The light of justice shone upon this dilapidated house.
The wicked criminals never imagined they would one day yearn for the police to descend from the skies like saviors.
When they saw the officers burst through the door, tears of relief streamed down their faces.
Finally, they could escape this hellhole!
Little Rou still had half a piece of bread dangling from her mouth as she warily eyed the sudden intruders, her gaze eventually settling on Xiaojuan in confusion.
"Don't move, don't move," Peng whispered urgently. "These two have a justice stat of 80."
"Are you joking?" Little Rou took a step back in retreat. Only the purest of righteous characters, those who lived solely to save and aid others, could possibly have a justice stat exceeding sixty.
For an NPC in a survival scenario to have a justice stat over 80 was even more absurd than the System Master kneeling before her and calling her "Your Majesty."
Peng knew how ridiculous it sounded, but it was undeniably happening.
His skill could only be used three times a day, and he had already used two charges. After a moment of hesitation, he glanced at the two men standing behind Xiaojuan.
One of them he recognized—the NPC who had taken Xiaojuan away. The man’s head displayed no data at all. But when Peng looked at the other man beside him, he saw…
Bzzzt—
The moment his gaze shifted, his mind felt as if it had been crushed by a freight truck. His heart pounded violently, as though he were on the verge of being torn apart by the world itself.
In that instant, his soul seemed to detach from his body, leaving him adrift in an endless void where nothing existed.
"Xiaojuan, your friend doesn’t look too good. Is he sick?"
That voice acted like a lifeline, dragging his soul back into his body and returning him to reality.
Gasping for breath, he looked gratefully at Xiaojuan’s golden thigh in this scenario.
One sentence had saved his miserable life—was this the power of a golden thigh?
"Thank you for your concern, I’m fine."
Golden thigh, I want to kowtow to you.
The police had formed a protective circle around Chao Musheng and Su Chenzhu, and when Chao Musheng spoke up, they were surprised. Did Advisor Chao know these criminals?
Everything was in chaos.
Xiaojuan stared at the mess of the broken-down house and forced herself to speak. "It’s all a misunderstanding. They’re not criminals—they’re art students. They’ve been practicing asceticism in Hanyue, searching for artistic inspiration."
"Right," Da Chang quickly chimed in, picking up on Xiaojuan’s strained expression. "We wanted to find the strength of life in hardship, to capture its radiant, upward momentum."
What the hell?
The police didn’t understand art, but they could see the men lying on the ground.
"And these people? Are they also art?"
With legs twisted like that, it was certainly abstract art.
Xiaojuan was equally confused—where had these people on the floor even come from?
"They rushed at us with knives and clubs, attacking without a word," Little Rou said, her delicate appearance matching her name. With reddened eyes, she looked at the officers, and anyone would believe she was innocent.
The players all chimed in, describing how terrifyingly aggressive these intruders had been—conveniently omitting why they were now sprawled on the ground.
"Captain, their age and appearance match the descriptions of the suspects’ accomplices," one officer observed, examining the five men. "They’re likely the criminals we’ve been trying to apprehend!"
They had expected a fierce battle, but instead, these five had already been subdued by some helpful citizens.
"Help!" The leader trembled as he grabbed an officer’s pant leg, a tooth falling from his mouth as he spoke. "These people… are demons."
Even knocked out teeth?
The officers were taken aback. Were these good Samaritans martial arts masters?
They collected the weapons left at the scene, hauled away the five suspects with broken legs and swollen faces, and then gathered the five players for a lecture.
"We deeply appreciate your bravery in subduing these dangerous criminals. However, in the future, please prioritize your own safety and avoid direct confrontation with lawbreakers."
The five nodded silently. Xiaojuan stood in the corner, keeping her distance—she had already suffered enough embarrassment today without sharing in their solidarity.
"And you can’t stay here anymore. We respect your artistic pursuits, but you can’t risk your safety like this. This place is filthy, unsafe, and unfit for living."
Since they were friends of Advisor Chao’s acquaintance, the chief patiently reasoned with them. "Seeking life’s strength through hardship is admirable—it shows you understand the struggles of ordinary people. But…"
He glanced at the crumbling walls and moldy, water-stained ceiling. "You shouldn’t force suffering where there is none. If you really want to experience hardship, you could work at a construction site or help farmers harvest corn. That’s also life experience."
The five had no idea what was happening but nodded along anyway.
"The rain’s about to stop. Once it does, you’ll need to leave." The chief was satisfied with their compliance—at least they weren’t stubbornly clinging to their "artistic suffering."
