The room on the seventh floor was now empty.
The two went inside and soon saw what was left on the dining table.
A half-eaten bowl of meat porridge and fried rice noodles was covered with a thick layer of shattered glass and dust, and it was still warm to the touch.
There was a piece of paper under the rice porridge, on which a row of words were written in a flamboyant style.
[The compensation will be split 50/50 between us and the group downstairs. Send the bill to my email.]
The email address is below.
The soldier who joined later was the tall, thin, and talkative one.
He removed the steel mask from his face, revealing a slightly immature face, and said, "Quite responsible..."
A large number of security guards entered through the doorway behind them and cordoned off the area.
At this moment, the masked man also exited his soldier king mode, revealing his particularly striking hooked nose. He walked to the window and made a phone call.
"...They had already left when we arrived. There were no return markers at the scene, confirming that they left from reality..."
The baby-faced man walked back and forth behind him twice, listened to his report, and then pouted.
Just as he was making a face, he heard the hook-nosed man say, "...Continue tracking? Escort to the destination? All the way to the southwest?"
The baby-faced man chuckled: "Let's go, let's hurry, or we'll all be gone."
"How do we chase them? By chasing them with hamstrings?" The hook-nosed man looked at him and said, "You contact Group Five and have Xiao Yi calculate their direction, then apply for satellite tracking. I'll go apply for transportation."
Soon, after the entire security system was mobilized, the target's location was pinpointed.
The two of them went down the elevator and had just stepped out of the building when they saw Zhou Xian, who was calm and smiling gently, just outside the police cordon.
Zhou Xian, Mu Zhong's mother, and Mu Junzhang's wife.
The two men clearly knew Zhou Xian. After exchanging a glance, they walked up to her.
The man with the hooked nose said, "Professor Zhou, hello."
Zhou Xian smiled and nodded: "Hello Captain Wang, and hello Xiaotian, this is my house. If you need any cooperation or compensation, just let me know."
"Xiaotian" is a baby-faced, talkative man whose real name is Liu Xiaotian.
Upon seeing the person, Liu Xiaotian greeted them warmly, "Is Mu Zhong feeling any better now? He must have taken the stamina potion when he entered the challenge world, right? I saw the text message last night and was wondering if it was Mu Zhong. Speaking of which, did Mu Zhong really marry this Wei Huan? He didn't even tell us he got married. I never thought he would marry a necromancer... no, I mean, Wei Huan, right?"
Confident young people, once they start talking, can't stop, pouring out a bellyful of questions like beans.
What's remarkable is that Captain Wang, who always finds Liu Xiaotian noisy, didn't interrupt him this time.
Zhou Xian's smile was warm, and she exuded an intellectual and gentle aura. Her voice was soft and pleasant: "Thank you for your concern for Mu Zhong. At least for now, he seems to be doing well. The world is full of dangers, and I'm already very happy that he survived. I won't keep you from your work any longer. Come to my house for dinner when you have time."
"Professor Zhou..." Captain Wang hesitated, unable to understand why Mu Zhong had to leave. Mu Zhong was a prodigy nurtured by their Northeast Army since childhood. Even without his legs, he was still a formidable force in the Northeast Challenge Army.
Is there no room for even one person to shine?
Zhou Xian smiled at him.
But in the end, Captain Wang didn't ask the question; he simply nodded and said, "We're leaving now."
"Okay, good luck with the work."
After walking a distance, Liu Xiaotian scratched his head: "Something feels off. Tell me, what's wrong with it?"
Captain Wang shook his head, but he was certain: "Professor Zhou is a prophet; her predictions about the future are never wrong."
...
A self-driving ride-hailing car is leaving Beijing, and the two people at the center of the discussion are sitting in the back seat.
Before setting off, they had confirmed with the Southwest Army the coordinates of an airport they were heading to, where a helicopter would be arranged to pick them up.
Before I knew it, the ride-hailing car had arrived in the suburbs.
The outskirts of the capital were prosperous before the arrival of the challenging world.
Even in rural areas with only a hundred or so people, after the country developed rural tourism, every household has been lifted out of poverty and become wealthy, and the average annual income per person may even be higher than that of some corporate slaves working in high-end office buildings.
However, after the arrival of the challenge world, the world's population plummeted, and in order to make management easier, all the people in the towns and villages were moved to the cities.
The outskirts became desolate.
Aside from some flat areas near fields suitable for mechanized farming, traces of civilization can be seen.
Some terraced fields, villages, and resorts that were once highly tourist attractions have all been turned into ruins and overgrown with weeds.
Even the main road leading to Jin Gang is in disrepair.
