《I, the CEO have to Farm to Survive?》


 Characters

    Ho clan members


    Ho An


    - main character (MC)


    Ho Chen


    - Ho An''s father


    Hui Yin


    - Ho An''s mother


    Ho He


    - Ho An''s half sister


    Madam Ho Lan


    - Ho An''s grandmother


    Ho Chang


    - Ho An''s great grandfather


    Lady Ho


    - Ho An''s great grandmother


    Ho Chao


    - Ho Chang''s brother


    Ho Elders


    - Elder Yi


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. - Elder Er


    Ashikaga clan members


    Ashikaga Tatsuya


    - main lead (ML)


    Ashikaga Yoshi


    - Tatsuya''s father


    Ashikaga Riku


    - Tatsuya''s cousin


    Keith Allen


    - Riku''s ''friend''


    Others


    Abe Sara


    - Ho An''s friend (works at the base''s canteen)


    Dr Lelouch Lamperouge


    - Scientist


    Liu Yifei


    - Ho Chen''s first mistress and Ho He''s mother


    Mrs Smith


    - Madam Ho Lan''s lawyer


    Saito Hikaru


    - Tatsuya''s mother

 Lady Ho

    Here I am going through piles upon piles of documents pertaining to the company''s upcoming product launch. You see, I happen to be the HO CEO. HO is the name of the company I am working at, and no I am not a who... *cough*. Anyway, I have been in this position for 10 years. You would imagine a middle age woman if I have that long of a working experience and you are right. I am 35 this year and still single.


    The company was founded by my great grandmother. A very feisty woman who holds grudges. The story as to why she decided to start it was quite funny. Well, not many would find her reason to be funny. My grandmother and I happen to be the few to have an odd sense of humor.


    Back then, great grandmother or fondly called Lady Ho was a mother to a man of 22 years old. She had a happy family or so she thought. Her happiness was ruined after she, together with her then husband and son visited a lovely young woman and her family of a distant branch of the Ho clan. The purpose? Arrange marriage of course!


    It so happened that great grandmother is the current ''Head'' of the Ho clan. Unlike the norm, she did not inherit the position from her father. To be the Head of the clan one has to fit certain requirements such as having an ''ability'' that is deemed needed by the clan''s six Elders. Great grandmother''s brother was one of these elders so he nominated and voted for her. Her ability, you asked? Knowing other people''s abilities. Normal people would choose domineering abilities but the Elders back then were far from normal. The Ho clan was deteriorating as the former Head and Elders could not identify clan members'' abilities because some would hide them either due to being embarrassed or want to be normal among other reasons. So, all six Elders voted to make great grandmother the next Head with that weak excuse.


    The Ho clan members tend to marry their own. They do marry ''outsiders'' but they will be given two choices. Either their spouse stays in the clan or they leave the clan and experience ''the purge''. *cough* ... the so called purge is not one family''s annihilation but the removing of one''s ability so that they can be among the ''normal'' people. One day, while identifying clan members'' abilities, great grandmother saw, you guess it. My grandmother.


    Like any other mothers who want the best for their children, great grandmother decided by herself she wants to have Ho Lan as her daughter-in-law. So, Lady Ho brought her husband and son to meet Ho Lan and her parents. The two men thought they were merely visiting relatives. Boy were they wrong.


    Grandmother''s parents were surprised of course as Lady Ho tends not to leave her house let alone visit people. Great grandmother stated the purpose of their visit to her future-in-laws which shocked her two family members. They, knowing great grandmother''s character decided to keep their opinions to themselves for now as not to incur her wrath to avoid them from becoming a joke to their so called in-laws.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    If you expect a love at first sight story between my grandparents, then you are wrong. The few sentences grandmother said to grandfather were, "I am not marrying you. You are sleeping with your own sister, Fang Hua. I am not stupid enough to have a mistress living together in my house." I can imagine how awkward the situation was when grandmother told me how she first met grandfather.


    Great grandmother sure was pissed knowing her husband not only cheated on her but also placed his illegitimate daughter near her family. She gave grandmother''s parents a bow as an apology and left with two very paled faced men.


    Once they arrived at their house, great grandmother ordered the butler to pack her husband''s and Fang Hua''s stuff and kick them out. Great grandfather panicked and begged his wife to forgive him and said he slept with Fang Hua''s mother once because he was drunk and she asked him to take care of their daughter since she cannot afford to do so by herself. Instead of forgiving him, great grandmother summoned the Elders to inform them of the matter and give her decision.


    As expected, great grandmother not only divorced her husband but also ordered ''the purge'' to be carried out on the two individuals. I can understand her decision as great grandfather broke the clan''s law. Having mistresses and illegitimate children were common back then. Heck, they are still happening now but to make your own decision to bring an outsider into the clan without the clan''s Head permission is simply asking for trouble. Great grandmother was of course suspicious when Fang Hua was brought into the clan and hired by her husband as a cook even though she is at best a decent one but decided to believe in him.


    I know some of you would say that great grandmother kicked them out simply because she got cheated on and abused her power. I can only say that you are only half right. Not many can accept their spouse to not only cheat on them but also have the affair comes to ''fruit''. Being members of the Ho clan sounds awesome as they have abilities but like Uncle Ben said, "With great power comes great responsibility." Living in the clan''s grounds can mean accidents happening when there are dissatisfaction. A recent argument ended in a few burnt and frozen houses when two brothers fought for the right to woo a girl living next door. If you are curious as to who won, she chose neither as her house was one of the destroyed ones. Anyway, by keeping Fang Hua''s identity a secret she is exempted from being identified an ability just like any other outsiders. For those with high imagination, do stop imagining great grandmother having laser like identification eyes. She can only do so by touching individuals with her bare hands.


    Fang Hua''s ability, you asked? Earthquake. You can imagine the clan''s grounds shaking like mad until one of the guards knocked her unconscious with much difficulty. The few Elders who were at first against the Head''s decision were shocked and gave the Head their approval. They thought the Head grew muddle headed and emotional after merely listening to a young woman''s words. Little do they know that the young woman would be their next Head. How she became one is another story though.


    So, ''the purge'' was carried out and the two were ''escorted'' outside the clan''s grounds. That incident resulted in almost 20 deaths with roughly a hundred people trapped under buildings'' rubble. Grandfather survived but became a changed person after the incident.

 Ho Chang

    I was born as Ho Chang, the elder brother to Ho Chao. His name alone can show you how much of a disappointment I am to my parents and that they hope my brother will bring our family to our former heights. I don''t remember since when have I been compared to my brother. People only know that there is a Ho Chao who is able to grow any type of plants and not Ho Chang that can only cook.


    My parents had a small restaurant that sells dim sum. Yes, we only open the restaurant in the morning. No point in opening the shop till late evening when there are not many customers around. I started helping my parents out at the tender age of eight. Anything a young boy can do, I would do such as washing the ingredients to preparing tea. Business was great and after only four years we had three medium sized restaurants. We also started serving light dishes.


    However, it all went downhill not long after we offended our business rival. They had long monopolized selling dim sums and did not appreciate making less money. It would have been easy to settle any dispute if they were of the same clan as us but they are not. The outsiders have always considered the Ho clan to be an eye sore and many other businesses owned by Ho clan members have been targeted.


    One day, customers of our main restaurant suffered food poisoning. Father himself tried to solve the problem but to no avail. Rumors started flying around saying how I offended some spirits and they will keep harming our customers unless I stop cooking at the restaurant. People were very superstitious back then and believed anything supernatural related things. So, they stopped coming as more and more people were ''inflicted by poison'' by the spirits via me. There was even a case of an old man who died after eating the steamed buns I made. Customers were angry, so father can only give out compensations. Less than two months later, our two other restaurants had to be closed down as we were having deficits.


    Father and mother were at first reluctant to believe that I brought such a calamity to them. They hired many masters that say the same thing as the rumor have said. I was then slowly alienated from their daily lives. We also ended up loosing our last restaurant not long after. Father had to do odd jobs for our family to survive. I was told not to help out as I will only incur the wrath of the spirits and will only bring about another calamity to the family.


    Things started to get better once mother was pregnant with Ho Chao. The vegetables she planted at the backyard started producing amazing yields as if a sign that the child in her belly would have plant related ability. She was right. Ho Chao did end up with such ability. One day, mother was craving grapes so father bought her some but could only afford those with seeds. She gobbled them up and threw the seeds outside the window. Lo and behold, she saw some vines climbing her window after two months. Mother and father were excited of course. They proclaim their future child as their lucky charm.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The once gloomy air surrounding the family was gone and our situation slowly improved. Father stopped doing odd jobs and helped mother out at the backyard, instead. They gained confidence and planted many other vegetables and fruits that are seasonal and rare. They all grew beautifully regardless of the season. At one point, father even harvested Durians in May! Things went so well that after a few years they managed to buy a double story house and an empty plot of land nearby.


