《I Have a Mansion in the Post-apocalyptic World》 1 A Disaster Caused by a Can of Coke Chapter 1: A Disaster Caused by a Can of Coke Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ A drop of cold sweat dripped down his forehead, as Jiang Chen stared at the massive pair of boobs in front him. They were at least size 36D. Below her eyebrows was a pair of valiant looking eyes, a beautiful nose, and a delicate mouth. However, her malicious expression certainly tainted her beauty. A pitch black pistol and a wicked looking whip, were held in her hands. If the surrounding was decorated with a few more sexually suggestive items, every man in the world would fantasize about what could happen next. Fantasize my a*s! Jiang Chens heart swelled with regret and fear. He did not feel any sense of pleasure or consider the possibility of being aroused. His pants all the sudden felt tight. He must be delusional right now. [There is no way I am a masochist.] He knew he had no weird fetishes. So, any physical reaction would be an accident in this dire situation. "Name?" The busty girl asked. She was wearing a black leather jacket, with a pair of jeans that has started to fade after too many washes. She shook her hair, as she forcefully stepped onto the chairs arm. "Jiang Chen" He swallowed, as he responded truthfully. As a civilized man himself, he has never seen a girl so barbaric. The girl raised her eyebrows. "What a girly name?" [Why dont you ask my mother? Dammit!] Of course, he could only say that in his head. He feared that the moment he opened his mouth, a bullet would create a new hole on his forehead. Yes, this hottie had a pistol on her, which made the atmosphere not even remotely romantic. "I was born in the morning, hence the name morning (Cheng) in my name," Jiang Chen mumbled. The name was not girly by any means. However, the fact that he looked very delicate, didnt contribute to his cause. Even if he had a masculine name, the contrast would be even odder. "Dont get off topic." The girl lashed the whip onto the sofa beside him. The loud cracking sound scared Jiang Chen so much, that he curled into the chair. "I am not interested in your mom." [God, you were the one that asked.] Jiang Chen swore in his mind, as his face paled. "You have the potential to be a great looking guy." the beauty smiled, as she approached him. She touched Jiang Chens face with the side of her whip. "You are going to answer my questions. If you dare to lie, I dont mind creating a few scars on your lovely face." Jiang Chens face turned red as he tried to hold back his scream. [Why do I feel so violated?] "Where are you from?" The girl questioned as she gazed directly at him. "I am from the north." Jiang Chen responded with a lie. Of course, he never believed that the girl could see through him. [ Wanghai City? Here is Wanghai City? This deserted place?] "This can of cola, where did you find it?" The girls pronunciation was odd as if she has never heard someone say Coke before. Jiang Chen felt the girls voice transform as her breathing rapidly grew. The tone was filled with an intense lust, or greed? "Coke its a type of pop." "No sh*t! I know it is pop. I am asking you, where it is from!" The girl chugged the coke. As soon as she finished, she exhaled with relief. Then she threw the can onto the ground, and lashed her whip onto the poor sofa once again. Jiang Chen stared directly at the odd looking gun pointed directly at his forehead. A drop of sweat dripped down his face. He steadied his breath as he tried to remain calm. "I cant explain that." "Do you want to die?" "Is this the way you treat someone who just saved your life?" With a sudden burst of courage, he argued back. After a brief moment of silence, she let out a slow sigh. She put the gun away and threw the whip onto the ground. "Fine, I did cross the line." Despite admitting her fault, she had no intention of letting Jiang Chen go. [Since she only whipped the sofa, she probably has no ill-intention after all.] Jiang Chen thought in his head. "Trust me. I have no harmful intentions," She said. However, Jiang Chen was uncertain about how long her conscience would last, so he continued to make up stories. "No harmful intentions?" "Like how I saved you from starvation? If I told you anything today, it would make both of our lives more complicated than it needs to be." Jiang Chen continued to respond with a secretive tone. His words left a lot to the imagination. "Haha," the girl forced a careless laugh. But the uncertainty in her eyes was clearly evident. "Maybe we can partner up! I just got here and how can I explain this. Everything here is terrible. I need a guide, and I can pay you handsomely for it." He proposed an offer with a luring hint in his voice. He was using the stick and the carrot strategy. "Oh? You are from the Northern Alliance?" The girl asked with her eyebrows raised. On this wasteland, if there are any signs of law and order; it must be the distant alliance on the northern tundra. They were not a target of the nuclear destruction, nor were there any infectious disease breakouts. Hence, order remained on the land far away. However, order was a relative term; they lacked real justice because slavery, corruption, and civil war all still existed on the land. Only the slightly higher food production made the area, made it somewhat more attractive. Overall, it was no better than the anarchic Wanghai City. "No, I am only from somewhere relatively well off. Hmm, and I am collecting some useful resources for someone. At the same time, surplus commodities are disposed- like the can of pop you just finished, or the three cans of food that you devoured clean." Jiang Chen did not continue with the disguise as a member of the Northern Alliance. What if she realized he was lying after all. The best idea right now was to say that he came from a distant place. A place that nobody visited before. The girl blushed as she heard the words "devoured clean" and she realized that her etiquette at the time must not have been the finest. She stared at Jiang Chen with a fierce look. Jiang Chen laughed as he dismissed the idea. He knew the negotiation was successful. "I dont know what you guys want in this city. All the supermarkets, storages, and even refrigerators are raided clean. There is no way you can even find one piece of bread." "My fair lady, what is your name?" Jiang Chen said, shaking his head. "Sun Jiao," She responded, as she again raised her eyebrows. With a devious smile on her face, she said, "Let me get this clear, if the partnership involves anything strange, I might blow your head up." "Dont worry, miss." Jiang Chen sighed. There was no way he would get in bed with a girl that could kill him at any moment. "I only need an experienced guide and, do you think I lack food?" "Then what exactly are you searching for? Could it be for slaves?" Sun Jiao paused for a second before she maliciously gazed at Jiang Chen. Of course, if he had plenty of food, then he must have farms or plantations, and related production facility. Sun Jiaos first instinct was that this guy might be a slave trader. Slaves were the finest labor force on the wasteland and slave trading was considered to be the norm. However, Sun Jiao thoroughly hated slave trading because a slave trader abducted her sister. It would be fine if she got sold into a factory, but if she got sold into prostitution or even to the cannibals, it would be a complete nightmare. "No, no, no. This is a complete misunderstanding," Jiang Chen explained. "I dont need slaves. I need technology." "Technology?" Sun Jiao seemed confused. "Yes, technology. Just like the laser gun you are holding and the computer on your arm. While we have those things, we cant produce them ourselves. Therefore, we decided to come to this deserted city to find some old technology." "These things?" Jiang Chen''s question caused a mixture of confusion and suspicion. "These things are hard to make? In Liuding Town, a lot of people can assemble these." [Dammit,] Jiang Chen swore in his mind, but he remained calm. "That was only an example. Our technology in food production and transportation is highly advanced, but our general technology is rather lackluster. Which is why I am here." He explained, impressed by his improvisation as it was far better than he thought. He noticed that while this world had previously made significant technological advancements in the past, the civilization was in complete ruins after the nuclear war. Especially since infections broke out across the land, it was a miracle that humanity still existed. The state of this wasteland after the fallout was rather strange. Highly advanced levitated cars existed simultaneously with internal combustion engine vehicles. While some advanced technology were preserved, the civilization undoubtedly regressed. "Whatever." Sun Jiao shrugged. With interest in her voice, she opened her mouth. "Now, lets talk about my compensation." "What do you want to be paid in," After a short pause, Jiang Chen asked. He was unsure what the currency was in this world. "C-type battery, food, and crystals are all fine. Though personally, I prefer food." Sun Jiao responded. Then with desire filled eyes, she asked, "Oh, do you have more of those curry chicken?" "You finished them all." Jiang Chen sighed with a fake heartbroken look. He has never even seen batteries or crystals before. So without a doubt, food would be the best choice. "Oh, I am sorry," Sun Jiao said with an awkward tone. All of a sudden, she turned back into her usual malicious character and forcefully stepped onto the armrest. Then she bargained, "salary will be ten cans of food per month. You are also responsible for my meals!" "Deal!" Jiang Chens direct response made Sun Jiao guilty about her rather unreasonable demand. Although on this wasteland only fools had a conscience, conscience always existed inside peoples heart. Cruelty was only a protective response for survival. "I will be responsible for your safety." Sun Jiao added as guilt overwhelmed her. [No sh*t! If I die, who will pay you?] Jiang Chen responded viciously in his head. The compensation was nothing for him, but it would still cost him around one hundred dollars. "Ok, my beautiful bodyguard, can you untie me now?" The crisis was finally alleviated as Jiang Chen finally let out a long sigh. His limbs almost losing all sense of feeling. Sun Jiao casually took out a dagger and sliced through the rope. Jiang Chen moved a little as he stared at Sun Jiao with a sad look. Then, he went and picked up his empty backpack. Sun Jiao forced an awkward smile and pretended that she never searched his bag. "Whats next? Get out of here?" "Get out? Why? This will be our temporary meeting location." Outside the window, the mega metropolis already lost its liveliness. The once crowded streets were now empty, without a soul in sight. The endless amount of zombies replaced what was once a vibrant city. The occasional howl and scream from unknown creatures also traversed through the dead city. Guns fired in the not so far off distance, mixed with barely audible noises. In the city permeated with death, familiar battles occurred every day. Zombies against humans, humans against humans Through the undusted stained window, Jiang Chen saw the danger, the death, and the opportunity of gold everywhere. 2 Interdimensional Bracele Chapter 2: Interdimensional Bracelet Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ The universe existed as a multiverse. A butterflys wing in the Amazon rain forest may have caused the tornado in UA Texas. The butterfly effect could exaggerate any small changes to infinity. It could alter the path of the future. Therefore, the understanding of the future is extremely uncertain and relative. Jiang Chen, Male, 23 years old. An undergraduate student. He spent some time after graduation as a sales associate in a clothing store but has since been laid-off. The increased financial pressure forced him to make a difficult decision: to search for another job in Wanghai City or to go back to his hometown. In his opinion, he did not want to give up so easily. To live in a major metropolis like Wanghai City was his dream since he was a child, and it was also what his parents expected. For someone that did not experience the world yet, he was eager to explore what the world had to offer. However, he knew that the journey would be difficult. He got drunk. It was the first time since graduation where he drank alone till he passed out. After he let out all his frustration and sorrow, dizziness struck his head, and he became immediately unconscious. An unknown metal object directly hit his arm and fused with it. It disappeared as quickly as it has appeared. It was almost as if it never existed in the first place. Then, he discovered a peculiar ability C time and dimensional travel Of course, it took him several months before he realized it. The strange looking pattern surrounded his right wrist like a watch. If one examined it carefully, the bracelet was shaped like an odd looking tattoo. Then it obviously something was wrong because he never had a tattoo. He did not know why he became the chosen one. However, he understood at that moment, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Time travel? Dimensional travel? He didnt have enough knowledge to understand these strange phenomenas. But one time he was struck by electricity and felt completely fine. That was when he discovered the tattoos empty bar filled up after absorbing around 100 voltages of power. Then, it met the requirements to perform "multiverse travel." Multiverse travel itself costed half of the energy. Therefore, completely filling 100 voltages of electricity would allow for a round trip through time and dimensions at the expense of around 50 dollars. It was very economical. Not only did the tattoo had the ability to travel, but it also contained an alternative dimension that he could visit at any time. Hence, it was a storage dimension roughly one square meter cubed size. But because it costed energy to store and retrieve items, Jiang Chen preferred to use a backpack to store items. If he was not careful and lost the means to charge the energy in the apocalyptic world, then there was no way to come home. Jiang Chen had a feeling that the energy storage could be upgraded, including the storage dimension. The functionality definitely could also be improved. He just didnt understand how at the moment. Charging the power was simple. Jiang Chen only needed to put his finger into an electric socket. Although this was not aesthetically pleasing in any way, it was perfect for getting the job done. How did he figure out? Like mentioned before, it was completely by accident. The first time he time traveled, he found himself in an abandoned residence. The dust covered bed along with the corroded furniture spelled the timeliness of the place. He checked his surroundings as he began examining this timeworn house. With the information from a half-broken storage tape and old newspapers lying around, he gained some partial understanding of this world. This world was a parallel universe similar to earth. However, the technology was clearly far more advanced. High rise buildings spanned across the landscape, but there were no traces of any civilization. Zombies and mutants occupied the once busy streets. Jiang Chen did not dare to step out without a weapon. The time was the year 2190; the location was still Wanghai City. However, the difference between the two time periods was night and day. The year 2150, global warming intensified. Excessive extraction caused shortages in all kinds of resources. An economic crisis ensued. The year 2164, a political crisis in Poland triggered a war between Europe and Hua. The red army began invading westwards. The global politics, as a result, were in a tense period. It was worth mentioning that in this parallel universe, USSR was not dissolved in 1991, hence the global politics were divided into three organizations. First, UA-led alliances known as NATO, a Soviet-led Europa known as CCCP, and lastly, the Han formed PCA with the Southeast Asian countries. The rest of the forces remained independent. The year 2171, the tension on Europa escalated as the CCCP declared war on the PCA. Both parties accused the others of initiating the warfare which caused the start of the third world war. In the same winter, Hua and Japan launched a naval war over the conflict in the South Hua Sea. NATO and CCCP declared cooperation as fires spread across Asia. That year, Mongolia experienced a political crisis which caused further escalation between CCCP and PCA, with both sides amassing tremendous firepower on the borders. The year 2172, the first nuclear weapon was detonated by the CCCP in Paris, which officially brought the third world war into tactical nuclear warfare. The year 2173, this modern warfare was in a surprising stalemate. The entire world experienced nuclear fallout as the habitable, without a doubt, received significant destruction. The nuclear winter covered 80% of the land in snow. Nobody thought that such an ironic cause would end global warming. Refugees, starvation, diseases were all symptoms of this modern warfare. It only took two years to destroy humanity entirely. The total economic losses far exceeded the combined losses of the previous world wars. Due to this, peace came without a decisive victory for either side. Everyone knew that if the war continued, no one would survive. New Year 2174, a peace treaty was negotiated and enacted. "Habitat Revitalization Program" was established to remove nuclear fallout. All nations participated in the funding of the program. Fall of year 2174, the United Nations announced the abortion of the ""Habitat Revitalization Program" as the cells used to remove nuclear waste experienced uncontrolled mutation. At the same time, due to the attack by unknown militants, the mutated cells began to spread into major cities. The infected humans turned into zombies, as the human civilization entered a biological apocalypse. The law and order that once governed civilization, shattered in days. The year 2176, The United Nations sent six colony exploration ships towards Kepler B in Alpha Centauri. These ships contained the last hope for civilization. These ships were meant to plant a seed in the universe, in hopes of finding a new world. However, this was completely irrelevant for the humans still fighting on the ground. In the same year, the United Nations were dissolved. The information contained in the newspaper only lasted till the year 2176. The remainder of the news came from an ancient diary. From the electronic clock that still ticked in the drawer, the time was June 2190. By coincidence, the world he lived in was also June. But within this timeline, civilization destroyed itself in just five years After he had made a brief stop, Jiang Chen chose to return to the modern world. There were too many unknown dangers that it would be unwise to continue. He must first be thoroughly prepared. After he had rested for two days, he bought a box of canned food, a box of sausages, and a box of instant noodles. Even if he did not consider staying overnight at the dangerous place, he brought three days of food, just to be safe. The zombies during the day time seemed to have lost the majority of their powers. It eased the exploration in that area, as Jiang Chen carefully stepped across the middle of the street. He avoided the area concentrated with zombies before he found a mansion. The high wall and Iron Gate made it look very safe. The yellow grass on the ground made the place look fairly outdated. The marble sculptures by the gate were no longer recognizable due to the corrosion from the acid rain. It was evident that the world was filled with pollution. As to why he chose this place in particular? The answer was quite obvious. The rich looking mansion would contain some valuable items. To his surprise, he did not find anything valuable, but he did find a girl that was almost starved to death. Maybe it was because of the girls beauty that caused him to put his guard down, or because of his experience from the civilized world that made him not think about the possible danger. When he saw the despair in the girls eyes, she looked so powerless. He took out a bottle of water from his bag and fed her the water slowly. [Saving the girl is the most important priority because maybe she will marry me in the end?] Immediately, Jiang Chen took out the curry chicken from his bag. After the girl had smelled the aroma from the can, the same wimpy eyes looked at Jiang Chen filled with despair. He was a virgin himself, so there was no way he could have resisted the seduction, especially when a beautiful girl gazed at him with her watery eyes. He felt a wave of joy both spiritually and physically. So he took out his spoon in good heart and began feeding the girl with the flawless body. After well, there was nothing after. Jiang Chen deeply regretted his decision. The girls action accurately defined the story of the farmer and the snake. After going through a couple of pieces of bread and a canned curry chicken, the girl whipped out the pistol without hesitation. She pressed the gun against Jiang Chens forehead as Jiang Chen was shocked in place. She then skillfully tied him onto the chair, as she interrogated Jiang Chen with what once belong to the former mansion owner, the whip. Now, Jiang Chen realized what it meant to be carrying a full bag of food. He was fortunate that he met Sun Jiao who still had some conscience. If he instead met some cannibals or slave traders, he probably would have ended up as either food or product. Of course, Jiang Chen could always activate the tattoo and travel back, but that meant his biggest secret would be exposed. If this girl "camped spawn," then he could face even more danger. He did not want to give up this "treasure land." Also, it took time to activate the time travel function. If the girl realized that something was wrong, there was no guarantee that she would not pull the trigger. He didnt want to risk it. The good thing was that they were able to reach an agreement. "How would you transport the supplies here?" Sun Jiao questioned with confusion in her voice while reinforcing the mansions external defense. "Of course my partners have ways to do so, you dont have to worry about it." Jiang Chen continued to bullshit. The mansion had quite a bit of cash, but the value of cash in this world was drastically different compared to the original world. Jiang Chen wanted to look for gold and other valuables, but it was evident that the previous owner did not store any at home. The painting on the wall may be quite expensive, but of course, these artists did not exist in the world Jiang Chen belongs to yet. So these painting would be worthless. The mansion, however, did contain some highly advanced electronics such as a hologram TV and automatic cooking equipment. But he soon realized that none of it functioned properly, so Sun Jiao was quick to answer his confusion. "Oh, these things " After the nuclear explosion, the majority of the electronics ceased to function. But some parts were quite useful and valuable for the survivors. Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he gave up on the plan of selling these electronics in the modern world. However, since these existed before, there must be someone who could produce this equipment again. Jiang Chen knew that if he traded with food, there would be plenty of "geniuses" that would be willing to work for him. In this apocalyptic world, these skills were worth almost nothing. For those technologists, if it was not high-end military weaponry knowledge, their life was no different than someone who lived in the slump. Sun Jiao didnt know what Jiang Chen saw in this mansion. Nevertheless, since her employer said that work needed to be done, she didnt refuse. "Let me be honest here; there is not much value in reinforcing this structure. If we dont make a lot of noise, those brainless zombies will not find their way here. The area is also free from powerful mutants. This is a complete waste of" "Enough, I am not preventing the zombies. I know that if I dont bother those disgusting things, they will not go out of their way to bother me. I am preventing intruders because I am pretty sure you dont want your throat slit while you are sleeping." He rambled as he gave Sun Jiao a hard stare. "Okay boss." Sun Jiao rolled her eyes as she hammered the last nail into the wood. She wanted to argue that nobody would bother entering into these buildings because they have obviously been looted. As to why she is here, that was her secret. "Do you have the map of this place?" Jiang Chen crossed his legs as he sat on the moldy sofa. He did not feel the slightest guilt for making a girl work this hard. It certainly was not the most enjoyable experience having a gun pointed at his head. Sun Jiao was experienced in this type of work. She quickly reinforced the mansion with any materials she found. "Whats your EP? I can directly send it to you." "EP?" Jiang Chen was confused. "It is this thing." Sun Jiao pointed at the computer on her arm. She grinned as if she had heard a joke. "You dont have one?" "... I can buy one," Jiang Chen forced a smile. He felt uncivilized in front of this girl. "Thats hard to imagine that you have the courage to explore the city without EP. Are you not afraid of the radiation level?" Sun Jiao sighed as she took out what looked like a large electronic watch from her backpack. She threw it to Jiang Chen. "Try it out." "Seems fittingwhere did you get it?" Jiang Chen played with the EP. He was amazed by this worlds technological advancement, as the EP was as light as a feather. The crystal screen displayed Jiang Chens biological stats. It seemed to be a health monitor device. "I found it from an unlucky guys body." Sun Jiao grinned. The smile was certainly delightful, but a shiver went down Jiang Chen spine as if he just saw the devil. **** User Name: Jiang Chen Muscle Strength: 12 Bone Strength: 10 Reflex: 11 Brain Cell Strength: 14 Radiation Level: 11 (Safe) Irregular Status: None **** Cold sweat appeared on his forehead as he saw the radiation level. He almost forgot that radiation saturated the world from top to bottom. He wasnt clear as to what it meant by a radiation level of 11, but he knew that before coming here, there was no way he could have been exposed to radiation. "None of your abilities exceed 20 Come on, are you even a man?" Sun Jiao glanced at Jiang Chen with an arrogant expression. "Do you want to try?" Jiang Chen responded with a furious voice. "I am standing right here, why dont you try?" Sun Jiao stepped onto the armrest of the sofa again, her eyes full of defiance. [There was no way I will let this go. Nah, it it better to stay calm.] Jiang Chen was quick to admit defeat. There was no way he could beat this "barbaric" girl. Even if the slim possibility became a reality that they did hookup, he had to prevent the girl from biting his dick off. He was confident that she would do it, if given the chance. For these types of enjoyable actions, it would be more appropriate to do it in the modern world. If he had the money, girls would follow. For no apparent reason, a person popped into Jiang Chens head. A girl who fired him and made him lose his source of income. The girl who made life in Wanghai City miserable. The girl who always held a bit*h face and a terrible attitude. "What happened, my little boss, why are you silent all of a sudden?" Sun Jiao emphasized on the word little as she looked at him mockingly. "Nothing. I just remembered something from the past." Sun Jiao, surprised by the calm voice that answered, felt a chill run down her spine. Although she was not afraid of the guy that didnt even hit 20 in any aspects of combat, her years of fighting instinct rarely lied. Sun Jiao was smart to keep her silence. There was no reason to offend free food. Life without the need to worry about food was something Sun Jiao never imagine. That curry chicken was amazingly delicious. On this wasteland, it would be fortunate to have a single piece of bread. The majority of the people here lived off of nutrient supplies. Something that never made you full, but kept you alive. Also, the immature boss seemed like a genuine person. Dont be confused, the word genuine person had an adverse connotation on the wasteland. However, much to her surprise, she would rather spend time with "Mr. Good Man" than the "normal" wasteland person. At least she did not need to worry about waking up and realizing that she was tied up. She thought about it, and with her slightly cracked lip, she let slip a small but delightful laugh. "Lady, could you not laugh so maliciously?" He didnt know why, even though her smile was beautiful, it made Jiang Chen shiver. "Did I? Dont you think I am very attractive?" "Do I answer yes, or no" Jiang Chen murmured as he stared at the gorgeous face. 3 I Need Gold Chapter 3: I Need Gold Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ The next morning, Sun Jiao was delegated by Jiang Chen to explore the commercial banking building near Qingpu. Sun Jiao was curious as to what was at the bank, and Jiang Chen answered with a direct response. "I need the gold from there." The world here was full of treasure. Any of the civilian products could easily out tech the prototypes in the science labs back in the modern world. But, it was impractical to sell it there. Therefore, a highly valuable commodity that exchanged smoothly would be gold. Jiang Chen guessed that in a structureless apocalyptic world, gold had no practical value. In a place where everyone starved, no one would trade food for some shiny metal. He was absolutely correct. Sun Jiao wanted to know what gold was good for, but Jiang Chen did not want to share. So, she stopped being persistent about the question. A small incident also happened in the morning. After she opened her eyes, Jiang Chen placed a piece of bread in front of Sun Jiao. Sun Jiao snagged the toast as she looked at Jiang Chen cautiously. "Speak your mind, what do you want?" "Want? Didnt you say I have to take care of your meals?" Jiang Chen rolled his eyes up. He was not that desperate to sleep with someone that could bite his dick off. Once he had the money in the modern world, girls would follow. She was shocked for a brief moment before she realized it was part of the compensation package. "This is breakfast. Three meals a day, but you probably have to eat outside for lunch. Let me grab a can for you." Even if this girl completely looted the bag, there was still food in the storage dimension. There was plenty of energy left to grab a can. Sun Jiao was genuinely surprised. Her eyes felt watery. She saw too many tragedies and deaths over food, but this was the first time someone was afraid that she would go hungry. She grabbed the canned food. Sun Jiao didn''t want to look Jiang Chen in the eyes. She had the intention of robbing this guy and using him as a hostage in exchange for food from his partner. Even though she immediately rejected that thought, the idea still indeed existed. She felt a profound sense of guilt. "Breakfast What is breakfast?" Sun Jiao feasted on the bread with her mouth full of food. She looked quite barbaric, but it was a rather amusing sight to see. "If you dont eat breakfast, it may increase your chance of getting stomach diseases." Jiang Chen muttered as he almost ignored that this was a different world. Most of the people were used to the uncertainty of food. "If you eat food in the morning, it would make you more energetic." "Thank you." "Huh?" The voice was so faint that he couldnt entirely make out what she said. "Nothing." Sun Jiao licked the crumbs off of her lips as she savored the last piece of the bread. She looked at her rather greasy hands but resisted the temptation to lick her fingers. It was the first time she had the strange desire to save her face. She didnt want someone to think she was barbaric, although that wasnt necessarily the right way to put it either. "I will do my best to find the gold in the banks vault but it would be much harder to move them back here. " Yes, this deserted city was full of abandoned vehicles. The EMP created by the nuclear weapon had destroyed the majority of the electronics in this city. Advanced technology became an obstacle to survival as the cars on the street were all products of the advancement. Even the internal combustion cars were integrated with high tech parts. Therefore, these cars were completely useless. Without the proper maintenance and replacement by a professional, it was almost impossible to find a drivable car. "Be careful. The goal is to understand the area. I want to know the surroundings and the exact location of the gold. That should be all. Try to come back before it gets dark." "Ok, I know." Sun Jiao waved her hand as she inspected her equipment one last time. "Wanghai Citys night is full of danger. These zombies are much more intelligent without sunlight." "Oh, can I see your EP status?" As Sun Jiao was about to depart, Jiang Chen opened his mouth and asked all of a sudden. He was curious as to what kind of ridiculous stats this girl had to beat him in one move. Surprised, Sun Jiao immediately waved her EP. Jiang Chen was stunned. **** User Name: Sun Jiao Muscle Strength: 44 Bone Strength: 61 Reflex: 40 Brain Cell Strength: 13 Note: Level C Repair Vaccine, T-Virus Vaccine. **** Jiang Chen never imagined that her delicate arms could exert three times his strength. Was that even humanly possible?! After he made sure Sun Jiao left, Jiang Chen immediately traveled back to the modern world. The time in both worlds was parallel. Therefore, it flowed at the same rate. The battery, of course, cannot be charged in the apartment. As it would take who knows how long to charge 100 volts there. If Sun Jiao did not find him after she came back, there would be a lot of trouble. Thus, to charge, he had to steal electricity from elsewhere. He sneaked into a small power substation in a neighboring community. With a profound sense of guilt, he cut open the rubber that transported electricity. He then sighed deeply, as he placed his right hand onto the wire. The open current caused a flurry of sparks. The energy bar on his wrist was charged almost immediately. But of course, the entire communitys power jumped. "Dammit, whats wrong with the electricity company? Why did the power jump again? My ranked game" "Why do we have no power again? I am pissed" Waves of roars emerged from the neighboring community as residents searched for the cause. Without even closing the lid to the power substation, Jiang Chen immediately snuck away. He chose this place because it lacked surveillance. Full of guilt, Jiang Chen escaped back into his rented apartment. "It looks like the power issue is an immediate concern. Should I ask someone to upgrade the circuit? But it would be difficult to explain the situation without causing suspicion. Should I move to another place? Or rent somewhere that can sustain large voltage machinery? Dammit, it would be better if I could replace electricity as the source of power." To better visualize the remaining battery, Jiang Chen used a ruler to mark the energy bar with small increments. Jiang Chen packed the food into his backpack as he envisioned his life in the future. At the same time, he ordered boxes of canned food, instant noodles and bread from Taobao. Jiang Chen looked at his near zero bank account balance, but he was not upset at all. He understood that very soon, the money he just spent would be pocket change for him in the future. The entire banks gold! That would be a lot of money. The only thing close to resembling his feeling was winning the lottery. He also brought bandages, medicine, and other medical supplies. He estimated that he would spend quite some time in the post-apocalyptic world. He then spent 10% of the energy to pack two boxes of canned food and four boxes of instant noodle into the storage dimension. Although it took energy to store, it was better to be prepared. He lit up a cigarette, as he placed his finger into the electrical socket. He waited as the battery charged. It would be a hassle to steal electricity again. To pass the time, he played with the computer folded around his left arm. The radiation level concerned Jiang Chen. He did not want to be exposed to possible diseases caused by radiation. He opened the help manual for radiation levels and studied through the notes. To his surprise, once the radiation level surpassed level 50, the users health would be affected. It was recommended to store some iodine in the EP to reduce radiation exposure. He pressed the iodine extraction button as a thin needle appeared from the side of the EP. He had studied it before he placed the needle into the iodine alcohol on the counter. The color of the iodine alcohol began fading, as it slowly turned colorless. He stared at the slow moving iodine meter and the reduced radiation level. Surprised by the outcome, the problem that bothered him was easily solved. In this case, he only needed to purchase some iodine pills from the pharmacy to resolve the radiation problem. The fully charged Jiang Chen stretched his arms. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a few ingredients from the fridge. He cooked tomato fried eggs and pepper roasted meat, and sat down to enjoy his lunch with a cold beer. He gulped down the beer and let out an emotional sigh. This simple meal would cost countless amounts of gold in the apocalypse. In that troubled world, gold would not be more valuable than rock. From Sun Jiaos pure joy and satisfaction in devouring that can of food, Jiang Chen knew how important food must be in that world. Jiang Chen imagined taking out a can of food at Liuding Town, and the countless attractive women that would sleep with him. He finished the last bite of rice. He chewed on it carefully, as his mind wandered elsewhere. [If world war three broke out in this world, what happened in the apocalyptic world would be repeated.] He shivered at the thought and was afraid to think further. "Haha, why did I start to think about these weird questions? I need to figure my life out first," he mocked at himself as he shook his head. The first important step was to get the gold and then convert it into currency. Then, spend some time enjoying the life of a millionaire. The first step would be to buy a mansion. A car would be necessary too. Girlfriend? Why worry about that when theres so much money? Jiang Chen washed the dishes before putting them away neatly. He then picked up his heavy backpack. Time travel. Wait. He seemed to have thought of something. He opened the fridge and grabbed a can of coke. Time travel initiated. 4 Gold Bar Chapter 4: Gold Bar Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ It took only a second, before Jiang Chen stepped onto the dusty hardwood floor. He checked the energy bar on his wrist. To his surprise, it only cost him 40% this time to complete the travel. Maybe the energy storage upgraded with the number of the times charged? Jiang Chen shook his head. It was great news for him, but he couldnt why it happened. As he sat on the luxurious sofa, he enjoyed the comfortable life not common in the modern world. He lit a cigarette and watched time pass. From the mold-filled window, Jiang Chen saw a glimpse of Sun Jiaos shadow in the distance. He took out his binoculars to confirm before he opened the door to let her in. "This is the gold you wanted." He caught the bag and both of his hands suddenly dropped. Happiness overflowed his heart, as the bag was hefty. The bag weighed at least a couple of kilograms, but the girl threw it like a volleyball. The amount of power she possessed was daunting. Jiang Chen glanced at her arms. Her slim arms didnt contain any signs of muscle. "That was so tiring. The bank had zombies everywhere. It took me almost two batteries of ammo to completely get rid of those gross creatures. The vault was also sealed by a heavy layer of steel boards that I couldnt open. I got these gold bars from the VIP room." Sun Jiao wiped the sweat off of her forehead and threw her backpack onto the ground. Even if the gold bars only weighed a couple of kilograms, combined with her equipment and supply, she almost encumbered 20 kilograms while traversing the long distance. "Catch!" "Hmm? This is " Sun Jiao caught the coke as she gazed at him. "You seemed to have liked it." He was a bit embarrassed after Sun Jiao stared at him for so long. Her lips moved without a word. After moments of silence, she resumed her usual boldness. She opened the can and took a big sip out of the coke. "Gulp, Gulp Haha, this is awesome. This weather is so ridiculously hot. Hmm, this is cold?" Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen suspiciously. "The fridge in the kitchen is still usable. The photocell and solar panel is working in this place." He did not lie about this. Even though most of the electronics were destroyed, the power system somehow remained intact. Maybe someone lived here and fixed some of the electronics. But from the layers of dust on the ground, that was a long time ago. "Thats fine. You wouldnt tell me where this Coke came from even if I asked." Sun Jiao waved her hand to dismiss the thought. "Ok, whats next? If we were to blow open the vault and move the gold here, it would take some professional help. At least, we need powerful explosives, or skilled hackers to break the electronic lock." "Where can we find them?" The explosives were a problem. It was almost impossible to buy them in large quantities in the modern world because of its restrictive nature, especially given Jiang Chens social status. "A lot of survivor bases have them, like Liuding Town." Envy flowed out of her eyes, as she gazed into the distance. "Thats a place people consider fun, even on wasteland" "Is it far from here?" "Not too far, but a bit expensive. Except for the resident who owns the property and the labor who lost their freedom, visitors must pay one energy unit worth of crystals, or equivalently priced items to enter." "One energy unit of crystals?" Jiang Chen was confused. "Its this thing." Sun Jiao searched in her pocket before grabbing a piece of darkened green crystal. "This piece of crystal has about 37 energy units left. You can use EP to check. These are quite difficult to find because only powerful mutants possess them on the back of their heads. If possible, I never want to meet those things again" Creatures that made this girl afraid? The thought of it sent a shiver down Jiang Chens spine. He took the crystal and a faint attractive force pulled at his right arm. He was shocked. This thing could be used to charge the tattoo. Jiang Chens facial expression remained calm. He played with it for a moment before returning it to Sun Jiao. "What is one energy unit of crystals worth?" "One-tenth of a can of meat or half of a normal can of food, ten nutrient supplies, one c-type battery, or three battery ammo. You can exchange so many things with it. This type of energy source is considered currency by many survival bases. You could even find a woman to sleep with you there." Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen mockingly. She enjoyed teasing this little guy. "Hmm...37 energy units of crystal. Ill use four cans of food in exchange?" "Deal." Without hesitation, Sun Jiao threw the crystal into Jiang Chens hands. However, as if she just thought of something, she hesitantly explained, "Even if you have quite a lot of food, you lost out on the deal. If you ever trade like this in the future, people are going to take advantage of you" "Oh?" Jiang Chen shrugged. He didnt care too much about the three energy unit difference. "Although ten energy units is worth a can of food. It also depends on what kind it is. The majority of canned food contain mutant fish meat, or a lot of them are also filled with sand. Which are the best case scenarios. Some of the canned foods even include human meat" The voice was full of despair and numbness. Jiang Chen had difficulty breathing; he was out of words. "Curry chicken, fried pork This is the first time I have ever had these delicacies in my life." Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen full of awe. "Merchants use mutant cows to transport goods. I had the pleasure of having a meal with the beef from the mutant cows. Even the dry taste made me extremely satisfied." "I trust you," Jiang Chen voice was quiet. He felt a sudden fear overwhelm him. To Sun Jiao, he was powerless. If she desired his food, it would only take a blink of an eye to finish him. Trust? Jiang Chen felt a deafening fear overwhelm him. He almost wanted to grab the gold, travel back to the modern world, and forget everything that happened here. With the gold bars, he could live like a millionaire. He only realized now that this world was more complicated than he thought. Maybe it was because of greed, or because of a strong sense of arrogance. After a hard internal battle in his head, he calmed down and resisted the temptation to flee. His face was emotionless as he tried to disguise his fear. "Trust?" Sun Jiao laughed. However, within her eyes, there was a flicker of emotions that she couldnt hide. This distant word had long been extinct in this landscape; long buried by starvation and death. Although Jiang Chen said this valuable word to her, Sun Jiao unconsciously reacted with a disdained look. With a sigh, Sun Jiao walked into the kitchen. "Your na?veness is becoming very worrisome. However, I am not bothered by it." "" Jiang Chen was more relaxed as he heard her words. This time he made the right bet, Sun Jiao had no ill-intentions. Otherwise, she would have had plenty of time to kill him and wouldnt have waited this long. Jiang Chen finally felt relieved, from this thought that has been bothering him for the longest time. As Sun Jiao was about to reach the door, she turned around. "Since you are my employer, not only do I need to ensure your safety, I have the responsibility of preventing you from being tricked. If someone is after your wealth, that is also a problem for me. If you ever trade in the future, you should bring me." [She cares?] "Dont look at me like that! You are giving me goosebumps." Sun Jiao fled frantically from Jiang Chens sight. She ducked into the kitchen, and screamed in shock, "what! How is this possible? A fridge!" Deception, and stories, the majority of Jiang Chens responses were lies. It was to avoid the imminent trouble and danger. But the glimpse of emotion from her eyes was real. At that one glimpse, to his surprise, the bold girl was not so annoying. She was ... cute? "Stop eating canned food; tonight lets eat a fresh meal! For celebrating my first employee." Jiang Chen laughed and dashed into the kitchen, filled with an overwhelming amount of joy. Sun Jiao was stunned in front of the fridge, as she did not bother to dispute her employee status. She stared at the tomatoes and eggs in the refrigerator. Jiang Chen put these fresh ingredients in before Sun Jiao came back. "You" Sun Jiao turned her head around slow, with a dumbfounded voice. "Dont ask. I know you have a lot of questions. We can discuss this while we eat dinner. Now, do you know how to cut tomatoes?" Jiang Chen left the dazed Sun Jiao in place, as a proud smile stretched across his face. He took out a couple of tomatoes and eggs. "Tonight, we will make tomato fried eggs!" 5 Tomato Fried Eggs Chapter 5: Tomato Fried Eggs Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ The reason why he chose to cook this dish was because of his limited cooking ability. Hence, this was the only dish he was good at, since he cooked the same thing every day. [Once I have money, maybe I should hire a maid? ] Jiang Chen thought, before he got rid of the idea immediately. His secret would cause too much hysteria. Therefore, a maid would be inconvenient in hiding the truth. A girlfriend would be his priority. He thought about the gold bars in the living room, as a mischievous and happy smile appeared on his face. Sun Jiaos mind was full of questions she wanted to ask. But instead, she stared at the steaming tomatoes and sniffed the delicious fragrance- she couldnt remember how many times she had done so already. Jiang Chen already said that her questions would be answered at the dinner table. She was in no rush to know now. She cut the tomatoes silently, but uncontrollably glanced at Jiang Chen who was mixing the egg. His faint but happy smile made her heart beat a little faster. "Lightly It looks like you are going to chop through the cutting board as well" "Ah, oh." Jiang Chens voice made Sun Jiao instantly look back at the chopping board. When she realized her irregular action, she felt a mixture of rage and embarrassment. But behind those emotions, a little bit of happiness was there as well. [Happiness? What a distant word.] She almost had to trace back to her time in the survival base. Sun Jiao faintly remembered when she was young, the survival bases door was still locked and it was almost like heaven in there. No crimes, no class structure, and a society governed by Artificial Intelligence. Everyone equally shared the work and resources, and there was no conflict of interest. Everyone was kind and happy. Although people occasionally longed for the blue sky, nobody questioned their happiness. Compared to the wasteland, survival base 071 was heaven. At the time, both of her parents were still alive. She had an adorable sister that was only one year younger. After the end of the lockdown period at the survival base, they both witnessed the first ray of the sunshine that shone through the cold steel door. Then they lost each other. She later learned that a lot of bandits picked poorly defended and newly opened survival bases as raid targets. They used the remaining conscience of those people and looted their survival supplies and population. It was at the raid, that she lost her family. After that incident, she destroyed any remaining conscience she had, and became a qualified "wasteland survivor". But for some strange reason, her frozen emotions melted a little now. [Family?] Sun Jiao had an illusion that she was home. She soon realized what she was thinking and her face turned red. These past two days were the most emotional she had been in the last few years. With a bitter smile on her face, she shook her head. She then placed the sliced tomatoes into a bowl. To suppress her emotions, she only had to take a deep breath. However, the feeling that touched the softest part of her heart could no longer be hidden. Even Sun Jiao, herself, didnt realize that the man standing beside her became a bit more important in her heart. As he watched Sun Jiao devour the dish, Jiang Chen laughed at the thought. This was the first time he saw someone eat this dish with that amount of excitement. "I know you have a lot of questions. For example, why do I have so much food." Jiang Chen put down his bowl and looked at Sun Jiao quietly. "I cant explain how I feel." Sun Jiao also stopped eating as she gazed into Jiang Chens eyes. With a puzzled voice, she replied, "you gave me a feeling that its almost like you are from a fairytale." "Psh, a fairytale?" Jiang Chen was astonished. "Its from the books published before the war. In the survival base, we called them fairytales." Sun Jiao sighed as she continued to mock herself, "everyone lived in harmony, with families, friends, and even lovers. Regardless of what you think, it must be a fairytale. Like the first time sunlight shone on me, when I was seven years old." Jiang Chen was silent. He walked to the fridge and grabbed a few cans of beer. He turned around and gave her an assuring smile. "Where I am from, when people feel tired and lost, they have a drink." Sun Jiao chugged the beer as her throat let out a satisfied noise. "Grrr. This does not taste as good as Coke." "Nevertheless, it is a good way to let out your emotions. Which is a good thing at the end of the day." Jiang Chen also took a long sip of his beer. How many times did he drink alone? It wasnt until after graduation did Jiang Chen start to enjoy the feeling of tipsiness. He ventured into an unknown city, worked at an unknown company, and was burdened with the stress of work and life after he was fired. The cruel reality shattered the porcelain tower in his dream. When he received his notice of termination, he felt the world collapse around him. At least here, there was someone that drink with him. This apocalyptic world is not as bad as he imagined. The two downed cans and cans of beers to use the numbness of the alcohol to temporarily release the stress stored at the bottom of the heart. "Burp No, I feel My EP, my EP is not opening up?" "That is not the EP, that is my shoe, fool." Jiang Chen roared and snatched away the empty bowl from Sun Jiao hand and fiercely stepped on it. "You dare to take my stuff? Do you think you lived long enough? Burp" Sun Jiao smiled, drunk, while looking at Jiang Chen with her neck tilted. The frightening look instantly made Jiang Chen sober, but it was just for one instant. The intoxication gave him the courage as he threw the can backward and stood up. "Fu*k, bit*h, what am I doing wrong? Hehe Once I have money, I will tie you up and fu*k you hehe burp." Because Jiang Chen had a bowl stepped under him, he fell awkwardly to the ground. Alcohol tore away the mask that they wore to disguise themselves. Jiang Chen didnt want to think, he just wanted to express his raw emotions and the negativities from his heart. That woman, Jiang Chen was gritting his teeth, a cold and expressionless surfaced in his head again. Bang. A can hit the ground. "Who are you swearing at? Burp" Sun Jiao got under the table and climbed on top of Jiang Chen, she was laughing, drunk, with the seductive red lips breathing out the intoxicated breaths.But it was Sun Jiao in front of his eyes. The terrifying 44 strengths could easily rip Jiang Chen apart. "Get down, I want to be on the top." Jiang Chen muttered and pushed Sun Jiao who sat firmly on top of him and pushed himself up. "Hehe? Burp" Sun Jiao lost her balance and almost got thrown to the ground. The agitated Miss Sun Jiao grinned, grabbed Jiang Chens collar, and used the three times strength to flip him. "I want to be on the top." Sun Jiaos eyes narrowed and stared Jiang Chens monstrous eyes. Unexpectedly, she suddenly kissed him with force. "Fu*k! You bit my teeth" Jiang Chen muttered out, words unclear. He gave up twisting around and put his hands around Sun Jiaos waist. The giant but soft balls squished on Jiang Chens chest made breathing feel difficult. He tried to push away the annoying balls but couldnt move them by an inch. The seductive soft shape changed with his force. "Ahhh" The alcoholic smell blew on Jiang Chens face destroyed the last standing rationality. They were both drunk. Alcohol is the best emotion catalyst. Sun Jiao sucked on Jiang Chens lower lips, with passion, the 36D breasts pressed against his own chest. Sweat covered her fair neck, the sliver between their lips outlined a lustful image. The slippery tongue audaciously broke through Jiang Chens final defense in his mouth, she fought, raided Gradually, the annoying and bothersome clothes were ripped apart in the brawl. The softness of the skin made Jiang Chen roar in comfort. Perhaps because of the masculine nature, he wanted to push the beauty on top of him on the ground, but the powerful Miss Sun Jiao pressed on his arm to stop his wish coming true. Her beautiful pupils narrowed and she forcefully pulled on Jiang Chens belt. She sat across Jiang Chens with Jiang Chens saliva still on the tip of her lips. The playful tongue licked the red lips dry because of her desire as she unbuttoned her skirt in a rush "Ouch" The slight agony and warm penetrative feeling made Sun Jiao furrow as she let out a low but discomfort moan. The feeling of his lower body meant Jiang Chen could no longer control the fire in his body. At the same time, the force on his shoulders seemed to have decreased. Alcohol is beautiful, it could make the sober drop their persistence to rationality, it could make people throw away the fixation on consequence in pursuit of the most primal but lovely joy. With an explosive roar, Jiang Chen somehow pushed Miss Sun Jiao who gave up her defense down. His hands holding the fit and long legs, maintaining the positions, and There was not much memory when Jiang Chen recalled the frenzy that happened that night. He just faintly remembered that the battle went from the bottom of the table to beside the fridge, from the kitchen to the living room, then down the hallway all the way to the bedroom. On the sofa, the staircase, in front of the window, the carpet The marks of the battle were everywhere. Jiang Chen didnt know why his tenacity was so great given it was his first time. From the red left on him, it was Sun Jiaos first time. With a roar and moan, the suppressed feeling and weariness were all released with that hot stream before the mansion returned to peace. "Sorry" Jiang Chen became sober and discovered Sun Jiao was the same. But Sun Jiao had no intention to stop this brawl, he chose to continue. "Is this how youre going to be responsible?" For some reason, Sun Jiao didnt feel too much angry emotion, it was more of relieved state. It felt like she found her sense of belonging? Although the man didnt look too reliable from the appearance. "I will be responsible." Jiang Chens face turned red and said awkwardly. "Pshhh," A charming smile appeared, she changed into a comfortable position to continue lie in Jiang Chens arms while drawing circles with the tip of her finger, "Although youre a man, youre very cute at times." Not annoyed, that must mean she liked him. If she felt repulsive, the mans head would have been ripped off when she became sober. Sun Jiaos thought process was simple. As someone who ventured in the apocalypse for years, she followed her emotion. Although it was the first time she had her impulse "Ahem!" Jiang Chen almost choked on Sun Jiaos words. He wanted to argue back but was drawn by the massiveness in the front. He didnt realize Sun Jiaos peculiar expression for a while before he moved his sight away with a fake smile. "Does my chest look good?" It was impossible to imagine a woman could be so straightforward. But since Jiang Chen knew that Sun Jiao didnt understand what being reserved meant, he let it go. "They look great." Jiang Chen gulped and replied with honesty. "You just fu*ked me." Sun Jiao was like a stuffed kitten while fondling with the last remaining mice as she teased Jiang Chen. "Yes." Jiang Chen gulped. "Are men always this boring after they had sex?" Sun Jiao put her arm under his head in a position that could not be more seductive. An audacious girl could be so womanly too. Or rather, the vast contract between her feminine and brutality made her possess a more inexplicable beauty. "" Jiang Chen felt as if she had a firm grasp of him, he felt powerless. [Fine, I have no strength compared to him] Jiang Chen tried to comfort since she came from the civilized. While here although technological advanced, it was a monstrous world. "Are you not going to say youre going to marry me, or protect me for the entire life? Didnt they all say this in the past?" " I cant make promises like that, or rather, it is more practical that you protect me." After a moment of silence, Jiang Chen sighed, with a sincere voice, "But, I can promise you to feed you, if you are willing to become mine." "" Sun Jiao blankly stared at the genuineness on Jiang Chens face and her eyes became to feel hazy. It has been long since she wondered in the city filled with only monsters and zombies. Wander, survive, and then died at the hands of the monsters or humans. It was the finale for a wanderer like her. But, someone was willing to become her dependent "Psh, Im not that easy to feed." Thousands of words turned into a laugh and a lighthearted joke. To the future, Sun Jiao was lost. She still had her pursuit. "I can definitely feed you." "I have a lot of enemies." Sun Jiao was no longer as collected. "Im not afraid." "I, I still have things I need to do." Sun Jiao voice trembled, Jiang Chens oppressive stance made her at a disadvantage all of a sudden. "I will help you." "" A short silence ensued between the two, only the gentle breathing between the two. Jiang Chens throat felt dry. He suddenly developed an odd feeling to the woman in front of him. Although rationality told him that it was unwise to stay too connected with the world as his ultimate goal was to bring the wealth back But screw the rationality! Jiang Chen didnt feel regret as he quietly waited for Sun Jiaos reply. " Then what are you waiting for? My man." A smile suddenly emerged on Sun Jiaos face, the smile dazzled Jiang Chen. Seeing the lack of response, Sun Jiao was slightly irritated, but she soon moved her lips closer to Jiang Chens ear. "Feed me now." The warm air once again blew away Jiang Chens rationality. Followed by a joyous roar, a flirtatious moan, a new battle erupted 6 Roshan Chapter 6: Roshan Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ The gray concrete road, filled with cracks, stretched towards the horizon. The unknown looking plants vigilantly sprouted through the cracks on the concrete, as it bathed in the unhealthy looking ray of sunshine. The buildings in the vicinity had no closed windows. They were all shattered in the nuclear explosion. Some of the abandoned cars occupying the streets had windshields that were cracked but remained intact. They were made with higher quality glass than the windows. It was also possible to spot the occasional sleek looking "metal box." Sun Jiao explained that NATOs paratrooper previously used them as shock absorbers. However, as she talked about the citys history of invasions, she didnt express too much emotion. It probably had to do with the fact that she was raised in the survival base and the concept of patriotism was non-existent. But when she mentioned the history of wars, she openly expressed her disdain. Her eyes showed that both sides, in the war, were complete dumba*ses. "Is it going to rain?" Jiang Chen raised his head as he gazed into the sky. The thick gray clouds covered the sun, as if it was the clouds that made the sunshine looked so unnatural. There was a suppressing yellow light mixed with the ray of sunshine. He was curious as to how the plants grew here. "Those are not clouds. Those are radiation dust." Sun Jiao found the comment quite funny. He was almost as na?ve as she was when she left survival base 071. "That means we are completely exposed to radiation?" His only understanding of radiation was from the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident. He remembered, at the time, all the salt was purchased clean from the stores. Although it''s absurd looking back now, it was easy to imagine the emphasis people placed on health in the modern world. Radiation was as fearful as it could get. Sun Jiao wasnt too fazed. "Dont worry, as long as theres iodine in your EP, the radiation level will not surpass the limit. You also dont need to worry about growing a third hand. However, if you are in front of a nuclear reactor or a former governments parliament, where radiation is high, it would be wiser to wear a protective suit," Sun Jiao warned as she rolled her eyes again. Although they had an exciting night, there was no sign of Sun Jiao being fatigued. But Jiang Chen felt a bit drained from all the action. It was not to say that Jiang Chen was weak, regardless how much endurance he had. There was no way he could compare physically to a female Superman that constantly fought in battles. [Those ridiculous body stats] Jiang Chen could not imagine that, without any signs of muscle, she was much stronger than him who at least maintained some muscles. The decision to venture out together was completely HER idea. "Since you said you are going to help me, then you have to study some combat related knowledge. Tomorrow lets venture out together. At least you need to learn how to shoot, and how to protect yourself." "Hmm, well, I do think I can be a backup personnel." "Be quiet tomorrow well go to the survival camp at Sixth Street. You need to inject the anti-infectious vaccine. Without it, it would be too dangerous. You have to go." Therefore, Jiang Chen had to carry the rifle as he quietly followed. They continued to chat along the way, but for some reason, she didnt ask about his origin. Since she didnt ask, Jiang Chen did not bring up the topic either. Jiang Chen knew that she stopped asking because she developed trust in him. When the time comes, she knew he would tell her. For the same reason, Jiang Chen didnt pursue the topic of why she was at the mansion in the first place. "Well pass a zombie infested area up front. The best place to practice shooting is the battlefield itself. Get familiar with the weapon first, but dont fire, " she explained, as she took out a high-powered looking rifle from behind. She then looked at Jiang Chen, as she continued to answer his questions. "SK10, short-to-medium range laser rifle. The best kind of weapon against zombies would be lasers because it has low noise and high accuracy. However, to improve your shooting, lets start with bullet weapons first," She pointed at the gun Jiang Chen was holding and continued. "PK200 assault rifle. 7.62 mm in diameter. These bullet guns are not as accurate as the laser ones, but the high penetration power and reliability cannot be underestimated. Even if you use the barrel to smash your enemies, it would be durable enough to get the job done. The safe is on the right side of the rifle, remember to keep it closed if you are not firing." The sleek looking gun barrel had a futuristic design. At the handle, Jiang Chen saw a small symbol. PAC. The two of them walked through the empty street. The occasional three feet long rat crossing the road would always scare Jiang Chen, but he got used to it after a while. These mutants were everywhere. Jiang Chen even saw a cockroach the size of a dog as it fled into the shadows of the street. Their one-meter long tentacles were disturbing to see. "Not all creatures possess attacking abilities. For example, while rats are large, biologically they still preserved their natural fear of human. While cockroaches certainly look frightening, due to the source of their food, they wont attack any living things." They were approaching the intersection as Sun Jiao raised her rifle in caution. "Zombies would stop all activity during the day time. The mutated cells in the back of their heads require a stable environment to photosynthesis. Shocking right? Thats why these zombies survived all these years without starving to death. I think some of the zombies even evolved to a point where they can reproduce asexually." Sun Jiao joked around for a bit while keeping her guard up. "What we need to be careful of are the carnivores. They usually eat zombies or other creatures at the bottom of the food chain. However, if they do encounter a human, they are not picky eaters. Lastly, the most dangerous species are humans. If someone points at your head, dont hesitate and fire immediately." Her decisiveness made Jiang Chen feel a sudden coldness run down his spine. Astounded by the cruelty on the wasteland, Jiang Chen was also amazed. The city developed its own complex yet distinct ecosystem. Nature was truly compelling in adapting to the idea of survival of the fittest. Under the iron forests, there were no signs of civilization. Only an uncivilized land remained. Despite holding a highly advanced weapon, Jiang Chen did not feel safe at all. "Shh." Sun Jiao suddenly stopped and raised her right hand to stop Jiang Chen. "Dont point your gun at me, dumba*s. Watch my back," Sun Jiao cursed at Jiang Chen under her voice. Jiang Chen took a deep breath and opened the safe, as he pointed the gun directly into the peaceful street. "This is odd, all the mutants in the surrounding area disappeared. They must have sensed their predator." There was a shiver of nervousness in Sun Jiaos voice. The hint of nervousness made the almost calm Jiang Chen nervous again. "Predator?" "Carnivores of some sort. Hopefully, it is not a Death Claw." Although he didnt know what a Death Claw was, Jiang Chen heard the concern in her voice. At that moment, a loud blast came from somewhere far down the street. Immediately, a deep but loud roar followed and a burst of gunshots ensued. "There is a battle up front, come with me." Sun Jiao instructed after she heard the noise in the distance. Without retreating, she moved in the direction of the battle. "I mean, are you sure we are not going the wrong way?" Sun Jiao didnt respond to Jiang Chens question; he had to follow as he had no other choice. A burst of howls erupted from a hideous yet vicious looking face. Saliva was flowing from its mouth, while it swung the almost broken lamp post. The fat on the creatures body looked as if it was about to burst. "Focus fire. Throw the explosives over! Quick!" "Ammo! I need ammo!" "Ahhh, my hand!" A flying car door cut through a poor guys arm, as it penetrated into the wall not far behind from him. The monster was angered, as it unleashed all of its power onto the soldier''s defense line. The mutant was under heavy fire from the not so well equipped soldiers. They tried to suppress the raging meatball. A few soldiers ducked under friendly fire while avoiding the debris that the monster throw. They continued to throw explosives at the monster. " It''s Roshan!" As Sun Jiao backed into the corner, shock was written all over her face. "How did it appear here" Jiang Chen was even more surprised. With his mouth wide open, he was completely stunned. [What the hell is that? That thing is massive!] Roshan pressed forward, as it bathed in the heavy fire. The situation was looking dire for the soldiers. While the bullets did affect Roshans movement, it was far from stopping him. The thick layer of fat was like a bulletproof vest, which stopped the bullets from penetrating through his skin. The soldiers were out of solutions. Even the leader of the squad immediately sent out an order to approach the Roshan with explosives. However, the thick layer of fat was designed for more than bullet protection. Although the waves of attack were not effective, the Roshans movement was hindered by it. The Roshan could no longer make any advancements forward. At that moment, a homing missile penetrated the air, as it cast a gloomy trial of death directly at the Roshan. But the missile did not hit the Roshan. It skidded across the Roshans face, as it impacted the building behind it. Boom! Following the impact, a wave of the violent explosions ensued. The steel reinforced concrete broke into pieces as it left a massive hole in the building behind the Roshan. It seemed to have sensed the danger, the Roshans body of fat began shaking violently, as its power was even more explosive and fierce. Its bloody mouth opened wide, as if it was letting out an angry roar, but the roar was silent. Another missile flew across the battlefield. Following the track of the first missile, this one directly penetrated into the Roshans bloody mouth. In seconds, blood, brain, and fat exploded into small droplets. The content of the Roshan''s body filled the street. The Roshan, without its head, fell to the ground. The soldiers celebrated their victory. Soldiers walked out of their covers as the battle came to an end. They hugged each other and helped the wounded. Then, they cleaned the battlefield in an organized manner. "99-Type Anti-tank Missile, that is pretty much the only thing that could destroy the Roshan. The Roshans fat is very thick, which would make any bullet type weapon obsolete. At the same time, the Roshan''s bad habit of throwing things makes fighting one a nightmare." Sun Jiao felt relieved as she let out a sigh. "What are they doing?" Jiang Chen glanced at the people who were dissecting Roshan as he tried to keep the food in his stomach down. "Collecting the crystals. Also, Roshans fat can be used as nutrients in the nutrient supply. Oh, I think the blood cell can also be used as ingredients in the vaccines." Nutrient supply? Why does it sound like food? Jiang Chen shivered as he promised himself that he would never touch that nutrient supply. Wouldnt that be equivalent to eating Roshans meat? Sun Jiao smiled as she seemed to have guessed why Jiang Chen was grossed out. She then took Jiang Chen to the group of soldiers. Sensing their approach, a soldier walked over. He then examined the group of two. With professionalism, he spoke, "Sixth Street welcomes you. Based on the necessary procedure, I need to inspect your gene code." Gene code was a type of code based on an algorithm developed through a persons genetic sequence, and was used as EPs user ID. Due to EPs broad adoption, and the uniqueness of each genetic sequence, it was used as a form of ID. In the apocalyptic world, the government didnt exist. Therefore, to prove ones identity, DNA was the only option. In some governed survival bases, the entrance was dependent on the inspection of the gene code. The goal was to find criminals who violated the law in the survival base. After they had displayed their EP, the soldier allowed both of them to pass politely. "I always thought only barbarians existed in the wasteland. I cant believe I can see some traces of civilization." Jiang Chens cautious heart calmed down as he saw the soldiers did not bother them any further. Sun Jiao grinned as she heard Jiang Chens statement. "Oh, my opinion is the opposite of yours. I think civilization exists everywhere on this piece of land. Its just that its form is rather unique." The steel gate slowly opened, as the tension within the camp decreased. Behind the sandbags, Jiang Chen saw the Anti-tank Missile that destroyed Roshan. The vicious cannon spread an eerie vibe as it just stood there. The ground was littered with its large metal shells. Jiang Chen followed Sun Jiao into the camp. Sixth Street was a harbor that welcomed travelers of the wasteland. Its philosophy was to protect the order in a land filled with chaos. But it would be na?ve to consider Sixth Street as the enforcer of justice. 7 The Sixth Stree Chapter 7: The Sixth Street Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ Civilization transcended through time, as history unfolded the successes and failures of a species. Humanity was a product of human adaptation and increased the understanding of humans themselves. Civilization hence existed as the cultivation of all the spiritual, intellectual, and physical discoveries of humankind. It has no accurate definition and can exist in any form. Therefore, civilization existed at this place. But the definition was different than what Jiang Chen believed. The technological level at Sixth Street was all over the place. A soldier carried an old automatic rifle with a cigar in the other hand and stared blankly into space. While a merchant, with an advanced full-sensory computer, calculated the price of goods. People with missing limbs were everywhere. Some used canes while others were geared with robotic arms that were agiler than a real leg. The lives of the Sixth Street residents were also drastically different. People starved to the bones crowded the streets. They no longer even have the energy to howl. Uniformed soldiers, in groups of three, overlooked the road. They ignored the starved refugees and hookers on the street. Like machines, the dark shades disguised any emotions they had. "Absolute neutrality. That is Sixth Streets founding principle on this wasteland. The laws are rather simple here. Murder and theft will be punished by death, tax fraud will be punished by eviction, and intentional harm will result in jail time," Sun Jiao explained to Jiang Chen as he tried to get familiar with the rules. "Then, why is that guy not shot?" Jiang Chen swallowed his spit as he stared in disbelief. A man was beating a woman to death. The starved woman did not fight back. The man sensed Jiang Chen stare and gave Jiang Chen a friendly smile. "Thats the inspector. They are responsible for cleaning up the corpses at the ghetto," Sun Jiao answered with ease, but Jiang Chen could sense her dislike for this place. That woman was clearly alive. "The inner circle at the Sixth Street is a bit more organized, but itll cost us one crystal energy. We are here for some small exchanges, so the outside market should be more than sufficient," Sun Jiao said avoiding the previous topic. "" Jiang Chen nodded in silence. It was a twisted civilization. The outside market was littered with filth, but it was much better than the ghetto. The thief that got shot today was thrown into the dump. At night, the inspector would drag the body into the farm. It would then get mixed in with the lard that they looted from the Roshan and get made into fertilizers. Some of the more famous, grand thieves, were nailed directly to the wall. "Roger Clarkson, known as the werewolf, perpetrated three murders at Sixth Street and was shot by the security team in the sewage." A close examination of the wall explained the death of the criminals. The name suggested that the guy was a foreigner, but it was nothing surprising since NATOs troops had previously landed in this city. A lot of people remained here. At the front of the market, two rather clean looking merchants were arguing fiercely. They seemed to have reached a conclusion in the end, as they signed both their names. Under the supervision of the market regulator, one side put a piece of crystal onto the crystal counting machine. The other one leashed out ten barely clothed women. Indeed, they were on leashes. Every woman''s slim and pale body was chained with a collar shaped electronic lock. Their spirits seemed to have escaped their bodies as they blindly obeyed the order. Their graceful figures were stunning to the human eye. They were like dolls with almost flawless skin, but a barcode tattooed on their cheeks ruined the perfect image. It''s a symbol that typically appeared on products only. The merchant was satisfied by the "products" he had just purchased. He waved his hand as the women were loaded onto the truck, that was leaving the market. "New Ray Hotel," with her eyes fixed in the direction the vehicle, Sun Jiao slowly let those words out of her mouth. Jiang Chen noticed that Sun Jiaos hands clutched into fists. "Hotel?" "Its a brothel. The goal of it is to provide full services to all customers. I think you understand exactly what kind of services they provide. At that place, female labors are expendable, since people with weird fetishes exist everywhere. I heard once from a not-so-smart guy, who was bragging at a bar in Liuding Town, how soft the girls were. Soft, as in an edible way." Jiang Chen shivered, as if he could almost imagine the hell those spiritless women go through. "That slave merchant is probably from the force that occupied survival base 101. They use cloning technology and nutrient supply to provide low-cost clones. The people cloned are more like products than they are human." "So, what exactly is a survival base?" Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiaos emotionless eyes as he opened his mouth in disbelief. "Its something rather peculiar. Each survival base had a unique design philosophy to increase its survival probability," she shrugged as she continued to explain, "I was born in survival base 71. Now that I think about it, I was quite fortunate. The design philosophy was to use A.I. to govern human nature. Although my life was structured, at least I was happy. Some of the survival bases were not as lucky." A cruel smile, unfit for her age, appeared on her charming face. "I heard before that one survival base was designed to use people to govern people. It aimed to create a spiritual leader that motivates peoples desire to survive. It was clear how nave the designer was. The "spiritual leader" only enforced justice for a few years before he neglected all human consciousness and became a barbaric tribe leader. He used the security measure in the place to eliminate all males and left all the women as his sex slaves. For survival base 101, Id assume it was a human-less survival base." Shocked by the harsh truth, Jiang Chen forced himself to remain calm. However, he didnt completely understand Sun Jiaos words. "Human-less survival base? What is a survival base without survivors?" "Hehe, it stored the DNA of the human races elites. After the survival base reached its time limit, the breeding system automatically "manufactured" perfect bodies. It then used virtual reality to produce years of memories within a short amount of time. I dont know what the designer considered, but they did not realize how popular these "people" would be after the war." Sun Jiaos words were full of mockery. Jiang Chen remained silent and continued to listen. [Is this the end of civilization] "We are here." Sun Jiaos voice abrupted Jiang Chens thought as she dragged him into a store. The store was Sixth Street markets official purchasing station. It was responsible for evaluating the price of goods necessary for the survival camp and make purchases accordingly. Although canned food and batteries could all be used as currency in most survival bases, these trade rules were not applicable at the "prosperous" Sixth Street. Therefore, it was necessary for a credible organization to enforce a consistent currency. It also simplified the taxation process. Crystals were the source of energy for high power equipment. It acted as a hard currency in any survival base. Its ease of access also made it match all of the characteristics of money. Although it would be much more profitable to open his own store and sell canned food, the "wealthy" Jiang Chen chose the simpler option of selling it directly to the Sixth Street officials. Sun Jiao did not stop him as she noticed he didnt want to stay here much longer. "Items." The mechanical voice echoed through the window. Jiang Chen opened his backpack. He took out one of the items and placed on the table. The trader let out a loud gasp. Jiang Chen heard a shiver of disbelief from the tone. Then, he felt all eyes were on him, without any intention of hiding their greed or desire. Uncontrollably, Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiao with pleading eyes. Sun Jiao signaled Jiang Chen to remain calm. No one dared to break the rules here. At least before they leave Sixth Street, they are safe. "Sir, do you have any more of this?" The tone had a mixture of respect. Fresh, canned meat. Even the elites that lived within the inner circle only ate the meat of mutant cows, and force-sprouted vegetables. The trader almost questioned the sensor because the screen printed Meat in itself was considered a luxury, but fresh beef was the ultimate luxury. These things are almost extinct in the apocalyptic world. Finding an unmutated cow in the entire world was impossible! Even if there was one, it could only be in the far north where the radiation level was relatively low. In Sixth Street or the entire wasteland, the majority of people had no access to healthy food. In most situations, the survivors chose nutrient supply as their primary source. Those were mostly composed of mutant protein and the taste was lackluster, as it was only a means for survival. Out of everyone on the wasteland, only Jiang Chen was lavish enough to eat "healthy food" every meal. What was even more absurd was that he complained about the taste of canned food being worse than fresh food. "I have plenty of them." "Please come to the VIP room. There will be a designated trader at your service." The trader smiled at Jiang Chen while he sped through the process. After a brief moment, a pretty-looking girl approached Jiang Chen. "Sir, please follow me." The female trader mischievously smiled at Jiang Chen as she led them towards the VIP room. The goal of the room was to protect the privacy of the customers. If someone displayed valuable goods in the grand hall, he would be dead immediately after he stepped out of Sixth Street. As they pushed open the ancient wooden door, the fragrance of tea emerged from the carefully decorated room. A traditional wooden table was supplemented by real leather sofas. In the middle of the chamber was a set of burning incense. The antique porcelain tea set only added to the place''s glorifying elegance. This VIP room was quite similar to the tea rooms in the modern world. "Please come in, Sir." The gorgeous female trader welcomed Jiang Chen. Her cleavage slightly exposed. Sun Jiao grinned at the scene. The way the female trader looked at him made him feel slightly uncomfortable, almost as if she was going to eat him. However, Jiang Chen didnt give it much thought as he walked into the room. As the female trader was about the enter the room and close the door, Sun Jiao slipped in. The female trader glanced at Sun Jiao with slight anger, but she was met with a defiant stare. The female trader saw the enormous pair of breasts Sun Jiao had and a look of defeat crossed her face. However, she still maintained a professional smile and closed the door behind her. Jiang Chen had, clearly, no idea about the fierce exchange that happened within a few seconds. All transactions over 100 crystals must be done in the VIP room for privacy purposes. At the same time, it was a strategy to establish relationships with the wealthy. It was no news that at Sixth Street, the VIP room also offered extra "intimate" services. Professional female traders used the "extra" services to make tips, and Sixth Street exchange would gain favorable reviews from major clients. It was a win-win situation. But since Miss Sun Jiao was there, the female traders dream for a big tip was shattered. After the cans had been evaluated, the transaction was cleared. Twenty cans of perfect quality meat. The exchange paid a hefty price of 50 crystals per can, because these cans far exceeded the necessity of being just food and was considered a luxury. Therefore, if the exchange auctioned these among the elites, the price would easily double. After all, these were as rare as it could be. Because of this, Sun Jiao complained to Jiang Chen countless times. But Jiang Chen didnt seem to be bothered by that fact; he was quite satisfied. How much was a can even worth? However, one crystal was enough to charge the multiverse bracelet by 10%. Therefore, he no longer needed to steal electricity. There was no way to lose in the trade. "Do you know what the VIP room is for?" Sun Jiao suddenly asked, as they stepped into the crowded street. "Hmm? A place to exchange multiple items?" Jiang Chen paused for a split second, as he was confused by the question. Sun Jiao suddenly laughed so hysterically that she needed to hold her stomach. "Of course you dont know." "I dont think this is funny." Jiang Chen blankly stared at Sun Jiao. Just as Sun Jiao finished having her fun, she whispered into Jiang Chen''s ear with a smirk, "its a place where you receive intimate service. The light breath tingled his sensations. He was used to Sun Jiaos flirting, so he did not blush or run away like before. Instead, he enjoyed the feeling. "Dont you hate me for ruining your chance of having a great time?" Sun Jiao jokingly asked. "If I stood outside, maybe she would have given you the intimate service. That girl is probably still cursing at me for ruining her business." "Why would I hate you? I prefer to get intimate service from you." Jiang Chen also had a mischievous smile on his face. He approached Sun Jiaos ear and in retaliation, he also blew into it. She blushed as she was new to the experience herself. Although she assumed her role as someone older than Jiang Chen, she was not. Suddenly, Sun Jiaos eyes lit up in caution. "Someone is following us." "Who?" Jiang Chen paused as he subconsciously wanted to turn his head. "Dont turn your head. Pretend like nothing happened. Nobody dares to do anything here. I have my ways of dealing with them, my boss," Sun Jiao said as she bit Jiang Chens ear. In other people''s eyes, they were a loving couple. Because someone was following them, they sped up their itinerary. Sun Jiao took Jiang Chen to a hospital looking place. He learned that the place was for vaccines and genetic injections. After a total of 55 crystals, the doctors injected the vaccine and genetic injections into Jiang Chens arm. One of them was a T-type vaccine which prevented zombie infection. The other, was a C-type genetic injection. Based on the doctors description, its effects included an increase in muscular strength, reflex, and bone strength between 10-25 points. The bodys ability would increase gradually over three days. There were some other useful injections in the store, and Jiang Chen selectively purchased a few. They were all beneficial in improving the bodys performance and combat powers. After all, strength was necessary to protect the wealth; he couldnt hide behind Sun Jiao for his whole life. However, Jiang Chen still thought it was much cooler to hire someone to fight for you than to fight yourself. Immediately after, they replenished their ammunitions at the firearm store. Sun Jiaos assault rifle used the C-type battery as ammo, and five clips of ammo cost only one energy unit. The PK200 rifle that Jiang Chen used, the 7.62mm ammo, were a bit more expensive. 360 rounds of ammo cost a total of 4 crystals. While Sun Jiao was uncertain about making the purchase, Jiang Chen paid the full price without hesitation. Canned food for firearms, it was a win for him in any situation. Of course, the uncivilized world would not understand this. On the wasteland, laser weapons were without a doubt the most economical and effective weapon of choice. Most short-mid range laser rifles were sufficient in any terrain within the city. Only long range rifles cost a significant amount of energy. For Sun Jiaos rifle, its effective range was only 400 meters. After that, its power would decrease significantly. But one C-type battery was enough to provide 200 shots. If overheating was not a problem, its power could directly match that of a machine gun. As to bullet weapons, its benefits included an effective firing distance and immunity against energy shields. For the PCA manufactured PK200 assault rifle, if the gun were equipped with a scope, it would be as effective as a sniper rifle. Although it was a bit of a waste for Jiang Chen to use it, it fitted his need. The reliability of bullet type weapons was much higher compared to laser rifles. An EMP grenade would render a laser rifle completely useless, but a bullet weapon would continue to function. If there were any malfunctions, Sun Jiao would know how to solve the problem, even though Jiang Chen would be clueless. "Lets stay here tonight." Sun Jiao watched the searing sun make its exit into the horizon and subtly peeked at the follower. "But." Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he felt extremely unsafe about being followed. "The night will disguise all the dangers," Sun Jiao replied calmly with a fierce smile, "and it is also our opportunity to be the dangerous one." 8 Huizhong Mercenaries Chapter 8: Huizhong Mercenaries Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ The Tulip Hotel sat between the borders of the inner and outer circle. The location was near Sixth Streets most prosperous market, and it was the most secure and guarded place. The roof cast a humid and dark vibe to onlookers. 50 anti-air machine guns guarded the lavishly furnished hotel, despite the rather odd contrast, it demonstrated the hotels strong force. On the lawless piece of wasteland, safety was the number one priority. Only backed by the Sixth Street official could anti-air machines be placed on the roof. Only the wealthy and important people lived here. Therefore, the issue of security was emphasized to the max. According to Sun Jiao, if any intruder entered your room without permission, the law permits the intruder to be shot on the spot. The reason why they lived here was to get rid of the "tail" that followed them. They sat on the extravagant leather sofa as Jiang Chen swallowed a piece of orange from a can of fruit. He would have never eaten these things before, due to the ridiculous amount of preservatives and sweeteners in it. However, since he only ate junk food for the past few days, he needed to ingest some fruit. For vitamins, and to maintain his health. "Dont look at me like that; Ill save you some." Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he saw Sun Jiao stare at the fruit, full of desire. He turned towards the person on the ground, who was also staring at the fruit, swallowing. "Why dont we get rid of this problem and have dinner?" Hui Lei was completely tied up on the ground as he felt someones vicious stare behind him. A chill went down his back. He stared at the smiling man on the sofa but felt a sense of fear from the bottom of his heart. Cold sweat appeared profusely on Hui Leis forehead as he felt the gun pointed to the back of his head, "I... I am you guys got the wrong person! I, I didnt" Sun Jiao whipped the gun barrel around and, without any hesitation, pointed it at his face. She then stepped on his head as she interrogated him in a dangerous tone. "I am not asking if you followed us, I am asking you..." she slowed down her voice as she flipped open the switch of the laser rifle, the light hum echoed across the room, "...who sent you here?" That was the voice of a predator. Even Jiang Chen, who sat comfortably on the sofa, shivered. This was the first time she acted so viciously, well maybe not the first time. After Sun Jiao caught him, he immediately said he did not know anything. Other than a name, he didnt give them any useful information. He insisted that he was a refugee who lived in the ghetto. But would a refugee appear in the most prosperous place on Sixth Street? "I dont know anything! You guys are using illegal forces! The guards at Sixth Street will not let you guys go!" Hui Lei screamed as his eyes opened wide. He was so na?ve that he began to threaten Jiang Chen. Na?ve, but dumb. If he didnt trust Sun Jiaos abilities, Jiang Chen would almost believe he was just an ordinary person. "You have ten seconds to reconsider. Of course, to help you think, I will break one of your nuts every ten seconds," with a stern voice, Sun Jiao kicked Hui Lei as she flipped him over. "Dont do it! No!" Hui Lei let out a frightened scream as he looked hysterically at Sun Jiao and tried to move away from her. "9." "I, I dont know anything! Miss, please let me go," Hui Lei begged with his life, but he could not see the slightest hesitation nor compassion in this devil like woman. "7," Sun Jiao immediately picked up a steel beam "I, I" "1,1," Sun Jiao raised her hand. "Nooooo!" "Wait a second." Jiang Chen suddenly opened his mouth. Sun Jiao paused with the steel beam still in mid-air. A filthy smell began to fill the room. Jiang Chen sniffed the air and looked at the twitching Hui Lei with disgust. They didnt even start, and he had already peed his pants. If he wanted to be brave, he at least needed not to pee himself. Although when Sun Jiao said she was going to break his nuts, Jiang Chen also felt a chill seep down his pants. This move was surprisingly effective against males. "I dont like to use violence to solve problems." Jiang Chen smiled at Hui Lei. As if he saw an oasis in the middle of the desert, Hui Lei crawled in front of Jiang Chen and firmly kneeled in front of him. "Thank you! I, I ." "But if you continue to pretend like this, I dont mind giving my assistant some advice. Like putting a hungry mutant dog right in front of your nuts. I am sure it would enjoy a delicious meal." Jiang Chens cold words froze the smile that just appeared on Hui Leis face and immediately collapsed into a look of despair. Jiang Chen also shook both of his legs as he finished the sentence. The idea also made his nuts hurt. Jiang Chen swore in his head, but his face was still expressionless. "Of course, compared to violence, I prefer doing deals. I am a merchant by nature, and if you are willing to cooperate, this is yours." A soft glowing purple crystal appeared in front of Hui Lei. The eyes full of terror slowly turned into greed. A crystal worth 100 energy unit, it was no doubt a significant amount of money on the wasteland. "Of course, you could lie to me with some elaborative story, but if I were you, I would not do that. Would your boss give you this much money? I can, if you promise to work for me." Jiang Chen was pleased to see Hui Leis facial expression change. He knew the good cop bad cop strategy worked. The rest of the problems were simple, Jiang Chen easily got the information he needed from his mouth. Huizhong Mercenaries, a group of mercenary, was known for human tracking and raiding survivors. They also provide the occasional protective service for special groups of customers. The mercenary was located at a school in Song Jiang city. It used the walls there to build a strong defense. The reason they spotted Jiang Chen was merely a coincidence. Huizhong Mercenaries were just finishing a trade on Sixth Street when the leader, Zhou Guoping, saw Jiang Chen taking out a can of food from his backpack. Jiang Chen was then immediately invited to the VIP room which triggered Zhou Guopings interest. Of course, to be the leader of a trade team, Zhou Guoping had the brains to strategize and plan. Obviously, kidnapping on Sixth Street was impossible. If he broke the rules here, the dead bodies outside of the market were clear indications of the consequences he would face. Huizhong mercenaries also needed Sixth Street to trade for necessities. No one dared to make enemies with Sixth Street. But if they kidnapped outside of Sixth Street, there would be no problems. The rules only applied when they were within the walls of the Sixth Street. Zhou Guopings head was filled with greed as he saw Jiang Chens full backpack, but he still moved carefully. He knew that many forces traded on Sixth Street. If he messed with the wrong group of people, even his commander would not be able to save him. Zhou Guoping did not intend to kidnap them, as he only sent people to follow them. He sent one person to keep an eye on them, and another to find out more about their backgrounds. After he had seen Jiang Chen enter the vaccine store, and then immediately went to the ammo store, Zhou Guoping was full of surprise and joy. He believed that both of them were lone travelers on the wasteland because most of the powerful forces would not exchange crystals with ammo. They usually possessed their own production line. Take Sixth Street, for example; the enormous ghetto is not meant to be a safe heaven. Immediately beside the ghetto was a massive factory. The factory contained all kinds of production lines extracted from all over the wasteland. Some of them are even improved to utilize the highly efficient crystals. They melted old metals into ammo, mixed mutant proteins with fat to create nutrient supply, and farmed vegetables and fruits with special fertilizers. To continuously survive on the wasteland, production was a necessity. The officials of Sixth Street knew that by heart. This was even more critical especially given all the stores of Wanghai city were raided clean more than ten years ago. As he confirmed that they were lone travelers, Zhou Guoping immediately contacted the headquarters of the mercenary group and tightened the watch on the two. These two were more wealthy than any group he has ever raided. Although the woman made Zhou Guoping felt a slight danger, Zhou Guoping was determined to strike the "gold." Jiang Chen silently listened to Hui Leis confession as he began to ponder. "Ha, haha, boss. Dont you think you should give me that crystal now?" Hui Lei smiled, but his eyes were fixed on the crystal, full of greed. 100 energy worth of crystal! He would be set for life. One energy unit was good enough to buy ten nutrient supply. Oh, why would Hui Lei even need nutrient supply? Even if he went to the most expensive place on wasteland, New Ray Hotel, it would be enough for a month! Hui Lei could not contain his excitement, even though the crystal was still in Jiang Chens hands. [Since this man still needs me, I will not die. He will probably even give me more crystals in the future.] Hui Lei fantasized about his future life. He imagined lying around while being served by a hot blonde maid. A black pistol shattered his fantasy, as his eyes met with the pitch black barrel. "Dumb*ss." Jiang Chen sighed as he pulled the trigger. Bang! Blood splattered everywhere, with some white liquids mixed in between. He looked at the smoke coming from the pistol, his hand trembled. Although he was mentally prepared, and the guy was deserving of his death due to all the crimes he committed, seeing the head split open was still traumatizing. Hui Lei kept his mouth closed before was not because he feared the Huizhong Mercenaries influence. For if he wanted to hide, it would be impossible to find him. Even for a dominant force like Sixth Street, it would still be difficult to trace a wanted person. So, if he managed to leave the area, he would not need to worry about his safety. However, he kept his silence because of how worthless a human life could be. He was worried that the second he let any information out, he would be executed. However, the combination of extreme fear and an incredible offer from Jiang Chen, turned Hui Lei into a stranded traveler who saw an oasis in the middle of a desert. Thus, he spilled everything. Hui Lei was too na?ve to believe that he could form an agreement with Jiang Chen. He thought he could be a double agent in the Huizhong Mercenaries. However, loyalty was a joke to him because true loyalty never existed on a wasteland where the ultimate goal was to survive. As predicted, his plan ultimately came short. The moment he finished his sentence, his value was completely gone. Therefore, it was a wise decision to execute the spy immediately. Jiang Chen was not worried that he would be found. Blood also splattered onto Sun Jiao. She was slighted disgusted but was used to such gruesome scenes. She shrugged. "Its difficult to wash blood stains off of clothing. Also, next time, you can leave these types of things to me." The hint of care, hidden in her last sentence, touched Jiang Chen''s heart dearly. He took a deep breath to calm his conscience. He then closed the safety and tossed the gun away. "I will get used to it." A smile broke out on Sun Jiaos face as she approached Jiang Chen. She sat on Jiang Chens leg and hugged him. The bold move slightly surprised Jiang Chen. The softest part of Sun Jiao took away any doubt he had. "You are going to stay, right?" She whispered into his ear, with her red lips. "You know..?" He asked in a concerned but rhetoric tone. He hugged her gorgeous body. It was Jiang Chens biggest secret, and a secret he could never tell. "Girls are very sensitive," she replied with a grin in her voice. "You dont belong here, but I hope you dont leave me." "I will never," Jiang Chen said in a soft, but determined voice. He had already made a choice that night. Yes, he initially wanted to take the gold from this place and live like a millionaire in the modern world. But now, he could no longer separate himself from this world. There was someone he cared about. Therefore, it was impossible to leave. If in the future, there was a way, maybe he could time travel with Sun Jiao into the modern world. The wasteland wasnt exactly the best place to stay. "I also believe you." This sentence came from the bottom of his heart. "If this place didnt smell like blood, I would "eat" you right here." Emotion and joy overcame Jiang Chen as he whispered into Sun Jiaos ear. "But, I want to take a shower first." "I dont want to let go." Jiang Chen smacked her butt and grinned as he listened to the soft moans by his ear. "Then youll have to take a shower with me." Sun Jiao playfully bit onto Jiang Chens ear. Her long and agile legs held onto him tightly. In a seductive voice, she said, "let me see if the gene vaccine made you any stronger." A roar and a scream ensued. Shirts, pants, and underwear scattered across the floor There was a battle between man and woman in the washroom. "It looks like the gene vaccine was effective after all. My feet didnt even touch the ground." After a while, Sun Jiao collected her breath as she finished enjoying herself. She poked at Jiang Chens chest with a grin. His once flat chest now had muscles. But since the gene vaccine only increased muscle strength and not the appearance of muscles, Jiang Chens body didnt look too different from before. Though his strength, was now far more superior. "Satisfied, my princess?" Jiang Chen lightly embraced the delicate figure. With a smile, he wanted to slap her butt again. "Call me your queen," Sun Jiao said. She playfully avoided Jiang Chens hand. She then covered her body with a towel. "Its now time for business." "Time to eat dinner?" Jiang Chen said smiling as he also grabbed a towel. "Of course, but before that, we need to take care the unfortunate guy thats outside." He watched Sun Jiao leave the washroom with a forced smile. It was a bit too crazy to have sex with a dead body in the house. [It looks like I need to learn how to control myself. Yes, more control] 9 The Plan Chapter 9: The Plan Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ Dead bodies were not a big deal on the wasteland. The place was not exactly the definition of a civilized society. Sun Jiao used the intercom, beside the door, to call the servers and explained to them that she encountered an assassin. Moments later, a few servers came in and dragged the body away. Before they left, they were considerate enough to spray the carpet with blood dissolver, which cleaned up all the nasty blood stains. The manager also came personally to apologize for the intruder. In the apocalyptic world, death was common and natural. It appeared that this was also not the managers first time taking care of an incident like this. He handled the situation seamlessly. Sun Jiao and Jiang Chen then politely rejected the offer of a complimentary steak dinner made of mutant cows. It was simply a gesture, since no one who could afford this place cared about a complimentary steak meal. The suite didnt have a kitchen; it only had a microwave and a dusty rice cooker that sat at the corner of the dining room. Most of the rich who lived here did not prepare food themselves, but a few wealthy exceptions did prefer to eat luxurious food like rice. In this world, rice was considered a luxury. Despite the existence of a few farmlands, rice production was still very limited. Therefore, most of the people who lived here survived on nutrient supply and only ate cooked food for special occasions. But of course, Jiang Chen was an exception. He took out a bag of rice from the storage dimension and washed it before he put it into the rice cooker. In less than half an hour, the steaming rice was finished, and the smell immediately dazzled Sun Jiao. Jiang Chen didnt hide his special ability in front of Sun Jiao anymore, and Sun Jiao didnt inquire further. Jiang Chen knew that she was curious, but is especially grateful that she respected his privacy. Jiang Chen knew that one day, he would tell her all his secrets. For he couldnt even understand some of the miracles himself, it would only cause more confusion if she knew. After he poured the contents of the can onto a plate and heated it, the dishes were placed on the dinner table and a not-so-fancy dinner was prepared. It was not fancy because Jiang Chen has had enough canned foods, but the dinner did include things like curry chicken, spicy tofu, and a lot of things Sun Jiao had never seen before. So, the dishes were still quickly swept clean. Jiang Chen patted his flat stomach as he eyed the empty rice cooker. He was quite shocked to discover that the gene vaccine not only strengthened his muscle, but it also increased his appetite. He at least ate two times his usual amount. He finally understood why Sun Jiao ate so much; she was not just a foodie after all. "I made a little more so we could have some for breakfast tomorrow, but it looks like you ended up finishing it all." Jiang Chen laughed as he looked at Sun Jiaos happy face after the meal. She blushed as she eyed Jiang Chen with an angry look. "What, are you worried?" "No, I can afford it regardless of how much you eat," Jiang Chen said while shaking his head. Although it was not exactly sweet talk, Sun Jiao looked euphoric, as a smile appeared on the "bold" girls face. "Help me clean up." Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he grabbed the plates. "Okay." He stared at Sun Jiaos flat stomach in disbelief. He wondered where the five bowls of rice went. "The commercial bank building at Qing Pu is located in a crowded area. The zombie concentration, as well as radiation, are all extremely high. Also dangerous mutant creatures will be there." She lied flat on the bed and pointed her finger at the full-sensory computer screen, as a three-dimensional map appeared. "This is the map. If we need to get the gold from inside, well have to enter from here and then pass through the safety tunnel Come on, are you even listening to me?" Sun Jiao shook her head and rolled her eyes. "What is this?" Jiang Chen wiped his drool and gazed at the advanced tech product. The physical part was only the size of a pen, and a square prism projected out from the side displayed the screen. The three-dimensional visual hovered above the rectangular prism. A product that only appeared in sci-fi films, now appeared right in front of his eyes. Jiang Chen couldnt believe what he was seeing. This thing was probably worth more than all the gold in Wanghai city. It would be nearly impossible to sell these kinds of products. If Jiang Chen showed this product to anyone, a lot of government organizations would immediately find him and discuss with him about contributing to the country as a patriotic citizen. "Its a full-sensory computer. Although it is not as reliable as a portable computer, the functionality is much more advanced. There has to be a limit to your lack of knowledge." Sun Jiao rolled her eyes again. "Fine, what is a dangerous mutant creature?" Jiang Chen sighed as he accepted the fact that he was oblivious. He lied beside Sun Jiao and continued to stare at the screen. "For example, the Roshan we saw today, or this" Sun Jiaos finger swiped across the screen. A figure that was similar to an alien appeared on the screen, " ...Death Claw. Its energy level is between 60-70. Its speed is extremely high and its sense of smell is very sensitive. The body is covered by a layer of protective armor, so normal bullets cannot deal real damage to it. Therefore, the best solution is to run away, but even that is difficult to do." A light aroma of lily tingled Jiang Chens nose. Because Sun Jiao used the shampoo and body wash from the modern world, Sun Jiaos body casted an attractive fragrance. However, since they were in the middle of a serious conversation, Jiang Chen managed to control himself. As he recollected his thoughts, Jiang Chen stared at the Death Claw in deep thought. "Do these things appear near the commercial banking building?" "Death Claw will appear anywhere, but they usually prefer to be near places that have been impacted by a nuclear bomb. I am not exactly sure about this, but typically when there is a high distribution of zombies, there will be other mutant creatures in the vicinity. This is because zombies are considered food for the mutants." " Do you have any plans?" Jiang Chen asked after a brief pause. "Of course there are two options. First, we can use this route to infiltrate the underground vault directly and then use explosives to open it. Or second, we can use this way instead to enter the main control room, obtain the access code, and then use the regular route to get into the vault." "Where did you get all this information? Are they reliable?" Jiang Chen was visibly shocked by the clearly labeled route. "Liuding Town. They have the most accurate map databases there. Apparently they got it from the satellite before the war, so it should be trustworthy." "What exactly is this Liuding Town, Ive always heard you talk about it." After Sun Jiaos explanation, Jiang Chen was curious. "Bo Hai, its an aircraft carrier." Sun Jiao continued with a grin, disregarding the shock on Jiang Chens face. "So, my boss, its time for you to make a choice." "The first plan is too dangerous, and the explosion would create too much noise. If it manages to attract all the zombies, then there is no way to get out." "Thats my concern as well. Although attracting all the zombies would be an exaggeration, it is not too far off." Even during the day, zombies still possess some attack power. If they receive any strong stimulants, they would attack. "How about through infiltrating the network? Do you know how to hack?" "How would I know those things?" Sun Jiao laughed. "To survive in the wasteland, great shooting ability is more than enough. However, there are quite a few specialists out there, and they often dont live in the best conditions. It wouldnt be too difficult to hire one." After a long period of consideration, Jiang Chen made a choice cautiously. "Then lets go with option two Where can we hire these people?" "We can hire them here, from the ghetto at Sixth Street. All the people without combat power live there." Sun Jiao pointed outwards as she turned off the computer. "Oh, we also dont have to worry about the Huizhong Mercenaries. Although they are active in the Song Jiang area, we can kill their men here. Besides, killing them would be understandable, given you are a target for them anyways." "You are right. I have a feeling they are going to come after us when we leave the area, or at least continue to follow us." "Do you need me to prepare a bit?" Sun Jiao sighed as she stretched her graceful and slim arms. "In that case, we can do this" After Sun Jiao had heard Jiang Chens plan, her eyes lit up. "Wow, you are a more terrible human being than me! Why dont you go to the labor market tomorrow then, it is at the front entrance of the ghetto. The commission fee is usually one crystal and they will let you pick until you are satisfied." "Ok, its better to work separately for now. Make sure you hide before leaving," Jiang Chen warned. "Understood." Sun Jiao shrugged with the same careless expression. "I have plenty of enemies and a mercenary group is nothing to me. If it is not for the fact that I am worried about you, nobody could stop me from leaving." [I promise, if I want to leave, no one could stop me either.] Jiang Chen murmured in his head. He turned off the bedside lamp and the light in the room changed into a soft orangey glow. It was very late into the night, and through the bulletproof window, there was not a single soul on the street. "Oh, are you sleeping now?" Sun Jiao turned around with the blanket just covering her body. She grinned at Jiang Chen. "You little devil We have things to do tomorrow. Now sleep." He already fought a hard battle earlier with her. If it continued like this daily, Jiang Chen questioned if his body would be able to handle it. 10 The Ghetto Full of Talen Chapter 10: The Ghetto Full of Talent Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ "Hehe, Boss, are you satisfied with this one?" The weather on the wasteland was known for its strangeness. Although it was the midst of a summer day, occasionally the temperature would drop to subzero like it was the end of fall. The thick radiation dust blocked the majority of the UV rays, which means fluctuations in the weather was quite normal. If the cloud-like radiation dust would not drift away, then the temperature would feel even colder. Especially in the morning, the chillness was even more apparent. Covered in a trench coat, Jiang Chen stuffed one hand into his pocket while he examined a resume with the other. The fat guy standing by him was already bald and almost old enough to be Jiang Chens dad, but he just stood obediently there, waiting for Jiang Chens order. The survival camp was governed by absolute freedom and a capitalistic view; the crystals dictated who had power. Although he didnt know Jiang Chens background, if he offended the customer by any means, his boss would not take this lightly on him. Also, Jiang Chen was a man of status. He took the recommendation from Sun Jiao to create a fictitious position C which was the general manager of a company called Fishbone Corporation. Other than the leaders of different factions and forces, the two other prestigious positions on the wasteland were arms dealers and food producers. Both types of products were very lucrative, especially because the majority of the farmlands were no longer feasible for production. As to why the company was called Fishbone Corporation, well it was convenient since the brand produced most of the canned food that Jiang Chen brought. He even considered, after receiving a sum of cash, he would buy that company out to save the trouble of erasing the production date. "Zhang Tianyu, originally the vice president of Walkman Electronic Company, specializes in business administration and electronic product development. The designer of the Asia famous Walkman P7 phone." Jiang Chen cracked a smile. A vice president, thats satirical. "Hmm, Mr. Wang Yi, I need people who specialize in computers and can do some labor work at the same time. However, you managed to find me a vice president?" Although a stellar resume, he didnt consider the vice president any further. He didnt need a person who was capable of corporate strategy. He didnt know why, but it felt great rejecting a vice president. His face maintained emotionless on the surface. "I am sorry Sir. If you could please excuse me for a moment." The labor market manager named Wang Yi profusely apologized, as he ran into the data room to search again. Jiang Chen looked at the poorly dressed refugees in the ghetto as he let out a long sigh. The ghetto included some families with young people who could work. Usually, they would work in the factory area in exchange for some cheap nutrient supply and a small tablet of iodine. They would continue to survive with the family in hardships until death. If they encountered any diseases, their background almost foretold their unfortunate fate. Jiang Chen gazed at the radioactive dust cloud; the light that struck through cast an unhealthy color. Immediately, the fat Wang Yi hustled out of the data room and gave a stack of resumes to Jiang Chen. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled at Jiang Chen. Most of the resumes were dusty. It was evident Wang Yi recently dusted them off. There was an overabundance of highly skilled tech individuals on the wasteland. After all, the production of bullets didnt require sophisticated technology. Also, nobody would bother purchasing a new computer or phone. Jiang Chen carefully sifted through the resume as he raised his eyebrows occasionally. "Boss, are you not satisfied?" Wang Yi asked anxiously, as this affected his commission, which was his only source of income. "There are a few people that are quite exceptional. However... " Jiang Chen pointed at the criminal record at the bottom of the resume, "...why are they all criminals?" Lu Haitao, IT Specialist, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after stealing 15 nutrient supply. He was currently working at the nutrient supply boiler as a laborer. Li Kaiming, Feixun Technology''s Project Manager, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for robbery, and currently worked in an ammunition factory as a laborer. Wang Yis face was full of anguish as he said with a plea, "boss, there is nothing I can do about it." After Wang Yi explained, Jiang Chen eventually understood. Not everyone in the ghetto had freedom. All the people that were traded as a product were people that lost their freedom. Every person that received low-income support were the "property" of Sixth Street. They were similar to slaves in ancient times. Every capable individual was forced to work in a factory, and incapable people acted as population reserves who would serve as soldiers in the frontline. For those refugees that are given freedom, although most are poor, they can survive without any issues. Therefore, they do not need low-income support. But those were the rules from ten years ago. The Wanghai City now had already established a stable "ecosystem," and mutants and zombies did not attack the remaining space of the survivors. Hence, Sixth Street was left with no external enemies. Therefore, there was no need for those slave like refugees. To alleviate the overpopulation problem, the Sixth Street officials also had to participate in the human labor business. They provided connections for specific "suppliers" and used them to sell the excessive refugees. Mercenaries or merchants would often purchase the refugees as bait. Its fair to say that those people often did not end up in the best places. No one wasted nutrient supplies. Therefore, the individual permitted to be sold were either incapable people that offered no value or criminals. Jiang Chen hesitated again because he didnt want either type of people to join him. A terrible character would be difficult to control, but someone who was weak-bodied would also be challenging. "Boss, you dont have to worry. These people will wear electronic bracelets once they are sold. Therefore if they do any harm" Wang Yi saw the hesitation in Jiang Chens eyes and carefully explained it to him. In the end, he made a gunshot gesture. Although he was still worried, there were no better solutions. Jiang Chen sighed again as he must make a decision from the group of criminals. He just needed to be careful, thats all. "010342, please stop or you will be shot immediately." An emotionless voice echoed through the door as Jiang Chen looked in that direction. A soft body tackled his leg and he paused a little before looking down. "I am sorry that I overheard your conversation. I know computers. Please, buy me." The girl spoke in a fast tone. The emotion cast by her pupil transitioned between fear and desperation. As the tiny body grappled onto his leg, Jiang Chen cautiously touched the weapon on his back. However, after he saw the soldier signaling him not to overreact and point his gun at the girl, Jiang Chen immediately abandoned the idea of pulling out his gun. The soldier grabbed the girl like he was grabbing a chicken. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows but didnt say anything. Although he sympathized with her, he was worried about the girls intentions. What if it was a trap by the Huizhong Mercenaries? "I am very sorry. There are always plenty of people that dont want to live to see tomorrows daylight," Wang Yi apologized profusely. He also motioned for the soldier to send the girl back to camp. Jiang Chen noticed the girl had a watch like item on her wrist. The item was constantly flashing. If anyone who received low-income left the ghetto, it would immediately trigger the alarm. "If she is sent back, what would happen to her?" Jiang Chen asked carelessly. "Put into a work camp." Wang Yi shrugged, as things like this happened every day. "Even a kid that young can work?" "She is not that young. Usually, only people above the age of 16 wear those bracelets. She is just a bit malnourished. Anyways, boss, who do you want to select ." "Ill pick the girl." Jiang Chen sighed as he made the decision. A girl that thin and weak would die almost immediately in the work camp. Jiang Chen saw a lot of dead bodies since he came to the wasteland, he even killed someone with his own hands. But he couldnt let the girl be taken to a hell like place right in front of his own eyes, especially if he was the reason. Jiang Chen tried to convince himself. [Maybe that was my conscience after all? ] Something rare, but valuable. "Hmm?" Confused, Wang Yi paused before he approached Jiang Chen. "Boss, if you are into those types, there are some better choices. I have some connections that could help you" "You seem to have a lot to say." Wang Yi looked at Jiang Chens cold and emotionless face, and a shiver went down his spine. "Yes, Yes, No problem," it was foolish to offend the customer as Wang Yi apologized again. "How long would it take to finish the process?" "Approximately one day. Please tell me your address." Although the girl just violated the rule which made her a criminal, it would still take some procedures before she could be sold. "Two crystal units, Ill wait here." "Boss, there is a justice system." "Three crystal units. I am referring to just the tip," Jiang Chen said without patience. Civilization doesnt even exist here, and you are telling me about the justice system. "Yes! I will take care of it for you immediately." Wang Yi jogged to his office as he made the necessary contacts with his "connections" quickly. Although the guy looked fat, he was quite efficient. Jiang Chen only waited for half an hour before a soldier brought the girl to the door. He noticed that in just half an hour, there was already a bruise on the girls face. Wang Yi saw Jiang Chens dark facial expression as he tried to comfort him. "Boss, the examination took some time, but thats for your safety. Please understand," he whispered into Jiang Chens ear, "The examiner told me that she is still a virgin, haha." Jiang Chen briefly moved his head away. The guy felt like a portable heat source with an unpleasant aroma. Jiang Chen signed on the agreement as he left five units of crystal on the table. After today, the girl coded 010342 would have nothing to do with Sixth Street. "You, whats your name?" Jiang Chen looked at the bruise on the girls left cheek and the blood stains on her arms. He moved his eyes away for a moment and took a deep breath. The bruise was the result of a hit with a gun barrel. Although it was unrelated to Jiang Chen, he felt responsible for it. "Yao Jiayu," the girl answered in a quiet and obedient voice, but the tone sounded fragmented and frightened. "So you understand computers?" "Yes, I do!" The girl suddenly raised her voice, but she immediately realized her abruptness and lowered her head. "I received a designation of B in computer programming in the virtual education system. So I am confident in both programming and hacking." "Oh, then why are you stuck in such a horrendous place?" Jiang Chen looked at the girl with a little shock. If a 16 years old can do that well, then she would be a genius in the modern world. However, this seemed quite reasonable in the apocalypse. The virtual education system sped up the basic education process and trained people based on the individuals talent and potential. Therefore, a person would excel in one particular area after a few years. Almost everyone who grew up in a survival base received that kind of education. A designation of B was quite distinctive. The girls name, Yao Jiayu, was clearly from a survival base but she ended up here for some reason. It was quite common as the resources at the survival base were depleted, the people inside would leave to search for a new home. Almost everyone from there would go to the survival camp. "There are a lot of people in the ghetto that can do it." Yao Jiayu blushed. She then lowered her head diffidently. Afraid Jiang Chen would not be happy; she then raised her head courageously. "Although I might not be the best in the area, I believe in my potential. I am also very obedient. If you ask me to do anything, I will not resist" At the end of the sentence, Jiang Chen couldnt tell if it was because of excitement or embarrassment, the girls face turned red like the sun at dawn. Jiang Chen grinned as she saw the girl struggle to sell herself. He didnt care about the crystals he spent. Its like money; its meant to be spent. "Relax, you dont have to be so stressed out working for me." Yao Jiayu quivered in agreement. Jiang Chen suddenly realized her clothes. They were thin textiles that laid flat on her small and tiny body. It seemed that everyone in the ghetto wore those types of clothing. After she had left the camp, all her "assets" were confiscated, which included an old jacket. "Cold?" She shook her head as she continued to shiver. Jiang Chen just realized that the girl shivered not because she was afraid of him, but because the temperature was too low. He let out a sigh. To Yao Jiayus disbelief, he took off his trench coat and covered her. "Dont catch a cold, its difficult to get treated here." Jiang Chen wasnt the master of taking care of people, but the girl silently nodded her head. Her oily hair covered what seemed like a smile of happiness. "Too lucky." "Hmm?" Jiang Chen glanced over. "No, Nothing." Jiang Chen smiled and didnt continue asking. He did a good deed after all, which made him feel warm inside. Maybe this was the trait of a civilized person. Yao Jiayu peaked at the smile on Jiang Chens face and then lowered her head in fear as she tightened the trench coat. [It was warm.] She didnt say it, but she waited so long for this day. Every day she hid in the corner of the labor market to peek at the people that were buying slaves. She wanted to find someone who was not so bad. There were ruthless mercenaries, wealthy merchants, and people she didnt understand very well. But this was the first time she ran to a buyer. She didnt even understand herself. Why did she risk her life to plead at this man? Maybe it was because of the way he looked in the ghetto. He had a glimpse of a special emotion; the emotion called sympathy. Although it was just a little, and it was almost gone, it was still there. So if she didnt take her chance then, she would spend the rest of her life in hell. She knew that the reason those bastards in the ghetto didnt touch her yet was that she didnt hit puberty. But once she grew up, she knew she would face the same kind of misery her sister next door faced. Forced to use her body in exchange for a pack of cigarettes? Or be humiliated by a group of people? She witnessed her father fight for her mother''s life, till death. She also saw her mother''s helpless plea. She witnessed too many tragedies unfit for her age. The world was insane. If the result would be the same if she had to depend on someone else to survive, why not choose someone that can treat her slightly better. Maybe not better, but if that person beat her a little less, she would be extremely glad. If she didnt risk it and Jiang Chen didnt buy her, maybe death at the work camp was not a bad finale after all. 11 A Cozy Dinner Chapter 11: A Cozy Dinner Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ "I mean, are you actually turned on by this?" Jiang Chen sensed a despicable glare directed at him. He trembled at the threatening look Sun Jiao gave him. "You are overthinking this situation. Yao Jiayu is the IT specialist I found," Jiang Chen explained with a forced smile. Do I look like someone who is into loli? Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen with suspicion, and then she turned her attention to the girl. Without any sound, she whispered to him. "Is she trustworthy?" "I believe she has nothing to do with the Huizhong Mercenaries." Jiang Chen shook his head. "I dont want to hear the word believe. This is for your safety." Sun Jiao sighed as she approached Yao Jiayu. With one finger, she gently raised the girls head and cautiously gazed into her eyes. "Do you know Zhou Guoping?" The sudden question didnt leave the girl with any time to prepare. But the crystal clear eyes were only filled with emptiness and confusion. Without any emotional fluctuation, she said, "no, I dont know." "Excellent. I need to do a search on you. I hope you dont mind." Sun Jiao nodded as a grin appeared out of nowhere. "Ok" Yao Jiayu responded in a quiet and obedient voice To Jiang Chens surprise, Sun Jiao unzipped her clothes. Yao Jiayus face blushed to dark red color, but she didnt resist Sun Jiaos action. She used her shaking hands to cover her sensitive parts. Her lips trembled slightly. It looked like she was afraid of the older girl in front of her. From Sun Jiaos eyes, she didnt see the same sympathy. "Come on, what are you doing?" Jiang Chen asked while blushing, as he subconsciously tried to block his vision. "I am doing a search on her to make sure she is trustworthy. Why are you blushing as if you are still a virgin? Are you still not used to seeing a naked girls body?" Sun Jiao mocked Jiang Chen as she rolled her eyes "Do you want to test me right here right now?" Jiang Chen said defiantly. Yao Jiayus face was still red. She looked at the ground and tried to hide her face. Her body still quivered. It was not because of the weather; this luxurious room was equipped with a heater. It was because Yao Jiayu was embarrassed. Although she thought she was calm, to be stripped in front of a guy was still too exhilarating for her. "Ok, no signaling devices or weapons." Sun Jiao caressed Yao Jiayus chest as she stood up. It caused a subtle scream. "Are you sure you are a girl? Why are you so flat?" Maybe it was intentional; Sun Jiao proudly raised her chest. Yao Jiayu remained silent. Her face was still red. She kept her head down; afraid to pick up the clothes on the floor. "What are you even doing?" Jiang Chen interrupted Sun Jiao''s mischievous actions. Blushing, he told Yao Jiayu, "you put your clothes back on." "Ok." The girl picked up her clothes. She had hesitated for a moment before she decided to put them on in front of them. Jiang Chen thought he might have seen something he shouldnt have seen. He immediately covered his nose, preventing a bloody nose from the heated excitement. "Why are you so timid and embarrassed? Shes your slave and now part of your private assets. Even if you wanted to do something, she would not resist." Sun Jiao said mockingly. "Oh? Are you not going to be jealous?" Jiang Chen gave Sun Jiao another hard stare. He felt it was necessary to punish the naughty girl for all her comments. "I will suck you dry." She said this as she bit Jiang Chens ear which made him feel even more aroused. [Fine, the punishment will come later.] He took a deep breath and recollected his thoughts. "Ok, enough of the jokes. This is Sun Jiao, and I am Jiang Chen. From now on, you are part of the group." Jiang Chen tried to sound as friendly as possible to the girl who was still confused. "Yes, master." The girl said with her head lowered. "You dont have to call me master, you can call me Jiang Chen. That electronic bracelet looks unsafe. Since you are trustworthy to me, let me take it off for you." Although it felt pretty satisfying to be called master by a sweet-looking girl, it still felt awkward to him. Even though Sun Jiao stared at him like he was a dumbass, Jiang Chen chose to ignore it. "No!" To Jiang Chens surprise, Yao Jiayu didnt thank him for his intentions. Instead, she backed away with a pleading look. "Why?" Jiang Chen was astounded by her action. "I I dont mind a master whos so sympathetic. Yao Yao is very grateful. I hope you dont abandon me." "I didnt say I was going to abandon you." "Even though you are not doubtful of her, it doesnt mean you can trust her. Looks like she is pretty smart after all," Sun Jiao whispered. Jiang Chen realized why Yao Jiayu thought that way, with Sun Jiao explanation. He recognized his immature thinking as he forced a smile. He was too used to the logics back in the modern world, but it was obviously different in the apocalypse. Betrayal, although a disdained word, was not uncommon in this world. Comrades shot each other for the loot, betraying their allegiance to each other; husbands disregarded the responsibility of family for survival. These were all too common in this post-apocalyptic world. If he took off the electronic bracelet, even if he didn''t want to think negative about her consciously, he would subconsciously remain doubtful of her. Unlike Sun Jiao, she wasn''t here with him from the beginning. Doubt would sprout suspicion, and any of her future actions would be suspected. She didnt have any ill intentions nor any combat power. Even if she took off the bracelet, a simple bullet would be enough to end her. She was young, but she was also smart. She knew that if she kept the bracelet on, Jiang Chen would develop trust in her eventually. That was enough. If she were obedient, she would not be left behind. She quietly tightened her fists as she made a decision. She didn''t have a lot to desire, but she wanted to continue to live. Of course, it would be better if she could be happy. Jiang Chen somewhat understood Yao Jiayus intention. He smiled and didnt insist further. She thought too much. Even if Jiang Chen took off the bracelet, he would not change the way he looked at her. Jiang Chen always subconsciously used the modern way of thinking to treat Sun Jiao and Yao Yao. Likewise, the two of them also always judged Jiang Chen from their perspective. From his point of view, Yao Yao was just an immature girl. Even if she was a computer genius, she still did not pose a threat. Yao Jiayu used the survivors way of thinking to guess Jiang Chens thought process. Sun Jiao has a slight idea of Jiang Chens homeland, but she still couldnt jump out of the traditional way of thinking. Maybe they both saw his difference compared to other people, a set of value that could only be described as a "naive" sympathy. However, neither couldnt guess what he was really thinking. Why? It was because he was not afraid. He could leave the dangerous wasteland at any time and return to his peaceful world. With that, would anyone be afraid of the cruelty in this world? This kind of thinking may cause him to lose his alertness, but it was not something that changed in the matter of a few days. Hes only been here for a week and has seen a glimpse of the post-apocalyptic world. Sun Jiao brought Yao Jiayu into the bathroom. Although he was slightly disappointed to miss the opportunity to shower with Sun Jiao, it was a great opportunity for the two girls to bond. It would be unpleasant if animosity grew between Sun Jiao and Yao Yao since Sun Jiao did tease her a bit. Thats why Sun Jiao volunteered to help her shower. However, Yao Yao still stared at him with her watery eyes, pleading before going in. Beside the bathtub. "Yao Yao!" "Yes!" Startled like a terrified rabbit, she immediately straightened her back. "Dont be so tense." Sun Jiao smiled as she picked up Yao Jiayu. She gently rubbed her back. "Can I call you Yao Yao in the future?" "Yes... Yes," she replied in a frightened voice. "Dont be afraid. I am very nice to my people," she lightly touched the bruise on her face, and said with a gentle voice, "does it still hurt?" "A little bit." "Ill put some medicine on it after the shower. To be honest, your skin is quite soft after you shower." Sun Jiao was a bit jealous as she massaged Yao Yaos neck. Yao Jiayu was like a rabbit caught by a tiger, as she timidly squeezed her body. "Yes, its the third type of hibernation chamber. It can improve body functionality," Yao Yao replied softly. "Eh? Hibernation chamber. Thats quite an expensive piece of equipment. So, you are older than me," Sun Jiao smirked. "No, No. I entered the chamber when I was twelve. Although I spent 20 years in there, because of the inhibitor I took, my body only aged by about two years. Add the two years I spent at Sixth Street, my bodys age is only 16, and my mental age is 14." "Eh? I dont know that much. 12+20, thats 30 right?" Sun Jiaos old tendency came back. She enjoyed teasing what she thought was cute. "No, I I am not that old," Yao Yao quietly rejected. "So, youre at the age where you can be eaten?" "Eaten?!" Yao Yaos face suddenly turned pale. She had heard about freaks that lived on the wasteland who enjoyed human meat. "What are you even thinking? This kind of being eaten." Sun Jiaos hand lightly caressed over Yao Yaos small chest. Yao Yao blushed again and buried her face. "I, I will be very obedient If the master wants to eat me, I will not resist." "I wont let that happen," Sun Jiao jokingly interrupted Yao Yao. "Eh?" Yao Yao was confused. "I will eat everything clean." She proudly raised her chest. It was fun teasing this little loli. She felt the firm and soft chest push against her back and Yao Yao forced a smile as there was nothing she could do. No one wanted to fight you for it anyways, she said in her head. But even she didnt realize that she was slightly disappointed. "I need the water!""Ha!" Joy filled the bathroom. They were happy spending time together. Its great that they could get along nicely. Jiang Chen heard the noise from the washroom and a smile appeared on his face. He used a can opener to put the dishes onto the plates and placed them in the microwave. Dishes of delicious meals were prepared and the rice was also ready. Once done, Jiang Chen arranged everything on the table. Jiang Chen was impressed by his work of art. Who could say I am not a great man, although it was all canned food. "Woah, its very fancy today." Still covered in a towel, Sun Jiao immediately sat down without any regard to delicacy. "Come on, put your clothes on before eating." Sun Jiao did not feel embarrassed at all. She even raised her almost exposed chest out at Jiang Chen and uncrossed her legs to expose more of the steamy view, as if she was saying I am not listening to you. He felt teased by the scene, but since Yao Yao was beside him, Jiang Chen was a bit shy to just kiss Sun Jiao on the spot. He forced down a sip of cold beer and cooled down. Sun Jiao was pleased by the way Jiang Chen looked, and she happily chugged a cooled can of coke. Of course, this guy likes girls with big chests. If Jiang Chen knew what Sun Jiao was thinking, he would spit out the beer. "Yao Yao, why are you not eating?" He ignored Sun Jiaos lack of elegance as he turned his attention to the motionless Yao Yao. She stared at the table full of food as she swallowed a little. She was completely stunned. Pork, chicken, and cabbage. It must be a dream. She foolishly raised her hand and lightly bit on it. Ouch, that hurt. "Omg, the food tastes so good." "Finish your food before opening your mouth. Yao Yao, if you dont eat now, she is going to finish everything." Jiang Chen waved at Yao Yao and interrupted her daze. "Me? I can?" She continued to swallow; her eyes wide open. With a look of disbelief, she said, "its also for me?" "Of course, we always eat together. Okay, slow down, no one is competing with you. Are you not embarrassed?" There was no delicacy as to how Sun Jiao ate. "Why, why do you care" Sun Jiao mumbled with her mouth full. This girl, even when she looked mature, why does she act like a kid sometimes. Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiao as he also picked up his chopsticks. Yao Yao carefully sat down, but she didnt move at all. "Are you not hungry?" "No, no." She lowered her head, and tears began to fill her eyes, "Why, why are you so nice to me? I am just a slave after all." Slave? Jiang Chen never thought about it that way. Compared to a slave master, he enjoyed the position of a boss more. Forced obedience was never as good as true respect. "Dont cry haha, its bad for your stomach if you cry while you eat. Try this. This is my sauted pork." Although it was canned food, Jiang Chen was still proud. "Ok!" Tears emerged at an even faster pace, which made Jiang Chen even more confused as to what he should do. This fancy dinner reminded Yao Yao of the happy family she had before. At that moment, she almost felt time like she was hallucinating. At that moment, everything was happening before the war. The man in front of her was her brother, and the woman was her sister. The rare moment of joy surrounded the table, and her eyes teared up. By chance, at that moment, Jiang Chen also felt an illusion. An illusion known as home. 12 Battle of the Construction Site Chapter 12: Battle of the Construction Site Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ To be honest, Jiang Chen has not been home for a while. In the past, it was because he didnt feel like he accomplished anything. Thus, he felt embarrassed and guilty seeing his parents. Now, he has finally achieved something. The gold in the mansion was worth at least a million. It was still not enough to buy an apartment in Wanghai City, but it was sufficient to support his parents. Also, inside the vault of the bank, there was a fortune worth billions. "What are you thinking about?" Sun Jiao waved her hands in front of Jiang Chen. Also, I have a girlfriend. Jiang Chen smiled at Sun Jiao as he grabbed onto her hand, and carefully looked at the flawless hand. "I was just thinking if I should put a ring on you." Sun Jiaos face immediately blushed as she fleeted away, not knowing what to do. Although she was bold most of the time, there were occasions where she showed her shy side. Jiang Chen laughed as he recollected his thoughts. The dishes were all cleaned and organized. This was the first time he realized that Sun Jiao knew how to clean up. The thought made him quite happy. Of course, Yao Yao also helped out. Jiang Chen guessed that it must be Yao Yao that cleaned the dishes first and Sun Jiao followed, as she didnt want to feel too guilty about it. This must be the feeling of being the man in the house. The planning session began after dinner. Sun Jiao insisted on the meeting being held on the bed. Jiang Chen mocked her in his head as she grew lazier by the day. Although slightly uncomfortable, Yao Yao lied on the bed as well. She wore Jiang Chens shirt and jeans that he prepared for himself. He thought he would just pick out a few outfits for her once he was back in the modern world. The faint scent of Jiang Chen on the clothes made Yao Yao blush throughout the meeting. This was the first time she experienced such a weird sensation which made her quite dizzy. "First, how to enter the vault. Let me briefly explain for our little girl." Sun Jiao took out the full-sensory computer pen and displayed the three-dimensional image. "We enter the safety tunnel through the underground garage. We then avoid the zombie-filled grand hall and got into the basement which will lead us to the vaults front door. I took this route before so it should be relatively safe. The key is going to be on the main door of the garage, which has a password lock on it. Do you think you can open it?" Sun Jiao looked at Yao Yao as she finished her sentence. "If it is the security system before the war, I am pretty confident I can open it. However, I need two days to prepare. Some of the software must be installed beforehand," she stared at the prism and said with caution. "Ok," Sun Jiao replied with a snap. "Lets go buy you a computer tomorrow. I also want to buy one for fun. As for the preparation, lets do that in the mansion." Jiang Chen always wanted a futuristic computer. He heard those things were dirt cheap at Sixth Street, about the same price as EP. "Mansion?" Yao Yao turned her head around. "Thats our base, and also your future home," Sun Jiao smiled at Yao Yao as she explained. Home no matter how many time she heard those word, Yao Yao always felt a warmth surrounding her. "So the next question." Sun Jiaos expression turned serious. "Is about Huizhong Mercenaries." "Oh? Did they make a move?" Eyebrows raised, Jiang Chen asked. Yao Yaos face spelled confusion as she didnt have a clue. Sun Jiao patted her head as she saw Yao Yaos confused face. She then began to explain how the story started. "So, these guys are eyeing masters fortune." "Dont call me master, you can call me big brother." Master was a word which made Jiang Chen feel weird, especially coming from a young girl. "Ok, brother!" Jiang Chen tried to hide his face full of joy but directly met Sun Jiaos questioning smile. He was sure that if he did anything inappropriate, he should be worried about his future sex life. He shivered as he immediately dragged the conversation back on track. "So the result of your observation is?" "Huizhong Mercenaries supports and backups are here. They are patrolling the area five kilometers away from Sixth Street. They have 17 gunmen and one motorized machine gun. That is excluding the fact that these are only part of their power." Sun Jiao also regained her professionalism. "According to your plan, all the pieces are set in place, and we just need to wait and enjoy the game." Jiang Chen nodded as he fell flat on the bed. "Is there anything else we need to talk about? If not, we should sleep early." "Well, heres the problem." Sun Jiao glanced at Jiang Chen with a mischievous look. "Where are you going to sleep?" "Hmm?" "Theres only one bedroom." She reminded him. "Of course I am sleeping with you." Jiang Chen had the audacity to answer as he hugged her. "I, Ill go to the living room." Yao Yao tried to flee from the bed with a blushed face. Sun Jiao grabbed onto the escaping Yao Yao as she whispered into her ear. "You are sleeping beside your big sister today because a naughty boy is trying to eat your sister today." F*ck, its still debatable who is eating who? Jiang Chen sighed. They ended up sleeping together that night in a peaceful way, but it just ended up being a terrible night. The next morning, Jiang Chen rubbed his still sleepy eyes and sat up. He looked at the completely spread out Sun Jiao and compared her with the curled up Yao Yao. A smile emerged on his face. Time to make breakfast. Although it was in the apocalyptic world, it was still important to maintain the proper daily routine. Eating breakfast was one of the few habits that Jiang Chen managed to keep. He placed a slice of bread into the microwave and observed the sky outside the window. The dawn had not yet broken through the dark sky, but he didnt feel sleepy at all. He thought about the battle with the most vicious enemies on the wasteland. The idea made him uneasy. Although he prepared for the battle for a long time, anything could happen. The enemy must have prepared for as well. Hui Lei disappeared, which would ring a warning bell to Zhou Guoping. The motorized machine gun was ready for this occasion. Unless he spent the rest of his life on Sixth Street, the day would come when he has to face the mercenaries. "Is there anything I can help with?" A faint voice mumbled. "Hmm?" He turned around with a smile. "Are you not going to sleep a bit more?" She was loosely covered with Jiang Chens oversized clothing. Yao Yao shooked her head with eyes still half-closed. "No... No. if Yao Yao is too lazy, Yao Yao will be abandoned." "I already told you, I am not going to abandon you. What do you think about every day?" Jiang Chen tousled her messy hair. Maybe she was still sleepy, but when her head was rubbed at a drowsy state, Yao Yao unconsciously let out a few cute snores. Due to the advanced medicine, the bruise on her face was already very faint. The scars on her hands were also not as visible. Due to malnourishment, she looked rather thin and weak, but Jiang Chen believed that she only needed time to get better. "Oh, thank you." Answering while still half asleep, Jiang Chen dragged Yao Yao into the bathroom. "Since you are already awake, wash your face and remember to brush your teeth." After a couple of words and reminders, he handed Yao Yao her toothbrush, closed the door, and returned to the kitchen. With a toothbrush in hand, Yao Yao stood in front of the sink still drowsy. Because of anemia, she always felt drowsy in the morning. Even then, her heart was furiously beating. [What is happening?] She stood there and stared blankly into space with her hands crossed in front. "Gulp." Although drowsy, she smiled blankly. The remaining warmth on the toothbrush felt soothing. After breakfast, the group left the Tulip Hotel and headed straight to the market. There were electronic stores there that sold full-sensory computer pen that cost a fortune before the war but now only sold for pennies. The store owner also gifted a lot of electronic components for free after Jiang Chen purchased two pens at once. He wasnt too interested in these small parts, but Yao Yao packed everything like she just hit the jackpot. 100TB storage, super high power processor, and low power consumption. The store owner pitched the product, and Jiang Chen was dazzled by the features. However, he was buying the computer pen for Yao Yao, and he only wanted to see how cool this thing was. Jiang Chen also spent two crystal energies to purchase an EP for Yao Yao. The EP was extremely effective in protecting against radiation. It was also very useful for understanding the bodys condition. After accepting so many gifts, Yao Yao was timid. With a reddened face, she kept her head down. After everything has been completed, they began their journey home. When their boots first crossed the iron gate, Jiang Chen immediately felt something was odd. Could they be spotted already? Or was it the gene vaccine that made his sense much more sensitive. "Remember the details of the plan," Sun Jiao carried the laser rifle in front and whispered the reminder to Jiang Chen. "Got it." he shrugged. At the same time, he took a deep breath and pretended to be relaxed. "Remember, this is my idea after all." Yao Yao nervously touched Jiang Chens hand. She was extremely sensitive about Jiang Chens restlessness. However, other than calming Jiang Chen down, she was not too useful. Her goal was simply not to become a burden. After all, her body strength was the weakest. They slowly turned the street and walked towards Huizhong Mercenaries flank spot. Jiang Chens heart began beating rapidly. All of a sudden, Sun Jiao stopped. "This doesnt feel right." "Hmm?" Jiang Chen was fully alert as he took out the PK200 assault rifle from behind him. Yao Yao tightly hugged Jiang Chens back. Although she displayed a calmness unfitting for her age, her slim body shivered. Sun Jiao took a deep breath before suddenly opening the wires by her wrist. Bang! Smoke erupted and quickly submerged the street. "This way, follow me!" Sun Jiao signaled the other two and rushed to the building on the side. "Dammit! The prey is gone!" A guy with a Mohawk and piercings swore as he slammed into the concrete wall. The machine gun began to rotate. He didnt know how those three sensed the danger, but he knew that if he screwed this one up, his boss might make him regret it. "That way! Team Two follow them." "Roger, this is team two." "Machine gun division is mobilizing." "Quick!" Although they were bandits, the poorly equipped group of mercenaries responded with decisiveness. They surrounded the direction where Jiang Chen fled. The wolf pack style made them quite the enemy. "Still not here?" Jiang Chen looked at the struggling Yao Yao who was trying to keep up. "Almost." Sun Jiao responded impatiently. Then she controlled her speed so that the two behind her would not get lost. Gene vaccine was something magical. In the past few days, Jiang Chen felt that his body condition significantly improved. If only these could be used on teens, it would be good on Yao Yao. He did not feel tired at all. Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao as she struggled to keep up. Her face was an ashen white as she also had anemia. Jiang Chen immediately picked up Yao Yao as she was close to exhaustion and before Yao Yao could let out a scream, he dashed to Sun Jiao. Sun Jiao glanced at Jiang Chen without saying much. She continued to sprint forward, with her rifle in hand. Yao Yao blankly stared at Jiang Chens chin. A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek and fell onto her arm. She quietly held onto his sweat soaked clothes as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She didnt say anything, like put her down, because she knew this was the best option. Although it was a bit overzealous of her, she never hoped to survive as long as today. She wanted to thank him No, everything I own is already his. Yao Yao watched Jiang Chens relentless face with warmth in her heart. In the post-apocalyptic world, it was normal to die because someone couldnt keep up. But Jiang Chen would not let this be his normal. He dashed across a half-collapsed Ruins, immediately following Sun Jiao. Yao Yao, in his arms, was not too heavy as she only weighed about 40 kg. What made it difficult was the cracked concrete and the occasional zombie. The zombies in this area were scattered, but with enough noise, a hoard of zombies may appear. Since the enemy had vehicles, Sun Jiao must choose complicated and dense roads to travel on. "Hurry! Its the building in front. Get in there!" Sun Jiao signaled as she still had the energy to talk. Jiang Chen was struggling to keep his breath stable. After placing Yao Yao on the ground carefully, Jiang Chen immediately leaned against the concrete pole. He pushed himself against the rifle and gathered his breath. Feeling apologetic, Yao Yao kneeled beside Jiang Chen and carefully wiped the sweat off of his face. Guangli Buildings logo hung loosely on the roof. The darkened windows made the building look rather intimidating. From the unpainted wall, it was easy to tell that this place was abandoned before completion. Therefore, there were no zombies nor mutant creatures here. The crack filled wall made the structure look unstable, but for this very reason, Jiang Chen chose this to be the battlefield. Since they wanted the money, then there was no way they would destroy this building and bury the three of them alive. The reason why they chose here was to first, take down the initial wave of enemy, which would slow their advances. Then, when the latter enemies arrive, it would be easier to annihilate them all. Sun Jiao skillfully leaned against the window with the SK10 rifle hidden below. She zoomed into the scope with complete concentration and with her finger on the trigger, she waited for the enemy to appear. "We are fighting here. Can you still fight?" "No problem." Jiang Chen adjusted his breath and stood up. He clumsily fell beside the window, pulled out his assault rifle and opened the safety. The game began. 13 Battle of the Construction Site Continued Chapter 13: Battle of the Construction Site Continued Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ Lu Renjia was frustrated. He didnt know what the guys he sent to flank did, but it certainly made the prey immediately aware of them, and they escaped right away. All of a sudden, he had no clue what he should do. Although he decisively ordered the soldiers to follow, the effort was futile. The two of them probably had injected gene vaccines, and a glimpse to greed flashed over Lu Renjias face. Gene vaccine, thats something even his boss couldnt afford. Not only did this guy purchase one for himself, but he also bought one for his girl. Why would it even be useful to a woman? To make the sex more fun? He thought about it as he licked his cracked lips, a malicious smile appeared on his face. More fun or not, he could try it out himself after he captures them both. Then after he was done, he could let his boys have a taste as well to see if gene vaccine made a difference. He thought about Sun Jiaos gorgeous body as he began to feel heated and irrational. Hot girls were never scarce on the wasteland. The advancement of genetic engineering made genetic cosmetic technology a reality years before the war. The innovation came from the part that it permanently changed the way people looked, as an ability to pass on genes. Although there were some ethical dilemmas around the topic, everyone wanted to be pretty. The technology significantly increased the standard of the population''s beauty. In the late 22 centuries of the apocalyptic world, except for the malnourished, there were plenty of hot girls around. As the raid leader, Lu Renjia kept two as sex toys. Yes, they were considered as only sex toys. In the lawless apocalyptic world, with the necessary protection, beautiful girls were travesties and not gifts. If Lu Renjia accidently died in any of the quests, the two girls would just be the reward for the boss'' people. Although the tradition was irrational and obscure, it was unbelievably popular among the mercenaries. Because of this reward system, the ordinary mercenary was often exploded with fervor. But Lu Renjia was a cautious person. It was a steep climb to be promoted to his position. He feared death hence in every mission he took extreme care. Even if the two prey were rather harmless, with an even more harmless burden, he chose to stay in the most defensive middle position. He let the most foolish ones run around the middle. As people surrounded him on either side, it formed a protective triangle. It was because of this carefulness he lived slightly longer. Boom! A ray of laser penetrated the head of the guy running in the front and left a daunting blood hole on his forehead. "Fight! Flight! Spread out!" A Little shocked, Lu Renjia didnt expect the two prey would fight back. Although caught off guard, he decisively hid behind the half-fallen concrete wall and commanded the team. Tatata! Waves of ammo flew across the battlefield; weaving into a storm of bullets. Concrete debris filled the immediate vicinity. Jiang Chen somehow managed to handle the group of five mercenaries. "Fight, they are so f*cking rich." Lu Renjia groaned as he pressed himself against the thick concrete wall. With a finger on the trigger, he prepared to fight back. "Dumb*ss, aim before you shoot." Jiang Chen forced a smile as he heard Sun Jiaos criticism. He changed the assault rifle to semi-automatic mode. Jiang Chen played quite a bit of shooting games before, but this was his first time shooting a real gun. Jiang Chen was so tense that he just instinctively pressed the trigger till bullets ran out. Other than scaring the enemy, it only shattered a bunch of concrete. Yao Yao peeked outside with a frightened look. The occasional bullets scathing by her head made her cover herself as she trembled in the gunfire. With absolute trust and her fixation on her status as a slave. She didnt ask the question she had: was there any point defending this position? Jiang Chen continued to breathe deeply, as he tried to aim with the scope. Although it didnt manage to hit anything, it did suppress the advancement of the opposition. Sun Jiao calmly pulled the trigger of the gun as beams penetrated the sky. Counting the first one, she already took away three lives. Because of this, the number of enemies decreased by half, and hence the firepower weakened. The aggressive advancement tactic changed to a suppressive one where they only fired a gunshot or two once in awhile. Hidden behind the wall, Lu Renjia held onto his wounded arm. He angrily spat onto the ground. Clearly, the woman on the other side had much better aim, but it was too late to realize his mistake. The terrifying wound was his lesson. Fortunately, laser rifle wounds do not get infected. He took out a bandage and quickly treated the wound. The consecutive loss of men made him get rid of the idea of taking the trophy for himself. He decided to stay put before reinforcement arrived. Fuck, after I catch you, I will make you call me daddy. Lu Renjia stared at the direction of the woman with a gloomy cast over his face. "Dammit, it''s game on right away." Jiang Chen looked over his shoulder, at the collar that was in pieces. With the sudden realization, he started to sweat profusely. If the bullet had been shot two inches more to the left, there would be no more of him. If he died from a bunch of mercenaries, that would be such an embarrassing story. "Just back off Leave the rest to me." A glimpse of anxiety flashed on Sun Jiaos face. Although she kept her cool in the battle, when she saw Jiang Chens worrisome look, she couldnt keep a straight face. "No, its going to happen eventually." Jiang Chen shook his head as he reassumed his shooting position. A girl can''t protect him for the rest of his life. Although the safety of Jiang Chen was the responsibility of Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen didnt plan to stay behind the affray all the time. With surprise in her eyes, Sun Jiao didnt say too much. She must stay focused in the midst of battle. As long as she killed more people, he will be safer. Sun Jiao continued to trigger the rifle as the death ray blossomed in the fight. From afar, the engine roar disrupted the exchange of gunfire. The motorized machine gun finally arrived on the battle. Tatata! The pouring bullets suppressed Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao without letting them shoot. Waves of uproars ensued. The flying debris caused minor annoyances as it flew directly across their face, but it was still better than the bullets. Jiang Chen eyed Sun Jiao, and they immediately headed into the building after he received an affirmative response. Yao Yao was so frightened by the sound of machine guns that she almost couldnt keep her tears from falling but somehow managed to fight back her fear. With courage, she lowered her back and moved toward Jiang Chen. "Are you not curious as to why we are fighting them here?" Jiang Chen smiled at Yao Yao as he patted her tiny head. Yao Yao responded with a no as her big eyes looked at Jiang Chen. "I believe you." Jiang Chen laughed as he brought Yao Yao downstairs. "It is, this?" "Yes, an underground sewer system!" The cunning Yao Yao suddenly understood the reason why Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao fought here in the first place. It was not because they wanted to escape, but they wanted to hit the jackpot and get rid of the mercenaries altogether. Jiang Chen discovered the sewerage system through the full-sensory map. In the middle of this building that was still under construction, it had an entrance to the underground sewerage system. Sun Jiao cleared the entrance after her last visit. They opened the exit as a strong pungent smell quickly filled the surrounding. Jiang Chen didnt hesitate as he jumped in directly. In this parallel world, the sewerage system in this city was much wider compared to Jiang Chen''s world. As soon as they reached the bottom, Jiang Chen immediately turned on the flashlight and prepared for the sudden appearance of the starving mutant rats. The eight-person wide passage left plenty of space to maneuver. The pungent smell spread from the central sewerage. The road of both sides was relatively clean with pieces of mold. The AI controlled automatic sewerage system meant that the system was still running. Therefore, the sewage flow remained at a constant speed. This vital infrastructure was repaired immediately after the war. Although the project was abandoned, the infrastructure remained functional. There were plenty of AI controlled infrastructure left in the wasteland. "Be careful. Jump down, and Ill catch you." After securing his perimeter, he waved to Yao Yao who was still on top. The pungent smell didnt even raise Yao Yaos eyebrows; she jumped down without any hesitation. "Lets wait here for Sun Jiao." Jiang Chen was relieved that the danger was finally gone. "Is Sun Jiao sister okay?" Yao Yao was quite worried. "She will be fine. Don''t worry." Jiang Chen was very confident about Sun Jiaos ability. That was a girl who managed to tie me up in seconds. Of course, Jiang Chen didnt finish the sentence. "Hey, hottie, wheres your man? Did he leave you here for us? Hahaha" The laughter sudden stopped as a blood-gushing hole appeared on the mans neck. She dodged the bullet as she mischievously sneered, and threw a flashbang into the affray. Bang! Followed by a blinding light and deafening sound, everyone who aimed at Sun Jiao went down in pain. With this opportunity, Sun Jiao dashed into the building as well. She leaped for the sewerage system. Without hesitation, she jumped down and closed the exit on her way. To her surprise, she felt a firm chest surround her. "Are you not worried that you will accidentally bang your head in this position." Jiang Chen sighed as he gave Sun Jiaos firm butt a slap. "I am not, my honey." Sun Jiao seductively raised Jiang Chens chin. She did not feel guilty at all as she crossed her legs across Jiang Chen. As the two of them flirted, the reddened Yao Yao kept her head down. "Ill take care of you once we head back." Jiang Chen lightly bit her ear as he put her down. "You can take care of them now, my boss." She rolled her eyes. She then passed the remote to Jiang Chen. He stared at the ceiling with a slight hesitation in his eyes. However, it was soon overtaken by an iciness; he instantly pressed the control. "Fuck, where did they go!" Lu Renjia roared at a soldier. "She, She, She was too agile," the soldier that was grabbed by the collar said frightenedly. He stuttered as he couldnt keep his tongue straight. "Fuck!" Lu Renjia dropped the soldier on the ground. "Get moving, search the area." The other big mustache leader had looked at the exit before Sun Jiao vanished with a deathly stare. "Boss, there is something here!" The big mustache immediately ran over. Its an exit to somewhere. Its locked from the other side. Just as he signaled for a soldier to grab a chainsaw from the car, he suddenly thought of something, and his face turned into an ashen white. "Do you think they caught the two prey?" A guy with a Mohawk leaned against the car as he chatted with the machine gunner. "They must have caught them. Look, the gunshots even stopped." "Believe it or not, that girl had some accurate shooting. She killed six of our guys and wounded ten more." "Since they are caught, and our boss is still not out, do you think they are hehe." A wicked smile appeared on the Mohawk guys face. As if he was thinking about the same thing, the machine gunner also laughed. "Thats a must! After the boss is done with her, maybe we will get to try as well. Man, I cant get over the way she looked, and her face full of embarrassment, and then" Boom! Fire engulfed the sky. The explosion shattered car windows in an instant. Flaming rocks penetrated through the car and even hit the concrete road. The howls and screams were deafened by the blast of the falling concrete building. The unfinished building crumbled into pieces in the waves of explosions. "Whats going on? Hello?" The Mohawk guy dug himself out of the debris with his body stained in blood. He searched for his friend, but he only managed to find an anguished head, not connected to the body. At the start of the explosion, the machine gunner on top of the car had his neck blown out by the concrete debris. Perhaps this was payback, for all the sins he committed in his life. 14 The Filthy Underground Sewerage System Chapter 14: The Filthy Underground Sewerage System Translator: xujin-t-t, _Min_Editor: xujin-e-x, Lis_ "Its quite dark in here, who knows what will pop up." With boots covered in stain, Jiang Chen looked around the sewerage system. It was his first time in here, and although the pungent smell made it uncomfortable, he got used to it. "Scared?" Sun Jiao jokingly asked. "No way." Jiang Chen raised his PK200 assault rifle. "I wasnt even afraid of those guys up there." The beam of flashlight spotted a couple of half-human sized rats but made them immediately fleet into darkness. In the apocalypse, the most terrifying things were not zombies, nor mutants, but were humans. In the explosion, they were certain that all the mercenaries died. The ten-meter tall building made it almost impossible to escape the concrete debris. Nobody expected that in this desolated-looking building, a trap like that was hidden. The primary support structure of the building was strapped with wireless explosives. With a touch of a button, the entire building would blow up in explosions. Initially, Jiang Chen was quite worried about the integrity of the sewage system after the blast, but it looked like he considered too much. Other than scaring the creatures in the vicinity, the sewerage was completely fine. It was evident that the government built the infrastructure with fortitude and integrity. He would probably be buried if this happened in the modern world. "What do you think Huizhong Mercenaries leader would do if he heard that his entire raid team was completely gone?" "I would imagine that the second we appeared on Sixth Street, he would come and haunt us." Sun Jiao brought Jiang Chen back into reality. "Hmm, well this is going to problematic." Jiang Chen didnt even think about this consequence. "But it is okay. A lot of things can be purchased elsewhere anyways. Also, this is an opportunity to get rid of the Huizhong Mercenaries as a whole." Sun Jiao naturally created a plan of massacre without even thinking. Jiang Chen was a firm believer of risk and reward. Even if Huizhong Mercenaries was filled with completely filthy humans, he considered himself to be a merchant. So he didnt believe in the need to serve justice. Yao Yao trailed the two of them in silence; she looked around uneasily. "Whats wrong? Dont be afraid; big brother will protect you." Shamelessly, Jiang Chen patted his chest. Since he took care of the mercenaries, he was in a pleasant mood. Yao Yaos idolized look clearly foretold that she believed in his words. "Ok!" "How many mercenaries did you kill?" Sun Jiao pointed out his lie immediately. "Haha, at least one or two." Jiang Chen replied with an awkward smile as soon as he met Sun Jiaos look of disbelief. "Wounded." Jiang Chen admits that his accuracy was questionable at best. After all, shooting in games was a lot different from shooting in real life. But with practice, it will only take time before he became a qualified soldier. "Haha," Yao Yao grinned with a light laughter. But she soon realized that she probably shouldnt mock the master, and she carefully closed her mouth. The expression on her face was quite comical. In this relaxed atmosphere, the three of them headed towards "home." "How much longer?" "Should be pretty close now. There is an exit that can take us to the top." Sun Jiao checked the full-sensory map. Suddenly, Jiang Chen sensed a ghastly danger. His heart started to pound profusely. Sun Jiao also felt something and stopped moving. Bang! Bang! Gun shots were fired all of a suddenly. The bullets from the shadow aimed directly at them. Sun Jiao pushed Jiang Chen to the back with full force and knocked Yao Yao who was behind him over. But she had no more energy to dodge herself. "Hmm" She groaned as she covered her arm in pain. She slammed onto the ground and dropped the laser rifle. "NO!" Jiang Chens felt his body overwhelmed with raging blood. He roared, and within half a second, he dragged Sun Jiao behind cover. Bullets shattered the ground and created a debris of rocks. An obscure howl resonated from not far away. In a closed environment, the echoing sound spread terrifyingly. However, Jiang Chen couldnt hear anything. He watched Sun Jiaos closed eyelids. A painful tremble spread from his head to his toe and incapacitated his entire body. The time they spent together suddenly all flashed in front of his eyes. The brave girl, the gorgeous girl, and the girl that loves me. She pushed me away. But she... He stared emptily at the blood stain. In a matter of a second, Sun Jiao went from being incredibly lively to being on the verge of death. Jiang Chens heart was being chopped into pieces as the pain consumed him. Flames engulfed his eyes. "Do you know how to bandage?" "Yes!" Yao Yao was also frightened by the blood pouring out of Sun Jiaos body. This was also the first time she saw some a terrifying look on an always smiling face. "I dont know how. Please take care of Sun Jiao." Jiang Chen shoved the medical kit into Yao Yaos hands as he took out the assault rifle. Bang Bang Bang! The gunfire unveiled the ugly but happy faces in the shadow. They looked like indigenous people that lived in the sewerage system. So they were used to the seeing in the dark. Any trespasser would become food for them. Rats, or humans. "Haha, you fuckers!" Jiang Chen let out a furious roar as he stepped out of the cover. Bullets flew inches beside his face, but he didnt sense any fear. As if fear was completely removed from his body, and only vigilance remained. He searched for the flashing flares as he opened fire. It was a remarkable feeling. Every cell within Jiang Chen was screaming, but it didnt make Jiang Chen lose his mind. He was as calm and collected as he has ever been, with his only objective being to kill. But what he didnt realize was that the EP on his arm flashed a faint yellow light. He busted an empty clip and snapped on a new one. With force, he continued to fire into the darkness. Slowly, his vision began to glare. It felt as if everything he saw was submerged in water. The odd disturbance only made Jiang Chen more furious, but his anger only made the disturbance worse. He tried to recollect his vision and focus on the target. However, his vision completely changed. Flashing red dots jumped in his line of sight; it was as if small hearts pounded in the darkness. Or they were hearts beating after all. With a furious roar, Jiang Chen fired towards those red dots. The unknown moans and screams made Jiang Chen more zealous. He left the cover and moved to the red dots. The blinding flashlight was obviously a nightmare for the indigenous who were used to the darkness. Flashing white lights filled their field of vision. They couldnt see anything as they shot blindly into space. Those bullets had no effects on Jiang Chen. However, PK200s strong penetration power made the thin cover futile. Even if they hid behind cover, they couldnt protect the pumping heart. Heart exploded one by one as silence ensued. Countless bullets penetrated the bodies of the indigenous people; he wanted to destroy every single one of those red dots. Slowly, the gunfire from the other side stopped. Jiang Chens vigilance and cruelty made the indigenous taste their fear. This man was a devil. A mentally shattered man dropped his old assault rifle and dashed out of his cover. At the frightened looks of his friends, a bullet penetrated his heart, and the wound bloomed like a bloody flower. The indigenous people were completely terrified; they fled the battle running for their lives. However, Jiang Chen kept shooting. "You f*ckers. Stand still. Today is the end for all of you!" With a mental laugh, Jiang Chen continued to roar in the sewerage. Suddenly, he saw a heart still beating with the glimpse of an eye. A dark-skinned boy looked at the vicious Jiang Chen with fearful eyes. The pistol in his hand was unable to shoot because of the jammed bullets. Tatata! The assault rifle breathed the deathly flame as it completely shattered the beating heart that irritated him. "Whos next?" A corrupted door blocked Jiang Chens path of advancement; Jiang Chen kicked open the door. An offensive odor whiffed directly at him. Livers, arms, blood and bones scattered across the room. In the middle of the cave was a giant pot, and a limbless person barely alive. Even in his furious state, Jiang Chen almost threw up in disgust. But immediately, he started shooting the trembling females and the limbless person. The sharp scream of the creatures immediately echoed inside the cave. The limbless person left a relieved smile as the bullet penetrated his heart. The gunfire flared at Jiang Chens twisted face. He was angry, but he didnt know why he was angry. He couldnt even remember his name. He only wanted to kill, and only knew how to kill. Only death could extinguish the flashing red dots in front of him. Kang! The bullet jammed. Jiang Chen brutally slapped the side of the gun. But he didnt notice that there was still someone alive buried among the bodies. Vigilante flashed out of his eyes. "AHHHHH!" A bloodstained person howled an obscure noise and pushed Jiang Chen onto the ground. Under the scattered hair was a pair of tiny eyes. He sat on top of Jiang Chen, with full force, he pushed the dagger directly onto Jiang Chens throat. The dagger had previously dissected a countless number of survivors. "Hahaha, you bastard! Go die." Jiang Chen roared with a hysteric laugh as he guarded the arm with the dagger. Despite how hard the person tried, the dagger could not move a single inch. That disgusting color roared! Jiang Chen was so frivolous that he wanted to rip the persons heart into pieces, by hand. But all of a sudden, a wave of tiredness overwhelmed his bodys muscles. He was completely powerless. The persons looked surprised. With a couple of weird sounds, he pushed the dagger down and almost penetrated Jiang Chens throat. Bang! Blood The person was stunned as he looked at the massive hole in his stomach. He raised his head slowly. It was a crying face, filled with agony and fear. It was so "ugly," he wanted to rip it apart. But he was too slow. Bang, another bullet penetrated his head. Yao Yao was crying as the gun slid through her hand. She picked up the gun from the boy as she knew how to fix jammed weapons. After she finished treating Sun Jiao, the first word from Sun Jiao, after she coughed up blood, was telling her to follow Jiang Chen. She said he was in a dangerous state She saw the plea in Sun Jiaos eyes, Yao Yao also was worried about Jiang Chen. Despite terrified, it took something magical she didnt know to overcome the fear, she followed Jiang Chens trail. When she saw Jiang Chen fall, her heart almost stopped pumping. She picked up the gun and fixed it. With her fear suppressed, she pulled the trigger. This was her first time she killed a person. Although the thing she killed could not be described as a person, it was a human-shaped monster. Faintly, Jiang Chen felt something warm and soft surrounding his head and hugging him tightly. He also heard a girls crying voice. Droplets of water fell beside his cracked lips. It was salty. It didnt taste like blood? 15 Fury Chapter 15: Fury Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Jiang Chen didnt want to remember what happened that day in the sewerage system. He only remembered that he threw up, consistently. Yao Yao comforted him and helped him change into clean clothes. She felt terrible inside too, but since she survived in the apocalypse for a long time, death was a not an unfamiliar sight. In the end, Jiang Chen shot the natural gas canister in the room. He watched the fire cleanse the filth in the room without saying a word. He held onto the quivering Yao Yao and stepped over a countless number of bodies. He left this terrifying place. Sun Jiaos wound scabbed already. After Jiang Chen came back, she could even walk by herself. Three bullets hit her in the stomach, and one in the shoulder. After he had heard Sun Jiao taking out the bullets by herself, he was only a little surprised. This brave girl always surprised him. After they had returned to the mansion, he got drunk. He finished all the beers he brought. Because of Sun Jiao''s injury, she slept early and Yao Yao took care of him for the night. She was incredibly understanding. She also felt the agony and pain. The scene almost shattered any courage she had built up, but she knew that Jiang Chen needed to be taken care of right now. This compassionate man was almost like someone who had just left a survival base. She remembered the first time she saw a pile of dead bodies, and she almost immediately fainted. However, as soon as she realized that even in survival camp, death was only a routine, she became desensitized. Compassion was rare in this world, so wasting it would be considered a sin. In the apocalypse, it was foolish, but incredible at the same time. She heard about the cannibals. They hid within the shadows, under the filthy sewages. They worshiped a distorted religion which prided the act of feasting on the bodies of the same race. Every single one of them was the enemy of any human force. Even the anti-human neo-human group was disgusted by them. Praised for their freedom, Sixth Street outlawed any cannibals from approaching the area. She placed a warm towel on Jiang Chens forehead, Yao Yao looked at Jiang Chens face full of sorrow and then she silently left the room. "Did he fall asleep?" Yao Yao paused slightly. Sun Jiao was awake; she had a perplexed look on her face. "Mhmm, werent you asleep as well?" "Yes, but I cant fall asleep. Never mind, Ill talk to him tomorrow." Sun Jiao turned around. "You, how are you feeling?" Yao Yao looked at the bandage around Sun Jiaos waist. That question almost took all of her courage. "Its not a big deal. I am quite confident about my healing ability," Sun Jiao forced a smile as she answered weakly. "By the way." "Mhmm?" Yao Yao stopped, just as she was about to turn around. Yao Yao was puzzled. " Thanks." In the dim light Yao Yao couldnt make out Sun Jiaos facial expression, and Sun Jiao went into her room right after. Yao Yao grinned. Although she was not used to dealing with the bold female master, she was a nice person after all. The next morning. Jiang Chen sat on the soft bed as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. The sunshine cast through the window was bright. The radiation cloud finally scattered. The temperature was about to go up; it was the midst of summer in the modern world. The door slowly opened, Yao Yaos tiny body squeezed into the room. "Hmm, let me help you wash your face," Yao Yao said gently as she placed a bowl of water onto the head dresser. He looked at the cute face. A delighted smile melted from his sore face and he touched Yao Yao''s forehead. "Dont worry. I can do it. What time is it?" "Its nine. Let me do it." She wetted the tower and gently rubbed Jiang Chens face. It felt nice, so Jiang Chen didnt resist. "Does it feel better now?" "Much better. Yao Yao is very caring." His muscle still felt sore, but he was capable of moving around. Maybe because she received a compliment, but a delighted smile appeared on her face. "You, are you feeling better?" Sun Jiao also came into the room after she heard some noises. She stared at Jiang Chen worriedly from the door. "I am okay, but you, are your injuries okay?" "I am fine; I need to explain something to you." Her face suddenly turned serious which made Jiang Chen tense up as well. Although Sun Jiao loved to joke around, she always treated things seriously when it was necessary. Just as the mood was about to tense up, Sun Jiao all of a sudden laughed. From Jiang Chens shocked look, she turned around. "Lets eat breakfast first." The breakfast was very delicious, to the apocalypse standard. There were toast and ketchup. For some reason, ketchup made Jiang Chens stomach feel quite upset. Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen who held onto his stomach nervously; she sighed before taking away the ketchup. Sun Jiao has a passion for food, but all of the sudden she had no appetite. It was not because of the cannibals. This was the first time she saw something so gruesome. She was worried about Jiang Chen as it was his first time witnessing the cruelty of the apocalypse. That was only the tip of the iceberg. "I I need to go out. Ill probably be back in a month''s time. Theres not a lot of food left in storage." If he stayed here any longer, he would break down mentally. He made up an excuse because the idea of interdimensional travel was too complicated to explain. "Ok, come back as early as you can." Sun Jiao wanted to say something, but only those words left her mouth. "Lets eat." Jiang Chen gave her a weak smile. He knew that he looked terrible, but he couldn''t be brave at this moment. He was fatigued physically and mentally. Sun Jiao carefully chewed on the toast and explained to Jiang Chen what happened to his body yesterday. Gene vaccine, theoretically, only slightly improved the human regenerative cell function which would improve the human muscle strength, bone strength, reflex and survivor ability. Jiang Chen opened his EP and saw his improvements in the past three days. **** User Name: Jiang Chen Muscle Strength: 24 Bone Strength: 25 Reflex: 28 Brain Cell Strength: 14 **** All three basic abilities almost doubled. By modern world standards, Jiang Chen could be described as superhuman. "Yesterday, because of your anger, you entered fury mode." She remembered Jiang Chen was furious because of her which made her blush a little. "Normally, gene vaccine will only improve the three basic functions. However, because it changed some DNA in the body, some unpredictability does exist. Someone even grew two heads." "What? The thing you injected into me was something this dangerous?" Jiang Chen dropped the toast onto the ground. "Some probability, almost negligible." She didnt want to admit her mistake and chose to change the topic. "But for some people, the mutations are beneficial, so they received useful abilities. For me, my ability is tenacious." Sun Jiao stood up and unzipped her clothes. "Ahem, what are you doing?" Surprised by her actions, Jiang Chen was slightly confused. However, when he saw the flawless waist, he was shocked. "What happened to your scar?" Only three faint white dots were left on the lightly tanned skin. This was the new skin she grew. In a couple of days, he wouldnt even be able to tell the difference. "Tenaciouss ability is to increase cell regenerative speed for the non-fatal wound. After the usage of the ability, the body will be frail. Constant usage will also result in cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest. "Your ability is the same. You have to remember you are exchanging your life for power. Therefore, you shouldnt use it as much. According to EP, it is called Fury right?" "Yes." Jiang Chen nodded. He checked the EP yesterday, and it showed "Special Ability: Fury." "Clinically, anyone with this ability will be triggered by strong emotional stimulants. The bodys cell will enter a rapid stage of regeneration. In macro terms, its an increase in strength and reflex. The specifics are person-dependent. You can find information related to your usage on your EP. Jiang Chen was surprised by the EPs function. Under Sun Jiaos guidance, he found the document. Hidden Gene Ability: Fury Muscle Strength +20 Reflex + 19 Brain Cell Strength +17 Special effect: Killer instinct, use any of the five human sense to identify the location of the opponent''s heart. Maximum effective duration: Thirty minutes The fury ability could increase brain cell strength? Make me Smarter? Jiang Chen was quite bewildered. "I caution you against using the ability too much." Sun Jiao noticed Jiang Chens surprised expression, and she sighed. "Why?" "Did you forget the effect of the ability?" He remembered he fainted that day and only regained consciousness after a long time. "If its in a safe environment, then it is okay. But in the midst of the battle, no one can predict the outcome. If you met someone you cannot take care of while using the ability, then there is only one ending for you." Sweat began to roll down Jiang Chens forehead as Sun Jiao explained. If Yao Yao didnt get there in time, he would be a headless body by now. "But you dont have to worry; these abilities are often controllable. You can use special medicine to active and terminate the ability. It will make your ability much more useful. With practice, you can even use your mental strength to control the ability. Like me, I dont need the assistance of medicine anymore." Sun Jiao passed on two plastic tubes to Jiang Chen. "Put this inside your EP and match the corresponding color. If you need to active fury, you just need to press a button. The EP will use the micro-needle to inject the medicine into your body. However, my recommendation is still to not over-rely on this ability." "Ok." Jiang Chen carefully nodded. After breakfast, he packed up his bag filled the gold. The two girls followed him into the living room to say goodbye. Although Jiang Chen reassured them that he would be back soon, Sun Jiao and Yao Yao insisted. He hugged Sun Jiao as she kissed him without a slight hesitation. The passionate and wetness of the kiss would not be dull even after a million times. "The food is in the fridge. There is enough in there to last half a year. Remember to eat the fresh vegetable first; canned foods are not that healthy." "Ok honey, can you say something romantic right now. " Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, but her eyes were filled with longing. After Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen also hugged Yao Yao. "Remember to take care of your body; I want to see a healthy Yao Yao after I come back." "Mhmm!" Yao Yao nodded her head. He felt her pointy chin on his shoulder before he placed her down. "First, you have to come back." She asked him with a plea. Jiang Chen gave her a sincere smile to assure all of her concerns. "Of course I will be back." Jiang Chen was about to leave, but he felt a weak resistive force from his waist. He looked at Yao Yao confusedly as she held onto him and just as he was about to ask her why. Her lips covered his. There was an elegant fragrance; it tasted like lavender. Yao Yao pecked him on the lips and ran away. He touched his lips still stunned by what happened; he then saw Sun Jiaos deadly stare. "You cant blame me for this." Sun Jiao sighed as Jiang Chen tried to explain. She hugged him again and whispered, "dont say anything, come back soon." "Mhmm." Jiang Chen opened his mouth, but he only left a simple response. She stared at his shadow with a perplexed look. The woman was a sensitive creature. She could guess that Jiang Chen was from a country before the war. Only in a structured society would gold have any value. From her knowledge, there was no place in this world where gold has any value left. Will he come back to this world? She didnt know. If it was before, she might choose to keep him here. It was typical for people in the apocalypse. But she didn''t choose this option. She saw the fearlessness in his eyes since the beginning. Even if he was tied down with a gun pointed at his head, he was afraid, but he never feared. The companions were all lies; the organization was also a story he created. She didnt know what he hid. It was not a stupid fearlessness, but it a was calculated risk. Sun Jiao had the feeling that at Sixth Street if he wanted to leave, no one in this world could stop him. He would also do it with less effort than her. She even had the idea of hiding the gold to control Jiang Chen, but she restrained the idea to her head. She chose to trust him. He will not leave me here. He will be back. Sun Jiao believed him. Although if she followed him, she would find out his secret. But, she didnt do it. It was odd because this was the first she trusted the idea of a relationship in the apocalypse. Although Yao Yao didnt know Jiang Chens secret, as witty as she was, she was smart enough to see a slight hesitation in his eyes. She didnt know from where this hesitation came. Maybe it was because of the conflict with the Huizhong Mercenaries, or maybe it was because of the mental image left behind at the cannibals camp. She saw the hesitation in him. Maybe it was because of this uncertainty that made him postpone the vault idea and leave for a period. This choice made Yao Yao quite relieved. Though it was a gloomy feeling, she felt that if Jiang Chen got the gold from the vault, then he would not be back for a long time. If Jiang Chen disappeared, she would feel despair. She didnt want to feel that way. So in the last moment, she followed her heart, and she kissed Jiang Chen. For the same reason, Sun Jiao didnt stop her despite Sun Jiao''s possessiveness. In the end, he needed some attachment in his heart. So, the more, the better. Then, he would come back. 16 Cashing Ou Chapter 16: Cashing Out Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Jiang Chen almost cried as he took in a deep breath of the familiar smoggy scent. The clock on the wall pointed at 11 oclock, the time in the apocalypse was synced with the modern world. When he left, it was also 11. He rubbed his temple and slowly took another deep breath. If he stayed there a second longer, he would go insane. He thought his mental fortitude was strong, but he apparently overestimated himself when faced with waves of machine gun bullets and body parts. He didnt quiver at that moment, but he was as traumatized as Yao Yao, if not more. The familiar noise outside of the window made him calm. Even if the noise bothered him before, it reminded him of the place called home. Thank god for world peace! Jiang Chen wanted to scream out these words, but he only stretched his arms and didnt let it out. The constraining force of the civilized society made him hold back. He didnt want to be considered as a lunatic. He felt the heavy metal behind his back. It made his heart pump a little faster. Gold! He is rich now! He placed the backpack onto a scale and saw the needle pointed at seven kilograms. His heart pounded furiously. Thats mother fucking one million dollars! He didnt know the exact exchange rate, but it was around 200 to 300 dollars per gram which would add up to 1.4 million dollars. He truly hit the jackpot. He didnt even make 3000 per month back then. He only imagined this in his dreams, but now the gold was right in front of him. The contrast also made him ponder about his next step. Buy a car? He had plenty of money to do so. Buy an apartment? Pretty close. No no no, he wanted a mansion. Yes! The vault at the bank! But when he thought about it, his face immediately dimmed. He hesitated about the idea. He must go back to that place. The apocalyptic world where even the air made you feel suffocated by the cruelty. However, as he was contemplating, a graceful figure appeared in his head. "I also believe you." "Dont say anything, come back soon." "Sun Jiao." Jiang Chen mumbled the name as he touched his lip subconsciously. Her warm kiss remained on his lip. Another timid character flashed into Jiang Chens head. "I, I will be very obedient. If you want to do anything, I will not resist." "I dont mind having such a sympathetic master. Yao Yao is very grateful; I hope you dont abandon me." "Yao Yao." Jiang Chen repeated the other familiar name. The fresh scent of the kiss, although unexpected, kissed straight to his heart. All the sudden, Jiang Chen burst out in laughter and let go of all his troubled thoughts. "What am I even thinking? I dont like little girls." He jumped off the bed. First, its time to make lunch. Then, cash out on the gold. As to the car and house, he wants the fastest convertible and the fanciest mansion. At least it has to be better than his place in the apocalypse. The entire vault will all belong to me. As to this money. Its time to enjoy and relax a little. He walked into the familiar Kitchen and picked up the already dusty knife. He made up his mind. First, he will spend every penny he has. Or else it would be difficult to gather the courage to go back. It would take some time to get used to it. Along with the gold, he also took the full-sensory computer and pistol. Although he didnt want to bring the pistol back as it was outlawed in his society because he didnt want to make too much of a commotion, his goal was to be rich here. He brought the computer so that he could watch movies. The store owner promised him that all 100 terabytes were quality movies. He was excited to experience it like never before. He immediately opened it. The intricate computer projected a rectangular prism made out of arrays of light particles. The interface looked even more advanced than Sun Jiaos computer. The already excited Jiang Chen immediately opened the folder titled . He selected the first one from the list. But the picture that projected completely shocked him. "Yes, Yes, go harder!" The arousing sexual scene projected straight into the middle of the room. It was almost as if the action was happening in his room. He immediately closed the computer as the neighbors probably all heard the noise. He reopened the computer again, this time carefully scrolling through. He finally saw the names of the movie. <16 times in the office straight!> What are these? These are all porn. Jiang Chen finally understood why the store owner made such a perverted face when he sold it to him. If it was before, he would probably have masturbated to it. But now, things were different. After the countless number of romances with Sun Jiao, he was no longer interested in the one-person activity anymore. He threw the computer on the ground and carried the hefty backpack. He was hesitant about carrying a pistol. Yao Yao gave him the pistol that saved his life. After a brief pause, he suddenly remembered the storage dimension he had and put everything in there. Except for the slow activation and power cost of the storage dimension, it was quite convenient. Jiang Chen also didnt lack energy crystal anymore. It only took ten crystal energy to charge the power of the bracelet completely. He also didnt take off the EP. The design of the EP matched the aerodynamics of the human body. Therefore it looked completely hidden inside his sleeves. He locked the door of the gloomy apartments behind him. He paused for a second before stepping into the lively and vibrant metropolitan. The shadow of leaves scattered across the rocky road. It was June in Wanghai City. The symphony of chattering birds echoed through his ear. He stood in the middle of the crowded street and pondered before finally recollecting his thoughts. Everything was surreal. The chaotic apocalypse contrasted with the serenity of the modern world. Although he only stayed for a few days in the other world, everything there has been engraved into Jiang Chens mind and memory. The cracked concrete was replaced by a rocky trail. The trees scattered shadow replaced the reflection of a few branches sticking out of the tree. He held his head high again and took a deep breath. He tried to get the unhealthy feeling out of his skull. He needed a couple of days to relax. It wouldnt be long before he went insane. With the back of his eye, he saw a cicada between the tree branches. He didnt see cicadas in the apocalypse, but the cockroaches were as big as a Shepard. He shooked his head to get the odd idea out of his head and waved down a taxi to go cash out his gold. The bank was not an option. There was no way to prove his ownership, so the bank would not accept it and probably call the cops. Respectable gold shops were a good option since they have the capability and would be relatively trouble free. It would only take some discounting on the price to make the deal happen. After all, it didnt cost him anything to get it. He stepped in front of Goldlion. He chose it purely because of the name. "Hello Sir, are you picking out a ring for your significant other? We have" As soon as Jiang Chen stepped inside, the sales lady welcomed him warmly. Although Jiang Chen looked rather dull, maybe he was rich. Her years of sales experience signaled her that Jiang Chen was unique. "Do you guys exchange gold here?" Jiang Chen signaled the sales lady to stop talking and stated his intention. She paused and suddenly lost all her interest. She still replied respectably. "Yes we do, but we only accept gold with high purity. If you have any needs, sir" "Get your manager here. You cant decide this deal." Jiang Chen interrupted her. The sales lady could not make a decision on this amount of gold. She looked rather unhappy but remained professional. She didnt believe that a guy dressed so poorly with a backpack could talk about the deal here. She could almost foresee the look of despair after the guard threw him out of the store. After he had looked at the gold from Jiang Chens backpack, Liu Anshan gasped. He worked for Goldlion for almost twenty years. He has seen plenty of people exchange gold, but this was the first time he saw someone do it with a backpack. Seven kilograms of gold. After the examiner had nodded, Liu Anshan coughed and displayed the most pleasant smile he had. "Its 7122 grams. The purity is flawless. Do you have proof of ownership for the gold sir?" "No." Jiang Chen stared at Liu Anshans eyes and answered decisively. Liu Anshan momentarily gave a though before he motioned the examiner to leave. Only two of them remained in the room. "Let me be honest with you. Mr. Jiangs gold comes from somewhere unusual." Liu Anshans eyes flashed with intelligence before fading away. The golds purity was identical to a bank''s. However, gold from the bank usually has a receipt, but Jiang Chen''s didnt. The origin of the gold was questionable. "Dont worry. There are no criminal records on these. The gold is my salary." Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and answered without too much emotion. He didnt lie; it was his salary from the apocalypse. Liu Anshan was also experienced in these matters. Jiang Chens vibe made him feel quite uncertain. Gold as salary? Could he be a mercenary? Thats stretching it too far. Jiang Chen left Liu Anshan guessing as he didnt explain further. He looked at Liu Anshan and asked, "Boss, do you have any interest in this deal?" "Yes, of course, Mr. Jiang." Liu Anshan smiled. "But since you dont have any proof of ownership, it''s quite difficult for us to" "7122 grams of gold. Ill sell every gram for 220 dollars which come out to be 1566840 dollars. Ill round it 1.5 million. The rest is your tip. The gold is currently trading at 270 dollars per gram. There is no way you would lose in this deal." Jiang Chen suggested. Jiang Chen didnt believe someone like Liu Anshan had no way of getting rid of the gold in the black market, "Haha, Mr. Jiang. Then I must kindly accept this offer." Liu Anshan was shocked by the price he was offered. He would make 100 thousand instantly if he took the deal. "Would you prefer cash or transfer?" "Transfer." Jiang Chen gave out his account number. After he had received the confirmation, it was a successful deal. After Jiang Chen had left the VIP room, the sales lady looked hysterically as her boss personally sent the poor looking man to the door. "Mr. Jiang, this is my business card. If you have any more business for me in the future, please dont forget me." Liu Anshan looked euphoric as he just made 100 thousand in a couple of minutes. Jiang Chen was right; it was easy to get rid of the gold through other channels. The purity of gold was flawless without the need for further purification. Liu Anshan was only required to document the gold before it could be sold on the exchange. Also, apart from the gold itself, Liu Anshan was investing in a long term relationship. He was respectable to Jiang Chen because of the very reason. At least on the surface. Jiang Chen accepted the card without saying much. He took a taxi and left right away. Liu Anshan gazed at the direction of the departing taxi. He was deciding if it was necessary to have someone follow Jiang Chen. He had a feeling that for someone who sold the gold without a blink of an eye, he must have even more. [If I can find the source of the gold.] A flame of greed ignited in his eyes before he extinguished it. He decided to be vigilant about the situation. Life is more important than money after all. 17 Today, I am wealthy! Chapter 17: Today, I am wealthy! Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi "Hey Buddy, where are you going?" "Shi Mao! (*A high-end mall)" He used to work at a high-end clothing store there as a sales representative. He rolled down his window and let the bellowing wind blow in his face. As if it was the only way to calm his pounding heart. He even stopped the driver from rolling up the window. The driver looked at him as if he was a lunatic. "Hehe, did you something good happen to you?" "Yes, kinda." Jiang Chen laughed as he caught a mouthful of wind. After they had arrived at the destination, Jiang Chen dropped a hundred dollar bill. "Keep the change." Jiang Chen flamboyantly left the car as the taxi driver stared in shock. [F*ck!] He wanted to try to say that for a long time. Finally, he had the opportunity to do so. After cashing out on the gold, he felt more relaxed than he had in many years. A famous proverb once said that clothes make the man. In the modern world, people were quick to judge based on how one appeared. Even if he had a three-piece suit on when he went into the gold shop, the sales person would still consider him to be absurd. The concrete ground in the summer day felt like scorching fire.. After all, the first impression was purely dedicated by a person''s appearance. The majority of one''s opinion would be formed in the first few seconds, which would impact any social interaction in the future. As someone who was always afraid of poverty, Jiang Chen did not consider himself as a low-key individual. A slick look would make dating or business easier. It would be much more effective compared to the knockoff brands he wore. He approached the store he had previously worked at. Before he entered the shop, a sneer lit up on his face. He was curious about what the cocky woman that fired him would think once she saw his lavish lifestyle. If he was there to embarrass her, he wanted to be superb at degrading her. Jiang Chen also fancied a few polished outfits for himself. "Welcome, Sir." The sales associate was different. It was the end of July which meant that a lot of universities were on summer break already. A lot of college student would do part time here. Luxury stores were the top choice for gorgeous looking girls. It was respectable, not labor intensive, and also a perfect place to find a sugar daddy. The evil of capitalism. Although millionaires visited the place frequently, rarely would they go alone. After all, men usually didnt have a tremendous amount of criteria for clothes. The existence of these high-end stores often served as a place to demonstrate their wealth to their female companion. It would further additional activities at the hotel that night. Jiang Chen was not pretentious, but his purpose would say otherwise. Jiang Chen picked out a piece of clothing valued at 10,000 without even blinking. The attractive sales associates eye lit up as Jiang Chens hands started to pile full of clothes. She immediately helped him intimately by carrying any extra clothing. She also gave him the sweetest smile. The smile had "ask me out" written all over it. Jiang Chen, who was busy looking for his old boss, were a little slow to take the hint. He didnt notice the flirty moves of the attractive girl beside him. Of course, if the girl were looking to hookup, Jiang Chen wouldnt mind. Her boobs were not as large as Sun Jiao''s, but the vibe of modernism combined with her youthful energy made her particularly striking. She must be a prom queen at some university. He slapped the clothes on the counter as he was irritated that he didnt see the girl. [F*ck, where is she? If she is not even here, whats purpose of this whole thing?] A gloom immediately cast over Jiang Chens face as he felt extremely frustrated. The sales associate thought she offended the millionaire somehow. She carefully examined Jiang Chen facial expression and even started to question her action. "The total will be 157,000 dollars after rounding down. Would you prefer cash or debit?" [What kind of question is this? Who the f*ck brings 150,000 dollars in cash?] Jiang Chen took out his debit card and glanced around the store again. There were no familiar faces to be seen. "Debit. Whats the name of your manager?" Jiang Chen handed the card over as he asked the question simultaneously. That question made the sales associate tremble. She thought she displeased him, but why would he ask for the manager? The cashier who took the debit card also paused briefly. She looked at the sales associate and displayed a professional smile. "Xu Liping, Would you like me to contact her for you?" For the amount he purchased, the complaint just could not be ignored. The cashier thought the sales associate offended him and he wanted to see the manager for the same reason. For these types of part-time employees, she was unfamiliar with them and obviously would not offer a helping hand. There were plenty of part-time employees working at the store from the university every study break. "Thats fine. Also, do you know Xia Shiyu?" Jiang Chen interrupted. The cashier raised her eyebrow with a confused look. She didnt quite remember that name. [Looks like she doesnt know.] With a mixture of emotions, Jiang Chen turned around and left. However, the cashier suddenly opened her mouth as if she remembered something. "Yes, The previous manager name was Xia Shiyu." "Where is she now?" Jiang Chen questioned. "She got let go because of the layoff. We took over after we received training from the headquarters. So we are not familiar with this place. If there is anything we did wrong, please kindly forgive us." With a polite smile, the cashier said a bunch of pleasing words. But Jiang Chen wasnt paying attention. [She lost her job as well. That cocky girl stayed only for a bit longer. Hahaha.] Jiang Chen wanted to burst into laughter, but the brief excitement was soon overtaken by a sense of despair. It felt like he had no way to unleash his victorious excitement. He stored everything into the storage dimension and left the place where he shared a significant amount of his recent memories. He pushed open the spotless glass door as a wave of cold air emerged. Jiang Chen thought he might as well get his hair designed in this salon. He obviously didnt make a reservation, but his luxurious looking clothing made the designer welcome him into the VIP room immediately. He only wanted to get a haircut. Although the result would be the same from a street side barber, Jiang Chen only wanted to spend money. Only an extravagant lifestyle would relieve his tense mood. Jiang Chen finally understood why corrupted people lived such a luxurious life. If they didnt spend money, how would they stimulate their already frightened mental state? He leaned against the plush chair as a delicate-looking hairdresser walked in. The hairdresser''s wavy hair fitted her flawless and delicate face as if she came from a drawing. The fashionable clothes covered her serene figure perfectly. Even in just one glance, Jiang Chen was amazed by her beauty. Her lilac scent tingled Jiang Chens senses. Her graceful hands massaged his hair delicately. With music in the background, it felt like heaven. She made washing hair into a form of art. What Jiang Chen didnt know was that the designer was also judging him. From the fashion industry, she knew how much Jiang Chens wardrobe cost. With that, he was also great looking. Compared to the customers she has served in the past, a lot of them were either bold or had a huge beer belly. She peaked at the muscular chest. Although covered with a layer of clothing, she could almost feel the firmness. The female hairdresser blushed as she began to daydream. [What would it feel like to be with this guy?] "The water is a bit hot." "Ahh! I am so sorry sir." Jiang Chen was a bit confused. In theory, she shouldnt make a mistake like this. It interrupted his almost short nap. He didnt seem to be bothered by these mistakes. After his hair was washed, the dresser gently used a towel to cover Jiang Chens hair. With soft movements, she dried his hair gently. Every detail was performed to perfection. It was the ultimate pleasure. Especially when her leg slightly brushed against Jiang Chens hands, the silky smooth feeling was sensational. The designer even gave him a massage after. Her soft finger turned and twisted on top of his head as if she was playing a symphony. The rhythm of her fingers was so pleasurable that it made Jiang Chen almost moan out. Jiang Chen checked himself out in the mirror after the completed service. Although his hair was not that different, his presence completely changed. His brand new outfit combined with the haircut spoke sophistication on every level. After, he wandered into a busy mall, a place he passed before but never had the money to buy anything. Though now even with money, he didnt know what to buy with all these choices. He thought, only if Sun Jiao was here. Jiang Chen laughed self-mockingly. That idea was as unrealistic as it could be. It would be difficult to explain everything in the first place, let alone the feasibility of taking a live person with him to perform interdimensional travel. The crowded street felt lonely by himself. Most of his close friends left the city to either go home, venture out, or leave the country. He was only one that remained in the crowded and emotionless city. His contacts were full of numbers, but he didnt have anyone to call. The benefit of shopping alone was that he had complete freedom. He could buy anything and eat anything he wanted. He passed a womens clothing store and almost walked in. However, he quickly realized how weird it was to go in without a female companion. So clothes shopping for Sun Jiao and Yao Yao would have to be next time. As the sky turned into a dim yellow, it was dinner time. He sat in a high-end restaurant, alone. He chose whatever was the most expensive at the time. King crabs, lobster, and steak. He didnt know if he would finish everything or not, but he still ordered ten dishes. The server had a look of disbelief and concern, so he slapped his debit card on the table. After the gene vaccine, Jiang Chens body condition significantly improved. Therefore, the amount of food he ingested also increased substantially. The server looked horror, as Jiang Chen feasted on the meal. He managed to finish the majority of the dishes. The rest of the dishes, he didn''t plan to pack up. He walked out of the restaurant and left the server dumbfounded. It was not the first time the server saw someone eat such an unbelievable amount of food. However, it was the server''s first time seeing such a sophisticated and fit person finish almost everything on the table. These dishes were all made of meat too. 18 Encountering an old friend Chapter 18: Encountering an old friend Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi The saline sea wind calmed Jiang Chens irrationality. He looked at the people walking by him. The scene of aged grandpas, couples, and tourists distracted him from reality for a second. He rubbed his temples tiredly to get rid of the drowsy feeling. He was a bit tired. After the extravagant spending spree, he blew two hundred thousand in just an afternoon. After the moments of excitement, the wary feeling of an emotional roller-coaster remained. He took a taxi to the beach; he just wanted to take a walk and feel the sea wind. The beach was quite a famous sightseeing attraction in Wanghai City. There was the marble fence by the golden beach. The victorious comrades famous remake engraved into the stone statue, marking his longing legacy. Finally, the modern looking small hut filled the empty space in the picture. Jiang Chen heard this place from a couple of his buddies, but they only talked about how many hot girls there were. They were right after all However, this was his first time here even though he''s been in the city for four years already. He never came because of two simple reasons. He had no money, and he had no one he could bring along. But if he had the money, then there would always be someone. So him never going to the beach was because of the first reason after all. It felt lonely shopping alone, and he felt the same visiting the beach. Though he was still alone, he no longer pondered about life. He had the money. Although one million was nothing in Wanghai City, there were plenty of rich people in this city and he couldnt even buy an apartment, his mental state was drastically different. He was not arrogant, but he was certain he was wealthier than Bill Gates. The entire gold deposit of a commercial bank was at least a couple of billion. What would all the gold in the apocalypse be worth? Of course, he had to be careful in the sell-off strategy. A large amount of gold in the market would depreciate the value of the gold significantly. Long term wise, he only planned to raid the vaults gold. There were many other ways to make money. There were more attractive markets available for him to profit off of. For example, the advanced tech he could bring back. If he sold the full-sensory computer, the market cap of the company would be in the trillions. The virtual reality education system. The hibernation chamber. These were all trillion dollar ideas. He must take a step at the time to build his empire. If he suddenly introduced the technology to the market, the money would come, but so would the government. Maybe it would even be intelligence agencies who are usually hidden in the dark. Thus, being bold would be unwise. Once he acquired the gold, his initial capital would be ready. The planning and strategy would ensue. Step by step, once he possessed enough stake to form a conglomerate, nobody would be able to touch him. For this one million, it was just for enjoyment purposes. So Jiang Chen didnt feel odd as he stood by the shore. What before could only be achieved in his dream were all within his reach. The stunning beauties, the magnificent mansion, and the luxurious cars. He burped as he threw his beer can into the garbage. He was a little tipsy, as he took another breath of the saline filled sea wind. "Hey dude, do you want to join us?" A girl in a bikini smiled at him; her stunning figure was flourished with youth. Her hobby reading magazines meant that she easily saw how expensive Jiang Chens outfit was. The deep but lost gaze made him appear as a powerful CEO that just went through a bad breakup. People in the middle of a breakup were the weakest emotionally. Su Fei thought she possessed the techniques of love. She first got rid of her best friend and approached Jiang Chen. Her smile was as sweet as a freshly baked cupcake. She didnt care how many relationships this guy went through, nor the fact that he might still be in one. She was envious of her roommate because she has a sugar daddy which meant countless amounts of money, LVs, and Hermes. She was jealous, as she thought her beauty was comparable to her roommate''s. If she tried to flirt, she would also get a rich guy, and this guy looked much better compared to her roommates sugar daddy. Su Feis heart pumped faster as she imagined. "Hehe, no thank you." To Su Feis surprise, the man only looked at her once before rejecting her with a smile. "Leave your youth to someone more meaningful." Jiang Chen didnt turn his head as he walked away. Su Fei stared blankly in place. That girl must have thought I was mental. Jiang Chen hysterically laughed disregarding the looks of passersby. He stumbled mindlessly along the beach. The gene vaccine also increased his bodys detoxification process. It made the alcohol process much faster in his body. He enjoyed the slightly dizzy feeling, and he wanted it to last a bit longer. He rejected the girl because he didnt have any desire. Although she was quite attractive, she was still lackluster compared to Sun Jiao. As to the arrogant statement, he only said it because he felt like it. The night began to cast its shadow on top of the Metropolitan, but the life of the city only just began. The crowded street made Jiang Chen irritable, and he wanted a moment of peace. It was too noisy here. "Maybe its time to go back." He sobered up as he still mindlessly walked through the street. All the sudden, a familiar figure caught his eye. He was slightly shocked as an odd expression appeared on his face. Xia Shiyu graduated from Wanghai University with a major in business administration. Her stellar academic record along with a stunning appearance made everyone shower her with praise and envy, and she graduated at the top of the class. Even though the graduated from the same university, they lived completely different lives. However, because of family reasons, she didnt pursue graduate studies. Instead, she chose to work at a clothing store. Due to her outstanding performance, she was promoted to store manager at an excellent location. This gave her the perfect platform to display her prowess. Once Xia Shiyu was promoted, she immediately implemented a list of action plans which increased the store''s sales substantially. However, because of her strict performance measures, she acquired the nickname of the "cold beauty" among male colleagues, and b*tch among female workers. After all, everyone was envious and jealous of her, especially those of the same gender. Not only was she accomplished in her career, but she also had a boyfriend that loved her. Her boyfriend always picked her up after work, even though it seemed like the overachieving manager was never nice to him. Due to her personality, Jiang Chen has even made fun of her, behind her back, about having a disruptive menstrual cycle because she always looked unpleased. So this was how the tragedy happened. It was rumored that Xia Shiyu heard it by coincidence. She then investigated it and found the "mastermind" behind everything. Then, she used some petty excuses to fire Jiang Chen from the place. Jiang Chen still remembered the coldness and mockery on her face. After all, humans are humans. Despite how righteous someone is, there may be times when they would act irrationally due to their emotions. Jiang Chen didnt think he was wrong; it was only a joke which made him lose his job. Who cared about these types of demeanor? However, Xia Shiyu did not accept any of that. She was used to the praise of all the men. She could overlook the judgment from the females, but not the "disrespect" from men. That was her character weakness or flaw. At that time, Jiang Chen even wanted to take revenge. Though after he had relieved his frustration by drinking, he let it go because he thought it was not worth it. Life must continue, this is an ordered society. Xia Shiyu was still the manager, and the store would continue to operate without him. But things felt different from that day on. Ability is one thing, and academia is one thing, but opinion is another. After the friendly Jiang Chen had been fired, his friends from work were enraged by the decision. Everyone started to oppose the way Xia Shiyu managed. The constantly high-pressure environment brought short-term improvements but made the overall work atmosphere was oppressive. She never was part of the team but asked the team to act according to her standard. Maybe she was justified in her management, but she didnt consider the human emotion. When an average salary started to conflict with exceptionally high expectations, the complaints only grew. These frustrations were reflected in the employee''s work and ultimately impacted the sales figure. Although they were pleased with this top students performance and her exceptional sales record, upper management ultimately decided to let the relatively inexperienced store manager and a few poor performing employees go. They replaced her with a backup talent. She, who was appraised as the top student of the business school, actually lost her job in a matter of one year. She was in agony and didnt know what she did wrong. Or maybe as smart as she was, she already knew what she did wrong. However, it was too late to fix everything. She still remembered the guy she fired. It was after that that everyone began to look at her different. At first, they were respectful, but soon it was dusted with a sliver of disdain. It also applied to the male employees who used to praise her. She also suffered in her relationship after she lost her job. The boyfriend who used to do everything she said broke up with her. With the excuse "I spent so many years with you, and you didnt even let me kiss you. Hehe, go be a virgin." He left immediately with his new girlfriend. Perhaps it because she couldnt support him financially. The boyfriend didnt even bother to hide the fact that he cheated. It was satirical. Xia Shiyu always thought he loved her. She thought it was a kind of unconditional love. Only he persisted after her for the longest time, and he continued even after graduation. She said yes because of that. She didnt love him, nor was she interested in any guy that chased her. She knew she would have to marry one day. So in the most efficient manner, she chose the one that persisted for the longest time. But reality betrayed her. She almost fell in love with him. Was it because they didnt kiss? Or have sex? Love couldnt even stand such a minuscule test? Xiao Shiyu was lost and confused. She promised him that she would give everything of hers to him on the day they got married. That was not what defeated her the most. Maybe it was revenge. The guy used Xiao Shiyu''s social ID as collateral for a loan and used the money to pay for a car. Each month, she would spend half her paycheck to repay the loan, which was okay until she lost her job. A car worth 500 thousand was nothing in the past. If she worked for two more years, she could easily afford it. However, she was now unemployed and the amount was a massive hole for her to fill. Although with her ability it would not be difficult to find another job to repay the loan, there were so many graduates each year that it would be a nightmare to standout in the labor market. She already lost her competitive edge. Also, all the offers were based on disgraceful conditions. Such as high salary in exchange for sexual favors. If the candidate did not comply, then they moved on to the next one. In a country so populated, it was not difficult to find someone with ability. The more satirical part was that she was not even the one that possessed the car. She thought about calling the cops, but the loan was not from an ethical source to begin with, which meant that they would not take it lightly either. There was no way she could deal with the gang. She fled from her original apartment and hid in temporary housing. She made a living working part-time in hopes of solving the problem through legal means. At the same time, she desperately maintained her hopes of finding an ideal job. But her luck ran out. A few maliciously looking guys surrounded the place she worked. They were clearly not there to negotiate. 19 The Stereotypical Prince Saves the Princess Scene Chapter 19: The Stereotypical Prince Saves the Princess Scene Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi "Yo, looks like you have been quite well off in the last few days." A guy with a clean cut whistled and stood there rascally. He was known as "Sir Tiger" and was a thug under the Hongyi Gang. He trained in martial arts for six years. One time, he single-handedly defeated a group of five gangsters which allowed him to receive special recognition from the big boss at Hongyi. Although he was not a person of importance, he did have a bunch of followers. Rebellious students that called him "big boss." He enjoyed being the center of attention. He spent the majority of his time as a bouncer at Hongyis night club and occasionally collected loans for his boss. It was an excellent lifestyle for him. As unexciting as it was to collect money from a girl, especially when the girl considered calling the cop, her attractiveness made up for the trouble. Thus, he decided to let the incident slide. Besides, did she not know who she dealt with when she borrowed money from Hongyi in the first place? A perverted smile emerged on Liu Hus face. His gang already surrounded the flower shop. The customers who were there immediately left. The busy flower shop was suddenly empty. The shop owner with a frightened look was trembling. He was also afraid to call the cops as he didnt want any more trouble. With this many thugs here, there was no way to do business. "Come out? Do you need me to send you a formal invitation?" Liu Hu blew a whistle and looked at her as if she was a prey. Xia Shiyu bit her lips. Her flawless face was covered by the gloom of terror. She noticed the plea in the store owner''s eyes. She sighed as she put the flower down quivering. She walked over with fixated but tense steps. "I cant believe you are still working here." Liu Hu reached for her face. "Do you have the money for me?" But to his surprise, the resilient girl avoided his hand. "Ill repay the money while working. Please dont bother me anymore." She took in a deep breath and answered without any emotions. "Work? With this? How long would we have to wait? Hehe." He didnt seem angry when she avoided his hand, but a grimness filled his eyes. "What do you want?" With a stern face, Xiao Shiyu stared at the rascal. She was terrified as her legs trembled. But the resiliency deep in her bones made her stand her ground. [This girl is interesting. Even though she is scared to death, she is still giving me the attitude.] Liu Hu raised his eyebrows, and he pondered with a smile. "Two options. Money, or you." He put up two fingers. "I dont have any money right now." Xia Shiyu tried to remain calm. "Then its a simple problem. Well take you." He reached out to shake as if the deal was already made. "Me?" Xia Shiyu hissed at the remark, "You guys are not afraid of getting accused of human trafficking?" "Hahahahaha." Everyone, including Liu Hu, laughed hysterically. That made Xia Shiyu feel humiliated. She didnt think it was funny at all, but she could not deliver a comeback. She thought she could live a fulfilled life as an independent woman by working hard. She would support herself, her parents and realize her value. But the reality was harsh. "No No No, thats a waste. Particularly for a beauty like you." Finally finished laughing, Liu Hu looked at the thugs behind him, "At least we need to let everyone get a taste of you for a few years before selling you to someone as a wife. What do you guys think?" "Hahaha, maybe we will even visit you to help you with your business." "Why dont we sell her to Sir Pi? That bastard loves wh*res." "F*ck you. I like wh*res, but I never said I was going to marry one." After hearing all the rude and perverted comments, blood almost seeped out of Xia Shiyus lips because she bit it so hard. She wanted to cry; she wanted someone to save her right now. Even in her most difficult time, this thought never crossed her mind. Tears of humiliation filled her eyes, and she even thought of killing herself. If they take her away, then it would be better off to die. Liu Hu was experienced in debt collection. He knew what Xia Shiyu was thinking when he saw her expression, and he signaled his thugs to be quiet. "Fine. I know this is unfortunate for you, but this is the rule. You pay if you owe money. Dont worry. If you work for a couple of years in the Hongyi night club, you can leave once you pay your debt off. No one would know anyways. Then, in the end, you can just leave the city and marry someone nice. Just dont borrow any more money you shouldnt borrow in the first place." That was a tactical move. Sticks and carrots were stereotypical, but it was extremely useful. The rude comments were probably part of the plan to set all of this up. Thugs are scariest when they are knowledgeable and well managed. Jiang Chen wanted to keep watching, but the crushing look of his previous boss made him abort the idea. Although he hated her before, he didnt want to see her breakdown. [Fine, I will help her.] In the past he would be terrified if he met a bunch of thugs, but now. "Hehe, how should I address you sir?" Liu Hu paused momentarily. He didnt even realize there was someone that passed him a cigarette. With teary eyes, Xia Shiyu looked at the man with pure disbelief. Her face had shock written all over. Is it him that stood up for her? The guy she fired in a moment of rage? She felt a sense of regret for her careless actions in the past, but she didnt imagine her next encounter with him would be in such a scenario. [Why is he here? Why is he standing up for me? Shouldnt he be watching this drama right now as a bystander?] Her face was completely stunned by everything that just happened. Regret, sympathy, sincerity, and confusion? "Liu Hu." Liu Hu was dumbfounded. He was shocked by what just happened. Who would dare to talk with a gang when they were in the middle of something? Cop? Liu Hu immediately rejected this idea. His boss has connections at the police department. So, unless the incident made headlines, they would not be involved. Retard? Liu Hus facial expression suddenly changed. "What a coincidence. I just met a friend of mine here." Jiang Chen laughed. He then changed the topic, "I heard the conversation. How much does she owe you?" Liu Hu examined Jiang Chen with his eyes squinted. In his opinion, this guy was too calm and collected. His bosss mission for him was to bring the girl back if possible. The interest on the loan was nothing compared to the potential revenue she could generate at the nightclub. This girls perfect look and the gorgeous figure would sell her as a top choice at the nightclub. That was the cash generating business for the gang. "Buddy, are you looking for trouble?" Liu Hu sneered as he reached for Jiang Chen. Xia Shiyus heart almost jumped out of her throat as she nervously watched the guy that stood up for her. "My clothes cost around ten thousand dollars. Can you buy me a new one if you rip it?" Jiang Chen sighed as he clinched onto Liu Hu''s hand. With his reflex stats of 28, it was not enough in the danger-filled wasteland, but it was certainly sufficient for these thugs in the modern world. Liu Hu felt as if both of his hands were clamped down. He couldnt even move a single inch. [F*ck, this guy must have trained in martial arts before.] He realized he messed with the wrong person. Although he wanted to backup, since all his thugs were watching, the ruthless side of him came out as he flipped out the knife hidden in his left hand. Then, he slashed at Jiang Chens head. Jiang Chen slightly turned his head to avoid the slow moving knife. He then pushed Liu Hu away. "F*ck, you think you are tough? Guys beat him up!" The thug that was obviously connected to Liu Hu saw the tide of the fight turn. He wanted to escalate the fight from one on one to a full brawl. Jiang Chen sighed. If he knew this conflict was tedious to resolve, he wouldnt have worn expensive clothing to a fight. "Why dont we go to the ally there? Theres monitoring here." Jiang Chen casually pointed to the alley. Liu Hu paused again. His reaction was abnormal to Liu Hu. He didnt look the slightest bit afraid, which made Liu Hu unsure. Since he already proposed it, it would be cowardly if he didnt agree. How would he maintain his reputation in front of his thugs? "Hehe, what a brave guy. Please." Liu Hu fixed his collar as he signaled towards the alley. [What a show-off] Jiang Chen didnt imagine Liu Hu would have the audacity to go even if it was a brawl. Jiang Chen stepped into the alley. A sneer appeared on Liu Hus face as Jiang Chen followed into the alley. [Regardless of how good your martial art is, there is no way you would beat ten people. Do you think you are superman?] He left the most useless thug to keep an eye on Xia Shiyu. The rest of the thugs followed him into the alley. Worried about Jiang Chens safety, she anxious thought about possible solutions. She considered calling the cop, but the thug was looking at her fiercely. She glanced over at the store owner that always took care of her before, but he just pretended he didnt see anything. She had the urge to cry with a mixture of emotions. Not because she was afraid, but because she felt helpless. She didnt rely on anyone in the past ten years. The weariness caused by her resilience overwhelmed her by her helplessness. "Beat him up" Just as he opened his mouth, Liu Hus rascal expression froze. A pistol was pointed at his forehead. "Theres no monitoring here." Jiang Chen shrugged. He didnt expect the pistol that Yao Yao picked up would be useful. He didnt mind teaching these thugs a lesson with his fist if it was not because of his clothing. "Fake It''s fake right?" Sweat rolled down Liu Hus forehead. He forced a smile and stared at Jiang Chen. He wanted to look for the uncertainty, which would give him courage. Jiang Chen moved the gun and pointed elsewhere. Bang! The explosion of the bullet struck like thunder beside Liu Hus ear. In such a close range, it almost popped his eardrum. "Ahhhhhhh" A thug covered his leg as he fell to the ground. His face was pale and twisted due to the unbearable amount of pain. Everyone just stood there terrified; they didnt dare to help the guy. The bullet penetrated through the thugs leg and pierced into the concrete ground. The poor bastard that got shot was the thug that wanted to fight outside. He should have thought about this when he tried to escalate the whole thing. Gun It was dead silent. Only the lunatics and the cops had guns. His boss once told him that. He never touched a gun before, but he memorized it by heart. Regardless of which type, they were all extremely dangerous. There were many gangs in Wanghai City. If Liu Hu accidently offended a person of power, nobody would say a thing if he died. "B Boss, there is always a solution. No need to bring a gun into the conversation." Jiang Chen pressed the burning barrel against his forehead. He resisted the pain as he was too terrified to move. The skin on his forehead was probably burned, but he couldn''t say a word. "I tried to come up with a solution, but you always interrupted me." Jiang Chen made a harmless expression. [This guy must be crazy!] Liu Hu swallowed his fear. He kept laughing to alleviate the intensity of the situation. "Ok, I dont have all day for you." Jiang Chen tapped Liu Hus head with the gun. Liu Hu noticed that Jiang Chen didnt close the safety. He was drenched in cold sweat. It was the first time in his life that he felt so terrified. "Do we have an agreement?" "YeYes." Liu Hu quivered as he took out the agreement. "Whats your bank account number?" "Hmm?" Liu Hu was confused as to what Jiang Chen meant. "Ill repay the money. Are you dumb or what." Jiang Chen suddenly raised his voice which made Liu Hu heart pound even faster. "Repay the money?" In a trembling voice, he asked. He thought he heard it wrong. "Its as if you sold me the debt. Do you understand what that means? Whats in your brain? Do I look like the type who wouldnt pay?" Jiang Chen stuffed the gun into his pocket. "No, nope." There was no way Liu Hu would answer yes. Ripping the debt would not be a solution as Hongyi Gang would not easily let this go. Jiang Chen was not afraid. Xia Shiyu, on the other hand, would be in danger. Jiang Chen had things to take care of in the apocalypse. He didnt have enough time to look after Xia Shiyu. He only helped because he was a good person with no intention of putting any more effort into this. His time was quite valuable as he was planning a trip to a famous tourist city Sanya. Changing the ownership of debt was the best solution Jiang Chen came up with. She could repay him while maintaining her dignity. He didnt care about the money, but he did not want to just write the debt off for her. The high-interest loan was illegal but repaying the principal amount was reasonable. If he didnt have the opportunity to oppress his previous manager with the terrible attitude, it would be a waste of a beautiful chance. Also, Jiang Chen had previous considerations as well. Liu Hu happily accepted the payment as he furiously bowed to Jiang Chen. After Jiang Chen repaid the 410,000 dollars, he immediately left while hustling the injured thug. There was no way he would dare to ask for interest. He was sure his boss would not blame him since the other person had a gun. Jiang Chen was in good faith to repay the principle amount. They rushed out of the alley without daring to ask Jiang Chens name. Jiang Chen scorned at the direction Liu Hu left as he threw the gun into the storage dimension. He touched his face and stepped out of the alley. Hmm? Where did the blood come from? 20 Xia Shiyu in Despair Chapter 20: Xia Shiyu in Despair Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi " Are you alright?" As she stared at Jiang Chen, who approached her, she bit her lips and ran out of words to say. "Not exactly okay, a minor injury." Jiang Chen had the audacity to point at the small cut on his cheek. If he didnt point it out, it would have gone unnoticed. "I, Ill treat it for you." Xia Shiyu lowered her head, full of guilt. She had never owed favors to anyone, but now she owed this person so much. "Here? Saliva can disinfect it." Jiang Chen joked carelessly. It even surprised himself a little. [Hmm? When did I get so flirty?] " I have bandage and alcohol at my place." Xia Shiyu coldly answered Jiang Chens mockery "Dont look at me like that. At least I am your new creditor." Jiang Chen waved the agreement between his fingers. "Look. Though since I am a nice person, I wont charge you any interest." [Is there anyone more narcissistic than him?] Xia Shiyu stared at the smiling Jiang Chen with a look of defeat. She was confused. This was the same guy that was afraid to make eye contact with her? "Ill repay you, including interest." Xia Shiyu expressed her gratitude with certainty in her voice. And then more hesitantly, she said "With normal interest rate." She wasnt confident in repaying the high interest on her debt. Jiang Chen shrugged as he knew this girl too well. She would not back down from her goal. "Xia Shiyu." "Yeah?" Xia Shiyu turned her head after the store owner called. "This is your salary for half of the month. I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do about the thugs. Also, you dont have to come to work tomorrow," the store owner said laboriously as he finally said the disheartening statement in an almost pleading tone. After she had taken the envelope of money, she nodded her head emotionlessly. She gazed at the flower shop that was about to close. Evading and doubtful looks surrounded her as people looked away when she tried to make eye contact. She didnt know why she wanted to cry. She couldnt remember the number of times she almost broke down, but this was the first time in her life that she felt so fragile. "Fired?" Jiang Chen said mockingly. He felt so joyful seeing his manager got fired again. She didnt answer Jiang Chen''s mockery. She bit her lips, full of emotions. She turned around and headed home as Jiang Chen followed. Xia Shiyu did say that she was going to help him with the wound. By now, the wound had already scarred up, but Jiang Chen was curious about where his ex-boss lived. He had nothing better to do anyways. Jiang Chen chuckled to himself as he thought that he was a terrible person. Almost as mischievous as Sun Jiao. Jiang Chen stepped onto the moldy stairs, and a frown appeared on his face. He was surprised that Wanghai City even had a building this old. The crack- filled walls indicated that this place was not pleasant. Xia Shiyu pulled out her keys and opened the rusted door. A bitter smile emerged on Jiang Chen''s face. [This girl is almost too resilient and independent. Any other girls would not be able to handle these living conditions. Especially with her charming looks, if she wanted her problems solved, a lot of people would be willing to pay 500,000 for her.] But her attractiveness was completely undermined by her terrible attitude. There was a hint of a moldy odor when Jiang Chen first entered the room, but the scented air freshener quickly filled his nostrils. It was clear that Xia Shiyu used it in an attempt to solve the problem. The room was tiny and cluttered with furniture. It was even smaller than Jiang Chens cheap apartment. There was no TV in the living room. Only an old wooden desk with even older chairs. Maybe they would be worth something if she sold them as artifacts. There was no air conditioning in sight either, only a fan placed in the corner of the room. The most expensive electronic was the stainless steel kettle which she had most likely brought with her when she fled from her home. A laptop was on the table, but there was no wifi here. What would be the use of it? He noticed that two pairs of shoes were placed neatly in front of the door. There was no way she only owned two pairs of shoes. She must have been in a rush when she escaped. Although the condition of the apartment was not the best, it did look like she spent a considerable amount of time cleaning the place. "Sorry, its pretty crappy here. Sit," Xia Shiyu awkwardly said. It was her first time bringing a not-so-familiar man to her place. Even for her ex, she always asked him to stop in front of her door. The idea of spending time alone with the opposite gender made her extremely uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because of her overprotective mindset that she was friendless, especially at this time, when she needed someone the most. She walked into the tiny bedroom. Jiang Chen pulled out a chair and sat down on it. However, to his surprise, it almost made him fall. [F*ck, the chair is missing a piece of its leg.] Soon, Xia Shiyu walked out with rubbing alcohol and q-tips. "Where?" Her tone was mechanical. She examined the wound as she tried to place her hand awkwardly. "Here. Are you going to...?" Jiang Chen forced a smile. He only wanted to mock the ex-manager, but she did bring out the rubbing alcohol. "I said I would treat it for you." Xia Shiyu took in a deep breath as she advanced toward his face. Jiang Chen felt uncomfortable as well. His hands wiggled back and forth not knowing where to place them. "Dont move." Xia Shiyu frowned slightly and gave the restless Jiang Chen a hard stare. "Okay." Jiang Chen forced a smile again. It was a delightful fragrance. The lilac aroma twirled around Jiang Chens nose. Her flawless neck was decorated with jewelry. Jiang Chen remembered there was a necklace when they worked together. When she leaned forward, the light summer shirt flashed a glimpse of her beautiful cleavage. It was probably only a B, which was nothing compared to Sun Jiao''s. But with her serene figure, she seemed like a delightful breeze in the summer day. She was a goddess in looks and figure. It was quite embarrassing, but Jiang Chen did masturbate to her before. In his memory, her hair was always tied back professionally. Today, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail which brought Jiang Chen to a memory of his past. The newly graduated Xia Shiyu was nothing like the professional office lady. "What are you looking at?" She noticed the invasive stare which made her quite scared. But her face still displayed the same guarded and emotionless look. "No. Nothing," Jiang Chen awkwardly replied. After the wound was treated, their eyes crossed. Time stopped for a moment. Awkwardness ensued. "It smells very nice here. Hahaha." Jiang Chen rubbed his head to break the silence. Xia Shiyu zoned out momentarily. Her cheek blushed as her emotionless face smiled slightly, but her eyes looked even colder. "Its the scent of lilacs. I probably got it when I worked." With a frown on her face, she quickly cleaned up and headed back into her room. [Heart pounding fast.] She held her pumping chest as she recollected her breathing. She disappointedly looked at herself in the mirror. She didnt know why she was acting weird. [Heart pounding fast.] Jiang Chen also confusedly touched his chest. [There is no way I am interested in this girl.] He immediately rejected the idea and blamed the natural reaction of his hormones. Compared to an icy beauty, he preferred the energetic and lively Sun Jiao. Sun Jiao who occasionally went into her character as the queen of the wasteland while acting as a caring and heartwarming wife. Xia Shiyu left her room moments later and interrupted Jiang Chens train of thoughts. She stood across from Jiang Chen, but there was no conversation between the two. Silence filled the room as the only noise was the ticking clock and their heartbeats. "Thank you." Xia Shiyu broke the silence first. "No problem, I just happened to pass by." He lied about the fact that he tried to find her today in the morning with hostile intentions but only left because he heard she left her position. He didnt expect this stubborn girl to thank him. "You," Xia Shiyu briefly paused as if she had something to say. She hesitated for a bit before finally asking what bothered her, "Dont you hate me?" He was not surprised by the question. He also considered the question himself. [Do I still hate her?] "I hated you." In the end, the paragraphs he tried to articulate in his head only turned into three short words. Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu with a perplexed look. [Then why did you save me?] She didnt ask this question, but Jiang Chen read the unasked question in her eyes. He hated her before. She fired him and almost made him homeless. He was not hesitant to curse her with the most malicious vows However, that was all in the past. After he had released his anger, it was no longer an incident that bothered him. Life continued, and there was no reason to continue to despise her. "No particular reason." Jiang Chen sighed as he shook his head. "To be frank, when I heard that you were fired, I was quite ecstatic for a moment. As you can see, the clothes I am wearing right now are purchased from that store. However, I realized that I am still too immature." "Immature?" She mumbled the word repetitively. She was dumbfounded by Jiang Chens words. Her icy, cold eyes began to lose its focus. If Jiang Chen humiliated her or even hit her, it would make this feel easier. But the man she almost single-handedly pushed to despair didnt do anything in retaliation. He gave her a helping hand in her most desperate time. [Why] "Even if I retaliated, what would I get in return? To be honest, the feeling of revenge is great. But if I see a girl get pushed to the edge of life by a group of thugs without doing anything, the guilt will overwhelm me - especially since I know you. After all, we dont have a hatred that runs for generations. It was only a job after all. Even if you gave me the job now, I will not take it." It was a job after all. Compared to what Jiang Chen lost, he certainly gained a lot more. If he weren''t drunk, he would have never passed the alley. He would have missed the opportunity to acquire the interdimensional bracelet. He never knew where life would take him the next. "Before I fired you, I thought a lot about it." With a perplexed look, she continued, "Based on the facts, I know I am not a qualified manager." "You have all the abilities, but you dont know the human heart" Jiang Chen smiled. "Human heart? Do you mean psychology?" "No no, its not something from the textbook. The human heart is a complicated matter. Even within a lifetime, it would be difficult to understand it all." They chatted as if they were close friends that hadnt seen each other for a long time. Jiang Chen felt the calm he had been searching the entire day for. Yes, it was incredible shopping, and eating a fancy meal, but he still felt hollow. In this large metropolitan city, he didnt even have a single friend he could talk with. Maybe that was what Jiang Chen was searching for that entire day. Everyone took separate path after graduation and moved on. This tiny apartment brought him the calmness and serenity he had desperately searched for. Maybe, this peacefulness was what life rewarded those who did good deeds. 21 Work for me? Chapter 21: Work for me? Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Why dont you work for me? He stared out the window as night fell. It was getting pretty late. He peeked at the clock, and it pointed directly at 12. At that moment, he realized there was something wrong. There were only three pairs of female shoes there, but he always thought she had a boyfriend. "I am staying pretty late, is your friend not going to be jealous?" Jiang Chen casually asked but soon noticed the gloom on Xia Shiyus face. Immediately, he realized what happened. He knew someone as smart as Xia Shiyu would not borrow money from sketchy sources. Then the only option was that after she had lost her job, he loaned under her name. That also explained why she was left helpless in this old and torn down apartment. "Your mans a trash and a half." Jiang Chen stood up for her. "Hes not my man." Xia Shiyu replied with the same emotionless tone. "Why dont you go home?" Her apathetic tone made Jiang Chen quite shocked. So to avoid the awkwardness, he changed the subject. "I dont want to bring trouble home." The resilience on her face touched Jiang Chen. She was definitely capable. He thought that maybe it was because upper management had a thing with her. But he was too quick to judge. For a renowned brand, the upper management was not the type to think with the lower half of the body. "To be honest, I am impressed." Jiang Chen said to Xia Shiyu with sincere. "Really?" The tone of her voice was filled with self-mockery. For some strange reason, the second she opened her mouth, Jiang Chen saw a glimpse of wretchedness in her eyes. Perhaps it was not that, perhaps it was weariness. As a woman, after all the ups and downs she has gone through, she still stayed strong. Jiang Chen didnt know what would comfort her. He was not too good at comforting woman in general. Or else he wouldnt be single for 20 years. Silenced ensued again. "Do you want to listen to my story?" Jiang Chen nodded. She told him everything that happened after she fired Jiang Chen. The store was facing sales problems, and the headquarter was questioning her ability. From a bunch of anonymous complaints to holding the notice of termination, she felt a mixture of emotions when she left the place. Unemployed, cheating, and gang harassment, she was running out of options, and she finally decided to flee from her apartment and hide there. What pushed her from despair to hopelessness was hearing the proud voice of her parents on the other side of the phone. However, she couldnt express her sorrow to them. She could only answer against her will that she was okay, and everything was fine. Her parents were too old to accept this travesty. Jiang Chen also felt the same heartache when he lost his job. She was not seeking sympathy; she only wanted someone to talk to because she was too tired. However, this person only showed up now. "You are very strong. If theres anything I can do to help, feel free to call me." "Thanks, but I dont need sympathy." Xia Shiyu smiled as she rubbed her teary eye. Smiled? Her? Jiang Chen was stunned. "Is there something on my face?" Xia Shiyu felt quite shy after Jiang Chens eyes were locked on her. "No But this is my first time seeing you smile." He blankly nodded. He knew that if he looked in the mirror right now, he would look extremely foolish. Haha, Xia Shiyu burst out in laughter. She was also stunned because she realized that she was laughing. Not only was she laughing but she was laughing joyfully. "Well, is it that funny?" Jiang Chen pretended to cough as he awkwardly rubbed his head. "You, are very funny." [Why is it in a questioning tone?] Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he looked defeated. "Now that I told you my story, can you tell me yours?" She rubbed her eyes. Her softened expression made her face as pristine as snow. [She has such an adorable face, why would she remain so cold every day?] Jiang Chen murmured in his mind. "Me? There really is not much to say. I made some money with my own business." Jiang Chen guiltily made up an unsophisticated lie. Xia Shiyu slightly frowned and looked unhappily at Jiang Chen. She didnt even realize such a girly expression appeared on her face. "Hmm? I dont believe it." "Well, there is nothing I can do about it." He opened his palms. Some secrets must be kept hidden forever. "But, I do believe youll be an excellent manager. Are you interested?" This was Jiang Chens other consideration. Open a company and let Xia Shiyu work for him. Exchanging for gold is not a long term strategy. One day people will question his source of income. If the government noticed him, he would have to live on the other side of the earth. The best way was to open a company. He even thought about the name. It will be called "Futuristic Technology"! His plan was to gather all the "garbage" from the apocalypse and introduce ground-breaking, innovative products. iPhone, Microsoft, and Samsung will all be names of the past. Could they be as innovative as technology from 200 years later? Even the computer screen was made by full-sensory technology. If they produced the technology that only existed in sci-fi, all the consumers in the world would go insane. This was only in the electronic devices. Blizzards, EA, and Ubisoft would go lunatics over the virtual reality technology. Once a matured virtual reality technology debuts in the market, no one would want to play with a mouse and controller anymore. Then it would be home appliances, cars, military tech, and even technology for space exploration! The possibilities were endless. The reason why he chose Xia Shiyu was simple. He couldnt find anyone else, and he trusted her ability. Although they had a conflict in the past, Jiang Chen realized he forgave her quite easily. Maybe it was because she was not a bad person, or maybe it was because of how similar their experiences are. So when Xia Shiyu hit rock bottom, Jiang Chen reached out to help her and recruited her. "Interested?" Xiao Shiyu was still unclear about what Jiang Chen meant. "How many years would you have to work in the flower shop to pay me back? And since you are unemployed, I just found a job for you." "You own the company?" Xia Shiyu looked at him questionably. "What, I cant? I am excited to see my ex-manager work diligently under me." He said jokingly. But he looked quite serious. She closed her eyes to consider the proposition for a moment. It was quite attractive to her. She didnt have any reason to reject it. "I accept." "Excellent." Jiang Chen laughed and extended his hand. "Welcome on board, Manger Xia. You are hired by Futuristic Technology, and you starting salary will be 10,000." The salary was comparable to her previous job. Jiang Chens generosity made her feel confused. After so long, he already made this much progress in his career? She shook Jiang Chens hand. The warm but coarse feeling made her slightly tremble. "Thats a hefty salary you are paying. However, just to be clear, I will not do any sexual favors." Astonishingly, she was surprised she got the job. Jiang Chen was completely stunned. He was amazed by the glimpse of charm she displayed. The icy beauty made a dirty joke. "Haha, of course not. But the company does not condone nor prevent employees from seducing the president." The righteous beauty was obviously no match with Jiang Chen in terms of dirty jokes. After she heard the word "seduce", her face flushed with anger. But to her surprise, she was more embarrassed than angry. [Whats the reason?] "Can I get a brief description of the company?" Known for her professionalism, she quickly recollected herself. She headed straight to business. "Futuristic Technology, the company sounds like a firm that specializes in the technology sector. What am I in charge of? Sales, or research and development? If it is R&D, although I dont any experience in the area, I am confident that I will be familiar with the responsibilities within a month" "Stop, stop right here." Jiang Chen signaled Xia Shiyu to stop talking. With her question-filled eyes fixed on Jiang Chen, he cleared his throat. "In simple term, you are the CEO. Therefore you take care of everything." Let the secretary do everything was the way Jiang Chen imagined to be a boss He didnt have the energy to manage people. Xiao Shiyu''s face all the sudden turned concerned. She never heard of the Futuristic Technology at all. "Currently, the company is still in planning stage." Jiang Chen answered the question she was worried about as if it was not a big deal at all. "Dont you feel excited? Youll be the Steve Jobs of Hua, and I will be the Bill Gates of Hua!" With passion, he stated the quote that he always wanted to say. He finally had the opportunity to say it. "" "Wait, why do you have your phone out?" "I am reserving a hospital bed for you." Her look expressed which type of hospital she was sending him to written all over it. "Wait, you" She grabbed her phone and convinced her to let him finish. "If you dont join us right now, youll regret it in 5 years! Just like how no one believed in Jack Ma. Wait, dont call." Jiang Chen calmed the almost furious Xia Shiyu with a smile. He was not talented in giving pep talks. He didnt know how to recruit and excite people. He wanted to use what he has learned through WeChat marketing, but it made him even more suspicious in the end. "Simple, your position is the CEO. However, since the company doesnt have a lot of business right now, why dont you take care of the position of general manager as well. At this stage, Ill pay you 10,000 a month. You dont need to repay me with this money. I really dont care about such a small amount of money. Maybe in the future, your salary would be far above the amount of loan. Dont look at me like that. I am not joking. Your next task is simple. Ill wire you 500,000 so you can incorporate the company. You dont have to worry about what happens next. In two months, youll be extremely busy." She sighed as she stared at the Jiang Chen who was feeling great about his speech. "Are you not afraid Ill take the money and run?" "You are not that kind of a person," Jiang Chen disagreed. "Also, 500,000 to learn about a person is worth it. Compared to what the company will be worth in the future." Since she still couldn''t find a job and owed money, Xia Shiyu made up her mind and agreed. Years later, Xia Shiyu would still be grateful when asked about this day. When media asked about how she almost rejected Jiang Chen''s offer, she would just emotionally say one sentence. "Sometimes a split second decision makes a difference between a billionaire and poverty." "Its late now. Ill head back." It was almost one in the morning. "Mhmm." She stood and walked Jiang Chen to the door. "Dont forget to send me your bank account number. Ill prepay your July salary. Youll get paid at the end of the month. Also, find somewhere nice to live. Its not safe to live here, especially for a beauty like you." The exact contract can only be made when the company is incorporated. However, Jiang Chen was not too bothered by the details. He had faith in her loyalty. Xia Shiyu blushed when she heard Jiang Chen call her a beauty. A lot of people called her that before, but this was the first time her heart started to pump faster. She didnt display her feminine side this time and nodded calmly. "Ok." "Thats all from me. I have to leave for a couple of days, so you might not be able to reach me." Jiang Chen turned around and left. "Wait" "Hmm?" Jiang Chen turned back. "Thank you... You looked very... handsome when" At Jiang Chens surprised look, Xia Shiyu slammed the door shut. [This girl, is she interested in me?] Jiang Chen thought joyfully. But, it could just be a simple thanks. He didnt think too much of it. She leaned behind the closed door and slowly slid onto the ground. The cold feeling of the porcelain tile pressed against her smooth leg made her mixed emotions slightly calmer. [What happened there? Why did I say something so embarrassing] She covered her face as she tried to hid the tingling sensation in her hands. Her lips slightly trembled. [That was so embarrassing I want to die Ahhhhh!] In "humiliation" she hid her head between her legs. 22 Sanya Vacation Chapter 22: Sanya Vacation Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Sanya, located at the southern tip of Hainan Island, was also known as Lu city. It was renowned as the eastern Hawaii and the top tourist city in Han. It possessed the most stunning views of the ocean. Beach, ocean, and bikinis. It was the haven for vacationers. The slightly salty sea wind carried the fragrance of coconuts. Here, there was no worry about toxic gas and no concern about smog. The city welcomed tourist with the pristine sky and the aroma of nature. It was one of the cities with the best air quality in Han. He decided to go on this journey spontaneously. Beach shirt, sunglasses, and an empty suitcase. A smile emerged on his face as he saw the stretch of crystal clear sky. He stood in front of the airport for a while before finally waving down a taxi. The driver diligently helped Jiang Chen with the suitcase and respectfully opened the door for him. The excellent service was because he made a reservation at Sheraton, which was the most expensive mansion beside the beach. The seven-day trip would cost him 220,000, which was enough for a down payment on a house. He would have never experienced this luxury in the past. But now, his goal was to enjoy the journey. The sooner he spent all his money, the earlier he could go back. [Is Sun Jiao okay now?] Jiang Chen began to miss his hot "personal assistant". If she were with him right now, the journey would be much more enjoyable. And Yao Yao, did she take care of herself? He looked at the view that passed by him. Compared to the always occupied feeling in the city, the island has a more relaxed vibe. [Maybe Ill buy an island once I have money?] He enjoyed the beautiful scenery and thought to himself. The car soon arrived at its destination. The Sheraton! It was a mansion located at the southernmost tip of the island, in the dragon bay, and it was also a natural rain forest. The silver white sand extended along the shore. Coconuts and palm trees decorated the beach. Everything a beach was supposed to have existed here. The service at a world renowned 5-star hotel was indeed stellar. The server greeted Jiang Chen as he stepped out of the car. With a smile on his face, he took Jiang Chen to his mansion. "If you need anything, sir, please use the terminal to let us know. Well be here immediately. We wish you have a great vacation and let Sheraton be a part of your delightful memory. With a professional and charming smile, the server passed an iPad looking tablet to Jiang Chen. All the functionality of the hotel could be controlled from this terminal. He took a deep breath. "WOOHOO!" He threw off his annoying t-shirt and underwear and jumped into the hot spring. Pooch! Water splashed as Jiang Chen lied in the hot spring. He was savoring this moment of peace. [How am I going to spend the next seven days?] He didnt plan anything. In his view, the purpose of travel was to relax. The goal was not to do quests here. Since he had all the money and time in the world, he was here to just have fun. Without sunscreen, even Jiang Chens improved condition couldnt handle direct exposure to the summer sun. He stood up from the hot spring and dried himself with a towel. After changing into a casual outfit, he walked to the balcony. The view directly overlooked the entirety of Sheratons beach. This mansion was the best sightseeing spot on the beach. The beach was filled with attractive figures. Jiang Chen automatically filtered out all the dudes. Conservative southeastern beauties, blond and blue-eyed foreigners, and even exquisite Middle Eastern hotties. Some of them bathed in the sun, some of them were playing in the water, some surfed, and some were playing beach volleyball. It was busy down there. However, he got tired of the scene quite quickly. It was boring watching someone else play. He grabbed a glass of wine and chugged it like beer. He tried to savor the noble taste of the wine, but all he tasted was a sourness. If Sheratons manager heard Jiang Chen complain about the wine, the manager would probably kick him out for his lack of taste. Maybe he has seen too many crowded places in the city, and he all he wanted was peace here. He rubbed sunscreen on himself and laid flat on a chair. The warm and cozy feeling was delightful. It felt as if every single one of his pores were being massaged. His weariness was also taken away gently by the light breeze of the sea wind. Away from the noise, he was enjoying the southern kingdoms sunlight. There was also an occasional crashing of the waves along the shoreline and the laughter from the beauties playing beach volleyball. The noises lightly tingled his rigid ear drums and calmed his tightened nerves. He closed his eyes and peacefully slept. No wonder all the rich people enjoyed the beach and the ocean in the movie. Why didnt I do this before? Jiang Chen spent his afternoon in the sun. As the sun began setting in the east, he enjoyed the orangey hue that stretched across the horizon before finally leaving the balcony. It was already dinner time. Because of Jiang Chen''s stronger body conditions, he was more sensitive to hunger. Although he could dine-in, he decided not to. It was his first time at a five-star hotel. He wanted to explore the place. Whats the point of eating take-out on vacation? He used the tablet to read over the description of all the facilities in the hotel. It listed everything from maps to the characteristics of each restaurant. Just as he was glancing through each restaurant, the terminal vibrated. It signaled he had mail in front of his door. Mail? He opened the door and found a box. It was an invitation. "The Saudi Prince Mr. Yef for his beloved princess birthday party? What the hell is this?" The most luxurious restaurant at Sheraton was hosting a dinner tonight. It invited all the celebrity and person of importance to attend. It was a birthday for a Saudi princes princess. Jiang Chen who lived in the most expensive room obviously received an invitation. "Hehe, since I already got the invitation, Ill see whats out there." Jiang Chens smiled as he displayed a glimpse of interest. Of course, "see whats out there" was equivalent to "what was there to eat". 23 Upper Class Chapter 23: Upper Class Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi It was a private function, so the dress code of the gathering was formal. Jiang Chen was the only one that showed up in a casual outfit. His plan was to vacation here, so he had no intention of bringing a formal suit. A pianist performed at the front of the restaurant. The elegant piano resonated within the room. The elites from all kinds of industries mingled and bonded in search of their inner circle. Jiang Chen stood out among the others as he circled on the edge of the dinner table with plates filled with food. His primary interest was on the table stuffed with delicious treats. Networking nor dancing interested him. [Hmm, this steak is f*cking delicious.] He delicately chewed and nodded his head in satisfaction. He tried to act elegantly by gently rubbing the grease off of his lips. Although he was a foodie, if he didnt care about his gesture at all, he would be a peasant. Maybe security would even escort him out. He held his wine and gazed onto the person at he center of everyone''s attention. The Saudi prince was indeed remarkably wealthy. The princess looked gorgeous. Her graceful figure curved like an hourglass. Her delicate nose paired with her crystal-like eyes created a perfect elegance. The princess possessed the facial characteristics of an eastern beauty and the figures of the exquisite western woman. Her composure also foretold her sense of class to everyone around. She didnt wear a headscarf, so she must have been from Lebanon. An enormous diamond, shaped like a star, decorated her flawless neck. Jiang Chen didnt know how much it would cost but based on the size, it must be worth millions. The prince standing beside her was also handsome. Jiang Chen observed that the two protagonists were surrounded by either arms dealers to oil tycoons. There were a few Asian looking face mixed in between, but he couldnt be sure of their nationality The rest of the elites gathered in groups. Jiang Chen saw several familiar faces. There was a renowned singer here, and the bald guy from Fast and Furious. He was surprised by the fact that so many celebrities were here as well, but he didnt have any intention of talk to them. "Mr. Yef, why did you choose the mysterious east to celebrate this special moment with your princess." "Haha, I am especially fond of this place. Last time I was in Hawaii, but its quite nice here as well. There are no reporters here." Of course, there were reporters, but they were all invited by the police to have a chat. The conversation was probably about passport documents. Regardless of how frustrated those foreign reporters were, the police didnt let them go. In this country, it was more important to make sure you complied with the legal process than report meaningless news. When the time was right, then you could leave. In this country, money was more useful than capitalistic countries. Last time in Hawaii, Yef spent double the amount of money to hire gangs to take care of the situation. He also spent the same amount and bribed the cops to ignore the situation. The complete service of the country fitted the needs of the Saudi prince well. Because of the importance Yef placed on privacy, his friends would always take the journey to see him. Although the friendly Yef invited everyone who resided at the hotel, not everyone lived here. Some people booked the hotel for a few nights to access this "resourceful" network. Jiang Chen was quite lucky that he booked out the most expensive hotel. He didnt know that the Saudi prince was having a party here. "Mr. Olaf, are you interested in five oil tankers of crude oil?" "Of course I am interested. We burn those every day. Haha, Mr. Zachof, if you would please chat with me." "My pleasure." A deal was made almost every minute between each conversation. Jiang Chen sighed as he couldn''t believe the scene. He witnessed deals happen while eating salmon. What a bizarre idea. He even heard a few Asian billionaires talk about business, stock markets and even some private matters. Jiang Chen also heard some quite explosive headlines. For example, a rumored engaged actress showed up at the real estate tycoons room last night. Also, a female singer known for her pureness was at a sexual party. Jiang Chen even downloaded a few of her songs. The news her heard shocked him, but he was not too surprised. Sexual favors were always common among the celebrity circle. If the reporters managed to sneak in, there would be unimaginable consequences. Of course, no reporters would show up. "A5 Kobe Beef. Great stuff." "Mhmm, these things are sure nice" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and glanced at the bulky white man across from him. "This small piece is worth 300 USD. The way you eat it makes you feel poor." The white male with short hair and a mustache smiled. He spoke fluent Mandarin which surprised Jiang Chen. "How did you know I was Han?" Jiang Chen curiously asked. Han, Korean, and Japanese people were hard to distinguish when they stood side by side. Even Jiang Chen himself wouldnt be able to tell. I have great people identifying skills. My name is Bruce Miller." He smiled and extended his hand. [Because you eat the most.] Bruce thought in his head. He shook Bruces hand and exchanged a friendly smile. "Jiang Chen." [I know you are up to no good.] Jiang Chen also judged. Instinct told Jiang Chen that this guy was not simple. The "not simple" did not refer to whether he was rich or not. Everyone here has money here. The scent of blood surrounded him. Only people who have experienced life and death possessed this unique kind of vibe. Jiang Chen was alerted. He didnt know what this guy wanted. "Dont worry, its great to see someone in the same trade." Bruce sensed Jiang Chens cautious look and waved his hand. [Oh, he thinks Im in the same trade as him.] Jiang Chen didnt know what to say. "Mhmm? Am I that obvious?" He didnt correct him and asked in a curious tone. "Have you not noticed that the security here is looking at you?" Bruce sipped his glass of wine and said slowly. [Looking at me? Why are they looking at me?] Jiang Chen glanced at the guards with their shades on. Their muscular body looked forceful in his eyes. He didnt know how Bruce noticed they were watching him through their shades. Jiang Chen also took a sip of his wine. "Me? Mr. Bruce, I think you made a mistake. I am only an ordinary person here on vacation." Jiang Chen said in a calm tone. After Bruce had heard Jiang Chens words, he let out a sigh. He was a mercenary, so he usually would not be allowed to show up at a gathering like this. However, since his team was responsible for Prince Yefs security, he was granted permission. The first thing that caught his eye was Jiang Chen. The sense of blood made him extremely cautious. This guy was dangerous. He didnt have bulky muscles, but he had a peculiar feeling that if they fought in close combat, there was an 80% chance that he would lose. If Jiang Chen heard his question, he would probably laugh and tell him that he would 100% lose. Regardless of how strong his technique was, Jiang Chen would destroy him with his strength and reflex. He noticed that Jiang Chen was only here for the food. So he questioned his judgment. Maybe it was a colleague just here on vacation. To better understand the situation, he exchanged opinions with his team before finally deciding to have a conversation. "Thats excellent. Enjoy your dinner sir." Bruce smiled and raised his cup. Bruce didnt leave right away but instead chatted with Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen was also curious about the life of the foreign mercenaries, so the conversation was quite lovely. "That time it was in Kane. We escorted a top government military to the frontlines of the battle. We got flanked." After a couple glasses of wine, Bruce was clearly more excited. "I thought it was the Russians because they had strong fire power. So in the end, we were forced to stay in a building until the tanks arrived." It was not a secret, so Bruce didnt hide too much. From their conversation, Jiang Chen knew that they were part of Black Water Internationals security team responsible for oversea businesses. Bruce was experienced in the battlefield. He was active in the Iraq war before he retired. "Since we are just casually chatting, why dont you tell me about yourself, Mr. Jiang? I am quite curious, for I cant afford the beach mansion with my salary." "The goal of making money is to enjoy it afterward. What would I save it for? My coffin?" Jiang Chen smiled as he answered his question. He was also on his third steak. "My bad. If you dont feel comfortable sharing your business, then dont worry." Bruces fine dining etiquette didnt seem to match his history of violence. "Oh, its not that big of a deal. To put it in simple terms, it has to do with gold." Jiang Chen said mysteriously. "Hmm? Do you work in South Africa? Thats a good place." Bruce nodded "No, its in Asia." Jiang Chen shook his head. Bruce was quite surprised. "To my knowledge, Asia is not a hotspot for a lot of business. Is there a lot of business there?" Bruce looked confused. "Thats not true. There is a lot of business near the border. We get paid in gold." Jiang Chen made up a story. Bruce listened to the story and smiled back. He then kept his silence. A lot of conversations are better when they are off topic, especially for a mercenary like him. There were usually two types of border businesses. Firearms or drugs. Both of them were not conversation topics suitable for the public. These types of gathering usually prepared private rooms for these matters. These gatherings also had FBA agents lurking around. Questions too specific would be impolite in public. The gathering safely reached its conclusion. After the Princes romantic remark to the Princess, the elites began to depart. As Jiang Chen was preparing to leave, Bruce offered him his business card and said goodbye. The reason why he chatted with Jiang Chen was primarily because he wanted to keep an eye on him. Since the gathering was over, he didnt need to stay there any longer. Jiang Chen stuffed the business card into his pocket, as he would unlikely meet Bruce again. Jiang Chen didnt want to create too much attention in the modern world, but he kept the business card in case he ever needed something from Bruce. 24 Liu Yao Chapter 24: Liu Yao Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi A gathering of this caliber obviously would attract the attention of other tourists. They could only look from afar under the close watch of security. A lot of fan girls screamed when they saw the muscular Dwayne Johnson. However, the elites all left with their female companion, under the protection of their bodyguards, . People who attended the dinner were obviously either rich or important. This became an obvious target for girls who were looking for sugar daddy. It would be life changing if they managed to create something romantic here. The opportunity always existed. Some of the celebrities actually preferred these types of girls. There was even an event that made national news consisting of these celebrities. Sheraton didnt make too much of an commotion over these people. They allowed pretty looking girls to enter the hotel even if they lived elsewhere. If the place was too orderly, where would the fun be? "Hi, handsome. Are you by yourself?" A beauty with the most pleasant smile casually flirted with Jiang Chen. She was wearing nothing but a pair of sunglasses and a simple bikini. The elegant curves of her breasts were at least a D cup. Her delicate and thin waist matched with her long and flawless legs, and slightly curled hairstyle gave her vibe that was both pure and graceful. She was no doubt sexy, but who knew if her breasts were real? Or if she was actually pure on the inside? "Indeed I am alone. Is there anything I can help you with, beauty?" Jiang Chen gazed at her dazzling smile and smiled as well. He had no moral grounds to hold back. If the possibility of a one night stand presented itself, he would not resist the offer. "Of course, I am missing a male companion to enjoy the beach with." The beauty sensed that there was an opportunity and a confident smile appeared on her face. She strutted towards Jiang Chen and then leaned into him. With a light but hot and seductive breathe, Jiang Chen felt a rush of desire into his abs. "Oh? Thats perfect then. My mansion at the beach also lacks the presence of a female companion." Jiang Chen approached the beautys ear and whispered. The warm breath of air and the explosive news made the beauty gasp in shock. Sheratons beach mansion cost at least twenty to thirty thousand a day. When she discovered she hit the jackpot, she immediately became more enthusiastic. She hopped energetically beside Jiang Chen and grabbed him by the arm. "Excellent, can you show me your mansion?" Her pristine eyes portrayed her as an innocent girl, as her pair of boobs "accidentally" pressed against Jiang Chen''s arm. She had a kind of pureness to her attraction. Her soft and sweet voice made Jiang Chen want to eat her on the spot. "My name is Jiang Chen, may I ask what your name is, beauty?" With chivalry, Jiang Chen hugged the graceful figure and smiled. "Liu Yao. I dont know if you have watched before, but I am the supporting actress in it." Liu Yao seductively and gently breathed on Jiang Chens ear''s most sensitive spot and grazed her teeth against it. Her eyes were like a crest, "you can call me Yaoyao." Teen dramas have been quite popular in recent years. Low production costs along with high reception rates made this genre of films fill every screen across the country. Although in Jiang Chens teenage years there was no abortion, leaving the country or someone dying made up the majority of these film''s plotlines. Jiang Chen was also not necessarily interested in the unrealistic scenarios, but he still went to a movie with a university classmate he had a crush on. Something interesting to note was that by the end of the date, Jiang Chen didnt even manage to hold the girls hand. "The busty but innocent looking math class representative Chen Lele? Thats a shame. There were only a few seconds for such an attractive character." He glanced at the massive pair of boobs and smiled. He would never tell Liu Yao that he went to see the movie with a female classmate and even masturbated to it before. "Ill call you Lele. I prefer this name better." The name Yaoyao belonged to an adorable girl. Liu Yao without a clue smiled and followed Jiang Chen to the mansion at the beach. When they stepped through the door, her delightful figure was immediately pressed against Jiang Chens body. Liu Yao proactively offered her seductive lips. He felt her impressive breasts push up against his chest as well as her flirtatious tongue dancing in his mouth. Jiang Chens repressed desire was reignited. Liu Yao was skillful in knowing a mans sensitive spots, and she used her gentle hands to push Jiang Chen to his emotional climax. It was a fantastic time to have sex with an experienced woman as they knew all the weaknesses. They will proactively attack those weaknesses and lead the way to happiness. Also, responsibility was never an issue afterward. "Lele, lets shower together." Jiang Chens heavy breathing resonated beside Liu Yaos ear. His annoying clothing had long been removed by Liu Yaos teasing touch. "Student Jiang Chen, you have to be respectful." With his warm and firm muscles, Liu Yao also felt a little wet. However, she suddenly frowned and "rejected" Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen was confused as he didnt realize what she was doing. Though when he felt the warmth of her hands still on his body and saw her desire filled eyes, he immediately understood everything. No wonder she is an actress. Although she was a third tier at best, her acting skills were superb. With a smirk, Jiang Chen roughly grabbed Liu Yao and whispered into her ear, "this is not up to you, my math class representative." Water splashed again as the soothing hot spring became a steamy love bed. As Lele was already in her bikini, there was no need to remove it. Liu Yao fiercely "resisted" against Jiang Chens attack, but at the same accepted his waves of thrust. In the water; beside the hot tub; on the beach chair; those two left their battle marks everywhere. Afterwards. "Did it feel nice?" Liu Yao laid comfortably on the bed like a gentle cat and gazed sweetly at Jiang Chen. "You devil." Jiang Chen jokingly cursed at her while he slapped her butt. His actions made her scorn. The softness of the bed along with the soft melody whispered into his ears gently massaged his head. The occasional sea wind only made the moment more soothing. What a time to be alive. Jiang Chen exclaimed from the bottom of his heart. "What do you think, student Jiang Chen, of the math class representatives private tutor lesson? Are you satisfied?" Liu Yao gently joked, as she leaned towards Jiang Chen, with her chin resting on her palm. Its believed that women are more attractive from this angle. "Extremely." Jiang Chen gave her a warm smile and reached out to touch her delicate face. Like fine porcelain, crafted to perfection. "Am I beautiful?" "You''re beautiful." Jiang Chen answered honestly as he began to play with her fluffy hair. "Where is your girlfriend?" Liu Yao, all of the sudden, changed the topic. A sign of ambition emerged from her gentle, watery eyes. "In a different world." It would be considered a different world no doubt if Sun Jiao was considered his girlfriend. Jiang Chen didnt lie. Except the words were interpreted differently by Liu Yao as the obvious explanation was she passed away. Jiang Chens identity all the sudden changed from a wealthy man seeking for a one night stand to a successful business man that just lost the love of his life. This ignited the desire in Liu Yaos eyes. With a slight sorrowful expression on her face, Liu Yao gently hugged Jiang Chens head and used her soft breasts to comfort his remorse spirit. In her eyes, Jiang Chens silence was because of his lost. Jiang Chen didnt bother explaining. He quietly enjoyed Liu Yaos small gestures as little Jiang Chen, who just finished a hard fought battle, began to show signs of life again. Sensing Jiang Chens movement, Liu Yao understandingly smiled and tapped his chest with her finger. She stopped Jiang Chen from getting up. "Leave it to me." She enchantingly smiled and gracefully move her body before lowering her head. After a long and tiring session, Liu Yao swallowed the fruit of victory in front Jiang Chen. She was delighted when she noticed Jiang Chens brief excitement at the act. "Are you feeling better now?" "Excellent. I feel like I am about to fly." Jiang Chen exaggerated. "Travelling by yourself is lonely right?" She took a napkin and wiped the edge of her mouth. She then resumed to rest on the spot and innocently shook out her long and seductive legs. "Of course. No wonder a good vacation requires a beauty." Jiang Chen satisfyingly stretched out his limbs. "Do you want me to always be with you?" Liu Yao touchingly gazed at Jiang Chen. "I have seven days of vacation. I hope youll be with me for those seven days." Jiang Chen euphemistically but determinedly rejected Liu Yao. He didnt mind sharing a memorable experience with a supporting actress from the movie, but he would never accept her as one of his own. He didnt have any moral codes to abide by, but it didn''t mean he was willing to accept. Liu Yao paused for a moment before she awkwardly smiled. She didnt insist. She knew too well the certainty in a mans words. She also clearly understood that Jiang Chen would accept her as his woman, she had the realization the moment she entered the acting scene. Except, she still felt slightly at a loss. Jiang Chen is young and powerful, which is significantly better compared to the beer-bellied movie investors. Jiang Chens looks also appealed to her taste and were able to meet her materialistic needs. However, the reality was like what happened in the movie, Lele and the main actor didnt manage to be together. "In the next seven days, youll have an allowance of ten thousand dollars a day. Buy something with it. You can also use my mansion free at will." Jiang Chen softly caressed Liu Yaos face and whispered. "Mhmm," Liu Yao closed her eyes and covered Jiang Chens hand as she gently replied. This amount was significantly higher than her salary, and the job was much more relaxing. There was nothing she was unsatisfied about. Jiang Chen had no weird fetishes and always treated her with gentleness. She thought about it before she slowly climbed on top of Jiang Chen. If that is the case, at least for the next few days, lets enjoy this rare vacation. 25 Robert’s Invitation Chapter 25: Roberts Invitation Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi The next day, Jiang Chen woke up when the first ray of sunshine shone into the room. He looked at the EP. When the EP was not fully deployed, the appearance was similar to a classy but odd looking watch. **** User Name: Jiang Chen Muscle Strength: 25 Bone Strength: 27 Reflex: 29 Brain Cell Strength: 14 **** The three body conditions increased by one or two points, and that concluded the full potential of the gene vaccine. Any additional improvements would have to come from working out or more advanced medication. Sun Jiaos ridiculous numbers were the result of near death experiences that triggered more potential from the gene vaccine. Sun Jiao and Jiang Chen both used the standard type of gene vaccine, but he could only reach her numbers in Fury mode. It was not too hard to imagine the danger she must have had to face. He closed his EP and looked at the sleeping Liu Yao. Jiang Chen didnt wake her up and walked onto the balcony. He leaned against the fence and breathed in the refreshing sea wind that was blowing into his face. He poured himself a cup of wine and waited for the sunrise. Relaxing, calming, luxurious "Whats next? What have I not experienced?" He mumbled in deep thought. After he had returned to this world, his mental state became more stable. The bloody scene faded from his heart, and he felt his sanity was back to normal again. He sighed, he didnt like the taste of wine, but he still took a sip. "Its not good for you to drink wine in the morning." "Oh? You are awake." Jiang Chen paused slightly and turned around. "Mhmm." Liu Yao tidied her hair against the sea wind. She didnt wear anything but was covered by a simple bathrobe. She looked quite graceful in the middle of the sea wind. "Ok, why dont you watch the sunrise with me." He left the wine on the table beside him. Liu Yao gracefully walked towards Jiang Chen and slightly leaned against him. The rising sun reflected a golden shadow on her beautiful face. Jiang Chen, who peaked at her, was stunned. "Are you looking at me, or are you watching the sunrise?" "Beauty, and the sunrise." Jiang Chen smiled. His vision extended beyond the horizon. "I dont understand." "Hmm?" Liu Yao fixed her slightly messy hair. "You are gorgeous and smart, but why are you not popular?" Jiang Chen cracked a smile. He saw the film , and although it was to chase after the girl who didnt end up liking him back, he still finished the movie. The supporting actresses only had a few scenes to emphasize the supporting actors unfortunate existence. However, those scenes left deep impressions in Jiang Chens heart. Her acting was astonishing for a supporting actress. "Beauties can also be unfortunate. Particularly for an unsupported person like me." Liu Yaos lip pursed slightly. It was a mockery of reality and a self-mockery. However, she still gazed at Jiang Chen with some expectation. Jiang Chen didnt continue the conversation. He saw the expectation in her eyes, but he didnt want to respond. Everyone has their tragedies, but thats their story. Jiang Chen only wanted to touch the graceful and delicate chapters, not the sorrow-filled stories. Live life to the fullest. Even through the odd encounter with her, Jiang Chen was nobody in the crowded world. Since it was a vacation, lets just temporarily forget about life. Ding. The electronic bell disrupted Jiang Chens peace. He lazily turned over the iPad terminal. "Who is this?" Jiang Chen opened the front camera. It was Bruces fully mustached face. "My dear friend, did you forget about me in just one night?" Bruces humorously accused. His fluent Han always shocked Jiang Chen. "Haha, of course not. Let me open the door for you." Jiang Chen closed the terminal and put on his slippers. "Your friend?" Liu Yao looked at the white male on the iPad with curiosity. "Business partner I guess?" Jiang Chen shrugged. Liu Yao kept her mouth closed. In her eyes, Jiang Chen was an elite that attended an international gathering. It would be rude of her to ask more questioned. However, what she didnt know was that the guy was only a mercenary, and no business would happen until later. Jiang Chen was good at making people think too much. "Smart People" always saved him the trouble of explaining things. "Do you need me to leave?" "No but, why dont you go check out from your hotel and put your luggage here." Jiang Chen said with a naughty smile. "You wont have any chances to go back." Jiang Chen decided it was better for Liu Yao to not be present. These rooms always prepared extra clothes for the wealthy. However, no one bothered to wear the clothes they provided. To Jiang Chens surprise, there was actual business for him. "My old friend, arent you a bodyguard for the Saudi Prince? What brings you here?" Jiang Chen took a waft of Bruces cigar. "Hehe." Bruce hesitated for a moment but soon cut straight to the chase. "My ex-employer overheard our conversation yesterday. Hes interested in you and wants me to make a formal introduction. " "Oh?" Jiang Chen was caught off guard. [Does he want to hire me?] He didnt want to carry an assault rifle to a military hotspot to fight wars. He had better business to do. "I dont want to ruin my vacation here." "I think you are misunderstanding the situation," Bruce read the uncertainty in Jiang Chens eyes. He took a breath and then blew a ring. Then in a genuine voice, he began, "Roberts Smith is a respectable middleman. He is in the crude oil and gold business. He once hired me in Iraq. Quite a nice fellow. He came here to attend the gathering of an old customer, and he is now living in the presidential suite on the seventh floor." "Gold?" Jiang Chen eyes lit up. [Looks like I must see him.] 26 The Middleman Chapter 26: The Middleman Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi "Welcome, you must be Mr. Jiang. My friend from the mysterious East." After Jiang Chen had entered the room, he saw a white male with blond curly hair approach him with an amiable smile. He used a hand gesture that he learned from one of the kungfu movies and greeted Jiang Chen. Although he was white, Mr. Roberts face was nowhere close to white. His skin looked as coarse as sandpaper. However, his composure and clean appearance made Jiang Chen sense his respect. "Nice to meet you, you must be Mr. Robert. Mr. Bruce introduced you to me." Jiang Chen felt a little weird but returned the same hand gesture. To be honest, it was awkward using the foreigner''s way to greet others. The idea was simply a bit confusing, but that was what happened. "Bruce is a nice guy. He took a bullet for me in the Middle East. It was a pleasure to meet him again, and as the famous Han proverb goes, a friends friend is my friend. Am I right?" Mr. Robert extended his hand. "Of course. Your Han is remarkable." Jiang Chen held onto Mr. Roberts hand and firmly shook it as he expressed his shock. Although, Jiang Chen didnt know if what Mr. Robert said was truly a proverb. "Haha, of course. I always had a keen interest in this mysterious eastern kingdom. There are opportunities everywhere." Mr. Roberts eyes rested on Jiang Chen, and then he gestured gracefully. "Please come in, my friend. I have a Lafitte from 1982. I wanted to try it for a long a time." "I cant say no to this invite." The wine tasted different than the wine provided by the hotel. The bloody red liquid expelled an exquisite fragrance of time. Even for someone like Jiang Chen, who had no experience in wine tasting, he still tasted the difference. The man who stood by Mr. Roberts side was as silent as a rock. However, Jiang Chen sensed the monstrous nature from his stature. He had a pair of shades on, but his protruding nose indicated that he was a Slav. His bear-like vibe perhaps indicated that he came from a Soviet country. "My bodyguard, Nick Belarusian. We met in Kane. Hes also a good guy and responsible for my safety." Mr. Robert noticed Jiang Chen staring. "Bruce is a good guy, but Black Water International sometimes does shady business. They are also a bit too close to the FBA, so I had to find a different partner." Despite the conversation revolving around him, the statue-like bodyguard did not show any reactions. "Is your business dangerous?" Jiang Chen sat on the chair and casually changed the topic. "I heard from Bruce that you are a renowned middleman in the UA. Crude oil and gold?" "Absolutely. Apart from the relatively safe crude oil and gold, I have to sometimes obtain firearms for my employer. If I get my hands on those, there will always be someone after my life." Mr. Robert lit up a cigar. He offered Jiang Chen one as well. "Your country has strict gun control, which makes it feel like heaven to me. However, good times are always short lasting. I have a flight to South Africa at 3 oclock." "You sure you have enough time?" Jiang Chen glanced at the clock, it was 11 already. "Dont worry," Mr. Robert waved his hand and smiled. He then sat straight up. "I am very interested in Mr. Jiangs business. Is there anything I can do to help you?" Jiang Chen paused for a brief moment. He dusted the cigar and sat up as well. "I hope there is no confusion here, my friend. I accidently overheard your conversation with Bruce last night. It was an accident, but business always sprouts from occasions. I have been looking for opportunities here in the Far East, and I am still exploring. My instinct tells me that we can be great partners." "Hmm?" Jiang Chen didnt make a fuzz about eavesdropping. With a slight interest, he continued the conversation, "For example?" "Mr. Jiang, businesses are paid in gold right? However, to my knowledge, your country''s law prohibits the large sell-off of gold because it would attract the government''s attention. Especially, gold without the proof of ownership." "Looks like Mr. Robert is extremely knowledgeable about our countrys laws. However, is there no issues with selling gold in the UA?" Jiang Chen nodded without disagreeing with his comment. "Of course there are problems. Though in the UA, we speak with the law and with evidence, not with politics. I have a professional team to deal those kinds of issues. Even if I have a little problem with the FBA right now, I am still here chatting with you, right?" With a mysterious smile, he continued, "How I do this? Let me give you an example. I incorporated a shell company in Saudi. I received a batch of crude oil from Iran. According to the sanction, my action is against the law. However, if the crude oil is sold through my shell company in Saudi, then the crude oil will be legal to sell within the international market." [If you already told me this, are you not afraid?] Jiang Chen immediately understood why. With such a strong bodyguard, he must have a strong security team. He now has a clear understanding of Mr. Roberts business. This middleman has the ability to access the black market. "It looks like we do have a partnership opportunity." Jiang Chen smiled. "I am an honest businessman," Mr. Robert saw that his deal was made and a delighted smile appeared on his face. "Ill accept the gold regardless of the amount. As long as your gold is sold through my mining company in South Africa, it will be legal once it enters the international market. You dont have to worry about the specifics. You can just sell the gold to me. Ill take a 9% processing fee." Jiang Chen considered it. 9% was not a lot to begin with. All of his gold had no costs associated with it. It would be okay to sell a small amount to the gold shop but if he did offer ten tons of gold, not a lot of gold shops would dare to accept it. Even if he sold it in smaller batches, there was a high chance he would be suspected. The Liu Anshan guy also gave him a weary feeling. He probably wasn''t that clean either. Its always better to be careful. Although selling gold to foreigners is considered smuggling, Mr. Robert probably has it figured out. Mr. Robert saw that Jiang Chen was silent. He wasnt sure either if the 9% is too high. However, this business was not risk-free. The capital to purchase the gold would be a problematic amount. If the amount was over 20 million USD, then he must take a private loan to fund the deal. The interest would not be a small number. However, if Jiang Chen possessed a large amount of gold, he could lower the fee by a percentage. Just as Mr. Robert was about to lower the price, Jiang Chen suddenly opened his mouth. "No problem, but I have a condition." Jiang Chen words surprised Mr. Robert at first, but a joyful smile ensued. "I can guarantee the quality of the gold. Its the 24K gold you guys commonly refer to. I believe you have the expertise to determine that as well." Of course, the gold in the bank would be authentic. "However, you have to be responsible for the transportation. I will only transport the gold to a location within the country. Also, you must pay in USD, on the spot. I will take no further responsibility once the transaction is complete." "No problem, my friend!" Mr. Robert agreed without hesitation. "Looks like we have a deal?" "Of course, cheers." Jiang Chen gladly extended his hand. "Cheers." Mr. Robert cheerfully held onto Jiang Chens hand as they both stood up. "Heres my card. If you are ready, why dont we arrange a time in the future? Also, it would be best to prepare a Swiss bank account, it is the most convenient." "Absolutely, I wish you the best of luck." "Can I learn a little more about your background? How much are you going to sell, Mr. Jiang? Ill have to prepare enough liquidity." Mr. Robert asked this slightly intruding question to prepare for the worst. "Oh, there''s no rush. Ill give you a call on July 15th. The amount is probably a few tons." Jiang Chen exited the room and left a stunned Mr. Robert. His face was completely blank. He didnt even realize he dropped his expensive cigar. A few tons? With the current market condition, an ounce of gold traded at 1,350 USD. One ton of gold would be 43,402,500 USD. At a processing fee of 9%, he would make 10 million with just three tons of gold. This is ridiculous. 9%?! Easiest money of his life. A few tons of gold?! He would have done it with 7%. How wealthy was Jiang Chen to not even negotiate. It also strengthened Mr. Roberts assumption that the gold was definitely from illegal sources. [What kind of business is he doing? Did he rob the central bank?] "Oh God." It took Mr. Robert a while to recollect his thoughts. Then he gasped, "Oh my, I am going to be rich." He only made half a million selling 10,000 barrels of crude oil with the risk that the UA military may detain the shipment. However, Jiang Chen decided the fate of a billion dollar deal in a few minutes. "Nick, do you think our friend from the Far East is reliable?" Mr. Robert murmured as if he was still dreaming. He knew Nick has no understanding of business, but he needed someone to tell him that this was not a dream. "Sorry boss, I dont know a whole lot." Bruce expected Nicks response. He was silent, before he continued, "However, I know this man is dangerous." "Really? Does he know martial arts?" Mr. Robert laughed at the statement. He made a funny pose as if he was Bruce Lee. Nick stared at the pretentious boss and shook his head. He knew his boss quite well. Whenever Bruce was excited, he would always make some funny poses to express his excitement. "From a soldiers instinct, this guy is stronger than Bruce." It was his job to ensure his safety. Therefore, he gave his honest opinion. Mr. Robert was surprised by the comment. "He is not a merchant? No way, my instincts are usually right." Nick hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Maybe he is a merchant, but his combat technique is quite strong. My instincts tell me that even if he cant beat me with firearms, we are a 50/50 split in close combat." Mr. Robert took a while to process the comment. He has seen Nicks ability before. In Kane, when he sold firearms to the government forces under the permission of the UA government, the civil forces attacked him. Nick immediately pulled out the gun of the wounded government official and used the remaining 9 bullets to bring him back to safety. He killed more 10 civil militants during the exchange. Now Nick is saying Jiang Chens close combat power is comparable to his? Mr. Robert, all of the sudden, burst into laughter. "No wonder the Far East is a mysterious kingdom. Why dont we head to Egypt next time? Hahaha." No wonder Jiang Chen didnt hire any bodyguards. His prowess in fighting is enough in this gun prohibited country. However, it had nothing to do with their agreement. Mr. Robert is an honest merchant. He always believed that honoring agreements would bring him long term returns. He never did things that killed the egg laying chicken. Even if he saw diamonds in a refugee camp in Africa in the hand of a starving kid, he would only exchange it with candy, not bullets. After all, a bullet is much more expensive than candy. Mr. Robert never doubted Jiang Chens ability to provide the few ton of gold, nor did he have the ability to investigate his background on this mysterious piece of land. What is business without the proper risk? Mr. Robert was willing to make a bet. Jiang Chens decisive attitude was definitely backed by tons of gold. Plus, there was nothing to gain for him in the end if it was a lie. 27 Enjoying Life Chapter 27: Enjoying Life Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Jiang Chen was delighted. He acted calm and collected during the meeting, but he had a spring in his step as soon as he walked out of the door. Ecstatic, was the only way he could describe his mood. He managed to sell off several tons of gold, which was something he had never imagined. His previous plan was to separate the gold into small amounts and sell it off to gold shops. Although it was inefficient and prone to be spotted by the local gangs, it was the safest way. A large amount would attract the attention of the authority, and they may force Jiang Chen to turn all of the gold in. They are always looking for ways to make money from regular people. What? This is your gold? How do you prove this gold belongs to you? Of course, Jiang Chen couldn''t prove it since the gold really didnt belong to him. Jiang Chen was sure that the government would release a statement to say that even though the gold doesnt belong to the government, it doesnt belong to Jiang Chen either. He thought he would be able to sell off a hundred million dollars worth of gold before getting found, but now it seems like it would no longer be an issue. If this foreign friend helped him to find the means to sell, everything would be easy. He just needed to create a Swedish Bank account, and the gold worth hundreds of millions would no longer be a problem. Transporting gold was not difficult at all. A ton of gold was only 0.5 cubic meters which only would cost half a crystal in energy to store. When he left the main hotel building, Jiang Chen chose to return to the mansion. Liu Yao was probably still waiting for him. He got to the front of the mansion and saw Liu Yao under the shade of the trees. Liu Yao wasn''t wearing a bikini like the first time he saw her. Instead, she changed into a beige dress with a laced floppy hat. Her presence could be felt miles away. She knew exactly how she attracted people, with the combination of her purity and seduction. Why did you take so long? I am starving, Liu Yao gave him a coquetry as she swayed her slender waist. Her coquetry didnt feel staged at all. Haha, Ill take you out for food. Jiang Chen opened the mansion door, and chivalrously took over Liu Yaos bag. What do you want to eat? Dont be shy! Yay! I want to eat at the Glacier Ocean Restaurant. Liu Yao adorably clung onto Jiang Chens arm like a loving girlfriend. Ok! Ill take you there. A bright smile appeared on her face as she was pleased with the way Jiang Chen responded. She hugged Jiang Chens arm as they walked towards the restaurant. Perhaps she was acting, or maybe she was just following her heart. The division between the two was too faint to distinguish. Glacier Ocean Restaurant is a renowned restaurant in Sheraton and extending its influence to the rest of the Sanya. The water-themed restaurant was surrounded by the mixture of the pristine sky and the mysterious sea. Arrays of palm and coconut trees showcased natures vibrant energy. The vast collection of wine displayed at the entrance of the hotel left all the diners dazed. Then the customers were quickly captivated by the sophistication and class of the restaurant. The private room in the middle of the restaurant was even more intricate. The aquarium-like design transformed the dinner into a unique experience as if they were in the midst of the ocean. There was no need for extra decorations, as the reflection of the water''s waves created the perfect atmosphere. Jiang Chen and Liu Yao sat in the private room. I heard the view at night is even better, but the view at noon is also remarkable. Jiang Chen savored the fresh taste of salmon meat and took a sip from the delicious Wen Chang chicken soup. Delicacies filled the table, and he was even dazzled by all the choices. This Boston lobster is delicious! Liu Yao playfully stuck out her tongue. She skillfully used her graceful finger to dissect the lobster in front of her. Beauty is something one can truly enjoy. Jiang Chen picked up a piece of clam. The way Liu Yao ate was extremely pleasing to the eyes. Hehe, pretty right? She pouted as she continued to struggle with the lobster. I was talking about the lobster. Liu Yaos cute look didnt stop Jiang Chen from teasing her. Screw you! Liu Yao didnt have a big appetite, so she chose all the light but fine dishes. The majority of the food went into Jiang Chens stomach. He had an appetite comparable to two adult males. Looks like you are ecstatic today. She rubbed the corner of her mouse with a napkin as she looked at Jiang Chen''s lively eyes. Indeed, I signed a big deal. He didnt hide anything. Eh? I thought it was because of me. She joked. With a mischievous smile, Jiang Chen approached Liu Yao. How big do you think the deal is? One million? USD? With her red lips open, she took a sip of wine. She didnt care how much Jiang Chen made as it had nothing to do with her. However, she understood a males ego as Jiang Chen wasnt keeping this from her. She pretended to be curious. One million? Thats pocket change. With his back leaned against the chair, Jiang Chen smiled. Pocket change? Liu Yao shockingly stared at Jiang Chen. At least one hundred million, Jiang Chen replied. He pretended it was not a big deal. Ahem. Liu Yao covered her chest as she ruefully looked at Jiang Chen. She accidentally spat out her wine out. I cant believe you are so skillful, this is such a pity. Liu Yao pouted as she took another sip of wine. Jiang Chen knew what she meant by pity, but he would not change his mind. No way, I remember I used my real skill last night. Jiang Chen emphasized the words skill as he smirkingly looked at Liu Yaos facial expression. Liu Yao paused slightly before she understood the meaning behind Jiang Chens words. Her face turned burning red like the sky at dawn. Pervert. Her gentle fist striking Jiang Chen''s did not bother him at all. After the meal, Jiang Chen took Liu Yaos hand and strolled along the swimming pool. It was a beautifully decorated pool of water. The palm trees along the side added a sense of nature to the swimming pool. Under the white umbrella were deck chair of the same color for the tourists that needed rest. I thought you dont like crowded places? Liu Yao accompanied Jiang Chen as her crystal eyes observed his face. You are right, but it would be disappointing if we just stayed at the mansion. This swimming pool is a famous attraction at Sanya. Oh? I thought you were someone who was always busy, Liu Yao asked curiously. Busy people may not like crowded places, but I am quite pleased with this scene. For example, the blonde European beauty right there. Jiang Chen changed the topic with a smirk. Does my bikini not look attractive? Liu Yao defiantly raised her D cup chest. Its not the same. Everyone is different. Jiang Chen tried to explain his reasoning. If it were his girlfriend, he would not praise other women, but since that was not the case, it didnt matter. Jiang Chens playboy look made Liu Yao want to yell and laugh at the same time. She pouted like an attached girlfriend, as she used her finger to squeeze his waist. She controlled the force just enough so that Jiang Chen would not get hurt. I am a D cup Dont you think I am bigger compared to that woman? After teasing Jiang Chen for a moment, Liu Yao fixed her hair as she lifted her chest up again with a seductive look. Who knows if these are real or not? Jiang Chen ridiculed as he sneakily touched her chest. Then how do you know mine are fake, and hers are real? Liu Yao persisted the question. Hmm? So they are real. Jiang Chen pretended to be happy. In this day and age, everything could be fake. So, Jiang Chen didnt think it was real. Fool. You didnt notice it after touching it for so long? Liu Yao blushed as she vexed him with her eyes rolled. The coquettish look made Jiang Chen hard. Liu Yao became flushed as she noticed Jiang Chens invasive stare. Although Jiang Chens techniques were still lacking, with some guidance and his long lasting stamina and recovery time, it was easy to enjoy the heaven like feeling. Liu Yao, of course, didnt reject Jiang Chens intimate invitatio. She defiantly stared at Jiang Chen as she used a finger to hook onto his collar. Then they walked towards a secluded washroom on the first floor. Here? Although it was a question, Jiang Chens hands already grasped onto Liu Yaos thin waist. Pervert, Ill scream for help. She seemingly blamed Jiang Chen with her words but then swiftly locked the door behind her. There was not a lot of traffic in the area. Most of the people were either in their rooms or on the beach. Since it was the washroom, there were no cameras as well. The unique environment made Jiang Chen feel a particular kind of sensation. Liu Yaos blushing face indicated that she probably felt the same thing. Youll have to keep quiet, Jiang Chen smirked as he whispered into Liu Yaos ear. He grabbed her smooth legs and entered into her. Two hours later, the two of them came out of the washroom. Liu Yao''s legs felt weak as she half hanged onto Jiang Chens shoulder. You pervert, couldnt you have been more gentle. Haha, the way you held onto the wall and covered your mouth was quite cute. Jiang Chen laughed as he dodged and grabbed onto the hands coming at him. From a bystander, the two looked like a couple displaying affection without a care in the world. She didnt know why, but she felt tears in her eyes. If I What? Why dont you tell me about it? Jiang Chen smiled at Liu Yao who wanted to stay something but stopped. Its okay. Liu Yao turned his face around as she flashed him a smile. The cheerful smile even dazzled Jiang Chen for a moment. It was not because of her beauty. That smile reminded him of his high school time. At the nave age, free of trouble. A time where studying hard would deserve recognition. A time where being good at basketball would receive praise. Jiang Chen remembered that smile belonged to Chen Lele in the movie; the careless and free girl. The smile left the supporting actress with an endless amount of regret and despair. Am I sinking into the plot? What am I thinking? I am a woman who loves money, and I know men like you dislike woman like me. One with no self-respect. Liu Yao faintly opened her mouth. She still held onto Jiang Chens hand but walked one step ahead of him so he couldn''t see her expression. This is only a life choice, I never disliked you. Jiang Chen gently answered. He didnt lie. But unable to accept right? Liu Yao suddenly turned around. Jiang Chen noticed her eyes were slightly red. Is she acting? However, Jiang Chen was unwilling to change his opinion. He sighed wanting to explain himself. You dont have to say anything. Liu Yao turned around with a bright smile and pecked him on the lips. After seeing Jiang Chens confused look, she jumped in front of him and began walking by herself. I know, and I understand. A girl like me is not good enough for you. I just havent completely given up yet. With her back towards him, Jiang Chen couldnt see her expression. Liu Yao had to force a smile before she spoke again. What if, I mean, what if we met two years earlier? When I didnt debut yet. Would you have fallen in love with me? If I fell in love with you at that time, would you have chosen me? Jiang Chen thought about the person who watched with him. Too similar. Jiang Chen''s calm and direct rhetoric question made Liu Yao feel his uncertainty. She turned around as she forced another smile. She understood what Jiang Chen meant. Probably not. An honest response. Liu Yao somehow remembered her university time. She remembered the boy that used 99 candles to write out Liu Yao I love you under her dorm room window. She was moved for a brief second but still rejected him because he couldnt provide the life she wanted. Liu Yao gave her first time to a director whose name she didn''t even want to remember. She did it in exchange for the supporting actress role. She had no regrets because she received eighty thousand dollars in pay along with a ticket into the entertainment industry. However, at this moment, she regretted. For some reason, in her eyes, Jiang Chen began to coincide with the boy she rejected. If the poor Jiang Chen asked her out two years ago, she would probably not even look at him. It was not a question of right or wrong, but only a matter of choice. Since this is a hard earned vacation, why think about these bothersome questions? Jiang Chen said faintly as it disrupted Liu Yaos thoughts. Mhmm you are right, lets enjoy the bench. A relieved smile bloomed on Liu Yaos face. The smile was beautiful. Except for a bright jewel hanging at the corner of her eye. Silently, it rolled down and mixed in with the sand. Among the waves and tides of the southern county, it was negligible and minuscule. 28 The Return Chapter 28: The Return Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Over the last five days, the two spent every moment in joy. Liu Yao took Jiang Chen to all the famous attractions. They did everything from surfing at Wuzhizhou Island, enjoying the sunlight at Yalong Bay, wandering along the beach, to leaving names on a couple lock. Liu Yao engraved Jiang Chens name, but Jiang Chen left Chen Leles name. The happiest time was always the briefest, but it was pleasant. Until they went their separate ways, Jiang Chen didnt see any more sorrows or tears. "Sir, would you like a cup of coffee?" The flight attendant''s gentle voice disrupted Jiang Chens thought. "Ill have one please." "Ok, please wait a moment." A cup of steamy coffee was soon in front of Jiang Chen. He stared at the rising steam and smiled. [That was a pleasant trip after all. I wonder if I will ever meet her again.] He thought about it some more, and an even bigger smile appeared on his face. He didnt know why he wanted to smile. He glanced at the pristine cloud outside the window and the middle-aged professional sleeping beside him. Jiang Chen finished the still steamy cup of coffee. It was bitter, but a little sweet. The brief Sanya vacation came to an end. Jiang Chen walked out of the Wanghai airport with his luggage. The noisy metropolitan. He took in a deep breath of the smog-filled air and flagged down a taxi. "To Bailian." Sitting on the passenger side, Jiang Chen took out his almost outdated Samsung phone. He was about to call Xia Shiyu when he noticed a message popped up. Weibo? He opened the Weibo app that he hasn''t opened for a while. He was surprised to find out someone @ him. Along the text was also a picture of an airplane taking off. Jiang Chen noticed that it was his flight. [This girl, she went to my terminal without telling me.] Jiang Chen smiled. They said goodbye at the airport, but he didnt expect her to be there to watch him depart. With a bit of narcissism, Jiang Chen swiped the screen up with his finger. The comments on the bottom consisted primarily of people wondering who Jiang Chen was. To begin with, she was not a famous actress, so there were only a few comments. He thought about for a moment before half-joking replied. [Instant reply.] "Hey man, are you on Weibo?" "Oh? Do you have Weibo as well?" Jiang Chen asked the taxi driver. "Of course, it is pretty fun watching people make memes online. You are looking at a celebritys Weibo right?" "Hehe, yes, how do you know?" Jiang Chen curiously asked. "There is a special symbol beside their name. Look closely." The taxi driver skillfully guided Jiang Chen, "Though to be honest, these celebrities Weibo are boring. They are too busy to reply to you. You must be new on here." Jiang Chen smiled in agreement. He wanted to reply , but that post was gone. "What happens if a post is gone?" "They deleted it, it''s common." The taxi driver rolled his eyes as if he was an expert. Deleted? [This girl.] Jiang Chen sighed. The situation was funny to him. Its only a movie after all, how much would it even cost? Inside the Jade Restaurant, Jiang Chen quietly waited at the table. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw a graceful figure approach him. He signaled for the person to come over. "You finally appeared. You dont even pick up your phone." Xia Shiyu gave him a hard stare. The grin on his face made Xia Shiyu irate. She has been taking care of the company in the past few days. She even used her own money to make sure everything could be finished on time. To ensure she completed Jiang Chens task, she had to find lawyers, bureaus, and banks. She even went to their future office. However, he was nowhere to be seen. Jiang Chen left all the dirty work to her and went on a vacation by himself. She took in a deep breath to stop an almost inevitable emotional explosion. "Dont be so emotional, Ill bring you next time. Sanya is a beautiful place." Jiang Chen grinned with no signs of guilt. "This is your company. You have to at least show up to something. You should come with me to the bureau this afternoon. I have all the documents here. Take a look." She placed the bag on the table and ignored Jiang Chens invitation. "Thank you so much." Jiang Chen didnt pick up the documents. Instead, he genuinely stared at Xia Shiyus emotionless face. "At least you have some conscience," she hissed at him. Although her face still looked cold, Jiang Chen felt she was no longer angry. "Ill go with you in the afternoon. Lets not talk about work. Order whatever you want, this one is on me. Oh, you paid for the fees right? The company will reimburse you for it." Xia Shiyu was not humble and immediately ordered a few dishes. She glanced at Jiang Chen but did not even see a slight change in his grinning face. She was frustrated. [That was ineffective.] She thought as she didnt manage to vent her anger. Jiang Chen didnt notice her intention. He still had one hundred thousand dollars left which far exceeded his expectation. "Is there something bothering you?" Although she kept a stern face, Jiang Chen still noticed she was slightly distracted. "Yes, I am worried about the companys future." Xia Shiyu dived straight into the problem, "If our strategy is to use advanced technology, we have no way of gaining a competitive advantage as a newcomer." "But dont new company have more growth opportunities?" With her concern in his mind, Jiang Chen replied. "Thats for a company with a strong core competitive advantage." Xia Shiyu stared at Jiang Chen, who showed no sign of concern, with a look of defeat. "Do you know technology? You probably dont even remember calculus." "Is that even a question." Jiang Chen laughed. "Who remembers that stuff after graduation. Just because I dont understand it doesnt mean other people dont understand it. You dont have to worry about research and development. Ill give you a hint. Every company have a focus, such as game development. We can just springboard off of this idea and enter the cell phone market following our success" "Stop right there." Xia Shiyu interrupted Jiang Chens speech. She rubbed her temples. "Cell phone games? Web games? Or Massive Multiplayer Online games on the PC end? Based on the current market condition, I recommend cell phone games. Regarding the cell phone market, its great that our founder has a vision for the future, but one step at a time is critical for sustainable growth." "Of course, so we will do it one step at a time." He casually waved his hand. "Also, this is not only my company, but it is also your company. Ill give you 5% stake in the company, so keep up the good work." It was not only until years later did Xia Shiyu realize what tremendous amount of wealth was given to her. Of course, that was the aftermath. In the afternoon, Jiang Chen went to the bureau with Xia Shiyu to take care of the paperwork. Xia Shiyu was indeed CEO (secretary) quality. Jiang Chen only needed to sign a couple of documents before it was approved. Xia Shiyu took care of the entire, tedious process. Jiang Chen was extremely pleased. He didnt study business administration, so his understanding in the area was extremely limited. The best kind of president, in his ideal world, was the kind who only needed to the set the direction of the company. A trustworthy CEO would take care of the rest. If he had to consider all the fine details, he would be frustrated to death. Xia Shiyu did exceptionally well at this point. She prepared everything in advance. They only needed a part time accountant to complete the tax process. Jiang Chen took Xia Shiyus recommendation to hire a part-time accountant. They only needed to pay 200 dollars in salary per month. Most of the new companies did this in the early stage. After everything was completed. It was already 5 oclock. Jiang Chen used the opportunity to treat Xia Shiyu again before they went their separate ways. With the stable income and debt crisis being resolved, Xia Shiyu moved back to her original apartment. Jiang Chen, also, headed back to his familiar apartment. He took his luggage and returned to his apartment. He refreshed his Weibo while lying on his bed a couple of time and teased Liu Yao for a bit before he got back into the real business. He had a pleasant vacation, but his return time was also approaching. Therefore, preparation was necessary. He looked on Taobao for food. Canned food was the primary choice because of the ease of storage. He ordered two boxes of beef, pork, and fish. Then, for a balanced diet, he also purchased cans of vegetables and fruits. Finally, he bought instant noodles and crackers as well. He was not going to eat it those himself, but it would be smart to sell it. In addition, Jiang Chen purchased a bunch of female clothing. Dont be confused, he had no weird fetishes. He ordered some for Sun Jiao and Yao Yao. Within two days, a courier delivered the almost mountain high stacks of boxes to Jiang Chens place. He generously took out two hundred dollar bills, and the courier happily moved the boxes for him. Its good that he didnt have any furniture, for the boxes made it impossible to maneuver through his living room. With sandpaper in his hand, he began to work. He removed the manufacturing data and location on the can and threw it into the storage dimension. Although tedious, he had no other choice at this stage. It would be better if he could directly receive shipments from the packaging companies without any pictures or logos. The storage dimensions size grew substantially. It managed to fit the size of half a living rooms worth of boxes inside. Jiang Chen guessed it had to do with the gene vaccine, and it was great news for him. The storage of these boxes cost about two energy crystals, and it would cost the same to take it all out. There were around a couple hundred energy crystals inside the dimension, so the cost did not even slightly bother Jiang Chen. He also purchased groceries from the supermarket. He bought an ample amount of rice, fresh vegetables, eggs, and meat. After they managed to fix the fridge in the mansion of the post-apocalyptic world, it can store plenty of food. Once they manage to move a few more fridges from the buildings outside, the food storage ability would grow exponentially. Ideally, it would be more convenient if he had a walk-in freezer. He should check the restaurants in the post-apocalyptic world; they should be easy to repair. Before he headed home, he remembered something. He walked out of the pet store with a hamster. When he got home, everything was ready to go. Jiang Chen picked up his familiar backpack, but then raised his eyebrows and put it down again. Since Sun Jiao already had a clue of whats going on, its probably time to tell her and Yao Yao. When they went to the Sixth Street, he didnt carry toast with him. He stored the toast in the storage dimension. Sun Jiao must have noticed it, but she didnt ask. Since she had a lot of trust in him, it was no longer necessary to keep things a secret. [Its better to confess to her. It will be easier in the future, and I no longer need to be secretive about things.] Jiang Chen made up his mind. Hes prepared to selectively tell parts of his secret to Sun Jiao. With the confused hamster in his hand, he sat on his bed and took a deep breath. Apocalypse, I am back! 29 Eagle’s Crash Chapter 29: Eagles Crash Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi "This is Eagle-I, we are at the target area." "Roger, this is Eagle-II. Eagle I, open electronic life detection." "Roger. Opening electronic life detection." The aerodynamic exterior design had an external door at the back with a heavy machine gun attached. The disk-shaped turbo accelerators on both sides of the craft emitted a deafening noise as the air vibrated beneath them. Inside the vessel were soldiers fortified to the teeth, each armed with pitch-black turbo packs that held terrifying single-person heavy firearms. On the right side of the craft, Liuding Towns logo was drawn over traces of what seemed like scratched-out symbols. Attack Helicopter-51. PCA equipped the amphibious attack helicopter in year 2153 to primarily serve the Southern Sea fleet as it was particularly effective in beach landings. But after the war, it became less effective. The two black helicopters flew separated by 1000 meters and hovered above a building. Wang Shiwu glanced at the the life detection device that displayed the unknown bacterial level outside of the armored craft. He then flanked the building outside of the helicopter, a gloomy expression cast over his face. "This has to be the place." "Life form matches. The target is in the building. Eagle-I requesting permission to attack." "Negative." Wang Shiwu cautiously gazed at the building. He activated the communication device on the power armor. "This is the Dark Knight Squad. We are above the target creature. The target creature information is unknown. We request missile support." "This is the command center, missile support approve." The cost of a direct invasion was too high. Wang Shiwu couldnt risk his comrades lives without even spotting the creature. He cautiously requested missile support in hopes of exposing its body. "Eagle-I, Eagle-II, missile will arrive in 1 minute. Please increase altitude." "Roger.""Roger." The two helicopters began to increase their altitude to avoid friendly fire. The sunrise cast rays of yellow paths through the radiation dust. With the disgustingly greenish-yellow particles emerging from the yellow building, the entire area looked like an egg from above [Whats hidden inside the building?] Wang Shiwu locked his eyes onto the murky yolk. Why would Liudings elite force show up 30 kilometers away from the city border? The story began with the battle meeting two days ago. Bohai Aircraft Carrier, Command Tower, Meeting Room. "Area coordinates (412, 151) displayed an unusual life signal. Our scientists are unable to determine the creatures identity, but the crystal energy indicator has increased to 90,141, surpassing the limit by 300. Since it is within our strike range, we have to stop it from evolving further and retrieve the crystal. I need you to take care of this thing. Do you understand?" The middle-aged man in an old PCA uniform stood and commanded from in front of the full-sensory map. "Yes, sir!" The uniformed soldiers barked out in unity. They wore the PCA navy seal uniform to the meeting in an organized manner. "That is all for this meeting!" "Yes!" The electronic life detection device was commonly used in the wasteland. Research indicated that all life forms emitted certain life signals that could be detected over long distances through emissions. It had been used as a tracking device during the war and after it, a rescue aid. In the current apocalypse, it became a civilian equipment. The unit detected not only humans but also any life signal that could be recorded on the radar life electronic screen. The life signal was proportional to the energy of the creature. Mutant creatures had a higher life signal than humans. The advanced ability to calculate a mutant creatures crystal energy had only been completed after the war and was possessed by the majority of the larger survival bases. After recording any unusual life signal, the survival bases in the vicinity often chose to attack the creature as it was extremely dangerous to let mutant creatures evolve. Unfortunately, there was always the possibility of strange creatures forming since all mutations were spontaneous. Evolutionary pathways that once took thousands of years could take three days in a nuclear crater. The evolved creature could be a harmless bug or a colossal monster. Any creature with over 300 crystals were considered extremely dangerous. But it did not mean they were strong. Compared to the ones with 40 to 300 crystals, the extremely dangerous mutant creatures were easier to deal with. A 100-pound human for example, would have a difficult time beating someone who was 200 pounds since they were not in the same category. But what about someone weighing 500 pounds or 1,000 pounds? They would be considered disabled, unable to maintain basic life functions. Similarly, mutant creatures with over 300 energy crystals were considered "disabled." Under the influence of radiation and other factors, the continuous mutation endlessly expanded the life energy, but that did not necessarily equal strong destructive ability. Once anything surpassed a limit, it would be a hindrance. Liuding Town had similar strike operations in the past where their target was an unknown creature with 110,000 crystal energy. Once the squad had arrived, they were met with a crowd of corpse-eating creatures and a massive half-eaten meatball. A meatball that filled the entire street. The clueless squad had to call missile support to blow the meatball into pieces. With an energy detector they were able to locate the meter-tall crystal and transport it back. The rest of the meatball attracted an endless number of corpse-eating creatures in the vicinity, so it was impossible to retrieve. It was unfortunate because it would have been an excellent source of nutrient supply. These excessively mutated creatures had no fighting power most of the time. For economic reasons, they were much easier to deal with compared to Death Claws or Roshan. With this reason, selfish commanders were spurred into action to destroy the mutant creatures. Wang Shiwu was dealing with such a creature. Although the soldiers began to whisper about finishing the mission and taking a shower since the power armors were extremely humid to wear. Wang Shiwu felt something was off and cautiously followed the missile support procedure. The Eagle-I in the front opened the radar to provide exact location for the missile at Liuding. "Prepare for missile launch, raise the barrel! Quick!" A few people in work uniforms hustled. They controlled the equipment around the launch pad as a ten-meter-long barrel emerged from the aircraft carrier. The sleek-looking barrel had a famous nameelectromagnetic gun. "Distance between two points are 310,203 meters, detecting the thickness of the target. Use a 10-kilogram missile, raise to 47 degrees, and adjust power setting." The technician on deck was changing the settings with a tablet computer. Bohais fire control system had originally been destroyed by an electromagnetic pulse during the war. These fixed gun barrels were later fixed by survivors and connected to nearby terminals to be controlled at close distance. The technician pressed . A blue spark filled the barrel as the high-density electricity generated a short but deafening noise. There was no explosion. There was only the initial noise of the missile breaking the sound barrier. A trail of light blue casted across the horizon. The force of the electromagnetic ripple pushed the barrel slightly backward. Steam began to rise as the liquid cooling system activated. A light flashed from the back of the aircraft before fading into the endless ocean. The flat-headed missile flew across the sky. The remaining electricity from the initial firing maintained the internal detonation device and also created a vacuum around the missile. As it approached the target, the vacuum layer disintegrated. The speed coating began to melt as the missile expanded. Followed by a red trail, the cylindrical missile hit the building like an iron fist. The deafening explosion spread as the missile penetrated the building as if it was paper. The building crumpled under the force of explosion, a hollow space left behind by the missile. "Direct hit. Great shooting." "Target spotted. Wait! What is that! Dammit." "Eagle-II, report the situation. Eagle-I" "Crashing! Crashing! Please send assistance." Sounds of chaos. From the explosion, a giant emerged. No, to be accurate, it was a giant gun. A dark red energy began to focus before ejecting a beam. The red ray cast a straight line across the sky. It didnt directly hit any helicopters, but it rendered all electronic devices in the area useless. The power armors EMP resistors opened suddenly, but all the devices suffered different degrees of damage before they were triggered. Because of the EMP resistance, all communication signals were blocked. "Fuck! EMP! Jump!" Wang Shiwu roared into the intercom. In the rapidly plummeting craft he managed to regain his foothold. With heavy steps, he walked to the door and jumped out. Due to the power armors sophisticated design, it was only momentarily disabled before all functionality returned. The two helicopters, however, did not have the same fate as the EMP instantaneously destroyed all electronic devices aboard. Wang Shiwu gaped at the giant red barrel. [What the hell is this? A creature that can emit EMPs? Destroyed the helicopter without even directly hitting target.] After he read the letters in his helmet, Wang Shiwu let out a sigh of relief. Cracks emerged from his knees, waist and shoulder as the small turbo engine appeared under the metal surface. Wang Shiwu felt a sudden jostle before he finally regained control. The soldiers began to land on the ground. "Mutation virus, concentration level 97. Dammit, what is this goddamn thing?" His comrade spoke through the intercom. "Stay alert! Make sure everything is sealed. These floating viruses are giving me a bad feeling." Wang Shiwu checked the air filtration device. These viruses covered the filter in minutes. The concentration was so high they were almost in chunks. The greenish-yellow appearance made their stomachs clench in disgust. [Should we evade first?] The thought crossed his mind before he decided that he must figure out the terrifying barrels origin. The helicopters were already destroyed. Even if Liuding sent support, it would be extremely dangerous. "Be cautious of filter status, prepare for attack!" "Roger." In case anything happened, Wang Shiwu cautiously recorded the picture of the battlefield and sent it to the command center. He grabbed the machine gun from his back and pushed forward. There was no response from the command center. The virus could block radio communication? Probable, since the ray created an EMP effect, so the virus definitely had something to do with it. No, this was still too odd! Normally these extremely dangerous creatures would attract other mutated creatures to feast on, but there were no rats to be seen in the area. It was peculiar! Wang Shiwu was drenched in sweat before he heard the screams of his comrades. "Above us! What the hell is this?!" Wang Shiwu immediately looked up. Energy began to fill the red biological cannon once more. There was nothing in the sky. What was this thing shooting at? "Fire! Immediately!" Without any time to think, Wang Shiwu ordered the attack with his gut feeling. Twelve power-armored soldiers focused fire on the red cannon. The bullets shot out in clusters. No one knew if it would do anything, but there were no other solutions. Five hundred meters was the effective range of machine guns. The spark from the bullets cast a glow on each of the vicious faces as the rapidly rotating barrels unleashed its firepower. Suddenly, the half-building-tall cannon contracted. It was no longer charging. Wang Shiwu was surprised that their bullets were effective against this creature. But they were proven wrong as another explanation presented itselfthe energy had been filled to the maximum. With terrified expressions, they watched as the cannon exploded. The red flash submerged the entire area in shockwaves that emitted across the radius of explosion. Silence ensued. A few red-colored "meatballs" were propelled into the distance with the help of the explosion. "Eagle-1, Eagle-II, Dark Knight Offline." "Life signal is changing! Target is dividing!" The commanders face had gloom written all over it. His hawkish eyes stared at the full-sensory screen in the air. The 90141 crystal energy symbol disappeared and was replaced by 12 unevenly distributed energy life forms. The mission had failed. The commander was not saddened by the loss of the 12 combatants and 4 pilots. Under their virtual reality training program, it was easy to produce these types of talents. But the two attack helicopters and the twelve sets of MAX-I Power Armors cost a total of 220,000 energy crystals. This was a disaster. As to how the mutant creatures would impact the wasteland? The future is unknown. 