How To Survive A Calamity - Chapter 141: Dark Castle [8]

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

In the year 2139, the world changed. Fundamentally and irrevocably.

Everything happened too quickly. The sky cracked like an egg and armored dinosaur-like monsters lurched out of the fissure. The split, though small at first, quickly widened. Within a few short hours, these beasts had overrun the world.

Countries, even those who had been enemies for centuries, sounded a global alarm. Political differences were cast aside as humans scrambled to find a solution—any solution—to what became known as the Great Disaster 1.0.

Human experimentations began, first in reluctance, then in earnest. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, failure rates remained high. Desperate for results, global authorities started turning a blind eye to how experimental subjects were sourced.

Countless victims were kidnapped and trafficked to state-run laboratories. Shi Tian was but one of them. But unlike those who died nameless, in pain, and unrecognizable, he had the fortune of surviving after being injected with humanity’s last hope—an integrated chip.

Except… the chip remained dormant. It seemed that certain circumstances must be met before the chip could be activated. What those circumstances were, even the scientists in charge could not answer.

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For more than a decade, she disguised herself as a weakling while preyed on the strong – Qiao Qing had never viewed reputation as an important matter.But people began to take advantage and purposely hurt the ones she cared about.Qiao Qing then decided to stop hiding her real self.An incapable good-for-nothing? Her natural genius IQ can explode your eyeballs!A lowly commoner? Her real identity made her someone who you are not worthy enough to be friends with!A feeble chick? Her skills in ancient martial art can result in you looking for your teeth all over the ground!A godly student, a godly Go player, a godly night rider, a godly martial artist… as her real identity revealed little by little, all those snobs who once viewed her poorly began to switch sides and attempted to please her.Qiao Qing shut the front door. No guests welcomed.She blocked those who wanted her for their own selfish demands, but she couldn’t stop this one evildoer from approaching her.Just like that, climbing over the walls and entering through the window became Jun Yexuan’s specialty.As the President of the Jun Corporation, he had enough to protect Qiao Qing her entire life.But what bothered him was that Qiao Qing was far too independent and far too capable. Without any of his help, she was able to successfully handle everything.Jun Yexuan became moody – he felt like he wasn’t needed!So, on a random day, a cry for help appeared on Weibo, “What do I do when the wife is too capable? Waiting for immediate responses – it’s urgent.”

He was promised a world of magic, dragons, and swords.What he got was a hijacked system, and a realm ruled by cultivators who crush mountains with a punch.