    I was no longer alienated but father, mother and even Ho Chao still kept their distance from me. I refused to be treated differently from my brother, so I improved my ability. Of course no one dared to eat what I cooked but myself. I can feel myself improving but I need someone to taste my cooking to prove that I am right. That day, mother cooked crispy chicken feet for the three of them. I cooked the same thing then gave our dishes to Ho Chao''s dog, Xia Bai. I did the same thing for a week and guess whose dish Xia Bai chose? Mine, and it did not die! It can only mean the spirits decided not to bother me anymore and that the past incident was the result of an ability. I decided not to tell my family regardless of my finding. It is not that they would believe in me anyway.


    I resented them. My parents and Ho Chao, especially. They refuse to believe in me and let me live a miserable life. I was left alone in our old house. They would give me just enough money for me to survive. I bet they rather have me dead. Too bad they are not allowed to kill another clan member. I would not even call them family as even non family members like other clan members would lend me a helping hand.


    What about Ho Chao? He got all of my parents'' undivided love and attention. He lived like a rich young master and given anything he asked for. He even told his friends he is an only child and will inherit the family''s business. How dare he! That was when I made up my mind to get my long awaited revenge. To do just that, I need to win the new Head''s heart and what best way to do that but through her stomach. That idiot foodie. With her help, I can ruin my family''s life easily.


    So, I applied a job at the Head''s house as a cook. She heard of my ''rumor'' and got her niece to check if I have any lingering spirits around me. Yes, she can see spirits and even get them to help her if they feel like it. After passing the inspection, the Head told me she wants to taste the eight major Chinese cuisines.


    Most of the time, she kept a poker face while tasting the dishes I prepared. I was feeling nervous and thought my ability was not developed enough to reach her standard. However, her brows twitched a bit after tasting my Ma Po Dou Fu. That made my heart raced a mile. I did not want to loose. No, I refuse to loose!


    Suddenly, she gave me a small smile. "I like your food. You are hired, but I want one Sichuan cuisine each for lunch and dinner from now on." I thanked her profusely. Wow, I did not expect her to like something spicy; not when she constantly shows that expressionless face of hers. It seems like my first step in seducing the Head is a success.

 Reading of the Will

    There were ten of us sitting at grandmother''s study, which include the six Elders, father, his first mistress, their daughter and me. We were still waiting for grandmother''s lawyer to come to read grandmother''s will. A few minutes later, the butler knocked on the door and announced the arrival of Mrs Smith.


    "Let us start the reading of Madam Ho Lan''s will, shall we?" asked Mrs Smith. "25% of Ho company shares and half the cash in all her banks worth 58 million yuan are given to her son Mr Ho Chen. The other half on the other hand is donated to the welfare of the Ho clan. She also decided to give the Elders the authority to manage this donation. Lastly, her jewelries worth 4.5 million yuan are given to her granddaughter, Miss Ho He."


    "Mrs Smith, did Madam Ho Lan not give anything to her granddaughter Ho An?" asked Elder Yi.


    "No. The only granddaughter she mentioned in the will is Miss Ho He," said the lawyer.


    "Impossible! Everyone knows she loves little An," said another Elder which followed by some nods from other elders.


    "How is it not possible? Mother told me before she died that she feels guilty not caring for my daughter, Ho He. It is not like she gives her money. They are just jewelries. Tch, no need to be stingy!" father argued.


    "It is fine Elders. I was raised by grandmother to go out and work and not just sit back and wait for money to grow on trees," said I to the Elders.


    "You''re just bitchy you''re not getting anything from grandmother. What a loser," said that half sister of mine.


    I thanked the lawyer for her help with the funeral arrangements and everything else. I then somehow managed to convince the Elders that I am fine with the will and not contest it in the future. They left the study grumbling and sighing for my luck.


    "I give you 10 minutes to pack your things and leave this house," ordered Liu Yifiei. I have never really looked at this woman''s face. She is the first of father''s mistresses; the one that managed to stay with him even after 30 years. Quite an achievement I would say since father has five other mistresses throughout the Hainan province. They all bore him many children but the main reason why Liu Yifiei and her daughter managed to stay in the clan''s ground is because Ho He''s manifestation of an ability at the age of 12; summoning the rain.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "This lady, you have no right to kick me out from this house. Didn''t father tell you why this house was not included in the will? Too bad only the next clan Head can kick me out. Why else do you think you and your daughter can never live here even after my mother died? ALL of us will leave here in 10 minutes," I retorted.


    "You ... honey, look at that unfilial daughter of yours. How can she raised her voice at me?" Liu Yifiei complained with her whiny voice.


    "Ignore her. We should leave. Why argue about an old house when we can build a new one with the money I inherited," said father.


    "Father''s right, mother. Let''s go. I can''t wait to try out the jewelries," added Ho He loudly. I bet she just wants to rub it in my face that the jewelries passed down from one generation to another on grandmother''s side of the family is hers instead of the eldest granddaughter''s.


    Sigh, what a bunch of show offs. They soon left the study leaving me there alone thinking of my next plan. I decided to go to my old room and pack all of my old stuff first before meeting the Elders who are now discussing how to spend the money grandmother left in their hands. I told them I will be leaving the clan''s grounds and living outside. Elder Er who is the closest to me wanted to coax me to stay but I told him I have matters to settle such as my precarious position as the CEO among others. They had no choice but to let me do as I wish and told me to take good care of myself and to contact them if I need their help.


    I drove to my own apartment near the company on a four wheel drive. A few people looked at me weirdly as I am too ''fragile'' to be driving a ''manly'' vehicle as I passed by them. Even my secretary told me I am more of a mini cooper kind of a driver. Something that is small and cute; just like me. Not like I have a choice. It was a gift from grandmother who said I did a great job in learning to make pickled food. Weird reason ... not like I am going to reject a free vehicle.


    I laid down on my bed and opened a small box that grandmother left me a month before she died. She had told me that my inheritance is inside the box. I was not surprised when my name was not included in today''s will. You see, father''s ability is charm. His charm works on all females outside of the Ho clan. Even mother was attracted by him. Scroll up and read the lawyer''s name. Yes, she is a female and an outsider. So, the will was altered.


    In the box were two letters written by grandmother among others. One addressed to a certain Ashikaga Yoshi who lives in Akihabara and the other to me. That would explain the Dummies Guide on how to Speak Japanese Fluently book included in the box. I threw everything in the box onto my bed and arranged them neatly. Everything looked normal except for the 12 boxes of condoms, some combination pills that can last my entire lifetime if I decided to pop them into my mouth like candies and three pregnancy tests.


    Knowing grandmother''s ability and eccentricity I started deciphering her hidden messages. 1. I will have sex with a man 2. It is not suitable or encouraged to get pregnant and 3. I might have at max three children. No! The first letter is addressed to a man. It is not him, is it? I started to panic. Grandmother, how could you send your granddaughter to that man''s arm just like that! Someone I don''t even know. This is some shitty marriage arrangement, if you asked me.

 Inheritance

    Dear Little An,


    what I am giving you is not shares or jewelries that you can buy on your own or money that you can earn by yourself. Instead, I will share with you my last dream. I hope you will take this dream seriously as this will affect how you and people around you live in the future.


    Somewhere in December next year, the world you will be living in will be very different from now. There will be animated ''dead'' corpses roaming the world and they carry something in them that can infect others. I want you to avoid them at all cost. Do not worry about the clan members as they will not be harmed unless they leave the clan''s grounds.


    Use this short window of time to prepare yourself mentally and physically. The world will be in chaos and justice and order will be hard to maintain. Even families and friends can turn into enemies. Stock up on things and use the knowledge you have learned to survive.


    Humans will fight back, establishing many bases. Their names will be derived from the Greek alphabets. In China, the Alpha base is in the north, Beta base to the east, Gamma base to the south while Delta base is on the west side of the country. Gamma base will be the safest for the first three years as it is nearest to the clan''s grounds. The new clan Head will rally the clan members to work together with the leader of Delta base to fend off the approaching corpses. Remember, humans can be greedy. They are happy with what they have now, but soon, they will want more and more. This includes our own clan members.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Food will become scarce as more corpses are ''born''. That, together with winter will result in millions of deaths. Water from lakes, rivers, sea or any exposed source of water will soon be contaminated. Even rain will be a medium to birth more corpses. It will be some time for researchers to come up with solutions to solve this problem. I advice you to stay in your space until they do so. Also, beware of animals because they too can be infected.


    If you meet a certain Dr Lelouch Lamperouge, do ''guide'' him to ponder why plants cannot be infected. Perhaps once he figures it out, humanity will then stand a chance.


    Finally, I wrote a letter to Ashikaga Yoshi who happens to be my benefactor. I want you to personally send the letter to him. He will be asking you a favor; one I want you to fulfill. Don''t worry! He will not ask for something ridiculous out of you. His address is on the back of the envelope.


    Love,


    Sassy Grandmother

 Getting Started

    The next day, I received a phone call from my secretary informing me that there will be a meeting involving all shareholders this coming Monday. I bet it was father who requested the meeting. It does not require a genius to figure out what he plans to do. I gave instructions to my secretary on what to do and need to be prepared. Next, I gave my agent a call informing him I plan to sell my 25% shares of the company; double the market''s price.


