Apocalypse Forecast

"What are you guys doing?"

Huai Shi heard Fu Yi screaming, "Get lost! I'm calling the police if you keep this up!"

"Don't panic, little sister, just have some fun with big brother," a slick voice responded, followed by Fu Yi's screams intensifying.

What is this!

Huai Shi's eyes widened, unsure whether to feel excited or shocked.

The most common hero-saving-beauty scenario in urban novels!

It's finally my turn!

I'm so excited, what should I do the first time I encounter such an event? I'm anxiously waiting online.

He eagerly rubbed his hands together, rushed into the alley, and with a few flying kicks, sent the men tumbling into a pile of trash. Then he turned back to look at Fu Yi, who was on the ground in a panic.

"Are you okay?"

Huai Shi grinned, managing a reliable and considerate smile.

"...Huh?"

Fu Yi stared at him blankly, her gaze flickering between the two men he had kicked into the trash heap, him, and the trash heap again, stunned. It seemed as if something wasn't right.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on here!"

The middle-aged man who had been kicked into the trash heap climbed out, glaring at her furiously, "We agreed on eighty yuan a day, no hitting, no stunts. What is going on here! Young lady, how can you be so unfair! Director! Director! I want a raise!"

"What the heck?" Huai Shi was astonished.

Then he saw the camera mounted on the wall, a few classmates nearby with awkward expressions, and someone on top of the wall preparing to jump down.

The person was dressed in a ridiculous costume, complete with a red cape, and, to top it off, a Peppa mask—absolutely bizarre. There's even a knockoff version of this!

In the silent awkwardness, Huai Shi scratched his face and looked at the exasperated Fu Yi, "Yo, shooting a film, huh."

It took a good while for the drama club students to calm down the two middle-aged men who were hired as extras. They bowed, apologized, and even gave them more money.

Huai Shi's kick had indeed been fierce.

Even though he had intentionally held back, if the trash pile hadn't cushioned their fall, they might have ended up in the hospital.

Fu Yi, finally getting a break, sat down and guzzled water, looking at an embarrassed Huai Shi, "Are you done playing hooky?"

"Ah," Huai Shi nodded. "Classes start next week. What's all this about?"

"Isn't the school anniversary next Wednesday? The student council decided to make a micro-film, and I'm in charge. So, I just found someone to write a script and cast myself as the female lead." Saying this, she glanced at Huai Shi and couldn't help shaking her head. "I really didn't expect to be 'saved by a hero.'"

"Give me a break," Huai Shi said, flipping through their script. He pointed to the title and asked, "What on earth is this 'Peppa Pig Hero'?"

"Ah, lately when I see my dad, I always hear him muttering something about Peppa, and sometimes he even curses. When it came time to name it, I just couldn't help myself..." Fu Yi waved her hand nonchalantly. "It's all in the details, the details. Don't worry about it."

Huai Shi was speechless.

He flipped through the script. It was... truly mediocre, with special effects worth a mere fifty cents, but one couldn't expect too much from a group of students having fun.

But still...

"This final line in the script," Huai Shi flipped to the end and pointed at the sentence. "The hero puts on the mask in public and says: 'I am Little Peiqi'... Could you be a bit more careful? That company that often uses a castle for its logo will sue you!"

"That's called homage, do you understand homage?"

"And this, this sequel here..." Huai Shi held up the last page. "The first part is called 'Thunder Strike, Peppa Pig Was Born,' which is one thing, but what the heck are 'Peppa Pig Hero bravely fights against Optimus Prime' and 'Peppa Pig Hero fights against Calabash Brothers again'?!"

"Isn't this just an easy way to get more budget allocated!"

Fu Yi glared, suddenly looking aggrieved. "Otherwise, with the school's stingy attitude, they wouldn't even buy us bottled water. Where would we get the money to hire extras? We finally hire extras, and someone jumps out and kicks them. Do you think my life is easy?"

"My bad, my bad," Huai Shi sighed, begging for forgiveness.

But Fu Yi grinned, moving closer and looking at him slyly, "But, weren't you kind of looking forward to saving me one day, to boost your favorability score with me?"

"Let's not talk about it. If we keep talking about it, something bad will really happen!"

Thinking of Director Fu's readiness to draw a gun and shoot him, Huai Shi felt a bitterness in his heart. Besides, even if his favorability increased, it would be useless.

She had already maxed out her limit.

From the very first day they met, Huai Shi knew how clearly she had planned her life.

Joining the student council to gain experience, getting into Peking University, joining the student council there to become an outstanding cadre, vying for an exchange student spot in an America Ivy League university...

Thanks to Director Fu's past atrocious behavior, she had long since become completely disillusioned with the kind of romance that typically interests young girls.

Even before adulthood, she had pragmatically mapped out her life, leaving no room for romance.

Though she looked petite and pitiable, she was, at heart, the epitome of a strong, independent woman. If he tried any sort of "conquest" strategy, she would probably just play him for a fool.

"Tch, so boring."

Finding no wavering in his expression, Fu Yi pouted unhappily. Just then, the crew behind her signaled they were ready and called out to her.

She called back in acknowledgment, tossed her water bottle into the trash can, and said goodbye to Huai Shi, "I'm off then."

Huai Shi waved, but then, unexpectedly, he felt her hand pat his shoulder.

"And—"

She grinned, her smile radiant.

"Welcome back."

Huai Shi was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

He had left behind the distant conflicts and unsettling mysteries, returning once more to his everyday life.

