Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 151: Advance and Retreat

“Dachuan.” The dice arrived in Gu Nian’s hands, but he didn’t rush to throw it, instead calling out to his teammate first.

Jiang Dachuan was squatting on Grid 1, mentally almost isolated from the whole world. It took him a while before he faintly realized that someone seemed to be calling him from an unknown direction.

He silently lifted his head and slowly looked towards Gu Nian at the distant Grid 29, responding with a lifeless, “Huh?”

Gu Nian smiled at him—a light and shallow smile. “The captain said he changed his mind. The Rolls-Royce he just bought, you can be the first to drive it.”

Jiang Dachuan sprang up, looking towards Wang Duanran in shock and delight. “Really?!”

“Ah?” Wang Duanran was baffled for two seconds, then seemed to understand and nodded hard. “…Yeah.”

Jiang Dachuan was overjoyed. What PK failure? What being sent back to the starting point? Now they were all dust in the universe!

Wang Duanran’s heart was bleeding. He could almost foresee the grim future of his new car getting scratched, rear-ended, and needing body paint.

However, the atmosphere, which was one-sided just a moment ago, became lively and complex again due to this interlude and Jiang Dachuan’s revival.

Xu Wang was somewhat surprised. The last time they clashed, his impression of this team was that the relationships between teammates were lukewarm, but now it seemed he was one-sided. A scattered team couldn’t have come this far; it was just that each team’s cohesion was different.

“Rolling—”

Gu Nian’s dice had already landed.

2, 29-31.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Grid 31 revealed, surprise.

Kuang Jinxin was at Grid 33. According to the position, it conformed to the [Pond Fish Rule], but his Bystander’s Amulet was still active, so his teammates weren’t worried.

Compared to Xu Wang’s team’s calm, Wang Duanran’s team was a bit more anxious, although it wasn’t their first time tackling this challenge. Any surprise, taken lightly, could send you back to the starting point.

The surprise was quickly revealed—the Happy Wheel!

This was the second time the Happy Wheel appeared in the game. Gu Nian was clearly interested in this game; as soon as the wheel stabilized, he grabbed and spun it hard!

The wheel spun swiftly and colorfully, like a palette.

After a while, the wheel finally stopped—Tornado!

Instantly, a small tornado formed around the square Gu Nian was standing on, blowing him away with its rapid wind force!

Tornado—can blow a person randomly to any square.

All nine teammates instinctively looked up, following the graceful arc drawn by Gu Nian in the air, eventually landing on step A4.

Starting from point A, Gu Nian was blown by the tornado to Grid A4, just two steps away from the finish line.

The air suddenly solidified.

A few seconds later, Wang Duanran’s team, having reacted, erupted in excitement!

“Gu Nian, you did great!” Chen Guan felt as if a huge rock pressing on his chest for a long time was shattered by this wind; he now felt he could leap eight hundred miles and punch with a thousand pounds of force!

“Gu Nian, finish the battle in the next round!” Jiang Dachuan was excited as if he was the one close to the finish line.

“Gu Nian!” With everything else said by his teammates, all Kong Lizhe could shout was the name.

Wang Duanran proudly looked towards Kuang Jinxin, with only three squares between them. “You’re right, luck is the greatest strength.”

Kuang Jinxin revealed a bright smile of affirmation. “I told you so.”

Wang Duanran: “……”

Is there a misunderstanding in their communication?!

A 2-point roll directly put Gu Nian far ahead—Kuang Jinxin still had more than half a circle to go (1-52), while others were already on the sprint steps—and also completely reversed the atmosphere of the race.

Momentum is a thing; either the east wind prevails over the west wind or the west wind over the east.

Next up was Kong Lizhe. He hummed a tune as he threw the dice. Although the result was just 1 point, from 7 to 8, a blank, the joy in his eyes didn’t fade.

“6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6……” Qian Ai prayed devotedly while holding the dice.

Kong Lizhe could understand the desire to roll a 6. After all, 6 and 10 allow for another roll, meaning one round could cover the distance of two… Hold up! Kong Lizhe’s eyes widened, counting the squares, and he felt a chill down his spine. Qian Ai was at 2, while he was at 8. If Qian Ai rolled at 6, that would land him right on his square! Was this seeking a PK addiction?! He absolutely, fundamentally, did not want to PK with this guy at all!

Rolling—7.

Qian Ai sighed in disappointment, missing the duel.

Kong Lizhe sighed in relief, surviving the ordeal.

7, 2–9, reward, 1,000 yuan.

The moment the square was revealed, Qian Ai went crazy. “Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Xiao Kuang, Xiao Xue—it’s a cash reward—cash!”

“……” Wang Duanran’s team was perplexed.

It was just 1,000 yuan, yet why did it feel like it brought 1,000,000 yuan’s worth of joy?

Next, Kuang Jinxin rolled an 8, 33–41, directly joining Chi Yingxue on the same blank square.

Chi Xue stepped back half a step, making room for Kuang Jinxin on the square.

Kuang Jinxin landed.

Without any small talk, Chi Yingxue glanced at Gu Nian on the central platform in the water, saying, “He’s 29 steps ahead of you.”

Kuang Jinxin didn’t care. “As long as we’re not the last one to reach the finish line, we win.”

Chi Yingxue tilted his head and pondered for a moment. “That’s true.”

Jiang Dachuan, the only one who hadn’t taken off yet, his little heart had just been fluttering from the Rolls-Royce, was stabbed twice.

Just after leaving the starting point, Captain Xu, currently second to last in the game, also had a stray bullet graze him.

Not wanting to lose at the last moment, he then rolled a 6!

15–21, Gu Nian once won 20,000 yuan here!

Captain Xu’s earnings were slightly less, but he still pocketed 10,000 yuan!

He could roll again.

Xu Wang looked at the square in front of him, calculating that either a 7 or 9 would do, 7 to Grid 28, blank, 9 to Grid 30, reward.

Taking a deep breath, he threw the dice onto the water surface.

Another 6!

Xu Wang was stunned, not even believing his own luck. Could he possibly throw it a third time?

The whole group of friends didn’t react for a moment.

21–27, launch point, blank.

Xu Wang, feeling dizzy, threw for the third time—6.

Wu Sheng, Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai almost wished he could gift him a yacht. “Captain, 666!”

Jiang Dachuan, Kong Lizhe, Gu Nian, Chen Guan remained silent.

Wang Duanran couldn’t stand it anymore, slamming the table and complained with genuine emotion, “Hey, can you not? If this keeps up, no one will want to play with you! You might as well just walk directly to the finish line!”

27-33, blank.

When Xu Wang landed in Grid 33, he still felt like he was stepping on clouds, floating. The happiness came too suddenly and too intensely, and he was somewhat unable to withstand it.

On his fourth roll, it was finally not a 6, but a 1.

Xu Wang himself breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that rolling another 6 might use up all the luck for this level too soon.

33–34, surprise.

Xu Wang quickly gathered his happy bubbles, ready for what’s next!

[Owl: Quick Happy Answer in ten seconds!]

Xu Wang was startled, subconsciously looking at Wu Sheng, not quite sure, yet somewhat sure, but not really confident. After all, even their own advisor couldn’t have scanned every part of the level, right?

Wang Duanran’s team laughed.

Especially Kong Lizhe, who saw this as an early declaration of return. “Stop struggling. Just go back to the launch point honestly.”

[Owl: In the 6/23 Castle, which broom flies the fastest? A. Black Storm B. Crimson Flame C. Blue Snow D. White Elf. Countdown begins! 10! 9! 8……]

Xu Wang was utterly hopeless. Flying brooms belong to the Happy Line, and they had only glimpsed their colleagues riding brooms from afar through a window. What the brooms were called, how fast they flew—who knows!

Wang Duanran’s team was also confused. They had gone through the Happy Line and ridden brooms—of course, let’s not recall the specifics to avoid trauma—but all the brooms looked the same; they all had the same color. Where was there black, crimson, blue, white?

“Xu Wang,” Wu Sheng suddenly said.

Xu Wang’s heart jolted, his gaze meeting him again, hope kindling yet not daring to burn too fiercely.

Wu Sheng said, “C. Blue Snow.”

His voice wasn’t deliberately steady or lowered. It was just as casual as when he used to explain problems to him, pointing out effortlessly, “Here, this is the correct answer.”

“C. Blue Snow.” Xu Wang didn’t hesitate for a moment.

[Owl: Correct answer! Congratulations!]

“Sheng Ge!” Kuang Jinxin wore an unabashed look of admiration.

Qian Ai was amazed, giving their advisor a thumbs up.

Xu Wang’s square stabilized, but Wang Duanran’s team’s morale was shaken. Chen Guan, closest to Wu Sheng, just two squares away, straightforwardly said, “The brooms in the Happy Line don’t have names.”

Wu Sheng said, “Just because you didn’t see, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

Chen Guan’s face sank. “We’ve ridden them eight times!”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai could understand—it was better to choose the same line for familiarity. But he was also curious. “Doesn’t that get uncomfortable?”

Chen Guan: “……”

Wang Duanran, Kong Lizhe, Gu Nian, Jiang Dachuan: “……”

They didn’t want to answer.

Wu Sheng suddenly sympathized with the opponents. Since it wasn’t a big secret, he might as well clarify. “You also bought the badge handbook, right?”

Wang Duanran and the others were stunned, unsure whether to answer.

Seeing their expressions, Wu Sheng knew he guessed right. Actually, from the last encounter, their familiarity with the badges and challenges was enough for him to make this inference.

Since the badge handbook wasn’t a secret, then his answer could be shared. “Next time you have a chance to return to 6/23, you might want to check the second row from the left on the magazine rack in the basement level convenience store. The third magazine from the left on the cover, the fourth line of the small title—Black Storm loses to Crimson Flame, Blue Snow kills White Elf.”

Wang Duanran: “It could also be Crimson Flame!”

Wu Sheng: “Right, so between the two, I choose Blue Snow.”

Wang Duanran: “Why?”

Wu Sheng: “If you have three longs and one short, choose the shortest; three shorts and one long, choose the longest; two longs and two shorts, choose b; if it’s uneven, C is invincible*.”

*Clarity: This is apparently an exam formula, where if you have three long answers and one short answer, choose the short answer; if you have three short answers and one long answer, choose the longest. If it’s two short and two long, choose B. If it’s uneven (in this case, Crimson Flames (赤烈焰) and Blue Snow (蓝雪)) choose C.

Wang Duanran: “……”

All friends: “……”

Since Advisor Wu revived everyone’s fear of being dominated by multiple-choice questions in exams, for a long time after, everyone was very low-key.

Chi Yingxue rolled a 4, 41–45, and stood on a reward square with Wu Sheng, earning 10,000 yuan.

Wang Duanran rolled a 5, 37–42, revealed a surprise. The ground underneath turned into quicksand, which he used stationery to stabilize.

Chen Guan rolled a 9, from 48–5, also revealing a surprise. It was the Happy Wheel. The result was that he had to choose to go back a number of squares between 1–10. He naturally chose one, 5–4, blank.