    After that, I spent the first half of the day surfing the Internet looking for information on houses that are light but durable for sale. Something that does not require deep foundations, like mobile homes. I found a company that goes by the name Cumberland Japan. The biggest model they have is called Nostalgia which cost roughly 10 million yen which is around 620 thousand yuan. Since I will be going to Japan soon, I might as well visit the company and have a look at it''s models. I contacted the person in charge and informed him of my visit and interest in them.


    Next, I looked up for information on companies specializing in selling and assembling solar panels. I will be needing some sort of source of electricity and the best source that is available all year round is the sunlight. I also jotted down the addresses of the nearest vegetable and animal farms and orchard. Which reminds me, I need to hire some workers to build enclosures for the animals I plan to buy. Tch ... before that I need to find a place for them to build these enclosures as well as to send the animals to. I decided to ask for Elder Er''s help as he has plenty of empty lands around the island.


    "Hello, Elder Er," I greeted him and added "Can you help me?" "Oh, if it isn''t Little An. What kind of help do you need?" asked the Elder. "I want to borrow your land at Sanya. I plan to have some people send a few things there since my apartment won''t fit all the things I plan to buy," I informed him. "Sure, anything else?" the Elder asked. "No, that''s all. Thanks Elder Er," said I.


    Now that is done, I listed down other things I will be needing to store my stuff temporary such as boxes, containers along with marker pens and sticky notes. I cannot help it! My OCD requires me to label everything or it will leave me feeling annoyed.


    I looked at the clock on the kitchen''s wall that indicated 12.12 noon. I decided to just cook some instant noodle. I rather get a few things done then whip up a few healthy dishes. Do not worry little stomach. I will feed you something healthy for dinner, something from The Jade Igret.


    I put on my coat and gloves before heading towards my vehicle. It was already the end of October and already this cold. I started the vehicle then keyed in the addresses of the farms and orchard onto the GPS device.


    My first stop happened to be called 6 Nongchang. One of the workers there, a man in his twenties welcomed and gave me a few leaflets on the products they are selling. I like the man''s straight to business attitude. I browsed through the leaflets and ordered 50 bags of all types of vegetable seeds ranging from green, yellow, red, white and mixed colored vegetables that they have. While I wrote a cheque worth 400 thousand yuan for the farm''s owner, the man earlier got a few of his colleagues to move the seeds I bought to my four wheel drive.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Next, I drove to an animal farm that is five kilometers away. I was surprised to see a few children roaming around the farm. Apparently, the owner recently introduced a petting zoo to attract potential customers. There are different sizes of sheep, goats, rabbits and even ponies placed in enclosures together with a few workers guarding them. I went to the enclosures and read information put on nearby signs to learn more about the animals there. Once I have finished, I looked for a worker to direct me to his boss to discuss purchasing some animals.


    I was led to Mr Heng''s office by the worker. I greeted him and showed my interest in buying some animals. I lied a bit here and there and told him that I want to start a small farm that can feed a small family of five people. I also inquired from him who I should contact, to set up enclosures. He was very polite and gave me the person''s telephone number. We then proceeded to discuss what animals and the numbers suitable for a newbie farmer. We agreed on 10 of each sheep, goats and rabbits. The sheep cost almost 500 yuan each, 700 yuan each for goats and 250 yuan per rabbit. Mr Heng will transfer the animals to Elder Er''s land once the enclosures are completed.


    He then listed and recommended some food pellets and hays for the animals'' consumption. I listened to his recommendations and bought a year worth of food. He then showed me some models of rabbit hutches. I bought a few large ones with small built in rooms for the rabbits to get into if they feel too hot during day time or too cold at night.


    I looked at my watch as the time showed 3.40 pm. I drove to my next destination hurriedly after paying the food and hutches. Mr Heng promised to deliver them to Elder Er''s land on Monday evening.


    The orchard was situated next door, so it did not take a long time to reach the place. I can see a few fruit plants at the nursery. I decided to ignore them as I have yet to find the time to have my own built and focused on saplings instead. I picked out some guavas, mangosteen, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, lychees, star fruits, wax apples and dragon fruits. I picked these fruits because they are native on Hainan Island; something I am used to eat. After some negotiations, I paid for the saplings while the workers at the nursery moved them onto my vehicle.


    My final destination for the day is The Jade Igret. I went through the menu and ordered their specialty, Roast Beef Tenderloin with Garlic and Rosemary and orange juice. I took some pictures of the menu discreetly before I handed the menu back to the waiter so that I can plan what to have the next time I come here. I cannot stop thinking how childish of me to do so.


    I took my time driving back to the apartment as I was feeling tired. I parked some where cameras would not catch what I will be doing. I will the things I bought using my mind into my space then went to the lift. I took a hot bath and went straight to bed. Organizing today''s purchases will have to wait until tomorrow.

 My Space

    On Sunday morning, I spent my time online buying boxes and containers in bulk. They should arrive at max in three days time. Then, I bought a ticket from Haikou to Tokyo using Cathay Pacific which will depart this Thursday. I should have ample time to finish any necessary matters by then.


    Once done, I went into my space to start organizing. I bet you are curious as to how it looks like. I will describe it to you. You see, most Ho clan members gain their abilities at the age of 12 years old and that includes me. We somehow will know what our abilities will be. It is like having prior knowledge of our abilities and how to improve them. They come in active or passive forms. The usual active ones are like fire, water and many more. Mine is a passive ability. I did not have to keep using my space to improve my ability. Instead, it ''grows'' with age.


    My space was small back then. The exact measurement was 250 meters length across 250 meters width. There was only grass growing in it. Walking from one corner to another corner of the space, I noticed that the temperature seemed to change and at another corner was a small amount of snow. I conjectured that the space maintains four different types of seasons with each occupying different corners.


    To check if I was right, I went out of my space and grabbed an analogue thermometer, the only one available at the time before reentering. I headed to the north corner and stood there for five minutes and found out that the temperature there was in the negatives which meant winter. I repeated the action at the other corners and the temperature readings there fall within the ranges of the three other seasons. Spring is to the east, summer to the south (which reminds me of the island I am living in) and lastly autumn to the west.


    I was so happy of my new ability that I ran all the way to my grandmother to tell her about it. I wanted to show her my space but was unsure if any living things aside from me can enter it. My grandmother told me to try bringing my pet hamster into it. So, I ran all the way back to my bedroom and grabbed poor Mr Fluffy. I was not convinced with my experiment, so I grabbed my grandmother''s cat next. They managed to survive entering and leaving the space. I then proceeded to tell grandmother of the results and looked at her with my puppy eyes indicating ''I want to show my space'' to her. Grandmother was happy to oblige and entered together with me.


    Inside, she told me how my ability was similar to one of our ancestors. The clan''s grounds are in fact of a different space compared to the outside''s. There was a huge war back then and his instinct to survive somehow triggered him an ability to create a space big enough for him and his family. He then slowly added other clan members as his space also grows.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    We both left my space after adding markers to measure the space''s growth. I would spend the next two months making, proving and disapproving different conjectures. Some of them are the weather is constant and that there is no end to the space. I could never find its end; as if I am trapped in an illusion that shows endless land. Luckily my ability was manifested during the school holiday. The two months were just enough to satisfy my curiosity until homework started piling up again.


    At 24 years old, I saw a flowing river situated in the middle of my space. It starts from the north and flows to the south. I rushed to it upon seeing the river but was disappointed when I did not see any fish. The river is not too deep and its current is not fast; just suitable for swimming. The temperature of the river also depends on which corner you are on.


    I only started to fill things into the space when I was appointed as a CEO. I planted different types of saplings like Chinese pistache to the north of the space where there is a slight elevation of the land, cherry blossoms for the spring corner, golden larch that are summer tolerant and ginkos to the west. Their growth rates range from slow to average but at my current age, some are already double my height.


    Compared to the land, I put not much effort on the river. I added a few non invasive fishes like the silver carp and even the siamese algae-eater. I also intermittently added other suitable small animals that live in rivers be it tortoises or snails. I did not artificially provide food and would only check on them once in awhile to see if they can survive with food available at the river itself. After some time, I saw more animals at the river and to avoid from over population, I would catch some and release them into rivers by grandmother''s house.


    After I finished reminiscing of the past, I gathered some dried leaves to be turned into compost. I also checked if there are any abnormalities in the space such as tree diseases and dead animals. Seeing there were none, I breathed a relief.


    I then dragged yesterday''s items under a nearby golden larch tree before sketching out where to place them. The fruit saplings need to be planted at their respective corners. The animals will be placed at the summer corner while the mobile homes I plan to buy; at the spring''s. This way, I can enjoy the constant flowering cherry blossoms. There will also be areas to plant vegetables on each corner.


    Having done with the sketch, I started planting the fruit saplings at their corners. I also arranged the rabbit hutches neatly at the south corner. By the time I finished and got out of my space, the sun already started to set. I rushed to take a shower to get rid of the soil I managed to get on my body.


    Before I went to bed, I added buying flower and herb seeds and pots onto my ever growing list of things to buy. I further made a mental note to get another four wheel drive for my space to make transporting things easy.

