Apocalypse: Launching a Counterattack Against the Villainess

Page 254

"Then they will realize that this world is 'absurd'."

"absurd?"

Faced with the girl's question, Nie Qingyun couldn't tell her the whole story of Sisyphus, so he could only try to explain it in a way she could understand:

"Nowadays, people will inevitably start thinking whenever they stop."

"Consider the ultimate question that plagues all humankind: 'Why do I live?'"

“Once you can’t find the answer to this question, you fall into nihilism, and the cycle repeats itself.”

Hearing this, Cheng Yuqiu finally understood some of it and couldn't help but speak up:

"You mean...they'll lose their will to live?"

Nie Qingyun didn't speak, but shook his head. After a long while, he continued:

"There is only one serious philosophical proposition in this world, and that is—suicide."

"So... what Qin Hehuan did was not just to bring together people who were suffering to huddle together for warmth."

"She also had to give others a reason to live, and then keep spreading hope... even if it was a lie."

Cheng Yuqiu's eyes widened in surprise, because she had no idea that the others' situation had deteriorated to this extent.

But why... have I never thought about similar questions before...?

As she pondered, Cheng Yuqiu couldn't help but ask herself—what was the purpose of her life?

In an instant, almost subconsciously, a name appeared in her mind, and that alone occupied her entire being.

In that instant, she suddenly understood many things.

Why did Nie Qingyun never force himself to do anything...?

Why did it only last night that the two of them truly became a couple...?

Because everything the other person had done before was to help her find meaning in life.

Looking at the handsome face beside her, Cheng Yuqiu felt her eyes welling up again. But this time, she didn't choose to act coquettishly. Instead, she faced her feelings squarely and took action.

"Well, about what you've said... I'd like to hear more about it. Tell me more."

"it is good."

Nie Qingyun responded, and the two continued walking side by side to the end of the corridor.

They chatted for who knows how long, until they were almost back at the infirmary when a slightly hurried figure suddenly came into view.

Saotome was still clutching a thick folder in her arms, her chest heaving. Only after seeing Nie Qingyun did she show a relieved expression.

"Seniors...you're finally back."

Seeing this, Nie Qingyun felt a little embarrassed. His unauthorized actions last night must have caused the young girl a lot of trouble, so he took the initiative to explain:

"After the operation last night, there were still some things to take care of. I verbally informed Qin Hehuan..."

"Hmm..." Saotome responded absentmindedly, her gaze towards Nie Qingyun somewhat evasive.

"More importantly... it seems the president has something important to discuss with Yu Jue. I... I'll take her there first."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took Cheng Yuqiu's hand and started walking back.

Nie Qingyun was somewhat taken aback and was about to follow when the girl raised her hand to stop him:

"The president only called Yu Jue... Um, Senior Qingyun, you don't need to go over yet..."

"Are you sure Qin Hehuan isn't looking for me?" Even Nie Qingyun was a little confused now.

Saotome's expression turned strange as she watched Nie Qingyun waiting for a reply.

Qin Hehuan initially instructed her to call Nie Qingyun over, but later changed her mind and specifically instructed her to only bring Cheng Yuqiu.

Although Saotome didn't know exactly what happened last night, after seeing Qin Hehuan's appearance this morning, and considering the president's past record of secretly "touching himself" in the office, she could easily fill in the blanks of the story with just a little thought.

It's highly likely that the two sisters have developed a romantic entanglement over a man...

With that in mind, the issues that the two women would discuss next become quite clear.

It's simply a matter of mating priority...

As for myself, I'll most likely be playing a role like a "dowry maid"...

Thinking of this, Saotome's gaze towards Nie Qingyun couldn't help but carry a hint of resentment.

He had just given someone a long lecture on relationships, but in the end... he snatched up another woman in the blink of an eye.

If I had known it would turn out like this... I should have done it the night before last...

Chapter 360: This young lady knows everything!

"In conclusion, the control area within the main building has been further secured, and the two usable gashapon machines are now completely under the control of the student council..."

Holding her file folder, Saotome stood solemnly in front of her desk as usual, reporting to Qin Hehuan on the overall situation of the Freemasons.

But these trivial matters were utterly boring to Cheng Yuqiu, who had just experienced her first time.

Now she wished she could stay by Nie Qingyun's side all day long, even if she did nothing... Just being with the person she liked was enough to make her feel happy.

Unfortunately, he was called to Saotome's office as soon as he returned to the main building. To make matters worse, it seemed that Qin Hehuan's report would not be finished anytime soon.

Cheng Yuqiu didn't want to disturb them at this time, so he could only patiently fiddle with the cups on the coffee table.

Qin Hehuan had actually noticed this situation long ago, but she was not in a calm mood and had not figured out how to communicate with her willful cousin about the matter between her and Nie Qingyun.

The matter of the [Soul Imprint] cannot be revealed, and the matter of the [Witch's Staff] cannot be discussed without Nie Qingyun's permission.

If we rashly ask the two of them to separate, even if we can fool Cheng Yuqiu, it will be difficult to explain to Nie Qingyun later...

So... how can we reasonably reduce the number of times these two people seduce each other in the future?

Qin Hehuan's head ached more and more as she thought about it, and before she knew it, she was rubbing her temples.

"Um... President?"

