Grandpa Ji’s eightieth birthday was approaching. Previously, he had specially bought a fossil, rumored to be an ancient phoenix egg, as a birthday gift for Grandpa.
As for whether it was real or fake, who could know? As long as the old man liked it, it was fine. With this egg, he could boast to his old friends for a long time.
But under the current circumstances, it was uncertain whether the birthday banquet could even be held on time.
Looking at the increasingly gloomy sky outside, black and heavy, like clouds about to collapse, Ji Heng felt a strange unease in his heart.
“Knock, knock, knock…”
“Come in.”
“President Ji, everything has been arranged. I will return to my hometown today as well; my parents are not very at ease at home.”
“Mm, go back, and be safe.”
“President Ji, in A City, the nearest is Assistant Tian Le. If you have anything, you can contact him anytime.”
“I know.”
After Secretary Shen finished explaining the situation to President Ji, he hurriedly left.
With this weather, if he didn’t leave quickly, there might soon be a severe downpour, making movement impossible.
The weather forecast had become increasingly unreliable, so Secretary Shen had long given up checking his phone for updates; it was better to rely on the naked eye.
Ji Heng finished his work, made several phone calls, and eventually left the office to go home. The streets were crowded with vehicles, many people looking grim, weighed down by their thoughts.
With traffic jams and frequent accidents, Ji Heng saw yet another accident occur. He decided to park at the nearest spot and walk home.
He had a suite near Ji Corporation, where he usually stayed during weekdays.
On his way upstairs, he encountered some residents carrying large bags filled with goods; it seemed the panic in everyone’s hearts was not minor.
After dinner, Ji Heng returned to his study to handle follow-up work. One call after another, he instructed his subordinates to retrieve the keys of Ji Supermarket Chain and bring them over tonight.
While speaking, Ji Heng stood by the window, gazing at the dark, gloomy scene outside. His eyes then turned to the display shelf, where the fossil he had acquired just a few days ago sat. He would need to return in the next couple of days to take it to his grandfather.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of palpitating energy hit him. Wide-eyed, he stared at the so-called fossil—it began cracking inch by inch right before his eyes.
From the cracks emerged a soft, fist-sized object.
Ji Heng stared cautiously at the object, astonished. A fossil—had it really cracked open?
Before he could even process it, he saw the object move, then turn its head. Round, glistening eyes looked in his direction, and it pouted pitifully before bursting into loud cries.
“Waa~ Wuuu~ Dad~”
“Dad, hug me.”
Ji Heng exhaled in relief: oh, it wasn’t some object—it was a mini baby doll?
Relieved? A baby hatching from a fossil egg was even more terrifying!
Ji Heng, too stunned to think further, frowned at the baby’s deafening cries. He approached the display shelf and reached out to pick it up.
The moment he touched the baby, it began to grow in front of him, stopping only when it reached about 55 centimeters in length.
The entire infant was soft and pliant, resting gently in his palm.
Ji Heng felt he had been too busy lately; his mind was not functioning well enough to explain such a fantastical scene. He repeatedly told himself to stay calm.
He blinked several times; the baby remained the same, though its eyes were redder now, tears pooling at the bottom, streaming down as it murmured and called out, “Dad.”
For now, it didn’t matter how the baby had appeared. The pressing issue was whether it could stop crying.
“I’m not your Dad.”
Ji Heng just wanted to clarify that he wasn’t the child’s father, but could help find the actual father. Instead, the baby cried even harder, as if abandoned.
“Wuuu~ Dad doesn’t want me anymore. What should I do? I’m just a newborn and I’m being abandoned.”
Ji Heng: You also know you’re just a newborn? What newborn speaks immediately after birth?
“Fine. How can you prove you’re my Dad?”
“I’m the one who bought you, incubated you for several days, and then you were born. So, you are my Dad, I know it! Don’t try to trick me into thinking I’m adopted.”
“I really wasn’t trying to trick you. I’m not.”
“No, you are.”
Ji Heng looked at the baby. Unable to argue with it, the infant began wailing even louder. His headache worsened.
Although he was at an age to be a father, he had never been in a relationship, had no partner, and now was expected to have a son out of nowhere? No one would believe it.
Looking at the incessantly crying baby, he felt overwhelmed, more so than when handling difficult projects.
He needed someone’s help. Thinking of Secretary Shen’s mention of the nearby assistant, Tian Le, he dialed the number.
Ignoring that it was already late at night, the moment the call connected, Ji Heng said, “Now, immediately, come to my suite.”
Tian Le glanced at the note on his phone: President Ji. This was his benefactor.
According to the Ancient Earth research report he had read, Ji Heng was a top figure of the apocalypse era, a powerhouse.
Although Tutu said it was a parallel space-time, he thought it wouldn’t differ much.
To survive well in the upcoming apocalypse era, having Ji Heng around was like having a top-tier shield, maximizing defense.
“Understood, President Ji.”
Since he lived in the same residential community as Ji Heng, he was familiar with the location.
“Tutu, we need to hide in this world first. Contact the Transmigration Alliance whenever possible to get me back early.”
“Understood, Master. Although signals can’t be sent out, some basic functions of the light brain in this world can still be used.”
“Mm, I’ll call for help if needed.”
“Tutu is happy to serve you.”
Following the habits of the original owner of this world, Tian Le donned simple casual clothing and took his keys and phone before leaving.
No matter what Ji Heng said, the baby insisted that he was its Dad.
Ji Heng massaged his forehead and decided to let it be. The origin of this child was strange enough; he would need someone to investigate.
“Since that’s the case, you are my son from now on. You will be called Ji Tianyi.”
The baby hiccuped between cries. Hearing Ji Heng agree that it was his son and even give it a name, its face flushed, tears still clinging to its eyelashes, and it smiled with a toothless grin.
“Yay~ Ji Tianyi, I like this name. Thank you, Dad.”
Ji Heng watched the adorable baby. The newborn could barely stand, leaning softly against the display shelf.
Moved, he reached out and picked the baby up.
Unsure how to hold it, he adjusted several times, finally raising it to eye level with both hands.
Then suddenly, a warm liquid splashed onto his face.