 Severed Ties

    The awaited day where my position as the CEO will be challenged finally arrived. Ah, father ... will you like the gifts I prepared for you I wonder. I yawned ungracefully for the umpteenth time while waiting for a family of three to arrive. I bet Liu Yifei is the reason for them being late yet again considering the amount of makeup she needs to paste on her face.


    The three finally arrived 30 minutes later than the scheduled time father himself had set for the meeting. I decided to ignore the fact that two of them were not even shareholders who are in no position to attend such meeting. I will be free after this anyway.


    Having everyone sat down, I welcomed them and went straight to the point. "Most of you know the reason behind this meeting. For those who don''t, Mr Ho Chen wants to nominate himself for the CEO position," I said then added, "Everyone knows the rules. 1% of share equals 1 vote. The person with the highest number of votes get to be the CEO." Only shareholders who have more than 20% of shares can hold meetings. So father, having recently inherited enough, wished to hold one. I then instructed my secretary to write down the nominees'' names and their number of votes.


    To no one''s surprise, father nominated himself. He has 30% of shares; 25% he supposedly inherited from grandmother and another 5% given to him when he turned 18 years old. Actually, he was given 10% of shares but two years ago he sold half of them to help his favorite daughter Ho He open a coffeehouse. A year in, she managed to get it closed from poor management. Grandmother herself gave me the information after father tried to take over the company.


    The result so far went like this.


    Mr Ho Chen - 30 votes


    Mr Donnie Leung - 20 votes


    Mr Jimmy Chen - 5 votes


    Mr Stephen Woo - 5 votes


    Mr Tony Wu - 5 votes


    Miss Vicki Wu - 5 votes


    "Miss Anne, what are you waiting for? Announce the result," father demanded of my secretary. "Mr Ho Chen, are you forgetting something? I haven''t voted," stopped I. "Who cares about your 25 votes. I have the highest number of votes," he shouted at me before adding, "My first task as the CEO is to ban you from entering the company. You are a nobody without my mother. I can finally get rid of you."


    "Wow, Mr Ho Chen. You won''t be winning any father of the year award with this kind of attitude," I said sarcastically. I continued to say, "I vote for Mr Donnie Leung with my 30 votes."


    Everyone were surprised of my decision, including the yet to be appointed CEO. I imagined they expect me to vote for myself as well. "I have been in this position for 10 years and it is time to have a change for the good of the company, don''t you agree? I am sure Mr Donnie Leung will lead the company successfully. Besides, if Mr Ho Chen were to be the new CEO, I predict the company will go bankrupt in less than a year''s time," I explained to them.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Father was not happy with the outcome of the meeting and questioned why I have 30 votes when I only have 25% of shares. "Oh, I forgot to tell you I bought the 5% you sold two years ago. So, now we both have 30% of shares each," I answered. How is my first gift to you, dear father?


    Then, I got my secretary to announce the result before delivering my second gift. "Congratulations to Mr Donnie Leung in becoming the company''s third CEO with a total of 50 votes. Before we end this meeting, I want to announce that I will be selling all 30% of my shares to the highest buyer. You can contact my agent to discuss the price. I will leave his business cards with my secretary," I said before baiting, "Who knows, you might just be the new CEO with these shares. The meeting is adjourned." I can hear Donnie Leung cursing at me. I would be mad too if my position is threatened after I thought I felt secured. It is not like I like the man. He is no different than a snake but his insight into business can match top businessmen in the country.


    Before I managed to walk out of the room, I heard father called me with a gentle voice. That gave me goosebumps all over my body. It seems the fish is interested in the bait. "Sell me all your shares. Since we are a family, I will buy all of them for 2 million," he informed me.


    "No thanks. You know they are worth at least 9 million. I am sure, I can sell them for more to Donnie Leung. Besides, didn''t you recently inherited 58 million?" I refused, as a matter of fact. He knew it is true so he harrumphed at me before leaving with his two extra companions who did not stop glaring at me from when father started calling me. Forgive me for being selfish father but I do not want you to ever grab the CEO seat that you have always wanted. I also need as much money as possible. Ah, to take two pigeons with one bean. The day could not start any better than this.


    I looked at my father disappointingly. It was he who severed our family ties when he attempted to bring Liu Yifei into grandmother''s house merely three days after mother was burried. He had long felt my mother and I as thorns in his eyes for denying him of his happiness. We were happy that is until father became unsatisfied with how much favor grandmother gave our pair of mother and daughter. Here I thought being easily jealous is a thing for women. Tch.


    Grandmother once dreamed having mother married into her family and told her son of this. Father who at first had no problem with such an idea did as she wished. He charmed mother into marrying him. Soon after, I was born.


    Mother was a model of an old traditional wife. She would manage the household like she was trained to do so when in fact she had no knowledge whatsoever as she became an orphan at an early age. She made sure to personally take care of things as much as possible like cooking for the family or helping me with my homework. She was like the daughter grandmother never had.


    I on the other hand, is grandmother''s first grandchild. She pitied and took me in when mother died. Grandmother knew of the other ''women'' father would be entangled with from her dreams but pretended not to know as long as he cares for mother and I. Our relationship started to go sour after father''s irresponsible behavior.

 Meeting Tatsuya

    One hour left for my flight to arrive at its destination. I spent most of the time on the airplane reading the guide book grandmother gave me; memorizing a few important sentences. The rest, was spent on going through list of things on my notebook.


    The person Mr Heng recommended to make the animals'' enclosures declined my offer to have them made for me. He said he has orders to fulfill for the next six months. So, I paid for and took the animals I ordered from Mr Heng and let them roam freely in my space. The rest of my free time was spent buying and stocking up on things like food, clothes and electrical appliances.


    It was almost two am by the time I reached the hotel and yet there were still many people outside even at this hour. As expected of the most populous metropolitan area in the world. I did not waste any more time and went straight to bed.


    The next day, I took out some local fruits from my bag and went out to catch a taxi. The ride took only 10 minutes as it was only around 7 am. I learned that office workers here start working at 9 am instead of China''s 8.30 am. I rushed because I wanted to meet the Ashikaga''s as soon as possible.


    I rode the elevator and went to the 15th floor. I quickly found the right address and pressed the door bell. A few minutes later, a man who looked like he is in his late twenties opened the door. "Ashikaga san?" I asked, just to be sure. He answered with a short, "Hai." I then said, "Ashikaga san e no temagi desu," and showed him the letter. It was something I translated from English which basically means ''I am here to deliver a letter to Mr Ashikaga''. He chuckled softly and said, "My father''s at the hospital. I am heading there to send him his breakfast. Do you want to join me?"


    I blanked out a bit and it took me a few seconds later to register what he asked of me. Jeez! Why did grandmother give me that book if he can speak English. I nodded in agreement and we went to the hospital by bus.


    We soon reached his father''s ward. Thankfully the old man was awake. His son who insisted I call him Tatsuya introduced us to each other. I went straight to business by handing him the letter by my grandmother. Ashikaga senior let out a long sigh after reading it. Whatever grandmother wrote must have meant problems.


    I looked at him and said, "My late grandmother seemed to owe you a favor. I am here on her stead to do it. So, what is it that you wish for?" Tatsuya relayed my words to his father to which he gave another long sigh. What is it with this old man and his liking to sigh?Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    He spitted out, "Kekkon." Tatsuya seemed surprise. The two men were conversing seriously and did not seem to realize I was still standing there. Not being used to standing for over 10 minutes, I decided to interrupt their conversations. "Excuse me, but can your father ask for something else. I mean, he is my father''s age. I also do not feel like having someone so close to my age as my stepson," I asked nicely, hoping the older man to change his mind.


    "He wants us to get married," he answered blandly then added, "He won''t live long enough to survive next winter." "Don''t worry Tatsuya san. I don''t want to marry a stranger either. Who knows they might be a serial killer or something," I comforted him. I swear his face turned red for a split second. He decided to just ignore my ''comforting'' words.


    "We''ll have a civil marriage in a week''s time. I''ll help you out with the arrangements," he said as he turned to me. "Are you even listening to me? Aren''t you worried that I might be a serial killer or worse still, after your money," I retaliated. He answered, "My father told me who you are and that you have more money that I can ever earn my entire life. Besides, you need to fulfill my father''s wish." "You''re fine with this? A loveless marriage? No girlfriend? Childhood sweetheart that will kill me if we get married?" I asked. He nodded unenthusiastically to answer my questions.


    True to his words, Tatsuya arranged everything for me. Even the two required witnesses. While he was busy doing preparations for the ceremony, I was at Nagoya ordering 10 customized mobile homes. One week later, I was officially Tatsuya''s tsuma. There were no procession, no fancy dress or banquet but I did not feel like I missed out on a lot of things. Things that women looked forward to. Probably it was my age that was getting to me. However, I still felt bitter marrying someone I don''t have feelings for. At least mother had some even though they were merely illusions father performed.


