The three of them, Duan Chen, returned to land, dusty and travel-worn.
As soon as they entered the door, Xiao Jianjian leaped into Duan Chen's arms, then skillfully climbed onto his head to nuzzle.
Wu Suowei fell silent.
"Very good," Duan Chen encouraged, and went to the kitchen to get a can of chicken for it.
Ding-dong!
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Duan Chen, with the cat perched on his head, opened the door.
A girl with red hair in twin ponytails stood at the entrance, her legs apart, hands on her hips, her pouting expression like a goldfish.
"...Who are you?"
Duan Chen scratched the back of his head, and Xiao Jianjian meowed in response.
Zhu Fanfan glared at him furiously, one second, two seconds, three seconds...
Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she lunged, grabbing Xiao Jianjian... on Duan Chen's head.
"Ah~~ such a cute kitty, let me hug you~~"
"Meow meow! Meow!!"
Xiao Jianjian, startled and bristling, never expected to be ambushed. It retaliated with a paw, scratching Zhu Fanfan's arm and drawing a bloody gash.
Wu Suowei watched this scene with a pang of heartache.
That lazy, clingy Xiao Jianjian, who loved to snuggle in his arms and wouldn't even walk on its own, had completely transformed into a nimble, agile 'Xiao Jianjian'.
Zhu Fanfan yelped in pain, realizing her loss of composure. She quickly returned Xiao Jianjian to Duan Chen and apologized sincerely:
"Ah! Sorry! I get a bit excited when I see cute animals, sorry, sorry."
Duan Chen looked at her strangely, "...So, what do you need?"
Zhu Fanfan said seriously, "Excuse me, I'm looking for a beast. I tracked its scent here, and I thought..."
"You thought it was me?" Bai Ye's head peeked out from behind Duan Chen, ethereal.
"!!!!"
The girl's expression changed drastically, and a fierce, pink fist shot towards Bai Ye's face.
Bang!!
Bai Ye was sent flying several meters away, landing on the sofa in Duan Chen's living room.
"Damn it, Bai Ye, I finally found you! Come out and face me!!"
Duan Chen: "..."
Wu Suowei: "..."
Bai Ye wiped his nose and scrambled to his feet, unbothered, and gracefully sauntered over to Zhu Fanfan.
"Hehehe, forgive me for the display."
Bang, bang bang!
Zhu Fanfan swung her fists again, but Bai Ye dodged them all with ease. He twisted, hooked his arm around Zhu Fanfan's shoulder, and pulled her into an embrace.
Turning, he waved.
"See you next time, Duan Chen. I'll be back for you."
Bai Ye said with a smile.
Duan Chen waved back, "I hope next time I see you, you're not a corpse."
"Wu Da Shen said he'd let me off for now, so I estimate I'll live for a long time, at least not die before Gu Sang, hehe~~"
Bai Ye and Zhu Fanfan walked away.
"...You're still here?" Duan Chen turned and glanced sideways at Wu Suowei.
"Go where?" Wu Suowei asked calmly.
"Go back to your place."
"What's the rush? It's so close, just next door."
"Mo Shen, I'm human. I need to shower, eat, sleep, and recover my strength," Duan Chen said, opening the door to usher him out.
"Heh, accepting my pawn means you don't have to be human anymore."
"..."
Duan Chen felt like he was being insulted.
"Alright, I'll give you some time to think. Rest."
Wu Suowei waved his hand, and Xiao Jianjian burrowed from Duan Chen's head into his arms.
The man and the cat ambled away.
Duan Chen closed the door and leaned against it, relaxing.
The trip to the Abyss Domain had been exhausting.
Shedding his dirty suit, Duan Chen slipped into the bathroom to clean himself.
Black chess piece, white chess piece...
Evil god, apostle...
World Gate.
The World Gate guarded by Old Zhang was actually sealing the soul of an evil god.
...Wait a minute!
Zhen Youdu = White chess piece = World Gate guardian.
Then, Old Zhang = World Gate guardian = White chess piece?
Old Zhang is Wu Suowei's man?
Damn it! All that talk about not being able to find anyone, and how a temporary worker was good... this was all a setup by Wu Suowei!
Old Zhang was cooperating with him in this scheme!
The more Duan Chen thought about it, the more wrong it felt. He quickly dried himself, not even bothering to blow-dry his hair, and rushed out to make a phone call.
"Hello, Old Zhang!"
"Cough, cough, cough, something wrong? You little brat?" Old Zhang's cough seemed to have worsened.
Duan Chen paused, his tone softening considerably.
"...Your cough is so bad, haven't you gone to see Ge San Ye?"
"Hmph, you still care about me. Such a minor ailment, no need to bother him." Old Zhang chuckled self-mockingly.
Duan Chen was silent for a moment, "Old Zhang, are you Wu Suowei's white chess piece?"
"That's right. There's nothing I can't admit to." Old Zhang's voice was hearty as he took a drink.
"So from the beginning, arranging for me to investigate Mirror City, then using that inexplicable serial murder case to sideline Gao Tiankai, I was bound to need a temporary helper. Wu Suowei could then conveniently appear by my side as the temporary worker you recommended."
"..."
"I always thought I was testing the temporary worker's strength, whether they were qualified to be my partner... In reality, he was testing my strength, whether I was qualified to be a white chess piece in his hand."
Old Zhang let out a heavy sigh, "You're right, Duan Chen, but things are far more complicated than you imagine."
"I thought you, Gao Tiankai, and I were true brothers. Turns out one betrayed his ideals, and the other is in cahoots with someone to scheme against me?" Duan Chen lit a cigarette, squinting at the swirling smoke.
The world was blurry.
What else didn't he know?
Who could he trust?
In the smoke, the boy behind the door seemed to be smiling, his lips moving incessantly—
【Don't trust anyone... Don't trust anyone... Don't trust anyone...】
【Even gods.】
"That depends on your own judgment, little brat. You're not a child anymore, have been in the guild, a special agent for 10 years now."
Old Zhang's voice was calm, with a strangely soothing effect.
He said, "A person's experiences are enough to determine what kind of person they become. I've been watching you for these 10 years. Right and wrong, choose it yourself. Just make decisions you won't regret."
The smoke in front of him seemed to dissipate slightly, and sunlight streamed through the window, creating a scene of peaceful tranquility.
Yes, as a special agent, risking one's life, wasn't it precisely for this peace they wanted to protect?
This was his choice, and he would see it through.
If becoming a white chess piece in Wu Suowei's hand could better protect the country, he had no reason to refuse.
Duan Chen chuckled softly, "I understand, Old Zhang."
"You're a smart child, cough, cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..."
"Since I've joined, can you tell me your location now?... Actually, for these 10 years, I've missed you quite a bit."