30 Back Home Chapter 30: Back Home Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi [Apocalypse, I''m back.] The familiar but grimy air occupied Jiang Chen''s nostrils as he stepped back onto ground. He took in a slow, long breath and looked at his surroundingsthe abandoned cars, cracked roads, collapsed buildings, and the mindless zombies. This was the place he had left. He glanced at the cage in his hand where the cute but ignorant hamster lied silently in the cage. Jiang Chen poked its soft belly only to confirm that it had passed away. He let out a sigh. The nut had been its last dinner. The idea of traveling with another human was unrealistic for now. Jiang Chen felt a little upset. He followed the familiar street. Jiang Chen was careful not to disturb the powerless zombies that wandered the street as he approached the mansion. During the day, the zombies were not frightening at all. He would even go so far as to describe them as harmless. But once night settled, even the nearly invincible Death Claw would have to think twice before entering a zombie-filled street. Without the limitation of sunshine, the zombies were as crazy as someone on drugs. They utilized every single mutated cell in their body to chase anything alive. The mansion looked the same, but the iron gate was reinforced with steel wires. Sun Jiao must have done this while he was gone. He walked up to ring the doorbell. Soon after, he heard steps from inside before the iron gate was flung open. . A graceful figure crashed into his chest. Jiang Chen anticipated the hug with both his arms extended. He welcomed the warmth he had longed for since he had left. A wet sensation covered his lips. "Youre finally back." She gasped to gather her breath as she ruefully looked at Jiang Chen. "I missed you dearly, my honey." Jiang Chen slapped the firm butt as a grin appeared on his face. "Come in." Jiang Chen stepped into the mansion as Sun Jiao skillfully locked the gate behind her. He noticed that though it looked the same from the outside, the mansion''s interior had been upgraded. The small decorative forest was chopped down to create watchtowers by the wall that were equipped with barbed wires and lined with hidden trenches. Even the mansion building itself was reinforced with the windows fitted with steel bars. "What did you do to my mansion?" A bitter smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. [This is no longer a mansion anymore, it''s a fortress.] "It is going to be safer this way," Sun Jiao proudly said. "The mansion wasnt protected at all before. I gathered some materials from the area and reinforced the place." "I think anyone would notice if we didnt do anything." Jiang Chen sighed. "But this is our home after all. We can''t pretend that no one lives here. There will be survivors that notice this place eventually and spread the news." "Youre right. Thank you." Jiang Chen realized he had underestimated the situation and how crucial the problem was. In the apocalypse, zombies were not natural protection. They were pretty much decoration during the day time. The survivors were not the friendliest people either. The absolute neutral Sixth Street was considered to be the most sympathetic force on the wasteland. If people discovered that there was food here without any protection, floods of people would rush to this place. Regardless of Sun Jiaos strength, there was no way she could guarantee the safety of this place. The most dangerous creature in the apocalypse werent the zombies but the humans. "But why did you break the marble statues at the front door?" Jiang Chen directed a pained gaze at the mansion. The mansion had been luxurious before, but now it had no aesthetics whatsoever. "It occupied too much space. There was no need for cover within the wall. It would just prevent me from shooting intruders," Sun Jiao reasoned with him. [Okay fine, you are right.] Jiang Chen sighed and accepted the idea. He pulled open the mansion''s security door. "Where''s Yao Yao?" "That girl missed you a lot too." Sun Jiao glanced at Jiang Chen with a puzzled look. She fixed his collar for him. "Go to her room. Shes been tinkering around with some small equipment to help you out." "Mhmm." Jiang Chen nodded and walked to Yao Yao''s room. He slowly pushed open the wooden door, the hinges squeaking loudly. The room was dark. If not the rhythmic breath, he would have thought the room was empty. [This girl, is she still in bed?] Jiang Chen could not help but smile. He knew too well that this timid girl was always a bit dizzy in the morning due to her malnourished body. A light, metallic scent filled the room which made Jiang Chen sniff the air. The delicate wooden desk most likely once belonged to an equally adorable girl, but the table now was filled with electronic equipment and gadgets. The full-sensory computer Jiang Chen had purchased for her was on it as well as some other unknown devices. There was a silicon board that looked as though it had come straight out of a science fiction novel on the table corner, but half of it was broken. The exposed wires were fused to another piece of circuit board. Although he was curious, he didn''t have the bad habit of touching other people''s possessions without permission. He moved his feet only to feel an obstructive force. He picked up a programming book full of professional terms and notes, reminding Jiang Chen of the "study gods" back in university. Although he passed his computer level two examination [1], he did not understand the book contents at all. [Is this a more straightforward and concise programming language?] Yao Yao curled under her bed sheet as if in a sweet dream. She looked like a cute squirrel and her slightly pouted mouth like soft candies. Her hands hidden in front of her chest gave Jiang Chen a strong desire to protect her. [Looks like shes been eating well.] Jiang Chen kneeled down and indulgently rubbed her soft hair. Although the room was dark, her slightly chubbier face indicated her improved body condition. The gentle and soft snores made Jiang Chen not want to disturb her sweet dream. But he really wanted to hug her. "Yao Yao, Yao Yao," Jiang Chen lightly called. "Huu... Heehee." Yao Yao dazedly rubbed her eyes as she sat up. With her sleepy eyes, she stared at Jiang Chen and smiled. Then like a koala, she wrapped her arms around Jiang Chen''s neck and closed her eyes again. "Hehe, big brother, don''t leave anymore. Yao Yao has been trying very hard. Yao Yao is excellent now." She murmured the words before it turned into a light snore again. [This girl, did you mistake me for a pillow again.] Jiang Chen was about to wake her up when he saw the dark circles around her eyes illuminated by the dim lighting from under the window curtain. He thought about her murmured words and felt a bit teary. "Yao Yao is good. Sleep for a bit more." He placed the sleeping Yao Yao on the bed again and tucked her in. He leaned down and gently kissed her soft forehead. As if dreaming about the sweetest thing in the world, a joyful smile appeared on her face. The slightly quirked lips had a silver string attached to it. Jiang Chen left the room and closed the door. "Did you eat her?" Sun Jiao watched with a mocking gaze as Jiang Chen came down the stairs. "Am I a monster or what?" He rolled his eyes and sat across from her. "Yao Yao," Sun Jiao hesitated, but she made up her mind and said, "Yao Yao... she really cares about you. Shes been studying computer-related knowledge for the past few days and even asked me to bring her a couple of books from the library. I don''t know if what I did is correct. Shes been extremely dedicated. Maybe she wants you to notice her, and this is her way of expressing her emotion to you. " Sun Jiao was adjusting the way she phrased her words to correctly express the intention behind the conversation. "I... thank you." "Only thank you?" "But only, you are part of my family." Jiang Chen made up this mind and solemnly looked her in the eyes. She suddenly climbed onto the table and grabbed him by the collar. In front of Jiang Chens shocked eyes, she laughed. "You mean, youre going to eat her as well?" "Thats brotherly love. What do you want it to be?" Jiang Chen looked at the suspicious Sun Jiao. Her unexpected actions made her difficult to figure out. "Oh? I can see that she likes you as more than a brother." Jiang Chen became silent. "Don''t you want to say something?" "Cant you let me go first?" "No, what if you disappeared again?" Tears suddenly rolled out from Sun Jiao''s eyes. It made Jiang Chen frantic although he didn''t know why. What made this audacious girl cry? "I wont disappear, honey." Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile. He reached out his hands to hug her, but she blocked him. "Who knows? You have girls on the other side, right?" The gaze Sun Jiao used to stare at him startled Jiang Chen. "Eh, why are you asking this?" Jiang Chen dodged her eyes. "Yes or no." Sun Jiao did not give Jiang Chen the chance to avoid the topic. Jiang Chen took a deep breath and honestly answered, "Yes!" Prepared to be tied down by this wild girl, Jiang Chen was surprised when she withdrew her hand from his collar. "You are an honest guy." Sun Jiao didn''t get off the table. She half kneeled and looked into Jiang Chen''s eyes. [She smiled? Why is she smiling?] Jiang Chen had a strange look on his face. " I am honest to my woman." [There is no reason to lie at all.] "So, I am fortunate to be your woman then," Sun Jiao teased him. "If you don''t want to be, I won''t force you." The complexion on his face gave away his anxious thoughts. "..." Sun Jiao had the same expression. She gently bit her lips. "Of course I want to be, but I am a bit angry at the fact that you ditched me here to find another woman." "I''m sorry." Jiang Chen silently lowered his head but after a pause, looked up again. He carefully met her eyes. "Although whatever I say will not make the situation better, if theres anything I can do to make up it to you, I can do it." "Really? Anything?" Sun Jiao mischievously examined Jiang Chen''s face. "Mhmm." "Okay then, let''s start." "Hmm?" Before Jiang Chen could gather his thoughts, Sun Jiao had already made her move with the agility of a cat. Jiang Chen had no chance to react before he was tied down to the chair. Sun Jiao stepped on Jiang Chens armrest, giving him flashbacks of when they first met. "I, I mean." "What did you say?" Sun Jiao acted like she didn''t hear him and put her head closer. Jiang Chen now realized that she had changed into something else when she went upstairs, switching from her tracksuit into an attractive shirt. It was his first time seeing Sun Jiao wear stockings. He thought about the clothes he had bought for them and realized clothing after the apocalypse was not an issue as there were stores everywhere. "No, nothing, this rope just looks familiar," Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile. "Hehe, then let me show you again," she whispered, her red lips grinning wickedly, "how great I am." [1] Computer Level Two examination is a certificate you can acquire for computer proficiency 31 Family Meeting? Chapter 31: Family Meeting? Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi That was incredibly awkward. Yao Yao just came downstairs and saw the embarrassing intimacy. She stood at the edge of the stairs with a blushing face, her mouth slightly open as she didnt know what to do. Passion overtook the two of them for that brief intimate moment , but it was still too crazy to have such a seductive scene in the living room, especially when they werent alone. They selectively forgot about the existence of other people under the same roof though it was fun while it lasted. Sun Jiao fled the scene of the crime, embarrassed by what just happened. She wanted to dig a hole for herself and also for Jiang Chen after what Yao Yao just saw. But when she escaped, she didn''t untie the ropes around Jiang Chen. With her skillful technique and the ropes quality, it was impossible to break it no matter how hard he tried. "...Hi." "Brother..." She was ecstatic to see him again, but the mood wasn''t exactly right to hug him as her face was still blushing red with the image in her head. "Yao Yao, can you... can you help me untie this? Jiang Chen ditched any honor he had and pleaded for Yao Yao''s help. Except the problem was that his pants were still dropped to his knees and exposed a certain part. [Ah! I am going to be embarrassed to death!] "Mhmm." Yao Yao''s face was burning. She kept her head down because she was curious but at the same time, she was too afraid to approach him. Because of her nervousness, the pair of delicate hands were unable to untie the ropes despite several desperate attempts. "Is it good?" Jiang Chen asked awkwardly. "Gulp." It was the sound of swallowing. "Mhmm?" "No, nothing! It''s almost done!" Her anxiousness made her suddenly raise her voice. Although she said she almost loosened it, Jiang Chen did not feel the slightest sign of relief. Yao Yao raised her lips in a slight grimace. When she peeked at Jiang Chen, she got scared because of his voice and accidentally bit her tongue. She shyly glanced at the part exposed and out in the open. She felt her heart rate increase for some strange reason. She knew what it was, but it was her first time seeing one with her own eyes. [Its so big... Is it even possible to put it in...] Yao Yao''s thoughts wandered as she tried to recollect herself. Her face blushed while her fingers struggled to untie the rope. "Sun Jiao, come out, please spare me!" He wanted to laugh and weep at the same time as he yelled out for help. He knew she would be laughing at this point. Her devil-like personality would not simply let him go scot-free. If Yao Yaos hands continued to caress him any longer, Jiang Chen would be even more ashamed. Just as Jiang Chen expected, Sun Jiao had already dressed, hiding behind the kitchen door. She was peeping through the cracked-open door and laughing hysterically at the blushing Yao Yao and the awkward Jiang Chen. [This feels great!] But she knew it wouldnt be okay to cross the line. Sun Jiao pouted as she opened the door to untie Jiang Chen. The reason why she allowed it was one of her considerations. She had a partial understanding of his secret, and it made Sun Jiao feel threatened. She didn''t care how many mistresses he had and knew that there would be plenty of them in the other world. But what frightened her most was the possibility of Jiang Chen disappearing from her life forever and she being unable to pursue him. One world was the dangerous apocalypse while the other was a food-filled heaven. If she had a choice, she would not live here at all. If Jiang Chen gained someone else that he loved in the other world... she was too afraid to keep thinking. She had fallen in love with him. So she used a little trick of hers to drag Yao Yao with her. Although her growth was delayed in the hibernation chamber, she had already hit puberty. Sun Jiao didn''t believe that Yao Yao, who has such strong feelings towards Jiang Chen, would remain innocent after this seductive scene. Once the idea was planted in her head, there would always be opportunities in the future. Yao Yao was still naive. A simple kiss was not enough to keep his heart here. If one person was not enough to attract him, two people would be. Sun Jiao thought about this while she was away from the scene. She would do everything to keep him here. So she had the create some relationship entanglement for him to remember. A devil-like smile appeared on her face again. "I am here! Just wait, hehe." "Dam*it, I know youre hiding over there! You were laughing right? You must have been laughing!" --- "I have something important I want to talk to you guys about." Jiang Chen had dressed again and rotated his sore wrist. He looked at the still blushing Yao Yao and the shameless Sun Jiao as he suppressed his awkwardness from what just happened. He spoke in a serious tone, however, that made Sun Jiao''s grin fade away. She gently nodded, which was a rare expression to appear on her face, making Jiang Chen a little surprised. Yao Yao lowered her head and prepared to go back to her room but Jiang Chen grabbed her hand. "Mhmm!?" Yao Yao jumped like a startled rabbit. She was too shy to look Jiang Chen in the eyes. [I am so embarrassed.] Jiang Chen gave Sun Jiao a hard stare, but she shamelessly looked away. "I, I, I''ll go back to my room." "No, you are my family as well." Jiang Chen gently patted her head. He had long decided this on the day she saved him. If it were not for Yao Yao''s courage, Sun Jiao and he would have become food for the cannibals... or at least he would been. "Let me take this off for you." His heart melted as he looked at Yao Yao who was enjoying this intimate moment. Jiang Chen reached for the electronic bracelet. For a while now, he wanted to take this thing off her because she had never been a slave to him. "No." Yao Yao tenderly grasped Jiang Chen''s hand with both of hers. "I want to be a girl... special only to big brother." [Special?] Jiang Chen was puzzled by the idea, not understanding her meaning. But Yao Yao''s face turned burning hot again, not saying another word. "Ahem, is it okay for you guys to display your affection in front of me?" Sun Jiao said with her eyes narrowed. [Its okay to say Yao Yao is yours, but it is not okay to publicly display your affection in front of me.] This was what was going through Sun Jiao''s mind. [I refuse to allow this.] She began to grind her teeth subconsciously. Jiang Chen felt the devil''s stare as he uncontrollably shivered. "Okay!" Startled like a rabbit again, Yao Yao backed away. Sun Jiao never bullied her, but she had always been afraid of her. "Don''t you have something important to say? Go ahead and say it now." Sun Jiao let out a sigh and cleared her mind. Jiang Chen''s face turned serious again. He sat Yao Yao down again before he walked to the middle of the living room. Yao Yao confusedly watched Jiang Chen''s actions. Sun Jiao seemed to already have a guess as she propped her chin on her hand while waiting for his explanation. "I, I am from a different world." Although she was mentally prepared, she was still shocked when Jiang Chen said it with his mouth. Yao Yao was completely stunned. "Let me explain." Jiang Chen sighed as he extended his left hand. The food and supplies inside the storage dimension emerged in the middle of the room. There were no special effects, only the sudden appearance of all the canned foods, vegetables, and rice as if fantasy had just become reality. This shocked Sun Jiao completely while Yao Yao was already mindblown. He scratched the back of his head in front of the two dumbfounded girls. "I haven''t explained anything yet. Why are you guys so shocked?" "Brother... are you an immortal?" Yao Yao was the first one to regain her senses. Her eyes were filled with admiration as she stared with awe at Jiang Chen. [To be honest, it feels great to be idolized by a naive, young girl.] "Ahem, no. These things did not appear from thin air. How should I explain this... From my world, it is very easy to exchange for these goods with gold." "So, big brother is from a parallel dimension thats before the war?" Yao Yao unknowingly nodded her head. She spent her child before the war, so she remembered the prosperity in the earlier times. "Smart. That sums it up nicely." Jiang Chen praised Yao Yao and gave her a thumbs up. She explained everything he was troubled about in one sentence. "...This, this much?" Sun Jiao grew up in the survival base so without much experience, she was completely stunned. Jiang Chen couldn''t stop himself from laughing at the dumbfounded Sun Jiao. Jiang Chen briefly explained his origin and comforted away the worries of the two girls about whether he would suddenly disappear. When Sun Jiao asked about the possibility of interdimensional travel with someone else, an anxious look appeared on Yao Yao''s face, but Jiang Chen had to let them down as he took out the cage with the dead hamster. He didn''t explain, only leaving it on the table. The two girls were briefly silent before they understood. "Interdimensional travel is already magical. If it was possible to bring a creature with you, the world would not be the same anymore." Sun Jiao forced a bitter smile as she shook her head. She tiredly fell onto the table. "Yes... There are mutated cells everywhere in this world. Only humans with some resistance can prevent mutating into zombies. If big brother brought people over, the mutation could spread in the other world as well." Yao Yao gave a more serious consideration that left Jiang Chen drenched in cold sweat. [True... The mutation viruses are everywhere. If I bring it back to the other world...] He quivered at the idea. He was inconsiderate of the situation as his mind was only filled with how to make money. He never considered a critical issue like this. If not for the interdimensional bracelet''s ability to terminate all life, the other world would be complete chaos. He didn''t know the principle behind it. Maybe it would be helpful to dissect that hamster? But he didn''t probe too deeply into that thought. "Let''s not talk about this anymore. Since youre all mine, I have an obligation to provide a better life for you." Jiang Chen''s words made both Sun Jiao and Yao Yao blush. "I brought a lot of supplies back, and now we need more fridge space to store these supplies. Itd be even better if had access to freezers as well. There are also some easy to store canned foods and preserved crackers in there. I plan to exchange these for crystals and purchase some equipment to fortify our mansion." Sun Jiao nodded. "Mhm, the preserved crackers sell at around one crystal per piece. We don''t need to go to the Sixth Street to exchange it either since there are plenty of community-sized survivor camps around here. Although Ive reinforced the mansion, the defense is clearly not enough. Itd be better if we could exchange for some firearms and weapons." Jiang Chen briefly considered it. "Okay, let''s make a list of all the items we need and make all of our purchases on one trip. Also, I think its safer to go to the Sixth Street. The smaller survivor camps are not that trustworthy." Despite their reinforced mansion, there were not enough people here. Sun Jiao alone would not be able to defend this place. If the food caught the other survivors attention, those poor, starving refugees could become gun-wielding bandits the next second. The absolute neutrality that the Sixth Street prided themselves on meant that they kept a clear name on the wasteland to foster their growth into a giant. "Youre right... but the Hui Zhong Mercenaries are going to be looking for us there." Sun Jiao explained her concerns. They lost an entire raid team to Jiang Chen last time. It would be a bloodbath the next time they encountered the mercenaries. "Don''t be afraid." Jiang Chen smiled. "It only takes me two seconds to escape the danger." After he finished his sentence, Jiang Chen disappeared from their visions, and reappeared the next second. "Fu*k. If I do it too fast, it has its problems." Jiang Chen lost his balance and almost fell trying to hold on to the chair. There were some consequences to using this ability back-to-back, such as brief dizziness. "You, you just...?" "Yes, I went and came back from the peaceful world." Jiang Chen covered his dizzied head and explained. Since he already admitted his secret, he didnt need to hide his ability in the future. One crystal of energy was nothing to him. It was only a piece of preserved crackers after all. "This is incredible," Yao Yao exclaimed in disbelief. Sun Jiao blankly nodded. "The danger of the sewer system is already eliminated." He tried not to remember the scene. "Because of this, I can go by myself to the Sixth Street and bring the supplies in the storage dimension. "Im still worried." Sun Jiao nervously looked at Jiang Chen. "You have to take care of our home. We don''t have enough of a workforce here. How about I buy some people this time." "Such as buying a few more cute girls?" Sun Jiao gave him a dangerous look. Yao Yao also pouted at the idea but couldnt say anything to change his mind. After all, Jiang Chen purchased her. "What do you think I am? A sex addict?" Jiang Chen ruefully smiled as he rubbed his nose. "Theres no way you can defend this mansion by yourself. Also, I need some people with unique talents." There were treasures everywhere on the wasteland, including the people that couldnt use their unique talents here. Jiang Chen could easily use their ability and generate a fortune for his Futuristic Technology. "What about me? I can learn. You dont want me anymore?" Surprised, Yao Yao approached him with teary eyes. "How could that happen?" He rubbed her puffy hair gently. "I don''t want you working so hard. You already help me a lot. Also, dont stay up anymore. You need your sleep." "Mhmm." Yao Yao joyfully hmmed at Jiang Chen''s head rub and immediately forgot her concern. "Since you said it, what if you bring another girl back this time?" Sun Jiao was not as easy to fool as Yao Yao. "I swear to God," he said while raising his hand before she doubtfully let it go. Sun Jiao''s concern was unnecessary since Jiang Chen had no such intentions. Although he was an open person, it was because he had suppressed himself for a long time. Even in just a months worth of time, he became more mature. He never planned on building a sex dungeon in the apocalypse. Even if he had the opportunity, he would not have the energy. Compared to these things, more were awaiting him. The mansion lacked a workforce in every aspect. The watchtower beside the wall required a person because he was unwilling to send Sun Jiao to guard the door every day. He also needed someone to fix the electronics and appliances in the mansion. With Sun Jiao''s limited knowledge, she hemmed the solar power with pure luck. From electricians to construction workers, he needed a lot of people here. He wouldnt risk allowing the survivors into the mansion. After wandering the wasteland for so many years, their morals were questionable. Instead, the slaves he purchased would be safer; nobody would risk their lives with the electronic bracelet on. That way, Jiang Chen wouldnt need to worry about them defying his command. They would be more grateful for this opportunity because Jiang Chen had food. Even if he only fed them a bowl of congee every day, it would be significantly better compared to their previous lives. Jiang Chen considered himself a sympathetic person. He would never torture slaves, but it was rare for a master like this to exist in the apocalypse. "Let me be clear firstthis does not apply to Yao Yao. But don''t ever think about taking off the electronic bracelets off the slaves." Sun Jiao also considered Yao Yao as part of the family, but she worried that Jiang Chens "humanitarian considerations" would want to get rid of all the bracelets. "Don''t worry, Im not that foolish yet," he said with a bitter smile. "Ive matured. I do admit that I grew accustomed to using peaceful ways of thinking before, but I don''t think that will happen again." Sun Jiao nodded, pleased with the answer. Yao Yao, who was afraid to talk, also let out a sigh. "In that case, I wont worry anymore. Is the family meeting over?" As she stretched, her breasts almost exploded out of her clothes. When she heard the words "family meeting," Yao Yao uncontrollably blushed. Jiang Chen also burst out in laughter. "Ahem, since it is a family meeting, then it''s still not over." Jiang Chen shook his head. "Hmm? What else?" Sun Jiao leaned back against the chair. He nodded with an earnest stare into her eyes. "It''s about you. The things that you must do, can you tell me now?" A hint of emotion flashed in her eyes. "You still remember." "Of course, you are mine. I will never forget." "I, I''m about to give up." Sun Jiaos gaze that was full of joy, sorrow, and confusion dodged his eyes. "But I still remember, right? Why don''t you tell me? It never hurts to try," Jiang Chen said sincerely. She let out a long exhale and slowly opened her mouth. "I managed to find the feeling of home here. I already feel incredibly lucky. The silly idea I have... since you already asked, I''ll tell you." She paused before she suddenly smiled. "You know, Do you know? Tthis place is actually my home." 32 Sun Jiaos Pas Chapter 32: Sun Jiao''s Past Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Sun Jiaos words surprised Jiang Chen and Yao Yao. Jiang Chen remembered she was born in survival base 071, so how was she connected to this mansion? When he heard Sun Jiao''s explanation, however, he finally understood the connection as well as why shed been starving in this mansion in the first place. Sun Jiao''s father owned this estate before the war, but due to the sudden eruption of the nuclear war, Sun Jiao''s father became separated from his wife and son when they fled the city. Sun Jiao''s father subsequently met Sun Jiao''s mother in survival base 071 where they fell in love. With the blessings of the other survivors, they married and gave birth to Sun Jiao and another daughter, Sun Jiao''s sister. Unfortunately, the joyful days were short-lived as the survival base was forced to open because of the depleted resources, drawing bandits that littered the wasteland into attacking the survival base. And so, Sun Jiao lost her family. She was fortunate in that she managed to escape. She wandered the ruins, but instead of meeting mutants, zombies, or slave traders, she ran into a strange individual who didn''t know her purpose. Or perhaps it was better to say that she met her master. In 2139, due to the enactment of the new strategic defense alliance, the Han Peoples Liberation Army began to be referred to as PLA. A self-proclaimed PLA female soldier appeared and took care of Sun Jiao. She taught her the necessary skills to survive in the wasteland such as how to shoot a gun and how to identify the good and bad. But sadly her master passed away in a conflict against an unknown group of militants, and that was how Sun Jiao started her lonely journey. Sun Jiao wandered the wasteland trying to find her family, longing for the comfort of survival base 071. She knew that even if she managed to find them, life would not be the same again, but it served as her only motivation. She searched for their information around Dong Hai City until she confirmed from an old neighbor in Liuding Town that both of her parents passed away in that unfortunate incident but no information remained of her sister. The relentless Sun Jiao continued to explore the wasteland for any information, even coming across her father''s home from before the war... It was precisely this mansion, but because she ran out of nutrient supplies here, she starved until falling unconscious. Then by coincidence, she met Jiang Chen here. "Mhmm, I understand. Ill keep an eye out for you. If we can find your sister, youll be very happy right?" Jiang Chen said with a smile after listening to her narration. "Jiang Chen." Her eyes became moist. If not for Yao Yaos presence, she wouldve pushed him to the ground and expressed the loving emotion filling her heart. Ahem. Although inappropriate, Sun Jiao didn''t know other ways to express her love. "What about Yao Yao? Can I help you with anything? Since we are a family now, don''t hide anything and tell me, okay?" Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yao''s head. Yao Yao shook his head and gently covered Jiang Chen''s hand with both of her hands. "Im already so lucky. My only family is brother Jiang Chen and sister Sun Jiao." Her smile was joyful, but it made Jiang Chen slightly teary. Yao Yao made lunch. This gentle girl took the effort to practice cooking, touching Jiang Chen even more. This was the first time he ate a meal made by a girl. He was so touched that he almost began to cry. [Ahem, that was an exaggeration.] Yao Yao looked at the way Jiang Chen devoured the lunch, and a joyous smile appeared on her face. As for Sun Jiao, she always ate food as if there was no tomorrow. It would be odd if she acted any differently. After lunch, the three of them cleaned up. Sun Jiao organized the supplies within the living room, and Jiang Chen followed Yao Yao to her room as he had other matters. "Yao Yao, have you finished preparing for the vault door?" "Psh!" Yao Yao burst laughing. "Big brother doesn''t know yet, but Sun Jiao already emptied the bank vault for you. Haha, she probably forgot to tell you because she was too surprised. Shes hoping to be praised." Jiang Chen paused momentarily as a genuine delight flashed across his face. "Haha, sister Sun Jiao is not you. She is probably not interested in my recognition." Because of how cute Yao Yao looked, Jiang Chen uncontrollably rubbed her hair. Like a squirrel, Yao Yao closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. Then as if she suddenly remembered something, she blinked her sweet eyes at Jiang Chen. "No! Sister Sun Jiao want to receive praise from big brother like Yao Yao!" She thoughtfully nodded her head, sure that her analysis was accurate. Surprised by her words, Jiang Chen laughed. "Mhmm, youre right." [I have to express my gratitude to this girl. Although most of the time she is very naughty, at times she can be surprisingly considerate.] He put aside the conversation about gold and inquired about mobile game development. "Mobile game? The game you play on your cell phone? Are these things popular in big brother''s world?" she asked without completely understanding him. It puzzled Jiang Chen because she spent the first twelve years of her life before the war. Were there no electronic games at that time? That was impossible! Jiang Chen voiced his thoughts, but the answer he received made him quite conflicted. "Mhmm. That''s what you mean. I think I know what youre referring to, but the popular games before the war were all played within the gaming chamber." "Gaming chamber?" "Yes! The mainstream games were based on design engines within the virtual reality system. Lying down in the gaming chamber helped in relaxing the body, so some people even chose to spend their sleeping time in games. A lot of portable devices that connected directly to the neural network also achieved similar functions. No one installed extra games within the mobile devices." It was not because there were no more games. With the advancement of technology, the gaming format evolved over time. Just like how the DS faded through the passage of history and PSP-related game devices were no longer able to capture the market under the fierce competition of smartphones. [What should I do?] Jiang Chen had a stern face and fell into deep thought. [Abandon mobile games? But for a company just in the initial growth phase, a jump into virtual reality would be too forced. Arent there any other options?] "Can you show me that phone youre talking about, big brother?" Yao Yao asked in a quiet voice. "Ah, of course, here you go." Jiang Chen immediately took out his Samsung phone and gave it to Yao Yao. "Feel free to play with it." Yao Yao didn''t hesitate, and she immediately started dissecting the phone on her workbench. "Woo Why is the CPU performance so low? Only a couple gigabytes of RAM?" Yao Yao examined the phone and mumbled words that made Jiang Chen quite embarrassed. It didn''t take long before Yao Yao finally understood this "antique." "What do you think?" Jiang Chen rushed to ask as Yao Yao took off her protective glasses. "Hmm, it doesn''t look too complicated. If we use D++ to program it, we should be able to compress everything into this tiny space." She touched her tiny chin with a focused expression. "Ah, although mobile games are programs, you also have to consider art, music, and experience, but I don''t have any experience." Jiang Chen thought for a minute and realized the problem as well. Not all programming majors became game developers like Sid Meier. The key to games was the experience gained. Even if Yao Yao could compress an enormous amount of content using a more advanced language to reduce the requirement for hardware systems, the fundamental issue was still whether it was fun to play. Suddenly, Yao Yao slapped her head as if she just remembered something. "Oh! Let me take care of this. I promise that I''ll give you what you want within five days." "So quickly?!" Jiang Chen was stunned. His original plan was for Yao Yao to finish within two months. "Hehe." Yao Yao felt a little shy as she rubbed her nose. "It would be difficult to program from scratch, but I just remembered theres a library nearby. Sister Sun Jiao brought these back for me from there. There must be some historical codes from the database in the library that will include the games big brother wants. As long as sister Sun Jiao makes another trip to the library and copies all the files related to games between 2100 and 2200, I only need to fix the code a little to make it work." ... Jiang Chen left the room, gently closing the door. [Why is my heart beating so fast? Am I a monster after all?] Jiang Chen murmured in his heart as he walked toward Sun Jiao. He spotted Sun Jiao at the underground storage counting the supplies. The cans and preserved crackers were neatly separated beside the wall. Rice was organized within polyethylene plastic containers which were common in the wasteland after the military previously parachuted tightly sealed rescue supplies. The underground storage felt cold. The original owner, Sun Jiao''s father, previously stored wine in here but after it was discovered by other survivors, there were no traces of wine. The current quantity of supplies made it was necessary to scavenge some fridges from the residences nearby. After some repairs, they would be usable. It just meant that the solar power had to be upgraded at the same time. The current electricity was just enough to sustain the power usage in the mansion, but with a few more fridges, it would be nearly impossible to meet the demand. 33 Back to Sixth Stree Chapter 33: Back to Sixth Street Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi The energetic Jiang Chen and the flushed Sun Jiao left the basement together. Jiang Chen''s cocky look made the embarrassed Sun Jiao pinch his waist, but she lost her balance and almost fell. "Be careful, don''t hurt yourself." Jiang Chen immediately caught her as if nothing happened. Then as he pretended to blame Sun Jiao, he slapped her on the butt. Sun Jiao gritted her teeth as she looked at Jiang Chen''s smirk, her embarrassed look made Jiang Chen feel extremely satisfied. "You bastard..." The usually angry Sun Jiao only managed to come up with a weak comeback. Despite her flustered appearance, the tenderness in her eyes couldnt be hidden. This small detail didnt escape the "experienced" Jiang Chen. He kissed Sun Jiao on the lips and escaped with a grin on his face before Sun Jiao realized what happened. He didn''t want to let Sun Jiao to get back at him. [This guy...] Sun Jiao stared at the direction in which Jiang Chen left and angrily stomped her feet. She wanted to chase after and pinch him, but her body felt listless. [He seems to have gotten better...] Sun Jiao blushed red as her legs almost gave out on her. She desperately tried to find her balance against the wall. She gave his distant figure an angry stare and swore shed get her revenge. [F*ck! Just wait until tonight!] When he arrived at the poolside, he sucked in a deep breath of cold air. There were at least ten tons of gold in the pool. A ton of gold had a volume of 0.051 cubic meters, but the gold bars at the corner of the pool were at least half a cubic meter. Jiang Chen used an electronic balance and roughly measured the weight of the gold. It came out to be a total of 12.2 tons of gold which would rake in roughly 500 million dollars. Jiang Chen was ecstatic. Although he mentally prepared himself, it was impossible to not be surprised with such a giant pile of gold in front of him. He took another deep breath. Jiang Chen didn''t immediately move the gold into the storage dimension. There was no rush since he needed to make a trip to Sixth Street tomorrow, and he needed the storage dimension for exchanged goods. The gold wouldnt go anywhere. If he left now, it would be nightfall by the time he arrives at the Sixth Street, so he decided to depart tomorrow morning and use the remaining time to prepare. He went back to his room and grabbed the PK200 assault rifle that he hadnt used in a while before stepping out onto the wooden watchtower beside the wall. The dynamic guns presence made him feel safe with its surreal sci-fi design. He clicked the safety and pulled the bolt. After concentrating, he raised the gun and locked the scope onto a frightening face wondering around and pulled the trigger. Bang! A breath of fire erupted from the gun barrel amidst the billowing smoke. The bullet hit the zombie in the chest, failing to kill it immediately. As if suddenly awakened, the wounded zombie began to frantically wave his limbs but was unable to get up. [I aimed for the head but hit the chest...] Jiang Chen shook his head and aimed with the scope again. The noise of the struggling zombie attracted the attention of the other slow-moving zombies, but they failed to find the source of attack without the smell of a survivor and continued to wander aimlessly. He aimed through the crosshair again. Bang! A breath of flame discharged from the barrel once more. This time Jiang Chen didn''t miss, the zombie''s head exploding into pieces and leaving a sludge of black blood. "Four times scope is ideal for mid-distance range battle. If you insist on using it at this distance, I suggest you change the zoom to 100 meters." He heard Sun Jiao''s ridicule at his back. "Uhm, where is it? " Jiang Chen remembered a game he played before where he could adjust the guns magnification before shooting. The only problem was that there was no page-up key in real life. "It''s here." Sun Jiao pointed out the button beside the scope. So that was the problem. After Jiang Chen changed the zoom from zero to one hundred, he attempted the same shot againthe accuracy was much higher. "Mechanical sight would be enough at this distance." Sun Jiao reached out and turned the PK200s scope to the side, exposing the mechanical aim. "Try this." "Oh, so this is how you use it." Jiang Chen was able to quickly acclimate himself to the gun, but because his targets were zombies, he wasn''t certain how accurate he was. Sun Jiao stood silently beside Jiang Chen and spoke up to fix his mistakes with tips on how to shoot and utilize cover. Time flew by before it was already time for dinner. "I think that''s enough for today. Zombies are dangerous at night so its better not to anger them." Sun Jiao glanced at the crowd of zombies below them. Their endless numbers made it impossible to eliminate them. Despite being killed by mutants and humans both, there were constantly more being born in the downtown area, spreading nonstop. His record was satisfactory as he managed to kill 97 zombies with 120 bullets. Sun Jiao nodded in discreet. Although it was nothing impressive, for a beginner it was a good record. She was less nervous about his ability to survive. After all, even if he couldnt win a fight, he had the ability to run away. "Hehe, are you feeling better?" Jiang Chen closed the safety and after slinging the gun over his back, asked Sun Jiao a daring question with a grin on his face. She hesitated for a moment before her face suddenly turned to a burning shade of red. "Oww!" Jiang Chen painfully rubbed the leg kicked by Sun Jiao, "Im just worried about you." "Wait for me tonight!" Sun Jiao grabbed him by his collar and said in a vicious tone. She let go of him and jumped off the wooden watch tower in a huff. Jiang Chen quivered. [She wouldnt tie me up again, would she?] His face turned bitter as he thought about the chances. [What if I hide in Yao Yao''s room tonight?] Jiang Chen ultimately decided to face reality. He obediently received his punishment from Sun Jiao that night. The next morning, he dragged his weary body back into his room. [F*ck, why cant I control my own feet?] He wanted to slap himself for provoking her last night. He packed his equipment and put away the canned food and compressed crackers into the storage dimension before heading towards the door. "Brother, are you leaving now?" With her eyes still half-closed, she asked dazedly from the top of the stairs. "Mhmm, Im going to the Sixth Street. I''ll be back in a few days." Jiang Chen smiled at her as he checked his equipment one last time. "Umm, bring this with you." Yao Yao held the handrail and slowly walked down the stairs. She gave Jiang Chen a small bag. "What''s this?" He looked at the bag, puzzled.. "Some small equipment that I designed. Theres a drone that can connect to the EP and scan the terrain within a one thousand meter radius. Hehe, as long as I can help big brother out." Finished speaking, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked towards the sofa, curling up and falling asleep again. "This little girl, is she not afraid of getting cold?" Jiang Chen shook his head with a smile. He wrapped the bag around his waist and walked towards the sofa. His hands passed under Yao Yaos knees and shoulder as he lifted her. [Light, and also soft with the fragrance of a natural milky smell.] He brought her back to her bedroom before he left the mansion. Only blood remained from the zombies Jiang Chen shot yesterday. During the night, the active zombies ate the motionless bodies to acquire proteins. With enough, they would slowly evolve like the Roshan they encountered at the Sixth Street last time. It was apparently common to see these evolved zombies in the downtown area, so most survival camps were built in rural areas. He opened the manhole and directed his flashlight inside. After confirming that it was safe, he jumped down without hesitation. It was quite scary to walk down here alone, but since the biggest threat was eliminated and it wasnt his first time traversing the tunnels, Jiang Chen acted courageously. Slowly, he progressed towards Sixth Street with his assault rifle in hand. When he passed by the cannibal tribes location again, an uncontrollable expression of disgust flashed across his face. Thankfully, the cave was cleansed by fire, and no traces remained. It was important to do so because the smell of dead bodies attracted mutated rats. If there were only one or two of them, hed be okay, but if he encountered a group of them... Nevertheless, it was safe along the way, but he did feel bored at times. Reaching his destination, Jiang Chen pushed open the manhole, feeling the first ray of sunshine in five hours. He took a deep breath of fresh air. He marked a safe symbol on the full-sensory computer pen before he put it away again. The sewer system was a relatively fast way to move between places in the wasteland, but the complex tunnels made it extremely dangerous as well. It was impossible to tell what was hidden in the shadows, whether it was a nest of Death Claws or a cave of cannibals. Jiang Chen tried to take the route he had used last time, and whenever he reached unexplored areas, he tensed up at full alert. Leaving the sewer, Jiang Chen cautiously pulled up his gun. He didn''t know if the Hui Zhong Mercenaries were still looking for him. He would only be safe from them after entering the door. He made a beeline towards the Sixth Street. The procedure was no different from last time. Soldiers in black combat suits approached Jiang Chen and signaled for him to display his identification on his EP. After confirming that he had no criminal records, they immediately allowed him to pass. It was the same desolate ghetto from last time with the weary refugees. Jiang Chen didn''t buy labor right away since he now knew the rules of slave tradingall the people sold were either criminals or individuals who lost ability to work. Jiang Chen didn''t want either type. Instead, he was looking for harmless individuals with a clean record and in large numbers as well. Therefore, he had to acquire them through other means. Jiang Chen didn''t choose to go to the market this time. He first rented a storage near the industrial area and left all the canned food and compressed crackers there. After, he directly entered the inner circle examination station. Since it was a bulk quantity trade, it was necessary to find someone who could afford it. Other than the workforce, Jiang Chen also intended to purchase something that was not normally sold on the market. 34 The Inner Circle Chapter 34: The Inner Circle Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi "Please display your ID, sir" It was the same routine check. Below the towering concrete wall was a reinforced metal gate. The inner circle was substantially more reinforced than the outer zone. Jiang Chen was fortunate enough to witness the greatness of the city from within. After he had paid a crystal for his trouble, he left all his weapons in the storage by the gate. The guard at the examination station allowed him to pass. In front of the gate was a spider tank with a triangular shaped cannon. The limbs of the vehicle attached to tracks cast a fictional vibe. The occasional patrol team passed by was also equipped with the most advanced work of the century; black carbon nano armor suits and fluid looking rifles. Sun Jiao mentioned that the inner circle''s soldiers were the Sixth Street core power. Most were private soldiers who belonged to the rulers of the Sixth Street "Group of Ten Council." Despite their advanced equipment, the soldiers that were a part of the outer circle were part of the Sixth Street''s public assets. Hence the nature between the two was entirely different. The shocked Jiang Chen considered acquiring some of their equipment as he approached his destination. Along the way, Jiang Chen also saw some pedestrians. Only a unique group of people lived in the inner circle of the Sixth Street; those included specialized technologists, wealthy mercenary leaders, and investors who purchased assets within the area. It was known as the land of the wealthy. It is also worth mentioning that the mercenaries stationed in the Sixth Street acted differently compared to the wandering half-mercenary half-bandits on the wasteland. The majority of them defended the Sixth Street along with the soldiers in exchange for commissions. They would also occasionally be sent to complete missions outside, or protect trade routes. The mercenaries registered at the Sixth Street were trustworthy as they all paid a fee as a guarantee for their services. When they no longer acted in the intention for their employer, not only does the guarantor inside the inner circle receive imprisonment, the Sixth Street would send out military power to eliminate the rebellious forces. [Heaven Island Hotel, your comfortable home.] Jiang Chen walked into a hotel that resembled a pre-war luxurious mansion. Since he was there for business, he must also show the correct gestures. Jiang Chen paid for a five-day stay without a blink of an eye. The total bill came out to be 50 crystals. The hotel owner immediately demonstrated the attitude similar to worshipping God as he respectfully escorted him to his room. Only the wealthy and the influential could afford a hotel like this; the hotel owner would do anything to please them. The high price of the hotel meant that people rarely stayed there. Only renowned merchants or millionaires from other survivor camps, or even from outside of Wanghai City would stay there. According to Sun Jiao, anyone who lived here would attract the attention of the public. Jiang Chen wanted that attention. How would he do business without it? He was not afraid of the troubles that would ensue. The neutrality of the Sixth Street continued for more than ten years. Their development was not the product of short-sighted growth strategies. Just this point alone was worth the recognition of the Sixth Street''s policy. Ten capitalists formed the "Group of Ten Council" who implemented the freedom of trade policy within the walls. The balance of power allowed the strict enforcement of the policy to be enacted. No one wanted to be the first to break the rule of the game. It would not be okay to kill your business partner and ruin the deal for your neighbor. However, privacy was less of an issue. As to what Jiang Chen expected, the moment he stepped into the room, the hotel manager reported this wealthy customer to his boss. Jiang Chen''s information was presented in front of someone. "Fishbone Food Corporation? Jiang Chen? Very compelling." A middle-aged man with a bowl cut leaned against the office chair. Under his thick eyebrows was a pair of hawk-sharp eyes. "Do you want to get in contact with him, boss?" The assistant in uniform pushed up her glasses. As Zhao Chenwu''s assistant, she was not only critical to his work, she also acted at his bodyguard and occasionally helped to alleviate his needs at times of desire. Zhao Chenwu, Group of Ten Council Member. He controlled 13% of the military strength within the inner circle. He was the owner of two firearm factories, one pharmaceutical company, along with an array of fixed assets in the inner circle. He was also known as the president of the Sixth Street''s renowned Zhao Corporation. "There is no rush, let''s look at the situation more closely." A grin appeared on Zhao Chenwu''s face. He was uncertain about the intention of this young man. Food Corporation? Where can you even find a piece of arable land on the wasteland? Even if it were through soilless culture, the vegetable produced would be in odd shapes due to the radiation, and it could even be poisonous. The soil culture also existed at the Sixth Street, but most of the produce were not edible. The taste of the remainder produce was not fresh either. With exaggeration, if you planted a watermelon, it could grow into a bean for you. There was no doubt that the technology existed outside of Wanghai City where it was possible to grow to produce on the wasteland. The rarity along with the high cost resulted in the limitedness of the technology. Could it be a simulated ecosystem? He also heard about the technology before. Although the advancement of technology was far superior before the war, everyone''s current focus on innovation was extremely skewed. As the controlling shareholder of the Heaven Island hotel, he encountered many representatives at the Sixth Street before. It was his first time hearing about the existence of a food corporation. There was never a shortage of mutant beef. Just ordinary people couldn''t afford it. Zhao Chenwu shook his head and placed this report away. He looked at the clock and felt a sense of hunger. He asked his assistant, "Is lunch ready?" "Yes, my boss. Do I need to confirm that today''s lunch is curry chicken?" The assistant said in a professional tone. After she had received Zhao Chenwu''s acknowledgment, she left the room. She then came back momentarily with a plate of steamy curry chicken. The unique aroma of curry chicken made Zhao Chenwu''s saliva form at a rapid rate. Without any consideration for his composure, he devoured the meal. The assistant also swallowed as she saw how much her boss was enjoying the meal. She knew better that there was none for her. The total cost of the curry chicken was 20 crystals, which was equivalent to two night of stay at the hotel. The price was not even the problem; it was the fact that you couldn''t buy it with money. The outer circle''s exchange office purchased 20 cans weeks ago. They sold each can with a price of 60 crystals to the influential individuals in the inner circle. Zhao Chenwu used his position as the Group of Ten Council member to get his hands on one of them. The good thing was that the office didn''t auction the canned food or the price would be significantly higher. He divided this one can into three separate servings to enjoy. Zhao Chenwu investigated the whereabouts of the person who sold the cans. He heard that as soon as they left the gate, the Hui Zhong mercenaries went after them. No one knew if they were still dead or alive. When Zhao Chenwu heard this information, he was so angry that he almost broke the table and cursed the generations of Hui Zhong Mercenaries. He almost sent out his private forces to teach those fools a lesson. However, he resisted the temptation due to his position of power as the mercenaries didn''t break any rules within the Sixth Street. If he did anything, he would have broken the rule of the game. The last piece of the precious curry chicken went into his stomach as he savored the taste. He shook head as he threw the fantasy about curry chicken into the back of his mind. Although he was curious about the taste of sauteed beef his friend Sir Ding bought, he must have finished already as well. He had a business to run after all. The food was only a small part of his life. He took over a stack of documents and began reading the operation status of his company. At the same time, he glanced at the information relating to the hotel guest; he felt a sudden familiarity with the name. [Hmm, why is the name Jiang Chen so familiar? Where did I see it before?] If Jiang Chen knew that the canned food he sold to the exchange office was split into three servings by the big bosses within the inner circle, he would be hysterical. Right now, Jiang Chen was pleasantly enjoying his stay. He was the only one in the entire mansion. Despite the suppressed feeling cast by the radiation cloud and ray of mutated sunshine, which made it difficult for him to enjoy the holiday, he was quite satisfied by the facilities within the mansion. Such as the relaxation chamber. When Jiang Chen lied inside, it felt as if his entire body was covered in jelly. The view was not as beautiful as the Sheraton in Sanya, but the technology sure made up for it. [Why do we need nature when we have technology.] Jiang Chen who stepped out of the relaxation chamber felt every pore on his body was exfoliated. The cleanliness was substantially higher compared to taking a shower. It even removed dust at the micro level. [Should I bring one back?] Jiang Chen touched his chin as he thought about this question. He absolutely loved this. He casually grabbed a bathrobe to cover himself and ran to other amenities to enjoy them. The ping pong robot was designed for wealthy people who had no opportunity to exercise. He abandoned his racquet the second he realized he couldn''t beat the robot. He was interested in the full-sensory movie theater. The 7 Dimensional movie, that theaters praised in the modern world, was nothing compared to this. He put on the helmet and strapped himself into the soft chair. The surreal feeling made it feel as if it was the reality. He was shocked to find out that he was standing in the middle of New York. Jiang Chen felt the breeze lightly caress across his face as he watched a battle between cops and thugs. He could even experience everything through the protagonist''s view. It was as if he was fighting himself. He could feel the screeching bullet and experience the pain himself. He just couldn''t control the protagonist''s movement. The thrilled Jiang Chen left the theater and returned to his room. 35 Fishbone Food Corporation Chapter 35: Fishbone Food Corporation Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Jiang Chen''s mood was hardly pleasant. It was because he had just f*cked a sex doll. He was curious as to why the feeling was off. It was the silicone after all that made Jiang Chen conflicted about the idea. He initially thought the number 410 was just a setting and the private service was due to the hotel''s high-quality maids. However, he soon realized that the girl was a robot! He came to that conclusion after using all of his techniques, and the "girl" still did not show any signs of pleasure. That would be a short but funny story from the trip. Jiang Chen didnt think too about the sex toy because he didnt have the same urges as before. In his view, some of the intimacy is more joyful when there are two people. God knows what the Heaven Island Hotels manager would think after he learned Jiang Chens thought process. This robot was the result of centuries of innovation. Perfectly designed ergonomic with every detail to match. No human would look that flawless. Pregnancy or STD would not be a concern at all as a rinse of the internal parts would allow for repeated usage. If the manager knew his peculiar thought process, he would have just gone to the ghetto and found him a prostitute there. The culture divide meant that they wouldnt understand each other. Jiang Chen preferred the realistic emotions carried by an actual person. He left the robot to the side. The occasional shoulder rub was quite relaxing. He gratefully rejected the meal service offered by the hotel as he cheerfully lied on the magnetically levitating chair. He ordered the mechanical beauty to pick up a fruit slice from the can and feed it to him. [What a lavish life!] An entire day passed, still, no one visited him. This made Jiang Chen uncertain about his plans. [This is odd, do I need to be more proactive?] He raised his eyebrows as questions floated through his mind. He was not familiar with the place so he had no clue who the point of contact would be. Since the hotel registered him as a food corporation representative, in theory, anyone interested would contact him. Jiang Chen didnt believe the hotel manager would keep this a secret, and he was uncertain how many people would have access to the information. Jiang Chen over dramatized the severity of the situation because a merchant who smelt the opportunity for crystals was rushing there. It was the merchant that had to divide the can into three servings C Zhao Chenwu. "Please come in." When he heard the doorbell, he answered the door as the voice activated system automatically unlocked the door. When he saw the visitor, he didnt act surprised. He slowly and respectably stood up and asked the visitor to sit. Zhao Chenwu spotted the fruit can on the table and swallowed his saliva, but his facial expression remained calm. Although he had a passion for food, he was a man of influence, so he kept his composure. At this position of power, it was easy to disguise his desire. The assistant behind him only glanced at the can on the table once, and her expression also remained the same. Jiang Chen who was observing the situation became ecstatic. Disguise would mean that there was a problem. The more you pretend you dont care, the more you demonstrate your interest. The value of food was without a doubt extremely high. A careless expression would only suggest the disguise behind the intention. If Zhao Chenwu were pretending, that would mean that he was here to negotiate. Jiang Chens plan was to find a business partner. It would be up to this negotiation to see if there would be a deal. "Hello, Mr. Jiang. My name is Zhao Chenwu; this is my assistant Su Lei." Zhao Chenwu cut straight to the point and introduced himself. When she heard the boss introduce her, she respectably acknowledged. "Hmm? You guys clearly have done your homework." Jiang Chen gave Zhao Chenwu a thought-provoking look. The middle-aged man didnt display any awkward emotion as if the provoking action didnt bother him at all. "Mr. Jiangs detailed information means that you also want people to find you." A smile suddenly appeared on Zhao Chenwus face. Indeed, it was not required to input the customers information at the time of check in. A name and genetic ID would be enough. But Jiang Chen forcefully added the "Fishbone Food Corporation Representative" along with his name. His intention was quite clear. "Haha, lets not talk about this anymore. Since we have an important visitor here, I cant be too cheap as the host." Jiang Chen gave the mechanical beauty some orders as the robot directly entered the room. Zhao Chenwu puzzled examined Jiang Chen and his intention. Jiang Chen was doing the same thing. Momentarily, the mechanical beauty walked in with two pieces of fresh, watery orange slices. She directly placed the plate in front of the confused Zhao Chenwu. "Fruit can, a specialty of our company. I already opened the one on the counter so it would be rude of me to serve you guys with it. I just asked my temporary maid to open two more cans. My passion for oranges meant that I only brought oranges with me on this trip. I hope the two of you will not be offended." With a grin on his face, Jiang Chen gestured Zhao Chenwu to try. [Why would I be offended? This is just showing off.] Zhao Chenwu cursed in his mind. The fresh-looking orange slices were only available a few years after the war. The supermarket had some yet to be raided, but the supplies were all gone within two years. It has been ten years since he had an orange this delicious. He chewed on the soft orange as his edged and rough face showed a sign of excitement. However, he immediately turned into his usual collected expression when he met Jiang Chens smile. To greet the guest with luxury like this, especially including the assistant as well, demonstrated not only his good faith but also the amount of wealth he had. Zhao Chenwu thoughtfully looked at Su Lei who still acted calm, but her mouth was chewing non-stop. He pushed the toothpick inside a slice of orange and didnt continue to eat. There would be plenty of time to taste the delicacy after the business was done. "Does it taste good?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile. He also picked up a slice of orange and put in his mouth. "Its delicious. To be honest, even though the Sixth Street can produce some fruits, the production is limited. Due to the radiation, it is difficult to maintain the quality of the fruit, which means only some are edible. The rest could only be extracted for nutrient purposes." These were not secrets at all as anyone on the street would know. Zhao Chenwu did not hide any information. Instead, he was straight forward and acted as honestly as possible. "I have heard about this before. Therefore I see opportunities." Jiang Chen nodded. "The canned food at the exchange office must be Mr. Jiang''s move." Zhao Chenwu said without any fluctuation in his emotion. "You are correct. I sold it at a price of 50 crystals per can. I heard that the price was raised to 60?" "In that case, since Mr. Jiang showed up in the inner circle and not the exchange office, you must be preparing for a big deal." Zhao Chenwus face displayed a burning passion. "Indeed, I believe my products would sell very well in the Sixth Street." The opportunity finally came. A glimpse of confidence flashed across Jiang Chens face, as the person who brought up the question was important in any negotiation, for the one that took the initiative would not be at an advantage. Zhao Chenwu couldnt contain his excitement that he was no longer calm.. The canned food would sell out the moment it enters the market. As a capitalist himself, Zhao Chenwu would not let the profit in front of him escape. "Do I have the pleasure of becoming your business partner?" A thought provoking smile appeared on Zhao Chenwus face. "Of course, if Mr. Zhao has enough influence," Jiang Chen responded with a vague answer. "It looks like Mr. Jiang didnt investigate about me." Zhao Chenwu smiled. "Any individual or force can become our business partner granted they meet all the requirements. Investigating every individual within the inner circle would be inefficient. I know that as long as I show up here, people with business insight into business will find me. It is only a matter of time," Jiang Chen shook his head and said calmly. However, Zhao Chenwu recognized the other relevant information within Jiang Chens words. "Are you talking about the trade? Wait, you can provide stable supply?" Zhao Chenwu pressed his hands against the table and stood up immediately. He stared at Jiang Chen with disbelief. [It would be impossible in Wanghai City. It must be an organization outside of Wanghai. Simulated ecosystem facility? Regardless of what it is, I must make the deal.] "Mr. Zhao, you are acting overzealously," Although he was ecstatic in his mind, he remained collected and said it without any emotion. "I apologize for my manner. Allow me to introduce myself again." Zhao Chenwu realized his actions were overeager. He fixed up his clothes and extended his right hand. "Member of the Group of Ten Council, president of the Zhao Corporation, Zhao Chenwu. On behalf of the Zhao Corporation, I extend my warm welcome to your companys presence regarding potential deals at the Sixth Street." [Oh my, part of the Group of Ten Council!] Jiang Chen hid his surprise. These are the conglomerate that controlled all the capital within the neutral Sixth Street. Since they are part of the forces in the Sixth Street, safety would not be a concern either. The absolute neutrality is a law that was strictly enforced for more than 20 years. He stood up and shook Zhao Chenwus hand to express his gratitude. "Im Jiang Chen. A representative who is responsible for the negotiation of the deal. On behalf of the Fishbone Food Corporation, I express my gratitude to the Zhao Corporation at the Sixth Street. Lets put the gestures aside and talk about the details of the business." "Haha, Mr. Jiang is a straightforward person. This was what I expected." Joyous by the suggestion, Zhao Chenwu happily accepted. He originally thought Jiang Chen was a flipper merchant, common to the wasteland, with some unique products. Even if he brought him considerable profit in one trade, it would not be long term as flipper merchants wandered across the wasteland without a home. However, Jiang Chens proposition was a long-term trade agreement which offered a significantly different meaning. A stable trade route, with an external survivor camp with the product being luxury canned food, Zhao Chenwu was thankful that he took the initiative first. If he let this money printing machine escape from in front of him, he would be the laughing stock of the entire inner circle merchants. 36 Trade Route Chapter 36: Trade Route Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi It is extremely challenging to conduct trade on the wasteland. The endless amount of bandits along with the unsuspecting mutants made the establishment of a proper trade route between survivor camps almost impossible. Only camps in close proximities could establish stable trade routes. Some famous trade routes include the one established between Liuding Town and the Beer Can Company. Both parties even sent out some of its forces to create supplying stations along the way to reinforce firepower. These supplying stations would often assign a strike force to provide protection to the merchants along the trade route. The development of these trade routes are the symptoms of the difference between production capability and technology level among survival camps. The tale that Liuding Town is a aircraft carrier is something unheard of. The aircraft carrier was previously known as Bohai which broke down in the harbor after the nuclear explosion. Due to various reasons, it was abandoned after the war and was only utilized by the survivors after the apocalypse. They modified the carrier with "illegal" upgrades which made the vessel not even close to resembling a ship. It would be more fitting to call it a platform. The absolute safety of the ship allowed it to become the haven primarily for the entertainment industry and secondarily for the high-tech industry. Dont be mistaken. The Beer Bottle Company also did not produce beer bottles, it is a survival base focused on heavy industrial production. The base is located at the Wanghai Citys rural port near the heavy industrial park. Not only is this place capable of producing the missiles used in the electromagnetic cannon onboard, but it also has the capacity to manufacture high-tech guided missiles. The capacity is however limited, with most of the raw materials collected from waste. Of course, all this information is outside of the context. "To open the new market at Wanghai City, I plan to establish a supply station here. In fact, I am planning this already. We are currently extremely lacking in the force and equipment necessary. The corporate headquarter provided me with the order to gather all help onsite. We are going to invest all first-year profit into the construction of the supply station. Population, equipment, firearms are three points we need to discuss. Also another point, I dont want criminals without a guarantee in their personality. ["Supply station?" Why dont you establish it in the Sixth Street? We can provide the best security for your business.] Zhao Chenwu slightly raised his eyebrows as he asked the question in his mind. "Despite the Sixth Streets respectable reputation in Wanghai City, in our perspective, you are still unknown and unfamiliar. This is the strategy established by the corporation. I can only follow within the boundaries set." Jiang Chen continued to make up an elaborate story as he directed everything to the nonexistent company outside of Wanghai City. Regardless, the explanation was convenient and convincing at the same time. Zhao Chenwu thought momentarily before he opened his mouth. "The workforce is not a problem. In general, the labor force in the ghetto remains excessive even to this day. Although on paper it is prohibited to sell non-criminals..." a mischievous smile flashed across Zhao Chenwus face, "...if there are not a lot of people, I can create some accidents and make them part of the tradeable population." Rules are set by people. Therefore there are always ways to exploit within the rules as long it is within reason. Jiang Chen nodded. "Not a lot, I think 30 should suffice." 30 people compared with a population over ten thousand is like a drop of water in the vast ocean. No one would use 30 people as an excuse to attack him, Zhao Chenwu immediately agreed to the proposition. "As to the necessary equipment. I included everything on this list." Jiang Chen smiled as he took out an electronic card and gently put it on the table. These graphene produced cards could store up to 12 gigabytes of full-sensory information. It could be charged directly under the sun which made it incredibly easy to use. The Sixth Street market sold it for a low price. Zhao Chenwu accepted the card. He didnt seem bothered as he clicked the start button on the left side. A list appeared in front of his eyes. "Anti-corrosive Concrete Mixer, Nanotube Generator, Graphene Cutting Bed. These should be okay. There are some stored within the Sixth Street storage. I''ll just use Zhao Corporation''s name to purchase it. However, the Firearm Production Line and the Nanochip Production Bed." A puzzled look appeared on Zhao Chenwu''s face. "These type of goods are difficult to obtain. Firearm-related production is strictly prohibited to be sold at any survival base. The Nanochip Production Bed is not only massive and difficult to transport, even if you purchased it, without some technical background, nothing would be manufactured from the machine." Zhao Chenwu didn''t lie. The Nanochip has a comprehensive application, especially in the production of full-sensory equipment which will be critical to entering the full-sensory computer market. However, to produce the Nanochip, a series of accompanying production lines were necessary. The nano-sized silicon board must be cut by a high precesion machine. Jiang Chen touched his chin as he thought for a moment. [It looks like there''s no need to rush, it is probably better to do it one step at a time.] Jiang Chen who made up his mind didn''t insist on pursuing his conditions. "It is fine to exclude the Firearm Production Line and the Nanochip Production Bed. Though, due to the need for security at the supply station, I don''t know if Mr. Zhao is interested in the firearm business." There was no way he was not interested. Zhao Chenwu promised that he could find any Sixth Street approved equipment for Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen expressed his gratitude. Since both parties managed to come to an agreement in the trade, they entered the discussion phase in regards to the details of the deal. After a careful deliberation, the details of the agreement were finalized. The female assistant named Su Lei professionally produced the electronic agreement and handed Jiang Chen and her boss a copy each. After Jiang Chen had examined the items were consistent in the deliberation, he pressed his thumb onto the contract. Zhao Chenwu was confident in his assistants ability as he only scanned the document for a few seconds before stamping it with his fingerprint. When two genetic ID appeared on the electronic contract, it symbolled the enactment of the contract. It was rather symbolic because business ethics were not enforced within the apocalypse. The key to honoring the agreement was profit for both parties. The fruit cans were priced at 30 crystals, the meats varied between 10-20 crystals based on its composition, and the crackers sold at 1 crystal per piece. The price of the goods was not higher only because Jiang Chen was planning to sell in bulk quantities. An item was valued in proportion to its rarity. When Jiang Chen sold the 20 cans, the high price of 50 crystals was well justified. However, since a stable trade agreement was signed, there would be a continuous supply of the canned food. Hence, such high price would not be seen anymore. The price was certainly not cheap, the hefty price tag was still five times the cost of mutant beef. He would also have to adjust the sale price if he sold through retail. If the price were higher, even the rich would not be able to afford it. The different types of equipment Jiang Chen needed had a different cost. The Anti-Corrosive Concrete Mixer only costed 300 crystals, whereas the Graphene Cutting Bed had a price of 11,000 crystals, which was the price after a small discount from the market price. The Sixth Streets mass produced Destroyer Rifle was sold at 20 crystals each. The efficient assault was part of NATOs standard weaponry. It used the same 7.62mm bullet as the PK200 Jiang Chen used. The gun was weaker overall but made up it in the stability category which meant it has an advantage in man-to-man combat. Jiang Chen bought 40 of them, along with some heat sensor grenades and EMP grenades. The price offered by Zhao Chenwu made Jiang Chen quite pleased as everything was discounted by 10%. The gesture was to compensate for Jiang Chens reduced price on the food cans. Although titled as compensation, Zhao Chenwu didnt know that the goods Jiang Chen traded had a cost of less than 1 crystal. All of the goods were exchanged in the storage space Jiang Chen rented previously. As to how Jiang Chen moved the canned food in, Zhao Chenwu was also surprised as he did not receive any reports related to large quantities of canned food appearing in the inner circle. Despite not having to pay taxes before trading for goods, documentation was still necessary. Cautioned by Jiang Chens power, Zhao Chenwu didnt say anything. Since both of them had no conflict of interest, a strong partner would only be beneficial to him. The ability to transport goods on the mutant-creature-filled wasteland was a feat on its own. They must have special transportation technology. Zhao Chenwu would never guess in his life that Jiang Chen brought the food back from a parallel world. Despite the good being exchanged at the Sixth Street, Jiang Chen didnt want to make a trip down every single time. He would have no time to do anything else except to trade goods. Jiang Chen didnt have any concerns as he drew a line on the full-sensory map. It was the safe underground sewer map he explored. The usage of the underground sewer system as a mean to trade goods was common in the apocalypse. This worlds Wanghai City had a robust drainage system that made the tunnel wide enough to pass a car. It would only take some modifications along the way with some of the alley passes blocked to build a golden highway for trading. The only drawback was that the tunnels were not entirely compatible with the ground routes, therefore not every survival base had the privilege of using this kind of trade route. Zhao Chenwu was ecstatic when he heard that an underground sewer tunnel connected with Jiang Chens base. He gladly took on the deed to modify this route. Jiang Chen didnt want to owe a favor, and since the intention of trade was to benefit both parties, Jiang Chen also provided 1,000 crystals to fund the project. Modification work was not complicated. A few pieces of high-density polyethylene and aluminum compound boards would seal all alleys in the tunnel. This type of material was not only light but also durable. Even vicious mutant creatures like the Death Claw could not destroy it. Both parties controlled the entrance of the tunnel. Zhao Chenwu sent out his force to secure the tunnel at the Sixth Street side whereas Jiang Chen was responsible for establishing a station on his side. This ensured the safety and security of the route. The exits were entirely blocked to prevent any bandits from entering the tunnel. In the future, the traded goods would be exchanged near Jiang Chens end of the tunnel. The original plan stated that, at the beginning of the month, a trade would take place. Jiang Chen was responsible for providing 1,000 meat cans and 10,000 pieces of compressed crackers along with an ordered list. Zhao Chenwu would bring goods based on the list and offer a 10% discount from the marketplace. Jiang Chen also promised that as long as Zhao Chenwu acted within the conditions of the deal, he would only conduct food business with him at the Sixth Street. Additionally, because Zhao Chenwu has underground transportation vehicles with a strong protective force. It was natural for him to take care of the shipping. As to if Jiang Chen should worry about Zhao Chenwus possible ill intention with his private force? The idea was that no one foolish enough would be able to rise to a position of power to where Zhao Chenwu was now. No one would kill the cash cow. Especially since Jiang Chen was only a supply station, the actual production facility may not even be in this province. He didnt have the capacity to explore through the entire wasteland. The closer to the city center, the more dangerous the zombies were. The further away, the mutant creatures ruled the land. He wouldnt risk the possibility of being impeached by the Sixth Street to gamble on known profits with unknown possibilities. Only addicts gamble. He was afraid that bandits would target Jiang Chens base and even suggested defense treaties, but Jiang Chen graciously refused. It was unfeasible because even if his safety were guaranteed, there would always be a set of eyes watching him. It would be impossible to "import" goods. If he magically created goods, it would without a doubt cause suspicion. After the completion of the trade, Jiang Chen not only acquired all the necessary products and equipment, he had 210 crystal left over. Zhao Chenwu without hesitation ensured Jiang Chen he would deliver everything to his door. Jiang Chen didnt refuse the proposition. The storage dimensions size was limited. Since the production equipment was large, it would be unsafe to travel through the underground tunnel multiple times. The negotiation was successful. After he had managed to sign a big deal like this, Zhao Chenwu was ecstatic. He extended an invitation to Jiang Chen to visit the Sixth Streets industrial area and his properties inside. Jiang Chen gladly accepted the invitation as he came along with his personal ride. The ambitious leader that possessed one-tenth of the Sixth Street. How much power does he possess here? Jiang Chen was curious to find out. Since his partner wanted to show off his power, Jiang Chen had no reason to refuse. 37 Industrial Area Chapter 37: Industrial Area Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi This is my firearm factory. Several hundred workers are working for me, and they send these small metal pieces to the good or the bad guys. Lets not go inside. The temperature is unbearable. The sentence sounded a bit conflicting. Zhao Chenwu pointed at the in production firearm factory as he proudly explained to Jiang Chen. His gesture was no different than the modern world land developers. This is also my factory, but this place specializes in complex equipment such as stationary cannons. Those things mounted on the inner circle wall are produced mostly from my factory." They walked in front of a much smaller building compared to the previous one. Zhao Chenwu pointed at the place as he lit a cigarette. Apocalypse was no stranger to the cigarette. Alcohol could not be mass produced due to the shortage of food, so cigarettes became the choice of substance to alleviate pressure. The tobacco here had a pungent smell, and not everyone smoked it. The radiation brought uncontrollable mutation to all organisms on this planet, but not all mutations were harmful. This tobacco for example, like any other mutated plants in the apocalypse, was well adapted to the soil condition on the wasteland. It could be grown without highly specialized techniques, which is one of the reasons why cigarettes were relatively cheap in the apocalypse. A lot of survivors would grow a few in front of their homes due to its recreational and medical value. Jiang Chen naturally was not accustomed to the pungent taste. Zhao Chenwu laughed at the fact. Then, he signaled to him to not worry about it, and that he could throw it away if he didnt like it. However, it was relative. When Zhao Chenwu took Jiang Chens Zhonghua (a top end cigarette), he felt the taste was too light to entertain himself. Oh? I am also interested in these automatic weapons, would Mr. Zhao be willing to sell me a few? Jiang Chen saw a worker in a white uniform adjusting the half man-sized big machine with his tablet. The cannon rotated 360 degrees, aimed at the target inside the room, and unleashed its firepower. Haha, of course, thats not a problem. However, these dont get produced very quickly. Added by the fact that the Sixth Street is currently upgrading the northern inspection stations equipment, it would be at least two months before it can be produced. Mr. Jiang would have to wait. No problem. Jiang Chen smiled without being too bothered. The two of them walked side by side in the highly advanced factory. The female assistant Su Lei following behind them, as she carried Zhao Chenwus suitcase. The workers along the way saluted as they passed by which made him feel like a person of importance doing the tour. Honestly speaking, as he took a trip to the factory, Jiang Chen became increasingly shocked by what he saw. There were magnetic hovering drones the size of a Frisbee, and half-built two meters high power armors. Just like Zhao Chenwu said, the production rate of the equipment was extremely limiting. This was because military factories and related facilities were first target choices during the war. To obtain a civil production line was relatively easy, but to acquire a complete military production line were nearly impossible. Including the power armor that was being produced, the majority of the equipment were being built by hand. Jiang Chen saw a worker use a tool similar to hammer to form the shape of the armor at high temperatures, and another worker carefully installed the microelectronic chips inside the armor. Perhaps all these production steps were done by high precision automatic production lines before the war, but in the apocalypse, a lot of things must be done by hand. Of course, the missing production processes were for more complicated equipment. The production line for bullets was relatively easy to acquire. Despite limitations, the survivors still possessed a tremendous amount of firepower. Regardless how hard the zombies head are, a single bullet would solve the problem. Even for the Death Claw, who could rip through the power armors outer protection layer, tanks still existed as its natural predator. A question was apparent. With all these powerful equipment, the human still cant conquer the bloodthirsty mutants and zombies? He thought about this point and was silent. He was curious as to what existed in the city center. Part of this equipment will become my private force, and part of it will be sold to the Sixth Street military or other interested buyers. However, the power armor is usually not permitted to be sold. The spider tank and other heavy equipment are also prohibited. With the exception that the Sixth Street Council approves the military purchase through voting, my factory would then began to produce the complicated equipment. Zhao Chenwu did not seem to notice Jiang Chen as he rambled on. The words were meant as precautionary measures as it would be difficult if Jiang Chen wanted to buy a power armor. Hmm? So Mr. Zhao is considered a firearm merchant then? Jiang Chen got rid of all the questions in his head and smiled. Somewhat. I still have a pharmaceutical factory, and I also operate some fixed assets within the inner circle. If Mr. Jiang is interested in buying a house in the inner circle, I would be of great help, Zhao Chenwu inhaled the cigarette as he said with a welcoming smile. He then grabbed a bracelet shaped like an armguard and gave it to Jiang Chen. Mr. Jiang is often out venturing, this nitrogen armor will be my gift to you. Appreciate the gift. Jiang Chen didnt reject the offer. He wore the bracelet on his arm before he looked at Zhao Chenwu, eyes full of questions. How do you use this? Zhao Chenwu signaled to the soldier that tested the equipment by the side. The soldier saluted and jogged to the middle of the separation chamber. The soldier deployed the nitrogen armor in his hand as the dense gas surrounded him in thick turbulent waves. The bracelet in the middle spread the dense gas into a semi-hemisphere shape. At that moment, a heavy machine gun appeared in front of the soldier as the pitch black barrel spat out waves of bullets. The excellent sound insulation of the separation chamber made it impossible to hear any noises inside. Jiang Chen was surprised to discover that the moment the shots came in contact with the nitrogen layer, the bullets all bounced off. The soldier standing behind the shield still remained in a half standing position and looked like he didnt even receive the impact of the bullets. Holy! This is a protective barrier. Using the atomic vortex effect that forces the nitrogen to create a high-pressure circulation around a center point Haha, the scientists can go figure the theory part out, I only care about the end result. Is Mr. Jiang satisfied with this? Zhao Chenwu waved his hand to signal the end of the experiment as the machine gun disappeared. Satisfied, extremely satisfied. Is there any limitation with this equipment. Jiang Chen fidgeted with the bracelet before putting it on. Not really, except the power consumption is quite high. The vortex equipment in the middle may overheat. One crystal is enough to initiate this equipment for one minute. The equipment will overheat with ten seconds of usage. After a period of usage, the used crystal would be higher than the cost to produce it. Also, it is not effective against laser and particle weapons, but it is quite exceptional against bullet weapons. Zhao Chenwu let out a smoke ring as he explained. I didnt imagine Mr. Zhaos factory has the capability to develop weapons, Jiang Chen exclaimed. Haha, of course, but this thing doesnt sell that well as not a lot of people can afford it. However, my scientists have been working to integrate this device onto the power armor to see if it can be useful as a part of it. Lets not talk about this anymore, the scientists can take care of these headaches. Haha, like what I said before, I only care about the end result. After they had left the factory, Zhao Chenwu took Jiang Chen to the pharmaceutical plant for a tour. Except the plant was rather small, so there was not much to be seen. Apparently, the genetic vaccine produced from this place accounted for 30% of the Sixth Streets market share. Some other vaccines were also among the popular choices on the wasteland, such as steroids and blood makers. After a tour of everything, the two returned to the front door of the ghetto. It was the same labor market manager called Wang Yi. The moment the bold and fat guy saw Zhao Chenwu, he dashed out and saluted in the most exaggerated fashion. His look was comical but not annoying. The fat man had his ways as he managed to live comfortably in the apocalypse by flattering and kissing a*s, not many could manage to pull it off. Zhao Chenwu didnt waste a single word as he glanced at his personal assistant Su Lei before continuing to bloat with Jiang Chen. Su Lei took out a piece of paper and handed it with professionalism to Wang Yi. Wang Yi carefully took that piece of document and promised that he would take care of it. He ran back into this office and took out a stack of paper. Choose whoever you want, these are all excessive labor without work. You dont need to worry about the possibility of stealing other factorys worker. Zhao Chenwu waved his hand as Su Lei gave the stack of documents to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen had made the agreement of 30 people with Zhao Chenwu already, and he promised to pay 20 crystal per person. It was included in the price of the goods they already exchanged. The official price for the criminal was one crystal, the other 19 was based on the cost of Jiang Chens demand to install the latest insurance system. Zhao Chenwu didnt make a single crystal in this deal as he sold it at cost to Jiang Chen. Compared to the potential profit of the trade agreement, he didnt care about the small gains and losses. The latest insurance system was far more exceptional compared to the electronic bracelet. It used nanosurgery to install microchips at the neck of the criminals. If anyone betrayed or resisted, Jiang Chen could immediately activate the destruction program in the chip, and the betrayers head would fly off like a soccer ball. Although cruel, Jiang Chen was not ready to risk his own life for the sympathy of irrelevant people. At the same time, the chip was equipped with a lie detector, GPS tracking, visual sensor, and neural shut off system. The criminals would have no privacy nor the ability to betray. It was far more advanced than the electronic collars. Though of course, it came at a hefty price too. However, Jiang Chen was an understanding guy. As long as they have no ill intentions, he didnt mind letting them enjoy a much more comfortable life. Haha, let me know if you see anyone you like, they will be deported because they possess terminal illness. Zhao Chenwu only needed to open his mouth before he decided the fate of this group of people. The feeling of power was an excellent feeling. Jiang Chen had the pile of resumes in his hand as he flipped through everything. The resumes lacked bullsh*t compared to the modern day ones and explicitly stated the persons worth. A special examination, using an artificial intelligences testing system, was done to objectively determine a persons abilities. For example, if one possesses computer knowledge, the artificial intelligence would divide the knowledge of equipment into five levels. Construction major, or mechanical major. In the Sixth Street with an excessive workforce, without an exceptional skill, it would be impossible to find a job. At the firearm factory that Zhao Chenwu didnt even want to step in, everyone was a mechanical scientist on the production line. But to Jiang Chen, these guys were far more valuable, and he terribly needed their help. The advanced technology specialist comprised of one-third construction, mechanical, and chemistry applications and technologist made up the remainder of the choices. Individuals with special abilities were prioritized, for example, people who could cook would be considered by Jiang Chen. Subsequently, people with good body conditions were prioritized since upgrading the mansion required labor. Lastly, families were considered first because people part of a family have a unique sense of belonging and connection. Jiang Chen would not have to worry about their loyalty. Also, he didnt want to take care of people''s'' hormonal needs. Jiang Chen handed the chosen resumes to Su Lei and the professional female assistant headed to the ghetto with the 30 resumes in her hand. Zhao Chenwu had already arranged everything with the manager of the ghetto as the group of people were gathered quickly before they were taken to a quarantine room. They used the excuse, testing for diseases, but all the reports were already forged. All 30 of them were diagnosed with the X1 virus and were then taken to a room to have the microchip implemented. Human rights? Thats a joke, there were no human rights in the apocalypse. The moment they received the nutrient supply from the survivor base, their freedom no longer belonged to them. Jiang Chen didnt rush to see the people he selected. Instead, he returned to the inner circle. Zhao Chenwu put Jiang Chens ID on the inner circle whitelist, which meant he no longer needed to pay a one crystal entrance fee. Although the tax was not a huge amount, it was a friendly gesture. The purchased individuals were placed as supplies and were guarded by Zhao Chenwus own force into the underground sewer system. They headed for the arranged trade point and waited for Jiang Chen to accept the supplies at that point. Despite the fear that may be going through the individuals'' heads, Jiang Chen accepted Zhao Chenwus invitation to have dinner together. On the dinner table, the Sixth Street boss constantly flattered him, which make Jiang Chen quite amazed by the power of money. Regardless of age, money talked. In the end, he only needed to consider how to expand his power to preserve the cake in his hand. 38 Slave Arrangemen Chapter 38: Slave Arrangement Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi The next day, Jiang Chen checked out from the Paradise Island Hotel. He then said goodbye to Zhao Chenwu before beginning his journey back home. The underground sewage system''s restructuring plan had already started. A few military personnel from the Zhao Corporation had already occupied the entrance. The busy construction vehicle, along with the workers with polyethylene boards, demonstrated the emphasis Zhao Chenwu placed on this trade route. Soldiers with full combat gear saw Jiang Chen approach and signaled him to stop. After verification of gene ID to identify that Jiang Chen was a person of importance to the boss, the soldiers saluted and stepped aside to allow Jiang Chen to pass. Although they worked under a corporate structure, the private forces already possessed military discipline and capability that made Jiang Chen gain a better understanding of the Sixth Streets ability. On the surface, the civil-military was protecting the safety of the Sixth Street, but the real forces were the private forces of the capitalists. The civil-military acted more like the police. If these soldiers faced the Roshan, it would be an easy fight, unlike last time. The actual construction of the underground sewage system has yet to begin. Jiang Chen jumped on top of the mold covered concrete floor. His surroundings were pitch black. He opened his tactical flashlight as well as the three-dimensional map on the full sensory computer. After finalizing the direction, Jiang Chen headed home. The atmosphere felt repressive. After the civil soldiers had taken them to the quarantine room, a bad feeling sprouted from everyones head. The examination that they all acquired X1 virus has rectified their suspension. Then a few people in white coats that looked like doctors ordered soldiers with genetic medication to pin them on the bed. After they had regained their consciousness, everyones neck felt oddly sore. "All of you have been injected with the slavery microchip. I dont think I have to explain further. Youll be taken to your new owner in a bit, you pigs." Cheng Weiguo still clearly remembered the cold and condescending gaze. To the Sixth Street, the unemployed were pigs that wasted food. It was a conspiracy. But no one resisted. They were no longer new to the survivor camps. After they have accepted the aid, freedom is only a mere wish. If they didn''t work, they would receive one nutrient supply a day. This would only prevent them from starving to death, but a few had died anyways. All of them huddled in a circle as six soldiers in black combat gear stood by the side. Some have guessed that the Zhao Corporation purchased them, but with the supplies stacked beside them, it only made them feel like they were part of the items sold. "Honey, did they do anything to you." Cheng Weiguo worriedly held his wifes hand. "No, I lost my consciousness after they injected tranquilizer. I feel the same way as you guys, only a bit sore in the neck," Zhou Jiexi wanted her husband to remain calm as she gently held his hand and answered softly. "The couple should spend some intimate time together. Maybe we will be sold as slave labor somewhere. The man will work, and the woman...hehe," A middle-aged man opened his mouth, and he said grinning. "What the fu*k did you just say?" Cheng Weiguo felt the tremble from his wifes hand as rage filled his chest. He furiously glared at the man. "What, do you want to fight?" The middle-aged man drowsily yawned as he pointed at the back of his neck. "Come, I wont fight back. Lets see if you die or I die first." Slaves are the private property of the owner. If a fight broke out between slaves, the usual consequence was that both parties would be executed in public. The private forces have already noticed the disturbance, and they pointed their guns to deter the fight. These people were properties of the boss valued friend. If anything happened, they would receive punishment. Cheng Weiguo clinched his fist but had to let it go. The other slaves saw that nothing happened and all lost their interest without paying more attention. Suddenly, the private forces all moved. The six of them lined up and saluted to a young man. They got on the small moving vehicle and then left. What does it feel like to be stared down by thirty pairs of eyes? It didnt feel like anything special, especially when he knew he controlled their life. The apathetic feeling to life felt particularly real. Jiang Chen let out a breath as he got rid of the uneasy feeling from his mind. He didnt want to become a cold-blooded politician. He wanted to be a wealthy man who lived a lavish life. Unambitious is not a terrible way to experience life. However, to accumulate wealth on this chaotic piece of land, he must have the necessary forces. If he weren''t a rich man, he would just be a prey. If he met Huizhong Mercenaries again, he would fall victim again. Force and deterrence were necessary, and he must get used to them. He recollected his thought as he scanned through the jittery figures and slowly let out a long breath. "Okay, look at me. I will be your future master," Jiang Chen clapped his hand as he shouted. His voice echoing through the dark sewage system had a strange feel to it. "I know you guys all have a lot of questions in your mind, such as if you would be used as a lure or carry a weapon to go fight in the front line. Fortunately, I can guarantee that it wont happen." Jiang Chen sensed that everyone let out a sigh of relief. The thirty heart beat related indicators have all decreased on the EP. A pleased smile appeared on his face before he took another deep breath and spoke out. "You guys are lucky because I am your master and I believe you will experience that shortly. You work for me, and you wont starve. I can even let you guys live a wealthy life as you have never imagined before. However" At this point, Jiang Chen gradually slowed his voice down and purposely lowered his voice as he added a sullen chillness to his tone. "I am a kind and sympathetic person, but the only thing I cannot forgive is betrayal. You all know the microchip installed at the back of your neck. For me, you have no privacy at all. For traitors, there is no punishment other than death. Thats all." His words of certainty transmitted through the pitch silent underground sewage system. The frightened, fearful, and worried pupils dilated as they didnt dare to make a sound. Afraid? Thats right! Thats what he wanted to instill in their heart. Carrot after stick, he knew that these people would be obedient. He was aware that the moment they smelt the first bowl of congee after so many years, these frightened and uncertain people would immediately praise him as the second god. "What are you all waiting for! Grab everything and let''s go home!" Jiang Chen waved his hand as the slaves stood up quivering and lifted all the supplies. He climbed out of the exit. After he had ensured the safety of the surrounding, he lowered the hook and cables down. People below hooked the supplies up and lifted the stocks one by one. The production equipment were all disassembled and stored in boxes; assembling can be done in the mansion. He led the slaves with packs of supplies as they carefully traversed through the deserted streets full of lifeless zombies. Jiang Chen finally saw his mansion, or "dirt fortress". He pressed the doorbell. Quickly, a graceful figure jumped into his firm embrace as she hugged his neck. "Did you pick up girls?" The cat-like eyes gazed at Jiang Chen as Sun Jiao examined him top down. "Shouldnt the first sentence be I miss you?" Jiang Chen patted Sun Jiao''s back with a bitter smile. This girl was even naughtier. An audacious girl transforming into a caring woman? "You havent answered my question yet." Sun Jiao smirked as she drew a circle on his back with her finger. "I swear to God, no!" Jiang Chen raised his hand and swore. At the same time, he added a sentence in his mind. [If the robot doesnt count.] Although her sixth sense made Sun Jiao a little suspicious, Jiang Chen didnt smell odd so she quickly let it go. After she had kissed Jiang Chen again, she began to order the slaves on the side to move things into the mansion. Then started to plan on how to settle these slaves. The grass field in front of the mansion was circled out and used to build temporary tents for them. The small traveler-sized tents were purchased with Zhao Chenwu and could barely fit two people. Due to the limitation of space, they would have to squeeze a bit, but it would still be better than sleeping outside. Of course, there were still rooms in the mansion, but Jiang Chen wasnt kind enough to let these strangers live in his home. Even if they have no ability to fight back and kept a clean record in the ghetto, he still had trust issues. Without the proper loyalty and allegiance, Jiang Chen could only treat them as strangers. Yao Yao understandingly followed Jiang Chens instructions and brought a giant pot. She dumped half a bag of rice along with an ample amount of water. Then she added some cabbage leaves and some ground pork into the pot with two spoons of salt and a small spoon of gourmet powder. She opened the natural gas and started to cook in the giant pot. After a giant wooden spoon had mixed all the ingredients, Yao Yao tiptoed to cover the pot. She sniffed and adjusted the fire before waiting quietly for the congee to cook. Although she didnt understand why Jiang Chen would make such a delicious meal for the slaves, she would support his decision regardless of the motive. [Brothers sympathetic look was handsome.] Perhaps it was the fire, but Yao Yaos face blushed in redness. Slowly, she was getting to the age where she had her own fantasy.. 39 Jobs and Responsibilities Chapter 39: Jobs and Responsibilities Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi When bowls of congee mixed with cabbage leaves and ground pork were brought to the table, everyone gulped at the smell of delicacies. Hungry eyes stared fixedly at the table; if not for the slavery microchips, they would have dashed at the food like monsters. Jiang Chen was happy to see their expressions. These people were his slaves, but he would rather treat them as employees as long as they were obedient like now. As long as no one dared to rush for the food without his permission, he was satisfied. Gulp Jiang Chen glanced at Sun Jiao beside him with an awkward smile. Even this foodie gulped at the sight of the food. He lowered his voice and said, Didnt you just eat? Why are you hungry? None of your business. Sun Jiao threatened him with a flash of her teeth before she averted her gaze with a blushing face. She wasnt necessarily hungry, but she was driven by an instinct for food. Ahem, what are you guys waiting for? Time to eat. Jiang Chen signaled that they could eat with a smile on his face. His voice was like a heavenly melody to them. When Jiang Chen said the word eat, almost all of the slaves wanted to profusely thank him. These refugees were law-abiding people which meant they were easy to control. They needed only two meals a day to survive, and even without the deterrence of the microchips, no one was foolish enough to have ill intentions when they saw Jiang Chens generosity; a fool would never have the ability to find another fool to scheme together anyway. Of course, as a method of deterrence, the microchips did an excellent job. Dont rush and eat slowly. If youre not full after twenty minutes, then you can line up again to have another bowl. Of course, if you dare to overeat and puke it out, Ill make you eat everything you vomited! Jiang Chen stood by the giant pot as the slaves one by one went up and carefully used a ladle to pour congee. Thats disgusting, Sun Jiao whispered by Jiang Chens ear. I cant let these people who havent seen rice before waste it, right? Jiang Chen quietly replied with a shrug. This meal consumed two pounds of rice, two pork strips, and three cabbages. A lot of the food in the basement was brought out to exchange for supplies, and as for the rest The stored cans of food were used to trade, and the cabbages and perishable rice were originally supposed to last the three of them for a month. Now that thirty people needed to be fed, the food in the basement was nowhere near sufficient. After all, Jiang Chen bought those at the supermarket, so the quantities were small. Stop, these things arent even worth mentioning where I come from. Ill go again soon to bring more back, Jiang Chen responded with a bitter smile. At the same time, he was planning to rent a storage space in the rural area and use a food distributor to purchase some non-packaged food. Using sandpaper every time was too much of a hassle. But this audacious Miss Sun Jiao was becoming more of a homemaker. The dissatisfied pout in her eyes at his wastefulness oddly made Jiang Chen feel a rush of emotion. The more this girl transformed into a civilized person, the more attractive she became. Jiang Chen touched his slightly burning nose and stopped peeking at the side of her face. The mansion was no longer empty like before and with this many people, he had to be aware of any intimacy. When he saw the completely cleaned out bowls accompanied by eyes that were still frightened but now held a hint of gratitude, Jiang Chen coughed as he signaled for everyone to look at him. Are you guys full? No one responded. If you want to eat tomorrow, then you better answer all of my questions. Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes. Yes! Everyone hesitantly opened their mouths. Jiang Chen nodded his eyes, pleased. Excellent. Hearing your response makes me confident that Im not raising a bunch of mute pigs. The way I speak may be offensive to you because you guys are nothing to me! Thanks to me, none of you have to starve anymore, and this is a comfort not many can imagine. Therefore, you all have to prove your worth! Prove that youre worth the three meals you eat every day! Yes, I will provide three meals a day. But dont be too happy yet. People slacking off are not included! I dont want to be your master because that means I have the responsibility to feed you. Instead, I want you all to consider me as your boss. You are my employees, but the consequence of being fired is quite high. I dont think I need to explain any further. Not a single person argued against his words. To a person who offered them food without torture, they felt only gratefulness. As for what to call him, they didnt care even if Jiang Chen made them call him daddy; they would do so without any hesitation. Dignity? That was for people who werent hungry. Also, as a civilized individual, Jiang Chen treated them with some respect for his personal reasons. If they were cute girls, it might have been acceptable, but the thought of this bunch of men calling him master only gave him goosebumps. And most importantly, he didnt want his inner self to change from hearing the title Master. After everyone finished eating, Jiang Chen adjusted his mindset and continued to speak. Rome wasn''t built in a days time. You all are the first ones to join me in building my empire! Ill bring order and prosperity to this lawless land, and you must contribute to my vision and in return, Ill continue providing the food that ensures your survival. Thats enough from me. From tomorrow on, everyone has work to do. Clean up the bowls after yourself. Whoevers name I call, stay behind. The rest can go back. Remember one thing, the mansion is a restricted area. If anyone enters without my permission, they will be killed immediately. His last sentence rang out with a deathly chill. He monitored the thirty heart rate indicators in his EP, and he nodded with satisfaction. Without any abnormal stimulation, the heart rate would not fluctuate, which meant that they dont have any strange thoughts. Everyone brought their bowls with them at their dismissal and headed to the sink with Yao Yaos guidance. He was thankful for the automatic water treatment system which provided them with city-wide safe and clean drinking water in the post-apocalypse. Everyone whose names were called stood quivering in front of Jiang Chen. They didnt know what their master would make them do. Zhou Jiexi. Yes. Zhou Jiexi gently bit her lip as she bowed down to Jiang Chen staring on the ground. She had a husband who loved her dearly. To be truthful, she was afraid that Jiang Chen would require some disdainful need from her. If that was the case, she couldnt resist. For her husbands life, she would shamefully accept. She was clearly thinking too much. Although she was rather attractive, Jiang Chen wasnt into married women, and he especially was not interested in forcing anyone. Also, Miss Sun Jiao was standing beside him. You all dont have to be so afraid. I wont eat you guys, Jiang Chen said as he shrugged at the two males and two females. He then asked the wife, Do you know how to cook? Mhmm. It was an odd question, but Zhou Jiexi truthfully nodded. As a qualified wife, of course she knew how to cook. It was just that ever since she woke up from the hibernation chamber with her husband in the survival base, she hadnt seen rice in a long time. Youll be responsible for the food of these thirty people. Ill give you a menu in a moment. After he finished, Jiang Chen didnt bother to look at Zhou Jiexis expression as he flipped to the next page. Wang Qin. Here! The timid girl with freckles was frightened by Jiang Chens voice. This is not elementary school. You dont have to say here, just say yes. Jiang Chen gently smiled at the peculiar gazes of the four people before getting back to the point. Youre an accounting major. Therefore, youll be responsible for the supplies in storage. Ill give you a copy of the key, and I need a record for every supplys usage. This is an important task, and I cannot allow you to make a mistake. Do you understand? Understood! Great. Although the voice was a little weak, it certainly showed her determination which pleased Jiang Chen. Her timid personality made him especially satisfied with his choice. Lu Huasheng. Peanuts? Jiang Chen almost burst out laughing at such an odd name. Yes. A responsible-looking middle-aged man cautiously nodded in response. I heard you were the chief developer of Huajian Real Estate? That was before the war. Lu Huasheng smiled bitterly. I dont care when it happened, I only need you to redesign this base for me. Thats right, I want to build a survival camp far larger than Sixth Street. Ill need you to draw a layout plan with the mansion in the center and expand the radius of the base by two times. The design of the wall, where to put it, how much material is required, and the survivors buildingI trust you know these better than me. I want to see the result by tomorrow at six oclock. I need a full sensory computer and a memory card, Lu Huasheng cautiously said. For drawing purposes. Here you go. Jiang Chen said without even blinking. Jiang Chen purchased a bunch of these cheap, second-hand equipment that littered the Sixth Street. Okay, thats it. You three can leave now. The ones released let out a breath of relief as they looked compassionately at their companion left behind before they quickly left with their bowls. Hehe, boss, what about me? The person remaining was a middle-aged man with a pair of glasses. His figure was rather lean, meaning he was unable to do any physical labor. He saw that Jiang Chen didnt say anything which made him uncomfortably scratch his head as he asked in a timid voice. The other three people were all assigned tasks to complete, but this young boss didnt give him any instructions which made him quite afraid. His mind began to wander to see if he did anything wrong to upset the boss. 40 Game Developmen Chapter 40: Game Development Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi His anxiety was unjustified as Jiang Chens voice was calm and gentle. But to Du Yongkongs ears... "I like the title boss." Jiang Chen smiled as he pulled out a resume and cut straight to the topic. "Du Yongkong, age 30, male, computer major, previously worked as the chief technology officer at Walkman Technology. Is this correct?" "Yes" Du Yongkong carefully answered, uncertain about the meaning behind Jiang Chens words. "That makes things easier then." Jiang Chen got right to the point and threw a Huawei phone to him. "Youre going to develop an operating system for me on this thing. It shouldnt be that difficult for you, right?" "Eh?" "This is an order. I want to hear you answer with certainty." Jiang Chen didnt waste time with any bullsh*t. He bought these people to work for him, not the other way around. "Yes, yes." Du Yongkong quickly nodded without any attitude that indicated his former executive position at a top company. Such a laughable dignity had long vanished in the cruelty of the apocalypse. Jiang Chen now controlled his life, and his only option was to serve him. When Jiang Chen saw Du Yongkongs perplexed look, he smiled and walked over to pat him on the shoulder. He didnt care about the overwhelmed expression on Du Yongkongs face as he continue to explain. "You dont have to be reserved. Do a good job, and I wont let you down." "I understand, Boss." Du Yongkong sensibly lowered his head. Jiang Chen nodded before he continued, "I have some requirements. Let me know if you have any difficulties, but youll have to solve it, understand?" "Yes." "Good." Jiang Chen was pleased with Du Yongkongs certainty. "I dont know about operating systems, so I only care about the results. I need you to develop an operating system that has two times the processing power as this system called Android. At the same time, dont change any of the requirements so that it remains compatible with all Android and iOS system software. Ask me any questions you have right now since you wont be seeing me a lot. I want to see a reliable result by next month." Finishing, he handed him an iPhone that was also brand-new. Du Yongkong took it and fiddled around on the screen for a bit before a forced smile appeared on his face. "What? Is this too difficult for you?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "No, this is too easy." Du Yongkong waved his hands in denial. He was afraid that his boss would fire him for this kind of easy job that didnt exist even before the war. "Hmm? Then explain." Jiang Chen was quite curious. Du Yongkong adjusted his glasses as he displayed the phone with the air of a professional before he started to explain. "First, this old operating system should be a product from 150 years ago. The hardware operating efficiency as well as the human-computer interactive design are full of flaws." "Oh? Youre saying that the human-computer interface of the iPhone is bad?" Jiang Chen couldnt help but laugh at the statement. Du Yongkong snuck a look at Jiang Chens expression and when he saw that he wasnt angry hearing about the flaws of the two operating systems, he began to explain more in-depth with renewed courage. "Regarding hardware operating efficiency, although the logic seems faultless, there exist unnecessary areas. To put it simply, a logic that can be covered with just one plus one, due to the limitation of the programming language as well as the algorithm, becomes muddled when the processor must do some unnecessary actions. For example, by defining A equals one, B equals one, and then calculating C equals A plus B to output C equals two as the final result. This old processing method not only wastes memory, but it also decreases the operating efficiency of the equipment tremendously." "Oh? Then how will you take care of it?" Jiang Chen asked curiously. "This is an easy fix. The ultimate problem lies in the limitation of the programming language. Although both systems have its pros and cons, they cant escape the boundary of the lower level programming language. If D++ is used to program it, some small adjustments to compatibility will solve the problem. The antique known as the phone would have its operating efficiency increased by threefold, and the power consumption would also be cut in half. At the same time, because the drain on the hardware is lessened, the hardware life would also be extended for a prolonged period." Jiang Chen gasped for air. This was ridiculous! The hardware operating efficiency increased by three times? Could it also be compatible with apps from both systems? These two features alone were already insane. That meant that even with a terrible phone, they could easily run games previously available only on the iPhone. This system would start a revolution in the phone gaming industry! Phone game developers spent an endless amount of effort to decrease memory usage. To optimize the game, they often had to remove features that enhanced gameplay and catered towards the general audience. But if this operating system was introduced, everyones phone performance would increase by three times! At that point, the creativity of developers could be fully unleashed, free to create worlds of imagination that could run on every computer. It was a technological revolution. iOS and Android would never be able to compete. "Regarding human-computer interaction, I recommend maintaining the status quo since Im already accustomed to this interface." Jiang Chen paused. Even if he controlled this mans life, he didnt want to expose his identity to someone who had yet to prove anything. "Trust me, Boss, my design will be much more advanced than this ancient human-computer interaction method." This former chief of technology officer was a different and more zealous person when touching on the topic of technology. "Yes, using the touchpad to perform human-computer interaction is still mainstream even to this day, but this ancient operating system is inherently different from the operating system used by present-day entertainment systems." "Whats the difference?" Jiang Chen asked curiously. "Artificial intelligence!" "Artificial intelligence? Can you create it?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "If it is basic artificial intelligence, Im confident I can create it in a months time since all the data is stored in the librarys database. I only need to transfer it." Du Yongkong patted his chest. "If artificial intelligence isnt difficult, then why isnt it on the full-sensory computer?" Jiang Chen asked with some confusion. If it was so effective, there was no reason to not use it on the full-sensory computer. "Hmm, thats because the Artificial Intelligence Act prohibited the development of artificial intelligence. If everything was given to machines to do, everyone would be unemployed." Du Yongkong shrugged. "The artificial intelligence operating system was popular for a time before it was replaced by an equally impressive neural operating system. Before the war, artificial intelligence was only limited to the nuclear power plant, the water treatment plant, and other government-run infrastructure." "I see. You talked about basic artificial intelligence. Are there no risks?" Jiang Chen voiced his worry of the artificial intelligence programs potentially mutating within the modern-day worlds internet and developing into a malicious program. He was reminded of the movie that portrayed a world ruled by artificial intelligence. "Boss, you are worrying too much." Du Yongkong sighed, guessing at Jiang Chens concern. "The program is fundamentally a stable program. Even if they were intelligent, they could never possess emotion or desire. At a basic level, it can only be what youve programmed it to do. Its intelligence responds to what youve taught it before. For example, if you hit it, it will not fight back. Its interest is neither hurt nor would it sense any danger. Unless you specifically tell it if someone hits you, fight back. Only in this case would it respond with an action. Self-coding is something only intermediary artificial intelligence possesses. As for emotions, thats something only advanced artificial intelligence would have. Even before the war, it was a theoretical concept." Artificial intelligence was fundamentally a more advanced program. Only after hearing the explanation did Jiang Chen finally feel relieved. "Okay, youll be fully responsible for everything. Youre free to try anything you want. Also, you have to keep in mind that you must ensure the security of this system! I dont want to hand this phone to someone only to have them crack the entire operating system and create something similar." Security was of the utmost concern. Jiang Chen didnt want to see the operating system he brought over to be cracked into an open source within a few days. Especially if the D++ language was exposed, he would not be able to explain it. The best way to program it was to have it be like a black box that only exchanged information with an external source but did not accept any data extraction. Du Yongkong hesitated for a brief second before he smiled and promised. "Boss, dont worry! The program I develop will not be easily cracked. Walkman Technology Corporations games were all secured by me. Take for example. It released before the war, but no one in the world has been able to crack the game yet. For an operating system of this level, this is a piece of cake to me." This certainly seemed to be the case. If someone in the modern world had the ability to crack software made by the chief technology officer from 150 years in the future, it meant that he was also a time traveler. Jiang Chen would do anything to kill him, but of course, such scenario would be impossible. "Good, if you can do it, itll be an outstanding achievement! Work hard; I promise youll be able to eat meat every meal!" Jiang Chen laughed as he patted Du Yongkongs shoulder. Hearing about the meat, Du Yongkong was ecstatic. He would never have dreamed of this before. With a taste of the rewards, Du Yongkong immediately reaffirmed that he would finish in no time. It was no surprise that he used to be in management; he was technically skilled but also masterful in kissing ass. Jiang Chen didnt dislike such clever people. "Lastly, for Future Technologys logo, make it look cool so that people think its futuristic , but dont overdo it." "Yes! Boss!" the guy belted out. Jiang Chen nodded his head, pleased at Du Yongkongs confidence. He waved his hand to signal him to leave. The cheerful Du Yongkong carried both phones and walked away. Of course, before he left he also remembered to take his bowl. Instead of labor work, he could work in his old field. For many years, he hadnt dared to imagine this kind of happiness. But it became a reality on this day. Grateful for the opportunity given by Jiang Chen, Du Yongkong mustered all of his determination to create a product that would stun the boss! Although the technology was ancient, the boss liked it, and the best way to rise up the ladder was to do things that the boss liked. He didnt care about Jiang Chens purpose, he only needed to complete the task. 41 The Developing Fishbone Chapter 41: The Developing Fishbone Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Fishbone Food Corporation With a crooked fishbone symbol pinned on the mansions main door, the new survival camp was born on this piece of wasteland in Wanghai City. In the morning, the fatigued survivors woke up to a delicious aroma. It was the smell of food. Zhou Jiexi wore a white chef apron as she cooked congee with cabbage and ground pork in a pot. The survivors meekly lined up to obtain their breakfast rations. Even in their wildest dreams, they wouldnt have believed that they were given breakfast. Only when full would they have the energy to work, which is why Jiang Chen didnt skimp on food expenses. Although nutrient supply would sustain them, once it hit the stomach, it felt sour without providing enough energy. Regarding the survivors menu, he asked for advice from Zhou Jiexi before he made a reasonable meal plan. Congee in the morning, rice at noon with a large serving of a side dish, and for dinner, the same as lunch except with occasional noodles instead of rice. Also, people who made exceptional work progress would receive points. The points structure was implemented by Jiang Chen after careful consideration because he understood the concept well. It rewarded outstanding work based on construction progress to promote similar standards. With these points, the survivors could exchange for instant noodles, crackers, or even canned food luxuries. Jiang Chen temporarily gave Lu Huasheng the responsibility of distributing the points and then reporting it to the storage manager Wang Qin to confirm. They were set to receive one point per day. The cook Zhou Jiexi was awarded based on the quality of the cooked food, and as for Du Yongkong, Jiang Chen personally took care of his points. Food was worth little to him. But for the people who previously endured the pain of starvation, it was a severe understatement to say that Jiang Chen was generous. God, this must be heaven, is what almost everyone was thinking. After quickly finishing breakfast, everyone gathered in the empty front yard. Excluding the people with assigned roles, everyone else followed Jiang Chens order to separate into groups of four. The individuals specialized in construction acted as the team leaders for their task in building the base. Lu Huasheng, who had severe dark circles, took the full sensory diagram that he completed overnight and explained tirelessly to the team leaders. Some teams were responsible for producing the anti-corrosive concrete while others were focusing on the nanotubes used for the body of the wall. The nanotube poly-material used to construct the wall was at least two times stronger than a normal concrete wall. The building team silently took the construction materials and snuck outside to avoid alerting the zombies. Slowly, they stretched out the metal wire separators. Another group shot the zombies with the metal wire separators and dragged the bodies away to burnthis was to avoid possible diseases and zombies from evolving. After hearing about Jiang Chens base development plans, Lu Huasheng decided to use the phased method to expand the base. The first step was to expand in the direction of the underground sewer system and control the exit to it. The construction teams would use the three-story luxury buildings outside of the mansion as the base and construct a wall around it, surrounding all of the smaller buildings within the proximity. After reinforcing the defense, they would then start building the secure corridor outwards, between the underground exit and the base wall. The overall design philosophy was to effectively utilize the abandoned buildings in the area as well as the nanotube poly-material wall to connect them together. This transformed the abandoned buildings into natural fortifications. They could not only be used as households but also as weapon-equipped watchtowers. After completing the primary structure, more nearby buildings could be included as well. With a clear plan, the construction outside of the mansion was fully underway. Pleased, Jiang Chen looked at the survivors working diligently before returning to the mansion and heading towards Yao Yaos room. Its basically done. Haha, although it pretty much copied a mobile game that was popular in the year 2031, it meets most of the criteria that big brother set! Yao Yao hopped along as she dragged Jiang Chen beside the table. She then took out the cheap phone worth less than one thousand dollars and pressed the start button. Skeptical, Jiang Chen opened the game icon named under the scrutiny of Yao Yaos exceedingly high expectations. Jiang Chen was completely stunned. This is a mobile game?! No, it wasnt that the game Yao Yao created was terrible, but it was too perfect! The combination of RPG adventure game elements and SLG building elements meant that players could choose to become adventurers with flashy spells, characters that focused on ruling the land, or merchants exploring the seas. People could write their own history in this open world. This was not an advertisement for a poorly designed game, but the actual in-game content! Indeed, it was an open world with sprawling maps. On computers, it would be nothing, but on the mobile platform, this would be considered a miracle in the current industry. The game even had three-dimensional graphics. Even if this game was built for a PC, it would be still be considered perfect. Of all the games Jiang Chen played before, only could compare. All in all, the games perfection made him question if the phone would even be able to run it. Ahem, Yao Yao, did you upgrade the hardware on my phone? Jiang Chen asked with a bitter smile. He didnt want a game that was unplayable on all phones. Even if the game was impeccable, it was useless if nobody was able to play. Of course not. Yao Yao sensed Jiang Chens slight displeasure as her eyes suddenly became sorrowful. Yao Yao specifically considered the phones hardware level and used D++ language to package the game into 256 MB with an automatic program to process when the game initiates the game Stop stop stop, I dont understand. Just briefly explain how it works. Jiang Chen interrupted Yao Yaos explanation. Mhmm! To put it simply, even with the phones minimal hardware performance, it is able to support this type of massive online game. Its just that it would be a higher server requirement because I used cloud computing inside which means that the majority of the data processing is going to happen on the server itself. Therefore, the user and CPU would not need to handle too many calculations, which also solves the security problem. Yao Yao proudly shook her tiny head as she continued, To handle the calculations required, I already built a server for big brother. The specific process is written inside the document. Despite his inability to understand completely, he could tell that it basically used the server as a larger processor. Therefore, the user only needed to input information and extract the processed information. But wouldnt this increase the users data cost? Jiang Chen was doubtful. Hehe, Yao Yao has already considered this. The information exchanged between the server and the user is written by a special code that not only contains a lot of information but packages the data into a small file! It is significantly more efficient compared to the games installed on big brothers phone. A day of data usage is only 10 megabytes. 10 megabytes of data was indeed minimal. Jiang Chen was shocked as any other game would have incurred a lot more data. So, did Yao Yao help big brother out? Yao Yao blinked her large, doe-like eyes as she looked hopefully at the shocked Jiang Chen. Haha, Yao Yao, youve helped me out tremendously! Jiang Chen suddenly hugged Yao Yao and gave this cute loli an affectionate kiss on the face. Yao Yaos adorable face suddenly turned a dark red as she buried her head. Yao Yao, if you want anything, tell me, okay? I will definitely do my best. Hmm? Umm, anything is okay? Yao Yao didnt know what to answer with as she stuttered. Mhmm! Anything, as long as big brother can do it. Jiang Chen squatted down and held onto Yao Yaos shoulder as he nodded. At the moment, he was emotional and wanted to reward this adorable girl. Yao Yao panicked as Jiang Chen kept pressing. Her sweet eyes looked around the room anxiously as her face transformed into a red balloon. At any moment, it seemed as though steam would come out. I, I want Yao Yaos mouth faintly opened as her eyes looked shakily at Jiang Chen. You want? Jiang Chen leaned closer towards Yao Yao and gazed carefully at her eyes, waiting for her answer. I want In the end, perhaps it was too exciting, but Yao Yaos head flipped back, and she drowsily fell. Fortunately, Jiang Chen managed to catch her mid-fall to stop her head from banging into the floor. He still didnt know what Yao Yao wanted. Taking the reprogrammed server and the game, Jiang Chen went to Sun Jiaos place. Youre about to leave again? Sun Jiao rolled her eyes as she continued to whip her SK10 assault rifle. How long are you planning on disappearing this time? Not too long. Ill be back within one month by the latest. Jiang Chen hugged Sun Jiaos smooth waist. Dont miss me too much at night. Pervert. Although she said that, Sun Jiao didnt look annoyed at all. Instead, she leaned up and kissed Jiang Chen on the lips. Ill take care of this side, so come back early. Sun Jiao and Yao Yaos EPs were also installed with the slaves microchip managing software. Jiang Chen made the decision because someone needed to manage these survivors while he was gone. This subprogram allowed Sun Jiao and Yao Yao perform his duties as master. Although this permission could be retracted at any time, Jiang Chen trusted both of them, so the thought hadnt occurred to him. If you have time in the afternoon, teach those guys some shooting skills unless it is dangerous. And also, try to establish a closed corridor between the base and the tunnel; this is critical to the safety of the trade route with the Sixth Street. Jiang Chen explained some of the important items related to the base development. Although he could return between both worlds in an instant, once the base construction was stably on its way, he had to spend part of the effort on expanding in the modern world. In the future, he hoped to train Sun Jiao into someone who could manage the daily affairs of the base. Sun Jiao seemed to have realized that too; however, she didnt stop Jiang Chen from leaving. Not only did Jiang Chen mature, but Sun Jiao was also growing through their relationship. Compared to the audacious girl that constantly desired Jiang Chen, she began to calmly and maturely express her love differently. She believed Jiang Chen, and she knew he would never leave her here. Mhmm, I know. Sun Jiao reached out to fix his collar. Youve changed. Jiang Chen grabbed her hands as he gazed into her eyes affectionately. Hmm? Am I prettier or uglier? Sun Jiao rolled her eyes. Just as she wanted to pull her hands away, she realized that he was holding on to them tightly. Her face began to blush. Of course prettier. Accompanied by Sun Jiaos surprised yelp, he pushed her onto the bed. For some reason, the moment Sun Jiao fixed his collar, he fell in love. It was as though the person in front of him was his wife. This newfound feeling made his blood pump. Or perhaps it was because he hasn''t relieved himself in a while. The door was slammed shut. The affection in the room began to merge into the sunny morning sky. 42 Home Chapter 42: Home Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi Still the crowded room. He took a deep breath as he tried to savor the clean air, but a bitter smile formed on his face as he realized his nose was stuffed with dust and even on his bed that had been uninhabited for so long. Jiang Chen examined the apartment he had spent the past two years in and suddenly felt reminiscent of his time here. Shaking his head, he threw this emotion away. Perhaps it was now time to say goodbye. Jiang Chen took out his phone and called the landlords number before he moved it two inches away from his ear in anticipation. Hello? Jiang Chen! That apartment, if you want to continue to rent, then you better pay half of the years rent right now! Even if you dont want it, other people want it. I felt pity seeing you by yourself, but if it werent for that, I would have already thrown your stuff out! Fu*k, I called you so many times, and you didnt even pick up, you no-money b*stard. Youre playing the disappearing game with me? Wu Jie roared his expletives on the other end, thinking Jiang Chen had no other options. Of course, if this was half a month ago, he would have been Jiang Chens only chance. But now You can rent the house to other people, Jiang Chen said calmly. What, what did you say? His voice was suddenly surprised. Wu Jie didnt expect Jiang Chen to be so defiant and threaten to stop renting right away. If youre not going to rent my place, where are you going to live? If you continue to call me a bastard, Ill make sure youll never open your mouth again. The landlord couldnt hear any emotional variation from Jiang Chens voice, which remained light and calm. Wu Jie was about to curse again, but the chill in Jiang Chens voice crept into his mind and clogged the words at his throat, making him unable to make a sound. Jiang Chen didnt want to spend any more effort on this dumb*ss so he hung up. Even though the landlord had given him a lot of trouble, he didnt have the energy to care. If a dog barked at you every day, you cant bark back at him after all. It was a waste of time and his own standards. Of course, if this guy continued to bother him, he wouldnt mind teaching him a lesson. It was the other sides freedom to say something, but in Jiang Chens mind, it was then his freedom to decide how to react. After hanging up, Jiang Chens phone began to vibrate with notifications as his phone screen filled up with missed calls. Other than the landlord, Xia Shiyu had also called him, probably worried about the company president who had left on such a long absence without leaving any messages. Jiang Chen smiled, but his finger soon trembled. There were at least ten missed calls from his home. His eyes began to tear up. Perhaps, he should take some time to go home. He took a deep breath as he suppressed his grief at being so far away from home, then dialed the familiar number. Hello? Mom, its me. Chen Er, you finally called. Your dad has been so worried. The familiar yet excited voice transmitted through the phone speaker. Old man, Chen Er called back. Mom, dont use that name. Its too childish. Jiang Chen smiled as he blinked his eyes. Whats childish? Listen to how youre speaking to your mom. Youre not obedient anymore! When a steady roar resonated from the other line, Jiang Chen felt relieved. [Looks like mom and dad are doing well.] This also made Jiang Chen feel slightly less guilty about not visiting home in so long. In the past, he was worried about disappointing his parents high expectations without a successful career. Using work as an excuse, he stayed away from visiting home many times, even during Chinese New Year when he lied and said he had to work overtime. He knew that even without success, his parents would still welcome him with open arms. But he was the one who couldnt accept it. Now, however, all of those concerns were gone. [Mom, dad, your son has finally achieved something.] Jiang Chens hand trembled as he smiled and responded to their reminders and advice. Son, it must be tiring out there. Do you have enough money? Dont tire yourself out. This is the starting point of your career. If you dont have enough money, let your mom know, I still have some savings. No, your mom is off the mark. Our sons key priority is buying a house! No girl will like you if you dont own a house. Son, its okay to be tired. Were men, and we can do it! Your mom and dad still have some savings. Lets see if we can buy a house at Wanghai City with down payments. With a house, you can then bring a girlfriend back for your mom and dad. Were waiting for grandchildren. No, Mom and Dad, your son is successful now. I opened a company at Wanghai City, and I even have people working for me now. Ill take care of the house myself, so you guys dont have to worry! Take care of your health and dont always think about saving money! If you want to buy something, just buy it. If you dont have enough, Ill get it for you. Jiang Chen rubbed his eyes and smiled. Youre teaching your dad a lesson? Haha, honey, our son is accomplished now! Haha, his father said excitedly. What? Chen Er, you opened your own company? Be careful, dont let other people deceive you! Ive seen the news recently! His mothers voice was filled with concern. Dont worry! My son is much smarter than you! Jiang Jianguo laughed. When he heard that his son had established himself, his heart was filled with a happiness that was greater than winning the lottery. After dinner, Ill go brag with the other old guys at the door. Our son, a university student, opened a company in Wanghai City, and other people are working for him! Thats good. We can solve the girlfriend problem as well. Everyone wants to be married into a big city. Our neighbors daughter doesnt have a boyfriend, and neither does Xia who lives in the building in front as well Your son is my son as well! Li Xuemei argued back. As they continued to banter, Jiang Chen gently rubbed his slightly sore eyes with his left hand. This was the feeling of homesomething he had avoided. The purest relationship in the world was family. He smiled and thought that he should take some time to visit them. After his phone call with his parents ended, he lied back onto the bed, disregarding the dust flying everywhere. It was time to move out. He felt slight regret as he wanted to lie on the bed a bit longer. [500 million USD. Thats 3 billion RMB.] While Jiang Chen didnt know the exact exchange rate, it was likely around this much. [What kind of mansion should I buy?] He never considered this question before. A mansion, let alone a simple apartment, was something Jiang Chen had never dared to imagine. But now this was all nothing. Since there were areas he was clueless about, he decided to ask for some help. He lifted his phone, but his finger froze in place. [Who should I call?] An awkward smile crept onto his face as he realized that he didnt have many friends. That was fine. After deliberating for a while, Jiang Chen sighed as dialed Xia Shiyus number. Since he needed to call her anyways, he might as well ask for some advice at the same time. Xia Shiyu was about to lose her mind. She was wondering where Jiang Chen disappeared to when vibrations suddenly came from her pocket. Without hesitation, she took out her phone and saw the familiar name. She was so angry that she laughed. Hello? Am I hearing this correctly? Our president just called me back? The voice didnt sound too cold; at least Jiang Chen could heard her teeth grinding. Ahem, I have been busy with business. Thats not the point. Jiang Chen shamelessly changed the topic. Oh? What kind of business requires you to turn your phone off? Do you know the company is in the initial start-up phase? Hiring? Development plan? Is this your business or my business The voice on the other side was so fast that Jiang Chen moved the phone slightly away. Xia Shiyus drastic reaction to his disappearance surprised him. There were more important things at hand, however. Can you go house hunting with me?" Xia Shiyu hung up the phone. Two seconds later, the phone rang again. She suppressed the anger in her chest as she inhaled, resisting the urge to hang up right away. Ahem, dont hang up on me. Im serious! Can you find some time? What do I have to do with you buying a house? Xia Shiyu said in an icy voice as her chest furiously heaved up and down. Jiang Chens playful attitude made her feel disrespected as she had been worrying about him for the past few days. Thats right, disrespected. After spending so much effort on something, it was completely disregarded. Of course it has to do with you. If you have nothing else to do, you can come and chill. Jiang Chen said with a chuckle, completely unaware of Xia Shiyus feelings. When she heard Jiang Chens words, Xia Shiyu paused. Hmm? She confusedly touched her forehead and felt the unnatural temperature on her hand. [I dont have a fever. This is weird.] Hello, are you listening to me? Oh right, Ive already finished developing the mobile game. The next step is to hire people to maintain the server. I trust that you know the hiring process better than I do, so you can take care of it. But if you need me to be at the interview, I dont mind either. But only on the condition that youll go house hunting with me. Okay, Xia Shiyu agreed without considering. On after did she realize with an odd feeling how illogical and decisive her answer was. [Must be because of work. If I dont say yes, hell disappear again. Mhmm, thats right, its because of work.] After hanging up, Xia Shiyu rubbed her temples as she tried to justify her actions. Although even this action felt unnecessary and unnatural. Done! Jiang Chen stretched as he threw the phone to the side. Girls were more detailed, so it was better to bring her along. Despite his narcissism, he knew too well that his taste was significantly lacking. With the developer''s sale pitch, there was no way hed be able to discern truth from lies. He didnt wonder if he was interested in Xia Shiyu or not. It was just that when he held his phone, the only person in this city who came to mind was his ex-boss. No, his employee now, haha. Since he needed to buy a house, then naturally it required cash. Jiang Chens storage dimension was filled with gold, but it didnt make sense to go buy a house with pounds of gold. He grabbed the phone again and called an international number. However, when he pressed the phone against his ear, he frowned. 43 Robert’s Problem Chapter 43: Roberts Problem Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi The phone rang for a long time without an answer. Just as Jiang Chen was about to hang up, someone picked up. "Hello?" an unfamiliar voice curtly said in English. The voice was deep and slightly scratchynot at all like Robert. "Jiang Chen, Roberts Han friend. And you are?" Jiang Chen used his broken English to slowly answer. "Nick. My boss is currently in trouble... can I trust you?" Nick asked after some hesitation. "Of course. Robert is a good guy. Even though Im in Han, I still miss him dearly. Also, we have unfinished business." Jiang Chen dug deeply into his vocabulary to finally articulate what he needed to say. The other side remained silent for a while before Nick finally explained the situation. Because of Jiang Chens terrible English, Nick purposely slowed down for him, and after a while, Jiang Chen finally understood what happened. To put it simply, Robert went on a business trip to Iraq two days ago and was kidnapped. With Nicks combat ability, this normally would not have happened, but the insider they worked with multiple times turned out to be a traitor; the group that came out to meet them werent local militants but instead masked terrorists. This was going to be problematic. [Fu*k, you have your gold business, but you ended up going to this ghetto place and dropped the ball at such a critical moment.] Regardless of Jiang Chens internal curses, however, Robert had his own reasons. During this period of time, he planned on staying safe, but because Jiang Chen failed to follow up with him, he started to question the deal. Did the Eastern man really have business for him? There were no other messages, so Robert decided to stop waiting and accepted the insider deal that had a "low" risk. Curses aside, Jiang Chen still had to find a way to solve the problem. For now, he didnt have any other routes to sell the gold for cash since it would be insane to sell 500 million USD worth of gold without proof of ownership. He did not wish to get tangled up with the authorities. So how about a visit to Iraq? Jiang Chen was hesitant at first, but upon further thought, a smile appeared on his face. Perhaps it wasnt such a bad idea. With his special equipment and superman-like body conditions, he was not afraid about the possible danger, especially since he could just run away if there was trouble. Turn the corner and travel to the apocalypse for a few days, and no one would catch him. At the same time, Jiang Chen also had other considerations as well. If he helped Robert, not only would the gold problem be resolved, but he would also gain another backup option. Even if he had to leave the country in the future, there would always be a place for him to go. He trusted that Robert would help him out if he was in need. Although they only met once, he could tell that Robert had a spirit that respected contracts. This was especially critical. If he was someone who only chased after profit without any regard to promises, then he was a waste of emotional investment. Even if Jiang Chen decided to save him, it was easier to find another partner. Once Jiang Chen made up his mind, he didnt waste a second as he immediately booked the tickets online to Dubai. He planned to layover in Dubai before heading to Baghdad. Since he already has his passport, all he needed was a travel visa before departing. Once ticketing was resolved, he immediately packed and left. No longer staying at his rented apartment, he found a hotel to stay at instead. Only after taking care of the gold problem would he consider buying a house. Although selling several tons of gold at once would be difficult, trading in a few kilograms wasnt entirely impossible. Jiang Chen, who was running out of money, retrieved a business card and called Mr. Liu at the gold store to book an appointment. Jiang Chen ended up exchanging seven kilograms of gold, but since he didnt care about the decimals, he sold it for 1.5 million. What Jiang Chen didnt notice as he left the gold store, however, was the look of greed that flashed across Liu Anshans poker face. The more he thought about it, Liu Anshan was certain that this guy had a special means of acquiring large amounts of gold. Perhaps by digging in graves? Or through illegal mines? Liu Anshan didnt know. All he knew was that this guy had much more gold! He had Jiang Chen secretly investigated. After acquiring the funds last time, he immediately spent everything. Now in less than a month later, he came again to sell more gold. What did this mean? It meant that he had an unimaginable amount of gold! If he came to possess it accidentally, there was no way for him to have spent it all so quickly. As for how dangerous Jiang Chen was? Liu Anshan already had him investigated with the help of a friend. He was just an employee at a clothing store in Shimao who ended up fired. There was no way he had any special background. It was time to contact his brother. When he thought about his brother, however, he was slightly hesitant. He didnt want to have anything to do with his brother, but in this case, he had no choice. Despite his misgivings, Liu Anshan made up his mind and called the number. "Hello? Brother? Its me, Liu Anshan. Lets cut the small talk. I want to propose a business deal if youre interested. Lets split it fifty-fifty, but the lowest Im willing to go is forty-sixty! No less." His brother was Liu Changlong, the head of Hongyi Gang and a prominent figure among Wanghai Citys crime scene. Jiang Chen even had a small conflict with the Hongyi Gang before. After leaving the gold store, Jiang Chen took a taxi to a rural area. He needed to rent a storage space to hold the supplies he needed in the apocalypse. Although online shopping was convenient, it was not a good long-term strategy. With thirty people now living in the base, it would be much easier to purchase in bulk from food distributors and also save on cost. After paying for one year of rent, Jiang Chen rented a small storage space. The area around and inside had excellent privacy protection which pleased him. The rent was not expensive either for a rural area at three thousand a month. After renting the storage space, Jiang Chen didnt rest but instead found the number of a Wanghai City food distributor online and dialed. He cut straight to the point and ordered ten tons of rice, five tons of flour, 300 boxes of canned meat, and 200 boxes of canned vegetables, as well as salt and oil. With such a large order coming in, the boss of the distributing company eagerly took the order. After getting the address, he guaranteed that the goods would arrive within two hours, but only after paying a down payment up front. Jiang Chen instead paid for the full amount. Once the full amount of 160,000 RMB arrived in his bank account, the boss became frantic. He didnt know how he got lucky to have met someone this rich. The full amount had been paid without hesitation. Immediately, he began to prepare and even personally rode the truck as they arrived at the storage. Jiang Chen obviously realized the boss flattering words and emphasized that if the quality of this batch was good, he would come to him the next time as well. The boss of course promised that every bag of rice was newly produced and all of the canned food were from certified producers. Jiang Chen didnt comment and instead hinted that the next batch would preferably be without labels. The boss paused momentarily before he smiled mischievously at Jiang Chen and agreed. It wasnt difficult for him to acquire products that way as he would just contact the people he knew at the factory. For him, it was one less step in their production. After some small talk, the boss shrewdly left, sensing the Jiang Chen still had things to do. After the truck drove away, Jiang Chen returned to the storage and shut the door tight. It was time to do the real business. He inhaled deeply and looked around at the supplies that nearly filled the entire storage. He then lit up a cigarette, which was something that he did every time he travelled between the two dimensions. In front of Miss Sun Jiaos shocked and joyful gaze, Jiang Chen moved all of the supplies into the swimming pool that had previously contained the gold. The swimming pool was now full of food. "Ill help you get a couple more vaults of gold," Sun Jiao blurted out after gathering her thoughts from her temporary shock. This was the only thing that came out of her mouth. "Pshh, I havent sold all of the gold yet. And even if you got more, I wouldnt be able to exchange it for money. Also, these supplies cost nothing there," Jiang Chen explained. "Then why dont you bring back more?" Sun Jiao was slightly embarrassed. She tried to cover her expression with a furious look and a flash of her teeth at Jiang Chenexcept in Jiang Chens eyes, it was all harmless coquetry. "Dont be greedy. Would you even be able to finish it?" Jiang Chen laughed as he patted Sun Jiaos butt. "I can. Even if I cant, Id just leave it here." Sun Jiao blushed as she stared at Jiang Chen again. "Dont become a little pig. Then Id have to eat Yao Yao," Jiang Chen said jokingly. "Do you want to die? You pervert." Embarrassed, Sun Jiao lifted her hand and hit Jiang Chen on the shoulder, but from Jiang Chens smiling face, she could tell it hadnt hurt at all. Of course Jiang Chen didnt mean it; he was not perverted enough to eat Yao Yao. Also, Sun Jiaos flexible waist didnt seem like it would grow fatter anytime soon. "Oh, and find a few detailed-oriented people to scratch off the production date and the other symbols. You have to be extremely careful with this, or maybe you and Yao Yao should take care of it personally. In the future, Ill try to obtain supplies without any labels." After repeatedly urging Sun Jiao in a few more things, Jiang Chen traveled back to the modern world. He looked at the empty storage unit again and headed back out. He locked the door and cautiously checked to see if it was visible from the outside before he walked to the road and called a taxi to go back to the city. In the car, he called Xia Shiyu. "What? You have to leave the country? For how long?" Surprisingly enough, Xia Shiyu didnt seem too shocked by the news of Jiang Chen disappearing again. Perhaps she was used to it. At least this time, Jiang Chen told her his plan and didnt just disappear on her without any warning. The last time, Xia Shiyu had been so afraid that she almost called the police thinking he got into an accident. "Hmm, not too long, business-related. Ill be back in a week." "Then what about the company?" Xia Shiyu sighed resignedly. "Of course its up to you, hehe." "" When she heard Jiang Chens laughter, Xia Shiyu tiredly rubbed her temple. "I stored all of the game data onto the USB drive, so Ill send it to you in a bit. Youre much more familiar with the advertisement process than I am. Hehe, so youll have to work a bit harder this time. Ill treat you to dinner after I come back." Jiang Chen felt he was becoming more shameless by the minute. "Treat me for a week!" Xia Shiyu said angrily. "No problem, one month works as well!" The hearty voice from the other side made her unable to vent her frustration. She hung up and flung the phone aside, leaning back against sofa with a huff. This guy If she were his boss like before She thought about what happened and suddenly became silent. For some reason, she was suddenly reminded of how she had fired Jiang Chen and the miserable time when she herself had lost her job. Suddenly, she felt terrible about herself. Guilt? Unease? Self-blame? She couldnt explain the emotion. The back of head pressed against the sofa. She didnt know what she was thinking about and just stared blankly at the ceiling. She liked this modernized apartment as the two-floor design really combined spaciousness with comfort. Despite her uptight workstyle, in her free time, she was someone who had a taste for a luxurious lifestyle. With a salary of ten thousand RMB, she spent half as rent, but she didnt feel bad about it. She believed that the purpose of earning money was to improve life quality and excessive saving only demonstrated lack of confidence in the future. Jiang Chen also didnt expect her to pay back the loan, so she didnt have to save money for that either. What she didnt realize until now was that while she usually carefully planned her spending, she hadnt even considered paying back her loan in her monthly budget. She blankly stared at the intricate crystal chandelier as she remembered her time in the cheap apartment that cost 800 a month. Back then, she had to carefully plan every meal. For some reason, a mans face surfaced in her mind, that always grinning face. To be honest, the normally serious Xia Shiyu really disliked that improper grin. However, she could not come to dislike the face. With dilated pupils, Xia Shiyu touched her lips but didnt know why. There was a throb in her heart that she had never felt before. [What is this? Whatever, Ill stop thinking.] She shook her head and stood up after turning off the TV. Since Jiang Chen was sending the USB drive in a bit, it was not good to see him like this. With the thought of taking a shower, Xia Shiyu entered the bedroom and prepared clothes to change into. She then walked into the bathroom and shut the glass door. She stared at the water coming out of the showerhead and let the clear water trickle down her flawless skin. Xia Shiyu entered a daze once more. [Hmmm? After the jog, I already showered] 44 Xia Shiyu’s Apartmen Chapter 44: Xia Shiyus Apartment Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi He got off at Xinyuan community as Jiang Chen walked towards Xia Shiyus rented apartment. The community had a lovely scenery. This girl certainly knew how to enjoy life. The side of the road was covered with plants and trees as a curious smile appeared on his face. The basketball court in the middle of the community had a few high school students playing a game. On the small field with training equipment, elders were practicing Taiji. Some were also playing chess under the tree. Families were taking a walk and also young people were jogging. The entire community was crowded but not noisy. Walking into the apartment building, Jiang Chen pressed the elevator button. [This girl rented a place on the 14th floor, is she not afraid of heights.] He walked to the door and rang the bell, as he heard the sound of steps approach the door. You are here. Come in. The door opened, and Xia Shiyu with a towel in her hand showed up at the door. Jiang Chen noticed there was still a few droplets of water on her shoulder, seems like she showered not long ago. Are you not going to come in? Xia Shiyu saw that Jiang Chen didnt move and slightly raised her eyebrows, and asked confusedly. Ahem, yes, yes. I was just thinking about something. Jiang Chen coughed as he recollected himself from her stunning look. Oh? I am going to guess its not work related. Xia Shiyu shrugged and walked back into her room. My computer is here, put your USB in there. Jiang Chen closed the door behind him and took off his shoes. The moment he looked up, Jiang Chen saw her gorgeous figure. Maybe it was because she just showered, but Xia Shiyu''s body had a lingering scent of the shower gels fragrance. The loose pajama slightly dampened by water looked a lot more fitting as it pressed against her beautiful figure. Especially the curve of her butt. Jiang Chen gulped in confusion. [This girl is not seducing me right?] If Xia Shiyu knew the narcissistic thought in Jiang Chens mind, she probably would have angrily kicked him out. The bedroom was often filled with its owners fragrance, Jiang Chen didnt think too much about it in the beginning. However, when Jiang Chen walked into Xia Shiyus bedroom and smelled her beautiful scent, he felt awkward. But seeing Xia Shiyu''s seriousness when setting up the computer, Jiang Chen had to suppress the odd feeling. Ok, connect the USB. Xia Shiyu got up and walked out of the room. Jiang Chen ashamedly touched his nose, but when he saw the desktop filled with work related documents, he felt guilty as he quickly regathered his concentration and focused on work. He inserted the USB into the computer and copied the folders. Yao Yao put a lot of attention into the work as all the information relation to the game was compiled together. With this information, the application procedure to the authority would be much simpler to do. Of course, its Xia Shiyu that had to do it. Is it done? Let me take a look. Xia Shiyus voice made Jiang Chen jump as he didnt know when she had returned to the room along with a chair. She sat beside Jiang Chen. She wore her glasses wih a professional look and grabbed the mouse from Jiang Chens hand as she scanned line by line through the document about the game. The light fragrance post-shower whiffed from her hair which made Jiang Chen a bit thirsty. To be honest, Xia Shiyu looked absolutely gorgeous by any standards, a form of beauty that was almost unearthly. But before Jiang Chen never thought about her in this way as he just viewed her as someone who could manage the company, as well as one of the few friends he had. However, under the influence of the hormonal fragrance, even if he wanted to stop thinking about it, it was already out of his control. They were also in a flirtatious environment. The warm colored light and wallpaper could make anyone fall asleep, but it could also ignite peoples desire. Whats worse was that there was a soft bed behind them. Bed, Beauty, in the same room. He carefully examined the side of his ex-boss'' face, it looked stunning. Jiang Chen''s breath began to shorten. Whoever created this game is a genius. Xia Shiyus untimely exclamation interrupted Jiang Chens bewildered thoughts. She pushed up her glasses and continued, Its impeccable in every category. The usage of cloud computing to reduce the hardware requirement, at the same time not costing a lot of data. Although I am not a professional in the game development, if the games quality is equal to what the report stated, I can confidently say that this game will be groundbreaking in the history of mobile games. Ahem, of course, I hired someone professional to handle the game design aspect. Well focus on the operation of it. Also, the game server requires specialized equipment. There is instruction along with it, just give it to the specialists to take care of. Jiang Chen pretended to cough as he tried to cover up his peeking act. He recollected his thoughts and refocused on work. Hmm? Did you bring the server? Xia Shiyu lightly frowned as she looked confusingly at the PC sized equipment in her room. Of course I brought it. I put it behind the door, and you didnt notice. Jiang Chen rushed to explain. He remembered after he came into the room. So he brought it out from the storage dimension after she went into the living room. Xia Shiyu didnt persist with these trivial details as she nodded before asking a few more questions related to the game. Jiang Chen did his best to explain and stated that all the information should be in the documents. Ill organize the information out which will take around two days. Although my experience in this is nearly zero, after the extensive period of study, I should be able to I trust your ability. Jiang Chen interrupted her with a smile. Jiang Chens look of trust made Xia Shiyus face feel hot. When Jiang Chen was smelling Xia Shiyus fragrance, she also sensed the smell from Jiang Chens body. Dont be mistaken as it was not body odor. Instead, it was a unique hormonal scent. Just like the fragrance in her room, Xia Shiyu couldn''t tell, but Jiang Chen as the opposite sex could clearly detect this unique aroma. The speed of her heart beat increased which made Xia Shiyu a little frustrated and nervous. Although she didnt dislike this kind of feeling, she felt embarrassed by not concentrating on her work. Yes, embarrassed. She always worked diligently and was proud of the very fact. Mhmm, I wont disappoint your expectation. A stiff tone. Jiang Chen sensed that Xia Shiyus facial expression was a bit rigid as he felt uneasy as well. [Did this girl figure out that I peeked at her?] Of course, he thought too much. Xia Shiyu had her reasons for showing such an expression. Also, I have some recommendations for the company site. If we want to get the company on track sooner, lets take care of these things as early as possible. Xia Shiyu opened an office rental site with listings of empty offices. This, the Continental Building Floor 12. It is near the subway, and all the necessary services are near. The price is also reasonable. Take a look at the pictures and see what you think. Xia Shiyu skillfully opened the image below and showed Jiang Chen. The work atmosphere has erased some of the flirtatious feelings out of the air, even Jiang Chen became focused. Of course, he still didnt really know what he was doing, even if he focused. Then this one it is. Jiang Chen scratched his face. He thought that he probably wouldnt go into the office very often, so he didnt care about where it would be located. Arent you going to compare it to the other ones? This one too, although the ease of transportation is not ideal, it is near the universities which would make the hiring process a lot easier. For a small and new company like us, it''s hard to attract experienced professionals to jump ship and join us. What do you mean a small company, wheres your confidence? Jiang Chen rolled his eyes as he said unsatisfied. Now that I see the president is so confident, I am also very hopeful for the company. Then the company location will be [This girl is becoming more skilled at handling me.] Jiang Chen thought. To be fair, it is great to have an assistant. No, she is the CEO. Whatever, it is all the same. Jiang Chen decided to choose the office near the University. For no other reason than that the building was only six stories high. He hates high places. If he told Xia Shiyu the real reason, she would have been shocked. The rent was 2000 RMB a month. She could take care of the remaining items tomorrow, and Jiang Chen even assigned her to do the renovation. Dont save money for me, Ill invest another ten million RMB in a few days, lets do something magnificent. When Xia Shiyu asked how long the term of the lease should be and whats the budget for renovation, Jiang Chen waved his hand and replied, "Ten million?" Once he takes care of the gold, one hundred million will be nothing. Let me be honest, if the game is already developed, the only thing the company needs to take care of is operation and maintenance. So we wont need this much funding within the short period of time, Xia Shiyu replied with a bitter smile. Haha, who said we cant use it? I told you before that we are going into the phone industry. Once the phone is developed, iPhone and Samsung will all be giving their market share to us. Jiang Chen recklessly laughed. For the president''s brazen laughter, Xia Shiyu only rolled her eyes and didnt respond. She didnt think Jiang Chen had the capability to do so. Even if he did, ten million was nowhere enough for development and production. But Jiang Chen didnt react to her rolled eyes. Yes, iPhone 6 was a fantastic product, but it was nowhere comparable to the technology from 100 years later. It doesnt even have to be 100 years later. Jiang Chen just needed to ask the starving technology genius to improve those ancient communication products and release them. Ahead of the market by 10 years would be enough for all the competitors to chase after him. Also, he must ensure that the phone won''t be replicable so that his hard work won''t be stolen. He doesnt want to see any knock offs of Future Technology. The key technology should be patented. The phone would have to come later as the short-term focus was going to be placed on software. Also, can I know where you are going to be in the next few days? Which country are you going to for business? Xia Shiyu had hesitated for a moment before she interrupted his envisioning. Hmm? Iraq, Jiang Chen carelessly spilled out the truth. Iraq. Xia Shiyu almost choked on her own spit. What kind of business required him to go there?! 45 The Iraq Trip Chapter 45: The Iraq Trip Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi "Food, yours." His English was more broken than the Eastern Man. A terrorist with a masked face and an AK47 placed a bowl of muddy looking soup and black bread on the table. He mocked the white man who crawled into the corner before he turned around and slammed the door. Robert weakly moved when he saw that the man left. He quickly walked to the table and grabbed the rock hard bread. His blond hair was already greasy, and his face looked pale, but his eyes remained bright. Even if he didnt know whats the soup or the hardly chewable bread in his hands was made out of, he didnt look the slightest bit remorseful. He chewed carefully, despite the fact that the food was barely edible. But he knew that this would maximize the amount of energy he had and would preserve it. Then, he could seek the opportunity to escape. Roberts face did not look distressed at all. Even if the poor reporter that stayed beside him yesterday was screaming in pain, he remained calm. Without a doubt, that guy must have his throat slit and recorded. The majority of the government would not compromise with the terrorist groups and pay ransom for the hostages. Maybe in a couple of days when he heads back, he could see that poor sucker on Facebook, in the form of video, if he could go back. This was not the first time Robert faced situations like this. Militants in Kuwait kidnaped him and almost slit his throat. But the good thing was that Blackwater International took the money and did some good deeds with the UA army. They managed to save him at the absolute last moment. However, this time it was far more questionable. Although he was a UA citizen and acted in the interest of the country, recently his act of smuggling oil from Iran has caught the attention of the FBA. Rumor has that special agents were collecting evidence in this area. Maybe due to this insiders betrayal, this was the FBA''s act of taking him out, then why would the UA army save him? The bald Biden had no guts. If the FBA just threatened him a little, he would join the witness protection program and sell out his old friend. Robert was not too angry at this. He had seen his fair share of betrayal. If he died here this time, then Biden was lucky, but if he managed to return to Los Santos, hehe. A ferocious smile flashed across Roberts face. Of course, all this talk would be nonsense because his probability of survival was so slim. Although Nick was reliable and a fitted warrior, he was alone after all. Facing a group of fully equipped terrorists would be unrealistic. Especially in hostage rescue, that must be done with one swift action. He mocked at himself for the thought as he finished the last bit of bread before lying on the bed again. His instinct told him that he would be okay this time. His instinct had saved him on more than one occasion, so he trusted his instinct and didnt give up the hope for survival. Jiang Chen got off the plane and stepped into the Baghdad International Airport. The religious city was not exactly as they described it in the news, in constant chaos. At least, not near the airport. The marks left by the war has been slowly healed through the passage of time. It was also evident by the constant flow of foreign tourists. However, he knew this prosperity was limited. IS already occupied half of the area in Northern Iraq. Even if the sky above Baghdad were still clear, it wouldn''t take long before a gloom of war cast its shadow. Jiang Chen in shades stood in front of the airport for a while before he took out his phone to check Google maps. He quickly found the arranged meeting spot with Nick. Just as he was about to call a taxi, an unlicensed car stopped in front of him. "Sir, do you need a taxi?" It was in Han, although not fluent. "Yes, do you know Han?" Jiang Chen was surprised. He had paused for a moment before he opened the car door. "Its because I often find jobs near your wells, for example servicing PetroChina workers. So I learned Han in the process." The young man smiled with his white teeth exposed as he skillfully started the car. "My name is Ehsa, what about you sir?" "Jiang Chen. Head to this place on the map." Jiang Chen showed the location on the map to Ehsa. "Okay." With the changing scenery passing by him, Jiang Chen chatted with the taxi driver, who was around the same age as him and he heard some interesting stories. "Sir if you are here to travel, I recommend a few cities in the South. However, dont head north as Haditha is almost conquered, it might not be long until Baghdad is unsafe too." "Hmmm? Looks like you know these things pretty well. How long have you been doing this?" Jiang Chen smiled. "For about six years, I have been driving taxis ever since I left the army. I also spent some time being a tourist guide," Ehsa replied. "You have been in the army before? I feel like you are no older than me," Jiang Chen asked with confusion in his voice. "I enlisted when I was 12, in what you guys call the Iraq war." Ehsa shrugged as the topic did not seem to bother him. "A hectic show without even seeing the enemy. It was over before it started. I just felt like Saddam gave me a gun and sent me to surrender in the front line." He was amazed by the young mans experience but didnt continue on the topic further. The car soon arrived at the destination, and Jiang Chen generously handed a 10 USD bill to him. He watched the car leave as he stretched and looked for Nick. "Here." Just at that moment, the foreigner sitting under the shade, drinking coffee, waved at Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen sat directly across from Nick. But before he sat down, Nick hastily began speaking. "Just yourself?" "Yes." Jiang Chen grabbed an empty cup and poured himself a cup. It was bitter, seems to be authentic Turkish coffee. Jiang Chen took a sip before putting it down and noticed Nicks slightly disappointed look. "Hmm? You seem disappointed?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "You are an adamant warrior, but with just the two of us, it is going to be difficult," Nick replied with his voice lowered. "I am not just strong, youll see." Jiang Chen shrugged. "Where is your weapon?" "Its in the car. Do you need me to prepare one for you as well?" Nick saw that Jiang Chen came empty handed and asked. "Not necessary, I have prepared my weapon already. I believe that you already have clues about the whereabouts of your boss, lets find him then. Hehe, he still owes me a deal," Jiang Chen smiled and spoke with a relaxed voice as if he never viewed these terrorists as real threats. Jiang Chens relaxed mood made Nick frown slightly, but since there were no other options at the time, it would be dangerous to be delayed by even a day. Soldiers instinct told him that this guy was not to be underestimated, but he was not certain of his exact level. "Lets talk about the exact details on the car. Robert is in great danger. If you saw the news yesterday, you''d know that IS already executed a UA reporter. If they dont receive the ransom by tomorrow, they might kill the hostage." Nick lit up a cigarette and handed Jiang Chen one as he took Jiang Chen to his car. "Your boss cant afford the ransom?" Jiang Chen lit up the cigarette. "IS wanted the UA government to pay," Nick said emotionlessly. The meaning behind that was evident. The car started as Nick took the wheel and headed out of the town. They passed by two inspection stations, but it was rather procedural as the stations let them go when there were no bombs found. The assault rifle hidden under Nicks seat was not detected during both inspections. On the way, Nick explained what kind of trouble they encountered this time. It was about five days ago, Robert accepted an old friends invitation, Biden, to come to Iraq. It was a military arms deal worth twenty million USD. The buyer was supposed to be a militant fighting on the front line against IS. Order from the UA middlemen and acquiring additional firearm was the unspoken rule on this desert. Although Robert sensed something was off, he was not too suspicious. It was a deal over twenty million USD. He would earn one million just by working with him. Biden was such a great guy. After he arranged the transportation of military arms on the battlefront between the government militants and IS, he met a bunch of extreme terrorists screaming "Allah Akbar." Nick was indeed a great warrior as he used an M27 to kill at least 10 fearless terrorists, but that was useless. To acquire those arms, the IS with "secret information" sent out at least a battalion of forces and was equipped with heavy machine guns and RPG. He almost didnt get out of there alive. The firearm fell into the hands of the IS, and Robert was captured. Nick fought fearlessly to find an escape path to the safe zone. Of course, that doesnt mean he would leave his boss there, Robert saved his life before. He knew that the only way to save his boss was to escape himself first. He stayed in Haditha as he had a feeling that IS didnt bring IS into their territory. The next day, he received a phone call from someone who picked up a ten dollar UA bill. On the bill, it said, "If you call this number, and tell him where you found the bill, youll receive one hundred dollars in compensation." Nick first thought it was a trap, but it was his only hope. After meeting the man, Nick paid him the compensation and followed him to where he picked up the bill. It was fortunate that it was not a trap, Robert was cunning. He always hid a ten dollar bill in his shoe as he believed the first finance minister of the United States would bring him luck and riches. At the same time, it saved him in critical moments. It was clear that "Hamilton" saved him. "Why dont you contact the embassy? The UA soldiers are all experts in hostage rescue," Jiang Chen said in a relaxed voice. "Its the FBA who''s behind this all. Those fools cant find evidence, so they wanted to get rid of Robert." With the cigarette in his mouth, he already put his shades on. Jiang Chen couldnt see his facial expression. "Oh? I thought Robert represented the UA government." Jiang Chen shrugged. "He did in Iraq, but it happened in Kane which is not related to the Iran problem," Nick briefly answered the question as he turned the wheel and drove off the road. It was clear that Robert trusted his bodyguard as he even explained these things to him. Jiang Chen remembered that Robert told him about smuggling oil before. It must be that he left some evidence and the FBA is after him. "We are not going on the road?" "There is an IS station in the front, we cant pass. Also, we are almost there." Robert calmly drove the car into an alley and shut the engine. Jiang Chen opened the door and got out. He looked around and figured it was a ghetto. Occasionally a childs malnourished head popped out of the window and curiously looked at the two foreigners. But a hand would come and drag the children back into the room and tightly shut the window. "These civilians are quite sensitive about the war." Jiang Chen smiled as he threw the cigarette bud onto the ground. "The moment they were born they started to experience the war." Nick grabbed a backpack under the car seat. He saw Jiang Chens relaxed look and raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure this is okay?" "No problem, trust me." Jiang Chen sighed. "In Iraq, Han Kungfu is not that particularly helpful." "In your foreigners eyes, do all the Han know Kungfu?" Jiang Chen laughed at the remark. I should show him something. Jiang Chens right hand reached behind his back and opened the storage dimension. In Nicks eyes, he just reached, and a pistol appeared in his hand. Nick was shocked as he didnt even sense Jiang Chen hid the gun. He also did not recognize the gun. "This gun is?" "11 Tactical Pistol, custom made, dont worry about it." Jiang Chen put the gun into his bag and shrugged. Nick nodded as he no longer questioned. Just like that, Jiang Chen followed Nick and walked to the building where Robert was held. 46 Rescue Chapter 46: Rescue Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_, Rundi "Theres one on the roof, four standing on the second floor, and five out front." Nick stretched out on top of the roof and used a pair of binoculars to observe the target structure. "Robert is confirmed alive." The three-story tall building had at least ten terrorists on site. Nick began to worry for Jiang Chen as even for someone like him, it would be nearly impossible to rescue someone without alerting nearby guards. However, if they alerted the guards on patrol duty in the streets, then they must face the attack from an entire town of IS soldiers. "Affirmative, just cover me when I back out." Jiang Chen stood by a fruit store picking fruits as he occasionally glanced at the IS soldiers passing by. He had a head scarf on his head with only his eyes exposed. It was exciting for him. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath before turning into an alley. He noticed that there was no one around, so he took out the bag Yao Yao gave him from the storage dimension and equipped it onto himself. The drone from the future was going to be useful now as an odd smile appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. He connected his EP onto the palm-sized circle disk. The bottom of the drone slightly vibrated followed by an almost undetectable noise as it followed Jiang Chen''s instruction and flew into the air. It carefully avoided the sight of the guards as Jiang Chen cautiously controlled the drone to fly over the wall onto the top floor. It recorded the heat map of the entire building as all the guards appeared on the EP map. After he had parked the drone on the top floor, Jiang Chen gave an order to Nick. "Take out the scout on the top floor." "Affirmative." Nick naturally noticed Jiang Chens drone and was surprised by Jiang Chens ability. He zoomed in with his M27 rifle. The silencer lightly buzzed. A blood hole appeared on the terrorists forehead. As he was about to fall over, the drone hidden behind him popped a hook and carried his body to the middle of the roof and slowly released him. Not a single person noticed. Nick was completely stunned. He saw the Indago drone that the UA special forces used in Kane and he thought that represented the peak of the drone technology. But when he saw the palm-sized drone, his understanding of field was challenged. Silent enough to move behind the target and its hook powerful enough to drag the body. This was the first time he saw a drone that agile and discreet. [His countrys military technology is this powerful? Or is Jiang Chen representing an unknown force?] Nick didnt understand, but he didnt need to understand. He knew that his boss could be rescued now. Jiang Chen used the image generated through his EP to determine the guard''s distribution within the building. He took a deep breath and moved to the side of the building. He pressed against the ground, for the first time using all his strength in the modern world. Jiang Chen hopped two meters high, grabbed onto the roof of a small building and rolled beside the water tank. It was a smooth move. This was the muscle and reflex two times stronger than ordinary people. He gradually clinched his fingers and looked at the street across. It was three meters wide with little traffic. Eight meters away from the roof, with a height difference of two meters. "How far is the closest patrol from this place?" Jiang Chen used the communication device in his ear and asked. "Two streets," Nick answered after he scanned the area. "I am about to enter, watch out for me." "Understood." Nick put the binoculars aside as he reloaded the M27 rifle. Fury! Red dots began to pop up in Jiang Chen vision. Even the wall cannot stop the vivid red from appearing, it belonged to the color of hearts beating. The desire to rip the hearts apart. All the cells in his body were boiling. He inhaled and tried to suppress the negative emotions from his mind as he slightly bent his knees. If it were two times his muscle strength, it would be questionable, but now it was four times. Abruptly, his pushed his legs down onto the ground and stepped back before he dashed across the eight-meter distance, grasping onto the roof of the third floor. [Fu*k, this hurts.] The fury strengthened his muscle but not his bones. The shock from the impact with the wall made him grind his teeth together, but he managed to overcome the pain and initiated the tranquilizer on the EP. Fury disarmed. His heartbeat returned to normal. "What is it?" A terrorist looked out the window and scanned for any irregularity. "Dont know, let Zayev go take a look." Jiang Chen held his breath as he pressed against the wall. He didnt understand what they were saying as he prayed that they wont look up. Jiang Chen was right above the IS soldier. If he got caught, then he would have to fight a violent battle. He wasnt afraid, but Roberts safety would be jeopardized. Jiang Chens sudden move shocked Nick as he didnt suspect Jiang Chen to jump across. [An eight-meter distance, two-meter height difference? Superman?] Nick didnt let his guard down when he saw Jiang Chen sneak into the building, his rifle aimed directly at the head stuck outside the window. If he looked up and saw Jiang Chen, Nick would have to kill him. Stealth entry would become a battle. Fortunately, it seemed that it was inconvenient to look up while wearing a hat, the terrorist didnt see anything odd, so he retracted his head. From common sense, no one could jump onto a building. Jiang Chen was relieved as he rolled onto the roof. The reason why he dared to use brute force to jump over was not that he didnt think it through. Instead, when fury was activated, he saw the distribution of the people in the room. He estimated that the risk of being spotted was small, so he decided to use four times the strength of a regular people and jumped over. First, silence device. NATO special forces equipment, he purchased at the Sixth Street Junk Yard for 30 crystals. The device could silence up to a radius of ten meters. Although not as useful in the apocalypse, but quite handy in the modern world. It can be activated for 15 seconds. He laughed and took out the device from where Nick couldnt see. He pressed the device against the roof. He then started the drone and made sure the IS soldiers were unaware before he rotated the silent devices button. Buzz. It produced a sound of buzzing electricity. The surrounding air became unstable under the unique field, all sounds were erased. The brick roof was exploded open with dynamite. Jiang Chen did not hesitate as he took out his pistol and jumped into the room. Future tech was indeed powerful, no one noticed the violent explosion. With both feet on the ground, Jiang Chen saw Robert in the corner. He ripped off his headscarf and smiled. "I cant believe you are the one saving me, my friend," Robert said with a bitter smile. "Oh? Are you disappointed?" Jiang Chen shrugged with a joking voice. "No, I appreciate your help." Robert stood up and genuinely bowed down. "If there is anything I can assist you with in the future, please dont hesitate to tell me." "You still owe me a deal." Robert was confused for a brief second before he smiled. "Not just a deal, my friend." Jiang Chen didnt continue talking with him. He retracted the silent device and walked to the door. Robert surprisingly looked at the pistol in Jiang Chens hand. For as long as he has been in the firearm business, he never saw a gun like it. As well as the silent explosion. But Robert didnt ask, everyone had their own privacy. It would be impolite to ask. If he could rescue people, it won''t be hard to kill people. "Nick, the hostage is rescued. Cover me," Jiang Chen spoke into the communication device. "I understand," Nick replied emotionlessly as a cruel smile appeared across his face. [You bastards, Ill kill you all.] He opened the safety. He locked onto a terrorist that looked like a commander and pulled the trigger. Bang! The blood hole penetrated through the targets head as he dropped down onto the floor. "Enemy! Enemy!" "Its the UA citizens! Quick!" But what they didnt know was, the one firing was a Byelorussian, and the one rescuing was an Eastern man. Shouting noises resonated through the door, as well as the explosive firing of the assault rifles. Jiang Chen monitored the outside with the drone. Nick was indeed an experienced soldier. A single rifle was enough to suppress all the IS soldiers. The screaming bullets accurately penetrated through flesh and ended their sinful lives one by one. Nick managed to control the soldiers around the building. Jiang Chen waved at Robert signaling their retreat. He aimed his pistol at the wooden door. Bang! The wooden door was slammed open. A terrorist screaming a foreign language rushed in with an assault rifle and met a pistol in his face. Boom! With a hole in his forehead, the man dropped dead. "Instincts, dont worry about it," Jiang Chen joked with the shocked Robert before he rushed out. Instinct? The drones instinct. "Wulahualala" Jiang Chen replied to the nonsensical screaming with a bullet. Although the 11 tactical pistol was only a pistol, it was technology from 100 years later. Despite the same size bullet, the material of the bullet as well its accuracy was far superior compared to modern weapons. Although it was a pistol, it could easily shoot through the brick wall. The highly penetrative bullet made the IS soldiers around the stairs not dare to come close to the wall. But as they continued to hide, it troubled Jiang Chen as well. Since this is an IS-controlled territory, there was no way they could escape if this dragged on. Time to try the thermal detection grenade. A grimace appeared on Jiang Chens face. The thing he got from Zhao Chenwu, the firearm dealer from the apocalypse. He popped the switch and threw the grenade away. The grenade in midair suddenly paused as flames began to spit out from one side. It was as if it had eyes, it flew directly at the IS soldiers around the stairs. They didnt even have time to duck down. The grenade exploded as soon as it detected heat. Boom! The explosive chips destroyed the entire staircase. Jiang Chen could almost sense the violent explosion. "God, what are these things?" Robert hid behind Jiang Chens back as he blankly stared ahead. "Some new gadgets. Stop talking, follow me." Jiang Chen changed a clip and rushed to the stairs. Thermal detection grenade. Those things were slightly pricey being five times the price of a regular grenade. It was only useful on humans and would be interfered by the cheaper EMP grenade or heat bait, so they were not as useful in the apocalypse. All the sudden, the wooden floor crashed open on the side. "Allah!" A man with an assault rifle dashed out and tried to smash his gun against Jiang Chens head. But he did have a reflex of 29, so he would not get hit by a surprise attack like that. A violent stream of air ripped through Jiang Chens arm as the almost liquid phase nitrogen slammed onto the mans chest like a hammer. He flew away like a bomb and smashed against the wall. [Should be dead. Damn, this thing could be used as a close range weapon.] Jiang Chen pleasingly looked at the metal bracelet on his arm. Robert stared dumbfoundedly at him. Jiang Chen glanced at him, and half-jokingly said. "I guess you are going to keep the secret for me, right?" Robert continued to stare dully, but he nodded. [God is this a Hollywood movie.] Jiang Chen was pleased by Roberts reaction as he signaled for him to follow and rushed downstairs. He was not afraid of Robert not keeping the secret, no one would believe some of the things that happened. Especially if he were smart enough, he would shut his mouth. 47 The Unexpected Chapter 47: The Unexpected Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Jiang Chen, get out. IS patrol squad already noticed the disturbances on this side, and they are sending backup." Nicks voice transmitted from the communication device. "Understood." Nick waved at Robert and shouted, "Quick! Start running." Before he finished his sentence, Jiang Chen dashed out of the building and fired into the sky. The gunshot dispersed all the confused civilians. At the same time, he called Robert and headed directly into the alley. "Dam*it! There are heavy machine guns." Nick cursed as he quickly began to move. His position was already exposed when they cross fired. The Toyota pickup truck carrying heavy machine guns drove through the streets and headed for the building where the hostage was held. The soldier on the pickup truck called the other soldiers while forcefully opening the switch, preparing to shoot. Tatata! The bullets fired like rain drops, quickly suppressing Nicks position which forced him to get on the floor and crawl to the stairs. He then jumped up and fled downstairs. The IS soldiers were not to be taken lightly as the ten person patrol team carried their assault rifles and moved towards Nicks location with the intention of surrounding him. However, as a seasoned veteran, he stepped back and shot with his M27 while moving back to the car. On the other side, Jiang Chen used his EP to control the drone and avoided the chasing IS soldiers as they passed through the crossfire zone harm free. "Quick! Get in the car! You drive!" Jiang Chen opened the door and pushed Robert in. He then flew the drone in Nicks direction. "I have been surrounded, you guys leave first." Nick gritted his teeth and glanced at the wound on his left shoulder. He fired a few rounds with one hand and then ran into another alley. Although he remembered the layout of this place, his knowledge was nowhere comparable to the IS soldiers that regularly patrolled this area. Nick already accepted his fate, or else he should have already died in that small town in Kane. He would have repaid the favor. A grimace smile appeared on Nicks face as he slammed against the dug-outs beside the road. He decided not to run anymore. He wanted to teach these bloodthirsty hounds who was the real warrior! "Six oclock direction, go through that alley, quick!" The voice from his headphone made him pause for a brief second before he clenched his teeth and followed Jiang Chens direction into the alley. Almost at the same time, he caught, with the corner of his eyes, a Toyota pickup truck that just ran across where he was. A drop of cold sweat rolled down his face as he immediately followed Jiang Chens instruction and moved. "There is a fruit store, go in it, theres a back door in the room." Under the guidance of the drone, all of the ISs movements were exposed. Although it was the complete opposite direction as the car, Nick chose to trust Jiang Chens instruction. He kicked open the wooden door as he disregarded the screaming woman, the frightened man as well as the innocent children. He threateningly held his gun up and then with quick strides he aimed at the back door. Slam! Nick used his right shoulder, slammed open the door and got on another street. "Cross the street and go into the alley before you make a left turn." The sound of IS soldiers footsteps and shouting resonated from afar. Nick resisted the pain in his shoulder and carried his assault rifle across the street. The footsteps were moving away. It looked like they lost him. Nick let out a sigh of relief before he took out the bandage. He wrapped his wound while running. Under Jiang Chens direction, he quickly got back to the car. "We have to hurry, there are more and more IS soldiers coming in this direction." Jiang Chen helped Nick open the back door as he sat in the front passenger seat. Robert sat behind the wheel as he started the car. Nick ripped off his shirt and changed into a shirt that he previously prepared to cover his wound. "Where are we going?" Robert drove the car out of the alley and scanned around. Jiang Chen reached out of the window to retract the palm-sized drone as he stuffed it back into his pocket. "Head into the desert, all the roads are blocked off." "God I am still alive, this is unbelievable." Robert steered the wheel as he exaggeratedly let out a long sigh. "We havent escaped yet." Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile. He still did underestimate the ability of the terrorists as they responded with such swiftness. The original plan was to follow the road and head back into Baghdad. "IS is much stronger compared to other extremists. I thought you had plans," Nick had hesitated for a moment before he spoke. Jiang Chen heard the words as he smiled with bitterness. [I really dont have a plan, looks like I have been too cocky this time.] He was not worried about getting caught by the IS since he could always hide in the apocalypse. However, he couldnt bring Robert and Nick over. "" Robert sensed the awkwardness on Jiang Chens face as he laughed. "Dont worry, well see as we go. They cant be chasing us forever." He opened the GPS on the car. "We still have enough fuel. Well cross the desert and go from the northern side of the Tharthar Lake to Tikrit. If we are lucky, the government force should be in control of the area." A smile full of resignation appeared on Roberts face, but Jiang Chen couldnt even smile at all. In other words, if Tikrit is under the control of IS. They must take the gamble. If he knew it was so problematic Its fine since he was already here and had the opportunity to test the strength of this equipment. Jiang Chen shook his head as he closed his eyes to rest. Surprisingly, he realized that he no longer felt uncomfortable killing people. It was hard to say if it was a good thing or not. Perhaps it was because all the people he killed deserved it. Jiang Chen remembered the atrocious acts conducted by the IS as he tried to justify his actions. Robert looked rather optimistic as he hymned along with the tune on the car. The guy probably has seen too many deaths to be bothered by it. Once the explosive song played, the car lifted the dust up on the sandy ground and drove into the endless desert. Every single piece of sand here was covered by the smell of chaos. Xia Shiyu sat on the sofa with her head wrapped in a towel. Under the bathrobe, her smooth and silky legs could be faintly seen covered by droplets of water. It was in the midst of summer as the room was air conditioned. She didnt change into clothes yet as she enjoyed the light breeze. Although she had a face more attractive than celebrities, even in her free time, it was still expressionless. She leaned against the sofa as she casually lifted her legs. She turned on the TV with the remote. "Now well continue with the next piece of news. This morning, IS initiated an attack on Tikrit. The president of Iraq stated that they will do anything to defend Tikrit." Xia Shiyu didnt really care about international news. Like most of the modern professionals, she was more interested in comedy shows, especially the ones that made people laugh. Surprising, for someone who didnt like to smile enjoyed humor. [There are no news today?] Xia Shiyu let out a breath for reasons she couldnt explain. [No news probably means he is safe.] At least the news didnt say that a Han man was abducted and taken hostage. The ministry of foreign affairs strongly advises citizens and related news. [Hmm? Why am I worried about him?] Xia Shiyu was suddenly shocked as she subconsciously touched her lips as confusion flashed across her eyes. She shook her head and pushed out the always grinning face from her head as she began to change the channel. [It must be because I have been too tired lately.] With the comedians on the screen as well as the waves of laughter from the audience, Xia Shiyu temporarily forgot about what troubled her. Her breathing returned to normal as her emotion returned to normal. As the night fell, Jiang Chen leaned against the chair with a cigarette in his mouth. To prevent being spotted, the headlight must remain off. It would be too dangerous to keep going without any light, so Robert stopped the car. "If you cant fall asleep, why dont you keep an eye out for now?" Robert smiled bitterly as he pressed against the steering wheel. Nick in the back was already snoring up a storm. "How far away?" Jiang Chen blew a smoke ring out as he sighed. "Probably two more days. There is enough water and food, you dont have to be too nervous." Robert shrugged. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. [Who is saving who?] "I am doing a lot to get rid of the ten tons of gold." Jiang Chen curled his lips. "Ten tons!?" Robert suddenly stood up, but then a banging sound ensued. He hit his head against the roof, but he resisted the pain as he stared at Jiang Chen, full concentrated. " Fu*k, dont look at me like that." Jiang Chen was getting goosebumps as he moved back into contempt. "Hehe." Robert touched his greasy blond hair and moved back. "I know there is a one hundred million USD deal. But why would I do firearms? Ill just help you sell gold." "Nope, I only stored this much gold over the years. I am starting to transition into other industries as well." Jiang Chen let out a sigh. "Transitioning? Is there something else thats easier to sell?" Robert couldnt fall asleep anymore as he also lit a cigarette. "Technology." "Technology? Buffet didnt even dare to touch that." Robert contumaciously sneered, "I tried to open my own firearm company before but gave up soon after. The risk of development is too high, so I only sell the finished product. It is easier to make money this way." "It is also more dangerous." Jiang Chen didnt disagree. "Of course, but I love the adventure." Robert awkwardly laughed as he avoided the topic. The desert night was quiet and peaceful without a soul to be seen. As they got further away from Hadithah, the occasional explosions started to fade as well. But within the quiet night sky, a short burst of homing noise could be heard once in awhile. "F-22, its probably the UA doing scouting missions. Maybe we are already on the heat map." Robert lifted his head. "Oh? Would the UA soldiers jump out and save you?" Jiang Chen smiled. "No way. We are only a white dot on the heat map. There are plenty of refugees in the desert. The good thing is that there is no weapon on the back of the car or some bullets may have flown down." Robert laughed at the remark. Jiang Chen gazed at the distant sky. The clouds were thin, and the moon was bright. But even in the moonlight, he couldnt see anything. "I dont understand. I feel the IS soldiers are not that strong. With the airstrikes of so many nations, why would they not eradicate this problem already?" Jiang Chen did not have the slightest positive feeling about this group. It has nothing to do with politics nor nationality. From a purely human perspective, any group that killed civilians and raped women are hideous and hated. For whatever reason, it cannot justify the crime against humanity. He wanted to laugh at the crazy group that said so many laughable claims, but he couldnt. "Its normal." Robert shrugged, "IS is not simply just a terrorist group. Its a frightening army combined with an ambitious government. A lot of them even received higher education and elite training which taught them how to avoid airstrike and scouting. Also, their opponents have their own personal agendas. Take Turkey, for example, their stance on IS was never clear." At that moment, Robert also smiled dubiously. "Also, if the war ended this quickly, how would we feed ourselves? How would the unemployment rate go down?" Jiang Chen thought about it as he laughed. He was right. Who cared, the Middle East was far from Hua. But for some reason, he constantly remembered the world that had fallen apart because of the nuclear war. The world where even the sun in the middle of a summer day could not cast its ray through the thick radiation cloud. The world where not a single piece of grain grew, and a world where millions of twisted faces instinctively practiced violence. Jiang Chen suddenly felt a chillness, he tried to wrap himself tighter with his clothes. The desert night was a bit too chill. 48 Refugees Chapter 48: Refugees Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Damn it! Sh*t!" The car came to a slow stop as Robert smacked the steering wheel. Nick quietly walked out of the car as he lifted the front cover. "The engine is busted." "Fu*k! Now we are screwed," Robert said with a voice of defeat. "" Jiang Chen thought if he should go back to the apocalypse for a while and bring back a levitating car. But it was only wishful thinking; he would not do that unless they were hopeless. If he did it, that would mean he was prepared to abandon the two of them. Then his gold selloff plan would be deserted, and this Iraq trip would become pointless. "Can you fix it?" Jiang Chen asked. "Let me try." Nick took the toolbox out from the back of the car as he began to work on the engine. However, the engine didnt seem to get any better. Just as they were about to lose hope, Jiang Chen suddenly saw a truck approaching from a distance. "IS?" He tensed up as he took out the pistol. Robert also noticed the truck, but his face looked ecstatic. "Put your gun away, haha, we are saved. Quick! Shout with me! Haha, stop here! Here! Help!" Robert waved his arms as he yelled at the truck to get its attention. The truck seemed to have noticed the three of them as it slowly drove in their direction. The truck stopped. Jiang Chen saw that the back of the truck was filled with malnourished refugees. Their clothes were ripped apart and only carried a small amount of luggage. All of them had the same tired and apathetic expression. Robert walked to the truck driver and spoke with him briefly before he returned full of joy. "The driver agreed to give us a ride. It is tradition to help each other out in the desert. I promised him that well share the freshwater on our car. Since the car is going to be abandoned, lets take the fuel out as well. Nick, come help me." "Okay, boss." Nick nodded and ensued. Jiang Chen and Nick sat in the back of the truck while Robert, trying to get close to the driver, sat in the passenger seat. Since only Robert knew Arabic, the two of them who sat with the refugees could only stare at each other, and couldnt say a word. All the women were covered in thick headscarves while the men looked exhausted, the children also lacked the energy people of their age possessed. Everyone was tired. They must have suffered a lot. The atmosphere felt odd. A Byelorussian and a Han here sure was weird. "These people are probably Syrian refugees. Since Turkey shut down its borders, some of them chose to go through the Kurdish Region and then be smuggled into Turkey. Its a coincidence that we were able to meet up." At least Jiang Chen knew a little English to be able to chat with Nick. "Do they know English?" Jiang Chen asked. "Some probably do, but it doesnt look like they have the energy to chat." Nick shrugged his shoulders. The back of the truck was crowded and bumpy. A child who he couldnt tell the gender of sat beside Jiang Chen. The dirty face lacked energy and emotion as the messy hair carried a sour odor more pungent than Robert. Jiang Chen did not care too much about cleanliness as the entire truck was filled with the awful smell, so he didnt pay attention. Nick already started to snore as his years of military life had programmed him in such a way to preserve his energy. Except the snoring received a few stares in the truck. He really could sleep anywhere. Jiang Chen forced a smile as he also adjusted the way he sat to take a nap. The truck drove for a bit longer. It was around lunch time as some refugees took out the food they carried and began to force it down with some water. The teen sitting beside Jiang Chen took out a black thing that resembled a piece of bread and began chewing. Perhaps it was because everyone was eating, Jiang Chen also felt hungry. He reached behind him, and when no one was looking, he took out a box of Oreos from the storage dimension. He opened the package as he started to eat it. He was prepared for this kind of unexpected situation so he would always store some emergency food and medicine. Jiang Chen suddenly noticed that a pair of eyes were peeking at him. Precisely, peeking at him chewing the food. "Do you want some?" Jiang Chen smiled as he handed the box over. The pair of eyes quickly fled. However, they seemed to have noticed that Jiang Chen had no ill intentions as that person took over the half box of cookies and only hesitated slightly before devouring them. This guy was comparable to how Sun Jiao eats. A smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. "Thank you" The person replied in English. The person then seemed to have realized that the box was empty before a guilty expression surfaced and they lowered their head. "Sorry" "Dont worry, I still have lots," Jiang Chen said with a friendly smile, "Can I know your name?" "Ayesha, seventeen years old." She was a girl. He was wondering why the voice was so light. Maybe because she was not an adult yet, and she didnt wear the headscarf like all the other women in the truck. "My name is Jiang Chen, I come from Hua. Where are your parents?" "They got killed by the IS all because my mom rejected those devils'' demand." Ayeshas voice was calm and emotionless, without much sorrow on her face. It made Jiang Chen speechless, as he didnt expect such a depressing topic. "Sorry," Jiang Chen gently said, but he received a peculiar look. "What happened?" Jiang Chen asked confusedly. He was not sure if he said something he shouldnt have since he only knew the peaceful way of life. "Nothing. I just didnt expect someone to say sorry to me." Ayesha turned her head. "Do you have any plans once you get to Turkey?" Jiang Chen forced a smile as he decided to talk about something lighter. Perhaps once she started her new life, she would be slightly happier. "No plan, head to refugee camp and receive humanitarian aid and see if there is a Saudi or Turkish man thats willing to buy me. I am still a virgin, if I dress up, it shouldnt be a problem." The girls voice was calm, with an awareness and apathy unfitting for her age. [Okay looks like any topic will become depressing.] Jiang Chen chose to shut up. The truck would still stop overnight due to possible dangers. The driver also needed to rest. At this time the refugees would choose to go the washroom and stand outside for a bit of the light breeze. Jiang Chen got out of the truck and went to the washroom. He also lavishly took out some paper to whip. Once the car stopped, Robert came and chatted with the two of them for a while. He still went back to the passenger seat when he slept. Robert said that he slipped the driver a Franklin bill and the driver immediately became more welcoming. At night, Jiang Chen felt hungry again. He had too many Oreos, so Jiang Chen took out another kind of strawberry cookies and began to chew on them. He heard a faint gulping sound beside him and thought about it briefly before he smiled and gave half of the cookies to the girl. "Try it, its from my hometown." The girl didnt respond. Instead, she started to devour the food. Jiang Chen looked at her and didnt say anything. Since he was full, it was time to sleep. Jiang Chen leaned against the truck as he drifted into sleep. Although snores could be heard all over the truck, tiredness was the best sleeping pill. As to Nick, this guy always fell asleep instantaneously, he also wakes up at random intervals. The thunderous snoring already started to ring. Except what Jiang Chen didnt notice was a pair of eyes that examined him. Ayesha licked the cookie crumbs off of her fingers as she looked at the side of Jiang Chens face. Her eyes were filled with confusion. The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up on the bumpy ride. "We are almost there." Nick noticed Jiang Chen waking up and looked at the phone screen. "GPS shows that we are only 40 kilometers away from Tikrit." The roaring engine noise filled his ear as the vibration of the engine almost made Jiang Chen lose the feeling in his back. He wiped his face with his hand as dust filled his palm. He was slightly shocked before he quickly realized. This is definitely not a place to stay. "Thats good, I cant wait to take a hot shower and then sleep." Jiang Chen stretched as he forced a smile. The battery in his phone was almost drained. To prepare for the unexpected, he decided to shut it down. "I have a bad feeling." Nick frowned as he touched his black backpack. His M27 was in it. "I hope you are wrong." "Hopefully." Nick closed his phone as his phone was about to die as well. Ayesha raised her head to look at the two foreigners before putting her chin between her arms and closing her eyes. [Looks like we wont get to Turkey.] Being born among the chaos, she was too familiar with this smell. The smell of death. 49 The Flames of War Chapter 49: The Flames of War Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "I have a company in the UA, a massive one. I like what you do. If you want, you can come drive for me. Dont worry about the green card either; the Senate is really close to me." Robert was passionately bullsh*ting in the passenger seat, happily chatting with the driver who was wearing a red headscarf and holding a cigarette in his mouth. Bang! Spider web cracks had swept across the window pane before it shattered, scattering in like snowflakes. "Sh*t!" Robert quickly rolled underneath the seat and grabbed the steering wheel, resisting the pain from the cuts on his head as he pulled the truck to a stop. The driver who previously had a bright smile on his face now had a gaping, bloody hole in his head. The truck shook violently, the intense vibrations jostling the unprepared refugees to the ground. At the same time Jiang Chen grabbed the metal handle behind him, he grabbed onto Ayesha who was about to fall out and dragged her back into the truck. The truck swung left and right on the desert sands before it came to a gradual stop without tipping over. The back of the truck was chaos. Women trembled and sobbed with their hands over their heads while the men who managed to regain their balance held onto their luggage with uncertainty, they had an overwhelming expression of fear on their faces. Without question, it was IS. This was the death sentence. "What happened, d*mmit... Are you okay?" Jiang Chen caught his breath as he dragged Ayesha up. Looking at Jiang Chen, Ayesha emotionlessly shook her head. Blood dripped out from the corner of her mouth, most likely from biting herself during the fall. Fortunately, she hadnt been thrown out from the truck. "IS'' slave catchers. Theyre active in the desert and occasionally visit villages. Women will be forced to become sex slaves and men will either be killed or forced to join their group. Could you give me a bullet? If I save my virginity, I can go to heaven." "No." Jiang Chen smiled. That smile made Ayesha blank out for a moment. "Then Ill pray for you." The girl looked down, hiding her eyes behind her greasy, black hair strands. "Prepare to engage." Nick leaned against the truck with his M27 already loaded and locked. "I wonder how Robert is doing," Jiang Chen murmured under his breath as he took out the 11 Tactical Pistol. Following Nicks signal, he quickly leaned against the other side of the door. The refugees in the truck stared at them with stark desperation. They moved out of the way and covered their heads as they prayed for safety and victory for the two strangers. The sound of a machine gun firing rang out from a distance, but none of the bullets hit the truck. A Toyota pickup truck equipped with a heavy machine gun slammed to stop beside the truck before several masked soldiers jumped out. "I surrender!" Robert crawled out of the passenger seat with his hands on his head. He knew that with his ability, the best he could do was not hold the others back. The IS soldier was ecstatic when he saw it was a white man. He turned around and spoke with his commander before he struck Robert in the face with his gun barrel, knocking him to the ground. "Search the back, quick!" The commander stood before Robert with his AK, his face twisted into a grimace that flashed his white teeth. With a face that seemed close to crying, Robert looked up and forced a smile, only to receive a boot in the face. "Drag him to the car for ransom!" the commander ordered as the soldiers dragged him towards the Toyota pickup. When he heard these words, Robert let out a sigh of relief. These people were likely from Hadithah. If these devils knew that he was an escapee, perhaps his limbs would have already been chopped off and the video uploaded online. As long as he did not die, there were always opportunities. Two soldiers with AKs leisurely walked towards the back with smiles on their faces. They chatted as they lifted the blinds up. It was a sweet job. Although the slaves they captured didn''t belong to them, they had the liberty to pick out one or two to "enjoy" first, and no one would punish them. They fired two bullets into the air and grinned with satisfaction as they heard the screeching from inside the truck. The two men glanced at each other before the man on the right climbed into the truck first. There was no better way to unleash his interest in brutality than taking in the frightened looks. A grim smile appeared on the terrorists face. Suddenly from the shadows, a giant hand reached out with polar bear-like strength and snapped the fragile neck. Jiang Chen straightforwardly swung his arm like a hammer and smashed the other terrorists head into the ground with his superhuman power. "Ill go to the front to save Robert. You try to catch their attention from here, and be careful of the machinegun." Finished explaining, Nick quickly jumped out of the car. Jiang Chen shook his slightly numb right hand. He was planning on using the pistol to smash the terrorists skull, but he accidentally hammered with his arm instead. The result was the same regardless. [Looks like I need to study some combat technique. Relying on pure strength is cutting it too close.] Jiang Chen sighed as he grabbed the AK off the floor and lightly jumped out. He turned the corner and opened fire at the pickup truck, catching the terrorists by surprise. Robert had yet to be dragged onto the pickup truck when the gunshots made the terrorist drop him and began firing back. Without hesitation, a terrorist spun the machine gun to face Jiang Chen before unleashing a storm of bullets at Jiang Chen. In response, an explosive amount of nitrogen burst out from Jiang Chens right arm, blocking all of the bullets mid-air. "What is that thing?!" The commander ducked behind the truck and craned his head around the corner to look at Jiang Chen with a look of horror. "I dont know! The bullets cant penetrate it!" The machine gunner fired ferociously, but his desire to rip Jiang Chen apart with the bullets was futile. Clank! The bullets ran out. The soldiers grabbed their AKs to shoot at Jiang Chen, hoping to gain time for the machine gunner to reload. Despite their efforts, however, bullets from the other side began to accurately take all of them down. It was Nick, who had begun his attack with the M27. Since Jiang Chens nitrogen armor was reaching its limit, he started shooting under the cover of Nicks surprise attack. Whether he hit anyone was another question entirely, but at least the recoil was nothing for his muscle strength. "D*mn it! Use the white man as a hostage. Get up!" the commander yelled at a soldier. He could not leave cover with so many bullets suppressing his movements. The soldier by the hill was also nervous. He couldnt hit Nick who was hiding behind the trucks engine, and his two companions were killed instead. But as he turned and reached for Robert, a gun was already pressed against his head. "Fu*k you." Robert pulled the trigger without hesitation. The gun was from a soldier who died from Nicks bullets. The commander saw Robert move and aimed his AK towards him. A sudden impact against his side, however, blew him ten meters away, breaking almost every single one of his ribs. Jiang Chen retracted the overheated nitrogen armor and then looked at the half-dead machine gunner before he finished the deed with one more bullet. "Boss, are you okay?" Nick walked up and helped Robert up. "Sh*t, this fu*king hurts." Robert covered his bruised face as he stood up cursing. He then turned to Jiang Chen and asked, "Is that guy dead?" "His ribs are broken, so as good as dead." Jiang Chen shrugged. "Good job." Robert raised his pistol and shot two more bullets. The commander on the ground didnt even have the strength to scream. "What do we do now?" Nick checked the pickup truck in the front. "The fuel is good for 200 kilometers, and we can head to Baghdad by ourselves." "Lets do that." Robert limped past the truck and grabbed the backup fuel tank and water tank that previously belonged to their old car. "What about those refugees?" Jiang Chen looked at the truck and asked. Robert and Nick stared at Jiang Chen with a look of disbelief. "What?" Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile. "Buddy," Robert threw the supplies onto the pickup truck and patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder, "since the IS patrol team is already here, that means Tikrit is probably conquered. The United Nations can take care of the humanitarian stuff. We dont belong here, and we dont need to worry about them. With enough fuel, we can directly head to Baghdad. Its enough to remind them of the danger ahead. If we go with them, well be too big of a target." "I agree with the boss." Nick took out a black marker and climbed onto the engine cover as he proceeded to draw some odd symbols on the roof. "Fine." Jiang Chen shrugged. Although he pitied the refugees, he knew that too much of it would only cost him his own life. "Ill go tell them. What are you drawing?" "UA symbolto prevent the drones from blowing us up." Nick wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "Black can absorb heat, so the thermal detection device can detect the UA symbol on top of the roof. This way, we wont get blown apart." The car belonged to IS after all. Jiang Chen flipped open the blinds covering the back of the truck as many pairs of frightened eyes locked onto him. "Tikrit is dangerous. IS may have occupied the place. Baghdad is safe. Thats all." Jiang Chen took a deep breath and gave them the news, feeling uncomfortable in this atmosphere. At least some of them had to know English as the refugees began to chat among themselves. They appeared to be even more frightened by the news. He did his deed here, whether they liked it or not. He sighed and was about to turn around and leave when a hand gently grabbed him. "Hmm?" Jiang Chen turned around and saw the dirty face of the girl from earlier. Under the dry and greasy black hair strands were eyes filled with pleading and uncertainty. She said something in Arabic, but Jiang Chen couldnt understand, so he shook his head in confusion. Perhaps the words were too complicated for the girl to express in English. [Maybe she is hungry?] After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen took out a box of cookies and handed them to her. The girl shook her head and after hesitating, she opened her mouth and said with a raw voice, "Please take me with you." Jiang Chen was shocked. He first smiled, ready to reject, but then he gazed into her eyes and saw the pleading look in them. [No plan, head to refugee camp and receive humanitarian aid and see if there is a Saudi or Turkish man thats willing to buy me] For some strange reason, Jiang Chen remembered the words the girl spoke yesterday. They had pierced his heart like nails. He opened his mouth as he looked at the girls dirty face and couldnt say a word. He sighed. This sympathy again. "Follow me." Jiang Chen exhaled as he jumped out of the car. The girls rigid face finally displayed a flicker of joy. She prayed genuinely and immediately followed after him. "Youre finally back. Lets get on our way." Robert noticed the girl behind Jiang Chen, and the way he looked at Jiang Chen suddenly became dubious as he lightly whistled. Nick, who was usually expressionless, also glanced at Jiang Chen with a suspicious look. "Its not what you guys think." Jiang Chen tried to defend himself. "How are you going take care of her? Why dont you come to the UA and work with me? Utah supports polygamy." Robert patted Jiang Chens shoulder, who was sitting in the passenger seat. "And get on the FBA wanted list with you?" Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. "Ahem, wont ever happen again. Since I escaped, a lot of things will be different." Robert started the car, but not before Jiang Chen caught a glimpse of cunning that did not fit the young age of his face. Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and didnt respond. "I mean, my brother, anyone has moments of highs and lows, especially for people like us who engage in dangerous businesses. If your business is not doing so well, come find me," Robert said calmly, but Jiang Chen heard the sincerity in his voice. "I am a good businessman now." Jiang Chen laughed, but he remembered Roberts words deep down. "No way, you are bullsh*ting me." Robert smiled as he gripped the steering wheel. Nick and Ayesha sat mutely in the back. Nick had his shades on and was probably resting while Ayesha gazed at the back of Jiang Chens head with her mouth slightly open, but no words came out. "Robert speaks Arabic," Nick suddenly said. A smile appeared on his mustached face. Ayesha hesitated for a moment as she shot a grateful look at Nick. After pondering, she rallied her courage and said the same words again. Robert, who was chatting with Jiang Chen, suddenly stopped and gave Jiang Chen a dubious look again. "What did she say?" Jiang Chen noticed Roberts expression and asked. "I pray to Allah that you are able to punish the devils that pretend to use his mercy. Then, even if you believe in heresy, I can still be the present from the desert and become your wife. Ill be gentle like a camel and attend to you and your wife. As long as you give me a place This is so corny. I had to translate into English and then into Han , so it might be a bit off, but thats the meaning of it." Robert made fun of Jiang Chen, looking like he was about to burst from holding back his laughter. "What the fu*k." This was the only thing Jiang Chen could force out. "Utah supports polygamy. Do you need a green card?" Robert laughed raucously. "You can save that for yourself." He didnt have plans to expand internationally. "True, but its only paperwork after all. I know someone from Hong Kong who has ten wives, just not officially," Robert replied. "I dont even have a wife yet." Robert looked at Jiang Chen full of surprise. "Thats impossible. You don''t have a woman with this much money? Hehe, how about when I get back to Los Santos, Ill invite you to try some of the girls on the movie screens." "Next time, after I take care of the gold, I still have other things to figure out." Jiang Chen stared out the window as he lit up a cigarette. "Hehe, now that I think about it, all of the Middle-Eastern beauties come from Lebanon and Syria. The girl obsessed with you in the back is a little young, but once she grows up, shell probably be a beauty. I probably wont come back to this god-forbidden place in a while, but before I leave, Ill go to the Turkish border and bring a Syrian beauty back." Robert narrowed his eyes into the endless desert. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes at the pervert and ignored him. As for how he was going to take care of Ayesha, he still had no idea. He sighed and rubbed his temple. [The first thing is to take her back home. As for the visa, it should be simplified with money.] Since he had the funds, it was always good to do some good deeds. Did he have other thoughts? With the dry and greasy hair hanging around her dirty face, he really didnt have any for now at least. 50 FBA Agen Chapter 50: FBA Agent Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Besides a small-scale sandstorm, the remaining journey was smooth without any unexpected events. The three of them took turns driving. Even Jiang Chen, who did not own a car, had a driver''s license. After Robert discussed with Nick and Jiang Chen about detouring around Tikrit since it was likely IS territory, they decided to follow Tharthar Lake and head northeast through Samarra before arriving in Baghdad. This was their plan to avoid all possible high-activity areas. At night, the four of them stayed in the car. The sound of fighter jets screeching above them made the whole evening a tense affair. Despite that, no bombs dropped down thanks to the black pen that clearly served its purpose. Nick found a random reason to change seats with Jiang Chen, leaving Robert to lean towards Jiang Chens ear with an unclear expression and say with a lowered voice, "Dont worry, Im pretty dead when I sleep. If you want to hehe, I wont look." Robert also glanced with a smirk at Ayesha who was huddled into a ball in the corner. "Fu*k off!" Jiang Chen didnt have the desire to at this point, and even if he did, the smell was too awful. For these refugees who ran for their lives, they didnt have the time to clean themselves as every moment was focused on survival. As for Ayesha, whose beautiful features were hidden by the dirt, she was aware of her terrible body odor and kept to her corner in a vain attempt to avoid bothering Jiang Chen. To be fair, although she smelled, it was not at a level where Jiang Chen couldnt bear it. If he could fall asleep in the pungent truck from before, then he wouldnt mind the smell nowespecially since Robert who hadnt showered in over a week probably smelled worse. "I I might have some odor, but I can promise that once I shower, Ill use my body to make you satisfied." Ayesha bit her lips as she spoke. It took almost all of her courage to say these words aloud. Two whistles came from the front of the car as Robert and Nick obviously hadnt fallen asleep yet. [These two animals.] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind. "Ahem, I, I really dont mind," he said a bit awkwardly. Ayesha blushed, but it was not visible from under the dirt. "Is it okay for Islamic women to marry a Han? I heard that the Han believe in Confucius," Robert said mockingly. She silently gazed at Jiang Chen. "Following your logic, we also thought your people were all Christians, but you say sh*t more than you say God. Also, did your Han teacher never tell you that Confucianism is not a religion?" Jiang Chen shot back. Of course, this was debatable. Robert shrugged and laughed. "Dont look at me like that. I do pray when necessary." Jiang Chen looked at Ayesha, and after some hesitation, asked with a serious voice, "As youve already heard, I dont believe in anything and dont plan on it either. I heard that Islamic women are not allowed to marry people of other religions. Is this still okay?" "No problem." Ayesha shook her head. "You helped Allah to eradicate the demons in his name. You are my savior. Without you, I probably would have died in humiliation. Since you saved me, I am yours." Jiang Chens throat gulped slightly as he silently gazed into the peacefulness in her eyes. To be honest, he was tempted. No man could resist a beautiful girl like this, especially him, who had been a virgin for over 20 years and lost his virginity in another world. Of course, righteous men would be different, but Jiang Chen was honest enough to admit his personal flaws. Without the proper environment to shape him, he grew up acting like anyone else. If she wanted it, then it was up to her. Perhaps after a shower, her beautiful foreigner looks would come through. Maybe she would be a good driver. With these thoughts, he felt relieved and didnt pursue his musings. As for the two animals up front, the thunderous snores had already begun. The next morning, they grabbed a couple of crackers to eat between sips of water as breakfast. According to the GPS, they were very close to Baghdad. Twenty kilometers northwest of the city limit, they got stopped by the patrolling UA forces, but after a brief inspection, the soldiers didnt give them any trouble. Robert displayed his green card to the patrolling officer and managed to borrow their cars satellite phone. After making a few calls, he returned the phone. Although the UA soldiers were not known for their good behavior, when they encountered their own citizens, they were quite friendly. After all, no one wanted to receive a subpoena from the court. The soldier from Ohio struck up a conversation with Jiang Chen thinking he was a reporter. Nick, who already naturally looked like a bodyguard, began to smoke beside the Hummer. Ayesha hid in the car despite the interiors humidity. It was easy to tell how terribly the UA soldiers had acted in the past from the distrust in her eyes. Several minutes later, a black shadow appeared in the distant horizon. It was a Little Bird helicopter in which Jiang Chen also recognized a familiar face. The violent gusts of air from the helicopter swirled the sands away from itself and into the surrounding people. Once the helicopter safely landed, the man in the passenger seat unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped down. "Bruce, my old buddy, we meet again," Robert greeted as he approached and gave the mercenary in combat uniform a hug. "Sh*t, why do you smell so bad? Looks like you havent been doing well lately." Bruce patted Robert on the back and then immediately pushed him away. "Ahem, I have been doing terrible lately, but thats all in the past." Robert dusted the sand off his body and flashed his white teeth in a grin. "I dont think this can be solved so easily. Mr. Robert, nice to meet you again." Another middle-aged man with a sharply pointed nose disembarked from the helicopter. He gave a keen look towards Jiang Chen who felt quite uncomfortable, but he only frowned slightly and didnt say much. "Ahem, Mr. Laurence, nice to meet you." Robert smiled awkwardly and extended his hand. "Looks like you managed to escape danger," Laurence said casually as he shrugged. Bruce stood beside Jiang Chen and greeted him. "I cant believe you came here to help him." Bruce forced a bitter smile and took the cigarette Jiang Chen passed over. "Who is this person? Robert seems to be afraid of him." Jiang Chen leisurely blew a smoke ring. "Laurence Oden, FBA agent." "Please dont release my information to irrelevant foreigners, Mr. Bruce, or Ill have to deliver my doubts on your work quality to Black Water International on behalf of the FBA." Laurence heard their conversation and put Robert aside as he walked towards Jiang Chens direction. With his back towards Laurence, Bruce rolled his eyes at Jiang Chen and rolled his shoulders. "A guy thats not that easy to get along with." Jiang Chen locked gazes with Laurence who stood in front of him. The uncomfortable stare continued for a while before Laurence opened his mouth. "Are you here on behalf of your country? Or as an individual?" "Robert is only a business partner," Jiang Chen said calmly. "Then I hope your business is successful and that you avoid getting involved with this matter." Laurence didnt try to lower his voice from Robert in the slightest, glancing at him directly as he talked to Jiang Chen. "Ahem, dont be like this, buddy." Robert rolled his eyes. "Maybe we can talk?" "I dont have any interest in your conflict. Maybe you can discuss it in private?" Jiang Chen smiled. "Discuss?" Laurence opened his palms and smiled humorlessly at Robert. "How do you want to discuss these four hundred tons of oil from Iran. Are you out of your mind?" "There is no evidence now." Robert smirked, not fazed in the slightest. He reached out and thumped his hand on Laurences shoulder. "Buddy, maybe we can make a deal." "Hmm? Im listening." Laurence scoffed at him but didnt push Roberts hand away. "To prevent these sort of unexpected events from occurring, I usually have an extra layer of protection when I conduct business in highly sensitive area. For example, a box of empty bullets that are installed with a GPS signal. Where these firearms go, you can imagine." A cunning look flickered in Roberts eyes. Laurences facial expression drastically changed. "Where is it?" "Right here." Robert grinned and threw a smartphone into Laurences hands. "Congratulations, future head agent Mr. Laurence. This is going to be a big deal." "Your smart ass saved you this time. Ill let this one incident go." Laurence peered at Robert for a long time before he turned and put the phone into his suitcase. He then dashed for the Little Bird helicopter. "Bruce, lets go. We have to go back to the aircraft carrier." "Okay, boss." Bruce answered and shrugged helplessly at Jiang Chen before he followed. "And also that Biden! I need to have a chat with him!" Robert yelled at the helicopter that was lifting off. "Do whatever!" The witness protection program was only a verbal promise; whether it was kept depended on Laurence. "You guys made a deal?" Jiang Chen asked Robert. "Yeah, a missile guided by the GPS could send all those b*stards into heaven. I bet theyre all busy carrying the firearms into their warehouses. Sh*t, this is big." Robert smiled gleefully and held onto Jiang Chens shoulder. "Lets forget about these politicians with their hands full of sh*t. Ill treat you to some fine booze in Baghdad." "Youre not nervous at all." Jiang Chen was speechless. "Ive been in this industry for too long. Maybe Ill think about transitioning to a different industry." Robert shook his head. "The Iran oil business is done for. Ill have to go to Saudi Arabia and close down the shell company." The three of them returned to the pickup truck and said their goodbyes to the patrolling UA soldiers. Robert settled into the driver seat and started the car towards Baghdad. "Do you have any idea what you want to do now?" Jiang Chen casually asked. "Somewhat. Thats right! Movies! Haha, Hollywood movie producer doesnt sound so bad. Next time you come to Los Santos, Ill arrange some Hollywood girls for you." Robert smiled. "Hollywood celebrities can you afford them?" Jiang Chen glanced at Robert as he chuckled. Robert smiled with his hands on the steering wheel. "Los Santos is a place filled with dreams. As long as youre a movie producer, those blond girls who dream of becoming famous overnight will prepare their asses for you. That godd*mn place, its magnificent" "Looks like its the same for any countrys entertainment industry." Jiang Chen chuckled as he suddenly remembered Liu Yao. A grin surfaced. Maybe he should also become a movie producer. It was only a way to spend money after all. 51 Ayesha’s Determination Chapter 51: Ayeshas Determination Translator: - -Editor: - - The battle was spreading to Baghdad, Iraqs capital. The sound of explosions made for a sleepless night as it cast a gloom of war on the once prosperous city. Of course, that was only for the natural citizens of Baghdad. As for the foreigners like Jiang Chen and Robert, they drank and caroused, untouched by the events around them. Amidst the bars flashing lights, heavy metal rap pierced through everyones ear drums. A Lebanon beauty writhed on stage with her snake-like waist and dark blond hair swinging. The men sitting by the dance floor howled and screamed as one as they threw Franklins in exchange for more exotic moves. Behind the bar, a black bartender placed mixed cocktails in front of Robert and Jiang Chen. The establishment was rumored to belong to a British man as most of the customers were either foreign soldiers or laborers and reporters. The people here didnt have to bear the burdens of this war, even if the battlefront was at the doorstep. They knew their countrys army would come and cover their departure. It truly made people envious, to have your home country always be your staunchest ally and protection no matter where you were. "Safe trip." Robert raised his cup. "Safe trip." Jiang Chen toasted him and threw it back. The cocktail tasted rather odd. Other than the alcohol, there seemed to be something else mixed with it. "I heard they banned alcohol." Jiang Chen swirled the crystal glass as he enjoyed the beauties dancing on the floor. "Thats for religious people. The owner here has an influential background which grants him a special license to sell. Also, the majority of the people here are active UA soldiers or Black Water International mercenaries. Even if the occasional drunk were to cause problems, theyd be kicked out immediately. This place doesnt even need bouncers." Robert smiled with narrowed eyes as he took a sip. "For these guys that live on a knifes edge, only this sort of stimulation can give them the peace of mind again to feel alive." Speaking of the people who could die any second, Robert referred to not only the soldiers who were in danger of stepping on landmines, but also to himself as a firearms merchant. Jiang Chens hand holding the glass briefly trembled as he thought deeply about the chaotic apocalypse and the people who suffered there. He did not feel any pity. It was only that he realized he was one of those who could lose his life at any moment. [Ill be more careful in the future.] He shook his head as he took another gulp. "Handsome, do you want a shot?" Two Middle Eastern beauties in tank tops stopped in front of Jiang Chen and Robert and winked seductively. "Which one do you want?" Robert whistled at the two beauties as he glanced slyly at Jiang Chen. "This is on me." "Neither, I have a headache. Ill go sleep since I have to catch a flight tomorrow." Jiang Chen didnt feel tempted in the slightest as he sighed and tossed the cup onto the counter. "Dont act like a middle-aged man, buddy. Haha, then Ill take both." Robert laughed, gathering both of the beauties into his arms and caressing them in his drunkenness. Jiang Chen rubbed his slightly sore temple and stood up to leave. He left the bar with its heavy metal screams and desire-filled cheers as he drowsily searched for the hotel door in his alcohol-driven stupor. He shoved the door open and dived into the soft bed, snoring almost immediately with a pungent, alcohol smell wafting from him. Ayesha, who was curled up on the side, smelled the liquor and slightly raised her eyebrows before she let out a sigh. He was a non-believer after all. Once they reached the hotel, Jiang Chen brought her here. Not only did she take a shower, but he also brought her a hot lunch to enjoy. He also requested the hotel attendant to purchase new clothes for her from a store nearby. Although it was not in their job descriptions, a hefty tip took care of the problem. After settling her in, Jiang Chen left the hotel. And then he didnt come back until almost midnight. Ayesha didnt sleep until he came home, acting out her role as wife as she courteously waited for her man to come home. This was what her mother had taught her, but unfortunately, she would never be able to see her daughter get married. Marriage was an uncertainty as Ayesha heard that many countries believed in monogamy. For her who was "picked up", she didnt envy the ritualonly, she was happy that Jiang Chen did not leave her behind. Different from before, she was clean and dressed in new clothes. The exotic beauty was just under the surface, ready to bloom at any moment. Yet even now, it was hidden under an emotionless expression. The rigid and thin body was noticeably malnourished, but the existing curves were accentuated by the slightly thin fabric of the clothes. After a bit of care, Ayesha would become a beauty like her mother. There were many beauties from her country. But in this forsaken piece of desert, beauty was a sin. Ayeshas eyes were different from Xia Shiyus pride-filled gaze. They were instead apathetic, perhaps towards life itself? Jiang Chen couldnt know for sure with just an intuition. The day she saw her parents brutally murdered, her tears, her fears, and her sorrows were drained from her body along with her hatred. She had seen far too many tragedies that she even questioned her feelings for her own life. If faced with the decision between death and a greater pain, she was prepared to calmly choose to end her own life. It was a logic taught to her by war, virulent and widespread among the people. Despite all that happened, however, this sympathetic Eastern man accepted her. Ayesha ignored the awful smell of alcohol as she shifted Jiang Chens body. She then took a hot towel and placed it on his forehead. [This place is like heaven.] Pristine bedsheets, beautiful decorationsshe was never so happy before, and she treasured this contentment dearly. Once she wiped Jiang Chens face, a hint of softness showed in her apathetic eyes. Her finger lightly touched Jiang Chens chest as she hesitated before she took a deep breath and made up her mind to unzip Jiang Chens clothes. She placed the sweat-drenched clothes to the side and blushed at the muscular body. Embarrassed, she still reached out with her trembling hands as she gently toweled Jiang Chens body. "Mhmm" Jiang Chen snorted and turned around, scaring Ayesha. Only when she saw that Jiang Chen was still asleep did her rapidly pumping heart calm down. She knew she didnt do anything wrong, but she was still afraid to have him wake up. Gathering her nerves once more, she gently bit her lips. When his breath became regular again, Ayesha finally pulled up the courage once more to wipe the sweat from his back. Although she made up her mind to continue, she was still not completely prepared which explained her unabated apprehension. "Sun Jiao, Yao Yao," Jiang Chen murmured in his sleep as he turned around and grabbed Ayeshas hand. Ayesha jumped and then froze in place. [Sun Jiao Yao Yao? Are these the names of the mistresses?] Not knowing Han, her sixth sense as a woman proved to be a scary and sensitive weapon. When she heard the names, Ayesha felt relieved, but at the same time, an ambiguous emotion crept in. Jealousy? Not quite... Maybe it was just unease. She gazed at Jiang Chens face with her head close to him. Just as she realized her embarrassing act, Jiang Chen shifted until he was on top of her. [What to do? Will I get eaten right away?] Her face suddenly blushed a dark red. The once-apathetic eyes became flustered and confused. She was unable to register that she was leaning into him as her brain melted into a mess. [But this is not too bad since it was inevitable.] Ayesha tried to convince herself as she bit her lip and obediently wrapped her arms around his neck. [Rather than ending up a devils sex slave without any dignity or human rights, this ending is much better.] [At least this way, my purity will only be for one person, and I will serve only one man.] Ayesha persuaded herself into calming her racing heart. She urged away her embarrassment and brought her lips closer to Jiang Chens alcohol-filled breath. This was making him commit a crime. Or adding oil to the fire. Half drowsy, Jiang Chen felt like he was in heaven. A beautiful servant placed fresh grapes by his mouth, prompting him to eat it without any hesitation. Not only were there delicious grapes, there were also sweet wine, fresh juice, and passionate joy. Wait, why was there passionate joy? Maybe it was because of the sweat. Who cared, it was euphoric after all. 52 Back Home Chapter 52: Back Home Translator: - -Editor: - - The next morning, Jiang Chen held his head as he woke up with a minor headache. [Did I get drunk last night?] About to sit up, he rubbed his eyes and suddenly froze. The girl beside him slept quietly, her hair scattered across her face and her breathing gentle but tired. And on the bedsheet was a distinct red spot. [Fu*k? What did I do?] He almost lost strength and fell off the bed. "Youre awake?" Ayesha was roused from her dream from his sudden movements. She followed the direction of Jiang Chens shocked look and gently bit her lips, burying her head into the sheets. Although she had been mentally prepared, when the moment came, Ayesha still felt scared. The pain that ripped her apart almost made her cry, although the sensation that soon followed helped her enter a pleasurable state, nearly enough to make her forget the soreness. Although it hurt, she surprisingly didnt mind losing her first time like this. "Mhmm." Jiang Chen scratched his head as he forced a smile. "Ummm, sorry." "No need to be sorry. I am your wife. Its okay even if I dont get a real name to myself. I understand the tradition of your hometown," Ayesha whispered with her head still lowered and her shoulders covered by the blankets. Where Ayesha came from, her age was acceptable for marriage but to Jiang Chen How could he explain that rather than tradition, it was better described as problematic. He shook himself out of his momentary frozen state before he sighed and said apologetically, "Last night, I drank too much. Hmm, it must hurt a lot, right?" His memory from last night was already fading, making him assume that he had forced her when the reality was different. "Mhmm, its too big." The words didnt have time to process before she immediately blushed at the inappropriate nature. "Ahem!" Jiang Chen almost choked on his own spit. Ayesha immediately moved over to pat his back, except she lost hold of her wrapped sheet that soon slipped down. The nicely shaped breasts and waist were fully exposed to him. "Ahhh!" Ayesha shrieked and reached out with her trembling hands to cover herself again. They already crossed the line, but she still felt embarrassed. Jiang Chen scratched his head, but in the end, only sighed. "Study some Han." "Mhmm." Ayesha buried her head once more, afraid to look him in the eyes. Jiang Chen forced a smile when he saw the redness on the sheet again and awkwardly patted his still-drowsy head. He never considered himself a noble guy, but he had his own boundaries. Taking a young girls first time still made him feel quite guilty. Even if alcohol was involved, it was not an excuse to escape responsibility. But Ayeshas voluntary demure perspective made Jiang Chen feel a bit better. He was touched by her understanding and made up his mind to treat this girl nicely. At the very least, he would let her live a life one hundred times more comfortable than the one she had here. He awkwardly rejected Ayeshas proposal to dress him as it would corrupt him to the bone and threw his clothes on before he hastily escaped from the room. Watching Jiang Chen leave, a smile appeared on Ayeshas face. In it was contained a slight affection. She gathered her hands in front of her chest with a lowered head and prayed sincerely to her god. [Meeting you was the best thing to happen in my life.] At noon, Jiang Chen brought Ayesha along with him on the flight to Dubai. Because Baghdad had no direct flight to Hua, their best option was to have a layover at Dubai first before heading to Hua. Before that, there was an incident with Ayeshas identity. Because of the constant chaos in Syria, Ayesha couldnt bring any forms of identification with her when she escaped the country. Impractical to contact her home country, she was currently without an identity, so Jiang Chen thought to use money to get her an ID of some sort. But when he arrived at the counsel, it was empty. Only when he asked the Iraqi soldier patrolling outside did he finally learn that all of the consulate workers had left on the last flight to Hua to avoid the conflict. The soldier was experienced in handling such situations as he directed Jiang Chen to the UN office, but Jiang Chen impatiently called Robert who had planned on staying for a few more days. Hearing about Jiang Chens trouble, Robert happily offered his help and contacted someone in the UA Embassy to acquire a green card and passport for Ayesha at the cost of 20,000 USD. Robert, however, rejected Jiang Chens offer to pay. "Compared to the deal were about to make, this is nothing, right?" Robert laughed on the other end of the phone. Jiang Chen couldnt disagree with that either. With an ID, Ayesha could finally book tickets, and her visa to enter Han would be resolved in the Dubai embassy. For a whole day, Jiang Chen stayed with Ayesha in Dubai. Although he was envious of the renowned city of wealth, it was not the right time for a tour. He had many loose ends to tie up, such as converting the millions of gold he had in his possession, buying a mansion, and finding a new car to own since he could travel at any time. Finally, after a nine-hour flight, the two landed in Beijing. It was already eight at night when they touched down, but the citys nightlife had only just begun. The lights from the streetlamps and cars lit up the night, shocking Ayesha who had never seen such an endless stream of cars and people crowding the paths. Jiang Chen smiled knowingly, sensing Ayeshas shock and remembering his own similar expression when he first left his hometown. At the time, the magnificence of Wanghai Citys night sky had stunned him into silence. People would only understand once they lived here. Despite the bustling streets, none of it touched your life in any way. Perhaps this was the apathy of the modern world. Of course, since he had money now, such concerns were no longer his to think about either. As he called a taxi to a nearby hotel, he tapped her shoulder. The flight to Wanghai City would depart the next morning, and they had to find somewhere to stay for the night. After showering, Jiang Chen got on the bed right away, ready to sleep, but he was soon overwhelmed by awkwardness from what came afterward. It was a kingsize bed. Ayesha, who had just finished showering after him, approached the bed covered in a towel. Her eyes shyly looked down as she gently bit her lips before moving closer to the bed. Blankly staring, Jiang Chen was unaware of his loud gulp. The exotic foreign beauty with her budding, tender curves They didnt say a word. Ayesha slipped into the sheets, and everything seemed to make sense. The second time was always easier than the first, her face not showing the slightest discomfort. Despite his remaining guilt, her expression made Jiang Chen somewhat relieved. [I didnt force her. And its not the first time either. Since I already said Id take care of her, then whats wrong with the second time?] Very naturally, he placed his hands on her shoulder, causing Ayesha to shyly lower her head and follow his direction. After returning to Wanghai City, Jiang Chen immediately started to work. Since he currently had no permanent residence, he booked the hotel he stayed at last time and settled Ayesha in there. Once he finalized the mansion, she could move there. And although he improved his English skills speaking with her every day, he still arranged for her Han studies. Once he arranged everything, Jiang Chen immediately contacted Zhang Xinfei, Roberts agent in Wanghai City. According to Robert, he was an assistant for Mr. Chen who specialized in cargo shipments in Hong Kong. With Mr. Chens extensive influence in Hong Kong, he and Robert had some past dealings in Los Santos. Jiang Chen didnt bother asking for the specifics. Zhang Xinfei was perfectly courteous upon meeting Jiang Chen. Next to him stood a bodyguard that Jiang Chen recognizedthe polar bear from the Serbian region, Nick. "Nice to see you again, buddy," Jiang Chen said sincerely with a light jab at his chest. Despite the fact that Nick didnt speak much, they still fought a difficult battle together, developing a close bond between the two of them. Nick also punched back as he took off his shades. "Im responsible for this guys safety for now." Although he was the bodyguard, Jiang Chen knew his true purpose was to prevent this man from running away after realizing the value of the goods. The gold would likely be exported by the cargos under Mr. Chens name, and once it reached international waters, Robert would then offload the cargo onto his own ship before sending it to South Africa. "Everything is here. Follow me." Jiang Chen waved his hand and led the way to the storage room where the food had previously been kept. Nick briefly hesitated. He knew they would be shipping gold, even bringing an inspection personnel, but never would he have thought that Jiang Chen would have stored gold worth billions in a warehouse without any surveillance. However, Jiang Chen didnt store the gold here, only moving it just before their arrival. "We have an old saying in Hanthe darkest place is under the lamp. If I hired security, this place would look suspicious." Jiang Chen made something up as he uncovered the gold. "Its here, and you can come and verify. I hope you prepared the boxes." Nick gulped as he nodded dumbfoundedly. The inspector determined that all of the gold was in fact 24 karat quality and could be sold without further processing. The cumulative weight came to be 11 tons and 240 kilograms. When priced based on the weekly average of UA gold, and with a nine percent processing fee, Jiang Chen received via wire the price of 510 million USD. After receiving the Swiss Banks confirmation, Jiang Chen nodded. Nick then ordered his subordinates to pack the box and store it in the truck. The Zhang Xinfei guy chose to stand outside as he knew the role he had in this transaction. The less he knew, the better it was. He already received a hefty sum from the business, but as for what exactly was inside, it was not his part to know. 53 Five Hundred Million USD Chapter 53: Five Hundred Million USD Translator: - -Editor: - - "See you later." Jiang Chen extended his right hand. Nick cracked a smile as he took his hand and shook it hard. Then in broken Han, he said, "See you." As the black vehicles departed, Jiang Chen took a deep breath. 500 million USD. Converted into RMB, that was 3.1 billion RMB. Jiang Chen ecstatically gasped as the idea took root. [Im rich!] 3.1 billion RMB! It was a number he never could have fathomed in the past! If he put the money into a savings account, the interest would be at least a couple million a year. He took another breath in an attempt to calm down. The interest alone would be more than enough to sustain a luxurious lifestyle. After he let this idea sink in, he slowly inhaled one last time, enough to finally settle his rampant thoughts. If his only wish was to be a wealthy man, then this 3.1 billion was enough to last him a lifetime. But to create an empire that spanned across two worlds... At this, his excitement gradually cooled down, replaced by the fire of ambition in his eyes. Desire had to power to make people crazy, but it also made some people stronger. Wealth? That was not enough. [I can gain more.] "Hehe, not enough. 3.1 billion is a fraction of what Future Technology Corporation is going to make in market capitalization." He laughed loudly, disregarding the weird looks thrown his way. [Not only a wealthy man, I will be the richest man! 3.1 billion would be an astronomical number in anyones pocket, but thats for ordinary people! Am I ordinary? Since I already have enough for a mansion, why dont I purchase a golf course? What? I dont know how to play golf? So what if I dont know how to play? I can still show it off!] And even if it were to draw attention to himself, once the full-sensory, virtual reality computer and other devices were introduced to the market, he would be noticed regardless. It wasnt as though he did anything illegal either, so he wasnt afraid of the authorities. The government was not foolish enough to believe time travelers actually existed. Even if the authority were to develop an interest in him, they would treat a corporation with such advanced technology like a precious jewel. In no way would they be foolish enough to kill the egg-laying chicken. To implement technology helpful to the military, the actual procedure would take more than ten years which was impractical. With innovation also came the risk of prompting an arms race again, risking a technology leak to espionage activities. But a top technology giant was different, bringing in billions of tax revenue for the country. It would fundamentally change the countrys status in the world. Even if the authority were to forcefully buy the company and take over, he was not afraid. With the interdimensional bracelet, no one could catch him. While he wouldnt be able to do anything against them, he could always start anew somewhere else. Of course, he sincerely hoped to never see this day come. Maybe once he grew to become an immovable force, the authority wouldnt be able to lay a finger on him. Anything was possible. With a cocky expression, he stopped a taxi and headed to Xia Shiyus apartment. "Youre finally back." Xia Shiyu squeezed the words out after letting Jiang Chen into the room. "Umm, I encountered some problems," Jiang Chen said as he scratched his head. Xia Shiyu sighed at his careless expression. She hadnt been able to sleep well these past few nights, but now that Jiang Chen was safe, her heart was finally able to settle down. As for why she was worried, she didnt bother to think it through. "If you have something for me, just give me a call. You dont have to visit every time," Xia Shiyu said casually. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows with a grin on his face. "Why? You have a boyfriend now?" Xia Shiyu coldly glared at his humor-filled eyes. "No, but you always find me during inappropriate times. Even if its work-related, its still not right." It was already 8 oclockallowing a man into her home felt slightly weird. Despite her poker face, this girl took other peoples opinions seriously! If not, she wouldnt have fired Jiang Chen over a joke. There were probably already rumors circulating around with the neighbors. Jiang Chen easily saw through her intentions. Although he understood, he still wanted to tease this stubborn girl. "No worries, overtime until tomorrow morning," Jiang Chen said while laughing without thinking through the implications of his words. Xia Shiyus face, however, turned bright red, so threatening that it seemed she would kick him out right there. "Did I say something wrong?" Jiang Chen asked as he scratched his head once more. [Seems like I teased her too much.] Towards this sensitive girl, Jiang Chen could never resist teasing her, but if she actually got angry enough to stop working for him, he would never be able to clean up the mess. "" Xia Shiyus chest heaved violently as she bit her lips before she finally calmed down. Extra time until tomorrow morning? You plan to spend the night here? What extra night? Being an assistant was a sensitive profession. Although Xia Shiyu was the CEO by name, she always felt that her work was more of an assistants. But Jiang Chen didnt seem to realize the meaning behind his words, and with how easily she became embarrassed, she would never say it out loud. Xia Shiyu sighed again at Jiang Chens grin. She grabbed the document she had worked on for an hour before turning off the TV. "Company growth. Ive already submitted the required documentation for the mobile game to the authorities for approval. It didnt have any sensitive information, and well most likely receive the results shortly. Even if we released the game now, the loose regulations currently in place would allow it without many repercussions. In fact, this would solve the pressure on our cash flow, and many companies are already doing this." Xia Shiyu propped her black-framed glasses and logically explained the progress to date. "Excellent, Im impressed by your ability. As for the early-release plan, theres no need to rush it. We wont allow other people the opportunity to ridicule us, so follow the procedure as planned." Jiang Chen nodded with a smile. "On the other hand, the company building renovation is almost complete. Including the furniture and one year of rent, the total cost is seventy thousand RMB. Ive already submitted the cost to the accountant, and heres a breakdown for you to look through." "Not bad." Pleased, Jiang Chen nodded and flipped through the sheets. Despite receiving recognition for her work, she felt more tired for some reason. She huffed before continuing, "Based on my research, the minimum number of employees required to operate is fourteen. This is taking into account the fact that we dont require game developers. A manager would cost six thousand a month starting salary, server maintenance, legal, customer service" "Wait, you can just give the spreadsheet for me to look over. Give me the key takeaway," Jiang Chen said. "The estimated salary cost would be sixty-eight thousand a month. The necessary equipment would cost around one hundred thousand. If we dont develop ways to generate revenue," she took a deep breath and said slowly, "the company is facing risk of bankruptcy." No matter how stellar her management, she could not make money out of thin air, particularly for a mobile game that required time to gather the initial investment. Without a proper marketing and operations team to build a large customer base, even with methods such as in-game purchasing, everything was futile without people playing. "Bankruptcy?" Jiang Chen started to laugh. "What are you laughing at it? This is your company." Xia Shiyu gave him a dirty look. Unfortunately, it had no effect on Jiang Chen. "Ahem, equity infusion." Jiang Chen didnt tease her further and said in a voice full of arrogance. "This is the only way the company can survive through this initial rough period. Since we dont have the necessary assets, it would be difficult for any bank or venture capital to loan money to us. How much is the president willing to give?" Xia Shiyu felt relieved. Even if it was Jiang Chens company, she still depended on this job since it all began with her owing him money. The fact that Jiang Chen didnt outright demand it didnt mean she would not pay him back; this was her own stubbornness. "Is ten million enough?" Jiang Chen asked casually. Swoosh, the files dropped onto the ground as Xia Shiyu stared at Jiang Chen stunned. "What? Not enough?" He frowned. "What about one hundred million?" "Are you making fun of me?" Xia Shiyu gritted her teeth and glared at him. There was no way she believed that Jiang Chen was that wealthy. What kind of business would make this amount of money in just half a year? The only explanation was that Jiang Chen was joking with her. "Im not kidding." Jiang Chen laughed. "You can come with me to the bureau to finish the necessary procedures tomorrow." Xia Shiyu fell silent. After a long pause, she finally said, "If youre so rich, why would you open a company?" Jiang Chen thought for a second before rolling his eyes. "Who set the rule that you cant open a business if youre rich?" She was clearly not happy with this answer. After another long silence, Jiang Chen didnt expect Xia Shiyu to blurt out, "Do you want to pursue me?" 54 Eagle’s Crash Part Two Chapter 54: Eagles Crash Part Two Translator: - -Editor: - - (Connected with Chapter 29) "Dam*it!" He smashed a hanging piece of steel as the orange letters on the dangling screen made Chu Nan even more annoyed. The corrupted electronic equipment sparked as the circuit was either shorted or destroyed. The shaking helicopter body made him hold his breath. Once the helicopter body stabilized, he gritted his teeth as he pushed the metal frame on his body with all his might. He glanced at the assistant pilot beside him. That suckers condition was even worse as the bent steel frame directly penetrated through his ribcage, and his blood splashed everywhere. He looked at the metal frame that has stabbed through his arm and took in a gasp of air. Nevertheless, he felt lucky to be alive. That distance was 1200 meters from the air. Apart from his operating skills, it was pure luck to survive from falling that high up. Chu Nan already used his best effort. When the machine lost its power, he immediately opened the mechanical revolving air turbine on the side of the helicopter. That was important because if he didnt manage to open in the initial stage, then the high-speed air flow may have destroyed it. Good thing that was still functional. He connected to the backup circuit board, but the situation was looking grim. His assistant tried to establish a connection with the headquarter. However, he received no response. He changed into manual operation as he used all his energy to stabilize the helicopter''s body. The automatic stabilization system was destroyed, therefore if they started to roll in the air or the back wing gets damaged, even God could not save them. The backup mechanical turbine began to spin rapidly due to the airflow as the high-speed force generated "held" onto the helicopter like a parachute. Under the force of gravity, the head of the helicopter began to tip forward. Once the body turned at a particular angle, Chu Nan immediately pulled the plane up and maximized the upward force of the helicopter. The head of the helicopter instantly lifted up as the fallen force was broken by the sudden upward force from the mechanical turbine. It was about to land on top of the roof that they crashed into. Then they crashed into the top floor. The control was fine, but it was hard to select a landing spot in the city''s terrain. Then warm blood splashed all over Chu Nans face as he witnessed with his own eyes his assistant being penetrated by the metal frames. [This doesnt make sense.] The sudden Electromagnetic Pulse. It was not a simple EMP. The Helicopter-51 was equipment was EMP protective equipment that was the peak of the industry, but the helicopter was paralyzed without being hit directly. [What was that thing] Chu Nan resisted the pain as he took out a dagger and slashed open the locked seatbelt. He carefully glanced at the view outside as he awkwardly untangled his legs from the deformed control panel and slowly crawled outside. What did this helicopter look like now? A small portion of the helicopter smashed through the walls of the 12 stories high building as it got pinned down by the protruding metal frames. The ends of the helicopter hung on the edge. The building''s quality was superb to be able to withstand the force of impact after a nuclear war. The metal frames cleared exceeded construction standard. The smallest tremble of the helicopter body made his heart pump at full capacity. The friction noise made him even more nervous. The bulletproof glass in front of the helicopter was completely shattered which eased his escape. When he was about to climb out, he hesitated and turned back to snatch the pendant on his comrades neck as well as the ammo clip. After struggling, Chu Nan finally landed onto the hard cold concrete floor. He looked back at the deformed helicopter body as he quietly examined the pendant inside his palm. The poorly made pendant was covered by a thick layer of blood. He flipped to the back as a sentence was engraved there. The assistant pilot was a UA Spanish decedent. He was previously a pilot in NATO. However, the concept of a country didnt exist anymore as plenty of foreigners live in Liuding town with most being NATO soldiers before the war. When PAC, NATO, and CCCP led World Alliance Council and left the torn land by sending all the "hope" into space, no one believed in authority anymore. When faced with zombies and mutants, all humans belong to the same species. Not including mutated humans or cannibals. He checked the equipment on his body before he lifted his hands and touched the back of his neck with his fingers. It was a chip called "dictator chip," but because it has added complex functions such as long range communication, the chip was less effective compared to the Sixth Street produced "slavery chip." Chu Nan tried multiple times but did not manage to establish any connection. "Dam* it, is this broken?" The "bomb" behind the back of his neck was broken, but he couldnt tell if he was content or sad. Content that he was free. Sad that freedom didnt mean anything on the wasteland. There was food in Liuding Town so who cared about freedom. Returning to Liuding Town was not a possibility since the people there probably recorded him as dead. A rescue was even more out of the question as only the metal debris of a previous one hundred thousand crystal equipment remained here. The pilots worth was not even greater than the chip on the back of his neck. "Whatever, Ill see." He forced a smile as he put the pendant into the pocket and took out his pistol. Including the one clip in the gun, he still had five magazines left. Two blood needles, a roll of bandage, EP was returning to normal, a dagger, and six B grade nutrient supply. Because he was part of the air force, the nutrient supply was higher quality. He opened the EP radiation monitor system and determined based on the safe radiation level that this was a rural area, but he didnt know where exactly he was. EP did not download the map in the area. He checked his equipment once again before he turned his head to look at the body and the crashed helicopter. He lowered his head and walked away. Although he did receive ground training, he never encountered a situation like this. Ordinary survivors would never target planes. Air-based EMP weapons did exist but were extremely rare. Most of them were destroyed in the war. It was also the first time he heard that a mutant could use an EMP or a similar pulse weapon. Maybe his assistant pilot has encountered his situation before, but he didnt manage to survive. "Stairs cleared." Just like practice, Chu Nan mumbled as he directed with his pistol and moved downstairs. [If it is a zombie, then use the dagger to stab the eye area. If it is a screamer, then use shock grenade for cover. If it is Roshan or Death Claw lets hope that never happens.] The elevator was not functional. The building was an office complex before the war. The majority of the zombies were concentrated in the grand hall as the occasional straggler in the hallway was killed with his swift knife action. For small problems, it would be better to avoid using his gun. His body condition with the D level genetic vaccine easily handled the combat requirement. The only disappointing fact was that he didnt unlock a genetic ability. When both of his feet touched the ground, Chu Nan let out a sigh. He gazed into the sky and determined it was around 3 in the afternoon. 5 oclock was when the street was no longer safe. The night usually fell at 6 which meant that walking on the street would equal suicide. The night in Wanghai City belonged to the zombies. "I need to find a survival camp, or find a place to stay for the night." Chu Nan scanned around as he walked to the end of the street. The abandoned cars on the road still maintained the same look since the moment war erupted. Since the hotspot of the war was in the middle of the city, people would escape to the rural areas. Therefore, most of the vehicles would point in the direction of the rural area. He had examined the cars before he walked into the direction away from city center. Anywhere is better than the city center. Thats the one common conception every survivor had. The sky began to turn yellow as the sun had fallen to the edge of the horizon. The cast of the yellowish green ray through the radiation dust had a vibe of ominous to it. He didnt know how long he walked before it began to turn dark. Chu Nan glanced at the zombies beside him as they''ve already begun to howl. In a while, those zombies would start to prey on living creatures. [Should I find somewhere to stay for the night?] Chu Nan thought as he began to hasten his steps. When he turned around another corner, he saw a scene that shocked him. A woman was tied to an electric pole in the middle of the street. She barely wore anything as zombies circled around. She was afraid to call help. With his pilot vision, he could even make out the look of despair on the rather lovely face. Someone obviously tied her. "Fu*k, which bastard did such a disgusting prank," Chu Nan cursed as he cautiously scanned around before he walked towards the woman. When he approached her, the pleading eyes full of hope locked onto him. He took out the dagger and cut open the rope. Perhaps because she had just escaped the terrifying experience that chained her there, the woman hugged him as she cried. "Thanks, Thank you." It was a soothing voice. "Ok, dont worry, you are okay now." It was the first time he encountered this situation which made him unsure of what he should do. He only patted the womans back clumsily to comfort her. [The survivors in Wanghai City are cruel to this point?] He cursed at the heinous act that people committed to her as Chu Nan was just about to ask where the nearest survival camp was. But at this moment, a barrel-like object pressed against his head again. "Ha, buddy, you are the first dumba*s to fall for it." Sweat began to roll down his back as his hand slightly move, but he realized a dagger was pressed against his back. That dagger was held by a delicate hand. At the same time, a bunch of men in mohawks and tattoos walked out from the empty shops. They held some knock-off rifles and one simply carried a bat. The bald head, holding a cigarette, was the head of the group as he walked in front of Chu Nan. He raised his eyebrows as he patted the womans face and said in a mocking voice. "Nice job, bit*h." Just like a dog. An unhealthy red flush appeared on her face as she tried to please the man that just embarrassed her. The cruel reality sent a shiver down Chu Nans spine while cold sweat rolled down his face. Despite living in the apocalypse for so many years, it was the first time he saw anything like this. [Is she still a human being?] "Two blood needles, one bandage, damn, six B-grade nutrient supply! Boss, its a big fish!" A man who took off his pistol and searched him shouted in surprise. The zombies mindlessly looked in their direction, but despite the noise, there was still two hours before night fell. The bald head looked at Chu Nan full of interest. "Name?" "Chu Nan." There was nothing to hide since his EP had all the information. "Where are you from?" "Liuding Town. Pilot." "Wheres your plane?" Greed flashed through the bald heads eye. He did not look cautious at all when he heard Chu Nan say that. "Crashed." "Hehe." The bald head smiled and didnt say anything. He signaled his men to tie him up. "If you are only here to rob me, you have already achieved that. You can have everything, let me go?" Chu Nan said calmly. The bald head raised his eyebrows as he suddenly threw a punch in his face. He suppressed his anger as he resisted the sharp pain on his left cheek. Chu Nan glared at the bald head. "You are a captive so shut up," he cursed as he extinguished the cigarette on Chu Nans face before he waved his hand. "Take him back." He looked at the dumba*s that took the bait as he laughed mockingly. He then kicked the half kneeling woman in front of him, but the same unhealthy flush of red and a smile to please appeared. The woman had no name and was just a slave. Perhaps she just an independent traveler before? He didnt remember when she was captured, nor did he care how they trained her to be like this. But he remembered clearly how she became part of his asset. Last month, he managed to find a target and proved it was a big fish. His boss sent an entire raid team, but the Lu Renjia dumba*s ruined everything. How confident was he to order all those men to go into a confined building? He didnt even check if there were other entrances or sewerage exits. Only one person returned out of a group of a dozen. Although his boss was angry, he didnt blame him as he provided the clue. He took Lu Renjia and the other captains woman and distributed all their assets to other subordinates. It was a form of discipline, but also an incentive. For the bandits like Huizhong Mercenaries, they needed this type of brutality to bond together. So, this dog like "thing" was given to Zhou Guoping. Although this boss didnt punish him, he did remove him from the easy job of staying in the Sixth Street and made him rob survivors. It was harder to capture a survivor on the wasteland than a mutant rat. Most of the people that survived till now were as sharp as a knife edge. The dumb ones were the people that never left the camps. Their return for this month was almost zero. Pilot? Thats a big fish Zhou Guoping put the rifle on his shoulder and led his men to the camp. 55 Purchasing a Mansion Chapter 55: Purchasing a Mansion Translator: - -Editor: - - "Do you want to ask me out?" It was an unexpected question that silenced the room. "What?!" Jiang Chen suddenly realized what she had asked and almost fell off the sofa. He stared at Xia Shiyu and was dumbfounded by the question. He didnt understand where her logic came from. How did she come up with the "I want to ask you out"? "The existence of the corporation serves one purpose which is to create profit. If you already have a method in which you could generate a profit greater than one hundred million within half a year, then why would you invest the hard earned profit into a technology industry which poses the highest risk?" Xia Shiyu had paused before she explained. To be honest, although she may get frustrated by his grin and unserious attitude from time to time, she never disliked Jiang Chen. Also, she felt an emotion she never experienced before interacting with him. Relieved? Relaxed? It was hard to say. These feelings made her confused. The straightforward and unexpected question was the result of her confused emotions. She suspected before that Jiang Chen created this company as an excuse to date her. [When did he start to like me? When he worked at the clothing store? I seemed to have hurt him. Because of the pain I had brought him, it has forced him to transition to where he is now.] Xia Shiyu was conflicted. She hated the idea of becoming a trophy. She always wanted to use her determination to prove her ability and create her own personal worth. When she was in university, a lot of rich guys chased after her and even promised her job opportunities in reputable firms, and even management positions right away. But Xia Shiyu rejected all of them. She had her own pride, a pride backed by ability. Although she was born into an ordinary family, what she possessed was anything but normal. Looks are important in this day and age, but it is not everything. Most people still worked diligently. However, she felt conflicted with Jiang Chen. She guessed that Jiang Chen created this company just to keep her here. He didnt have any aspirations with the company. The blueprinted he painted were just bloated statements to make her feel better. [Because I owed him? No, then what is it?] Xia Shiyu couldnt think it through. Women are stubborn creatures that once they made up their mind, they would selectively ignore all other points that negate the point. For example the potential value of the mobile game, as well as investing one hundred million just for her. All those counter arguments have been fully ignored. "I dont understand, one hundred million RMB. If you invest it in real estate, with the return now" "Because I want to experience what it feels like to be at the top," Jiang Chen interrupted her. Xia Shiyu was confused by the odd answer as she stared at Jiang Chen blankly. "One hundred million? Hehe, it would only be decimals compared to the future market capitalization of Future Technology. I did make a lot of money, but putting it in a savings account would never bring me to the top. One million interests a year would take me years to double my investment. As to if it is for you? Hehe, I could bang girls for years with one hundred million." He didnt avoid the derogatory words as he stood up and headed straight to the door, leaving Xia Shiyu shocked in place. [So that''s the reason? Then it should be okay] She gazed mindlessly at the door as she didnt know how he had the confidence to say those things, and couldnt believe that she bought into it. [Not because of me?] She didnt know why a hint of disappointment crept into her heart. He closed the door and forced a smile at the door behind him. [Was I too harsh? But that girl, how great did she feel about herself to have made a conclusion like that?] He shook his head as he took a deep breath and walked downstairs. However, he didnt even realize that, for a split moment, his heartbeat hastened. The next morning, Jiang Chen took Ayesha to try some steamy buns. He watched as the girl devoured the food and he felt his heart ache at the scene. The image reminded him of Sun Jiao. How is she doing? Yao Yao? Is her body getting better? He remembered the times in the apocalypse as a smile appeared on his face. Ayesha peaked at the smile as she felt a stream of warmness flowing inside her. Maybe its time to revisit them. Jiang Chen in deep thought did not notice the girls vision as he gazed at the steam rising from the congee. After breakfast, Ayesha went to her Han lesson. Jiang Chen, instead, took a taxi to Xia Shiyus place and picked her up to go to the bureau for the equity infusion process. Jiang Chen initially felt nervous as he was afraid it would be awkward because yesterday he only left a brief explanation before running away. Now that he thought about, he did escape the conversation. But he clearly overthought it as Xia Shiyu acted as if nothing had happened. When she saw that he didnt react to anything, she got into the taxi and sat beside him. "How was your sleep last night?" Jiang Chen didnt know how to start the conversation, so he asked nonchalantly. Xia Shiyu rolled her eyes and didnt respond. She just took out a piece of document and stuffed it into Jiang Chens lap. "There is a career fair next Wednesday at Wanghai University. I have managed to secure a spot there, and I hope you can come with me as the companys president." "No problem, do you have time this afternoon." Jiang Chen accepted without hesitation as he then asked another question right away. "Yes, whats happening?" "Go house hunting with me." Jiang Chen shrugged as he asked with his thick skin. "Is this considered business or personal?" Xia Shiyu let out a sigh. "Umm, you promised me. It should be considered personal." Xia Shiyu looked at the side of Jiang Chens face as she subconsciously bit her lips. She was about to reject him, but the words never came out. Why is this happening? She still didnt fully understand. The night before, Jiang Chen followed Roberts instruction to wire one hundred million USD from his Swiss bank account to his account here. Of course, the money was already converted based on current exchange rate along with some fees into RMB. It was an interesting method with a low price. Robert promised that there wont be any legal problems. He looked at the trail of zeros in his bank account on his phone as he laughed hysterically at the screen for a while before he finally closed his phone. As to Xia Shiyus curious gaze, he didnt bother to explain it and simply closed his eyes. [Should I drive a Lamborghini? Or a Bentley? This is such a difficult decision.] Xia Shiyu was indeed an organized person as she seemed to be a perfect fit to do the assistant job. No, the CEO job. Jiang Chen can "do" the assistant role. Xia Shiyu already prepared the necessary documents and familiarized herself with the legal process. Jiang Chen had scanned the document before he signed. Future Technologys equity had a trail of zeros added to it. Jiang Chen noticed that when he wrote one hundred million into the document, the eyes of the customer service representative across the counter were flashing stares at him. Money is the root of evil. This is too funny. Before he would have despised it, but now he only wanted to laugh. "One hundred million of liquid asset. This is unbelievable." With trembling hands, Xia Shiyu looked at the documents. She was still shocked by the series of events. Although she was a store manager that had exposure to the world before, she was still too young. "This is only the initial plan, I plan to make this mobile game into a world-class masterpiece. With this plan, it wouldn''t be difficult to recover the initial investment." Jiang Chen opened the door for Xia Shiyu like a gentleman. "So you do know something." Xia Shiyu glanced at Jiang Chen with surprise in her eyes. She thought that Jiang Chen wanted to let her handle this pile of mess. For a mobile game, it would damage its long term profitability if the company chased after short-term returns and cash generation. The better strategy would always be to not focus on short term losses. "You have to understand the difference between the emperor and the general. You are in charge of fighting the war, but I, only need to tell you where to fight." Jiang Chen cockily extended his finger and pointed around which made Xia Shiyu roll her eyes. "I do feel like I am doing a servants work." "Haha, thats your illusion. But to be fair, your mood seems to be a lot brighter. You can even make a joke or two now," Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu with surprise as he mocked her. "Where are we going now? Mr. President." Xia Shiyu casually avoided the topic. "Wanhua Real Estate, the one in the city center," Jiang Chen told the taxi driver, who clearly judged the two of them in the back. If he wanted to buy a mansion, then he obviously would go to the companys best location. It would be too low class to keep living in the hotel. ""Xia Shiyu didnt say anything as she quietly followed his instructions. Wanhua Real Estate, the industry leader in Wanghai City with a market capitalization of 1.327 trillion and part of the Fortune 500 companies. The reason why he chose to purchase the mansion here was that he had no understanding of the real estate market. Since he heard the companys name a couple of times in the news before, he decided to buy it there. When he got off the taxi, a magnificent building stood tall in front him. The marble floor was covered with clean red carpets. The unique carvings decorated the sides of the stairs. The combination of modernism and classicalness perfectly meshed together to display the high-end elegance of the building. The vibe of the design made people stop and envy the greatness of the building. The occasional passer would subconsciously avoid the vivid red carpet. It was like a palace that stood heavenly above the ground. The design of the building was to emphasize the purchasers class and force the peasants to stay away. To put it simply, they didnt want people who could not afford the place to enter the building. The moment Jiang Chen stood on the carpet, he was even scared to take a step further. But then he remembered that he was a billionaire now, so how could he not have the confidence. So he took giant strides towards the door. Wanhua Real Estate didnt know that just in the few seconds, he almost missed a deal that could earn millions because of that stupid design. This was an age that belonged to the new millionaires. Xia Shiyu, instead, presumed a blank look as she followed Jiang Chen naturally. Not because she was used to the high-class life, just that she wasnt the one purchasing the house. "Welcome, Miss and Mister." The two greeters in the front bowed to Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu in synchrony. They wore clean and elegant Qipaos with their hair tied in a ponytail, along with their flawless skin and delicate face. Even the greeters were gorgeous girls which further emphasized the luxury of this real estate company. The greeter looked strangely at Jiang Chen as this was the first time she saw someone take a Taxi to purchase real estate. Although she was curious, she still must follow the rules of the company and be courteous. The company rules stated clearly that no judgment should be made based on impressions. Violators will be fired even if it was a manager that broke the rule. This was to avoid accidentally disrespecting wealthy people dressed in regular clothes. There were plenty of people that liked to act low profile. High salary equals high expectation, which is the culture of Wanhua Real Estate. She was a greeter and therefore didnt need to bother with these things. Even if Jiang Chen was here to look for trouble, thats securitys concern. Jiang Chen didnt bother with what they thought as he walked into the grand hall in full, confident strides. Xia Shiyu behind him only glanced at the greeter with her head lowered before she left. Marble pillars with stone floors, the giant crystal chandelier drew the attention of every visitor like a bright diamond. The elegant design of the grand hall filled Jiang Chen with expectations for the mansion he was going to purchase. If they would design the headquarter with such radiance, then the house they sell must be comparable. The building itself was a great advertisement. But when he saw the receptionist, he stood shocked in place. 56 The Surprising Reunion Chapter 56: The Surprising Reunion Translator: - -Editor: - - "Hello, Sir, what type and what unit would you Its you?!" The youthful reception behind the table courteously explained to Jiang Chen, but when she saw his face, her eyes popped wide open. "This is a small world." Jiang Chen forced a smile. The blonde curls, the delicate nose, and her mouth along with eyes full of "pureness" behind a round framed glasses. The student vibe made her even more attractive. Though she certainly pretending to be younger than her actual age. Fang Yuanyuan, a name that broke his heart. When he was in university, he never had a girlfriend, or more accurately, never successfully chased after a girl. Not that he looked bad as he was confident of his looks, but the fact was he was poor. This girl called Fang Yuanyuan was a girl that he had chased after, and also the last one he ever pursued. He still remembered that they met at a gathering. The reason why he liked her was because of her energy, as well as the faint dimples when she smiled. Fang Yuanyuan didnt keep her distance with Jiang Chen because he was poor, she always warmly said hi to him, and they chatted on Wechat. For Jiang Chen who was less popular among girls, she was like an angel to him. What made him feel even more strongly was that he "felt" that she also liked him back. But the reality proved that it was a rookie mistake. A girl being nice to you could also be nice to other people. The illusion of "she likes me" was often just a one-sided imagination. Being close to you was only because you could be used or she was just bored. Rejecting you because you were friendzoned since the beginning. If she liked you, she would have asked you out already or hinted at you to ask her out. Dont to mistaken, if she blinked her big eyes full of cuteness at you thats not the boyfriend, its not because she is innocent, but rather "I am thirty, can you buy me a Starbucks. Of course, the noun could be changed to pizza hut or Louis Vuitton. These types of innocent acting girl, people refer to them as green tea bitch. If you dont like me, just tell me to fu*k off! Why are you acting close to me? Of course, Jiang Chen admitted that it was dumb of him to be involved in the first place. Every basic girl always had some boys run around her. One held her bag; one paid for her, one alleviated her physical needs That was the definition of being nave. He really didnt know something like this would happen. It was one day during Jiang Chen''s second year of university that he asked Fang Yuanyuan out to a movie. The movie was Liu Yaos . And then, there was no and then. He finally woke up, woke up from the illusion that year. He realized it was a one-sided emotion. After rejecting the person, to continuously expect the person to act like a "best friend", to expect they would continue to revolve around you and your life, that was greed. In the end, she ripped off the faade of innocence and began to mock him for being weak and useless. Shocked, confused. Within the next two years, every time they passed by each other, she would always hasten her steps and walk away pretending not to know him. It was better that way as it would be awkward otherwise. He had already put this unhappy memory into the back of his head. Especially after his roommate told him that, "I didnt tell you before because I was afraid that you would be angry, but that Fang Yuanyuan girl has an ambiguous relationship with other people at the same time. There was no reason to discuss whose fault it was. But it was after that moment that he no longer believed in fidelity. Especially after he possessed the financial capability, he was out of control. But this was another story to be told. He just didnt expect that one year after graduation they would encounter again. In his memory, Fang Yuanyuan was an art major, but she came into the real estate business. It was not odd since he did study a supposedly good major, mechanical engineering, but still sold clothes after graduation. The feeling to meet an old friend felt odd to Jiang Chen. "You, why would you come here." The girl looked around nervously as she lowered her voice and said in a begging tone, "please, dont come bother me anymore, you and I wont happen." "I think you are mistaken." Jiang Chen awkwardly looked at Fang Yuanyuan. Although she had hurt him before, he didnt have the desire to seek revenge. What happened before was all buried in dust. Yes, Fang Yuanyuan did hurt him, but through her perspective, she didnt do anything wrong since Jiang Chen couldnt give her the life she wanted. Also, its hard to debate who actually gained more from her rejection. "How did you find out where I worked?" She gritted her teeth as she locked her eyes on Jiang Chen. "Leave, I dont want to see. I wont accept you." Jiang Chen was completely dumbfounded. [What? Do I need your permission to buy a house? You are mistaking this whole thing.] But Fang Yuanyuan didnt give Jiang Chen the chance to explain as she acted defiantly. As to why she rejected so dramatically, it was because of something that happened recently. A middle-aged business man that recently bought a second-hand house from here proposed to her. The reason behind it was she tricked the bald, middle-aged man to think that a cute girl had fallen in love with him, so he hot-headedly signed his name on the contract. But when the middle-aged men showed up with ninety-nine roses to her workplace The exact details will not be discussed, but in short, the guy got kicked out by security. Because of this, the manager warned her. Even if the implicit rules within this industry was not new, you still have to watch your tail. She was terrified that Jiang Chen would pull something by directly proposing to her. If he made a fool of himself here and demanded her to marry him, even if the security would kick him out, she would be the laughing stock between her colleagues, and it would even affect her bonus this month. She selectively ignored the woman that stood behind Jiang Chen, a woman that would embarrass Fang Yuanyuan not only just in looks. "You know her?" Xia Shiyu in offline mode suddenly opened her mouth with a mischievous look. [Why is it so cold here, is the AC too low?] Jiang Chen shivered. "I guess." Jiang Chen awkwardly answered. This is ruining the mood, lets try a different place then. With Fang Yuanyuans arrogant act, Jiang Chen wasnt in the mood anymore. He didnt even bother explaining as he was ready to turn around. Seeing Jiang Chen leave in "embarrassment", Fang Yuanyuan let out a breath as she was amazed by her cunningness. Good thing I acted with certainty. Haha, dumba*s. "A toad that wants to date the swan." (To crave for what one is not worthy of.) Jiang Chen stopped, although it was faint, it didnt escape his ear. Xia Shiyu also stopped; however, she looked it like she was happy to see the conflict unfold. Jiang Chen noticed and gave her a dirty look before he gradually turned around and walked in front of the reception. "What, what do you want? I am calling the security." Fang Yuanyuan saw that Jiang Chen was walking towards her with a fierce look as she began to feel nervous. She started to stutter. "Nothing. What? A receptionist can reject the customers rights to buy a house?" Even if you dont want me to buy, I will buy it here, and I will buy it from someone else right in front of you. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he glanced at the security guards walking over. A deathly stare. [This guy killed people before?!] The security guard suddenly felt fear overcome him as cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Although Jiang Chen didnt intentionally expose anything, the bloodiness stained from the chaotic apocalypse crept into the security guards mind through his grim gaze. His instinct from being in the gang told him that he would not be able to handle the young man in front of him. He wasnt planning to start a fight, but momentum wise he already lost out. The air in the room started to tense up. At this moment, an apologetic voice suddenly alleviated all the tension in the air. "Of course she doesnt have the right, honorable sir. I apologize for this poor demeanor of our companys reception." 57 Who’s the Swan? Chapter 57: Whos the Swan? Translator: - -Editor: - - "Of course she doesnt have the right, honorable sir. I apologize for the poor demeanor of our companys receptionist." Huang Lis songbird voice floated from the back of the hall. A gorgeous woman in black walked out in elegant steps as she lowered her body slightly to express her apology. Flawless skin, delicate face, and on top of the seductive eyes were a pair of finely drawn eyebrows. Below the perfect nose of hers was a small mouth. The vivid red lipstick did not make her look slightly ordinary. Instead, it radiated her elegance. Her black uniform perfectly outlined the curves of her body as the pencil skirt pressed against the black stockings, mysterious and seductive. The opening in front of her shirt exposed the white and deep valley in front of her. She was created by God in perfection. Just in beauty, she was even slightly more attractive than Xia Shiyu. Of course, it was somewhat unfair since Xia Shiyu would always be expressionless and never really put on makeup. Her wardrobe comprised of professional clothing and her primary purpose was to go to the bureau with Jiang Chen, and house hunting only happened because of an agreement. An attractive woman mediating the situation was much more efficient. The sincere apology already diminished most of Jiang Chens anger away. It was not a big deal to start with since their manager already apologized, he didnt want to persist further. "Mhmm, its okay." [This girl is attractive.] Jiang Chen tried to hide his gulping. For some reason, he felt someone staring at him questionably. Perhaps confident with her own beauty, or perhaps she had seen too many guys embarrass themselves in front of her. Xiao Mengying didnt mind as she steered the conversation. "I am the sales manager here. My name is Xiao Mengying, you can call me Yingying. Mister. What type of unit would you like to purchase? I have extensive experience in selecting the right units for my customer." As she spoke, she was also examining Jiang Chen. Although Jiang Chen didnt wear anything high end, nor did he exhibit class in his actions, in the world filled with newly emerging millionaires, it was nearly impossible to tell who had money. Since he walked into this place, it proved that he was definitely financially capable. When she noticed Xia Shiyu, Xiao Mengying was even more certain of her guess. To be able to walk in here with a girl as attractive as her, looks would not do justice. Xiao Mengying also noticed that the expressionless beauty was not this guys wife, but perhaps played a mistress or assistant role. The hint of "dislike" made her even more confident. Her light tone made the two feel a lot closer, Jiang Chens intention to act arrogantly faded away. Truthfully speaking, although he liked to act arrogantly, he was nice the majority of the time. "I want to buy a comfortable mansion, do you have any recommendations?" Jiang Chen regathered his thought from staring at the stunning beauty as he said with a smile. "Mansion?" Xiao Mengying was slightly shocked. She originally thought Jiang Chen only wanted to buy an apartment at a high-end location, it was the deal that she had done the most. But Jiang Chen straight up wanted purchase a mansion, the cheapest mansion in Wanghai City was at least ten million. With the 0.8% commission her company promised, this one deal would be more than several deals combined. Xiao Mengyings eyes immediately lit up as the way she looked at Jiang Chen held more hidden seduction. "I apologize." Xiao Mengying gently lowered her body as she apologized for her shocked look, at the same time intentionally exposing her cleavage slightly more. She heard the gulping sound as a trace of a satisfied smile appeared on her face. All men were perverts. If they were not, its the girl not being attractive enough. She was extremely confident with herself. "Sir, if you want to purchase a mansion, please follow me to the VIP room. Any deal over five million will be done in the VIP room to provide the best quality service, I hope you dont mind." "I dont mind, lead the way." Jiang Chen smiled. "Sir, please come over here." Xiao Mengying smiled delicately as she leaned forward with a pleasing gesture. Xia Shiyu frowned slightly. She didnt know why, but she disliked this woman. Not because she was jealous of the way she looked, it was the fact that she felt a sense of danger around her. Where did the feeling come from? She couldnt think it through, but she just faintly had this feeling. Although annoyed, she could only let out a sigh and follow Jiang Chen since he was the one buying. When she noticed that Jiang Chens eyes locked onto Xiao Mengyings round butt, she felt a strange annoyance and frustration. But then she thought, he is not my boyfriend, why am I angry? [This doesnt make sense.] She was in the middle of a conflicting set of logics as she began to feel a frustration she was not accustomed to. Xia Shiyus facial expression change, of course, didnt escape Xiao Mengyings eyes. She had spent a few years within a melting pot known as society as she advanced from a normal salesperson to where she was now. Her attention to body language was superb. Jealous but didnt react meant that the two were still in the dubious face of the relationship. Xiao Mengying saw through the exact state of their relationship. There were so many opportunities to be taken then, as a faint smiled crept onto Xiao Mengyings face. A lot of friends are also real estate salespeople, but they eventually became the owner of the house they sold. It not only depended on the look but also their cunningness. She was making plans in her mind. If this Mr. Jiang would purchase a mansion over fifty million, then it would be worth it for her to make a move. Since sales in real estate was a career with a time limit, no one would want to buy a house from an old woman. Even if she took care of herself, the age ceiling was still around thirty years old. With her current salary including commission, she could make almost one million. But of course, this type of salary was unsustainable. With the current housing market condition, despite prices still increasing, the volume decreased significantly compared to 2008. The company fired a group of people just last month. Although it would never affect her as the star salesperson, the current industry trend forced her to consider her options. Marrying rich was not a terrible choice. When she thought about all this, Xiao Mengyings invasive vision scanned across the expressionless Xia Shiyu. She was ready to steal her man. Jiang Chen who walked beside her didnt notice the change in this beautys expression. He gave Fang Yuanyuan, who was frozen in place, a long meaningful look before going into the VIP room. [Whos the swan? Whos the toad? Dumba*s.] He cursed satisfyingly in his mind as he felt joy flow through his body. His pride and sense of revenge were both fulfilled. Three people with their own thoughts left the grand hall and left only Fang Yuanyuan standing blankly at the front desk. Regret? Unwillingness? Confusion? Jealousy? Or all of them. A ten million dollar deal just scathed by her. Jiang Chen? Him? How could he buy a mansion!? He couldnt even afford Pizza Hut? This is impossible! A million thoughts flashed through her mind which made her feel surreal. But, it was too late to regret. Fang Yuanyuan could never fight off the meat from her manager''s mouth. Especially since she had already offended Jiang Chen. The toad that wanted to date the swan? Whos the toad? Whos the swan now? There was no way he could like her now. Fang Yuanyuan only felt regret submerge her completely because of her irrational reaction. She could have easily used their previous relationship to eat the "meat," but she gave it away with her own quick judgment. At the same time, a slim hope was still in her mind. She knew Jiang Chens family background and knew where he worked after the graduation. A clothing store salesperson would never afford a mansion. He must be lying. It was an elaborate scheme to embarrass me. Her colleagues did not have the slightest attempt to hide their mockery. They knew well that they would not beat Xiao Mengying. But this girl gave away the meat in her mouth, that was so dumb. Fang Yuanyuan couldnt bother with her colleagues expression as she fell into deep despair and regret, unable to escape from what happened. She regretted that three years ago she did not say yes to Jiang Chen. At the same time, she cursed and thought everything was set up to mock her. When a person sank into irrationality, their intelligence would be drawn into oblivion. There is not a lot of second chances in the world, or else everyone would be a millionaire. 58 The Intimacy in the Car Chapter 58: The Intimacy in the Car Translator: - -Editor: - - Is Mr. Jiang buying the mansion for investment purposes or for personal use? For myself. Is there a difference? Perhaps intentional, after Xiao Mengying seated Jiang Chen, she directly sat beside him. The leather sofa here was for two people, so Xia Shiyu had to sit on the single sofa. Because they were too close, Jiang Chen could smell the Gardenia fragrance. Due to the angle they were seated in, if he wanted to look at the documents in Xiao Mingyings hands, his eyes inevitably caught the red bra inside her V-neck. [I do apologize, this is by no means intentional.] The arousing scene made Jiang Chen straighten his back and adjust the way he sat to avoid being too obvious. The small movements did not escape Xiao Mengyings sharp eyes as her tongue rolled across her bright red lips. Xiao Mengying leaned her body forward even further to make it look like she was providing a better angle for the customer to read the documents at, but the real intention was to show the scenery of her cleavage more. If the purpose is to invest, then the appreciation value potential is what Sir you should consider. But if it is for personal living, then the environment and amenities are the top considerations. Based on your needs sir, I recommend this mansion in the Linjiang Area. The mansion is within the newly developed upper-class community, the amenities and the surrounding area are all world class. The mansion is three stories tall with a basement. It is equipped with a double garage as well as a private front yard. The position of the mansion is facing the river which directly oversees the beauty of the river. If Sir you are into high class living, then you must take serious consideration of this mansion Xia Shiyu sat silently on the side with her eyes locked onto the slim distance between Jiang Chen and Xiao Mengyings arm. She felt an unexplainable frustration. 12 million? Jiang Chen frowned. Xiao Mingying carefully examined Jiang Chens facial expression. She sensed that Jiang Chen was not too happy with the price as she added, Sir, Wanhua Real Estates top priority is our homebuyers comfort. Although the price is a bit high, Its not the problem with the price. Well, it is. Lets not waste any time. Show me the most expensive mansion, Jiang Chen said right away. Xiao Mengying first felt disappointed, but when Jiang Chen said that, she paused to think through what she had just heard before her face turned ecstatic. Okay, sir, please look at this mansion. Xiao Mengyings tone became even sweeter as her delicate fingers quickly flipped through the documents. She found a picture of the mansion. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Jiang Chen felt this woman was getting even closer to him. This mansion is our companys masterfully crafted sample building to demonstrate our excellence in design. Located in Wanghai City Mingxin Area, among the high-class mansion complex. It is located on the upstream of the river and has a direct view of it. The mansions design is based on a combination of classical and modern theory and was skillfully designed by the world class architect K. Garen. The compact design not only saves addition space, but it also eases traveling between different units of the mansion. The mansion is four stories high with a basement attached. The garage is a quadruple garage. It is also built with a 10m by 10m private pool with a mobile roof design. In the summer, it can be used for a pool party, and in the winter the roof can be closed to replicate a hot spring environment. The private garden in the front of mansion could be used for a BBQ party, which is the current trend of the upper-class society. The helicopter pad on the roof could be used for takeoffs and landings of small to mid-sized helicopters. The open balcony on the other side has a full view of the beautiful scenery of the river. Additionally, to ensure the safety and security of our homebuyer, our company has provided that the communitys security measure is the highest within Wanghai city. This mansions security measure, in particular, is the top priority for our security team. The value of this mansion is superb. The area is 2100 square meters with a total cost of 240 million RMB. Listening to Xiao Mengyings pleasant voice, Jiang Chen carefully examined the details of the mansion. Very pleased! Very pleased with every aspect of this mansion. The security was top notch, the geographical location was also not too far from the mansion. The more important thing was that this building was great to show off. Xia Shiyu, what do you think about this one? Jiang Chen handed the documents to Xia Shiyu. Mhmm, not bad. Jiang Chen examined Xia Shiyus facial expression confusedly, he sensed that her mind was somewhere else. Do you not feel okay? Jiang Chen was concerned. Mhmm, a little. I want to go back now, Xia Shiyu answered absent-mindedly as she suddenly stood up and walked to the door. Miss Xia, if you are not feeling okay, I can lend my car to my colleague and send you home, or to the nearest hospital. Health is an important issue, and please be careful. Seeing the inconvenient personal leave, Xiao Mengying was glad, but she didnt show it on her face. Instead, she looked genuinely concerned. Thank you then. Xia Shiyu didnt say no as she did feel a bit sick. Perhaps it was from this morning? But she didnt seem too worried. The greeter standing on the side took Xiao Mengyings car key and smiled at Xia Shiyu before both of them left the VIP room. Mr. Jiang, if you are sure about your choice, I can accompany you to take a tour of the mansion, Xiao Mengying said as happily pressed her body against Jiang Chens arm. Although usually a guarantee fee must be paid to do so, that was for the regular customer. For a VIP customer like him, it was not necessary. Jiang Chen hesitated before he finally nodded. Although he wanted Xia Shiyu to accompany him to give him some advice, since she felt sick, that wouldnt work. She did look through the pictures and said it was okay. [After taking care of this, Ill go visit her place. Although it is just a cold, no one is there to take care of her.] Ok, lets go then. A delightful smile appeared on Xiao Mengying as she led Jiang Chen to the companys parking lot. Luxury vehicles were parked here for valuable customers. She gestured Jiang Chen to sit in the back of the car before Xiao Mengying also, in triumphant steps, walked to the other side and elegantly sat inside. The driver in the front started the car and smoothly headed to the road. A Mercedes-Benz Costumed Version. The back of the seat was very spacious with the front and back of the car divided with a blackboard. The window was also tinted which turned the backseat into a secretive area. The atmosphere was rather erotic. Especially when a beauty that sat beside you with her legs crossed looked at you with a dubious smile. Mr. Jiang, theres still 30 minutes before we arrive. Lets discuss something interesting. Jiang Chen noticed the seductive little tongue roll between her parted bright red lips. The pair of charming eyes has been particularly seductive under this intimate atmosphere. Oh? For example? Jiang Chen also smiled. He heard the implicit rules within the real estate sales industry. To get a higher commission they would provide special service to big customers, but he didnt expect to encounter it. For example, if you choose to pay the full amount, Ill bring a little surprise for you. The curvature of Xiao Mengyings mouth was teasing Jiang Chen. Oh? Then this is something to look forward to. If you can make me satisfied, then Ill consider paying a guarantee fee. If I am happy with the mansion, then, of course, it is okay to pay the full amount. Jiang Chens lips also began to curve upwards as desire began to show through his eyes. He never said he was a courteous gentleman. Since the hint was so obvious, why would he say no? Xiao Mengyings eyes lit up as she processed Jiang Chen''s words. Guarantee fee would equate to strong intention in purchasing the mansion. It would be up to her efforts to convince the customer to make the final decision. Jiang Chens a man of his words right? Xiao Mengying teased as her beautiful eyes cast downwards and she left her seat. Jiang Chen finally knew why the design was so spacious. Xiao Mengying knelt in front of him as she seductively looked at him. She opened a compartment from under his seat and took out something small. To welcome your sir, Ill help you, sir, to clean up a little? He didnt expect her to be this straight forward. Xiao Mengying used her fingers to opened Jiang Chens belt and gently loosen it before she unzipped a particular area. How are you going to clean it up for me? Jiang Chen reacted to Xiao Mengyings hands'' movement as he raised his eyebrow. Like this. Xiao Mengying laughed teasing him. She took out a wet wipe and surrounded Jiang Chens private area with both of her hands. It was a cold and soft sensation. The coldness came from the wet wipe, the softness came from the delicate hands of the beauty. Just like this? Jiang Chen asked dubiously. She smiled as she put her face closer. She looked up charmingly and tastefully licked her red lips with her playful tongue. And like this. The hot breath, the warm and wet sensation, Jiang Chen felt that he was surrounded by moistness and warmness. Xiao Mengying was satisfied with Jiang Chens expression. With her eyes narrowed, she began to savor the delicious treat in her mouth. Lick, suck, and bite, with all her ability. Not only her skillfulness in eating ice cream, but Xiao Mengying''s face of enjoyment also made Jiang Chens scalp tingle. Even if he knew it was acting, who could last through a beautys intoxicated expression? The scenery outside the window flew past as the presence of pedestrians and cars made both of them even feel more excited. Especially when it was not possible to see from the outside, but everything was so clear from the inside. Fast and furious? At the peak of climax, Jiang Chen held onto Xiao Mengyings head as he forcefully spilled his ice cream into her mouth, followed by her painful gulping sounds. 