The safety of Jinghua University’s students was at stake, so the police arrived swiftly. When they discovered that the armed assailants who had stormed the school had no domestic identification, the situation grew even more serious.
"The suspects who broke into Kunlun Tower with knives this afternoon were also undocumented," the lead officer said grimly. "I suspect this is an organized criminal operation. The attackers at Kunlun and Jinghua likely belong to the same group."
"Who would dare pull something like this in our country?"
"Immediately report this to higher authorities. We need all relevant departments to increase patrols."
"Notify every community—any suspicious individuals spotted must be reported at once."
No matter the circumstances, the power of the people is always the greatest.
"Tonight..."
"Tonight, I’m going home," Chao Musheng said, looking at Su Chenzhu. "I’ll head to the company tomorrow."
Su Chenzhu fell silent for a moment before nodding. "I’ll take you back."
"Sweetheart," Father Chao stood inside the residential gate, squinting at a familiar-looking figure outside. He turned to Chao Yin. "Doesn’t that person stepping out of the luxury car look like our son?"
"Not just look like—that is Musheng." Chao Yin watched as her son bent down to exchange a few words with whoever was inside the car before walking into the neighborhood with a bright smile. She already guessed who was in that car.
"Dad? Mom?" Chao Musheng entered the gate and found his parents standing under a streetlamp, staring at him intently.
"So you do remember where home is. I was starting to think you’d forgotten which way the door opens." Chao Yin arched a brow, tilting her chin toward the car outside. "Since they’re already here, why not invite them in?"
"He came empty-handed today. He’d be too embarrassed to come upstairs." Chao Musheng glanced back, saw the car hadn’t left yet, and waved. Only then did it slowly drive off.
"Since when have your father and I cared about gifts?" Chao Yin swatted his arm lightly. "Next time he drops you off, bring him up for a visit."
"I know you don’t care, but that’s just how he is." Chao Musheng looped an arm around each of his parents, guiding them toward their building. "If I made him come up like this tonight, he’d spend weeks agonizing over whether his outfit was formal enough, if he prepared properly, or if he left a bad impression on you."
Father Chao chuckled. "Your partner must care about you deeply to be this meticulous about relationships tied to you. No need to wait for the ‘right day’—bring them over for dinner tomorrow night."
"Can’t do tomorrow. We have a banquet to attend." Chao Musheng shook his head. "But I’m planning to take him to Grandma’s place for National Day. Are you two going back this year?"
"I still have work to wrap up, so we might be a few days late," Chao Yin mused before asking, "Is the banquet tomorrow that elite annual business exchange?"
Chao Musheng nodded. "Probably that one."
"I thought Su Chenzhu never attended those kinds of events." Chao Yin studied her son from head to toe. Was he making an exception to publicly announce his relationship with Musheng?
"Mom… you already figured it out?" For once, Chao Musheng’s cheeks flushed.
"You’ve always had strong boundaries. Since when do you casually accept extravagant gifts from others?" A mother knows her son best—Chao Yin had sensed something was off back in Linhai City.
"You’re not… opposed?" He hadn’t expected his mother to take it so calmly.
"If you love him and he loves you, that’s enough." The three stepped into the elevator, and Chao Yin pressed their floor. "Your happiness matters more to me than anything."
"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Only when the elevator arrived did Father Chao finally catch on. He turned to Chao Yin. "You know Musheng’s partner?"
"Not just me—you’ve met them too." Chao Yin unlocked the door. "Remember when Musheng was hospitalized? You saw them then."
"I’ve met…" Father Chao’s mind raced through every face he’d encountered at the hospital—men, women, young, old—none spared.
Watching his father’s eyebrows dance between furrowed and raised like a freshman struggling through military drills, Chao Musheng sighed. "Dad, stop guessing. The person I’m dating is Su Chenzhu, the CEO of Kunlun."
Father Chao froze in the doorway. It took him a long moment to shuffle to the couch and sit down, dazed.
"Here, Dad. Water." Chao Musheng handed him a glass and squeezed beside him. "Ask me anything."
"Sigh." Father Chao accepted the drink with a long exhale. "Your partner is exceptional. The gender surprised me, but in every other way, they’re flawless."
"It’s just… time flew too fast." He took a sip. "When you were born, you were so tiny and soft, I trembled holding you. And now, in the blink of an eye, you’ve found someone to love."
"Enough brooding. Musheng’s dating, not boarding a rocket to outer space." Chao Yin brought over a plate of sliced fruit. "How about the night after tomorrow? Bring them for dinner. Meeting us will make visiting your grandma together feel more natural."
"Thanks, Mom and Dad." Chao Musheng hugged them both. "Love you."
Chao Yin laughed, patting his back. "Still such a softie. You’ve been pulling this act since you were little."
[Player deployment successful!]
The selected players had no time to prepare before the system yanked them into the instance. When their vision cleared, they stood beneath a streetlamp.
[Congratulations! You’ve entered the Pursuit Game instance. Duration: 10 hours. Wishing you a successful clearance.]
The three players scanned their surroundings—a residential complex?
A patrolling security guard rolled past on his cart, making them instinctively step back.
"The landscaping here is incredible," one player muttered, eyes darting. "First time I’ve seen a neighborhood this nice in a dungeon."
His lips curled. "Wonder if the blood of people living here tastes sweeter too?"
