Encore② · In the Night

Foreword:

Good luck is a blind cow that walks toward the dumbest bull.

[Part 1: A Glimpse]

Let's slow down, even slower--

--Like cleaning a room, you can't overlook any corner.

Before this little story ends, there are a few more things to say.

Returning to Eureka Volcano, returning to this city that is scarred yet reborn.

The bank's trading day has arrived, but few people are coming to trade. Seventy percent of the city's residents need White Lady's products to combat the Vita Imprint within their bodies. They will endure a difficult period of epidemic prevention, requiring complete quarantine.

Hasben Madison remained there, and the Snow Owl Mobilization Troops and Madness Butterfly gang members who fought alongside him still believed, until the very last moment, that their leader came from Forty-Eight District, was Lawrence Madison of the Little Brotherhood, and was the Cult Leader.

Unfortunately, Mr. Hasben failed his brothers' expectations and did not open the Heaven's Gate until the very last moment. Once the assault team took over the armory and City Hall, the remaining enemy soldiers obediently surrendered and gave up resistance.

The cargo ships of Eureka Volcano City were temporarily paralyzed due to the outbreak of the epidemic, but the BOSS was not worried. As long as the Madness Butterfly Sect could be driven out of this land, a new railway would be built in six months, spanning seven hundred kilometers, to bring the gospel to this land.

Several major sectors originally intended as tools for the Mercy of Eros to amass wealth, including gambling, film and television, and the food and beverage industry, saw their superiors killed by anonymous individuals.

But people still need to eat and drink, and they still need to live. The methods used to transform the old society in the early days of the People's Republic of China required strong administrative talent to implement. This is an extremely long process, but as the boss said, good things will definitely happen and will slowly come to us.

After returning to the Nine Realms Station, the promise between master and disciple came true.

Robert Tang Ning became an internet addict, found a suitable spot, fell asleep on a sofa in a bar, and met his dream lover. He slept for three days and three nights.

When Strong Bro returned to the Nine Realms, the first person to greet him was not his daughter, but Red Sister.

He was surprised because he wasn't a passenger; he was using the staff entrance. This was his secret with Xiao Min. The fact that Red Sister was able to stake out the place meant that her daughter had probably revealed this little secret.

In the battle of Eureka Volcano City, Strong Bro made outstanding contributions and had to go to the Cabinet and the Prince's Hall to formally receive the BOSS's reward. It was just a formality, like getting a medal and a raise, which Strong Bro didn't care about.

Romantic relationships between adults are complicated. They simply leaned against the iron railing of the employee passageway, side by side, and chatted briefly, like old classmates who had taken a long detour and finally met again in their forties or fifties.

Strong Bro and Red Sister were talking about troubleshooting and maintenance of the Panther Tank.

Red Sister and Strong Bro were talking about the temperaments of the sponsors and the drinkers.

Strong Bro and Red Sister joked that Little Shark had used mind control on two young people.

Red Sister and Strong Bro were telling dirty jokes. When this charming woman saw A Qiang deliberately looking away, she felt like a wild beast taking the initiative to attack.

Those bawdy jokes were mostly describing how amazing the human body is; a man's penis doesn't need any power, it can get erect just from a thought.

At this point, Strong Bro, who had been honest and straightforward for half his life, suddenly became timid. He had never been this cowardly when facing a massive army, and he just started to have wild thoughts.

He thought how wonderful the world was, how cruel yet compassionate Mother Earth was, nurturing such magnificent life, and how people, born and raised by nature, gathered together because of the attraction between them through various pheromones and nerve signals.

The elegant Red Sister beside him merely bowed slightly, her wine-red robe draped over her body, highlighting the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. Time had transformed her into a mellow and fragrant wine. Just by placing her hand slightly on her beloved's arm, she remembered the young husband who had first come to the city from the countryside, smiling and crying with her.

She knew that the living could not replace the dead, and the dead could not occupy the place of the living forever, so this illusion of displacement became even more bizarre and mysterious.

Silence is a virtue; in such silence, time seems to slow down.

She recalled the time in the cell when she and others were operating sewing machines to weave fabric. Back then, she would always talk, feeling that time would pass faster that way.

He was the same; he didn't dare to speak. When he was a child, Qiangzi didn't like going to class. He felt that once the teacher started talking, the 45-minute class became a kind of mental torture. No matter what, the time passed slowly, minute by minute.

But at this moment, they remained silent, inhaling each other's scent and gazing at the twinkling stars in each other's eyes.

The staff corridor was lit with a warm, orange light, like candlelight.

