Betrayal.
This was an unpleasant word that probably no one in the entire history of the universe ever liked.
However, the word betrayal existed precisely because living beings were backstabbers; especially those beings with the ability to think and reason like human beings.
Had Bai Zemin ever thought that he might be betrayed? Of course, he considered it many times and he was also sure that at some point, whether he liked it or not, it was highly probable that at least one person he trusted would definitely betray him.
Of course, such a thing might never happen and be nothing more than a bad thought on his part. However, Bai Zemin believed that sometimes it was better to expect bad news rather than good news since that way he could withstand the blow a little better thanks to the fact that in a way he already expected something bad to happen, as opposed to what would happen if the blow caught him completely off guard.
But although Bai Zemin expected to some extent to be betrayed for personal benefits or ideals, he had no way of knowing who would do such a thing. Therefore, he could only wait passively and prepare secretly. After all, as the leader of a growing faction, it was not good to look doubtful and distrustful of everyone as it would only make things more difficult for him and for everyone in general.
However, if there was one person in his faction who would definitely not betray him, it was Shangguan Bing Xue.
Bai Zemin reasoned that way not because he had any special thoughts about her or romantic feelings that blinded him, far from it. The reason was extremely simple, and that was that Shangguan Bing Xue was a woman whose pride was deeply engraved in her bones and soul.
Therefore, after hearing her ask him if he did not fear that she would betray him in the future, Bai Zemin smiled faintly and said with certainty, "You will definitely not betray me."
Shangguan Bing Xue raised an eyebrow and looked at him with amusement as she said, "Are you sure about that? Do you know that relying too much on someone you've known for less than two months could be the cause of your downfall?"
"If I fall for something as stupid as a betrayal, then I would never reach the top in the first place." Bai Zemin pointed and then looked at her with a faint smile, "But as I said, you will not betray me."
Shangguan Bing Xue finally couldn't help but look at him with a serious expression and frowned slightly as she said puzzled, "How can you be so sure that I won't considering my identity?"
"I don't know, I just know you won't." He shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Besides, since you're not using your father's surname, I assume you and he don't get along particularly well so I doubt you'll go looking for him considering your prideful personality."
Shangguan Bing Xue stared at him for a long time before finally sighing and raising both hands in surrender as she said, "Forget it, forget it... I really don't know what goes through your head to think of all those things. Even without me saying anything you just come pretty close to the reality of things."
Seeing that Bai Zemin just smiled slightly without replying, Shangguan Bing Xue suddenly felt curious and couldn't help but ask, "With your analytical skills and intelligence how come your grades never stood out in college? I really don't understand."
While the evolution was making the brain very slowly progress toward what appeared to be a perfect state, it was all based on the individual's brain. Since each brain and mind was an infinite world apart from another, the possibilities were innumerable and the speed at which each mind evolved also varied greatly.
This also meant that since Bai Zemin could come to such logical and accurate conclusions only based on so little information, his intelligence and mental capacity were already high in themselves.
In the past, Shangguan Bing Xue had also pointed this out. But back then, Bai Zemin and she were not particularly close so he simply responded indifferently and without much interest.
Hearing her question, Bai Zemin sighed and with an extremely complicated expression on his face, he began to narrate part of his past.
After several minutes where she only listened while he was the only one to speak, Shangguan Bing Xue's sky blue eyes struggled to penetrate beyond the darkness of the night into the forest crowded with wild beasts to look at the expression of the young man who was even younger than herself.
"I see." She sighed and looked at him in a new light, "For the sake of letting your little sister have an easier life, you practically sacrificed yourself. That's truly remarkable."
Bai Zemin waved his hand and said calmly, "I don't think it's surprising. My younger sister Meng Qi is 17 this year, and she suffered enough when she lost her real family in a car accident. Since she is now my family, as the elder brother it is natural for me to do my best to make her happy."
"Don't belittle yourself." Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head and looked at him seriously, "Do you really think any young man would be willing to practically give up the happiness of the college years, spending hours working just in order to let someone else live happily? If you believe that, then you're naive."
Before he could say anything, she smiled coldly and said indifferently, "Believe me when I say that even your own blood can casually abandon you as if you were nothing, let alone abandon an adopted person as it is in your case and that of your younger sister."
Bai Zemin looked at her with narrowed eyes and many things suddenly began to come together. Countless ideas flashed in his mind, theorizing countless reasons why she would say such words in that tone of voice as cold and indifferent as the frost that had not been melted in millennia.
In the end, only one theory proved to be the most feasible.
