Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

Evalyn stared around the conference table with bewilderment plastered on her face.

Seeing Daniel, Jake, and Veronica made her bitter, as their faces woke her from the beautiful dream she was having.

However, she didn't expect to see four others in the leadership lineup.

The first was Crux, who couldn't speak English. She didn't know Kaze finally gave her Spirit Qi techniques for communicative synesthesia and language building.

The other three—

"Hello, you two, Sage… Kylie." Evalyn said awkwardly, narrowing her eyes at the professionally pristine redhead and the cute brunette cheerleader.

"Good morning, Evalyn. It's nice to see you." Kylie replied with a charming, humble smile.

Sage made sense, as she had the practical finance skills necessary for managing the faction, but she didn't find much value in Kylie. It confused her.

Lastly—

"Hello... Kiera." Evalyn said in perplexion, confused why she was there.

"Hey...." Kiera replied with uncharacteristic sheepishness, averting her gaze. Her reaction was indiscernible and left the blonde puzzled.

However, she wasn't nearly as confused as Daniel, looking around him with a wincing expression.

He was used to meetings with successful professionals with thirty years of experience.

Now, he was surrounded by a cheerleader, a socialite, a tennis champion, two business majors, a previously anti-social geek, a beautiful woman in a frog hoodie, and a woman with pink hair.

Somehow he found his homicidal teen boss far more comforting.

Evalyn sat to his right side and Kiera to his left. Daniel sat next to the blonde, who still wouldn't look at him.

Crux was to the left of Kiera, and everyone else was on the other end of the table like a panel interview.

"Welcome." Kaze said in a somber tone. Their hearts thumped at the characteristically charming man's seriousness, "We're here to discuss recent events.

It's best to show everyone what has happened since we arrived."

He touched a desk pad, dimmed the lights, and a large projector on the ceiling began broadcasting footage on the wall.

The first video showed an aerial view of a massive mall near Lockheed University, razed to the ground. Riots surrounded the area, with military members holding people back.

He showed another video of Lockheed University proper.

"T-This can't be real…." Jake stuttered, looking at the building.

Students and staff had busted most of the windows, and dead bodies still lined the halls.

Kaze flipped through video after video, displayed articles on Yanko and other sites, and government memorandums and statements.

Kiera began trembling slightly, scared and confused by what she was seeing. "What happened…?"

"Those overexposed to Qi are going mad, leading to riots, looting, arson, economic and medical breakdown, and a loss of order." He explained gravely.

"That's what is happening, and that's all there is to say about it."

Silence washed over the room, creating an eerie backdrop for the silent video footage.

"Immortal Skye is the safest place to live worldwide, and it only has enough housing to accommodate who we have." Kaze continued.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll let people who wish to go home leave. However, once someone gets off the cruiser, they cannot return.

No one can join. There are no exceptions, even for management members.

Neither my nor Evalyn's parents are here, so favoritism claims are futile."

Jake and Kylie opened their mouths, preparing to ask that exact question.

Yet they couldn't plead after learning that neither Kaze nor Evalyn's parents were present.

[No exceptions] had a profound, irrefutable meaning.

Kaze turned off the projector, snapping everyone out of their hazes. He passed everyone manila envelopes containing reports.

"I've given everyone classified documents on Qi sickness and economic conditions in Malta." He announced.

"You'll find it's not a simple contagion. Most supply lines have broken down; as a result, even if the world fixed Qi Sickness tomorrow, billions will starve this year from economic collapse."

Everyone opened the envelopes and pulled out the documents and pictures.

No one could breathe, even Daniel and Evalyn, who learned solid details for the first time.

"Qi Sickness has already broken down society, and it will only get worse." Kaze asserted straightly.

"Everyone will soon realize their pleas, desires, and wishes won't change what's happening and decide to stay here despite leaving everything behind.

We need help managing our people, and we'll reward you handsomely if you stay and lead them."

"I…." Kylie dry-swallowed nervously, "I understand your parents aren't here, but I don't know why.

People will accept that the leaders have their families if—"

"Aside from onsite recruits, no one will join Immortal Skye at this time." Kaze interjected, "It's not a discussion.

Evalyn and I run this faction and are teaching, protecting, feeding, clothing, and sheltering our members. No one has the right to question us.

We're here to talk about managing our members, not revising our decisions, especially when it's a sensitive topic between us."

A deafening silence washed over the room, leaving everyone lost in a haze.

"The no exceptions policy isn't about food, shelter, and housing like the others." Evalyn explained soberly, drawing everyone's attention. "We don't want families to suffer and cause serious problems.

They're exploitable weaknesses and revenge targets for us all."

