Apocalypse: I Raised the Ultimate Antagonist from Scratch

The dining area in the secondary residential suite was bathed in the steady, warm glow of overhead solar-grid lamps. Unlike the sterile, cold atmosphere of the lower research sectors, this wing felt lived-in.

The scent of cooking drifted through the open kitchen doorway—a simple stew of dried vegetables and preserved grains, but enriched with a generous pinch of crushed black pepper and dried garlic. It was far from a feast, but compared to the bland, ice-crusted rations Lu Feng’s squad had endured on the road, it smelled like luxury.

A long composite table had been cleared at the center of the room. Dr. Zhou was bustling back and forth, setting down bowls, while Zhou Ming adjusted the extra chairs to accommodate the Iron Falcon soldiers.

Han Zheng sat near the head of the table, his shoulders relaxed as he conversed in low tones with Lieutenant Chen. Across from them sat the children—Han Ye, Gu An, and Su Xiao—their faces flushed with health and clean warmth.

When Lu Feng’s squad members filed into the room, their rugged, battle-hardened demeanor instantly softened at the sight of the kids.

"Good evening, little ones," Lu Feng greeted warmly, offering a gentle smile as he took a seat nearby.

The soldiers nodded respectfully, showing no surprise regarding the presence of Gu An and Su Xiao alongside Han Zheng’s son. In the wasteland, surviving children were a rare blessing, and in a base run with this level of discipline, no one questioned who belonged to whom. The men simply accepted them as part of the sanctuary’s core family unit.

Lu Ning entered last, taking a seat beside her brother. Her eyes immediately swept the table, landing on five-year-old Han Ye. She knew from her brother’s old stories that Han Ye was Han Zheng’s biological son—his precious, irreplaceable bloodline.

Hoping to establish a warm connection with the boy, Lu Ning leaned forward, softening her voice into a gentle, overly sweet tone.

"You must be Han Ye," Lu Ning said, offering a bright, practiced smile. "Your father is such an amazing commander. I brought a few small carved wooden trinkets from our supply truck. Would you like to see them after dinner?"

Han Ye didn’t answer. His eyes shifted slowly toward Lu Ning. To a regressor who had survived decades of blood, famine, and betrayal in his past life, her fake sweetness was as transparent as thin ice. He didn’t see a friendly guest; he saw an insecure, disruptive element whose motives were entirely selfish.

Without a single word, Han Ye looked away, dismissing her existence as effortlessly as stepping over a pebble. He picked up his wooden spoon and continued eating his vegetable soup in silence.

Lu Ning’s smile froze. Her hand remained hovering over the table, awkward and utterly ignored.

Lin Qing, sitting beside him, placed a small, warm piece of flatbread onto Han Ye’s side plate without needing to be asked. Her movements were calm and efficient, devoid of performative affection. "Eat while it’s warm. The temperature in the wing drops after eight."

"Thank you, Mother," Han Ye replied. His tone was soft, composed, and rooted in a deep, unspoken bond forged through survival.

Lu Ning pulled her hand back, her fingers tightening around her wooden utensils as she tried to salvage her dignity. She took a few silent bites of stew, her mind churning with the pathetic image of Lin Tao crying in the holding cell. The contrast between Lin Qing’s unshakeable authority at this table and the tragic story Lin Tao had told her made Lu Ning’s chest burn with indignation.

Unable to hold her tongue, Lu Ning cleared her throat, looking across the table at Lin Qing with a innocent, inquisitive expression.

"Lin Qing," Lu Ning began, keeping her voice light so as not to arouse suspicion from her brother or Han Zheng. "It’s really impressive how well-organized this facility is. You seem so natural at running things... Before the world fell apart, were you always this accustomed to managing high-stress environments? My brother mentioned you were just a normal, quiet civilian back in the old world. You must have had a very... quiet life before meeting Commander Han."

She paused, tilting her head with a delicate, probing smile. "It makes me wonder what kind of life you led back then to adapt to a military command structure so easily. Did you leave a lot of family behind in the cities?"

The table quieted slightly. Lu Feng gave his sister a subtle, warning glance, sensing the intrusive undercurrent in her questions.

