Ark Chess Player.

"Hoshiguma, your idea is very bold, even bolder than your current behavior."

Chen Huijie silently looked down at her hands folded together on the back of her hands. Xingxiong's hands were longer than hers and could completely envelop her hands.

"do you mind?"

"Big sister Hoshiguma said with a mischievous smile."

Chen slowly turned his head and said softly, "...Don't push your luck."

"I understand, it means you should be bolder."

Hoshiguma reached out and hugged Chen's shoulder, gently rubbing her shoulder with her hands.

"Old Chen, you need to take a good vacation."

"...I haven't used my annual leave from last year, including this year's." Chen Huijie didn't pull away from Xingxiong's hand. Right now, she really needed a hug, ten cans of energy drinks, a therapist, a six-month nap, or...

"Hoshiguma, after this incident is over, I will apply for a very, very long leave."

Chen Huijie grasped Xingxiong's hand in return, pursed her lips, and looked away.

She slowly raised her head and said earnestly, "Stay with me, okay?"

"Okay, let's go out and have some fun together after this is over. Where do you want to go? Huangcheng, or Chundu? Or how about Huajun? Huangcheng is too far from here, the time spent on the road would be enough for another vacation. Or do you want to go back to Victoria to see your classmates?"

Hoshiguma readily agreed, even though she was from the East and didn't even realize that the words for "accompany me" and "dating" sounded the same in the East.

Chen gave her a resentful look and reminded her, "I want to visit your hometown."

"Don't go, it's not as interesting as Lungmen."

"I knew you'd say that... huh?"

Chen Huijie glanced displeased at the mobile terminal from which the sound was coming from; the bright screen reflected a glaring red light.

"—Confidential communication?"

Chapter 384 Full of Milky Flavor (3K)

Chen's face immediately showed worry, and he said in a deep voice, "...This is an emergency communication from a classified channel."

Hoshiguma nodded knowingly: "Then I'll go out first."

"sorry to bother you."

"It should."

Hoshiguma arrived at the cabin door and carefully closed it, standing guard like a doorkeeper. But she couldn't maintain her stance for long before she slowly curled up into a ball, covering her mouth to keep herself from making a sound.

"Will you stay with me...?"

Hoshiguma savored the embarrassment Chen had shown when she said those words, and her pretty face flushed crimson without her noticing. She wasn't some oblivious older sister; she'd watched Chen Huijie and Swire grow up in the Guard Bureau years ago. Did she not know what those two girls were thinking?

"Ah...ah..."

Hoshiguma murmured unconsciously, burying her face in her arms and revealing her innocent eyes.

To her shame, Hoshiguma is quite old, but she has never had a romantic relationship.

Yes, she was still a demon woman who fantasized about giving her virginity to her lover on her wedding night.

A pair of black leather shoes appeared before Hoshiguma's eyes, with soles that were about three centimeters thicker.

"Hmm? The policewoman from Lungmen."

The Kingslayer looked at Hoshiguma curiously, his emoticon mask revealing a surprised expression.

"Hey? Who are you?"

"Hey, didn't we fight together before!"

The kingslayer's mask display showed an angry expression.

“Ah…” Hoshiguma remembered the mask of the Kingslayer. Her gaze swept from head to toe, and she exclaimed, “This outfit suits you very well.”

A white suit shirt, dark trousers—the quintessential urban chic. A black leather belt cinches her slender waist, highlighting the assassin's prominent breasts from the side, while the bright orange tie stands out vividly against the white clouds.

The Kingslayer wore a Rhodes Island standard coat draped over her shoulders, which added a touch of composure to her otherwise dashing appearance.

“That’s what my lawyer, Lin, said too.”

The lord's anger vanished under Hoshiguma's undisguised praise.

“Lin Lu? Ah… the name of the Doctor from Rhodes Island.” Hoshiguma suddenly remembered the name, and her expression became strange. She silently stood up and solemnly apologized to the Kingslayer.

"Feel sorry."

"Why apologize?"

The Kingslayer carefully avoided the demon horns that Hoshiguma thrust at him as she bent over, while also dodging her apology.

