Ark Chess Player.

Ug was quite aware of his own combat abilities; he was purely a logistics personnel, specializing in electronic warfare. As a keyboard warrior, give him a keyboard, and he could transform into a technical expert that hundreds of brutes combined couldn't match. But if you sent him to the front lines to charge into battle, he was certain he'd trip and fall after running fifty meters with a sword, stabbing himself to death.

"Hopefully I'll run into a kind older brother... I heard that if you want to curry favor in prison, you have to learn how to pick up the soap first. I wonder if that's true. If I resist, will I get beaten up and then forced to pick it up?" Ug suddenly felt a little scared. After all, the people who can come to the witness hall are not nobody, otherwise there wouldn't be such high-priority security measures here. Isn't it just to prevent someone from coming to kill him and cover it up? If Ug hadn't known some deadly things, he wouldn't have had the chance to come here.

"Hey, are you there?"

Ug walked into the room. The environment of the witness room was not like an ordinary prison or solitary confinement cell, but rather the environment of a high-end hotel.

Upon entering the main hall, one finds that the kitchen refrigerator contains not only beverages, juices, and vodka, but also desserts with an expiration date of less than three days, and even daily-changing fruits to ensure adequate nutritional intake.

As Ug walked further, he discovered that there was also a gym and a library, and even the dormitories were single rooms with double beds.

Wait, why is there a double bed in the witness box?

Ug looked down at his handcuffs, then looked up at his surroundings.

He always felt like he was on vacation, not imprisoned.

"Newbie?"

A middle-aged man, nearly two meters tall, with bulging muscles, wearing an old Ursus military uniform on his upper body, and exuding a philosophical air, walked over.

Unlike Ug, this man seemed to have considerable autonomy. Forget handcuffs, he just casually walked out wearing only boxer shorts. The combination of a military uniform and polka-dot boxer shorts was bizarre, like something out of a social media blogger's post.

“Hello, brother. My name is Edward Ug. From today onwards, we are neighbors,” Ug said sincerely.

“What neighbor? This is called cohabitation.” The middle-aged man smiled, patted Ug’s thin shoulder, and pushed him into the room. “My name is Makarov. Not long ago, I was an administrator in the Ursus Empire. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you here.”

"Thank you, brother. You are so kind."

Ug smiled gratefully; he had finally met his family!

Not long ago, he collapsed in a truck. When he woke up, he saw the female tigress of the Guard Bureau staring at him with a cold expression, one hand holding his collar and the other hand raised in the air.

Ug felt a burning pain on his face, as if he had been slapped twice.

While being questioned by the police officers, Ug kept thinking back to why he had fainted.

He felt as if he had witnessed something terrible before he lost consciousness. It was so terrifying that his brain subconsciously erased that memory, leaving only endless fear within him. He didn't even dare to think about it, and for a while, he couldn't even look at the display screen. All he could think about was finding a safe place to hide, and the safest place in Lungmen was naturally the Witness Hall of the Royal Guard Bureau.

Looking back now, surrendering was the right thing to do, and coming to the witness stand was the right thing to do.

Yay! The next Nobel Prize in Literature is mine!

"Brother Makarov, where are we going?"

"Let's go to the room. I'll show you some good stuff."

"What great deal? Is it a new computer?"

“It’s even more fun than a computer! Come on!” Makarov laughed loudly, patting Ug’s thin back hard, causing Ug to stumble and almost fall to the ground. It was because of this that he turned his head and saw another half-closed room. On the floor of the room, several people seemed to be lying haphazardly. Moreover, faint groans and moans could be heard coming from inside; men wept upon hearing them, while women fell silent.

"Brother Ma, who are these people...?"

Ug shuddered; he had a vague sense of foreboding.

"Them?" Makarov grinned, as pleased as if he'd just eaten Mapo Tofu. "They're your roommates, and we'll be spending a very, very long time together. Don't worry, you'll soon be just like them, feeling the allure of muscles. You'll understand what it means to be a master thief, a tongue whip, a quick draw, wild growth, deadly rhythm, a dragon's ram, a phase surge, the rhythm of war, an energy outpouring, and finally, a final curtain call and composure."

Makarov ushered Ug into the room, laughing loudly, "Welcome to my Pony House! From today onwards, this is your home. These machines will be your best companions. Come and feel the power of muscles with me!"

"..."

Did I come to the wrong place?

Is it too late to go back and find Wenger now?

"Brother Ma, can I not go?" Ug asked timidly.

Makarov looked down at him, pointed to the handcuffs on his hands, and flashed his white teeth.