Mu Zhong said in a heavy tone, "Every time the monster lord expands its territory, our land on Blue Star will be plundered and disappear, and the people in the suburbs will have to move away. This is an important buffer zone."
Furthermore, occasionally dark beasts will wander into Earth by mistake, and clearing out these dark beasts is the task of the challenge legion.
I remember when I was a child, every winter and summer vacation, my mother would take me hiking and to the sea, wherever we were far away from the city.
Those days are gone. Even without the Dark Beasts, the desolate lands are now teeming with dangerous wild animals.
Wei Huan's gaze had already moved down and landed on Mu Zhong's legs.
I was just about to ask him how he lost his leg?
Suddenly, a "quack quack quack" sound came from above.
Wei Huan immediately became alert.
Something is approaching rapidly.
Wei Huan turned around and saw two people chasing after him.
They wore elite soldier armor that covered their faces, and stood on a one-meter-wide flying machine, soaring about ten meters above the ground, moving at a speed far exceeding that of a four-wheeled car.
The aircraft is a product of the challenges that have come. It is oval in shape and looks a bit like a balance bike, but much larger.
It was initially powered by wind, but in the last two years it has incorporated some challenging technologies, and now the wind is much less when it takes off.
It is a purely military product and is not available for purchase by the general public, nor will it be for the next 11 years.
Wei Huan had driven this many times and was very skilled.
The aircraft was moving very fast and was catching up. Wei Huan was already prepared for battle.
The two of them suddenly stopped.
They received a phone call, and then, in a flash, they disappeared from the spot.
The aircraft automatically departed and returned to the camp.
The blue beacon was revealed in mid-air, and the two people didn't even have time to get off the ground before returning directly to the car.
This height wouldn't kill a fourth-tier soldier king, but the weightlessness after teleportation would be uncomfortable enough.
Wei Huan didn't quite understand their hasty arrival and departure, and thoughtfully withdrew his gaze.
He met Mu Zhong's gaze, who also looked completely bewildered.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Mu Zhong said, "They are from the special operations team. Their hasty entry into the Challenge World might indicate that something has happened."
"What?"
Mu Zhong shook his head, seemingly lost in thought.
After that, Wei Huan saw Mu Zhong constantly browsing the Challenger APP, seemingly inquiring about the Northeast Challenger Army.
Wei Huan pinched the bridge of his nose, realizing for the first time that he had to have an open and honest conversation with Mu Zhong. Their relationship shouldn't be like this. Where exactly did things go wrong?
Wei Huan abruptly pulled himself out of that memory and said, "Mu Zhong."
"Um?"
"You and your dad..."
Mu Zhong's smile vanished instantly, his lowered eyes refusing to meet Wei Huan's gaze or answer.
Wei Huan rarely spoke up: "My intention to join Commander Dong's challenger army does not mean that I have to hand over my supplies. I am not that selfless. I also have to consider my own interests and future. I do not mind exchanging supplies that I do not need for the time being."
When your father made the call, the situation was urgent. Afterwards, I kept thinking about what he didn't express clearly, or whether there was some misunderstanding between the two sides that caused the conflict to escalate so quickly.
"Mu Zhong, I need to know about your relationship with your father, or rather..." He looked intently at Mu Zhong and asked, "Are you someone specially trained by the Hong faction?"
"Tiered training" will always be the core of a force or organization's long-term development.
Moreover, for a forward-thinking large organization like Challenge the World, which sends people in batches every year, it probably started targeted training as early as the first year.
If a legion has been providing targeted training to a group of children for seven years, giving them everything they need, including ideals and glory, then it is only natural for these children to "give back" when they grow up.
There's nothing unacceptable about this.
If someone in his previous life had been willing to mentor him and given him a fourth-tier potion on the first day of his advancement, instead of letting him waste five whole years, he would have been willing to repay that kindness. A scholar will die for one who understands him.
Mu Zhong may have long been branded with the mark of the "Hong faction," which is precisely why I have been feeling uneasy about this lately.
yes.
How do you refute, argue, and... turn the tables on someone who has given up their car and their self-respect, choosing to live a life of compromise?
In the end, Mu Zhong nodded under Wei Huan's gaze.
He said with a stiff face and difficulty, "I... Mom didn't want me to join the Challengers. She said I would die. I remember when I was 13, my parents were always arguing, but in the end, Commander Mu still brought me to the military camp."
My life took a completely new turn from there. My ideals and my values were redefined there. What makes me happiest is his recognition.
He was very strict with me, but I knew it was for my own good. He hoped that I could overcome the ordeal my mother spoke of and live a respectable life.