59 Luxury Chapter 59: Luxury Translator: - -Editor: - - The luxury car stopped in front of the community as the driver rolled the window down to scan the identification card before the bar slowly lifted up. Peering through the window, Jiang Chen noticed that all of the security staff were muscular and fit, equipped with electric rods. Although he didnt know the specifics of their ability, from the way they stood, he guessed that they must be retired soldiers. His suspicions were correct; the fifty security guards within the community were all elite soldiers who retired without any infractions. The property managements high reputation was certainly justified. Since the communitys opening six years ago, many thieves set their eyes upon the property, but none were successful. The security teams scouting skills had been honed in the army. If thieves managed to bypass them on their watch, then they might as well reconsider their career as a special agent. The luxury car drove smoothly into the wide driveway in the deepest part of the community which was shaped like a flipped bowl on top of a large, artificially-created hill. Jiang Chens mansion was at the highest point of the bowl, overlooking the beautiful river scenery. The people living here are either rich or respective. This way, not only will you get to enjoy the complex, but youll also meet a lot of interesting neighbors. Xiao Mengying was hinting that staying here would be beneficial for his career. However, Jiang Chen didnt seem to receive her intentions as he flashed a smile at her carelessly. Career was one thing, but the living standard was more important. Without it, what was the point of having a high net worth? Since he purchased the mansion for his own enjoyment, the first priority was comfort. As for the rich and respectable neighbors? He had a feeling that they would come knocking soon enough. The car came to a smooth stop in front of the mansion door as Xiao Mengying quickly got out and opened the door for Jiang Chen. She scanned her card on the door, making the metal gate automatically slide open. Once registration is complete, the mansions security system will update. You can even use the app our company developed to open the door. Of course, I recommend the special electronic key. Xiao Mengying smartly batted her eyelashes at him as she led the way into the mansion. Behind the European-themed wall was another world. The clean-cut grass field, straight stone-brick pathway, and the building that was a fusion between classical European and modern simplicity came together flawlessly without any contradiction to the two unique themes. The open French windows adorned the first floor of the mansion, completed by white, square blocks around the rest of the building. Elegant but open, the four-story building stood out among the other three-story mansions. Jiang Chen was most satisfied with the oval-shaped swimming pool. Just as the document stated, with a press of a button, the dome retracted to the side, revealing an open swimming pool. The temperature of the pool could also be accurately increased to a specific range thanks to the heating equipment underneath the pool. Although these innovative designs were rather impractical, it fueled someone like Jiang Chen who thrived on the coolness. Xiao Mengying explained the high-end features within the mansion and led him inside. The interior design pleased him even further. Sample rooms were furnished for the sake of advertisement, and the company offered the option of refurbishing if the homebuyer was unhappy with the design. But Jiang Chen was plenty satisfied with the decorations. The monochromatic living room was comforting, and the artistic furniture further enhanced the lively feel. The building itself had been built to perfection by a world-renowned architect. Even without knowing why it felt so right, Jiang Chen felt at peace here. The dining room and kitchen were masterfully designed as well. Xiao Mengying led him up the stairs to the second floor which had been designed purely for comfort. The floor was mostly made up of bedrooms, but what shocked Jiang Chen was that every room was designed slightly differently. The intent was to allow the homebuyer to freely select a room based on their mood. One of the rooms was monochromatic with an emphasis on simplicity, while another was decorated with warm-tones to create an intimate atmosphere. The third and fourth-floor flowed smoothly with the rest of the buildings design. Each floor had washrooms and two extra bedrooms. There were also some empty rooms that could be converted into whatever the homebuyer wished, such as an office or a gym. He stood on the top floor balcony and gazed out at the beautiful scenery in the light river breeze. Although it was still the middle of summer, the wind was slightly cool which could perhaps be attributed to the vegetation around the area; it was vastly different from the heat in the center of Wanghai City. Not bad. This is a great place to live. Jiang Chen nodded at Xiao Mengying with a satisfied expression. The green vegetation, elegant environment, luxury, and comfortable design were more than worth the price. It was certainly more modern than the mansion in the apocalypse world that had been designed with a retro feelit was the perfect environment for enjoying life. And all for only two hundred million RMB. Maybe because money came too easily for him, it was an obvious choice for Jiang Chen. Although our company cannot provide a discount on these types of mansions, based on the agreement we signed with Maybach, well provide a brand new Maybach S600 for any home with a pricetag of one hundred million or above. This is a limited edition vehicle, Xiao Mengying explained. Jiang Chen had heard about the Maybach S600 before. The price overseas was around half a million USD, which was around three million RMB. Of course, people who owned one hundred million mansions would not lack this small amount of money, but it was a good gesture, and a gift seemed more natural rather than giving a discount as part of a sales strategy. 60 House Hunting Chapter 60: House Hunting Translator: - -Editor: - - Jiang Chen wrote the word Jiang on the contract, then raised his eyebrows mischievously as he dropped the pen. He smirked at Xiao Mengyings eager look. If I havent tried before, how will I know if it is actually good? Xiao Mengying smiled charmingly, naturally understanding his meaning. Which room does Mr. Jiang want to sample? Whichever one Miss Sales Manager recommends. Hehe, of course, words wont allow the gentleman to experience the design philosophy of the mansion. Please allow me to help you understand. Xiao Mengying smiled teasingly at him as she turned around and walked towards the stairs with elegant strides. The smooth curvature of her butt and body heated Jiang Chens blood. Although it was a new mansion, everything was already included such as the bedsheets. The bedroom door was slammed shut. Xiao Mengying was prepared and did not resist Jiang Chens invasive moves. Her leg curled around Jiang Chens waist as both of her arms came up to surround his neck before she passionately kissed him. Jiang Chen, of course, was delighted to accept Xiao Mengyings steamy invitation. He opened his mouth to let the small tongue twist and attack his own. Gripping the firm, attractive leg, he easily lifted Xiao Mengying with his 25 muscle strength. He pressed her up against the window, inducing a surprised yelp from her. People are going to see. Xiao Mengying said coquettishly as she gazed at him with pleading eyes. Despite her words, it was already wet where it mattered, and she didnt try to stop Jiang Chen. Instead, she lifted her gorgeous butt to fit Jiang Chens positioning. [Says no, but the body is truthful.] Jiang Chen smirked as he pushed his ice cream inside. With a mansion like this, it was impossible to see inside, since privacy was an important aspect of the design. The green vegetation surrounding the mansions made peeking impossible. Xiao Mengying bit her soft, red lips as she willingly accepted Jiang Chens furious acts. She twisted her body to match Jiang Chens rhythm with eyes that gazed at Jiang Chen with tenderness and passion leaking out. Since it was a transaction, Jiang Chen didnt need to concern himself with the girls perspective; he freely went at his own pace to seek enjoyment. The monstrous thrusting motions did bring joy to Xiao Mengying, but after an hour, the pace became painful. [Is it still not over?] Xiao Mengying pleaded with Jiang Chen with her eyes, but he did not slow down in the slightest. Can you not take it anymore? Jiang Chen adjusted his position to whisper into her ear. Mhmm! Xiao Mengying nodded, trying to gain his sympathy. Do you want to get someone else then? An evil smirk appeared on his face, and he belatedly realized that he was starting to act like Sun Jiao. Xiao Mengying immediately shook her head and threw away her pitiful act. Her delicate waist began to respond again to the thrusting motion. A two hundred million deal! This meant the commission alone was at least one million, which was her salary for the entire year! It was also difficult to sell these types of furnished mansions; if she succeeded, it would prove her competence. The majority of real estate sales struggled to break the ten million mark, but this single deal was worth two hundred million! It would advance her career, and if she could enter management, she wouldnt have to worry about her youth. [I dont care anymore.] She dreadfully closed her eyes as she tried to respond to Jiang Chens every action. Money was not easy to make. Even a night with a celebrity was not worth millions. Either way, this deal was worth it to her. Her legs began to feel fragile and she felt as though she would be torn apart, but if she failed to satisfy Jiang Chen, all of her effort would go down the drain. If she wasnt willing to bear the pain, there were plenty of others who would take it for her. Despite her colleagues haughty attitudes, they were no doubt eyeing her sales manager position. Results ruled at Wanhua Real Estate; whoever had the better sales record was the better fit for the sales manager position. The newcomer Fang Yuanyuan was no different in that she was willing to do anything. Xiao Mengying heard from an acquaintance that this girl participated in a party with the young master of a gang to sell a house and played with five people. Who knew what this girl was thinking or what sort of emotions she had coming in to work. But she managed to sell the house worth ten million, successfully completing the sales requirement for the first year to continue working at headquarters. Compared to her, at least this is a lot easier. Xiao Mengying comforted herself, slightly frowned, and let Jiang Chen By the time they returned to the car, it was already dusk. The driver stood smoking beside the car, but when he saw the VIP and his boss come out, he immediately extinguished the cigarette butt before opening the door for him with a courteous smiled and bow. Being in the industry for so long, he knew what happened in that mansion between the sales manager and Jiang Chen, but it was not up to an ordinary person like him to judge. It was better to keep his mouth shut. The real estate industry was not clean to begin with, especially for a major player like Wanhua Real Estate. Jiang Chen got into the car first before Xiao Mengying elegantly sat beside him. The driver started the engine and returned on the same route. In the car, Xiao Mengying called her manager, and when they arrived, he waited in front of the door with the sales staff to welcome them. Although Xiao Mengying was similarly a manager in name, her position of sales manager had been specifically made to motivate the staff. In terms of pay, the salary was the same as any other managers, but in terms of responsibilities, they were no different from those of the regular sales staff. As for the General Manager, that was another role entirely. He managed everything at headquarters from strategy to operations. Any deal over thirty million had to be completed by him, but of course, he didnt receive commission as his bonus was based on the total sales around this area. Jiang Chen took the gold-gilded business card from the reverent General Manager and enjoyed the warm welcome from the sales staff that were lined up. His vanity was fulfilled as he happily entered the office together with the General Manager. 61 Extravagant Spending Chapter 61: Extravagant Spending Translator: - -Editor: - - When Xiao Mengying saw that Jiang Chen paid the two hundred forty million in full, her eyes lit up and she felt the pain was worth it, especially when the General Manager secretly sent her a thumbs-up. "Im certainly pleased with the house, but I was more pleased with your sales manager." Jiang Chen smiled and shook hands with the General Manager after signing the necessary documents. The General Manager responded by laughing with a look that all men understood as he passed the proof of ownership and the electronic key to Jiang Chen. He also promised that within three days, Jiang Chen could move in. The mansion was technically available right away, but in order to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction, Wanhua Real Estate conducted a complimentary cleaning and inspection. Since it was a new estate without any previous owners, it needed a dusting at the very least. Compared to the trail of zeros in two hundred forty million, the cost of cleaning was inconsequential. The tedious process was completed in a relatively short amount of time. Pleased with the General Managers work, Jiang Chen praised him before he leaving the luxurious Wanhua Real Estate headquarters. On his way out, he glanced at the still-stunned Fang Yuanyuan with a playful smile and a wave of his contract and keys. Xiao Mengying followed him with a meaningful smile, licking her lips ambitiously. In recognition of her work, the General Manager commended her sales record which meant that she would soon be promoted. But compared to the million dollar commission, she was more interesting in the owner of that mansionrich and handsome, and also single. As for Xia Shiyu? She was nothing to worry about. In terms of techniques, it was impossible for that virgin to please him like she could. She was confident that with her intoxicating body, she would be able to attract him. All she needed to do now was bide her time and call him at the number she secretly memorized. She firmed believed that with the proper bait, no man would be able to resist biting. Of course, these were all her own speculations. Although Jiang Chen was never a nice guy to begin with, he still maintained balance in his heart. When Xiao Mengying walked out of the office, her colleagues surrounded her and rapidly questioned her about the man who was personally greeted by the General Manager. "Be truthful! What trick did you use to dig up that rich man?" A saleswoman with a gorgeous body pushed her way to Xiao Mengyings side. "No, no, it was just a regular deal," Xiao Mengying modestly replied, but with her vanity secretly fulfilled. "You have that smell on you, hehe, you cant escape my nose." A cute-looking girl sniffed Xiao Mengyings face with a grin. After some back-and-forth teasing, Xiao Mengying finally and "unwillingly" revealed her experience. When they heard about the two hundred forty million deal, the sales staff gasped without exception. Xiao Mengying even hinted that the man did not even blink when paying the full amount, making them even more hysterical. "Mengying, you are the best. You must know that mans phone number, right? Hurry up and tell me," a curly-haired girl asked pleadingly, holding onto her arm. "Yes, yes, sharing is caring." Inside, she was ecstatic, enjoying the flattery of her colleagues, but outwardly, she maintained her composure. [You bi*ches, I know exactly what youre all thinking.] Even the girl who acted innocent and pure with her adorable face scared Xiao Mengying with her acts in bed. How did she conclude that? From her sales record that remained in the top three. The other saleswomen all had their own plans. A two hundred forty million deal solidified Xiao Mengyings position as first in the department, and since it was unlikely to be shaken, it would be wise to flatter her. Then in the future, she would be kinder to all of them. Intoxicated by their flattery, she waved her hand gallantly and promised to treat everyone out tonight, sparking loud cheers. The commission alone was two million, so of course she didnt lack the money. The girls all had a common purpose, however, which was to hook up with the rich and handsome man. No one wanted to be a real estate saleswoman for the rest of their lives, especially with the short life of the career. The only thing they could do now was earn money but more importantly, find a rich man. And although Xiao Mengying had her advantages, the girls also had their own competitive edge. The curly-haired girl, for example, although not a virgin, won with her age. As a recent graduate, she had less experience with the rules of the business. If she cried and emphasized her innocence in how she accidentally lost her first time, it would make for a compelling story. The key was in obtaining the phone number. They all secretly planned on getting her drunk to make her loosen up. Xiao Mengying, who was basking in the praise, noticed Fang Yuanyuan standing at the front counter. [You are not trying to flatter me?] Xiao Mengying frowned, then smiled mockingly when she remembered that this new girl had a conflict with Jiang Chen. "I really dont have Mr. Jiangs number. An important person like him would never like me," Xiao Mengying said with faked sadness. Then her eyes seemed to coincidentally come across Fang Yuanyuan, and as if recalling something of utmost importance, she joyfully asked, "Oh! I remember, Fang Yuanyuan was Mr. Jiangs classmate. Why dont we ask her?" All of the girls paused, then began to laugh. Fang Yuanyuans face had gloom written all over it, hearing the mockery in their laughter as if they were saying, "You bit*h, you went to the five-people party which just barely allowed you to become a sales girl, but when a piece of meat was fed to your mouth, you ended up giving it to someone else." "I, I dont know. Im not that close with him," Fang Yuanyuan stuttered. It was a lie as well, since she had almost gotten together with him in the past. It was too late now for regrets. If only she had accepted the poor guy from that time Ashamed and regretful, she hastily organized her table and left with her bag. Work had already ended anyway, and she needed to run away from her embarrassment. As for the mockery behind her, she couldnt hear it anymore; it was not her first time experiencing the cruelty of the world. She didnt question the reason behind these events. Instead, she hated Jiang Chen, the cocky Xiao Mengying, and even resented the expressionless Xia Shiyu who played no part in this. Her hatred mixed with guilt and regret until it became a poison that gradually overwhelmed her. Xiao Mengying contently observed Fang Yuanyuans expression without the slightest guilt or compassion. If that girl had managed to get the deal instead, the sales manager would have been someone else. Then it would be her flattering the girl while getting looked down on. The workplace was no less cruel than a battlefield, especially one filled with women. So, she didnt need to have mercy, and no one would feel sympathetic for Fang Yuanyuan. They would only use the opportunity to prove their loyalty to their invincible boss. 62 Base Construction Chapter 62: Base Construction Translator: - -Editor: - - The thoughts of these strangers were of no consequence to Jiang Chen who took a taxi and returned to his hotel. When Jiang Chen returned, Ayesha, who had been dutifully studying, shyly smiled, transforming her normally expressionless face. Almost like a newlywed wife. But the smile made Jiang Chen feel incredibly guilty. Although he hadnt married her yet, he still felt like a cheating husband coming home to a gentle, understanding wife. [Maybe I should control myself more? Theres already too much on my plate.] He laughed nervously, then brought Ayesha out to a nearby restaurant for a delicious meal free of pork. For this lonely girl, he would always treat her gently. He had his own perverted plans for her once she regained her health. Yes, indeed. But becoming intoxicated by many beauties was never a good thing; it was time to head back to the apocalypse he worried about. That night was quiet, without any conversation. The next morning, after seeing Ayesha off to her language class, he left a pile of bills beside a note that read before leaving the hotel to travel back to the apocalypse. "Youre finally back. Which girl did you sleep with last night?" Sun Jiao crossed her arms and stared at Jiang Chen with a mischievous smile. Jiang Chen laughed nervously before diverting her attention to the base. Sun Jiao took a deep breath and began explaining the recent developments to the base. Although she had a naughty nature, she understood the priorities. First, it was basic infrastructure. The bases wall had successfully advanced 200 meters in the direction of the underground sewerage, clearing out a plot of land the size of two football fields. The dilapidated wooden mansions in the area were bulldozed, but the foundations could be used right away. The small appliances and furniture were then moved to open ground to see if they could be salvaged or otherwise broken down into usable spare parts. The chief architect, Lu Huasheng, organized the construction teams to build four simple lounges on the existing foundations. Each simplistic lounge was made to fit thirty people since Jiang Chen planned on increasing the population size in the future. They had completed the first one while the other three were still being constructed. Additionally, three-story towers of reinforced concrete were built at the corners of the base. Two were in the backyard behind the mansion while the other two stood in the newly cleared-out land. The watchtowers were equipped with light machinery and covered with a layer of camouflage, each manned by one person. Because of the remote location, the zombies were not as much of a threat as the more dangerous mutants appeared within the city limits around Sixth Street. Instead, the Fishbone Base was more concerned about defending against malicious survivors. Upon seeing the high walls and machine guns, however, most of the survivors would be deterred from carrying out their plans. Two months later, this place would be equipped with the four Sentinel machine guns that he had ordered from Zhao Chenwus military plant at the price of 300 crystals each. The machine guns were laser-guided and heat-detecting; such handmade, high-tech equipment often cost a fortune because the parts could only be recycled from junks or modified from other gadgets, making them a rare commodity. Besides constructing defensive equipment, Lu Huasheng followed Jiang Chens orders to build a simple community center in the center of the new plot of land. Currently, building served as the cafeteria and conference room with only one floor, although the plan was to ultimately have three stories. It was fortunate that the automatic water treatment system in Wanghai City eliminated concerns of drinking water. The citys water supply system easily connected to the polyethylene pipe, and as long as there were no accidents, the artificial intelligence at the treatment plant would keep it functional. In terms of power generation, the electrician not only improved the solar panel Sun Jiao had set up but also installed an additional layer of solar panels on the roof; the base could now generate 30 kilowatts of energy per hour. With proper conservation, this was more than enough to sustain them. The extra electricity was then stored in a K1 battery the size of an oil barrel to provide power for the cold storage. As for the food Jiang Chen brought back, Sun Jiao had to order Lu Huasheng to construct two large warehouses in the backyard because the quantity was so substantial. The warehouses were designed to have two levels; the first level stored non-perishable food, and beneath it, a basement was dug out to create an insulated space to store perishables. The space was equipped with the refrigeration system purchased from the Zhao Corporation back in early August. It made the entire basement become a glacial land, forcing them to wear several thick layers before entering. This was where the majority of the power was consumedin maintaining the refrigeration systems of the two warehouses. After listening to Sun Jiaos report, Jiang Chen paused, then asked the foremost concern on his mind, "Hows the trade with the Zhao Corporation?" "The trade amount since early August amounts to ten thousand crystals, which is similar to the last trade. The exchanged supplies were all critical supplies that the base needed. For example, the refrigeration system, the battery, and other equipment, as well as firearms and construction materials. After the trades, there was a surplus of 2310 crystals." Sun Jiao took out a tablet and pulled up the ledger, explaining each item thoroughly. Jiang Chen was shocked, discovering for the first time that she could act like a housekeeper. A smile crept onto his face; he previously thought this audacious girl only knew how to fight, but she also had a detailed side. "Good, dont save on base construction. Use all of the crystals that you canthats the best use for it right now. At the current stage, we dont need them as an energy source; we need the necessary construction materials and equipment, as well as lifesaving weaponry!" Jiang Chen nodded as he praised her for her work. Currently, his public image was as the representative of the Fishbone Food Corporation on a mission to establish a supply station. If he continued to buy construction materials without it, Zhao Chenwu would have grown wary. If all he said was that he had a trade route with an out-of-province survival base, it made sense to purchase materials locally that would be difficult to transport from faraway. Yet with continuous concrete and steel purchases and construction of walls and houses, it became suspicious. If a corporation was truly headquartered in another province, some profit had to be transported back, right? If he couldnt find such an excuse, it would have been difficult to pull this lie through. The trade surplus had to be continuously increased to create the facade that profits were continuously being increased for the headquarters. This way, since the agreement with Zhao Chenwu was based on an inherent lie, it was important to make the lie look as realistic as possible. Sun Jiao became more cheerful after hearing his praise. She continued, "Another thing is that a survival group nearby had noticed us and attempted to contact us." "Survival group?" Jiang Chen frowned. "Yes, but theyre different from large survival camps like the Sixth Street. Due to the relatively less dangerous environment and fewer damages sustained by their buildings, it only takes a few survivors to create an ample survival space. In the area around our base, there is a total of fifty-seven survival groups, with the smallest comprised of two families and the largest with twenty or thirty family units. Of course, this is only a rough estimation." "This many?" Jiang Chen looked at red dots marked on the tablet, his frown even more pronounced. Survivor groups If possible, he didnt want to engage them yet. At least before the base was equipped with a sufficient amount of combat power, it would be dangerous to contact these people. With the prodigious supplies he possessed, he had to be cautious, especially with strangers. In the apocalypse, there was no law; a piece of bread could trigger a murder, his base even more so with its ample food resources. Although the Zhao Corporation would not target Jiang Chen, that was because the president assumed it to be a supply station with the food coming all the way from the Fishbone Food Corporation thousands of miles away. If the ruthless Zhao Chenwu discovered that Jiang Chen was magically creating the food all along, the story would be vastly different. Different from Zhao Chenwu, the typical survivor would never understand the concept of not killing the egg-laying chicken. If they knew there was food that could last them for years in this place, they would immediately arm up and begin hostile attacks. While the survival groups acted harmoniously most of the time, even going so far as to occasionally contact the neighboring camps, once the topic of food and survival was broached, the deception would be torn down. And without any strength to defend, they would face an endless number of raids. The good news was that the survival groups all had similar bullet weapons, lacking any power armors, tanks, or anything more technologically advanced. Thus, they contacted them without showing any signs of aggression. The survival groups were also uncertain of why these individuals had suddenly built a massive base here; essentially, they were guarding against the "odd neighbor" that had come out of nowhere. Following this, Sun Jiao enforced a number of measures to protect the safety of the base. For example, food and fire usage were strictly prohibited outside of the cafeteria. All windows had to be shut when eating; this was to prevent spies from knowing about the existence of their food storage. At the same time, Sun Jiao clearly rejected survivors who requested entrance to the base. And as for what stance to take towards the groups who contacted them? Everything was waiting for Jiang Chens return to be determined. 63 Virtual Reality Training Chamber Chapter 63: Virtual Reality Training Chamber Translator: - -Editor: - - "You handled these issues perfectly." After listening to Sun Jiaos report, Jiang Chen nodded and contemplated for a minute. "Hows the bases combat ability?" "Almost everyone can fight with a gun," Sun Jiao said proudly. "Already?" Jiang Chen was astounded. "We purchased eight virtual reality training chambers from the Zhao Corporation. I believe they said that the PAC used this to train civil soldiers. Its fairly common at the Sixth Street where they have some stockpiled in their storage. After hearing that we didnt have any, they sold it to us at a discounted price." "Take me there to have a look!" Jiang Chen was extremely interested and curious to understand the virtual reality training chambers functions. If possible, he wanted to bring one and use it as a first-person shooter simulation to practice his combat ability. Sun Jiao smiled at Jiang Chens excitement as she led him to the community center. The training chamber was designed with futuristic designs and fluidity. Jiang Chen touched the smooth surface, unable to contain the thrill. Sun Jiao began to explain, "This model was produced in 2140 as one of the early models of the virtual reality training chamber. Despite that, its functionalities match those of the later civilian educational models. Deep submergence into the training chamber allows human memory to operate at peak performance and also enables the bodies to perfectly synchronize with the learned motions. "Because death in training is just a game over, many high-risk training activities can be completed in virtual reality. Although obviously, the physical body still has to be conditioned in the real world." "Physical conditioning can be solved through the genetic vaccine." Jiang Chen nodded, pleased with the explanation. "Right. Thats why I included 50 D-Level genetic vaccines in the purchase order. All of them were injected, allowing the bases combat power to become slightly stronger." Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao were both injected with the C-Level genetic vaccine, but due to their scarcity, an order of 10 was reasonable, but 50 was not. Since the vaccine was not commonly purchased, it was not produced in large quantities, so she decided to purchase the relatively cheaper, lower-grade D-level genetic vaccine. The only difference between the C-Level and D-Level was a five-point stat difference, but it didnt limit the bodys potential; usually, even an E-Level was more than enough. For example, the majority of the civil soldiers stationed in the outer circle of the Sixth Street were injected with E-level genetic vaccines; some only had the anti-virus vaccination since the possibility of close-range combat these days was nearly zero. Suddenly, Jiang Chen had an idea. "Is it possible to use this thing to study something else, like a language?" It would be useful in teaching Ayesha. Combined with the genetic vaccine, he could train a beautiful bodyguard and driver. The loyalty of Ayesha was definitely not a concern, but Yao Yao could change the training programs weapon level to 150 years ago to solve any inconsistencies. Sun Jiao was confused, not understanding Jiang Chens purpose in asking but still nodded. "In theory, yes, the training chamber was equipped with a standard studying function since memory operates at its peak in a deep sleep. I learned this growing up in a survival base. But studying languages...is this useful?" Survival base 071s education system was mostly based around virtual reality training chambers high efficiency and ease of use. But as for studying languages, even most of the foreigners left behind in Wanghai City had learned Han already. "Itll be somewhat useful. Im planning on bringing one back." Jiang Chen nodded, not bothering to hide his actions as he stored the training chamber into the storage dimension. He would give it to Yao Yao to adjust. He also took a few of the remaining genetic vaccines with a specific purpose in mind. Aware of his secret, Sun Jiao was no longer shocked by the "magic", but she conscientiously swiveled her head to make sure that no one else saw. "The training chambers are powered by crystals, costing around one crystal every ten hours. Although it previously used electricity, after the apocalypse, it became difficult to supply such a significant amount of power that way, so the Sixth Street engineers converted many of the machines into using crystals. After initiating the program, inject an ample amount of nutrient supply. I use a ratio of 10 crystals for 50 kilograms to purchase 4 kilograms worth of ingredients. Add 1 liter of water to 0.5 kilograms of ingredient." "Mhmm, understand." Jiang Chen scratched his head as he stored the four bags of ingredients into the storage dimension. While each bag was only the size of a pillow, the density of the particle-like ingredient was extremely high, making the four bags weigh an astounding one ton. Then, he changed the topic to external affairs of the base. "If the thirty survivors in the base have already completed military training and can protect the base, then why dont we start the next step?" "Oh?" Sun Jiao was drawn into the conversation and waited for Jiang Chens directions on their future path. "Establish a temporary trading station in front of the base and sell compressed crackers to the survival groups, and also allow for the exchange of crystals." He smirked. It was time to get the survival groups involved now. "Hmm? But exchange for what?" Sun Jiao didnt quite understand. "Electronic parts and construction materialsas long as the base has a use for it. Its not too difficult to find these items in wreckages, so go ahead and price according to the Sixth Street standard. We dont have to care how much we earn as long as those people work for us. Once they grow to depend on us, and their weapons cant pose a threat to us, we wont have to worry about their ill intentions. I believe that after some time passes, some small survivor groups will want to join us." Small, independent groups had no need to trust each other and would pose no threat of banding together into an alliance against the Fishbone base in the future. If they had the ability to gather in the first place, they would never have been suppressed by mutants, zombies, and bandits to this extent. Instead, they would have developed into a massive force like the Sixth Street. The goal of most survival groups was survival, and their desire to expand and attack were much smaller compared to large organizations. "But these people are difficult to control," Sun Jiao said, unsettled. These survivors were different from the slaves on the base; they had no slavery microchips. "That wont be a problem," Jiang Chen smiled, "as long as we promote the people with absolute loyalty to management positions. They are the heroes for building the base, so we cant let them remain as workers. "Of course, this is only a strategy. For now, we cant allow them to enter the base. All trade must be made at the front gate, and every once in a while, cease the trade to create the illusion that we dont have many supplies." Sun Jiao immediately understood what Jiang Chen meant. The thirty people would gradually assimilate with the foreigners. "Also, next time, order another group of refugees. Before we accept anyone from the outside, we need to expand our population base. Lets set it to sixty people, and compensate Zhao Chenwu with 30 crystals. We cant always ask him to be the kind person, so well give him some benefits in the people trading business," Jiang Chen added. The last time, Zhao Chenwu did them a favor and provided Jiang Chen the people at no cost, but it was too stingy to expect the same again. The business relationship had to bring mutual benefits in order to establish a healthy relationship. And if Zhao Chenwu continued to sell people relying on his political power, he risked impeachment. If one group of slaves could bring him at least 10 crystals of profit, he would be very interested. "Hehe, looks like you havent forgotten about all of the matters here. I apologize for blaming you." Sun Jiao saw that all of the important matters were taken of and returned to her usual audacious, naughty tone. She approached Jiang Chen and played with his hair. "Ahem, of course, this is my home in this world." 64 Basic Artificial Intelligence Chapter 64: Basic Artificial Intelligence Translator: - -Editor: - - When Jiang Chen and the flushing red Sun Jiao left the training room one after the other, it was already noon. He brought Sun Jiao back into the mansion as he saw Yao Yao who he hasnt seen in awhile. This tech genius stayed in her room everyone to study the highly advanced computer theory which made her already pale skin even whiter. But this little loli did grow compared to when they first met, the previous small dimple now required a bra. The boney face without much fat now appeared more rounded which made her look even more adorable. Yao Yao was obviously excited to see Jiang Chen as she was no longer her conservative self and directly dived into Jiang Chens hug. To be frank, he hasnt been back in a while. He admits that he had too much fun in the other world. Yao Yao who spent every day and night thinking about the "nice big brother" gently pressed her face against his chest, she smiled and rubbed her head. Watching Yao Yaos adorable look, a smile appeared on Jiang Chens face as he lightly touched her wavy hair. Dont be mistaken, he really was not into loli, the purity of her smile just made everything feel natural As long as he hugged her, his stress and anger faded away. However, they ignored Sun Jiao standing beside them. The possessive Sun Jiao gave both of them a dirty which made Yao Yao jumped away, not knowing what to do. Though Sun Jiao has always been nice to her, she was always afraid of this "sister" of hers, perhaps because the first impression being too "violent"? Especially after witnessing the embarrassing scene in the living room. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes displeased as he sat down on the kitchen table as he started to enjoy lunch with the two girls. Juicy potato with fried meat, garlic eggplant, delicious seaweed egg soup, even with the unhealthy ray of sunlight piercing through the window, its hard to imagine that such delicacies could be born on this radiation filled wasteland. This meal was the masterpiece of Yao Yao as Miss Sun Jiao only ate, never cooked. After trying Yao Yaos cooking, Jiang Chen gave her a raise of thumb. This turned her pale face blushing again. But this somehow provoked Miss Sun Jiao as she jealously kicked Jiang Chen under the table as she looked him displeased. Jiang Chen had to also raise his thumb, to praise her ability to eat Of course, he will never let her know that. After receiving Jiang Chens recognition, Sun Jiao returned to normal as she happily enjoyed the meal. [So bothersome, such a child.] Jiang Chen mocked in his mind but in his eyes, it was more affection than trouble. After lunch, Jiang Chen returned to the technology department at the community center and found Du Yongkong that was busily working in front of the computer. The technology department was only a room 30 square meter large, and most of the space was crowded with equipment that he either bought or created. Jiang Chen gave a budget of maximum 1000 crystals a month for this department, but Du Yongkong instead saved a lot of money for Jiang Chen. Except for a few pieces of critical equipment, he managed to produce most of the equipment he needed. There were two phones on the table, a Huawei and an iPhone 5 thats both connected to an oddly shaped computer. Du Yongkong had his eyes locked on the computer screen as he confirmed the code line by line. His finger typed furiously on the control panel as he completed disregarded the presence of Jiang Chen. Seeing that he was working so hard, Jiang Chen was also happy, but he didnt have the time to wait. "Ahem." Jiang Chen lightly coughed to acknowledge his presence. Hearing Jiang Chens voice, Du Yongkong first paused before he turned around in joy. "Boss, you are finally here. I already asked Miss Sun multiple times, but she insisted for me to recheck my program before showing you. But I really cant find any more flaws." Du Yongkong cried to Jiang Chen about his remorse. "Ahem, I am usually busy and sometimes not at the base. How is it going, did you finish the task I have assigned you?" [How could I let you know my whereabouts?] Jiang Chen casually changed the conversation topic. Seeing that Jiang Chen cut straight to the topic, Du Yongkong also cleverly turned on his professional attitude. He typed a few command on the screen as he disconnected the phone and handed to Jiang Chen. "Boss, rather than me explaining, why dont you take a look yourself. I can promise you, anyone using this operating system will master it functions the first time!" Could it be this magical? Jiang Chen with skepticism took over the Huawei phone as he pressed the on button. The triangle based triangular prism formed the logo of Future Technology, the description below said [Future 1.0? Thats a creative name.] The attention drawing, eye catching start menu alone was superb. The futuristic looking simple design philosophy combined with sophisticated looking icons perfected meshed together. The framerate was also the exception as it did not lag despite all the special effects. Immediately, an egg shaped robot caught the attention of Jiang Chen. "Wheres the home page?" Jiang Chen was confused. Before Du Yongkong responded, the egg shaped cute robot already gave him the answer. "Hi, valued user, I am your most loyal assistant C Little White. Of course, if you dont like this name, you can also change the name for me." The lively looking Robot did look adorable. A curve appeared on Jiang Chens mouth as he continued to listen to the explanation. "If you need to call out the menu, you can just tell me. Or, you can touch my belly to achieve this function." Little White blinked its eyes as he patted his belly. Jiang Chen poked his stomach as the egg like Robot suddenly jumped up and brought down a blind from the top of the screen. On the blind was a list of applications. "If you need to open an app, selecting through the menu is an option, but I recommend master to directly tell me." Little White hid in the bottom left corner of the screen as he said while blinking. "Ahem, if you think he is annoying, you can also open text mode by telling him." Du Yongkong added. It was clear he is proud of his work. "No, this is interesting. But in the circumstance where volume should be limited, text mode will be useful." Jiang Chen nodded as he said to Little White, "open map." "Yes, master." As soon as his voice died, the map appeared on the computer screen. But because there was no signal in this world, the map focused on Wanghai City. "Is there any game?" Jiang Chen said under his breath, but the little guy managed to pick it up. "Sorry master, this is no downloaded game on the phone. But if you want, you only need to tell the type of game you like, and I can search it on the internet for you." Little White sounded like he did something wrong. Jiang Chen was absolutely stunned, theres even this function? "Little White could complete actions for users. This includes opening searching engine, entering keywords, scan through results. Also, if you connect the phone to this server, theres the downloaded backup file from the internet from the year 2017 to 2027. It seems like the data in this period is most compatible with this thing called phone. You can give it a try." Du Yongkong passed the connection over. Because there was no internet, he could only simulate a web environment to achieve this function. Jiang Chen connected the phone to the server and then spoke to Little White. "Find me a racing game that can operate on this fun with the best visual." "Ok master, I think this will match your taste. The game description and download link are prepared for you. Are you happy with the result?" Less than a second later, Little White carried a few screenshots in front of Jiang Chen as he blinked his eyes looking for praise. [Damn, thats fast! This visual graphics, could this normal Huawei really handle this?] Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment before he said. "Download." "Yes! Master." Because it was directly connected to the server, so the data transfer speed was tremendously fast. Jiang Chen couldnt wait for Little White to open the game, then immediately stunned by the graphic. The real dust like particle effects, the movie like halo, the cinematic like cut scenes. The games quality was excellent to the point that Jiang Chen didnt even want to comment, he only wanted to express his shocking realization that a Huawei phone could run this? The not yet debuted iPhone 7 probably wouldnt even be able to handle this. "Dont look at me like that, I really didnt change the hardware of this." Du Yongkong saw that Jiang Chen looked at him with suspicious as he waved his hands to defend himself. Although he didnt why his boss was determined on this "ancient" product, he must have his own thought process, so he didnt dare to defy him. "Excellent, I am pleased." Jiang Chen nodded with a smile. At this point, he could pretty announce the end of an era between iOS and Android. The Future 1.0 operating system would no doubt dominate the phone industry. Of course, this has to be done step by step. First, enter as software, once it accumulates enough user base and dependency, recommend the user to uninstall the original system to save memory. The Future 1.0 can replace the existing operating system and will not affect the phones operation. It would be up to Du Yongkong to implement this. "Thats not all, boss, take a look at this." Du Yongkong saw that the boss was happy as he then began to show off the other functions of the phone. He touched the tablet with his finger. "This is?" Jiang Chen uncomprehendingly looked at the data stream on the tablet. "A simulation of an attack." Du Yongkong smiled as he signaled Jiang Chen to look at Little White on the screen. "Master, I detected malicious malware attack!" Suddenly Little White turned into a full armed egg with sword and shield as his eyes sharpened. Not long after, before the malware infiltrated the system, it was "picked" up by Little Whites sword and chopped into pieces. The animation was cute, to say the least. "The safety level is C, which means that all the attack method between 2000 to 2101 will be useless." Du Yongkong proudly explained. "Mhmm, thats enough." Jiang Chen agreed. But the function should be eliminated first if it was introduced with antivirus, he was afraid that 361 Phone Helper (a popular antivirus software) to report Little White as malicious. These people would do that. Additionally, the extraneous features may hinder the artificial intelligence selling point of the software which makes the user confused. Once Future 1.0 has established itself, the features could be slowly introduced. "These functions are only the tip of the iceberg. The most important thing is that Little White is a basic artificial intelligence." Du Yongkong smiled as he opened his hands, "not only can he detect language, he can also detect your current mood. For example, you are heart broken. Okay, this is only an example. He will comfort you. If you feel happy, he will be happy for you. Hell remember everything you said and respond in a human function." "Isnt artificial intelligence supposed to be emotionless?" he looked at Little Whites adorable eyes as he asked. "Thats right, but this is the power of science. Although he wont really feel happy or sad, he will bring you visual and audio effects that mimic happy or sadness. This is based on psychology and human behavior. To put it in simple words, everything you said is stored in a data base, and based your conversation and an algorithm, Little White will respond according to the situation and history. This is basic artificial intelligence!" "You wrote this?" Jiang Chen was shocked. "No way." Du Yongkong forced a smile, "this is 21 years of work of tens of computer scientists and psychologists. All the latter artificial intelligence is based on that data base. Although intermediate artificial intelligence evolved through this data, because of the , all the research stopped. So the most common version still in the market like Little White thats still depended on an external data base. "So you are saying that, if I am chatting with him, I just hear predefined quotes?" Jiang Chen had an odd impression as his face. He used his finger and ticked Little Whites stomach on the screen. "You can say it like. But I guarantee you that if it wasnt for me to tell you the secret behind it, you could chat with him for the rest of life and still think he is pet full of emotions, and not lines of code." Du Yongkong nodded. Technology is truly a magical thing. He didnt dive into the issue further "What about this?" Jiang Chen picked up the iPhone. "The compatibility is flawless. Although this piece of electronic is also ancient, it is a bit better than the other one. Future 1.0 is perfectly operational on both!" "Excellent!" Jiang Chen patted Du Yongkong on the shoulder as he waved his hands, "From now I, youll be the head of the technology department at Fishbone Base. Youll now receive meat can every day." Although he didnt even know what the department exactly was. "Thank you, boss!" Du Yongkong was so excited that he almost kneeled down. He was almost about to hug Jiang Chens leg before Jiang Chen shivered and stepped away. "Ahem, like I said before, do a great job, and I wont let you down." Then Jiang Chen ordered Du Yongkong to limit some of the functions to meet the actual demand. The work was quickly completed as the app size was trimmed down. Under Du Yongkongs sincere gratitude, Jiang Chen proudly retook the USB drive to the mansion. He couldnt wait to go back to the modern world, Future Technologys development needs some adjustment. With this groundbreaking operating system, or software, for now, he was confident that he would make the name echo not in Hua, but also around the world! 65 Her Vulnerable Side Chapter 65: Her Vulnerable Side Translator: - -Editor: - - Still at dusk. Jiang Chen stood in front of Xia Shiyus door. Just as he was about to ring the bell, he paused his finger in midair. [Seems like every time I come it is during the night] He shook his head and pushed the weird thought out of his head, as he rang the bell. But after waiting awhile, no one came to open the door. [The light is on. She should be home. Is she annoyed that I come so late every time?] Jiang Chen forced a smile. It was nowhere intentional, but the timing just worked out to be this way. He spent the afternoon with Sun Jiao and Yao Yao before coming back to the modern world. After having dinner with them, he brought the USB drive over. Because the office was still being renovated, the employees only consist of Xia Shiyu, so she worked from home. After pondering in front of the door, Jiang Chen scratched his head. Since he was already here, it wouldnt fit his personality to just go back. He thought about it, before pulling out his phone. "Call Xia Shiyus number." "Okay, master.," the phone immediately called out. It didnt take long for Jiang Chen to get used to the clever Little White. He only needed to move his mouth to finish any function on the phone. The phone rang for around 20 seconds before it finally went through. "Hello?" A weak and hoarse voice came from the other side. "Are you okay? Why do you sound so weird?" Jiang Chen quickly asked with a frown. "Nothing, cough, I just feel a bit tired. Sorry, I fell asleep and didnt notice your call," Xia Shiyu touched her burning her forehead as she said with ambiguity. "I am outside, open the door for me. Ill bring you to the hospital." Jiang Chen left no room for argument. "Why did you come at night again?" Xia Shiyus weak voice had a hint of confusion and alertness. "Of course I needed to talk about some things with you, but lets not worry about that. I am worried about your condition. Open the door for me, and stop asking!" Jiang Chen anxiously said. If she became unconscious, its going to be problematic. After what seemed like a long wait, slow shuffling noises finally resonated on the other side of the door, and the doorknob turned. But when Jiang Chen saw Xia Shiyu, she scared him. Her pale face nowhere resembled the independent woman she was. She looked weak and fragile. "Whats going on!" Jiang Chen immediately held onto Xia Shiyu who was about to fall. He hasn''t seen her for one day, and she became this sick? Xia Shiyu bit her lips as she looked at the hand that was holding her. She didnt want to open the door because she was so "vulnerable". If Jiang Chen had other motives, there was nothing she could do. But what she didnt consider was that if he really had other motives, she would be vulnerable regardless of her condition. Perhaps it was an impulse, but her perplexed feeling defeated her awareness for self-protection which made her open the door. The moment when she saw Jiang Chens face, she suddenly felt calm. "Fu*k, its burning!" Jiang Chen touched her forehead as the high temperature made him jump, "No, something is definitely wrong! Ill take you to the hospital." "Its too late, Ill eat some medicine and sleep through it." Although she hated cursing words, she had no energy to ridicule him. "No! Listen to me," Jiang Chen rejected her right away. In a state of shock, Jiang Chen picked her up princess carry style and walked downstairs. Xia Shiyu gently bit her lip and felt the warmness around her body, as she tried avoiding his eyes. She thought she would fight back, but the strange thing was that her first reaction was calmness. Maybe she didnt realize that, subconsciously, she didnt mind the forceful move. The always emotionless face was just a bad camouflage for herself. When Jiang Chen picked her up forcefully, it made her heart beat faster, and she felt anxious. Or, it was a sense of security? The same odd feeling came back again Xia Shiyu closed her eyes, still not accepting it. Jiang Chen carried Xia Shiyu downstairs and disregarded the curious and concerned looks of the people around them. He opened the car door, helped Xia Shiyu into the passenger seat, and put the seatbelt on her before getting in. "Your new car?" Xia Shiyu weakly leaned against the car seat as her chest pumped up and down. "Maybach S600, a gift from buying the house," Jiang Chen casually answered and started the car. "" What kind of house would give a car as a gift? Xia Shiyu was curious but didnt have the energy to ask. "I told you that if you didn''t feel okay to call me. Look at you now," Jiang Chen said as he steered the wheel. "I can just eat some medicine, theres nothing to worry about." Although her voice sounded like she didnt care, she felt warmness surround her heart. "Hehe, you say this is nothing to worry about? You are almost unconscious! You live alone, and no one is taking care of you. If I didnt have something to talk to you about today, no one would know if you became unconscious. Your body probably would stink before someone discovered it," Jiang Chen said sharply. [Well, you are here right?] Xia Shiyu pouted but stopped all of a sudden. She was surprised by such a girly act. [Looks like the fever is making me confused] Xia Shiyu gently touched her forehead and felt the burning sensation. The scenery flashed across the car window as silence ensued in the car. Although he just got the car, he drove it skillfully. Probably had to do with his 29 reflexes. But because they were in the city center, it was not even that fast. "I am sick. Why do you care?" After a long silence, Xia Shiyu abruptly opened her mouth. "Of course I care." If you are sick, who is going to do the work? Jiang Chen always believed in being a leader who only asked others to do things. If she was sick, why would he not be worried? There may be other reasons, but he still hasn''t figured them out. But Xia Shiyu seemed to have interpreted it as something else, silence ensued again. Maybe it was the fever, but her face was abnormally red. They soon arrived at the nearest hospital. Jiang Chen parked the car and immediately ran to the other side to open the door. But when he was about the use the same gesture to carry Xia Shiyu, she stopped him. "I can walk by myself. You dont need to help me. That way is too embarrassing." Xia Shiyus faintly squeezed the last few words out of her mouth. The usually expressionless face now turned blood red. Jiang Chen was stunned by her beauty. Under Jiang Chens intense stare, Xia Shiyu felt embarrassed but somewhat proud? After she had given him a dirty look, Xia Shiyu dragged her heavy footsteps towards the hospital. But how could he not worry about her "floaty" footsteps, she walked like this? She would probably get hurt before she even went into the hospital to see why she was sick. Jiang Chen walked beside her and held onto the stubborn girl. Although she fought back a little, Xia Shiyu knew her exact condition, so she didnt stop Jing Chen. She lowered her head and hid her unnatural expression beneath her hair. The nurse on duty saw Xia Shiyus condition and immediately walked up to help. Jiang Chen left Xia Shiyu with the nurse and went to the front desk to fill out the paperwork. It would be up to the doctors now as he knew nothing about medicine. To be honest, he was anxious about Xia Shiyus condition. It didnt look like an ordinary fever or cold. Maybe because she fell ill because of all the work he piled onto her? Jiang Chen felt guilty about this. Especially when they were buying the house, she was already feeling a bit sick. But he didnt immediately bring her to the hospital. Instead, he was having fun [Maybe its time to control myself?] With his arm pressed against his knee, he wandered into deep thought. Although worried, it would be useless to just wait around. He sat on the hospital chair, feeling bored before he took out his phone. He checked his Wechat to see that Liu Yao had sent him a message. For the energetic third-tier actress, Jiang Chen was happy to chat with her. If he was freer, he didnt mind hooking up. But he has been too busy recently, so he rejected the rather straightforward invitation. The movie he promised her would happen since money was not an issue anymore. To be truthful, it was fun chatting with this girl. His guilt and anxiety quickly faded, as a smile appeared on his face. Time passed by quickly on the phone. "Hello, sir, are you Miss Xia Shiyus husband?" A doctor pushed opened the door and approached Jiang Chen. "No, I am her umm, friend." Jiang Chen put his phone back and stood up. "Miss Xia Shiyu only had a normal fever, but it was untreated for too long, so the condition is a bit serious now. I recommend you go to the front desk and register her stay at the hospital." The doctor cut straight to the point and handed the bill to Jiang Chen, motioning him to go to the designated window. The doctors casual attitude made Jiang Chen raise his eyebrow, but he didnt say anything. He carried the bill and paid the fee, which was a total of one thousand dollars. He forced a smile as he thought, ordinary people would not be able to afford this. Minor or major, staying at the hospital was necessary, as was using the most expensive medicine. Do you want a problem? Are you going to see the doctor? Since there are so many people here, theres never a shortage of patient. Compared to real estate, the demand for education and healthcare was more steady and reliable. If they really wanted to turn the public sector into a private business sector, the potential gain would be greater than the real estate industry. Though of course, now money meant nothing to Jiang Chen. He then walked into the ward, grabbed a chair, and sat beside Xia Shiyus bed. "Sorry for troubling you." Xia Shiyus eyes were half closed as she squeezed a sentence through her lips. "No problem. Taking care of the staff is the responsibility of the president." Jiang Chen waved his hand and then asked in a concerning voice, "Are you hungry? Tell me if you want to eat something." "Taking care of the staff?" Xia Shiyu didnt respond to Jiang Chen as she murmured under her breath. "This is the first time I see you looking so confused," Jiang Chen said smiling, as he ridiculed. Xia Shiyu was silent before she abruptly said, "You just havent seen it before." "Oh? Speaking of this, I am curious. If you are so beautiful, why do you always keep a cold face?" " I am tired." Xia Shiyu closed her eyes and ignored his question. Jiang Chen, with a bitter smile, shrugged and gave up. He looked at Xia Shiyus now regular breathing and helped tuck her up. Then he let out a sigh and walked out of the ward. [Looks like I am staying here tonight, it would be worrisome to leave her alone.] Jiang Chen took out his phone and called Ayesha. "I have something to do tonight and cant go back, can you take care of yourself?" "Mhmm. Dont worry, I will be okay." A soft and gentle response echoed from the other side of the phone. It made Jiang Chen feel warm inside. Although the girl looked even colder than Xia Shiyu when she was outside, whenever she was with Jiang Chen, she was gentler than a sheep. "Goodnight." "Goodnight." The choppy pronunciation surprised Jiang Chen as a delighted smiled appeared on his face. [That was Han, looks like she is making progress. I hope the day I can communicate with her in Han comes sooner. It''s still weird to call in English.] After the phone call, Jiang Chen stretched his body. Xia Shiyu was already asleep, so he just needed to remind the nurse to change her medicine during the night. Time to find a cup of coffee. Jiang Chen made up his mind as he walked to the resting area of the hospital. 66 Hospital Conflic Chapter 66: Hospital Conflict Translator: - -Editor: - - Doctor, how is my father doing! Mr. Wang, we are also worried as well, but rabies even if you are at the best hospital in the world, its still an unsolvable problem. We are really The doctor''s face filled with grievance said. It was clear that the way he treated his man was much more polite compared to Jiang Chen. Thats impossible! A dog hasn''t bitten my father, how could he have gotten rabies! The mans eyes were flushing red, and his fists were tightly clenched. He still couldnt believe what the doctor had said. Yes, we never had a dog before, my dad never came into contact with one. How The woman standing on the side said, her face pale. Rabies incubation period could last up to one year. If he is not injected with vaccine on time, its incurable. What! What the fu*k did you just say? Whos incurable? The man furiously grabbed the collar of the doctor and scared frozen the nurse-to-be. Brother! Calm down! The woman on the side tried to comfort her brother, who clearly was over his head, but it was futile. Mister, Mister Wang. Thats not what I meant. Please, please calm down. The doctor that looked annoyingly at Jiang Chen before now had an almost crying expression. For no other reason, but the fact that he couldnt displease the person in front of him. Rabies? Jiang Chen leaned against the chair as he drank his coffee and watched the mess unfold. The man looked like someone with influence, or the doctor being hoisted up wouldnt have said a thing nor keep apologizing. Two men in buzz cuts and casual clothing stood beside the man. They looked like soldiers by the way they stood, probably active too. Of course, Jiang Chen already experienced the war himself, so he was not too surprised by the identities of these people. He continued to watch for a few more moment before he going back to his phone. The only friend he could have a conversation with on Wechat was Liu Yao. She almost responded immediately to his message. Being replied to by a celebrity substantially fulfilled his vanity, so he was happy to chat. The bystanders in the restroom all left when they sensed the situation turned sour. While people enjoyed watching conflicts, it was only when there was a lot of individuals. Because even if something happened, it wouldnt affect them. But with not a lot of people around, everyone was smart enough to stay away from the trouble. The group of people didnt look like friendly people. Except for Jiang Chen, who was not afraid of anything, he continued to play with his phone while no one else stayed in the room. The conflict naturally caught the attention of security, but they only stood on the side and didnt dare to step in. The doctor kept trying to convince the man to calm down and was too afraid to ask for help. Maybe because of his sisters dissuasion, or maybe because he knew that rabies was hard to treat, the man regathered his breath and put the doctor down. Give me your phone, A rascal voice rang beside Jiang Chens ear. Jiang Chen looked up and raised his eyebrows. He didnt know when, but the buzz cut bodyguard stood in front of him and leaned into his personal space. His facial expression looked precisely like that of a bully asking for lunch money. Arrogant and shameless. The expression he had looked as if he had Jiang Chens lunch money already. Oh? Give me a reason. Jiang Chen wasnt angry as he started to laugh. Dont bullsh*t me, if you dont want trouble then give it to papa now. The guy didnt want to waste energy on Jiang Chen, as he directly reached for Jiang Chens phone. Most soldiers act entitled in some way, especially close guards of the masters. Li Gangming, eager to demonstrate his ability in front of his boss, didnt wait for his boss to say anything before he took huge strides towards Jiang Chen, asking for his phone. But Jiang Chens action surprised him. The harmless looking man just clamped onto his hand. What made him even more frantic was that the clamped down hand couldnt move no matter how hard he tried. Testing my strength? The stubbornness of Li Gangming also came alive as his dark face turned red. He desperately tried to use his power to move his hand, but Jiang Chen just casually looked at his face and clamped his hand down like an iron claw, not letting him move a single inch. [You are funny, 25 muscle strength is not something you can overcome. I havent even used fury yet, or Id break your bones. Soldiers? I have seen people kill people. People eat people. Why would I be afraid?] Li Gangming, what are you doing! The woman who was trying to persuade her brother frowned as she angrily shouted at Li Gangming, who had his hands on Jiang Chen. Ahh, no, Miss Wang, this guy Sweat began to roll down Li Gangmings face as he explained to the sister of the politician. Let him go, why cant you do things nicely? You act exactly like my brother, always quick to jump into a fight. Because of the angle, she couldnt see the hands of the two people. But it was apparent that brothers soldier was bullying people again. But Li Gangmings face looked like he just ate a fly. He wanted to explain that it was not him that didnt want to let go, but he didnt have the face to say it in front of his boss. The man forced a smile when he heard his sisters words. He was about to signal Li Gangming to stop but was shocked. Nice moves, sir. What martial arts fraction are you part of? A sharp glare shot out from Wang Zhiyongs eyes as he could clearly see Jiang Chens power. Li Gangming is a good fighter in his battalion, but he couldnt even move under the grasp of this man. It was something more than strength alone. In his eyes, he already considered Jiang Chen an Inner Technique master. Wang Zhiyong always had a keen interest in martial arts, or he wouldnt have just left the huge presence of his family to join the military. The unfortunate thing was that Jiang Chen managed to do so by just using his strength. In pure strength, only Superman, or Batman could be comparable to him. He didnt want to cause trouble, so he stopped when he had made his point. He let out of Li Gangmings hand, and emotionlessly said. No martial arts, that was pure strength. [Martial arts? I dont have time for that.] But in Wang Zhiyongs eyes, Jiang Chens casual and carefree expression resembled a martial arts master. Impeccable strength! Sir, are you interested in joining the army? Jiang Chens face twitched. [I am already a billionaire. Am I dumb or are you dumb for me to become your soldier.] His eyes moved as he thought about how he should phrase his words. Thats okay, I am used to the free life. Brother, are you out of your mind! Father is still lying there. You, why is it that every time you see someone who can fight, you want to ask them to join your army? I cant believe you! The energetic girl frowned at her brother as she said worriedly. Wang Zhiyongs face also turned sour as he thought about his father. His body was perfectly fine, and suddenly he got rabies? Please dont let this bother you, my brother is just an inconsiderate guy. His head is messed up because he watched too many Wushu shows at a young age, The girl said while poked her brothers arm. She then lowered her head to apologize. Li Gangming was only worried that you took a video. You know the internet is a scary thing. If something was uploaded onto the web, it might affect brothers progression. So The girl looked at Jiang Chen with a serene smile. Although Li Gangming on the side had acted like a bully most of his life, it was based on the context he could win. Now that his boss sister already apologized, if he continued to act tough, it would be rude. Resisting the soreness on his wrist, Li Gangming put his fists together and apologized to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen smiled as he never intentionally looked for trouble. Since they already said sorry, he happily accepted it. He opened the photo album on his phone and waved it in front of Li Gangmings face to prove that he didnt take any photos or videos. Seeing Li Gangming nod in confirmation, the reasonable and graceful miss expressed her gratitude again. The small conflict was resolved with ease. At the same time, the straightforward man abruptly opened his mouth and said a sentence that made Jiang Chen want to laugh. Sir, do you have any way of treating rabies? 67 A Pillow just when you need i Chapter 67: A Pillow just when you need it Translator: - -Editor: - - [Could I treat rabies? Do I looked like an old Han medical doctor to you?] Jiang Chen with an odd expression touched his face. "Brother, are you crazy?" His sister, standing beside him, face palmed as the doctor and nurses also gave off helpless expressions. Even Li Gangmings face twitched, Jiang Chen guessed that this guy must have wanted to laugh, but didnt dare to do so. But Wang Zhiyong gazed at Jiang Chen, full of expectations. As if he was certain Jiang Chen would know a way. Rabies? A smile full of meaning appeared on Jiang Chens face. Rabies actually was not a problem to him. For the 21st century medical practices, it was an incurable disease, but it was easily solved in the 22nd century. In his storage, there was a D-level antibiotic that clearly stated it would cure rabies, aids He purchased it the first time he went to the Sixth Street after he injected the genetic vaccine. Even after Sun Jiao told him that after the injection of the genetic vaccine, his body would be resistant to most of the diseases, he decided to buy it because it was cool. "I understand the rationale, but I just want to buy it because I havent heard of the existence of a "godly" medicine. Its not like I lack crystals." He forgot that he had it in his storage dimension or else he would have given it to Xia Shiyu, saving the trip to the hospital. "Whats your name, sir?" However, seriousness showed on Wang Zhiyongs face. Or the expression of grasping onto the last straw. Although western medicine could not cure rabies, his fantasy for Wushu made him believe that a "secret cure" was out there to cure the incurable disease. Wang Zhiyong was always this straightforward. He would immediately do something even if it did not go through his head. Normally that would have been rude and unreasonable, but now he seemed filial. But the "secret cure" didnt exist. If it did exist, then their ancestors should be awarded a Nobel prize. The medicine was in the storage dimension. But Jiang Chen was hesitant. [Should he save the person? Or how should he save the person.] "Jiang Chen." He first introduced himself. "My name is Wang Zhiyong, this is my sister Wang Xinran. If Sir you know any masters that could save my father, Ill do anything to repay the favor!" Wang Zhiyong held his fists together and greeted. Jiang Chen looked troubled as he pondered. It was clear that Wang Zhiyong is an important military official. From this "bastards" attitude, he didnt just depend on himself to climb the social ladder. Then it must mean his father is extremely influential. Jiang Chen now had no support in Wanghai city. Although he has the money and the guns, if he did get himself into trouble, it would be problematic. Running to Los Santos was not something he wanted to do soon. Who knows if that crazy guy solved his own issue yet. He considered that his wealth could attract potential wrongdoers, and so he actually did try to make some friends within the political circle. Regardless of the method, he must find a way to establish a relationship. Or else, if he created some unique and someone forcefully took over, he would have nowhere to reason. Since the political situation in the country was like this, he must play by the rules. What kind of favor was greater than saving a life? This was a great opportunity. A Pillow just when you needed it the most. Jiang Chen was moved, but he still needed to think of a way to make this story sound more believable. Wang Zhiyong looked simple minded, so he should be easy to convince. But his sister seemed to be intelligent and hard to fool. If he just took out the medicine, it would be hard to explain. The authenticity would also be questioned. [This is troublesome. Even when trying to do something "nice", there were still a lot of aspects to consider need to consider] Jiang Chen smiled bitterly. "Brother, do you want someone to find an ancient natural remedy for you to cure fathers sickness?" Wang Xinran was speechless with his brothers intent. "What ancient natural remedy. How do you know Han medicine will not solve the problem Eastern medicine cant!" Wang Zhiyongs face blushed as he gave a dirty look to his sister. Wang Zhiyong now realized that he didnt process the words before they came out. But if he admitted, he would lose face in front of everyone. The doctor also gave a wry smile. He studied Han medicine before as he knew that this could not be solved by Han medicine. "Ahem. I think I can try." The entire restroom fell silent. Jiang Chen already expected the reaction as he didnt look too shocked. He still maintained his calm composure. Who said acting cocky was terrible? "Thats impossible!" The doctor, whose collar was held, opened his mouth in disbelief. He looked at Jiang Chen with skepticism, "If someone could cure rabies, thats enough to win a Nobel Prize." "Too bad I am not interested in fame." Jiang Chen shrugged as he looked at Wang Zhiyong. "Of course, I dont need you to repay me anything. I have a company myself, so I dont need money. As to why I am helping you, its because I have a father too." Wang Xinran skeptically looked at Jiang Chen. Different from her incompetent brother, she was a top student at Wanghai University. Although she studied media, which is unrelated to medicine, she still had basic common sense. "Can you cure my father? Let me be straight forward, my dad is Wanghai Citys General Secretary (Considered the most influential person in a municipal government), if you" "I understand your emotions towards your father, but that doesnt mean I have to accept this suspicion. If you choose to not believe, just say no." Jiang Chen shook his head. "I am doing this out of the good of my heart, and I dont need you to repay me. But I hope you do know, standard medical procedures would not cure rabies." When he finished, Jiang Chen looked at Wang Zhiyong. Wang Zhiyong raised his eyebrows in deep thoughts. [Should I try it?] Sister and doctors words made him hesitant. What if Jiang Chen was a liar and killed his father Wait, even if he didnt, Rabies was an incurable disease! Rather than waiting for death, why not try it. He had thought about it before making up his mind to take a gamble. He was someone that cared deeply about his parents. Since the reason he can act so recklessly in Wanghai City was due to his fathers influence. If his father were not here to cover for him, he would have died so many times already. "I believe you, I hope what are you said is true." Wang Zhiyong sincerely nodded. He then gazed at Jiang Chen with seriousness. "If you actually cured my father, even if you dont accept my favor, Ill be at your disposal." [Psh, why did that sound like someone from a gang, are you really in the military?] "I dont need anyone at my disposal, but a friend doesnt sound too bad." Jiang Chen laughed nonchalantly and passed by Wang Zhiyong before he walked into the guarded ward. Wang Zhiyong had paused for a minute before he smiled. [Hmm? This guy is fascinating.] He was known for his recklessness in Wanghai city; he was not afraid of anything. Since he was commander of the army and his father was also a national level politician, considered second in command even in the central government, the typical silk trousers (referred to children of influential leaders that cause havoc) were no match for him. Although he did create his fair share of recklessness, he still had his own principles. It may have been influenced by the Wushu novels he had read. He also has another trait, which is to make friend with people that possessed abilities. Of course, most of them belonged to the category that knew how to fight, so he has a lot of reckless buddies as well. Since he believed in Wushu, he always wanted to receive tips from masters and cultivate his soul to train internal techniques. Because of this, his sister always criticized him for reading too much fantasy novels and distorting reality. "Ten minutes, give me ten minutes, I hope no one interrupts me." Jiang Chen had left those words before he locked the door behind him, looking mysterious. The people left behind were all stunned. 68 Cured? Chapter 68: Cured? Translator: - -Editor: - - Jiang Chen, alone, stood in the middle of the room and he scanned his surroundings. The special ward, for notable guests, was filled with medical equipment, but all useless for treating rabies. He hesitated for a moment as he wasnt certain if there were cameras around, then Jiang Chen sighed before he reached into his pocket. For his own security, he triggered the EMP grenade. The faint electric noise resonated in the room as the EP screen inside his sleeves had flashed before it stabilized. With stability as the core design philosophy, it was extremely resistant to EMP. However, of course, equipment in that age was not the same as all the other electronics in the room, which have been short-circuited. These faults were hard to detect as most people would attribute instability to the voltage source. Regardless if there were cameras or not, it would be broken by now. There was no expensive medical equipment inside this ward, so the hospital wouldnt consider it a big deal. As to his phone, he threw it into the storage dimension immediately. He approached the old man as he took out the D-level antibiotics. He took a deep breath before aiming it at the old mans vein and injecting it. He watched the red liquid enter his body as he pulled out the needle and put it in the storage dimension. The old man was already unconscious from being at the terminal stage of rabies, so he was not afraid to have his secret revealed. Also, the D-level antibiotic has no side effects on the human body. It was evident by the fact that the remaining medicine would be cleared out from the body within an hour. Even a blood test would not detect any traces of it. Especially no one would experiment on the second in command of the local government. Hows my father doing? Seeing that Jiang Chen came out, Wang Zhiyong immediately walked up to ask. Hell be okay after some sleep, Jiang Chen smiled as he replied. Thats impossible. The doctor still maintained his stance as he looked suspiciously at Jiang Chen before walking into the ward. He didnt believe that Jiang Chen would cure that important persons disease. He was only worried that if he dies, even if it were not his responsibility, he would also take on some of the blame. Could I have your phone number? So that if father wakes up, we can express our sincere gratitude, Wang Xinran said. Although she still looked at Jiang Chen with suspicion, since he had already treated her father, there was nothing she could say. [Thanking me is not the point. It is probably more of a threat to make sure I didnt do anything wrong.] Jiang Chen obviously guessed her intention. He shrugged as he pulled out his identification card and flashed in front of her face. If they want to know, they will find their way. Seeing that Jiang Chen immediately pulled out his identification card, Wang Xinran felt her face burn from embarrassment. She knew that he understood her trick. He did this with good intention, but she was still suspicious till now, which was inconsiderate and unreasonable by any means. But Wang Zhiyong whos straightforward didnt have any tricks, as he never liked the idea of trickery. No need for ID. Lets exchange phone numbers. Youll be my brother from now on! If anyone dares to touch you, I will go beat him up! Wang Zhiyong pulled out his iPhone as he began to call Jiang Chen brother. With the way Jiang Chen looked, he was certain that his father would be okay. Thats impossible! Suddenly, a shocked shout came from the ward. Whats going on? Wang Zhiyong was confused. Father! Before he understood what was happened, his sister ran into the room. Your fathers health is in good condition, he probably woke up already, Jiang Chen shrugged as he said nonchalantly with a smile. Wang Zhiyong was overjoyed when he heard the news as he thanked Jiang Chen and ran into the ward. Jiang Chen smiled. Although this guy was reckless, just by how much he cared for his father, it was worth it to befriend him. Sir, what method did you use? The doctor walked out as he had no more suspicion in his eyes, only respect. Secret. Sorry, but I cant share. Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously. Do you know how many people this will save if rabies can be cured? There are 55 thousand people a year who die because of this disease. If you publish this secret This doctor obviously was not ready to let Jiang Chen go as he started to guilt trip him, hoping Jiang Chen would reveal the secret. But Jiang Chen being annoyed, interrupted the doctor. And give it to you so you can win a Nobel Prize? Jiang Chens words made the doctors face turn a vibrant shade of red. He did think about that. When it is necessary Ill share it, with my own name. Jiang Chen walked away, finishing the sentence. If they wanted to thank him, he wouldnt have to wait here. It would be straightforward for the government to find his number, especially since Wang Xinran just saw his ID. Leaving without saying anything would leave a more memorable impression. Is, is this the hospital? Wang Dehai''s eyes narrowed as he gradually woke up from unconsciousness. From the sharp edges of his face, it was evident that although he has aged, his body was healthy. But regardless of health, with a disease like rabies, he would die without the proper treatment. Father, you are finally awake. Wang Xinran had tears in her eyes. She was the youngest in the family and received the most affection from her father. Her fathers weak look impacted her feel the most. But her tears were tears of happiness. I, didnt I get rabies? Wang Dehai was confused as he was ready to face death. But life played a joke on him. He looked at his disappointing son in search of an answer. Father, hehe, I found an ancient remedy doctor, and he cured you, Wang Zhiyong said proudly. An ancient remedy doctor? Wang Dehai was so angry he almost coughed out blood. He was especially annoyed by his sons fantasy for masters, Wushu, and martial arts, which was an embarrassment to the family. But when he remembered that he had in incurable disease, he was shocked. [An ancient remedy doctor actually cured me?] He looked at his most beloved daughter but what surprised him was that the answer he saw on her face was, its true. Although I dont want to admit this, brother actually did find an ancient remedy doctor to cure you. Jiang Chen would be furious if he heard the words Ancient remedy doctor. This was advanced technology! [Really?] Wang Dehai frowned, but then he felt relieved. What is there not to admit, if he cured me he cured. Even if he is an ancient remedy doctor, he is my lifesaver! How much money does he want? Give it to him. Wang Dehai had experienced the ups and downs of life. Since he could live longer, no one would say no to his requests, especially when he was so powerful. Father, he doesn''t need money, thats too lame. Wang Zhiyong rolled his eyes. His words were always unpredictable. Wang Dehai, of course, knew his sons personality; he would believe anything they say. Go invite the person, I want to thank him personally. Regardless, he must thank him for saving his life. Wang Dehai already was thinking that as long as it is not against his principle, hell do his best to meet the ancient remedy doctors demand. He was a powerful and influential politician in the country. Jiang Chen saved him. Not only did he do a favor to him, but also to the country itself. Okay. Wang Zhiyong laughed as he ran outside. Wang Dehai lied on the bed as he chatted with his daughter about what happened when he was unconscious. However, he kept thinking about the master that saved him. Wang Dehai was no ordinary people. He didnt understand how did the ancient remedy doctor managed to save him, or who sent him here. However, his disappointing son came back alone with a disappointed look. Father, he left. What? Wang Dehai was shocked. [There really is someone who didnt seek favors?] Didnt you exchange phone number with Jiang Chen? Wang Xinran hastily said. I didnt get to. I had to check on father, Wang Zhiyong said with disappointment in his voice. You, how old are you, why are you still so careless, Wang Dehai criticized his son for a good while. Although Wang Zhiyong was reckless, he still didnt dare to talk back to his father. He just had to listen to his dads criticism. Jiang Chen. Wang Dehai remembered that name. Though he didnt know what his life saver looks like, it was not difficult for him to find someone in the country. Wang Dehai, who has always been cautious, didnt express his thoughts. He decided to wait and get an understanding of Jiang Chens background to see what kind of intention he had before approaching him, himself to repay the favor. For he might be a pawn sent by political enemies. Wang Dehai closed his eyes as he made up his mind. He needed to rest. Since he had already recovered, then some change must be made in Wanghai City. Once he wakes up tomorrow, the people that tried to give the Wang family trouble will all be punished. Although he was well into his fifties, the vibe Wang Dehai possessed was not to be undermined. Wang Zhiyong who saw his fathers expression let out a breath of relief. He knew exactly what his fathers expression meant. A rejoiced look appeared on his face. [Father is healthy now, a lot of people are going to be in trouble.] He was still upset that he didnt manage to get Jiang Chens number. His intention was clear. Since he did something nice for me, then I must repay him in kind. But what he meant by repaying the favor meant taking Jiang Chen around to show off. He loved two things the most, making friends and finding trouble. Those two things usually dont conflict with each other, but he didnt expect Jiang Chen would leave right away. Wang Zhiyong and Wang Dehai didnt know that Jiang Chen didnt leave, he was waiting in a ward nearby. Wang Xinran, on the other hand, was more curious. She didnt know how Jiang Chen saved her father. Li Gangming standing in front of the door had a sour face. He could only pray that they would not remember the conflict. The look of sympathy from the other guard made him want to slap himself. Why didnt he think before he acted? But even if he thought it through, the consequence would probably be the same. Recklessness is contagious from being around Wang Zhiyong for so long. 69 The Future 1.0 That Shocked the World Chapter 69: The Future 1.0 That Shocked the World Translator: - -Editor: - - Artificial intelligence was a word most people on the internet were familiar with. They usually played the antagonist role in the action-packed Hollywood movies, only to have their plans of world domination gloriously foiled by the protagonist. It could be seen from the mainstream media that humankind had always been skeptical and afraid of artificial intelligence. The perception was logical; they were, after all, beings not reliant on a physical body, both eternal and wise. There was no reason for such a "god" to abide by the rules of humans. However, ventures into artificial intelligence research never ceased. From novels written in the 1950s that imagined the future of artificial intelligence to IBMs development of Watson who could design a menu and voluntarily participate in contestswithin sixty years, artificial intelligence had made leaps and bounds. What about in another sixty years? There was no need for another sixty years; the Han internet user could now experience it in the present. An unknown softwareas if carefully plannedentered the Android platform, 361 stores, and the APP store. The download number exploded exponentially, breaking one million downloads on the tenth day after release, beating Lines record at six hundred thousand downloads a day. This could only be described as a miracle. Using common sense, it would still take great marketing to pull off such a feat. Otherwise, no matter how amazing the app, it would take time for anyone to become familiar with the product. Future Technology Corporationit was a name no one ever had heard before. Artificial intelligence? A changed algorithm with an increase in phone performance by threefold? Decrease power consumption by half? Automatic compatibility with both Android and iOS apps? Did they take all of the users for fools? Fu*k, it actually has artificial intelligence that can speak? Siri is so dumb in comparison. Fu*k, it actually increased the phone performance by three times! Even cheap phones can play high-end games now without any lag! Fu*k, it actually decreased the power consumption by half. My Huawei has a battery span of two days now! A chain of explosive reactions ensued, followed by an exponential number of downloads. The waves of good ratings and comments convinced the skeptical users to join the forces. In response to their shocking discovery, they also joined in promoting the app. Future 1.0 officially caught the attention of all mobile users. Within 361 Corporation''s headquarters. "I want to know the developer of this app, as well as the background of Future Technology. I dont care how you do it; I want a detailed report on my table in two hours." 361 Corporation''s president Zhou Hongwei sat at his office desk, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to alleviate his tiredness as he gave a task to 361 Phone Helpers Project Manager Zhang Jianfeng. "Yes." The middle aged man nodded as he hastily walked out of the office. "Boss, is the Future 1.0 as scary as it sounds?" The assistant couldnt resist asking after seeing her boss''s gloomy expression. "Do you know what artificial intelligence and enhanced phone functionality mean?" Zhou Hongwei sneered with raised eyebrows. "But based on user dependency and..." "Don''t mention those things; those are applicable when the software are comparable." Zhou Hongwei rejected the assistant''s point right away. "Would you continue to use an old flip phone after the introduction of a smartphone?" The young assistant was speechless, unable to argue against her boss''s point. Even if the book said otherwise, the reality was right in front of her. "The introduction of the touch screen replaced the necessity to have fifteen physical buttons, but the Future 1.0 replaced the need to use fingers. The increased phone performance also broke through the limitation of mobile game development. The two breakthrough technologies exist on one software. Pity, if even one of them had been born in our 361 Phone Helper, I have full confidence that I wouldve been able to replace Penguin and become the new leader in the tech industry." The thought of his horrendous defeat against Penguin in a battle for market shares enraged him to this day. Zhou Hongwei''s finger gently tapped against the table amidst the assistants silence. Less than half an hour later, the door was pushed open. Zhang Jianfeng did not bother to knock on the door as he hastily approached his boss. "The information is here." "Excellent." Zhou Hongwei immediately began reading the information. Instead of criticizing him for his informality, he was pleased by the efficiency. After scanning through the document with a frown, Zhou Hongwei immediately handed another task to his assistant. "Go and contact Gu Cheng from the technology''s department. I give him permission to use any developers from any project. My only requirement is that I want to see a cracked version of Future 1.0 in a week." "Yes." The assistant nodded as she stepped out. Immediately, Zhou Hongwei gave directives to his right-hand man Zhang Jianfeng. "Zhang Jianfeng, go contact Future Technology''s owner Jiang Chen and discuss the possibility of an acquisition. If it can be purchased, then that would be the best option. If he asks for a price within 2 billion, I give you permission to accept right away. At the same time, ask if he is interesting in working for 361." "Yes." Zhang Jianfeng nodded, agreeing that the price his boss offered was not too high. As the 361 Phone Helpers Project Manager, he knew the value of this app. 2 Billion RMB? Even 2 billion USD was not enough. Zhang Jianfeng could only hope that Jiang Chen was too new to know the value of his software and would be shocked by the billion dollar offer. But was that possible? Jiang Chen''s own valuation for the company was over trillions. USD. At the same time, what happened in 361 was also taking place in Baidu, QQ''s headquarters, and even in the overseas Samsung, Microsoft, and Apple technology giants who expressed significant interest towards the app born in Hua. Acquisition, cracking, joint venture... A series of meetings revolved around the "giant bomb" that was Future 1.0. "Marketing expenditure of five hundred ninety thousand includes creating impressions on social media, utilizing platforms such as Baidu, Wechat, and QQ, as well as other forms of advertisement." Xia Shiyu had recovered from her cold. In professional attire, she concisely reported the company development before Jiang Chen. The work could have been completed like usual in Xia Shiyu''s home, but for whatever reason, the girl strongly opposed this idea. Using the excuse of the newly renovated office, she argued that the company should start on the right track and changed the work location to here. The girls cold attitude made Jiang Chen feel extremely "hurt" as he had stayed with her for the entire night when she had been sick. "What''s the download number?" Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and asked in a lazy tone. Perhaps used to his complacent work attitude, Xia Shiyu did not look displeased. She took out another report and continued, "Future 1.0''s total download has reached 20 million, with the record high reached on the tenth day." "Only 20 million?" Jiang Chen frowned as he was unsatisfied. "This is not bad, okay?" Xia Shiyu rolled her eyes at him. As soon as she woke up from her sickness, the first person she saw was Jiang Chen; afterwards, the way she treated him became ambiguous. "There are at least five hundred million smartphone users in Hua, and this is a conservative estimate. I only have 20 million out of this giant market. How is that not a little." Jiang Chen was trying to prove this point. "Its predicted that the user base will break the one hundred million mark by the end of August. Since our user base is too small, this is a commendable result." Xia Shiyu flipped through the document as she explained. "You don''t have to be so concerned. I am certain of your ability, Miss CEO." Jiang Chen grinned. "I am not concerned!" Xia Shiyu rebutted. But then she realized that arguing with the shameless Jiang Chen was futile, so she took a deep breath and brought the conversation back on topic. "There is a total of twelve companies that announced interest in partnership and acquisition." "Partnership, I am interested. You can arrange a schedule for me; I''ll personally chat with them. As to acquisition, you can reject them without asking for my permission." Jiang Chen stretched. "Oh? IBM offered one point three billion USD." Xia Shiyu raised her eyebrows as she shoved the letter of intent into Jiang Chen''s arms with a smirk. "Hehe, I won''t sell it for thirteen billion USD." Jiang Chen took the letter of intent and threw it into the garbage without a glance at the page. Xia Shiyu''s mouth curved up at Jiang Chen''s response. She held the same opinion as Jiang Chen on the value of this software. Suddenly, as if she just remembered something, she hesitated for a moment before she opened her mouth. "Also, President, I have another thing I want to confirm with you." "What? You don''t have to call me president, just call me Jiang Chen." Jiang Chen waved his hand. "Please keep business and personal life separate, Mr. President." Xia Shiyu smoothly replied as she continued on the topic, "The quality of Future 1.0 is without a doubt impeccable. But regarding privacy, do we not need to submit a patent?" "Privacy? There is privacy for software in this country?" Jiang Chen laughed at her rhetorical question. Xia Shiyu was speechless, but she still offered her own opinion. "At least we will gain the advantage from a legal perspective. If another company uses our technology without permission, we can proceed with legal action." "Submitting the patent means we have to provide a detailed explanation of our technology. To be honest, I don''t trust them." Jiang Chen was straightforward. "I am confident that within fifty years, no one will be able to crack Future 1.0. Moreover, in a couple of years, Future 2.0 will be introduced. As long as we remain the pioneer of this industry, we don''t need a patent." The nature of the patent was to receive protection and exclusive rights in exchange for sharing information. The patent required sufficient disclosure of the technical information which would allow people to replicate the technology. But that was the last thing he wanted to do; how would it benefit him to disclose D++? He was not some selfless philanthropist. Xia Shiyu remained silent. She didn''t know where Jiang Chen''s confidence or the fifty years remark came from, but surprisingly, she didn''t insist on it and chose to trust him. "Okay, since the majority shareholder has already made the decision, then Future 1.0''s core technology will be classified as a business secret. The relevant privacy information would require you to discuss with the software developer." His title was the chief developer of this app, but it was only a fake role. The setting disclosed to the public was that an overseas developer team created Future 1.0 while his position only required him to represent the team. Just like deceiving Zhao Chenwu, except he was deceiving the whole world this time. Do you want to find the real developers? Go ahead; it''s in the other world. Jiang Chen nodded as he didn''t say anything more. If a programming language developed 100 years into the future managed to be cracked by the people of this time, it would literally have to be done by supernatural activity. As an example, it was like asking someone to program using the C language when they had never learned it before. Even with the unencrypted code provided, the person was required to understand first; the only way was to guess and learn a language with stronger logic flow compared to C. "On the other hand, considering Future Technology''s growing popularity, I have contacted Wanghai University''s administration and students to adjust the hiring time and location," Xia Shiyu said. "Oh? You don''t have to report these things to me, just give me a schedule, and I''ll make time to take care of it." Jiang Chen shrugged. "This is not a small task. Talent acquisition is critical to the future of the company, especially the first batch of employeesthey will become the core of the company''s operation. From personality to knowledge, everything must be tested under a strict process." "Okay, because I trust your ability, I''m assigning this important task to you." Xia Shiyu''s face burned under Jiang Chen''s "passionate" gaze, but because she had light makeup on, with her limited facial expressions, Jiang Chen didn''t notice her odd reaction. "Okay." Although she wanted to criticize Jiang Chen into at least preparing for the interview process, everything she wanted to say turned into one word. "Then let''s go with this decision." Jiang Chen laughed as he stood up from the office chair and walked to the door behind Xia Shiyu. "Call me if you have anything. If Im not within the service zone, send me a text, and I''ll call you back when I see." Jiang Chen then left the company, leaving Xia Shiyu staring blankly into space. [Is there a president this irresponsible?] Xia Shiyu rubbed her face with her hand. There was another thing she didn''t report: seven companies extended offers to her as shareholder and CEO of Future Technology. These companies included world-renowned technology giants where every graduate dreamed to work at. If it were like before, she would most likely have taken a look at this information. But this time, without glancing at it, she shredded it. Even she was surprised by her decisiveness. [With Future 1.0''s potential, there is no need to consider the tech companies that are about to get reshuffled. President... Jiang Chen, he is probably working hard in areas I can''t see. Future 1.0 can''t drop from the sky, right?] Xia Shiyu convinced herself. She glanced at the messy documents, sighing at Jiang Chens work habit. She organized them into categories before she left the presidents office, gently closing the door behind her. 70 Catching the Wind Chapter 70: Catching the Wind Translator: - -Editor: - - Wanghai Universitys female dormitory. "Lulu, what are you doing?" Wang Xinran suddenly hugged her best friend from behind and giggled as she drew her face closer to the phone. "Stop, stop, Im playing Hearthstone." Chen Lulu concentrated on the screen; she was a typical gamer girl. "Eh? Thats boring. Wait, I heard that Android cant play Hearthstone." Wang Xinran curiously said as she recalled. "Hehe, this is where you dont understand. After I finish this game, Ill show you my adorable Little White." With a conceited smile at the opponents disappointed voice saying , she delightfully stretched. "Am I not amazing at Hearthstone?" Chen Lulu raised her eyebrows as she said proudly. "I dont play the game." Wang Xinran pouted but then returned to her previous question. "Tell me, how did you play an iOS game on Android?" Rather than Hearthstone, she was more interested in this. As a media major student and the producer of Wanghai Universitys campus news team, she sensed a scoop from this interesting discovery. "Wait, wait. Boom! Look, my Little White." Chen Lulu comforted this short-tempered best friend and revealed her "baby." "What is this? A digital pet?" Wang Xinran sighed. She never had an interest in these phone games, but the chubby robot did look adorable. "Try talking with him," Chen Lulu said mysteriously. Wang Xinran blanked out before she looked at her friend with confusion. Chen Lulu seemed to expect Wang Xinran''s confusion, but she ignored her and spoke to the phone screen. "Little White, sister''s friend doesn''t believe you can talk. Can you find a way for her to like you?" Wang Xinran rolled her eyes at Chen Lulu. Was this girl crazy because she gamed too much? But the next second, she was completed stunned. "I don''t care about other people as long as Master likes me, hehe." The adorable electronic voice didn''t sound cold at all, as if it came from a real human. Little White''s voice was full of emotion as he lied down, exposing his belly. "That''s not okay. Xinran is sister''s best friend." From the outsiders perspective, Chen Lulu talking to the phone looked comical, but Wang Xinran was too fixated on the situation to ridicule her. "Okay..." Little White got up begrudgingly and looked at Wang Xinran''s direction with a cute blink of his big eyes. "Sister Xinran, can we be good friends?" "You, are you customer service?" Wang Xinran blankly asked. "No, Little White is an artificial intelligence," Little White puffed out his chest as he said proudly. "How is this possible... wait! Then shouldnt every single action be repetitive? Why is that?" Wang Xinran suddenly thought of a more critical question. Even Reixins Simbawith only some gif images, such programs mimicked human behavior with limited and repetitive actions, regardless of how human-friendly the design. But this Little White... he looked like he was alive on the screen. "Little White, can you wave your hand?" Wang Xinran gulped as she asked. "Like this?" Little White tilted his head because he initially didn''t understand the question before he extended his short and chubby hand and waved. Magical! It was alive, as if every frame of movement was not pre-planned but instead the action of Little White himself. "I know what you are thinking; I was shocked too." Chen Lulus vanity was fulfilled, pleased to see the shocked look on her friends face. "Hehe, the function is not limited to this. Do you know that he can improve the phone processor efficiency by three times? I don''t even know how he did it." Improved by three times? But facts like this didnt even surprise Wang Xinran anymore. Nothing could compare to the existence of artificial intelligence, and the fact that the guy who invented it thought to apply it to the phone industry. What a waste; it could have gone towards industries, environmental protection, aerospace, or even military. She clearly envisioned greater possibilities for Little White. "By the way, where did your home screen go?" Wang Xinran figured out another problemher friend''s home screen and apps had disappeared. "Oh, those things. Little White, surprise her." Chen Lulu didn''t even move her finger as she propped the phone on the table at a slant. "Okay." Little White adorably blinked. "Take a photo of me and my best friendthe type that comes out pretty!" Chen Lulu turned her eyes before she suddenly hugged Wang Xinran and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh come on, this is embarrassing!" Wang Xinran blushed, caught off guard by her best friend''s actions. Kacha. A perfect photo was captured and saved for the best friends. "Okay, help me send her a copy and open Hearthstone. Im going to destroy some people." "Hehe, okay, Master." Little White giggled. Just as the voice died, Wang Xinran felt the phone vibration from her pocket. [So that''s how it works. If its like this, then the home screen is really not necessary.] Wang Xinran smiled as she began to understand the software, then inquired about its origin. "Oh, the software is called Future 1.0. The name sounds pretty sci-fi. You can download it on the Android market; it''s only 53 megabytes! But you have to be careful and download the version from Future Technology! There are a lot of fake versions online which include some weird stuff and have nothing to do with Little White." "There are already fake versions?" Wang Xinran was shocked. She had been preoccupied with family affairs for a time, and she was already so behind? "Yes! The software is too popular. Its said that the software consecutively broke the daily download record!" Chen Lulu proudly said as if she had made the software herself. "Sounds like its your creation." Wang Xinran mocked her excited friend. "Hehe, I heard that Future Technology''s president and the chief developer is an alumni! My friend from software engineering said that their professor praised the product for half the class and predicted that a Bill Gates of the east would be born from Wanghai University. Apparently he made it sound like he personally taught the student. Also, a friend in the student union told me that they would come to our school to hire. Maybe Ill get the job." Chen Lulu proudly raised her small face. "You are not even studying computer science, so why would you bother?" Wang Xinran poked her friends head, speechless at her thought process. It was true that she was in her fourth year already however; it was time to consider either the job market or go on to graduate studies. "But I am studying law. What major corporation doesn''t have a legal counsel?" Chen Lulu rolled her eyes at Wang Xinran and waved her tiny fists. "Ahem, my first task there will be to sue all of the copying bastards and teach them a lesson or two!" "Yes! Sue them! Their version made me look so ugly." Little White peeked from the side of the screen and sounded terribly wronged. Wang Xinran giggled. She sincerely wished for her friend''s dream to become reality. Also, she was curious about the alumni who developed this magical software. An unshaven computer genius? A top student with glasses? Or just an ordinary guy? Interesting. Looks like it was time to report on this godlike person. Jiang Chen leaned comfortably against the chair, the steam from his coffee wafting gently into the air. Xia Shiyu, dressed in sharp, professional attire, stood in front of his desk reporting on the current progress. The feeling was unreal. His previous manager was standing in front of his table as an employee. It didn''t matter what she was reading aloud; his own vanity was through the roof. Of course, it was critical to focus on the business. "There are fourteen fake softwares on the Android platform. Seven used Little White as the main attraction, three used our Future Technologys logo, and there are two versions of card games that directly used Little White''s character." "A tall tree catches the wind, a person in a high position is liable to be attacked. Don''t worry. The internet user base is not dumb and will be selective in their choices. Its impossible to copy our software." Jiang Chen casually dismissed the issue. "Because the Apple store has a stricter auditing process, there are no fake versions on the iOS platform." Xia Shiyu didn''t mind Jiang Chens interruption, finishing her report as usual before stating her opinion, "Just as the president said, our software privacy is impeccable. The current fake versions will never be able to replicate and replace our software, but their negative influence should not be be underestimated either. If a user searched for us and saw a screen full of fake products, their first impression would be ruined. My recommendation is to immediately use legal methods to solve the problem." "Looks like we need to form our legal team soon." Jiang Chen smiled. "That''s right, so please emphasize its importance in tomorrow''s hiring fair. Also, a wave of negative opinions have emerged on the internet in an attempt to tarnish Future 1.0s reputation, creating the notion that artificial intelligence is extremely dangerous. At the same time, they raised concerns regarding Future 1.0s user privacy. For example, since mobile payment is a popular method, the user can complete transactions by telling the password to Little White and commanding him to complete the payment process. Therefore, users are worried about the possibility of Little White leaking the password, or even being hacked." Privacy, it certainly was a problem. If it was an emotionless program, despite its flawed backend design, people would not feel their privacy was threatened as long as the fact was not exposed on the table; yet, if it was an "emotional" artificial intelligence, even if it was designed flawlessly, people would subconsciously question it. Because it was too similar to humans. Jiang Chens expression turned serious before he slowly opened his mouth and said, "This sort of concern is unnecessary, but with the current status quo, even if I made the guarantee now, it would not convince the users. How about thispublish a notice and establish Little Whites absolute loyalty to the individual user. It is written in the code and cannot be changed! No one other than the user can access personal information through Little White. "Additionally, Little White recognizes the master through a combination of verbal and facial recognition technology, leaving it without any possibility of a security flaw! Any user that suffers financial loss because of an error in Little White''s programming will receive full compensation from Future Technology!" "What if a security error does exist?" Xia Shiyu had to interrupt as this notice was too absolute. "It is impossibleyou only need to trust this point. As for how the announcement will be written, use what I said as a reference and polish it up." Jiang Chen grinned. "If youre so confident, then we''ll follow your decision. Also, I''ll create some public opinions using this notice as the backbone to repel the opposing comments." A hint of a smile bloomed on Xia Shiyu''s face. Although she didn''t know the identity of the one behind the slander, once this guarantee was published, she had the confidence to turn the tide of ridicule towards a positive direction. She would use the negativity to push Future 1.0 to new heights. Those malicious people with the intent to create obstacles for them would become the stepping stone for Future Technology. "That''s all for the bad news. Now let''s talk about the good news." A bright smile appeared on Xia Shiyu''s face as she pulled out another document. "Future 1.0''s total download number already exceeds fifty million with the daily download number still increasing exponentially. In the overseas market... Are you listening?" Xia Shiyu noticed Jiang Chen''s unnatural expression and stuttered to a stop with a confused look. "Ahh... continue?" Jiang Chen regathered his wits that had scattered at her smile. That was his first time seeing her smile at work. Was she okay? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows in concern, but Xia Shiyu interpreted it as a signal that he was back on track, so she cleared her throat and continued without requiring an answer to her question. "Mhmm, President, please focus on the task at hand. In the overseas market, Future 1.0 has also achieved a substantial number; however, because Little White has yet to be compatible with another language, it cannot interact with international users. The general hope is for Future Technology to develop versions in other languages. Lastly, Google and Microsoft both extended queries for a partnership in developing artificial intelligence." Xia Shiyu finished and glanced at Jiang Chen. Because of the software''s encrypted nature, the only version on the market was in Han, leaving international users excited and unable to wait to get their hands on it. "That''s not a problem; it will be available shortly. As for the invitation from Google and Apple, if they want a partnership, it should be okay." The artificial intelligence database already included 140 languages, but for the sake of decreasing the size of the file, Jiang Chen chose to eliminate all other languages; otherwise, the software would not have been 53 megabytesit would have been 5300 megabytes. Jiang Chen would make Du Yongkong release the overseas version once the time was right, but for now, the focus was on consolidating their position in the domestic market. As long as they announced the ongoing development of the international version, it would continue to build up the hype. As for the foreigners who really couldnt wait, they would have to learn Han. "Then I''ll respond to them. The meeting will be scheduled three days after the hiring fair." Xia Shiyu pushed up her glasses. "To prevent the president from forgetting, I''ll read the schedule again. In the morning, you''ll meet with 361 Phone Helpers Project Manager Zhang Jianfeng. In the afternoon, there''s a press conference; many media sites would like to interview the "Bill Gates from the east." I highly recommend you prepare beforehand. On the third day, you''ll meet with representatives from Microsoft in the morning, Googles in the afternoon." "Then wouldn''t my schedule be full?" A bitter smiled forced its way onto Jiang Chens face. "You could say that. Domestically, you still havent met with representatives from six tech companies. I''ll take care of the requests from the smaller corporations." Xia Shiyu nodded. [Just shoot me now.] Looking at Jiang Chen''s bleak smile, Xia Shiyu felt a little shaken. She sighed and said gently, "Youll be busy only for this period of time. The company is in its initial phase; as the president, you must display positivity. After this month, your workload will be lighter." An odd grin appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. "Is there something wrong?" she confusedly asked when she spotted his expression. "Youve changed." "Hmm?" Xia Shiyu didn''t understand. "You are more caring now." Jiang Chen sincerely praised her. "President, it''s the same words, please." Xia Shiyu seemed somewhat frantic. As to why she felt frantic, she didn''t know either. "This is not a personal problem." He grinned, having already guessed her next words. "Only a caring superior can be a good president. I am more and more confident with your role as CEO." "..." So it was not personal. For some reason, Xia Shiyu felt disappointed in her heart. "Hmm? How come now that I praise you, you look more serious now?" Jiang Chen was troubled. Without another word, Xia Shiyu gently laid the documents on Jiang Chens desk before stiffly walking out of the office. [Strange woman.] Jiang Chen shook his head before sipping his coffee. [Why are they all so cold?] 71 Ayesha’s Unique Trai Chapter 71: Ayeshas Unique Trait Translator: - -Editor: - - The mansions renovation had been completed two days ago. After checking out from the hotel, he brought Ayesha to the mansion. With only two people, the massive estate did feel empty, but he was confident that one day, it would be filled with people. Hehe. At night, Jiang Chen drove his Maybach S600 back to the mansion. He hummed as he parked the car in the garage, then realized that Ayesha was already waiting for him. He smiled as he walked towards her after closing the door. "You don''t have to wait for me at the door; I have the key," he said as he gently touched the dark brown hair. "You are my husband. As the wife, it is my duty to wait for you to come home." Jiang Chen forced a smile at the Han words that came stiltedly from her mouth. [Husband...] The unexpected event had been his fault, but who could control themselves under the influence of alcohol? [Ayeshas lack of resistance means part of the responsibility lies on her as well. No, no, a man must take responsibility.] [Worst case scenario, Ill have many wives! What rich guy doesnt have a mistress or twothe only difference is whether its been documented or not. She did say that she doesnt care too much about the procedures.] At this point, Jiang Chen no longer contemplated the matter as he always lived by his desires. He glanced apologetically at Ayesha as he let her undress him out of his suit and into casual casual clothing before they headed to the dining room for dinner. Dinner consisted of steak, roasted lamb, and fresh salad. The raw ingredients had been bought from the store and prepared by Ayesha. It was evident that in order to fulfill her role as the "wife," she spent much effort to raise her cooking skills. Finally, he could eat fine meals in his own home. Jiang Chen was pleased with the idea alone. By himself, his cooking could only be considered modestly edible. As for the lack of pork, he didn''t mind as long as the meal tasted good. "Is the taste okay?" Ayesha anxiously asked. "Delicious!" Jiang Chen complimented her cooking with an affirmative nod. Besides a fork and knife, Ayesha had thoughtfully prepared a pair of chopsticks for Jiang Chen. Although it was strange to eat steak with chopsticks, it was more convenient with spaghetti. Jiang Chen ate comfortably and without restraint since they were within the privacy of their home. "Great." At Jiang Chens compliment, Ayesha sighed happily, then lowered her head and prayed before starting her meal. The steak was a little too overdone, but considering she had just started cooking, her accomplishment was already impressive. The salad received high recognition from Jiang Chen as he devoured it with gravy and peppered french toast. Overall, it was comparable to a meal at the restaurant. Although, he enjoyed eating rice and cooked dishes more. After dinner, Jiang Chen stately wiped his mouth before he praised Ayesha once more, causing a shy smile to creep onto her face. This apathetic girl would only display soft tenderness in front of Jiang Chen. While Ayesha took care of the dishes, Jiang Chen headed towards the gym on the third floor. He picked an empty space before placing the training chamber down from inside the storage dimension. He then put 1000 crystals inside the energy before sealing it. One crystal provided enough power for ten hours, which meant 1000 crystals was more than enough. Afterwards, Jiang Chen called Ayesha to the gym. "I have something I need you to keep a secret, okay?" Jiang Chen gravely gazed into Ayesha''s eyes. "You are my life. I am willing to swear on my religion to prove my loyalty." Ayesha''s expression remained unchanged as she said this calmly. The moment Jiang Chen saved her, she had made an oath with her god. Jiang Chen nodded, and then smiled. "It''s not that serious. I trust you. But what youll see next will be unbelievable; if other people were to find out, it would not be good for me." He then led Ayesha to the training chamber. "Its a virtual reality training chamber. It will help you train the necessary skills while youre in a sleeping state. You only need to lie there and follow the directions of the system. Also, do you dislike weapons?" This was the critical question, and Jiang Chen gazed into her eyes as he asked for her opinion. "I am willing to fight for you." Ayesha''s response was still calm. "Okay, but if you feel uncomfortable, you have to tell me." Jiang Chen nodded. She smiled faintly as she luxuriated in Jiang Chens care. How could a woman who lived in the desert be afraid of weapons? She had seen too many tragedies; she was already desensitized to blood. If Jiang Chen needed her to pick up her weapon and fight for him, he only needed to say the word; shed swing her sharp blade at his enemy without hesitation. Sensing the bloodlust in her eyes, Jiang Chen gave a strained smile as he attempted to adjust her mentality. "I think youre mistaken about something. I dont want to train you into an assassin; I only need you to learn some combat abilities to use in dangerous situations as a bodyguard. For this, you need to learn Han, how to drive, and combat skills. As for the weapons guide in the training chamber, take a look only if youre interested. If not, theres no rush." "Mhmm." Ayesha nodded. Although she didn''t voice it, she had already made up her mind to learn everything. Jiang Chen was delighted seeing Ayesha understand his intent. A beautiful driver and bodyguardthe idea alone sounded fantastic. "You don''t have to go to class anymore; this training chamber is much more efficient to learn with. Also, you can first lie on that... yoga mat." Jiang Chen scanned the room, only to find that it was the only viable location. Ayesha''s face turned red and prepared to unbutton her clothes. Seeing her action, Jiang Chen immediately realized the miscommunication. "Ahem, no, not that! You just need to lie down, no need to undress." Jiang Chen quickly stopped her. Confused, Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen before slowly lying down on the yoga mat. "To improve your body condition, I''ll inject a newly developed medicine. It has no side effects and will improve your muscle strength and reflex..." He tried to find a better way to word his explanation. Suddenly, Ayesha placed her finger gently against his mouth. A cheerful smile appeared on the cold face. "I''m willing to do anything for you." Jiang Chen paused, and then grabbed her hand as he sincerely said, "Thank you." By saving him the trouble of coming up with an explanation, she was showing her tenderness. Jiang Chen took out the C-level genetic vaccine. Recalling the injection procedure, he gently raised her arm and slowly pushed the needle inside her soft skin. The pain was like an ant sting, making her voice a small shout as her eyebrows tightened. Jiang Chen took a deep breath before carefully pushing the vibrant red liquid into Ayeshas body. "Done." Relieved, he pressed the prepared cotton swab on her arm and signaled that she could get up. What he didnt understand was why her face had turned so red. "Within three days, the effects from the vaccine will start to appear. Every morning and night, train in the gym for an hour before going into the training chamber to study. The liquid in there can also enhance your skin and body condition. Once youre submerged in the liquid, dont be anxious as the machine will ensure your breathing. And also" Jiang Chen couldnt bear to approach the uncomfortable topic coming up. "Mhmm." Ayesha concentrated on Jiang Chen as she waited for him to finish. "Ahem." It was too important to be skipped. After a moments hesitation, Jiang Chen forced himself to say, "After you lie down, the nervous connection system will prompt an option for you to select. When you press initiate, a catheter will be inserted into your body; it might feel odd, just don''t move." In the end, the English words flew rapidly out from his mouth, surprising even himself. Ayesha''s face immediately turned red as she unnaturally grabbed her clothes. In the end, she still obediently nodded. "Mhmm..." Soldiers who used the virtual reality chamber could not completely remove the sensation of pain. If they underestimated injuries, their ability to survive would be drastically decreased, so the militarys version of the training chamber simulated real wounds as long as it was not over the pain threshold. The issue then was that when experiencing pain, often due to the intense stimulation, some unexpected consequences would crop up. Such as excreting waste. Nobody wanted to stay in nutrient supply polluted by human waste, so these training chambers were designed with excretion systems that solved the users biological needs. Due to the unique material of the ergonomic pipes, they would be inserted into the appropriate places. The comfort level differed based on the individual, but it would not hurt so much as feel odd. After each use, the part inserted into the body was replaced. The back would be okay, but from the front Although the body would be secured in place, it would still be dangerous for people to struggle against the process. Sun Jiao had emphasized this point several times before looking mischievously down at his lower body. Naturally, Jiang Chen had to tell Ayesha, who was about to use the equipment, to prepare her mentally. But it was embarrassing, especially from guy to a girl. In the gym, Ayesha hesitantly touched the training chamber. [Pass through there...] Just thinking about it made Ayesha''s face blush from embarrassment. It was a necessary biological function. Her legs felt weak, but she dragged her steps to the training chamber and then stopped. She took several more deep breaths, which made the outer covering that looked like clear fluids fog up with a fine mist. She bit her lips as she made up her mind, and then took off her clothes before she carefully stepped into the training chamber. The chamber closed on her, making her anxiety spike. Claustrophobic? Unable to move? It was difficult to pinpoint the reason, but Ayesha''s usual calm heart kept pounding and pounding. The nervous system structures connected to the base of her neck and gradually pushed her head backwards. A soothing electric pulse passed through her, and she felt a moveable "mouse" focus on her pupils. The training chamber was user-friendly and allowed language customization. She waited for a few more minutes before finally moving the mouse to the initiate button. The edges of her conscious grew fuzzy, as though she was about to fall asleep. Ayesha relaxed her body. A soft material pressed against her joints as a protection mechanism that would be removed once she entered deep sleep. The level of the nutrient supply in the chamber gently rose, making her feel comfortable. The only part that worried her was the object pressed against her lower body. The back was okay, but the front... The tube-like object seemed to be the excretion system Jiang Chen had talked about. Despite her mental preparations, when it began to search like a thread entering a needle, she tensed up again. It would be okay after a few tries. Ayesha constantly comforted herself, then made up her mind and chose the button. Mhmm.... A cold sensation. Her limbs tensed up in response to the suspense. Ayesha bit her lips hard, trying to ignore that odd feeling. [It feels weird. This is not right.] [This feels] [Ahhh, no!] She stared blankly at the warnings on her pupil, regathering her breaths that came in short pants. She felt the odd wetness that left her her completely dumbfounded. [I just, that can''t be... But how...] 72 I Have Only Two Words for You Chapter 72: I Have Only Two Words for You Translator: - -Editor: - - Disregarding Ayesha, who had entered a state of confusion, Jiang Chen brushed his teeth and lied comfortably on the soft bed. It felt different from sleeping in the mansion. The elegant chandelier, the calming decorations and wallpaper, and the soft bed that you could almost sink into. In the 10-square-meter bedroom he previously occupied, either way he rolled, he would hit the wall. But on this enormous bed, two extra inhabitants could easily fit onto it. Enjoying the luxurious environment, he grabbed his new iPhone 6 and clicked on the cute Little White on the screen to open Wechat. To be fair, once the trend died down, he switched back to the simple screen function. Perhaps this was Future 1.0s shortfall? People could download the 53 megabyte app out of curiosity, but once the initial excitement cooled down, people would discover the inconvenience of word commands. For example, speaking to themselves in public could be awkward and playing with the phone in class difficult. Du Yongkong didnt belong in this era. The program he designed may have been perfect, but it did not match this day and age. Jiang Chen missed this point as he previously thought having the technological edge alone would be enough, but he forgot that any software must be combined with creativity to be successful. Minecraft was a good example in that although the game was simplistic with pixelated images, the playability was comparable to most triple-A games. It was by good fortune that Little White managed to fit another demand by coincidence. A companion that would never betray you, always at your side to comfort and encourage youand always on your computer. As an electric pet, Little White would respond with his full attention to whatever was said to him. Any secrets could be shared without worry, and in this technological world where people were growing further apart, burdened by the pressures of life, they often lacked a listener. If he didnt know that artificial intelligence lacked any true emotion with reactions based on a database, Jiang Chen would gladly chat with this little guy. But since he knew the underlying secret, it felt strange talking to a lifeless creature. It still felt more real to speak with a human being. Just as he was about to chat with Liu Yao, his phone rang. Unknown number? It was pretty late; perhaps it was a telemarketer again. But since he didnt have anything better to do, he lazily picked up the phone. "Hello, who is this?" Slouching, he changed to a more comfortable position. After a brief silence, a voice finally transmitted from the other caller. " Its me. Do you still remember me?" The shy voice made Jiang Chen pause. [Why does this voice sound so familiar? Who is it?] Fang Yuanyuan took a deep breath to try and make herself sound more natural. She had already deleted Jiang Chens number a long time ago, but when she found out the poor guy who tried to date her had become rich and handsome, even living in a one hundred million RMB mansion, Fang Yuanyuan couldnt sit around any longer. The arrogance of Xiao Mengying also made her especially disgusted and jealous. Whenever she thought about Xiao Mengying, she became enraged. The two million bonus slipped out of her hands just like that! The General Manager even praised her multiple times for her impressive sales record at the recognition meeting. [It should have belonged to me] Fang Yuanyuans enmity made her forget that she was the one who had pushed him away. It wasnt too late; from Xiao Mengyings words, she could tell that the sl*t didnt manage to completely "eat" up Jiang Chen. Realizing that she still had a chance, she used all of her efforts to finally get Jiang Chens phone number from a university classmate. She even wrote a script. She planned on using the distressed card to win his sympathy. Then she would hint at her single status, and all because of him... A cocky smile appeared on her face as Fang Yuanyuan patiently waited for Jiang Chen to take the bait. "Ummm, sorry, who are you?" The words that came from the phone frustrated her, making her curse Jiang Chens dullness. She adjusted her mentality to sound as if shed been wronged. "This, this is Fang Yuanyuan Have you forgotten me already?" [Fang Yuanyuan?] Jiang Chen frowned. [Why is this girl calling me? Did I not embarrass her enough?] He wanted to hang up right away out of annoyance but then smirked at a thought that occurred to him. After spending too much time with Sun Jiao, he had turned into an evil person as well. "Oh, Fang Yuanyuan, whats up?" Jiang Chen casually answered. Using a gentle voice would have the best effect and he was confident that he had the acting skills to pull it off, but he didnt want to waste too much effort on this green tea bit*h; he was only looking to have some fun. "Umm, were you sleeping?" Fang Yuanyuan heard Jiang Chens response and couldnt help but feel delighted. She could sense an opportunity, but instead of cutting straight to the point, she carefully asked if Jiang Chen was asleep. "Not yet. Is there anything you need? Im about to sleep." His tone lacked any sign of the frustration that he felt. "Last time Sorry," Fang Yuanyuan gently said. "Oh? What are you referring to?" Jiang Chen responded. "The last time when you came to buy a house. Its my fault for misunderstanding you," Fang Yuanyuan said remorsefully. Apologizing? Jiang Chen wasnt so sure anymore. If she wanted to apologize for her actions, there was nothing he couldnt forgive since it was not a big deal to begin with. But just as Jiang Chen was about to express his understanding, Fang Yuanyuan continued speaking. "Do you know? The second you showed up, my heart was beating so fast" This sentence almost scared Jiang Chen into flinging his phone away. [What the fu*k? What are you trying to act out? A Korean drama? Ewww!] He resisted the urge to throw up, forcing himself to not hang up and instead listen for the sake of hearing out the entire story. "I was afraid that you hadnt forgotten about me. Do you remember? When I rejected you, you were so sad. Watching you in secret, I felt troubled as well, but at the time, I couldnt be with you." Fang Yuanyuan masterfully controlled her sorrowful voice as she told the story "sincerely." "I really wanted to say yes, but my father didnt let me, wanting me to marry his friends son with whom I was promised to at a young age. I was always resentful of the idea, and in the end, I realized that the person in my heart is" "Its me, right?" Jiang Chen mockingly interrupted. He couldnt bear it for a second longer. Why did she need to find an excuse to be a bit*h? If she had been straightforward and admitted it, then Jiang Chen wouldnt have felt this grossed out. "Yes" Fang Yuanyuan blanked out. Jiang Chens reaction was not what she had expected. His tone made her feel that something was off. "Not a bad script. If you added a heartfelt cry, perhaps it would match a third-tier Korean drama. But there is one thing I dont understand. How could someone be so shameless?" Fang Yuanyuans face turned ashen. "Now that I have money, you regretted your decision and became a gold digger, pulling off this bullsh*t. You really think Id fall for this?" Jiang Chen grimly stared at the ceiling as he spoke emotionlessly into the phone. "You really think Im only after your money?" The voice was almost whimpering. [Is it not?] Jiang Chen burst out laughing. "You rejected meI dont blame you. Everyone has the right to say yes or no. I only blame myself for being incompetent, too blind to see the truth. You only used me when you needed me and ignored me when you didnt. I thought I liked you, but I was too naive." A mocking smile curved on Jiang Chens face. He remembered that in his first year, he ran through the rain for several kilometers just to give her an umbrella because he thought her sweet smile was worth it. The reality was that everything had been an act. His best friend from the same class told him that Fang Yuanyuan already had two boyfriends between first and second year, even getting an abortion for a rich and handsome man. Everything had been hidden away from Jiang Chen at the time since his buddy didnt have the heart to tell him, afraid of ruining their friendship. But after seeing Jiang Chens sorrows after his rejection, the truth came out. Jiang Chen remembered that he started laughing when he heard it. At that moment, it no longer seemed to matter. Who hadnt been hurt by a bit*h before? "And now you still expect me to accept you? To care for you like I did before? I only have two words for youdumb a*s!" Jiang Chen harshly hung up. A gloom cast itself over Fang Yuanyuans face as she bit her lips to the point of turning white. Her eyes were filled with overwhelming shame. [Is this still the same foolish guy? Thats impossible. He rejected me, embarrassed me.] Hatred, humiliation, and no longer any regret. Negative emotions began to overwhelm her conscience as if everything was Jiang Chens fault. She selectively ignored her despicable actions in the past and how awful she had been at Wanhua Real Estate. A crazy thought occurred to her. Fang Yuanyuans finger trembled as she opened her contact list and found a name that made her shiver just by looking at it. Perhaps the devil erased her conscience; she made up her mind and called that number. "Oh? Girl, do you miss me?" The flirty tone frustrated Fang Yuanyuan, but she couldnt show the slightest contempt for this man. "Pervert, Ill tell you something. I have a friend that made some money No, no, he is clean with no background. I know that guyhe just got lucky." Fang Yuanyuan used a coquettish voice that even she was disgusted by. Hearing the confirmation on the other side, a smile bloomed on her face. After praising some more, Fang Yuanyuan hung up and flung the phone far away. As if drained by the phone call, she leaned against the cold table Liu Shiqiang, the son of Hongyi Gangs head in Wanghai City, and also the gang prince who had forced her to play with five people. A shameful tear rolled down Fang Yuanyuans face, soon twisting into a wicked expression. "Jiang Chen, you despicable pig. I want to see, with all of your money, if you can mess with the gang." 73 Career Fair Chapter 73: Career Fair Translator: - -Editor: - - Jiang Chen woke up early the next day. It seemed Ayesha stayed in the training chamber for the entire night but still managed to wake up before he did to make breakfast. Although he was eager to ask about her opinions on the virtual reality training system, as he opened his mouth, Ayeshas face became a dusk-red. Hmm? Jiang Chen figured it was better not to ask, so he gave up. After breakfast, he pestered Ayesha to avoid focusing so much that she forgot her meals before heading down to the garage and driving his luxury Maybach to the company. When he arrived, Jiang Chen saw that Xia Shiyu was already waiting for him while constantly checking the time. He smiled grimly when saw the thick briefcase. The girl was too much of a workaholicthe day had just begun. "Youre late by two minutes." Opening the car door, Xia Shiyu settled into the front passenger seat. "Ahem, isn''t the first sentence supposed to be good morning?" Jiang Chen tried to crack a joke before he started the car. She put on the seatbelt and after a brief pause, murmured, "Because it is work time." "Do you take the subway every day? That''s too inconvenient. Why don''t I give you a car? You have your license, right?" Jiang Chen casually said. "That wouldn''t be good for the company. It has yet to develop a method of stable revenue, and you are already providing benefits to the executives." Xia Shiyu''s eyebrows furrowed, her hands clenched on the briefcase as she focused on its button. "Its okay. It would be too embarrassing for the CEO of a trillion dollar company to have no ride. You don''t have to worry about revenue generation; the Future 1.0 functions have yet to be fully unlocked. For example, antivirus, social media platforms, and even replacing the original operating system. Are you still worried about revenue generation?" He smirked confidently. Drawn by the confident smile, she was immediately shocked by the new information. She abruptly said, "Future 1.0 already has other functions? Why didn''t you tell me?" Her eyes looked accusingly at him, as if he had neglected her. He did not purposely hide it, just that he had forgotten it in the back of his mind. "Ahem, of course, it''s based on strategic considerations. Future 1.0 can grow right now because we are not in a direct competition with apps under other tech giants. That means we can still work with them given the opportunity. It was no wonder Xia Shiyu was made to be a CEO; she immediately understood his intention. Since she didnt need to focus on monetary concerns anymore, the initial stage was focused on reinforcing their place in the market. Once a large enough user base was established, it would take guts to try and shake Future 1.0s position. Wanghai University. On the grassy fields stood a stone on which the mighty strokes of ink showed the mark of time on its surfaceWanghai University. It was rumored that the stone had witnessed the fall of a dynasty and the rise of a republic. It was present during the merciless gunfires and passionate speeches. Not once did it alter itself to fit an era; the only thing that changed were the people passing by. He watched the countless lively figures, reminiscing about the past. Truth be told, he never expected to return to his school. He did not leave much of an impact, so at reunions, he would not have much to do. He could not help but exclaim at the miracle that is life. In just one and a half years time, he managed to return as the president of Future Technology to hire at his own school, to hire new talents from the place that had taught him. "Now that I think about it, we are both alumni, so how come you became the manager right away and I became your employee? " Jiang Chen joked around lightheartedly. Along the way, countless envious looks were directed at Jiang Chen. Of course, he knew it was towards the car, not himself. A Maybach S600a decent number of people recognized the price of the car. But the tinted windows blocked the curiosity of the young men and women, leaving them with their imaginations. To be honest, he enjoyed receiving this sort of envy. Because when he rode his bicycle down the same road, no one gave him a second look. "Now the situation has turned around, hasn''t it?" Xia Shiyu said mockingly. She knew Jiang Chen was not the type to hold on to the past, so she was not sensitive about the topic either. Jiang Chen didn''t disagree, only smiling and enjoying the fulfilment. It was not long before they entered the parking lot of the library. Under the guidance of the two student union leaders responsible for greeting, they arrived at the event hall. The hiring fair would start promptly at 9 o''clock, and there was still half an hour left. "Senior Jiang Chen, I hope you don''t make it too difficult for our juniors." "Of course, but Miss Xia Shiyu will be the one mostly responsible for the hiring," he answered. Jiang Chen had a positive impression of this ponytailed student union leader. "Many seniors who are applying today are your fans," student union leader Zhang Bingli said as she blinked. "Oh? My fans?" Jiang Chen sat up, interested. "Mhmm, especially the seniors in mechanical engineering; they are your juniors." Jiang Chen forced a smile when he heard it was the mechanical engineering major. Although it was considered a technical degree, the employment was higher in nearly all other majors. It was not that the major itself was useless, but too many people studied under it, depreciating the majors value. "Don''t be surprised, senior Jiang Chen, but there are a lot of people applying together," the student union leader joked around. Jiang Chen shrugged as he smiled, indicating that he was more than prepared for it. Half an hour passed quickly, and the hiring fair officially commenced. Software-related positions were the focus of the morning. Despite preparing himself, the number of applicants still far exceeded his expectations. It could only be described as hectic! It was fortunate that the student unions managed to control the situation by using a number system to direct traffic. They also suggested that applicants with later numbers look at other companies first before returning. A temporary fence was then set up around the tables entrance. Despite these efforts, Jiang Chen continuously received resume after resume. The new generation of future leaders made up the largest portion of Future 1.0s user demographics. Therefore, the company had a significant influence on these young individuals who were at the forefront of new ideas. Everyone saw the potential of the artificial intelligence software. It would not take long for the relatively unknown Future Technology to become the current Tencent or Ali, stunning the domestic industry and eventually the global technology sector. Even their professor professed that he could not understand the theory behind the artificial intelligence called Little White. "Hello, Mr. Jiang. I have always looked up to you. I am a computer engineering major." [Youre not even trying when you suck up to me. I was unemployed half a year ago, and you say youve always looked up to me?] "I am a graduate, with experience as a recognized student governor and performed well within the organization." [Then why don''t you go apply to become a politician? Why are you here?] "I am a graduate from the software engineering international partnership class. I wish to apply for the program development position. Also, I have a question for you, if you dont mind answering for me. How did Future Technology develop artificial intelligence? From my understanding, internationally, the best in the field is IBM Watson." [Am I interviewing you or are you interviewing me? Also, why do you sound like those critics on the internet who always compare Little White to the half-finished Watson?] However, this was not what gave Jiang Chen the biggest headache. [If you are a software major and you apply, that''s fine, but why are you here if you are a singing major?] "Assistant? I don''t need an assistant right now," Jiang Chen asked in confusion. The tall, gorgeous beauty smiled mischievously with her vibrant, red lipstick. Ignoring Xia Shiyu and the other interviewing students, she leaned on the table and came closer to Jiang Chen. "As the president, you will need an assistant. My work will make you truly satisfied." Afterwards, she shook her cleavage under her V-neck dress at an angle that only he could see. The confident beauty then gently waved her hair and winked at him, a meaning that all men would understand. Jiang Chen didnt know how she had managed to get in. This was one of the few times he wanted to focus on work, and he didnt come here to do those things. Before Xia Shiyu could shoot a despising glance over, Jiang Chen, with a stern face, rejected the girl who obviously wanted to experience the implicit rule. He promptly kicked her out, shock still showing on her face. [You are funny; am I this easy to get? Do I look like I would want to bang every beauty I see? If you want to seduce me, pick a time without other people around. Ahem.] These people only made up a small percentage. The majority handed in their resume and explained their technical skills, desired position, understanding of the position, as well as an outlook for the company under three minutes. As for the awards and certificates, Jiang Chen didnt bother looking those over. One reason was that he had always hated to take tests, and the other was that he didnt believe these papers would bring any quantifiable revenue. A groundbreaking product already existed; the company lacked creativity and insight, not software developers. Creativity and insight could be discerned in a few sentences. The students with heavy backpacks all became sorrowful as Jiang Chen shoved their certificates to the side without a glance. Due to the high number of applicants, he became pickier and more critical. By noon, the morning interviews had finally ended. Jiang Chen stretched, glancing at Xia Shiyu who was organizing the resumes. She didn''t seem the slightest bit tired. "How are you not exhausted at all?" "I am used to it. Only two hours are left in the afternoon, which will focus on legal and marketing positions. There should be fewer applicants." Xia Shiyu organized the papers as she pushed up her glasses. Lunch was provided by the school cafeteria free of charge. The school generously donated their services for the corporations participating in the hiring fair. The student union members from before worked tirelessly to put the steaming meals in front of the hiring managers. Jiang Chen, who was already hungry, began to devour the meal that tasted familiar. Xia Shiyu, on the other hand, ate with grace and elegance, yet still managed to finish the lunch quickly to continue scanning through the resumes. "Coffee." Jiang Chen brought two cups of coffee over, casually placing one at the corner of her table. Xia Shiyu paused before burying her head to resume staring at the resume. "Tha thank you." Jiang Chen laughed to acknowledge it was not a big deal. He then leaned against the chair and closed his eyes. What he didn''t notice was that because of his casual act, someone stared blankly at a word for ten minutes straight without realizing. 74 Alumni Dinner Chapter 74: Alumni Dinner Translator: - -Editor: - - Due to the reduced number of applicants in the afternoon, the two combined their tables to conduct interviews together. My name is Chen Lulu, graduating from law at Wanghai University. Im here to apply for the legal assistant role at your company because Im a loyal fan of Little White. The girl who was being interviewed articulated her story clearly with a bright smile on her face. A fan of Little White? That sort of reason was a first. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows since it was the first interesting response he had heard that day after all of the I believe in the future prospects of the company and I view the artificial intelligence market with optimism. "Oh? So why don''t you tell me the first thing you are going to do as a legal assistant at our company? "Of course I am going to sue those copycats." Chen Lulu answered without hesitation. Jiang Chen laughed at the response. But though it was a fun answer and caught his attention, it was too emotional; he wanted to hear a more sophisticated answer. The legal field had no room for ambiguity. Jiang Chen didnt have much experience as an interviewer, but he had at least experienced the process enough. He had read up on interview tip books that gave clues in selecting the right candidate. Just as Jiang Chen was about to pass on her, Chen Lulu opened her mouth again. She briefly explained from a legal perspective the advantages Future Technology held: the rights of the software in the market that currently infringed upon Future Technologys copyright, the basis of their claims, and even how to fight the lawsuits. She explained the steps and procedures clearly and logically enough that even Jiang Chen, who was unclear on legal matters, was able to understand most of it. She then moved on to explain her opinions on the legal weaknesses within Future Technologys current system. Since Xia Shiyus talent focused mainly on operations, she missed key points on the legal side. Though it did not have a large impact as of now, once the ball got rolling, those legal implications would become a hindrance to the companys growth. Clear, concise, logical, and articulate. Talent! A real talent! Jiang Chen peeked at Xia Shiyu, and when he saw that she had a similarly impressed expression, he stood up. "Congratulations, Miss Chen Lulu. If you don''t have any other questions regarding salary and benefits, you can start tomorrow." With a smile on his face, Jiang Chen extended his right hand. "No problem! Hehe. YEAH!" Chen Lulu shook Jiang Chen''s hand excitedly before she practically floated out the door. A base salary of 4,000 was above average for the graduating class. What could she possibly be unhappy about, especially given the future growth potential of Future Technology? It could only increase from now on. The fading enthusiastic cheers made Jiang Chen smile. This Chen Lulus ability is quite exceptional, although a bit overzealous in personality. Xia Shiyu gave her impressions after giving it some thought. Its okay to have personality as long as she gets the job done! This is our Future Technologys work culture. Of course, she still needs your mentoring. Jiang Chen laughed as he packed away Chen Lulus resume. Although they already decided on the candidate,they finished the procedures for the others. This was first to show respect for the applicants and second to make sure they had not missed an exceptional person. No one would reject talent; given their companys trajectory, it wouldnt hurt to have another legal assistant. In the end, however, Jiang Chen was disappointed to see that no one came close to Chen Lulu. The only saving grace was finding a few interesting talents for marketing. After organizing the resumes with Xia Shiyu, they concluded the hiring session. In the evening was a banquet hosted by the university. It was an act of appreciation for the corporations that participated in the hiring fair. On the other hand, the majority of the firms had a form of connection to Wanghai University, such as having an alumni who had created the company. Therefore, this meeting served as a platform for sharing knowledge and establishing connections. If this banquet managed to help in fostering a deal, it would increase the value of the university in society. Xia Shiyu did not enjoy such gatherings, so she headed back, preferring to select candidates fit for open positions. This disappointed Jiang Chen slightly, but he didnt insist. [This girl is working so hard. Perhaps its time to give her a raise?] He thought to himself as he watched Xia Shiyu leave. Because the majority of the corporations were still in the start-up phase, their operations differed substantially. Among these companies, the bright star at the center of attention was Future Technology. Not many companies could draw such significant publicity in the initial stages. What shocked many, however, was that the rising star of this new tech company was only a 23-year-old recent graduate from the university. The student recruiting office had already begun to consider potential advertisements for the next school year despite the semester just starting. Without a doubt, Jiang Chen would be the poster child, displayed as a distinguished and successful businessman and alumnus. After the principals opening remarks, people already began to approach him before the student representative had a chance to announce the start of the banquet. People were greeting and flattering; some wanted to establish a connection but most pulled up the topic of a partnership. The distinguished alumni who were looked up to by the juniors were not so well off. Not every start-up company made money. This became evident looking at the sparse cars parked in the parking lot. Many presidents were too poor to afford a car; in fact, the people working for major corporations were most likely better off financially. Regardless, having their own companies was worthy of praise. A low period didnt mean too much in the long-run, which was why all of the founders continued to persist. Jiang Chen accepted the greetings, but to the proposed partnerships, he gave a chuckle and a show of consideration before he turned them all down. The reason for his laughter was that some of these proposals were comical. For example, an alumnus who had graduated two years after him was operating a decent-sized clothing plant. He first introduced an idea pushed by the government called Web+, then steered the conversation towards a potential partnership after some flattering words. As for how the partnership would go? It would be called Web+clothes. He went on to talk about producing merchandise using Little White as a platform for e-commerce. Jiang Chen initially displayed interest as it was not a bad idea. He then asked about the current plant and production capacity, which led to the guy scratching his head as he awkwardly revealed that they had recently received the loan and that the plant was still undergoing construction. [If I can''t even see it, whats the whole point of this conversation?] But that was not the funniest one. A software service company with some success had the audacity to do an equity swap to form a "win-win" partnership and push Future 1.0 to the world. [It''s an excellent plan, but why would I need your company? I can do that by myself!] Jiang Chen rejected him right away, but the guy refused to give up. He shamelessly pushed his business card at Jiang Chen before asking him to carefully consider the idea as it would be a monumental partnership for both companies. [He clearly didn''t eat his medicine before he left his house.] But out of respect, Jiang Chen accepted the card. All in all, the banquet mood remained cheerful all throughout. The theater students performed creative plays to demonstrate their acting talent to the graduated class. Some of the performances were on par with those of professional celebrities; Wanghai University was indeed a breeding ground for talent. At the banquet, Jiang Chen was happy to meet his mentor Zhang Peng who had taken care of him in the past. They had a few drinks like they used to before the mentor, who had no alcohol tolerance, started to spill out his difficulties. The graduating class this year is giving me a headache. Every year, we battle to get from last place to first place in employment percentage. They all ask me for advicewhat advice can I give? This is the job market. I even founded a mechanics shop, but what can I even do? Jiang Chen, why didnt you create a mechanical production company? I cant even beg you to hire some people with a tech company. Zhang Peng drunkenly held his cup as he looked at Jiang Chen with a mock-begrudging look. "Ahem, you are drunk." Jiang Chen felt sad to see his mentor act like this. Zhang Peng used his efforts to find him a job back when he was unemployed and no one thought him a talent. Although he felt compassion for his teachers situation, there was nothing he could do besides comfort him a bit more. "I am not drunk. I can still drink." Zhang Peng reached for the bottle. Of course, no one allowed him to him drink any more. Jiang Chen helped him to the washroom to allow him to puke before leaving. Just as he passed a table, a familiar voice called out by his ear. "It''s you?" Looking at the girl in front of him with long hair and light makeup, Jiang Chen was confused since he couldnt recall who this person was. "Who are you?" "Pshh, that day in the hospital." The girl covered her mouth. "Oh, you are Wang Xinran?" Jiang Chen suddenly realized. "Yes, why? You can''t recognize me with makeup?" Wang Xinran asked jokingly. "Ahem, yes, a little bit." Jiang Chen smiled apologetically. He took a close look at this lively girl, unable to match his impression of her from last time. Wang Xinrans eyes flashed slyly as she circled around observing Jiang Chen. I didnt imagine Jiang Chen and the Jiang Chen from last time were the same person. Jiang Chen shrugged, not knowing how to respond. What do you mean? Jiang Chen and Jiang Chen are the same person. My name has always been Jiang Chen to begin with. "Hehe, I was just curious. Don''t mind me." Wang Xinran stared at Jiang Chen before asking, "Can you satisfy my curiosity, Senior Jiang Chen, a genius who cured rabies and introduced artificial intelligence?" "It depends on what you are curious about." Jiang Chen didn''t disagree but he became more alert, wondering if it was her or her father''s curiosity. If it was from her father, then he had to be cautious. "Pshh." Wang Xinran suddenly burst out in laughter, which confused Jiang Chen since he didnt know what was so funny. "Don''t worry, Im not trying to ferret out your trade secret. Im acting as the producer of our school news to interview our distinguished alumni. I hope you don''t mind." Wang Xinran blinked cutely. "Of course not." Relieved, Jiang Chen agreed happily. "Then let''s start. First, your university life." Wang Xinran produced a notepad out of thin air and began to ask her questions. Because it was not relevant information, Jiang Chen answered casually. The interview lasted for fifteen minutes before Wang Xinran ran away, leaving Jiang Chen where he stood. Suddenly, however, she stopped halfway before turning around. "Oh, my father wants to see you, so please pick a time to meet him. He is getting old, and this has been on his mind." "Okay, no problem. What else?" Jiang Chen forced a smile. "Hehe, that''s it. Oh, give me your phone number. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, writing his phone number down on her notepad to finally get rid of this overly energetic girl that he could not seem to say no to. As for her fathers position, he had already investigated into it. There were plenty of influential people in Wanghai City, but there were only a few major ones at the topthe only one among these with the last name Wang was the General Secretary Wang Dehai. Jiang Chen held a cautious attitude towards meeting this influential politician, but he had no valid reason to say no. A general secretary held authority in the central government. Regardless, for Future Technology, Wang Dehais attitude was crucial. Jiang Chen didnt need to do much as Future Technology alone could grow without government assistance. As long as they didnt cause trouble for him, it was more than enough. 75 Because of Regret? Chapter 75: Because of Regret? Translator: _Min_Editor: - - The banquet concluded with thunderous applause accompanying the school managements closing remarks. Jiang Chen dragged his slightly intoxicated body to his car before stopping in his tracks. [Fu*k, how can I drive if I drank? This is going to be a problem.] A troubled smile appeared on his face. Although his body condition was stronger than an ordinary persons, enabling him to cleanse alcohol from his system at a faster rate, he was not like the masters in wuxia novels who could instantly dissipate the alcohol from their bodies. The police would find it hard to believe that he was not drunk. Key in hand, he hesitated, not knowing if he should take the chance. In the end, he sighed. He grabbed his phone and slid his finger across the screen but didn''t who to call. Xia Shiyu just headed home; it would be inconsiderate to call her back. Liu Yao? When he saw that name, his finger paused before he pressed it without further thought. "Hello?" From the other end, a slightly lazy voice sounded, as if the speaker had been about to fall asleep. He pondered for a moment before opening his mouth. "Its me." "Jiang Chen?!" came the ecstatic response. "You have caller ID, right? Hmm, where are you right now?" She was lying face-down on her bed, her smooth legs swinging back and forth in the air. A smile crept onto her face as she propped her chin up with her hand. "Im home, why? Do you miss me?" It was the first time Jiang Chen had called her. Jiang Chen was silent, not knowing how to answer. In the end, he awkwardly chose to ignore the question. "How far away is your home from Wanghai University?" Liu Yao pouted with disappointment. "Not that far. Two subway stations away." "Ahem, I drank a bit and can''t drive. Could you come and pick me up? Im by the lake in Wanghai University," Jiang Chen said shamelessly. The pristine moon cast its light from the night sky and reflected off the glowing lakes surface. A light breeze drifted by the lakeside, rattling the leaves to the sound of the wind. The September air already carried a slight bite. He embraced the chill on his arms as he leaned against the marble fence, staring blankly at the hut sitting in the middle of the lake. When was the last time he had visited this place? Behind him was the English corner and a bench in a grassy fieldan ideal place to practice recitations. But it was also the perfect date spot, referred to by students as the Lovers Hill. "What are you looking at?" "Zoning out." Jiang Chen turned around smiling but stalled, stunned by the glimpse of a beauty. A white dress paired with high-heeled sandalsthe pure white color. As soon as he managed to regather his thoughts, he said sounding troubled, "If people didnt know better, theyd think you a first-year student." The slight curvature of her lips showed a girls pride while the gorgeous face under the lamppost carried a hint of innocence. [Did I drink too much?] Jiang Chen rubbed at his temple. "Of course. I even met a senior when I was walking over, and he volunteered to walk me home." Liu Yao examined Jiang Chens face with a smile. "Oh." Dissatisfied with Jiang Chens calm reaction, she asked, "Are you not jealous?" Jiang Chen smiled, his eyes locked onto the gaze as limpid as the lakes surface. The words of "Why would I be jealous" were stuck in his throat. "Perhaps, a little." He turned away from the attractive face to look at the grass field dotted with bright lights. Liu Yaos smile grew larger, her mouth shaping into a crescent. "Then I told him, I already have a boyfriend, and he walked away blushing." Jiang Chen shrugged, chuckling. "Why are you so direct? They didn''t even say that they were going to chase after you." "The way he looked at me said it all. But I cant accept anyone other than you." He fell into silence, which was soon broken. "Do you want to be my boyfriend?" "While were on the topic, did you purposely dress like this?" Jiang Chen diverted the topic with a troubled smile. The pristine white dress, the gorgeous face without makeup, and the eyes as bright as the stars in the summer night. Liu Yao also didn''t answer the question as she straightened her back and strolled around the rock path. She turned to look at him with a gentle smile, her dress blooming with her motions. "Am I similar to that girl who watched the movie with you?" He fell silent, then started laughing hysterically. Perhaps it was due to the alcohols influence. "She is not a good person, so why are you copying her?" Jiang Chen also straightened up from leaning against the fence, his laughter dying away. "Am I like the girl in your imagination?" Jiang Chen stopped again, and after a while, spoke with confusion, "Is there a difference?" Just as he finished speaking, he already had an answer in his heart. The girl in his imagination was pure, innocent, and adorable. In the end, he realized that everything had been a facade, but he still held feelings for Fang Yuanyuan. Liu Yao smiled, looking at Jiang Chen. Although she didnt know the girl he met in the past, she could guess. So with her cunning, she changed into a dress she had worn back in her university days. "Like a traveler in the desert, heading to the imaginary kingdom, strolling alone," he murmured as he gazed at the loving couple on the faraway grass field. "Pshhh, you can write poems?" "No. Just the complaints of a bored person at a boring time." For some reason, he missed Sun Jiao, that evil and naughty girl. Perhaps, this was why he liked her? The courage to love and hate, the straightforward way of expressing her emotions, and the naughtiness to act on the "wrong" ideas. She was becoming more civil, but Jiang Chen had the urge to tell her that "this was okay too," because such a girl was nearly extinct in this world. Here, what remained genuine? Suddenly, a softness gently blocked his mouth, his eyes staring at a closed pair of eyes. Lips parted. Silence ensued before Jiang Chen eventually asked, "Can I ask you a question?" "Mhmm." "Apart from material needs, why do you like me?" If it was just about money, there were plenty of rich people. A delighted smile blossomed on her face. "Maybe because of respect." The smile was beautiful, but also helpless. "I see." Perhaps she sought after respect because she was not respected? He paused, and after thinking awhile, asked, "Do you know why I accepted your invitation for a vacation?" "Because of regret?" Jiang Chen looked down. He didnt say no, or yes. "Take me home." Liu Yao looked slightly disappointed, but she smiled and nodded. "Mhmm." He leaned back against the soft passenger seat and let out a long sigh. He then pulled at the collar that made him feel stuffy. "Mingxin Area Mansion Community, the innermost plot. Do you know the way?" "Theres always GPS." Liu Yao forced a smile as she really hadn''t been to that area before. Jiang Chen watched silently as she started the GPS and set the destination before he settled in to rest. The car ride was smooth with Liu Yao increasing the speed once they left campus grounds. He opened his eyes, catching the colors of the city in his peripheral vision. Suddenly, he casually asked, "How have you been doing?" "Not well." Liu Yao steered as she pouted. "Oh? Why?" "Because the movie someone promised has still yet to happen." Her voice sounded forlorn. "Hehe, how much money?" Intoxicated, he smiled carelessly. Screech! The car suddenly stopped. Liu Yao parked the car on the side of the road, took off her seatbelt, and looked him straight in the eye. In her eyes... were tears? "What''s wrong?" he asked with a bitter smile. "In your eyes, Im just a sl*t, right?" Jiang Chen blanked. He didn''t expect one sentence would cause her to react this dramatically. "Do you remember the lover lock at the edge of the sea?" His throat slightly moved as he looked away, not knowing what to say. Of course he remembered. He engraved the name Chen Lele, the pure and happy girl that existed only in a movie. "I can''t become your Chen Lele?" "But youre not..." "I am." His lips were stopped by a soothing sensation. The seat belt was unbuckled as he reached out to hug the lithe figure. He was no longer drunk from the alcohol, but he was somehow more intoxicated. It was already ten oclock at night, and the streets were empty with an occasional car that screeched by. Maybachs had excellent noise cancellation, insulating the noises from passing through to the outside. The tinted windows also obstructed the view into the car, making it impossible for the occasional passerby to see into the car. He tightly hugged Liu Yao, smelling the fragrance of her hair and listening to her suppressed moans as he allowed the alcohol-induced sweat to roll down. Perhaps intoxication was contagious? Or perhaps it was only the idea of being intoxicated. No need to think. Even as autumn was about to take summer''s place, spring blossomed inside the car. 76 Negotiation with 361 Chapter 76: Negotiation with 361 Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ The car slowly drove into the mansion grounds. Ayesha stood quietly by the door and watched Jiang Chens car come to a stop. The door opened, accompanied by a flash of the car lights before a woman stepped out. She was beautiful, her aesthetics matching her husbands. Was it Sun Jiao or Yao Yao? Her instincts told her that the answer was neither. There was not the slightest dissatisfaction in Ayeshas mind. In her country, polygamy was not uncommon. The number of women with Jiang Chen had nothing to do with how she served him. "Are you still waiting for me? You really don''t have to wait at the door." Jiang Chen also got out of the car with a distressed look. He did just... He felt it was unfair to the girl who had been lingering here. On the drive back, Liu Yao explained her situation to him. Her ex-boyfriend, who had been her agent at the time, forced her to find "options" in Sanya, and that was how she had met Jiang Chen... Perhaps because of her honesty, Jiang Chen no longer minded the incident as much as he had before. Through this, he learned that she did not lack self-respect; rather, she had only met the wrong guy. After that, they came to a tacit understanding. So could she now be considered a mistress? That word had a strange attraction that made Jiang Chen''s heart pump. Ayesha drove the car into the garage while Jiang Chen took Liu Yao into the mansion. "Just find a bedroom to sleep in." "I want to sleep where you sleep," Liu Yao cutely pleaded as she cheerfully held on to his arm. "Ahem, I have things to do tomorrow. Sleep well." If they ended up sleeping together, he would never be able to get up in the morning. A thought occurred to him, and he asked, "Oh, do you still contact your ex-boyfriend agent?" "No, no, I already deleted that waste of airs number," she said carefully with her eyes on his. She was afraid he would have other thoughts. "Oh." He felt as if a large burden had been lifted from his chest. But if she did have a conflict with her agent, her income would be a problem. "Before the year ends, once I finish everything on hand, Ill take care of your problems." A living expense of one hundred thousand should be more than enough. The cost of breaching the contract was most likely around one million. To Liu Yao, it was an astronomical number, but to him, it was pocket change. As for the movie, production costs would be anywhere in the ten million. With Liu Yaos acting skills and looks, as long as there was enough money invested, popularity wasnt an issue. In this case, making a return would not be difficult at all. "Mhmm!" Liu Yao cheerfully shook Jiang Chen''s arm. "Also, I am a very possessive person. If you." "What are you thinking? Im already yours." Liu Yao mock-angrily pinched him on the waist. Jiang Chen saw the raised corners of her lips and laughed aloud. The her now, he didn''t mind. The next morning, Jiang Chen drove Liu Yao back to her home despite her wishes to stay in the mansion. He still had many secrets, and it would be inconvenient if Liu Yao were to see something. Thankfully, Liu Yao didnt insist on it since she knew her boundaries. Afterward, Jiang Chen drove to Future Technology. There was an important meeting waiting for him. "Hello, Mr. Jiang." "Hello, Mr. Zhang." Jiang Chen shook Zhang Jianfeng''s hand before inviting him to take a seat. A clean haircut, a well-tailored suithe had the sharpness of a company executive. An austere assistant who was responsible for the meeting minutes stood behind him. Jiang Chen had already read into his background; he was the 361 Phone Helper Project Manager who was responsible for negotiating the use of Future 1.0 on the 361 software platform. This man was most likely the best person for this conversation since 361 held Jiang Chen in high esteem. Of course, this was only to the current Future Technology. "Mr. Jiang, Im sure you know that Im the project manager for the 361 Phone Helper. Our team members have come to a consensus that if Future 1.0 were to be released on our platform, it would possess many high-quality, creative traits and increased functionality compared to the majority of the apps available today." Zhang Jianfengs tone then took a turn in the opposite direction. "However, despite the excellent design of the artificial intelligence, I don''t know if Mr. Jiang has already considered the security of the software. What if hackers infiltrated Little White''s programming and accessed personal user information such as bank passwords? Have you considered the consequences of this?" Jiang Chen calmly waited for Zhang Jianfeng to finish before he responded with a collected smile, "As to security, our company has already released a statement. For any financial losses related to Little White''s security, our response is to fully compensate the users. Fortunately, the current amount is zero." Impressed by Jiang Chen''s performance, Xia Shiyu, who sat beside Jiang Chen, nodded. Shed been worried about Jiang Chen''s professionalism at the negotiation table, but now she realized she had clearly worried too much. [In critical moments, this guy is surprisingly reliable.] "Youre right. At this time, Future 1.0 has yet to be a target for hackers. But its impossible for Mr. Jiang to be completely confident in your program, correct? I understand that in information security, your companys talent is still zero," Zhang Jianfeng also responded with a smile. "Oh? Looks like youve done your research. But I would also imagine that you wouldve taken a close look at our software as well. Did your experts have anything to say?" He hinted at other meanings of his words, but Jiang Chen maintained his smile, even making it more cheerful than Zhang Jianfengs. Zhang Jianfengs pupils slightly contracted, and he responded with an awkward smile. "Taking a look" and copying was not uncommon in this industry, but it was never mentioned outright. You say Im copying? I think youre mistaken. Youre called Counterstrike, Im Crossfire. The names are different; how could this be considered copying? However, it certainly did feel awkward to have their failed attempts to crack the software pointed out directly by Jiang Chen. "Ahem, I hope theres no confusion or misunderstanding about this. My company did try and gain an understanding of Future 1.0, but it was all within the legal boundaries. We have an obligation to ensure security for our 361 Phone Helper users. If the users downloaded a software with a backdoor in the programming, it would damage our own reputation." Shameless, how shameless! Jiang Chen wanted to jump up, whip out his phone and shove it into this mans face, asking how this list of garbage software in their 361 software market was evidence of their consideration for the users. Zhang Jianfeng had the audacity to say that they worried about user security when Little Whites software was safer than their own antivirus program. Therefore, out of concern for their user security, they were going to crack Little White? At the same time, Zhang Jianfeng was mentally cursing Gu Chen for his uselessness. [He had a full staff of "masters of computers" and even created a separate project for this. After working day in and day out and being pounded with work, when asked if he had made any progress, he got annoyed and told daddy that he didnt know? How the fu*ck do I negotiate when I dont even know the chips on our table?] Even as he raged inside his mind, he couldnt show any of it at the negotiation. He slowly took a sip of tea. Seeing Jiang Chen remain silent, he began to test the waters. "Of course, while screening the security of Future 1.0, we did make some progress. At this early stage, we can conclude that the software is safe." Although he phrased it as a screening, everyone knew the truthit was cracking. Zhang Jianfeng carefully observed Jiang Chens reaction to his blatant lie, hoping to see a flash of uncertainty on his face. Something was fishy! Xia Shiyu immediately realized the lie in Zhang Jianfengs words and turned to look at Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen sneered and responded, "Oh? Since your company already made some progress, then why are you guys here?" Even without Xia Shiyus hints, Jiang Chen had already realized the fundamental problem. [If you cracked the software, then why are you coming to me? You can just create an advanced Future 1.0. Do you need to ask my permission to copy it?] "What you say is true, but we still hope your company will proactively provide the necessary information so that we can conduct a full safety analysis. Of course, we are also interested in some of the creative elements of your software. If Mr. Jiang doesnt mind, we can discuss the price so that we can have a joint victory on both sides." "Please enlighten me on how we would win together with this logic?" Jiang Chen interrupted Zhang Jianfeng without the slightest consideration. It was considered rude behavior, but since Zhang Jianfeng had the audacity to say his spiel, Jiang Chen was thoroughly fed up with it. Shocked, Zhang Jianfeng stared at Jiang Chen. He hadnt expected Jiang Chen to effectively end the negotiations. "Are you not interested in the price?" Zhang Jianfeng was a skilled negotiator, able to hide his anger. Instead, he smiled genially at Jiang Chen. "Well, we can talk about it." "One billion." Zhang Jianfeng calmly gave the conservative figure. "As someone with a tech background, do you really believe that its worth only one billion?" Jiang Chen sipped his tea as he leaned back against the chair. "Mr. Jiang, although the technology is a part of it, you and I are both in the business field. Dont you think that we should talk about the business value? From my understanding, you dont even have a channel of revenue from this free software. I would have to say that your financial statement for this month shouldnt look too great." Zhang Jianfeng couldnt hold in his laughter. "We have sufficient funds; you dont have to worry about that. As for revenue generation? If youre looking forward to it so much, it may come to exist tomorrow." A smile full of hidden meanings appeared on Jiang Chens face. Zhang Jianfeng took a moment to think. Based on what he knew, Jiang Chens company only had half a million of invested capital. Could a venture capital have already invested in them? Zhang Jianfeng couldnt be blamed for his lack of information. The registered capital was indeed half a million, but the following equity infusion was not released to the public. As a privately-held company, the information would not be disclosed, and therefore, they had no obligation to give information on their assets. "Since Mr. Jiang is so confident, I dont think there is much more we can talk about." Zhang Jianfeng sighed as he stood up. The negotiation fell through, though it was a result he had expected. "What you say is correct. If your company genuinely wishes to form a partnership with us, please provide us with a reasonable proposal, and we will reciprocate with the same respect." Xia Shiyu, who hadnt spoken until now, nudged her glasses up as she slid a document forward. "This outlines the potential area we would consider forming a partnership with. If Mr. Zhang is interested, you should take it with you." Zhang Jianfeng was caught off guard, but he soon regathered his thoughts. [Is this how a small startup treats large corporations? Future Technology is this confident?] He picked up the piece of paper. [Virus database sharing? Phone security partnership? Hehe, arrogant.] The next second, however, he felt something he had never felt beforeit was a hint of fear. What if they did have the ability? Artificial intelligence plus an antivirus? There were countless possibilities. What else could artificial intelligence do? "Since the negotiation has fallen through, could I ask for your evaluation of Future 1.0? This way, I can go back and give my boss an answer," Zhang Jianfeng casually asked as he placed the document into his briefcase. "From a programmers perspective, what do you think a finished artificial intelligence would be worth?" Instead of answering, Jiang Chen half-jokingly threw the question back at him. Zhang Jianfeng considered it for a moment before he smiled and said, "One trillion?" "Hahaha, around that range. Except, even for one trillion, I wouldnt sell it." Jiang Chen laughed as he walked beside Zhang Jianfeng. "Do you want to work for me? I''ll cover the cost of breaching your contract." Zhang Jianfeng laughed jovially. "That''s an interesting way of acquiring talent." [I haven''t even asked if youre interested in coming to 361, and you already ask me to come work for you?] Zhang Jianfeng''s mouth twitched on his way to the door. For a brief second, he had been tempted. Before he achieved his current position, he began as a programmer. Witnessing the impeccable technology behind the software, how could he not be tempted? Except temptation didnt necessarily translate into actions. Upon returning to 361s headquarters, Zhang Jianfeng reported the days events in its entirety to the president, Zhou Hongwei. "One trillion? Haha, I wouldn''t sell it for one trillion?" "Looks like the president holds high regards for Future Technology?" he lightly asked Zhou Hongwei upon seeing that he did not criticize him for his inability to close the deal. "High? High is an understatement." Zhou Hongwei shook his head as he laughed. "If any one of you could develop artificial intelligence, what if I gave him ten percent equity?" 10% equity! Zhang Jianfeng uncontrollably gulped. 361 was listed in the UA. With an average share price of 60 USD, the current market cap already reached an astounding ten billion USD! Ten percent was equal to one billion USD. The assistant also gulped with wide eyes. "Looks like its impossible to acquire them." Zhou Hongwei shook his head sighing. "How about we do something with our platform instead?" the assistant suggested. Zhou Hongwei glanced at her before chuckling. "If Future 1.0 cant be downloaded from 361, wont users just download it from the android market? And if the android market doesnt work, why wouldnt they just make an official site?" The assistant was speechless. "Why don''t we wait first and see Microsoft''s opinion?" Frowning, Zhang Jianfeng put forth his own suggestion. Zhou Hongwei considered it for a moment, then nodded. "That''s what I had planned to do. Its a much more conservative approach." It was no secret that Microsoft and 361 had an alliance. When 361 fought for market shares with Tencent, it was all under the orders of Microsoft from across the Pacific Ocean. If they didnt have such a strong backer, there was no way Zhou Hongwei would have had the guts to fight the number one giant in the Han tech industry. Compared to Tencent, who possessed half of the tech field, 361 was too weak. On that day, the number of MSN installations increased to seven million, revealing the true instigator behind the scenes. Zhou Hongwei could choose to blacklist Future 1.0 using 361s antivirus and suppress its ability to thrive. Currently, 361 did possess high market shares on the mobile platform. Even if they were faced with a lawsuit, the settling amount would be negligible. Three hundred thousand? That was nothing. His real concern was whether this move would push Future Technology to other tech giants such as Tencent or Baidu. Then it would become even more difficult for 361 to survive. All tech giants shared the same concern. Everyone understood the value of artificial intelligence; however, if they were too forceful in pushing it away, it would only hurt them in the end. The best way was to balance power through a partnership. At least for now, Future 1.0 had yet to touch anyone elses cake yet. It was because of this that Jiang Chen restrained himself from releasing all of Little Whites functions. If Little White suddenly possessed all of the functions of QQ, Baidu, and 361 together, it would face the backlash of the entire internet industry as he would have just touched everyones cake. (Translator note: Hello everyone, this is Min. I apologize for the unstable update for the past while. We were transitioning into a new system and finally completed the process. I''ll be releasing 7 chapters in the next 24 hours as my apology. Please comment and let me know how I can improve the book!) 77 Press Conference Chapter 77: Press Conference Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ [Suit does not feel comfortable at all.] Jiang Chen remembered wearing it only once during his graduation debate and a couple times in interviews. But looking at Xia Shiyu in her black office attire, she certainly possessed the professional and sharp vibe. Her silky, black hair was tied up and her black-framed glasses were perched pertly on her nose. On her face, she put on light, natural makeup. To be honest, he previously thought that she looked bad with a ponytail, but now she seemed more mature and professional. "Are you ready?" Xia Shiyu was anxious upon seeing his casual demeanor. Jiang Chen shrugged and smiled. "Don''t worry." That certainly did not make her any less worried... Although Xia Shiyu wanted to make fun of him, she did feel calmer with a composed Jiang Chen as opposed to a nervous one. She let out a breath and nodded. "You can do it." "Of course." He confidently smiled. [Whats so scary about being in front of cameras? I was in front of god knows how many guns. Ummm, not exactly something to be proud of.] On the first floor of Future Technology was a public conference hall bustling with people. The conference room had an elevated half-circle in which the invited press had all taken their seats. As usual, the cameras were placed in the back, and because seatings were numbered, the hall was not too chaotic. The media frenzy surrounding Future 1.0 exceeded Jiang Chens expectations. The 100-square-meter conference room still felt crowded. The curtain slid open, commencing the start of the flashing lights. With a bright smile, Jiang Chen waved his hand, his heart pounding as he noticed the CTV, CNN, and BBC symbols. [Damn, it does feel different now that cameras are pointing at me. Im even feeling nervous now.] After collecting his thoughts, he read the opening address amidst the medias heightened expectations. "First, I would like to thank the media present for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend Future Technologys press conference. I believe everyone seated here has already had the chance to learn about Future 1.0. To save time, I wont go over each of the functions. "The purpose of this press conference is to address and answer any rumors or misunderstandings about Future 1.0. Therefore, the most efficient method is for me to give the time to the media. Please, following the sequence of seat numbers, ask your questions, and limit them to one per person to ensure that every outlet has an opportunity." Xia Shiyu, who was standing backstage, almost fell down as she was dumbfounded by Jiang Chens decision. [Who would pass the questioning to the media right away without saying anything first?] [Without giving a simple, comprehensive explanation, if they come to ask an extremely tricky question, would you be able to handle it?] The media was also shocked that Jiang Chen skipped right into the medias questions without playing his role first. It certainly caught them off guard. Theyd seen press conferences without a question and answer session before, but never one without a speech. Also, questions were based on seat number, which made them feel uncomfortable as they were used to having to fight to ask questions. But Jiang Chen didnt concern himself with the rules, instead choosing the most efficient method. If he had to pick people, he ran the risk of offending certain individuals, so the best way was to create boundaries and make people ask one by one. The reporters who usually had to have their hands up for an entire conference without getting picked were certainly appreciative of Jiang Chens decision. It didnt matter that they were seated in the back so long as they had the opportunity to ask questions. Jiang Chen kept his composure. He had his own considerations in making this decision. [Ultimately, you guys will be asking about security and privacy anyways. Even if I clarify first, youll only pick holes in my word choice. If I let you ask beforehand, I only need to answer.] After weighing himself internally, Jiang Chen knew that he would not be able to outwit these veterans. Regardless of Xia Shiyus competency, her script would be picked apart by these reporters who were hungry for headlines. Although they were surprised by Jiang Chens decision, the reporters had already done their research beforehand and came prepared with a list of questions. The reporter in the first seat stood up and read out what was written on his notepad. "I am CTVs reporter. There has been controversy surrounding the topic of artificial intelligence security, especially Little Whites. Mr. Jiang Chen, could he really be a ticking time bomb in the users phone concerning private information like people said he would be?" the young man clearly articulated. "Thats a great question. First, Ill have to refer back to the guarantee our company has made recently. If the user suffers any financial loss as a result of a program error in Little White, well fully compensate the user." Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulders as he continued, "Also, from the developers perspective, I take responsibility and say that as long as it is a program, it will follow the setting written in the software. So you dont have to worry about Little White releasing private user information because I wont permit it." The sounds of discussions and note-taking filled the room as the second person, a middle-aged man, stood up and asked his question. "Im a reporter from Renren News. Mr. Jiang Chen, currently, there are no laws or regulations in place regarding artificial intelligence. What is your opinion on the possible proposal of the , and what would be Future Technologys response to this?" [Renren News? (Referring to Han''s state news agency.) This is going to be a bit problematic.] Jiang Chen''s head spun rapidly. [As an official media source, it represents the voice of the government. There is definitely a deeper meaning behind this question. Are they testing me? Or giving me a hint?] "Of course, Future Technology will firmly abide by the regulations in place without questionthis includes the introduced . Future Technology will cooperate with authorities to adjust our services to fit within the frame established." Jiang Chen cautiously answered the question by expressing his support and willingness to cooperate. He did not, however, express his views regarding the regulation itself. He had a feeling that the question came from a law-making authority since artificial intelligence regulation was a blank slate in all countries of the world. Judging from the current stage, the development of artificial intelligence was still in its infancy, and nothing had yet to reach even the basic levels. Upon hearing Jiang Chens response, the middle-aged man sat down deep in thought. Immediately following after, a blond beauty stood up. "I am BBCs reporter. Mr. Jiang Chen, it is known that artificial intelligence requires strong hardware equipment to support functionality. IBM Watson, for example, requires ninety IBM servers and three hundred sixty computer processors to maintain its operation. Yet somehow, the Future 1.0 developed by your company could operate on a mobile platform. How did you manage to achieve this?" BBCs question came from a technological perspective, and based on the crowds reaction, many other reporters were also interested in the answer. "Sorry, this is a trade secret. What I can disclose, however, is that it is based on a database. The core of the artificial intelligence that we developed is not the hardware, but rather the software. It doesnt have a high requirement for computational power, and the database is the critical element instead. It accepts external information and exports database information. As long as the database is maintained, Future 1.0 can operate on a mobile platform. Clearly, we have achieved this." Jiang Chen confidently used the bullsh*t Du Yongkong gave him as he wasnt worried that any of the experts would be able to uncover anything. As far as the people in this world knew, there was only one person on his team that managed to develop this innovative technology, which was comparable to Bill Gates Windows 1.0. Database? All of the reporters'' eyes lit up. "I am a reporter from Japanese Economy. Mr. Jiang Chen, because the current stage of artificial intelligence development is still difficult for the worlds scientific community, would Mr. Jiang Chen please have a heart like Andy, the developer of Android, and release the magical artificial intelligence database to the world?" a short, suited man asked slowly after bowing politely. Mockery crept onto Jiang Chens face before he managed to hide it. [I can''t believe you had the audacity to say that. For the scientific community? Heart?] [Then why don''t you disclose all of your country''s technology?] But it was within his expectations that this sort of brainless question would come from a right-wing Japanese media source. "I say it is meaningful because it would push the growth of the human civilization. To demonstrate your willingness, perhaps you should convince your country to surrender all armed forces? It would be a historic step for world peace. I look forward to your response." Laughter erupted in the hall as some Han reporters mocked the shamelessness of this Japanese reporter. The short man gave Jiang Chen a dirty look before awkwardly seating himself. Jiang Chen shrugged and signaled for the next reporters question. He didnt have the time to deal with rude people. "Im CNNs reporter, and Id like to ask Mr. Jiang Chen whether user privacy for Future 1.0 is really so secure as your company has stated it to be. Based on the software encryption, your company made the software into an impenetrable black box. No one could test it from a security point of view. So what if Little White passes information gathered from the user to your desktop? Of course, this is only an example. Could you prove that it wont happen?" It was a harsh question, but many others were concerned about the same issue. For a dead software, even if it was filled with back doors, you would not question its security until the problems were exposed. But for software that felt alive, despite the developers efforts to prove its safety, you would be skeptical as it behaved too similarly to humans. "Im not the FBA, why would I need a users private information?" Jiang Chen laughed and splayed his palms. "Let me give you an example then. Based on the Washington Posts report, the CIB and FBA directly infiltrated the central servers of Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and a total of nine tech giants to track users: email, phone calls, documents, and videos. Whats your opinion on this?" "May I ask if this is related to today''s question?" The reporter from CNN showed an awkward expression. "Of course. I want to explain that invasion of user privacy has nothing to do with the software itself. Because despite being an artificial intelligence, it has no concept of personal interest. Even if you uninstalled him after spending several days together, he will only wave his hands to say goodbye. Attempting to invade anothers privacy could only come from another human. But I assure you here and now that I will never do that! As long as I remain president of Future Technology, the company will never allow such actions." Jiang Chen looked the reporter in the eye as he said this. The hall filled with the sound of applause. He signaled for quiet as he passed the time to the next reporter. Jiang Chen answered the following questions with ease. He answered what he could, and if not, then he made something up. If that didnt work, he blamed it on trade secrets. Jiang Chen had always been proud of his acting skills. At the end, the reporters asked: "When will the foreign version be available?" "Would Future Technology consider venture capital?" Or even an irrelevant question such as, "Do you have a girlfriend?" Some interesting queries included, "Whats the meaning behind Future Technologys name?" Jiang Chen answered half-jokingly, "Because my team and I envision the future." And another sensitive question was, "Would artificial intelligence be used in the military field?" Jiang Chens response was clear-cut. "Chat-based artificial intelligence will only exist for the purpose of interaction. It will not calculate rocket trajectory for you because that would require high-performance computers and experts. Unless youre worried about soldiers who are too lonely and want to find a companion." He managed to win the majority of the medias positive impressions thanks to his clear and straightforward responses. Certainly, media outlets with criticisms still existed. For example, the short man from Japanese Economy seemed to be thinking up malevolent ideas to use to attack Jiang Chen. But who cared? At the very least, Jiang Chen didnt. Who would care about a media that only distorted the truth? After the closing remarks, Future Technologys first media conference ended on a high note amidst applause. "I cant believe youre so deft at improvising in your reactions." Xia Shiyu nodded, seeming impressed as she looked at Jiang Chen. "Haha." Jiang Chen narcissistically raised his head and laughed. He then arrogantly raised his eyebrows. "You realize this only now? Im this fu*king awesome." "Could you be more civil, please? You are a public figure now," Xia Shiyu said, slightly displeased. Public figure? He realized the problem with a troubled expression on his face once more. [Fu*k, then I have to be careful with everything I do? How can I enjoy my life from now on?] "Could a camera point at me the moment I leave my house?" Jiang Chen scratched his head as he asked. "..." Xia Shiyu speechlessly stared at Jiang Chen before she sighed. "Being a public figure means that your words and actions represent the company. If you do any uncivil acts, this would directly influence the publics impression of our company. If it gets uploaded onto the internet, it could potentially escalate Why are you looking at me like that?" "I just think that you care more about Future Technology than even I do. Im pleased." Jiang Chen grinned. "..." Xia Shiyu lost her words once more. The only thing that didnt change was her emotionless expression. Jiang Chen was eager to change out of his uncomfortable suit. "Oh right." Just as he was about to leave the backstage area, Xia Shiyu abruptly stopped him. "Mhmm?" Jiang Chen turned around looking confused. "Ummm, in consideration of the companys publicity... of course, it is not right to interfere in your private life, but do you really not have a girlfriend?" Xia Shiyu didnt look in Jiang Chens direction. Instead, she stared blankly at the ground as her finger twirled the tips of her hair. Her voice remained calm as usual. Jiang Chen was shocked, and his face took a particularly odd tone. "What if I do?" He probed to see her reaction. "!" [You are about to rip your hair out!] "But in reality, no." Jiang Chen immediately added. "..." [Her mouth curved up?] At this moment, even as dumb as he was, he realized... "Ahem, in this case, itll be okay. But you should still be careful about your private life. If news got out that youre still single, some people with ill-intentions may anyways, just be careful." Jiang Chen locked his eyes onto Xia Shiyu, who was being unusually chattiness, with the same peculiar expression. "Do you... like me?" 78 Test? Chapter 78: Test? Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ "Do you... like me?" Jiang Chen recalled the conversation backstage as he scratched his nose with a troubled smile. "Why am I so charming?" he said to himself with a cocky flair before becoming overwhelmed by embarrassment again. He turned the car radio on in an attempt to drown his awkwardness in the noise. Xia Shiyu was the type to be shy, easily embarrassed by anything. Even with her emotionless face, she was cold only on the outside, warm on the inside. The atmosphere had been intimate. Her mouth half-open, she had been completely at a loss with the situation. Just at that moment, however, an untimely phone call with an explosive ringtone broke the delicate closeness. Jiang Chen, realizing it was his phone, was about to hang up when Xia Shiyu quickly gathered her wits and then fled the room with her head buried. [...Fine. Perhaps that phone call had perfect timing.] Or else he wouldnt have had a clue on how to disengage from that awkward situation. He wasnt sure about his attitude towards her either. He used to masturbate to her image long ago for quite some time, but he hadnt had such thoughts for a while now. Perhaps his mentality had changed? Shaking his head, he had tried to push away the strange thoughts in his mind. And then his phone rang once more. He thought for a second, the same troubled smile crossing his face. There was no point in hanging up again. He sighed and connected the call with his Bluetooth headphones. The voice from the other side had made him fall into a deep contemplation again. Wang Zhiyong? Jiang Chen was now on his way to the home of Wang Dehai, the general secretary of Wanghai City. The elder wished to invite him over for dinner to express his sincere gratitude for saving his life. But the phone call had been too timely, coming not long after ending the press conference. It felt unnatural to Jiang Chen, yet it was the general secretarys invitation. And he had saved his life, so it probably wouldnt be anything too terrible. After a moments hesitation, he began his drive over. It was a serene community without seeming too luxurious, but the amount of vegetation here was rare to see in the entire Wanghai City. The security at the door seemed to be retired soldiers. He could feel the bloodlust from several meters away. These guys must have come from a border conflict. All of the residents in this community had to be influential in some way. Even with money, not everyone could be the general secretarys neighbor. He parked the car in the building before walking up to knock on the door. The door opened momentarily, revealing a cheerful face before him. "Youre here. Come in, my mom wants to thank you personally." Wang Xinran grinned at Jiang Chen. "Hmmm? Don''t you live on campus?" Jiang Chen was surprised to see her. "Its Saturday. Is President Jiang Chen so busy that he forgot the date?" She playfully poked her tongue out. [Hmm, now that I don''t work, it''s hard to keep track.] As soon as he entered, he was greeted with warmth. He was surprised by the generosity and welcoming gestures, making him feel slightly ashamed since he had his own motives in saving people. But regardless of the reason, he did fight off death and save Wang Dehai. He most mostly taken aback by the fact that Wang Dehai was not like other grim politicians who acted fiercely. Instead, he lacked the daunting vibe, seeming instead like a kind elderly man. Seeing Jiang Chen, he warmly called out Little Jiang (little is a common way to refer to younger people). Aware of the situation, Jiang Chen responded by calling him Uncle Wang. Wang Dehais wife was a grandma with kind features who consistently served Jiang Chen food. It certainly gave Jiang Chen, who had been venturing outside, a sense of home. Wang Zhiyong was an interesting person as well. He kept trying to drink with Jiang Chen, but his weak alcohol tolerance put him under the table first. When he started spouting gibberish, his sister stuck him back in his room as he snored. Jiang Chen always viewed straightforward people in a positive light. As for Wang Xinran, she maintained her usual level of energy as she pestered him with questions about Future 1.0. She also informed him that she became the top member of the distinguished alumni at Wanghai Universitythe youngest to ever take the spot. Unfortunately, the list only circulated within the school and didnt hold much influence since few students held an interest in the school newspaper anymore. As for her questions, Jiang Chen didnt disclose anything outside of the norm. Everything he said was consistent with his stance at the press conference. As he spoke with Wang Xinran, he kept most of his attention on Wang Dehai for his reaction. What did this powerful politician think about Future 1.0? Support? Or more reserved? After dinner, Wang Dehai called Jiang Chen into his office. "Feel free to sit. Dont be nervous, I just want to chat with you." Wang Dehai saw Jiang Chen was nervous and smiled warmly as he invited him to take a seat. "Haha, Uncle Wang, I''ll make myself comfortable then." Jiang Chen settled himself onto the sofa across from him. He didnt dare to pretend to be an "ancient remedy doctor" anymore. In Hua, all of the intelligent people were politicians, particularly a powerful one like Wang Dehai. The difficulty in convincing him on a story was nearly impossible. Even the finest acting would have its flaws. Say as little as possible. But Jiang Chen had clearly overthought the matter. Wang Dehai didnt pry into the matter of how he cured rabies. Instead, he started talking about his childhood anecdotes. "My rabies was probably from the sixties. I was young, my dad was being punished, and I got bit by the dogs of those crazy politicians. I remember the bite was about this big on my leg. I initially didnt think it would be a problem after so many years, but it still turned out to be worse. Haha." Wang Dehai used his hand to show the size of the scar. Jiang Chen smiled, but didnt respond. He knew it was better to listen since elders enjoyed telling young people their stories. They didnt need comfort or praise, only an audience that was willing to hear them out. Although he didnt know what Wang Dehai was planning, since he treated Jiang Chen as one of the younger generation instead of as a subordinate, Jiang Chens impression of him was not too bad. He heard many stories from Wang Dehai. Until the end. "Now, we are finally powerful. Good, good, good!" In a nostalgic tone, Wang Dehai repeated "good" three times as he looked in Jiang Chens direction with a look full of hidden meanings. The show had finally started. Jiang Chens focused as he waited for this powerful politician to speak. "Little Jiang, is it feasible for artificial intelligence to be used in the military?" Wang Dehai casually asked as he sipped his tea. "Of course," Jiang Chen responded without hesitation before sternly saying, "It would be a disaster to the country and even the world." "Oh?" Wang Dehai was quite interested by Jiang Chen''s response and waited for the context. "Artificial intelligence is not human. If the life and death of a human is given to a program to oversee, it would only take a programming error to cause a catastrophic disaster. In the end, the law cannot regulate lines of code." "Oh? But if artificial intelligence soldiers could replace human soldiers going into war, could it not eliminate the need for bloodshed?" "No, there will only be more casualties." A troubled smile appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. Wang Dehai''s gaze bored into him. Since this elder was asking him, it meant that it was not the worst scenario. From the looks of things, even the top had not managed to reach a consensus yet. Too many parties were involved in this. There was no need to talk about whether it was feasible for artificial intelligence to replace soldiers; how many PLA would be discharged? How many people would want to shut his mouth? Even foreign agents would target him. Cold sweat began to drench Jiang Chen''s shirt as he thought about the possible repercussions. "Since Uncle Wang mentioned bloodshed, may I ask, does this mean our country is going into war soon?" "Of course. There are always some fools who want to take action." Wang Dehai raised his eyebrows but explained anyway. "Then Uncle, if a cheap, effective, and powerful weapon is introduced, how would this change the current situation?" Jiang Chen carefully said. "An arms race? Thats based on whether the technological capabilities are the same." Wang Dehai dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. "So the question is," he said with a troubled smile. "But I dont have it. Like how I explained at the press conference, Future 1.0 can answer questions logically and given permission from users, operate fundamental phone functions. To give an analogy, Windows 7 is effective, but you dont expect it to control a PC as well as robots, right?" "Could you not make any adjustments? For example, include a fire control system." Wang Dehai persisted, reluctant to give up. "I dont have any understanding of firearms. I would have to start from scratch to gain any understanding. Also, from a practical standpoint, does the country need a scientist now, or a possible Bill Gates who will lead the industry for the next ten years?" Jiang Chen gazed seriously into Wang Dehais eyes. Wang Dehai shouldnt have been pushing this hard as the developer team was supposedly overseas. As he spoke, Jiang Chen was also planning in his mind, going so far as to think that if the authority were to take action, then he would drop everything and run overseas. There was still four hundred million USD in his Swiss bank account. He could start over from scratch again anywhere. Wang Dehai also stared at Jiang Chen. But soon, his fierce gaze disappeared, and he took a sip of his tea with a smile on his face. "You and I have the same understanding. Dont be so anxious." Jiang Chen let out a breath of relief. To be honest, he was reluctant to leave unless he was forced to. "I wont lie to youwe have always been researching artificial intelligence. The other countries are doing the same. Its not a major project, but we have quite a large budget for it. Its just that we havent had any results yet." Wang Dehai looked meaningfully at Jiang Chen. "Some people even said that you should voluntarily give out this technology. Do you know what I said?" Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he smiled. "Uncle Wang must have thought further than them." Wang Dehai laughed. "Youre quite clever. I told them, you guys are all old and stubborn! If we did that, who would dare to reveal new technology here? Youre pushing all of the talent away!" Before he finished his sentence, Jiang Chen knew. Even if they controlled the person in headquarters, with the development team based overseas, if they were pushed away to unfriendly nations, wasnt that providing them with a more advanced technology? What could they do? If they didnt have exclusive possession of the technology, what was the point of it? "Thank you," Jiang Chen said with a peculiar expression. There was nothing else for him to say. He didn''t understand Wang Dehai''s intention. Friendliness? Who was he representing? Or was he returning the favor? "You dont need to thank me. Im not the only one supporting you.l The old guy from the Zhou family was more anxious than me." He sipped the tea again and looked at Jiang Chen. "His family is responsible for military artificial intelligence project with a budget of five hundred million a year." Jiang Chen immediately understood. Just as he suspected, even the top level had not reached a consensus. Or perhaps a better way to put it was that collectively, they were unified, but when it touched their own cake, the situation became much more complex. Or else, the authority would not have waited for him to finish the press conference. The moment Future 1.0 was released, trouble would have ensued. Once it came into the worlds spotlight, it would be too costly to work from the shadows again. It was related to the countrys attitude; they were already having difficulty retaining talent. If they proceeded with the plan, they would be chasing away the talents. The key now was not to be stronger, but to become more stable. "Ill ask only one more question. Whats the value of Future 1.0 in the military industry? And be truthful." Wang Dehai locked onto Jiang Chens eyes. In his aged gaze, there was less kindness and more ferocity. [Its not the right time to go into the military. There are too many personal interests attached to it.] Thoughts flashed through his mind as he firmly answered the powerful authority figure, "Zero." Wang Dehai nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "Then, as the general secretary of Wanghai City, I hope you are able to contribute substantially to the citys economic development! I also wish to see Future Technology significantly benefit the lives of the people and do even greater things!" With a genuine smile, he answered, "Of course!" [Is he hinting at me to not overreach the limits of civil usage?] [Looks like Wang Dehai was not trying to convince me, but rather test me. The Wang and Zhou families probably wear the same pants.] Thinking about this point, he was not afraid, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. He originally had the ambition to take Future Technology to the military field, but now it seemed as though he had been overzealous. [Did Wang Dehai help me?] Of course, since the Zhou family did not go after him right away. But would he have repaid Jiang Chens favor if the interests of the Wang and Zhou families had been on the line? Probably not, since then it was no longer a personal issue. If Jiang Chen showed the slightest interest in military, or if Future 1.0 had the possibility of encroaching into the field. Wang Dehai would not do anything, but the Zhou family would not let him walk free either. At that time, they would threaten him into giving up the technology before getting rid of him. Or, they would get rid of him right away without even asking for the technology. It would of course result in Jiang Chens escape, but he would have a hard time returning home again. Would it be beneficial for the country? If they truly cared, then they would not have been so greedy. All of the smart people were in politics. Throughout history, the motivated and the honest died on the battlefield, the knowledgeable avoided politics, and the intelligence belonged in the forbidden city. It was better for the simple to stay away from the intelligent. Jiang Chen didnt reveal any of his thoughts. As soon as he left, he inhaled deeply. He suddenly realized that the past few days had been more tiring than living in the apocalypse. "Why do I tire myself out? Am I missing the purpose here?" Jiang Chen mocked himself as he shook his head. Regardless of whether he thought too much or not, he didnt consider Wang Dehai to be reliable. Favors were like bills. Once used, it was gone. But it was almost more complex than that since items had a set price; at least you knew how much remained. The only good news was that Future 1.0 would not receive too much hindrance from regulations; this danger faded in its infancy. 79 Game Online Chapter 79: Game Online Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Renren news report. The government media authority did not report extensively on the details of Future 1.0 as they focused on the bigger picture in regards to the current state of artificial intelligence. They reported mainly on the regulatory environment. However, CTV did praise highly about the outstanding performance of Future 1.0. The local media was all over the place with their reporting, so Jiang Chen didnt place too much emphasis on it. Besides, he cared more about the government medias stance because it often hinted on the perspective the authorities would take. But now, after the conversation with Wang Dehai, there was no need to pay attention to it. Jiang Chen, lying on the bed, turned off the domestic news and commanded Little White to pull up the current foreign news. (BBC) [Mhmm, that was what I had planned.] (CNN) [The truth was presented to you, its up to you to believe it or not.] <2014 Most Attractive Men> (Mode) [Did something weird just appear.] Jiang Chen judged each headline as he continued to scroll through each one before throwing his phone to the side. Just as he was about to go back to the apocalypse, his phone suddenly vibrated. He picked up his phone. It was Robert who had sent him an email. Jiang Chen smiled as he could imagine his shocked look. That guys jaw probably dropped to the ground when he saw the guy he knew on the news. The Baton guy was probably the insider who sold him out. But Jiang Chen didnt bother with Roberts business as he would just ask Robert to take him around when he does go to Los Santos. For now, he had no reason to leave the country. [Of course, who could predict the future.] Just as Jiang Chen was about to put his phone down again, the phone rang. Xia Shiyu? "Hello? Do you miss me?" Lazily, Jiang Chen picked up the phone. "Are you not coming to work today?" She cunningly reacted to her superiors harassment. Jiang Chen nodded, pleased with the reaction, and continued. "I have already given you the permission on the specific tasks, can you not let me be a relaxed billionaire?" "Mhmm. If you have time today, drop by. I had a feeling that you were about the leave for a long time. I still have some things that I need you to decide on." Jiang Chen was shocked. [This girl is psychic, how did she know I was about to leave.] Jiang Chen sat up from the comfort of his bed. "Wait, Ill be there soon." Different from the usual emptiness, Future Technologys headquarters already began to feel busy. Because of the need for people, training was halted and people learned on the job. The employees apparently recognized the president as they cheerfully greeted him. Jiang Chen smiled and didnt interrupt their work. Instead, he walked directly towards Xia Shiyus office. "Eh, what do you think is the relationship between the president and Miss Xia?" The cute girl at the front desk poked at her colleague. "What. If Miss Xia heard you, she''d cut your bonus. Hehe, but if I would guess, its not that simple." He had knocked before he was given permission to come in with "Please come in." "Hmmm? You are here?" Xia Shiyus tone was rather stiff as she dodged his eyes. A forced smiled appeared on Jiang Chens face. [Is it because of yesterday? If it is awkward from now on, it will be problematic] He didnt know why he asked that question. But business first. If he didnt take care of things now in the modern world, it would be hard to take care of the issues after he comes back from the apocalypse. He cleared his throat to break the awkwardness and then spoke as if nothing had happened. "Mhmm, what is the current user base of Future 1.0?" Xia Shiyu saw that he didnt bring up yesterdays topic, so she secretly felt relieved. Then she picked up a report on the table. "Future 1.0s user base already broke through the two hundred million mark, but the growth speed is slowing down," She pushed up her glasses as she reported to Jiang Chen with professionalism. "Not bad. Then we can go to the next step. Is the application procedure for the game finished? Is the operations team familiar with the game now?" Jiang Chen asked as he flipped through the document Xia Shiyu passed over. "The application procedure finished awhile ago. As to the operations team, they are familiarizing themselves with the game. Because they only started yesterday, it is still being completed. However, the game you provided has a perfect backend, so the task is almost complete." [Looks like Yao Yao did an excellent job.] Jiang Chen smiled with the cute girl in mind and continued. "What about marketing?" "Its been ongoing, we have done advertisements and cinematics. Based on the feedback from our official site, the users have high hopes for the landmark mobile game. The post with the highest upvote even said that he is waiting for us to create virtual reality helmets that come from fictional novels," Xia Shiyu said half-jokingly, but it scared Jiang Chen. [What, did I say I was going to develop virtual reality? Was this person reborn?] "Based on this, users have extremely positive opinion about our companys technology. President, are you okay?" Xia Shiyu looked Jiang Chens puzzled expression, confused. She had a trace of worriedness in her tone. "Ahem, nothing. I just think I should control how much I show off." Jiang Chen forced a laugh. [Maybe I am being too sensitive.] Xia Shiyu ignored his nonsense words and continued. "Then should we introduce the game now?" Jiang Chen thought for a moment. "Mhmm, I think its about time. Start the registration and pre-download tonight. The official release will be within this month. You can decide the exact strategy. The bug system in the game is also advanced, so the employees only need to troubleshoot based on the description provided by the system. The operation of the game should have no problems. This is the decision then. will come online!" Jiang Chen was confident about this game. The introduction of Future 1.0 freed the hardware limitations of the mobile plant which would foster a series of the high-quality mobile games. This would fundamentally change the mobile game industry. The original popular masterpieces would not necessarily get replaced by the new generation of games, but they would definitely be impacted and forced to make adjustments. It was the perfect opportunity for Future Technology to enter the mobile gaming market. Xia Shiyu nodded as she also believed it was time. The release of the game would also turn the companys current income statement around, which was now in the red. "Another key aspect. Do you have any recommendations for the direction of the game?" Xia Shiyu had to ask Jiang Chen about the macro development strategy of the company. "You can make your own decision. I know you are a lot more knowledgeable than me in regards to operational strategy." Jiang Chen smiled. "No, I mean the bigger picture. It is extremely difficult for a mobile game to balance KPI and ACU" "Wait, what is KPI?" Jiang Chen was at a loss. Xia Shiyu was at a loss too. "KPI, key performance indicators." Jiang Chen embarrassedly scratched his head as he realized he was an amatuer in business. However "What about ACU?" He gulped as he shamelessly asked. "Average concurrent user President, maybe it would be a good idea to learn some fundamentals?" Xia Shiyu said sounding worried. Jiang Chens face flushed, but it would be impossible for him to admit his small fault in this. "Ahem, why didnt you just put it in simpler terms? Profit and user base right?" Xia Shiyus eyes twitched as she sighed, "Mhmm, you could interpret it that way." He gave it a thought. "You dont have to worry about profit, for now, we dont lack cash. Compared to short-term profits, I care more about long term sustainable growth. If we have to sacrifice the lifespan of the game for profit, it will undermine the quality of our game." "Understood. President and I share the same thought. Since we already have the advantage in technology, no company can copy our game. Therefore, we dont have to worry about the lifespan of for now. Once we establish the first group of users, we can then consider the profit," Xia Shiyu agreed as she took out another piece of documentation. Jiang Chen scanned it as it revolved around the details of the game''s operation. For example the purchase method and game model. It had nothing to do with the game content. [Should be okay then.] "Now that everything is cleared up, I need to go somewhere far away in the next few days." Jiang Chen put the document aside as he was getting ready to leave. "Where are you going now?" Xia Shiyu sighed as she rubbed her head. "Maybe I will tell you one day?" Jiang Chen laughed as he walked out of the door, leaving a bewildered Xia Shiyu. [How long till that one day comes? Probably when I am powerful enough to go head to head with the forces of an entire nation.] 80 Zombies’ Change Chapter 80: Zombies Change Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi In an instant, the pristine clouds were replaced by the cloudy traditional dust, spider-like cracks crept onto the smooth walls, and the wooden door began to wither away. The animation style changed drastically. The comfort behind his back was the same, but he was on the "other side." It was his room in the apocalypse. He sat up on the bed and scanned the clean bedsheets as a smile emerged on his face. There was not the slightest dust. Although he didn''t know if it was Yao Yao or Sun Jiao, someone cleaned the place up every day. He picked up the PK200 resting against the wall, and as if reunited with an old friend, he motioned a few positions with it. The only thing dusty in the room was this rifle. He picked up a towel to wipe it clean before he threw it into the storage dimension. When he pushed open the door, he tiptoed from the corner of the wall. Then he quietly walked to Sun Jiao room to give the person he hasn''t seen for a while a surprise kiss. The surprised voice accompanied by a long awaited hug. He felt her pounding heart as Jiang Chen hugged Sun Jiao with a smirk. He then followed her to the expanding outer circle. When he stepped onto the brick road in front of the mansion, he always had an indescribable feeling of satisfaction. Just like a king in the middle ages, the mansion was his castle. The refugees, who worked hard outside of the castle, were his citizens and Sun Jiao was the Dutchess of the castle. Yao Yao in the castle... umm, let''s talk about that later. When he stood there before, he could only smell suppression in the air. But now, he felt relaxed. No conspiracy and no need to guess as everyone''s heartbeat was captured on his EP. If it was not for the tedious injection procedure and the lack of equipment, he would love to bring a set of slavery microchips to the real world. But just as he pushed open the mansion doors, he was shocked. "Umm, why did the expansion stop?" Jiang Chen looked at Sun Jiao, troubled by what he saw. The construction material was stacked up on the open ground as the expansion came to a complete halt. "The zombies outside were acting weird." Sun Jiao had a stern face as she took Jiang Chen onto the watchtower. Jiang Chen followed the direction Sun Jiao pointed to, and a look of shock appeared on his face. "Those zombies..." "Yes, all of them seem to be on some hard drug." Sun Jiao picked up a rock and threw it into the distance. The rock made a "clunk" sound as it hit a car''s roof. The zombies nearby immediately turned around and howled and dashed at the car. The car door was deformed by the group of zombies as their dirty hands penetrated through the car window and flipped open the engine cover. After only a while, the zombies realized there were no living creatures and the gradually dispersed. This was in broad daylight! "What, can we even leave then?" Jiang Chen stared at the hysterical zombies. Now, the zombies finally had a feel similar to . The fierce and bloody pupil seemed to foretell that any living creature who dares to appear in front of them would be ripped to pieces. Or even more vicious than that? "The unknown bacteria level is rising in the air. Maybe it''s because of this bacteria that the zombies have become so ferocious. There''s a possibility that it has blocked the UV, but it doesn''t look like it as the vegetation didn''t get affected." Sun Jiao frowned as she took over the terminal from the patrolling guard and showed Jiang Chen. "What is this?" Jiang Chen asked feeling puzzled. "The terminal is connected to the air detection tower. We bought it from Zhao Corporation. The Sixth Street also experienced a similar situation, so Zhao Chenwu thought we would need this. The unknown bacteria that''s floating in the air has a similar mechanism to the original zombie bacteria. It could be eliminated by vaccination or through the immune system of people injected with the genetic vaccine. But if the bacteria level passes a certain threshold, it could only be avoided with protective wear. So I bought 150 protective wear, just in case." He followed the direction Sun Jiao pointed to, and Jiang Chen noticed a pitchfork-like detector on top of the residential building. The light green film between the pitchfork slowly rotated. "Not bad. But I have a question, I thought zombies would be weakened under UV?" Jiang Chen asked with his eyebrows raised. "That''s right, that is what I am confused about too. Because zombies would also require energy, the mutant bacteria on its neck would react to UV and force most of the body''s functions into rest mode and enter photosynthesis," Sun Jiao repeated the common sense everyone knew in the apocalypse. "Could it be, this type of bacteria is charging the zombies?" Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he suddenly spoke. Sun Jiao was lost. "Charging? Through what method?" "The floating bacteria in the air uses a unique method to complete the photosynthesis effect for the zombie. It then enters the zombie body to be "digested," therefore the zombies would always be charged and would no longer require photosynthesis." Sun Jiao gave it a thought. "That''s possible, although it has no scientific backing, you do have your point." "Is the entire Wanghai city like this?" "Only part of the area. Based on news from the Sixth Street, the bacteria seems to be spreading from a source. The saving grace is that the bacteria would not self-divide, so it could only be produced from a source. Based on the concentration spread of the bacteria, if we use triangulation on the map, we are relatively certain that there is an area beside us with a high concentration of bacteria. Most likely, the source of it is there." Sunjiao took out the full-sensory computer and opened the 3D map. A triangular area was marked. "What''s the closest survival camp? Do they have any reactions?" Jiang Chen thought about it as he said with serious concern. A pained smile appeared on her face. "We are the closest survival camp. The majority of people belong to community level survival groups, so we are considered the largest. Currently no action." "If we continue to let these things grow, it would be hazardous. We have to find a way to proactively eliminate the source of this bacteria. But now, it doesn''t look like we can get out." Jiang Chen watched the zombie-filled streets as distress seeped in. "You are right. The bacteria seems to be migrating the zombies to the direction of human settlements. The zombies have already attacked our door for the sixth time within 15 days. Our current trade with other survival groups was forced to stop. The good thing is that there are no zombies in the underground system, so we still managed to maintain the connection with the Sixth Street." Sun Jiao looked concerned, but she was out of sorts with these zombies. "Zhao Chenwu probably has a headache too. The other exit to the sewerage is at least a couple hundred meters away from the Sixth Street," Jiang Chen felt fortunate as he was smart enough to create a corridor with a concrete wall that directly included the exit into the base. "Ok, let''s not talk about this for now. Tell me how the base is growing." Jiang Chen was concerned. "The trade differential between Zhao Corporation in September is 10102 crystal. The total trade amount exceeded one hundred and ten thousand crystals. The canned foods sold very well on the Sixth Street. Zhao Chenwu had the intention to significantly increase sales, but I refused on the basis that you headed back to acquire supplies. Because of the halt of the expansion, the construction material had been accumulating. The Zhao Corporation could not pay with crystals, so they proposed to sell us populations at a price of 50 per person for a total of 100 to make up for the remaining payment. The population of the base is at 130." Of course, it didn''t include Sun Jiao, Yaoyao, and Jiang Chen. "The price increased?" "The cost of the population increased substantially. The chip price remained the same." Sun Jiao forced a smile. "Because of the dangerous external environment and the fact that the Sixth Street is planning to eliminate two sources near the area, the demand for population increased substantially." "How''s the soldiers'' training?" "There is a total of 41 that received qualification from the virtual reality training chamber. Everyone is injected with the D-level genetic vaccine and can become part of the force," Sun Jiao called out some data and reported. "The bacteria source must be eliminated." Jiang Chen looked into the distance with a gloomy look on his face. "I have a feeling that the stuff in the air is only going to increase. Then it would be even harder to approach the source." "Then I''ll prepare first. Let''s make the combat plan today, and then I''ll bring a team with me tomorrow." Sun Jiao nodded. "I''ll go along," Jiang Chen said sternly. "No," Sun Jiao rejected without hesitation. "Listen to me." "With your shooting?" "My combat power is okay now. Also, I can use my special ability to escape the battle. The most important thing is that I am worried about letting you go alone," Jiang Chen stared into Sun Jiao''s eyes as he said seriously. There was a more important reason he didn''t explain. He wanted to use the opportunity to meet the survival groups along the way. If Sun Jiao led the negotiation, he had a feeling it would turn into a full-scale combat. On top of that, his combat ability would never increase if he always stayed in safety. When she heard "he was worried", Sun Jiao blushed but quickly recollected her thoughts. She debated a little more before sighing in reluctance. "Okay, I''ll agree to it." Jiang Chen smiled as he gave a thankful look for Sun Jiao''s agreement. "Ahem. Also, there are not a lot of food at the base. Could you get some more," Sun Jiao awkwardly coughed as she diverted the topic. "Food? No problem." Jiang Chen smiled as he disappeared. Sun Jiao had to gather her thought as she stared at the place Jiang Chen vanished from. [Fair, if he has this special ability, he would escape from any danger.] Sun Jiao felt more at ease. It was the first time. Perhaps the first time was in the underground sewerage. The feeling when she knew he was okay, the time when she placed someone else''s life before her own. 81 Yao Yao’s Though Chapter 81: Yao Yaos Thought Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Jiang Chen returned to the modern world and called the same food distributor''s number before driving to the rural area storage unit. When he arrived at the destination, Jiang Chen noticed that the boss there was already waiting for him. He didn''t waste his time as he started to order people to unload the supplies into the storage. Jiang Chen ordered twice the amount as last time. 31 tons of rice, 10 tons of flour, 700 boxes of canned meat, and 500 boxes of canned fruit, as well as oil, vinegar, salt, and other flavorings. Also, he ordered a few tons of easy to store vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, and potato. Like what they agreed to last time, they didn''t print stickers. He paid the full three hundred twenty without a blink of an eye and immediately dismissed the boss that continuously tried to small talk with him. He was much more careful this time as he didn''t start the moving process right away. Instead, he released the drone that Yao Yao modified and scanned for any thermal information. After a careful examination, he realized he was holding his breath from worrying. Being reassured, he let out a breath of relief and walked into the warehouse, closing the door behind him. He felt that he has become too suspicious lately. Because of the limited space in the storage dimension, Jiang Chen had to travel back and forth ten times before he managed to transport everything. A total cost of 400 crystals for an ordinary survivor would be a huge amount. But for him, it was only pocket change. Because of the trade differential between Zhao Corporation, the only thing he was worried about was how to spend the room full of crystals in his basement. On paper, all crystals were transported back to the fictitious "headquarter." Sun Jiao skillfully ordered people to enter the mansion and move the bags of food into the food warehouse. The good thing was they also built two more food warehouses on open ground. Otherwise, it would be difficult to find a place to store the food. The idle survivors started to be busy again. Due to Jiang Chen''s arrival, they were no longer surprised by the mountain-like stack of food. The idle cooling system started operating again as the base''s electricity usage climbed. But Sun Jiao was prepared for the situation as not only did she place solar panels on all the roofs within the wall, it even expanded to buildings outside of the wall. Zombies and mutants had no interest in the boards on top of the roofs. The survivor''s other side wasn''t so despicable that they would vandal the property since the machine guns on the watchtower did possess some deterrence abilities. He heard Sun Jiao say that she also purchased an old ground thermal energy collection system, but currently, the base lacked personnel with knowledge in that area. She already arranged a few smart looking survivors to learn the related knowledge. There were important books in the city library, the information would only need to be downloaded into the virtual reality training chamber. But to see results, it''ll be at least a few months. Seeing as Sun Jiao was busy, Jiang Chen headed to the technology department at the community center and found the hard-working Du Yongkong. He handed him the developed strategy for Future 1.0 as Jiang Chen ordered him to make upgrades based on that. Xia Shiyu gave it to him before he left in the morning. The company has no technology department, although they did hire server maintenance personnel, the program updating would have to be done through the middleman Jiang Chen. He cautioned him about the encryption procedure. Jiang Chen then patted his shoulder and left, in Du Yongkang''s surprised, with a proud look. Jiang Chen returned to the mansion again. He hasn''t seen Yao Yao in a while, and he has missed her. Ahem, don''t be mistaken. Jiang Chen was not into a loli. [Maybe?] Yao Yao enjoyed reading. Even dry and boring computer books, she could focus and read them for a long time. Although the virtual reality training system could speed up the education process, which Yao Yao already received in the hibernation chamber in the survival base, the deeper level knowledge could only be extracted from the book itself. These books were gifts Sun Jiao brought back from the library. Although the electronic version was okay, the feeling of paper made her feel calmer. Yao Yao sighed as she closed the book. She stretched out her frail arms and yawned. [If only brother Jiang Chen could notice me more...] She zoned out as she kept thinking, cupping her chin with both hands. If it were before, she would blush because of her "inappropriate" thoughts. But now, she could face her own heart. She did fall in love with the gentle, sympathetic, strong... No, she would not stop if she continued. Yao Yao lightly slapped her own face nervously as she ducked her almost burning head back into the books. [I want to die...] "You are going to hurt your eyes if you read so close." Jiang Chen oddly looked at Yao Yao''s move with a smile on his face. "Ahhhh!" The book flew out of Yao Yao''s hands as she jumped up like a startled rabbit. She then fell, with the chair, to the ground. Jiang Chen face palmed as he looked at Yao Yao''s careless action. He was just about to help her up. But then he suddenly remembered Sun Jiao''s words. "Yao Yao really cares about you..." She rubbed her butt in pain as she sadly pouted her mouth. "Sor...sorry, I didn''t notice brother was here." "You need to take care of yourself. What if you get hurt?" Jiang Chen helped Yao Yao up and stroked her soft hair as he seemingly "blamed" her. Yao Yao suddenly buried her head into his chest and her hands tightly held onto his shirt. Tears began to fill up her adorable eyes. "Brother do you dislike me now?" Jiang Chen was confused. "How is that possible?" "Then why have you been avoiding me," Yao Yao buried her head and murmured. Avoiding? Jiang Chen was lost. To be fair, since the last time he saw her for a brief moment, he hasn''t visited her in awhile. Perplexed, he looked at the slightly quivering girl and felt guilty. A little bit. Jiang Chen really cared for Yao Yao, not only because she was the second friend he met in this world, or because she saved him and Sun Jiao, or she helped him before... The best way to describe it was, a unique feeling. Yao Yao''s presence seemed to have fulfilled an emptiness in his heart, it allowed him to express a kind of protective desire. But when Sun Jiao told him that Yao Yao likes him, and it was the kind of like between a man and a woman, he backed away. Yes, Jiang Chen knew that he basically had no bottom line. But Yao Yao... Although Yao Yao''s actual age was 36, she spent 20 years in the hibernation chamber. Her body practically paused all growth. Because of the side effects from hibernation, her body did not grow even after leaving the chamber for 2 years. To summarize, she can be described by three numbers, 36, 16, 14. That flat-looking body, not even perverts could do this. But Yao Yao''s mental age reached puberty, so it is understandable she started to feel emotions for the only guy that treated her with gentleness. Understanding is one thing, but being able to do it is another. He was afraid that he couldn''t control himself and just end up eating Yao Yao. Subconsciously, he unintentionally began to avoid responding to this emotion. He hoped the feeling was more similar to someone she depended on, but he knew too well that that wasn''t the case. He had a special feeling for Yao Yao. "I..." Jiang Chen opened his mouth to say something, but a delicate finger stopped him. "No, you don''t need to explain to Yao Yao. Yao Yao is very understanding." Yao Yao disappointedly buried her head deeper. She murmured as the faint sound came out of her lips. "If brother doesn''t like Yao Yao, Yao Yao won''t force brother to reciprocate. Compared to small apples, big apples definitely taste better. For example like sister Sun Jiao''s size, Yao Yao understand." Her eyes shook slightly, but she bit her lip and determinately lifted her head. "Yao Yao is happy to be living such a joyful life. But, it is still important to give treats to cute animals. So I will do everything to help brother out. I am still updating the game. Yao Yao is also studying really hard on the computer. If Yao Yao can just get some small rewards, Yao Yao will be delighted and will work even harder. It''s not too greedy of a request! Though if there really is none, it will be okay... but just a little is enough! Just share with me a tiny bit... No need to kiss, just rub my head. Woo!" The listless hesitation was suddenly blocked. Her fragile look revealed how shocked she was, but then it turned into excitement and happiness, and finally into gentleness... Yao Yao closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sudden burst of passion from her lips. Jiang Chen kissed her. Because of guilt? Self-blame? Impulse? Or maybe it was the compensation for the pure but ambiguous emotion. He admits that he is a selfish person without boundaries, but he is not a cold person. When he found out that Yao Yao loved him dearly and was willing to do so much for him without return. Sorry. It was his first, without lust and desire. The lavender like fragrance layered with her pure emotion spread from his lips into his head. Like a terrified bunny, the softness gently explored the unknown. But just that one simple move almost took up her entire body''s strength. But a warm "hand" accepted it and caressed her soft head. Jiang Chen felt the burning sensation on his face as Jiang Chen gently held up her face. Separated. A glowing wire carved a hint of impurity within the pure emotions. Jiang Chen looked at Yao Yao as she tried to catch her breath and stared into her mist covered eyes. He finally resisted the desire in his heart and pulled his head away from Yao Yao. Yao Yao, who just began to realized what had happened, buried her head. Her head was completely blank as her cherry like mouth smiled, closed, raised... "Sorry. Although sorry probably doesn''t mean much." Jiang Chen hugged the fragile body harder as he said sincerely, "I did notice your emotions, but I..." "No, it''s okay!" Yao Yao''s tone suddenly went higher because of her excitement but soon quieted down. She murmured, "Could you just save some for me? As a reward..." "No." The adorable eyes teared up. "Not your reward, as my reward." A smirk appeared on his face as he got closer to her earlobe. "Be mine?" Tears burst out of her eyes, but it was tears of happiness. "Mhmm!" "Eh? Don''t cry." "Mhmm! Woooo." Jiang Chen made up his mind. He didn''t have any boundaries left, so might as well go balls deep! He was not a courteous guy nor did he want to use a boring excuse to lie to himself. He had a good impression of Yao Yao. As in, it was not the type where it was simply a "sister and brother" kind of emotion. [Worst case I''ll just eat later...] (?????) He made the decision as he chose to respond to this pure relationship. [What''s wrong with liking a loli! No, not loli, she is 36 on her ID!] Jiang Chen tightly hugged Yao Yao as he felt her warmth and listened to her murmur. "I feel so lucky." "Would sister Sun Jiao hit me. Ummm, I''ll let her, so she won''t be mad. Then, then... I feel so happy." Suddenly, Yao Yao woke up from her murmuring words. [Yes, the most important thing is what brother thinks. If he doesn''t think I taste good, then... No, No. I need to sell myself. I can definitely do it.] She tightly clenched her fist as she took a couple of deep breaths and built up the confidence. [Calmed down?] Jiang Chen heard the murmuring stop. "Umm." "Hmm?" "I, I taste very good! Although I am not confident, I will be very obedient! The moves sister Sun Jiao doesn''t want to try, Yao Yao can try! I am not a picky eater. I will resist the pain even if it hurts." Yao Yao''s long eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes tightly, letting go of all her shyness. Blood burst out from Jiang Chen''s nose. "This damn loli lover," Sun Jiao cursed in her mind as she stood outside of the door. Through the cracks, she almost saw the entire plotline. Although it was not that she didn''t understand Yao Yao''s emotion, she did want to drag her into the water... But, it was still frustrating! Miss Sun Jiao was so frustrated that she wanted to stomp her feet. But she bit her lips as she decided not to. It was because she did not want to interrupt them now. She sighed as she unhappily walked away. [I''ll pretend that is the compensation for this guy to stay here.] Sun Jiao tried to comfort herself. [Also, Yao Yao is even easier to "bully."] A smile carved onto Sun Jiao''s lips. Or, possibly a smirk. 82 Wasteland Economics? Chapter 82: Wasteland Economics? Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Loli has three benefits, light, soft, and easy to eat. Jiang Chen didn''t end up eating Yao Yao, although she was already "cooked." He felt it was not the best idea to eat her now. [Let her grow a bit more. At least until after she starts to develop. Or at least wait for her to be mentally prepared.] He wiped the blood from his nose and comforted the now bewildered Yao Yao as he hastily left. It was the first time he managed to control himself and didn''t act like an animal. When night fell, Jiang Chen came to the conference room at the community center and initiated a wireless video conference with Zhao Chenwu. The light blue particles and lines created the full body image of Zhao Chenwu. The ruthless man smiled and extended his hand to greet him when he saw Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen also smiled and extended his hand, passing through the hologram image. The hands, of course, didn''t touch as it was a gesture passed on in the hologram conference age. Before the start of the conference, Sun Jiao already taught Jiang Chen. As long as they sat by the table, the hologram would be passed onto the corresponding location in the other conference. Based on the consideration of the importance of real-time communication, Zhao Chenwu sold this set of equipment discounted by 50%. His strategic vision was certainly worth praising, for as it was definitely a move that could pay off in the long term. What better way to solve the problem than face to face. Jiang Chen never imagined there could be such a magical equipment in this world. He only saw it in some sci-fi movies before. "Long time no see Mr. Jiang. To save time, let''s get straight to the topic." Compared to modern world negotiations, the negotiations in the apocalypse were short and concise. No one considered flattering words worth. Even close alliances only cared about the individual''s own interest as it directly related to their survival. Also, it cost one crystal per minute to keep this equipment running. The crystal was not the issue, but the lesser the small talk, the better. "Please go head." Jiang Chen signaled a please gesture. "I want to increase the trade amount, especially fruit cans. I have a deficit of 1000 cans or more." Zhao Chenwu waved his fingers as a data board raised onto the middle of the negotiation table that showed this need. Canned meat needs to be increased to ten thousand, canned fruit increased to eight thousand, compressed cracker increased to an astronomical figure of one hundred thousand pieces and twenty thousand bags of instant noodles needed to be added. Based on the negotiated price, the total trade amount increased to half a million crystals! Jiang Chen gasped for air. Half a million. A power armor''s cost was only ten thousand crystals. "Don''t mind me for being straight forward, do you have enough crystals for this deal? Or, do you have the ability to absorb this amount of supplies?" Although the Sixth Street has a large population, there were only so many that could afford these "luxuries." Zhao Chenwu smiled. He did not hide anything as he waved his hands and a document slid in front of Jiang Chen. "There is nothing to hide. To respond to the recent abnormal zombie reactions, the Group of Ten council voted on a crusade proposal to eliminate two unknown bacteria sources. The plan is separated into route A and B. The group of ten all had decided to "invest" in initiating this proposal. I''ll invest 31 power armors and one spider tank to join the route and acquire 21% of the profit." "There''s profit from clearing out the bacteria source?" Jiang Chen laughed. He remembered not every zombie had crystals in the back of their heads. Even Roshan only had between 40-50 crystals. "Yes, and there is a lot." Zhao Chenwu smiled mysteriously and called out a set of data. "The estimated profit of route A is 1.7 million crystals. The cost of ammunition is around 110 thousand, compared to the profit it is almost negligible. 1.7 million crystals? The number made Jiang Chen jump, but the document Zhao Chenwu threw over soon made him understand the situation. Regular mutants were unable to resist against the large-scale attacks of the survivors. The crystals on their bodies would all be collected. Also, because of the bacteria, the zombies are filled with energy. Therefore almost all of them have formed crystals, which was also why they became more ferocious. However, under the firearm''s suppression, despite how powerful the zombies were they were still zombies. The Sixth Street could gain massively from this operation! Every zombie would have atleast a single crystal. Killing one hundred thousand would be one hundred thousand crystals! Especially if it were closer to the bacteria source, then its energy would be higher for crystal formation. Based on the document, a single zombie could contain up to 20 crystals! Including the mutants along the way, even if they encounter a Roshan, that thing is like a paper in front of a tank. Except in the city center, the Sixth Street''s firepower would not encounter any dangers. That was not the key point. Once the massive force heads out from the Sixth Street''s hideout, following them would be a group of survivors or individuals. They wouldn''t dare to steal kills, but under the protection of the force, it would be okay to pick up some scraps. Since they were all part of the force, it would be better for the endless amount of mutants to die as much as possible. If they encounter something they could not defeat like the Death Claw, they will only need to hide among the forces. The Death Claw would be too scared to attack so many people, even if it did, a single cannon would solve the problem. Once the average wealth increased, it would bolster spending. Jiang Chen knew that even if he didn''t study economy. "Also, the consumables used in this crusade will be converted into crystals, and so they will seek investments from the population of the Sixth Street. The expected return was estimated to be 15%, in which 1341 "middle class men" would be born. The higher average wealth would increase spending and stimulate the Sixth Street to increase production. The increased production would appreciate the value of crystals as an energy source! This would allow the capable survivors to approach us or even settle here." It was an excellent blueprint. Although it did sound comical to talk about the economy on the wasteland. Jiang Chen was at a loss for words before he abruptly opened his mouth. "If you guys are so powerful, why didn''t you attack the city center?" "Ahem, there is nothing to gain from that. Also, the situation is quite unique in the city center. But, I guarantee you, we will only profit from this crusade!" He looked blankly at the passionate Zhao Chenwu as a troubled smile appeared on his face. [Is this the benefit of using energy as the currency?] The industry''s raw materials could be recycled from waste, but crystals have been the limiting factor for all survival camps. The industrial process before the war used Hydrogen-3 as a reactor to generate power. Not to say the Hydrogen-3 facility on the moon has already been destroyed to pieces, but there was not a single functional nuclear reactor here. These things were the primary target during a war. Therefore, the light, efficient, and "renewable" crystal became the primary source of energy and currency. As long as the industry continues to operate, there was no need worry about inflation. Hunt for crystals, purchase goods, increase production, crystal appreciation, which stimulates spending, loops back to hunting and the exploration of dangerous territories. It was a perfect cycle. No one wanted to waste bullets on zombies before since they didn''t have crystals. Unless they were almost starving to death, not a lot of people risked their lives to hunt for that annoying mutant. However, this generation of zombies, under the influence of the unknown bacteria, formed crystals. Following a great army around the city, before coming back with a bag full of crystals for more reliable equipment would lower the risk of hunting other mutants. Therefore even these zombies were eradicated, the newly equipped survivors would be able to hunt mutants for crystals. It was like a spark that reignited the almost distinguished flame. After this crusade, the Sixth Street would experience a drastic shift. [Fu*k, Jiang Chen was jealous, but he was also cautious at the same time.] Although there was some distance between Sixth Street and here, if its sphere of influence increases, it would be problematic. Since that place was a neutral, open door area, all the survivors would head to it for exchanges of goods. The equipment upgrade of the survivors nearby was not good news for the newborn Fishbone Base. The bandits, who were previously equipped with rifles, were now upgraded to rocket launcher or even the more expensive laser rifles. It would be detrimental to the base''s defense. The current defense of the base was only a few light machine guns as well as some anti-tank weapons and grenade launchers. Although Jiang Chen wanted to buy a tank and has the money, no one would sell it. These heavy armor firearms were mostly recycled from the battlefield. The quantity was scarce. It was possible to produce power armor from scratch, but a tank? Even if they had the technology, they didn''t have the right conditions. His eyes lit up as Jiang Chen pondered to think of a way to upgrade the base''s military arms. If it was not possible to buy it from the Sixth Street, Liuding Town might be worth a shot? But in Zhao Chenwu''s eyes, he interpreted Jiang Chen''s expression as a keen interest in the potential profit of the crusade. A smile emerged on his face, in his eyes, Jiang Chen was ready to reap the benefits. "What do you think? Mr. Jiang, I believe that you already understand, if we use this golden age to expand the food market, I trust that no one will be interested in the sh*t like nutrient supply anymore." 83 Helping Each Other Chapter 83: Helping Each Other Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Jiang Chen was fascinated by the opportunity. But if the crystals do appreciate, then there would be another problem. "Crystals will appreciate in value. So you are saying I need to lower the price of the food to expand the market?" Jiang Chen curled up the corners of his month. After all this explanation, Zhao Chenwu still had the intention to lower the price of food. "Ahem, thats precisely the case. But please believe me that after we increase sales, the food trade will bring more profit for your company. Before there would be only one thousand people willing to purchase goods, now in less than a month, it will turn into one thousand people. When the basic survival needs are met, people will start to strive for a higher quality of life. Additionally, if we can capture the market, you can also expand your production capability." Zhao Chenwu locked onto Jiang Chens eyes. Umm, okay, Jiang Chen felt awkward. In theory, if the production base expanded because of economies of scale, the cost would go down. In his case, however, since all the food was transported from the modern world, the cost would be less than 0.1 of a crystal per canned food. Reducing the price to increase sales volume seemed to fit the goal of the "headquarter." If the price remained the same, food sales would still increase by a small amount, but the potential profit would be nowhere close to voluntarily lowering the price to attract more sales. "Oh? This is not a bad idea, I have permission to adjust the price on behalf of the company. You do have to understand however that there is still the cost to transport and produce the food. If the profit margin here is too low, there is no purpose for me to continue to establish a supply station here." He still had the pretend in case this guy constantly asks him to lower the price due to Jiang Chen accepting this initial proposal too easily. Zhao Chenwu thought it was disrespectful to ask about the other partys costs. But if he doesnt know Fishbone Food Corporations production cost, it was hard for him to give a reasonable estimate. He only "guessed" that the expanded production would decrease cost, but he didnt know how much it would go down by. "The meat cans with an average price of 10, fruit can 20, the compressed cracker maintains the one crystal price, and instant noodle 3. The appreciation of crystals along with the higher purchasing power from the Sixth Street, you wont lose a whole lot. "Thats a 1/3 discount? Mr. Zhao is certainly giving me a difficult scenario." Jiang Chen had an enigmatic smile. "Purchasing power of the Sixth Street? Then I would be making a loss if I transport the crystals back to the headquarter." On paper, he only has a supply station here. So, he must stay consistent with the story. The appreciation of crystals was only relative, other than a few things that could not be produced, all other goods would not be any different. If crystals were not traded for goods, then this thing would only be a convenient time travel ticket. "Ahem, the crystals appreciation is relative. How about the firearms and construction materials also are reduced by 1/3? This is pretty close to my cost. Also, isnt your company interested in our technology? Perhaps in this area, we can partner up. It would be best to avoid paying with crystals as this will be the best way to maximize our gain. If I manage to acquire more control within the Sixth Street through this opportunity, I trust that the equipment not permissible to be sold could have workarounds." Zhao Chenwu made his point as his eyes flashed "Not bad. Interesting proposal." A smile appeared on his face as both parties reached an agreement. Since this is the case, Jiang Chen brought everything to the table. "M2 Engine design blueprint, our quote is forty thousand crystals, 1-10 kg bomb production bed blueprint, the quote is ninety thousand crystals. Model 50 electromagnetic pulse cannon, the quote is one hundred and ten thousand crystals. I believe that this technology, common in Wanghai City, is not too difficult for Mr. Zhao right?" These were sensitive military technologies so they would not be stored in public libraries. The only method to obtain the technology was through purchasing. Sun Jiao estimated the quote based on the benchmark in Liuding Town. Regardless if they have the capabilities to produce the equipment, it was imperative to obtain the technology first, and then slowly digest it. "Of course not." Zhao Chenwu laughed, the price was reasonable. Although the Sixth Street prohibited the sale of heavy weapons, the technology aspect was not prohibited to the same extent. A thumb-sized USB could copy all the information and blueprints. How difficult would it be to stop it? Of course, Zhao Chenwu would not offer the self-developed technology after the war. Just like how he never asked Jiang Chen for the food production technology. The advancement in technology did not cease after the apocalypse. The well-fed scientists in each survival base all served a purpose. Due to the lack of free flow information, poor survival condition, the difference between the inherited technology, everyones technology tree was a bit different from the other. Take the Sixth Street, for example. The self-developed T-3 power armors combat power even exceeded pre-war levels. However, on the development of airplanes, their progress was close to null. It was a completely different case for Liuding Town but similar to other survival bases. "As to the trade amount, if you could manage to absorb it, Ill sell a bit more to you? Lets aim for a quote of seven hundred thousand crystals now based on the new price. It would be for October and November. I think with more supplies, Mr. Zhao could have an easier time expanding the market?" Jiang Chen laughed. Six times the usual trade amount? Suddenly, Zhao Chenwus breath shortened. However, for being a man of power, he quickly recollected himself and remained calm. He shrugged as Zhao Chenwu said cheerful, "Since my partner has already shown so much good faith, if I dont do anything, it would be inconsiderate." [Its here, I have been waiting for those words.] Jiang Chens mouth curled up. "Thats what I think too. So to make sure I can move the seven hundred thousand crystals worth of supplies here, I need your help." Zhao Chenwu was surprised. "If your transportation team could move the goods over such a distance, could you not solve a simple problem like this?" It was hard for Zhao Chenwu to believe. He knew that there was a source near the Fishbone Base, but because of the distance, it would not pose any threats to the Sixth Street. The neutral area was not a philanthropical society as they had no reason to send out a force to clear out the problem. "Transportation and combat are two different things. We have the technology to move the goods there, but moving it in would have to depend on me." Airdrop? Flying carriers? It didnt matter how much Zhao Chenwu guessed as Jiang Chen wouldnt say a word. He opened his palms as he continued to use his acting as he bullsh*ted, "I think you know how many crystals I put into this supply station since I bought everything from you. If I couldnt even handle a small problem like this if you were my boss would you want me to stay here? Or, would you switch to another base that would be easier to transport goods, as it would be the more efficient process, wouldnt it? So, for us to continue our partnership, youll have to help me out." Then, Jiang Chens voice lowered as he perplexingly looked at the Zhao Chenwu, whos expression began to turn stern. " I cant promise that the next representative here will still choose Zhao Corporation as the partner, or perhaps even relocate and conduct business with Liuding Town. We pride ourselves on efficiency. If I "fail" here, I dont know if the next person in charge would continue my policy. You understand." Jiang Chen left the words there as he then leaned against his chair. He didnt finish his words as he has already made the point. It did make sense. If my subordinate spent so many resources from the trade to invest in the defense infrastructure, it there was the imminent danger he must seek help? (?????) If Jiang Chen got replaced by the Fishbone headquarter, would the new representative continue the failed policy? Difficult to say. Zhao Chenwu began to feel unsettled as he already got the taste of the food trade. How would he simply give this up especially when there was a seven hundred thousand crystal deal sitting in front of him? He hoped that he could use this supply to control the food market at the Sixth Street to leverage for more influence in the Group of Ten council. However what he didnt know was, all the hypothetical situation assumed that the "headquarter" existed. Jiang Chen didnt finish his words but left enough for Zhao Chenwu''s imagination. If he only lied and told half of the context, smart people would complete the lie for you. If he said too much, he would be more prone to getting called out. "What kind of help do you need? I will handle this," Zhao Chenwu said in a stern voice. His interest was already tied to Jiang Chen. If he lost Jiang Chen as a supplier, all his plans would be interrupted. He must help him, even if he may make a loss here. He was waiting for this sentence. An untraceable faint smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. "10 T-3 power armor, Ill purchase at 110% cost." Jiang Chen didnt scam him as he gave a rather attractive offer. "Not possible!" Zhao Chenwu stood up as he lost control of his voice. It was not the problem with the price! Even with his position of power as a member of the Group of Ten council, there was still nine other people keeping a close eye on him. There were a countless amount of small capitalists that have a keen eye on his position, which forces him to be careful. Even if it was produced from his own factory, every controlled equipment must be documented and registered. They were prohibited from selling and by keeping an eye on each other, it was hard to conduct fraud. If he crossed the line, there would be severe implications as it practically gave his competitors a reason to attack him. "Nothing is impossible. Think about it. The risk you take compared to the potential gain, it would be nothing. If I failed, I would just retire. For you, youll lose a supplier that you trust." Jiang Chen locked onto Zhao Chenwus eyes. Zhao Chenwu also fixed his eyes on him. Finally, this ruthless businessman compromised. "10 T-3 power armor with a price of 13000 crystals. Ill send 10 slaves with microchips injected along with the power armors. Then Ill report fatalities. You can take the 10 people as long as they dont show up at the Sixth Street ever again." Zhao Chenwu wryly rubbed his head as he leaned his arm on the table and waved his hand in defeat. "Excellent, my friend. Be assured that youll have much to gain from helping me so much." A prevailed smiled carved onto Jiang Chens face, but it was gone within a second. He gave his sincere gratitude to Zhao Chenwu. "Tell me other things you need. I know the 10 power armors is not enough, but this is the only time!" Since he already broke the rules, it didnt matter how far he went. As long as no one found out. "An armored vehicle." "No problem, one will explode during the mission. 20000 crystals." "You have to give the equipment first, I have to solve the problem first before I can transport the food here, and then pay based on the new price." "No problem, I have the patience to wait." "Also, I would need some high energy vacuum bombs, the portable ones." Seeing Zhao Chenwus decisive attitude, Jiang Chen was feeling a little ashamed as he grinned sardonically. "Ok. Along with the one-time use platform, 100 crystals per bomb. Ill just say that I scrapped them. What do you need that for? The zombies cant be suffocated, they also dont have a lot of fat that can be burned. "It is just for a possible scenario, you dont have to worry about it, and its a pleasure to work with you?" Jiang Chen had no more requests as he smiled. "Its a pleasure to work with you you better not make my investment go in vain!" Jiang Chen fearlessly stared into Zhao Chenwus hawk-like vision as he cheerfully laughed. "Be assured, my friend, dont you think we are helping each other out?" I gave grounds for the price, the least you can do is do me a favor like this. Helping each other out? Maybe using each other was a more appropriate term. 84 Zombie Waves Chapter 84: Zombie Waves Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The goods arrived the next day. Almost everyone at the Sixth Street was busy with the crusade, so the smuggling went unnoticed. There were only four people that delivered the goods, and they were all close subordinates of Zhao Chenwu. His assistant Su Lei personally led the team. The guarding soldier transferred the control rights to Jiang Chen and sharply saluted him before they hastily left. Jiang Chen smiled as he watched the camouflaged armor vehicle and the pitch black metal giants with a fearsome face. He patted the closest guy''s shoulder before ordering the new slaves to transport the goods. If one could compare light armor to kinetic skeletons, then power armor resembled the knight''s heavy armor in the middle ages. They were divided into ground type and air drop type with the main difference being the armor''s weight and if it was equipped with a shock absorbing turbine engine. The mass of the air drop type was usually less than half a ton, while the ground type weighted one ton or more. These ten sets of T-3 power armors were the air drop type. They were equipped with a trident-shaped revolving machine gun and ammo packages. Lu Huasheng was smart enough to design an elevator at the exit. Or else, if they only used rope, it would be tricky to bring up the two meters high, 300-kilogram power armor. The ten slaves clearly did not know how to operate the equipment, and they looked like they were getting ready to enter their caskets. Obviously, they knew it was illegal to sell those types of equipment. Since it was illegal... Their genetic ID must have been registered as died at the Sixth Street already. As to if they will really die? It would all be up to the man with the cheerful smile. "Welcome to Fishbone Survival Camp. Trust me, working for me is much more enjoyable than working for anyone else in the world..." Although it did sound like bullsh*t, it looked like they won''t be dying anytime soon. Everyone felt relieved as they anxiously followed the man''s footsteps. After giving the responsibility of assigning jobs to Lu Huasheng, Jiang Chen quickly went to find Sun Jiao. "Weapon and power armor is ready, when should we depart?" Sun Jiao immediately asked when she saw Jiang Chen. "Within two days. Did you manage to contact the survivor groups around us?" "No problem. The wireless equipment in the conference room can do that, but what is the point of it?" Sun Jiao asked confused. "Take them to fight the mobs." He left an unclear response behind. There were too many survivors living in small groups around the area. If he managed to consolidate them together, there would at least be two to three thousand people. If Fishbone Survival Camp wants to the break the limitations of their population, they must think about the surrounding survivors. Those were the survivors that survived through hardships in the apocalypse. Their mental strength was much stronger than ordinary people, or at least more twisted. Their individual combat abilities also far exceeded the slaves in the ghetto. But the tricky part was, they had long ceased to believe in orders and rules, they acted like wolves which are difficult to train. If you want a dog to listen, a bone plus a rope would be enough. But for a wolf to listen, a bone and a rope were nowhere enough. The survivors will take the bone away without hesitation but never willingly lower their head and accept the collar. Unless they possessed absolute power, there was no point in even thinking about uniting together and fighting back. Showing off their firearms was the second purpose of the crusade. The best idea was to bring the battlefield together and alleviate the pressure from the waves of zombies. Then, promise them part of the reward to increase their dependency on Fishbone base. Now that the zombies have all formed crystals, Jiang Chen didn''t believe that those survivors would not be interested. Even if Jiang Chen didn''t have the heavy firearm, the power armor was more than enough to steamroll through normal zombies. Those survivors have no reason to give up guaranteed profit. The next morning. The Fishbone Base was busy once again. The soldiers rushed to their battle stations. The non-combat unit helped to pack supplies as well as raise polyethylene board onto the front door to create a defense zone in case the zombies rushed into the base when the door was opened. Outside the wall, it was also busy. The crowded zombies perfectly illustrated the words ''seas of zombies''. The sheer amount of rotten bodies completely blocked the streets outside. Strange. It was as if the zombies from the entire area was stuffed onto this one street. "Weapon system, functional. Turbine engine, functional. And energy stick, functional!" Jiang Chen tirelessly checked the data within the electronic helmet. Although he had experience with power armors in the virtual reality training chamber and had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the actual armor yesterday, being locked in the "metal box" made him feel unsettled. The pitch black paint, the vigorous and light armor''s aerodynamic shape, the trident-shaped revolving machines gun, and the tactical rifle placed at the waist. Jiang Chen was almost fortified to his teeth. It certainly did look cool, but it was surprisingly difficult to put on. Sun Jiao glanced at Jiang Chen with worried eyes. She then took a deep breath and waved at the guard on the wall. The guard saluted and quickly positioned himself by the machine gun. Sun Jiao will be the leader for this operation. "Be prepared to depart. Open your weapon system, and make sure the zombies don''t break our formation. All of our supplies are in the car. Am I understood?" "Understood!" The eight armored soldiers uniformly shouted as they put on their helmets. "Open the gate!" Sun Jiao shouted and signaled before she also put on her helmet. The metal gate slowly rose. As if they smelt the delicious scent of food, the zombies turned their hollow eyes in the direction of the door. Tatatatata! "Fire!" The machine guns on the two watchtowers began to unload their ammunition. The orange light split countless bodies of zombies as it shredded the already crippled body into more pieces. However, it was futile as the waves of zombies howled and rushed to the door. "Charge!" The team in power armor formed a triangle, protecting the armored vehicle in the middle. They then ripped a hole in the sea of zombies. Zombies with missing limbs shook on the ground. If their brains were still intact, zombies would not die. But there was no time to finish them off. Under the power of the machine gun on the watch tower and the armored soldiers'' continuously firing revolving machine gun, the flow of indestructible metal trampled through the corpses of the undead. Even through metal, the sticky feeling of blood and meat on Jiang Chen''s feet made his stomach churn. But he was no longer afraid of the frightening zombies. They are no longer humans. Some were not humans to begin with. When the reinforced front armor collided with the zombies, who had attempted to bite him, the power of the armor''s technology was truly demonstrated. The turbine engines on the waist and arms spat out mystic blue flames. The zombies futilely scratched and bit on the cold armor as Jiang Chen maximized the thrust of the engines. The team maintained their formation as they moved forward, pushing the zombies back. If the charge formation stopped, they then must face the dire situation of being surrounded by zombies. Although the regular zombies would not penetrate the armor if they accumulated and gained a numerical advantage, they could, however, deform the power armor as easily as they flipped cars. Even if they had the absolute advantage on equipment, no one dared to lose concentration as they used the fire power of their armors to disperse the sea of zombies. But it was impossible to kill all the zombies even if they used all of their ammunition. The only thing they needed to do was to break through, not waste all the ammunition on these dead things. The zombies squeezed through and collided with the armored vehicle, but they got ran over right away. The thick and heavy tire left a frightening mark on the ground. The 20mm machine gun on top of the vehicle continued to fire as the bullets penetrated the zombies'' withered bodies, exploding it into pieces. Finally, the entire force forcefully created an opening through the sea of zombies as they trampled through the twitching bodies and out of the zombie-infested street. "How do you feel." A caring voice passed through the private channel. "I am okay." Jiang Chen took several deep breaths as he tried to calm his pounding heart. He closed the revolving machine gun on his right hand and pulled out the tactical rifle on his waist. Everyone else followed. They no longer needed to maintain a high concentration of firepower after they broke through. The zombies still rushed towards them, but they were much more sparse. It seemed to have matched his guess that the zombies all consciously gathered near the base. Once they passed another street, they could barely see any zombies. "This is odd." "Be careful, stay alert! Open the electric life detection device. "Roger." "No mutant signal within the 500-meter radius." ... The series of reporting made the public channel sound chaotic. Usually speaking, the drastic decrease in zombie concentration could only mean one thing. The existence of a powerful mutant was nearby. Although zombies hunted for any living creature, most of their prey were creatures with a similar life energy to humans. If they encountered an one hundred crystal monster or the nest of a mutant, zombies would subconsciously move away from that direction. But the situation was abnormal. Not only mutants, but there wasn''t even a single cockroach on the street. The broken advertisement board, the abandoned cars... They were the only living creatures on the street. He shook his left arm to get rid of the sticky feeling of blood as he watched the empty street. The ominous feeling was more and more apparent. 85 This is the Apocalypse Chapter 85: This is the Apocalypse Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi There was no powerful mutant nearby, but the reality seemed to say otherwise. It felt like a hand had drawn the spread out zombies together to surround them. "The zombie concentration ahead is zero, I feel like something is off." Seeing the life detection map at the right corner of his pupil, Jiang Chen cant help but raised his eyebrows. Disregarding the possibility of mutant. Zombies were not exactly dead as they still maintain some features of a live creature. For example, their understanding of survival space. The zombie''s distribution was highly concentrated in the city center and spreads out in all directions from that point on. The asexually produced zombies moved outwards from the crowded city center to the rural area. In most cases, the relatively less concentrated areas would rarely produce a sea of zombies. But the zombies seemed to have gathered together as they surrounded the entire base. The result was that after they manage to break through, the streets were empty. Sun Jiao frowned as she was also uncertain. "Thats right, something is off." However, it was futile to overthink right now as the armored vehicle broke through the sea of zombies and began to accelerate. The armored soldiers also activated the wheels on their feet and started the turbine engine behind their back. As they changed from a running stance to a gliding stance, they immediately began moving alongside the armored vehicle. [Balance system, functional. Fu*k, I forgot to check this thing.] Jiang Chen cursed as sweat rolled down. It was functional or else it would have been problematic. "Be careful of your surroundings, free fire." Sun Jiao voiced transmitted through the public channel. "Affirmative." The arrow like formation pushed forward, into the middle of the highway. The vehicles in the way were either pushed away or rolled over. Their surrounding was filled with deafening silence. Other than the missiles homing noise there were no other noises. Everyone was alert, holding the tactical in shooting position. "Weird, there is not even a single mutant." A soldier complained in the public channel. "Did they hide or something?" "Dont be distracted, hold your position!" "Yes!" The two soldiers immediately shut their mouth. Could it be because of the unknown bacteria in the air? Jiang Chen had a feeling something was not right. A bacteria that could make a bloodthirsty mutant afraid would not be as simple as it sounded. After three kilometers, the team stopped in front of an apartment building surrounded by barbed wire. It was an ancient building, like most buildings on the wasteland. The paint on the surface was already erased from the aftershock of the nuclear explosion, with only the gray concrete walls left. The wall had some old paint sprayed words. Through the pitch black, a machine gun slanted against the window could barely be made out, and cloth replaced the glass on the windows. On the roof of the building, vegetation covered in plastics to make what looked like soilless culture. This was where most of the survivor groups received their food. But in the radiation filled apocalypse, you wouldnt expect a seed to produce a single fruit. These fruits, with uncertain toxicology, still had a market on the Sixth Street. A lot of factories would purchase these in bulk quantities at a low price, and then sell the non-toxic ones in the luxury market. The toxic ones would be placed in extraction machines for vitamin, vegetable proteins, and other substances to produce high-quality grade A or B nutrient supply. (Compared to the nutrient supply created through the blood and fat of mutant and zombies, it was more "tasty" and "nutritious".) The situation here was similar to Fishbone Base as the zombies surrounded the building. But quantity wise, it was significantly less than the zombies around the base. It was a frightening prospect, but not because of some zombies. Did zombies possess intelligence? Or, was a higher intelligence controlling them? Despite this, there was not much suspense in the battle as some zombies did not reach the critical state. Although the zombies did possess crystals, the organic nature of their body meant that they were still regular zombies. Despite how hard they tried, they did not have the defense of the power armor. A few gunshots finished the annoying zombies as they approached the apartment building. There was a wooden board with some crooked words. [Psh, what?] "Code 01 survivor group, the life detection device indicates a total of 30-40 people," Sun Jiao reported to Jiang Chen through the private channel. "What does code 01 mean? Thats an ugly name," Jiang Chen mocked. "I gave them the name. Survivor groups usually dont give their home a name as the desire to expand and need for land are minimal. The goal was to survive." Sun Jiao walked up to ring the bell and backed up. Momentarily, the door opened as a cautious looking middle-aged man carefully stepped out. "Who are you guys?" His face had suspense and fright written all over it. The rifle in his hands trembled as he knew his rifle could not even break their armor. The only thing that could damage the power armor was probably the dusty recoilless cannon in the back of the room. "We are from the nearby Fishbone Base," Jiang Chen took off his mask and said emotionlessly. "What are you guys doing here?" The middle-aged man cautiously asked. He, of course, saw the group of people eradicate the zombies. The heavy firepower deterred any thought of resistance. "I trust that you already realized the unusual zombie activity. Under the influence of the unknown bacteria, these zombies would exhibit high attack behaviors. The reliable report indicated that the unknown bacteria level is increasing in the air, so we have decided to eliminate the bacteria source." Jiang Chen tried to make his tone sound friendly. But the next sentence made Jiang Chen furious. "What does that have to do with us?" Still the cautious and apathetic voice. "You are asking what does that have to do with you?" Jiang Chen was shocked. He did not look angry as he laughed instead. "Do you know that the source is closer to you?" The middle-aged man was speechless, but he felt that Jiang Chen was not as vicious as other bandits. He then prompted up the courage and argued back. "But then it has more influence on you guys. Or else you guys wouldnt be out here. We dont need your help, so dont bother us" The middle-aged man already has a plan. Since they were willing to take care of the trouble, then they can go. Although the odd bacteria certainly gave him a headache, what can he do? He''ll just hide there. If other people cant take it anymore, then theyll send their forces out. Although those zombies had crystals behind the back of their head, they couldnt advance forward and stop to collect the crystals at the same time. Why does he have to go with them if he could just pick up scraps that are left behind? Jiang Chen was at a loss, but then he started to laugh. He saw through the man''s deceitful eyes and could guess what was on his mind. Shameless, too shameless. Haha. [It certainly expanded his worldview that people could be this selfish. The problem is already in your backyard, and you are still waiting for a "dumbass" to make the first move so you can take advantage of their reward afterward? If I didnt show up here, you were just going to wait here to die? Wait, this is the apocalypse.] Jiang Chen sudden realized. He almost thought he was on the negotiation table with Wang Dehai or 361 corporations. Then, his eyes turned grim. "What, what do you want?" The middle-aged man sensed a glimpse of hostility on Jiang Chens face as he cautiously opened his mouth. At the same time, he signaled the people behind him. The window opened on top of the building as a black barrel extended out and was aimed at the armored vehicle. "Boss, I have been locked in by an anti-tank weapon. Requesting permission to fire." The driver hastily reported into the public channel. Sun Jiao immediately lifted the tactical rifle and aimed at the person on top of the building. The power armor soldiers all engaged in a firing position. Sun Jiao was in command during combats, but Jiang Chen decided in regards to the neutral forces. If Jiang Chen ordered, Sun Jiao was fully confident that they could wipe these people off of the wasteland. The middle-aged man was struggling too as he stared at Jiang Chen. He was not a friendly character. He knew the highly mobile power armor would be hard to hit. So he dared to risk his own life to signal his subordinate to aim at the armored vehicle, clearly carrying plenty of supplies. He was betting. Betting on the fact that Jiang Chen would not risk the highly valuable armored vehicle and the countless amount of supplies for their irrelevant life. However, Jiang Chen laughed. He knew exactly what the middle-aged mans intentions were. [He has the audacity to bet? To save ammunition and not fire a single bullet at zombies, but turn the gun on us who''re planning on eliminating the source?] But Jiang Chen did not look surprised anymore. There was only a grimace was left in his vision. "Perhaps it was my mistake to negotiate with you," Jiang Chen slowly said the words as he shut his helmet. The action scared the middle-aged man to death. If revealing the face meant sincerity to negotiate, then closing the helmet Speaker open, the icy words echoed through the entire street. "I''ll only ask once. Surrender, or face death!" The tactical rifle lowered. Replacing them was ten raised revolving machine guns. The trident shaped machine gun rotated rapidly Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ This is the end of all the free chapters on the Chinese site. Stay tuned everyone, the story that stretches across the two worlds only gets better. (p.s. I didn''t need to pay to access the chapters.) 86 I don’t reason Chapter 86: I dont reason Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi I''m unreasonable. Because you dont understand what is the reason. Surrender, or face death. A simple yet oppressive statement somehow easily solved the problem. Before Jiang Chen could count to three, the middle-aged broke down and threw the rifle in his hands to the ground. He covered his head and surrendered. [I wont let you not surrender. A recoilless cannon had the audacity to resist us? I will gladly trade the vehicle for your thirty worthless lives, do you dare to trade with me?] His audacity was based on Jiang Chens willingness to negotiate, but Jiang Chen no longer wished to discuss. All the survivors stood outside with faces of humiliation as they looked at the "invaders". Jiang Chen was not here to capture captives, as he still expected these people to peacefully integrate. Even if they brought them back, there was no place to imprison them. Perhaps it would even cause resistance from other survivor groups. These survivor groups were not completely powerless to be able to survive this long. If this group had the recoilless cannon, the next group might have laser rifles. That weapon could pose a threat to the power armors as the C plastic steel formed armor could deflect bullets, but it would not be able to withstand high energy laser penetration. Jiang Chen no longer wasted his time on the middle-aged man called Zhao Baodong as he directly gave out his demand. 50% of your force will temporarily join Jiang Chens team. Zhao Baodongs eyes immediately popped when he heard the proposition. Just as he was about to refuse, he was met with an icy stare, so he forced a smiled and swallowed his sentence back. After this, the survivor group led by Zhao Baodong had a number C 02 (?????), the 8 riflemen joined Jiang Chens team acquired the numbers 021-028. It was much more convenient as Jiang Chen was too lazy to remember their names. He could just order them using numbers. After the stick, for the best effect, it was to throw a carrot. Jiang Chen told them about the "good news". After the battle ends, they could collect crystals. Since they wielded the power armors, it was troublesome to bend down. Zhao Baodong became energetic when he heard he was responsible for picking up the money. Even if Jiang Chen added a sentence that half of it will be Fishbone bases spoil of war, it would not extinguish his passion. Jiang Chen disdainfully looked at this short-sighted person as he gave him another task. The task was to convince, or, to order the other survivor groups to join the force. If they refuse, it was okay to just beat their a**es. Jiang Chen didnt bring his force too close for the remainder of the trip as he only needed to show off his firepower from afar to successfully convince the other survivor groups. Even the stubborn survivor groups surrendered with white flags when the 20mm heavy machine gun shot above them and they experienced the splash of concrete dust. Their firepower was not on the same level. Fortunately, everyone was smart. No one held the unrealistic fantasy of "staying behind to scavenge" or "they are too afraid to shoot." After all, 18th year has passed by since the world turned into an apocalypse. A total of 154 people, the force suddenly felt cumbersome. "Why do we need so many people?" Sun Jiao secretly asked Jiang Chen in the private channel. "Not useful for combat, useful for strategic purposes." Jiang Chens answer was crisp. Although she was confused, she didnt say anything more. "To be honest, you were quite manly when you acted fearsomely. My heart was beating really fast," Sun Jiao teased Jiang Chen in the private channel. Although it was said in a joking voice, she didnt lie. When she heard Jiang Chens coarse and grim in the public channel, her scalp felt a tingling sensation. She reminisced the first time they met and how much the man she loves grew. She was proud. That feeling was similar to how Jiang Chen felt when she became more "civilized." ""Jiang Chen ignored her naughtiness. He knew she was teasing him as he will "take care" of her once they return. - If the survivors could control the inherent human flaws and stand from the perspective of the entire species. Disregarding the bacteria source, the world would return to human control after a few days. But it was futile when the elites and powerful all boarded the ship to the distant "land of hope", leaving a world of chaos. A world no one had the interest to rebuild. Why was there no interest? The farming cultures utmost desire for land was because land produced food. But after the blessing from the nuclear and biological weapons, not a single piece of land was arable on this planet. The mutants didnt even dare to eat the mutated and crooked plants, whats the purpose of the land now? The ironic part was that the ones who started the war left as they didnt need to bear the consequences of the war. They stepped onto the space colonization ship and carried with them the supposed hope for the civilization, leaving the desolated land for a new world yet to be tarnished. Of course, it was pointless to say that now. The point is that there is no purpose in expecting that these people will understand. The people with foresight either got in the ship, suicided, or already became a leader of a piece of land. The refugee like survivors that hid the darkness, although free, only had freedom left. Jiang Chen, who thought through everything, no longer reasoned with the remaining survivors. He used his suppressive stance to force them to oblige. If he didnt give them the option to negotiate, it was much simpler. "In the end, this is for me." Like this, every survivor convinced themselves. "There will also be crystals." Like that, every survivor encouraged themselves. When they were on the battlefield, there was nowhere to go. Run? Who could out run the zombies without the genetic vaccine? Separating from the force was a death penalty, an internal conflict now meant death. Everyone, forced to work together, did not encounter many obstacles. Although the zombies howled and dashed at the group, with the help of the buildings as a natural barrier and the armored tank as the main force, the group pushed the sea of zombies back and moved forward. Between life and death, every survivor was energized with the passion of fighting. No one saved bullets, and no one tried to hide behind their teammates. The latter part of the combat was hard fought. After leaving behind 17 bodies, the thousands of zombies surrounding the force were all eradicated in the street. The last obstacle to the targeted area was quickly cleared. The zombies in the area were easily eradicated as most of the zombies were surrounding Fishbones base. There were some zombies around the bacteria source, but it was nowhere as "crowded." He shook the blood and sticky content off of his armor and ordered the survivors to rest here and collect the crystals. Hearing the "leaders" order, the survivors erupted in cheerful joy. They dashed to the already dead or crippled zombies as they pulled out their dagger and started to collect. It was the time to harvest. There was an estimate of at least three hundred thousand crystals! For the survivors that lived off of a few crystals and ran pettily to the Sixth Street or other survival bases to exchange for necessities, it was an unimaginable amount of wealth. Even if they had to turn in half of it, why did that matter? Since they were the primary force in the battle, it was already a generous offer. As to the people who died In the Apocalypse, death was an ordinary thing. The previously sad looking survivors suddenly became grateful towards Jiang Chen. Some people were weird creatures. If you were nice to them, they would take everything for granted. Even if they were the slightest bit discontent, they would be upset. But if you started off with a gun to their head and gave them a slap in the face when they showed any signs of resistance, they will hate you. Though as long as are nice to them, by just the smallest margin, theyll immediately act sincerely and thankfully. It may be an exaggeration, but the meaning stays the same. Clinically, it is called Stockholm syndrome. The deceitful and short sighted has been particularly prone to this disease. A civilized negotiation would only make them think that you were afraid. Oppress, conquer, and then train. Seeing the grateful look from the survivors, Jiang Chen wanted to slap himself. Why didnt he think through such a simple concept? Within this half an hour, all the crystals were collected. Jiang Chen generously offered everyone there a piece of compressed cracker. He told them that after eating a piece, drinking some water will make them full. He then stated that all the survivor groups participating in the mission could obtain the privilege to trade for this type of cracker at a price of one crystal on the condition that they maintain a good relationship with Fish Bone. After finishing the sentence, the survivors were even more ecstatic as they almost took him for a God. Although the Sixth Street sold compressed crackers as well, it was not safe to travel far away from the apocalypse. The leader of each survivor groups simultaneously expressed that from then on. They will be under the guidance of Fishbone Base. Sun Jiao felt delighted as she mischievously looked at her man accepting the gratitude and respect from the people. [It would be perfect if only he were not a player] Although she knew that this point was unrealistic. - The high spirited team embarked on the road that they previously could only sneak through. Unafraid of zombies, unafraid of mutants. Under the command of glory and wealth, humans regained their long forgotten dignity. Although they had encountered Roshans multiple time, Sun Jiao had obviously prepared for that. She grabbed a 72mm anti-vehicle cannon from the back of the powered vehicle. The two-meter long pitch black barrel had a frightening vibe. She activated the anchor device as the steel rod penetrated into the concrete road. Sun Jiao fired the cannon. Before the shell hit the ground, the brain was already shattered into pieces of black and white. She already simulated this move countless times in the virtual reality system as the cannon hit right on target. In the rural area, the most dangerous mutant would be the Roshan. However, under their oppressive technology, even the Roshan was only a pile of meat. It is rumored that city center has even more powerful and dangerous zombies, but even Sun Jiao has never seen them before since ordinary people would not visit the city center for fun. The team maintained their speed with the goal of reaching the border of the bacteria source by noon. But when they were almost there, Jiang Chen had the stop the team. "The unknown bacteria concentration level already increased to 37. The thick cloud in front is unsettling. The yellowish-green particles look like bacteria stuck together. No one will survive in that condition except for the soldiers in power armor," With a stern look, Sun Jiao reported to Jiang Chen. "It is a problem. But before I left, I did somewhat guess we would encounter this." Jiang Chens mouth curled up. Since it was a bacteria source, there was no reason that the area surrounding it would not be infiltrated with bacteria yet to spread. Although he didnt know the bacteria would evenly spread around the source of the bacteria in an egg shape, that didnt change anything. It was a wise decision to purchase the high energy vacuum bomb. "Although I didnt do my research, nor do I know what can counter the bacteria, I do believe that as long as they are carbon based cells, it would be scared of fire. Air is everywhere? Then Ill even burn the air. 87 Burn! Chapter 87: Burn! Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Burn! The bacteria source seemed to be at the bottom of a deep hole in the ground. The hole was placed right in front of the area hospital''s empty lot. Due to the high concentration of bacteria, the bacteria stuck together to form visible chunks and filled the egg like area with an ominous and dangerous yellowish-green color. To solve this, Jiang Chen''s strategy was simple and ruthless. He commanded the survivors to surround the area in a 1000 meter diameter, which was precisely the location where the bacteria concentration would not exceed the human immune system''s limit. He ordered them to stay put 2000 meters away from the central area. Once they hear the explosion, they then should quickly rush into their battle positions. He then ordered another group of survivors to install the one-time launch pads on 12 roofs, in different directions, 2000 meters away from the source. Each person would also be armed with a high energy vacuum bomb, as thick as two legs. The zombies who periodically rushed to the top of the roof fell under the cross fire. Jiang Chen did not act cheap at all, as he offered the general ammo supply in the armored vehicle to all the survivors. All the crystals collected will be stored on the armored vehicle with a ledger. After the end of the battle, each of the squad leaders would then obtain their fair share. As to the consumed ammunition, Jiang Chen would only charge half of the cost benchmarked to the Sixth Street''s price. It was a battle for all of them. The armored vehicle was parked on the main road. It also fired at the zombies, who were drawn by an unknown force. As they approached the bacteria source, the zombies were more ferocious. This was demonstrated through their increased speed and reaction. But, they were still no match for bullets. On top of that, all the survivors had surprisingly great aim, which eliminated any need for close range combat. "Prepare to enter," Sun Jiao took a deep breath as she spoke into the public channel. Then, she looked at Jiang Chen. "Roger." A sneer flashed across Jiang Chen''s face as he took out the firing terminal for the high energy vacuum bombs from the back of the armored vehicle. "Burn!" Jiang Chen firmly pressed the button. 12 missiles, trailing whites flames, rose in the distance. The curvature of the trajectory aimed directly at the bacteria filled area. When the bomb reached 1200 meters. The bright white light had ignited the entire sky before the deafening explosion shook the ground. The highly concentrated fuel almost instantly draw out all the oxygen in the area and mercilessly burned in the sky. Despite how resilient the bacteria was, there was no way it could survive under the scorching heat that could melt through steel. When the thick smoke replaced the bacteria cloud, what remained was scorching ground and air. Even standing 2000 meters away, the mixture of cold and hot air could be sensed from afar. "Initiate gliding position! Go, quick!" Sun Jiao shouted in the public channel as she was the first to valiantly dash in with her machine engaged. Flashes of pitch black power armor passed through the thick smoke and accelerated at full speed to the targeted area. The bacteria had been fully destroyed. Even the unknown bacteria in the vicinity were pushed away by the shockwave. They must clean out the area before the bacteria regenerated and covered the area again. 2000 meter distance took only a matter of seconds for the fully mobilized T-3. But at this moment, something unexpected occurred. An unstable static noise suddenly occupied the communication channel. "What''s going on! Fu*k-" "EMP?!" The public channel went offline due to the automatic activation of the EMP absorber. It blocked and separated all communication signals. Under the unsuspected EMP disturbance, all the electronic devices were temporarily disabled. The most crucial armor balance system was affected as the team in high velocity began to fall to the ground. "Break! Close the power system!" The communication channel was blocked, so Sun Jiao shouted out of her speaker. "Fu*k! My power system is offline!" Jiang Chen could only watch as he dashed into the thick smoke and then immediately over the daunting hole, smashing into the area hospital. Concrete debris and glass shards broke all over the ground. The high impact forced the physical protection system to activate, which shut down all turbine engines. Jiang Chen, still dizzy from the impact, felt his ribs were almost dislocated as he tried to stand up. Although power armor was usually equipped with EMP resistance function, the temporary disturbance was inevitable. With the exception that the EMP absorber was opened voluntarily, not triggered open. [But who the fu*k thought there would be an EMP here?] Suddenly, Jiang Chen was on alert. Reflexively lifting his left hand to guard himself. Bang! There was high impact followed by a deafening screech. The sharp blade even penetrated through the reinforced plastic steel armor. The scythe like teeth fiercely opened. The eyes resembled death and blood. The most fearful close range creature on the wasteland - Death Claw. It scared Jiang Chen enough to respond instantly by kicking at the Death Claw''s chest. But the firm chest of the Death Claw easily absorbed the 1-ton force from the kick as it countered by furiously swiping it''s talon, like a butchering knife, at the neck of its prey. Without time to hesitate, the nitrogen armor on his left arm was immediately activated. The hammer like vortex airflow pushed away from the critical hit of the Death Claw. The Death Claw''s talon smashed onto the ground, two feet from his head, and rocks flew from the impact. He caught the opportunity as he restarted the turbine engine and pushed it to maximum output. He desperately tried to gain lateral distance from the side. If the first hit missed, then there would be a second hit! Death Claw immediately flew at Jiang Chen. But Jiang Chen was not to be underestimated. Before the revolving machine gun could be activated, his right hand pulled out the tactical rifle. Tatata! The bullets that could destroy concrete did nothing to the Death Claw. But the suppressive shooting managed to hold the Death Claw down. Natural instinct forced the Death Claw to protect its vulnerable eyes, ducking into a barrier before circling back around to Jiang Chen''s position. The clip was shot empty, there was no time to reload. Jiang Chen, finally regaining his balance, immediately dropped the tactical rifle in his hand and pulled out a dagger. Then he backed up against the wall. It was extremely unwise to go into close combat with a Death Claw. Especially when he was against a wall with nowhere to retreat. But - Seeing that Jiang Chen dropped the rifle, the Death Claw grasped on the opportunity and dashed over. Its dagger like claws were ready to rip through the prey''s chest. But all of a sudden, the prey disappeared out of thin air. Death Claw, unable to react, smashed right into the wall. In a blink, Jiang Chen returned to the same spot and stabbed the dagger into its back without hesitation. The blade penetrated deep inside the Death Claw''s back and chopped through its spine. The parts below the Death Claw was paralyzed as it only let out a faint screeched. With both hands on the dagger, Jiang Chen slashed down and cut open its back. Slash. Blood, meat, and organs spilled everywhere. But because it was an animal, it didn''t make him sick. After killing the Death Claw, Jiang Chen sat down and tried to catch his breath. His entire body was drenched in sweat. To use interdimensional travel twice put an unbelievable amount of stress on his body. The sharp nerve pain almost made him pass out. The entire fight happened within seconds, but he felt the threat of death twice. The turbine engine''s homing noise became more visible. Through the thick smoke, Sun Jiao dashed to Jiang Chen and saw the Death Claw''s body. "Are you okay!" Sun Jiao quickly helped Jiang Chen up and opened her mask, her voice trembling. "Ahem, I am still alive aren''t I. I just used that ability, the one you know, so I am a bit dizzy." Jiang Chen weakly smiled. Being hugged through the armor did not feel good at all. "You scared me to death. Who would have thought there would be an EMP... Wait, why was there an EMP? And how did the Death Claw peacefully interact with the zombies?" Jiang Chen suddenly realized the oddity as questions began to burst out. Death Claw, with every part of its body designed for killing, had no allies except for its species in the apocalypse. Every other creature was their prey, including zombies. In fact, the slow moving zombies were their primary food source. Normally, the mutant''s natural immunity was enough to go against the zombie bacteria, which is unlike humans who still required vaccines to enhance their body''s functions. "Perhaps we can only find out once we go in. A massive wave of zombies is surrounding us. Seems like they are trying to get reinforcements here." Sun Jiao looked perplexedly at the daunting hole outside of the area hospital. Orange flame sparked from the hole. Following it were periodic explosions. Jiang Chen used all of his energy to stand up and pick up his tactical rifle from the ground. He then reloaded and attached it to his waist. He opened the life detection device and adjusted it to maximum capability. The dense red dots were closing in on their defense line. "You take the other eight power armored soldiers to defend here. I''ll go in." "No! You''re crazy! Do you know what''s inside?" Sun Jiao shouted. "I can escape any time in there. But you can''t." Jiang Chen looked seriously into Sun Jiao''s eyes. "Trust me, if I say I can come back, I will be able to return." With the ability of the interdimensional bracelet, as long as it was not a one hit kill, he would be able to escape from any danger. But this was obviously not the case for Sun Jiao. Despite her wealth of combat experience and strong combat power, she was still human after all. Especially this time, the situation was completely unknown. Maybe the Sixth Street force could use its massive power to fill the hole with human lives, but Jiang Chen didn''t have the privilege. Even losing just one single power armor would be an insurmountable loss for the Fishbone base because Jiang Chen won''t be able to acquire such a dominant force again. At least not for the time being. Even if Zhao Chenwu wanted to help him, he wouldn''t dare to. Since it was already unreasonable for him to have lost 10 power armors, for him to lose a few more, even reta*ds would suspect he broke the rules by selling prohibited weapons. Especially the production quantity for these were low to begin with. So he had to go alone. Before he left, he already considered this possibility. "..." Sun Jiao''s lips trembled as she locked her eyes on Jiang Chen. "We don''t have time to waste. Help me defend the area for the next 2 hours. If I don''t come out, then this mission has failed. Although disappointing, you must give up on the survivors. Use the power armor''s ability, jump between the buildings, and escape. Sun Jiao grabbed Jiang Chen''s power armor collar and put his face in front of hers as she said ferociously. "I won''t go, and I mean it!" "Don''t be like this. I said that this is not threatening to me." Jiang Chen forced a smile as he looked into Sun Jiao''s fierce eyes, locking onto them. Even if the power armor was almost destroyed, he could escape to the other world and then put the power armor into the storage dimension to avoid any suspicion. "Then would you be able to come out?! Would you be able to return to this world?! You, you..." The gorgeous face became twisted due to her sadness. Her distraught shocked Jiang Chen. True. [Even if I escape, the next time he came back it would be in the same spot. The modern world would not have any place to fix the power armor, without the power armor, once the bacteria reoccupy this space... It would mean death if he came back. But he was already here, would he just go back now? He was not willing. If the bacteria concentration continued to get worse, the Fishbone Base would be unhabitable. If they left, that means months of effort would go down the drain. [Fu*k, I''ll risk it!] He had no time to hesitate. He made up his mind, took a deep breath, and looked straight into Sun Jiao''s shaking eyes. "I promise I will be back. Give me two hours." "But..." "Be good." Jiang Chen smiled as he patted her helmet to comfort her. [I will not give this place up.] He promised in silence. Then, he let go of the still stunned Sun Jiao. "Defend the entrance for me. Once the two-hour limit is up, evade into the building to hide. Right now, it is still day time. Once the bacteria source is destroyed, the zombies should stop. Trust me! I can do it!" He turned around. Slowly inhaling, Jiang Chen looked at the dark pit and jumped down. 88 PAC Remains Chapter 88: PAC Remains Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Initiating shock absorber." The turbine engine began to fire downwards as Jiang Chen stared at the speed monitor. Only when the downward velocity decreased and stabilized to 10m/s did he stop increasing the power output. The pitch black hole extended vertically down into the ground. The blue engine flame, lighting up the surrounding, revealed a metallic wall. It seemed like this was the entrance to a secret facility, but the door showed "something" had already stricken through. He took a deep breath as he began to check the power armors equipment. "EMP Absorber initiated. Weapon system, functional. Left armor, minor damage...this shouldn''t be a problem. Communication...still offline." As both feet landed on the ground, Jiang Chen closed the engine and then immediately fired out a sticky luminescent bomb that completely lit up the dark space. "Oxygen concentration relatively low. The radiation level is nearly zero. The bacterias need to be in a low oxygen environment to reproduce? No wonder the bacteria outside didn''t seem to reproduce." Jiang Chen suddenly remembered something from a long time ago. Knowledge he almost gave back to the bald teacher. "When the cell is dividing, the DNA is in its most unstable condition, so it requires a radiation free environment?" "Yes, speaking of this, the zombie bacteria seems to be a mutated version of the radiation eliminating bacteria." Jiang Chen recollected the information he gathered from the very first building he landed in, in the apocalypse. "That''s exactly it. The radiation eliminating bacteria was effective before and possessed the ability to resist exposure to radiation. However, because of uncontrolled mutation during the cell division stage, it turned into bacteria that could turn people or creatures into zombies." Even though it was a slim possibility, it did happen, and it spread. "But the unknown bacteria seems to be from the same source as the zombie bacteria? The only difference being that the reproducing condition is now more strict." Of course, it was only a theory, there was no scientific backing. "The wall in this place is made of lead?" Jiang Chen walked forward as he held his tactical rifle up, exploring deep inside the tunnel. Lead? Also built below the hospital. This place must be a nuclear fallout shelter. What kind of monster could create a massive hole like this inside a nuclear fallout shelter that''s capable of guarding against a nuclear bomb? Jiang Chen began to feel anxious as his trigger finger moved steadily. Because of the fear of a sudden EMP strike, Jiang Chen didn''t engage in a gliding position as the fall was still in his memory. The tunnel was pitch black without a single ray of light. He didn''t know if there were anyone alive inside. Just like what Sun Jiao said to him before, not every survival base was successful, and not every survival base stored people alive. In this era, people''s purpose was to save a genetic code. As long as the species is not extinct...the genetic code is saved for the people who designed the survival base. Because he restarted the EMP absorber, the life detection device could not be used. There was nothing more fearful than the unknown. Every step on the dry concrete floor had a crisp sound to it. The monotone sound echoed within the hollow tunnel, which made the place even more frightening. Due to the time constraint, however, Jiang Chen didn''t dare to ponder, he had to keep going. His vision locked onto the crosshairs of the tactical rifle, ready to react to any unexpected danger. After 5 minutes, he was at the end of the tunnel. The road ended with a gray gate made out of an unknown material. Jiang Chen spent a while using the flashlight to search for an open button but failed to do so. In the middle of the giant door, red words were printed. What is this? "Fu*k, that monster could not only break through surfaces, but it could also pass through walls?" Jiang Chen cursed as he took out his welding gun from his back and stabbed the door furiously. "Your action is futile." A faint voice diffused through the communication channel which sent a chilliness down Jiang Chen''s spine. "Who is this?" "He raised his tactical rifle as he scanned around, but he didn''t see any suspicious targets. At the same time, he noticed that other than the nine offline team member on the communication system, there was an extra name. "Me? My name is, of course, secret teller. Isn''t it written on your communication channel?" The voice sounded rather helpless. "I remember I have the EMP absorber open." "Did you not take elementary school physics? I remember that all humans should have taken that," the voice ridiculed, and then let out a sigh before continuing, "EMP absorber is not an absolute defense, as long..." [What? Which elementary school teaches physics?] "Wait, I don''t have time to listen to you explain elementary school physics to me. Can you open the door for me?" Jiang Chen abruptly interrupted. "Door? Oh, you are chasing after that bug, you can''t beat him." The voice was straightforward. "Bug? What does it look like?" Jiang Chen hastily asked. "It looks like a giant ball of meat. It wanted to go into the hibernation chamber. To be honest, it is quite smart and even threatened me, so I had to open the door to let it in." "Let it in? Ha, is it not going to threaten you when you let it in?" Jiang Chen asked dumbfounded. "Oh? Why would it hurt me? It is only interested in you." The voice was full of mockery. [Wait, did I miss something...] "I remember that all humans should have taken that." Jiang Chen paused, and then he asked in uncertainty. "You... are not human?" "That''s right, did you just figure that out? Hehe, I am only a program. You would call me... Artifical intelligence? Secret protector? Code X71281?" The voice sounded reminiscent as if that memory was far in the past. "Secret protector? Isn''t your name secret teller?" Jiang Chen asked in confusion. "Oh, I gave myself a better name," as if it was not a big deal, the voice casually answered. [Giving itself a name?! This is not the level that just responds to human actions! Just like Little White will never change a user''s setting. It seems like this is intermediate artificial intelligence? No, it might be advanced?] "Are you going to go in or not?" The voice sounded like it was yawning. "You are going to let me in?" Jiang Chen was at a loss. "Of course, I am the secret teller right now, I feel like it would be more interesting if I let you in." [Intersting? Fu*k, no, I can''t fu*k it.] "Could you tell me the characteristics of the bug''s attack?" Jiang Chen let in a deep breath as he calmly asked. "Umm, that bug threatened me, and I also dislike it. And you chatted with me for a pretty long... I should choose you to be my friend? That means I should help you?" "Yes, yes, yes! I am a good person, you should open the door." He had enough of the chitchat as his team was still fighting the sea of zombies on the surface. "Hehe, seems like you are in a rush, then I am not going to tease you anymore." [You son of a, you were teasing me?] Jiang Chen was swearing in his mind but didn''t make a sound. The communication channel was forced open right now, he was afraid he would anger the psychotic artificial intelligence. The gate slowly raised as Jiang Chen forced a smile at the multiple gates. 1,2,...7. Even if the welding gun could cut through this, he didn''t have time to cut through 7 doors. "I am going to remind you now that you will never beat that thing. Or should I say, any of the metal things have no chance of winning," the voice reminded him again. "The EMP that the EMP absorber can''t even block?" Jiang Chen asked, unable to understand. "Hehehe, EMP? Have you heard of Klein particles?" The voice was filled with mockery. "No." He didn''t need to be angry at a program. Thus, Jiang Chen answered right away. "Hehe, put blocking aside. Even if it missed, this metal thing would become a metal coffin. If you walk 10 more meters, it will detect your presence." "In that case, can I ask you a question? Jiang Chen stopped as he just passed through the door. "Oh? Go ahead, I am the secret teller." The voice emphasized its presence again. "Map, could you send it to me?" "No problem, the bug is right here." "Also another question, you are male or female?" "..." The voice went silent and then erupted into a sharp laughter. "Me? I am a program. In human words, it should be, I can be male, or I can be female. Hahaha, this is too funny, are you from the ancient times?" Jiang Chen didn''t respond to his laughter. He moved his mouth and looked the map once again before he disarmed the power armor. "Are you crazy? If you leave the armor, a single spit from it will kill you." The voice was at a loss. Jiang Chen ignored the machine with too many words as he separated himself from the power armor. Then, he quickly took out the protective suit from the storage behind the power armor and put it on. The oxygen level was low inside, but the fortunate thing was that there was an oxygen tank attached to the protective suit. After leaving the power armor, the annoying voice naturally disappeared. Since the power armor was useless anyways, it would be better to leave it here. As to spit? It''ll be easier to dodge than the particle ray... Though just in case, he also threw any electronic device, like an EP, into the storage dimension. Jiang Chen inputted the password as he took a cylinder the size of a coke can from the waist of the power armor. It was the backup fuel rod. These high energy fuel rods were refined from 1000 crystals. The explosive power and energy supply were tremendous. "Let daddy blow you into pieces!" Fire flashed out of Jiang Chen''s eyes. [What if I don''t have power armor? I don''t believe the fuel rod that could blow up half a street can''t kill you!" He attached the fuel rod to his waist and wielded his PK2000 before quickly moving towards the target''s location. He crossed the wide open gate. The hall looked rather listless as sticky watermarks seemed to be the trail left by the bug. He didn''t stop as he followed the map in his memory and flashed to the hallway on the side. The gray wall had cold lamp lights installed. He carefully carried the rifle and locked his eyes on the door at the end of the hallway. Ignite the energy rod, and then immediately hide in the modern world. The password activation system needs 3 seconds, he only needs to last 3 minutes. But the feeling of the metal in hand didn''t give him any more assurance. He didn''t even know what he would be facing. "Zizizi, you are crazy! Ahem, you are an interesting human. Shouldn''t you be afraid right now? Yes, you must be afraid. Can you tell me how the afraid you are not running away?" The abrupt voice suddenly echoed throughout the hallway as the speaker installed on the ceiling transmitted a deafening static noise, temporarily breaking up the annoying voice. "Shut up, you are talking too much." Jiang Chen carried the rifle as he ran forward. "Talking too much? That''s interesting... No, no, tell me, what logic is forcing you to suicide? I think I already told you, you can''t beat that thing." The voice spoke rapidly as it sounded quite peculiar in the empty hallway. "I am telling you to shut up!" "Oh, okay. But I will still help you. Although, by logic, I should be angry. But perhaps you have the answer to my unsolved problem on you? How should I choose... okay, angry but help you?" "Fu*k, that''s enough!" Jiang Chen cursed as he was about to have a mental breakdown. [This thing is a lunatic, an artificial reta*d?] "Of course, not enough," the voice faintly said. "At least before I understand what emotion is." "Hehe. Do you know why you won''t possess emotion?" Jiang Chen while running squeezed out a few words, he couldn''t stand the chit chat from this thing any longer. "Why!?" The voice was full of surprise. "Because you are a dumba*s. Do you know what climaxing is? If I put a hot girl in front of you, would you have sexual desires? You can''t even produce hormones, and you are talking about emotions to me?" The bug must have already noticed Jiang Chen as he didn''t even bother hiding anymore. He screamed at the top of his lungs. He just wanted this thing to shut up when he would be firing. Jiang Chen kicked the door, but it didn''t open. But soon the door began to rise. [Oh, it''s a rising door.] He gave a dirty stare at the speaker on the wall, but he was too lazy to thank a program. He carried his rifle and dashed in, leaving the secret teller murmuring to itself. "Climax? Hormones? Wait. Because I have to get rid of these annoying hormones and use pure logic to meet the conditions of "emotions", that''s why I needed to evolve into advanced artificial intelligence. But if it was like what he said, if I don''t have hormones, I won''t feel happiness. Then wouldn''t it be a paradox to "acquire emotions" without the physical body?" The hollow electronic voice sounded even more strange inside the empty hallway. 89 Ignorance Chapter 89: Ignorance Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The cicadas sound orchestrated a symphony known as summer. The shadow of the thick woods and the rustling of the leaves along with the breeze that occasionally swept the steel and concrete forest revealed a mysterious scent and coolness. It belonged to a person. The white dress billowed like a lily at dawn, resembling the bloom of first love. The quiet, serene face perpetually drawn to the paperback novelsometimes delighted, at other times sorrowful. [So jealous... If only I were that book.] "Yo, Jiang Chen, youre drooling." Zhao Peng approached Jiang Chen as he bumped into him with a smirk. "Go away." Jiang Chen glanced at him at and slightly shifted his body sideways, lying on the table to sleep. As though he was inadvertently facing that direction. "Ahem, if you like Yao Tingting then you should go ask her out. Wu" Jiang Chen immediately jumped up and covered the mouth of his good friend. "Do you want to die!" Jiang Chen twisted Zhao Peng''s neck as he growled at Zhao Peng in a hushed voice, his face red. With a smirking face, Zhao Peng pretended to die while rolling his eyes. The girls in front turned around and witness their boisterous play and started giggling. While the other boys near Jiang Chen and Zhao Peng surrounded them in a rowdy manner. As though drawn by the commotion, the goddess stared in their direction. And gave a look of mild confusion. Jiang Chen felt his heart almost stopped. His ear began to heat up. Oh no, his skin was scorching. Yao Tingting probably thought that her classmates were too rowdy, so she closed her book and left the classroom quietly. "Ahhh! Fu*k, you used your teeth!" Jiang Chen painfully jerked away from Zhao Peng. "You fu*king almost choked me to death!" Zhao Peng was breathing heavily while clutching his chest and gave Jiang Chen his nastiest look. When the boys saw that the commotion had died down, they all left chuckling. The two girls in front started talking about the TV show last night, and the classroom regained its former peace. Except for the window blinds which fluttered in the breeze. The ordinary day felt fulfilling. It felt like everything gave off a sense of nostalgia. - 11 June 2171, summer. High schools first summer break was almost here, and it wouldnt be long before the exams started. Today I watched her secretly again. I thought I already made up my mind to suppress my feeling for her in the bottom of my heart. No, that''s not right, or maybe just like what Zhao Peng had said, I should probably ask her out. No, no, no, that''s impossible...she is so beautiful, so smart, there must be plenty of people who like her. If I asked her out and she rejected me, we couldn''t even be friends anymore. Eh? Maybe we are not even friends? "Ahhh..." Jiang Chen slammed the journal on the bed behind him as he laid his head down on the table and covered his head. [If I leave this diary behind, my embarrassment will go down in history in the future. It will kill me. No, fu*k! Im a man so why am I so conflicted? If I like her, I can r*pe her. What does asking her out even do? If I can''t get her, I''ll force her. If that doesn''t work, Ill just drug her. If we break up, then send her nud*s. If I can''t even bear the consequence of going to jail, how do I even have the audacity to say I like her! There''s no use of being conflicted. Hm? Something weird might have gotten into him.] ...still feeling conflicted. He stared at the cloud on his table mindlessly as his thoughts wandered off. It was after a good while before he recollected his thoughts from the unnatural state. "Is this how a adolescent trouble feels like?" After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen let out a sigh while he savagely combed his messy hair. [Eh? I thought I have a short hair?] Jiang Chen was baffled, his hand momentarily stopping. [This is an illusion right? Who would get an ugly haircut like this?] "When did I start writing this diary again? What''s the point of this thing, saving it so I would be embarrassed in the future?" Jiang Chen scanned the electronic clock beside him, sighing. [It''s 8 already. Fine, I''ll stop thinking about her and will loosen up with a show.] He thought about it as he stood up. He stretched his sore limbs and walked to the living room. Because he went to school away from his hometown, his parents were not with him. When did this happen again? The beginning of senior high, right. The vivid memory suddenly resurfaced in his head as it filled the slightly odd memory gaps. He headed to the kitchen, opened the refrigerators door and took a bottle of Coke before walking into the living room. He slumped down on the cushy sofa, grabbed a glass, and poured one for himself. He then pressed the TV remote in a leisurely manner. The flashing lights and shadows reflected on the light blue screen. Just like a window, behind it were scenes after scenes of drama. The TV show started airing... - "Gege, I won''t let you go easily until Im done teasing you." The girl switched the way her legs were crossed; the white color made Klein''s heart throbbed uncontrollably. One graceful hand lazily propped up her stunning face as she laid back serenely against the throne. The position exactly resembled a wicked but beautiful and mysterious noble. "Do you want to know what''s happening to your right now?" Klein felt a mischievous smile formed on the fuzzy but gorgeous face. His throat moved while he tried to make his vision clearer, but it was futile. There was a terrible feeling as if he was like a piece of meat on a chopping board. "Then look underneath you." Klein consciously shifted his gaze downwards. He saw that both of his feet were submerged in shallow water with floating petals. "The fragrance is coming from below my feet?" he wondered dazedly. Through the reflection from the pool, he vaguely saw his current form. He seemed to be tied to a cross, his lips tied with thin chains. Surprisingly however, was that his limbs did not feel sore at all. "Don''t you think this is beautiful..." - "Dust Kingdom" appeared to be a popular TV show. The girls sitting in front of him were talking about this drama. Jiang Chen thoughts wandered as he stared blankly at the screen. A punk-style drama based on a novel that told the story of the ancient times. Surprisingly, these types of show were remarkably popular. Under the augmented reality effect, it felt as though he was at the scene itself. In retrospect, the scenes were rather intense. Was it really okay to be broadcasted on public TV? For some reason, Jiang Chen did not appear to be interested at all. He merely zoned out mindlessly, and he even had the urge to yawn. This Klein guy should be bitten by the vampire next. He probably wouldn''t die, becausewait, why does the plot look so familiar? [Shameless plagiarist...] