Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



"No one said anything about letting them live," assured Chen Zi Han as he tucked me into my ice throne. He didn't even bother to look at the men kneeling on the floor before us. "Everything is your decision."

"But I thought we came here for you and Liu Yu Zeng?" I asked, confused. I would fully admit that my tired brain was more than a little foggy, but that was why we came here. Right?

"You were the one that said you, and I quote, 'I want to see the person claiming to be my man.' It was a definite turn-on, you claiming us like that," said Chen Zi Han with a wink. He went to stand behind my left shoulder. 

"Huh." I didn't see that coming. Oh well, might as well have some fun since this was all my idea. I must have gotten used to being dragged around by Wang Chao and the military that I thought I was dragged here because it was mafia related. "Sorry," I said, apologizing for thinking that Chen Zi Han and Liu Yu Zeng had brought me here when it was me.

Maybe I did need that sleep after all.

"Don't worry, Princess," said Chen Zi Han as he gave me a kiss on my temple. "Liu Yu Zeng and I are more than willing to let you be our head and leader. We can be your guns. We are good at that."

I burst out laughing, but a part of me felt soothed by that declaration.  I really liked the idea that they would be my guns when I wanted them. And I would be putting them to use here.

"All right," l said, feeling my coffee finally getting to work. Even though I was waking up, I still took out the energy drink and cracked it open. "Let's get this shit done," I said as I chugged back half of the carbonated, sugary goodness. Nothing beats the taste of a good energy drink, that is for sure. 

"Slow down, Baby," said Liu Wei coming up to my other side and taking the already-emptied can from my hands. In my defense, it was one of the smaller ones. "You aren't going to be able to fall asleep with all of this caffeine in your system."

"You're kidding, right?" I asked him, confused. I stretched my neck and let out a low moan when I found a tight muscle. "My addiction to caffeine started in my second life. I would drink it just to be able to stay awake for days at a time. Especially when I was in situations where sleeping was not an option. However, when you start consuming a lot of caffeine, something really weird happens. Not enough when you are tired, and it will put you to sleep. Too much, and it will give you a brief shot of energy before I completely crash. I have about an hour before I am face down on the ground. Shall we get started?"

"Are those the only two options?" asked Liu Wei with a concerned look on his face. "Because those don't sound right or healthy."

I shrugged my shoulders, not really caring. I had long accepted that my body did things differently compared to the average person. It was not my fault that sometimes energy drinks would make me sleep. "Well, there is a third option where my body has had so much caffeine that it starts to reject it, and I get sick to my stomach after drinking it."

"I think we are going to have to find you a doctor," suggested Liu Wei, taking out a pen and notepad from a back pocket. I was almost convinced that Liu Wei had his own space where he put things when he didn't need them because he had some of the most random things on hand.

"Mental or physical?" I asked with a smirk as Liu Yu Zeng came closer to my throne. Liu Wei rolled his eyes at my question and put away his notebook. Then the three of us turned our attention to the two Liu Yu Zengs, more than happy to let them sort things out on their own. 

Should I bring out some popcorn?

My Liu Yu Zeng stood in front of the fake Liu Yu Zeng before crouching down near his head. I was about to warn him about the smell, but if he smelt anything, it didn't seem to phase him. "Do you know what I thought when I first heard that there was someone going around with my name, claiming to be me?" he asked, forcing the other man to look up at him.

"I would fully admit that I was pissed. Here was someone doing something in my name, in my syndicate's name, that I never would have allowed to happen. I thought that you were completely ruining everything I have worked my whole life for." 

The man on the ground whimpered anxiously but didn't say a single word. I wanted to know what kind of face Liu Yu Zeng was making, but based on the expression of the fake; maybe it was a good thing that I couldn't see him. 

"But then a light went off. If you kept using my name, then I could easily disappear and leave everything to you. You could and would have become head of the Red Dragon Syndicates. You could have kept going with your little commune, all happy and content."

There was a look of hope on the fake's face, as if Liu Yu Zeng had just granted him a pardon or something. "I think you are mistaken. I would not have given up my name for you. I would have given up my name in a second for her." He pointed to me on the throne when he said his statement, and I could practically taste the honesty in the air at his statement. He would have been more than happy to turn his back on his name, on his family, and on his syndicate if it would make me happy.

I briefly looked at Wang Chao, who was standing at the entrance to the living room, ensuring that no one came in or out. And I would fully admit that a small voice inside my head asked me if I thought that Wang Chao would be willing to do that too. Unfortunately, I don't know if it was an actual voice or just my own.