Night of the Apocalypse

He then lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling above. As he relaxed his nerves slightly, a wave of fatigue washed over him again.

Although he didn’t feel uncomfortable after the IV drip, he still needed to rest more to fully recover.

Just as Shen Qiu was about to close his eyes and lie down for a bit longer, a scene flashed through his mind, and he suddenly sat up again.

After thinking for a moment, he got up, took a shower, walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, and took out a black trench coat to change into. Then he retrieved a box containing cash.

Shen Qiu took out fifty thousand yuan from inside and put it into a black bag, preparing to make a trip to the Sacred Sound Welfare Institute.

Originally, he planned to rest a bit before heading to the welfare institute. But he remembered the similar situation he encountered when he was a child at the welfare institute.

At that time, the welfare institute was also experiencing an economic crisis. As children, they often went hungry, eagerly waiting for kind-hearted people to donate.

The days were unbearable.

Not long after, Shen Qiu left the community and arrived at a nearby subway station.

He followed the sparse crowd and boarded the train on Line 17.

The carriage was very empty; the usual scenes of crowded passengers were no longer present.

This clearly showed how much the situation had been affected.

Shen Qiu found a seat close to the exit.

“Dear passengers, the train is about to close the doors and depart. The next stop is Haijiao Station.”

Shen Qiu leaned back in his seat and yawned. The Sacred Sound Welfare Institute was located on the outskirts of the Tenth Ring, and there was no direct subway access, so once he reached the final stop, he would need to transfer to a rapid bus to get there.

Speaking of which, although he donated some money to the welfare institute every year, he hadn’t visited in many years and wondered how much it had changed.

Fifty-two minutes later, Shen Qiu walked out of the subway exit and headed toward the rapid bus station across the street.

This station was an important transfer point, so quite a few people were waiting for their buses.

Shen Qiu was lucky; just as he arrived at the platform, the 114 rapid bus pulled into the station.

He boarded the bus swiftly and found a window seat to sit down.

Not long after, a figure sat down beside Shen Qiu.

He glanced over and saw a well-mannered young man wearing glasses and a white shirt, holding a bouquet of red roses.

The joyful expression on his face was hard to conceal; it was clear he was heading out for a date.

Shen Qiu was also somewhat touched; being young was indeed great!

Before long, the rapid bus was full of people and departed.

Shen Qiu rested his chin on one hand and gazed out the window, captivated by the buildings and scenery along the way.

The economy in the Tenth Ring was much worse compared to the Seventh Ring, with densely packed pigeon towers everywhere.

The street was noticeably busier than in the inner rings.

At that moment, Shen Qiu heard a young boy in a cartoon T-shirt excitedly shout,

“Mom! Look, it’s an armored vehicle!”

Shen Qiu was momentarily taken aback; he looked closely and saw armored vehicles and tanks driving down the street in the distance. Simultaneously, SID-02 Flying Fish helicopters swept across the sky.

These weapons were all painted with the emblem of a peace dove.

Seeing this military presence, Shen Qiu’s face also showed surprise. What was going on?

The Tianqing Legion had actually taken over the defense of this area? It’s important to note that the Tianqing Legion, as the elite force of Sky City, was normally never seen.

In fact, it wasn’t just Shen Qiu who was surprised; many passengers on the bus were also buzzing with discussion.

“What’s going on lately? They’ve even brought out the regular troops.”

“It should be related to the special control measures in Sky City. Haven’t you heard?”

“No, what’s going on?”

“I’m not sure either; I just know that the control is very strict now. Applications from external residents to enter the city without a guarantor are all rejected. However, we have slightly more leeway when going out.”

“Forget it; it’s better not to go out if there’s nothing urgent.”

Just as everyone was discussing, the rapid bus suddenly came to a stop.

Shen Qiu looked forward and saw that the road ahead had been blocked off. A group of soldiers wearing uniforms with the peace dove emblem had set up a temporary checkpoint there.

“What’s going on?”

Some confused passengers asked in bewilderment.

At this moment, the driver turned to the passengers and said,

“Everyone, don’t be nervous. Once the inspection is complete, we’ll be able to leave.”

Soon, the bus doors opened, and a captain in a blue military uniform, looking quite masculine and handsome, came on board, accompanied by three subordinates.

He spoke emphatically to everyone,

“Everyone, please remain calm. I am Sergeant Li Yan of the Tianqing Legion, conducting routine checks on all passing vehicles. Your cooperation is appreciated.”

“No problem.”

“Of course.”

The passengers present didn’t complain and responded reasonably.

“Thank you all. Please take out your identification cards. If anyone among you has entered the city through unofficial channels or is overstaying their welcome, please step forward voluntarily.”

Li Yan continued addressing the crowd.

Everyone exchanged glances, and no one stood up.

Then Shen Qiu and the others took their identification cards out of their pockets to verify their identities.

Li Yan and his team took out specialized equipment and began reading the identification cards one by one.

They were very professional and polite.

When Li Yan reached a mother and her son, the little boy admiredly said,

“Uncle, you’re so handsome! I want to be a hero like you when I grow up.”

Upon hearing the boy’s words, Li Yan kindly reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“I believe in you; you’ll definitely make it.”

“Uncle, can I take a photo with you?”

The little boy looked at Li Yan with eager eyes.

“Sorry, I’m currently on duty and can’t take any photos. But I’ll definitely make time in the future.”

Sergeant Li Yan replied apologetically.

The little boy’s mother also spoke up with an apology.

“I’m sorry; my child doesn’t understand and has caused you trouble.”

“Haha, it’s no problem.”

Li Yan replied with a smile.

Shen Qiu watched this warm scene and felt his impression of the Tianqing Legion improve a bit. In fact, the Tianqing Legion has a very good reputation among the people of Sky City.

The year he graduated from college, he had applied to join, but unfortunately, he was rejected due to a mental illness.

Ten minutes later, after Li Yan finished checking everyone, he saluted and said to the crowd,

“It’s all good now; you can continue on your way. Thank you all for your cooperation.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The passengers waved their hands in response.

Soon, the bus continued on its way.

Shen Qiu quietly leaned back in his seat, and after more than an hour, the bus stopped on Shengyin Street.

The driver called out,

“We’ve reached the final stop!”

Shen Qiu followed the crowd and slowly made his way to the exit.

As he stepped off the bus, he saw a delicate-looking girl in a white sweater standing at the platform.

“Xia!”

“Zhao Song!”

At that moment, the young man who had been sitting next to Shen Qiu immediately rushed over, hugging the flowers he was holding.

The two of them embraced sweetly.