Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies
Chapter 223: Never united

Chapter 223: Never united

The next day, Elena and Ethan suited up in their anti-cold gear and exited at Jetro’s location.

As agreed during the previous day’s discussion, the meeting would be held in Building A, with both military and government officials expected to attend.

"Are they here already?" Elena asked, pulling out a mask to cover her face.

"The military has arrived, but the government officials haven’t shown up yet," Jetro replied.

His men were positioned around the meeting unit, quietly observing the situation afar, while the military soldiers patrolled the area to keep civilians away.

Jetro then told his team to stay back and avoid any conflict.

"This government really acts entitled. It’s almost time for the meeting, and they’re still not here. Alright, let’s go ahead," Elena said, hoping to speak with the military while waiting for the government to arrive.

Soon after, Elena and Ethan went downstairs.

Jetro didn’t come with them—he was busy handling matters related to the building.

So, only Elena and Ethan would attend the discussion, as most of their people were tied up with their own tasks.

As soon as they entered the meeting room, the military officials greeted them warmly with smiles.

They expressed their gratitude to the Paradise Shop, which had provided abundant supplies and alleviated their fears of running out of resources.

There were several high-ranking officers present, led by General Reid, with General Mason and General Kaiser flanking him.

Off to the side, Brother Elias sat quietly, observing the officials.

"Isn’t this the Paradise staff who have helped us so much with supplies?" General Kaiser teased, attempting to sound friendly as he stood to shake their hands.

"Well, we meet again, General Kaiser. And just so you know, you paid for those supplies. No need to thank us," Elena replied, matching his playful tone.

"Haha, as usual, you two are so humble," he laughed.

Some military personnel nearby rolled their eyes at General Kaiser. He was too casual and outgoing—very different from them.

Whereas, General Reid chuckled, gave them a respectful salute, and then began discussing the current situation in the area.

"I heard some criminals tried to steal your supplies during transport," Ethan inquired, wanting to learn more about this newly formed group.

"Indeed. They came from the previous precinct. After the disaster hit, they escaped and are now forming their own gang," General Mason replied.

On the day the supplies were moved, the criminals had already set up an ambush.

Fortunately, the team had expected trouble and responded with gunfire, forcing the attackers to retreat in a panic.

"Good to hear the supplies made it through safely," Elena said with a sigh of relief.

"It would’ve been a huge loss if those criminals had taken them."

They continued talking about several topics while waiting for the government officials, but ten minutes had passed—and there was still no sign of them.

"Did the government confirm they’d attend?" General Kaiser asked, his tone starting to show irritation.

"Yes. During our last meeting, they sounded very eager. They said this was for the good of City A’s people, and that they would naturally help eliminate the mutated cat," General Reid explained.

"Alright," General Kaiser nodded, willing to give them a little more time before starting the meeting without them.

***

Meanwhile, the government was receiving a visitor from their main base.

A group of scientists arrived at the branch of the government evacuation center, where they would be stationed to investigate a new kind of mutated beast.

Their mission had two goals: to study the creatures up close and to gather information about the mysterious Paradise Shop, which had stirred great interest and speculation.

Leading them was none other than Dr. Cee, a well-known scientist specializing in biology and human anatomy.

While known for his intelligence, he was also infamous for conducting inhumane experiments in the name of science and innovation.

Now, his sights were set on the mutated creatures—and the staff of the Paradise Shop.

He was eager to collect samples from the mutated beasts and even more interested in drawing blood from the shop’s staff.

Curious about what made them different from ordinary people, he was already considering kidnapping one of them if they refused to cooperate.

He didn’t care about the consequences—only the results.

"Are you sure about this report?" Dr. Cee asked as he browsed the file containing details about the mutated cat.

"Yes, based on our past encounters with it—and insights from someone who’s quite knowledgeable about mutated creatures," a high-ranking official replied.

"Someone knows about them? Who?" Dr. Cee questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Wait, I’ll call him in," the official said, then signaled a soldier to fetch the person.

Within seconds, Troy entered with confident steps.

He was genuinely excited to be called in again—it made him feel like he was finally becoming part of the government’s core operations.

After many setbacks, he had finally grown more composed and capable.