Lastly, Wu Sheng rolled a 10, from 45–3, revealing a surprise. Toxic vines suddenly grew from the ground, which he used stationery to cut and burn them, finally uprooting them. Continuing, he rolled again, a 3, 3–6, reward, receiving stationery.

Wu Sheng smiled wryly. He had obtained this stationery a long time ago but had kept it unused due to not understanding its effect. Now, the icon in his stationery box was directly doubled.

By the end of the sixth round, there had been significant changes in the situation. The progress ranking of the ten friends was as followed—

1. Gu Nian, base 52/52, steps 4/5, only 2 steps away from the finish line.
2. Kuang Jinxin, Launch Point B (14)-41, progress 28/52
3. Xu Wang, Launch Point B (14)-34, progress 21/52
4. Chi Yingxue, Launch Point (27)-45, progress 19/52
5. Chen Guan, Launch Point D (40)-52-4, progress 17/52
6. Wu Sheng, Launch Point (40)-52-3, progress 16/52
7. Wang Duanran, Launch Point C (27)-42, progress 16/52
8. Qian Ai, Launch Point A (1)-9, progress 9/52
9. Kong Lizhe, Launch Point A (1)-8, progress 8/52
10. Jiang Dachuan, Launch Point A.

Looking at this round, Captain Xu quietly climbed to third place thanks to rolling triple sixes; Chi Yingxue and Chen Guan advanced steadily without making much noise; Gu Nian, with his strong luck, directly stepped up, and despite any reluctance, one must admit the huge gap in luck and talent does exist, something Jiang Dachuan would feel most deeply.

Wu Sheng also had this clear ranking in his mind. Gu Nian was likely to reach the finish line first, but similarly, the last one could also be from the opposing team. The key to winning this level wasn’t about who was the fastest but who was the slowest, so the current situation wasn’t too bad for his side.

Of course, if he had to choose, he’d prefer Gu Nian not to reach first. Letting the opponent take the lead would be too significant a loss in terms of momentum and morale. But at this point, it seemed inevitable.

While Advisor was calculating the battle situation, Jiang Dachuan, at his Launch Point A (Grid 1) for the seventh round, had already thrown the heavy dice again.

2.

Jiang Dachuan nodded, continuing to stay at the Launch Point calmly, unsure if this was due to a stable mindset or numbness.

The dice flew into Gu Nian’s hands.

The whole place quieted down, silent as if even the ripples on the water stopped, turning the water surface into a serene, azure-blue canvas.

Bright light from the glass dome above cast down, spotlighting Gu Nian, the man closest to the finish line, as if locking him in on it.

Gu Nian appeared composed, but his calm, deep gaze betrayed the importance he placed on this throw.

As he gently released his hand, the dice landed on the water surface as smooth as a mirror.

The shadow slowly rose—10.

The whole group of friends: “……”

Throwing a 10 at this time was truly… complicated.

To reach the finish line, the number must be exact; if over, one must move back accordingly.

So, under the watchful eyes of all, Gu Nian moved forward first—A4–A5–Finish Line—then moved back—Finish Line–A5–A4–A3–A2–A1–1–52–51.

51, surprise.

It took Gu Nian just a minute to get rid of the dead needles falling from the sky.

Then he carefully threw the dice a second time.

This time, the dice didn’t hit the water but rolled to Jiang Dachuan at Grid 1, stopping by his feet—10.

Someone, unable to hold back, exclaimed, “What the—”, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

Xu Wang’s team, though not hoping for Gu Nian to reach the finish line, felt somewhat sorry for him throwing consecutive 10s, especially at this time, from a humanitarian perspective.

Wang Duanran’s team, needless to say, wished they could snatch that dice and chew it up for being so disobedient and replace it with a more obedient one!

He was back to where he retreated.

Gu Nian moved back to A4.

The third throw.

Even Gu Nian, as composed as he was, seemed a bit shaky, uncertain if it was nervousness or frustration.

This time, he threw the dice onto the Finish Line stone slab.

“Rolling—”

6.

Xu Wang’s team: “……”

Kong Lizhe, Chen Guan, Jiang Dachuan: “……”

Wang Duanran: “Gu Nian, you don’t have to be so competitive. Just because they threw a 666, you don’t have to counter with 10-10-6. We don’t need much; just 2 would suffice!”

Gu Nian: “……”

Of course, he wanted a 2, but it’s not like he could remote control the dice!

Rarely anything could make Gu Nian feel agitated, but today, this game of Aeroplane Chess succeeded.

Trying to calm his mood with a deep breath, Gu Nian watched as he was sent forward and then back—A5–Finish Line–A5–A4–A3–A2.

The dice was thrown for the fourth time, rolling on the step before falling into the water.

3.

A2–A3–A4–A5.

He was only one step away from the finish line.

The long-suppressed atmosphere finally broke through.

Wang Duanran’s team didn’t boast loudly this time, but everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, after moving back and forth, he still advanced a step. Ignoring the process and focusing only on the result, it was definitely good. Well, yes, just ignore the process.

The team could ignore the process, but Gu Nian couldn’t forget it. He looked at the Finish Line that was so close, yet he felt an overwhelming sense of an endless journey ahead.

Xu Wang’s team remained silent.

Their silence wasn’t due to worry about Gu Nian reaching first but seeing in Gu Nian’s repeated attempts their own bitter future of “desperately seeking the Finish Line but not reaching it”.

The last five steps had no attributes as they were all blank—truly, it was a path of despair.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 150: Mentality

“Welcome home.” Qian Ai, who has resigned to taking root on Grid 1, cheerfully stepped back to make space for Jiang Dachuan, who was bumped back by his captain.

Jiang Dachuan doesn’t feel like talking right now.

On Grid 2, Kong Lizhe glared at Qian Ai, annoyed. “Could you maybe take off before you start with the wisecracks?”

Qian Ai: “You’ve only moved 1 space yourself. Don’t get carried away.”

Kong Lizhe: “……”

The sound of the dice landing interrupted their bickering and drew the attention of everyone on the board.

Gu Nian and Kuang Jinxin were the vanguards for their teams, and whoever reached the end first would have fired the first shot for their team—a matter crucial for the team’s morale and fortune.

The dice rolled forward and finally stopped on an empty space ahead—6.

Wang Duanran was thrilled. “Beautiful!”

Jiang Dachuan and Kong Lizhe were also energized.

A roll of 6 allowed for another throw, effectively giving one an extra move compared to others. Now, he was only 2 spaces behind Kuang Jinxin, and overtaking him seemed almost certain!

Even Chen Guan, who usually had a stern face, lightened up considerably and shouted across the space, “Lao Gu.” When Gu Nian looked over, he glanced towards Kuang Jinxin and said, “It’s up to you now.”

Gu Nian nodded in understanding.

Although they were on Wang Duanran’s payroll, having fought side by side up to this point, there was a sense of camaraderie and understanding among them. Chen Guan’s “It’s up to you” wasn’t simply about overtaking Kuang Jinxin in progress but also about catching up in position, preferably landing on the same spot to directly knock Kuang Jinxin back.

Overtaking was one thing, but being overtaken was always a possibility. Only by completely knocking the opponent back to the starting point, denying them any chance of a comeback, could one truly claim victory—Gu Nian understood what Chen Guan meant. After all, Chen Guan was the most temperamental in the team, still burning from the frustration of their last encounter at the castle.

As they spoke, Gu Nian completed his move—15-21.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Grid 21 revealed, reward.

Ding—

[Cheat Sheet]: Congratulations to Gu Nian for receiving a cash reward of 20,000 yuan!

Qian Ai couldn’t believe it. “Damn, what kind of luck is this? Is he blessed by the God of Wealth—”

Grid 20 was already a reward space, and now Grid 21 is too. Is the board created by Gu Nian’s family?!

Gu Nian looked over with an apologetic sigh. “It’s out of my hands when I’m in the game.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Why couldn’t he be the one to suffer such “out of my hands” misfortune!

The dice returned to Gu Nian’s hand. He became serious and looked at Kuang Jinxin’s position, silently calculating the spaces.

While he did so, everyone else did too.

A roll of 9 would land him on Grid 30, where Kuang Jinxin currently was. That space had already been revealed by Kuang Jinxin as a reward. The rest was up to him to knock the opponent back.

Wang Duanran’s team quieted down, silently wishing their teammate luck, as if the air itself was filled with the number “9”.

Xu Wang’s team watched closely, genuinely hoping Gu Nian rolled a 1.

The dice was thrown, landing on the water nearby, creating a small splash.

Everyone held their breath for the result…

8.

Gu Nian looked around and gave his teammates an apologetic look.

Wang Duanran was optimistic. “We’re already a quarter ahead in progress. Just keep up the pace and rush to the finish!”

Gu Nian’s Launch Point A was a quarter circle behind Kuang Jinxin’s Launch Point B. Now that he was caught up next to Kuang Jinxin, in terms of overall progress, that was a quarter lead, right?

Xu Wang breathed a sigh of relief, not caring much about catching up as long as they weren’t in the same space. He didn’t wish for Xiao Kuang to play this vicious stationery PK game.

After moving, Gu Nian landed on Grid 29.

Behind him was Wang Duanran on Grid 28.

Ahead of him was Kuang Jinxin on Grid 30.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Grid 29 revealed, surprise.

The moment Wang Duanran saw the [Cheat Sheet], he immediately retreated all the way to the edge of Grid 28. Gu Nian, on the other hand, firmly moved forward, all the way to the line intersecting Grids 29 and 30.

This put nearly two meters of distance between Gu Nian and Wang Duanran, and even closer to Kuang Jinxin.

Kuang Jinxin was puzzled, while Wu Sheng immediately reacted. “Xiao Kuang, be careful not to get caught in the surprise!”

One must not overstep, but surprises know no bounds. Being so close, it felt unsafe, no matter how one thought about it.

As soon as the words were spoken, a gray shadow burst out from the ground at high speed, fiercely pouncing towards Gu Nian!

Gu Nian’s body suddenly soared more than two meters high. The gray shadow missed and plunged into the water, creating a layer of gray as if it had landed on the water’s surface.

Kuang Jinxin stared blankly at the gray shadow, which gradually revealed arms, legs… In the rippling water, he suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

Just as he was wondering, a prompt suddenly came to his ears—

[Owl: Someone is within three grids. [Pond Fish Rule] activated. Darlings around, share the surprise~~ You cannot attack opponents, but accidental harm doesn’t count~~]

Kuang Jinxin was stunned. The previously incomprehensible [Pond Fish Rule] appeared!

A disaster for the gate causes trouble for the fish in the pond, so does this mean, as their advisor deduced, that being nearby would get one involved in the surprise?

“Xiao Kuang—”

An urgent call came from the distance.

Kuang Jinxin snapped back to reality, only to find the gray shadow charging at him, already face to face.

At that moment, Kuang Jinxin remembered where he had seen this gray figure before—it was the [(Offense) Returning Home] used by the Camouflage Team in the 4/23 Moonlight Maze!

