C4 Brothers, Money!!

As Lin Chen was about to leave to carry out his plan, his gaze landed on a note left on the computer desk.

The note had been there the whole time, but the recent flurry of events had distracted him from it. Now, with his emotions settled, Lin Chen's keen senses, honed over a decade of surviving the apocalypse, picked up on the note.

"Boss, you can't skip today's grueling class. You were plastered last night, so take it easy today. We'll cover for you and get you a leave. Boss, shake off the hangover and start fresh. We'll hit the bars again when you're back at noon. Remember, the world is full of beauties—why pine over just one?"

On the back of the note, five distinct emoticons represented each of his dorm mates.

Lin Chen stared blankly at the note for a moment before a memory surfaced.

Yesterday, Qiao Yilan, his girlfriend of three years, had fallen into the arms of Master Bai right in front of him.

When Lin Chen confronted them, his five dorm mates stepped in to back him up, only to be knocked down by Master Bai's entourage.

The previous night, his brothers from the dorm had drowned their sorrows with him at a bar, not returning until late. Lin Chen had drunk himself into oblivion.

A wry smile crept onto Lin Chen's face.

"Heh, Qiao Yilan? You're almost a distant memory. Weren't you last seen being offered to some high-up at Oldlight Base by Master Bai? Whatever became of you after that, I have no clue."

"My five brothers—Xu Peng, Tian Dagang, Kong Yifan, Yu Yang, and Du Hai—how will I face you all in this lifetime?"

Y University, a prestigious institution, sits in the heart of Janville, a sprawling metropolis of over twenty million souls. Its students and faculty are considered the elite, yet within its walls, social circles are sharply defined by status.

Lin Chen and his five dorm brothers, all from humble backgrounds, naturally bonded into their own tight-knit group. They shared laughs, skipped classes together, and forged a bond that ran deep.

"Kong Yifan, Kong Er, Tian Dagang, Tian Laosi—you two were directly responsible for Yaya's death in your past lives. Even though I exacted revenge later, the hatred in my heart runs deep."

"In this new life, how should I confront you? Should I liberate you sooner to avert future tragedy?"

"Let it be. Out of consideration for our past and the fact that you haven't committed any wrongs yet, I'll refrain from targeting you for now. But make no mistake, your chances are slim!"

"Heh, am I being too merciful? Is there still mercy in my heart? Well, if this is mercy, then I'll hold on to it for now. It reminds me that I am still human."

Standing at the precipice of the apocalypse, the tragedy had not yet unfolded, and Lin Chen found himself with ample resources. He hadn't realized that, although his demeanor remained icy, the malice in his heart had significantly lessened. The tender images of his parents and Yaya's reliant gaze continuously warmed his soul.

In the apocalypse, if he harbored hatred towards someone, he would ensure their downfall, or perish himself in the struggle!

In essence, 'Face life and death with equanimity, if you can't stand it, fight it out!'

That's the rightful mindset of an apocalypse survivor!

Shaking his head, Lin Chen realized that such a ruthless disposition needed to be curbed in the early stages of the apocalypse.

Exiting the school gates, the time was 11:40.

The sprawling campus of Y University left him no choice. His dorm was relatively close to the south gate, yet it still took a brisk half-hour walk to reach. As for driving, although Lin Chen's family was comfortable financially, he couldn't bring himself to ask his parents for money to buy a car.

Stepping off campus, Lin Chen hailed a taxi and sped off towards the city's northern district!

A few minutes past noon, Lin Chen stood before a commercial high-rise, ready to enter.

"If I could return to the past, to relive it all over again..."

His phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, it read 'Old Second.'

A smirk played on his lips as he hit the answer button. A burst of raucous laughter spilled from the earpiece, a sound belonging to Kong Yifan, a voice that had been silent for many years.

"Boss, where have you disappeared to? There's no class this afternoon, and the guys and I were planning to take you out for a few drinks, help you drown your sorrows, and forget about that woman!" The voice was rich and oozed masculine charm; it belonged to Kong Yifan.

"Seriously, Boss, did you sneak off for a little fun on your own? That's not cool of you!" chimed in Du Hai, the fifth brother, always playing the clown to keep spirits high.

