Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



"I see you have returned with your legs between your legs," smirked Zhao Jia Li as we passed the gates of the City Y Sanctuary Base. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to answer her. Let's be honest, if I didn't know better, I would think being a bitch was her superpower.

Then again, I was not one to talk.

"We need to speak to the Major General," said Wang Chao to one of the base soldiers that was assigned to escort us around. I think it was a bit bullshit, given the fact that one man cannot keep track of 105 people. But what do I know?

The man nodded at Wang Chao and quickly entered the main apartment building that housed all of the 'important' people. As I said, only having one person to watch over all of us was a bit ridiculous. With a wave of his hand, Wang Chao dismissed the rest of the men to blend in with the civilians and gather what information they could.

It took maybe 10 minutes for the soldier to come back, letting us know that the Major General would speak with us. Zhao Jia Li stood beside us the whole time making eyes at Wang Chao, but he pretty much ignored her, probably saving her life if I was to be honest. Maybe he shouldn't have done that. Any excuse to kill that woman would be nice.

"Why are you following us?" I asked, turning my attention to the other woman that was walking me with me and my men as if she belonged with us.

"Who said I was following you?" she asked, flipping her hair over her shoulders. "I also need to speak to the Major General."

"Okay, then feel free to talk to him… after us," I said nodding. Turning my back to her, I entered the meeting room, slamming the door in her face with a satisfying bang.

The Major General put down his pen and looked up at the five of us from behind his desk. Seeing him this close up, I couldn't help but notice how young he looked. Did he sign up for the military in elementary school?

"Where did you say the horde was located?" asked Wang Chao, getting to the point. I think he was just as concerned about a lack of zombies as I was.

"I thought you said that it would be a tide," smirked the Major General as he sat back in his chair.  "And don't you have all the answers?"

"See, if I had all the answers, I wouldn't be in your office right now asking questions," pointed out Wang Chao as he offered me one of the two seats on our side of the desk. Sitting down, I waited for Wang Chao to sit down beside me, the rest of the men spread out in the room. The Major General looked me up and down before glancing over to the other guys.

"The last we heard, the zombies were on the highway between us and City D," he said as he started to play with his pen. "Why?"

"Because we were just there, and they weren't," replied Wang Chao.

"What do you mean, they weren't?"

"Exactly that. We could not find a single zombie, in fact, we even went so far as to ring the dinner bell, and not a single one showed up," I said, drawing the Major General's attention to myself.

"That's impossible. There is no way that many zombies could just vanish," scoffed the man, clearly not impressed by my statement.

"Why don't you send a few people to go double check," I offered copying his posture and leaning back in my chair and folding my hands across my stomach. In fact, I wanted him to send more people. If I couldn't draw the zombies out for some reason, I needed bait… I mean… nope, can't do it, I meant bait.

The Major General looked between me and Wang Chao. "I never took you for someone that was willing to take orders from a woman," he said with a smirk.

"Well, you know, happy wife, happy life, and all that," replied Wang Chao with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Wife? You got married? I am sure there are countless women that are completely heartbroken to hear that," said the Major General with a sly smile on his face as looked over at me. I didn't know if he was expecting me to be surprised, offended, or jealous at his statement. But seeing as there was one woman with a huge crush on Wang Chao standing outside the door, I would have to say that I was getting used to the idea.

I didn't like it. But I was getting used to it. Now if there was touching on the other hand… The smile on my face must have set off warning bells because now the Major General was trying to create as much space between him and me as the office allowed.

"I suggest you find those zombies," I said, standing up. If he wasn't going to take this matter seriously, then he was more than welcome to the consequences.

"I am not Wang Chao," said the Major General placing both hands on his desk and standing up. Leaning forward he tried to get as much in my face as the desk would allow.

"Oh, I am well aware," I responded with a roll of my eyes.

"I will not be obeying anyone. This is my base, and if you don't like it, feel free to get out. But if you are looking for sanctuary under my protection, you will follow my orders."

I bit my thumbnail as I stared at the man in front of me. "You think that I will follow your orders? Why?" I asked, turning my full attention to the man in front of me. I lived two lives with the philosophy that there will always be someone bigger and stronger than you.

At 5'2, pretty much everyone was bigger, but I had kept my head down and assumed that most were stronger too. In this life? With my boys behind me? Nah, I had yet to find someone stronger than me, and even if I did, it wasn't this man in front of me.

"I am the Major General of this base and I am the highest-ranking person here," he said as he stood upright, no longer leaning over his desk.

"Understood," I said, backing down. I was not 100% sure what my next step would be, and until I did, I would keep my cards close to my chest. "If you need us, we'll be right outside of your gates." I turned around and was just about to put my hand on the doorknob when the Major General's voice rang out in the room.

"Wang Chao, your wife appears to have an issue with her anger. She might want to work on that before she offends someone she shouldn't."

"I don't have an anger problem," I said as I turned around and looked at the smirk on the Major General's face. "I have an idiot problem. But don't worry. I am not one to suffer long."

And since I tried to always have the last word, I opened the door and walked out.

Right into the chest of the woman waiting outside of the door.

Fuck my life.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped back, scratched my forehead, and wrinkled my nose. It wasn't that Zhao Jia Li smelt bad, but getting a nose full of her perfume was enough to give me a headache. "The Major General is free to see you now," I said as I stepped to the side. I was not going back into that office.

"Not even an apology for bumping into me like that?" she sneered as she rubbed her chest.

"Seeing as you were the idiot to be standing so close to the other side of the door, I don't think one is called for," I reassured her as I gestured to the still-opened door. The men had already left the office and were waiting for me at the other end of the hall.

I must have pissed her off enough that she didn't even notice Wang Chao leaving or I was sure that she would follow him.

She looked into the office and quickly realized that Wang Chao was not there. Scanning the hallway, she spotted her target. Without another word, she pushed me aside with her shoulder and quickly went to Wang Chao.

"I wanted to let you know that I had room in my apartments for you and Liu Wei," she said with a purr as she got closer to Wang Chao.

"You know I am married, right?" he replied, looking down at her. I mean, I don't remember getting married. I wasn't single, but I definitely wasn't married. However, I assumed that this was like a woman wearing a fake wedding ring to a bar or at work to avoid being hit on. If he wanted to claim me as his wife to make others leave him alone, why not?

"The marriage doesn't count. Your grandfather and my father have been talking about a marriage between us for a long time now," she said as she played with her hair. Now, I am all for letting people do what they want, I really am. Go live your best life and all that, but when a 30-year-old is acting like a 12-year-old to get a 29-year-old? Yeah, it just looks weird.

"Then feel free to marry his grandfather. He is taken," I said as this time I hip-checked her to the side. "Gentlemen, if you are done watching the show, we should get going."