rainwater, softly sighed, "Whether out of coercion or self-degradation, regardless of the reason for choosing this lifestyle, it can only explain one thing, and that is, one can no longer survive in the outside world.

Yet the world outside the sunlight isn’t pleasant either, like the ocean, stormy and unfathomable. We can only crouch on our tiny plank beneath our claws, unseen by light.

You can opt for righteousness and indulgence, or freely abuse and bully, but to live better, you must band together for survival, contribute your tiny plank to form a large ship, hugging for warmth.

If the ship develops a hole, it must be patched; if someone wants to be a black sheep, you must stand up and remove them; if the ship sinks, all the mice will be doomed; if there are other mice’s ships blocking the way, they must be crushed into pieces before proceeding.

This can be unrelated to morals and justice, you might also not think about it, but you must know what you’re doing and should know where you are."

When the car stopped in front of the massive estate of the Tiger King Group, Huai Shi stood outside the car, lowered his head, and extinguished the cigarette in his hand.

When he looked back at the still bewildered Ueno in the car, he suddenly couldn’t help but laugh.

"Now, we’re going to crush another ship into pieces, Ueno."

He reached out and softly asked, "Do you want to come along?"

Ueno was stunned.

Was that fantasy or illusion in that moment?

It was indescribable.

The damp, cold breeze from outside blew in like a rampant storm, amidst the roar of surging tides, flooding into the car, the tremendous sound of tempestuous waves almost overwhelming him.

Yet amidst the roar, a solemn and towering silhouette emerged from the storm, tearing the gale apart, crashing through the ocean tides.

That was an unbelievably enormous steel warship cruising between sky and sea, domineeringly rampant, arrogantly reigning at the top end of this violent world.

It summoned him.

Will you come?

Does it still need hesitation?

Ueno stopped thinking, instinctively raised his hand, tightly grasped that outstretched palm, sincerely pleading, "Please take me with you, allow me to join you!"

"Alright."

In the fluttering rain curtain, the person smiled, "Then come along."

Just like that, with Ueno, the two walked towards the approaching colossal entity.

Amidst the splattering rain, unexpectedly, Ueno didn’t feel any unease or fear, utterly at ease, as if there was nothing worth fearing.

Ignoring the rain falling in his eyes, he widened his eyes, stared at that back.

Witnessing him advancing forward.

Watching him raise his fist, shatter the insignificant iron gate, step forward, and walk into the manor.

Then, with a punch, he sent the person rushing up to him flying like a doll. Another punch, and another person met the same fate.

More and more people rushed up, and more and more people were sent flying.

In the sound of bones breaking, the rain curtain quivered in fear.

All these insignificant things were being violently trampled and crushed.

If what’s blocking his path is the enemy, then he would crush them; if it’s a wall, then he would tear the wall apart, moving step by step straight ahead.

Amidst the wailing, he stepped deeper into the siege, undeterred by bullets and gunpowder.

Some screamed ’monster’, some wanted to kneel and beg for mercy, others scattered and fled, while some charged towards him.

When Ueno came back to his senses, he was already lying in a ruined hall.

Breathing heavily, his body was covered in gunshot wounds, knife wounds, and bruises from brawling.

Yet, it was as if his body had its own consciousness, tightly gripping his arms until the opponent struggling in his embrace lost strength and stopped moving.

He won!

Exhausted, he felt bouts of dizziness before his eyes.

He lost too much blood and couldn’t catch his breath.

But when he raised his head, he could still see that man standing beside him, looking down quietly, waiting.

"Can you still stand up, Ueno?"

He said, "There’s just a little more to go, don’t give up."

"You... you were waiting for me?"

Ueno incredulously raised his head, looking at that face, cold and stained with blood.

Then, that man smiled, nodding as if it were obvious. "Yeah, because we agreed to do this together."

How could one describe the ecstasy and honor of that moment, an almost tear-jerking happiness, and the power that came with those words.

Unprecedented, power!

"I’ve kept you waiting for a long time!"

Ueno raised his head, propped up his body, forgetting his sickness and weakness, following again beside that man.

Just like that, they broke through the last door, finally seeing those few pale faces, no longer showing their once arrogant demeanor, trembling in fear and dread.

"You... you can’t do this... The five elders have already meditated!" Arisaka Tetsuya screamed, clutching the wound on his left hand, "Kitahara, Mr. Kitahara will not spare you!"

In silence, Ueno and the man beside him exchanged glances, simultaneously revealing mocking smiles.

Then, they raised the gun in their hand, aimed ahead, and pulled the trigger.

Until the roar ceased abruptly, Ueno slowly stepped forward, looking down at those faces still in disbelief at the brink of death, grinning, and spat fiercely.

"Kitahara? He’s nothing!"

.

.

"We actually respect you a lot, Mr. Kitahara."

At this moment, Huai Zhisu people helplessly spread their hands and shrugged, "But we really didn’t know, to be honest, I didn’t expect them to be that weak either..."

Kitahara’s face was livid; he was about to open his mouth to rebuke when he saw Huai Shi raise his hand, casually pushing forward.

Boom!

In the muffled sound, a hurricane lifted out of nowhere, suffocating airwaves swept through, scraping like knives across his face.

It blew away his hat, his mottled white hair danced in terror in the wind, lying on his scalp, no longer daring to move.

"Not even one person in the Tiger King Group can withstand my push, they really can’t cut it."

Huai Shi smiled, defending to the envoy of the five great elders, "Besides, it’s not our fault, right?"

Kitahara’s expression twitched, "You... what do you mean..."

"I mean exactly what it says literally."

Huai Shi sighed, "We are just small roles relying on the Alliance to survive. If it is the will of the five elders, how dare we not comply?

But for such an important matter, why didn’t you say earlier?"

He questioned, puzzled, "Shouldn’t the judgment of the five great elders be directly delivered for transmission? Now it’s already past five in the afternoon. Even if it were after work, it wouldn’t take that long, right?

Mr. Kitahara, even if you arrived an hour earlier or said a word over the phone?"

Saying this, the blood-stained man stepped forward, scrutinizing that angry face, and asked word for word, "Or was it because you dawdled too long on the road for your own reasons?"

"Outrageous!" Kitahara roared, hoarsely rebutting, "Are you saying this is my fault?"

"What else?"

Huai Shi coldly retorted, he raised his finger, poking this old man’s chest, telling him word by word, "The destruction of the Tiger King Group, including the deaths of over seventy people with Arisaka Tetsuya and son, all the losses caused..."

"These, of course, all are your fault!