"No."

It is said that on that day, Ug climbed the adult's steps.

He learned a lot, a lot.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Your horse is gone."

The reception room of the Imperial Guard Building.

Governor Wei Yanwu of Longmen raised the "chariot" in his hand and swallowed the opponent's "horse".

Sitting in front of Wei Yanwu was an elderly man in his late sixties dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. He was not from Yan State, but he had a deep affection for Yan State culture.

The two are playing Chinese chess, a traditional board game of the Yan Kingdom. Chinese chess has a long history in the Yan Kingdom and is a two-player competitive game, considered a cultural treasure of the Yan Kingdom.

"I didn't expect that your chess skills are as good as ever, Mr. Wei."

The old man smiled and said that even though he was always at a disadvantage, he showed no sign of discouragement or anxiety, which showed his high level of chess skills and profound state of mind.

"Sodan, you haven't changed at all, still the same dishes as before."

Wei Yanwu smiled, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes.

"Is that so? I do feel that I have learned quite a bit in the past few years, but unfortunately, I am still not as good as you." The old man named Sodan did not fall for Wei Yanwu's provocation. He simply moved a pawn forward and made a move, using the principle of "remaining unchanged to respond to all changes" to seal off half of the opponent's chessboard.

Wei Yanwu stared at his opponent, not placing a piece for a long time.

This game of chess has actually been going on for almost three hours, ever since the attack on the outer ring of Longmen.

Everything, inside and outside the game, is a game.

Despite having more pieces than his opponent, Wei Yanwu made a crucial mistake in his first move, underestimating the importance of this piece. This led to a series of errors in his thinking, and the game never progressed as he had anticipated.

Even after taking remedial measures, they were still somewhat hesitant and unable to fully commit to absorbing the opponent's power, and could only proceed step by step.

In contrast, Sodan consistently and generously sacrificed his pieces. These sacrifices were all necessary tools for his ultimate victory. Indeed, they were all necessary, no matter the cost.

The game is over; once a move is made, there's no going back.

You must not lose your composure, or you will surely fail.

"well!"

Sodan took a sip of the hot tea offered by the beautiful woman beside him and couldn't help but sigh. This top-grade Longjing tea was tender and glossy green, with a delicate aroma and mellow taste. Only Wei Yanwu could import such fine goods from Yan Kingdom.

This privilege, which belonged solely to Wei Yanwu, even if it was just a small right, still made people feel uneasy.

Lungmen, this dazzling jewel of Terra, you've had it all to yourself for so long, isn't it time to hand it over?

"report!"

A strong, resonant voice came from outside the door.

Wei Yanwu didn't turn his head; his gaze remained fixed on the chessboard. He replied, "Come in."

"Yes!"

A guard officer entered the room, nodded to Mr. Wei and Mr. Sodan, and then gave his usual report.

He's been in and out of the meeting room countless times today, basically just stating the information he's received and then running away.

Yes, no need for extra formalities, just run. Because after each mission report, these two big shots' aura becomes quite terrifying, so it's best for a nobody like him to stay out of it.

"Report: Our personnel have thoroughly investigated Silverwing Security Contractors."

"A total of 444 mercenaries from Silverwing Security Contractors were killed in action, including the group's general manager, Edward Wenger."

"Dragon Squad leader Alexander Charlotte is killed in action. Team members Hawkeye, Observer, Assault Team member, and Artilleryman are also killed in action, with four others seriously wounded. Most of the Guard Bureau officers are unconscious! Superintendent Beatrice Swire is injured, but she refuses to go to the hospital for examination and treatment, insisting on staying at the Silverwing Tower to complete the investigation!"

After the police officer finished reporting, he immediately bowed, turned around and left, closing the door and running away in one swift motion.

He had only run fifty meters when he heard a series of loud bangs behind him, and he secretly rejoiced that he had run fast.

Inside the reception room, Sodan held a warm teacup in both hands, his knuckles protruding, yet his control was remarkably precise. He still wore a smile, but everything around him had been destroyed by his aura, except for the maid beside him and the chessboard on the table, which remained unscathed.

“Charlotte, I remember that young man, he was very talented.”

Wei Yanwu found Suo Dan's forced restraint quite amusing and couldn't help but add insult to injury: "He became the captain of the Hidden Dragon Squad at the young age of twenty, and he even overpowered everyone else with his own strength! Even if his methods were quite dirty, he was indeed capable. It's a pity, a real pity, that he's gone just like that. If you hadn't suggested that the Hidden Dragon Squad replace the Vermilion Bird Squad in this special mission, he might have lived a couple more days."