He pointed out, "You're talking about your father, aren't you?"
Shangguan Bing Xue looked deeply at him for a full minute before moving close enough to him to see his face clearly even in the midst of the darkness.
Bai Zemin also looked at her and waited patiently. He knew that she would soon open up for him.
He didn't have to wait too long as the next moment she extended her delicate hand forward and said with a faint smile, "Nice to meet you. My former name was Xuanyuan Bing Xue, but because of a certain scum called Xuanyuan Wentian, my not-so-loving father, abandoned my mother and me, I changed my paternal surname to my mother's surname."
Xuanyuan Wentian.
Bai Zemin sighed in his heart upon hearing that name. Even though he had technically confirmed it before and Shangguan Bing Xue had confirmed it at the beginning of this conversation, it was impossible not to feel surprised when everything was said in clarity.
In China, there were two positions that conferred great power to those who held them, practically turning those two individuals into kings who could basically do whatever they pleased in the entire Asian country and even granted them great power worldwide.
These two positions were:
1) The position of Captain General, which gave the man in this position the power to directly command over 1,000,000 soldiers.
Whoever occupied this position could not only mobilize infantry on foot but also had control over several armored infantry battalions composed of battle tanks, assault helicopters, fighter jets, etc.
2) The position of Prime Minister, which gave the man in this position the power to decide laws, rules, control the power of China's armed police forces and basically control the lives of each and every citizen of the country.
Unlike the position of Captain General, the Prime Minister possessed great speaking power in the political world. His words could even provoke wars between nations or cause China and another great power to join together to form a powerful alliance never seen before.
Bai Zemin did not know who the person in the position of Captain General was, because unlike the political world the army was not so much in the news, and considering that he was just a normal college student before the apocalypse, it was natural that he did not know such things.
However, he knew perfectly well who the Premier of China was.
Wu Jianhong, grandfather of one of the people who was currently part of his faction; Wu Yijun.
It should be recalled that Wu Yijun even agreed to support Bai Zemin in his ideal of setting up an absolute dynasty in China and replacing the previous government.
However, above Premier Wu Jianhong and the one who occupied the position of Captain General, there was an existence that controlled everything.
This person was naturally the president of the country.
The President of China not only had control over the army but also led the politics of the country; he was basically the representation of China itself.
As the highest authority and as the person in charge of leading one of the world's greatest powers, the President of China was also the only person who had his own briefcase, which allowed him to activate nuclear bombs without reporting to the launch base.
Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue's outstretched hand and reached out to take it gently.
"To think that a normal person like me would ever have the opportunity to hold the hand of the daughter of the president of a global power like China." He joked as he unconsciously felt her silky skin.
Shangguan Bing Xue chuckled and recalled, "You also hugged the president's daughter and took her into a room with the door closed."
Cough!
Bai Zemin coughed and pulled his hand back tactfully.
It would take him some time to get used to this teasing Shangguan Bing Xue. He was used to her cold and indifferent self that almost never smiled, so such a turn was too big to take casually.
Seeing him behaving in such a manner, her pink lips pursed softly in a faint smile. Even Shangguan Bing Xue herself was surprised to find that it was quite amusing to tease him, who was always calm and indifferent to every one.
After a moment of silence, Bai Zemin asked while acting casually, "So, your father abandoned you and your mother when you were a child?"
Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head and explained in a slightly mocking voice, "Surely you know the cliche about the maid who sleeps with the master, right? Well, congratulations, now you can say that you know someone who was born from that cliche."
Bai Zemin's expression did not change, focusing solely on her words and trying to understand the kind of life she lived.
"My mother was just a maid who worked part-time at Xuanyuan Wentian's summer mansion. However, she was very beautiful from an early age, so it was natural to attract looks. In the end, she and that man had a secret relationship, which would eventually have a consequence." Shangguan Bing Xue said with slight self-deprecation in her voice, "That consequence naturally is me, an unwanted, undesired daughter, and a bastard who would never get anything."
After a slight pause, she continued, "Even though Xuanyuan Wentian brought up the idea of getting an abortion to my mother, she immediately refused saying that she wanted to have me no matter what. Besides, my mother was very smart and had gathered evidence of her romance with him, so if anything happened to her or me, all of China would find out that the president was having an extra-marital affair. Since he was a man who was always under the spotlight of the whole world, that scum naturally didn't have the courage to do anything bad to my mother, so eventually she gave birth to me."
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Thanks a lot to all those who use their Golden Tickets to vote for BW <3