"Troy, this is Dr. Cee from the main base. He wants to know more about the unknown creature," the official said, watching Troy with high regards.

Troy nodded, then glanced at Dr. Cee with quiet interest, curious about the man who held such authority.

"Hello, sir. Please feel free to ask me anything. I’ll answer based on what I know," he said politely, his sharp eyes quietly sizing the man up.

He then lifted his hand, ready for a handshake.

But Dr. Cee, seeing Troy as nothing more than a boy and wasn’t impressed.

He arrogantly ignored the handshake and asked, irritation creeping into his tone, "And how exactly do you know about this unknown creature?"

Troy didn’t get angry.

He figured this man held a high position and was well-liked by the government—offending him wouldn’t be a smart move.

"My grandfather told me. They were conducting experiments too in Military D," he said, revealing only part of the truth.

His grandfather had actually seen visions of these creatures using his [Insight], and the so-called experiments were merely a cover to conceal their abilities.

"Hmph, we’ll talk more later. Come with me on the newly established research unit. What’s your grandfather’s name?" Dr. Cee asked, now intrigued by Troy’s unexpected knowledge about the creatures.

"Jack Heather," Troy replied proudly.

"Oh! Heather—good to hear. I know that man," Dr. Cee chuckled, recalling past dealings with him.

They chatted briefly about the mutated beasts but quickly realized there was too much to cover in a short time, so they agreed to continue the discussion at the research facility later.

Soon after, Dr. Cee shifted his attention to the Paradise Shop and what information they had on it.

An official then handed him another file, this one containing a vague report on the mysterious shop.

"Interesting," Dr. Cee murmured, just as he was about to speak further, a sudden knock interrupted the room.

He glared at the officials, clearly irritated by the interruption.

"Who is it? You’d better have good news for disturbing us," an official snapped.

The officer responded nervously, "Sir, it’s time for the meeting with the military about the eradication of the mutated cat."

The official froze, suddenly remembering the schedule he had nearly forgotten.

He quickly turned to Dr. Cee to inform him about their joint operation with the military.

"Then I’ll come with you," Dr. Cee said without hesitation.

Soon after, they made their way from Building B to Building A.

The moment they entered the building, they were met with a flurry of activity—people moving in and out, creating a bustling atmosphere.

The high-ranking officials, though curious, kept their composure and headed upstairs to the meeting unit.

A military soldier stationed at the meeting entrance stopped them, explaining that only core members involved in the discussion were allowed inside; bodyguards had to remain outside.

The officials immediately objected, insisting on bringing their guards along.

"No, we don’t trust you. Move aside—how dare a lowly soldier like you give us orders?" one official snapped arrogantly, his tone dripping with disdain.

A commotion quickly broke out as the soldiers firmly stood their ground, refusing to let anyone in unless the government complied with the rules.

Hearing the noise, the military officials—who had been inside discussing the explosives and firearms retrieved from the main base—stood up to investigate.

When they arrived, General Kaiser sneered, barely restraining himself from slapping the officials for their arrogance.

Instead, he let their leader, General Reid, handle the matter.

"What’s going on?" General Reid asked calmly.

"General Reid, is this how you run a meeting?Not letting us in?" one of the officials scoffed.

Before General Reid could respond, the soldier who had been dealing with them stepped forward, clearly offended.

"Sir, I never said you couldn’t enter. I said your bodyguards must wait outside. Only the main delegates can join the meeting. Please don’t twist my words—it’s disgusting."

"Oh, so this is how you train your men? So rude," an official replied, glaring at General Reid with disdain.

General Reid didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled calmly and defended his men.

"If telling the truth is considered rude, then I’d rather have my men speak bluntly than train them to be liars. Maybe being an official has made you too comfortable twisting the truth—but that won’t work on me. So, I suggest we speak properly and get to the point... unless you came just to cause trouble and never planned to help with the operation."

"You... You were the one who begged us to join this operation!" the official snapped.

General Reid sneered. He couldn’t understand how the government had ended up with such poor leadership.

The tension in the air grew thick.

Watching them argue, Elena felt a headache coming on.

She sensed this was a dangerous moment—they might lose the battle even before it began.

Humans were truly divided, unable to unite, even when the threat was right in front of them.

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