Transcending Worlds: I Have an Invincible Shelter

The entire process was smooth and unobstructed. The Black lawyer personally led the way and respectfully escorted Su Yuyang all the way to the exclusive boarding gate.

This collaboration with the Dubai local gangs can be considered a swift and efficient operation.

The remaining 400 kilograms of gold were converted into compliant US dollars and transferred in full to Su Yuyang's private account in a Swiss bank.

The plane took off, and Su Yuyang bid farewell to this golden city. Seven hours later, he landed on Hong Kong Island.

Stepping onto Hong Kong Island International Airport again, Su Yuyang's state of mind was completely different from that of a few days ago.

Looking up at the clear blue sky overhead, even the sea breeze in the air felt relaxing and pleasant.

The moment I stepped out of the terminal, a private message popped up on WeChat.

"Mr. Su, hello, I am Qing Yuluo, who was arranged by General Manager Jiang in advance."

I have arrived at the designated waiting area in underground parking garage 3 at the airport. My license plate number is...

Su Yuyang tapped the screen lightly and quickly replied, "Okay, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

After replying to the message, he immediately switched to his friend Lao Ji's WeChat chat.

"Old Ji, do me a favor. I need to find some gaming industry media outlets to urgently publish job postings."

After the message was sent, there was no response for a long time. More than ten minutes passed before Lao Ji's reply finally appeared in the chat box, his words filled with surprise.

"Recruiting? Aren't you a tech geek? How come you suddenly switched careers and are doing HR recruitment and general tasks? That's quite a leap."

Su Yuyang rolled his eyes inwardly, but remained outwardly calm as he steadily typed a reply.

"I started my own business and went it alone. From now on, I'll be my own boss."

"Wow, you've been hiding your true abilities! As expected of my CEO, Mr. Su! Congratulations! We'll need your guidance and support in the future."

Just send me the job postings, job details, and company information in one package. We've known each other for years, so I'll expedite the process for you free of charge.

Staring at the warm and polite reply on the screen, Su Yuyang smiled faintly, silently crossing Lao Ji off the list from the little black book in his heart.

"All settled, thank you for your hard work. For all subsequent recruitment positions, I will prioritize getting them published in your industry media outlet, Benji.

"Don't mention it. Helping each other out is the norm in the industry. Our platform has always provided free recruitment channels for game companies."

Immediately afterwards, Old Ji changed the subject, his usual inquisitive nature kicking in, and pressed for more information.

"However, I'd like to add that the gaming industry is currently in a slump, and investors are tightening their belts and taking a wait-and-see approach, not easily investing in new projects. What genre and direction do you plan to focus on?"

Knowing that Lao Ji was always eager to pry into private matters and get to the bottom of things, Su Yuyang simply sent three polite smiling emojis and then replied with a casual remark.

"Of course it's about exporting Chinese culture. You know the current situation."

Old Ji understood instantly and immediately echoed his sentiments.

"That's certainly a safe bet. Right now, the approval process for game licenses is very strict and tight. In April, only 147 new game licenses were issued across the entire network. The competition is fierce."

By pursuing a purely overseas game distribution route, you avoid the bottleneck of game licenses and are not bound by domestic censorship, which is indeed a good approach.

"Let's stop chatting now, I have some tricky work to deal with."

We are currently handling a legal dispute in the gaming industry and are busy verifying the latest official court judgment.

Sigh, these days industry regulations are so strict that many publicly available judgments are mysteriously removed or disappear, making verification extremely difficult.

"Okay, once I settle down in Chang'an District, I'll try to meet up with you offline for a small get-together to discuss future collaborations."

With all the recruitment details finalized, the top priority right now is to expedite the registration process for the Hong Kong Island offshore company and complete all the preliminary qualification and shell company procedures.

A moment later, Su Yuyang arrived at parking lot number three. His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding traffic and immediately locked onto Qing Yuluo, the secretary and specialist whom President Jiang had contacted in advance.

Qing Yulu has a slender and upright figure. Her simple black square-neck halter dress makes her skin look fair and delicate. The neat cut precisely outlines her well-proportioned and smooth waist and hip curves.

The perfectly proportioned square neckline subtly reveals the delicate and defined collarbone and slender, long shoulder and neck lines.

