Chapter 178: Delusions
Su Tao immediately felt a headache coming on. “Jiang Yu, come here.”
Jiang Yu swiftly returned to her side and disappeared.
Su Tao remained composed and turned to Ji Boda, saying, “Apologies for the scene. Please, everyone, come inside.”
Su Zhenglan’s face twisted in shock as he demanded, “Little sister, are you refusing to acknowledge me as your second brother?! You can see the state I’m in—I came to you for help, just looking for a way to survive. How can you be so heartless?”
Su Tao held back her temper. There were guests today—she couldn’t lose control.
Ji Boda was tactful and pretended not to see Su Zhenglan. He took the lead in walking inside, smiling as he said, “We troubled you to come out and greet us, but we should have been the ones to show our courtesy.”
“It’s nothing,” Su Tao replied politely. “A friend from afar is always welcome.”
But Su Zhenglan was unwilling to let things go. He cried out loudly, “Su Tao, I cut ties with our parents to come find you! They say you’re heartless, but I’ve always defended you! I thought you’d at least help me, but now that you’re successful, you don’t recognize anyone anymore!”
A week of suffering and waiting had driven him half-mad, filling him with resentment and frustration.
“Our parents were right—you’re selfish and ungrateful!”
Jiang Yu immediately materialized and asked, “Can I hit him?”
Su Tao kept her composure and turned to Ji Boda and the others with a polite smile. “Excuse me for a moment.”
The moment she turned around, her smile vanished. She strode over to Su Zhenglan, squatting down in front of him.
“Let me ask you—when I was bullied at home by Jiang Jinwei and Su Zhengqing, did you ever stand up for me? Did you ever say a single word on my behalf? Did you ever stop them from beating me? And now you expect me to help you? Where’s the logic in that?”
Su Zhenglan clenched his fists. “You weren’t in any real danger back then! But I can’t survive like this! Even if I was wrong before, can’t you help me just once, for the sake of our blood ties?”
Su Tao chuckled. “Blood ties? So you remember we’re related now? Then tell me—when they pushed me out to join the army instead of Jiang Jinwei, who isn’t even biologically related to me, where was that ‘blood tie’?”
Su Zhenglan fell silent.
Their father had always favored him and their older brother, feeling sorry for them since they had lost their mother. Since they were both sons, he focused all his attention on them.
As for their stepmother, Jiang Jinwei was her firstborn, her beloved daughter. Later, when her eldest daughter married badly, she showered her with even more affection, making her favoritism even more obvious.
Meanwhile, Su Tao, despite having both parents, had grown up like an orphan. Both sides assumed the other would take care of her, but in reality, neither did.
And it had become a vicious cycle—the more their father favored his sons, the more their stepmother doted on Jiang Jinwei, as if competing with him.
Su Tao stood up and said coldly, “You’d best disappear from my sight. Go back to where you came from. Your survival is none of my concern. I have nothing to do with you or that family anymore.”
Su Zhenglan was in disbelief. “You’re really cutting ties completely? Do you think that man you’re with will protect you forever? Your best option is to help me, get me a job through your boss. If I get back on my feet, you’ll have a fallback—so you won’t be left stranded when that man dumps you.”
Everyone around them was stunned—none of them understood what he was talking about.
As for Su Tao, she was so enraged she actually laughed.
“So that’s how you all see me. My mistake. I shouldn’t have wasted time listening to your nonsense. Jiang Yu, throw him far away—I don’t want him polluting the air at my doorstep.”
Jiang Yu had been holding back. The moment he received the order, he moved instantly—grabbing Su Zhenglan by the leg and dragging him at high speed before tossing him into a nearby landfill.
Su Tao turned back to her guests with a bright smile. “Shall we? Let’s go to Taoli Tower.”
Her guests had been eager for gossip, but as soon as they entered and saw the neatly arranged residential buildings and wide, clean streets, their attention was immediately diverted.
It was the peak of the afternoon, when the sun was harshest, yet children were happily playing in the central fountain of the residential area.
Between buildings, tables and chairs were set up, with elderly residents gathered in the shade, playing chess and chatting leisurely.
Ji Boda felt a surreal sense of nostalgia, as if he had stepped back into a pre-apocalyptic neighborhood.
Ji Caizhe, who had initially been uninterested, suddenly widened his eyes in amazement.
His fiancée, He Mengkui, was even more envious. She saw an elderly woman standing on the balcony of a ground-floor apartment, singing softly as she hung out bedsheets to dry.
From the window, she could see that the home was beautifully decorated.
More importantly, she noticed washing machines on several balconies—some even had two machines stacked, with the top one likely being a dryer.
She was stunned.
When they arrived at Taoli Tower, Zhuang Wan greeted them warmly, handing out bottled water.
Inside, they were met with a rush of cool air from the air conditioning, a spacious and elegant reception area, gleaming white marble floors, security gates, and elevators. Their impression of Taoyang rose even further.
Such facilities and decor required immense financial and logistical resources to maintain—things that were nearly impossible to obtain in the apocalypse.
Su Tao led them to the second-floor conference room.
As they passed empty workstations, Ji Boda asked curiously, “Is today a day off? Where is everyone?”
With a smile, Su Tao replied, “No, Taoyang’s staff isn’t very large yet—only those you saw downstairs.”
Ji Boda was momentarily stunned. “And these empty workstations… you’re just leaving them like this?”
Su Tao nodded. “For now, yes.”
Ji Boda felt the urge to clutch his chest—such waste! Keeping the air conditioning on, leaving the office powered—how much did all this cost?
Inside the conference room, Zhuang Wan had already set up refreshments: biscuits and pastries made in advance by Master Qin, as well as candies, ice cream, and drinks from vending machines.
Master Qin had even come earlier to arrange the display, making it look like an afternoon tea spread from a five-star hotel before the apocalypse.
Even without tasting it, the presentation alone had Ji Boda and the others captivated.
Ji Caizhe, who loved indulgence and good food, immediately felt grateful he had listened to his father and come—otherwise, he would have missed out.
A thought suddenly took root in his mind.
He had no interest in taking over his father’s position or dedicating himself to Hekang Base.
Wouldn’t it be better to settle in this paradise instead, living in comfort forever?
Of course, his father would never approve.
But then Ji Caizhe looked at Su Tao.
If he married the boss of Taoyang, his father would definitely allow him to stay—to help maintain ties between Taoyang and Hekang.
