Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 52

“Mom, I’m in the New City Safe Zone now. I’m completely safe,” Peter’s voice came through the radio.

Tang Mary was the one listening on the other end.

The apocalypse had pushed their high-tech era back by a century. Gone were the days when they could make instant, delay-free video calls across half a star system. Now, they had to rely on the crackling and often unreliable radio transmissions.

Because she couldn’t see his face, Tang Mary was cautious. She asked Peter through the radio, “Do you remember the crystal box I gave you? After I gave you the password, did you open it? What color was the crystal inside?”

“The box? Of course, I remember. But the password?” Peter hesitated. “Mom, when did you… Bzz… give me a password? But the crystal… Bzz… was taken out. The color was a clear blue…”

The signal was choppy but Tang Mary understood what he was saying.

The color was correct. But… Her brow furrowed. “If you didn’t have the password, how did you know the color of the diamond crystal inside?!”

Peter replied, “Someone opened the box. It was the person I mentioned earlier, a very skilled Beta woman. She’s the one who saved me and helped the Federation soldiers bring me to the safe zone. Oh, right, her name is Lin Bai. If you meet her, don’t hurt her.”

Lin Bai?

Tang Mary’s grip on the radio tightened, her eyes naturally sweeping over the nearby Federation soldiers still watching her. Then she suddenly cursed, “Ha! A Beta woman! Don’t tell me she’s just another one of your lovers?! Do you ever think about keeping it in your pants? One day, you won’t even know how you got yourself killed! Next time, I’ll personally put an end to your nonsense!”

When Peter first met Lin Bai, he was indeed driven by lust and nearly lost his life because of it. Now, hearing Tang Mary’s scolding, he didn’t dare to argue and could only reply weakly, “Mom, she’s different from the others…”

Anyone could hear the guilt in his voice. Tang Mary, furious, scolded him a few more times before telling him to stay put in the New City Safe Zone and not get himself killed. She promised to pick him up in a while.

After hanging up, the Federation military personnel looked at Tang Mary and said, “President Tang, you see, the Federation hasn’t deceived you. Your son is safe in the New City Safe Zone.”

Tang Mary sneered. “Oh, thank you so much, Federation. Then why are you treating me like a criminal?”

The Federation military interrogator had received orders from his superiors. Knowing that Tang Mary was at least an A+ rank ability user, possibly even higher, he didn’t dare provoke her. He spoke politely, “We’re not treating you like a criminal, we just have a few simple questions.”

“Fine, ask away.” Tang Mary crossed her arms and sat in the chair, radiating authority.

The interrogator wiped the sweat off his forehead and cautiously asked, “What is your relationship with Elena?”

“Relationship?! Just hearing her name makes my blood boil! The moment she showed up, my precious crystals from the Guangming Tower went missing! She claims she didn’t steal it but my family’s heirloom disappeared right after she left! Of course, I had to go after her! I barely spent two days with her before you people dragged us in here! Why are you asking me? Why don’t you go ask her?!” Tang Mary spoke at lightning speed, looking absolutely furious.

She paused and then glared suspiciously at the interrogator. “Wait, you’re not planning to throw me back in that cell, are you?!”

Under her glare, the interrogator waved his hands frantically. “No, no, of course not! Then… what’s your relationship with Bai Chuan?”

“He’s my business partner. Haven’t you heard of Red Sand?” Tang Mary lifted her chin threateningly. “My people will be here soon. Want me to introduce them to you one by one?”

“No need, no need, I know Red Sand.” The interrogator was sweating even more.

Tang Mary became even more aggressive. “If you know, then why haven’t you let me go?! Before and after the apocalypse, Red Sand has never done anything against the Federation!”

“Of course, of course, it was a mistake on our part. Are you leaving alone?”

“Do I need to tell you how many people from Red Sand are with me? And what about Bai Chuan?! Where is he?!”

“Oh wow, how touching. President Tang actually remembers me,” a voice suddenly spoke from behind.

Tang Mary turned her head and saw the flashy green-haired Bai Chuan.

“Huh?!” Tang Mary’s eyes widened. “Why the hell did they let you out so fast?!”

It wasn’t just Tang Mary who was puzzled. The interrogator sitting across from her was also confused. Facing two A+ rank ability users who could possibly reach S-rank, he was even holding his breath.

“They couldn’t beat me, so I walked out.” Bai Chuan leaned against the doorframe, looking smug.

“How come you’re not afraid of biochemical weapons now?” Tang Mary asked.

Bai Chuan lazily replied, “We’re not the only ones down here. If they dare to release it, we’ll all go down together.”

In truth, everyone understood that it wasn’t the only reason. Red Sand had grown into a significant force in the post-apocalyptic world. If something happened to the two, the already precarious Federation would gain another hostile power. Making enemies in an already perilous world was not a situation the Federation wanted.

Moreover, Red Sand could still act as a counterbalance to Blood Bone. If Red Sand and Blood Bone both turned against the Federation, the delicate balance would collapse and the Federation would find itself besieged on all sides.

Besides, from what they knew, the two from Red Sand had no real connection to Elena. Tang Mary’s words were not untrue. It was better to use the opportunity of saving Tang Mary’s son to do Red Sand a favor.

Thus, Tang Mary and Bai Chuan were soon escorted out of the underground passage by the Federation soldiers with great respect. However, as soon as they stepped outside, Tang Mary paused.