「. . .」

When he arrived home, he saw the elderly figure crouching in the nursery, trousers rolled up and sleeves pushed back, carefully watering the newly sprouted flowers.

"Welcome back," the old man raised his head and asked, "Young Master, how did things go?"

"Everything went smoothly."

Huai Shi waved his hand to reassure him and casually asked, "Uncle Fang, what's for dinner tonight?"

"Hmm, the market just delivered some very nice goose liver. I was thinking of picking up some mushrooms and snails, how does that sound?" Uncle Fang pondered. "Mushroom cream soup with braised goose liver and cheese-baked snails should be tasty."

"Rome cuisine?"

"Yes. If Young Master doesn't like it, sashimi is also an option. The flavors of seared goose liver sushi are quite rich."

Huai Shi instantly found it difficult to decide. "Can we have a bit of both?"

"Err..." Uncle Fang's expression grew complex. "Actually, regarding this matter, Lady Crow has already expressed her concerns to me. Your body fat percentage has been a bit high lately, and she hopes I won't make any more high-calorie foods like corn chips..."

"She's full of it!" Huai Shi exploded in anger. "She's the one who eats the most, isn't she?"

Hearing this, he couldn't suppress his irritation. "Where is she?"

"The usual place."

Uncle Fang pointed in the direction of the basement. "Also, Lady Crow said to please go see her once you returned."

"She's been waiting for me, hasn't she?"

Huai Shi sighed, put down his instrument case and coat, and headed for the basement.

Uncle Fang, naturally, had the surname Fang.

But in fact, Huai Shi had also given him that name.

Essentially, he could be considered the embodiment of Stone Marrow Pavilion; it wouldn't be entirely inappropriate to address him directly as Stone Marrow, though it would feel rather odd.

Regarding the name, Uncle Fang was quite easygoing, telling the Young Master to call him whatever he pleased.

"To tell you the truth, I am merely a failed creation of the old master. My continued existence is thanks to his compassion and maintenance," he confessed.

The "old master" Uncle Fang referred to was Huai Shi's great-grandfather, Huai Guang, a Fourth Stage Sublimator of the Dongxia Genealogy who had settled in Xinhai.

According to Uncle Fang, in his later years, Huai Guang had expended considerable effort and assets attempting to construct a 'Spirit Coffin' so that his descendants wouldn't fall into ruin after his death.

Thus, after searching extensively, he found a fairly clear and distinct ley line near Qingshiu Mountain, which led to the creation of Stone Marrow Pavilion.

As a rare artifact, the 'Spirit Coffin' could do more than just allow a Sublimator's soul to be reborn in another body. Huai Guang knew his own path forward was irrevocably blocked and had no intention of possessing his descendants' bodies to cling to life. What he valued was its power to allow others to Sublimate without future complications.

In short, it granted a soul the ability to inhabit a person.

Even if its effect was lost after a single use, it remained a precious miracle.

Unfortunately, even for a Fourth Stage Sublimator, the Spirit Coffin was too extravagant and elusive. Huai Guang could only follow the incomplete diagrams he had obtained by a stroke of luck.

Failure, of course, ensued.

He didn't acquire a Spirit Coffin. Instead, through a series of mishaps, he endowed Stone Marrow Pavilion with Source Substance. It was as if a Midas touch had accidentally turned the finger itself into gold.

After this failure, Huai Guang had no resources left for a second attempt and had to give up.

However, he didn't erase Stone Marrow Pavilion's Source Substance out of frustration. Instead, he dedicated effort to maintain this nascent consciousness, hoping that a century later, this act of kindness would benefit his descendants through this budding awareness.

Uncle Fang was indeed part of Huai Shi's family.

If one were to speak of seniority, no one was more qualified to be considered a part of the Huai Family than he.

If his descendants had been more capable, by the time he had fully formed, he could have at least contributed to a period of renewal for the family. Sadly, just over fifty years later, the Huai Family had fallen into a sorry state.

Despite Uncle Fang's incomplete consciousness desperately wanting to salvage something, he was powerless and could only watch helplessly as all burdens fell upon Huai Shi.

It wasn't until Huai Shi's wishes, channeled through the Wish Fulfillment Crystal after several detours, finally reached Uncle Fang and replenished his incomplete Source Substance, that he was able to barely manifest himself From Nowhere.

Even if he couldn't leave Stone Marrow Pavilion, he could finally walk freely within it.

According to the conclusions drawn by Raven—the Stone Marrow Pavilion had become an undeniable Border Relic, and a rather rare type at that...

Huai Shi couldn't be bothered with such analyses. Uncle Fang was part of his family; questioning it further was pointless.

Having been a house for so many years, Uncle Fang seemed to quite enjoy the role of a butler. Whether it was cleaning, cooking, gardening, or maintaining the nursery, he was extraordinarily adept at all of it.

From fixing antennas on the roof to digging trenches for fiber optic cables, if it was a household task, there seemed to be nothing he couldn't do.

He single-handedly kept everything in perfect order, so Huai Shi barely had to lift a finger.

Now, he had rapidly transitioned from a youth struggling for survival to a gluttonous layabout enjoying five hefty meals a day, gaining several pounds in less than a week.

So happy, he was almost unable to wear the pants he had just bought.

And now someone dared to cut his food budget?

"It's an outrage!"

"Even if I, Huai Shi, die from overeating, die here in my own home, even if I jump from this very spot, I will absolutely not eat one bite less!"