Several days had passed since the Ark civilization had been settled. Those had been rare, peaceful days.
After returning, Hao Ren first went to Raven 12345 to file his routine report, only to find that she still had not returned from the divine realm. The Raven assigned to cover for her received him instead. As for his boss's long-term absence from work, Hao Ren was more than happy to enjoy the free time. At least he did not have to worry about that goddess suddenly dumping a pile of extra tasks on him.
The sky was clear and the sun was warm. After several consecutive overcast days, the South Suburbs finally welcomed a rare sunny day. A heavy snowfall the previous night had covered the streets outside in snow, and the entire old street looked wrapped in silver when viewed through the window. But in this chilly weather, Hao Ren only wanted to stay inside where it was warm. He was perfectly content simply admiring the snowy scenery outside. So he moved the small tea table beneath the living-room window, brewed a pot of hot tea, laid out a chessboard, and leisurely played Gomoku with Izax to pass the time.
Everyone in the house was busy with their own affairs. The living room was utterly quiet, with only the sound of chess pieces being placed. The steam from the hot tea fogged up the nearby window, and Hao Ren raised his head to look outside. Through the hazy vapor, he saw the old city's snow-white, timeworn alleyways. He thought of his magnificent adventures, of the floating city being rebuilt on the Sea of Aio and Tanagrus's ecological seeding, of the Purgatory Planet in the Rift Nebula. All those spectacular and wondrous sights gradually melted into the hazy snow scene before