The shadow was so fast that there was no time to dodge, and Kuang Jinxin was struck squarely.

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Wu Sheng all tensed up, while Chi Yingxue threw a stationery. After all, it was only said that you can’t attack opponents, but didn’t say you can’t attack surprises.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the stationery came out, it fell into the water, not even flying a meter.

Chi Yingxue narrowed his eyes, probably understanding that outside the [Pond Fish Rule], or rather, those not within the nearby three grids, could only watch, unaffected and without the right to intervene.

At this moment, a faint golden light suddenly appeared around Kuang Jinxin.

The next second, the gray ghost shadow bounced back to the water surface!

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: [Bystander’s Amulet of Protection] activated.

Kuang Jinxin had almost forgotten about the Happy Wheel incident; so, being a bystander means not being affected! Does “three rounds” mean he can dodge three times, or is it effective for three rounds?

While Kuang Jinxin pondered one question after another, Wu Sheng was closely watching the shadow, realizing his earlier judgment was wrong. Wang Duanran’s avoidance wasn’t out of “fear” of being affected, but because he knew the [Pond Fish Rule] would be triggered, and under this rule, surprises would actively attack those within the nearby three grids!

The shadow then turned towards Wang Duanran, who used a defense stationery, managing to hold off for a moment.

“Fwish—”

Gu Nian had used some stationery, causing flames to ignite above his head and on both shoulders, shining with a blue light like a gas stove.

The next moment, the blue flames flew towards the shadow.

Just as the shadow turned, preparing to attack Gu Nian again, shadow and flames collided squarely.

The blue flames blazed intensely, like three blooming lotuses, and the ghost shadow twisted and deformed in the fiery light, eventually vanishing.

Wang Duanran removed his defense stationery and sat on the ground, gasping for breath.

Glancing up by chance, he met Kuang Jinxin’s gaze and said unpleasantly, “What are you looking at? You’re just lucky, or you would have died a hundred times over.”

Kuang Jinxin, who was just quietly minding his business, was now the target of anger, no longer followed the path of love and peace, and calmly declared, “Qian Ge said, luck is the greatest strength.”

Wang Duanran: “……”

Kong Lizhe and Jiang Dachuan looked at Qian Ai, then understood.

Qian Ai frowned, feeling the gazes on him were full of sympathy.

The dice came into Kong Lize’s hands.

He threw it, a 5.

He moved from 2 to 7, but Grid 7 had already been revealed—a surprise.

Surprises are definitely the most tormenting little devils.

Kong Lize focused intently, daring not to be careless for even a second, and finally landed on Grid 7 after a slow descent.

[Owl: Quick Happy Answer! What is the contact number on the small advertisement posted on the flat map board at the entrance of the Central Hospital in 3/23? A.2586XXXX B.2568XXXX C.2877XXXX D.2657XXXX. Countdown begins! 10! 9! 8! 7……]

This prompt sounded in everyone’s ears.

Although Kong Lize was the one answering, Xu Wang and the others were inexplicably nervous, and… Why is there even a quiz?! And such a crazy question at that?! Who would notice a small ad while running through levels!

“B… B! I choose B!” Kong Lize, although prepared, still felt his heart pounding and almost couldn’t speak clearly.

[Owl: Correct answer. Congratulations!]

Grid 7 was securely passed.

Kong Lize felt a huge relief. His forehead was covered in sweat as if he had returned to the scene of a college entrance exam—truly a true journey through hell.

“Xiao Kong,” Qian Ai called affectionately, unashamed to ask. “Did you really remember, or was it a guess?”

“If you’ve been tricked before, you’d start to observe life in a twisted way during the challenges. But that’s a story for another time.” Kong Lize wiped his sweat and smiled. “You all just pray you don’t encounter such surprises, or you’ll be sent back to the starting point one after another.”

Qian Ai: “Xiao Kong…”

Kong Lize: “I’ve tolerated you for a long time. Don’t simplify people’s names at will!”

Qian Ai wanted to continue the conversation, but the dice had already flown to his own hands.

Well, squatting at the launch point for so long, he almost forgot he had the right to roll the dice.

“Clack.”

The dice landed and hit Jiang Dachuan’s foot, who was also at the starting point, and almost didn’t roll before stopping.

6.

Finally, he, could, fly!

“Da Jiang!” Qian Ai wanted to embrace this lucky star!

Jiang Dachuan: “……”

Even if one really wanted to get closer, normal people should call him Da Chuan, right?!

Qian Ai’s heart had already flown to the moon, now seeing everyone as little angels.

1-2.

One small step on the game board, one giant leap for Qian Ai.

Next was—

Kuang Jinxin, 3, 30-33, blank.

Xu Wang, 10, taking off again.

Chi Yingxue, 5, 36-41, landing on the same blank square as Wu Sheng.

“You’re quite fast without making a sound.” Wu Sheng had only moved one square from the starting point, while Xiao Xue had rushed over from the previous launch point.

Chi Yingxue looked back at the path he had taken, sighing softly. “I’ve only encountered blank squares.”

His words were filled with regret.

Wu Sheng smiled. “At least there was a snake.”

“The combat power is too weak.” Chi Yingxue shook his head, his gaze wandering into the distance, full of longing. “If only it were a snake spirit.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Wang Duanran’s dice landed, freeing Wu Sheng from the “conversation dilemma”.

9.

28-37, blank.

Chen Guan, 3, 45–48, was rewarded with [(Defense) Immunity to All Poisons]!

Wu Sheng, 4, 41–45, was rewarded with 3,000 yuan.

The fifth round ended, and the lead in progress changed—Gu Nian advanced 29 squares, Kuang Jinxin 20 squares—the former overtaking by 9 squares!

Wang Duanran’s team’s morale surged once again.

Jiang Dachuan, who had been sent back to the starting point by Xu Wang in the previous round, rolled the dice again with full force!

10!

Jiang Dachuan was overjoyed. “Taking off!”

“Hey, I’m standing here.” Qian Ai, who had just taken off last round and was exactly on Grid 2, felt as if Jiang Dachuan didn’t see him at all and immediately gave him a friendly reminder.

Jiang Dachuan, already in mid-air, spread his hands. “Sorry, for making you return as soon as you took off.”

Qian Ai widened his eyes. “Who gave you such audacity? Xiao Wang?”

Jiang Da Chuan: “……”

Kong Li Ze: “……”

Chen Guan: “……”

Wang Duanran: “I’m so damn far away from you. Can you not drag me into this!”

[Owl: Please choose the stationery you want to use within ten seconds.]

As Qian Ai and Jiang Dachuan stood back-to-back, the countdown began.

Qian Ai stared at his [Stationery Box] with a serious expression and deep gaze. His stationery included items like [Swish Swish Hidden Blade], [Money Darts], and [Invincible Hot Wheels], which required his own effort and weren’t powerful enough on their own. The rest were either odd or of uncertain effectiveness. If the opponent used a decapitation move, he couldn’t counter with dust and ashes…

[4, 3, 2…]

The countdown was about to end, and Qian Ai was ready to take a gamble!

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Qian Ai uses [(Defense) Iron Shirt], Jiang Dachuan is safe; Jiang Dachuan uses [(Offense) Shattered to Pieces], Qian Ai stood unmovable, defense successful, safe. This round of PK ends in a draw.

The scene was silent.

Because Wang Duanran’s team had never encountered such an event. In a stationery PK, starting with lethal weapons and brutal fantasy items, who the hell uses defensive items!

How do we count this draw?

[Owl: Please choose the stationery you want to use within ten seconds.]

“Again?” Jiang Dachuan exclaimed out of shock.

Qian Ai let out a big sigh of relief, as if he had narrowly escaped a calamity.

With the prompt sound, they had to stand back-to-back again.

The ten-second countdown ended.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Qian Ai used [(Defense) Impenetrable Golden Armor], Jiang Dachuan is safe; Jiang Dachuan uses [(Offense) Cutting Iron Like Mud], Qian Ai’s golden armor remained intact, defense successful, safe. This round of PK ends in a draw.

Xu Wang’s team: “……”

Wang Duanran’s team: “……”

Jiang Dachuan: “……Damn!”

[Owl: Please choose the stationery you want to use within ten seconds.]

Jiang Dachuan, having been blocked by the iron shirt, switched to cutting iron like mud. He had withstood it with his golden armor. What would Jiang Dachuan change to next… Qian Ai’s brain was spinning fast. He had never worked this hard even for college exams.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Qian Ai uses [(Defense) Righteous Aura], Jiang Dachuan is safe; Jiang Dachuan uses [(Offense) Ghostly Reaping], Qian Ai was unaffected by evil, safe. This round of PK ends in a draw.

In a flash, three rounds had passed, all ending in draws.

Jiang Dachuan was going insane.

Although it was a text-based battle, the stationery used was real and consumed, just like in an actual fight! In these three rounds, he had used stationeries that could stand on their own, and what about the opponent? Just three defense stationeries!

In a moment, Jiang Dachuan realized. “You’re tricking me into wasting my stationeries!”

Lao Qian felt wronged. “Your stationery is stationery, but mine isn’t? If I had something like crushing bones to dust, I would have used it on you already, but I don’t have it!”

Jiang Dachuan: “Then what do you have! All defense? When it was time for rewards, were you the only one with a three-piece set of defensive items?!”

“I also have offense and illusory!” A man of honor cannot be humiliated. “If I really use them, don’t regret it!”

Jiang Dachuan: “I’m afraid you’re not using them harshly enough!”

[Owl: Please choose the stationery you want to use within ten seconds.]

Jiang Dachuan turned around, trying to calm himself down. Talking tough is easy, but if you believe the tough talk, that’s foolish. Qian Ai had tasted the sweetness of defense, so logically, he wouldn’t easily give it up. Moreover, if he really had lethal stationery, he would have used it already… Wait. Jiang Dachuan furrowed his brow. What if Qian Ai was waiting for this moment, waiting for him to be reluctant to use good stationery against his broken defense stationery, waiting for him to waver, and then strike a fatal blow?

Should he continue with a defensive strategy to wear down his opponent or unexpectedly throw in an offense to exploit a gap? Jiang Dachuan was torn between the two theories, finding it hard to make a decision.

If it was the former, he would also throw in a defense stationery, continuing the stalemate without risking his weapons; if it was the latter, he could throw in an offense stationery to see who was more ruthless, but the outcome was uncertain. He could also throw in a defense stationery to ensure a tie.

Throwing a defense stationery—this was the best solution for this round!

When Jiang Dachuan made his decision, Qian Ai was frantically browsing through his [Stationery Box]. His brain was on the verge of exploding. However, this round he was definitely going to use an offense or illusory stationery. A man’s promise is his bond, and once said, it cannot be taken back!

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Qian Ai uses [(Illusory) Ah, Fortune Has Fallen], Jiang Dachuan is forever doomed; Jiang Dachuan uses [(Defense) Impenetrable as Fortified Metal], Qian Ai is safe. Jiang Dachuan’s mentality collapses. Qian Ai wins.

