Care Guide to Raising a Max Level Leaf in Apocalypse - 80
Beginning
Silent for a minute, Joker exclaimed, flipping out a few playing cards in his hand and dazzlingly shuffling them between his fingers, “This is truly as spectacular as magic.”
“As long as it’s magic,” Si Yin Yuan suddenly lifted the corner of his lips, “there must be a mastermind behind it.”
In the tranquil Sheng Sheng High School, there was still a mutant that orchestrated everything.
Some curious students, who had finished running laps early, cautiously approached, wanting to get closer but hesitating.
Ji Jiu beckoned them over.
Seeing the friendly-looking young man, several students playfully pushed and shoved each other as they approached.
The boy pushed to the outermost circle wore a pair of brand-new white sneakers, overcome by curiosity, he asked shyly, “Are you really here to shoot a movie?”
Feng Chuyao, quick-witted as ever, covered her mouth and chuckled, “If we’re not here for filming, are we here for a secret mission?”
The boy looked at them in confusion and then glanced behind them, “Then why don’t you have any filming equipment?”
“We haven’t brought it yet,” Yu Feichen casually fabricated, “We’re just a team of internet celebrities, not that particular. We just came over first.”
The girl with a ponytail behind him giggled, “But sister, you look so beautiful. How come I’ve never seen you online?”
She then looked at Ji Jiu and Si Yin Yuan, gasping, “With your looks, how could you not be popular?”
Feng Chuyao, flattered, started to weave a tale about them being reserve celebrities, about to skyrocket in fame with the short video drama they were shooting.
This got the students excited, exclaiming and asking for autographs.
Guan Yin, trying to keep a low profile, was still spotted by one keen-eyed person. Astonished, he said, “Your prop looks so realistic.”
They mistook Guan Yin’s additional hand for intentional cosplay, similar to Joker’s.
Yu Fei Chen swiftly changed the subject, turning the conversation in their favor and asking about the students.
These students were so vibrant, every word and action filled with the youthful vigor of the pre-apocalyptic era, even though they were well aware that something was amiss. Unable to resist, they chatted with these students for a while.
The ponytailed girl introduced herself, “You can call me Chen Na.”
The boy who spoke first also smiled shyly, “I’m Lin Mo, and we’re all students in Class 3 of the second year.”
In this social setting, Feng Chuyao always appeared effortlessly at ease. When the conversation ended, she effortlessly obtained the school map and the timetable for classes and dismissal from these students.
Watching them assemble with the whistle, at the end, she couldn’t help but sigh, “If there were no apocalypse, these students would probably be carefree like this every day. Nervous about exams, sneaking around during physical education class – everything is so real.”
Yu Fei Chen opened the timetable, “School ends in fifteen minutes. A large number of people will come out of the classrooms. It’s not good to be seen in our current state. Let’s find a secluded place first.”
Ji Jiu nodded in agreement.
Intuition told him not to forcefully disrupt the rhythm here.
Guan Yin finally dared to move his two extra arms when no one was paying attention. Massaging his sore joints, he asked, “So where are we going?”
Joker chuckled and pointed to a corner marked with an X on the map, “Here.”
An abandoned dormitory building on the west side.
…
Almost everyone was in class. To avoid encountering people on the way, they chose to follow Joker through a small path.
Suddenly, Joker, leading the way, stopped.
Yu Fei Chen almost bumped into him, “What are you doing?”
Joker pondered, “Although my memories are fuzzy, this is indeed my alma mater. It’s strange; I vividly watched my alma mater turn into hell back then.”
His flippant tone showed no sympathy, as if discussing something unrelated to himself.
Yu Fei Chen found it hard to watch and was about to speak when he was abruptly interrupted.
“Look.” Joker pointed at the large banyan tree surrounded near the cafeteria entrance, “That tree is a mutant.”
However, it looked like an ordinary large tree now, thriving and with well-developed roots because it had survived for so long.
The school thoughtfully placed benches under the banyan tree for students to rest and cool off in the shade.
They stood there gazing for a few seconds.
This was the first time in over three years in the post-apocalyptic world that they had seen such a large green plant without any hostile intent.
Joker turned around and continued leading the way, “Let’s go.”
Avoiding everyone, they finally arrived at the abandoned dormitory building. This was a dangerous building, and the school usually prohibited students from approaching. Hence, it was the safest place to hide.
Joker sighed, “The promises this school made when I was a student haven’t been fulfilled even now. This dormitory building hasn’t been under construction since then.”
Feng Chuyao couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really have no clue why this school turned out like this?”
“I left this school six years ago,” Joker shook his head regretfully, “I’m sorry, ma’am.”