The high slit skirt, cut diagonally at the waist, subtly revealed a section of fair and delicate calves, causing Su Yuyang's gaze to linger for half a second longer.

"Excuse me, is this Ms. Su? I'm Qing Yuluo, the person in charge of this business. Ms. Jiang specially sent me to follow up on your company registration matters."

Qing Yuluo gently smoothed a few stray strands of hair from her forehead, her eyes gentle and charming. She took a step forward and extended her hand in greeting.

After a brief handshake and pleasantries, Qing Yulu stepped aside to lead the way, guiding Su Yuyang to sit in the back seat of the black Model Y parked behind them.

Once Su Yuyang was seated, he drove the vehicle smoothly into the traffic.

"What additional materials or documents do I need to prepare if the agent is handling this?"

Su Yuyang got straight to the point, without any unnecessary small talk.

"Mr. Su, all we need is your personal information. Our dedicated secretarial team has already prepared all the other pre-registration materials and the office address for your affiliation."

Qing Yulu focused on the road conditions ahead, steadily controlling the car's speed, and explained patiently.

"Registration fees, business compliance registration and filing, annual fees for registered addresses, and full-service one-on-one agency fees—all detailed quotations have been calculated and an electronic list has been sent to your email address."

She understood Qing Yulu's meaning. If he confirmed there were no problems, he could reply to the email, and her commission for this deal would be secured.

Su Yuyang raised his hand, opened his email on his phone, quickly browsed through the complete expense details, and after verifying that each item was correct, immediately finalized the company registration name.

"Let's go with this name: Hong Kong Island Games Culture Publishing Co., Ltd. Just submit the preliminary review using this full name."

"Okay, Ms. Su. The colleague I'm working with will urge her to expedite the process."

Qing Yulu gripped the steering wheel with both hands, responded gently, paused briefly, and then tentatively invited him in a soft tone.

"By the way, Mr. Su, during the break from handling some paperwork these past two days, would you like me to accompany you to explore the shopping districts of Hong Kong Island and experience the local specialties?"

"Special features of Hong Kong Island?"

Su Yuyang's heart stirred slightly, and the Lan Kwai Fong scene, which frequently appeared in Hong Kong movies, flashed through his mind.

He shook his head slightly, his tone indifferent, "We'll get all the company's paperwork sorted out first. We can go shopping later if we have some free time."

Su Yuyang had already planned the entire process in mind: to register the entity in Hong Kong as soon as possible, then return to Zhejiang East City to build a research and development team and create a "Yellow Hair" game as quickly as possible.

"clear."

Through the rearview mirror in the car, one could see Qing Yulu smiling gently with her eyebrows curved, but out of the corner of her eye, she could see Su Yuyang in the back seat, already leaning back and resting with his eyes closed.

She stopped arguing and focused on driving steadily on her way.

The next morning, the morning light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the 99th floor onto the desk.

Su Yuyang sent the company's recruitment information to Lao Ji in one click, instructing him to publish it simultaneously on multiple platforms as soon as possible, covering gaming industry media like Lao Ji.

On the other side, Lao Ji opened the job posting sent by Su Yuyang. The job posting included copywriter, numerical system designer, scene and level designer, combat designer, specialized technical designer, backend server architect, UE5 full-process engine developer, client-side combat engineer, animation art TA, original concept artist, high-precision modeler, realistic scene modeler, scene and terrain designer, global scene lighting and rendering, high-precision 3D motion rigging, cool game special effects design, UI dynamic effects production, full-process game function testing, art project coordination PM... all positions were filled.

"This is really starting a business!" After reading through a whole page of densely packed job postings, Lao Ji sent a message full of amazement.

"Wow! As expected of President Su, he's really going all out. This is a serious effort to build a research and development team and do something big in the game industry!"

Su Yuyang replied succinctly with just one word: "Yes."

"Yesterday I thought you were just joking, but I didn't expect it to be a real and concrete plan."

Don't worry, I'll immediately format and optimize the copy, and it will be pushed out to all platforms today for expedited exposure.

A moment later, Lao Ji sent another message, his tone full of doubt and concern.

"Wait a minute, I see your registered company is located in Hong Kong Island? If your office and recruitment location are in Zhejiang East City, it will be quite difficult to recruit people across regions. I'm afraid it will be hard to find staff."