The whole audience: “……”

Qian Ai looked at Jiang Dachuan with a baffled face. He had already said he didn’t have the kind of offense stationery that could crush bones into dust, so why did the other party still use such a defense stationery?

Jiang Dachuan didn’t look at him.

The man who was sent back to the launch point for the second time quietly squatted down in Grid 1. His state of mind was just like the result of the stationery PK battle—completely shattered.

---

The author has something to say:

Xiao Wang, Xiao Kong, Da Jiang. From the nicknames, it’s clear that Qian Ai’s feelings towards Jiang Dachuan are different from others—after all, this man has illuminated his path from Africa to EU*.

*Gaming slang referring to luck, as EU = white = lucky while Africa = black = unlucky.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 149: Continuing to Fly

In the third round, flights finally began to take off in succession—Jiang Dachuan, Xu Wang, Chi Yingxue, and Chen Guan—all rolled either a 6 or a 10.

Kong Lize, Qian Ai, Wang Duanran, and Wu Sheng remained in place, waiting.

Gu Nian rolled a 2, moving from 11 to 13, but nothing happened; it was another blank grid.

Kuang Jinxin rolled a 5, moving from 20 to 25…

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Grid 25 revealed, surprise.

The atmosphere instantly tensed up, as this was the first surprise grid since the game began, especially for Xu Wang’s team, who were eager to see what surprise the Owl had in store.

Before the prompt faded, a large wheel with wings suddenly materialized on Grid 23 where Kuang Jinxin stood. If not for the pointer in the middle of the wheel, it looked almost like a sentient electric fan.

As the wheel stabilized on the grid, the wings vanished.

Xu strongly suspected that this spinning wheel was stolen from a mall where a lottery event was being held, as it was exceptionally colorful and festive.

[Owl: Happy Roulette! You have thirty seconds to try your luck~~ If you don’t spin it in time, move back five spaces. Countdown begins.]

Xu Wang, being far away, couldn’t clearly see the different sections on the spinning wheel or what rewards they offered. Turning around, he looked at Gu Nian, who was just two spaces behind him, and waved with a friendly smile. “Hi.”

Gu Nian nodded gently and said in a calm and polite tone, “There will be a projection soon.”

Xu Wang: “I didn’t even ask yet…”

Gu Nian smiled. “Given the timing, it must be related to the Happy Roulette. Considering your first visit here, the information you’re looking for becomes clear.”

“……” Gu Nian’s thoughts were clear, but Xu Wang’s were currently quite blurry! He already had an advisor and a prospective boyfriend; he didn’t need another detective-genre opponent!

“Swish—”

The roulette, under the force exerted by Kuang Jinxin, started spinning with inertia, and at the same time, a clear projection appeared above the roulette.

The roulette was divided into five sections, each containing:

Move forward 1–10 random spaces.

Move backward 1–10 random spaces.

Bystander* Amulet of Protection (three rounds).

*Watch a fire from the other side of the river (隔岸观火) Idiom referring to taking an attitude of not helping others in emergencies and instead watching the excitement.

Good Neighbor* Responsibility Amulet (three rounds).

*(睦邻友好) Idiom referring to living in harmony and friendly interaction with neighboring countries or neighbors.

Tornado.

The pointer inside the roulette, fixed vertically upwards, pointed towards the 12 o’clock direction, just waiting for the roulette to stop to see which section it would land on.

Out of the five fates, besides moving forward and backward, the rest of the three sections left Xu Wang’s team in confusion.

The roulette gradually slowed down, as if it would stop at any moment.

Kuang Jinxin stared intently at the pointer. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.

Finally, the roulette wheel came to a complete stop—Bystander’s Amulet of Protection!

The next moment, the roulette grew wings and flew away, disappearing into the dome. Just as it vanished, a pale golden light shone down from the glass dome, illuminating Kuang Jinxin!

Seconds later, the light vanished, and Kuang Jinxin looked at his body in a daze, not feeling any change.

Wang Duanran’s team obviously knew what this was. From their slightly furrowed brows, Xu Wang judged that this must be something good.

The Owl didn’t give them time to think and immediately reminded the next person to roll the dice.

Thus, the third round ended quickly, and the fourth round began.

In Grid 1, Qian Ai and Kong Lizhe’s initially high spirits were completely extinguished by the flight delay. They crouched despondently in the square, quietly watching Jiang Dachuan, who had already moved to the next square, roll the dice, their posture uniform, their hearts unmoved.

Jiang Dachuan rolled a 5, landing on 2-7.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Grid 7 revealed, surprise.

Qian Ai slightly lifted his head, waiting for the Happy Roulette to fly back, but instead of the roulette, there was the sound of… a wolf’s howl.

“Owooooo—”

This howl jolted Qian Ai to full alertness, and even more shockingly, a winged wolf really flew in from the sky!

It was one and a half meters long, with its gray-black fur shimmering with a dim light. Its eyes were like green stones and its teeth were like sharp knives—a true image of a ferocious wolf!

But… it had a pair of tiny, snow-white wings.

This was undoubtedly the most maliciously cute thing Qian Ai had ever seen!

Like the Happy Roulette, the wolf had a clear target, heading straight for Jiang Dachuan on Grid 7!

Jiang Dachuan reacted quickly, dodging at the last moment. The wolf brushed past him, plunging into the water, but almost instantly, it rose from the water and attacked Jiang Dachuan again!

Jiang Dachuan stood still this time.

At this moment, Qian Ai finally understood the trap in the rules—falling into the water or leaving the square was against the rules, meaning Jiang Dachuan had to stand in the square and take down the wolf, ensuring he wasn’t pushed out of the square! But the wolf could move freely over the water!

While he was lost in thought, the wolf had already pounced in front of Jiang Dachuan.

Suddenly, his eyes darkened, and the water beside him surged into a high wave. The wave turned into a giant hand, slapping the wolf into the depths of the water, never to be seen again.

Qian Ai, looking at the Owl emblem faintly glowing on Jiang Dachuan’s arm, instantly understood—he had used stationery.

“Ding—”

It was Gu Nian’s arm that sounded the alert.

[Cheat Sheet]: Please roll.

Qian Ai watched as the dice flew into Gu Nian’s hand, then looked back at Jiang Dachuan. “Is it over just like that?”

The latter was only seven spaces ahead, still within shouting distance.

Jiang Dachuan frowned. “What’s wrong? Not satisfied with the show?” The surprise of a wolf appearing was already annoying, and this question added to his irritation. “You should worry about how you’re going to take off instead.”

Qian Ai was exasperated. “No, I’m just making small talk. Can we not get aggressive…”

He felt like he was being stabbed in the chest.

Meanwhile, Gu Nian had already started rolling the dice.

Jiang Dachuan ignored him, focusing entirely on his teammate.

So the surprise grid is indeed a mix of surprises and shocks; it can be the Happy Roulette or the legend of the evil wolf… As Qian Ai pondered, Gu Nian’s roll was already decided.

2.

He moved forward two spaces, 13-15.

But Xu Wang was on Grid 15.

Watching Gu Nian move through the air towards him, Xu Wang felt conflicted—his Launch Point was Grid 14, and he had just taken off in the last round, only to be caught up by someone from the previous take-off point.

If he remembered correctly, the rules stated that when different teams enter the same grid, they must compete using their stationery, with the losing side returning to their Launch Point.

It wouldn’t be a big loss for him to go back since he just took off, but if he could make Gu Nian, who had already moved a quarter of the way around, go back, that would be even better.

Thinking this, Xu Wang quickly started sorting through his stationery in his mind, looking for the most effective tactic.

Gu Nian arrived in front of Xu Wang and gently landed.

One grid, two people, face to face.

Gu Nian still had that calm demeanor, even raising his arm elegantly and composedly.

Knowing he was less experienced than his opponent, Xu Wang felt uncontrollably nervous, but he didn’t show it and imitated Gu Nian, gracefully raising his arm and opening his [Stationery Box].

[Owl: Stationery PK battle begins. Please stand back to back.]

Back to back?

Xu Wang was startled. What kind of new battle stance was this?

But Gu Nian had already turned around.

Xu Wang quickly did the same. He couldn’t show any weakness at this moment.

[Owl: Please choose the stationery you want to use within ten seconds.]

Xu Wang frowned deeply.

Choosing a stationery wasn’t the issue, but what next? How was this fight going to happen? Stationery needs to be controlled, and with their backs turned, they couldn’t see anything. Who would know where to aim!

With no time to think, Xu Wang made a snap decision, choosing [(Illusory) Never Want to Grow Up].

If he guessed right, this stationery could turn the opponent into a child or even a toddler with diminished intelligence and physical strength, rendering any stationery they use ineffective!

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Xu Wang uses [(Illusory) Never Want to Grow Up]. Gu Nian regresses to childhood, losing combat ability. Gu Nian uses [(Illusory) Eighteen Levels of Hell*]. Xu Wang enters the Eighteen Levels of Hell, suffering extreme pain, leading to a mental breakdown. Gu Nian wins.

*In Chinese hell, there’s eighteen levels, which vary depending on narration but are used to punish sinners.

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai, Chi Yingxue: “……”

It’s a fucking text-based PK?!

Without his consent, Captain Xu was sent back to his Launch Point.

Gu Nian stood firm on Grid 15, casting an apologetic glance at him.

Xu Wang asked, “Can I protest?”

Gu Nian replied, “I don’t think that mechanism exists.”

Xu Wang then asked, “Can I curse, then?”

Gu Nian responded, “You can, but try not to be too offensive.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Grinding his teeth, Xu Wang couldn’t think of anything to strike back at his opponent; the asymmetry of information was too much of a disadvantage. In the end, he could only look up at Wu Sheng across from him—I’ve been bullied!

Wu Sheng sighed quietly and nodded subtly—I saw.

Xu Wang glared with furrowed brows—Avenge me!

Wu Sheng pondered for a moment, then decided to be honest—I’m half a circle away from him.

Xu Wang shook his head—It’s okay. He should reach you by the time you take off.

“……” Advisor Wu didn’t know how to respond to such a complicated statement.

“Hey.” Chen Guan, who had just taken off and was now in the neighboring grid, frowned. “If you two have something to say, just say it openly. No need for all these secretive glances!”

Before their captain could speak, Qian Ai, squatting on Grid 1, couldn’t help but interject, “They’re flirting. What’s it to you!”

Chen Guan was stunned, stammering, “Fl-flirting? What are you talking about?”

Qian Ai stood up, feeling the fire of battle reigniting within him. “Flirting! Mwah, mwah, mwah! Get it?”

“……” Chen Guan became petrified.

Gu Nian, Jiang Dachuan, and Kong Lizhe were stunned.

Wang Duanran’s eyes widened, his mouth half-open. A few seconds later, he suddenly slapped his head, causing his curly hair to shake, exuding an air of sudden enlightenment. “Right. Why do I have to find friends outside the Owl, constantly lying and coaxing? I can just sort it out in the Owl! Fall in love, go through challenges, and get married…”

“Wang! Boss Wang. Wake up.” Kong Lizhe, in a panic, directly called his employer by his title. “There are only men in the Owl—brothers, brothers!”

