Starting with the flesh-based stimulant

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Zhou He was breathing heavily, slumped on the ground, his eyes fixed on the drops of blood that had fallen to the ground.

Then you slowly start to laugh, and the more you laugh, the more natural and unrestrained you become.

Completely ignoring that Boss Liu was standing behind him with a knife in his hand and a sour face.

"Hahahaha—cause and effect!"

Zhou He laughed for a long time, so long that he was almost out of breath, before finally uttering the words "cause and effect." He slowly stood up, leaning on the octagonal table, walked to the corner, picked up his fisherman's hat, and then slowly put it on his head.

"Have you laughed enough?"

Boss Liu spoke in an annoyed tone.

Zhou He turned around, cupped his hands in thanks, and smiled gently:

"Thank you again for protecting me, Boss Liu."

Boss Liu turned the knife over and handed the handle to Zhou He:

"Do you remember what just happened?"

"I can guess..."

Zhou He stopped talking, squatted down and tidied up his belongings, putting them into a box and tucking it into his chest. Then he stood up and asked somewhat seriously:

"Boss Liu, what's the name of the third level of the meat-hunting challenge?"

Boss Liu still had a sour face:

"Ask your donkey, don't bother me."

After saying that, he walked over, laboriously tiptoed to remove the latch, pushed open the door, and gestured for Zhou He to leave.

Zhou He didn't mind. He walked to the door, looked at Ga Gouwa who was still sitting on the embankment, smiled, and then turned to ask Liu Laoda another question:

"You, the peddler... and me, are different, aren't we?"

Before Liu Laoda could answer, Zhou He turned and walked out of the mine, his eyes clear and his back straight.

As he walked behind Ga Gouwa, he could feel the other man's muscles tense up for a moment and then slowly relax.

"Sir, you..."

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'I'? Let's hurry back to the guesthouse, or Yongqiang will start nagging again.'"

After saying that, Zhou He walked ahead without looking back, heading towards Jincheng.

Today I didn't have to carry any meat on my back, so naturally I didn't have to walk on the side paths.

Along the way, Ga Gouwa hesitated to speak, but Zhou He didn't take it to heart and just walked away with a smile. It wasn't time to explain yet.

Tomorrow is the National Sugar and Wine Fair.

A good show is about to begin.

Although due to information barriers, there are still many things I haven't guessed.

But no matter what, they at least know what role they play as a pawn in this game.

Next, it's about bringing yourself back to life, and then, at the right time, getting to the right place, and—

To force someone to abdicate, or to become a more important pawn.

As for becoming a chess player, Zhou He knew that with his current status, he was not yet at that level.

However, there is always a chance.

He began to sing softly, humming one of his favorite songs:

"Today, I watch the snow fall in the cold night."

"With a heart that has cooled, I drift far away."

The voice was soft, yet the song carried far.

Little Gouwa followed closely behind, his dirty little face sullen, seemingly lost in thought.

Following the familiar route, they arrived at Jincheng University. This time, Yao Yao and the others didn't wait at the entrance.

"He's definitely a smart person."

Zhou He chuckled, not going inside, but instead pulling Ga Gouwa to a roadside stall. He ordered a bowl of beef noodles, pushed it in front of the boy, and watched him wolf it down before turning and leaving.

On the way back, Zhou deliberately took the road leading to the square where the National Sugar and Wine Fair was to be held.

The roads in and out were blocked off at this point, and no larger vehicles could get in except for pedestrians and carts.

The square was already decorated with colorful decorations, and pedestrians poured in like water, crowding in front of the stalls, all shouting loudly to make a deal.

I have to shout, it's too noisy here, you can't hear me if I speak softly.

The stalls seemed to have sprung up from the ground, covering the entire square, displaying all sorts of trinkets in a dazzling array.

Most of them just have a small stall, but some are different from the others. They rent storefronts on the side or simply occupy several stalls connected together.

Groups of two or three law enforcement team members, dressed in uniform, strolled around the area.

The security situation in Jincheng seems pretty good; at least they don't seem that tense.

Zhou He pulled down his fisherman's hat and looked in one direction with a smile.

The familiar, thin, horse-faced man was bending over, holding a candied hawthorn in his hand, and handing it to a little girl in a red dress. When he saw Zhou He, he didn't make eye contact, but just grinned.

I don't know if she was smiling at him.

Across from the peddler's stall, outside two shops, all sorts of trendy clothes were hanging, red and green, creating a lively scene.

Old Han kept his head down, wiping his stone glasses, without looking up. Two men carried clothes down from the rack using poles.

Looking further away, the stage had already been set up, and the opera troupe was all dressed up, probably for a short performance that evening.

Further away, there was a sizable stall with tables, chairs, benches, cabinets, and boxes. A tall, thin old man was using an adze to shavings wood on a makeshift frame.

"It's getting lively... Little Gouwa, there's going to be a good show tomorrow, isn't there?"

Zhou He chuckled, pressed down his fisherman's hat, and asked Ga Gouwa a question.

Ga Gouwa looked a little confused, but he just smiled and nodded in agreement.

Back at the guesthouse, Yongqiang was unusually absent from the front desk today, probably to do some necessary tasks.

Zhou He returned to his room with a smile, and sure enough, there were new newspapers inside.

There's only one day left at the National Sugar and Wine Fair.

There wasn't much to look at in the newspaper; one side was filled with buying and selling information, and the other side was filled with missing person notices.

Zhou He smacked his lips, scratched his head, and remembered seeing an acquaintance in the square.

An elderly woman, hunched over and dressed in black, was diligently tending to a small fruit stand with a smile.

Someone should have helped her.

Even if that person is dull-witted, slow-witted, and has a big head, they still make people laugh.

I should stay with the old lady, after all.

He sighed.

Zhou He took a piece of paper out of his pocket.

It was handed to me by the severely nearsighted young man in the "Old" kiln.

The big head of meat was worth 80. When I bought it from the bald old man, I also handed 80 to the young man who wasn't wearing glasses.

The young man said he didn't have enough money, he was short 20.

Zhou He handed over a 50-yuan note, and the young man gave himself a change.

The monetary system here is the same as in my previous life.

Subtracting 20 from 50, no matter what, you shouldn't only find one.

"Hey, I just remembered, you cheated me out of 50 yuan."

Zhou He grinned and tore open the paper.

There were no words written on it long ago; after I finished reading it, all that was left was a blank sheet of paper.

And this is his "ticket" to glimpse tomorrow's grand drama.

"Sir, it's time to go to sleep."

Ga Gouwa walked into the room, lay down on his bed, and after a while suddenly spoke.

Zhou He smiled:

"No rush, there are still some things to do."

He got out of bed, slipped on his cloth shoes, rubbed an oil lamp, lit it with a lighter, and burned the piece of white paper to ashes.

He muttered to himself:

"Tonight, you should be dreaming... Young Master Zhou."