Selvia heard Rover's voice and immediately turned around toward the source of the sound. Under the dim glow of the streetlamp, she could see him clearly.
"Rover?!"
Selvia instinctively wanted to walk toward him, but she suddenly recalled something. She hurriedly crushed the cigarette in her hand, then slipped it into a small zip-lock bag she always carried with her.
Watching her flustered actions, Rover couldn't help finding it a little amusing.
He never expected that a woman in a suit, radiating such overwhelming presence and beauty that both men and women alike would fall for her, could look so awkward.
"Director, why are you here?" Rover asked softly.
Selvia shot him a brief glance, her eyes full of displeasure: "What? A Director isn't allowed to visit an employee's home?"
"Hahaha... of course you can." Rover chuckled. "Have you eaten yet?"
Selvia shook her head and pointed at the luxurious Maybach beside her.
Rover didn't refuse. He reached for the back door to get in, but...
Bang!
"Huh?!" The moment he opened the door, Selvia forcefully slammed it shut.
He stared at her in confusion, thinking inwardly:
'Did I misunderstand her intentions? Makes sense... she's so cold, why would she let me sit in the back seat of her car?'
Just as he was about to say something, Selvia spoke first:
"Sit in the front."
Rover: "..."
...
Inside the car, the atmosphere was suffocating and indescribably strange.
Selvia drove while he sat in the passenger seat. For many people, just stepping into her car was an impossibility, much less sitting in the seat beside her.
Yet here he was, close enough to Selvia that he could smell the faint perfume lingering in the air, a scent that was feminine yet carried a bold undertone, subtly intoxicating.
"It seems like you're stockpiling supplies. Are you in some kind of trouble?" she asked.
Her question stunned him.
Realizing his surprise, Selvia quickly added, "I'm not stalking you. It's just that the internet is full of short videos saying you bought a huge amount of food."
Rover nodded slightly but offered no explanation.
Selvia was far too sharp; lying to her would be pointless. Silence was the only option.
Seeing that he didn't intend to explain, Selvia continued, "Do you need my help?"
Rover thought for a moment, then said, "Director, can you lend me some money? I'll definitely pay you back in the future."
Of course, that was a lie.
In ten days, the apocalypse would arrive. There would be no future where he had to repay her.
Besides, since she had already offered help, there was no reason for him to cling to worthless pride. He needed money more than anything.
Even with 4.5 million credit points, it still wasn't enough.
He needed far more, not just food, but water, tools, equipment, everything imaginable.
Hearing his straightforward request, Selvia simply smiled. She didn't say anything.
Rover assumed she was just being polite, so he didn't expect much.
When they reached a luxurious restaurant, Rover got out first. Selvia drove off to find parking.
She could've let the restaurant staff handle it, but she never allowed anyone else to enter her car.
Standing at the entrance, Rover's mind drifted with countless thoughts.
"Rover?!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, cutting through Rover's thoughts.
Even without looking, he knew exactly who it belonged to.
Karen.
Rover glanced at her, sliding both hands into his pockets, clenching them so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Now, every time he saw Karen, he only wanted to rush forward, tear her into a hundred pieces, gnaw her bones, and drink her blood.
'It's not the right time yet.' He forcefully calmed himself: 'Letting her die is too easy. I want her to taste pain and despair down to her very soul. We still have time. Slowly... let's enjoy this.'
Karen was wearing a flashy red evening gown, her face buried under a thick layer of makeup that hid all her flaws.
Next to her stood a young man in a tailored suit, handsome in a shallow, nouveau-riche kind of way.
Karen stomped toward Rover, shouting, "Rover! Why did you take leave today? Did I give you permission?"
The young man glanced at Rover and, seeing the cheap clothes he wore, curled his lips in contempt.
He looked at Karen and asked, "Babe, who's this trash?"
Karen pouted, clinging to his arm, smirking mockingly: "He's someone who chases after me at the company. Today he took leave without my permission, so I had to handle his workload. I was exhausted because of him."
"Oh?" The young man frowned, clearly irritated. "Karen, that's nothing. Let's do this, since we're eating here today, he should pay the bill. Consider it his apology."
Karen sneered at Rover: "Him? He doesn't even have the qualifications to enter this restaurant. How could he afford our bill?"
"What?!" The young man laughed mockingly, pretending to be shocked: "Karen, are you sure?"
"There's no mistake." Karen said, eyes filled with ridicule as she looked at Rover: "He has no parents. He lives off the little insurance money they left behind."
