Nighttime.

Chen Shouyi and the Shell Lady sat facing each other, with a flying chess set placed between them.

These days, the Shell Lady was really feeling restless. Her temper, corrected not long ago, was starting to relapse, and she was becoming increasingly agitated, so he had to take time to accompany her.

The chess set was picked up from the neighborhood; he didn't know who had thrown it away.

This stirred up long-lost memories for him.

This flying chess, with simple rules that require no thinking, depending entirely on luck, was his favorite among all games. He played it from kindergarten through elementary school. If he still had someone to play with, since even Chen Xingyue lost interest, he could have played until middle school.

…

He picked up the die, shook it, and gently cast it.

His expression turned ugly instantly.

Damn it, still no six!

His four planes were still at the airport, while the Shell Lady had already launched two, one of which was nearing the finish line.

"It's my turn!" the Shell Lady exclaimed happily. The flying chess rules were simple, and after Chen Shouyi explained them once, she understood.

She grabbed the die and forcefully pushed it, the die rolled several times, landing on another six. The Shell Lady hurriedly picked up a plane and moved it to the ready-to-fly area.

She grinned broadly and triumphantly said, "Silly Giant, I've already flown one out, and you haven't flown any."

"Don't celebrate too soon; it's not over yet." Chen Shouyi smirked coldly.

She rolled again, this time landing on four. She chose the plane that had flown the farthest, walked four steps, and it was almost at the finish line.

Chen Shouyi picked up the die immediately, squinted his eyes slightly, and sneered internally: relying on luck is a low-level way of playing this game, purely kindergarten-grade—now I'll show you real skill.

He glanced at the six-point position, adjusted the die's position, and lightly tossed it.

Three points.

Well, that was slightly too much strength.

The Shell Lady gave him a disdainful look, and Chen Shouyi felt a surge of resentment.

You're celebrating too early!

With his meticulous control over force, he only needed to experiment two or three times to completely master the technique of casting force. Eventually, he could throw whatever number he wanted.

Once my four planes are stacked together, they will be unstoppable. Let's see if you cry by then.

At that moment, the Shell Lady grabbed the die, confidently saying, "This time I'm sure—six again!"

She then forcefully pushed it, the die rolled a few times and then landed.

It was really six again!

The Shell Lady immediately cheered proudly, picked up a plane, and completed stacking another plane. Her airport was completely empty.

"You're cheating!" Chen Shouyi quickly exclaimed.

She definitely cheated; how could she easily roll so many sixes.

"Silly Giant, I did not cheat!" the Shell Lady protested loudly. "You're just dumb."

"Alright, you'll see!" Chen Shouyi stewed with anger, but at this point, I can't help it.

…

A few minutes later, Chen Shouyi employed superior cheating techniques and finally accomplished the ultimate killer move with four stacked planes.

He then pursued vigorously, continuously rolling six and using precise control over the numbers to knock out several of Shell Lady's planes.

The Shell Lady's joyful smile gradually faded, her expression became tense, and tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Her reddened eyes fixed on the repeatedly rolling die.

Half a minute later, Chen Shouyi's four planes smoothly reached the finish line, and Chen Shouyi raised his eyebrows triumphantly: "I win again!"

The Shell Lady pursed her lips and finally burst into tears with a "wah," tears streaming down like rain. As she cried, she pointed at Chen Shouyi, and choked out:

"You... you're a bad Giant, you... cheated."

Chen Shouyi chuckled awkwardly and quickly went over to comfort her: "Alright, alright, I won't cheat this time, let's keep playing!"

…

The next day, Hedong had regained its calm, and people were back on the streets.

Early in the morning, Bai Xiaoling rode her bicycle to Chen Shouyi's house.

Mrs. Chen warmly poured her a cup of hot tea and took Chen Dawei with her, leaving the living room to the two of them.

Chen Shouyi sat on the sofa and looked at Bai Xiaoling, holding the teacup in both hands, her body wrapped tightly, yet still frozen like a shivering quail. He couldn't help but ask, "Is it really that cold outside?"

"It's fifteen degrees below zero outside today, so you tell me," Bai Xiaoling said, almost rolling her eyes.

She glanced enviously at Chen Shouyi, lightly dressed as if it were still autumn.

Martial Artists sure are warm-blooded.

Chen Shouyi wisely chose not to dwell on the topic further and asked, "What brings you here?"

Since the mutation, Hedong City's soldiers have enforced stricter measures to assist in law enforcement, easing the pressure on the police department. Additionally, with transportation issues, Bai Xiaoling had not visited for quite a while.

After all, even if the invasion of creatures from another world occurred, by the time the Martial Artists were contacted, it would already be too late.

"There's something important!" Bai Xiaoling said. "To completely resolve Hedong City's security issue, the City Government and the military have decided to jointly explore the Spatial Passage where those Giant Scythe Insects originated, to obtain first-hand information for a targeted strike..."

"Wait, what are Giant Scythe Insects?" Chen Shouyi interrupted.

"They're the monsters ravaging the lower city districts these days," Bai Xiaoling explained. "The military has named these creatures Giant Scythe Insects."

Not Giant Spiders? What a ridiculous name!

Chen Shouyi thought critically, then asked seriously, "Is this a mandatory mission?"

"It's not mandatory; it's up to individual Martial Artists' willingness. The City Government will deploy five Martial Artists, led by Chief Martial Artist General Qin, totaling six. The military will send the same number," Bai Xiaoling finished, paused, then continued:

"The mission is quite dangerous, and although the rewards are high, and your strength is considerable, I still advise against going."

Chen Shouyi thought about it and understood. The individual power of Martial Artists is immensely strong, especially under current circumstances, where the state apparatus's power has dramatically declined, making it impossible to force Martial Artists, only able to entice them with grand ideals and benefits.

But Bai Xiaoling was obviously not a good political guide.

"You just mentioned high rewards, what are the rewards?" Chen Shouyi asked.

"This time, the City Government and the military will collaborate to establish a Safe Zone in the suburbs. A large residential area has already been purchased. The reward is a villa in this Safe Zone," Bai Xiaoling explained.

Chen Shouyi leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.

Since the mutation, the city has become less habitable, with a dense population and high prices. If not for the relatively safer environment and relief centers that allow the unemployed to barely get by, many would have already moved to surrounding rural areas.

However, this incident clearly showed that cities aren't absolutely safe either.

It doesn't matter to him; even if taken to another world, he can mostly ensure survival. But his family members are ordinary people. This Safe Zone being established is obviously meant for the nobility or some high-level talents, guaranteeing absolute safety.

Raising his head, Chen Shouyi asked, "When is it happening?"

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