Extraterrestrial demons invaded; I laid the groundwork eight years in advance.

The twenty-fifth day after the spiritual energy was restored.

Xiaoqingshan Villa.

After reading the last training report, Shen Bai closed his laptop, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his temples.

In the past week, various tasks have been carried out simultaneously, and information has been pouring in from all directions like a tidal wave.

From morning till afternoon, he had processed dozens of documents—training progress reports for each legion, reserve assessment results, equipment inventory lists, and material allocation plans. The numbers and entries were densely packed, each line relating to the life and death of tens of thousands of people five days from now.

He stood up and stretched his stiff neck. The raven, perched on the windowsill, glanced at him sideways.

"Let's go for a walk," Shen Bai said.

He didn't change his clothes, still wearing dark gray casual wear, and put his phone in his pocket.

The raven flew to his shoulder, and Shen Bai tapped its head with his finger: "It'll be back in a bit, you stay home."

The raven cawed once, the last syllable of which was drawn out and carried a clear hint of displeasure, but it still flapped its wings and flew back to the windowsill to perch.

Shen Bai walked down the asphalt road along Xiaoqingshan Mountain, through the bamboo forest, and to the riverbank.

A gentle breeze from the river caressed his face, carrying a hint of moisture and the coolness of early autumn. Shen Bai's gaze swept across the river, occasionally landing on the boats on the water or the water birds flying by.

He walked slowly and without a destination, his footsteps casting a leisurely shadow in the evening sunlight.

A burst of clear laughter swept over from afar.

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Several young boys and girls rode past Shen Bai on bicycles, their bicycle bells jingling loudly. Someone on the back of the bicycle turned around and shouted something, but the wind carried away the sound, leaving only a long, drawn-out laugh.

Shen Bai's gaze followed those figures until they disappeared, his lips twitched slightly, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes.

"Ruoruo, look at that person up ahead, doesn't he look like that handsome guy from last time?"

A gentle female voice came from behind, tinged with uncertainty.

"Which one?" another female voice asked.

"Just over a month ago, during that live stream we did by the river. The guy in the white T-shirt was really handsome."

"Your memory is amazing... Wait, I seem to remember something. Let's go up and take a look."

"Wait, Ruoruo, they might not even remember us."

"I'll remember you after we see each other again."

The footsteps quickened, and two young women walked to his side and glanced at him.

Shen Bai stopped in his tracks.

There were two girls in front of me. One was wearing a white knit sweater with blue jeans and sneakers, and her hair was tied in a bun. She had fair and beautiful skin, wore light makeup, and her long eyelashes fluttered, revealing bright eyes. She looked intelligent and lively.

The other woman wore a black bodycon dress, high heels, and carried a burgundy handbag. Her makeup was exquisite, with slightly upturned eyes, bright red lips, and sparkling earrings. She exuded a flamboyant and radiant aura.

"Hello, it's nice to see you again." The girl in the black dress greeted us warmly, as if we were old friends. "About a month ago, also by the river, you passed by us, and we even said you were handsome. Don't you remember?"

Shen Bai glanced at her, then at the girl in the white cardigan beside her, and politely shook his head: "Sorry, I don't remember. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Shen Bai actually had some recollection of them, but he didn't know what the purpose of the two people in front of him was.

"See, I told you he definitely wouldn't remember," the girl in the white cardigan said with a smile to her companion, then turned to Shen Bai, "It's okay, we just feel like we're destined to meet. My name is Su Wan, and hers is Zhou Ruoruo. What's yours?"

"Chen Bai."

"Shen Bai..." Su Wan read it aloud, then whispered, "It's a nice name too."

Zhou Ruoruo glanced at Shen Bai a few times, nudged Su Wan with her elbow, and whispered in her ear, "Do you have a crush on him? Should I get his contact information for you?"

Su Wan blushed slightly and glared at her: "Stop messing around."

"I'm not joking." Zhou Ruoruo smiled and walked straight up to Shen Bai. "Handsome, my best friend is single. Since we've met again, how about we go for a walk together?"

Shen Bai wanted to refuse, but seeing Su Wan's somewhat embarrassed yet expectant eyes, he said instead, "Okay."

