Chapter 1213 Daughter is safe, the Du family has hope!

The conversation continued for a while longer, during which Zhou Weizhong gently explained some follow-up arrangements and instructed them to keep it confidential for the time being, awaiting further instructions from the committee.

Du Wenyuan and Yang Zhendong nodded mechanically like puppets, their minds still buzzing from the shocking news.

Finally, Zhou Wei picked up his teacup, a signal to see the guest out.

The two men snapped out of their daze and quickly stood up, their movements even a little unsteady. They bowed deeply to Lieutenant General Zhou Wei in farewell and walked unsteadily toward the door of the lounge.

Zhou Wei nodded slightly to his personal secretary who was standing guard by the door: "See Director Du and Captain Yang off for me."

"Yes, Chief."

The secretary stepped forward and respectfully opened the heavy door to the lounge.

The moment the door opened, Major General Chang Zhiwei, standing ramrod straight like a guardian deity, immediately came into view.

When he saw Du Wenyuan and Yang Zhendong come out, especially when he met Du Wenyuan's still bewildered and shocked gaze, he quickly put on an extremely friendly smile, even with a hint of ingratiation.

Although Du Wenyuan's mind was still a mess, his political instincts, honed before the apocalypse, instantly returned.

He immediately realized that the attitude of the garrison commander in front of him had undergone a fundamental change. He quickly composed himself, and a warm and unpretentious smile appeared on his face. He nodded to Chang Zhiwei, his eyes conveying goodwill that "everything is understood without words."

This reaction is tantamount to directly demonstrating an attitude of not holding grudges.

The huge weight that had been hanging over Chang Zhiwei's heart finally lifted with a thud. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped aside to make way for him, adopting an extremely humble posture.

"Director Du, Captain Yang, take care."

Watching Zhou Wei's personal secretary lead the two away, Chang Zhiwei's mind was already racing with calculations:

We need to quickly check if there are any suitable, powerful vacancies in the garrison's logistics or civil affairs departments. We must arrange positions for the Du family! This is not only an apology, but also... an investment!

Zhou Wei's personal secretary escorted Du and Yang to the entrance of the headquarters building, where two black bulletproof cars were already waiting.

In the Eastern Theater, where fuel was extremely scarce, let alone a sedan of this caliber, even riding in a three-wheeled vehicle was a matter of great prestige.

In Lin'an, a city with a total population of over 50, the number of officials who can afford to use gasoline-powered cars as their daily mode of transportation is no more than 10.

As for whether there will be any issues with the misuse of public vehicles before the apocalypse, that depends on whether you're tough enough to withstand being shot.

Before the apocalypse, public vehicles could be used for private purposes because cars and fuel were not scarce resources that ordinary people could consume freely, so the authorities were not too strict.

In a post-apocalyptic world, fuel is extremely scarce, which is like the lifeblood of an army. Anyone with a sound mind would not dare to leech off an army.

"Director Du, Captain Yang, please get in the car. The driver will take you both home safely," the secretary said politely.

"Thank you very much, Secretary!" Du Wenyuan and Yang Zhendong quickly expressed their gratitude.

Just before getting into the car, Du Wenyuan and Yang Zhendong exchanged a glance, and at that moment, an indescribable and wonderful sense of closeness welled up in both of them.

In the past, officials and businessmen were of vastly different statuses, and after the apocalypse, they had different fates. But now, they are tightly connected by an invisible bond called "Chairman Gu's in-laws." This is a kind of sharing weal and woe, and even more so, the rudimentary form of a community of shared destiny.

But now was clearly not the time for a chat, so the two simply smiled slightly and got into their respective cars under the watchful eyes of Zhou Wei's secretary.

Soon, the vehicle smoothly drove away from the heavily guarded headquarters area and headed to the officers' family quarters. Inside the vehicle, only Du Wenyuan and the silent driver in the front seat remained.

At this moment, when the surroundings became completely quiet and the street scene outside the car window rushed past like a streak of light, Du Wenyuan's emotions, which he had been forcibly suppressing and were as hot as volcanic lava, could no longer be contained!