"In the abandoned city of Chernobog, due to the urgency of the situation, we were unable to stay and support Rhodes Island, and chose to leave first. Now, the Rhodes Island team and Amiya are still in the abandoned city, and the Doctor stayed in the center of the abandoned city's square in order to save everyone."

"Oh...Is Amiya alright?"

"Apart from the doctor, whose fate is unknown, everyone else is safe and sound."

"Oh, I see. Then it's alright." The Kingslayer said confidently.

"Eh?"

Hoshiguma raised her head, somewhat puzzled.

In Lungmen, it's commonplace for Guard Bureau officers to apologize to victims' families. Sometimes they're met with emotional outbursts, or even verbal abuse for wasting taxpayers' money. Physical violence is not uncommon. Life is full of joys and sorrows. However, even Hoshiguma has rarely seen such a calm and collected reaction from a Kingslayer.

"He's Attorney Lin, you know."

The Kingslayer patted Hoshiguma on the shoulder; her height was just enough to reach the bent-over Hoshiguma.

"Even if Talulah is there, it doesn't matter. If it's him, he might even be able to kidnap Talulah and take her back to Rhodes Island." The Kingslayer assessed the combat strength of both sides in his mind and said confidently, "Unless we encounter that humanoid Gundam Patriot, Lin Lu will be fine. As far as I know, the only ones in the ruined city are that stinky woman W, that fragrant woman Frostnova, and... damn Mephisto."

When Mephisto was mentioned, the Kingslayer's emoticon mask even glowed red, showing just how much she hated him.

"It's impossible for Law to be so unlucky as to run into Patriot. No, even if Patriot were there, it wouldn't matter much, right? That old man is fierce, but he's the kind of person who can reason. Unless Law pushes Patriot's beloved daughter Frostnova away, the old man won't do anything irrational. Relax, relax."

The Kingslayer released her hand from Hoshiguma's shoulder and turned to lean against the door with Hoshiguma.

"However, the above is just my personal opinion. I believe in Lawyer Lin, and I believe he will definitely return safely. This does not mean that you are abandoning your partner or your savior in order to protect the safety of Lungmen. If you want to apologize, you can apologize to Lawyer Lin after this matter is over."

"you are right."

Hoshiguma looked up, her thoughts drifting, and before her eyes seemed to reappear the dazzling starry sky that obscured the sun.

Her first impression of Dr. Rhodes Island was that he was a visionary and capable battlefield commander.

With only a small number of operators, they not only successfully held their ground against an attack by Reunion soldiers who outnumbered them twenty to one, but even showed signs of a counterattack. When she came under his command, an invisible force surged from her chest—an unwavering belief in victory.

On the battlefield, Lin Lu can single-handedly perform missions involving multiple unit types. He can independently gather battlefield intelligence using his data-driven spiritual domain, possessing precise information on every enemy; the map covering the entire spiritual domain is an extension of his hands. With this information, he can analyze the safest offensive plan in the shortest amount of time, formulate an overall strategy, determine the required lineup, deploy operators, and provide on-site guidance for the combat plan.

Like magic, Lin Lu could foresee the number of enemies and assess the impact of each one. He then used tactics to guide the situation into his desired course, as if an invisible giant hand in the sky was manipulating the chessboard.

He is willing to do anything for his operators, values ​​his own people, and possesses qualities that match his strength.

"What an incredible person."

Hoshiguma slowly closed her eyes.

Trust levels have risen sharply.

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.

"Please speak, I'm listening."

Superintendent Chan answered the confidential communication and spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

Since the other party contacted her through emergency communication, her response at this moment will greatly influence their judgment. In short, she must not panic.

“Chen Sir… I… have gathered information about the Reunion Movement, about why they are able to control monsters… hiss…” A painful gasp came from the other end of the communication, and after a few seconds, a trembling voice finally rang out.

"The information about the giant monster that appeared in the slums yesterday, and the residents of the slums being escorted to the sewers by a mysterious force. I... I left this information in the Wood Harvest Warehouse, it's on me. Sir, I was attacked by the Reunion Movement, I probably won't live much longer... Don't come looking for me now, they're nearby, come here after they leave. Don't worry, I used encryption, they won't understand."