“The sky is so dark. Look at those clouds, it might rain soon. What if we run into zombies outside? You should prepare a room for me to rest in. I’ll leave tomorrow.”

“President Tang is absolutely right. I’m afraid of the dark too. I’ll wait until morning to leave as well,” Bai Chuan chimed in.

Just when the Federation thought they were finally seeing the two troublemakers off, this happened. But the sky was indeed dark and the soldiers had no choice. After consulting their superiors, they led the two to a resting area.

Then, they learned the true meaning of ‘easy to invite, hard to send off.’

One moment, Bai Chuan complained that the blankets were too thin. The next, Tang Mary grumbled that the bed was too small. Then they started demanding better food and drinks. The Federation did their best to accommodate them but in the middle of eating and drinking, Tang Mary suddenly asked about Xi Ya.

“What about that little girl? She shouldn’t have anything to do with your Federation, right? She looks cute. My son is hopeless anyway. Why don’t I take her back and make her my heir?”

Tang Mary spoke casually but the Federation personnel didn’t dare to answer lightly. They had no choice but to seek Zhuang Liang’s instructions.

The resting area wasn’t soundproof. In the next room, Bai Chuan overheard Tang Mary’s words and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

Why was Tang Mary suddenly interested in Xi Ya?

In the office, Lou Tiannan’s handcuffs had already been removed. He sat across from Zhuang Liang and the two were talking.

Zhuang Liang said, “I know you still have a mission. After today’s routine questioning, you’ll continue with your task.”

“What about Elena?” Lou Tiannan asked.

“She has to stay. She knows too much about the Federation. We can’t let her leave and we definitely can’t allow her to enter Eastern District One. Taking her with you would be extremely dangerous for all of you.”

Lou Tiannan didn’t say anything but his expression clearly showed his disagreement.

Zhuang Liang’s tone became serious. “You should know the Federation’s current situation. Multiple departments have been severely damaged in the apocalypse. Right now, the Military Defense Department only has your squad and Second Squad left. The Law Enforcement Department, aside from the defected Elena, has only one squad remaining. As for the other departments, it’s even worse. If it weren’t for Aurora cooperating with us and gathering a large number of ability users, the Federation would have already been devoured by Blood Bone.”

The Federation had conducted an assessment and its remaining capable forces could be counted on two hands. Lou Tiannan ranked among the top few. Having lost Elena, the Federation could not afford to lose him as well.

“Elena has detailed information on Eastern District One. She has to come with us,” Lou Tiannan insisted.

But Zhuang Liang had other concerns. “She has already betrayed the Federation once. Eastern District One is full of dangers. Can you guarantee she won’t betray you again? If she turns on you once you’re deep in enemy territory, it’ll be too late.”

“I trust her,” Lou Tiannan said firmly.

After spending the past few days with Elena, he could tell that she was still the same loyal Federal Adjudicator as before. He didn’t believe she would stab her teammates in the back.

“Your trust isn’t enough. The Federation can’t afford to gamble on this, especially when we don’t even know if she has another agenda for going to Eastern District One.” Zhuang Liang thought far ahead and Elena’s betrayal had clearly left a deep wound in him.

The two remained at an impasse over Elena when a sudden communication came through. “Director Zhuang, Tang Mary wants to take the little girl named Xi Ya with her.”

Both men frowned at the same time.

“What about the girl? Did you find out anything?”

“You’re interrogating Xi Ya?” Lou Tiannan had known his team members were being questioned but he hadn’t expected them to interrogate Xi Ya as well.

“Routine questioning. Everyone gets questioned,” Zhuang Liang replied briefly.

“We did ask her… but…” The voice over the communicator hesitated. “The little girl has been crying the whole time…”

“What did you do to her?!” Lou Tiannan abruptly stood up. Xi Ya had been with his team for a long time and he had rarely seen her cry. The only time was when she had fought off two zombies alone and broke down upon seeing them. It hadn’t been long since they separated, so what could they have done to make her cry now?

Zhuang Liang wasn’t surprised by Lou Tiannan’s reaction. He had always been that way, unyielding against evil, clear in his sense of right and wrong, and especially protective of the elderly, the sick, and children. In an apocalyptic world where children were rare, it was only natural for him to be concerned.

“What exactly happened?” Zhuang Liang asked.

The person on the other end sounded aggrieved. “We didn’t do anything. As soon as we brought her into the interrogation room, before we could even say a word, she just kept hugging her doll and crying. We’ve already sent someone to comfort her but she won’t let anyone touch her…”

“I’ll go take a look,” Lou Tiannan said, striding toward the door.

Zhuang Liang said nothing but followed him out.

Before they even arrived, they could hear a commotion with Tang Mary’s distinct voice rang out, “My precious child is being mistreated like this by you people?! Huh?!”

Then came Bai Chuan’s voice, fanning the flames, “Is it appropriate for the Federation army to torture a seven-year-old child?”

Both men quickened their pace.

The door to the interrogation room was slightly ajar. Zhuang Liang pushed it open and stepped inside.

The room was clearly divided into two groups.

In the center, Tang Mary stood holding Xi Ya, her expression furious, while Bai Chuan was right beside her. On the other side were the Federation soldiers, gripping their weapons cautiously and watching Tang Mary and Bai Chuan warily.

Zhuang Liang’s subordinate, Xu Di, was in the middle of trying to calm the situation. Chairs and tables were overturned all over the floor, leaving the room in chaos.

Zhuang Liang’s voice was stern as he asked, “What happened?”