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind as he gulped down a sip of Coke, his eyebrows began to frown. "Do I like to drink Coke?" He subconsciously grabbed a bottle from the fridge just like before. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized the question was dumb. The plot continued on the screen. Of course, Klein didn''t die; the vampire only sucked some blood from his body. Klein was taken away by the vampire''s maid, and the drama then began to show the post-credits. Thats right, if the main character died, how would the story continue? Jiang Chen turned the TV off and glanced at the clock. [Its this late already. Time to hit the sack], he thought as he walked to the bedroom. With the journal on his bed, he hesitated for a moment before sighing. "I should just rip this out. If other people see this embarrassing journal, I would be better off dead." Jiang Chen smiled wryly and picked up the diary. He ripped the pages off, crumpled them into a ball and tossed them into bin. From the binding of the diary, there were a lot of torn pages; it was not the first time he erased the embarrassing history. He threw the diary on the table as he flung himself onto the bed. Jiang Chen shoved his muddled head on the pillow. He fluffed the pillow for a bit before he let out a long breath. [Thats it for today. Tomorrow...tomorrow, I''ll try asking her out. Even if I get rejected, at least I won''t regret it.] Just like this, the teen in puberty, anxious and full of hope drifted into sleep. The cold letters silently jumped on the digital clock on the table. 11:59 12:00 The green light on the side of the clock flashed almost unobtrusively. As though premeditated, the wind flipped the journal open on the table. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ The plot thickens. Edit: Guys, I''ve read your comments. While I do agree that the writing technique may not be the most suitable, I do believe it serves a purpose down the road. Please bear with plot and continue the adventure with me. 90 Conflicted Chapter 90: Conflicted Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ A soft sound rang. Roused by the alarm clock, Jiang Chen rubbed his sleepy eyes as he climbed out of bed. He slept on his stomach and didn''t change clothes last night making his body felt a bit uncomfortable. After a brief wash, he habitually touched his chin without beard and left the bathroom. He changed into clean clothes, wore his sneakers and laced it up. When he was about to leave, he remembered there was something he forgot to bring, so he went back to his bedroom to retrieve it. Inside the drawer were two movie tickets and the premiere was scheduled to air tomorrow. Tomorrow would also be a holiday in celebration of the founding of PAC, thus making it a legal holiday. Its also a good opportunity to go on a date. Jiang Chen drew a breath as he grabbed the movie tickets hastily. He already procrastinated enough by asking the goddess to go and see a movie to the very last day, and if this continued, he''s afraid he wouldn''t be able to summon enough courage in his entire life. It was Zhao Peng, his good friend, who gave him the tickets and said, "If you don''t ask her out now, where are you going to cry if someone else dates her?" Then he encouraged Jiang Chen to work out the courage to chase after Yao Tingting. Zhao Peng, despite being reckless most of the time, was a great friend during these times. Thinking of this, a smile broke on Jiang Chen''s face. His relationship between him and his friend had always been good. [So, when was the first time I met this guy?] He wavered for a moment but quickly threw the boring question out of his mind. [Whatever, it''s okay if I don''t remember, its not a big deal anyway.] Jiang Chen closed the door behind him before heading out. The sky was particularly clear in Wanghai City. Although the barrier dome in the sky slightly obstructed the view, it was nevertheless a Holy Barrier System the barrier that protected the city from HPMW or other aerial weapons. The international situation was beginning to get more strained as the conflict between NATO and PAC intensified. Even in the city that never experienced the ravage of war, it was embroiled in the shadow of conflict. But what of it? Life must still go onDjust like Jiang Chen had to go to school, his neighbor had to go to work. Just like the conflict many years ago, people believed that both parties would eventually settle down. The scarcity of resources geopolitical conflicts with ZZ...but there would always be ways to solve the conflict. . Jiang Chen greeted the neighbor as he walked downstairs, yawning. There was a cleaning android at the front door. Jiang Chen would see it every time he came down. Oddly, when Jiang Chen put one foot on the ground, the robot suddenly looked at him. Jiang Chen looked at the robot bemusedly. Logically, these robots without artificial intelligence would not generate any interest to anything but garbage. [Do you take me for a garbage? This thing] Although he ridiculed the idea in his mind, he was not bored enough to be angry at a cold machine. His mouth twitched while he was about to bypass it from the side. Suddenly, a creepy vision crept into his mind. Jiang Chen slightly turned around to look at the robot, but the robot''s vision continued to follow him. Staring straight into his eyes. The bulb-shaped eyes, the emotionless expression and the cold and stiff vision. The robot looked away abruptly and stopped moving as if it malfunctioned. "This is so weird." Jiang Chen touched his forehead in disdain and hurriedly left in quick strides. Was he scared by a cleaning robot? If Zhao Peng knew, he would laugh himself to death. But what was that illusion? Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows in bafflement. He didn''t understand why he would feel anxious the moment he locked eyes with the robot. - The class was about to start when he arrived at school. Jiang Chen hastily rushed to his seat and sat down. High school life was always busy. Even if it was only in grade 10, he had to take six courses. Chinese, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Biology... [Eh? Somethings seems wrong. It should only be five courses.] Jiang Chen took out the terminal used in class from his bag. It was a holographic computer in the shape of a pen. Every course was done via terminal, which included homework as well as the lessons discussed in class. Although he heard there was a virtual reality training chamber that could allow you to learn just by sleeping inside, it was prohibited for students below high school to use. The reason seemed to prevent people from forming bad habits of being lazy. Or probably to avoid the decrease of social interactions among people? This didn''t make sense. There was obviously a more convenient way to use it, but they just had to put a restriction on it. Despite how much he despised the education system, he still had to attend the class. Since his body was here, he had to follow the rules here... "Hanhan, did you watch the episode yesterday?" The girl in ponytail called Chen Yusheng was the Chinese class representative. Her seatmate''s name was Qian Han. Both of them were extremely energetic and a gossipmonger. "Hm, I did. Did Klein die in the end or did he become a vampire?" The girl called Qian Han responded spiritedly. [Psh, there is no show where the protagonist dies. You''re just way into dramas!] "He probably won''t die. In the end, Klein will," Jiang Chen scorned as he cockily explained how he thought the plot would unfold. Although it was only a guess, he had a feeling that the plot would develop in that direction. As to why he had that thought, maybe it was the dj vu from having watched too many similar dramas. Suddenly, Jiang Chen froze again. The same feeling from that morning returned. Everyone in the class stopped as they stared vacantly in Jiang Chen''s direction. That''s right, they are staring at him blankly. Chen Yusheng, Qian Han, class representative, Liu Rewen, even his buddy, Zhao Peng... [Eh? D-did I speak too loud?] Being watched by the entire class, Jiang Chen staggered back as he forced out a laugh. Everyone''s look was odd, but he couldn''t explain where the strange feeling came from. Hollowness? No, its as if he was being watched, dissected, and monitored. But why did he have this feeling? Fear quickly began to spread from Jiang Chens heart to his head like sedatives. He gulped, throat slightly moving, he suddenly had the urge to run out of the classroom. But the action didn''t make sense. Why would he run out of the classroom just because his classmates were looking at him? [Wait...what about Yao Tingting?] Jiang Chen suddenly realized that the desk beside the window was empty. At the same time, the class bell rang. "Students, we''ll start the class now. Liu Lei, hand out the homework for me." The Math teacher walked in before he clicked on the terminal to start the class. "Okay" the math class representative, Liu Lei, dragged out the syllable tiredly like what he usually did. He then downloaded the marked homework from the terminal and assigned it to each student by ID automatically. The extraneous step seemed to exist to emphasize the importance of structure. Jiang Chen recollected his thought from his stupor as he quickly scanned around him. [When did everyone start returning to normal?] "Did you get a stiff neck?" Zhao Peng poked his back with a smirk. Jiang Chen looked at Zhao Peng with a peculiar expression. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Zhao Peng looked puzzled, then he touched his face and said with a frown, "There is no dirt on my face, right?" Jiang Chen turned around without saying a word and left the still bewildered friend behind him. He quietly laid his head down on the table. [Was it just my imagination?] Jiang Chen looked at the seat beside the window. The pure and adorable girl like a blooming Lily was quietly listening to the Math teacher''s lecture, her finger constantly moving on the tablet terminal to take notes. The wind picked up again. The blinds fluttering by the wind obscured Jiang Chen''s vision slightly. [When did she show up?] Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Here''s the bonus chapter. 91 The Uncanny Valley Chapter 91: The Uncanny Valley Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ ..."Uncanny Valley" was a theory introduced by Ernst-Jentsch from 1906 in his work ''Zur Psychologie des Umheimlichen''. His perspective was cited by Sigmund Freuds essay "The Uncanny", which became a famous theory. Irritated, Jiang Chen quickly flipped through the theory, as he tried to find a keyword among the lines of words. "Because of our fear of death and diseases, empathy mechanism disorder, inability to sympathize with the...robots." Jiang Chen murmured under his breath as his hands holding the book lightly trembled. [What is this feeling?] He suppressed the irritation in his mind as Jiang Chen searched for the answers among the old robot magazines. Wanghai Sixth Senior High School had a massive library as countless numbers of books were arranged in the grand hall on the first floor even though not a lot of student visited the floor where they stored the books. All books could be downloaded from the schools Internet, and all the information could be found in the school terminal. Rather than a physical copy of information, the books were more of a "display". The only city where libraries would store academic journals in print; those that were considered to be information rather than a mere display. The world was advancing and as a result, print reading had already begun to become extinct from peoples life. Occasionally, there would be people who were fond of printed books like Yao Tingting, but they were rarer than endangered animals. Just like the goddess in Jiang Chens heartDYao Tingting. To commemorate the past era however, libraries still tend to store some of the older journals and magazines. At the same time, Jiang Chen always felt that print would bring him more insight. Despite asking the artificial intelligence, the school wizard, the talkative entity would be unable to provide enlightenment that could give him a sudden gush of comprehension. Instead, it would just consistently led him to mental problems like stress and fatigue. [Or perhaps deception?] Regardless how much he searched, he couldnt find the answer he wanted. It felt like the truth was concealed as the smart search wizard surprisingly malfunctioned after listening to his description. All search results led problems to a more complicated direction. So when class ended, he came to the library full of books. There was no one here to mislead him, and instinct told him that the answers hes searching for could be found from one of these shelves. He wanted to know where the strange feeling was coming from. He took the book Robot Novel 21st VolumeD''the Dissension between Human and Robot'' from the shelves with rosewood scent. Based on the publication date of 2021, it was an old history book. Of course, the printing was new. "The higher the human-shaped android or robot resembled a human, the better the impression human would have. The positive impression would considerably increase until it reaches a critical point, in which the more it resembled a human, the more frightening it would become until it reached the bottom of the valley. Perhaps a negligible move would appear stiff and scary So this is how it is. In the case of the cleaning robot that I met this morning, through eye contact, it triggered the ''Uncanny Valley'' effect?" Jiang Chen frowned as he continued to think. The feeling of being oppressed became stronger, and it felt like cotton was stuck in his throat. Its as though he had forgotten about something. But what did he forget exactly? Suddenly, Jiang Chen subconsciously looked at the stairs leading to the second floor. At the same time... "Jiang Chen?" The gentle and soft voice lightly caressed his ears. When he turned around in surprise, he saw Yao Tingting standing on the other side of the shelves. [Right, I still need to invite her to the movies. Dammit, why am I feeling bothered with these boring thoughts and almost forgot the important thing!] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind. With a crimson face, he stared at the princess-like girl but couldnt utter a single word. Yao Tingting stood there serenely as if she was waiting for something. Jiang Chen was unable to say a word, his mouth was left half-open. But the words: "Do you have time tomorrow?" was stuck in his throat. Her beautiful face suddenly blossomed in a smile; the phoenix-like eyes that could cause anyones heart to miss a beat. "Do you want to come over to my place?" Jiang Chen was stunned. [Shes inviting me? To her place? But why] Yao Tingting didnt give him time to think as she had already turned around. Jiang Chen pondered for a moment before he bit his lips and worked out the courage to follow her. The magazine, however, was left on the table. Seeing the two left, the librarian, who was manning the front desk without any expression, quietly walked to where Jiang Chen had been sitting. She stared at the old magazine for a while, then she picked it up quietly. However, she didnt put it back on the shelf. Instead, she ripped it in half and threw it in the garbage. - "Wait, youDwhy are you inviting me to your place?" Jiang Chen rushed out of the library and walked behind Yao Tingting. He vacillated before asking the question. Yao Tingting stopped abruptly, white dress fluttering gently in the breeze. Under the radiance of the dusk, the lily bloomed, the picture was so serene. Jiang Chen was drawn to that scene. The goddess, who was always in his mind, was nibbling her lower lips. She had a shy smile as she tried to look away, and her mouth was ajar. "Because I want to get to know you." [Know me?] [Was that a confession?] Jiang Chen immediately turned red. His lips opened and closed stiffly but failed to utter a word. His heart pounded as if it was about to jump out of his chest. [She likes me too!] His brain was currently filled with confounding happiness, and he lost any ability to think. He only has his sight on the goddess who always occupied his dreams. Yao Tingting smiled as she walked to the direction of the gate. Jiang Chen gulped as he rigidly followed her. At that moment, however, his eyes inadvertently caught a strange sight. The peculiar sense of urgency crept into his mind. Hollow eyes were watching him. [There is a cleaning robot here too? That made sense since those things should be everywhere], Jiang Chen mulled it over then threw the unnatural feelings away into the back of his mind. The robot seemed to have lost interest in him as it was already staring in another direction. - The door opened, Yao Tingting led Jiang Chen to her rented apartment. It was a simple one living room, one bedroom structure as it was easy to rent this type of apartment around the school. It was also not expensive. It looked like Yao Tingting was just like himboth of them were from Wanghai City. The middle of the room smelled of faint Jasmine. The clean and organized light, flaxen colored wallpaper covered every walls in the living room. There were a simple coffee table, tablecloth and a light beige sofa. "Feel free to sit. Do you want a glass of water?" Yao Tingting turned around as she beamed at Jiang Chen. "Ah? UmOK." Jiang Chen nodded nervously and sat on the sofa. Looking at the figure of Yao Tingting standing beside the cupboard, he couldn''t help but chuckle as he smelled the scent belonging to the goddess. Although he still felt something was unusual, he was feeling so happy that it had ceased to matter. As though being forcibly stuffed full, the sense of being loss to reality disappeared unconsciously. It was not long before Yao Tingting returned to the living room with two glasses of water. She smiled at Jiang Chen and placed a glass of water in front of him. "Here you go." "Oh, thank you." As though trying to hide his embarrassment, Jiang Chen quickly took a sip of the cold water. Yao Tingting sat beside him and looked at the side of his profile while smiling. "Um, is there something on my face?" "No!" Yao Tingting shook her head, still wearing a bright smile. Her luscious hair that was smooth as fine willow branches swayed gently . "Um..." Jiang Chen was out of words again. He averted his gaze at the glass as he stared blankly at his reflection of the water. "I want to get to know you. Can you talk to me?" As though center of his heart was being hammered, Jiang Chens heart trembled at that very moment. "Eh? Why, why do you want to learn about me?" Jiang Chens throat moved as he scrambled to find words. The answer came out frank. "Because I like you." Yao Tingting gazed into Jiang Chens eyes with the same bright smile. An uncomfortable feeling bloomed, a feeling that something was not right. The confusion, however, was suddenly replaced by extreme euphoria. Dopamine could really make people lose their mind. "II like you too." Jiang Chen finally had the courage to express his months worth of affection to her. "I know." Yao Tingting grinned at his bold effort. "Ive been watching you for a long time." "I know. Ive been watching you for a long time." Like a spell, these two confessions happily circled around his mind. "Would you tell me your story?" Like a curious girlfriend, Yao Tingting gazed at Jiang Chens eyes as her long eyelashes flickered. "I, I really dont have a lot of stories to tell." Jiang Chen, somewhat embarrassed, looked away. However, Yao Tingting relentlessly moved closer. "You can tell me anything." "Um, OK." Jiang Chen opened his mouth reluctantly. Contrary to his expectation, he thought Yao Tingting wasn''t the type to enjoy conversation as she usually immersed herself in her books, but she''s now giving off the impression that she was verbose. They chatted about the past of their younger selvesglimpses of memory that seemed to be covered in a white fog. Although they didnt usually have too many interactions, and it has always been Jiang Chen who secretly watched her, the two of them enjoyed their time immensely. Yao Tingting made him feel as though they had been acquainted for a long time. The night was getting late and outside was completely dark. "Why don''t I treat you to dinner?" Yao Tingting smiled. Jiang Chen nodded unexpectedly . The dinner passed by in a relaxed atmosphere. Fried Eggs with Tomatoes, Pork Stir Fry with Green Peppers, Seaweed and Egg Soup. These were all homemade dishes. Yao Tingting was the type who was great at housekeeping, which came as a surprise to him. The very idea made his heart throb a little faster. At his age, falling in love meant eternity. The food was exquisite. He secretly observed Yao Tingting sitting across the table. Her tiny mouth chewed delicately. [She seemed to love tomatoes? Does she like to eat sour foodand green pepper? Umbut why is she only eating these two things?] Jiang Chen observed carefully, and he secretly memorized the flavors she liked. [She said that she likes me so...she''s now my girlfriend? But it was not official yet. Is she waiting for me to bring it up?] When he thought about this, he gulped and looked away awkwardly. The holographic screen was playing the popular intro of "Dust Kingdom". The clock struck eight. "Does it taste good?" Yao Tingting smiled at Jiang Chen. "Oh, Oh! Yes!" Jiang Chen laughed nervously as he focused on his rice to hide his embarrassed expression. "I heard there are ghosts in the school library. Have you seen them?" "Ghghost? Thats not true, thats not real science." Jiang Chen had peculiar expression. "Are you pleased?" However, the unbecoming subsequent sentence diverged from the topic of conversation. "Pleased?" Jiang Chen seemed lost, but then suddenly as if he had just realized something, he looked away and shyly scratched his slightly red ear. He stiffly nodded, "Ofof course." For a teenager in puberty, there was nothing more joyful than being invited to the house of the girl of his dreams. "Dont eat so fast. Here, drink some water." Yao Tingting smilingly handed over the glass. It was the same glass that Jiang Chen had used. "Mhm" With a blushing face, he took the glass as he tried to mask the awkward silence by drinking the water. [Didn''t you say there''s soup? Why is it water] The screen showed Dust Kingdoms plot. Klein fell down in the pool of blood and stopped breathing. It was rather an unexpected ending? It felt rushed as if there was a lot of buildup, but nothing was explained before the show had ended. After the outro, there was "The End" written in blood. A smile formed on Yao Tingtings angelic and serene face while watching Jiang Chen who was drowsily lying on the dinner table. The smile was odd, hollow. [So tired, I just want to sleep] Through his droopy eyes and hazy vision, he faintly caught a glimpse of white dress dropping on the ground. The white figure took quiet steps towards him. The back of his head was surrounded by something soft. His consciousness plummeted in a bottomless abyss. 92 Who is the Ghos Chapter 92: Who is the Ghost Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ As usual, Jiang Chen lied on the table, watching similar scenes repeated itself. No, if theres something that changed, its probably because of her. He looked at the girl sitting under the window who was beaming in his direction at that moment. Speaking of which, after they confirmed their feelings for each other last night, they were now together. Of course, he was still not used to the feeling of extreme happiness. He shyly hid his face in his sleeves as he suddenly realized that they seemed to have done something unbelievable yesterday. They did it? They did it! "Yo, do you have something good you want to share with me?" Zhao Peng said as he poked Jiang Chen''s back with a leer. "Go away." Jiang Chen responded distractedly as he glanced at the rouge before lying on the table again. If he allowed this guy to find out, hes afraid that the entire class would also find out. He vowed to defend this secret to his death to protect the goddess name. "Oh, yeah, why do we have class today?" Jiang Chen was confused. Alliance Day should be a legal holiday. "Don''t you know? The news said yesterday that the holiday is temporarily cancelled. The school posted on the terminal the news about class resuming today " Zhao Peng gave the same bewildered look as Jiang Chen. [You can cancel holidays?] Jiang Chen was stunned once again. Truth be told, he did come to school with Yao Tingting today. When he left, he forgot about the holiday but didn''t remember receiving any messages. Jiang Chen took out the terminal and launched the holographic screen. Sure enough, there was a temporary notice symbol in the right corner. [It did seem like I forgot.] Jiang Chen then remembered the craziness that happened last night and couldnt help but blush as he secretly took a peek at Yao Tingting''s direction. Then, he put the terminal away before lying on the table again. The charming girl under the window was engrossed in the terminal. Her index finger was tapping on the screen, flipping the pages on the electronic book. "Who cares? It''s OK if its not a holiday. Since we are already going out, it doesnt matter if we cant go to the movies." He mumbled to himself and just like his usual habit, he leaned against his arm and began napping. Startled, Jiang Chen woke up. [Eh, where did everyone go? Oh, the third period in the afternoon is Physical Education. The activity today is swimming and I have to change in advance. Zhao Peng, that rascal, didn''t even wake me up], he ridiculed Zhao Peng in his mind as he rubbed his still dry eyes. He pressed against the table to stand up and headed to the door. Thinking about it, he couldnt help but imagine Yao Tingting in a swimsuit. As he thought about this, his face began to suffuse with heat again. He forced out a laughed as he touched his nose, and shook his head to rid himself of the unhealthy vision. The gym was located south of the library. It was the biggest building outside of the main academic building. The digital gymnasium included basketball court, soccer field, swimming pool, and track together with the combination of practical and virtual teaching. Simply put, the place was humongous. Jiang Chen checked his watch on his way to the gym. Since it was already 5 minutes into the lecture, and he was already late and was too lazy to run, he simply slowed down his pace. The campus was empty at this time, but it certainly did make sense. After all, class was still ongoing, and that made him the odd one for wandering outside the classroom at this time. When he passed by the library, he suddenly halted. Why did Yao Tingting mention that there was a ghost in the library? For some reason, Jiang Chen didn''t feel scared, he had the urge to go ahead and explore instead. He gulped as he subconsciously moved one step to that direction. [Forget it, maybe I''ll come back after school], Jiang Chen thought in his mind, troubled. Just as he was about to retract his step, all of the sudden, a deafening shout thundered in his ears and made him jumped up. "You! What are you doing!" [Fu*k, I am only late.. ] Just as when Jiang Chen was about to open his mouth to explain, the cleaning robot, who was sweeping the ground quietly, suddenly accelerated and collided into the guard. "Fu*k." The guard fell down because of the collision with the robot, and he scrambled to get up. When Jiang Chen met a pair of ferocious eyes, he felt an irrational fear. The only thing left in his mind was to flee. He didn''t have time to think as he scampered towards the direction of the library. He dashed to the door towards the direction of the stair and sprinted to the second floor and ran to the other end of the hallway, panting heavily. Through the second floor of the library was a shortcut to the gym. Jiang Chen could also use the terrain there to his advantage get rid of the vicious guard. In an open space, he certainly didnt have the confidence to outrun adults who had been trained. [Fu*k, if I got caught, I''ll probably be lectured!] When did the guard start doing the job of the school director? [This is ridiculous.] It was rumored that the guard in the front gate had a bad tempered. Even though Jiang Chen had a faint feeling that even if he did anger him, he wouldnt beat him up, he was irrationally frightened nonetheless. Thus, he didn''t think before running away. [Wooo... whatever, it''s better not to be caught or else I would have to go to the office and explain.] [Eh?] Jiang Chen was about to go down from the other end of the library when he found an opened activity room. The door wasn''t locked. Normally, these barely used activity rooms would be locked. Only when the directors came to audit would the school create some odd temporary clubs to deal with the inspection. However, the door of this activity room was actually open. Jiang Chen stood in front of the door and for some reason felt a strong dj vu. [I haven''t been here before, but this place feels important. And I think I have seen this place somewhere else.] The sudden deafening roar of the guard echoed down the hallway and almost scared him to death. "Fu*k, don''t shout in the library. There was not enough time as Jiang Chen hid into the activity room, closed the door and locked it up. He leaned his body against the wall as held his breathe, while listening quietly to the movements outside the door. The footsteps did not come, surrounded by frightening silent as though the roar had never happened in the first place. In the silence, Jiang Chen heard his own rapid heartbeat. He let out a breath slowly as he moved away unhurriedly from the door and took out the terminal from his pocket. It''s already this time. Looking at the distinct number in the holographic screen, Jiang Chen gave a wry smile. Physics class was about to end. There was still no noise from outside the door, but Jiang Chen couldnt muster enough courage to step outside. After debating for a while, he left the door reluctantly. He was still a little scared; however, theres no use in going now since class was ending soon. A flat air conditioner hung in the corner of room, which was probably the most expensive device in the entire room. The interior looked very spacious with only a table and a chair. With the window sealed and being in the midst of summer, the temperature was tolerable outside the room, but felt like a furnace inside. Jiang Chen walked to the edge of the window and pressed the button to open it, but it wouldn''t budge. "Is it broken?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he surveyed the thick layer of dust on the window sill. It seemed like there hadnt been anyone here in a while, and there wasnt any sign of wind. He then gave up on opening the window and walked in front of the desk as he picked up a USB-shaped device at the corner of the table. "Activity room management access right seems to be... used like this?" Jiang Chen inserted the USB into the terminal and selected to open the air conditioner. All equipment in the school could be operated through the terminal, but it required an access right prior to using it. The access right could be granted through wireless connection, but some special room must be accessed through a physical device. For example, the electronic key at the corner of the table, when connected to the terminal, the user''s ID would be registered on the "whitelist", and then the user would be able to turn on the air conditioner through the terminal. Fortunately, the air conditioner was functional. A gust of cool air blasted through as Jiang Chen let out pleasant sigh. [I''ll wait until the class is over before leaving. That guard would probably be gone by then.] The only thing that bothered him was that he remembered that the guard should have access to all rooms. "Maybe he was too lazy to look for me by searching every room. Which dumba*s would be that bored..." Since he already decided to skip class, there was nothing to do outside, so he pulled out the chair under the table and sat on top as enjoyed the refreshing cold air. [Ah, it''s too hot outside, I really don''t want to go out.] Jiang Chen, who was bored out of his mind sitting on the bench, suddenly realized something was off. He abruptly stood up and patted his behind. "No dust?" Jiang Chen was stupefied, then he touched the table. There was also no dust [This doesnt make sense. Has anyone been here lately?] When he thought about it, he had a strange desire to explore since he had nothing better to do. He then opened the terminal and used access right to view the user record. "I''ve been the only person here for the past three months?" troubled by the words on the screen, he then extended the search to one year. Same result. "No one had used the activity room even when there was a celebration?" Jiang Chen tried to search for the memory in his head as he recalled the school''s annual celebration in first semester of grade 10. The directors at that time visited the school, and Wanghai Sixth High School did create some club events. [I remember that they used the activity rooms in the library I also seem to have been an "actor".] Jiang Chen could not think of an answer as his finger continued to scroll through the screen. This time he extended the search criterion to 55 years which was the maximum searchable time query. However... Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ With regards to all the confusions happening in the recent chapters, I pushed the release schedule ahead. Enjoy. 93 Colonels Diary Chapter 93: Colonel''s Diary Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ 2 October 2172, sunny Truth to be told, this planet is no longer suitable for human habitation, starting from the moment the Russian committed atrocities in Paris. These trivial complaints have no meaning coming from a man of my status. Being able to complain, after all, is a good thing since those 21 people in battalion next door couldnt even complain anymore. I remember Daniel, a young man who always likes to aim at people''s nuts and blew up his own guns, his DNA can''t even be found anymore in the aftermath of the war in Berlin. That damn guyyou still owe me a drink, dammit! Running into enemies, taking cover, shooting, calling for an airstrike, advancing continuouslyand praying to the priest. Every day is like a living hell. Despite having air advantage, the CCCP fire power was too fierce. When they finally tore their hypocritical facade and revealed their true nature, they started using nuclear weapons. Godda*n! Now, everyone''s life has been depreciated to ten dollars. Perhaps even less. That''s all for today. We''ll push towards Frankfort tomorrow. It was rumored that a nuclear is being set up there. I hope we can make it in time. God save me, may victory belong to NATO. - 3 October 2172, cloudy The plan was for my team to start with the tanks, storm the 141 Fort located in Frankfort, destroy the air defense missiles, then call an airstrike to bomb the nuclear silo. But things seem to have changed a little. My team had received a special mission for the time being. God save me, I hope my ominous feeling is wrong. - 6 October 2171, unknown? It''s hard to believe but I am aboard the x12 space station. In half an hour, we''ll be entering an airdrop pod and the destination is PAC''s Wanghai City. Dammit, it''s fu*king difficult to write in space. - 6 October 2171, cloudy, (added) I have seen the picture of Wanghai City before the war, and it seems to be a very beautiful place. But now it looks no different than Paris, at least along the coastline and downtown. Our Marine Corps will invade through the coastline, while we will infiltrate enemy territory through airdrop pod and mark strategic target to facilitate the shooting of the space-based weapon "God''s Cane". Particle barrier generator, air defense missiles, electromagnetic pulse cannon, nuclear power plants In short, mark anything that is worth destroying. Sounds easy? Perhaps although the moment the airdrop pod passed through the cloud of radiation, a rare chill went down my spine. - 7 October 2172, cloudy Goddamn*t, this is a living hell. There are PAC soldiers everywhere, armored vehicles, tanks andeven stranded soldiers from our side. It was a complete mess. Absolute madness, the moment the electromagnetic absorber was deactivated, the power armor would stall for a while. There are radiation and snipers everywhere. We can now only rely on sign language, and everyone acted like they were mute. How many nukes have been detonated here? Or do EMP ever stop? Im only worried that I have yet to receive communication from the headquarter. This point is of utmost important! If the team lost - 8 October 2172, rainy Terrible weather, the rain turned into a bad omen. We almost engaged in a skirmish with our own soldiers today. That''s right, across the street where no one could identify each other, and the communication device was in a state of failure. Fortunately, the crisis was averted as PACs tanks helped us to identity them, and then we worked together to solve the problem. They are the Marine Corps and they lost contacts shortly after landing. They followed the offline maps direction as they were supposed to reconvene with other 11 battalion soldiers here, but it seemed like were the only ones who made it. Lucky guys. I allowed them to join our mission temporarily as they didn''t even have anti-tank weapons. Death would be inevitable if they stay so might as well have them joined us. . With the help of light infantry, our vision would reach further since the life detection device is no longer functioning with EMP absorber being activated. - 9 October 2172, cloudy It seems that in addition to rain, it is also cloudy in here. This is strange. The battle has continued for 3 days already. The good thing is that the quality of the buildings is quite high in the center of the city. Despite being showered with nukes, we can still find buildings for cover. We continued to engage in skirmishes with PAC as there were more of us here in the city. Thats a good sign. Maybe well win the war another day? We almost cheer when we saw the tungsten rod fell from the sky and shattered the particle barrier generator into pieces. However...shortly afterwards our communications went back online. Our "God''s Cane" has been captured by PAC Space Corps? The fifth fleet suffered heavy losses? Retreat? Lost? Heck, how does one withdraw from the middle of the city? - 10 October 2172, partially cloudy (added) I was the only one left. James was done for, Zach has gone insane. Did PAC soldiers take pity on me? I was somehow expecting that when I got ripped out of the power armor, I would have been beaten, had my limbs broken, and finally be shot dead. But that doesnt seem likely. PAC soldier are very united, and under the directive of the commander, no one would dare breach it. Although the yellow monkey seems to want to cut my head off. In the end, he didnt do it though. I was familiar with that look of animosity, as if wanting to tear me apart. I can understand that perhaps what we did in school was over the top. But I can''t be blamed for that. Although I am a devout believer, my soldiers also need to relieve their stress. Maybe I should have stopped the guy in Georgia State? Come on, who cares? Everyones dead. - I was forced into a truck loaded with captives. There were plenty of people like us in there. Fortunately, they didn''t confiscate my diary or I would have gone insane. It is imperative to keep a diary. That''s right, its very important. I''ll try not to provoke the guy who escorted us as he already killed two unlucky fools. - 15 October 2171, sunny. We were brought to somewhere far away from the battlefront. There were a lot of mountains here, also a lot of tunnels, and some factories built underground. I settled down after seeing these because I knew I had no chance of ever returning. Exchange prisoners of war? Hehe, if I say this, would they let me go? The people in the truck was separated into two groups: one group to the North and one group to the South. I have a foreboding feeling that one group would die. Of course, we are all going to die in the end, I just pray that it won''t be an ugly death. After coming to the underground base, our faces were soon branded with barcodes and we got our own bed. Mhmm...this place is a bit like a concentration camp. Thank God, my diary is not confiscated. - 17 November 2172, unknown I don''t know what the weather on the surface is because we haven''t seen the sun in a long time. Are they still fighting out there? Or has the war stopped? Of course, we are already deemed "dead", so even if the war ended, Im afraid we cant return home. The work isn''t hard but it is rather boring and we get beaten a lot. Someone tried to run but was apparently killed. We are incarcerated along with the federal death row prisoners. The guy, who slept above me, was a political prisoner. He was very thin with little hair left on his head. He talked to me in English and asked me if I believed in God. I said I don''t or rather I believed in him before. He didn''t mind as he continued to chat about other things. To be honest, I was quite disgusted with any topics related to political point of view. But he seemed to become increasingly more frustrated. Thank God, he got shot not long after. - 21 November 2172, unknown There are dead people being dragged away every day, however, there are more people being brought in. Maybe the war is about to end? After all, there are less familiar faces and more Asian faces are being brought in. But what made me unsettled is that I spotted some Slavs from the latest batch of captives. Did PAC and CCCP go to war as well? Luckily, thats a great news for NATO. However, how long will a war of this level last? - 25 December 2172, unknown (maybe it is snowing?) Today is Christmas without Christmas tree and candles, and buttery cornmeal porridge. I don''t believe in God, but I still prayed devoutly and pray to my diary. My inmate said I am crazy, I disagreed. Someone had tried to steal my diary, I beat him to a pulp. I broke his nose, and we were both taken in. I left the journal under my pillow but no one dared to touch it. Perhaps I scared them? I trust that they are all unafraid of deathme neitherbut I believe that no one wants to die. No can beat me here. I am a special force, while they are all political prisoners. Suckers. - 6 May 2173, unknown I am not sure if it was earthquake or airstrike. Its probably an airstrike. Everyone quivered at the corner but I didn''t. I read the journal from the beginning again. I didn''t have time to write every day. Most of the time, I only left a date. It was hard to find a pen, so if there was nothing special, I choose to leave it blank. The barrage lasted for a long time, but it stopped eventually. Someone mentioned relocating and I smiled. Where to? - 14 June 2173, cloudy The day of relocation came. Unfortunately, I wasnt welcome by the sun. It was snowing outside, and the sky was covered with radiation dust. Is this what they called nuclear winter? Being able to see snow in summer was quite an experience. The soldiers guarding us all wore protective suit, but we only wore a jacket. They didn''t plan on using us for a long as they only gave us an iodine chip. We were still left in the truck. When I left, I was surprised to find out that few mountains have gone missing. Or should I say, became pits. I remember that''s where the group of people from the North headed to work. - 20 June 2173, sunny Surprisingly, today is sunny. Amazingly, I returned to Wanghai City. Order seems to have been restored here as there are already some citizens living in rural areas. Of course, they didnt look well, probably the unlucky people that didn''t manage to hide in shelters. At any rate, this is a good sign that the war is over. Or at the very least, a ceasefire. Still it has nothing with us. I was escorted into an underground survival base or a research facility? This is because survival base wouldn''t open in less than a year which should be the same in every country. A man in a white lab coat welcomed me and smiled at me, but I only felt chill in my hands and feet. Its as though he was looking at a white mouse? Insane, this is insane. For the first time, I experience real fear. Dammit! - I cant remember the time, unknown. The diary was confiscated. Ripped into pieces. But so what, I memorized everything. - They are crazy. Do they think they can create XXXX like this? (Scratched out) Wait, why am I still normal? - Well, now its certain that they are insane. If someone sees this diary, everything would have been worthwhile. I tried to leave something behind, but it was futile. All clues will be hidden. But I still firmly believe that there are smart people out there who will find the clue. Why am I still conscious? Why hasnt it been erased? I should have been dead. Well, before I die, I hope that Asian girl will forgive me for my sins... that''s probably not going to happen though. (Colonel George''s final words, pays tribute to the NATO flag) - Jiang Chen''s hands and feet felt cold after reading it. There must be something thats missing, but what was it exactly? This wasnt normal...no, what was normal? Inside the drawer, there was a gun lying next to the diary. Revolver! Hand trembling, Jiang Chen swallowed after finally picking up the firearm. Feeling the cold metal texture, he unloaded the magazine. The copper colored metal bullets burned his eyes. It''s a real gun! Inside the drawer in the activity room of the school library! What the hell is this place? And not to mention the insane Colonel''s Diary. It''s only year 2171, how would the journal spoke of something from the year 2173? Waittime travel? Jiang Chen felt an onslaught of headache. He clutched his forehead and sat back on the chair. His head was a mess. It''s as though everything was a dj vu, but he couldn''t explain where the feeling came from. [Am I forgetting something?] Jiang Chen frowned he tried to search for every nook and cranny of his memory in the hope of finding clues. But he didn''t even know what the clue was. From learning how to speak when he was a baby, to his elementary education, and then his junior highup until this moment. Every piece of memory was so vivid. Where''s the problem? [Wait, why is it so clear? I can even remember the details of changing diaper?] Thinking of this, Jiang Chen suddenly blanked out, he felt he had grasped onto something, but he must have missed a detail, just a tiny bit. It was at this time that he suddenly heard an unexpected knock. "Are you in there?" An abrupt but gentle voice struck at Jiang Chen''s heart like a hammer Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ With regards to all the confusions happening in the recent chapters, I pushed the release schedule ahead. Enjoy. 94 Fear from the Sky Chapter 94: Fear from the Sky Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Chapter 94: Fear from the Sky "Are you in there?" Tingtings voice came through. Just as Jiang Chen was about to open his mouth, his throat felt like it was stuck with cotton known as fear. He lifted his terminal slowly. <4:25 pm> [There were still 15 minutes left before the class ends, so how can she be in here? Thats really strange. Even if the sports instructor wants her to find me, why would she go to the activity room? Its as if] "I know. Ive been watching you for a long time." Suddenly, the two familiar but surreal confessions surfaced in his head. A frightening thought crept into his mind. being watched? A drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead as Jiang Chen held his breath. He didnt even dare to make a sound. Instinct told him that there must be something wrong, but he couldnt explain where the problem came from. [Tingting is a stalker? How is that possible? But she is so graceful wait, graceful? It seems that it was her who took the initiative to push me down yesterday. Usually, she would be reading under the window but today] Jiang Chen searched through todays memory. Yao Tingtings watching him, being engrossed in her terminal, paying attention to class, watching him smile... A disquieting feeling crept all over his body. "I heard there''s a ghost at the ground floor of the library. Have you seen it?" The knocking sound was light, but it pierced through his heart like a hammer. He couldnt explain the reason, but his instincts told him that terrible things would happen if he opened the door this time. Jiang Chen let the beads of sweat rolled across his face as he sat there motionlessly. He looked at the drawer where the gun was, but it failed to bring him even a scant trace of security. Like drums playing, the pace of knocking seemed to increase and grew louder. All of a sudden, a violent, smashing sound transmitted through the door. The frantic, smashing sound made every single one of Jiang Chens muscles tightened due to tension, and his facial expression morphed into a stunned expression. The sound, however, suddenly came to an abrupt stop. followed by the sound of fading footsteps. [Has he given up?] Jiang Chen let out a sigh of relief. He then touched his chest and felt a wet sensation from his hand. It was then that he figured out that his body was drenched in sweat without even realizing it. "Now that I think about it, the uncomfortable feeling came from the robot yesterday morning. No, to be precise, it should be during that morning class" Jiang Chen realized something. Yes, it was at that time when the entire class was staring at him. His heart responded with an eerie feeling known as Uncanny Valley effect. [Could it beall the students are robots?] An odd expression appeared on his face as he thought that the very idea was preposterous. Why? He grew up with Zhao Peng together, Qian Han, who was sitting in front even gave him a love letter, and Yao Tingting Jiang Chen suddenly frowned. Where did all the books that Yao Tingting always read go? BOOM! The violent tremor almost threw him on the ground as the window produced a loud, sharp sound. He got up hurriedly, ran to the window and discovered a shocking scene. A blue light hit the dome protecting this city. The light blue particle disintegrated followed by the thinning air membrane. There was no sound as the concave barrier opened a gap in the center and the blue light faded away. Suddenly, countless numbers of dense, black dots dropped from the sky, each carrying a trail of air waves behind. Those were NATOs airdrop soldiers, as well as the bombs used to disguise them. It was, however, at this moment that the ground fired a series of orange flare missiles to the ground. It was the anti-aircraft missiles stationed in the city A loud rumble fell from the sky and a series of explosions filled the sky with bright sparks. The deafening air defense alarm broke the city sky accompanied by the cry and scream from the distant street, which woke Jiang Chen up from his stupor. Not even a single warning. "It''s s a fuck*ng war! This cant be happening..." He looked at the sky, terrified. Jiang Chen retreated from the window and rushed outside the door. The news already announced that when the air defense alarm got triggered, everyone should immediately go to the nearest defense shelter, and the sanctuary would be forcefully closed once it reached the right time and go into a dormant mode. Jiang Chen didnt have time to get confused as his priority was to stay alive. He glanced at the table before he left the activity room; he gritted his teeth and reluctantly sprinted downstairs. There was a gun on the table, but he didnt think it would bring him any semblance of security. If he really encountered a NATO soldier, hes afraid that it would be more dangerous to wield a gun. Moreover, according to the rules of war, they usually didnt shoot civilians. Not only it was a waste of bullets, it was also quite troublesome He tried to comfort himself as he dashed down the stairs towards the gate of the school and ran for his life. At this time, however, a massive explosion broke out in the sky in the distance from the center of the city. He felt the scorching heat wave despite the distance of 100 km away. Mushroom cloud. It was a nuclear bomb! "Fu*k." Jiang Chen stared at the orange mushroom cloud and the falling black dots with quivering eyes. BOOM! The intense shockwave almost blew him away. He tried to raise his arm to cover his face. From the rapid airflow of the cylindrical airdrop pods came out several soldiers in power armor. There was simply no room for escape. Jiang Chen''s shoulders relaxed, signaling that he had given up, and his face gave way to a wry smile. Why was his reaction so calm, even he himself didnt have any ideas. The last thing he saw was a gun barrel. - BOOM! Struggling to open his eyes, the first thing Jiang Chen saw was the wooden floor of the gymnasium. He realized he was thrown on the ground. He struggled to stand uphis chest and joint throbbed in pain, but he couldnt let out a sound because of fear. The gym was filled with people, students, and teachers Everyones terrified face had hopelessness written all over them as NATO soldiers circled around. The cold barrels were ominous. No one dared to make a sound as they quietly watched Jiang Chen who was thrown on the ground. "Jiang Chen, are you okay?" Yao Tingting anxiously hurried to his side. He felt the body temperature enveloping him as he exerted all his effort to open his puffy eyes. He caught a glimpse of graceful face fraught with tears. "Tingting? Yourealso here?" "Mhmm! What, how are you?" The silvery voice was tearful. He felt the softness touching the swell on his face as he forced out a smile. He wanted to lift his hand to wipe off her tears, comfort her, and embrace her, however "Drag that girl over here." "Yes." Two soldiers in power armors walked over. "Let me go! Ah" "What are you doing!" Jiang Chen watched the person forcefully drag Yao Tingting away from him in horror. "Jiang Chen, save me! No!" Jiang Chen desperately tried to his hold on her, but he was met with a boot on his face. The kick almost made him lose his consciousness again. In the corner of Jiang Chens blurry eyes, he saw the soldiers who dragged Yao Tingting away took off his mask. It was a pale, devil-like face that was currently mocking him. "Listen up, hostagesthats right, you guys are all hostagesyour so-called Holy Barrier System has already been broken by our space-based weapon. Dont count on being rescued, stay there obediently, and pray that your fathers wont blow you up as well." The person standing at the stadium of the gym seemed to be the leader of the squad as he was using the loudspeaker of the power armor. "Tingting"Jiang Chen struggled to crawl to the figure being dragged away. "Boss, this girl is quite pretty. It would be a pity if we hang her outside. Hehe, what if" The white soldier had a leery grin as he held the girl up. He seemed to be pleased by her frightened appearance and almost sobbing figure. Another soldier also took off the armor mask and exposed a black face and white teeth. "Are all people from Georgia (State in the UA) perverted like this? But sir, I do agree with his point of view, hehe" What are you trying to do! Jiang Chens heart suddenly ached. He bit his lips as he struggled to stand up to his feet, however, his woozy head kept him unstable. "No" A shrill cry resounded throughout the gym. Seeing the commander nodded, the soldier then tore the white floral dress apart In front of everyone. "Stop!" Jiang Chen opened his mouth as his finger almost penetrated through the hard wooden floor. His bloodshot eyes were ferocious. However, it wasnt him who screamed out. Was that Zhao Peng? "No!" Jiang Chen reached out his hand to his childhood friend in horror. BANG! Smoke floated from the muzzle. "Beautiful, man! Bulls-eye!" "Hahaha." The soldier heard his comrades compliment before he made an exaggerated shooting gesture at the crowd. He was gratified to see the crowd screaming and scrambling backward in terror. "Dont, dont come over." Yao Tingting shrunk back on the ground as she tried to use the torn pieces of clothes to cover her naked body. The white soldier with perverted smile strapped the gun to his waist as he walked towards Yao Tingting who was scampering backward. "Dont worry, well do it one by one." "Jiang Chen, save me! Jiang Chen Wooo" The young, beautiful Chinese teacher from next class stood up, her expression wore a decided humiliated expression. She was trembling but refused to flinch. "Let the girl go, Ill take her place." The black soldier standing on the sidelines laughed, and then came and grabbed her by the collar, ignoring her scrambling limbs due to her difficulty in breathing and threw her on the stadium. "You guys can go together. We have plenty of brothers here." Eyes filled with sorrow. Dead eyes without the soul. And dilated pupils because of the shocking horror. Blood covered every single inch of Jiang Chens eyes. At this time, however, an unprecedented clarity he had never experienced before eradicated all the tyrannical emotions in his heart. "Hehe are you guys done fooling around?" Jiang Chen closed his eyes carelessly. He struggled to shift and then sat on the ground. His mouth curled up into a sneer and his eyes regained its tranquility. "The secret teller?" Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ I have officially set up a Patreon. Support me at https://www.patreon.com/mpaw This is a bonus chapter from me and the editors. Enjoy~ 95 The Imperfection in the Perfect Plan Chapter 95: The Imperfection in the Perfect Plan Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ [Fury: Muscle Strength +20, Reflex +19, Brain Cell Strength +17. Special ability: Killer instinct, the ability to perceive the location of the heart with any of the five senses.] He didn''t expect to enter right here. Jiang Chen coldly scanned the bodies without red dots, ignoring the pairs of lifeless eyes staring at him, and finally stopping his sight on Yao Tingting. Zhao Peng lying in the pool of blood, the teacher struggling on the ground beneath the soldiers, the students, even the soldiers... No heart. Everyone was a sham, as though they were nothing but an empty shell. Including Yao Tingting. "Oh? How did you figure it out?" Yao Tingting paused for a moment before a smile erupted on her face and stood up naked. It was a peculiar sighta smiling girl standing while naked. Beside her was the monster with a ferocious expression about to bring her down to the ground, but the monster was cemented in mid-air. He looked into Yao Tingting''s eyes dispassionately and said, "Because I have an annoying ability, and you happen to have no heart." Yao Tingting was momentarily stunned before revealing her signature smile again. She then raised her delicate finger and drew in the air, and a holographic screen appeared out of thin air beside her body. "Hmmm... so that''s how it is. Increase in three body stats and a skill that can "see" the heart? This isnt a friendly bug." A peculiar smile curved on her mouth as she examined the stats on the panel. "Hehe, although I had formed a variety of conjectures, never would I have thought that..this is a game, right?" Jiang Chen gazed at the beautiful yet pure face as he squeezed the words out of his mouth, "The secret teller, huh?" Just now, he finally understood the question that had been plaguing him. The effect of Brain Cell Strength +17 as the result of was not an increase in intelligence but rather to break through the barrier in his memory and regained his consciousness. "Oh, almost but not quite. I am the secret protector. Perhaps it''s time for the next round?" Yao Tingting clapped her hands in delight. The secret protector? There were actually two "people"? The occasional explosion in the sky suddenly stopped, and the war outside came to a halt with the sound of the clap. The colors of the world began to fade starting from the corner of the stadium as bits and pieces dissipated gradually. "Do you intend to continue this boring game?" Jiang Chen sneered as he said with disdain. "Why not?" The silvery laughter sounded disturbing. "I am looking forward to your next round of performance." After looking at Jiang Chen one last time, Yao Tingting faded along with everything in that world. Really? He looked at the interdimensional bracelet on his wrist. The bracelet''s ability was not copied into this world, so there was no way to return to the modern world in the game. [I just have to rely on other means to break through the game...] The floor was already disintegrating as Jiang Chen silently watched his body along with the fragments dissipate into the abyss... - 11 June 2171, summer The diary only had dates in it, and no other texts had been written in it. He felt a slight dizziness as though he had just taken a nap, and everything that just happened was like a reverie. Dropping down the pen, Jiang Chen looked around the "familiar" room. "Fury is still in effect." "Could it be because of the increase in Brain Cell Strength that my memory was not erased?" He faintly closed his eyes as he searched for the clues in his memory. Memory before entering the game was retained, the N cycle memory was saved, and the N-1 cycle memory was missing. When he opened his eyes, his line of sight caught the diary to the electronic clock on the table. <7:37 pm> "So, this is the starting point of the game. Then, all previous memories should be false." In reality, it didn''t feel good to negate the realistic memory one by one. It''s as if you''re living a great life, then one night you had a nightmare, a mysterious figure told you that the world in the dream was the reality, and when you woke up you''d go into a virtual world. "Yao Tingting is the secret protector. No, to be more accurate, she should have been replaced by a secret at some point..." That book was a clue, and Jiang Chen desperately searched for the details in his memory. [It appears that when I shared the "spoiler," the secret guardian noticed the discrepancy. It was just a sense of dj vu, but it had thought that I "recovered my memory"?] It seemed that from that point on, the book in Yao Tingting''s hands disappeared. That person had been replaced since then. [So if this is the case, it suspected that I woke up from the hypnotism, so it replaced Yao Tingting''s identity and joined the game as a participant?] Therefore, anyone could be the secret protector. [Wait, what''s the point of this game?] Frowning, he sat quietly on the desk as he recalled the diary in the activity room on the second floor of the library. And Yao Tingting''s words: "I know. I have been paying attention to you." The identity of the Informant and the secret protector... All the clues strung together like a key and opened the lock in his heart. The corner of his mouth slighting raised up as he leaned back on the chair. [That diary should be the key to breakthrough the game. No wonder the Secret Guardian always tried to keep me away from the library. Whenever I approach the library, it would see all kinds of method to stop me.] Whether it was the so-called ghost in the library or the furious guard. What the secret protector didn''t know, however, was that the more it tried to cover up something, the more suspicious he became. It can be said that its constant attempt to stop him actually pushed him to where the truth was located. Even it wiped the memory in his head, it can''t wipe the strong feeling of dj vu. [Where did I see this before? Did I seem to be here before? I have experienced this before...] Whether it was the drama airing or the opened activity room, everything had the feeling of dj vu. Perhaps he was there N-x week ago, but because there was no memory retention; therefore, it ignorantly entered into the next cycle. could perhaps seal the memory and remove the clues, but it cannot remove the constant feeling of dj vu, in the end, this feeling led to finding the evidence he searched for in the previous cycle. And then because the N''s cycle led him into , all the evidence was saved to the N+1 week. If he didn''t manage to jump out of the loop, the game would probably go on and on. "Hehe, what kind of game is this, this is absolutely insane." [A game designed for the purpose of an experiment. It inhumanely put people into the game like a lab rat. Then simulate the plot, collect data, therefore, allowing the intermediate artificial intelligence to evolve into advanced artificial intelligence? Is this the experiment that the Colonel mentioned in his diary?] Jiang Chen thought calmly. [There was still a lot of suspicions. For example, the secret protector is the absolute controller of the game, then I wouldn''t be able to beat it at any rate. But the peculiar cleaning robots, the opened activity room, the diary left as a clue, these obvious bugs are not removed after countless amount of cycles but had been completely preserved. The secret protector even had to interfere with my actions by actively intervening with the plot to prevent me from getting close to the library.] In conclusion, the secret protector''s power in the game is similar to that of a Game Master, but it cannot change the game itself. Also, if the purpose of the game was to allow it to evolve into an advanced AI by observing humans and collecting data, it wouldn''t make sense if it was granted the power to change the game. A good analogy would be: if the measuring data is "unattractive," and someone manually added one or two zeroes in an experiment, then it wouldn''t be considered as an experiment anymore. Its power was limited and not invincible. Jiang Chen picked up its pen, drew three circles in the diary, and labeled it separately: Safe Zone, Neutral Zone, and Danger Zone. "If I perform "illogical" action, then everyone would look at me like I''m a "robot," because of the confused thinking, which will automatically trigger the "Uncanny Valley" effect. The intermediate artificial intelligence may have analysis ability, but too much calculation will result in "lag"? Or "confusion"? On the contrary, basic AI can only respond logically and can''t t think, so it does not produce "confusion" and the like. So, NPC should be made up of low-level AI''s?" Jiang Chen mumbled to himself as he labeled the school as Danger Zone. The activity room on the second floor of the library should be the Safe Zone because Yao Tingting couldn''t enter it. Jiang Chen wrote it in the Safe Zone. [Should NATO invasion be considered as an event? Also, to collect data, the Secret Guardian should be in control of the "switch" to advance the plot, otherwise, repeating the same cycle would just result in similar data.] It was an important point, so Jiang Chen jotted it down in his diary. He pulled out the drawer and saw two movie tickets. A smile appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. "If there is no irregularity, then the plot should be: asking her out, confession, watching a movie, possible sex, NATO invasion. It simulated the first love to completed devastation. In this case, any of the scene that could trigger the plot should belong to Danger Zone under the absolute control of the Secret Guardian ." Yao Tingting''s home and the movie theater he has yet to visit were categorized under the Danger Zone. Because of the incomplete plot in the last cycle, a lot of clues became available Jiang Chen scanned the room and wrote "Protagonist''s Home" under the Safe Zone area. "The street should be a Neutral Zone, whereby it lacks the ability to trigger plot." He flipped his pen and wrote street under the Neutral Zone before he lifted his eyes to look at the digital clock. <8:07 pm> It already exceeded the maximum duration of half an hour limit, but has yet to be deactivated. Therefore, the passage of time in the game is unequal to the passage of time in real world. In terms of efficiency, the longer the user experienced in the game, the shorter the time passed in reality so the data gathered in the real world time frame will be more... [Perhaps that I already experienced N cycles, but it may only be a few seconds in reality? With the processing speed of the advanced computer, that is absolutely a possibility; however, it would put a lot of strain on the mind.] Thinking of this, Jiang Chen let out a breath of relief. The time he agreed on with Sun Jiao was two hours, and if he had been here for a month or two already, he was afraid that it would be then too late to return to the ground.] [Speaking of that, by letting me activate, that talkative thing still expects itself to win?] The tip of his lips curled up on his mouth. That''s right, in a game that relied on hypnotism, Brain Cell Strength was a huge bug. Hypnotism would no longer be effective on him. [From here on in, the "game" officially begins.] Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Another chapter from us. This arc will be finishing soon! 96 Inescapable Chapter 96: Inescapable Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Jiang Chen opened the door. "There''s not much difference between day and night. If I am consistently being monitored, then even selecting daytime would not increase my chances of winning. Or maybe, it is safer in the day since the majority of the people will be in their home, and there would be less pawns that the secret protector could use." He went downstairs and saw the cleaning robot. It still gave off the same hollow look that instinctively produced a disquieting feeling. [The cleaning robot left the first clue, so it should be considered "friendly"? Although he didn''t know who left this clue, but presumably, it wasn''t on the secret protector''s side,] Jiang Chen thought as he walked past the robot and turned back. The robot was looking at another direction. "South? Is there something over there? There was also another cleaning robot in front of the library. In the N cycle, it blocked the security guard for me." Jiang Chen looked south, but the tall buildings blocked his view. From the general direction, it should be located in the center of the city. "Wait a minute, when Yao Tingting took me away from the library, the robot at the door also appeared to be looking at the same direction after exchanging eye contact with me." Suddenly, Jiang Chen realized this clue and his face turned exulted. He then walked to the robot that seemed to be lagging. He took out the terminal, followed the robot''s direction, and drew a line on the map. The line skidded across the boundary of the town center. "There is also another robot in front of the library door. With only two-line intersection, it would be difficult to guess the accurate location on the map. Therefore, there must be another robot. With three-line intersection, it would be able to pinpoint and mark a possible area. There should be something in there that could help me beat the game. But where is the third robot?" Jiang Chen frowned. [The N cycle plot was incomplete with this logic.] He put his hand into his pocket and grabbed the two movie tickets, his face then lit up with a triumphant smile. "In front of the movie theater? That should be right." If nothing happened, the two movie tickets should serve its purpose on the third day. But the secret protector''s intervention forced the plot to advance and even introduced a huge move of canceling the holiday. This made the movie plot never occurred and triggered the sex scene. [I see.] Without hesitation, Jiang rushed to the nearest subway and then headed downtown. He sprinted out of the subway, jogged across two streets and stopped in front of the movie theater, gasping for air. It was that cleaning robot, and it was looking straight into his eyes. Then, it looked away... Southwest! He pulled out his terminal again and drew a line on the map. Without stopping for a moment, he then returned to the subway and caught the last train. Breathlessly, Jiang Chen sat on the cold, hard chair. He looked around the empty train and looked at the time. <9:39 pm> [It''s already this late?] The train arrived at the station as Jiang Chen quickly rushed to the school''s direction and stopped in front of the school gate. [The school is considered as Danger Zone, so going directly to the activity room on the second floor...will be pretty difficult.] Troubled by the thought, he looked around and looked up. [I''m afraid that the Secret Guardian must be closely monitoring my move, and just waiting to make a move as soon as I enter...] Thinking of this, his face showed a wry smile. Jiang Chen took a deep breath and after observing the height of the gate, he rushed towards the door. [If it had been before, two meters would be unreachable but...] Jiang Chen leaped easily across the gate. The increase in muscle strength due to was perfectly replicated within the game; indeed, the game data is based on physical data in the real world. The shrill alarm sounded instantly. Having predicted that this would happen, he cursed and rushed to the direction of the library. "Stop!" It was the security guard! Jiang Chen ignored him, knowing full well that with his current muscle strength, no one would be able to catch up to him. Even if all the "units" in the school were pawns of the Secret Guardian, it shouldn''t be able to change the body stats of the characters. It took less than ten seconds for Jiang Chen to outran the security by 100 meters from the security room. Then, he spotted the cleaning robot at the door. Southeast! With a rough view from the street light, Jiang Chen did not slow down the slightest as he slammed into the glass door of the library. "Warning! Security system activated." 100 meters more! The metal gate of the library started closing, and Jiang Chen, who noticed this, gritted his teeth and accelerated. He turned around and maintained his velocity and smashed into the closed glass door. CRASH! The glass door was smashed into pieces. At the last possible second, Jiang Chen broke into the library with the metal gate behind firmly shut. Jiang Chen felt the painful cut from his arms, legs and face but didn''t have time to tend to his wounds. Ignoring the glass shards on the floor, he scrambled to his feet and continued towards the stairs. Second floor. End of the hallway. Activity room! The door is shut! Jiang Chen slammed the door, but the door remained firmly shut. Did it close after the security system got activated? "Damn! How could it be like this!" Jiang Chen desperately beat down the door. [Could it be the activity room door is closed at night? That''s impossible... What should I do!] "Haha, where are you going to run now, you bloody thief!" the security guard''s frightening voice from the other end of the hallway made him drenched in cold sweat. "Fu*k, how did you get in with the metal door being shut?] Jiang Chen swore in his mind, but since it was not the time to think about it, he quickly forced himself to calm down. With a start, he suddenly remembered that he had acquired an access to the terminal using the electronic key on the desk when he turned on the air conditioner with it. [No, after the timeline is reset, the access should also be removed... Wait a minuteif the activity room is a special place, then the "whitelisted" ID''s will probably be retained even after the timeline reset!] Jiang Chen didn''t hesitate anymore after seeing the twisted and hideous face along with the taser in his hand from the end of the corridor. He took out the terminal, connected to the local network, and opened the electronic lock. CLICK. The light sound was like an angel''s voice to Jiang Chen as his heart turned ecstatic. Then, he rushed to the door and slammed it shut. DONG! The frustrated kicking sound was transmitted through the door. Just as he thought, the room''s existence was rather unique, a place similar to the "backdoor" of the game. As for the reason for its existence and why the was kept in here, everything still remained a mystery. However, he had a hunch that he was getting closer to the truth. At the same time, a white light pierced the night sky and light up the entire city. Jiang Chen quickly went to the window and looked at the bright sky with astonishment. The bright, white light fell down like rain drops as they left ripples on the city''s dome. The deafening explosion soon followed as the "Holy Barrier System" protecting Wanghai was broken through. [What kind of energy weapon is this?] There was no time to hesitate, Jiang Chen rushed towards the table, opened the drawer, and picked up the pistol inside. A violent explosion came from the outside and made the window viciously vibrate. Was that an airdrop pod? Jiang Chen was alarmed by the explosion coming from downstairs. It should be NATO soldiers forcing their way in. Looking at the gun in his hand, he suddenly realized the purpose of the gun. Jiang Chen took a final glance at the triangle area where the three lines intersected on the map. He disengaged the safety and loaded the gun. He raised the gun and aimed the muzzle at his own temple; a grim smile appearing on his lips. BANG! 97 Zombie Invasion Chapter 97: Zombie Invasion Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ How much courage would it take to shoot your own head? The question was quite complicated and would depend on the situation. Despite knowing that this was a game, the "memory" of growing up would still be vivid. How would you describe this feeling? Well, imagine this: you''ve been living a good life, then one day, you suddenly had the urge to question the authenticity of the world as there was an extra bit of memory added. Despite being fully confident that the newly added memory was the real memory and all the previous memories were fake. And now you had an idea that as long you as die, you could escape the game and return to the real world. There was no pain. It''s just like closing his eyes for a while. Jiang Chen woke up from the "dream" again. <7:37 pm> At that moment, however, his hand was not holding a pen but rather a black revolver. "Looks like you can''t escape the game through death... Make sense, if it''s that easy to escape then the easiest way would be to jump down from the window." Jiang Chen let out a self-deprecating smile and glanced outside the window. The pistol following him after death was a huge BUG. Jiang Chen played with the gun in his hands and unloaded the magazine. 16 roundsthe magazine was full again, so this gun should also play a "role". Although he didn''t know how it happened, it appeared that the bullets were being replenished after every reset of the game. With the gun stuffed in his pocket, Jiang Chen opened the bedroom door, passed through the living room and headed towards the door. It was already night time but there shouldn''t be no difference inside the game. He pulled out his terminal and opened the map. The position marked by the triangle was gone, but he firmly remembered it. The Xinpu Hospital in the northern district. He put the terminal away and rushed to the direction of the subway. <8:07 pm> There were only a few pedestrians in the subway. Perhaps it was because the situation was a bit tense recently, everyone avoided traveling. After the rush hour, only few people could be seen in the subway. Sitting on a cold chair and waiting for the train to slowly accelerate, Jiang Chen sighed as he looked at the small TV on the wall. The host was cracking jokes with his assistants and the audience was all laughing; he, however, couldn''t smile. [If everything is fake, then what about the memory of these past 17 years? Am I too deep into this?] Jiang Chen shook his head and touched the gun in his pocket. The cold, metallic feeling gave him a trace of comfort. Not only could he integrate into another world, but he even acquired another set of memory. Even after experiencing death a countless number of times, only seconds passed by in reality. Had the future of technology and science been developed to this extent? Or rather had it already been terrifying to this point? He somehow felt a little despondent at the moment and gave a wry smile. He just wanted to end this bloody game, and then return the memory that wasn''t his back to the server. CreaK! The light suddenly went out without warning, and the carriage shook violently. As soon as it happened, Jiang Chen immediately reached out his hands and grabbed the handrail beside him. Jiang Chen''s muscles stretched violently as the pain almost made him broke his teeth, but his hands grasping the handrail did not let go. "Ah!" The passengers, who didn''t keep their balance, began to fall as they smashed into the front of the train like thin paper. PA! Blood covered his line of sight. Enduring his churning stomach, the forceful pulling almost made his eyes burst, and the veins on his arm were about the explode. BOOM! The force was so strong that eventually, Jiang Chen could not hold on anymore and fiercely crashed into heaps of dead body. A trail of gruesome sparks flashed across the window. The train appeared to have a rear-end collision. It crashed into the rear of a preceding train and derailed with it. Jiang Chen frantically scrambled to his feet. He dragged his dizzy head and hit the emergency door release button, however, the door failed to open. [Has the emergency circuit been destroyed too?] "Damn!" He couldn''t think for long because if he delayed any longer, another train would have come from behind... While shivering, he took out the terminal in pain. He pulled out the cord beside the emergency exit button and connected it to the terminal. Fortunately, it was still functional. After gaining access, Jiang Chen hurriedly pressed the release button and unlocked the access to the safety hammer through the direct connection. Jiang Chen gritted his teeth as he took out the red safety hammer from the partition wall. He used his entire body''s strength to smash the window. A layer of white mist along the hammer spread from the point of impact. Another swing. CRUSH! The double-pane window was smashed into pieces as white mist burst forth. Just as Jiang Chen was about to climb out of the window, he felt a hand grabbed his leg. He turned around and saw a woman with dreadful face and pale, white eyes, and then she opened her badly mutilated mouth. He swung his hammer and smashed the woman''s head into pieces. [Fu*k? Zombies?] "This time it''s a biochemical plot." It appeared that the plot that Secret Guardian could trigger was not limited to NATO invasion. There was no time to think as Jiang Chen noticed that there were some limbs twitching in the heap of bloody corpse. He carried the safety hammer in his hand, jumped out of the window, rolled on the ground, and climbed onto the platform on the other side. SCREECH! From afar came a screeching sound; it was another train! Jiang Chen desperately ran 100 meters outside the underground tunnel exit. Almost as soon as he had just turned into the groove on the wall of the tunnel, there was another explosion behind him. The broken parts left screeching noise on the concrete wall. The train twisted into a ball as the door plate broke off and embedded into the wall not far away behind Jiang Chen. Jiang Cheng suppressed the violent throbbing of his heart. He pulled the sliding door with all his strength, but the door didn''t budge. Another swing. The door didn''t break, but the concrete holding the door was shattered by his brute force. Jiang Chen pushed the door down and followed the zigzag shaped stairs and quickly ran outside. When he opened the security door and stepped on the ground, the scene that greeted him stunned him. Like a scene straight from an apocalypse. The entire street was in mayhem: cars collided into each other or exploded or broke down on the road. The entire area was a mess. Horrified screams came one after another. People fought...or more accurately, zombies were hunting the fleeing humans. The pairs of pale, white eyes were much more frightening under the light. Occasionally, there were people who would smash the window open and frantically jump out, but their fate was either to fall to their death or to be devoured by the zombies below. "Hungry" Jiang Chen felt a sudden chill on his back as he turned around and found a zombie was heading towards him. He didn''t think as he swung the hammer, then the zombie''s head flew out like a golf ball. Suppressing the nausea, Jiang Chen hurriedly took out the map to verify his location. He was only two streets north of the hospital. Fortunately, the train collision was close to the destination. After confirming his location, he immediately ran to the other side of the street. Zombies were stronger during night time. The night devoid of UV lights couldn''t restrict its fighting prowess. Of course, these zombies were still within the first stage of mutation. The useless fat was still attached to the body. In a few years time, once the zombies metamorphosed the body fats into dense muscles, their speed would be more than double. However, there was no use talking about this as even "fresh" zombies would be impossible to defeat once they banded together. Jiang Chen smashed another zombie in front of him before jumping on top of the car. Before he got surrounded by the zombies, he hopped on another car three meters away. Jiang Chen''s shoes left a huge dent on the roof. Not stopping to take a look, he then landed on another vehicle. With the power of , the distance was nothing to him, and by hopping on the vehicles, he narrowly escaped from the zombie-infested street. His feet landed heavily on the concrete ground before the howling zombies could swarm around him. His hammer swung and killed off two zombies as he desperately ran to the direction of the hospital. 100 meters! 20 meters! He darted to the stairs in front of the door. The hall was infested with zombies. Fortunately, it was night time so there weren''t many people in the hallway. With a couple of dim lights, he could roughly make out the situation inside the hall. There were few women in nurse clothes rushing towards him with gaping bloody mouth. Jiang Chen gritted his teeth as he motioned his already sore arm muscles to make another hit. It shattered the zombies into pieces; however, another zombie rushed towards him from the side and attacked him. "Fu*k! Ah..." His left arm was firmly bitten. It was the first time that he had been made keenly aware of the danger of zombies. The zombies were beginning to circle him. Jiang Chen kicked the zombies away and took out the revolver. BANG! The bullet penetrated the zombies head. BANG! Jiang Chen''s facial muscles twisted because of the pain in his left arm, but he resisted the pain while shooting with his right hand and scrambling towards the safety hammer. He put the pistol in his pocket and picked up the safety hammer from the ground. He glanced at the fallen zombies on the floor as he spat fiercely on the ground, and then... Jiang Chen was momentarily lost. He''s at the hospital but what now? Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Looking to finishing the arc this weekend, there will be one more bonus chapter today! 98 Dead End Chapter 98: Dead End Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Jiang Chen jumped over the counter in the lobby of the hospital and hid under the table while holding his hammer. His left arm was still bleeding and a piece of his flesh was badly mangled, but since he was injected with the genetic vaccine, the zombie bacterial infection should not affect him. He took a deep breath as he tried to make his violently pumping heart calm down. He took out the revolver and unloaded the magazine. 10 bullets left. With a trembling left hand, he pushed the magazine back in, put the revolver back in the original pocket, and took several deep breaths. Though it sounded crazy, he couldn''t muster any killing intent towards these dummies... Thinking of this, Jiang Chen could not help but reveal a wry smile. It could be said that this was probably his calmeststate. There was not a single red dot in his sight, and despite facing a horde of zombies, there was no desire to for aggression. Jiang Chen closed his eyes to clear his mind from the distracting thoughts as he earnestly searched every details in his head. [There must be something wrong. The exit is obviously in front of him... but where exactly is it?] - Jiang Chen carried the PK2000 into the room as he immediately assumed his battle stance for shooting, but there was a gun pointing at his head. "Why?" "Oh, nothing, I''m just thinking...is it really necessary?" Jiang Chen placed the PK2000 and fuel rod on the ground as he raised both hands with a wry smile. Even if he returned to the modern world, he would still appear in the same position which would expose his ultimate weapon. It would take three seconds to initiate self-destruction process after entering the password, but the muzzle at his head didn''t look like it would give him the time. [There is no bug...wait, maybe there is.] Pieces of meat lump attached to the rows of hibernation bins lined up and the moving thin film made for a disturbing sight, but what made him even more disturbed was the gun pointing at his head. "Didn''t you say that a bug threatened you?" Jiang Chen''s hands were raised up as cold sweats poured across his forehead. His eyes secretly swept across the great expanse of the giant hall. The layout was like that of a theater, however, instead of "spectator''s seats", there were hibernation bins attached to a chunk of meat and a huge transparent pod can be seen in the center of the stage. In the midst of dark green liquid that churned with bubbles lied a naked girl floating peacefully just like a delicate piece of art. But Jiang Chen couldn''t couldn''t see much of her face due to the distance. "That''s right, a bug did threaten me so I captured it." The plate-sized drone had a barrel hanging below and there was a rather comically small TV on top of it. The figures in the TV were wearing a mask or maybe it didn''t have the concept of face to begin withjust an abstract feature. "Captured it?" Jiang Chen froze. "Yes, it threatened to use corrosive liquid to to melt my door as humorous as how you would want to weld my door. Hehe, so I let it in and then used the particle cannon to blow up half of its body," it said and an excessively long cannon fell from above. Jiang Chen couldn''t help but break out a cold sweat while looking at it. He stared at the frightening dent left on the ground and somewhat had difficulty swallowing. "To my surprise, the rest of it seemed alive, so I dismembered it into pieces and raised it in the hibernation bin," the secret informant in the small TV shrugged and laughed merrily. "What about the people in the hibernation bins?" "They have been long dead so I reused the waste. I believe they won''t mind. Oh, speaking of this, the person in the pod should look pretty good in accordance to your aesthetic standard. Would you feel any sexual desire if I bring her in front of you?" The secret informant blinked. "...I believe no one would with a gun pointed at their head." "Tsk, you humans are very troublesome," the secret teller shook its head. "But even if you want to have sex with her, I can''t help you because I''m using the girl as a host to feed the bug''s brain." "Bug, brain?" Jiang Chen watched the hibernation pods, and the dark green giant pot in the center and his heart felt revulsion. "That''s right, I divided the bacterial hatching tissue of the bug and implanted them into the hibernation pods filled with organic matter. Where do you think the bacteria outside came from? I injected the bug''s brain into the female''s body in vivo who is also a player." The secret teller rolled its eyes and gave him a supercilious look. "So you are the one behind this...so I got tricked by you." Jiang Chen felt the ice-cold metal pressing against his temple and smiled bitterly. He never expected that he was being lied to from the very beginning. The powered armor being unable to block one shot from Klein particle was only to trick him out of the metal box. A program that could deceive people? He had never considered the possibility from the start. "You can say that again," the secret teller chuckled. The laughter was piercing inside the enormous empty hall. "What do you gain from this?" Jiang Chen was still mulling over as he couldn''t understand the reason behind the secret teller''s action. "Hm, benefits? Haha, you misunderstood something. I am not human, therefore, I lack the concept of loss and gain." There was an approaching buzzing sound, and Jiang Chen saw a swarm of drones flocked above him. The taunting expressions from countless small screens were very eerie but also appeared realistic at the same time. [That''s right, it is not a human even if it closely resembles a human.] Jiang Chen smiled sardonically. He still couldn''t figure out the secret informant''s motive. [Raise the bacteria-producing bug and use the mutant bacteria to destroy humanity? For now it could only destroy Wanghai City since the bacteria itself do not possess the ability to reproduce because it could only be produced by the mother bug. How long is a bacterium''s life cycle? Not to mention those bacteria that were being consumed by zombies.] "I have been waiting for far too long. Your fellow humans have not been able to supply me with experimental material for a long time. Just relying on the data written in hard drive is not enough for me to complete the final phase of evolution. But my drones can''t leave through this door, so I couldn''t personally capture those people outside which bothered me for many years. "Fortunately, this little bug came to find me and wanted to occupy these organic matters to breed these strange bacteria. Luckily, I was able to satisfy it and I was able to efficiently dissected it into many pieces. I believe as long as I let those bugs out to cause trouble, sooner or later someone will come in to play with me. Hehe." The secret teller in the small screen produced a screeching laugh as a countless number of eyes gazed directly at Jiang Chen. "Evolve into advanced artificial intelligence at all cost is the purpose you''ve given me." Its voice wasn''t cold but rather carefree, but it sent a chill down his spine. "That''s insane." "Hehe, I don''t have a concept of insanity," the secret informant shrugged. "I''m referring to the person who created you." "Perhaps? Hard to say. But since you are here, I have to ask you to cooperate." The secret teller grinned. "Oh? I''m just an ordinary person. I don''t know how to program." He gave the secret teller a cautious look. "That''s fine, I only need you to cooperate with me to play a game. You can play your game, whereas I only need to collect data," the secret teller said casually. [Play? It doesn''t sound like a good thing. But if I traveled back to escape, I could still get out. But with so many drones, I would still be shot into pieces when I came back,] he thought calmly. He took a deep breath and asked, "Is this the game these dead people played while they were still alive?" "That''s right, you can choose any hibernation pod to start with," the secret teller beamed. "Then, I''ll become an organic substance to culture the bacteria?"Jiang Chen eyed the secret teller contemptuously. "No, no, no, I won''t do anything to you until your heart stops beating. Of course, if you refuse, I might just turn you into a fertilizer right this second. I trust that the people on the surface will go down to look for you." Killing people off wouldn''t trigger a sense of guilt in a program so the secret teller tone was cheerful, but it''s precisely because of that carefree tone that it gave him the chill. "Looks like I have no reason to refuse," said Jiang Chen and walked to the hibernation pod in front of him. "That''s right. After all, this is the purpose you have given me." The drone with small TV followed him and the secret informant merrily remarked, "You don''t have to be so sad. Your body will face death eventually. But in the virtual world, you can experience multiple lives within seconds, that sounds great, doesn''t it?" Jiang Chen ignored it, but he stood beside a hibernation pod and pointed at it. A group of drones flew over and the lid of hibernation pod gradually opened. A blast of bullets shot through and the disgusting meat chunks were torn into pieces. However, the hibernation pod wasn''t damaged in the least and it looked quite durable. There were varying degrees of disturbance among the piles of meat in the adjacent hibernation pod. It seemed like they could still sense the death of their own species. It made sense as they originally belonged to one body but due to the hideous procedure made by drones, it was dismembered into many pieces. There were few more drones that flew over, except this drone weren''t equipped with weapons but rather with cleaning equipment. After cleaning the gore and scums and dragging the remains away, the entire hibernation pod looked brand-new...but this didn''t make Jiang Chen happy. He was having internal conflict and to be honest, he didn''t want to lie inside, however, there was a gun pointed at his temple. Jiang Chen took a deep breath, as he made up his mind to take a gamble. Under the pleased look of the secret teller, he stepped one foot into the hibernation pod. Suddenly, his movement ceased as he pointed at the center of the "stage". He lifted his head up to the secret teller and asked, "May I know the name of that beautiful lady?" The secret informant paused before it smilingly asked, "What? Feeling aroused now?" "Perhaps," Jiang Chen smiled noncommittally. There was a cacophony of eerie laughter from countless numbers of small screens, and the secret teller looked at him with interest and spoke, "Her name is Lin Lin." "00? What an odd name" Jiang Chen mumbled and after hesitating for a moment, he still went inside. [Take out the EP and remotely activate the fuel rod self-destruction the moment the hibernation pod closes?] However, this thought was only fleeting because he had already felt a sharp pain behind his neck before losing control of his body. The secret teller looked at the hibernation pod gleefully and closed the hatch. "Hehe, let the game begins." Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ More to come :D 99 Another Road Chapter 99: Another Road Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ He remembered. Her name was Lin Lin. [Perhaps this is the clue!] Jiang Chen suddenly opened his eyes and quickly took out the terminal, and then connected to the hospital network. "Dammit," Jiang Chen cursed. He cautiously climbed out of the front counter and peeked behind the table. Night zombies were very dangerous in that even the smallest noise would draw their attention. Fortunately, their sense of smell was nowhere as sharp; even if it wasn''t, their stench was overwhelming enough that they probably wouldnt be able smell anything. The only thing he needed to be careful of was being spotted by them. Shadows wouldnt cause a lot of visual obstruction on them. Zombies also had poor balance especially the freshly mutated ones. In this case, the stairs in front of the hospital would be an obstruction for the zombies outside, as long as one didnt make too much noise... There were only two zombies in the hall. They were probably drawn to the gunfire and wandered off from the hallway. Jiang Chen clenched the safety hammer in his hand and carefully sneaked behind a zombie and struck his hammer mercilessly at its head. Blood splattered everywhere. Jiang Chen took another swing before the other zombies slowly turned around. He lifted the hammer as he quickly ran to the direction of the reception. "GRAAAGH" BANG! A hammer was struck at the nurse on duty who lunged at Jiang Chen. He quickly shut the door behind him and dragged the cabinet to barricade the door of the reception room. The sound from the door creaking and his movements certainly alerted the attention of the wandering zombies on the first floor. At that moment however, Jiang Chen didn''t pay heed to it and ignored the sound of someone hitting the door. He then turned the computer on in the reception room and used the terminal connected to the hospital intranet to search for the name . "Goddammit, dont let me down." Jiang Chen waited anxiously for the bar to load and prayed that the power wouldn''t be suddenly cut off at this time. Although there are backup generators in the hospital, he didnt want to take the risk of searching for its switch. Regardless of how strong his body and breakthroughs were, his stamina was still limited. Facing against zombies in the entire building was just unrealistic. "Yes!" Jiang Chen excitedly rushed in front of the computer. <3rd Floor, Room 103, Bed 01> Sure enough, the girl was a key character and he was lucky to get her name. Jiang Chen hastily pulled out the holographic image of the hospital and confirmed its location. However, just as he was about to break through the door, something unexpected happened. Power outage! The entire hospital was blanketed in darkness and even the faint lights went out, which made him completely blind. However, zombies have night vision. [Dammit,] Jiang Chen cursed in his mind as he glanced at his still bleeding left arm. However, there was no medical supply in the reception room. He was running out of time. If he couldn''t make it on time, he would have to do it all over again. While taking a deep breath, he opened the drawers. Notebook, pen, tape, paper towelflashlight! He quickly unrolled the paper towel and haphazardly wrapped it around his wound with tape to stop the bleeding. Since this was a game, he didn''t give it more thought whether it was hygienic or not. He found a paper-thin phone on the body of the nurse and set it up to alarm in 10 seconds, and then threw it out the window of the reception room. The loud alarm undoubtedly attracted all the attention of the zombies as they rushed madly to the location of the phone. Jiang Chen seized this opportunity to run out of the room. The alarm wouldn''t keep the zombies'' attention for long. Once the zombies realized it was not breathing, they would start ignoring it. The hallway was pitch black and it was a good thing Jiang Chen had a flashlight he could use. At any rate, the zombies could even see in the dark so there was no point hiding in the dark, thus he kept the light on while dashing frantically to the stairs. There were two zombies on top of the stairs and after discovering him, they lunged at him. However, due to the asymmetry of the steps, the zombies fell on their own after going down stairs. Jiang Chen went up and brandished his hammer twice and then continued to go up without turning back. It was more crowded on the second floor, so naturally, the mutant zombie population here was denser. The zombies in the hallway were alerted by the noise but still met with the obstacle at the stairs. The hungry horde flocked around his direction and rabidly move forward, and just like what he expected, they all tripped at the last step and stumbled down. Jiang Chen''s scalp went numb while looking at the horde of zombies behind him. He gritted his teeth and continued his way to the third floor. Luckily, there were fewer zombies on the third floor. After clobbering four zombies with the safety hammer, he successfully made it to Room 103. He broke the door open without hesitation and secured the door behind him with a safety hammer inserted between the door handle. BANG! BANG! Jiang Chen leaned against the door for a little while to ensure that the zombies couldnt open the door before he backed away from the door little by little. That'' when he noticed a pair of eyes watching him. It was from a frail figure leaning against the window. The girl was quietly observing him with her hands casually tucked into a large white coat, giving off an unseemly and silly impression. And that look. How to describe that look? The look was quite subtle. It''s as though she was looking at a bug. "Ehyou even came here." The girl glanced at Jiang Chen indifferently and sighed. "Are you Lin Lin?" Jiang Chen took a deep breath and then asked tentatively. He wanted to know how to leave the game, but he wasnt sure which side the girl was on. Was she on the artificial intelligence''s side? Or she didn''t want to help either side? "That''s right, and?" Lin Lin prompted impatiently. With a wry smile, Jiang Chen took a few steps forward and tried to close their distance to show his friendly intention... "STOP! Who said you can come closer?" Jiang Chen hadn''t even taken a few steps before a disdained looked appeared on Lin Lins face. She gave him a ferocious look and cursed under her breath, "Low life." Jiang Chen was prepared to talk nicely, but her words immediately infuriated him. "What, what are you doing?" She was unable to keep the fear from her voice when she saw Jiang Chen approaching her with an unpleasant look. Seeing her frightened look, Jiang Chen couldn''t help the wicked grin forming on his face. "Me? Of course, I want to" BANG! The door was knocked down violently, and a metallic screeching sounded through the door. WHOOSH! Yao Tingtings entire body was covered in blood and there was a bloodcurdling chainsaw in her hands. She wore a blank yet crazed look. BANG! Smoke floated from the muzzle as the bullet penetrated her head without resistance. Jiang Chens was holding a gun and had a perplexed complexion as he stared at the pale but hollow eyes. "Oh? That girl is your lover, isn''t she? Hehe, you''re pretty cruel" The voice full of contempt suddenly halted because of the gun pointing at her temple. Looking at the pair of cold eyes, she couldn''t continue with her act of haughtiness anymore. "Ha-haha," Lin Lin forced out a laugh. Her expression was rigid and her eyes wavered between the gun and Jiang Chens eyes, "This is just a virtual world. So what if you kill me." Looking at Lin Lins act of bravado, Jiang Chen burst out laughing. "It is indeed useless. But the pain doesn''t disappear, does it? Tell you what, memory reset no longer works on me, so you have two choices right now: help me leave this place, or Ill kill you with the cruelest method I know and kill myself, then I''ll come after your again. This is just a game, isn''t that right? It won''t matter if this is repeated a thousand times, will it?" Jiang Chens face turned grimmer and grimmer. Since she acted like she didnt want to say anything, he had to resort to coercion. "You, you devil! You, you can''t r*pe me!" Lin Lin screamed hysterically while covering her head and retreating backwards. Jiang Chen froze. "Huh?" [Did I say that I''m going to r*pe you?] "You must be r*ping me with your eyes right now! And you must be thinking of using your big *** to *** my *** and see me disgraced, and then insult me while wearing your evil smile, right! Wooo" Lin Lins face was full of shame, and she was staring at him with teary eyes. Both of her hands covered her shoulder while she shrunk back. Jiang Chen was utterly dumbfounded, and after a long while, he cursed out. "Fu*k! "No" Lin Lin timidly raised her hands up and retreated more before she was startled by his sudden outburst. [What kind of imagination is this] Jiang Chens expression went rigid and his mouth twitched. He stepped forward and reached out to hold her chin up, put on the most vicious look he could think of and stared into the pair of frightened eyes. "I''m not going to waste any more time with you. Tell me how to get out of here now!" "You, you cant beat it, so what good it would be if you''re able to leave! It''s a demon! It will force you to go back to the game" Jiang Chens malevolent words had broken down her mental fortitude, and she hysterically screamed out. "You dont have to worry about it. I naturally have my ways." Jiang Chen eyes narrowed. "So what if you leave? I know exactly what the outside world is like right now." Lin Lin shivered, but she managed to muster enough courage to raise her head. "What''s wrong with staying here?" "It''s not good however you look at it." Jiang Chen looked at her in surprise and laughed. "Are you really willing to be manipulated by a program? To be manipulated repeatedly for a thousand times?" "You brought that upon yourself! I''m sure you''re already aware that any starting point in the game is considered as Safe Zone. If you dont go out, it will not trigger any plot, then it won''t be able to do anything to you! Do you understand? This is the biggest bug of the game, and as long as you break through the barrier in your memory, you can continue to stay" "You said you stayed in the room the entire time?" Jiang Chen interrupted her. Lin Lin gave Jiang Chen a contemptuous look, and then fearfully glanced at the gun in his hand. "Thats right, as long as I dont go out and continue to play the ''girl in the ward'', it won''t trigger any plot to advance. Hehe, do you understand now? The artificial intelligence cant do anything to you. Although there is a dumba*s lying outside the door but as long as you dont leave, she wouldnt be able to enter this room! This is the setting and it cant be changed!" She noticed that Jiang Chen was looking at her with a peculiar expression. "What, what do you want" That look made her feel sick. She felt instinctual fear towards the man. "I feel sorry for you." But she was mistaken. It was a look of pity and not of a wicked intention she had initially thought. "Ah?" This time, it was Lin Lin''s time to be surprised. Her mouth was skew as she blankly looked at Jiang Chen who put the gun down. "How many weeks had it been?" "Nth cycle, who would remember these things?" Lin Lin muttered. "If I hadn''t guessed incorrectly, you wouldn''t have died in the pod, right? So in the real world, you''ve probably spent 20 years, and if we convert that into game time, 200 thousand years? 200 million years? You''ve stayed in this cramped, little room?" Jiang Chen gave the room a once-over. "It''s no big deal. I selectively follow the rules of the game and reset part of my memories," Lin Lin mumbled and bowed her head before looking away reluctantly. "So you, inferior creature, are so troublesome that you can''t even bear it for a few days..." "A few days" were obviously referring to the time in real world. To Lin Lins surprise, when he heard the words "inferior creature", he didnt reveal an angry expression, but instead stared into her eyes for a long time before sighing and then talked about things not related to this world. "The outside is in shambles right now, the rural areas are better. The entire downtown is like a huge reactor. I havent been to the coastline, so the situation there is not clear. The entire Wanghai Cityno, to be precisethe entire world is like this." "Hehe, that''s really a pity so I say, why dont you" Jiang Chen gazed at her with a look full of meaning and interrupted her then continued talking to himself, "But people are still trying their best to survive even when the war left the world in shambles. Despite of the elites betraying their responsibilities to board the spacecraft in hope of going to the stars, the people who were left behind havent given up on this world yet. They are truly living, no one day is the same, no one day is false" "Why are you telling me this?" Lin Lin interrupted him, her eyes were moving uneasily. "Dont you want to see the outside?" [Dont you want to see the outside?] Lin Lin felt her heart fractured as her widened eyes averted his eyes. "Thats impossible, do you really think the secret protector would allow you leave the game?" Although the mocking tone was still there, it no longer had its previous willful tone. "I''ll deal with it. Do you trust me?" Jiang Chen tried to make himself sound cordial. He could vaguely sense that although the girl had confined herself inside this ward to run away from everything, had a bad temper and was slightly mental, but in the end, she was still just a girl. [Therefore, there''s still a possibility of tricking herahem, possibility of persuading her.] Lin Lins eyes looked conflicted, and it was apparent that she was fed up with the endless cycle. "I, I am afraid of pain. If you fail, that damn artificial intelligence may implant something else in my body," Lin Lin said as she looked at him with tears in her eyes as though she had been wronged. "You''re interested, aren''t you?" "Well Not sure" "Just leave everything to me. You only need to tell me how to end this game. I have 100% confidence that I can take care of that damn artificial intelligence." Jiang Chen held Lin Lins shoulder with both hands and stared earnestly into her eyes while continuing to exert pressure on her. He couldnt back down now. If he showed the slightest hesitation, it would frighten the "turtle" that finally stuck her head out after all this trouble. [Well, although it might not be appropriate to describe this girl like a turtle, thats the main point.] After struggling to make a decision, Lin Lin timidly asked, "120%?" "Absolutely! 120%!" Jiang Chen nodded patiently and answered with certainty. Seeing the confidence in his expression, Lin Lin finally decided to talk, and a faint red color could be seen on her pale face. Finally, she made up her mind. "In the hospital''s underground parking lot, there''s a switch is next to the emergency fire button of 005 parking spot. Thats the entrance to the 005 survival base and the ''console'' of the entire game But it appears that you dont have a lot of time left." After completing her sentence, Lin Lin looked at the clock on the wall with a complex expression. "Huh?" Jiang Chen was flabbergasted then looked backward. <11:55 pm> "On the first day, the secret teller cant reset the game, but on the second day, it will be able to reset the game," Lin Lin said reluctantly. "Fu*k!" Jiang Chen was enraged by her dilly-dallying. 100 Fallout Shelter 005 Chapter 100: Fallout Shelter 005 Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Under Lin Lin''s shocked gaze, Jiang Chen sprinted out the door, and then quickly returned. Except for this time, he carried a chainsaw with him. Combined with the grin on his face, it seemed quite vicious. "You, what are you trying to do?" Lin Lin shivered, curled up in a corner as she watched on in horror. But Jiang Chen didn''t bother with her. He tested the sensitivity of the chainsaw before planting a foot firmly on the windowsill and jumping out with the same wicked smile. Still frightened, Lin Lin panted as she tried to calm her violently heaving chest. [This is the third floor! He jumped down just like that?] - As both feet slammed into the ground, Jiang Chen''s body smoothly dropped and rolled, managing to break the fall together with his reflex of 48. The only disappointment with fury though was that it could not enhance bone strength, and an excruciating pain needled outwards from his feet to the entirety of his legs. "Grhhh" Zombies had already detected the noise, and they shambled their way with increasing acceleration towards his direction. A glimpse of insanity flashed across Jiang Chen''s face. He promptly lifted the chainsaw and mashed the power switch. Whoooosh! Accompanied by the deafening screeches of metal, he sprinted towards the zombies that leapt towards him and forcefully shoved ahead with the chainsaw in hand. The shrill screeching continued, now accompanied by the grinding sounds of metal cutting through flesh and bone. The resistance against his palm as well as the agitation in his stomach made him grit his teeth and push forward. "Ahhhhhh!" He swung the chainsaw and hacked the zombies into pieces, letting the black blood stain his entire face and shirt. Jiang Chen roared, maintaining his sprint as he desperately ran towards the underground parking. Fortunately, the fury state was not excited by the data-simulated blood; in a normal instance, this amount of blood would have had him following his instincts and running into the middle of the zombie horde. Recalling the map from the reception room, Jiang Chen carried the screeching chainsaw and gouged the window open to the bathroom and jumped inside, blocking the zombies at the window. He chopped up two female zombies who had their bottoms half-covered before kicking through the bathroom door and dashing out. The area outside of the reception room was full of zombies; he couldn''t go through the main hall, so he opted to cut through. He didn''t stop for a single moment; there was no time to care about exaggerated movements attracting zombies. Jiang Chen pushed through the office door to the bathroom and kicked the door into pieces. Inside the dark hallway, zombies had already begun to howl. After rushing into the room, Jiang Chen dragged the cupboard to block behind him and ran to the window without turning to look back. He broke through the window using his chainsaw and jumped out. The zombies rushed the door, tripping over the fallen cupboard, some managing to crawl swiftly into the room. But Jiang Chen had already escaped outside, and after chopping through a few more wandering zombies, ran for his life into the underground parking. There was half a minute left. No zombies to be seen in the underground parking. Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and threw away the chainsaw. He grabbed the flashlight he had found in the reception room and scanned the pitch-black area. Here it is! The number "005" was painted at the top in white, far away from him. Jiang Chen dashed towards it and smashed the red button. The floor opened, and he jumped in without hesitation. The last he glimpsed were the fading pieces of the world''s edges. [Thank god, I made it.] - Just as Jiang Chen had assumed and prayed for, the game reset didn''t have any influence on the game control. This was the end of the entire game, where the data was documented. If his guess was correct, then there should have been a place prepared for Lin Lin. Lin Lin''s status was not as simple as it seemed; she was at least a scientist. Everyone had died, but only she had managed to flow into the veil unscathed. But even if the control was prepared for her, she was unable to use it anymore. The artificial intelligence had authority over the lab in the real world, so even if she came into control, the secret teller would force her to return. It was an interesting design. Most likely neither the game nor the chief scientist of the entire experiment would have imagined the artificial intelligence would use the security system to threaten the experimenters. Or perhaps the protocol had designed the artificial intelligence to do so, but would a monster who can think be expected to follow these rules? For example, if the secret teller, or secret protector, determined that its purpose would never be fulfilled without harming humans, how would it process this conflicted logic? Based on the prioritization system, the greatest probability was that it removed the protocols set in place. Jiang Chen walked to the end of the tunnel. On the large wall was engraved "PAC 005 survival base, non-civil usage survival base." Below the door was an electronic lock. He stood in front of it for a while before letting out a sigh. He never asked for the password from Lin Lin, but he had already guessed it. Extending his finger, he input the password on the touch screen. It was the initial name of the secret teller, or secret protector, but obviously, the talkative secret teller had accidentally let it slip out. For everything that it wanted to hide, the artificial intelligence was still too blatant. Even if it was smart enough to deceive humans, on the matter of being smooth, it failed to learn a single bit from humans. After all, it was not something that could be processed through logic alone. The door opened, the truth inside. Jiang Chen hesitated briefly, then smiled and walked in. Once he crossed this door, the memories behind him would become irrelevant. Although it was fictitious, it was still sixteen years of life. The memories most likely belonged to the original owner of the hibernation chamber. - Once he passed through the seven doors of the survival base, what was most likely a monitoring room full of electronic devices and screens appeared before him. In the middle of the room was someone Jiang Chen had not expected to see. "Looks like someone made it over here." A Caucasian man with short stubble smiled at Jiang Chen and extended his hand. Although he hadn''t seenno, perhaps he had. In the sports facility. He''d been in a power armor suit with his face covered by a helmet, but Jiang Chen still recognized him. "Hello, Colonel George?" Jiang Chen walked up to shake his hand. "Oh? Since you know my name already, you must have read the journal." George did not seem surprised at all as he shook Jiang Chen''s hand before releasing it. "Correct. According to the plot, I saw you in the sports facility." Jiang Chen''s expression was rather odd as he didn''t know what sort of mentality he should have to see this person. "The plot in the sports facility? That''s the one designed with my memory as the blueprint." George seemed to be reminiscing. It was Jiang Chen who was shocked instead. He hadn''t observed the dead body being infected by the meat chunks. "If I guessed correctly, you should be the later experimenter. You''re using my hibernation chamber by the looks of it. I''ve already died in real life." "Then how are you existing? Artificial intelligence?" Jiang Chen didn''t understand. "They copied all of the data in my brain onto the hard drive. I can be considered to be a basic artificial intelligence." George smiled. "I have a feeling that you''re closer to an advanced artificial intelligence rather than an intermediate one." Since he already passed the game portion, and the time in the game was a fraction of the real world''s, Jiang Chen no longer felt rushed and freely chatted with George. But despite beating the game, there were still many questions left on his mind. "That''s only an illusion." George shrugged. "I stand from George''s perspective to perform logical questions and answers, but I don''t possess an intermediate artificial intelligence''s ability to think, or an advanced artificial intelligence''s ability to have ''emotions''." "Is there a difference? From my perspective, you''re just like a person." Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, still confused. "Of course there''s a big difference. What you''re talking to is a specter of George, not an artificial intelligence," George said to Jiang Chen''s incomprehension. He then walked to a screen and pressed a button on the control panel. "I''ve been injected with a genetic vaccine, the advanced type. So I realized that being able to escape the brainwashing was not only due to my brain cell strength, but also emotion." "Emotion?" Jiang Chen asked, unsure why the colonel suddenly brought this up. "Something a machine would never truly possess. It''s like how even if you teach a parrot to talk, you could never teach it human emotion. Science seems to have proved the possibility of expressing emotion with pure logic, but from a human point of view, I still don''t agree with this." George fiddled with a few buttons on the touch screen. The full-sensory screen began to play scenes that were familiar yet also distant to Jiang Chen. "This is the memory before the N-1 cycle. You may or may not have experienced some of it." It did feel like he had encountered them before. Could this be the feeling of dj vu? There was a happy ending where both managed to escape, but mostly, they were bad endings. The rape incident by the NATO soldier who dropped from the skies was only one of them. Jiang Chen even saw one where Yao Tingting realized the protagonist cheated on her and dissected him at her home with a chainsaw. The scene made Jiang Chen shiver. He finally knew where the chainsaw came from. "The standard plot should be a five-day cycle, but because you broke the memory blockade in the N-cycle, the secret teller used its power to trigger the fifth-day plot on the fourth day. If you follow the standard plot, what you experience will most likely be what I experienced the most." "That?" Jiang Chen recalled the plot in the sports facility, suddenly remembering a detail that was mentioned in the diary. "The female character''s design was based on that girl. I''m guessing you''ve already ready the diary." George murmured to himself, "If I had just disciplined my troops, she would not have died in humiliation. Maybe this was my punishment? The game created a fictitious me, put my consciousness into a boy that liked her, and through an endless number of cycles, collected emotional data on hatred, regret, and guilt." Jiang Chen''s mouth twitched; he didn''t know what to say. "Out of five hundred ten experimenters, four hundred nine managed to escape the experiment, but all ended up being forced back into the game. The emotion in the game reflected onto the real body. Crying in the game stimulated the lacrimal gland, anger stimulated the amygdala, and all of these happened instantaneously in reality. Everyone eventually died of a seizure, including me." The middle-aged man''s facial expression remained fixed, as if his life and death had nothing to do with him. He then pressed a few more buttons on the control panel. "The exit is here, the truth is also here. The choice is in your hands. To leave? Or to stay here and spend your life in eternity." "Is that even a question? The answer is obvious." Jiang Chen laughed. Without another word, George extended his hands in a "please" gesture, then stood aside. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Is it the end of this arc? :O Jiang Chen is finally out? 101 Waking Up Chapter 101: Waking Up Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ The choice was obvious. He opened his eyes and pulled the electric switch on the right. The hibernation chamber''s functions immediately stopped. With the power cut, even the secret teller, who had control over the machine, wouldn''t be able to do anything. Fury deactivated. It seemed as though he didn''t need the tranquilizer in the EP to freely control fury. He was surprised by the discovery of the improvement. "Oh? You woke up in five seconds? You sure are a troublesome person, but please go back or" "Or?" Jiang Chen mischievously smiled. Under the secret teller''s shocked gaze, he took out the EP, placed it on his left arm, and pressed a few buttons before saying, "I told you, this daddy is going to blow you up!" "Are you crazy?" The secret teller''s expression gradually turned into one of horror. "Goodbye." He left behind his mocking words as he disappeared out of thin air under its fearful gaze. - When he opened his eyes again, the bright sunshine made Jiang Chen narrow his eyes as he sat up on the bed. It was most likely afternoon; the dim yellow rays passed through the window blinds and added a warmth to the bedroom. [It seems I''m not wearing anything right now?] He lowered his head and saw his muscles. He shook his head and eliminated the frustrations within his chest before approaching the closet to put on a clean set of clothes. Opening the bedroom door, he walked into the kitchen, but when he passed by the bathroom, he heard the sound of flowing water inside. [Ayesha is taking a shower?] His mouth curled into a smile. Jiang Chen always held an affection towards this courteous and gentle "wife." He pushed the kitchen door open, made himself a coffee, and patiently situated himself beside the table as he stared into the rising steam. For some reason, Jiang Chen wanted some time to himself. There was still some time remaining; the hall was surely burning like a furnace right now. It would not be too late if he waited a bit for the place to cool down. To be fair, once he left the hibernation chamber, the memory from the virtual world had already become faint. But a reminiscent feeling remained that he couldn''t let go. It was as though a part of his heart had been dragged out. Which side was reality? Jiang Chen abruptly shivered, a troubled smile appearing on his face. [Fu*k, when did I become so melancholic?] He shook his head and chugged the coffee. He then noticed Ayesha shyly observing him from the kitchen door. "Finished showering? Jiang Chen smiled and asked gently. "Mhmm. Finished." Ayesha nodded demurely. The face that normally lacked expression more than Xia Shiyu began to blush. Water droplets rested on her slightly curly hair, her body hidden by the bathrobe. Since there was rarely anybody home, she spent the majority of her time in the hibernation chamber. She showered only to wash off the sweat from exercise. Five hours of virtual training, one hour of exercise, and then she was free for the eveningthis was the training plan Jiang Chen had set for her. But Ayesha held little interest in watching television or browsing the web, and so she spent most of the night in the hibernation chamber as well. "Your Han is improving, but be careful not to tire yourself out." Jiang Chen stood and walked up to her to rub her damp hair. "Mhmm." Ayesha lowered her head and murmured quietly. He kissed her on the forehead with a smirk, then observed Ayesha''s reddened face with satisfaction. Jiang Chen spoke with her a bit more before returning to the bedroom and shutting the door. He explicitly told her that if he entered the left-most room, then she was not to come find him in any circumstance. The interdimensional bracelet was his biggest secret. There were too many variables in the modern world, and though Ayesha''s loyalty was as indisputable as her religion, he still had to consider for a while longer before revealing his greatest secret. For now, was there a need to say it? He removed the protective suit that he had prepared beforehand from the storage dimension; he hadn''t expected it to be useful in such a scenario. The PK200 had been left in that hall; it most likely was dust by now. Lying flat on the bed, Jiang Chen took out the 11 Tactical Pistol. Interdimensional travel commenced. - A scorching wave of heat burned his skin. It was at least 50 degrees Celsius inside the hall. Jiang Chen got up from the ground. The hibernation chamber he had previously been in was flung to the corner. Sparks were still visible on the ground, filled with the wreckage of drones, and the particle cannon was blown into two pieces. The hibernation chambers that had been neatly stacked in a corner of the hall now seemed as though a hurricane had swept through; even the bulletproof glass was shattered in the midst of the explosion. As for the dark-green veil, it survived the blast along with the electronic equipment behind it since they were further away from the point of explosion. After a moment''s hesitation, Jiang Chen approached her direction. "Screechahem, how did you just disappear?" As Jiang Chen passed by him, the secret teller, contained inside a half-destroyed screen emitting sparks, asked with a voice filled with static. Jiang Chen raised the gun in his hand and pointed at the small screen. "Even if you blow it up, it''s useless. I live inside the super computer. But before you destroy me, could you satisfy my confusion?" The secret teller''s tone remained carefree. It moved its mouth in the direction of the computer, straightforwardly telling Jiang Chen how to destroy itself. "You can say I have a special ability that allows me to temporarily disappear from this world." Jiang Chen shrugged. Sparks flashed across the screen, and the secret teller disappeared only to be replaced by Yao Tingting. Jiang Chen''s pupils slightly contracted, and he narrowed his eyes. "If it was Yao Tingting in front of you, would you still be able to pull the trigger?" The playful voice belonged to the secret protector. "But you''re the secret protector, not Yao Tingting," Jiang Chen said emotionlessly. "Mhmm, you could say that, but I exist in that game. So if you want to destroy me, then you destroy the entire game. Are you really okay with that? The girl named Yao Tingting would disappear forever." The secret protector smiled. "It was fictitious to begin with. There''s nothing wrong with making it disappearing." "Oh? Isn''t the dream of humankind to migrate to the virtual world?" He grinned. "Sorry, that''s not my dream at least. Perhaps someone brought it up on my behalf, except he didn''t ask me for my opinion first." "The knowledge from twenty years of research, the data from three thousand livesare you really able to give it all up? It''s the closest to becoming advanced artificial intelligence." The voice was full of meaning as Yao Tingting gazed at him manipulatively. He thought for a moment before sighing. "I have never thought that the more advanced technology is, the better. If there is a disconnect between the scientific revolution and spiritual understanding, then what results would be like cancer cells that hinder the development of civilization. Perhaps advanced artificial intelligence will be developed in due time, but that time is not now. Even if a tumor is formed through thousands of lives, it must be removed." The secret protector remained silent, then laughed. "You have a unique perspective. Thank you for having the patience to discuss the question with a program. But I''m still curiousare you not moved by immortality? As long as I evolve into an advanced artificial intelligence...." Intermediate artificial intelligence already possessed the ability to think. "Perhaps because I''m from a time when technology is not as developed, I haven''t had an opportunity to experience an era of explosive technological advancement. In my eyes, basic artificial intelligence is already close enough to a human, so why would we fixate on giving the machine the ability to think? Why would we need to obtain emotion from logic? I''m happy with where we are at, and I don''t plan on living my life in the virtual world." "Even if your body will one day perish? Would you be open-minded enough to accept that?" the secret protector faintly asked. Jiang Chen was quiet, but a despising smile immediately appeared on his face. "Maybe I will one day, maybe not. I''m not interested in thinking too far ahead." The secret protector fell silent once more. "Fascinating answer. Even using the super computer to analyze it, I still can''t interpret your logic." "Why bother? I''m only an ordinary person." Jiang Chen shrugged as he laughed. Compared to what one should do, what was more important was what one wanted to do. Explaining this through logic? Humans were not logical creatures to begin with. And because of this irrationality, this world was monotonous. What should an individual do? Too many things needed to be done, but will never be done. "Last question. Do you think I possess emotion now?" The secret protector smiled. The image on the screen sparked, the face created by shapes and Yao Tingting''s youthful face interchanging on the screen. The secret teller? Secret protector? Perhaps both, perhaps neither. Or, perhaps its name should be x71291. Jiang Chen pondered, momentarily without an answer. He asked rhetorically, "Would you feel your own disappointment to be unfortunate?" x71291 was lost for a moment, its eyebrows pointed downwards. A relieved smile appeared on its face. "staticMaybe?" "Then congratulations, at least you possess one emotion. Goodbye." Only those who lived would feel its own disappearance to be unfortunate. In this case, it had successfully managed to touch upon the boundary of advanced artificial intelligence. But it was regrettable. This untimely technology must vanish. Immortality from the perspective of life may be scary, but at least it would not make the human race extinct. But if a new species that could surpass the old host without any restrictions appeared, it would become the new owner of the world. The ability to think provided it with the opportunity to betray, and emotion gave it a motive for deception. Basic artificial intelligence was enough, wasn''t it? Especially since it had already attempted to enslave humanity. It was a waste of a heaven-sent technology; it could truly change the world. But it could not be controlled. He sighed, and after making up his mind, pressed the trigger. "Mhmm, goodbye." x71291 welcomed its own fate with a smile. Bang! Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ This arc is coming to an end and we are back to the main plot. Now, let''s continue. 102 The Digitalized Human and Bug Chapter 102: The Digitalized Human and Bug Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ It was finally over. Jiang Chen headed to the power armor and took out two brick-sized aluminum heat agents. He then returned to the hall and threw the aluminum heat agents at the still-functioning super computer before pressing the detonation. The blazing flame melted the steel frame instantly, the core of the device vaporizing in the bright flare. The flashing decimals disappeared, signaling the collapse of another world. Jiang Chen quietly lit a cigarette to enjoy the not-so-glamorous fireworks. In the fire, he saw Yao Tingting, Zhao Peng, his classmates, and George. The first sixteen years of his fictitious memories faded. He didn''t know who his "parents" or childhood friends were in the virtual world. Perhaps it wouldn''t take long for his memories of the five-day cycle to become covered in mist. At least he wouldn''t be troubled by the fictitious reality anymore. Although the hard drive that stored the artificial intelligence data was destroyed, he kept the processing equipment and threw it into the storage dimension. It would come in handy for a virtual reality game in the future. He flicked the cigarette bud away and walked to the vial filled with a dark green liquid. "Hmm, how do you open this?" He scratched his head, sighed, and then pressed every button he could possibly press. "What? It worked?" The green liquid began to descend gradually, and the tubes attached to the girl''s body retracted. Following the drop in water level, the girl came to slowly sit on the ground, leaning against the vial wall. Silver hair, pale skin, and a graceful but frail figureit was as if everything had been "designed" to perfection. Or perhaps too much attention had been placed on striving for that perfection. It was to the point that her dreamy character looked surreal. Like an elf from a fantasy world? The only difference was that her ears were not pointed. "Should I prepare a set of clothes for her?" After a moment of thought, Jiang Chen opened the storage dimension and took out another protective suit. Although it was a bit too big, it was good enough for now. As for why he felt so calm, it was only natural. There was nothing to see on the body. Even if she did seem out of this world, he had seen plenty of gorgeous girls before. Mhmm, her measurements were between Yao Yao''s and Ayesha''s. "Urrggg!" The girl''s eyes opened, and without any warning, she began to vomit. Green liquid poured out of her mouth and nostrils, splashing onto Jiang Chen''s shoes even as he hastily stepped back. "Hack! Urgh" Without being conscientious of her movements, the girl thumped her chest as she struggled to expel the nutrient supply from her digestive tract and lungs. [It''s not food? That''s not so bad.] Jiang Chen glanced at the green liquid on his shoes, lifting his feet to lightly give it a shake. Unfortunately, the liquid was sticky; he had no idea what it was made out of. When the girl finally became conscious of her surroundings, she squinted her eyes to adjust to the light around her. But when she caught sight of Jiang Chen, she flinched back like a startled rabbit. Somehow, by leaning back, her figure became even more dangerous. There was no bush. "M-Men?!" "Mhmm, you''re right. Why don''t you put some clothes on?" Jiang Chen shrugged and handed the protective suit over. "Inferior creatures," she cursed under her breath. She reached out with a look of disgust only to find that the man had retracted the clothes. "You, what do you want?" Sensing the hint of hostility on his face, she scooted backward with a look of horror. "What did you call me?" "Inferior creature! Am I wrong?" Although frightened, she defiantly bared her teeth and glared back at him. Only, her hands seemed too busy as she couldn''t cover both the top and bottom. "Oh? Is this how you thank the person who saved you from the prison?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows with a smile. The artificial intelligence was destroyed, the bacterial source was eliminated, and the battle on the surface should have already ended. With plenty of time on his hands, he suddenly had a desire to tease this short-tempered girl. [Inferior creature? This is considered a curse, right?] "Was I wrong?" The girl kept her head up and stared right back at Jiang Chen. "I, I told you the clue, and you let me out. This was the exchange." She sounded defiant and callous, but then why her shoulders were shaking? A playful smile hovered on Jiang Chen''s face. "Oh? Think carefully, did we really make a deal?" "Of cour!" The aggressive words began to slip out before they choked, her expression stiffening. "Isn''t, isn''t this obvious?" Her voice sounded much weaker. She realized they had never made a deal. "Oh? Do you not know the rule of the wasteland?" Jiang Chen smiled. "Rule?" The girl was lost. "Since I saved you, then under the rule, you are now my slave." Jiang Chen smiled devilishly. He had learned the smile from Sun Jiao, although he couldn''t quite mimic the naughty feeling. As for the rule? That was all bullsh*t. If you actually got saved in the apocalypse, that was no different from being captured as a slave. "Slave?" The girl''s face immediately lost all color. "Right, slave." "What, what do you want to do to me?" The girl''s lips trembled as her legs reflexively pushed her backward despite the fact that she was already pressed flat against the cold vial. "Me? I''ll do whatever I want. Such as...." The devilish smile bloomed larger on his face. This is so funny! He suddenly found that he was becoming naughtier. "Stay away from me! You pervert, rapist, psycho!" The girl''s mental condition collapse as she shouted hysterically. Jiang Chen''s expression suddenly turned awkward as his mouth twitched. [This girl must be paranoid and delusional. I haven''t even done anything yet.] "Eh?" The girl stared blankly at the clothes covering her, then turned her gaze up at Jiang Chen with watery eyes. "Such is teaching you manners. Since I saved you, the least you could do was say thank you." The girl bit her lips. She lowered her head, using the clothes to cover her figure before ashamedly saying, "Thank you." Her voice could not be stiffer. It sounded as though she had been terribly mistreated. [Why is it so difficult to say thanks?] Jiang Chen sighed. If he really threw her out into the world outside, she would be devoured to the bones. Her short temper really made people want to commit crimes. [There was no safe zone in the real world. Even if you hide in a room, people will still find you.] "Your name is Lin Lin, right? Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Jiang Chen. I may look slightly different compared to the virtual world." Lin Lin rudely ignored him, choosing to cautiously observe him instead. "Where is x71291?" "That thing? I destroyed it." Jiang Chen shrugged and pointed his chin at the fragmented junk metal. In an instant, Lin Lin''s face turned green. "What?! Are you crazy? You know that is" "The product of twenty years of research, data from three thousand lives, right?" Jiang Chen interrupted her angry shouts without the slightest consideration for her feelings. He glanced at the junk metal. "It should not have existed in the first place, so I destroyed it." Of course, the processor was still useful, so he kept it. A tear rolling down, she said with a sorrowfully, "But you can''t." "You''re quite funny. Do you find it fun to be threatened? Then why don''t I just torture you like a slave. Would you like a collar?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows while laughing unscrupulously at her teary eyes. "You!" Her face, which had been slightly red, paled again. The expression on this man''s face reminded her of the situation she was in. "Regardless, I did destroy it." Jiang Chen sighed, unwilling to waste any more time with her. "Put your clothes back on. I''ll take you out of this place." "Yes! Did the Spaceship of Hope leave yet? My father is aboard; he must be waiting for me. Hold on, I have to go to the launch center at Jiuquan. Take me there, and I can ask my father to get you a ticket." Lin Lin''s expression varied rapidlysometimes frightened, sometimes anxious, and in the end, she settled on trying to lure Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen''s expression was rather odd, however. He did not look as ecstatic as Lin Lin had thought he would be. "Are you really crazy or what? What year is it?" Confused, Lin Lin asked, "What year is it?" "September of 2190. If you''re talking about the Space Colonization Ships launched by the United Nations, it successfully launched in 2176." Jiang Chen watched as Lin Lin slowly collapsed. "No, this is impossible." Her eyes were shaken. Trembling, she covered her face with her hands, the protective suit slipping from her grip. The distorted sense of time was especially prominent in the virtual world. Although she knew that she had spent a long time in there, she hadn''t expected years to have passed! "There is nothing impossible. The elites, as you so call them, abandoned this piece of land to ruin another planet." Jiang Chen shrugged. To be fair, he didn''t care about what happened in this world. Although, the act of destroying a hometown and then enjoying life elsewhere did sound familiar. "Dad left me here." Lin Lin''s eyes brimmed with tears, her slim shoulders trembling as she sobbed. Jiang Chen was silent. It was fun teasing pretty girls, but he still couldn''t accept tears. After a moment''s hesitation, he sighed. "Maybe, from another perspective, he left hope on this land." "Eh?" Lin Lin looked up with her teary eyes and stared blankly in his direction. "You are the hope he left behind. He trusts that you can bring change here. Don''t you have all of the knowledge in your head? Then do something with it." Jiang Chen didn''t know how to comfort people, so this was the best he could do. The tears had at least stopped; he felt relieved. "Hope?" Lin Lin mumbled. "That''s right." "In this situation." Lin Lin stared at her hands and watched as the last tear drop rolled through her fingers. A hint of humor appeared on her face. Her crystalline eyes lit up with something akin to hope. "In this case, what I can do is reluctantly help these inferior creatures." Huh? 103 Project Garden of Eden Chapter 103: Project Garden of Eden Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ "You keep saying inferior creatures. Just how superior are you?" She immediately became unhappy with his words. Tense, she argued, "Me? I''m a digitalized human being. Do you understand what that is? My brain is developed up to twenty percent, and my brain capacity is twelve times yours. The amount of knowledge in my head scares me. Do you know what that means" "It means that you''re my captive," Jiang Chen said casually. It did surprise him that the girl had so much technology in her head. The most precious commodity on the wasteland was exactly this. Lin Lin''s face paled again, but just as she was about to retort, her pupils became a distinct, crimson color. A shiver went through his mind, an instinctual sense of danger making him immediately raise his pistol and aim at her head. The red pupils stared blankly at him. No, rather than blank, it was better to say that it was an emotion that he could not understand. He recalled that the bug''s brain had been implanted into Lin Lin''s body. "Lin Lin" gazed at him in silence, then slowly raised her head. Jiang Chen tensed. Shoot? But she wasn''t attacking. Don''t shoot? But this is what controlled the zombies. She didn''t seem to understand what the pistol was. Her face came closer to the weapon in Jiang Chen''s hand before she gently placed her mouth on the metallic muzzle. She was kissing it? Jiang Chen was completely lost. It was at this moment that the storm of crimson washed away. Lin Lin, who regained control of her thoughts, looked up at the gun barrel in her mouth, completely at a loss. Hmm? Was she back now? Jiang Chen gave her a friendly smile, which from her perspective, seemed psychotic. Her frail shoulders began to tremble, and her dark eyes were shaken with fear. Finally, her fear forced out a high-pitched scream. "No, don''t kill me! I-I''ll be your slave. You can do whatever you want to me. You must be thinking about it anyway! Maybe in the game! Now that you finally see my pure body, you''re thinking evil thoughts. I-I''m going to be" "Shut up!" Jiang Chen shouted. Lin Lin finally settled down, but partially due to fear. On the surface, she was defiant and aggressive, but in the face of danger, she was a coward. "I have a question for you, so answer truthfully," Jiang Chen said in a deadpan voice, his grip maintaining the gun''s aim. Lin Lin gulped and rapidly nodded, but her vision remained on the pistol. "The bug is in your body, right?" "Yes!" Lin Lin said, but upon feeling a chill creep up on her, she immediately added, "but only in the brain!" "Is there a difference?" "Yes, it can no longer produce the x2 bacteria," Lin Lin quickly explained. "X2 bacteria... so that''s what it''s called. And then?" Jiang Chen stare bored into her eyes. "And?" Lin Lin didn''t understand. "I''ll be honest with you. My purpose here was not for the artificial intelligence, but rather to kill that bug." Jiang Chen smiled with a hint of hostility. Lin Lin stared at him with vacant eyes. To his surprise, she didn''t cry this time. Jiang Chen sniffed, then frowned. What was this smell? He then noticed something flowing out of her. [What? She peed?] Jiang Chen was shocked all over again. He didn''t expect this girl to be so scared that she''d lose control like that. As far as he knew, it was nothing too excessive; it was a slight threat. "No, don''t kill me. I-I''m afraid of pain," the tiny mouth stuttered listlessly as her tears rolled down in silence. "Ahem, don''t be like this. I''ll take into consideration the fact that you spent such a long time in the virtual world, and therefore have some mental problems. But for your safety, you have to calm down and answer my questions. "The next question is, where did you hide the bug?" Lin Lin paused and then slowly pointed at her chest. "Heart?" "Mhmm. It''s attached to the surface of my mechanical heart. It seems to be attached to my nervous system." Lin Lin nodded. She sensed that Jiang Chen didn''t plan to kill her, so she finally calmed down. "Mechanical heart? Speaking of this, if you''re a digitized human being, then could you remove your heart and then reinstall it?" Jiang Chen pointed a mischievous look at her raised chest. Like a cat with its tail stomped, she curled back and hugged her clothes. "No, I will die. I don''t want to!" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. It was going to be problematic now. "To be fair, you don''t have to kill it," Lin Lin carefully said. Of course, she said this not because she was a benevolent person; she also hated the bug inside her, but she was more afraid of the devil dissecting her. "Oh?" "It''s not dangerous right now; the only thing remaining is its brain. And, it seems to really like you?" "Pshh! What?" Jiang Chen was completely dumbfounded. [Could my charm have surpassed the limitation of species?] "Mhmm, because whenever you approach me, my heart beats faster. Ew, ew, ew! Its heart beats faster. Also, it is also a creature that possesses some intelligence, so the secret teller forced it into the game." Lin Lin then carefully continued, "The character it played... seems to have been Yao Tingting." "..." The silent girl with the books was played by a bug?! Jiang Chen was speechless. [What is this? Did I fu*k a bug?] There seemed to have been a few endings where that actually happened. "So why don''t you let it go? It has positive feelings for you. It won''t hurt you," Lin Lin cautiously said. Jiang Chen''s eyes rolled around for a moment before he said as if he had given up, "It''s really not dangerous? "No, no!" Lin Lin quickly waved her hands. "Under normal circumstances, I control the body. It occasionally fights for control, but it doesn''t seem aggressive." [Not aggressive? That''s strange. Then what are the x2 bacteria?] Jiang Chen''s eyebrows locked. He had a feeling that the bug was not as simple as it seemed. If it was simply a radiation mutant, then there was no reason for it to possess intelligence. Especially since even the existing mutants could be infected by the bacteria. He remembered the Death Claw he met on the surface. "Oh, since you know the name of the x2 bacteria, do you know what it is?" "From the DNA analysis, it is similar to the radiation purification bacteria. Almost as if it''s an improved version of the x1 radiation purification bacteriaso I took the liberty of calling it x2. Although it''s an improved variant, its infection on creatures was not removed but rather enhanced. It can also do what the x1 could never, such as charging the zombies and coordinating them." Jiang Chen could feel that he was close to understanding something as his forehead began to tighten. "Can you communicate with it?" "It''s a bit difficult. Although it can establish mental communication, it seems to be repulsed by me." Lin Lin''s pupils slightly contracted, almost like mechanical equipment. "Then you can chat with her. I''ll take you to my newly established survival camp. I''ve wasted too much time here, and my companions are probably nervous by now." He looked at the time on the EP; there was only half an hour left before the two hour mark. "Are... are you going to imprison me?" Lin Lin''s eyes were fearful. She originally thought that she''d been freed, but the man in front of her didn''t seem to want to let her go. "You can interpret it that way since you''re paranoid and delusional," Jiang Chen said unscrupulously. Lin Lin stared at him coldly, her lips turning white. "Don''t look at me like that. If I have time one day, I''ll show you around Sixth Street, or maybe even closer. You''ll realize what''s happening outside in a few days." Jiang Chen was uncaring of her humiliated expression. She reminded him of himself when he first came to the apocalypse, naively thinking the world was the same as before. Although the apocalypse happened in 2174, the Spaceship of Hope left in 2176. Therefore, survival base 005 was closed sometime between the two points. There was no way for Lin Lin to be unaware of the zombies and mutants that occupied most of the land, but she ignored the more cruel variable that had changed in the apocalypse. Human nature. Disregarding the apocalypse, even if he left her in the "harmonious" Sixth Street, she would be picked to the bones in a few days. He trusted that even if he didn''t explain, it wouldn''t be long before she appreciated his intention. Just like she said, she did save him by providing the key clue in breaking through the game. "Turn around." Jiang Chen courteously backed away and turned around. The sound of clothes shuffling around came from behind him as Lin Lin finally wore the clothes. "Okay." Jiang Chen turned around. When he saw Lin Lin wrapped in orange cloth, he couldn''t resist laughing. "Although there''s no radiation here and the bacteria''s been burned clean, you better put the helmet on since we''ll be leaving." Lin Lin ignored him as she stumbled into the shambles. It was evident that she was still not used to walking. After staying so long in the vial, she had yet to regain control of her body coordination. "What are you looking for?" Jiang Chen slightly frowned as he watched Lin Lin searching the junk. "I found it." Lin Lin happily raised a metal box. "If that is artificial intelligence data, please put it down." The monotonous voice made Lin Lin quiver. She turned around trembling to see Jiang Chen raise the pistol. The meaning in his eyes was clear. "Wait! No, don''t shoot. Don''t overreact. This isn''t artificial intelligence data." Lin Lin quickly waved her hands. "Oh, what is it then." "It''s a great thing." Lin Lin smiled delightfully and held the metal box up. "The artificial intelligence data was all destroyed. Such a massive amount of data can''t be stored in a box like this, so you don''t have to worry. Have you heard of Project Garden of Eden?" Seeing Lin Lin''s uplifted spirits, Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows again. This was his first time hearing about it. "It''s part of the planet transformation plan." Lin Lin was a different person when talking about science. She said excitedly, "After the planet transformation plan met some setbacks, the project developer proposed a simpler alternative, which was Project Garden of Eden. "This method will work by establishing partial biological circles instead of transforming the entire earth. This sub-project was re-categorized into the higher-priority space colonization project." "Just tell me what it can do." Jiang Chen impatiently interrupted her long speech. After hearing that the artificial intelligence was destroyed, he put the gun away. "It''s the plan to establish an artificial biosphere in a closed environment without the need to exchange materials with the outside. Without radiation, you can see the earth''s atmosphere even from Mars. Project Garden of Eden''s completely database... I always wanted to take a look at this thing. My dad used to lock it into the database hehe." Lin Lin ecstatically pressed the switch on the box and aimed her eyes at the blue light. The data was obtained from the hard drive by using a laser to scan. So, was this like the failed biosphere projects two and three in the modern world UA? "Will there be arable land?" Jiang Chen said after some thought. "Of course. You''ll be able to grow whatever you want in this environment," Lin Lin mocked him. She missed the odd tone in his voice. [If it''s possible to produce arable land, then the possibility of farming becomes a reality. If it''s possible to farm on the wasteland, then what''s my purpose?] As he turned the matter over in his mind, his eyes began to gleam. He observed the joyous girl, his finger continuously rubbing the trigger of the gun in his pocket. [What should I do?] 104 Triumphan Chapter 104: Triumphant Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ [Speed: 10m/s] [Energy: 13%] There was enough energy, and the speed would be sufficient. Jiang Chen let out a sigh of relief, no longer increasing the output of the turbine engine. "Be more gentle!" Disgruntled, Lin Lin twisted her body and threw a dirty glare at Jiang Chen who was "lifting" her. Jiang Chen turned on the speaker. "Shut up, don''t move." "My ears." Lin Lin covered her ears in pain, not daring to stare at Jiang Chen again. There was no mistake; the volume increase had been on purpose. In the end, Jiang Chen hadn''t pulled the trigger, and the girl remained ignorant of her close brush with death. While it would be useless for him to establish a biosphere, it was not completely without benefit. From another perspective, this was the space colonization program''s sub-project. Space? Although it was still a bit far, it was better to save it for now. Seeing the girl finally kept her mouth shut, Jiang Chen ignored her and glanced at the goods attached to the back. The survival base had plenty of supplies, even air-sealed compressed crackers, so Jiang Chen was not interested in taking that moldy food. The only thing that surprised him was that even as a digitalized human, Lin Lin still had to eat. He thought she only needed to be recharged. Ultimately, the loot this time was nothing short of amazing. The hummingbird drone production line could produce plate-sized multipurpose drones attached to fire extinguishers, guns, and monitorsthe standard drone used by the PAC. Even if you combed through the entire Wanghai City, you probably wouldn''t be able to find the same production facility. It came as a genuine surprise to find this within the survival base. During the war, military production lines were the primary target, but in civil survival bases, most would not come installed with them. The Sixth Street did sell drones, but most of them were handmade from recycled materials. Once Yao Yao designs a drone alert system, the drones could then take over patrolling duty around the base. He could even build a fleet and equip them all with machine guns. Imagine, if anyone dared to look for trouble at the Fishbone Base, they would be met with a swarm of drones. What sort of expressions would they have? And then there was the processor inside his storage dimension. If he created a virtual reality game, Future Technology''s trillion dollar market value would have another zero. Of course, it was asking for a death sentence if he brought it out into the modern world. The super computer that was advanced by more than one hundred years was drastically different from Little White, who had few practical applications. Secret agents from all over the world would try to sneak into his office. It was important to consider when to add that extra zero. The other minor equipment that he brought along was at the request of Lin Lin. It seemed to be testing equipment? After Jiang Chen ridiculed the junk, saying that they could only be sold for a few crystals at best at the Sixth Street recycling station, she looked at him disdainfully. Mhmm, well, as Jiang Chen pretended to leave, she immediately cried out to apologize. The bookshelf-sized production equipment was three tons. Together with the weight of the weapons, the maximum weight fortunately did not pass the T-3 power armor''s limit of five tons. Lin Lin, who weighed at most 43 kilograms, was negligible. As a non-combat digitalized human, she was lighter than most people, especially since she didn''t have the weaponry component attached to her body. - Shouts of joy and whistles erupted, nearly penetrating the cold armor. The zombies had retreated. The hibernation chambers were destroyed, and bacteria would no longer be produced from this deep pit. The survivors viewed Jiang Chen as a hero, and the cautious and suspicious looks in their eyes were long gone, leaving only heartfelt respect. Honestly, it felt great to be looked up to. Through the screen, he smiled at the people cheering for him before returning his attention to the monitors. After exiting the deep pit, his feet hovered above the ground. He controlled the engine switch, gradually decreasing the engine output and allowing the goods to gently touch the ground. He made sure there was no error in his control. He sighed, then decreased the engine output to the minimum before dropping to the ground himself. Sun Jiao ordered the survivors to lift the loot onto the armored vehicle. With most of the bullets consumed, there was plenty of room. Naturally, everything still could not fit. To make room, Jiang Chen announced that the loot was to be divided up among themselves, which received a wave of cheers. Truthfully, the survivors were mentally prepared for these people in power armors to keep the crystals to themselvesthis was common practice in the apocalypse. The promise was only a joke in front of absolute force. Because it was a defensive battle, everyone showed signs of a hard-fought battle despite the casualties being kept to a minimum. Only seven people died after meeting strong mutants like Roshans. As for the soldiers in power armors, they emerged unscathed since the zombies in the rural area could not break through their defenses. 130 survivors arranged themselves into groups with the largest made up of eight members, the smallest one. Everyone received the crystals that were rightfully theirs according to the plan and record. Each group sent out a representative to obtain their fair share of crystals from behind the armored truck. The total loot was four hundred thousand crystals, minus the 50% cost of ammunition. Fishbone''s profit was one hundred forty thousand crystalsalmost the entire trade figure from last year. It would be a good way to make money every month if the zombies with the x2 bacteria weren''t wiped clean. After splitting the loot, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao walked off to the side. They removed their helmets. "Who is she?" Sun Jiao wore a dangerous smile on her face as she gestured at the tightly wrapped Lin Lin. "Me? I am the elegant digitalized human Lin Lin. Thank me, inferior creature." The aggressive voice immediately issued a shriek when she met Sun Jiao''s deadly gaze. Lin Lin curled up at the back, hiding behind the man she once called a devil. "My slave. The overall situation is a bit complicated." Jiang Chen glanced at the resentful Lin Lin and explained briefly to Sun Jiao about their encounter underground. "Ahem. In case you''re misunderstanding something, I have to be clear. She is only my captive." Jiang Chen added with a pained smile. He immediately knew what Sun Jiao was thinking when he saw her expression. "Oh? So I can torture her however I like?" Sun Jiao gave a mischievous stare at the girl who was not returning the nicest look either. Stared down by Sun Jiao, Lin Lin shivered. She curled up more tightly while trembling. "W-what do you want to do? I-I control." "Ahem," Jiang Chen interrupted, "be nice to her, but don''t let her leave the mansion." Sun Jiao looked questioningly at the frightened Lin Lin before turning to Jiang Chen, full of questions. He sighed, and after warning Lin Lin with a stare, he whispered into Sun Jiao''s ear, "Project Garden of Eden... it can restore the land." Hearing his words, she paused for a moment before narrowing her eyes and looking at Lin Lin. Restore farmland? Then wouldn''t that mean Fishbone''s advantage would no longer exist? Although it was a lucrative proposition, she subconsciously thought about it from Jiang Chen''s perspective. The way she looked at Lin Lin was no longer friendly. "Do you need to?" "No, but we are lacking scientists in the base. Just keep her here for now. It won''t take long before she realizes the cruelty of the world. By that time, even if we forced her to go, she won''t." Seeing that Lin Lin was already shaking, Jiang Chen sighed. "Okay." Sun Jiao nodded and gazed at Lin Lin with hidden motives. "If you dare to escape... hehe." Lin Lin''s face was full of fear, and her legs began to shake uncontrollably. She was starting to regret her decision to leave the virtual world. The expression on this woman''s face made her feel as though she had just escaped from a wolf''s den and into a tiger''s. She didn''t understand. She possessed the technology to save this world, but she was still being treated like this. She had deigned to help these poor people struggling in shambles and deserved praise from these low creatures. Feeling mistreated, Lin Lin pouted and tears of humiliation rolled down her cheeks. With her experience of the world, of course she wouldn''t understand. If Jiang Chen were to allow her freedom to yell out on Sixth Street, "I have Project Garden of Eden in my head!" Mhmm. Not just her brain. Even if it was in the intestines, people would dig it out. "Let''s leave this for later. Put the Death Claw into the trunk. We can do some research on it. Crystals have been distributed already. Now, let''s go home." Hearing home, a smile surfaced on Sun Jiao''s face, and she nodded. "Mhmm, let''s go home!" - In a victorious march, they walked cheerfully and upright through the streets littered with bodies. Survivors embraced and dance as they shouted and laughed freely. They left their sorrows behind to bring victory home. The danger was eliminated. Soon, the zombies would be no more on this street. Even if the zombies in the city center were to smell the blood, it would take them weeks to reach this location. It was their first victory over the zombies. For many years, they hid in the shadows, curled up inside fortified buildings. For once, they united under the same flag and launched an attack against the terrifying zombies. And they emerged triumphant. At last they could stand tall on the streets. They could shout without being afraid of alerting the zombies because they were taken out. Honor was an enchanting trait. They started with power and ended in victory. Once engraved in the heart, even the smallest person could work up the courage. Of course, this was only from the context of Jiang Chen''s absolute power. Without it, these people could never be so united. "Should we incorporate them now?" Sun Jiao asked in the private channel. Jiang Chen''s team still maintained the arrow-shaped formation. Soldiers in power armor surrounded the armor vehicles that were in the middle as they followed behind the survivors. Lin Lin had been tied up by Sun Jiao without any consideration for her feelings, thrown into the back of the armored truck together with the junk. As for her negligible protests? Fine, if she could maintain her forceful stand for more than three seconds, perhaps Sun Jiao would consider backing down. But with a temper unmatched by her courage, Lin Lin''s habit of provoking other people before immediately backing down only encouraged other people to take advantage of her. Somehow she seemed to have no idea about this? Perhaps because other people had always compromised with her before. But in the apocalypse, who would bother? Who would care? A bad attitude was always something nurtured, so Jiang Chen kept his eyes closed when Sun Jiao tied her up. It was time to teach her a lesson. "No. For now, it''s going to be a problem if we bring them back to the base. I also need them to promote our forces in their respective groups." Jiang Chen laughed as he watched the spirited survivors with their full pockets. "So you''re purposely escorting them home?" Sun Jiao chuckled with him. "Showing off our force is always better than using it." "Noooooo!" A heart-shattering scream suddenly sounded from the front of the crowd. Jiang Chen paused, and after exchanging a look with Sun Jiao, walked forward. The survivors made a circle, frozen in silence. The man who moments before had been chatting delightfully now kneeled before the door with sorrowful eyes. "What happened...." Just as he was asking, Jiang Chen bypassed the crowd and suddenly noticed something behind the door. It was a boy''s head with its eyes popped out. Blood was flowing everywhere. 105 Tragedy and War Chapter 105: Tragedy and War Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Blood. And the hideous words and drawings written by blood. "Gang, I am sorry for your loss. You are a good man. Why dont you come to our place?" The middle-aged man with a buzz cut sighed, walked over to Zhao Gang and put his hand on his shoulder as he softly comforted him. His name was Ma Zhongchen. Zhao Gang and him were in the same firing spot in the battle. No one expected for a celebratory moment to become a pitiful sight. The gloom of blood covered this triumphant victory, just like a bucket of cold water dumped on top of every survivors face. "I, I am going to kill them!" Zhao Gang, who was kneeling on the ground, stood up abruptly as he lifted his rifle with viciousness. "Calm! Take it easy, dont overreact!" "What can you do as just one person? Take his gun away." A few of the survivors close to him immediately dragged him down, and put their hands on the safety before stripping him of the weapon. The situation suddenly turned messy. Zhao Baodongs hand became numb. Cold sweat began to roll down his forehead as he stood by the side. Several others were similar to him. The pitiful situation made everyones heart tremble with fear. Who can promise this wont happen in their homes? The locusts, like bandits, were not picky eaters. On the wasteland, the most frightening creature was not the zombie, nor mutants like the Death Claw. It was the bandits who raided your home. Even the weak survivor groups, as long as they avoided contact with mutants and weren''t wandering in the night, they would be able to avoid most dangers. But for the bandits that preyed on humans, any survival technique was futile. If they lost, the men would be killed, the women captured, and the food cleaned out. Things they couldnt bring with them, they would smash. They used violence to express their hopelessness to the apocalypse. Cruelty? This was the "normality" of the apocalypse. Jiang Chens jaw clenched as he stared at the head surrounded by a pool of blood. The eyes rolled up made his chest feel stuffy. Is it because of the small forces I''ve gathered that caused this tragedy? "Its not your fault. Based on the bullet holes on the wall, they possessed at least machine guns. This survival group was only the size of two families. Even if you didnt take Zhao Gang away, he would be another number in the casualty," Sun Jiao noticed his silence, so she quietly reassured him. She knew him too well, even if she couldnt see his face. "Heavy machine guns. Tire tracks. Truck equipped with machine guns?" Jiang Chen locked his eyebrows. He took a deep breath and opened the helmet. He walked in front of Zhao Gang. Jiang Chen faced the man with bloodshot eyes and asked, "Do you know who did it and that''s why you are so eager to seek revenge?" "It''s obvious. Their symbol is on the wall-" Ma Zhongchen said with a bitter smile. "Huizhong Mercenaries. Its them I am going to kill them all!" Zhao Gangs eye popped out as he desperately tried to break loose of his friends grasp, he just wanted to kill those monsters. Huizhong Mercenaries? Jiang Chen paused for a moment. He then looked at the symbol drawn by blood. The continuous and curly S. He couldnt make out what it was. He opened the map, and the light blue full sensory screen weaved in front of him. He remembered that back on Sixth Street, a long time ago, a sucker he shot told him that Huizhong Mercenaries was based in an experimental school in Songjiang Area. Before the mansion expanded, he didnt realize it until now that the old rival Huizhong Mercenaries was pretty close to Qingpu area. Everyone was watching Jiang Chen, waiting for his reaction. Although they understood that they could not blame Fishbone for gathering their forces, but they were still hopeful that a "leader" who conquered the sea of zombies with them could say something. At least, this kind of surprise always seemed to happen on a long journey. Jiang Chen, of course, noticed the looks of hope, but it made him ponder. Huizhong Mercenaries would be a problem after all. Before he didnt have the desire to expand, so he didnt worry about it too much. But now the situation was different. After this mission, Fishbone Survival Camps name would spread in the area. The survivors would spend their crystals at the Sixth Street, and their success would be heard of at the Sixth Street as well. Who didnt like to show off? Bragging about their victory, enjoyed the cheers and praises of others. They were the veterans after all. Although they wouldnt be dumb enough to say that there is someone that sold food in front of their homes and gave other people the opportunity to know where they lived. But if the Huizhong Mercenaries that wandered in the area here heard the news, they may search the area. If they knew a special force appeared in Qingpu, they would be able to find the place. Since Fishbones wall was already constructed, they couldnt hide like other survivors in abandoned buildings. Since they were rival, to begin with, a battle was imminent. Rather than giving the enemy the opportunity to plan a sneak attack, why not make the first move? Especially since all eyes were watching him. There was no better time to establish his authority. Jiang Chen took a deep breath and walked in front of Zhao Gang. He stared at the man full of vengeance and said calmly. "I will help you seek revenge." Although they were waiting for his response, when they heard the words, the survivors were all moved. Of course, a simple sentence was not enough. A "good person" or a "leader" was determined based on his actions. Except Jiang Chen was confident that his acting was comparable to Liu Yao. Zhao Gang stared blankly at the man in front of him. He gritted his teeth, and then kneeled on the ground. "If you can help me seek revenge, my life is yours!" He knew that if it were just him, he would be asking for death. He silently looked at the Zhao Gang kneeling on the ground and said calmly. "I dont need your life or kneecap, your life is yours." Jiang Chen raised his head and looked at the survivors around him. The next sentence was for all of them. "Although this crusade was for our interests together, I cant allow people to take advantage of us!" "I remembered a long time ago, there was a quote: when they slaughtered the union workers, I didnt say anything because I was not a union worker. Then when they killed the Jews, I still didnt say anything because I was not a Jew. After that, they began killing Catholics, I kept my silence because I was Christian. Finally, they wanted to kill me, and no one was speaking up for me because everyone who could speak was killed!" He looked at the confused looks among the survivors, and Jiang Chen shook his head in disappointment. Of course, he had too high of an expectation to think that they would have the realization. If it were not for the fact that they fought together, the tragedy that happened on the small survivor group would not garner the compassion of anyone. Maybe, they would take advantage of this and scavenge the leftovers. "Huizhong Mercenaries is a problem. Then well go take care of the problem! Dont think that what happened today has nothing to do with you. Imagine one day this happens to you, you will regret not standing up today. If you like the idea of being enslaved like animals, the Devils fu*king your woman, and killing your children, then I have nothing to say. If you still consider yourself as human, then follow me. We disdain the cowards! Jiang Chen didnt waste a single word, as he signaled his team and began turning around. Regardless of anyone following, he must get rid of Huizhong Mercenaries! "Should we go now? It would be better if we remain cautious and go back first," Sun Jiao asked in the private channel. "We cant back down," Jiang Chen responded emotionlessly. There was plenty of fuel and ammo in the armored vehicle, enough to sustain at least a few more days. There would be no reason to drag it on. Especially since this had to do with the morale of the team. If what he said inspired some people to follow, that would be for the best. The survivors were all sharp shooters so they would be useful against the Huizhong Mercenaries. He especially wanted to see how much they''ve changed after the battle with the zombies. Although he did force their surrender by force, Jiang Chen was not satisfied with this. The group of survivors chatted among themselves as their hesitation was visible on their faces. "Zhao, should we" The young man standing beside Zhao Baodong carried a rifle and undecidedly looked in the direction that Jiang Chen had just left in. Zhao Baodong was also conflicted. Go, of course. There would be dangers, but it was not without gain. The man gave them half of the wealth after killing the zombies. Therefore the wealth accumulated by the Huizhong Mercenaries Most of the survivors thought of this. Since someone already said they would help, then why would they risk their own lives? They were only conflicted of whether the potential gain of fighting the Huizhong Mercenaries would be worth the risk they''d take. When selfishness became a habit, they would not be grateful, but rather laugh at his foolishness. But for Fishbone to expand, they must contact the forces close by. The expensive and limited slavery chips could not support a population. Especially since the population of the Sixth Street didnt grow on trees. After the crusade, the price of overpopulation would only increase. Although these people were selfish and close minded, they were much easier to control than the thugs wandering around the wasteland. Jiang Chen was betting someone would stand up. Even if he lost the bet, he wouldnt lose anything. With the strong firepower of the power armor, Huizhong Mercenaries was not a problem. But looks like he made the right bet. The man with bloodshot eyes calmed down, silently dragged his gun back from his friend, and followed Jiang Chen. "Gang?" Ma Zhongchen stared blankly at Zhao Gang. He wanted to drag him back. "I am a man." Zhao Gang left without turning his head. Although his son died, his wife should still be alive. He must do everything to save her. I am a man. The harsh words echoed in everyones head. Their passion has yet to die, but when they realized they were only calculating the losses and gains, the look of shame appeared on everyones face. "Ma Sir?" "I am also a fu*king man." He spat on the ground. Ma Zhongchen grabbed the rifle and followed. If there was a first, there was a second. When courage becomes a force, the fear before turns into anger. There was nothing else to say. The massive force once again began their journey. There was no need to threaten them this time. He looked back at the team behind him as a trace of a smile appeared on his face. After this battle, the Fishbones authority would not be challenged anymore. Every single street in the area would become the walls of Fishbone. And he, he will become the new king of Qingpu, King of his new reign. 106 Experimental School Chapter 106: Experimental School Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "I didnt expect people to come," Sun Jiao said in disbelief. "Expected," Jiang Chen said in a sluggish tone, but it did surprise him that so many people showed up. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and didnt respond. There was a total of 59 people following them after the incident occurred. They were all worried about their homes. So, most of the survivor groups decided to let half of the people take the crystals with them home, while the others took their rifles and ammo to help. The plan was for the Fishbone force to be the primary force as the power armor has a huge advantage against light weapons. Ma Zhongchen led 8 people as the second unit to attack the corners where power armors would not be able to hit. Also, they would act as the defense against the anti-armor weapons. The remaining 50 people were split into two groups, surrounding the experimental school from the west and east. There was no need to attack as they only needed to take cover behind the building. If the primary force received too much resistance, then they only needed to pretend to attack to distract the enemy. If they escape, they can then cut off their escape route. Jiang Chen led the primary force along the street. They were getting closer to the Huizhong Mercenaries base. The sky turned into a dim orange as dusk approached, and the zombies started to become unsettled. The group, familiar with the situation, smashed the zombies onto the ground with their dagger to avoid any trouble during the crossfire. Songjiang area was not disturbed by the x2 virus. The zombies were still weak during the day, and there were no crystals in the back of their heads. The crooked experimental school sign was thrown into the corner of the street as the corrosion left its words barely visible. From afar, the metal frames were still visible, along with the barbed wall. It did not resemble a school at all. It looked like a dirt fortress more than Jiang Chens mansion. "Is there any more high energy vacuum bombs?" Ma Zhongchen asked Jiang Chen in an undertone. Those bombs were most effective against humans. "No, its hard to get those," Jiang Chen replied. Zhao Chenwu probably didnt even have a lot of those lethal weapons to begin with. While the bomb and the launch pad was not hard to make, the concentrated fuel probably was hard to come by. The ones he sold to Jiang Chen were probably the few remaining batches. Usually, survival camps would not start conflicts among themselves since the geographic distance was a hindrance, and also no one was interested in the land itself. The high lethal to human high energy vacuum bombs were raided from a military factory now in shambles. Its uses were limited to deterrence in the early stage. Now, it was no longer necessary as their force and reputation have already been established. Zhao Gang stood silently on the side, his eyes locked on to the gate. The other seven survivors were also spread out behind the cover. "Prepare to attack," Sun Jiao ordered. She opened the armored truck, lifted the angry looking Lin Lin out, and threw her onto the ground. Jiang Chen was quite intrigued in the bad-tempered digitalized human and ripped off the tape from her mouth. "Pei, pei, pei! You dare to " Just as she was about to go on a rampage, Sun Jiao glanced at her, and the once "aggressive" voice suddenly turned into a faint mutter. Seeing that Lin Lin was quiet, Sun Jiao didnt bother with her anymore. She then took out the 72mm anti-tank cannon. This thing was a destructive beast, anyone hiding behind the cover would get blown apart. Lin Lin trembled as she saw the vicious looking long barrel in the "devils hands". Her teeth were clearly chattering. "Dont worry, that thing is too long for you. We wont use it on you." Her frightened look made Jiang Chen tease her more. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes, and then threateningly aimed the barrel in Lin Lins direction before aiming the barrel forward. Lin Lin was scared to death by her action, but because she was tied down, she could only shake her body, unable to run. "Dont be nervous, we just want you to see what the world is really like," Jiang Chen said casually as he stood beside Lin Lin. He took out a dagger to cut the ropes around her body. He then said, with a smirk in his voice, into Lin Lins ear, "You better not bother Sun Jiao. When she is angry, she even ties me up." Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a dirty look, as she rebutted in the private channel. "Am I that violent!" [Yes. Normal people would not tie up someone they''ve just met.] But Jiang Chen only said that in his mind, or else it would have been an endless argument again. "Prepare for battle. Oh, even if we untied you, it is safer for you to stay in the armored vehicle. You can look outside through the camera. He estimated that the two teams surrounding the experimental school should be in place. So, he ordered the power armored soldiers to quickly engage in battle stance and prepare to attack. "I feel something is off," Ma Zhongchen, who had kept his silence, spoke out abruptly and then stared at the direction of the door with a frown on his face. "No one is guarding. We are already this close, and they dont have any reaction at all." "Thats how I feel too. It is a ritual to leave a guard at the bandits base." Sun Jiao peaked out of the cover with her feet locked to the ground and aimed the barrel at the thick metal gate. She then turned around and looked at Jiang Chen. "Engage?" Just as she finished her sentence, there was a massive explosion from afar. "Whats happening?" Jiang Chen was at a loss. Did the surrounding team expose themselves? "Fire! Attack!" [Cant wait anymore!] Jiang Chen immediately ordered an attack. "Roger, attack commences!" Sun Jiao calmly pulled the trigger. Boom! The orange flame fired out as the bomb smashed into the metal gate 400 meters out, leaving a violent explosion. The shell of the bomb dropped onto the ground. Sun Jiao didnt stop as she stabilized the cannon and fired another round. Boom! The metal gate was blown out, and Jiang Chen immediately led the power armor soldiers to charge. Ma Zhongchen also commanded the light infantry to join in the fray. The armored vehicle followed as the vicious 20mm machine gun pointed directly at the gate. Attack commences! Sun Jiao unlocked her feet to the ground and moved along with the anti-tank cannon. But unlike their expectation, resistance didnt arrive. The gun shots in the distance still continued with an occasional explosion, but it did not seem to come from the west or the east. The power armored soldiers led the charge, followed by the light infantry. "Quick! Get in there." "No enemy unit." "Requesting order." Jiang Chen stood outside of the gate as he began to frown at the reports from the public channel. No defense at the gate, battle in the distance, did the Huizhong Mercenaries encounter strong enemies that they must focus all their firepower there and could not defend their gate anymore? Who could it be? "Enter the main building, fire at will." Sun Jiao ordered the forces and then signaled the light infantry. "Roger." - There was no resistance at all, everyone entered the main building without firing a single shot. The armored vehicle slowly drove in, the gate was closed to prevent the zombies from entering. It was starting to turn dark, the gun shots in the distance still made Jiang Chen uncertain. But he thought that regardless of who the victor was, they still must come here. So it would be a good idea to build a defense line and wait for their attack. Shredded papers and rock debris scattered on the ground. The cracks on the walls and stairs were telltale signs that the place was impacted by the nuclear blast. No one cleaned this place as everything was kept the exact as before the war. If it weren''t for the two piles of poop, along with the dried blood in the corner, Jiang Chen would have questioned if anyone lived here at all. "01, 02, head to the roof to patrol. 03-06 search each building. Dont miss any corners. Light infantry and 07, 08, establish a defensive line on the first floor. Fire at will at sight of the enemy." Sun Jiao calmly gave out orders. "Yes!" Everyone rapidly mobilized. The gunshots seemed to be from the back of the experimental building, as a few explosions were mixed between the sounds, the firing was beginning to intensify. "Sun Jiao, are you familiar with the forces in Songjiang area?" After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen abruptly asked. Sun Jiao shook her head. "Not sure, I did pass Songjiang when I was going to the mansion, but I would avoid the places where there were obvious signs of humans. Large, safe survival camps like Sixth Street are rare, and I marked them all on the map I downloaded from Liuding town. Other than that, any other places with humans have the possibility of being a bandit gathering." [Oh? Hopefully the force fighting against the Huizhong Mercenaries are on good term with us.] Jiang Chen pondered in his mind. [The first thing is to control the building and establish a line of defense. After a victor is decided, one party would approach this place. If it is the Huizhong Mercenaries, then fire immediately, if its the other force, then decide based on their intention.] "This is 03, there is a situation in the basement. The situation is unique." The voice transmitted from the public channel. "Roger, well head right down." Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen. "Mhmm." Jiang Chen nodded, took out the tactile rifle ideal for compact enclosures, and followed her towards the basement. The wall in the hallway was drawn with weird graffiti, the bright colors and dark wall formed an odd contrast. When he passed a classroom, Jiang Chen saw the chairs and tables thrown in the corner through the window, along with the cracked screens at the front of the classroom. There were two messy sleeping bags and a polyethylene digital table on its side. Blood marks were on the ground, but it looked like it was from a long time ago. If it was not so messy, the classroom looked similar to what he saw in the virtual reality training chamber. "I heard that before the war, they liked to group the kids together to teach? I really dont understand the purpose of it," Sun Jiao glanced at the classroom and mumbled. [Group the kids together?] Jiang Chen paused for a minute when he heard the voice from the private channel. He couldnt help but smile. "I am not going to say I dont understand." Sun Jiao did receive virtual reality lessons when she was in the survival base. "Oh? The virtual reality training system allows necessary knowledge to be understood in a short period of time. If something can be learned in 1200 hours, whats the point of taking 12 years?" Sun Jiao curled her upper lip contemptuously. "Are you jealous right now?" Jiang Chen laughed. "Shut up." Sun Jiao pouted as she kicked the debris up, and turned around to give him a dirty look. Although they were wearing helmets, Jiang Chen could still imagine her expression. "Maybe it was to enjoy the process." She wouldnt understand because she spent her childhood in a survival base. Now to think about it, although he always complained about graduate school, when that moment finally came, Jiang Chen admitted that he did look forward to graduation. But after stepping into the real world, he still felt a longing for the times in the past. Maybe that was the happiest time? No office politics, even if there was a fight, the next day everything will be back to usual. Even if the teacher was mad, the only consequence was a lecture and not losing the bonus, though he didnt need to worry about that now. "Enjoy the process? Whats the use of that?" Jiang Chen couldnt tell if the voice was full of longing or contempt. "Not a lot of use, just like how someone turned the world into this mess. Not a lot of use." Jiang Chen glanced at the teachers office along with the way, it was also a mess inside. "I dont understand," Sun Jiao murmured. "To put it in simple words, if you can meet some interesting friends in school, you learn to deal with people. Mhmm. If you received that type of education, you wouldnt tie me up during our first encounter." "Do you want to die! Stop remembering that." Sun Jiaos face turned slightly red as she complained cutely. Jiang Chen smiled, he only wanted to tease her. At the end of the hallway was a metal door, the lock was cut by the welding device on the power armor. There were a few words written. Was it because of the escalated tension back then? Jiang Chen remembered that the school in the modern world didnt have those. "If possible, could you take me there? From your side." Before they entered the door, Sun Jiao quite abruptly opened her mouth. He blanked for a moment before a genuine smile appeared on his face. "Mhmm, of course." 107 Bandit’s Toy Chapter 107: Bandits Toy Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi A moldy smell swept across their face. Maybe it was Jiang Chens illusion, but he even smelled a pungent, disgusting odor. Now it feels much better. "I can guess what this place is," Sun Jiao suddenly said. "Oh? What place?" "A place to store their trophies." Her voice was calm, without much fluctuation, but Jiang Chen could still hear the disdain she tried to cover up. The plastic walls were well insulated as the temperature in the basement was slightly higher than outside. The lamps on the side of the hallway provided the lighting to the place. The place still had electricity. Seeing that the boss and captain came down, the 03 soldier in power armor in front of the basement door saluted. "Whats going on?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows but realized instantly. It was living hell. The room previously used as a fallout shelter was completely remodified. The polyethylene door was attached with a massive lock. The people captive inside the room could be seen through the tiny window. Thats right, kept like cattle. The soulless naked woman sat there, Jiang Chen couldnt tell if she was alive or not. The white stains and the dark bruises and scars on her body made it hard to fathom the pain she experienced. There were at least one hundred rooms like this! Each door had a number. Some rooms were empty with only dried blood inside. Some rooms had multiple people inside. Beautiful, ugly, able bodied or disabled, body modified or tattooed with heinous words Jiang Chen looked away as he could no longer stand the scene. "The number on the door should belong to a bandit, and they should keep the keys there. The people or things inside are their trophies or sex toys. They usually kill them once impregnated, or purposely impregnate them to unleash their monstrous desire" Sun Jiao said emotionlessly. "You do know quite a lot," Jiang Chen took a long breath of air and said in a troubled voice. "Common sense on the wasteland. Sometimes, you are really charming." Sun Jiao suddenly looked playfully at Jiang Chen and smiled. "Haha, my pleasure." He forced a laugh because he was not in a delighted mood, and he continued to walk emotionlessly. "What the fu*k, there is a man inside?" Jiang Chen took a few more steps before looking at the door in disdain and moved away. [Some weird fetishes here.] The man inside seemed to have noticed the noise outside, he opened his wry eyes and looked outside. In a glimpse, as if he suddenly got a burst of energy, he smashed the door to draw the attention of Jiang Chen. "Wait! You are the enemy of those bandits right! Can you let me out?" Seeing that the man in power armor turned around to look at him, Chu Nan gulped and said rapidly. "My name is Chu Nan, an ex-pilot at Liuding town. I was captured by these bandits a month ago." [Virgin (Chu Nan)?] Jiang Chen held in his laughter. "Liuding town? Then how did you fly here?" Sun Jiao was surprised. "Mission failed," Chu Nan answered in awkwardness. Jiang Chen opened the helmet and examined him with a weird look. "Why did the bandits put you, a man here?" Chu Nan paused for a moment, and then a forced a smile. "I dont know, maybe sell me for a good price? But Liuding town definitely doesnt lack pilots." Jiang Chen paused for a moment as well and then smiled. "My name is Jiang Chen. I also dont need pilots. Once the battle is over outside, well let you go." There would be too many variables if he just let him go now. Since it was already dark outside, he would have to wait till tomorrow. Anyways, there was no difference in letting him go now or tomorrow morning. "Give me a gun, I can still fight, I can help you guys," Chu Nan gulped as he proposed to Jiang Chen. "No need." There was no need to add variables to the battle. An extra light infantry would not change the battle. Jiang Chen shook his head as he prepared to walk forward. "Can you give me a nutrient supply? I havent C" An instant noodle smashed precisely into the window, Jiang Chen said in annoyance, "I am not in the best mood right now, so you better shut up for a while, or I will forget to open the door tomorrow." [Quiet now?] The crisp sound of instant noodle and chewing transmitted through the door. Jiang Chen curled his mouth up as he was prepared to move forward. Dong, dong! At that moment, the abrupt smashing of a heavy door was heard. A monster-like vicious look passed through the tiny window, a rather beautiful face was revealed, spiteful and twisted. He looked at her in shock as it was the first woman he saw that still had energy. Sun Jiao was even more shocked. She opened her helmet and walked up to the door in disbelief. "You know her?" Jiang Chen looked at her astonished, and then glanced at the "monster" wanting to jump away. A bitter smile appeared on Sun Jiaos face. "Somewhat. Her name is Zhou Xiaoxia, my old friend at Liuding town? Or just an acquaintance. She was a lone wolf with a skilled dagger and pistol skills. We teamed up together before, temporarily." "Then how did she C" "Captured, tortured on a daily basis, and finally lost her sanity She probably has gone insane already." Sun Jiao reached her hand out, but just before she touched the door, the woman leaped at the door like a malicious animal, viciously flashing her teeth. She retracted her hand. Jiang Chen gulped lightly. Is this the fate of a lone wolf wandering in the wasteland? "So, the filthy lone wolves on the wasteland are usually old virgins, because once captured, youll never be human again." Sun Jiao suddenly smiled, she pulled out the tactile rifle and aimed into the small window, as she quietly looked at the monster-like pupils. Jiang Chen noticed her hands were shaking. "Do you need my help?" He asked gently. Even for people who were accustomed to killing, they have people they were unwilling to pull the trigger on. He kind of understood the feeling. The feeling where she wanted to end her companions pain, but unable to do so because of past interactions. Sun Jiao thought for a moment and then smiled. "Its okay C" Boom! A massive explosion suddenly diffused inside as the ceiling began to the shake, the lights were flickering. "This is 07. We are under attack! They are equipped with heavy firearms, requesting assistance!" The explosions continued to transmit from the surface, the soulless women in the cages were even alerted and twitched. "01, 02 provide cover fire on the roof, 04-08 search for cover and return fire." Sun Jiao calmly ordered in the public channel. "Dammit, who is the enemy?!" "Its definitely not the Huizhong Mercenaries, they dont have such intense firepower," Chu Nan leaned against the door as he quickly explained, the look in his eyes seemed to plead for Jiang Chen to let him out first. "Its the mutated human! Its the mutated human force! Dammit, how did we encounter these things here!" Angry shouts transmitted from the communication channel, the intensity of the battle could be deduced from the shaking blast. The situation was critical as Jiang Chen did not bother with Chu Nans plead. He dashed directly to the stairs and signaled Sun Jiao, and 03 to follow. Sun Jiao glanced at the Zhou Xiaoxia flashing her teeth at her and put down the rifle. She didnt say anything as she silently left the basement. She didnt pull the trigger. "Dammit!" Chu Nan smashed the door as he witnessed the group of people leave the basement. He could only pray that the man called Jiang Chen wins. At the same time, he suddenly noticed that the monster-like woman was staring at him. He abruptly remembered the hardcore po*n scenes yesterday. The bald Zhou Guoping took his pawns, lined them up, and then pressed the bit*h-like woman against the wall, they cursed derogatory words while they To be honest, he was hard. Chu Nan shook his head as he wearily sat on the bed. To his surprise, through the tiny window, he noticed that the woman was also smiling? He suddenly felt his throat being stuffed, he opened his mouth but didnt say anything. When the person in the power armor said her name, he already realized who she was. However, in the month he was kept here, he didnt recognize her at all! Speaking of this, she hasn''t visited Liuding town for a while. Since last winter? Zhou Xiaoxia was known as the devil hunter, the screw bars goddess at Liuding town. She would always have a drink there when she passed by Liuding town. There was a lot of people thirsty for her beauty, but none picked the rose with thorns. But now, the charm was covered by filth, and the audacious yet gorgeous face had lost all of its liveliness. Dammit, he did fall in love with her at first sight. 108 The Mutated Humans Chapter 108: The Mutated Humans Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The Mutated Humans - like the cannibals, was another species not accepted by humans. A giant figure, strong muscles, an ugly, twisted face, and grayish green skin. Just like the monsters from . The FEV virus in their cell structure had given them an insane regeneration ability. From some perspectives, they could be considered immortals unless they asked for their own death. At the same time, the ferocious FEV also made them immune to any diseases, and free from the risk of radiation. They boast themselves as the "perfect human" and praise that the heaven like wasteland belonged to them. Of course, the above was was not the reason they were hated. There were plenty of arrogant, ugly people, and with enough radiation dust, the head was bound to become abnormal. The survivors disdained them because they were di*kless. Not only that, they liked to capture people, and turn them into the same di*kless creatures they were. The inability to reproduce was their only flaw. Also, because of the limited life span of their DNA. Despite a higher regeneration rate, which means the cell division was occurring at an abnormally high rate, this resulted in a shorter life span. They would rarely age but would experience a violent death in their 50s. The more injuries they''ve had, the shorter their life span. If they wanted to continue their species, the must capture people on the wasteland, and put them in a vile and pickle them to turn the captured people into the same ugly, mutated humans as them, regardless of gender. To increase efficiency, they would force breed the males and females. The newborn baby would then be turned into mutated humans as well. They would then raise the newborn and repeat the same reproduction cycle. This inhumane act was even more obnoxious than killing people. Obviously, people would rather get their heads chopped off than their di*ks chopped off. So naturally, the mutated human was top of the blacklist on every survival camp, the Sixth Street included. These "di*kless" things were the arch enemy of all humans Even if they couldn''t conduct trade with other survivors, they still lived a comfortable life. Nutrient supply? They could produce it, but they rather not eat those things. They hunt for mutants, and then eat the highly poisonous flesh raw, and use their insane immunity system to process the poison. Even the disgusting Roshan, they could feast like its flesh was a delicious meal. Firearms? They were born in the underground military facility. Because of the involvement of the government, the military did finally receive freedom. They controlled the entire military base and was considered the organization with the amplest amount of firearms in Wanghai City. It was true that based on the adaptability of this world, they had the right to be arrogant. If it were not for the fact that they couldn''t reproduce, they would have without a doubt conquered the world. But Jiang Chen was facing these lunatics right now. - "Dammit, their firepower is too strong!" Ma Zhongchen tightly pressed behind the cover as he could barely gather his breath due to the oppressing fire from the heavy machine gun. 400 meters out, whoever had the more intense firepower was the daddy. The grayish-green colored mutated humans were wrapped in ammo. The revolving machine gun furiously unleashed its power on the main building. Their muscular body enabled them to fire the heavy firearm without being disturbed by the heavy recoil. Without the need to wear kinetic skeletons to increase their weight, they could use their pure strength to wear the almost one-ton C-plastic steel armor. If it were not for the exposed joints uncovered, the light weapon would practically cause no harm. "Fu*k, it''s the mutated humans." Sun Jiao''s face looked troubled, she carried the 72mm anti-tank cannon and leaned behind the cover. These heavy machine guns could already pose a threat to the power armors, the intense waves of bullets forced them to take cover. Both feet locked onto the ground changed into AP bombs, she reached out of the cover and immediately fired. The bomb with a trial of orange fire scattered across the sky as it smashed right into a mutated human. The AP bomb without a doubt penetrated the armor and ripped the mutated human into pieces. The effect was visible when they realized that the opponent also possessed heavy weaponry. This caused the mutated humans to become more cautious with their attack. The only downfall was they began to focus their fire in Sun Jiao''s direction. Sun Jiao unlocked her feet as she initiated the turbine engine and barely avoided the rain of bullets. The ferocious firepower from the machine gun almost shredded the wall she took cover at into pieces. "Dammit, do their bullets not cost money?" Jiang Chen gritted his teeth, he leaned against the wall and continued to shoot while constantly taking cover behind different barriers. "Fu*k! Why are they focusing on me." Sun Jiao dragged the 2-meter long cannon as she awkwardly hid behind the stairs, unable to peek out. Other than heavy machine guns, they also possessed at least four recoilless cannons! Their firepower was not on the same level, the only heavy weaponry on Jiang Chen''s side was the 72mm anti-tank cannon. Although the revolving heavy machine gun was powerful, because the other side had already suppressed their fire, it is hard to regain the control. There were at least 20 mutated humans with machine guns. "Should we drive the armored vehicle over, the 20mm machine gun could..." "Are you crazy, they have four recoilless cannons!" "Fu*k, what to do..." Sun Jiao bit her lip. "Retreat! Retreat! Fu*k! Prepare to fight in the building!" There was no time to hesitate, Jiang Chen decisively took control as he shouted in the public channel. Sun Jiao quickly realized the situation too. [That''s right, if they can''t win in distance, then fight in close range! If the mutated human need captives, there is no reason that they wouldn''t chase.] "Roger!" The light infantry that was being suppressed on the ground by the firepower began to retreat. Then it was the power armor soldiers. The mutated human took the upper advantage in the first wave of exchange fire, there were three casualties on Jiang Chen''s side, with minor injuries on the power armor soldiers. Two casualties on the opposing side, one was blown to pieces by Sun Jiao. The other practically died because of bad luck. With the regeneration strength of the mutated human, unless it were shots to the head or heart, they would not die. It was already pitch dark in the night. Because of Jiang Chen''s retreat, the mutated human began to cease fire. They couldn''t destroy the building as their purpose was to capture people. In this case, they had to enter the main building to combat with Jiang Chen. "A total of 31 people, with 19 heavy machine guns, they are in the building already." After activating fury, all the hearts appeared in his vision. Fury deactivated. He took a deep breath as his brain regained clarity. After the battle in the virtual world, he could already freely control fury without the need of a tranquilizer. The only disadvantage of the ability was that the higher the number of the enemy targets, the more difficult it was to control his emotion. Once the violence was built up to a certain point, he could even lose control. Just like Sun Jiao''s special ability would force her to be weak, these hidden genetic abilities were never meant to be the gift from the higher beings, but rather a curse to the unholy. The light infantry was completely useless at this point. Sun Jiao ordered them to retreat to the door. Ten power armor soldiers against 31 mutated humans, that was a large discrepancy. But would Jiang Chen play this game fair and square? The Fishbone base lacked a lot of things, but crystal was not one of them. 109 Tragedy Chapter 109: Tragedy Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Enemy unit arrived on the second floor." "Fire!" "Roger!" Dadada-! In the darkness, fire sparks suddenly erupted as the mutated humans rushing into the hallway were caught off guard. The polyethylene tables and chairs were thrown into the hallway as the power armored soldiers used that to take cover and unleash their firepower at the mutated humans. The weight of the mutated human''s armor was mostly focused in the front part; their intense firepower made it necessary to consider running away. But once the distance has been shortened, their fatal weakness was exposed. Although they were not completely unprepared, when they stepped on the stairs, their center of gravity leaning forward uncontrollably exposed their defenseless backs to the machine guns of the power armor soldiers. Almost instantly, they experienced heavy casualties. "Fire at will!" Jiang Chen carried the tactical rifle as he gritted his teeth and continuously pulled the trigger. The mutated human''s charging momentum suddenly came to a halt. They began to lift their guns up to fire back, but shooting up was always a disadvantage as they were unable to return fire. Despite their muscle being able to carry the weight of the C-type plastic steel, it was too much for the spine. If they had to shoot up, that means their center of gravity must be shifted back, and all the weight will be concentrated on the spine. "Nice job! How did you know their weakness?" Sun Jiao said in excitement while she continued to pull the trigger. "Would you believe me if I said I guessed it?" He unloaded the empty magazine and smashed a new one into the cartilage. Jiang Chen aimed at the neck of a mutated human. Dada--! The bullets penetrated through the neck of the mutated human, creating a splash of blood as the bullets broke his neck. He fell onto the ground like soft mud and stopped breathing. Despite the incredible body, they were still human after all. Even if they surpassed the limitation of DNA, they could not overcome the barrier of life. "They have entered Area A already; we lost control of the left wing on the second floor." Noisy shouting was heard from the public channel. "Retreat to the third floor." Sun Jiao decisively ordered. "Roger!" They can''t allow the battle to take place in the hallway, once one wing lost control, the other wing had to retreat as well. The revolving machine gun began to spin on the right hand, the left dragged the tactical rifle as the machine gun spat out a constant fire. They kept their fire suppression as they retreated. Once the defense line was compromised, they had to reestablish it on another floor. If they engaged fire with the mutated humans in the hallway, they would be the ones overwhelmed. [Dammit, I should have brought some heat sensor grenades with me.] He saw the on the full sensory screen as he cursed in his mind. Who would have thought this crusade would be this problematic? Against the cold-blooded zombies and agile mutants, heat sensor grenades were practically useless. At this moment, the floor violently shook. The explosion from the east side was audible even from the other wing. "03 is down!" "Dammit, it''s recoilless cannon!" Jiang Chen watched with his own eyes as the 03 number became crossed and marked with symbol. Although he didn''t know the person''s name, seeing that his comrade has fallen, it was an indescribable feeling. Although he was aware that there would be casualties in every battle. "Retreat! Retreat to the roof!" Sun Jiao shouted in the public channel. They couldn''t wait any longer. A T-3 power armor was worth over ten thousand crystal, and if it was busted, then there was one power armor less. The mutated human saw that they gained an upper advantage as they began to shout out in joy. They attacked the stairs roaring. Even if they had ten people along the way, the 10 to 1 casualty ratio did not scare them because they firmly believe that once these metal junks were forced on the roof, they would turn into scrap metal under their firepower. The armor in front of their chest was comparable to the T-3 C-type plastic armor. Technology? They didn''t need it! "Dammit, why do they seem to be on drugs." Sun Jiao clinched her teeth as the 72mm anti-tank cannon launched repeatedly. The AP bomb directly penetrated the concrete stairs and blew the mutated human into two pieces. "Initiate final plans." Jiang Chen met with Sun Jiao already as they took cover at the other end of the stairs. They leaned tightly against the wall as they shot with the tactical rifle. Bullets flew and carried the trail of faint gray smoke. "But, but that is 5400 crystals." Sun Jiao''s face appeared as if she was about to cry. "Enough! A T-3 is 13000 crystals." Sun Jiao clinched her teeth as she reluctantly made her last shot, and shouted in the public channel. "Retreat! Initiate final plan!" "Roger." The defense line could no longer hold on to the sixth floor, but there were still at least twenty mutated humans attacking. They already abandoned their plan of just piling on bodies and began to act more cautiously as they continuously fired the recoilless cannons and self-made grenades. The saving grace was that while they had almost an infinite amount of bullets, their grenades and bombs were limited, or else there was no way this battle could be fought. Finally, the mutated humans rushed onto the sixth floor, it forced all the power armor soldiers into the hallway. But at this moment, a scene the mutated human didn''t expect happened. The metal junks all jumped out of the window as the turbine engine began to shoot out a blue trail of flames and carried them downstairs. At the same time, explosions began to erupt on the fifth and sixth floors. The hidden aluminum heat agent blew the stairs into pieces. They could fly? The stairs were destroyed? However, they had no time to react. Sun Jiao, in pain, pressed the confirm button, she regretted not carrying more explosives with her. How wasteful was it to use the fuel rod costing 500 crystals, and 100 crystals to charge explosives? Boom!! The red flames began to blossom in the air, the almost liquefied fire waves instantly emerged the entire floor and erupted out from the previously black window. He felt the waves of heat on the surface of his armor. Jiang Chen watched the blinding explosion, astonished. Although it was not the first time he used fuel rod as explosives, it was his first time witnessing this effects of the explosion. "Beautiful firework." He subconsciously whistled. "A firework worth 5000 crystals." Sun Jiao was still bitter. "Do you think that they haven''t considered that we could fly?" Jiang Chen asked as he watched the concrete begin to melt. "Not all power armors are equipped with flying engines. Usually, only paratroopers would be fitted with the flying engine. The trade off for mobility is armor. The B-type armor used by land mobile armors are much stronger than the lighter C-type plastic armor. At the same time, it weighs much more than the 300 kg T-3, it usually weighs one ton. Also, the mutated humans are not known for their intelligence." The high temperature also ignited the plastic chairs placed in the hallway. The thick black smoke was quite visible even in the night. The power armors gradually landed, looking at the fire above them. There was no doubt about their victory. Sun Jiao carried the anti-tank cannon on her shoulder. "B-type armor? What are these things exactly." Jiang Chen was curious. "Material strength grade, SABCDEF, seven levels in total. It is also used in other industries. It is complicated to explain. You don''t know this after being here for this long?" Sun Jiao rolled her eyes. "Seems like you know a lot," Jiang Chen nonchalantly said as he glanced at the fire that was beginning to fade. The building was well-engineered. Even after experiencing an explosion of this scale, the main structure remained intact. "Common knowledge," Sun Jiao mumbled and then opened the public channel. "Prepare to enter, group into 3s by number. Group A head to floor five and six to search for any mutated humans that have not died, only leave one alive." "Roger." They saluted as 01,02,03 carried their tactical rifles into the building. "Team B, go collect the power armor on floor three." Although destroyed, a lot of parts were of high value. "Roger." "Team C, clean up the battlefield at the experimental building." After finishing her orders, Sun Jiao opened the helmet and playfully threw Jiang Chen a wink, and then closed the helmet and shouted in the private channel, "Follow your sister." "Is your butt aching?" Jiang Chen said fiercely. He heard her giggling voice. [This girl is becoming more naughty.] - Bullet holes were everywhere on the wall, Jiang Chen''s force left the ones on the north side. The south side should be from the encounter between the mutated humans and Huizhong Mercenaries. It was evident that the mutated humans won. There were bloodstains everywhere, along with severed limbs and flesh. The pungent smell in the air and gruesome scene on the ground only made Jiang Chen slightly frown. Was it because he was used to death? Or only because it was too dark to see? He would rather believe it was the latter. Behind the back door, there were three modified trucks parked. They were bolted with thick steel plates along with a heavy machine attached to the top. "Quite a gruesome battle." Sun Jiao locked her eyebrows as she locked away a broken hand. "Don''t those di*kless things want it alive?" Jiang Chen asked. "Still alive, without a hand. Usually, normal people are just for breeding purposes." As she said this, Sun Jiao walked behind the truck and opened the door. Suddenly, Jiang Chen saw her stop. His heart started to ache, but he didn''t have the time to open his mouth. Like a bomb, the figure was blown away. "Roar-!" The roaring sound came from inside the truck as it almost shattered Jiang Chen''s eardrums. He couldn''t hear any sounds at that moment. "C team encountered enemies! Requesting assistance!" 08 quickly pulled out the rifle and began to fire. But the bullets seemed to have hit a metal plate as sparks popped up on the metal board, casting an unsettling feel. Jiang Chen, who was still trying to recover from what had happened, saw, with the glimpse of his eyes, the explosive and agile figure get blown into the air. Noise. Color. Everything in the world seemed to have escaped from his body. Sun Jiao... His head was empty. In an instant, Jiang Chen''s eyes were covered in blood. 110 Awakening Chapter 110: Awakening Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Death. There was intense pain, as though his heart had been ripped open. Scenes from his memory flickered like dusty, old photos. The audacious and naughty, yet gentle and caring face began to yellow. Then it turned gray. The ferocious mutated human roared and flipped the warhammer in its hand before facing Jiang Chen, whose mind had gone completely blank. It was fury, but beyond fury. Anger seemed to have broken a lock in his heart, shattering it. But his mind was clear and conscious. [Kill.] [Kill him.] Thoughts of slaughter. Roar! The explosive shadow dashed at him, the raised warhammer gleaming with a faint blue light. It was a power warhammer, equipped with a power storage system. It could release energy upon impact, and the damage was comparable to that of an anti-tank cannon, making power armor rather useless against it. Anger did not numb his thoughts; he never had such clarity in his life. His thoughts passed in 0.01 seconds, and the tactical flashlight in front of him opened instantaneously. The blinding ray pierced the pupils of the mutated human and deadened his vision. At the same time, the turbine engine opened, and he began to glide. What followed was a deafening screech, a challenge that smashed into the ground. Jiang Chen maneuvered the power armor and dodged the thunderous hit. He raised his right arm, and the machine gun with revolving tridents fired rapidly. Tatata! Bullets swarmed out, each impact casting sparks on the mutilated human''s back. The sound of the striking metal began to fade. The violent firepower did not damage him in the slightest, being reflected instead. "Roar!" The mutated human shouted in pain. He dragged the power warhammer up from the concrete floor, his eyes the size of bells shooting out a terrifying light. From the sparks and flashlight, he could see the mutated human''s pitch-black back. A dark mutated human? Information from the database was displayed on his pupil. "Lead skin? I don''t know how it works, but" The black figure leaped at Jiang Chen once more. The warhammer smashed down like a meteor with four trails of faint blue light. The turbine engine at maximum output, Jiang Chen made a curved trajectory to avoid the attack midair. He then braked, sparks screeching out from the bottom of his feet. Without hesitation, he pulled out the tactical rifle and aimed it at the mutant''s head. The second it turned to look for its target, Jiang Chen fired. Dadada! It was still ineffective; it had a ridiculous defense even on its head. With a fierce shout, the mutated human swung its power warhammer at Jiang Chen from his flank. There was no time to dodge, but his heart was devoid of any anxiety. He deployed the wheels on the soles of his shoes once more while a nitrogen shield expanded outward like an umbrella. The power warhammer smashed through the thick waves of nitrogen and hammered on the front of his armor. Jiang Chen flew explosively, but with the help of the nitrogen shield, he was pushed out rather than ejected with great force. The T-3 power armor weighing three hundred kilograms was very light, and most of the impact was not absorbed by him. Instead, it was transformed into energy that helped him recoil backwards. The wheels turned rapidly, and after flying for approximately ten meters, Jiang Chen calmly braked with a screech of metal on the ground. Boom! The power armor directly smashed into the first floor of the experimental building. He landed awkwardly in the hallway. "Energy of impact, 494000 joules." Straining, Jiang Chen raised his dazed head and read the stats on his pupils. The entire front of the armor caved in. The turbine engine on the left shoulder and left side of the waist were destroyed. The life detection device was damaged, and the communication device was malfunctioning. He silently glanced at the rows of symbols that represented the team, then at the jumping red symbol. Jiang Chen closed the notifications and pulled out the tactical dagger. "Roar!" The roaring sound advanced, as he had expected. It was clear that the gorilla-like monster was not ready to let its prey go. And neither did Jiang Chen. Like a gust of furious wind, the black figure raised the power warhammer and smashed it in his direction. Flames burst out of what remained of the turbine engines. Jiang Chen slid across the ground as though being dragged to avoid the power warhammer''s hit. Finally, the stood up shakily. Rock debris had scraped the power armor which clanked continuously. The turbine engines had exceeded their output limit and stalled, but it was enough. Jiang Chen, who had just escaped danger, did not back down but rather dragged the busted power armor and dashed at the mutated human. He then furiously stabbed his tactical dagger forward. Conservation of energy. He noticed a while ago that the second the mutated human raises its hammer, the muscles over its entire body seemed to expand as though it was straining to perform the action. The warhammer itself was not heavy, but when it was raised, even the mutated human had to use all of its energy to do so. Although Jiang Chen did not know the energy principle behind it, his instincts told him that this was the key to the power warhammer''s charge, as well as its weakness! The mutated human was struggling to raise the hammer, so it was unable to react to the attack. The opportunity was a small window of time. The sound of metal screeching echoed in the air the moment his dagger came into contact with its skin, leaving a trail of sparks. Jiang Chen clenched his teeth as his muscles expanded to the limits. The output of the power armor was also operating at its maximum. "Roar!" The power warhammer in the hands of the mutated human stalled and fell to the ground. He flung away the left arm that was stabbed with the dagger and smashed his fist towards Jiang Chen''s head. Jiang Chen lowered his body to avoid the hit, then leaped at the chest of the mutated human. With power output at a maximum, both of his hands locked onto its shoulder. He clamped the roaring, fighting mutated human against the wall. The misshapen face twisted in anger, and its red teeth that seemed as though they would pop out were even more gruesome. Jiang Chen, also furious, had no color in his face. He looked at the energy bar and what remained before activating a red button. The internal fuel rod began to shake as the stable contents became agitated. The metal strips penetrated the ground. A thin opening appeared at the back of the power armor through which Jiang Chen jumped out. He met its frightening gaze with only grimness in his eyes. The pitch-black mutated human desperately tried to push the power armor away, but it was futile. The power armor was locked down and held him in its grip against the wall. His left hand was useless because of the injury, and with his joints locked, it didn''t matter how much brute force he used. He did not budge. Jiang Chen walked away 100 meters and stopped. He turned and began a silent countdown. Strangely, he did not feel any emotional fluctuations. Hatred, fear, the joy of victory? Or even anger itself... It was as though all of his emotions were stripped from his body. The fire erupted, and the blinding light covered his vision. Shhhhhh! He felt a slight pain on his face. Upon touching it, he realized it was blood. His face was cut open by the metal shrapnel. He quietly gazed at the blood on his finger. A bomb worth 13000 crystals should be enough to blow that monster up. From the fire, a figure emerged. Flesh exposed, its skin was lit up brightly by the red flames which had already melted the lead skin. The daunting bloody holes were likely the work of the metal fragments. The muscle on its left arm had been nearly stripped clean. If it were any normal human, they would have been dead. The mutated human? Jiang Chen silently retrieved the 11 tactical pistol that he had on him for a long time. He aimed at the figure walking towards him from afar. He pulled the trigger. Bang! No reaction. The bullet may have penetrated his flesh, but it did not stop him from moving forward. Shots continued to be fired. The mutated human used its right hand to cover its heart, the damaged left arm to cover its face. The horrifying teeth could be seen from behind its fingers, and Jiang Chen could imagine the viciousness on his face. There was no time to run, especially since he never had the intention to do so. Fear? What was that? The mutated human was finally in front of him. Jiang Chen pulled the trigger, only to hear a faint "clank" sound. The bullets ran out? He lifted his hand, his hollow eyes staring emotionlessly at the mutated human. When all emotions had been stripped from the body, what would it feel like to face death? He suddenly thought of the insane intermediate artificial intelligence that had repeated countless experiments to obtain emotion. When it faced death, did it feel calm? Out of his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the giant hand being raised. Would he get squished? Jiang Chen lowered his head, removing the cartridge. [Seems like I lost...] At that moment, a homing noise almost shattered his eardrums. Boom! "Awe!" Flames exploded from the left shoulder of the mutated human before it could release its pained scream. It was blown onto the ground by the force of the bomb. The 72mm AP bomb, with a power great enough to penetrate through steel armor, hollowed his muscles and nearly ripped every organ and muscle in his body. But even after this, he still had not died and made desperate attempts to stand. Jiang Chen was shocked. Not from the mutated human''s ridiculous life force. He stared blankly at where the bomb had originated. 111 Another Use of Interdimensional Travel Chapter 111: Another Use of Interdimensional Travel Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Her heartbeats resumed. [Seems like I was dead for a while... But how did I survive?] There was no time for Sun Jiao to think, however. In her murky vision, she saw the mutated human walking towards Jiang Chen. Her vision was covered by dark blood, the entire front of her armor had caved in tight against her chest, and her left arm was out of commission from the broken plastic steel armor lacerating her flesh. The exposed wiring flashed with unsettling sparks, and on her pupils was a daunting list of red alerts . She would most likely have to cut off the entire left arm of the suit to extricate her broken left hand, but the ability should be able to heal it. Sun Jiao panted, her clouded eyes half-open as she tried to lock her aim onto the head of the mutated human. Its heart and head were the only weaknesses. Boom! The 72mm anti-tank cannon in her right hand fired, the cannon whipping upwards. The trail of orange flame directly homed in on the mutated human that was about to execute Jiang Chen. [Made it?] [...Seems to be off.] Seeing it miss the weak spots, Sun Jiao raised her already straining right hand and aimed the cannon at the mutated human struggling to stand. She pulled the trigger. Clank A bitter smile appeared on her face. The clip was empty. She glanced at her trapped left hand. A liquid, perhaps cold sweat, rolled down her blood-covered face. It was pointless if it didn''t hit the head or the heart. Even with a broken left hand and half a stomach, it wouldn''t die. It was not an average mutated human; it was a variant with lead skin. These mutated humans received special modifications that made their skin into lead. Not only did it make their defense far superior to the average mutated human''s, but their strength and life force also far exceeded normal limits. Their only weakness was the lead-addled brain. They would kill instinctively, and so they were often used like dogs by the same species. The clip was at her waist, but how could she change it out with one hand? "Dammit! Jiang Chen..." Sun Jiao anxiously stared at Jiang Chen, her lips turning pale from biting it so harshly. At that moment, she could see the faint Jiang Chen looking in her direction. - [She is still alive. Terrific...] Jiang Chen''s lips slightly trembled, feeling emotional. It was as if his heart was full again. [Fury deactivated? No, it''s not fury. Whatever, who cares?] Jiang Chen turned his head to look at the mutated human struggling to stand. He met the ferocious stare. The flesh was healing at an unimaginable rate. The lead skin covering the head and chest had already grown back. Its threatening smiled seemed to mock Jiang Chen. The mutated human could already sense that the man in front of him had no more tricks to play. Jiang Chen looked down at the pistol in his hand. Even the tactical rifle on the power armor could not penetrate its skin. The 11 tactical pistol would be futile as well. Out of tricks? No... There was still a lethal trick he hadn''t used yet. "Roar!" The mutated human growled as he watched Jiang Chen approach. For no reason at all, he felt anxious. The head and heart were already covered by the newly grown lead skin, but when he saw the man walking towards him, he felt an instinctive fear. Jiang Chen drew closer to the mutated human and cracked a smile. Placing the gun in his pocket, he retrieved a crystal from the storage dimension. After the interdimensional bracelet''s energy was charged to full, he flung the now-lusterless crystal away. He leisurely squatted down, staring into the bell-sized eyeballs, then took a deep breath and smiled lightheartedly. "Should I take you to play in another world?" He slapped his hand on the mutated human''s shoulder. Upon finishing his sentence, both of them disappeared from Sun Jiao''s sight. "...Interdimensional travel?" Sun Jiao stared blankly at the place Jiang Chen and the mutated human had disappeared from. She remembered the dead hamster; living creatures were unable to travel with him. But she also faintly remembered that he mentioned it took 40% energy to travel once. What would happen now that he brought along the mutated human? She felt unsettled. The homing engine turbine began to ring from afar. Power-armored soldiers were rushing to the scene. They''d been caught in a crossfire with the remaining mutated humans. As soon as they solved the problem, they quickly rushed over. "Where did the light infantry go?" Sun Jiao asked in the communication channel. "Still at the gate." "Good... Get me out first." If someone saw this scene, she would have to shut them up, eternally. She was different from Jiang Chen; she didn''t feel much guilt when killing. The power-armored soldiers walked forward, took out a welding gun, and cut through the caved-in metal on her left arm. Sun Jiao gritted her teeth as she crawled out from the back of the power armor, then looked at where Jiang Chen had disappeared. She began to feel more and more anxious, her uncertainty creeping into her face. [Why is he still not back?] "Captain, what do we do now?" "Stay put and set up camp. 01, go take a tent from the armored truck and cover that area." Sun Jiao pointed at where Jiang Chen had last been seen. "Understood." The power-armored soldier with the 01 symbol on his left arm received the order and left. "The rest of you establish the temporary camp in the main building.... We might need to stay here for a few days," she added after a pause. "Understood." She stared at the empty spot again as she bit her lips and clenched her fists. - It was already the third day. Seeing that they were victorious, the surrounding team headed back, but some still remained; for example, Zhao Gang. "No, my wife is still underground." Zhao Gang could not wait any longer as he slapped his leg and stood facing the direction of the main building. The scared Ma Zhongchen immediately grabbed on to him. "Are you crazy! Do you not see how she looks right now..." Ma Zhongchen discreetly pointed at the figure sitting in front of the tent. The lifeless eyes were covered with permafrost. The lonely figure sat there quietly wiping the gun. It was not the look of someone who was open to conversation. Zhao Gang clenched his teeth but finally sat down hesitantly. "But..." "Just wait for a bit longer, brother, I''ll be with you. Don''t worry, as long as the people are here, she''ll release them. They have some small internal situation," Ma Zhongchen desperately tried to tell his outspoken comrade. Instinct told him that if they were to anger her now, something bad would happen. It was not a small situation. Three days already passed. For three days now, Sun Jiao sat in front of the tent. She silent wiped the SK10 laser rifle in her hand. She hadn''t used it in a long time, but she always kept it with her. She opened the EP, looking perplexedly at the . This God-sent ability saved her, probably reviving her when she died. But at this moment, she did not feel the slightest happiness. She sighed and closed the EP. The temperature difference on the wasteland was quite drastic. There was already a hint of chill in the wind. But even with only a light combat suit on her, she did not have any sense of temperature. How was Jiang Chen doing? She didn''t know. What she did know was that if he were okay, he would come back immediately. But now... She uncontrollably clenched her fist, feeling the sudden moisture in her eyes. "Dammit." That fist feebly smashed onto the cold, hard concrete road. 112 Overload Chapter 112: Overload Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ There was an excruciating pain, as if his body was being ripped apart. The burning sensation of the tattoo on his right wrist was especially unbearable. Thank God, he lost his consciousness not long after or else the pain would have actually driven him insane. He didn''t know how long after the incident it was, but the soreness of his entire body returned. "Urg." Struggling, he finally opened his drowsy eyes. The first image he saw was a gorgeous face in tears. "You are finally awake." Ayesha leaped from in front of the bed. Her lips trembled, and the mists in her eyes shook, ready to fall at any time. "How... long have I been sleeping?" Jiang Chen asked weakly. "An entire day and night." Her face had concern written all over it. He felt guilty looking at the heavy eye bags on her face. [Wait! Where the mutated human go?!] As if a bucket of cold water had just poured onto his head, Jiang Chen scrambled looking around, but he couldn''t find the mutated human''s body. "Ayesha, did you see" "That body? I hid it in the basement." Ayesha lowered her head, lightly biting into her lips. She broke her promise with Jiang Chen. He had previously told her to never come into the room under any circumstances, but the loud noise from the room had woken her up. She anxiously approached the room, only to hear Jiang Chen''s painful screams. She didn''t waste a second to think before dashing into the kitchen, grabbing a knife, and shoving the bedroom door open. The next moment, she saw Jiang Chen, who lay in bed unconscious, and a disfigured monster. Never had she seen a more frightening monster. Its body was covered with severed flesh. The head and heart were covered in a pitch-black metal.... [Is this thing even human?] Suppressing the fear in her heart, she approached the monster and placed her hand over its chest. There were no heartbeats. She gazed at the unconscious Jiang Chen and then at the monster that had fallen to the ground. She could tell that the two must have had some conflict. Although she didn''t understand the absurd scene, she would always stand on her husband''s side. Putting down the knife, Ayesha forced down the agitated contents of her stomach with a deep breath before dragging the body into the mansion''s basement. She then took disinfectant from the bathroom and cleaned the blood trail, careful as though covering up a crime scene After taking care of everything, she filled a bowl with water and stripped Jiang Chen to wipe down his entire body. She couldn''t fathom how he had become like this in just one afternoon. At least the still-beating heart somewhat reassured her. Only after she finished did she bring a chair from the living room to sit beside his bed quietly, waiting for him to wake up. ... "Did you see everything?" Jiang Chen asked with a bitter smile. Seeing such a caring face, he could never blame her for coming in. Ayesha nodded, then buried her head. "I am willing to give up my life for you if you wish" He lifted his hand and covered her mouth. Jiang Chen smiled at her surprised look. "I am not a devil, you don''t need to give up your life.... Just keep the secret for me." It was okay if she knew; Ayesha would never leak the secret. With both hands outreached, Ayesha covered the large hand covering her face. She gently nodded. "Mhmm." He craned his head to look at the light in the distance; it was almost dawn. "Go sleep for a little bit. I want be alone to think." Ayesha nodded with a worried look at Jiang Chen. She then left the room and closed the already broken door. Lying on the soft bed, Jiang Chen raised his right hand. All of the energy in the interdimensional bracelet was gone? He glanced at the bed lamp. After reaching over to unplug it, he stuck his finger into the socket. The light bulb in the room slightly dimmed, but due to the voltage limit, he only managed to charge the interdimensional bracelet by 2%. He breathed deeply and concentrated on his right hand in an attempt to open the storage dimension. Pain radiated from his wrist. "The energy wasn''t consumed, so I guess that means I can''t use it for now?" Jiang Chen looked at his right hand thoughtfully. He''d been pondering this issue for a while now. If he forcefully grabbed someone to travel with him, then wouldn''t it eradicate that person in an instant? But he never had the opportunity to test this "bugged" ability out since in the era of firearms, bullets served the purpose better. There was an other area of consideration, however. If he spent 40% of the energy traveling, then how much energy would it cost to bring along another person? The cost of taking someone alive should be different from taking a corpse. He recalled the last time carrying the hamster, it hadn''t cost an excessive amount of energy. But this time with the lead-skin mutated human, it completely drained the interdimensional bracelet. No, the real energy cost definitely far exceeded the 60% limit, which was what caused him to go unconscious. No need to use it against weak enemies, too costly against strong enemies... A bit useless in battles. He rubbed his fingers, which were no longer sore, and stared at the interdimensional bracelet on his skin. He desperately wanted to go back. Sun Jiao must be worried about him. But the bracelet was most likely "overheated." Seeing as how it could charge, however, it meant it wasn''t broken. Maybe it would return to normal after some time? Realizing that there was no use worrying, Jiang Chen shook his head and grabbed the EP from the table where it lay after Ayesha had taken it off while wiping down his body. **** User Name: Jiang Chen Body Conditions: Muscle Strength: 30 Bone Strength: 29 Reflex: 32 Brain Cell Strength: 14 Radiation Level: 0Safe Irregular Status: None **** Muscle strength had increased by 5 points, bone strength by 2, reflex increased by 3, and the genetic potential was further developed. On earth, this body condition would easily destroy superheroes like Spiderman and Batman. If they existed anyway. Jiang Chen remembered the Sun Jiao had told him before that once injected with the genetic vaccine, the genetic potential would be somewhat unleashed. But to evolve to a stronger form, it could only be accomplished through life and death situations. That battle truly had been dancing on a knife''s edge between life and death. He recollected that battle with a forced smile. A power armor, worth over ten thousand crystals, exploded... But what made his heart ache the most was not the crystals but the fact that it was difficult to buy even with crystals. To help him, Zhao Chenwu had sold him all of his remaining units.... Right! Speaking of the battle, that time.... Jiang Chen suddenly remembered that after Sun Jiao had been thrust away by the power warhammer, the symbol had shown up on the team status, spurring him into a state similar to fury. He opened the special ability tab in EP. **** ???: Muscle strength +35, Reflex+40, Brain cell strength +29. Special effect: Battle instinct. Can grasp the situation and the enemy''s ability in disadvantaged situations, ignore all unnecessary factors, and use previous battle actions to instantly carry them out at the maximum success rate. Side effect: Emotionless Time of duration: Until the opponent dies or a trigger is used to cease the effects. After 30 minutes, it will begin to drain life force, and the effect will be reflected in the body afterwards. Note: Once activated, fury is forcefully deactivated. **** It was not fury, but a new ability! Jiang Chen gulped at the skill description. Did the three question marks mean that the ability had yet to be named? This meant that nobody had activated this genetic code before? After pausing to think, he pressed the three question marks, opening up a dialogue box on the screen. "This... means that it can be named?" He pondered for a while. He really didn''t have any talent in coming up with names. Suddenly, Jiang Chen slapped his head as if enlightened before typing in . Hehe. Invictus had the connotation of putting in a cheat codethe ability did seem unfair. After typing in the name of the ability, Jiang Chen read over the description again. Based on previous battle actions... that meant that if he had ever used a gun in the past, then he would become Hawkeye. And he had trained in all functions of the power armor before, so he can fluidly control the power armor without any hindrances. Jiang Chen mentally went over the battle; the combos he made had been perfect. Such mastery was definitely not something he could normally do, especially when he still had to look at the speed monitor when accelerating. The fuel rod self-destruction program was also an action he had used before. But why had he never thought about using the interdimensional bracelet to eliminate opponents before? He thought deeply before coming to a sudden realization. That was because he had never used "traveling" as a combat action. After experimenting with the hamster, he had never performed it during combat. "Therefore, the ability''s effect achieves skill mastery," Jiang Chen said with a troubled smile after peering at his hand. Using the interdimensional travel ability to kill should not be a problem, but it would be pushing the limits if used against a monster with a high life force. A mutated human had made him unconscious for an entire day, and he still could not use his bracelet. If he traveled with a Roshan or a Death Claw... Some experiments indicated that his life force was proportional to crystal energy. He shook his head and put the EP aside, closing his eyes to rest. Sun Jiao was still alive. Her must have evolved from her ability. This must be how hidden genetic codes could be further unlocked. Speaking of this, as long as they used their ability, they had to bear the side effects from it. Fury made him lose consciousness, invictus removed emotionthen what was the side effect of the next hidden genetic code? For some reason, he felt slightly uneasy. Genetic vaccines had eliminated the barriers that constrained DNA, allowing humans to unleash abilities previously sealed. But was this really all right? If eliminating barriers was a good thing, then why was there one in the first place when humans first began to evolve? Only time could tell. And it was stupid to worry about an ability being too powerful. 113 Perhaps I Should Buy an Island Chapter 113: Perhaps I Should Buy an Island Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Jiang Chen was lying on a chair beside the swimming pool, enjoying the last rays of the summer afternoon. Although he was eager to return to the other side to tell Sun Jiao that he was safe, the interdimensional bracelet was on cool down; there was nothing he could do about it, so he rested. The weather was becoming chillier, and it wouldn''t be long before fall arrived. Thinking about it now, it had to be close to winter time in the apocalypse. Because of the radiation dust, winter in the apocalypse world came earlier than it did in the modern world. Going by what Sun Jiao said, usually by mid-October, winter would come to Wanghai Cityand it would rightly be called a nightmare. In one month''s time, the temperatures would drastically drop to subzero with unnatural snow coating the city in an unhealthy white. Despite this, compared to the first few years, it was getting better. Based on documentations, during the initial years after the nuclear war, the entire world remained frozen in a state of nuclear winter. Only winter, no summer. During that time, the mutants chose to hibernate or migrate to warmer areas such as abandoned nuclear facilities or geothermal wells. The only ones unaffected by the harsh temperatures were zombies. Their bodies did not possess enough water to be frozen, but due to the reduced sunlight, their sleep times were also lengthened. Jiang Chen was deep in thought as he stared at the chilled orange juice placed on the table. It was necessary to have enough food, clothing, and fuel for the winter, but these were not difficult for him to procure. The coming season would not be too bad for the Fishbone Base. There was obviously enough food, and winter clothing more effective than down clothes were sold in Sixth Street. Fuel could be substituted by electricity, but overall, the levels of power generated and consumed would decrease in the winter since with the outside temperature already at subzero, the fridge system in the basement could be shut down. What worried him most was the combat power of the base. From what he gathered during the battle with the mutated humans, the weakness of the Fishbone Base was finally exposed. Ample money, but still too weak. With their power armors, they could steamroll through most survivor groups, but if they wished to expand, their opponents were not limited to small groups. Wanghai City had so many forces to begin withwhat about outside of the city? In the country? And what about the unknown mutants? If they didn''t have the support of heavy weaponry, they would instantly be at a disadvantage upon encountering a military force of mutated humans. Even more detrimental was the fact that there was no way to replace power armors. This time, four of them had been busted while the remaining were damaged. Despite eliminating the mutated humans, in the end, it was a terrible trade for Fishbone Base. He did not expect a group of mutated humans to appear out of nowhere. After realizing the Huizhong Mercenaries were in trouble, he had been ready to take advantage of the situation. But upon finishing off the mercenary group, the new opponents were not friendly and immediately opened fire. From the start, there had been no chance of a peaceful resolution between normal humans and mutated humans. He grasped the glass of juice and chewed on the straw, deliberating as he gazed at Ayesha''s body floating in the water. They lacked heavy weapons. Fishbone Base was too dependent on Sixth Street who was likely unwilling to sell heavy weaponry to them. At most, they would offer a heavy machine gun or rocket launcher. The only reason they sold them the high-energy vacuum bombs was because they were ineffective in most situationsuseless against zombies and easily intercepted by laser weapons. These items were limited to begin with since the production facilities were all but destroyed during the war. Weapons like tactical nukes and concentrated laser bombs were all raided from battlefields and half-destroyed military warehouses. Typically, possessing these sort of super weapons reflected the force of a survival camp. While it was important for Fishbone Base to possess its own firearm production line, they had to also think of ways to develop heavy weaponry. What gave Jiang Chen a headache was that he possessed the technology but not the production capability. Excluding production equipment, the two limiting factors to Fishbone Base''s growth were raw materials and population size. Mining was impractical in the apocalypse. All of the sources near the surface were emptied. The major mining hubs on small sub-planets and moons had been blown into debris. And though they did purchase some construction materials from Sixth Street, after this crusade, their own production supplies would have become scarce, so who would be willing to sell to him? If he wanted to develop the industry, he had to improve waste recycling first. Because of the rapid advancement in material science, refining matter with page-long names was no mean feat. Jiang Chen knew little about the subject, but he did hear from Zhao Chenwu that 35% of Sixth Street''s industrial production was based on "waste recycling" because although organic materials could solve some needs, bullets, bombs, and armors all depended on metal. As for the matter of population.... Even if they didn''t have a complete production line, if they modified some equipment, they could partially create it by hand. This, however, required an excessive amount of labor. The spider tank, for example, required tens of thousands of parts to be assembled. And to use the small population of Fishbone Base to develop military tech.... Zhao Chenwu''s military factory alone had more workers. Could he produce some of the less complex parts in the modern world before moving them to the apocalypse? They had plenty of mining resources, and even if they didn''t have the best skills, he could at least acquire some simple production equipment.... Think about it, Jiang Chen wryly smiled and shook his head to give up on the idea. It was too dangerous. It was not practical in this country. Even if the workers didn''t understand the purpose behind the spare parts, a factory without a stated purpose would very soon catch someone''s attention. And if anyone happened to find out that he possessed military technology.... The scenario was simply too beautiful to imagine. Perhaps overseas? Except Jiang Chen was of the mind that all crows in the world were of the same color. If they chose to follow their constitutions and laws, there was a chance that the country would not take action. But if it involved a giant of the military technology fielda massive conglomerate that came into prominence after World War IIthey would not pass this opportunity. At this time, the country was willing to keep one eye open, but that was only until the military technology was on the brink of falling into the hands of "their people." It was such a waste if he could not utilize the rich resources of the modern world. At that moment, Ayesha burst from the water. Shaking her wet hair, she cast a pleasant smile in Jiang Chen''s direction. Instantly, his eyes light up. [Urg, it was not because of that.] Island! "Fu*k, why didn''t I think of it before?" Jiang Chen slapped his head with a humorless smile. The only thing the apocalypse lacked was food, but in this world, it could be obtained almost anywhere. And if work was hard to do domestically, then the situation would be different on a small, developing island. If he could simultaneously have a base in the modern world, it would greatly benefit the development in the apocalypse! There was no need to worry about resources and labor in the modern world so long as he could control a small neutral country far from international regulations. His heart began to pump at the thought. For a long time now, he had been searching for an option to fall back on. This was after he had introduced Future 1.0 and was asked to have a chat with the person whom he had saved. Of course, he could say this only in his mind, but once he came out from the Wang family''s home, he had the intention of leaving. But the exact details had to be planned out. He stood up from the chair and began walking towards the mansion. Ayesha swam to the side of the pool, seductive water droplets hanging on to her dark brown, curly hair. Her tender white arms leaned against the poolside. The look in her eyes asked, "Dont you want to sleep together?" Jiang Chen gulped uncontrollably as he took in the charm that she herself didn''t know she exuded. This girl was becoming more and more attractive by the day. Her white skin was partially due to race, but also partially due to the nutrients in the training chamber. Thanks to it, the grease and the dirt under her skin had been washed away, and the natural pores of the Caucasian race contracted. After days of care, Ayesha''s previously stiff skin became as smooth as jade. It was no exaggeration that if Jiang Chen used the nutrient to open a cosmetic center, he would earn overwhelming profits. Not only that, but because of the genetic vaccine and the daily workouts, traces of abs began to show. With her perfect legs, the exotic charm became more and more seductive by the day. But what intoxicated him most was the gaze full of love. This bikini-clad, attractive figure flourished only for one person. Jiang Chen had the urge to jump into the water and "play" with her. But he still had many things to do, and those sorts of actions could be done later at night. Compared to before, he was much better at controlling his desires. "Ahem, why dont you play by yourself? I have some things to care of." Suppressing his desire, Jiang Chen awkwardly smiled and hastily left the pool area. - Mansion basement. Jiang Chen observed the mutated human''s body. Taking a deep breath, he extended his right hand. The storage dimension could not keep living creatures; he had tried it before. Ants could be storedbut not cockroachesonly to be instantly killed. It seemed it would be impractical to kill people using the storage dimension. It did not cost much energy to store corpses in the dimension, and the energy bar had been charged to 10%. Jiang Chen tensed at the slight pain radiating from his wrist. "Fu*k, dont you break on me!" When there was still no reaction, Jiang Chen began to sweat profusely. After a short delay, the mutated human twitched and disappeared into the storage dimension. He let out a long, relieved sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He glanced at his right wrist. It had cost 5% energy. He then used the remaining energy to remove crystals from the storage dimension before charging the interdimensional bracelet''s energy to max capacity. It seemed that function had already recovered. Next was interdimensional travel. Jiang Chen initiated the ability. But soon, his excitement was killed by the pain in his wrist. The storage function had recovered, but the travel ability did not. "Too soon?" He looked at his right hand, unable to do anything. But since the storage function had recovered, the travel ability should follow soon after. After taking care of the body, Jiang Chen went to the third-floor office and booted up his computer. He had to prepare his plan to purchase an island. Opening up Baidu Wiki and Google Earth, his eyes searched the Pacific Rim region. It didn''t have to be too big. Even if he ran out of land later, the apocalypse world had the technology to create artificial land masses. Only, the ocean was more frightening than land, so the technology was not well-known among survivors. There was also no need for many people as it would be easier to control. If later he needed more, he could simply bring some in. An unstable political situation, but not too chaotic. The lower the GDP, the better. The poorer they were, the easier it would be to purchase the land. He would have to invest in it regardless. Ideally, they wouldn''t have a dispute with neighboring countries over annoying things like natural gas or oil. He would eliminate those materials at any time. He didn''t need them to make a living, and it would be troublesome to guard against "thieves" when developing in seclusion. Another important factor was that it had to be away from the "five thugs"! (Likely referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.) Finally, he found a small country located on Pannu Island. It almost seemed made for him. A smile on his face, Jiang Chen called Robert''s number. "Hello? My old friend, you finally remember your unlucky friend." Roberts glib tongue was in action on the other side of the phone. "I''ve been busy lately. Would you like to cut a deal?" Jiang Chen didn''t bother with chit-chat and cut straight to the topic. 114 Play a Bad Guy for Me Chapter 114: Play a Bad Guy for Me Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ There was a palpable pause on the other side, followed by a fake laugh. "Umm, I''m no longer in the business, you know. I''m also on probation, so your words.... That Laurence guy will probably come to have a chat with me in a bit, too." Hearing Robert''s downtrodden voice, Jiang Chen stopped and almost couldn''t restrain his laughter. The guy must not be having the best time right now. By probationary period, he probably meant that the FBA was monitoring his phone after telling him to his face, "I''m watching you right now." [Showing off despite your current state, and you even said that you would have me covered when I head to Los Santos.] He smiled but inwardly cursed. Jiang Chen shook his head and got ready to end the call. "Okay, looks like you can''t do this deal then. I''m going to hang up." "No, no, no, wait" The call disconnected, but his cell phone rang shortly after. He picked up, mocking, "You switched numbers?" "Hehe, other than the fact that the phone bill is a bit more expensive, this number is pretty convenient. Ahem, what business do you have?" "I heard you say you''re a producer now, but from your tone of voice, it seems you haven''t had the best time?" Jiang Chen asked jokingly. He remembered that the gold deal had been worth around 500 million USD. With a 9% commission, minus the loan and other costs, he should have at least 10 million or more. Ran out of money already? It was in USD, too. "Urg, ahem, it takes longer for a movie to return the investment, you know." Robert forced a laugh. "Did you spend all that money on tail over there in Hollywood?" Jiang Chen chuckled. [This pervert. There are definitely better ways to spend the money.] But as that thought crossed his mind, his expression turned sour. He felt those same words applied to him as well. "Ahem, let''s talk about business." Robert awkwardly laughed from the other side of the call. Jiang Chen didn''t continue to make fun of him as he adopted a more serious tone. "You''ve always worked in sensitive areas, so you must be close to mercenaries?" "Oh? Do you want to hire mercenaries? But in Hua" "Not in Hua," Jiang Chen interrupted. "I need your help hiring a group of people to train bodyguards for me." [Bodyguards?] Robert paused for a moment. "In that case, Blackwater International is not bad." "Not Blackwater." Jiang Chen refused right away. "You said before, they''re too close to the FBA." He finally managed to leave a circle of influence; there was no way he was entering another one. "Hehe, I knew ityou must be thinking of some bad things." Robert ridiculing voice passed through the phone. He continued, "All of the mercenaries in the UA are all somewhat associated with the White House. If you want to find people who only recognize money, you''ll have to go to Africa, the Middle East, or Eastern Europe." "Then let''s do that. Make a trip with me to Eastern Europe," Jiang Chen said. "Not possible. If I go there, before the plane even fully lands, I''ll probably get deported. Speaking of which, are you not in the gold business anymore?" Robert forced a smile. "Gold is not grown out of the ground. Don''t you want to do something big?" Jiang Chen abruptly laughed. The other side of the phone went silent. Jiang Chen didn''t rush him. He knew Robert was debating with himself, but in the end, he would agree. Without taking risks, could he still be called a businessman? He was a risk-taker down to his bones. "Okay, you convinced me. But my instincts tell me that you may be crazy this time. I don''t understand. You''ve been doing pretty well over there and successfully transitioned your business. Why" "I have my own troubles, Robert, just like how you have your own," Jiang Chen said meaningfully. "... All right, I understand. Now that you say it, it does make sense. Once sh*t touches your hand, you can never wash it off, hehe." Despite stepping out of the business after Iraq, trouble seemed to always follow Robert. He spent most of the money, and though the producer title was pretty nifty, ultimately, it boiled down to money. With money, directors were more than happy to make friends with you. And without it, who gave a fu*k about you? He did invest quite heavily, but he had no idea how much profit would come out of it. In the movie industry, he was a completely outsider. "Then let''s talk about your pay first. Twenty million USD" "Deal!" Jiang Chen paused, then began laughing. "Are you not going to ask me what the deal is? If I told you to go bomb a place, would you do it?" With a sheepish laugh, Robert touched his nose and said, "Ahem, my friend, I trust you won''t do things like that to me. If I did receive your money to plant explosives somewhere, you''d be in trouble, too." Jiang Chen didn''t deny it. "Back to the topic. First, mercenaries. I don''t care how, but I need ten people with experience." The other side lapsed into silence. "I''ll get Nick to go to KaneI have some connections with General Markanov. Although I won''t be there in person, a recommendation letter should be enough. This guy really loves money." "I''ll make a trip myself, so get Nick to wait for me. Would it be acceptable to pay with gold?" "Of course, they only recognize gold and USD there." "Secondly, refugees. Europe has many refugees, right? I''ll take some of their burdens for them. Help me think because I need around one hundred people." "Sh*t, what are you trying to" "I remember you said yes," Jiang Chen said casually. After deliberating, Robert let out a sigh of defeat. "Okay. Let me think, where do you want these people to get off the boat?" "Africa." "Okay, I think I get what you mean. Do you want to start your own mercenaries? Or for the people behind you" "Ahem, I don''t think you should know too much, am I right?" Jiang Chen interrupted with a smile. [Mercenaries? You are underestimating me.] "My fault." Robert forcefully chuckled. Suddenly, he remembered the last time in Iraq, Jiang Chen had brought out a drone and a heat-sensor grenade. The organization behind him was likely something he shouldn''t know too much about. "Mhmm, capture a trafficking shop in the Mediterranean Sea, and get off at Libya. Then go on land to Nigeria?" "Is Nigeria chaotic enough?" This was the question Jiang Chen was most concerned about. "Somewhat. It''s poor enough there. A few hundred thousand USD is enough to buy a plot of land from the chiefs and have them keep their eyes closed to whatever you do there." Robert laughed. Africa was a haven for mercenaries. Poverty provided them with a source of troops, and the chaos allowed them to pass freely between borders with weapons. Although he didn''t know why Jiang Chen refused to recruit cheap people from there, Robert knew by now not to ask anymore. "Great, then transporting them will be up to you. I''ll take care of the other things." "Is that all?" "No, one more point." Jiang Chen smiled mischievously. "I heard you''re a producer in Hollywood?" "Ugh? Yes, I remember that you know." Robert was uncertain of the meaning behind his words. "Play the bad guy for me. Your paycheck will be twenty million, in gold." Jiang Chen laughed malevolently. 115 A Blockbuster Chapter 115: A Blockbuster Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Pannu Islands, located in South Pacific Ocean, was near the equator. The sunshine made this place a great destination for a vacation. The tourist attractions were plentiful in the area, natural island, volcano lake, rain forest. But because of the lack of infrastructure, it didn''t manage to gain much traction. On the entire main island, the most expensive thing was probably the international airport, which they borrowed the money to build. At this time, inside the not-so-busy airport terminal, two strange looking foreigners walked side by side. "Roger, do you think I will be famous? To be honest, I smoked weed when I was 13. I was in juvenile by 15-" "Hehe, and then you got your a*s pounded by the black uncle inside? Who cares? The guy sitting in the Rainbow Mansion did far dumber things. Also, if you dare to use your Irish accent and call me Roger, I''ll twist your head off." Robert stopped, and turned around to look at the Caucasian teen fiercely. "Sorry, buddy, you know I am just nervous." Johnny waved his hand, unbothered by his words, and continued, "I asked the psychiatrist before, he said he had a phobic for being too famous." "Shut up, you bastard," Robert cursed out. Johnny kept his mouth shut after he heard those words, he knew that Robert was not someone to mess with. In Los Santos, even the Gang Leader would give him some ground. Although he seemed to have exited out of the business, it was not someone a little pawn like him would dare to mess with. Whenever someone mentioned to him Irish, three words would surface in Robert''s head: Weed, Alcoholic, Poor. But right now he must patiently entertain this dumb*ss because it has to do with 20 million USD. As to why he appeared here, it all started from the conversation a couple of days ago with Jiang Chen. - "Play a bad guy for me, and 20 million will be your paycheck. I''ll pay in gold." Jiang Chen stopped momentarily before he continued, "On an island country in the Pacific." Robert paused, then his expression suddenly changed. "Sh*t, are you going to-" "You are right. If you guessed it, then keep it to yourself. All in all, write a script for me and pick a good "protagonist" for me. I am going to film a blockbuster." Then an evil laugh was transmitted through the phone. He knew the laugh too well. Someone was going have a bad time. "...You are crazy. Although I am a producer, I am more of an investor." Robert forced a troubled smile, he rubbed his temple and continued briefly after, "Okay, God. Let me think. Where are you planning to film it? How much are you going to invest?" "One hundred million USD, one year of GDP for Pannu island. The plot will be, a Los Santos billionaire came to Pannu Island with the intentions of investing in the local industry. He began bribing local officials and taking a sh*t on all the natives there. Okay, so that''s the first movie''s plot. Oh, I recommend the billionaire be acted out by a poor bastard bad to the bone. I need him to display his expressions after he suddenly gets wealthy." "Haha-, don''t worry, there are too many of you in Los Santos." "I''ll wire the one hundred million to your account." Robert paused when he heard Jiang Chen''s words and asked with a perplexed expression, "You are going to wire it to me? Are you not scared that I am going to run away?" "I trust that you won''t. Honor code right? Especially since I can get you out from IS, are you still-" "I understand, that''s enough." Robert faked a laugh as he touched his nose. "We are old friends. Some things don''t need to be said." "That''s right. You are a smart person. The money that''s supposed to belong to you will belong to you. Hehe, if this deal is successful, you''ll have a lot more to gain from it. Aren''t you annoyed with the FBA? I can give you a backup option." Robert heard the words, and his throat twitched. He suddenly remembered a piece of "entertainment" news on the international section of the newspaper a while ago. December 30, 2014, Gambia Presidential office was attacked by a militant group of approximately ten people. The militants attempted to stage a coup. This bizarre event was the direct action of the Texas real estate businessman and a Minnesota veteran. They recruited people, bought weapons, and then transported the weapons through an illegal channel to Gambia. Of course, without a doubt, they failed. Based on their original plan, the action would not receive too much resistance. They thought the soldiers in the presidential office would not pose too much resistance in a dangerous situation like that. Perhaps they would even receive the support of some soldiers who decided to join forces with them. The result was that three of them were shot died right on the spot. There was no way to defeat them. In the unsuccessful coup, the Texas real estate developer businessman was the primary sponsor, and because they broke the , the UA prosecutor sued him. He only sponsored two hundred twenty thousand USD as he only wanted to be a president once. Now, Robert felt like he was doing the same thing. Except this lunatic was even more insane, he was willing to put in one hundred million USD! One hundred million USD to buy an entire country? Not only that, as well as the cost of mercenaries. "Dammit, let me ask you, are you serious?" Robert''s fingers were trembling. He couldn''t even hold onto his phone. It was not because he was afraid, but rather he was excited. He was an adventurer at heart. If he were to really be successful, then the "small" firearm merchant could make history. Of course, he didn''t really care about the reputation. The key was still the profit involved. He had a feeling that if he could establish a connection with "the force" behind Jiang Chen, his return would far exceed his previous total earning! "That''s right. I think you should ask for a break from your friend Laurence. I don''t want the FBA to be involved again." The tone sounded light. "Of course, I''ll think about it. Hehe, it is getting me excited." His fingered constantly rubbed the phone as there was clear excitement in his eyes. "I don''t care if you are excited or not, I want results. Let me be clear. This "movie" can only be shot once, you have to consider it carefully," Jiang Chen said slowly. "Trust me, as a renowned producer in Hollywood, I, Robert, will make you extremely satisfied with my script." "Mhmm, I''ll have to take your word for it then," Jiang Chen said casually and then hung up the phone. - There were already people waiting at the airport exit. Beside a limited edition black Mercedez Benz was a middle-aged white man with a beer belly, constantly checking his watch. He made the loose suit look rather tight. Beside him, an Asian stood there, appearing to be his bodyguard. On another note, in this small country with only a population of twenty thousand, the entire military was only 100 people. They occasionally had to play the role of police as well. Suddenly, the middle-aged man''s eyes lit up as he saw Robert and Johnny walk out. "Oh, Mr. Robert, you are finally here! Haha, is this Johnny?" The white man opened his arms and greeted Robert with an amiable smile. He also looked excitedly at the Irish next to Robert. "Sh*t, is he gay?" Johnny asked Robert with his voice lowered. "Shut up, dumb*ss. The shooting already started," Robert moved his head and cursed, but immediately changed into a smiling expression and walked up to the man. "That''s right. This is Johnny, a billionaire from Los Santos." Just like old friends that haven''t seen each other for years, they hugged each other and backed away. Robert turned around to look at Johnny, "This is Pannu Island''s president - Edward. British descendant, basically from your hometown. Also, acts as the finance minister, and..." From your hometown was said full of malicious intent. "As well as generally, my friend." Edward courteously shook Johnny''s hand and shook it furiously. His face did not have any disdain for Irish people like usual Britains do. The reason why he would display this expression was purely due to what Robert had said. This Johnny guy was an Irish billionaire from Los Santos. No one had invested in Pannu island for a long time, there was finally a billionaire, so this fake Emperor did everything to please him. As to being Irish? Who cared? He only cares about the bills printed with Franklins. After some small talk, the president invited them to get on his luxury vehicle, and personally drove them to the mansion - Robert purchased it two days ago under Johnny''s name. It was worth half a million USD. "Dammit. President, the finance minister, general... what is he not?" Seated on the comfortable sofa, Johnny counted his fingers. "And supreme court judge, education minister? He would not take any positions without benefits. Don''t worry about it, do a good job on what I told you to do." Robert took a bottle of Whisky from the fridge, put it on the table, and pour himself a cup. "Nice, these is booze." Johnny excited grabbed it and poured himself a cup as well. Robert glanced at the alcoholic that gulped down the entire cup as he took a sip. Then he said, "There is a banquet tomorrow night, the local influentials will all be attending. Come with me, and I''ll teach you what to do. The day after is an investing tour. You''ll spend two million USD investing in a cargo port on the main island. Learn from me, see how I am stuffing the money, and establish a relationship with the officials," Robert continued. "Also, not long after that there will a Han merchant contacting you. He is an old friend of mine. He is currently in the food processing business, help him a little, I don''t think I need to teach you more." "Gulp-." Okay, Roger. Speaking of filming, where is the cameraman? Buddy, we are shooting a movie right?" Johnny burped with the cup in his hand. In a few minutes, who knows how many shots he had taken already. "Yes, we are filming a movie. This is the newest filming technique. You''ll be part of history. Don''t forget to build a statue for yourself in the city center, and the film team will do a special shot of it." Robert resisted the urge to laugh as he took another sip of the whiskey. "Mhmm, in this case, I only need to spend money?" Johnny chuckled as he poured himself another cup, "This is a great job, what''s the name of our movie again?" ". Don''t forget the piece that will make you famous. It''s not only about spending money, but you also have to act as cocky, arrogant, and unbearable as possible. Such as cheating on the neighbor''s wife, seducing the woman in town, just do everything you wanted to do Los Santos... Be yourself. Do a good job. If the reception is good, then there will be sequels." Robert leaned against the sofa as he mockingly looked into drunken eyes. "Burp-, sequels? What''s the name?" Just as he finish the sentence, he dropped the cup and fell asleep. "What''s the name? , idiot," Robert continued to mocked and put down the Whisky in his hands. Alcohol, it''s better to just have a taste. 116 Messaging Function Online Chapter 116: Messaging Function Online Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi (Note: Pannu Islands is a fictitious location) After ending the conversation with Robert, Jiang Chen returned to the pool. Just as a smirk spread across his face and he was ready to jump into the pool and have an intimate moment with Ayesha, his phone rang again. It was Xia Shiyu. It was not the right time. He cursed in his mind, as he unhappily picked up the phone. But when he heard the news from the other side, his unhappiness faded. First was from Future 1.0. Because they were approaching 250 million downloads shortly after the software was available. In a few days Jiang Chen was gone and based on the marketing department''s plan, Future 1.0 welcomed its first update. Now, the earnings were already evident as a result of the update. Rather than an update, it was releasing a previously locked function. The update opened up the community system; everyone would acquire a random account after the patch. Other than cleaning the exquisite design, the chat interface had nothing special. To put it simply, everyone had an account that they could freely add friends, set up chat groups, and post statuses on. The functions were not unique as all the other chat program had it, but the one thing that made it stand out among its competitors were - smart friend search! Based on the user''s description, Little White can accurately search for the chat partner based on the description. Of course, it was up to the user to decide on what information to make available or not. The user''s personality was based on the data collected during daily interactions and analyzed based on a special software. The results were 97% accurate and would be hidden from the user and stored on the server''s side. The personality only recorded positive traits and did not include negative traits, since no one would want to expose their weakness. The user could choose to publish these traits, or reevaluate after a period, but could not change the traits. For example, if a man wanted a "big boobed, gorgeous, energetic, being able to cook, nice to parent girl", Little White would find it since the user base was already at 250 million. Except that it would be up to the other side to add you or not. Even if you get rejected, Little White would suggest you lower the standards, and improve upon oneself. If the random selection were activated, Little White would use smart setting to match friends with the highest compatibility. Apart from that, Future 1.0 also introduced VIP. Although it was similar to QQ''s member policy, there was a slight innovation. Other than putting the red VIP symbol beside the user ID, it also introduced contribution system correlated with levels. There was a funny joke on Weibo before: The designer was driven insane, suddenly, he jumped up and yelled, "I want to design a game with only two functions; pay and ranking." So, in the end, the game was actually introduced - which was Bilibili''s new anime sponsorship plan. Mhmm, the innovation was replicated by Future Technology. 1 RMB equaled to 10 contributions, 100 contributions would level up to VIP1. To upgrade to VIP2, it would require 1000 contribution which was equivalent to 100 RMB. Based on this scale, VIP5 would need 100 thousand RMB. To maintain the current status, 10 RMB would be enough. Not paying would hide the VIP symbol but it would not level down. Other than that, there were also 10 Diamond VIPs that were granted automatically to the top 10 contributors. Would people actually pay? Yes! Two days after the introduction of the community feature, there were two hundred VIP5 users born. The top of the contribution list was a coal tycoon with a contribution of one hundred million. That meant he paid one million! Why would people be so willing to pay? Imagine this. If a beauty searched you, the first thing she saw was a VIP6 or diamond symbol, what kind of reaction would it be? Or some would actually put a VIP limit on the search, prohibit anyone below VIP3 from adding them. Showing off and bragging were common flaws of all humans, especially rich people that have too much money. They only needed to be recognized. The massive user base of Little White and the existence of the contribution system gave them the perfect platform to show off. Based on the backend stats, the guy at the top of the list almost had his friend request feature blow up. Although it was not Jiang Chen''s intention, the pure Little White became another great app for one night stands after Momo and Wechat. Other than that, VIP user also had other exclusive privileges. For example the invitation for Beta testing of the mobile game , it would select ten thousand users from each of the different levels. Therefore, the one hundred million users would split ten thousand codes. The millions of VIP1 would also split ten thousand codes, the VIP5 users, would each get one as there are only a few hundred of them. Do you want the invitation code? Then pay more money. This era-defining mobile game had a lot of expectation and hype. Based on the marketing department''s research, on Taobao, an invitation code was propped up to 1000 RMB, which almost broke the record for highest price paid for an invitation code. Of course, this design certainly caused some people to be unhappy. Especially those people with ill intentions who hired internet armies to control the direction of criticisms. The only point was that it was unfair for so many normal users to split only ten thousand codes. That''s un fair! We are going to protest. But those brain-dead comments did not have any negative impact on Future 1.0, but rather it triggered angry responses from Little White''s fan. Once it turned into a debate, it became a hot topic which was a form of free advertisement for Future 1.0. When the people with ill intentions realized that the internet armies they hired did not create the perception they wished, it was too late to regret. Part of the success was because of Xia Shiyu''s effort. When she discovered the signs, she immediately responded and hired her own internet army to steer the direction of the conversation. She perfectly used the tricks of the opponents to turn this into a successful marketing campaign. All in all, Future 1.0''s financial report was very impressive. Within ten days of the community function, the company''s net earning was one hundred million RMB! The number would only increase with the continued operation of Future 1.0, as well as higher user dependence. Xia Shiyu even confidently stated that within two years, she could break the yearly revenue record set by the member system of Penguin group! The other area was the mobile game, after a period of marketing, the invitation code was already distributed to the market through Little White. Part of the invitation codes has been circulated through the VIP system. Even if it has been circulated to people who didn''t want to play, because it was not tied to the account, third parties could purchase the code and sell it for margin. As to the code being propped to 1000 RMB, even if they were not fans of New Era, they would be interested in the invitation code. If they didn''t play the game, they could always sell it for money. There was nothing to lose. So naturally, it turned into another form of advertisement. Since the Little White user base already reached 250 million, those people would pay attention to the game because of the expensive invitation code even if they didn''t play the game. Within two months, Future Technology was already profitable. It made the venture capitals that were waiting for the opportunity frustrated that they missed the hen that laid golden eggs. They previously planned to wait for Future Technology to have cash flow problems before they opened their greedy mouths and took the company with endless amounts of potential. But who would have thought that Future Technology didn''t lack money in the first place? Even Penguin had to beg venture capitals. When he heard one hundred million in profits, Jiang Chen straight up told Xia Shiyu that he would use one million as a bonus. Unlike other tech companies, Future Technology''s cost was insanely low. Other than the cost of labor and server maintenance, after-tax, the rest would be profit. As to research and development, what was that? Only a couple of cans of food. "Seeing that you are working so diligently, should I give you a raise?" Jiang Chen laughed. His mood was indeed delighted. Although the one hundred million was nothing to his net assets, it was a good start. It was the first stream of "clean" money he earned. "No need. My 1% dividend is already enough." From her voice, that girl was also in a good mood. It was a feat being able to accomplish this with a new team. After the one hundred million equity infusion, she proactively brought up decreasing her share percentage. So after the change, her share in the company changed to 1%. Although Jiang Chen was surprised, he didn''t stop her. Even if it was just 1% share, the one hundred million profit this year was a lot. Because she was not the legal representative, there was a 20% income tax. But even after that, it would still be 800 thousand RMB. Two more months until year end, with this year''s profit, any dividend would exceed her current salary. Bonus and salary were meaningless to her now. Because it was work time, Xia Shiyu ended the call after reporting to Jiang Chen. It wasn''t until now that Jiang Chen noticed that there were a bunch of missed calls. Starting from yesterday, there was a call every half an hour. After going to the Apocalypse, the phone was in his storage dimension. He only took out the phone after calling Robert, so all the missed phone call messages came in. "This girl..." A smile curled up on Jiang Chen''s mouth. Although she always kept a cold and serious face, she could be surprisingly cute at times. Ayesha leaned beside the pool. Her mouth pouted slightly. The graceful and serene legs were moving through the water disinterestedly. She was not the type to get jealous, but for the phone call that clearly interrupted the intimate moment with her and her husband, it did make her a little unsatisfied. Jiang Chen threw the phone into the storage dimension before noticing the expression on Ayesha''s face. He smiled. He didn''t even take off his clothes before he dived into the water. In Ayesha''s light outcry, Jiang Chen hugged the gentle and loyal girl with a smirk. Compared to before, they were no longer awkward. From her daily actions, he clearly sensed her love. To be fair, he did not have feelings for her in the beginning. He just somewhat accepted her. But because of her proactiveness, Ayesha''s love finally slipped into his heart. Her gentleness, her understanding, and her sacrifice were almost extinct in the modern world. Just by looking into her eyes, he would be melted by the love. He was uncontrollably drawn to her. It was time for him to be proactive. "Can you teach me how to swim?" Jiang Chen said with a smirk, as he blew into her ear. Ayesha lowered her head shyly, and then she put her hands on his wet shirt. "Mhmm." Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Hello everyone. Thank you for all your support in our project to translate this novel. As Jiang Chen traverses more frequently between the two worlds, the empire that expands across dimension will start to form its shape. The story will only get more compelling as Jiang Chen discovers more and more "goodies" from the wasteland, what will he do with them in the modern world? To show our appreciation to your support, we''ll be releasing more chapters this week. There will be at least two chapters today, stay tuned. :) At last, shout out to our Patreons. Thank you all. 117 Purchasing a Food Processing Plan Chapter 117: Purchasing a Food Processing Plant Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up from his sweet dream. He looked at the adorable girl beside him, sleeping as calmly as a cat, and his mouth curled up. Mouth slightly closed, graceful eyebrows, eyelashes gently trembling, and the somewhat messy hair... The porcelain doll-like white skin was cast with slight redness on her cheeks, and from her rhythmic breathing, Jiang Chen could hear a hint of tiredness and joy. It was a bit too crazy last night. Jiang Chen thought about last night as his face turned red. He didn''t know if it was his illusion, but he felt that every time Ayesha was treated "roughly" by him, she would be excited, especially with her hands pulled behind her back, from the back... He awkwardly touched his nose, and then gently tucked Ayesha in before quietly sneaking down from the bed. He hadn''t cooked breakfast in a long time. Jiang Chen, satisfied, looked at the buttered toast and oatmeal with milk on the table with a great sense of accomplishment. "I definitely have the potential to be a great man," he narcissistically murmured. He then relaxingly sat beside the table to enjoy the breakfast. He still had a lot of important things to do, so he had to wake up earlier than usual. He cleaned everything up and left a sticker on the table before he left the door humming. He drove straight to the rural area with his Maybach. Jiang Chen still needed to do some preparation work for his island purchase plan. The sooner, the better. Robert probably started the plan already on his side. To be fair, he was even scared by his own plan. If he made a mistake by accident, he would enter the blacklist of the international police. But then he just needed it to succeed, right? - Ayesha opened her weary eyes and slowly sat up on the bed. She smoothed her slightly messy hair and stared blankly at the empty pillow, her mind just zoned out for a moment. She didn''t know why she fell in love with Jiang Chen, but the feeling was that intense. Whenever she saw him, her heart beat would increase. Whenever he hugged her, her entire body would feel hot. She blankly smiled as she remembered last night. Suddenly she woke up from her drowsy state. "Oh no, I forgot to cook breakfast." In her perspective, to be a qualified wife, she should put the prepared breakfast on the table before the husband headed out for work. Although it was not written in the religion, it was the family tradition from her mother''s side. That''s how she had measured herself. She knew that her husband was a great man, including the woman that came back with him on the car, he probably has a lot of "wives". Even if she wouldn''t get jealous, she still craved more attention. This included a controlled diet (She did not know the genetic vaccine improved her digestive ability, she didn''t need to control her diet to avoid that extra fat on her stomach), proper exercise, to make herself look fit and charming. The nutrient was also marvelous, as it seemed to improve her skin condition. The only draw back was the awkward pee tube. She also worked diligently on housework. But she was too tired last night, even when she woke up this morning, her leg still felt sore, that''s why she slept in. She quickly got out of the bed, Ayesha put a long white dress shirt on her gorgeous figure and then ran downstairs with her legs exposed. However, she was disappointed. Jiang Chen already left. Frustrated by her own "mistake", after washing up, Ayesha grumpily came to the kitchen to make some food for herself. When she saw the breakfast already on the table, she paused. Her heart felt warm. There was a note on the table, the writing was really neat, and she could understand it with her Han level now. She put the notes in front of her chest as a flush of warmth appeared on her face. She suddenly remembered why. Because of this gentleness, that was what made her uncontrollably fell in love with him. Although he always gave off a naughty feeling, he always took great care of her. He didn''t discriminate her because of her refugee status nor treat her brutally... Her hands sub-consciously crossed her chest as her finger gently pressed the button on her shirt. "Dad, Mom, I am living a happy life in this foreign country. Don''t worry about me." She grasped onto the note tightly as she prayed. - Xinlong Food Processing Plant. The gray concrete wall looked relatively clean, the surrounding environment was not too bad either. Although it was small, it had everything in there. Just from the outside, Jiang Chen was quite pleased with the plant. He got off the car and looked around before he quickly found the person he was looking for. A middle-aged man squatting in front of the door, smoking, quickly stepped on the cigarette after he saw Jiang Chen. Forcing a smile, he came to greet him. But that smile was no better looking than him crying. The information said he was 31 years, but the 180 cm man has a hunched back like a 50-year-old elder, the whiteness on the side of his hair and the engraved face was not because of the passage of time, but rather the misfortunes in life. "Jiang Chen, you should already have seen my information." Jiang Chen didn''t judge this man too much, as he extended his hand with a smile. "Zheng Hongjie, owner of the Xinlong Food Processing Plant." Zhen Hongjie shook Jiang Chen hand, and forced another smile. He then gave Jiang Chen a welcoming gesture. "Mr. Jiang follow me to take a look at the plant." "Mhmm." Jiang Chen nodded. Both of them entered the plant side by side. Jiang Chen noticed the dust on the production line. This place hasn''t produced in a while. "Two canned food processing lines, an instant noodle line, and a cookie line. Our work was mostly in processing before, but no one wants to work with us now." Zheng Hongjie''s smile was bitter. He then led Jiang Chen to back of the plant. "This is the warehouse, including the four empty acreages of land. We previously had the plan to expand the plant, but now it looks like it is not necessary. I''ll sell you the production equipment at 70%, we''ll make it 300 thousand. The land and plant itself are a bit more expensive, 2.4 million, can''t go lower than that." After finishing, Zheng Hongjie stopped talking and looked at Jiang Chen''s reaction. He estimated in his mind and nodded rather pleased. The price was fair, even a bit lower than the market price. He already asked the intermediary before, the plant''s cost was around 3 million. This guy must have met some trouble with money, or else he wouldn''t need to sell the plant at a lower price this hastily. Although he already decided to purchase it, Jiang Chen''s eyes moved slightly. He didn''t reply, but rather he gave Zheng Hongjie a cigarette with a smile and dragged him aside. "Mr. Zheng, I am quite pleased with the price. But I am curious, based on the construction of the plant, you are not the type to have improper planning. What made you want to sell your asset?" Zheng Hongjie didn''t reject the cigarette as he skillfully lit it up. He blew a smoke ring. The just 31-year-old man had wrinkles squished together on his face, and he bitterly smiled again. "Stock market." Although it was only two words, Jiang Chen instantly knew his sadness. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Second one for the day. :) 118 The Bankrupt Zheng Hongjie Chapter 118: The Bankrupt Zheng Hongjie Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi There is a famous quote in , marriage is like a siege, people want to go outside, people want to come inside. The same word would apply to the stock market without it being the slightest bit unfit. Five years ago, Zheng Hongjie was only an ordinary taxi driver. Because of chatting with a passenger once, he heard about the food processing industry. The slight drunk boosted to him how processing food made money, and at that time he was tempted. Being only twenty, he didnt want to be a taxi driver for his entire life. From that point on, he started to learn about the unfamiliar industry. With the family saving as well as borrowings from relatives, he successfully purchased a poorly operated small processing plant. Although he didnt go to university before, because of his hard work and desire to learn, he used his learned-on-the-spot operation knowledge to expand the small facility to a large plant. Contracts flew to him like snowflakes. The canned food and instant noodles he produced were not only high in quality, but the price was also superior compared to his competitors. The plant was getting more and more profitable, buying land, purchasing production lines, hiring more employees Even the famous Master Kung sent them a contract for food processing. Within five years, Boss Zhengs name spread throughout his hometown. His former friends began calling him Boss Zheng, Brother Zheng. From nothing to starting his plant in Wanghai city. Being able to buy a car, buy a house, and returning to his hometown in glory. From a taxi driver to a boss, his experience in the five years could be written into a book. But everything changed at the end of last year. The stock market sunk to the bottom, rumors of the index striking 6124 finally faded. The stock market was averaging around 3000 at the time. One of his business friends told him once when they were drinking that stock markets were a good place to make money, and if he had money, he should give it a try. Although he was a bit drunk, Zheng Hongjies head was still sober. His consciousness told him that this zero sum game was not right. How could a market without producing any goods create value? Zheng Hongjie didn''t listen to his friend, but rather he told his friend not to be so drawn into tricky things. But his friend only laughed and didn''t bother with him. Four months later, his friend bought two apartments in the city. His previous car was upgraded to a BMW. When they were drinking again, the friend gloated on the fact that he used one million to make a stunning return of five million. Seeing his friend was now wealthy, Zheng Hongjie felt regret. If he listened to his friend''s words, it wouldn''t just be two apartments, he would probably be living in a mansion by now. He worked hard for four months, and in the end didn''t even make as much as his friend made in a few days. After a few more rounds, perhaps due to envy, Zheng Hongjie casually asked, "Is it too late to get in now?" When he heard those words, his friend was immediately drawn to the conservation. He constantly boosted at how "the economic condition is superb," "it is only going to go up," "there is no backing down this time!" After a passion-filled conversation, Zheng Hongjie was tempted. With only the food processing plant, it would take ten years before he could become a millionaire, but he could with only a few days in the stock market. When he returned home, he hesitantly opened an account. Under the guidance of his friend, he tested the water by putting in twenty thousand. He didn''t pay too much attention to the account as he was busy with his business until one month later when he remembered that he bought stock. He only opened the account out of curiosity and wanted to see how much money that twenty thousand turned into. If it were a small amount, even if he lost it all, it would be okay. It would have been better if he didn''t look, he immediately jumped up when he saw the number. The twenty thousand turned into fifty thousand. He felt the world dazzling around him. It was not excitement, but regret. That''s right, it was regret. If he put in two million, it would''ve become five million! If he borrowed some money to buy ten million, he would be a millionaire already... Human''s greed was infinite, the piercing 5000 red number, he remembered Renren Newspaper; "The bull market is only halfway to the top." He immediately put all two million from his account into the stock market. Out of the two million, there was a one million loan used for the plant''s expansion. "Renren Newspaper would not trick its citizens right?" "xxx can''t be lying?" "If the stock market crashed then xxx would be the first one to react!" Mhmm. It''s hard to believe, but they did the trick, what can you do? In the start, he did feel excited as a 2% increase was forty thousand. By just looking at that red line, he felt his entire body shake with excitement. He was starting to day dream about the life of a millionaire and forgot the caution he had before. With just half a month, he experienced the feeling of dropping down from heaven to hell. The index headed straight down, thousands of stocks with 10% decreases became the norm, but the media kept pushing it up. "The right opportunity to get into the bull market." "Short term adjustments for higher adjustment." "Stock hits rock bottom, now is the time to buy." "The index can''t drop anymore The central government is discussing interest rate drop." "80% of organizations think the stock market is at the bottom." "Pension plan is in discussion to enter the market." He continued to buy in only to continue to lose. The friend that promised him that it wouldn''t drop below 4000 points was nowhere to be seen. It was rumored that he borrowed money he shouldn''t have, left his wife and children and escaped to the south. Zheng Hongjie wanted to die, but he couldn''t. He has a wife that loved him dearly, and a daughter that idolized him. The plant expansion was a no go. Because he used the loan for other purposes, to avoid legal consequences, as well as being forced by the bank to sell assets to repay debt, Zheng Hongjie decided to borrow elsewhere to fill the hole. He borrowed money from his business friends and repaid the bank loan. Then he put the rest of the money into the plant, hoping he could slowly repay the debt. However, another unfortunate event occurred. Within less than a month, the high rising pork price increased the price of other foods which directly increased the cost of producing canned foods and slammed the food processing industry. But to repay this debt, he practically accepted all orders and used the guarantee fee to maintain production and repay debt. With the price from the previous month, based on the high rising cost of production, for every canned food he produced, he lost 1 RMB. But he had to keep producing, or else he would have to pay for breach of contract. If it was before, he could have easily handled this crisis with the cash on hand, but now... After debating, he chose to breach the contract and lost every single cent. He lost all opportunities to start up again. The bank would not loan him money, and he could no longer pay for the workers, so he had to let go of all employees. The five years was like a dream. Because of a legal Ponzi Scheme, he went from high up in the clouds to hell. "The stock market was like , people on the outside were afraid, people on the inside couldn''t escape." He left a sentence worth thinking about. Then he blew the last smoke ring before stepping on the cigarette butt. If he knew what would happen today, he wouldn''t have done it from the beginning. To be honest, Jiang Chen also followed the stock market before, but before this July, he had no money in his pocket. He was quite lucky that he was always an "outsider." Silently listening till he finished, Jiang Chen let out a sigh. "Your experience could be written into a book. Do you have any plans?" "Probably driving. Selling the factory should be enough to pay off the debt, and the missing salaries. Although I am not a boss anymore, I still have to maintain my morale as a person." He laughed self-mockingly as he shook his head. Morale is a bright spot, Jiang Chen secretly nodded his head as he heard Hongjie''s words. He didn''t know how to operate a plant, rather than going to a headhunter to find a manager, it would be better to hire this expert right away. "I am talking about your future plans, not your plan for tomorrow." Jiang Chen smiled, he looked at the wry face, unfitting for his age, as he spoke lightly. Zheng Hongjie paused for a moment. "Me? Probably driving-" "A waste of talent. I personally look highly of people with ability," Jiang Chen waved his hand and interrupted him, and he continued with a smile, "What about this? Do you have any interest in working in my factory? Xinlong Food Processing Plant is still called Xinlong. You are still the head." Finishing his words, Jiang Chen extended his right hand and looked at him with a bright smile. Shocked, the aged faced suddenly regained some liveliness. From the initial shock to the final excitement, Zheng Hongjie extended his hand out, trembling, and held onto Jiang Chen''s hand. He never imagined that the new owner of the factory would risk the bad luck and hire a failure. Regardless, the plant went down because of him. "The closure of the factory was not because of your operational mistake. I think Xinlong would only be able to generate maximum value in your hands. I trust that you won''t easily just let go of so many years of hard work, what do you think?" "I do!" An answer without hesitation. He put Jiang Chen''s hand down as Zheng Hongjie picked up the cigarette bud he threw on the ground. "What are you doing?" Jiang Chen was bewildered. "Hehe, sanitation is critical in a food processing plant. When I was the head, without exaggerating, there was not a single bud in the entire plant!" As if the spring breeze just blew by, all of the sudden, the rigid face returned to its former day liveliness. Jiang Chen shrugged, extinguished the bud, and followed him to the trashcan to throw it in the bin. "Now that I have purchased the company, I will inject one million into it. I demand you to restart production within half a month. I just want to ask one thing, are you confident!" "Yes!" Seeing Zheng Hongjie shout out at the top of his lungs, Jiang Chen laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "That''s the attitude! I trust you. Now go with me to the bureau to finish the process." "Hehe, boss, could I invite you to lunch after the process? I don''t have a lot of money, so I can''t treat you at a restaurant." The thirty something man forced a laugh. Regardless, he wanted to invite the person that gave him a second chance for a meal to express his sincere gratitude. It was the tradition of his hometown, and his insistence throughout his life. Slightly unexpecting it, Jiang Chen immediately laughed. "No problem!" He noticed out of a sudden that the abjected man''s chest finally rose up. As if he received a new life. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Another one! Thanks for the support! 119 It’s you again? Chapter 119: Its you again? Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The process was completed quickly, and Jiang Chen acquired the rights to the factory. When the 2.7 million was transferred to Zheng Hongjies bank account, and he received the confirmation message on his phone, the man finally lets out a sigh of relief. He still acted as the plant manager with a base salary of 8000, and based on sales there would be bonuses. Just like before, he would have to take care of everything from marketing to production. Although a bit overwhelming, Jiang Chen gave him a lucrative bonus plan. It would depend on his sales to see how much he would get in the end. "I wont care too much on how the plant is operated, but you have to do a few things for me." Although he said it casually, Zheng Hongjie still sensed the inflexibility in his tone. "Please go ahead." Zheng Hongjie nodded with an earnest expression. "First, if you want to do it, then go big. Processing for other people can be put aside. Well have to develop our own brand." "Our own brand?" Zheng Hongjie forced a smile, and continued, "To be honest, I tried to start my own brand before, but the cost is too high. Advertisement, sponsorship, distribution channel, it was incomparable to the profit margin of processing for other people, theres also more risk." Jiang Chen shook his head laughing. "Processing for other people is enough if we want to remain small, but I dont plan on doing that. Ill continue to invest in the early stages, including research and development, upgrading to the larger production lines, and expanding the plant. You dont have to worry about the sales channel, Ill mention it next. As to distribution and advertisement, Ill take care of it." [Funny, there is no channel better than the Internet right? Promotion could be done on Future 1.0, such as free moon cake during the mid-autumn festival. Or when he makes Liu Yao famous, getting her to promote the brand would be simple.] Seeing the boss so certain, although Zheng Hongjie was still unsure, he didnt continue asking. "Second, this is the most important point. Well transition to international trade. I need you to register for import and export requirement; the destination is currently Pannu Island. Well import the fruit to produce fruit can and sell domestically, then export other canned food." When he heard Jiang Chens words, Zheng Hongjie slightly raised his eyebrows. He asked wondering. "I considered export before, but it was not as easy it as it seems. First being that we dont have a strong brand, second being the cost. We dont have any advantages compared to corporations in Australia, or the Philippine. And the most critical factor is transport. I know a little about Pannu Island. Its a small island country in the Pacific, and it doesnt even have a deep water port to dock larger ships." "You dont have to worry about that. It wont be long until an investor builds a cargo port there. You only need to expand production and sell to them, and produce the cheap food imported from there into food cans." Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously and didnt explain more. Zheng Hongjie paused as he had a weird expression on his face, looking at Jiang Chen. Although he was curious as to why the boss knew a lot about the third-world country but since the boss didnt plan to say more, he stopped asking. "Third, this not something official so you only need to keep it in mind. I need you to have surplus goods every month." It was okay to buy from the food store owner in the short term, but it was not a reliable long term situation. Since goods only went into the warehouse and never out, one or two times, it wouldnt cause any suspicion, but any more than that would be problematic. Once the Fishbones population increases, it would have a higher demand for food, a food processing plant would be the safer choice. "Surplus goods?" Zheng Hongjie almost thought he heard it wrong. Surplus goods referred to goods overproduced. Usually, it would either be given out to employees for free or discounted at a low price. It was the first time he heard someone wanted surplus good. "Mhmm, Ill let you know the amount, you only need to keep that in mind. These goods dont need to be branded. Its not for selling. I have other uses." After hearing Jiang Chens explanation, Zheng Hongjie didnt ask more. Although it was an odd request, it was nothing complicated. Him, being a boss before, knew that he only needed to listen. - "Dad!" "My cute daughter, haha, daddy is back." Zheng Hongjie hugged his daughter, who leaped towards him with a warm smile. "Dad, who is this?" The adorable girl blinked her big eyes looking at Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen kneeled down and looked at this energetic little girl with a smile. He then said with an amiable voice, "Uncle is your dads friend. Whats your name?" "My name is Jiajia, I am in second grade at experimental school~" Jiajia replied in a cute tone. Jiang Chen paused when he heard experimental school. "Uncle, are you okay?" Jiajia tilted her head. "Oh, nothing, hehe." Jiang Chen forced a laugh and answered in a light-hearted tone. [Sun Jiao is probably still waiting for me on the other side] He peeked at his right hand. He tried this morning, but it still didnt work. "You are back, and this is?" A virtuous looking woman came out of the kitchen and asked her husband when she saw Jiang Chen. "This is my boss, Mr. Jiang." Zheng Hongjie smiled at his wife. "You finally sold the plant?" "Mhmm, I did. But Mr. Jiang hired me to continue to run the plant." Kong Jie looked at the smile she hasn''t seen for a long time on her husbands face as her eyes became moist. She took a deep breath in and to both Jiang Chen and Zheng Hongjies surprise, she sincerely bowed towards Jiang Chen. "Honey?" "What, what are you doing?" Jiang Chen looked at her actions, not knowing how to react. "For a while, Hongjie had been worried about the plant every day. He regretted trusting his friends word. I was really scared, scared that one day if he couldnt think things through, he would leave us" Tears began to emerge from Kong Jies eyes. Seeing the tears in his wifes eyes, Zheng Hongjie suddenly hugged her. "Fool, there is no way I would leave you." The tough mans voice had a sob tone to it. Jiang Chen silently watched them as a smile emerged on his face. It would best not to interrupt them right now. "Uncle." Jiajia looked up and blinked her big eyes at Jiang Chen. "Hmm? Do you have something Little Jiajia?" Jiang Chen regathered his thoughts and kneeled down again, rubbing her hair. "Thank you," Jiajia said sweetly. Haha. Jiang Chen suddenly burst out laughing. Jiajia tilted her head and looked at the uncle in front of her, confused. "No problem, Jiajia is very courteous." For some reason, his mood was delighted at this moment. "Hehe." Because she received recognition, Jiajia smiled shyly. After Zheng Hongjie had finished hugging his wife, he looked awkwardly at Jiang Chen. It was rather impolite to leave the guest hanging during a display of affection. The thin-skinned Kong Jie already fleeted to the kitchen. Jiajia tilted her head not knowing the situation, while Zheng Hongjie expressed his apology with a blushed face. Jiang Chen, with a smile, motioned it was okay. He then began to chat with Zheng Hongjie on the sofa. Zheng Hongjie was a talkative person as he was a taxi driver before he started a business. Although his experience was nowhere near as exciting as Jiang Chen, his depth of experience far exceeded Jiang Chen''s. His wife Kong Jie was a traditional woman, she virtuously cooked the meal and asked everyone to eat. On the table, Jiang Chen and Zheng Hongjie had a few drinks. Jiajia curiously reached her hand towards the cup which made Jiang Chen chuckle more. [Is this the feeling of home?] He thought about it, and it did feel like this when he was at the wily old fox Wang Dehais place. He was suddenly envious of the feeling. He didnt know why. Maybe it was time to go back to his hometown Lake City. Perhaps during New Year; it was already October. Jiang Chen fell into a deep thought while watching the table filled with home cooked dishes. But suddenly, a fierce door smashing sound transmitted from the outside, it forced him out of his thoughts. "Who?" Jiang Chen was lost as he looked at Zheng Hongjie. But Zheng Hongjie was confused as well. He exchanged a confused look with his wife before he got up and walked towards the door. "You are?" Zheng Hongjie opened the door as he looked confusedly at the men in front. "Fu*k you, we are here to collect our money!" A few young men in shirts saw that the door was opened and they didnt hesitate to force their way in. "Wait, do you guys have the wrong person-"After being pushed aside, Zheng Hongjie struggled frightened. "This is the loan agreement, three million. We are debt collectors." A young man with a buzz cut aggressively pushed Zheng Hongjie as they surrounded him, sneering. "What are you guys doing!? Let Hongjie go. I am going to call the police!" Kong Jie took out the phone as she said shakingly. "Police? Dont use cops to scare me. Let me get this straight. Do you know who my boss Sir Qiang is?" The young men said cockily. A man in shades stood behind him with a cigarette in his mouth. He didnt speak. This guy was probably Sir Qiang. "Dad!" Jiajia saw that her father was in trouble as her adorable face twisted, with tears in her eyes she wanted to run up. "Dont come, Jiajia! Dad is okay." Zheng Hongjie immediately stopped her. Kong Jie also grabbed Jiajia and hugged her. He took a deep breath as Zheng Hongjie looked at the young men. "I already prepared the money, and Ill borrow from my relatives some more in the next few days-" "Next few days? I want to take care of this today C" At this moment, the young man suddenly saw Jiang Chen, his thuggish look instantly froze. To be honest, Jiang Chen was surprised from the start. He didnt expect to see him here again. Jiang Chen mischievously examined the young men as he opened his mouth. "Oh, what a coincidence, its you again?" Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ An early morning chapter cause you are all awesome! 120 Don’t do it, I’ll do it myself Chapter 120: Dont do it, Ill do it myself Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ A young man who didn''t finish high school followed by a few tattooed subordinates who also didn''t finish high school. It would be more satisfying if he managed to hook up with a rebellious girl while still studying and act as the boss in front of a bunch of students. Although in front of a real "boss", Liu Hu was still nothing. But compared to other punks, he was at least somewhat competent. He practiced a bit of martial arts, overlooked a construction site in the past and hustled cash from grade-schoolers... Ahem, that last part didn''t count. In any case, the Hongyi Gang leader, Liu Changlong, recognized his ability during a street brawl. After being released by the police, he joined Hongyi Gang, and through his fighting prowess, he finally climbed to "success." However, his blissful life changed completely one day. His brothers surrounded a b*tch with a beautiful face without a background during one of their modi operandi. Paying off debt was expected from anyone; otherwise, paying off using one''s body also worked fine. It wasn''t his first time doing something like this. But an average-looking guy came by and not only he was physically strong, but he was also wielding a gun. Liu Hu was scared, and it suddenly dawned on him that he messed with the wrong person. The man didn''t even bat an eye when he shot and maimed the leg of one of his thugs. When he felt the hot muzzle pressing against his temple, his hands went cold, and his legs turned weak. In short, although he had brought the money back, he failed to complete the task given to him by his boss (which was to bring the person back) and made an enemy with someone he shouldn''t have. This normally shouldn''t be a big deal. After all, Liu Changlong had worked for Hongyi Gang for so many years and had earned plenty of merits, so he shouldn''t be kicked out just because of this. However, something unexpected happened which made him relive his former street thug life. It went something like this. Liu Changlong had received a phone call from his younger brother, Liu Anshan, asking him if he wanted to get rich. Liu Anshan recounted the story about Jiang Chen selling gold and had emphasized the fact that this person had a lot of gold, and there must be a stable source where it came from. Liu Changlong was tempted but gold alone was not enough to sway him; however, if it was a stable source of income, that was something entirely different. He didn''t care if it was a private mine or an ancient tomb. After all, how hard could it be to pry the secret out of someone with little or no background on his turf? Though before making a move, he cautiously investigated beforehand. The result of the investigation frightened him. This Jiang Chen was no simple character. Being the chairman of Future Technology was not the important point. The crucial point was when he hinted at his friends in politics, the response he received was: "Do not touch this guy." Even worse was the old city mayor personally made a directive with one word: "Support." His friend only vaguely explained to him that if he dared to touch him, all his hideous secrets would be exposed the next day, then he would be incarcerated and he would be beyond saving. The gang could only scare the ordinary people. Not taking into consideration the people the city official personally stated to support, anyone with some background would be difficult to offend. Because of this, his action couldn''t be seen under the light. Of course, he didn''t dare to make a move on Jiang Chen at the moment. He also didn''t dare to use Liu Hu who had offended Jiang Chen. Although Jiang Chen might not remember it, there was no point in taking the risk. So Liu Hu lost his job and the thugs, who followed him, left one by one. Fortunately, one of his drinking friends recognized his talent in debt collecting, so he employed him to work in a debt collection agency. Scaring and hoaxing people. This combination would certainly put pressure on most ordinary citizens to pay off their debts. 28% was not a bad commission rate, especially the faster it was completed, the higher the commission would be. For the stubborn ones, some punches and kicks would easily solve the problem and as long as he didn''t do anything extreme, the cops couldn''t do anything to him. But what he didn''t expect was meeting the demon Jiang Chen again. - Liu Hu''s face looked like he just ate a piece of sh*t. Jiang Chen ignored him and looked at the person behind him who got up and said, "Boss." "Why can''t you collect debt nicely? What''s the point of being so angry and starting a conflict?" The man wearing a pair of sunglasses looked over when he heard the words and guffawed. "Are you involving yourself in something that''s none of your concern?" "None of my concern? Isn''t that the job of an employer?" Jiang Chen surprisingly shrugged. His face betraying not the slightest hint of fear. The one called Sir Qiang burst out laughing then slowly took off his shades. The thugs saw their boss was about to make a move, so they maliciously surrounded Jiang Chen. "You son of a b*tch! Who do you think you are?" "Boss Jiang, this is my business, so you don''t have to stand up for me" Zheng Hongjie smiled bitterly while trying to persuade Jiang Chen. He did not expect that his former good friend would make use of a debt collection agency to make him pay back the money he owed. He probably thought he would run away since one of their friends, whom they also had drunk with regularly, ran away after being deep in debt after losing big in the stock market. "Sir Qiang, you, you can''t touch this person." Liu Hu rushed forward to stop his brother but Li Qiang didn''t care at all. Debt collection was all about the aggression. What''s the point in collecting debt if they would just get scared, they should have just studied law instead. "Can''t touch him? I, Li Qiang" "Although I don''t know who you areI won''t tolerate you cursing my mother." Jiang Chen''s eyes narrowed and fastly becoming enraged. "Funny, daddy didn''t even curse. I''m going to fu*k you up" Li Qiang''s eyebrows shot up provocatively and he became even more aggressive. The man in front of him didn''t look like he could fight. However, before he could even complete his words, his eyes began to blur as he flew into the closet. Kong Jie covered Jiajia''s tiny head to prevent her from witnessing this violent scene. Zheng Hongjie looked dumbly at his boss. He could not imagine his boss, who was not even taller than him, had the ability to send someone flying with a kick. When the thugs saw that their boss was beaten, they hesitated for a moment before lunging at Jiang Chen with their fists out. Jiang Chen let out a sigh, his eyes suddenly turned fierce and then he stretched out his hands. Liu Hu, on the other hand, didn''t make a move. He smiled wryly and closed his eyes. He had experience firsthand how vicious he could get. The fight ended almost instantly with the previously mocking hooligans splayed awkwardly on the ground. What a joke. With Muscle Strength +30, even a boxing champion wouldn''t be his opponent. With Reflex +32, even if they sprouted two more hands, it would yield the same result. Jiang Chen shook his fist and looked at Liu Hu, who was standing on the side, with a sardonic smile. "You don''t need to do anything; I''ll do it myself." Liu Hu smiled bitterly before raising his fist ready to knock himself out. "Don''t be nervous. Do I look that vicious to you? Just hold still, and everything will be okay," Jiang Chen smilingly told him. "Is there even a point of watching?" Of course, Liu Hu would not dare to say it out loud. His raised hand was frozen in midair, and he had a peculiar expression on his face. "I thought you were collecting debts for Hongyi Gang? What, the pay is too low, so you started your own business?" Jiang Chen watched Liu Hu thoughtfully and a hint of mockery laced his tone. Zheng Hongjie and Kongjie were utterly stunned. Jiajia was flapping her hands in her mother''s arms, wanting to get a good look at her surrounding. Liu Hu glanced at his brothers on the floor and sighed. "Got fired." Liu Hu explained everything that happened after that night including the things he knew and the thing he shouldn''t have known but heard. When he heard the gold store manager, Liu Anshan, had leaked his information and the Hongyi Gang leader, Liu Changlong, was ready to make a move on him, Jiang Chen cursed in his mind. Although he was not afraid of these scums of society, what happened here made him reflect on the carelessness of his past actions. Selling gold attracted unwanted attentions of a different kind. He was lucky that his improvement skyrocketed that made Liu Changlong backed off right away or else he would be facing far more treachery and danger. "All right, you may now excuse yourself." Jiang Chen didn''t want to waste too much time on a cannon fodder. Upon hearing those words, Liu Hu immediately left, leaving his comrades on the floor without a second thought. Zheng Hongjie saw that Liu Hu had left. He glanced at the thugs on the floor and asked Jiang Chen with a troubled tone, "Mr. Jiang, how do we take care of this?" Jiang Chen watched the people lying on the ground and scratched his head in annoyance. Three of them probably had their ribs broken and two of them definitely had their hands fractured. Li Qiang was knocked out with just one kick. Because he didn''t fight that often, he didn''t know how to control his power. Jiang Chen secretly activated fury and when he saw that no one had died, he secretly let out a sigh of relief. He took out the phone from his pocket and called 110. "Hello, 110? I want to report a crime. This is what happened." Better blame it on them first. After explaining the situation, Jiang Chen hesitated for a bit before calling Wang Zhiyong''s number. "Hello, Brother Chen, what''s up?" Wang Zhiyong''s brash voice came through from the other side of the phone. "Just a bit of trouble. Some punks were giving me trouble, so I injured all of them," Jiang Chen cut straight to the point. The last time they had a drink, they started calling each other brother. So in the moment of trouble, the only one Jiang Chen could think of was him. "Fu*k, who dares to touch my brother? Where are you? I''ll bring my people to beat their asses," Wang Zhiyong cursed and was instantly incensed. Jiang Chen was speechless at his words. This guy didn''t even inquire about the injuries but was already ready to give them a beating once again. "Ahem, I already beat them down but I have to go the police station to give my statement. Do you have some connections with the police?" "Woah, you beat all of them? Don''t worry about the evidence, it''s self-defense. Although I am not close to the police, I am tight with their superiors." Wang Zhiyong chortled. "Er, I hit them first." "Don''t worry, if I said it''s self-defense, it''s self-defense! You only need to say that during the investigation." [Damn! Political influence sure is a great thing.] 121 Experiencing the World Chapter 121: Experiencing the World Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Wang Zhiyong had already talked with his buddy, so the cop who came did not say anything at all. In the spirit of civilized law enforcement, they politely invited Jiang Chen to the police station to gather evidence. As for the people lying on the ground, they didn''t experience the same privilege and regardless of how badly they were beaten, they were all handcuffed and shoved into the police car. Zheng Hongjie wanted to go with Jiang Chen. Although he did not have any connection with the police force, he could still stand as a witness, but Jiang Chen waved his hand indicating it was unnecessary and urged him to settle the family problem first and quickly pay off the debt. Jiang Chen lent him the remaining 300,000 and told him that he could pay it off with his monthly salary. Under the grateful look of the entire family, Jiang Chen followed the courteous police downstairs. Seeing the humiliated expression on Li Qiang''s face, Jiang Chen halted, smiled and pulled out his car key, waved it in front of him and then got in his own car. Because it was just for the sake of formality, he didn''t even need to go in the police car. But the hooligans who stirred up trouble would at least be locked up for half a month. Naturally someone would teach them some lessons, however, there were not a lot of opportunities for them to prove themselves in front their superiors. After coming to the police station, Jiang Chen cooperated and provided the evidence. The witness statement was not even needed before the whole thing was settled as a legitimate self-defense case. When leaving the police station, he accidentally ran into Wang Zhiyong who was heading towards him. Li Gangming, who was driving the car, awkwardly smiled after seeing Jiang Chen. Due to his minor altercation with Jiang Chen in the past, and the latter seemingly exceptional relationship with his superior, he was afraid that Jiang Chen would seek vengeance on him. But he was clearly overthinking since Jiang Chen didn''t even take that little thing to heart and responded with a friendly smile. "Gangming, drive the car back to the station for me. I''ll have to take my brother out to play tonight." After sending Li Gangming off, Wang Zhiyong walked happily to Jiang Chen. "Fu*k, the training during these last few days is killing me. I finally got the change to go out." "What''s the point of being a soldier if you don''t train?" Jiang Chen laughingly mocked him. "If you don''t want to go, who can force you to?" "Hehe, my father forced me to go." Wang Zhiyong laughed awkwardly and touched his nose then changed the subject. "Enough bullsh*t, I''ll drive you to experience the world." Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and opened the car door. Wang Zhiyong unabashedly sat on the driver seat. "What''s experiencing the world?" Jiang Chen asked and helplessly sat on the passenger seat. "You''ll know once we get there." Wang Zhiyong smiled mysteriously and then started the car and admiringly exclaimed, "Maybach S600, limited edition. Fu*k, I am about the same age as you, how are you so rich?" "Do you want one? My treat." Jiang Chen laughed. To Jiang Chen''s surprise, Wang Zhiyong shook his head. "I don''t dare, I have a lot of brothers who have them, so I can just drive around whenever the urge strikes. Not to brag but I even drove a Lamborgini, Koenigsegg before. A friend of mine was even prepared to give me one when he saw I like it, but I still refused." "So virtuous? Then why are you still a soldier? You will receive a lot of commendations if you were to become a politician." Jiang Chen laughed. Wang Zhiyong also chuckled and continued, "It''s not about being virtuous, you''re overthinking. For those people who want to join my force, I wouldn''t even think about it unless it is at least 1000." Only Wang Zhiyong would dare to say this out loud. "I only need enough money to spend. I don''t have much interest in being a millionaire. The friendship would change if I accept my friend''s money," Wang Zhiyong said casually but it certainly hinted deeper meanings. Jiang Chen could not help but grow astonished at his words. He thought this guy was just a blockhead descendant of an influential politician who only knew how to do reckless things with his buddies, but he certainly had his own convictions in life. It was apparent that he truly considered Jiang Chen as his friend. When there was money involved, the dynamics of relationship would change. "Don''t think too much. I simply have too much money to spend and had no other intentions," Jiang Chen said and chuckled. Wang Zhiyong also laughed. "Let''s not talk about this anymore. Oh yeah, you created Future 1.0, right?" "Yes, are you using it?" Jiang Chen gave him a surprised look. "Hehe, the holy trinity of holy-up apps, even better than Momo by a large margin. Could you turn me into VIP5? That shouldn''t be too much trouble, right?" "Not at all, give me your account number." Jiang Chen said in a forthright manner. He texted Wang Zhiyong''s Little White''s account number to Xia Shiyu. Upgrading to VIP5 only needed a word from himthe chairman. After the car arrived at the suburbs, Jiang Chen looked outside of the window, as the buildings became more and more common, he could not help but get confused. He thought Wang Zhiyong would take him somewhere fun downtown and did not expect him to drive to the outskirts. "Well, aren''t you curious?" As though seemingly aware to Jiang Chen''s confusion, Wang Zhiyong arrogantly smiled. "That''s right, what fun is there in the suburbs?" Jiang Chen did not hesitate to ask what was boggling his mind. "We''re almost there. It''s a nice place." With a mysterious smile, Wang Zhiyong turned the steering wheel into another corner. After the bend, Jiang Chen had a sudden feeling of enlightenment. At a glance, he could very well discern the destination of this trip. The European style structure looked out-of-place in the less busy neighborhood just like a castle amidst the ghetto. Surprisingly, its remote location did not impact its popularity at all. From the nearly full parking lot, not only was this place popular, but it was not a place for ordinary people. Jiang Chen''s expression could not help but turn odd while looking at the magnificent building that was decorated exquisitely. The name was very familiar to him. The bright and colorful words were: Hongyi Private Club. - After parking the car, Wang Zhiyong and Jiang Chen were ushered to the door by a server. "Why did we come to this place?" Jiang Chen asked while walking. "Hmm? Is there any problem?" Wang Zhiyong froze. "Ahem, Hongyi Gang and I had a little bit of conflict." Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiyong''s expression was rather odd, then he burst out laughing and patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder. "If you mean those goofballs, don''t worry, they don''t have anything to do with this place. I heard about Liu Changlong from my friend. He oversaw the security of a construction site for my brother in the past, then he got transferred here as a security guard. My brother saw that he was doing good so he told him to open a night club. That guy seemed to have established more businesses and created the Hongyi Gang. That club used this private club name to help itself out. Nothing worth being bothered about. Wang Zhiyong then took out a card as he arrogantly waved it between his fingers. "VIP card, my brother gave it to me. Everything is free of charge. Tonight is on me." Although Jiang Chen was curious who his brother was, he didn''t say anything anymore as he accepted the gratitude. He took out his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Ayesha. [ I might be a little late for dinner, no need to wait for me.] Suddenly, his finger froze in place. "Who are you texting? Your girlfriend?" Wang Zhiyong grinned and poked his head to peek at the screen. Jiang Chen quickly moved the phone away and gave Wang Zhiyong a dirty look and pressed send. "Don''t worry, we are all men. I understand." Wang Zhiyong patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder and then walked to the door laughing. Although he had an inkling as to what kind of place this was, he finally confirmed it when he saw the look in Wang Zhiyong''s eyes. Jiang Chen smiled wryly. Those eyes filled with love appeared in his mind. [Fu*k, this guilty feeling is unreal.] 122 Hongyi Private Club Chapter 122: Hongyi Private Club Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The main colors of the building were gold and light gray, an elegant bronze chandelier was hanging in the central dome, and on both sides of the aisle were lined with exquisite European-style marble columns. Under his feet was a soft, red carpet and above his head were star-spangled crystals. This was just the lobby on the first floor. Those who occasionally passed by were very quiet as the decoration naturally made people slow down their footsteps. Sitting at the front reception was a gorgeous receptionist, wearing a light makeup on and smiling gracefully at the two of them. "The spa here is not bad. You should try it. Hehe, but I recommend the activity on the third floor." Wang Zhiyong laughingly winked at him. Based on his expression, Jiang Chen knew what type of service to expect on the third floor. It was obvious that he was a regular at this place since the receptionist appeared to be familiar with him. Without even looking at the card, she started asking what kind of service he would avail. "The usual for me. What about you?" Wang Zhiyong turned to Jiang Chen. Feeling awkward, Jiang Chen looked at the list of services a few times. He hadn''t been to this kind place before so he could not understand the types of service they were offering. Spa should be about bathing, right? But what in the world were the goddess spreading flowers and lotus coming out of the water? Only the acupuncture and massage sounded normal. However, since he was already here, it would be rude to just turn around and walk away. As Jiang Chen pondered on this matter, he decided to go for something light. Truthfully, he already had a beautiful "wife" back home, so he had little interest in other flowers. He subconsciously thought this would be that kind of place. But just as he was about to speak, he heard an unfamiliar voice. "Brother Yong, why didn''t you tell me that you''ll be here to play. Haha, are you done with your training?" A young man wearing a pair of glasses walked over with a smile on his face and warmly greeted Wang Zhiyong. Jiang Chen couldn''t tell the price of his suit, but from the aura that the man gave off, he felt that he was not a simple character. He didn''t look anything special, and the only thing that left an impression on him was a pair of squinting eyes. Whether he was laughing or not, his eyes appeared to be perpetually squinting. "Nope. I played hooky. Haha, let''s not talk about this. Let me introduce you to someone." Wang Zhiyong put his arm around Jiang Chen''s shoulder. "This is the chairman of Future Technology. Jiang Chen, this is Zhou Zihao, a major shareholder of this private club." "What major shareholder, only a bunch of friends making some pocket money." Zhou Zihao modestly smiled and then looked at Jiang Chen. "I am nowhere comparable to Mr. Jiang. Accomplished at a young age, the Future Technology even made it in Wallstreet Journal. This is truly giving our country glory." "I don''t deserve such praise, I just got lucky," Jiang Chen said while smiling; however, in his mind, he was secretly thinking. Zhou Zihao was not someone who was easy to deal with. He never thought these second generations of politicians were easy to fool, but rather himself was always at a disadvantage in terms of foresight and shrewdness. Take Wang Zhiyong for example, Jiang Chen always thought that he was just a little blockhead, but the words he said in the car completely altered his perception of him in his mind. Wang Zhiyong knew too much but he was simply not interested in politics, and that''s why he always acted in a straightforward manner. On the other hand, Jiang Chen couldn''t see through Zhou Zihao. [His name is Zhou? Could it be the Zhou family?] Thinking of this, Jiang Chen started to become more cautious. "No, no." Zhou Zihao offered his hand and shook hand with Jiang Chen. "Compared to my not-so-accomplished brother, Mr. Jiang''s corporation achieve far greater things in the tech industry." Upon hearing these words, Jiang Chen''s mind turned quickly. Brother? Does that mean his brother is in charge of military artificial intelligence? But what does this statement mean? A friendly gesture? What kind of relationship does he have with his brother? Competitive or close? He only knew that Wang Family and Zhou Family were cut from the same cloth, but he didn''t know the intricacies of these political dynasties. After all, only a few months ago, he was a nobody. Wang Zhiyong suddenly laughed and patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder, which interrupted his train of thought and said, "That''s enough. Why are you being serious about when we''re having fun? Zihao always pretends to be poetic. Don''t you feel tired speaking like this?" "Ahem, this is not a serious talk but only casual greetings." Zhou Zihao squinted his eyes and smiled . "Future Technology is only a start-up company so it doesn''t deserve such praise." Jiang Chen laughed and let his hands go. "Oh yeah, Zihao, one of your younger brothers, Liu Changlong, seemed to be embroiled in a conflict with Jiang Chen, you take care of it." Wang Zhiyong chuckled as he looked at Zhou Zihao. "Liu Changlong?" Zhou Zihao frowned, thought for a moment before his eyebrows relaxed. "Oh, him. Don''t worry, Mr. Jiang, I''ll give you an account of this." Jiang Chen waved his hands. "It''s really nothing. Although he did plot against me, now he knew better, so don''t worry about it." "That won''t do." Zhou Zihao shook his head in seriousness. "Today will be on me as a token of apology." "Pshh, I already said it''s on me." Wang Zhiyong slapped the table with a grin. Zhou Zihao squinted at him, "You? The card says that it is only free for you. How many people did you treat with it?" Wang Zhiyong shamelessly laughed and waive his hand nonchalantly. "Don''t worry about it. Just pretend I used it twice." "Is it the first time for Mr. Jiang?" Zhou Zihao glanced at him. Jiang Chen nodded, slightly embarrassed, "Hmm." Zhou Zihao glanced at the reception, beckoned and whispered a few words to the receptionist. He then turned around to Jiang Chen, with a smile, "Sincet this is your first time, then let''s start with something light. What do you think, Mr. Jiang?" [What''s something light?] Jiang Chen was still confused but politely smiled. "Then I''ll listen to the host." "What about brother Yong?" Zhi Zihao looked at Wang Zhiyong. "Haha, I don''t play with rookies, you know." Wang Zhiyong waggled his eyebrows and smiled devilishly. Zhou Zihao sighed and smiled wryly. "Take care of your kidney." Wang Zhiyong was instantly provoked by the words, he slapped the table with bulging eyes. "Fu*k, my kidneys are great! I am a soldier!" "How many times have you actually trained?" Under the direction of the staff, Jiang Chen headed to the second floor and due to his curiosity, secretly examined the place along the way. On the surface, it appeared to be just an ordinary private club. In the lobby of the second floor, there were pool tables and sofas. The back of the wall was a bar for serving drinks. On the other side was a gym with only two rows of treadmills. The common feature of these appliances was no one was using it. Clearly, they were only there as a decoration. The beautiful staff with a bright smile led Jiang Chen pass through the bar into a hallway where they entered a finely decorated environment. "Sir, your room number is 204. If you need anything else, you can call me through the phone inside," the staff stopped, turned her head and smiled and said to Jiang Chen. "Hmm, okay." Seeing that that the staff had already left, Jiang Chen looked at the card in his hand and hesitated. [Fu*k, I am not a virgin, why am I hesitating!" He cursed in his mind as Jiang Chen bit the bullet and swiped the card on the door. The door opened, it was still soft carpet on the floor, but the door was lined with shoe shelves, which meant he needed to take his shoes off upon entering the room. The faint yellow wallpaper and the dim lighting added intimate ambient to the room. In the middle of the room, there was an oddly shaped bathtub, the fluid looking shape along had some sophisticated looking buttons on the side. The water was ready, and a gorgeous lady in a bathrobe was standing beside it while smiling. "Hello sir, do you need help changing?" "No need." Jiang Chen shyly refused. "Is it your first time here, sir?" the beautiful woman smiled with understanding. "Hehe, eh?" [Fu*k, this is awkward.] Jiang Chen mocked himself in his mind. Embarrassed, he scratched his face. The girl covered her mouth and smiled when she heard the response. Then she politely looked at Jiang Chen and continued, "Sir, if this is your first time, just follow my instruction. First, please take off your clothes and and leave them over there." "Take off my clothes? Here?" Jiang Chen thought he heard it wrong. "Yes, unless sir you want to bath with your clothes on?" The girl winked and said with a smile, "Do you need me to turn around?" "Ahem, it''s okay. Help yoourself." Jiang Chen''s face turned red and coughed. [Fu*k, being this shy is not like me!] Jiang Chen swore in his mind as he made up his mind and undressed. "Do you exercise regularly sir?" With a cheerful smile, the beauty looked at Jiang Chen without avoiding his embarrassing part, then stepped forward to help Jiang Chen fold his clothes and guide him to lie in the bathtub. "No, why?" "Nothing, I just think you are very muscular." The beauty maintained her smile, held Jiang Chen''s head gently in the right spot and then she leaned her headintentionally or notcloser to his ear, "If I were to be embraced tightly by you, it would sure feel great." The voice was full of magnetism, Jiang Chen felt his scalp become numb and his blood pressure spiked. "Relax, close your eyes." Jiang Chen obediently followed. He felt a pair of hands touched the acupuncture points on his face pliantly but with just enough force and soothed each of his stiff nerves. The water level in the bathtub gradually decreased. The tiny water outlet sprayed out warm mist and gently washed his entire body. This acute feeling was quite intoxicating and along with superb massage skills made Jiang Chen only feel relaxed. The tension and fatigue built up through the days of continuous battle were washed away in an instant. As if all the burden had been wiped away by the warm water stream and gentle hands. It felt like he was in the clouds. It appeared like he had thought too much, it was not some intense sexual service but just a unique massage. This beautiful woman''s technique was skillful. She first used a word to cause his blood flow to speed up, then used a soothing massage to make his muscle and mind fall into a deep state of relaxation. That feeling was even better than the "the embarrassing" act. The small hands gradually moved to his chest and further down. The water level rose again as the beauty appeared to have pressed a button on the side as the water in the bathtub vibrated. "Sir, your muscle is really nice." The voice in his ears sounded magical as it flirted through his relaxed nerves. Just like an ASMR guiding him to deep relaxation. "Skin is really nice too." "Relax, just leave your body to me. " Hmm, Jiang Chen had long since done that. Because it was too relaxing, his breathing became rhythmic and he fell into a slumber. On the other side, Zhou Zihao who sent Wang Zhiyong upstairs took out his phone. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ We reached our first goal on Patreon! Looks like I''ll have to work a little harder this week to release more chapters. Enjoy 123 Seeking Forgiveness Chapter 123: Seeking Forgiveness Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Wang Zhiyong was ushered to the third floor, but Zhou Zihao didn''t go with him. Wang Zhiyong knew his friend disdained those types of girls, so he didn''t invite him. LIkewise, Zhou Zihao knew what type he preferred, so he pulled out his phone. They were all smart people, it''s just that they were pursuing different things. Wang Zhiyong only wanted to spend his days as a second generation officer. To gain harmless, small benefits from his friendsno need to be powerfuljust to live free and comfortably. But Zhou Zihao was different. He was the second son in the family. Honestly, he didn''t have the best relationship with Zhou Qiangwu, but his father clearly preferred his brother over him. Zhou Family''s influence was in Shangjin, but he came to Wanghai city partly because of this. Although he always looked indifferent on the outside, the fact was he longed for power more than anyone else. He desired recognition. The reason why he started this private club with a bunch of silk trousers was a way for him to establish connections. Did Wang Zhiyong really bring Jiang Chen along because he wanted to play with women? Did he really just casually brought up the conflict between Jiang Chen and one of his dogs? In fact, Wang Zhiyong was very clever. He clearly knew Zhou Zihao wished to befriend Jiang Chen so he deliberately mentioned it. "Call Liu Changlong." He commanded Little White as Zhou Zihao patiently waited for the call to get connected. "Hello? Boss, what''s going on?" The fawning voice of Liu Changlong came from the other side. "Did you offend a man called Jiang Chen?" Zhou Zihao said leisurely. Liu Changlong''s heart immediately thudded as he cursed in his mind. Although he didn''t know why his boss was asking this, the tone did not sound good at all. "No, no, one of my worthless underlings had a conflict with him. I already kicked him out. It has nothing to do with me." Hearing this, Zhou Zihao did not have the slightest intention to let this go. His face did not have the same amicable expression when he was chatting with Jiang Chen and Wang Zhiyong. "Hoho, everyone else knows what you were plotting, but you''re pretty smart and know when to back down." To say it plainly, Liu Changlong was only a dog raised by the people above. When Changlong heard this, he sweated coldly as he deliberated the intention of his boss. Did he want him to do it or did he acknowledge him for being smart enough for not doing it? "Let''s put it this way, I want to get to know this person. Can you think of a way for me?" Zhou Zihao was laughing but the tone was filled with cutting coldess, "Someone has to take the knife, right?" This sentence almost frightened Liu Changlong to death. He finally realized that his boss wanted to sell him out as a favor. "Boss, boss, I, I" "Stop talking nonsense, I''ll give you a chance. You have half a minute to think who you''re willing to throw under the bus." Zhou Zihao chuckled. Liu Changlong''s hand that was holding the phone uncontrollably trembled while his underlings dumbfoundedly looked at their frightened boss. They didn''t understand why their normally glamorous boss would be quivering like a dog. That''s right, just like a dog. Liu Changlong secretly complained. He didn''t even do it yet. If Jiang Chen didn''t know he was plotting against him, it would be okay but somehow he figured it out. Somone had to be thrown under the bus as a favor. What to do? Use Liu Anshan as a scapegoat? A fierce glint flashed in Liu Changlong''s eyes. Although it was his brother, there was no way he could care about family now. But just as he was about to say Liu Anshan''s name, another name popped into his head. Fang Yuanyuan. He remembered his son, brimming with confidence, took a bunch of hooligans to extort someone called Jiang Chen. He heard from the sl*t he played with before that it was a rich guy without any background. Fortunately, his son asked him before he actually did something. If they had already done something, there was no way this could be resolved. Although when he first plotted against Jiang Chen, it had nothing to do with Fang Yuanyuan; however, she did call his son so she could be the scapegoat. "Have you thought of someone?" "I, I did! Boss, there was this girlthis is what happened." Liu Changlong submissively held the phone and explained the story about Fang Yuanyuan. Once a former crush, now a sl*t provoked the gang to make a move on him. Zhou Zihao captured the three key concepts and gave it a thought. He only needed a favor as a stepping stone. Maybe Jiang Chen would be the key to defeating his brother. Based on Liu Changlong''s description, this woman seemed to have fit the criteria. Also, when he heard it was a woman, he suddenly had other ideas. "Bring that person here. You know what I''m talking about." Zhou Zihao''s smile was peculiar. "Yes, yes!" Liu Changlong held the phone while his back was completely drenched with sweat. Liu Changlong hung up the phone and glanced at the thugs around him. The thugs were all silent and afraid to look at their boss in the eyes. "Diaozi, go capture her back, I''ll give you one hour." Liu Changlong said emotionally. He regained his tyrannical bearing as if the submissive conversation never happened before. "Yes." Diaozi nodded and hastily left. Liu Changlong leaned against the chair and rubbed his tired forehead. A smile appeared on his face. - After comfortably leaving the room, Jiang Chen twisted his neck and felt his entire body''s weariness was washed clean. It was already 5:30, the staff was waiting at the door and led him to the dining hall. Once he arrived, Jiang Chen saw that Wang Zhiyong and Zhou Zihao were already waiting there. "Yo, did you have fun?" Wang Zhiyong waggled his eyebrows. "Not bad, I fell asleep in the latter half." Jiang Chen smiled and pulled a chair to sit down. "Such a shame, the best way to enjoy it is to close your eyes and relax your body" Zhou Zihao was still the with same squinting eyes as he picked up a cup of tea and took a sip. "Enough enough, don''t bring your good living philosophy here. Waiter, bring out the dishes and alcohol," Wang Zhiyong called out. "Do you take this for a hotel?" Zhou Zihao was speechless and then signaled the waiter on the side to bring out the dishes. The dazzling dishes were placed on the table and the gorgeous staff slightly leaned forward to pour a glass of wine for each one of them. "Wine can help with blood circulation. This is a good stuff. Is Mr. Jiang okay with it?" Zhou Zihao smilingly raised his wine glass for a toast. Based on the purity of the color, the wine must have been very expensive, but Zhou Zihao did not mention the year and brand; his shrewdness truly ran deep. "Pretty good, but I don''t drink much." Jiang Chen smiled and raised and clank his glass with him. "Zihao had always like these fine things. Who would drink this sour wine?" Wang Zhiyong jested but his hand was still on the wine glass. After a couple rounds of drink, the three started coversing with one another. Wang Zhiyong was surprisingly quiet and Zhou Zihao was talking a lot more. Jiang Chen had a feeling that Zhou Zihao was trying to befriend him. His attitude made him feel wary. Logically speaking, his artificial intelligence was almost overlapping with Zhou Family''s craft. In other words, Zhou Zihao was not popular at home? So he wanted to form a relationship with me? Jiang Chen was not repulsed by Zhou Zihao''s friendly gesture. After a few glasses of wine, they started calling each other brothers. "Brother Jiang, I''ll have to offer you a glass one more time. This glass counts as me not controlling my subordinates and causing problems for you." Zhou Zihao suddenly stood up, smilingly offered a toast and drained the glass of wine. To drink wine like this was a waste of a luxury. Seeing this, Jiang Chen also hurriedly stood up and smiled wryly. "There is no need, Brother Zhou. I don''t really mind and he hadn''t done anything yet." Zhou Zihao waved his hand and then signaled the server on the side. The waiter courteously nodded and walked out in haste. After a while, the door opened. Jiang Chen saw a strange man came in. The person was sporting a buzz cut. His face had a certain kind of resoluteness but also had a terrified expression on his face. Age wise, he was at least 10 years older than Zhou Zihao. Jiang Chen''s eyes narrowed slightly as he guessed the identity of this 30-year-old man. Liu Changlong, the leader of Hongyi Gang and the man who plotted against him. Wang Zhiyong watched while he carried his glass with a gloating expression. Zhou Zihao didn''t look at Liu Changlong and only stared at Jiang Chen with the same smiling expression. Jiang Chen glanced at Liu Changlong and then questioningly looked at Zhou Zihao. "Ahem." Zhou Zihao lightly coughed. There was a "pudong" sound as Liu Changlong, a man 180 cm tall, dropped to his knees and knocked his head on the ground. "I, Liu Changlong, was blinded and listened to wrongdoers'' incitement and planned to kidnapped your parents. I hope Sir Jiang Chen to forgive me and let me go like a fart." Jiang Chen was stunned. He really did not expect Liu Changlong was planning to abduct his parents outside of the province. He also didn''t think that before he even made a move, Zhou Zihao had already brought him here to apologize. Wang Zhiyong looked at Liu Changlong who was kowtowing and seemed to wear an expression that this was to be expected. Zhou Zihao still didn''t spare a glance at Liu Changlong and remained his focus on Jiang Chen while smiling. "Is Brother Jiang satisfied with this result?" Jiang Chen''s throat moved and laughed awkwardly, "Very satisfied." He didn''t know what to say, and though he disdained these scums of society and was enraged by the fact that Liu Changlong planned to use his parents to threaten him, he did back down. Zhou Zihao with his squinting eyes was a ruthless character and not at all easy to deal with. In any case, he owed him a favor. Jiang Chen thought to himself but his expression remained the same. When Zhou Zihao saw that Jiang Chen had relented, he then waved his hand. The beautiful waitress on the side, holding a bottle of about 1 liter of Baiju, came over and place it in front of Liu Changlong with a smile. "You know what to do," Zhou Zihao said casually. A cold sweat rolled across Liu Changlong''s forehead but when he thought of Zhou Zihao''s intention, he gritted his teeth, opened the lid with his teeth and began drinking. That was 1 litter of Baijiu. The alcohol concentration would certainly not be low. Jiang Chen who was watching on the side was secretly scared. Zhou Zihao was watching on coldly while Wang Zhiyong was still showing an interested expression. As soon as Liu Chonglong had finished the bottle, he immediately fell unconscious on the ground. The waiter nearby looked at Zhou Zihao and after seeing him nod, he carried the unconscious Liu Changlong outside. Liu Changlong was going straight to the hospital; he was definitely biting the bullet on this one. Jiang Chen was secretly speechless but did not have an ounce of sympathy, though he was more and more scared of Zhou Zihao''s ruthlessness. This man is ruthless! "Zihao, you should pay extra care to those people under you. Are you not afraid of dirtying your own hands?" Wang Zhiyong said and chuckled. "Ahem, even a rat has a rat''s value," Zhou Zihao said then turned to look at Jiang Chen, "I hope you won''t mind what happened today. Brother Jiang, I truly value our friendship. If this rat dares to dirty your shoes again, I''d throw him into the Huangpu River." "No need for that, Brother Zhou is really a great friend. It''s my honor to become your friend," Jiang Chen said. Thankfully, they were not enemies. "There is no need to go back today. Why don''t stay for the night? Zihao prepared you another fun show. Hehe." Wang Zhiyong burst into laughter. "Ahem, Brother Yong, spoiler is not good." Zhou Zihao lightly coughed. "What type of show?" Jiang Chen asked casually. "Trust me, you will love it." Zhou Zihao smiled mysteriously after continuing, "Would Brother Jiang give me this chance?" It would be impolite to refuse. Jiang Chen only debated for a second before quickly replying, "Then, I''ll listen to the host." There was nothing to it but say yes. After dinner, it was still the same smiling waitress. Jiang Chen was led into a quiet room on the third floor under her guidance. "The noise insulation here is excellent. Enjoy yourself." The staff smiled ambiguously and backed out of the room. Jiang Chen touched his nose shyly, stood at the entrance for a while before finally going into the room. [Looks like I am not going home tonight.] Thinking of this, Jiang Chen pushed the exquisitely decorated door open, but after entering the room, he was surprised to see someone he didn''t expect. "It''s you?" Jiang Chen''s expression could not be more strange. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ There will be one more tonight. Enjoy 124 Its really ironic Chapter 124: It''s really ironic Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ "It''s you?" Jiang Chen looked strangely at Fang Yuanyuan sitting on the chair. Although she was sitting, the posture could not be described as elegant. Her face was filled with horror, her hair was disheveled, and her lips were covered with black tape. Her limbs were tied up by nylon ropes in an indecent "M" style on the chair. Although her clothes were intact, she was without any kind of decency in this position. Next to the bedside table was a laptop, the bright screen projected an audio file. As if Jiang Chen had guessed something based on Fang Yuanyuan''s appearance, he stepped forward and gently pressed the play button. "Yo, girl, did you miss your brother?" "Pervert... Let me tell you something, I have a classmate who made a fortune... No, no, clean background, I know that guy, he just got lucky." Jiang Chen quietly listened to the voice recording and stared at Fang Yuanyuan with a faint smile on his face. Fang Yuanyuan''s evaded Jiang Chen''s gaze, afraid to make an eye contact with him. Regardless of how unbelievable it was for her, this was the reality. The foolish fly that once buzzed around her like a fly had become someone that could control her life and death. That''s right, life and death. When she was on her way home from work and was forcibly tied here, a frightening looking man told her: Two options. First: satisfied the man name Jiang Chen regardless of what he would do. Afterward, she would receive $10,000 as compensation. Second: become fish bait in the Huangpu River. She had never seen anything like this before, so she got scared that she almost peed her pants. Her captors didn''t talk more as they skillfully tied her on the chair and threw her in the wretched room. The center of the room had a round bed and beside the closet was some strange bondage devices as well as some "frightening" S tools... Fang Yuanyuan looked at the man whom she had hurt before, horrified. She was scared, and she feared that he would use those awful things on her. If he actually did, she would have to endure the pain. At this time, the phone suddenly rang. Jiang Chen grabbed the phone as if he already guessed who it was. Not in the least bit surprised, he pressed the button. "Hello." "Hehe, is Brother Jiang satisfied with the show?" Without a doubt, the lyrical sounding tone was definitely from squinting eyes. "Brother Zhou is worrying too much. If you really want to cooperate with me, you only need to tell me. Why are you using these low-level tricks?" Jiang Chen''s voice was slightly cold. There was a distinct pause on the other side of the line. "Brother Jiang? I don''t really understand what you mean." "Oh, yeah? If you want to watch porn, then I can give you a few gigabyte of torrents. What''s with the fetish of watching things live?" Jiang Chen hung up the phone, put it in his pocket then threw it in the storage dimension. He didn''t take his hand out of the pocket as he took out an EMP grenade directly from the storage dimension and detonated it. A faint static noise was heard in the room. The laptop instantly turned black as a trail of smoke came from the fan. The light bulb on the ceiling flickered a few times before the light abruptly dimmed down. As if to confirm his suspicion, Jiang Chen keenly caught a glimpse of a few wisps of smoke from the several corners of the room. He walked in front the photo frame directly above the bed, he sniffed and the faint burnt smell was not difficult to capture. In the control room. Zhou Zihao with the phone still in his hand was bewildered, his squinting eyes were actually opened. He didn''t know what Jiang Chen just did that short circuited all the monitors in the room. "Interesting," he muttered to himself as he looked at the four blacked out screens. ... There was no hatred without cause nor was there any goodness without reason. Slap his underlings a few times for a new friend? This sorry excuse for friendship was pure bullsh*t. There was no deep hatred running between them, but he put on a show of asking for forgiveness, and then bring Fang Yuanyuan to his room with the recorded conversation. It was if he is trying to provoke the hatred. From beginning to end, Zhou Zihao didn''t ask him anything but did so much. When Jiang Chen saw the design of the room that was meant to incite him into committing a crime, he suddenly understood. In Zhou Zihao''s plot, at this time, he would have been furiously ripping her clothes apart and unleashing his anger to humiliate her in the most torturous way possible. But in that case, what was there to gain for Zhou Zihao? To record these "atrocities" and then use them would be the best way to maximize the gain. If he could be ruthless to one of his own, then there was no reason he would be gentle to an outsider. Jiang Chen ignored the surprised look on Fang Yuanyuan''s face and once again pulled out his phone. He needed to confirm if Wang Zhiyong knew about this. "Hello, Brother Yong." "What, Brother Chen. Hehe, don''t tell me you''re done already." There was woman''s voice on his side; it seemed to have been more than one. "The Brother Zhou you introduced me is a bit of a bore, or does he have a fetish for peeping at other''s privacy?" Jiang Chen''s voice was full of other meanings. The other side of line paused for a moment. "Sorry, I''ll give you a response to this. I didn''t expect Zihao to be this ruthless. He wanted to meet you and asked me to make an introduction. I thought there would be opportunities for you guy to cooperate. so" "It''s okay, I just wanted to confirm. Okay, I''ll head back first." After this turn of event, Jiang Chen didn''t want to stay here any longer. After hanging up, Jiang Chen glanced at Fang Yuanyuan and burst out laughing. He ripped off the tape on her mouth, disregarded her cry of pain and gazed into her frightened eyes. "I really don''t understand your mentality. Because you''re jealous that you''re giving me trouble? Or do you think that I''ve done you wrong? Look at you now." Although the tape was ripped off, Fang Yuanyuan could not let a word, she looked at Jiang Chen, curled back looking horrified. Looking at her cowering look, Jiang Chen did not know why he thought it was amusing. "This is so ironic. Who knows why I got so blinded that I thought I had loved you for a moment." Jiang Chen shook his head and walked towards the door. "Don''t go!" Seeing Jiang Chen was about the leave, Fang Yuanyuan was nervous. Jiang Chen stopped and turned around. He didn''t expect Fang Yuanyuan to stop him. He gazed at her with an odd look. Fang Yuanyuan didn''t dare to look at him in the eyes, she mumbled, "I..." "If you have something to say, spill it now," Jiang Chen interrupted impatiently. Jiang Chen''s apathy made her feel humiliated and wronged. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke while sobbing. When Jiang Chen heard that if she didn''t make him happy, she would be thrown into the Huangpu River as bait, he laughed. "That means you''re begging me to fu*k you and then write a positive comment on your butt?" Hearing this, Fang Yuanyuan''s pale skin swelled into a deep red color. She buried her head, no longer speaking. "Why do you have to make yourself into a sl*t? Want me to fu*k you? I''d feel dirty even with a condom on." Leaving these words, Jiang Chen turned around and left the room despite the pleading on her face and mercilessly slammed the door shut. Zhou Zihao''s trick was already exposed. Why would it matter if he had sex with her or not? The sl*t didn''t know that she was only a pawn. - Wang Zhiyong walked into the control room, Zhou Zihao seemed to be expecting his presence as he stood there waiting quietly. Without a word, Wang Zhiyong walked up and threw a punch on his face. The staffs were all shocked and bewildered, and helplessly watched their boss and his friend. Zhou Zihao touched his nose, saw the blood in his hand and smiled suddenly. "Brother Yong, your temper hasn''t really changed." Wang Zhiyong dragged him up by the collar, the smiling face was pulled forward. "You know my temper then you should know what type of person I can''t tolerate." "I do." Zhou Zihao''s expression didn''t change slightly; his tone was very flat. "I don''t give a sh*t about the things in your family, but I nicely brought my friend for you to meet, and you made me look like this" Wang Zhiyong stared directly into his squinting eyes. "Brother Yong, you are the oldest son in the family, right?" Zhou Zihao interrupted him. Wang Zhiyong paused. He couldn''t understand the meaning behind his words. "Then you don''t know how I feel," Zhou Zihao gently removed Wang Zhiyong''s hand holding his collar. "If you knew, then your desire to control will not be lower than mine." "This time, it''s my fault, I didn''t expect the newly rich Jiang Chen was not as dumb as he looked. But if I was given another chance, I will still make the same choice. If I can''t control the pawns in my hand, then what''s the point of it?" "Then let me warn you, you dare to lay your hands on my friend again, even if you are my friend, I can''t promise you that you will be able to stay in Wanghai City." Leaving these harsh words, Wang Zhiyong left for the door. As Zhou Zihao watched Wang Zhiyong retreating back, he gave a noncommittal smile. "147 officials scandal videos, not you, even your dad would not make me go back to Shangjing. Hehe." He had been playing with fire for a long time ago. After a moment, he shook his head again. "This is disappointing. Looks like using military artificial intelligence as a starting point to take down my brother is not realistic. Jiang Chen...forget it, it''s best not to anger Wang Zhiyong further." - When he drove back to the villa, it was already 10 in the evening. The lights were out, so Ayesha seemed to be already asleep. Jiang Chen drove the car into the garage and head straight to the office. He leaned against the chair, turned on the laptop and checked his email. The cast is set. Buddy, should we go to the next step? Jiang Chen carefully read through the attachment. He gave it some thought as his fingers typed furiously on the keyboard. Suddenly, a cup of hot cocoa was gently placed on the table. Jiang Chen paused and turned around. Ayesha was standing behind him and was affectionately looking at him. "Its late. Why are you still up?" Jiang Chen stopped what he was doing, looked at her fondly and smiled. "Well, I just got out of the training chamber." Ayesha put her hands on his shoulder and began massaging. "Go to sleep first, I still have something to do." Jiang Chen put his hand on top of hers and squeezed her soft, little hands. Seeing the blushing Ayesha left, Jiang Chen returned to the computer screen. "Should the plan be expedited? Jiang Chen murmured as he entered few more words to the text field. Before that, he needed to head to Apocalypse to acquire some powerful firearms. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ You guys are crazy! Thank you for your support and shout out to the Patreons! As promised, we''ll be increasing the release speed to 8 chapters. We are also looking to scale it up further in the upcoming weeks with the goal of 10. Your support will only motivate us to work harder! There are still a lot more chapters to be released in this week. Keep checking and stay tuned! 125 I Can’t Control Myself! Chapter 125: I Cant Control Myself! Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Fifth day. Five days had passed, the morale was very low. Although the supplies were adequate, there was despondency in everyone''s face. Victorythe price they paid for it was too heavy that it cast a gloom on their victory. Four power armors were destroyed, and the boss was nowhere to be found. The mutants left a total of 41 bodies that were lying on the field. Fortunately, the harvest was bountiful. Four shoulder-launched recoilless rockets along with three reinforced armored truck were seized. Huizhong Mercenaries'' bullet production line was a pleasant surprise so Fishbone would able to produce rifle ammunition on their own without the need to import from 6th Street. At the top of the laboratory was four anti-aircraft guns that seemed to have been a modified .50 caliber machine gun. These were excellent in typical survival camps as they were considered to be powerful stationary weapons. If they were equipped with armor piercing bullets and could get the first shot, they could easily suppress an armored vehicle. Huizhong Mercenaries detained more than 20 captives in the basement. It was quite funny when the survivors were kicked off from the mutant''s truck. Not only they were not frightened, but rather their face was full of happiness. It was as though they had been saved. It was indeed true as they no longer have to worry about being thrown into a pot and being pickled into eunuchs. Many people would rather die than be captured by mutants. If they were taken as a prisoner, there would be at least room for negotiation, wouldn''t it? At least they could fight, so they definitely have some value. Although the wasteland was not necessarily short of a population, they absolutely lacked in "experts" like them. As to whomever they worked for, they couldn''t care less. Although there were a lot of clamors from the survivors to kill off the gang''s survivors, Sun Jiao still ordered them to be locked up first. A nutrient supply a day would stave off the hunger and death. As for the nutrient supply, they were naturally raided from their warehouse as Fishbone base didn''t have a need for those. Other than being unpalatable and lacking in nutrition, there were still some benefits to the nutrient supply. The people who ate these concoctions didn''t need to defecate for a long time as the metabolic waste would be reduced to its limit. Even if they were imprisoned in the basement, there was no need to worry about the hygiene. Simply put, the decision to kill or not would have to wait until Jiang Chen came back. [He will be back...] Sun Jiao still firmly believed that. As usual, Sun Jiao sat in the doorway of the tent, behind her was the place where Jiang Chen was last seen. As early as five days ago, she ordered to use the tent to surround the place where Jiang Chen had disappeared into. It was his biggest secret and also Fishbone base''s biggest secret so there was absolutely no way she would let anyone find out about it. She was still holding Sirius in her hands. The laser rifle that had accompanied her for many years was used to slaughter over and over again in these past five days. And during these five days, she had been thinking about a problem. If Jiang Chen never came back, what would she do? "You liar, you said you will take me to the other side." Her eyes looked sorrowful. Lin Lin was standing not far away from Sun Jiao as the latter stared blankly ahead above the tent. Although she was permitted to get off the truck and walk, she was ordered to stay within the 100m radius. If she exceeded that distance, Sun Jiao calmly expressed that she would shoot. That girl was so scared she almost peed her pants again. "What on earth are you looking at?" Lin Lin looked up helplessly as she murmured disapprovingly. At the moment her left eye was black, but her right eye was bloody red. After five days of communication, she finally reached a tacit understanding with the bug...or Tingting. The body would be controlled by Lin Lin, but the right eye would belong to the bug. This was also a compromise of sorts. Although Lin Lin was opposed to the idea of a "bug" living in her head and had racked her brains to think of ways to get rid of it, it had never lasted for more than three seconds for her to realize it was an exercise in futility and so she gave up on it. Anyway, there was no harm other than the fact that part of the nutrients would be divided between the two of them every time she ate every day. "Hehe, you are talking about him? That scoundrel is now in trouble, this feels great! He totally deserves it! I don''t know...hopefully, he''s safe." Although her initial reaction was that of gloating, however, after giving it careful consideration, that guy did not seem so bad. Lin Lin was conflicted, her head was in turmoil. She had seen the women in the basement, and she could not believe that the world had fallen into such chaos, nor could she imagine what would have happened if anyone else other than that man had encountered her. Lin Lin shuddered and wrapped herself around her arms. "Puke, that''s too disgusting. With my stunning look, I will be r*ped a hundred times over then will be turned into a sex toy..." Well, in addition to narcissism, her delusions and paranoia were also quite problematic. Slightly moving her sore neck, Lin Lin grumbled, "Hello, what are you looking at? Other than radiation dust, what else is there in the sky" The mother bug was still transmitting the same thought. Stunned, Lin Lin touched her heart as she sensed the gradually increasing beat. Her digital left eye shrunk slightly as she tried to understand the abnormalities in the surrounding area. Did she see Jiang Chen? But how could that be? There was nothing in there at all. Suddenly, Lin Lin appeared to have thought of something, her pupil began to dilate and muttered to herself, "That''s impossible. Theoretically, that''s not possible unless..." "What are you looking at?" Sun Jiao looker over and frowned, her messy hair obscured her eyes with gloom. Lin Ling was startled by her gaze and said while trembling, "No, it''s not me. It''s the bug that wants to look and also that mentioned Jiang Chen''s name." She was extremely frightened of Sun Jiao. In her fragile heart, this "female demon" was more sinister than the "male demon." At least she could detect a trace of sympathy and compassion in his eyes on occasion, but there was none from this woman. For this woman, other than the things "I like" in this world, it was things "I dislike." Sun Jiao''s eyes flickered for a second and she seemed to have thought of something. "Ask it, what did it see?" "Ugh, I have been asking but it seems to only know those two words." Lin Lin smiled wryly. Sun Jiao silently shifted her line of sight as if losing interest in Lin Ling. All of a sudden, the tent cover was lifted up. "Ahem, sorry...I''m late." The voice Sun Jiao had missed dearly rang by her ear, her pupil began to dilate, and her eyes were instantly covered with a fine mist. "Hellowhat are you doing" His chest made in impact with something soft as his back came in contact with the ground with a muffled sound. Jiang Chen looked at the beauty lying on his chest with a grin. For these past five days, every morning, he had been trying to start the interdimensional bracelet and finally succeeded this morning. Just like what he had suspected, the travel function was not broken, it was merely overloaded. As soon as he arrived, before even gaining his balance, he was struck on the ground by this girl. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Those soft fists were pounding hard against his chest, Jiang Chen was stunned while looking at the sobbing Sun Jiao. From the beginning, she had always given him that little devilish feeling. It was the first time seeing her so weak and vulnerable. "I..." Jiang Chen opened his mouth and wanted to say something. "Why didn''t you come back earlier? Do you how difficult these past few days have been for me" Her grievance halted, her crystal eyes were quivering with mist. Jiang Chen hugged her waist and suddenly kissed her on the lips. From stunned to obedience, Sun Jiao gently closed her eyes as if the grievance of the past few days didn''t matter anymore. She hooked her arms around his neck and responded just as passionately. Due to the enormous softness pressing against his chest, Jiang Chen felt his mouth became parched. Unaware of his condition, Sun Jiao worried about Jiang Chen''s life-and-death condition, did he not miss her too? He reached out his hand to pull the zipper of her suit. "No, don''t." Sun Jiao was suddenly frightened and shrank back as she awkwardly covered her front and looked away. "I, I didn''t shower." She had been here for five days; although there no scarcity of water, she was not in the mood to take care of her hygiene. Jiang Chen paused before a smirk appeared on his face. While Sun Jiao''s shrieked softly, he got on top of the charming girl. "I don''t mind!" Jiang Chen roughly tore the zipper on the one-piece combat suit and kissed her neck. "No." The faint murmur sounded insignificant in this intimate scene. Sun Jiao with misty eyes caressed Jiang Chen''s back, her slender jade legs rubbed unconsciously with one other. "Don''t you want to listen to my explanation?" Jiang Chen suddenly stopped as he gently bit her earlobe with a smirk. "No, I want..." The explanation can be saved for later. Yes, the day after. Lin Lin stood awkwardly outside the tent, her pale face was flushed. She could not decide whether to go or not. Leave? She was afraid that Sun Jiao would really kill her. Stay? But these shameless peoplethey, they started doing it! He was indeed a huge pervert! Although she didn''t know what it felt like, just the thought of it was embarrassing. Suddenly, her heartbeat began to accelerate making her stunned. Tingting was trying to seize control of her body. "You''re insane! If we go, that savage girl will kill us!" "What? Can''t you beat her? Yes, but I don''t want to fight!" "AHHH! Stop!" "Waah, I can''t control my strength..." Inside of the tent was filled with romance, outside of the tent... A beautiful girl who had a 2.5-dimensional anime appearance was desperately using her right hand to hold onto her "uncontrollable" left hand. She was mumbling nonsensical words that resembled anime lines. The scene could not be more comical. 126 Why not? Chapter 126: Why not? Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The basement door opened. Jiang Chen watched as the 170cm man dashed into the room, smashed the "cell" door lock open with the gun and hugged his wife crying. The woman''s top was exposed and her eyes appeared to be lifeless, but she seemed to be moved by the crying sound as her eyes gradually regained its clarity and tears of sorrow gushed down. "I really can''t bear looking at this," Jiang Chen muttered to himself. His tone was somewhat complicated. "What are you going to do with the captives?" Sun Jiao glanced at the door imprisoning Zhou Xiaoxia. "Public execution." There was no need to hesitate. For authority, for order. Jing Chen paused for a moment before continuing, "But before that, I want to meet our old friend." Upon hearing this, a mischevious smiled appeared on Sun Jiao''s face. - Zhou Guoping slumped into prison dejectedly. He was clearly aware of his impending doom but his heart still held a glimmer of hope. He did not care who he was fighting with for he was confident in his intellect. However, when he saw the face from the small window of the cell, his confidence instantly vanished and his face lost all of its blood. "Oh, remember me?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile. Although he never saw him before, Zhou Guoping must have known him. Zhou Guopin swallowed hard and slowly nodded. "Do you remember Hu Lei?" It had been a while, but he was the first person he killed in this world. Jiang Chen faintly remembered the feeling of astonishment while staring at the skull that burst open by a gunshot. "It was you who killed him, wasn''t it?" Zhou Guoping smiled, but that smile was uglier than crying. "That''s right, I had no reason to let him go." Jiang Chen''s tone was very calm. "Then why are you wasting time on me?" Zhou Guoping smiled bitterly. Jiang Chen grinned and settled his hand on the window pane. "You have two options here. First, tell me everything you know. If it''s useful enough, I might consider sparing you. Of course, I''ll ask the same question to other people, so you better tell the truth. Second, well, I don''t think I need to explain it." "I choose the first one," he chose without hesitation. He didn''t want to die even if he might still do after unraveling everything. "You better start," Jiang Chen said with a smile. To save his own life, Zhou Guoping spilled everything he knew. Jiang Chen was able to gather a lot of useful information from his revelations. The first one was the supply. Other than the four modified machine guns and the bullet production line they had plundered, there was also a zombie electricity generation in the basement of the laboratory. It used the organic material of zombies or mutants such as fat or protein as raw material to produce electricity. It was a great thing since winter was fast approaching. Since Fishbone Base''s electricity was powered by solar, they would definitely experience a decrease in energy production. With this zombie electricity generator, they would not need to worry about energy problem anymore. It was indeed surprising that these bandits were able to hide such good stuff. In addition to supplies, Jiang Chen also heard some interesting information. "Those mutated humans came from Jia City and are now stationed at the Seventh Zone. They initially wanted to absorb us but our boss refused it since no one wanted to become a eunuch. The first wave only had five people in them and we successfully killed all of them, but we didn''t expect that a big group would show up." Zhou Guoping laughed bitterly. "It was a disaster, our boss'' skull got smashed in half." He was wondering why he didn''t see the leader of the Huizhong Mercenaries; looked like he was killed in a crossfire. "Where is the Seventh Zone?" Jiang Chen frowned. The details of the topography in the apocalypse was quite different to that of the modern world. Zhou Guoping looked strangely at him. "Between the highway of Wanghai City and Jia City is a light industrial area where few people reside. Not a lot of zombies but some powerful mutants." Jiang Chen scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Do you know what their purpose is in coming to Wanghai City? Another bitter smile appeared on Zhou Guoping''s face. "No, there was no room for negotiation between mutated humans and humans, and in my opinion, aside from not eating human flesh, they are basically just mutants who can use guns." The metaphor did sound strange to Jiang Chen, but after thinking about it, that really seemed to be the case. They could eat anything that humans couldn''t eat and they could eat things mutants didn''t even dare to eat, even the rotten meat on Roshan. They could enter a nuclear pit with just their body, any vaccine virus would no longer affect them. Thankfully, these monsters were infertile. "Didn''t you catch a captive?" Zhou Guoping asked warily. Jiang Chen glanced at him. "No, you already said they are like mutants. Have you tried catching a Death Claw?" Zhou Guoping forced a laugh and scratched his nose. "Boss, do you think my information is enough to exchange for my life?" Jiang Chen stared at him with a faint smile on his face which made his heart tremble. To kill or not to kill? "Although I did cause some minor problem for you, it was only because I was standing from Huizhong Mercenaries'' side. Now that Huizhong Mercenaries have been destroyed by you, even if you kill me, I would just be an extra body. You definitely could spare my worthless life. Trust me, my ability won''t disappoint you." Seeing the look on Jiang Chen''s face, Zhou Guoping carefully opened his mouth. "Oh? Tell me how are you useful?" Jiang Chen watched him while laughing. "I know the Songjiang area very well, I have more or less an understanding of most of the smaller survival camps and gathering place for the survivors. My eloquence and scouting ability are also quite impressive, it definitely wouldn''t be a waste of your nutrient supply. On top of that, I''m wearing an electronic collar or slavery chip, which means you won''t even need to worry about my loyalty," Zhou Guoping carefully worded his explanation because it had to do with his life while observing the change in Jiang Chen expression. It would just be an extra body if he killed him, at the very least he could serve as a cannon fodder. Although the bandits must be eliminated, this person seemed to be useful. After giving it some thoughts, Jiang Chen made the decision and laughed when he saw the apprehension on Zhou Guoping''s face. "Great, you''ve managed to convince me, so I''ll spare your life. I hope you can persuade the others for me." Upon hearing this, Zhou Guoping was quite ecstatic and immediately knelt on the ground without a semblance of dignity. "Thank you, glorious leader, for sparing me!" Jiang Chen looked disdainfully at him and lightly coughed. "Call me boss, I''m not a bandit." "Yes, Boss!" ... After settling his affair with Zhou Guoping, Jiang Chen headed to the door that was imprisoning Chu Nan. He looked at the man who was no longer crying to get out and knocked on the door. Hearing the knock on the door, Chu Nan raised his head and a bitter smile appeared on his face when he saw that it was Jiang Chen. "Could you let me go now?" "Sure, do you want me to open the door now?" Jiang Chen took out the key and waived it, and asked, "May I ask where you''ll be heading next?" Chu Nan fell into a short silence. "I don''t know but I definitely can''t go back to Liuding Town." Jiang Chen asked in a casual tone, "Would you like to come to my base?" Hearing this, Chu Nan lifted his head and looked at Jiang Chen a few times. "Didn''t you say you don''t need a pilot?" Jiang Chen shrugged, "I''ve changed my mind. Although I don''t have a plane right now but soon, I''ll definitely get one." Chu Nan suspiciously looked at him, some uncertainties still lingered in his heart. "I don''t even know what kind of organization you belong" "The bread you ate last time, three meals a day." "Deal!" Chu Nan shouted immediately without the least bit of hesitation. "Aren''t you going to consider it?" Jiang Chen burst out laughing. "Hehe, what is there to consider?" Chu Nan mocked him. Funny, food every meal. Although Liuding Town provided B-grade nutrient supply for a pilot like him and even if it was grade A, it didn''t taste better than the actual food. Jiang Chen nodded and remarked, "Good, in two days, I''ll send you to the Sixth Street to be implanted with the slavery chip, you''ll be a member of our Fishbone Base then." Finished, Jiang Chen turned round to prepare to leave, but "Wait," Chu Nan stopped him suddenly. "What''s the matter?" Jiang Chen turned around and looked at him in bemusement. "That..." Chu Nan hesitated for a moment, "What are you going to do with those women?" Those women? Jiang Chen could not help but ponder on it. He had almost forgotten about this problem. Thinking about it, these women that had been practically broken by the bandits were extremely tricky to deal with. Take them back? What''s the use of keeping these people? Fishbone Base was not a welfare home. Leave them here? Let them go? It would be no different than killing them. "In fact, it would be useful to take them back to the base," Chu Nan proposed when he seemed to have seen his hesitation. "Oh? What use?" Jiang Chen gave Chu Nan a meaningful then burst out laughing, "You''re not looking for a woman to get rid of your virginity, are you?" Chu Nan was frozen for a second before he quickly reacted furiously. "Fu*k, my name is Chu Nan, I never said I''m a virgin." [Chu Nan is homonym of virgin] Chu Nan paused for a while before continuing, "If you don''t have the chip implant technology, then you guys must be a small new survival base." Jiang Chen looked at him in surprise, that analysis was reasonable. "Yes, so?" Jiang Chen asked noncommittally. "In the wasteland, the survivability of male is far stronger than female. So it''s easy to imagine the ratio. I don''t know about Sixth Street, but there are a lot of bachelors in Liuding Town," Chu Nans said seriously. "Like you?" Jiang Chen laughed. "That''s right," Chu Nan nodded his head without avoiding the question then continued, "In Liuding Town, they run an official brothel to help survivors alleviate their stress and meet their physiological needs. It would not only decrease the possibility of crime, but it would also increase camp stability." "Is that right? Everyone in my Fishbone Base is implanted with slavery chip, do you think I need to worry about stability issues?" Jiang Chen asked him. "I have been implanted with that kind of chips before. Even though the name is a bit different, I think the function is pretty much the same. Let me put it this way, although you can monitor the privacy of everyone and control their life and death, you could not dictate their emotion." "So?" Jiang Chen processed the information. "Unless you keep everyone in the state of perpetual hunger so that they don''t have spare energy to think about anything else than survival, you can''t expect a group of bachelors not to have hope for the next day. It might be okay for a while, but there will definitely be problems in the long run. Especially in a wasteland covered by radiation dust, everyone''s mental state is nowhere good to begin in," Chu Nan laid out the facts bluntly. Mental state? Jiang Chen had not considered this point. He seemed to have only been paying attention to his own mental state. For example, when he first went back to the modern world from the apocalypse, he immediately went to Sanya to experience a lavish life. The ghetto in the Sixth Street, those unemployed survivors were in a constant state of hunger so they would not have any desire to "breed"? On the contrary, in Fishbone Base, because the hunger and clothing problems had been resolved, they would naturally start thinking of other things? Perhaps it was precisely like what Chu Nan had said. Unless everyone were perpetually hungry, it would be unrealistic to expect them not to have new desires. Even if Jiang Chen could control their life, he could not control the emotion of everyone. After all, not everyone had the philosophy of a monk. Although when he bought the refugees (slaves), he deliberately selected those who had a family and controlled the gender ratio. But regardless how hard he tried, the male population far exceed the female population because of the expansion. Should he let the single guys masturbate with one another? It obviously not going to work "That is, you think I should open a brothel?" Jiang Chen''s expression was a bit peculiar. This was something against his principle. "Of course, there are other means," Chu Nan paused as he had sensed Jiang Chen''s disdain towards that idea then added, "For example, use these people as a "reward" and award them to bachelors who made contributions to the base." "Reward? I don''t approve of this inhumane approach." "Humane?" You think this is before the war?" Jiang Chen paused and fell into silence. "If you really have moral codes you have to follow, you can enact laws to protect the rights of these people. For example, prohibit intentional harming and reward those who can help these people regain their sanity to join the force. In short, since you are the leader, then you can make these rules, the key is on you decide." After listening to him talking, Jiang Chen looked at him in astonishment. "I couldn''t tell but sounds like you know a lot" "Hehe, I just read some books whenever I''m bored." Chu Nan scratched his nose. Just as Jiang Chen was about to leave, he abruptly halted and casually asked, "By the way, do you think these Nth handed people would be wanted?" Chu Nan was at a loss and looked at him perplexedly. "Why not?" Jiang Chen was speechless. Is this the legendary generation gap? Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more coming 127 Execution and Acceptance Chapter 127: Execution and Acceptance Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ "This here is a group of pests." "They feed on the flesh and bones of our own kind and make our agony as their nutrients." Outside of the Fishbone base. All the zombies had been wiped out and the roof was fraught with the survivors who fought side-by-side with those from Fishbone Base. The bandits were kneeling on the ground with a black cloth over their heads, behind them was a group of soldiers armed with guns. Black muzzles were aimed at their head and cold eyes ignored the trembling bodies. October was approaching and a hint of chilliness was gradually settling in the air. It was at this time that Jiang Chen had put on a windbreaker. "Killing, looting, plundering, terrorizing, molesting." He gazed at the eyes of survivors in the crowd and raised his clenched right fist as righteous indignation spewed forth from his mouth. "Now that they are kneeling in front of us, praying for our forgiveness, and begging for mercy like cowards, do you think we should spare these scums?" "No!" Shouts and whistles rang across the entire street. Even the zombies next street turned around and stared at the direction of the Fishbone base. Jiang Chen closed his eyes, lifted both of his hands and motioned the crowd to quiet down. The crowd''s noise gradually died down and everyone''s attention was focused on him. This feeling was extremely surreal. He faintly remembered the feeling of being stared at by 30 pairs of anxious eyes in the sewer. The sense of apathy born from absolute control, from knowing that they had the power to control life and death. But now, he was respected, worshipped, and lauded by a group of people from the bottom of their hearts. He only felt his blood was boiling that even the cold breeze could not be able to cool down. Jiang Chen shifted his gaze to the row of bandits about to be executed. "I believe you were well aware that this would happen one day when you pointed your gun at helpless people and abused both children and women." "No! Ahhh" A surprising scene occurred when a kneeling bandit suddenly got up from the ground and dashed to the alley on the side. BANG! The desperate fleeing bandit hit the ground and left a frightening, bloody hole on his back. Jiang Chen shoved his gun back into his pocket when the smoke from the gun had dissipated. The survivors only saw a series of blurry actions. They couldn''t even see Jiang Chen pulling out his gun, let alone the act of shooting. The entire action was so smooth that everyone''s face couldn''t help but pale. They did not expect that Fishbone Base''s boss would not only amass a strong force but would also possess an unparalleled individual fighting prowess. Needless to say, whether it was power or speed of reaction, Jiang Chen injected with the genetic vaccine was far superior compared to ordinary survivors. That man''s escape just now was arranged beforehand; the rope was not tied down to his legs. It was done only to strengthen his prestige through personal force. It was only human nature to worship the strong. Incidentally, this "episode" was Zhou Guoping''s original idea. "Fire!" The cold words were accompanied with white mist and echoed on the cold street. Gunfire sounded, a group of bodies dropped one-by-one in the pool of blood, officially ending their wicked lives. Zhao Gang held the rifle in his hand, staring at his enemy who was lying in the pool of blood. Jiang Chen had given him the chance to avenge himself by allowing him to participate in the execution of the bandits. The bandit who was in front of him was the same bastard who led the mercenaries to raid his family, kill his son, and capture and violate his wife. Seeing that the tumor that disrupted the region for so long was finally eradicated, the survivors cheered and raised their rifle celebrating. Jiang Chen enjoyed the cheers of the crowd as he continued to order formalin to be sprayed on these bodies to be hung at several major intersections in Qingpu to deter those who dared to commit wicked acts. Since then, Qingpu bore Fishbone Base''s seal on the map. It was called the "seal of the order." - After dealing with the bandits'' affairs, Jiang Chen was preparing to go back to the mansion when he saw a man kneeling in front of him. "What are you" Jiang Chen paused to ask. "I have nowhere to go. You helped me get my revenge, so my life is yours." Zhao Gang was on his knees with his head lowered, the rifle was propped up on the ground. "Don''t you have a wife? Stand up first." "That''s exactly the case. We have nowhere to go. Please take us in. I am willing to sell my life to you, even if you want me to die, I, Zhao Gang, will not hesitate," he said in a deep voice. The resolute man did get up and remained kneeling on the ground. [Nowhere to go?] Jiang Chen had a sudden realization. Winter was coming. Their home had been raided clean, and even if they returned to that empty hut, they would not last through the winter. "Please!" Zhao Gang buried his head even lower. Jiang Chen eyes narrowed slightly and sighed. "Call me boss from now on." Finished, he went past Zhao Gang and went to the base. Zhao Gang was frozen for a moment before an ecstatic expression appeared on his face. He lifted his head and gratefully looked at Jiang Chen''s back. In the end, Jiang Chen was still moved with compassion. He headed toward Cheng Weiguo who was out patrolling with a rifle, patted his shoulder and pointed at Zhao Gang''s direction. "Arrange a place for him to live outside the wall. Tomorrow, take the other two along to the Sixth Street for surgery." The other two were obviously Zhuo Guoping and Chu Nan and surgery referred to a slavery chip implant. "Yes!" Cheng Weiguo saluted. Jiang Chen nodded with satisfaction then walked inside the base. There were many things waiting for him to be dealt with. Cheng Weiguo watched his boss leave, swung the rifle behind his back, and walked towards Zhao Gang. "Get up, buddy." Cheng Weiguo put his right hand to drag him up. "You''ll have to stay outside of the wall for the night. Tomorrow there will be someone taking you to the Sixth Street for a chip implant, then you and your wife will receive a comfortable room and become part us." Zhao Gang hesitated for a moment. "Must everyone be implanted with a slavery chip?" Cheng Weiguo seemed to see through his hesitation. He smiled and then pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. "Want one?" This was one of the benefits of the Fishbone base. He hesitantly took the cigarette. Cheng Weiguo grabbed the lighter and lit one for himself. The two then began to smoke in front of the gate. "I was hesitant like you in the past. I was only a refugee at the time, and when I was forcefully implanted with slavery chip and got sold to some unknown force in the Sixth Street, my heart was full of fear." "I don''t really care about my life, but I don''t understand why my wife would need a slavery chip," Zhao Gang muttered and slowly took a deep inhale. He could accept his wife being humiliated by bandits because it was his own incompetence that caused it, but he could not accept his wife becoming someone else''s slave, even if he was willing to sell his life to Fishbone base. Cheng Weiguo suddenly laughed upon hearing this. He looked confusedly at Cheng Weiguo, not knowing why he laughed. "I was like you before, the feeling of my own wife being implanted with slavery chip sure did not feel good. But you are overthinking, the boss is a good person. He never treated us like slaves. My wife is now the cook in the base. He didn''t wrong us just because he controlled our lives." "Looks like you truly respect him." he looked at Cheng Weiguo in surprise. "That''s right, I was only a refugee on the verge of death before, and now I am the militia leader of Fishbone Base in charge of the wall defense. He does not only staves off our hunger but also gives us dignity that we never even think of dreaming. He truly deserves respect. Even if I don''t have this thing in my head, I will still swear my allegiance to him. Cheng Weiguo threw away the cigarette butt in his hand, patted him on the shoulder and grinned at him. "Perform well, as long as you prove your worth, our boss will not be cheap with his reward. I can say that in the entire Wanghai City, other than some special survival facilities, you can''t find any place happier than here." He silently doused the butt of his cigarette and nodded at Cheng Weiguo. "Mhmm." On the other side, Fishbone Base soldiers started cleaning the execution ground. The survivors had begun to disperse, and the Fishbone Base survivors dragged away more than 20 bodies to the side of the road to be sprayed with Formalin. One body, however, was quietly dragged into the base and carried into a cabin. Jiang Chen was sitting in that room. The soldier saluted and stood by the door. The "dead body" on the ground twitched and raised slowly. "Ahem, it''s tiring to fake death." Zhou Guoping pulled the black bag off his head, heaved a few breaths and exaggeratedly patted his chest. "Oh? Do you want to try real death then?" Jiang Chen grinned mischievously. "Hehe, I''ll pass on that." Zhou Guoping smiled wryly and obsequiously looked at his new boss. He had a bulletproof vest on along with a bag of blood under his vest. When Jiang Chen shot him, he fell on the ground faking his own death. "Tomorrow I''ll take you to the Sixth Street to undergo surgery. Until then, you can''t a take a step out of this room or else..." Jiang Chen stood up from the chair, walked to his side, patted his shoulder, and walked out of the room. "Watch him." After stopping for a moment at the door, Jiang Chen signaled the soldier on the side. "Yes!" The soldier saluted. Then, Jiang Chen returned to the gate. There were already two tents erected near the door. There was barbed wire set up to block the zombies. The zombies in the area had already been wiped out and the new zombies would take at least a month before they arrive, so this basic fortification was enough to protect the safety of the three people outside of the wall. Zhao Gang and his wife were setting up their tent, Chu Nan, the bachelor, was dealing in his own tent. Jiang Chen still had a few things to ask him, so he directly approached him. "What?" Chu Nan tied the wires together, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and turned around to look at Jiang Chen. "Just want to ask you something, I remember you telling me before you are here because your plane crashed. Where was it?" Chu Nan looked at Jiang Chen with an odd look. "If I tell you the location of the wreckage, will that be considered a significant contribution?" Jiang Chen was stupefied then laughed. "Of course, how about a box of canned pure pork?" Chu Nan licked his lips but shook his head. "I want that woman." "Who? If she''s in the base, just pursue her yourself." Jiang Chen looked at Chu Nan oddly. "She''s not in the base. Do you remember Zhou Xiaoxia?" Jiang Chen knitted his eyebrows for a while before finally recalling that name, but the way he was looking at Chu Nan was now even odder. "You want her?" That RBQ? "Mhmm." Chu Nan replied tersely, no longer looking in Jiang Chen''s direction. "Do whatever you want," Jiang Chen shrugged. Although he didn''t know why Chu Nan would be interested in an RBQ, he had no intention of interfering with his personal hobbies. "But with her mental state, you better not let her out." "Mhmm, I understand," Chu Nan nodded, "Could you also take her for an implant tomorrow? She had an excellent combat power before, it''s better to put some control." Surprised, Jiang Chen looked at him and nodded. "Give me the map." Chu Nan reached out his hand. Jiang Chen took out the computer pen from his pocket and opened the holographic map. Chu Nan skillfully magnified the map, locked it in a certain area, and pressed on the screen. "It''s right here, if the reinforcement is strong enough, it should still be on the rooftop helipad. Type-51 helicopter is good stuff, there''s not a lot even in Liuding Town." Because there were only a few survivors near the city center, the helicopter should still be in there. "The one near Songjiang? I''ll send out a search team." He looked at the dot on the map and nodded before putting away the computer pen. "Remember to bring steel wires and a truck." Chu Nan gave one more tip before he got back to fiddling with the barbed wires. "Hmmm," Jiang Chen nodded his head. The three trucks he got from the mutated human could finally be put to good use. If he could somehow fix the helicopter, Fishbone base would finally acquire their first aerial unit. The helicopter was something that even the Sixth Street had always dreamed of. With a machine gun, it could be an offensive helicopter and it could carry missiles as well. In any case, there were not many forces with superior high altitude area defense capability. He could modify the helicopter however he wanted, mobility wouldn''t even need to be considered. In short, he must get his hands on this thing as it was simply a humungous killing device! After leaving Chu Nan, he immediately found Cheng Weiguo to order him to immediately take 15 people and a truck to get the helicopter back. Bearing in consideration the height of the helicopter, he also looked for a construction team and sent for another 10-person engineering team to accompany them. After dealing with all of these things, he returned to the base once again. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ I lied, there is going to be one more tonight 128 Lin Lin’s Lab Chapter 128: Lin Lins Lab Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ With the return of the expedition, Fishbone Base had resumed its former liveliness. The construction of the base was back on track, the construction team began moving batches and batches of construction supplies outside of the wall and started to implement the expansion work as originally planned. The women rescued from Huizhong Mercenaries base were placed in an empty apartment building. Jiang Chen assigned five nurses to take care of them and help them regain their sanity. At the same time, the survivors of the base could now utilize the point system to take the person they like home. In principle, Fishbone Base encouraged "adoption" as a means for them to take responsibility and to help their partner to return to normal. Women who could successfully join their workforce would be rewarded with points. The trading posts in front of the gate reopened after the zombie waves had ended. It was believed that after this incident, there would be an endless stream of survivors that would come and trade here, and the relationship between the Fishbone base and nearby survivor groups would be strengthened further. The bullet production line and Hummingbird UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) production line were housed in a metal warehouse and the two military production lines could be put into production after a simple maintenance. So Fishbone base welcomed its first military factory and though the production efficiency was not high, it was undoubtedly a good start. After ordering Lu Huasheng to construct a building in the newly developed area as the new site for the military factory, Jiang Chen walked to the direction of the mansion. The UAV terminal could be manufactured from recycled electronic parts and since Yao Yao was the expert in this area, completing it should not be a problem for her. If she could create a drone system, the base defense and detection capabilities would rise to another level. But the moment he opened the door, he was astounded. "Do you know who I am?" Lin Lin with her arms akimbo and raised her head confidently. "You, you are?" Yao Yao swallowed a mouthful, shrunk her tiny head a little and carefully asked. "Me? I am the noble, perfect embodiment of science and technologydigitalized human!" Lin Lin smiled arrogantly. She was very pleased with the frightened look on Yao Yaos face. At the moment, Lin Lins mood was ecstatic that there was only one thought in her mind! The feeling of picking on the weak felt so wonderful. Hahaha! However, that elated feeling didnt last for long because she found Jiang Chen standing in the doorway and was looking at her with a faint smile. Lin Lin''s mouth twitched stiffly and her arrogant expression remained frozen on her face. After discovering Jiang Chen, as though Yao Yao had found her savior, she quickly fled behind his back and pouted her mouth looking like she was wronged. "Digitalized human? So what?" Jiang Chen smiled and stared at the beautiful girl with silver and white hair. "I, I" Lin Lins mouth started quivering as she recalled the fear for this "devil." "Where is Sun Jiao?" He turned around and rubbed Yao Yao''s head indulgently. "Sister Sun Jiao was taking a shower," Yao Yao said quietly. Then, she looked at Lin Lins direction and with a tone full of grievance, continued, "Sister Sun Jiao asked me to find her a room but as soon as Sister Sun Jiao left, she, she" "You bullied my Yao Yao?" This was intolerable! Especially seeing the timid look like that of a little animal on Yao Yaos face, Jiang Chens protective tendencies suddenly burst forth. "What, what are you going to do?" Lin Lin was trembling and began to retreat back. Her silvery hair quivered, her white was filled with fear. Despite her unearthly beauty, her bad character would only arouse humans sadistic desire and not their protective instincts. Almost unhesitantly, Jiang Chen took out his EP and then pressed a few keys. A faint static sound emitted from Yao Yaos neck and the electronic collar opened. Without saying a word, he seized Yao Yaos collar, approached Lin Lin with a leer, ignored her resistance from her flailing fists, and put the collar around her neck. Yao Yao touched her neck with an aggrieved expression. That was the one thing connecting her and Brother Jiang Chen, but it got taken away by this strange woman. The more she thought about it, the sadder she got. Her big adorable eyes began to get watery. "No, its too dangerous. I had always wanted to take it off for a long time. How about giving you a new gift later?" When Jiang Chen saw her expression and hurriedly appeased her. "Hello! If it is dangerous, why did you put it on me?" Lin Lin protested. "Who cares about you?" Jiang Chen turned around and gave her a ferocious glare making Lin Lin shrank back in fear again. Yao Yao looked back and forth between the two of them feeling wronged, her tiny mouth pouted again. She had a bad feeling about this. It felt like there were more and more opponents. ... After forcing the unruly Lin Lin to "stay put," Jiang Chen took her to the first floor of the study. If was called a study but there was no book to be found here anymore. The bookshelves were disposed to the backyard as waste, and the room was now filled with experimental apparatus taken from Lin Lin''s shelter. "Ahhh! How dare you treat my babies this way." Lin Lin tearfully run and touched her precious instruments. "This is your room from now on. Clean it up yourself." Jiang Chen said bluntly with a wicked grin. He swore he had always been a nice person. But for some reason, Lin Lin seemed to be born with "please bully me" BUFF; her favorite was her over-the-top "provocation." Lin Lin fiercely glared at him before correctly placing the equipment upside down on the ground. "Oh, so thats how it is. I thought that side was the bottom." "Stupid," Lin Lin cursed inaudibly and was no longer looking at him. "The mutated human and Death Claw body are in the freezer. Your current mission is to dissect them. I want to know exactly what the x2 virus is and what particular effects it would bring to mutants and also the body stats data of mutated human. That shouldnt be too hard for you, right?" When Lin Lin heard this, she haughtily cocked her head, long silver hair flailed neatly to the side, "Why would I help you" "If you dont need to eat, you dont really need to help me," Jiang Chen interrupted her words with a bright smile. "You, you" Lin Lin instantly looked like she was severely wronged, but aside from making Jiang Chen felt pleased, there was not the slightest sense of guilt. [Who told you to have such a foul temper!] "Your task has already been given to you, so if there''s nothing else, I am going to head out now. By the way, you better be nice to Yao Yao because she is in charge of your food." Jiang Chen laughed and walked towards the door. "Hold on!" Lin Lin hurriedly stopped him. "What? If you''re going to protest, then it''s rejected," Jiang Chen turned to look at her and said rudely. "Where is my bedroom? Just to be clear, I want the best room on the top floor with its own bathroom and facing the south" Lin Lin was reserved at first but started to get carried away the more she went on. Her onyx eyes were flashing with rays of expectation. But Jiang Chen was just silently staring at her with an expression that couldnt be more confused. As though sensing that she was just talking to herself, Lin Lin cautiously looked at Jiang Chen and finally started to accept the reality that she had to yield to him. Lin Lin thought, [A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him! As a beauty, I will submit for now, just wait until] Just that she didnt know when would that time come. "Is that okay?" she asked tentatively. Jiang Chen was silent for a long time then suddenly asked a nonsensical question. "Does a digitalized human need to sleep?" "Of course! I am not a robot." Lin Lin almost cried in devastation. After a brief Wiki, Jiang Chen finally understood what kind of existence she was. To put it in simply, she was just an ordinary person before, but because of congenital disease, 40% of her body''s tissues were forcibly replaced with electronics. Her brain was installed with nano components that could connect to her nerve endings, which allowed her brain to operate at computer level processing speed. The artificial stomach allowed her to digest food at two times the efficiency compared to ordinary people, and which could also convert some of the energies into electrical energy storage. And as far as eating and sleeping needs went, there was no obvious difference between her and ordinary people. "So, you''re not a robot," Jiang Chen stated while he examined Lin Lin from top to bottom. Because he saw a robot at the Sixth Street before, his previous perception made him think that she was a robot. "I assumed you are made out of silicone." "You are made out of silicone!" Lin Lin gave him a fierce glare, but when she suddenly remembered she still had things to ask of him, her tone immediately softened and used a frail tone, "That, the room" "Room? It''s right here, isnt it?" Jiang Chens expression looked odd. "What?! Here? You want me to sleep with a bunch of lab equipment?" Lin Lin jumped up and shouted like a squirrel that had its tail stepped on. "Then, why do you think we got you a big room like this? Ill put a bed here in a bit," Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. Ignoring Lin Lin''s cry of disappointment, Jiang Chen left the room. The reason why he was bullying her was partly because he wanted to do it from the bottom of his heart; on the other hand, he needed to discipline this girl. There was a spare room in the mansion, but her attitude was beyond abominable. If he were a bit nicer, he was afraid that she would be more unreasonable beyond measure. It would be unwise to spoil her when he must teach her a lesson. ... When Jiang Chen entered the kitchen he found Yao Yao who was cooking dinner. Yao Yao was wearing a pink apron and her right hand was holding a long spoon while intently staring at the pot of stew. The cherry-like mouth was softly humming and the tender face was filled with a happy smile. [Ahhh, she is just too cute!] Jiang Chen unconsciously covered his nose despite not getting a nosebleed. As if hearing the sound in the doorway, Yao Yao''s little ears moved adorably as she turned around to look at the door. "Hmm, Has Brother been very busy? Just wait for a little while, the meal is almost done." After seeing it was Jiang Chen, Yao Yaos face turned slightly red, then she turned around and continued to focus on the pot of stew. "Ahem, I''m done. Also, sorry to trouble you but can you cook one more portion in the future?" Jiang Chen walked to her and rubbed her head like a small pet. "Mhmm! I already cooked one more portion" Yao Yao was comfortably enjoying the feeling of the big hand rubbing her head. Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile. [Sure enough, Yao Yao is a kindhearted girl.] Even after Lin Lin had bullied her, she was still considerate enough to include Lin Lins food. "Oh, what kind of gift do you want?" Although he didnt know why Yao Yao was so insistent on the dangerous electronic collar, he still put it on Lin Lin who definitely "needed it more." Yao Yaos face felt hot, after a long while, she murmured in a tiny voice, "Could I save it for later?" "Save it?" "Yao Yaos birthday is in November so...you give it to me by then?" she buried her head lower and her voice turned even lower. Birthday? "Mhmm!" Jiang Chen nodded and smilingly promised. 129 Individual Missions Chapter 129: Individual Missions Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The fancy dinner was comprised of four dishes and soup. There was Sun Jiao''s favorite soy-braized short ribs as well as Jiang Chen''s favorite scrambled eggs. With tomato. Lin Lin was throwing a tantrum by refusing to eat. However, that did not even last for three seconds as she was drawn by the intoxicating aroma of the food. With a dejected face, she walked over to the table. Jiang Chen picked up a piece of tender, juicy meat and bit into it. The delicate texture and delicious taste couldn''t be better. It might be a tad difficult to tell from Sun Jiao''s lack of elegance in eating, but just from looking at Lin Lin''s stuffed face despite her extremely picky attitude, it showed Yao Yao''s superb culinary skills. "Yao Yao''s cooking skill is getting better and better." Stunned by the delicacies, Jiang Chen raised his thumb to praise Yao Yao. "Hehe," Yao Yao giggled. She embarrassedly lowered her head and her face turned beet red. "Hey, you should also give me some credit! While you were away, it was me who guided Yao Yao on how to cook the dishes better" Sun Jiao''s mouth didn''t stop for a moment as she shoved more food in her mouth. "You''re only responsible for tasting, right?" Jiang Chen ridiculed. "Hmm, I''ll give it 80 points," Lin Lin murmured with a voice that only she could hear then swallowed a mouthful of rice. After dinner, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao carried their bowls to the kitchen. Lin Lin had wanted to flee right after eating but was unceremoniously caught by Sun Jiao. Ignoring Lin Lin who was washing the bowls angrily, Jiang Chen stored the washed bowls in the cupboard and then took Sun Jiao, who had also finished with her task, upstairs. "Is there any bank near Qingpu?" Jiang Chen asked. Trading with Kane military and mercenaries as well as sending funds to sensitive areas have a high chance of freezing his Swiss bank accounts. In consideration of the safety of his account, Jiang Chen decided to use the most reliable and most primitive payment methodgold. Therefore, he had to find a way to acquire gold from the apocalypse. "Bank? Do you need more gold?" Sun Jiao asked curiously. "Yes," Jiang Chen nodded. Sun Jiao took out the computer pen and skillfully started the holographic map. "There is a PAC bank in Songjiang which is not too far away from here." "Take some people with you to run a trip for me tomorrow. I need the gold in this bank vault," Jiang Chen said after pondering for a moment and looking at the location on the map. "Mhmm," Sun Jiao nodded and smiled winsomely. "Then, I''ll be counting on you." Jiang Chen smiled and was about to turn around to discuss with Yao Yao about the UAVs. But then he realized that his clothes were being pulled. Sun Jiao pouted and whispered near his ear, "I took a shower in the afternoon." Jiang Chen suddenly burst out laughing. "What are you laughing at?" Sun Jiao was displeased and gave him a light punch on the chest. "Nothing, I just thought you''re adorable." He reached out and caressed her silky, black hair. "Cute? I am the queen." Sun Jiao straightened her back and rolled her eyes at him. Sun Jiao evaded his gaze and was suddenly feeling embarrassed. She then forced herself to remain calm. "Do you want to?" Jiang Chen naturally understood what she meant, but then he shook his head. Sun Jiao was stunned, her hands were on her hips with a displease countenance. "Why?" "Because we need to be peaceful and loving. When the immortals fight, the mortals suffer," Jiang Chen said helplessly. .... "I still have something I need to talk to Yao Yao about. Wait for me in the room tonight." Jiang Chen grinned wickedly and gently touched Sun Jiao''s face. "Something? It''s not what I''m thinking of, right?" Sun Jiao looked suspiciously at him. "Cough, no, you''re overthinking. It''s about the drones." Jiang Chen coughed embarrassedly. - Sun Jiao pouted and suddenly kissed Jiang Chen on the face, before jumping aside. "Well, that''s all good. You''re only allowed to eat Yao Yao only after this Miss has been fed." Jiang Chen rolled his eyes at the naughty girl then turned around to head toward to Yao Yao''s room. - The door was open, Yao Yao was sitting in front of the table fiddling with the electronic parts. There was a faint shampoo scent in the room. Yao Yao''s hair was wet and appeared as though she had just taken a shower. She wore lovely bear pajamas, and a pair of smooth jade-like legs dangling in the stool was swinging happily. Standing at the door, Jiang Chen gently knocked on the door. "Ah, Brother Jiang Chen? What can I do for you?" When she turned around and realized it was Jiang Chen, a soft smile immediately blossomed on her face. "Mhmm, I have a favor to ask of you." He stepped forward and rubbed Yao Yao''s head indulgently as usual. Yao Yao looked baffled, her huge eyes were intently staring at him. He took out the remains of the Hummingbird drone that he brought from the underground shelter. "Do you think you can design a control terminal like this drone?" Yao Yao took out the plate-sized drone and carefully examined it on her hand. "Well, it shouldn''t be a big deal with a UAV like this. EP can be used as the control terminal as long as the number will not exceed 10. More than that, EP''s processor wouldn''t be able to handle it." Well, not a problem, a table-sized processor would do the trick nicely." Yao Yao clapped her hands and nodded adorably. "What materials do you need? I''ll be going to Sixth Street tomorrow." "Uhm, there are still plenty of electronic parts in the warehouse, but some of the key components are still missing. How about this, I''ll give Brother a list of things that I need tomorrow morning, is that okay?" Yao Yao said earnestly. "Certainly." Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yao''s small head. "And one more thing, do you know how to design UAV alert system?" Yao Yao eyes immediately lit up at the mention of drone warning system, she nodded vigorously. "Mhmm! I have been recently reading books in this area. Leave it to me." Yao Yao confidently raised her head. "Then I''ll leave it to you." "Does Brother have any specifics for the UAV alert system?" Yao Yao grabbed a pen and a piece of paper while earnestly waited for Jiang Chen to open his mouth. Seeing Yao Yao''s serious yet adorable expression, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but smile. "My specific requirement is that the 100 UAVs should be able to automatically carry out patrol mission. It should be able to use the terminal to design patrol route. It should be able to avoid obstructions and immediately respond to enemies'' attacks. Also, it would be best to add face recognition systems as well as heat source analysis system..." After passing the details, he then left Yao Yao''s room. Though the moment he stepped out, he always felt there the was some kind of resentment on Yao Yao''s face. 130 Thriving Chapter 130: Thriving Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ The next morning, Jiang Chen personally led a group of five who needed an injection as well as five Fishbone soldiers into Sixth Street. He chose to go with a team because first, he was curious about any changes Sixth Street had undergone after the crusade and two, for market research purposes. Now that Sixth Street''s purchasing power increased, the goods they traded with them would no longer be limited to food. Once the initial burst of rapid production settled down, the highly utilized production lines would equip everyone with potent weapons, lowering the demand for firearms because of the market surplus. An increased hunting ability meant the number of acquired crystals would rise as well. Survivors would even expand the hunting radius and venture into the city center to obtain more crystals. After foodthe most basic necessitywas fulfilled, people with a pocket full of crystals would begin to look for ways to increase their quality of life. With demand for other goods, numerous small factories would emerge like bamboo sprouts after the rain. Small workshops would gradually expand based on market demand, and a variety of other products would fill the store shelves. Small talk between friends would change from, "Did you get any nutrient supply today?" to "How many crystals did you get today?" Order would appear once more on this part of land. Prosperity would return under freedom. But the catalyst behind these changes was a war that lasted a mere few days. - "Welcome to Sixth Street, my friend." Zhao Chenwu held a cigar in his mouth as he extended his arms to Jiang Chen from a few paces away. "Nice to see you again. Did you get a return on the money you invested on me?" Jiang Chen laughed. "Of course." Zhao Chenwu handed him a cigar. "Delicacy from before the war, ten crystals for one." He didn''t have to think about it; since Jiang Chen stood here, that meant the danger to Fishbone Base was alleviated and the batch of food was transported into Wanghai City. Jiang Chen took the cigar and lit it up. After being injected with the genetic vaccine, his smoking addiction was now almost gonebut it was hard to refuse the offer. "Seems like you''ve made some money?" Jiang Chen laughed. "That''s right, and about to make more." Zhao Chenwu cracked a smile, then warmly placed his hand around Jiang Chen''s shoulder. "Let''s go. It''s pretty cold outside; we''ll talk in the car." The five who needed the injections were taken by Zhao Chenwu''s people to the clinic while the accompanying soldiers returned to the base. He clambered onto Zhao Chenwu''s vehicle, and they drove towards the inner circle. "So, my friend, what wind blows you here?" Zhao Chenwu looked at Jiang Chen with a bright smile. Orders were normally completed through transmission, and details that needed to be sorted out could be done through an augmented reality conference. "One, I needed to bring some new people to be injected, and two, to see any progress made and deliver the order." Jiang Chen glanced out of the car and gave the graphene card to Zhao Chenwu. It was the same wide gate, and through it, the daunting cannon remained unchanged, but the malnourished faces were now full of confidence. Construction materials lay in emptied spots as construction vehicles busied themselves outside Sixth Street working on what seemed to be an expansion project. There were barely any people in the ghetto, making it feel quite empty. Zhao Chenwu could sense Jiang Chen''s shock. He smiled while holding the graphene card and pressed the initiate button. He said casually, "These buildings are part of the newly expanded industrial area. The wall needs to be expanded out by several hundred meters, and the ghetto no longer sells people ever since the council pushed out a new regulation to start a buyback of the ghetto refugees." "Buyback?" Jiang Chen was unfamiliar with this new term. "Anyone registered in Sixth Street can be repurchased for the price of ten crystals. The repurchased refugees are not permitted to leave Sixth Street, but they''ll work at the factory of whoever bought them back for three years before obtaining their freedom." "So population trade is no longer supported?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "Officially, yes. Refugees are no longer the burden of Sixth Street, but I do recommend that you go to the free market. There are plenty of merchants from other survival camps with slave dealers specialized in that business." Zhao Chenwu scrolled through the list on the graphene card to confirm Jiang Chen''s order. "Five hundred Reaper rifles, twenty Ghost snipers, five hundred bulletproof vests, four boxes of regular grenades, general combat equipment, five 20mm machine guns.... That''s a lot. Are you planning on creating an army?" Zhao Chenwu asked perplexedly. "Shipping out of the province," Jiang Chen replied concisely. [It''s true that it''s being traded to the modern world.] "Okay, but with quantities like this, let''s push the trade date to the tenth. I still need a bit more, so I''ll have to make an order to the factory." Zhao Chenwu took out a paper-thin phone from his pocket and pressed a few buttons. "One thousand jackets, one thousand snow boots, twenty tons of C-type steel, ten tons of Carm tree sap? These are easyI can get the bulk price." Zhao Chenwu read through the list. Carm tree sap was obtained from the mutated Carm tree. It was used as the raw material for multiple types of plastics, an industrial material common on the wasteland. Although the polluted soil could not produce any edible crops, plants that survived through natural selection remained, and Sixth Street had a few small tree farms specifically dedicated to producing this tree sap. Together with the sap and C-type steel, as well as the electronic parts obtained through the survivor groups, most of the components required to manufacture the hummingbird drone would be collected. "Then I''ll leave it to you. The trade date is set for the tenth then. This batch should be sufficient for three months, so the next trade should be set for the following January?" Jiang Chen smiled. "No problem." Zhao Chenwu nodded in reply. The car drove to the inner circle and stopped in front of a restaurant called Lihua. Zhao Chenwu explained that it was his restaurant in the inner circle. Jiang Chen gladly accepted the invitation for lunch, but when the dishes were brought out, he was shocked. Curry chicken, potato pork, vinegar cabbage. Three dishes in total, two types of meat and one vegetable. The problem was not the dishes themselves, but they were all canned food? Jiang Chen was taken aback at Zhao Chenwu''s eagerness to eat. When comparing the quality of life, the respected council member of Sixth Street ate worse than the modern-day homeless man. Jiang Chen ate until he was eighty percent full. He sat in a luxuriously renovated restaurant, eating starchy bread and microwaved canned dishes. It was quite a comical feeling. Especially since the person sitting across from him was devouring the meal. After the meal, Zhao Chenwu used a napkin to wipe his mouth before leaning back against the chair with a smile at Jiang Chen. "I do have to praise Fishbone Base''s food. It''s delicious." "Thank you." Jiang Chen smiled. "Oh, since you''re here, I have something you may be interested in." As if he suddenly remembered something, Zhao Chenwu sat upright in his chair and lowered his voice. "Oh? What is it?" Seeing this, Jiang Chen became solemn as well. This man was part of a group of ten council members. The news he was leaking had to be taken seriously. Zhao Chenwu smiled mysteriously as he dropped a bomb on Jiang Chen. "Based on Sixth Street''s new proposal, we''re about to establish a bank. The feasibility of the proposal is still under debate, but it will most likely happen." "A bank?" Jiang Chen was stunned. [Opening a bank in the apocalypse, what is this?] "The average income is steadily increasing, so it''s a necessity for Sixth Street, especially since we have the capability to do so. People can store unused crystals in the bank to acquire an interest, and start-up factories can borrow crystals to invest in the plant. The blood is already flowingnow we just need a heart." Zhao Chenwu laughed confidently as he shot an energetic gaze at Jiang Chen. In the future, the introduction of the bank would likely begin a tidal wave of new factories. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "Not a bad idea, but does it have anything to do with me?" "Of course." Zhao Chenwu smiled, lowering his voice and continuing, "Don''t you want to be a shareholder of this bank?" It was an interesting way to phrase the question. Jiang Chen''s expression turned strange when he heard Zhao Chenwu. He asked rhetorically, "Don''t you want to be?" [If there is something good like this, you would be kind enough to ask me?] Guessing at Jiang Chen''s thoughts, Zhao Chenwu continued, "Of course, but based on the regulation, the council members'' share limit is set at seven percent, each contributing one hundred thousand crystals. The remaining would be sold to the public at a premium." "So what you''re saying is that your cake has already been divided, so you thought about your old friend, me." Jiang Chen laughed. "That''s right, are you interested?" Zhao Chenwu crossed his fingers as he stared at Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen didn''t immediately answer, but rather scratched his chin as he thought. [The ten council members are each limited to 7%. Therefore, their influence is equal to one another. This is to prevent one person from exerting too much influence on the decisions of the group. The reason why Zhao Chenwu leaked the information to me is in the hopes of having me purchase some shares. Because of our alliance, he would obtain more influence in the bank. Since my orientation remains in the "headquarters," I shouldn''t care about influence but only bank dividend.] Considering Sixth Street''s recent developments, this bank posed significant meanings, or else Zhao Chenwu wouldn''t have become so involved in it. It was the "heart" that would become the bloodline. A mischievous smile grew on Jiang Chen''s face as he had made a decision. He realized he was becoming more skilled at politics. "And the bank''s investment criteria is?" Jiang Chen asked stoically. "Provide the factory, store, developer, mercenaries, and a potential hunting team with loans." Zhao Chenwu replied. "What about the purchase requirement?" Zhao Chenwu immediately smiled upon hearing Jiang Chen''s question. He could tell Jiang Chen was tempted. "One percent of the share is twenty thousand crystals. The purchaser is required to have at least two hundred square meters of fixed assets on Sixth Street. Also, they must be a free person without any chip injections." Jiang Chen burst out laughing and extended his right hand. "Thank you for the information. I''m very interested. If the proposal passes, let me know." "Definitely. We share the same interests, don''t we?" Zhao Chenwu grasped Jiang Chen''s hand and shook it forcefully. "Of course." 131 Rocket? Chapter 131: Rocket? Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Coming out of Lihua, Jiang Chen rejected Zhao Chenwu''s invitation to stay in Paradise Island Hotel at no expense and walked straight to the Development Bureau. The inner circle had drastically changed. He remembered a few months ago, when he first came here, the only things that had left an impression on him were the spider tank and the fully-equipped soldiers. Now, however, there were pedestrians in flamboyant clothing. The radiation dust in the air felt depressing as ever, but a touch of liveliness permeated the entire camp. Prosperity. Zhao Chenwu''s high-end car was no longer unique. Fewer armored vehicles patrolled the streets now taken up by personal vehicles. Along the busiest street were building expansions here and there. After displaying his genetic ID to the patrolling soldiers, Jiang Chen entered the hall. "Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?" a receptionist at the front desk said professionally while twirling a pen. "I''d like to buy a few plots of land to open... a factory," he said casually as he flipped through the promotional materials on the desk. He was obviously not building a factory. It was fine as long as he built a warehouse; the key was to settle the two hundred square meter criteria. Sixth Street was about to establish the first bank, and thirty percent of the shares would be soldthe cake was too attractive to pass on. Imagining the scenario, the total number of factories and small production facilities numbered fewer than twenty, but now that the average wealth increased exponentially, how tremendous would the economy boom be? It was no exaggeration to say that twenty would increase by at least five-fold within a year, and establishing a bank would only speed up this process. How many people would need a loan then? It was a guaranteed return. "Purchasing assets? Thank you for choosing to invest in Sixth Street. But sir, currently, the land available for development have been sold out. Maybe you could consider purchasing for existing owners." "Sold out? This fast?" Jiang Chen was shocked. He expected land development to be attractive, but he didn''t expect the plots to be sold out so quickly. Jiang Chen frowned slightly, thinking a bit before continuing, "Are there any assets available for sale right now? Anywhere works." The receptionist was at a loss when she heard his words and gave him a strange look. "Perhaps. Why don''t you go to the market and ask in the consignment exchange?" ". . ." - Bulk items and fixed assets were normally sold on consignment at the exchange. The seller normally provided the sale information while storing the related goods or property within the exchange. A buyer with the intent to purchase would then take the information and discuss a price with the seller in a meeting. Once the transaction was completed, the buyer only needed to bring the crystals to the exchange to walk away with the purchased goods. Jiang Chen held such a sheet of information in his hands with the words, "Store for sale, price negotiable" written on it. Jiang Chen paused in front of a building, examining the storefront. Perhaps to save on electricity, the words "Fake Legs Specialty Store" were redundantly written out on the electronic board in black ink. There was a layer of dust on the wooden window, and the rusty door made out of scrapped shells looked worn down. He hesitantly raised his hand, and just as he was about to knock, the door was dragged open. A small square TV abruptly appeared before him, nearly startling Jiang Chen into pulling out his gun. The metal-plated mouth rapidly opened and closed, stuttering in a squeaky electronic voice, "Welcome, valued customer! The shop provides mechanical legs and mechanical prosthetic installations with outstanding services for wastelander who accidentally break their limbs!" He stared at the robot. Its head and body were connected by a spring, and he began to understand why there were no customers. With such reception, it would be astonishing if a customer did show up. He pushed the junk robot aside and stepped into the store. The room was dimly lit, the faint odor of machine oil was in the air. The wall displayed an array of unknown electronic parts and equipment. There was. However, nobody manning the front. Jiang Chen scanned the room, calling out, "Ahem, is anyone here?" No reply. [No one? Or busy with something else?] He hesitated briefly before going up the stairs at the back of the store. The top landing was the attic, and from the open door, he heard mutters and occasional, unsettling explosions. "Is it a problem with the central processor? No, should be the engine control unit...." The door and roof were wide open. The room was filled with an odd assortment of equipment, and in the corner was a small telescope beside a full-sensory sky map. In the middle of the room, there was a two-meter-wide space, a cylinder as tall as two people, a pointed head.... "Rocket?!" The young man who was working with a screwdriver in hand was interrupted by the surprised voice and looked in the direction of the door. "That''s right! It is a rocket!" He threw the screwdriver to the side, rubbed his messy and oily hair, and smiled. Jiang Chen examined the rocket as tall as two people and burst out laughing. "Haha, someone finally understands the beauty of my design." The person clearly misunderstood, his expression excited as he opened his arms towards Jiang Chen. He smoothly avoided the hug from a man who obviously hadn''t showered in a few days. Jiang Chen cleared his throat. "The purpose of my trip is" "Investment right? I know." "No, you seemed to have mis" "Shh!" The man suddenly gestured for silence. With a mysterious expression, he waved at Jiang Chen. "Let me take you to see something fun." The man quickly sauntered to the corner of the room. Jiang Chen gave the man a strange look but eventually followed after a moment''s hesitation. "Power system normal, hydraulic balance normal, fuel normal...." he muttered abstrusely as he typed rapidly on the silica-gel touch board. His eyes were filled with a passionate light. Jiang Chen stood behind him and examined the sophisticated monitors. "You are" "Ignite!" The excited roar startled Jiang Chen and interrupted his question. The hand slapped onto a red button. Boom! The fire erupted from the middle of the room, the scorching flames burning against the base made of unknown metal. The floor began to shake violently, and the window panes screeched. Gusts battered at them, and Jiang Chen had to cover his face from the rapid air flow. Between his fingers, his astonished expression could be seen. "What the fu*k, what the plane are you doing?" [similar to "what the heck you are doing?"] "It''s a rocket! Space, here I come! Haha, launch!" Against the violent airflow, the man struggled to maintain his balance. He placed his hand over the trigger and pushed it to the top. The air pressure increased explosively, pressing the man immediately to the ground. Jiang Chen, with his strong body condition, barely managed to remain on his feet. Just as he was about to fall, he activated the nitrogen armor on his right arm. The nitrogen armor burst out and expanded from his right arm. The special field created by the nitrogen created a decompression zone that deflected the air flow. The force was immediately canceled out. "Thanks, buddy." The young man barely managed to hold onto his body as he smiled awkwardly. Jiang Chen deactivated the nitrogen armor and glanced at the shadow already high in the sky. He threw a dirty look at the young man. "Are you stupid? Firing a rocket from the room?" What shocked him, even more, was that future technology allowed rockets to be launched from indoors. How advanced were the materials and fuel technology? The man gave a forced laugh as he rubbed at his messy hair. "It''s okay, Sixth Street doesn''t prohibit shooting things into the air...." " . . . " Jiang Chen was speechless. Patting at his mussed clothes, the man cleared his throat and extended his right hand. "Jiang Lin, owner of Sixth Street''s Fake Leg Specialty Store." After a brief pause, Jiang Chen shook hands with him and then looked at him strangely. "Fake leg? Can you tell me how fake legs are connected to rockets?" Jiang Lin smiled, slightly embarrassed. "The fake legs store was opened by my dad." "And now?" Although he asked, Jiang Chen had already guessed what happened. The son didn''t continue his father''s business, putting it aside to begin working on rockets? "I''m not very good at that job." He shrugged, appearing forlorn, but then he waved his hand at Jiang Chen with renewed interest. "Let me show you something cool." Jiang Lin left Jiang Chen again and hastily walked to the other side of the room. At a loss, Jiang Chen let out a defeated sigh before following. "Based on the program settings, my Explorer 8 with the highest speed in the universe entered the orbit. Look!" Jiang Lin''s fingers pressed a few buttons on the touch board. Vibrant lights from the cylindrical image formation device began to interweave, creating a magnificent visual image. "This, this is our planet." Jiang Lin spread his arms with a grin and hugged the imaginary visuals. He then turned around to Jiang Chen with proudly raised eyebrows. Jiang Chen''s pupils contracted as he shook in disbelief. "Wow, this is fu*king amazing...." Blue, and yellow. It was his first time observing this land. Other than the colors, it was no different from the other world. The colors belonged to the ocean, and the clouds that were supposed to be white was instead mixed in with an unhealthy shadethis was the radiation dust, chemical dust, as well as industrial pollutants. Towards the northwest, the soil was dark green, supposedly belonging to a type of mutated plant. He remembered Sun Jiao mentioning before that there was an alliance to the north. On the south, the daunting, pitch black belonged to scorched earth. Because the rocket was close to the orbiting path and synchronized with the earth''s orbit, it could only view the areas in Asia, but the situation was likely no better on the other side of the earth. "From multiple perspectives, this planet is not suitable for human inhabitants." Despite the dark words, Jiang Lin''s voice was calm. He then pressed a few more times on the touch board, causing the screen''s perspective to suddenly change. "This is?" Jiang Chen shook himself out of his astonishment and stared at the belt of debris on the full-sensory map. "Space junk around the orbit that formed a belt close to earth. The Third World War was not only fought on the surface." Jiang Lin smiled, then enlarged the image from Explorer 8. "Most of the debris comes from sky-based weapons, space stations, satellites, as well as orbit attack shops and anti-satellite missiles. Part of the debris is also from the moon facility that was sent near the earth''s orbit from the force of the explosion." [Sky-based weapons? Such as God''s Cane.] He suddenly recalled the diary he had read before. Observing the chunks of metal debris, his expression held shock. But not because of the severity of the war. 132 Sorry, I am a Businessman Chapter 132: Sorry, I am a Businessman Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Not because of the severity of the war. But... Because of the money! Any piece of debris out there was hundreds of years ahead of the modern day world''s space technology! If he sold it.... Actually, it would likely be difficult to sell. Realizing this, Jiang Chen forced a smile. Just as he was about to give up the idea of digging for gold in space, he changed his mind. He thought, while it would be difficult to sell, what if he used it for himself? Once he acquired the island, he would be able to use his country''s name to release a satelliteand that would be interesting. "That''s about it." Jiang Lin abruptly sighed, and the full hologram faded away. After a pause, Jiang Chen couldn''t help asking, "What happened? Didn''t your rocket launch successfully?" Jiang Lin shrugged and looked at Jiang Chen. "It did launch successfully, but the nearby orbit is filled with magnetic pulses. You could say that it''s nearly impossible to defend against EMP. Just by lasting this long, Explorer 8 has already reached its limit. Explorer 7 lasted only ten seconds." "Then what''s point of firing this? Increase space debris?" Jiang Chen glanced back at him. "How could this be pointless? This is valuable data" Seeing his research being devalued, Jiang Lin immediately became displeased. He pressed a few more times on the touch board, releasing an image on the full-sensory screen again, but this time, there was data that Jiang Chen couldn''t make heads or tails of. "Am I allowed to know what this data will be used for?" Jiang Chen looked over the floating green dots with an odd expression. "Preparation for interstellar travel." Zeal flickered in Jiang Lin''s eyes. Jiang Chen was speechless. "Interstellar travel?" "That''s right. In 2176, the United Nations sent out six immigration ships into space, the nearest destination being Capelar B in Alpha Centauri, thirteen light years away from Earth." "So you''re telling me that this firework can fly for thirteen light years? And you''re prepared to send this firework to find the authority at Capelar B?" "What firework? This is called Explorer 8! And of course, I''m not going to send this to Capelar B.... But isn''t this space exploration? Experiment, collect data, make improvements. Now, after countless trials, I''m already here." Jiang Lin confidently pushed another button. "What is this?" Jiang Chen asked, confused from the diagram filled with data. "Warp engine concept map. But because of funding problems, it''s only fifty percent completed, hehe." Jiang Lin scratched his head, abashed, and looked at Jiang Chen expectantly. "What do you think? The warp engine can achieve speed faster than light, and there will be hibernation chambers to help pass the time on the journey. Are you interested?" A short silence. "I''d like to understand something. Does this have anything to do with me buying the property?" Jiang Lin was unable to process Jiang Chen''s meaning as he stared at him blankly. "What?" Jiang Chen took out the sheet of information and pointed at it. "Store for sale, price negotiable. I don''t think I came in through the wrong door." Jiang Lin''s face immediately flushed, and he mumbled to himself, "No, they can''t do this." He swiftly seized Jiang Chen''s hand, as if it was his last chance. "Did you see the sign in front? Interstellar travel! Are you not interested in it? A world free of radiation, a brand-new civilizationas long as you''re willing to invest in my project...." [Sorry, I already have that world.] "I''m very sorry. I''m a businessman." Jiang Chen shrugged. "I don''t see any potential profits from your project. I''m happy living here, and I don''t have any plans to fly into space." "But...." "No buts. Looks like you''re not the owner of this building? Or do you rent a place here?" Jiang Chen sighed. Abrupt footsteps sounded from downstairs that rapidly approached them. "Jiang Lin, how many times have I told you, don''t build rockets in my... fu*king... house!" a large man in a suit said viciously as he squeezed through the door, wiping his face. "Ahem, I built a launch base. It won''t damage the structure of the building, so your worry is" The man didn''t seem interested in arguing with him. He rubbed his temples and said wryly, "I don''t care. Pay your two months of rent! Then take your junk and get out of my house!" Jiang Lin''s face immediately paled as he said, "You can''t" "This... is... my... house!" The meaty man pointed at his nose, the few remaining hairs on his bald head nearly standing on end from fury. "Calm yourself, Mr. Gu. We''ll follow the procedure." A man in a black combat suit, holding an automatic rifle, strolled through the door and looked at Jiang Lin. "Hello, Mr. Jiang. I am the enforcer of Sixth Street. Base on the minimum, you must pay a total of sixty-eight crystals to Mr. Gu Hongkai, or else the enforcement agency has the right to take action. Additionally, because the rental contract has been terminated, please move out within three days. Otherwise, the enforcement agency will have to resort to forceful measures." "But... but I don''t have that much money," Jiang Lin stuttered. "Sorry, this is the law. Over the next three days, you''re prohibited from leaving the house unless you''re able to repay the debt." The enforcer shrugged and turned to Gu Hongkai. "Are you pleased with the proceedings?" "Very pleased." Gu Hongkai didn''t dare to get angry at the enforcer. He glared at the pale Jiang Lin, jabbing a finger at his face viciously. "You better get the money ready, or" Jiang Chen, who was standing off to the side, suddenly interrupted him and said with some frustration, "Are you the owner of the house?" Pausing, Gu Hongkai raised his eyebrows at Jiang Chen. "You are?" "Jiang Chen. If this information belongs to you, we can talk about the price now." Jiang Chen retrieved the information sheet and pointed at it. Gu Hongkai''s eyes lit up immediately, and he smiled widely with sudden energy. "Mr. Jiang would like to buy the house? Good, good. Let''s have a nice chat at the bar." "Since the problem is solved, I''ll take my leave now. Gentlemen, I wish you a good day." The enforcer took out a ticket from his pocket and passed it to Jiang Lin before retreating downstairs. "No need to go to the bar," Jiang Chen shook his head and refused. "Let''s talk here. Give me a price, and if it''s reasonable, we can finish the deal now." The rejected Gu Hongkai did not look the slightest displeased; rather, his smile brightened further. He needed money to buy newly developed land to build a factory, hire hunting teams to head to the industrial area outside of the city to obtain production equipment, purchase raw materials, put in crystals to start production.... Assets in the market? This store was not his only one, and making rent was not nearly as profitable as opening a factory. He was unaware of Sixth Street''s plan to open a bank, or else he would not have sold this property so cheaply. A buyer this straightforward was uncommon. After a moment''s hesitation, Gu Hongkai threw out a reasonable price to test the waters. "Based on Sixth Street''s development trajectory, my shop is at the center of the market. Combined with the warehouse in the back and a total area of three hundred square meters, I want a total of six thousand nine hundred crystals." The rent was thirty-four crystals a month, and with a rent-to-house price ratio hovering around two hundred, it was a reasonable number. After some thought, Jiang Chen nodded. Selling a property in this high-potential area meant that Gu Hongkai needed some quick money. His eyes flashing, Jiang Chen opened his mouth. "No problem, I''ll pay the six thousand nine hundred crystals in one lump sum. But I have one requirementput his debt under my name." Gu Hongkai calculated in his mind. Sixty-eight was not a small amount, but since he needed the money, he couldn''t be bothered with it anymore. Gu Hongkai glanced at Jiang Lin before smiling and turning to Jiang Chen. "Okay, as per Mr. Jiang request, the debt will be transferred to your name." Jiang Chen nodded, then took the agreement passed over. He carefully scanned a few times before signing his name. He only needed to go to the exchange to pay the sum in order to obtain the property. Six thousand nine hundred was not a small number, and most ordinary people would be unable to carry around such an amount. With the development of the economy, a bank was almost certainly necessary. Of course, with his storage dimension, Jiang Chen was an exception. Seeing Gu Hongkai, his debt owner, leave, Jiang Lin sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Thanks, buddy. If not for you, I don''t know how I would''ve taken care of this." Jiang Chen grabbed the debt ownership in hand and looked at Jiang Lin with a half-smile. "Thank me? Too early for that." Jiang Lin perplexedly looked at Jiang Chen. "The change in debt ownership doesn''t mean the debt''s been eliminated. Now you owe me sixty-eight crystals." Jiang Lin''s face that had just regained signs of life lost color once more. "I I dont have money," he gritted out. Jiang Chen didn''t seem surprised at his response. He shrugged and continued, "You have two choices. One, sell all assets in the store for cash. Considering the popularity of the firearm industry, there''s a high demand for raw metal materials. These objects could be sold at junk price, no problem." Hearing that his goodies would be sold as junk, Jiang Lin immediately roared, "No way! Don''t even think about it! My equipment is worth at least ten thousand! This is the door to the new world! Do you know the value of these things? Since you''re a merchant, there''s no way that you don''t!" Jiang Chen patiently waited for him to finish his spiel before smirking at Jiang Lin, who felt a chill run down his spine. Jiang Chen drawled, "Ten thousand? Without recognition from the market, it''s only wishful thinking. I can say my hair is worth billions, but who would buy it? Without a buyer, there''s no value. In my opinion, y our junk is not even worth thirty crystals. "Fly to space? How many crystals have to be invested for that? How many years? With this small scale, it would take you one hundred years before you can fly out of the solar system. "Capelar B? Are you sure the ex-authorities are doing well out there? Are you certain you''ll be welcomed? "I''m sorry, but I''m a businessman." Word-for-word, Jiang Chen repeated his sentence, and they pierced Jiang Lin''s heart like fine needles. His lips were bitten until they lost all color. With his research deemed as worthless, his heart was filled with rage, but he forced himself to suppress it. Jiang Chen''s words woke him from his dream. No one would pay for his dream. Even if this equipment cost him hundreds of crystals, ordered from mercenaries who obtained them from the national planetarium, no one would recognize the value of his work because it was unnecessary. He began to regret. If he wasn''t so stubborn about leaving his father''s business to die, if he didn''t spend all of his efforts on space exploration, he would not be in this situation where he couldn''t even afford rent. Jiang Lin breathed in deeply. He said quietly, "Can I hear the second option?" Finally hearing signs of maturity in that voice, Jiang Chen smiled. An immature dream was indeed not worth the investment, but a mature scientist was. "Second option, work for me." 133 Your Eyes Should Grow on Your Own Head Chapter 133: Your Eyes Should Grow on Your Own Head Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ "Work for you?" Jiang Lin hesitated as he gave Jiang Chen a perplexed look. "Work in your factory?" "No." Jiang Chen held up a finger and shook it, staring straight into Jiang Lin''s eyes. "Come to my survival camp. I''ll invest in your space project, but you''ll have to follow my requirements." Jiang Lin looked suspiciously at Jiang Chen. "A survival camp? I haven''t left Sixth Street that often, but it''s not like I don''t have a clue about the outside world. Who says your camp isn''t a gathering of bandits? What if I become a slave going in?" Jiang Chen smiled and walked up to Jiang Lin to pat his shoulder. "Slave? Do you know how much it costs to buy a slave from the ghetto?" Jiang Lin gulped. "Before the slave trade was halted, including the microchip which costs nineteen crystals, the price for a slave was as high as fifty crystals." "Then do you think I need to spend sixty-eight crystals to buy someone who has never done hard labor?" Jiang Chen smiled. "I don''t plan on negotiating with you. You only have two options. "Sell your dream as scraps, and go work at the factory to pay off the remaining crystals. Or sell your dream to me, and I''ll provide you with resources and directions. All you need to do is install a chip on your neck." Listening to Jiang Chen speak, Jiang Lin''s inner turmoil could be seen in his eyes, but in the end, he sighed in compromise. Before Jiang Chen''s pleased gaze, he opened his mouth to say, "I choose two." ... Since Jiang Lin had already nodded in agreement, the rest was fairly simple. Jiang Chen arranged for him to pack everything and then sent him to the clinic for injection. On the tenth, when they were to conduct the trade with the Zhao Corporation, Zhao Chenwu would send the people and the goods together. As for the store''s new purpose? Jiang Chen had yet to think of a solution, but he went ahead and hired construction workers to seal the open roof. Since winter was coming, a tent that only shielded from rain did not seem reliable at all. Overall, the criteria of having a 200-square-meter fixed asset were met for him to join Sixth Street Bank. The next morning, Jiang Chen took Jiang Lin to the hospital. After paying a hospital fee of nineteen crystals, Jiang Chen watched as the doctor reached the end of the hallway while he met up with the five people who were just exiting the rehabilitation room. Due to the chip''s installation into the neural network, interference from the electric parts was inevitable. Therefore, after the injection, they were required to spend a few hours in rehabilitationwhich they had just clearly finishedbefore being released from the hospital. Chu Nan saw Jiang Chen from afar and greeted him. Zhou Guoping had the same simpering smile, and Zhao Gang held his wife in silence. Zhou Xiaoxia''s vision seemed to lag, as though she''d been injected with a tranquilizer? "How are you feeling?" "Not bad." Chu Nan shrugged. "Try your EP." A doctor in a white coat walked over and gave a nail-sized memory card to Jiang Chen before beating a hasty retreat to the surgery room. Holding the memory card in hand, Jiang Chen inserted it into the EP on his wrist. He noticed that while it was loading, Chu Nan''s eyes stayed on the loading bar. "Missing your freedom?" Jiang Chen joked. Chu Nan smiled, then glanced away. "What''s freedom? From the moment I was born, I fought for one power, and now I changed to another one." The bar finished loading. Seeing the words hovering on the screen, Jiang Chen grabbed the memory card and crushed it. "Freedom is a good thing. Within certain boundaries, I''ll grant you enough of it." Jiang Chen smiled at Chu Nan as he pressed buttons on the EP. Jiang Chen''s face surfaced on the screen in a clear image; he was connected to Chu Nan''s vision. Chu Nan rubbed his temple. "Is this a neural injection? Sixth Street''s slavery chip is quite intriguing." "Liuding Town doesn''t have this?" Jiang Chen asked casually as he selected the option to end the connection. "No, we have more opportunity to fight long-distance with few chances to battle on foot. We call it the ''dictator chip''. It emphases communication and remote sensors, but it doesn''t seem to be as stable as this one. It''s controlled by the central processor on the ship and will grant control to someone''s EP only under special permission." Chu Nan moved his limbs and gradually accustomed himself to the feeling. "What about you guys?" Jiang Chen asked as he surveyed the remaining four people. Zhou Guoping, with his shiny, bald head, continued his attempts to flatter. "Hehe, very good! I pledge allegiance to the boss." Zhao Gang''s wife was a bit frightened and hid behind Zhao Gang''s back. As he comforted her, he said solemnly, "Not bad." Zhou Xiaoxia, as usual, had the same blank expression. Some conversations were not meant for a public hearing. After confirming the chips'' functionality, Jiang Chen took all five of them to the Fake Legs Specialty Store. Once they all arrived, Jiang Chen closed the door behind him. Seeing that the boss had something to say, Zhou Guoping''s eyes rolled cleverly before he moved a chair for Jiang Chen to sit on from behind the counter. Chu Nan glanced at him and turned away disdainfully. Their conflict started over a month ago, but now that they worked under the same boss, there was no longer any opportunity to seek revenge. Zhao Gang held his wife''s hand and stood off to the side in silence. "I''ve arranged a few things, so listen up and follow." Jiang Chen sat on the chair without caring for appearance. "Zhao Gang, take your wife back to the base and join the civil army while waiting for further orders." "I understand." "Chu Nan, since you''re familiar with the helicopter, go purchase whatever''s necessary for repairs. Then take her back." Jiang Chen pointed at Zhou Xiaoxia, who had yet to regain consciousness. "No problem, but I don''t have a single crystal on me." Chu Nan opened his palms helplessly. Under Chu Nan''s shocked gaze, Jiang Chen grabbed two hundred crystals from his pocket and threw it at him before clapping his hands. "Okay, get moving." The four immediately left, leaving Zhou Guoping at a loss. Seeing Jiang Chen stay silent, Zhou Guoping stayed true to his servile character and proactively asked with a simpering smile, "Boss? What about me?" "I heard that during your time working for the Huizhong Mercenaries, you were stationed in Sixth Street. You must be pretty familiar with the area?" Jiang Chen leaned back, fingers crossed, and smiled decisively at Zhou Guoping. "Hehe, of course. Boss, what would you like to know?" Zhou Guoping patted his chest confidently. "Do you know any slave merchants?" Zhou Guoping immediately nodded and said attentively, "Yes, yes! There is a slave merchant from Su City in Sixth Street. There are also clones from the 071 survival base, but because of production problems, they must be ordered beforehand. The good thing is that they are all original" "What are you thinking about? Whether it''s original or not," Jiang Chen jokingly cursed, "I''m not planning on doing that." "Hehe, boss, if you want, you can have some fun in New Ray Hotel. Once you train the newly produced clones a little, they''re exactly like sex dolls...." Zhou Guoping smiled lewdly. "Okay, I''m talking to you about a serious matter," Jiang Chen interrupted with a frown. "Yes, yes!" "Contact the slave merchant. The base still needs two hundred people. How much should the price be?" Zhou Guoping thought for a moment. "If they''re ordinary slaves, ten crystals each would be enough. If you''re looking at fallout shelter 071''s product, then probably twenty crystals. Considering the market at Sixth Street, the population price could double." "That''s fine. Go ahead and contact them. Transportation is difficult during the winter, so put the order in first and ship them here next year. Try to lower the price as much as you can. It''s time to test your ability." Zhou Guoping laughed and smacked his chest with confidence. "Don''t worry, Boss! You can count on me." Once the population business was taken care of, it was now time to discuss the store''s purpose. "What do you think we should open this store for?" Jiang Chen asked as he scanned the decoration in the store. Zhou Guoping''s eyes rolled a bit, and he scratched his head. "That''s up to what the boss wants. If it''s to make money, then a food store would definitely be the best choice." Jiang Chen thought for a bit before shaking his head. "Not a food store. Zhao Chenwu has already taken care of Sixth Street''s food business." Fishbone Base needed an alliance, and therefore it was necessary to give up part of the profit. From now on, Zhao Chenwu was a genuine partner; maintaining the relationship would bring more profit than opening a food store. It was especially pointless to use this store to make money. Fishbone Base had nothing attractive to Sixth Street beside food. Other than crystals, Jiang Chen needed more intelligence. From the information on the bank, he realized the importance of gathering intelligence. If Zhao Chenwu didn''t leak the information to him, the opportunity to make more than one hundred thousand crystals would have slipped through his fingers. Since he did not have any agents here, he had to rely on Zhao Chenwu for all events at this location. It was unwise to entrust his eyes to someone else. As Fishbone grew, he needed to consider more factors. "I need you to gather intelligence for me here. Record any information you think valuable. You worked for the Huizhong Mercenaries before, so you should be familiar with this type of work." Zhou Guoping smiled self-assuredly, responding immediately with, "Of course, Boss. I''m great at this sort of thing. When I used to work for the Huizhong Mercenaries, I spent all day in bars and official purchasing centers, recording all of the fat prey and sending the information back. We could open our own bar. There''s nothing better in this world than alcohol to make a person spill the truth." "Bar?" Jiang Chen paused and looked at him with an odd expression. "There are bars in the Sixth Street?" There were no crops to produce the alcohol, so how could there be a bar? "Hehe, it is processed methanol. Just a small quantity is fine." [Industral alcohol is drinkable?!] [What the fu*k, the alcoholics in the apocalypse go pretty far.] But speaking of this, he forgot that selling alcohol was an excellent way to make moneyperhaps even more popular than food. "I''ll leave the bar to you. Get someone to renovate this place, and send me a message when it''s done. Don''t worry about the alcohol, I''ll take care of it." If the alcoholics smelled the scent of beer, wine, and Baijiu, would they barrel down the door of the bar? The more he thought about it, the brighter his smile became. Although alcohol was scarce in the apocalypse because of the lack of crops, that was nothing in the modern world! Any store had an abundance of it. Seeing his boss''s delighted mood, Zhou Guoping was also secretly happy. His future depended on Jiang Chen; if Jiang Chen was satisfied, then he would be better off. "Yes, boss!" Zhou Guoping responded and bowed with a flourish. 134 The Bullet Shell Bar Chapter 134: The Bullet Shell Bar Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Off to the side of a store was a door, and on it hung a rotten slat of wood. A few crooked words were carved into it with a daggerThe Bullet Shell Bar. This was the place Zhou Guoping had talked about. According to him, it was an entertainment hub of Sixth Street. After arranging for Zhou Guoping to handle the renovations, Jiang Chen personally came here to do some market research since he didn''t know the tastes of the people. The best way to find out was to personally have a drink or two. While the renovations weren''t the best, there was a surprising number of customers. Strange individuals covered in large trench coats sat alone at a table near the door, drinking alcohol that stung the nose. A young man with a red headscarf had a cigarette in his mouth and one foot on a chair as he dealt cards. There were lone travelers, bandits, and those of the profession that recently came into popularityhunters. Women in exposed clothing leaned against the bar under the flickering lights and waited for tonight''s prey to take the bait. And among the shadows, a black market merchant hid, selling "harmless" products.... The air in the bar was shrouded, and the noise cluttered the already limited room. This was Jiang Chen''s first impression upon stepping into this space. It was not an illusion that when he took a step onto the dry wooden floor, at least ten pairs of eyes flicked over at him. Some were friendly, most were not. After a second''s pause, Jiang Chen continued to walk and directly approached the bar counter. "Are you not going to buy me a drink? Handsome." A woman in heavy makeup leaned against the counter and displayed a charming smile. Jiang Chen ignored her with a smile and looked beyond the counter at the bartender who was silently wiping a cup. White shirt, black pantsa relatively clean appearance. But the slight beer belly turned what should have been suave movements into rather comical motions. "What do you have here?" Jiang Chen sat on the chair and asked casually. Hearing Jiang Chen''s words, the bartender stopped and glanced at Jiang Chen. "Your first time here?" "Mhmm." "Lots of things. Alcohol, Nut Coke, eOrange, Kaka Tea." The chubby bartender resumed wiping the glass cup that had been cleaned countless times. "Also, hamster milk tea and cockroaches smoothie." A young man whistled and laughed. "I won''t sell those things to newcomers." The bartender kept his head down. "Looks like I don''t have the opportunity to experience those." Jiang Chen shrugged as he joked, then said, "Give me one of each." The bartender''s hands stopped. He turned around to open the fridge and placed odd glass bottles on the counter. "2, 1, 2, 3. A total of 8 crystals." Jiang Chen reached into his pockets and took out eight crystals from the storage dimension. He casually slapped it onto the table. His ostentatious moves led to a wave of whistle-blowing and looks of avarice. The bartender quietly took the crystals and didn''t say a word as he continued to work. He looked over the four bottles of "drink." Jiang Chen''s eyebrows twitched. These things looked as suspicious as they could get. The alcohol seemed relatively normalshould be like Baijiu? The Nut Coke was the oddest; its fluorescence did not seem potable at all. The eOrange was similar to orange juice, and the Kaka Tea was green like seaweed, its cloudy liquid interspersed with questionable fragments. "These things are drinkable?" Jiang Chen couldn''t resist asking. Howls of laughter erupted from behind him. A giant of a man walked up with a smirk on his face before planting his foot on the chair beside him to roughly ask, "Yo noob. These drinks are too much for you. Why don''t you play with us? If you''re lucky, one crystal could become ten." His tone and expression assumed Jiang Chen was already in the bag, and the play he referred to was obviously gambling. Jiang Chen glanced at him and instead of showing anger, smiled. "Then why don''t we play a game as well?" As he said this, Jiang Chen didn''t allow the man a chance to say yes or no. He slowly withdrew a crystal worth fifty energy crystals from his pocket and waved it in front of the giant who was showing off. "Two crystals per turn. Guess which hand the crystal''s in. If you''re right, then it''s yours." The giant was at a loss at Jiang Chen''s abrupt actions, but his expression soon became ecstatic. He thought, [This dumba*s. If I guess ten times, regardless of how you trick me, I''m guaranteed to be correct at least once.] But he wasn''t a dunce. If Jiang Chen left after two turns, his crystals would have gone to waste. "Twenty crystals and I guess ten times." The giant smiled viciously and slammed the crystals onto the table. The people standing around all gave sympathetic looks at Jiang Chen. "Unfortunate that he was targeted by Liu Mang." "Hehe, this noob is really unlucky." The ones who were gloating were mainly the giant''s comrades. [Liu Mang? That''s a good name.] (Liu Mang is homonym for the word thug.) His lips moved as he muttered in his mind. Jiang Chen didn''t seem bothered as he took the twenty crystals on the table. "No problem. It''d be fine even if you wanted to guess one hundred times." Jiang Chen yawned as he threw the energy crystal into the air with nimble hands. Liu Mang''s vision blurred, and the crystal seemed to disappear from his sight. Upon seeing Jiang Chen''s movements, the gloating expressions of the people suddenly twisted while those who were compassionate rejoiced. It was going to be a good show. Cold sweat rolled down Liu Mang''s forehead. He wasn''t able to see where the crystals went. He estimated that the reflex of this person was at least 25. And though he was also injected with the genetic vaccine, it had been the standard E-grade. "Take a guess." Jiang Chen placed his hands before Liu Mang with a bored expression. Since he hadn''t been able to see it clearly, Liu Mang took a wild guess. "Right hand." Jiang Chen laughed. "Congratulations.... you''re wrong." There was nothing in his right hand. "You''re a fraud!" Liu Mang was immediately unhappy. His eyes bulged, and his companions inched closer with unfriendly expressions. So what if he had the genetic vaccinewho hadn''t? Even if it was a lower-quality version, they had an advantage in numbers. Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and opened his left hand; on his palm was a bright purple crystal. "There are nine more chances. Are you still going to guess?" He did not seem afraid at all. Liu Mang was surprised. He originally thought that since Jiang Chen hadn''t immediately revealed his left hand, the crystal must have been hidden away, but it was actually in the left hand. Under everyone''s watch, although he had always acted recklessly, he didn''t dare to start a fight. After further thought, there were still nine more chances. Liu Mang signaled his pawns away and let up on his act. He glared at Jiang Chen. "Yes, start." A hint of mockery appeared in Jiang Chen''s smile as the crystal was thrown into the air again. He must be joking. Was he the type to use fraud? The answer was definitely. No matter which hand Liu Mang chose, the crystal would always appear in the other hand. The storage dimension was a fraud''s holy grail. Jiang Chen imagined that if he went to Macau, all of the legendary gamblers would have to move aside for him. "Last time. You better be careful." Jiang Chen lazily waved his hands in front of Liu Mang. Liu Mang''s eyes were pure red as they locked on to the two fists. He tried to spot differences in size, but it was futile. This was the gambler''s mindset; they would not stop until they lost every single crystal. He had already lost the previous twenty crystals, and he immediately put up the last ten that he had. He only needed to win once to make all of the money back... so close! But when Jiang Chen opened his hands, he was wrong again. "That''s impossible! A fifty percent probability, how could I not even guess it right once? You''re a fraud!" Liu Mang immediately flared up as he cursed and kicked the chair away with his feet with a fighting posture. Seeing Liu Mang''s actions, everyone around exposed looks of disdain. Anyone could see that Jiang Chen was cheating, but if there was no evidence, why was he trying to act like the big man? But the reckless Liu Mang didn''t care. Instead, he ordered his thugs to surround Jiang Chen. "Buddy, you dare to cheat me? You think you''re tough. Let me tell you, if you don''t return the crystals you cheated me out of with both hands and knees on the ground, I''ll make sure you don''t leave standing up." Jiang Chen flicked his eyes over at the furious Liu Mang and opened his mouth calmly. "You lose nine times out of ten in gambling, has no one taught you this before? Also... speaking of this, does the civil force care enough to come here?" The young man that whistled at Jiang Chen earlier still sat in his original seat. He sipped at his alcohol and laughed without regard to the atmosphere. "Of course, but the cop is always late." "That''s perfect then." Jiang Chen laughed. Being ignored, anger shot straight to Liu Mang''s head, and he reached for Jiang Chen''s collar. "Fu*k you, I''m speaking to you" Boom! Without warning, Jiang Chen kicked out. Liu Mang felt like his chest was slammed by a hammer as he flew backward like a kite with its string broken. He slid across a table and directly cannon-balled out the door. The bartender looked at Jiang Chen with shock before placing the glass cup aside and subtly pressing the emergency call button beside the counter. The crowd, seeing the conflict, began to whistle and cheer. "Fu*k hit that bit*h." Seeing their leader kicked away, the thugs all grabbed weapons to swarm Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen calmly avoided a side swipe as fury immediately activated. He pinched the dagger in front of him and used the suddenly explosive power to drag it aside and stab it into a thug''s shoulder. "Ahh!" The thug screamed in pain and fell backward. Jiang Chen didn''t stop there. He dragged a thug to him with his right hand clenched over his chest and blocked a few bats from falling on him. "Haha, amazing." "Give him the upper chin." "Use the chair, dumba*s!" The crowd did not shy away from trouble. Sometimes they cheered for Jiang Chen, and sometimes they swore at the thugs for being uselessa group of people couldn''t even beat one man. With all of the banging, the thugs didn''t manage to land any hits on Jiang Chen. Instead, the bats hit all of their own people. Fury deactivated. Cheering, the crowd celebrated the winner. The woman who tried to strike up a conversation with him earlier gently licked her seductive, red lips with bright eyes, but Jiang Chen continued to ignore her. He clapped his hands and glanced at the thugs on the floor. The young man drinking alone beside the counter smiled. "I was waiting for you to lose so that I could get a few drinks out of you." "Looks like you won''t have the chance." Jiang Chen shrugged as he laughed. "Fu*k, you dare to hit me. I''ll beat you to" Liu Mang limped into the room limping as he cursed. But when he saw the thugs on the ground and the mocking looks on the crowd''s faces, his mouth froze. Meeting Jiang Chen''s mischievous grin, he looked at the thugs on the ground again as if he couldn''t accept this reality. "You, do you know who I am?" Once he saw that he couldn''t win the fight, Liu Mang began to threaten him with a malevolent stare at Jiang Chen. "Oh? You are?" Jiang Chen casually picked up the eOrange and took a sip, but the saccharine taste nearly made him throw it back up. [What, people drink this?] The crowd was also shocked as they thought, [What, people drink this directly?] Jiang Chen put the drink back with the same mischievous expression. "I-I''m close to the Huizhong Mercenaries. Hehe, since you''re wandering around in the area, you must know about them." A sneer surfaced on Liu Mang''s face as he stared directly into Jiang Chen''s eyes. He wanted to see a hint of fear in those pupils. But he would inevitably be disappointed by Jiang Chen''s reaction. When he heard the name Huizhong Mercenaries, he resisted the urge to laugh. "Are you close with them?" Jiang Chen looked at him impishly. "That''s right, and if you don''t want to lie in a casket the second you step out of Sixth Street, then you better apologize, and" "And give you some compensation?" Jiang Chen laughed as he said uncaringly. Liu Mang paused, finally realizing that this person''s reaction was off. "That''s right. If you know any better, then take out the crystals." Jiang Chen glanced at him and slowly said, "Since you know them so well, do you have any idea where they are now?" "They''re in the Songjiang area. I''m close to their leader," Liu Mang said cockily. "No, they''re in Qingpu." Jiang Chen shook his finger. "Their bodies are sprayed with formalin and hung up on light posts." Liu Mang was speechless as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief. "What, what nonsense are you spouting. Are you in your right fu*king mind? You better" "He''s not lying." The young man sitting beside the counter laughed as he pointed his cup in Jiang Chen''s direction. "Because he took care of all those dumba*ses." Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Wow, a week and 20 chapters later, from 5 chapters a week to 8 chapters now, we made a lot of progress to where we were before. Jiang Chen too made a lot of progress in his empire building as we continue in his adventure. Thanks everyone for supporting us in this journey and once again shout out to our Patreons. I still owe you guys a few more chapters for reaching our goals. The editors are working hard to deliver you the best quality chapters. It will be released in the next week. If you guys liked the bonus release week, leave a comment and let me know, we''ll perhaps make it part of our tradition! 135 Ism from Jia City Chapter 135: I''m from Jia City Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ The crowd was shocked by these words. Shock was written all over Liu Mang''s face. He did wonder why he hadn''t met the Huizhong Mercenaries in so long. Could it be that what he said was.... His shock gradually turned into fear. "I did hear that the Huizhong Mecenaries offended the wrong force and was wiped out." "It seemed to be a force from Qingpu." "Oh I remember! An alcoholic from Qingpu did say this." Lone travelers on the wasteland naturally had heard some news. For example, Songjiang was suddenly stabilized, and the Huizhong Mercenaries'' raid team had abruptly evaporated into thin air. No one would have guessed that this recognized force had been wiped out by the man standing in front of them. The woman that continued to piercingly gaze at Jiang Chen was even more shocked. If she was tempted in the beginning, now she didn''t care about the price anymore.... The greedy gazes from the shadows were now wary. They began to question how they would have fared against the Huizhong Mercenaries. "You, th-that''s impossible." Liu Mang stared at Jiang Chen as if looking at a ghost. He shivered, unable to properly articulate his words. Jiang Chen didn''t bother with Liu Mang anymore. Instead, he smiled at the young man who was sipping at his drink. "I''ve heard that this industrial alcohol is not too good for you." "It''s fine. You can have two bottles as well. People with genetic vaccines have a strong digestive system." The man put down his cup and laughed casually. "You know who I am?" "Of course. I came from Jia City for the sole purpose of finding you." The young man shrugged and extended his right hand. "Lin Chaoen, from Jia City''s Defenders. Pleased to meet you." [Defenders? Why don''t you call yourself the Avengers?] "Jiang Chen." With an odd expression, Jiang Chen similarly extended his hand for a handshake, but the caution in his eyes remained. "Don''t look at me like that. I''m a nice person," Lin Chaoen said innocently in response to the look of distrust in his eyes. Jiang Chen didn''t refute him and looked away. He returned to the seat beside the counter and turned to the frightened Liu Mang. "You''re lucky. At least you can choose which brand of formalin you want to use." When he heard those words, Liu Mang immediately got on his knees. "Please spare me. I didn''t know any better. I" "Enough, I''ve heard too much of the same thing. If you want to live...." Jiang Chen said irritably. He slapped the counter. "These four strange concoctionsyou can get the hell out once you finish them." Liu Mang''s face turned green instantly. "psh, an entire bottle of industrial alcohol. Half of his life would be gone by the time he finishes. What a waste. Why don''t you" Before Lin Chaoen could finish, a bottle flew in his direction. He caught the object thrown at him by Jiang Chen and laughed as he poured himself another cup. "The remaining three bottles, go ahead." Jiang Chen slowly said as he stared at Liu Mang. The three drinks did not look normal at all. He didn''t have the intention to drink it himself. But for market research, as well as curiosity, it was not a bad idea to find his own white rat. Liu Mang thought about Jiang Chen wiping out the Huizhong Mercenaries and lost all courage to fight back. He bit the bullet as he valiantly walked up, picked up the bottle of Nut Coke, and began to guzzle it. The crowd blew whistles as the lot of them stared at his pants mockingly. By the time he finished the entire bottle, Jiang Chen was shocked to discover that this guy''s pants had lit up. That''s right, lit up. "Nut Coke adds a trace amount of a radioactive strontium isotope that makes the pee fluorescent. Damn, a whole bottle in one sitting. This guy''s di*k could be a light bulb for an entire day," Lin Chaoen mocked as he took a sip. "Radioactive element? Is it not harmful to the human body?" Jiang Chen asked as he gave a weird look at the Nut Coke. "This thing is harmless. They sold it before the war." Liu Mang picked up the dark green Kaka Tea. His forehead twisted, but he still raised his head with a look of agony and started to chug. "Kaka Tea has an excessive amount of tea polyphenols as well as other radiation-resistant substances. It doesn''t look the best and tastes bitter to the point of stinking, but the radiation resistance effect is quite superb." Just as Lin Chaoen finished speaking, Liu Mang''s pants lost all illumination. After finishing the two bottles, Liu Mang held the last eOrange and looked at Jiang Chen with a troubled expression. "Why are you looking at me? Drink!" Jiang Chen stared at him. "Yes, yes!" Liu Mang grit his teeth as he began drinking from the bottle. As soon as it reached his stomach, however, he fell unconscious to the ground. "eOrange, concentrated sweetener. The normal way to drink it is to use the cap to pour it into a big bottle of clear water. If he drank this entire bottle, it''d be better to send him to the hospital right away," Lin Chaoen explained with a smile. Jiang Chen glanced at him but didn''t say much. A few enforcers in black combat suits walked in, catching sight of the thugs on the ground as they eyed the bartender questioningly. "They were the one escalating the conflict. They were taught a lesson." The bartender neutrally explained the situation. From his calm expression, it didn''t seem to be his first time dealing with this sort of situation. The enforcer smiled at Jiang Chen. "We apologized for your infringed rights. The people who started the conflict will receive a fifteen-day imprisonment sentence." Afterwards, the enforcers walked up with handcuffs and escorted the people from the ground and away. The enforcers from Sixth Street would always have a courteous attitude, but in times of conflict, they would not hesitate to pull out their gun to shoot. Seeing the cops take the people away, the crowd began to disperse because there was nothing more to see. The bar returned to its previous busy atmosphere. The gamblers rolled die, and alcoholics nursed their cups. The woman in heavy makeup was prepared to strike up a conversation with Jiang Chen before she suddenly realized that he was not there anymore. ... In the alley beside the bar. There were deserted junks covered by layers of dust that had accumulated over time. The area was dimly lit, and mutated moss covered the walls. It had been a while since anybody had passed by this area, but two figures now stood there. "Speak your mind. Why did you travel so far to find me?" Jiang Chen looked at Lin Chaoen with an odd expression. He didn''t recall going to Jia City before. Could reputation spread through the air? Regardless, Lin Chaoen''s ability was not to be underestimated. To be able to wander the wasteland freely without a large group to protect him, only those with insane powers could do that. Jiang Chen was also curious to know why he sought him. Seeing Jiang Chen ask straightforwardly, the grin on Lin Chaoen''s face began to fade into a more serious expression. "A few days ago, a mutated human began moving towards Wanghai City and destroyed a survivors'' gathering spot." "It was a bandit nest," Jiang Chen shrugged and added. "Whatever it was, I followed the mutated human''s tracks to Songjiang in Wanghai City, but then I only found proof of it being attacked. I came to Sixth Street shortly after and heard rumors about you in the bar. Based on the information, the real outcome must be that the mutated human destroyed the Huizhong Mercenaries, and they happened to bump into you, after which you wiped them out." "You could interpret it that way. And?" "I''ve been trying to find you, but all I heard was that you were in the Qingpu area but not the exact location. Now we''ve met by coincidence today, boss of Fishbone Base, Jiang Chen." Lin Chaoen stared into Jiang Chen''s eyes as he spoke in a low undertone. "So why did you want to find me?" Jiang Chen reiterated the question. He didn''t want to be involved with a mutated human again. Fighting them was a lost cause. Lin Chaoen seemed to have expected Jiang Chen''s reaction. After a pause, he continued, "Based on our information, the mutated human''s force has been gathering in the western area of Wanghai City." [Western area? That''s Qingpu and Songjia? They''re moving in this direction?] Jiang Chen''s face suddenly changed color. His Fishbone Base was in the Qingpu area. But then he remembered something and looked suspiciously at Lin Chaoen. "Wait, if you''re in Jia City, the mutated humans moving towards Wanghai City would be a good thing for you. Why did you come find me?" "You don''t know the conflicts between us and the mutated human, so obviously you would suspect my intentions. The Defenders'' job is to defend against the mutated humans." Lin Chaoen paused and said, "In the past few years, they''ve been using Area Seven as their base to capture, raid, and enslave people from Jia City. Any resistance was met with death. People of the right age were submerged into vials to receive new lifeand become di*kless like them. Their existence is anti-human to begin with, and so you and I fight against a common enemy." Jiang Chen quietly gazed at Lin Chaoen, and after a while, said, "Why are the mutated humans coming to Wanghai City? Since you''ve found me, you must have some clues about their intentions." "Precisely." Lin Chaoen nodded, then took out the computer and expanded the full-sensory map. His finger placed on a spot in the city center, he continued, "Carmen Pharmaceutical... they were researching genetic medications and production businesses. It was rumored that they had a partnership with the military." "So?" Jiang Chen didn''t seem to care. "Under the partnership, their project was based on the scenario that should the world erupt into a full-scale nuclear war, what would allow PAC citizens to gain radiation resistance in a short time, making them become the sole adapters in the new world. The result of this project was precisely the FEV virus." Jiang Chen was stunned, and he looked at Lin Chaoen in disbelief. He recalled that mutated humans were the product of merging with the FEV virus. "FEV virus? Used on us?" Jiang Chen still couldn''t fathom the truth. He always thought that the FEV virus was a biological weapon created in a laboratory to be used against citizens on the enemy''s side. He didn''t dare to imagine that the virus had been designed with its own citizens in mind. "Nothing would spread faster than a virus; it was the most efficient means of transmission. But the FEV virus was incomplete. The half-finished product was effective only in special nutrients, and it would create misshapen humans who were unable to reproduce. Let''s not discuss whether the authorities were humane or not. What''s critical now is that these deformed, di*kless things seem to have obtained some information that led them to believe that within the Carmen Pharmaceutical building, there is an improved version of the FEV virus that could lead them to a state of higher evolution. It would also allow them to gain the reproductive ability that they had always dreamed of." Jiang Chen''s face completed changed when he heard those words. "Why don''t you go to the pharmaceutical company before them? And destroy the improved version of the FEV virus?" Lin Chaoen immediately rejected the proposal while shaking his head. "Impossible. First, the company is located within a high-radiation area. Unless you have power armor or radiation-resistant suits, the iodine in the EP would not be enough to approach the area. Also, even if we did arrive at Carmen Pharmaceutical, we wouldn''t be able to enter the building without the passcode. The security robot would eliminate any unidentified target attempting to break in." "Then blow the entire building up!" Jiang Chen said viciously. Lin Chaoen gave Jiang Chen an odd look. "A building that could survive the nuclear missile, what kind of explosives do you think could blow it up?" Jiang Chen was completely listless. "Fu*k, why don''t you go to the Sixth Street officials to talk about this?" Lin Chaoen smiled bitterly. "The council wouldn''t believe me, and I don''t have the confidence to persuade the minimum requirement of five council members. To be fair, it''s a problem for our Jia City. Even if the mutated human obtained the improved virus, they would return to Jia City to take a bath and devastate the survivors there. Do you think Sixth Street would leave their golden age of development and fight a war of lost causes?" "Then why bother finding me?" "Because the mutated humans will pass by your front door. They have no reason not to bite into the juicy meat beside their mouths," Lin Chaoen shrugged and said honestly. "You''re saying my Fishbone Base is a piece of juicy meat?" Jiang Chen disagreed. "In terms of defense, power armors aren''t able to utilize their advantage in mobility, especially since you don''t have many to begin with, according to the marks left behind on the battlefield. On the other side, there are more than forty mutated humans." With narrowed eyes, Jiang Chen locked gazes with Lin Chaoen. Lin Chaoen fearlessly met Jiang Chen''s stare, retracted the computer pen, and extended his right hand again. "We can partner up, against the common enemy." 136 For our interes Chapter 136: For our interest Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ "Best of luck to us." Jiang Chen shook Lin Chaoen''s hand. Just as Lin Chaoen said, if the mutated humans passed through Qingpu, there was a large probability that a battle would erupt. Hoping that the mutated humans wouldn''t discover Fishbone Base was as unreliable as leaving a sheep farm open while praying the wolf pack wouldn''t attack. From the mutated humans'' perspective, every "ancient human" was a stubborn coward, while normal people viewed these "neo-humans" as ugly and di*kless. From the start, the two sides had no chance of negotiating. The two exchanged communication channels for both camps, and Lin Chaoen, in a show of sincerity, agreed that if the mutated humans from Area Seven showed signs of movement, the Defenders would notify Fishbone Base immediately. At the same time, they signed a defense pact against the mutated humans. Once the mutated humans started their march towards Wanghai City, both parties would send their forces to intervene. For a common interest. Lin Chaoen left right away as soon as they finished business to return to Jia City and report their status. Jiang Chen rested for a bit before a bitter smile appeared on his face. "Mutated humans. Fu*k, why is there trouble after trouble." He had to speed up his armed force development. But winter was approaching. Maybe under the harsh conditions, the mutated humans would choose to march to Wanghai City in the coming spring? [Hopefully, the snow is thick enough.] He shook his head and walked towards the Fake Legs Specialty Store. On the way, he happened to meet Zhou Guoping who was chatting with the construction worker. Seeing his boss, Zhou Guoping immediately sent the construction worker away and walked up to fawn on Jiang Chen. "Boss, need me for anything?" As soon as he and Zhou Guoping entered the room, he closed the door and got straight to the point. "If I want to purchase heavy weapons, how do I go about doing this?" Zhou Guoping paused and began to give it serious thought. "If it''s in Wanghai City, Sixth Street could produce it, but the Group of Ten Council has restrictions in place to prevent heavy weapons from entering the external market. Other than Sixth Street, the Beer Can Company in the north specializes in heavy weaponry production without any restrictions. Due to the long distance and limited production capability, however, they don''t have a representative here accepting orders." "What about outside of Wanghai City?" "There is a heavy weaponry factory in Su City, but due to high prices, not many can afford them. It''s been a while since I saw them," Zhou Guoping said hesitantly. "Expensive? How expensive?" "Very." Zhou Guoping forced a smile. "They only sell giant weapons. Based on my understanding, the 85mm tank cannon is priced at seven thousand crystals. Also, as long as you can afford it, they even sell tanks." Tanks? Jiang Chen''s eyes instantly lit up. "Pay attention. When they''re here, immediately notify me. I''ll head back to Fishbone Base after this, so you''ll take care of the tasks here." Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Do a good job. I have faith in you." Ignoring how the ecstatic Zhou Guoping tried to suck up to him, he left a few hundred crystals as an initial fund to start the store before he left. It was already the start of October, and the plan for the apocalypse was about to start. He had to go back and make some preparations. ... After leaving Sixth Street, Jiang Chen headed for the sewerage entrance guarded by the Zhao Corporation. Following the surge in trade between Fishbone Base and Zhao Corporation, the sewerage had been upgraded. The mold and dirt on the road were cleaned away, and the confusing intersections were locked off. The wall corners were even installed with light-activated cold lamps. He took the elevator back to the surface where a soldier guarding the elevator saluted. With a nod of acknowledgment, Jiang Chen followed the closed-off concrete walkway to the inside of Fishbone Base. At the shooting range outside of the wall, Jiang Chen found Zhao Gang. "How do you feel?" Jiang Chen smiled. "Not bad." Zhao Gang nodded. After that terrible incident, the audacious man had become reticent. "Ten for ten, damn, how is this not bad?" Cheng Weiguo carried the rifle and spoke while laughing. Jiang Chen looked at Zhao Gang with surprise and nodded appreciatively. "I have a mission for you." "Mhmm." Zhao Gang agreed without asking for the details. Jiang Chen took out the computer pen and marked Area Seven on the map. "I need you to head for Area Seven and find out as much information as you can about the mutated humans. Their camp spot, combat power, number of people... the more specific, the better." The more he knew about the enemy, the higher the chances of winning against them. The mutated humans were stationed in Area Seven, and Fishbone Base had no information on them at all. Based on the crossfire from last time, however, mutated humans were not to be underestimated even with armor or firepower. Jiang Chen also didn''t completely trust Lin Chaoen''s words. It was far more reliable to send his own men. "Understood. When should I leave?" "Tomorrow. Take some time to prepare. If you need any equipment, just let Chen Weiguo know and take it directly from the armory." "Ten nutrient supplies, as well as this rifle." Zhao Gang shook his head. "In terms of scouting, the probability of engaging in combat is low." Although the base had compressed crackers, in terms of convenience, it could not match the nutrient supply that could replenish both energy and water. "That''s fair. Then I''ll count on you. Be quick," Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder as he said seriously. "Mhmm." As expected, he nodded without any arguments against the mission. ... Returning to the mansion, Jiang Chen happened to bump into Lin Lin who came out of shower humming. Seeing her so happy, he couldn''t resist the temptation to make fun of her. "You don''t short circuit?" Lin Lin''s eyebrows traveled all the way up, but as she was about to give a rebuttal, she thought about how she was under his control and froze in place. Jiang Chen was surprised to see her hold her tongue. "Oh, what''s the progress on the mission I gave you?" "Do you think scientific research is like masturbation? It will come out after rubbing a little?" Finally, Lin Lin couldn''t resist the temptation to curse. Jiang Chen looked at her oddly. He couldn''t connect the vulgar words with the elf-like looks of this girl. "Although I haven''t done research before, have you masturbated?" Lin Lin''s face turned red, and cursed under her breath, "Pervert." She ran away with her head buried. [It''s so fun teasing this girl.] Seeing Lin Lin flee the scene, Jiang Chen laughed malevolently. But first things first. He shook his head and put Lin Lin''s matter aside to go up to the second floor and find Sun Jiao. "You''re back?" Sun Jiao eyes brightened when she saw him. She dropped the items in her hands and with upturned lips, greeted him delightfully. "Mhmm." Jiang Chen hugged the passionate Sun Jiao and asked, "How''s the bank mission doing?" "We''ve shipped the gold back. It''s around fifteen tons. The marks have been sanded off, and right now, it''s piled up in the pool," she said intimately. Sun Jiao looked deeply into Jiang Chen''s eyes. "Thank you." He touched her soft hair and returned her gaze. "Of course. I''m so tired." She stretched and was pleased to hear the light gulping nose. Smirking, she continued, "How are you planning on rewarding me?" "Ahem, let''s talk about this tonight." Jiang Chen touched his nose, looking away shyly. He caught sight of something strange beside the bed. [That is... a towel?] "Eh? What is this?" Jiang Chen craned his neck to look curiously at the strange item. Sun Jiao''s face immediately turned red. She dashed to the bedside and hid the unknown item under the blankets. "What? What are you talking about?" Her eyes began to wander. It was rare for her to play dumb. Curious! Jiang Chen was unable to control his interest and began to ask energetically, "The thing you just hid...." "No! What did I just hide?" Sun Jiao''s eyebrows rose as she said fiercely. "No, no, no, I saw it with my own eyes." "Illusion! It must be an illusion!" Vehemently denying it, Sun Jiao blushed and pushed at Jiang Chen who tried to leap over to see. She then slammed the door shut. "Phew" Sun Jiao sat on the bed and exhaled. Her heart was beating so fast. "Ahhhhh, this is too embarrassing. It''s not like me!" Sun Jiao''s hands patted her burning-red face as she dove into the bed. She reached for the blanket and covered herself like an ostrich. The treasure hidden under the blanket was exposed; it was an old magazine. Based on the publication date, it was printed before the war. "How to capture your boyfriend''s heart - weave a scarf for him in the cold winter" "Attached: Simple weaving technique" Sun Jiao, who had been born in a survival base and lived wandering the wasteland, didn''t know what love was. It was something she had never learned before. She picked up this magazine from the bank, unaware of what scarves were, but she was intrigued by the printed words on the front page. Could a scarf be this magical? Sun Jiao didn''t really understand. But if Jiang Chen came from before the war, then it had to be useful for him. She firmly believed this. ... Standing by the poolside, Jiang Chen observed the lustrous gold. In the apocalypse, this gold was worth less than dirt. He took a deep breath and submerged his conscious into the storage dimension. Compared to before, the storage dimension seemed to have expanded by a lotfrom one cubic meter to five cubic meters now. But Jiang Chen was still clueless on how the interdimensional bracelet evolved. Charging it repeatedly seemed to be useful, but otherwise, it was not obvious. The overload from last time seemed to have increased the size of the storage dimensional by quite a lot, but Jiang Chen didn''t dare to do anything so dangerous again. Instead of overloading it, it could potentially "fry" the bracelet. Putting the gold into the storage dimension, Jiang Chen was prepared to return to the modern world, but he suddenly remembered the "promise" he made with Sun Jiao. A smirk appeared on his face. [I''ll go back tomorrow morning.] 137 Close the door! Chapter 137: Close the door! Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ When he left Sun Jiao''s room, it was already noon. A smile rose unbidden to his face when he recalled the intimacy from last night. She seemed to sense that he''d be gone for a while because she''d been extra passionate. By the time the two fell asleep in each other''s embrace, it was already late into the night. He stretched his stiff body and walked to the bathroom. With a light press on the touchscreen, hot water filled the sink. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the sink and submerged his head into the water. After holding his breath "Huuuu!" He resurfaced from the water and briskly shook his head feeling refreshed. Jiang Chen looked at his reflection in the mirror and let the water droplets roll down his face. "It''s been three months." He touched his chin, lost in his memories of three months ago, back in July. It was the middle of summer, and as soon as he came here, he encountered a girl on the verge of starvation. Jiang Chen laughed. He wasn''t sure why he wanted to laugh. Maybe because the experiences in these past three months had been too exciting? Or because of his own transformation? Or perhaps because it''d been too fulfilling. He vigorously shook the water from his head and picked up the electric razor. "There are many things in this world that are quite convenient." He plastered a thin layer of plastic wrap around his mouth, and with a click of a button, he could shave his beard away in a second. This was a treasure to the world. In the washroom itself, there was a digitalized shower, a smart toilet, multi-functional bathtub with a sauna function, and even the toilet paper was more advanced than the modern world''s. "Life is a magical journey." Jiang Chen looked outside the window. The view faced the newly expanded wall. On top of the metal scaffolding were workers and engineers order the construction.... He remembered that in the beginning, his only thought was to obtain gold and become a carefree, wealthy man. And as soon as he got his wish, the first thing he did was spend it lavishly, blowing it all away and experiencing the life he had envied before. But he fulfilled those wishes a long time ago. "Now is it power?" Jiang Chen stared at his right hand. The water droplets on the back of his hand reflected his matured face. Once he had the five hundred million USD in his hands, a sprout called ambition grew in his heart. From that point onward, troubles began to hound him. Sometimes, he imagined what would have happened if he came to this world for the first time and didn''t walk into this mansion. What if he didn''t encounter the naughty and cute girl, didn''t meet so many unforgettable people? Sneak some gold and sell it discreetly in the modern world, becoming a rich man in the shadows. If he met malicious forces, he would switch cities, or even citizenship, instead of using his power to push them away. If he met mutated bacteria he was unable to resist, he would leave the area. This place was an ATM for him anyway. There was no reason to risk his life to eliminate the bacteria source. But it would be a different kind of life. In the modern world, he would enjoy a lavish lifestyle, and in the apocalypse, he would discreetly explore. No attachment, no concerns, perhaps that was the safer choice? Perhaps it was the best way to survive in this world filled with danger? "But it would lack the excitement of a vibrant life?" Jiang Chen shook his head laughing and walked out the door. Without a myriad of beautiful encounters, what was the purpose of living? Since on productivity alone, man could not beat machine. ... At the door, he met Yao Yao on her way to the washroom. She walked half-asleep and rubbed her drowsy eyes with her small hand. The pouted mouth looked like a cherry freshly picked off with the morning dew. Because she was anemic, she couldn''t handle mornings very well. Although she seemed to be overly-conscious about her small flaw, Jiang Chen didn''t care. A dizzy loli was too cute to be true, especially when she was asleep and subconsciously sought to hug anything warm. Ahem, don''t ask how he knew. Just as Jiang Chen was about to say hello, Yao Yao''s drowsy face turned beet red, and her body temperature spiked. "Ahh.... G-good morning!" "Good morning. Uhh, are you okay?" Jiang Chen asked carefully as he gave a confused look at Yao Yao who had her head buried low. "N-nothing." Her adorable eyes avoided his, and her hands fiddled with each other behind her back. [She doesn''t seem to be in a good mood?] Just as Jiang Chen was at a loss, Lin Lin also appeared walking towards the bathroom. When she saw him standing by the door, Lin Lin''s pale face blushed, but she didn''t act shyly. Instead, she threw a dirty glare at Jiang Chen who had put her in an awkward position. "Pervert!" "What, what did I do?" Completely lost, he didn''t bother arguing back. Question marks floated over his head as he looked back and forth between Yao Yao and Lin Lin. But the two of them didn''t have the slightest intention to open their mouths. Yao Yao seemed to want to say something, but her trembling lips suggested that she was too embarrassed to say it. The odd atmosphere lingered. Finally, the kind Yao Yao broke the silence. "Umm." Yao Yao still didn''t meet Jiang Chen''s gaze, her cherry-like mouth pouting in displeasure. She murmured, "It is understandable that a ripe apple tastes good. Yao Yao is not angry. But it is better to be quieter because a small animal can only drool and watch... and be envious." Her voice became fainter the more she felt wronged. [What''s going on?] Dumbfounded, Jiang Chen stared at Yao Yao. Her frail and unhappy attitude was cute, but what was this strange way of guilt-tripping? "Pervert." Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight Lin Lin mocking him. Thinking of this pervert''s terrible attitude towards her, she felt particularly jubilant seeing his awkward attitude. [Finally taking revenge!] She wanted to burst into song to celebrate. But Lin Lin clearly overestimated her importance. Just as she finished saying that, a chilling stare was directed at her. "I think a digitalized human doesn''t need to eat. Or are you prepared to tell me what happened?" Jiang Chen glared at her as he threatened without considering her feelings. It was only when Jiang Chen bullied Lin Lin that he didn''t feel any guilt at all. Oh no, not even guilt, the sensation was through the roof. Lin Lin''s expression took a turn for the worse. As usual, her confident look became sorrowful. "You, you dare to threaten me.... Ahhhhh! Enough, you''re a pervert! Remember to keep it down when you do that thing at night! And, and! Close the door!" Lin Lin ran away sadly. "Uh?" Shut the door? Keep it down? Jiang Chen was lost until he recalled Sun Jiao''s voice.... He immediately looked at Yao Yao with difficulty. She was still throwing a bit of a tantrum. Her pouting lips were about to touch the tip of her nose. "Yao Yao is already working so hard.... And doesn''t taste bad.... The one with the loud voice must be happy." [It doesn''t have to do with taste.] He finally comforted Yao Yao while feeling as though the mansion had become a little awkward. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more today 138 Improving the Helicopter Chapter 138: Improving the Helicopter Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ The base was bustling. Excluding the women in the "care center," the bases population approached 150, and they were the backbone of the future Fishbone Base. Once the newly expanded wall was completed, two more apartment buildings would be added, and then they could consider accepting foreign populations. Lu Huasheng was still in charge of the construction. Needless to say, the ex-chief developer of Huajian Real Estate certainly had his strengths. Jiang Chen gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his ability, and he proved himself by designing the base''s structure. An honest and hardworking man like him was best suited for jobs that required basic planning with no room for mistakes. With his foresight, Jiang Chen was able to choose the right people, and Lu Huasheng didnt disappoint him. He personally stood with the construction team every day on the front lines to expand the wall with 120% efficiency. For someone like Cheng Weiguo, who had loyalty and a strong passion, Jiang Chen assigned him a role in the army as the leader of the civil force responsible for guarding the base and training the soldiers. As for Zhou Guoping, he was the type to be smooth and flattering, so Jiang Chen naturally stationed him in the Sixth Street. This was partially because he had prior experience in intelligence collection and also because he had a bad history with Chu Nan. Although it was not directly Zhou Guopings fault, he did violate Chu Nans "goddess." In front of him, multiple times. For the sake of keeping the harmony in the base, it was not a terrible decision to separate them. On his way to a warehouse, Jiang Chen passed by the community center, which was a temporary hangar to store the Type-51 Transport Helicopter. ... Entering the hangar, Jiang Chen found Chu Nan hard at work repairing the helicopter. Virtual reality training chambers inside the base were installed with general weaponry training, and they could also copy general technical skills from the city library. But for a military transportation vehicle like the Helicopter-51, which was considered top secret before the war, it was excluded from the civil force training courses. Therefore, the only person able to repair and operate this helicopter was Chu Nan. "How''s the situation?" Jiang Chen asked as he approached. "Terrible." Chu Nan didnt turn around. His only response was to wipe his sweat with his arm and continue arranging the messy wiring. "Can it be repaired?" He glanced at the helicopter that seemed to come straight from science-fiction and touched the circular side wings. He didn''t see a rotor on the helicopter, but based on the appearance, the suspension force most likely came from this circular structure. The design of the body was aerodynamic with a hatch door open in the back. The words "Transport Helicopter" along with the PAC symbol had all but faded, and the metal frame in the front was caved in from the impact. Even the bulletproof glass was completely shattered. The appearance wasn''t so terrible, but Jiang Chen did question whether it would ever fly again. "Should be fixable. The damage to the exterior is fine since it can be easily replaced with metal parts, but the problem is the electronic parts inside. Dammit, the entire engine control is burned. Can you believe it? Inside the city center, I met a monster that can fire an EMP from its mouth." Chu Nan cursed as he retracted a palm-sized box from the helicopter''s side and connected the exposed wiring to the computer on the side to input some data. Jiang Chens expression turned strange when he heard Chu Nans words. He himself had encountered a monster that could emit EMP before. "Isn''t it hard to see mutants that can fire EMP?" Chu Nan turned around with a look of surprise. "Actually, its common to see mutants that can fire EMP?" Jiang Chen paused. Now that he thought about it, he knew Chu Nan ended up in that area because he failed a mission, but he never asked about the specifics. "The mission was to eliminate a mutant creature and collect the crystal. We sent out two helicopters as well as a force of twelve soldiers equipped with power armors. When we arrived at the target location, I suspended the helicopter above the yellowish-green particles. Then our captain requested missile support. "The missile would expose the body, the soldiers parachute, kill, and collect the crystal. That was the routine, and it wasn''t my first time out on such a mission. "It was a beautiful hit. The electromagnetic cannon fired from Liuding Town directly hit the building and the concrete tumbled down like an avalanche. Just when we thought all we needed to do was go down and collect the crystals," Chu Nan paused with a mysterious smile, "a red meat cannon as tall as half the building fired a red beam into the sky. It hit nothing, but the two helicopters immediately stalled. "The monster seemed to have exploded, so the parachuted soldiers must have been successful. But who knows?" Chu Nan shrugged as he inserted a processor into the helicopter body. "Did no one from Liuding Town come to save you?" "Thats impossible." Chu Nans mouth twitched. "For Liuding Town, pilots can be mass produced. The only thing of value was this metal scrap right here, but the point of the crash was too far from the port. I almost flew half a city." Jiang Chen fell into silence. He suddenly recalled his time in the underground fallout shelter. The artificial intelligence had described the bug that infiltrated the fallout shelter. [Hehe, even if it missed, your metal pieces will become a metal casket.] "Klein Particles?" Jiang Chen muttered to himself. "Whats that?" Chu Nan asked confusedly. "Nothing." He would ask Lin Lin about Klein Particles later. For now, Jiang Chen avoided the topic. "Oh, once you finish repairing the helicopter, could you make some modifications to it?" "Modifications?" "Mhmm. Such as installing a 50mm machine gun on the side and welding a fire cannon on the top." Different than Liuding Town, Fishbone Base''s focus was on land; hence, there was no need for long-distance combat, and it would better suit Fishbone Bases combat needs if the Type-51 was converted into an air cannon vehicle. "Do you think the helicopter is a truck? That you could weld anything on top?" Chu Nan couldnt help but ridicule him. "Whats the problem?" Stumped, Jiang Chen frowned. "There''s a big problem." Chu Nan shook his head as he dragged the wiring from the computer. He picked up the screwdriver again to adjust parts inside the helicopter. "Balance is a big issue. Even casual modifications could cause the helicopter to be unable to suspend itself or fly a certain distance before it flips over." "Then lets not do a casual modification." Jiang Chen laughed as he patted Chu Nan on the shoulder. "Ill leave the trouble to you, the expert. I need you to add some weapons on this thingthe stronger the firepower, the better." Hearing such an unprofessional request made Chu Nan rub his face with his palms. He let out a helpless sigh. "Ill try my best. Ill install a machine gun on the side and design a new fire-control system. As for the fire cannon, Ill install it near the back hatch. It should be okay if it''s manually controlled. But if we modify it like this, the transport helicopter will become a combat helicopter." Jiang Chen smiled at Chu Nans doubts. "Exactly what I want." 139 Harmonious Chapter 139: Harmonious Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ After parting from Chu Nan, Jiang Chen took a stroll around the base. Now that everything was on the right track, there weren''t many things that he needed to do as the boss. As long as he set the overarching direction, there were others to take care of the rest. For now, all he needed to do was transport food over from the modern world? For now, the tasks related to the Crusade''s aftermath were finally resolved. The trouble with the mutated humans could be left for next spring. This chapter of the apocalypse could finally be turned, and now he had to head back to the modern world to take care of the mercenaries. Before leaving, Jiang Chen headed to the warehouse and found Wang Qin verifying the supplies. The freckled girl was more mature compared to when she first arrived, developing an air of professionalism. He remembered that she''d been like a startled squirrel. With her constantly anxious attitude and top-notch accounting grades, he assigned her to take care of the warehouse. Honestly, Jiang Chen felt happy watching the growth of his employees. Once she heard out Jiang Chen''s intention, she took out a tablet terminal and reported the status of supplies within the base. "We''ve organized the supplies that are ready to trade with Sixth Street. There aren''t many food supplies left, and with the current consumption speed, it can last for at most ten days," she said with concern. The supplies were carefully recorded in a list, so precise that each bag of rice was listed with its warehouse location and by weight. The comprehensive software had also been designed by Yao Yao while the game was passed on to Du Yongkong for an update. Since he used to be a game developer, it matched his skill set. Yao Yao, other than the warehouse management software, also installed some more interesting gadgets for the base. For example, she set up the worker management system used by Lu Huasheng during construction, the control system for the cameras around the base, as well as the drone patrol system. "You don''t have to worry. I''ll take care of it. What about the firearms?" It was easy for him to take care of it once he returned to the modern world. Seeing the boss'' confident look, Wang Qin smiled and nodded. She pressed a few more buttons on the tablet and pulled up another list. He roughly scanned the items on the list before Jiang Chen asked her to take him to the weaponry. He took around ten Reaper rifles as well as one Ghost sniper, a box of ammunition, and ten grenades before returning to the base. He put the supplies away in the storage dimension and approached the poolside in the backyard. With a deep breath, he commenced traveling. When he opened his eyes, he was lying on a soft bed. He sat up and shook his head. Taking out the phone, he called Robert''s hidden number. The phone rang three times before it went through. "Hi, buddy, how have you been?" "Not bad. How goes the business?" Jiang Chen didn''t bother with small talk and cut straight to the point. "Don''t worry, the Irish guy loves acting." Delighted laughter could be heard from a distance on the other side. "I''ve already arranged the things on Kane''s side. When do you plan on leaving?" "I booked the ticket for tomorrow. Get Nick to leave, we''ll meet in Veit." "Okay, but he''s already there, so contact him once you arrive. I''ve sent the itinerary to your email, Mr. President," Robert joked. After exchanging some light banter, Jiang Chen hung up, and after thinking for a bit called the food store owner he was partnered with. It would still be sent to the same storage, and the shipment would arrive in the afternoon. It was most likely his last order with them. Once Xinlong Food Processing Plant got on track, he would opt to use that channel instead. Stuffing the phone back into his pocket, Jiang Chen got up and left the bedroom. A mansion this spacious with only two people living inside did feel empty. He stepped on the expensive hardwood floor. Looking at the delicate decorations, Jiang Chen suddenly felt emotional. He''d bought this mansion a while back, but he never took the time to enjoy it since he''d been so busy handling tasks in the modern and apocalypse world. It seemed as though he was living life with too rough of pace? Maybe sometime later, he would take a vacation. As he ruminated, Jiang Chen strolled into the kitchen. He gently pushed the glass door to the kitchen and saw Ayesha with an apron, concentrated on chopping vegetables. A smirk appeared on his face as he sneaked closer and embraced Ayesha from behind. The serene figure stiffened but loosened up as soon as she realized who it was. "You''re back." Ayesha gently smiled and intimately tilted her head to rub it against Jiang Chen''s face. "Mhmm, did you prepare the meal for me?" This girl''s Han was getting better and better. The technology of the future was truly remarkable. "Not yet, but I am now." Ayesha smiled and softly squeezed Jiang Chen''s hand. She led him to the side and opened the fridge. "What do you want to eat? My cooking has improved a lot." "I want to eat you." Jiang Chen grinned and blew into her ear. Her perfect face colored by a tinge of pink, she looked away from embarrassment. She faintly asked, "Could we wait until after the meal?" "After the meal? Don''t you want to do it here?" "H-here?" A hint of anxiousness appeared in her eyes. Seeing her adorable look, Jiang Chen was satisfied and didn''t tease her anymore, so he finished his sentence with the same smirk. "I want to eat you...r cooked dishes." Ayesha froze, then angrily threw a few soft punches at Jiang Chen''s chest before leaving his hug. "We''ll eat fried fish today." It was one of the few times he felt like the head of the family. He didn''t interrupt Ayesha from cooking anymore since he didn''t want to eat overcooked dishes. He sank into the living room sofa and relaxed while watching a Hollywood film in his home theater that cost ten thousand RMB. It wasn''t as sophisticated as the one in Sixth Street''s Paradise Island Hotel, but it was a different experience. It was the perk of being rich. Most people used their laptops to watch a film on 720p, and some would spend money to see it in IMAX or 3D. But the real luxury was to enjoy a theater-level film experience in the comfort of your own home without the annoying kids. It would be even better with some popcorn. The movie finished exactly at noon. Ayesha virtuously set the table before calling Jiang Chen over to eat. A full-course lunch. In the center was a fried fish dish seasoned with red soup and green onion. It was Ayesha who thought to combine Han and Middle Eastern dishes. Without a doubt, the aesthetics were superb, and the taste was ephemeral. "Mhmm, wow, your cooking is getting better and better," Jiang Chen raised his thumb and exclaimed. Ayesha softly smiled. "As long as you like it." "How have you been?" "Pretty good. The environment here is peaceful," Ayesha exclaimed. She lowered her head to look at the utensils in front of her as she quietly said, "Just like heaven." Slightly lost, Jiang Chen watched Ayesha''s face, but the words he was about to say was stuck in his throat. "Hmm?" Sensing Jiang Chen''s hesitation, Ayesha was confused and tilted her head slightly to look at him. "Mhmm, I''m just uncertain now." Jiang Chen sighed, saying with a troubled smile, "I planned on taking you to Ukraine tomorrow, but since you just escaped from war, you would probably hate going back to it." Ayesha quietly stood up and walked to his side. She surrounded him with her arms and gently pressed her face against his. "I am yours. I''m willing to become your sword, to fight for you. If you need me, there''s no need to hesitate, just use me." "I never thought of you as a tool," Jiang Chen lightly said, placing his hands over hers, "and I''ve never used anyone. If you feel repulsive towards weapons, there''s no need to force yourself" The rest was blocked. The silence lasted for a brief moment before Ayesha removed her finger. "If I felt weapons were repulsive, I never would''ve used them in the virtual reality. That thing doesn''t belong here, right?" Jiang Chen wasn''t surprised, but his smile was still a bit forced. "You knew?" Although the mutated human that appeared out of thin air should have exposed something already, Ayesha never asked, so he never had the opportunity to explain. "Mhmm." Ayesha nodded. "That training. Once you pass it, it''ll unlock new weapons and new training materials that include more powerful rifles and even rifle without bullets." [No bullets? Is it a Gauss rifle?] Du Yongkong had misinterpreted Jiang Chen''s words. He wanted him to add a limit on the virtual reality system to include only weapons that existed between the years 2000 and 2020, but Du Yongkong instead designed a "game mode" that gradually unlocked tiers as the training continued. [Whatever. If it''s Ayesha who knows, there''s nothing to worry about.] Sensing the trust in his body temperature, Ayesha gently closed her eyes. "Tomorrow, we''ll go to Ukraine." Since Ayesha didn''t feel repulsed, it would be pretentious to act uncertain about this question. "Mhmm." Ayesha nodded. "Do you know how to use a sniper? The Ghost Sniper." "Yes." She trained in wielding that gun in the virtual reality training system. "Once we arrive in Kane, I need you to protect me in trades. Because we''re in a sensitive area and the business partner is no ordinary target, you might have to engage in combat with some civil force snipers." Ayesha smiled and pressed her soft finger against Jiang Chen''s lips. "You''re over-protective. I''m not small anymore." Hearing this, Jiang Chen thought for a moment before a relieved smile appeared on his face. "You''re right." Enjoying the tranquil moment, Jiang Chen suddenly thought of something and leaned closer to Ayesha''s ear. "Speaking of which, it''s after the meal." She remembered her promise to Jiang Chen in the kitchen, and she blushed again, lowering her head shyly. "Mhmm, let''s go back to the room." "No." "Eh?" "Back to the kitchen." It was an evil laugh. That''s right, incredibly evil. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Thanks ssound5rs for pointing out the mistakes in the past chapters. There will a bonus chapter today as my appreciation. Also, Jianghu is a great place to discuss the novel. Make sure to check it out! 140 Arriving at Vei Chapter 140: Arriving at Veit Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Boris Boer International Airport. A young man in a black sweater, casual pants, and a duff bag looked around the empty airport. "What is your purpose of coming to Kane?" A middle-aged man in uniform looked up and glanced at him a few more times than usual while fidgeting with the passport in hand. Asian face, two years ago, it would not be rare. But Veit now, any foreign face was worth the extra glance. "Travel." The man smiled and exposed his white teeth. The middle-aged officer was clearly shocked as he looked at him oddly again. "I hope you enjoy your trip." The passport was fine. The officer didn''t say anything as he mechanically stamped it and let him go. "Phew." Walking out of the airport, Jiang Chen relaxingly stretched and scanned the unfamiliar street. Veit''s sky was clear. Bright sunshine, clear blue sky, clean street, as well as the towering trees. Baroque and Byzantine Style of architecture could be seen everywhere. The colorful brick walls resembled a small town in the middle ages. Other than the modern looking street lamp and signs, the vibrancy of rich culture was everywhere in the city. He heard that Oesk and Lugansk were currently fighting, but the flames of war obviously didn''t spread to here yet. Even then, the streets looked empty. Jiang Chen was disappointed to not be able to witness the "Beauty infested Kane" as rumors said. Of course, the purpose of the trip was not to see beauties. Not long, a personal vehicle stopped in front of him. The window rolled down, and a head with a red nose peeked out. "Do you need a taxi?" Jiang Chen barely understood the English laced with a Russian accent. "Of course, take me to Purimir Hotel." Hearing this, the driver also glanced at him a few more times. Although Jiang Chen''s Han-accented English was hard to understand, as a local, he easily made out the words " Primir Hotel." Only the wealthy could afford those five-star hotels. Jiang Chen opened the door, sat on the front passenger seat, and strapped on the seat belt. The sturdy looking Kanian driver started the car and drove out smoothly. He heard that to ride in Kane, the first thing was to set the price. Or he would be scammed. A ride that only cost 30 may end up costing 150 once they arrive at the destination. But Jiang Chen didn''t really mind as it was pocket change for him. "Tell me about Veit, what''s fun here," Jiang Chen started to chat with the driver by his side. "Central Street and Independent Square are all not bad places. it''s great for shopping and sight seeing." The driver was also talkative, he held the steering wheel and began telling Jiang Chen about the sightseeing places in Veit. "If you are interested in the history and culture of the place, you could check out Golden Gate, a lot of tourists like to take pictures there. As well as the memorial museum in the right bank of the Dnieper River." When they started to talk about the historical sights, the rigid face worn by time had a proud expression. "Oh? Could you tell me about the memorial museum?" Jiang Chen was quite interested. Although his destination for this trip was Oesk in the East and he probably won''t have time to explore this beautiful city, it would be cool to listen to the perspective of a local. But for some reason, when Jiang Chen asked about the specifics of the memorial museum. A gloom seemed to cover the driver''s face. "To remember the victory of defending the country. Darn, I remember when I was young, it was beautiful." "What about now? I think this place is not bad." Jiang Chen looked out the window. The weather was lovely, the sunshine was bright, a great place to explore. "It''s absolutely terrible," The driver said emotionlessly, "People with guns divided into two sides, and the innocent people are stuck in the middle. Back when Soviets ruled, this place was not like this." Jiang Chen looked at him but didn''t continue with the topic. For the locals, it seemed to be a remorseful topic. The textbook he learned seemed to provide a simple black and white picture. That was the only perspective he saw about the entire event. He faintly recalled that when the Lenin Statue was pushed down, the citizens from Kane celebrated. It was truly shocking when Veit welcomed democracy, the faces of the people were cheering. Who actually represented them? The silence only ensued for a brief moment before the driver spoke again, "Is this your first time in Kane?" "That''s right." Jiang Chen smiled. After hesitating for a moment, the kind-hearted driver continued, "Veit''s security is actually terrible, far worse than what Poroshenko described. Every day, there are countless foreigners like you being robbed, and of course, locals included too." "I will be careful." Jiang Chen noncommittally smiled. Robbery? He didn''t think anyone in this world would be able to beat him. Seeing Jiang Chen''s unbothered expression, the driver didn''t say anything. He already did his part in alerting him. "Also, some police may give you trouble due to your passport. In these situations, the easiest way is to pay him 100 USD, or just insist you haven''t heard about this law, and demand that you contact your embassy before paying the fine." "Mhmm, I''ll be careful." For the kind-hearted alert of the driver, Jiang Chen happily accepted. The car arrived at its destination. When he got off the car, Jiang Chen left 100 USD on the seat and signaled there was no need for change. The driver didn''t refuse, but he looked grateful by the gesture. The days were getting harder and harder, 100 USD for Jiang Chen may be nothing, but for him, it was a sizable amount of money. Jiang Chen hauled his duffel bag into the hotel, and Jiang Chen showed the reception at the front desk his confirmation before he took the key. The Primir Hotel was luxuriously decorated. The square and upright giant structure demonstrated the philosophy of Russian architecture and the European decor and lighting had a vibe of beauty originating from its detailing. His hotel room was on the top floor, the most expensive presidential suite. But it was much cheaper compared to the Sheraton in Sanya as a night only cost him 2200 RMB. The hotel had a complete set of amenities with a casino, bar, sauna, outdoor pool, gym, indoor pool, and spa. But because the purpose of the trip was not a vacation, he would not have the time to enjoy those things. He carried the bag into the elevator, went to the top floor, and walked to the room that belonged to him. Needless to say, Jiang Chen looked out of place standing there. Most of the people living here were all men in suits. His casual wear on the top floor filled with presidential suites did look odd. But who cared? Being able to live here proved his financial ability. The moment Jiang Chen took out a key, a blonde, blue-eyed, gorgeous figured beauty walked up with a cheerful smile. "Do you need service?" Surprisingly, although she stuttered a little, she spoke Han. But after giving it a thought, Jiang Chen cursed in his mind. How many fellow citizens did she "service" to be able to speak Han this well. "No, thank you," Jiang Chen smiled courteously and rejected the offer. If he were on vacation, Jiang Chen without standards wouldn''t mind having some intimate affairs with the foreign beauty. But since he had business to take care of, he must resist the temptation. She looked at Jiang Chen in surprise. In her memory, rarely would millionaires coming from Han refuse to have an intimate affair with her. But she didn''t say much more. She smiled and left in elegant steps. Jiang Chen touched his slightly hot nose as he pushed open the door. He turned on the lights. Jiang Chen threw the bag on the bed and walked straight to the window as he cautiously closed the blinds. He took out a clock-sized device from his bag and placed it on the nightstand. He thought that it was too dumb to use an EMP every time he needed to counter monitor, so Jiang Chen discussed with Yao Yao, and she used recycled electronic parts to create an anti-monitor device. Once opened, any cameras within a radius of 20m would be affected. The screen would be locked to a picture of the instant the machine started. Including communication, any communication attempted outside the whitelist would be blocked. Although it may be redundant, it was better to be safe. He took out his phone. Jiang Chen called Ayesha who left first. "How''s your side doing?" "Arrived at Oesk rural area." Under the plan, the two head to Kane separately. Not only do they take different flights, but Ayesha will also arrive a day ahead in Oesk rural area controlled by the government force. Although Jiang Chen was still worried, Ayesha reassured him. Within the virtual reality training system, she received an A on sniper training. With the help of the genetic vaccine and sophisticated weapons that far exceeded the current era, there was no need to worry. Perhaps just like what Ayesha said, sometimes Jiang Chen could be a little overprotective. "Mhmm. I will meet Nick tomorrow and then head to Oesk. I''ll send you my itinerary. Be safe." Then, Jiang Chen hung up the phone. He peeked at the small bright sky. Jiang Chen stretched, and then took out the laptop from his bag. Connected it to the wifi, and opened up his email. Information: Markanov, male, 36. Government force official, ranked Colonel, brigadier of the 92nd mechanized infantry. Note: Confidant of the current president. Corrupt. He stared at the word "Corrupt," as a dubious smile appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. 141 Flame of Chaos Chapter 141: Flame of Chaos Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Kane, located in Eastern Europe, was the largest country by landmass in Europe besides Russia. Formed when the Soviet dissolved in 1991. Because of the fertile soil, Kane was the third largest grain exporting country in the world, renowned as the "granary of Europe." At the same time, Veit took the crown for the top ten "City of the beauties," selected by the world popular Food and beauty. It was a beautiful place. But the smokes of the war cast a gloom in this poorly trained place. The root of the disaster had been buried during the hasty revolution in 1991. January 9, 2014, a conflict under the name civil uprise led the country into political unrest. The night of March 29, 2014, Crimea forwarded their clocks by two hours, officially using Moscow time. Like a flag, cities in the East soon followed, Oesk and Lugansk declared independence which officially erupted the civil war. "Precisely speaking, I am a Belorussian, but I spent my childhood in Kane. My father was a Soviet soldier and met my mom in Veit." Nick had a cigarette in his mouth while holding the steering wheel. This morning, Jiang Chen left the Primir Hotel and took a taxi to the agreed upon location to meet Nick. The pickup truck was bought from the local second-hand store, they were driving on the highway to Oesk. "So, you were part of the government force?" Jiang Chen casually asked. "You could say that before." Nick twitched his mouth. "But the formation is already gone, so you could say I am a deserter." "The government force is weak?" "Really weak." Nick blew out a smoke ring, and he looked perplexedly at the truck that just passed by. It was filled with wounded soldiers from the front line. "The soldiers'' combat abilities are all over the place, and the officials are corrupted to the bone. What''s more important is that no one wants to fight for this country." Kane East was the previous border between Soviet and NATO, and within the armory, there were hundreds of tons of bombs, mines, bullets and other firearms left by the previous Soviet military regions. As of now, the Kane army was still using the free firearms. And because of this, the Kane national defense industry has regressed to a frightening point. Kane military''s "Phonex" National defense Batallion, even dragged the 122mm Howitzer used as a salvo for years in Veit on to the front line. The armored cash truck was currently being used as an armored vehicle. At the same time, the lack of military funding also decreased the soldiers'' will to fight. A company commander''s salary is similar to Kazakhstan''s soldier''s salary which is equivalent to 1500 RMB, not even comparable to a waitress in a Han restaurant. The salary was not enough to sustain a living. The soldiers were poorly trained. Selling the weapons in storage illegally to make money became a trend within the army. It was satirical that a lot of weapons were being destroyed in the front line, and without the ability to replenish the equipment, an ordinary citizen could still buy an armored vehicle for ten thousand USD. It was the current status quo of the Kane army. The civil force, however, was well equipped and had high morale. They possessed potent firepower and armored force. The war lasted for almost a year, and the civil force did not once experience ammo shortages. The large-scale bombing consistently left the Kane army scrambling. Based on reports, the thirty-six thousand civil forces possessed 8000 advanced Russian heavy weapons, also based on US satellite, troops stationed in the Russian Kane border assisted the civil force at all time. "If everyone fought for the country, I won''t be here." Jiang Chen shrugged. "At least for those people with ability, let them fight for the force they could swear their allegiance for." If weapons could be bought, then humans shouldn''t be difficult at all. Although in principle, an active soldier of a country could not be sold to someone as mercenaries, but that was only in principle. If tank could be sold, what else couldn''t be? Another thing to note was that the reason why Jiang Chen didn''t buy a tank partially because the future tanks did not consume oil. Rather, it used a large fuel rod similar to the power armor, while levitating tanks used batteries. Another reason being that the modern age armor was way too thin. The material used was not even remotely comparable. Without exaggeration, the armored vehicle in the Fishbone base was comparable in armor strength with Frankberg primary tank 2A6. Of course, the discussion doesn''t include the effect of impact angle on armor penetration. "Swear allegiance? It''s not about being worthy or not, no one is willing to fight. But the commission you are willing to pay is attractive, and the ten-year limit is not too harsh. At least if they fight for you, they could retire in Europe with the money." Nick smiled. One million USD, enough to enjoy the rest of their life in comfort. The pickup truck drove relatively steadily on the highway, black smoke could be faintly seen from afar. This place was fairly close to the front line, but this region was still considered safe. But then, the car in front stopped. "Traffic jam." Nick frowned and stopped the car as well. He put the cigarette butt in the ashtray as he got off and walked to the car in front. "What happened in front?" "I don''t know, the car in the front stopped, so I had to stop as well." A Slavic man stepped out of the car with a clueless expression on his face. The cars in the back slammed on their horns as they were trying to release their anger. The clueless people all got out of their cars and tip-toed to see what was happening up front. "Okay, friends, don''t be anxious, please get back to your vehicle. The special force is taking care of a small problem, please remain calm." A soldier in camouflage walked front the front as he patted the car roof of each car, signaling people to stay calm. "I want to know, what happened in front?" A chubby driver yelled out of his window. "A bomb made a hole in the middle of the road, but it didn''t detonate. To ensure that it will not blow you up when you drive by, we are trying to defuse it." The soldier shrugged as he leaned against the car. To be honest, his relaxed look certainly made people feel calm. "He is lazy, sticking around in the safe area after reporting. I did that a few times," Nick half-joked, and half-cursed. Seeing the young face, he felt like he saw the young him. Jiang Chen looked at him in surprise. He thought Nick was the type to be meticulous at all times. [Because it was not worth fighting for?] He thought about it, but he instantly understood. "Is it common to see these bombs?" Jiang Chen looked at the soldier slacking off as he asked Nick. "Very common." Nick who sat back in the car lit another cigarette to waste time. "Both sides are wasting Soviet firearms, but these things are well past their expiration date. Take the "Dot-U" tactical missile with only ten years of service life, for example, once it leaves the launch pad, you don''t even know where it will fly to." The soldier leaning against the car chatted with the driver with a smile on his face. He also took the cigarette passed to him. Jiang Chen''s eyebrows twitched. He was worried about the ability of the Kane army. If it were these types of fools, he wouldn''t want them even if they were free. Sensing Jiang Chen''s concern, Nick smiled and spoke. "Probably a new recruit. He could be an electrician yesterday, and today he was given a rifle to patrol the front line. Adjusting is hard. In this place, anything is possible." "What about recruit training?" Jiang Chen asked, dumbfounded. "No money and no one wanted to do it. The guy we are going to find, Markanov, is a good guy. He will not use unqualified people to substitute good people. There are plenty of fighters in the kane army. Take the army I was in for example. Although six out of ten were recruits, the remaining four were great people. Especially the guy from Cossack, his shooting was insane." Jiang Chen fell into a short silence as he thought about another problem. "Right now, is he willing to bring the fighters in the army out?" "Why not?" Nick shrugged. "The war is not going to be swayed by one or two soldiers. Especially since you are paying enough money." To the Markanov guy, Jiang Chen''s bribe was also one million USD, payable in gold. The only thing he needed to do was to pick the right people, sign a few spots, and provide a few missing reports. Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from a distance. Thick smoke rose, and people watched the chaos from afar as they began to frighteningly curse. Some people took out their phones and started recording. The soldier was clearly stunned by the explosion as he looked blankly at the highway in front. After a long time, the soldier looked at the Kane driver that he just chatted with. "Perhaps our comrades successfully detonated the bomb?" The cars in the front began to move gradually. The danger was already alleviated. Regardless, a bomb could not blow up twice. Seeing this, Nick also started the car. The good thing was that there were not a lot of cars on the road, to begin with. So, it didn''t cause a massive blockage. When they passed the frightening bomb hole, Jiang Chen saw traces of bloody remains. "Looks like the special force''s method of detonation is quite unique." Hearing that, Nick cracked a smile, his words had a satirical tone, "Special force? The only force worthy of this name already defected to Russia." As the two chatted back and forth to kill time, a white van followed behind them. The tinted window blocked the scene within the vehicle. If Jiang Chen saw the person sitting in the passenger seat, he would have been shocked. The blonde, blue-eyed, gorgeously figured beauty, the same woman that chatted with him yesterday afternoon. The only difference was, the seductive exposed dress changed into a black trench coat, easier for combat. "This is Silver Fox. Target entered Oesk." "Roger, this is Vulture. Continue with plan B." "Understood." The vibrant red lips carved a mischevious, demon-like smile. 142 Of course no Chapter 142: Of course not Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi When they entered Oesk''s rural area, the road suddenly became rugged. Shambles completed the scenes along the street, at a glimpse, Jiang Chen even had the feeling he was in the apocalypse. Under the shambles, there were signs of life. The people without homes built temporary tent under the wreckages that were their homes and looked with vicious eyes at the Kane soldiers. They continued forward as road conditions got even worse. Nick had to park beside a civilian building to give Markanov a call. It wasn''t long until a soldier with a rifle found them. "Borris, second lieutenant." The short hair guy saw Jiang Chen and immediately saluted. "General Markanov sent me to greet you." "Jiang Chen." Jiang Chen told him his name and shook his hand. The hand was filled with calluses, which told the story that he was an experienced soldier. He retracted the hand and Borris nodded. "Please follow me." He took a black suitcase out of the car and motioned for Jiang Chen and Nick to follow him. But what they didn''t know was that approximately 400 meters away from where they parked, there was a body. The uniform and equipment were stripped, and the pupil dilated with a daunting blood hole on the forehead. Armored vehicles and tank wreckages were on the side of the road. It was a crossfire zone. On the desolate street, a silent girl walked by. She was covered in black. Her thin lips exposed from under her hood. There was a guitar case behind her back, like a musician strolling across the ruins. She lifted the sleeve of her right hand, and a watch-like computer flashed faint lights. That was the EP. On the screen was a map of the area. Using waves to create tactical maps was one of the unbelievable function of the EP. Yesterday at this time, she had already walked through the entire area. The blue dot on the map was the location of the sensor Jiang Chen carried. "Am I here?" Ayesha mumbled while she walked to the half-torn residential apartment. "It''s really dangerous there. It got struck by a bomb only a few days ago, and it could fall any second." A refugee crawling on the side tried to warn the girl, but the girl only glanced at him before she took out a pistol. The refugee raised his hand in horror and moved back. "Leave." Perhaps he understood Ayesha''s English, for the person moved back a few steps. Then, seeing that she had no intention to shoot, he fled right away. Seeing the irrelevant people leave. She retracted her pistol and carried the guitar box upstairs. Ayesha agilely moved around the broken stairs as she effortlessly came to the top floor. Just like what she learned in the virtual reality training system. She opened the guitar box, took out the sniper rifle parts and assembled the sniper skillfully. After some adjustments, Ayesha took out a city camouflage and put it on her back. She lied on the dusty floor and set up the futuristic looking Ghost sniper rifle. "Ayesha ready," as if she was talking to herself, Ayesha muttered on the ground. "Mhmm. Wait for my order." Jiang Chen reached out to touch his ear and moved his wrist closer to his lips to whisper. Borris walked in front to lead the way. Nick followed and examined the surrounding without words. Jiang Chen looked rather relaxed as if he did not understand that he was in the front line. The rough, muddy road had wooden boards lined up, two meters tall, along the side of the road, creating a temporary fence. In the forefront, this thing is used to obstruct the sniper''s view or unexpected shots. "How long?" Jiang Chen scanned the tank stalled on the road as he casually asked Borris up front. "Soon, it''s in front," Borris gave a vague answer. "Oh. Could I ask you a personal question?" Jiang Chen walked up to him and smiled. "Of course, as long as it doesn''t involve sensitive information." "Your position in the 92nd Mechanized Infantry is?" From the calluses on his hands, this guy must be a great soldier. "Currently Markanov General''s personal guard." Borris'' English was fluent. He could understand Jiang Chen''s Han-accented English, which barely passes level six of the proficiency test. "Oh? Then you must be a good shooter." Jiang Chen looked at him quite surprised. "Not bad." Borris didn''t seem to want to continue on the topic, but he paused, and then added, "I am his nephew." The three continued for a bit longer, but at this time, Nick began scanning down the road, raised his eyebrows, and then stopped. The quiet him abruptly interrupted, "The 92nd mechanized infantry already pushed up this far?" "Of course not." Borris shrugged and said something the two didn''t understand. Nick had the fastest reaction as he instantly reached for his waist. But Borris, clearly prepared, was one step ahead and pointed his rifle at him. "I suggest you don''t move. Not including the gun in my hand, there is one pointing at you hundreds of meters away," Borris said lightheartedly, but he was looking at Jiang Chen. "Very sorry, Mr. Jiang, someone wants to talk with you." "Who?" Jiang Chen smiled, with the same lighthearted tone. Obviously, this Borris was fake. Markanov probably did send someone here but got killed, and then substituted for this Borris? Although he was prepared for trouble, Jiang Chen didn''t expect the trouble to not come from Markanov, but from a force he hasn''t met before. The radio signal must have been intercepted. They are obviously not weak. But even knowing this, Jiang Chen''s face remained emotionless as he looked at Borris with a bright smile. Borris didn''t answer Jiang Chen''s question as he looked at him slightly shocked. "Mr. Jiang is not worried about your own safety?" "Safety? Why would I be worried about it?" Jiang Chen pretended to be confused and shrugged. "Since you want to kidnap me, wouldn''t you guarantee my safety?" Borris cracked a smile as he seemed to be intrigued by Jiang Chen''s logic. Then he raised his left hand and made a gesture. A few people walked out from the shadows. Their skillful moves along with their professional positioning indicated that these people must be of the special forces. He looked at the unanimous Russian faces and recalled Nick saying Kane didn''t have a special force. Jiang Chen had a sense of the identities of these people. Nick was tied up, but they were courteous enough not to do the same thing to Jiang Chen. Maybe from appearance, Jiang Chen didn''t look like a dangerous figure. "KGB?" Jiang Chen tried to probe the question as he stared into Borris'' eyes. No wonder he was a professional, his pupils didn''t waiver at all. Borris only smiled and didn''t respond. "Who we are is not important, handsome from the east." With a flirtatious tone, Jiang Chen heard a familiar voice behind him. The broken Han. 143 The Three Musketeers Chapter 143: The Three Musketeers Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "It''s you?'' Jiang Chen looked at the beauty walking towards him in astonishment. The tall figure, blonde, and blue-eyed was the same woman that chatted with him at the hotel. But the woman didn''t respond to his shock as she simply muttered to herself. "Jiang Chen, male, 25. President of Future Technology, 99% shareholder of the company. Force unknown, suspected of high technology and research capabilities. Initial capital originated from gold, used the UA middleman Robert to offload 11.240 tons of gold, the large quantity caused a selloff in the UA gold exchange which amounted to a consecutive three-days drop up to 2%." Hearing the description by this beauty, Jiang Chen was startled. [Wow, basically they dug up my entire background overseas.] "Looks like you guys did a great job investigating me." Jiang Chen clapped and stared at her. "And then? What do you plan to get out of me? I am not a scientist, nor a spy, only a businessman. I don''t have anything to give you. It would be odd if you are just here for the one million USD worth of gold. You don''t look like you lack funding." "Exactly because you are a businessman." The Kaneian beauty smiled, the eyes in her deep eye sockets gazed at him, "Don''t you think your appearance is unfitting for your identity? Mr. Jiang Chen." "That''s a great point." Jiang Chen nodded while he acted as if he was thinking. At least, Jobs or Bill Gates would not come to this place. "Then, could you answer my confusion?" She walked beside Jiang Chen and got slightly closer, half-smiling, she continued, "The reason why you are here." "Of course, but before that, could I know your name," Jiang Chen cooperatively raised his hands, just like passing through security, he let the graceful looking hands search through his body as he said casually. "Natasha." She smiled as she didn''t find any weapons. She then grabbed his chin, as if teasing him, "Teeth looks clean. I thought Han agents hide poison in their tooth." "Have you watched too many dramas?" Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, not feeling tense at all. "Also, I am not an agent." [Natasha? Seems like a popular name.] Nonchalantly shrugging, Natasha stared into his eyes mischievously. "That''s hard to say. Now, what''s your reason for coming here? Are you representing yourself, your country? Or, the force behind you?" Jiang Chen looked strangely at Natasha as he said helplessly, "Why do you agents always ask this question? I remember an UA citizen asking me this before." "Don''t change the subject," Natasha said coldly. "I choose C." Natasha paused for a moment as she was surprised by how direct Jiang Chen''s response was. "And then? Even if I say I work for a force, what are you planning to do? I didn''t threaten your national security." He made up a story without his heart skipping a beat. Life is a like a show; it''s mainly dependant on one''s acting. "Oh yeah? Then we''ll take you to a place. Once we are there, there will be "experts" discussing this problem with you." Natasha slightly moved away from Jiang Chen as she pressed the wireless headphone onto her ear. "Package" is retracted, requesting lift. "Roger, this is Vulture, M-171 deployed and on its way." Once the communication ended, she didn''t say anything else but looked at Jiang Chen with a smile. What she didn''t know was that the conversation between the guy with the code name "Vulture" was intercepted by the micro communication chip in his ear, it was even translated into Han. Jiang Chen looked emotionlessly at Natasha, but his mind was spinning quickly. [Five Russian special forces, or agents. Only Ayesha herself, Nick is being controlled, and it would be impractical to take care of five "experts" altogether.] He was waiting for an opportunity. Like how she practiced in the virtual reality training system, Ayesha quietly aimed through the scope. The center of the cross was Borris'' face. Something unexpected happened as the three of them stopped. Four figures dashed out from the shadows while Jiang Chen''s companion was taken as hostage. Ayesha slightly moved the gun as she aimed at the woman getting closer to Jiang Chen. When the Kaneian beauty approached Jiang Chen and touched him all over. Ayesha''s eyebrows uncontrollably twitched, her delicate finger repeatedly rubbed against the trigger. The ghost sniper rifle was advanced at every level compared to the technology in this age. Seeing Jiang Chen was in danger, Ayesha was out of sort. She took a deep breath as she calmly decreased the magnification on the scope, and pressed a button on the side of the rifle. A line of blue letters appeared on top of the sight. Immediately, the blue waves scanned across the field in the scope, and a few red dots were marked. The function was rather useless as most survivors, who had the ability to, would use a life signal jammer to prevent their location from being detected. But in the modern world, without such technology, the function was like cheating. "Two snipers?" Ayesha raised her eyebrows confused. 300 meters away, there was a sniper in camouflage on top of an apartment building. 1500 meters away, another sniper lied on top of a roof in the factory. Both locked onto the seven people standing on the rural road. Same force? Didn''t look like it. The two snipers didn''t wear anything that revealed their identity. Ayesha only hesitated for a second before she made the decision. She put her finger to her ear and said calmly, "Two snipers. Do friendly forces exist?" Within the sight, she saw Jiang Chen slightly shake his head. Then, Ayesha asked, "Requesting permission to kill." Within the cross, Jiang Chen was speaking with Natasha as he nodded. "Understood." Ayesha closed the microphone, put her right hand on the rifle again, and positioned her finger on the trigger. The cross sight moved, and she first locked onto the sniper 300 meters away. The person did not have the slightest sense that he was someone else''s prey. He had his eyes locked on the scope. Typically speaking, snipers would be absolutely safe before they expose themselves by firing. Of course, that was under normal circumstances. Bang! The gunshot was faint under the influence of the silencer. The bullet accurately penetrated through the head of the sniper as his skull cracked like a watermelon. She didn''t stop her sight on his body as she quickly aimed at the target 1500 meters out. Because the distance was relatively far, she opened the wind speed calculation device and adjusted the magnification on the scope. "Wind speed 4 km/hr, distance 1500 meters," Ayesha murmured as she pulled the trigger again. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Bonus chapter as promised! 144 Chaos Chapter 144: Chaos Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Target down." A smile emerged on Jiang Chens face. For some reason, Natasha felt unsettled by the Asian mans smile. At the same time, in an underground military facility a thousand meters away. "Dagger 01 lost connection." "Are they Russian snipers? Call Guard 01, initiate plan B." "Guard 01 received. As you wish, commander." The M-171 helicopter appeared in the air. The camouflage green had a frightening vibe to it. "I remembered that you said in the news that Russian soldiers havent passed the border." Jiang Chen used a questioning tone. "NATO said that too. Also, I never said I was Russian." Natasha shrugged. "Take a trip with me. Trust me, if you can prove that you are only a merchant, well let you go." "What makes you think I believe you?" Jiang Chen shrugged and looked into the sky. "Crossing the border just for me, you are not going to let me go easily." "But you dont have any other choice," Borris interrupted laughing. [Don''t I?] Jiang Chen maintained his gaze at 75, looking at the sky, the violent turbulence forced his eyes to narrow. Then, hiding under the noise of the approaching helicopter''s rotor blade, at an angle Natasha couldnt see, he pretended to scratch his ear and opened his mouth. "Shoot the fuel tank." "Roger." Ayesha''s calm and comforting answer transmitted into his ear. Bang-! The bullet hit the fuel tank. But at the same time, a trail of fire erupted into the air and struck at the helicopter from a building nearby. It simultaneously hit the helicopter''s engine. Jiang Chen was truly lost seeing what just happened. [The ghost sniper has a barrel this big?] "RPG!" "Dammit!" Like a mosquito slapped out of the air, the helicopter began to slant and dive unexpectedly to the ground. Natashas first reaction was Jiang Chens men as she quickly aimed at Jiang Chen. But at the same time, gunfire suddenly burst out of the wooden shack across the road. Bullets left a trail of dust and debris on the concrete floor and wooden board. Jiang Chen dove for cover on the side. The unsuspecting KGB agent under fire also tried to find cover while firing back. But the other side was obviously prepared. They had the advantage in both firepower and number of people. Natasha gritted her teeth, hooked her arm around Jiang Chens neck, and hid behind the cover while pulling out the pistol with her other hand. "Is it your people?" "No. If it is, why the fu*k am I hiding?" Jiang Chen was also in an awkward position. When the bullet fired over, his also had a daunting feel. But the feeling he felt on his back did feel good. Umm, the advantage of Slavic people? "Then shut up." Natasha maintained this flirtatious position while firing back a few shots to test the waters. But immediately, a wave of bullets met her and forced her to take cover. [What the fu*k, you have been asking the questions!] "Do you need me to shoot her?" Ayeshas voice transmitted into his ear, her tone sounded subtle. Jiang Chen immediately shook his head. He hasn''t figured out the situation here, if Natasha is down, it would only further complicate the situation. The first thing was to wait for them to finish fighting before taking action. But with the head shake, the back of his head scratched on something he shouldnt have scratched, Natashas grim eyes immediately looked over. "What are you doing?" "Umm. My neck is feeling weird." Jiang Chen forced an awkward laugh as he glanced at the arm hooked around his neck. To his surprise, Natasha didnt continue to be angry. Instead, she smiled dubiously. "Yesterday afternoon, I gave you the opportunity to take advantage of me, now you are interested? Or are you a masochist?" "Yesterday afternoon? Umm, I am curious, if I agreed, what would you do?" "Nothing," Natashas voice was light. "Ill give you a needle when you try to use your needle." Jiang Chen forced a smile when he heard her words. [Phew, almost agreed to it.] He leaned against the softness. While still nervous, he didn''t think the feeling was too terrible. Jiang Chen asked Natasha who continually peeked out to fire back, "You seem suppressed by their firepower, are you not worried?" "Worried?" Natasha looked at him oddly and then scoffed. The artillery support at the border was not there for decoration. Just as the voice died, a screeching sound broke across the sky. Boom-! The explosion lifted the already torn wooden shack into the sky. The opponents firepower immediately weakened. Then, a few trails of white smoke flew in the sky. The explosions covered the entire area. He looked at the chaos as his mouth twitched. [Damn, not only the border, they even fired over the border. No wonder they are the Russians.] "Direct hit, beautiful, say thanks for me to the gunner." Borris held the headphones and moved out of cover. "Danger alleviated. Get up, handsome." Natasha dubiously smiled, then dragged Jiang Chen by the collar. "Okay, Yuri, take the Belarussian with us. Well head to B point to evacuate-" Bang! His voice was interrupted, as Borriss cocky expression froze on his face. A daunting blood hole appeared on his chest. "Sniper! Dammit!" Natasha pushed Jiang Chen to the ground. The others got into the same position. "Its not me who shot," Ayesha''s voice emerged, "the sniper is directly in front of me, and exceeds my range Can I shoot the female thug on top of you? This is a good opportunity." Jiang Chen shook his head with a forced smile, but his nose and mouth were being firmly held by the softness, shaking his head was not the most convenient move. "This is the second time." He heard a cold voice. Clearly, Natasha was in a terrible mood. "The second time you pushed me over? I only want to breathe... Lets not talk about this, what should we do? Miss Kidnapper?" He got away from the softness, neglected the angry face, and said innocently. "Strawman, strawman please return Dammit! Strawman died." The Russian man named Yuri cursed angrily. [Strawman? One of the snipers killed by Ayesha? In that case, two forces are competing. Goddamn, why am I so popular?] Jiang Chen cursed in this mind. "Yuri, do you see his position?" Natasha ignored Jiang Chen as she yelled at the cover behind her. Being suppressed by a sniper was far more frightening than being suppressed by a machine gun. At least you could see the machine gun bullets, but you dont even know where sniper bullets come from. "Let me try." Yuri gritted he teeth. He signaled his comrade to keep an eye on Nick, who was still tied down and then took out the binoculars, carefully peeking out of the cover. As long as they marked the snipers position, an artier would send him to air! Bang-! Red mixed with white, spilled everywhere, without warning. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more bonus chapter tonight as promised. Enjoy 145 Have you seen Mission Impossible 5? Chapter 145: Have you seen Mission Impossible 5? Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Nick''s eyes narrowed, and he used his shoulder to wipe off the blood splashed onto his face. Although his expression remained the same, he was internally shocked. To be able to lock onto a target and fire in two seconds, the sniper''s shooting could not get any better. "Yuri!" Before the voice faded, another shot was fired. The bullet accurately penetrated the head that peeked out from the other side of the cover. Morris wanted to use the opportunity garnered by the commander''s life to lock onto the position of the sniper. But the opposing sniper''s reaction was unfathomable, as they immediately switched target after the shot, firing without a glimpse of delay. Natasha''s was furious. Within one minute, her team suffered three casualties. "Dammit, Yuri, Morris down! Captain, we should request assistance!" The other Russian agent beside Nick firmly leaned against the cover and yelled in Natasha''s direction. "We sent out all the help we could. Command center, target x13-y15, requesting smoke bomb launch." "This is command center, permission granted, smoke bomb launched." The explosion rang once again as thick gray smoke covered the area. The smoke bomb with thermal reaction meant that even if the enemy was equipped with heat detection scope, it could block their vision. Natasha let out a breath of air as she carried her rifle and dragged Jiang Chen by the collar, about to get up. But now, sensing the opportunity was here, Jiang Chen''s eyes moved, and he clamped both of her hands. Before Natasha could react, Jiang Chen grabbed both of her hands. In the not most elegant position, she was pushed to the ground. Seeing the situation, the Russian beside Nick quickly aimed at Jiang Chen. "Break up the hand." The grim words came out, and Ayesha simultaneous pressed the trigger. The bullet ripped apart the right wrist of the Russian as the horrifying bone was exposed in the air. Before the man could scream out in pain, Nick, who sensed the opportunity, dashed up and slammed him to the ground. With his knees pressed on the arm, Nick used the rope between his hand against the Russian''s neck and choked him unconscious. Seeing as the Russian didn''t move anymore, Jiang Chen signaled Nick to treat him and tie him up, before he looked at Natasha again. The Ukrainian girl riding him had a face full of humiliation as she desperately tried to fight back. Her face was steamy red, but regardless of how much force she used, both of her hands could not escape from Jiang Chen''s iron claw. She couldn''t imagine this guy, who identifies as a merchant, could use one hand too tightly clench onto both of her hands. Despite how hard she tried, she could not move the slightest bit. "Stop, don''t waste your energy," Jiang Chen said casually as he looked at the balls, distorted against the concrete floor, with a grin. He then mocked, mimicking her tone, "Third time?" Seeing as struggling was futile, Natasha decided to stop moving. She turned her face as she used the corner of her eye to angrily stare at Jiang Chen, who was sitting on her waist. "Did you lock onto the sniper''s position?" With one hand clenching Natasha, Jiang Chen used the other hand to touch his ear. He looked like he was speaking to himself. "Locked on, the target is moving." Although it was outside of her range, that "rat''s" life signal was already marked on the map. "Follow him, try to capture him alive." "Roger," Ayesha''s responded concisely. Jiang Chen ended their communication and glanced in Nick''s direction. The Russian with a broken hand was tied up and thrown against the wall. Nick overlooked him with a rifle in hand. The man seemed to have gone unconscious because of the lost blood, but that was okay, as long as he didn''t die. If it was not needed, Jiang Chen didn''t want to be an enemy to the intelligence department of the "Five Thugs." Then, Jiang Chen looked backed at Natasha, looking at her dubiously. "Now, it''s time for me to interrogate you?" Natasha smiled contemptuously. "You won''t get a single word out of my mouth." "That''s not a guarantee." Jiang Chen shrugged as he suddenly smiled mischievously. "Since my people already took care of the sniper, we have plenty of time. Why don''t we do something fun." "I promise it won''t be fun." Natasha sneered, her green eyes filled with defiance. "That depends. Maybe, in the end, you can''t even control yourself." Jiang Chen''s laugh was pure evil. Funny, he realized after being injected with the genetic vaccine, not only did his physique improve, the width and hardness did as well. With the help of fury, even Ayesha, who was slightly M, would go insane. But he obviously was just joking. He was not at the point where he would do it here. "With you?" Natasha''s contemptuous voice ignited a flame in Jiang Chen''s heart. [I can''t take this.] Jiang Chen was immediately unhappy. "Do you want to test it out?" ... On a block 500 meters away. A slim figure, carrying a sniper rifle, was moving quickly through the street in shambles. This area was the frontline between the government force and civil militant. The glass along the street was shattered, and busted tanks and armored vehicles were everywhere on the road. Gunshots could be faintly heard from afar to what seemed like a fairly large scale attack. She ducked down and maintained her running position. She then looked at her right arm. The dangling right arm illuminated with light. The radio life detection system synced with the gathered data on the EP map. Right now, the red dot on the map already stopped moving, that sniper must have arrived at the backup sniping point. If she just wanted to kill him, one shot would be enough from such a distance. A sniper with exposed coordinates was as good as died. But to capture him, naturally, she had to get close. Ayesha was getting closer and closer to the target, her rapid steeps started to turn more cautious. Quickly, her distance with the target was only one street. Ayesha leaned against the wall as she examined from across the street. It was an abandoned office building. The revolving glass door was cracked with wrecked armored vehicles slammed into the door. Ayesha retrieved the sniper rifle from her back. She looked into the scope and scanned the building. After confirming the exact location of the target, Ayesha hoisted the pistol by her waist, slowly took a deep breath, and then dashed into the street. She carefully docked across the shattered door, with light steps, and cautiously sneaked upstairs. Usually, once sniper is in position, their awareness to their surrounding decreased to null. For snipers that worked alone, mines and traps were pretty much a must. She carefully followed the safety tunnel to the fifth floor. At the corner of the hallway, she stopped. She stopped, let out a sigh, grabbed an EMP grenade from her pocket, and slid it out after detonation. Static noise. ... Ayesha held the pistol, turned around, and continued to the fifth-floor door. At the door, a mine sat there. But the infrared emitter on top was destroyed by the EMP. She stepped over the no longer functioning mine, with agile steps, and sneaked to the end of the tunnel. Vasily quietly laid on the ground with eyes locked on the scope. Based on the image from the drone, the four people didn''t leave. Instead, under cover of the smoke, they went into a shack not too far away. The plot''s progression surprised him. The command center explicitly stated to capture, took down the KGB agent in one move. The intelligence department said he was just an ordinary person? An average person that could take down an agent with one move? Regardless, he was still there. As long as he maintained his position on the sniper, he only needs to wait for reinforcement, and take them as hostages. But for some reason, his felt unsettled. Suddenly, someone kicked him in the butt. He immediately flinched. The moment he turned around, he also reached for his pistol. But before he could, a black shadow covered his entire vision. The headphones dropped to the side. Ayesha emotionlessly looked at the bloodstain on the gun barrel, and then at the Russian with his nose smashed. "Dagger 02, Dagger 02, report your status-" Ayesha crushed the headphone as she took out handcuffs and cuffed the unlucky guy. She opened the mic. "Target retracted." ... "Beautiful, drag him over here." A smile emerged on Jiang Chen''s face, but that smile in the eyes of Natasha was eviler than the devil himself. The sniper was captured. Interrogation should get out some useful information from him. But Jiang Chen was still curious as to how he drew the interest of the KGB. He looked at the Natasha, tied up on the ground, as he gave her a friendly smile. But the friendly expression did not receive the same recognition from her. Natasha used the same grim look and stared back at him. "Don''t look at me like that." Jiang Chen shrugged as he tried to defend his action. "I said I am just a businessman, but you stick to me like flies. Did I bother you or trouble you?" "Fly? What do flies like to stick to?" Natasha sneered. Jiang Chen first stopped, then laughed. "Are you trying to enrage me? Is there any benefit to you for doing so?" Natasha bit her lip, not responding. The blond hair on her forehead was a bit messy. In her deep eye socket was a pair of piercing eyes. The vibe was certainly there. The look of, regardless of anything you do, I won''t say anything. This made Jiang Chen troubled. To be honest, he personally didn''t enjoy use force on beauty. He sighed and said, "In my opinion, you should just cooperate. Tell me who you represent? Why do you need me? For what? And then I''ll let you go. Such simple concepts. Although I am not an agent, I have seen entire Hollywood blockbusters and war dramas. Even if I haven''t seen an interrogation before, at least I could try to use a thing or two. If I accidentally don''t control my force, then you-" "Do you think I am scared of death?" Still the contemptuous tone. Mission outside of the border without the grant of the United Nations. For the glory of the country, even if she dies, she would not admit her identity. Jiang Chen stopped again, gave it some thought, and nodded while scratching his chin. "Not a bad point." He can''t kill her. Jiang Chen didn''t plan to make enemies with the KGB. But how would he get the information out of her? Suddenly, Jiang Chen clapped his hands as if he thought of something. Then, he smiled at Natasha with a not so friendly smile. "What are you smiling at?" Natasha felt uncomfortable. "Nothing. But speaking of which, have you seen ?" Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Bonus chapter! 146 The Secre Chapter 146: The Secret Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Within a dark room. Natasha''s pupils dilated as she sat awkwardly on the chair. Her limbs were tied firmly onto the armrests and chair legs. Jiang Chen glanced at her and sneered a few times. Don''t be mistaken. Although he did say he wanted her to "try", Jiang Chen didn''t actually do anything to her. Instead, he asked Ayesha to come and guard the door. He then walked into an inner room and went back to the apocalypse. He sent a message to Zhou Guoping, stationed in the Sixth Street, and asked him to find out if there was any truth-telling liquid. To be honest, Jiang Chen wasn''t too confident about medicine from sci-fi movies existing in the future. But when he heard his boss'' question, Zhuo Guoping stated that it did exist and promised that he would send it over after he purchased it. Jiang Chen sat in the community center for a bit as he took the truth-telling liquid from the meticulous Zhou Guoping. After sending him back, Jiang Chen returned to the modern world. The trip back and forth took four hours. The sky was already darkening. Nick still stood outside, guarding without complaint, while Ayesha also stood her ground at the door, coldly exchanging eye contact with Natasha. What happened after was simple. Natasha''s contempt was better than Lin Lin''s. Her resilience was also hundreds of times stronger, keeping her mouth shut. But Jiang Chen didn''t waste time with her. In front of her, he slowly took out a needle from his pocket. "Have you heard about the truth-telling liquid? The one in ." Natasha''s face immediately changed as she desperately twisted her back to resist. Without any other solutions, Jiang Chen had to forcefully tie her onto the chair to sit her down. Then, he looked at her frightened expression pleasingly. [Scared? What happened to the earlier you?] He personally loved to put things in beauty''s bodies. To be fair, the truth-telling liquid was pretty useless in the apocalypse. Based on what Zhou Guoping said, the principle of this was to force the target''s brain into hypnosis, while only being able to perform simple information receiving and answering. But in the apocalypse, even the survivors injected with the cheap E-grade genetic vaccine would not be hypnotized by this kind of medicine. But in the modern world, using this thing was just unfair. After being injected, Natasha was much more honest. Jiang Chen would ask a question, and she would reply with an answer drowsily. Then, the sniper also had an injection, and after combining the responses of both people, Jiang Chen finally understood the story from beginning to end. But the truth felt heavy. Willie Society, a mysterious organization established before the Second World War, was created by the German politician Scholar Karl Haus Haufer. Its members included Herman, Himmler and even Hitler himself. Based on rumors, a lot of the obscure technology came from there. At the same, the organization committed a lot of sinful activities during the war. After the war, it disappeared into thin air, as if it didn''t exist at all. But that was not the key point. The key point was that the organization still existed even today? And within Kane? The new president Poroshenko was also a member? NATO allowed for its existence? It was a hefty piece of news, but he tied what he saw in the news before, Azerbillari soldiers of the Mariupuer force had the Nazi symbol painted on their helmets, as well as the Kane soldier with the Nazi symbol attached to their arms, and began to think. The information was from Natasha. KGB''s spy activity in Kane was mostly spent on the mysterious organization called Willie Society. It differed from what Jiang Chen had suspected. He thought the Russian agents were coming for him because of the artificial intelligence, but it was an obscure reason. The only reason Natasha found him was because of a phone call. Half a month ago, when KGB was tapping Poroshenko''s confidant - General Markanov, they by chance got an interesting message. A man named Robert called him. Three keywords, "Jiang Chen, Gold, Mercenaries". By coincidence, around one year ago, when Robert didn''t touch the Iran oil and simply played the middleman role diligently, he was in charge of selling firearms to the Kane government on behalf of the White House. At that time, he was successfully put onto the blacklist of KGB, and KGB did initiate a civil militant-led attack targeting him. If it were not for the Slavic man who could fight, he would have been done for. Then, after Robert left Kane, his name naturally came off of the blacklist. But Natasha didn''t expect to see that name again. After some investigation, Jiang Chen''s resume was put into her hands. But his history was too clean. Clean to the point that it was unbelievable. Therefore, the moment Jiang Chen got off the plane, he was monitored. Markanov is a member of the Willie society. KGB wants to know the intention behind Jiang Chen''s contact with him. The original plan was for Natasha to try and hit on Jiang Chen, inject anesthetics when they entered the room, then transport him out of the hotel through special means, and interrogate at the safe house. But what she didn''t expect was that Jiang Chen was not as perverted as the information said, as he rejected her proposition. So she had to ask for permission to start plan B, which was, once Jiang Chen left Veit, intercept him once they reached Oesk. The further they drove east, the more advantageous the situation was for them. But unfortunately, KGB was not the only ones interested in Jiang Chen. Willie Society was also confused by the man from the east attempting to contact Markanov. It was okay when it was Robert since he represented the UA, but they questioned Jiang Chen''s identity. Also, he belonged to a mysterious organization? They couldn''t find a single piece of information related to the force behind him. They could deduce from current information that Jiang Chen belonged to an organization with unknown motive, unknown location, but strong research and development capabilities and substantial funding. As to Jiang Chen himself, just like KGB, they only managed to find a "resume" as good as scrap paper. It looked fake no matter how they interpreted it. Uhh, although Jiang Chen wanted to state that the piece of paper was real. The intelligence always over thought. So he''ll leave them to their imagination. They also started to monitor Jiang Chen when he got off the plane. But during monitoring, they found an interesting person - Natasha, KGB agent. The Willie agent was immediately unsettled when they saw the contact between Jiang Chen and KGB, but they didn''t alert them. Because it was a great opportunity! Not including Jiang Chen himself, if they operated correctly, they could even take out all the Russian agents behind Natasha! So, they also patiently waited for Jiang Chen to arrive at Oesk, and waited for the Russians to make the first move. ... To put it in simple terms, he was targeted by the two troubling groups, Willie Society and KGB. As long as he was in Kane, he would not be able to get rid of these troubles. "Are you okay?" Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen caringly. "Yeah, keep an eye on her for me." Jiang Chen rubbed his temple wearily as he headed outside. Outside the shack, Nick was patrolling with his rifle. Seeing Jiang Chen walk towards him, he waved to say hi. "How''s the situation?" "Everything is normal. The Russain special force seemed to have headed to our previous location. They rescued the pilot." "Not a big deal. Do you have a satellite phone? I need to discuss with that dumb*ss Robert." Their location was far away from the crash. They wouldn''t be able to find them here. Nick smiled, took out the satellite phone, and threw it into Jiang Chen''s hand. Right now, Robert was in a distant land across the Atlantic ocean. Lying relaxingly in his Los Santos mansion, enjoying the lavish life. Beside him lied a girl "lost in life", ready to discuss her Hollywood dream with him the entire night. But in this critical moment, the phone on the nightstand suddenly rang. Although he was unwilling, he saw the caller was Jiang Chen. He immediately picked up. "Hello? Did you meet my old friend?" "Meet your mom!" Jiang Chen was instantly frustrated when he heard Robert''s cheerful voice, and cursed, "Who the hell is your old friend? The moment I got off the plane, I got monitored by two agent organizations." Robert held the phone, momentarily lost for words. He asked with confusion in his voice, "What?" Jiang Chen adjusted his emotion as he let out a sigh. Then he slowly said, "KGB, Willie Society." Robert''s face immediately changed. He ignored the Hollywood girl beside him, got out of the bed, and walked to the living room covering his phone. "How did you mess with the KGB? And, what is Willie society?" Robert said anxiously. Robert didn''t even know? Jiang Chen was surprised. "Have you not heard about them when you were in Kane? It seems to be an organization with roots starting in the Second World War, with the Nazis... Dammit! What is this bullsh*t? Your old friend, Markanov, appears to be a Willie Society member." Then, Jiang Chen stated the information he got with truth-telling liquid again. Hearing Jiang Chen''s description, Robert''s expression turned serious. "I always thought it was a rumor... But I can''t believe they actually exist." "Yes, they do, but what the fu*k does it have to do with me? I just want to know, how am I going to leave Kane? If I got back to , I would be captured. The same will happen if I head to the east towards Russia. Do I need to swim across the Black Sea? This is bullsh*t," Jiang Chen swore. "Wait, let me think." Robert closed his eyes, and then suddenly opened them, "Did you kill them?" He referred to the Russian agents. "No, I tied them up," Jiang Chen took a deep breath and said slowly. "Good. There are still ways to resolve this... How about selling the two Russian agents to the CIB? I know someone working in Kane." "F*ck you," Jiang Chen burst out, "Your friend again?" Robert was quite helpless too and revealed a bitter face. "Umm... There is nothing I can do. Who knew Markanov has an identity like this? Dammit, when I sold him firearms before, I didn''t care who he was. For real, buddy, sell the people to CIB. They will send helicopters to pick you up and send you to their aircraft carrier." "And?" "They should let you off at Greece, and then arrange for your tickets home." "That''s fine. I''ll think of other ways." Jiang Chen hung up the phone. Nick took the phone from Jiang Chen and asked, "Did Robert think of something?" "He is dumber than before," Jiang Chen cursed and returned to the shack. [You must be kidding me, getting involved with the CIB again? There is not enough trouble already?] Willie Society is okay since they should only be operating in Kane. KGB is fine too since this is not a Soviet era. But if CIB were interested in you, they would take UA citizens'' taxpayer money to chase your butt around the world. He pushed open the door, and Jiang Chen saw Ayesha working on the scope of the rifle. Jiang Chen adjusted his emotion as he tried to force a relaxed look. Then, he said with a smile, "What are you doing?" Seeing Jiang Chen was back, Ayesha smiled gently at him. "Doing maintenance on the gun. Exporting video footage." [Video footage?] He hesitated for a moment before his eyes lit up. [I have a solution now!] 147 The Perfect Solution Chapter 147: The Perfect Solution Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi When Natasha woke up drowsily from passing out, she struggled to open her sore eyes. When she realized her current circumstance, a fierce look was targeted towards Jiang Chen, who was sitting directly across from her. "What did you do to me?" Obviously, she didn''t have any memories after being injected with the truth-telling liquid. Her clothes were distorted with hands tied to the armrest, and feet locked to the chair legs. A male and a female in a room together. There was a lot of room for the imagination. "Nothing." Jiang Chen shrugged with a smile on his face. "I am an innocent person." Psh! Natasha cursed in her mind as she looked at Jiang Chen without saying a word. "KGB." Jiang Chen spoke, but Natasha''s expression did not change at all. As long as she doesn''t admit it, what could he do to her? Seeing Natasha''s look of defiance, Jiang Chen smiled, put a smartphone on the table, and pressed play. "I am from the KGB..." "The purpose of your trip in Kane?" "To conduct intelligence, gather and provide intelligence for civil militants..." Questions and answers. The male''s voice was obviously Jiang Chen''s; the female was Natasha''s. Natasha''s face turned pale as she violently twisted her body to free herself and grab the phone. Seeing the girl''s action, Jiang Chen only shrugged and pressed the screen a few more times. "Before you calm down, I''ll to show you something even more interesting." He ignored Natasha''s deathly stare as Jiang Chen picked the phone up and played the video. The video''s quality was high. The perspective was from a scope. In the video, there was an M-171 Russian Helicopter. Then, the screen shook, Ayesha fired. At the same time, an RPG hit the helicopter. The helicopter went out of balance and crashed. Then, what looked like Kane''s special forces began to fire at the group. Of course, it was a joke that Kane has a special force. Right after, Borris in the front called for artillery support, and a few shells covered the entire area, sending the group of soldiers flying. Then it was Borris being shot in the chest. Then the Yuri guy being shot in the head, followed by Morris. Then, it was Ayesha that broke another Russian agent''s hand, but that part was cut. Natasha''s expression was pale as she stopped struggling. "I trust that you know what would happen if this video appeared on YouTube or other sites. Unauthorized military action in foreign countries. Artillery stationed in the border launching strikes against foreign targets. The video''s resolution is much better than the UA''s satellite. I remember that the White House didn''t even capture images of you guys firing. Would this in my hand be considered big news? Just so you know, I also intercepted the communication requesting for artillery." Jiang Chen smiled delightfully. There was not a single trace of redness on Natasha''s face. She knew exactly what kind of severe consequence would result if the video was uploaded. "Give me the video." "No." Jiang Chen smiled. "You''ll be hunted by KGB agents," Natasha threatened. "If something happens to me, the video will automatically be sent out. You will get nothing out of it," Jiang Chen''s fingers crossed as he said this, not caring. Natasha was silent. Then she changed into a flirtatious expression. "If you are willing to give it to me, I will give you some unexpecting services." Ayesha standing by the door glanced at her, the emotionless face looked rather daunting. "Are you not going to ask your little soldier to leave? I will make you really comfortable." Natasha was a different person, the eyes in her deep eye sockets were charming. To be honest, Jiang Chen was feeling a little hard. "I''ll pass. Who knows how many people have you done. I would rather pay," Jiang Chen closed his eyes to avoid showing any fluctuations in his emotions, hiding his awkwardness. He then continued, "Also, she is not a soldier, she is my wife." Hearing that, Ayesha''s eyes opened wide. Mist flickered in her eyes. Natasha glanced at the "touched" girl and continued to look at Jiang Chen with a smile. "That might not be true. I am still pure." "Who would believe it? Stop with this nonsense, let''s make a deal," Jiang Chen, annoyed, spoke. He was afraid that he wouldn''t be able to resist the temptation after being firm on his stance for so long. "Deal? You think you are worthy enough to make a deal with the country?" Natasha''s eyes cooled down as she narrowed them. "Country? Nah, I''m only making a deal with your intelligence minister," Jiang Chen ignored Natasha''s contemptuous expression and said straightforwardly. "If the video appears on the Internet, the political career of your minister is over. Someone must take the blame for this." "Then?" "As long as we pretend it doesn''t exist." Jiang Chen shrugged and looked at Natasha. "I''ll let you and the sucker with the broken hand go. We both kidnapped each other so we can say we are even. If you dare to retake action on me, I''ll release the video. If you want the video not to exist, then just don''t bother." "Do you think we''ll leave a piece of evidence like this in someone else''s hands?'' Natasha burst out laughing. "Think about it." Jiang Chen also laughed, "You guys know that I have a mysterious organization behind me. I already said I am willing to resolve this peacefully, why are you giving me trouble? You want to cause a whole bunch of trouble and lose your job, or remain silent and pretend I don''t exist. The choice is in your hands. I can give you back your communication device now. Why don''t you have a chat with your superior?" Natasha eyes slightly shook, finally letting out a sigh. "Okay." What happened next was what Jiang Chen had expected. The KGB head named Bart accepted this deal without hesitation. First, the two parties conflict was resolved. KGB will no longer take action, and he will leave Kane in three days, keeping the video content a secret. If the video is leaked, KGB will be sent out agents to assassinate him. As to KGB''s threat, Jiang Chen only shrugged and didn''t overthink it. Also, Jiang Chen provided a USB to Natasha with the interrogation results of the sniper. Natasha would take his achievement back to her country, receive a promotion, and then sit within the office. Since her identity was already exposed, it would no longer be suitable for foreign missions. Jiang Chen''s USB gave Bart the reason to promote her and also gave her a price to shut her mouth. The mission will be recorded as Natasha and her team engaged in heavy combat with Willie Society''s controlled force, with the team suffering heavy casualties but obtained critical intelligence. As to Jiang Chen''s existence, it will be hidden. Although Bart, the old cunning fox, suggested to Jiang Chen to transfer the sniper to the Russian side, Jiang Chen refused. He had other uses for this sniper. Jiang Chen didn''t insist since the interrogation report was already comprehensive with everything they needed. But in the voice recording, the sniper often answered right away, without hesitation, which was quite obscure. The frail voice of the guy probably meant that he suffered some gruesome torture. When the communication ended, Jiang Chen untied Natasha. She moved her sore body as she gave Jiang Chen an ambiguous look. "You are brilliant. From what I know, you are the first foreigner to have come to an agreement with Bart." Jiang Chen shrugged. "It did match the interest of both parties. This ending is not bad for you or me, right?" To be honest, where he got the idea was from the dumbass Robert. Except compared to him, Jiang Chen was attempting something bigger. "Fair. Although, you are playing with fire. Where is Jager?" Natasha spoke as she extended her hand. "The guy with a broken hand? In the other room." Jiang Chen passed the USB to her. Before she left, Natasha still looked cautiously at the smartphone on the table. Inside contained videos that could affect Russia''s image. It could even be used as an excuse to start a new wave of economic sanctions. As long as she destroyed it... But she also noticed that the quiet girl had her eyes locked onto her. She had the feeling that if she dared to make a move, the girl would instantly pull the trigger. "Not leaving? Going to miss me? Jiang Chen smirked. Natasha smiled charmingly, "Are you really not going to reconsider my proposal? To be honest, I figured that you don''t look as weak as I thought. It doesn''t seem to be too bad to use you as my first." Ayesha didn''t say anything but maintained the same emotionless expression. Though her vibe was becoming more and more dangerous? "The negotiation is already over. If it is a personal invitation, maybe I''ll say yes at a different time?" Jiang Chen rejected smoothly. Natasha giggled and didn''t respond. She then headed straight to the door. "When you have the chance to come to Moscow, don''t forget to tell me. You suffered through a lot. I''ll have to buy you a drink." "Of course," Jiang Chen laughed as he said to her shadow lightheartedly. ... Natasha left with Jager. Then, Jiang Chen''s group took the unconscious sniper to a different location. Under the disguise of the darkness, they traversed through the battlefield to an isolated community. After going inside an abandoned apartment building, making sure they were not being followed, Jiang Chen woke the tied up sniper. "Vasily?" Vasily didn''t say anything. He quietly looked at Jiang Chen. He didn''t know under the influence of the truth-telling liquid, he has already exposed all of his secrets. "I heard that snipers usually have great patience, right?" Jiang Chen said lightheartedly. "Then you should know, interrogation means nothing to me," The Slavic looking man stared at Jiang Chen, answering coldly. Nick stood on the side and translated it into English. Then he looked at Jiang Chen. Seeing as Vasily didn''t say anything, Jiang Chen continued, "I don''t plan on interrogating you, I only want to ask you for some contact information... Umm, how should I say this? I want to do a deal with the organization behind you." 148 Mercenary Chapter 148: Mercenary Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Honestly speaking, Jiang Chen did not care about the goddamn place known as Kane. He only wanted to buy some experienced soldiers and train a mercenary force loyal to him to complete his "island capture" plan. But at the moment, he was tricked by the dumbass Robert''s information, Markanov''s hidden identity made the situation much more complicated. Because of the KGB agents, as well as the Willie Society agents going head to head, he was forced into this hidden conflict. The fortunate part was, all these problems were resolved. Whatever conspiracy the Willie society had, KGB can worry about it. He walked with Markanov'' along the 92nd mechanized infantry base as the two chatted together. Nick followed behind them because Markanov''s English was not too bad, so he didn''t even need to translate. He just continued to walk along in his usual silence. As to Ayesha, Jiang Chen stationed her in the distance, just in case. Although they were not in the most dangerous area, it was considered the frontline. The conditions here were quite harsh. The soldiers would usually sleep by the dug trench, the wooden boxes used to store ammo were used as tables, they sat around eating cold canned food, chewing black bread. Seeing the soldiers'' living condition, it was not even comparable to the survivors in the Fishbone base. Jiang Chen had the illusion that he was too generous. "There''s plenty of great guys here at the 92nd mechanized infantry. If you see anyone you like, let me know. I''ll chat with them. Of course, as long as he is not too dumb, he won''t reject the offer." Markanov laughed. Seeing the general finally coming to the front line to check them, a lot of the listless soldiers regained their focus and saluted when he walked by. Seeing the soldiers, Jiang Chen was skeptical if they could actually defend against the civil force''s attack. But his face remained expressionless. "Oh? If I take the aces from your force, are you not going to get a heartache?" Jiang Chen half-jokingly said. The man has a pointed nose and sharp sight, with a faint scar the side of his face. He looked like he had a fit physique. At a glance, Jiang Chen couldn''t relate him to a corrupt official that sold national assets. He was also the confidant of the new president. "What''s there to have a heartache about?" Markanov shrugged and laughed. "What if you give me 100 aces, would they beat the "volunteers" from Russia? The outcome of the war never swayed towards us from the beginning. Let''s not talk about that. Let''s speak of something more practical. My own salary has been held back for a few months already. If I don''t sell equipment, how would I pay the people under me?" He didn''t say anything. The gold worth one million USD was enough for him to spend the rest of his life comfortably in any country. So what if he is a confidant of Poroshenko? He had too many confidants. This guy didn''t care about being alive or dead. Once he has the money, he doesn''t care about what this god forbidden place would turn into. Jiang Chen didn''t respond. Before he came, he already came to an agreement with Willie society. He would leave Kane within three days. The purpose of the trip was to hire some mercenaries as bodyguards. The deal was personal. Although he did have an undisclosed organization behind him, they had no intention of stepping into Kane''s mess. The sniper he captured would be returned after he safely leaves the country. If something unexpected happened to him in the next three days, the sniper''s location would automatically be sent to Russia. The hostage would be transferred to the Russian side. Vasily didn''t know he was injected with truth-telling liquid. Willie society, therefore, wouldn''t know part of their information was already leaked to the Russian side. Therefore, there would still be value in the sniper. Hence, to prevent anything unexpected from happening to Jiang Chen in the next three days, Willie society even sent a few agents to protect him, in case the KGB secretly want to cause interference. But clearly, they overcomplicated the situation as Jiang Chen already reached an agreement with KGB. Even if there were still agents following him from afar, they would not make a move. "Other than soldiers, do you need a tank? AT-64. I''ll sell it to you for one million USD." "Tank? Where would I even put that?" Jiang Chen jokingly cursed. [You must be joking. You think I don''t know that that''s the historic remains from the Soviet? 400 T-64s lie in the tank graveyard at Kharkov with who knows how thick of dust covering them. It would be a miracle to find one that is still moving. Those things were scraps that even the steel factory wouldn''t want.] He followed the trench to the empty ground. Markanov and a second in command looking person exchanged a few words in whispers. Then, he grabbed two chairs and sat with Jiang Chen, smiling. The 92nd mechanized infantry soldiers were interviewed in groups, with Nick the veteran making the call. Jiang Chen only sat on the side, doing some simple verification. To prevent agents from other organizations, he would only need to use some truth-telling liquid to ask them a few questions later. After around two hours, they finally finished the troublesome process. Kane had no special forces, but there were still a few experienced soldiers with skills comparable to special forces mixed in. Mostly comprised of Khanstanese, they were natural warriors with superior individual combat ability. Their equipment was taken off, and Jiang Chen took the group of soldiers already removed from the force to an abandoned warehouse two kilometers away. Jiang Chen signaled Nick to translate. "I know you must have a lot of questions in mind, such as being forced to join the army and then somehow removed from the force," Jiang Chen stood on top of a broken shipping container and yelled at the lost soldiers. "You already shed enough blood for your home country. Regardless if it is still worthy of your allegiance, you all did an excellent job. Now, we should talk about something practical." "A ten-year work contract, and a salary of one hundred thousand USD a year. Fight for me, not the Poroshenko who can''t even pay you," Jiang Chen said firmly as he scanned the eyes, filled with differing thoughts. Like a rock thrown into the middle of a tranquil lake, the soldiers all began to discuss. Jiang Chen patiently waited for them to come up with a result. No matter who, the decision that would change their lives would make people unsettled and lost. "How do we know you are telling the truth? People in Veit tricked us to the front line, and we had a pity 1500 hryvnia last month. We didn''t even get paid anything this month." "So what''s your plan?" Jiang Chen spoke calmly. "Leave here, to Poland, since my name is already removed. Thank god," the soldier said without hesitation. "If you see these things, do you still have the same plan?" Jiang Chen shrugged and signaled Nick to take out the suitcase. The suitcase opened. Filled with stacks of USD bills. Instantly, everyone held their breath. "This is private work. You fight for me, and I''ll pay your salary. Poland? You become a refugee without dignity in another country. Utilize your only strength with me. Work for ten years, take your saving and enjoy the rest of your life in any country. The opportunity is right in front you, and the door is behind you. To stay or to leave, you guys can decide." After saying this, Jiang Chen patiently looked at them and stopped saying anything. Ten years! One million?! Not even one million, they haven''t even you seen ten thousand Franklins stacked together. The soldiers erupted, but no one wanted to leave. They were still skeptical of Jiang Chen''s generous offer. "Can I ask a question?" Finally, a middle-aged man with a rigid face stepped out and tried to ask a question. "Of course," Jiang Chen examined the person and said nonchalantly. "My name is Ivan," Ivan courteously stated his name, then said with a firm tone, "Before accepting your offer, can we know where we will be serving?" "Africa, training mercenaries for me," Jiang Chen answered straightforwardly. When they heard that they were not being dragged to an unstable area as cannon fodder, they looked more relieved. Even with a lot of money, they had to be alive to spend it. "Another question. How are you planning to pay our salary? A lot of us have family here-" Jiang Chen interrupted him as he waved his hand in dominating fashion, "Cash, transfer, whatever you want. Paid every half a year. I only have one requirement. Your contribution must be worthy of your salary. The conditions I gave must be met." He paused, Jiang Chen scanned these people, and then continued, "I know a lot of you have a family. You can choose to move them to the family area at the base, or you can opt to leave them here, or whatever. I''ll prepay ten thousand in salary. I want all of you to show up at Boris Boer International Airport three days later. If someone runs away with this ten thousand USD-" Said in a cheerful voice, "Then wouldn''t that be embarrassing for me? The remaining nine hundred thousand USD will be the bounty for your head." When Nick explained Jiang Chen''s last words, everyone gasped. Not because of the threat, but rather the Eastern boss was willing first to pay them ten thousand for their families? He could not be more compassionate! With such a genuine offer, who would leave? If someone did, they definitely had their head kicked before. Seeing no one posed any objections, Jiang Chen indicated to Nick to take out the contract. Once they signed, they could receive ten thousand USD in cash as money for family accommodation. After everything was taken care of, Jiang Chen immediately dismissed them. "You are quite generous." Nick smiled, as he gave the suitcase with nine hundred thousand USD back to Jiang Chen. "Haha. Are you interested in working for me? I''ll give you one million in salary." Jiang Chen laughed. Nick shook his head. Jiang Chen expected his response, that was a joke. "Although Robert''s head is pretty abnormal, he has his ways of looking after people," Jiang Chen passed him a cigarette and jokingly cursed. Nick grabbed the cigarette as he lit it up. "Are you not smoking?" He raised his eyebrows and blew a ring. "Here and there, but rarely now." Jiang Chen shook his head, touched his ear, and alerted Ayesha, "Mission complete, come back." "Okay." After being injected with the genetic vaccine, he was no longer addicted to smoking. The powerful metabolic process meant that the toxins built up in his body would be eliminated through his digestive system. Precisely speaking, even if he constantly smoked, it would not affect his health. He could smoke freely now, but there was no reason anymore, so naturally, he stopped. Before it was a way to alleviate stress, but now, life seemed to be good? Just a bit busy. "What''s next? What are you planning to do for the next three days?" Nick asked casually. He laughed, as Jiang Chen took out a stash of bills and stuffed them into his hands. "This is your bonus. Finally came out of the country, how could I not enjoy myself?" Nick cracked a smile as he didn''t reject the money. Then he looked at the slim figure walking through the door. Black cape, while holding a sniper rifle. It looked comical against her size. "Spend time with your girl?" Nick mocked him. "Mhmm." A rare softness appeared on Jiang Chen''s face as he looked at Ayesha in the distance. "Time to make it up to her." Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Hello everyone, we reached our goal on Patreon again. As promised, we''ll be increasing the release speed to 10 chapters per week next week. There will be also a few more chapters released at the end of the month as we work to prepare the bonus chapters. Shout out to everyone that donated! There will be one more chapter tonight. 149 Vacation in Vei Chapter 149: Vacation in Veit Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Bright sun, blue sky. This is Veit, not Oesk hundreds of kilometers away. Chaos has yet to taint the clear sky. With industrial regression, it created a country with air quality far superior to Hua, whether that was considered lucky or not. Crowds passed through the Veit Independent Square, but it was not noisy. Last year, there were a few protests at the beautiful square, and quite a few people died. Maybe that had enough of an impact that individuals who were walking around the square were silent as their condolences. With only the occasional shouting here and there, slowly driving away the haze that was left behind. There were a lot of beauties on the street. It was the first time Jiang Chen experienced the words "beauty infested." Because of the unique geographical location, excluding Southwest of Crimea, which was along the black sea bank that possessed subtropical climate, most of the area had a mild continental climate. The winter was long, and summer was short. Along with lower than average daylight exposure, the people here naturally had paler skin. With the fact that it was located at the border of Europe and Asia, the multi-ethnicity allowed them to have quite a significant advantage in the gene pool. Of course, Jiang Chen''s eyes didn''t stay on the gorgeous looking Kane girls because he was in the middle of a date. ... Independent Square, below the Central Memorium Post, a girl with a slightly stiff expression looked at the camera. "Relax, smile... Hey! Don''t be so shy." As Jiang Chen said that, his eyebrows twitched unnaturally. He felt like a weird uncle trying to lure a small loli. "This dress is so light. It feels weird." Ayesha unnaturally pulled at her skirt, her pale face covered by a red glare. She vision escaped from the lens, as she coyly looked at her feet. "No, no, no, it''s cute, relax... Look at the camera." Jiang Chen used all his words to convince Ayesha to not be so shy as he finally caught a glimpse of a beautiful scene. Just as Ayesha shyly looked up, he pressed the shutter. Snap! "Phew, finally done." Jiang Chen wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he let out a relieved sigh. Seeing that they finished taking photos, Ayesha immediately ran to Jiang Chen''s side. Although she still felt embarrassed by posing in front of a camera, by her eagerness, she naturally looked interested in how the photo turned out. Seeing Ayesha''s look of expectation, Jiang Chen smiled. "Don''t worry, it''s beautiful," He called out the picture he just took. She stared at herself in the photo as her eyes began to light up. "This, this really is me?" Her voice was filled with disbelief as her finger lightly touched the screen. The slim and graceful figure, the delicate and pale face, and the softly curled brown hair didn''t lack liveliness. The slight, shy expression along with the gem-like eyes was a compromise of both innocence and mystery. The black dress hanged to the knee with a black bow tie placed at the waist, and a pair of thin stripe sandals to match. The elegant black rose blossomed a mysterious but adorable vibe. The background wasn''t relevant anymore. "Of course, it''s my Ayesha." Jiang Chen put the camera down as he rubbed her long hair with a smile. Although still slightly embarrassed, Ayesha buried her head down. She was still not used to displaying affection in public. But if it were in their home, she wouldn''t be embarrassed even in a bikini. But suddenly, a piercing grim look flashed across her eyes. "Something is following us," Ayesha lowered her voice as she walked towards the crowd. "Don''t overreact. Of course, I know." Jiang Chen tugged on Ayesha''s hand and stopped her from going to the crowd. She tilted her head as she was confused by Jiang Chen''s reaction. "Ahem, aren''t we on a date?" When she heard the word "date," Ayesha suddenly noticed her hand was being held, and the pale face suddenly turned to a shade of dark red as if blood was about to drip out any second. "Do we really need to care about them?" Her finger twisted around the tip of her dress as she quickly whispered. "No." Jiang Chen smiled brightly, as he openly turned around and scanned the crowd. "Just let these dumb*sses work over time, we''ll enjoy our vacation." Without the need to think, at least two parties were following him. But so what? He only wanted to take Ayesha around for the next two days, temporarily forgetting the bothersome troubles, and enjoy his vacation. A reward for himself, and compensation to Ayesha. Watching the side of Ayesha''s face, Jiang Chen always felt guilty. In her best years, she was supposed to enjoy her youth, but she had to carry a weapon for him. Although from a different but equivalent perspective, he saved her. Therefore, he shouldn''t feel guilty about her doing this. But he always thought that if he did think that way, that was not man-like. Sensing Jiang Chen''s gaze, Ayesha turned around, innocently but gently smiled. "Where are we going to go next?" Holding his hand, Ayesha gently shook it. She started to enjoy this feeling, walking with the love of her life, and the happiness of the warmth surrounding her hand. "I''ll take you to buy some clothes." Jiang Chen gently squeezed her hand and smiled. "Clothes? But I already have plenty..." Ayesha whispered. In her eyes, it was enough to have a few to change into. The key to attracting her husband was her figure. Although the idea would make him feel excited, something seemed to be wrong. "It''s okay! We are rich!" He scanned the crowded street as he laughed. ... To be frank, it was Jiang Chen''s first time shopping with a girl. When he was at university, he didn''t have the finances. After graduation, he worked at a clothing store. Ignoring all the subjective reasons, the most important one was that he didn''t have a girlfriend! In his imagination, taking a cute girl and seeing her change into all kinds of pretty clothes must be the happiest thing in life. Therefore, when he held Ayesha''s hand, the first thing he thought of was to take her shopping. Umm, he quickly realized his mistake. In the beginning, Ayesha was still shy and was dazzled by so many selections, not knowing where to start. But when the energetic saleswoman noticed the hesitating Ayesha, her eyes lit up, and she walked over. Jiang Chen was too familiar with that look because he worked at a clothing store before. He personally witnessed how his colleagues convince, with flattering words, a girl who initially wanted to save money for her boyfriend, buy a set of clothes worth over ten thousand. But he didn''t really care. Just like he what he said before. He''s rich, who cares. The Kane saleswoman spoke excellent English. Her energetic work attitude also garnered the trust of Ayesha, who was usually afraid of strangers. Therefore, Jiang Chen only saw Ayesha move between clothing racks and change room. The clothes she wore were constantly changing. Gothic skirt, refreshing long dress, sassy leather jacket... At the start, Jiang Chen''s eyes had a treat. Ayesha fitted all styles of clothing, which Jiang Chen signaled to buy buy buy without blinking an eye. Ayesha was first reserved, but when she found out in surprise that every time she changed, Jiang Chen''s eyes would light up, she was more and more interested. In the end, she couldn''t even stop. The clothes on the counter started to pile up. The saleswoman was so happy she couldn''t even close her mouth. It was the first time seeing such an affluent customer. But this troubled Jiang Chen. Although Ayesha did look good in all different styles of clothing, they almost stayed at this store for two hours! On this street, there were still hundreds more! But since he already agreed, he must follow through even with tears in his eyes. She finally finished trying on the last piece, Ayesha wore a white floral dress coming out of the fitting room. She looked shyly at Jiang Chen, ran a few quick steps, buried her head, and tipped her toes to peek between Jiang Chen''s lips. "Thank you... I feel really happy." The usually cold face was filled with emotion. In that instant, all of Jiang Chen''s weariness faded. Worth it! ... Looking at the saleswoman''s almost climaxing expression, Jiang Chen swiped his card. The owner of the clothing store personally sent him out the door, providing a 30% discount gold card in the act of appreciation, and then watched Jiang Chen carry a giant bag, walking away holding Ayesha''s hand. Around 100 pieces of clothes because almost everything looked good on her. Jiang Chen practically raided everything that was her size from the store. Money was not the problem. Only a few thousand USD. But how would they vacation with so much clothing? Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he stopped at an ice cream shop. He ordered a vanilla ice cream for Ayesha and told her to wait a bit before carrying the giant bag into the crowd. The people he passed by all turned around and gave him an odd look. Jiang Chen ignored everyone, walking straight into a pipe shop. Then he stopped in front of middle-aged men with his hands in his pocket, examining the pipe in the window. "Following people is an art, do you guys lack funding this much? At least practice a little more." Jiang Chen sighed. The man''s face turned red, and he tried to argue, but Jiang Chen continued before he could open his mouth. "That''s enough. The secret police of Kane? You don''t look like you are from Willie Society. KGB is much more professional than you. At least I didn''t find their location." Jiang Chen threw the bag onto the ground and grabbed the camera around his neck. "Sir, did you mistake-" "Do you see? You are in these photos." Jiang Chen poked at the screen and looked at him mockingly. Seeing that he was exposed, the man had a bitter smile on his face. "Why did you point it out? You''ll make me lose my job." "Lose your job? Poroshenko could still afford to pay people''s salaries?" Jiang Chen laughed about his boss in front of him and pointed at the bag on the ground. "Send this to the Primir Hotel reception. You''ll receive 1000 USD in compensation." By the dumbfounded look of the person, Jiang Chen walked up and patted him on the shoulder with some force. He smiled. "Think for yourself more. The individuals in the frontline are looking for ways out. It''s not bad taking some side jobs to feed yourself." After finishing, Jiang Chen waved his head and left a still dumbfounded rookie agent. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Second chapter as promised. Enjoy 150 For the Same Reason Chapter 150: For the Same Reason Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ When Jiang Chen stepped into the ice cream parlor again, he saw an entertaining scene that his face could not help but reveal a thoughtful expression. Ayesha in a black dress was sitting at the table. Her original impassive face was now layered with frost. Across from her, an East Slavic young man was talking to her rather enthusiastically. "Hey, gorgeous, may I know your name?" The young man with aquiline nose gazed at Ayeshas eyes in what he obviously deemed as romantic. Ignored. "Ahem, I seemed to have seen you somewhere before." No response. Oleg stared at Ayesha in embarrassment. From a gentlemans perspective, if the other party had clearly expressed no interest, then pestering would only be regarded as cumbersome. But how could he endure it? Towards someone who was remarkably handsome, romantic, and suave like him, would there be someone who would thoroughly ignore him? He took a deep breath and decided to deliver his ultimate "cool" move. In one grand romantic gesture, he stood up, genuflected, and stared into Ayeshas eyes affectionately. "From the first time I saw you, I couldn''t help but fell irrevocably in love with you, my goddess." Most customers in the ice cream shop began to look in their direction. Some young girls covered their mouth in surprise, and some even started to whistle. Proposals (like of marriage) would always be popular, no matter which country you were. Oleg was indeed attractive and combined with his fit physique, looked every bit of a dashing man from Kane. However, Ayesha had merely cast a glance at the clock on the wall indifferently. She had always been indifferent towards strangers especially men. If it wasn''t for Jiang Chen opposition, she would have worn the black cape she usually wore when sniping on their date. Olegs passionate expression was frozen on his face as he was left to stew in awkwardness. If he left, it would look like he was acting in a one-man show; on the other hand, Ayesha was clearly broadcasting an "I''m-too-lazy-to-bother-with-you" expression. Smiling slightly, Jiang Chen walked forward. "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting for so long." Ayeshas eyes lit up instantly when she spotted him. She quickly got up and walked to his side and hugged his arm as though no one was around. "He was pestering me, but I didn''t pay him" Ayesha explained in a faint voice as she was worried that Jiang Chen might misinterpret the situation. "I know," Jiang Chen interrupted her explanation with a smile and rubbed her hair dotingly, "I trust you." "Hmm." Ayesha turned slightly red and lowered her head, fingers unconsciously toying with Jiang Chens cuffs. Oleg was still frozen in the same awkward position, his mouth was twitching uncontrollably. The crowds gaze gradually turned from encouraging to that of mockery and sympathy. Regardless of how thick his skin was for flirting with so many girls, his face still betrayed an embarrassed expression. Disconcerted, he got up from the ground, fixed his collar and walked in front of Jiang Chen. "Yellow skin? My goddess, how could you like someone" After seeing Jiang Chens face, his contemptuous expression immediately cooled down. "Why don''t you keep up your gentlemanly pretense until the end? You look like a kid whose candy got stolen," Jiang Chen sneered. "I dare you to say that again." Oleg extended his hand with a vicious smile as though Jiang Chens provocation gave him a reason to start a fight. In his eyes, this yellow monkey would not be able to put up a fight. Ayeshas eyes flashed a hint of iciness and just as she was about to make a move, Jiang Chen gently squeezed her hand, signaling that there was no need for her to lend a hand. There was no way that he would let a girl protect him during a date, on the other hand, he was also too lazy to use force. His eyes then scanned his surroundings. "Ahem, I have enough reason to conclude that this dumbass is sent by Willie society to give me trouble," he muttered under his breath. Oleg hadn''t even touched Jiang Chen yet when a middle-aged man sitting on next table vaulted and pushed him against the table in one incredibly swift motion. "Fu*k, who the fu*k are you?" Oleg, not understanding the situation, struggled to fight back, but he was bound tightly by a middle-aged man behind him. "I''m the police! Dont you fu*king move!" The middle-aged man fumbled with the handcuffs and cuffed his hands. "Oleg, right? You are under arrest on account of being a threat to national safety. I hope you can cooperate with our investigation." "What!" Oleg shouted incredulously, "I was just trying to pick up a girl. Everyone here can testify." Another middle-aged man drinking coffee on the other side let out a sigh and walked in front of Jiang Chen. "We apologize for giving you a fright. Do you need me to help you with contacting the embassy and arrange for your immediate return?" The middle-aged man in a gray vest looked at Jiang Chen and seemed anxious to depart. "Thank you very much, but that won''t be necessary. I still have two days left in my vacation. This small mishap would not affect our friendship, wouldn''t it?" Jiang Chen extended his right hand with a smile. The middle-aged man watched him for half a day before grasping his right hand silently. [Since you guys had already followed for so long, wouldn''t be a shame to not to use this free "bodyguard"?] "I hope you have a great vacation. You know, there are still a lot of people working overtime." The middle-aged man was staring directly at Jiang Chen. "Of course, I hope you have a pleasant overtime." Jiang Chens smile was especially radiant. ... After leaving the ice cream parlor, Jiang Chen didnt take Ayesha to the clothing stores and instead brought her to the movie theater. Although his mansion had a home theater comparable to a movie house, watching here amplified the experience. Especially when on a date. The screen was showing . Although Jiang Chen had already seen it once, when he asked what movie Ayesha was interested in, she left out all the romance movies and only showed interest in action films. Anyway, his real purpose was to make it up to her, so he gladly agreed with her choice. Moreover, it would be a total loss if one actually paid any attention to the movie while in the company of a girl. Holding Ayeshas little hand, feeling her occasional bout of tenseness and the softness of her hand when she relaxed, he felt his mind was on cloud nine. The movie playing on the screen had no hope of entering his mind. [I can hold this hand forever!] After leaving the movie theater, Jiang Chen stretched himself. Seeing Ayeshas furrowed brows, he gently smiled and asked, "What''s the matter?" "Umm." Ayesha stroked her chin and nodded thoughtfully. "I''m just thinking, why do the bullets never hit anyone? Clearly, the villain boss has so many underlings so why does he need to personally fight in the end? His marksmanship was not even that good." Jiang Chen was speechless. It appeared that this girl did pay attention to the movie the entire time. "Ahem, if they got hit with one shot, it wouldnt be called an action movie anymore. If the antagonist boss doesnt die in the end, it would then become a series. Overall, it''s nice, isn''t it?" Hearing this, Ayesha was confused at first, then nodded her head, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Mhmm." ... In the evening, they took a stroll along Dnieper River, feeling the gentle breeze blowing on their face. Jiang Chen took a peek at Ayesha who was holding on his arm. The gorgeous face under the lantern light looked serene, her brown hair fluttered in the breeze, and a smile lingered on her lips. It was such a guileless smile, and it was Jiang Chen first time seeing it on her face. "Did you have fun today?" he asked, smiling faintly. Hearing this, Ayesha''s pale face turned slightly pink. Slightly adjusting her position, Ayesha stuffed her hand into his. "Hmm," she whispered but seemed to feel it was not conveying enough of her feelings, so she added, "Very, very happy." "Thats good." Jiang Chen smiled then turned to look at the river. The reflection of the moonlight decorated the Dnieper River''s surface and suffused it with light. Ayesha gazed at Jiang Chens side contour, the eyes that were not good at expressing emotions flashed vulnerability and bewilderment. "Why?" Ayesha murmured to herself like someone caught in a dream. "Why?" Jiang Chen looked at her somewhat puzzled. "I am only someone you picked up from the desertObviously, I''m already very happy." Recalling the image of her parents in the pool of blood, the drowsiness while inside the truck and being transported to the refugee camp, recalling her past self who had pretty much given up on life, Ayesha suddenly felt herself tearing up. Just being able to live in a stable country was already a happiness in itself. "What''s wrong?" Jiang Chen smiled gently and squeezed her soft, little hands a little harder. "Butthat''s why I owe you even more," she murmured. She put her sandals on the gravel road and looked at her own reflection on the river. "Did you follow me just because you wanted to pay me back?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile. A flash of confusion appeared in her eyes, but shortly after she shook her head vigorously. "No." "Then why is it?" After a moment of silence, Ayesha''s cheek was gradually suffused with heat, the delicate, red lips were conflicted for a good while before finally saying the words that had been brewing for a long time but never got the courage to express, "Because I like you." She paused and stared into his eyes. The look of vulnerability gradually disappeared from her eyes. Hearing this, a warm smile emerged on Jiang Chen''s face. An answer he naturally expected, but no matter how many times she said it, it would never fail to make his heart raced. "At first, I felt I owe you a lot and thats why I asked for this date," Jiang Chen murmured as he held Ayeshas hand. "Owe?" Ayesha asked confusedly. She couldn''t understand Jiang Chens choice of words. It was obviously her who owed him a lot. "Thats right. In my opinion, you''re at your most exciting age, but I have kept you in the mansion and then had been busy with my own affairs and now that I need you, I immediately gave you a gun." "I dont mind being used by you." Ayesha tenderly squeezed Jiang Chens hand. "People are more or less hypocritical, but thats not what I am talking about." Jiang Chen smiled and responded to her affection. He paused before continuing again, "Just now, I suddenly realized that perhaps the real reason was not due to the feeling of I ''owe'' you." Rather, it is the same reason as yours." Because you like me. So I also like you, too. The two fell into tacit understanding. In the tranquil and romantic Dnieper River, two figures were locked in an embrace, their lips interlocking with one other. 151 The End of the Journey Chapter 151: The End of the Journey Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The next morning, Jiang Chen sat up on the bed while rubbing his still sleepy eyes. A faint smile appeared on his face while looking at Ayesha, who was still curled up in blankets, sleeping like an adorable cat. Needless to say, there were no words for what happened last night. Maybe it was just his imagination; however, it seemed that from that night on, Ayesha had started becoming clingier. Although she remained expressionless in public when it was just the two of them...ahem, there''s no need to say the rest. Yesterday he took Ayesha around all the major tourist attractions, along with hundreds of photos carrying their beautiful memories, it could be considered as the perfect culmination of their Kane trip. He leaned against the headboard, brooding for a short while, and then taking care not to disturb the still sleeping Ayesha, he sneaked out of bed. He went to the bathroom, took a shower, and then took out his phone to call Robert. "Ahem, buddy, I heard you''ve solved your problem. Uh, sorry, I" As soon as the phone connected, Robert''s apologetic voice immediately came through. "Ok, I didn''t come here to listen to you apologize," Jiang Chen yawned and wandered to the balcony of the room. "Niger, last stop, how are things over there?" "Don''t worry, everything will be smooth sailing from here on. I already personally made the trip to ensure everything is ready." Robert touched his nose with embarrassment and his laugh echoed through the phone "You personally made the trip? When did you become so diligent?" Jiang Chen asked, looking baffled. "Your "old friend" is not monitoring you?" Jiang Chen smiled and leaned leisurely against the carved metal fence. "Has the infrastructure construction been completed yet? I''ve already solved the training problem." "Of course, I know a Portuguese builder who''s an expert in this area. He previously assisted the French army to build a military outpost in Mali. In short, this guy was good at building military infrastructures. Asking price is not expensive$15million. I went and inspected it yesterday. It''s already finished and the quality was also excellent." [Hmm, not bad.] Jiang Chen nodded with satisfaction and changed the topic. "What about the refugees?" "Done." "Great. Wait for me in Niger." Jiang Chen then hung up the phone. All of a sudden, he felt a piece of clothing gently draping over his back. Upon turning around, he was greeted by Ayesha''s tender but fiery eyes. "You''re up." Jiang Chen smiled and gently held the small hand on his shoulder. "Mhmm, it''s a bit cold here, especially in the morning. Are you hungry? I''ll make you breakfast," Ayesha said softly. Jiang Chen''s eyes bore into Ayesha''s eyes. Being stared like that by Jiang Chen, Ayesha''s cheeks turned scarlet and whispered, "What?" "Nothing, I''ve just realized you''re becoming more and more beautiful." Jiang Chen grinned wickedly while staring into her eyes. Gently clutching her panicking hands, he pulled Ayesha back into the house. "Come on, we''re getting that breakfast." ... Breakfast at Primir Hotel was exquisite though somewhat bit expensive. After eating breakfast, Jiang Chen checked out at the front desk, and then while holding Ayesha''s hand, boarded the taxi and headed to Boris Boer International Airport. What luggage? Just store them directly in the storage dimension. After getting off the vehicle, Ayesha returned to her usual cold expression and followed Jiang Chen half a step behind. At the airport gate, Jiang Chen met Nick along with ten Kane men who were hauling their suitcases. He greeted Nick and turned to look at the ten soldiers of the former 92nd Mechanized Infantry. "It''s such a great honor. You''ve made the right choice," Jiang Chen smiled and extended his arms in a welcoming gesture. "Not like we have much of choice," the man named Ivan shrugged. His stiff face contorted slightly before continuing, "But the opportunities you provided are sure very attractive." Laughing, Jiang Chen expression was very cordial. "Of course, I''ve always been very good with my people." "At least the old guy Anderson doesn''t need to worry about housing anymore," said a huge bald man with a smile as he pounded the back of his comrade standing next to him. "House?" "That''s right." Ivan rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I served the army for 25 years when the former Soviet Union still existed. Unfortunately, I have been enlisted in the Kaneian army. I was on the list for housing in 1987, but with how things are looking, it would take 100 more years before it would be my turn." "That''s nothing," said the bald guy, patting the guy who continued to remain quiet. "It''s even more unfortunate for Anderson. It was already his turn when his name was replaced by someone else." "Don''t keep using me as an example. Whoever wants to fight for those swindlers can go right ahead. This country has nothing to do with me anymore," Anderson softly rebuked with an unhappy expression. "Ok, guys, why don''t we chat in the waiting area." A group of people standing in front of the airport looked out of place however you look at it. Jiang Chen noticed that the police in the front door was deliberately looking in their direction. It was a critical period after all, so any group of people gathering around would cause suspicion. ... There was still an hour before the plane took off and Jiang Chen was fooling around with Nick in the waiting area. Ayesha was sitting impassively beside Jiang Chen and was holding a fashion magazine provided by the airport. It seemed like, after the shopping spree, some kind of strange interest was awakened in her. "Where have you been to these past few days?" "Went back home and then traveled for a bit," Nick responded succinctly and grinned. "Speaking of which, you didn''t bring your family to Los Santos?" Jiang Chen asked, somewhat surprised. "They can''t." Nick''s face revealed a rare melancholic expression. Jiang Chen didn''t know what to say. He seemed to have realized something as a wry smile appeared on his face. Looking at the flight information over his head, he appeared nostalgic and said, "Do you remember the wooden cabin in Oesk? That''s my home." "Sorry for making you remember something bad," Jiang Chen said softly. "It''s okay, it''s all in the past." Previously, Jiang Chen only heard Robert mentioning about Nick''s hometown being in Kane. However, he didn''t think that it would be in Oesk and his house would be that cabin. Due of the heavy atmosphere, the conversation was halted. After looking at the time, Jiang Chen got up and walked towards the restroom. Before boarding the plane, he decided to take it easy first. But just as he was about to leave the restroom, he unexpectedly ran into someone, who he''s expecting to be there. The same gray vest, aquiline nose, Willie Agent he met the day before yesterday in the ice cream shop. "You finally came looking for me. Speaking of which, I still don''t know your name." Jiang Chen extended his hand with a smile. "My job means that it''s inconvenient for me to reveal my name, but you may call me Merlin." Merlin shook his hand, but his eyes were locked on Jiang Chen. "Merlin? Magician? Your overtime is over?" "That''s right. Thanks to you." Although he said thank you, there was not a trace of gratitude on his face. "Where is the sniper?" Merlin cut straight to the point. "In a house in Oesk. I heard the endurance of snipers is not bad, so before I left I feed him well. Should be enough to sustain him for three days without a problem." Jiang Chen smiled. The expression on Merlin''s face had not changed and his hawk-like glare was still piercing. "His exact location. According to the agreement, you said you''ll give us his coordinate before leaving the country." "It''s on this USB." Jiang Chen casually took out a thumb-sized USB and handed it to Merlin. Merlin silently reached out to hold the USB only to find out that Jiang Chen wasn''t letting go. He cast a suspicious look at Jiang Chen. "I haven''t boarded yet," Jiang Chen stated with a smile. "We''ll keep our end of the bargain." Merlin''s exerted a bit more strength. "But I don''t trust that." Jiang Chen''s grip on the USB remained firm. "Why?" Merlin''s facial muscle was all wound up due to the pressure. "There is still half an hour before we board the plane. To ensure that I''ll safely get on the plane and land safely at my destination, I just want to remind you one thing before giving this to you," Jiang Chen paused, smiled when he saw the tension on Merlin''s face, before continuing, "I have encrypted the contents inside this USB. After inserting it in the computer for one and half hour, it would automatically unlock the encrypted information inside. If anything happens to me during this trip, I''m sorry, but KGB might get their hands on the sniper''s coordinate location first." One hour was enough for the plane to land in Nigeria. After saying his piece, Jiang Chen let his hand loose without warning. Merlin clutched the USB awkwardly and bumped into the washroom door, stumbling a few steps backward. Staring intently at Jiang Chen, Merlin suddenly burst out laughing. "I didn''t expect you to be a programmer." His original plan was to wait until they acquire the sniper''s location and then immediately arrest Jiang Chen. There are far too many reasons for Willie Society to do this. As for the organization behind Jiang Chenridiculous, why would they be afraid? Jiang Chen shrugged, "No, but I am the boss, I have a lot of competent employees." Naturally, the codes in the USB were Yao Yao''s masterpiece "Good, I hope you never set foot in Kane again," Merlin took the USB, left words dripping with threats and walked away. "I hope you''ll be able to receive your salary sooner before your boss goes bankrupt," He shouted at his leaving figure before returning to the boarding area with a smile. He sat next to Ayesha, who was still holding the same fashion magazine. "Those people left." Ayesha lowered her voice. The secret agents who had been sitting nearby had already left, and the waiting room seemed deserted for a moment. "Yes, I had a talk with their boss. Which dress do you like? Jiang Chen skillfully changed the topic. Ayesha blushed as her fingers rubbed against the page. "This oneah! No, I already have enough clothes..." "Hmm, this one should fit you nicely. Alright, let''s buy it! Copy the website, and I''ll show you how to shop online..." Nick glanced at the two people and cracked a smile on their display of "affection." He then looked at the clock on the wall again. It was almost time to board. [Farewell, my hometown. I wish you peace.] 152 The Last Stop Chapter 152: The Last Stop Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Niger, Niamey International Airport. "Buddy, haha, we meet again." Robert passionately greeted and embraced Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen awkwardly shoved him away. "Ahem, I think it''s better if we just shake hands." "No, no, no, this is to sincerely express my remorse." He pounded Jiang Chen''s back quite vigorously. Then he walked in front of a Hummer and exaggeratedly opened the door with a teasing smile. "Please get in the car, Your Honorable Dictatorship." "I still have a long way to go," Jiang Chen retorted with a smile. He took Ayesha to sit at the back of the car, while Nick naturally took the passenger seat in front. "Now that you think about it, I do believe fate has brought us together in the desert." Robert stepped on the gas, held the stirring wheel and started the ignition. He remarked while smiling, "Last time, it was in the desert in Iraq too." "Last time, I was there to wipe your ass for you. Hopefully, you won''t get into trouble this time," Jiang Chen couldn''t resist the temptation to mock him. "Ahem, aren''t you missing the point here? There''s a guy from UA who runs an errand all over the world for you, a Slavic who went to the frontline with you, and a beauty sitting beside you," Robert jested and looked at him through the rearview mirror of the car. Hearing this, although there was no visible change in Ayesha''s expression, her face turned into a crimson shade. "Just focus on your driving. Stop talking nonsense anymore," Jiang Chen laughingly reprimanded him and then paused before asking, "Where''s the location of the base?" "Sahara desert, Niger. It''s an undeveloped area in Agadez Region. Better prepare yourself mentally as it could be quite desolated out there," Robert reminded. The outside of the airport was in Loess Hill, and there were hardly any buildings in sight. Aside from the road, there were dust and yellow sands everywhere. A gust of wind would occasionally sweep a layer of dust. Moreover, it was probably the only airport Jiang Chen had seen without a taxi lane, a bus stop, let alone a subway. "Damn, how could this place be so poor!" he swore while he stared out of the window into the endless sand dunes that went as far as the eyes could see. How can you say that this is the capital? At the very least, it shouldn''t be this undeveloped. "Downtown is much better. It''s like the suburbs of Los Santos." Robert laughed. "10 kilometers more to go. We''re not that far. Speaking of poverty, Niger''s Minister of Commerce Armani would like to meet you and invite you to dinner." "To attract foreign investment?" Jiang Chen asked dispassionately. He leaned back on the chair and yawned. "Why don''t you go on my behalf? I already bought 20 acres of wasteland. I''m temporarily not interested in investing in any other projects." "Ahem, no, there''s actually more to it. Basic necessities such as water, power supply, food, ammunition that will be used in training, and so on," Robert reminded him. Those indeed posed as a concern. Jiang Chen pondered on it while pinching his chin. "Military supplies, that I can solve. As for the others...what do you suggest?" Jiang Chen looked at Robert. "For the power supply, my advice is to buy a few sets of fuel generators or a batch of solar cells. The sun is pretty intense here, so I think solar power would be our best choice. As for the water, it seems to be illegal to drill well in here. And I also don''t suggest engaging in squabbles with the local tribes. I heard that even the Niger government couldn''t control them, so it''s best if we outsource them. Food and basic necessities can be purchased locally. The cost of living here can be quite cheap, especially the food." "Then let''s do that," Jiang Chen nodded. "If that''s the case, you definitely need to meet Armani. But before that, I''ll send you to the hotel where you''ll be staying." Robert shrugged and smiled. The car finally drove into the downtown area. Niger River ran through the city. The river was lush verdant, just like an oasis in the desert. In fact, it was not as bad as what Robert made it out to be. At the very least, Nieamay, the capital of the country, didn''t seem that bad. Although he hadn''t seen the suburbs of Los Santos, when they reached the downtown area, the surrounding buildings looked rather sophisticated. He only stayed at the hotel for a short while before he changed into a suit Robert had prepared for him and got into the car. This time, instead of Robert''s Hummer, it was Niger Department of Commerce for receiving VIP guests. They got off at a restaurant where they apparently received foreign guests. A black man in a suit walked toward him and greeted him with a smile "Welcome, Mr. Jiang Chen. You must be the oriental billionaire Robert was talking about." The elderly black minister warmly held Jiang Chen''s right hand and shook it firmly. Much to Jiang Chen''s surprise, Armani could actually speak in Han. "Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Armani," he responded to his enthusiastic greetings. "I knew a lot of Han comrades as outstanding as you. We have a lot of comrades here in Niger coming from Hua, so you can think of this place as your second home. Niger welcomes you," Armani said warmly, speaking in a rather fluent Han. "Haha, of course." Pleasantries completed, Jiang Chen and Armani walked into the restaurant with an entourage of bodyguards and other personnel in tow. This "welcome ceremony" was quite lavish. Seeing this, a sudden strange idea popped up into Jiang Chen''s mind. He was wondering when he returns home for New Year, would his major bring a congregation of people to welcome him in a grand fashion such as this? He was, after all, the man who appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The government newspaper also lauded him for his achievement in the technology sector. Even in the entire province, not a lot of people could outshine him. Sheesh, it would be so cool to go home and be welcomed in such a grand fashion. Despite being in overseas, distance did not interfere with his wish-fulfillment fantasies. Armani invited him to sit with him. The side-by-side seating arrangement spoke volumes about how highly the Minister of Commerce regarded him. Naturally, looking from this angle, one could also see how poor Niger was. Perhaps because of the presence of numerous Han investors in Niger, Armani chose to discuss business during dinner. He clearly knew the intricacies of their culture as he perfunctorily drank two glasses before deciding to stop. Obviously, he was drinking while talking business according to"Han custom". After another exchange of greetings, Armani naturally led the topic into the right track. "Thank you very much, Mr. Jiang, for investing in Niger. Is there anything we can assist you with to make this process easier? The basic economic condition is excellent and we''re now in the stage of rapid development. There are a lot of business opportunities to invest in..." Listening to Armani''s passionate speech or drivel, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but ridicule him in his mind. [You don''t even have cab at your airport, yet you have the audacity to say that your economic situation is good!] But even if the heart said so, the words could not be said out loud. "Of course, I am very optimistic about the domestic development of your country. And that''s exactly the reason why I''m establishing a security company and building a training facility here." Listening to this black uncle speaking for a long time, Jiang Chen still maintained his composure. The meaning behind these words was: I have no interest in investing now. However, Armani was apparently not ready to give up that easily as he continued to enthusiastically discuss some other projects in great details. His meaning was obvious: give me some money right now. "How about this, I have a proposalto facilitate seamless transportation of goods, I intend to invest in road construction from the provincial capital of Agadez province to the undeveloped area." In fact, this idea was brewing in his mind for a while now, and it was an excellent opportunity to bring it up. As soon as Armani heard about the road construction, his eyes instantly brightened. If they could build roads, not only it would drastically improve the livelihood of people in the undeveloped areas, it would also strengthen the government''s control over the rebellious tribes. "Haha, Niger citizens will surely be very grateful for your generosity and friendship, Mr. Jiang." "Don''t mention it. It is up to you to study the specific planning of the road, and then we will discuss it further based on your proposal," Jiang Chen responded with a smile while looking at the eagle-eyed Armani. Finally the dinner concluded in a harmonious mood. The minister of commerce personally sent him back to the hotel where he was staying. "How is it, my friend?" Robert asked while grinning at him. He was standing at the entrance of the hotel. "Annoying. Do ministers always talk this much? They''re so damned desperate for an investment." That Armani was a rather interesting character, a politician with a flair for public speaking. There was nothing wrong with soliciting investment, but when Armani sensed his lack of interest, he became more assertive and went on forever. For a while there, although he knew that Armani was speaking Han, he had no idea what he was talking about. "Hahaha!" Robert started to laugh hysterically and patted him on the shoulder. "My friend, now you understand my pain? The first day I was here, he basically serenades to me for the entire day. But I cleverly brought your name up and said that I was only working for you, and the real person with money is a guy named Jiang Chen." "That''s not funny." Jiang Chen glared at him and entered the hotel. Robert caught up to him and started getting down to a more serious topic. "Simply put, it could be quite annoying to talk business with black people, but we can''t just give them some candies and send them away. Tomorrow we''ll head over to Agadez province to inspect your military base. "Ahem, it''s a training facility for a security company." "It doesn''t matter since everyone already knows," Robert commented carelessly. Stopping in front of the elevator, Robert nudged him with his elbow and quipped, "We''ll depart early morning tomorrow so don''t go crazy tonight." Without waiting for his reaction, Robert dashed into the elevator that''s about to close. "This pervert," Jiang Chen said with amusement and shook his head. But at that moment, an image of Ayesha dressed in a white floral dress last night appeared in his mind. [Uh, okay,] Jiang Chen decided. [I''ll sleep a bit later tonight and accompany her to try on a few clothes.] 153 The Tuareg Tribe Chapter 153: The Tuareg Tribe Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ In the morning, the tranquil Sahara desert welcomed a group of strange guests. Three Hummers galloped the vast endless expanse of sand, leaving three trails of dust behind the undisturbed desert. "How much longer?" Jiang Chen asked in boredom while sitting in the back with his arms crossed. Ayesha, who was sitting beside him, had the same emotionless expression, but from the dark, deep circles under her eyes, it was evident she didn''t get enough sleep. "It''s just right ahead of us! But first, we need to greet the chiefs of the nearby tribes," Robert yelled enthusiastically while driving. "Why do I feel that you get really excited when you''re in the desert?" Jiang Chen glanced at him. "This feeling of freedom is something that you''ll never understand!" This guy is crazy. Jiang Chen mulled things over while looking outside the window. The other two Hummers sat ten veterans recruited as instructors; compared to the energy here, theirs was much quieter. Soon the vehicle drove into small sand dunes with a harder surface. When Jiang Chen''s vision suddenly cleared, he saw rows and rows of small huts. Primitive, ignorance, poverty. These three words summed up his first impression. Yellowish gray house and courtyard piled up from gravel. Withered branches were tied together and used as the gate of the courtyard, and the windows were covered with dyed cloths like an ancient Arabic town in the 12th century. Every household kept a camel. It was said that here a man''s social status was measured by how many camels he possessed. "I''m a bit confused. Perhaps you can explain to me our purpose of coming here?" Jiang Chen asked helplessly. "Of course. Er, it might be a tad difficult to understand based from the modern perspective. Afterall, we already paid the money and purchased the land from the government of Niger. A portion of that money was also used to compensate them for taking up their ranch. As far as the contract is concerned, the 20 hectares of land not far from here are ours, but according to the local customs, our identity is still that of a "guest". So following their tradition, we must obtain their recognition first before we can "settle" here," Robert explained. "That troublesome?" Jiang Chen''s mouth twitched. "In fact, it''s only a formality since they are more or less secularized," Robert shrugged and slowed down the speed of the car, "Still, there are some benefits from respecting their local tradition. At the very least, we can harmoniously co-exist without worrying about them giving us trouble, and they may even stand by our side during critical moments." "I don''t quite understand what you''re saying. So who is the owner of this piece of land? Is it Niger? The Tuareg tribe?" "Hmm, you can think of it as Niger as the king of the middle age, and Tuareg tribe as the lord of this piece of land." Robertsrolled his eyes as he gave an unlikely metaphor. "If we get into a conflict with them, which side would the Niger government be on?" Jiang Chen asked a dangerous question after listening to Robert''s explanation. A troubled smile appeared on Robert''s face upon hearing Jiang Chen''s question. "The Niger government will be delighted if we could wipe them out, but that''s kind of impossible. Tuareg men are scattered throughout the desert. And rumor says that they have some unusual relationship with extremist organizations like Al-Qaeda. The Tuareg guerrillas also fought alongside Al-Qaeda during a riot in Mali." Robert paused when he noticed Jiang Chen''s unresponsiveness. For fear that Jiang Chen might do something harsh, he immediately added, "Uh, I suggest we better not clash with them. The people here are quite tough, and despite being poor, every household has an AK lying around." "Don''t be nervous, I was just asking," Jiang Chen quipped. When the car drove into the tribe, all natives cast the vehicles with a curious look. Due to the poor road condition, Robert rolled down the window and signaled the two vehicles behind to stay outside of the tribe. It was not a big deal, following the local tradition shouldn''t take long to complete. "That''s the food market over there, but I don''t recommend you trying out the things they sell there." "What a coincidence, I''m also not interested." Jiang Chen looked outside the window. A kid on a camel gave him a curious look, and his father, who was wearing a veil, led the camel out of the tribe. Ayesha subtly glanced at the window and muttered one phrase: "Heresy." The car stopped, following the direction of a black woman, Jiang Chen and Robert walked into the building of the central tribe. ... Tuareg tribe, a nomadic ethnic confederation mainly distributed in the suburbs of the Sahara Desert in Africa, and a branch of the Berber clan spread throughout the vast region of North Africa. Renowned for their writing, language, and unique nomadic life, which were substantially different from those of their surrounding neighbors. Instead of a matriarchal social organization, Tuareg was a matrilineal society. Although they believe in Islam, women were not required to wear a veil. On the contrary, men 25 and above must wear a veil in the Tuareg clan society. What was more striking was its open marital values wherein women could have multiple marriage partners, and in case of divorce, all assets would belong to them. Apart from these strange customs, they were naturally born warriors. There was a notable local motto: "The desert holds no secret to Tuareg people." In this desert, they knew how to fight better than anyone else. During the Mali civil war, Tuareg guerrillas delivered consecutive losses to the government forces. Moreover, because of its strong combat ability, there were a lot of Mediterranean dictators and warlords who were interested in their fighting prowess. The most famous one was Gaddafi, who particularly favored Tuareg mercenaries. After the outbreak of the civil war in Libya, Gaddafi even offered the Tuareg tribe a lucrative remuneration of $1000 USD a day to help him quell an anti-government militant. Of course, no one knew if the money had actually been honored or true in the first place. Robert had, in fact, recommend to Jiang Chen that since they chose Niger as the location for the base, recruiting Tuareg people might not be such a bad idea. However, after some consideration, Jiang Chen still rejected his proposal. The main reason was Jiang Chen''s lack of trust in their culture and religion and also to avoid potential issues that could arise in the future. At least those refugees who fled their hometown would not suddenly clamor to go home. In any case, the refugees were more reliable. In the relatively spacious house, Jiang Chen saw the legendary tribal chief. "Distant visitors, may your wealth be endless like the sands of the Sahara." The dark-skinned Female chief nodded slightly, her hands clasped together. Perhaps because she often dealt with French people, her French was rather fluent. But regardless of how fluent she was, Jiang Chen who only knew English could not understand a thing, so he simply stood there and kept mum while waiting for Robert''s next move. "Thank you for your generosity in sharing your land. May your tribe flourish and your camels grow in flocks," Robert responded in fluent French. Even now, Jiang Chen could not figure out just how many languages this guy knew. Upon hearing this, the elderly female chief cracked a smile, her wrinkles scrunching up together. The following ceremony was quite simple. A man, whose head was wrapped in a frighteningly thick turban, carried two bowls of camel milk and placed them in front of them. According to the local''s custom, the thicker the turban and veil were, the more respect they were showing to their guests. It was said that in the past whenever a male guest visited here, he was also required to wear a headscarf, or at least his mouth must be covered. But now it appeared that they have made some concessions to foreign cultures in the process of adapting to modern times. It was unknown whether the female chief was chanting a mantra or praying, but she spoke for a long time before she gestured to the two people with a smile. Looking at that bowl of cloudy camel milk in front of him, Jiang Chen could not help but wonder if it was just freshly squeezed out. When he looked at Robert, the noticed that this man''s eyebrows were furrowed as well. "Is this really potable?" Jiang Chen whispered in English. "Yes, but trust me, you won''t drink it again after you have your first." Although Robert expression was somewhat bitter as he attempted a herculean feat of downing the camel milk with his eyes closed. From the looks of it, this was his second time drinking this awful stuff. Jiang Chen was secretly speechless. Seeing Robert''s swift action, the smile on the female chief''s face became more brilliant. The faster the guest drank, the more it reflected their respect for the host. When she looked at Jiang Chen, however, her eyes grew even brighter. Robert had not even put the bowl down, Jiang Chen had already put the empty bowl on the table. It took Robert a while before he finally finished and placed the bowl on the table with a quivering hand. Thus when he saw Jiang Chen''s empty bowl, his eyes almost popped out from its sockets. After coming out from the tribal chief''s house, the two men received a warm farewell. Back in the car, Robert hummed as he wiped his mouth. "Sh*t, I feel like I''ve got a layer of grease in my stomach," Robert complained as he looked at Jiang Chen oddly, "You okay with that strange smell?" "What strange smell? It was okay." Jiang Chen laughed loftily as he leaned back and then put his arms behind his head. Other than the grease that barely touched his mouth, he didn''t drink a single drop and all of it was sent to the storage dimension. He was getting more adept at using this ability. After their friendly interaction with the neighbors, the three Hummers returned to the road once again. Finally, Jiang Chen saw a "castle" in the middle of the desert - Future Security. 