    I moved into the Ashikaga''s apartment on the day the ceremony concluded. We only showed some sort of an interaction whenever it was time to visit father in law. The rest of the time were spent doing our own things. Somehow we had a tacit understanding of which chores we need to do. For example, I will cook and he is in charge of washing the dishes.


    We went through our days together mundanely until Ashikaga Yoshi passed away eight months later. I grew fond of my father in law. At least he made an effort to get to know me despite his limited time. He was also generous with his compliments. Even if it was for cooking a simple dish like an okayu with pickled plum.


    I thought once he died, Tatsuya would file for a divorce. But, I was proven wrong when he did not mention anything about it after two months. When I asked him about it, he simply answered, "I believe in having a lifelong marriage. We might not have started on the right note but you will to me, remain my wife until I die."

 Compromising and Sharing

    Knowing that it was not conducive to keep our negative emotions to ourselves, we decided to share some of our grievances with each other. Like him not eating Japanese eggplants which later he said he is allergic to and me removing any access fat on poultry. I told him that I find them creepy and nauseating. He made up his mind to cook his own if he wished to have them ''fully fat''. So, we compromised with each other.


    Although we were shoved into this situation by our family members, we knew that we need to be a team to fully function as a unit. After observing my husband for the past few months, I decided to give this marriage a try. There was not much to loose but more to gain instead anyway.


    "Hey, Tatsuya san. I''ve a few things to share with you," I said. He switched off the television and gave me his full attention. I noticed I like this about him; focusing on what I wanted to say. "In two months time, zombies will appear. No one knows how they came about but since we''re a family now, I want you to know this," I said, hopping he would not think I was crazy. "It will be difficult to find a safe place and get necessary things in just two months. We need help," he said then added after seeing my shocked face, "It seems you don''t know about ''us''. Your clan isn''t the only one in the world to have abilities."


    To prove his point, he took some metal scraps and started shaping them. The end result was a small stool. I gasped and asked, "A metal wielder?" He shook his head and said, "I''m good with my hands." I pretended I did not hear the ambiguity of that sentence.


    "Alright. Since you shared yours, I''ll show you mine," I said while grabbing his left arm. The scene changed into my now familiar space. "This solves some problems. Why are the animals all over the place? No sprinklers? Why is there a hill of boxes over there?" he questioned me. Good thing he has an ability too. There was no need to explain how illogical it was to have one.


    "I couldn''t find anyone to make animal enclosures, so I let the animals wander around a bit while I build the fences you see over there," and added, "I didn''t want some random people to enter my space so getting a sprinkler system installed was out of the question and those boxes are the things I bought ever since I learned about the zombies." "It will take some time to build a house," Tatsuya said after a few minutes of contemplation. "Oh! I ordered some mobiles homes and was thinking of getting them from Nagoya in two days time," I spoke. "Alright. I need to go through the boxes to see what else we might need," he said.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Here. There is ten million yen in the card. If you need more, just let me know," I offered Tatsuya. "An chan, can your space accommodate two more people?" he asked hesitatingly. "Yes, I can bring in up to 21 people. Who do you want to bring along?" I asked. "My cousin and his friend. The two witnesses for our ceremony. It won''t take much to persuade them to believe in the existence of zombies," he answered. "OK. We''ll need more hands to manage the space anyway. I don''t have enough food to feed them though. I need to buy some more," I stated. "I''ll get Riku to join you after I explain the situation to him," said Tatsuya.


    We also finally got the mobile homes to which I generously gave the other couple one. I kept four for myself, one as a communal area and turned two into stores. While the men worked their ass of under the sun, I spent my sweet time in the kitchen as I salted, canned, dried, froze and pickled a quarter of our food supplies. I should not bully them to much. I better prepare a lavish dinner for them after this.


    Tatsuya was right yet again when he said Ashikaga Riku and his ''friend'' Keith Allen were easy to convince as I stood in front of a shopping complex next to Riku. I took out my shopping list and shoved it into his hands. He growled a bit at the one meter long list and dragged me with him. Ah, why did it feel like having a ''girlfriend'' accompanying you shopping. It felt nice to have a local help you with your purchases while you help him push the trolley instead. He was even nice enough to buy necessities for his friend.


    Riku and Keith moved into our house three days later. Keith also handed in his resignation letter not long after. I only learned later on that Keith was once a visiting lecturer at Riku''s university. I noticed some weird vibes coming out of the two of them but decided to continue my observation. Being a busybody that I was, I convinced Riku to join me in watching Hitorijime My Hero. Noticing his uncomfortable stares, I asked Keith who just came out of the kitchen instead since I could not understand Riku most of the time. "Does he hate that anime that much?" I asked. "You''re ok with that genre?" he asked me back instead. I decided to answer truthfully and asked, "Are you his seme, Keith?" He groaned and said, "I can''t believe you''re a fujoshi." I grinned at them both. If you want to blame anyone, blame Tatsuya for introducing that world to me.


    Preparations were also done outside of my space. Doors and windows have been reinforced and barricaded as we waited nervously for winter to come. We switched on the television and listened to the radio for signs of the impending apocalypse. Soon, it came ...

 Z Virus

    It has been a year since the first report of the zombie outbreak. It started with isolated cases of people bitten by dogs. These people then infected people around them which caused a chain reaction. After some researching, scientists concluded that these cases were the result of a new strain of rabies disease. Now with how easy it is for humans to travel, the disease started to spread at an alarming rate. Similar cases were starting to crop up all over the world.


    The new strain was not taken seriously at first as patients were merely quarantined to prevent them from spreading the disease to others. However, this became humans'' first mistake. Later, it was found out that mammals, birds and even reptiles can be infected. In fact, when then first case was reported, the authority merely terminated his farm dog.


    The infection is mostly transferred by bites. The virus can only be present in a fluid form. It can be saliva, semen or even blood. In humans, the incubation period take up on average of three months. This is one of the reasons why nobody noticed anything while humans unconsciously transfer the virus to others.


    When the disease started to be reported all over the world, an organisation called ''The Fist Horseman'' or ''Pestilence'' claimed that it was their doing. They mentioned something about eradicating sinners for contaminating mother earth. After some investigation, the authority concluded that it was purported by a group of teenagers who wanted to be famous.


    In just six months, 100million people around the world, almost the equivalent amount of the whole population of Japan were infected. Somehow, a few patients managed to escape their six months long quarantine. These selfish and irresponsible people only made things worse. To add, hospitals became breeding places for the disease.


    I will tell you some of the symptoms of rabies. Infected people will only experience something mild such as headache or fever at first but after a few days or months, they will start experiencing hallucinations and have insomnia. They are then deemed unstable once they become irritated or aggressive. Relatives and friends of patients who show the last two symptoms are advised to prepare for funerals.


    In an effort to curb this infectious disease, scientists sought to study it more in laboratories. Some proponents suggested adding other types of viruses to an infected cell so that they would fight and see which one will win over the rabies virus. This, was human''s second mistake. This method would work most of the time but obviously this time recombining resulted in something different. A new virus that incorporated its ''parents'' deadliest aspects was created.


    With the accidental creation of the new virus, new symptoms also emerged such as lost of mind control (insanity) and disintegration of muscles. To add, patients'' skin slowly turned yellow then green. They were called zombies. World leaders upon learning the creation of the now named Z virus announced martial law to be enforced in their respective countries. They also ordered bodies of the infected to be burned.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    One year in, law and order started to crumble. People also looted and rioted; demanding answers and explanation. It is true that viruses are deadly but human emotions are more unpredictable as malice can spread even faster.


    Bases started to be built especially around known military bases. The nearest military base is at Ogasawara Village which is dubbed O Base. The base leaders under the instruction of the Prime Minister gathered and welcomed people to stay at their base. They sent out more than 100 convoys to rescue and help trapped residents. Those with their own vehicles were encouraged to head to nearby bases on their own.


    The four of us decided to head to O Base on our own to avoid being in contact with anyone who might be hiding the fact that they were already infected. We can spend most of our time in my space but being secluded will not be beneficial in getting information or news. So, we left the comfort of my peaceful space begrudgingly.


    The trip that should have at most took one hour, doubled as vehicles were left behind by their owners. Probably in attempt to flee from attackers. On our way, we looted some fuel and grains. At first, I felt a tad guilty doing so. Apocalypse or not. However, after Tatsuya showed me the amount of grain we need until we can harvest our first batch, I started to relax.


    When we arrived, we saw the O Base had begun its construction on thicker and taller walls. Most of the people involved with the construction were young or able-bodied civilians. We queued in our vehicle along with other people that lasted a few hours. This is because the soldiers needed to bring people into a huge hall and had their saliva samples taken and tested. After being ruled out of having the Z virus, they were then sent into another hall to record their information and assign their living quarters.


    We managed to get in as well and were brought to a small empty room. We were then given futons and food coupons. We spent the rest of the day managing the farm until it was dinner time. Everything at the base appeared to be in order and people refrained from creating trouble. We were served with beef soboro, chicken soup and kinpira gobo (salad). I bet the meat they used were not fresh. Humans slowly stopped eating all sorts of animals when reports of cattle getting infected were shown on television.