"Don't get too cocky, Wei Yanwu!"

Sodan's previously impenetrable composure finally crumbled; the teacup he held in his hand trembled, and tea splashed onto his hand. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Wei Yanwu suddenly move to the chessboard, a stark contrast to his previous indecisiveness.

The cannon flew over another cannon and captured one of his horses.

"Your horses are all gone! What happened?"

"You traded your cannon for my horse, was it worth it?!"

Sodan moved his chariot sideways and directly destroyed the enemy's cannon that had been sent all the way from afar.

"As long as you don't have a horse, that's enough for me."

Wei Yanwu didn't mind at all, but his smile quickly faded.

To be honest, this move was beyond his expectations.

Wei Yanwu had no idea that Rhodes Island's strength was far greater than when they fought the Reunion Movement the night before last!

They stormed the building and slaughtered hundreds of mercenaries within half an hour, like a war machine going into full swing, reaping lives.

Even if Lungmen sends out special forces for a raid, it would require a lot of time and sophisticated equipment; it wouldn't be so easy to uproot Silverwing Security Contractors.

In Wei Yanwu's double insurance plan, if Rhodes Island's leader Kal'tsit were to perish at the hands of Silverwing Security Contractors, although it would be quite regrettable to lose a partner company with unique expertise in Oripathy infected individuals, it would also mean that Rhodes Island's strength was limited to this.

Even though the information they provided about Upper Chernobog was quite rich and interesting, it was still beyond reality. Even among the anomalies that Wei Yanwu knew, there was no such monster that parasitized an entire city and devoured flesh and blood.

If the Reunion Movement truly possesses such power, then the most important thing Lungmen should do is go all out and simply run away.

Of course, Wei Yanwu believed that Rhodes Island had the strength to resist Silverwing Security Contractors, but his greater hope was to use someone else to do the dirty work.

However, the knife was so sharp that Wei Yanwu almost cut his hand while holding it.

Has Rhodes Island revealed all its cards?

However, during the previous report, the police mentioned that several exceptionally skilled operators had appeared at the Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Building. It was precisely because of them that even though the entire pharmaceuticals building was reduced to ruins, not a single Rhodes Island employee was injured.

Wei Yanwu was well aware that there were assassins among the Silverwing Security contractors, and he also knew that among these assassins... there was one who had once been the Minister of Justice of Yan Kingdom, but had offended someone whose name could not be revealed a few years ago, and ended up in this predicament.

"Report! Report!"

The knocking sounded again, but this time it sounded more urgent.

Did the intelligence come so quickly this time?

Wei Yanwu, puzzled, beckoned and said, "Come in."

It was the same police officer, but this time his face was serious, and he was much more nervous than before.

"Report! The lower city of Lungmen Outer Ring has fallen! A large number of Reunion Movement infected have attacked the slum area, and citizens of the Lungmen New Generation Organization... have been surrounded and slaughtered by numerous infected!"

This time, the officer did not leave immediately, but stood still and waited for instructions.

The Infected from the Reunion Movement besieging the city is one thing, but massacring Lungmen citizens is another!

The myth of Lungmen Guard Bureau's security will never exist again.

"Hey, Lao Wei, look here."

Sodan called out, turning Wei Yanwu, whose brows were furrowed and whose face showed anger, to look at him.

Sodan raised his cannon and crossed the Chu River and Han border, reaching deep into the heart of Wei Yanwu's chessboard, pressing down on his horse and hindering its movement.

Through his constant concessions and sacrifices, Sodan successfully forced Wei Yanwu to bury all his pieces in his territory, leaving his defenses vulnerable. Even if Wei Yanwu were to defend afterward, he would be a beat too late, unless he also gave up most of his pieces.

But would Wei Yanwu dare?

Sodan was willing to take over a war-torn and dilapidated Longmen, attracted by the power and far-reaching benefits behind it. Wei Yanwu, however, could not allow Longmen to burn in the flames, because it involved far too many secrets of the Yan Kingdom.

"It's your turn."

Sodan raised his teacup and gave Wei Yanwu a mocking smile, returning the sarcasm he had received earlier.

Wei Yanwu's face was gloomy, and the temperature in the entire reception room suddenly dropped, even the tea became ice-cold.

If this game of chess has reached a stalemate between the general and the king, then the outcome seems irreversible.

However, neither Wei Yanwu (Black) nor Alexander Sodan (Red) expected that—

A white-robed player appears on both sides' nine palaces.

Chapter 276 The Reporter (4K)

The outer ring of Longmen is a slum.