Ark Chess Player

The girl lowered her head in deep thought, and the images that surfaced in her hazy consciousness told her the reason.

All the suffering I have endured, all the misfortunes I have witnessed, and all the things I have hated.

This is why she didn't abandon the children and run away immediately.

If it were that renowned master thief, An Suo, he could easily escape alone and gracefully retreat from the encirclement of twenty people, right?

But if that's the case... even she wouldn't forgive herself for doing that.

"Are you still going to resist?"

The Fengti tribe bodyguard, barely suppressing his descent into madness, asked.

He worried that he might punch the rabbit to death, which would anger his employer and cause him to refuse to pay him.

"I……"

An Suo held up his dagger, staring directly at the burly Fengti tribe man who was going berserk because he had lost his proud horns.

"I can play with you all day long."

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.

"Sister Dragon! Sister Dragon! Where are you! Help me—Sister Misha! Sister Misha!!"

The boy is running.

His voice echoed in the empty street, but no one responded; only the sound of footsteps continued to be heard.

It wasn't just the sound of his footsteps; the hurried sounds were like thousands of people running at the same time, at least in the child's world.

He dared not turn around, because his sister had told him not to.

If only he had listened from the beginning, if only he had run away the moment he saw Sister An Su rush forward, perhaps Sister An Su could have escaped on her own. But he didn't dare; he was terrified. His legs wouldn't obey him, his vision was blurry, and the sounds he heard were indistinct.

What happened to the other three children?

he does not know.

The children scattered from the start, none of them knowing where to go, so each ran in whatever direction they thought was best. It seems one child, having fallen and injured himself at the beginning, couldn't run fast enough and was caught by those who caught up with him.

Did the child call for help? The boy had no memory of it; all he could think about was escaping, escaping quickly, escaping fast...

But where to escape to?

The boy's disordered breathing suddenly stopped, as if a stone had struck his chest. The forgotten heaviness materialized and pressed down on his shoulders, making his steps grow smaller and smaller. He ran and ran, then could no longer run, and began to walk, finally standing there blankly.

It seems there's nowhere to accommodate them.

Even in such a filthy slum, these children without parents have nowhere to go.

They basically lived a life of sharing meals from everyone they met, moving among some of the kind-hearted infected individuals and offering them the hard-won food. They would take small bites of the black bread, waiting for it to soften with saliva before eating it, otherwise, with their underdeveloped teeth, they would inevitably chip a few teeth while biting down. They were also very sensible, trying their best not to cause trouble for others and doing what they could within their capabilities.

Most of the infected people in Lungmen slum support and help each other, offering assistance when someone is in particular difficulty.

If everyone only cares about themselves, then it's impossible to persevere, since everyone has moments of sudden collapse. A helping hand extended at such times, offering help in times of need, is far more valuable than adding to someone's success; this is how connections are built.

Now, that connection is broken.

Sister Dragon is not here.

Misha isn't here.

The conman uncle is not here.

Sister Ansuo stayed there alone for them.

The boy looked up. He was born and raised in the slums; the intricate slums were his only home. After living there for so many years, this was the first time he felt his surroundings were unfamiliar, the first time he felt... the world was so small, so small that it couldn't even accommodate a child like him.

"Got you."

The boy was roughly forced to the ground, his tender cheek scraping against the uneven, rough road surface, leaving a trail of blood.

The man who had pinned the child to the ground adjusted his glasses; he was none other than Huang Laogou, the leader of this new generation of Dragon Gate students.

Old Huang didn't expect to have an unexpected gain when he rushed over. He happened to hear the kid's cries for help and also heard news of his primary target, whom he had been longing for—Misha!

Old Huang valued the 100,000 Lungmen Dollars reward, but he also coveted the opportunity to curry favor with the powerful figures behind the scenes after completing the mission. After all, it was such a large company; if he could infiltrate it, future wealth and glory were assured—a golden opportunity he couldn't afford to miss!

"Tell me! Where did she run off to? Don't be ungrateful! You brat!"

Old Huang pressed down on the boy's head with one hand and used the other to pin the boy's hand behind his back.

The boy didn't speak; he was like a puppet, letting the other person bury his face in the ground, his mouth full of the smell of mud.

He couldn't hear what the person pressing down on him was saying; the sounds he received were muffled, and a buzzing sound escaped from his head. He spat out a mouthful of muddy water.

Footsteps.

The footsteps weren't as heavy.

He was forced to press his ear against the ground and heard the footsteps.

The boy struggled to lift his head, and in the sunlight, he saw taut, upright brown rabbit ears.

—And a pair of furious blue eyes.

Chapter 239 I Understand (4K)

Twenty minutes ago.

The slums outside Longmen.

Under Kal'tsit's guidance, Amiya successfully gathered the contracted Blacksteel International agents and the employees of Penguin Logistics.

Just as Amiya was preparing to start filming "Where Did the Doctor Go Season 1", she received a call from Senior Superintendent Chen of the Lungmen Guard Bureau.

"The mission for Rhodes Island is to search for recently unregistered infected individuals in the Lungmen slums and hand them over to the Lungmen Guard Bureau."

Superintendent Chen's communication style was always simple and direct, consisting of three steps: issuing the order, asking if it could be completed—if yes, it was yes; if no, it wasn't. After confirming that Rhodes Island could complete the task independently, she hung up… This was the third and final step.

"Is Rhodes Island useless without tactical leaders?"

This was Lungmen's response when Amiya suggested prioritizing finding the Doctor before collaborating.