    Life on the base can be considered comfortable despite having your food rationed. We were somewhat treated like soldiers. We followed schedules and were also assigned jobs. Only the elderly, young or sick are exempted from doing any. Tatsuya and Riku were sent to do manual labors while I helped out in the canteen. Keith got somewhat lucky as he was recognized by a former colleague and now worked at the laboratory.


    By having Keith work close to the upper echelon, we got access to the latest news and updates. Just recently, a military base in the south was overrun by zombies. The leader there did not have his base perimeter reinforced and thus made it susceptible to attacks. This incident made the wall construction on other bases be made a number one priority throughout the country.

 Estranged

    "Hey, you two are back," I greeted and moved Tatsuya and Riku into my space. "I made some snacks. Let''s have tea while we talk," I said. The three of us then made our way to the dining area. "Thanks An chan. The room feels warm," Riku said as he smiled at me.


    "This is my first time making Dorayaki so don''t laught at me," I warned them before starting my usual gossip session. "Last week''s convoy has returned. They found some frozen meat but they were all expired. Speaking of meat, can you two slaughter and process a few rabbits and chickens later? We''re running out of fresh meat. I''ll make some Dry-stewed Rabbit Meat for tomorrow''s lunch if you can get at least four ready," I offered. As if injected with chicken blood, the two rushed out to complete my request.


    I stayed outside of my space after dinner time to wait for Keith to come back. He might not look like it but before he was a visiting lecturer, he was a product development scientist. His recent team work with Tatsuya around the farm has sparked some new ideas that he wanted to implement at the base.


    While waiting, I prepared a to do list for the four of us before sewing Tatsuya''s clothes. Once Keith entered our room, I grabbed his arm hurriedly and moved us into my space and informed, "Your dinner is on the dining table. I also left you some Dorayakis. Goodnight and see you in the morning."


    I then rushed to my bedroom hoping Tatsuya would still be awake. Happy that he still is I sat next to him and mentioned this morning''s incident, "While at the canteen, I saw a woman who made a ruckus about being served only two types of dishes. She was with what looked like a teenage boy. They looked similar to ..." "Probably my mother and half brother," he interrupted with a flat tone. He did not seem to be interested in continuing the conversation.


    I lie down on the bed and as I was about to fall asleep, Tatsuya softly said, "She abandoned us when we needed her the most." Sigh. Poor father in law and Tatsuya. I can imagine what kind of a person she is with how she carried herself. Her other son is no better. He looked like some of the people I used to have business cooperation with. Someone who looks down on other people. I decided not to make any comment on his revelation.


    I woke up early to prepare breakfast for everyone. I found out that both Tatsuya and Riku can cook but Riku is best at ramens which he learned when he worked at a ramen shop. Keith on the other hand is a hopeless case who once survived on fast food. Despite having to do heavier jobs than mine, Riku would usually help set the dining table while the other two wash the dishes.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Upon seeing them arriving at the dining area, I yelled from the kitchen, "Come and see me at 12.30 pm later. As I promised yesterday, we''ll be having dry-stewed rabbits. Everyone gets one each." "I''ve some news. There are reports that the river near the southern base is contaminated. A platoon of soldiers sent to investigate the destroyed base drank from the river and six of them have fever. As a result, everyone in the platoon has been quarantined. They''ve sent some of the water samples to the laboratory but I suggest refraining from having our meals at the canteen or use the communal washroom," Keith interjected. We all agreed to his suggestion.


    We then exited the space and went to our respective destinations. I headed towards the canteen to start my shift. While I was thinking whether I should apply for a job change; any job that do not involve water when I heard a loud argument. It was that woman again minus the teenager. "Why are we having only natto and seaweed over rice? No eggs or meat?" she asked loudly. When two soldiers appeared after learning about the commotion, she repeated her questions and added, "Do you know who I am? I''m your mayor''s wife. Is this how you treat your superior''s family members?" "I''m sorry Saito sama but we only serve what the base have," one of them answered politely. "Show me to your leader''s office. Having such food served to us is inexcusable," she demanded. Some people shook their heads after listening to her complaints.


    I turned to my left and asked my new friend, "Who was that?" Her eyes twinkled in excitement and replied, "That''s Saito Hikaru. She married our mayor, Tanaka Ryo a long time ago. I heard she was a divorcee and that Tanaka sama''s mother was at first against the marriage. No one knows what made her changed her mind." We continued gossiping about other people including those at the base while cutting vegetables. Luckily we left for the day with all 10 fingers intact. I understood her need for gossip as a form of entertainment as we had no access to television or radio. Even electricity was provided for only 12 hours a day.


    After dinner, I asked Tatsuya''s opinion about having my job changed and reason for wanting to do so. He suggested I ask Keith if I can be his assistant. It was not only convenient but also safer. I nearly fell from my chair when Tatsuya suddenly said, "I heard she made a scene again today." "We don''t have to talk about her, if you don''t want to," I spoke. He carelessly said, "Father got sick. We had no money so she divorced him and hooked up with a rich man. She then got herself pregnant and the man made her his wife." "I''m sorry," I said to comfort him. He gave me a small smile. I decided to serve him some umeshu tomorrow for opening up about his past.

 Study Session

    "I don''t like what I''m seeing on the Mirror of Fate," said Chung to her two siblings and added, "A calamity will befall them a thousand years from now," "Our followers ... they won''t survive. Ashikaga, isn''t there any way to help them?" asked Ho as she looked worriedly. "There is but nothing is freely given in this world. Ho, will you give anything to your followers?" Ashikaga asked back. "You know I''ll do anything Ashikaga. Even if it means loosing all of my divine powers," Ho answered with conviction. "So do I," Chung interjected. "It will be boring if I''m left alone. Might as well join you two. Sigh ... I''ll do some preparation. I must warn you two. We''ll end up sleeping for a millennium for the cost of interfering in our followers'' trial," warned the eldest of the three siblings. The other two nodded their agreement right away.


    "Let''s begin the ritual. I''ll start first then you two think of what you want to give your followers for their trial," Ashikaga instructed before starting, "I, Goddess Ashikaga give my followers the gift of passive abilities as their talent."


    Learning from her sister, Chung who has always been the opposite of her sister said, "I, Goddess Chung give my followers the gift of active abilities as their traits."


    Soon, it was the compassionate Ho''s turn. "I, Goddess Ho is willing to exchange all of my divine powers for both abilities; to be given to my followers, be it their talents or traits," the youngest of the three siblings said before she fell down.


    "No! Ho, what have you done? You gave them too much," yelled Chung. Ashikaga, the wisest of the three completed the ritual before heading towards her sisters. "It''s too late. It''s her choice to make. Let''s put her on a chaise lounge. We don''t have much time before my spell starts working," she then instructed before heading towards her own.


    Seeing that both her sisters have fallen asleep, Chung said a prayer, "May our exchanges be enough for our followers to survive their trial."


    ¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰¨‰


    "So, the Chung clan members are in South Korea right now?" I asked Tatsuya. "Yes, well most of them I guess. There are about two million people in the Chung clan. In terms of survivability, they''ll outlast our clans due to not only their bigger number of people but also their ability type," he informed me.


    "Speaking of ability, what is yours Riku kun? I can never guess what it is," I asked Riku. "I can sense animals," he answered vaguely. "He played down his ability. His is like games'' HUD or status bar. He can see their health and feel their emotions," Tatsuya added. "Wow! What does it say about me, Riku kun?" I asked with a hint of curiosity. "It says you''re five weeks pregnant and feeling tired," he answered in his broken English. Tatsuya looked at me seriously for a few minutes before saying, "I''ll help you do your tasks at the farm. Just focus on the baby." Grandmother gave me another useless thing (referring to the three pregnancy tests).This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Knowing the seriousness of the matter, I nodded meekly before asking some more, "So, where are the rest of your clan members? I never hear you two talk about them." "We''re the last ones left," Tatsuya replied quietly. Damn, I am sure good at dampening moods. "Oh! I shouldn''t have asked," I said in panic. "It doesn''t matter anymore. Sigh ... it was our own fault," Tatsuya comforted me.


    From what Tatsuya and Riku said, roughly 500 years ago, there was an internal fighting among brothers for the clan''s Head position. Unlike the Ho clan, the Ashikagas pass down the position to their offspring. One of the many brothers decided to defect to an enemy clan and provide his knowledge of creating weapons. They soon won but by then only a handful of the Ashikaga clan members left. The traitor was then executed after he served his purpose.


    Then, I told them about my clan members and their abilities. Apparently, in the letter grandmother wrote to father in law, she mentioned my awkward situation with my father and hoped the Ashikagas would take me in. Tatsuya and Riku did not appear to be interested in my father''s personal matters but I gave them a rough idea of what had transpired in the past to avoid any possible complication.


    After the ''study session'' Tatsuya and I went to our own home while Riku went strolling on a bicycle around the space. He will be sleeping alone tonight because Keith is staying at the laboratory. Tatsuya started cleaning and organizing things like putting my scattered books onto the shelves. "Are you experiencing the male version of nesting urges?" I asked. "It''s called male nesting, An chan," he answered while huffing and puffing after pushing all the furniture to the walls. "You look excited," I commented while still not making any effort to help him out. "Of course! Our baby will be the next generation of the Ashikaga clan," he answered spiritedly.


