Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm

Chapter 383  Long Lost Daughter

Wu Bai Hee watched as the man approached her. He was dirty, his clothes unkept, and she could smell him from where she stood. She tried to suppress her urge to vomit when the man, probably around his 40s or 50s, smiled at her, his teeth yellowed and some missing from lack of care. His fingernails were caked with dirt and blood as he tried to scrape some of it out from underneath the nail.

She shuddered. This was not how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to have a soft, cushy life with the idiot old man. But when Liu Wei killed her, she had to come up with a new plan. She couldn't risk Liu Wei getting in contact with his grandfather and learning that she was still alive.

No, she would have to lay low if she wanted to be able to complete the mission from the Goddess and rule the new world with Liu Wei. He would come to heel like the rest of the men in her life. Yes, she had everything planned.

But she needed to get to City A first. Unfortunately, there was a long way to go before she could get there, and the roads were filling up with humans during the day and zombies at night. No. She needed a safety net, someone that she could throw away when needed but also would keep her protected.

However, beggars couldn't be choosers, and this guy lead one of the biggest groups she had come across so far. A big group meant a better chance of surviving the other people and zombies, as well as allowing her to disappear.

Yeah, she would need to come up with a better plan, but this was what she had right now.

"Well, now, are you a sweet morsel of food," said the man as he licked his lips. Wu Bai Hee suppressed her shudder of disgust and leaned forward enough to be able to capture the man's eyes.

"Hello," she purred, sliding through his weak barriers and into the very center of his mind. The images flashing through his head of what he wanted to do to her made her sneer as if he was good enough to even touch her finger. But a weak man was easier to manipulate, and a weak man that had his own army? Well, that was just perfect.

The first thing she needed to do was to build her foundation.

She searched through his mind until she planted the smallest of nuggets in a memory from 20 years ago. He had a wife and daughter, but the wife took her and ran away with another man. Wu Bai Hee smiled as she manipulated that memory and made herself his daughter.

Then she changed every memory after that to include herself in it. Birthday parties, fights, schools, every last detail. She moved as fast as she could, and she knew that her work wasn't perfect, but it would be enough to stay at his side and continue to manipulate.

"Wu Bai Hee?" asked the man suddenly, his face completely changing. "Is that you? It's me! Dad! I was so worried when I couldn't find you! I went to your university, but your friends said that you had already left, trying to get back to me. I knew that you would do anything to get back to me. Not like that bitch of a mother of yours. No, you are a good girl, aren't you?"

Wu Bai Hee's face took a sudden turn as tears poured out of her eyes. "Daddy! I didn't recognize you! What happened to you?" she asked as she reached for his clothes and tried to wipe the dirt off of them. "Don't worry. I am here now. That's all that matters, right?" she pressed, cocking her head to the side and staring at the man in his eyes.

The key to manipulation was to not press so hard that it was apparent they were being manipulated, but subtly like everything was their own idea.

"Yes, you are here, and we will protect you. Come, meet my friends," said the old man as he wrapped an arm around Wu Bai Hee and brought her to the large group of people milling around the road. "Everyone! I have finally found my daughter! Come meet Wu Bai Hee!"

One man came forward and studied Wu Bai Hee for a second before looking her in the eyes. The skepticism on his face quickly melted away, and he turned to the older man. "Wow, Peng Youn Rui, I can't believe that you finally found her." He turned back to Wu Bai Hee with a smile. "He has been looking everywhere for you! You should have stayed at the university! Such a bad girl to worry her father like that."

"I'm sorry, Uncle," replied Wu Bai Hee as she lowered her head. "I will do better in the future, I promise."

"Now, now, don't listen to Li Sai Hong; you know he's been like that all his life. Harsh words, but the heart of a marshmallow. He was worried about you, too," smiled Peng Yong Rui, guiding Wu Bai Hee to meet more people.

"I know, Daddy, don't worry. I know that Uncle Li really cares and looks after you well," nodded Wu Bai Hee as she quickly took in the situation. "Where are we going now?" she pressed, looking at her 'father' and pressing the idea of going to City A next.

"Well, now that I have found you, I thought that we could go to City A. I have heard that it is one of the safest places to be right now, and I want you safe," said Peng Yong Rui as he turned around and gripped Wu Bai Hee's hands in both of his. "I need you to be safe. There is nothing more important to me than your safety. You know that, right?"

"I know, Daddy. You are so good to me," smiled Wu Bai Hee innocently. Peng Yong Rui put his hand into her hair and gently started to comb it. He gave her a tear-filled smile and kissed her on the forehead.

"You are the most important thing in my life; I hope you know that."

"I know, Daddy," Wu Bai Hee assured him again. After all, how was she going to ensure an easy path for herself if she wasn't the most important thing in his world?