Wang Duanran shrugged indifferently. “I’m very open-minded.”

Kong Lizhe, Jiang Dachuan, Gu Nian, Chen Guan: “……”

We’re not!

“Lizhe, just roll the dice.” Chen Guan, while rubbing his temples, urged his teammate, not wanting to say another word to his delusional, lovelorn boss.

Kong Lizhe, feeling exhausted, took a deep breath and casually threw the dice—10.

He took off!

Moving lightly to Grid 2, Kong Lizhe looked back at Qian Ai with a clear and refreshed spirit, thinking that even if there were another male boss’s wife, he could handle it!

Qian Ai gripped the dice tightly and threw it with all his might!

9.

…Goodbye.

As Qian Ai crouched back down on this side, Kuang Jinxin, Xu Wang, Chi Yingxue, Wang Duanran, Chen Guan, and Wu Sheng each took their turns to roll the dice.

In the end, Kuang Jinxin moved from 25 to 30 and received another stationary reward [(Illusory) Counterintelligence*]; Xu Wang was still at his original Launch Point; Chi Yingxue went from 28 to 36—a surprise grid gave him a poisonous snake which he threw into the water without using any stationery; Wang Duanran successfully took off, moving from 27 to 28; Chen Guan moved from 41 to 45, earning a cash reward of 5,000 yuan; Wu Sheng took off, moving from 40 to 41.

*(反间计) This is derived from the Thirty-Six Stratagems, referring to seeing through the other side’s conspiracy and cleverly using it to attack them.

Thus, the fourth round ended with Kuang Jinxin leading, having covered 17 out of 52 spaces in the circle, followed closely by Gu Nian with 15 spaces, and Chi Yingxue coming from behind with 10 spaces. The rest were still in single digits.

Of course, there were players like Qian Ai and Xu Wang who hadn’t had the chance to take off or had taken off only to be knocked back.

The fifth round began.

Jiang Dachuan rolled a 7, moving from 7 to 14.

On Grid 14, stood Captain Xu—that was his Launch Point.

The Launch Point also applied the “collision PK rule”.

But this time, Captain Xu was happy, opening his arms to welcome him. “My door is always open, waiting for you with open arms.”

Jiang Dachuan despaired. “Of course, you’re open. If the PK fails, you stay put, and my quarter-circle journey is wasted…”

Xu Wang looked at him with innocent eyes. “I don’t want this either. I would like to leave the door open for you, but it’s your Gu Nian who sent me back here.”

“Da Chuan, why are you arguing with him?” Kong Lizhe, who had just taken off, was in a great mood and spoke lightly, as if he was on cloud nine. “Just PK him directly. They are first-timers in this level. Are you afraid of newbies?”

Hearing this, Jiang Dachuan also felt the same way, and his confidence in facing Xu Wang increased.

Xu Wang gave him a host-like smile, then turned around proficiently even before the prompt.

Jiang Dachuan also turned his back as soon as he landed on the grid.

[Owl: Please choose the stationery you want to use within ten seconds.]

Xu Wang tried to calm himself, flipping through his stationeries while thinking about what the opponent might use.

Judging from his teammate’s comment that boosted his confidence, Jiang Dachuan seemed like a straightforward boy. Such people usually throw straight punches and are more likely to use weapons because they are less prone to errors, and he would definitely choose a weapon with lethal power. Xu Wang knew he couldn’t defend against it, not knowing the attributes of the weapon nor being able to counter it precisely. The only thing he could do was fight fire with fire…

“Ding—”

The crisp sound of the alert made the whole place rustle.

There was no projection for stationery PK, so every participant was anxious, looking down at their arms as soon as the alert sounded.

Xu Wang and Jiang Dachuan did the same.

[Cheat Sheet]: Xu Wang uses [(Offense) Crushing Bones and Scattering Ashes], Jiang Dachuan dies; Jiang Dachuan uses [(Offense) Beheading], Xu Wang dies; Jiang Dachuan dissipates with the wind, Xu Wang remains intact. Xu Wang wins.

“……” The whole place fell silent.

Never underestimate a captain’s will for revenge.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 148: Taking Off

The final lottery results were as follows:

Launch Point A (Grid 1) — Qian Ai, Jiang Dachuan, Gu Nian, Kong Lizhe

Launch Point B (Grid 14) — Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin

Launch Point C (Grid 27) — Chi Yingxue, Wang Duanran

Launch Point D (Grid 40) — Wu Sheng, Chen Guan

[Owl: Please arrive at the launch points within five minutes. Otherwise, it will be considered a failure to submit your papers~~]

Almost without giving everyone time to think, the prompt tone sounded again immediately.

The two teams were thus herded, like ducks, onto a perch, through the door, and into the “chessboard”.

The chessboard was drawn on the light gray stone floor, making the entire ground a large chessboard. It is comprised of 52 squares forming a large circle, with each square numbered. The four Launch Points A, B, C, D (Grids 1, 14, 27, 40) were precisely located on the chessboard’s cardinal directions.

Within a minute, all ten partners were in their places.

Launch Point B, Grid 14.

Captain Xu looked seriously at Kuang Jinxin. “The game of Aeroplane Chess really tests the luck of rolling dice. Do you understand what I mean?”

Kuang Jinxin nodded solemnly. “Captain, I will do my best.”

Launch Point C, Grid 27.

Chi Yingxue and Wang Duanran looked at each other. Perhaps because Chi Yingxue’s demeanor was too indifferent, it created a calm atmosphere. But the calmer it was, the more Wang Duanran felt there was a catch—he hadn’t forgotten that during the Castle Badge Battle, it was this guy who broke their [(Illusory) Mengpo Soup], causing a direct reversal in the battle situation. Afterward, he even left, saying, “Next time you try to put a control spell on me, make it for two people.”

To this day, they still couldn’t figure out how they lost. Every time Wang Duanran thought about it, he felt depressed…

“Did you get a perm again?”

A question that made Wang Duanran doubt his own ears came out of nowhere.

Wang Duanran looked up, confused. “What did you say?”

Chi Yingxue’s expression didn’t change much. There was just a bit of pure curiosity in his eyes. “Your hair is curlier than last time.”

Wang Duanran: “……”

“Last time it looked more natural.” Chi Yingxue pondered, sincerely suggesting, “Too curly makes your head look big, and it’s also messy.”

Young Master Wang Duanran, a rich second-generation, with his curly hair, held back for a long time. His face almost turned purple before he finally burst out. “This is my natural curly hair!”

Launch Point D, Grid 40.

Wu Sheng first looked at Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin across from him, one in the south of the chessboard and the other in the north, separated by more than ten meters, but the chessboard was flat, so the view was clear.

The fact that there were no competing teams in Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin’s starting points meant that in the initial period, they could move across the squares without interference from opponents, which was a good start.

After calming down a bit, he then looked at Chen Guan, who was standing in the same square as him.

Wu Sheng remembered clearly. In the last battle, this person was leading the charge. At first glance, he seemed unkempt and always half-asleep, but when it really came to fighting, he was no vegetarian. Of course, this time he didn’t yawn carelessly; from the first moment the two teams met, his face was gloomy, obviously brewing a plan to avenge his previous humiliation.

This wasn’t a good person to chat with, but looking around, he was the only one to talk to, so Wu Sheng still curiously asked, “How did you guys just get here?”

Since their last meeting, his team had advanced through two more challenges, then failed to submit, and to get the previous badges, they had to go all the way back to the first level and start over. Now here they were again.

Could this team have also experienced such a complicated retreat?

Wu Sheng always felt, based on their familiarity with the badge shown last time, that they seemed more like a team that had been collecting badges for a while, not one that needed to go back to the first level to start over.

Chen Guan heard Wu Sheng’s question, then raised his head to admire the grand and colorful glass dome.

“……” Wu Sheng suddenly wished he could borrow Xu Wang’s conversational skills, as breaking the ice wasn’t his forte.

“Fire in the backyard*, seeking to reconcile—” From the distant west came a gossiping voice.

*(后院起火) Idiom referring to internal conflicts and disputes.

Wu Sheng followed the voice and looked around. After a while, he locked onto the young man waving at him with a phone in hand from Launch Point A (Grid 1), which was a quarter circle away.

If he remembered correctly, this fellow traveler was also glued to his phone last time, swiping away in this disconnected world.

Seeing Wu Sheng look over, Kong Lizhe pocketed his phone, glanced in Wang Duanran’s direction, and signaled to Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng had an epiphany—Wang Duanran’s “backyard was on fire”. He ran back to seek reconciliation, delaying the team’s progress.

“Kong Lizhe, aren’t you too idle—” From the east, Grid 27, Wang Duanran roared in indignation.

Kong Lizhe immediately put his hand to his mouth, making a zipping gesture, and shut up.

Actually, it wasn’t surprising that Kong Lizhe, from so far away, still engaged in such gossip. Being at Launch Point A, with four grown men squeezed into a 1-meter square, front to back, was “intimately fatal”. If they didn’t divert their attention, how could they even live?

Launch Point A, Grid 1.

Qian Ai looked around at his unbeatable captain and Xiao Kuang, at the equally matched Chi Yingxue, Wang Duanran, Wu Sheng, Chen Guan, and then at himself, surrounded tightly by three opponents, with nowhere to even cry, afraid to drop tears on the enemy’s shoulder.

“Ding—”

The countdown of five minutes was up.

The ground suddenly shook, and aside from the 52 numbered squares, all other stone slabs collapsed. Deep water surged from below, and in just a few seconds, the entire chessboard turned into a vast ocean. The 52 squares, forming a circle, looked like a ring-shaped bridge in the sea.

In the middle of the ocean, a circular stone slab with a diameter of one meter slowly rose, with a sign standing on it, painted in red oil paint showing “Finish Line”.

The stone slab rose about two meters above the water surface and stopped, extending five steps in four directions, leading to the four launch points A B C D.

Four paths, twenty steps, each also numbered.

The steps from Launch Point A to the finish line are, in order, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5; from Launch Point B to the finish line, they are B1, B2, and so on.

Thus, the originally 52-square enclosed “口”-shaped bridge became a “田”-shaped bridge with the addition of the finish line and four sets of steps, encircling above the vast ocean.

Xu Wang watched quietly, his frown deepening. It indeed resembled the outline of Aeroplane Chess, but people from different teams were at the same launch point, which differed from the rules of Aeroplane Chess. Moreover, aside from the squares, steps, and finish line, all other areas were deep water, not to be taken lightly.

The noise from the shaking slabs and surging water gradually subsided, and the battlefield finally stabilized and quieted down.

[Owl: Finally, it’s time for the rules. Are you little darlings impatient? Listen carefully~~]

[Owl: In Lucky Aeroplane Chess, simply put, you roll the dice to move across the squares. Starting from the launch point, you circle around 52 squares, return to your launch point, then enter the 5-step staircase, and finally, the person whose dice roll exactly reaches the finish line completes the game. If the roll exceeds the finish line, the exceeded steps must be retraced. For example, starting from Launch Point B (Grid 14), the route to complete the game is 14-15-16…51-52-1-2…13-14-B1-B2…B5-Finish Line.]

