Chapter 1: Rebirth Before the End of the World

Xiao Ran suddenly woke up, as if he had just escaped from an endless abyss. His heartbeat pounded like a war drum in his chest, and cold sweat poured down his forehead, soaking through the pillowcase.

He had a terrifying dream, a dream so real it was suffocating. In the dream, the entire world seemed to be cursed, with an unprecedented hailstorm descending simultaneously. Those hailstones were as big as ping-pong balls, smashing into the ground at an astonishing speed. Ordinary glass was like paper in front of them, and car windows were also spared. Even more terrifying, dense fog enveloped the air, making it almost impossible to see the road ahead. People were trapped in their own homes and couldn't go out.

The temperature dropped sharply, not to the point of turning people into ice sculptures, but still down to about minus ten degrees Celsius. This was June, the height of summer, yet it was as cold as winter.

However, that wasn't the worst part. On the fourth day, the power system suddenly collapsed, and darkness devoured the entire city like a monster. Those who were unprepared were frozen to death overnight. Even worse, those hailstones were poisonous. Once in contact with the liquid from the melting hailstones, plants would die instantly, and water sources would be contaminated. People could only helplessly watch their homes being destroyed.

Food and water sources gradually depleted, and people began to starve. When these resources ran out, the most terrifying thing happened. People started attacking each other, and even cannibalism occurred.

In this apocalyptic world, Xiao Ran was not spared. He was even attacked by his wife and family, who dismembered him alive. That piercing pain was something he could never forget.

However, when Xiao Ran woke up, he found himself still alive. He hugged his head and recalled that apocalyptic experience. He clearly remembered every detail, every minute and second, especially the pain of being dismembered, which still seemed to linger on his body.

"This can't be..." Xiao Ran murmured, "It must be a dream..."

However, when he found his phone, the time on it made him collapse completely. It was March 1st, only three months away from the apocalyptic June 1st.

"No... This isn't a dream..." Xiao Ran finally realized, "I... I've been reborn!"

The shadow of the apocalypse was creeping closer, and Xiao Ran, a man with reborn memories, stood at the forefront of this disaster. His gaze was deep, like a dark night sky, sparkling with a firm light.

"I need money, I need to survive." Xiao Ran's voice was low and determined, as if he was challenging fate. He knew that only with enough money and supplies could he survive in the apocalypse. He planned to collect enough food and supplies and build a sturdy doomsday safe house to withstand hailstorms and those who wanted to forcibly seize his possessions.

However, making money was not an easy task. Although Xiao Ran had precise knowledge of the stock market's trend for the next three months, his capital was a big problem. At this moment, he thought of the lottery. He clearly remembered the winning number of the next lottery draw. That number once allowed him to win five digits, though only a small prize, but it was enough to leave a deep impression on him. Moreover, the prize pool had reached a staggering 2.5 billion, and as long as he bought 100 tickets, he could win the top prize.

With the issue of capital resolved, Xiao Ran did not relax his vigilance. He knew that to survive in the apocalypse, relying solely on the lottery prize was far from enough. He needed to utilize his wisdom and experience to earn more money in the stock market. His hobby was to analyze market conditions and pay attention to stocks, and this time, he would bring this hobby to its fullest potential.

However, before making money, Xiao Ran had a more important matter to attend to—divorce. His gaze turned fierce. In his previous life, not only was he betrayed by his wife's family, but also, before he died, his wife revealed a shocking secret to him—their son was not his biological child. This secret was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into his heart, leaving him in agony.

"You bitch!" Xiao Ran ground his teeth in anger, his eyes filled with a raging flame. He wanted revenge! He wanted to get even! He couldn't let those who betrayed him die easily.

Xiao Ran was an orphan, who had never known the love and protection of his parents. Through hard work and perseverance, he managed to enter university and join a good company. There, he met Zheng Juan, a sweet and caring nurse. They met through a mutual friend and quickly fell in love. Under Zheng Juan's gentle persuasion, Xiao Ran agreed to marry into the Zheng family, becoming an adopted son-in-law.

Although Xiao Ran was an orphan, he didn't attach much importance to lineage continuation. What he longed for more was the warmth and happiness of a family. However, what he didn't expect was that the warmth and happiness he desired was actually a giant lie. His wife had betrayed him, and his son was not his biological child. The truth of this all left him devastated, with a heart as if it were being torn apart.

Now, Xiao Ran had been reborn. He returned to this world full of intrigues and betrayals with his memories and hatred from the previous life. He would use his wisdom and strength to seek justice for himself. He would make those who betrayed him pay the price!

After getting married, Xiao Ran's life was not as smooth as he had hoped. He thought he would spend the rest of his life with his beloved, but his wife's attitude suddenly turned cold, and his in-laws and younger brother-in-law treated him with constant scrutiny and harassment. However, when he heard the news that his wife was pregnant, the joy in his heart overshadowed all the unhappiness. He immersed himself in the happiness of being a father-to-be, choosing to endure and ignore the unpleasantness.