154 Future Security Chapter 154: Future Security Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Barbed wire fences, concrete watchtowers, and buildingsthese structures greatly resembled a small military base. "What do you think?" Robert turned around and smiled proudly. "Not bad." There was also a satisfied expression on Jiang Chen''s face. Very neat. The three Hummers stopped at the checkpoint at the entrance. The patrolling soldiers wearing dark sunglasses approached the car, and after verifying Robert''s information, they performed a simple military salute and then released the checkpoint post. The soldiers patrolling here were mercenaries hired from a security company in South Africa. With Jiang Chen''s arrival, 20 people in a camouflage combat uniform wielding M-series automatic rifles quickly assembled in a neat formation in the center of the base. These people only knew how to follow money and would not ask any questions. Their price was entirely based on the degree of danger of the mission, and Robert was able to negotiate with them for the price of $70,000 USD. As the situation in the region escalated, Jiang Chen made some adjustments to the refugee''s recruitment plan after deliberating it with Robert. The original plan was to hijack refugee ships, and then forcibly transfer them to the military base here. It was later changed to heading directly to the Syria border and masquerading as UA troops responsible for escorting the refugees, and tricking them to getting on the vehicle that would originally lead them to Europe. As for tricking them, the answer was quite simple. A flyer and a poster. Seeing that not only you could bring your spouse and there was also a guaranteed work to boot, and not to mention these people were equipped with UA weapons, the registration turned out to be popular. After those who managed to qualify got into the vehicle, it didn''t take long for them to realize that something was amiss. Upon confirming that they were heading in the wrong direction, the refugees began panicking and frantically scampered to get off the truck, but the mercenaries, who were merely doing their responsibility to complete their mission, remained unperturbed, and they forcefully dragged all the refugees back inside. After completing their "escort" duty, their mission was changed into guarding the refugees and preventing any attacks from extremist organizations or any other unforeseen situations. According to the contract, as soon as Jiang Chen''s group arrived, they would immediately hand over the control of the base and depart. For them, this was probably the easiest task they ever had, even though the pay wasn''t much. Seeing the retreating figures of the mercenaries, Jiang Chen gestured for the ten Kane veterans to line up behind him and signaled Robert to turn on the speaker and gather the refugees to the square. The refugees were already converging in that direction. After witnessing the mercenaries, who had turned over the control of the base to Jiang Chen, drove away, they felt an amalgam of complex and confusing emotions. They previously thought those people were UA soldiers, who would take them to a safe location or at least a refugee camp near the border of a European country, but they didn''t expect to be taken to a completely opposite direction and deep into the desert. At first, they thought it was the base of an extremist group, but it did not look quite like it in all respects. Other than preventing them from leaving, they didn''t make many forceful demands. The soldiers put a number on them and even arranged rooms for them that were much more spacious than those from a refugee camp. And even if no one stopped them from leaving, there was nowhere they could go. This place was in the middle of the Sahara desert. Without any means of transportation and sufficient supply, how far would their feet be able to take them? They would surely die if they met a sandstorm or if they got lost in the desert. After going through the initial phase of restlessness, they chose to wait and observe. At least these people didn''t torture them, and there were not many restrictions on food and water. One could even say that life here was better than any refugee camps. Perhaps this place was the new refugee camp planned by the United Nations. After all, Europeans didn''t want them to migrate to their country, so they funded the construction of facilities in the depths of the desert...there were a number of people with this kind of naive thinking. However, they were doomed to be gravely disappointed by Jiang Chen. Any gain had a price to it. ... Looking at the refugees standing all over the place, Jiang Chen tilted his head slightly and asked Ivan, who was standing on the side, "What do you think about these people? Do you have the confidence in training them?" Upon hearing this, a glimpse of pride flashed on Ivan''s face. There was a time when he thought that he would only serve under a president, who was not worthy of his allegiance, and serve as a cannon fodder for the sake of ideals that were not worth sacrificing for. However, as he stood there looking at the advanced training facility, and receiving the promised high salary, and when the boss asked him: "Are you confident..." The answer was a no-brainer. "That would depend on what the boss wants," Ivan raised his head and replied firmly, as though he had just regained his pride as a soldier. Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, his chin pointed toward the doorway, "Similar to the group of people that had just left." "Yes, boss!" Ivan shouted vehemently, "But, boss, I have a problem!" "Oh? Say it," Jiang Chen nodded, pleased with his determination. "I might go overboard," The soldier''s eyes were burning with a fierce fighting spirit. Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused and then unexpectedly laughed. "If you go above and beyond, I''ll be sure to give you a bonus." Jiang Chen patted his shoulder quite vigorously and stood on the podium while smiling in front of the refugees. Sensing that an authoritative figure had stood up, the refugees mustered their courage to voice their doubts. "Who in the world are you?" "Why did you take us here? We want to go to Europe!" "I heard Frankberg provided refugee camp. Why didn''t you send us there?" "..." Jiang Chen ignored these questions, and continued fiddling with the microphone and turned on its switch. Buzz! The deafening static blared through the four corners of the square, and aside from Jiang Chen and the ten instructors, almost everyone covered their ears while ducking down. "Ahem, seems like the mic is now working. You all can understand English, right? Then I''ll start." He ignored the pairs of frightened, angry, confused, and helpless eyes. He paused while renewing the feeling from the wasteland. "You might think that you''ve been deceived. Why didn''t you disembark in Greece but had been taken to Central Africa instead?" Glancing around the crowd, Jiang Chen laughed and continued, "That''s right, I did trick you." The crowd instantly erupted. "This is unlawful!" "Are you not afraid of being prosecuted by International Court of Justice? This is is against the law..." "Send us back..." "Send you back? Sorry, I''m not obliged to do so. But if any of you wants to leave, you can go right ahead, the door is open," Jiang Chen said with a smile as he spread out his hands. Nobody spoke. Everyone knew that it would be stupid to cross the desert without any means of transportation. "Warm shelter, delicious food, and clean water, you can''t deny that your life here is much better than your refugee camps on the Syria border." "But at least we would still have our freedom," someone muttered in the crowd. "Ah, freedom. You''re so poor, you only have your freedom and that''s why you got on the truck, right? If you have money, you definitely could afford the ticket, isn''t that right?" Jiang Chen smiled as he stared at the young man who interrupted him. The young man didn''t expect to be stared at by the person on the podium, he swallowed and shrank back a little. But Jiang Chen did not seem to be looking at him and instead raised his hand and continued, "If you go to Europe, what then? You''ll hole up in a government-provided shelter while spectating someone else''s happiness? Quit your delusions. That place doesn''t belong to you. You are but a refugee to them. Oh, you might say that you''ll work hard, but when their natives are still unemployed, what kind of competitive edge do you think you''ll have?" Hearing this, a lot of people lowered their head. They had given this problem some thought, but they never dared to think that far ahead. If one dwelled too much on misery, the courage to continue to move forward would become even slimmer, and not to mention the possibility of finding happiness in the future. "Receiving donation, eating relief food and becoming the type of person, who people would find suspicious wherever you go. I''ll take the responsibility of telling you that indeed, you''ll be able to survive, but you''ll also stay in the shelter for the rest of your life. One day when your child wants to go to an amusement park, but because you have no money, you can only rack your brains on how to persuade your child that it''s not a fun place. I don''t know how would you then feel about it. "Do you still want to go to Europe so bad after hearing all that?"Jiang Chen looked at the audience whose eyes had lost their vigor due to his momentum. Seeing this, he could not help the touch of smug smile slipped through his face. "Where else can we go if we don''t go to Europe?" A young man could not help but voice it out. "Even if I did trick you, it''s not exactly a lie." Jiang Chen ignored his question and opened his arms and said while smiling, "Work, I''ve already arranged it for you. If you work for me, I''ll provide you a stable living environment and a salary of $200 USD a month. Your salary will increase gradually depending on your performance." "The contract period is 3 years, and after 3 years, you can then decide whether to leave and take your savings to any other country in the world or stay. But trust me, in less a year, you won''t be thinking about that dumb thought." "If you don''t tell us the nature of work, how are we supposed to believe you?" There was another jarring question from the crowd again. "Nature of work? Isn''t that obvious?" Jiang Chen acted like he was surprised and made a show of looking around for a moment before continuing, "This is a military base, other than soldiers, what else would it need?" 155 Once upon a time, there was an emperor Chapter 155: Once upon a time, there was an emperor Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Another uproar. Naturally, the crowd flared up again. They thought that they would only be mining at an obscure place or engage in a hard labor, and the military facility was only there to supervise them, but what they did not expect was Jiang Chen wanted them to become mercenaries! Was this a joke? They left their home for the very reason of avoiding the war. If they were to participate in the battlefield again, wouldn''t that defeat the purpose of fleeing? Someone asked this question out loud and denounced Jiang Chen that no one had the right to force civilians to wield weapons and set foot on the battlefield. Hearing this, all Kane veterans guffawed. "You''re asking me what''s the point? You''ll understand that in the future. I''m too lazy to talk nonsensical things. You''re asking what right do I have? Of course none, but like I''ve said, if you want to leave, go right ahead and leave. You have half an hour to decide, and if you still remain in the base after half an hour, then I would consider that you acquiesce by default." After delivering his speech, no matter how these people protested, Jiang Chen directly did an about-face and left the podium. There obviously won''t be an applause for him, and he certainly didn''t need one. Just like the Fishbone Base at the beginning, when they found themselves unable to resist and living, in fact, a comfortable life, they would gradually accept sooner or later. Moreover, Ivan would naturally train them to be absolutely loyal to the organization and shaped them into becoming a soldier. Jiang Chen went next to Ivan and patted him on the shoulder. "I''ll leave them in your care." "Yes, boss!" the East Slavic soldier bellowed as he saluted and maintained his military posture. He nodded his head with satisfaction. He then waved at Ayesha, who was standing quietly in the shadow, and then walked together towards the headquarters. While walking, Jiang Chen looked at Ayesha and suddenly asked, "Say, Ayesha, your hometown is in Syria, right?" "Mhmm." After a moment of hesitation, he continued, "Umm, would my actions make you feel uncomfortable?After all, it''s your hometown" "No, I will always stand by your side," Ayesha shook her head, her cold face suddenly revealed a gentle smile, "And you are a very gentle person." Jiang Chen almost choked on his own saliva. [Are you kidding me? What do you mean by gentle?] "Ahem, although the first one moved me, I beg to differ on the latter part." He had never hesitated when killing except for the time when he made his first kill. Just then, a small hand reached out to clasp his hand. It seemed that after the night by the river, she fell in love with the feeling of holding hands, and she would always inadvertently reach out to his hand. "Do you remember the time when you were in the truck?" Ayesha asked quietly. Although it was not clear why she mentioned the past, he still smiled and squeezed her hand nonetheless. "Of course I remember. How could I forget?" It was quite interesting to think that back then, he didn''t even notice that Ayesha was a girl. "Even to a stranger like me, you still lent a helping hand when you saw my hungry eyes." Jiang Chen smiled, "Do you mean those biscuits? Those were cheap." Ayesha shook her head and clenched Jiang Chen''s hand. Her mouth was slightly curved in a smile. "But you still chose to share rather than to sit on the sidelines and watch." Being alone on her quest for freedom, she was already numb to apathy. Jiang Chen slightly lowered his head and fell into deep thought. [Shared? Have I really? Is this how people look at me?] Ayesha took a peek at Jiang Chen and smiled tenderly. "There was once an emperor who was generous, kind, and brave. His territory stretched from west of Thrace, east of Indian River Plain, north of Amu Darya to the south of Persian Gulf. ''"He acted as a conqueror in Damascus but gained the respect of the people he conquered. The Egyptians built a city in the desert to honor his meritorious deed," she muttered to herself as though she''s recounting a legend. Hearing this, Jiang Chen suddenly burst out laughing. "But the empire was only short-lived." Was she referring to Alexander? Towards to this remark, she merely smiled and did not disprove. Obviously, he could have just used bullets to suppress them, used their loved ones to threaten them, used force to make them surrender, made them live in tents, and made them live by his rules. But he didn''t. The living condition here was much better compared to the refugee camp. He even provided them with a salary and hope. Feeling the warmth from his hand, Ayesha closed her eyes, her lips curved into a smile. ... [What kind of joke is this? Trek across the desert?] The refugees were abuzz with protest. However, their objection fell on deaf ears as Ivan and the other instructors ignored the faces filled with righteous indignation and stood there like statues. The public outcry escalated but was cordoned off violent encounters. Force would always the best deterrence. All the trainers wore a pitch back automatic rifle at their waist, the dark muzzle warned anyone who dared to incite violence. Half an hour passed quickly. Ivan cracked a smile and signaled his nine compatriots to surround the refugees. ... In the command post, Jiang Chen and Robert stood side by side in front of the window while watching the situation in the field in good humor. "Sh*t, didn''t think that you''d have the gift of the gab," said Robert, his cigarette dangling in his mouth and his arms were resting on the windowsill. "I have a lot of talent." Jiang Chen grinned, he was also leaning against the windowsill. Rather than talent, it was more of unceasing practice. Three months ago, if he were to talk in front of more than 100 people, he doubted if he would be able a single word. And now, the did not even need to prepare a speech. "Do you know what I was thinking when you were giving that speech?" "What?" Jiang Chen casually asked, his eyes were still on the field. A commotion started to break out in the field. Someone tried to grab Ivan''s rifle but was easily suppressed with a single move. "Hitler." Robert made an amusing version of Fhrer and laughingly remarked, "But you didn''t learn his way of provocation. You should have given them a loaf of bread and tell them: ''You can eat it as long as you swear your allegiance to me.''" "There was no need." Jiang Chen chuckled and got up from the window. "I''ve already given them enough incentives." With that, he left the command center. Staring at Jiang Chen retreating figure, Robert shrugged his shoulders and once again resumed observing the square. There the riot was already over. Perhaps due to the experience they gained in Kane which trained them to be an expert in suppressing uprisings, Ivan was able to lead his nine comrades to successfully control the situation. Although the refugees wore a scowl on their face, they still obediently divided into ten columns, each led by a respective trainer. Their spouse and children were taken back to their assigned housing. The training started immediately. The first mission was to run two laps around the 20 hectares of the base. They would only be able to eat once they finished. Don''t want to cooperate? Then starve together with your wife and children. If they only have themselves to think about, some of them would perhaps attempt to resist; however, hearing that it was not just them who would starve but also their family... Everyone chose to compromise. Under the scorching sun, figures could be seen running around the base, leaving trails of dust behind them. When they dragged their exhausted body after finally finishing two laps, they all dropped to the ground. Not only did the ruthless instructors show not an iota of mercy, the devils also announced that the run would become part of their routine. Although they wanted to complain, they couldn''t muster enough energy to do so. Fortunately, evening came which meant that the training for today was official over. When they dragged their beaten body to the cafeteria with their family and received their share of a hot meal, they suddenly felt that it didn''t seem to be so bad. Roasted golden turkey, stewed mutton soup, bright green salad... As far as food is concerned, it was day and night compared to those of refugee camps. Maybe it was because of exhaustion after the exercise which stimulated their hunger, the dinner was especially delicious. A lot of people even had extra portions, and Jiang Chen didn''t skimp on food. Hassan sat down beside his wife, Mary, carrying a bowl of mutton soup, and then grabbed a bun, dipped it into the soup, and took a big bite. Looking at her exhausted husband, Mary anxiously reached out to him and wiped the dust off his face. "What did they make you do?" "Other than running, not much, but who knows what they''ll do later? Dammit, those trainers are simply inhumane," Hassan cursed as he devoured the food in front of him. Because he expended quite a significant amount of energy, his appetite was huge enough to devour a camel. It was not clear whether it was intentional, but everyone there appeared to be a modern Christian, so there was no sign of veils and headscarves in the cafeteria. Hassan was munching his chicken and bread, while he pondered about on the future. He was 20 years old, his wife 19. They were planning to have a baby last year, but the conflict suddenly escalated overnight, as the shadow of IS enveloped half of Syria. Because he was considered a "heretic," he naturally did not dare to stay in his hometown, so he took his wife away and came to the refugee camp on the border. Not knowing whether he should consider himself lucky or unfortunate for being taken here. Becoming a mercenary? He never considered this position. But now it seemed that there were not many options left for him. "Will you... go to the front line?" Mary reluctantly asked. "If I become a mercenary, probably," he grimaced and grunted as he stuffed his mouth with bread. He glanced at the trainers who were also having dinner in the cafeteria. He was very confused about what would happen in the future. But that 3-year contract gave him some hope. "After 3 years, let''s have a baby. I will work hard to give you and the children a stable environment," Hassan promised. Mary stared at him, her eyes were covered with mists, and then she lowered her head shyly. "Ok." In any case, since his family was already here, he would just need to do his best for them. He would just wait and see whatever happened in the future. Hassan''s thought reflected the thought of other recruits in the base. At least for this meal alone, there''s nothing to complain about. 156 Finally going home Chapter 156: Finally going home Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Early next morning, a team of ten men was running outside the base wall. They were led by their respective trainers and would have stamina training 10 kilometers away from their location. Jiang Chen''s requirement for Ivan was he only had half a year regardless of what method he utilized. Six months later, he wanted to see disciplined and fast-moving troops. Moreover, this unit should be loyal to him alone. It was easy to ensure the loyalty of the soldiers: first was money, and second was electronic collar. Other than the job contract, Jiang Chen also signed a 10-year confidentiality agreement with the ten Kane instructors. Under the terms of the agreement, they must wear the electronic collar with information detection ability to protect themselves from information leaks in the entire duration of the term. In this regard, the ten Kane trainers did not put up any resistance because it was only 10 years, and they did not have any intention of disclosing anything. Six months'' time was very short, it would be impossible to train a special force capable of a mixture of combat requirement, other new recruits would have to stay in camp for 7 months. Although relying on the virtual reality system for efficient training would only require 1-2 months to complete the new recruit training regimen; however, in the absence of a basic foundation, carelessly bringing these high-tech products out in the open would be highly unwise, more so because he did not have 100 training equipment in the first place. But of course, Jiang Chen also made it clear to Ivan that he didn''t need a special force, but a competent and modern infantry capable of siege warfare. They didn''t need to be able to execute special missions, merely being capable of fighting would suffice. As for their combat ability, there were a lot of ways to make up for it. Not enough stamina? Then give an injection. An E-grade genetic vaccine was really cheap and common in the Sixth Street. Although it was not as powerful as Jiang Chen''s C-grade injection, it was enough to improve their constitution to that of special force level. The only reason he did not inject them yet was he wanted them to train their perseverance and endurance. They would be given an injection over the course of training. Although Ivan and the trainers were skeptical about the drug that could improve their physical shape, upon seeing the certainty in their boss, they finally believed it was real. In spite of their misgivings, after being injected, they were surprised to discover that their strength and reflex improved by leaps and bounds, only then their skepticism finally disappeared. They were now more confident with the 6-month deadline training mission. Of course, Jiang Chen didn''t tell them it was a genetic medicine. He only told them it was a mysterious Han medicine. Mhmm, that''s right, it''s a traditional Han medicine. To begin with, from a foreigner''s perspective, Han medicine in itself was a very mysterious thing. And precisely because of its mysterious nature that he was not pressed to explain himself. It was also worth mentioning that genetic vaccine functioned by fine-tuning the genetic sequence of somatic cells and stem cells without affecting genes in certain cells. In other words, there was no need to worry about genetic issues. Bad marksmanship? Then make the technology shoot for you. AK47? M4A1? Obviously, they won''t be using these junks. 100 years in the future, these seemingly decent rifles would be extremely weak. Just like how Thompson submachine gun could still be used now, almost all new rifles could definitely outmatch its performance. The 150 Reapers Assault Rifles that Jiang Chen brought from the Fishbone Base, whether its stability, penetration, and accuracy, it outshined all modern firearms. After all, there was a fundamental difference between the structure of warfare in the future and the present. Even light infantries wore nano combat suist as well as kinetic skeletons. Not to mention the heavy infantries that were fully equipped with power armors. If the rifle penetration was low, it would be difficult to even penetrate the enemy''s armor. Since this was a NATO standard Reaper assault rifle, its penetration capability was naturally unequivocal. Although it was normal in the future with highly advanced science, it was ridiculous in the modern world where it could easily penetrate through steel or concrete. Logically speaking, the higher the explosive power, the more recoil the solider would receive, but because of the special design of firearms, the recoil was significantly reduced. Furthermore, because of its compact internal design, needless to say, the accuracy was superb. The only problem was the ammunition. Because they couldn''t use a modern ammunition without a secure base, Jiang Chen did not dare to move the bullet production line, so he could only carry the ammunition himself. Fortunately, the trade between the Fishbone Base and the Sixth Street had just been finalized, and the additional batch of ammunition he purchased had arrived just in time. He shipped six months worth of training ammunition to the armory which temporarily solved the problem. Other than rifles, with the development in the apocalypse side, Jiang Chen would continuously transport even more ridiculously incredible equipment to this world. Such as kinetic skeletons, heat sensor grenade... Jiang Chen entrusted all responsibility of training to Ivan. The veteran was well-respected among his peers, and so he was more at ease in leaving him with the day-to-day operation of the base. As for logistics, it was also easy to solve. According to Robert''s suggestion, he set up an office for the Future Security in Niamey and hired local experts to handle the problem. The only thing he needed to worry about was to provide the operating cash flow to the company''s account, and the daily expenses, salary, and logistics, and other aspects of affairs would be coordinated by the office. At the end of each month, there would be a detailed bill sent to his email. ... After spending two days traveling between the base and Niamey, Jiang Chen finally settled everything on this side. The manager of Future Security was a man called Barkley whom he found in the talent market in Niger. Despite being only 35 years old, he already had 15 years of relevant work experience. He looked stable and trustworthy. The labor cost in Niger was very meager, $400 USD monthly salary was already considered high in the local market. Towards such generous paycheck, the black guy was ecstatic as he promised to take care of everything with perfection. Jiang Chen was pleased with his eagerness because it meant he could worry less about it. With the base starting to operate on the right track, it was finally time to go home. When they headed to the airport, they took Niger Ministry of Commerce vehicle. As a good host, the Minister of Commerce Amani personally sent them to the airport. "We hope you come back soon, Mr. Jiang. You will always be Niger''s friend." Armani shook hands with him enthusiastically with a bright smile on his face. $2 million worth of investment to build a road from the national highway to the undeveloped area. He had gained a lot from this friend of his from the East, and so he was naturally very enthusiastic. "Of course, I wish our friendship will last through eternity. Thank you for your warm hospitality. Farewell." Jiang Chen released his hand and then led Robert, Nick, and Ayesha into the airport. After passing through security, Robert heaved a sigh of relief and rolled his eyes. "I can finally leave this goddamn place. Heck, when I get back, the first thing I''ll do is to take a nice, long shower and then go to the hospital to get a gastric suction." "Then spread your seeds to some Hollywood chicks?" Jiang Chen teased. "Ahem, of course, nightlife is necessary to relieve some stress at work, you know. The next time you come to Los Santos, I''ll take you to experience it." Robert chuckled. "What about you? What are you planning to do when you get back?" "Shower, sleep and then rest for a few days." Jiang Chen shrugged and sat on the chair in the waiting room. Ayesha sat right beside him, eyes looking everywhere. However, much to her disappointment, unlike the airport in Veit, there was no magazine to pass her time on. "Don''t be so boring, you have to learn to enjoy life properly." Robert sat on the opposite side of Jiang Chen, crossed his legs, and leaned comfortably against the seat. "Then what''s the use of making so much money?" Nick scanned the lobby of the waiting room and then headed for the coffee machine. "Haha, how do you know I didn''t enjoy myself? Let me tell you, when I made my first money, the first thing I did was to spend it lavishly," Jiang Chen said proudly, not in the least bit ashamed. "Oh? I didn''t expect this...Haha! By the way, buddy, I''ve got a fun idea. Why don''t we share what we did with our first money?" Robert was suddenly interested and sat up straight. Meanwhile, Nick came over with a coffee and sat down next to Robert. "We''ll get Nick to go first." Robert patted Nick on the shoulder while laughing. Nick took a sip and looked at Robert with confusion. After hearing the explanation, the taciturn Slavic man gave the most ordinary statement. "Bought a house in Los Santos and then got a dog." As far as UA citizen''s lifestyle was concerned, his couldn''t be any more average. "Okay, I take back what I said, Nick is the most boring person." He ignored Nick''s confused look and then coughed and continued, "My turn...I remember it was five years ago, I was still helping a Mexican smuggled illegal firearms. On the day of payout, he gave me $50 thousand, and the first thing I did was..." At this point, Robert''s face went red out of nowhere, scratched his nose, as he was too embarrassed to continue. "Ahem. Uh, I found two 16 years old high school students at the bar... In short, I got rid of my...virginity." Robert had completely abandoned his sense of shame. He then looked at Jiang Chen, "Ok, buddy, your turn." [This old pervert.] Jiang Chen laughingly thought in his mind. "The first sum of money..." He wanted to say what happened in Sanya but suddenly halted as he awkwardly looked at Ayesha. Uh, he seemed to be somewhat similar to Robert, the old pervert. After making money, the first thing he did was go to Sanya and got himself a lover. Sensing Jiang Chen''s gaze, Ayesha looked back at him puzzled. However, her pure expression made it even harder for Jiang Chen to open his mouth. Robert smirked and then whispered, "I understand, we''re all men here." "No, wait, my situation is a little different from yours."[In any case, saying it''s his first...] "No, no, no, no need to explain, I understand." [Fu*k, what do you know!] 157 Isll teach you fitness? Chapter 157: I''ll teach you fitness? Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ This past couple of days, Jiang Chen was very idle. The first step of the island capture project had been completed, and Sixth Street had also been stabilized. Out of nowhere, he suddenly found himself free. He walked out from the bedroom, yawning. After a brief wash, he went to the kitchen and sat across Ayesha while stretching. "Did you stay up late again?" Ayesha asked with concern. "Uh, played a bit too late last night." Jiang Chen reached out and grabbed a slice of toast. Coffee, toast, and omelet for breakfast, Ayesha''s cooking was getting better...While munching, he reached out and turned on the TV. "Don''t sleep too late," Ayesha reminded softly. "Mhmm." He took a sip of coffee, and the bitterness made his brain sober. The widescreen TV was playing the news. "Yesterday noon, a crossfire occurred in the northern suburbs of Oesk, Kane, the largest one since the turn of the year. The civilian forces used cannons, self-propelled artillery, and other heavy weapons against the government-controlled area. Currently, Minsk Agreement is in name only. On the other hand, UA accused Russia of deploying artillery on the border... Watching blankly at the artillery bombardment on the news screen, Jiang Chen took a bite of the toast, "Did they start fighting again?" Truth be told, seeing the cannon homing on the screen could not be compared to the astonishment of seeing it in the frontline. Ayesha appeared to be indifferent towards these things and was concentrating on her breakfast. "I''m going rusty these days," Jiang Chen complained out of boredom. Ayesha put the omelet on the toast, blew a few times, before taking a huge bite. After hearing how Jiang Chen felt, she hesitated a little before suggesting, "How about I teach you a good workout?" Workout? Jiang Chen was stupefied. "Eh? I''ve taken the injection, so even without exercise, I can still maintain my body in tiptop condition." He simply had to praise the beauty of science and technology. "Um, in addition to physical fitness, there are still other benefits to exercise such as maintaining your figure and keeping your body flexible," Ayesha muttered. "Figure... Umm, speaking of this, I still haven''t touched the fitness equipment that we bought. It''s always you who have been using it." Jiang Chen scratched his chin thoughtfully and suddenly clapped. "Then it''s decided, later you can teach me to exercise." "Mhmm!" Ayesha smiled tenderly and nodded. ... Shortly after breakfast. The two stood face-to-face on the yoga mat. Ayesha had already changed into a workout outfit of a small black top, her brown color was tied into a ponytail. Looking lively and enticing. Curves outlined by tight clothes, bumps faintly visible... Uh, guess it would be troublesome if he continued to stare. Jiang Chen subtly moved his line of sight. A dazzling selection of fitness equipment comparable to those of outside gyms was located on the third floor of the home gym. At the corner, a virtual reality training chamber could be seen, and before entering the password, it looked like an oddly-shaped, covered bathtub. "Fitness is divided into two kinds, one is aerobic exercise such as treadmills and bicycles. The other is non-aerobic exercise such as sit-ups and weightlifting." Without noticing the strange look from Jiang Chen, Ayesha went to the next exercise equipment and started explaining earnestly. When it came to exercise, she was naturally quite experienced. After all, she spent almost all her days in the gym. If it was not completing her daily "homework" in the virtual reality, it was using this equipment to exercise her body. After listening to Ayesha explained the key concepts, the next step, of course, was the practical application. Jiang Chen twisted his neck, as he eagerly stepped on the treadmill and started it under Ayesha''s guidance. [Um, I don''t seem to be feeling anything.] According to the value on the EP, his muscle strength was already at 30, his reflex was nearing 29, and thus this type of exercise was indeed too simple for him. Impatiently, he pressed the plus sign button making the speed increased until it finally stopped at the limit of 30. His feet were practically dancing, but he still didn''t feel an iota of pressure. "There''s no point in running so fast," Ayesha smiled wryly. "Why do I feel that this treadmill is pretty much useless to me?" Jiang Chen had a similar wry smile and pressed the minus button until the treadmill came to a slow stop. After Jiang Chen got off from the treadmill, Ayesha took over. She took a deep breath and pressed the start button. "Although the injection of that weird medicine improved a lot of aspects of your body quite significantly, daily exercising to maintain your health is still important. Not so fast, jogging should suffice. This helps tone the body and keeps the body flexible..." While jogging in constant speed, Ayesha was explaining it to Jiang Chen simultaneously. Flexibility? Body coordination? Jiang Chen nodded thoughtfully. But when he thought about body shapes... For some reason, the first thing that came into his head was the sexy vest line of her waist. And looking at her shoulders and arms moving rhythmically along with the jiggling of her firm and small breasts... Not good! Nosebleed. Jiang Chen embarrassedly covered his nose and quickly looked away. A good thing that nothing came out of his nose. Ayesha gave him a puzzled look. Done with her demonstration, she turned off the treadmill and jumped off. "Now for the non-aerobic exercise. Um, where should we begin...Ah! Let''s start with that." Looking around, her eyes lit up when she spotted the elliptical trainer near the door. An odd-looking equipment connected to all four sides, which Jiang Chen had seen before in the university gym. Put simply, by sitting there, you can perform pull-ups, core exercise, parallel bars and other series of complex exercise. "I rarely use this because it will easily build up muscles, but it''s suitable for guys." Ayesha sat on top of it and smiled softly at Jiang Chen. "I''m going to demonstrate for you." She adjusted the weight to 20 kg, took a deep breath, and extended both of her arms up high while holding the bar. Too much power. A weight of this level was naturally very easy for someone like her with a genetic vaccine, but even so... Due to the tension made from the exertion of her arms, the round softness on her chest looked like it was about to pop out. Jiang Chen unconsciously swallowed his saliva. Although he knew it was bad to gawk at certain parts of a girl, still he was unable to move his gaze away. However, this wasn''t the most troublesome thing. Having finished with the stretching exercises of her upper and lower muscles, Ayesha, who remained oblivious to his gaze, put her arms against the pad of the butterfly clips and then both of her arms snapped towards her chest. Because of the pressure, the soft protrusion was squeezed under the force of her arms. Worse still, because of the aerobic exercise, Ayesha''s forehead was sweating profusely. The small top was becoming more transparent as it got stuck on her skin. "What''s the problem?" Ayesha looked perplexedly at Jiang Chen who was covering his nose. "Uh, nothing, my nose is just a little bit itchy. Ha ha ha." Jiang Chen laughed dryly. He did not want to admit that he was thinking of naughty things while she was teaching so earnestly. While still confused, Ayesha didn''t pursue the subject. She pressed her legs against the pad, ready to demonstrate the next set of moves. However, at this time, she accidentally saw something she shouldn''t have seen. Because Jiang Chen was also wearing workout clothes, the design of the sports pants was rather loose. That tent-shaped bulge... Ayesha''s cold face turned crimson, she ducked her head down shyly, fingers rubbing absentmindedly against the training equipment. "Do, do you want to?" she uttered in a quivering voice. Hearing this, it was Jiang Chen''s turn to blush. His conscience told him that he should refuse this time to show his integrity and solve this "misunderstanding". "Yes," He nodded without thinking. Although his thought was very praiseworthy, his mouth and body, on the other hand, were both very honest. "Umm, then let''s go to..." "Here is good!" "Eh?" ... It''s already lunchtime when they left the gym. Seeing the time on the EP, Jiang Chen could not help but smile wryly. Now with Ayesha feeling disoriented, she definitely would not be able to cook anymore. What a blunder. He shook his head and went into the kitchen. He turned on the rice cooker, poured half a cup of rice into it, and mixed it with water. Putting on the apron, he took a spatula and cooked the scrambled eggs with tomato, which he hadn''t cooked for a long time, and then he made a cucumber soup. This was the limit of his cooking, as he certainly didn''t know how to cook lamb and beef. But this should be alright for today. He brought the dishes on the table while humming. He then returned to the kitchen and removed the dough from the fridge. Ayesha was still not used to eating rice. It was usually Jiang Chen who ate rice, and she with her bread. He stuck the dough into the microwave, patted his hand, and pressed the start button. Watching the golden bread spinning in the microwave, he narcissistically touched his chin while nodding. [Why am I so talented? Capable of doing business and capable of cooking...wait! This shouldn''t be how a man is described!] Just then, he suddenly felt a soft touch behind him. A small hand came around him from behind and embraced him. "Hmm? Ahem, sorry, I''ve been too rough. Are you feeling better?" Jiang Chen said as he turned around and scratched his head awkwardly. "Mhmm...thank you." "Thank you? Eh? Wait, what are you crying for?" Ayesha''s face was tightly pressed against his warm back, she didn''t respond and only rubbed the corner of her eyes against his clothes. Just ten minutes ago, she slowly recovered from her woozy state. When she realized it was already lunchtime, as a "competent wife", which she''d always strictly told herself to be, she immediately got up, leaned on the wall for support, and dragged her body to the kitchen. When she saw the dishes on the table, for some reason, she felt her eyes tearing up. She gently moved to the kitchen door and saw the hot bread that Jiang Chen made for her. She stepped forward and embraced him, her face pressing tightly against the warm and strong back, and her delicate eyelashes closing. "Uh, sorry for hurting you, in the future" "No, this is good." Ayesha murmured happily. - 158 A Popular Game Chapter 158: A Popular Game Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ After lunch, Ayesha returned to the gym saying she was going to clean the place. After all, she had been injected with a genetic vaccine, and thus she was almost completely recovered at the moment. Jiang Chen was sitting on the sofa while watching TV to pass the time. Yawning, he was about to get up and go back for a nap when his mobile phone suddenly rang. He took out his mobile phone and read: Xia Shiyu. He pressed the answer button and lazily put the phone to his ear. "Hello? Whats up?" "Mhm, I have something to tell you. Its about a game," Xia Shiyus excited voice came through which made Jiang Chen extremely surprised. "I guess it''s a good news." Jiang Chen laughed. "Thats right," Xia Shiyu leaned backed against the office chair with a rare proud smile appearing on her face. "After a period of marketing and beta testing, our companys first mobile game ''New Era'' is now officially live! According to the recent daily statistics that had just been released, its first day of downloads exceeded 15-million mark, setting a record for highest downloads for mobile games!" After practicing in front of the mirror numerous times, when Xia Shiyu finally shared the good news with the boss, her voice still went off-key due to extreme excitement. "What the fu*k!" The news practically made Jiang Chen jumped up from the sofa. "Ahem, no cursing please," Xia Shiyu admonished lightly before continuing, "According to the server''s data, the highest number of concurrent users broke through 5 millionits better for you to come to the company this afternoon, so I can show you the back end stats directly." "Ill be there right away." After saying that, Jiang Chen hung up the phone and was immediately out the door. ... Wanghai University, men''s dormitory. A guy with a pair of glasses was staring at the screen of his mobile phone, his fingers moving swiftly on the touchscreen. His spectacles reflected the fighting scene of a roleplaying game character. "Four eyes, what are you playing? Or are you watching porn?" Tian Zhongjie, his bunkmate, moved his chair closer and stretched his neck to take a peek at his screen. Tian Zhongjie had just finished playing ''League of Legends'' and had almost smashed his keyboards because of those noobs. He was so angry that he didnt want to play anymore. After 20 losses, he closed the game directly, and then opened the file, and uninstalled the game. This was his tenth time of uninstalling this game. Most online games were either filled with RMB players (1) or filled with cheats. Although a lot of noobs played ''LOL'', the quality of the game itself was still quite good. At least, the RMB skins wouldn''t increase the user''s attack damage. Thus, after his anger had abated, he would find himself unable to stop from downloading the game again. Despite that, every time he finished uninstalling, he would swear that he would chop his hand off if he ever installed it again. Chen Hong cast his friend a sidelong glance before returning his gaze back to the screen and then controlled his character to the direction of the main city. "What are you being so mysterious about?" Tian Zhongjie had just AFKed, so he had nothing better to do. He then got up and stood behind him. Chen Hong ignored him and continued to stare intently at the screen. Just then, the dormitory door opened and Gao Fei, who had just finished playing basketball, walked in. "Yo, four eyes, didnt you say that only dumbass play mobile game? Then why are you playing it?" Gao Fei quipped. He curiously stood behind Chen Long trying to see what he was playing. "What, no way! Is this truly a mobile game?" As a result, Gao Fei was also unable to peel his eyes off the screen either. The texture of the image, the detailed character design, as well as the spectacular gameplay, those 3D mobile games are nothing compared to this! No, not just mobile games, even ''Skyrim'' on his desktop couldn''t compare to this game! "Thats right, this is not a mobile game, and that''s why I''m playing it," Chen Hongteng pushed his eyeglasses up and scowled at the completely stunned Tian Hongjie. Gao Fei gulped and jeered, "The graphics is so good, the game content must be meh." Chen Hong glanced at him before continuing, "Open world and 2:1 continental-scale map. It combined the adventure element of an RPG and the management element of an SLG. Player can choose to roleplay as an adventurer or become a lord managing a piece of land. You can also open a business and become a merchant to fight pirates in the sea. Whether it''s the graphics or the content, even if it''s compared to PC games, it''s a 3A godly masterpiece" Chen Hong said with absolute certainty. Although he had always been extremely critical when it came to games, he had yet to find any flaws in ''New Era''. "Could your crappy phone even handle a map with a size of two continents?" Tian Zhongjie''s jaw was about to drop to the ground, he felt like his ''LOL'' addiction was still not beyond redemption! "The game is only 300 MB." "300 MB, you''re pulling my leg!" Gao Fei uttered in complete disbelief. "The company stated that they used the newest data compression technology as well as cloud computing technology...Anyway, I don''t understand any of that stuff, I only can care about playing. O For a day, I consumed 10 MB of data, so it''s not very high." Chen Hong killed another monster and deftly picked up the loot of silver coins and equipment and then locked onto the next one. "I can see that you have been killing monsters for a while now, don''t you find that boring?" Tian Zhongjie noticed that he had only been killing monsters after watching him play for a long time. Sure, the fighting scene and graphics were great, but wouldn''t it be too boring to be hacking monsters constantly? "Would you still feel bored if there''s money involved?" Chen Hong responded to him as though he was talking to an idiot. "Money?" "RMB, you know that, don''t you?" he added, sighing. "What the fu*k, the in-game currency can be exchanged for RMB?" Gao Fei asked in disbelief, his eyes almost popping out. "The game operator doesn''t exchange gold coins, but they offer a platform similar to ''Diablo 3''s'' auction house. Players are free to price and sell gold coins on a consignment basis. This system is somewhat similar to the stock price, where the lower price is given preference. The game operator will only collect 5% commission fee, and they only take 10% commission for the equipment auction." While speaking, Chen Hong''s eyes were burning with passion like crazy. "During beta testing, Future 1.0 distributed a high amount of activation code to VIP members. There''s quite a number of wealthy players playing this game according to the official data collected during the beta phase." "That''s to say, there is a high probability that RMB players would beat your sorry ass." Gao Fei said in derision. "That''s how an average person would think." Chen Hong cast him a haughty look. "''New Era'' didn''t create an item mall. The purchased points can only be used to expand the warehouse or purchase skins that don''t affect the balance of the game." "In other words, it''s s similar to LOL''s store?" Tian Zhongjie''s eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt an urge to download and play the game. Chen Hong ignored his friend''s question and muttered, "Do you remember what I said before? There are many ways to play this game. You can be an adventurer, a lord and so on." "Does it has anything to do with those RMB players?" Gao Fei asked, frowning. "Of course!" Chen Hong''s eyes were practically indistinguishable from gold coins. He licked his cracked lips before continuing, "The condition to become a lord is one has to buy a city lease for 100,000 gold coins and then get the city qualification. Imagine if you were a rich player, would you rather hunt monsters like what I''m doing, or would you rather become the lord of a city with countless followers?" "That''s nonsense!" Gao Fei scoffed, but he seemed to have suddenly thought of something as his eyes widened, "Wait, if the city lease costs 100,000 gold, the auction house..." "That''s right, if you play the game normally, it would be impossible to obtain 100,000 gold coins in such a short amount time. Killing a single boar would only drop 2 silver coins and killing 50 would barely give you 1 gold coin. So to become a lord, the only way to acquire gold coins is through the auction house!" "But would there be that many people willing to buy a city lease?" Tian Zhongjie asked. "Let me give you a straightforward data. At present, the price of a single gold coin in the auction house is set to 5 RMB. So for every 10 boars I kill, I would make 1 RMB." The more Chen Hong talked, the more motivated he became. "What the fu*k, a land lease will cost half a million RMB? That is insane!" Gao Fei uttered in disbelief. "You noob, there are rich people who are not afraid to squander 1 million while playing ''Plants vs. Zombies''. Don''t you know building a territory is similar to "farming"? Moreover, through taxation, production of materials and other ways to earn money, would you still be worried about not making a return?" "I''ll tell you a rumor that I heard from one of my friends. Have you heard about Blood Sea guild of ''Sword 4''? Because of the popularity of ''New Era'', they are planning to switch to this game. They are also currently raising funds in preparation for something big. Not only wealthy people, a lot of game workshops are also eyeing this city lease, so you can just imagine the future of this game." "Isn''t ''Sword 4'' a PC game?" Tian Zhongjie could not help but ask out loud. "If the mobile game is more fun than PC game, would you rather play a PC or a mobile game? The future belongs to the mobile platform!" Chen Hong himself was becoming passionate about the future. "Not only that, it can also be said that city building is the biggest feature of the game. The sandbox-like settings would allow the players to design their city based on their own preference. The city can be built anywhere from a certain distance from another city. And depending on the terrain and the map itself, the established city will receive a corresponding reward that would allow recruitment of special NPCs to attract other solo players. "Do you know what this means? This means the earlier the city is established, the higher your advantage will be! You can get mines that produce iron ore, coastal areas fit for ships to dock, as well as unique NPCs roaming on the map...All major guilds are buying gold coins in order to seize those good spots! "My plan right now is to kill monsters to gain gold coins and then sell the gold for money. Once I leveled up, I will explore the deeper parts of the continents. It''ll be great if I can trigger some hidden mission. That would be really crazy!" An ambitious expression appeared on Chen Hong''s face. "But wouldn''t the value of gold depreciate after a while if everyone purchased the city lease?" Gao Fei asked anxiously. The reason why he was asking was because he suddenly had the idea of making money from the game. Just killing ten monsters would earn him 1 RMB. This was something really enticing for someone who doesn''t have much pocket money. "You''re overthinking it. Wouldn''t you need to build establishments after building a city? Wall, city hall, residential buildings, farm, ect., all of which cost money. In addition to city lords, there are sea explorers! Although putting up a shop would not cost 100,000 gold, a small shop would at least be 500. As for the mega vessel, it costs 1,000 gold and above." The auction house wouldn''t interfere with game content, and the difference between the demand for gold and RMB would prompt frequent trading between the players. As long as the operator continued to push new game contents which would prevent the value of gold from depreciating, the game would continue to survive. Considering the impeccable game quality, the number of users, as well as the continued growth of Future 1.0... Gao Fei''s eyes turned brighter and brighter the more he thought about it. "Four eyes, I have an idea. Why don''t we, of dorm 101, start a game workshop..." (1) RMB players: the equivalent of pay to win players. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ There should be another chapter later tonight, if not, tomorrow morning. 159 The Trap Chapter 159: The Trap Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Whenever Lingyu Technology''s name cropped up, most mobile games fanatics would automatically think of games with unique designs and outstanding gameplay, such as ''I am ATM'' and ''Dota History''. Inside the Lingyu Technology building in Wanghai City, Ling Zhongtian was sitting in front of the office table with a dark face as he silently looked at the information on his table. The manager responsible for mobile game development, Qian Haiming, had his head lowered while sweating profusely and waiting for the boss'' reprimand. After a long while, Ling Zhongtian finally spoke. "In one month, ''Dota History''s'' ACU dropped by 10% and KPI indices decreased by 17%...This is the goose that lays a golden egg you''re telling me about? And what about ''I am ATM''? What''s your team doing for the past month?" His voice was trembling due to rage. ACU referred to the average concurrent users, while KPI referred to key performance indicators. The first was related to the sustainability of the game, while the latter was related to the game''s profitability. At this moment, however, in front of him was a report that showed the stats of their two most profitable mobile games were in great decline. [It was still fu*king okay last month!] BANG! Ling Zhongtian threw the document in his hands on the table with great force, his lungs were on the verge of exploding due to anger. The scolded Qian Haiming had a face of being greatly wronged. It was really not his fault. Swallowing, he tried to organize his sentence in his head before explaining quietly to his boss, "Boss, this really cannot be blamed on us." Taking a deep breath, Ling Zhongtian picked up the cup on the table to take a sip of tea, and gradually calmed the anger in his chest. "It''s that ''New Era'', right?" "Mhmm." Qian Haiming felt secretly relieved that the boss understood the situation, but the atmosphere remained tense as ever. These two games of the company were very profitable, and ''Dota History'' had a record of a staggering cash flow of 200 million per month. Although the result was somewhat watered down, it was not far off from the truth. The issue had to do with ''Dota History'', despite running for over a year, had nothing new to offer. Unlike PC games, mobile games'' real-time interactive capability was already very limited; thus, it was destined to severely limit the player''s likelihood to stick to the game through social interaction. It could be said that when mobile game players quit the game, the reluctance to part with the game would be mainly due to the equipment and diamonds and not because of their good friends in the game. After last year''s success, the active users of ''Dota History'' had been gradually decreasing. However, Qian Haiming had still a bit of skill, as he led the entire project team to devise numerous unique events which allow the KPI to barely hit the mark. But who would have thought that a highly competitive game would take the market by storm and took a huge piece of the pie away? Ling Zhongtian fell into a deep contemplation while looking at the report on the table. As the president of a corporation, he obviously would not be clueless about the existence of the most promising mobile game in the market. The game''s massive content made it difficult for players to get bored due to repetitive gameplay. It also offered real-time interaction comparable to that of PC games which meant that when players play the game, it really felt like an online game rather than playing just with a single list of friends. And more importantly, how come it didn''t consume a lot of data? Ling Zhongtian was so jealous that he wanted to spew forth profanity, or perhaps he had already cursed in his mind. The three points above were the major limitations of today''s mobile game development. All major game developers that wanted their share of the market were racking their brains to come up with the best possible solutions to overcome these three major hurdles. Too much game content? If users saw a game with a few gigabytes, they would be too lazy to download it. High hardware specs? This would cause lag and make the phone hot. High data usage? This might make telecom companies happy, but this would definitely enrage the users; thus, the game would naturally be unable to survive. How to use software packers to include more game contents that most of the mobile phones would be able to run, and would not consume too much data. This has always been a great source of concern in the industry. Fortunately, came a software which realized the inspiration of many programmers. It was Future 1.0. By simplifying the algorithm, the performance of mobile phones was increased by three times, and energy consumption was reduced twice as much. This would undoubtedly enable them to recapture the ideas that had been cut off before. Ling Zhongtian was indeed a man with foresight. When he saw the download record of Future 1.0 continually being refreshed, he immediately issued instructions to Qian Haiming to gather people from project development team to develop high specs "large-scale mobile game". The idea was undoubtedly insane. At present, there was not a single mobile game that could meet the standard of the so-called "large-scale mobile game" in the market despite every developers'' bluff and bluster. To deploy a large amount of technical resource to venture into an entirely unknown market was unquestionably a huge gamble. The reason for making such decision was because he was able to foresee the change in the future of the development of mobile games. Given how Future 1.0 had turned out, the future would have high-quality games with high resolution and rich, diverse game contents that could compete with PC games to fill the gaps in the current market. PC and console games would continually be pushed out of the market, and the mobile game industry would only going to get bigger. The only thing he needed to consider was how to gain the upper hand and acquire a bigger slice of this pie. However, his ambition was already deflated before it was realized. Turned out that Future 1.0 had a far greater ambition. Before they gained a foothold in the market, they quickly launched an independent game and ventured into the mobile game market. ''New Era''? In the beginning, Ling Zhongtian had not given their promotion of: "open game world", "sandbox game map", "the strongest freedom in history" much thought yet... Who didn''t know how to brag? Which developers did not vaunt their own game? Not just the players, even their own marketing staff didn''t believe in the marketing. But when the game went online, Ling Zhongtian''s expression instantly turned green with envy. He heard a lot of empty promises before, but it was his first time seeing all the promises got fulfilled. Its unbelievable game quality set a whole new record in terms of gameplay. With the support of the Future 1.0''s user base, ''New Era'' took the market by storm with no less than the impact that Future 1.0 produced and once again become a hot topic of the media. Future 1.0 made headlines again. Without a doubt, ''New Era'' had seized the initiative and took the lead in this market, which he had such high hopes for. "How are things going on your end?" Ling Zhongtian no longer reprimanded Qian Haiming, and instead asked about the "large-scale mobile game" that was currently under development. Hearing this, Qian Haiming looked inconceivably bitter. "It is almost developed and currently in alpha phase, but compared to ''New Era''..." As the project manager, no one knew better than him the product his own team was developing. If the quality was almost comparable, he would at least try to boost his own project by a bit to let the boss see they really tried and achieved some results, however, after personally playing ''New Era'' for a few hours... Mhmm, he went on playing for a while, and it was undoubtedly fun that he couldn''t help but expand the warehouse. They had completely lost. "INo hard, just do everything you can to utilize your ability and creativity. Try a bit harder in the operations," Ling Zhongtian advised exhaustedly as he rubbed his temples. "Yes, boss." Qian Haiming nodded and quickly left the office. Elbows on the table, Ling Zhongtian stared at the report blankly. He''s already 50 years old, and regardless how tough his body was, his temple already had a white streak on it. After being in business for so many years and starting with only a handful people in a 10-sqm studio to gradually becoming the industry leader in the mobile game development, it was his first time experiencing such troublesome issue. What made it troublesome was not the game itself, rather the chain reactions that came with it. The mobile game industry was huge, too big to imagine, so no matter how voracious the appetite of the Future Technology was, it would be impossible to completely dominate the industry. In most users'' phone, it would be impossible not to have more than one game. Thus, even if they lost the "large-scale" game market, Lingyu Technology still maintained a strong market share within the industry. However, with the emergence of this large-scale mobile game, users'' spending habits would undoubtedly have a huge impact. Lingyu Technology''s continuous profit decline during this period was a clear indicator of this problem. Similar to the analogy that if you have an excellent game on your phone, would you still pay for a game like Tetris? Even if you did, it probably wouldn''t be much. The mobile industry had been divided for the longest time where everyone had similar games comparable to one other, and not one company had been able to monopolize the market. However, that was before that game was launched. ''New Era'' quickly gathered all players who were already bored with monotonous mobile games in the market. It revolutionized the perspective of users about the mobile games having "monotonous content" and "poor real-time interactive capability". [Since the inception of this game, their days began to become difficult. and from the looks of it, it''s not only Lingyu Technology''s that got the short end of the stick...] while Ling Zhongtian mulled this over, he lightly tapping on the table with his finger. [Perhaps it''s high time to give this "rookie" a lecture?] While thinking of this, Ling Zhongtian grimaced. He picked up the phone and called his old rival. "Hello, Wang Zong. Haha, how have you been?" "Ok, enough chitchat. It''s been a tough day for everyone. Don''t you think we should do something..." Shifting the public opinion, providing funds for development of hacks, exploiting ''New Era''s'' vulnerabilities, hiring hackers to attack the server... There were still many things they could do to preserve their interests. Just be careful not to get caught in the act. Ling Zhongtian hung up the phone, his mouth curved in a sneer. [Regardless how powerful Future Technology is, how would they be able to ward off attacks from all sides?] 160 Whats a National Husband? Chapter 160: What''s a National Husband? Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ Driving to Guanglu Building, Jiang Chen closed the door and narcissistically looked in the car mirror before striding towards the front door. He was slightly embarrassedas the president, he was fairly certain that he came to the company not more than ten times. Most of the companies that chose Guanglu as their office space dealt with information technology, similar to Future Technology. The commonality between them all was that their lunch breaks were really short. It was only 1:30, but there was nobody to be seen in the lobby. Just as he was about to take the elevator up, he heard his name. "It''s Jiang Chen?" "Mhmm, seems like it is him...." Hearing the gossipy discussions, Jiang Chen dumbfoundedly looked over at the lobby reception. Two female receptionists whispered to each other as they giggled. When they noticed Jiang Chen looking over at them, they didn''t stop but rather waved at him. "Hey, Yingying, he looked over." "Wait, let me send a Weibo!" Weird. Jiang Chen muttered to himself as he got on the elevator. When the elevator stopped on the twelfth floor, a proud smile surfaced on his face as the words came into view. Three months ago, Future Technology existed only in Xia Shiyu''s word document, but now it had already grown to this scale. He made a beeline towards Xia Shiyu''s office. Sitting behind the front desk was a beautiful girl. Jiang Chen didn''t recognize her; she was most likely one of the new hires. As for the previous two receptionists, they must have been transferred to other departments. Compared to when the company just started, the number of employees had already doubled. Considering the company''s new project team, Xia Shiyu went ahead and rented the thirteenth floor to be used by the team. When the beauty sitting at the front desk saw Jiang Chen, her eyes immediately lit up as she greeted him with a cheerful smile. "Hello, President! Welcome!" "What welcome," Jiang Chen casually said as he laughed and greeted her. Afterwards, he asked, puzzled, "You''re new here, right? How did you know that I''m the president?" On the left of her chest was a name tag that read "Su Mengqi." "President, don''t you know that you''re extremely popular right now?" With both elbows on the table, Su Mengqi smiled. Her voice had a unique tone that made others feel peaceful. Xia Shiyu indeed had an eye for choosing people. With a talent like this, after some training, she''d be great in the sales department. "Popular?" Jiang Chen looked lost for a moment. While he knew he was considered a public figure, he didn''t think he was popular. When he came out of the airport a few days ago, he didn''t see any cameras pointed at him. "Haha, when is the last time President went online? Oh, I remember you have a Weibo account, unless that one is fake?" Su Mengqi asked curiously. "Uh, I do have Weibo, but how did you know?" Jiang Chen took out his phone and logged into his long-forgotten account. He recalled that the only person he followed was Liu Yao. After that, he didn''t bother sending out a single Weibo. But when his eyes landed on the numbers, he jumped. "Hehe, I am also your follower." Su Mengqi shook her phone as coyly blinked her eyes. "Everyone calls you National Husband." "Huh?" Jiang Chen glanced over the rows of at symbols, dumbfounded. He randomly opened a few. It was either "I want to make babies with you," or "Please notice me, I can warm the bed." Many passionate females added a selfie in the message, but most belonged to the type that had "no photoshop at all." Jiang Chen was secretly shocked at his popularity. But he would pass on the babies part. It made sense, howeverFuture Technology was now valued at over five billion USD by Wall Street analysts, and this was the number given to the press a month ago. After the introduction and success of their revenue model, as well as the era-defining game New Era, Future Technology''s value could easily have doubled. Without exaggerating, Jiang Chen''s net worth was easily over ten billion USD. Moreover, he was quite good-looking, and someone revealed that he was only twenty-three years old. New to the business, young and rich, and also single Immediately, all spotlights were focused on him. Even without sending out a single Weibo, social media officials acted on their own and verified the account, making the number of followers explode. Uh, he was very curious. How did the Weibo officials know about his Weibo account? "What do you think? It''s not bad to be popular, right?" Su Mengqi smiled happily at Jiang Chen. "Not bad." He scratched his nose while laughing shyly. His sudden public stature felt surreal. "Hehe, oh yeah. President, you still don''t have a girlfriend, right? I''m also single. Do you think I can pursue you?" Su Mengqi coyly said in a half-joking tone of voice. Just as Jiang Chen was about to reject her, a light cough transmitted from the end of the hall. Xia Shiyu was standing there. Her silky, black hair was pulled up, and her black suit was paired with a white dress shirt, black stockings, and a black pencil skirt. She demonstrated the office lady vibe to perfection. Still stunning. Su Mengqi playfully popped her tongue out and immediately put her phone away. It was evident that Xia Shiyu was well-respected in the company. "Don''t use your phone at work. Remember this next time." After giving Su Mengqi a brief lecture, Xia Shiyu glanced at Jiang Chen. She paused before saying, "Haven''t seen you in a long time." Her tone somehow seemed to carry a hidden bitterness. Jiang Chen said apologetically, "Uh, I was about to go find you." "Then follow me." Xia Shiyu nodded, then she turned around to lead the way to the office. After the two left, Su Mengqi patted her chest with relief. Her best friend walked over with a briefcase and gently tapped her. "Qiqi, do you have a death wish? You dared to hit on the president in front of the CEO?" "Hmm? What! Could they...." Su Mengqi''s eyes suddenly popped out as she realized the relationship between the two. Her best friend Li Fengying whispered mysteriously, "Let me tell you since you''re new and don''t know. The reason why the CEO still hasn''t found a boyfriend yet is because of President Jiang...." "W-what do I do then? Will CEO Xia make trouble for me over this?" Su Mengqi began to feel anxious. She didn''t actually plan to pursue Jiang Chen; it was only a joke. If she got in her boss'' bad books, it would not be good. Future Technology''s salary and benefits were extremely competitive. Her best friend suddenly burst out laughing. "You dare to laugh. Give me back my Haagen Dazs." Su Mengqi said with mock anger. "No, haha, don''t worry, CEO Xia is not that type of person. She usually looks serious, but she''s not the narrow-minded type to give you trouble." If Jiang Chen heard this word, he would have a shocked expression. Xia Shiyu did exactly that to fire him. So people do improve? Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ We''re back. Sorry for the delays! We''ll work to catch up on the missing chapters. 161 Hacker Attack Chapter 161: Hacker Attack Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ "This is our backend data." Xia Shiyu leaned down to press a few buttons on the laptop, then she turned the screen towards Jiang Chen with a rare prideful look displayed on her face. It was the server management system designed by Yao Yao from which server activities were monitored. 25.27 million registered users. The number wasn''t overly high, considering Future 1.0 was a one-person-one-account registration system. Therefore, was linked to Little White, which didn''t allow fake accounts. This made it so that the number reflected the number of people actually playing the game, unless they had multiple phones. The reason behind eliminating smurfs was simpleto avoid having people open multiple accounts with the intent to disturb the economy within the game and use up server resources. operated on one server in the entire country and used cloud computing to transfer calculation data from the client to the server. Even with Yao Yao''s magically modified server, there was an inordinate amount of stress placed on it. "The peak concurrent users have hit 15.03 million and the average concurrent user number is 8.14 million. It''s nothing short of a miracle." Xia Shiyu couldn''t seem to stop talking. "What about the profit?" Jiang Chen immediately asked. He was concerned about their new revenue model. Would such an innovation fit the market? He knew the game was online for just two days which was too early to tell, but he still couldn''t help but ask. Xia Shiyu smiled and clicked the screen. "This is the current total auction amount, already exceeding 14 million. With a five percent commission fee, revenue has reached 700 thousand within the first twenty-four hours of operation." "So much?" Jiang Chen was shocked. He wasn''t surprised by the revenue within the last twenty-four hours but rather by the auction amount of 14 million. It reflected the people''s interest in game-spending. "And it''ll only increase." Xia Shiyu''s voice was emotional, her voice trembling. "The player''s current method of obtaining gold in the game is still slow, making a huge gap in demand. The current ratio of gold to RMB has even risen to a high price of 1 to 5.6." Jiang Chen''s initial reaction to Xia Shiyu''s words was to pause. He didn''t allow joy to overwhelm his thoughts; rather, he became more cautious. "Do you think someone is manipulating the auction house price? Just like with stocksprop it up high, get players to accumulate gold, and then massively over-flood the market?" Hearing Jiang Chen raise his concern, Xia Shiyu''s eyebrows also tensed. "I''ve already considered this possibility, but for now, the operations department has yet to come up with a workable plan. Some suggested that we follow the rules from the Han stock market and establish a circuit breaker in gold exchange prices to prevent market manipulation. Some proposed establishing a bank organization within the game internally so that once the gold rises above a tolerable range, they would sell or purchase back the gold. But both of these solutions have their own pros and cons and are still under debate." Hearing this, Jiang Chen almost burst out laughing. "Are you planning on changing the epic magical genre into a financial one?" Xia Shiyu seemed lost. "Ahem, just joking around. Let''s get to the main point. We can look at the broader economic balance in the game. Since the auction house is similar to securities, how could a bunch of game operators come up with a solution? We can follow what Valve did with DOTA 2hire someone studying finance to monitor the auction house." Hearing his suggestion, Xia Shiyu''s eyes lit up. The problem that hounded her was solved with a simple sentence, making her consider him a few more times. "Why are you looking at me?" Feeling slightly shy from her gaze, Jiang Chen scratched his nose. "I just realized that you''re actually quite smart." She smiled, and it was like a beautiful flower blossoming on her gorgeous face. Dazzled by this brief glimpse, Jiang Chen jokingly replied, "I also just realized that you''re quite beautiful when you smile." Xia Shiyu blushed and coughed before hastily changing the topic. "Mhmm.... On the other hand, based on the current skins available in the store, there has only been 150 thousand in revenue, but this number is expected to steadily increase. Also, after the one-time warehouse expansion, just on the first day of operation alone, it managed to rake in an impressive 4.21 million. However, this number is expected to drop as the number of new users decreases. These are the operational results from the past two days." As she spoke, Xia Shiyu opened another window to show to Jiang Chen. The revenue from the first two days was 10.41 million. Seeing this number, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but gasp. From this result, easily destroyed the majority of mobile games that made that much in a month. If they maintained this upward trend in profit and user base, it wouldn''t be a stretch to say would break a monthly revenue of 200 million. Subtracting costs and tax expenses, this revenue combined with Future 1.0''s made Future Technology a mega-corporation with a 50 million monthly profit. Jiang Chen was so ecstatic when he heard the news that he immediately declared a bonus of ten thousand to everyone in the operating team. "With a boss like you who gives out bonuses so frequently, the project team can just depend on those bonuses." Xia Shiyu smiled at Jiang Chen''s ecstatic expression. Jiang Chen laughed. "Then the employees would want me to check up on them every day." Just as Xia Shiyu was about to mock him by saying, "Then why don''t you come by every day," the laptop on the table flashed a red alert symbol. Jiang Chen was confused, but Xia Shiyu sighed as if it wasn''t a big deal. "This already the twelfth time today. They were heavily grouped around the morning hours, but then here we go again. "Network being infiltrated?" Jiang Chen frowned. "That''s right. It was more frequent yesterday." Xia Shiyu continued, "In the beginning, our programmers were highly focused on dealing with the attacks, but when we found that they couldn''t even break past the server firewall, we began to ignore it. Speaking of which, how can we get rid of this alert? It always forcefully increases the volume and stays in the middle of the screen." [It would be funny if they managed to infiltrate the firewall], Jiang Chen muttered in his mind. "Ahem, I''ll get the overseas team to make some adjustments." He only had to have Yao Yao tweak it, very simple. As Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu ignored the hacking alert on the laptop, in an apartment 100 kilometers away was a man in a black tracksuit. He resembled a zombie with his deep eye sockets as he typed furiously on the keyboard. The veins on his arms were abnormally prominent, and his bloodshot eyes seemed as though they would pop out at any time. A pallid face showed from beneath his hoodie and with his small figure, he looked underage from all perspectives. The typing speed he demonstrated, however, would embarrass any professional writer. Of course, he was not a professional writer but rather a hacker. "How can this be possible, how can this be possible!" Lines of codeor at least, lines of error codeswere reflected on his pupils. The typing stopped when the screen flashed multiple red crosses. No matter how many times he tried, it was the same result. They had to have a security team of at least ten professionals. As soon as his hands left the keyboard, the room quieted down, and all that could be heard was the humming of the computer fans. "Ahhh, can''t beat it." Xie Lei raised his head, and he sank into the chair feeling defeated. He stared blankly at the ceiling as he mumbled, "It''s only fair. If they could do something as insane as artificial intelligence, there''s no way their security would be terrible." Bored, he took out his phone and poked Little White''s stomach. Seeing him giggle adorably, Xie Lei genuinely laughed. Honestly, he didn''t hold any animosity towards Future Technology. [To be able to develop such a fun software....] At that moment, the phone suddenly rang. When he saw who the caller was, his smile cooled considerably. "Hello?" Xie Lei said grimly upon picking up. "How''s the job you''re working on?" Black Dragon laughed. Black Dragon was obviously not his name, but if a hacker exposed his identity, it would be the same as stripping naked and running out onto the street. Which of them didn''t do anything illegal before? Exposure meant "death." ". . ." With the knowledge that they controlled "evidence," Xie Lei''s face twisted for a moment before he took a deep breath. "Future Technology''s security is too strong. No matter how hard I try, I can''t go around the firewall. You''re also in the business. You should know how difficult" "Can''t do it?" Black Dragon interrupted. "My suggestion is for you to take it more seriously. This is for an important person. Based on our longstanding relationship, I''ll give you twenty thousand allowances after this is finished," he said slowly. "Twenty thousand? Since when are you so generous?" Xie Lei mocked. Black Dragon, who was usually too cheap to give a few thousand, was now offering twenty thousand? The client this time must have offered more than a million. "Don''t bullsh*t me. If you don''t want it, fine, I was only pitying you and you mock me? Let me tell you, Green Bird, or Xie Lei, if you don''t do a good job, just wait for the cops to show up at your door." After finishing, Black Dragon hung up. Taking a deep breath, Xie Lei flung the phone to the side and buried his head between his knees. Green Bird was a renowned name among hackers, but it was useless. The Xie Lei in front of the computer screen was only an ordinary teenager. "Dammit!" His smashed his fist onto the table. On the phone screen, Little White curled back anxiously. He couldn''t see Xie Lei''s expression since the camera was covered, but he could detect agony from the sound waves. Just as Xie Lei was despairing, a tiny hand patted his head. "Brother?" a young girl stood behind him and whispered. Her face was similarly pallid, but it looked graceful in a way that healed when seen. The only unfortunate part was that she had no color in her pupils. She couldn''t see. Xie Lin, his sister. Xie Lei placed his hand on hers and tightly held onto it with a forced smile. "Don''t worry, Brother is here." Even though he knew she couldn''t see, he struggled to smile. The girl continued to smile gently. "Don''t tire yourself out." Seeing the bright smile on his sister''s face, there was only remorse in his heart. "Listen to Brother. I got another deal. The boss is generous and offered twenty thousand in compensation." "Woah, Brother is so impressive." Her hands clasped together in front of her chest as she slightly opened her mouth in surprise. "Mhmm, your brother is really impressive.... Therefore, I will heal your eyes." Xie Lei desperately kept his tone normal while his fingers tightly clenched onto the armrests. He was not afraid of going to jail. He was done with Black Dragon''s manipulation. But what stopped him from going was his sister Xie Lin. If he went to jail, his only source of income would disappear. Not only would he be unable to treat her eyes, it would also be difficult to live.... He took a deep breath, his mind already made. Although the hope was slim, he had to take a gamble. 162 Company Gathering Chapter 162: Company Gathering Translator: _Min_Editor: Lis_ When Jiang Chen announced a bonus of ten thousand for everyone, the employees all began to cheer in joy. Xia Shiyu who stood beside him rubbed her face. She whispered, "Didn''t you say a bonus only to the New Era project members? How did it become everyone?" Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused before immediately laughing it away. "That''s fine! Everyone contributed, so everyone should be rewarded. There are a lot of employees in Future Technology, but no one is an extra!" "Boss." Chen Lulu in the legal department put her palms together as if she was praying to Jiang Chen. "What?" Jiang Chen smiled. "You look like you''re glowing." At the edge of the circle, Su Mengqi stopped clapping along with her colleagues. As she watched Jiang Chen, who was surrounded, there was a different light flashing in her eyes, like a magpie that had just discovered shining jewelry. "Girl, are you thinking about someone?" her friend said with a smirk. She stood beside Su Mengqi and poked her friend in the arm. "Fengying," Su Mengqi murmured, as if she hadn''t heard her friend''s words. Seeing the lost face on her friend''s face, Li Fengying looked at her confusedly. "What?" "Who do you think is prettier? Me and CEO Xia?" Su Mengqi said with a pout, her eyes drawn to the person in the center. "Psh! Wait? You...." "I have decided!" She suddenly clapped her hands, a fighting light burning in her eyes. "I''ve changed my mind." Future Technology had a total of 34 employees. With a bonus of ten thousand per person, that came out to only 340 thousandthis was a drop of water in the vast sea of Future Technology''s future profits. Following the growth of the company, their monthly salary would eventually be far greater than that number. But what Jiang Chen didn''t know was that the employees were touched not by the ten thousand bonus but rather by what he said at the end. "There are a lot of employees in Future Technology, but no one is an extra!" Nothing else instilled such a sense of belonging as having one''s own value recognized. They spent days and nights drafting plans, discussing marketing strategy, and handling the details of the operationother than working for the salary, did they not want to be recognized for their values? No one felt this as strongly as Jiang Chen did ever since he was fired at will. He was a small employee working in the sales department of a clothing store. He knew in his heart the powerless feeling that no matter how hard he worked, he would never receive any recognition. Sometimes, people were more easily touched than expected. These words were later printed in Future Technology''s employee manual as the company''s culture used to encourage new employees. But this is an afterthought. ... With everyone''s moods at an all-time high, Jiang Chen immediately announced a gathering at Xinrong Restaurant, with all expenses paid for by the company. A boss this generous naturally received the praise of the employees. Most people disliked business gatherings, but upon hearing that they would have the opportunity to have a meal with the mysterious but legendary boss, they began to look forward to it. After getting off from work, the group of thirty plus people arrived at Xinrong Restaurant. Befitting its five-star reputation, Xinrong Restaurant was magnificently built. Xia Shiyu had already reserved a room, so when the restaurant manager saw the crowd of thirty people, he put on his brightest smile and personally ushered them to the private room. He also courteously gave Jiang Chen a VIP card that gave 20% off the tab. The dinner table was a bustling scene. Jiang Chen happily accepted his employees'' toasts, but considering that he had to drive, he took care not to drink too much and placed the remainder in the storage dimension. Sitting beside him was the second-in-command, Xia Shiyu. Jiang Chen was surprised to find that she was quite popular in the company as she received many proposed toasts as well. Xia Shiyu accepted them all without refusing a single one, but because of her tolerance, she used a small cup. Regardless, her face turned red after a few shots, which couldn''t look more attractive on her. The mood became heightened as Jiang Chen didn''t act like a boss at all, boasting instead with the employees about anything and everything. The topic soon turned to personal questions about the "internet famous" president''s personal life. Everyone was quite curious. "President, let me propose a toast. I wish for your greater success!" At this time, Su Mengqi stood and raised her cup with a smile. Based on the alcohol culture in China, it was disrespectful to propose a toast to the boss before the direct manager did so. Because of the lack of employees, however, Future Technology did not yet have an established Human Resources department, and so Xia Shiyu was in charge of everything; therefore, Su Mengqi''s direct manager should have been Xia Shiyu. But CEO Xia, either from shyness or other concerns, didn''t propose a toast to Jiang Chen from the start of the dinner until now, despite sitting beside him. Despite that, Su Mengqi toasting Jiang Chen did not befit the culture. Of course, there was also an unwritten rule that beauties were the exception. "I''ll accept your kind words." Jiang Chen stood and also raised his cup before throwing back the drink. Su Mengqi simultaneously finished the drink in her cup, and two red clouds appeared on her cheeks. Her watery eyes shimmered. Under the influence of alcohol, she gazed into Jiang Chen''s eyes and asked, "President, can I ask you a question?" "Ask away, as long as it''s not for my bank password," Jiang Chen laughed as he joked. "Then my question is, does President have anyone he likes?" It was a bold question, drawing a wave of chattering, and the mood at the dinner table was suddenly pushed to a climax. Su Mengqi''s face with light makeup began to blush even more under the cheers of her colleagues, but her watery eyes didn''t move away. Many people speculated that CEO Xia had feelings for the president, but when she remained unperturbed by the question, people began to question their suspicions. Everyone was already an adult; there was no way she was this reserved. "Yes, President. If you don''t tell us because we''re men, then shouldn''t you reveal some information to the beautiful lady?" "Yes, yes, our Miss Su is already giving you hints, so you should say something." Recalling that the president was still single, the crowd began to root for the two. Su Mengqi was indeed a gorgeous girl, and she seemed interested in the president. Many times, it worked out like thisalthough they didn''t hold strong feelings for each other, under everyone''s influence, they would somehow develop feelings for each other. It was a top priority to help the president stay away from the single life. If it ended up working out, their fussing now would become an assistance later! Not only were there benefits, but in the future, it would be a favor. If they ended up getting married, with Jiang Chen''s generosity, a hefty red envelope would come their way. And even if it didn''t end up working out, it was a light jest at the dinner table, so not many thought too deeply on it. For some reason, Xia Shiyu buried her head and poked at her fish, feeling wronged. She had the urge the stand up and do something, but she didn''t know exactly what, so she couldn''t find a reason to get up. Jiang Chen gave a troubled smile. This was a difficult question to answer. Sun Jiao and Yao Yao.... were from the other world. Ayesha''s identity and age were unique, so it wasn''t good to expose them. Liu Yao was a celebrity and would not be good to expose as a mistress. F*ck, he thought he had so many girls, but not a single one could be brought home for New Years. "Uhh, yes?" After careful deliberation, Jiang Chen gave an incredibly vague answer. Even after hearing the response, Su Mengqi didn''t give up. Just as she was about to ask, "What do you like about her," Future 1.0''s Project Manager Nin Huajian suddenly stood and proposed a toast with a smile. "President Jiang is young but achieved! I have worked in the IT industry for five years and have seen a number of industry prodigies. But the only person whom I respect from the bottom of my heart is President Jiang. I''ll finish the drink." Nin Huajian chugged the alcohol in his cup and flipped it to show his respect, making the crowd cheer. Jiang Chen understood that Nin Huajian was helping him get out of an awkward situation, so he gladly raised his cup. After Jiang Chen finished his drink, the three sat down. Su Mengqi also realized that she was rushing it. Thankfully, Nin Huajian saved her from persisting, or else she would have committed the taboo of putting her boss in a difficult situation. Besides Su Mengqi''s anxious emotions, Xia Shiyu''s heart was also turbulent. She recalled the scene during the last press conference. At that time, Jiang Chen seemed to have indicated that he didn''t like anyone. But there now there was someone. Who could it be? He barely showed up at the company this month and barely saw her. Could it be someone he met overseas on a business trip...? Eh? Why do I care about his personal life? Just as Xia Shiyu was in a mental quandary, the topic at the table switched directions. "CEO Xia, thank you for your support and guidance. Let me propose a toast to you." Jiang Chen gently poked Xia Shiyu with his elbow. "Ah! Okay...." As if waking from a dream, Xia Shiyu hastily stood and raised her cup. Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu, perplexed. It was rare to see such a frantic expression on her face. In this relatively harmonious atmosphere, the dinner came to an end. 163 Please close your eyes at nigh Chapter 163: Please close your eyes at night Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi After the closing remarks of the boss, the dinner officially concluded. People began to leave and started to head home. The total spending was 70 thousand. Jiang Chen swiped his card without a blink of an eye. But just as he was about to leave, he realized that someone was still there. Xia Shiyu was leaning on the table. Her blood, red blush could be faintly seen on her half exposed face, she looked like she drank too much. Seeing this, Jiang Chen helplessly let out a sigh and walked towards her. For some strange reason, the girl somehow started to drink shot after shot and got herself drunk. She didn''t cause a scene after becoming drunk as she just quietly lied on the table till now. "No one forced you to drink, did you think you were drinking water?" "Huu-" Jiang Chen put her arms around his neck and used a slight amount of force to lift her up onto his back. Feeling the softness on his back, Jiang Chen''s face turned red. Although they were not big, they were surprisingly soft. He quickly coughed to hide his awkwardness as he cleared his mind. Avoiding the dubious look of the waitress, he quickly secured her on his back and left through the door. "I, I am not drunk, taxi..." "Yes, yes, that''s what all drunk people say." The warm breath on his neck made his mind go elsewhere, especially coupled with the softness on his back; it was making him lose his mind. . He suppressed the wild thoughts in his mind as he strenuously stuffed Xia Shiyu into the front passenger seat and put the seatbelt on her. When his finger unintentionally slid across her silky waist, he gulped, urged back any more "unintentional" moves, and closed the door. He started the car and drove his Maybach to Xinxuan community. The smell of alcohol began to rise in the car, Jiang Chen glanced at the completely passed out girl as he sighed and murmured. "You know you are very attractive right now?" Xia Shiyu ambiguously muttered something, but it was probably just her sleep talking. Because he was afraid that she would get cold from the wind, Jiang Chen let the alcohol smell build up in the car and didn''t open the window. Finally bringing this girl to her front door, Jiang Chen couldn''t care more as he used his free hand to search her body, before finding the key and opening the door. He dragged Xia Shiyu, who was drunk like a pile of mud, into her place before he finally got a chance to breathe. But just as he was about to leave, he froze in place. Her white neck was a soft shade of red, her slightly messy hair partially covered her gorgeous celebrity-like face, her bright red lips were parted, breathing a warm but intoxicating smell, her delicate eyebrows furrowed due to discomfort... Seeing Xia Shiyu''s letting her guard completely down, Jiang Chen gulped and took a subtle step forward. If he did something now, she probably wouldn''t know. But just as the devil-like thought emerged in his mind, he refocused, scared by his own thought. He quickly took two deep breaths and forcefully shook his head. Jiang Chen helped her take off her suit and then to make her more comfortable, he unbuttoned the first button on her button down shirt. After doing all this, he put the sheet on her before sneaking out from the room. He poured himself a cup of water in the kitchen, the cold sensation of water passing through his stomach calmed his heart. After standing for a moment, he looked at the clock on the wall. <10:32> "It''s already this late?" Jiang Chen yawned as the feeling of confliction rose. Xinxuan community was in the complete opposite direction of Mingxing community. If he drove back now, it would be 12 before he arrived at home. Besides, he was already so tired that he really didn''t want to drive an hour back. Stay here for the night? Jiang Chen gulped as it was an enticing thought. [I did carry her back. It would be okay if I stayed without her permission for one night right?] Thinking, Jiang Chen took out his phone and texted a message to Ayesha. ... Jiang Chen let out a long breath of air. He then stretched and scanned the two-story apartment. There was a bedroom on the second floor, but probably never cleaned out since only Xia Shiyu lived here. "Looks like I am sleeping on the sofa tonight... I''ll take a shower first." Jiang Chen muttered as he walked to the bathroom. Within the mansion, Ayesha had her leg placed on the bar as she gently leaned her body forward, her chin slightly touching her knees. The elegant posture was not only difficult but also aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Only such exercises could stretch the tendons in the leg to increase the flexibility of the body. This was something genetic vaccine did not provide. Flexibility was one of the most common things that benefited her in all areas, such as fighting, such as doing other certain things... But suddenly, the lightbulb went out. Power outage? Ayesha''s movement stopped. With her body still pressed against her leg, she quietly listened. She didn''t rush to check the circuit as she smelled something odd. Her cat-like pupils slightly narrowed in the darkness, giving off a dangerous vibe. As if she had found her prey. ... Since he couldn''t break through the firewall, he could only capture the program developer and figure out the code the hard way. Xin Lei''s blood-shot eyes reflected the light on the screen. His lips rose slightly under his hoodie as he spoke in a screeching voice into the Bluetooth headphone. "The security system is hacked, your personal information is whitelisted." For a hacker that is ranked third in Hua, and had been flagged on the front page of some unscrupulous organizations, this type of security was too easy for him. Though he hasn''t done these types of things without pay for a long time. "Confirmed." A female voice came from under the hood of a purple tracksuit. Yan Xiaoyan, the childhood honey of Xie Lei. She has a black belt in taekwondo, even though she is only 17. Her swift moves could easily beat 5-6 adults. Due to her affection towards Xie Lei, she agreed to this dangerous plan without much hesitation. "It''s taken care of, let''s go." She waved at the two people behind her, and Yan Xiaoyan led the way to the high-end community. Lu Dahu, known as the chubby tiger is a good friend of Xie Lei. He was three years older, spent a few years in the military, and is currently unemployed. Zhang Chao, also Xie Lei''s good friend. They met a long time ago on the internet. He was around the same age as Xie Lei. Although he lacked knowledge about computers, he was a huge of fan of the military. He was not tall but was skillful with almost all military gadgets. After Xie Lei confessed his trouble, they agreed without hesitation. The plan was simple: sneak into the mansion, control Jiang Chen, drive his car and take him out of the community to the agreed on spot. They only had one and half hour. Once the clock hit 12, the server would reset, and the access control gained by Xie Lei would be lost. His eyes locked onto the screen as Xie Lei already infiltrated the camera within the community. Seeing his three friends successfully pass identification at the front door and walk inside of the mansion, he took a deep breath and pressed a few more button. The memory of the camera connected to the server was erased, the write function disabled. The camera tonight would not record anything. Once they left, they only needed to delete their personal information from the server. As if they were never there. Xie Lei knew that he and his friends were playing with fire. If they were accidentally caught, all of them would go to jail. "People here are all veteran soldiers," Lu Dahu lowered his hat as he mumbled. "Aren''t you a veteran as well?" Zhao Chan with a backpack mocked. "It''s different." Lu Dahu forced a smile, as his square looking face looked rather helpless. "Based on the vibe I''m getting, they were at least special forces from the army." "Be quiet." Yan Xiaoyan, half a step in front of them, whispered. Xie Lin''s fingers typed on the keyboard. He constantly changed between cameras while drawing with his right hand and marking the route of the patrol team. "Turn right in the front, avoid patrol team A, walk straight into the intersection before turning left. Try to avoid contact with anyone, your guys look odd." "Understood." Yan Xiaoyan lowered her voice as she held onto the Bluetooth earphone. She then signaled the two people behind her to quickly move to the street on the right. Although they already passed the check at the front door, wandering around this late would easily cause suspension. They were not prepared to be questioned because the backpack Zhang Chao carried had all the tools for crime. Three sticks, handcuffs, ropes, three night vision goggles, and one signal jammer. Zhang Chao bought everything from an exclusive channel. They were all authentic product from UA ATN corporation which shocked Lu Dahu, the veteran soldier. Of course, Xie Lei paid for it. The three of them sneaked into the mansion at the deepest part of the community. The European style high wall, the cut green grass, and the straight brick trail. The building''s structure shone with elegance. "Dammit, people here must be ridiculously wealthy. Do you think there are bodyguards inside?" Zhang Chao mustered as he took off his backpack. "If there are any, I''ll take care of it." The girl in the purple suit said confidently. She pressed the earphone again. "We are in position." "Ok." Xie Lei took a deep breath and clicked his tongue. Sparks suddenly came out of the generator on the north side. In an instant, the entire community fell into darkness. With fingers on the keyboard, he simultaneously locked the electrical room''s password so that even if they started the backup generator, it would take awhile. He had to thank the highly digitalized design of the community. If it were a mechanical lock, there would be nothing that he could do. Without wasting a second, Yan Xiaoyan took out a card from her pocket and swiped it on the metal gate. Xie Lei who already acquired the password information from the database and had copied the key onto the black card. The card in her hand was equivalent to the actual key and easily opened the door. "Quick! Put this on." Zhang Chao excitedly threw the night vision goggles and sticks into their hands and put one on his hand skillfully as well. The night vision goggle not only allowed them to obtain vision in the dark, but it also hid their faces. They quickly sneaked into the mansion and approached the door. Pressing against the door, Zhang Chao took out a lock pick and opened the door with a few clicks. Then he signaled the two companions to enter. The mansion looked rather empty; there was no one on the first floor. Based on the lights they saw from the outside, there should be people on the third floor. The three quietly waited against the wall. The electric valve was outside. If someone came down to check, they must pass by where they stood. "Why is there no noise at all? Typically shouldn''t they all check the valve?" Lu Dahu''s eyebrows tightened as he said with his voice lowered. Yan Xiaoyan also raised her eyebrows. Not only were there no footsteps heard upstairs, but there was also no lights from a phone or candle. Could it be that Jiang Chen was already asleep, and just forgot to turn off the lights. "Let''s go to the bedroom." Yan Xiaoyan suppressed her voice as she led the way, sneaking upstairs. ... It would be up to them once they enter the mansion. The camera in the community could not monitor inside the mansion as it was for the consideration of residents'' privacy. The mansion was in a frightening darkness. But the darker it was, the more advantageous it was for them since they had night vision goggles... The camera in the community was installed with internal batteries so that even though the power went out, it could still last for a few more hours. Seeing his friends have already entered the mansion, Xie Lei let out a sigh and leaned against the chair. "Now just need to catch Jiang Chen, get the firewall security code from his mouth, hack into server, and delete the user information and gate data clean... Pity, the game is not bad." He shook his head, stared at the open gate, and mustered arrogantly. "Please close your eyes at night." 164 Is there a need to have a reason? Chapter 164: Is there a need to have a reason? Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Water poured down. Jiang Chen closed the knob before he shook off the droplets of water on his head, he then walked out of the shower as he grabbed a towel beside him and wiped himself. It felt much better after the shower as if the all the alcohol and weariness was washed away. But the faint fragrance in the room put him in an awkward spot physiologically. He thought while he wiped his hair with the towel. But as he wiped, his hand froze in the air. [This is... Xia Shiyu''s towel?] Thinking that towel once covered a pure blossoming flower, and countlessly wiped the mists off of the leaves... He stared at the towel in his hand as Jiang Chen''s expression on his face suddenly turned awkward. But at this time, a blurry, but shaky figure suddenly appeared on the opaque glass in the washroom. Jiang Chen, who realized what happened, was about to stop her before the bathroom door was pushed open first. Ka. Seeing the haggard Xia Shiyu arduously holding on the door frame. Just as she was about to come in, she was stunned at the doorstep. The cynical thing that appeared in her field of vision made her briefly lost her ability to think. It was hard to describe the expression on her face, should it be wry? Shocked? Or humiliated. The air of silence filled the air between the two. "Hi." Jiang Chen first broke the silence rigidly. He moved the towel to cover the inexplicable part while keeping a straight face. Perhaps maybe she was drunk, or perhaps the image was too shocking, Xia Shiyu didn''t scream, but rather she calmed down and silently closed the door. Looking at the closed the door, a bitter smile appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. "Uh... Maybe I should have screamed?" Since he already used, and also was seen, might as well finish drying himself. Jiang Chen shameless dried his entire body, then washed her towel before putting his clothes back on. He then left the bathroom. He turned to the living room as Xia Shiyu was already sitting on the sofa. When Jiang Chen came out, her vision immediately gazed onto him. Just as Jiang Chen was mentally prepared for the "pervert" "sick-minded," the expected anger didn''t arrive. "Uh, are you going to ask me something?" He felt a bit frightened by Xia Shiyu''s silence, Jiang Chen careful sat across from her as he said apologetically. Xia Shiyu still didn''t say anything, with the aid of the moonlight, it was visible that on the usually cold face, the bright red lips were slightly trembling. [Because she is so angry she couldn''t express it?] Jiang Chen drilled deep into his mind and still couldn''t figure out the current mood of this girl. The prideful ice beauty realized after waking up that she was lying on the bed, with clothes slovenly, the first button of the dress shirt unbuttoned, and also a man (pervert) using her washroom to take a shower, using the towel that she had always used... From any perspective, she must not be in the best mood. "Ummm, you were drunk." Jiang Chen awkwardly tried to explain. With the direct stare, Jiang Chen didn''t know if she was thinking or mooning out. "You were sleeping on the table, so I carried you back on my back. Your car is still there, remember to drive it back tomorrow." Seeing Xia Shiyu did not react, Jiang Chen continued. "Why?" Seemed like she reacted to this sentence, Xia Shiyu murmured as if she was whispering in her dream. "Why? Is that even a question." Jiang Chen had a bitter smile, "I can''t leave you there by yourself. You live alone, and you drank yourself like that, be more cautious next time. If a human trafficker is pretending to be someone to be close to you, you don''t even know if you were sold to some desolate mountain areas." Hearing this, Xia Shiyu looked over and made eye contact with Jiang Chen. After a long silence, even to her disbelief, she asked, "Then would you come to save me?" He was shocked by the sudden question, Jiang Chen thought for a glimpse. "Yes." "Why?" It was still the dreamy mutter. Expectation? Or perhaps just confusion? "Does there need to be a reason?" Jiang Chen sighed as he asked rhetorically. Humans were never a pure logical animal, what''s the point of excessive need for reasons? Xia Shiyu was not pleased with Jiang Chen''s response. The graceful top lip bit on the bottom one, the rather blank expression seemed like she still hasn''t gained a clear mind. Seeing that she hadn''t said anything, Jiang Chen coughed and gently said. "You are drunk. Don''t drink this much in the future, now go get some rest." Although he didn''t know what she was so fixated about, based on this response, she was not angry? She stood up wobbling, just as Jiang Chen let a sigh thinking she was going back to the room to sleep, she moved across and stood in front of him. "You, who do you like?" The voice carried some intoxication, but the tone certainly carried CEO Xia''s authority. The random questions threw Jiang Chen off. He forced a smile and didn''t answer. He didn''t know how to answer. After the last press conference, he already had a sense for Xia Shiyu''s feelings towards him. Although she always put on a cold expression that kept people a thousand miles away, her heart was still that of a child. As to why he said that, it was because only a child would believe coldness meant maturity. If it were someone without boundary, it wouldn''t whatever, but Xia Shiyu... She definitely would not accept him being with other women. Or should we say any "normal" women would not. Jiang Chen asked himself. He certainly had feelings for her, but his feelings were just beginning to develop. As to giving up something for her, he could not do it. "I," Jiang Chen hesitantly opened his mouth, but the words were stuck in his throat. "I don''t want to hear it." She shook her head, as her slightly messy but luscious hair waved. Suddenly, she made a move that completely left Jiang Chen dumbfounded. A delicate hand reached out as two fingers audaciously squeezed his chin. Jiang Chen stared at the pair of crystal clear eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, and she moved in closer. His conscience told him, she was drunk, you should wake her up. But seeing the approaching, blushing, attractive face, he could not say a single word. The devil-like thought spun in his head as Jiang Chen gulped. [She is the one being proactive. If I pretend I don''t know...] But suddenly, an untimely ringtone disrupted this tranquil moment. Xia Shiyu''s action stopped abruptly. The misty eyes regained a hint of clarity as she looked at Jiang Chen ever so close to her. "I, I''ll take a phone call." Jiang Chen got up and escaped. Xia Shiyu froze blankly there. Her face began to turn red. Even under the not so bright moonlight, it was apparent. [What did I do?] Fine droplets of sweat began to surface on her heated body. The alcohol evaporated with the sweat as she began to sober up. Without thinking, she dashed into the bedroom without turning around. Bam! The door slamming sound transmitted behind him as Xia Shiyu fleed into the bedroom. Jiang Chen forced a smile as he looked at the phone. It was Ayesha. Jiang Chen put his hand against the wall as he picked up the phone. "Hello?" He sensed some strangeness to Ayesha calling him now. ... With a stick in her hand, Yan Xiaoyan gently pushed open the door. No one was there. She shook her head at the teammate behind her, signaling Lu Dahu to walk to the adjacent bedroom. Even if she carefully controlled her footsteps, the contact between her runners and the expensive wooden floor made a faint sound. Because they didn''t know which bedroom Jiang Chen slept in, they had to use the dumbest method, which was to search the rooms one by one. Zhang Chao stayed on the first floor to prevent Jiang Chen from escaping. At the same time, he opened the signal jammer to prevent the target from calling the police. In the spacious living room, Zhang Chao scanned his surroundings. The bright green vision in the night vision goggles made the darkness not so frightening. Seeing the home theatre on the wall, he was shocked. "85 inches 4K smart TV, as well as the TV screen. This at least cost upwards of half a million," he mustered in his mind as he felt anxious. It was his first time kidnapping, and they were just not kidnapping an ordinary person. They were kidnapping the wealthy and influential president of Future Technology. He could only pray that Yan Xiaoyan was clean with her moves and their faces won''t be revealed to Jiang Chen. Or else, Jiang Chen had hundreds of ways to make sure they never live in Wanghai City again. Just as he was still debating in his mind, something forcefully struck the back of his neck. Before he could react, he lost his conscious and fell to the ground. On the other side... Yan Xiaoyan was already on the third floor. To increase efficiency, she and Lu Dahu decided to advance separately. Just as she got to the gym, the room that previously had the lights on, she felt suddenly alerted. Without thinking, she immediately swept the stick behind her. The sound of air breaking echoed as the hit obviously missed. Easily dodging the strike, Ayesha, with a grim look, moved. When she thought the situation couldn''t get any worse, Yan Xiaoyan immediately kicked up her leg and blocked the lightning-fast roundhouse kick. "Ouch-!" Sharp pain transmitted from her legs. Cold sweat began to drop from Yan Xiaoyan''s forehead as fear began to overwhelm her. They were not on the same level. She was part of the national competition before, but even in the championship match, she never felt such powerful force. Yan Xiaoyan quickly moved back, but she was already backed up against the window. The pristine moonlight shed into the room as she felt her vision increase drastically. She pulled off the annoying night vision goggles, only leaving the mask on her face. Yan Xiaoyan stared at the girl approaching her. The girl was not tall; she could even be described as tiny. Her wavy hair was tied into a ponytail. She had an exotic, gorgeous face, but all these factors were not critical. What made Yan Xiaoyan frantic was the grim looking eyes. They were looking at her as if she was a dead body. The desire to kill was immense! 165 A Farce Chapter 165: A Farce Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Hearing noise coming from the gym, Lu Dahu quickly rushed over. When he saw Yan Xiaoyan confronting Ayesha, he held his breath and sneaked up behind her in an attempt to choke her from behind. Yan Xiaoyan also held her breath when she saw Lu Dahu approach Ayesha from the back. Her heart was about to jump out. When she thought the plan was about to work, she saw a sneer from the corner of Ayesha''s mouth. She moved like a leopard. The girl turned around and performed a roundhouse kick. The swift action directly landed on Lu Dahu''s unguarded chest. The power, disproportionate to her size, kicked the almost two hundred pounds, well-built man, away. Yan Xiaoyan looked at the scene in disbelief as the hand carrying the stick shook uncontrollably. Although she held a weapon in hand, it did not bring her the slightest sense of safety. However, she didn''t back down. Ayesha looked at her in silence. Then, grabbing the box-shaped signal jammer from her back, she turned off the power. "Static-, Xiaoyan, how''s the progress going." Seeing the communication channel was restored, Xie Lei desperately asked. "Lei. I might-" Yan Xiaoyan said with bitterness in her voice. But before she finished her sentence, the communication channel ceased again. Ayesha restarted the signal jammer, tossed the device away, and opened the EP on her wrist. The wireless tracker in her pocket already sent the communication information to the EP. It marked two related red dots on the EP map. Utilizing the brief window when the communication channel was restored, she located the "commander''s" coordinates. The magic of future technology was something these "primitives" would never understand. Yan Xiaoyan was shaking when she saw Ayesha''s series of moves. She didn''t know what she was doing. The calmness before had completely vanished. The confidence she built based on her fighting ability was quickly shattered by the clean moves of the girl in front of her. But, for him... Yan Xiaoyan''s eyes were reignited with courage when she thought of Xie Lei. She gritted her teeth and dashed at Ayesha, kicking with lightning speed. Since she was at a disadvantage in terms of defense, she must attack. This kick was aimed directly at Ayesha''s head. But the girl remained calm. Unlike what Yan Xiaoyan had imagined, she easily dodged her kick. Then, with cat-like agility, Ayesha was behind her. As Yan Xiaoyan had guessed, they were not on the same level. Before she was able to react, a sharp pain came from the back of her neck, making her lose consciousness. She immediately fell to the ground. ... "Someone attacked the mansion," Ayesha concisely reported. Jiang Chen''s expression changed immediately, "Are you okay?" "I''m okay. The attackers had some creative ideas, but the techniques they used were that of an amateur''s. Based on the skill levels of those people, they must have someone strong assisting them to avoid the patrol team. Based on initial speculation, that person should be a hacker proficient in cyber warfare," Ayesha said softly as she looked grimly at the three people lying in the basement with their hands and feet tied up. Hearing Ayesha was safe, Jiang Chen was relieved. But then he quickly realized that his worry was a bit unwarranted. After deliberating for a moment, Jiang Chen asked in an undertone, "Do you know who sent them there." "Not clear yet. But I already have the coordinates of the hacker. I''ll send it to you by phone." "Mhmm, I''ll take care of it." Jiang Chen hung up the phone. Shortly after, Little White shook as a picture of the coordinates were sent to Jiang Chen''s phone. Two dots were connected. One dot was located in his mansion, while the other one was located in the rural area of Wanghai City. He looked in the direction of Xia Shiyu''s bedroom and hesitated. But in the end, he sighed. He decided not to go up and knock on the door. Instead, he put on his shoes and left the apartment. ... With her back against the cold wooden door, Xia Shiyu hugged her knees as she buried her head in her arms. However, through her arms, the red hue on her gorgeous face could still be seen. [Wooo, I want to die... What did I just do.] A soft whimper escaped her mouth as her ostrich-like head buried deeper between her legs. Her thoughts were a mess. The furious pounding in her left chest was too distracting. [What if he knocks on the door? Should I open it? But... I almost just did that kind of thing. Ahhhhh! I want to die. This is so embarrassing. But I should open the door. It would be rude just to leave him hanging in the living room. If I explained, it would get rid of the -] Bang! The sound of the door closing transmitted through from the outside. Xia Shiyu paused for a moment as she slowly lifted her head up. Seemed to be the front door. He left? He just left? While she let out a sigh of relief, for some reason, she felt disappointed. But as to why she felt disappointed, she couldn''t give a reason. ... Driving furiously on the road, Jiang Chen glanced at the red dot on the GPS before he fixated his gaze back onto the road. He let out a sigh as he held onto the wheel. "It would be better to find a chance and talk to her," He mumbled. Jiang Chen turned the steering wheel before parking the car near the target''s community. Since it was a hacker proficient in cyber warfare, the community''s cameras should be under their control? Definitely a possibility. Jiang Chen locked the door and walked towards the back door of the community. It was almost 12. Only a few windows in the community still had their lights on. He avoided a few obvious cameras as he approached the electric substation of the target''s building. He opened the box and put his right hand inside. Charging the interdimensional bracelet. The energy of the bracelet was suddenly full. The brute intake of electric current instantly exceeded the threshold value of the substation. Without a doubt, the entire building lost power. A mocking smile appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. He closed the box, put his hands in his pocket, and walked into the shadow. It was 12 at night. People who were still awake, and desperately wanting to restore the power rather than going to sleep, would probably be the only ones providing assistance. Regardless who it was, he only needed for the fish to take the bait. ... Xie Lei''s eyes locked onto the screen as he nervously waited for his companion''s response. The communication signal was interrupted. Did they get caught? Can''t be. If they did, they would use the phone to communicate with me, the perpetrator. "Dammit!" Xie Lei''s fist slammed onto the table. He did not consider a backup plan. He never thought about the changing variables within the plan. He started to regret the tracksuits. Even if he was out of solutions, he never should have come up with kidnapping. The evidence Black Tiger controlled would at max get him ten years, but kidnapping... His face turned pale as he prayed. "Xiaoyan, Chubby Tiger, Xiaochao... Please be safe, please!" But then, the entire building suddenly lost power. This made the already tense Xie Lei jump. "The fuse short-circuited? Can''t be a power outage. There was no notice posted," He mustered as Xie Lei left his seat. In the assumption that someone was caught, the opposing force must have obtained my location through interrogation. Then, I should have been caught already. The door definitely won''t be able to block anyone. However, since no one is here, that means they should not have been caught but entered into a stalemate with the target. Without electricity, there was nothing he could do. Regardless, he must quickly restore power. Once it passes 12, the server would reset. If he wanted to provide support, he must hack into the server again. Xie Lei left the room. Squeak-. He carefully opened the door, cautiously looking into the pitch black hallway. When he didn''t see anyone, Xie Lei let out an uneasy breath. "Am I being too anxious..." It made sense. If they already knew my location, what''s the whole point of using the trick of cutting the power? But what he didn''t know was that in the near distant future, there would be a device that could locate communication signals. A device used by future snipers. Though of course, there will be signal jammers in the future, but right now... it was as easy as breathing for Ayesha to location the coordinates of the communicator. The night''s breeze was quite chilly. The pale hand of the teen tightened the zipper of his tracksuit. His entire face was hidden under the shadow of the hoodie. It was already autumn. Maybe it was time to buy Xie Lin some thicker clothes? When he thought about his sister, a gentle smile appeared on his face. Although the first reaction of most people was gloom when they first see him, she was the only one that didn''t think so. Just like an angel. [Yes, that''s right, I will protect my sister!] He screamed in his mind as the sudden adrenaline pushed away some of his fear. He went downstairs and headed straight to the electric substation that he was so familiar with. He opened the box but was stunned. Not right. He knew what a short fuse looked like, but he didn''t see the entire meter being burnt out. "You are the perpetrator behind the scenes," a sluggish voice said from behind him. Xie Lei turned his head and saw a young man standing there with his hands in his pocket. He was observing him with interest in his eyes. "Your left foot moved half a step back. I guess you want to run, but I suggest you don''t do that." Jiang Chen sighed. Seeing his thoughts exposed, Xie Lei became calm as he locked his eyes right onto Jiang Chen. "Xiaoyan... you caught all my friends?'' "You can say that. My bodyguard''s comment about you guys was, it was well thought out, but clumsily executed." Jiang Chen laughed before continuing, "First time doing this?" "..." Xie Lei didn''t answer. His mind spun furiously as he desperately tried to think of a way to escape. "What was the intention of entering my mansion? If you don''t answer, I will just default it to murder. Trust me, I have enough money to convince the judges." "Kidnap. To obtain the key to the server," Xie Lei squeezed out a few words in vain. Threatening worked. His face was extremely pale. It looked like that of someone who hadn''t been outside for a long time. Around 1.60m tall, he had a slim built and looked like a teen. Jiang Chen couldn''t comprehend why this teen he has never met before wanted to kidnap him. "For money? Or for other reasons? I don''t want to use the truth-telling liquid on teens, it will have an uncontrollable effect on the developing brain," Jiang Chen mocked, but his tone held a hint of truth. "You are Jiang Chen?" Xie Lei abruptly asked. Jiang Chen shrugged. "Did you just realize? I recommend you answer my question before I use force. Xie Lei let out a sigh as he confessed, ''Black Tiger made me do this." Jiang Chen''s eyebrows raised as he didn''t immediately believe his words. "Who is Black Tiger?" Xie Lei laughed in agony. "I don''t know. If I knew, I would not be manipulated by him." 166 I can give you a chance Chapter 166: I can give you a chance Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "For your friends'' safety, I have no choice but to invite you to take a walk with me." It was useless to object as Jiang Chen said this with an unrefusable tone. Xie Lei''s eyes strained for a moment before his shoulders finally loosened. "I can go with you, could you give me 10 minutes?" . "That depends on what you are going to do with this 10 minutes." He took a deep breath as Xie Lei said, "Don''t worry, just leaving a note." He thought for a moment, as Jiang Chen didn''t refuse his request, he got a go-ahead gesture. Seeing Jiang Chen agreed, the teen was relieved and turned around to go upstairs. Jiang Chen''s hands were in his pocket when he followed the teen up, holding onto a pistol. But the teen didn''t play any tricks with him. He took out the key, opened the old looking door, and walked inside into the room closest to the door. Xie Lei took out the phone and turned on the flashlight which lit up the small room immediately. Four desktops, two screens, wires tangled together and connected to unknown electronic equipment. "Your work?" Jiang Chen was slightly shocked. "Mhmm." Xie Lei didn''t seem to want to say anything else about the question as he answered concisely. He saw that the teen searched on the table for a while before picking up an MP3. It was uncommon to see such an out-of-date device. He seemed to have opened the voice recording function as he put the MP3 close to his mouth and said. "Linlin, I am sorry. Brother has to go somewhere really far. Although it is a bit shameless to say this... please forgive your unresponsible brother, I..." "Are you saying your will?" Jiang Chen laughed. Xie Lei ignored Jiang Chen as he took a deep breath and continued to say a few more things, such as "take care of yourself" and "the bank password is." "Done?" Jiang Chen asked. Although Jiang Chen felt sympathetic, he didn''t plan on letting him off. Since he already committed to the act, he must have been mentally prepared for the plan to fail. Xie Lei nodded as he looked seriously at Jiang Chen, "I''m done. My sister is blind, I hope you don''t hurt her." "Don''t worry, I don''t hurt the innocent." Without saying anything else, Xie Lei obediently followed Jiang Chen to the car and then to the mansion. ... The power outage in the community caused quite a commotion. Especially since they found out it was caused by human intervention. After the security confirmed the safety of every resident, they were surprised to find out there was no thief. Regardless, it was a good thing that nothing was lost. Since people who lived here were either influential or wealthy. If something did happen, then Wanhua Real Estate''s reputation would suffer major damages. Therefore, after confirming each household, they categorized this power outage as an accident and did not inform the police. The power was restored. At the same time, in the basement of the mansion. Ayesha crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked expressionlessly at the three people with their hands tied behind their backs. Looking at her cold gaze, Yan Xiaoyan felt her body shake uncontrollably. She had never been so frightened before. The fighting ability she had been so proud of, could not last two moves in front of this girl. At the time, footsteps came from upstairs. The iciness in Ayesha''s eyes suddenly melted. Yan Xiaoyan gulped as she looked with disbelief at the eyes that turned gentle instantly. "You are back." Ayesha stood up. "Mhmm." Jiang Chen rubbed her head, and then looked at the three people in the basement. "Lei, how did you-" Yan Xiaoyan couldn''t control her voice. No one revealed his location. How did he get caught? "I got caught." Xie Lei revealed a bitter smile as he conscientiously extended both of his hands to Jiang Chen. "Tie me up." Jiang Chen glanced at him as he signaled Ayesha to put handcuffs on him. Then he looked at all four of them. "Good. Since all the rats are caught, let''s solve this problem once and for all." Then, Jiang Chen took out the truth-telling liquid from his pocket, passed it to Ayesha, and stared at Xie Lei. "I ask, you answer. If I feel you are lying, then I''ll use the truth-telling liquid." The interrogation began. Xie Lei, without resistance, confessed to everything Jiang Chen asked. First, it was the identities of the four. Veteran, unemployed military fanatic, female sports university student, and Xie Lei, the high school dropout hacker. Xie Lei was quite impressive in his ability. Known as Green Bird, he placed third place within the Han Hacker Alliance. The most impressive achievement was hacking into an unscrupulous organization''s server for two years consecutively and raising the flag on its homepage. Usually, he lived off of commission by completing missions for hire. Because of one mistake, a hacker called Black Tiger obtained his identity which directly ended his brief career. Then he became the money making tool of Black Tiger. The missions he accepted began to leave the boundary of the law. He was not afraid of going to jail, but what worried him most was his blind sister. If Black Tiger revealed his information, he would definitely be in there for quite a long time. He could not imagine, without him, how his sister would survive. After feeling conflicted for a long time, he decided to take this risk along with his three good friends. He decided to plan and execute a kidnap. Unfortunately, it failed. "You guys are great friends. He asked you guys to kidnap, and you guys agree? Would you guys murder people if he asked you to?" Jiang Chen looked mischievously at the three as he laughed. Zhao Chang retracted his neck, frightened by Jiang Chen''s look, but Lu Dahu seemed clam. Then, Jiang Chen looked at the university student named Yan Xiaoyan. "You? Seeing that your boyfriend is in trouble, you could risk going to jail for him?" Yan Xiaoyan blushed. Just as she was about to argue they were only childhood sweetheart, Xie Lei interrupted. "I already told you everything I needed to tell you. I am willing to take full responsibility as long as you let my friends go." After he finished, Xie Lei slowly lowered his head and kneeled on the ground. Everyone held their breath. Hearing that, Yan Xiaoyan wanted to defend for him, but she quickly realized that she had no excuse to do so. Including herself, they were all criminals. Jiang Chen expressionlessly overlooked Xie Lei. "Do you think you have the right to discuss terms with me?" "No." Xie Lei lowered his head. After a brief silence, Jiang Chen suddenly began laughing. "Although this comical gong show did not cause me any material losses, that doesn''t mean I am openminded enough to let you go consequence free. But considering you were under the threat of someone else, I can give you a chance." "I am willing to accept as long as you let my friends go." "Lei..." Yan Xiaoyan looked at Xie Lei with tears in her eyes. "Oh? Are you not going to ask what it is before accepting?" "I will accept anything... This is my own fault. I don''t want to trouble my friends anymore," Xie Lei took a deep breathe as he said calmly. Hearing that, Jiang Chen nodded, looking rather pleased. "Since you have agreed, then your request is easy. After everything is done, your friends can leave." Jiang Chen paused as he asked lightheartedly. "How do you usually communicate with Black Tiger. By phone?" 167 Following the vine Chapter 167: Following the vine Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Black Tiger; real name, Zhang Hao. A premium member of the Han Hacker Alliance but his skill was rather ordinary. However, by coincidence, he managed to enter the personal computer of the renowned Green Bird and collected some critical evidence. When Xie Lei found out, it was too late. Zhang Hao already saved the information and pulled the cord. It was the most shameless way, but that was the most effective way. Regardless of how insane one''s computer skill was, there was nothing one can do if the other person doesn''t connect to the web. After that, he had reached the "peak of his life." He controlled the personal information of the third-ranked hacker in the Han Hacker Alliance. He used this to blackmail him into completing challenging missions and then collecting the lucrative commission for himself. Not long ago he received a deal. 5 million RMB commission. The mission was to hack into ''s server, delete all user information, and delete the game data inside the game''s server. 5 million! It was enough to live half of his life in comfort. Black Tiger''s eyes immediately turned red as he accepted the mission without hesitation, and then flung it to the hands of Xie Lei and threatened him to complete it. As to if Xie Lei had the ability to finish this mission, Black Tiger never questioned it for a single second. In his eyes, if he could hack into the server of an organization with a notorious reputation, there was no way he couldn''t take care of a server of a private enterprise. But unfortunately, Xie Lei was completely out of sorts. When he was forced into the corner, Xie Lei had to take the riskiest route. And because of this, Xie Lei managed to get himself into serious trouble. In the morning, what woke Black Tiger from his sweet dream was his ringtone. He drowsily picked up the phone. "Hello?" Doooo-. The phone hung up? Black Tiger was lost for a moment as he looked confusingly at the phone. However, he didn''t bother finding out who it was as he fell asleep again. What he didn''t know was, the second he picked up the phone, his coordinates were marked on a map. ... The person named Black Tiger was also in Wanghai City. This saved Jiang Chen quite a bit of trouble. He drove the car onto the highway as he looked at the dot on the GPS. A mocking smile appeared on his face. Ayesha was sitting in the front passenger seat, her long eyelashes swept together and eyes closed as she rested. Xie Lei sat in the back seat. The teen took off his hood and revealed a sickly pale face with anxiousness written all over it. As well, on his neck, he wore an electronic collar. "Now that you are on your way to see your enemy, how do you feel?" Jiang Chen casually asked. "...If possible, I want to punch him," Xie Lei mustered in a small voice. "Haha, you''ll have the chance." Jiang Chen smiled. Yan Xiaoyan and the gang were still locked in the mansion''s basement. Before the whole event is resolved, they weren''t allowed to leave. As to Xie Lei, he already reached an agreement with Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen won''t go after his friends, and in exchange, he''ll work for Jiang Chen for the next ten years. Jiang Chen needed a talent capable of cyber warfare. Although Yao Yao''s computer skill was impeccable, he couldn''t bring it over to the modern world. Three days later, Xie Lei will be flying to Niger. There, someone will pick him up. To maximize his ability, he''ll receive military training for half a year, and learn more advanced computer knowledge. The source of the advanced computer knowledge naturally came from the digital library in the apocalypse. As to how advanced, around ten years more advanced than the modern world. Although Jiang Chen was clueless, Yao Yao would organize the information for him. As to his sister Xie Lin, Jiang Chen will pay to send her to Frankberg to receive the most advanced eye treatment. "Speaking of this, I think you are quite similar to the typical protagonist in a novel," Jiang Chen glanced at Xie Lei in the mirror as he joked. "Mhmm?" Xie Lei looked confusedly at Jiang Chen. "Both parents are busy. You have a sister and an apartment." "...Both of my parents are not busy. They passed away a long time ago. This joke is not funny." A gloom fell over the teen''s face. "Ahem, sorry. Let''s try another one? Let me think... King of special forces, possess a unique ability, returned to city after ten years-" "I think you are more similar to a protagonist," Xie Lei abruptly interrupted Jiang Chen. "Do I?" Jiang Chen subconsciously asked rhetorically but was astonished. Eh? Pretty f*cking similar. The target was not too far from the Mingxing Area. Another hour drive before the three arrived at their destination. The six-story high apartments lined up in rows. The dull and unruly grass looked like it hasn''t been taken care of for a long time. From any angle, the community was average. Because they went during work hours, there was not a lot of people in the community. Therefore, there was no one standing on the balcony looking curiously at the three people. However, they only knew Black Tiger''s coordinates; they could not precisely locate his room. But Jiang Chen had other ways to determine the precise location. He stood under the apartment as he signaled Ayesha, who already went upstairs, and called Black Tiger''s number again. "Hello?" A male voice yawning transmitted from the other side of the phone. Ayesha held the signal jammer as she gradually moved up floor by floor. "Hello. Do you make fake IDs? Can I get 10? Are you trustworthy?" Jiang Chen threw a bunch of questions in his face. "What?" Black Tiger was dumbfounded as he held the phone completely clueless. "I thought you made fake IDs! Your number is written on the wall. And that''s why I called..." Jiang Chen used a serious tone as he continued to make up elaborate lies. Xie Lei, standing beside him, raised his eyebrows as he could not bear to watch any more of this. "You are f*cking ret*rded-" The voice ceased. Though, at the same time, Ayesha was holding the signal jammer, standing in front of Apt 402. Jiang Chen hung up the phone, waved at Xie Lei, and went upstairs. "Go knock." Jiang Chen patted Xie Lei''s shoulder. Xie Lei hesitated for a moment before walking up and knocking on the door. "Who is it?" Following the voice, footsteps could be heard gradually approaching. Then, the door quickly popped open. A man in his 30s peaked his messy-haired head out. The unshaven face looked sloppy, the sleepy eyes indicated that he had yet to wake up, and his right hand was holding onto a phone. When he saw Xie Lei''s face, his expression instantly changed. "Looks like it is him." Jiang Chen shrugged. He didn''t expect someone with a pseudo name as cool as Black Tiger to be someone this wretched. Black Tiger immediately tried to slam the door shut. But, one of Xie Lei''s foot was already wedged inside, and he simultaneously lifted his right hand to prevent the door from closing. His fist then forcefully smashed into Black Tiger''s nose, making him fall backward with a "Bam" as he hit the shoe rack. "You, what are you doing? Wait, how did you find me here?" Black Tiger looked in horror at the enraged teen sitting on top of him. "F*ck you!" Blowing the anger off of his chest, Xie Lei threw another punch right at the disgusting face. Black Tiger desperately tried to fend him off, but Xie Lei already acquired the "geographical advantage". His punches, from up to down, made it impossible for Black Tiger to fight back as his face had the take every single punch. Xie Lei breathed heavily as he gritted his teeth and raised his hand once again. But this time, Jiang Chen held onto it. "Enough. If you keep hitting him, he will die." Hearing that, Xie Lei stared at the faintly breathing Black Tiger as he finally stopped. Jiang Chen looked speechlessly at the bruised up Black Tiger as he let out a troubled sigh. "Whatever. It''s hard to interrogate you now in this condition. Just put on some medicine." Black Tiger didn''t see Jiang Chen''s face which saved him a lot of trouble. Although truth-telling liquid would make him lose part of his memory, Jiang Chen didn''t want to risk it. Ayesha, who came in last, closed the door. She helped Jiang Chen drag Black Tiger into the living room, tied him to the chair and took out the truth-telling liquid. In around a minute''s time, the man in his 30s rolled his eyes and stared blankly at the wall in front of him. It looked like the drug was effective. Seeing the look on Black Tiger''s face, Xie Lei gulped. He thought about how the drug was almost used on him as he felt a shivering chill down his spine. "Name?" "Zhang Hao." A zombie-like response. "Age?" "32." "32." "Who sent you the mission?" "I don''t know. I registered on an intermediary website. After accepting the mission, the details were sent to my email." "What''s your email and password?" Black Tiger, without resistance, recited out his email and password. Then, Jiang Chen ignored Black Tiger as he turned to look at Xie Lei with a smile. "You first mission is here. Now that you have the email and password, as well as the device that accepted the mission, I want you to find out who the client was." Xie Lei shook his head with a troubled smile. "That''s impossible. Since contact with the client was made through the intermediary website, then the email must be sent on behalf of the website." "Then you should hack into the server of the middleman, through the backend, and dig the client out." Xie Lei was shocked. Though looking at the stern expression on Jiang Chen''s face, he took a deep breath. "This is crazy! Hacking into the server of the intermediary website for hackers... Let me try." "Be bold. There is someone here that''s the scapegoat." Jiang Chen glanced at Black Tiger on the chair and laughed delightfully. When Xie Lei passed Black Tiger, he stopped and asked him. "Where is the evidence used to threaten Green Bird?" "On the computer, and on the USB drive that is on the second level of the bookshelf..." When he got the answer he needed, Xie Lei walked quickly into Black Tiger''s room and managed to find the USB. He slammed the USB on the ground and smashed the nightmare that had threatened him for so long into pieces. He then found Black Tiger''s personal computer. Although the unfamiliar device did not feel smooth, it was not a big deal for a hacker his level. He opened the computer and began to furiously type on the keyboard. ... Jiang Chen imagined her bitter expression and smiled, as his fingers began to type on the screen. Buzz-, the response speed of this girl was still shocking. <*Rub head* Busy. Do you need me to reward you? ^_^> Seeing the cute emoji, the tip of Jiang Chen''s mouth curved up. Adorable, can warm the bed, understanding, knows her limits. Although not the best girl to marry, a perfect mistress nonetheless. After coming back from Wanghai University, Jiang Chen paid for her breach of contract so she could gain her "freedom," and also become unemployed. Although he did become her sugar daddy, he still never delivered the movie promise... Jiang Chen felt exasperated. Though, just as he was about to reply, Xie Lei came out of the room. "I found it. This is the phone number and email of the client, based on all signs... The client is Lingyu Technology." Lingyu Technology? A sneer appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. "Excellent. Time to take care of this problem." 168 The Malignant event and Aftermath Chapter 168: The Malignant event and Aftermath Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi October 16, 2015. It was not an ordinary day for Lingyu Technology. "What is going on? Tell me what is going on!" Ling Zhongtian clung on to Qian Haiming''s collar as he roared out with bloodshot eyes. Qian Haiming''s mouth twitched, but he couldn''t say a word. "Boss, please, please calm down. Our programmers are fixing the server. I have also called the police, the deputy assured me that he would quickly..." "Quickly my *ss!" Ling Zhongtian pushed Qian Haiming away as he breathed heavily. He used one hand to hold onto the table, while the other trembling hand pulled out a drawer and he grabbed his cardiac medication. His shaking fingers took several tries before twisting open the cap. Finally pouring a few capsules into his hand, Ling Zhongtian stuffed the medication in his mouth and chugged down some water with it. He closed his eyes to regather his breath before finally opening them again. His emotions seemed to have calmed down. Seeing that the boss was no longer angry, Qian Haiming who stood on the side afraid to talk, finally let out a breath of air. But when he raised his head, he was shocked to find that the respectable boss was no longer there. The person who replaced him was a pale looking old man that lost his ability to speak. ... Morning. Players from I am ATM, Dota history logged onto the game as per their usual routine to finish their daily quest. But when they logged in, they were enraged to find out that their account returned to level 0? The diamond they obtained from gold, equipment, and real money... Were all f*cking gone? There was only a brief explanation posted on the official site regarding this incident. Deep regret my *ss! The enraged players almost blew up Lingyu Technology''s customer service. The customer service representatives would receive another call immediately after hanging up. However, there was nothing they can do to resolve the complaints of the players since they were not responsible for the operation. They could only follow the procedure of explaining the current situation to the players and asking them to remain calm. As well as assure them that the programmers were currently working to resolve the problem, and for them to please be patient... But it was futile. For the millions of angry players, the one hundred customer service representative team was a drop of water in the vast ocean. When the angry players saw that the problem was not resolved and that the helpline was constantly busy, they directly dialed 315 to file a violation of rights against Lingyu Technology. They have purchased the diamonds, spent their time leveling up, and now it was all gone? However, these complaints were meaningless against Lingyu Technology as at the time of registration, there was a clause added at the bottom to offset such incidents. The final interpretation of this agreement was up to the discretion of the Operator. Also, Han laws were ambiguous when it came to intellectual property protection, rarely would there be a case where players have won a lawsuit against a game operator. But the negative reputation caused by the lost user data was hard to erase. Official forums had an influx of complaining players. The moderators had to increase the requirement for posting and began muting and banning people. Not only did this not control the status quo, but the players without a place to express their rage also began to flood into other forums. Major BBS (1) forums were all pulled into the midst of this event, as the few justice seeking posts were instantly upvoted to the top. Every post under the influence of the internet army unified their statement, and in the name of holiness, began a crusade on the evil operator. Protecting their rights! Everyone selectively chose to forget that Lingyu Technology was also a victim; the real person that made them suffer losses was the hacker that attacked the server. As to how it escalated to this point, the internet army had their fair share of contribution. Once they swayed the opinion during the first outburst of anger, there was not much suspense in the remaining battle. Lingyu Technology not only lost in skill but also public opinion. The players part of the internet crusade realized that the operator did not compensate for their loss. The promised "1000 crystals for every player" could not compensate the loss of the players that paid for 2000. The project department''s "lack of action" and the customer service''s perfunctory were interpreted as arrogance. In the midst of disappointment and anger among the players, seeing that their votes by hands were useless, they began to vote with their feet. The crusade ended, because they had already given up on the game. Instead, they chose a better mobile game. There were better games on the market. The only reason they stood their ground on an almost out of date game was because of the emotional attachment, as well as the time and money sunk into it. But emotional attachment was certainly a fragile thing as the attitude and response of the operator indeed broke the heart of the players that stood their ground. Seeing the account that they spent countless hours on being erased was more painful than seeing the game being shut down completely. Based on market analysis, the server operated by Lingyu Technology lost 89% of their users due to this data postage. While the servers operated by other companies did not receive a malicious attack, the after effect of the event resulted in a significant amount of users being lost. As if in one night, the Lingyu Technology that forged miracles collapsed. At the same time, the new Future Technology was using its era-defining - to rise to dominance. The stars seemed to have aligned. New Era was foretelling the end of the old era. ... Within the international airport at Wanghai City. "Come back early..." Yan Xiaoyan''s eyes were brimming with tears. She gently bit her lip as she gazed into the teen''s eyes. "Mhmm. I will." Xie Lei felt his face burn from her stare. Zhang Chao hooked onto his neck with a smirk, "Nice buddy. When did you get together with Xiaoyan. She is so violent-" A deathly stare shot over as Zhang Chao backed away, causing a forced a laugh. "Sorry...." Xie Lin frightenedly stood behind Xie Lei and held onto her brother''s hand. It was her first time being on a plane. Though she has also never seen plane before. Xie Lei seemed to have sensed his sister''s anxiousness as he gently squeezed her hand. The pale face that lacked sunlight displayed an unfitting tenderness. With her head lowered and face blushing, Xie Lin had a lot of things to tell her brother, but she could only faintly squeeze out one word. "Mhmm." Xie Lei had a relieved smile as he rubbed his sister''s head. He didn''t know when Lu Dahu walked up to him put felt him pat his shoulder. "Take care." "Mhmm." Xie Lei nodded firmly. Jiang Chen looked at the group of four from afar as he exclaimed arrogantly, acting on his seniority, "It''s good to be young." Ayesha who stood beside him tilted her head. Her cold face displayed a confused expression. The goodbye was over. Xie Lei took his sister''s hand, took a deep breath, and walked in Jiang Chen''s direction. "Ready?" Jiang Chen smiled amiably. Although this teen did orchestrate a plan against him, surprisingly he did not hold any grudges. Perhaps because he didn''t suffer any material damage? Or perhaps because he thought this person wasn''t inherently bad. Regardless, the actual people that should be punished was already punished. "Mhmm." Xie Lei nodded and then bowed while looking at him genuinely. "Thank you." "No problem. You can think of it as an exchange." Jiang Chen pointed at the electronic collar around his neck. Although it was an electronic collar, it was not thick. It was only a thin layer of silica gel, which didn''t make it uncomfortable to wear. It would also easily pass through security screening, a convenient tool. Xie Lin looked curiously in her brother''s direction and then in Jiang Chen''s direction. Then, the adorable young face displayed a tender smile. She cutely bowed too as she said in a still childish voice. "Thank you~" Jiang Chen noticed that the color of her pupils was faint, as if it was covered by a thick layer of film. Even though she couldn''t see, she could blossom a smile this powerful? "No problem," Jiang Chen kneeled down and said with a smile. Jiang Chen noticed Xie Lei staring right at him. He paused for a second before he began to laugh. "Are you really a Meiko (Japanese culture, someone who likes their own sister)." He stood up, patted the slim shoulder of the teen and said with a smirk. The teen didn''t answer, but rather looked away with a flushed face. Xie Lin tilted her head as she confusedly pulled on Xie Lei''s hand. She was still not at the age where she understood the meaning of Meiko. "Haha, be assured. Train while you are there. Get more tanned, and you will look more lively." Jiang Chen used force when he patted the teen''s back. "When you get to Niger, there will be someone waiting for you at the airport. You can call him Uncle Ivan, he''ll be responsible for training you like a man." "What do you mean like-" Jiang Chen ignored Xie Lei''s protest as he interrupted him, "You and your sister will stay for a day in Niger, then your sister will head to Charlotte Hospital in Frankberg under the supervision of advanced caregivers. That''s enough. Stop standing around and go, now." "... Thank you." "Don''t waste time, go board now." ... Seeing the departing silhouette of the brother and sister, Jiang Chen''s eyes narrowed, and the corner of his mouth curled up. "What Ayesha, do you have any questions?" Jiang Chen noticed her rubbing her hair and the confusion in her eyes. Face slightly red, Ayesha asked hesitantly, "They are your enemy. Why did you let them go, and on top of that help them..." "Not every enemy is a real enemy." Eyes narrowed, Jiang Chen watched the brother and sister board and left Ayesha a confusing answer. Ayesha tilted her head, she didn''t quite understand the meaning behind it. Jiang Chen took out his phone and called Xia Shiyu. "Get the legal documents prepared. We are going to change our headquarters." When he said that, a bright smile appeared on his face. For the real enemy, he will show no mercy. (1) Bulletin Board System, similar to a forum. (2) Vote with their feet, if they can''t bring change, they can choose to leave. 169 You should thank me Chapter 169: You should thank me Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ The earthquake has yet to settle 15 days after the Lingyu Technology data hostage incident that shocked the country''s mobile game industry, The perpetrator''s intention was extreme malicious and didn''t leave any ground for recovery. Despite how hard the Lingyu Technology programmer tried, he couldn''t manage to recover the lost user information. Based on industry experts'' estimations, Lingyu Technology''s direct loss was as high as 1.4 billion RMB, the magnitude of the indirect damage was even harder to quantify given the scale. Regardless, the well-praised brand built through time has been tarnished. Even if Lingyu Technology tried to separate gamer operation from its business focus and shift to primarily game development, it would still be futile. No matter how good the game was, players refused to buy into it for no reasons other than the fact that the game came from Lingyu Technology. Without players, no operator would dare to carry the game. The game data was lost out of nowhere. Even if Lingyu Technology was a victim, why were their servers the only ones down while the others were fine? Couldn''t they spend more money increasing the security of the servers? All in all, once the reputation had spread out, it was impossible to erase. Even the long-term partner of Lingyu Technology, 361 Corporation, maintained a cautious attitude with the newly developed game. This malicious internet crime not only shook the industry, the ripple even spread to other aspects. The angry players clearly escalated the incident, once the industry news became a society topic, bureaus had to respond to the situation. Internet security was once again put on the table. published a headline that condemned the usage of criminal attack using hacking technology. It also indicated that the bureaus are currently in discussion for improving the law... At the same time, the investigation is currently ongoing. A team of internet security experts was quickly formed. The attackers'' IP was quickly locked. Even after layers of masking, it still didn''t escape the tracking of experts. Regardless of how skillful the hackers are, as long as they are here, they must leave some sort of clue. Zhang Hao, the Black Tiger, was quickly arrested. Although he cluelessly indicated that he was not involved, he still couldn''t prove his innocence. The computer conducting the crime was found in his room. The frightened Zhang Hao frantically confessed the deal with Ling Zhongtian and Xie Lei. He insisted that he was framed and that it must have been Xie Lei. He was the third-ranked "Green Bird" on the hacker alliance. Only he had the ability to hack into Lingyu Technology''s servers. But it was useless, he couldn''t provide evidence. When he found out that the USB on his shelf disappeared, and the evidence stored in his computer vanished, Zhang Chao was completely dumbfounded. Because Xie Lei already left the country with the reason of taking his sister to Germany for medical treatments, there was not enough evidence to prove his intent despite the suspicious source of funding. Xie Lei''s personal account did not change, only a securitized foreign account paid for the plane tickets and the medical expense. Although the action was mysterious in nature, mysteriousness could not be used as evidence. After spending a long time gathering evidence, the investigating team couldn''t find any connection between the event and Xie Lei. However, they did find something interesting. A few days ago, there was an illegal deal between Zhang Hao and Ling Zhongtian. A deal to attack Future Technology''s servers... However, the mission was canceled from Zhang Hao''s side, the reason being the commission was too low. Of course, he had no recollection of this. The explanation behind this is simple - because Xie Lei used his computer, logged on his account, and canceled the quest. The case was closed. The perpetrator, Zhang Hao, terminated the contract because of the commission conflict with Lingyu Technology''s president, Ling Zhongtian. Therefore, he infiltrated Lingyu Technology''s server, and permanently deleted the user data which caused an insurmountable amount of economic loss to Lingyu Technology. Based on the extreme negative influence caused by society and the high value associated with the case, the supreme court''s verdict was a life sentence. Zhang Hao appealed, but the supreme court directly rejected the plead for appeal and maintained the verdict. As for Ling Zhongtian, although he conducted illegal activity, it was merely an unsuccessful attempt, and thus it was hard to define the nature of the crime. He was not sentenced under the law for this reason. But it was yet to be over. Ling Zhongtian''s hiring of a hacker to attack Future Technology was quickly exposed online by "conscientious people" and Ling Zhongtian''s identity instantly changed from the victim to the villain. Those who previously felt sympathy for him immediately turned against him and joined the new round of internet crusade against Lingyu Technology. Of course, a small amount of voices suggested that it could be the conspiracy of Future Technology. After all, the collapse of the long-time industry leader Lingyu Technology, would benefit them the most. Of course, those voices were quickly labeled as conspirators and they vanished in the waves of public debate. With Future Technology''s ability, why would they need to have a conspiracy against the competition? Lingyu Technology''s shit*ty games are comparable to ? The quite interest thing was that the people defending Future Technology were the hardcore fans of Dota history and I am ATM. Because they cared so much, they hated it even more. When they were so disappointed at Lingyu Technology and decided to give Future Technology''s out of boredom, they instantly realized that the game they defended for was a pile of sh*t. Therefore, Future Technology easily took the influx of Lingyu Technology players and the number of registration broke through 50 million with an estimated revenue breaking through 400 million RMB, shattering two records in the mobile game industry consecutively. Its dominance could not be challenged. The victory was already decided on the main battlefield, but the crossfire had yet to cease. Following the series of negative press and the direct result of downward pressure on revenue, Lingyu Technology''s stock price triggered 10 consecutive circuit breaks and led the index in stock depreciation as the poorest performance company after the June stock market collapse. The total market cap was slashed off by 70% and broke through 1.5 billion. To avoid triggering loan clauses, Lingyu Technology had to increase collateral assets and pledged the about to be completed Lingyu building at the value of 530 million to the bank before it finally stopped the plunge. Deep in red and excessive loan, Lingyu Technology was pushed into the corner without any solution. But at the time, Future Technology began making its moves. First, Future Technology published a statement on its official site to directly respond to the public opinion and condemn the majority shareholders Ling Zhongtian''s illegal action against Future Technology, and officially sent the lawyer letter to Ling Zhongtian. Was Future Technology prepared to sue Lingyu Technology? Regardless of the result of the lawsuit, investors were hopeless with Lingyu Technology''s future. The next day, Lingyu Technology once again triggered the circuit breaker. Four days later, Lingyu Technology ended the week with 980 million market cap. Within four short days, Lingyu Technology lost the value of a building. To avoid triggering the clause, Ling Zhongtian had to increase the pledged asset, this time it was 33% of his share. He had no other choice, if he didn''t pledge in more asset, the company would be forced to go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. When that happens, not only will he lose everything, he will also have to carry a debt of 300 million. The about to be completed Lingyu building costed 870 million and it was built with debt. The new game development and promotion had eaten away most of the profit, from the current status quo, the investments were unrecoverable. The lawyer letter was like declaring war. It only ignited the prelude to the battle. When Lingyu Technology broke the record for the highest monthly decrease, Future Technology''s president began to increase Lingyu Technology''s share on the secondary market and became the biggest shareholder at 37%. Because it was not disclosed, Jiang Chen was fined 600 thousand by the security commission for an illegal transaction. But comparable to the profit he gained by shorting Lingyu Technology, the punishment was pocket change to Jiang Chen. Lingyu Technology ultimately changed hand. ... Lingyu Technology building had yet to finish the renovation, but under the demand of the new president, they organized a conference room with a row of table and chairs. Also based on the demand of the new president, a special shareholder meeting was announced. As to the identity of the new president, it was obviously Jiang Chen. Every shareholder''s face was gloom... No, to be more precise, other than the people sitting at the end of the table, everyone''s face was gloom. Jiang Chen leaned against the chair as he scanned all the shareholders present. Other than the Ling Zhongtian with white hair, he was surprised to find someone he knew. Sensing Jiang Chen''s sight, Zhang Jianfeng smiled friendly at him. [Why is he here?] Jiang Chen still had some impression with Zhang Jianfeng. He represented 361 Corporation before during the negotiation with Future Technology. Although nothing came to fruition, in the end, Jiang Chen had high praises regarding this talent. 361 Corporation want to be involved in this? Jiang Chen muttered in his mind, but his expression didn''t change in the slightest. He still maintained the bright smile and started speaking. "Everyone, I think you should all thank me." [Thank your mom!] All the shareholders cursed in their mind, but no one dared to speak out loud. As to why- "If it wasn''t for me to increase the holding of your company''s share which halted the plunge of Lingyu Technology''s share price, the share in your hands would be scrap paper." Jiang Chen shrugged. Ling Zhongtian slowly looked over, the aged face no longer resembled this once proud prodigy. He once made his goal to become the Steve Jobs of mobile games, but in those blurred eyes, there was only a deep weariness left. "To be the meat on someone''s chopping board is to be at someone''s mercy." The cracked lips opened and squeezed a sentence full of hatred. "If you knew today would happen, why did you do it." Jiang Chen directly responded. Ling Zhongtian was out of words and didn''t say anything else, he just stared at the document on the table and blanked out. "Ahem, based on the current performance of the company, as the President, I think I should do something," he paused, Jiang Chen looked at the crowd holding their breath, a faint smile flashed across his face. But then the following sentence he said made every shareholder''s mood plunge into the abyss. "That''s right. We are planning to initiate asset restructure... So first, I plan to sell the building-" Who to sell it to? Is that even a question? Left hand to right hand, Future Technology needed a headquarter fitting for its name. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Good news! Now that we have a few more editors coming on board, we can get more chapters out! Woohoo! There is another one coming a few hours. 170 Split the Marke Chapter 170: Split the Market Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "This is impossible! You cant do this!" "Mr. Jiang Chen, please dont bring your personal grudges into the shareholder meeting. I understand differences exist between you and ex-president Ling Zhongtian" "This is called asset restructuring? This is robbery! Your motion will not be passed. Even if you are the biggest shareholder, Lingyu Technology will not permit you to do whatever you wish!" Jiang Chen sipped from his tea on the table. Then, he sank into the chair relaxingly with his eyes narrowed, looking at the outraged shareholders. His gaze stopped on Ling Zhongtian for a brief moment, but the old man didnt look at him. He was still gravely staring at the documents on the table. He had already lost hope. Jiang Chen shook his head as he looked at the only person calmly sitting there C Zhang Jianfeng. 361 Corporation held 5% of Lingyu Technology. Although the ownership percentage was not high, it must have been purchased at a premium. This time Lingyu Technologys share plummet definite had an impact on 361 Corporation. On the other hand, as the third-party platform, 361 Corporation operated the servers for Dota under the consent of Lingyu Technology. Although 361 Corporations server didnt suffer the same fate as the permanent loss of Lingyu Technologys user data, it certainly was negatively affected. As the representative sent by 361 Corporation, Jiang Chen didnt quite understand the motive behind Zhang Jianfeng''s smiling face. What is 361 Corporation thinking? But regardless of what they had in mind, Jiang Chen was going to put the final nail in the coffin for Lingyu Technology. "Before the vote, I want everyone to consider this. Lingyu Technology has fallen from cloud nine and has become an unprofitable corporation. Without exaggeration, it is facing the risk of being delisted. However, I am still here. If I leave, do you know what that means? After the shareholders meeting, the stock will resume trading this afternoon. Whether it is going up or going down, would be based on the decision of everyone here." Jiang Chens words turned everyone, but Zhang Jianfeng, pale. Because of the shareholders meeting, the temporary suspension of the stock garnered a chance for Lingyu Technology to breathe. Furthermore, Jiang Chens recent increase in his holdings definitely added a shot of adrenaline to the investors. If it became a signal for using Lingyu Technology as a shell company to list, after Lingyu Technology consecutive circuit breaks, it would be unrealistic for the stock to skyrocket. But if the restructuring plan failed, and Jiang Chen decreases his holding of Lingyu Technology, then it would be adding salt to Lingyu Technologys already massive wound. Once the stock resumed trading this afternoon, Lingyu Technology would not be able to escape the fate of its continuous freefall. Therefore, whether or not the stock in all the shareholder''s hands become a piece of scrap paper would be at the discretion of Jiang Chen. At this time, someone stood up and threatened, "361 Corporation is also one of the shareholders, even if you forfeit your shares, they will start-" "Ahem, 361 Corporation maintains the same stance as the new president. If President Jiang chooses to decrease his holding, for 361 Corporation, your company will lose its investment value." Zhang Jianfeng shattered that persons fantasy. Seeing the person sit down at a complete loss, Jiang Chen looked at Zhang Jianfeng in surprise, but he didnt say anything. "If there are no other opinions, let''s start the voting process," Jiang Chen announced as he scanned everyone in the room. After the death like announcement, all the shareholders cast their dispirited vote. The proposal passed without a doubt. Only Ling Zhongtian voted against it. The restructuring plan was as follows: First, Lingyu Technology is renamed Chenfeng Entertainment. Lingyu Technology will sell the about-to-be-completed Lingyu Technology building at a price of 600 million, and also bear the obligation for debt repayment. Because of a major error caused by his decision, ex-president Ling Zhongtian will be removed as a shareholder following company protocol, a vote where greater than two-thirds of shareholders agree, and his held shares will be forcefully transferred to other shareholders at market price. Based on the distribution plan negotiated, Jiang Chens shares will increase to 40%, 361 Corporations holding changes to 21%, becoming the second-largest shareholder. Everyone knew Ling Zhongtian would lose a lot once the restructuring is complete. It would not be impossible to recover the market cap, but no one wanted to speak to him. Ling Zhongtian accepted the result in silence. He shakenly stood up from his spot and left the office. Everything here had nothing to do with him anymore. He started to feel regret, but what could regret do now? Business is like a battlefield. Any mercy could be fatal. After the partnership with Future Technology and 361 Corporation, Lingyu Corporations future would be bright. But why would that matter? It had nothing to do with him anymore. He received the same fate as the Steve Jobs he idolizes, leaving the company he started. The only difference was, he could never come back. Seeing the trembling figure leave, Jiang Chen fell deep in thought. ... When the meeting ended, the shareholders began to leave, but Zhang Jianfeng stayed behind. As if Jiang Chen expected him to stay, he also remained seated and looked at him with a smile. "We meet again, President Jiang." Zhang Jianfeng walked toward Jiang Chen and extended his right hand. In less than two months time, Future Technology has already developed to the point where they could sit equally on the same table. "Thats right. What do you think of the hand I had just played?" Jiang Chen shook Zhang Jianfeng''s hand as he smiled mischievously. "Ruthless," Zhang Jianfeng only gave a one-word response. Jiang Chen laughed as he leaned on the chair, not responding. If Ling Zhongtian successfully destroyed Future Technologys server data, he would definitely do the same thing. But unfortunately, that was the reality of things. "With a thunderous stance, a critical hit was given to his opponent, worthy of the name "dictator", was the headline of BBC." "Mr. Zhang is overrating me." The odd time Jiang Chen was humble. "But President Jiang doesnt think this decision lack consideration?" Zhang Jianfeng pulled up a chair and sat beside Jiang Chen as he began to talk in a casual tone. "Oh?" Jiang Chen responded in a disagreeing tone. "Are you involved with Lingyu Technologys server?" "No." Jiang Chen smiled. "The security system was customized by 361 Corporation." "Thats unfortunate. Ling Zhongtian only bought insurance for the server but didnt buy it for the game''s data. Would you pay the penalty for this?" "For the loss of data, our programmers have already provided support to the police," Zhang Jianfeng casually said. "Isnt the hacker already caught?" Jiang Chen also responded in a nonchalant tone. "There is a hacker called Xie Lei. He has been in contact with Black Tiger before." Zhang Jianfeng locked his eyes onto Jiang Chens. "You are still bloating like usual, but you know it is useless on me." Jiang Chen picked up the teacup on the table as he smiled at him. Funny. Would the contact person be enough to confirm a crime? If so, it would be a pity for those people. Without evidence, everything was bullsh*t. The silence ensued for half a minute. "President Jiang doesnt seem to care about the interest of Lingyu Technology?" Zhang Jianfengs topic suddenly changed as he looked in the direction of the door. "Do you think needs the resources of Lingyu Technology? We already controlled the high grounds of the market," Jiang Chen said nonchalantly as he put down the cup in his hand. [The best part is about to come.] "Would you not consider a partnership? If it utilized 361 Phone Helpers platform, s user base would climb to new heights." " currently will not consider opening third-party servers," Jiang Chen rejected expressionlessly. [Funny. Not only would it involve cloud computing, but even if I gave the game to you, without the modified server, maintenance cost alone would make you go deep into the red.] "Since President Jiang is confident that you can control the premium game market, whats your opinion on casual games?" Even with the existing high-quality premium games, casual games have not lost their market. Jiang Chen obviously considered pushing out a few casual games like Angry Birds, and Temple Run, but the plan was never fulfilled. The reason was simply that those games depended on creativity, not software. Although the apocalypses technology was impeccable, it was pointless for casual games. Future Technology didnt possess any talents in game development. Therefore, the plan had to be rejected. But Zhang Jianfeng brought it up again. "You mean?" Jiang Chen was quite interested. "We can work together." Zhang Jianfeng crossed his finger and genuinely looked at Jiang Chen. "Lingyu Technology, no, Chenfeng Entertainment. Right now, it is a company we control together right? We can definitely collaborate together with our talent base, and start a new project with the main focus being on the downstream market. Using 361 Phone Helper and Future 1.0, we could use both channels to promote it." "With the power of the two companies, we can easily split the entire mobile game market!" In the end, Zhang Jianfeng was almost annunciating word by word. Jiang Chen paused for a second before he started laughing. "Did you selectively choose to ignore Baidu and Tencent?" "On the mobile platform, our ability is no less than any of them. Maybe President Jiang should be more confident with our alliance." Zhang Jianfeng smiled. "I dont plan on giving this building up." Jiang Chen stared at the ceiling. "Of course, as a trophy. The fact that it belongs to you now wont change." The building with a cost of 870 million was sold at a discount of 600 million. They were at least the second-biggest shareholder of Chenfeng Entertainment, 361 Corporation was certainly willing to cut the lost. "What about the previous Chenfeng employees?" Jiang Chen asked softly. He originally planned to cut them completely, but now it seemed like it would be a waste to not use them. "Work at the previous location? Or lease a floor in this building? It would be your decision." Zhang Jianfeng had a bright smile on because he knew Jiang Chen was tempted. No one would reject a cake that was put right in front of their mouth. "If you brought up the partnership, in the beginning, we could have worked together a long time ago." Jiang Chen suddenly laughed. "But it is still not too late right?" Zhang Jianfeng got up, extending his right hand once again. "Thats right. Because I think we should split this market." Also standing up, Jiang Chen held onto the extended hand with a triumphant smile on his face. 171 The Preparation before returning to the Apocalypse Chapter 171: The Preparation before returning to the Apocalypse Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The same afternoon, Lingyu Technology announced a statement. The shareholders passed the restructuring proposal. Ling Zhongtian was removed from the board, the company was officially renamed Chenfeng Entertainment, and the company''s stock would remain suspended until the completion of its asset restructuring. The news spread to all the shareholders like a long due storm finally passing a draught-dried land, and they began cheering. The people that cut their loss were depressed by their decision of not having confidence in the company... All in all, these people thought of Jiang Chen as Jesus Christ. Future Technology and 361 Corporation both possessed shares. One has been valued at over a billion by Wall Street Analysts at its inception, while one was already listed on Nasdaq with a market cap of over ten billion. It left too many people too much room for the imagination. Graciously, Jiang Chen made headline again. The young billionaire once again enters people''s vision. The charming smile, the calm attitude, attracting the heart of countless girls... Ok, they really don''t care about Jiang Chen''s looks. Being famous didn''t seem to create too much of a hassle in his life. Different from celebrities in the entertainment industry, most of his fans were very rationale. The people that want to marry into wealthy would not flap towards him like bees. It would be too unclassy. They would often pretend to be a frail and innocent girl, "encountering" him under his building, and "accidentally" starting a "rich CEO fell in love with me" drama... But unfortunately, Jiang Chen was known to not go to work and the community he lived in was also somewhere random people could not enter. Their plan ultimately would fail. The "irrational" fans used the security team in the community to sent him love letters and attached a duck face selfie inside. Jiang Chen at first was looking forward to reading the letters to see how the beauties have been conquered by his "charm", and how they have fallen under his jeans. Don''t question, Jiang Chen never said he didn''t like to hear flattering words. But he was quickly bored. All the love letters had the same content, revolving around "I want to give you a baby," and "let''s hook up?"... The directness even made Jiang Chen, who was proud of his lack of boundaries, "shy." He gave the rest of letters to Ayesha and told the security to throw all letters of this kind into the garbage. After telling them not to bother him with it, he left this in the back of his mind. Han was indeed a deep and profound language. What Jiang Chen meant by taking care of them was to throw them out, but Ayesha interpreted as examination. Obviously misunderstanding Jiang Chen''s intention, she had the thought of picking another wife for her husband as she patiently read through a few love letters. As a "qualified wife," she will not be jealous towards husband''s other partners, she will obediently share with her and take care of him... Take back what she said, she also gave up. As a "qualified wife", instincts told her that these women have impure motives. These love letter finally didn''t escape the fate of the paper shredder. ... It was already November, and based on Miss Sun Jiao''s description, the apocalypse must be covered in thick snow. But Wanghai City was still sunny and mild. Even deep into the fall, it still didn''t feel cold at all. To be honest, Jiang Chen not only once had the thought of not going back to the other side. Since he already was a winner in his life here. Luxurious mansion, top-end car, and beautiful girls. Everything he ever dreamt of was achieved. But on the other side, there was only danger. At this moment, he relaxingly lied beside his private pool on top of Ayesha''s legs and was getting his ears cleaned out for him. The side of his face felt the softness of her legs. Her fragrance lingered around his nose. The tip of her hair occasionally brushed across his face and tingled with his heart. The soft and gentle breathing beside his ear... "Mhmm! It''s done now." A delighted smile appeared on Ayesha''s face as she gently blew on Jiang Chen''s ear and put away the ear pick. "Eh-, done already? A bit more." Because it was so comfortable, it was the odd time Jiang Chen was demanding. "But, it''s already clean. It would hurt you if I do more," Ayesha said faintly with a blushed face. "No problem! Please continue." Facing her husband''s unreasonable demand, Ayesha face burned as she began debating. Although it was the duty of a "qualified wife" to satisfy the husband''s demand, if she continued, it would damage her husband''s ear. In this case, she must think of a compromising plan... "Umm, could I lick it?" She suppressed the shyness in her heart as she whispered into Jiang Chen''s ear. "?!" Jiang Chen, in the sluggish mood, clearly was drawn into it. Seeing her husband was interested, Ayesha''s face became a deeper shade of red. She looked at the cleaned out ear as she stuck her tongue out and buried her head in it. The soft tongue, along with the warm breathe, approached slowly... But an untimely phone call interrupted this intimate atmosphere. Ayesha looked away with a blushed face, licking someone''s ear was too embarrassing for her. Jiang Chen couldn''t pretend to be lazy anymore as he got up to pick up the phone. "Hello?" Jiang Chen picked up with an unpleased tone. "Hmm? Voice sounds angry... Did I annoy you?" Liu Yao said coyly. "You ruined my good time," Jiang Chen said "fiercely". Ayesha, standing on the side, heard it as her red face turned brighter. She lowered her head, as her mind went elsewhere. "Do you need me to compensate you?" Liu Yao said energetically. "Ahem, what do you mean." Oh no, he was hard. Jiang Chen turned, so his back was facing Ayesha. But what he didn''t expect was that the blushed Ayesha got closer and stood in front of him. A shy but tender smile surfaced on her face as she slowly kneeled down. A pair of smooth hands self-assertedly reached for his clothes. "Oooh-!" "Why are you making a weird sound?" Liu Yao asked curiously. "Ahem, nothing. Umm, if you have something to tell me, be quick." Jiang Chen was not in the most ideal state. "It''s nothing special. A lot of entertainment companies have sent me invitations to star in movies." Since Jiang Chen accepted Liu Yao as his mistress, Jiang Chen paid the penalty of one million for breach of contract. After that, Liu Yao had been staying at home with nothing to do. "Why did you suddenly got famous?" "Because of you," Liu Yao said in a sweet voice. "Me?" He gazed at the pair of eyes below him as he experienced mental and physical sensation at the same time. Jiang Chen took a deep breath as he almost didn''t manage to hold on. "Yes, yes, you have a Weibo account right? Other than the default followers, you only followed me, therefore..." Liu Yao''s voice sounded frail as if she was afraid Jiang Chen would get angry. So, she carefully said, "Therefore people thought there was something between us... Therefore." "Siiiiii... Ah? No, that''s fine, I don''t care about this news," Jiang Chen squeezed out a few words between his teeth as his hand gently rubbed Ayesha''s luscious hair. She felt the gentleness on her hair as her blue eyes narrowed happily. But then, it was even harder for Jiang Chen to resist. "That''s great! I was worried that you would not like me doing that anymore because of this..." Liu Yao was delighted. "Nope!" "Umm, can I go act in a film then? No problem! No kissing scene-" Since she was now his mistress, Liu Yao was afraid Jiang Chen would be jealous. "Okay!" "And also, the film producer wants to acquire your investment..." Liu Yao carefully asked. "Granted!" "Love you lots, muaaa~ Oh, when are we going to Pannu Island for vacation. I heard it''s summer there all year round... Hmmm? Are you listening?" "Yes!" No, Jiang Chen couldn''t hold on any longer. "Wait," Liu Yao held the phone as her eyes turned suspicious. She suddenly covered her mouth realizing something. "Ah! You must be doing something naughty!" "N...No." "Wait, no, this sound would not be wrong! You must" She sensed the voice was off. "Mhmm!" Fine. Seeing the gentleness in her eyes, Jiang Chen was too joyful to lie to his body any longer. ... If it were not for the people that he couldn''t let go of, he probably wouldn''t go back. The next morning, Jiang Chen made a trip to Xinlong Food Processing Plant. Following his instructions, Zheng Hongjie cleaned out a new warehouse to store the surplus goods. The goods inside would also not be registered on anything. Although he didn''t know the boss'' intention, he didn''t ask. But he was not here to acquire food. He already prepared enough food to pass through the winter. He directly found Zheng Hongjie and ordered him to arrange the export, and then increase production as soon as possible. The deepwater port at Pannu Islands had already been completed, the next step of Island Conquering mission could begin. After taking care of the miscellaneous tasks, Jiang Chen headed back to the mansion and started to time travel. 172 Winter is coming Chapter 172: Winter is coming Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Rather than saying winter was coming, it was more fitting to say winter was here. His vision was covered by the monochrome silver as the entire pool was filled with snow. A thick layer of snow covered the mansion, and the edges of the roof were decorated with daunting icicles. Like a castle standing in the northern kingdom. Solemn. Proud. But Jiang Chen was not in the mood to enjoy the atmosphere of his mansion. He only wore a thin t-shirt. The second he stepped into the apocalypse, he began to shiver uncontrollably. [This weather is too f*cking cold.] Even with his body condition strengthed by the genetic vaccine, he couldn''t withstand it anymore. Jiang Chen covered his arms with his hand as he dashed into the mansion from the backyard. The last time he was here, he started his time travel beside the pool because he was lazy, but he sure suffered on his way back. Different from the extreme conditions outside, the mansion was as warm as spring. The broken wall and window had been long repaired by Sun Jiao, and after a series of modifications and improvements, as long as the window was closed, the mansion would not be bothered by the severe wind chills outside. But before he even gained his footing in the mansion, Sun Jiao, who also ran toward him, pushed him onto the sofa. "You are finally back." This girl''s voice certainly had a hidden bitterness to it. "Uh, a lot happened over there." Jiang Chen said apologetically. Although it was not entirely accurate, he did become lazy after having to much fun. Jiang Chen seemed to have sensed something, but she didn''t point it out. Her beautiful eyes dreamily gazed into his. Jiang Chen looked away as he was shy from the passionate gaze, but he discovered Sun Jiao was holding something in her hand. "Eh? What is this?" "Ah, this is, umm, this is..." Out of nowhere, Sun Jiao''s face immediately turned red as there was a sense of panic to her voice. "Towel?" Jiang Chen asked with uncertainty. "It''s a scarf! Fool!" After seeing her proud work being slandered as a towel, Miss Sun Jiao was immediately enraged. The furious Sun Jiao gave a solid punch in Jiang Chen''s chest, and then she pulled out the scarf, forcefully putting it around his neck out of shame. "Cough cough! Are you trying to strangle me!" Although the softness was continually squeezing onto him because of the violent action, the suffocating feeling around his neck canceled the sensation. "Stop, stop moving, just resist a bit longer!" Sun Jiao with a blushed face said fiercely. "Wait, why do I have to resist against wearing a scarf-" "You are so talkative!" After awhile, the scarf was finally put around Jiang Chen''s neck. Sun Jiao got up from Jiang Chen''s body with a blushed face as she looked away. "Looks pretty good. It would be even better if you give it to me normally. Especially because this is not how you wear a scarf..." Sun Jiao, with a troubled smile, pulled the scarf around his neck. This girl was clearly confused about the difference between a rope and scarf. The pure black scarf was without any pattern. With a beginner''s skill, it would be too difficult to put any patterns on it. But being able to knit the scarf was an accomplishment nonetheless. Hearing Jiang Chen''s praise, Sun Jiao''s eyes immediately lit up. As to the ridicule of "method of tying the scarf," she selectively ignored the sentence. "Really! Haha, this is what I am saying. How could I mess up on a scarf." With a red face, and scratching the back of her head, c*ckiness was written all over her face. "So why did you think about knitting a scarf?" After putting on the scarf properly, Jiang Chen asked nonchalantly. "Because..." Sun Jiao''s mind drifted again. Her face changed to a bright red hue. "In the magazines before the war, it said, girlfriends should knit scarves for their boyfriend. Therefore..." "It is not a requirement, or the better way to put it, the girl that is willing to knit a scarf for her boyfriend would be a rare species." Jiang Chen let out a sigh as she smiled. Jiang Chen was quite touched by her. "What do you mean a rare species!" Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a dirty look. "It means adorable," Jiang Chen rushed to explain. "Adorable?!" Her expression suddenly softened, and her bright eyes looked around shyly. At this time, Jiang Chen suddenly noticed Yao Yao standing on top of the stairs. This small loli pouted her lips as the cute eyes stared straight at the scarf around his neck. "Ooo! Too devious..." As if she heard the noise in the living room, Lin Lin walked in from the side door with her pure white hair. Still not hesitant to bad mouth people. "Psh, it''s only a dumb devil couple. Why would you guys display affection in the living room? Go close the door and do what you did-." But before she finished, the words were stuck in her throat. A grim sight instantly locked onto her vision as she was forced to swallow her unfinished sentence. "Ahem. I think as the owner of the mansion, I need to do something now," Jiang Chen mustered to himself. "That''s right. For example, building a wooden shack outside for her." A devil-like smile spread on Sun Jiao''s face as she also enjoyed the feeling of bullying Lin Lin. In the end, she still could not be defiant. "You are all bullying me." With tears, Lin Lin escaped back to her room/lab with a sad expression. This narcissistic and bad-tempered girl, always instantly forgets to stand her ground. Seeing Lin Lin''s fleeting figure, a smile appeared on Jiang Chen''s face. [I wonder if she finished her task yet. I''ll pick a time to take a look.] ... There was no fireplace in the future. Except for the poorest survivors, no one would use fire to generate heat. Jiang Chen''s mansion obviously didn''t have that either. The reason the place was so warm was due to the heating grids placed within the wall. This device was extremely convenient, and it would provide heat as long as it was connected to electricity. The heat resistant electric wire would not be burned by EMPs. Therefore, the heating grid became one of the few electronic devices that was not destroyed by the nuclear blast. In the top floor office, Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao stood together and gazed into the distance. The thick snowflakes twirled in the north wind as they raided through every corner of the world. The ice shards that occasionally smashed on the window played a whimpering noise as it crashed into the frozen window. Even if he was just looking, he could still feel the coldness that could freeze one''s soul. "Such heavy snowfall." After a while, Jiang Chen could only produce four words while looking outside. "This is not too bad. Usually, it would start snowing in October." In regards to the snow, Sun Jiao''s expression was rather calm. "It was rumored that when the war just ended, the entire world was covered by nuclear winter. It was the same cruel scene every day. I wonder how did the people outside of the survival shelters survive." Outside of their walls, apartments built with concrete were built for residents of Fishbone base. The Fishbone base that "didn''t lack money" would obviously not mistreat its people. Every family was connected with heat and electricity. The life here was so much better than in the ghetto. On the empty streets, a pickup truck, modified to be a snow shoveling vehicle, was working hard to push the snow out of the base. The patrol on the wall regularly walked around to watch for any incoming danger. The white winter suit made him look like a snowman carrying a rifle. "With a snowstorm this big, the mutated humans shouldn''t be able to invade us." Although it certainly was inconvenient to the construction of the base, the thick snowfall gave a hint of tranquility. "Speaking of mutated humans, Zhao Gang, who you sent out scouting, brought back some interesting information." "Oh?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "There are at least three thousand mutated humans in the 7th area. A lot of signs indicate that they are preparing war supplies." Every mutated human was a natural warrior. If there were actually three thousand of them, even if they sent one thousand people, it would be an unstoppable force that the Fishbone base could not resist with only a population of two hundred. No, it would be difficult even for the Sixth Street. "Hopefully this snow will bring them some trouble." Jiang Chen watched the flying snowflakes as a worried expression flashed on his face. "Mutated humans are known for their cold resistance. This amount of snow will do nothing to them. We can only pray that this storm will kill more of their slaves. That is the only way that would make things difficult for them," Sun Jian''s voice was stern. Slaves? Speaking of this, How did the dancers in Jia City survive under the violent force of the mutated human? Jiang Chen shook his head as he put his thoughts away. Then he asked, "Is that all?" "Also, based on Zhao Gang, when he returned from the 7th area, he encountered a group of survivors fleeing from Shenxiang Town." "Survivors fleeing?" Jiang Chen touched his chin in thought. "Mhmm. They originally belong to the survivor groups in Shenxiang Town, but the survivor group was wiped already. Zhao Gang brought them back. I ordered people to keep them outside of the base for now." Sun Jiao nodded before she took out a tablet to show a map to Jiang Chen. "Shenxiang Town is between Qingpu and 7th area. It is on the Taifu River, a way for the mutated humans to enter Wanghai City. There were around seven hundred survivors there, and because of the lack of mutant activity around the area as well as the lack of external threat, they lacked an organized system. They only established a simple defense outside of the town with a civilian force of 21 people..." "Therefore they were enslaved by the mutated humans?" Hearing this, Jiang Chen guessed the outcome. "That''s right." Sun Jiao nodded, "A force of 40 mutated humans were stationed in Shenxiang Town as they established an out post there. Based on this, they are indeed going to take the route through Shenxiang town to Wanghai City." That meant that they would go through Qingpu, not Songjiang. It was the worst outcome. Deep in Jiang Chen''s heart, he hoped to avoid direct conflict with mutated humans. Even if they really arrived in Carmen Pharmaceutical and obtained the improved FEV virus, they would only torment Jia City. Jiang Chen took a deep breath as he asked in a serious tone. "What about the seven hundred survivors?" "Based on the survivors who are there, because of the snow blocking the roads, they are temporarily imprisoned in Shenxiang Town and have not moved yet." Hearing this, Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen. Snow blocking the road? A "singled out" mutated human out post. Watching the snow on the window, a smile suddenly surfaced on Jiang Chen''s face. "This is an opportunity." "You mean?" "Take them out! Reinforce Shenxiang town''s defense, and intercept the mutated human force there, blocking them out of Qingpu!" Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more today! 173 Kinetic Skeleton Chapter 173: Kinetic Skeleton Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Comparing direct firepower, a soldier wearing a T-3 power armor had no inherent difference to a mutated human with a steel plate covering the front of its body. In a one on one scenario, power armor, with its high mobility and adaptability, would quickly take down the almost defenseless back of the mutated human. But if it escalated to a full-scale battle, the power armors advantage would be mitigated as the battle would usually turn into cover fire. During the last crossfire with the mutated human, Jiang Chen already learned his lesson. The 10 T-3 power armors had no advantage in firepower against the thirty something mutated human. It was even fair to say that they were at a disadvantage the entire time. In the end, they barely won with the advantageous positioning they had, but they lost with the cost of one power armor and multiple backup fuel rods. If Jiang Chen had a few more cannons, the situation would be drastically different. At the same time, the ability to produce heavy weaponry was fundamental to the existence of a survival base. From any perspective, Fishbone Base must develop its own heavy weaponry! So Jiang Chen already started doing that. The electric pulse cannon technology he purchased from Zhao Chenwu had been completely understood by the scientists at the base. Although the production condition at the base was still limited, after half a month, the Fishbone Base workers still managed to use the limited facility to manufacture six electric pulse cannons. This vehicle mounted electric pulse cannon was used as the primary weapon on the tank during the war, but right now it was obviously not feasible to acquire a tank. Therefore, Jiang Chen thought of a compromise. Wield the electric pulse cannon onto the improved truck, and use steel reinforcement to strengthen the armor of the truck. Then, place a soldier on top to fire the cannon. Therefore, the odd looking electric pulse cannon vehicle was created by Jiang Chen''s wild imagination. Also, he gave this thing a name that couldn''t be more childish - Tiger. Low armor, medium mobility, high range, high damage. It was extremely effective in rural areas with scattered structures, but it was a target in the city. Although the design was extreme, they had to work with what they had. ... On the other hand, following the production of the hummingbird drone, patrolling outside of the base has been passed on to those palm sized little guys. The hummingbird drone has built up a force of over one hundred units, which was more than enough to create an attack force. Although those little guys carried a limited amount of ammo, once there were enough of them, they were capable of deadly attacks. ... The attack on Shenxiang Town was set to be five days later. The survivors in the base had since been busy. Although attacking in the winter didn''t sound like the smartest decision, since it was the boss''s decision, they would relentlessly execute it. The military production factory worked around the clock, and the workers under Jiang Chen''s instructions installed the electric pulse cannon on the back of the modified trucks. The training ground then became crowded as the soldiers in winter suits, under the command of Cheng Weiguo, began to train. Although everyone was preparing relentlessly, Jiang Chen wasn''t too concerned about this attack. It was only a force of 40 mutated humans. Not only did the Fishbone base have the fire support from the Tiger, but they also had helicopters that acted as gunships. Leaving the mansion wearing a thick winter suit, Jiang Chen headed straight to Jiang Lin''s lab. For the scientist passionate about aerospace, Jiang Chen had a keen interest in him. Not only did Jiang Chen clean out a lab for him, but he also gave him a budget of 1000 crystals a month to purchase related equipment. Although aerospace technology was not helpful to the Fishbone base now, if rockets were created, not only can they be shot into the sky, but if they''re shot downwards, they could be used as missiles. Of course, the purpose of the trip was not to inquire about the missiles, but for something else. When he pushed opened the lab door, Jiang Chen stepped into the room, and quickly closed the door behind him. He shook off the snow on his body before walking inside the room. "Ahem, what are you working on?" A dazzling amount of electronic parts were randomly stored in the corner of the room. Some of them were needed for the launch of the rockets, and some of them were junk he brought back from Fake Leg Specialty store. Although Jiang Lin didn''t plan to continue his father''s business, he still moved his stuff here. "Rocket engine..." Jiang Lin wore protective goggles with a welding tool in his hand as he concentrated on the parts on the table. Looking at the grease covered hair, Jiang Chen didn''t want to guess the last time he showered. It''s great to be passionate about your own business, but... "Did you complete the task I gave you?" Jiang Chen walked over to a mechanical leg lying on the ground as he stood beside him. "Done. It''s on the shelf to your right, and the manual is on the shelf next to it." Jiang Lin said as carefully wielded a single microchip onto the engine, not turning his head. "Just need to wait till the weather clears up... Install a smart power control into the engine, and then install signal blockage at the tip of the rocket. I am a genius," Jiang Lin mustered to himself as he looked ecstatic. Although Jiang Chen didn''t know why. "Kinetic skeleton, model K1". A line of small words was engraved on the metal strip as Jiang Chen read it out loud. He looked at the mechanical frame in his hand and began to play with it. But after awhile, he still didn''t have a single clue how it works. So, he took out the manual and began to read it step by step. The light plastic steel metal attached to the four limbs, and the spine position was covered by scale like metal plates. To put it simply, this thing was like a metal skeleton. Although it had a metallic feel to it, it didn''t feel cumbersome to wear. Jiang Chen moved his limbs and clenched his fingers, but he still didn''t understand how it worked as a confused expression appeared on his face. Seeing that boss wearing his masterpiece, Jiang Lin dropped what he was working on, cleaned his hand, and walked over. "The start button is on your neck. You can try pressing it." Following Jiang Lin''s instruction, Jiang Chen skeptically placed his finger on his neck and quickly found a button. Then he tried pressing it down. A faint static noise was heard as Jiang Chen felt a temporary numbness on the back of his neck. The next second he was completely shocked. It was a surreal feeling. As if the metal strip became a part of his body. What maneuvered his body was no longer his own skeleton, but rather the metal skeleton attached to his body. Jiang Chen moved his limbs as the shock on his face intensified. Describing the feeling was difficult. Precisely, it seemed like the metal skeleton was really his own hand, but his real hand was only a tool he was using. "Model K1 kinetic skeleton. Fake Legs Specialty store''s masterpiece." A proud smile appeared on Jiang Lin''s face, as he took a curved plastic steel plate from the side and pressed it onto the empty slot in front of Jiang Chen''s chest. "Removable armor made of supramolecular polyethylene. It is bullet-proof, so it can easily protect you against normal assault rifle bullets. The outside is sprayed with a reflective layer, so it has some defense against laser rifles. Of course, I don''t recommend you take a few shots to test the strength of the armor. After he finished, Jiang Lin brought over several curved armors and slotted them onto Jiang Chen''s stomach, legs, and shoulders. "Almost done." Jiang Lin stood up and clapped his hands together. He then took a tablet from the table and connected a wire to Jiang Chen''s armor. Jiang Chen looked at him as his fingers typed furiously on the screen. Quickly, the numb electrocuted sensation from the back of his neck disappeared and was replaced by an astonishing connection of his nerves to his muscles. It was not only simply the metal maneuvering his body, but the metal and body were simultaneously controlled by his brain. Jiang Chen moved his limbs as he became more and more shocked. Seeing the expression on the boss''s face, Jiang Lin smiled and quickly backed away. With a please gesture, he said proudly, "Try hitting the sandbag." Hearing that, Jiang Chen clenched the fist covered by the thin layer of armor as he used his entire strength to punch. Boom-. Dust blew everywhere. The violent force caused the sandbag to cave inward as the metal hanging the sandbag began to squeak in a whimpering noise. "Beautiful! Let me see. 971 kilograms, not bad." Jiang Lin nodded his head as he scratched his chin and began to adjust the data on the tablet. [Not bad? This is insane!] Jiang Chen astonishingly stared at his hand as he ridiculed in his mind. A force of nearly one ton! An ordinary person''s punch would be around 100 kilograms; he remembered Tyson could only punch with a force of 400 kilograms. But the sandbag didn''t get punched through. Its quality must be excellent. While being shocked, Jiang Chen gave a few extra looks at the sandbag. "Try the strength again." Jiang Lin quickly walked to the end of the room. Jiang Chen moved his leg around to test. When he realized that his coordination was not hindered, he walked over. There stood a metal box the size of a closet. The exposed part seemed similar to the weight of the sandbag. A white metal covered signal light flashed unknowingly, the monitor on the side produced a faint light. "Put your hand on the bar, and then use your maximum power to lift it." Jiang Lin passed a bar-like thing to him as he smiled. Following his instruction, Jiang Chen put his hands on the bar and lifted it up with his entire force. "Perfect!" Jiang Lin snapped as he said with excitement. Compared to Jiang Lin''s excitement, Jiang Chen''s mood could be described as ecstatic. With only a few metal frames, it could allow people to acquire strength greater than the genetic vaccine. If every solider wore a set, Fishbone base''s combat power would more than double. 174 Out of stock? Chapter 174: Out of stock? Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi If the power armor were the full body armor of the knight, then the kinetic skeleton would be an infantry''s chainmail. The entire mass was less than ten kgs. The supermolecular polyethylene could guard 7-12 rounds of point-blank shots from a 7.62 mm assault. If it were an assault rifle from the modern world, it would not even make a dent in the armor. Afer equipping, the maximum weight carried by a single soldier would increase to 300 kilograms. The power source was two pieces of battery the size of a fist and was placed above the pelvis area. After a complete charge, it would allow the equipped person to run at a speed of 12 km/hour carrying the 300 kilograms for one hour. Or, it could operate in normal combat conditions for 12 hours. The power could be charged through solar cells, or it could instantly be replenished with crystals. It was fair to say, other than the aerospace technology that has yet to see results, a significant factor that Jiang Chen considered when recruiting Jiang Lin was the kinetic skeleton technology of the Fake Leg Specialty store. Although he didn''t manage to continue the family business, being forced by his father, he still learned the essential skills. When he personally experienced the power of Model K1 Kinetic Skeleton, Jiang Chen immediately proposed the feasibility of mass equipping the force. "Equipping the force?" Jiang Lin was confused when he heard Jiang Chen''s question, but then an odd expression appeared on his face. "Do you know the time and cost to produce a set of kinetic skeleton like this?" "How much?" Jiang Chen asked carelessly. "Based on the official price in the Sixth Street, the current set you are wearing cost around 900 crystals. 900 crystals could purchase more than ten slaves if you give them rifles. Regardless of what kind of super soldier, they can''t beat ten something rifles." Jiang Lin let out a sigh as he started to calculate the economics for Jiang Chen. "But the Sixth Street no longer sells population." Jiang Chen pressed the button on his neck as the faint static noise rose again and he took off the kinetic skeleton. "The Sixth Street doesn''t sell population, but other places do. For example Su City. They have the biggest slave market in Suhang province. They''ll come to the Sixth Street next spring-" Jiang Lin tried to convince his boss. "But we can''t wait till next spring." Jiang Chen, with a smile, carried the kinetic skeleton in his hands. "When the snow melts next year, the mutated human will invade from 7th area to Qingpu. We are the only force that''s capable of putting up a defense. Therefore we will face the most pressure from them." Hearing that, Jiang Lin''s face immediately turned white. He has never heard about this before. If he had heard about it, he would not have come to work here even if they beat him to death. The reason why he tried to convince the boss to give up the idea of mass production of the kinetic skeleton was the fact that he was worried his own research time for the rocket would be limited. "Do you regret coming here?" Jiang Chen smiled. Jiang Lin gulped as he looked away, dishearted. "No." "Don''t be afraid. Your heart beat already told me you are regretting it." Jiang Chen smiled as he patted him on the shoulder without criticising his fear. "It is okay to be afraid. People fear death for a reason. Since you are afraid, then follow what I have said." "I heard that there are a few thousand mutated humans in the Seventh Area," Jiang Lin strugglingly said. "To be exact, there are three thousand. Perhaps a bit more than that, but it''s not something you need to worry about. Kinetic skeleton must be mass produced. Regardless how many crystals we spend, you must manufacture 50 sets before next year January," Jiang Chen used an irrefutable voice. Even with a cost of 900 crystals per set, 50 sets would only be 45,000 crystals. Fishbone base didn''t lack money. It was time to convert the wealth accumulated in the early phases into power. Jiang Lin gulped again as he saw the seriousness in the boss'' eyes as he nodded arduously. "I''ll try my best... But it can''t be done with just me. I need help." "Just tell me how much assistance you need." "Let me think... The hand crafted metal skeleton would require ten people, welding the microchips would take 4, drawing the circuit board would need 8, as well as modifying the power system... Based on my estimation, I would require 40 workers to be able to complete a streamlined process. In this case, I could probably manage to complete 50 sets of kinetic skeletons before January." Jiang Lin had a troubled smile. There was a total of 200 people in the base. Everyone had their own duties and responsibilities, it was impossible to assemble a team of 40. But Jiang Chen''s following words shocked him. "I''ll give you 80 people. Could you double the production?" "Sure, but is there enough people in the base?" Jiang Lin had to ask. "You don''t have to worry about it. We''ll have plenty of people soon. Right now, you only need to figure out how to design the production line, how to train your team, and what materials must be purchased. The production force will be ready in 5 days." Jiang Chen laughed. The Fishbone base didn''t have the people, but Shenxiang Town had them. The seven hundred survivors captured by the mutated humans. He just needed to bring them back. As to whether they would be obedient or not? On the wasteland, there was no inherent difference between being captured and being saved. If they wanted to continue to live, they must be obedient. ... After coming out of Jiang Lin''s lab, Jiang Chen headed to the community center to find the warehouse keeper Wang Qin. When Jiang Chen came to the office, the girl with freckles was going through her books as usual. When she saw Jiang Chen, her eyes lit up, as she stopped what she was doing, and got up to greet him. "I am just here to check the status of the supplies in the base. Don''t be so anxious," Jiang Chen gently smiled as he joked. Wang Qin''s face blushed shyly. She pushed her glasses up as she took out the tablet terminal and began to display the data to Jiang Chen. First, it was crystals. After the accumulation of several trades, the crystals stored in the Fishbone base had reached a frightening number of 790 thousand. Because of the addition of several production lines, the crystals spent last month reached 30 thousand. This included the purchase of raw materials, as well as direct consumption for fuel in industrial production. Jiang Chen asked Wang Qin to save half a million crystals as liquid assets to purchase shares of the about to be established Sixth Street bank.The rest of the 290 thousand crystals would be used as production spending. Even with the addition of a kinetic skeleton line, the current amount of stored crystals was more than sufficient. Then, it would be the firearms storage. There were two hundred thousand rounds of ammo stored in the base, with sixty percent directly manufactured by the base. After they acquired Huizhong Mercenaries'' ammo production line, Fishbone base began to work towards producing its own firearms. Then, it would be the 5kg bombs. This is the standard ammo for the electromagnetic cannon. Following the completion of the Tiger, the military factory''s production has been shifting towards bombs. The current stock was two hundred rounds, with fifty being produced each day. After a period of consumption, as well as the large quantity of replenishment since the last time he returned, the base currently stored 8 tons of rice, 2 tons of potato, and easy to store vegetables like cabbage and carrot totaled 5 tons. Sausage, marinated meat, and other preserved food added up to 2 tons. After Jiang Chen realized it was cheaper to purchase fresh food than canned food, Fishbone Base''s cafeteria no longer provided canned food. All cans were only sold, or as an award to survivors that contributed to the base. With the assumption of one pound of rice per day per person, this food would last the group of two hundred two years. But considering the addition of seven hundred survivors soon, the rate of food consumption would undoubtedly increase. Even with an increase in survivors, the current storage of food would last at least half a year. "Also, the base is preparing to add a new kinetic skeleton production line. Jiang Lin will send the list of purchases over in a bit. Send someone to purchase it from the Sixth Street." "Mhmm." Wang Qin nodded and then wrote Jiang Chen''s words in the tablet. Following the increased quantity of supplies, one warehouse keeper was not enough. After asking for Wang Qin''s opinion, Jiang Chen added a logistics department to the base''s administration, responsible for managing warehouse supplies, daily consumption, and trade related tasks. Trade was previously the responsibility of Sun Jiao, but she seemed to get a headache with "small tasks" containing minuscule details, so she threw the duties to the logistics department. The logistics department was of course led by Wang Qin. The department increased to five people, managing a total of six warehouses. "I said you don''t have to be so anxious." Seeing how the girl was taking notes seriously, Jiang Chen couldn''t stop laughing. Although she had matured compared to when she just got to the base, the trait of blushing did not change at all. "Also, what''s the status of Zhou Guoping''s bar in the Sixth Street?" After recollecting her previous calmness, Wang Qin pushed her glasses up and said in a focused tone, "4000 cans of beer were consumed in October resulting in a total profit of 40,000 crystals." Hearing the news, Jiang Chen nodded. He didn''t care about the profitability of the bar. He was more keen on using the traffic generated to bring him intelligence. The beers were only a few bucks in the modern world which was nothing. But of course, as the saying goes, although mosquitoes were small, meat was still meat, and the income from the beers was quite good. "Also, there is something else," Wang Qin saw that Jiang Chen was in a good mood, but she hesitated for a moment before she spoke. "Mhmm?" "The raw material used to produce the automatic rifles and hummingbird drone, the Carm Tree sap, is out of stock." "Out of stock?" Jiang Chen frowned. It was a big problem. The threat of mutated human was approaching fast, the Fishbone base was working around the clock to produce firearms, and now Carm tree sap was out of stock? "The plantation that provided us with Carm tree sap terminated the contract, and paid us 1000 crystals as the penalty," Wang Qin said helplessly. "Reason?" "Following the increase in production on the Sixth Street, the price of Carm tree sap rose by 20%, which is much higher compared to the price signed on the contract. They also signed a large quantity long term deal with other companies. Therefore, they shamelessly terminated our contract." Wang Qin said in anger. "So how much is left in the base?" Jiang Chen said in a serious tone. "2 tons left. Enough to maintain production for one more month." "Mhmm, I''ll take care of this." Jiang Chen nodded. [If the Sixth Street can''t supply it, the Fishbone base can just produce it on our own.] 175 Produce Ourselves Chapter 175: Produce Ourselves Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Growing Carm Trees?" Sun Jiao thought for a second before a troubled look appeared on her face. "Is there a problem? We could probably buy the sapling on the market. If we can''t, I''ll get Zhou Guoping to think of other ways." Jiang Chen didn''t understand. "No, it''s not the problem with tree saplings, tree saplings are easy to obtain." Seeing that Jiang Chen seemed to be misinterpreting her meaning, Sun Jiao forced a bitter smile. "The problem is growing them." "Growing? I remember these mutated plants were able to survive in the apocalypse''s soil, is there any problems?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. Typical crops could not grow in the nuclear and biological contaminated soil, but mutated plants that survived the war could. Logically, anything that could grow in the Sixth Street, the Fishbone base could grow the same thing. Hearing Jiang Chen''s question, Sun Jiao facepalmed as she began patiently explaining the fundamentals. "To grow anything on the wasteland, there are two factors to consider. One is radiation level, and two is soil contamination level. As long as there is material exchange with the outside world, it can not avoid the impact of radiation. There is nothing in the apocalypse that is free of radiation. Not even the drinking water treated by the automatic water purifying equipment. It doesn''t negatively affect humans because of the existence of the EP and special medication that reduces the radiation level to below the danger threshold. However, plants are not so lucky. To ensure the planted apple does not mutate, the radiation level must be controlled to below 1. If the radiation level is above 5, even normal seeds buried into the ground will become abnormal. With the Sixth Street''s technology, it is able to control the radiation level to around 3, which certainly reflects how valuable the fruit cans you brought are. But the mutated plants that survived through natural selection are not that delicate. Their resistance to radiation is quite high. Take Carm trees for example. As long as radiation levels are below 40, it can grow normally. Most of the places on the wasteland have a threshold value between 10-20. As long as it''s not in a nuclear crater, the radiation level will not reach 40. The soil contamination is relatively easier to solve since soilless planting technology is incredibly mature in the apocalypse. Therefore, the plantations in the apocalypse can be divided into two kinds. One is the kind that uses soilless technology to grow crops. There is a distinct advantage to growing crops this way is that it can easily control soil contamination, and the production area would also be greater compared to soil plants. The disadvantage is also evident. Mainly being the high cost. To use soilless technology to produce industrial raw materials like Carm tree sap would undoubtedly bankrupt the business. It normally would be used to grow luxury goods, such as not completely mutated fruit. The signature building in the Sixth Street includes a soilless plantation tower. Of course, because of the appearance of fruit cans, this industry was on the brink of bankruptcy. The other kind is normal soil plantation. Simple and straightforward, planting the seeds and watering them would yield plants. Whether it would be done by human labor with scythe spreading the seeds or mechanical plantation, it would be up to the preference of the owner. It is used to mostly produce non-expensive mutated plants, such as the industrially used Carm tree sap, and different flavors of tobacco... The advantage of this method is the low cost, but it has a strict requirement for the quality of the soil. Take Carm trees for example. Only plants with soil contamination less than ten can be used to grow these trees. This type of soil is also extremely rare on the wasteland, so Carm tree sap production is not high even on the Sixth Street. Previously, this raw material had minimal demand, but during this period, demand far exceeded supply." "Couldn''t we just purchase soilless equipment?" Jiang Chen was refusing to give up. "Using soilless equipment to grow Carm trees, how much crystals would you use to obtain one ton of Carm tree sap." Sun Jiao facepalmed feeling helpless. [This is problematic now.] Jiang Chen''s eyebrows began to twist as he fell into deep thought. But then, he suddenly remembered Lin Lin. [Yes! The Garden of Eden Project! If it is possible to change the local biosphere, there is no reason there is no technology to change the condition of the soil!] ... "Did you think of something?" Sun Jiao looked confusedly as Jiang Chen''s always changing expression. "Mhmm." The tip of Jiang Chen''s mouth curled up, "Looks like the "little slave" in our mansion is finally going to be useful." Sun Jiao instantly understood as a sign of joy also flashed across her face. "What? Reduce soil contamination? Why should I help you?" With fingers holding onto the test tube, the smooth and silky silver hair hid the disdained expression on Lin Lin''s face as she said without any consideration. The one red and one black pupil were the same as when he left before. It seemed that she became used to having an odd creature living inside her body. "Because you need to eat," Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he said righteously. He was already becoming bored of looking at her humiliated expression, but this girl seemed to think otherwise? "Do you feel great about being bullied now?" Seeing the slightly sad Lin Lin drawing on the touch board, Jiang Chen said helplessly. With such a gorgeous face, she had to have such a terrible expression. "Go die." With her finger finishing the last line, Lin Lin gave Jiang Chen a hard stare and popped out her tongue to give him a scary face. "What is this?" Jiang Chen ignored her action as he got closer to the touch board." "Ahem, foolish-" Lin Lin straightened her back while the tip of her lips curved up. "Ahem." "Ahh! Enough! Fine, I''ll say it." Lin Lin pouted her mouth in sadness as she touched the screen. "The first step is to neutralize the soil. The second step is to use ion membranes to permeate out the heavy metal ions, the third step is..." "Hold on, what is an ion membrane?" Jiang Chen interrupted her as he was completely lost. "A thing that can easily filter through the ion particles should be pretty common," Lin Lin said nonchalantly. [What. I have never heard about this before.] Jiang Chen suddenly recalled that Lin Lin had always stayed in the research facility, for she wouldn''t be so clueless about the situation of the apocalypse otherwise. In this case, the "common" in her mind probably meant common in the lab. [Did not think this through...] "Let me first ask, how many steps does this process include?" Jiang Chen was feeling speechless. "Not that many, only 24 steps. I have taken a sample of the soil here before, and the contamination level is 68. It''s hard to believe in a land this toxic weeds can grow." When the topic revolved around her field of interest, Lin Lin became keener. "Does your lab not consider costs when you experiment?" Jiang Chen ridiculed." "Costs? Of course," Lin Lin disagreed. "Then tell me after 24 steps, what is the cost?" Lin Lin looked at Jiang Chen strangely. "Are you misinterpreting something? is not a soil purification project. Since it is a subproject of space colonization, then why do we need to understand how to treat the pollution on Earth. Using organics as well as minerals on other planets, we could produce soil. It is too troublesome to purify it. " "Produce soil?" "That''s right. It is not difficult to produce soil. At least easier than washing the ground. But since all the "finished goods" are contaminated here, it would not be easy to find raw ingredients to form clean soil." Lin Lin let out a sigh. Produce soil? Other planets? Jiang Chen suddenly smacked his own head as he cursed in his mind. [F*ck, why didn''t I think of this before. It is not that difficult. I can interdimensional travel! If I can carry back food, how difficult would it be to transport a couple of hundred cubic meters of soil?] Since the problem was solved, Jiang Chen didn''t plan to ask further, so he changed the topic. "Okay, let''s not talk about this... Oh, did you finish the task I gave you?" 176 Wormhole Chapter 176: Wormhole Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Since it has been a while, the Death Claw and mutated lead skin human research should be completed? "Of course. Who do you think I am? Lin Lin let out a sigh as a confident expression appeared on her face. "Follow me." She crooked her finger at Jiang Chen as she turned around, swaying her silver white hair, and walked to the giant vial in the back. A naked monster with its flesh exposed was in the middle of the vial. The dark green liquid occasionally had bubbles blowing upwards. It seemed like the work of a science freak in American comics. But Jiang Chen didnt focus on that. Rather he looked at the bottom part of the monster. Just like the rumors say, no d*ck. Lin Lin pointed her delicate finger and pressed the touch screen on the side of the vial. Several orange lights shined into the hologram screen in front of them. The list of data on the screen had Jiang Chen completely lost. Lin Lin, standing beside him, looked at him contemptuously in secret. She imprudently made fun of Jang Chens "ignorance" in her mind before speaking with her head held high. "Muscle strength or body strength 63, bone strength 47, reflex 20, brain cell strength 9. From a human perspective, without overexerting the body''s capabilities, this is the limit of the body''s strength." "Umm... Speaking of this, is this guy still considered human?" Lin Lin had her finger on her chin as she muttered to herself. Jiang Chen glanced at her. [Is this girl still considered human?] "The cell in the body is modified by the FEV virus. Similarly, the skin is implanted with heavy metal The lead skin could be compared to C-type steel, and it could easily defend against standard bullets. The regeneration of the cell is ridiculously fast. Based on the data of the body''s DNA, even if it lost an arm, it would be able to grow one back in a week''s time. Although I never fought before, if this thing was put in the battlefield, it should be invincible right?" The pacifist Lin Lin even started to exclaim about the battle ability of this thing. "Does it not have any weaknesses?" Jiang Chen had a troubled smile. "Of course." Lin Lin nodded, "First because of the influence of heavy metal. Their nervous system is extremely weak. The brain cell strength is as low as 9. Also, their life is limited. Based on its DNA and regeneration calculation, their life expectancy is only 30 years. Also, if their head or heart is destroyed, they will die instantly." It was the same as not saying anything. Which creature would still live without a brain or heart? Jiang Chen let out a sigh. "Looks like there is no shortcut to this. To destroy this dangerous thing we would have to depend on "Tiger". Using its pure explosive power of electromagnetic cannons to blow this thing into pieces." "Also, can I ask a question?" Lin Lin abruptly spoke out. "Mhmm? Go ahead." "When I first acquired the body I was utterly astonished. What did you do to destroy every single cell in the mutated human''s body?" Lin Lin looked oddly at Jiang Chen as she was clueless. [It was time travel.] But he did not dare to tell her yet. Jiang Chen subtly looked away as he began to come up with a vague response. "Well, I used a special weapon that instantly ended all cell activity. Speaking of this, what do those cells look like under the microscope?" "The cell membrane broke. Based on the way it broke, it appeared to be due to extremely low temperatures that caused the fluid in the cell to freeze? It is peculiar As if without preparation, it traveled through a wormhole with entropy infinitely approaching 0," Lin Lin doubtingly said, as she stared at Jiang Chen. [Extremely low temperatures? But there was no temperature change during time travel.] Jiang Chen slightly raised his eyebrows and didnt notice Lin Lins look of doubt. Seeing Jiang Chen had no reaction, Lin Lin continued. "Passing through an area with entropy infinitely approaching 0 would have no impact on dead things, but for something alive, it would be nearly impossible for them to remain alive. But as the shortcut to intergalactic travel, passing through a wormhole is a topic that cant be avoided, as "how to travel through wormholes" had a lot of interesting hypotheses in the physics world. Among them, Doctor Kleins hypothesis had the most authority." "Klein?" Jiang Chen felt that he had heard this name before. "Thats right. To put it in a simple analogy, mass and energy through two completely parallel tunnels cross the wormhole." As she said this, Lin Lin grabbed a pen to draw a cylinder on the whiteboard. Then she drew two parallel lines, one pass through inside the cylinder, and another pass through outside the cylinder. "As long as you send the energy at the entrance of wormhole through the tunnel into another dimension to the end of the wormhole and meet with the mass that passes through the wormhole there, it would avoid the part where entropy decreases in the wormhole." "Detach the energy? Wouldnt that creature die instantly?" Jiang Chen didnt understand. "Therefore, this is the brilliance of Doctor Klein." Lin Lin sighed. She drew t1 and t2 at the ends of the whiteboard and gave then a value to 0. "Time. Based on research, within the wormhole, time, space, and all physic principles are ambiguous. To put it in simple terms, you could spin around a few times before walking to the exit, or you could instantly head for the exit when you enter the wormhole. As long as you find the "perfect route," you could decrease the time to pass through the wormhole to 0." "Ill give you an analogy. A door frame is put in front you. You have a ball in your hand that represents your temperature. Based on the rule, when the ball passes through the doorframe, I will take it away from you. So instead, the instant you''re about to cross the door frame, you throw the ball up and the ball would fly above the doorframe. Then, once you go through the doorframe, you catch the ball, and successfully passed through the door with the ball." "I see." Jiang Chen half understandingly nodded his head. "Therefore, how did you pass through the door?" "I dont know. I used the bracelet" Suddenly, Jiang Chen looked cautiously at Lin Lin and narrowed his eyes. "You are setting me up." "The fool wants to say it himself," the tip of Lin Lin''s mouth raised in proudness as she said nonchalantly. "You are playing with fire." She seemed to have sensed the grimace in Jiang Chens tone as Lin Lin sacredly moved back. The proud expression completely vanished. "I...I am only curious. I have no other intention. AlAlso, you suddenly appeared from the tent last time. I already had an idea After seeing so much food in the base, you must be an alien right?!" An alien? Jiang Chen paused for a moment before he burst out laughing. "What, what are you laughing at," Lin Lin worked up her courage and fainted protested. "Ahem, nothing. Since you already guessed most of it, Ill tell you." Jiang Chen smile, "I am a time traveler from the past, from the year 2015." Lin Lin took some time to think before she raised her pair of serene eyebrows. "Time traveler? From the past?" "You already said all physics principle doesnt apply in the wormhole since it could avoid the space continuum, time continuum would not be a problem too, right?" Jiang Chen shrugged. "Based on the theory yes. Although out of the six colonization ships, three passed through the wormhole. As to the specifics of passing through the wormhole, only they would know." Lin Lin nodded, but then looked at Jiang Chen doubtfully. "I didnt know that this stingy devil could tell me this secret." "What if I told you," Jiang Chen with a smile looked at the one black and one red pupil, "I dont plan to ever let you go." Hearing that, Lin Lins face instantly turned red as it was the rare time she didnt bad mouth back, but rather shifted her eyes to the side. Jiang Chen didnt realize the other meaning in his words as he looked at the girl "forced to be obedient" pleasingly. "Also, what about that Death Claw? Is the result out?" When he mentioned the Death Claw, Lin Lin, rarely tense, turned serious. "I found some odd things on the Death Claw." ... After leaving from Lin Lins lab, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought thinking about what she just said. Everyone knew that the starting point of the x1 virus was to purify radiation, but because it experienced uncontrollable mutation under the radiation environment, it turned into the frightening virus. But x2s design philosophy was rather dubious. As the improved version of the x1 virus, x2s purification ability was increased. But the food for thought element was that the effect of infiltrating creatures nervous system was not removed, but rather strengthened. It also increased the structure of the cell, making it harder to be eliminated by the immune system. As if it was designed to eliminate all humans along with the radiation. The fortunate part was that because the cell''s DNA structure was too stable, it could not split through binary fission. It could only produce through the ''mother''s'' body. Therefore, after Jiang Chen cleared out the source in the area, the x2 virus slowly began to vanish. "Could it be born through x1s own mutation? Since there is radiation everywhere" "Impossible," Lin Lin shook her head as she rejected Jiang Chens doubt with certainty. "The Death Claw evolved to have armor, simplified its molecular chain to develop claws, and these were all part of natural selection. To survive, creatures would be forced to adapt and evolve certain traits, but not put a lock on its own life. The complicated breeding mechanism has no practical meaning for survival, and it is impossible that x2 was born through evolution." She paused, before continuing, "The only possibility is that someone created the x2 virus. But what I dont understand is, the x1 virus data should already have been onboard with the colonization ship." "Could it be another scientist that didnt manage to make it onto the ship created it?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "I am not sure," Lin Lin shook her head, "But one point is certain, and that is the people who developed the x2 virus definitely have no good intentions." Someone wanted the humans on the wasteland to become extinct. But who could it be? Mutated humans have enough of a reason, but a virus that the Death Claw couldnt even handle, could they resist it? But if it was not the mutated human, who had the motives to do this? Suddenly, a frightening thought popped into Jiang Chens mind. If wormholes could create time travel, then where did the three space colonization ships go? Did they really completely abandon this planet? 177 Slavery Chapter 177: Slavery Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Seatbelt check. Ready to depart." Chu Nan closed the hatch. "Don''t worry, I checked already." Jiang Chen, wearing the kinetic skeleton, pointed at his shoulder and smiled. "This is procedure... Okay, lift off." Chu Nan opened the engine switch while signally the "apprentice" in the co-pilot position to keep an eye on the monitors on the right side. Woohoo-! Outside of the helicopter, high voltage static began to hum. Under the push of the furious vortex flow, the 51 helicopter began to lift off slowly. Sitting across Jiang Chen was the gunner. The young man wearing orange protective gear felt shy with the base leader sitting across from him. "Don''t be anxious." Jiang Chen gave him a friendly smile. "Yes!" The young man shouted out, just as he wanted to stand up to salute, he was comically pulled back by the seatbelt. Jiang Chen laughed as he waved his hand signally there was no need. Then he focused his gaze on what was happening outside the window. It stopped snowing, but the snow had yet to melt. It was the first time overseeing the entirety of Wanghai City in the sky. A frozen world. The city at dawn shone brightly. The glittering colors seemed to have fended off the gloom of the radiation dust in the air. If it was not for the occasional zombie, as well as the unhealthy colored smog, he could almost forget that he was in the apocalypse, and was instead in a snowy city in the Northern kingdom. "From this view, the city is quite beautiful," Jiang Chen exclaimed while looking through the window. "The first time is indeed powerful. But if you fly every day, you''ll get used to it." Chu Nan laughed. "Yeah?" Jiang Chen smiled as he didn''t disagree. 5 Tigers, one armored vehicle carrying supplies, 30 light infantry carrying Reaper assault rifle, as well as two snipers equipped with ghost sniper rifles. The destination was Shenxiang Town. This was Fishbone Base''s first attack on the mutated humans. Jiang Chen didn''t need to come but considering they needed the seven hundred captured survivors at the base. It would be best for the Fishbone leader to stand out and say something. Also, to observe the battle from above was something he looked forward to. "About to be in contact with radiation dust. Put on the mask," as he spoke, Chu Nan pulled the mask down over his helmet. "Received." Jiang Chen pressed a few buttons on the kinetic skeleton, picked up the helmet on the chair beside him, and connected the extension to the slot. ... It snowed, but this level of coldness was as indifferent as the spring breeze to the mutated humans. Even if they were fully exposed to the external conditions, they could still stand tall in the chilling snowstorm, ignoring the furious wind, and unleash the full firepower of the guns in their hands. They were natural warriors. Viewing highly of themselves, they were the terminators of the old civilization. Even if their bodies were unafraid of the cold, long winter journeys were still extremely difficult for them. Additionally, the stronger the body, the higher the supply consumption. Since west of Zhufeng Road had been entirely blocked by the snow, it meant it was nearly impossible for vehicles to traverse across it and this fact put the already short supply line under more pressure. There were only two options in front of the mutated humans. One, send a team to Shenxiang Town across the Taifu river bank to establish an outpost, and then send the primary force to Wanghai City. Two, wait till next spring to invade Wanghai City. There was no possibility of the mutated humans and humans to reach a peaceful negotiation. Once they encountered each other, it would be a bloodbath. As for the decision to invade Wanghai City and engage in conflicts with the local human force, the mutated human leader was cautious. Different from the scattered survivors in Jia City, as the hotspot during the war, Wanghai City had multiple survivor camps that inherited frontier military technology before the war. If they had to engage in conflict with the human force, the mutated human would rather have it happen during the winter. If they waited for spring, the advantage of the mutated humans being able to fight in harsh climates would be non-existent. At the same time, hungry mutants would wake up from hibernation which would make the trip into city center more problematic. Because of the above reasons, the mutated humans decided to go with plan one for now. Although the highway between 7th area and Shenxiang Town was completely blocked by snow, the road condition from Shenxiang Town to Wanghai City was relatively smooth. As long as they establish an outpost to store supplies, the pressure of the supply line would be greatly alleviated. A winter crusade would be possible. Therefore, the captured survivors in Shengxiang Town were not immediately escorted back, but rather were forced to construct defensive structures by the mutated humans there. Outside Shenxiang Town, the outline of the reinforced concrete wall was starting to become visible. The sides of the road were piled with wood chips and were placed as obstacles and barriers to block the major roads outside of the town. But when the mutated humans arrived, the flimsy barrier could not bring even the slightest sense of security to the survivors hiding behind cover. The monster wielding steel carried machine guns and the bullet storm destroyed the mental fortitude of every defender. In the shack not far away from this place, the painted concrete wall was cut in half by the coilless cannon. On the shambles were terrifying bullet holes, and the blood stains on the wooden floor in the room were still clearly visible. The survivors defending behind cover could not cause a single casualty to the attacking mutated humans. But when the first mutated human passed through the wooden barrier, tens of bodies were already on the ground, which forced the survivors to raise the white flag and surrender. The recalcitrants'' body was pierced by wooden spears, hung in the snow being eroded by the snowstorm, and eaten by the mutated rats. Just like a flag, declaring the cruelty of the victors. Wang Pin, with cold eyes, stared at the frail humans as they dragged concrete and steel through the snow with difficulty, building up their outpost. "Move quicker you damn pests. Who said you could stop, mhmm?" A horrific looking mutated human held a whip as he cursed at the slaves. His whip regularly beat at the weak figures, without any care if they actually made a mistake or not. The frightened faces instinctively made him feel joyful. Since he couldn''t acquire pleasant sensations physiologically, the body full of male hormones could only be alleviated through primal violence. "Luke, don''t accidentally kill them. Even if they are pests, they still have value in entertaining us." Wang Pin strolled beside the supervisor as he flashed his mouth full of fangs. Looking at the boy lying in the snow, he did not hide his eyes full of disgust and disdain. The mutated human after being "reborn" would rename themselves, abandoning the ancient ethics along with their name. "Haha!" Luke flung the whip in his hand as he laughed. "Cowards, all eyes on me." The people carrying bags of concrete all stopped. Men, women, elderly, and children. The white snow circled around them, but it could not hide their terrified looks. They could not scream, nor be anger. The chilling cold already caused their facial nerves to lose any sense of feeling. The bloodthirsty mutated humans made them forget the dignity they had. He looked at the numb faces with satisfaction. Luke lowered his head and looked at the boy trembling in the snow. With a grimace, he lifted his foot and stepped on the youthful face. "Ahh..."The suppressed scream came from the bottom of his foot, as the frozen fingers tightly grasped onto the ground as he crashed into the freezing snow. The father of the boy stood on the side with his shoulders trembling. His bloodshot eyes widened at the scene. The mutated humans on the side carried their rifles as they mockingly looked at the slaves being humiliated. The lack of entertainment meant that the thing they loved to do the most was to humiliate the helpless slaves. FEV virus was magical. The magical part was that it would make the modified person forget any previous reluctance and experience the sensation of evolution. They would forget about their hatred towards the mutated humans and willingly join the new party, and in term shift their hatred onto the old species unwilling to accept evolution. "No-!" A deafening scream broke the silence. A woman with messy hair leaped onto the snow as she tightly held onto the mutated human''s foot while desperately trying to save the boy being stepped on. "Mom..." The boy''s eyeballs were protruding because of pressure, his mouth weakly moved. Luke apathetically observed the woman from above. Coldly staring at the plea and despair in her eyes. "Get out." The cold words left his mouth. Luke lifted the foot stepping on the boy''s face as he kicked her chest mercilessly and sent the woman flying. She struggled to stand up from the snow, the edges of her mouth had blood dripping down as she coughed. But her eyes didn''t look at Luke, and instead looked at the boy freed from under his foot. A tender smile appeared on her face as she crawled to the kid. For some reason, the expression on the woman''s face enraged Luke. "Stop," he arrogantly ordered. The woman ignored him as she shakingly moved her arms in the boy''s direction. Seeing his mom was getting closer, the boy looked relieved. But then, a rifle was pointed at her head. She blankly looked at it as despair appeared on her face. "Could, could it not be here," She used her trembling voice to plead. The second she leaped out from the crowd, she knew her fate. The people who dared to defy them all died, no exception. If possible, she didn''t want to die in front of her child. Luke''s face held a disdained grimace. This person wanted to discuss terms with him? "Let her go." A man stood out, but his legs and shoulders trembled. Luke scorned. "I am willing to die for her." This sentence seemed to have taken all of his courage. The woman looked at the man with eyes wide open as the sign of life began to vanish from her face. The cracked mouth opened as a powerless voice whispered out. "N...no-" "Then go die." Luke immediately fired. The bullet penetrated his chest, and even hurt the elder behind him. "Ahhh-!" The crowd howled. The woman''s scream was filled with heartbreak, and the boy''s eyes opened wide as he watched his father fall into the snow. Seeing the woman on all four scrambling to crawl to her husband, Luke''s face revealed a psychotic but satisfied smile. He lifted his gun again as he was about to execute the woman that dared to dirty his feet. But just at that moment, Wang Pin, standing on the side, gently put his hand on the lifted rifle. 178 The Unscientific Electromagnetic Cannon Chapter 178: The Unscientific Electromagnetic Cannon Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The woman covered her husband as the body''s temperature began to drop. The woman desperately tried to use her own heat to warm him, to save his fading life. "I love you." "No, no, I won''t allow you to go." Droplets of tears rolled down the woman''s cheek, splattering on the blood soaked jacket. "Sorry..." "I don''t want your apology! I don''t-!" The heartbreaking scream could not stop the body''s temperature from dropping. Luke moved his eyes away from the two as he looked confusedly at his companion. He didn''t understand his intention. "It''s too boring to kill them, buddy. You haven''t learned the essence of torture." Wang Pin patted his shoulder, pretending to sound wise as he cracked a smile. "Oh?" Luke raised his eyebrows as he stuffed the gun into his lap. "Go ahead then." Wang Pin took the gun with a grimace on his face. He ignored the woman looking at him with anger and fear, and turned to the other pigs. "Pigs, listen up. Now, anyone who r*pes her will be given freedom." The crowd became unsettled, but no one came up. Luke looked as his colleague, not understanding his intention. He didn''t know what was the purpose of seeing herds of humans in intercourse. That''s right, "herds". From the mutated human''s perspective, humans were only livestock. Due to traces of memory being left from before their transformation, they didn''t eat human flesh like cannibals. However, they would not shy away from any cruelty to obtain a sense of joy from the howling humans. "No one? If I remember correctly, this woman, to your standard of beauty, should be quite attractive," Wang Pin continued to hold his rifle and said slowly. "Is there any purpose in this?" Luke was still confused. "Of course, buddy, learn from me. Other than killing, there are a lot of other ways to dig out the despair in their hearts." Wang Pin smiled with a grimace as he licked his dry lips. He then looked at the frightened woman backing away from him. "Lying on top of her husband''s yet to be cold body, under the watch of her son, and humiliated by countless people. What kind of despair would be on such a face? The idea is making me excited. Isn''t the whole purpose of the existence of civilization to blossom the glimpse of light under the torture of the primal? Hahaha!" The cruel laughter was deafening, shaking off the snow on trees that were a few kilometers away. Luke blankly looked at the psychotic smile on his colleague as an excited expression appeared on his face. "Sh*t, you are a genius. Oh, devil! You must be an artist in your previous life." "Who knows?" Wang Pin smiled as he used his gun to point at the closest man. "You, go fu*k her." The man gulped, gritted his teeth, and defiantly said. "I can''t do it." Bang-! Like a piece of paper, he fell onto the ground. The man''s face still maintained a defiant expression, with a glimpse of disbelief. "Next." Wang Pin pointed the gun at the next man, a middle-aged man holding his bleeding arm. Trembling, the middleaged man walked a few steps, before finally kneeling onto the ground. "I-" Bang-! Wang Pin didn''t give him the opportunity to explain as he immediately blew up his head. Red and white splattered everywhere and even splashed onto the person behind him. Wang Pin raised his chin and targeted the next person. Perhaps terrified by the horrific scene, the third person only hesitated slightly before looking down and running to the woman with trembling steps. "Sorry, please forgive me." The man was afraid to look at the expression on the woman''s face as he merciless reached for her collar. "N...No." The woman''s eyes widen in despair. The man ignored her struggling plea. He ignored all the morals and dignity of the human civilization and pushed her down on the body that was still slowly losing its temperature. In his mind, he was desperately trying to comfort himself. If he didn''t do it, he would die. He was doing it, but it was not his intention. Wang Pin pleasingly looked at the man''s action; the joy of ripping the civilization apart was almost making him shake in excitement. Luke, standing on the side, also had his eyes wide open. He was only a mutated human for less than two years, and it was the first time he witnessed such a joyful moment other than from violence. Wang Pin raised his gun again, pointing at the next person. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the shout of the patrol. "What is that?!" The mutated human carrying an assault rifle pointed at the black dot in the sky. He raised his eyebrows as Wang Pin looked up, "What is-" Boom! Mixed with thick smoke, the snow on the ground blew up like an avalanche as it flew over the crowd. The shockwave flipped people onto the ground as the frightened crowd ditched the concrete and steel bags in their hands. They ran to the nearest barrier or ducked into the field. The mutated humans didn''t stop them because their situation was not any better. "Dammit, what is it!" Wang Pin crawled up from the ground as he looked at the thick smoke ten meters away with horrid. The bloodthirsty pupils contracted as a rare sense of fear surfaced. .... "Direct hit." "Beautiful!" Jiang Chen smiled as he gave a thumbs up to the gunner. The furious wind blew through the hatch door as the orange protective suit gusted in the chill. The gunner wearing his mask turned and nodded his head to express his gratitude towards Jiang Chen''s praise. Then, without stopping, he carried another 10kg bomb and stuffed it into the cartridge as the cannon began to charge. At this moment, Jiang Chen had a tablet in his hand. The flashing picture on the scene was of the entire battlefield. The camera located below the helicopter holistically presented the overview of the battlefield to the commander. The green dot hidden three kilometers away from the town was Fishbone Base''s light infantry. The five tigers were scattered behind buildings, only exposing the electromagnetic cannon. The vehicle was also covered with white cloth, which camouflaged the vehicle perfectly with the snow. This only left the pitch black cannon visible. The red dot signaled were enemy units marked out by the sniper, while the gray dots were civilians. The thick smoke rising from the ground was the truck destroyed by the helicopter cannon. The anti-air machine gun had yet to unleash its power before being blown up into metal shards. The mutated humans who lost their air defense began to flee. Jiang Chen observed the battlefield. It was like playing a game. Also worth mentioning, the command system attached to the helicopter was the masterpiece of Yao Yao. "The purpose of civilization is to punish the primal brutality." As if it was meant to rebuttal the clamor, Jiang Chen mustered to himself. [Since the grim reaper has already arrived on the battlefield, then you bastards must go die.] He coldly overwatched the fleeing figures on the screen as his finger pointed at the red dot on the screen. Woosh-! The trident shaped cannon began to flash a faint blue electric light, followed by a screeching homing noise. The orange arc smashed to the ground. The noise of the bomb breaking the sound barrier almost covered the screaming Northen wind. 179 Smite Chapter 179: Smite Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The orange arc explosion penetrated the cloud shaped sound barrier. Followed by the explosive homing, the cylinder shaped bomb rapidly spun, just like god smiting the sins in the world, it smashed directly into the fleeing mutated humans. Boom! Snow knee deep blew up into the air and mixed with shattered soft lead debris as it rained down onto the surrounding area. Without the need for explosives and just using pure mechanical power, the 10kg bomb blew up in the enemies'' base. Soft lead made bombs allowed the bomb to break into thumb sized pieces and scatter under the heavy air pressure. This instantly blew the mutated humans nearby away like paper. The concrete wall nearby completely collapsed. The debris ten meters away even left bowl sized holes on the wall. "F*ck, what is that damn thing!" Wang Pin struggled to stand up from the snow. He lifted his blood filled face and frightenedly stared at the black dot in the sky. Luke was already dead. He saw the head meters away from the body. The poor guy had his neck blow off by debris as his entire head was severed from his body. "It''s a helicopter! Dammit, why would Liuding Town''s people be here?!" The mutated human hiding behind the barrier raised his binoculars as he said with a trembling voice. Liuding Town?! When he heard the word, Wang Pin instant felt a chill overwhelm his body. His limbs felt cold. Without hesitation, he got up and ran for his life to the concrete-made barrier. Based on rumors, on the wasteland near Wanghai City, only humans on the aircraft carrier inherited flight units before the war. But why would they show up here while they were located hundreds of kilometers away? Boom! The deafening blast ended his thought as the snow and debris covered him. The bomb didn''t just come from the sky. It also came from the horizon. As if it was an agreement, five arcs smashed into the mutated human base like iron fists. The half completed reinforced concrete wall was instantly shattered into pieces. As the pieces of concrete flew backward, the mutated humans taking cover behind it all dropped to the ground. The ones yet to be killed crawled into the town. Although the electromagnetic cannon used 5kg bombs, it was not inferior compared to the strike from the dome. "God, please stop!" Crawling into the corner of a room and covering his head, a mutated human roared with a whimpering voice. The rifle along with his arrogance were all thrown into the snow. "D*mmit, where is the anti-air cannon! We-" Under the far fire range, the mutated human''s machine guns were like toys. The only purpose of their shouting was to unleash the fear in their hearts. The occasion bomb that flew to Fishbone base''s side smashed into the building used as cover without any accuracy. However, on the Fishbone Base side, with the guidance of snipers as well as aerial coverage, the five tiger fired simultaneously and accurately, eliminating the mutated human''s firepower and shattering their morale. "Someone seems to be using rifles to shoot at us." Jiang Chen looked at the screen and smiled. His finger lightly drew on the screen as he circled a few red dots. Debris flew up as the red dots were blown up to pieces by the bombs. "Only that anti-air machine gun is a bit threatening. Even if the assault rifle bullets could hit this far, the airflow would make it lose its accuracy." Chu Nan laughed, initiated automatic hovering, and moved his hands away from the controls. "Oh?" Jiang Chen answered absentmindedly, his eyes were focused on the red dots on the screen. He then pressed his finger on the guy covering his head and ducking into the snow. Although those monstrous humans did not deserve mercy, the apathetic feeling of killing people through a screen still shocked him. Oh right, correction. They were not human. "Speaking of something else, how''s that wife of yours?" Jiang Chen dragged his finger on the green dots and pointed on the location of the road. After receiving the command, 20 something light infantries began to move to the target location. He then pointed a few more times on the screen, and the other 20 light infantries crossed the barriers, pushing forward to the target area through the front. "Not bad," Chu Nan answered concisely as he didn''t seem to want to continue on the topic. "Oh..." Even if he accepted, his heart must not feel so great. Jiang Chen didn''t ask further. Over half of the mutated humans stationed in Shenxiang Town were eliminated. The remaining ones were under the heavy fire suppression of the electromagnetic cannon. The steel plate in front of their chests could block bullets, but when the bullets changed to electromagnetic cannons, it was as good as paper. While maintaining fire suppression, the two squads of light infantry quickly captured the mutated humans hiding in the barriers. As to the mutated human still reluctant to give up, merciless canons awaited them. Beep! A screeching alarm began to sound. "What''s that noise?" Jiang Chen frowned. "What else could it be. RPG "Flying Sword" anti-air missile. The mutated humans probably dug it up from a PAC armory," Chu Nan said casually as he simultaneously pressed a button beside the control panel. Click. Within the vision of the tablet, a few flashing sparks began to fall. The approaching anti-air missile directly hit one of the rubbles and scathed by the helicopter. "Electromagnetic lure. These things that chase after high-frequency electronic devices are easy to deal with. The anti air machine gun is more reliable." Chu Nan laughed contemptuously as he put his hands behind his head and sank further into the chair. ... Jiang Chen pointed his finger at the guy reloading the RPG, but Jiang Chen didn''t use electromagnetic cannons this time. Instead, he commanded the infantry to attack him. He was very interested in the anti-air missile. If he could seize it, why would he destroy it? ... Cheng Weiguo leaned tightly against the cover as he checked the coordinates on the EP. Then he signaled the team on the other side to throw a smoke bomb as they quickly pushed further into the town. An unfair battle. With the firepower advantage, the mutated human''s muscles and their strength in numbers were not worth mentioning. They already crossed their defensive structure. At this point, his force still maintained zero casualties. Pointing the rifle out of cover, Cheng Weiguo aimed at the mutated human, with half of his body exposed carrying the RPG, and pulled the trigger. Tata-! The bullets instantly forced the mutated human to take cover and shredded more of the already in shambles concrete wall into pieces. The soldiers on the other wing quickly rushed in, just like how they were trained in exercise. The gunshots afar began to disappear. The force attacking from the side already controlled the south area of the town. The battle in the east should also be over. Cheng Weiguo tugged at the thick scarf around his neck. His beard covered with ice shards, he breathed out a few white puffs. "Team A attack the town center and control the warehouse. Team B follow the boundary to clear out the area. Team C take control of the captives. Move!" "Yes, Sir!" The synched roar echoed within the communication channel. Cheng Weiguo put the rifle on his arm, looked up at the black dot in the sky, and he saluted. But at this time, the snow beside him suddenly moved as he immediately pointed the gun at the pile. He maintained shooting position as he slowly moved to cover, using his feet to remove the snow. It was a face. The boy feebly looked at him with a bruise printed on his face. Seeing this, Cheng Weiguo quickly kneeled down, used the handle of the gun to sweep the snow off of him, and dragged him out from the snow. "Sa...Save my mom..." Looking at the boy''s face, the feeling of yet to extinct justice made him feel enraged. "Where is she?" He held onto the boy''s hand and said firmly. "There..." The boy faintly pointed at the pile of snow on the side. Cheng Weiguo put him on a concrete bag as he carried the gun and traversed through the snow to the pile. He dug through the snow and found a man. He was slightly shocked, but soon saw the woman below the man. The woman''s body was exposed, her hair messy. Her breathing was faint as if she could lose her life at any second. The man on top of her already lost his breath. The soft lead debris penetrated his body. The shattered glasses was covered in blood. At the moment, Cheng Weiguo didn''t understand the relationship between them, especially when he saw that there was another man under her. Regardless, saving her life was more important. He dragged the already dead man out of the snow. Cheng Weiguo then helped the sandwiched woman up. "It''s all over. Your son is beside you." But in an instant, the woman''s eyes became widened as she stared at something behind him. Suddenly alerted, Cheng Weiguo hugged the woman and rolled onto the ground. Dong-! A steel beam pierced the location he previous stood in as it deeply penetrated into the concrete bag. The blood covered Wang Pin stared at Cheng Weiguo in rage as he leaped towards him roaring. Without hesitation, he raised his gun, and the rifle unleashed its power on the mutated human''s chest as blood began to splatter. But the mutated human did not back down as he took the bullets and pushed Cheng Weiguo onto the ground. "Roar-!" The mutated human clenched onto the reaper assault rifle, attempting to take it from Cheng Weiguo''s hands. Cheng Weiguo tightly clenched his teeth, his face entirely red. Obviously, he was no match for the mutated human''s strength as the gun began to move in the mutated human''s direction. Seeing he could not outmatch the mutated human''s strength, he immediately let go. Because of the sudden jerk, Wang Pin''s body immediately tilted up with the rifle, Grasping onto the opportunity, Cheng Weiguo swiftly grabbed the dagger on his leg and swung it at Wang Pin''s throat. The dagger flashed through as blood began to splash all over the ground. Wang Pin dropped the rifle onto the ground as he covered his throat, pouring out blood. His mouth was open, but he couldn''t say a word. He could only use the blood and his widened eyes to show his disbelief and bitterness. Grabbing the rifle on the ground, Cheng Weiguo, without hesitation, pressed the gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger. There was more blood. Wang Pin''s shoulder loosened as he fell backward, deep into the thick snow. At the same time, the woman''s shoulder began to loosen up too. [Alive...] Kneeled on the ground, she leaned her face against the snow pile beside her. She couldn''t feel the coldness on her face anymore... Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more tonight 180 Colony Chapter 180: Colony Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The battle ended swiftly, completely in contrast with the stalemate they were in when they encountered the mutated humans last time. The 30 infantries, who entered the town, did not suffer any casualties, and only one unlucky guy was shot in the leg by a recalcitrant mutated human. The bullet happened to pass through his artery. Although the blood gushing out was quite frightening, the combat medic was quick to rescue, and the man was no longer in a life-threatening condition. A total of 35 mutated humans were killed including 29 who died from electromagnetic pulse cannon and six of which died from of assault rifle and sniper attacks. Five were captured, and although mutated humans would rarely take the humiliation of being captured by a human lying down, under that overwhelming firepower, instinctive fear prevailed over the ridiculous pride. A total of 721 human captives were rescued. If the bodies outside the town were all dead, the population of the town should be 779 before the mutated humans came. There were bullet holes the size of a bowl throughout the exterior buildings outside of the town, and collapsed concrete buildings could be seen everywhere. Half of which were destroyed by the mutated humans. The Fishbone Base infantry maintained the order of the queue as they recorded all the rescued townspeople and then provide them with the nutrient supply that originally belonged to them. The five Tigers didn''t drive into the city but stopped at the bridgehead of Zhufeng highway. A few soldiers were carrying concrete bags to build five crude bunkers. This move was very intriguing. All the Shenxiang townspeople had one thought hovering in their mind: do these people want to stay here? They had a sense of foreboding. ... Type-51 helicopter landed about a half kilometer away from the town in an open space. Jiang Chen, clad in kinetic skeletons, jumped down from the top. Cheng Weiguo, along with the mayor of the town, greeted Jiang Chen and saluted after seeing him. "Did you finish the census?" Jiang Chen cut to the chase. "It''s done." Cheng Weiguo handed a tablet to Jiang Chen for him to check. Jiang Chen swiped the screen while he perused the statistics. Population: 721, captive mutated humans: 5. Seized: 24 machine guns, 72 various models of rifles, 100 thousand rounds of bullets, 1 shoulder-launched missile, 5 surface-to-air missiles, 5 recoilless cannons, and 40 rounds of ammunition. And there were 40 sets of C-type steel armors, though most of them were destroyed in the explosion. Looking at these batches of firearms, Jiang Chen was secretly stunned. Oh boy, these firearms reserves could catch up with the entire assets of the Fishbone Base! It could be seen that these mutated humans invested a lot in this outpost, but now all of these belonged to Jiang Chen. These firearms would remain here, but he ordered the armors to be shipped back. Although these lumps of irons were of little value to humans, nevertheless it''s still pretty good to reforge them. Fishbone Base could use more C-type steels. With about ten tons of steel, however, modifying them into two armored vehicles wouldn''t be a problem. In addition, there were also hundreds of preserved mutants cadavers which appeared to be the food of mutated humans, since only they could eat something this toxic. However, so as not to waste anything, Jiang Chen still ordered Cheng Weiguo to throw these into the organic extractor to produce some nutrient supplies. With the ratio of one mutant to 100 nutrient supplies, it could easily extract 10,000 nutrient supplies. Including the 30,000 in the storage, he temporarily did not have to worry about the rations of more than 700 people. What excited him most was the construction materials that he seized. The mutated humans left a huge amount of cement and steels in the warehouse which were originally used to build an outpost, but right now, they were in his hands. With these batches of prefabricated construction materials, Jiang Chen could easily stretch out reinforced concrete defensive line along the shore. He returned the tablet to Cheng Weiguo, said a few words, and the latter received the order at once and left. Then Jiang Chen finally turned to look at the mayor, who had been standing there and smiled amiably at him. Seeing that Jiang Chen was looking at him, the mayor quickly bowed, "The honorable Fishbone Base leader, Mr. Jiang Chen, on behalf of all the survivors in Shenxiang town, I would like to express our utmost gratitude and sincerity to you." "Don''t worry about it...Do tell, what''s your name?" "Deng Bin." "Okay, Mr. Deng Bin, I want to go to the town hall now. Do you have time to take me there?" "My pleasure." Deng Bin bowed again. To be honest, as the mayor, their "savior''s" behavior after eliminating the mutated humans made him very uneasy. At the moment, however, they were wielding guns, and the entire military power of the town was wiped out after the onslaught of mutated humans. Not possessing confidence nor knowing what to say, he could only meekly follow Jiang Chen on the side. With hands in his pocket, Jiang Chen looked at the surrounding buildings while walking on the road leading to the town hall. The reek of blood lingered in the nose and did not fade away even after a long time. Along the way, he didn''t say anything which actually made Deng Bin somewhat uncertain. After hesitating for a moment, Deng Bin looked at Jiang Chen and asked tentatively, "In just three days, they already slaughtered more than 60 of us. Truly grateful to youus survivors from Qingpu. If there is anything we can help you with, we''ll do our absolute best." "I''ve already said not to worry about it," Jiang Chen, however, didn''t directly answer. Instead, he only responded in a brief sentence before no longer speaking. While Deng Bin''s heart was still apprehensive, the two had arrived in front of the town hall. To his surprise, the leader of the mysterious organization didn''t seem to have the intention to go in; rather, he just stood in front of the town hall. Did it deserve to be called a government building? It was aesthetically built, and based on the damage, it could be considered the only intact building in the entire town. "Say, was there a person called Lin Chaoen who came to your place before?" Deng Bin was a bit stunned for a moment, as he didn''t expect Jiang Chen would suddenly ask this irrelevant question. Frowning, he tried to recall carefully and answered, "There seems to be someone like that...he came from Jia City." "Did he not say anything to you? Like how the mutated humans would be here?" Jiang Chen asked casually. Looking blankly at Jiang Chen, Deng Binyao shook his head and said, "No, he only stayed in our town for a night before leaving hastily." Hadn''t said anything? [That''s extremely odd. If they desperately wanted to prevent the mutated humans from invading Wanghai City, there is no reason not to alert the people here, so that they can make early preparations. Or at the very least, build some defensive structures.] Jiang Chen slightly knitted his brows as he carefully scrutinized Deng Bin''s eyes. [It doesn''t seem like he''s pretending at all.] "How did you remember him...what I mean is, is there anything special about him that made you take a closer look at him?" "Hehe, there was one. Because the people passing through Zhufeng highway were usually lone travelers from Jia Cty, they come here to dig a few components or microchips from military equipment. These things would sell well anywhere in the mainland. The worst-case scenario is that they would go to Liuding town to buy a few boxes of canned fish to sell when they returned, and then the price could at least double. However, only Lin Chaoen came back empty-handed." "Has he only been here once?" "Yes, he seemed to have taken another route when he went to Wanghai City." Nodding thoughtfully, Jiang Chen became lost in thought. Deng Bin, standing on the side, was trying to figure out the expression on Jiang Chen''s face but couldn''t manage to read the slightest useful information. He couldn''t understand why Jiang Chen would suddenly ask about the lone travelers. Was there any deeper meaning in this? While he was speculating, Jiang Chen spoke again, but this time it was to ask a different question. "Let''s talk about something else. What do you do to earn a living?" More than 700 people were not a small number. It''s not the city center, so there were not enough zombies to provide organic matter that could be used to extract nutrient supply. Although there were quite a number of mutants here, they were usually powerful. If they ever hunted mutants, they didn''t exactly look like a well-equipped group of survivors. "We planted some crops on the farms outside the town to extract nutrient supplies," Deng Bin looked at Jiang Chen in the eyes and said cautiously. The fruit of the mutant plants could not be eaten, but it could be used as an excellent raw material for the extraction of nutrient supplies. Many survivors in Qingpu would also plant such crops on the roof and go to the Sixth Street to exchange for crystals or nutrient supplies. "Oh? What is the degree of soil contamination here? What about the radiation?" Seeing that Jiang Chen seem to be showing no interest in the nutrient supply in the warehouse, Deng Bin felt slightly relieved and muttered, "It seems to be 9...and 20." With regards to this, he didn''t have to lie about it. The two numbers were easy to measure. The radiation value could be measured by EP, and the soil contamination would only require to take a sample and then to drop two drops of reagent. "9? Very good!" Jiang Chen suddenly laughed and then reached out and patted Deng Bin on the shoulder, "From this day onwards, you''ll be in charge of the farm." Deng Bin paused while looking completely dumbfounded. He couldn''t understand the meaning behind his words. "Farm? Me?" Jiang Chen smiled, looked at him and said, "That''s right, who else would it be?" Swallowing his saliva, Deng Bin was still bewildered and asked, "If you want those mutated fruits, we are willing to pay tribute to you" Those things were not worth money at all, and not to mention the price of organic matter was declining. Even with the price two months ago, one ton of fruit could only extract 100 nutrient supplies which could be exchanged for ten crystals. The reaper rifle alone in their hands was worth 20. Thus, they didn''t need to care about this small profit. Jiang Chen raised his hand to interrupt him. "You misunderstood me, we don''t care about those rotten fruits that you planted." It was the truth, Fishbone Base didn''t need nutrient supply. "Then you mean" "Am I still not direct enough? Former mayor, I need you to take care of my farm for me." There were two words Jiang Chen emphasized and they were "former mayor" and "my". Upon hearing this, Deng Bin''s face instantly paled, his eyes widened, "You, you want to occupy our homes, you can''t do" "But we can, the mutated humans are going to cross this river, and I will prevent that from happening, and so we''re here." "But all of them are dead now..." Deng Bin had difficulty speaking. Jiang Chen looked strangely at Deng Bin, he smiled and said: "Are we having a misunderstanding here? You think we are here on a special trip to rescue you? I am sorry to tell you, but we are only fighting against the mutated humans. And this place is only the outpost I captured from them. Moreover, in accordance with the rules of the wasteland, since I saved you, you are all my captives." Deng Bin''s lips trembled and couldn''t utter a single word. His previous thought was they were saved, but in the end, it was just a change of ownership. Seeing that he had no reaction, Jiang Chen could also not care any less. "They will be back. Furthermore, there would be more of them, but I will defend here." Stamping his foot, he pointed towards the ground beneath his foot. "And from now on, this is my colony." 181 As firm as the pyramid Chapter 181: As firm as the pyramid Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The next morning, Fishbone''s flag was raised at the town hall of Shenxiang Town, proclaiming that it had officially become part of the territory of Fishbone Base. Under the supervision of 20 riflemen, more than 200 survivors carrying cement bags and steel bars arrived at Taipu River. They would be under the leadership of 20 engineers that Fishbone dispatched to establish defense facilities on the riverside. Although they were still being forced to engage in manual labor, Jiang Chen''s treatment of them was far better than the mutated humans. Not only did he distribute winter clothes bought from the Sixth Street, but he also didn''t use whip in order to force them to work harder. As long as they were not slacking off, they would not be punished for failing to finish the project on time. During his encounter with Shenxiang Town, Jiang Chen used a completely different strategy compared to winning over the group of survivors in Qingpu area. As a result of being situated outside of the city where the population density was extremely low, the zombies in town were obliterated. After more than ten years of hard work, the town was finally cleared of zombies. It can be said that they lived in comfort these past years compared to those struggling survivors in the metropolis. Thus, their combat ability was also much weaker, and the difficulty of enlisting them was also naturally lesser. For instance, the survivors in Shenxiang town were all hoes-wielding farmers, while the survivors of Qingpu were gun-wielding hunters. For the nomadic "hunters", Jiang Chen adopted a strategy of trading, enticing, and then assimilating. For these "farmers", however, he adopted a straightforward approach in assimilating them in his military force. All the survivors implanted with slavery microchips were directly promoted to the management position, and the construction of infrastructure was handed over to more than 700 newly joined members. So far, this was how the pyramid''s governing structure was established. Jiang Chen merely needed to keep a firm grip on the people on the top layer of the pyramid, and there would naturally be people under him who would take charge on his behalf for the matters in the bottom layer. In order to supervise the construction of the defensive structure, Lu Huasheng personally took along a team to take over the construction. The 200 survivors were split into 20 team, with each team being led by one engineer dispatched from Fishbone Base as they worked round the clock to construct the defensive structure. On the other side, on Shenxiang Town''s eastern part of the wilderness, more than 200 survivors were struggling to develop the barren land. Here, one had to admire Jiang Chen''s foresight to feed the survivors in his own base with "green food". Regardless whether or not it was done out of consideration, it was only now it was showing its merit. If someone consumed this type of thick nutrient supply, one would urinate more frequently, but it would definitely be a long time before one would feel the need to defecate. The survivors, who were busy clearing out the barren lands, were stunned when they saw a vehicle full of dried manure being pulled into the hill on the side of the farm. The mutated crops consumed a high amount of nutrients from the soil, and the fertilizer made out of mutants or zombies would increase the contamination of the soil (toxicity). Thus, they would naturally consider human waste as an option. They usually had to purchase industrial fertilizer from Sixth Street to supplement the fertility of the soil. How valuable was this waste? At first, Jiang Chen hadn''t given it much thought but instead felt the impact of this on health was quite significant. It was not until the survivors of Qingpu offered a contract to clean their base that he began to notice the problem. In this wasteland, human waste seemed to be extremely valuable too? Wanghai City was located in the plains, where mineral deposits were extremely scarce in the surrounding area. Although nitrogen could be obtained through artificial nitrogen fixation technology and potassium could also be extracted from seawater, phosphorus scarcity was much harder to resolve. The cost of extracting phosphorus from a mutant organism or plant was not exactly low, and the main cost of producing fertilizer in the Sixth Street was higher than this phosphorus. Excrement, however, was quite easy to handle. Its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents were very rich and only needed to be mixed into the soil and then sprinkle the seeds. Under Jiang Chen''s direction, the farm''s plot expanded from hundred acres to thousands of acres. If all of it was used to grow Carm tree, it was estimated that it could provide 100 tons of Carm resin per month. In this case, not only would it meet the industrial needs of Fishbone Base, it could also be exported to the Sixth Street. Based on the prevailing price of 150 crystals per ton, the farm would bring Fishbone Base a revenue of 10,000 crystals per month. As for the ration of more than 700 people, provided there were 30 days in a month, two nutrient supplies per day, and if one dose of nutrient cost 0.1 crystal, it would only amount to more than 4,000 crystals. As for those "expensive" provisions, after taking Sun Jiao''s advice into consideration, Jiang Chen decided not supply them to the newly joined survivors for the time being. As for the reason, it was not because he was stingy, but rather it was to reinforce social class structure. Unlike those survivors that were already implanted with microchips and sold themselves to Jiang Chen, if these precious rations were given too casually, it wouldn''t make these "foreigners" feel grateful. On the contrary, it''s likely that they would come to feel that it was too easy, and this might even give birth to disloyalty. When all was said and done, this was the first time they assimilated more than 700 foreign population which was practically more than three times the population of Fishbone Base, and these 700 people also belonged to the same group. If you just want to enslave them to do manual labor, one just needed to fetter their hands and feet with fetters and handcuffs. However, if you want to "digest" them, you must split them apart first. The specifics of implementation were also quite simple. 700 people, first split them into two; first half would remain here, while the rest would be brought back to the Fishbone Base. Those who were brought back would join the factory to engage in manufacturing or enter the new military camp to receive training. At the same time, Jiang Chen announced that every one of them was a slave, and only two nutrients mixtures could be obtained every day. But if someone performed outstandingly in their work, his identity would be upgraded to that of a low-class citizen, and daily ration would be upgraded to two nutrient mixtures, plus a piece of bread. If you work harder and got upgraded to a middle-class citizen, the ration would turn into two nutrient mixtures, in addition to a pack of instant noodles. If they became a high-class citizen, they would be able to enjoy unlimited rations just like those people implanted with microchips and would be allowed to participate in the "communal feeding" in the dining hall. Apart from not being able to join management position, they also enjoyed civil rights that were no different from those who were implanted with chips. Once a disparity in status appeared in their small social circle, they would automatically split apart. Those who got promoted would protect their own interests and naturally stand on Jiang Chen''s side in order to strive further for a higher promotion. If they had the opportunity to climb up, most people would still choose to be content with what they have. In addition to this, in order to distinguish ranks, all survivors implanted with chips would be conferred with a "Knight Emblem" as a means to encourage their contribution to the construction of Fishbone Base. Moreover, the "slavery chip" was officially renamed to "honorary chip". Despite being the same thing and only the name had changed, Jiang Chen could clearly sense the distinctive difference in the posture of those survivors who got promoted to knights after he promulgated his decision. ..... The sense of honor, if used correctly, would be much more useful than those chips. Of course, only under the premise that everyone could fill their belly would someone be able to pursue that illusory honor. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more tonight 182 Birthday Chapter 182: Birthday Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ As for those emblems, those were "copy military goods" that Jiang Chen ordered from wholesale online shopping back from the modern world. The gold-plated appearance looked delicate, workmanship was also fine, and other than the lack of necessary certificates, it was no different than the real ones. Regardless whether it was male or female, both could be honored. On these more than 200 knights, Jiang Chen spent three days of effort to complete the "knighting" process. If high-class citizens wanted to become part of the knight society and enter management, they must have an even more outstanding contribution. For example, meritorious military service or a breakthrough in the technological field, and so on. After going through a busy schedule, the might of pyramid was at long last completed. The production and life in the base returned to the right track, and after the introduction of fresh blood, there was more liveliness in the base. ... Ten days had passed and the colony became stable. Jiang Chen sent Zhao Gang to be in charge of the colony''s defense and moved Cheng Weiguo back to handle the training of the new recruits. The five Tigers and 30 riflemen were left there, and -51 served as a gunship and was transported back. In the same way, Jiang Chen transferred more than 100 newly produced units of hummingbird drones. He also sent some technicians to establish a relay station to control the drones in the local area. These kinds of low-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles have a surprisingly effective scouting and attacking ability. With this batch of drones, it undoubtedly alleviated Fishbone Base''s issue of insufficient strength significantly. The production line of the kinetic skeleton under the leadership of Jiang Lin was also completed. For this, Jiang Chen specifically ordered the construction team to build a factory in the newly developed area that could accommodate hundreds of people. Based on Jiang Lin''s estimate, provided that there were sufficient raw materials to go around, 30 kinetic skeletons monthly production could reach 30 units. After handling everything properly, Jiang Chen suddenly found himself free. You couldn''t help but praise the talent of the Fishbone Base, which practically comprised of almost every trade in the industry. There were some things that he only needed to set the general direction, and his subordinates would already think of the execution plan for him. "By the way, is it almost Yao Yao''s birthday?" While they were eating, Jiang Chen suddenly asked aloud. He remembered Yao Yao had told him last time that her birthday was in November. It''s already mid-November, and he got so busy in the past that he almost forgot. "Eh? Uh..." Yao Yao face instantly turned red. She lowered her head, feeling shy, and said coyly, "Umm, its...it''s not a big deal. If big brother is too busy, then it''s okay if we put it off for a while." "That''s not okay, there is no meaning if the birthday is not on that day!" Jiang Chen said without hesitation as he took a huge bite out of the roasted golden chicken leg. "Eh? O-okay. It''s on November 16, hehe..." Yao Yao charmingly smiled while staring blankly at the bowl of egg soup in her bowl, gently poking the soft pudding with her spoon unconsciously. November 16, so it''s the day after tomorrow? "What present does Yao Yao want?" Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yao''s head as he smiled. Hearing about the present, Lin Lin, who was sitting across Jiang Chen, perked her ears and immediately shifted her attention away from her bowl of food, and raised her hand to interrupt. "For your information, my birthday is on May 27, and I want a Hadron Collider" "In your dreams." Jiang Chen glared at her. "Woo" Lin Lin puffed her cheeks as though throwing a tantrum, the pale and gorgeous face was bloated to a dark, red color. But contrary to Jiang Chen''s expectation, she held her tongue this time. [She finally remembers how to act when freeloading?] Jiang Chen ridiculed in his mind. "Hmm, you have a birthday, that''s wonderful." A rare sight where Sun Jiao, who never spoke during meals, looked up, her mouth was drawn into a grimace while looking outside. This feminine appearance was not typical of this bold girl that Jiang Chen couldn''t help but give her a few more looks. "Eh? Sister Sun Jiao doesn''t know your own birthday?" Yao Yao looked at Sun Jiao with a hint of sympathy. From Yao Yao''s perspective, your birthday should be the happiest day of the year. Before the war, whenever it was her birthday, mother and father would treat her like a princess, and took her to eat lots of yummy food... Thinking of her parents, Yao Yao''s eyes could not help but flash a touch of sadness. But when she saw "Big Brother" sitting beside her, a gentle and pure love appeared in her eyes, her tiny hand softly covered the hand on top of her head. "Who would remember that kind of thing?" Muttering, Sun Jiao pursed his lips and stared at the hand on top of Yao Yao''s head with jealousy. But she didnt say anything. Compared to her initial possessiveness, she was starting to learn how to share. This decision was not due to her magnanimity but because when the last time that Jiang Chen came back, she faintly read a trace of fatigue from his eyes. When she tried putting herself in his shoesif she could live in a peaceful environment and become a wealthy girl in a mansion, would she want to come back the world full of chaos? She had already thought of sharing him with Yao Yao for quite some time, but she had not been able to put the idea into motion. Perhaps it was time to push this little girl a bit? With both hands against her chin, she mischievously looked at Lin Lin, who was sitting next to her. To be fair, this girl was also gorgeous. Though she was but a digitalized human, but as a sex robot As though seemingly aware of Sun Jiao''s gaze, Lin Lin blankly raised her head, but when she made eye contact with her, she involuntarily shuddered. This female devil must be thinking of something evil! Lin Lin quickly came to a conclusion, as she subconsciously went into "self-protection" mode, fiercely glaring at Sun Jiao. Her threatening look appeared to be saying: Stop looking at me! However, using deterrent skills against Miss Sun Jiao was undoubtedly a foolish choice, as Sun Jiao just raised her brows and bluntly stared back. The arrogant eyes seemed to say: I''m looking at you, so what are you going to do? Like a startled rabbit, Lin Lin quickly lowered her head as she pouted, feeling wronged. "Um, I wont celebrate my birthday either. If it''s just me, it would feel too devious" After listening to Sun Jiao, Yao Yao sensibly spoke in a quiet voice. Sun Jiao was stunned, a gentle smile appeared on her face, "Its okay, you helped this bad guy so much, its time for him to treat you. Dont worry about it. If he dared to bully you, sister will step up for you!" With that, Sun Jiao even threateningly waved her lovely, little fist. Seeing this, Jiang Chen couldnt help but laugh. What else could make men more excited than a harmonious "harem"? Although this harem''s current size was only one and a half "Any, any request?" Yao Yao flushed as she asked faintly. "Mhmm," Jiang Chen nodded earnestly, rubbing her fluffy hair, "As long as it''s something within my means, I''ll do it." "Um.woo, Ill keep it a secret for now." Yao Yao said shyly, her head was lowered, feeling conflicted. [Which person can keep the gift she receives confidential?] Jiang Chen''s face showed a dumbfounded expression. "Uh, you should at least give me some time to prepare, it would be too late on the day of your birthday." "Prepareright," Yao Yao gently bite her lip as she looked up courageously. With eyes filled with anticipation, she looked at Jiang Chen, "Can, can you lend me a day?" "Lend? If there is something you really want, why don''t I just give it to you?" Jiang Chen asked uncertainly. "Umm, although this is a very tempting proposal, sister Sun Jiao would definitely be unhappy, so Ill just borrow you for a day" She stole a glance at Sun Jiao as Yao Yao said softly. "What, am I such a stingy person?" Sun Jiao said with dissatisfaction. "No, thats not what it is, it''s just that" Yao Yao anxiously waved her hands, and then lowered her head shyly, "I want to borrowum! In short, just accompany me for a day, is that okay?" [Is that it?] Jiang Chen couldn''t help but facepalm. "Of course. That''s it?" "It''s an entire day! You''re not busy, right?" Yao Yao asked quietly. "An entire day? Does that include the night?" Sun Jiao was stunned. "Ahem" Lin Lin suddenly choked on her food. She quickly covered her mouth and reached for the bowl of soup. Yao Yaos face flushed like her blood was about to drip out. Oddly, she didnt rush to offer an explanation, she stared at her knees instead, swinging her pair of smooth and white porcelain-like legs. Jiang Chen was also stunned, he awkwardly scratched his cheek. As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere on the dining table suddenly became "tense". "Ahem, I think, considering your age, some things are just too exciting for Yao Yao, so I think the night should be left to me." Sun Jiao carefully shifted her gaze. "I, I am not young anymore." It was rather rare for Yao Yao not to retreat, but she mustered her courage and retorted, "I''m already three years over 30!" Upon hearing this, Sun Jiao couldn''t help but feel shame. She was definitely not backing down just because she exposed her age. "But you spent more than 20 years in the hibernation chamber, right?" Lin Lin chipped in. "Moreover, if the inhibitor was used before adulthood, you would need another ten more years for you to grow to the maturity 18 years old." "Ten years!" Yao Yao was like a squirrel that had been frightened, but she was still not ready to give up, "But from any perspective, I am already mature." But the legs dangling on the chair didn''t make for convincing argument at all. "Oh? In what way?" Lin Lin persisted, clearly not letting it go. As though abandoning all her humiliation, Yao Yao with two red cheeks, closed her eyes. "I, I already have my period!" she bellowed. The room turned eerily silent for a moment. As though the two consecutive verbal sparring had sapped all her energy away, the small loli wobbly sank into her chair. "Uh, we should discuss the cake." Sun Jiao held her laughter as she averted her gaze. "Yes, indeed, the cake is more important." Jiang Chen was speechless. "I second that." Lin Lin raised her spoon as an agreement. 183 The Seventh Area Chapter 183: The Seventh Area Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ The snow was ferocious. The concrete walls in the ruins were covered by a layer of ice and the dangling steel beams were frozen into crystalline rods. Below, ragged figures strolled. There was an unhealthy color on their faces, and their expressions were frozen numb. The heavy loads on their backs crushed their spine and knees. The person standing on the side was evidently the mutated human supervisor. For slaves of mutated human, the only escape was to be picked at around 30 years of age through pure luck. From there, finish the breeding mission, immerse in the growth vial, and to be "reborn." As for the people who were not so lucky, their fate was usually tragic Since the growth vial and growth solution were limited, not everyone had rights to become a mutated human. Mutated humans also needed to maintain a population of slaves in order to complete the dreadful tasks that none of them wanted to do and at the same time, the mutated humans needed a source of entertainment. Standing at the door of the encampment, Troy grimly watched the frail figures as he turned around to look at the human beside him. Thats right. Beside him, a human stood! Any survivor in Wanghai city who happens to witness this scene would drop their jaws. Based on common sense, there was no possibility of negotiation between a mutated human and a human, let alone for them to stand side by side. This person wore a fur coat and the red ring on his finger was quite distinctive. Anyone with the right knowledge would shockingly discover that the white fur on his collar belonged to the mane of the Bloodthirsty Lion. As the king of dangerous creatures, Bloodthirsty Lions could combat five Death Claws simultaneously. Their sharp teeth were like blades that could easily rip through power armors. But they were rare in the Eastern area as they usually inhabit in the far northwestern plain. Because of their ferocity, they were rarely hunted. Hence, the unique mane gained popularity among collectors. As for the red ring, it was even more incredible. It was a blood crystal. Usually, mutants would form crystals around the nerve center as a highly efficient energy storage device. But blood crystals were unique on its own. Although they were created with the same elements, blood crystals'' energy storage was thousands of times greater. A piece the size of a thumb could be compared to the energy generated from one kilogram of fissile material through nuclear fission. But what was beyond comprehension was that the blood crystals'' existence was stable. Despite peoples attempt, they could not use the energy inside. Not even human - the mutants who generated the blood crystal themselves couldnt utilize the energy inside. Precisely, any mutant who creates these blood crystals would be the failure of the spices. The extraordinary potential and rarity of blood crystals made them a luxurious collector item, especially favored by the nobles in the Northern Alliance Area. By this point, the mans identity couldnt be more obvious. He came from the north, and his status was prestigious. "Mr. Troy, whats the progress for your soldiers?" Bo Yu put his hands in his pocket as he asked the mutated human standing beside him. "The outpost is already established," Troy cracked a smile exposing his fearsome red gum, "Once the last batch of the armored trucks is completed, my team can head out." "Oh? Is that right?" The man in luxurious clothes seemed to be nonchalant to the answer of the mutated human leader as his reply was short. Silence ensued between the two. The mutated human called Troy seemed to be fearful of the power coming out of the man from the Northern Alliance, even though this place was thousands of kilometers away from the Northern Alliance, even though this place was his home base. "Seeing your own people suffer, do you not have any thoughts in your mind?" Troy cracked a smile as he asked disrespectfully. "We are different from monsters, we dont have to possess those extraneous herd mentality." Bo Yu laughed, not bothered at all. Troys eyes narrowed. The fact that they have always viewed highly of themselves meant that they were particularly sensitive to the fact that humans categorize them as mutated creatures. "Sorry, I have a phone call." Bo Yu shrugged as he walked to the side, then he pressed the phone to his earlobe. "Hello?" "Oh This is unfortunate then, okay. Mhmm Keep monitoring their movements. The name is Jiang Chen right? Interesting, I am going to hang up." Troy stared gravely at his position. "Sorry buddy, your outpost seems to be gone." Bo Yu ignored the unfriendliness as he casually strolled beside him. Troy''s throat moved, he didnt overthink it. But the expression on this mans face made him uncertain. Simultaneous, a mutated human ran from the distance. The frightened look on his face, even from afar in the heavy snow, was clearly visible. Troys eyebrows twitched as he looked at Bo Yu on the side. The grin on his face triggered him. But he couldnt be angry right now. "Leader, our force stationed in Shenxiang town-" "Was eliminated?" The mutated human here to report the news hesitated before he immediately lowered his head and continued his report in a tough tone. "Yes." Troy took a deep breath while he tried to calm his ready-to-explode emotion. "Which force did it" "Liuding town Our people saw their helicopter with binoculars. It was the Type-51 transport helicopter equipped with electromagnetic pulse cannon. Their symbol was below the helicopter." "How would Liuding towns people appear here?" Troy was shocked. Although he was skeptical towards this information, he couldnt find an argument against it. Since within the entire area, only Liuding Towns people possessed air units. If Liuding town intervened, his plan would be much more difficult to execute. He thought about this as Troys eyebrows began to tense up. He heard of Liuding Towns force before. The electromagnetic pulse cannon on the aircraft carriers had a maximum range of 500 kilometers under atmospheric condition. It could be fired from the exit of Long River and directly strike Luzhou. Needless to say, his seventh area was right beside Wanghai city. "Ahem, I do have to let you know that it was not Liuding Town''s people who wiped out your outpost." As if he was very familiar with the force distribution within Wanghai city, Bo Yu interrupted. "Oh?" Troy raised his eyebrows. "Liuding Towns people would never install electromagnetic pulse cannon on their helicopter because their electromagnetic cannon could strike any target in Wanghai city freely. Even if you built defensive structures, under the impact of a 100kg bomb, how many seconds would you last" Bo Yu smirked. "Then, you mean...?" "Your information is too outdated. A "glorious leader" was born in Qingpu. Under his call for unity and the temptation for food, the scattered survivors unified and built a base called Fishbone Base on the ruins Also, according to my research, they have a trade relationship with the Zhao Corporation on the Sixth Street. The exact reason is food related," Bo Yu said. "Food?" Troy looked at Bo Yu with not the friendliest look, "Based on what I know, on the entire wasteland, the only place that can produce food is the Northern Alliance Area. Can I interpret that you sponsored that force?" The undeveloped area in the northwestern region was barely scratched during the chaos of the war. Although the soil was barren, fertilizer was a much simpler problem to solve compared to contamination and radiation. If you go further north, you would reach the front-line between PAC and CCCP. That place also lies in shambles like Wanghai city. Therefore, in the entire Hua area, only northwestern region produced edible crops. Bo Yu sighed at the information. "The entire wasteland? By ''entire'', do you mean Wanghai city, or within the PAC borders, or the entire world?" "Is there a point in discussing world geography?" Troy mocked. "Its all about the structure we are in." Bo Yu shrugged, "Being unable to farm is only because the technology is not on par. Our radiation treatment technology is well designed. If it is not, then even if you were given clean soil, you can not grow anything it. At the same time, as long as the technology is available, any corner of the wasteland can easily grow delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. Their food probably comes from an established garden underground. But these are not the key points, only one thing interests me." "Project Garden of Eden?" Troy burst out laughing, "This is quite funny. If that Project Garden of Eden could restore farming, then why do those elites flee into space?" "Because hope afar is far more tempting than dealing with chaos here." Bo Yu smiled as he paused, then he continued, "On space colonization, I maintain the same stance as the dissolved World Alliance Organization." "But those people didnt let the kiss-@ss-you go on the boat." Troy continued to mock. "Why would I need a ticket to go on the boat? As long as I have the technology, I can easily build another colonization ship." Bo Yu laughed out loud as he took out his hands from the pockets and pointed to the sky, "Give me 20 years and Ill rebuild a high technology park. Give me 50 years and Ill take the descendants into space again. What should be abandoned is not us, but rather the soil below us!" "Why dont you learn from us? Evolve then adapt? If you dont try it yourself, you will never know how delicious Death Claws meat is." Bo Yus calm and collected expression flashed a rare glimpse of disgust, but it quickly faded. "Therefore, discussing value proposition is something more boring than ideology. Youll get the improved FEV virus and you will take your species to adapt to the wasteland. But, remember our deal." Bo Yu controlled the security password of the Carman Pharmaceutical, it was him that provided the FEV virus information to the mutated humans. "Of course, Ill lead my people to help you attack ''that place'' within the city center We will find out the location of the Fallout Shelter 005, if it really exists that is." "Dont worry about that anymore. My information has always been reliable. Fallout Shelter 005 is located in Wanghai city," Bo Yu said confidently. Troy glanced at Bo Yu before he looked away towards the direction of the slaves. It used to be an empty plot of land but it was now packed with military supplies. Rifles, machine guns, armors, armored trucks, even cannons and bombs! Within this shipment, some belonged to the mutated humans, but the majority was from the man called Bo Yu. With a common interest, even mutated humans and humans could stand side by side. "We must go into the city center Looks like we will need to start our journey in the winter." Fixated on the snow in the distance, Troy said in an undertone. 184 Who should I bring home for New Year Chapter 184: Who should I bring home for New Year Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ Although it was Yao Yaos birthday, Sun Jiao and Lin Lin all rushed to list their requirements for the birthday cake. Chocolate. Mango. Those were definitely what they wanted to eat. Instead, the protagonist of the birthday C Yao Yao, feebly expressed that any flavored cake was fine, as long as brother Jiang Chen likes it. [AhhYao Yao is the cutest.] Jiang Chen shouted in his mind. ... Therefore, Jiang Chen specifically made a trip back to the modern world. "You are back." Ayesha happened to pass by just in time to see Jiang Chen come out of the door, she tilted her head and asked. Before, he would stay for a long time before making a trip back, but now it seemed to be much more frequent. Last time it was five days ago. He came to buy emblems? "I came back to buy something. Oh, do you want to head out with me?" Jiang Chen suggested out of the blue. He knew nothing about cakes. In his memory, he hasn''t celebrated a birthday in a long time. It would be better to have a girls opinion. "Mhmm." She didnt ask what he wanted to buy as she gently nodded. Ayesha changed into a Gothic-style skirt, white stockings, and black platform shoes. She held onto Jiang Chens hand as they left the house. Because she was usually very shy about being intimate in public, her unwillingness to let go and her blushed face was particularly cute. They bought this set of clothes in Kane last time. Jiang Chen opened the garage door as he sat in the front passenger seat. Ayesha sat in the driver position. Her driving skill was acquired from the virtual reality training system. As to the driver license... is anything difficult to obtain if money is involved? "Where are we going?" "Shimao Mall." Jiang Chen gave it a thought, but the only place he could think of that was prosperous was the shopping mall in the city center. "Mhmm." Ayesha softly combed her brown hair to the side of her face, she smiled tenderly while starting the car. Although it was the same Wanghai city, in the midst of November, the sun here was much more graceful here with only a hint of chillness mixed in the air. It was fair to expect that in the modern world, Wanghai city would have a warm winter. Jiang Chen watched the scenes on the streets fading away in the window. For some reason, he began to feel melancholic. Who would have thought, in another dimension, the same place one hundred years later, would become a place filled with zombies? But all these things were too distant. Jiang Chen was amazed by the beauty of Ayesha as she drove. He couldnt resist and snapped a photo of her. Sensing Jiang Chens action, Ayeshas gorgeous eyes lit up. "Does it look good?" She asked, her eyes still maintained focus on the road. But Jiang Chen felt like all her attention was on his phone. "Of course." Jiang Chen smiled. After receiving a positive response, the tips of Ayeshas mouth curved up joyfully. "But it would be better if it was bigger." Jiang Chen stared at the photo for a while before he suddenly let out a sigh and muttered to himself. Although he toned down his voice, this sentence still didnt escape Ayeshas ear. Instantly, the graceful hand clenched tighter onto the steering wheel. "Eh, is, is it my breast? I have been eating papaya and drinking milk, but it still is a process" Ayesha said while her eyes looked listless. "No, not that." Seeing the car that just skidded by them, Jiang Chen sweated profusely as he rushed to comfort her, "Its age, age!" "Eh?" Surprised by Jiang Chens explanation, Ayesha asked, confused, but her emotional soothed down while the car returned to the normal track. "Umm, how should I explain this? We have a holiday, or tradition, in Hua All in all, I have to take a girlfriend back by February 8th of next year to see my parents." Embarrassed, Jiang Chen explained. It was hard to imagine that the renowned Future Technology president did not have a girlfriend to bring home for the New Year. Jiang Chen had kept in contact with the family. Since he was rich, he wished for his parents to live a better life. To prevent the two elders from not sleeping well, after deliberate consideration, Jiang Chen decided not to reveal that he became the president of a billion dollar company. He only said that he made a decent amount of money doing business and planned to explain the whole situation to them when he returned for New Year. At the end of every month, he would send half a million to the card that his dad previously used to send his allowance. In the beginning, his dad did not accept it. He stubbornly sent it back until Jiang Chen finally announced that he already bought a house in Wanghai City, and that he was rich enough to not worry about money anymore. The stubborn father finally reluctantly accepted the money. Every parent wishes their children would live a good life. In their eyes, half a million was an astronomical number already. Their entire life saving was only this amount. They were already satisfied that Jiang Chen could support himself in a completely foreign city. They wouldnt spend that much money anyways after they retire, plus they could take their retirement fund to live the rest of their lives without worry. That half a million was saved so their son could get a house. The thought of receiving money from their son never even crossed their mind. The one thing they did think of, was when they would have grandchildren. Now that the house is there, what about the wife? Under his parents'' persistence, Jiang Chen awkwardly indicated he didnt have anyone yet. Since the generation gap was there, he did not dare to tell his parents that, "your son does not have a wife, but has a mistress." It would be better if Ayesha was a bit older. If that was the case, then taking her home for New Year would not only satisfy his parents'' thought of having grandchildren, it would also satisfy their vanity. In a small town of Huchen, marring a foreigner was a glorious act. Nurtured by the nutrient solution, Ayeshas skin was as smooth as a porcelain doll. To Jiang Chen, it was a great thing, but the "disadvantage" was that she looked too young. Especially with Ayeshas Lolita appearance No matter which perspective he took, bringing a loli home was a terrible idea. "New Year right?" Hearing that her husband did not mind her size, Ayesha was relieved. She gently smiled, "If you dont mind, I can be your girlfriend and go home with you." To Jiang Chens surprise, Ayesha knew Han New Year already. But when he gave a thought, it made sense as she already comprehended the language Han, and thus, there was no reason not to know the traditions. Just like when he learned English, he learned of Christmas. "Why would I mind? But the problem is not that." Jiang Chen was exasperated, "Within Hua, the legal age for marriage is 20. Although it could be worked around with money, my parents are the stubborn type, therefore Therefore it is complicated." Ayesha tilted her tiny head, she was born in Syria so naturally, she didnt understand the laws here. In her hometown, it was not uncommon for girls 12 or 13 years of age to be married. In her head, she thought she was marrying late. The topic didnt continue. The car quickly arrived that the Shimao building. When they finished parking, Jiang Chen held onto Ayeshas hand and walked into the Christine cake store. In his memory, this should be most famous cake store in the area. As to the price, he didnt really care. But just as he pushed open the glass door, Jiang Chen was shocked by what he saw. ... Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Let''s get to chapter 200 by month end! 185 The Gloom of War Chapter 185: The Gloom of War Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ "Welcome-" Fang Yuanyuan raised her head, but in the middle of the sentence, she froze. Jiang Chen stiffened as he stood before the door. A peculiar expression appeared on his face. He didnt expect to meet this woman coincidentally again. Ayesha tilted her head as she stared at Jiang Chen and then the receptionist. She seemed to have understood the situation. She gently pulled Jiang Chens hand as she whispered, "Should we go to another store?" "There is no need." Jiang Chen smiled as he squeezed her hand. Although he disliked this person, his dislike was not to the point where he would avoid her on purpose. When Jiang Chen walked towards her direction, Fang Yunyuan lowered her head. "Hello, what would you like?" Her voice was unnatural. Jiang Chen noticed that her fingers were slightly trembling. [She must be afraid.] "Cake, with chocolate, and mango Umm, just give me the menu." He let out a sigh as he didnt want to bully her. Instead, he responded with certainty. Jiang Chen took over the menu from her hand and they began to pick. Seeing the girl beside Jiang Chen, Fang Yuanyuan felt teary for some reason. The door was suddenly pushed open and a man in plain clothes walked in with a delicate lunchbox. "Yuanyuan, are you hungry?" The mans forehead had a scar, but his smile was bright as he flashed his white teeth. Fang Yuanyuans cheeks turned red as she nodded and quietly took over the lunchbox from his hand. "Mhmm, thanks, but I am still working" "Ill leave you to it then, I have to go back to work too, see you later." Jiang Chen, with the corner of his eye, examined them, intrigued. The mans face had a joyful smile as he energetically stepped out of the room. "This cake should be good." Ayesha pointed at a chocolate cake that was decorated with fruits. "This one it is." Jiang Chen refocused on the menu. He gladly accepted her recommendation. These high-class cake stores usually offer delivery services. Jiang Chen took the receipt from Fang Yuanyuans hand and asked out of curiosity, "your boyfriend?" Fang Yuanyuan''s looked away with complications in her eyes, she nodded. "Mhmm." "Does he know your past?" Jiang Chen smiled. "No." Fang Yuanyuan bit her lips as she said quietly. "Do you regret it?" Fang Yuanyuan didnt respond. Instead, she looked at him, pleading with her eyes. "Please dont tell him? I know you hate me, but Little Cong is a good guy, I dont want him-" Jiang Chen raised his hand to interrupt her as he smiled. "First, there is no need to talk about hate. Second, I have no interest in creating problems for other people. I am only curious Whatever, I already know the answer." Seeing the chef hat on Fang Yuanyuans head, as well as the simple makeup, the answer was already clear to him. When Jiang Chen left with the girl''s hand in his, the look on Fang Yuanyuan''s face turned perplexed. She had a fantasy of marrying rich and live the life of a female protagonist like the ones in TV drama. She almost achieved this dream when she was a real estate salesperson. A boss proposed to her, but she chose to wait, thinking that her beauty could do better than him and gain more of a material enjoyment Without her realizing it, she slowly turned from a bi*th to a sl*t. In the end, what is the difference between what she did and prostitution? When did she realize this? Perhaps it was that one night, when she was thrown out of Hongyi Private Club like a tool. The mockery sight of ten thousand bills thrown at her woke her up as if cold water was poured onto her head. She felt like she was being shooed away like a homeless person. It was late into the night and she didnt have her phone. She waited for a while at the side of the road but didn''t manage to get a taxi. In the end, she could only drag her wry body and disheveled clothes as she numbly walked back to her rented apartment. On her way home, she encountered two drunk perverts who mistook her for a prostitute. They tried to violate her and she desperately fought back. However, the more she struggled, the more it excited them. Just as she was about to lose hope, he appeared. He was not tall nor did he look that strong, but he still bravely stood in front of her. She was shocked at the fact that there would be a fool in this world who was willing to stand up for her - for a filthy woman. But he couldnt beat the two perverts. He was only able to guard a few moves before the beer bottle exploded on his forehead. Blood began to pour, the brave "fool" didnt even flinch before he collapsed on the ground. Perhaps awakened by the bloody scene, the two people immediately turned sober. Because they were afraid of accidentally killing someone, they fled the scene. Seeing the man on the ground, as well as the glass shards and blood, Fang Yuanyuan was stunned. "Rationality" told her the most convenient action was to not say a word and run, pretending nothing happened, and leave the "fool" here. But to her own surprise, she didnt trust the "rationality" that supported her throughout her life. Without thinking much, she knelt down, picked up a glass shard, ripped off a piece of her two thousand dollar dress, and bandaged up his head. The terrifying blood made her tremble uncontrollably. On the street that was void of life, she shouted, yelled, but the cars passed by all accelerated and left. No one was willing and no one dared to stop the car to help them. It was already midnight, the rural area was not the safest place. A man whose face was full of blood was lying on the ground. If they stopped and gave them a ride, the man might die in their own car. There might be a lawsuit and then a payout a settlement. If they were terribly unlucky, they might even have to go to prison. In this apathetic society, the cost of sympathy was too high. Especially if there was still work the next day. Luckily, the world still has kind strangers. A pickup truck eventually stopped. The driver of the truck carried the barely-breathing man onto the car and rushed them to the nearest hospital. After going into the emergency room for hours, the "fool" lived. She didnt know why. The "her" who has always loved money didnt hesitate when she used the "reward" from Zhou Zihao to pay the medical bill. She also stayed with him until he woke up. His name was Wang Cong. His ordinary name with the white t-shirt that he wore made him look even more dowdy. He only left university this year, a programmer in an IT company. When Fang Yuanyuan asked why he stood up for her, he blushed and looked away. "I didnt think too much, when I saw you walking alone outside being bothered by two obviously rude people. I did what I did with a hot head." "Did you even consider the possible that you could have died?" Wang Cong looked at her blankly as he forced a smile, "I probably wouldnt have died. Murder is too big of a crime in today''s society." One of her nerves malfunctioned as Fang Yunayuan asked unreasonably, "If you knew you were going to die, would you still have helped me?" He kept his silence for a while. Wang Cong scratched the back of his head as he smiled humbly. "YeahI cant watch a good girl being ruined." That night, she wore a white colored dress. Good girl? When Fang Yuanyuan heard the word, she teared up for some reason. She cried and she regretted. Afterwards, she handed in her resignation at the real estate company and found the work she has now. Then, they decided to be together. He didnt have a house, nor did he have a six-figure saving''s account. That night, Wang Cong proposed to her. She accepted it. As for money, it was no longer important. ... When he left the cake store, Jiang Chen suddenly started laughing. Ayesha turned to look at him, puzzled. "Did something good happened?" "No, I wouldnt say it is good, I just think it is interesting." Jiang Chen put his hand on Ayeshas head as he gently rubbed it. "Interesting?" "Mhmm, an old friend of mine received the finale meant for her." "Finale?" Ayesha, deep in thought, put up her finger against her bottom lip, "What would be considered the finale for someone?" To Ayeshas question, Jiang Chen paused, but then a smiled quickly emerged. "Its hard to say, but from a bystanders perspective, if there is nothing to expect for the rest of the story, then that should be the finale." Ayesha half-understandingly nodded. ... Apocalypse. On the bank of Taifu river. The feather-like snow blew in the sky, a thin layer of ice covered the river, the bridge across the river was blown apart, and a layer of whiteness covered the bank across the river. On top of the snow, there were a few indistinguishable black dots. "What are those mutated humans doing?" Hiding inside the snowed hidden fortress, Zhang Lin held the digital binocular as he focused across the river bank with his eyebrows twisted together. Zhao Gang, who stood on the side, was silent, but gloom covered his face. They previously thought that the mutated humans with wiped outposts and lost supplies would be more obedient. They thought that they would have the luxury of waiting until the next spring to plan. But it looks like they want to fight. Based on the information obtained from the drones, there were at least two hundred mutated humans stationed across the river bank. Large quantities of construction supplies were transported to the empty land and built into a small supply station. The snow removing vehicle and slaves somehow managed to clear out a road on the tens of kilometers of highway covered in snow. The armored trucks listed in formations as the daunting anti-air machine guns and the menacing cannons lined up to create an iron forest. "What should we do?" Zhang Lin looked at Zhao Gang on the side. Zhao Gang took a deep breath and he said calmly. "Report to the base, if there are 500 more people here, we probably cant defend" The river was the slowest here. Once it entered ice season, the river would be frozen firmly. Even the mutated human with steel armors could easily run on the ice. Once the mutated humans with number advantage start to charge, Fishbone Base could not defend the river with only five Tigers. Once they captured the river bank, repair the blown up bridge, their armored force would cross the Taifu River and into Qingpu area. Gazing upon the snowy hill in the distance, Zhao Gangs eyebrows furrowed together. A hard battle was imminent. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Two today. 186 The Declaration of War Chapter 186: The Declaration of War Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Inside Sixth Streets towering walls. It was the most prosperous place on the wasteland, a city that never slept built among the ruins. In the heart of this bustling place, stood a magnificent dome building. Its structure was similar to Houses of Parliament, symbolizing the unity flag fluttering above. It represented power, the brain of the entire Sixth Street. Within the council chamber of the building, the Council of Ten members gathered around the round table. Sixth Street was on doing fairly well for a while now, however, what was surprising was that the dignitaries sitting here had no smile on their faces. As the president of Zhao Corporation, Zhao Chenwu was obviously among them. Sitting across him was his competitor, the boss in the giant firearm company, Feng De. Usually, they would mock each other as part of their routine every time they meet, but this time both of them had gloom all over their face with both keeping their silence. Sitting on the seat pointing at the door was an old man with rectangular face and white sideburns, he coughed and broke the silent atmosphere at the table. Although the Council of Ten had an equal status, on the wasteland ruled by the powerful, the right to speak was naturally proportional to the strength. Cao Jinsong, the president of Crimson Chamber of Commerce, had a force that was not limited to the Sixth Street, and his mercenaries base stretched as far as Su City. He controlled 60% of the genetic vaccine of the pharmaceutical market share in Sixth Street, and although he did not take part of the firearm dealings, his private force was the strongest in the Sixth Street. "Prowler" tanks equipped with a particle cannon and outfitted with heavy physical armor and particle shield. The tank possessed attack, defense, and mobility, making it perhaps the strongest land unit in the wasteland. And he had five of these tanks. "Everyones time is precious. I suppose we didn''t gather here to just stare in the air, isn''t that right?" Spreading out his hands, Cao Jinsong spoke without preamble. "Thats true. Then shall we start the meeting?" Zhao Chenwu crossed his fingers, his elbow resting on the table. "I second that." "Thats right, I still have an engagement after this, so lets get this over with." "" Quietly waiting for the sound to subside, Cao Jinsong pressed his hand on the conference table and uttered, "Although everyone should have already seen this, I will play it again." Dark blue particles began to levitate in the center of the table as a holographic image formed in the middle which converged into a half body portrait. "Hello everyone from Wanghai City." The man clad in military uniforms seemed arrogant. "After seeing this image, our people would already be on their way. "We all agreed that you''re sitting on the treasures from your predecessors, but you dont think of improving yourself. You sit on a huge amount of treasures, but you settle for status quo and enjoy a lavish life. We cant wait any longer, I think we need to have a good chat. "Of course, this doesnt mean I''m here to negotiate with you. "Thats right, this is a declaration of war. "Northern Alliance District, General Wang Beihai. Signing off." The image disappeared. There was a frightening silence around the table. Zhao Chenwu took a deep breath, stretched his hand to gently fix his collar, and looked anxiously at his colleagues around him. Anger, alarm, disdain, and timidness. Sitting across him was his nemesis, Feng De, who used a tissue to wipe the sweat off his forehead while anxiously adjusting his sitting position. But Cao Jinsong''s look was rather calm as there was not much of a change in his expression. "They''re crazy! They are just a bunch of lunatics. These...Northern Alliance District? If I remember correctly, that place is 1,500 kilometers away from here! Do they think they can fly all the way here? Or are they saying they could slaughter their way through half of Hua''s zombies?" A tall middle-aged man roared with disdain. "Furthermore, it''s a winter expedition, To procure winter supplies for a 1,500-kilometer trek, don''t those people need to eat?" "They sure are that confident to win, eh? Do they really think no one is here in Sixth Street?" "" Cao Jinsong silently looked at the council members around the table as his index finger rhythmically tapped on the table. "Winder expeditionwhy must it be in winter? In our eyes, it is indeed a foolish move, but why do they insist on doing this?" Taking a deep breath, Zhao Chenwu stated. Cao Jinsong gave him a startled look and nodded his head slightly. Upon hearing someone pointed out this question, the previously volatile council members began to calm down. They got confused by the arrogance of that general, however, now that they had given it some thought, something was definitely amiss. "According to the information my people had gathered in Luzhou, the Northern Alliance District indeed appeared there. They are currently building an outpost in Luzhou rural area with a large number of people." Cao Jinsong drawled. "Luzhou? Could it be" The council member''s expression sitting next to Cao Jinsong suddenly shifted. Thats right, they used the underground highway." Cao Jinsong nodded. "That thing was already broken. How could they use that?" Someone asked derisively. Highway, railway, magnetic levitation, and other transportation infrastructures were all targeted during the war. The underground highway was no exception. NATOs satellite weapons deployed 57 pressure bombs that blasted the underground highway into several sections, which was used by PAC to transport military supplies during the war. "Be that as it may, the underground passage between the Northwestern area to Luzhou has been repaired, so this might be the only explanation as to how their people could appear here." After hearing Cao Jinsong''s words, everyone became silent once again. Seeing no one was talking, Cao Jinsong paused and continued: "Since this is a declaration of war, then war has become a foregone conclusion. For their arrogance and foolishness, we will naturally respond with guns, this is without a doubt. But there are still a lot of confusing things herearen''t you a little bit curious? What prompted them to make a reckless decision to declare war during winter from 1,500 kilometers away?" "He mentioned about the treasure, but the question is: what treasures is he talking about? We''ve been living here for so many years, and we havent found anything yet. How could there be goddamn treasures here?" A man with a beer belly couldn''t help but swear. "Winter expedition to avoid mutants, and since they''re using the underground passage, they naturally dont need to concern themselves with the mutants along the way. Then there is only one possibilitytheir destination could only be reached in the winter," Zhao Chenwu said with a firm tone. Cao Jinsong nodded with approval and looked at all the council members present. "I share the same thought as council member Zhao. If there is any place we have yet to set our foot on, it should be none other than the downtown." 