    "An chan! Sea!" yelled the excited Riku. Having a faint idea what might have happened, I grabbed Tatsuya''s arm before ordering Riku to lead us to it. At the southern corner, surprisingly was ... sea. It smelled like sea. The water even tasted salty. It seemed like I improved my space yet again. 12 years ago it was the river. I wonder once I reach 48, what will I get next.


    "There''s nothing in it," stated Tatsuya. "That is to be expected. There were no animals at the river too when it appeared. Hey, we can make our own salt!" I suddenly exclaimed before adding, "Riku kun, you can catch some animals and fill the space up if you want." Riku happily agreed.


    From then onwards, Riku would catch any small animals that he can find all over the base like small birds and insects. He also made the ever busy Keith lend his helping hand once in awhile.

 Dr Lelouch Lamperouge

    "The soldiers managed to rescue the scientists and their laboratory assistants from the neighboring base. Sigh ... another base is down. Do expect an influx of survivors these coming days," Keith informed us. "Good thing they managed to create a virus detector. Keith''s water purifier prototype is also being tested. If everything goes well, others don''t have to worry about using water anymore," I added.


    "Is there any progress with the vaccine?" asked Riku. "None, and the finest scientists in either biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, immunology or microbiology are either dead or lacking in knowledge and experience. Our best hope is the person who accidentally created the Z virus itself, Dr Lelouch Lamperouge. However, he''s being treated like a double-edged sword. Other scientists and leaders are worried he''ll create another dangerous virus like the previous one," Keith elaborated. "He''s the key. My grandmother mentioned him in my letter. Let''s get him," said I. "Even if we manage to convince him to create a vaccine, we need a laboratory for him to work at. Besides, how do you plan to get us to him? I doubt any of us can fly a plane or sail a ship," Keith said which burst my bubbles. "I can sail yachts," Tatsuya said shortly after.


    After a short discussion, we set our plan to rescue the scientist into motion. To get out of the base, Tatsuya and I tricked the soldiers into letting us out to search for our missing relative while that said relative and his friend hid in my space. They did not give us much attention because they were busy processing the incoming survivors.


    Once out of the soldiers'' sight, I took out my four wheel drive and brought the other two men outside. We headed towards Tokyo Bay and searched for a working yacht while killing any stray zombies. Tatsuya quickly found a suitable one that can handle the over 4000 kilometers travel we will be requiring to reach Britannia, an island situated north to Japan.


    Whoever said sailing a yacht is a fun and luxurious experience is either a fanatic or lying. Well, that person probably sailed in calm waters. There were too many things to look out for such as the weather and staying on course. Also, new words seemed to pop up from Tatsuya''s mouth every now and then like port or starboard. By merely the end of day one, he eventually gave up and said ''your right'' or ''the back''. Oh, don''t forget the motion sickness. Well, it was probably morning sickness or a combination of both. Either way, it was a very painful experience. Remind me not to travel by sea in the future.


    The hellish trip lasted over 20 days. We all could not wait to reach land once again. We only entered the space during night time, and even then in turns as we were worried the yacht would sail pass the area we entered. Basically, I need to be in a stationary place when everyone enters to make sure we exit correctly.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    We got our hand made weapons out and searched the island. After walking for about 10 minutes, Riku sensed three people and a dog up north. We went there slowly hoping not to scare them away. We heard a gunshot followed by barks and a loud voice asking us to leave when we almost reach the place.


    The person who most probably shot at us reluctantly let us in his house after we stated our purpose. He was none other than Dr Lelouch Lamperouge. By his side was his wife, daughter and their dog. They did not look too good. The doctor especially, looked thin and tired.


    Our appointed spokesperson, Keith tried to convince the other man to continue on with his research in developing a vaccine. Keith told him about other people''s opinions about him and his chances of looking for a laboratory will be almost nil. He even offered the family of three fresh food and a makeshift laboratory we built hurriedly in the space.


    He budged after we showed him the laboratory. I think he was more interested in the space itself. That or the promise of having some fresh meat. It was quite risky having outsiders in the space but I can trap anyone in there forever if anything bad happens. No, I do not consider Keith as one.


    "I suggest we stay in the space most of the time unless necessary. Some rivers in Japan have been contaminated and I think other countries are experiencing this too. Spring is coming and with it comes rains. Doctor, you can take your time packing your family''s belongings while my wife and I prepare some food for everyone. By the way doctor, do you mind if we catch some animals for the space?" Tatsuya asked. "Not at all," replied the doctor. "Keith and Riku kun, I''ll let you two do the collecting," said Tatsuya.


    Soon, the Lamperouges and their dog made themselves feel at home. Mia Wolff, Dr Lamperouge''s wife offered her help with the farm while I babysit her daughter, Anna. She said something about helping me get some experience after seeing my baby bump. Keith decided to join Dr Lamperouge on his quest to save the world. We had to call them before every meal to stop them from working non stop. I also gave them the hint my grandmother wrote in my letter, hoping this will help them make a breakthrough.


    The two men made some progress but they needed more equipment and samples to proceed with their work. Tatsuya and I were also worried about my impending due date. After much deliberation, we decided to head back to the base.


    We arrived at the base safely. By we I meant Tatsuya and I while the others hid in the space. Our room was unfortunately given to others after we failed to return after more than three months. We were given a small tent to live in instead which we gladly took.


    Nothing much happened for the next two years except for having more people getting infected and turned into zombies. I also gave birth to a baby girl named Eri. We did not stay at the base for long. Just long enough to enjoy the benefits of having doctors to help with the birthing and resting for a month. We then went back to our secured old apartment and turned it into our mini base.

 Is Blood Thicker than Water?

    We were well into our fourth year of the apocalypse and had lost another 300 million plus people to the virus. However, all hopes are not lost. Keith and Dr Lamperouge have made rapid progress in developing the vaccine. This helped recruiting talents easier such as that of Keith''s former colleague, Aoki Akio. He has experience in developing vaccines for cattle. When the evolved rabies disease started to spread, he theorized that it will kill humans faster than other animals that share their same genomes. He was proven to be correct. He told us that it took scientists around five years to produce a vaccine for the rabies disease. This made us realize the long battle we need to fight to win the war.


    While busy helping at the laboratory, Keith somehow managed to come up with an idea to create a simple device to test whether animals are infected with the Z virus or not. It was created with the assistant of both Tatsuya and Riku; one helped to create it while the later gave information like how infected animals tend to have higher body temperature than the normal ones. The three men then sold the idea to the base leader which left him with a good impression on them. We were also given special passes that helped us enter the base anytime we want.


    Noticing a decline in the number of soldiers available at the base, the leader recruited men who are 18 years old and above. These new soldiers and their family members were given better lodgings as a reward. With the introduction of the device, they became busy again. Convoys upon convoys were assembled to get animals that produce meat.


    We would go to the base every now and then to exchange animals or their produces with the soldiers in charge. They were happy to see us bringing in healthy animals and gave us any information or samples Keith inquired and asked. The base leader was skeptical of his purpose at first but after knowing that he was working on developing a vaccine which was corroborated by Aoki san, he gave his full support.


    We were back at the base again but this time it was for me to give birth to my second child. This time, a boy weighing slightly over three kilograms was born. I was lying down on the bed when a familiar woman gasped loudly when she saw my baby. It startled the sleeping Eiji. Instead of apologizing, she babbled how he looked just like her own son. I was busy pacifying the crying Eiji when Tatsuya and Eri showed up.


    "Tatsuya kun! It''s really you," the woman exclaimed. Come on mother in law. Cannot you see my neighbor glaring at you for practically waking up her baby? "Can you keep your voice down, Saito sama? You''re disturbing everyone''s rest," said Tatsuya. "Why are you being formal to me when I''m your own mother. These are your children?" she asked, blatantly ignoring his request. "I''ll handle this and see you soon," Tatsuya said while passing Eri to me. He then led his mother somewhere far away where her voice would not scare young children.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "I heard your husband died when he tried to escape with his men from the zombie attack two months ago. Please accept my condolence," said Tatsuya sarcastically. "You don''t look like you''re a soldier. You should volunteer to become one. Your family will need a room to live comfortably in. You know what? I''ll help take care of the children while your woman rest," she voiced her opinion while disregarding Tatsuya''s earlier statements. "No thanks. My WIFE and I will take care of our own children. If we do need help, we''ll ask our friends. We''re in no position to ask you, Saito sama," he rejected knowing her intention well enough. "I''m just trying to help you, son. Are you still angry at me? It has been almost 20 years," she cried out. "Stop the act, Saito sama. We both know what you really want. I''m sure your son is old enough to be a soldier and get you both a room. If this calamity didn''t happen, I doubt you''d ever see me," Tatsuya stated angrily before leaving his mother who was busy calling him ungrateful and unfilial.


