Chapter 40

"Tang Ke—"

After Chen Nan went upstairs, she found Tang Ke making a phone call while cooking porridge.

"You're awake? The porridge and pancakes are just ready, you've come at the perfect time." Hearing her address, Tang Ke subconsciously raised an eyebrow, but quickly smiled indifferently. Then he reached out and turned off the projection screen next to him, and picked up the small bowl beside him.

"I got up as soon as I smelled it. I thought you were just telling me you could cook, that you could cook ordinary food. I didn't expect you could even make pancakes."

After walking over to look at the porridge the other person had cooked, and then at the small pies the other person had placed in the electric griddle, Chen Nan praised them generously.

"This kind of pie is very simple. Just make a simple batter, spread it out in an electric griddle, put some pre-prepared side dishes on top, and finally cover the side dishes completely with the other half of the pie."

No one dislikes being praised. Hearing Chen Nan's praise, Tang Ke briefly explained the method to Chen Nan while flipping the pancakes in the pan.

"It sounds simple, I'll try it next time." Chen Nan, who had only cooked instant noodles once or twice since arriving here and ate in the army canteen the rest of the time, said shamelessly.

"Okay!" Knowing that she didn't actually like cooking and that she was probably just saying it, Tang Ke didn't call her out on it. She simply quickly placed the two bowls of porridge on the back table.

He served the porridge and cut the pancakes, while Chen Nan quickly grabbed chopsticks and a spoon.

Soon, around noon, the two of them were having their brunch.

"By the way, Master, did you know that Xie Minghang and Guo Ying are both here?"

The millet porridge was too hot. After gently blowing on the spoon, Chen Nan remembered what had happened yesterday and immediately asked.

"I know, I only found out recently. I wanted to tell you, but I got busy and forgot. What's wrong? Do you still think they're dangerous?"

It was already very hot in District 73 in April. Tang Ke looked at the steam rising from the rice bowl, put down what she was holding, and asked Chen Nan seriously.

"No, as long as they don't get access to anything particularly important, everything else should be fine. Besides, I saw Guo Ying save a lot of people yesterday. If she stays in a place like this for a long time, I don't believe she'll remain heartless."

Chen Nan wasn't the kind of person who would go to extremes and leave no way out for others. Besides, by now, the original owner should only have been thinking about random things, but hadn't done anything wrong.

After briefly mentioning the other party, Chen Nan quickly asked Tang Ke about the actual number of casualties. They had only compiled a partial count yesterday; the most accurate number should be available by now.

"135 people were killed, 222 were seriously injured, and about 500 were slightly injured."

This was a topic the two often discussed, and since this data was no longer a secret, Tang Ke told Chen Nan everything without hiding anything.

"Sigh, so many again. If only we could harass others one day. It's so frustrating to always be on the defensive and get beaten up like this."

Hearing this number, which was similar to the last one, Chen Nan couldn't help but sigh. In the past few accidents, she had always been behind the actual armed superhuman army. If she had been in front, she might have been the one to suffer the same fate. At that moment, Chen Nan had this rather whimsical thought.

"Don't worry, that day will come."

Sensing her sadness, Tang Ke looked up and spoke very seriously.

"What? It can't be what I'm thinking, can it?" Realizing what he was saying, Chen Nan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Alright, the porridge is getting cold, let's eat quickly."

There are some things that you can't say even if the other person is your apprentice. Tang Ke, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, pushed the pickled vegetables between the two of them toward Chen Nan, making it very clear that she didn't want to reveal anything more.

"Understood, understood, I'll eat now, I won't ask any more questions." Understanding what the other person meant, Chen Nan immediately picked up the small bowl in front of her and quickly began to eat.

Seeing her happy expression, Tang Ke, who was covered in the smell of cooking oil, relaxed and picked up the spoon beside her.

In December 2112, Chen Nan followed Tang Ke to the 73rd Safety Zone.

In November 2113, Chen Nan had been in this place for almost a year before she finally joined the regular army to participate in the battle against the enemy.

In June 2114, Chen Nan was awarded the rank of second lieutenant.

By June 2015, Chen Nan had already obtained the rank of major.

On December 12, 2115, which was once Good Friday, the Li Kingdom launched a missile at Sunflower Planet, which was very close to them for the first time.

This event shocked the entire world and marked the first real shot fired in humanity's resistance against extraterrestrial life. Within two days, countless countries around the world began unleashing their long-developed secret weapons.

Because of the thirteen missiles of various sizes that flew to Sunflower Planet all at once, almost all of humanity on Earth was cheering for those two days.

From that day on, for the first time outside the safety shield of the country, there was no longer the constant collision and attack of terrifying cockroaches.

On television and the internet, all that's visible are satellite images of Sunflower Star's surface covered in golden flames and black smoke.

Although everyone knows that there are many creatures on those planets that look exactly like them. Although everyone knows that there may also be many so-called good people on those planets who do not support war and aggression.

But then I remembered that humanity was forced to hide underground for twenty years by the cockroach planet.

Before the emergence of superhumans, I imagined countless fellow countrymen, women and children, being grabbed into the air and torn apart or even eaten alive by those terrifying creatures.

It's reminiscent of how, ever since the first mutated cockroaches were sent from Cockroach Planet, tens of thousands of terrifying cockroaches have been flying to Earth every day.

