Recruit If You Must, But Why Impersonate Me?

Before Jiang Xiaoci came into his life, Mike had never truly believed in concepts like love between men and women.

Desire, he thought, was the eternal melody.

Without the influence of hormones, relationships between men and women were simple, straightforward.

Experience had proven that every recluse harbored a core of pride, choosing to navigate the world with a cold, detached gaze.

But experience had also shown that reality had a way of shattering that stubborn pride, forcing people to grow and accept truths they once denied.

Mike wasn't sure if his subtle feelings for Jiang Xiaoci were love. The only thing he knew for certain was that he couldn't bear to be without her—physically or emotionally.

For the first time, Mike felt such a complicated array of emotions for a woman: a mix of gratitude, a touch of admiration, and an undeniable fascination.

He once heard someone say, "A man's true love is when he no longer desires to sleep with her, yet still cannot leave her."

That night, Mike was the epitome of seriousness and innocence.

All he wanted was to hold Jiang Xiaoci, exchange a few heartfelt words, and deepen their connection before resting.

When morning came, Mike woke to the sight of Jiang Xiaoci's gentle eyes watching him.

"You're awake, sir," she said softly, brushing her hair behind her ear. Her smile was as tender as water. "Did you rest well?"

"I did. Better than expected," Mike replied, his hand reaching out to twirl a strand of her black hair around his finger.

"Did you sleep at all?" he asked, pausing for a moment before adding, "Your health is important. I don't want to see you overworking yourself to exhaustion."

"The upgrades you gave me last time have made some changes to my body," Jiang Xiaoci said, her delicate hand brushing lightly against his face. Her touch was soft, her movements gentle. "I've grown stronger. I'm not tired yet. But you, sir, woke up quite early. You still have plenty of time to rest."

"Be good now, my dear sir," she teased, her smile playful yet caring. Rising from the bed, she dressed and prepared breakfast for Mike before quietly leaving the room.

The room felt empty without her, yet her faint fragrance lingered in every corner, filling the space and his senses with a comforting presence.

Every breath Mike took carried traces of her, grounding him and leaving him at peace.

"Maybe I'll sleep a little longer," he thought, lying back and staring at the ceiling.

But moments later, his curiosity got the better of him. Reaching for his communicator, he opened the city's chat channel, a space he'd recently begun treating as a source of entertainment—a mix of random chatter, drama, and occasional useful intel.

Most of the time, it was chaotic and cluttered, with little value to be found. But today was different.

As soon as Mike entered the chat, he noticed several shelters promoting recruitment messages for the city center:

"City Center Villas! The largest survivor settlement in town! Food, shelter, and safety guaranteed! Everyone is welcome!"

"Send your coordinates, and our rescue teams will reach you quickly! We never abandon our own!"

"This shelter is led by the top-ranked haven leader—an unstoppable force with unmatched abilities! Join us to build the strongest post-apocalyptic paradise in Jinling!"

Early morning, and the propaganda machine was already in full swing.

Mike frowned. Over the past few weeks, there had been sporadic recruitment messages from the city center, but nothing as aggressive as today. Clearly, the leader there was accelerating their expansion, and their tactics were starting to grate on Mike.

They were claiming to be the "top-ranked haven," even going so far as to insinuate that the rankings were their accomplishment.

"That's my title," Mike thought, anger flashing in his eyes. He wasn't in a hurry to respond, though. Instead, he observed quietly.

Jinling's leaderboards had long been dominated by Mike's nameless haven, though most people hadn't paid much attention during the first wave of the apocalypse.

But as more shelters were named, the consistency of the leaderboard sparked speculation:

"Are these rankings all from the same person?"

Now, with the rise of the city center shelter, more and more survivors were convinced of it.

"I've heard the city center's shelter is like Eden—powerful and well-stocked. Makes sense now."

"The top-ranked leader has finally shown themselves! Stepping up to lead us through the apocalypse! Respect!"

"I've been saying this all along—there's no way someone with a shelter this strong isn't the real deal!"

The chat buzzed with admiration and speculation. Mike, however, was anything but pleased.

Someone was impersonating him to recruit survivors.

"This clown is using my achievements to build their reputation," he muttered, a cold smile forming on his lips.