Su Yuyang shook his head helplessly and chuckled, patiently explaining.

"You've been in this industry for many years, how can you not see through this little trick?"

The Hong Kong Island branch is merely an offshore shell, used for compliant procedures overseas. The actual full-time office, team building, and R&D are all based in Zhejiang's eastern city.

"That's much safer."

Old Ji immediately breathed a sigh of relief and echoed with a comment.

"Currently, overseas risks are high, and various chaotic situations are frequently occurring in Southeast Asia. Many people in the industry who work abroad have run into trouble. People are panicking and no one dares to go abroad to work. If you are not careful, you will lose a part of your body. It is not worth the risk."

"I'm a legitimate and compliant entrepreneur doing research and development, and I don't get involved in any shady businesses, so where do all those messy risks come from?"

Su Yuyang glanced at Lao Ji's sigh and casually closed the WeChat chat window.

I got up and stretched my back, then walked to the edge of the rooftop swimming pool on the 99th floor.

A gentle morning breeze caressed his face, and Su Yuyang's lips were radiant with the morning light.

......

In the desolate wasteland, on the 30th floor rooftop of the shelter building.

It has been two full days since Song Ruhai and Jiang Xiaochen went out to investigate.

For the past two days, Lin Xuanzhi and Zhao Xinyan have been quietly going up to the rooftop every day without saying a word, but they both know that they are waiting for someone.

Lin Xuanzhi guessed that Su Yuyang's return must have come from this rooftop.

Yesterday, she was still uneasy and dared not get too close to the rooftop. She just lingered at the stairwell and waited, her mind constantly filled with anxiety.

But tonight, she didn't come alone.

Zhao Xinyan stood beside her, looking at Lin Xuanzhi's dejected profile and the unconcealed disappointment in her eyes. Finally, she couldn't help but ask tentatively.

"Xuanzhi, do you think... that lord might not come back?"

"No, absolutely not!"

Lin Xuanzhi suddenly raised her eyes, a stubborn glimmer in her dark pupils, instantly suppressing the turmoil surging in her heart.

She clenched her fingers tightly, speaking each word as if trying to persuade Zhao Xinyan, or perhaps to reassure herself.

"The master himself promised to avenge the night watch camp; he shouldn't go back on his word, right?"

Over the past two days, the two searched the ruined neighborhoods around the shelter together. The roaming zombies and lurking mutant beasts that used to be everywhere were now unusually rare.

They would clean more than ten blocks in a row before occasionally encountering one or two, and they were always small and alone.

It cannot be said to be without any threat, but it is extremely dangerous.

Lin Xuanzhi looked down at the pitch-black street below, her brows furrowed, and an ominous premonition grew stronger in her heart.

"Xinyan, have you noticed anything is wrong?"

The number of zombies and mutated beasts in the vicinity has visibly decreased sharply, which is highly abnormal.

"That's ridiculously low."

Recalling the neighborhoods near the old watch camp, where mutated beasts and zombies used to roam in droves, Zhao Xinyan frowned deeply.

His gaze fell upon the boundless darkness, and clinging to a sliver of self-deceptive hope, he murmured softly.

"Could it be that they sent people to clear out and scramble areas where other survivors had gathered?"

The two had made no progress in the past two days. Not only had they failed to recruit new members, but they hadn't even found a single Source Crystal to maintain the shelter's protective shield, which inevitably made them somewhat anxious.

The shelter's reserves of Source Crystals were already limited, and once they were depleted, the invincible protective shield that shielded them would lose its energy.

At that time, if the people of the Ash Earth Camp were to suddenly attack, the consequences would be something they did not want to imagine.

Lin Xuanzhi slowly shook her head, her tone filled with an overwhelming melancholy.

"We've already checked all the small survivor gathering places in the area, and the whole area is completely empty, without a single person in sight."

At this point, both of them fell silent, tacitly avoiding the truth they least wanted to believe.

Not only their former night watch camp, but all the survivor strongholds, large and small, within a radius of a hundred miles have probably been looted by the Ash Earth Camp.

"Alright, there's no use thinking about it anymore. Let's wait for Song Ruhai and the others to come back before we talk about it."

Zhao Xinyan noticed that Lin Xuanzhi was in low spirits and quickly changed the subject.

