[To all my Godfathers, let's hit the fast lane right from the start. I promise to give all you Royal Uncles a proper explanation.]
[My previous Apocalypse novel was put in the Small Dark Room over twenty times. Shen He's strict selection ensures quality. I ask all my Godfathers to be more tolerant of this Humble Author, so I can be more motivated to write literary content that everyone enjoys.]
[The full text will collect various types of beauties and embrace all kinds of XPs. If you have any requests, feel free to leave a comment below. (Of course, please spare me those self-disciplined XPs; this Humble Author really can't handle them.)]
[Brain Storage Area.]
[After storing your brain, your ** will surge by 18CM, handsomeness +9999999, wealth +9999999. Everyone will be stronger and fiercer than the protagonist!]
[Wuwuwu (╥﹏╥), I'm finally out. It was the first time this Humble Author was locked in the Small Dark Room for ten days when the word count was only eighty thousand! During these ten days of torment, I deleted no less than thirty thousand words! If any esteemed readers find anything displeasing or are curious about what happened, you can leave a paragraph comment in the corresponding location, and I will try my best to fill in the missing content.]
[It's foreseeable that I will be locked up many more times in the future. My previous book was locked up at least twenty times. I hope all esteemed readers can add this to their bookshelves and continue to follow the original plot. If you like the story the author tells, I also hope all esteemed readers can give five-star reviews and generate love. This Humble Author kneels in gratitude, ORZ]
—The main text begins below—
A hot summer breeze swept through the room, making the curtains rustle.
Jiang Chen had just finished showering. Bare-chested, he casually grabbed a towel to dry his wet short hair.
He was a recent university graduate, 1.85 meters tall, handsome, and with a well-proportioned and strong physique from years of fitness training.
(Jiang Chen's overall handsomeness was only slightly less than that of all you Yanzus in front of the screen.)
"Hmm, there seems to be something on the balcony?"
Jiang Chen's gaze fell on his balcony, and his action of drying his hair stopped.
It was a dazzling black.
A pair of women's lace stockings lay quietly beside his drying rack, seemingly blown over from next door.
Jiang Chen walked over and picked up the stockings, his heart inexplicably skipping a beat.
Living next door was his landlady, Qin Lan.
A woman around twenty-eight, with a flawless face and temperament, a top-tier mature woman.
Her figure was unbelievably good, the kind of stunning goddess you'd remember for a lifetime after just one glance.
Even more critically, Qin Lan was not only his landlady but also the CEO of his internship company.
Jiang Chen still remembered the scene three months ago when he went for an interview at that large company.
As a Vocational College Graduate, he was completely stunned when Qin Lan singled him out from a group of elite graduates from prestigious universities.
Although good 985 and 211 Universities were not necessarily worse than vocational colleges.
But Jiang Chen wasn't confident enough to be easily recruited by such a top-tier company.
And the job he was assigned happened to be an assistant to this CEO.
During his internship, this exceptional CEO "happened" to learn that he was looking for a place to live.
And "happened" to rent him this high-end residential apartment under her name at a price far below market value.
Later, to improve work efficiency, CEO Qin also moved into the room next door.
That's right, the room next door was also hers.
Who could blame the CEO for owning so much property?
Jiang Chen gently pinched the cool, smooth black lace stocking.
It emanated the same faint jasmine fragrance as Qin Lan.
He looked up at the various lace innerwear swaying in the wind on the balcony next door, feeling a bit conflicted.
Jiang Chen hesitated for half a minute.
Finally, he grabbed a T-shirt, put it on, and walked out the door with the stockings... Thump, thump, thump.
The corridor was quiet, and Jiang Chen's breathing sounded particularly distinct.
A few seconds later, the lock clicked open.
The door opened.
The words Jiang Chen had prepared instantly caught in his throat, and he felt his breathing stop.
The door was only half-open, and Qin Lan leaned languidly against the doorframe.
A delicate, elegant fragrance of jasmine wafted towards him.
She was wearing only a thin, cicada-wing-like ice-blue silk slip dress.
The slender straps hung on her exquisite, rounded shoulders.
The hem of the nightdress wasn't long, revealing two fair, long, beautiful legs that made it impossible for Jiang Chen to look away.
"Is something wrong, Xiao Chen?"
Qin Lan's voice carried a hint of hoarseness and laziness, her intonation rising slightly at the end, making Jiang Chen's heart itch.
"CEO... CEO Qin."
Jiang Chen's throat was dry. He instinctively took half a step back and held up the item in his hand.
"This... seems to be yours. The wind blew it onto my balcony just now."
Qin Lan's gaze fell on the black stockings in Jiang Chen's hand, and a playful smile curved her red lips.
She didn't take them immediately but instead stepped forward gracefully.
Although the air conditioning in her room was quite strong, Jiang Chen still felt a wave of heat wash over him.