187 Sword of Damocles Chapter 187: Sword of Damocles Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ Before the war, Wanghai city was a major metropolitan in the world. It possessed the biggest technology park within PAC as well as a countless research facilities. Because of this, after the war erupted, Wanghai city immediately became the focal point between PAC and NATO in the east coast battle. It was the obvious destination for nuclear and biological weapon attacks. Damage was especially brutal within the city center where it was blown into a scorched piece of land, where only extreme mutants or already dead zombies could survive. On this piece of wasteland, the city center became the synonym for danger. Even the strongest hunting teams had not stepped into this forbidden territory. The countless number of zombies, the nest of zombie eaters, the unimaginably powerful mutants The risk and reward tradeoff of exploring the zombies dominated area was not justified by any means. As to when the city center would be relatively safer, it was during winter. In the winter, most of the mutants would go into hibernation, thus, the only trouble that remained was the zombie. But despite this "City center? Other than nuclear craters and scrap metals, what else is there?" A council member with a square frame glasses scorned at the thought. "Perhaps there is a lethal weapon left by the preceding government? Or perhaps a USB containing mysterious codes? Regardless what there is, our neighbor is clearly interested. We have enough evidence to believe that they have strong reasons for putting their nose up our business from thousands of miles away," Cao Jinsong smiled. "If they just want to go into the city center, why dont they negotiate with us?" Zhao Chenwu frowned as he said in an undertone, "We dont have to fight, we could work together. For example, providing supplies for their army for a commission amount" "What do you think the Northern Alliance District is? A hunting team stationed at our place? Provide supplies? They could just raid us. They are not merchants, they are bandits under a military government." A council member mocked. "Disregarding whether if they could beat us or not. Even if they win, would they have enough force left to enter the city center? I agree with Councilmember Zhaos perspective, their action is unusual. Perhaps there is some hidden truth we dont know about." A sophisticated-looking council member added. "It''s because of arrogance." Feng De sneered. "But arrogance has nothing to do with intelligence. They choose to start a war knowing cooperation would be the best choice, unless-" "Unless that treasure is tempting enough," Cao Jinsong opened his mouth, the fingers that were crossed together in front of his face covered his nose. "They believe the value of the treasure, and believe that if we know about the treasure, we would fight for it with all our forces. Even the reputation we built for over 10 years cannot guarantee our honesty." "Then what is that treasure?" someone asked. "I personally lean towards the possibility of it being a weapon," a mysterious smile flashed across Cao Jinsongs face. He then lowered his voice, "If there is a super weapon that could instantly suppress a base or even a city-" "Thats impossible, if a weapon like that really existed, then it must have been a top priority during the war." Someone rebutted. "I agree. Also, how do they know that the city center of Wanghai City really possessed such thing?" As to other council members rebuttal, Cao Jinsong didnt mind as he smiled with collectedness. He took a momentary pause before he continued. "We are all unfortunate people who didnt manage to get into the fallout shelter. I know that you all are no strangers to that war. I am talking about the sky-based weapon that destroyed the Holy Shield - the Gods Cane." When they heard the name Gods Cane, everyone held their breath. That was a long time ago, but even today, after ten something years, they could not forget what happened that day. The dome that covered the sky evaporated under the blue particles, followed by airdrop soldiers that fell like rain. Zhao Chenwu looked at Cao Jinsong in disbelief as he spoke disheartenedly, "Didnt that thing get blasted into pieces? I remember the PAC special force captured it and NATO initiated self-destruction-" "Based on my super computers data-modeling analysis..." Cao Jinsong took a graphite chip from his pocket and waved it in between his fingers before he put it on the table. The hologram image displayed again, the web-like structure simulated the earth, as well as the sky-based weapon hovering on top C Gods Cane. "259 kilograms of TNTs self-destruction, the weapon parts would fall in the middle of Wanghai city." The web-weaved Gods Cane turned red as it drew a trajectory and pointed at the location on earth in Wanghai city. "If they acquired the parts of Gods Cane, repaired it, and fired it into space again, it will become the sword of Damocles (1) that hangs above all of us. It will become our eternal nightmare." Followed by his last words, the hologram image disappeared, and the atmosphere around the conference table turned cold. Everyones expression took a turn. Other than fear and anger, it also carried a hint of greed. "What do they want to do"Zhao Chenwu squeezed those words out. "Conquer, or enslave." Cao Jinsongs finger gently tapped on the table, "They want to continue their dictatorship outside of the Northwestern area. Other than this, I cant think of any other reasons." "Resistance is necessary. The freedoms spirit will not bend for dictators, that is without a doubt. There are only two choices in front of us." "First, before they come to Wanghai City, explore the city center by ourselves. If there really is a super weapon, we can use it against them." "Second, protect our treasure and fight our invaders until the last drop of blood." "Then, by tradition, lets vote." Cao Jinsong smiled mischievously as he pressed the vote button. .... The final vote resulted in an absolute landslide victory of 2:8 to the second option C fight against the invaders. Even during winter, it was risky to explore the city center. They might end up paying a price for this if they do not find the weapon, or if the treasure was not a weapon to begin with. Even if was is a weapon, it could not be used in a short period of time because of the need for repair. This would indubitably increase the variables in the war. Most of the people chose the safer option. To first eliminate the external threat before exploring the treasure within the ruins. After the meeting, the council members began to depart. When Zhao Chenwu walked out of the chamber, Zhao Chenwus eyebrows furrowed. Su Lei, who was waiting at the door, saw her boss leave. She immediately greeted him. "Is there any problem?" As the right and left hands of the boss, Su Lei asked. "No problem, I just think something is not right." Zhao Chenwu said in an undertone. "About our business?" "No Hopefully it is just my illusion." Seeing his colleagues leave in brisk steps, for some reason, uneasiness began to sprout in his mind. (1) The famed "sword of Damocles" dates back to an ancient moral parable popularized by the Roman philosopher Cicero in his 45 B.C. book "Tusculan Disputations." Ciceros version of the tale centers on Dionysius II, a tyrannical king who once ruled over the Sicilian city of Syracuse during the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. Though rich and powerful, Dionysius was supremely unhappy. His iron-fisted rule had made him many enemies, and he was tormented by fears of assassinationso much so that he slept in a bedchamber surrounded by a moat and only trusted his daughters to shave his beard with a razor. (Courtesy: History.com) 188 A Victory belonged to the Small Animal Chapter 188: A Victory belonged to the Small Animal Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ "Happy birthday to you~" The melody of the birthday song harmonized perfectly with the clapping hands as the song echoed throughout the old mansion. It was already night and there was no light on. The room was dark. Only 16 candles illuminated and lit up the blushed face. Bang! Colorful confetti exploded alongisde three genuine wishes. "Happy birthday!" "ThaThank you." Yao Yaos eyes were decorated with mists of excitement. Her tiny hands clenched onto the tip of her dress, and she bowed deeply to express her appreciation. It has been many years since she was this happy. But before she could finish, an unharmonious voice interrupted the touching atmosphere. "Oh my! Cake, mango, gulp." Lin Lin chuckled moonly at the cake as her fists clenched on the fork. "You are drooling! Fool." Sun Jiao grabbed her by the collar as she lifted back Lin Lin, who was approaching the cake. At the same time, she gave her a scorned look. "Wooo!" Lin Lin retracted her neck as she pouted her mouth feeling wronged, "Didnt we agree on eating the cake after singing the birthday song?" "We still have to blow out the candle, wait a bit longer." Jiang Chens mood was particularly delightfully today as he gave a rare tender smile to Lin Lin. "If it is only a bit longer." Lin Lin looked away with her face blushed. Under the dim light, no one noticed the red hue on her face. "Go ahead, Yao Yao, you are the star today." Sun Jiao extended her hand with a smile as she put it around Yao Yaos shoulder. "Remember to make a wish." Jiang Chen said. "Mhmm!" The pretty face was red because of excitement. Yao Yaos tiny head nodded fiercely. She approached the candles with excitement as she took a deep breath. "Woosh-" 16 candle flames flared by her breath. Each candle was filled with a young girls wish. From now on, Yao Yao has offically entered her sweet sixteeth. The light turned back on. With a pure white princess dress, soft hair that dangled to her chest, ad white stocking paired with black chauffers, she looked like a girl who just walked out of a fairy tale. "Cut the cake. I want the cake!" Lin Lin couldnt wait any longer, her silver hair swayed, but her one red and one black pupil stared at the pieces of mangos on the cake as she continued to gulp. Sun Jiao lifted the plastic knife as she started to portion the cake. "Is it okay to cut the letters? Or should I avoid the letters." Born in a fallout shelter, it was her first time seeing a cake. She only remembered that she ate something called chocolate before. Just a small piece was sweet enough to melt her. But now, the chocolate was made into a cake the size of a plate. The white vanilla cream and the colorful fruits were just like a piece of art. She didnt want to cut it. "Ahhh! Dont hesitate anymore, my mango!" Lin Lin reached her hand out desperately as she tried to fight for the plastic knife in Sun Jiaos hand. "Rowdy." Sun Jiao obviously would not let Lin Lin succeed so she easily took care of her. Yao Yao, on the other hand, was quieter. Her face blushed as she closely leaned on Jiang Chen. Her cheery-like mouth panted as her chest raised up and down. She looked nervous. As to why she was nervous... that was because of tonight "Are you happy today?" Jiang Chen gently squeezed Yao Yaos hand as he smiled. Seeing the warm smile on his face, Yao Yao shyly stared at the chocolate vanilla cake in front of her and she grinned softly. "I am happy." "Speaking of this, I thought it was your 17th birthday today Do we really need 37 candles?" Jiang Chen suddenly added a smirk to his face. The cute mouth immediately pouted. "Woo Dont be mean to me today." Yao Yao said softly as she gently dragged the tip of his shirt. "Haha, sorry, I cant resist because you are too cute." He caressed Yao Yaos longhair. Seeing the slightly narrowed and loving eyes and the lightly shaking eyelashes, a joyful smile appeared on Jiang Chens face. The feeling of home was probably similar to this. "Speaking of this, what did you wish for?" Hearing this, Yao Yaos face turned red as her eyes quickly glanced at him before moving away. "It would not be a wish if I say it out loud, its a secret" She said quietly. She certainly minded. Just as Jiang Chen was about to tease the small loli more, a light door-knock transmitted from the living room. Sun Jiao looked at Jiang Chen to ask for his opinion, Jiang Chen shrugged before he walked to the living room and opened the door. Wang Qin stood outside. Her nose turned vibrant red because of the chillness. Her freckled face had some ice shards on it. The night on the wasteland was frigid, particularly in the winter. Seeing how her frozen face was written with worry, Jiang Chen turned serious. "Come in first." Wnag Qin nodded sincerely, she ducked under the door and shook the snow off her body. "Do you need a cup of hot water?" Seeing how cold she was, Jiang Chen asked caringly. But she waved her head signaling a "no" and she took a deep breath of the warm air before she looked at Jiang Chen."The mutated humans, they are coming from the Seventh Area and they are setting up camps across from Taifu River. It is rumored thatAwechu!" As she spoke, she suddenly sneezed. Seeing her disjointed look, Jiang Chen sighed as he headed into the kitchen and poured a cup of hot water for her. "Thank you." Wang Qin sat on the sofa and held onto the steamy cup. Signs of bloodflow finally began to show on her face. "Sit down and say it slowly. There is no need to rush. Dont forget any details." Jiang Chen sat across from Wang Qin and said in a stern tone. She nodded before she took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. "This afternoon, Zhao Gang sent information from Shenxiang town" Wang Qin described in detail the movements of mutated humans to Jiang Chen, including the force distribution, the number of equipment detected by the drones, as well as the request for backup from Zhao Gang. Hearing her description, Jiang Chen pondered for a moment. "Whats the production status of Tiger?" "We only produced two new units as of now and the workers are already working around the clock." Wang Qin said, troubled. "What about the drones?" "47 units." "Mhmm, I see." His finger on his chin, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought. Mutated humans were planning to fight until death. They chose to invade during winter even with their outpost taken out.The motive certainly surprised him. Although the Carmen Pharmaceutical Corporation was near the city center, it was not within the vicinity of the city center. From any point of view, it would be a wiser choice to head to the Carmen building when spring came around rather than fighting through the river during the winter. Was there any reason they must fight in the winter? Unless their target was not only the Carmen building but the city center as well? "Tell Zhao Gang that the backup will arrive immediately." Wang Qin nodded, but a troubled look flashed across her face. "New recruit training is still underway. There are only 70 soldiers available to fight in the base. If we send too many people..." She didnt complete the sentence, but the meaning was obvious. If the defense of the base is weak, they might not be able to control the slaves. "Ill take care of the problem, just reply this way." Jiang Chen smiled. Perhaps because his smile was confident, Wang Qins concern immediately vanquished. She nodded with a smile before she left. Seeing Wang Qin leave, Jiang Chen pondered for a long moment and closed the door. He readjusted his mood before he went back to the dining room. "Did something happen?" Sun Jiao seemed to have sensed something. "Nothing." Jiang Chen smiled, signaling her not to worry. But this time, he saw Lin Lin twitching on the chair with vanilla smeared all over her face. His expression changed. The naughty Sun Jiao seemed to have noticed Jiang Chens stare as her face turned red. She looked at the ceiling, raised her proud chest, and pretended that nothing happened. "Dont bully Lin Lin that much." Sun Jiao stuck out her tongue and suddenly grabbed him by the arm. She giggled and inched closer to his ear. "I am full, lets go play games?" [I havent even eaten yet.] Jiang Chen facepalmed in his mind. But the tenderness he felt from his arm made his mind drift elsewhere. "No, not acceptable!" Yao Yao with her ears on high alert immediately jumped on like a squirrel whose tail just got stepped on. She ran over and dragged onto the other hand of Jiang Chen, and looked at Sun Jiao in remorse, "We already agreed that the star today is me" "We already agreed?" Jiang Chen paused as he looked confusedly between Sun Jiao and Yao Yao. "Ahem, uhh, I changed my mind, Ill give him to you tomorrow." Sun Jiao didnt answer Jiang Chens question. Instead, she looked away awkwardly. "Woo-!" Yao Yao bloated her cheeks as the adorable eyebrows immediately raised up, but they soon softened down. "You already ate all the good food, you cant even let the small animal drink some soup?" The saddened voice made Sun Jiaos face look somewhat embarrassed. She didnt say anything. Seeing Sister Sun Jiao had no reaction, Yao Yao didnt give up. She lightly gritted her teeth to give herself the courage as she continued to use the soft voice to persuade her, "If you eat meat every day, you will become sick of it." Sun Jiaos expression was evidently moved. Jiang Chen still looked at the two of them in bewilderment, not understanding why the conversation topic suddenly turned to food. Seeing the words were effective, Yao Yao secretively posed a success gesture with her hands as she built on her success. "The occasional vegetable would be good for your health. Also, if the small animal doesnt taste good, wouldnt it demonstrate the attractiveness of the big dairy cow" Sun Jiao with a blushed face said, Whatwhats big dairy cow." "Uh, what are you guys talking about?" Jiang Chen scratched his face in confusion. Her conflicted eyes moved between Yao Yao and Jiang Chen as her stance wavered. Although she already decided[Wooo! This is annoying!] [But-] [If you eat meat every day, you will become sick of it.] "Ahhh! I dont care anymore, do whatever you want." Sun Jiao said in defeat as she escaped without looking back. Jiang Chen stared at the fleeting Sun Jiao blankly before he looked at Yao Yao, who had a red hue on her face. A troubled smile appeared on his face. "Uh, what just happened?" "Nothing." Yao Yaos head shook furiously as she put her hands behind her back timidly. She smiled tenderly, as she posted a success gesture with her hand behind her back. The victory belonged to the small animal! Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ I know it says 16 candles and 17th birthday. I don''t know but that''s what the author said xD. One more tonight. 189 The Duet of the Assassination at Nigh Chapter 189: The Duet of the Assassination at Night Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ After the shower, Jiang Chen raised his hand to knock on Sun Jiaos door, but there was no reaction in the room. "What''s the matter with this girl today?" With a head full of question marks, Jiang Chen returned to his own room. Although he could go back and sleep in the modern world, he felt that it would weaken his spirit. What''s more, there''s not much of a difference whether he slept here or on the other side. The only difference was the person he''s sleeping with... He turned off the light and laid in bed. Jiang Chen closed his eyes and began to think about the mutated humans. There was a scarcity of soldiers in the base, and the mutated humans didnt play by the book. As for how to resolve the problem, he already had a plan formulating in his mind, it was just the specifics that required more thinking. While his mind drifted off, he began to succumb to drowsiness. But just as he was about to doze off, there was a gentle knock on the door. The corner of his mouth had a touch of smile as he pretended to not hear anything and closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. [This girl is actually sneaking in at night. We''ll see how I''ll teach you a lesson] The door was slightly pushed open, and a faint light pervaded in the room before it quickly faded away. The steps were light as it carried a faint scent of Jasmine, disturbing Jiang Chens heart. The quilt was pulled out of the corner and someone slipped under the sheets. Jiang Chen was smirking and pretending to be oblivious while turning his body before putting his arm around the dainty figure. Wait! Dainty? "Woo," The feeble murmuring had increased. This didn''t seem to be Sun Jiao "Yao Yao?" Jiang Chen asked awkwardly. "Mhmm" Yao Yao quietly replied. Her wet hair exuded a sweet scent of Jasmine, her gossamer of nightgown covered her delicate figure, and the moonlight from the window suffused her flushed face. Her huge, adorable eyes were trembling with apprehension, but there was no sign of retreating. A silent atmosphere lingered between the two. Jiang Chen shifted slightly, wanting to subtly move his hand away, only to realize that Yao Yao was clutching on his cuff. Yao Yao murmured: "I like you." "Mhmm," He opened his mouth to speak, and despite wanting to say a lot of things, he only managed to utter a single word. Seeing Jiang Chen didnt react, Yao Yao gently lowered her eyelids, but soon quickly plucked up her courage and lifted her head. "Could you accompany me for a while to share some secrets?" "Secrets?" "Yes, precisely because we''re under the sheets that we can tell each other secrets," Yao Yao whispered and nodded her head earnestly. "You can talk to me about anything," Jiang Chen smiled at her. Instead of removing his hand from her shoulder, he gently smoothened her hair. Yao Yao guilelessly enjoyed the caress by his big hand as she comfortably closed her adorable, huge eyes and snuggled closer to him. Due to the close proximity to her delicate body, Jiang Chens face was suffused with heat. "That, let''s startfirst, what kind of girl does Big Brother like?" Staring into the crystal clear eyes, Jiang Chen held his breath, forgetting to answer the question. Sensing the mood, a crimson hue crept on Yao Yao''s face. Yao Yao closed her eyes gently. Her eyelashes gently fluttered, drawing her slightly open small mouth nearer to her beloved Big Brother''s lips. Staring at the approaching face, Jiang Chens Adam''s apple bobbed in his throat. Reasons told him that if he didnt stop her in this situation, something bad might happen. [Stop? Why stop?] Temporarily forgetting to think, Jiang Chen leaned closer to Yao Yaos lovely face. A long time ago, he made a decision to follow his thoughts from the bottom of his heart and to stay true to his emotions. Suddenly, a wisp of cold breeze blew past at the back of his neck. Cold air? "Who is it!" Jiang Chen was instantly alerted and immediately got up to look at the window. The window was already open, a shadow was hanging upside down in the window. The long hair swayed in the air, the crystal sandwiched between her two finger reflected an ominous glint under the moonlight. The corners of her mouth were eerily curved. "Yawn," while walking aimlessly around the base, Sun Jiao yawned, behind her back was an SK10 laser rifle. The snow was not as heavy as before, and the combat suit fended off the cold air, so it wasnt too chilly. White mist started to come out of her thick hat as she deliberately looked in the direction of the mansion. It was already the 37th time that she had done it. Thinking of that big, bad guy, he was definitely embracing the adorable Yao Yao at this time was and putting that thing that mustn''t be described in Sun Jiaos face immediately turned red as she stomped her feet in anger. "Stupid loli lover," Sun Jiao cursed out as she shook her head and continued to wander to other places. At that time, she suddenly saw two people. A man and woman were holding hands while walking on the path leading to front of community center. Despite the distance, Sun Jiao still recognized the identity of the woman. Thus, a complicated expression appeared on her face. Zhou Xiaoxia, her former friend. [But she probably couldnt recognize her anymore] Thinking of this, Sun Jiao let out a sigh. She had been living in bliss for quite some time to the point of almost forgetting the cruelty of the wasteland. "I hope you can be happy, my friend." She looked at the two persons from afar, but she didnt get closer. Instead, she turned around and walked to a different direction. "I am so mad at that she-devil," Lin Lin used a towel to dry her silky silver hair while muttering furiously before leaving the bathroom. Water droplets dripped on the floor as she dragged her feet slowly inside the cotton slippers. The cream smeared on her face and hair had been finally rinsed off. She made a relaxing stretch, preparing for a well-deserved sleep tonight. [Then bear her, I will help you.] Tingting seemed to have completely mastered the human language. "Um, its okay. Um, in my opinionyou shouldnt be this violent, since this is my body after all," Lin Lin muttered softly. [Are you not annoyed by her?] Hearing this question, Lin Lin pouted and burried her head under the towel. "To be honest, not really." [Is this the Stockholm Syndrome we are talking about?] Tingting queried curiously. "How is that possible!" Lin Lin exclaimed, infuriated. She punched herself on her left chest, but there was obviously no reaction from Tingting. Rather, it was Lin Lin who got hurt herself. [Then what is it?] Lin Lin''s pale face was beet red as she rubbed her chest, looking away. "Perhaps, it is because we are...friends." It was her first time having this feeling. She had never experienced the feeling of having friends while she was locked inside the digital cage. Although Sun Jiao would occasionally bully her, she had never disliked her. And that included Jiang Chen...no, that person was different. The more Lin Lin thought about it, the redder her pretty face became. The man that rescued her from the virtual world was surprisingly gentle... BOOM! There was a sudden loud noise coming from upstairs which interrupted Lin Lin''s bewildered musings. "What are they doing?" Lin Lin blankly stared at the shaking ceiling as red light began to form in her right eye and migrated to her left eye. "Wait, what are you doing!" Lin Lin gradually lost control of her body as she screamed at the "guest" residing in her body. 190 The Otherworldly Crimson Pupils Chapter 190: The Otherworldly Crimson Pupils Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ Boom! Crystal? Explosion? The bed there had been broken into two pieces. With no time to think, Jiang Chen instinctinvely shielded Yao Yao from being hit. One of his hand surrounded tightly around Yao Yao''s quivering shoulder while he leaned against the half-destroyed bedboard, his other hand took out the PK2000 from the storage dimension. Tatatata! With gritted teeth, Jiang Chen held onto the rifle with his finger on the trigger. Yao Yao covered her ears with her hands as her body shook in his arms. The bullets shattered the window into pieces, but they only managed to break a few strands of the person''s hair. The figure agilely dodged all the bullets and dashed into the room. Bullets chased the quick shadow and left bowl-sized holes in the wall. The figure didn''t seem to be anxious because of the constant firing. Instead, it dashed to the other corner of the room and dragged down the closet along with the wall. Ka. The bullets ran out, Jiang Chen flung the rifle to the ground as he pulled out his pistol. One hand appeared from the shadow and something was thrown out. Jiang Chen''s pupils contracted. With the help of the moonlight, he saw a crystal emitting a dark green sheen. There was no time to dodge. He glanced at Yao Yao with the corner of his eyes. Jiang Chen bit the bullet and decided not to start interdimensional travelling. Rather, he reached for the crystal with his hand. The green sheen lit up the entire room as the scorching temperature almost melted off his skin. Energy withdraw! The unstable energy quickly stabilized as the dark green crystal''s energy instantly entered the void and turned into a transparent colorless glass. "Eh?" The opponent was surprised. Just as Jiang Chen didn''t understand how she could use the crystal as a grenade, she was also confused as to how Jiang Chen could make the crystal energy disappear. But being surprised was one thing, the movement of the figure did not stop the slightest as her hand raised up again. Jiang Chen''s face turned green instantly. It was not one crystal this time, the dark green crystals appeared in the air like raindrops. Even if he had 10 hands, he could not be able to grab all the crystals! The crystals scattered everywhere in the room, in such an enclosed space, there was nowhere to dodge. If he wanted to avoid them, he must use interdimensional travel. But Yao Yao... Instantly, thousands of ideas flashed through Jiang Chen''s mind, but none of them contained the thought of abandoning her. Finally, he gritted his teeth, pushed Yao Yao on the ground as he prepared to take the explosion. Yao Yao''s eyes widened as she looked at her big brother''s action in disbelief with her lips quivering. She used her tender hands to forcefully push him, she knew that if big brother was here by himself, he definitely could avoid the explosion. But Jiang Chen''s didn''t let go, nor did he activate interdimensional travel, he only gritted his teeth. "Although it is quite touching, please go die." A female voice full of mockery came from behind the closet. The crystals with sheen began to fall and the dark green energy violently swarmed the room. It could explode any moment. Beam-! All the sudden, a blood red beam penetrated through the door and scattered the darkness of the room. It passed the broken window and into the distance. Under the interference of the blood red particle beam, all the crystals began to gather around the beam like metal dust encountering a magnet, then all the energy was instantly removed as the crystals shattered into clouds of dust. It was Lin Lin standing at the door!? But the blood red pupils emitted an unsettling strangeness. "This is impossible!" Shouting appeared from behind the fallen closet. "Nothing is impossible." Although surprised by the ability displayed by Lin Lin, right now was obviously not the best time to ask the question. Jiang Chen let Yao Yao go and he quickly leaped toward the side to pick up the rifle. The person hiding behind the cupboard didn''t pause, seeing that the assassination had already failed, she immediately pulled the smoke grenade. "You must be in your dreams if you think you can escape!" The nitrogen shield was instantly activated as the turbid air flow scattered the thick smoke. Jiang Chen carried the rifle to the fallen closet, but he realized that the person was already gone. The window? "Eh? What happened?" The crimison light vanished from Lin Lin''s eyes as she looked bewilderedly at the room in shambles. "Lin Lin, look after Yao Yao." Jiang Chen suppressed the anger in his chest as he took a deep breath. "Eh? But I-" Jiang Chen quickly took out the kinetic skeleton and put it on, and then with one hand pressed to the window, he jumped straight down. Both of his feet stomped on the ground with full force as the shock absorber on his legs erased most of the impact. Although the assassin avoided the patrol of the drones, when she left she still triggered the alarm. The alarm began to ring inside the base as the drone fleet quickly chased after the infiltrated target. Jiang Chen opened his EP as the escaping target had already been locked by the drones, Jiang Chen quickly moved toward the target. Even with snow up to his knees, with the assistance of kinetic skeleton, he still didn''t feel much resistance as he inched closer and closer to the red dot. There was a wire tied on the top of the wall, she must have used this rapport to sneak into the base. With his knees bent, Jiang Chen pushed his feet against the ground as he leaped up and grabbed the edge of the wall with one hand. Jiang Chen somehow managed to jump over the five meters high wall of the base. The snow-covered street was filled with zombies. When they heard the noise, the blank eyes looked in this direction as their lifeless pupils began to turn red. "Rawr-!" With a roar, they dragged their stiff body as the zombies began to surround Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen didn''t back down. Instead, he leaped forward. Under the fully mobilized kinetic skeleton, he smashed toward the zombies like a steam train. The gun barrel smashed through the broken head before the agitated zombies managed to surround him. Jiang Chen quickly dashed through the waves of zombies as he sprang toward an abandoned building outside of the wall. With both feet on the ground, he vaulted up. Hands on the edge of the building, Jiang Chen climbed to the roof, leaving the zombies at the bottom. Without slowing down, he chased after the direction of the assassin. As he jumped between roofs, he was closer and closer to the pitch black figures. The drones had already surrounded her. The flashing flame in the distance was a signal of the drones firing. "You can''t run, surrender now." Jiang Chen pulled the trigger as he shouted. The two exchanging gunshots attracted the zombies on the entire street. But without the ability to climb up to buildings. they could only blindly follow the source of the sound. They had exceeded the attack radius of the Hummingbird drone. "Dammit, what a rat." Jiang Chen furiously stared at the figure dodging while he leaped at the front building. Suddenly, that person stopped, turned around, and a mysterious smile appeared. Jiang Chen was highly alerted by this, but his body was already in motion and he could not react anymore. "Bye-bye." Under the pristine moonlight, he saw the slim-figured woman blowing him a kiss. "Fu*k!" Before his feet touched the roof, flame emerged from the bottom of the building and the roof collapsed under the sound of the explosion. It was explosives. Heavy smokes filled the vicinity as the debris quickly surrounded him. The woman looked at Jiang Chen from a distance. Mockery was all over her face as her silky black hair blew in the northern wind. The black combat suit looked thin, but she did not look chilly at all. "I thought he was an interesting person, but looks like he is just so-so after all." She played with the crystal in her hand and threw to the street on the side. A green sheen flashed as the crystal exploded, the zombies surrounding the shambles were attracted by a new sound source as they confusedly moved to that direction. "With the cost of 127 crystals, this ability for sure burns through money." Mission ended, the black figure started to mutter to herself as she jumped in front of the shambles. Not everyone was rich like Jiang Chen, 100 crystals were an astronomical number for most people. She flung her wrist as the aerodynamic looking laser rifle appeared on her graceful hand. "Is he buried inside now? This is bothersome." She let out a sigh. The battery buzzed as the laser pistol in her hand was already loaded. With a kinetic skeleton, he might not have died, Without confirming the body, this mission could not be considered complete. "As the leader of the force, you chased all by yourself so far out, should I call you courageous or foolish?" She pressed on her EP as she activated the life detection device. The signal wave scanned through the map as she tilted her head. "No signal? Died? Or did he carry a blocking device?" She kicked away a piece of rock as her gun pointed at the shadows among the ruins, she carefully stepped on top of the shambles. It began to snow again. The northern gust covered the already dim moonlight. But all the sudden, the yet-to-shut-down life detection device on her right hand suddenly showed a red dot flashing on the map. She saw this with the corner of her eyes and she suddenly felt a chillness down to her bones. She jotted up her head as a black figure growing bigger and bigger reflected in her contracting pupils. Boom-! With an abrupt jump backward, she barely dodged the thunderous blow. Rocks scattered like bullets has hit the surrounding. The arm she used for blocking stung. The suppressive air flow once again blew away the settled dust, as well as the snow. One person, one hammer. The eyes were filled with rage. If she got any closer, she would have seen the red dot on the pupils. Fury! "This is impossible! How did you -" Her eyes were written with disbelief. She obviously didn''t know of Jiang Chen''s ability to travel through dimensions. Without a reply, Jiang Chen continued to move. The micro-engines in his knees kicked into overdrive. Like a cannon, he dragged the long hammer and dashed at her. She had yet to regain her footing as she could not jump back. Under the crucial situation, the female assassin clenched her teeth and activated the particle shield on her right arm. The faint blue particles dispersed around to form a circular shield with a radius of one meter around her. Jiang Chen sneers as the narrowed pupils locked onto her eyes. The power hammer obtained from the mutated human swung up, with four trails of blue light streams at the end of the hammer, it swung toward the shield in front of her arm like a meteor striking earth. 191 The Dark and Windy Nigh Chapter 191: The Dark and Windy Night Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ The particle shield made out of faint blue particles shattered. The power compressed together was instantly released as the female assassin was blown away like a bomb, colliding against a concrete wall 10 meters away. The sound of fighting drowned the zombies nearby. The frost didn''t numb their legs. Compelled by the lust for flesh, they ran toward the two of them. Under both the kinetic skeleton as well as fury''s strength, the power hammer in which the lead mutated human couldn''t even lift, was put on Jiang Chen''s shield and it was instantly charged again. Without a skip in a beat, like an enraged monster, he swung the hammer. A few dark green crystals flew towards him, Jiang Chen didn''t avoid it. Instead, the nitrogen armor on his right arm blew the green dots away for meters. "This lunatic..."The person frantically lifted her pistol and pressed the trigger. The instant explosive force of laser weapon was perfectly demonstrated in the short distance. The raindrop-like blue beams exploded instantly, outshining the thick snow. Nitrogen armor could not defend against laser bullets, Jiang Chen put up the hammer to shield his head while the plastic armor layered with scattering effect deflected the 10 low-power laser bullets. Although the attack didn''t manage to cause any hindrance to Jiang Chen''s movement, it still forced him to lose his vision on her for a brief second. With this opportunity, the female assassin quickly jumped towards the side and avoided the thunderous blow. Boom-! The concrete wall was smashed into dust as debris flew. "Roar..." The deep roaring sound filled the air. The disturbed zombies crowded them as they lept toward them baring their teeth and claws. The female assassin sensed the dire situation as she swung her left hand with a metal hook. It shot straight to the top of an apartment building. Seeing this, Jiang Chen immediately gave up on the hammer as he pulled out the PK2000 behind his back. He fired following her figure and noise. The snow made shooting challenging. However, due to Fury and the desire for blood, the bullets managed to chase up to her as if they had eyes. There were whimpering sounds in the distance. He could sense that he managed to land at least three shots on her. He swung his gun to smash down a zombie who was leaping towards him. Calmly, Jiang Chen climbed onto the top of the half-destroyed concrete wall as he jumped to the top of the building. Perhaps it was because her legs were hit, the figure became more awkward and disorientated. After leaping through two more buildings, Jiang Chen successfully forced her into the corner. With her back against the wall, the female assassin held onto her bleeding right leg as she stared gravely at the approaching Jiang Chen. "Looks like there is an error in the information I collected. You are not just a foolish playboy." In a mocking voice, the female assassin said. "I don''t know how you obtained that information." Jiang Chen shrugged. Fury was deactivated, as his eyes turned clear again. The landscape near the mansion was relatively flat, there were no tall buildings nor were anything surrounded with high walls. It was nearly impossible to observe the inside of the mansion from outside the base. She could only use the limited amount of information to analyze Jiang Chen''s whereabouts. Jiang Chen was cautious in his mind, this person managed to sneak into the heart of the base, looks like it was necessary to upgrade security, "Your name?" Jiang Chen stopped five meters away from her with a gun pointed at her head. The mask covered her face and her nose, Jiang Chen couldn''t see her expression clearly. "Compared to my name, shouldn''t you by more worried about your own safety?" The female assassin mocked as a victorious smile appeared on her face. "Put down your weapon, or you could lose your hand." He had no knowledge that a giant man was standing 10 meters away with a rifle pointed directly at his arm. The killer''s face carried a malevolent smile. Although the plan was to assassinate, it would be better if they could capture him alive. [Not working alone?] Jiang Chen let out a sigh but he didn''t put down the weapon. Instead, he glanced at the man standing meters away from him. "Watch your back." Jiang Chen said mischievously. The person was suddenly alerted and immediately pressed the trigger. But the bullet didn''t hit anything, because the target disappeared out of thin air! He promptly turned the gun towards his back, but there was nothing behind him either. "Be careful-!" Before he could hear the shout, his consciousness was terminated. Jiang Chen who reappeared at the same place pulled the trigger without hesitation and the bullets penetrated through the back of the assasin''s head. Then, he turned his gun towards the female assassin who was not willing to disclose her name. White blade reflected light directed at him, Jiang Chen abruptly reposted with his rifle. Ding! The dagger cut through the shell of the rifle as the female assassin used this glimpse of opportunity to leap over. Jiang Chen immediately pulled the trigger, but she was already a body distance away from him. She grabbed on to the burning gun and a second dagger appearing out of the other hand. Sparks flashed. Jiang Chen lifted his arm as the kinetic skeleton metal frame attached to the side of his arm shielded against the hit that was aimed straight to his throat. "Go die!" Letting go of the rifle, Jiang Chen removed the dagger slashed into the gun as he stabbed fiercely toward the female assassin''s eyes. "Not so much." The swinging dagger blocked the hit. She threw away the rifle in her hand as another ping-pong ball sized crystal appeared in her hand. The crystal emitted a dark green light as fierce and determination flashed across her face. She squeezed out a few words between her teeth, "let''s die together." [Fu*k, what a psychotic woman.] Cold sweat rolled down his forehead. The continuous use of interdimensional travel consumed almost all the energy there was in the bracelet. [What do I do?!] Bang-! The sound of a gunshot interrupted the fight between the two. The bullet ripped off half of her arm as the hand holding the crystal fell to the ground. "Ahhhh!" The agonizing scream almost penetrated Jiang Chen''s eardrum as the female assassin that lost her arm tumbled to the back. Seeing that the assasin had fled, Jiang Chen kicked the dark green crystal away without stopping. The crystal exploded 10 meters away in mid-air. Light beamed down from the sky and locked onto the female assassin who was struggling to get up. She held onto her broken left arm with an agonized and frightened expression. Her two athletic but slim legs spread out on the concrete floor. Because of all the blood, such gesture did not look attractive at all. With heavy breathing, Jiang Chen threw away the dagger in his hand, he wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead, as he narrowed his eyes to look in the sky. It was the helicopter, Chu Nan. ... Chu Nan was piloting the helicopter. After the alarm rang, he, who was taking a stroll outside, immediately headed towards the helicopter pad. Half-kneeling at the hatch door was Zhou Xiaoxia. She held a sniper rifle in her hands. Her merciless expression was completely contrary to her usual dumbfoundedness. The cross-sight in her field of vision locked onto the head of the female assassin. "No need to shoot, just maintain suppression." Seeing that Jiang Chen was okay, Sun Jiao, who was standing on the side, finally let out a breath of relief as she slowly opened her mouth. When she heard that assassin broke into the mansion and that Jiang Chen and Yao Yao were attacked, her heart almost jumped out of her throat. Especially when she saw the image from the drones that Jiang Chen chased out alone, she almost burst out crying. Of course, it was only an expression, Sun Jiao would obviously not cry. She carried the laser rifle and jumped onto the helicopter. Zhou Xiaoxia didn''t respond, her black hair was disheveled because of turbulence, but the hands that were holding onto the sniper rifle were steady. Sun Jiao looked perplexed from the side of her face and she didn''t say anything. She only signaled Chu Nan to lower the helicopter height in order to take Jiang Chen home. Sun Jiao could imagine the difficulty of sniping on the helicopter, especially with the heavy storm. With only instinct toward the weapon, she achieved this kind of accuracy? Sun Jiao began to reminisce about the past when she was active near Liuding town - the not long period of time when they worked together. "Ahem, commander, maybe you should really "teach" your husband? He is a leader. After all, this type of risky things should be left for us." Chu Nan left out a sigh as he approached the building. He maneuvered the helicopter as he said jokingly, "How should I say this? He is not a bad boss." "Mhmm." Sun Jiao half-heartedly replied. All of her focus was on Jiang Chen. The helicopter hovered beside the roof. Before the helicopter stabilized, Sun Jiao immediately jumped to the roof and hugged Jiang Chen. He held onto the gorgeous figure as he felt her warmth, just as Jiang Chen wanted to say something, his expression turned peculiar. He tenderly patted her on the back as he let her teeth bite into his shoulder. "Is your Han Zodiac a dog?" Jiang Chen gasped for air in exaggeration. With her face slightly red, Sun Jiao was embarrassed, but her hands still clenched tightly onto Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen noticed that her eyes were red. "Sorry for making you worry." Jiang Chen caressed the luscious hair. He looked into the reddened eyes and began to blame himself. He didn''t think too much in the heat of the moment, he only followed because of pure anger. His hasty move probably disrupted the entire base. Feeling the girl in his arms calm down, Jiang Chen turned around holding her hand and looked at the already fainted female assassin. "Let''s see the real face of this rat?" Anger flashed across Sun Jiao''s face as her eyes narrowed. "I agree, for an unwelcomed guest, we must treat her properly." She already had plans as to how to torture this despicable person. [Whip, candle... No, these punishments are too light.] [We will use the cruelest tortures to found out the perpetrator behind this.] With laser rifle in her hand, Sun Jiao walked up as she kicked off the mask on the assassin''s face without mercy. "How is this possible!" Sun Jiao''s pupils immediately contracted as she tumbled back a few steps, her face was full of disbelief. 192 Sisters Chapter 192: Sisters Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ "It has been tuned, but you should be careful when you use it. Since I haven''t made one in a long time, actions with high complexity could cause a program error." After tuning the numbers on the computer, Jiang Lin removed the cords on the mechanical arm and gave it to Jiang Chen. The silica gel feeling was no different than the skin. If the port in the back was not made of metal, it would almost be the same as a woman''s hand. Jiang Chen played with the mechanical hand for a moment and asked casually, "What''s the cost to produce one of these?" "The titanium skeleton is a bit expensive which costs around 31 crystals. The microchip used as processor along with electronic nerve were around 20 crystals in total. To be honest, I recommend purchasing microchips from Liuding town. The chips there are not only cheap, but are also more advanced compared to the Sixth Street. If we use their chips to produce kinetic skeletons, the stats in every category would improve." "Oh? I''ll keep an eye out... Also, did you implant the thing I told you about?" "Already done, this is the control terminal." Jiang Lin put a thumb-sized memory drive in Jiang Chen''s hands. Jiang Chen picked up the memory drive as he directly inserted it into the end of the EP before the screen began to load. "If the user had any malicious intention, the battery would be locked, and it would instantly release power that executes the user... Of course, this power could be adjusted, if you don''t want to kill the user right away." "Mhmm, beautiful... Speaking of this, do you not need to keep an eye on the kinetic skeleton production line?" Jiang Chen stared at the rocket engine in the middle of the room as he asked with an odd expression. "I have already assigned the responsibilities to everyone and put what they needed to do in a handbook. I am only responsible for quality assurance and tuning, as well as ranking their work performance." Jiang Lin pushed the glasses up his nose and he said proudly. The ranking was geared towards the newly joined survivors who are better known as the slaves. For those with outstanding work ethics, they would be promoted to lower citizens. Since it would not interfere with the production, Jiang Chen was too lazy to ridicule him to not stay on task. "Therefore? How long would this thing stay in orbit for?" Jiang Chen let out a sigh. "Uhh, this is not an exploration rocket." Jiang Lin scratched his head. "Not an exploration rocket?" Jiang Chen was confused. "Mhmm, precisely speaking, it''s a missile capable of carrying 1000 kilograms of combat equipment." Bang.. The mechanical arm dropped to the ground. "How many of this can you produce!" Jiang Chen had both of his hands on Jiang Lin''s shoulders as he stared at Jiang Lin passionately. Jiang Lin felt goosebumps all over his back. He took a step back and forced a laugh. "This thing cannot be mass produced. It''s hard to obtain the materials, I can only say I will do my best..." [What the fu*k, 1000 kilograms of load, even if it carried the ancient TNT, it would instantly evaporate half of a street. If it was switched to the concentrated bomb common on wasteland, its power would be comparable to the mid-sized tactical nuke.] "Do your absolute best!" Jiang Chen said sincerely. If he possessed this superweapon, it would without a doubt increase his odd in winning the war against the mutated humans. Jiang Lin took a deep breath and nodded. Jiang Chen picked up the mechanical arm off the ground and headed towards the direction of the mansion. When he entered the basement, he saw the female assassin strapped tightly on top of the operating table, as well as Sun Jia who stood on the side with a perplexed expression. "The DNA results are out." Lin Lin stretched her body after busily working on the control panels for a long time. "What''s the result!" Sun Jiao tightly clenched onto Lin Lin''s shoulders. Because their faces were so close together, Lin Lin''s face turned slightly red and looked away. "She is indeed your younger sister." When she heard the confirmation, Sun Jiao''s shoulder began to slacken. Jiang Chen noticed the perplexed expression on her face, he sighed, walked to her and hugged her around the shoulder. "I''ll spare her-" "No, she almost killed you and Yao Yao." Sun Jiao had determination in her eyes, but it was soon replaced with blankness. On one side laid the only relative she had in the world. On the other side stood the person she loves. "I don''t want to make this difficult for you." "But-" "Leave it to me. Trust me." Jiang Chen stared at her shaking eyes as he said with an assertive tone. With a blushed face, Sun Jiao lowered her head. "Then I''ll leave it to you..." As she finished speaking, Sun Jiao pushed opened the door and left the basement. Although she had thought of the countless of cruel ways to extract information from the assasin, when she realized that the assassin was actually her sister, she was no longer certain. To find her lost sister, she had covered the entire Wanghai city with her footsteps. It was until she finally met Jiang Chen did she temporarily put a pause to the journey of searching for her family. If she stayed here, Jiang Chen must feel restrained because he has to consider her feeling. Sun Jiao, who already knew the meaning of tenderness, didn''t want him to feel conflicted. So she chose to leave. Seeing Sun Jiao''s back, Jiang Chen sighed. "This is problematic." The assassin was the female boss'' sister. Could the plot get any more stereotypical than this? "How about you take her as part of your collection as well, since your prey limit is anyone within 10 years both ways." Lin Lin suggested. The joke was not made at the best time. Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes. Lin Lin frightenedly trembled and lifted her hands to cover her mouth. "How did she make the crystals explode, did you figure it out?" Under a normal circumstance, the energy in the crystal is very stable. Even in a high-temperature and high-pressure environment, it would not explode. The crystals could even be cut into smaller pieces, hence why it could be used as a currency. "Based on DNA analysis, she could freely change her brain wave pattern. It is likely that she changed her brain wave pattern to coincide with a special particle chain within the crystals, which resulted in resonance. Through experimental analysis, once the particle chain is disrupted, the entire crystal structure would collapse which would instantly release all the energy. This should be an ability that evolved from genetic vaccine. Also, about the crystal-" Lin Lin seemed to have made a new discovery, but Jiang Chen didn''t have the mood to be thinking about other things. "Mhmm, I see, go back first, I''ll find you later." He interrupted and ordered in an undertone. "Eh? Do you not need my help anymore?" "Because the things happening next might not be PG." Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulder. Lin Lin''s face turned red as she cursed out whiling walking out in quick steps carrying her tablet. "Pervert..." Jiang Chen ignored Lin Lin''s bad mouthing as he quietly waited for her footsteps to disappear. He closed and locked the basement door, took a deep breath and walked to the female assassin. Sun Xiaorou, that was her name. If one carefully studies at her face, one would discover that her looks did resemble Sun Jiao. As for the differences, it was mainly that the assasin was shorter in height . She was also not as busty compared to her sister and her face still carried a hint of immaturity. The broken hand was sprayed with medicine mist and bandaged up. Her limbs were locked onto the operating table with all four extended out. Her black combat suit was changed into loose white shirt and pants. Just by judging her current appearance alone, it was hard to imagine her as an assassin. He shook his head as he walked beside the operating table. Looking at the buttons with many unknown functions, he paused for a moment before randomly pressing down a button. "Ahhhhh!" The scream almost pierced through his eardrums. Jiang Chen had to cover his ears. Sun Xiaorou violently shook as her eyes turned white and foam was dripping out of her mouth. A faint pungence appeared, Jiang Chen looked at the light yellow liquid dripping along the operating table and an awkward expression appeared on his face. He only wanted to startle her and wake her up. He didn''t think that the button was for electrocuting. [But what are the purposes of the other buttons?] 193 Punishmen Chapter 193: Punishment Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ Sun Xiaorou woke up from her paralyzed state. She stared fiercely at Jiang Chen, then her eyes began to wander around the basement. "Don''t bother, there is not a single crystal in this basement." Jiang Chen smiled. "What did you do to me?" Sun Xiaorou quickly scanned her clothes. When she realized her black combat suit had been changed, anger appeared between her eyebrows, but the smile he had was no different. "Your name is Sun Xiaorou." Sun Xiaorou paused for a moment. She the looked at Jiang Chen in alert without making a sound. She was confused as to how this man knew her name. [Looks like she haven''t seen Sun Jiao yet...] "Where are you from? Why are you assassinating me?" Jiang Chen grabbed a chair and sat beside the operating table. A determined and scornful laugh eame out of her mouth and she said mockingly. "You really think I am going to tell you?" "How would I know without trying? If possible, I would prefer if you don''t make me do cruel things to beauties." Jiang Chen shrugged. "Oh? If it is just the electrocuting, you are far away from getting anything." Sun Xiaorou mocked. She had already been mentally prepared about the consequence of being captured. "Have you been implanted with the chip?" Jiang Chen didn''t get enraged by her tone. Instead, he asked with the calm voice. "Only foolish people would be happy about those boring dog chains." The voice was contemptuous. She was not forced by the slavery chip. Sun Jiao was her only family, then this eliminated the possibility of her family being taken hostage. An absolute form of loyalty? Hard to believe, especially on the wasteland without orders. "Do you have a sister?" Jiang Chen asked the question attentively. Her expression did not change the slightest. "I don''t have family." Jiang Chen wondered if Sun Jiao would be heartbroken after these words, her sister already couldn''t remember her. For the people injected with the genetic vaccine, the truth-telling liquid is ineffective. If he wanted to obtain information, then it must be interrogation with the help of a lie detector. Seeing her defiant stance, Jiang Chen was troubled. Sun Jiao''s sister... Based on relationship, she should be considered his sister-in-law. From any perspective, using torture on an assasin was the best choice to obtain useful information. But Jiang Chen could not do that to his sister-in-law. "Then let''s make a deal. If you cooperate, I can let you go, and give you ten thousand crystals." Jiang Chen decided to first lure her with money. To his surprise, her stubbornness matched her sister''s. "Crystals? You don''t understand what this is about at all." The voice was filled with arrogance and contempt. "Oh? Don''t you use crystals as a currency?" Jiang Chen tried to make a conversation. "Ignorant." Still, the tone was filled with mockery. Jiang Chen was instantly enraged, but his face was expressionless. He only grabbed a long needle injector from the pan beside the operating table. "Do you know what this is?" Jiang Chen shook the needle in front of her nose as he said slowly. "What?" Sun Xiaorou held her neck up as she scorned. "Nerve catalyst, it would increase your nerve cell activity by one hundred times. In simple words, it could increase your sensitivity one hundred times." Jiang Chen lightly pushed the needle as the colorless liquid emerged from the tip. "You are a devil." Sun Xiaorou''s expression changed as she tried to move back, but because of her tied down limbs, her struggle was futile. "I don''t have time to waste on you. The mutated humans are across the river bank and my people are waiting for my order. You only have two choices right now, be truthful, or be tortured until you tell the truth." Jiang Chen said in menace. This medicine was purchased by Zhou Guoping at the Sixth Street black market. Five milliliter of liquid cost one hundred crystals, which signified its rarity. "Then why don''t you try!" Pew! Jiang Chen dodged her spit. He was not angry. Instead, he laughed as he injected the needle right into her vein. Looking into her eyes of despair, he pushed all the liquid into her. Her limbs twitched as if she was having a spasm, then her body began to quiver. It took her a long time before she breathing returned to normal. "You, you filth of a human being..." "Do you not have the energy to speak?" Jiang Chen threw the needle away as a smirk emerged on his face. "..." Her voice was trembling so much Jiang Chen could not make out what she was cursing about. If possible, he didn''t want to do this, but since it already started, then it must continue. He pressed his finger onto her right arm. "Wooo!" "Are you sensitive to this extreme? Then let me ask you-" "In, in your dreams..." "Okay, then imagine what happened today as a bad dream. Next, what should we try? Electrocution? Or high-temperature SPA? Or something else?" Jiang Chen pressed a red button. "Ahhhhh-!" The agonizing scream revibrated in the entire basement. Lin Lin, with one ear on the door, shivered and she quickly retracted her head. [What was this pervert doing!] Because of curiosity, when Jiang Chen closed the door, she quietly sneaked back. But just as she put her ear against the door, she heard the agonizing scream. She remembered the words she spoke that provoked Jiang Chen as she shuddered again before carefully leaving the basement. ... Looking at Sun Xiaorou with foams in her mouth, both eyes turning white, and her limps spasming on the operating table, Jiang Chen rubbed his wary temples. Even after the injection of medicine that increased her sensivity by one hundred times, she still lasted two hours. Seeing the stains at the edge of the operating table, Jiang Chen held his breath and his expression was somewhat awkward. [This seems to be over the line?] But he couldn''t think of better ways. In the end, he didn''t hurt his body, as to the mental trauma... let time work its magic. Another note worth mentioning, he didn''t expect her to be a virgin. Jiang Chen picked up the notebook and hastily left the basement. At the door, he met Sun Jiao with a perplexed expression. "Is it over?" "Mhmm." Jiang Chen nodded awkwardly. Sun Jiao didn''t say anything and kissed him. Jiang Chen blankly looked at Sun Jiao''s closed eyes before he shut his eyes as well. Lips apart. "Sorry, I-" "Don''t apologize, she deserves the punishment. Regardless of where it happens, the fate of assassins is public execution... I am already thankful that you spared her life. The damage on her body could be healed with time-" Sun Jiao seemed to have thought this through as there was no more hesitation in her eyes. "No, I didn''t hurt her during the process. But she provoked me, I turned hot-headed, and then I..." As he spoke, Jiang Chen''s expression turned more and more awkward. Sun Jiao paused for a moment, then her face turned red and she gently bit her lips. "Pervert." Sun Jiao smashed his shoulder and she quickly walked downstairs. Seeing Sun Jiao''s figure, Jiang Chen put up his hand wanting to explain something, but then he put it down. There was no use in explaining once the girl sees the chaos in the basement. He will have to wait until the night to explain to her "privately." Perhaps, this was the evilest thing he has done in his entire life. 194 Klein Particles Chapter 194: Klein Particles Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ The Northern Alliance District. As one of the rare safe havens inside Pan-Pacific area, the description of this place was only applicable when compared to the ruins and shambles. The survivors left on this wasteland migrated north as they established a survivor camp along the Yellow River South of the Golden City. The population density of this area was not high before the war. Therefore, the concentration of zombies was naturally low. Without the direct impact of a nuclear weapon, the radiation level was much lower compared to developed area. The mutant population was also meager. Other than the mutants that migrated from north of the Golden city, this place possessed almost no lethal danger. Stability brought order and prosperity. Despite the harsh environment and the barren lands, they still manage to plot out thousands of acres of "arable land" on the wasteland. Despite the low production, it ultimately managed to feed the tens of thousands of survivors who fled here. Dictatorship, power, stability. These three words could holistically describe this "empire." Although it was named as the Northern Alliance, the armed force that controlled the "security" of this place of land controlled the life of all the survivors. In the form of military government, they managed the food production and subsequently dictated the entire area. It was rumored that they had been plotting against Wanghai city for a long time already. Of course, Sun Xiaorou didn''t belong to the military government, but rather a religious group based on the northern area - the Dusk Church. They promoted the forthcoming of an apocalypse and fully believed the terror of the apocalypse. But different from the majority of people who lost hope, they also firmly believed that their spiritual leader Bo Yu could lead them to escape the solar system, find a second Sun and establish a new home for the humans. It was quite a coincidence, the purpose of their trip to Wanghai city was to obtain the buried in Fallout Shelter 005 and to acquire the technology to establish the biosphere in space. To be able to enter the planning bureau inside the city and obtain the exact location of Fallout Shelter 005, they were not reluctant to partner up with the mutated humans from the Seventh Area. All the firearms of the mutated human, as well as the security password of the Carmen Pharmaceutical, were provided by them. But unfortunately, their fate was deteremined and they were to return empty-handed. Other than metal debris, there was nothing left there. After clearing out the mutated creature that infiltrated Fallout Shelter 005, Jiang Chen blew up the server of the article intelligence and cleaned out anything useful inside. As for the metal box that stored , after Lin Lin copied all the information to the chip inside her head, Jiang Chen destroyed the original copy. Jiang Chen wondered what kind of expression would be on Bo Yu''s face once he went through all the trouble to finally enter to Fallout Shelter 005, and only found junks inside. But regardless, even if Jiang Chen knew what happened to Fallout Shelter 005, he could not stand in front him and say "I already cleared Fallout Shelter 005 and I have taken everything away." In this case, conflict was inevitable. Jiang Chen could not let the mutated humans inside Qingpu. The leader of The Dusk Church Bo Yu would not give up on entering the city center. When he sent the assassin, he already demonstrated his hostility. As to how the weapons and supplies would be transported to Wanghai, and how she joined The Dusk, Sun Xiaorou didn''t have those memories. Since she joined the cult at a very young age and based on the face that all religions have the same tendencies, brainwashing was an unavoidable step. After all, it was about the crystals. In the end, Sun Xiaorou, in herhalf-unconscious state, blurted out random things. After attempting to piece together her broken sentences, Jiang Chen could not summarize the information she said. But a keyword she continuously emphasized drew his attention. Klein Particles. It was the third time he has heard this word. ... "Ahhhh!" Just as he pushed open Lin Lin''s door, Jiang Chen heard a sudden whimper. He looked confusedly at the quivering Lin Lin. "What happened to you?" "No...Nothing!" The sharp voice seemed to be out of tune. Was she traumatized somehow? Due to Lin Lin being regularly irregular, Jiang Chen wasn''t bothered by it and he cut straight to the topic. "About what happened last time, I have a question." Lin Lin cutely gulped as she nodded her head intensely. It was rare that she was this cooperative. Usually, she would start with, "Why do I have to help you?". Jiang Chen obviously didn''t know that the disobedient Lin Lin sneaked back when he closed the door and heard some bad things. "...Then I am going to ask, last time, it was Tingting that shot out the red light?" Jiang Chen''s expression was weird when he said the name Tingting. Although in that virtual world, she entered it in the form of a human and became a couple with him, her original form is a "bug." "Mhmm!" Lin Lin nodded furiously. "That particle, what exactly is it?" When she heard this, Lin Lin''s expression turned earnest. "That''s what I wanted to say... I found something abnormal on the surface of the crystal." As she finished saying, Lin Lin ran to the front of the experiment table. She picked up a polished crystal and put it inside the glass sphere of an odd-looking equipment. "This is...?" "You won''t know even if I tell you, it is a really convenient equipment... Before I always thought you guys collected them because they were shiny and that because they could also replace hydrocarbon as an energy source. But after doing some experiments, this thing is not as simple as it looks." Inside the glass sphere, the dark green crystal began to change color. "The complete combustion of the energy of a crystal could release the energy equivalent to 2.47 kg of coal. After, it would turn into this form." The crystal lost its shine and changed into a quartz-like appearance. "And then?" Jiang Chen looked at the crystal keenly. Lin Lin didn''t answer Jiang Chen''s question. Instead, she asked rhetorically with mysteriousness on her face, "Have you heard of the fourth dimension?" "Fourth dimension? The dimension that includes time?" Jiang Chen had heard this before as he had been through university after all. "Then let me ask you another question, have you heard about energy that belongs to the fourth dimension?" Jiang Chen was dumbfounded. One because it was too abstract, two because he didn''t know why she suddenly brought up the question. "Every matter in this world, including you and me, could be measured by three measurements: length, width and height. These are all measurements of the third dimension. But if time is added to the list, then the Jiang Chen today would be completely different from the Jiang Chen tomorrow. This would be the fourth dimension. The same as the 1.50 m Lin Lin is completely different than the 2.00 m Lin Lin in the third dimension." "If we can add a timeline to energy. Imagine this, the crystal''s "energy today" have been used, but a few thousand years later, its energy would be filled up again..." "Wait, what about the conservation of energy?" Jiang Chen had to interrupt. "Of course it is conserved. Because from the start, the Klein particle exists in the forth dimension, but it is limited to a "point" that we can''t see. But at a certain time point, some Klein particles would fall to the third dimension, in our eyes, the most obvious demonstration would be ''energized.''" Because it was too scientifically fictional, despite Lin Lin being extremely slow and detailed in her description, Jiang Chen still felt lost. "You can try this crystal, use your power to draw its energy. Remember, the energy amount of this crystal before was five." As she spoke, Lin Lin put the colorless crystal in Jiang Chen''s hand. It was already empty. Charging the interdimensional bracelet with it would be impossible? As he thought this through, Jiang Chen still followed Lin Lin''s instruction and put the crystal in his hand. Then, his expression turned to astonishment. He somehow obtained energy from the empty crystal. The amount of energy that supplied the bracelet was no less than the crystal with five energy points! "Is there energy remaining?" Jiang Chen asked in disbelief. Lin Lin shook her head. "The energy belonging to the third dimension has been completely exhausted. You could bring this crystal to any production equipment and it could not be used as a source of energy. But just as I had suspected, your interdimensional bracelet could directly draw Klein particles from the fourth dimension. Another way to say this is that you exhausted the energy that could appear in the crystal in the future." Jiang Chen''s eyes widened as he stared at his right wrist, the tattoo. "No, it could also draw electricity to charge it. It would cost 100 watts of electricity to charge it to full, with crystal, it would only cost 10 energy points. But based on your explanation, one energy crystal, with the energy fallen to the third dimension was equivalent to 2.47 kilograms of coal. 10 energy points of crystal Klein Particles must at least exceed 100 watts of electricity by 10 folds?" Lin Lin sighed. "Think carefully, when you use electricity to charge interdimensional bracelet, did electricity follow your hand to go into the ground?" Jiang Chen tightened his eyebrows as he recollected when he charged before, he shook his head. "No." "Of course not. If that happened, you would be fried." Lin Lin said in frustration. "The electricity absorbed by your bracelet is not the electricity generated through electron flowing from the negative end to positive end, but rather it completely consumed the electron itself. It is complicated to explain, but you could interpret it as the particle has completed vanished. Therefore, you wouldn''t think that with only 100 watts of electricity, it could manage to travel through space dimensions?" In the end, Lin Lin ridiculed. "Therefore, crystal... This type of biological formation, is a container for Klein particles?" "That''s right. As to how exactly it contained the mysterious Klein particle, I haven''t figured it out yet. But crystal is not as simple as it appears to be. Including the female assassin detonating the crystal, as well as the red beam shot up by Tingting, they are all phenomenon of Klein particles releasing its energy to the third dimension." Lin Lin explained with an earnest face. - - 195 The Unpeaceful Sixth Stree Chapter 195: The Unpeaceful Sixth Street Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ The unrest that happened overnight had been settled. The assassin was caught and captured in the mansion''s basement. The boss was free of harm and everyone let out a sigh of relief. Hearing that assassin sneaked into the base, Cheng Weiguo, who was responsible for the security of the base, immediately lectured and cursed the soldiers patrolling on the wall. He pulled the knight emblems off of their chest and ordered them to kneel in the snow naked for an entire day as punishment. In this type of weather, to kneel in the snow for an entire day, even with the genetic vaccine, they would lose their life. But Jiang Chen spared them with his words. It was not their fault. Being able to avoid the drones equipped with the infrared sensor, the assassin must be skillful. Through his combat with Sun Xiaorou, Jiang Chen discovered that she was not to be underestimated. Because of the existence of a powerful enemy, punishing their own just to release anger was no doubt a foolish move. Although Jiang Chen didn''t understand the crafts of leading people, he still could think wearing others'' shoes. "This humiliation will be washed away by your future achievement. If you really feel guilty, then use your loyalty to repay, not your life." Jiang Chen said to the humiliated "naked knights" who were kneeling on the ground. Although he spared the patrolling soldiers, the topic of base security was the conversation around the table again. How to maximize the resource available to increase the effectiveness of patrol? Jiang Chen suggested a brutal but straightforward idea. Bulldoze all the buildings within one hundred meter radius outside of the base to clear out the area. They would reuse the construction materials as much as possible, if they couldn''t, then they would drag one hundred meters out and pile it up. Without buildings to take cover, it would not be as easy to infiltrate the base under the dual surveillance of drones and patrols. This issue was finally resolved. ... The bedroom wall was disfigured by the bullets and required renovation. Therefore, Jiang Chen had to choose a different room to sleep. But Sun Jiao already made the decision for him as she dragged him into her own bedroom. She was ready to use her own body to "interrogate" him to see what exactly he did to her sister. Of course, there was no sense of blame. However, the fact that her man slept with her own sister made the possessive Miss Sun Jiao displeased. The result of a displeased Sun Jiao was that Jiang Chen had to stay up tonight... The only pitiful person was Yao Yao. After she recovered from the shock, the small loli worked up the courage to suggest that if he had nowhere to stay, he could stay with Yao Yao. But sister Sun Jiao was one step ahead so Yao Yao could only pout at the closed door in disappointment. The next morning, Jiang Chen bumped into Yao Yao, who, just like him, also had dark circles. Feeling guity over the fact that he didn''t manage to fulfill his promise, Jiang Chen suggested a compensation plan - to stay with her for the entire day. "Am I really not heavy?" Yao Yao turned around asking worriedly. "Not heavy, Yao Yao, you are really light." Jiang Chen quickly shook his head. A timid smile appeared on Yao Yao''s face and she happily turned to look in the front. She dangled her feet in the air while moving her tiny butt backward to sit in a more comfortable position. But this troubled Jiang Chen. It was not the weight, but the tender feeling scratching on his legs had touched an indescribable place. To simply describe the state between these two people... Inside the bedroom of a girl, Jiang Chen sat on the side of the soft bed, and Yao Yao sat on his legs. He took a deep breath as he tried his hardest to suppress the part of him from raising up. It would be awkward if it "stood up". But a faint fragrance entered his nostril because of his deep breath. The tip of his head felt a tingling sensation. Uh Oh! Maybe it was because she felt something hard, or sensed Jiang Chen''s "trouble," Yao Yao''s face began to turn red. "Big brother, you don''t need to endure this..." As she said that, Yao Yao buried her tiny head and silently putting her tablet down. Her feet also stopped dangling. The long shaking eyelashes seemed to be waiting for something. [No, it''s better to endure.] After an arduous internal conflict, Jiang Chen finally suppressed his desire and he decided not to put his claws on Yao Yao. Seeing that Jiang Chen made no moves, Yao Yao pouted her mouth but didn''t say anything as she continued to research on her tablet. Jiang Chen let out a relief as he glanced at the dazzling amount of information on the tablet. The hiddenly shocked Jiang Chen also picked up his own tablet off the table and began to take care of his own business. There was a large discrepancy of force at the front line. Based on the information provided by Zhao Gang, it is expected that after 20 days, the mutated human force would be ready to attack. When that happens, the river below the Zhufeng Highway bridge would be frozen. The mutated humans would launch their attack at that time. On the screen was a visual sent back from the Hummingbird drone. Because of the existence of an anti-air machine gun, the task of capturing video footage could not be given to Chu Nan. The dense red dots accumulated behind the snow hill on the side of the highway, as well as the anti-air machine guns and cannons covered in white cloths. [If Jiang Lin''s missile is completed, it would only take one hit to achieve what I want...] Jiang Chen fantasized in his head but quickly shook his head. He then called Zhou Guoping from the Sixth Street. The phone was quickly picked up. Zhou Guoping''s bald head appeared on the screen. "Hello? Boss. Do you need me to do something?" The respectful voice lightened his mood. "I need mercenaries, do you know any you are familiar with at Sixth Street?" Jiang Chen cut straight to the topic. "Mercenaries?" Zhou Guoping paused for a moment, "Do you know already, boss?" "Know?" Jiang Chen''s expression was odd, he didn''t understand what Zhou Guoping said. "Mhmm, there is a rumor recently on Sixth Street. It said that the wreckages of ''God''s Cane'' lie inside somewhere in the city center. Of course, the validity of the information has yet to be confirmed, I am still investigating. If, boss, you are also interested that thing, I can help you investigate carefully." Zhou Guoping said mysteriously. "The God''s Cane?" Jiang Chen was lost, just as he was about to ask what it was, he suddenly recalled the he read in the virtual world. "Oh, I almost forgot that you are not from Wanghai City." Zhou Guoping slapped his forehead as he quickly explained, "It''s a sky based weapon, also known as an orbital weapon-" "Mhmm, I know, but what does that have to do with the Sixth Street?" Jiang Chen interrupted Zhou Guoping''s explanation, he only wanted to listen to critical information. "A mysterious wealthy man sent out quests at major bars and set a reward of one million crystals for the wreckage of God''s Cane." "One million crystals? Fu*k, is that person crazy?" Jiang Chen almost jumped up. Yao Yao looked at Jiang Chen in confusion. She moved her butt as she readjusted the way she sat. "Ahem, the amount has been verified by Sixth Street officials. The quest had been stamped with the metal seal. With Sixth Street''s official reputation, this quest shouldn''t be fraudulent." Zhou Guoping took a moment he continued, "The mercenaries stationed in the Sixth Street have gone insane. There are fewer missions in the winter as all of those people like to spend their days rotting away in the bars. Now someone offered such an astronomical number, even the not-so-strong hunting teams began to make moves." Jiang Chens eyebrows furrowed. "So you are saying, its hard to hire people now?" "I wouldnt say it is hard, but the price is definitely higher." "Thats okay, Ill send you the mission Also, regarding the Gods Cane, keep an eye out for me." "Yes, boss." Zhou Guoping exaggeratedly bowed. Jiang Chen closed the communication menu and rubbed his nose. He had an ominous feeling. The snow this year would be much colder compared to the years before. 196 Mercenaries Chapter 196: Mercenaries Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ Snow, as thick as a blanket, covered the desolated street. Other than the worker removing snow, the only noise on the entire street was the freezing northern wind. Oh, not quite. There was still one place that maintained the liveliness of spring. People shouted, celebrated, unleashed their pressure, and spent away their dreary days. This place was the Fake Leg Bar. Although they have only been open for less than one month, the high-quality alcohol garnered the hearts of all the survivors. In front of the bar counter, the muscular mercenary had a foot on the chair as he showed off his scars drunkenly. The barely covered lady walked among the dark corners of the bar to wait for the prey of the night. Gamblers put two tables together as they played poker and dices. Just based on these few people, this place would appear as no different than the Bullet Shell Bar on the next street. The only difference was, the security here was top notch - to the point of unbelievable. But, it was not like this when the bar just opened. Alcohol was a lucrative industry regardless of the geographic location. The existence of Fake Leg Bar, without a doubt, ended the reign of bars on the entire street. When people tried the beer with the sweet wheat aroma, no one would be interested in the stuff made with industrial alcohol. Even the wealthy in the inner circle would occasional drop by to have a drink or two. The high profitability naturally drew the jealousy of competitors. When threatening didn''t work, the owner of each bar used all kinds of despicable techniques. Fights, theft, even blackmail. But those who used these techniques obviously underestimated Zhou Guoping''s ability. His profession was a bandit. In terms of despicable techniques, he was the master of all. Bribery, assassination, and vandalism. After chopping down six dirty overreaching hands consecutively, the people looking for trouble finally became cautiously. Immediately, he spread out a rumor that the boss of the store had a special connection with the Group of Ten council members. After hearing the news, people were still hesitating if they should take the risk and finally give up the ill- intentions in their mind. They wondered if they should just accept the fact that Fake Leg Bar dominated the market. Other than great security, the design of the bar was also customer friendly. The second and third floor were renovated into rooms, providing privacy for the males and females that needed their own space and to provide the wary survivors a place to release their deep level of stress. Like usual, Zhou Guoping wore a grey suit. He casually sat at a wooden table as he chatted with the mercenaries that wandered the wasteland. The talkative boss garnered the friendliness from the mercenaries. Even his blad head became a bright spot for this bar. Just like the grandpa in KFC. As to why. It was because if someone talked about something interesting, he would put out a tab that drinks would be on the house. "And at the northern area of city center, guess what I saw? I saw a Mother of Death Claw! Dammit, I thought it was just a nuclear crater, so I wanted to see if there was anything worthy inside." "Ok, buddy, Mother of Death Claw would only return to nuclear crater when they give birth. In the winter, they would usually hide in a cave, you are bullshi*ting too much." A middle-aged man smiled, he took the cigar out of this mouth, shook it in the dust tray. His face had a frightening scar that stretched from his left eye to the right tip of his mouth. Because of this scar, his smile looked daunting. "If the one-eyed Lev said that, then it must be." "That''s right, buddy, the scar on this old fellow''s face was left by the Mother of Death Claw." The young man turned red. He took a big gulp of the beer to disguise the embarrassment. Zhou Guoping looked at the chatting mercenaries with a smile. But he was planning in this mind as to when he should speak, and who he should hire. The young man should be new to the scene, at least he didn''t look like he was in the profession before. As to the Slavic middle-aged man, he must be a character. It was rumored that he was a fighter jet pilot for CCCP. He didn''t get sent back after the war. Instead, he was taken to Wanghai City as the special experiment test subject. When the apocalypse happened, he used his impeccable skills to escape from the lab before he started to wander on the wasteland. But Zhou Guoping didn''t plant to hire him. Regardless of how powerful he was, he was only a lone traveler. The boss'' instruction was that he needed a lot of people, a team at least the size of 50 people. It was difficult, especially in the environment where everyone was plotting for the city center. But the boss''s order is absolute, Zhou Guoping''s eyes continually glanced at the door. He was waiting for a person to show up. The oak door was pushed open as a gust of cold wind mixed with ice shards blew inside. The man drinking beside the door shivered because of the wind. Just as he was about the curse at the person who opened the door, he saw the person''s face clearly and the swear that was about to burst out of him was swallowed down. Buzzcut, grey winter suit, he looked rather ordinary. When he stepped into the bar, he was not rowdy like most people. Instead, he sat at the counter with a low profile and ordered a beer. But when Zhuo Guoping saw the person, his eyes immediately lit up and walked over with a smile. It was Luo Yang, the leader of the Black Blood Mercenaries. Although he had an ordinary face, he possessed an ability that is not to be underestimated by anyone. On top of that, he had the abilities of the 70 warriors who fight for him. "How''s the reward today?" Zhou Guoping sat beside him and used a casual tone to chat with him. "Terrible, other than snow, there was blood. The northern part of the city center has been completely explored. A zombie nest was even cleared out and there were no signs of the satellite wreckage at all." Luo Yang took a sip of his drink as he warily rubbed his head. "Nothing at all?" "Basically, only when you enter the city center would you start to have some respect for the dumb zombies. It was so dense, and you couldn''t see the end. Our truck mulled through the crowd and fired fiercely into the herds of zombies. Even then, we were almost stuck there twice." "Have an open mind, buddy. Since that is the world of zombies, even Death Claw would have to avoid there." Zhuo Guoping comforted him as he took out a pack of cigarette and handed one to him. Luo Yang let out a sigh and lit one for himself. "Has there been any good missions recently?" "You give up on the ''one million reward'' mission?" Zhuo Guoping cracked a smile. "I can''t use my brothers'' life to take the risk. I have a feeling that it would be a pit without a bottom. It can''t be filled regardless of how many lives were shed." When he heard one million crystals, greed radiated through Luo Yang''s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a grave concern. Compared to his colleagues that dove into city center like flies, he maintained some rationality. "Let''s talk about something happy. I happen to have a mission." "How much money?" He took a sip as Luo Yang said quite curiously. "Ten thousand crystals." "What!" Luo Yang spat the beer out. He looked at Zhuo Guoping with eyes widened, "Ten thousand? Are you sure?" "I am certain." Zhou Guoping nodded his head with eyes narrowed. "What''s the mission ?" Luo Yang wiped his mouth as he said cautiously. "Have you heard the Fishbone base?" Zhuo Guoping said nonchalantly. "I have heard a thing or two. An external force''s base stationed in Wanghai City with quite a powerful force." Because the trades with Zhao Corporation were conducted secretly, Zhou Guoping didn''t reveal the boss behind this bar. So, to the outside, the Fishbone base was a mystery. Most of the people only knew that there was a base in Qingpu, but even the exact location was unknown. As to why it was obvious, there were a countless number of survivor camps on the wasteland, but most were unfriendly. For example, the Huizhong Mercenaries were already wiped out. "The hirer is their boss. As for the mission, it is on here." As he spoke, Zhou Guoping took out a sheet of paper and put it on the counter. After wavering for a moment, Luo Yang picked up the contract. He scanned the paper and his expression turned more and more stern. "This is impossible! What kind of joke is this? Stopping the mutated humans from Seventh area at Taifu river... This is asking my men to die." "Is that the case? If you think that way, then it is okay, although I personally think it is a pity to give it up." Zhou Guoping sighed, pretending to feel pitiful as he took back the contract. "I don''t see where the pity is coming from. You have to have your life to spend money." Luo Yang laughed. "Do you think the Fishbone base will lose ?" Zhou Guoping asked with a smile. "Based on what I know, there are three thousand something mutated humans at the Seventh area, although they might not be the smartest, they are natural warriors." Luo Yang said. "Even if they only bring half of the people, it would be at least fifteen hundred people. A soldier discrepancy of more than ten times, only a dumbas*s would accept this mission. Mutated humans would squash them like ants." Luo Yang took a big chug as he shook his head in disappointment. He obviously was not disappointed at the fate of the Fishbone base, but rather he was sad over the ten thousand crystals that slipped away before his own eyes. "But based on my information, the Fishbone base has quite a powerful force, such as heavy firearms." Zhou Guoping smiled. "Heavy firearms? Haha." Luo Yang scorned, he didn''t agree. He knew a few tactics of mutated humans. The mutated humans occupying the steel factory at the Seventh area used steel almost lavishly. With their pure muscle strength, they could carry the thick C-Grade steel armor to take charge, it was a nightmare for all light infantries. Heavy firearms? Okay, it was effective. But when all the mutated humans spread out and charge over the wide frozen river, how many shots would the cannons manage to fire? Once the mutated humans pass through the line of defense, no firearms would be useful and the subsequent battle will likely become a one-sided slaughter. "As for the exact fighting tactics, as the middleman, I am not sure. But in your opinion, if they have an external force, without a certain confidence in victory, would they fight to the death for Qingpu?" "Regardless if they have confidence or not, for us, the risk is too high." Luo Yang shook his head. "But risk and reward is proportional, isn''t that right? Or you wouldn''t be taking your men into the city center." Luo Yang''s expression was rather awkward when he heard those words. Seeing this, Zhuo Guoping paused and lowered his voice. "I have a piece of information here, are you interested?" Luo Yang saw the mysteriousness of Zhuo Guoping and his expression turned serious, waiting for him to finish. "Other than this ten thousand crystals, there is also another perk. I can release the information to you, but do understand that it is against the rules. For the sake of my business, I hope you can keep this a secret." "Ahem, Mr. Zhou, you know me very well." "Of course, this is why I found you for this mission. 10% of the profit of a trade route between Qingpu and Liuding Town, the type of trade is food." 197 Gathering a force Chapter 197: Gathering a force Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Zhou Guoping brought a good news from the Sixth Street. Black Blood Mercenaries accepted the mission and mobilized to Taifu river the next day. In addition to the new recruits, a mercenary group of 85 people on the wasteland could be considered a sizable force. When Zhou Guoping threw a bait of 10% food trade profit, Luo Yang agreed without the slightest hesitation. The popularity of the food industry in Sixth Street was proven to be a lucrative business. And because of this, Zhao Corporation controlling the entire market had crystals flooding in, and everyone in Sixth Street was well aware of this. Hearing Zhou Guoping''s words and considering the relationship between the Fishbone Base and Zhao Corporation, it finally dawned on Luo Yang. The food in the Sixth Street actually came from the Fishbone Base! Presumably, Zhao Chenwu, that old fox, was controlling the underground sewerage entrance which must be leading to the Fishbone Base. But Luo Yang didn''t spread the shocking piece of news out since the less the number of people knew, the more advantageous it would be for him. If he could manage to get a slice of the pie of the trade route to Liuding Town, he would accept the mission at whatever cost! With Black Blood Mercenaries'' reputation, there wouldn''t be a problem in transporting the goods from Qingpu to Liuding Town situated at the exit of the Yangtze River. With a stable source of income, Black Blood Mercenaries'' equipment and size would expand and improve, and his prestige would consequently heighten. If he could manage to become a council member, he would be able to join the ranks of the inner circle of the powerful! Despite having accepted the mission, there was one point he was confused about. Since Fishbone Base had a special relationship with Zhao Corporation, why didn''t they request help from them? To protect his own interest, Zhao Chenwu would do anything to help, wouldn''t he? Jiang Chen had obviously considered this problem. It''s just that... "How did you get in trouble again?" Sitting in the virtual boardroom, Zhao Chenwu smiled wryly. "Trouble finds me," Jiang Chen shrugged. "Sixth Street is not too peaceful these days. I really can''t send out some forces to face the mutated humans from the Seventh area. Maybe you should consider relocating?" Zhao Chenwu pondered for a moment before proposing. "Relocate? That means all my efforts would have gone to waste. I have spent almost 400 thousands crystals for the construction of the base. At any rate, I won''t give up on the base especially since my odds of winning are not low." "Then I''ll pray for your victory. The batch of sentinel machine guns, I''m finally able to fulfill the contract under the pressure of the council, and I can deliver it to you tomorrow." "Pressure from the higher-ups? When did the council start encouraging a breach of contract?" Jiang Chen jested. "It is a critical time." "What kind of trouble did you guys encounter?" Seeing the graveness on Zhao Chenwu''s face, Jiang Chen also became serious. "Although it is considered a secret, if it was like anytime before, the news would spread out regardless. The military government controlling Northern Alliance District has declared war on us, and they are currently on their way." "It''s them?" "Have you heard already?" Seeing the shock on Jiang Chen''s face, Zhao Chenwu shrugged, ''In order to obtain the space-based weapon wreckage landed somewhere in the metropolis, they came from thousands of miles away to incite trouble." Zhao Chenwu obviously misinterpreted something. The reason why Jiang Chen got shocked was that the organization that partnered up with the mutated humans was also from the Northern Alliance District. Except it was not the military government but a rather strange organization with an even peculiar namethe Dusk Church. "The God''s Cane?'' Jiang Chen asked solemnly. "That''s right. To defend against Northern Alliance''s invasion, the Group of Ten council passed a proposal. To create a defense line at the rural area to defend against the invasion. But if it was just this, it wouldn''t be so problematic." Zhao Chenwu''s face was cast in gloom, he paused before continuing, "Although we agreed to fight off the enemy before hunting for the treasure, almost everyone has already been secretly sending in exploration teams into the metropolis. Especially when the news of 1 million crystals mission has spread out, everyone has gone insane. Those fools, who were previously reserved and heading out secretly, are now blatantly sending out their forces and rushing downtown. Just like those gamblers who had completely lost their mind on a gambling table." "No one has realized that doing this at this time is foolish?" Jiang Chen had no other emotion except for derision. "Not everyone is foolish and that includes me," Zhao Chenwu bleak expression stared at the table, "If anyone obtains that thing, it would be a nightmare for everyone else. If could dominate all life and death, just like a scepter from God." Saying this, the ruthless businessman had a hint of insanity between his brows. "Just imagine this: if there is a sword hanging over everyone''s head, who else can resist your reign? It only takes one shot from that tungsten rod that can''t be intercepted to silent all voice of resistance. And that sword is now somewhere in the city center, behind all of us. Now...everyone wants to become a person wielding the sword." "This damned democracy." Everyone wanted to become the dictator. If there was only a single voice from the beginning, it wouldn''t be this chaotic. ... Asking help from Zhao Chenwu was not possible anymore, but that was to be expected. He already had enough chips in his hands, without one or two guests, it wouldn''t interfere with the fireworks. Counting in the Black Blood Mercenaries, the total number of soldiers that could fight on the frontline had already reached 200 people. Although there was still a huge discrepancy, he still had his last resort. That was none other than the survivors from Qingpu! After the last expedition, they had been unified under the Fishbone Base banner. After a month of doing business, the relationship between the two parties was further strengthened. Since the beginning, Jiang Chen had always include them in the plan, and he was just waiting for an opportunity. The opportunity to unite everyone, the opportunity to display the might of Fishbone Base. And now, the opportunity had presented itself. Outside of the Fishbone Base, in front of the concrete building used for trading goods, a long lineup could be seen. "Long time no see, Zhao Gang." Ma Zhongchen hugged his old friend whom he hadn''t seen for a while as he regarded the winter garment on Zhao Gang enviously. The whole set would probably cost 30-40 crystals which would be equivalent to the price of a Reaper rifle. Despite Zhao Gang''s usual taciturn behavior, when he saw his old friend, a smile emerged on his face. Jiang Chen called Chen Weiguo back yesterday and was once again sent to the frontline. Zhao Gang pulled Ma Zhongchen to the side. He passed him a cigarette while he also put one in his own mouth and then lit it up. "How are you doing these days?" "Same old. Nice smell, what brand is this?" "The base''s own produce." The boss brought it back as part of the benefits for employees. As for its exact origin, Zhao Gang couldn''t be bothered about it. "The winter is so cold and you guys are quite well off," Ma Zhongchen remarked as he enviously eyed the large-caliber machine gun on the wall. "It should be us, shouldn''t it?" The two stared at each other and started laughing. The line in front of the concrete building moved up slowly. People coming out of the room had switched into the winter gear as they entered the base under the supervision of the soldiers. According to the agreement, all the survivors joining the Fishbone army would receive housing and upper-class citizen treatment, and their family would receive lower-citizen treatment. Ater contributing in war and being promoted to knight, their family would also enjoy upper-class citizen treatment. As of today, more than 20 community-sized survivors have joined Fishbone Base. All the people were incorporated into a newly created foreign army with Zhao Gang as the commander. Currently, there were only 81 people in the force, but everyone was a sharpshooter. With a bit of training, they could become a force to be reckoned with. So far, the Fishbone Base''s soldiers had exceeded the 300 mark. The day of the decisive battle was gradually approaching. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Looks like one of our editors needs some more time to finish editing the chapters. The chapters will be released as soon as they are made available. 198 The Sword Wielder Chapter 198: The Sword Wielder Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The God''s Cane was formerly known as God''s Cane Space-based Kinetic Energy Weapon System. NATO completed the deployment of the weapon system in 2030, but now its combat ability was no longer limited to kinetic energy attack. Over the past hundred years, NATO had continuously perfected this weapon system. Although its core attack was still a vertical strike by tungsten rod bombs, in addition to that, NATO had also added high power microwave weapon (HPM), wide-area electromagnetic pulse (EMP), as well as particle shields aboard the weapon system. NATO completely transformed it into a hedgehog-like existencea near-Earth orbit weapon platform. Though Jiang Chen had already experienced the power of this weapon, after listening to Lin Lin''s explanation, he still got astonished. Seeing the shock on Jiang Chen''s face, Lin Lin haughtily raised her head and paused before continuing, "That is a really powerful weapon. It is believed that to destroy it, PAC launched 27 nuclear missiles to the low Earth orbit, but they were all unfortunately intercepted. Finally, while the God''s Cane''s HMP was on cooldown after it had just attacked the Holy Shield system, relying on the aerospace special force''s attack at ten crystals cost near-Earth orbit landers, they finally managed to capture it." However, before they even had the opportunity to hold the "cane", NATO had initiated the "God''s Cane''s" self-destruction program in the hope of destroying it and preventing it from falling into the enemy''s hands. So the superweapon that was in the service for over 150 years had turned into a space junk. No one knew this weapon better than Lin Lin. After all, she was a former PAC researcher, so she more or less understood the specifics of the weapon. "Wait, space debris?" "Yeah, is there any problem?" Lin Lin asked, tilting her head. "Didn''t God''s Cane fall onto the Earth''s surface?" Jiang Chen asked with a frown. "Of course not, I can attest to that. The post-war World Alliance Organization had considered recovering the remains at the near-Earth orbit, but the proposal was not implemented because shortly after, the implementation of space colonization plan was passed with a landslide victory. You know what happened nextsix colony ships were sent to the deep space." "Is that so?" Jiang Chen said thoughtfully. "Why the sudden interest?" Lin Lin was puzzled. "What if someone used a supercomputer to determine that the remains of God''s Cane fell into the downtown of Wanghai City?" "That''s impossible. You''ve been duped," Lin Lin unceremoniously denied. [Did I get fooled?] Jiang Chen fell into deep thought. Or did everyone get fooled? This was troublesome. ... Inside an ancient room, a tripod incense burner stood on top of a table, smoke floated on top of it. A man with grey sideburns leaned against a recliner, his eyes were closed, and he appeared to be taking a nap. Next to him was a woman dressed in cheongsam, and though her face could not be considered gorgeous, she certainly looked graceful. The old-fashioned visage obviously didn''t match the high-rise buildings outside the window. To be able to build such a large manor in such a ritzy area of Sixth Street, this person must possess an immense amount of power. Indeed, the man on the chair was Cao Jinsong, the owner of Crimson Chamber of Commerce and the head of the Group of Ten council. There was a knock at the door, and the man slighly opened his eyes. "Come in." His voice was slow and gentle but without a trace of his old age. The door slowly opened, and a woman walked in. The face was identical to the cheongsam beauty standing beside him. Almost as if they were cut out from the exact same mold. Other than being twins, there was only one explanation to this: they were clones. "Nine members of the council have sent large-scale forces to the metropolis. Among them, the Double-headed Bull Chamber of Commerce was the largest with a total of 207 people, two spider tanks, and five armored vehicles..." Hearing his secretary''s report, Cao Jinsong''s eyes narrowed while nodding. When she finished, he briefly pondered for a moment before asking, "What about that Zhao Chenwu? Did he do anything?" That person was slightly shrewder compared to the other council members, and his sight was not blinded by the dazzling brilliance of the crystals. "He deployed scouts to Luzhou, and also sent a team to the city center, but their teams did not advance and just lagged behind our team," the secretary reported as she pushed her eyeglasses up. Cao Jinsong suddenly laughed. The wrinkles that had been etched on his face through the passage of time blossomed and transformed him into a kind, old man. The laughter, however, carried a few strands of menace. "Although everyone wants to be the person wielding that sword, it would be interesting if that sword didn''t exist in the first place." Conclusive evidence and foreign spying. Just these two points alone seemed to be enough evidence to prove the existence of God''s Cane. "Is it that time already?" Cao Jinsong looked at the smoke above the incense burner and smiled. The expressionless secretary just quietly looked at him, without saying a word. "Bring that thing over." "It has already been prepared." A trace of a smile appeared on the female secretary''s face. She took out the holographic computer pen from her pocket and handed it to him. He took the holographic computer pen, but his forefinger stopped at the start button. On the metal surface, two faces were reflected: one old and the other young. The young face belonged to his wife. She was so frail that she couldn''t get through the first year. Before she passed away, he promised her that he would bring order to this chaotic wasteland. Afterwards, he would join her down there. After the collapse of all civilizations, a new civilization would be reborn from the ashes. The new civilization would be powerful as ever and rise from the Phoenix fire. It would learn from the past mistakes of the ruined civilization and abandon any weaknesses from the past civilization. In this radiation-filled wasteland, not only the mutant''s claws and human''s marksmanship evolved, but also things of a higher level had also evolved. Thirteen years ago, the walls of Sixth Street were built. The gathering place built by the survivors of the settlement gave birth to the seed of civilization. However, this seed had been dormant for far too long. Even though the expedition brought prosperity to it, it was only a basic level of prosperity. When it came to one''s own interest, the council would engage into endless squabbles. Without a unified voice, nothing would come out of it. He had enough of these endless disputes. The people from Northern Alliance District would perhaps come but definitely not at this time. What they wanted was definitely not the God''s Cane but something entirely different. Ten years ago, the unification of the Northern Alliance was completed. If this continued, Sixth Street would no longer be its match. It would become a mere speck in the history. But everything here was the fruit of his hard labor, and he couldn''t bear to end like this. This piece of land needs a dictatorship! "Hero or criminal, only history will tell," muttering to himself, Cao Jinsong closed his eyes. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at the Secretary in front of him. "Qin Lian, could you lend me some courage?" The woman didn''t say anything and merely put her hand on his. The woman in cheongsam standing beside him also came over and held out her hand. Taking a deep breath, a crazed expression returned to his face. "Then let''s begin." He pressed the button. A fire started burning and the manor of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce in the Sixth Street was completely incinerated. Rumor had it that it was the conspiracy of Zhao Corporation plotting for "the treasure". At the same time, another fire broke out in the center of the city dozens of kilometers away. It was the fire of civil war. 199 Civil War Chapter 199: Civil War Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ "What do you think is the boss planning?" A soldier wielding a rifle and clad in carbon nanotube armor walked at the forefront of the troops. "I don''t know." The commander next to him was silent. The tactical helmet hid the expression on his face, but the way he was looking around betrayed the anxiousness in his heart. They were Zhao Corporations''s private soldiers. Two Spider tanks, five armored vehicles, four modified trucks, 20 power armors and 120 soldiers. 80% of their fighting force had been placed on the gambling table. There were only five kilometers left before they reached the metropolis. The area was filled with nuclear craters, a place not even the Death Claws would dare to enter. The order that Zhao Chenwu had issued was very vaguefollow the troops of Crimson Chamber of Commerce wait for further orders. Just simply follow? The two sentries in the front row weren''t the only ones who were anxious, but also the squad leader, Chen Wei, sitting in the armored vehicle looked grave. Staring at the screen of the Wanderer tanks, Chen Wei swallowed. 10-meter long, 3.8-meter wide, and 2.6-meter tall, weighed 112 tons, and could accommodate 3-4 passengers. Its main weapon was the 52-type particle cannon and a 2kg-class electromagnetic pulse cannon as coaxial guns. Its whole body was covered with 140mm thick A-grade steel armor with a built-in high-density supramolecular compartment that could withstand high-energy neutron radiation caused by a neutron bomb explosion, while the particle shield could effectively resist energy weapons attacks. It was practically a moving fortress. A wave of zombies advanced, but under the giant''s oppression, the only thing the zombies could do was to provide lubrication for its track with its flesh and fat. The thick primary cannon was covered in snow and had never fired a single shot the moment it left the base. The 2kg-class electromagnetic pulse cannon also appeared very dormant and would only occasionally fire whenever it encountered a Roshan. Under the power and influence of this metallic monster, even in the danger-filled metropolis, these two forces couldn''t provide much resistance. "They stopped," the sentry from the front row casually said. "It''s probably their time to rest." Because the zombies in the forefront had already been cleared out by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, they didn''t even need to fire, so they could casually chat among themselves. The expression under the sentry''s tactical helmet gradually turned to that of horror. "No, this is oddthere''s something wrong with their cannon." VROOM! The sound of a cannon firing drowned his astonished voice. The 2kg bomb easily separated his flesh and ripped through the roof of the armored vehicle. "We''re under attack by our allied force! Dammit, what do they think they''re doing!" "Take cover! Go take cover in the bunker, quick!" "Attention everyone! That is not a friendly force, I repeat, that is not a friendly force," Chen Wei''s voice began to echo in everyone''s communication channel. The forces in the forefront, who were taking cover, immediately began to fire back. The aerodynamic Spider tank slid around on the main road. Six sets of weight-bearing wheels were separated in the middle to form into four square-shaped mechanical legs as they quickly began to climb on top of the half-destroyed buildings. The remaining four armored vehicles along with modified trucks also promptly turned around the corner, using the terrain to avoid the barrel of the Wanderer''s tank. Whereas the infantries in the area searched for shelter while taking out their rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and begun firing back. Because Chen Wei sensed something was amiss from the start, he ordered the team to form a long formation. Although it was much easier to defend against zombies in a square formation, if an enemy attack at the front, the long formation would allow the force in the back to quickly disperse and minimize the loss. "Have they found the remains of the satellite yet?" Chen Wei struck at the armor shell as he stared at the image transmitted from the solider''s tactical helmet. The reckless movement of the tank completely ignored the rocket launchers flying towards it. Even if he had two Spider tanks as backups, he still didn''t have the confidence to win. Four big yellow characters appeared in the center of the screen and a rueful smile appeared on Chen Wei''s face. They already started to retaliate. Although he was counting on the boss to stop the war through diplomacy, it now seemed like they have to fight through it. BOOM! Two rounds of shell were fired at a 50 degrees angle from the roof of a half-destroyed building, with an orange flame trail, it smashed onto the Wanderer tank''s turret before it got deflected into the window of an abandoned shop. "The shell was deflected!" The eerie blue electric arc had enveloped the shell of the tank but didn''t even leave a dent. "Dammit! That''s an electromagnetic reactive armor!" Specially designed against piercing shells, through a unique interaction field, the metal shell could reach superconducting state after breaking through a certain speed threshold. Under the powerful magnetic field outside the armor, according to the Meissner effect, shells that had become superconductors would produce an enormous magnetic field in the opposite direction, thereby attenuating its kinetic energy and shifting the projectile angle. This armor had a miraculous use against the conductive material of the electromagnetic cannon shells. It also had certain effects on the artillery steel core armor-piercing shells. "Change into insulation shells." "Roger." The Wanderer tank quickly retreated, and because of the angle limitation of the cannon, it could only aim at the Spider tank on the roof with an increasing distance. However, the Spider tanks occupying a favorable terrain wouldn''t allow its plan to succeed. So while on the move, they fired at the metal monster on the road. Zombies, Crimson Chamber of Commerce, and Zhao Corporation. These three giants engaged with each other. With the heavy armors leaving the battle, the zombies that weren''t blocked lunged at the two parties exchanging fire while howling and screaming. If they were just fighting with the zombies alone, these well-trained soldiers would definitely not let these dumb things get closer. Today, however, everyone was not just facing the threat of zombies, but the enemy''s bullets as well. Everything devolved into an utter chaos. "Dammit, their firepower is too suppressive! We need backup!" Leaning against the side of the bunker, while shooting at the incoming zombies, the soldiers in carbon nanotube combat suits roared at the communication device they''re clutching. "Someone''s down, medics!" "Dammit, it''s the Death Claw! Ahhh" "Zombies had broken through the line of defense! Requesting armored vehicle support!" "Negative. The enemies'' anti-armor units have yet to be cleared. Unable to enter the battle" Turning off the noisy communication channel, Chen Wei rubbed his forehead. A ferocious glint appeared on his face and his eyes were locked on the several big characters on the screen. Just now, he finally understood the meaning of the phrase: "caution" that Zhao Chenwu left before leaving. From the start, the boss had already suspected that Crimson Chamber of Commerce had gone rogue. This type of limited superweapons was definitely not used in dealing with the zombies. If Crimson Chamber of Commerce''s trump card was the Wanderer tank, then the trump card of Zhao Corporation was this. The bombs sold to Fishbone Base were only old technology, while the more powerful weapons have always been kept under Zhao Chenwu''s control. Without any hesitation, Chen Wei pressed the button. Without a warning. On a barren field 100 kilometers away, the flat ground was suddenly split open. After the item used to camouflage was removed, the metal plate hidden under the layer of the soil was gradually separated. This was the missile well left by PAC. To escape air raids, this improvised one-time use missile silo was common on this piece of land. The light blue signal light extended from the top to the bottom of the silo. "Missile silo 72 is about to fire. Workers, please take shelter immediately." The electronic voice announcing its launch had scared the mutant mice that were biting the roots of plants away. In a flash, the smoke burst and instantly covered the whole area. The 10-meter long missile pierced through the sky filled with radiation dust. "Ten seconds before arriving at the target location. Commander, please set the target." Taking a deep breath, Chen Wei''s eyes tightly locked on the rampaging Wanderer tanks. Using his finger, he dragged the crosshair onto the red box. "Attention! Attack A, Attack B, immediately move away from the target area." "Roger." After receiving the command, the Spider tanks quickly jumped off the building, the six pairs of weight-bearing wheels formed together reverting back to driving mode. Seeing that the enemy units suddenly retreated, the Wanderer tank realizing that it might have been targeted by long-range weapons immediately fired heat-induced bait bombs and electromagnetic decoy targets. It then shifted into overdrive and crashed into the side of the building. The solid concrete wall disintegrated like a piece of paper under the impact, as it attempted to use the 10-meter tall building as cover. But it was too late. A trail of grey smoke instantly fell from the sky. Suddenly, everything dimmed down. The arc-shaped flames instantly ignited. The shockwave didn''t just blow away the concrete blocks and scattered the particles shield away, but also the armor shell as well. The buildings that survived the aftershock of the nuclear blast had collapsed due to the direct impact of the cruise missile. The Disaster-32 cruise missile was designed based on a fictitious aircraft carrier, so taking care a tank was definitely no big deal. Even those from thousands of meters away felt the tremor of the ground. The flames on the horizon made the thick snow lose its color and deafened the continuous gun firing shots. The tide of war was instantly reversed. The Crimson Chamber of Commerce that just lost its strongest armored unit was immediately under heavy fire suppression by the two Spider tanks. Aside from the Wanderer tanks, they didn''t bring more armored units, only thirty infantries and dozens of powered armors. Seeing that his own soldiers had the upper hand, Chen Wei slowly let out a sigh of relief. Zhao Corporation had already won the battle. Although the price was expensive. The Sixth Street Council was probably making a ruckus at this moment, but it was something not for him to worry about. Gunshots were getting sparse, the soldiers of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce fought valiantly, preparing to fight to the bitter end. But this still could not change the outcome of their defeat. "Enemy units have been cleared." Hearing the communication by his ear, Chen Wei was relieved. "Regroup. Set up a blockade to block the zombies, recuperate, and prepare to head back." "What is that!" "God!" Two soldiers opened the trunk of the captured armored vehicle. Staring at the screen, Chen Wei''s pupil contracted. Nuclear bomb! Staring at the distant mushroom cloud, Cao Jinsong''s face flashed a touch of mockery. At the moment, he was standing on a barren land a few kilometers away from the wilderness, and there was a pickup truck parked next to him. "Sheesh, you''ve finally used Disaster-32?" He shoved the binoculars in his pocket, shook his head, and returned to the truck. Whether or not the sword of Damocles exists, the sword hanging above his head had disappeared. The price of a Wanderer tank in exchange for the trump card that scared the living daylight out of him. A nuclear missile and 72 lives in exchange for 80% of Zhao Chenwu''s force. And Wanderer tanks, he still had four of these left. If it had been a poker game, then the outcome of the battle had already been decided? Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ Two chapters tomorrow once they are done editing. 200 At the same time Chapter 200: At the same time Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Did you hear the noise?" Sun Jiao raised her eyebrows as she asked Jiang Chen. The snow was thick, as the two were standing on the bank of Taifu river. "I think so, did something explode?" Jiang Chen stared towards the east, but the flurry blocked his vision. There were two explosions; it was hard to tell which one was louder. It seemed to be from somewhere in the far distance. "Let''s not be distracted anymore." Sun Jiao sighed, her eyes narrowing while starring across the river. "The party is about to start." "You are right." Jiang Chen smiled. All combat units have been sent to the front line. 271 soldiers, 8 Tigers, as well as 15 modified pickup trucks. The Black Blood Mercenaries have already sneaked past the river as they had taken cover on a snow hill a few kilometers away. Everything was prepared. He dragged the scarf away from his neck as white mist emerged from Jiang Chen''s mouth. "Let''s start." "Understood! My commander." Sun Jiao naughtily blinked her eyes before she turned around to step into the T-3 power armor. The night began to fall as the snowfall slowed. The searchlight in the center of the camp, as well as the four corners, shook rhythmically and lit up the snow hills around them. Rows of mutated humans carried rifles as they patrolled their camp. Their steel armor, lined with fur, prevented their skin from being in direct contact with the steel. There were around fifty trucks parked on the empty lot in front of the camp. The daunting gun and cannon barrels create a metal forest. White sheets covered them as they blended into the snow. They didn''t even consider the enemy across the river an opponent. In their eyes, only a round of attack would allow them to drag those cowards out of the trenches and shred them into pieces. Shooting was not their strong suit. Because of their fat finger, to make it easy to shoot, they had to saw off the trigger ring. This was also why they preferred machine guns as most machine guns were not as small as rifles. Due to their build, they didn''t need to consider the large, heavy firepower and weight of the guns. The last group of soldiers had arrived at the base. Once the ice is strong enough to withstand the weight of their armor, they would sound the horn to charge. But that day will never happen. "Did you hear something?" The mutated human at the gate of the base tilted his head and looked at his comrade. The mutated human raised his eyebrows but didn''t seem to find the source of the noise. "Look! What is that!" There were screams, and a mutated human pointed at the dark sky. Something had fallen from the radiation dust, it carried a visible trail of flame and began to accelerate. But they didn''t have more time to think about it. Boom! The searchlight in the center of the base and the four corners shattered with the noise. The light that shined on the four sides instantly faded. At that moment, a few trails of orange flame rose in the sky and exploded. The blinding white light turned the base into day light. It was a lighting shell! "Dammit, it''s an enemy strike!" The mutated human standing at the gate roared out before he took out the light machine gun behind his back and began to fire at the snow hill. The mutated humans didn''t expect that the human taking cover behind barriers would attack them during the night. The mutated humans were not worried by the human''s night strike, rather, they felt a sense of excitement. They are asking for their own death! But that kind of confidence didn''t last long. Under the cover of the lighting shell, a missile with a trail of red flame had fallen from the sky. In the terrified vision of all mutated humans, it landed in the middle of the base. Boom! Flames instantly erupted. It engulfed the vehicles covered by white, the mutated humans preparing to enter the vehicle, as well as the supplies hidden under the snow. The merciless chain explosion started. It played a symphony inside the mutated human''s base. Running, screaming, desperately trying to remove the scorching steel armor, and falling when out of energy as they waited for the flame grim reaper''s cultivation. The steel debris and snow were blown into the air as they melted into liquid in the heat wave as if it was a firework celebration. It was living hell. No one suspected the "rats" across the river possessed a cruise missile. Of course, it was obviously not a cruise missile. It was only a rocket equipped with 1000 kilograms of concentrated explosives. One kilogram was 20 crystals, and along with the cost of the missile, the mega firework cost Jiang Chen thirty thousand crystals. But so what, compared to the effect it caused, the thirty thousand crystals were well spent. Gazing at the fire across the river, Jiang Chen pulled out the flare gun, and he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Attack!" "Roger!" The red flare broke through the night sky. Eight homing voices rose as the 5 kg bombs smashed into the base across the river. The shock of the missile explosion had blown away the snow piles. There was no cover between the two forces. With the range advantage, the electric pulse canon unloaded its firepower. The infantry with their rifles stepped out of the trenches, under the leadership of six power armors, they all charged at the opposing river bank. The Black Blood Mercenaries, who''ve crossed the river, engaged in crossfire with the mutated humans already. The rain drop like lighting shells lit up the night sky. Because the explosive was made of Magnesium powder and other oxidants, the flames didn''t fade away for a long time. Under the intense light, the position of the mutated humans was fully exposed. But it was a problem even for the mutated humans with rifles to aim at the target in the dark. They could only respond by firing randomly into darkness. Seeing the battle visual on his tablet, a smile emerged on Jiang Chen''s face. The anti-air power had been completely dissolved. The unexpected missile had not only wiped out half of their force, it completely disrupted their command structure which forced them to fight on their own. The mutated humans wielding armors were strong, but only in the front. On an open field, if they were surrounded with bullets flying in all direction, mutated humans without formation would only be slaughtered. The infantries fired with pace as they pushed forward under the cover of cannons. Within the virtual reality training system, they have practiced this countless amount of times. Sun Jiao led the six power armors with their high mobility as they roamed among the mutated humans to prevent them from gathering information. Seeing the swiftness of this girl''s action, even if she was in a metal box, recalling her shyness under himself, the feeling was indescribable. With a face slightly red, Jiang Chen coughed as he got rid of all the unhealthy idea in his mind. The battle was approaching its end. The soldiers used their gun barrels to smash the half-dead mutated humans as they finished the kill off with a dagger. There was no need for hostage. Death was the best fate for these monsters. He retracted the tablet as he got in the armored vehicle. "Cross the river." "Yes, commander." As the leader of the base, Jiang Chen began to realize he could no longer fight like a soldier on the front line. Since Fishbone base had already passed the initial growth phase where they lacked people, he gladly accepted the perspective Sun Jiao insisted, which was to stay in the back and wait for the battle to end. The gunshots in the distance began to die down. The armored vehicle drove over the bridge. The northern wind carried a hint of warmth. Jiang Chen who sat on top of the car looked at the remains of the mutated human''s base after the explosion, but his mind had already drifted elsewhere. This was where the mutated humans stored most of their supplies. Even if there were still two thousand something mutated humans there, this major loss would render them unable to fight another battle. These supplies were transported from the Northern Alliance District fifteen hundred kilometers away; it must not have been easy. Now that these supplies are destroyed, and the spy Sun Xiaorou was captured by Jiang Chen. What would the Dusk that suffered defeat do? Speaking of this, the Defender had no action at all, as even Jiang Chen almost forgot that he had an alliance. What are they planning? 201 Requesting Help Chapter 201: Requesting Help Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The battle ended. Based on estimations, there were 972 mutated human casualties, and 57 modified vehicles, 42 anti-air machineguns, 15 72mm cannons destroyed. Also, countless ammunition exploded. On the Fishbone side, there were 19 casualties with five people dead. No armored units were damaged. Black Blood Mercenaries suffered 9 fatalities and 21 casualties. All in all, this result could be considered historically significant. Flames that burnt on the snow had been extinguished. The soldiers were busy moving between places as they dragged the bodies of the mutated humans outside of the base and burnt them with fuel. If they just let them sit, it could draw out mutants hibernating near by. Although they would not lose, it would be troublesome to deal with. The 8 Tigers drove across Taifu river into the mutated human''s base. Within the center of the base, the leader of Black Blood Mercenaries and Jiang Chen stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they chatted and laughed at the scene. "What the f*ck, that missile was wicked. The explosion left nothing behind." Luo Yang had a cigarette in his mouth and was staring at the metal scraps on the ground, still feeling uneasy. To be fair, the missile was not considered strong. It had no anti-radar layer, nor did it possess an energy shield to guard against anti-air laser weapons. It could only be considered a basic cruise missile where the commander sets the target for the missile, and then the control center calculates its trajectory. The first step was simple as it only required Jiang Chen''s command. But the difficult part was the second step. Because of Jiang Chen''s words, Jiang Lin had to spend an entire night in front of the computer. "It''s okay." The word sounded humble, but Jiang Chen''s laughter was cocky. [This is okay? Are you kidding me.] Luo Yang glanced at Jiang Chen with a "bright" smile as he ridiculed in his mind. "But then, there is no need to think about looting anymore." He cracked a smile. "Where did you get the cigarette?" "Somewhere good," Jiang Chen shrugged as he gave an ambiguous answer. "Maybe you can buy this from the Sixth Street very soon." The modern world was indeed a good place. Whether it was food, cigarette, or beer, everything was cheap. Of course, only relative to his net worth. "I wish I had Mr. Jiang''s prosperity." Envy flashed across Luo Yang''s eyes as he greeted Jiang Chen. "Prospering together. Aren''t we?" Jiang Chen smiled. Luo Yang paused for a second before he reacted with a smile. A fee of ten thousand crystals was added to upgrade his mercenaries'' equipment to the next level. With the trade route to Liuding Town, the upgrades would begin this coming spring. Even if the spending power of Liuding Town was not as high as the Sixth Street, it still was the second biggest survivor''s force in Wanghai City. There would at least be tens of thousands worth of profits. With 10%, his mercenary group being rewarded thousands of crystals with a single trip. On this wasteland, no ordinary bandits dared to butt heads with the Black Blood Mercenaries. The only problem was zombies and mutants. But as long as they avoided the city center, the route to the port was relatively safe. It was a winning business. Luo Yang was thinking how much money he could make, but Jiang Chen was thinking something else. Purchasing the microchips from Liuding Town improved the combat ability of the kinetic skeletons produced at the Fishbone base. At the same time, Liuding Town''s technology would also offer great help to Jiang Chen''s plan in the modern world. As long as he puts in an order, Liuding Town''s chip factory would accept any kind of business, even the communication chips from one hundred years ago. Although it was a desolate technology for the apocalypse, it would still be ahead of the modern world''s technology by ten years. This advancement was enough for Future Technology to conquer the phone market. As they envisioned their bright future, they both fell into silence. At this time, the communication chip beside Jiang Chen''s ear vibrated. It was Zhao Chenwu. "I''m going to take a call," Jiang Chen told Luo Yang as he walked to the side. He picked up the call. "What''s going on?'' Jiang Chen said with a lighthearted tone. "Did you solve your troubles?" Zhao Chenwu''s voice didn''t sound as collected as before. "Yes, is there something wrong?" "I have a few small problems, can you help me?" Slightly embarrassed, Zhao Chenwu still pleaded. His embarrassment was due to refusing Jiang Chen''s help just moments ago. A mischevious expression appeared on Jiang Chen''s face, but for the partner that had offered him quite some support, Jiang Chen didn''t seem to be troubled. "Is it about the God''s Cane in the city center? Speaking of this, I have received information that the thing didn''t land on the earth''s surface." "It is confirmed that it is fake." Zhao Chenwu''s voice sounded bitter. "Then?" "Somone betrayed the Group of Ten council." Jiang Chen hung up the phone as his expression was rather stern. Zhao Chenwu briefly explained the situation. First, a declaration of war was sent to the Sixth Street two years ago, sending the peaceful council into unrest. The declaration of war has been intercepted by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, the "treasure" mentioned in the visual had drawn the interest of Cao Jinsong. He had a feeling that the "treasure" mentioned by the Northern Alliance District could be a superweapon! Based on the simulation of a super computer, he obtained the conclusion that God''s Cane landed in the city center of Wanghai City. Because of his greed, he hid the declaration of war and obviously hid his discovery of the sky-based weapon. He secretly sent exploration forces to the city center in an attempt to find the wreckage of the weapon with a plan to transport it to the secret base outside the city. If he could repair it, not only the Sixth Street, but the entire Pan-pacific area would be under his control. But in the end, he didn''t find the wreckage. Instead, he wasted a decent size of his force. Just as he was debating if he should announce this declaration of war to allow the Sixth Street to prepare, the spy he planted in the Northern Alliance District had sent back good news. Civil war! The military government that controlled the majority of the survival camps had engaged in a gruesome war with another large force, the Dusk. Although the military government won in the end, they suffered significant losses which postponed their plan to advance to the east, Although the invader didn''t come in the end, their stance of plotting against Wanghai City had alerted him. Also, the word civil war had given him a new idea. If the military government could use civil war to obtain absolute control in the Northern Alliance District, why couldn''t his Crimson Chamber of Commerce do the same? Once the seed called ambition has been planted, it would spiral out of control. 202 The Choice Chapter 202: The Choice Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Dictatorship! What an attractive thought. Although they had sworn to coexist in front of the round table, the endless arguments through the years had made him grow wry. A proposal for the abolition of the ghetto would cause the ten council members to argue for half a month. It was just over a few thousand "bugs" and they had to argue for half a month. He has had enough. Crimson Chamber of Commerce, the strongest force, logically should control the piece of land. But under the hindrances of other nine council members, he could not have free reign. For example, the Disaster-32 cruise missile. One single missile would turn the military base into dust. For example, the Double-headed Bull Chamber of Commerce''s Landbird armor, or... The people that became part of the Group of Ten council were no simple characters. Even if he possessed five Wanderer tank known as the land cruiser, it would still be difficult to do what he wanted. Therefore, he had a brilliant plan. When he threw out the bait that lured him to put his nose into the city center onto the conference table. Indubitably, he pleasedly saw that everyone''s eyes turned red. Some due to the anger they had towards the Northern Alliance District. Some and the majority were due to the greed for the treasure. Sky-based weapon. The wreckage of God''s Cane. As he had expected, the council passed the proposal to build a collective defense, face the external enemy together, and then explore the city center. However, every council member had their discreet moves as they didn''t put much effort into building the defense. Instead, they leveraged the council to attack their political enemy. Criticizing other people for their lack of effort in the construction of the defense, while at the same time secretly sending out a large number of forces to explore the city center. As usual, everyone had their own plans, but all were within rationality. Then immediately, a piece of news shattered their rationality. A mission worth one million crystals. Because of this mission, the facade on everyone''s face was ripped off. It was not only himself that did something behind everyone''s back; everyone was plotting for that sky-based weapon. Regardless of their purpose, they could not let their competitor acquire the weapon. The nine council members all put their hands on the betting table. At the same time, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce unleashed their machete to chop their hands. At the external area of city center, Crimson Chamber of Commerce first tried the Zhao Corporation which ignored the flames of civil war. To protect 80% of the force he sent into the city center, Zhao Chenwu permitted the usage of the Disaster-32 cruise missile in agony. Because of this, Cao Jinsong achieved his plan and also ignited the nuclear bomb which wiped out 80% of Zhao Chenwu''s force. The same force he tried to save with his life. A Wanderer tank in exchange for a Diaster 32. The remainder four Wanderer tanks along with some infantries reaped the forces of the remaining council members. At the same time, the flames of war had erupted inside the Sixth Street. As everyone knew, the force inside the inner circle was created by the private force of the Group of Ten council members in the form of an agreement to provide defense service. Now that the nine council members had sent out the majority of the forces to the city center, the inner circle was extremely lacking. Of course, not including the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. The steel gate had fallen which segregated the inner and outer circle. The soldiers of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce engaged in heavy fire with the civil force along with other council member''s private forces. With the manor of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce''s boss being burnt down as the fuse, the flames of the civil war had officially been ignited. There were three options in front of Jiang Chen. First. The more conservative approach. Stop now and reinforce along the river. Second. Capitalize on the victory by heading for the Seventh Area. Third. Accept Zhao Chenwu''s request for help and send out forces to help the Sixth Street. To be honest, the second and third options were both tempting. The mutated humans suffer a significant loss if they march west. Along with the Defenders, it was a great opportunity to completely eliminate the mutated human beings in the Seventh area. But if they respond to Zhao Chenwu''s request for help and send out forces to the Sixth Street, it would also bring a considerable amount of gains. Zhao Chenwu''s offer was attractive enough. If he helped the Group of Ten council, the weapon export restriction would no longer apply to him. Therefore, he could purchase power armors from the Sixth Street to equip his force. A tent was set up in the middle of the base. Within the base, Jiang Chen gathered Sun Jiao, Chu Nan, and Cheng Weiguo for a quick meeting. "There are a lot of choices in front of us. I want to listen to your opinions," Jiang Chen said straightforwardly. "If we could gain contact with the Defender Alliance in Jia City. Capitalizing on our victory is not a bad choice. If we can''t, even without an armored vehicle, there are still around two thousand mutated humans stationed in the Seventh area. The safer choice would be to reinforce along the river," Cheng Weiguo gave an unbiased response. Jiang Chen nodded, he didn''t make a comment but instead looked at Sun Jiao. "What do you think?" "I support your decision," Sun Jiao smiled and said. "But I still want to listen to your opinion." "I personally don''t agree with providing assistance." "Oh? Why?" "It has happened twice. When we encountered problems, he never sent help to us. Now that he has a problem, maybe we could sell him a few barrels of explosives," Sun Jiao said ruthlessly. Hearing that, Jiang Chen smiled and didn''t comment. It was indeed Sun Jiao. Such a simple and direct response was indeed her style. The few barrels of explosives would pay back the high-energy vacuum bomb Zhao Chenwu sold him last time. As for help, he did offer them some, and he did take some risks to do so. Although it would be thrilling to take an eye for an eye, it was infeasible for the base. As the leader of force, he should consider collective interest, not childish actions. "What do you think?" Jiang Chen looked at Chu Nan. "I agree with sending out a force." Chu Nan smiled. "Because of power armors?" To Jiang Chen''s surprise, Chu Nan shook his head. "There is absolutely no need for that." Chu Nan paused as he looked at Jiang Chen, then continued. "Backstabbing each other, this is the end of the Group of Ten Council. It is not a bad idea for a new wise leader to rule the place." Everyone in the tent held their breath. Jiang Chen stared at Chu Nan dumbfoundedly, his expression was odd. Just as he was about to say something, Cheng Weiguo already said what he wanted to say. "Do you know how many people are in the Sixth Street''s civil force? A total of 560 people!" "How many would be left after this civil war? Especially when no one knows the ability of those soldiers." Chu Nan laughed nonchalantly. "Not only the force, but influence is also a factor. With the combination of the two, they could deter the small military forces around the Sixth Street, but if it was us..." "Now that everyone''s strength has been spent on the city center. Mercenaries, hunting team for that one million crystals mission, the Group of Ten council for that sky-based weapon wreckage, the Sixth Street is at its weakest! There is only one opportunity. We could use the name of providing assistance to enter the inner circle and start a coup. As long as we control the inner circle, the Sixth Street would be under our control." Just he said these words, Chu Nan''s eyes were locked onto Jiang Chen''s. "This is a gamble. Can I hear the reason for this proposal?" Jiang Chen pondered for a moment before he spoke out. "Because I trust you. Only you can bring real order to this wasteland." 203 War Never Changes Chapter 203: War Never Changes Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "F*ck, their firepower is too suppressive!" With his back against the barrier, a civil soldier in a bulletproof vest attempted to shoot out of cover but was quickly subdued back. "We require cover fire! I repeat we need cover fire!" He clenched onto the rifle as the soldier hiding behind the concrete wall roared into the communication device with no reply. A soldier fearlessly ducked out of the cover and aimed at the anti-armor RPG. As the armored vehicle unleashed its reign of power, he pressed the trigger. With a trail of red flames, the RPG flew like an iron fist. But when it was ten meters away from the armored vehicle, it was blown away by the activated nitrogen shield, and it smashed into the shop nearby. The subsequent fires shredded the soldier docked out into pieces. The battle erupted out of nowhere. The enemy was not only the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, but it was also some of the civil soldiers. They were bought out by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. The moment the armored vehicle drove into the inner circle, they responded to the coup. It was an unfair battle. Although both sides didn''t use heavy firearms, the private force of the council members was much more powerful than the civil soldiers''. Not only in training but also in equipment. Although the civil soldiers on the side of the council were 400, they were completely subdued by the force of 150 people from the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. Especially since 100 something civil soldiers suddenly turned against them and they only had five armored vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns. On the side of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, even the ordinary light infantry wore carbon nano armor along with the digitalized helmet that provided shooting assistance. Not to mention the special forces wore kinetic skeletons, as well as power armors. Because of everyone''s selfishness, although they possessed the most advanced fire production line on the wasteland, the council never proposed to upgrade the weapons of the civil force. Because only when the civil force lacked behind in technology, could their own private force be "hired." Their commission was not a small amount. It was paid through taxes and was essentially a gold mine. But now, they tasted their own medicine. The only soldiers that could match evenly in terms of equipment were the private soldiers of the other nine council members. But because of the city center exploration project, most of their power was put into the city center. There, they were scouring the reapings by the armored force of Crimson Chamber of Commerce; it was still a question how much would remain. Zhao Chenwu stood on the top floor of the Zhao Corporation building as he speechlessly watched the gun fires below him in the Inner Circle. The ring of fire began to contract from the edge of the wall inwards; he knew exactly what that meant. The Crimson Chamber of Commerce had taken the upper hand. The 400 civil soldiers along with the 50 private soldiers suffered constant losses. He never imagined that five armored vehicles would push him to the edge. But that was the reality when both sides didn''t possess heavy firearms. Even armored vehicles ruled. The door was pushed open, Su Lei walked in. The gorgeous female secretary with a cold expression had already changed into a pitch black combat suit. She carried the Reaper automatic rifle produced by the Zhao Corporation military factory. Normally, her identity was Zhao Chenwu''s secretary, mistress as well as the driver. However, at critical times, she would act as the role of his bodyguard. "Boss, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce is approaching our building. Please retreat with me to a safe location," Su Lei said in an undertone. "Retreat? Where can we retreat to? The door has been shut tight." Zhao Chenwu smiled faintly. He had lost communication with Chen Wei. He must have died already. At this height, he obviously could not see that mushroom cloud. Nuclear bombs. He almost forgot about it. Speaking of that, it should be the cheapest thing here. "The underground shelter below Paradise Island hotel," Su Lei said. Hearing that, Zhao Chenwu shook his head. "I never planned to use that thing. There is no shelter where you can hide forever. If that old thing won, even if I hide underground for ten years, the result would be the same." He has spent too much energy here. Even if it meant death, he didn''t want to let everything go. "I will fight for you till the last moment." Su Lei gave up on convincing her boss. She let out a sigh, and a rare smile appeared on her cold face. Zhao Chenwu was at a loss as he feebly smiled. Saying nothing more, he kept looking downstairs. The rifle loaded, Su Lei walked downstairs. "Still not here?" He muttered to himself as he looked at the electronic clock on the table. Jiang Chen agreed to send help. It was the last straw. People of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce was approaching. He could even see through the dark bulletproof glass of the gunshots fired by the armored vehicles. The power armor used their high mobility to surround the building behind cover. The rotating machine gun on the right merciless shredded the soldiers on the ground. The floor shook violently all the sudden; the bulletproof glass jarred loudly. He already had guessed what has happened, but he still looked at the touchscreen on the table. He pressed the start button as the image from the hall surfaced. Outside of the door was soldiers of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. Wearing kinetic skeleton, the steel made gate had already been blown open by aluminum heat agent. These soldiers carrying rifles quickly rushed into the building and exchanged fire with the building''s security team. There was not much suspense in the battle. Although the security team of the Zhao Corporation received military training, compared to those professional soldiers, they obviously lacked in strength. Especially since they only wore bulletproof vests, like the civil soldiers. It was a frail attempt in the face of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce soldiers'' attack. The first floor was captured quickly. Zhao Chenwu saw with his own eyes that a soldier with kinetic skeleton pulled out a pistol and executed a struggling security wounded on the ground. Then, he turned the gun to the camera and pulled the trigger with a grimace. The visual was lost. The elevator was cut. The Crimson Chamber of Commerce fought fiercely with the Zhao Corporation''s security within the safety tunnel. Boxes and safes were all thrown into the stairs as a blockade, but it was futile to the outcome of the battle. Su Lei was a great soldier. She gathered the remaining 20 security guards together as they exchanged fire on the 12th-floor hallway. She used the wall to take cover as she constantly ducked out to fire back. But from the blood on her shoulder, she probably wouldn''t be able to last much longer. The security guards used anti-blast shields as cover while firing back with a rifle. The security robot dashed out with a machine gun from the corner; the shots caused casualties to the soldiers that entered the building. But that was all. An EMP grenade quickly disabled its weapon system. The particle gun without suspense cut through its metal armor, and it was turned into a pile of metal scraps. This place was not the military factory, only the office building of Zhao Corporation. With the balance of power, no one expected a war to break out here. Su Lei firmly held the gun as she maintained her shooting position while moving back. There were only a few security guards left. [Looks like they can''t hold out much longer.] Zhao Chenwu let out a sigh as he pulled open a cupboard. There was a revolver inside. "Is this it?" He mumbled to himself as he slowly loaded the revolver. It has been a long time since he fought like a soldier on the front line. The last time seemed to the moment he became part of the Group of Ten council. But now, there was not much choice. The sound of explosion continuously transmitted from below him, but Zhao Chenwu never felt calmer. [Even if backup arrived, it is probably too late.] At this time, a blinding white light suddenly lit up the street in front of the building. The deafening explosion almost made him forget how to think. The bulletproof glass was covered in dense cracks. The rising mushroom. "F*ck." His mouth twitched, and his eyes shook from the scene. It was the only word that came out of his mouth. Nuclear bomb! Someone exploded a nuclear bomb in the inner circle. It definitely could not be the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. They already had the upper hand. It must not be the civil force either; they wouldn''t have such a thing. It could only be a council member. They would rather die together than give up the power in their hands. Zhao Chenwu blankly stared at the mushroom cloud in front of him, but the action in his hands already ceased. ... The shockwave flipped the armored vehicles, engulfed the fleeting power armors, and swept through all the soldiers unable to escape. The buildings worth tens of thousands instantly collapsed. The citizens without a fighting chance cried at the ruins. The merchants silently watch their shops turn into dust, forgetting even to run The soldiers attacking his building; he didn''t want to see any more. It was a bloodbath. Looking at the council building in the distance, the flag representing alliance and democracy lowered. A mocking smile appeared at the tip of his lips. The council building, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce had risen on the roof. The roundtable was smashed in half. Cao Jinsong stood in front of the window alone as he stared at the mushroom cloud outside, dumbfounded. Like a bucket of cold water was poured on his head, the excitement of climbing to the top of power was instantly cooled off. He had considered that other council members possessing some unbelievable trap cards, the coup was a gamble, to begin with. But he never considered that someone could explode a nuclear bomb here. "Already gone insane?" His voice sounded bitter. It made sense. On the wasteland without order, thinking about limits was foolish, to begin with. Exploding a nuclear bomb in one''s own city; even in the country before the war had the same thing occur. He seemed to have seen these scene before. But because it was too distant of a time, that part of his memory was already covered by a thin layer of white mist War never changes. 204 The Chaotic War Chapter 204: The Chaotic War Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Nuclear weapons were always the cheapest thing on the wasteland. Like the landmines that covered entire fields after the Second World War Without the need for sophisticated missiles, the tactical nukes that could be fired with artillery was an economical and efficient killing tool. Although the alliance government after the war had collected the nuclear weapon left on the battlefield, there must be some left out there. Zhao Chenwu didn''t want to think about who exploded the nuclear bomb. There was no purpose in who did it. As he watched from afar, he saw black smoke rise from his competitor Feng De''s building. It then immediately collapsed. That fat *ss didn''t compromise till the last moment as he chose to self-destruct the building and suicide along with the soldiers inside. Just like that nuclear bomb. The other council members suffered the same fate. Cao Jinsong seemed to have expected that the entire political power was concentrated in the hands of the few council members. After he broke through the defense line of the civil force, its soldiers immediately attacked the headquarters of the council members. The nuclear bomb didn''t turn the tide of the battle; it was only a death trigger. As if they had suspected this would occur, the Crimson Chamber of Commerce forces were dispersed, the nuclear bomb didn''t even hit one-fourth of their forces. [Already lost?] But just then, his phone suddenly rang. "Hello?" "Which floor are you on?" Like a heaven''s melody, the voice he had been hoping to hear for so long rang into his ear. "21st floor," Feeling ecstatic, Zhao Chenwu said quickly. "Ahem, I am not asking what floor you are on, I am asking about the soldiers in your building." Zhao Chenwu paused for a second as he glanced at the visuals on the touchscreen. Su Lei has already retreated to the 16th floor, the 15th floor was completely occupied by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce. "15th." "Got it." Just as the voice fade, explosion transmitted below him. The violent shaking almost sent him to the ground. He blankly stared out the window at the black dot in the sky. The building in the distance had a daunting hole created on the structure as it exposed the steel frames. "Direct hit, beautiful shot." Looking at the visual on his table, Jiang Chen gave a thumbs up at the gunner at the hatch door. The gunner was excited to hear Jiang Chen''s praise as he worked extra hard to load the cartridge before he waited for further instructions. He has been watching the battle for a while. Jiang Chen saw everything, including that nuclear. He just didn''t expect someone to explode a nuclear weapon in the inner circle. To prevent this place from turning into shambles, he felt he must join the fray. "Retreating? No" Jiang Chen looked at the fleeing dots on the screen, he muttered and pressed his finger on the screen. He had been using to the buzz of the electricity as well as the noise of breaking the sound barrier as snow was blown over ten meters high on the street within the screen. The retreating armored vehicle was smashed into pieces by the 10 kg level bomb without suspense. It was as easy as playing a computer game. The green dots on the ground began to surround the inner circle, it was Fishbone''s soldiers. Jiang Chen left the Black Blood Mercenaries along the Taifu river. He didn''t tell Luo Yang about the battle at the Sixth Street. He only said to him as long as he was stationed here for three days, he would receive 100 more crystals. No one would reject this kind of deal. Everyone knew that mutated humans could no longer invade the east. To avoid unexpected things from occurring, the mercenary force ranked one at the Sixth Street was left somewhere further away. Once the primary force approached the Sixth Street, Sun Jiao immediately declared their stance, with the identity of the alliance of Zhao Corporation to provide backup. The thirty-something civil soldiers cluelessly allowed them to pass without hesitation and then opened the airspace to Chu Nan''s helicopter. They were loyal to the council, although the organization was in complete disarray since the Crimson Chamber of Commerce chose to fire at the council. The Crimson Chamber of Commerce was their enemy. "Hello? Buddy, you don''t mind if I make a hole in the inner circle wall right?" Jiang Chen opened the communication channel with a grin. "I don''t mind." The Inner Circle wall was firm. It took four 10 kg level bombs to blow a corner apart. Seeing the wall had collapsed, Sun Jiao immediately led the 200 soldiers to approach that breaking point. The 6 power armors were responsible as the primary attack force, along with the 8 modified pickup trucks with machine guns attached and thirty-something soldiers with kinetic skeletons. Under air support, the scale of the war was leaning towards Jiang Chen. "Zhao Gang, lead your people to take out their anti-air machine gun, as well as the anti-air missile." Jiang Chen continued to order. "Yes." Another 50 something people entered into the Sixth Street. The wall had been broken. The remaining civil soldiers all entered the Inner Circle for assistance, and the Outer Circle was left completely defenseless. The 50 people quickly took control of the anti-air control center and captured the workers on duty as well as confiscated all communication equipment. With this, there was nothing that could threaten this Type-51 helicopter. With the artillery support of this air gunship, the Sun Jiao led ground forces forced their way into the center of the Inner Circle. The people of Crimson Chamber of Commerce were completely dumbfounded by the force that suddenly joined the fray. Any points of power gathered together would be shredded into pieces by the 10 kg level shell. "The major street has been captured." Sun Jiao voice was transmitted to him. "Continue to push towards the council building," Jiang Chen ordered firmly. "Understood!" The targets of attack of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce were the headquarters of all the council members. From the looks of it, at least four council members were killed already. Only five council members desperately tried to hold their ground. "How long until your people get here? My side can''t hold any longer. Zhao Chenwu''s voice rang by his ear, along with the noise of a few gunshots mixed in between. "Very soon Also, I recommend you open the window, and stay obediently inside your office." After he finished speaking, Jiang Chen closed the communication channel. At the same time, he ordered Chu Nan to fly the helicopter over and lower its elevation. "It''s time for a surgery." "Personally, I recommend for Zhao Chenwu to die. By diminishing the old force, our coup is more likely to succeed." While operating the helicopter, Chu Nan said some formidable points. "Perhaps. But there might be other uses for him later." Jiang Chen signaled Zhou Xiaoxia, who sat quietly across from him. She didn''t say anything as she stood up and walked to the hatch door. Chu Nan shrugged as he didn''t continue to try and convince his boss. He simply pressed a button below the control rod. Auto suspension once again opened. The electric pulse cannon was dragged into the cabin. Zhou Xiaoxia skillfully took off the sniper rifle on her back and aimed at the building. The zone scanned by the crosshair had only bodies remain. Search, fire, bolt, next. A set of swift actions. Zhao Chenwu leaning behind his office table hugged his wounded secretary and gestured thank you to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen smiled and didn''t say anything. He only held onto the tablet and looked towards the ground. It was already over. But this Inner Circle no longer had its formal glory. It has been changed into an entirely different scene. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more tonight 205 Becoming the Owner Chapter 205: Becoming the Owner Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Before dusk had arrived, the war was over. The soldiers that entered the council building found Cao Jinsong''s body in the chamber. His temple was bleeding, and he held a pistol in his hand. When defeat was inevitable, this old man chose to suicide. Seeing that their boss died, the soldiers all dropped their weapons in hand and surrendered. The Crimson Chamber of Commerce''s flag was dragged down by the soldiers who climbed onto the top of the building and was thrown into a pile of flame. "Died? He got off easy." Zhao Chenwu cursed while he limped beside Jiang Chen. His leg got shot. Although the wound has already been treated, he was still constricted by it. At that time, the two of them walked side by side in the hallway of the council building. There were only five people left out of the ten. A meeting was called. There was so much needed to be discussed. "Thank you so much. This way, without your people, Cao Jinsong, would have already succeeded. I''ll do my best to say good things about you on the council." Zhao Chenwu smiled. "Don''t worry about it. As to good things... I think I can gain it by myself like before?" Zhao Chenwu''s feet stopped. His smile froze on his face. Jiang Chen laughed, pushed open the door to the chamber, and walked inside. ... Because that roundtable had been smashed, Jiang Chen ordered the soldiers to drag a long table from elsewhere. The five council members sat on either side. However, Jiang Chen shamelessly sat at the head of the table. Seeing Jiang Chen''s move, Zhao Chenwu seemed to know what he wanted to do. He let out a sigh and didn''t say anything. But the other four council members didn''t take it so well. If it were not for the two soldiers holding rifles and wearing kinetic skeletons, they probably would have jumped up and expressed their dissatisfaction. "For the tragedy that occur here, I express my condolences." Hearing Jiang Chen''s words, the council members all cursed in their minds. There was not a trace of condolence on his face. "But life must continue. Since everyone here is really busy, let''s get things started." Jiang Chen shrugged and said with a smile. "I agree. The cleaning of the radiation materials in the inner circle, as well as rebuilding, must commence soon." A tall council member nodded. His name was Kong Zhe, the owner of Double-headed Bull Chamber of Commerce. Although he just received communication from the front line that his trap card - the Landbird Armor was destroyed by the Crimson Chamber of Commerce Wanderer tank, still 30 something soldiers managed to survive as they began to retreat towards the Sixth Street. "I consent." "I agree." Zhao Chenwu didn''t say anything, but from his expression, he looked desolate. In this civil war, he suffered the most loss among all council members. Two spider tanks, 20 power armors, Disaster-32 cruise missile, as well as great soldiers. Now the only remaining force for the Zhao Corporation was the five power armors and 5- soldiers sent to the outskirts of the city to build a defense line. "First, we should hear some good news." Jiang Chen took out a graphene card from his pocket and put it on the table. "This is what we found on that old fox''s body, the information recorded, the declaration of war was from three years ago. Also, because of their internal conflict, their plan to invade the east fell through." All the council members let out a sigh of relief. After going through the tragic civil war, if the Northern Alliance area attacked, without two to three years to rebuild, they had no odds of winning. "This is great news. In this case, the defense can be put aside for now." A council member with a beer belly wiped the sweat from his forehead. His name was Fan Chen. He operated the largest construction company at Sixth Street, the metal shell company''s owner. Because of his weak force to begin with, in the civil war, his force suffered the smallest lost, but he had the most direct economic loss. The west side of the Inner Circle was turned into shambles by the nuclear bomb. As the biggest real estate owner of the Sixth Street, his direct loss was as high as two million crystals. But he certainly didn''t look too remorseful, because being able to survive was always the best case scenario. "That''s right. Moving the soldiers back from the frontline would also help to stabilize the situation of the Sixth Street. As to what is happening in the Inner Circle, the mercenaries and bandits who depend on the Sixth Street are starting to become unsettled. We must restore the authority of the Group of Ten council and control the situation," Kong Zhe said sternly. "Don''t worry about that, my people have already controlled the situation in the Outer Circle. After sending a 10kg level bomb to a small mercenary force attempting to take advantage of the situation, everyone seemed to have calmed down." Jiang Chen shrugged. The chamber was suddenly silenced. It was so quiet that if a needle dropped onto the ground, it would be clearly heard. "Speaking of this, could your helicopter be flown away now..." After moments of silence, Kong Zhe difficulty squeezed those words out. "To stabilize the situation, my helicopter will conduct routine air patrol. Trust me, this is for your own benefit." Jiang Chen smiled. "Our soldiers will be back. As long as we restart the council, the situation will quickly be stabilized... Oh, let''s talk about your compensation. The Sixth Street treasury will pay fifty thousand crystals as compensation for your assistance." Fan Chen''s expression looked rather awkward, but he still squeezed a smile and proposed in a small voice. "Fifty thousand? Are you pitying a hobo?" Jiang Chen couldn''t help but laugh. "Then what does Mr. Jiang think?" Kong Zhe''s expression turned cold. "Nothing, I just want to take away what I deserve." Jiang Chen with a casual expression leaned against the chair, with fingers crossed, "For example, this council building. Since I got it back from Cao Jinsong, shouldn''t it belong to me?" "This is crazy. You can''t do that!" A council member stood up and furiously stared at Jiang Chen. "No one will listen to your order." "With just two hundred something people, don''t you think your appetite is too big?" Jiang Chen patiently waited for these furious council members to express their frustration, then he coughed lightly. When everyone looked in his direction, Jiang Chen slowly spoke out. "But you don''t have a choice, isn''t that right?" Everyone was suddenly speechless. "My people are outside, with two at the door now." Jiang Chen''s chin pointed towards the two soldiers at the door. The two soldiers with rifles immediately saluted him and continued to stand on guard. "But you don''t even know how many of your soldiers are alive." "The anti-air control center of the Sixth Street has been occupied by us. My helicopter can easily make any disagreeing voice shut up." "I am not negotiating with you; I am only declaring the facts." "From now on, this is my territory." "I will use my way to bring stability here." 206 Military Government Regime Chapter 206: Military Government Regime Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The meeting quickly concluded. No, it was not a meeting. For Jiang Chen didn''t discuss anything with them, but rather he announced the plans from today onwards. Starting today, the Sixth Street will be under a curfew with a duration of at least ten days until the situation was stabilized. The Group of Ten council will be expanded to twenty people, separated into upper house and lower house, which will be represented by influential merchants and industry leaders. The upper house would be represented by merchants with registered assets in the top ten, the lower house would be voted in. Because the civil group lost more than 80% of its force, partially due to internal corruption, they would dissipate immediately after the weapons are collected. The defense of the Sixth Street would be completely taken over by the Fishbone base. To avoid similar civil wars from occurring again, Jiang Chen announced that a military government would be instated in the Sixth Street and control the law enforcement military authority. It would also have the right to veto any proposal from the council. The council''s rights were strictly limited to law proposal and administration. As to the head of the military government - the role of the General had naturally fallen on Jiang Chen''s shoulders. The decision to implement monarchy Constitution was also Chu Nan''s proposal. Jiang Chen was surprised to discover that that guy knew quite a lot about politics. "Although the power of the Group of Ten Council has been cut by more than half in the city center due to the civil war, they should still not be underestimated. Whether it be their reputation in the Sixth Street or the soldiers on the front line. If we could not convince all of them, then we will have to dilute the power in their hands so the small forces in the Outer Circle will stand by our side. We only need to control the military. There is not much difference between direct and indirect control." The establishment of the lower house was great news for the small merchants, mercenaries, and hunting groups in the outer circle. Although there was a lot of them, because of the difference among them, they were always pushed outside of the center of power. Jiang Chen''s decision obviously won the support of this minority. Although they wouldn''t do anything, it without a doubt stabilized the situation. Along with the deterrence of force, the bigger mercenary forces chose to stay put. As to the five council members, including Zhao Chenwu, they were forced to accept the "glory chip" injection and became Fishbone Base''s knight. As to their "cooperation", Jiang Chen highly noted the actions to be taken and promised that he would not misappropriate their assets at the Sixth Street. Also, Jiang Chen divided half of the property of the council members that suffered an unfortunate death as compensation to the remaining members. To some degree, it comforted their displeased mood. To these ruthless leaders, he had to use this method to control them. ... On the second floor of the council building, an office had been cleared out and transformed into the office of the military government general. Sitting in front of the table, Sun Jiao held a tablet as she reported their progress in the last few days to Jiang Chen. "52 Crimson Chamber of Commerce soldiers were captured and all injected with slavery chips. They were reincorporated into the force stationed at the Shenxiang town colony. The rebels in the city center saw the coup has failed, and one Wanderer tank surrendered to us, while the other three retreated to the Crimson Chamber of Commerce base outside of the city. The surrender of the Wanderer tank was a joyful surprise to Jiang Chen! The use of Meissner effect of electromagnetic reaction armor would almost make the vast majority of metal shell kinetic energy weapons fail. Particle Shields also have a degree of resistance to energy weapons. As the main weapon of the type fifty-two particles, it can turn the vast majority of armored units into scrap. With the addition of the Wanderer tank, the armor force of the Fishbone base had improved by a level. "Is there any reaction from the Crimson Chamber of Commerce military base outside of the city?" "Not yet. They seemed to have some internal turmoil. Followed by Cao Jinsong''s death, the slavery chip injected into his nephew Cao Wei''s body had automatically failed. On the distribution of power, Cao Wei and Cao Jinsong''s son had a disagreement." "Internal disagreement again..." Jiang Chen muttered to himself. "Human minds are not something that could be controlled by the chip." Human minds? Jiang Chen shook his head as he decided not to think about it anymore. He signaled for Sun Jiao to continue. "From the battlefield along with the warehouse of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, we looted ten power armors, 87 kinetic skeletons, and 210 carbon nano armors. Some of the equipment only require minor repairs before it can be used." A smile emerged on Sun Jiao''s face "There is still better news to come." A sense of proudness appeared at the tip of Sun Jiao''s tongue, she continued, "Acquired assets total a value of 1.5 million crystals, as well as one military factory, two pharmaceutical factories, and an organic material power plant." Jiang Chen gasped for breath before his face turned ecstatic. Organic material power plant. One ton of zombie fat would provide one thousand to two thousand watts of electricity. Thirty percent of the Sixth Street''s power was generated by this power plant, removing the cost, on average one hundred watts would bring a profit of two crystals. A day''s profit was between seven hundred to one thousand crystals. "How are you going to reward me?" Seeing the excitement on Jiang Chen''s face, Sun Jiao flirtatiously blew him a kiss and said coyly. "Would a kiss be enough?" Jiang Chen smirked. Sun Jiao gave him a dirty looked as she pouted her mouth, put away the tablet, and complained while briefly stretching. "Done reporting. So tiring these few days, when are we going to go home?" "In a few more days. If you are tired, I can give you a massage." Jiang Chen peeked at the softness that was about to pop out of her clothes as he joked. Sun Jiao''s face was covered by a thin layer of red, but she had a smirk on her face. She walked in front of the table, and in a seductive position, she sat down on it. Then, with one hand leaning against the table, the other hand''s finger gently lifted Jiang Chen''s chin, she put her face near his. "I want it now," the girl said flirtatiously. "Now? Uh, there is no place here." "There is a table right here. I can lie on top." With a seductive tone, the delicate finger slowly moved onto the table as there was only tenderness in her eyes. [This devil...] [In the office?] Jiang Chen gulped. Just as he was about to succumb to the wild idea and reach his hand uncontrollably for that slightly opened collar- Knock knock. The sudden knock came from the door. Like a cat, Sun Jiao swiftly got off the table and stood still. Jiang Chen also put his hand on the table as if nothing had happened, but his eyebrows twitched. "Ahem, come in," Jiang Chen said. The door was pushed open. Cheng Weiguo''s loyal face entered Jiang Chen''s sight. Seeing the stern expression on the boss, as well as the displeased look on the "female boss"''s face, he seemed to have realized something as an awkward expression appeared on his face. "Uh, should I leave now." Jiang Chen noticed his expression, and he too felt awkward, but he tried his best to remain composed. "No need. Important matters first." Hearing that, Cheng Weiguo''s face also became serious, and he thought, [That''s the boss, he puts the important issue first!] So he quickly explained, "Liuding town has sent an ambassador who wants to meet you." Liuding town? Jiang Chen''s eyebrows rose. 207 Liuding Towns Ambassador Chapter 207: Liuding Town''s Ambassador Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi June 16, 2171, the South Sea War erupted. The battlefield was not only limited to the South Sea; it was not even limited to the sea itself. The flames of war spread across the twelve jurisdictions under PAC''s control. The Bohai aircraft carrier fleet had a showdown with the Obama aircraft carrier 30 kilometers west of Jizhou Island, with NATO barely snatching a victory. The retreating Bohai smashed into Wanghai City''s port because of nuclear strikes and EMP. Due to it losing its combat power early, it became one of the vessels best preserved after the war. A satirical ending. Because of funding problems, the World Alliance Organization leading the order after the war didn''t repair the Bohai. Instead, it permitted survivors from migrating. Then, they fired the space colonization ship from Kennedy Space Center, Plesetsk Space launch position, Jiuquan Launch Center. The World Alliance Organization was officially dissolved, the subsequent nuclear winter along with a series of critical events occurred. The people being deserted went through the initial suspension before finally choosing to unite together... This is the history of Liuding town. If the pieces of history were described in detail, it would be an epic no less than one million words. "To put it in simple terms, all kinds of interesting people gathered there. There were "locals" like those who had entered the boat when I was young, NATO soldiers that gave up their nationalities, the suckers that didn''t go into fallout shelters, and "pre-war" people from the fallout shelter that opened early. He cracked a smile as Chu Nan dragged the control rod and casually chatted with Jiang Chen who sat in the passenger seat. "What''s life there like?" Jiang Chen asked, but his gaze was focused on what was outside the window. "So so. Because I was a pilot, my salary was reasonable. If I save the money for alcohol, I can eat a meal of sardines a week. That thing tasted pretty good with a low level of mutation. Also, on the deserted armory in the aircraft carrier, with only ten crystals, you can find a rather attractive girl to sleep with you." Hearing that, Chu Nan smiled reminiscently. The third day on routine patrol. The nuclear crater, like a horrifying scar, pierced the land within the Inner Circle. Teams of cleaning personnel in orange protective suits carried a wide box with a thin hose in their hands, walked among the shambles while spraying radiation cleaner at things. For local radiation, this radiation cleaner was quite effective. With only a spray, it would neutralize the radioactive element on the surface. At the same time, it was complicated to manufacture with an expensive price tag. The World Alliance government did manufacture a batch, but for the radiation that covered the entire world, it was rather futile. If it were not for the tightly packed Inner Circle where land was valuable, Jiang Chen would not have permitted the usage of the expensive radiation cleaner. Since it was his territory now, he would have to allow the radiation to return to normal before the construction team could restart the rebuilding process. "I am asking about industrial capability, as well as the military force, you know." "The military is primarily comprised of an air force, with artillery assisting. As to industrial? Liuding Town doesn''t have any industrial capabilities. It doesn''t need any industrial capabilities." Chu Nan laughed. He paused for a moment before he continued, "The Beer Cap company is Liuding town''s factory. They possess tremendous industrial capabilities and produce all kinds of bombs, shells, and aircraft missiles, as well as heavy machinery. There are some smaller survival camps spread out on the wasteland that transport goods to Liuding town. "Is the only specialty from Liuding Town sardines?" Jiang Chen smiled. "Of course not. A fair amount of mutant fish have rather "mild" changes; the crystal number is also stable. The income from fishing is not only the fish meat but also the sesame sized crystals on the fishbone. Also, there is the chip production industry, without the need for a significant amount of space, the raw materials were also easy to obtain by the side of the sea, but these are not the important points." Chu Nan mysteriously smiled as he looked at Jiang Chen dubiously. "The most luxurious casino and brothel on the wasteland are there. There are all kinds of tricks and games you can play, also very magical. A lot of merchants from Su city and Hang city visit because of the name as they hand over their hard earned crystals willingly while having the time of their life." "Then it''s a great place, have you tried it before?" "No, I am only a cheap pilot," Chu Nan shrugged as he said helplessly. "Other than this?" "And artillery agreement." "Artillery agreement?'' Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "That''s right, that''s also part of Liuding Town''s business." The patrol was over. Chu Nan controlled the helicopter while pressing a few buttons as they started to make their return. "Bohai''s electromagnetic cannon has a range of 500 kilometers. Therefore it can fire from the outskirts of Long River to Luzhou. Of course, the further the distance, the higher the cost, and the lower the accuracy. But it can easily strike targets in Wanghai City. "Therefore?" "One 100 kg level bomb costs 2000 crystals. It could be used on any small force, not within the artillery agreement. As to the artillery agreement, there is a fee of 10000 crystals per month." "What, that is like asking for a protection fee," Jiang Chen cursed. "It is a protection fee. So the reason they come to the Sixth Street is evident," Chu Nan said nonchalantly. "Did the Sixth Street pay them before?" "No, because Disaster-32, that belonged to Zhao Corporation, could send them into the deep sea without the ability to defend at all, and the five Wanderer tank of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce could also cut off their supplies... But now, these things seem to be gone. The only remaining Wanderer tank could be counted as a chip on the table, but it doesn''t provide deterrence anymore." The civil war had cost all the trap cards of the Group of Ten council. It also cost the firm stance of the Sixth Street. The trap cards were not only there to create a balance of power, but it also deterred the external enemies. "Do you think I should agree to the artillery agreement?" Jiang Chen nonchalantly laughed. To be honest, if it was not for the fact that the Fishbone Base hasn''t trained an experienced pilot, Jiang Chen really wanted to move Chu Nan into a managing role. A helicopter pilot was too limiting for his ability. Considering their take over of the Sixth Street alone, regardless of the decision of stabilizing the situation, Chu Nan offered him a lot of help. "Of course not, although ten thousand crystals were nothing to the Sixth Street, that doesn''t mean we need to lower our heads to them." "Oh? We have other trap cards?" "Of course." Chu Nan smiled, "Did the boss forget, what did we use to destroy the mutated humans?" "That big firework?" Jiang Chen burst out laughing, "that thing might not be enough for aircraft carriers." The technical content of the "ballistic missile" was too low. If it were not for the mutated humans being too careless with the construction of their base, a missile would not take out over half of their force. Anti-missile technology before the war was extremely advanced. Basic ones included radar lock on and laser anti-missile. The reason Disaster-32 was strong because it could render the most anti-missile system useless. If that missile were used to smash Liuding town, before it could land, it would be shot down by the anti-air laser cannon. "Of course it was for hitting the Liuding town aircraft, we only need to aim at Liuding town''s alliance." Chu Nan shook his head, "For example the Beer Cap company, they could produce 100 kg level bombs, but it doesn''t mean they can equally produce the matching electromagnetic cannon. Under the protection of Liuding town, they never developed a strong military force." "Without their alliances, Liuding town is only a dead boat." Hearing that, Jiang Chen laughed out loud as he patted Chu Nan''s shoulder with force. "Not bad. Also, something else, do you have an interest being the governor of the Sixth Street? I am starting to realize that some of your other abilities are much better than controlling a helicopter." "Are you hiddenly telling me that I suck at piloting?" Chu Nan made a funny expression as he joked. "Of course not, I am serious." "Mhmm, you are the boss, I will listen to your order. But to be honest, rather than becoming the governor of the Sixth Street, I want to become Liuding Town''s governor more." He wasn''t joking. 208 A Friendly Signal Chapter 208: A Friendly Signal Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi As to the Chu Nan''s last sentence, Jiang Chen gave it a thought but didn''t reply. The Sixth Street located in Jiading officially became part of his territory. Therefore, all the entrances from the northwest direction were under his control. Including the Fishbone base in Qingpu, and Shenxiang town colony in front of the Zhufeng highway. The three areas formed a triangle as the force almost included all the major roads to enter Wanghai city from the west. It was fair to say, half of Wanghai city was already in his hands. But, a highly volatile factor still posed a threat to the security of this area. It was Liuding town. That electromagnetic cannon was an immense force, its power far surmounted the cannons on his Tigers. Although they would not easily strain the relationship with the "ruler of the land" Jiang Chen, since they existed, it would still be a threat. How can one allow a threat to exist? If he wanted to control the entire Wanghai city area, then he must plan against Liuding town. But with the status quo, for both parties, cooperation was the better choice. ... Within the chamber, Jiang Chen met the ambassador from Liuding town. To his surprise, the ambassador was a lady. The bodyguard behind her was a Caucasian male. From his buff body, he must be a great fighter. As to the female ambassador, Jiang Chen''s first expression was utter shock, but presumably, he expressed his caution towards her. Under her high nose, a vibe of power surrounded her. Blonde hair, a western kind of body but an eastern face; she should be mixed. Tang Miya, that was her name. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, ambassador from Liuding town, I hope you enjoyed your stay last night." When he saw her enter the door, Jiang Chen had a friendly smile on his face and at the same extended his right hand. Because she arrived rather late, Jiang Chen arranged a room for her in the Paradise Island hotel. "Thank you for hosting me." The vibrant red lips were curled up as Tang Miya extended her hand and shook with Jiang Chen. "Your sex robot in the hotel was great." Jiang Chen paused for a moment as his expression looked peculiar. [That sex robot...has a female version?] To his surprise, this lady ambassador was rather wild in her private life. "Ahem, as long as you had fun. Please take a seat." Jiang Chen smiled as he avoided the rather inappropriate topic, he nobly pulled out the chair for her and invited her to sit. Tang Miya nodded with a smile to express her gratitude as she sat on the chair. The bodyguard stood in front of the door. "What kind of news is Miss Tang Miya bringing to us from Liuding Town?" As he sat on the chair, Jiang Chen asked the straightforward question. "Of course friendly news." Tang Miya blinked her eyes before she took out a document, "First, it is about the trade. Liuding town had signed a trade agreement with the Group of Ten council at the Sixth Street, now that owner of the Sixth Street has changed, I wanted to ask Mr. Jiang Chen if this agreement is still valid?" She put the document gently on the table. Before the meeting, Jiang Chen scanned through the agreement. The premise was to ensure that Liuding town''s merchants were treated fairly and equally and also share the same free trading rights with other forces. "Of course it is valid." Jiang Chen picked up the agreement as he ceremonially scanned it before he gave out a direct response. A smile surfaced on Tang Miya''s face as she put the contract away; she had all ten fingers crossed. "Also, it''s about an agreement with the Fishbone base. Is it appropriate to bring it up now?" An obvious attempt to test the water. On the surface, Jiang Chen was the general of the military government, the council still exercised the decree. At least for other people, the Sixth Street was still open, and democratic. Deciding for the council was overreaching, to begin with. Now that the private matter of the Fishbone base was brought up in the Sixth Street Council building, it was practically asking: does the Sixth Street belong to you? The answer was yes. "It''s fine, just say it," Jiang Chen said firmly. Seeing Jiang Chen''s reaction, Tang Miya smiled and took out another agreement. "Regarding the food by the Fishbone Food Corporation, our party is very interested... If you don''t mind my rudeness, you are the owner of that company right?" "Why do you think that?" Jiang Chen smiled. "A woman''s sixth sense," Tang Miya used a half-joking voice. "Maybe your sense is accurate, but we are off topic now." Jiang Chen shrugged as he didn''t answer the question, but rather, he avoided the topic. Although Tang Miya was not too satisfied with Jiang Chen''s response, she only smiled as she didn''t persist on the question. "This is our trade list; we need meat cans, vegetable cans, beer, and sugar. On the other side, we can provide crystals, small electronic components like chips and batteries. We trust that the price we offer will please you." Jiang Chen carefully scanned through the content on the list as he nodded. The price offered by the woman was a bit higher than Zhao Chenwu. The total trade amount was around half a million per month. The deal could be executed next spring. "I am pleased with the price you offered, as the chips of your party, our side is also very interested. But the name on the contract is Lucky 32 Casino, not Liuding town, is there something I am not understanding?" Jiang Chen smiled as he signed the agreement with his name. "Liuding town is only an aircraft carrier, but Lucky 32 Casino is my property." Miss Tang smiled as she put away the contract. Jiang Chen thought for a second before clarity returned to his face. "Then, in this case, the identity of Miss Tang in Liuding town, is similar to mine in the Sixth Street?" "Two kinds of political structures, not comparable." Tang Miya said, "You can interpret that as I am a sailor with some influence." [Not a complete dictatorship?] "Although I don''t completely understand, I think it would not interfere with our cooperation. Now, do you have any interesting proposals?" Jiang Chen laughed. To Jiang Chen''s surprise, Tang Miya shook her head. "No." [No? She didn''t bring up the artillery agreement?] Jiang Chen quickly regathered his thoughts, stood up, and announced the end of the meeting. After shaking Tang Miya''s hand, Jiang Chen personally sent her out the door. "To be honest, I personally enjoy chatting with a dictator like you," Standing at the door, Tang Miya said out of nowhere. "Oh?" "Just this piece of paper, if it was for the Group Of Ten council, they could argue endlessly for two days straight. Compared with rowdy men, I think a decisive man like you is more charming." Tang Miya didn''t bother to hide her praise in her words as her gorgeous eyes looked at Jiang Chen. "Haha, Miss Tang is overcomplimenting me." Jiang Chen humbly smiled, but the curled up mouth clearly exposed his satisfaction. Tang Miya would obvious not miss this detail as the tip of her mouth also curled up. No men would have no reaction to a beautiful girl''s praise, it was a natural instinct of men. "I have a personal proposal, I don''t know if Mr. Jiang would be interested?" "Mhmm?" With her watery eyes turning, Tang Miya got closer to Jiang Chen with a smile, the tip of her nose stopped at the point where it almost touched his face. With an incredibly flirtatious tone, accompanied by her warm breath, she spoke out. "Tonight, do you want to come by my room?" ... 209 Fac Chapter 209: Fact Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The next morning. Jiang Chen and Miss Tang Miya walked out of Paradise Island hotel together. They chatted and laughed as they walked along. Then, Jiang Chen nobly sent her to the gate of the Sixth Street. If it were not for the people seeing them coming out of the hotel together, no one would have guessed what happened before. But if people observed carefully, both of the powerful individuals had minor dark circles under their eyes, it seemed like they didn''t sleep well last night. Of course, what happens at the top of the pyramid, the people below don''t need to know. As to the rumors, it will fade eventually. "Was it enjoyable last night?" Jiang Chen grinned as he mocked her. "You are better than the sex robot." The tip of Tang Miya''s mouth curved up as she replied in the same mocking tone. "Haha, I''ll take that as a compliment." Jiang Chen without many boundaries would not refuse seduction, especially if it were in his own territory. Therefore, last night he gladly accepted Tang Miya''s invitation as he hooked up with the queen from Liuding town. The intimacy happened last night, was no different than the negotiation on the conference table, both parties searching for what they want. Being able to thrust into the body of a boss level person made Jiang Chen feel the "conquering" sensation. At the same time, also as a person of importance, she enjoyed the sensation of "being conquered" as she hadn''t experienced it for a long time. But that enjoyment will only last until morning. The two both chose to keep quiet on the details of last night. Just like Jiang Chen had his mistresses. As the boss of force, the owner behind Lucky 32 Casino Miss Tang Miya, also possessed her own lovers. "What a pity, it would be better if you are a nobody." Before she was about to leave, Tang Miya gently used her finger to lift up Jiang Chen''s chin as her eyes narrowed. "If I am a nobody, is there any benefits to you?" Jiang Chen squeezed her hand with a smirk as he moved her finger away. With her hand held, she did not blush at all. Her shamelessness was no less than Jiang Chen''s. With a mischevious smile, she said, "Then I could make you one of my lovers." With her invasive speech, Jiang Chen only smiled noncommittally. [Funny, although my boundary is a bit gray, I don''t have that kind of fetish.] Ceremonially they said goodbye as Tang Miya along with her bodyguard disappeared among the ruins. Looking at her figure disappearing into the horizon while remembering her final words, Jiang Chen uncontrollably shivered. Although he just imagined it, the idea was a bit disgusting for a man. ... After returning to the Inner Circle, Jiang Chen found Chu Nan who was cleaning the helicopter on the helicopter pad. "Was it thrilling last night?" Chu Nan laughed mischievously as he closed the hose shut. "How did you guess?" Jiang Chen shrugged. "The owner of Lucky 32 Casino, Miss Tang Miya. Her unique hobby is no news in Liuding town." Chu Nan threw the mop on the helicopter''s back wing, clapped his hands, and looked at Jiang Chen. "Since she already hooked up with you, then the negotiation must be successful?" "You could say that. Also, she didn''t mention the artillery agreement, your guess seems to be off." Jiang Chen smiled. With eyebrows slightly raised, Chu Nan held his chin pondering for a moment. "Is that so? It looks like they chose the more cautious way." "Cautious?" "Mhmm. Perhaps because she realized from the interaction between you that your firm stance would mean you would never compromise, therefore Tang Miya didn''t bring up the proposal that obviously would be rejected, but rather she brought up the genuine desire to cooperate." "That''s something she can see through?" Jiang Chen laughed. "Tang Miya is a smart woman. Or else she wouldn''t be managing Lucky 32 to perfection." Chu Nan paused before he continued to speak. "On the other hand, they might also be cautious about the force behind you." "Fishbone Food Corporation?" Jiang Chen pondered. It was only an elaborate lie, but since the food he brought out became evidence to support its existence, it made everyone believe its existence. Other than the most intimate people, no one knew that it is a fictitious creation, not even his own citizens. Although he didn''t need it anymore. "If you could pardon my rudeness, boss, is your identity really just a representative?" "Does it matter?" Jiang Chen smiled noncommittally. "From the bystander''s perspective, your identity is more like the boss of the Fishbone Food Corporation. And Fishbone base, rather than a supply station, is more similar to a military outpost." Hearing that, Jiang Chen''s eyes slightly moved. "Regardless, since I already settled the fact this military outpost exists, even if people want to touch it, they no longer have the ability to." "That''s right because they are fearful." Chu Nan smiled, "Because they don''t know the real power of the company behind you. Did they help to occupy the Sixth Street, what''s the purpose and intention of entering Wanghai City. Because of the lack of information, it forces them to use a cautionary attitude." "Because of this, they should already have considered the mutated people of the Seventh area would somewhat pose a hindrance to our growth. If we accepted the artillery agreement, then we would definitely use electromagnetic cannon against the mutated human. If we easily solved the mutated human problem, it would be against the interest of Liuding town. Rather than the income of ten thousand crystals, they would much rather see mutated human and our struggle for power and hurting each other." ... Thinking about Chu Nan''s words, Jiang Chen returned to the council building. Regardless, Liuding Town''s attitude was rather friendly, the mutated human at the Seventh area didn''t make any moves either. In this case, his force in the apocalypse had finally entered a relatively peaceful period. He only needed to choose someone to represent him for the Sixth Street affairs, Fishbone base is his core. After leaving for so long, it was time for him to go back. Back in the office, he saw the pouting Sun Jiao waiting. His expression looked rather awkward since last night... "Was it fun last night?" Sun Jiao smiled with not the friendliest of smiles. Jiang Chen forced a laugh as he embarrassedly scratched his head, looking away. Sun Jiao''s mouth pouted unhappily. "There is still a small apple you haven''t eaten yet, and you are picking fruit on another side." The small apple referred to Yao Yao. "Sorry." Jiang Chen knew there was no use saying anything as he chose to admit fault, he also walked up to hug Sun Jiao. Feeling his body heat, a red hue covered Sun Jiao''s face. With her expression showing a momentary confliction, she finally let out a sigh and gave up persisting this topic. "Let''s talk about some important matters. When do we go back? I am worried... about her condition." That her was obviously referring to Sun Xiaorou. Because it was too dangerous, she was still locked up inside the basement. Speaking of her own sister, Sun Jiao also gave Jiang Chen a hard and dirty look. "Ahem, the day after tomorrow, I''ll do my best to finish taking care of everything." Jiang Chen, knowing he lost the high ground, chose to shamelessly avoid Sun Jiao''s eyes of blame as he quickly finished saying everything he needed to before fleeing from the scene. 210 Zhao Chenwus Choice Chapter 210: Zhao Chenwu''s Choice Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The cleaning of radiation was almost complete. As to the suddenly erupted and quickly ended civil war, the survivors living in the Sixth Street reacted calmly to the situation; the passersby also didn''t cause any trouble. The new insurgent, with thunderous momentum, stabilized the chaotic situation. Other than the ten people at the top who changed seats, for most of the people living in the Outer Circle, life didn''t really change. As to death. People died every day on the wasteland. "I always thought I am great at understanding people, but I guess I was wrong this time." Zhao Chenwu let out a sigh as he sat across from Jiang Chen. "Do you regret anything?" Jiang Chen smiled. Zhao Chenwu was silent. Seeing that he didn''t respond, Jiang Chen didn''t mind, but rather he poured a cup of hot water for himself. Then, he took out a small plastic bag from his pocket as he ripped it open, then slowly poured the fine brown powder inside the steamy cup. Looking at the dark brown mixture, Zhao Chenwu''s eyes widened as he uncontrollably gulped. "At our place, this is called coffee." "Of course I know." Zhao Chenwu''s tone sounded urgent. "Do you still regret it now?" Jiang Chen laughed. Zhao Chenwu looked at Jiang Chen not understanding his meaning. Seeing the expression on Zhao Chenwu''s face, Jiang Chen laughed, and then took out something else. The white cube, in Zhao Chenwu''s widened eyes, was dropped into the fragrant coffee. "You have a lot of good things," Zhao Chenwu difficultly squeezed out these words. "That''s right." Jiang Chen shrugged as he said lightheartedly, "Some things I was afraid of bringing out, but now I don''t have as much to worry about." "Are you really a representative?" Zhao Chenwu said with a bitter smile. "You are the second person that has asked me this question... But what I want to say is that who I am is not important. The important thing is, as long as you work for me, I can provide you with all of these." Jiang Chen smiled. "Provide me with all of these?" Zhao Chenwu was dumbfounded as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief. "That''s right." Jiang Chen was straightforward, "Food, sugar, coffee, tea, as well as other similar things. I will provide you a batch every month and you''ll be responsible for selling them for me. The right to sell food is in your hands. I won''t interrupt your business and I will only send some people to provide assistance in accounting." "I don''t understand, these things would be popular anywhere on the wasteland, why would you give it to me to do?" Zhao Chenwu didn''t understand. "Because I trust your ability, I want to see my product appear in every corner of the wasteland." Hearing that, Zhao Chenwu''s expression turned peculiar as he had an odd smile on his face. "I can''t believe that not long ago, we were still partners, now, I am working under you." "That''s up to your interpretation. As long as you maintain your "coolness," then Zhao Corporation still belongs to you. The purpose of a "chain" is to prevent similar things from happening again. Our relationship can still be interpreted as a partnership, and it is a much closer partnership." Jiang Chen smiled. Zhao Chenwu paused for a moment before he burst out laughing and extended his hand. "Then best of luck to both of us." Holding his hand, Jiang Chen smiled. "Best of luck to both of us." The food trade specifics were quickly nailed down. The Fishbone Base was responsible for providing the supplies, Zhao Corporation was responsible for creating trade routes to send the goods to the corners of the wasteland, then bringing back other goods or crystals. The profit would be divided 30 to 70 with Zhao Corporation taking home 30%. The current trade boundary would be expanded to the nearby Su City and Hang City with trade commencing this spring. With the electronic agreement, Zhao Chenwu left Jiang Chen''s office feeling jubilant. Fan Chen waiting at the door let out a sigh of relief when he saw the expression on his colleague''s face. Jiang Chen shouldn''t be difficult to talk to or Zhao Chenwu wouldn''t be this happy. As he thought, the fat guy knocked on the office door before walking inside. Sitting across from Jiang Chen, Fan Chen hesitated for a moment before he asked in a low voice. "What does the general need from me?" Although Jiang Chen didn''t put his hands on their assets and even divided some more interests to them, no one felt relaxed because of it. The reason was that they were all injected with that chip. Now that the situation has stabilized, Jiang Chen didn''t make moves at their wallet. But what about in the future? Who could promise that he wouldn''t slowly take over the crystals and factories in their hands and then secretly get rid of them? That thing was originally meant for slaves, the people with it cannot defy at all. These council members at the top never thought that thing would be used on them one day. "Don''t be so nervous, have a cup of coffee first?" Jiang Chen smiled amiably as he made him a cup of coffee. Looking at the coffee in front of him, Fan Chen''s expression was even more vibrant than Zhao Chenwu''s, the widened eyes were almost about to pop out. The hand holding onto the cup trembled as he excitedly put his lips to the cup and took a sip. The taste that has been long gone. "I finally understand why that guy Zhao Chenwu was so emotional when he walked out." Fan Chen let out a sigh as he smiled bitterly. Thinking about the continuous partnership between Zhao Corporation and Fishbone base, even thinking with his butt, the two-parties must have reached some agreement. "Haha, I believe you will be more emotional by the time you walk out the door." Jiang Chen laughed. Fan Chen''s face had astonishment written on it as he sat straight up, but then he slumped back, forcing a smile. "It wouldn''t be the food business. Two food sellers competing would offer much less profit than a monopoly." Jiang Chen smiled as he took a sip of his own coffee. "Although it is not the food business, the profit margin is not any lower." Hearing this, Fan Chen looked interested. "Oh? What business is it?" "The rebuilding of the Sixth Street Inner Circle, I will contract you everything," Jiang Chen softly released this mega bomb. Fan Chen''s eyes opened wide as he looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief. "Everything?" "What, are you not confident?" Jiang Chen smiled. "That would require a lot of money..." Fan Chen said difficulty. "Don''t worry, there will be funds." Jiang Chen put down the cup as his finger crossed, "The building destroyed in the civil war will be paid for by the assets of the Crimson Chamber of Commerce, totaling one and a half million crystals. Based on the progress of construction, for every 10% completed, 10% of the fund will be paid out." "Deal!" Fan Chen accepted without hesitation, the tense expression he had was as if he was afraid Jiang Chen would take back his decision. Jiang Chen smiled without saying another word as he took out the electronic agreement. After carefully confirming the terms of the agreement, Fan Chen pressed his finger on it. "To be honest, I am confused." Putting away the contract, Fan Chen couldn''t resist the temptation to ask. "What are you confused about?" Throwing the contract in his pocket, Jiang Chen sunk into his chair as he said amiably. After debating for a moment, Fan Chen still spoke out with his head lowered. "If I were in power, I would confiscate all the other council members'' asset." "The reason why I want you merchants to have a seat at the table is that it is too difficult for me to rule this piece of land, you can just be a good merchant from now on." "Do you not love wealth?" Fan Chen forced a smile. Just as he said those words, in his shocking sight, Jiang Chen suddenly burst out laughing. "The entire Sixth Street is mine, is there a difference whether the crystal is for me?" History had proved countless times whether the corporation should be governed by an individual or a collective group. Rather than hoarding crystals, Jiang Chen would rather hand out the small profits. It was not only a technique to gain people''s loyalty. More importantly, under the motivation for profit, these ambitious merchants would naturally expand and conquer for him. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more tonight 211 The End for now Chapter 211: The End for now Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The five council members were all called upon separately to Jiang Chen''s office. When they left, all of them left with a happy expression. What would have taken two days of arguments around the roundtable, Jiang Chen used a few sentences to solve. The food trade was controlled by Zhao Corporation. From today on, they''ll start to hire workers from the Outer Circle as well as guards. At the same time, they''ll order from the mechanical repair factory in the industrial area. The order totaled to twenty modified trucks with crystals as the energy source for the transportation vehicles of the goods. These trucks would be modified at Zhao Chenwu''s firearm factory with heavy machineguns attached on top, the exterior being wielded with steel armor and parts. Jiang Chen remembered a sentence Zhao Chenwu told him when he took him on tour: "Unless it was a proposal passed by the Sixth Street council would my factory start producing these hard to take care of things." Now that there was no more trouble; the damn roundtable was smashed in half. The council no longer discussed these annoying problems and Jiang Chen''s words were the law. When control was in one person''s hands, there would be no comical proposals to keep him in check. Ten T-3 power armor orders with a total price of one hundred and ten thousand crystals would be completed by next March. Jiang Chen paid 20% upfront to Zhao Chenwu, Zhao Chenwu will use this funding to expand the production line and hire more workers. At the same time, Jiang Chen notified Zhao Chenwu to emphasize Zhao Corporation''s weapon research to focus on new power armor types. They must develop a more mobile, higher load, and more powerful T-4 power armor. Not only Zhao Corporation, the other four council members all received their own benefits. Fan Chen''s metal shell Chamber of Commerce acquired the project to rebuild the damaged buildings in the Inner Circle as well as repairing the damages to the wall. At the same time, Jiang Chen gave him the project to connect Fishbone Base to the Sixth Street''s electric grid. Lu Yun''s Shoreline company, who previously sold small items before the civil war and traded with Su city and Hang city, had a small portion of the pharmaceutical market. Unfortunately, the nuclear explosion in the Inner Circle almost wiped out half of his stores. Although the rebuild fee would be paid by Crimson Chamber of Commerce''s assets, the products he lost during the nuclear explosion were not included as part of the compensation scheme. But just at the brink of bankruptcy, Jiang Chen helped him. He organized all the pieces of lands together and assigned him a large plot of land to aid in his business transformation - building the biggest entertainment city on the wasteland with casinos, hotels, as well as special services. Hua Weijie''s star technology company still maintained its original business focus - to digest and improve the pre-war technology. But Jiang Chen gave him a research direction - Type-51 Transport Helicopter. The Sixth Street didn''t develop their air force, part of the reason being that they never acquired the technology before the war. The other reason being the comical balance of power. "Because I don''t have the helicopter, therefore you are not allowed to research. Therefore I will group up with the eight other people to sanction you." Now that the problem didn''t exist anymore, Jiang Chen prepaid Hua Weijie twenty thousand crystals as funding for the upgrade of research equipment and hiring teams to explore pre-war facilities to gather information. Other than the four council members mentioned above, even Kong Zhe, who first stood up to oppose Jiang Chen in the initial meeting, gained something out of this. Jiang Chen, putting aside their history, made this guy who was living anxiously for the past few days graciously express his gratitude. However, Jiang Chen really didn''t care about this appreciation as he used a casual voice to tell him that, as long as he is obedient, there will be things to gain out of it. Now that the Sixth Street was back on track, it was time to go back to the Fishbone base as that''s where his core operations lie. The helicopter was left there. The star technology company''s technologists will use equipment to scan the helicopter and acquire the needed technical data. Chu Nan, as the pilot, was obviously left behind on the Sixth Street. Considering that the restructure of the council to the upper and lower house would still require coordination, Jiang Chen granted Chu Nan as his representative to perform part of the duties as the general. He also left two hundred soldiers behind to maintain order. After taking care of these things, Jiang Chen took the remaining soldiers and left the Sixth Street. "Finally get to go home." On the way, Sun Jiao lazily stretched. "That''s right, finally going home." Jiang Chen smiled as he looked at the underground entrance. The underground tunnel modified with the cooperation of Zhao Chenwu now belonged completely to Jiang Chen; with elite soldiers wielding kinetic skeletons guarding the entrance. When they saw Jiang Chen and Sun Jiao approach, the five soldiers on duty saluted and opened the gate to the tunnel. "Speaking of this, a lot happened in this half a year." Walking on the dry concrete road, Sun Jiao abruptly started talking. "That''s right." "Is that the only thing you can say?" Sun Jiao pouted her mouth as she gave a dirty look to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen laughed as he naturally held onto her hand. Sun Jiao''s face turned red but quickly returned to normal. "You are blushing?" "No." "We have done it so many times - Ahh, is your zodiac a cat?" Jiang Chen painfully shook his right hand as he exaggeratedly blew on his hand. This girl pinched him. After spending so long together, he almost forgot that she was a "lunatic'' with a muscle strength of 44. Although the thin arms did not show any signs of muscle. Sun Jiao stared at him in embarrassment. "Why are you saying this here?" Sun Jiao glanced in the front as there were no signs of the team anymore. Leading in the front was Cheng Weiguo, as to the two people "intentionally" lagging behind, that guy understandingly took the forty-something soldiers and moved at a faster pace, leaving the quiet space to them. "Ahem, they are all gone." Jiang Chen with a grin put his arm around her waist. She didn''t resist against Jiang Chen''s intimate action as they walked in the not-so-romantic underground tunnel. Compared to the first time they walked inside, this place has been completely changed. The wall was covered with luminescent stripes that emitted cold blue lights which lit up the pitch black underground. The river flowing with dirty water had been blocked already with a layer of Polyethylene alloy separator. The outlets were blocked by polyethylene boards which stopped the possibility of bandits or cannibals from entering. "What is your EP indicators now?" "Why are you asking about it?" "I just want to see, do I have the ability to forcefully do you," Jiang Chen asked in a half-joking voice. Hearing that, Sun Jiao''s face turned red again, but it was soon changed into a smirk as she displayed the EP on her arm. [User Name: Sun Jiao Muscle strength: 49 Bone strength: 67 Reflex: 50 Brain cell strength: 13] ... "Gasp-, wait, I remember you were 44, 61, 40?" Staring at the screen, Jiang Chen said in complete shock. 212 That Smile Chapter 212: That Smile Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Muscle strength increased by 5 points, bone strength by 6, and reflex by a shocking 10 points! [ Muscle strength:49 Bone strength:67 Reflex:50 Brain cell strength:13 ... ] Jiang Chen quietly looked at his own EP; the difference was still quite drastic. Muscle strength and reflex were okay as he was "only" behind ten something points, but she almost doubled his bone strength. "I thought I was going to catch up to you.'' Jiang Chen forced a smile as he closed the EP in disappointment. "While you are improving, I am not lagging behind," Sun Jiao flipped her luscious black hair as she said proudly. "Looks like the difference is only going to get bigger." Jiang Chen sighed. The EP stat determines, under an ideal setting, a human''s maximum ability. For most humans, the maximum stat achievable is 100, while an infant''s is 0. The stat thus quantifies the user''s current ability. Under the circumstance that the DNA is not modified, the limit humans can reach is 100. If the modification causes reproductive isolation, then the person wouldn''t be referred to human anymore, they would have to be named after another species. Once the stat passes 50, it is much more difficult to increase it. Although Sun Jiao''s "stats points" speed didn''t seem to be as fast as Jiang Chen''s, which double within a few months, this was due to her initial stats being much higher. Just like in video games, the difficulty from level 1 to 10 is far easier compared to level 50 to 51. Seeing Jiang Chen sigh, Sun Jiao though his dignity was hurt as she gentle comforted him. "There are lots of different definitions for being powerful. Body condition is only one of them. A lot of people on the wasteland possess a frail body, but with their superb shooting skills, they can still win a fight against people with body conditions multiple times greater. As well as people who have mastered mechanical knowledge, with the help of the assistive device, they''re able to acquire strong powers. Also the hackers, they could infiltrate the mechanical people wandering among shambles to force them to fight..." "Then what am I strong at?" Jiang Chen cockily laughed. Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen who was showing off. She then bit her lips as she stared into the distant darkness. "Do you know now?" "I just want to listen to my woman compliment me," Jiang Chen shamelessly said these words. He was always someone that liked to show off. With a slight smirk, Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, and then with a half-serious half-joking tone. "Your power comes from the fact that you can gain the affection of other people." [So, the charm stat is maxed out?] That was a unique way of saying this as Jiang Chen couldn''t stop himself from laughing. "For example, you?" "Not only me, but Yao Yao, even Lin Lin, as well as everyone in the base." "Why don''t you say leadership." "Different from leadership. Think closely, is there even a time where you used the slavery chip to force someone to listen to you?" "People trust that you can bring order, they trust you. Therefore, they follow you to a brighter future, that''s why they are willing to listen to you." "To be able to gather so many people willing to fight for you, it is an amazing ability." Sun Jiao playfully winked. Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused and then smiled, but he then exaggeratedly let out a sigh. "What, are you still not pleased with having this power?" "Very pleased, but I still have some regrets." "Regrets?" "I can''t tie you to a chair and seek revenge for the first time we met." Jiang Chen with a smirk spoke into her ear. "Oh? Don''t you think it is thrilling to be tied down." She smiled like a little devil as she also spoke into Jiang Chen''s ear, and naughtily blew inside. "Uh, I am not a masochist." [Although he was never against trying new things...] Looking at the side of Jiang Chen''s face, the tip of Sun Jiao''s mouth also rolled up. "You''ve changed." "Ahem, I was not a masochist before," Jiang Chen said speechlessly. "Not that," Sun Jiao laughed out, she paused, and then with a ridiculing tone, she jokingly said, "You are more mature compared to the first time you were here." "Which one do you like better?" "Both... Although during that time you were also delicious... It is more attractive for you to be more mature," Sun Jiao with a finger on her lips said. [What do you mean by delicious?] Jiang Chen had a helpless expression on his face. But speaking of that, within five short months, he did grow a lot. He was previously just a young man entering into society with no notable achievements in life. If he didn''t acquire that magical interdimensional travel ability, he would probably be inside his apartment, rotting away. Or even going back to his hometown and becoming unemployed while still holding a honors university degree. Not even house, he would probably have to depend on his parents to not starve. Now looking back from this perspective, he felt melancholic. Seeing the adorable gesture of Sun Jiao, Jiang Chen also joked back. "You''ve also changed." "Oh? How have I changed?" Sun Jiao put her hands on her waist as she pretended to be authoritative. "Too many things." Jiang Chen laughed as he started to count his finger. "More civilized, no longer licking fingers after eating cans, knows how to match clothing, learned to be compassionate, and even knows how to knit a scarf." Sun Jiao''s mouth curved up showing her proudness. "Which change do you like the most?" "Boobs are slightly bigger." "Be serious!" Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a dirty look as she reached to pinch Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen with a grin easily dodged the attack without any force. "From being audacious to more understanding, or more feminine." Hearing that, Sun Jiao''s face immediately turned red, her eyes frantically looked around, as her finger twirled her hair around shyly. "Feminine? What, was I not before?" Jiang Chen smiled but didn''t reply. Chatting was a great way to pass the time, there were glares of different light in the distance. The ladder at the end had long been changed into a spacious elevator. When they approached at the exit, Jiang Chen pressed the button for the elevator. "Now that you have taken care of things here, will you go back to the other side?" Stepping onto the elevator, Sun Jiao said, not wanting to let him go. "Mhmm."Jiang Chen nodded and followed her. As if Sun Jiao had already expected the answer, she didn''t ask him to stay, she only spoke with a small voice. "What is this world to you?" Jiang Chen paused for a moment as he didn''t expect Sun Jiao to ask this question. But the pause only lasted for a second. Jiang Chen gently smiled as he tousled her hair. "It was only a gold mine in the beginning... But now, my second home." With his words, a bright smile emerged on Sun Jiao''s face. That smile was beautiful. 213 The Ballistic Tingting Chapter 213: The Ballistic Tingting Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi When he walked out of the elevator, Jiang Chen was greeted by the thunderous applause of all the survivors at the Fishbone base. The snow was thick and cold, but it didn''t cool off the people''s energy by the slightest. A girl even gifted Jiang Chen with flowers. The first groups of survivors that joined the base were all refugees from the Sixth Street. They suffered from hunger, disease, and were looked down upon as they struggled to survive. It was fair to say that they don''t have the slightest positive impression of the Group of Ten council. Although they have nothing to do with the Sixth Street anymore, Jiang Chen becoming the new owner of the Sixth Street made them feel proud and avenged. Jiang Chen waved back at the crowd with a smile before entering the community center along with Sun Jiao. When they entered the supply management office, Jiang Chen found manager Wang Qin. "All the compensation to the Black Blood Mercenaries have been paid out, a total of 11000 crystals. Because he was afraid that his base would be affected by the civil war, Luo Yang has already taken his people back to the Sixth Street. As to the trade with Liuding town, he left a representative to delegate with us. Jiang Chen nodded at Wang Qin''s report. The food business for the Sixth Street as well as other areas were all given to Zhao Chenwu. As to Liuding town, because of the trade agreement with Tang Miya, Jiang Chen hired the Black Blood Mercenaries and Luo Yang would be responsible for escorting the food to the aircraft and then transporting back the crystals and chips. As to the specifics, Jiang Chen left it to Wang Qin to worry about. He trusted that in this field of expertise, her experience was more than enough. On the other hand, there were around one hundred survivors that joined the Fishbone base with the majority being survivors from Qingpu, and some were even from Songjiang area, near Qingpu. For the newly joined survivors, Jiang Chen had a welcoming attitude but was worried by Fishbone Base''s housing limitation. The expansion of the Fishbone base has also slowed due to increased construction of the defense line near Taifu river. But following the decrease of pressure from the mutated humans, Lu Huasheng brought the construction team back to the base. It won''t be long until the housing problem is resolved. "Did Luo Yang say anything before he left?" Pondering this for a moment, Wang Qin said in a quiet voice. "He said you are cunning but deceitful." Jiang Chen immediately burst out laughing. "I''ll take that as a compliment then." If he heard the news of the civil war, he would do anything to bring his people back to the Sixth Street. Although 70 something people was not a lot, they were all experienced. With the 70 something mercenaries, he could have easily gotten more compared to the 11000 crystals. After arranging the related tasks, Jiang Chen walked out of the office and together with Sun Jiao, who was waiting outside, went to the mansion. After the interrogation, Sun Xiaorou has been locked in the basement. If it were a stranger, it would be okay, but she was Sun Jiao''s younger sister. Considering his relationship with Sun Jiao, this Sun Xiaorou could be regarded as his sister-in-law. "What is your plan for my sister?" On the way to the basement, Sun Jiao asked in a quiet voice. " To be honest, I don''t know." Sun Jiao gently bit her lips as she wanted to say something, but nothing ended up coming out. Jiang Chen peeked at the side of Sun Jiao''s face and didn''t stay anything either. The two walked to the basement in silence as they pushed open the door. "The pervert is finally back?" Lin Lin sat in front of the computer with her eyes focused on the screen while saying it without turning her head. Before they headed to the frontline, Jiang Chen asked her to investigate why Sun Xiaorou lost her childhood memory, or even why she doesn''t remember Sun Jiao as a person. He then related it to the zeal without reasoning for the religion and suspected she had been brainwashed or experienced hypnosis before. Jiang Chen ignored Lin Lin badmouthing him as he glanced at the Sun Xiaorou floating in the nutrient chamber. "Did you figure anything out?" A proud smile flashed across Lin Lin''s face as she pressed a few buttons. "Of course, who do you think I am." A brain shaped full sensory visual was projected out, Lin Lin stood up from the chair and walked beside the visual. ''Using special equipment to scan, I found a Nano chip in her hippocampus. Its purpose was to block the nervous system from extracting information from the hippocampus which would act as a seal to her childhood memory." As Lin Lin said this, she clicked on the full sensory visual as she magnified the chip hidden in her brain. "Is there a way to remove this chip?" Jiang Chen said gently. "Of course, but it will be complicated" Lin Lin let out a sigh. Seeing that the always cocky digitalized human scientist express her concern, Sun Jiao turned anxious as she grabbed onto Lin Lin''s shoulder, pleading her. "There are still ways, right? Please, I don''t want my sister to become someone''s puppet. If there is anything I can do to help, tell me and I will do my best C" She was slightly uncomfortable being stared at by Sun Jiao''s pleading eyes. Her face turned slightly red as she looked away and interrupted her in a small voice. "The chip has been in her brain since she was young. In the case that the chip can be removed without damaging her brain, even with the pre-war medical conditions, there would be no guarantee, especially here" "So what options do we have?" Jiang Chen asked calmly. "The easiest way is to find the person who implanted the chip, release the control, and make the chip eternally dormant." "Could it not be taken down by an EMP?" Jiang Chen couldn''t help but ask. Hearing that, Lin Lin felt exasperated. "When the size of the device and the sensor is much smaller than the wavelength of the microwave, the microwave frequency cannot be coupled to the device with sufficient energy to cause damage." The electromagnetic pulse on the nano-level electronic components is invalid How did you learn your physics, aren''t you a university student on the other side?" Jiang Chen''s face turned red as he tried to argue back. "We don''t learn those things on that side?" Sun Jiao stared at her sister in the nutrient chamber as she suddenly spoke out. "As long as I catch the person that implanted the chip right?" "Even if he was caught, I don''t think he would easily give up control." Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows as he was also troubled. "Then I will force him to give it." A grimace flashed across Sun Jiao''s face as her tightly clenched fists shook with anger. Looking at the expression on Sun Jiao''s face, Jiang Chen let out a sigh. Seems like a war with the Dusk was inevitable, though there was no possibility of having a peaceful resolution to begin with. "I will help you." Jiang Chen held onto Sun Jiao''s fist as he gently comforted her. "Mhmm." Sun Jiao''s face was covered in a red hue as she buried her head. Lin Lin pouted her lips. Her heart began to beat faster out of displeasure from seeing the two display affection while completely ignoring her. Wait, how could a mechanical heart start beating faster. Lin Lin was shocked. But just when she realized this, her body''s control was already taken over by the "guest" in her body. "Ahhhh! Quick, help me, I can''t control the power in my body!" 214 The Fourth Dimensional Messenger Chapter 214: The Fourth Dimensional Messenger Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Lin Lin was bent over with her arms clutching her stomach as her body began to shake violently. Just from her posture and tone, she looked like an anime character. "What''s going on?" Jiang Chen was alerted, but before he could react, Lin Lin already moved. Like a jaguar, Lin Lin leapt at Sun Jiao. With no time to guard herself, Sun Jiao was pushed onto the ground with her back against the floor. Lin Lin sat on top of her waist, her eyes shone with a hollow and ominous red light. "What do you want to do!" Sun Jiao blocked Lin Lin''s arm as she said furiously. But seeing the redness from her eyes, Sun Jiao suddenly realized. It was not Lin Lin, but rather the Tingting in her body. "Mine," A hollow voice said. "What are you even saying?" Sun Jiao''s face was bloated as she locked onto Tingting''s hands. The digitalized human''s strength was surprisingly high. With Sun Jiao''s power, she couldn''t push it away. Seeing Lin Lin''s usual timid look, it was hard to imagine that the body possessed this massive amount of power. Tingting for some strange reasons was enraged. Jiang Chen immediately rushed over when he saw Sun Jiao being pushed down to the floor; his hands hugged Lin Lin in an attempt to drag her away from Sun Jiao. The scene was chaotic. At the same time, Yao Yao, who has been sending food to Lin Lin suddenly opened the door as she brought the delicious meal in. Then she saw the two twisting on the ground "fighting" and the cute loli was immediately shocked as she froze in place not knowing what to do. "What, what happened?" Jiang Chen with the corner his eye noticed the small rabbit slippers. He then turned his head just enough to look at Yao Yao and through his heavy breathing, asked for help. "Yao Yao, help me, bring that tranquilizer over... Oh no, bring that static device over." "Okay!" Yao Yao fiercely nodded her head as she put the dishes on the table and then ran to the operating table, frantically searching for the equipment. "I, I don''t know which one it is!" Yao Yao who couldn''t find it was about to cry out of anxiousness. "F*ck, I can''t take this anymore!" Sun Jiao''s face turned a dark red as she began to swear, "Can I take her apart?" [Is this considered chaos among the concubines?] As Jiang Chen, with a mixture of emotions, was trying to comfort Sun Jiao while doing everything he can to control the enraged Lin Lin. But suddenly, Lin Lin''s actions stopped, but the red light in her eyes was even brighter. Jiang Chen was alerted. "Dammit, it''s the Klein particle beam!" "Then help me get her away!" Sun Jiao didn''t know what the Klein particle beam was, but Jiang Chen had seen the power of it, it was just that he didn''t know if it is effective on humans... Jiang Chen gritted his teeth as his eyes were covered with a layer of red dots. Fury! His strength exploded by 20 points. "Oooo!" Lin Lin''s face was suddenly flushed red as the pressure around her chest made all her power go away for a moment. Falling backward, she was dragged away by Jiang Chen. Under the critical situation, Jiang Chen didn''t notice what he had grabbed onto. Seeing that Lin Lin finally got off of Sun Jiao''s body, he immediately deactivated fury, but before he could gather a breath, a beam of red light scathed by his forehead and shot at the ceiling. The highly penetrative Klein particle didn''t leave any traces on the wall, but it instantly destroyed all the electronics in the room as the light immediately turned dark. "Ahhh." The basement suddenly turning dark made Yao Yao drop the static device in her hand. Sun Jiao stood up breathing heavily, she moved her body around, and fiercely started at the Lin Lin paralyzed in Jiang Chen''s arms. Because the circuit was destroyed, the nutrient chamber initiated emergency protocol. The door slowly opened as the nutrients spilled all over the ground, Sun Xiaorou slowly fell onto the ground. Seeing that, Jiang Chen silently took out his pistol. The EP was broken, he could not control the mechanical arm on Sun Xiaorou. If she striked at this time, then he had to shoot her limps. Sun Jiao also blankly stared at Sun Xiaorou on the ground. Under her vision, Sun Xiaorou''s lips moved, and her mouth gradually opened. The nutrients emitted a luminescent light. With the help of the light in blurring her vision, she looked at Sun Jiao. "Sis...Sister?" ... Jiang Chen took out the graphene memory card from the previous EP as he replaced it with a new one. The Klein particle seems to have destroyed the chip in Sun Xiaorou''s head, which was a happy surprise. Seeing the sisters hug, Jiang Chen had a genuine smile on his face. But things were never this simple. After recollecting her memory, Sun Xiaorou seemed to have entered some kind of dismay, her childhood memory suddenly surfacing shocked her current memory. As if two people were fighting in her head. One represented her memory in the fallout shelter, while the other was the memory instilled in her at the Dusk. The exact symptom was that her expression was frightening at times while gentle in others. She hid between the arms of Sun Jiao as her body trembled uncontrollably. But one thing was clear when she saw Jiang Chen, her expression remained in fear... [Umm, maybe he went overboard last time?] Jiang Chen thought awkwardly. The damage on the mind would have to be left to time to heal...Of course, Jiang Chen didn''t refer to the interrogation. For safety purposes, Jiang Chen closed the functionality of her left mechanical arm. To leave time for the sisters, Jiang Chen held onto Yao Yao and carried Lin Lin out of the basement. When Lin Lin drowsily woke up from her unconsciousness, the sun had already set. The red light in her eyes had vanished, seeing Jiang Chen sitting beside the bed, Lin Lin''s face turned red all of the sudden. "Have you been here the entire time?" Lin Lin asked in a feeble voice. "Mhmm... Tingting returned to normal?" Jiang Chen didn''t notice the unnatural tone as he wrily rubbed his temple. "She has been controlled. Controlling my body seems to cost a lot of energy, she is now asleep." Lin Lin gulped as she nodded her head. Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he stood up. "Rest well." Leaving those words, Jiang Chen headed for the door. "Wait." Lin Lin stopped him. Jiang Chen stopped and turned his head. "Hmmm?" "Are you going back to the modern world?" "Mhmm, probably tomorrow morning." "I want mango pudding!" Lin Lin said without humiliation as she licked her lips in excitement, "Based on my research of history, the earth in 2015 must have that thing-" "So troublesome... If I remember next time when I come back." He was just about to reject, but for some reason, Jiang Chen lost the mood to bully her. [She seemed to be cuter when she smile?] A remorseful expression was just about to appear. However, when she heard Jiang Chen''s last sentence, a joyful smile appeared on her face as she sat up on the bed. "You should rest a bit more." "No, pudding is more important." She wiped the tip of her mouth, ran to the experiment table in slippers, and took off something strange looking. She ran back and put it in front of Jiang Chen as if she was giving him a treasure. "I will remind you!" "What is this?" Jiang Chen looked confused as he played with the nail-sized chip in his hand. "The fusion of technology!" "Human words please." "To put it in simple terms, it is a communication chip. But it is unique... Umm, how should I say this? If you insert it in your EP, you can communicate through the time dimension." 215 The Friendship Across Dimensions Chapter 215: The Friendship Across Dimensions Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Fourth dimension messenger was the name Lin Lin gave to that chip. All in all, the thing was ridiculous. Because right now, Jiang Chen was standing in his mansion in the modern world while using his EP to video chat with Lin Lin. With a polished crystal as the core of the chip, it uses a unique method to activate the Klein particle and sends a wave to a different chip in another timeline. Then it uses a unique method to decipher the code. Because only a unique wave is sent out rather than a tangible material with mass, without the help of the interdimensional bracelet, it could not send messages between the two chips. "Point the camera outside the window, I want to look at trees!" Lin Lin spoke to Jiang Chen in excitement. [What there to look at for trees.] Jiang Chen had no choice but to walk to the balcony as he demonstrated the vegetations planted in his backyard. "Woooo, I want to go to your side." "If you can transform from digitalized human to mechanical human, I can certainly take you here." "Uh, I''ll pass on that." Lin Lin squinted her neck. Abandoning the human flesh and the DNA that defines the existence of humanity, would that still be called human? "Could you go somewhere more open?" Jiang Chen was going to reject because it was too troublesome, but seeing the longing face on Lin Lin, he let out a sigh and walked to the top floor. Because the mansion was a scenic house, the part of the river with the most vegetation could be seen on the top floor. Jiang Chen leaned against the railing as he pointed his EP at the Huangpu river. The wind at night was chilly. It was already December. Wanghai city in the modern world has officially entered winter season for over a month, but Jiang Chen with only a jacket didn''t feel too cold. The El Nino was at its peak, so the winter in Wanghai City will be a warm one. Lights on the passing by boats floated on the river. Along the river bank was a city of lights as the endless amount of traffic decorated the city skyline, painting a scene of prosperity. Seeing the drunken expression on Lin Lin''s face, Jiang Chen felt teary for some reason. For the people living in the apocalypse, this scene was providence. "Woo! I have decided!" A firm expression appeared on Lin Lin''s face. "Oh?" "I will research a method that will allow you to carry living thing across the time dimension!" Jiang Chen smiled as he replied. "Then work hard. If you can really do it, it would not be a problem if you want pudding from all over the world." If he could really travel with humans, he could then fulfill the promise to Sun Jiao. In the abandoned experimental school, he had promised Sun Jiao he would one day take her to the school he attended and take her to see how people lived before the war, how they interacted. Lin Lin on the EP screen slurped her own saliva without caring about her image. Her eyes had already turned to pudding as they flashed brightly. "Who is she?" Noticing Jiang Chen coming back, Ayesha came to the roof. She gently walked beside him as she curiously looked at the gorgeous girl on the screen. So beautiful. Silver hair, pale skin, the look of a porcelain doll. "She is digitalized human Lin Lin." Jiang Chen put his hand around Ayesha''s waist as he introduced. "Woah, you have another woman on the other side!" Lin Lin jumped up as if she had discovered a new world as she looked at Jiang Chen without good intention. But Jiang Chen was not bothered at all because it was not a secret, only Lin Lin didn''t know. "Hello, can I know your name?" Ayesha gently smiled at her. She could guess that the girl on the screen was Jiang Chen''s woman from the "future world" but she didn''t mind. If she could, she wanted to establish a good relationship with her and live harmoniously together. "Wooo!" Ayesha''s gentle smile seemed to have "stunned" Lin Lin, as to the tantrum she had been preparing in her mouth was stuck in her throat. She was too embarrassed to say it out. It was the first time someone smiled at her this gently, could it be that people were all this gentle before? "My, my name is Lin Lin." "My name is Ayesha," Ayesha put her finger out as lightly touched the screen, "nice to meet you." "Me, me too!" Lin Lin''s face turned red as she scratched her head. "Could I be good friends with you?" "Mhmm..." Lin Lin nodded shyly as her finger played with the tip of her clothes, it was a rare expression for her. Seeing the two people becoming friends, Jiang Chen also smiled. It was a unique feeling, a friendship beyond time? Because of the technical limitations, the chip could not maintain communication for an extended period of time. After telling Lin Lin to let Sun Jiao know about the chip so that she could let him know if anything important happened at the base, Jiang Chen hung up the video call. "Is she your woman?" Ayesha blinked her blue eyes and asked Jiang Chen. "How is that possible," Jiang Chen answered without thinking. "But I sensed that she really likes you." Listening to Ayesha words, Jiang Chen paused as his expression turned peculiar. "Perhaps it is because of Stockholm syndrome." He seemed to be treating her better and better lately as he would always bully her for fun before. Ayesha only smiled at Jiang Chen''s response as she didn''t continue the topic. The instinct of a woman is never wrong. Even across dimensions. "I haven''t been back for so long, do you miss me?" Jiang Chen all the sudden lowered his head to get closer to Ayesha''s ear as he said with a smirk. Ayesha''s beautiful face was burning. "Let''s eat dinner first," She timidly buried her head and said in a faint voice. "Can we not eat it together?" "Eat it together?" Ayesha''s face quickly turned into a red apple as her blue pupils began to look frantic. Without the need to think, it must be some weird game. ... After dinner, Ayesha went to shower. After sticking the plates into the dishwasher, Jiang Chen went to the office and checked his email. Just like he expected, Robert sent the next step to him. The email was from three days ago. Jiang Chen thought for a moment as he began typing on the keyboard. After pressing the sent button, Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and closed his eyes for a moment. While thinking, he took out his phone and called Zheng Hongjie, the manager of the food processing plant under his name. "Hello? Boss, what can I do for you?" Hearing his voice, he must be quite well off recently. "Nothing, I just want to see if you acquired the license for export and import?" "That is done. The new production line is also set, but because we haven''t found a place to sell, it is not in production yet," Zheng Hongjie said in awkwardness. The food processing industry hasn''t been doing so well as of late. The pork price remained elevated as all the plants decreased their production to pass through the industry''s harsh winter. But at this time, the boss somehow wanted to increase production. Although he didn''t say anything, in Zheng Hongjie''s view, it was a terrible decision. But his concern was extraneous because the stuff he produced was not meant for this world. Jiang Chen had already registered a shell company in the Pannu Islands. In essence, the order from his "left hand" would arrive at his "right hand." The shell company would massively produce the canned foods provided by the Xinlong Food Processing plant, store it in the warehouse, and wait for Jiang Chen to transport it to the apocalypse. The purchased amount was increasing. To be cautious, Jiang Chen decided to complete the food transport in the small country. It would be his backyard in no time. "The new production line will start producing tomorrow." "But..." For the consideration of being responsible for the plant, Zheng Hongjie still wanted to convince his boss, but Jiang Chen continued to speak. "No buts. You will receive an order worth five million tomorrow, keep up the good work. I have already made the deal." Jiang Chen laughed, hung up the phone, and sent a text to the representative at the offshore company. Zheng Hongjie dumbfoundedly puts down the phone, scratched his nose and laughed. "Did something good happen?" Kong Jie looked at the expression on her husband''s face as she felt happy for him. "Haha," Zheng Hongjie flung away the phone and gave a deep kiss to his wife, "We have a place to sell now!" Kong Jie rolled her eyes as she poked his chest with her finger. "Look how excited you are, it is not your plant." "What do you know." Zheng Hongjie glanced at his wife as he said displeasingly, "I have built the plant myself. Regardless if the shareholder is me or not, it is my own child!" Looking at her excited husband, Kong Jie had a genuine smile on her face. Not long ago, the family was facing the crisis of being crushed by debt. He didn''t have a trace of a smile left on his face as if the world had fallen. But luckily, the family has returned to the right track. For that person has changed their lives. "Now that you are working for someone, you should be careful, don''t make any mistakes. He is our family''s savior." She urged the happy husband as she fixed his collar. "Of course, you know why I work." Zheng Hongjie said with his head raised. Jiajia tilted her head as she half knowing half not knowingly looked at her mom and dad. She still didn''t really understand the conversation between adults. No mean people have been to her house anymore. Dad was happier, mom smiled more, and they even took her to the amusement park yesterday. It seemed like after the big brother came, everything in the family became better. 216 Recent News Chapter 216: Recent News Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou Unlike the tense situation in the apocalypse, the development in the modern world had been smooth and steady. For newly emerging technology companies like Future Technology, the government had been supportive as they have given the green light to Jiang Chen in most areas of development. Of course, the reason why the local government took a such a stance was obviously due to the hundred million in tax amount Future Technology paid each month. Who wouldn''t mind putting a money printer in their home? It was a political achievement. And Future Technology had only been formed how long ago? If it continues to grow, there will be a possibility that an internet giant, like Penguin, would form during their tenure. On the other hand, because of the continuous growth of Future 1.0''s user base, the domestic users had broken the 200 million mark, and the multi-language international users had broken the 400 million mark. The rise of Future 1.0 drew in the attention of business elites from all industries who had an acute sense for the smell of cash, and all kinds of proposals for partnership came forth like snowflakes. Because of this, Xia Shiyu had been busy all over the place since the president of the company would always disappear... Even people outside of the industry knew that in the internet age, traffic is king. This could be seen through ridesharing, take out, or other businesses using the O2O(1) model. Companies were willing to invest heavily in marketing just to draw in traffic. But there was no need for Future 1.0 to spend that much since it was at the forefront of the artificial intelligence and performance enhancement industries. There were no competitors right now that could compete with Future Technology, so there was only one choice. Because of their monopoly in performance enhancement, after operating for free for two months, Future Technology "shamelessly" changed the service to a paid subscription model. New users would receive two months of free trial, but on the third month, if they wanted to continue enjoying the service, they must spend 10 RMB to upgrade to VIP1. To put it in simple terms, if you wanted to enjoy the speed of a 2000 smartphone with a 1000 smartphone, then you better pay the 10 RMB subscription fee. Would people pay for performance enhancement? The answer was, "Certainly". Think of all the games and apps that are originally unable to run on your phone. Due to the performance enhancement service of the Future 1.0, your phone would no longer become a scorching brick when you play games, and neither would you have to worry about your battery life when you watch a movie. Would you be able to go back to that kind of phone experience? A fee of 10 RMB per month was much cheaper than getting a new phone. Of course, when the subscription service was introduced, the forums were filled with negative opinions. The users that hadn''t paid for VIP voiced out that it was fraudthey didn''t know there would be a fee when they downloaded. Some people even stated that if it changed to a paid service, they will delete Little White. But that was only a small amount of people trying to shift the publics'' opinion. Although there were a lot of users expressing their dissatisfaction, those came from a few IPs only. Even if they use their butts to think(2), it was obvious that they must be an internet army hired to shift the public''s opinion. A lot of paid users who upgraded to VIP1 stood on Future Technology''s side: "Is 10 RMB a lot? It''s not even the price of a meal." "Service is not an obligation, why complain so much? Delete it if you want to, don''t drag down the average user''s intelligence." The users who haven''t paid held an indifferent opinion. As long as the service was worth the price, they didn''t mind spending the money. If they could afford a phone, why would they care about 10 RMB? Would the people who were causing a fuss really delete Future 1.0? The VIP1 domestic users who upgraded that month surpassed the 200 million mark, and the insanely high percentage of paid users destroyed the QQ membership service. The market had given its answer. As for the international market, it went relatively smooth. Since they were already used to paying for apps, and because no cracked version existed, most of the users accepted the fee of 2 USD a month. Just one membership service in the app brought billions of revenue to Future Technology. The insane ability to rake in money stunned Wall Street, leaving the venture capitalists who were unable to get a cut of this piece of pie in despair... all this despite Jiang Chen never mentioning that he would take in venture capitalists. It was an honor. Jiang Chen became the first man to be in the headlines for Wall Street Journal twice in just half a year a man from Hua, nonetheless. On the other hand, although the performance of paled in comparison to the stunning performance of Future 1.0, it was still able to achieve jaw-dropping results. First of all, the player base had reached over 50 million, and the concurrent users almost broke the 10 million mark. The auction house, cosmetics, warehouse expansion, and a series of other revenue generation method quickly turned intellectual property into cash. The super game design translated into user retention. Now on any subway, or in any university classroom, the fine animation of could be seen. The game editor provided by Yao Yao was immensely powerful. Almost anything that could be imagined could be implemented into the game. The project team had increased to a group of 40 people, with 20 responsible for creating new content and the rest focused on character design, costumes, plot, and missions. Whether it was about game content or playability, it was all flooded with positive praises and, after a period of marketing, the international version also came online. Based on Xia Shiyu''s report, the international users had exceeded the eighty million mark, and it was steadily increasing. Although the $200 million profit was a bit lackluster when compared to Future 1.0, it still exceeded that of its competitors by far. It was, after all, $200 million in profit, not revenue. Even though a lot of mobile games could break the $100 million mark in revenue, because of the expenses for research and development, in addition to the bad debts and many other factors, it was considered profitable if thirty percent of the revenue turned into actual profit. A mobile game with $200 million profit was a miracle. Due to the popularity of the game, a lot of famous clans entered , and smaller game clans also sprouted like bamboo shoots after the rain. The popularity of the game also led to the growth and development of other related industries. For example, live streaming professional matches... A lot of third-party platforms had come to Future Technology in the hopes of forming a partnership with them on the game . In regard to this, Future Technology opened its doors and welcomed all potential partners. ... "Sohu wants to form a partnership based on Future 1.0 and , with a joint venture for a new kind of streaming platform for ." "What do you think about this proposal?" Jiang Chen said sluggishly as he lied on the sofa. "Hard to recover the investment in the short term, but it would expand ''s influence and increase user retention" "Thank you so much!" As if she had already expected Jiang Chen to say that, Xia Shiyu, who was sitting in the office, facepalmed. "... Okay, also, Dalmer Corporation''s representative had arrived in Wanghai as they wish to discuss a partnership. Because of the identity of their representative, based on etiquette, you would have to personally meet him." "Dalmer Corporation?" Jiang Chen paused as he never heard this name before. Xia Shiyu on the other side of the phone also paused. "The Maybach S600 you are driving is from Dalmer corporation." [ Now that''s embarrassing! ] Jiang Chen scratched his face to cover his embarrassment,. He really didn''t know much about cars. "Ahem, who is coming?" He decided to change the topic. "Carmen Rothschild." 1. O2O: "Online to offline". Any e-commerce service that provides services online to aid the user with a better offline shopping experience. The "services" could be in the form of ''discounts'', ''information'', ''coupons'', etc. For example, the website Groupon is an O2O site: it provides discounts *online* for *offline* things, such as "Up to 52% off Nail Services". 2. "Even if you use your butt to think" is an expression stating how obvious something is. 217 Artificial Intelligence + Cars? Chapter 217: Artificial Intelligence + Cars? Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou "Nice to meet you, Mr. Carmen Rothschild." Seeing Carmen entering the conference room, Jiang Chen stood up and greeted him. "Thank you for your warm welcome. It is also nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang Chen, the mysterious Oriental man." With the same friendly smile, Carmen shook Jiang Chen''s hand. Carmen Rothschild had a high nose, deep eye sockets, and light green pupils. Not only did he look thin, but he was also sharp. From the gracefulness of his gesture, it certainly matched his background. "Haha, do I look mysterious?" Jiang Chen joked. "Of course, you possess an endless amount of possibilities, and in our eyes, it could be considered mysterious." Carmen had a deceptive smile on his face. Hearing that, Jiang Chen paused slightly to think before he smiled and invited Carmen to sit down. In regard to the Rothschild family, Jiang Chen had heard quite a bit about them; however, this information usually came from unclear sources, with truths mixed with speculations. It was hard to discern what was the truth and what was a lie. Based on the information disclosed, the Rothschild Banking Group had a revenue of less than $10 billion per year with the profit of less than $3 billion; its asset was estimated to be below $30 billion, which is a few digits off of the UA and major European banks. Could it be that the family was truly on the decline, like how it appeared on to be on the surface, or could it be that the speculations were truethat the Rothschild family intentionally left the eyes of the public? No one would truly know. For example, even Jiang Chen didn''t know that Dalmer corporation was a part of the Rothschild''s asset. Of course, Jiang Chen had no interest in researching the history of the family, and he just did a brief search on Carmen here for business before inviting him over for a conference. The two sat across from each other on the conference table, and there were two cups of tea on the table alongside two identical documents. "Our corporation is extremely interested in your company''s achievement in the artificial intelligence field. I trust that Mr. Jiang has already read over this proposal. Do you have any good suggestions?" Without any small talk, right after they sat down, Carmen jumped straight to the topic. Artificial intelligence will experience a period of growth for the next fifty years; this trend was evident from the wasteland. Although its starting point from the Cold War did diverge from what originally occurred in the wasteland, the developmental trajectory of civilization wouldn''t. To cut a piece of this pie for themselves(1), Dalmer corporation followed the trend and found the leading company in the artificial intelligence field to discuss the possibility of using artificial intelligence in the automotive industry. "Of course. But before we start, can I ask a question?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile. "Please." Carmen smiled back. "Why would your company decide to choose us? You know, our leading edge is in the phone software industry. For the automotive industry, without exaggeration, I can say we know nothing," Jiang Chen spoke candidly. Even with Jiang Chen''s confession, Carmen didn''t give up as he shook his head and continued: "It doesn''t matter. The radar sensing equipment, as well as the primary control computer, had already been designed by us to allow for artificially intelligent driving, or self-driving, and we now only need the software part. "We originally had a partner, but during our partnership, the software development experienced some issues, causing the software and hardware to not be perfectly compatible with one another. The computer may freeze while the car is driving. You know very well what the consequences would be if that were to happen on a highway; therefore, we terminated the contract." Then, Carmen looked at Jiang Chen intensely as he said, "Our offer is high. The requirements are just as high." "Can I ask what is the offer then?" Jiang Chen took a sip of the tea. "1 billion USD," Carmen pointed out one finger as he slowly said. Hearing Carmen''s offer, Jiang Chen was secretly shocked. [ Woah, no wonder they are a family that had existed for centuries. 1 billion USD as the opening for the negotiations, selling software is much more profitable than selling gold. ] While he was thinking, he chose to selectively forget the fact that he was already the president of a ten billion dollar company, and the one billion USD would only be equivalent to Future Technology''s one month of profit. But who wouldn''t mind more money? However, Jiang Chen''s silence was, in Carmen''s eyes, interpreted as being unsatisfied with the offer, so he smiled and asserted, "Of course, there is room for negotiation. If Mr. Jiang is not too happy with the offer, you can tell me." If they could pioneer into the field of "artificial intelligence and cars" before their competitors, Volkswagen and BMW, it would indeed offer them the initiative. And for only 1 billion USD. In 2014 Dalmer''s pretax income alone was 10.8 billion Euros, so they certainly had the liquid asset. Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he slowly opened his mouth. "1 billion USD is okay, but I have a condition." Carmen''s eyebrows raised slightly, but a smile quickly returned to his face. "Oh? Please go ahead." "I want to add in Future 1.0''s logo on the start up screen." "Add in Future 1.0''s logo? Is that all? I do have to remind you that we don''t have plans to add the social media platform to the vehicle," Carmen spoke in a humorous tone. "That''s fine, it''s only adding a logo and displaying it for one second." Jiang Chen didn''t mind the joke. Carmen had to think for a moment before he nodded his head, then he extended his hand. "So I think we reached an agreement, right?" "Of course." Jiang Chen shook his hand. "Pleasure to work with you." Because it was a minor change, Carmen also brought in a professional lawyer with him and the contract was fixed on the spot. After the signing, Carmen waved his hand at the secretary behind him as he took a briefcase from her. "After signing the confidentiality agreement, our party will provide the requirements of the software and the chip sample to your party. Your party only needs to create a software that is compatible with the chip. Although the timeline is fairly rigid, I trust your party''s ability to bring out astounding results before May." The software must be completed by that time to ensure that it would hit the market with the new vehicles; otherwise, the approval process would be delayed and the release of the new vehicle would, unfortunately, be disastrous. However... May? That was severely underestimating Yao Yao''s ability. "Of course, another question: is there any reward for completing it before the deadline?" Jiang Chen inquired half-jokingly. Surprised, Carmen didn''t even think Jiang Chen could complete it before the deadline. The process for developing a professional software wasn''t shortit would be a feat to complete it within five months. "If Mr. Jiang can complete it earlier, I can give you a small gift," Carmen laughed. "Could you give me a spoiler of the gift?" Jiang Chen said casually. "I heard Mr. Jiang''s vehicle is our company''s Maybach S600. Is Mr. Jiang satisfied with our brand?" Carmen smiled mysteriously. "Of course, whether it''s comfort or reliability, it is satisfying." "If Mr. Jiang can complete the software before May, I can gift you a limited edition sports carthe Maybach EX, which is still being designedwith sales limited to just five units globally." 1. Original translation says something similar to, "To get a grasp on the pulse of the era". 218 The Importance of Brand Chapter 218: The Importance of Brand Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The Maybach EX. With a limited quantity of five units globally, the expected price is 4.2 million Euros or 28.66 million RMB. Although this amount was nothing compared to the two''s assets, as a gift, it was undoubtedly a friendly gesture. Especially with it being a limited edition, it might be difficult to buy one even with money. After sending Carmen out of the company, Jiang Chen looked at his phone. It was only three in the afternoon, too early to go back. So, he decided to sit for a bit longer in the office. Since they acquired Lingyu Technology, the Lingyu building went under construction. Under the acquiescence of the second largest shareholder, 361 Corporation, was transferred to Future Technology and officially renamed the Future Technology building. Now that he had his own office building, it certainly felt different. Leaning against the chair, Jiang Chen sat in the president''s office on the top floor as he sluggishly looked down at the street view outside. It was a magical feeling. Just half a year ago, he was only an ordinary person at the lowest level of society and working for a tiny salary. But now, he has obtained the right to be overlooking everything. On the other hand, just looking at the scene below, he could not fathom that the future on another timeline would become barren land. ... Different from the image of a traditional president that always has a heated face, ready to execute the affairs of the company, he was young and energetic. His office was clean, referring to the lack of documents visible. His eyes lazily stared outside of the window, at the never-ending traffic and the busy looking crowd. Who knows what is there to look at. Other than being crowded, he couldn''t think of a better word to describe everything on the streets below. Above was Xia Shiyu''s perspective. She was standing in Jiang Chen''s office. Jiang Chen was quietly looking out the window, and she somehow began to stare at the side of his face. She observed him for a while and forget about the time. They had been working together for a fair amount of time now, but she always felt that she didn''t know him well enough. But he, he seemed to know everything about her. "Ahem, is there something you need?" It was Jiang Chen that first broke the peacefulness. With Jiang Chen''s observation, the moment she came in he noticed her. What he didn''t expect was for her to not say anything, but rather blankly stare at him. Speaking of this, he didn''t have a proper conservation with her after the last gathering. "Ah, yes. Ahem," Realizing the franticness in her voice, Xia Shiyu coughed gently to adjust her mood as she changed into her professional self and spoke again, "It''s about the agreement with Dalmer Corporation." "Mhmm." Jiang Chen turned around as he slid the chair back to the office table and sat up straight. "Go ahead." "Putting Future 1.0 on vehicles, President, do you plan on entering the automotive industry?" Xia Shiyu pushed up her glasses out of habit. "Not yet, but I don''t eliminate this future possibility." Jiang Chen shook his head. "Also, Dalmer Corporation wants a customized software, not the implementation of Future 1.0. The software would still be sent to the overseas market to be developed. I will take care of it." Based on Jiang Chen''s plan, Future Technology would obviously not give up on the attractive automotive industry. As a key selling point, artificial intelligence would definitely be a part of it. But then, why would he accept Dalmer Corporation''s request to design the autonomous driving system''s software? It was not giving them a cake to bite but was due to another level of consideration. It is well known that for vehicles, quality is one aspect, but more importantly, brand is extremely crucial which requires years to build up. With a simple example, East Wind''s vehicle quality is pretty high, but could they sell it at Mercedes or BMW''s price? To a certain extent, the car driven by the owner reflected the status of the person. Cars were no longer only a method of transportation, but also a reflection of status. Or in derogatory terms, to see who has the bigger d*ck. With a Lambo, it would be much easier to pick up girls than a Volkswagon. The reason why he proposed including Future 1.0''s logo on the car''s startup screen was not for advertisement purposes. For Dalmer''s new car is positioned as a high-end luxury vehicle, therefore sales would be low. Which indicates this form of advertisement would be ineffective. Jiang Chen saw the brand. If Future 1.0''s brand can be hooked to a high-end market, with the luxury vehicle introduced by Dalmer Corporation, it would allow them to prep the market before they independently enter the autonomous vehicle market. Imagine this, as long as you start the luxury vehicle with the system included, you would see Future 1.0''s flashy and futuristic looking logo. Naturally, the Future logo would be known in the luxury market as well as the automotive industry. As to the automotive manufacturer who had taken the "initial opportunity"... If Jiang Chen introduced a new energy vehicle with better performance, it would be a question of if those manufacturers would continue to exist or not. Similar to the fact that you don''t see steam vehicles anymore. Dalmer Corporation would eventually become the stepping stone of Future Automotive. Of course, these are stories for a later time, the next strategic focus for Future Technology was not cars, but phones. Xia Shiyu nodded after the explanation. "Then you''ll have to be responsible for taking care of this. On the other hand, Linhua Corporation has sent you an invitation to join the Wanghai Economics Forum on the 3rd." Xia Shiyu took out a gilded golden invite from her brief and placed it on the table. Linhua Corporation, a renowned real estate giant in Wanghai city. Other than real estate development, they were also a part of entertainment and retail which put them as one of the leading companies in Wanghai City. "Wanghai Economics Forum?" Jiang Chen picked up the invite as he raised his eyebrows in confusion, he has never heard of the name before. "Mhmm, it is rumored that the participants are the elites of each industry. Assets over one hundred million is only one of the requirements. Ability to participate is also based on influence in the industry." Xia Shiyu nodded. Rich people''s gathering? Jiang Chen''s expression was dubious. "Is there any benefits to going to this gathering?" Hearing Jiang Chen asking the question so directly, Xia Shiyu felt exasperated. "Of course there are benefits. Since it is the gathering of the upper class in Wanghai City, you''ll be able to meet and befriend some of the people at the same level with similar interest as you. These connections alone would be a form of asset." Jiang Chen scratched his chin and considered. "Mhmm, I''ll go then. Speaking of this, does this type of gathering require a female companion?" Xia Shiyu paused for a second before she replied. "Of course, it is permitted to bring a female companion to the gathering." "Perfect, then come with me," Jiang Chen said without thinking. But what he didn''t anticipate was, the moment the words came out of his mouth, Xia Shiyu''s cold face suddenly turned burning red. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ An extra chapter today cause there is this power stones thing now. Please vote for MPAW! 219 The Conspriacy killed in its Cradle Chapter 219: The Conspriacy killed in its Cradle Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Huh? N...No, only really important people can attend..." Xia Shiyu''s expression was obviously shaken as her tone changed into a rare franticness. "Then that''s even better." Jiang Chen smiled. Hearing that, Xia Shiyu buried her head as her silky, black bangs slightly hid her eyes. "I, I am someone important to you?" "Of course," Jiang Chen answered without hesitation. As the CEO, Xia Shiyu played a pivotal role in Future Technology''s current accomplishments. From the operating of the company to handling crises, Jiang Chen had no experience at all as he left everything to Xia Shiyu. The technology from the future is indeed powerful, but without the operations of a professional, it would only be a powerful technology. To Jiang Chen, Xia Shiyu was as crucial as his hands. But for the word "important", the two apparently had two different kinds of interpretation. When he heard Jiang Chen''s "of course," Xia Shiyu''s face turned redder. "But...But we haven''t even dated, we don''t know if we are right for each other, it would be too rushed if we go straight to the last step-" With arms across her chest, Xia Shiyu looked away. Her finger anxiously played with her own hair, even her pale neck was covered by the red hue. "Wait, I do not understand..." Jiang Chen immediately interrupted Xia Shiyu with a bitter smile. Xia Shiyu looked at him and put her arms down. "Mhmm?" "Uh, the requirement for the female companion, could you explain it to me..." Of course, the two had a discrepancy in understanding. It was okay to bring a female companion, but it must be a wife or at least a fiance. Even a girlfriend wasn''t enough. Although there was no written rule, it became the norm. If a girlfriend or even a mistress could be brought to the gathering, then things could become chaotic. Most of the people participating in the gathering have more than one mistress, with some changing models or actresses every few days. If anyone can be brought into the circle, it would devalue the forum. In the end, it was a gathering meant for the elites, to find partners beneficial to their career, it was not a fun kind of party. Therefore, it was inappropriate to invite Xia Shiyu. "Uh, sorry, I haven''t thought about that level," Jiang Chen apologized, feeling embarrassed. "It''s okay." Xia Shiyu let out a breath of relief. Perhaps it was his illusion, but he sensed that she was slightly disappointed. "Umm, now that everything is done, I''m going to go back to my office." Xia Shiyu slightly bowed and turned around to leave. Looking at her leave, Jiang Chen opened his mouth but he didn''t end up saying anything. When Xia Shiyu came of the office, she headed straight for her own. But when she walked through the hallway, the red hue on her face was seen by her colleagues. "Eh, CEO Xia just walked out of the president''s office." Seeing Su Mengqi''s pouting expression, her good friend Li Fengying poked her arm and joked. After passing through the probation period, she was moved into the sales department with her good friend. The two were walking to their desk with documents in hand. "I see," Su Mengqi replied without any energy. "Her face is also very red." "Woo." "Why are you so boring, aren''t you curious about what they did?" Li Fengying with a dubious expression whispered into Su Mengqi''s ear. "I am going to tell CEO Xia and have your salary deducted." Su Mengqi stuck out her finger and "fiercely" poke her good friend''s neck as she whispered. The two fooled around for a moment more as they walked towards their desk. But Su Mengqi''s smile was bitter. If the competition was CEO Xia, she had no odds of winning at all. ... "Did you get the information?" "Yes." Inside the presidential suite in Sheraton hotel, Carmen Rothschild sat on a chair, a black man was standing in front of him. From the muscular appearance, he looked like a soldier, at least one from not too long ago. Johnson served in the Fran foreign military before. After he has been discharged, he had acquired French nationality and worked in a security company. Now, he worked for the Rothschild family. He was the bodyguard for Carmen''s Han trip, and also his assistance. "Jiang Chen, born in 1992, from Hucheng. Studied at Wanghai University with a major in mechanical engineering. He became a salesperson in a clothing store after graduation... Damn, a resume made out of a mold," Looking at the stack of paper, Carmen cursed. Ten pages. It was all the information they could collect on Jiang Chen. "Since everyone in this country is cut out of the same mold," Johnson cracked a smile as he mocked. "No, you didn''t understand my meaning." Carmen flipped through the document once more before putting it aside. "Because it is too ordinary, the validity of the information is suspicious. For example, if you throw a graduate from MIT, what would be his first reaction?" "Pee his pants?" "Exactly." Carmen snapped his finger and pointed at the document. "And this person, not only did he not pee his pants, he saved an American from the IS. This American is also an interesting individual. He smuggled firearms in Veit before, transported crude oil in Iran, and was finally under surveillance by the FBI. That''s why he is a lot more obedient. But he has been moving around again, he seems to be working for Jiang Chen." Johnson''s contempt soon faded as he put on a serious expression. "True. From this point, this Han called Jiang Chen is not a simple character." "In your opinion, how much training would it take to get to his level?" Carmen smiled. "Mentality or shooting?" "Of course mentality." Thinking for a moment, Johnson gave a fair answer based on his own experience. "It would take three months in training, three days on the battlefield." Carmen nodded, he took over a bottle of wine and elegantly poured himself a cup. "I think there may be inaccuracies in our information. At least this resume is likely fake. The only thing I am curious about now is what does the organization behind him do. They played us in Ukraine, but only ended up taking a few old soldiers away to become trainers, and then built a military base in Nigeria. Interesting." "Then what''s your intention boss?" Johnson asked. "Maintain status quo and keep in contact. Also, I am interested in where the USB would be sent to?" Carmen with elegance took a sip of the wine as he looked like he was fully in control of the situation. If everything goes as planned, that briefcase would be sent overseas, with the mysterious technology team taking over. He left a GPS tracker on the USB which would send the location to his computer. As long as they know the location of the mysterious organization, they would no longer be mysterious. When he heard his boss''s words, Johnson took a moment to digest the information before he also started to chuckle. Carmen proposed a toast to Johnson. Then with a cheerful expression, he pressed a few buttons on the laptop. The map appeared in front of him. Bang! The delicate wine glass smashed into pieces after falling on the ground. Without caring about the wine stain splashed onto his pants, Carmen immediately stood up. With both hands pressed against the table, he stared at the screen. On his face, his confident expression had vanished. "How is this possible!" "What happened?" Johnson walked up hastily, but when he saw the screen, his expression also froze. "We got caught. Looks like we still underestimated him." With a bitter smile, Carmen sat back on the chair in defeat as he rubbed his temple. 220 Its all Weibos faul Chapter 220: It''s all Weibo''s fault Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou Caught? Did Jiang Chen really catch him? The answer was an obvious no. Jiang Chen was too lazy to carry it as he threw the briefcase into the storage dimension. As for GPS signals that could pass through the dimension, that''s only a feat that Lin Lin could achieve. Now that his storage dimension had expanded to 20 cubic meters, there was no need to consider the lack of space inside. Five cubic meters was used to store weapons, such as the PK2000 assault rifle and the kinetic skeleton. Xia Shiyu had already left. Looking at the empty office, Jiang Chen had nothing else to do. Work? If he randomly pokes his nose into the company''s business, he may not even be helpful with anythingrather, he would be causing more trouble. Since he had already delegated his responsibilities, he must continue the tradition. If he didn''t work, then he was playing games. As the president, merely sitting in the office is an effective method for increasing the morale of the employees. Mhmm, that''s the case. As Jiang Chen thought, he sunk into the chair and took out his phone. Speaking of which, as the developer himself, he hadn''t even played his own game. But thinking that it was too troublesome to register for a new account, he recollected that Future Technology had a partnership with Sohu in streaming. Jiang Chen smiled, searched, and opened Sohu TV. The new platform was still under development stage, but the Sohu TV now opened a column specific for . Although it was a mobile game, because of the open world, great freedom, superb graphics, and rich contents, a lot of people play it as a computer-based masterpiece. Seeing its popularity being ranked as number one, Jiang Chen was secretly shocked breathless as he randomly opened a channel. The screen was big, but the streamer''s face covered one-fourth of the screen. Looking at the exposed whiteness while hearing the flirtatious voice, Jiang Chen put on his headphones. The female streamer was playing a thief. She was in the middle of a mission, but her control certain sucked. To kill a turtle-like boss, she died five times. But that was not the crucial point. Every time she died, she would moan in a seductive voice. "Is this streamer playing a game or moaning in bed..." Jiang Chen ridiculed while facepalming as he continued the "market research" until the end. Like this, Jiang Chen sent Friday in. ... Jiang Chen chatted with the employees about to go off as he walked to the elevator empty-handed. Just as the elevator door was about to close, Jiang Chen, afraid of trouble, sped up and dashed into the elevator. Coincidentally, Xia Shiyu was also in the elevator. Seeing that Xia Shiyu was looking at him strangely, Jiang Chen realized that his action lacked confidence. He smiled shamelessly and said "Hi" to her first. "How''s work today?" "It''s okay, I have been used to being busy. I am taking the rest of the documents home." Xia Shiyu pushed up her glasses. "Don''t work too hard, your health is the most important." Jiang Chen spoke with care. Xia Shiyu nodded, but from her expression, she didn''t seem to plan to listen to Jiang Chen. "You are working so hard, which is making me, as the president, guilty." "Then why don''t you help me out a bit?" Seeing Jiang Chen being emotional, she couldn''t help but mock him. "Ahem, I''ll let the professionals take care of it. If I am doing it, I will only cause a mess. But I can treat you to dinner," Jiang Chen joked. It was only a joke. Based on Jiang Chen''s previous impression of Xia Shiyu, this girl would probably coldly reject it. But to his surprise, Xia Shiyu took a moment to think about it, then nodded her head. "Okay, when?" "Mhmm?" Jiang Chen thought he heard wrong. "Didn''t you say you are going to treat me?" Xia Shiyu raised her eyebrows while tilting her head. "Uhh, I thought you would reject..." "Do you want me to reject?" Xia Shiyu asked, downcasted, as she looked at the elevator door. Jiang Chen was stunned. The voice sounded like murmuring. In her eyes, Jiang Chen saw a hint of confusion, and there was also an indescribable feeling. He suddenly remembered that night. She was drunk that night when he carried her home. Under the influence of alcohol, they were very close... "Who do you like?" The confession-like words swirled around his ear. If it were not for the phone ringing suddenly, Jiang Chen knew that, with his personality and with Xia Shiyu being forward, he would not be able to control himself that night. A crazy but intimate idea overtook his head. If something did happen between the two that night, how would it feel like now? "Of course not." Jiang Chen smiled, and with a gentle voice, he asked, "How about tonight?" "Okay." Xia Shiyu nodded. When the elevator reached the button, the two walked out of the elevator and into the parking lot. "Where is your car?" Jiang Chen asked as he took out the key. "I didn''t buy a car yet. I drove company''s car last time at the gathering, I usually take the train to work." Xia Shiyu''s response surprised Jiang Chen. "You are an executive at a billion-dollar company. The bank would not offer a loan to you?" Jiang Chen was puzzled as he opened the door courteously for her like a gentleman. "I hate loans." Xia Shiyu''s mood was down. Jiang Chen paused for a moment as he then recalled that she originally experienced hardship due to a loan. "Sorry, I made you remember unpleasant memories." "It''s okay... That time, thank you." Xia Shiyu got in the car and lowered her head. "Don''t worry, everyone has their ups and downs." Jiang Chen sat in the car, strapped on the seat belt, and started the car. "... I am talking about that time when I was drunk." Her face turned red as she said embarrassingly, "If I said something weird, I hope you didn''t mind." Because they both remembered the intimacy that happened in the living room, the two fell into silence together. The ride was smooth. Once the car hit the highway, Xia Shiyu didn''t say anything. Jiang Chen didn''t know what to talk about either, and the atmosphere in the car was awkward. Suddenly, Xia Shiyu broke the silence. "I have read Weibo recently." "Mhmm?" "Do you have a girlfriend?" It was an abrupt question. "No, why do you ask?" "I saw that you are only following one person... Her name is Liu Yao?" Xia Shiyu asked, looking down. The words sounded like jealousy to Jiang Chen. Speaking of this, Liu Yao seemed to have mentioned it before. Because she was the only person he followed, people spread rumors about them, and that girl became popular for a while because of this. Because of Ayesha''s "interruption" last time, Jiang Chen forgot all about it. Liu Yao, without receiving permission from Jiang Chen, would not proactively clarify the situation, but instead, used a tactic common among celebritiesanswer ambiguously. The girlfriend of the nation''s husband! Liu Yao wouldn''t have thought that her fans would increase exponentially because she registered a Weibo account for Jiang Chen. "I happen to see her movie, so I just clicked follow." For some reason, Jiang Chen subconscious lied. His Weibo account was registered by Liu Yao. Xia Shiyu opened her mouth as she seemed to have wanted to say something, but nothing came out. [ He isn''t anyone to me. Why do I care so much? ] Xia Shiyu thought out of spite as she looked out of the car window. Although she had a boyfriend who hasn''t even held her hands, when it comes to relationships, she was still as naive as a child. Realizing that the person she liked had an ambiguous relationship with a female, she didn''t try to pull him back to her, but rather, she became cold to express her jealousy and pushed him away. Even more so now, since the two of them were not officially together. At this time, Jiang Chen''s phone rang. [ Is it Ayesha? I''ll have to tell her I am not coming home for dinner... ] He didn''t mind. With one hand on the wheel, Jiang Chen connected to the Bluetooth and, with his eyes focused on the road, he accepted the call. "Hello?" "Do you have time right now?" A pure voice with a hint of seduction echoed by his ear. It was obviously not Ayesha. Jiang Chen paused for a moment, he then looked at the phone screen in his right hand: Also looking at the phone screen was Xia Shiyu, sitting on the passenger side. 221 The Acheron on the Car Chapter 221: The Acheron on the Car Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ "Haven''t seen you in a long time, don''t you miss me?" Jiang Chen could very well imagine her watery eyes looking at him filled with fervor. "Uh, very much." Jiang Chen took a peek at Xia Shiyu. Xia Shiyu had already taken off her eyes from his phone, but her action looked unnatural no matter how you looked at it. "So cold." Liu Yao instantly sensed that Jiang Chen was distracted and stuck her tongue out. "I''m driving... How have you been?" While holding onto the wheel, Jiang Chen changed the topic. "I''ve been filming and have been busy since this morning, so I ate lunch and dinner at the same time. I''m exhausted." Although she was complaining, Jiang Chen could hear genuine happiness from her voice. She really loved acting. If she just liked money, with the allowance Jiang Chen was giving her, she could just do absolutely nothing and enjoy life. He could faintly hear the other casts in the background, so she must have called despite her extremely busy schedule. "Have you not eaten yet?" "I am not eating. Woo, the food here tastes so bad, so I want you to treat me to a meal," Liu Yao said shyly. "We can talk about it once you''re no longer busy." "Okay. Also, when are we going to go on a vacation? I''m looking forward to it," Liu Yao responded enthusiastically. "We''ll go this month, but would you be able to leave at this time?" Hearing the delighted voice, Jiang Chen couldn''t stop smiling. "Haha, don''t you remember that you''re one of the investors? The director would have to listen to you. Postponing my shooting and filming it later would simply be up to you," she said in an adorable voice. Jiang Chen pondered on it and realized that it was indeed the case. The producer did not necessarily choose Liu Yao because of her ability, and it might as well be said that it was due to Jiang Chen''s ability. But Jiang Chen didn''t mind. Having too much money, he immediately invested 100 million RMB to become the biggest investor in film. Other than those blockbuster film directors, the investor was the bane of existence for any film directors. If they accidentally got off on the wrong foot, the investors could just withdraw their investment, and the directors would end up crying over their script. Where would you find an investor who would be willing to invest 100 million without putting up any demand? Ad such, Liu Yao had landed the role of a supporting actress. At the same time, all mobile boot interface was replaced by Future 1.0s opening animation. "Thats true." Once realization dawned on him, Jiang Chen chuckled. "What are you doing now?" "Taking someone to dinner." "Someone beautiful?" Liu Yao pouted. "Yes," Jiang Chen answered honestly. "As pretty as me?" Liu Yao elegantly ate her meal, her eyes becoming cunning. "Both of you are unique," Jiang Chens answer was ambiguous. "Woo, I dont feel satisfied with that answer. What kind of girl is she?" [She''s beside me, how am I supposed to answer that?] Jiang Chen took a peek at Xia Shiyu while he responded cleverly and creatively. "Similarto the section head in your last movie." "Oh! Her, the ice beauty thats warm on the inside? I can do it too," Liu Yao paused and put her phone closer to her mouth, covered it with her hand, and lowered her voice, her voice becoming cold and strict. "Jiang Chen, why didnt you finish your math homework? What? You didnt write it? Thats not okay, come to my office, I will watch you finish it. Your unfinished homework. Give. It, All. To. Your. Teacher." Jiang Chen could very well fantasize how the vibrant crimson lips enunciated the last syllables. [Fu*k, this little devil.] Jiang Chen had almost stepped on the gas by accident. "Fu*k." "Coming! Ah, break time is over, I''m going to hang up. Mwah." As soon as she hung up the phone, Jiang Chen let out a breath and removed the Bluetooth headset. "were you really just concerned about Liu Yao?" Xia Shiyu asked dubiously. "Well, I just happened to get her phone number." [Why do I have to lie] Jiang Chen berated himself in his mind. Xia Shiyu didnt seem to want to continue with this topic any longer as she didnt ask more question. Instead, she turned her head away, averting her gaze. Jiang Chen felt relieved and held onto the steering while focusing on the road ahead of him. The atmosphere felt odd. [Is shebeing jealous?] A weird expression flitted across his face. Because Jiang Chen didnt know where the good food was, he took Xia Shiyu to Shimao. "Welcome! Table for two?" Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu walked into a western restaurant called Xiuyu Garden as the server greeted them with a smile. "Mhmm, please pick a quiet spot for us," Jiang Chen said. "Okay, sir. This way," The server said courteously. Because it was a business day, the place only had a few customers . Normally, they would have to wait for a long time. The ambiance of the restaurant was pleasant, and it was also quiet. Most of the people dining there were couples. Seeing this scene, Xia Shiyu turned red and her legs went numb. [Since we''re eating here, wouldnt it look like we''re a couple?] With that thought, Xia Shiyu discreetly took a peek at Jiang Chen but failed to see the nervousness she expected on his face. [Maybe he didnt even feel like it''s a date?] Xia Shiyu felt slightly frustrated despite not knowing why. Unaware of what Xia Shiyu was thinking, Jiang Chen was really oblivious to the mood. He just felt the ambiance was nice and quiet. Men were destined to be a simple creature in a sense that they wouldnt think as much as women. After the server ushered them to their seats, Jiang Chen picked up the menu and passed it to Xia Shiyu like a gentleman. "What do you want to eat?" Because she was distracted by something else, looking at the dazzling variety of selections, Xia Shiyu couldnt think of something to eat. Seeing the expression on the customer''s face, the server smiled as she started to recite their menu. "Is it your first time in our restaurant?" "Mhmm" "Our cheese risotto is delicious, and our steak has also been praised by many. Of course, I personally recommend this set of couple meal, very fitting for a couple of two. We also offer a special desert Heart-to-heart." Xia Shiyus face immediately reddened. Especially when she saw the Heart-to-heart ice cream on the menu, the two straws formed a heart shape and intertwined together. Her brain short-circuited in an instant. "C-couple? N-no, you are mistaken." "Ahem, we are only friends, not a couple." Seeing the frantic Xia Shiyu, Jiang Chen also explained to the waitress. Although both people denied it, the waitress acutely sensed that the females expression was more of an embarrassed one, and the male didnt look awkward at all. Therefore, their relationship must be between friends and couple. With a smile, the server bowed to apologize for pushing the two together unintentionally. "I apologize. I just thought you two really look like a couple. If I misunderstood, I hope you dont mind." [A, a couple look?] Xia Shiyu was utterly in panic, Jiang Chen almost touched his nose with a red face. But then, a harsh voice interrupted the moment. "Waitress, is it not ready yet? Could you hurry up?" Upon hearing the voice, Xia Shiyus expression froze immediately. Jiang Chen could clearly sense that the usual expressionless face turned even colder. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ You guys are insane! Thanks for all the support. We will work hard to release more chapters. 222 A Dog Chapter 222: A Dog Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou "Please wait, sir, this table-" "Dont you see that we need to order? Why would a poor bastard even come into a Western restaurant? He''s slow even when ordering," the person cursed. "I apologize, sir, Ill be right there." The waitress gave Jiang Chen an apologetic looked as she stuck out her tongue and ran to the other table. "Is your zodiac a turtle Honey, what do you want to eat?" The man sitting close by arrogantly criticized the waitress while his expression changed into an "affectionate" one as he eagerly attended to the woman sitting across from him. Jiang Chen looked at the back of this man in shock, and his expression was rather odd. Poor bastard? Me? Then, Jiang Chen looked at Xia Shiyu. Her expression was rather unnatural, her eyes glued to the lemon water on the table. She seemed scary. Was he someone she knew? Jiang Chen, who originally wanted to go and "make some friends", quickly got the idea out of his head as he looked on contemptuously at the man. The man''s face looked ashen white, his hair styled with gel looking somewhat "trendy," and the nicely fitted white suit was, indeed, worth something. All in all, other than being a bit feminine, he certainly looked attractive. However, it was the arrogant gestures that made it impossible to tolerate him. As for that woman... Her face was delicate, her hair black and curly, and her body donning a red cotton dress with a pair of brown boots sluggishly crossing over each other. From just her appearance alone, it was hard to judge what her net worth was; however, with the vibe she gave off, Jiang Chen could sense that she was born into wealth. Looking at her narrowed gorgeous eyes, one can tell that she seemed to be enjoying this flattering feeling. "Salad is okay?" an indolent voice asked. "Okay, do you want some desserts? For example, this Heart to Heart-" "No, its disgusting." Her red lips were curled up. The mans expression stiffened, but then a heartwarming smile appeared on his face. "Ok, Ill have the fried rice as well as a bottle of wine." "Okay, sir." The waitress endured the arrogant attitude while writing the order before taking the menu away. It was not the first time she had encountered customers with a bad temperarguing would only hurt her salary. "So slow," the man added a sentence, then watched the woman "tenderly". "Xinyan, you are so beautiful," the man said in a corny voice. The womans expression became delighted as her eyes narrowed pleasingly. "My shoes are dirty." "Mhmm?" The man thought he heard wrong. "Shoes." The woman lifted her boots up. A glimpse of awkwardness flashed across the mans face, but then he gritted his teeth. With one knee on the ground, he lifted her boot up with one hand while the other used a napkin to carefully clean the dust off the top of the boot. Everyone around them turned their attention towards the duothe female customers eyes lit up as they discussed with their boyfriend while the male customers all appeared contemptuous. But the man didnt mind these gazes as he "caringly" wiped her shoes. "This is crazy." Jiang Chen shook his head. Seeing his dog-like posture, Jiang Chen finally understood. The man was definitely an escort. He was definitely an escort without dignity Jiang Chen lost his interest. He really didnt want to bother with someone like this. But just as he was about to retract his gaze, to his surprise, the woman was looking at him. The narrowed eyes completely neglected the man who was attentive to her, but rather, she looked at Jiang Chen with quite a curiosity, as if she was waiting for him to do something. As for the womans stare, Jiang Chen only smiled. He didnt say much and looked away. Seeing that Jiang Chen didn''t have any reaction, the woman yawned and looked away in displeasure. The waitress walked over again as she expressed her apology to Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu. Jiang Chen didn''t embarass her as he ordered with Xia Shiyu. When the waitress left, Jiang Chen took a sip of the lemon water and he asked softly,"Do you know him?" " I do." From the tone, it seemed like the relationship was not a great one. Was he her enemy? Seeing that Xia Shiyu was not in the best mood, Jiang Chen didnt pursue the topic any further and, instead, he chatted with her about other things as the smile began to come back. "Are you not curious about my relationship with him?" Xia Shiyu asked abruptly. "Although I am curious, you seem to hate this topic, so I didnt ask," Jiang Chen replied with a shrug. After a brief two-second pause, Xia Shiyu looked at Jiang Chen and spoke rather apathetically: "He is my ex-boyfriend." But, Jiang Chen didnt show any reaction. Xia Shiyu felt a bit frustrated although she didnt understand why. Just what kind of reaction from Jiang Chen would make her feel satisfied? "But we didnt even hold hands," she added subconsciously. When Jiang Chen heard this, he suddenly started chuckling. She raised her furrowed eyebrows and asked in a low voice,"What are you laughing at?" "I just think you are cute," Jiang Chen joked. Xia Shiyu immediate blushed, and the coldness on her face now seems forced. "So random," Xia Shiyu murmured to herself as she lowered her head, her cherry-like lips biting the straw on the ice cream and her bangs hiding her shaken eyes. While eating, Jiang Chen felt the need to use the washroom, so he excused himself to the washroom. There, he also washed his face, but when he came out, he met the "queen-like" woman. "Jiang Chen, is that right?" the woman asked with a grin. "Do you know me?" He put his hands under the hand dryer as he looked rather surprised. "The renowned president of Future Technology, with a net worth of ten billion at the age of 22, and the fantasy of countless of girls. With such prominence, how would I not know you?" the woman stated. "Ahem, you are over complimenting me." At least the waitress, as well as the people he walked by, didnt recognize him. Perhaps it had to do with his low profile appearances. Since he spent time in the apocalypse, even if media were waiting outside of his community, they still may not see him For the people who occasionally read the news, they may know Jiang Chens name, but as for his appearance, they often have no idea. "What is your name, Miss?" Jiang asked nobly. The red lips turned into a beautiful curvature, her eyes under the curly hair had mischievousness hidden inside. "Wang Xinyan." 223 Three Slaps Chapter 223: Three Slaps Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Is it Wang Xinyan? Maybe you should restrain your boyfriend a little? At least make him not stand out as much." Jiang Chen smiled standing in front of her. "Boyfriend?" She suddenly started giggling but quickly returned to her elegant self. With a look of rumination, she looked at Jiang Chen. "Mr. Jiang is very humorous. That''s not a boyfriend, it''s more of a puppy." Stunned, Jiang Chen didn''t think she would be so direct. He then ridiculed. "Even if it is a puppy, it''s better to keep in control of him. Since sometimes, the puppy''s behavior indirectly reflects the taste of the owner." For a man to attend to her this much, her identity must not be so simple. Although he was not afraid of anything, with the attitude of less trouble is better, Jiang Chen cautiously chose to leave her some ground. He only vaguely made fun of her to express his own displeasure. As if she has already expected Jiang Chen to say this, Wang Xinyan paused but didn''t look angry. Instead, she seemed somewhat interested. "Oh? If Mr. Jiang doesn''t like me having a puppy, I can let him go." "What does it have to do with me?" "Is that so?" She smiled mysteriously as she left an ambiguous answer. Wang Xinyan then passed him and entered the washroom. Jiang Chen watched her silhouette disappear, confused. But then he shook his head and walked away. When he returned to the restaurant, Jiang Chen discovered that his spot seemed to have been taken. That man in the white suit was sitting in his seat. Seeing this, he frowned. Though his expression was soon replaced by a stunning smile as he walked over. "I can''t believe I am meeting you here, how have you been?" The comical expression on his face appeared as if he has accomplished something already. "I don''t know you, go away," Xia Shiyu said coldly. "You are still icy." The man shook his head. "Are you not afraid the woman you are trying to suck up will see all of this? While she is going to the washroom, you are hitting on another woman. Just like your usual tendency, Xu Youcheng. Xia Shiyu''s iciness soon changed into contempt. "Hitting on you? You really think you are worth hitting on? I''m saying hi to an old friend." "I don''t remember having a friend like you." "The usual coldness. Looks like you have found a new boyfriend? So, did he touch your hand yet?" Xu Youcheng examined the coldness on her face. Xia Shiyu inhaled deeply, suppressed the anger in her heart, and said calmly. "I don''t have a boyfriend. Not before, not now." "Oh? Then how did you pay back the loan? I remember you lost your job, could it be" Xu Youcheng slyly glanced at her chest. "Did you finally put down your proudness and got a sugar daddy? Damn " "Do you think I''m like you?" Xia Shiyu emotionlessly interrupted his rude words. Raising her chin, she mouthed, "a sucker without dignity." Xu Youcheng''s face was flushed with anger as he stood up. "You-" But before he could say anything else, a hand was on his shoulder. Xu Youcheng paused, turned around, and was confronted with a smiling face. "I agree with the perspective of this lady. Also, who allowed you to sit in my seat." Jiang Chen smiled at him. Seeing Jiang Chen, Xia Shiyu let out a breath as she felt calmer. "Funny, did you open this restaurant? What if I did sit here?" Anger soon overwhelmed Xu Youcheng as he argued back. Right after he finished his words, his mouth was slanted to the side. Slap! Jiang Chen without saying anything slapped him with his backhand while still holding onto his shoulder with the other. "I don''t own the restaurant, and your butt is on your body so wherever you sit is your freedom. But now that I don''t like you, my hand is on my arm and how I beat you is also my freedom," Jiang Chen said with narrowed eyes. Seeing Jiang Chen''s action, Xia Shiyu was utterly stunned. She didn''t expect, Jiang Chen with such a gentle attitude would strike so fiercely. [Is it for me] When she thought about it, a red hue began to cover her face. The slap took the air out of Xu Youcheng as he began to tremble. A strength equal to three times that of an ordinary person, even if Jiang Chen purposely controlled his power, it wasn''t someone who only spent a few days in the gym could compare to. "F*ck you, you f*cking hit me?" Blood rushed to his head, as Xu Youcheng became hot-headed. He grabbed the knife on the table and stabbed toward Jiang Chen. "Be careful!" Xia Shiyu screamed as her face lost its color. But Jiang Chen only laughed contemptuously, he didn''t even bother to dodge as he waited for him to dash over. Funny, if this level of attack could hurt him, he could suicide by banging his head on the tofu. (1) The knife reached two inches in front of Jiang Chen. However, Jiang Chen didn''t move as he easily clenched onto Xu Youcheng''s wrist. Xu Youcheng felt as if his hand was clamped by an iron claw. His face became bloated, and the vision in front of face changed before he dropped on the ground. The knife pierced the wooden floor two inches away from him. Xia Shiyu''s eyes widened, mouth opened, and her cold expression was changed entirely into shock. She never thought Jiang Chen had this type of ability. No The night when she was blocked at the flower shop by the thugs. Jiang Chen strolled in front of Xu Youcheng while seeing him whimpering on the ground, contorting his body together to hide. The customers on the side gulped as they wanted to intervene, but Jiang Chen only glanced at them before the idea vanished in their heads. Someone secretly called 911, but Jiang Chen didn''t mind. While squatting on the ground, he dragged his gelled hair and smiled at him. Then, Jiang Chen slapped him. Slap! "This one is for Xia Shiyu. Do you know that because you left your debt to her, she was almost forced into a private club by a bunch of thugs? She was your girlfriend, are you even human?'' Hearing Jiang Chen''s words, the crowd all looked at the sharp looking Xu Youcheng with despise. No one felt compassion for him for getting beaten up. He deserved it! If he didn''t happen to encounter that night. When Jiang Chen thought about it again, he felt an inexplicable rage. Slap! "This one is because I don''t like you, you can think of the reason yourself!" After two slaps, blood began to drip out of Xu Youcheng''s nose and mouth. Seeing that there might be a problem if he continued, Jiang Chen took a deep breath and stopped. Jiang Chen threw Xu Youcheng''s head on the ground and stood up It was not the apocalypse, after all, he should be careful. In dizziness, it took him awhile to regain his clarity. On the ground, Xu Youcheng stared at Jiang Chen maliciously. "Just wait, I will make sure you can''t stay in Wanghai City anymore." "I am waiting." "Do you know who I am?" "Someone selling his butt?" Jiang Chen took a napkin to wipe his hand and mocked "I am Linhua Group''s-" But just then, a female voice diffused from not too far away mercilessly destroying his last hope. "You are not anymore." (1) When the action is less likely to hurt him than a piece of tofu. 224 I donst like men Chapter 224: I don''t like men Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou The voice not only contained a hint of sluggishness, but also of contempt. "Xin... Xinyan?" Xu Youcheng, lying on the ground, looked absentmindely at the woman not far away as he stammered with disbelief. "Linhua Group will not offend the head of Future Technology just because of you. What do you think? Mr. Jiang Chen?" With graceful steps, she walked beside Jiang Chen as she smiled at him. When Xu Youcheng heard the words "Future Technology" and "Jiang Chen," the color of his face immediately changed. He initially thought that the man dining with Xia Shiyu was just a small business owner with some money in his pockets, but he didnt know it was the legendary Jiang Chen. Now that he looked closer, that man did look familiar. The original blanked expression turned completely into fear. The Linhua Group? This fact caught Jiang Chen by surprise. Speaking of which, he did receive Linhua Groups invitation to attend that Wanghai economic forum. However, Jiang Chen didnt answer Wang Xinyans question and, instead, he responded with a question of his own: "Although I dont want to ridicule other peoples hobby, I really dont understand. Whats so good about this despicable man who sold his girlfriend?" "Even despicable people have their uses. For example, I could give him the status and power he had always dreamt of, just to see what kind of fool he will turn himself into." Wang Xinyan squinted her eyes, her visage gruesome. " This is crazy." Looking sympathetically at Xu Youcheng on the ground, Jiang Chen stepped over him and headed towards Xia Shiyu. The server and security personnel of Shimao began to surround the scene, but seeing that Jiang Chens identity wasn''t so simple, no one dared to do anything to him, and they only helped the bruised Xu Youcheng up. They only controlled the situation while waiting for the police to arrive. "Xin, Xinyan, I-" "You can go fu*k off now, I am getting bored of your looks anyways," Wang Xinyan yawned. Xu Youcheng broke loose from the security, dropping in front of Wang Xinyans boots as he begged without dignity, "I, I really do like you! Please, give me another chance!" "Did you really think you could get me to date you?" Wang Xinyan scoffed, "Sorry, I dont like men." Xu Youcheng was utterly dumbfounded. [Dont like men? ] [ Then what about the effort I spent these past few days? ] As if he had lost all energy in his body, his bruised face twisted and Xu Youcheng looked as though he lost his soul, and both of his hands slumped on the ground. Back then, after leaving Xia Shiyu, Xu Youcheng drove the car that was purchased with Xia Shiyus identity to run away with the person he cheated her for. But then, the story after wasnt as smooth as he expected. When he lost his "income," he quickly used up all his money. Since he didn''t have any ability and only depended on her, he couldnt find even a proper job. After an argument, he and the girlfriend who he had just met for less a month broke up. After a series of event, he became a server at a bar. Through one occasion, he was introduced to the escort industry; however, this profession was not a long-term solution. The rich ladies with too much money and nowhere to unleash their energy would not give him a promise. He tried to do "one last gig" to find a permanent ATM, finally locking his sights on to the daughter of the president of Linhua GroupWang Xinyan. Fortunately, Wang Xinyan didnt brush him like away like a fly but, instead, gave him the opportunity to flatter her. However, he didnt think that from the beginning to the very end, he was just a joke used for amusement, unable to touch her hand and just there to wipe her shoes Wang Xinyans contemptuous smile looked down at the wounded Xu Youcheng, and the smile soon turned into a delighted one. .... [ This feeling is fantastic .] "Sorry, the one time I invited you to dinner, the mood was ruined by a fly. Ill make it up to you next time?" Jiang Chen sat in front of Xia Shiyu as he said apologetically. Xia Shiyus face blushed, and she whispered, "No, its my problem." Just then, the chubby boss with glasses walked over. Looking at the knife marks on the ground, along with the crowd, he had a troubled smile on his face. "It is better to resolve things through peace, why use violence? Both look like people of importance, why fight?" Jiang Chen obviously saw the boss''s intention in his eyes, so he took out a credit card from his pocket and threw it in the boss''s lap. "One million, renovation of the restaurant, on me." The boss was first shocked, but then his face became ecstatic. A voice spoke up, "There is no need for Mr. Jiang to spend money, Xiuyu Gardens loss will be covered by Shimao. Manager Chen, return the card to Mr. Jiang?" "MiMiss?" A cold sweat rolled off of Chen Anmins forehead. He just realized that the woman standing in front of the store was President Wangs daughter, Wang Xinyan. Shimao was a property of Linhua Group. A small business owner like him definitely did not have the courage to say no to the presidents daughter. Chen Anmin forced a laugh as he put the card on the table. Jiang Chen looked at Wang Xinyan speechlessly, and she was blinking at him mischievously. Her eyes seemed to be saying, "You owe me one." This favor was indeed cheap Jiang Chen mocked at the thought in his mind. One million was really nothing to him. ... Because someone called the police at the beginning of the conflict, the police quickly arrived at the store. Xu Youcheng, who lost his "ATM", in despair, blamed all the "unfortunate events" on Jiang Chen. Facing the police, he "not understandingly" insisted that Jiang Chen beat him to this point as he demanded the police to punish Jiang Chen. He also said he will sue Jiang Chen. Wang Xinyan could not help but facepalm herself due to his intelligence level, and she then grabbed out her phone in annoyance and called her cousin, after which she gave Jiang Chen an apologetic look. But Jiang Chen didnt mind as he had a mischievous smile. In this case, the wisest thing Xu Youcheng could have done would be to say that he bumped on the ground himself and settles with Jiang Chen privately. Perhaps he would have even received a large sum. But now Funny, would Jiang Chen be afraid of him suing? The video showed that it was, indeed, Jiang Chen who struck first. But it was not a problem, especially when Wang Zhiyong personally ran over to the police department. Because of Xu Youchengs insistent stubbornness, following the procedure, Jiang Chen had to go to the police department to give testimonies, and then accept a negotiation of settlement. Thats right, negotiation of settlement. After communicating with their superior, the police selectively ignored the bruise on Xu Youchengs face, and instead, they determined the event to be a civil dispute. They then began to explain to Xu Youcheng his act of aggression through the eyes of the law, saying he provoked Jiang Chen; therefore, who started the fight first would not matter. Furthermore, he had used a knife, which would void any claims of self-defense due to its excessive nature. After a long spiel, Jiang Chenwho was bored alreadyleft, and the defeated Xu Youcheng was still sitting on the chair, listening to the educating officers as he experienced the unjustness of society. Accompanying Jiang Chen out of the police department, Wang Zhiyong conscientiously sat in the driver''s seat of Maybach as he asked with a bitter smile, "How did you get involved with that little devil?" [ Little devil? ] "Do you know Wang Xinyan?" Jiang Chens expression was also odd. "My cousin." After starting the car, Wang Zhiyong said, "Speaking of this, where is your girlfriend?" "Ahem, that is not my girlfriend, only female friend I asked her to go back first." Wang Zhiyong chuckled as he looked dubiously at Jiang Chen while he drove on the road. "I know." "Dont be so sick minded." Jiang Chen was facepalming. "Also, I need to tell you something," Wang Zhiyong suddenly used a more serious tone as he said to Jiang Chen, "This is the advice from a friend, be careful of that woman, Wang Xinyan, and dont get too close to her." "Oh? Is there a problem with her?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "Problem? She is a psycho," Wang Zhiyong cursed out. 225 Confusion Chapter 225: Confusion Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Psycho? Jiang Chen''s expression was peculiar. By Wang Zhiyong''s tone, he didn''t seem to have a good relationship with his cousin. But this was not the key point. The key point was, Wang Xinyan is Wang Zhiyong''s cousin? Therefore, one of the top companies in Wanghai city, the president of Linhua Group Wang Linhua, is the brother of the General Secretary of Wanghai city, Wang Dehai? That was a big discovery. But when Jiang Chen thought this through, he was at ease. For business in the real estate industry, all had to have some form of connection with the government. Buying land, acquiring projects, passing quality assurance, the government is involved in every step of the way. Without any background, regardless of how profitable the real estate industry is, it would be hard to make money. But Jiang Chen didn''t think that Linhua Group''s connections were this strong. "Psycho?" Jiang Chen used a casual tone to ask. "That''s right." With a cigarette in his mouth, Wang Zhiyong scorned. "A little bit when she was young, then it turned serious when she got older. Who knew what happened to her, but personality-wise she has changed to this." "Naughty?'' Jiang Chen laughed. Because Wang Zhiyong was her cousin, Jiang Chen used a light tone when describing her. "Naughty?" Wang Zhiyong glanced at Jiang Chen. "You underestimate her. She just purely enjoys the misery of people." Jiang Chen was shocked, but then a nonchalant smile appeared on his face. Whatever, they just happen to encounter each other. "Also," Wang Zhiyong abruptly spoke out, "Did you receive the invitation?" "Invitation?" "Wanghai Economic Forum." "Mhmm, Linhua Group did send me an invitation, is there a problem?" Jiang Chen felt lost. Wang Zhiyong hesitated for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but then he shook his head. "It''s fine, it''s nothing. Don''t worry about it." Jiang Chen eyebrows furrowed slightly as he sensed something odd. But seeing that Wang Zhiyong didn''t want to say anything more, he didn''t ask further. In the time remaining, they just joked around as they didn''t mention business anymore. He listened to Wang Zhiyong talk about the fun things that happened in the military. Finally, the car drove into a community and parked in front of a house. "Have dinner with us?" Wang Zhiyong invited Jiang Chen while chuckling. "It''s okay, I already ate," Jiang Chen opened the driver door as he thanked him for his invitation. After departing from Wang Zhiyong''s place, Jiang Chen started the car again and drove to his mansion located in Songjiang. When he returned at home, it was already pitch black outside. He looked at the time as it was already nine in the evening. He parked the car inside the garage and rubbed Ayesha''s head, who waiting at the door with a smile. Jiang Chen then went to take a shower. After the shower, he changed into a comfy robe. He drank some hot milk and rested for a while, before going to the kitchen and throwing two boxes of mango pudding into the storage dimension. Finally, he walked to the bedroom. In front of the bedroom door, he saw Ayesha in a black night dress. Her curled brown hair was covered by droplets of water and tied into a ponytail with white lace. From the white steam on her head, she just took a shower and dressed herself up. "Can we sleep together?" Ayesha''s face was flushed, her tender eyes filled with love. "Sorry, probably can''t tonight. I need to go back to the other side," Jiang Chen said apologetically. He must go back to the apocalypse tonight to give the sample chip and USB to Yaoyao and then ask Sun Jiao about the movements of Seventh Area to determine the next steps for the base. Sun Jiao would not let him go back this late Although slightly disappointed, Ayesha still nodded her head empathetically. Seeing the slight pout, Jiang Chen smiled lovingly. He rubbed her wet hair and put his forehead against hers. "Tomorrow morning, I will wake you up." Ayesha''s face became hot as she nodded shyly. "Mhmm." Jiang Chen kissed her pale and soft forehead, before walking out of the bedroom and closing the door. He inhaled, closed his eyes, and started the interdimensional travel. When he opened his eyes again, the beautifully decorated wall was replaced by a wall with visible cracks. He breathed out the air from the modern world and immediately headed out of the room. Before finding Yaoyao, Jiang Chen decided to go to Lin Lin''s lab to bring her the mango pudding she wanted. "Eh? You are back already." Surprised by Jiang Chen''s presence, Lin Lin put the test tube in her hand on the test rack. "I will head back immediately." Jiang Chen took out the two mango puddings and put it on her table. "Your puddings." Seeing the mango pudding, Lin Lin''s eyes immediately turned into pudding as she snatched the box and hugged it joyfully. Seeing her joyful look, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but smile. "Don''t overeat at night, take care of your stomach." "Don''t worry! I am a digitalized human!" Lin Lin clenched her fist as she said proudly. "Then do what you want. Freeze the rest in the fridge, it tastes better cold," Jiang Chen turned around as he finished speaking. "Wait." Lin Lin suddenly jumped down to the ground, ran to the door, and dragged onto Jiang Chen''s shirt. "Hmm?" Jiang Chen turned around looking at Lin Lin. "Hmm, thank you" It was rare for this girl expressed her gratitude. She also didn''t say her usual foolish words like "The offering you have is making me pleased." Looking at the coy Lin Lin, Jiang Chen was unsure of how to react. "Don''t worry about it." "Are you here just to give me the mango pudding?" With a blushing face, Lin Lin said shyly. Her expression seemed to be anticipating a specific answer. With eyebrows raised, a smirk irrepressibly appeared on his face. "Of course not, I am back to give a USB to Yaoyao." "QQ!" Lin Lin''s eyebrows twisted in disappointment. She put up her fist and fiercely punched Jiang Chen in the chest, then she stomped on her slippers and ran back to the room, slamming her door in a fit. With the wooden door shut, Jiang Chen still tried to muffle his laughter. Finally a chance to bully Lin Lin once again. It was surprisingly fun. Jiang Chen then shook his head and walked upstairs. 226 I only need two hours Chapter 226: I only need two hours Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Jiang Chen stood outside of Yaoyao''s room, and he gently knocked on the door. Knock knock. "Yaoyao, are you there?" Jiang Chen spoke softly. It was a bit past ten already, he was not sure if Yaoyao had slept already. "Ah, Brother Jiang Chen? Coming!" The loli''s surprise and joyful voice transmitted from the other side of the door, then immediately followed the sound of cotton slippers on the ground. The door was pulled open. Yaoyao''s head peaked out as she looked at Jiang Chen in excitement. "Are you back already?" "Mhmm, although I have to go back tomorrow." Seeing her adorable face, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but rub her hair. With her head raised, her narrowed eyes enjoyed the caress of the firm hand on her head as adorable sounds came out of her throat. "Are you going to sleep soon?" "Mhmm! But since Brother Jiang Chen is here, I can sleep later." She timidly played with her nightgown as she said with a blushed face. "It won''t take too long. I only have a favor to ask Yaoyao, is that okay?" Jiang Chen smiled. Seeing that Jiang Chen had a favor to ask, Yaoyao''s adorable eyes lit up. She immediately nodded and raised her head, and patted her chest to assure him. "Mhmm! I got it!" "Then I''ll have to count on you. Regarding the specifics, can I come in? I need to use the computer." Jiang Chen entered the room. The room was filled with a fragrance similar to lilies. Thinking that it might be the natural odor of Yaoyao, Jiang Chen''s face turned red. But Yaoyao didn''t notice the unnatural look on Jiang Chen''s face as she ran to her table in excitement, sat on the chair, and turned on the computer. She kicked off her slippers as her legs dangled joyfully. The unguarded position was somewhat dangerous. Jiang Chen gulped as he muttered to himself "I am not a loli lover". Then he walked beside Yaoyao, put the briefcase down, and took out a USB and a chip from inside. "The requirements of the program are inside the USB. Basically, it is to design an artificial intelligence software that is compatible with the autonomous driving control chip. You don''t have to make the program very powerful as long as the chip can operate, can you do that?" "Of course, Yaoyao''s computer skills are great." Yaoyao inserted the USB into the computer, hummed a song, and her fingers began to type rapidly on the control board. Lines of code Jiang Chen didn''t understand flashed in front of his eyes. The outdated data inside the USB was easily converted to a language that the computer in the apocalypse could understand. "Hmmm, it is not too difficult." Yaoyao carefully read through the requirements line by line, and nodded her head. "How long would you need?" Jiang Chen asked. "Around two hours," With a finger on her chin, Yaoyao said after she had given it some thought. But the response of only needing two hours shocked Jiang Chen. "Ahem, how, how long?" "Umm? Two hours is enough. Since sister Sun Jiao already copied the entire database in the city library, this type of outdated technology would usually be stored as a form of an archive in the digital library. As long as the software with the highest compatibility is selected, some modifications can be done before it is good to go." Yaoyao tilted her head as she confusedly looked at the stunned Jiang Chen. "... This is insane." Not knowing how to express his astonishment in his mind, the shocked Jiang Chen only managed to say this one statement. A project that Dalmer Corporation expected to take five months to complete, Yaoyao said she could finish it in two hours. If they knew about this, what kind of interesting expression would appear on their faces? Hearing Jiang Chen say this, Yaoyao nodded. Then she inserted the chip into the multifunction slot and began to work. "Are you going to start now? Aren''t you going to sleep?" Seeing that Yaoyao began to work, Jiang Chen asked. "Woo? It''s only ten, so it is not too late. Since brother will go back tomorrow, I, I want to finish it soon and help brother out." Yaoyao''s face began to burn as she timidly lowered her head. The pure sentence along with Yaoyao''s adorable look made Jiang Chen feel his heart warm. Overwhelmed with emotions, he hugged Yaoyao''s frail figure from the back. "Wa." The slightly frantic shout echoed beside his ear. "Thank you, you are helping me a lot... Yaoyao is working very hard." Sensing the warmness, Jiang Chen sincerely thanked her. Other than the popular game, the applications inside the base, whether it was production or management were all creations of Yaoyao. But the timid loli never said anything. She only diligently worked and contributed to his success. Feeling the warm hug, as well as the praise she had been waiting for, Yaoyao''s face was red and her tender mouth curled up in joy. "Hehe... No need to thank me. Yaoyao is brother''s, so, it is my duty to help you." "Do you want any rewards? I haven''t been rewarding you properly," Jiang Chen said guiltily. "Any kind of reward?" Yaoyao buried her head shyly, she blankly stared at her feet dangling as she murmured. "Mhmm!" When she received the confirmation, the red hue moved from her face to the tip of her ears. With lips bitten, she exhaled several times before she finally worked up the courage. "Last birthday... At night, could you hug me while I sleep?" Yaoyao wanted to say the thing that they didn''t get to finish last time, but because of her shyness, she changed her words mid-sentence. "Uh?" As if she had sensed Jiang Chen''s hesitation, Yaoyao carefully added, "You said anything is okay... Don''t worry, Yaoyao has been taking a shower every night, I smell good. Yaoyao is also light and gentle when sleeping, I can be a soft pillow..." Her anxious explanation made it seem as if Jiang Chen was going to take back his promise. Looking at Yaoyao''s hopeful expression, Jiang Chen gulped. He could not say no to such a cute expression. Therefore he nodded. A joyful smiled emerged on Yaoyao''s face. The smile was mixed with happiness, as well as a hint of shyness. "Thank you, I''m so happy... Mhmm! Yaoyao will begin to work. Brother, you can go sleep, Yaoyao will be done soon." "Do you not need me to accompany you?" Jiang Chen rubbed her head. "No, No need. That will be really boring..." Yaoyao said slightly embarrassed. Jiang Chen didn''t insist. He walked to the bed, looked at the pink sheets as he awkwardly scratched his head. But when he thought about Yaoyao''s hopeful expression, Jiang Chen gulped and with trembling fingers slowly lifted up the sheet and lied down. He nose was tingled by the faint aroma. Although he couldn''t quite tell what the smell was, it smelt good. Under the sheets, Jiang Chen could smell her pureness. It was an intoxicating feeling. But this feeling didn''t manage to last long. Because it was too comfortable, Jiang Chen''s began to lose his consciousness, he yawned before quickly falling asleep. After typing up the last line of code, Yaoyao stretched her body. Then she timidly looked at the direction of the bed. Thinking that her love was sleeping in her bed, an indescribable joy and timid feeling rose in her heart. Yaoyao gulped as she put on her bunny slippers carefully and walked to the door to turn off the light. Then she sneaked to the side of the bed. Her heart was beating fast as if it was going to jump out of her chest. "Woo, fell asleep?" Seeing that Jiang Chen had already drifted to sleep, Yaoyao pouted her mouth in slight disappointment. But for some reason, she felt relieved and more at ease. It was a complex feeling. Already hitting puberty, she desired the mysterious but forbidden kind of feeling. At the same time, she felt unsettled by the idea. [Could it be that I am still not ready?] Yaoyao didn''t understand her feeling. With a hand on her chin, under the pristine moonlight, Yaoyao pouted her mouth as she carefully observed Jiang Chen''s face. Listening to his rhythmic breathing, a sweet smile appeared on her face. "Wooo, of course, let''s maintain our current state. Since brother already felt asleep..." She hummed to herself in a quiet voice before she sneaked into bed. She pecked Jiang Chen''s lips as a soft smile emerged on Yaoyao''s face. With this tiny bit of happiness, Yaoyao moved closer to his warm chest, adjusting herself to be in a comfortable position before closing her eyes. Her breathing began to turn rhythmic and gentle. Yaoyao''s crescent-shaped mouth revealed her happiness. 