Hearing the names of Song Ruhai and Jiang Xiaochen, Lin Xuanzhi's mind was indeed brought back to normal.

She turned her gaze away from the distance and looked at Zhao Xinyan, her brows still furrowed, her tone full of struggle.

"Actually, I don't agree with them going out to investigate at all, but if we don't figure out the movements of the Ash Earth Camp, we can only keep being attacked passively, without any room to fight back."

The only information they knew was that the Ash Earth Camp was a major force in the Abandoned City. As for whether there were other hidden large settlements, they had no idea, like blind men touching an elephant.

"Yes, we can't rely on that person for everything."

Zhao Xinyan sighed softly, turned her head to look at Lin Xuanzhi, her tone tinged with trepidation.

"We haven't recruited a single new member yet, and we only have two Source Crystals left. I'm afraid... we won't be able to meet that person's requirements."

As a newcomer to the shelter, she knew nothing about Su Yuyang's strength and temperament. She could only glean glimpses of this mysterious powerhouse's character from Lin Xuanzhi's fragmented words, and a sense of unease lingered in her heart.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuanzhi's heart sank, and a trace of worry flashed across her eyes.

"Yes, if we can't do anything for the shelter, if we can't meet that person's demands, we'll be abandoned sooner or later."

At this moment, she once again had the thought of awakening her talent. But as soon as she thought of Song Ruhai refining the source crystal, his veins bulging, his body convulsing, and his excruciating pain, that impulse was instantly suppressed by fear, and in the end, she still didn't dare to make up her mind.

"We probably won't be able to wait until tonight, let's go and rest."

Zhao Xinyan patted her shoulder and gently advised, "Tomorrow we'll explore even more distant areas. Maybe... we'll find the Source Crystal tomorrow."

"All right."

Lin Xuanzhi took one last look at the dark night sky, then turned around and walked down the stairs with Zhao Xinyan, step by step, from the 30th floor.

The rooftop returned to silence, with only the cold wind blowing through the railings, making a faint whistling sound.

A chaotic neighborhood a hundred miles away from the shelter building.

Song Ruhai and Jiang Xiaochen squatted in the shadow of a dilapidated building, their eyes burning as they looked at the dozen or so Source Crystals clutched in their palms.

"Xiaochen, we have thirty Source Crystals in total. How about... we head back to the shelter first?"

Song Ruhai frowned, his eyes filled with worry, and he looked around at the deathly darkness with unease.

"This journey has been too strange."

For the past two days, they have been hiding by day and active by night, doing their best to avoid the mutated beasts' lairs, heading north and long since far from the safety of the shelter.

Along the way, mutilated skeletons were everywhere, some human, some mutated beasts, torn to pieces, a horrifying sight.

Jiang Xiaochen was completely oblivious to Song Ruhai's expression, holding the Source Crystal in both hands, trembling slightly with excitement.

The sudden arrival of thirty source crystals was like a huge pie falling on his head, filling him with ecstatic joy.

He even thought to himself that if he could bring back hundreds of source crystals, that mysterious master would definitely look at him with new respect.

"Jiang Xiaochen!"

Seeing that the other party was completely unaware of the danger, Song Ruhai lowered his voice and coughed heavily.

Jiang Xiaochen suddenly came to his senses, quickly composed himself, and cautiously glanced around before speaking, suppressing his excitement.

"Sending the source crystal back is indeed a good idea."

He paused, then looked at Song Ruhai with a hint of encouragement in his eyes.

"But have you considered that if we bring back more Source Crystals, wouldn't that person value us even more?"

"No!"

Song Ruhai's face darkened, and he suddenly grabbed Jiang Xiaochen by the collar, his eyes sharp as knives as he stared intently at the other man.

"We can't afford any more deaths! Don't you think these Source Crystals came too easily? Heading north, you can just pick up the corpses of mutated beasts carrying Source Crystals anywhere. What kind of coincidence is that?"

The more he spoke, the heavier Song Ruhai's heart became, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

This is not luck at all; it is clearly a trap carefully set by someone!

"We've scouted these areas before; there's no way anyone could possibly be living in these dozens of blocks..."

Jiang Xiaochen's words were cut short as he suddenly stopped. He instantly realized what was happening, and his face turned deathly pale.