Now you see, I'm like this, I have nothing left, and then he said he was wrong, he regretted it..."
Mu Zhong gritted his teeth, his gums trembling, his eyes red-rimmed, recalling that night when he was crippled and on his deathbed, the man who held his hand and cried like a child.
Then I remembered the image of a man who valued his reputation his whole life, personally going to the Wei family to propose marriage with betrothal gifts in order to prolong his son's life.
On the day of the challenge, the man brought a bouquet of white chrysanthemums into the ward to see him off, but was cruelly beaten out by his wife, and cried pitifully.
Because they cannot repay kindness with enmity, cannot turn the tables and presumptuously manipulate their benefactors, they can only cautiously probe and humbly beg.
It's just so sad; it feels like even the last bit of self-respect is about to be lost.
Perhaps this matter could have been handled better, but inexplicably it turned out this way.
Now, she doesn't even know how to bring it up, to express that incomprehensible... yes, she just thinks Wei Huan's choice is very strange, why did he give up the idea that he had to be Commander Dong?
They firmly and fervently believed that Commander Dong was the best.
Mu Zhong gritted his teeth and finally said, "Since the advent of the Challenge World, Great Xia is the country that has preserved its territory most intact. Is this all thanks to the Southwest Challenge Legion?"
The Northeast Challenge Legion protects a quarter of the Great Xia territory. They face not only the invasion of cold weather but also the covetousness of powerful neighboring countries. On the challenge battlefield, they also face powerful high-star dark beasts.
If things were truly bad, how could the ordinary people in the city be so happy and carefree today?
Wei Huan: "So you want me to go to the Northeast Army?"
Mu Zhong: "Yes, that's what I mean. I know you don't..."
"I will consider it." Wei Huan looked at Mu Zhong and said, word by word, "Tell me clearly, and I will seriously consider everything you say."
...
Commander Dong told them the coordinates, which led to a military base located deep in the mountains.
"In the no-man's land of Great Xia, there are many such 'enclave' military bases, mainly to facilitate the elimination of dark beasts that have mistakenly entered Blue Star in the shortest possible time."
The two had already dismounted from the cave beast's back. Mu Zhong, who had been interning with the Dragon Group for two years, immediately began to explain.
"When we go out on missions, our teams usually form groups by vehicle to ensure that we can work together seamlessly both inside and outside the world to meet our challenges."
Such a base requires at least a full squadron of Tier 2 vehicles, in three-person teams. Within a 10-minute flight distance of every three primary bases, there will always be a Tier 3 vehicle squad.
You might think there are three intermediate-level outposts and one advanced-level outpost, but you'd be wrong. Level 4 extraordinary professionals are few and far between, and they usually have special missions.
The military region's special operations team is responsible for assaulting enemies on the world's main battlefields; the Dragon Group's primary mission is to enter random challenges and hinder the opponent's development; and the special protection team's objective is to capture illegal professionals.
Outside the initial outpost was a vast forest, which provided excellent cover for Wei Huan and his men.
While waiting for the plane to arrive, the two chatted idly.
Before long, a twin-rotor helicopter flew in from the horizon.
Wei Huan and Mu Zhong watched the plane land and saw people getting off the helicopter and making phone calls.
Immediately afterward, Wei Huan's phone rang.
Mu Zhong had already composed himself. He glanced at the caller with a smile, then looked at the person making the call at the base, and exclaimed in surprise, "Commander Dong has come in person!?"
Commander Dong came to pick them up in person, something no one had expected.
Upon closer inspection, he wasn't actually as short as I had imagined, but he was undeniably thin, with deep wrinkles on his gaunt, dark face.
While Wei Huan was sizing up the other party, Commander Dong was also observing Wei Huan.
Finally, he glanced at Mu Zhong seemingly casually, but this glance was deeper and more subtle.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, on the open ground of the camp, Commander Dong got straight to the point, "Let's make the deal now. The Dark Beast Leader's level 5 territory upgrade is about to be completed, and it will definitely open the battlefield immediately. We must stop it."
Wei Huan nodded and picked up his phone.
Then a message appeared on my phone from the Challenger App: "[Dong Chujian has initiated a trade with you - agree/decline]"
Just like Wei Huan's abundant inventory, which cannot be brought into the "random challenge," the items in the warehouse also cannot be brought into the real world.
That's probably the only merciful thing the gods did in this challenge.
One can imagine the chaos the world would descend into if war chariots could also be brought into the modern world.
War and plunder, along with the various acts of terror that ensue, are enough to destroy a civilization in a short period of time.
In order to protect the world, the gods also imposed restrictions on trade.