In his past life, Du Hai never awakened his Extrasensory Perception nor gained any enhancements, leading to his early demise.

"Boss, don't be heartbroken," came the awkward yet sincere voice of the third brother, Xu Peng.

"Boss... are you okay?" This was the barely noticeable voice of the sixth brother, Yu Yang.

Out of the six, Yu Yang came from the humblest background, often feeling inferior. But Lin Chen knew that in the previous life, Yu Yang had been the most genuine towards him, grateful for the financial help Lin Chen had provided in secret.

"Boss, you're not thinking of leaving this world behind without a word, are you?" This was Tian Dagang's snide remark.

A flood of emotions washed over Lin Chen: "My dear brothers, if only we could hold on to this sincere bond forever. Can it withstand the trials of the apocalypse in this life?"

Lin Chen, now wise to the world's cold realities, knew it was a mere fantasy. 'Nature is hard to change,' as the saying goes.

But could he simply dismiss and forget the brothers who shared his bunk?

"Boss, what's going on? Where exactly are you? Please, don't do anything foolish!"

Perhaps it was Lin Chen's prolonged silence that led Kong Yifan to worry, his voice tinged with urgency.

Lin Chen calmed his turbulent emotions and replied calmly, "I'm fine, really. I'm just out clearing my head in the city. Leave me be for a couple of days. You all enjoy your free time."

"Boss, are you sure you're okay? Don't bottle things up, remember you've got us!"

"Absolutely sure, truer than pearls! Okay, I'm going to hang up now."

Lin Chen pocketed his phone and entered the skyscraper.

Roughly ten minutes later, in an opulent office, a suave business executive beamed at Lin, who was perched on the sofa. "Lin, your application has sailed through. We've assessed your credit line at three million. Are you certain you only want a half-million loan? You seem like you're gearing up to launch a venture, right? Borrowing a bit more could give you some breathing room. It could boost your odds of success. You do realize that companies with as lenient terms as 'Du Lin Financial Service' are few and far between, right?"

It appeared that Lin had come to secure a loan.

Indeed, Lin was there to get a loan!

Lin's family was financially stable. His father, a retired soldier, cultivated medicinal herbs in the mountains back home, turning a handsome profit. Yet, the allowance for Lin and his siblings was modest, barely enough to fund Lin's forthcoming endeavors.

Hence, Lin had set his sights on the proliferating financial companies.

Most people were aware that these so-called financial companies were essentially high-interest lenders.

Their loan terms were incredibly lax, their customer service was outstanding—even serving Lin during lunchtime. But their demeanor when it came to repayment was equally 'thorough'.

They had a knack for quickly gauging from your information just how much they could wring out of you, which then determined the size of the loan they'd offer.

And how did Lin come to know their address and services? Well, who in the city hadn't been handed a slew of business cards from such companies?

Those cards littered Lin's dorm room!

For premium clients, they'd go to great lengths to max out the loan amount. Currently, Manager Liang was earnestly persuading Lin to take out a larger loan.

"Manager Liang, you make a good point. But... but..." Lin feigned a look of someone torn between the hope of success and the fear of failure.

"No 'buts'! Lin, as a young man, you should be bold! You need unwavering confidence to succeed in business! Right?"

"Fine, then—two million it is!" Lin capitulated to the challenge and requested a two-million loan.

Minutes later, Lin strode out of the high-rise.

After several rounds of persuasion, Manager Liang finally agreed to lend Lin Chen three million yuan. The loan was for one month, with a steep interest rate of 30% per month.

Lin Chen couldn't help but smirk at the notification of the three million yuan deposit on his phone. He had intended to shop around at several financial companies, but this would suffice, saving him considerable time. "Manager Liang, should you be fortunate enough to survive the disaster and cross paths with me, I'll make sure to reward you," he mused.

Once he'd put some distance between himself and the financial company, Lin Chen extended his extrasensory perception to check for any followers. Detecting no one, he felt relieved; his range was about a hundred meters, with targeted sensing reaching between 800 to 1000 meters.

Clearly, Lin Financial Company had confidence in his repayment capabilities, as there was no sign of surveillance.

That suited him just fine. Having someone on his tail during this afternoon's activities would have been more than a little inconvenient.

With that, Lin Chen's plan was set into motion.