Chapter 24: A Heartless Bargain
As Su Chen was about to close the car window, Liu Ling'er quickly called out to him.
"Ah Chen, I have something to say!"
"Alright, say it quickly, spit it out," Su Chen replied, pulling up a chair and plopping down in it. He casually grabbed half a watermelon and scooped out a piece from the center with a spoon, popping it into his mouth.
The watermelon looked translucent, with not a single seed in sight.
Even if it was a regular day, this would be the kind of watermelon one would dream about!
In such sweltering heat, a bite of this watermelon was absolute bliss!
Both women's mouths watered so much that they almost gave up using the spoon and wanted to just grab the watermelon with their hands.
"Well, here's the thing, Ah Chen!" Liu Ling'er swallowed her saliva and forced a smile onto her dusty face.
"During the time I've been away from you, I've reflected on a lot of things."
"You've been so good to me, and I've just taken without giving anything in return. Breaking up with you was really my fault."
"Mm-hmm, go on," Su Chen nodded as he continued scooping out the watermelon.
Liu Ling'er helplessly carried on, "After so long, I realized that I can't forget you. I hope… you can forgive me."
After finishing her sentence, she and Xiao Mei looked at Su Chen with expectant eyes.
Su Chen didn't answer immediately. He finished the watermelon, let out a satisfied burp, and then said slowly:
"Your reflection seems sincere. Alright, I forgive you!"
Both Liu Ling'er and Xiao Mei had originally thought they would have to talk for a long time to convince Su Chen.
But they didn't expect Su Chen to forgive Liu Ling'er so easily!
It seemed that no matter how things changed, he was still the same old pushover!
A flash of disdain crossed Xiao Mei's eyes, but she smiled sweetly on the surface.
"Well, since that's the case, Ah Chen, please open the car door and let us in!"
But Su Chen stayed seated, showing no intention of opening the door.
"Why should I open the door?" Su Chen asked.
Xiao Mei froze and instinctively said, "You… didn't you forgive Ling'er?"
"Yeah, I forgave her, but what does that have to do with me opening the door and letting you both in?" Su Chen smiled.
"Forgiving her ≠ letting you both in," he continued with a grin.
Xiao Mei and Liu Ling'er were both stunned.
It seemed Su Chen was applying the famous "Tang Girl Inequality" theory to them, which was incredibly ironic!
"If you two have nothing else, I'm going to play my game," Su Chen added, teasing them.
"Please, Ah Chen, I know you still hold a grudge against me, I'm sorry… I apologize! I'll do anything as long as you're not mad anymore!" Liu Ling'er clung to her last hope, desperately trying to explain.
"No, you don't even know what you're apologizing for," Su Chen shook his head and replied calmly.
"You're just scared of dying here."
The instant Su Chen saw through her thoughts, Liu Ling'er's face turned pale.
"No, that's not true…"
"If you have nothing else, I'm going to rest," Su Chen said, pressing a button, and the steel plate slowly began to rise again.
After experiencing the apocalypse, Su Chen's heart had become incredibly resilient.
After his conversation with Liu Ling'er and Xiao Mei, he didn't feel any emotional upheaval—if anything, he almost wanted to laugh.
Did they really think they were fooling him? Were they that unaware and still think of him as a "simp"?
But then, Su Chen thought about something else. Since leaving the capital city, it had been a long time since he'd had any "action," which had been hard on him.
It's often said that abstaining from lust for a day accumulates virtue.
Two days of abstinence? Even more virtue.
Maybe he should let them in, experience the "blessing of many" and enjoy some company?
That thought, however, was quickly dismissed by Su Chen.
Even though the two women seemed pitiful, if he let them in, who knew how they'd turn out?
What if, while he was asleep, they each grabbed a knife and killed him?
To protect his life, Su Chen quickly discarded the idea of letting them inside!
After all, you only have one life, but there are countless women!
Just then, Su Chen remembered Lin Yingying, a girl who had been with him before.
Spending time with her had made him feel she was a good person.
If he had known, he should've just taken her with him when he left the capital city—let her work when there was something to do, and when there wasn't, well, enjoy her company.
While Su Chen was lost in thought, the radio in the car suddenly crackled to life.
When he had asked Zhang Chi to modify his Normadison, he had specifically told him to add a satellite receiver to catch satellite signals.
That's why, even though Zhang Mingyuan and others couldn't get any signal after the power outage, Su Chen could still watch Douyin.
However, in the last few days, Su Chen had been unable to receive any signal.
When the radio suddenly made noise, he was momentarily stunned.
"Attention all residents, this is... the disaster period has begun... I represent the authorities to announce that starting from today... please all residents, strive for self-rescue…"
Su Chen, in the underground parking garage, received a weak satellite signal due to the high temperatures.
The voice on the radio was intermittent, but Su Chen could make out the key message: the authorities were urging people to try and save themselves.
This could only mean one thing: in the face of this terrifying heatwave, the authorities had lost control!
Su Chen wasn't particularly surprised—he had already experienced this in his past life.
While the authorities usually prepare for natural disasters, wars, and other emergencies, no one had expected such a horrific heatwave.
Moreover, it came quickly and violently, leaving no time for a proper response.
With over a billion people across the country, the government could not manage everything and could only tell people to save themselves!
This also meant that society's order had completely collapsed.
Su Chen glanced at the radio, feeling a mix of relief and fear.
If he hadn't bought this Normadison with its almost infinite storage space, even if he had traveled back in time, he would probably have been no better off than those outside.
He picked up a cold Coca-Cola, took a refreshing sip, and let the cool breeze calm his nerves.
No matter what, he was determined to survive in this apocalypse!
...
"Ling'er, why can't you just seize the opportunity?" Xiao Mei said in frustration.
"Did I not seize it? It's Su Chen... he's too heartless!" Liu Ling'er defended herself, but inside, she felt incredibly desolate.
She could feel that Su Chen had completely lost his feelings for her!
Without his help, how much longer could she survive in this situation?
Xiao Mei had wanted to complain more, but after thinking it over, she changed her approach.
"Forget it. Let's try again later. Maybe he'll change his mind."
Liu Ling'er wasn't hopeful but nodded anyway.
When the two women returned to their spot, they were surprised to find that the people who had been scattered were now gathered together.