They are only first-tier talents. If there are second-tier or even third-tier experts secretly watching them and deliberately setting bait to lure them in, they will be powerless to resist!

"Let's go! Go back quickly!"

Jiang Xiaochen trembled with fright and dared not covet the source crystals any longer. He immediately activated his talent [Night Concealment].

The two figures quickly disappeared into the deeper shadows, their footsteps so light they were almost silent, as if they had never been in this neighborhood.

Several miles away, on the top floor of a tall, dilapidated building.

A pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes narrowed slightly as they peered through the broken window at the direction the two had disappeared, a soft question escaping their lips:

"Strange, they actually found out?"

"Qingheng, what's wrong?"

The middle-aged man who had been refining the source crystal with his eyes closed slowly opened them, his brows furrowing slightly.

He is Zhang Zhixia, the captain of the Spider Kite Squad. Even when refining the source crystal, he always maintains extreme vigilance and pays close attention to every little thing happening around him.

The woman named Qingheng withdrew her gaze, a playful smile curving her lips, and said calmly.

"The prey has finally realized it's prey. What do we do now?"

Qingheng possesses the eavesdropping talent [Interstitial Sound] and is the monitor of the Spider Kite Squad. From the moment Song Ruhai and Jiang Xiaochen stepped out of the shelter building, their every move was under her control.

"They're just two remnants of the first tier, why is the leader making such a fuss?"

A disdainful male voice came from the darkness, "Take them straight back to Bank Street, torture them, and get all the information out of them."

"Exactly, it's no fun hiding things."

Another weathered voice echoed, its figure hidden in the shadows, almost blending into the darkness.

"shut up!"

Zhang Xia's eyes flashed coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone in the room, his voice as cold as ice.

"Remember, the leader's orders are paramount! If I ever hear anyone gossiping about this again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"understood."

In the darkness, nine voices responded in hushed tones, daring not to utter another word.

Their mission was under the orders of Wu Shenggu, the leader of the Bank Street stronghold. The loss of an entire ten-man Tier 2 tactical squad had made Wu Shenggu extremely wary of the mysterious powerhouse at the Night Watch camp.

The reason for sending the Spider Kite Squad to secretly monitor and capture the remnants of the Night Watch camp was to find out the background of that mysterious gifted individual, without arousing suspicion on the street near the bank.

"So what do we do next?"

Outside the room, a soft, seductive female voice rang out, her tone full of impatience. She had long since lost interest in this tedious hunting game.

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Zhixia's eyes as he looked toward the corner of the room, his voice icy and ruthless.

"Since they've noticed, let's use someone else to do the dirty work."

"Huh? I have to go again?"

A groan came from a corner, "This kind of framing, once or twice is one thing, but if it happens too often, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble with the Ash Earth Camp?"

"Blame me?"

Zhang Zhi scoffed, his tone indifferent, "That's something the Third Battalion Commander should worry about. What does it have to do with our Bank Street?"

In the darkness, several figures quietly rose, like lurking venomous snakes, and silently chased after Song Ruhai and Jiang Xiaochen in the direction they had fled.

Night fell as dark as ink, plunging the entire abandoned city into a deathly abyss.

Two figures ran frantically among the broken walls and ruins, their shoes crunching over rubble and bones, making a hurried and chaotic sound.

Jiang Xiaochen glanced sideways at Song Ruhai, whose breathing was disordered, and was already panicking inside, cursing incessantly.

What a useless burden!

Just a moment ago, the Spider Kite Squad's talented members, who had been chasing from behind, suddenly closed in. Song Ruhai gritted his teeth and activated his newly awakened [Gravity] talent, throwing a punch with all his might in an attempt to stop the enemy for a moment.

However, the two are vastly different in strength!

Song Ruhai had only just entered the first tier, while the pursuers were all genuine second-tier powerhouses.

The instant their fists collided, Song Ruhai felt a tremendous force, capable of shattering mountains and splitting rocks, rushing into his fist bones. His internal organs trembled violently, and he was sent flying backward like a tattered piece of cloth with broken threads.

A loud "BOOM—!"

Song Ruhai slammed into a dilapidated building in front of him.

