Chapter 69: Into a Post-Apocalyptic Superpower Novel, Day 21

Chapter 69: Day 21 of Transmigrating into an Apocalypse Superpower Novel

An Yi glanced at him, thought it was weird. Wasn't Ji Zishi supposed to be straightforward and not the type to play games?

Why was he being all two-faced now?

He studied Ji Zishi's expression and suddenly his eyes went wide.

Ji Zishi was actually serious?!

He cleared his throat and said seriously, "No, you're really strong."

Ji Zishi looked at him: "Really? But I'm just a regular guy, and I'm not even smart..."

An Yi nodded. Yeah, that was true.

But he didn't say that, he said to comfort him: "Not really, you're kinda cute."

Once Ji Zishi confirmed An Yi was being honest, he suddenly got happy. It didn't matter if he wasn't smart; once he pursued An Yi, wouldn't their family have a smart person?!

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The continuous high alert was maintained until nightfall. Cold searchlight beams swept like blades across the ruins and wilderness outside the wall, and only after confirming no signs of mutant activity did they finally let their guard down a bit.

Leaving necessary patrols and sentries, the exhausted soldiers were allowed to head back to the base in groups.

The lights in the command building's meeting room came on again, but the atmosphere was completely different from before the battle.

Everyone had weariness they couldn't hide on their faces, but their eyes were unusually bright—they had just won a potentially brutal defensive battle, with losses far below expectations.

Ji Qin sat at the head of the table and first summarized the achievements of this defense, especially highlighting the eastern line's excellent performance in dealing with new mutant types and minimizing losses.

Everyone's hearts tightened. Was this a sign that they were promoting An Yi to the inner circle?

However, just as the meeting was about to move into routine tactical review, An Yi slowly stood up.

All eyes instantly focused on him.

An Yi's face showed neither joy nor anger, only a kind of detached calm.

He walked step by step to the other end of the long meeting table, where the staffer who had mocked him before the battle was sitting—the one who had tied his warning to his relationship with Captain Ji.

His face went pale, he instinctively leaned back, and his eyes darted away.

An Yi stopped before him, looking down, his voice clear and cold, echoing through the silent room:

"Before the battle, you called my warning 'unfounded conjecture' and implied I was just showing off due to my personal relationship with Captain Ji."

Sweat beaded on the guy's forehead, his lips trembling as he tried to defend himself: "I... I was just being cautious, for the base's sake..."

He thought, "Why is An Yi so petty? Is he trying to take my authority through this?"

"Your 'caution' almost doomed the entire base," An Yi interrupted, unreasonably accusing him. "Your words were not only an insult to me but also a delay that could have cost the lives of countless soldiers."

Before he finished, to everyone's shock, An Yi suddenly raised his hand—

Slap!

A sharp, loud slap landed squarely on the officer's face!

The force knocked him right off his chair onto the floor. His cheek instantly swelled up, and a little blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He worked his mouth and spat out two teeth.

The entire room fell into dead silence. Everyone was stunned by An Yi's sudden, clean move.

An Yi shook his hand as if flicking off dust, looking down at the pathetic officer on the floor, smiling carelessly:

"This slap is to teach you to watch your mouth from now on."

He paused: "Did you learn your lesson?"

He raised his eyes, scanned the stunned faces in the room, finally looked at Ji Qin, and gave a slight nod. "I've said what I needed to say. Sorry for interrupting the meeting."

The whole process was fast, accurate, and ruthless, with an aura that brooked no argument.

Ji Qin watched this scene, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, but she didn't stop it. Only after An Yi went back to his seat did she speak calmly:

"An Yi's actions may have been too direct, but the point he made is not wrong. In the apocalypse, every accurate warning can save countless lives. Any unfounded malicious speculation and slander against that threatens the survival of Blazing Fortress."

"As for this incident: one major demerit, three months' rations deducted, removed from current position, and transferred to logistics for cleaning duty, on probation."

That guy wasn't very capable but liked to cause trouble. Taking this chance to get rid of him was actually a good thing.

The officer turned ashen, was helped up, and slunk out of the meeting early in disgrace.

The subsequent review continued in a subtle atmosphere. People who didn't know An Yi well now felt a sense of fear.

After the meeting, everyone dispersed.

An Yi and Ji Zishi naturally fell into step together, walking side by side in silence down the corridor to the dormitory area.

The corridor was dim, with only the faint glow of emergency lights.

Ji Zishi kept stealing glances at An Yi, his heart pounding.

In his mind, he replayed An Yi's dominating figure on the battlefield and... the hotness of that slap in the meeting!

It was hot! That was the perfect word!

Every side of him made Ji Zishi's heart race.

"Um..." Ji Zishi finally couldn't hold it in anymore and broke the silence, his voice a little rough:

"That back there... uh, nice slap."

He struggled for a while and finally came out with that. As soon as he said it, he wanted to slap himself—what kind of lame thing was that to say?!

An Yi turned his head, his eyes seemed to carry the faintest hint of a smile in the dim light: "I just think some accounts are better settled immediately. So people don't forget."

Ji Zishi quickly nodded: "Right, right! Way to settle it! That guy had it coming!"

They walked a bit more in silence until they reached the door of An Yi's dorm.

"Here we are," An Yi said, stopping.

"Huh? Oh... yeah, here we are." Ji Zishi stopped awkwardly, a strong unwillingness welling up inside him. He didn't want to say goodbye just like that.

He gazed at An Yi's silhouette, which looked especially soft in the dim light, and the feelings he had suppressed all day came flooding back.

He gathered his courage: "An Yi!"

An Yi paused as he was about to open the door and turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

"I... what I said before, I meant it!" Ji Zishi closed his eyes and went for it. "I like you! I like you so, so much!"

"I really want to marry you!"

After saying that, his heart pounded wildly, and his palms were sweaty.

An Yi quietly watched him—this tall, slender man who now looked as nervous as a schoolboy.

He saw the sincerity and eagerness in the other's eyes, an incredibly endearing person.

The corridor was so quiet that only the sound of their heartbeats could be heard.