After lecturing the wayward artists, the chief offered to escort Chao Musheng back to his hotel.
"Thank you, but it’s still early. We’d like to look around the area," Chao Musheng said, glancing at Xiaojuan. "I can also help them relocate."
"Very well."
The chief nodded. With Advisor Chao here, these bohemians would surely be too embarrassed to stay.
As he and his team descended the stairs, they noticed several burly young men waiting outside.
"Chief, these are President Su’s bodyguards," an officer explained. "They were helping Ms. Chen search for her child earlier and just arrived."
"Leave two officers stationed downstairs," the chief said with a sigh of relief. Thankfully, nothing had happened to President Su.
Once the police were gone, the five players stared silently at Xiaojuan.
"Why are you looking at me? Hurry up and pack your things so we can leave with Brother Chao," Xiaojuan said, ignoring their gazes. "Brother Chao, sorry about them… I hope you weren’t too amused."
"I get it—they’re artists," Chao Musheng replied with an understanding smile. "It’s normal for them to be… physically capable."
What did art have to do with physical strength?
Xiaojuan felt like Brother Chao had misunderstood something, but since he didn’t press further, she counted it as a win.
As they walked downstairs, Peng lingered at the back of the group, his tall frame trying to hide behind his companions.
That silent man was far too terrifying.
"Chao Chao," Su Chenzhu glanced back, intertwining his fingers with Chao Musheng’s. "The road seems a bit slippery."
"It's fine. I used to run around the village all the time as a kid—I'm very familiar with paths like this." Chao Musheng's fingers slipped through the gaps between Su Chenzhu's, intertwining tightly with his.
He glanced at the leather shoes on Su Chenzhu's feet and asked with a smile, "You don’t walk on roads like this often, do you?"
"I have." The warmth radiating from their joined palms softened Su Chenzhu's expression.
He had once walked the places Chao Musheng had been to and tasted the food he had praised.
He had never dared to hope they could walk side by side like this—only stealing glances from afar, trying to grasp fleeting happiness and satisfaction in the places Chao Musheng had visited.
"We're almost there." Da Chang looked ahead, where the dungeon barrier lay. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t pass through it.
The five players tensed up as they approached the barrier, their bodies stiffening.
"Watch your step ahead." Sensing the silence behind him, Chao Musheng turned to remind them, "There's a small slope up front. The path is slippery."
They passed through.
Da Chang felt it clearly—as if he had stepped through a hazy mist, effortlessly leaving the confined area behind.
Could NPCs in this world really lead players beyond their fixed movement zones?
Was this a hidden feature of the dungeon, or was this NPC… different?
After traversing a pitch-black passage, Da Chang caught the scent of cumin drifting through the air.
This was…
His eyes widened as he took in a world completely unlike anything he had imagined.
Elderly people chatting by the roadside, dim streetlights, sizzling barbecue stalls, cats and dogs lazily wandering past the street corners.
Was this really the 3S survival dungeon world?
"Brother Chao, I’ll take them to the rental place first." Xiaojuan glanced at the intertwined hands of Chao Musheng and Su Chenzhu. "I won’t interrupt your… alone time."
Hearing this, Su Chenzhu—who had been wholly focused on Chao Musheng—finally spared her a glance. "If you run into trouble finding a place, Secretary Liu can assist."
"No need, no need! The place was prepared yesterday. They just prefer rundown buildings and refused to move in." Xiaojuan was flustered by the unexpected offer. "Enjoy your time together. We’ll get going now."
She signaled the five players—Let’s scram!
Peng was the fastest to bolt. His large frame made Xiaojuan seem especially petite beside him. Only after rounding the corner and losing sight of Su Chenzhu did he dare to observe their surroundings.
Clean streets, a peaceful night, unhurried pedestrians who seemed utterly harmless. "Sis Juan… something feels off about this place."
Too serene, too perfect—nothing like a survival world.
"This is how it’s always been." Xiaojuan led them to the apartment she had rented in advance. "It’s a two-bedroom with a kitchen, living room, and bathroom. You’ll stay here until the dungeon ends."
"Sis Juan, did you already know we could leave that place?" Da Chang examined the tidy apartment, realizing Xiaojuan had put thought into selecting it.
"Yeah, just didn’t expect it to happen so fast." She nodded. She had planned to ask Chao Musheng for help at the right moment, but plans never kept up with reality.
"Sis Juan, who’s that man next to our golden ticket?" Peng’s hair stood on end just mentioning him. "I tried using a skill to check him earlier and almost died on the spot."