[Owl: The team with all five players completing the game first, succeeds in submitting their papers.]

[Owl: Next are the details~~ Details are also very important~~]

[Owl: 1. Lucky Aeroplane Chess uses a ten-sided dice, with numbers from 1-10. A roll of 6 or 10 is required to take off, i.e., move forward one square. After taking off, another roll of 6 or 10 grants a second roll opportunity.]

[Owl: 2. There are three types of squares in Lucky Aeroplane Chess: reward squares, surprise squares, and blank squares, each bringing different experiences~~]

[Owl: 3. Members of the same team can stop at the same square. If members of different teams enter the same square, they must engage in a stationery PK, with the winner staying in place and the loser returning to the launch point.]

[Owl: 4. The following two situations are considered fouls, requiring a return to the launch point: (1) Entering a square not corresponding to one’s dice roll; (2) Falling into the water.]

[Owl: 5. Each square’s attribute is fixed, so thank the little darlings who helped you identify the attributes of the square~~]

The rules were actually not complicated, but they were overwhelming to listen to, and in the end, it was hard to remember everything, filled with a sense of each sentence being elongated.

Qian Ai focused on “reward squares, surprise squares, blank squares”.

Blank squares were easy to understand—nothing happens on these squares. Reward squares were straightforward—gifts. But those surprise squares… definitely needed to be understood separately for “surprise” and “joy”!

[Owl: Almost forgot another rule. No use of any form of force against opponents, except those conforming to the [Pond Fish Rule].]

Xu Wang’s team: “……”

Pond Fish Rule? What the hell is that?!

“Rolling—”

A Rubik’s cube-sized ten-sided dice seemed to appear out of nowhere and rolled into Grid 1.

“Ding—”

A single sound resonated from Jiang Dachuan’s arm.

[Cheat Sheet]: Please roll.

He was the fastest in drawing lots among the four at Launch Point A.

Jiang Dachuan immediately picked up the dice and threw it forcefully onto the water’s surface.

The dice glided effortlessly across the surface of the water, naturally rolling to an appropriate distance along the path of inertia and came to a stop. Despite the slight undulations with the ripples, the side facing upwards, directly under the glass dome, remained remarkably stable.

Above the dice, a crystal-clear shadow was cast—7.

Jiang Dachuan frowned, unable to take off, naturally feeling frustrated.

Even the slow Qian Ai understood by now—anyone not throwing the dice into the water on their first try had definitely been through this level before.

Beside him, Gu Nian quietly opened his palm.

The dice floating on the water seemed to sense it, immediately took flight, and fluttered into Gu Nian’s hand.

Qian Ai: “……”

Does this level have a fixation on little white wings in terms of artistic aesthetics?!

As the dice settled and the wings disappeared, Gu Nian’s expression remained calm, gently nudging his hand towards the next grid.

The dice slid off, rolling a few times in Grid 2, then stopped.

Light and shadow projected—6.

Qian Ai frowned, trying not to let his envy show too clearly. A 1/5 probability, and to roll it in the first roll was considered good luck.

Suddenly, Gu Nian floated up ten centimeters, as if on an invisible conveyor belt in the air, moving him slowly into Grid 2, where he landed and steadied himself.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Grid 2 revealed, blank.

Qian Ai was previously worried about not remembering every grid’s attribute, but he hadn’t expected the cheat sheet to be so considerate, keeping a record.

The dice reached Kong Lizhe’s hand.

He gripped the dice tightly and narrowed his eyes. He aimed at the notice board on the finish line and threw it like a baseball!

“Snap!”

The dice hit the notice board squarely, then bounced off, landing on the water next to the finish line.

Light and shadow projected—3.

Kong Lizhe still maintained his cool baseball throwing pose. “……”

Seeing that he had just sent gossip to his advisor, Qian Ai kindly gave him some advice. “If I were the dice, being thrown so hard, I wouldn’t be happy either. Be gentler next time…”

Kong Lizhe slowly turned his head to look at him.

Qian Ai patted his shoulder. “No need to thank me. After all, we’re still opponents.”

Kong Lizhe: “……”

Unaware of Classmate Kong’s fiercely burning gaze, Qian Ai focused on his own spread palm.

The dice fluttered over.

Previously, Qian Ai had disliked its wings, but now he suddenly put on a doting expression and said silently in his heart, “Little cutie, it’s all up to you.”

Taking a deep breath, Qian Ai imitated Gu Nian, gently sending the dice towards Grid 2.

“Rattle-“

The dice rolled past Gu Nian’s feet, stopping at the junction of Grids 2 and 3.

1.

Kong Lize patted him on the shoulder. “Being too gentle isn’t good either.”

After Launch Point A, naturally, came Launch Point B.

Kuang Jinxin threw a 10, successfully taking off from Grid 14 to 15, which was also a blank grid.

Xu Wang rolled an 8 and continued to wait.

Following that, Chi Yingxue, Wang Duanran, Wu Sheng, and Chen Guan all failed to roll a 6 or 10.

The second round began.

Jiang Dachuan, 9, failed to take off.

Gu Nian, 9, moved from Grid 2 to 11.

Ding—

[Cheat Sheet]: Grid 11 revealed, reward.

Ding—

[Cheat Sheet]: Congratulations to Gu Nian for winning a cash prize of 10,000 yuan!

This prompt appeared on every player’s arm.

The next second, a stack of cash neatly fell into Gu Nian’s arms, who happily accepted it and put it in his backpack.

Wang Duanran and the others, who were already experienced, remained calm.

But Xu Wang’s team was different.

Qian Ai’s eyes nearly popped out. Real, actual, money?! This place was like a miniature Endless Sea, with higher winning rates and more frequent payouts! No wonder the Owl called this a “reward level”; he even doubted it! How could he be so inhuman!

Xu Wang wondered whether 10,000 yuan was the upper or lower limit.

Kuang Jinxin glanced at the money and then continued to build his momentum. More than the rewards, he wanted to roll higher numbers and reach the end quickly.

Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes. Rewards were good, but the Owl was never just about sweet deals without hardship.

Chi Yingxue was still staring at Wang Duanran’s head. Definitely freshly permed; no doubt about it.

The dice returned to Kong Lize’s hand, 4.

Qian Ai, 2.

Jiang Dachuan, Kong Lize, Qian Ai: “……”

Why are 6 and 10 so hard to roll!

In Launch Point A, three faces clouded with gloom.

Kuang Jinxin threw the dice onto the water surface, neither too lightly nor too heavily, 5.

Like Gu Nian, he slightly lifted off the ground, moving forward 5 grids, and landed on Grid 20.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Congratulations to Kuang Jinxin for winning a cash prize of 20,000 yuan!

“Pat! Pat!”

Two stacks.

Next, Xu Wang still rolled an 8, Chi Yingxue a 7, Wang Duanran a 4, and Wu Sheng a 1—none of them taking off.

The second round ended with only Gu Nian and Kuang Jinxin soaring in the sky, each having ascended to a reward of 10,000 and 20,000 yuan respectively.

The lines between friends and foes blurred in their weary hearts.

The remaining eight players unanimously thought, ‘Why not just let those two have a one-on-one showdown?’

---

The author has something to say:

The eight-person group at the Launch Point: Taking off is as difficult as ascending to heaven (╰_╯)

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 147: Intelligence

In front of a simple small desk in a standard hotel room, Wu Sheng was deep in thought over his “Teaching NPCs to Be Human Plan 3.0”.

Xu Wang swiped his card to enter from outside.

Wu Sheng stopped and looked up, asking, “Did you give it to him?”

“Mm.” Xu Wang’s gaze softened with a touch of satisfaction.

Wu Sheng noticed something. “Is there something else?”

Xu Wang said, “He also took number 5. He asked me for it proactively.”

Wu Sheng was surprised.

Xu Wang walked over to the bed closer to Wu Sheng and sat down. “He said he is number six and also number five.”

Wu Sheng nodded, not sure what to say, but at least Xiao Xue was no longer immersed in the silence and oppression of the past two days. He was happy for him.

“Actually…” Xu Wang’s smile faded, revealing a hint of melancholy. “I kind of miss Yan Wang.”

Wu Sheng pondered for a moment. “Xiao Xue said he can’t find Yan Wang anymore, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Yan Wang has left. Maybe he’s just asleep, or… completely merged with Xiao Xue.”

“Merged?” Xu Wang was puzzled.

“It means he is both Xiao Xue and Yan Wang,” Wu Sheng explained.

“Is that even possible?” Xu Wang asked cautiously, yet somewhat hopeful.

Wu Sheng nodded without hesitation. “The human brain is very complex, and there’s no definitive treatment or conclusion for dissociation to this day. Uncertainty means anything is possible.”

Xu Wang looked up at the ceiling and let out a gentle sigh.

He hoped Wu Sheng was right, hoping everything he said was the correct answer—such a feeling was strong.

Chi Yingxue’s father had been dead for many years, a fact discovered online after coming out from 9/23, during a search about Chi Zhuolin. It was an interview in a business magazine where he briefly mentioned his family and father.

The nightmare had passed. Hopefully, Xiao Xue and Yan Wang, who walked through the nightmare together, could forever remain in each other’s hearts.

“Stop thinking about it.” Wu Sheng reached out to pat his head. “Everything will be alright.”

“Mm,” Xu Wang responded, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the small card on Wu Sheng’s desk, unsure whether to smile wryly or admire. “Still not giving up, huh?”

Wu Sheng tilted his head. “Is there a reason to give up?”

Xu Wang gave him a look. “You’ve sent out so many cards, yet there’s been no effect.”

“You’re too impatient,” Wu Sheng said earnestly. “It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to cultivate people*.”

*(十年树木，百年树人) Idiom referring to cultivating talent isn’t easy.

“……” Xu Wang sighed and reached out his hand. “Keep cultivating people then. Lend me your phone.”

Wu Sheng was startled, clearly not understanding what he intended.

Xu Wang said, “Contacting Yue Shuai.”

“Oh right, we’ve been in 9/23 for three days; they should have come over by now.” Wu Sheng murmured while taking out his phone but hesitated to hand it over.

Xu Wang’s hand was getting tired. “Give it here.”

Wu Sheng looked up sincerely at his captain. “I’m worried about them too. Let’s contact them together.”

Xu Wang: “……”

……

“Missing me?” The video call was connected instantly. Captain Yue looked like he had just taken a shower, wearing a small bathrobe, looking fresh as a lotus.

On this end, Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes, and Xu Wang facepalmed.

“The atmosphere in the team is too depressing. We’re taking a short break, firstly to relax, and secondly to make some money.” Yue Shuai flicked his semi-dry hair, his eyes twinkling playfully.

Wu Sheng directly clicked on the screen, switching the size of the images to make Captain Yue a blurry small box in the top right corner, finally feeling relaxed.