"That viewpoint is horrifyingly cold." Kylie commented bitterly, "We're stronger than the others.

No one would be stupid enough to attack the families of powerful people, let alone people under Kaze."

"Weak soldiers held my mother hostage to force me into aiding the hospital she was staying in." Evalyn replied chillingly, "I helped them, but they killed her anyway.

Then they sent three dozen soldiers to kill me because they knew I was a threat after learning of her death.

Cultivation and power meant nothing when they had my unconscious mother at gunpoint. Kaze could have done something; I could not. You'd have no chance."

Daniel's eyes trembled in disbelief. He opened and closed his mouth, looking at the blonde that didn't look at him.

"I'm not sure why we're talking about this." Sage interjected boldly, "Everyone on earth is starving and dying, and things will only worsen.

Yet I'm being offered a management position in the world's safest and most comfortable place.

Turning this down would be offensive to everyone suffering right now. I'm in."

Kaze nodded, thankful someone had common sense.

"I agree…. You saved my life for five dollars, Kaze." Jake chuckled solemnly, "I decided to follow you long ago, and now I've learned I owe you something I can never repay. So I'm in."

None of Jake's family members got techniques. As a result, he and the rest of his family would be starving with their lives counting down. He wasn't a fool.

"I would've died if you didn't give me that technique." Veronica followed, "Leaving to try to save my family is foolish when I don't know if they're alive.

I never cared much for them, but there's someone I do care about here. That's good enough."

Jake's awkward iciness toward Veronica thawed slightly after hearing her admission. They had yet to discuss what happened, but he wanted to believe she did the right thing.

"I'm in. That much is obvious since I built this place with my wife." Daniel said hesitantly, "I'm grateful you've given my family a bunker because they were already on site.

I cannot repay that debt, so I'll follow you until the end."

The emperor nodded, and everyone else gave Daniel wry smiles. Even though the man built the place with his family, hearing there was an exception made them feel bitter.

However, e looked at everyone with a conflicted expression before glancing at Kaze, who stone-walled him without the slightest acknowledgment.

While Sage and Jake didn't catch the strange interaction, Kylie and Veronica did.

They knew it wasn't guilt in his eyes, and they desperately wanted to ask, but they couldn't.

If Kaze hid something from the others, it meant he didn't want them to know. It was that simple.

"I…." Kiera whispered, continuing, "I don't have anything to return to. I'll gratefully stay here if you let me."

Tears welled in her trembling eyes, and a single stream moved down her cheeks.

Kaze already knew about her life, so he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then pushed his chair back.

Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her chair back, picked her up, and sat down again with her on his left leg.

"W-Whoa, whoa, whoa! Consent much?" Kiera cried, "I was trying to have a vulnerable moment, not get treated like a child from the pity patrol!"

Most of the women giggled, seeing her reaction. Evalyn wasn't as enthused by his ultra-sensitive behavior and coddling, but she didn't speak up.

Kaze sent a blank expression to the sky after seeing everyone's mocking or savage gazes.

Kiera's situation wasn't a joke. She was one move away from her meridians rupturing and killing her if she lost focus.

He suspected that she had a light version of separation anxiety disorder, which causes severe worry about abandonment due to her upbringing.

If he were right, not making Kiera feel supported was a genuine death sentence.

Moreover, he was emotionally attached to her for personal reasons. So he ignored everyone, took a deep breath, and then looked down at the pink-haired teen.

"Are you done?" Kaze asked calmly, surprising everyone.

Kiera stared into his earnest eyes for a few seconds before tears welled into her eyes again.

She turned away, trying to find a comfortable way to place her hands that didn't make her look like she was pouting.

He lightly wrapped his left hand around her chest, holding her shoulder to shoulder like a seatbelt.

Kiera instantly melted and leaned backward, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them and avoiding everyone's lukewarm, judgmental gazes.

Kaze rolled his eyes and turned to Kylie, whose eyes were puffy. Her tears smudged her mascara and eyeliner, making her beautiful eyes seem dark and dreary.

Kylie didn't feel like she owed Kaze, like Jake.

She wasn't a statistics-only psychopath like Sage.

Unlike Kiera, she had people to go back to.

Her family meant the world to her, so she wasn't like Veronica.

Lastly, didn't experience loss like Evalyn.

She was the only person who didn't have a solid reason to accept their family's death [beyond common sense].

Kylie swallowed back her tears and turned to Kaze with a depleted expression. "I came here because I understood the right choice, so I'm in.

It'll just take time for me to accept it."

"You'll all know you made the right decision within the week." Kaze nodded and made eye contact with them.

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