It wasn't until Saotome's question came from beside her that Qin Hehuan snapped out of her reverie and looked up at the girl in front of the desk:

"Where were you talking about?"

Seemingly sensing that the other party was somewhat unsettled, Saotome glanced at Cheng Yuqiu sitting on the inner sofa, and then cautiously spoke:

"If the president isn't feeling well... I'll come back another time."

"No need."

Seeing that Qin Hehuan had resumed listening, Saotome had no choice but to steer the conversation back to the main topic.

"Currently, my controlled area is basically free from the threat of zombies. Rinne is working on collecting electronic surveillance equipment, and if all goes well, we can set up an early warning system with facial recognition outside the fortifications..."

"It's about food..."

At this point, Saotome's expression suddenly showed a hint of hesitation, but she still pursed her lips and said:

"Because the area around the main building is currently under martial law, we have basically cleared out all the places where we could collect food over the long term."

"If we don't send out teams to gather supplies soon, we probably won't be able to hold out much longer and will have to rely on [Primal Crystals] to exchange for food."

"How long can our current food reserves last?" Qin Hehuan asked calmly, her tone showing little change.

"If we reduce the daily rations, we should be able to last for about two more weeks..."

"Let's do it this way then."

“But…” Saotome suddenly hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but held it back.

Qin Hehuan, who was tidying her desk, stopped what she was doing and raised an eyebrow:

"If you have anything to say, just say it."

Upon hearing this, Saotome took a deep breath. Knowing the student council president's personality well, she immediately relaxed and subconsciously raised her voice:

"I don't think it's necessary to waste extra manpower to build a second line of defense inside the main building!"

Just as modern warfare ultimately boils down to a contest of financial resources, any action in the apocalypse consumes resources.

If resources were plentiful, setting up an extra line of defense would be understandable, but the Freemasons are currently in a very precarious situation.

Saotome assumed that Qin Hehuan was blinded by emotional entanglements and that's why she issued such a meaningless order. Therefore, as the secretary, she had to issue a reminder at this time.

"Currently, the number of survivors in the vicinity is far from enough to pose a threat to us."

"All unnecessary manpower consumption should be reduced, so in my opinion, mobilizing all survivors to build a second line of defense is completely pointless..."

"That's not how it works... My cousin was trying to convey hope, wasn't she?"

Cheng Yuqiu's sudden interruption caused Saotome to instinctively turn her head to look at the sofa.

The office suddenly fell silent.

Seemingly realizing that interrupting someone's conversation so abruptly was somewhat impolite, Cheng Yuqiu quickly put down his cup and gave an awkward smile. Unexpectedly, Qin Hehuan behind the desk suddenly asked with a very serious expression.

"Why did you come to such a conclusion?!"

“Uh,” Cheng Yuqiu hesitated for a moment.

Why did I come to this conclusion...? Of course, I heard it from my boyfriend.

She hadn't intended to get involved in the topic at all; she just mentioned it casually when she heard that Saotome had the same question.

He intended to say something casual to brush it off, but as his gaze shifted, he noticed a hint of surprise on his usually cold and aloof cousin's face.

This made her feel looked down upon.

In the past, she always obeyed her cousin Qin Hehuan's words and mostly played the role of being taken care of.

Even among blood relatives, girls still exhibit a strange competitive spirit.

Especially among pretty girls.

So Cheng Yuqiu immediately changed her mind and instead slightly raised her chin:

"Cousin, anyone could see through your little schemes with just a little thought, right?"

"Oh?" Qin Hehuan crossed her arms over her chest, clearly intrigued.

"Then tell me, what are my intentions?"

"Hmph," Cheng Yuqiu imitated the other person, crossing her arms without any panic, even giving a mysterious smile:

"The main process of the modern development of the alliance is the continuous rational organization of human life."

"But in this rational production order, individuals become replaceable entities on the assembly line."

"The subjectivity, irreplaceability, and unrepeatability of the individual will inevitably be gradually deconstructed."

"Ultimately, they lost their way in the meaning of existence."

"At this point, someone must step forward and become a figure who transcends their own level, to create a greater narrative!"

"And establish connections with them and provide them with spiritual support."

Upon hearing this, Saotome was completely stunned.

It wasn't that these words were too obscure or difficult to understand, but rather that she simply couldn't believe... that such philosophical words came from the mouth of that naive young lady.

After a moment, Saotome suddenly came to her senses and couldn't help but speak:

"Even so... all we have to do is have some free people disperse the survivors around who don't want to join the Freemasons."

"In this way, we might be able to obtain additional supplies."

"Hmph, superficial," Cheng Yuqiu was quite pleased with Saotome's incredulous gaze, and immediately adopted a profound and unfathomable demeanor, slowly picking up his teacup, taking a sip, and continuing:

"Conflict leads to killing, but killing doesn't bring anything new."

"It will only liberate people from all constraints, and then confine them to the inevitability of history."

"My cousin has always believed in the role of rationality in social progress and firmly believes that human progress can be designed."

"How could someone like her possibly allow her followers to turn into beasts?"

Now, not only Saotome, but even Qin Hehuan's eyes widened in surprise.

She never realized that her silly cousin actually had such a high level of political awareness!

If that's really the case... then we really wasted our talents on her before.

Chapter 361: Cousin, why are you so skilled?!