"Oh!" The young man nodded with obvious disdain: "So he's an orphan. No wonder he has no manners, can't even greet people properly."
As he spoke, he tightened his grip on Karen's hand, caressing it intimately.
Rover felt nauseated, as if watching two lizards slithering around each other.
He frowned, and when he looked at the young man, his gaze was filled with killing intent. The young man flinched, stepping back in fear.
Karen saw that look too. For the first time, the obedient dog who always wagged his tail at her was staring at her like a wild beast.
Although Rover had only survived a few months in the apocalypse, those months were enough for him to experience everything.
From hope to despair. From a naive young man... to a killer.
Yes, while fighting for supplies, he had shed blood many times. He had killed.
That was why his eyes were forged in blood and agony, something a spoiled boy like Karen's companion could never possess.
"Y-You... what are you trying to do?" the young man stammered in panic.
"Rover!"
Karen was afraid for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. After all, this was her most loyal dog.
She snapped sharply: "What is that look supposed to mean?!"
"Rover! I'm really disappointed in you! Not only are you rude to my boyfriend, but you're acting like some thug. You're just an orphan, what right do you have to..."
"Who are you talking about, Karen?"
A sudden, powerful female voice cut through the scene.
Selvia stepped forward, a queen-like aura crashing down on the two like a tidal wave, making both Karen and the young man tremble.
Especially Karen, even through her thick foundation, her face turned visibly pale.
"D-D-Director?!" Karen stuttered. "Why are you here?"
Selvia glanced at Rover, then looked back at the two of them. Her voice was icy, terrifying.
"Am I not allowed to be here?"
Karen stuttered, unable to say another word, her eyes filled with disbelief. But the young man beside her, who clearly had no idea who Selvia was, only saw a breathtaking woman.
So breathtaking, in fact, that lust flickered in his eyes.
"You... uh!"
The young man didn't even finish speaking before Karen quickly covered his mouth. She might be a gold-digger, but she wasn't stupid.
She still needed this job. She still needed the status of an employee at a major corporation to hunt for her next prey.
Her boyfriend might be a nouveau-riche idiot, but Selvia was a real monster, one sentence from her could destroy a hundred families like his.
"S-Sorry... sorry, Director. We'll leave right away." Karen hurriedly dragged her boyfriend away.
Rover watched them flee, his gaze sharpening as he stared at Karen's retreating figure.
"I'm sorry." Selvia suddenly said.
Rover frowned in confusion. "For what?"
"For being late. I'll make sure they pay for what they said."
Rover shook his head and laughed lightly: "No need. I don't care about the barking of dogs."
Yes, to him, they were nothing but dogs. But... he didn't want revenge yet.
Let them continue jumping around like clowns. Once the apocalypse arrives, that will be the true hell.
"Hmm?!" Rover stiffened as he felt something. He looked down and saw Selvia holding his hand.
"Director, you..."
"Let's go." Selvia said, her expression cold and indifferent as always.
Feeling the softness of her hand, Rover's heart trembled slightly, but he quickly forced the thought out of his mind.
It was his first time entering a restaurant this luxurious, and he felt overwhelmed. He never imagined a dining place could be so extravagant.
Selvia brought him into a private room, far more elegant and refined than the grand hall outside.
Through the crystal window, Rover could see the entire city.
Even though it was already past 10 p.m., neon lights still illuminated everything.
However, he knew clearly... within ten days, this place would fall into chaos.
"What are you thinking about?" Selvia asked suddenly.
Rover turned to her and shook his head.
"Nothing. It's just my first time eating somewhere this fancy, and being able to dine with Director Selvia... I'm a little surprised, that's all."
Selvia crossed her legs and folded her arms, lifting the two "mountains" under her shirt, making Rover feel pity for the poor buttons struggling to hold on.
She glanced at him, sensing his gaze, and asked softly:
"You like it?"
"Ah!" Rover shrugged and laughed: "Of course. Director, I am a man, if I said I didn't like it, that would be a lie. Besides, with your beauty, both men and women would be captivated."
Selvia raised an eyebrow.
"You weren't this confident or bold before."
"Is that so?" Rover chuckled at himself.
Before, he had always kept his head down, thinking of himself as an orphan, feeling inferior to others.
But... after surviving in the apocalypse, he finally understood…
Why care so much?
In the future, he and Selvia wouldn't meet again anyway.
Even if she fired him now, he wouldn't care.
Selvia stared at him for a moment, then asked:
"How much money do you need?"
"Huh?!"