Zhou Ruoruo raised an eyebrow at Su Wan triumphantly. Su Wan rolled her eyes at her, but couldn't help but smile.

The three walked side by side along the riverbank. A river breeze blew by, and Su Wan's hair fell onto Shen Bai's shoulder. She quickly gathered her hair and whispered, "Excuse me." Shen Bai nodded without saying a word.

"Shen Bai, what do you do for a living?" Su Wan noticed the weariness on his face and took the initiative to start a conversation.

"I'm... in management."

"Management? In what aspect?"

"Comprehensive management," Shen Bai replied briefly, "some projects under the Dawn Group."

Su Wan's eyes lit up slightly: "Dawn Group? I watched the whole press conference when you released your cultivation method. Now your Dawn Group is a behemoth that even governments around the world dare not underestimate."

"You seem to know a lot about the Dawn Group," Shen Bai said casually.

"I don't really know them well, but your group has been making waves lately." Su Wan smiled. "But speaking of which, the speed at which Shuguang Group has expanded in recent years is indeed astonishing. You're quite impressive to be able to hold a comprehensive management position there."

Zhou Ruoruo then deliberately said from the side, "Wanwan, don't talk about others like that. Aren't you a very busy person yourself? The CEO of Kyushu Biotechnology, it's not easy for me to drag you out for a break today."

Shen Bai glanced at Su Wan: "Nine Provinces Biology?"

"Yes, I do gene testing and new drug development." Su Wan smiled a little embarrassedly. "I just took over not long ago, and I'm still getting familiar with it."

"Who is Su Zhenguo to you?" Shen Bai asked, looking at Su Wan.

Su Wan was slightly taken aback, as if she hadn't expected him to ask that question. "That's my father." She glanced at Shen Bai. "You know him?"

"We know each other, but we've never met." Shen Bai nodded.

"I was studying abroad for a while, and I only recently came back to China to take over my dad's job," Su Wan said. "And you? You don't look that old, but you're already in management."

"Yeah, we've been in contact since we were little." Shen Bai didn't answer directly. "We're probably about the same age."

"How old are you?" Zhou Ruoruo asked.

"Twenty-four."

"Then you're the same age as me!" Su Wan clapped her hands. "I'm also twenty-four, I just had my birthday last month."

Zhou Ruoruo watched the two of them go back and forth, shrugged, took out her phone and started scrolling, and tactfully stepped back half a step.

The three walked and talked. Zhou Ruoruo occasionally chimed in, but most of the time Su Wan asked questions and Shen Bai answered.

Su Wan gradually noticed a pattern: he didn't actively seek out topics, but every sentence he uttered was perfectly timed, avoiding awkward silences or overstepping boundaries. Moreover, he would carefully consider every word before speaking.

Su Wan turned her head to look at Shen Bai. His profile was outlined in the sunset, creating a clean silhouette. She felt that there was an indescribable feeling about this man—calm and gentle, but it was as if she were looking through a thin mist, unable to see clearly or understand him.

Zhou Ruoruo leaned close to Su Wan's ear and whispered, "Have you noticed? He's always so slow and unhurried. He answers whatever you ask, but he never takes the initiative. That's the hardest kind of person to deal with."

Su Wan glared at her: "Keep your voice down."

"What are you afraid of? He can't hear you." Zhou Ruoruo giggled, then turned to Shen Bai, "Handsome, what do you usually like to do besides work?"

"Nothing special," Shen Bai thought for a moment. "Reading books, cooking, and taking walks occasionally."

"That's it?" Zhou Ruoruo looked incredulous. "You're such a handsome guy, you don't have any other hobbies?"

Shen Bai shook his head slightly.

Looking at his profile, Su Wan suddenly asked, "Are you not very talkative?"

Shen Bai glanced at her, then thought seriously for a moment: "It depends on the person."

Su Wan paused for a moment, her ears turning slightly red as if she had thought of something.

Zhou Ruoruo watched from the sidelines, amused, but wisely refrained from interrupting.

The three walked along the riverbank for about half an hour. Dusk spread across the river, bathing the entire embankment in a gentle orange-red hue. Their silhouettes, embedded in the twilight, resembled a tranquil and warm oil painting.