In other words, Lungmen has no intention of providing resources to search for the missing Rhodes Island personnel.

Amiya was furious, but there was nothing she could do.

After all, Rhodes Island and Lungmen are currently in a period of cooperation, and both sides need each other's trust and tangible results.

Rhodes Island needs to demonstrate the magnanimity that "with Rhodes Island around, Lungmen's sky won't fall," and Lungmen will provide corresponding generous rewards for this.

Lin, who was so aggressive in the Lungmen Administrative Office that he almost rubbed Wei Yanwu's face against the table, managed to quell a near-massive incident when the administrative building was attacked, but also disappeared.

Otherwise, Dr. Kal'tsit wouldn't have handed over the data on anomalies that the Doctor collected in Chernobog so early. Rhodes Island needs to demonstrate its ability to handle affairs even when the Doctor is absent; otherwise, the cunning Wei Yanwu will take the opportunity to extort money from them.

Left with no other choice, Amiya had to prioritize focusing her attention on the Lungmen slums.

Amiya thought to herself, "Maybe the doctor is in the slums. After all, it's relatively close to the Lungmen administration building in a way."

The Doctor couldn't possibly abandon them and live a carefree life alone in a secluded corner, surrounded by beautiful girls, right? Hahaha, impossible, impossible... The Doctor is always fair, I believe he wouldn't abandon us to have fun! Amiya, Amiya, it must be because you haven't been sleeping well lately that you're starting to have these kinds of inappropriate thoughts.

Amiya patted her cheeks and decided to prioritize completing the cooperation mission signed with Lungmen, while also searching for the Doctor's whereabouts.

However, the seemingly ordinary task of searching for unregistered infected individuals unexpectedly felt out of place.

While mapping the area, the reconnaissance team discovered a group of strange people surrounding the Lungmen slums, appearing quite menacing. These individuals were all carrying weapons, and judging from the irregular bulges on their backpacks, their intentions were clearly hostile.

Just as they were wondering what was so appealing about a place like a slum, something chilling happened to the Rhodes Island operators.

These malicious individuals began a cleanup operation targeting the infected, wantonly vandalizing public roads and looting shops in the Lungmen slums. They weren't trying to steal anything; it seemed they were just doing it for fun, ransacking the shops that innocent infected people depended on for their livelihood. Not only that, they even grabbed infected vendors by the arms, dragging them away in a swaggering display.

They were disrupting the city's order while chanting slogans to drive out the infected.

It's like someone who claims to be a messenger of justice, yet commits all sorts of evil deeds.

The reconnaissance team suppressed the urge to act. They had received special training in this area and knew that as reconnaissance personnel, they could not act rashly or impulsively. They immediately reported the situation to Amiya, the leader of the operation. After a moment's thought, Amiya decisively contacted the Lungmen Guard Bureau.

Rhodes Island's role is that of an infected expert, assisting Lungmen in providing advice to infected individuals and implementing corresponding management measures for them.

Both Kal'tsit and Amiya, as leaders, must acknowledge and agree with one thing.

This is Lungmen territory. The Lungmen Guard Bureau is the law enforcement agency, while Rhodes Island is just an ordinary pharmaceutical company.

This is why Amiya held back, allowing the reconnaissance team to remain inactive and continue with their original mission. They couldn't afford to attack these people; if they did, Rhodes Island would go from being a partner to an adversary of Lungmen.

Professional matters should be handled by professionals.

The Lungmen Guard Bureau is the expert when it comes to rioters who disrupt public order, stage illegal marches, and intentionally cause harm.

Amiya's idea was good, but unfortunately, it was too naive.

The police superintendent who answered Amiya's call was not Chief Chen, but a male voice.

The other person maintained a consistent rhythm in their speech, as if they had been specially trained. They emphasized their own thoughts with dramatic intonation, while feigning ease when responding to feedback. Through a series of sarcastic and melodramatic exchanges, the man attempted to steer the conversation in his own hands.

"We will arrange for a team to investigate the situation as soon as possible. Thank you for your kind call," the man said casually.

"So, what's the earliest you can arrive? How many members are in the team? Are you prepared with bomb disposal equipment? These criminals are carrying weapons, and if the police arrive at the scene unprepared, it could cause unnecessary casualties." Amiya wasn't easily led astray. As the nominal leader of a pharmaceutical company, she had received some training in communication skills and knew how to obtain the most important information.

Whether it's collecting a debt or preventing being stood up by a jerk's traditional trick of "I'm out, I've taken a taxi, I'm at the crossroads, the crossroads of Summoner's Rift," you can tell the real situation from the other party's words and reactions.

Time, personnel, location—if the Lungmen Guard truly values ​​this, they will be able to answer at least one of these questions.

When Amiya asked her question, the other party paused noticeably, followed by a very perfunctory response and a hasty hang-up.

Based on these points alone, Amiya had a guess in her mind.

The Lungmen Guard Bureau personnel are not coming.

"Exusiai, I need information."

After a brief weighing of the pros and cons, Amiya made her decision.

She cannot, and will not, allow these people to harm innocent infected individuals.

Rhodes Island is indeed a regular pharmaceutical company, but its belief is to create a society where infected and non-infected people can coexist peacefully.

“We will not unconditionally protect the other party just because they are infected, nor will we allow them to be bullied just because they are ordinary people.”

"I have seen the noblest infected people and the most despicable ordinary people."

"We are Rhodes Island, and we are on the move."

—Let's go back to the present.