"I didn’t have time to warn you." Xiaojuan’s expression was complicated. "You’re lucky Brother Chao was there when you used your skill. Otherwise, you really would’ve died. Remember—never use skills to look directly at him."
The five players paled at her words.
They had been through countless dungeons, but never encountered a boss this terrifying.
"What is he?"
"I don’t know." Xiaojuan shook her head with a bitter smile. "All I know is that he’s something… extremely dangerous."
Unseeable, unapproachable, and impossible to discern his stance toward players.
The joy of newfound freedom faded into uneasy silence.
"But don’t worry too much." Xiaojuan tried to reassure them. "As long as players don’t provoke him, he’ll just ignore you."
"That’s a relief." Peng exhaled. "You have no idea—my soul nearly left my body. Literally."
"But Sis Juan," Peng voiced the question on everyone’s mind, "how do you know so much about this mysterious boss?"
"Haven’t you figured it out yet?" Xiaojuan raised an eyebrow. "He’s Brother Chao’s lover."
"Cough—!" Peng nearly choked on his own spit. "Your golden ticket’s lover?!"
Xiaojuan nodded.
Peng opened and closed his mouth before finally saying, "Actually… they look good together."
Their golden ticket had pulled Peng’s soul back with a single sentence and freed them from the dungeon’s restraints—clearly, he was no ordinary man.
"Next time, say that in front of the boss. He’d probably be happy to hear it." Xiaojuan smirked. "The boss is a total simp."
No one took her words seriously, but the teasing tone made it clear—Xiaojuan was on familiar terms with these two NPCs.
Someone merely trying to ride coattails wouldn’t speak so casually.
Da Chang pulled back the curtains, gazing at the lit windows of other homes in the complex. "We’ve been in this dungeon for days, but haven’t encountered a single ghost or monster."
He turned to Xiaojuan. "Sis Juan, is this dungeon… broken?"
"That damn Main God screwed us over again!" Little Rou exclaimed. "No wonder everything feels so weird here!"
"The dungeon is malfunctioning, but that’s a good thing." Xiaojuan switched on a signal jammer. "Haven’t you noticed? Since arriving, our HP hasn’t dropped at all, and the system hasn’t issued any new tasks."
Every player’s health points remained at 100 since entering.
"Oh, right." Huaba checked her stats—full HP, and no mission updates since the start. "Since when is the Main God this nice?"
"Because this isn’t the dungeon world we were supposed to enter." Xiaojuan scoffed. "You’ve heard about the recent string of failed exploration dungeons, right?"
Though the five were infamous rebels in the infinite space, even they had caught wind of the rumors—exploration dungeons with a 100% failure rate.
They nodded. "We’ve heard."
"This is that world." Xiaojuan read their stunned expressions. "Yes, you guessed right. Every failed exploration dungeon lately has been in this exact world."
"How do you know all this?"
"Because I’ve been here many times." Xiaojuan traced the edge of the new jammer. "And every time, I’ve watched the dungeons end in failure."
The five froze, a chill running down their spines.
“So you’re saying we’re now trapped in this strange exploration dungeon interface and might not be able to leave?” Little Rou gasped in shock. “We’re doomed—we don’t have any money!”
“Not only do you lack money, but you also don’t have ID cards,” Xiaojuan sighed. “Even this apartment—I had to make excuses to rent it.”
She didn’t have an ID card either. When renting the place, she had used her old internship credentials from Kunlun.
Luckily, the landlord was elderly. Seeing that she paid upfront, he handed over the keys.
“What’s an ID card?”
“In this world, every native is assigned a unique identification number at birth.” Xiaojuan thought of the failed players still working under the table at Wan You’s barbecue stall. “Here, you need it for everything—taking buses, boats, even flights.”
“A dungeon world with such a detailed, realistic setting?” Da Chang’s mind raced with a bold suspicion. “Xiaojuan… is this place… the real world?”
“Yes. Welcome to the world of the living,” Xiaojuan replied with a complicated expression. “For the next few days, walk around and experience ordinary life. When you’re ready to go back, I’ll figure something out.”
“What’s on your mind?” Chao Musheng gently shook Su Chenzhu’s hand as they strolled under the dim glow of streetlights, their steps splashing tiny ripples in the puddles beneath them.
“Thinking about how today was such a busy date,” Su Chenzhu murmured, glancing down at their shadows intertwined on the ground. He suddenly stopped, pulling out his phone to snap a picture of their clasped hands.
“It was a bit hectic,” Chao Musheng admitted, peering at the photo. “Why take this?”
