In the early morning, Xiao Jingchen turned over Ye Ning's sleeping face. After the frenzy of the previous night, her body was covered with faint red hickeys.
He tucked Ye Ning in, then got up, poured himself a glass of water, and sat by the window, enjoying the peaceful moment.
But a series of phone rings quickly disrupted the peaceful atmosphere.
Xiao Jingchen picked up the phone, carefully closed the bedroom door, and got up to walk to the living room.
"Hey! Is there something you need?" Xiao Jingchen's voice was full of frost and indifference.
"Jingchen, do you hate me that much? You won't even call me Grandpa!" came an old and hoarse male voice from the other end of the line.
Xiao Jingchen remained silent. Did he hate him? Not really! But Xiao Jingchen would never forgive him.
"Yesterday was your birthday, and I prepared a gift for you! It should be arriving soon, I hope you like it." The person on the other end wasn't annoyed, but continued.
"I don't need your gift! Take it back!" Xiao Jingchen said stubbornly.
“I, Xiao Zhengyan, never take back what I give away. If you don’t like it, you can smash it or sell it, it’s up to you.”
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, happy birthday, Jingchen." The other end of the phone hung up.
Just then, the roar of several helicopters could be heard outside.
Several helicopters were slowly flying towards the shelter, carrying a small armored vehicle.
Ye Ning was woken up by the roar of the helicopter and the exclamations of Wang Ma and the others.
"Jingchen, what's going on outside!" Ye Ning subconsciously touched the side, but only found an empty blanket.
Ye Ning put on her clothes and left the room.
Xiao Jingchen stood alone in the middle of the living room, head down, like a lonely sculpture, exuding a gloomy aura, as if the surrounding air was frozen by his presence.
"Jingchen, what's wrong?" Ye Ning asked hurriedly, her voice filled with anxiety.
"Ye Ning, you're up! Why didn't you sleep a little longer!" Upon seeing Ye Ning, Xiao Jingchen's face instantly lit up with a doting smile. The smile was warm and bright, as if the person he had just been was merely Ye Ning's illusion.
"I heard a noise outside and thought something had happened! Jingchen, shall we go out and take a look?" Ye Ning asked tentatively.
"Okay, sure!" Xiao Jingchen nodded silently.
The helicopter lifted the small armored vehicle and flew all the way to the gate of the shelter, then stopped in mid-air.
"Hey! Headquarters, we've arrived at our destination safely!" The person in charge on the helicopter dialed the satellite phone.
"Put it down and head back!" came the brief reply from the control room.
"receive!"
The helicopter slowly descended, towing the small armored vehicle, until it was safely placed on the ice. Then it slowly took off, circled once, and disappeared from Ye Ning and the others' sight.
"Brother Longfei, open the gate, let's go out and take a look!" Ye Ning only gave the order after the helicopter had completely disappeared from sight.
"Okay! Miss Ye!" The door slowly opened.
A brand-new armored vehicle appeared before them.
It resembles an all-metal beetle, its body completely covered by iron plates, like an indestructible suit of armor. The wheels are fitted with non-slip metal tracks, like the legs of a steel behemoth, and there are firing ports on both sides, like its eyes, gleaming with a cold light.
The entrance/exit is on the roof of the vehicle, with a canopy that allows one person to pass through.
It can accommodate two people, has a good ventilation system, and is equipped with emergency supplies such as oxygen masks.
It's fair to say that even if you're surrounded by zombies, you can fight your way out while sitting in this armored vehicle.
Brother Longfei circled the armored vehicle, his eyes shining, clearly enamored with it—a man's natural fascination with this type of weapon.
"My God, this is incredible! Who has such a big budget?!"
“Jingchen, this car…” Since she didn’t order this car, the only source could be Xiao Jingchen.
"Drive in!" Xiao Jingchen's heart was churning, but on the surface he remained calm.
"Brother Longfei, let's drive the car in first!"
"Alright!" Long Fei quickly jumped into the car; he had been waiting for those words.
The crowd happily crowded around the armored vehicle as it went inside, but at that moment, Xiao Jingchen's phone rang again.
"Ye Ning, I need to take this call first. You go in first!"
"Okay!" Ye Ning nodded obediently. Although she knew that Xiao Jingchen must be hiding something from her, she respected his choice.
Xiao Jingchen took the phone and walked to the side. "Hello! What's up!"
"Jingchen, did you receive the gift I gave you?" An old male voice came from the other end of the line; it was Xiao Jingchen's grandfather.
"You don't come here without a reason. Speak! What exactly do you want?" Xiao Jingchen asked sharply.
"Do you and Grandpa have to talk like this?" There was a moment of silence on the other end, then the tone turned cold and sharp. "You ask me what I want? Well, I'll be blunt: I want you to come back."
"That's impossible!" Xiao Jingchen refused without hesitation.
“Jingchen, I know you resent Grandpa, but no matter how much you deny it, you can’t change the fact that you have the blood of the Xiao family in your veins. You think you’re safe and comfortable there now, but in my opinion, it’s just a small-scale affair. The outside world is vast. If you don’t come out and see it, how will you know what you really want?”
“I have never denied that I have the blood of the Xiao family, but my blood comes from my father, not from that cold and ruthless Xiao family.”
“I’m not as short-sighted as you think. I’ve been through more than you imagine, and I know what I want. My father also lived in the so-called Xiao family, and he saw everything you’re talking about. What he doesn’t care about, I care about even less! If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up!” Xiao Jingchen said, about to hang up the phone.
Even after being reborn, he still felt heartbroken over the deaths of his parents.
The wealth and power of the Xiao family could indeed entice 99% of the world's population, but unfortunately, Xiao Jingchen was not interested.
"Jingchen, wait!" The person on the other end of the phone quickly stopped him. "I know you're worried about their safety, but don't worry, as long as you're willing to go back to the Xiao family, I'll protect them for you."
"I will personally protect their safety; you don't need to bother with it! I also have no intention of returning to the Xiao family, so I hope you will not disturb my life again!" Xiao Jingchen coldly and firmly refused without hesitation.
After hanging up the phone, he strode back to the shelter. As soon as he entered the gate, he saw Ye Ning's worried eyes.
"Jingchen, are you alright?" Actually, Ye Ning had already vaguely guessed some of the cause and effect.
"It's alright, don't worry about me, let's go inside!" Xiao Jingchen took Ye Ning's hand.
"good!"
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