Ark Chess Player.

"Anyone can be a PhD."

Lin Lu disarmed himself, his posture still casual, the congealed blood and mud from his shoes splattered onto the luxurious mahogany table.

Wei Yanwu remained silent for a long time, then took a deep breath and exhaled heavily: "I have learned a lot."

"How could that be? Take that back for now. You'll have plenty of opportunities to say it later," Lin Lu said with a light laugh.

Wei Yanwu narrowed his eyes, his majestic face exuding authority even without anger: "Your Excellency slaughtered the Alexander lineage, are you still not satisfied? Just when it seems no one in my Dragon Gate can deal with you!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Lin immediately became displeased, even pulling his legs back from the table and sitting up straight.

"Wei Yanwu, what do you mean by that? I'm warning you, don't make baseless accusations! Longmen is not a lawless place!"

Lin Lu raised his index finger and said righteously, "First of all, Alexander Sodan committed suicide. You're not blind, you saw that old man standing there dancing like a cult leader for ten minutes. He even transformed into Captain Yantou and burned himself to ashes. Putting everything else aside, just the fact that he made a personal attack on me, I upheld the traditional virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, so I didn't retaliate or defend myself. You won't even give me a Lungmen Good Citizen Award, but why are you making baseless accusations here? Where are the security guards! Where are the security guards?!"

"..."

Wei Yanwu forcibly suppressed the urge to twitch his lips.

How could someone be so shameless? How could they portray their actions as so righteous and awe-inspiring? Judging solely from the facts, Lin Lu didn't seem wrong; Alexander Sodan was outmatched. Even using the Seven Arrows of Nailhead, a legendary artifact from the Great Yan Dynasty, he failed to take the Rhodes Island doctor's life, instead losing himself in the process. From any perspective, Lin Lu did nothing wrong.

"And what do you have to say about Alexander Anlondor?" Wei Yanwu sneered.

“Anlongdor? Who’s that? I don’t know him.” Lin Lu waved his hand dismissively. He belatedly noticed Wei Yanwu’s gaze, opened the two rings he was playing with in his hand, and chuckled, “I picked these up. Any objections?”

Wei Yanwu first pretended to be crazy and claimed that he knew nothing about Anlongdaoer. Then he pretended not to hear Lin Lu's words and let Suodan cast spells in the reception room without stopping him.

Lin Lu laughed then, a very pleased laugh, just as he had expected.

This matter has been put behind us, but if Wei Yanwu insists on bringing it up again, then he will pursue it to the end.

"well!"

Wei Yanwu felt as if he had been slapped in the face by nothingness; his left cheek throbbed with pain.

Wei Yanwu felt a surge of anger, but he still had one card to play; he hadn't lost yet.

"How do you explain the murder of Senior Superintendent Alexander Swell of the Guard Bureau?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Lu immediately woke up and raised his voice, calling out, "Swell, Swell! Little Sisi!"

"I'm here."

Alexander Swell pushed open the door to the reception room. He was wearing the uniform issued by the Guard Bureau, predominantly dark blue. Compared to Sodan and Anlongdor, his skin was much fairer, his features softer, and he exuded a sense of relief, as if he had survived a catastrophe. He bowed respectfully to Lin Lu and the stunned Wei Yanwu, his deep brown eyes concealing an indescribable sense of vicissitude.

"Commander Wei, please don't make such a sinister joke in broad daylight."

Swell displayed a suitably feigned displeasure, neither offensive nor dismissive of jest. He said seriously, “Mr. Lin and I hit it off immediately, feeling like we’d known each other forever. I consider him a mentor and friend. Mr. Lin is kind-hearted, upright, brave, and generous. He is a renowned military strategist and philanthropist of Rhodes Island. He has dedicated his life to researching ways to cure Oripathy and cannot ignore the future of Terra. As a senior superintendent of the Guard Bureau, how could I harbor hatred or animosity towards such an important guest from Lungmen? Commander Wei, please be careful with your words.”

Swell's tone became serious, to show that everything he said came from the bottom of his heart.

Mr. Lin was thoroughly enjoying the licking, but he resisted the urge to smile; now was not the time to endorse Nike.

"You—are you really Swail?"

Wei Yanwu's pupils were vertical; he looked as if he had seen a ghost. Even the death of Sodan had not shaken him so much.

In his memory, Swell was a spoiled brat who only rose to the position of senior superintendent by relying on the power of his family's conglomerate. Swell and Superintendent Beatrice Swire were two opposites; the former was never stingy with his money, turning the Guard Bureau into a chaotic mess. The latter never wasted a penny on normal expenses, although he always quietly paid for his own meals at gatherings…

At this moment, Swell stood before him. Tall and straight, a faint, confident smile playing on his lips, he was a far cry from the playboy of the past. No longer the lazy, irresponsible superintendent who only knew how to eat, drink, and be merry, and who was utterly incompetent in his work.

"It's natural."

Swell openly allowed Wei Yanwu to extend his spiritual power and scan him.

In reality, what Swell said was both true and false; the truth lay in his genuine reverence for Lin Lu.

