Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 420: The purpose of attendance.

Sunshine could see how the animal spy network would be a problem. It seemed funny now but as time went on, people would turn on the animals.

"Have you heard about Hilda Gunning?" Lisha asked her.

Sunshine shook her head. "She is the wife of Hades’ former CFO. That is all I know about her."

Lisha laughed. "Yeah well, she has three pit bulls, very big dogs. I don’t know what she did, but they told Zulu and apparently demanded walks on command in order to keep the secret.

Poor Hilda has been seen walking those mutts at odd hours in the night, half asleep. She is already threatening to skin and turn them into stew."

Sunshine raised her brows.

"Hasn’t Major Elio told you that he recently adopted a cat for his daughter?" Lisha asked her. Without waiting, she added, "It was well behaved at first. But as soon as it learned his secret...." she pointed to her eyes, "It told Zulu who relayed the threat that it wanted only gourmet tuna going forward or else it will shred everything in the house."

Sunshine gasped. "He did not tell me that."

"Because the genesis of the problem is Zulu." Lisha replied strongly. "That special identity you gave that damn the parrot is becoming a problem."

They drifted into a long, chaotic rant about the parrot_ how it had the personality of a spoiled politician and the vocabulary of a seasoned soldier.

"Look," Lisha said slowly as the rant was wrapped up, "Zulu is actually afraid of you and the watchers. All that bravado she displays in your presence is pretense. You need to step up and remind that damn bird who the leader of this base is Suni. Spank that bird, freeze her small legs or tape her beak shut."

Sunshine wondered how she would pull that off. Perhaps some grounding, wing clipping. They stared at each other for a long, loaded moment, both imagining that scenario. Both knowing deep inside that Zulu would ignore the message and then return to doing whatever she wanted like a rebellious toddler with feathers.

They burst out laughing at the uselessness of it all.

"I will find a way." Sunshine said finally. "Maybe I could suppress Zulu’s ability to talk for a while. That might scare her into behaving."

Once again, they laughed. But, at least they had found a temporary solution.

"I am staying over, FYI." Lisha declared, making herself comfortable on the couch.

"Actually, you are not." Sunshine decided to share her plan for the evening_ her outrageous, slightly petty, but deeply satisfying plan.

She was going to hijack Jon’s base-warming party and turn it into her event. She didn’t know how yet, but she would figure it out.

Lisha’s eyes lit up like someone had plugged her into a generator. She said she was in, absolutely, without question, and immediately launched into a chaotic brainstorming session about what they could wear_ color schemes, accessories, possible hairstyles, maybe matching outfits.

Sunshine groaned and let herself collapse onto the couch like a bag of exhausted laundry. She did not care what she wore_ overalls, jeans, a T-shirt, she would even wear a potato sack if it meant she could rest for five minutes.

Lisha kept talking excitedly, waving her spoon like a wand, but Sunshine’s eyes grew heavier and heavier until her brain simply checked out and she fell asleep.

A few moments later, Hades returned home to find his cousin cuddling his wife. Both of them fast asleep. He covered them with a blanket, cleared the mess Lisha had made and went to pick up the children from wherever they were scattered.

****

That evening, a truck parked in front of Jon’s house_ though calling it a house was generous. Jon had expanded it and turned it into a mini mansion. Like other billionaires, he had bought the housing rights of his neighbors because an ordinary sized house was too uncomfortable for him.

The billionaires had been clever enough to pay rent to Sunshine for the houses. With the expansion of the base, she let them have their way for once.

Invited guests were arriving for the party, all dressed in their best clothing for the Great Gatsby theme. Feathers, glitter, jewels, suspenders_ everyone looked like they had crawled out of a 1920’s fashion magazine.

Soldiers that were keeping guard could only sigh as they witnessed the wealthy continuing to live as if there was no apocalypse outside.

"Did you hear that they are going to build villas in Westbrook town?" A woman asked another.

"I heard about it. My husband is planning to invest in the project with Jin and the others. Anyway, most of our old mansions were probably ruined already. It makes sense to buy new houses."

The ordinary people that could not afford to buy villas in the apocalypse pretended not to hear them. The billionaires were contributing to the rebuilding of the nation and base. That was all that mattered.

Sunshine, sitting in the car behind the truck, tugged irritably at the fringed flapper dress she had been forced to wear. The gold tassels jingled every time she breathed. She wasn’t sure if she felt more like a Christmas tree or a disgruntled chandelier.

Hades, beside her in his black suit and fedora, smirked. "Second thoughts?"

"Third, fourth, fifth... I stopped counting," she muttered. "But I like money so...." she added a shrug.

He groaned and leaned forward. He didn’t want to attend either, but Sunshine had insisted. "Let’s just focus on auctioning the advanced heat suits tonight for high prices."

Lisha clapped excitedly from the back seat. She wore a sparkling silver dress with a feather headband that kept slipping. "Remember why we’re here," she chirped. "To get those rich folks to spend their money. All of it! Preferably tonight."

"Let’s get it done with," Sunshine sighed as they stepped out.

They hadn’t even reached the steps when the door swung open, revealing Trevor. He stood stiffly, wearing a black suit with a long-tailed coat, white gloves and a miserable expression—as though Jon’s secretary was the worst thing he could imagine being in life.

Behind him, Jon’s foyer had vanished. In its place shimmered a world of black, gold, and decadent jazz. Streamers dripped like molten gold from chandeliers. The walls glowed with warm amber lights. Tables were decorated with mountains of shiny pearls and overflowing champagne towers. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The floor sparkled with flecks of glitter that promised to stay on one’s skin for days. Even the air smelled expensive_ like old perfume, whiskey, and desperation too please.

Trevor lifted his chin. "Password?" he intoned.

Sunshine blinked. "What password? Step out of the way."

Lisha raised a hand dramatically. "Rich in the apocalypse."

Trevor grinned approvingly. "Welcome."

Sunshine rolled her eyes. Even the password was as ridiculous as the man that was throwing the party.

"Maybe we can steal a few more paintings from him." Hades whispered to Sunshine.

She chuckled.

Inside, Jon practically teleported toward them. "You’re here! Fantastic_ wait... why is there a truck on my lawn? I spent thirty thousand dollars on the fake grass and flowers! Why are those men carrying boxes in....."

But his question died, because Lisha had already pulled out a megaphone.

She did not believe in subtlety. Or dignity.

"This is Lisha Quinn, here for serious business. Music off!" she commanded.

The jazz screeched to a halt. Heads turned. Feathers wobbled. Someone gasped as their champagne sloshed.

"Everyone gather around, take your seats or stay on your feet. Whatever you prefer." Lisha continued brightly.

People drifted closer, muttering.

Jon rubbed his temples, suddenly realizing that the Quinns had come with other intentions.

"We are gathered here," Lisha began, as though officiating a wedding, "because the heat is about to get terrible. And by terrible, I mean fried-eggs-on-your-forehead terrible."

Nervous chuckles rippled through the room. Some people tugged at their outfits as though they were uncomfortable and it was already hot.

"As people of great caliber and significant resources and means, we have plans to help you sail through these days with zero discomfort." she pointed to them theatrically.

Sheldon in a bejeweled tuxedo raised his glass proudly.

"Not just comfort..." Lisha’s voice deepened dramatically as she paced from side to side like an overzealous preacher, "...you can get through it in style."

Someone snorted. "Cut to the chase."

"Ah!" Lisha said, raising a finger. "Someone is impatient and itching to throw money at me. Every woman’s kind of man."