Apocalypse King: Recruiting S-Tier Beauties With My Ruler System-Chapter 1: Generic Start! Generic End!

A Generic cliché.

If anything could describe my existence, it was those two words.

Born to a beautiful but naive mother who fell for the charms of an American businessman, he was nothing more than a result of a fleeting romance. A romance that shattered the moment reality hit. Because the man was already married.

My mother, left to fend for herself, raised me with dreams too big and resources too small.

I could never live up to my mother's standards.

Maybe it's because of my dual heritage, but apart from my looks, I seem to take after my father, which might sound good.

A rich and successful tycoon?

Sign me up, most people might say.

But once I started studying, it turned out that I resembled my mother.

Instead, I sank into mediocrity, spending most of my school days more focused on fighting in the park than studying. By the time I reached high school, the only way I could have entered college was to get a sports scholarship. But even that slipped through my grasp.

And Now...

I was about to lose my job.

—

The office cafeteria buzzed with noise—salarymen stuffing food into their mouths like prisoners on borrowed time, trying to finish before their beepers summoned them back to the grind.

I, however, refused to rush.

Why should I rush my food and suffer from indigestion?

I took my time, savouring each bite of bland sweet-and-sour pork as if it were my last meal.

"Oi, John! You hear about that weird sickness?" Yang Ping, my co-worker, asked through a mouthful of rice, his nose scrunching as he picked at a mole on his face.

I barely spared him a glance. "Sickness? Do we get sick pay? No? Then I don't care."

"Ah, come on, man. This one's serious! People are losing their minds—attacking others in the streets! They say it spreads like crazy."'Yang Ping isn't a bad guy, but the mole on the tip of his nose makes me want to grab it with scissors and slice it off.'

My eyes rolled at this familiar scene. "Great. Another pandemic. Should I start stockpiling toilet paper?"

Before Yang Ping could continue his rambling, the news broadcast blared from the cafeteria television.

—Breaking News! Authorities urge citizens to remain indoors. Symptoms include fever, coughing, and extreme aggression—

My attention faded out as the voices mumbled about scientific things.

I thought it might be another media scare—just like the flu pandemic scare a few years ago. Nothing to worry about, right?

"Hey, John, you should really..."

I couldn't hear Yang Ping properly because the newscaster caught my attention, the way her tight blouse accentuated her bountiful assets.

'Forgive me, brother. But she has double Ds!'

Unfortunately, before I could properly admire the view, the cafeteria grew cold.

A heavy presence loomed over me.

John looked up.

Mu Qinglan.

My boss. My Tyrant. My personal workplace nightmare.

"Assistant Manager Wang," she said, voice clipped, arms folded. "Would you care to explain why you've been ignoring my messages for over thirty minutes?"

'What does she mean?'

Shit.

I instinctively reached for my beeper—only to find nothing.

'Where the hell is it?!'

A sinking feeling settled in my gut as he slowly looked up at her unreadable, ice-cold expression.

I couldn't hold back the looming feeling of terror.

"Mr Wang, follow me to my office, we need to discuss your future."

Oh shit, it's over.

—

The elevator ride to Mu Qinglan's office felt like a death march.

I became stiff, as if to hide my presence beside her, stifling. The scent of her expensive perfume did nothing to calm my nerves. Even though she was a tyrannical boss, nobody could deny her S-Tier beauty.

Tall, slim waist, plump hips and long legs.

Black hair cascaded over her shoulders, with a sleek pair of glasses resting on the bridge of her delicate nose.

If only she smiled more, maybe she wouldn't be known as the Ice Queen of the marketing department.

Unfortunately, I would never see that smile again.

"Assistant Manager Wang, do you know what happens when a client loses millions in profit because of your incompetence?"

Ah, here it is. I exhaled slowly. I knew where this was going.

It's not my fault the product failed," I said with a steady and calm voice. "I told them before we launched the marketing campaign that it would flop. They ignored me."

For a moment, Mu Qinglan's brow twitched.

Maybe—just maybe—she agreed with me.

Before I could find out, the elevator doors slid open, revealing a group of employees standing outside, ready to kiss her behind.

They looked at us with curiosity before immediately starting to whisper.

"Ah, it's this idiot again. He's going to get fired, isn't he?"

"Hehe, I heard he lost the company millions."

"What a loser."

I clenched my teeth, biting down, curling my fingers into a fist.

Before I became overwhelmed with anger, Mu Qinglan spoke out.

"Enough."

The air became sharp, slicing through the murmurs like a blade.

"Get back to work," she commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I don't pay you to gossip."

The crowd scattered like scared mice, leaving Me staring at Mu Qinglan, shocked.

'Did... she just defend me?'

I lacked the time to process everything. She was already walking ahead, with heels clicking against the marble floor.

"Come along, Assistant Manager Wang. We need to discuss your future."

Inside her office, Mu Qinglan sighed.

A long, exhausted sigh.

I had seen her angry, frustrated and even sarcastic. But this? This was new.

"As I was saying," she continued, leaning back in her chair. "Regardless of whether you were right, the company has decided to terminate your contract." Her fingers flicked a pen between the gaps as if struggling to calm down.

Well, I expected as much...

But hearing it to my face still felt like a punch to my gut.

I swallowed. "No severance?"

"No references either," she added.

Ah.

So they were screwing me over completely.

I clenched my fists under the desk, frustration boiling beneath my skin.

All these years of hard work, of grinding away at this company despite knowing it was soul-sucking garbage—all gone.

And for what?

Because Gu Tianhao, Mu Qinglan's fiancé, decided I was getting too close to her?

That petty bastard.

I forced a breath through his nose. "I see."

Mu Qinglan tapped her fingers against her desk. Then, after a long pause, she said, "I've spoken to some contacts in other companies. They might consider hiring you."

I blinked, astonished. "Wait, what?"

She shrugged. "I can't promise anything, but... send me your resume. I'll forward it."

For the first time in forever, I became speechless.

Was this pity? Was she secretly a good person?

Or was it just guilt?

Either way, I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

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"Thank you," I said quietly.

Mu Qinglan exhaled, rubbing her temples. "Don't make me regret it."

Then, in a move that almost gave me a heart attack, she grabbed my phone from the table and started tapping on the keypad. "You should change your pin... four zeros how... so foolish." Then handed it back to me.

I looked down and saw the new contact added notification.

[Mu Qinglan]

She gave me her number... what a miracle!

"Don't overthink it," she muttered, already turning away. "Now, get out of my office."

However... I couldn't help but notice her slightly red cheeks.

Dazed and confused about the sudden events, I left the office without another word.

By the time I stepped outside of the office and the reality of being fire set in, the world had already started falling apart.

As if to make my suffering look pathetic.

Sirens. Screams. Chaos.

And then—

The first government alert hit his phone.

"Confirmed: mass infection turning violent. Authorities are unable to contain the outbreak. It's spreading faster than predicted."

I stared at the message, unblinking.

Then looked up.

People were running.

Not away from something.

But someone.

A man covered in blood, his eyes milky white, charging at full speed.

My stomach dropped.

'No way. This is a joke, right?'

The first screams split the air.

Then the first bite.

I... John Wang witnessed it all.

A familiar premise. A common trope.

But this time—

It was real.