    Mother in law would come and visit us whenever Tatsuya was not around. I bet she is trying to use me to persuade my husband to change his mind. I did not want to appear rude so I made it looked like I do not understand much of what she said. I gave up after just two weeks of her constant chattering and nagging. We decided to leave the base and let me recuperate at home instead. My friend Sara had told me the reason why my brother in law did not want to volunteer as a soldier. Apparently, he felt the job to be too tiring. It was to be expected of a spoiled and pampered person.


    We returned to our apartment with two extra children. Riku and Keith decided to adopt a lone girl from the base. Both her parents have died from the recent attack and was left to fend for herself. I gave her some of the clothes Eri would not be wearing anytime soon as she was left with only a pair of shirts and shorts each. It took a long time for the new girl to adapt to the farm''s life. The first few months were tiring for her adopted parents as she would have nightmares every night. Having other children around helped a lot in her recovery process.


    Tatsuya''s mother chased after him desperately after knowing we have our own place outside and access to fresh meat. She did this after she saw him and Riku sending some rabbits to the base. Tatsuya became more disappointed in his mother after she started telling people of how unfeeling he was of his mother and brother''s plight. I comforted him and said, "Blood isn''t necessary thicker than water. Look at Ai chan (Riku and Keith''s daughter) and her fathers. They''re not even blood related but they treat each other like normal family members would. Let''s not have you go there anymore, OK?" I persuaded him.

 An End

    With the help of the O Base leader, Keith and Dr Lamperouge managed to get words out that they have finished developing a vaccine for the Z virus and were in the process of applying for an Investigational New Drug (IND). The Prime Minister showed his interest in their work when the vaccine was later approved for human testing.


    He set up a laboratory for them and added a few more scientists and lab assistants with their tests. His secretary then helped gather 80 zombies as test subjects for the required first trial. After seeing some positive results, the scientists proceeded to the last three trials.


    The new vaccine proved to be 100% effective and soon after it was manufactured on a huge scale. Japan became the first country to provide free vaccine injections to its citizens. It was made compulsory for everyone to have them. Upon knowing this, many countries jumped at the opportunity of having some and sent their envoys as a sign of goodwill.


    Almost ten years after the disease spread, humans started winning. Base leaders would occasionally send their soldiers out to capture the wondering zombies nearby and gave them injections. After seeing no abnormalities in them, they were then brought to the bases. However, a majority of them needed a long time to recover from their gaunt and sickly appearance. They reported that they have no recollection of what had happened not long after they were infected.


    Contrary to the depictions portrayed in the movies, zombies do not eat brains and are fragile. Their mind could not function properly, so they do not have the faintest idea what hunger or rest mean. None managed to survive more than three weeks without eating, drinking or sleeping. In the end, one billion people worldwide died before the vaccine was successfully developed and manufactured.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    What came next was a long process of not only rebuilding countries but also everyone''s lives. People slowly returned to their former homes bringing along any surviving family members with them. Each family were generously provided with some seeds, food that can last them for a month and some clothes. Soldiers were quickly dispatched to help send these people home. Some were even assigned to patrol to maintain order.


    People started going out to barter with each other. Normal currency would not come back until a couple more years. To encourage productivity, the government gave farmers a piece of land to work on together with some seeds and livestock. Workers were hired to rebuild important broken infrastructures and facilities especially those that provide energy like the hydro power plants and wind turbines.


    The Lamperouges went to live in the main military base, together with Riku, Keith and their daughter, Ai. The same goes for all the scientists who were involved in the process of developing the vaccine. This was done to ensure that they can provide their expertise anytime.


    In that ten years, I did end up having three children, just as grandmother have dreamed. Tatsuya decided to raise our children far away from the ruined city of Tokyo. It did not feel right bringing up children in such a place. So, we moved to a piece of land given by the O Base leader who made an exception for us because according to him we ''contributed to the country''. He probably meant the livestock. We made sure that it would be safe living at the new place by adding sensors, alarms and even traps surrounding it. We then, day by day moved our farm (in my space) outside.


    While in another place, two goddesses showed sign of awakening, signaling the end of their followers'' trial. The third, doomed to sleep for another millennium. Their sacrifice ensured the continuation of their followers'' next generation.

 A Cat and a Dog

    Ho An   : Let''s adopt a couple of cats.


    Tatsuya : I want a dog.


    Ho An   : Let''s adopt two cats and a dog.


    Tatsuya : We don''t have enough food to feed the kittens later on.


    Ho An   : Final offer! A pregnant cat and a dog.


    Tatsuya : OK.


    Tatsuya : Why is the cat on our bed?


    Ho An   : She''s my baby.


    Tatsuya : If you don''t kick her out of the room, you''ll get yourself a human baby instead.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Ho An   : No! I''ll let her out.


    Tatsuya : Good.


    Ho An   : My baby gave birth to two kittens. I am going to call them Ebony and Ivory.


    Tatsuya : Is your baby Paul or Stevie?


    Ho An   : Neither. She''s a female cat. Why would you give male names to a female cat?


    Tatsuya : *shakes head* I really wonder how you became a CEO.


    Ho An   : Easy. Grandmother told the shareholders'' wives the names of their husbands''


    mistresses.

 Family Planning

    Tatsuya : Let''s have a child.


    Ho An : Too much work.


    Tatsuya : I''ll do all the work.


    Ho An : Are you saying giving birth is not?


    Tatsuya : Let''s have a child.


    Ho An : There isn''t even a single gynecologist at the base.


    Tatsuya : We don''t really need one. Having doctors are more important.


    Ho An : You try and get yourself pregnant instead!


    Tatsuya : I''ll help you harvest honey.


    Ho An : *thinks carefully*


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.Tatsuya : ... and make compost.


    Ho An : Let me think about it.


    Tatsuya : You''re 36 years old this year.


    Ho An : *annoyed*


    Tatsuya : You''ll become less fertile with age.


    Ho An : *trying to ignore*


    Tatsuya : The quality of egg cells declines too.


    Ho An : *scared*


    Tatsuya : The risk of having a miscarriage also becomes higher.


    Ho An : Are you trying to scare me?


    Tatsuya : We won''t know unless you give birth safely.


    Ho An : *drags Tatsuya for some intense exercise sessions*

 Goodbye

    I am now back in China, bringing my family with me for one purpose. I left them at a nearby hotel while I drove to the clan''s grounds by myself. I went straight to the clan''s Head house, hoping he or she will be there.


    "Hello, I''m here to see the clan''s Head," I said to one of the workers there. The person brought me into the familiar main hall and went to find the clan''s Head. I can see one or two familiar faces like the cook and the gardener. The rest were probably recruited by the new Head himself/herself.


    "Ho An, I''m glad you''re still alive," said a man of 40 years old. "Hello, Clan Head," I greeted him amicably. "So, what can I help you with?" he asked. "I wish for ''the purge''," I replied. "You don''t want your family to live with us here instead?" he asked trying to persuade me to change my mind. "No. They''re different. They''re the last of their clan members and I wish to be one of them as well," I explained. Hopefully he knows who I was referring to and will let me leave with them. "I see. Normally speaking, your children need to be purged as well but since they might have inherited any abilities from your husband, then the purges can''t be done on them as well," he said after seemingly understanding the situation. I breathe a sigh of relief knowing he would not go after my children. "Alright, I''ll call the elders and let them know about this. Come tomorrow afternoon and we''ll get it done," he told me. I thanked him before leaving the clan''s grounds.


    On my way to my vehicle, I met my distant cousin, Ho Ai. She was happy to see me but became sad after I said I came only for ''the purge''. I quickly cheered her up by inviting her to see my family to which she agreed immediately.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She told me about some of the incidents that happened after the calamity started. The conversation was boring at first as what she mentioned were the same as what grandmother had dreamed about. That was until it came to my father and his other family. Father was sent to Gamma Base along with most of the clan members who have abilities to help it''s leader there. As usual, he stirred some problems when he started ''charming'' women there. A few of them were wives and daughters of high ranking soldiers at the base. These protective and jealous men banded together and taught him a lesson; they cut off his ''charm maker''. The women he charmed woke up from their illusions and left him one after another, including his lovely, Liu Yifei. Who would not. He stopped taking care of his appearance a long time ago, relying too much on his ability.


    Liu Yifei on the other hand ended up becoming one of the zombies. After she left father, she went looking for a more suitable man to take care of her not knowing the man she found was already infected.


    Ho He probably had the best life out of the three. She was among the people the clan''s Head sent to Gamma Base. When people learned that the rivers are contaminated, she volunteered herself as the source of providing water to the entire base. Unfortunately, she made the situation worse. Guess she did not learn how rain is formed when she was in school. The base leader unsympathetically kicked her out of his base. He even informed other base leaders to be cautious of her using her ability if she ever offers her help to them. That day, thanks to her a third of the base population turned into zombies. Left with no other place to go, she returned guilt-ridden to the clan''s grounds. She was ordered not to use her ability outside ever again or risked being purged.


    My family and I left the day after I had the procedure done. "Did you regret it?" asked Tatsuya. "No. I''m now an ordinary person. I can only rely on you from now on," I replied. "I''ll take care of you," he promised.