Thinking about how chaotic the situation outside was, he arranged for Lu Jingze to have the people passing by gather some items for the baby.
“If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll go out later to take a look,” Ji Heng said to Tian Le, noticing the concern in his eyes.
Tian Le heard that Ji Heng had already made the arrangements and had no objections.
Ji Tianyi had just been born, and after a full meal, he began to drift into sleep, falling asleep immediately in Tian Le’s arms.
Looking at the baby in his arms, with delicate eyebrows and a chubby, soft face, Tian Le couldn’t resist poking his little cheek.
At the touch, it formed a little dimple, and the sleeping child only let out a couple of soft murmurs.
At Interstellar, because the birth rate of newborns had been declining year after year, their compulsory courses before graduation included childcare training. Everyone had to learn it and pass strict tests to graduate officially.
Although Tian Le hadn’t been the best in that course, he was at least far more competent than Ji Heng, who was a complete novice.
In front of Ji Heng, he could indeed be considered professional.
After placing Ji Tianyi in the room to sleep, Tian Le went out to the living room to wait with the bodyguards who were arriving one by one.
Around ten o’clock at night, several bodyguards under Ji Heng’s command arrived gradually. Everyone had seen the situation outside and was deeply concerned.
The atmosphere in the living room was extremely heavy.
“Jingze, have all the people arrived?”
“Yes, some can’t make it back from A City. I told them that if they want, they could find a way to meet us later in B City.”
“Alright, since everyone’s here, I’ll explain the matter.”
Night fell like a heavy black cloth, pressing down over A City.
Ji Heng’s gaze swept coldly across the agile bodyguards. They were all dressed in uniform black combat suits, standing straight like pines, their faces showing trained professionalism. Each of their eyes glimmered with vigilance, as if ready to respond to unknown dangers at any moment.
Everyone waited quietly for his next words. He cleared his throat, his voice low but clear.
“Today, I’ve called everyone here for something extremely important. Reliable information shows that the world is about to change. Perhaps after today, it will become hell on earth.”
At these words, the bodyguards looked at each other. Some showed expressions of disbelief, while others, thinking of the recent anomalies, felt it was expected.
“President Ji, you’re not joking, are you?”
“How is that even possible?”
…
The previously quiet living room erupted with voices, but Ji Heng did not respond immediately. Instead, he raised his hand to signal for silence.
Then he spoke slowly, sharing the apocalypse information he had gathered. Besides information from multiple channels, what ultimately made him unwaveringly believe it was a call from Big Brother Ji.
As Ji Family bodyguards, they naturally knew that Big Brother Ji did not joke around. Even those who had been skeptical just moments ago gradually turned their shock into solemnity, and a heavy atmosphere filled the room.
“Now, there are two paths in front of everyone,” Ji Heng paused, his gaze firm as he looked at the group. “Those who are willing to stay and follow me, I, Ji Heng, will never treat you unfairly. But there is one thing—never betray me.”
“If you feel afraid and want to leave, I won’t stop you. I will provide you with money and supplies so that you can leave safely.”
For a moment, the living room fell silent. Everyone was deep in thought. Some frowned, clearly struggling with a difficult decision. Others had determined looks, as if they had already made up their minds.
Present in the room, the bodyguards led by Lu Jingze—Cai Yan, Qiao Xia, Bai Qingyu, Sun Ye, Jiang Lijia, Wang Facai—did not hesitate at all. They immediately expressed that they would follow him forever.
Others, due to family reasons, hesitated when Chen Huohuo first asked to leave, but as more people decided to depart early, it became smoother.
Ji Heng had anticipated this outcome. After all, the bodyguards he hired had families and friends to consider. Leaving was natural.
Seeing that those who remained were all his trusted subordinates made things easier. These people would never betray him.
“Alright, Jingze, provide them with the funds and supplies as arranged,” Ji Heng said without hesitation. He instructed Lu Jingze to handle the follow-up and then addressed those leaving: “The situation outside is chaotic. Take care of yourselves.”
“We will first go to the Ji Family in B City. If you need to, you can join us there later.”
“President Ji, thank you. I’ll pick up my parents at home and go to B City as soon as possible. Hopefully, I’ll still have a chance to join the team then,” Chen Huohuo said sincerely.
After everyone said their goodbyes, within about an hour, the living room returned to quiet.
Ji Heng rubbed his temples, feeling a headache. He sensed that he was not in good condition tonight, his mind foggy.
“Jingze, have everyone rest. Tomorrow, we should depart early. The sooner, the better.”
“Understood, President Ji.”
After seeing Lu Jingze lead the bodyguards away, Tian Le walked over to Ji Heng, noticing that he had been frowning uncomfortably.
“President Ji, what’s wrong?”
“Hm? Just a little unwell. Nothing serious. How’s Ji Tianyi?”
“Oh, the baby is sleeping in the room.”
“Don’t call me President Ji anymore. Just call me Ji Heng.”
Ji Heng thought that Tian Le would likely serve as the child’s babysitter for a long time. Calling him “President Ji” seemed too formal, so he decided to correct it immediately.
“Alright, Ji Heng.”
Tian Le adjusted smoothly. After all, he was no longer the original Tian Le. Under this great president, he had never worked a full day and lacked firsthand experience. The memories in his mind were like reading a novel, copied and pasted from documents. Without triggering specific events, he had almost no muscle memory.
Ji Heng was satisfied that Tian Le was not being fussy.
Seeing Ji Heng frown and look uncomfortable, Tian Le suddenly remembered his previous research report. During the onset of the apocalypse, many people would awaken supernatural abilities, often accompanied by fever and other symptoms.
“Tutu, can you check what’s going on with Ji Heng?”
“Master, he currently has a fever.”
“Ji Heng, you’re sick. Go rest in the room,” Tian Le said, reaching out to support his arm.
Ji Heng rose with his help. He felt unwell, yet he was preoccupied with various arrangements and did not want to rest at such a critical moment. On top of that, there was his son, Ji Tianyi, and a multitude of chaotic matters.
Tian Le helped him into the bedroom, placing him on the other side of Ji Tianyi. Fortunately, Ji Heng was still conscious. Otherwise, with his nearly 1.9-meter height and standard build, Tian Le, a frail researcher, would have been unable to move him alone.