Chapter 52: The Doomsday Cabin

After changing out of his boots, Charles led the three of them into the house.

Looking at the two little ones, who were far more wary than necessary, he couldn't help but smile.

"It's okay, it's okay. They're just guests I invited."

As he spoke, he gently ruffled both children's hair.

"And I even brought home some fresh venison today. I'll cook it for you in a little while."

The children's eyes lit up instantly.

"Really?!"

"Yay! We get to eat meat again!"

Their earlier caution vanished almost immediately as they happily circled around Charles.

Meanwhile, Xia Jiuwei and Lu Nian'an had already changed into slippers and followed him inside.

Xia Jiuwei's gaze settled on the two children.

Then she glanced at Charles's left hand.

His ring finger was bare.

"They..."

She had barely begun to speak when Charles noticed the subtle expression on her face.

After a brief pause, he seemed to realize what she was thinking and burst into laughter.

"You're wondering where their mother is, aren't you?"

Xia Jiuwei didn't answer.

Her expression already said everything.

Charles spread his hands helplessly.

"Don't worry. It's not nearly as dramatic as you're imagining."

"They're my adopted children."

"So don't go inventing some tragic story about a dead lover or a wife who sacrificed herself."

The moment she heard the word adopted, Xia Jiuwei froze.

Old memories of growing up with her grandfather resurfaced in her mind.

"That's not what she's imagining."

Lu Nian'an spoke calmly, reaching over to take Xia Jiuwei's hand.

"She was adopted too."

"It's just... the grandfather who raised her has already passed away."

The smile on Charles's face immediately stiffened.

"Ah..."

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"I'm... sorry."

"I think I said the wrong thing."

Xia Jiuwei shook her head.

"It's okay."

Her voice, however, remained subdued.

Sensing the atmosphere taking an uncomfortable turn, Lu Nian'an cut in without hesitation.

"Enough apologizing."

"Show us around your house."

Charles nodded with visible relief.

"Right."

"This underground passage is specifically for getting home without being noticed."

"Compared to the front entrance, this tunnel serves as a good buffer zone."

As he explained, Charles closed the heavy steel door connecting the passageway and carefully locked it.

He then switched off the lights in the tunnel outside.

Once finished, he beckoned to the two children.

"Come here for a second."

The little pair immediately ran over.

Charles affectionately patted their heads.

"This is my daughter, Elena."

"And this is my son, Lukas."

He then crouched down and quietly gave the children a few instructions in German.

The two nodded before running back into the house.

Hearing the unfamiliar accent, Xia Jiuwei couldn't help asking,

"Was that German?"

"It's Swiss German. More specifically, the Valais dialect."

Charles smiled.

"You two speak German too?"

"We do."

"But I couldn't really understand what you were saying."

"Haha."

"When I first came here, I barely spoke German myself."

"But after living here long enough, I naturally got used to it."

He led them to a room enclosed by transparent partitions.

Inside stood a workbench, several computers, and an array of surveillance monitors.

Each monitor displayed a different camera feed.

Some watched the area surrounding the house.

Others monitored the entrance to the underground tunnel.

One even showed the two children happily playing a board game.

"When I leave the house, I usually switch everything into security mode."

Charles pointed toward the monitors.

"Every door and window gets sealed behind heavy steel shutters."

"It minimizes the chances of anyone breaking in."

"Only after confirming the surrounding area is clear do I return everything to normal."

He continued leading them farther inside, passing a room with an airtight isolation door.

"This is the growing room."

"Before entering, you have to go through decontamination and change your clothes."

"The process is a bit troublesome, so I'll skip it for now."

They soon arrived at another room.

One entire wall was covered with weapon racks.

Rifles, pistols, and shotguns were arranged with military precision, while stacks of ammunition boxes sat neatly beside them.

Charles pointed toward a long hard case in the corner.

"There's also a sniper rifle in there."

"It's just too long to display properly."

He then gestured toward another section.

"Those are weapons I've captured over the years."

Xia Jiuwei's attention drifted toward a thermometer and hygrometer mounted on the wall.

"What are those for?"

"Those?"

Charles smiled.

"Ammunition needs to be stored in a dry, stable environment."

"Otherwise moisture eventually ruins it."

"So I installed those to monitor the storage conditions."

After leaving the armory, Charles brought them into the food storage room.

The moment the door opened, neatly organized shelves stretched before them.

The shelves on the right were filled with dry staples—rolled oats, potato flakes, whole wheat, dried beans—each stocked in astonishing quantities.