Su Chenzhu added a soft filter to the image, answering seriously, “Today’s our first official date. We should commemorate it with a post.”
He opened his social media and uploaded the photo with the caption:
[One lamp, two people.]
After posting, he glanced at Chao Musheng and pocketed his phone. “Let’s go.”
“Wait.” Chao Musheng tugged him back. “You’re right—we should celebrate.”
He raised their joined hands and took his own photo.
[Chao Musheng: Holding hands! (Image)]
Su Chenzhu immediately pulled out his phone, eyes glued to Chao Musheng’s new post, unable to look away.
Did this mean they were officially announcing their relationship?
“Stop staring at your phone—look at me.” Chao Musheng swung their hands playfully. As they reached a quiet intersection, they noticed small fires flickering on the ground, the air thick with the scent of burnt paper offerings.
“Is today the 13th of the lunar month?” Chao Musheng suddenly realized the Ghost Festival was approaching. Some places held early memorials to avoid the actual day.
“Young men, this area’s designated for paper offerings. These next few days are… special. Best head home early,” an elderly man walking his dog advised, eyeing them with concern. “Especially tomorrow night—don’t stay out after dark.”
“Thank you, sir.” Chao Musheng halted, not moving further.
“Eh?!” The old man suddenly brightened. “It’s you two!”
The young man and his companion from outside the hotel the other night.
Noticing their linked hands, he grinned in understanding. So they were a couple.
“Young man, your boyfriend suits you well.” The elder gave Chao Musheng a thumbs-up. “New era, love is love! The other night, he waited three hours for you—that’s devotion. May you two last forever.”
As a progressive grandpa, he fully supported freedom in love.
“Thank you.” Chao Musheng chuckled at the man’s enthusiasm. “Wishing you health and longevity too.”
“Woof woof!” The dog wagged its tail excitedly at Chao Musheng.
“And good health to you, little one.” Chao Musheng bent down. “Sir, may I pet your dog?”
“Go ahead.” The man nudged the dog’s rear lightly with his foot. “This rascal loves compliments.”
“So cute.” Chao Musheng ruffled its head. “The roads are slippery after the rain—you should head back soon too.”
“Su Chenzhu.” He kept one hand on the dog, turning to his partner. “Quick, take a ‘boyfriend-angle’ photo of me.”
After Su Chenzhu snapped the picture and they bid the old man farewell, Chao Musheng checked the photo on his phone.
“You’re really good at this.” Chao Musheng marveled. “Did you study photography?”
“Online guides say a good partner should learn to take nice photos,” Su Chenzhu replied evenly. “So I’ve read up on techniques.”
He’d imagined countless times how he’d photograph Chao Musheng if they ever got together.
“Oh.” Chao Musheng’s gaze dipped, unreadable. “I thought you’d taken pictures for many people before.”
“Never.” Su Chenzhu met his eyes firmly. “Chao Musheng, apart from you, I’ve never photographed anyone else.”
Chao Musheng’s smile returned, eyes crinkling. “So you prepared in advance, and I lucked out finding you.”
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to Su Chenzhu’s cheek. “Your reward.”
The night breeze carried the moment as Su Chenzhu touched his cheek, gazing tenderly at Chao Musheng.
No—he was the fortunate one to have found such a treasure.
Nearby, Assistant Yang stood frozen. Was this… allowed?
He spun stiffly on his heel and marched away. He saw nothing. Knew nothing.
Panting back at the hotel, he opened his phone and saw his boss’s social media update—realizing he was the clown.
The boss had never hidden their relationship. If anything, he seemed eager to shout it from the rooftops.
When had Su Chenzhu ever posted before? Yet these past two days, his feed overflowed.
Scrolling to the previous dinner photo, Assistant Yang cringed at the research team leader’s frenzied comment. Under the shadow post, the same leader was practically doing backflips in the replies:
[Perfect match! A pair made in heaven! So envious of the boss’s sweet, sweet love!]
Dozens of familiar names piled on with blessings.
Tch!
These bootlickers didn’t even know how the boss and Chao Musheng interacted—how dare they gush about “sweetness”?
He typed his own comment:
[So adorable! Happy for you both!]
He wasn’t like those sycophants. His wishes were genuine. Hopefully, the boss would notice!
Late that night, Chao Musheng bolted upright in bed.
Wait—Xiaojuan’s friends had beaten those thugs half to death today, yet the police barely questioned them? And their behavior suggested they didn’t know Xiaojuan’s group.
Was it just an oversight?
