Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm

"You know, I was really looking forward to seeing this new world," he continued, meticulously wiping each and every finger until it was clean. He placed the cloth on the table, and instead of returning it to my space, I set the thing on fire. 

Liu Yu Zeng was about to open his mouth when he quickly turned to look at me. "Are you okay?" he asked, completely ignoring the mini-boss kneeling in front of him.

"Fine," I said with a wave of my hand. "The smell is just setting me off."

"Should we just burn everything and go someplace else?" he asked, taking his hand in mine. I wouldn\'t like to say I didn\'t flinch when he first held out his hand, but once I realized that it was clean, I calmed down and gripped his hand. 

"No, that would put us behind schedule. Now, my plan for this place is to take it over," I said as if that wasn\'t the most obvious thing in the world. "The only thing I am hesitating on right now is if we keep him alive as the face or kill him and have you as the face of the club."

"If I might offer an opinion," pipped up Napoleon, "I think you should keep me alive. I have a lot of contacts that might prove useful to you."

"I am sure that you are in favor of me keeping you alive," I chuckled, taking out a cup of coffee. I was hoping the smell from the drink would overpower the rest of the stench of the place. It would definitely have to be scrubbed from top to bottom before we opened. I took a sip and smiled as the club Boss\'s eyes widened as he read it. 

I turned it around until I could read it, too. "I\'m afraid if I give up coffee, I\'ll have to replace it with murder," I read out loud. "Aren\'t you glad I am still drinking coffee?"

"Yes," he stuttered, his head bobbing up and down like a chicken\'s. "I would offer you a cup, but all I have is mud water."

"Hard pass," I said with a smile on my face. There was no way I was admitting that I was allergic to the crap to a potential rival. "I have a full supply of actual coffee, thank you very much."

"Of course, but if you ever change your mind," he continued with a strained smile. 

"You are really pushing for me to keep you around, aren\'t you?" I asked, taking another sip. I let out a small sigh as I started to feel human again. I didn\'t know what it was about the smell of blood lately that was just not agreeing with me. Maybe it was because I hadn\'t been around it for two years and had forgotten what it was like.

But no matter what, I was back in the real world now and better start getting used to it again. It was going to get a Hell of a lot worse very soon. 

"I am relatively attached to my life, yes," nodded the man.

"And yet, you pissed off my man. Not very smart of you," I pointed out, taking another sip and feeling my body relax as a result. 

"So I am learning," shrugged the Boss, still on his knees but a bit less fearful. 

"I once heard a quote that went, \'It is better to be feared than it is to be loved,\'" I said with a smile, looking at the man in front of me. "What do you think?"

"I think that it would be better to be loved," said the man, looking up at me with an adoring smile. Liu Yu Zeng growled low and rose to his feet.

"I don\'t think that my husband would approve of that. After all, a man is only as faithful as his options," I mused. I remember watching a show on the different tricks that a tyrant used to get into power and stay in power. I wasn\'t saying that I wanted to be a tyrant, but they did have some good ideas. 

Like \'useful idiot.\' I stared at the man, debating if he could be useful or was nothing more than a liability. And I was not one to keep a liability at my back.

"Alpha," I called out, and a big, round head poked up from the pile of zombies in the corner, "I have one more for you," I continued, pointing to the man in front of me. 

"Thank you," she hissed as she quickly glided over to us and, took her latest meal by his hair and pulled him away into the corner. I heard his screams and cries for a second chance, but that program also taught me something else. Always have examples for the masses to learn from. 

"Alright," I said, standing up from the booth and walking over to where the rest of the humans not involved with the fighting stood huddled. I clapped my hands sharply to get their attention focused on me and not the zombies enjoying their lunch. 

"I realize that that is probably very traumatic, but it shouldn\'t happen again," I assured them all. "After all, he had plans to take me out as soon as he could, and that just wasn\'t acceptable. Now, on to better topics. Everyone will be getting a raise once I figure out how much you are being paid," I continued, looking at the humans in front of me.

I might not be a spirit user, but manipulation was not all that hard. You just needed to know what buttons to push and when. 

"Let\'s have some lunch, and then you guys can tell me your ideas for improving the place. I am sure that you have a lot of good ones."