Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 116: They were just as powerless as they people they governed

Chapter 116: They were just as powerless as they people they governed

Feng Yizhou left without another word, coat flaring slightly behind him as he disappeared down the hall with his men.

The atmosphere shifted the moment he was gone, quieter somehow, but not calm. The safe house was secured, yes, but that meant little in a world that already unraveling.

Qingran didn’t waste time lingering in her room. She decided to check her gear and update her maps. If she was heading to the labs later, she needed to understand the ground layout. But for now, she had to wait, night time was when the real play began.

Meanwhile, Feng Yizhou’s convoy wove through the fractured remains of the upper district, their tires slicing over cracked asphalt and past overturned checkpoints.

The sky above Guyoung was dimming fast, dipped in ash rather than dusk.

They arrived at a high-security tower just outside the government quarter, one of the few places still powered, still clinging to structure like nothing was wrong.

A retinal scan cleared them through the gates, and the elevator ride up was silent but tense. The top floor had once been the mayor’s strategic office. Now, it was filled with a ragged assembly of city officials, security advisors, and what remained of Guyoung’s council.

The room stank of desperation masked behind cologne and crisp suits.

"CEO Feng Yizhou," the mayor greeted tightly, gesturing to the chair across from him. "Thank you for coming."

Feng Yizhou offered a faint, courteous smile. "Of course. I came as soon as I saw the state of things in the capital. What’s going on?"

That was the game. Pretend he didn’t already know. Pretend he hadn’t seen the spread days ago from the capital rooftops, hadn’t read the classified files, hadn’t prepared for this moment long before the virus broke loose.

"We’re still assessing the situation," one of the council members said, voice clipped. "There was an incident at one of the government labs in Sector Four."

"And now that sector is lost," another muttered bitterly. "The western perimeter’s collapsed. We’ve cut off the roads, but civilians are panicking. Some say it’s a bioweapon. Others say it’s something worse."

Feng Yizhou leaned back in his chair, folding one leg over the other with calculated calm. "Worse than a bioweapon? That’s quite the claim."

"Don’t play dumb, CEO Feng," the mayor snapped, mask of diplomacy slipping for just a moment. "We know your family has ties to the military. You must’ve heard something before you came."

"I heard rumors," he replied smoothly. "Same as you. But you’ll understand I don’t act on rumors. I only act on results."

The council fell quiet. They didn’t trust him—they never had. But they needed him. His resources, his reach, his name. That was why they called him here. Not to help, but to hold him accountable for not helping earlier.

"People are dying," one of the younger officials said, eyes narrowed. "And the city’s bleeding out. If you know anything—"

"I only know what I’ve seen," Feng Yizhou interrupted calmly. "The capital’s empty. No military presence. No checkpoints, no movement. Just silence and smoke. Whatever this is, you’re already losing."

His words were cold, factual. He wasn’t here to reassure them. He wasn’t here to save them too.

The mayor steepled his fingers, staring hard across the table. "So what do you suggest?"

Feng Yizhou let the silence stretch before answering.

"Evacuate the remaining civilians from the lower sectors by dawn. Set fire to Sector Four, there’s no salvaging it. Block off the subway tunnels, they’re a direct path to the central district. And if any of you are still thinking about covering this up... stop. It’s already too late. Announce the news to the country, the virus will continue to spread."

They stared at him, some defiant, others pale.

One woman from infrastructure finally spoke. "And after that?"

"After that," Feng Yizhou said, "you pray the rest of the world doesn’t go down next."

"And you? What about you CEO Feng?"

"I’m here to observe," he said. "Nothing more. I will also find a safe place to hide."

It was a warning. A line drawn without raising his voice. They couldnt get help from him and they wouldn’t get in his way, either.

He stood without being dismissed, buttoning his coat as he turned toward the elevator. "Let me know if anything changes."

"CEO Feng," the mayor called after him. "If you knew this was coming and said nothing..."

Feng Yizhou paused. Looked over his shoulder.

"If I knew," he said softly, "then it means you should’ve known too."

The doors slid shut, sealing the room behind him in silence.

Outside, as the elevator descended, he adjusted his cufflinks and took a slow breath. The performance was done. Now, it was time to meet Qingran. The real work was just beginning.

By the time Feng Yizhou stepped back into the SUV waiting outside the council high-rise, the sky had darkened into a bruised twilight.

The air was heavier now, tainted by the smoke drifting from Sector Four and the faint copper sting of blood that no filter could fully erase.

He didn’t speak at first, just signaled to the driver.

The convoy pulled away from the looming tower of power, the sleek silence of the vehicle a stark contrast to the rising chaos beyond its windows.

Feng Yizhou’s expression remained unreadable.

He hadn’t expected cooperation from the council,but their desperation had confirmed something else: they were just as powerless as the people they governed.

The facade was crumbling, and they were clinging to it like it might shield them from what was coming.

His comm device buzzed.

He answered without checking, knowing who it would be.

"Finished?" Qingran’s voice came through, steady but quiet.

"Yes." he replied. "They’re exactly what you’d expect. More interested in appearances than answers. If know exactly what they’re doing and still acting innocent."

"What did they ask?"

He let out a soft breath, fingers drumming against the armrest. "If I knew. If I’d heard anything. If I was going to help."

Qingran didn’t laugh, but he could hear it in her silence.

"And what did you say?"

"That I came to observe." he said. "Which is true."