The walls collapsed one after another, and smoke and dust billowed up. He forced his way through more than thirty broken walls before being trapped by the rubble, covered in blood and unable to move.

"Song Ruhai!"

Jiang Xiaochen's pupils contracted sharply. Ignoring the pursuers closing in behind him, he abruptly changed direction, leaped into the collapsed building ruins, grabbed the blood-covered and barely breathing Song Ruhai from the rubble, and continued running with him.

"You go! I'll hold them off!"

Song Ruhai was half-dragged and half-supported, with sweet and metallic blood gushing from his throat, yet he still struggled to break free from Jiang Xiaochen's arms, his eyes resolute.

"Stop my ass!"

Jiang Xiaochen cursed under his breath, his voice trembling, "Those people are all second-tier talent users! You're just a piece of trash who just entered the first tier, who do you think you can stop?!"

These words pierced Song Ruhai's heart like a sharp blade. His face flushed red with shame and anger, yet he was powerless to refute them.

He knew his own limitations better than anyone else, but the two of them carried thirty Source Crystals that they had risked their lives to collect, which were their hope for maintaining the light shield of the shelter building.

He couldn't escape. He absolutely couldn't drag Jiang Xiaochen down with him any longer, and he couldn't let these source crystals fall into the enemy's hands.

Don't overthink it.

Jiang Xiaochen gritted his teeth and pushed his [Night Concealment] talent to its limit, completely concealing his aura in the darkness, even his footsteps disappeared without a trace.

"I'll unleash Nightshade to its limit; I'm confident I can get you out of here!"

The night was his best cover; shadows enveloped the two of them like a tide, making their figures increasingly ethereal, almost blending into the darkness.

However, just as they had run for several miles and thought they were about to shake off their pursuers, Jiang Xiaochen suddenly stopped.

A bone-chilling coldness shot up from my spine to the top of my head.

A figure appeared ahead.

Even in the darkest of times, Jiang Xiaochen could still see the figure clearly.

Before he could regain his balance and disappear back into the shadows, Song Ruhai suddenly broke free from his support, his muscles tensing and bulging, veins bulging like dragons.

[Gravity] Unleashed its full potential, its power surged twofold out of thin air, and it charged forward like a trapped beast!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

He used his shoulder as a hammer and slammed into the figure blocking his way, the shockwave exploding outwards and distorting the surrounding vision.

Between the two, the rubble on the ground was violently thrown into the air and flew everywhere.

But the figure blocking his way was unusually strange; it floated away like a kite with its string cut, easily avoiding his desperate collision.

Song Ruhai rushed forward for more than ten meters before stopping, exhausted. He braced himself on his knees, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, each breath accompanied by a tearing pain.

He looked up and stared intently at the figure that had floated back to the ground, his pupils contracting sharply, his voice trembling with horror.

"Who...who are you?!"

He had never seen such a bizarre talent before; the person before him could transform his body into a skin as thin as a cicada's wing, floating lightly as if it were nothing.

There was no answer, no sound.

Only a pair of deep, cold eyes stared at him silently, without a trace of emotion, yet they caused the rage and despair in Song Ruhai's heart to surge wildly.

"Like the sea!"

Jiang Xiaochen rushed over from behind and, seeing this, roared urgently, trying to rush forward to stop Song Ruhai from making any more futile attempts to fight.

Just as he was about to leap into the shadows and disappear again, a fair, smooth, and bloodless hand suddenly brushed gently from the darkness beside him.

In an instant, Jiang Xiaochen's whole body stiffened, his limbs were completely frozen by an invisible force, and he could not move an inch.

The feeling was so familiar that it chilled him to the bone, just like the restraints that Su Yuyang had imposed on him back then!

But he instantly came to his senses; even if the mysterious figure had intervened, it was impossible for him to imprison them at this moment.

This is clearly an enemy tactic!

"Damn it!"

Jiang Xiaochen used all his source power to frantically ram into this binding force.

The source energy surged and tore through his body, but he was only a first-tier talent user and was not good at resisting power. This struggle was nothing more than an ant trying to shake a tree.

With just a moment's hesitation, he completely lost his last chance to escape into the shadows.

With a gentle pat from that fair hand, Jiang Xiaochen was sent flying like a startled little rabbit.

