Who gave you permission to travel through time with Earth?

"Where is Fang Jin... He should be here by now."

After moving on to the sixth chess piece, Xiao Guo Shi couldn't sit still any longer. Since then, his connection with Fang Jin had been severed after the Nian Si was cut off, and he didn't know what the situation was like at the Scavenging Headquarters.

She originally thought that after destroying the headquarters and earning 20% ​​of the profits, Fang Jin would immediately come to join them, and with the remaining strength of the liquor club, they would wipe out the scavengers and get at least half of the profits.

For this reason, Guo Shi had even arranged the thought threads well in advance, so that Fang Jin would not get lost in the chessboard when she arrived, and it would be best to choose a nearby entrance to arrive directly... But now he could not contact her no matter what.

...He probably won't run away, right?

The boxers, who had been recruited by the soju club, were even more uneasy. Not only had they not seen any hope of breaking the deadlock, but they were still stuck in the middle of the game.

Since Jing Xiu ambushed them, the scavengers' attacks have become more frequent. Although there are no more big shots like the swordsman, the various ambushes still caused the team to lose a lot of members.

"President, what should we do?"

In his haste, the boxer blurted out some classical Chinese instead of his usual slang, leaving onlookers stunned. Xu Hao, meanwhile, continued drinking, his slightly narrowed eyes unusually clear.

He had a backup plan. He wasn't unprepared for this situation of being trapped. As the de facto leader of the West Market, Xu Hao had access to resources that others could hardly imagine.

But at this moment... it was somewhat inconvenient to use it. It wasn't that he was reluctant, but rather that he didn't need to. His perspective was completely different from that of his subordinates. The scavengers' resistance was even weaker and more powerless than the old man had imagined.

After Jing Xiu's incident, the scavengers failed to organize any more effective attacks, the two leaders never showed up again, and the only other equipment they deployed was firearms and ammunition, which were hardly any real force to be reckoned with.

Even in the later squares, there were hardly any scavengers to be seen. Explosives were thrown out in large quantities without any order, and the cover-up was so careless that it shocked Xu Hao. Xu Hao even thought...

Are they afraid?

What are they afraid of? Why is the organization already in chaos before even facing the scavengers? Even if they have to manage both, sending one person to headquarters would be enough, so what are Chen Yuanqing and Jing Xiu doing?

However, this was a good thing for them, a great thing. The old man grunted, stopped drinking, and stood up from the ground with his gradually swelling body.

As another buzzing sound rang out, ripples spread across the walls of the checkerboard space, and the desolate white sand scene trembled and blurred... Fifteen minutes passed again, and they were allowed to proceed to the next space.

"Get up, everyone, and keep going."

The old man said indifferently that his consumption was not small, and he had used up at least half of the gourd of baijiu... But even so, no one could see the slightest panic on his face.

The group felt a little more at ease and got up to walk towards one of the walls. Only Guo Shi was still uneasy. She trusted Fang Jin, but she was very uncomfortable with the current situation of being blinded.

"call……"

Guo Shi took a deep breath, gripping the kitchen knife in her hand even tighter. Then, she lifted her leg and stepped onto the next chess square, all her senses activated to guard against a sudden attack...

The scene she... no, the scene they saw next would leave the most vibrant and frenzied mark on their lives.

……

Blood, everywhere you look, is everywhere. The objects on both sides are covered with the patterns of dried blood. Corpses are carelessly thrown in the corners, and the heads of brothers and sisters are piled up into a gruesome mound.

Everywhere you stepped was slippery and sticky; the slightest movement would cause you to mix with the mud and water, turning into a slurry, mixed with all sorts of real and illusory impurities... It felt as if you were about to be swallowed up by this hellish quagmire.

Everyone present was a ruthless killer, but even they had never seen such a tragic and horrific scene. Half of them turned pale immediately, while the rest knelt down against the wall and vomited.

"this……"

Xu Hao's expression changed, and his hand holding the white wine gourd became unsteady. At the same time, he heard the ticking sound gradually approaching, one tick, two ticks, three ticks, each sound seeming to hit one's heart.

His eyes immediately sharpened, the smell of alcohol emanating from his stomach stirring. Then he saw Fang Jin slowly approaching through the pool of blood, carrying a weak, groaning young man in a metal suit.

...a large hole was ripped open in his abdomen.

"You've come too late. This is the only survivor left... Take him back and report."

Fang Jin wiped the blood and grime from her face, addressed the stunned crowd, and then casually tossed the iron shield at their feet.

This guy is really lucky. Besides his eyes and hands, the iron shield also modified his digestive system. The hole in his abdomen is just a superficial wound to him, which is why he is still hanging on to death.

"What... are you doing here?"

Some in the group muttered to themselves. Most of them were just watching the drama unfold, observing the feud between Tie Zhao and this young man Fang, and that's how they learned that there was such a person in the team.

But the current situation... is completely opposite to what they initially expected? The outcome of that conflict has been presented to them in a bombshell-like manner, and it seems that it is no longer so important.

"Where are the scavengers...the thirty-odd of them?"

"After killing Jing Xiu at headquarters, I used their inspiration exchange to teleport here. I originally planned to have a good talk with them and get them to surrender, but... as you can see, they were a bit too emotional."

Fang Jin waved his hand and said that he had thought he would have to go through another fierce battle and face off against the leader of the scavengers, but the latter seemed to be much more cunning than he had expected.

Xu Hao frowned slightly. He quickly guessed most of it. He bent down and knelt on the ground to look at the iron shield. The latter's throat seemed to be blocked by blood, and its breathing was quite heavy and nasal.

"President...I..."

"Why betray... no, that seems like a stupid question."

The old man spoke coldly. Iron-Clad's initial urge to plead vanished instantly, replaced by intense regret and despair. Xu Hao continued, the murky smell of alcohol clouding his mind.

"Our movements were monitored, our tactics were countered, and both teams had traps lying in wait. I should have known there was a traitor in the organization... but I really didn't expect it to be you."

"It's one thing if it's you, but to be such a traitor is utterly pathetic. Not only did you fail to completely wipe out their forces, but you also let your own traitors in to slaughter them, ruining the scavengers' entire plan?"

"...Should I cry or laugh?"