The birth of his son brought Xiao Ran an unprecedented sense of happiness and satisfaction. He devoted himself fully to taking care of his son, whether it was changing diapers in the middle of the night or preparing milk powder. At the Zheng household, he was nominally the son-in-law, but in reality, he was more like a servant, silently giving without expecting anything in return.

However, what was even harder for Xiao Ran to accept was the discovery that his wife had given all his salary to his in-laws, leaving him with only a pitiful 200 yuan each month for personal use. His younger brother-in-law, Zheng Gang, lived a luxurious life, spending money recklessly without ever thinking about being self-reliant. Xiao Ran finally realized that all the money Zheng Gang spent was actually his hard-earned income.

What hurt Xiao Ran even more was that the son he had raised for three years, pouring all his love and effort into, was not his biological child. He was merely a pitiful scapegoat, a victim of betrayal and exploitation.

In anger and despair, Xiao Ran vowed revenge. He decided to hoard all his wealth and supplies, not allowing the Zheng family to touch any of it. He would use the cruelest methods to destroy them, making them pay for their actions.

Just then, Xiao Ran suddenly realized that his mind was connected to an immense and boundless alternative space. With a mere thought, his phone disappeared from his hand, and through his mind, he could see clearly that it was resting peacefully in the alternative space. With another thought, the phone materialized back in his hand.

This discovery shocked Xiao Ran. He realized that he had not only been reborn from the apocalypse, but he also possessed an extraordinary ability. This ability allowed him to manipulate objects in the alternative space as he pleased, whether it was food, water, or other supplies, all of which he could easily store and retrieve.

This discovery filled Xiao Ran with excitement. He realized that this ability would solve a crucial problem for his safe house—he would no longer need to dedicate a large area specifically for storage. Moreover, since food needed to be kept fresh, the temperature and humidity of the storage area had to be strictly controlled, which would greatly increase the difficulty of design and construction. Now, with this ability, he could easily store food in the alternative space and retrieve it whenever needed, making it both convenient and practical.

Xiao Ran decided to use this ability to hoard as many supplies and food as possible. He knew that this would be crucial for his survival and rebellion in the future apocalypse. At the same time, he silently made up his mind to make those who had betrayed and exploited him pay dearly for their actions.

"The emergence of the ability, to me, feels more like a liberation rather than a trouble." Xiao Ran took a deep breath, his eyes shimmering with a firm glow. He stood up, tidied up the things on the table, and then picked up the necessary items, walking towards the door.

Xiao Ran pushed the door open with a bang, and a gust of cold wind mixed with the chill of the early morning blew in. Standing at the door, he faced Zheng Youjun, his angry father-in-law, and a cold smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

"Xiao Ran, what time is it now? You're still waking up?" Zheng Youjun's voice was filled with dissatisfaction and anger. The teacup in his hand was almost crushed by his grip. He glared at Xiao Ran with a ferocious gaze, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Xiao Ran frowned slightly. He remembered that he had called the company to ask for a leave this morning due to a headache, and he had also told his wife, Zheng Juan. But now, Zheng Youjun seemed completely unaware of it and spoke ill of him. This treatment reminded him of his miserable past.

On that dark day, Zheng Youjun held a kitchen knife and dissected him piece by piece. That unbearable pain still seemed to be etched in his marrow. And now, this old brute was bullying him again, igniting the anger in Xiao Ran's heart instantly.

He glared at Zheng Youjun with a cold gaze, his eyes sparkling with cold light. That murderous look made Zheng Youjun feel a surge of fear involuntarily. He seemed to see the anger and hatred in Xiao Ran's heart, a force that seemed to devour him.

However, Xiao Ran knew that impulse was the devil. He couldn't let Zheng Youjun die so easily; that would be too lenient on him. He wanted to toy with this old brute, letting him taste all the pain and torment in the world.

So, Xiao Ran walked over and slapped Zheng Youjun hard on the face. This slap was filled with his anger and strength, knocking Zheng Youjun straight onto the table. A bright red palm print appeared on his face instantly, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

This scene happened so suddenly that Zheng Youjun's wife, Lin Meiying, and grandson were stunned. Lin Meiying held her grandson and came out, screaming hysterically when she saw this scene, while the grandson was also scared into tears.

Xiao Ran looked at everything coldly, without any fluctuations in his heart. He knew that he was no longer the Xiao Ran who was bullied by others in the past. He had the ability, the strength, and the determination to protect himself and his family.

He walked over and cut off a strand of the child's hair with scissors. The strand of hair shimmered with golden light in the sunlight, as if his revenge was burning. He sneered coldly and then slammed the door behind him.

Ten minutes later, the phone rang. Xiao Ran answered the call, and Zheng Juan's furious voice came through the receiver, "Xiao Ran, are you out of your mind? How dare you hit my father?"

Xiao Ran ignored her and spat out two cold words, "Divorce." These two words were like a cold sword beam, piercing straight into Zheng Juan's heart. She froze, staring incredulously at the "Xiao Ran" displayed on the phone screen.

She knew that this incident had escalated. Xiao Ran was no longer the husband who allowed her to bully him before. He had the ability, the strength, and the determination to protect himself and his family. And she and her family would become the first victims on his path of revenge...