[Ding! Players must expedite mission completion. Successful clearance rewards a legendary weapon item.]
The players refocused, finally noticing a faint, flickering red arrow in their line of sight—so translucent they’d nearly missed it.
Was the arrow pointing toward their target?
[Target located 200 meters ahead.]
The trio perked up. They’d guessed right.
"Woof! Woof!"
"Meow! Meow!"
Past eight in the evening, the area buzzed with people walking dogs or kids—pet owners to the right, parents to the left, all maintaining an unspoken distance.
Brother Lou had just returned from campus, exhausted, but before he could even sit, his golden retriever nudged him toward the door for a walk.
"Listen, Your Highness," he grumbled, leash in hand. "If you bolt tonight, no more bones for a week."
"Woof woof woof!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden retriever suddenly dashed off, forcing Brother Lou to sprint after it.
The cats and dogs downstairs, usually out for leisurely walks, seemed to have gone mad, all surging toward the same direction.
"Is our target inside this building?" A player eyed the access control system at the entrance and turned to ask the other two, "Does anyone have a door-opening tool?"
In this game world, encountering a locked door meant one thing—never try to force it open or smash it. That was a lesson countless players had learned with their lives.
"I do." A muscular player tossed a universal access card into the hands of the one who'd asked. "You go open it."
The player scrutinized the card repeatedly. "Bro, did you give me the wrong item? This door won’t budge."
"No way. I used this same card in the last mission to open even a rescue base’s gate." The muscular man shoved the player aside. "Useless."
The insulted player didn’t react with anger but instead smiled, his gaze trailing over every inch of the man’s toned muscles. Such firm flesh would feel satisfying to slice through.
"You guys…" The third player’s voice trembled, his teeth chattering. "Turn around and look."
"Look at what?" The muscular man spun around and froze. Dozens of cats and dogs had encircled them, baring their teeth with icy, predatory stares.
Outsiders—monsters! Drive them away!
The pets’ owners, left behind in confusion, finally caught up only to find their beloved animals snarling at three strangers. Their hearts sank—Wait, where are the muzzles?
But something was off.
Every cat and dog in the neighborhood had gathered here, as if solely to corner these three men.
"Holy hell, did these guys piss off the heavens?"
Other pet owners quickly realized the situation was anything but normal. When had their quiet community ever seen something like this?
"Call the police." Brother Lou was the first to react. Not only were these three faces unfamiliar, but their aura reminded him of the men he’d caught lurking around the school at night.
Ten minutes after entering the mission, the three players officially failed.
"That fast?" Brother Hu had barely finished celebrating the successful mission transfer and hadn’t even exchanged more than a few words with Sister Juan before a glaring red "X" appeared over the mission log.
The room fell dead silent. Everyone stared at the flickering screen displaying the "Hunt" mission, terrified that the Game Master might lose it again and throw more players into certain death.
Fortunately, after several flickers, the mission dimmed to a pale gray—meaning it was now closed, with no forced player entries.
While most players remained indifferent, those accustomed to bloodshed secretly sighed in relief.
The next morning, Chao Musheng woke up to news of a major incident in his neighborhood.
The cats and dogs had become heroes, apprehending three knife-wielding intruders of unknown origin.
Knife-wielding intruders… again?
Chao Musheng stepped into the CEO’s private elevator but then changed his mind and headed for the security department instead.
The security office was on the first floor. When Chao Musheng entered, a few guards were having breakfast, while a middle-aged man in casual clothes sat in the corner, engrossed in a mobile game.
Something about him seemed familiar.
"Old Ma, slacking off in our office again?" The guards hadn’t noticed Chao Musheng at the door and teased the man. "Haven’t seen you chauffeur the boss much lately."
"The boss has other arrangements." Old Ma chuckled without looking up. "You guys wouldn’t underst—"
His words died the moment he spotted Chao Musheng standing there. He immediately covered his face with one hand and flopped onto the desk, pretending to sleep.
The others followed his gaze and stiffened upon seeing Assistant Chao at the door.
"Assistant Chao! What brings you here?" The security captain greeted him warmly. "Please, have a seat."
Rumors had it—Assistant Chao was the big boss’s boyfriend!
"I came to ask about the three men taken by the police yesterday." Chao Musheng walked into the lounge, his eyes lingering on Old Ma. "Any updates from the authorities?"
"No registered identities. The police suspect they’re troublemakers sent by hostile forces."
Old Ma, still face-down on the desk, didn’t dare move a muscle.
"Stop hiding." Chao Musheng sighed softly at the man’s stiff, ostrich-like posture. "I know you’re the driver who chatted me up so enthusiastically at the school."
Too much enthusiasm for just giving directions. Even then, he’d found it odd.
"That day you asked for directions, and the other time at the food street when you thanked me… was Su Chenzhu in the car?" When Old Ma still refused to lift his head, Chao Musheng couldn’t help but laugh. "Relax, I’m not here to scold you."
The security captain, sharp as ever, sensed the tension and intervened. "Assistant Chao, I’ll take the team out for drills. We’ll be back in ten."
"No need. I’ll leave you to it." With that, Chao Musheng turned and walked out.
The moment the door closed, Old Ma whipped out his phone and frantically texted his boss:
Sir! Assistant Chao knows you were secretly watching him from the car back then!!!