As Qiangzi thanked Mother Earth in his heart, on the shore of Eureka Volcano City, the Original Seed in the ocean trench turned over, as if sensing the call of the Flash Butterfly transformation. It was about to peek out, but at the last moment, it returned to the deeper mantle.

When Red Sister smelled the mixture of blood and cologne on A Qiang's body, she felt as if her life had entered a second phase, with all the usual logic shattered by bizarre gods or people. The Black Cat brought her such a waiter, which seemed like destiny itself, irresistible, but when it came to the crucial moment at the last minute—whether to accept it or not was another matter.

She still didn't dare to speak, only staring into the other person's eyes with a half-smile.

Fatal attraction doesn't lie. Whether man or woman, young or old, after meeting Ming De, it's as if they've drunk from the fountain of youth, becoming a sexy blend of reason and passion.

Speaking of which--

--The hasty brushstrokes should be moved to the other side.

These people who live far, far away from Xue Ming are only briefly mentioned in the [Encore] segment, like fleeting shadows.

In the end, Fuyanni and Billy didn't make a fortune because the Panther Tank had an engine overheating problem. By the time the battle was over, they discovered that their money had been burned down to only 160,000. Strong Bro would also comfort the two greedy and lustful young men, saying that if they had driven a 700-horsepower Panther modified by Mercedes-Benz- Benz, this tragedy wouldn't have happened—it was all the Mercy Society's fault; they were too stingy.

But this 160,000 yuan was enough for the two brothers and Shasha to enjoy themselves on the White Ape for a while. When Qiangzi went back to report, Shasha cried very sadly - it was the best tank commander in the world saying a long goodbye to the best loader in the world.

The three brothers followed the old Khan from the underwater hotel to the surface to work on the relocation of the White Ape. They would be busy for a while, but they had a long life ahead of them and were not lost.

--Because Shasha's revenge has been taken, now she must strive to grow up, like a newborn Eureka, standing tall and strong.

Let's return to the protagonist's side--

--Back to the busy Xue Ming.

To repay Teacher Su Ling for her off-field assistance, the first thing Xue Ming did upon entering the club was to head to the workshop. He picked up Teacher A Ling's old backpack and rummaged through it to find relatively intact props—something he had promised to do to help his teacher repair her equipment. However, he had fallen far behind in the past two years, having to make guns and clothes to eliminate the cult, and simply had no time for that.

Life is full of ups and downs and constant struggles. Ah Ming thought he had a lot of free time, but in the blink of an eye, he turned twenty-four or twenty-five. It was so fast. It felt like just yesterday that he stepped into Fenxing's shop.

Xiao Qi had to return to Shanwei. On the way, she discussed the wedding arrangements with her older brother, Ye Bei. She was the bride, Ye Bei, being Jiang Xueming's elder brother, was responsible for arranging all the steps of the traditional Chinese wedding.

The arrival of three puppies, a gift from the Qingjin Wolf Mother, has livened up the house considerably. Red Sister adores these little darlings and urges the head of the household to buy more of White Lady's products as provisions, without even giving the wolfhounds a name.

Xue Ming was busy with wedding preparations, so she temporarily left the dog training to Liuxing and Teacher San San.

The shooting star called its leader "Ahei" because it was black.

Second Sister is called Ahua because of the freckles on her face.

They call their youngest sister "Little Orange," distinguishing them by their fur color.

While choosing a name, Teacher San San added one extra comment.

"You can't name our future kids like that! You need to at least have some education."

Upon hearing this, Meteor froze instantly.

Teacher San San was puzzled.

The two of them were squatting in front of Joestar's doorstep, still playing with the wolf cubs.

After a very long time, the shooting star transformed into a clumsy poet, excitedly reciting nonsensical ramblings.

"I'm getting engaged to you?! And you've mentioned having children in the future!"

"But I haven't even asked your name yet, and suddenly all the stars in the sky have lit up!"

He was like a flame; the slightest breeze would make him even redder and hotter.

Teacher San San's face was finally flushed red from the scorching flames. When she looked up at the moon in the sky, she saw white light spilling across the cement floor, like ginger water being poured into milk. Her heart felt both fragrant and spicy.

She didn't know how to introduce herself; it seemed that for the past few years, unless this big boy asked, she wouldn't want to answer.

She liked it when the shooting star called her "teacher," because it gave her a strange sense of pride.

--That's the desire to control and boss men around when you become the leader of the pack; it's the wildness that lapis lazuli half-wolves are born with.

She leaned close to Meteor's ear and whispered something.

"My name is Teacher San San, the Teacher San San Teacher San San."

Before she could finish speaking, Meteor quickly stole a kiss on Teacher San San's cheek.