In a real-world transaction, both parties must meet face-to-face and transact via mobile phone. Furthermore, each party must use a valuable tool to initiate the transaction.
Wei Huan clicked "Agree," which also opened the trading window and the warehouse.
The supplies in the warehouse were arranged very neatly by Mu Zhong, with supplies of the same level placed together and the more valuable ones placed at the bottom.
Soon, Wei Huan saw the Star Beast Hide below the warehouse.
This is an extremely rare material, a resource that humanity has yet to acquire even with its current resources. It was obtained by Wei Huan after winning the championship and opening the Platinum Treasure Chest.
Even so, beneath the star beast skin lay several more supplies, of even greater value.
One of the unremarkable, yellowish-brown stones, if held in hand and examined through silver goggles...
[Hengjinshi]
"A gift from the stars and the Titans, a sacred stone from beyond the universe."
[Greedy Holy Book]
"A gift from the stars"
[Constitutional Holy Book]
"A gift from the stars"
[The Omniscient Holy Covenant]
"A gift from the stars"
No one knows the purpose of these things, but the description with the suffix is enough to prove their value.
Wei Huan placed the precious star beast hide in the trade window and clicked the trade button.
The moment the transaction was completed, the heavy weight on my heart and the unspeakable urgency suddenly dissipated.
"Thanks."
After the transaction was completed, Commander Dong saw that there was indeed an extra Star Beast skin in the warehouse, and for a moment his expression was blank.
Then he raised his head, and a thousand words turned into another choked sob, "Thank you."
Finally, he hugged Wei Huan and said, "I'm about to enter the challenge."
World, I wouldn't take such precious resources for nothing! ()_[()]?'Come♂read the latest chapter♂complete chapter'(), wait for me to come out. "
As soon as he finished speaking, Commander Dong and his two bodyguards hurriedly entered the Challenge World.
Among those who remained were the helicopter pilot, a secretary, and five soldiers stationed at the small outpost.
The three groups looked at each other, and finally the hunter with the black wolfhound spoke up: "We don't know when the commander will come out. Why don't we go inside first?"
"good."
"Um."
The "enclave" consists of a row of two-story buildings, with a total of six rooms on each floor.
Each room is the same size, a dormitory room that can fit four single beds.
There wasn't even a toilet in the house; you had to go to a separate building on the left to get up at night to wash up.
The toilet is at the far left of the building, and the kitchen is at the far right, forming a U-shaped area that encloses a concrete plaza about the size of a basketball court.
A flagpole rises from the ground in the middle of the square, and the national flag sways and shines in the sunlight.
Wei Huan lagged behind, observing the surroundings, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
In the past, he was also a member of such an enclave, and spent many unforgettable days and nights with his comrades.
Mu Zhongze, already carried by the Hidden Cat, walked to the front. After Wei Huan promised that he would seriously consider it, he seemed to have a guiding light in his life, becoming excessively cheerful and talkative.
"Is it just the five of you at the base? Do you usually cook for yourselves? Who's the head chef? This German Shepherd is so handsome, can I pet it? Hey, is it a little afraid of kittens? It's already dead, what's there to be afraid of?"
It's precisely because they can still move after they're dead that we're even more afraid, okay?
The five soldiers stationed at this outpost, ranging in age from 21 to 45, are all challengers.
The highest-ranking "soldier" was a 28-year-old who was the squad leader.
In a later conversation with Mu Zhong, almost all of his secrets were exposed.
His name is Guo Xiang. When the challenge came, he was 20 years old and was unknowingly drawn into the road challenge.
At that time, everyone was completely clueless and didn't know anything. They ended up finishing the challenge last without even realizing it.
"...After the challenge was completed, the world was in chaos. Governments shut down, universities closed, and at night, all you could hear on the streets was crying. The smell of burning paper money was pungent. For nearly half a year, the world was shrouded in darkness, and I lived in a daze."
My parents passed away, and my grandmother was left at home. For almost a year after that, we lived on government welfare.
A year later, order was barely restored, universities reopened, and I returned to university. Only then did I learn that some classmates had not only returned successfully but had also become challengers and were lucky enough to advance to level two.
At that time, the government did not have unified control over challengers, nor did it establish a Challenger University or a Challenger Legion. Challengers of that era were more like bounty hunters.
Those with no other options risk their lives in the Challenger World, while the wealthy enjoy the fruits of their labor outside. Even so, becoming a Challenger is indeed very lucrative; many of my classmates have made their fortunes this way, and some have even become Tier 4 professionals.
"But many died, didn't they?" Mu Zhong added.