227 The Mis Chapter 227: The Mist Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The next morning, a streak of faint morning light poured into the room through the window. Jiang Chen yawned unhurriedly as he opened his sleepy eyes and gaze through the window. Such a rare scene, the outside was actually sunny. The insulated window blocked all the coldness outside, so it was warm like the spring inside the room. If it wasn''t for the snow, watching the bright sun, he almost felt like he slept all the way through the start of spring. A faint, warm breath fluttered on his chest, Jiang Chen looked down and found Yaoyao all curled up on top of his chest. Like a small rabbit, she slept peacefully. Her breathing rose and fell rhythmically. Her eyelashes quivered along with her breath as she cast off the angel-like vibe in the bright sunlight. Even in her sleep, her lips formed in a sweet smile. Gently sweeping her bangs to the side, Jiang Chen kissed her on top of her smooth forehead, and then he sneaked out of bed. He picked up the already completed USB and chip from the table, and then he quietly left the room and closed the door. It was only six o''clock in the morning, but based on Jiang Chen''s understanding of Sun Jiao, she should already be up and about. He was supposed to find her last night, but Yaoyao''s expectant eyes made him stay the night. While heading towards the third floor of the mansion, Jiang Chen heard the gunshots coming from the training room from a distance. "You''re up so early as usual." Pushing the door open, Jiang Chen spotted Sun Jiao in combat gears shooting at targets. "Mhmm? You''re back?" Turning around, Sun Jiao wore a surprised smile. Throwing the pistol in the case, Sun Jiao excitedly jumped in front of Jiang Chen. "Have you finished everything on the other side?" "Not yet but I''m worried about this side, so I came back to check things out." "You''re worrying now that we have the communication chip? If there''s anything urgent, I will inform you." Lin Lin shared the video that she and Jiang Chen had recorded with Sun Jiao and Yaoyao. Yaoyao''s reaction was somewhat blas since she did live in a more prosperous pre-war life for 12 years. Seeing the "ancient era," other than envy, she also felt melancholic. But Sun Jiao, who hadn''t seen a civilized society before, almost had her face plastered on the screen. For her, the other side was the embodiment of a fairy tale "It would be too late if something really happens. Has the Seventh area taken any action yet?" Sun Jiao''s posture turned rigid upon hearing Jiang Chen''s question. "The mutated humans have yet to make a move. The defense on the east of Zhufeng highway has been established, with the 10 Tigers and 200 soldiers being stationed there." Nodding, Jiang Chen pondered on it for a moment before continuing, "What about the Defender in Jia City?" Hearing that, a troubled smile flitted across Sun Jiao''s face. "Not even a reaction. Not a single news at all." Jiang Chen had exchanged a communication channel with Lin Chaoen at the Bullet Shell tavern at the Sixth Street last time. The first few times, Jiang Chen could still reach the general of the Defender Alliance in Jia City, but as soon as winter came, they seemed to have disappeared all the sudden. All communication with the Fishbone Base had come to a halt. Did they get wiped out? Or was it another type of accident? Frowning, Jiang Chen had a vague feeling that something was off but could not pinpoint what exactly it was. Sun Xiaorou was captured, but there was no reaction from Dusk at all. The mutated human''s front posts were destroyed twice, but their reaction was also somewhat abnormal. Could it be since their plans were foiled, they were at a loss on what to do? But rather than optimistically thinking that the threats had been eliminated, Jiang Chen was more inclined to believe in another possibilitythat they were planning a massive conspiracy. The silence now was to endure through this period of time. "Speaking of which, did Sun Xiaorou''s condition get...better?" Jiang Chen asked, somewhat awkwardly. "She''s better now." Sun Jiao''s expression looked despondent at the mention of her sister. She would spend most of her time everyday with her sister and attempt to wake up the personality in Sun Xiaorou''s body, and make the devout believer of an occult slumber for eternity. However, it was extremely difficult. In the face of psychological issues, she really had no way of dealing with it. "It''ll get better." Seeing the despair on Sun Jiao''s face, Jiang Chen embraced and comforted her. "Mhmm." Sun Jiao nodded and leaned her head on Jiang Chen''s shoulder. Just like this, silence perpetuated for a while and was broken when Sun Jiao suddenly asked, "How are you doing on the other side?" "Me?" Jiang Chen paused for a moment. "Mhmm, I haven''t asked you about the other side, so can you talk to me about it?" Whenever the other world was mentioned, Sun Jiao''s eyes lit up with anticipation. "There''s nothing special aboutit''s probably the exact opposite of this place. A mouse is only the size of a fist, and a cockroach is just as big as your thumb. There are no mutants, the street is littered with all kinds of people, and there is an endless number of stores that are filled with fun and delicious thingsIt''s hard to explain with just words, so I will just have to take you there when there''s an opportunity." Jiang Chen scratched his face. "Woo, I''m envious of you for being born in heaven." Sun Jiao pouted. "It''s not as good as you think. Compared to here, yes, but it''s not exactly a heaven. There are people who are extremely rich, and some people are so poor they don''t have a place that belongs to themselves, and they would have to depend on other''s goodwill to be able to rent a place." Fortunately, Jiang Chen became the former from the latter. "Rent?" Sun Jiao raised her eyebrows. She could not wrap her head around what Jiang Chen had just told her. The things that the wasteland didn''t lack were concrete and steel buildings, so she couldn''t imagine why it would be so valuable. If she got tired, she could find any building and could just place a trip mine on the stairs to sleep. "Before the war, a house is considered a luxury. Just like the mansion where we currently reside at, if it was before the war, it would cost millions You can think of it as millions of crystals." "Woah, so expensive." Sun Jiao was astonished. "So don''t think that the other side is perfect, lest you''ll end up being disappointed." Jiang Chen tousled Sun Jiao''s silky hair. Just then, Sun Jiao suddenly asked, "Which side do you like better?" Looking at the serious expression on Sun Jiao''s face, Jiang Chen took a moment to think. He then gave an answer that even shocked himself. "Probablythis side, or at least for now." In the modern world, he was just a billionaire. Even as the president of a multibillion-dollar company, he was just a wealthy person. With the growth of Future Technology, he gradually become embroiled in the vested interest of other people. Precisely because of the secrets he had to protect, Jiang Chen''s development had to be carefully measured, and he had to control the speed of his improvement. Despite possessing copious amounts of astonishing innovations, he could not easily bring it out in the open. Innovation like virtual reality MMORPG, Du Yongkong had already developed it. The headset version virtual reality gear could be produced in the Sixth Street, however, bringing it out in the modern world would be no different to committing suicide. In the apocalypse, however, he was the commander of a force. After becoming the general of the Sixth Street, there was no organization in the entire Wanghai City that could force him to hide his growth. Perhaps the development in the modern world should be hastened? Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Shamelessly asking, hit me up with the power stones. 228 The Dinner of the Elites Chapter 228: The Dinner of the Elites Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ After bidding Sun Jiao goodbye, Jiang Chen returned to the modern world. It was around eight in the morning, thinking of the promise he made with Ayesha last night, Jiang Chen''s face broke into a smile. After preparing breakfast and putting it into the microwave, Jiang Chen took a shower before he entered Ayesha''s room, smirking all the while. When the two came out of the room, it was already ten o''clock. "I shouldn''t have prepared breakfast had I known it''d be lunchtime soon," Jiang Chen uttered in disappointment as he removed the bread and poached egg from the microwave. "It''s okay. Just put it in the fridge, and we''ll eat it tomorrow," face still blushing furiously, Ayesha muttered and took the plate out of Jiang Chen''s hand. After putting the plate in the refrigerator, Ayesha started preparing lunch while wearing an apron. Looking at Ayesha''s profile, Jiang Chen was enamored by the scene. The loose brown curls reflected a golden streak in the sun. Beneath it was a gentle and serene face, and with the elegant apron, she resembled a newly married wife. "Mhmm?" Ayesha seemed to have sensed Jiang Chen''s gaze because she slightly tilted her head and looked up. "Uh, nothing, just thinking how beautiful you are." Jiang Chen scratched his cheek. Face blushing, Ayesha lowered her head shyly and started cutting the meat. Lunch was roasted beef and borsch with steamed rice, a combination of western and oriental cuisine. When the two finished their lunch, it was already twelve o''clock. After cleaning up the dishes, Ayesha, as part of her usual routine, she headed to the gym to complete today''s virtual reality training content. Jiang Chen rested a bit more on the sofa, and then went out of the door and drove to the metropolis. Tonight he was going to attend the Wanghai Business Forum. Jiang Chen, who had not always been confident in his own style, wisely decided to leave the task to the professionals to deal with. Although what''s inside was more important, it was also necessary for the look to reflect that. Jiang Chen allowed the cold but gentle hands to fiddle with his face and hair for a while before coming out of the high-end style studio feeling refreshed. Although his hair was still short hair, he felt sleeker. Then he headed to the mall to buy a few sets of formal suits. Although he didn''t know which attire would be most appropriate for the event tonight, the best choice would be to buy the most expensive one! After throwing the tens of thousands worth of formal suits on the counter, Jiang Chen, in front of the cashier whose eyes had already turned into glittering stars, swiped his card without blinking. It was already three o''clock when he was done with everything. Seeing that there was still some time to spare, Jiang Chen went to a Starbucks and ordered a cup coffee before he started fiddling with his phone. When it was about five o''clock, Jiang Chen drove to the venue where the party would be held, Linhua Hotel. ... One could see the elegance of the beautifully designed building just by looking at its appearance. Marble and red brick were the main materials used, which gave a touch modern simplicity combined with the elegance of classic beauty. Linhua Hotelan embellished sign with huge neon letters. The parking lot was almost like a luxury car dealership. He actually saw no less than two or three of Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, etc. So that his car Maybach S600 being parked there looked inconspicuous. When he parked the car, following the direction of the valet, he was ushered to the front of the hotel. After flashing his invitation, he then entered the hotel along with those well-dressed elites. Although it was a fancy banquet, in the end, it was still hosted by locals. Jiang Chen didn''t get to see some famous people and could not recognize most attendees. But he didn''t look down on the party because of it. While they may not appear in the media, it did not mean they could not do so. Sometimes the more low-key the people were, the more powerful they truly were. When he entered the hotel, he distinctly noticed a lot of people staring at him. In this regard, Jiang Chen did not appear to be the least bit anxious, After all, it was not the first time he would be participating in a gathering this level. When he was in Sanya, he attended a birthday dinner hosted by the hospitable prince of Arabia for his princess. Although the birthday party was more private and informal than the business forum, the process was, in fact, roughly similar. After the host delivered all kinds of ceremonial speech, the business elites naturally formed themselves into a small clique and exchanged ideas with those they were interested in. Because he was not good at this kind of things, Jiang Chen deliberately picked a secluded spot in the corner of the hall and started enjoying the delicious food. While he did consider using this opportunity to get acquainted with some business associates, but he was somewhat unable to get started after arriving here. Most of the active participants here were not a first-timer in this kind of event. As such, a number of people in the circle were familiar with each other. It was undoubtedly difficult for some newcomers like Jiang Chen to mingle with this clique. But he had clearly underestimated his presence in the technology sector because who would actually cast a delicious morsel of cake aside? The profitability of Future Technology did make people green with envy, but for those who could take part in the event of this caliber, how many were actually short-sighted? Ignoring Jiang Chen because of jealousy, only a philistine would do that. He hadn''t sat for long before a middle-aged man sat beside him with a smile. "Mr. Jiang is young and promising but doesn''t show off in public. It''s really rare at this age. Ah, I can''t help but grow admiration for you even I were to be in 70s." "Nah," despite feeling proud inside, Jiang Chen still humbly acknowledged the compliment, and then asked, "and you are?" Though the person looked familiar, Jiang Chen was still unable to remember where he had seen him. "I''m Zhou Hongwei." Zhou Hongwei smiled. Isn''t that the president of 361 Corporation, Zhou Hongwei? It made Jiang Chen somewhat shocked. "So it''s Mr. Zhou, I apologize for not realizing it sooner." Not even recognizing his own strategic partner was a bit embarrassing. With the advent of a social media platform, Future Technology and other communication technologies like Penguin naturally stood on the opposite side. In particular, the impact of Future 1.0 on Wechat, which caused a drastic decrease in their users, had naturally earned Penguin''s displeasure. Because of this, Future Technology was removed from all channels by Penguin, but it did little to Future Technology as they had already occupied the user group. The competitor''s adversary would naturally band together. Most especially after the Lingyu Technology''s incident, towards 361 Corporation''s gesture of goodwill to Jiang Chen, Future Technology would naturally take the same initiative as the 361 Corporation. Both parties used Chenfeng Entertainment as a joint venture platform to form a tight relationship in the mobile gaming sector, focusing on low and mid-end games with short development cycles. 361 Corporation being the main developer while Future Technology was responsible for the channel. It can be said that this was the honeymoon period of cooperation between the two sides. "It''s okay, I''m already over 40 years old with an average-looking face, so even if I went on CTV, no one would remember me." Zhou Hongwei quipped good-naturedly, which cleverly resolved the awkwardness, then he began chatting with Jiang Chen. When two Internet giants sat together, it would naturally attract a lot of people in the "same circle" to join their conversation. Without him knowing, Jiang Chen was equally surprised to realize that the quiet spot he had chosen for himself had somehow become the center of the forum. In fact, Jiang Chen had somehow underestimated intricacies this business forum. If he had given it more thoughts, there were just few hundred companies with over 10 billion market value in the entire China. Now this Wanghai Business Forum, though the requirement was high, it was not as extreme as he initially thought. It could be even be said that in this entire venue, he and Zhou Hongwei could be considered to stand at the top of the pyramid. On the other hand, Zhou Hongwei only possessed 14% share in 361 Corporation, but Jiang Chen had an unbelievable 99% share in Future Technology. From this perspective, while both companies had a market value of 10 billion, Jiang Chen''s "worth" had overwhelmed Zhou Hongwei. Other than the internet giants, the rest were mid-sized companies with good profitability and future prospects. While they probably have billions in assets, there was still a noticeable gap compared to Jiang Chen''s assets. As such, there were quite a number of people who used all sort of methods in an attempt to establish a connection with him. Especially considering he was still a bachelor, the big bosses with daughters, regardless whether their daughter had a boyfriend or not, began to talk marriage with Jiang Chen. "Haha, Mr. Jiang is 22 this year, my princess is 21. Would Jiang Chen be interested in meeting her?" "No wonder Mr. Jiang Chen is capable of gracing the headline twice on Wall Street Journal, Mr. Jiang is indeed a talented person and gives face to his own country!" "Is Mr. Jiang interested in a partnership? Our company had recently developed an O2O takeout software, considering Future 1.0 traffic, we can definitely..." Networking, fawning, and partnership. To be honest, his vanity was satisfied while looking at a group of rich people formed a circle around him as the center. Jiang Chen naturally responded to everyone''s friendliness and listened to their business proposals. As for those seeking to arrange marriage, Jiang Chen chose to politely ignore them. In this relaxed atmosphere, halfway through the party, a familiar voice floated through Jiang Chen''s ears just as he was about to start eating. "Hello Mr. Jiang, we meet again." 229 Peep Chapter 229: Peep Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ To host this gathering, Linhua Group had certainly made an all-out effort. Not only was the food impeccable, the guests had also been given meticulous attention. When the party was halfway through, a sound of music began to play in the venue. In the center of the circular hall, the Chinese music circle goddess, Zhang Hui, was singing, the melodious and soft music revibrating in the hall. Clapping sound erupted as the music faded. To be able to invite a celebrity of this caliber to be part of this gathering showed the influence of Wang Linhua. Seeing that the atmosphere of the party has come to a peak, the host of the gathering took out the microphone. He first expressed his gratitude to Zhang Hui for her performance and to all the guests for coming to the event before announcing the next part of the celebration. The servers pushing the food carts entered the hall as they began to serve exquisite meals. Musical performance started playing from the center of the hall. The guests, exhausted from chatting, started enjoying their dinner. "Hello Mr. Jiang, we meet again." Wang Xinyan approached Jiang Chen with a glass of wine in her hand. Still clad in a vibrant red, but instead of a cotton dress, this time was an elegant cocktail dress. "It''s a pleasure meeting you again, Miss Wang." Jiang Chen raised his glass and smiled. "Is it? But why do I sense that you feel the opposite?" With a graceful stride, Wang Xinyan proposed a toast to Jiang Chen and then took a sip of her wine. "That''s just your imagination." While saying this, Jiang Chen muttered another sentence to himself. [But your imagination is too accurate.] "Woman''s instinct is very accurate." Towards Jiang Chen''s denial, Wang Xinyan just smiled mysteriously and did not give a direct response. "Ahem, let''s cut to the chase. Come on, what do you need from me?" Jiang Chen coughed lightly as he put down the wine. "Can''t I even look for you without having an ulterior motive?" Wang Xinyan gracefully sat across him. "Of course, but you''re obviously not." Seeing the guarded look on Jiang Chen''s face, Wang Xinyan let out a sigh. "A man who doesn''t understand a woman. Then, excuse me for being blunt... My father wants to see you." [Wang Linhua? Why would a real estate developer want to see me?] Frowning, Jiang Chen couldn''t think of any potential business ventures between Linhua Group and Future Technology. "Right now?" "Of course, after the event ends." Her red lips curved upwards slyly. [When the party''s over?] Jiang Chen still couldn''t figure out the intention of Wang Linhua. Seeing Jiang Chen''s slightly frowning expression, Wang Xinyan giggled."Why are you so cautious? Don''t you think it''d be probably be something good?" "Because I noticed you used the word ''probably," Jiang Chen said dully. "That depends on you and how you interpret it." Wang Xinyan left a smile and a meaningful sentence behind, and then gracefully got up and exited in grand fashion. [Depends on my interpretation?] A profound smile broke on Jiang Chen''s face. Thereupon, the door to the hall became unsettled. "Is that Carmen Rothschild? My god, when did Linhua Group become this influential?" "Did Carmen specifically come here for this, or is he on a business trip for Rothschild family? Maybe Linhua was informed about it, and that''s why he sent an invitation? But for the Rothschild family to attend this gathering, Linhua Group is surely powerful." "Haha, if they want to get a slice of the cake of the 1.3 billion people market, then they will need to establish a good relationship with the top dog." "That makes sense. I wonder which lucky person will have the opportunity to have dealings with these Europeans tyrants.." The ongoing speculations had made Jiang Chen''s expression turn slightly strange. The lucky person they were referring to was him. Once the news about the deal had been publicized, what kind of interesting expression would be on their faces? Speaking of this, the control chip and artificial intelligence system had already been completed. As long as Jiang Chen willed it, the chip could just be transported from the storage dimension to his pocket. But to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, Jiang Chen cautiously decided to temporarily put it aside as he was planning to introduce it in April. Picking up his chopstick, he began to enjoy the food on the table. But then, much to his surprise, Carmen began to look around and headed his way. Seeing this scene, everyone''s eyes widened. "So it''s Future Technology? When did the Rothschild family get involved in the high-tech industry?" "Wait, I heard that Carmen is here representing the Dalmer Corporation. Could it be that Future Technology will be venturing into automotive industry?" Artifical intelligence on top of automotive? This was one piece of a hot news. What was the media doing, and how come there was no information at all? Disregarding the reaction of the crowd, Carmen sat across from Jiang Chen where Wang Xinyan had previously sitten. "Chinese food, I like it a lot," Carmen nobly said with a smile, but he picked up a knife and fork. "Nice to see you again, old buddy," said Jiang Chen and exchanged greetings with him. Whether if it was because of the language barrier or something else entirely, listening to Jiang Chen''s words, Carmen''s expression became somewhat awkward. "I apologize, my friend. I didn''t deliberately provoke you" Based on his understanding, the disappearance of GPS signal was because Jiang Chen had discovered it already. In view of their current relationship, Carmen chose to apologize sincerely. "It''s okay, I''m a very easy person." Jiang Chen smiled. Carmen had blanked out for a moment before a grateful smile appeared on his face. [Being able to let go of the past is amazing. This kind of mental fortitude is truly admirable...] Carmen exclaimed in his head. Although it was not a big deal to be inept in using chopsticks and compared to 1 billion USD... How does one eat Chinese food with a knife and fork? Jiang Chen''s expression looked strange as he stared at the knife and fork in Carmen''s hand. The conversation between the two could be described as disjointed, but because of coincidence, it somehow connected together. Carmen thought that Jiang Chen had discovered the problem with the USB, but in reality, Jiang Chen didn''t notice the mishap at all. One had to say that this disconnect in the information, which caused this misunderstanding, was really funny Jiang Chen''s taciturn behavior was seen as generosity in Carmen''s eyes, so his words could not help but have guilt woven into them. While chatting with him, Jiang Chen became perplexed by his odd tone. Was this a difference in language expression? In short, the flow of conversation between the two was very harmonious. But this harmony, in the eyes of a certain person, was far from being pleasant. "So Rothschild is interested in Future Technology as well?" With wine in hand, the corner of his eyes peeked at the two as Wang Linhua muttered to himself. The wine swirling in the glass reflected the aged face immersed in deep thought. 230 Greed Chapter 230: Greed Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The gathering ended. After saying goodbye to Carmen Rothschild, Jiang Chen went to the back of the hall and met Wang Linhua waiting there. The elder man''s body looked healthy, and he had a head full of black hair. While wrinkles were visible on his face, it only added to his authoritative look. From this point alone, Wang Dehai should be his older brother and quite a few years older. When he saw Jiang Chen come in, he had an amiable smile on his face as he warmly welcomed Jiang Chen to take a seat. "Haha, I have been listening to my brother''s praises of you, now that I see you, it certainly is true." Wang Linhua nodded his head. "Uncle Wang is overcomplimenting me," Jiang Chen said humbly. "Since you call me uncle, could I call you little Jiang?" "Of course, it''s my honor." When he heard Jiang Chen''s words, Wang Linhua smiled as he took a drink of tea to soothe his throat. "The reason why I asked you to stay today is that I wanted to chat with you. I hope little Jiang doesn''t mind." "Not a problem." Jiang Chen smiled, but he was analyzing his intention. "Did you see my daughter yet?" Wang Linhua asked nonchalantly. [Wang Xinyan?] As to why Wang Linhua all the sudden mentioned this, Jiang Chen was rather lost. "Yes," Jiang Chen nodded as he answered cautiously. "What do you think about her?" "Unique." Jiang Chen carefully chose his word. "I heard you don''t have a girlfriend yet, you young people should spend more time together. As the elder, I don''t need to say more." Hearing this, Jiang Chen''s expression became odd. [What is this? Arranged marriage? Encouraging me to chase after you daughter?] "Why did uncle Wang mention this all of the sudden?" Without replying directly, Jiang Chen smiled. "Nothing really, only casually mentioning it, don''t worry too much." Wang Linhua laughed as he waved his hands. Jiang Chen didn''t continue this conversation as he also laughed along with him. He didn''t understand what kind of show this old guy was putting on for him, so he decided to be careful with his words. As to the hint, there was no way he would agree to it. Seeing that Jiang Chen didn''t continue the conversation, Wang Linhua only smiled. He reached for the teapot and filled his cup with more tea. "Westlake Longjing, my friend gave it to me as a gift." Jiang Chen raised his cup to take a sip, although he didn''t know the intricacy of tea, he still pretended to know as he nodded. "Great tea." "Haha, not bad right? It is limited quantity. Better than the ones available on the market." Wang Linhua laughed, as he also took a sip of the tea. However, simply through observing his action, he was more natural than Jiang Chen. "Speaking of this, during one of my outings with the old friend who gifted me the tea, he spoke about an interesting problem. Could little Jiang solve my elderly man''s confusion?" Wang Linhua said with a gentle voice as he smiled at Jiang Chen. "My knowledge is limited, but I will do my best," Jiang Chen answered cautiously. "I hope little Jiang don''t mind, my old friend works in intelligence service. I am only curious because based on what he said, he couldn''t find anything on the technology team behind Future Technology. That team, does it really exist?" A piercing and sharp look shot out of Wang Linhua''s eyes. That fox-like sight, locked tightly onto Jiang Chen''s pupils as if he wanted to look through Jiang Chen. But Jiang Chen was not a rookie anymore, he was at least a general of the Sixth Street. Although it was in another world, it didn''t interfere with his new-found calmness as a leader. "Of course, it''s just that you guys haven''t been able to find them yet," Jiang Chen replied to Wang Linhua''s suspiciousness with calmness. "Oh? Really?" "Of course. We only developed a partnership with them. Based on the agreement, they provide technology to us, and we focus on the operations. We also promise them confidentiality to all information about them." It was the second time Jiang Chen said something like this. The first was to the media. As to Jiang Chen''s response, Wang Linhua was obviously unsatisfied, but he didn''t show anything on his face, he only smiled, as he continued. "We are leaning towards another possibility." "Such as?" "That team is fictitious, everything is your work." "A very imaginative assumption. Disregarding the fact that I have studied mechanical engineering, what''s my reason to do this?" Jiang Chen shrugged. "There are many reasons. For example, avoiding the trouble, or blurring the development cost." Wang Linhua smiled mysteriously. "You think I am avoiding tax? Let''s disregard if the problem exists or not in the first place. I don''t think Linhua Group is a tax agency right? Even if your brother is powerful, it doesn''t mean I have to accept your interrogation. When did Linhua Group start doing the work of the government agency?" Although Wang Linhua had clearly heard the displeasure in Jiang Chen''s tone, for some odd reason, he didn''t stop the topic there. "Of course not, I am only listing out a possibility. But those two points are key. The key is, this could be your motive because you don''t trust the government." "Don''t trust the government? This is a serious accusation, I cannot accept this. And don''t you think this kind of assumption is irresponsible? Where is your evidence?" Jiang Chen said calmly. Rather than lack of trust, Jiang Chen would rather refer to it as being cautious for his life. Since his right hand held the portal to another world! "Don''t be nervous, I am only stating a possibility. Granted, our government system does have some flaws and unjust, but all in all, it is still a good system. For the people with talent, we always provide support." "Therefore?" Jiang Chen laughed. "Did little Jiang ever consider an equity infusion by state," Wang Linhua said with a smile. Jiang Chen let out a sigh in his mind, [It is finally here.] A monthly revenue over a billion, 99% of absolute share control, this juicy piece of meat finally made people feel unsettled? "Future Technology''s operating condition is doing well, the cash flow is steady, there is no consideration of equity infusion." It was the point that made all venture capitalists grind their teeth. The lack of problem with cash flow meant that there was no possibility for them to cut a piece of pie from Future 1.0. Disregarding venture capitalists, Future Technology doesn''t even need a bank loan. With its monthly profit alone, it could meet its growth needs. The company''s incredible money generating ability did indeed make people''s eyes glisten with greed. This would include private capitals, foreign capitals, and of course, state capitals. And Linhua Group is a renowned state enterprise. Wang Linhua''s question was dubious in its nature. "It doesn''t have to be operating poorly to infuse state capital. With liquid asset, you could develop freely and expand your operation." Wang Linhua took a sip of tea in an in control attitude. That gesture hinted at a layer of meaning worth thinking over. "If you don''t mind me using a derogatory term, if you take too big of a stride, you might pull your nuts." "Therefore, little Jiang is going to refuse?" Wang Linhua narrowed his eyes, but the smile on his face didn''t fade away. As to convincing, he had a mysterious sense of confidence. Jiang Chen didn''t know what his trump card is, but he would not give any ground on this point. "It has to do with the future of the company, I must be cautious with my decision." Jiang Chen didn''t back down. "Do you think infusing state capital would hinder the growth of Future Technology?" Wang Linhua laughed, he waved his hands, "Let''s talk about policy, but you should have been paying attention already." After taking a pause, Wang Linhua continued. "Based on the state''s newly discussed strategy, for the second type of corporation, the keystone corporation is an important industry, as well as its supporting industry, the high-tech industry. For these industries, the state wants an ownership control of 51%. Of course, this is only a recommended percentage, the actual percentage may differ." "I heard that it is not an enforced policy, only a method of supporting the company. There is no law that states I must accept an equity infusion by state," Jiang Chen answered emotionlessly. For Jiang Chen''s answer, Wang Linhua shook his head with a smile. "Do you think, the government would let this type of high-end technology sit in the hands of an individual? With strong capital, the piece of gold would create more value." "Or it would be worth nothing." Jiang Chen shrugged. "Oh?" Wang Linhua pretended to act curious. "The infusion of external capital would mean that the company might display the specifics of the operation to the new shareholder. My partner obviously has no intention to reveal itself to any country. Therefore they may terminate my partnership to seek other partners. Don''t you think by that point, the move becomes pointless?" Jiang Chen said nonchalantly. "That''s okay." Wang Linhua smiled at Jiang Chen "Perhaps they would give up on Future Technology, but no reason to give up a 1.3 billion people market. If they truly exist, we''ll treat their new partner better." At this point, Jiang Chen truly understood everything. The old guy was gambling, the type of gambling where he would not lose. Whether the foreign technology team is real or fake, it would only take a test to find out. If they actually existed, they would change to a different name, there was no need to worry about them leaving. As to if Future Technology would be abandoned or not, Wang Linhua didn''t care at all. Unfortunately, Wang Zhiyong not speaking his mind that day reflected Wang Dehai''s attitude. At least he permitted the situation. Since Wang Linhua belonged to the Wang family, if Future Technology became Wang family''s asset, Wang family acquired another cash cow. "So you are arranging this marriage for state capital?'' "No, only arranging the marriage for the Wang family." Wang Linhua smiled. Of course. "Oh?" Jiang Chen sneered. "I''ll marry my daughter to you, then you will be the son in law of the Wang family. The dowry is five billion, the bride price... obviously is 50% of the Future Technology share." It was a great plan, disregarding the logic of "standing at the high grounds for the country, and forcefully selling and buying." Is the dowry supposed to be an asset after marriage? Based on the ten billion market cap two months ago, to acquire the Future Technology with monthly revenues of a billion, are they shameless? Or shameless? "What is this? Political marriage?" Jiang Chen mocked. "You could interpret it that way." "Therefore, Linhua Group can represent the government?" Jiang Chen ridiculed. "Although we can''t represent, the Wang family has a certain amount of power. Also, Linhua Group is a state-owned enterprise. Therefore it means the same thing as state capital infusing into Future Technology," Wang Linhua said with a smile. What a shameless things to say. "Could I interpret it that your action reflects the attitude of the Wang family?" Pondering on Jiang Chen''s question, Wang Linhua took another sip of the tea. "You could interpret it that way. Since, rather than giving this juicy meat away to other people, it is better to put it in my own stomach." [It is a straightforward analogy, you view my Future Technology as a piece of juicy meat already?] Seeing Wang Linhua''s confident expression, the tip of Jiang Chen''s mouth curved up as he said emotionlessly. "If you think you are so great, are you not afraid I will become a foreign company?" Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more tonight 231 Vote with my fee Chapter 231: Vote with my feet Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Jiang Chen''s words made Wang Linhua pause for a moment, his cunning eyes narrowed into a line. His eyes reflected those of a hunter observing its prey''s sharp claw. Jiang Chen responded to the invasive sight by smiling fearlessly, he took a sip out of the teacup. His calmness made Wang Linhua uncertain. If Jiang Chen proactively gave out the shares, it would be the best case scenario. Five billion along with becoming the son-in-law of the Wang family in exchange for 50% of Future Technology''s share, in Wang Linhua''s eyes, was not too harsh. Wang Linhua could not think through the reason for Jiang Chen''s reaction. Without exaggerating, Future Technology was a piece of juicy meat. Not only the Wang family has spotted the meat, Zhou and Liu families, who had no less of a political influence, were also unsettled. But because the juicy meat lies in Wanghai City, and it was in the Wang family''s territory, that''s why they urged themselves. But followed by the increase in profitability of Future Technology, they could no longer sit around. Just like what he has said, rather than other people eating it, it was better to put it in his own stomach. "Foreign corporation?" Wang Linhua laughed, "Do you think foreign capital is as cute as it looks. As an elder, I have to caution you, their manner is even worse. Especially since the primary business of Future Technology is still in the country. A bite by us, we can give you some compensation. A bite by foreign capitals, you may have to eat the leftovers with them." Although he was saying this confidently, Jiang Chen could still hear the hint of the fear in his voice. Hua connecting to the world meant that it is no longer excluded from the world that''s led by UA capital as they carefully maintained the image of their international state capital. Using the policy to forcefully buy and sell could occur between state and private capital, but it could never occur between state capital and foreign capital. These major shareholders are able to hide from the public''s eyes as they only exist in the financial information of each corporation. But in actuality, the QQ we use every day, the largest internet company in Hua with a market cap of 250 billion - Tencent, the major shareholder is not Ma Huateng, but South Africa MIH. As to the famous Alibaba, their major shareholder was not Jack Ma, but Softbank. Regardless of the status of foreign affairs, foreign capitals are all thriving domestically without suffering any unfair treatment. For example, if the Rothschild family became a shareholder of Future Technology, even without becoming the top shareholder, Wang Linhua would definitely be afraid to make any moves. It was the reason why Wang Linhua felt nervous when he saw Carmen and Jiang Chen being so close. It was okay laying hands on private capital, it was like a father beating his son as it was the family business. But if a guest came, what kind of etiquette would be used to pull things from the guest''s pocket? Although it was a situation that could not be helped, it was the sad truth. If Future Technology did get pushed away by him, not only would Wang Dehai not be too happy, Wang Linhua himself would get nothing out of it. The power within the structure is good against your own people, but not so effective against other people. "I am only explaining a possibility," Jiang Chen said expressionlessly. "Are you threatening me?" Wang Linhua voice began to turn cold. "No, I am only responding to your threat." "Threat?" Wang Linhua laughed, "Linhua Group''s equity infusion would be absolutely beneficial for Future Technology, you are too ignorant of the situation." Just like Wang Linhua said, it was not bad for state capital to infuse into Future Technology. A lot of companies at the brink of bankruptcy do everything they can to infuse state capital. With state capital, although it meant some profit would be lost, the company would receive preferential treatment in all kinds of areas. Such as loans. No possibility of a loan not being approved. The bank would nod their head even at the risk of bad debt. Another example, policies. As long as they have the correct political stance, they would not receive repressions from the political side. But there was no way Jiang Chen could do this. Once state capital is infused, that means that he must reveal the specifics of the company''s operations to the new "major shareholder." For example, the team that developed Future 1.0, the point of contact, as well as the cost breakdown of software development. How could this be revealed to other people? Jiang Chen doesn''t have enough knowledge on political regulations to give his right hand to the government. "It''s not because of ignorance, it''s just you are too greedy. With only five billion, you want 50% share of Future Technology with billions of monthly profit, why don''t you go rob instead?" Jiang Chen sneered as he stared straight into Wang Linhua''s eyes. "Rob? Without the Wang family looking after you, do you think Future Technology could grow smoothly to this point?" Wang Linhua paused as he looked at Jiang Chen with more than one layer of meaning. "Rothschild family is wealthy, I know you formed a partnership with them. But they are outsiders after all, even with money, their influence in Hua is limited. If you think they can help you out, then you will be disappointed. If you think selling your share would avoid trouble, I recommend you get rid of the idea. Future Technology can escape from trouble, but you definitely won''t be able to." The threatening intent was serious. Jiang Chen eyes'' narrowed. "I don''t know if you have considered this question before, but Future Technology is an internet company with only a few servers. I can start the company anywhere. In the country, or outside of the country." "Then you mean?" Wang Linhua''s eyes narrowed. "I retain my option to vote with my feet." With those words, the atmosphere in the room froze. After a while, Wang Linhua leaned against his chair, and slowly opened his mouth to break the silence. "Young, impulsive, unwilling to compromise, I can understand. But, I recommend you to think carefully before you make a decision. Linhua Group''s control of Future Technology is not only the Wang family''s decision, but the people at the top also nodded their heads. Vote with your feet? You have to be able to leave." Jiang Chen laughed without saying anything. [Funny, if I want to leave, who could stop me?] Seeing that Jiang Chen didn''t answer, Wang Linhua thought he was considering, he smiled, and didn''t push him too hard. "It is pretty late, let''s call it a day. I hope you can choose a happy ending. After the Han New Year, Linhua group will have its shareholder meeting, the official acquisition proposal will be handed to you by April. I trust that in four months time, you can think this through." "What if I reject?" "Future Technology''s Han operation may experience some unpleasant surprises." [Looks like Wang Linhua is firm on grabbing Future Technology in his hands.] "Oh? It looks like I have to consider this carefully then." Sneering in his mind, Jiang Chen stood up. He walked towards the door but suddenly stopped. Turning back around, he smiled. "I hope you don''t regret your decision today." Wang Linhua took a moment before he burst out laughing. "Regret? Buddy, you have a big mouth. To make me regret, you are still too young." "Is that so?" Jiang Chen left Wang Linhua with a smile that held a deeper meaning, he didn''t stay any longer as he pushed open the door. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ One more coming 232 The Necessary Deterrence Chapter 232: The Necessary Deterrence Translator: _Min_Editor: _Tat_ "How did it go? Is it good news or bad news?" Standing outside of the room, Wang Xinyan looked at Jiang Chen, who just came out of the door, with a smile. "What do you think?'' Jiang Chen stopped and looked at her, half-smiling. "I think it didn''t go too well." Wang Xinyan crossed her arms as she stood beside Jiang Chen, "I don''t understand, what''s there to reject? Am I that despicable?" "What''s there to reject?" Jiang Chen laughed dubiously, "You tell me, what''s there to agree?" Jiang Chen didn''t respond to her plan of testing the water and left immediately. Looking at Jiang Chen walking away, Wang Xinyan''s flashed an unusual light as a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "Interesting." ... After coming out of the hotel, Jiang Chen walked to the garage. Just as he was about to go into his car, a stranger approached him. Seeing that Jiang Chen was walking over, a man in a brown trench coat waved at him and walked towards his direction. "You are?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows. "Just a salesman." The man shrugged and smiled friendly. "I am not in the mood to buy anything." "No, trust me, you will be interested in my offer." The man coughed, and extended his right hand, "Zhang Youjie, I''m an employee of the UA Consulate." Jiang Chen''s eyes moved slightly as he shook his hand out of etiquette, then with a layer of meaning, he said, "Consulate worker? What do you have for an ordinary merchant like me?" A Han name, should be a UA Han? "Ahem, Mr. Jiang is too humble. A normal merchant would not go save someone in Iraq, nor would he go step in the muddy water in Kane, he especially wouldn''t train mercenaries in Niger." Zhang Youjie said in a low voice then he coughed. What a detailed investigation. "Then your intention is?'' Jiang Chen asked emotionlessly. "Please don''t be mistaken, I am here with good intentions. Although you are unnaturally active internationally, your current actions aren''t threatening the security of my country." Seeing the caution in Jiang Chen''s eyes, Zhang Youjie rushed to explain. "Can I hear about this good intention of yours?" Jiang Chen smiled. "Have you considered switching to a different nationality? The Wall Street is a broad stage. For a talent like you, it is too pitiful if you waste your time on those greedy politicians." "Wall Street? I currently have no interest in Wall Street." Jiang Chen said nonchalantly. "Don''t reject it yet." Zhang Youjie stopped Jiang Chen''s words, he slipped a business card into his hand with a smile, "It is never bad to have a few extra options right? The door to freedom is always open for people with talent, especially for a genius like you." Zhang Youjie bowed nobly before he turned around and left. Staring at Zhang Youjie''s shadow, Jiang Chen played with the business card in his hand for as a dubious smile appeared on his face. Wall Street? Would the etiquette of the Wall Street capitalists be better? As long as they are politicians, they are the same everywhere. He stuffed the business card into his pocket as Jiang Chen sat into his Maybach. If Wang Linhua thought he could use the power within the system to force him to agree, then he is fated for disappointment. Future Technology will never be a subsidiary of the Wang family, Jiang Chen never had the intention to compromise. ... After he got into the car, Jiang Chen didn''t head home. Instead, he went to the rural area and parked in front of the Hongyi private club. Jiang Chen closed the door, entered the club, passed through the hall and walked straight to the reception desk. "Hello sir, what kind of service-" The receptionist smiled professionally as she greeted Jiang Chen. Those coming at this hour, needless to say, was here to "spend the night". But Jiang Chen''s first sentence caught her by surprise. "Call your manager...Zhou Zihao here." Jiang Chen said in a straightforward manner. The receptionist paused for a moment and looked at Jiang Chen in confusion. "Sir?" "Just say that someone called Jiang Chen is here." She looked skeptically at Jiang Chen, but she still picked up the phone and called the manager. "Hello? Manager Zhou? Someone named Jiang Chen wants to see you -, Oh, okay..." When she hung up the phone, the way she looked at him changed from skepticism to respect. If the mention of this person''s name in that one phone can get her manager to come down, this person is obvious not ordinary. In her impression, the only person that could do this was called Wang Zhiyong. Without waiting for long, Jiang Chen saw the "squint eye" coming down. "Haha, we meet again, brother Jiang." Zhou Zihao walked up to Jiang Chen with a smile, "How have you been?" The warmness made it seem like the unhappy ending that happened here last time didn''t exist. "Not very good, so I came here to find you." Jiang Chen also smiled. "Find me? Uncle Wang wants you to be his son in law, does brother Jiang want me to be the best man?" "You already know?" Jiang Chen was slightly surprised. "I do have some connections here." Zhou Zihao shrugged. "Okay let''s not play riddles then. Partnership, are you interested?" Jiang Chen was direct. After a brief moment, an interested expression appeared on Zhou Zihao''s face. "Partnership? Is Future Technology not satisfied with great influence that is the Wang family?" "Nothing to do with Future Technology." Jiang Chen said emotionlessly, "A partnership between you and me." "You want me to go against uncle Wang, even though I don''t have the reason -" "Military artificial intelligence project." Zhou Zihao''s eyes immediately narrowed, although his eyes were not big to begin with. Jiang Chen clearly sensed that he was tempted. "This is not the place to talk." Zhou Zihao said in a low voice as he signaled to Jiang Chen to follow him into the second-floor room. Immediately after they sat down, Zhou Zihao couldn''t wait and asked. "Can Future Technology really do it? The military artificial intelligence program?" "Smart drone control system." Jiang Chen sensed clearly that he was tempted by the offer, but he didn''t immediately agree as a hint of caution came out of his eyes. "How do you want me to help you?" "I heard you have a hobby of shooting adult videos, how many have you filmed?" Jiang Chen''s sight was dubious. Zhou Zihao''s eyes slightly moved, he obviously knew what Jiang Chen referred to. "You want those videos?" "Exactly." "Are you crazy, you think you could use those 147 political sex scandal video to take down Wang family?" "147 of them? That is more than what I expected... I wasn''t thinking about taking down the Wang family, what I need is necessary deterrence." Jiang Chen stared at Zhou Zihao''s squinted eyes, "Zhou family is in Shangjing, and you are in Wanghai City, I suppose you don''t really favor your own family. Smart drone control systems... if you give me the videos, the systems are yours." Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Remember to vote for MPAW! 233 The Skin of a Military Tech Company Chapter 233: The Skin of a Military Tech Company Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Future Technology had to go, and this was Jiang Chen had decided a long time ago. But even if it''s gone, there would still be a process involved. Moreover, even if it''s gone, that didn''t mean he would abandon the domestic market. It''s just that selecting a small country was easier to control as a headquarter to facilitate the future development of Future Technology later on. However, he didn''t expect that Wang family would no longer be able to sit still so quick. In order to control the artificial intelligence technology and to rope state-owned assets in, the organization''s authority was employed to compel Jiang Chen to surrender his shares of Future Technology. Using the state-owned assets and Wang family joint ownership of Linhua Group to own a controlling number of shares in Future Technology, Wang Linhua''s formulated a sound plan. When all was said and done, Jiang Chen''s connection could not be considered extensive. Future Technology''s profits made people envious. Although the Wang family had kept him away from trouble, what if the Wang family became greedy too? Obviously, in the face of family interest, Wang Dehai naturally chose his own family and allowed Wang Linhua''s behaviors. However, in regard to Wang Linhua''s "not so excessive" conditions, Wang Dehai still gave it a thought. Although Jiang Chen had to give up his shares, they didn''t make it "too difficult" for him. 5 billion RMB along with the identity of son-in-law, Wang Dehai thought it was enough compensation. But Jiang Chen was not satisfied with this. So he went to look for Zhou Zihao. Don''t be mistaken, Jiang Chen never thought those videos would work, or that those videos would make Wang family compromise with him and stop their scheming against Future Technology. If he did release the scandal videos, it would force the two parties on completely opposite sides without any room for negotiation. Taking a thousand steps back, even if the Wang family stopped, would it stop other greedy people from making move against him? A head-on conflict with the Wang family would mean that he would lose the protection of the top dogs, which would make it more difficult for Future Technology. Wang Linhua was convinced about this point. Thus, he directly confronted Jiang Chen and overtly plotted. "I want your shares. Are you going to give it to me or not?" After getting the videos from Zhou Zihao, Jiang Chen carelessly threw it into the storage dimension. The trump card he was relying on was the "UAV Smart Control System 1.0," which Zhou Zihao had happily taken home and taken credit for. Although Zhou Zihao submitted the project under his name, would the bigwigs be dumb enough to think that it was Zhou Zihao who really developed it? With just a simple investigation, it was easy to deduce the last person Zhou Zihao made contact with before coming back to Shangjing. The people eyeing his interest was not the government, rather it was the Wang family. Would the government really care about such minuscule profit? The government was only interested in the artificial intelligence project in his possession and nothing more. Wang Linhua could persuade the largest shareholder of Linhua Group, SASAC (State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission), to acquire Future Technology. Without a doubt, he appealed to this type of reason: "become the first shareholder that could transform Future Technology into a military tech company and use artificial intelligence in the military." Since the civil-level artificial intelligence could not whet the appetite of the higher-ups, then the military grade should do the trick. As long as the top dogs were satisfied with the contribution of Future Technology on the national defense and were persuaded that it would make more contributions in the hands of Jiang Chen, then the state''s reason to control Future Technology would no longer exist. At the same time, the state could also provide certain policy protection to Future Technology. As for the Wang family? As long as Jiang Chen would be able to persuade the top dogs that Future Technology could only maximize its value in his hands, would he need to worry about the Wang family? Even if the Wang family was influential locally, their local sphere of influence was limited, so how could they oppose the will of the central authority? As for seeking connection with the Zhou family, it was only to avoid encroaching on the other party''s vested interest. The video was nothing more than to divert Zhou Zihao''s attention, so that he would think that Jiang Chen was only interested in his videos. As such, he was impatient to return and present the "treasure." ... It has been a week since Jiang Chen made a deal with Zhou Zihao. Just like what Jiang Chen had expected, an unusual guest appeared in his mansion. It was a middle-aged man with a shaved head, lean, and sharp-looking figure. Despite possessing an ordinary face and a fading white sideburns, the shrewd aura emanating from him made Jiang Chen unable to ignore his presence. Standing behind him should be his bodyguard. His slightly burly figure made him look like a person with excellent combat ability, but Jiang Chen had seen too many of them, so he didn''t give it much attention. "Ye Guolong, Colonel." Ye Guolong sharply extended his hand and shook hands with Jiang Chen. He only stated his rank without going into the details of his exact position. [It''s actually a colonel. It''s at least an officer rank, even at a deputy division level.] While Jiang Chen was secretly astonished, he did not reveal too much emotion on his face. "Jiang Chen, just an ordinary businessman. Come inside, if you please." Jiang Chen smiled and invited Ye Guolong into the living area. Sitting on the sofa, Ye Guolong looked around the living room and spoke, "Has Mr. Jiang been expecting my arrival?" "Oh? Why do you think so?" Sitting across from him, Jiang Chen asked while smiling. "You even have the tea already prepared." Ye Guolong smiled and took a sip of tea. "It''s still hot." "When an important guest is visiting, I can''t be too shabby, can I?" After some casual small talk, Ye Guolong put on a severe face as he headed to the critical topic. "Mr. Jiang, I''ll be straightforward with youdid you create the UAV Smart Control System 1.0?" Seeing Ye Guolong''s seriousness, Jiang Chen turned solemn as well and put down his tea. "That''s right." Since he already asked, it was apparent that already know everything through an investigation, so it would be not sincere to run around in circles. "When did you start developing this system? Other than Zhou Zihao, how many people have seen the source code?" "Is Colonel Ye interrogating me?" Jiang Chen didn''t answer and retorted. Hearing that, Ye Guolong paused for a brief moment before he slightly frowned. "This is a state secret, so please cooperate, Mr. Jiang." "Someone seems to have submitted my work as military technology, so my work became a state secret? Could I interpret it this way, Colonel Ye?" With that, Ye Guolong could not help but feel embarrassed. This software was indeed submitted by the Zhou family, but according to their investigation, the software was developed by Jiang Chen. It was precisely the reason why they went to look for Jiang Chen. It was so they could ensure the safety of the software. Even with the software, they were hesitant in using it. Since it pertained to national security, there was no room for error. "Uh, for Mr. Jiang''s contribution, we''ll offer a fair amount of compensation. I hope Jiang Chen can consider what''s important for the bigger picture," with that, Ye Guolong could no longer maintain a stern face and stated awkwardly. Seeing Ye Guolong''s expression, Jiang Chen smile and stopped giving him a harder time. "The software started its development phase around three months ago before Zhou Zihao acquired the software from me, so only the development team overseas and I had seen the code. But I have to warn you, version 1.0 is only half-completed." "Half-completed?" Ye Guolong furrowed his brows. "Exactly, though it looks fine now, there are a lot of security risks in the system. These problems could have been solved in the subsequent updates, but unfortunately, Future Technology encountered some small problems. To tell you the truth, I gave the software to Zhou Zihao because of the threat I received from a not-to-be-underestimated person. This led us to rush out to release this semi-finished product in exchange for Zhou''s policy protection," Jiang Chen responded. "Do you know the consequences of messing with us with a half-completed product?" Ignoring his last statement, Ye Guolong asked dubiously. "Was the software created by Future Technology?" Jiang Chen feigned astonishment. Ye Guolong was speechless again. In fact, the software was not submitted under Future Technology''s name. Even if something did occur, it was the Zhou family''s problem, it had nothing to do with Future Technology. Ye Guolong couldn''t resist the urge to curse at the dumbass Zhou in his mind, who didn''t realize that the software was half-completed. But the Zhou family was not to be blamed. Though the system was half completed, it was definitely still usable. Only through a series of experiments would the flaw be exposed. One could say that they were too impatient. After a brief moment of silence, he slowly opened his mouth, "How long will it take to complete it?" "A month would do." Hearing Ye Guolong asked this question, he knew the incident was about to be resolved. "What kind of small problems did you encounter?" Ye Guolong asked impassively. "This is the recorded message between the president of Linhua Group, Wang Linhua, and me." Jiang Chen put a USB on the table. Frowning, Ye Guolong picked up the USB. "I will report the problem for you to the higher-ups... Technicians should better stay away from politics." "I do too, but someone always wants to use politics against me," Jiang Chen shrugged and stated in a helpless voice. After thinking for a moment, Ye Guolong said, the UAV Smart Control System 1.0''s maintenance will be contracted by Zhongxin High Tech to Future Technology." Zhongxin High Tech was the Zhou family''s corporation responsible for the design of drones, a leading corporation participating in the military artificial intelligence project. It would be impossible to obtain the patent rights of the "UAV Smart Control System 1.0" since he already gave the software to the Zhou family. Thus, it belonged to them now. But Jiang Chen didn''t mind because compared to the profit of Future 1.0, the profit from this military artificial intelligence project was negligible. He viewed the skin of military tech company with utmost importance. With this, it was tantamount to the protection from the central authority. Wang Linhua must weigh it carefully before using the power of the system. A careless mistake could be regarded as treason. Afterall, plotting against a military tech corporation was different than an ordinary company. "So wouldn''t Future Technology be considered as a military tech corporation?" Jiang Chen smiled. "That''s right." Ye Guolong nodded, stood up, and extended his right hand again. "As for the specifics of the agreement, Zhongxin High Tech''s representative will be here tomorrow to discuss it with you. I hope you will have great, outstanding contributions to the national security." "Of course." Jiang Chen shook Ye Guolong''s hands, smiling. 234 Each Partiess Response Chapter 234: Each Parties'' Response Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Little Zhang, you drive." "Okay." The young man who stood behind Ye Guolong sat in the driver seat without a word and started the car. Ye Guolong sat in the car, he played with the USB in his hands, cracked a smile and stuffed it in his pocket. "The old guys at the Zhou and Wang family are embarrassing. F*ck, don''t let the technical people be in politics. This is bullsh*t," Ye Guolong cursed before he lit a cigarette for himself. To be honest, he felt sympathy for people like Jiang Chen. When he was young, he also experienced something similar. It was his hard work, but people pointed things out on the side. In the end, when the results came out, his name had to go behind theirs. The good thing was that his technicals were strong. People without ability could no longer climb above a certain point, but he ended up prevailing to the top. He was at the subdivision level, with colonel rank. In a few years, it won''t be difficult to become enter the division level. Because of his experiences in the past, the people he despised the most were people that wanted to steal the work of others. In his perspective, the technical people should stay away from politics and diligently focus on the technicals. Or how else could the strategy of the country to promote technology be achieved? But it was only wishful thinking. With technology becoming more and more political, even he had to play by the rules of the game. He had seen Future 1.0. The human-computer interaction achieved to such a high level of complexity. He still remembered how amazed he was at the intricate design of the system. What shocked him more was that an expert like him could not figure the fundamental principle of the software out. This made him amazed at the ingenious of the younger generation. Seeing today, the rumored chief engineer, Jiang Chen, was a stellar young man. But unfortunately, even a stellar individual like him still must face the treacherous acts of people with ill thoughts. Although the smart drone control system 1.0 could no longer be categorized under Future Technology''s name, even Future Technology has to be contracted to update and develop the later phase of the smart drone control system. Ye Guolong already made up his mind. Within the permissible boundary, he would fight for Jiang Chen''s interest as part of the compensation. "You are right Colonel Ye." Zhang Wei drove the car and laughed. Because of his identity, he could not comment more on the topic. Ye Guolong, knowing that, didn''t discuss the topic further with him. "Go back to the hotel. We will go back to Shangjing; we have a lot of things to work on once we go back," Ye Guolong said nonchalantly, as he opened the car window to dust his cigarette. "Okay." Ye Guolong let the cold air inside the car as he abruptly said. "Speaking of this, Little Zhang." "Hmm?" Zhang Wei smiled. "As someone of your age, what do you think of Jiang Chen as a person?" Zhang Wei hesitated for a moment. "In what area?" "Anything, we are only chatting." Ye Guolong cracked a smile. "Very rich." Zhang Wei chuckled. "No sh*t, I don''t need you to say that." "I don''t know if it is my illusion or not, but I think he has great combat ability." Zhang Wei had a stern expression. "Great combat ability? Compared to you?" Ye Guolong asked curiously. "Of course I am a bit better since I did spend so many years at the border," Zhang Wei touched his nose and said. Ye Guolong laughed as he didn''t say more. A soldier''s combat ability compared with a technical person''s? It was not embarrassing at all. But what Ye Guolong didn''t know was, Zhang Wei was not completely truthful. Since it was his superior, how could he say he was weak compared to someone else? They were only chatting and would not actually fight. But he had suspected that his illusion was wrong. The instinct from the battlefield actually told him, if he met the person on the battlefield, he had no odds of winning at all. ... Wanghai city UA Consulate. Smith sat at his table, with his legs crossed. He was drinking his afternoon tea while killing time reading the newspaper. As the person responsible for the consulate, if there were no foreign affair duties or a citizen causing trouble, he spent most of the time relaxing. He enjoyed the feeling of no reporters checking in to see if he had wasted taxpayer''s money or not. He could relaxingly enjoy the afternoon during work. If the air were a bit better here, it would be perfect. But of course, he knew not everything could be perfect. Then, the sound of the door being pushed open signaled the end to his relaxing afternoon. "Mr. Smith. I think this is the second time I have seen you drinking tea in the afternoon," A yellow-skinned young man said in a ridiculing tone as he walked in with speedy steps, grabbed a chair without care and sat in front of Smith''s table. If Jiang Chen were here, he would be shocked to find out that the Han young man was precisely Zhang Youjie. The one that described himself as a consulate worker and tried to lure him to immigrate. "Ahem, is CIB that bored that you are doing the job of the inspectors?" Although complaining, Smith still stuffed the newspaper in his hands into the drawer and folded his hand together. "Speak your mind, what kind of trouble did you cause." Zhang Youjie was not a consulate worker at all. Although his name is on the list, he is actually a CIB agent. This secret, only Smith as the Consul General knows about. "No trouble. I just got an interesting piece of information from our insider." Zhang Youjie took out his phone and slid it across the table. Smith glanced at the tightly shut door before he looked at the picture on the screen. "Jiang Chen? I heard of this person before. The president of Future Technology. Wall Street seems to think highly of this person, stating he is the second Steve Jobs..." "Everyone knows him, especially the Consul General who spends time reading the newspaper during work." Zhang Youjie had no considerations for Smith as he glanced at the guy displeasingly. Smith sniffed his nose and ignored his ridicule. "Therefore? Is there a problem with this guy?" "Our intel had always suggested that Future Technology''s artificial intelligence''s value was not as high as we had imagined. Since Future 1.0''s basic principle was logical answering, as opposed to say they are advanced in software design, it would be fairer to say they have a strong understanding of human psychology. Although the encryption on the database is shocking, it is not advanced to the point worth our effort." "Therefore?" Smith didn''t look like he was too interested. "The situation has changed." "Future Technology has demonstrated value worth your effort now, am I right?" "That''s right." Zhang Youjie smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice. "Based on insider information, the smart drone control system designed by Zhongxin High Tech is actually from the president and chief developer of Future Technology - Jiang Chen." " This is surprising information," Smith turned more serious, he leaned against the chair and muttered to himself. "Based on the source''s analysis, this smart control system will be used on "Dragon II" High altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, it could be used to guide the DF-21D Anti-ship ballistic missile. Because of the barrier in design, the "Dragon II"''s control system has been delayed and expected to be completed by May of next year. But because of this goddamn Future Technology, our little friends in the South Hua Sea are too nervous to sleep now," Zhang Youjie cursed out. "It''s only software, is it worth being so dramatic about?" Zhang Youjie glanced at Smith. "Based on the information as well as the analysis conducted by the Pentagon, this artificial intelligence could allow "Dragon II''s" hardware utilization efficiency to increase by 10% more than expected. Do you know what this means?" "I don''t know, but I feel CIB doesn''t seem to dislike Future Technology." Smith shrugged. "Of course, because the possibility of a partnership remains." "Oh?" Smith looked curiously at Zhang Youjie, "Partnership?" "That''s right, based on my research, Future Technology had a conflict with Linhua Technology, but Linhua Technology has connections to the political scene. Therefore, Future Technology received a hindrance to its growth. To alleviate the pressure from the connection, he had to submit this software to Zhongxin High Tech to gain protection." Zhang Youjie had a dubious smile on his face. "We can use this point to convince him. The ticket to the free world, the support from the capitals, there is no way he would not be tempted." "These goddamn "connections". God, this word is hard to pronounce, but I like it." Smith began to chuckle. "So I need your help." Zhang Youjie leaned against the chair, fingers crossed. "Of course, at your service. But what if he is not interested anymore?" "Make accidents happen to him, and also give a warning to the team behind him." ... After sending Ye Guolong away, Jiang Chen returned to his mansion. Because she didn''t like strangers, when guests came, Ayesha went to her bedroom. When she saw that the guests had left, she came downstairs. Seeing Jiang Chen''s delighted smile, Ayesha also felt happy for him and tilted her head. "Did something good happen?" "Somewhat, but there is definitely going to be more troubles than before." Jiang Chen smiled as he rubbed Ayesha''s head. "Is it troubles I could help with?" Ayesha put her hand over his as she asked softly. "Mhmm, I need to give you a gun, not a sniper Could the Type 11 tactical pistol work?" "Anything is fine, I have practiced hundreds of times in the virtual reality chamber." Inside her blue pupils radiated warmth. Jiang Chen rubbed Ayesha''s head again, got up, and narrowed his eyes while looking at the bright sunshine outside. He muttered to himself. "This is troublesome. Do I have to be careful even when I''m just on the streets?" Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ We do apologize for the reduced release rate since Thanksgiving just happened and our editors need some more time to edit. We''ll catch up later in the week! 235 Sunbathe in the Apocalypse Chapter 235: Sunbathe in the Apocalypse Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi "Then? You brought out a more advanced technology and submitted it to the superior of the person that threatened you?" Sun Jiao lied on the beach chair. Her red lips bit the straw, and she said sluggishly. "Although your understanding is a bit weird, it is not wrong." Jiang Chen shrugged. "Ancient people are so troublesome, if there is a problem, solve it with nukes." Lin Lin bit on the plastic spoon and said without consideration. She spoke before the words processed through her brain, so Jiang Chen selectively ignored it. "Nukes. It is better not to use it. Since... The scenery on that side is so beautiful." On top of the chair, dangling her pale and thin legs, Yao Yao tilted her head. Right now, the four were relaxingly sunbathing. Wait, how could they be sunbathing in the apocalypse? Especially in the winter time when the average temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius. They had to thank Lin Lin. After Lin Lin heard about the magic known as sunbathing, she longed for the "ancient" culture and immediately began to work in the backyard of the mansion. She first took over the private pool used to store gold, then begged Sun Jiao to order the base''s construction team to use polyethylene insulated wall to tightly surround the pool and add air filter vent. Then, she covered the swimming pool with sand. Immediately, she then used multiple artificial UV light devices to replicate natural light. She installed it on the ceiling and simulated the sun''s position based on the time and angle of the light. Finally, she lavishly used hologram projection devices and flawlessly replicated a beach environment. Other than not being able to sleep in the water and no saline sea wind, there wasn''t any big differences to the real thing. Although Jiang Chen mocked her for all her effort as it would be simpler to use virtual reality to experience the joy. But Lin Lin argued, "the virtual world and real world are two completely unconnected things! This is the necessary experiment to research traveling through dimensions!" to negate his mockery. All in all, after her work, the sunbathing experience was completed. The room temperature was adjusted to 30 Celcius, even in the cold wasteland winter, they could enjoy the warmth of the summer beach. "Woo, I do agree with Lin Lin''s proposal." Sun Jiao sipped on the cold coke as she pouted. Seeing that someone agreed with her perspective, Lin Lin immediately proudly raised her head. "The civil society has civil society''s rules, how could one just pull out nukes randomly." Jiang Chen facepalmed. "Civilized people are so problematic," Sun Jiao muttered. "Therefore, things on the other side are not easy," Jiang Chen said helplessly while grabbing a beer from the ice-filled box and taking a big gulp. The cold beer sliding down his throat was a thrilling feel. He burped and lied relaxingly on the chair, enjoying the rare moment of peace. The reason why he appeared here was purely because he had a little bit of free time in his busy schedule. Then he was dragged here by Sun Jiao and Yao Yao to sunbath. At first, he was not really interested, because this artificial sunbathing experience didn''t look too fun. But he quickly changed his mind. Of course, the bikini is core to the beach. The bikini formed with delicate white laces and transparent clothes covered most of the skin but had an intricate and cute vibe to it. Without guessing, it obviously belonged to Yao Yao. With black lace as the main structure, the bikini that only barely covered the essential parts with seduction and sexiness naturally belonged to Miss Sun Jiao. As to Lin Lin, her almost blinding white skin made people particularly jealous. The digitalized metabolic function meant that she didn''t even need sunscreen to carelessly enjoy the sun. Because it was too boring just to lie there quietly, Jiang Chen began to tell them about the things that happened on the other side. "But this type of outdated technology, is it really okay?" Yao Yao quietly said. Although it was Jiang Chen''s special request, for her to create the "flawed" smart drone control system, it still made the benevolent Yao Yao feel guilty. "It is already really advanced. If it is more advanced, then there would be new problems." Jiang Chen rubbed Yao Yao''s head and smiled. Technology from 2020. It would be considered extremely outdated to today''s standard. Even the programming language was the "most primal," but it was advanced to the modern world. "If you can''t use nukes, what about power armors?" Lin Lin continued to propose bad ideas as if the world is not chaotic enough. "A technology discrepancy of 150 years, a power armor alone would destroy that Linhua Group right? And there wouldn''t be any nuclear radiation." Jiang Chen facepalmed, why is communication so difficult. Although he would definitely bring out the power armor, absolutely not now. But wouldn''t be too long until that happens. "Linhua group is not a military organization, how should I say this... All in all, they are just a normal company. You have spent too long in virtual reality, how would you not know what a company is?" "Umm, I didn''t leave the hospital in virtual reality," Lin Lin murmured in a small voice. "Is there no military?" Sun Jiao bit the straw as she said with authority. "That''s even easier, I can wipe them all out by myself." Then, she picked up another can of coke. She was on her fifth one. Sun Jiao seemed to be particularly fond of coke. [Why are they so violent... Yao Yao is more gentle.] But hearing their words, Jiang Chen''s heart felt warm. Although they had no understanding of the other world, they still warmheartedly gave him ideas, caring for him. "How''s your research going? Lin Lin?" Jiang Chen asked nonchalantly. He referred to carrying live beings through the interdimensional space. Lin Lin pouted her mouth in remorse and shook her head. "Are you stuck... Don''t worry, take it slow," Jiang Chen comforted her. With research, there is no use in rushing, although he wants to see results earlier too. "Then what do you plan to do? Although I don''t know civilized people''s way of doing things, if you bring out the technology today, maybe tomorrow they will discuss with you the possibility of other technology," Sun Jiao said. "There is no need, I only need some time," Jiang Chen shook his head, "I''ll leave by March at the latest. Once Spring starts, the required food for the Sixth Street trade will be gathered overseas. The software will be my departing gift since that place is my home country." Military tech is not military purchase, there was no room to collaborate with an external force. Since the research team is supposed to be overseas. Jiang Chen only stated he was only the representative for that research team in Hua. Once the complete version has been passed on to Zhongxin High Tech, the subsequent update would not easily be given to Future Technology. Once they have the source code, Zhongxin High Tech would likely improve on the completed version then create a final version. The subsequent update would be completed by them without much trouble. Within this month, his ability to leave the country would likely be restricted, but it would not be so problematic once he passed on the software. Since Jiang Chen was not the developer, he was only a representative. If the research team is not in the country, it would be futile even if they controlled him. In the next month, he would only have to prove he is a representative. For example, travel around? Or head home. As long he pretended to be "not writing the code," the assumption of "the research team being factitious" would no longer stand. Controlling a representative would not bring any material benefits. It would be similar to the control of an embassy not being able to force the other country to give grounds in foreign affairs. By that time, even if he really wanted to go, there wouldn''t be any difficulties. Perhaps someone would try to convince him to stay, but it would be impossible to force him to stay. At least there wouldn''t be a fool like Wang Linhua, gambling on if Jiang Chen was the only developer. "What are you going to do with Linhua Group?" Sun Jiao asked. "I said I will make him regret." Jiang Chen''s smile was evil. Looking at Jiang Chen''s expression, Sun Jiao smiled and didn''t say more. At this time, the tablet on the table began to flash. "Your phone." Lin Lin used the plastic spoon for the pudding to point at the tablet on the table. Jiang Chen grabbed the tablet as he pressed the pick up button. The image was first blurry before it quickly stabilized. Ayesha appeared on the other side of the screen. When Jiang Chen left, he gave his EP to her and told her to contact him if anything happened. "Did anything happen?" "Your phone just rang, it was Wang Dehai." "Mhmm, I see, I''ll head back immediately." Then, he hung up. "Umm? Is that your woman on the other side?" Sun Jiao was thinking about something as her gaze became mischievous. "Your taste is quite good." "Are you jealous?" Jiang Chen joked. "How is that possible." Sun Jiao looked at him with charm, "Are her boobs bigger than mine?" "Bigger doesn''t always mean better. Even if it is a bit smaller, it can still be delicious..." Yao Yao used a small voice to argue. "I agree." Lin Lin raised her hands, but then she smirked at Yao Yao without any good intention, "But for Yao Yao, there is nothing at all." "QQ!" 236 Meeting Wang Dehai Again Chapter 236: Meeting Wang Dehai Again Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi When he returned to the modern world, Jiang Chen returned the call. During the conversation, Wang Dehai didn''t mention what happened in the past few weeks at all and ceremonially praised Future Technology''s outstanding achievement. Of course, he didn''t mention the specific contribution, since name wise, the smart drone control system was the Zhou family''s work. Then he briefly asked Jiang Chen to come to the municipal government when he has time before he hung up. He took the EP back from Ayesha. "Are you going to go out?" Seeing that Jiang Chen changed, Ayesha said gently. "Mhmm." Jiang Chen nodded, then smiled. "I need to go to the municipal government. The old fox Wang Dehai wants to see me, so it''s better for me to go soon." "Do you need me to accompany you?'' "Drive for me." Jiang Chen rubbed Ayesha''s head. "Mhmm." Ayesha obediently nodded. "Let me go change." Then, she turned around to go back to her room. She changed into a black trenchcoat and tied her brown hair back into a ponytail. On top her high nose bridge was a pair of shades. She certainly did look like a cold and merciless bodyguard. Although she always acted like a newlywed wife. The two went into the garage and got into the car. Ayesha started the car, and Jiang Chen put on the seatbelt. When the car drove out of the community, Jiang Chen scanned out the tainted window. "Is there something wrong?" "Nothing, maybe just my illusion." Jiang Chen muttered before he leaned back in the chair. For a moment, he felt someone was watching him. ... When they arrived at the municipal government building, Jiang Chen got out of the car, and Ayesha stayed behind. A smart looking, middle-aged man stood at the door waiting. When he saw Jiang Chen, he walked straight towards him. "Hello, Mr. Jiang." "Hello. And you are?" "Wu Bo, Secretary Wang''s assistant." Wu Bo extended his hand and shook with Jiang Chen. Then with a courteous gesture, he said, "Please follow me." The two didn''t speak along the way. When he took Jiang Chen to Wang Dehai''s office, Wu Bo left. Pushing the door open, Jiang Chen once again saw the aged but still dogmatic-looking face. "Please take a seat." Seeing Jiang Chen, Wang Dehai smiled and gestured for him to sit. Jiang Chen nodded and sat on the sofa before he too looked at Wang Dehai with a smile. "It''s been a while, is Uncle Wang''s health doing well?" "Very well." With the pen thrown into the pen holder, Wang Dehai looked deeply at Jiang Chen, then he said, "Little Jiang, you have been hiding quite well." Jiang Chen obviously knew what he referred to. Wang Dehai wouldn''t know that the smart drone control system 1.0 actually was created by Yao Yao not long after the meeting with Zhou Zihao. It only took two days to exchange the video with Zhou Zihao. It didn''t take three months of development time. "Not hid well, just preparing for the worst," Jiang Chen said humbly. But this humble attitude didn''t please Wang Dehai. Wang Dehai sniffed, laughed, and looked at Jiang Chen with eyes full of another meaning. "I remember that you told me two months ago, Future Technology''s artificial intelligence has no value in the military." "Future 1.0 don''t possess any military value, but the smart drone control system does," Jiang Chen replied expressionlessly. The smart drone control system 1.0 was created by Future Technology, everyone knew this secret. After a pause, Wang Dehai slowly said, "Linhua Group''s shareholder meeting is canceled." What this sentence means was Linhua Group''s equity infusion of Future Technology has died in its infancy. Disregarding the promise given by Ye Guolong, SASAC would not vote in favor of this proposition. When the people on the top specifically said to take care of Future Technology, how could Wang Dehai use the power of policy to help Wang Linhua? Without Wang Dehai''s support, the flawlessly operated Future Technology was left with weaknesses for Wang Linhua to take advantage of. "A wise decision because Future Technology never had the intention to sell shares." Jiang Chen smiled. "Why are you not satisfied with Linhua Group''s proposal?" Wang Dehai asked emotionlessly. "The hundred millions of monthly tax revenue for the local government is too little? Your life is not worth it?" Jiang Chen laughed and asked rhetorically. Even with more tax, it was still the government''s money, it would only be Wang Dehai''s political achievement, but Wang Dehai already has that in his book. If he could cut a piece of the cake from Future Technology, it would fit the Wang family''s interest more. But since Jiang Chen did save his life, and practically helped the Wang family, it was not right for him to do this. Especially due to the last sentence, Wang Dehai was ashamed. The other person saved his life, but when Wang Linhua proposed to use Linhua Group to acquire Future Technology, he didn''t stop him, but rather he permitted by acquiescence. Knowing he was in the wrong, Wang Dehai''s face turned red and shifted his gaze away from Jiang Chen. "Wang Linhua was at fault in this event. I have talked to him already. But since the unpleasant event didn''t happen, could Mr. Jiang let this go?" Wang Dehai asked slowly. [Let it go? You are trying to get out of this. There is plenty of opportunities in the future to teach you a lesson.] Wang Dehai nodded as he picked up a document from the table. He lightly coughed before he started reading. "For Future Technology''s outstanding contribution to national security in the high tech industry, on behalf of the Wanghai city government, I am honored to praise..." Jiang Chen quietly waited for him to read through the bullsh*t before he accepted the certificate. "So that''s all for today?" "That''s right." Wang Dehai nodded. "Then I''ll go back." Jiang Chen smiled and picked the pile of documents before leaving for the door. "Wait." Wang Dehai abruptly stopped Jiang Chen. "Hmm?" Jiang Chen stopped and turned around. "The thing you got from Zhou Zihao... Is it that?" Wang Dehai asked in an undertone. "I don''t know what you are talking about." Jiang Chen shrugged as he smiled at Wang Dehai. The two silently gazed at each other. "How do you plan to use that thing." "Don''t worry, I will never use that thing." Pausing, Jiang Chen then continued, "Of course, on the basis that the Wang family remains restraint." Then, Jiang Chen disregarded the gloom on Wang Dehai''s face and left his office. But what Wang Dehai didn''t see was, the instant he turned around, a contemptuous smile appeared Jiang Chen''s face before it vanished. [Linhua Group?] [The sentence "I hope you don''t regret this" is not merely a joke.] 237 Will you kindly step into the jar? Chapter 237: Will you kindly step into the jar? Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Inside Linhua Building. Wang Linhua sat in front of the office table with a gloomy look on his face. The meat that was almost in his hands somehow slipped away and he couldn''t do anything about it. His mood was obviously not too pleasant because Jiang Chen suddenly introduced the smart drone control system 1.0 which completely disrupted his plans. The domestic real estate on the market was contracting due to the high price, but no market became apparent by the day. Linhua Group during 2008 was indeed very profitable, but it was going downhill. With the population aging and the growth of excessive housing, the downhill trend to the real estate market was almost irreversible. Even with the introduction of policies such as decreased interest rate, the second child, it was still too difficult to reserve the inevitable trend of the downfall to the real estate market. Just like the previous glorious, but now doomed coal industry, the real estate market will have to accept its inevitable fate. This point could be demonstrated by the shaky results on the financial report of Linhua group. While still in the positive, but their margin was getting narrower. Wang Linhua, who could foresee the end to this industry, obviously was not going to wait for his own death. There were only two choices in front of Linhua Group. One to expand to the international market, two to shift into a different industry. It was challenging to expand into the international market, for simple reasons. Due to the identity of the largest shareholder of Linhua group. While this skin worked well domestically, it didn''t fair too well internationally. The current status quo is, to slice a share of the cake in the international market, then they would have to use the money to do so. Although Linhua Group had money, they were not like CNPC who could not care about losses and depend on government for subsidization. This route could work but at too high of a cost. Especially because the international market was not within the territory of the Wang family, this increased too many variables for investment. The people back home didn''t dare to trick you, but it would a different case outside. Once on the international stage, they may not withstand the test of capital. As a careful consideration, Wang Linhua didn''t use the first option. On the second hand, it was easier to shift to a different industry. Just like the mine owners that sold the unprofitable mines, some invested in sports, some in movies, even some entered the real estate market to eat "the leftovers." While Linhua Group was prepared to enter the entertainment industry. But at this time, Future Technology''s rapid growth gave Wang Linhua a tempting idea. One software, a few servers, thirty-something programmers and sales would do. Once the software received recognition by the market, cash would be flying in. Although Wang Linhua was lusting for Future Technology''s profit, he consciously knew that tech was an industry where risk and reward both existed. Even Buffet didn''t dare to invest in it, which meant that the risk and reward were not proportional. Therefore, he had some scandalous ideas. High risk, it only referred to the tech company that hasn''t managed to secure a stable source of revenue generation. For Future Technology that already has done so, there was no risk. As long as he controlled Future Technology, and use this as the point to enter the tech industry, Linhua Group would smoothly complete its transition! Future Technology''s operating condition was smooth, had stable cash flow, the capitalists at Wall Street with bundles of cash could not exchange away Jiang Chen''s share. But for Wang Linhua it was not a big deal. In this country, having money meant nothing, or there wouldn''t be so many people with money leaving. But Jiang Chen didn''t manage to leave yet. Future Technology''s primary operation was in the country. Before it could even enter the world stage, it was the perfect opportunity to make his move! As long as he controlled Future Technology, he could enjoy the current profits and lead Future Technology to expand into the military tech field. Military artificial intelligence happened to be the strategic focus of the national defense now. It would not only increase the Wang family''s stake politically, but it could also allow the core asset of the Wang family smoothly transition through the downward trend in the real estate market. Two birds with one stone. Because of this, Wang Dehai would permit his action. But unfortunately, his plan fell through. Wang Linhua rubbed his sore temple and picked up a document on the table. He forced himself to focus on the work at hand and not think about those bothersome things. But then, there was a knock at the door. With a frown, Wang Linhua cleared his throat. "Please come in." His secretary walked in with a pile of documents in his hands. "What good thing just happened? You are so happy," Seeing the smile on the secretary''s face, Wang Linhua''s eyebrows jumped as he said emotionlessly. "President Wang, the company just received a big project." Calming his excitement, his secretary Zheng Kai spoke with a trembling voice. "How big of a project?" Wang Linhua slanted his mouth as he leaned against the chair. Big project? The number of buildings yet to be sold are almost rotting in Linhua Group''s hands. Knowing that it was hard to sell houses and that the stock market seemed to be rising again, who would save the housing market now? "It''s a project overseas. With initial estimates totaling over ten billion USD!" Hearing this, Wang Linhua''s eyes widened as he immediately sat up. "What did you say? An overseas project? How much?" "Ten billion USD..." He stood up from his chair, circled the table, and ripped the documents from the secretary''s hand as he looked emotionally at the documents in hand. "Pannu Island''s 680 square kilometers tourism, commercial as well as basic infrastructure agreement... Johnny International?" Wang Linhua was more and more excited as he read through the document, but when he saw the company name, he paused for a moment. He never saw this name before. "They have passed through the credit check for the first phase of construction fee. It is rumored that the party behind them is a South African Gold company, they have two mines that could be used as collateral for the loan, so it should be fairly trustworthy." Zheng Kai saw the skepticism on Wang Linhua''s face as he rushed to explain. He had heard about Pannu Islands before; a small country with relatively rich tourism resources but lacked infrastructure development. The foreign relation of Pannu and Hua was just stable, although they have a consulate in Wanghai city, they still rented an apartment in Shangjing as an embassy. Because they didn''t have the money to build the basic infrastructure, they naturally could not attract investments. But if capitals were willing to heavily invest in the island country on the Pacific, everything would be different. Based on this proposal''s content, the project would be divided into four phases. After the completion of the first phase, Johnny International would pay the first phase of two billion USD in agreement, then the remaining eight billion would be paid at the end of the construction. As to the guarantee fee of two billion, it would be paid using the land near the construction zone of 110 square kilometers, a 70 square kilometers adjacent island as well as cash. Paying with land pleased Wang Linhua perfectly. Without exaggeration, once the ten billion USD infrastructure is completed, the land sold to him at a discount would more than double in price! As to whether the land would be developed by themselves, or sold to other people, it would be profit regardless. Wang Linhua''s hands trembled. Even if he had seen the ups and downs in life, a ten billion dollar contract was a first. This contract, for the Linhua Group in the stagnant domestic market, was an opportunity. He didn''t get overblown by the amazing deal. Inhaling a few times to calm his breath, Wang Linhua told his secretary in an undertone. "Pannu Islands'' political environment, Johnny International''s background, I need you to give me a detailed report in two days. Do your job and your bonus doubles." There was too much unknown in the international market. Without a detailed investigation, a wrong investment could send the company crashing. Even if the proposal was attractive, Wang Linhua didn''t let his guard down because of this. But when he saw the two gold mines as collateral in the appendix of the proposal, as well as the asset verification from the UA side, he began to feel floaty. "Yes!" Hearing his bonus could double, Zheng Kai was ecstatic and immediately left the office. Seeing that Zheng Kai closed the door, Wang Linhua threw the folded documents on the table, the gloom on his face vanished. [This is god helping me! How did that saying go...Misfortune may actually be a blessing.] Wang Linhua almost wanted to shout to the sky to unleash his thrilled emotion. Although he lost the opportunity to control Future Technology, there was a major breakthrough in the international market. After taking a few more deep breaths, Wang Linhua grabbed his phone and called the person responsible for managing the Wang family asset. Once the ten billion USD deal is revealed, Linhua Group''s market capitalization would without a doubt double! Because of his pessimism towards the real estate market, he used the bull market before to decrease Linhua Group''s holding. But now, he must increase his holding again through the secondary market. He must do this before the details are revealed so that he can increase the holding of the Wang family in Linhua Group and maximize their gains! Wang Linhua excitedly licked his lips before he sat back in his chair. He picked up the phone, called the manager of each department as he planned for a brief meeting. They must win this contract! But not even in his dreams could he imagine Jiang Chen had dug a giant hole for him, waiting for him - the Wang family to jump inside. (1) Will you kindly step into the jar? - Try what you have devised against others. 238 The Bodyguard from the General Staff Departmen Chapter 238: The Bodyguard from the General Staff Department Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ "I already called that Irish guy, that bastard must have started already. Hehe, you are such a bad person. Linhua Group would cry in a few months." Robert cussed in jest. "I just want the greedy people to pay for their sin," Jiang Chen shrugged and said nonchalantly. The Wang clan would never imagine that Johnny International was just a puppet established by Jiang Chen through Robert. Once he subverted the current government of Pannu Islands, that Johnny International would declare bankruptcy, and the contract between Wang Linhua and Johnny International would become nothing but a piece of paper. This 10 billion USD project would leave the Wang family in ruins. "So when do you plan to leave?" Robert asked. "I may have to delay until January. I''m afraid I can only stay in the country this month," Jiang Chen uttered helplessly. "Restraining order? I understand," Robert smirked. When he came back to the UA from Iraq, he was put on a restraining order by FBA until he was able to close the shell company in Saudi and dispose of the tanker that was used to transport crude oil. It was only then that his name was finally removed from the blacklists off major airline companies. "Only a month. It would get better after this month. How''s training at the base?" Jiang Chen asked, yawning. "Already done. According to Ivan''s report, these rookies are now resembling a real soldier." Jiang Chen nodded. Once the training was completed, they could proceed to the next plan. "What about that Irish guy?" "Superb acting. He played the antagonist role to the extreme," Robert reported passionately. "Other than the politicians he bribed, not one person on the Pannu Islands doesn''t hate that guy." "Then according to the script, the savior should be there soon." The corner of Jiang Chen''s lips curved. "That''s right, so you have to be faster." Jiang Chen hung up the phone, stretched, put the satellite phone in his pocket, and leaned against the chair. This month would be relaxing, however, starting tomorrow, he would no longer be able to stay home. Only by wandering outside and allowing those skeptics to see for themselves that the program was truly not his creation would he could be considered safe. This was very easy as long as those people testified that he hadn''t touched the computer at this period of time, and he wouldn''t have the "time to commit the crime." Then he would suddenly come up with a finished product a month later, those skeptics would naturally be discredited. Just as Jiang Chen thought if he should call Liu Yao to tell her the delay in their vacation to Pannu Islands, there was suddenly a gentle knock on the door. "Is there anything you need me for?" Jiang Chen turned around and saw Ayesha standing at the door. "Someone wants to see you," Ayesha said softly. [He''s here already?] "Mhmm, I see, leave it up to me." Smiling, Jiang Chen got up from the chair. ... A black Santana parked outside the courtyard of the mansion, a man standing like a statue stood outside the steel gate. 1.8m high, slightly dark skin, with a sharp buzz cut, facial feature could only be described as ordinary. The vintage grey jacket made him even more ordinary. But if one underestimated his ability, without a doubt, they would pay the price for that...especially those spies from the hostile force. Sauntering to the gate, Jiang Chen gave him a friendly smile and opened the door for him. "General Staff Department, Dagger," the man meticulously said and extended his right hand. The man called Dagger was the bodyguard that the bigwigs had sent to protect Jiang Chen''s safety. One part was to protect him, the other to keep an eye on him. But Jiang Chen didn''t mind since it was only for a month. "Jiang Chen," Jiang Chen he said in a casual tone and shook his hand. The moment they hand shook, Dagger''s appeared astonished as he stared at Jiang Chen is disbelief. In response to Dagger''s face''s bewilderment, Jiang Chen merely smiled and let go. "Had Mr. Jiang worked with guns before?" Dagger asked in an undertone. "I played with them overseas. I don''t think this breaks any law." Jiang Chen laughed. Dagger did not respond and nodded, and then he took out a document from his inner pocket and handed it to Jiang Chen. "From today onwards, your safety will be my responsibility until the program is developed and transferred to Zhongxin High Tech. If you have any concerns or if you''re displeased with my performance, you can call the number provided in the document to report to my superior. I will do my best to do my work to the best of my ability without affecting your daily life, but I hope Mr. Jiang can also cooperate with me. In the next 30 days, please avoid traveling in crowded places as much as possible, so as to reduce the difficulty of my work. "Will I encounter any danger?" Jiang Chen frowned slightly. "We don''t rule out the possibility of encountering external force''s agents," Dagger responded tersely. Jiang Chen nodded. He had already expected this situation to occur until the completion of the program. If anyone wanted to prevent Hua from getting their hands on "UAV''s Smart Control System 1.0," targeting him would be the easiest choice. But after this month, the situation should be a lot safer. "No problem, do I need to provide you with a room?" The man called Dagger shook his head. "No need, I will maintain a certain distance with you, Mr. Jiang can pretend I don''t exist." "Then where will you stay?" Jiang Chen chuckled. Dagger pointed at the black Santana behind him. "I''ll be okay in the car. Call me if you encounter any special situation." "No problem." Jiang Chen shrugged. Just as he was about to say that was all, he suddenly remembered and asked, "What about my family?" "Rest assured, our people are already secretly protecting them," Dagger answered positively. In fact, Jiang Chen himself was not too scared of the threat of the external force. As for individual combat power, no one in this world could match him, even the agent from General Staff Department named Dagger. The only thing he was anxious about was his family in the far Hucheng. Although Dagger had already stated that they were protecting them, Jiang Chen was still worried. The original plan was to go home in New Year to give the two elders a surprise, as well as carefully explain his current situation. Since some words were better off said in person rather than on phone. But now, it seemed to be necessary to head back earlier. Jiang Chen briefly explained his recent itinerary to Dagger before he returned to the mansion. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Jiang Chen stored the virtual reality training chamber in the storage dimension. With nothing to do after Ayesha completed her two-hour training program, she started watching TV. Seeing that Jiang Chen came back, she lowered the TV volume and asked, "Is it done?" "Mhmm. What do you think about the ability of that person?" Jiang Chen was naturally referring to Dagger. "Weaker than me." Only after a moment''s thought, Ayesha came to this conclusion, and then she went on without hesitation, "At least when I was observing him, he didn''t notice my gaze at all." If Dagger heard this comment, he would probably have the urge to commit suicide by smashing his head onto a block of tofu. "My Ayesha is already this strong?" Jiang Chen praised her and couldn''t resist rubbing the brown hair. Her gorgeous face blushing, Ayesha timidly lowered her head. "After all, I have already completed at least 500 times of training sessions in the system... Is that level of bodyguard necessary? I alone should be enough to protect you." Even for a veteran soldier, it would be impossible to complete 500 missions in peacetime. Considering realism of the virtual reality system and the increase in physical ability due to the genetic vaccine, the experienced agent Dagger would naturally lose to Ayesha. "Somethings may not be what they appear on the surface. Rather than saying that the bodyguard Dagger is here to protect me, it is more fitting to say he is keeping an eye on me." Jiang Chen shrugged. A penetrating light flashed across Ayesha''s eyes while she softly uttered lethal words, "Do you want me to get rid of him?" "Ahem, that would cause more trouble, so just ignore him for now. It''ll be difficult this month, but after this month, we can then move." "Move? This place is not good?" Ayesha asked as she tilted her head. "It''s not about good or badthere are too many things to consider here," Jiang Chen explained in simple terms as he didn''t want to do too much explanation about this issue. Ayesha half-knowingly nodded. In regard to the trouble that Jiang Chen was facing, she didn''t really understand. But she was clear on one point: regardless of he faced, as long as he needed her, she was willing to raise her gun for him. Just like what happened in Veit. With her hands encircling Jiang Chen''s neck, her blue eyes gazed softly at the black pupils. "Wherever you will go, I''ll always be with you." Jiang Chen felt his heart being filled with warmth. Heart throbbing, Jiang Chen bit the lovely, red lips. The quiet atmosphere lasted for a long while before the two parted. "I plan to go back to Hucheng tomorrow." "Hucheng? Your hometown?" She vaguely recalled Jiang Chen mentioning it before. "Mhmm, I will stay there for a month. Take some change of clothes with you." Hearing this, Ayesha''s face all the sudden turned red as a rare hint of coyness crept into her voice. "Could...could I meet your parents?" Jiang Chen paused before a troubled look appeared on his face. [It''s okay, but it feels...] "Forget it if it''s troublesome," Ayesha softly said, albeit slightly disappointed. She didn''t want him to feel troubled. "No, not troublesome at all..but you have to promise me one thing." Jiang Chen opened his mouth looking somewhat awkward. "Mhmm!" The blue pupils began to show an excited look. "When my parents ask you about your age, say that you''re over 18..." 239 The Glorious Return Chapter 239: The Glorious Return Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Hucheng, a tranquil and beautiful small town that sat on the east side of Fanyang Lake. Compared to a major metropolitan like Wanghai City, the pace of life here was slow. There were no towering skyscrapers, crowded streets, nor an endless stream of traffic on the streets. The buildings along the streets were only four or five stories high with first floor shops. This type of scenery was hard to see in Wanghai city. After being used to the propensity of the big city, occasionally breathing the air of a small town indeed was a unique experience. Watching the familiar but strange scenes outside the window, Jiang Chen somehow felt melancholic about coming home. Since he entered Wanghai university five years ago, he rarely came back. After his graduation, he didn''t even go home. He calculated, since the last time he came, it has been more than two years. With the dream of building his own career in the big city, as well as being a proud university student, he swore when he graduated that without becoming successful, he will never come back. Now that he thought about it, when he graduated, he didn''t live the best life. But life is always filled with countless coincidences. The life full of hardships only lasted for a year before his life became a fantastic journey that was almost impossible to imagine. Not only did he drive a luxury car accompanied by a beauty, a Senata from the General Staff Department followed him. Not even the governor of the province could receive this type of treatment. When the car passed through the high school he attended, the familiar gate as well as the aged face in the security room flashed by. Looking at the rusty school emblem, Jiang Chen felt even more melancholic. "Should we stop here for a bit?" Ayesha noticed the change in Jiang Chen''s expression as she caringly asked. "No need, I want to go home earlier." Taking a deep breath, Jiang Chen shook his head. The people he longed for the most was without a doubt his parents. Finally coming home... Looking at the familiar street, a genuine smile appeared on his face. "Mhmm." Ayesha scanned the GPS and accelerated. The black Senata following them also picked up the speed as it followed Jiang Chen''s Maybach without missing a beat. It was a young man sitting in the driver seat. He looked sharp, but also unsettled. He looked like he was new to the job. The man called Dagger sat in the passenger seat. With eyes narrowed, he looked like he was taking a nap. But the people who know him all knew, if you thought he was asleep, you would be absolutely wrong. "Business people are so damn rich," Miao Jun holding the steering wheel stared at the Maybach and said enviously. Living in a mansion, driving a luxury car. But envy was envy. With his meager salary, there was no hope of buying a car like that. Dagger opened his eyes to glance at his partner before continuing to close his eyes. His voice sounded reminiscent. "Experience life more when you are young. When the time is right, someone will ask you if you will leave or get promoted. If you decide to leave, once you take off your uniform, you can go work as a bodyguard for rich people. The money you earn is enough to buy one." The people wealthy enough to hire ex-agents as bodyguards would not cheap out on the money. Since the bodyguards'' loyalty is connected to their life. The comrades that he worked with within the General Staff Department that chose to leave all made enough money not only for a car but a lovely house. But him, with all forms of injuries, only the shiny badges brought some comfort. But he didn''t regret anything. Because he is a soldier, the moment he enlisted, he decided to continue down this route. Miao Jun looked at Dagger in shock and laughed in embarrassment. "We''ll see. Leaving the army is still too far away." Dagger cracked a smile, and the wrinkles on his face were squished together. Although his partner named Miao Jun didn''t say anything, he knew the young man would decide to leave the army. It was a different time now. Nothing wrong to consider more for yourself. There were only foolish men like him who would contribute his entire life to the greater good. "Not early, make up your mind earlier. Once this mission is completed, your profile will be promoted. If you perform well, it won''t be long before someone asks you the question." "Haha, Commander Dagger, what do you think about my ability." Miao Jun laughed with a sense of pride in his voice. He had the pride of the young generation. Since he was a top student from military school, regardless if it was digital warfare, fighting, or shooting, he obtained A+ in every category. He did have the right to be prideful. But Dagger just laughed and said. "Enough to be a bodyguard for a small boss, but still too naive for people who fear death." He didn''t hear the praise he expected to hear. Miao Yun paused for a moment as he made an awkward face. "People who fear death?" Dagger didn''t respond to Miao Jun''s question as he closed his eyes and continued to rest. Miao Jun glanced at the old commander, displeased. [As the newcomer of the new generation, what kind of qualifications do you have as an old man who didn''t even go to university to berate me like this?] Under this mixture of emotion, he couldn''t hide his temper and spoke with an attitude. "This is a B level mission, could you take it more seriously?" Dagger opened his eyes as he looked dubiously at Miao Yun, he only left a sentence with deeper meanings before he closed his eyes again. "The person sitting in the car in front is a person that fears death." Miao Jun was confused. This means he has a powerful bodyguard? [But other than the foreign girl driving, who else is in the car?] [Could someone be hiding in the trunk?] Dagger peeked at his confused expression and shook his head secretively. While this rookie has the abilities to be successful, his observation skill is too weak. As an agent, weak ability doesn''t matter. But a flaw in observation is the most critical weakness of all. On the car in front, not only was Dagger unable to see the boundary of the VIP being protected, but he also sensed the foreign girl driving the car with a cold expression has abilities that should not be underestimated. Although the mission was B, there was no difficulty at all. ... Whatever the two people behind them thought, Jiang Chen had no interest at all. Just like what Dagger suggested, he and Ayesha pretended that those two didn''t exist. It was around half an hour more before the car drove into an old looking neighborhood. He parked the car, held onto Ayesha''s hand, and stepped onto the familiar concrete stairs. When he climbed to the fourth stairs, looking at the old door, he had a bitter smile on his face. In three months time, he had sent over one million home. But by the looks of it, mom and dad didn''t even touch the money. Jiang Chen inhaled deeply, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the door. Ayesha who stood beside him had a rare frantic expression on her face. Although the franticness was carefully hidden behind her cold mask, when she met Jiang Chen''s eyes, her coldness melted away, and her nervousness of "meeting the parents" was exposed. Jiang Chen squeezed her hand as he gave a comforting smile. "Don''t be nervous, my parents are nice people." But even though he was the person saying that he began to feel nervous himself. Half a month ago he just told his mom he has no girlfriend, but now he brought a foreign girl back. Would mom and dad be happy or... The footsteps behind the door began to approach. The door opened. Staring at the emotional figure behind the door, Jiang Chen felt his eyes tearing up. "Mom!" 240 Mother Chapter 240: Mother Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Hardship had left its mark of time on that face, seeing the dyed white hair on her temples, Jiang Chen could not help but become teary-eyed. "Mom!" Jiang Chen hugged his mom. "Little Chen, you''re finally back." Embracing her beloved son, Li Xuemei''s voice was choked with emotion. "Mhmm, I''m back. Your son has grown up," the rim of Jiang Chen''s eyes were full emotions as he took a deep breath and said with a tremulous voice. "Accomplished or not, you''re always my son! Old man, your son is back. Come out and take a look!" Lin Xuemei shouted behind her. But there was no response in the room. She slapped her forehead and chuckled when it dawned on her. "Look at this memoryI think your dad is probably playing chess in that stone pavilion in the district. You quickly go look for him, since it''s almost time to eat. That old man must be showing off with his chess friends, flaunting the house that his dear son had purchased in Wanghai City." Due to her old age, her memory was not as good. Jiang Chen was heartbroken while staring at his mother. "What''s there to boast about me?" Although his words sounded humble, a proud smile unconsciously crept into his face. "Ok, stop bragging, go get your dad to help me. My little Chen is finally back, so your mom will show off some skills... Eh? This is?" As she spoke, Li Xuemei''s eyes suddenly lit up as though she had discovered a treasure while she stared at Ayesha, who was hiding behind Jiang Chen. A different face, to someone who never left the country, was always an exciting news. "I''m Jiang Chen''s assistant." Because of trepidation, Ayesha almost bit her tongue. Assistant? Jiang Chen took a moment to process it. It was different from what they had agreed upon. He gazed at the flushed face and facepalmed. It finally dawned on him why would Ayesha change her mind. He didn''t expect that at the last moment, this girl would be frightened silly... But this could also work. It saved him from being "interrogated" by his parents. "Assistant?" Li Xuemei looked at her son, baffled. Why bring the assistant back? She thought it was a daughter-in-law that her son had brought back. Even if it was a foreigner, she would not mind. Rather, she would be proud of her son. Since she grew up in the Reform and Opening period, to the people in their era, being married to a foreigner was something to be proud of. "Assistant in my work. Because it''s quite hectic in the company and due to some business needs, she has to come back with me. This is Ayesha from UA," Jiang Chen hurriedly explained. Strictly speaking. Ayesha is a Syrian, but considering the copious negative news in that area, Jiang Chen didn''t want his parents to think too much, so he didn''t say her real hometown. The green card was processed by an acquaintance of Robert''s, so it would be accurate to say she was a UA citizen. Listening to Jiang Chen''s explanation, Li Xuemei thought for a brief moment before she smiled at Ayesha, and then she warmly held her hand. "Come in. I haven''t cleaned the house for a while. Please don''t take offense." "It''s, It''s okay," Ayesha responded, face reddening. "Our little Chen has always been like this. He''s pretty slow with the girls" "Ahem! Mom, why are you revealing your son''s dark past?" Jiang Chen grumbled and coughed loudly to interrupt his mom from continuing. Jiang Chen looked embarrassed, but Ayesha wore an interested expression on her face. "What dark past!" Li Xuemei rebuked Jiang Chen before once again smiled at Ayesha, saying, "Shasha, let aunt tell you, little Chen has always been courteous since he was young. It''s the first time he brought a girl home." "Shasha?" Eh, isn''t the spelling of a foreign name"Jiang Chen forced a smile as he wanted to correct his mom''s mistake, but Ayesha didn''t'' seem to mind. In regard to the name "Shasha," she appeared to take a liking to it. "His first time?" Ayesha had a timid expression. "Mhmm!" Li Xuemei nodded. She obviously could tell the meaning behind Ayesha''s expression. Thinking of her would-be grandchildren, she affectionately took Ayesha''s hands and continued cheerfully, "Let me tell you when he was young..." Seeing the "mom and daughter-in-law" walking into the room, smiling and laughing, a genuine smile broke on Jiang Chen''s face. Although he was afraid of his mom revealing his "dark past," but when he thought about the happiness on her face, it did not matter anymore. As long as she felt happy. ... Ayesha began helping Li Xuemei to prepare dinner in the kitchen. Speaking of food, it was worth mentioning a small episode that happened between Ayesha and Jiang Chen. In the beginning, Jiang Chen was concerned about Ayesha''s religion. Therefore, he specifically instructed not to deliver pork to the organic food company that delivered vegetable and meat to his mansion. Until one day, when Ayesha and Jiang Chen grabbed a takeout ham pizza, did the pork taboo was finally resolved. According to Ayesha''s argument, when she became Jiang Chen''s woman, in fact, she had already violated the doctrine, and automatically abandoned her religious identity, therefore her diet taboo would naturally no longer exist. But when it comes to pork, she still preferred beef and lamb, and this was purely because of eating habits, rather than taboo. Witnessing the death of her parents at the hands of religious zealots, she had long begun to question her religion. Thus, towards her husband becoming an atheist, she didn''t feel any repulsion at all. Particularly, after living in this highly secular state for some time, she began to get accustomed to living just for one person. In fact, Ayesha''s change was noticeable, except Jiang Chen never really paid attention to it. For example, if Ayesha was really religious, she would be seen praying several times in a day, but Ayesha never prayed at home. Seeing that Ayesha and his mom had such a good relationship already, Jiang Chen left the time to the two as he went downstairs alone. Downstairs, he met Dagger and Miao Yun leaning against the Santana chewing on takeout food. "Do you want to come up for a meal?" Seeing the poor guys, Jiang Chen invited with a smile. Miao Jun wanted to accept, but Dagger shook his head. "There are strict rules within the organization, so just pretend we don''t exist." Jiang Chen shrugged and no longer insisted. "Suit yourself, but I don''t understand how you guys are so obvious downstairs... Is this really okay?" Hearing this, Dagger cracked a smile. "What do you think? Should agents go hide in the bushes? Those are assassins, not bodyguards." Jiang Chen laughed, he shook his head and walked to the stone pavilion. Dagger continued digging into his plastic container of fish-flavored minced pork with rice. "Do we not need to follow?" Finished, Miao Jun threw the container into the garbage and dusted his hands. Dagger chewed slowly. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he nonchalantly said," No need. This neighborhood is safe." Miao Jun immediately realized after taking a moment to think, he awkwardly laughed." People on the top didn''t even tell us" "Because there''s no need," Dagger interrupted his partner''s words, throwing the squeaky clean lunch box into the trash, "That''s why I said, there is a lot more you need to learn." VIP was already under protection, how could his relatives'' security be overlooked? If anyone dared to make moves here, it was no different than running straight into a gun. 241 Jiang Jianguo Eager For Grand Children Chapter 241: Jiang Jianguo Eager For Grand Children Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The district was not big, but the square was extremely lively, and it was probably due to the fact that the residents were mostly comprised of the elderly and children. After all, there were less and less young people interested in outdoor activities these days. Those who lived in the community were mostly employees of the nearby well-known state-owned steel factory. Years passed, the generation that had devoted their youth to the industrial foundation of the republic had become old, and this led to the community becoming a gigantic retirement home. Hucheng''s young generation would often choose to live somewhere closer to the metropolis, near Hucheng or even further and more prominent city to search for opportunities, and they would leave their children to their parents. As such, leaving behind children and the elderly became a common scenario in this generation. Of course, these were off-topic. Those who were accomplished outside were rare. Therefore, when Jiang Chen''s parents heard that their son managed to build his own business and was even able to buy a house, it was no wonder his parents were extremely gratified. The only thing that left Jiang Chen''s parents worried was the matter of grandchildren. Although Jiang Chen not in a hurry to get married this early, his parents were obviously not satisfied with the idea. His classmates in junior high, their kids had long been able to walk. And this included the prom queen of his junior high, though she no longer possessed her previous allure... In the center of the square, a few old women were getting ready to dance. While passing through, Jiang Chen walked to the Stone Pavilion where his mom told him to go. ... "Check! Haha," Jiang Jianguo laughed out and slapped the chess piece in his hand on the board in high spirits. The chess mate sitting across him had his eyebrows furrowed, but then soon looked relieved and exclaimed, "What a nice move, I thought my rook would be able to regain lost ground, but I didn''t expect this bishop to take my rook out." "Tough Victory, tough victory. It''s s getting late, and if I don''t go back now, I''m afraid my wife will come here and made me go home to eat," Jiang Jianguo said humbly and waved his hands. "Ah, Old Jiang, you''re lucky. Your son is accomplished now, your chess skill has improved, and your body is healthier than before. If my son is half as accomplished as yours, I''ll laugh in my dream." Zhang Xinye sighed. His son went to Hongcheng to work, but his monthly salary could barely cover his expenses after the mortgage. Although they were close to Hucheng, they only had time to visit in New Year time. The only thing he was satisfied with was his three years old grandson. Although a bit naughty, he was born healthy. "Old Zhang don''t sigh. Your grandson can already recite poems, compared to my grandson who still plays with building blocks all day long despite being four years old already." Although it sounded like Yan Zhengwen was complaining, from the big smile on his face, his affection towards his naughty grandson was quite evident. "Speaking of which, Old Jiang, when will you get your son to give you a grandson?" Old Zhang jested. In the topic of grandson, Jiang Jianguo''s had nothing to say... "Don''t even talk about grandson, that kid doesn''t even have a wife yet." "Tha couldn''t be... Logically speaking, now that little Jiang''has a house and opened his own company, matchmakers in Hucheng should be forming a long line. What do the city girls think?" Old Yan touched his mustache, looking baffled. Since the elderly were not using the Internet, they were obviously not aware that the little Jiang they were referring to was not only affectionately called as the national husband by the female fans on Weibo, he also had an ambiguous relationship with a female celebrity Without exaggeration, if Jiang Chen would really post his intention to seek marriage in Weibo, those who wanted to warm his bed (1) would form a long line. "Old Liu, who works at a facility service, has a daughter who isn''t married yet. She''s also a university student who has just graduated this year. Why don''t I help you talk to him about her?" Old Zhang asked tentatively. "There''s also the daughter of Old Xia. She just graduated this year. I heard she is also in Wanghai City working at a big company. I think it will definitely work to match these two together!" Chen Weidong, who had just lost a chess game, also made his idea known to his friend. "Sigh. It''s too early to say that," Old Jiang let out a sigh. "How''s it too early? It''s almost New Year, Your son will be back this year, right?" Old Zhang asked. "Yes, right now there are more men than women. Didn''t you listen to the news? By 2020, there will be 20 million more men than women that it will be harder to get married by then." Old Yan, who was wearing a pair of spectacles, was a technician in a steel factory and enjoyed reading news. "Only 20 million, yet our population is over a billion," Old Zhang scoffed. "Fool, only less than 200 million need to get married. This 20 million makes up 10 percent of" Listening to his old friends'' banter, Jiang Jianguo looked worried. What if his son really couldn''t find a wife? Now that the house is built, but without a grandson, what kind of sad story is this? Jiang Jianguo made up his mind and quickly pulled Old Jiang. "How is Old Liu''s daughter?" "I have seen her before...extremely beautiful," Old Zhang said cheerily. "Then you have to help me out. I can''t just wait for that kid to make his move," Jiang Jianguo urgently said. "Haha, Old Jiang can''t sit around any longer. Okay! I will help you out on this one!" "And Xia Donghua''s daughter as well" "I''ll go talk with old Xia. He is part of our technical department, so it''s easy for me to talk to him about this. Haha, Old Jiang, if this works out, you have to treat me to a bottle of wine," Old Ye chuckled. "No problem, it''s just a wine. If my kid really likes the girl, I''ll treat you guys to ten bottles!" Old Jiang promised enthusiastically. "Then I''m lucky, I didn''t help at all, and I get to drink alcohol," Old Chen said gleefully. "Eh? Is that Little Jiang?" the sharp-eyed Old Zhang craned his neck to take a look. Pausing for a second, Jiang Jianguo wanted to say he should get a pair of glasses like old Yan, but when he turned around, he was flabbergasted. "Dad! I''m back!" Looking at the familiar figure, Jiang Chen''s eyes became moist, his voice was also shaking. "Son, this kid! You finally remembered to come back?" Looking at his son, Jiang Jianguo''s eyes became teary. Although his words were harsh, he hugged Jiang Chen''s shoulder and patted him vigorously nonetheless. "Not bad, stronger, good, good" After saying several good words, his voice sounded choked. Being deeply aware of their old friend''s tendency to save face, if someone he knew saw this emotional scene, he would be too embarrassed to play chess within a fortnight. Thus, the three friends bade goodbye. "Old Jiang, my wife is here, I''ll be going ahead now." "Same for me, haha, I still haven''t bought the egg my wife asked me to buy. I''ll take my leave I''ll leave the chess to you." "Haha, I''ll go too. I will not disturb you two.'' "Uncle Wang, Uncle Liu, Uncle Yan, I will go visit you another day," Jiang Chen promised sincerely. All of them worked at the steel factory, Jiang Chen remembered when he was young, Jiang Jianguo often took him to visit them. "Haha, little Jiang is accomplished now, yet he can still remember us" After they said their greetings, the three elderly left. Though he had a lot to say to his son, his throat moved for a while, but no words came out. Thousands of words would not equate to seeing his own son. "Dad, mom asked me to tell you to go home to eat." When he heard "dad," Jiang Jianguo suddenly felt somewhere in his heart was constricting. Ecstatic, Jiang Jianguo patted his son''s shoulder. He was so emotional that he words became incoherent. "Okay, okay! Let''s go home and eat!" (1) Warm his bed is an internet way of saying wanting to sleep with him. 242 Just tens of millions Chapter 242: Just tens of millions Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Dinner was very sumptuous. They were Jiang Chen''s favoritepotatoes, roast pork, beef with green pepper, and fresh and tender steamed carp. Having been able to savor the familiar taste again, Jiang Chen devoured the food as though he would swallow his tongue along with it. He ate three bowls of rice before he was satiated. Sitting on the side, Ayesha secretly memorized Jiang Chen''s favorite dishes and made up her mind to learn from Aunt Mei so she can cook for him every day. Speaking of Ayesha, she almost replaced Jiang Chen''s position as the center of attention on the dinner table. When his parents realized that the foreign girl with brown hair and blue eyes spoke perfect Han and had a gentle personality to boot, they warmly welcomed her. Especially Li Xuemei, she constantly winked at Jiang Chen, who was busy eating his food. She wanted him to treat her more affectionately. As a woman herself, she was acutely aware that the relationship between the two was very unusual. At the very least, the foreign girl has affection towards Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen''s worry was nevertheless excessive. Li Xuemei, who hadn''t met a foreigner before, could not discern Ayesha''s age at all. She only felt the girl''s skin was fair and pale and possessed a relatively slender figure, and concluded that all foreigners probably look this way. Simply put, she was pleased with Ayesha who could potentially become her daughter-in-law. But Jiang Jianguo didn''t think too highly of a foreign wife. He wanted to get a grandson soon to flaunt in front of his chess buddies. If his son took a foreign wife, what if his daughter-in-law''s side of the family took his grandson away? It would be difficult to see his grandson across the Pacific Ocean. Having never left the country and surfed the web much, he naturally didn''t know that people overseas didn''t have a habit of taking care of their grandchildren. After dinner, Li Xuemei had practically revealed all the embarrassing childhood stories of Jiang Chen to Ayesha before walking to the kitchen. Ayesha who had read through the etiquette in Han, timidly followed behind her and washed the dishes with her. This action naturally scored high points in the two elderly''s eyes. Jiang Jianguo, who was slightly unwilling before, couldn''t help but feel more pleased. While the two women stayed in the kitchen, the two men sat on the living room sofa, watching TV while bragging. After saying a few words, Jiang Jianguo suddenly put on a stern face and stared at Jiang Chen. "Little Chen, be honest, when do you plan to get married?" "Married? It''s still early" Jiang Chen stated casually. "Not early at all! Your uncle Wang, who always put you on his back, had a grandson who already knows how to recite poems!" Jiang Jianguo said desperately, his eyes widening upon hearing that his son had no intention to get married yet, "Dad, don''t rush things. Don''t you want to enjoy life for a few more years?" Jiang Chen asked, slightly embarrassed. Towards becoming a father, he was not mentally prepared at all. How to bear the responsibilities of becoming a father? How to educate the child? He had never given these questions a thought before. And he was not really anxious about the issue of having children. With the advent of technology in the apocalypse, modifying the somatic DNA to increase life expectancy was no longer impossible. Though it could not achieve eternal life, it was bound to extend life expectancy to one or two hundred years, and it would be enough time to wait for the possibility of eternal life. Once the civilization in the apocalypse has been rebuilt, it would no longer be a dream. Since there was no need to consider aging, the necessity to pass on the genes didn''t seem too imminent now. Jiang Chen even considered that after moving his parents overseas, he would bring some "supplements" from the apocalypse for his parents. Although those who were in advance in years were not suitable to use a genetic vaccine, some anti-aging medicines could work wonders on them. "What enjoying life! I only want a grandson." Jiang Jianguo was furious. This was a bit difficult now. As for his father''s willful demand, Jiang Chen found himself troubled. At the moment, he really couldn''t think of a way to convince the elderly who was "eager for a son." "Ummm, marriage shouldn''t be forced. After all, this isn''t the old age. There''s a famous saying... Right! It is better to be single than to get married to the wrong person." "What marrying? You''re naturally going to get married!" "Isn''t that all the same?" Jiang Chen asked, dumbfounded. Seeing that his son refused to compromise, Jiang Jianguo pondered for a moment as he didn''t want to push him too hard. If his son thought he was being too pushy, what if he doesn''t come home anymore? After a moment, Jiang Jianguo said gently, "Okay, you can decide this on your own, but you have to keep marriage in your mind. The purpose of life is to have a career and family. Since you''re accomplished now, use the opportunity to find a good wife to avoid problems in the future..." "Yes, yes, yes, you''re right." Jiang Chen nodded fiercely. In short, whatever the elderly said, it would be better to just listen. As for how he would execute it, he had his own plan. "That girl..." "Ayesha." "Mhmm, that Ayesha is not bad, but her family is too far. So if there are conflicts over the grandchildren, it will be ugly. So think about it carefully. Old Liu''s daughter is not bad " "Dad, do you want me to go on matchmaking dates now?" Jiang Chen smiled bitterly. "What? You look down on these dates?" Jiang Jianguo''s eyes widened. "Your dad married your mom through the dates set up by matchmakers." "No, I don''t look down on them." Jiang Chen immediately waved his hands to pacify his father. [Sigh, what year is it already?] "Take some time in the next few days to see them. I already arranged it for you." "Okay." Jiang Chen nodded. He would just treat it as making his parents happy. He would go, but he would find a random alibi as an excuse. If his date knew, he wondered if she would be angry or not. Without meeting first, the man already thought of ways to get rid of her. In the end, Jiang Chen didn''t argue so that this subject would be over soon. But then, he thought of something. "Right, dad. Didn''t I send some money home? Why do I feel you haven''t used it yet?" Jiang Chen looked around the familiar furniture in the living room and asked. "We did use it. In fact, we bought a new Simmons mattress a few days ago," Jiang Jianguo responded dismissively. He didn''t seem to want to stay on this topic further. "Ahem, don''t save money for your son. Bragging aside, I have too much money that I can''t possibly spend it anymore," Jiang Chen could not help but say. "Can''t spend it anymore? Even if you have money, you have to be frugal. You have to be prepared in case of an emergency," Jiang Jianguo lectured and gave Jiang Chen a hard stare. "Yes" Jiang Chen drawled in a feeble voice. "Let me ask you, tell me the truth, how''s your company doing?" Jiang Chen picked up a cup of tea, drank the tea leaves that he had distributed from his units a few days ago. He was planning to teach his son about some business practices so that he wouldn''t offend people or suffered a loss. Jiang Chen''s eyes turned, wondering if he said a billion dollar market value, his dad would not believe it. And even if he did, he would probably be scared silly. Therefore, after a careful consideration, Jiang Chen gave a really conservative number instead. "There are probably several tens of millions." Clank! The cup fell to the ground and broke. It was the third time Jiang Jianguo widened his eyes. He ignored the broken pieces on the ground and stood up. "How much?" "Around tens of millions... The company is still growing, it''s hard to stay the number," Jiang Chen said in a small voice, gulping. [Good thing he didn''t say billions or else my dad will get a heart attack...] 243 Detectaphone Chapter 243: Detectaphone Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Jiang Jianguo couldn''t process that fact that there was now a millionaire in the family. He originally thought that his son only made a few million to solve the housing problem. After all, it was already impressive to go from nothing to a millionaire. He would never imagine that even calling him a billionaire was an understatement. After washing the dishes, Li Xuemei picked a guest room for Ayesha, and then took Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Chen into the living room, and seriously watched him. "Little Chen, tell me honestly, did you do anything illegal?" Li Xuemei was afraid that her son was doing something shady, which enabled him to become a millionaire in just a few months'' time. She couldn''t think of anything but a bank robbery. "How is that possible? Do I look like that type of person?" Jiang Chen gave a wry smile. He did rob banks before...but it was the apocalypse, so it was more appropriate to use the term "pick up". "Then how did you become a millionaire overnight?" Jiang Jianguo could not help but ask. "Develop software...but mostly by offshore operations for an overseas software company." Thinking that there might be other people listening to their conversation, Jiang Chen changed his words halfway through the sentence. "Software? Is that the stuff inside the computer? Is it reliable?" Jiang Jianguo widened his eyes, flummoxed. He could not understand how those things would make money. "It''s mainly on the smartphone... Hmm, how should I explain this? Dad, don''t worry about how I make money. You should think more about how to spend the money." Jiang Chen tried to explain, but when he remembered that his dad couldn''t even figure the smartphone out, he gave up on this idea. "As long as you didn''t do any illegal... Mom is just worried that you met the wrong kind of people. You have to remember: don''t do anything against your conscience. Even if you make less, your conscience will be at ease," Li Xuemei told him as she rubbed Jiang Chen''s hair. "Okay mom, I know. I''m more than 20 years old and no longer a child," Jiang Chen uttered helplessly. "In our eyes, you''ll always be a child." Jiang Chen was frozen for a moment, feeling teary. ... After the family meeting had ended, Jiang Chen went into the study. Because Ayesha was a guest, she slept in Jiang Chen''s old bedroom. The two elderlies first insisted that they would take the study and leave their bedroom for Jiang Chen, but the latter would not allow his parents to sleep on the sofa. "Threatening" his parent that he would stay in a hotel, he was finally able to persuade his stubborn father and mother, who always doted on him. After combining the two sofas together and covering it with thick bedding, it didn''t feel worse than a bed. In fact, if from the very beginning Ayesha had revealed her relationship with Jiang Chen, he would not be in this predicament. Jiang Chen felt pity at the idea that he was unable to hold the attractive body in his sleep. At about 10 o''clock in the middle of the night, the two elderlies gradually fell asleep. Jiang Chen estimated it was about time. Thereupon, he sat up, walked to the window, and closed the blinds. After getting a fourth-dimensional messenger, he would call Sun Jiao from time to time. Now that he was back to his hometown, according to his agreement with Sun Jiao, he was ready to show them his hometown. But just as he was about to take his EP out, the door sounded with a soft knock. "Come in, I haven''t slept yet." Smiling, he didn''t need to think to know it was Ayesha. Just like what he expected, when the door was pushed open, a gorgeous face peeked inside. Ayesha, dressed in pajamas, cautiously entered the room without any noise and closed the door behind her. "Did you miss me?" Jiang Chen walked beside her and encircled her slender waist with his hands. Her gorgeous face flushed, and her pristine blue eyes flashed with gentleness, but she quickly shook her head and changed into a serious expression. "I found this inside the room." Ayesha opened her hand and passed the content to Jiang Chen. Stunned, Jiang Chen picked up the three thumbnail-sized black buttons from her hands. "And these are?" "Bugs." Expression turning grim, Jiang Chen''s eyes narrowed. There was no doubt that someone had put the bugs in his house, and this made him utterly furious. "Has the location been tracked to determine the location fo the listener?" Jiang Chen asked in an undertone. "It''s confirmed." Ayesha nodded and continued in a quiet voice, "Do you need me to go check?" Jiang Chen played with the three buttons in his hand and thought for a moment. "No need. If we discover those who we shouldn''t discover, it would become awkward." Hearing this, Ayesha nodded before she turned around to return to her room. Though she felt that it would be better to get rid of those stalkers, since Jiang Chen said it was not necessary, so be it. "Wait," Jiang Chen called out to her just when her hand was at the threshold. "Mhmm?" Ayesha turned her head. "Check me out as well," Jiang Chen requested with a wicked smile. Although she didn''t know why Jiang Chen was smirking, Ayesha still nodded. She quietly left the room and she came back while carrying a black pen-like device. This anti-surveillance detection device is one of the special equipment Jiang Chen had prepared for her. Jiang Chen had purchased it for around 100 crystals at the Sixth Street''s market, which was the basic equipment of PAC agents. In the future where information channel was not limited to the electromagnetic waves, and anti-reconnaissance measures were emerging endlessly, this device may not be able to 100%, remove the surveillance devices. However, "150 years" into the modern world, there would be no surveillance device that could escape from the scan of this apparatus. Just like he had suspected, even the room, where people normally didn''t stay, had also been bugged. "Only one?" "Mhmm, under the table," Ayesha muttered, then she put away the device and walked to the desk. As she bent down and fumbled on the inside of the desk to take a look, Jiang Chen unconsciously swallowed. The white nightgown, which previously covered the upper part of her thigh, because of bending, the hem of the clothes was now moving up and down so that the slender and long legs were all but exposed. The pale skin was smooth and seductive in the brightness of the moon. Along with that view, her underwear was also slightly exposed. In front of Jiang Chen, Ayesha had always been unguarded. While she was focusing on searching under the desk, she had no idea how exposed she truly was. Soon, she found a button-like device in the inner part the desk between a compartment. "I found it. Woo..." Just as she was about to turn her head, her excitement as a result of discovering her target morphed into a fiery blush. Caught unaware, Jiang Chen went behind her and embraced her gently. "Don''t, don''t do this. Your parents are just next door..." Ayesha groaned adorably. Nibbling on her lower lips her, eyes became misty in the moonlight. But Jiang Chen refused to let her go. Smirking, his hands wander around as he whispered into her ear, "That''s why you better keep your mouth shut and don''t make any sound..." Like a timid rabbit, Ayesha nodded, wearing a fierce blush on her face... A touch of cloud drifted by, veiling the moonlight ever so slightly. Even the moon in the night sky could not bear to take a look. A repressed piece of musical composition started playing inadvertently. Not until the clock ticked quietly for two hours did the night return to its former tranquility. 244 If people donst showoff, whats difference compared to a salted fish? Chapter 244: If people don''t showoff, what''s difference compared to a salted fish? Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ These days, Jiang Chen had been very free. Despite finding those surveillance devices in his room, he didn''t bother to care who did these vile things. Everyday he just chatted with his parents, took Ayesha to the places where he spent his childhood, took several photos with his mobile phone and sent it to the three people in the apocalypse to satisfy their curiosity. "This is my high school," Jiang Chen explained to Ayesha. Standing in front of the gate, Jiang Chen stared at the building with a sense of nostalgia. It was where he spent his youth with sweat and tear. Reminiscing his past, he used to be a youngster who would blush and had his heart beat faster just by merely touching his seatmate''s hand accidentally. Back then, he used to be so na?ve and innocent. "Did you attend high school?" Jiang Chen casually asked. "Didn''t get to finish it. The school was destroyed," Ayesha responded blankly. What an utterly tragic memory. "I''m sorry for reminding of your unhappy memories," Jiang Chen murmured. The cold face gave him a gentle smile, and then she shook her head. "No need to apologize. There''s nothing we can do about it." Towards her tragic past, Ayesha had never felt any regret for it. Even to the tragedy that happened to her own family, she just accepted this fact in silence. When Jiang Chen asked her before if she wanted to seek revenge against the people who killed her family. As long as she desired it, he would be willing to help her, but still she shook her head. Jiang Chen didn''t ask her why, but he could somehow guess the reason. It was a distressing reality. The residents of her hometown probably resembled the people of the apocalypse the most. Only those people who were accustomed to death would be so apathetic towards death. It was precisely because of this that she could only be intimate to the only person that made her feel warm, the only person that made her open her heart. Rubbing her little head, Jiang Chen smiled, took her hand and went to the school gate. "Class is still ongoing at the moment. Uninvited guests can''t enter the school premises," the old man, sitting in the security room and clad in a military jacket, solemnly said. Although Jiang Chen could still recognize him; on the other hand, he would obviously not remember everyone who went out from here. Jiang Chen was stunned as he could not imagine that he would be blocked by a security guard. However, seeing the alertness on the guard''s face, Jiang Chen immediately understood why. There was nothing wrong with the guard obstructing anyone from entering the school. Jiang Chen remembered when he was still studying here, there would be young thugs who were fond of hanging out in the vicinity of the school. Even though they were nothing, they would pretend to be a "boss" in front of these teens to show off their grandiose" tale," and then they would gang up on inexperienced delinquent girls and ask them for money and the like. The brown curly hair of Ayesha was obviously misunderstood by the old guard as dyed. After all, the guard was getting old and could not see her facial feature clearly. As though reading the guard''s mind, Jiang Chen smiled and walked over and started a conversation with the old man. "Is the principal still Mr. Wu?" "Yes, are you looking for him?" "Mhmm... Call him and tell him someone wants to donate a school building." The guard was gobsmacked. "What?" ... Ordinary people may not recognize Jiang Chen, but as the school leader of the Hucheng High School II, how could he not recognize his outstanding alumnus? To start with, in a small place like Hucheng, it was rare to have someone so accomplished. And now, that this place had produced a president of a 10 billion company, someone who had been praised by the Wall Street Journal to be equal to Bill Gate and Steve Jobs; and recognized as the "third technology revolution leader." Wu Zechen had been working in Hucheng High II for more than ten years and could be considered as a veteran of the school. Although he didn''t have much impression of Jiang Chen, who graduated five years ago, it didn''t stop him from feeling proud. It was not at the point where he would mention Jiang Chen''s name every sentence, but at the end of every principal''s speech, he would use Jiang Chen''s story to motivate the young students to study harder to get into a good university. This was despite the fact that Jiang Chen''s current achievement had nothing to do with the university he attended at all... Less than half a minute later, Jiang Chen saw Principal Wu led a group of school officials walking out in hasty steps. From afar, he waved at Jiang Chen and greeted him with a bright smile. "Haha, Mr. Jiang came to visit us. We weren''t prepared. You should have given me a call," Wu Zechen said passionately, shaking Jiang Chen''s hands vigorously. "You don''t have to bother. I just want to check the place out again." Jiang Chen smiled. "That''s not okay! Mr. Jiang coming back to Hucheng High School II is an important event, we need a welcome ceremony" "There''s no need. Let''s not disturb the students." Jiang Chen waved his hand. Towards the old principal''s excessive enthusiasm, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. After shaking hands with the vice principal, directors, and other school officials, he finally entered the school gate. Of course, the reason why the old principal gave Jiang Chen such a warm welcome was because of his introductory words of "donating a school building." After receiving confirmation from Jiang Chen, his aging face bloomed like a flower and personally played the role of a "guide" by showing Ayesha and Jiang Chen around. He previously thought he would have to retire being a headmaster, but Jiang Chen somehow came back and contributed to his hometown''s school. Once the new school building project had been finalized, it would not take him two years to transfer to Education Bureau. With this qualification, he would be promoted at least half a level, perhaps even a full level. After gaining so many benefits, it was no wonder why he would be so passionate. Originally, the principal''s enthusiasm gave Jiang Chen a headache. After all, he initially intended to wander about the familiar campus while holding Ayesha''s hand to reminisce the past in silence, and also made a bit of contribution for his hometown, but he didn''t expect that he would have a group school leaders following him. But soon after, he quickly began to enjoy this experience. The reason being was because... "Quickly look, isn''t that Jiang Chen?" Passing through the classroom where he spent his three years, a sharp-eyed girl immediately recognized Jiang Chen and dragged her seatmate excitedly. Among the youngsters using smartphones, Jiang Chen was especially famous since Future 1.0 had at least 300 million domestic users. The majority of people enjoying watching shows and playing games would choose to install Little White to save battery and increase speed. "Eh? It''s true! OMG, how did Old Wu manage to invite the nation''s husband to the school?" A pretty looking girl with long hair widened her eyes and stopped scrolling through Weibo. "Put your phone away, if the director sees you" "Wait, let me take a photo first." The girl raised her phone to take a picture. Not only among girls, Jiang Chen was also popular among guys. A lot of smart students view this man as their role model and wished to become like him one day, to be able to strut back to their school and hold their heads high, and let those "arrogant" school leaders trail behind them and enjoy their fawning words. More than a billion of net worth, a foreign gorgeous female assistant: the epitome of life''s winner. Though Jiang Chen really wanted to tell them that his present achievements had nothing to do with studying... despite getting a high score when he was admitted to Wanghai university. In short, it was incredibly exhilarating to be envied and praised by a crowd of energetic young people. That''s right! Jiang Chen utterly enjoyed the feeling of vainglory. "What do you think of this, Mr. Jiang? Are you satisfied with the culture at our school?" Wu Zechen asked in great spirit when he saw Jiang Chen''s mouth curved up. "Whether I''m satisfied or not, I''m not qualified to say it. But seeing that our students are so energetic, as an alumnus, I''m extremely pleased," Jiang Chen casually said and grinned. "Haha, how could that be? We have a lot of students that view Mr. Jiang as an alumnus," a female secretary in her 30s said while giggling. Towards this compliment, Jiang Chen cracked a smile. "Speaking of, where is teacher Cai?" That was his homeroom teacher. After walking around the campus, he failed to see him. "Mr. Cai is already old and retired. I heard that his son is doing well in the south, so he retired there." Already retired? Jiang Chen could not help but feel some regret, thereupon he felt relieved. He had already spent more than half of his life teaching, so it was time to enjoy life. ... 5-million school building, a set of 1 million state-of-the-art teaching equipment, and a marble statue. Principal Wu insisted that a ceremonious donation ceremony should be made, or else it would be hard to express the gratitude of the students and staff of the school. But Jiang Chen rejected it. Afraid of trouble, he used the most straightforward method and donated it under Future Technology''s name. The company''s legal department would send people to coordinate with this matter, so he didn''t need to worry anymore. After taking care of everything, Jiang Chen called Xia Shiyu to let her know. "Hello?" Jiang Chen drawled on the phone. "Ah, hmm? Do you need something?" Xia Shiyu sounded slightly absent-minded. Puzzled, Jiang Chen frowned and said in a voice filled with concern, "There''s something... I feel like you don''t sound right. Are you coming down with a cold?" "No, nothing, just a bit personal stuff," Xia Shiyu perfunctorily said. Her parents wanted her to go on an arranged date by a matchmaker saying it would be hard for older girls to get married. The male''s side also worked in Wanghai City and owned a company. Apparently, he was quite well off... What era was this? For the past few days, Xia Shiyu has been troubled by this. She was unable to talk her insistent parents out of it and finally agreed to take a vacation and return home It just to make her parents happy. As for the date, she had unceremoniously sentenced him to death in her heart already. For some reason, even though it didn''t have anything to do with Jiang Chen, she still didn''t want Jiang Chen to know about this. The more embarrassing thing was, when she thought about marriage, what happened that night would somehow surface in her head. That night, their lips were only a few centimeters apart. If they kissed on that day... After listening to Jiang Chen''s donation distractedly, Xia Shiyu hung up the phone. After a long sigh, she held her phone in front of her chest. That bright, red thin lips pouted, it was a rare scene. She cluelessly murmured to herself, "Fool..." (1) Salted fish is an Internet slang for saying useless person. 245 The Perfect Coincedence Chapter 245: The Perfect Coincedence Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Hucheng was a small place. In such a small place, good news and bad news spread equally as fast. The news of a famous entrepreneur, Jiang Chen, visiting his relatives and donating a five million school building to his alma mater instantly circulated in this small place. There were plenty of people who made money in recent years, but there were not many who thought about their hometown. For a time, various titles such as "conscientious businessman" was named after Jiang Chen. As such, even the city officials also specially came to visit him. They didnt receive any news of Jiang Chen returning to Hucheng to visit his relatives. After all, the General Staff Department kept his itinerary an absolute secret. Not only the city officials, but even the media also didn''t receive a single bit of information. Not until the cheap Wu Zechen, who benefited the most from this, held a school ceremony and made a conference did the reporters receive the news. For a time, the previously quiet Jinsha Steel Plant residential area was instantly in an uproar. The city officials visiting him sent him a plaque of two meters in length in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of his hometown. In response, Jiang Chen was naturally gratified. As for the mayor wearing a huge smile, he immediately proposed potential partnerships and stated he was willing to provide additional generous policies for the staff of Future Technology. Jiang Chen only smiled at the offer proposed by the mayor and didnt outright agreed. He just politely expressed his gratitude towards the government''s enthusiastic reception, but because the development strategy of the company must be discussed with the company executives, he could not commit just yet. But what Jiang Chen didnt expect was that after the city officials left, the district leaders also came for a visit. This made Jiang Chen at a loss on how to react as he didnt expect that just by donating a school building on a whim would make his home feel like a tea shop with people constantly visiting him. The steel plant leaders, the directors of the board of education, and the relatives he hadn''t met before all visited him. Simply put, these past few days was annoying the heck out of him. He was planning to donate a road before he left, but given the present state of affairs, it would need to wait until he left. But seeing how happy his parents were, he did not say anything. His home had been quite uneventful these recent years as the two elderlies lived a rather secluded life. Because they were just average workers, the relatives from their hometown didnt really visit as they would only chat with their neighbors while they were shopping. When did they ever experience something of this scale? Not only those relatives who came from different places came and stopped, but even those fulltime top officials came running to their door to ask about their well-being. Astonished by the treatment that their son was receiving, they finally had an idea on how successful their son was. But even then, there was no escaping the matchmaking "You made such a bold move, and this increased the difficulty of our work." Leaning against the Santana, Dagger grinned with a cigarette in his mouth. "There''s nothing I can do about it. Should l pay you overtime?" Jiang Chen jived and took out his electronic key and opened the car door. "Mr. Jiang, it''s against the protocol to bribe civil servants." Miao Jun coughed. Dagger didnt pursue the topic any longer. He flicked the cigarette and asked nonchalantly, "Is the software done?" "You''re gonna have to ask the overseas team." Standing in the doorway, Jiang Chen s shrugged. "Good luck." Dagger nodded and gave a cursory glance at the passenger seat. "Where is your assistant?" "Im going to matchmaking today." Jiang Chens expression looked somewhat helpless. Miao Jun burst out laughing, his arm on the steering wheel. "What era are we currently in?" Jiang Chen did not bother about him, put up the car window, and started the car. Dagger extinguished the cigarette butt and got into the car as well. He patted Miao Jun on the shoulder and said dismissively, "Follow him." The location of the matchmaking was in the downtown of Hucheng, roughly 20 kilometers away from the small area where Jiang Chen came from. In the entire Hucheng, only the Jialin commercial area was still considered flourishing. Although he wasnt planning on agreeing, he would still give the other her due respect. He wouldnt just find a random KFC to purposely anger her away. Near Lake Restaurant. It was Jiang Chens first time here, but because of the positive reviews on the internet, he called to reserve a private room. The place had beautiful scenery, Jiang Chen heard that it was possible to view the panoramic beauty of the East Like in the private suite on the top floor. After parking his car in the parking space, Jiang Chen readily locked the door and headed to the suite under the direction of the server. Dagger and Miao Jun did not follow him upstairs, and just picked a seat on the first floor, and then ordered a few dishes. They had been eating takeout food for the past few days, even the not picky Dagger was starting to get sick of it. Upstairs, Jiang Chen ordered a table full of dishes and then began to play with his phone while waiting for the arrival of his date. To be honest, he had never attended any matchmaking session before, so he somehow felt nervous. Not long after, Jiang Chen heard approaching footsteps near the door. The door opened, Jiang Chen put away his phone, but the instant he looked at the door, his expression froze. He was not the only one who was frozen. Standing in the doorway with one foot in, the gorgeous but expressionless face also appeared bewildered. "Its you?" The two people simultaneously exclaimed in astonishment and both fell into an awkward silence. Black wool sweater matching with a pair of black stockingsthe not-so-colorful outfit didnt seem to be suitable when on a date, but on her, it perfectly complimented her serene yet stunning aura, which was normally hidden behind her expressionless face. Jiang Chen didnt expect that it was his companys CEO who would show up. He had never heard Xia Shiyu mentioned her hometown before, but coincidentally they were from the place and even lived in the same circle. What a coincidence. Xia Shiyu also didnt think that the person to show would be him. Compared to the shocking reality, an unknown anxiety was welling up inside her. Her lips quivered slightly and felt her face was burning. The rejection spiels brewing inside her head after an entire night jumbled inside her head. The usually calm Xia Shiyu was now frozen at the door. [If it was him, should I reject?] Xia Shiyu was utterly lost. Looking at Xia Shiyu''s messy expression, for some reason despite feeling awkward, he wanted to laugh as well. "Uh, have a sit first." "Mhmm." Head buried in silence, Xia Shiyu hastily at across Jiang Chen, and then remained silent. Jiang Chen noticed that her pale neck went beet red all the way to her cheeks. Silence ensued for a long time. "What a coincidence, I didnt think it would be you." Jiang Chen unnaturally laughed and broke the silence. "Mhmm," Xia Shiyu assented again, her head still lowered, but there was nothing more. He had no experience on what to say during a matchmaking session. The set of words he prepared before coming here were completely useless. He was aware of Xia Shiyus affection for him that night. Or more precisely, right after that news conference, he had already been vaguely aware of it for a long time. Different from Liu Yao as a mistress, and Ayesha with a different cultural background, Xia Shiyu would never accept him with another woman. But because of the faint selfishness in his heart, he couldnt do or say anything that would make her give up on him despite knowing that the ambiguity of his action towards her would hurt her more in the end. Reject? Or accept? 246 Whats your consideration? Chapter 246: What''s your consideration? Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The two didn''t speak with each other until the server brought the dishes. Delicacies filled the table, the scenery outside was still scenic and picturesque, but Jiang Chen thought the food tasted bland. The red lips were chewing reservedly, so it was a tad unfortunate that not a single word came out. Although Xia Shiyu''s blush had receded, her gaze remained glue on the food on the table. The somewhat stiff expression appearing as though she was avoiding his sight. Just as Jiang Chen was about to say something to break the silence, Xia Shiyu suddenly spoke. "Am I really boring? With her head bowed, she asked in a barely distinguishable voice. "How could that be?" Jiang Chen was used to Xia Shiyu''s aloofness, so he did not mind her being cold. If she suddenly became talkative one day, Jiang Chen would feel surprised. "Really?" she said in what seemed to be in disbelief. "Why do you ask?" Jiang Chen could not help but ask. "If there''s a gathering, everytime I speak, it would result in a silenced crowd," Xia Shiyu uttered in total bewilderment. While he didn''t know why she would bring this up such situation, Jiang Chen trod carefully when he phrased his words, "Perhapsit was because of your temperament?" "Temperament?" Xia Shiyu lifted her head looking confused, staring at Jiang Chen''s eyes. "Just like a pristine flower in the snowy mountain, gorgeous but can only be appreciated from afar." Because it was extremely hard to approach, so some chose to stay away. "Are you saying that in the...perspective of the opposite gender?" Xia Shiyu murmured. "That''s right." "What about the same gender?" "It''s probably due to jealousy." Jiang Chen''s response made Xia Shiyu''s calm heart sped up again. "Then what about you?" overwhelmed by indescribable emotions, she haphazardly asked this blunt question. " That''s hard to answer. Say, aren''t we supposed to be on a blind date? Why do you have to talk about such a serious topic?" Jiang Chen quipped. "Thendo you want to marry me?" Jiang Chen was utterly astonished. [Does this count as a confession?] Towards this unexpected confession, he was not mentally prepared at all. He originally thought with Xia Shiyu reserved attitude, this issue would drag on for a long time before it actually came out in the open. Moreover, he didn''t think her confession would be so straightforward. "Don''t one discuss marriage after dating?" Jiang Chen gave a wry smile. Xia Shiyu''s face turned red and with her head buried, she admitted, "No one has taught me this." The coyness in her expression was a rare sight to see. "Didn''t you date before?'' Jiang Chen sighed, feeling helpless. "That doesn''t count," Xia Shiyu promptly rejected the idea. "Then what does it count for?" "Perhaps just a failed attempt." Because she was curious about how dating felt like, knowing that she could not stay single for the rest of her life, and due to myriad other reasons, she accepted someone she didn''t like but who pursued her for the longest time. And even she was aware that that strained relationship was not a sign of love. The only thing she didn''t expect was that he eventually betrayed her merely because she didn''t want to be intimate with him. Did he only pursue her is just so he could do that kind of thing with her? Just like Jiang Chen had thought, her emotional maturity was not directly proportional to her success in her career. Rather than calling it pure, it was more na?ve. "When two people became a couple, do they have to kiss?" Xia Shiyu asked, her eyes becoming somewhat dazed. "Uh, it''s not a strict requirement. That''s to say, if you really do like the other person, then you won''t mind kissing." "What about the opposite?" "The opposite?" Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks, staring at her perplexedly. "If I''m willing to kiss, would you date me?" It appeared as though she had exhausted all the courage in her body. Inside the washroom. Using both of his hands, he scooped a cold water and splashed it on his face. Feeling his agitated stated calmed down, Jiang Chen then flung the water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. "The f*ck... I almost become a scum," Jiang Chen mocked himself before he let out a relieved sigh, he then shook his head and headed for the door. He didn''t reject Xia Shiyu''s confession. Although conscience told him that perhaps rejecting her was the wiser choice. He didn''t dislike Xia Shiyu or rather, towards the girl who had been working diligently for his business, he appreciated her and also a very good impression of her. From the initial hatred to relief, and then because of her inadvertent disclosure of her love for him, this made him have a special spot for her in his own heart. Jiang Chen could not help but suddenly have a feeling of falling into her "trap." However, although he did not reject, he did not entirely agree. Simply put, the two were now in a relationship between friendship and lover. The parents were finally satisfied. The two agreed to tell their parents that they were dating. With this, there would no longer be trouble with matchmaking sessions, To this result, Xia Shiyu was pleased too. After all, she was not mentally prepared for this at all. Take one step at a time. Just as Jiang Chen was prepared to leave the washroom, a familiar looking man stepped in front of him. "Hello, Mr. Jiang, we meet again," Zhang Youjie greeted him amiably and extended his hand, exposing his white set of teeth. Slightly frowning, Jiang Chen''s eyebrows soon were unfolded as he also extended his hand with a smile. "Why is Mr. Zhang here?" "I''m a salesman, so I always appear in front of people in need." Zhang Youjie shrugged and smiled. "Have you given it a thought? What''s your decision?" "Decision about what?" "To become a citizen of UA." Jiang Chen looked dubiously at him. "Do you know that there are two agents behind my butt at all time? Let me guess, you''re going to be caught and deported?" "They have no right to do that to a foreign diplomat. Doesn''t your country have right to even speak freely?" Zhang Youjie shook his head and mocked. "That''s hard to say." Jiang Chen didn''t refute it. "Ahem, seeing you is not really easy, so I''ll keep it simple. If Mr. Jiang is interested in our immigration policy, the embassy will provide you with comprehensive "legal assistance." A country''s government has no right to prevent a talented individual from choosing their nationality and being restricted to go abroad would be contrary to your country''s law. We will put pressure on the International Court of Justice to send you abroad through special channels and force it through public opinion" "Free choice of nationality?" Jiang Chen scoffed. "Why must it be the UA?" Zhang Youjie paused and then laughed carelessly. "Is this Mr. Jiang''s message, or the message from the organization behind you?" "The latter, of course." "That''s unfortunate then. We could have avoided a conflict." Zhang Youjie shook his head, and then smiled, "Anyway, have a great vacation." Thereupon he turned around and disappeared at the corner of the hallway. Looking at the direction of his departure, Jiang Chen''s eyes narrowed. Although Jiang Chen didn''t think UA citizens could cause some trouble in Hua, especially under General Staff Department''s watch, he still felt a sense of foreboding. He had a premonition that it would not be this simple. 247 Undercurren Chapter 247: Undercurrent Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ At the crowded Wanghai City airport. In such an international metropolis, it was common to see foreign faces. Especially with Christmas approaching, the number of foreigners visiting Hua increased due to the holiday. The announcement of flight departing echoed inside the terminal accompanied by the constant chattering and the cry of children. The terminal was a bit noisy. A foreigner sat on a chair with his eyes closed, resting. The gray overcoat made him look very ordinary, and under the brimmed hat was a brown face with stubble. Don''t be mistaken, he was a Caucasian, and the skin color was due to staying in the desert for a long time. It was hard to imagine that someone would be able to sleep in such environment. "Uncle, toy car," a soft voice rang beside his ear. A little boy stood in front of him and pointed timidly to his shoes. The person opened one of his eyes and smiled genially, thereupon the wrinkles on his face twisted like knife scars. He looked like a kind middle-aged man. Except for the dark green pupil, which destroyed his amiable impression. Inside the cluster of dark green hues was a lethal gleam like that of a dangerous wolf. The little boy retreated with a frightened expression on his face. He didn''t dare to get the toy car as he scampered away. Seeing the boy ran away, the man shook his head, stood up, and headed out of the terminal. "As expected of Mr. Griss. The infamous name of Wolf that could scare little kids in the east thousands of kilometers away," an oriental man laughingly said as he naturally came to his side, and took the suitcase in his hand. "I don''t want to cause trouble the moment I get off the plane, so, you better call me G," Griss cautioned bluntly. "Okay, Mr. G." The man who welcomed him grinned. "How do you feel on this new environment? How does it compare to Iraq?" "The smell in the desert is terrible." Griss grinned and continued, "But compared to the noise here, I very much prefer the tranquility of the desert." "What made the bloodthirsty wolf turn into Dickinson?" said the man in an exaggerated manner and rolled his eyes. "It''s probably the blood." Griss shrugged. "Someone told me before that a poet and a killer are two very similar professions." "One praises death, while the other executes death?" the other person scoffed. "By the way, Mr. Li, you seemed to be late?" Griss said dismissively, glancing at the digital clock in the hall. "I''ve run into a bit of trouble" Li Zhongping pulled out the car key from his pocket and laughed. "What trouble?" "Mhmm, we originally thought we could form a partnership with them, but now it looks like Zhang Youjie made an error in judgment. Give the change in the situation, we have to start the plan B. If everything goes as planned, we might fight with the Han agents." Li Zhongping sighed helplessly. Although the helpless expression looked exaggerated at best. Griss shrugged and drawled, "For me, there''s no such thing as a surprise." He didn''t care about the Han agents at all. Just like a battle-hardened wolf that fought through hundreds of battles won''t care about the hissing of a shepherd. Although he couldn''t do the proper walk in the military parade, he knew hundreds of tracking and killing method. He lost track of the number of terrorists who had died on his hands and those who had jeopardized the interests of the country. There was no possibility of losing. "A Han called Dagger is responsible for the target''s safety." Griss'' eyes narrowed, a grim smile appearing on his lips. "Dagger?" "You''ve been gone for a while." "I met someone I know, and we chatted for a moment." Jiang Chen sat back across Xia Shiyu and smiled. Looking at the smile on Jiang Chen''s face, Xia Shiyu''s face turned red obscurely. She lowered her head while her finger played with the hem of her sweater. "So are we a couple now?" With the way Xia Shiyu looked, Jiang Chen''s face also turned red. He looked away and scratched his face. "Uh, I would say so." [But not completely.] "Do we need to do something?" "Nojust go with the flow." Jiang Chen swallowed his saliva, staring at the flushed cheeks. Although he wanted to say, "Let''s start with a kiss," he managed to curb his evil urges. It was because their current relationship was only due to the insistence of their parents. He could feel Xia Shiyu''s affection for him. Likewise, he harbored affection for her as well. However, given Xia Shiyu''s personality, there was no way she could accept the existence of Ayesha and Liu Yao. Just go with the flow. "Once we get to know each other more, then we''ll head to the next step." It was the agreement Jiang Chen made with her. After lunch, Jiang Chen drove Xia Shiyu home. Jiang Chen courteously greeted the warm uncle and aunt, gave them the present he prepared, and left after some small talk. Mom Xia embraced her daughter by the shoulder and smiled while watching Jiang Chen''s car left. "What do you think? Mom didn''t lie to you, right? The little Jiang certainly is of great character, so you have to be nice to him. In this day and age, it''s hard to find someone with such great qualities." "Okay, mom" Xia Shiyu muttered, her head buried and her face flushed. "Work hard and get married as soon as possible. Your mom and dad are waiting for grandchildren." "Grandchildren? Uh, I " The cold face instantly turned beet red. Xia Shiyu''s mouth opened and her mind was in chaos. [Children] [If I have to give birth to children, I have to do that] Like a startled deer, Xia Shiyu dashed into her room without turning back and slammed the door shut, leaving the astonished parents in the living room. "Old man, what nonsense are you saying?" Mom Xia scoffed at the old man. With face red, Dad Xia rebutted, "What are you getting at? Don''t you want grandchildren soon?" "" Xia Shiyu rushed into the room, closed the door, and leaned against the door. Her body leaning against the door gradually slid down, making her sit on the floor. Panting, she pressed her hand against her chest. Blush extended from her pale neck all the way to her ears, her heart was beating fast. [That kind of thing] A fuzzy image unconsciously surfaced in her head. In a suit, Jiang Chen walked beside her with a bright, attractive smile. Blushing, she approached him and hooked her arm around his. Wearing an immaculate white wedding dress and a pair of high-heeled wedding shoes, and along with the wishes of her friends and family, the two walked along the red carpet, exchanging a kiss of vow in front of everyone. The scene turned and then showed their wedding room. Jiang Chen carried her around the waist, kissed her on the neck, and then he gently placed her on the matrimonial bed and reached Suddenly, a faint noise came from outside the door. She didn''t know if it was an illusion, but she heard them speak English. Xia Shiyu stopped and then stood up from the floor. For some reason, the arguing voice of her parents instantly vanished. She suddenly felt a kind of inexplicable panic. A frightening silence ensued outside. Gulping, she reached for the doorknob and twisted it open. A smiling face welcomed her outside the room. However, it didn''t belong to Jiang Chen but to a woman. A woman with blue eyes, blond hair, and wearing a headset. Xia Shiyu was stunned. It was an unfamiliar face. "You''re " "You don''t have to worry about it, just Miss Kidnapper," Caitlin jeered before she smoothly stabbed the defibrillator to her stomach. Numbness immediately made Xia Shiyu fall unconscious, as she fell onto Caitlin. "The package has been retrieved," Caitlin reported leisurely on her earpiece. The two elderlies in the living room were both unconscious. "Perfect. Return to "warehouse" for further instruction." Inside a coffee shop, Zhang Youjie wore a triumphant smile. "Understood." Zhang Youjie closed the laptop computer and headed out of the coffee shop. A trace of mockery disappeared from his lips. "What an absolute amateur." 248 The Greeting from Afar Chapter 248: The Greeting from Afar Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ Speeding off along the highway, Jiang Chen''s hands were on the steering wheel, but what happened during noon lingered in his head. "That''s really regrettable. We could have avoided a conflict" [Does this sentence mean they''re plotting something?] Jiang Chen knitted his eyebrows. He really didn''t really understand why would the UA embassy would be so interested in him. Could it be the UA intelligence officers heard that Future Technology was responsible for the actual research and development of the "Dragon II" program? This thought suddenly sent a chill down his spine. In the wasteland''s timeline, a similar program would be developed in 2020. Despite the huge deviation of the history of wasteland from this world, and given how the speed and focus of technology and research differed greatly, the general development trajectory was not much different. Just like how the third scientific and technological revolution was led by computers. The next 50 years would be the 50 years led by artificial intelligence. The inception of basic AI database, which would ignite the fourth scientific and technological revolution, and then the introduction of intermediate AI Restriction Act, which would mark the end of the premature change in science and technology. Then it would be the fifth scientific and technological revolution led by the breakthrough in space technology, but that would be in the distant future...had it not been for the existence of Jiang Chen, who was a traveler between two worlds. If everything went smoothly, Zhongxin High Tech would be capable of completely developing this technology themselves. According to the history, the cutting-edge high-altitude UAV similar to Dragon II didn''t have a long development cycle. Now that he thought about it, the delay in development was unlikely due to the barrier in technology. If someone could leak the information, there was no reason they wouldn''t obstruct the progress in some way At the thought of this, Jiang Chen furrowed his brows. He had never given this issue a thought. In that timeline, PAC, Soviet Union (CCP), and NATO could be said the tripartite that divided the world. However, in this timeline, PAC and CCCP simply did not exist at all. The series of drastic changes in Eastern Europe had ruined the last trace of Soviet. The collapse of the Berlin Wall completely pushed the alliance into the abyss and declared the collapse of the Yalta system. In 1991, the painstaking pillar of CCCP finally disintegrated and was divided into 15 independent sovereign states. The fate of PAC was even more interesting since it never existed in the first place. Moreover, judging from the territorial disputes and the geopolitical pattern among Asian countries at the moment, it should not be possible for the organization to be established in the next 50 years or so. An alliance would have to be formed from a political mutual trust; regrettably, this trust did not exist from the very beginning. On the contrary, NATO was the only one that stood out amongst the three. In spite of the constant portrayal of the media that NATO counties led by the UA were unable to extricate themselves from the quagmire of the Middle East disputes, all countries in Europe had been caught in dire straits by the Greek debt crisis and the influx of refugees. Needless to say, NATO was terrifying in both economic output and the military strength. When did it start? Rather, when did history start to diverge? Just as Jiang Chen thought of what seemed to be an irrelevant question, his cell phone suddenly began to ring. Putting on his Bluetooth headset, he pressed the call button. "Hello?" "Do you still remember me, handsome oriental man?" Despite her jesting tone, Jiang Chen could detect that this sentence was almost squeezed out from her teeth. Han with a Russian accent. Although the other had not reported her name, her identity could easily be identified. "Of course, I remember the beautiful Ms. Natasha. How can I help you?" he replied casually and chuckled. [KGB? Other than tricking them in Veit, Jiang Chen couldn''t think of any other connection with them.] "Why don''t you take a plane to Moscow? I still owe you a shot of Vodka. We can have a long chat in the bar," Natasha said in a provocative way. "It''s a tempting suggestion. Unfortunately, I can''t make the trip since I can''t even buy a plane ticket at the moment," said Jiang Chen, face not showing the slightest contrite. "If you really want to come, we can provide you with a free and secure method of entering the border." "Is KGB taking an interest in me? What an honor." Jiang Chen quipped and didn''t accept her proposal. "It''s Kremlin that''s interested in you." After a brief pause, Natasha changed into a seductive voice and continued, "Are you really not going to consider? Han men are popular among the Russian women." Artificial intelligence would be the development trend for the next few decades, even potentially leading the fourth scientific and technological revolution, which was almost a foreseeable future. The value of artificial intelligence in military applications was even more invaluable. Since the advent of Future 1.0, it had garnered enough attention from Russia; not until they discovered its military value was extremely limited did they move their sight elsewhere. But who would have thought that Future Technology could really leave its mark in the military field? Even Jiang Chen himself did not expect that he would have wanted to make a contribution to his motherland before leaving the country. As a result, the information was surrendered and was leaked in the Han market before the development of the program was even completed. It was as if he just became a delicious morsel of meat. Of course, many companies possessed highly advanced technology companies such as Google and IBM in the world, and Future Technology was just one of them. The technology giants were not desperate to a point where they had to make a move, but Future Technology already possessed enough value to make these giants want to form a relationship with them. "For example, you?" Jiang Chen casually quipped. "If you can convince your team serving behind you to settle in Russia, I don''t mind becoming your woman." Natasha wasn''t kidding. Jiang Chen suddenly burst out laughing. "I don''t think it''s funny," Natasha raged. "If I really wanted to do something to you, I would have tried all kinds of positions with you in Veit." Jiang Chen''s mockery made Natasha extremely furious. She gnashed her teeth, wanting to drag Jiang Chen from the other side of the phone and roughed him up. Of course, it was only wishful thinking. Taking a deep breath, she worked hard to suppress the anger in her heart before continuing, "I believe we''ve already shown enough sincerity. If you''re willing to cooperate with us, we can offer you the most generous conditions" "Before our location is exposed, when we''re finally safe, and we don''t need to be in any cage in exchange for security. The only person who would be exposed to the troubles would be me," Jiang Chen shrugged and uttered in a nonchalant voice. "It seems that Mr. Jiang agent is not afraid?" Natasha scoffed. "There''s no reason to be afraid." Towards Jiang Chen words, Natasha chuckled and didn''t refute his words. "Looks like you are not yet fully aware of your situation. Because of your program, Dragon II will be deployed to the South Hua Sea ahead of schedule, and the strategic balance would be broken. The CIB is doing everything to prevent this from becoming a reality." Hearing this, Jiang Chen he let out a discreet sigh. [Sure enough, it''s the work of a spy? I was wondering why there are so many mishaps in the program, which made the development of Dragon II stuck in its final stage.] "So?" "Wasting resources on a harmless development team indeed seems unlikely, however, if an organization hinders the national interest of the UA, the White House will have a reason to the teach you a lesson. If I don''t guess wrong, the UA embassy should have already made contact with you," Natasha snickered. "I rejected him," Jiang Chen said carelessly. "Then you might be in trouble. In the foreseeable future, at least before the program is transferred over, your photo will be on the CIB mission brief." Jiang Chen was stunned for a moment, and then he chuckled nonchalantly and said, "Why don''t you directly tell that to the General Staff Department of Hua? I''m only a businessman, I don''t have the right to take actions." "KGB and The General Staff Department have no policy to exchange intelligence. As to why I''m telling you, can''t you see it is an act of friendship?" Natasha mocked. "Then, as an agent, what would they do next?" Jiang Chen casually asked. "First priority is to force you to hand over the source code and then kidnap you to an aircraft carrier. The second priority is to shoot you as a warning to the organization behind you not to interfere in the game among the big powers, and at the same time, to cut off the only means for cooperation between you and Hua." Since all partnerships were done through a representative, it was enough to just kill the representative. Even if Future Technology indeed possessed value, it was not the extent where they could negotiate with the Rainbow Mansion. "Then what do you think I should do?" Jiang Chen chortled. "Stop at once and withdraw from the project." "And then join force with you?" If you do not want to fall into the hands of the UA and if you don''t want to get stuck to where you are, we''re your only choice." Natasha''s face flashed a smile. In her perspective, Jiang Chen had no reason to reject her. Under the surveillance of the General Staff Department, just by himself, he had no opportunity to leave the border at all. However, it would be different with the help of KGB. As long as he was willing to cooperate, the existence of the so-called restriction was not a problem at all. "Do you think I''m scared of CIB?" Jiang Chen asked softly. "Few people whom they are targeting are not scared." "Then I''ll have to disappoint you, I happen to be one of them." What could the CIB agent even do? Not to mention that this was Han territory, with Ayesha''s counter-reconnaissance ability, Jiang Chen had nothing to worry about. From a combat ability perspective, he could deal with them by himself. "The Wolf." Towards Jiang Chen''s confidence, Natasha merely provided a short name. "Mhmm?" "Griss O''Sullivan, senior CIB agent, who was previously active in Iraq war. There were more than 47 Iran officials who died either directly or indirectly in his hands. He was later transferred to the CIB Anti-terrorism team in Iraq. Have you heard of Laden? Although the SEAL shot him, he was the person that dug him out. Based on the intelligence, he already arrived at Wanghai City and forged his identity. "Is that so? That''s a big fish." "It''s a shark." Natasha laughed intriguingly. "Don''t die. I''ll be waiting for you to come to Moscow." 249 Sorry, Ism not your subordinate Chapter 249: Sorry, I''m not your subordinate Translator: _Min_Editor: Yukira_ The call ended. Laughing and shaking his head, Jiang Chen took off the Bluetooth headset and put it back into his pocket. "Griss, isn''t it? It looks like this problem is becoming serious," Jiang Chen muttered to himself. From the standpoint of Russia, "Dragon II" being completed in time and being deployed in the South Hua Sea ahead of schedule was the best scenario. Considering Hua''s growth in power, it would indeed hinder the UA''s plan to return to Asia-Pacific. In this case, the pressure faced by Russia in East Europe and the Mediterranean would be significantly reduced. Natasha disclosing the CIB''s action was partly a show of goodwill, and partly wishing for Jiang Chen to be prepared. He just did not know if Dagger of General Staff Department received the news or not. [Maybe I should send Ayesha to protect Xia Shiyu?] Driving back to the staff quarters, Jiang Chen parked the car and was about to head upstairs when Dagger came over. "How''s the result of the matchmaking?" Dagger snickered. "I guess it''s a success." Glancing at the empty seat on the Santana, Jiang Chen asked casually, "Where''s Miao Jun who was driving you?" "Protecting your little girlfriend." Dagger sighed. "Say, could you be a little bit less busy this month?" Before the General Staff Department sent help, he could only get his deputy to help out. Even though Miao Jun was somewhat impetuous, his ability was quite good. He should be able to deal with the short transition period before their backup arrived. Whether if there was anyone was plotting against Jiang Chen, Dagger didn''t receive any news from his superior that indicated that an external force was making a move on Jiang Chen. All of the security measures here were just for preventative measures. Looking at Dagger''s wry expression, Jiang Chen smiled and patted the veteran soldier on the shoulder. "I can only say I''ll do my best. Anyway, thank you." [I''m paying hundreds of millions of tax each month, so it isn''t too outrageous for you guys to work a little harder.] "Of course, this is my job." Dagger took out his phone and was preparing to make a phone call to Miao Jun to ask how was the situation. Just as he was about to call, his phone suddenly rang. Upon seeing the name, Dagger paused for a moment. His expression turned grim and hurriedly put the cellphone to his ear. In the next second, his face changed dramatically Sitting in the tea shop downstairs of the apartment, Miao Jun ordered a cup of mocha. Crossing his legs, his eyes narrowed while examining every person that walked in and out of the neighborhood. Dagger had already gone back with Jiang Chen; on the other hand, he stayed here. "Fu*k, the life of the rich is indeed different. He''s picking up girls while I have to keep an eye out for him," Miao Jun complained in his mind. While complaining, he was meticulously doing the task that he needed to. It took abilities to be part of the General Staff Apartment. It was almost dusk when he lifted his hand to check the time. There was still an hour left before the person who would take over his spot would arrive. Just then, his pupils contracted and locked onto a man wearing a down jacket. Although on the surface, the man''s behavior was very normal and reasonable to the point where he did not stand out from the crowd. However, Miao Jun noticed something unnatural from his actions. Whether it was the way he took out his cigarette or the angle he looked at this phone, he was able to cleverly avoided the camera in the neighborhood from capturing his face. It may be a coincidence if it happened once or twice, but if it happened all the time, there was only one possibilitythe opponent was an anti-surveillance expert! Thinking of this, Miao Jun could not help but get a little excited and lick the corners of his lips. Although it was not his first mission, it was his first encounter with a foreign agent. If he captured a spy from an overseas force, it would undoubtedly be a great achievement! Of course, it was only a speculation. In the absence of conclusive evidence, any arbitrary arrests would not only cause unnecessary trouble, it would just unnecessarily alert the enemy. Putting his hand into his pocket, Miao Jun quietly moved towards the man in a down jacket. His hand, which was inserted in his pocket, was gripping a Beretta 92, his finger was gently pushing the safety. The man seemed to be oblivious to Miao Jun''s gaze as he headed to the communal restroom. "What an amateur." Mouth raised a touch of ridicule, Miao Jun trailed after him quietly. However, when he stepped into men''s restroom, the expression on his face suddenly froze. There''s no one here? All the stalls were open and the side of the urinal was empty. Could it be that the person went to the female restroom on the right? His face turning speculative, Miao Jun prepared to leave. But then, he heard a casual voice behind his back. "Hello. Looking for me?" He did not know when it started, but the man he was following, was now standing behind him! Hackles up, a sudden chill went down his spine. Knowing he was in a dire situation, Miao Jun immediately turned and pulled out his gun. The man lunged at him, narrowing their gap. The man lifted his hand, easily twisting his wrist, and positioned his finger behind the trigger. Miao Jun was deeply astonished by how fluid the opponent took his gun. This man was obviously an expert. Since he was able to confirm his opponent''s capability, there was no need to be reserved. Without ceasing the movement of his one hand, his other hand reached to snap the neck of the person, resorting to a killing move. But the other person just contemptuously scoffed and was seemingly able to read his thought, he once again easily parried his move. "Rookie." Upon hearing the other''s ridicule, a powerful knee strike struck his chest like a hammer. All the air in his chest was forcefully squeezed out of his chest. Because of breathing difficulties, Miao Jun''s eyes widened and looked like it was about to pop out. The lack of oxygen made all the tense muscles in his body loosen, while the gun in his hand was easily taken out. Thereupon, his forehead made an intimate contact with the barrel of the gun. Succumbing to unconsciousness, Miao Jun fell head first to the ground. Not pausing for a second, the man pinched the button of the communications device on his collar. "Problem solved." "Roger." Turnin off her earpiece, woere her cap, Caitlin put on her baseball cap and carried Xia Shiyu who was lying on the floor and started to retreat. A van stopped by the apartment before it left the neighborhood. The entire operation took less than five minutes from start to finish. Xia Shiyu was abducted. Hearing this news, Jiang Chen felt his head buzz and fury instantly engulfed his whole body. Although he had considered the possibility of the enemy plotting against Xia Shiyu, he never thought that they would make a move right after after their date. Given how fast they were, he didn''t even have the opportunity to send Ayesha to protect her. "Calm down first, our people are already investigating what happened. Hucheng Police Department will assist us in our operation and put all roads under surveillance. The kidnapper must still be in the city." Dagger tired to placate Jiang Chen''s emotion, despite feeling panic himself. He lost contact with Miao Jun and was presumably also caught in dire straits. Yet it was not clear which force made the abduction. Kidnapping Xia Shiyu must have been orchestrated to threaten Jiang Chen. What Dagger could only do at the moment was to ensure that Jiang Chen remained calm to prevent him from doing anything impulsive. "Your people? How long would that take?" Jiang Chen took a deep breath, his voice trembling due to wrath. "Within three days, I will definitely give you an update," Dagger said in a calm voice. "Three days?" Jiang Chen laughed derisively and filled with rage. Dagger wanted to say something, but this phone rang again. Dagger put the phone close to his ear, as he heard the voice from the other side of the phone, his expression looked helpless as he handed the phone to Jiang Chen. "Hello, Mr. Jiang Chen." "You are?" "Liu Guangqi, Dagger''s superior. You may call me General Liu." "My girlfriend was kidnapped," Jiang Chen said coldly. "We already received the news. Please be patient and wait for an update regarding this matter. We will definitely give you an account of the situation. Before that, we hope Mr. Jiang could consider the bigger picture and lessen unnecessary travel." "What do you mean?" "It doesn''t mean anything. We''re just worried that the enemy will use Ms. Xia as a bargaining chip, which may force you to make a regrettable decision. "You mean, you want to put me under house arrest?" Jiang Chen asked, his voice sounded intrigued. "This is for your own safety. Also, if the other could not reach you, then they won''t be able to threaten you." "What if they contact you?" Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes. "Taking Ms. Xia as a bargaining chip is be enough to coerce us into making concessions in light of national interest. I''m asking Mr. Chen to believe in the capabilities of the General Staff Department. We will give you a satisfactory answer within three days," said General Liu lightly. Hearing this, Jiang Chen calmed down, his heart also started to turn cold. With these words, the message behind Liu Guangqi''s words was very clear. The General Staff Department would absolutely not compromise with the agent even with the life of a citizen at stake. If the group that kidnapped Xia Shiyu could not reach Jiang Chen and could only get in touch with the General Staff Department, then the hostages on their hands would lose their value. At the same time, to maintain the status quo, the General Staff Department would immediately launch an investigation of this incident, and plan for the arrest of the enemy that designed and orchestrated the abduction. Thus, even if the kidnappers were to kill the hostage, they had nothing to gain from it. In the face of the national interests, all the sacrifices of an individual were worthwhile. "That''s to say you''re giving up on Xia Shiyu?" Jiang Chen asked softly. "We''ve never given up on anyone." "Which law allows one to restrict the freedom of the victim?" "It''s not a law, it''s an order," Liu Guangqi stated using an indisputable tone. Stunned for a moment, Jiang Chen chuckled. "Sorry, I''m not one of your subordinates, so your order is invalid." Jiang Chen ended the call. 250 Betrayal Chapter 250: Betrayal Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou Jiang Chen stuffed the phone into his pocket. "Please cooperate with my work, Mr. Jiang." Dagger forced out a smile as Jiang Chen was clearly not willing to follow the order. Daylight during the winter was short, and although it was still moments before six in the afternoon, it was already turning dark. Despite not being able to see the emotion hidden in Jiang Chen''s eyes, Dagger could clearly sense that Jiang Chen was in a terrible mood. Seeing Jiang Chen had no reaction, Dagger let out a sigh, extended his hand, and pleaded, "Please don''t make this difficult for me Give me the phone first." Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, and saidone word at a time"I''ve never made it difficult for you. It''s you that has always made it difficult for me, and now, I had enough." Dagger paused. He didn''t think the always-cooperating Jiang Chen would say this. Although his words certainly had rationale to it, from the perspective of a soldier, Dagger could not back off. With his head lowered, Dagger made the last request pleadingly, "Please consider the bigger picture." "I don''t understand the bigger picture, I will find my own way to save my girlfriend." It wasn''t until this moment did Jiang Chen finally realize the thought hidden in the deepest part of his heart. If they were only girlfriend and boyfriend in name, and if he didn''t like her, he would never be so livid. Since he was already sure, there was no need to be hesitant. Jiang Chen turned to head to his Maybach. "Sorry, I would have to force you to make the right decision," Dagger said as he took out a pistol. "You''re pointing your gun at me?" Jiang Chen inquired interestingly. "Sorry." "You dare to shoot me?" Jiang Chen laughed. If he died, the program would definitely not be delivered to Zhongxin High Tech. The only winner would be the people unwilling to see Dragon II deployed ahead of schedule. For the General Staff Department, it was not an ending they wanted to see. Dagger didn''t respond as he only stood there in silence, but the gun was moving down and pointed at Jiang Chen''s leg. The intensity in his eyes seems to reflect his attitudeIf you dare to leave, I will shoot your leg. Jiang Chen''s eyes began to turn cold. The two stood still without moving. Because of how desolate the place was, no one walked nearby. Dagger didn''t need to disguise the way he held the gun. The only noise that interrupted this silence was the white birch tree swaying in the wind. They stared at each other. The calmness displayed by Jiang Chen confirmed Dagger''s suspicions: he was not just a businessman. If he were an ordinary person, he would''ve wet his pants upon seeing a real gun. This was the real reason why he pulled out the gun. Instincts told him that in hand-to-hand combat, he had no confidence in restraining Jiang Chen. As the second and hour hands on the watch crossed at the six o''clock position, the street lamp suddenly lit up. The abrupt piercing light caused Dagger to squint his eyes. At that exact moment, Jiang Chen moved. Dagger was shocked by Jiang Chen''s sudden movement in closing the distance. This ability that Jiang Chen demonstrated left him with no choice but to go all out. He lifted his left arm up, attempting to use his elbow to strike Jiang Chen''s ribcage. If that move landed, Jiang Chen would have at least three rib bones broken. But his plan fell through. Despite how experienced he was at fighting, this level of attack was futile against a body strengthened by the genetic vaccine. With a bone strength of 29, it was two times that of an ordinary person; the resilience of Jiang Chen''s rib bone was no less than his humerus. Jiang Chen easily took the hit and ignored the stunned expression on Dagger''s face. He took a swing with his right hand and landed a hit on Dagger''s jaw, knocking Dagger right out. He quietly picked up the pistol on the ground and placed it in his pocket. Taking out his phone, he called Ayesha. "Find me at where I parked, let''s get going." In a warehouse in Hucheng''s rural area... Miao Jun sat slanted on a chair. His limbs were tied on the chair, his dangled face was bruised in red and blue, with blood dripping from his mouth. "I won''t say anything." "I don''t plan on letting you say anything." Zhang Youjie shrugged as he pulled a chair and sat across from him. A smile appeared on his face. "We only need your cooperation." "Cooperation?" Miao Jun sneered and stared provocatively at Zhang Youjie in the eyes, "Why don''t you just kill me." Zhang Youjie''s eyebrows raised as he stared back with an ambiguous expression. A cold sweat rolled down from Miao Jun''s forehead. He suddenly felt that he was under the watch of a cobra examining its prey; there were no secrets in front of him. "Miao Jun, 25, graduated in Shangjin National Defense University with an outstanding performance. After graduation, received training in the province of Lu for new recruitment training. Later incorporated into the Ji Division''s special force for special force training, and eventually became a part of the General Staff Department in 2014 to conduct anti-spy work domestically. With how fast you are rising up the ladder, you have connections, right?" Zhang Youjie crossed his eyes and said with a grin. Miao Jun was utterly dumbfounded and looked at the man in front of him in disbelief. His background was considered a top secret With a grin, Zhang Youjie chirped, "Sorry, we also have ''connections''." "Traitor," He squeezed out a word in his mouth and stared gravely at Zhang Youjie''s eyes. "You seemed to have mistaken something. Although I''m Asian, I grew up in UA. How should I say this in regular language... I''m an UA-born Han?" Zhang Youjie said with a smile. Seeing Miao Jun not saying anything else, Zhang Youjie''s body leaned forward and examined him with manipulative eyes. "Although we have different nationalities, to me, I think you and I have a lot of similarities." "Oh? I don''t think so." "I graduated from Northpoint Academy, and you also graduated from the top military academy in Hua. Are you really willing to die like this? Your life only just began." Miao Jun raised his head and enunciated, "It is my honor to sacrifice myself for the country." "Is that so? But what you did is contradictory," Zhang Youjie leaned on the chair, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and used an ''I understand you'' tone, "Based on the attitude you displayed during work, as well as your stance during the conversation with other people, you don''t seem to plan on dedicating your entire life to this job?" Miao Jun''s eyes widened, he didn''t understand how could they have such a detailed investigation with him just being a typical agent while still in the process of being evaluated. What he didn''t know was that the enemy didn''t have a detailed report on himbluffing was a conventional technique used during negotiation. Obtaining vast amount of information through a limited amount of information, although it may not be effective against seasoned agents, was incredibly effective against new recruits. Seeing the expression on Miao Jun''s face, Zhang Youjie displayed a triumphant smile. He opened his arm, stared Miao Jun in the eyes and spoke with the same understanding tone, "What''s the difference? Obtaining some credentials and then retire to start a career that has nothing to do with protecting the country. With your background of being a former General Staff Department, you''ll just become a bodyguard for the rich? Join us, we can make you a wealthy person right away." Miao Jun held his breath as his eyes began to waver. The ideology that had been engraved in him told him that he should reject; but with how Zhang Youjie described it, it seemed to be the case. He planned to leave the army anyways. Just look at Dagger, that was the reward for loyalty. Zhang Youjie acutely noticed the change on Miao Jun''s face as he threw out another tempting offer. "One million USD, a green card, a ticket to the free world, you could easily start a new life. And what you only needed to do is to cooperate with us for one thing in the next two days." Then, Zhang Youjie no longer said anything as he silently listened to the breathing that was periodically tense, and then calm while he waited for the response. Typically, if the target was silent, it was half successful. The silence lasted for fifteen minutes. " What do you need me to do?" Miao Jun lowered his head. A victorious smile appeared on Zhang Youjie''s face. "It''s something simple, you only need to" 251 A Glean Hope Chapter 251: A Glean Hope Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi It seemed like a long dream. In drowsiness, Xia Shiyu woke up from unconsciousness. "Do you know how to speak English?" With her thought returning to her, she sensed that she was in a mobile environment. On a car? "Yes." "Perfect, my Han is terrible." Caitlin chewed on her bubblegum and grinned. She tried to focus her vision, but her iris seemed to be covered by a thin layer of a veil which made her unable to see anything clearly. In haziness, she saw a figure. "Where is this? What, what did you do to me?" Xia Shiyu suddenly woke up from her drowsy state, and her body jerked in anger. The chair began to squeak, but her motions were ineffective. When she discovered her hands and legs were tightly tied to the chair, her face began to lose any sign of life as her vibrant red lips quivered. She remembered the instant before she lost her consciousness; she despairingly realized the severity of the situation. She was kidnapped. "We didnt do anything to you, at least for now. You better pray that your boyfriend makes the right decision," Caitlin smiled, but her voice was cold. "How, how much money do you want?" "Unfortunately, we dont need money." Caitlin shrugged. Xia Shiyu desperately attempted to force his pupils to gaze onto the kidnappers face, but it was futile. She seemed to be surrounded by a thick fog, unable to render anything clearly. "To prevent you from seeing things you shouldnt be seeing, we used medicine to obstruct your vision. Trust us, it is for your benefit," Caitlin seemed to have read Xia Shiyus mind as she said casually. Kaching- It was the sound of a gun being loaded. She wriggled backward with fear written all over her face. "Michael, it is not funny to scare the hostage," The black man playing with the radio device worked on the equipment while he spoke. "Is that so? Perhaps it is because I spent too much time in Iraq." Michael shook the M9 in his hand as the Caucasian man grinned, "I heard Griss is here, I wonder where that guy is." "Team A, responsible for providing support. If we encounter the PLA, he might be up," Caitlin said emotionlessly, then looked at the driver in the front. "Adam, how much longer?" "Half an hour more." Before the police could set up blockades, they left Hucheng already. Since they were no ordinary kidnappers, if the local police could capture them, then they shouldnt be agents anymore. Based on Zhang Youjies plan, Team B would be responsible for making the last attempt in convincing Jiang Chen. Team C would bring the hostage to location while waiting for Team Bs news to see if they should leave Jiangxi and head to Fujian on the coast. Once there, they would use a special channel to pass through the strait before leaving the border through Yizhou. If negotiation fails, Team B will execute Jiang Chen, Team C will also kill the hostage. If negotiation is successful, Team C would continue according to the plan and take Xia Shiyu out of the country. Team B will immediately follow and transfer Jiang Chen overseas. As to Team A, they were responsible for any of the agents or soldiers that would appear and cover for Team Bs retreat. Caitlin already memorized the mission brief in her mind, she just didnt expect it to be so smooth. With eyes narrowed, she examined the frightened Xia Shiyu with a grin as she leaned the SCAR assault rifle on its side. "He is not my boyfriend" Xia Shiyu said with a trembling voice in an attempt to convince the kidnappers to let her go. She had never seen anything like this living in the peaceful world. "Is that so? Then well have to find out. But you better pray that he loves you, or we might kill you." Caitlin laughed and completely disregarded her words. Xia Shiyu felt her hands turn cold as a grave despair started to engulf her. Her lips trembled, her throat felt as if it was stuffed by a marshmallow, she couldnt say anything. [Please, who could save me] She closed her eyes in hopelessness. Jiang Chen drove while Ayesha sat in the passenger seat. The two already left Hucheng on a small route. When they passed by the temporary inspection station, the police didnt detain them. By the looks of it, Dagger was still not awake and didnt report Jiang Chen missing to his superior. Jiang Chen''s phone rung and he scanned the caller. A sneer surfaced on the corner of his lips. [Of course, it is him.] It was not a coincidence that he appeared at the Near Lake Restaurant. "Prepare the equipment and prepare to track his location," Jiang Chen without any emotion. Ayesha nodded and took out the wireless tracking device and opened the map on the EP around her wrist. With the car parked on the side of the road, Jiang Chen pressed the pickup button. "Hello?" "Hello, Mr. Jiang, whats your decision?" Zhang Youjie said in a cheerful voice. "Where is Xia Shiyu?" Jiang Chen said distantly. "Who is Xia Shiyu? Sorry, I dont understand what youre saying, Im only a consulate worker," Zhang Youjie spoke with a smile. "A consulate worker? Then why are you not in Wanghai City and here in Hucheng?" Jiang Chen scorned. "Of course here to deal with diplomatic affairs. Does your country have a law restricting consulate workers mobility?" Zhang Youjie pretended to be surprised. Ayesha displayed the EP on her wrist, the red dot stopped at the Wanghai City consulate. [When he left the restaurant, he returned to Wanghai City right away?] "I will ask again, where is Xia Shiyu?" Sensing Jiang Chens rage, Ayesha worriedly held his hand caringly. The cold touch on his hand calmed Jiang Chen slightly as he looked at Ayesha gratefully before taking a deep breath and recollecting his thoughts. In a moment like this, the more he panicked, the more likely a mistake would occur. He must have a clear mind to think of a solution. Just like when he was in Veit. Seeing Jiang Chen calm down, Ayesha gently smiled and let his hand go. "I dont understand what youre saying. But if you are looking for someone, why dont you provide me with your email? I have a particular location that might be of help? If he said anything he shouldnt have said on the phone, it could be recorded as evidence, and he would face prosecution for espionage. He would never do something to dig his own grave. Jiang Chen read out his email. Quickly, the phone beside his ear buzzed. The email; was already sent to his phone. "If anything happens to Xia Shiyu, trust me, I will make you regret it," Jiang Chen said calmly. "Thatd be really scary then. Also, you better go alone. If I find out that the General Staff Department follows you, something bad may happen-" The phone went dead. Zhang Youjie paused before he threw his phone on the desk and smiled. "Interesting." 252 Who said I will go with you? Chapter 252: Who said I will go with you? Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou Outside of the Yangjiapin Textile Plant... A car was parked two hundred meters away from the gate on a small road. The car was not his Maybach S600, but it was, instead, a secondhand Sonata that he spent one hundred thousand acquiring. He didnt want his ride to be ruined during the fire fight. Jiang Chen got out of the car and scanned the surroundings before walking to the long-deserted textile plant. That was the destination they agreed on, 12 kilometers from Hucheng. Other than the weeds growing around the plant, it was barren farmland in the area with no one in sight. But just outside of the desolated plant, Jiang Chen saw four out-of-placed vans. There were two men with baseball caps standing by the door. Their jackets were stuffed with something hidden underneath, and their hands were in their pockets, as if they were holding onto something. The corners of Jiang Chens lip raised with interested as he walked up without fear. Seeing Jiang Chen walking over, the two exchanged eye contact before one of them walked up. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Jiang. Did you follow the agreement?" The man raised his right hand and smiled. He was referring to the agreement of coming alone. "Cant you see with your own eyes?" Jiang Chen ignored his extended hand and walked into the plant. An awkward expression surfaced on the persons face while his hand remained extended. He glanced at his comrade on duty who was trying not to laugh as he shrugged and stuffed his hand back into his pocket. Ayesha didnt follow along, Jiang Chen gave her another mission. Just like Zhang Youjie demanded, he came alone. Inside the plant, there were a few lights in the middle, with few figures visible from the window. He pushed opened the door to the plant and scanned around the numerous people inside before a smile surfaced. The camouflaged bulletproof vests, the metallic black assault rifles to be able to transport these inside the country, they must have spent quite a lot of effort. The fifteen CIB agents were stationed around the corners of the warehouse, and five people were waiting for Jiang Chen at the door. The person in the front was giving off a dangerous vibe. Although Jiang Chen was unable to confirm his ability, just from instincts alone, this person was stronger than Roberts bodyguard, Nick. He must be Grisswho Natasha referred toalso known as Wolf. Perfect, they are all here. "Youre Jiang Chen?" Seeing Jiang Chen walk in, a man in the middle stepped on a cigarette and took out a photo from his pocket with a grin. The wrinkles on his face twisted together, the green eyes were filled with a deadly eerie light as he examined Jiang Chen. "Thats right," Jiang Chen said distantly. "Since youre here, you must have already made your decision," said Griss with a shrug. "Of course," Jiang Chen said calmly as he stared into Griss''s eyes, "But before that, I need to call Xia Shiyu." "Dont worry, you Asian monkey, the hostage is safe. Were the CIB after all, not IS," the man scoffed. "Oh? I never really distinguished the two organizations." "You" Upon hearing the mocking words from Jiang Chen, the man was immediately provoked and he stepped up. Griss glanced at his teammate and said indifferently, "Grim, shut up." "Yes" The giant man immediately lowered his head and obediently backed down. In the face of this oppressive captain, he had no courage to rebuke. It was already against protocol to reveal the name of their organization, but seeing that the mission was about to be completed, Griss didnt say anything. He tilted his head and spoke to the person beside him. "Give him the radio." "Okay, Captain." A soldier with a baseball hat took out a radio from his tactical vest, walked to Jiang Chen, and handed it to him. With an unidentifiable smile on his lip, Jiang Chen took the radio. The other hand in his pocket opened the wireless tracking device. He would have to leave that task to Ayesha. "Hello? Xia Shiyu?!" "Jiang Chen Where are you?" With how feeble her voice sounded, Jiang Chen suppressed the anger in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he used the calmest voice he could muster: "How are you? Did they do anything to you?" " Not yet. Who... who are they?" Her voice was filled with despair and helplessness, but it didnt sound stiff, so she didnt receive any cruel treatment. After confirming Xia Shiyus safety, Jiang Chen felt a little calmer. Just as he wanted to gain more time for Ayesha, the communication was cut off from the other side. "You had ten seconds to confirm the safety of the hostage," Griss grinned, taking out a lighter and lighting another cigarette for himself. "Now, your choice will determine the life or death of you and your girlfriend. You dont have a lot of choices." Jiang Chen slowly dropped down the radio and looked at Griss in the eyes. "Oh?" [ I dont think so .] He added a sentence in his mind. The hand in Jiang Chens pocket threw the wireless tracking device into the storage dimension, then he took out a paper-thin remote and pressed the switch. The broad-range signal jammer in the trunk of the Sonata parked outside of the warehouse instantly opened and blocked any signal within five kilometers radius. "Grim, check his equipment." Without concern for Jiang Chen, Griss turned his head and spoke to the comrade on the side. "Okay, Boss." Twisting his neck while making a loud crackling sound, Grim walked to Jiang Chen with a wicked smile. He already made up his mind to teach the arrogant guy a lesson. For example, accidentally breaking one of his nuts during the search "Before we leave here, we need to check your equipment to prevent you from wearing any tracking device. Of course, if you resist, there might be some unfortunate things that may happen." Looking at Grim walking towards him, Jiang Chen suddenly started laughing. "Leave here? Who said I will go with you?" When they heard this, all five people surrounding Jiang Chen were shocked. Without giving them the opportunity to react, Jiang Chen immediately detonated the smoke grenade and EMP grenade in his pocket. Buzz! The static buzzing noise echoed in the plant as the light bulb instantly blew out, leaving the entire plant into darkness. At the same time, smoke began to spread out from where Jiang Chen stood and hid his figure. "Kill him!" Griss roared out and instantly ordered the command to kill. At the same time, he raised his rifle and began to fire. Tatatata-! Fires splattered as the weaving bullets ripped through the smoke that hid Jiang Chens figure. The empty plant was filled with the sound of bullet explosion and the crispness of bullet shells hitting the ground. Because of the eye''s inability to adjust to the sudden change in light, everyones vision was shrouded in darkness. However, the people here were all seasoned soldiers and, even with their eyes closed, they could work together to prevent the target from escaping with the web of bullets they wove. "Stop!" The shooting stopped, and the smoke began to fade. The plant returned to silence. The thick smoke dispersed at a steady pace and gradually began to meld with the smoke risen from the rifles. The five CIB agents in the middle of the plant still maintained their shooting position and locked on to the smoke. Although the smoke had yet to disperse completely, no one questioned the ill fate of the Oriental man who didnt recognize the situation. It would be absurd to have escaped from the rapid shooting. It was only protocol to maintain firing position. "Boss, he must have died," Grim said as he moved his joints. Griss stared into the middle of the smoke. The target must have died, but an unsettling feeling was growing in his mind. The smoke was like the egg of the devil, something was about to walk out from it. Was it an illusion? But then, his eerie green pupils suddenly contracted, the calmness that belonged to an elite soldier instantly faded! "God" With hopelessness in his voice, Grim, who previously wanted to break Jiang Chens nuts, moved back shaking violently. The surface of the steel armor reflected five frightened faces. With the T3 power armor covering him, the revolving machine guns rotated rapidly as Jiang Chen unlocked the safety to the weapon module. "Lets play a game." 253 The Slaughter Armor Chapter 253: The Slaughter Armor Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou The slick steel surface looked like a futuristic warrior just walked out from a sci-fi film. The rapidly revolving machine gun cast out a fearsome vibe under the pristine moonlight. "Take cover!" Griss roared as he rolled to the wall on the side. The instant his back made contact with the concrete wall, the storm of bullets blasted by. Grim, who was closest to Jiang Chen, had no opportunity to dodge. He maintained his frightened expression while being shredded to pieces by the bullets. The three CIB agents nearby also experienced a horrific death by the fierce bulletstorm. The sparks from the bullets lit up the surface of the power armor as the CIB agents, who were hidden around the plant, retreated while firing. However, the scattered bullets hitting on the T-3 C-type steel were as weak as scratches and only left a series of clanking soundthey couldnt even leave a single dent on the surface of the armor. That was the difference in technology. Unless it was a heavy anti-armor sniper rifle or a machine gun, it could not pose any threat to the airdrop-type T-3 power armor that represented the highest level of technology before the war. If it was the land-type power armor, only the cannon on the M1 tank could pose a threat. Right when he threw down the EMP and smoke grenade, Jiang Chen traveled back to the apocalypse. Before going back, he first went to the armory in the apocalypse right beside the power armor, suited up, and he traveled back before returning to the modern world. The CIB could not see any of his actions under the cover of the smoke. In their eyes, the power armor seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. If not for that, they wouldnt look like they just saw a ghost. Jiang Chen in a power armor was like a devil stepping out of the abyss, completely destroying any of shred of their willpower with his firepower. "Im hit! Medic!" "Tom is down! Dammit!" "What is this thing?! God, make him stop!" The voice sounded like he was about to cry. "" Concrete shattered as Griss leaned tightly against the wall, the thunderous machine gun noise causing him to almost lose his sense of hearing. "Smoke grenade!" With a roar, he pulled out a smoke grenade from his waist, jumped out from under cover while moving to his teams zone of control, and squatted back down. "Change to thermal vision!" "Roger." The nine CIB agents all replaced the scope on their assault rifle and peeked out from their cover while aiming right into the heart of the smoke. But then, they were completely stunned. There was only a white fume inside the haziness and they couldnt see anything. Jiang Chen, in the middle of the smoke, grinned as a series of red dots appeared on his iris. "Fury!" The revolving machine gun was deactivated and he pulled out the tactical rifle from his waist. The agents who planned on firing back had no time to react before the bullets cracked open two peoples skull. With the loss of two lives, the CIB agents had to retreat back into cover while firing in a scattered formation. "Dammit, dropping the ball at the most critical situation, Ill stuff your head into the toilet when I head back." Griss cursed at Zhang Youjie who was responsible for the logistics as Griss ripped off the thermal imaging scope with his teeth gritted. Fear permeated throughout his entire body as the muscle on Grisss face twisted violently. He had not experienced this feeling for a long time, the sense of adrenaline overwhelming him. He ripped off the radio from the tactical vest and screamed inside, "The enemys firepower is too strong, Team A and B are under attack, mission failed! I repeat, mission failed!" But there was no response from the other side. Griss was stunned. Not just the thermal imaging, but even the radio were also not working. It was if an unknown power had destroyed all the electronic equipment. The comrades fired back while ducking out of cover, but he gradually couldnt hear the bullets anymore. The concrete debris cut through his face while he took out the digitalized scope. There was no red dot on the screen, it also stopped working. An unknown fear suddenly overwhelmed him, his eyes popped out, blood-shotten. A one-sided slaughter. The impenetrable armor, the mysterious weapon that instantly destroyed all electronic equipment... who are they? They are definitely not the PLA! Hua would not have this type of military technology! From Afghanistan to Iraq, Wolf Griss was used to savoring the fear on the enemys face. Marking down coordinates while enjoying the sight of garbage fleeing under the rampage of the AC-130, Griss had scoffed at the scums who didnt know what thermal vision was as they ran desperately to the bushes, trying to escape from the Grim Reapers feast But he never thought that he''d one day become the prey. No, it was no longer a battle, it was a massacre! At that moment, warm blood splattered all over his face and interrupted his pondering. He looked up. The comrade who shot back a second ago lost his head already. In two short minutes, the twenty CIB agents from Iraq were down to five. "Retreat! Retreat!" Griss, realizing the situation he is in, roared out as he attached the grenade launcher onto his assault rifle and fired it into the smoke. There was a loud explosion, but he didnt care if it hit the target or not. He rushed to the back door of the plant with his head covered. The grenade exploded on the arm of the power armor as the fragmented shrapnel screeched against it. However, Jiang Chen only tumbled a little without being too affected. Allowing the bloodlust to overtake him, Jiang Chen fired with the tactical rifle while moving forward to CIBs zone of control. His pupils contracted as he locked instantly on to a red dot. Just as the person peeked out, Jiang Chen pulled the trigger and killed him without any hesitation. Because they didn''t think that they would encounter any armored forces, along with the secretive nature of this mission, the CIB agents didnt bring any anti-tank rocket launchers with them this time. With just grenades that were meant to be used against infantries, it was incapable of dealing any damage to the power armor! "You want to run?" Jiang Chen grinned and scoffed at the four CIB agents retreating. He deactivated Fury and moved to the door slowly. From the moment the shots were fired inside the plant, the two people patrolling by the door realized the oddity of the situation as they took out their assault rifles hidden underneath their jacket and remained on high alert. With the loss of communication, they were completely oblivious to what was happening inside the plant. Upon seeing Griss run awkwardly in their direction, Brian, who was at the door, immediately went up to find out what was going on. "Sh*t, captain, what happened inside?" "Dumb*ss, get in the car!" Griss immediately pulled on the fool that ran toward him and shoved him into the van. It was the first time Brian saw Griss being so desperate like this. Realizing the severity of the situation, Brian didnt dare to speak any more and took the driver''s seat. A few other agents also quickly got into the van. "The status of the communication system on the car?" Griss asked while breathing heavily. "All function Sh*t! No signal!" The agent on the backseat smashed the car door. "F*ck!" Griss cursed as he glanced at the situation outside of the car. Seeing that the metal giant didnt follow them out, he felt somewhat relieved. [ Maybe that metal giant has weaknesses too... like low mobility? ] With the car already started, he couldnt care about anything else other than leaving the area and sending the shocking information back to the CIB headquarter. Compared to the source code of the drone and the metal giant, the mysterious weapon that could instantly paralyze a team electronic device was more shocking! If they were all from the organization behind Jiang Chen, then the CIB must reevaluate their strategy against the mysterious organization. Just as his strained nerves started to loosen up, the scream of the driver rang beside his ear. "What the f*ck! What is that!" Four flying discs flashed in front of the car window. Under each disc, a black machine gun hung there. With a cold sweat rolling down his forehead, the driver pressed on the gas, knowing full well that it was too late. Fire emerged as the Hummingbird drones began to unleash its power. Without any time to react, the CIB agents in the car were reaped of their lives by the merciless bullets. Low mobility? That was Grisss wishful thinking. The reason why he didnt want to wear the power armor out of the warehouse was purely due to the concern for privacy. It was an unwise move to expose such a large target in public. Although it was just a barren farmland without anyone there, it was better to be safe. Jiang Chen returned to the apocalypse and left the power armor in the armory before he traveled back to the modern world. He scanned outside of the plant with the broad range life detection device and saw one red dot lit up. Jiang Chen grinned, took out the PK2000 from the storage dimension and strolled to the shattered van. Blood dripped out of the door and pooled to the ground. Red and white contents mixed together and were stuck everywhere. At the sight of the horrific scene inside the van, Jiang Chen was shocked; however, he didnt feel any sympathy. He recalled the Hummingbird drones and then dragged Griss, who was shot multiple times and on the verge of dying, out of the van and onto the ground. He then took out the hemostasis spray and applied it to Griss''s wounds. Griss was covered in blood, the calmness and ferociousness had already faded. Rather than Wolf, it was more appropriate to describe him as a dead dog. Jiang Chen looked at him from the top, kicked his arm, and said with interest, "Cant say anything anymore?" Griss stared into Jiang Chens eyes, with blood in his mouth, and said while stuttering, "I wont tell you where the hostage is. Just wait to recover the body of your little girlfriend." "Might not be the case," said Jiang Chen as he took out a voice recorder and threw it on Grisss body. Just as Griss was confused by his action, Jiang Chen grinned. "I ask, you answer." In his hand was a truth-telling serum. 254 Sniping Chapter 254: Sniping Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou " We lost Team B, negotiation failed. Execute plan II. I repeat, negotiation failed" The message, mixed with static noises, came from the radio on the floor. Xia Shiyu horrifically glanced around, but she couldnt see anything. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a window shattering, followed by something heavy dropping onto the ground. Then, the room returned to silence. The room was dark without any light. This left the already visually-impaired Xia Shiyu in darkness with just moonlight from the window scattering in. [ Negotiation failed... does this mean they are going to kill me? ] When she thought about it, the hopelessness inside her grew deeper. Her originally clean jeans were now covered in dust as she feebly jerked on the ground. The rope was like a python that restrained her tightly to the corner of the wall. No matter how hard she tried to break free, she could not move a single inch. "Jiang Chen" A weak whimpering came out from her tape-covered mouth as Xia Shiyu closed her eyes. Would he just appear like that night and rescue her from her despair? "Save me" Although there was a slim chance of it happeningand perhaps she may have her throat slit the next second and fall on the cold floorshe was still hoping for it to happen. "Target executed." An indifferent voice, mixed along with a mist of breath, came out of Ayesha''s lips. Under the crosshair was a female body. The blonde hair was scattered on the ground with blood. The 12.76 mm bullet had pierced through her skull and the CIB agent had died under her sniping. "Did I make it?" Her chest pumped furiously. The moment she received the coordinate from Jiang Chen, she floored the gas pedal and raced here. When she got off the car, using the fastest speed possible, she rushed to the highest point of a yet-to-be-completed building before lying on her current sniping position. It was a race with the Grim Reaper. If nothing else happened, the moment that the coordinate was sent over from Jiang Chen, the battle over there would have already started. Although he would definitely use a signal jammer to interfere with the enemys communication, without any contact for an extensive period of time, the enemy commander would become suspicious. Fortunately, the location where they kept the hostage was not too far from the abandoned clothing factory. She made it there before the enemy found out what was truly happening. Ayesha moved the crosshair and observed Xia Shiyus status. The hostage appeared to be in a stable state Without any reaction to gunshots, she must have her vision obstructed. It was better this way, for if the hostage were to scream because of the scene, it would make the situation worse. [ Is she the other wife of my husband? She looks pretty. ] While Ayesha was thinking this, she opened the life detection device beside her scope. The blue waves scanned across the field before a few red dots were quickly marked on the scope. She moved the crosshair of the Ghost sniper rifle and locked onto a patrol at the gate warming his hands. "The second one," she murmured as she pulled the trigger. Bang! The bullet shattered the persons skull with blood and brain matter splashed all over the ground. With the patrol being shot, the enemy finally realized they were under sniper fire, and the two red dots behind the structure quickly moved into the building. Without any hints of being perturbed, to her, killing was as easy as breathing. All for Jiang Chen. "Target exposed. Next should be to control the hostage," Ayesha muttered to herself as she moved the crosshair back to the room where Xia Shiyu was, aiming the crosshair at the door. Indeed, the red dot moved onto the third floor beside the door. The enemy didnt just rush inside. Even if they were to think with their butt, they would know that inside the room was under the killing range of the sniper. "Smoke grenade? Too bad it''s useless on me." Ayesha ignored the door being slightly opened as she aimed at the concrete wall and pulled the trigger. "Dammit, its PLAs sniper, someone betrayed us!" said Mike with a short breath as he tightly clenched onto the loaded pistol. "We might be surrounded, control the hostage first." The black man with an assault rifle was calmer as he took out a smoke grenade from his waist. There was only one place where one can find a sniper in Hua, and it was in the military. Snipers were like rats traversing under the foot of an elephant. If their trails were exposed, their only fate was to be stomped. Unfortunately, this place wasn''t Iraq. There was no aircraft carrier to provide covering fire while they retreated. Just as the black man was about to throw a smoke grenade inside the room, the concrete wall he was leaning against instantly shattered. A bullet penetrated through the ten-centimeter wall and ripped his head into pieces. "Fu*k!" Mike immediately rushed for the stairs. He couldn''t care about the hostage anymore. The enemys bullets seemed to have eyes growing on them. He only wanted to leave this god-forbidden place! Mike flipped out of the window and rolled to the back of the abandoned building. With his back against a thick wall, he regained a sense of security: It was normal for a bullet to penetrate through a wall, but it was impossible for it to pass through an entire building. He glanced at the empty ground twenty meters in the distance and debated for a few moment, but he had no courage to run across. "Sh*t! What is the dumba*s Miller doing!" he cursed out, but he had no other solutions. Miller was the sniper responsible for supporting this mission, but there was no movement from him at all. Because he was operating alone, Miller was not in the communication channel with Team C. Only Captain Caitlin could reach him, but she was already dead. ... "Hidden?" Ayesha muttered as she put away the sniper rifle and headed downstairs. Due to the threat of the sniper, the enemy would not return to retrieve the hostage. She moved along the bunker at high speed as she closed the distance with the target building. Jumping over a wall, she took out the pistol around her waist and moved to the CIB agent hidden behind the building. Her steps were quietlike a catnot making any noise. A terrifying feeling suddenly overwhelmed Mike. The instant he turned his head, his eyes were met with the muzzle of Ayeshas pistol. Bang! Ignoring the body crumpled on the ground, Ayesha moved to where Xia Shiyu was kept. 255 That Bulle Chapter 255: That Bullet Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou It was easy to kill, but hard to take care of the aftermath. A total of 22 lives, all consisted of CIB elites. If the CIB knew Jiang Chen was the perpetrator behind this massacre, they would jump up like a cat with its tail being stepped on and launch a series of counterattacks. He could not take the responsibility for this incident. Jiang Chen had used the truth-telling serum and obtained all the mission details from Grisss mouth. Team A and B had died in his hand, without any accidents, and Team C should be finished by Ayesha already. Zhang Youjie had, additionally, requested a sniper to assist with the mission in case there were any potential problems, but with Ayeshas ability and equipment, it shouldnt be a big deal to take out the sniper. All counteractive measures were prepared for against the General Staff Department. Never in his wildest dream would Zhang Youjie believe that it only took two people to wipe out the entire CIB force. With a casualty of almost thirty people, this was the most significant loss suffered by the CIB. During the interrogation, Jiang Chen used the voice changing app on his phone to alter his voice so there was no need to worry about drawing any connections with him. He picked up the voice recorder from Grisss clothes and stared at the black face without a word. Taking out a pistol, he aimed at Griss''s head and pulled the trigger. Bang! The pupils dilated and began to lose its color. Griss stopped breathing and his bloodstained life came to an end. Unlike the last time in Veitbecause they saw his power armorhe couldnt leave anyone alive. Jiang Chen sighed, put away his pistol, and started to deal with the aftermath. Including Griss, Jiang Chen dragged the six people inside the van into the abandoned plant and lined them up together with the other bodies. It was a bit problematic dealing with Grim since he was shredded to pieces already. Jiang Chen had the rare sensation of his stomach feeling upset. The meat chunks were still warm After he removed any of the sensitive document and communication devices, all the bodies were transported back to the apocalypse to be burned outside of the Fishbone base. Upon returning back to the modern world, Jiang Chen used the blood dissolver to clean up any remaining blood. Just like this, their existence in the modern world was wiped out. There were still signs of a battle, but the bodies were nowhere to be found. What Jiang Chen needed to do was to make the CIB believe that the agents on this mission were not dead, butinsteadall captured and imprisoned in a secret prison. Only the government was capable of imprisoning nearly thirty agents inside Hua; a person would not have the ability to do so. After all, imprisoning was incomparable to killing. Killing would only require a single bullet, but to capture people, it would require at least a prison as well as guards numbering no fewer than the prisoners. If there were any fewer, they may not be able to contain the elite agents. Without the agents bodies, the CIB would be unable to confirm their deaths and would suspect that it was the General Staff Department who captured them. In regard to prisoners, the UAs typical response would be to save them. But Hua, who had never captured anyone, would not admit that they had imprisoned the agents. If Hua didnt take the initiative to denounce UA for their espionage activities, UA''s president could not step up to acknowledge the CIBs operation in Hua. If they did, they would lose all their face as a country. With Hua not making the first move to denounce the UA, the UA would have no grounds to plead on behalf of the agents. Since it could not be solved diplomatically, they were only left with conducting secret missions. Therefore, the center of CIBs activities in Hua must be focused on the captured agents within the next year and, hence, ignore the smaller character, Jiang Chen. Even if they could not find any results, they could only conclude that the missing agents were secretly executed by the General Staff Department, and they would likely not associate the death of their agents with Jiang Chen. As for to how to deal with the General Staff Department, that would the next step. Now all Jiang Chen needed to do was to make the recorded message appear at the appropriate location. As he was thinking, Jiang Chen took out the satellite phone from his storage dimension. "Hello, Robert? I need your help" The ropes around her wrists and her legs were cut open. Xia Shiyu watched the girl fluidly inserting the dagger back around her wrist. She gulped and then spoke with a trembling voice, "Who, who are you?" Since her vision had yet to completely recover, she couldn''t clearly make out the girls face. She could only determine from the graceful outline that the girl must be stunning. "Ayesha, Jiang Chens bodyguard." Since Ayesha thought they would be "working together" in the future, there was nothing to hide So Ayesha only hesitated for half a second before giving her name out. Xia Shiyu would undoubtedly have a bewildered expression if she knew Ayeshas thought. "Bodyguard?" Xia Shiyu never knew Jiang Chen had a bodyguard before, so she could not help but to feel puzzled. "Mhmm. We met in Iraq," Ayesha answered concisely. Iraq? Xia Shiyu had some memory of Jiang Chens visit there. She was still perplexed to this day why he went there. [ Who are these kidnappers? They seemed to have kidnapped me with Jiang Chen as their intention ] What was surprising was that even if she experienced such a horrific event purely because of Jiang Chen, in her heart, she didnt blame him at all. [ In other peoples eyes, Im already someone important to him ] Xia Shiyus heart began to beat faster. The only thing that made her slightly disappointed was that Jiang Chen wasn''t the one who showed up. But it made sense as she could not imagine Jiang Chen coming to her rescue with a gun. The people who kidnapped her were not ordinary thugs, but fully equipped soldiers. In her memory, Jiang Chen might be a good fighter, but he was nowhere strong enough to contend against elite agents. [ Why would foreign agents be interested in Jiang Chen anyways? Because of Future Technology? But Future Technology is only a private enterprise, why would the foreign agents be interested? ] Xia Shiyu had no knowledge of Jiang Chen''s involvement in Dragon II, so she thought it was reasonable. Although Zhongxin High Tech had negotiated with Future Technology, she didnt know the specifics of the agreement since it was Jiang Chen who was responsible for the negotiation. However, she had a feeling it might have something to do with that project. "I will take you out of this place first, lets talk in the car." Ayeshas voice interrupted her thought. Jiang Chen would be here to clean up the scene in a bit, so it was better to take Xia Shiyu out of the place first. "Mhmm." Xia Shiyu gulped and nodded. With how anxious she looked, Ayeshas expressionless face turned into a smile. She comforted her gently: "Dont panic, they are all dead." [ Eh, she is panicking more? ] Ayesha tilted her head, perplexed, while she looked at the shaking Xia Shiyu. [ Whatever, lets get out of this place first. ] Shaking her head, Ayesha extended her hand to Xia Shiyu on the ground with care. "If you cant see, you can hold my hand." Although Xia Shiyu was still terrified, she took a deep breath as she did her best to control the fear in her mind. She extended her hand while shaking and held onto the small hand. But all of the sudden, Ayesha was alarmed and, almost instinctively, she shoved Xia Shiyu away. Bang! At that moment, a bullet penetrated through the window and struck her on the chest. 256 Coldblooded Chapter 256: Coldblooded Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou Blood gushed out of Ayeshas mouth as the impact felt like a truck had slammed into her head on. Her tiny body was thrown into the air and smashed against the concrete wall. If it wasn''t for the kinetic skeleton, she would''ve been dead already. Blood dripped down through the corner of her lips. While enduring the sharp pain in her chest, Ayesha didnt dare to hesitate and rolled away from the window. Almost instantly, another bullet arrived and struck where she was previously. The shattered concrete debris scratched her face, and the 12.76 mm bullet left a giant crater on the ground. After escaping from the area directly observable through the window, she then let out a sigh of relief and ripped off her jacket with teeth clenched. Even with the genetic vaccine, bullets still treated everyone equally. While the assault rifle of the modern world was inferior compared to those from the apocalypse, the power of a sniper rifle was not to be underestimated. From the damage done to the ground alone, the enemy must be using an anti-armor sniper riflethe Barrett M82! Though the bullet was deflected, it still caved in the polyethylene bullet-proof vest. The massive kinetic energy from the shot had knocked the wind out of her. Xia Shiyu, completely oblivious to what had just happened, remained terrified and lied there without moving. "Ayesha" "Dont move, stay down!" Seeing Xia Shiyu wanting to come help, Ayesha immediately stopped her. The caved-in part happened to be pressing against her ribcage, substantially interfering with her ability to breath. She swallowed the blood back down, gritted her teeth, and removed the polyethylene plate in front of her chest. Since it was one-time protection anyways, there was no point in leaving it in front of her chest after being shattered. Taking a deep breath, she calmly took out a smoke grenade and threw it near the window. Fearing that Xia Shiyu would stand up, Ayesha said, "Stay put. Try to stick to the floor if you have difficulty breathing." "Mhmm." Xia Shiyu tightly pressed against the ground with the smoke hiding her terrifiedbut gorgeousface. Forcing her body to move, Ayesha picked up the assault rifle and helmet belonging to Caitlin and returned to the window. Using a lighter, she heated up the helmet and then used the assault rifle to raise the helmet, slowly moving it to the window opening. Bang! With the "head" barely exposed, the helmet was blown away. [ Thermal vision? ] Ayeshas eyebrows twisted together and looked at the door. The enemy must have headed to the sniping location she was previously at; therefore, the door must also be in the range of the sniper. Without the ability to move, they were completely suppressed inside this room. It was her first time encountering a situation like this in real life. [ What to do ] Inhaling deeply, Ayesha clenched tightly onto the Ghost sniper rifle in her hands. She started to feel hazy from the acute chest pain. It was only through sheer willpower that she hadn''t fallen unconscious yet. Her body temperature began to lower, and her consciousness also slowed. Suddenly, a faint light flashed on the EP. Ayesha, noticing the abnormality on the EP, hesitated for a moment before opening it up. [ Hidden genetic code? Eliminate body heat? ] [ Could it really do that? ] [ Whatever, I have to take the gamble. ] She took another deep breath as she felt her body heat decreasing to the extreme and her heart speed slowing down tremendously. Ayesha, with the sniper rifle, knelt at the window. Seeing that a bullet didnt arrive, she had a smile on her face. Inside the smoke, without the help of thermal vision, the enemy couldn''t see her. She activated the thermal vision on the scope and locked on to the bright spot a thousand yards away. "Goodbye." Ayesha pressed the trigger, and blood splattered in the scope. "Finished" she muttered to herself. At the same time, her tightly tensed consciousness reached its limit. As the smoke began to fade, the sniper rifle rolled out of her hands, and she dropped to the ground. "Ayesha!" She faintly heard someone calling her name, but she couldnt hear anything after. [ Tired .] [ I really want to sleep ] Dagger struggled to get up from the ground after waking up from unconsciousness. "Fu*k, this guy didnt go easy on me." He touched his pocket; the pistol and phone were all there. "Its going to be really problematic now." Dagger rubbed his bruised face as he sat down on the bench nearby. It was completely dark already. After lying on the concrete ground for so long, Jiang Chen must have been long gone. He took out the phone and dialed Jiang Chen. "The number you are calling is either out of service or has been shut down" "Should I say it is expected?" Dagger let out a sigh as he hung up the phone. At the same time, his phone rang. "Hello?" "Its me, Miao Jun," replied a feeble voice from the other side of the phone. "Little Jun?! Where are you now?!" Dagger was shocked. Although the tone sounded confounded, it was indeed Miao Juns voice. Dagger originally didnt have any hope, but Miao Jun did manage to escape from the CIB! If he saw the face of that agent, it would definitely be a turning point in this stalemate! On the other hand, while he didnt say anything, he was indeed worried about the safety of this immature student. "Im in the rural area" "Wait there! Tell me the address, Ill be right there." After confirming the location, Dagger rushed into the car and raced to the rural area. While en route, Dagger reported to headquarter about losing Jiang Chen and of Miao Jun escaping. To the news of Jiang Chen defying the order, his superior, General Liu, was only silent and not angry. He then ordered Dagger to immediately rescue Miao Jun, who had escaped from the CIB. As for Jiang Chen, he had already sent other people to handle it. When the communication ended, he reached to where Miao Jun described. With the car parked on the road, Dagger took his pistol and rushed into the alley. Not long after, he saw Miao Jun covering his stomach while leaning against a wall. Miao Jun was covered in blood, with bruises all over his face. Seeing this scene, Dagger instantly became furious and he quickly rushed to the side of Miao Jun, putting an arm around his shoulders. Dagger started cursing when he saw that his student was tortured by the CIB. "Fu*k, dont let me catch them" But he couldnt finish the sentence, his voice froze halfway. Slowly, he looked down. "Why" "No reason." The blood on Miao Jun was fake, and the feeble voice was also feigned. However, the blood flowing out of Dagger was real. "Because of money?" Dagger stared at the blade in his stomach, bitterness was the only impression left on his face. The pistol slid down from his hand, and Miao Jun kicked it away. Perhaps Miao Jun was embarrassed to answer such a question; he didnt say anything as he made another stab at Dagger''s stomach. "If you wanted to be rich, why did you become a soldier" More blood flowed out, interrupting Daggers harsh words. In the unknown alley, the seasoned veteran stopped breathing. After killing the "master" he had spent half a month with, Miao Jun took a deep breath and suppressed the guilt in his mind. He took the phone and car key from Dagger''s body and walked to the Sonata. One million USD, he could not make that much in his life. Just like what Zhang Youjie had said: since he was already planning on retiring, what difference does timing make? 257 CPR Chapter 257: CPR Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou Her eyelashes trembled. While feeling drowsy, Ayesha felt something wet touch her lips. The pressure on the left of her chest caused an anguished moan to escape from her lips. This feeling was very weird, making her uncomfortable. Subconsciously wanting to escape, Ayesha''s figure twitched. In response, "the weird feeling" seemed to be more excited. The compression on her left chest became harder and faster; the aggressive feeling on her lips was increasing Gradually, Ayeshas consciousness returned. She opened her eyes slowly, but was met with a pair of crystal pupils. She was stunned. Xia Shiyu was also stunnedthe panic on her face quickly turned into embarrassment. The reason for the awkwardness was naturally because of her intimate position. Because she had never done CPR before, half of her body was resting on Ayeshas body. With one hand on her left chest and the other hand pressed against the ground, she had kissed Ayeshas lips in an awkward position. The two fell silent. "Ayesha!" At the same time, the door was slammed open, with Jiang Chen rushing in. Xia Shiyu had called him a moment ago explaining that Ayesha was in critical condition, so he had rushed over in a panic. But before he could take a few steps through the door, he froze in place. Uhh, how should he say this? Although Jiang Chen was pleased to see the two having a good relationship, he was not mentally prepared to see this "Uh, when did you start" Jiang Chen scratched his face and awkwardly looked away. "No, its not what you think!" Xia Shiyus face turned red and instantly jumped away from Ayeshas body as she desperately tried to explain to Jiang Chen. Compared to Ayesha, her face was a lot thinner. "This is CPR?" Ayesha, still on the ground, tilted her head. While she was also embarrassed, she quickly collected herself together and realized that Xia Shiyu was performing CPR on her. It''s just that the position was too awkward; generally, when performing CPR, it was not necessary to lean on the persons body. "Mhmm!" Xia Shiyu gently bit on her lips, blushing. Although she was terrified, when she saw Ayesha fall unconscious, she had gritted her teeth and dragged Ayesha away from the window. After doing all this, she had immediately called Jiang Chen and explained Ayeshas condition. Right before she was about to call the police, Jiang Chen had stopped her and asked her to wait there before he hung up. [ Dont call the police? ] Although Xia Shiyu didnt understand why Jiang Chen would make this judgment, with a headless corpse beside her, shewho was already terrifiedbegan to realize that the incident may not be normal. After an internal struggle, she had finally chose to trust Jiang Chens judgment and not call the police. She had tried hard to not look at the gruesome corpse and focused all her attention on the girl in front of her. The girl was beautiful. Her eyelashes were long, her facial structure was also delicate, and her fair skin was especially comparable to a porcelain doll, arousing jealousy from anyone looking at her. When Xia Shiyu thought about this, she felt jealous. She had never known that Jiang Chen had such a beautiful bodyguard beside him. And with those looks, she may not even be 18 yet But then, a hint of guilt appeared in her mind. Ayesha had just saved her, and she was now speculating about Ayesha''s relationship with Jiang Chen... it was insulting. With Jiang Chen attitude and personality, he shouldnt have done anything that would cross the line Needless to say, she didnt really understand Jiang Chen after all. Just as her mind drifted elsewhere, she had suddenly noticed that the girls chest was not moving. This had caused Xia Shiyu to start panicking, and she immediately put her finger on Ayesha''s upper lip. There was no breathing! Without hesitation, although she had never done a CPR before, Xia Shiyu still stepped up, resulting in the intimate scene that had just occurred.\ "Thank you." Ayesha smiled at Xia Shiyu. "No need to thank me Or rather, I should thank you." Xia Shiyu took a deep breath and sincerely bowed down. Ayesha didnt say anything and accepted Xia Shiyus gesture. "You made me scared What happened?" Jiang Chen was relieved as he walked beside Ayesha to help her up. "Sniper, I overlooked it," Ayesha said apologetically. Because she was too anxious to save the hostage, she only scanned for life signal at the target building and forgot to scan her surroundings, which resulted in the enemy gaining the upper hand. When Jiang Chen heard this, he immediately started to check her body and rushed to question: "Are you injured?!" "No, the polyethylene plate blocked the bullet." With the concerned expression on Jiang Chens face, Ayesha only felt warmness in her heart. Jiang Chen was relieved after everything was okay. When Jiang Lin designed the K1 kinetic skeleton, he told Jiang Chen that the supra-molecular polyethylene ballast plate could only block some rifle bullets, but he didnt know if it could block sniper bullets. However, when he gave a thought, it made sense. The assault rifle Jiang Lin had referred to was the PK2000 and the Reaper that was common in the apocalypse. Although the light armor could not defend against the sniper rifle in the apocalypse, the M82, known as the cannon in the modern world, could only shatter the plate. So the injury sustained by Ayesha was only due to the kinetic energy from the bullet. But the problem was if it was just the kinetic energy, why was she knocked out? Although the power of the anti-armor weapon was fierce, it was not strong enough to the point where it could knock Ayeshawho was injected with a genetic vaccineunconscious. "Ahem." Xia Shiyu looked at the way Jiang Chen explored Ayeshas body and turned aside. With a hint of jealousy in her voice, she said, "Although Ayesha is your bodyguard, she is a girl after all Just be careful." "Ah. Sorry." Jiang Chen instinctively retracted his hand. Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen and Xia Shiyu. She seemed to have understood something as a smile surfaced. [ That kind of relationship? ] "Head to the car first with Ayesha, I will be right there." With the questions Xia Shiyu seemed to have, Jiang Chen paused and then added, "Once were on the car, I will explain to you everything." With the serious expression on Jiang Chens face, Xia Shiyu just nodded and Ayesha took her to the Maybach. After cleaning the battlefield, Jiang Chen returned to the car. The Sonata Jiang Chen bought was parked in a community nearby, abandoned. It was one in the morning and there was only one car on the empty road; it looked desolate. Jiang Chen sat in the front seat as Xia Shiyu, in the back, seemed to be uncomfortable. Jiang Chen asked with care in his voice, "Do you feel uncomfortable?" "N No." Xia Shiyu yawned, leaned against the car door, and muttered, "My first kiss was given to a girl." Ayesha who was about to start the car paused before she began to giggle. "What are you laughing at?" With redness covering her face, Xia Shiyu pretended to be serious, but her voice wasn''t confident at all. Jiang Chen also resisted the temptation to laugh as he said out loud, "CPR doesnt count as the first kiss." "That makes sense" Xia Shiyu looked away with a relieved expression. "Is there anyone you want to give your first kiss to?" A rare, cunning look appeared on Ayeshas expressionless face. "Of course, someone I like." "Do you like Jiang Chen?" Ayesha was persistent. "Why, why do you suddenly ask this?" Xia Shiyus face immediately blushed as she spoke incoherently. Jiang Chen also awkwardly scratched his face as he said, feeling embarrassed, "Ahem, dont" But his sentence was cut short. Ayesha suddenly kissed him. Xia Shiyu just felt something shattered as she completely froze. "Your first kiss is now his." Ayesha turned around and smiled gently at the completely dumbfounded Xia Shiyu. The pristine blue eyes were filled with mischief. Miao Jun parked the Sonata on the side of the road and walked to the agreed location with a perplexed feeling. It was one and a half hour past midnight, the road was empty. Leaning against the road lamp, he gazed into the distance and silently waited. Based on the agreement he made with Zhang Youjie, as long as he took care of Dagger and brought his phone to the agreed location, the task would be completed. "If you want to be rich then why did you become a soldier" The words left by Dagger lingered around his ears like a nightmare. "You think I really wanted to be a soldier?" Miao Jun swore out loud and stuffed his cold hands into his pocket. Betraying his country. He never thought this day would come. That thought alone gave him goosebumps. A car light eventually approached from the distance. When Miao Jun saw this, he clenched the pistol in his pocket. Right when he saw the face in the car, his tensed expression started to loosen. The car came and parked in front of him. A middle-aged man got out of the car and smiled at Miao Jun. "Mr. Miao, I trust that you must have completed the deal we made." Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ Min here. I hope all of you had a wonderful year as we are approaching the end of 2017. I know we have a diverse group of readers and many of you don''t celebrate Christmas. But there are seven days until Christmas and we''ll be releasing two chapters a day and 5 chapters on Christmas as our appreciation to all of you for supporting myself and the editors. Today is a bit late, so there will be 3 chapters tomorrow. Thank you all for your support! 258 Eternal Loyalty Chapter 258: Eternal Loyalty Translator: _Min_Editor: Nou "Team A and Team B lost communication. Team C and Sergeant Miller confirmed dead." Inside the consulate office with the report coming in from the phone, Zhang Youjies finger trembled. Five lives, 20 something people captured. The supposedly-flawless mission ended in an overwhelming defeat. Not to mention, it was the most severe loss suffered by the CIB. The other side of the phone fell silent. Li Zhongping, who was still in Hucheng, waited for an order. "Is it the work of the General Staff Department?" "Should be," Li Zhongping responded in a low voice. With a deep breath, Zhang Youjie deliberated before he ordered, " Mission aborted, retreat." Although it was unfortunate, the mission did fail already. Without surprise, the UA embassy in Shangjing would receive a letter from the Han Congress, then the UA will be denounced by Hua in a news conference. The muscles on Zhang Youjie face twitched uncontrollably, his heart dripped blood. "What about the pawn left there?" asked Li Zhongping, referring to Miao Jun who had defected. His previous plan was if Hua put Jiang Chen under house arrest, they would use Miao Jun to take out Dagger and bring the imprisoned Jiang Chen out. But the plan never seemed to be in their control. Hua seemed to have used Jiang Chen as bait to take out Team A and B by using the PLA army stationed nearby. Right afterward, Team C that kidnapped the hostage was ambushed by a sniper. Was the mission leaked? The CIB, fooled by the General Staff Department. Zhang Youjie inhaled deeply, trying hard to calm himself down. Since losing was inevitable, minimizing loss was what he needed to consider. "Take him out, he saw my face. Also, before taking him out, get him to take out Dagger." "Yes." Zhang Youjie hung up the phone and rubbed his sore nose before he left the office. Miao Jun had never thought that he would join the military. He had never thought that after graduation, he''d be a secret agent in the intelligence department and become a part of the General Staff Department. As for his dream, he wanted to become a businessman like his uncle. Or more simply, he wanted to be rich. But things didnt go as planned. His original plan was to attend the business department at Wanghai University, and then start his own company after graduation. He worked hard and indeed achieved stellar results. He could vaguely recall the joy on his parents face when they were checking his score. However, when it came time to apply for schools, his parents were against it. He''d never imagined that his parents would plead with him, asking him to give up on his dream and to, instead, attend the Shangjing National Defense University. There was no reason other than a parents concern for their sons future. "Your grandpas old comrade is now a General. With this connection, if you attended the National Defense University, you will have a glorious future in the army!" "Business? Do you know how difficult it was for your uncle? He couldnt even afford to eat at times! Business is not as easy as you think?" "This is for you" Finally, Miao Jun decided to become a soldier. Whats ironic was that with this route, the only way he could achieve his dream was to become a bodyguard for the rich after leaving the army. It was not impossible to be rich by staying in the army. There were plenty of money to be found in the logistics department, and a non-combat position in the recruiting office also had some opportunities; however, as a personnel from the intelligence department it would be dangerous if he became wealthy. His parents'' consideration made him step onto a path that he didnt even like in the first place. He tried to make himself enjoy it, but he realized that despite how hard he tried or how many achievements he earned, everyone would attribute his success to his connection and would automatically ignore his hard work. Indeed, with the help of his connection, he was promoted quickly and managed to be part of the General Staff Department at the age of 24. But on the dinner table, his parents would only exclaim that his grandpas comrade was someone who changed his life, and they ignored the fact that he had almost died at the special training camp! "Having a rough time? Everything you do will be rough! That is a given." If Miao Jun wanted to complain, his father would definitely "comfort" him like this. No one mind having a rough time if it was a career that they were passionate about. However, he only felt dread. Reality has shown that no amount of forced love can substitute real love. The same is true for a career and country. Even though he had memorized to heart the idealogy of the army, even without truly accepting it, he still did not hesitate to speak the words he did not care about when he swore with everyone. One million USD? The money was attractive, but that was not what attracted him the most. A green card, a ticket to the free world He was tempted. Freedom. Needless to say, the concept of it held a fatal attraction. Even if he would curse it because he couldnt obtain it, he would still comfort himself that he had lived a fine life without it. Even after dinner, he would always curse with his comrades about the despicable UA soldiers. "Mr. Miao, I trust that you have completed our agreement." Li Zhongping smiled. Miao Jun looked at the weed on the side of the road as his throat moved. "Dagger is dead." "Is that so? Then congratulations." Li Zhongping was relieved and drew out a pistol from his pocket. Because it was too sudden, Miao Jun didnt manage to react. He gulped and utter out with difficulty, "Why?" "God will bring you eternal freedom. Okay, Mr. Miao, goodbye" Bang! A bullet penetrated Li Zhongpings head, his blood splattering onto the car. "Fu*k!" The CIB agents driving immediately pulled out his gun. "What are you waiting for!" A thunderous roar came from the distance. Miao Jun, surprised, unconsciously drew out his pistol. Bang! Before the driver could do anything, Miao Jun shot him. Breathing heavily, within the short few seconds, his entire back was drenched in cold sweat. At the end of the alley, a figure staggered forward. When Miao Jun saw the wrinkled face, he smiled wryly. He threw away his pistol and didnt run. Instead, he raised both of his hands. It was Dagger. For some reason, seeing him still alive, Miao Jun felt relieved despite knowing that this meant that he''ll be spending the rest of his life in prison. "Sorry, I plotted against you." Due to his guilt, Miao Jun didnt dare to look at his master in the face. "You really think you could plot against me?" Dagger scorned while he covered his bleeding wound and sat on the engine cover. He paused before the dried lips spoke trembling. "I took the two daggers on purpose. If you really could escape, you wouldnt have been caught in the first place. If you truly did escape, there was really one possibility" The old face flashed with a cunning look fitting for his age as he gazed at the rookie for a long time. "I defected," Miao Jun said with a bitter expression. "Learn." Dagger smile with his left hand still covering his wound, the right hand pressed against the engine cover. "No need, there is no opportunity to use it even if I learn." Miao Jun sighed and took out Daggers phone to call General Liu. He was planning to confess. But suddenly, Dagger, with keen eyes, snatched the phone and hung up the phone yet to be dialed. With a perplexed expression on Miao Juns face, Dagger grinned and threw the phone away. "Dying due to a comrades defecting... even if you dont think it is embarrassing, I still think it is. ''Dagger suffered an honorable death.'' Im more willing to have the last line written like this." [ Death?! ] Miao Jun was stunned as his eyes widened, "How is that possible, didnt you purposely-" "Although it is on purpose, they still hit the sweet spots," Dagger laughed, but he started to cough while laughing. Blood stained Miao Juns clothes. "Let me call an ambulance for you" "There is no need"Dagger stopped Miao Jun"I know my body." "I..." Miao Juns finger trembled and froze there not knowing what to do. The apology was stuck in between in throat, it could not be squeezed out. He knew that even if he apologized, it was useless. He had killed him. Disregarding Miao Juns expression, Dagger muttered to himself: "Im old and cant even beat the young guys. Five years, the organization brought me back to the country. I was supposed to retire that night. But Old Liu found me and wanted me to use my experience abroad to provide some guidance on anti-espionage activities and train a few more newcomers for the state I agreed. "Five years, there were a total of 27 young men that trained under me. You should be the last one." Dagger looked at Miao Jun pleasingly and nodded, "You are the most talented I have seenfor a new recruit." "Sorry" "Dont apologize." Dagger shook his head. "27 people, only six stayed. My old superior wanted me to convince those talented to stay, but I never did that. The melon forcefully grown isn''t sweet." His voice was filled with melancholy. "If you want to be rich, dont be a soldier. If you are reluctant, problems will arise, sooner or later." Miao Jun lowered his head, his face covered in embarrassment. The voice turned more feeble and Dagger continued to mutter to himself: "I know that my country might not be the best You guys can go on the internet, the things you see, I know too. "But even like this, I still firmly believe that it will become better. "Before that, please protect it for me, until that day is here. "But dont force yourself." "Could could I know your name?" Miao Jun asked while sobbing. "My name? Haha." Dagger grinned as if he had regained his life back, and his voice was again filled with energy. He took out the pistol that he had used for many years and threw it in Miao Juns hand while shaking. "Once you have enough authority, you can just flip through my document. If you retire, there is no need to know anymore. "Return this to Old Liu for me, I have fought for him for half of my life. Return this gun to its rightful owner." Then, Dagger slowly closed his dried eyelids. This time, he really stopped breathing. Just like an aging shepherd finally welcoming its eternal peace. "AHHHHHHH!" Under the streetlight, on the empty road, a man kneeled on the ground howling in tears. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ 1/3 259 The Reaction across the Pacific Chapter 259: The Reaction across the Pacific Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi A lot happened that night. The error in judgment of Jiang Chens ability made the CIB pay a heavy price. The error in judgment to Jiang Chen''s reaction caused the General Staff Department to lose Jiang Chens whereabouts. Who would have thought an ordinary person would suddenly become a fully equipped "Ironman" like a superhero in the Hollywood movie? Who would have thought the "obedient" individual would suddenly express anger, "Sorry, Im not your subordinate"? From Gods perspective, the focal point of the clues revolved around the man called Jiang Chen. But because of the blind spots of each partys intelligence, as well as the context that the two sides would never sit around a table to exchange information, the CIB and the General Staff Department were both tricked in this one incident. Regardless of how anxious the General Staff Department was about Jiang Chens disappearance, a person across the Pacific was also in a state of anxiety. It was still midnight in Hua, daylight on the other side of the earth. It was the Rainbow Mansion of UA. Right now, John Brennan stood awkwardly in front of the Presidents table, but his previous aggressive stance was long gone. Normally, he would not put aside his pride and just stand here in front of the president of the UA because CIB was independent of the intelligence system. Even the Congress had no rights to ask for specific details. From this point alone, he lived a much better life than the current president who constantly receives pressure from the Congress. Beside John, James Komi was gloating. Compared to the bald old man, the only 35 years old middle-aged man looked sharper. Nothing made him more delighted than his opposition suffering. Thats right, while they served the same government, the two organizations didnt have the best relationship. Therefore, the past UA presidents had a love and hate relationship to the two hands that always fought each other. Right now, the president wanted to throw his shoe at Johns face. "Ahem, before we start the meeting, lets first listen to a voice message." James coughed and signaled the two to look in his direction. Then he raised his eyebrows at the old opposition John before he put the smartphone on the presidents desk. It was a recorded interrogation. The voice of the interrogator was low and slightly stiff. It was hard to make out the voice, but the person being interrogated was clear to distinguish. Griss, CIBs elite agent. The president had personally awarded him an honorary emblem. But the super warrior that survived through the chaos in Iraq had no life in his voice. Rather than wry, it was more accurate to describe as completely hollow. What kind of torture did the General Staff Department use to force the tough man to confess the entire mission details in two short hours? Just be listening to the voice without any life in it, the three in the president office felt a horrific chill. The recording ended. John took a deep breath and loosened his tie in discomfort. The presidents face looked gloomy. Even though his legs remained on the desk, he did not say a single word. Seeing the two didnt say anything, James smiled and spoke out. "Kidnapping and threaten a lawful businessman is despicable and unconstitutional. Disregarding the fact that your people took the constitution seriously, with the severity of this mission, could I consider this as the biggest mistake that occurred in your history?" "Please mind your words, Mr. James, Im considering the interest of the nation," John argued back out of habit, but there was no confidence in his voice at all. "Is that so? But what about now? There are more odds in our diplomatic relationship with Han and they caught us with our pants down. We could have used a mild method to drag the Han businessman over to our side. Where do you think the CIB agent is conducting the mission, Syria? Iraq? God, that is Hua." John looked awkward, so he diverted the topic. "James, I dont think it is appropriate for you to demonstrate your cheerful attitude in this setting." "No, who said Im cheerful, Im furious." James resisted the urge to laugh as he rubbed his upper lip. "No, you are laughing." "It is your illusion, Mr. John." "Both of you, shut up," The president suddenly spoke out. Like two chickens fighting, John looked at James aggressively, but James at an advantage only shrugged and looked at the president with a pleasant smile. "Now, lets discuss how we are going to fix this thing," The president deeply inhaled and said gloomily. "First, we should think of a plan to rescue the twenty-something agents back. Since Griss was interrogated, then at least it meant that they didnt die because of crossfire, but were rather captured," John tried his best to calm down and slowly explained the situation. "But till this moment, Hua didnt comment on this incident. Should I call over and admit our mistake? And beg them to release the prisoner?" The President was instantly furious. Johns expression suddenly turned awkward again as he shrugged with thick skin. "Then write twenty-five copies of the honorary letters and send it to the family of the missing warriors." The president rubbed his weary forehead before he sat up from the chair. "James, where is the recording from?" "The email appeared two hours ago in one of my subordinates'' mailbox. Realizing the severity of the situation, he immediately sent the file to me," James said delightfully. "Whats the validity of the file?" "We conducted voice analysis with Griss voice, it matched perfectly. "Mhmm." The President only nodded. "Lets think how to take care of the aftermath. Since the conflict already occurred," John rubbed his nose and said uncomfortably. With the way John looked, the president almost wanted to curse at him. [Fu*k, you dont tell me before you execute the mission, and now I have to wipe your butt when there is a problem.] But he only said it in his mind and not out loud. He deliberated for a while before the president spoke out. "Immediately stop the interference with Dragon II; the mission failed." John nodded. James who was primarily responsible for domestic intelligence shrugged as it didnt concern him. "If Hua denounces us on this well send the delegation team. If Hua doesn''t comment on this we likely wont get them out. If we can, just send some more agents. Remember, dont get caught again," The President said while massaging his forehead. John was grateful for the fact that the Presidents promised to visit Hua. He nodded again. A visit to Hua meant pleading. As long as they could save the twenty-something people, John would face significantly less pressure. As to the Han businessman, the President already forgot about him. Compared to just a businessman, it was more important to wipe the butt of the CIB. And it was just a Dragon II drone system, the talented UA didnt need it at all. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ 2/3 260 Escaping the Cage Chapter 260: Escaping the Cage Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Xiangjiang, the Peninsula. In the elegantly designed grand hall, a young man sat at the corner with a foreign girl. They appreciated the gracefulness of the sunshine while quietly enjoying the afternoon. The musicians played a melodious, but slow classical music. The server in British-style uniform courteously walked beside the two and put the three-story silver tray filled with desserts on the table, and then poured black tea for them. To be honest, the British dessert didnt taste great. The taste of the chocolate ball and the cream puff didnt differ much with the ones sold at the bakery. The only thing unique about the afternoon tea here was the exquisite atmosphere and rich history. The hotel started construction in 1922 before completed in 1926 and opened in 1928. It is one of the most renowned and luxurious hotels in Xiangjiang and the world. Of course, Jiang Chen couldnt taste the atmosphere and the history. The only reason he was here was due to curiosity. Ayesha also was uninterested in those things as she was intrigued by the soft pudding on her plate. Her slightly curled brown hair gently rested on her right shoulder. Her cute mouth and smooth skin bloomed into a beautiful image under the mild sunshine. Jiang Chen could clearly sense that a lot of men were looking enviously at him. But he didnt mind at all as he just sluggishly looked onto the street outside of the window while enjoying the tranquil and warm rays. As to why he would appear 800 kilometers away, it started two days ago. Jiang Chen who wiped out an entire force of CIB and engaged in a small conflict with the General Staff Department didnt return to Hucheng. Instead, he drove all the way to Fujian. On the car, Jiang Chen told Xia Shiyu about the incident from start to finish, including the meeting with Wang Linhua that night and then the specifics of the agreement with Zhongxin High Tech. In the morning, he called his parents and told them that he had to return to Wanghai City because of a temporary business emergency and not to worry before he turned off his phone. With Roberts connection and Mr. Chens help, Jiang Chen boarded a luxury cruise as a tourist between Xiangjiang and Egret Island before walking off on Xiangjiang. Xia Shiyu stayed on Egret Island for one day before she boarded a flight from there to Wanghai City. When she got on the plane, the General Staff Department naturally contacted Xia Shiyu inquiring about Jiang Chens current location. As part of Jiang Chens plan, Xia Shiyu transferred over the USB loaded with smart drone system 1.0, at the same time restating Jiang Chens original words. Jiang Chens wording was reserved, but if it were expressed in monotone, it would definitely sound harsh. "Im extremely displeased with what occurred in Hucheng. Im not your subordinate, I did my obligation by paying my tax, and even if I obliged to my duty, you asked to me think of the bigger picture. This is funny, so I left." "Even if I have left, this doesnt mean that I abandoned the Han market, and it doesnt mean that my overseas team abandoned the Han market. Except that because of the deterioration in the investment environment, we are forced to reevaluate the focus of our business. Future Technology will become a subsidiary and controlled by the newly formed Future International." "Of course, regarding the agreement on the smart drone system 1.0, our party has already completed its development. I sincerely hope that your party can honor the agreement and provide the advantageous policy to Future Technology." "Yes, Future Technology has nearly three hundred million domestic users. But dont forget, we also have over four hundred million international users, as well as one billion in the undeveloped market." "We dont just have one choice-" General Liu was silent for a long time when he heard Jiang Chens response, he didnt say anything at the other end and just sent people to protect Xia Shiyu before he reported Jiang Chens response to the top. As to how to treat Future Technology, the top discussed and weighed the pros and cons before making the decision to maintain friendly relationships and canceling Jiang Chens restriction to leave the country although he left the border already. A technical team capable of producing military technology meant that it indeed possessed the value to establish a friendly relationship. Jiang Chen really didnt develop the software during this time, and from the time it would take to complete the development, the actual developer was indeed not Jiang Chen. The stipulation of Jiang Chen being the developer was indeed false. From that perspective, it was pointless if they controlled Jiang Chen. There was another story that happened as a result of that. As the perpetrator that forced Future Technology away, the Wang family were heavily criticized by their political oppositions. The formation of Future International meant that the separation of the domestic and international market would cause the Wanghai City local government to give away five hundred million in foreign tax income. While other forces were eager to take a bite of the juicy meat, the Wang family was the first to make a move. Therefore, they were heavily scrutinized by the central authority. Of course, these were all after facts. Since Jiang Chen left, at least he wont be back for awhile. The Xiangjiang businessman that took him on board was someone he met before. When Jiang Chen colluded with Robert to sell gold, it was him that transported the gold to international waters before Roberts ship took it to South Africa. When he saw Jiang Chen, he meticulously arranged everything for him. Not only did he send people to pick Jiang Chen up at the port, he even booked a room at the famous Peninsula. To his friendly gesture, Jiang Chen gladly accepted and checked into the luxury sea view suite on the top floor with Ayesha. Precisely speaking, it was considered smuggling. But when Jiang Chen got off the cruise, Robert prepared the necessary documents for him, so he was able to check in. As to Ayesha, because she possessed a green card, she could stay in Xiangjiang for a short period of time without any documents. The program was transferred over, the General Staff Department no longer bothered him, and the CIB also had other issues to deal with. Now that Jiang Chen was alone, he was free. "Speaking of which, why did you suddenly kiss me," He asked nonchalantly while savoring the tea. Ayesha buried her head upon hearing Jiang Chens question and stopped fondling with the pudding in her hand. Then she whispered quite embarrassedly. "Because I want to share with her, and not keep it hidden from her." When Jiang Chen heard the na?ve words, he really wanted to scoff that "If it is Xia Shiyu, she definitely cant stand the existence of another woman," but it didnt come out of his mouth in the end. She was too greedy, even if Ayesha wont be jealous. Ayesha seemed to have seen through Jiang Chens thought and just smiled. Being gazed upon by the gentle blue pupils, not a word could come out of Jiang Chen. She gently put down the silvery fork in her hand and said. "If she really left you because of this, that means she only has affection for you, and not love. If she really loved you, she would never leave because of this. At least, she will attempt to fight for you to come back." [Fight for me? Not something that the thin-skinned Xia Shiyu would do.] "Uh, it feels complicated now." Jiang Chen sighed while scratching the back of his head. [Whatever, just follow the flow.] It was already January. The food supplies to the wasteland would need to be solved. Hence, the next step was to take care of Pannu Islands. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ 3/3 261 The Interference from an Unknown Channel Chapter 261: The Interference from an Unknown Channel Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi After the afternoon high tea, Jiang Chen took Ayesha to the renowned Disneyland in Xiangjiang. Although her childhood had no Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, it didnt interfere with being touched by the happy atmosphere. The mouth carved into a crescent moon was filled with joy and happiness. She didnt have a lively childhood. The moment she was born, her country was in the midst of unrest. From the joy on her face, Jiang Chen felt as if his weariness was healed. Although the loving smile was also beautiful, Jiang Chen hoped she could smile more for herself. It was the reason why whenever he has the opportunity, he will take her everywhere. To make up for her. Taking photos, going on rides. By eight at night, the two stood in front of the castle of the sleeping beauty with their hands held and enjoying the colorful fireworks blossoming in the sky. The light reflected on her happy face was so charming. Jiang Chen was lost in the scene. The happiness gradually turned into shyness under his direct sight. She gently kissed his lips. Fireworks lit up the sky and scattered. Lips apart. Ayesha slightly lowered her head, her face only flashed an attractive vibrancy. "Thank you." The lips murmured a timid gratitude. Jiang Chen didnt say anything, but she could clearly sense the reason why Jiang Chen choose to come here. It was mostly for her. He didnt reply and only smiled. Then he rubbed her soft hair. "Do you feel happy?" With a hand gently on top of Jiang Chens, Ayesha closed her eyes and softly said. "Mhmm." It was already nine before they left Disneyland, but they didnt immediately return to the hotel. Instead, they went to Taigu Square. After their last date in Veit, Ayesha became fascinated by all kinds of clothes. Within a short period, the two would not be able to return to Wanghai city, so the clothes in the mansion would have to stay there. Thus, only when they carried a handful of bags back to the Peninsula did their day''s itinerary finally end. Jiang Chen locked the door behind him. Just when he had a smirk of a big bad wolf on and waiting for the little sheep to change clothes, the doorbell rang. Surprising Jiang Chen, he wondered who would be visiting this late? Although he was disappointed, Jiang Chen still tidied up his rumpled clothes, watched Ayesha go into the bedroom before he opened the door. A heroic but beautiful face appeared in front of Jiang Chen. "Hello, handsome." Natasha with one hand on the door looked at Jiang Chen half-smilingly. Jiang Chen let out a sigh as he was planning to close the door. Natashas eyebrows raised as she stepped one foot inside and dragged Jiang Chen by the collar and pressed him against the wall. "What are you planning to do?" Jiang Chen shrugged as he glanced at her arm, "If I remember correctly when we were in Veit, you tried my ability before." Natasha''s expression froze for a moment as she suddenly recollected herself, remembering she was no match for him. The harmless looking man had an unbelievable amount of strength, one move and she would be on the ground. But even then, she had no signs of backing down either. She teasingly moved closer to Jiang Chens ear as she blew flirtatiously in his ear. "Did Mr. Jiang forget what you did to me that day in the darkroom?" "I only injected you with something" Jiang Chen shrugged, but his expression looked awkward, "Speaking of this, you seemed to be opposed to the idea of sleeping with me that day?" "That was before, do you not have any naughty thoughts about me?" Natasha said seductively, her 36E breasts had drawn in Jiang Chens attention. But just as she finished, a cold solid item was pressed against the back of her head. She didnt know when Ayesha appeared behind her. The particularly cold expression had a vibe to kill. The playful smile froze on her face, the corner of Natasha''s lips twitched as she let go of Jiang Chens collar and raised both of her hands to surrender. "Your little beauty is still not friendly," Natasha ridiculed as she maintained her position with her hands held high. "Could you get her to put the gun down?" Ayesha looked at Jiang Chen. After seeing Jiang Chen nod did she obediently put the gun away, but the cautious look on her face did not fade away. "I have other intentions for finding you." Natasha put on a stern face. "Of course, I wouldn''t think you would be here to hook up with me," Jiang Chen didnt take her stern expression seriously as he said nonchalantly. "Since you have left Hua, why dont you come to Russia?" "Regarding this, I believe we have already discussed it." As if Natasha had guessed what he would say, she was not surprised and only let out a sigh. "Although I have expected this Looks like I will go back empty handed." "Thats right." Jiang Chen nodded. "Okay, I thought making a trip personally would move you enough." Natasha shrugged as she walked to the door. "If you ever change your mind one day, Russias door will always be open for you." "Thank you very much." Jiang Chen sent Natasha out the door. After closing the door, seeing that Ayesha was looking at him, Jiang Chen rubbed her hair smiling. "What are you thinking about?" Ayesha looked away in shyness as she murmured. "Are we going to continue?" As she finished saying this, her face became red. Although they were interrupted, seeing Ayeshas timid look, Jiang Chen felt his thirst return. "Of course." He softly spoke into her ear, "Do you want to shower first, or should I go?" "Ill go." Then, with a blushed face, Ayesha dashed into the washroom. Not long, the glass blurred and water began to drip. Sitting on the sofa in the living room while waiting for the beauty to come out, Jiang Chen began to play with his EP. Due to boredom, Jiang Chen suddenly remembered Ayesha coldblooded ability. Using it for an extended period of time could cause her to go into a coma which is a serious consequence. When he first obtain his fury ability, he could only use medicine to control the activation and deactivation. With the help of medication, he could have been in an awkward position where he could activate but was unable to deactivate the ability. Although Lin Lin definitely would have fallen asleep by now, Jiang Chen didnt feel guilty about waking her up. Indeed, Lin Lin with sleepy eyes appeared on the other side of the screen. "Pervert, why are you not asleep this late, what do you need me for?" "Mhmm, I have something to ask you" Jiang Chen explained Ayesha situation to Lin Lin. "Medicine for hidden genetic code? Although the coldblooded ability is uncommon, it probably could be purchased at the Sixth Street. Okay, I will tell Sun Jiao. Is that all?" Lin Lin yawned. "Mhmm, sleep early." Seeing the drowsy Lin Lin in pajama, Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile. "I slept already-" But then, the screen froze all the sudden. Gradually, the middle of the screen turned into whiteness. Jiang Chen was confused, he thought the EP or that chip was malfunctioning, so he knocked on the EP. No reaction at all. Just as Jiang Chen was about to restart the EP, the screen suddenly turned black. Immediately, in the middle of the pitch black screen, a word appeared abruptly. What surfaced after was a person with only an outline showing. He had a hollow smile on and waved at him rhythmically. 262 A Temporary Return Chapter 262: A Temporary Return Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The next morning, while lying in bed, Jiang Chen hugged the cat-like Ayesha curled up in front of him and turned on the TV. < Recently, the authority had cracked a major case of foreign espionage activity. Two suspects were shot died during the arrest phase when they fired back, based on the evidence collected at the scene, the investigation has arrested 11 suspects, which include seven Zhongxin High Tech researchers as well four government officials. They will face espionage, treason, as well as seven counts of other charges. Based on reliable information, the CIB may have been involved with this mission, suspect Zhang is currently hiding inside the UA consulate in Wanghai City and refusing to accept the trial by law. Right now, the investigation team has sent in a request to the UA embassy, hoping the UA consulate in Wanghai City can assist in the investigation. As to the specifics progress of the event, well pass it on to our reporter in Wanghai City> [Suspect Zhang? Is that Zhang Youjie?] Jiang Chen yawned as he disinterestedly turned off the TV. Hell leave the trouble for "professionals" to solve. To the CIB and General Staff Department, it was definitely not the end. But to him, he can turn to the next page. Even if everything started because of him. "Dagger is good. Zhang Youjie shouldnt have left anything behind, but Dagger still found evidence?" After putting the remote on the nightstand, Jiang Chen touched Ayeshas nose as he fell into deep thought. Three teams and one sniper. All the evidence was taken away by him into the apocalypse. In this case, the General Staff Department should have no reason nor evidence to determine the CIB planned this mission. [Two agents shot, did a battle occur somewhere he didnt know about? Whatever, there is no difference in conclusion.] Jiang Chen shook his head as he decided not to be troubled by this anymore. Compared to these things, what kept him up at night was the video he saw no his EP yesterday. After restarting it, the EP returned to normal. If it were not that every communication would be automatically written in the memory, Jiang Chen would have thought it was his illusion. Hello? Was it saying hello to me? Jiang Chen pondered for a moment as he scratched his chin, but he still didnt reach any conclusions. "Whatever, Ill go back to the apocalypse and gave the video to Lin Lin." He muttered to himself as he put it aside for now. After waking up, Jiang Chen called the front desk. Not long after, the server pushed a cart full of breakfast to the door. After paying plus tips, Jiang Chen put the tray with a sandwich and mocha on the counter. Seeing Ayesha curled up with her hands in front of her chest, he couldnt help but smile as he leaned down to kiss her smooth forehead. As if she had sensed the warmness, her eyelashes shivered, and a subconscious smile appeared on her face. She seemed to be having a sweet dream. Because they slept really late last night, he didnt want to disturb her peaceful sleep. So Jiang Chen left a message on the nightstand only the two of them would understand before initiating travel. When he opened his eyes, he was in the apocalypse. He didnt stay in the room for too long as he headed straight to the gym on the third floor. After quietly opening the door, Sun Jiao sensing the sound behind her and immediately turned around. When she saw it was Jiang Chen, surprised quickly spread across her face. "You are back?" Putting the pistol away, Sun Jiao walked to him. "Could you reaction be slower and let me give you a surprise?" Jiang Chen put his hand away from her waist as he said helplessly. "Then why dont you try again? I''ll pretend I didnt see you." Her beautiful pupils were filled with mischievousness. "Ahem, Ill pass. I have some important things to take care of this time." Seeing that Jiang Chen had important tasks, Sun Jiao swiped away her naughty expression and waited for Jiang Chen to explain. "Hows the production of the kinetic skeleton?" Two months ago, Jiang Chen gave Jiang Lin the production goal of completing 50 kinetic skeletons a month, he was wondering what the progress was on this. "We exceeded the goal," Sun Jiao had a proud smile on her face, "We have 110 kinetic skeletons in the armory, based on your order, we have not equipped the forces yet." "110 sets?!" Jiang Chen shockingly looked at Sun Jiao. Seeing the shocked Jiang Chen, Sun Jiao smiled as she began explaining. "Did you forget that the Sixth Street is our territory now? Based on the recommendation of your acting general Chu Nan, after taking consideration of Jiang Lin opinion, a portion of our parts requirement was outsourced to the Sixth Street to complete. We establish the standards, they are responsible for the production and improvement of the parts. In this case, not only could we decrease production cost, the production speed is also improved. Right now, the Fishbone base can produce up to 80 sets of kinetic skeletons a month which doubled our previous production!" "Great!" Jiang Chen was ecstatic as he hugged Sun Jiao and gave her a passionate kiss. "No." Although her mouth said no, her body was honest. After escaping Jiang Chens hug, Sun Jiao rolled her eyes at him, organized her slightly messy hair, and returned to her previous seriousness. Realizing the inappropriate timing of his action, Jiang Chen coughed and got back on track. "Set aside 100 kinetic skeletons, I have other uses. The rest will be prioritized to the force stationed at Zhufeng Highway, I have a sense this is not the end of the mutated humans." Sun Jiao also looked concerned as she cautiously said. "I hold the same opinion. The mutated humans have not reacted which is abnormal. Once March comes, their advantage of cold resistance would no longer exist. Also, the Dusk Church has no reason to give up on And, Sun Xiaorou is still in our hands." When Sun Jiao mentioned her sister, she seemed to have deflated slightly. Sun Jiao''s depressed mood made Jiang Chen feel a strong sense of guilt. "No, you dont need to apologize, you didnt make any mistakes. Or rather, the fact that you can forgive her being an assassin is already a way of repaying." After pecking on Jiang Chens lips, Sun Jiao said sternly while staring into his eyes. [Is this the logic of the apocalypse?] When Jiang Chen committed the action while enraged, he was unable to forgive himself. Since Sun Xiaorou was his sister-in-law. He didnt know if the apocalypse had this type of ethical concept or not. "I will destroy the Dusk for you," Jiang Chen promised. "Thank you." Sun Jiao smiled sincerely. 263 Sixth Street Nuclear Nonproliferation Chapter 263: Sixth Street Nuclear Nonproliferation Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi For the past few months, the development of the apocalypse was stable and consistent. The streets of the Sixth Street no longer showed signs of the civil war. The radiation level in the Inner Circle also returned to normal. To prevent similar events from occurring, Chu Nan ordered the Sixth Streets soldiers to confiscate all tactical nukes at the Sixth Street. Most of the tactical nukes were dug out from the ruins. Even with the possession of advanced technology, in an ever-changing battlefield, the normally never dysfunctional technology may not be entirely reliable. While the World Alliance Organization did some recycling of these dangerous goods, a lot of nukes were still dispersed in the hands of ordinary survivors. Followed by the disbanding of the World Alliance Organization, this recycling plan was completely shut down. The dysfunctional nukes only required some small modifications to take out the nuclear material before it can be made into a simple nuclear bomb. Even in the ruins of the civilization caused by nukes, nuclear weapon remains an effective killing method. Needless to say, Chu Nan has his ways in politics. After the nuclear non-proliferation was enacted, the force with detector did a carpet search of the entire Sixth Street. It only took three days to confiscate all tactical nukes. For the people that handed in the weapon themselves, the Sixth Street military government compensated at them with a price equivalent to market value. For the people who went against the act, they were deported permanently. Not that there was no resistance, but since only a few held nuclear weapons, the military government that stabilized the situation put out a strong attitude from the beginning to maintain the suppressive regime. Those resisting voices didnt manage to form into anything meaningful before they all vanished. In the option of dying together versus compromise, almost none chose the former one. On the other side, under the order of Jiang Chen, Fishbone base formed an aerospace department with Jiang Lin taking charge of development and enhancement of space technology. This gesture was to complete the promise Jiang Chen gave to Jiang Lin about investing in his space dream. Of course, a dream must consider reality. For now, the aerospace departments primary task was not to design the who-knew-when-it-will-be-completed engine, but rather a missile capable of equipping nuclear material as a deterrence to the electromagnetic cannon of Liuding. According to what Sun Jiao said, Fishbone base has currently set up five missile launchers in Qingpu and also deployed five W-1 ballistic missiles with nuclear material. The nuclear material was confiscated, and Jiang Lin completed the design of the W-1 ballistic missile. The missiles power parts used the booster of small civil rockets while the surface of the missile was covered with an anti-laser painting. From a technical perspective, compared to the Disaster-32 missile that represented the technology peak of the pre-war military industry, the W-1 designed and manufactured by the Fishbone base had quite a significant discrepancy in not only anti-interception and accuracy, but it was enough to deter Liuding town. ... After listening to Sun Jiaos report, Jiang Chen went to the community center in the base and found Wang Qin, he took out 100 sets of kinetic skeletons and four hundred rounds of reaper rifles using 7.62 bullets, as well hundreds of heat sensor grenades. He moved everything to the warehouse behind the mansion''s garden. These firearms will be transported back to the modern world where it will be used in the near future. Other than these firearms, Jiang Chen also assigned Wang Qin the task to place an order to the Sixth Street military factory to manufacture 20 anti-tank RPGs as well as 500 more heat sensor grenades. With these military supplies, he was a mobile armory. After combining this with the 100 people mercenary base in Niger, without exaggeration, Jiang Chen was capable of starting a small scale modern warfare. After the war preparation was completed, Jiang Chen went to Lin Lins lab. He had a lot of questions about the weird video. ... "Oh, the pervert is back?" The door opened, and Lin Lin simply spoke out of habit. Silver hair, red and black pupil, and the odd fashion sense of white shirt with the white lab coat. The adorable face was always ruined by the unrestrained comments. Being used to her bad mouth, Jiang Chen ignored her greeting as she put the mango pudding on the table. Seeing her favorite pudding, Lin Lin subconsciously began to slurp her saliva as her eyes shone with excitement. Jiang Chen couldnt help but smile at Lin Lin who was easily satisfied by a few puddings. "Eat it later, I have something to ask you." After rubbing the pudding box on her chest, she wiped the drool from her mouth, and reluctantly put the pudding aside. "Speak your mind." "When we video chatted yesterday, did you see something weird?" "Something weird?" Lin Lin titled her head as she looked at Jiang Chen, puzzled, "I remember you hung up midway, then I went to sleep." "Is that so." Jiang Chen pressed the side of the EP as the memory chip popped out. "I didnt hang up How should I explain this? It was as if the television program had some weird news being played in the middle of it." Lin Lin was lost, she took the chip from Jiang Chens hand. "Thats impossible? The fourth dimension messenger is based on the resonance of the Klein particles as the central design philosophy. Based on the theory, this type of special wave crossing the fourth dimension can only be passed along from the chip made out of the same crystal" Lin Lin mumbled some strange theory as she inserted the chip into the full sensory computer. Light blue particles floated up as they instantly created a two-dimensional picture. "The video is two dimensional, the picture quality is three dimensional, and the size is only 52 kilobytes Did it get compressed?" After pressing a few times on the hologram screen, Lin Lin replayed the video Jiang Chen saw last night. The hologram screen began to shake, and after a period of blurry whiteness, the strange figure appeared again. For some reason, after seeing this "person" with only an outline, Jiang Chen felt an unnatural discomfort. Suddenly, he realized where this feeling was coming from. "Uncanny valley effect." Seeing the hand waving rhythmically, Jiang Chen mustered to himself. Originated from the fear of death, humans would instinctively fear repulsive things similar to the human, but not the human. "Uncanny valley effect? 100% humans are a bothersome creature." Lin Lins digitalized eyes slightly contracted as she began to analyze the details of the video. But as she analyzed, her expression became more and more stern. Seeing Lin Lin repetitively playing the video, Jiang Chen was just about to ask why she was doing so, when Lin Lin closed the video. She let out a long sigh, wiped off the sweat from her forehead and looked at Jiang Chen with a very rare and serious expression. "I have finished analyzing the video Before telling you the result, can I ask a question?" "Go ahead." "When did your worlds history start to become weird?" 264 Communication with the Pas Chapter 264: Communication with the Past Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi It was an odd question to ask. From Jiang Chens perspective, the history of this world was strange no matter how long he looked at it. Hua reached an agreement with the surrounding countries to form the Pan-Pacific Alliance that included 60% of the worlds population. The resulting alliance would compete head-to-head with NATO and CCCP. For someone like Jiang Chen who would occasionally read the news and keep an eye on current political events, it was a plausible scenario. "Perhaps it was the Soviets collapse?" Jiang Chen thought for a moment, "I remember it was in 1991. In our world, the Soviet was only less than 70 years old." Because of the short-lived two extreme opposites, it didnt trigger the tension which caused the resulting Third World War. Jiang Chen was not a historian, it was his best guess of the situation. "The Soviet collapsed? Thats hard to imagine" Lin Lin pressed her chin as she frowned. "Speaking of this, did we go off topic?" Jiang Chen coughed and said gently. "No," Lin Lin shook her head, "Do you know how the crystal is formed?" "The biological crystallization that formed in mutants and some zombies?" Jiang Chen didnt know why her thought jumped to this common knowledge. "Thats right; the crystal is a form of biological crystallization," Lin Lin nodded, "Based on the theory proposed by Doctor Klein in 2132 through his experiment, every conscious, carbon-based creature possess Klein particles in their body. But normally speaking, the energy level is usually stable and in meager quantity." When Jiang Chen heard that every living creature possessed Klein particle, he subconsciously touched the back of his head. "Dont worry, not every creature would grow those kinds of "tumors". Unless it was an uncontrolled mutation which forces the area that stores the Klein particles to change, then crystals will not form. The stable energy must be agitated to become unstable. Under normal circumstance, creatures with crystals would more easily survive through natural selection. Therefore the mutants that walked out of the nuclear craters would normally possess crystals," Lin Lin looked at Jiang Chens action and mocked. "Based on dissection experiments, Klein particles would normally be stored in the brain." When she talked about this point, Lin Lin stopped and took a deep breath. "Hypothetically I am saying hypothetically if there is a person, the Klein particle concentration in the back of its head would be much higher than normal people. Although crystals had yet to form, the Klein particle concentration was infinitely approaching the threshold value that would create the crystal. Although the probability of this type of genetic mutation is extremely low, with the population base of billions, it could theoretically exist." "Through a kind of induction effect, just like magnets could magnetize metal, this would allow his brain to receive a signal from other timelines. He would be like an old antenna. Although he didnt possess the ability to send out signals, he could passively receive signals from other broadcasting waves. Normally speaking, this signal could only come from the future!" Jiang Chens expression also became sterner, but then he quickly discovered something that didnt add up. "Antenna? Thats not right The brain is not a decoder after all. Even if there is an antenna in the brain, the brain could not decode the electromagnetic wave into a video message." Lin Lin shook her head. "Theoretically it is possible. The area where the Klein particles are stored is part of the brain after all. If the person receiving the signal happened to be sleeping, this would allow the special wave of Klein particles to be translated into a dream which would allow the person receiving the signal to ''see''." "The broadcasting of high energy special waves to the past in the fourth dimension was something that was done in the past, but because it was impossible to pinpoint the fourth-dimensional coordinates, the broadcasting was meaninglessThere was no point in sending the signal billions of years back. In the end, with the consideration of the butterfly effect that could cause an uncontrollable effect on the "present" the experiment was halted. The more advanced the technology, the more likely human play themselves to death." When she spoke of this point, Lin Lin looked at Jiang Chen who was speechlessness. "But by the looks now, the concern was extraneous." The "ancient" Jiang Chen was standing in front her. The interfered "past" would not cause any effect on the "present" now, it was just from the time point where history interfered that a parallel timeline to the "present" evolved. "Time travel, excluding you as an exception I cant explain, without the help of wormhole, even with the entire effort of a civilization, it would still not be possible to send a single particle of sand from the present to the past." Lin Lin took out the memory chip from the full sensory computer. "The cost of sending tangible mass to another point on the timeline is too expensive. Also, what if intangible material without mass was being sent? The signal with only 52kb of information could have been done with the technology from before the war. Plus, there''s also the trouble of pinpointing where the signal will be sent" As she spoke, Lin Lin put the EP chip back into Jiang Chens hand. She looked at him with a serious expression. "What if, someone received the information from the "future", what would he do with it?" What would someone do if they received the signal from the future? When Jiang Chen left Lin Lins room, he had been thinking about this question. But as to what someone would do, it would depend on the information sent from the future? If it were the winning lottery number for the next day, then that person would obviously buy the lottery. But the people from the future would not be bored enough to remember the winning lottery of the particular date to send the information back with such a tremendous cost. "Change the future?" Jiang Chen mustered to himself as he went to his bedroom and lied down on the bed. If CCCP and PAC didnt exist, could they have avoided the Third World War that occurred in 2171? But from the looks of it now, the person that sent the signal back was doing futile work. This world didnt change. What changed was a parallel universe. As Jiang Chen thought about this, he initiated interdimensional travel. The scenery in front of his eyes changed. The sunshine outside of the window instantly became graceful. It was noon already, Ayesha had already got up at this time. Jiang Chen pushed open the bedroom door and walked into the living room. Seeing Jiang Chen walk over, Ayesha who was flipping through fashion magazines on the sofa got up and greeted him. "Someone came to find you." "Someone came to find me? Who?" Jiang Chen said while he stretched his body. "He referred to himself as Mr. Chen. He called our room from the front desk." Mr. Chen? Seemed to be Roberts business partner at Los Santos with some influence in Xiangjiang. On the way to Xiangjiang, Mr. Chen had helped him a lot. Jiang Chen certainly had great impressions of him. "What about now? Where is he?" "I told him you were still sleeping. He asked to notify you after you woke up that he is waiting for you at the first-floor restaurant," Ayesha said gently. 265 Mr. Chen Chapter 265: Mr. Chen Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi Jiang Chen had temporarily put aside the questions regarding the mysterious video. Regardless if the external circumstances, caused the history of his world to diverge from the wastelands, the fact is, it already happened and had nothing to do with him. Or rather, from his perspective, the history of the wasteland was more peculiar. He walked out of the room alone and headed downstairs. It was already noon. Most of the customers at the hotel were enjoying lunch at the Felix restaurant on the 28th floor. Before the three oclock afternoon tea began, the first-floor hall was empty. When he came to the grand hall, he immediately saw Mr. Chen, who was sitting at the restaurant. Chen Wei, a renowned businessman of Xiangjiang, had a focus on the entertainment and real estate market. He was the majority shareholder of Nanfeng Real Estate and Nanfeng Entertainment companies, with a personal net worth of over ten billion. In a black suit with a kind face, he had a slight dogmatic vibe, similar to that of a ruthless leader. Although he was well into his midlife, his dark hair had no signs of balding. Just from his appearance, Mr. Chen looked like a decent businessman. But Jiang Chen knew too well that anyone who did business with Robert was nowhere in being decent. Standing behind him was a bodyguard also in a suit with a pair of shades over his eyes. When he saw Jiang Chen walking over, Mr. Chen stood up courteously and greeted him with a smile. "I have long heard Mr. Jiangs name. Now that I finally have the chance to meet you, Mr. Jiang is indeed a stellar individual." "Mr. Chen is flattering me. Regarding the boat, I have to thank you for that," Jiang Chen humbly replied. "Haha, that is nothing at all. Please sit down" After some brief small talk, Jiang Chen sat down with Chen Weis warm welcome. "Why did Mr. Chen want to see me?" Jiang Chen smiled at Mr. Chen as he comfortably sat on the chair. "Haha, Mr. Jiang is certainly a businessman. Decisive and clear in your actions." Chen Wei leaned against his chair and laughed. "Then I will be straightforward as well. I heard that Mr. Jiangs Future Technology had some small conflicts with Wanghai Citys local government?" When he asked this question, Jiang Chen clearly sensed that Chen Wei was testing him. "Future Technology is only a normal tech company, how would we have conflicts with the local government," Jiang Chen replied without much emotion. If word spreads on the streets, it certainly would negatively impact its reputations. "Haha, I sometimes dont think before I speak," Chen Wei realized that he was too direct and apologized while laughing. "No problem." "I heard rumors that Future Technology plans to relocate its headquarter. Did Mr. Jiang ever considered Xiangjiang as a destination?" Chen Wei asked. Relocate to Xiangjiang? Jiang Chen was somewhat skeptical. He looked at Chen Wei. Although he certainly considered establishing Future Technologys Greater Hua headquarter in Xiangjiang before, he didnt understand why Chen Wei would bring this up. As if he had understood the confusion apparent on Jiang Chens face, Chen Wei smiled and waved his hand at his bodyguard/assistant. He took a piece of a document from his hands. "Because of my relationship with the director of economic development bureau, Su Changyin, the reason for my disturbance this time is at the request of my old friend." As Chen Wei spoke, he handed the document to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen briefly scanned the document as an interested expression surfaced on his face. One year tax-free, three years tax of only half taxable. The generous offer was countless times better than the policy given by Wanghai Citys local government. With the current profitability of Future Technology, the policy of one-year tax-free would save Jiang Chen four billion RMB in tax. Also, with the consideration of the headquarter relocation, some of the employees would also need to be relocated. Xiangjiang government also provided a generous employee immigration policy to Future Technology. They provided one hundred allocations of mainland residency to convert to Xiangjiang residency to ease Future Technologys employee''s relocation. Seeing the interest on Jiang Chens face, Chen Wei also had a smile on his face. "Is the policy given by my old friend enough to please Mr. Jiang?" "Extremely pleased. I just dont know if the Xiangjiang government would maintain fair and just in policymaking?" Jiang Chen asked nonchalantly as he flipped through the document in his hands. Chen Wei first paused for a moment as he heard the words before he started to laugh. "Mr. Jiang, you are worrying too much. I cant promise anything else. But on the point of being fair and just, that I can guarantee. Xiangjiang is not as complicated as Wanghai City. Everything must follow the law here." Fair and just? The law? Although Jiang Chen''s expression did not change, he had a differing opinion. The world knew about Xiangjiangs renowned gang presence. Chen Wei himself was probably not a law-abiding citizen. How many decent businessmen could open an entertainment company in Xiangjiang. But even so, Jiang Chen was extremely pleased with Xiangjiang governments attitude. "Is that so? Thats perfect then." Jiang Chen grinned as he put the document on the table, "Regarding this investment plan, I am pleased. If all the terms in the plan can be followed through, I can say with confidence that Future Technologys Greater Hua headquarters will be located in Xiangjiang." A trace of joy flashed across Chen Weis face as he congratulated, "Haha, then on behalf of my old friend, I here welcome Mr. Jiangs presence in Xiangjiang." To Chen Weis words, Jiang Chen accepted with humility. "Speaking of this, to relocate to Xiangjiang, does Mr. Jiang have any plans regarding the location of the new headquarter of Future Technology?" When he recalled Chen Weis identity, Jiang Chen finally understood the intention behind his visit. "Currently no, does Mr. Chen have any good recommendations?" Jiang Chen smiled. "Haha, then I will be straightforward." Chen Wei didnt hide his intention as he had seen from Jiang Chens expression that he already guessed the reason for his visit. He took another document from his bodyguards hands. "Nanfeng Real Estate has a recently developed office building. It is located in Kowloon near the metro station and a comprehensive set of amenities are included. Is Mr. Jiang interested?" Chen Wei smiled. He took over the document from Chen Weis hand as he flipped through the specifications. All in all, he was pleased. Compared to the building in Wanghai, Nanfeng Real Estates building was better in both appearance and amenities. "Whats the price?" "Two billion HKD, or equivalent to 1.65 billion RMB," Chen Wei said. Jiang Chen gave it a thought before nodding. "This is a reasonable price and I am pleased with the building. As to the acquisition process, I will leave it to the professionals in the company to take care of." Seeing Jiang Chen nod, Chen Wei felt relieved as he had a trace of gratitude in his expression. "Thank you very much." 266 Future International Chapter 266: Future International Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi The Xiangjiang real estate market was not too hot right now. Although the price remained elevated, the number of sales was gradually decreasing and has recently hit a new low of 17 per month. What made it even worse was that Li Jiacheng, who had single-handedly pushed the Xiangjiang real estate market to its peak, had begun to sell his real estate assets for cash. The perpetrator of this has already smelled a dangerous signal. How would the other real estate developers not sense it? Once the interest rate returns to normal, the Xiangjiang real estate market would face immense pressure, the possibility of the "freefall" in 1997 was not out of the realm of possibility. The bubble created by the insane construction of buildings put the cash flow of all real estate developers in an extremely tight situation, Nanfeng real estate was no exception. The office building located in Kowloon had a cost of 1.2 billion HKD, typically speaking, a fair price would be three billion. But for Chen Wei who needed the money to alleviate the pressure on cash flow, he could not wait any longer. Granted, he was not a decent businessman, but with the legal system and its implementation becoming perfected by the day, most of his businesses have been transformed into legal ones. Jiang Chen buying this building definitely gave him some breathing room. With the deal being successful, Chen Wei was naturally ecstatic as he warmly invited Jiang Chen for lunch. Jiang Chen didnt reject the proposal as they went along to the Felix restaurant on the 28th floor. On the dinner table, the two chatted and joked about their encounters around the world. "How is Robert doing?" As they chatted, the conversation turned to Robert. "The same old. He has transitioned his business already. The way he described it was playing with Hollywood girls. Did he not tell you?" Jiang Chen laughed. "I left the industry earlier than him and became legal five years ago. I didnt imagine that the lunatic that dared to sell anything also left the game," Chen Wei exclaimed. "Lunatic? Haha, a fitting name for that guy. Five months ago, he was caught by the IS in Iraq and almost had his head chopped off. "Iraq. He certainly has the guts. Speaking of this, how did you two meet?" Chen Wei asked curiously. Regardless of which perspective, Jiang Chen was a law-abiding businessman, he shouldnt have the opportunity to meet the smuggling middlemen. "We met in Iraq, I saved his life." Because there was nothing to hide, Jiang Chen shrugged. Chen Wei was confused at first before he started laughing and raised his wine glass. "How disrespectable of me. I thought Mr. Jiang was a law-abiding businessman, but Mr. Jiang has a secretive side too. Cheers." To be able to save someone from the hands of the IS, he must have had some connections with the hidden international mercenary groups. The security companies on the surface would usually not take any tasks that would endanger their own lives. When he thought about this, Chen Wei couldnt help but exclaim in his mind, he underestimated this guy. But he still underestimated Jiang Chen. He couldnt fathom that it was not the mercenaries that saved Robert, but Jiang Chen alone. "You are over complimenting me," Jiang Chen said humbly. "Did he stop because of the IS?" "Not exactly. Mostly because the FBA had an eye on him. He was rather unlucky because it was the FBAs ploy that led to him being captured by the IS." "FBA True, if the government decided to intervene, then he must exit the industry," Chen Wei exclaimed. "Is Mr. Chens transition also the result of the government?" Jiang Chen smiled. "Thats right. But it was not the FBA. It was because of the mainland''s General Staff Department." Chen Wei grinned. General Staff Department? Jiang Chens expression was rather odd. "Could the General Staff Department extend its influence here? Jiang Chen asked. "No, as long as you are not too overzealous. However, I was in Guangzhou at that time." Chen Wei paused and looked at Jiang Chen. "Speaking of this, you had some conflicts with the Wang family in Wanghai City?" "It is not wrong to say that." Jiang Chen shrugged. When Chen Wei heard this, he nodded. "It is fine to get into conflict with the Wang family as most of their influence remains in Wanghai City. But definitely dont offend anyone above them, unless you plan to completely abandon your assets in Hua." In the last sentence, Chen Weis tone began to sound melancholic. Perhaps it was something he personally experienced, or experienced by his friends who didn''t have the cleanest history. To his words of advice, Jiang Chen only nodded and didnt say anything else. The two days of relaxing were over. Even Jiang Chen, who hasn''t been involved with the company for awhile, began dealing with tasks related to the company. Although with the help of Xia Shiyu, his workload was lighter. But there were quite a few things that he still must personally do. First, Future International incorporated in New Zealand with Jiang Chen as the sole shareholder. The advantage of an offshore company in New Zealand was that as long as the profit is not generated locally, the only fee that must be paid per year was the annual fee. It was legal to submit zero tax without the need for an audit, and the subsequent steps were much more manageable. The only downside being the registration fee was a bit higher compared to registering in Xiangjiang, but the annual fee was similar for both areas. As the parent company, Future International quickly gained control of 99% of the shares of Future Technology. From now on, Future Technology became a subsidiary of Future International with CEO Xia Shiyu leading the company. At the same time, with Xia Shiyus recommendation, Future Technology divided its market geographically to Greater Hua, Southeast Asia, Russia, European Union, Arabic, North UA and South UA. A subsidiary was formed in each of the geographical areas to operate in each business market. Of course, this business transition created a massive workload that caused a shortage of talent at Future Technology. Jiang Chens solution was simple, it was to buy with money. High salary, great benefits, and hiring headhunters to search for talent all over the world and create a company of talent with money. With Future Technologys low cost and high profits, the investment was negligible to the company. To the technical talents, working at Future Technology was an attractive option to begin with. The talent acquisition was completed without much hindrance. After this was completed, Future Technologys Greater Hua headquarters was relocated to Xiangjiang under the direction of Xia Shiyu. From this point on, Future Technologys tax revenue of no less than two billion per year would say goodbye to Wanghai Citys local government. Although Wang Dehai had personally called Jiang Chen to reservedly but sincerely express his apology in the hopes of him staying, Jiang Chens attitude didnt change at all. The proverb goes, you only realize whats valuable when it''s gone. The moment that the Wang family no longer viewed Future Technology as a partner but rather a piece of juicy meat, he should have considered that this day would come. Translator''s Thoughts _Min_ _Min_ 3 today, 1/3 267 The Angry Wang Dehai Chapter 267: The Angry Wang Dehai Translator: _Min_Editor: Rundi In Wanghai City hundreds of kilometers away, Wang Dehai sat behind the office table with a grave expression on his face. There were two English newspapers on the table. One was a , the other was the