His shoulders began to tremble slightly, and then his whole body began to shake violently uncontrollably, not out of fear, but out of extreme excitement and ecstasy!

He suddenly tilted his head back, leaned against the back of the comfortable seat, and let out a burst of suppressed laughter that was both a sob and a roar!

"Heh...heh heh...haha...hahaha!!!"

The laughter grew louder and more unrestrained, tinged with a touch of madness, but more so with the exhilarating release of the heavy pressure, humiliation, and despair that had been borne for so long!

As he laughed, two streams of hot tears uncontrollably slid down his cheeks.

He recalled the hardships of the early days of the apocalypse, the frustration of being bossed around in the Zhoushan settlement, the merciless reprimand he had just received in Chang Zhiwei's office, and the agonizing days and nights he had endured with his daughter's uncertain fate...

And now...

Everything is different now!

His daughter, Du Wanying, not only survived, but also became the wife of Chairman Gu's younger brother!

Chairman Gu! Chairman of the Zhou Bang's Emergency Military Committee for the End Times! The man who holds power over the four major war zones and stands at the pinnacle of power in Zhou Bang today!

what does this mean?

This means that Du Wenyuan and his Du family will henceforth be closely linked to one of the most powerful families in the country!

This means that the past misfortunes and humiliations will be a thing of the past! The Du family will not only be able to rise again, but may even reach a height that was unimaginable before the apocalypse!

This is simply... a meteoric rise!

Du Wenyuan wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his laughter gradually subsided, but his chest was still heaving violently, and his eyes burned with a blazing light called ambition and hope.

Looking out the car window at the land struggling to survive in the apocalypse, a land in dire need of rebuilding, he envisioned a completely different, glorious future.

The Du family is safe and sound!

...

Inside the Du family's small building, an atmosphere of unease that was difficult to dispel was pervasive.

Led by Li Shuzhen, all the female relatives at home gathered in the living room. No one spoke, and their work—whether sewing or tidying—had long since stopped. Their gazes occasionally drifted toward the closed courtyard gate and the sky outside the window.

An invisible string seemed to be taut in the air. Every sound from the doorway would cause this string to tremble, making everyone look up and hold their breath until the sound gradually faded away. Only then would they lower their heads again in dejection, their expectations replaced by deeper anxiety.

Li Shuzhen sat near the door, clutching a silk handkerchief given to her by her daughter, Du Wanying, tightly in her hand, her fingertips turning white from the force.

Her face appeared calm, but her slightly trembling hands and the frequent glances at the clock betrayed her inner tension.

She knew that her husband, Du Wenyuan, had risked everything to beg the hot-tempered Commander Chang Zhiwei today; this was the only chance they could think of to find their daughter with the help of the authorities.

If even this path is blocked... Li Shuzhen dared not think any further...

Searching for someone across thousands of miles in the apocalypse is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Without strong external support, the Du family's current resources make their hopes extremely slim.

That means she may never see her proud daughter again, the child who never caused her any worry since childhood, but who is now alone in a distant place enduring the storm of the apocalypse...

A chilling fear gripped her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

"Auntie, please have some water." A young niece-in-law carefully handed a glass of warm water to Li Shuzhen, her voice filled with concern.

Li Shuzhen forced a smile, took the water glass, but only touched her lips to it before putting it down. How could she possibly drink it?

An older aunt nearby sighed and whispered comfortingly, "Shuzhen, don't worry. Wenyuan is a man of principle. Now that he's gone, there will surely be some results."

Even so, her own brow was furrowed, clearly indicating that she didn't hold out much hope either. In this apocalyptic world, they had witnessed far too much of the coldness and indifference of human relationships.

Time slipped away second by second in the agony, and every minute seemed exceptionally long.

Hope and despair clashed silently in this small living room, tormenting the hearts of everyone who waited.

at this time--

A steady, powerful engine sound came from afar, and finally seemed to stop near the courtyard!

Boom boom boom!

As soon as the knocking sounded, everyone's heart skipped a beat, and they all stood up, their eyes fixed on the hospital door!

Li Shuzhen gripped the silk handkerchief tightly, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

Is Wen Yuan back?

The outcome... was it good or bad?