Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

As Kevin Everett explained, Sierra Sullivan and the others learned that the base was now home to ten major families.

These ten families each controlled different resources.

For ordinary people who wanted a slightly better life in the base, aligning with one of these families was a good option.

But aligning with them wasn’t so easy.

Once you chose to align with them, you had to do their bidding.

Kevin Everett grew angrier as he spoke, slamming the cup in his hand down on the table.

"I truly never imagined... The Veridian Dynasty fell so many years ago, yet some people are choosing to become slaves again!"

Yvonne Shelby shot Kevin Everett an exasperated look. "What are you doing? Can’t you speak calmly? What if you scare the child? Candice Tate is right here!"

Kevin Everett, his face full of anger just a moment before, immediately looked over at Candice Tate, his expression turning apologetic. "Candice Tate, you weren’t scared, were you?"

Candice Tate had been diligently eating her food. When she wasn’t eating, she listened intently to their conversation, never interrupting, let alone causing trouble.

When Kevin Everett asked, Candice Tate dutifully shook her head. "No!"

Only then did Kevin Everett let out a sigh of relief.

However, the interruption did much to cool his temper.

Jayce clapped Kevin Everett on the shoulder. "Mr. Everett, you’re just not seeing the big picture! What’s the situation now? What kind of world are we in? It’s the apocalypse! Just surviving the apocalypse is a feat in itself. Who are we to judge how other people get by?"

It might have sounded harsh, but one had to admit it was the truth.

The apocalypse had been going on for a long time now.

No one who had survived this long was simple.

Even ordinary people without Superpowers had their own methods and skills for survival.

These methods and skills might not be respectable, but what did that matter?

As long as they could stay alive and ensure their families could live on, that in itself was a skill.

Since Kevin Everett couldn’t change their environment or help them stand tall with pride, he shouldn’t condemn their choices.

Kevin Everett had lived for many years, and given his former position, he had naturally experienced a great deal.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand what Jayce was saying; he was simply unwilling to accept it at that moment.

Now that he had calmed down, he was gradually coming to accept it.

However, Kevin Everett soon realized something was amiss.

He swatted Jayce’s hand off his shoulder and shot him a glare.

"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting! ’Mr. Everett’? Is that any way for you to address me? Have you no respect for your elders!"

Though his words were a scolding, the smile on his face grew more and more brilliant.

He had a semblance of authority at first, but by the end, there wasn’t a shred of it left.

Jayce hadn’t been scared to begin with, and seeing Kevin Everett laughing like that, he started acting buddy-buddy with him again.

"Mr. Everett, listen. We’ve known each other for decades. With all those years of friendship between us, what’s wrong with me calling you Mr. Everett? I can tell you actually like it, so why pretend you don’t? We should be true to our feelings and just say and do what we think..."

"You brat, now you’re just running your mouth..."

For the rest of the meal, Jayce was basically just cracking jokes and fooling around.

One moment, Kevin Everett would be fuming with rage; the next, he’d be smiling so wide his eyes crinkled.

Despite the drastic mood swings, the meal ended on a happy note.

After dinner, Sierra Sullivan and the others didn’t stay any longer.

Full and satisfied, all they wanted was to hurry back, take a nice hot shower, and completely relax.

Kevin Everett and Yvonne Shelby saw them to the door, watching until they disappeared into the distance before reluctantly closing it.

Sitting back down on the sofa, Kevin Everett suddenly smiled and shook his head. "That little rascal..."

Yvonne Shelby sat down beside him. "You give him a hard time, but deep down, you’re happier than anyone to have him back, aren’t you? You think I don’t know you?"

His true feelings exposed, Kevin Everett looked a bit embarrassed and instinctively glanced away.

When he saw the fresh vegetables on the shelves, Kevin Everett froze for a second, then quickly broke into a smile. "Sierra left these, didn’t she!"

It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

Yvonne Shelby nodded. "Yes! That girl, Sierra, she’s just so thoughtful. She was worried we wouldn’t eat well or have enough, so she said she’ll come by every two or three days from now on!"

"She’s a good kid! That little rascal Jayce really lucked out!"

"To hear you talk, you’d think Jayce wasn’t your son!"

As they spoke, the couple both broke into laughter.

...

As Sierra Sullivan and the others walked back, Nathan Thorne remained silent the entire way.

This was very unlike him.

Sierra Sullivan glanced at Nathan Thorne several times before she finally couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong with you?"

’Why is he so quiet all of a sudden?’

Nathan Thorne shook his head. "It’s nothing. I was just thinking that I should go see my parents too, after I get some sleep."

"Then why don’t you go now?"

It’s not like they live that far away. Since you’ve already decided to go see them, wouldn’t it be better to go now?

Kevin Everett had already heard about their return, so Nathan Thorne’s parents must have heard too. If you don’t go now, they might start to worry. It’d be better to just go over and see them.

But Nathan Thorne shook his head. "You don’t know my dad. Every time I come back from a trip, he insists on having a drink with me. I don’t have the energy right now. I’ll get some sleep, and tomorrow I’ll drink with him properly."

He said that last part with immense bravado.

It sounded less like he was going to drink with his own father and more like he was heading into a competition.

Sierra Sullivan didn’t quite understand that kind of relationship, but she respected it completely.

People interact in different ways; you don’t have to understand it, as long as you can respect it.

The group chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they were back at their place.

Before they even got close, they saw someone sitting against the wall up ahead.

Although the person had their head buried in their knees and the light was dim, Sierra Sullivan recognized him with a single glance. It was Dominic Crawford.

"Jayce, look."

Sierra Sullivan jerked her chin in his direction.

Jayce raised an eyebrow. "Let’s go. We’ll see what’s going on."

Nathan Thorne was already impatient and jogged over to Dominic Crawford’s side. "Mr. Crawford, what’s wrong? What are you doing crouched over here?"

Dominic Crawford heard the voice and raised his head.

They had only been apart for a few hours, but looking at Dominic Crawford’s face now, it felt like ages had passed.

He looked so haggard!

It wasn’t the haggardness that came from exhaustion, but the haggardness of a broken heart.

To put it simply, one look at Dominic Crawford’s face brought a single word to mind—heartbroken!