Guo Xiang nodded, his expression pained: "It's about half and half. Some people got rich, while others never showed up in the classroom again. I was afraid of dying back then, and I was also afraid of what would happen to my grandmother if I left her alone. So..."
After that, I wasted almost three years.
"And then?" Mu Zhong asked, "How did you come back as a challenger?"
"After graduating from university, I couldn't find a suitable job. I kept hearing news that challengers could make a fortune. I struggled for a long time until the official Challenger Legion was established. I signed up without thinking twice." Guo Xiang finished speaking and laughed. "At first, I just wanted to get a formal position. But after joining, I realized that the confrontation between humans and dark beasts was already so tense. I felt quite proud every time I came back from a mission. Big shots have big responsibilities. As a small soldier, I can do whatever I can."
The other soldiers, some young and some old, all nodded in agreement.
Mu Zhong gave Wei Huan a meaningful look, as if to say, "Look, the Northeast Army is also doing a good job of protecting the country."
Commander Dong hasn't returned yet; he's been eating at the garrison for lunch and dinner.
The food was quite good. There was a field in the camp where you could sow vegetable seeds and let them grow freely, so you could always eat fresh food.
Moreover, the Challenger Legion would deliver food every three days, and the leftover meat was frozen in the refrigerator, which was now overflowing.
In the evening, Guo Xiang used the large stove to cook stewed potatoes with pork, sliced pork with garlic sauce, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and stir-fried bok choy, along with a bowl of sauerkraut and vermicelli soup with boiled meat. It was a four-dish meal with both meat and vegetables.
After a day of getting to know each other, Xiao Zhang, a young recruit at the garrison, also started talking.
"This isn't even our class monitor's best cooking. His garlic pork ribs are so delicious, I can eat a whole plate by myself."
Actually, if you think about it, it's fine if those with ideas become challengers, while the rest of us continue working to keep society running.
Otherwise, who will raise the livestock? Who will farm the land? We won't even be able to afford pork.
Xiao Zhang was hit on the head by Guo Xiang.
The others chatted about their thoughts in twos and threes, and Wei Huan smelled the pungent smell of smoke again.
Following the smell of smoke, I saw Old Hang's back outside the door. He was squatting on the steps, his body hunched over, looking small and thin.
Smoke drifted above his head, swirling around the light bulb in the dim, dark blue light of dusk.
Perhaps Wei Huan had been staring at Lao Hang for too long, because after the meal, Guo Xiang leaned over and said, "Lao Hang is a veteran border guard. This area used to belong to Fushui Village, Taoshan Town, Jingang City. He's from Fushui Village, and so is his wife."
The year the challenge came, he was already going through the retirement procedures and had bought a house in the city so that his child could go to school.
But when the challenge ended, his wife didn't come back, and he was left behind in the legion, and his retirement procedures were suspended.
Last year, his son went to Challenge World and never came back, so Lao Hang smoked more and more each day.
Challenging the world has harmed so many people.
After a moment of silence, Guo Xiang took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to Wei Huan.
Wei Huan took it, lit it, and took a puff, watching the scarlet flame consume the remaining embers.
After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out, "It will all be over."
Guo Xiang led his people to attend evening classes, and without fail, they watched the evening news.
Wei Huan didn't go over, so Mu Zhong came closer. Seeing the cigarette butts at Wei Huan's feet, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from somewhere and handed it to him.
Wei Huan refused; he didn't smoke anyway.
Mu Zhong thought for a moment and asked him, "It's getting dark. Do you want to go to the Temple of Professions? It's quiet in the car. I'll stay outside and wait for news."
Wei Huan nodded.
Training when you're feeling irritable is the best option. Ideally, you should be so tired that you can close your eyes and fall asleep immediately, and the next day you'll be free of all your irritability.
In short, just tough it out.
Back in the car, Wei Huan made arrangements step by step.
He washed up, went to the temple of professions, and went back to sleep, never leaving his room during the entire process.
He was awakened by a sudden knock on the door in the middle of the night.
Wei Huan suddenly opened his eyes as if he had never slept, and heard Mu Zhong outside the door say, "Wei Huan, something's happened!"
"What is it?" The next second, Wei Huan opened the door.
Wei Huan's first thought was that something had happened to Commander Dong, since judging by the time, the Dark Beasts should have made their move by now.
Mu Zhong said, "The dark energy detector went off again tonight. Guo Xiang took Lao Hang and Xiao Zhang on a mission and they haven't returned yet. We can't contact them either. I..."
Before Mu Zhong could speak again, Wei Huan breathed a sigh of relief, but then his voice rose again.
"Walk."
After saying that, he was teleported back to Earth!