At the end of the meeting held on June 3rd, the six district leaders didn’t immediately leave. Instead, they went forward and talked to Young Master Gong for a bit. Their behavior had changed from being originally cautious to currently filled with humility.
The youth was not only strong, but also had a decisive personality. Imagine what kind of person he will grow into under the influence of the apocalypse? The district leaders couldn’t imagine, but their poor imagination didn’t prevent them from being servile to Young Master Gong. If even the Dingtai District could be destroyed, then wasn’t killing them only a matter of raising his hands?
Gong Lixin’s confusion showed on his face as he nodded or shook his head when the district leaders talked to him. He had always been a person with poor social skills. Fortunately, there was Father Gong and Grandfather Lin to help him and they subsequently sent people one by one.
The appearance of the ability users broke the balance of power and also caused the hearts of the people on the base to waver. Father Gong was worried about this but due to the presence of his son, all these worries became unnecessary. Father Gong was very thankful to Lixin. He patted his son’s shoulder in encouragement.
Regardless of what Father Gong said, Gong Lixin nodded and waited for him to finish his words. He took out the bar of chocolate from his pocket and couldn’t wait to take it apart. He took apart a piece and placed it in front of his father’s mouth. His big eyes sparkled and said, "Dad, you eat!"
Father Gong was full of surprise, his expression becoming stiff for a moment. He looked at his young son who was looking at him with expectant eyes and his own mouth twitched. Just a minute ago, he was an undisclosed master, but as soon as people left, he immediately reverted to his usual self. The gap was too great and Father Gong had a hard time adapting.
Father Gong opened his mouth and Gong Lixin placed the chocolate in before breaking another piece and presenting it to Old Lin. He said with a smile, "Grandpa Lin, you also eat!"
"Alright, alright!" Lin Mao glanced at the other’s eyes before taking the chocolate into his mouth. Then, he gave Gong Lixin a thumbs up, indicating that the chocolate was good.
Gong Lixin’s eyes curved into a crescent shape and two other pieces were stuffed into Song Haoran’s and Lin Wenbo’s mouth, causing the two to laugh. Although the young man’s strength was amazing, he was still easygoing and so simple. A small candy, an old joke, such small things can already make him happy. In the end, this was his unique character that unconsciously ensnared the two in a deep trap.
Two pieces were left of the chocolate. Gong Xiangyi stood at Lin Wenbo’s side and frowned, full of disgust and ready to refuse, but Gong Lixin didn’t even ask her before he lowered his head and ate the last two pieces of the chocolate. His cat-like eyes narrowed slightly and revealed an expression full of joy.
Gong Xiangyi’s mouth was stiff and it took a few seconds for her to get it to loosen, her expression still distorted.
Father Gong knew that the brother and sister didn’t get along and cautiously reminded Gong Xiangyi, "Didn’t you say that you will teach Wenbo and Haoran how to improve their ability and mental strength? Let your brother listen in as well."
Gong Xiangyi’s ugly expression became even more distorted. "He’s already so strong. He must already have his own method. Where do I need to guide him!?"
"Why, do you want to hide it? Or you just don’t want to see your brother be stronger than you? How do you think we got our current status and easy life? It was all because of the strength of your brother! Xiangyi, I hope you don’t forget the fact that we are family." The vein near Gong Yuanhang’s forehead twitched, and his tone was extremely severe.
Lin Mao also looked her way and gave Gong Xiangyi and unreadable look. She had a younger brother that was strong, clever, and sensible. He doesn’t understand at all why Gong Xiangyi thought the way she did. Such a woman wants to be a match for his grandson? Never in a million years!
Lin Wenbo and Song Haoran also looked at Gong Xiangyi and their deep and unreadable gaze made Gong Xiangyi tremble. She gritted her teeth and finally responded. Although she was very unwilling, she had to admit that her life in the base was much better than her last life. When she went out, no one dared to scorn her at all because she had Gong Lixin’s backing.
In her last life, others who met Gong Lixin always referred to him as Gong Xiangyi’s younger brother. In this life, the situation of the two were completely reversed.
Gong Xiangyi buried her unwillingness to the depths of her heart and looked at Gong Lixin who didn’t even spare her a glance. She said, "Let’s go, to my room."
Gong Lixin nodded and grabbed Song Haoran’s big hand behind Gong Xiangyi’s back. When Lin Wenbo saw this, he slowed down for two steps and held Lixin’s other hand, rubbing his thumb over the delicate back of his hand to show his support.
Gong Yuanhang and Lin Mao looked at the three holding hands before looking at each other with a smile. The three people had a deep relationship with each other and it made them happy to see this. In the apocalypse, people could only live better if they were united and thus, should be like them.
Gong Xiangyi took out the key to open the door and turned to the three people behind her. "Don’t enter the room yet, change your shoes first." She said, as she took out three pairs of sandals from inside and threw them towards the door.
"Why do you want us to change to sandals to enter your room? Do you still think we’re living in the past? Wake up!" Song Haoran’s thick brows frowned, but he was not angry.
Gong Xiangyi was scared of any intimacy between men and women so she was eager to avoid it as much as possible. It was also Lin Wenbo’s first time to come to her room. Seeing Gong Xiangyi’s slightly unspoken and disgusted expression, he licked his lips in thought and bent forward to change out of his shoes.