“Informant codenamed XR02, you wait there. The Guard Bureau will be there immediately. Before that, I have another mission for you.” Commander Chen gripped her mobile terminal tightly. She took a deep breath and exhaled fiercely, “You are not allowed to die. You must live! The intelligence you have is time-sensitive, and we must obtain it. You must survive until we pick you up. That is an order.”

"That's really... unreasonable."

A wry laugh came from the other end of the communication terminal, and amidst the noisy static, a considerable commotion could be faintly heard.

"Inspector Chen, someone's here, I—"

"XR02? XR02!"

Communication was then interrupted.

Chen Huijie put the mobile terminal down from her ear and looked at the classified communication channel, which had changed from a blinding red light to a deep blue, and took a deep breath.

"Now is not the time to hesitate."

Superintendent Chen silently raised her head, grasped one end of the bandage on her head, tore it off, crumpled it in her palm, and threw it into the trash can.

"Star Bear."

"Ah, I'm here."

As the hatch rose, Hoshiguma turned to look at Old Chen, whose expression was solemn.

"With the team ready, it's time for us to set off."

"Yes!"

Seeing Old Chen perk up, Hoshiguma's own spirits also rose.

Chen turned to look at the King Killer standing beside her. Her gaze swept over him, and she almost didn't recognize him.

“I know you… Rhodes Island reported your identity to Lungmen in advance, and you were present during the negotiations at the Administration Hall.” Superintendent Chen emphasized, “Tell me, how much armed force does Rhodes Island have left?”

"Do you think I'm the kind of fool who would tell you how many cards I have up my sleeve?" The Kingslayer chuckled contemptuously, crossing his arms over his chest with an air of authority. "To be honest, I don't know either!"

"I didn't know you could say that so confidently."

"No matter what happens, as long as I'm not cowardly, even if it's my fault, I can make the other party feel that they are in the wrong!" the King Killer said smugly. "That's what Lin Lu taught me!"

“…I underestimated you. You’re much smarter than I thought.” Chen shook his head. “But it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to ask about the situation at Rhodes Island, to see if you have any security issues, and if you need the Guard’s help.”

"I don't think the Guard Bureau has the extra resources to help partner companies. Rather... if you had the capacity, you wouldn't be here now. We've long seen how Lungmen treats the Infected. If you weren't forced into this situation, why would you be requesting Rhodes Island, a company with a majority of Infected employees, to provide you with extra resources?"

The Kingslayer straightened her back, and suddenly felt the Rhodes Island uniform coat draped over her shoulders become heavier.

There are many organizations in the world that primarily deal with infected individuals, but Rhode Island is the only one that has truly forced a city to lower its stance... or rather, increase its costs to request cooperation.

Only now did the regicide's gaze shift slightly away from Lin Lu and turn to the place he was desperately protecting.

Rhodes Island, an ideal place that embraces all possibilities.

Chapter 385 I'm So Cute, Please Give Me Money (Bonus Chapter)

"..."

Superintendent Chen's face turned ashen.

Another Rhodes Island operator would carefully consider their words and actions when speaking with high-ranking figures in Lungmen, in order to maintain the image of a Rhodes Island corporate employee. But the Kingslayer is different. Her previous job was in the management of the Reunion Movement. What kind of people does the Reunion Movement manage? To put it simply, they are warriors; to put it bluntly, they are brutes.

Why should a boorish man speak such refined language?

Just praise the sun and that's it!

May the sunshine last forever!

The Kingslayer had very little understanding of Rhodes Island's corporate culture. The reason she was able to join Rhodes Island was purely because of her incredible six-star stats and her ambiguous relationships with Rhodes Island executives... even two executives... no, three executives.

Even if the Kingslayer clashes with the Royal Guard, Lin Lu, Kal'tsit, and Amiya will protect her, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

What is interpersonal relationship?

What exactly constitutes a "real nepotism" or "connections" situation?

What does it mean to be good-looking and good at fighting?

Unfortunately, the regicide failed to realize how important her existence was; she was simply stating the truth. Otherwise, she could have been even more mischievous—after all, even if she were to break a leg, it wouldn't be her leg that breaks.

The promise Lin Lu made to her remains valid: whoever bullies her, he will bully them in return.

Chen Huijie narrowed her eyes, attempting to retaliate.

"So, you don't need the Guard Bureau's help, is that right?"