Her glasses tilted to one side, her bangs parted, and her head turned to the side. She wasn't angry; she simply cradled Ahei in her hands, holding the little wolfhound between her arms. She then leaned close to Meteor's ear and spoke slowly.

"Adjust my glasses, I can't see clearly."

Meteor carefully adjusted Teacher San San's glasses, then felt a cool sensation on his cheek. It was indeed his beloved girl retaliating, and she secretly kissed his cheek in return.

The two were like teenagers, not caring about each other's real names.

[Part ② - Old Guitar]

After saying goodbye to his old friend, the boss rummaged through the cabinet and found an old guitar. He didn't know when it had been made into a firewood stick, but after some repairs, it was still usable.

Fortunately, it had no mold and the strings were not rusted. Unable to hold the large instrument, it tugged at the Hunter King's sleeve, wanting the attendant to fully utilize his musical talent and release his gentle, tender emotions.

When the clear, flowing notes drifted continuously from the room to the council counter of the Council of Five Kings, everyone knew—their boss was happy.

The crushing defeat of the Mercy of Eros is an unparalleled stimulant.

This story originated from a backup of the combat video recordings on the Flash Butterfly Armor, which was passed to Teacher Victor. After some adaptation and embellishment, it was transformed into a detailed battle report.

The governors of each block and the warriors of Guangling Zhixi received this news in the height of summer, as did the members of the Immortals Alliance.

The Madness Butterfly Sect that remained in the livable city had begun its purge. They were filled with fear because the scale of Kang Que Concord's Mercy Society, the speed of its defeat, and the interest groups that were uprooted afterward—all these people and things had become a powerful Damocles' sword.

The thunder roared in the spring, but people didn't hear it until the height of summer.

In places unseen by Ming De--

--The Immortals Alliance held another internal meeting.

It's still that new development zone, still that Lantern Valley. The border between the Third Transportation Department and Sixth Transportation Department.

About six kilometers from the volcanic lake, in the engineering department, in a deep, dark cave, four members, who were also core members of the Immortals Alliance, gathered.

The seat that belonged to Kang Que Connor was empty—everyone looked restless, wrapped in thick robes to conceal their faces, unaware of each other's true identities, or perhaps simply using proxies to attend the meeting.

The content is rather disorganized, with very little information and little substance; it's even difficult to discern which sentence was spoken by which person.

"The chains couldn't hold him; they became his weapons. We are no match for the gunsmith."

"But for the next few decades, are we going to have to live with our tails between our legs? Can't we find any more powerful warriors?"

"In the past, soldiers at least had some basic skills, but now? You're lucky if you can be an undercover agent without a criminal record."

"Time is meaningless to us. If you're in a hurry, try to find opportunities through the gunsmith's offspring and relatives. Money and power are also meaningless to the gunsmith; emotions are the strongest weapon."

Why are the nameless people not interested in the Madness Butterfly Sect?

"You can only say that to children. Most of the smart people are already officials in the railway system. As for the remaining fools, we must never tell them the truth. We must control them with religious slogans. So the slogan 'All things return to oneness' is essentially the same as Amitabha Buddha."

"I once studied the Ming De, and I believe its most powerful political tactic was to forge unbreakable bonds with people. People like Kang Que, even after more than seventy years, still couldn't let go of this bond—in Eureka Volcano City, he said more than once that love is the most effective Universal Elixir."

"The Yellowstone People are unreliable. These high-ranking officials and puppets of these conglomerates will be purged one by one by Ming De. As long as one person in the political and legal system is exposed, anyone who dares to speak up for their children or brothers will be implicated. Lawyers who defend these criminals will suffer greatly. Next, I will change my image, start anew, and sever all ties with them."

"Me too"

"I feel that the Eagle's Nest I've chosen recently isn't safe. I might really need to lay low for a while and wait until the gunsmith is old and weak before returning to this land."

"Alright everyone, besides the Nameless One—let's re-examine this enemy, and see what other tricks Ming De has up its sleeve?"

"The Inheritance Law—a new regulation promulgated this February."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"The families of the governors in each district must transfer their property and business shares to their eldest son, second son, and concubines. The specific regulations are too long to read, but the meaning is very simple: when a governor falls, his power and wealth must be divided among three or four relatives."

"That sounds familiar."

"What sounds familiar! This underhanded trick is a modern version of the 'Decree of Grace'!"

"I don't know anything about Chinese history, can you explain it to me?"

"Ming De wants to weaken the power of the Senate's regional military governors and re-centralize power in the Nine Realms' cabinet. It's that simple. Not only that, he also promulgated something called the <Battle General Regulations>."

