Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess
Chapter 207: Where we keep the ugly machinery

Chapter 207: Where we keep the ugly machinery

Feng Yizhou was already half-awake when the knock came.

"Brother Feng," Chenlu’s voice filtered through the door, warm but crisp. "Breakfast is being served. General Wenxiu requests your presence."

He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. The bed was decent, too warm, actually, but his dreams had been strange and unsettled. Fragments of conversation, fleeting images of Qingran, a voice whispering something he couldn’t remember.

He swung his legs off the bed and stood, taking a moment to ground himself. A faint aftershock trembled through the floor, light enough to be ignored. Nothing in the room stirred. Zone Four was steady again. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

His jacket went back on with practiced ease. His boots were already lined up at the edge of the rug. In three minutes, he was out the door.

The hallway buzzed faintly with controlled activity. Soldiers moved in quiet pairs, weapons slung but not drawn. Survivors were filing toward the mess hall in small groups. No panic. Just routine.

Still, Feng Yizhou could feel it. An edge to the atmosphere. Everyone was waiting for something.

The cafeteria was utilitarian, but clean. Rows of collapsible tables filled the space, and already more than a dozen people were seated and eating in silence. The scent of congee and fried radish cake filled the air.

At the far table, near the head, sat Wenxiu. Her posture was straight, even at breakfast. Beside her, lounging like he owned the air around him, was a man with sharp features and silver-threaded black hair.

Across from him, with a bright grin and an unsettlingly sharp gaze, was a younger man in a cobalt jacket, Chenlu.

Wenxiu looked up as Feng Yizhou entered and gestured. "Over here."

He crossed the room in long strides. A tray had already been set aside for him, slightly better than the others. A soft-boiled egg. Preserved vegetables. Stir-fried greens with garlic. And a sesame bun that was still warm.

He nodded to her in quiet thanks and sat.

"You sleep well?" she asked mildly.

"As well as I could with the ground humming," he replied. "The tremors have calmed."

"For now.." Chenlu chimed in, resting his chin on his palm. "But tremors aren’t really Zone Four’s biggest concern."

Wenxiu didn’t glance at him, but her next bite slowed a touch.

Feng Yizhou quietly chewed a mouthful of radish cake. "Meaning?"

"Meaning," Chenlu continued, "the fault line was just a nudge. If Zone Three fully collapses, we won’t be dealing with aftershocks. We’ll be dealing with refugees. Mutated ones."

There was a scrape of porcelain as Hei Ye placed his chopsticks down. Not loudly. Just enough to make the table still.

Feng Yizhou’s gaze flicked sideways. The system wasn’t looking at his food.

He was looking at him.

Staring, in fact. Blankly. With that same unreadable fury from last night.

Feng Yizhou met his eyes this time. Not to provoke, but simply to acknowledge.

Hei Ye’s gaze narrowed, then drifted away, as if he’d decided he’d wasted enough attention on something beneath him.

Wenxiu, to her credit, didn’t flinch. She finished her bowl and gestured for tea.

Feng Yizhou took a sip from the small cup at his side and glanced toward the rest of the hall.

That was when he saw them.

Two men seated four tables away, one with sleek black hair and sharp cheekbones, the other fairer, with a deceptively gentle expression and very young.

Haoyu and Sun Zimo.

They sat quietly, heads slightly bowed, eating without expression. Their trays were standard, plain rice, pickled vegetables, and a single boiled egg between the two of them.

No extra sides. No special treatment.

They’d noticed him, of course. And bowed, acknowledging his presence.

Feng Yizhou let out a quiet breath through his nose. So that’s how it is.

He turned back toward the table. "I assume your cooks know how to portion status."

Chenlu smirked. "Zone Four has very limited resources. We prioritize based on rank and contribution."

"Rank.." Feng echoed mildly. "I wasn’t aware systems were given military titles."

There was a twitch at the edge of Hei Ye’s mouth.

Wenxiu put her cup down. "I’ve worked with Hei Ye longer than anyone here. He has no rank, but his authority is unquestioned. We operate on results."

"That’s convenient."

"I thought so too." she said coolly.

The power play hung between them like smoke.

Still, it was quiet.

Feng Yizhou didn’t rise to it. Instead, he returned to his food, finishing it with quiet efficiency.

The tea was good, surprisingly floral for a military base. He doubted anyone else in this compound got to drink it.

He set the cup down. "Are tours permitted after breakfast?"

Wenxiu nodded. "You’ll be given access to public areas and secondary control posts. You’ll be escorted, of course."

"Of course."

At the far table, Haoyu and Sun Zimo were already stacking their trays neatly and preparing to leave.

No one called after them. No one asked them to join.

No one really cared about them.

Feng Yizhou’s jaw tightened slightly, but he said nothing.

"Chenlu will accompany you," Wenxiu said, rising from her seat. "There’s an inspection in Zone Four’s north wall compound I have to oversee. You’ll be debriefed this evening."

She didn’t wait for a reply. Her chair scraped softly as she pushed back, and she was gone with swift, economical strides.

Hei Ye remained seated, still watching him.

Not eating. Not drinking.

Just watching him like a hawk.

Chenlu leaned forward slightly, whispering behind a half-smile. "He doesn’t like you."

Feng Yizhou gave him a dry look. "You don’t say."

"Be careful, Brother Feng," Chenlu said, standing with exaggerated grace.

"Sometimes systems develop... attachments."

Hei Ye’s eyes flicked toward Chenlu, sharp and warning.

But Chenlu only laughed. "Let’s go. I’ll show you where we keep the really ugly machinery."

Haoyu and Sun Zi Mo got up from their seats and walked to meet Feng Yizhou as well.

Haoyu approached first, his footsteps silent but unhurried, cutting diagonally across the floor to intercept Feng Yizhou before he could follow Chenlu.

He came to a natural stop just to the side, and dipped his headz not a full bow, but a quiet, habitual gesture of deference.

"Morning, Brother Feng," he said evenly, his voice low and steady. "We’ll join you."

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freew𝒆(b)novel.c(o)m Only