By the time Chen Shouyi reached Zhonghai, night had fallen.
A full moon hung high in the sky.
Before he knew it, September had arrived, but the sweltering heat had not receded in the slightest.
The streets were deserted. Apart from patrolling soldiers, there was not a single pedestrian.
A helicopter blinked its signal lights as it flew low overhead, the beating of its rotors carrying from far away.
Two little figures poked their heads out from behind Chen Shouyi's head, peering left and right.
"Pretty nice here, huh?" Shell Girl asked, her tone carrying a hint of superiority.
"Pretty!" Little Dot Number Two replied, her curious gaze tinged with apprehension. "But there are so many giants!"
"These are all bad giants," Shell Girl said. "But there are good giants too, so don't be afraid. He's very powerful."
"Mm, good giants are the strongest." Little Dot Number Two nodded hard, utterly certain.
These had been the happiest days of her life. Every day, she could eat delicious food and play all kinds of new and interesting games with a companion. She was no longer all alone, nor did she have to hide from place to place every day.
At that moment, the two little figures withdrew their heads in perfect unison.
"Stop! Inspection!"
Chen Shouyi stopped and handed over the identification he had prepared long ago.
A soldier hurried over and took it. The moment he opened it, his whole body trembled. He quickly returned it with both hands as though it were scalding, saluted, and stammered, "Chief... Chief Chen, I'm sorry! I... I didn't know it was you!"
"It's fine. Don't be nervous." Chen Shouyi reassured him, tossing the identification back into his spatial storage. "Nothing happened here during this time, right?"
"N-no... nothing!"
"Good."
When Chen Shouyi returned