Life Dungeon Game

Nock put down the bracelet, walked out of the small coffee shop, and looked up at the shop's sign.

The dilapidated signboard was teetering on the verge of collapse.

He turned on his bracelet and glanced at his location on the map.

Although this coffee shop is old and run-down, it can still be found on map apps.

He breathed a sigh of relief and looked around.

This coffee shop is located on an old, run-down street, surrounded by busy pedestrians.

The houses here have far exceeded their designed lifespan, but most of the residents are renters and don't have the money to hire a construction company to renovate their houses, so they can only live here in this way.

The house may be dilapidated, but it's still better than being homeless.

Exposed electrical wires, mottled wall paint, dirty children mixed with mud and water weaving through the crowd, residents in old clothes pushing and shoving each other along the street, shops and stalls crowded together, with only one neon light still lit.

This is what most areas of the northern part of the city look like.

The people living here are better off than those living in tents. They spend an hour or two during the day taking public transportation to work in the most magnificent office buildings on Newkel Street, and after nightfall, they return to these old and dilapidated buildings in the North End.

The only difference between people living in old buildings and those living in tents is that their meager salaries can afford the cheap rent in the old buildings, and their limited savings can barely cover a month's deposit for the house.

Of course, they are only 'renting' these houses; they don't actually own them.

Most of the old houses here are owned by large conglomerates or local "bosses," and the owners of these old buildings do not live in them, even though they may collapse at any time.

He looked up at Nok, who was looking around at the door, and pressed down his top hat.

The streets between the old buildings are old and dirty, crowded with all sorts of people. Such places are the perfect for 'meetings' and 'dealing'.

Nock's choice of this location demonstrates a certain level of professionalism.

However, his reckless act of looking around negated his professionalism.

He Ao moved through the crowd like a fish, and soon arrived at the coffee shop.

Nock seemed to have finished his observation and was preparing to return to the café.

He Ao reached out and put his arm around his shoulder. "Long time no see."

Nock was taken aback. He subconsciously reached for his waist, but quickly realized what he was doing and chuckled in agreement, "Yeah, long time no see. What have you been up to lately?"

"I'm unemployed and looking for work everywhere."

He sighed, released his grip on Nok, and looked up slightly.

"Things are tough everywhere lately..."

Nock understood what Heo meant, and as he spoke, he walked alongside Heo towards the end of the street.

······

"You're not 'Zadi'?"

In the dark alley, Nock looked up at Heo. Among the documents the lawyer had brought was, of course, a photo of Zadi.

This world is not peaceful.

"An extra layer of protection means an extra layer of peace."

He Ao said calmly.

This is the explanation for why 'kana' is used.

Nock nodded slightly; it was actually reasonable not to use his real name.

This actually aligned with his expectations. After reviewing Zadi's information, he knew very well that Zadi could not be considered a 'good person' under any circumstances.

Although people in this world are complex, and it's normal for bad people to report on other bad people, he still hopes that the person who bravely stood up to expose the true nature of Star Pharmaceuticals isn't so bad.

So when He Ao appeared in front of him, he even felt a slight sense of relief.

He Ao lit a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and the flickering light filled the damp and dark alley. "I originally thought you would bring a bunch of 'friends' with you."

"But you still came."

Nock looked at Heo with a smile.

Knowing there was danger, he still came; that's the kind of trust he was willing to place in others.

He looked up at the young man. He didn't respond to his question, but instead took the cigarette butt from his mouth. "You're an FBI agent. Can you do me a favor?"

-

16 Rue Anuel

Nock stared blankly at the iron gate in front of him. His gaze passed through the lush little garden behind the gate, where he could vaguely see a six-story detached villa hidden in the garden.

He had fantasized about what powerful people would live, imagining them living in beautiful, single-level apartments in the city center overlooking the entire city.

But he never imagined that while a dozen or so residents in the northern part of the city were crammed into a birdcage-like two-bedroom apartment, someone in this city where land was incredibly valuable had actually built a magnificent detached villa that resembled a palace, surrounded by a garden that stretched as far as the eye could see.

This was beyond his imagination.

"Hello, who are you?"

At this moment, an elderly man standing on an automatic self-balancing scooter, dressed in a neat suit and looking like a butler, slowly approached them, stood behind the iron gate, and looked at them.

“Hello, FBI,” Knox took a deep breath, suppressing his surprise, and took out his badge. “We have some questions for Mr. Genos about a case we’re currently investigating.”

"Hold on."

The old butler took out a walkie-talkie, turned around, and seemed to be communicating with someone inside the villa.