Thinking of the countless soldiers and civilians who have sacrificed their lives under the similar protective shields of various countries, and the hundreds of thousands who perish every year under the claws and sharp beaks of cockroach monsters and terrifying mutated creatures. Thinking of the millions of humans who die each year during infection and transformation.

At this point, humanity as a whole has no extra compassion.

"Dear viewers, this is a news report from Beijing Radio."

"Dear viewers, please look at the big screen. We are now providing a live broadcast of the situation on Cockroach Planet—"

"Dear viewers of the television station, as you all know, on December 12th, our country launched—"

For days, all television and the internet were filled with related reports. Fireworks and firecrackers were everywhere in the country, and even on the entire planet.

Unbeknownst to many, Tang Ke was actually the commander-in-chief of this launch operation.

As countless times before, he served as a "just in case" for the Tang family. He was a very special figure in the Tang family, and even in the entire Li Kingdom.

Perhaps in the seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two, and seventy-three safe zones, he was the undisputed true leader and hero.

But in the eyes of the general public, he doesn't exist.

Perhaps if something happens to Tang Xin, the Tang family and the country might quickly promote him and then promptly report all the great achievements he has made over the years.

But now, with Tang Xin in his prime and very talented, Tang Ke, who is two years younger than him, needs to keep a low profile and act like a shadow.

"Your Excellency, Sheriff!"

"General!!"

"Long live the General!!"

"General, I love you!!!"

"General!!"

Other safe zones have their own fireworks and celebrations, and so does safe zone 73.

That night, the people of Safety Zone 73 once again set off tons of fireworks and firecrackers. They also gathered and marched past the place where Chen Nan and Tang Ke lived, shouting Tang Ke's name loudly.

People lined up and walked quickly past, cheering loudly, treating the road in front of them like a bustling pedestrian street.

"Tang Ke, aren't you going out to check?"

Hearing the cheers that had been going on for three days, Chen Nan couldn't help but urge Tang Ke, who had been hiding in the study downstairs, to wake up.

"This is pointless, let them—"

Tang Ke, holding a book, sat on the recliner and spoke casually.

But he had only spoken halfway when his expression suddenly changed, and he lunged at Chen Nan, who was sitting on the other side of the chair.

Chen Nan was startled by the other party's actions at first, but then she heard a deafening tremor and an explosion.

With her body being held by the other person, she quickly hid under the table next to her.

Her ears were ringing, she felt the shaking and vibration all around her, and watched chunks of cement and steel bars crashing down on her. For a moment, Chen Nan had a feeling that she might die here.

The table above their heads was specially made. Tang Ke's secretary had previously said that it was harder than steel bars, but when that supposedly harder-than-steel-bar thing came crashing down on the two floors above, it was shattered as quickly as paper.

"Chen Nan, are you alright?"

The two were squeezed into a small gap below, with loud thuds of things hitting them from above.

Thinking something was wrong with her, Tang Ke, who was holding her, immediately shouted loudly.

"I'm fine!"

The other person's shout brought her back to her senses a little, and her thoughts returned somewhat. Chen Nan quickly reached out and touched the carpet on her body. After feeling a small bump, she pressed it down hard.

The next instant, a large hole quickly appeared in the floor beneath them, and she, Tang Ke, the half of the table they were on, and some construction materials from the table all rolled down the hole with a crash.

"There are mechanisms connecting to the lower levels behind the sofa on the second floor, under the dining table on the first floor, under the desk on the basement level, and under the wardrobe on the second basement level. In the event of a normal attack, your tables and chairs are made of high-quality materials with special steel plates inside, which can protect you from some attacks."

But if something particularly serious happens, you must ensure the sheriff's swift escape from here. Since the sheriff doesn't want to stay down here permanently, we must protect his safety. You are his apprentice, and in principle, he should be protecting you. However, his position is special, and he is extremely important to our country and Security Zone 73. Therefore, in the event of danger, I hope you will prioritize his safety.”

As she continued to fall, Chen Nan recalled the days when she first arrived here and the other party's first secretary trained her as a bodyguard.

She seemed very impatient at the time, listened to him only half-heartedly, and then ignored him completely.

At that moment, Chen Nan felt that she herself came first. She knew clearly that she would never sacrifice her life to protect others.

But in just a few years, everything seems to have changed.

Anyway, after Tang Ke suddenly grabbed her and pushed her under the table, once she regained some consciousness, she quickly groped her way to open the tunnel.

As the two slid down like two bags of trash, and felt the half-table and other objects falling behind them, Chen Nan's eyes widened. She quickly reached out and hugged the other person, truly assuming a bodyguard's stance.

But inside that dark, continuously descending passage, Tang Ke quickly reacted and swiftly restrained her hands and feet, firmly protecting her.

In the short passage, which was only a few dozen meters long, they tumbled down in complete darkness, constantly shifting their positions as they went.

Finally, after landing on something soft and feeling heavy impacts even through her body, Chen Nan completely lost consciousness.

When Chen Nan woke up again, she realized she had been unconscious for eight hours. Meanwhile, General Tang, who had previously appeared as strong as steel, had been in the emergency room for eight hours after being hit on the head and back by a real steel table and reinforced concrete.