“Making money is the main point, right?” Xu Wang hit the nail on the head.

“How about you guys? Passed 9/23?”

“We did.”

“……” Yue Shuai was just asking casually, and the casual answer hit him hard. “Can’t you leave some room for the slower students to answer!”

Xu Wang felt a bit guilty. “We didn’t mean to be so outstanding.”

Yue Shuai looked disheartened. “Can’t talk about this anymore…”

Xu Wang laughed, about to share more about 9/23, but Captain Yue became serious first, lowering his voice as if it was worth eavesdropping on. “I’ll tell you. I’ve got a shocking secret here.”

“How shocking?” Xu Wang tried to muster excitement but failed.

Yue Shuai leaned close to the screen, so close that only half his face could fit in the frame. “Worth a million.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng looked at each other, finally taking it seriously.

“What’s the secret?” Wu Sheng asked seriously. “If it’s really worth it, we can buy it with you.”

Yue Shuai pulled the screen back, showing his solemn face. “I haven’t gathered enough money to buy it yet.”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng: “…Get some rest. Goodbye.”

“Hey, hey, I’m not playing with you.” Yue Shuai quickly explained the source of the intelligence.

It wasn’t complicated; they rescued a businessman from a group of “rivals” who wanted intelligence without paying. Such situations are common in the Endless Sea, where attacking each other is allowed and beating someone up isn’t illegal. So, some who don’t want to spend money resort to robbing for intelligence.

They were just in time to save the person; a moment later, he would have had to return to reality with injuries. After saving him, they even treated his wounds with stationery, not expecting anything in return. But the person insisted on repaying them, so he offered the intelligence, originally worth two million, at half price.

At this point, Captain Yue was quite indignant, thinking a seventy percent discount would have been more reasonable.

Anyway, at least in Yue Shuai’s view, the person was reliable. And frankly, if the person was a scammer, being in the “Owl”, catching them wouldn’t be a problem, and there would be a hundred ways to get the money back.

But now, Captain Yue faced a problem—

“I could sell everything I own, reduce three meals a day to one, and only gather six hundred thousand. If you trust me, we can partner up to buy it. We put in 60, you put in 40, and we’ll share the intelligence.”

“You’re ready to sell everything without even knowing what the intelligence is about?” Xu Wang was still skeptical, mainly worried for Yue Shuai, who seemed too naively optimistic.

“Of course, I asked.” Yue Shuai rolled his eyes. “Would he dare to ask for that price without giving me some solid info?”

Before getting a response, Yue Shuai became serious. “This intelligence might help us leave the Owl sooner.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng fell silent.

After a while.

Xu Wang said, “Stay in the Endless Sea and don’t move. Send us the hotel address; we’ll come over tomorrow.”

Yue Shuai didn’t expect such a quick agreement. “You agreed to partner up?”

“Agreed.” Xu Wang looked at him, annoyed. “And you better go back to three meals a day. We’ll split the cost of the intelligence 50/50. No one’s going to take advantage of your meal money.”

……

Just past eleven p.m., the friends began to wake up one after another. Xu Wang and Wu Sheng told everyone the news immediately.

Kuang Jinxin reacted with both shock and joy. “Really? Can we really leave early?”

Qian Ai was equally shocked and excited. “Really… Selling it for one million?! Then I’ll resell it to a few more people, and I’ll be a millionaire in minutes!”

Chi Yingxue’s reaction was relatively calm, similar to Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, with a hint of skepticism in his eyes, but he said, “I’ll pay for the intelligence fee.”

Xu Wang looked at the three friends, not knowing who to respond to first.

However, regarding the intelligence fee, Advisor Wu had already volunteered to pay it at the end of the video call with Yue Shuai. After all, he’s a man who wanted to throw millions into the public account upon selling his shares. Having been refused last time, this time he had to secure the role of the financier.

Xu Wang always thought their team was following a grassroots path until this night, when he realized their economy had taken off.

After setting the route for the next day, midnight arrived as scheduled.

The five didn’t go to the coordinate point but welcomed the purple vortex directly in the hotel room.

The hotel room was about a kilometer away from the coordinate point. They had decided to observe tonight.

“Hoot hoot—”

The familiar sound came from the cold night sky, almost like a class bell to the five friends.

Stepping into the vortex, the world changed.

“Thank heavens, someone finally came—”

The five friends were still seeing purple stars when they heard this exclamation.

It was very close, as if right beside them.

“Could you think before you speak? Are we not people?” Another voice, not very happy but somewhat familiar, replied.

Their vision finally began to clear.

What appeared before them was a lounge, with soft and warm fabric sofas, a retro and exquisite small table, a wall lined with shelves filled with various individually packaged drinks and snacks, and a long table in the corner with steaming coffee and cake.

But what surprised the friends even more was the presence of five acquaintances, though not with particularly fond memories, from their past encounters.

They had entered the vortex about a minute after it opened, clearly arriving earlier than Xu Wang and his group, now comfortably nestled in the sofas.

However, both groups were taken aback upon seeing each other.

Xu Wang and his team’s vision had just cleared, and likewise, Wang Duanran, Chen Guan, Jiang Dachuan, Gu Nian, and Kong Lizhe had just made out who appeared in the purple light.

The memory of competing for the ancient castle badge in 6/23 instantly flooded the minds of all ten friends.

Of course, it was mainly the actions of Xu Wang’s side that left a deep impression.

The relentless, revived, and devastated three-strike strategy of the stationery chain, the unforgettable entrance of the [Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea], and the acting on the [Balloon House]…

These past scenes, like needles, pricked at the hearts of Wang Duanran and his team.

Compared to the simple heartache of old acquaintances, Xu Wang’s side had more to think about, mainly, Advisor Wu’s brain was working overtime.

First, they didn’t go to the coordinates but ended up at the same location as the other party, indicating this was a specific battlefield stage—similar to the story relay in 7/23, where no matter where you entered from, you had to come to the table side.

Second, why did the other party say, “Thank heavens, someone finally came”? Couldn’t this stage be cleared alone?

Third, given the strength of this team, why did it take them so long to reach 10/23?

Two minutes passed, and the purple vortex closed.

Simultaneously, everyone received a “ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Team quantity meets the requirement, 10/23 officially starts.

The five on the sofa stood up, stretched their necks and shoulders, ready for action.

Xu Wang looked at the cheat sheet, somewhat confused. What does this mean? They’re starting the level directly? They hadn’t agreed yet!

In the midst of confusion, the lounge door slowly opened.

Xu Wang followed the sound, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the opposing five seemed calm. Obviously, this wasn’t their first time at this stage.

The world at the doorway quickly unfolded before them.

A square space about twenty meters in length and width, with the ground made of smooth, light gray large stone slabs, drawn with many markings like a magnified chessboard. The walls were also light gray, but with many semicircular painted glass windows and a painted glass dome at the ceiling about ten meters high.

It was unclear whether it was sunlight or some other light that slanted in through the windows and dome, illuminating the entire space brightly and colorfully, making one feel cheerful and comfortable, as if the air itself was dancing joyfully.

[Owl: Welcome to 10/23, Lucky Aeroplane Chess*! This stage is a bonus level. Oh, quickly draw your lucky starting point from the small flying box!]

*It’s a game similar to Ludo where players roll dices in order to move their planes from their hangers to the center of the board. The person who gets all their planes to the center wins.

Xu Wang and his team: “……”

A bonus level? Why don’t they believe it!

Ignoring the five complex faces, the winged small paper box fluttered in front of each person, insisting on drawing lots. If you don’t draw, it nudges you with its box body.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 146: Good Night

When the last flame was extinguished, the entire east and west wings had been burned to the ground.

Countless ashes carrying sparks floated in the air, carried by the night wind to unknown distances.

Nothing was left.

The hidden compartments in the east wing, filled with nightmares, and the cabinets in the west wing, possibly holding people, all turned to ruins and scorched earth in the flames.

The courtyard remained unscathed.

The fire dragon, as if determined to burn only the rooms, moved from west to east with fierce momentum, ending abruptly.

A layer of black, snowflake-like ash fell on the cabinet in the courtyard.

Click.

The hanging lock opened on its own.

The four companions exchanged bewildered glances. After the cabinet was kicked out, they tried every method to open it, all in vain. Yet now, as the last glow of fire vanished, it opened itself.

Xu Wang reached out, removed the lock, and gently opened the cabinet door.

The moonlight finally penetrated the darkness inside the cabinet, illuminating the curled-up figure…

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 9/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

One second, there was a desolate wasteland; the next, a bustling street corner.

Despite the disorienting sensation of weightlessness serving as a divider, the world switched so quickly that it left no time to adjust.

The sky was still dark.

But the streetlights were on.

Sanitation workers were already sweeping the streets, and cars occasionally passed by. The bone-deep gloom completely disappeared, replaced by open streets and the tangible presence of everyday life.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin stood under a streetlamp, with Chi Yingxue, who had awakened, in their midst.

He sat leaning against the lamppost, slowly raising his head to look at each companion’s face, his eyes still carrying a hint of daze and bewilderment.

But Xu Wang felt that Chi Yingxue wasn’t entirely blank about what had happened. His bewilderment seemed more like a temporary inability to detach from a certain situation.

Almost simultaneously, the four companions crouched down, concernedly looking at Chi Yingxue. There was no prior eye contact; it was entirely spontaneous.

“Are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” Xu Wang didn’t want to delve into what Chi Yingxue had experienced in the hidden compartment—whether he had passed through a near-death experience like them. He just hoped everything was fine with him.

Chi Yingxue looked worse than usual, paler, with a faint sweat on his forehead, and his lower lip was bright red as if he had bitten himself.

Yet he tilted his head, looked around at his four companions, and suddenly gave a light, lazy smile. “Just a little sleepy. What’s with your expressions?”

Wu Sheng and Qian Ai were stunned, unsure whether he was being genuine or evasive.

Kuang Jinxin frowned slightly, worriedly looking at him.

Xu Wang, however, was somewhat relieved. At least, the Chi Yingxue before them was still the same person they knew and were frustratedly fond of.

But the other half of his heart was still hanging…

“What about Yan Wang?” Xu Wang still asked.

He had actually never brought up Yan Wang in front of Chi Yingxue before, feeling like having two incompatible teammates. As the captain, if he couldn’t help them reconcile, he tried to avoid conflicts.

But now, he could only ask Chi Yingxue, even deciding to tell him everything Yan Wang had done for this level once Chi Yingxue had a chance to calm down.

Chi Yingxue didn’t answer immediately.

He lowered his gaze, as if pondering or searching for something.

The streetlamp cast a shadow through his lashes, leaving a dark patch in his eyes.

“I can’t find him anymore.”

It took a long while for the companions to hear him say this.

His voice was so soft that it was almost impossible to discern any emotion.

But Xu Wang was sure. There was no shock or surprise there, just a trace of perplexity and much more helplessness.