After a while, he turned around and said slowly, "Alright, the master wants you to go in."

He stepped back slightly, and the iron gate, carved with intricate reliefs, slowly opened.

Lawns stretched on both sides, leading to a smooth path that led deep into the garden, and the villa at the very heart of the garden was fully revealed before them.

Standing behind Nok, Heo looked up at the detached villa backed by the steel jungle.

The blazing sun was obscured by towering buildings, and dark clouds spread from behind the luxurious villas, gradually eroding the land that had been illuminated by its brilliance.

"The sky is overcast; it's going to rain."

Nock looked up at the sky, then looked back at Heo. "It seems we didn't bring any umbrellas."

There will always be a time when the rain stops and the sun shines.

He Ao smiled and adjusted his top hat.

The butler smiled and waved, two

The self-balancing scooter walked over and stopped in front of He Ao and his companion.

He Ao and Nok boarded the balance bikes and followed the old butler inside.

Throughout the process, Nock tried his best to remain calm, but he still couldn't help but glance at the exotic flowers and plants around him.

He Ao followed his gaze and looked around.

Many of the flowers and plants in this garden were clearly brought from the wilderness, and some were even low-level extraordinary plants themselves.

The exotic flowers and plants that He Ao and his group saw alone could be exchanged for more than one old building in the North District.

On the lawn, professional gardening robots were tending to the flowers, and He Ao also saw people wearing glasses and work clothes who looked like scholars studying the plants.

Nock looked around at the beautiful flowers and plants. He didn't recognize these expensive plants, but from their vibrant colors and rarity, he could roughly guess that they weren't cheap.

The self-balancing scooter was very fast, and the three of them quickly crossed one man-made undulating hill after another, and arrived at the villa entrance along the beautiful winding path.

Upon arriving at the villa, the old butler bowed to He Ao and his companion to take his leave. A tall, handsome young man emerged from behind the villa and guided them further inside.

"You're really lucky. Our master is usually not home most of the time; he's either in Irons or giving speeches all the time. Today just happens to be his day off."

The young waiter spoke with unparalleled pride, “You may not know, but members of the Federal Parliament have to spend at least three days a week in Ains, usually from Tuesday to Thursday. Besides those three days, the members have all sorts of other things to do. Our master only gets to rest on the third Saturday of each month.”

He slowly stopped in front of an office door engraved with magnificent emblems, his voice low, "Today happens to be the third Saturday of this month, but even today, the owner will take some time to work."

Then he straightened up, took a deep breath, and gently knocked on the office door.

"Please come in."

A short, forceful voice came from behind the door.

The messenger slowly opened the door, gesturing for He Ao and the other man to enter.

The two nodded their thanks to him and then went into the office.

Unlike the ornate decorations at the entrance, the interior of the office is decorated in a relatively simple style.

A hand-woven wool rug, clearly from the western United States, covered most of the office.

Several soft lambskin sofas bearing the logo of the luxury brand 'Danny Rose' were arranged around the carpet.

Beside the sofa, another space was cleverly carved out in the office, where a simple solid wood desk was placed, and behind the desk was an entire wall of books.

The office is lit by two different windows: one next to the sofa and the other next to the desk.

At that moment, a tall, refined-looking man stood in front of the window near the desk, quietly gazing out the window.

"As I get older, my energy isn't what it used to be. I need to take a break after working for a while and look at the scenery outside the window."

The man turned around, smiling at He Ao and the other man. He was tall and straight, with a confident air.

Wearing thick glasses, he looks more like a scholar than a politician.

"Mr. Genos, you..."

Nock was somewhat surprised by the man's attire.

"Doesn't it look like it?" Genos smiled. "I have severe myopia, so I always wear contact lenses when I'm on TV. My makeup is also done by a professional designer to make me look more energetic."

He walked straight over, sat on the sofa, and gestured for He and Ao to sit down as well. "I can't imagine what case could involve me."

From the moment he entered the office, Heo's gaze never left Genos.

He simultaneously activated his super memory and divine sense to observe Genos's actions.

However, both of his responses told him that Genos was just an ordinary person, and his divine sense did not even detect any obvious energy fluctuations on Genos.

Even if Reed concealed his energy core, there should still be at least some energy leakage.

It seems that this 'senator' is really just an ordinary person.

"Here's the thing, a research institute under Qunxing Pharmaceuticals caught fire last night. We're tracking a person named 'Zadi,' who is highly connected to the case. We currently have some information indicating that this Zadi has had contact with you..."