This fighting rule was Inspiration entirely by Kang Que Connor, and the specific regulations were formally announced to the Madness Butterfly Sect through a series of media outlets, including The Sun.

"The regulations for dueling stipulate that the underground railway and the Madness Butterfly Sect have been engaged in open and covert struggles for hundreds of years, causing the people in various regions to suffer from exhaustion and poverty. From now on, according to the standard of centurion, leaders of troops with more than one hundred men can issue duel challenges to enemy generals."

"The defeated general in a duel may surrender voluntarily; the victor shall not kill enemy soldiers and shall treat prisoners of war humanely in accordance with the Geneva Conventions."

What does this mean? These rules and regulations?

"Classical."

"It wants to throw the Madness Butterfly Sect's ranks into chaos. It now has the power to do so—in modern society, if you think of smaller teams like companies, the employees would practically squeeze the boss's intestines out and snap his neck before even discussing the company's fighting strength."

"If the <Battle Rules> were ever to be implemented, these startup teams would immediately switch sides during the challenge phase, sending their leaders to the arena."

"Holy shit! Who the hell came up with these lousy ideas?"

"It's definitely not Ming De. What bad intentions could Little Kitty have?"

The meeting ended on a sour note.

Officials from various transportation departments were waiting outside, including the chief of staff who had given Linden directions last time.

The nobles of the Immortals Alliance left without a word or any indication, leaving behind eight characters for their cronies as they departed, which they wrote down with their fingers dipped in water.

"The world has changed drastically; take care of yourself."

One week later--

--Fragrant Dream sat in front of JoeStar's bar, watching the guests inside and outside collect their wedding invitations, clutching them to their chests like treasures.

It didn't understand because it had never seen a Homo sapiens wedding ceremony. Even though it possessed all of Jiang Xueming's memories, in Amin's mind, his parents' marriage was very vague and abstract.

Thinking this, it went to the little finger of the greeter and chatted with Paul.

"I've been doing research these past few days, about my little finger. People from the Arcane Library came and wanted to take samples from me, saying I wasn't normal—so I cooperated with them, and later became their psionic computer, so they wanted me to study myself."

"Tell me, what exactly am I? Do you have a clue?"

Paul immediately changed his expression and transformed into Feng Jiali's female form.

"How would I know? I don't even know who I am—but I know that you are the Holy Spirit in the Holy Father."

Little Finger has always regarded Jiang Xueming as the Holy Father of the Madness Butterfly Sect; perhaps only children can devoutly believe in this Guiyi Sect.

Fragrant Dream waved sullenly, finding it uninteresting, and left immediately.

Following Jiang Xueming's body, it circled around the sixteen-meter range limit, making a large circle, and floated down to the second floor to see the cute young lady. It then leaned against the window and secretly stared at Bailu.

It knew this was Jiang Xueming's sister, and like a lover of the house, it felt a strange protective instinct. Red paper was placed in the entertainment room and activity room on the second floor. Bailu arranged for the bridesmaids to rehearse with Teacher San San in charge.

Fragrant Dream watched for a while, then heard Bailu's healthy and strong shouts. Feeling relieved, she finally fell asleep, her head hitting the windowsill, which attracted Bailu's attention.

Bailu immediately called out, "Brother! What are you looking at?"

Fragrant Dream explained, "I'm not your brother!"

The reason for Bailu is unclear.

--This knowledge was taught at the Galahad Magic Academy, which said that the spirit is the manifestation of the spiritual power of the physical body. People can regard the spirit as an incarnation, using it to see, smell, hear, and touch, which is almost equivalent to another self.

Without thinking twice, Bailu opened the window and pulled the spirit in.

"Brother! Talk to these ladies, your sister-in-law's best friends, and tell them to teach them some games—when the groomsmen come to pick up the bride, they need to put on some entertainment!"

"Well"

Fragrant Dream felt a little awkward, but before that awkwardness could spread to the bridesmaids—

It immediately shattered into pieces and escaped back into Jiang Xueming's body.

The workshop was filled with various tools. Xue Ming held a carving knife and carved new patterns on A Ling's old items. He was almost overwhelmed by various psionic catalysts and combat tools.

His hands were covered in scars as he repeatedly examined the workpiece diagrams on the wall, meticulously comparing the originals with the repaired pieces.

From a great distance outside the gate, from the glass Hanging Bridge House of the Rising Sun where Fenxing resides, several new passengers returned to the station.

Meteor sat at the bar counter, watching Chef Jason mix drinks for the customers. It was Sunday, and the base spirit was Iron Knight, a whiskey spirit with a stronger honey flavor. The drinks were meant to get you completely drunk, then you could sleep soundly and wake up refreshed.

Tomorrow is the wedding day.