When Lin Lu appeared in Swell's office, his first words were...

"Haven't you gotten tired of enduring all these years?"

Swail broke through the defense on the spot.

No one knew how much pressure Swell was under; as the eldest brother in the family, his status was far inferior to that of his half-brother Anlongdor.

Anrondor possessed a natural talent for Originium Arts and was deeply loved by Patriarch Sodan, who wished to impart all his knowledge to him. He even bestowed upon him one of the family's only two Originium rings, allowing Anrondor to hunt innocent people in Lungmen. He could have easily disposed of unburied corpses through the Dark Web, but instead used the excuse that fresh human flesh was more delicious to commit his crimes.

the most important is……

The death of Swell's mother was absolutely related to Anlondor.

On her deathbed, his mother repeatedly warned him never to risk his life for a moment of impulsiveness. His father was no longer able to protect him, and the entire family was controlled by Anlongdor's birth mother. Even though Swell was the eldest son, those people would never let him off the hook.

To avoid being targeted, Swell could only pretend to be a good-for-nothing spendthrift, pursuing Swire relentlessly to divert attention. Secretly, he plotted to build his own power base, hoping to one day exact revenge.

But he never expected that this day would come so suddenly.

Lin Lu had carefully reviewed the records of injustices and found no mention of the eldest son of the Alexander family having done anything in this regard. Therefore, he gave Swell a chance to redeem himself. Regardless of the outcome, it was a fact that Swell had proposed sending Rhodes Island to the listening tower on the outer ring of Lungmen. For this alone, Lin Lu would not let him off the hook.

"Tell them I'll be waiting for them in hell!!"

After exhausting all his efforts to no avail in Lin Lu's favor, Swell stared intently at Lin Lu, abandoning all other thoughts. Even though this was the headquarters of the Guard Bureau, even though countless armed police officers were outside the office, even though he only needed to delay a little longer to have a chance to survive.

Lin Lu smiled gently and cut off the ring finger on Swell's right hand, where the ring was worn.

This is the price Swil has to pay.

He forgave Swell.

temporary.

Lin Lu has never been a saint, not in the past, not now, and not in the future.

His world wasn't vast; he was merely an amnesiac who had only woken up less than a month ago, his memories consisting only of knowledge. He didn't intend to dwell on the past; he only hoped to live well in the present.

On the very first day Lin Lu woke up from the stone coffin, he became certain of one thing.

There are only two kinds of people in this world: those who are his people and those who are his enemies.

Anyone who dares to touch his people, even if they go to the ends of Terra, he will make them pay the price.

"Rhodes Island Doctor, I underestimated you."

Wei Yanwu sighed deeply, looking at the dust on the ground, and said slowly, "I didn't expect you to have such high personal charisma. Even if you forced Sodan and Anlongdor to their deaths, you were still able to make Swell serve you."

Swell's gaze followed Wei Yanwu's line of sight, and when he saw the ashes fluttering in the wind, his pupils widened instantly.

Sverre took a few steps forward, disregarding his appearance, and picked up the only thing Sodan hadn't been melted by the white flames: a black ring.

It was that Originium Arts trigger device.

"Mr. Lin, please."

Swell presented the ring to Lin Lu with utmost respect, his face submissive and his tone calm, like a loyal servant.

Lin Lu took the ring, which still retained a trace of warmth, and activated the extraction power. Countless vengeful spirits surged out from it, their shrill screams echoing throughout the reception room. In less than ten seconds, all the vengeful spirits residing in the ring were released, and the accumulated darkness was completely extracted.

Wei Yanwu remained silent for a long time, as if he had been struck by magic and turned to stone, letting the wind whip his swollen and painful face. As the saying goes, if someone slaps your left cheek until it's swollen, then the next thing you should do is offer your right cheek and let them slap you again.

"I, Wei... have learned a lot!"

Wei Yanwu slowly exhaled a breath of resentment.

"Then, let's talk about our grudges."

Lin Lu glanced down at Wei Yanwu's gloomy expression and said calmly, "In the two days I was away, Rhodes Island received a lot of help from you. As one of the highest leaders of Rhodes Island, it would be unreasonable for me not to demand an explanation from you today."

"We'll settle all our scores, old and new. We'll do it properly, slowly."

Wei Yanwu felt an intense malice coming toward him; those unfathomable cobalt blue eyes stared at him as if he were looking at a dead man.

"The Rhodes Island team is in the fifth district of Lungmen Outer Ring, right?"

Wei Yanwu composed himself, determined not to reveal any weakness.

As the executive officer of Lungmen, what storms hasn't he weathered?

He had never actually seen a Saint-level opponent before!

"Whether it's the Reunion Movement or other forces, they've all got their eyes on this team. Aren't you going to support them, Doctor of Rhodes Island, or rather, Commander of Rhodes Island?" Wei Yanwu coaxed patiently, needing to catch his breath and calm his mind, which had been reeling from the shock.

Lin Lu raised his eyes, flicked the three rings into the air, caught them mid-air, and smiled broadly.

"What? I can't win again?"