Qin Lan's figure was too good. At 1.72 meters tall, even barefoot, she was only half a head shorter than Jiang Chen.
At this distance, Jiang Chen could clearly see the alluring, undulating curves beneath her silk slip dress.
"Is that so?" she chuckled, extending her slender, fair fingers to take the stockings from Jiang Chen's hand.
As she pulled away the stockings, her cool fingertips deliberately and slowly brushed across Jiang Chen's burning palm.
Jiang Chen trembled all over.
"Thanks."
Qin Lan casually draped the stockings over her arm. Instead of closing the door, she opened it completely and stepped aside, revealing the entryway of her room.
"Come in and sit for a bit. Big Sister just opened a good bottle of wine."
"I..."
"What? Are you afraid Big Sister will eat you?" Qin Lan turned back with a smile, her eyes sparkling.
Jiang Chen's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
Qin Lan's noble and elegant demeanor was truly testing.
Every move she made exuded the ultimate charm of a mature woman.
Jiang Chen, as if possessed, followed her inside.
Qin Lan's room was much larger than Jiang Chen's, luxuriously decorated, and filled with the scent of expensive incense.
"What would you like to drink?"
Qin Lan walked barefoot on the soft wool carpet towards the huge refrigerator in the open-plan kitchen.
With every step, the curves of her waist and hips beneath the silk nightgown were captivating.
This was the first time Jiang Chen had seen Qin Lan in anything other than her office OL attire.
He stood awkwardly in the entryway, not daring to go further inside.
"Anything... water is fine."
"Don't be so polite."
Qin Lan opened the refrigerator. In the cold air, her profile was breathtakingly beautiful.
The refrigerator was filled with imported drinks and alcohol that Jiang Chen didn't recognize.
She took out two glass bottles of sparkling water and smiled at Jiang Chen.
"Big Sister, I really like to drink cold things."
She deliberately tilted her pale neck back and took a sip from the bottle in front of Jiang Chen, the cool liquid making her comfortably narrow her eyes.
"Can you... handle it?"
This highly suggestive remark made Jiang Chen's face flush.
This CEO Qin was truly a temptress!
However, his current persona was that of a naive and innocent male university graduate.
Of course, he was essentially playing himself in this role.
Due to some rather special reasons, he had no actual experience.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath, calming his restless heart once again.
"CEO Qin, thank you."
"I still need to go back and revise a proposal, so I won't be joining you for a drink."
Qin Lan's smile faded slightly, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
"Is that so? A proposal..." she repeated softly, seeming to find it somewhat amusing.
"Alright, then I won't delay you..."
"Rumble—!"
A dull roar came from underground, interrupting her words!
The entire building shook with the tremendous sound.
Jiang Chen stumbled, almost falling.
Moments later, the shaking stopped.
Jiang Chen held onto the bar, saying in a panicked voice:
"Could it be an earthquake?!"
"No... look outside!"
Qin Lan's face was ashen. She pointed at the huge floor-to-ceiling window behind Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen whirled around.
The sky outside, which had been bright and sunny, had completely darkened in just a few seconds.
Day instantly turned into night!
A bizarre dark purple energy storm violently churned in the high sky!
"Sizzle—"
Blinding lightning tore through the dark purple sky, followed by a torrential downpour!
"Ah—!"
The bustling street downstairs instantly became a living hell.
Pedestrians who hadn't managed to find shelter let out heart-wrenching screams the moment they came into contact with the rainwater.
The two rushed to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down.
Jiang Chen watched with his own eyes as a real estate agent, who was on the phone, had his skin visibly rot, smoke, and peel off.
He writhed in agony on the ground, his wails incredibly piercing.
Just a few minutes later, he was completely silent.
The place looked like it had suffered the most brutal massacre, with bodies covering the entire street.
Red blood mixed with the toxic rain, spreading wildly across the ground.
"Ugh..." Qin Lan covered her mouth, terrified and weak all over.
"Close the window!"
Jiang Chen reacted quickly, rushing over and firmly locking the open balcony window.
Just then, both their phones simultaneously blared with piercing alarms!
The television also turned on automatically. After a flickering static screen, an emergency broadcast appeared.
[Global Emergency Alert! Global Emergency Alert!]
[Unknown energy storms have swept across the globe! Atmospheric composition has changed! Do not go outside! Do not touch the rainwater!]
[Repeat, do not... static...]
Jiang Chen looked at the hellish scene outside the window, then at Qin Lan beside him, who was once high and mighty but was now terrified and trembling, her face pale.
He realized that the entire world had been completely changed at this moment.
It was then that a cold, emotionless mechanical voice directly sounded in his mind:
[Detecting the start of the Apocalypse Era... Energy storms sweeping... Global species mutating...]
[Congratulations, Host, the doomsday survival system has been activated!]
[Welcome to... your era!]