The shelves on the left held processed foods: maple syrup, canned goods, dried fruit, skim milk powder, pasta, and an assortment of spices.

"I guess this stockpile was really just a coincidence."

Looking at the shelves, Charles smiled wistfully.

"After I retired, I used my savings to build this house."

"My only goal back then was to live comfortably without relying on the outside world."

"Who would've thought..."

"Only a few years later, the apocalypse arrived."

"Looking back now..."

"I was incredibly lucky."

Leaving the storage room behind, the three descended to the second basement level.

As they walked, Xia Jiuwei asked,

"You said you're retired."

"But you only look like you're in your early forties."

"What did you do before this?"

Charles chuckled.

"I actually had two careers."

"Which one do you want to hear about?"

"Both."

"Fair enough."

"I served with the British SAS."

"But I retired from the military when I was twenty-eight."

"And the second?"

"After moving to Switzerland, I worked as a consultant for a private security firm."

"Once I'd earned enough money..."

"I simply retired."

By then, they had reached the second basement.

The level was divided into two sections.

One side was a fitness area equipped with workout machines.

The other was a recreation room.

Comfortable sofas, bookshelves filled with books, board games, a television, and various gaming systems were all neatly arranged.

Looking toward the two children playing a board game, Charles called out,

"Lukas, Elena."

"Could you two start making the flatbread for me?"

Lukas immediately looked up.

"We're almost finished."

"Can we finish this game first?"

Charles laughed.

"All right."

"But no starting another one afterward."

"Got it!"

The two children immediately nodded.

Charles then returned to the surveillance room.

After confirming once again that everything outside remained clear, he pressed a button.

The sound of machinery echoed throughout the house.

By the time the three of them returned to the first floor, the massive steel shutters covering the windows were slowly retracting.

Moonlight streamed back into the house.

"Don't underestimate these windows."

"Besides the steel shutters, every one of them is reinforced bulletproof glass."

"Even under normal conditions, breaking into this house isn't easy."

Charles then stepped outside.

After fiddling with something on the ground for a while, he jogged over and drove the off-road vehicle into the nearby garage.

"There are a few traps buried outside."

"So I couldn't drive straight in from the beginning."

As he spoke, he carried the insulated cooler into the kitchen.

After storing the loins in the refrigerator, he carried the hind leg outside to process it.

Not long afterward, the two children came running out as well.

Standing on a small stool to reach the counter, Lukas worked together with Elena to prepare the flatbread.

Charles quickly finished processing the venison.

Finally, he retrieved the most valuable cut—the tenderloin—from the passenger seat.

Once the flatbread was ready, everyone headed outside to build a fire.

"Yay! We get meat again!"

Lukas was so excited he nearly jumped into the air.

Carrying an armful of firewood, Elena walked past and shot him an exasperated glare.

"You should help too."

"Okay, okay."

"I'll cook the bread."

Lukas stuck out his tongue at her.

The campfire was soon burning brightly.

Lukas took charge of baking the flatbreads one by one.

Meanwhile, Charles took a piece of pork fat and rubbed it across the surface of a lightly heated skillet.

Sizzle—

The fat quickly melted into a thin layer of oil.

Next, the tender venison was laid gently into the pan.

Almost immediately, a rich, mouthwatering aroma filled the air.

Charles placed slices of the cooked meat onto the flatbread, sprinkled them with salt and black pepper, then expertly rolled everything together.

Before long, five simple yet wonderfully fragrant venison wraps were ready.

"Mmm."

Xia Jiuwei took a bite.

"It's delicious."

Lu Nian'an nodded in agreement.

"It really is."

Everyone sat outside together.

Eating the steaming hot wraps, they gazed at the river shimmering beneath the moonlight in the distance.

A cool evening breeze drifted by.

Leaning back in his chair, Charles looked out over the peaceful scenery.

He couldn't help but smile.

"Heh..."

"This really is nice."

After a while, Lukas finished his wrap and turned toward Charles.

"Is there any more?"

"The tenderloin's gone."

Charles smiled.

"But there's plenty of other cuts."

"If you're still hungry, go knead some more dough."

Lukas's eyes immediately lit up.

He was just about to get up and fetch more flour—

When a piercing alarm suddenly erupted from inside the house.

Wooo—! Wooo—! Wooo—!

The sound echoed through the night like an air raid siren, instantly shattering the warm, peaceful atmosphere.

The smile on Charles's face vanished in an instant.