Chapter 294 Crimson Sky, Sword Draw! (4K)

Outer ring of Longmen, combat zone.

Since the Reunion Movement launched its nighttime raids, Lungmen has entered a state of high alert, urgently strengthening its border defenses and deploying ample supplies and military equipment. In reality, Lungmen is not without defensive measures; on the contrary, it has constructed three heavy defensive networks within the mobile city.

The core protective facility, located between the affluent area and the center of Lungmen, is called the Wall of Sina.

The large defensive siege equipment installed on the outskirts of Lungmen City is known as Ruth's Wall.

In the eyes of those in power, the Lungmen slums also had another name: the Wall of Mary.

With three layers of heavy defense, the slums will be the first line of defense in the event of war or an enemy attack.

In Wei Yanwu's plan, even if they engaged the enemy in direct combat in this area, it wouldn't cause too much economic loss. They could also use the complex terrain to conduct urban warfare, wearing down the enemy here and relieving the burden on Longmen, which was a win-win situation.

Moreover, Wei Yanwu had also hidden two moles in the slum area.

One of the features is the ability to detach from the designated area at any time. If Lungmen is truly in crisis and facing imminent collapse, all enemies can be drawn here, allowing for a drastic measure of survival, leaving everyone stranded here. The slums are poorly equipped with water, electricity, and food. If the enemy is trapped here, they could be worn down and killed within half a month.

The second solution was the slum's sewer system.

This is why Wei Yanwu was not worried at all about Longmen falling into ruin.

If necessary, Wei Yanwu is willing to make appropriate concessions, even if it means using the Guard Bureau building as a pawn, he will not hesitate for a moment.

However, Chen Huijie disagreed with doing so.

On the night the Reunion Movement launched its nighttime attack, she repeatedly requested to use the Wall of Sina, but each time Wei Yanwu vetoed her request. As a result, she was trapped in the wealthy district all night and unable to leave. If it weren't for Rhodes Island's outstanding achievements, the slums might have already become a battlefield.

At this moment, Chen Huijie is still doing her best to try to salvage the situation.

The flames of war raged, and the smoke filled the air; even the blazing sun could not penetrate the fog on the ground.

The most brutal battle zone outside Lungmen is littered with the bodies of Guard Bureau officers and Reunion Movement soldiers.

Screams and cries of despair rose and fell. Everyone present forgot when the battle began or how much time had passed. All they knew was that their mission was to kill the person standing in front of them.

Otherwise, there is no choice.

The battle of Reunion will last as long as it lasts in Lungmen, until complete victory is achieved.

On one side is a battlefield raging with fire, on the other side are slums in dire straits, and on yet another side are the people of Lungmen who are kept in the dark, unaware that the Reunion Movement has reached their doorstep and are still living peaceful lives.

The myriad aspects of human life are nothing more than this.

"Report, report, Commander Chen! We have... reached our limit."

The bloodstained communication headset carried the hoarse voices of his subordinates. This battle had dragged on for far too long; everyone's nerves were stretched to the limit, on the verge of snapping at any moment. If Wei Yanwu hadn't issued the order the day before to dispatch the Guard Bureau's engineering department to temporarily construct transit stations and outposts, the Guard Bureau, with its meager forces and lack of supplies, wouldn't have been able to hold out for so long against the Reunion Movement's overwhelming human wave tactics.

The Suzaku Squad and the White Tiger Squad of Lungmen's special forces are currently guarding inside the Wall of Maria.

According to Wei Yanwu's initial instructions, he originally intended to allow the integration movement to invade the slums.

The infected in the slums thought their actions would go undetected, but Wei Yanwu was well aware that some of them had already connected with the Reunion Movement. As a result, the complex street battles that should have been left to the Reunion Movement were now reversed, and the prey fighting like cornered beasts became the hunters.

Lungmen has taken care of these infected people who have nowhere to go for so long, and these ungrateful wretches sell them off so easily!

"……Ugh."

Really? It's reached its limit...

The desert wind whipped against my face, and the fine sand clung to my wounds, creating an itchy sensation.

Superintendent Chen wiped the blood from her face. The standard-issue long knife in her hand was full of chips, and her uniform was torn in many places.

Throughout the entire process, Lungmen never sent any military support.

Even though two exceptionally strong special operations teams were not far from the slums behind them, they had no intention of coming to help. Their highest orders were to guard this area. If Chen hadn't been stationed at the outermost edge of Lungmen, blocking the main force of the Reunion Movement, what would the slums and Lungmen freshmen have to do with it? Whether infected or trespassing college students, they would all have perished at Wall Maria long ago.

Chen placed her left hand on her headset, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "PC94172, take the squad to the second line of defense for a return defense."

"Yes, Commander Chen. And what about you?"

"I'll follow them shortly."

Chen hung up the call and placed his hand on the hilt of another sword at his waist.

The Guardian squad had done its best, and she couldn't possibly let these people who trusted her stay here any longer. She knew it was all in vain; they alone couldn't possibly stop all the Reunion Movement's infected.

“I can’t control the others, but you have to stay here.”