At that moment, he understood that Chi Yingxue was aware of the entire process. He was both the child hiding in the cabinet and the shadow with the scent of orange soda, as well as the omnipresent faint moon, clouds, and wind—he could sense everything in 9/23.

……

In the following two days, Chi Yingxue didn’t say a word.

During the day, he locked himself in his room, and at night, he sat in the 9/23 space capsule.

They had completed this level, and the hidden compartment would not open again, so they just sat in the space capsule through the long nights.

Chi Yingxue sat quietly in the corner, staring blankly at the ceiling, and they kept him company.

Yan Wang was gone.

He came into existence because of Chi Yingxue’s fear and disappeared with the fear’s eradication.

Although it wasn’t spoken aloud, they all knew it. Even Qian Ai, who was somewhat unclear about Chi Yingxue’s “I can’t find” statement at the time, realized this truth during these two days of gloom.

The healing of a split personality should be a good thing, but logic can’t replace emotions, nor can it erase the memories of fighting side by side.

If they felt this way, what about Chi Yingxue?

The child who set the last line of defense in his heart as Yan Wang’s birthday—did he ever think there would be a day of parting?

……

Xu Wang was prepared for a long haul and had even held a private meeting with his teammates. If Chi Yingxue needed three days to recover, they would wait for three days; if he needed ten, they would wait for ten.

Unexpectedly, after the second time sitting quietly in the Owl, Chi Yingxue said without warning, “Book the tickets.”

The coordinates for 10/23 were in Hunan.

Xu Wang didn’t know if Chi Yingxue had genuinely rallied or if he had buried even more emotions inside, but life is like that. Whether you like it or not, the calendar keeps turning its pages.

“Have you talked to your brother about this?” With such an important matter, Xu Wang felt it was something the family should know.

Chi Yingxue simply shook his head. “I’ll talk about it when I return to Beijing.”

It was a matter between brothers, so Xu Wang didn’t press further.

As the sky began to lighten, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng booked high-speed train tickets to Hunan.

On the hotel rooftop.

Located in the most bustling area of the city center, leaning on the rooftop railing offered a view over much of the city. At this moment, the city was waking up with street lights dimming one by one and buildings emerging from the darkness, giving rise to the hustle and bustle.

But Chi Yingxue wasn’t looking at any of this.

He sat on the only sofa in the corner of the rooftop, quietly looking at the sky.

The sofa, neither new nor old, seemed either deliberately placed for guests’ rest or forgotten by the hotel. Yet at this moment, he and the sofa harmonized like a painting.

Most of the sky was already bright. Today’s clouds were thick, but the sun persisted in piercing through the clouds, casting its light upon the earth.

When Kuang Jinxin arrived on the rooftop, he first saw the sunlight, then Chi Yingxue bathed in the morning light.

Feeling someone’s intrusion, Chi Yingxue turned his head.

“The train tickets are booked,” Kuang Jinxin approached the sofa, “for three o’clock in the afternoon.”

Chi Yingxue looked at him and said, “Oh.”

Expecting just a routine notification and then departure, Kuang Jinxin instead sat down, as naturally as if the other half of the sofa was specifically reserved for him.

“Beautiful,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said out of the blue.

Chi Yingxue was puzzled. “Hm?”

Kuang Jinxin looked towards the sunrise, just peaking over the clouds, sincerely saying, “The sunrise is really beautiful.”

Chi Yingxue had no interest in discussing scenery, especially now when he preferred to be alone.

Without hesitation, Chi Yingxue stood up and headed towards the door without even a goodbye.

“No one will protect you anymore,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said, looking at his retreating figure.

Chi Yingxue stopped and took a few seconds before slowly turning back, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “What did you say?”

“I said no one will protect you anymore,” Kuang Jinxin repeated, louder and more emphatically.

Chi Yingxue’s eyes narrowed further, and he said word by word, “I don’t need anyone’s protection.”

“Then it’s even better that Yan Wang is gone,” Kuang Jinxin said. “Since you don’t need his protection, and there’s no one else to fight over your body.”

Chi Yingxue was silent for a long while, then suddenly smiled faintly. “Yeah, it’s better that he’s gone.”

Kuang Jinxin stared at him. “Then why are you panicking these past two days?”

“Who told you I was panicking?” Chi Yingxue still smiled, but his voice turned cold.

Kuang Jinxin looked at him for a while before asking, “Do you know what dream I had in the hidden compartment?”

Chi Yingxue was taken aback. The topic change was too sudden for him to grasp.

“I dreamed of the moment my parents died in a car accident,” Kuang Jinxin said calmly and openly. “The captain, Sheng Ge, and Qian Ge all know, but you were always in the hidden compartment and didn’t come out, so I’m telling you again.”

Chi Yingxue frowned. “Maybe I don’t want to hear it.”

“You have no choice but to listen,” Kuang Jinxin insisted. “I went through your nightmare, so to be fair, you should go through mine again. Now, I don’t even require you to go through it; just listen. And you’re still bargaining?”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

It felt like a strange “fair exchange,” but Chi Yingxue couldn’t pinpoint the flaw at the moment.

“My parents died in a car accident when I was very young. I have no memory of it. The accident, all I know is from what my grandparents told me, then I just imagined…”

As if determined that Chi Yingxue wouldn’t leave, Kuang Jinxin looked at the increasingly blue sky, continuing on his own.

“The first real memory I have is of being beaten. Just kids playing together, not knowing anything, just running around and playing dumb, but they specifically bullied me and hit me because I had no parents…”

“I remember very clearly. Every time it rained, they would push me into a mud pit, then circle around and laugh…”

He chuckled bitterly, but the bitterness was fleeting, like a passing cloud shadow, gone when you look again, leaving only brightness.

“Then, a neighborhood big brother found out I was always being bullied and stood up for me. He was older than all of us, already in ninth grade, and could easily take on a group of kids by himself. From the moment he protected me, I was never beaten again…”

“How lucky.” Chi Yingxue finally offered a lukewarm response.

Standing two meters away from the sofa, he didn’t continue to leave, nor did he come closer. Instead, he just turned around, watching Kuang Jinxin from a distance, as if bored, so why not listen to a story.

“I thought I was very lucky too. I almost saw him as my own brother back then.” Kuang Jinxin looked at Chi Yingxue, smiling brightly. “Then, in less than a year, he got into a key high school and had to move closer to the school.”

Chi Yingxue frowned.

He really didn’t like where this story was going.

“When he was leaving, I clung to him, crying, not letting him go, no matter who tried to persuade me…”

Kuang Jinxin fell back into his memories, seemingly looking at Chi Yingxue, but his gaze fell somewhere unknown.

“I told him, once you’re gone, no one will protect me anymore. He said, in this world, the only person who can always protect you is yourself…”

“He still moved away. Once he left, those kids beat me again, but I fought back, like a maniac, fighting for my life, until I knocked them all down…”

His gaze met Chi Yingxue’s again, proud. “After that, no one dared to bully me again.”

Chi Yingxue shrugged. “So he was right. It’s better to rely on yourself.”

Kuang Jinxin lost his smile and shook his head solemnly. “No, he was wrong.”

Chi Yingxue: “Wrong?”

Kuang Jinxin said, “I could fight back because I remembered him—remembered the protection, encouragement, and warmth he gave me. They gave me strength.”

Chi Yingxue fell silent.

The warm sunlight outlined his beautiful profile, and for a moment, it seemed as if another shadow flickered across his expression.

“In this world, there are people who can always protect you.” Kuang Jinxin looked at him quietly, his gaze gentle yet firm. “As long as you keep them forever in your heart, they can always protect you.”

……

18:00 Beijing time, Hunan.

Since they hadn’t contacted in advance, the omnipotent President Chi Zhuolin hadn’t managed to arrange the presidential suite for the small team this time. They checked into a budget hotel with two twin rooms and one double room.

The double room was given to Chi Yingxue. After all, they had mooched off his presidential suite for so long.

But after checking in, Xu Wang regretted it a bit, thinking they should have booked a twin room and assigned either Lao Qian or Kuang Jinxin, or even himself, to stay with him for the night.

After discussing this idea privately with the other teammates, Kuang Jinxin said, “Captain, don’t worry. Chi Yingxue isn’t as fragile as you think.”

Xu Wang was half convinced, torn for two hours, but by eight o’clock in the evening, he still stealthily knocked on Chi Yingxue’s room door.

The door opened, but Chi Yingxue showed no intention of inviting him in. He just stood behind the door, looking at him blankly.

Xu Wang felt a bit awkward but seeing him looking stable without any signs of instability, he steeled his heart and pushed the item he had been holding for a long time through the door gap into the other’s hand.

Caught off guard, Chi Yingxue received it, only to see it was a small badge with the Arabic numeral “6” engraved on it. The badge was exquisitely made, but its meaning was unclear.

Raising his eyes, he looked at the captain in confusion.

“That, it’s a team member number,” Xu Wang said, his voice a bit shaky due to uncertainty. “I’ve already distributed theirs. This one’s yours.”

The badge was ordered by Xu Wang online the day they completed the level. No special customization was needed, as many shops had these Arabic numerals ready, and he chose a local store, receiving the delivery the next day.

Chi Yingxue flicked the badge with his thumb, frowning. “I’m number 6?”

“Yeah,” Xu Wang paused for a moment. “Yan Wang is number 5.”

Chi Yingxue fell silent, looking at him quietly, showing no emotions.

Xu Wang let him look, not avoiding his gaze.

Some things, if not addressed, remain knots; only when spoken can they let in the sunlight.

“Give it to me,” Chi Yingxue suddenly said.

Xu Wang was confused. “What?”

“The number 5 badge.” Chi Yingxue lifted the corner of his mouth. “I’m number 6, and also number 5.”

Realizing what he meant, Xu Wang immediately took out another badge from his pocket.

This time, before he could hand it over, Chi Yingxue reached out to take it himself.

“Thank you, captain.” Chi Yingxue smiled faintly, then closed the door with a snap.

Xu Wang: “……”

This teammate was as infuriating as ever!

Behind the closed door.

Chi Yingxue turned and walked back to the bed, eagerly pinning both badges onto his clothes as he walked.

The badges were small and delicate, fitting nicely on the collar, chest, or hem without affecting movement.

But lying in bed, Chi Yingxue spent three whole minutes not daring to toss and turn.

Eventually, he reluctantly took off the badges, wrapped them carefully in soft tissue, and placed them in the most hidden and secure part of his backpack before lying down again.

The curtains in the room were drawn. The thick curtains blocked out the lights from outside.

The room was as dark as a deep night, with only a bedside lamp diligently shining.

Chi Yingxue lay on his side, staring at the lamp for a long time.

Eventually, he reached out to turn it off.

When was the last time he turned off the lights before sleeping? Chi Yingxue couldn’t remember. Perhaps there never was such a time. His nights, no matter when or where, always needed a light on.

He hated the dark, or rather, feared it.

Like the current darkness of this room, devoid of any light.

But now, he felt secure.

“Goodnight.”

In the darkness, his gentle whisper sounded as if he were speaking to himself or perhaps to another person.

---

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