Lin Qing set her water cup down with a light tap. Her face remained entirely serene. In truth, the original woman whose body she inhabited in this world had indeed been an ordinary civilian—but the transmigrated soul sitting here was an elite military medic and top soldier who had commanded battlefields in another lifetime. She had no need to defend her past to anyone.

Before Lin Qing even needed to answer, Han Ye set his wooden spoon down. The faint click echoed clearly across the quiet table.

The five-year-old turned his head, locking his dark, cold eyes onto Lu Ning. The sheer pressure behind his gaze was unnervingly heavy for a child.

"If you are hungry, eat," Han Ye said flatly. His voice was quiet, but every word fell like cold iron. "Mother’s past didn’t ask for your evaluation, and it isn’t your concern."

Lu Ning blinked, stunned. "I... I was just asking—"

"You were probing," Han Ye cut her off without hesitation, his tone devoid of childish anger, carrying only a sharp, absolute refusal. "This base survives because people mind their duty. You are a guest of my father’s squad. Act like one."

A hot, furious flush instantly rushed up Lu Ning’s neck, burning her face red.

To be bluntly dismantled and put in her place by a five-year-old in front of her brother, Han Zheng, and the entire squad was intensely humiliating. What stung even more was that neither Han Zheng nor Lin Qing reprimanded the boy. Han Zheng merely gave Han Ye an approving glance, while Lin Qing picked up her water, entirely unbothered by the exchange.

"Han Ye is right," Lin Qing said calmly, her tone cool and practical as she looked at Lu Ning. "The past before the apocalypse is dead weight out here, Lu Ning. We focus on what keeps the base operational today."

Lu Ning bit the inside of her lip until she tasted copper, forcing her gaze down to her bowl. ’Cold... both of them are cold and arrogant,’ she thought bitterly, her pulse hammering in her ears. ’She’s trained even this child to act like a guard dog to protect her secrets. I will definitely expose everything that you’re hiding.’

Han Zheng turned his attention back to operational matters, looking directly at Lin Qing.

"Lin Qing," Han Zheng said, his deep voice filling the quieted room. "Lu Feng and I finalized the schedule for our external sweeps. We’re planning the first joint reconnaissance run for Thursday morning toward the commercial district near the lower valley. We need to scavenge heavy winter clothing, salt, and medical preservatives."

The Iron Falcon soldiers immediately leaned in, listening attentively as Han Zheng consulted his wife.

"The commercial district is a good target," Lin Qing analyzed smoothly, her brain kicking in seamlessly. "The lower temperatures there likely preserved sealed dry goods, but prioritize the regional distribution pharmacy on the north side of town. We are running low on broad-spectrum antibiotics and topical antiseptics for the winter season."

"I’ll mark the pharmacy as primary Objective," Han Zheng nodded, his eyes locked on hers with complete trust and mutual respect. "What about team composition? I plan to take Lu Feng and two of his men, leaving Zhou Ming and the rest here for perimeter security."

"That ratio works," Lin Qing advised. "Just ensure your team carries the modified thermal cloaks. The mutated beasts we saw last time reacted strongly to concentrated heat signatures in open terrain. Don’t rely solely on standard camouflage."

"Understood. We’ll prep the thermal gear tomorrow," Han Zheng agreed.

Lu Feng and his squad members listened with visible respect, thoroughly impressed by how instinctively Lin Qing provided critical strategic input.

To the soldiers, it was obvious that Han Zheng and Lin Qing operated as a flawless, unified powerhouse—he was the blade of the base, and she was its strategic anchor.

Everyone at the table felt the comforting, grounded harmony between the couple.

Everyone except Lu Ning.

Sitting silently at the edge of the bench, watching Han Zheng treat Lin Qing as his equal partner, Lu Ning felt a sickening knot twist in her stomach. To her prejudiced eyes, every word of advice Lin Qing gave sounded like calculated deceit, and every look Han Zheng gave her only proved how deeply the honorable commander was trapped in her web.

He doesn’t see it... none of them see it, Lu Ning thought, staring bitterly at her food. But I do. I will find proof of what she’s done, no matter how long it takes.

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