In an old villa in the western suburbs.
Wu Suowei strode towards the door in the backyard.
"Things are going swimmingly for you."
A faint outline appeared in the void opposite the chessboard.
"Good enough," Wu Suowei said coldly, looking at the silhouette, unwilling to say more.
"Gao Tiankai, your carefully cultivated [White Piece Candidate], is now in my hands. I've taught him so much, and now he's abandoned his faith. How does that feel?"
Wu Suowei smiled slightly, "It seems I've only lost a [Candidate], while you've lost a [Pawn]. Your apostles were too easy to kill."
"!!!"
The silhouette trembled violently, no longer able to maintain its composure.
"You! Don't get cocky too soon. Duan Chen still has no intention of joining you!"
"You don't need to tell me. He wasn't swayed by your people either. We're in the same boat."
Wu Suowei interrupted the silhouette, his gaze shifting from the chessboard. "In any case, you're the first to lose a piece in this game, not me."
"You!!!" If the silhouette had a physical form, it would have been jumping up and down.
Wu Suowei turned to leave.
He had come to observe the changes in the game, not to have a lengthy conversation with some shadowy entity.
"Hey! Don't go! Chat with me a bit longer. How about I recommend a book to you, 'If You Can't Lead a Team, You'll Work Yourself to Death'—"
*Bang.*
Wu Suowei pushed the door open and closed it tightly.
............
Duan Chen, who had slept for three days and three nights in a five-star hotel presidential suite, was finally well-rested.
He opened his phone and saw the red dots of numerous missed calls and unread messages. He frowned slightly.
"Tsk, they're all so urgent. Not a moment's peace."
Despite his complaints, Duan Chen began to check the messages one by one.
Afterward, he called Old Zhang.
"Gao Tiankai has betrayed us."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a sigh.
"Replaced by a sea demon?" Old Zhang's voice was slightly hoarse and weary.
"No, he hasn't lost his memory. Damn it, he's meticulously explained the past details to me. I really don't understand what that kid is thinking," Duan Chen rubbed his temples. "He has over 30 lives in his hands, and I won't let him get away with it."
Old Zhang coughed a few times. "Cough, cough, you little brat. You're not thinking of sneaking into Mirror City, are you? If you leave, who will handle things on land?"
"You know me, Old Zhang. No matter what, I can't just let Gao Tiankai continue like this. He's the only one I need to catch myself and make him realize what a foolish thing he's done."
There was a pause on the other end. After five seconds, Old Zhang said slowly, "There are ways to reach Mirror City through the Magic Mirror. Do you remember the female sea demon you took down last time? We've found those who were corrupted by her."
Duan Chen's eyes lit up. He pulled out his notebook and sat in his executive chair, ready to take notes.
"The siren corrupted a total of seven men. The one who disappeared was witnessed jumping into the river to commit suicide. I've already contacted the logistics department to retrieve the body, but too much time has passed, and I'm afraid we won't find it."
Duan Chen sneered, "He wouldn't commit suicide. That guy has definitely hidden back in Mirror City. The Magic Mirror can open a passage, so the logistics team will likely be working in vain."
"The information for that man is as follows: Lu Zhai, 35 years old, unemployed, lives alone, residence is Sunshine Garden, Building 111, Unit 4, Apartment 404, South District, Suzhou City. You can check it out if you have time. This person is a shut-in, with almost no social contact, so his disappearance wasn't noticed for a while. The only thing to be aware of is that he seems to like collecting figures, so there's a chance of mutation."
"Figures? Mutation?" Duan Chen frowned.
"It's always good to be careful," Old Zhang coughed again.
"Alright, I understand."
"However, Duan Chen, after Gao Tiankai revealed himself, you'll still need to take over the follow-up for Zhong Xingwen's case. He's not an ordinary person, and many media outlets are watching. 'Wealthy businessman is the culprit in a series of girls' decapitation cases'—this news was likely deliberately not suppressed by Gao Tiankai, leaving you with a difficult task, so you wouldn't go after him too soon."
"If this isn't handled, it will cause so much public unrest. Damn it..." Duan Chen hadn't expected Gao Tiankai to leave him such a mess.
"It just so happens that you have some connection with Mrs. Zhong, so deal with it quickly," Old Zhang reminded him.
"Yes, I understand," Duan Chen nodded.
"As for the Magic Mirror, the guild hasn't taken over Lu Zhai's residence yet. Whether there's a Magic Mirror there depends entirely on your luck."
"Thanks, Old Zhang. I transferred 1 million to your account this morning. I wonder if that's enough to buy you some drinks. Have a couple bottles of Wuliangye."
"Hmph, you little brat, you're rich now? At least you have some conscience."
"It's getting cold lately, take care of yourself. If a Grandmaster dies from a cold, it will be a laughingstock for ages."
"Get lost, you brat, how dare you curse me..." Old Zhang's curses could be heard from the other end.
Duan Chen smiled and hung up the phone.
After the guild assessment years ago, it was Old Zhang who personally brought him and Gao Tiankai to Suzhou. The three of them took a green-skinned train, eating crabs all the way, making the child in the next seat cry twice from envy.
As a result, although crabs were delicious, they weren't filling. So, the three of them bought instant noodles sold on the train.
Braised beef flavor. Pour in hot water, lift the lid, and the aroma filled the entire carriage. The child in the next seat was successfully made to cry again.
Amidst the envious and wistful glances of the other passengers, the three of them slurped their noodles, a scene that felt like yesterday.
Duan Chen took out a lighter from his pocket and placed it on his desk before turning to leave.
The hotel waiter downstairs had already brought his Corolla to the entrance and respectfully handed him the car keys. They wouldn't be curious why he was driving a Corolla yet staying in a presidential suite; they would just politely arrange everything.
Duan Chen bought a pack of Panda cigarettes from a roadside stall and also got a new lighter.
*Click—*
The lighter ignited, the feel was slightly different, but it worked, and that was enough.
Duan Chen exhaled a ring of smoke and headed to the guild to handle the aftermath of Zhong Xingwen's serial murder case.
Gao Tiankai seemed to have anticipated this day. Usually meticulous, he had made the files extremely chaotic. Just sorting them out took Duan Chen considerable effort.
During this time, Zhong Yu helped, and the Li family was unusually cooperative. The matter quickly progressed, and the heat was calmed down by Zhong Yu's financial power.
Duan Chen wanted to take this opportunity to visit Li Wei, but Li Wei didn't want to see him. Li's father also feared that his daughter was in a vulnerable state and might be reminded of her sorrow, so he indulged her in every way.
Duan Chen temporarily gave up. Perhaps this was the best outcome; she needed more time to heal her inner wounds.
After putting Gao Tiankai's lingering affairs to a temporary end, Duan Chen decided to do something very important—
Buy a car.
This was something he had longed for. He hadn't had money before, and now that he did, he was afraid Wu Suowei, that unscrupulous deity, would covet it if he didn't spend it quickly.