The sunset began to descend, and the bell for the end of class rang. Outside, various lively sounds of teachers and students leaving for the day filled the air. They stood in a secluded corner, silently observing everything. Behind them was the abandoned dangerous building, and in front of them was the noisy yet ordinary school playground during the dismissal time. For a moment, there was a strong sense of division.
Reality and illusion.
Yu Feichen’s gaze carried a sense of nostalgia; he had almost forgotten what life was like before the apocalypse, with its lively and vibrant atmosphere.
The atmosphere inexplicably became heavy.
Ji Jiu tugged at his owner’s sleeve, “I’m hungry.”
With this statement, everyone was instantly brought back to reality. Si Yin Yuan took out a strawberry-flavored nutritional liquid from his pocket and handed it to Ji Jiu.
While licking the liquid, Ji Jiu said coquettishly, “I want head pats.”
So, Si Yin Yuan reached out and patted his head.
Joker, observing his skillful care, almost couldn’t maintain his own demeanor, his expression strange, “So, even the King of Hell can be gentle.”
The two of them continued to ignore him, and the others were accustomed to creating distractions for themselves. They approached and also shared a bit of sweetness.
It wasn’t until late at night, with stars appearing in the sky, that the last person walked out of the teaching building, carrying a thick stack of books back to the dorm.
Yu Feichen sighed, “Current students study late even during evening self-study.”
They had to wait until 11 PM to seize the opportunity.
The night in the teaching building was silent, and the only light source was the sign of the emergency exit flashing a greenish light.
To avoid arousing suspicion, they infiltrated the office on the first floor of the teaching building.
According to Joker, the most important information was usually kept in the offices on the second floor.
The offices on the second floor were likely locked, and without hesitation, Yu Feichen transformed his index finger into a gun barrel, ready to break the lock.
Being quick-witted, Feng Chuyao swiftly stopped him and scolded in a low voice, “Are you stupid? There are surveillance cameras everywhere.”
Yu Feichen suddenly realized, “Oh, I almost forgot that there were surveillance cameras everywhere before the apocalypse.”
They had been avoiding surveillance when they came, but unfortunately, they couldn’t avoid the camera directly facing the office door.
If they left marks by damaging public property, someone would review the surveillance footage and see them.
“I’ll handle it.” Joker clenched his fist, and in a blink of an eye, he conjured a rose. This time, it was an artificial flower. He inserted the green stem into the keyhole, held his breath, leveraged it twice, and with a slight sound, the lock was effortlessly opened.
“Impressive.” Yu Feichen forgot his previous dislike for him and couldn’t help but admire.
Even though there were no applause from the circus puppet audience at the moment, Joker still politely bowed like he was standing on stage receiving kisses and flowers.
Observing this, Guan Yin said, “…I’m more curious about what your job was before the apocalypse.”
Joker raised a finger to his lips, “Shh, that’s a secret.”
They swaggered into the office, starting to peruse the books.
Si Yin Yuan was the first to check the time, and his gaze condensed, “June 10, 2025?”
It was today’s date, more precisely, the date of this school.
Everyone fell silent. Only Ji Jiu was curious, looking at the document, “Does this time have any special significance?”
“Yes.” Feng Chuyao tightened her voice, “It’s the day before the apocalypse began.”
In other words, midnight tonight marks the beginning of the apocalypse.
The mutation was not completed instantly; it took just one week for the global collapse. However, the first recorded mutant appeared just after midnight on the 10th, also known as the Global Mutation Catastrophe Day.
Ji Jiu shook his head, “No, the apocalypse started on the 9th.”
Feng Chuyao said, “You must be mistaken. Mutants appeared after the 10th, and before that, there were just some bad weather and minor earthquakes a month in advance, perhaps a kind of omen.”
Ji Jiu fell silent and lowered his head, pinching the hem of the owner’s clothes.
June 9, 2025.
The owner left at noon for work in another province, clearly stating on the phone before leaving that they would take the early train on the 10th to return home. Little Grass waited patiently in the pot, but the owner never returned.
For Little Grass, the day the owner lost contact on the 9th marked the true beginning of the apocalypse.
But now, he had found the foolish owner again.
Ji Jiu, satisfied, tugged at the hem of his clothes. Sensing the subtle pull, Si Yin Yuan reached down without thinking and held his hand tightly.
No one else noticed their small movements, their expressions remaining serious.
They searched for more information, and it was confirmed that today was indeed June 10, 2025, the eve of the catastrophe, in this high school.
This was undoubtedly bad news.
Feng Chuyao furrowed her brow, “Could this be a parallel timeline?”
Guan Yin said, “Aside from illusions, this seems to be the most plausible possibility.”
Yu Feichen hesitated, “If this is a parallel timeline, and something really happens tonight, should we intervene?”
If they don’t intervene, all the teachers and students in the school will perish on the “next day.”