Su Ze also realized that while Uesugi Akizuki was indeed naive and simple-minded, she wasn't completely foolish and could understand their conversation.
Su Ze spoke with apparent indifference, "However, she's probably just an illegal immigrant. If she hasn't committed any crimes, we could consider helping her escape, or she could come to me. I might try to protect her for this simpleton's sake."
"The Executors are that powerful, so it seems she only has these three options: getting caught, turning herself in, or coming to you. If she doesn't surrender voluntarily, she'll end up in prison if caught," Shen Qingsheng observed, choosing to play along with Su Ze.
Hearing this, Uesugi Akizuki walked thoughtfully, no longer eating her candied haw.
Su Ze had deliberately said this for Uesugi Akizuki to hear. If that girl came back to find Uesugi Akizuki, she would certainly choose a time when Su Ze wasn't around, and Uesugi Akizuki would likely plead with the girl to seek Su Ze's help.
She certainly believed Su Ze could protect that girl, after all, she herself had been protected by him.
After this discussion, they tactfully changed the subject to Huaxia University, talking about what would happen after enrollment.
At the clothing store, the curious Shen Qingsheng quickly brought the topic back, "How long do you plan to keep her? Are you really thinking of raising her to be your wife?"
Uesugi Akizuki was mesmerized by the dazzling world before her, lost in indecision among the beautiful clothes.
"To be honest, when I first saw her, I didn't hand her over to the police purely because of her innocent demeanor. I only wanted to protect her from being taken by the Executors, but somehow I ended up becoming her guarantor. If anything happens to her, it's my responsibility, so I have no choice but to take care of her."
"No, no, no," Shen Qingsheng shook his head, "What I mean is, how long do you plan to keep her - from innocence to wedding dress, or from innocence to human trafficking and kidnapping?"
"If there's a huge difference in benefits between the two, I'd lean towards the latter," Su Ze said seriously.
Not far away, Uesugi Akizuki suddenly froze. Though she hadn't heard the conversation, she felt an inexplicable anxiety and quickly ran over to hold Su Ze's hand.
Seeing her worried expression, Su Ze was puzzled, "Who bullied you? What are you afraid of?"
Uesugi Akizuki shook her head, just holding onto him.
"Ouch~ My titanium dog eyes... they're blind... blind..." Shen Qingsheng clutched his eyes in theatrical pain.
Su Ze laughed, "Looks like your habit of looking down on people has finally been completely cured."
Ignoring Shen Qingsheng's furious retort, he took the girl to choose clothes.
This store had everything, including almost all clothing styles from Blue Star, even bulletproof vests, as they sold special items for special times.
Upon learning that Uesugi Akizuki was a shrine maiden from Japan, the shop assistant made a grand gesture, and authentic shrine maiden outfits imported from Japan slid out from a hidden door in the corner, landing on a clothing rack.
This sight truly amazed Uesugi Akizuki. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands, then ran over, bent slightly, and sniffed with her quivering nose.
In an unnoticed corner, a man wearing a baseball cap was making a phone call, "Found her. Uesugi Akizuki is in the clothing store in District Three of Dust City."
Uesugi Akizuki finally chose three shrine maiden outfits, planning to wear them in rotation, and selected more than ten beautiful dresses.
The total came to only thirty thousand yuan, which was nothing for Su Ze, who regularly risked his life for money.
Su Ze arranged for the clothing store to deliver the clothes to their doorstep, and they continued shopping.
"I want to go to the Land of the Living Dead in the next few days," Su Ze suddenly said.
Shen Qingsheng was stunned for a moment, pointing at the red-haired girl who was lowering her head to eat candied haw, "Are you planning to make her a widow?"
"No," Su Ze shook his head, "I'm planning to let you experience the pain of losing a father."
"Get lost, you're never serious," Shen Qingsheng said with disdain. "Are you serious? Once you're dead, everything's over."
"Since the Mysterious Descent, if a new generation Forerunner lives to fifty, they're considered long-lived. I'm already seventeen, if I don't live wildly now, I'll be old before I know it," Su Ze sighed.
"Seems like you're dead set on this," Shen Qingsheng said helplessly, patting his chest and smiling, "Son, go ahead and live dangerously, I'll take care of your wife."
Suddenly, Su Ze gave Shen Qingsheng a subtle look, and the latter immediately pretended to be deaf and looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.
"Let go, I'm going to smoke," Su Ze shook off Uesugi Akizuki's tight grip.
Uesugi Akizuki looked at him for a while, nodded, and reluctantly let go.
But as soon as Su Ze took two steps, the red-haired girl ran after him, following closely.
Su Ze flicked her forehead, and the girl clutched her head with a grieved and resentful look.
"Wait here, don't follow me to breathe secondhand smoke," Su Ze helped rub her head.
The girl pressed her lips together and nodded.
In a corner, three middle-aged men on an electric scooter watched suspiciously as Su Ze left to smoke and Shen Qingsheng went to the bathroom.
"Should we make our move?" asked the youth in the baseball cap.
"Not yet," the scruffy middle-aged man shook his head, "They just left the target there like that, feels like a trap."
"Yes, there are many suspicious points, and why is the target with them? Who are those two really?" said the man with the middle parting.
"Let's withdraw," the bearded middle-aged man said after consideration.
Su Ze watched the three men leave, gently exhaling smoke.
"Cowards."
Shen Qingsheng came out of the bathroom.
Su Ze extinguished his cigarette and went back to hold Uesugi Akizuki's hand.
"I've already notified the Executors, these three will die horribly," Shen Qingsheng said.
"Send word to the Executors that I want to see them before they're killed," Su Ze said carelessly.
Su Ze patted Uesugi Akizuki's head, "Be more alert in the future, okay? I just used you as bait, and you cooperated so naively."
Uesugi Akizuki was stunned for a while before pouting, "...Meanie."
"Oh, so she can talk!" Shen Qingsheng was surprised.
"She doesn't talk mainly because she finds it tiring," Su Ze shrugged.
After this near-battle experience, Su Ze decided not to continue shopping with Uesugi Akizuki.
They went to the supermarket, filled two carts with snacks, arranged for delivery, and rode their motorcycle home.
At their doorstep, Uesugi Akizuki's clothes were at the designated delivery spot, and the two carts of snacks were soon delivered by drone.
A day later, piercing sirens suddenly rang throughout the city.
"Warning! Warning! The blood moon will rise tonight. All citizens please return home before the blood moon rises, lock your doors and windows, draw your curtains and block out the moonlight. Do not leave your residences during the blood moon period."
"Citizens need not panic. During the blood moon period, the Huaxia Ghost Officers, Huaxia Night Watchmen, Huaxia Forerunners, and Huaxia Executors will be with you."

transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”

with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!

rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!