Gong Lixin was the most cautious. He took off his boots and put on his sandals before pushing the door open to Gong Xiangyi’s room. A burst of fragrant perfume rushed out from the room and he internally sighed.
Two narrow dormitories were opened and turned into a suite of more than 30 m2. There was a king-sized bed in the middle of the suite which was covered in a dark gold brocade sheet with large peonies in full bloom and a beautiful chiffon curtain around it, complementing each other. The walls have been repainted and affixed with Victorian-style wallpaper. The whole room was beautifully decorated with bold colors, and covered by a pure white wool carpet. It didn’t look like much, but it revealed an unspeakable style and luxurious lifestyle.
This kind of decoration, even before the start of the apocalypse, was over the top. It was no wonder that Gong Xiangyi didn’t let anyone visit.
Seeing the layout of this room, Lin Wenbo and Song Haoran had a feeling of being tricked and both their faces became heavy and the look in their eyes became sharp as they looked over to Gong Xiangyi.
"Did you get people on the base to help with this room of yours?" Song Haoran slammed the door shut and asked, a cold storm brewing in the background.
"I only let them help me with breaking the wall and painting the walls, the rest was done on my own." Gong Xiangyi’s faintly blushed and hurriedly explained.
She knew that during the apocalypse such a magnificent room was too ostentatious. If other people in the base saw it, it would inevitably cause everyone anger and have doubts, and might even affect her father’s leadership status. However, she had long vowed that she would live a happy life and thus, live happily. If she had the ability and the conditions, why did she have to let herself suffer? She had enough pain in her last life.
"You still have so much gall." Song Haoran said coldly as he reluctantly suppressed his anger. "However, I advise you to put these things away as soon as possible. Don’t let others see them or I will burn them myself."
Gong Xiangyi deflated and looked to Lin Wenbo with an aggrieved expression. Lin Wenbo saw her expression but he still remained indifferent. He didn’t talk. He simply sat on his knees on the floor and, Gong Lixin, who was touching the wool carpet, walked up to him and sat down next to him.
"Didn’t you say that you wanted to teach us how to increase our ability and mental strength? You can start." He said as he squeezed the youth’s little hand. Towards Gong Xiangyi, he felt powerless. It seemed futile to say anything. She had already entered a dead end, in a world of her imagination that she couldn’t be pulled back from.
Gong Xiangyi saw how Wenbo didn’t say anything about removing her decoration and her brows raised in quiet joy. She said to the dark-skinned Song Haoran, "Yeah, stop wasting time, let’s start."
Song Haoran’s expression was cold. After glaring at her, he sat down on Gong Lixin’s other side.
Gong Xiangyi placed a red yoga mat on the white wool carpet before sitting down on her knees. Her behaviour caused Song Haoran to become even colder. Gong Xiangyi bit back what she wanted to say as she didn’t dare attack Song Haoran. If she hadn’t been protected by Song Haoran in her last life, she would have already died hundreds of times.
"There are two ways to increase the power of one’s ability. One is to absorb a nucleus and the other is through meditation. The method of absorbing a nucleus is the fastest method but also the most unstable. Although meditation is slower, it can stabilize the fluctuating ability and improve your mental power. The release of your abilities depends on your mental strength. The stronger your mental strength, the faster the release, and the greater the power of your ability. Therefore, meditation is very important." Gong Xiangyi slowly explained what people had concluded a few years later: an ability meditation method.
"What’s mental strength?" Gong Lixin raised his hand, his cat-like eyes filled with curiosity.
"Mental strength is the power of the mind. It is an intangible energy released by our brain cells. We can use it to control the ability in our body, let it condense before releasing it. The mental strength is useful and can be manipulated to a certain extent. People who are power ability users are people with a particularly strong mental strength. Do you understand?" Gong Xiangyi, who was stunned by the other’s curious eyes, explained with patience.
"Oh!" Gong Lixin answered, his small mouth slightly opened.
After speaking, he tilted his head and said, "I still don’t understand." If someone else was doing this, Song Haoran and Lin Wenbo might think that the person was deliberately playing with Gong Xiangyi. But the youth was honest, and he meant it when he said he didn’t understand. They saw his confused expression and Gong Xiangyi’s face which turned into the color of pig liver. The tightness in Song Haoran’s heart instantly dissipated and he laughed as he patted Gong Lixin’s shoulder.
Lin Wenbo was also stunned, his eyes reflecting joy.
"Gong Lixin, if you don’t want to learn then get out! Haoran and Wenbo still have to learn!" Gong Xiangyi screamed and pushed up against the yoga mat under her.
"I won’t ask questions. You may continue." Unwilling to disturb Big Brother Song’s and Big Brother Lin’s study time, Gong Lixin smiled, waved his hand, and said that he wouldn’t speak again.
Seeing his lovely expression and gesture, Song Haoran laughed again. As he laughed, he dragged the other into his arms. He tilted his head and placed a few kisses on Gong Lixin’s forehead. All signs of his previous chilly expression were now gone, completely replaced by a soft and gentle expression.
Seeing his friend’s unscrupulous behavior, Lin Wenbo smiled on the outside, but there was an explosion in his heart and soul on the inside.