His figure staggered and fell to the ground, his body completely exposed in the darkness. Jiang Xiaochen looked up and met Song Ruhai's gaze as he turned to look at him.

In that gaze was resolute determination, a willingness to die, and the last shred of obsession to protect his life.

"No--!!"

Jiang Xiaochen's eyes were bloodshot as he roared furiously, but the two were more than 300 meters apart, and even if he tried his best, he couldn't stop him in time.

"Want to die?"

The human-skinned figure let out a cold and eerie chuckle, its body floating like a ghost in front of Song Ruhai, and a thick arm swung out horizontally.

"Snap—!"

Song Ruhai swung his fist at his temple, his knuckles shattering instantly, the pain excruciating, yet he didn't even flinch.

I'd rather die than be captured alive!

He knew that these people had laid out source crystals as bait all the way, delaying their killings, and their target was definitely not the two of them, but the mysterious master in the refuge!

He won't give these people any chance!

With his other intact fist, filled with a death wish, he slammed it into his temple once more!

In just one second, the skull will shatter completely, and everything will end there.

But this one second felt like an eternity.

That fair and smooth hand swept across again, and an invisible restraint suddenly enveloped Song Ruhai's entire body.

His whole body froze, his raised fist stopped in mid-air, unable to fall even an inch.

"Sigh, it was such a waste of my energy to catch you two little rascals."

A soft yet icy female voice rang out, and the owner of the hand slowly stepped out of the darkness. The eerie arm, hundreds of meters long, rapidly contracted, returning to its normal size.

She had an exquisitely beautiful oval face with features so delicate they were almost otherworldly, yet her eyes held no warmth, only indifference towards her prey.

Jiang Xiaochen froze on the spot, his pupils contracted sharply, his mind blank from the shock of this strange talent.

Is this a gifted individual, or just some strange occurrence in the wasteland?

"Hey kid, what are you staring at?"

"What, what, what are you doing?"

Jiang Xiaochen swallowed hard, gazing at the stunningly beautiful oval face before him. The exquisite features were so striking that he was momentarily speechless.

The stunningly beautiful woman swayed her hips and gracefully walked up to Jiang Xiaochen, extending her fair and eerie hand and casting a seductive glance at him.

"Of course I want the Source Crystals. They took so much bait from me, it's time to give it back."

A strange, bewitching power invaded his mind, and Jiang Xiaochen became dazed. A silly smile involuntarily appeared on his face as he obediently took out the thirty lustrous and glowing source crystals from his pocket and offered them with both hands.

"Alright, my mission is complete. Now it's yours, human skin."

The stunningly beautiful woman casually called out as she accepted the Origin Crystal.

"Don't call me human skin! I've told you so many times, don't call me human skin!"

The human-skinned figure suddenly swelled, the light and shadow distorted, and in the next second it transformed into a refined and gentle-looking young man.

If Gao Zhuang were here, he would definitely recognize that the other party was actually "Master Huo".

The moment Jiang Xiaochen saw that face clearly, his blood seemed to freeze instantly!

It's him!

It was the high-level expert from the Ash Earth Camp who had massacred hundreds of innocent people and whose hands were stained with blood that day!

"It's you!! How is this possible!!"

Jiang Xiaochen roared, his voice broken and his eyes bloodshot.

Song Ruhai, who was also restrained to the side, was trembling violently, his eyes bloodshot, almost bulging out of their sockets.

He would never forget that face, even if he died ten thousand times and turned to ashes!

"Master Huo" glanced at the two men indifferently, his eyes cold and icy, without the slightest ripple, as if he were looking at two ants.

He slowly raised his hand and lightly swung it down towards Song Ruhai's forehead.

"Pfft—!"

A dull, piercing sound of breaking echoed through the night.

Song Ruhai's head exploded suddenly, like a watermelon that had been smashed open. Red blood and white brain matter turned into a blinding blood mist that splashed in the dark night, splattering hard on Jiang Xiaochen's face and eyes.

That image was deeply imprinted in his eyes and etched into his very bones.

"Song Ruhai—!!"

Jiang Xiaochen let out a dying howl, his mind completely consumed by anger and despair.

In his last moments before losing consciousness, he vividly remembered "Master Huo's" frail yet blood-stained face.

At the same time, Jiang Xiaochen detonated all the remaining source power in his body, and the black shadow around him surged. In an instant, he disappeared into the dark depths of the ground beneath his feet, leaving no trace.

.......

Overnight, 30,000 resumes flooded into the inbox, and the screen was instantly filled with unread notifications.

Su Yuyang frowned slightly and had no choice but to lie on the bed and patiently flip through the pages one by one.

Among the massive number of resumes, there are recent graduates, seasoned veterans who have been working in the industry for many years, creators with dreams, and also those who are just trying to get by.

He meticulously reviewed each project, checking its experience, technical skills, and portfolio, until his head was spinning and his desire to enter the wasteland world was completely extinguished.

With a lifespan of over 3000 days, he no longer needs to be as tense as before.

At this moment, he only wants to build up his team in the real world first, and then search for opportunities in the wasteland.

When Su Yuyang flipped to a resume, his fingertips suddenly stopped, and his face instantly darkened.

This is a resume for an HR position. The job seeker is quite proud in the self-evaluation section, talking at length about so-called "career tips":

How to help bosses legally exploit their employees and maximize the extraction of surplus value;

How to design a system that encourages employees to voluntarily work overtime without pay and even feel grateful?

How to use compliant methods to force interns to resign voluntarily and save on compensation costs;

How to precisely reduce labor costs and spend every penny wisely...

The harshness and scheming in the words made Su Yuyang increasingly angry.

He instantly recalled his experience at Shihuang Networks: endless unpaid overtime and being treated like a beast of burden...

The true faces of Wang Jian and his accomplice secretary also came vividly to mind.

A wicked thought suddenly popped into my head: Should I get the Dubai gangs involved?

Anger surged in his chest as he stared at the resume on the screen, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

But after a moment, he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the thought.

not worth it.

Getting your hands dirty and disrupting your rhythm for someone like that is completely not worth it.

But this is only temporary.

Not touching it now doesn't mean I'll never touch it.

With a casual flick of his finger, Su Yuyang deleted the resume and added it to his blacklist, the coldness in his eyes lingering for a long time.

Shaking his throbbing head, Su Yuyang closed the recruitment backend, no longer bothered by these trivial matters.

He wondered how the tasks assigned by Song Ruhai and Lin Xuanzhi were going.

"We need to build the research and development team in the real world, and we also need to build the team in the wasteland as soon as possible."

The next moment, Su Yuyang communicated with the colorful black card in his mind, "System, travel to the wasteland world."

A moment later, Su Yuyang's figure disappeared from the room.

......

Meanwhile, in the wasteland, in the abandoned city, Jiang Xiaochen emerged from underground, disheveled and exhausted, and continued his frantic sprint toward the shelter building.

Where he emerged, not far away in an abandoned building, countless zombies converged and rushed toward the rooftop.

On the rooftop, a gaze silently watched Jiang Xiaochen's escape.

"If we arrest one and release another, they shouldn't be able to find Bank Street anymore."

A soft, alluring voice drifted over.

"Let's hope so. We can't just kill both of them; how would we complete the mission then?"

The human-skinned figure flashed and disappeared completely from the rooftop, no longer looking at the fleeing Jiang Xiaochen.

As for Song Ruhai, he had already been quietly taken back to the underground cave on Bank Street.

In the dim, stinking cage, Song Ruhai was completely submerged in a stinking ditch overflowing with excrement and urine, his skin crawling with maggots.

Some even try to penetrate his body through his nose, ears, and other openings.

"He's been doing this for two days now. Are you sure these mutated maggots are really working?"

"Don't worry, how could a mere first-tier talent possibly withstand this? Once these mutated maggots burrow into his body, that's when he'll be begging us for help." Hearing another voice, Song Ruhai's lips twitched, and he chewed up one of the maggots that was about to crawl into his mouth.

With a "plop," the maggot was crushed and swallowed by Song Ruhai.

It was this action that caused the mutated maggots covering his face to swarm towards his mouth, soon blocking Song Ruhai's throat and rushing down his esophagus.

At this moment, even if Song Ruhai kept his mouth shut, he had no choice but to keep chewing the mutated maggots that had crawled into his mouth.

"Ha~ You're actually enjoying it!"

Another disgusting male voice rang out, expressing great surprise that Song Ruhai could amuse himself in such a way.