Since Lin Yijing had already made her stance clear, Xu Mo naturally had no reason to argue further—otherwise, he would only make himself look guilty.
Shang Shan City's Dinosaur Amusement Park was located near National Highway 102 in the eastern part of the city, covering an area of 1,280 mu. It was the only large-scale amusement park in Huaxia that revolved around dinosaurs and prehistoric civilizations, making it one of the most famous tourist attractions in Shang Shan.
Due to his usual busy schedule, Xu Mo had only visited the Dinosaur Amusement Park once before, when it had just been built. That was three years ago when he had come with his parents. At the time, many of the amusement facilities were still under construction, and large areas of land remained undeveloped. Now, as he revisited the place, looking at the four-meter-tall life-sized Tyrannosaurus rex sculpture at the entrance, he suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia, as if everything had changed.
Perhaps it was the long walk that made her thirsty, but just before entering the ticket gate, Lin Yijing pointed to a nearby supermarket and asked, "Xu Mo, do you guys want something to drink?"
"Bottled water is fine." Xu Mo was indeed feeling a bit parched.
"Same for me." Tang Guo quickly chimed in.
"I've heard the prices inside are pretty steep, so I'll buy a few extra bottles." Lin Yijing handed the rose in her hand to Tang Guo for safekeeping before running toward the supermarket.
Due to its proximity to the Dinosaur Amusement Park—Shang Shan City's most crowded tourist attraction—the businesses around the entrance plaza were thriving. Seeing the long line of people waiting to check out at the supermarket, Xu Mo estimated that Lin Yijing wouldn't be back anytime soon, so he led Tang Guo to a nearby bench for a short rest.
Tang Guo casually tossed the rose aside, stretched lazily on the bench, then gazed at Lin Yijing's departing figure as if deep in thought. She turned to Xu Mo with a teasing smile and said, "She's got a face that stands out and a mind that's careful with money—good qualities for managing a household. Her only flaw seems to be her tendency to go with the flow. But for you, that's probably a good thing… So, what do you say? Go for it!"
"Why are you so invested in this? Do you have some kind of ulterior motive?" Xu Mo couldn't shake the feeling that Tang Guo was the type of person who never did anything without a reason. If she was being this enthusiastic about something, the idea that she had no hidden agenda was laughable.
"Tch! Do you really think that little of me?" Tang Guo was clearly dissatisfied with Xu Mo's suspicion. She reached out and pinched his face as punishment, huffing, "I'm a girl whose time is worth millions per minute. If I didn't find you amusing, I wouldn't waste my time meddling in your boring little love life! You pig-headed fool!"
Xu Mo wasn't annoyed; instead, he chuckled and patted Tang Guo's head as if coaxing a child. In a gentle tone, he said, "Well, I really appreciate it… But you should stop messing around with this. Lin Yijing really was just inviting me to dinner as a way to say thanks. We're all classmates—why make things so complicated?"
"A simple thank-you dinner? Hmph… You pig-headed fool!" Tang Guo looked at him with an expression of utter exasperation. She jabbed her delicate fingers at his forehead and lectured him, "Have you never heard that 'things happen because people make them happen'? Do you really think Lin Yijing has absolutely no feelings for you? Alright, maybe I'm overthinking things. But even if she doesn't have any special feelings, she definitely doesn't dislike you. Otherwise, she wouldn't have kissed you just now…"
At the mention of Lin Yijing's kiss, Xu Mo once again felt his cheeks burn. This date had been far more eventful than he had expected, and he still had a surreal feeling, as if he were dreaming.
Just as Xu Mo was about to refute Tang Guo's ridiculous theory, he suddenly overheard a conversation between two young men sitting on a nearby bench about ten meters away. One phrase immediately caught his attention—"Apocalyptic shard."
"Brother Huang, we're not on a mission right now. Can't you relax a little? Sure, we're soldiers, but we're also human. Taking a break once in a while isn't against the rules… Here, have a hot coffee." The speaker was a young man with a slick appearance, wearing a tan leather jacket and jeans. If he hadn't mentioned his identity, he would have looked more like a street thug than a soldier.
The young soldier surnamed Huang, on the other hand, was much more pleasant to look at. He had thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, and an air of masculinity. If he were a bit older and had a bit of stubble, he would definitely be the type to make housewives swoon.
"Liu Zhan, if it weren't for the rule that we must travel in pairs, I wouldn't be here with you at some amusement park… Go play if you want, just leave me out of it," the soldier named Huang said sternly, taking the canned coffee but still maintaining a serious demeanor.
"We're not breaking any rules by taking a little time off. Why are you so uptight? We're not ordinary special forces. Just look at the 99.9% elimination rate—despite our enhancements from Apocalyptic shards, entering an Apocalyptic Environment is still a gamble with death. Half of our ten-man team making it out is already a blessing. Who knows who will survive in the end? If I don't enjoy life while I still can, I'd regret it even in the afterlife…" Liu Zhan sprawled lazily on the bench and sighed at the sky.
"Liu Zhan, mind the confidentiality regulations!" Huang frowned, clearly displeased with his comrade's attitude.
"Oh, come on, Brother Huang. The confidentiality rules only prevent us from leaking Professor Mo's classified research. But as for Apocalyptic Mirage and Apocalyptic shards? Even those rogue non-government organizations know about them now. Do you really think our government is an impenetrable fortress? The higher-ups would sell anything except their official positions… What a utopia—world peace and shared resources, huh?"
Huang remained silent for a long time, indicating that Liu Zhan's words weren't baseless.
Liu Zhan suddenly sat up with an indignant expression. "I heard that the thirty-plus soldiers who escorted Professor Mo into the Apocalyptic Environment last time never made it out. The intel was delivered by some unknown civilian wielder, but instead of thanking him, the idiots from the 38th Regiment shot at him and scared him away. Now, we don't even have firsthand data. Every time I think about it, I want to strangle their commander…"
"That was just an accident. You can't blame the 38th Regiment," Huang said calmly, staring ahead while gripping his coffee can. "But according to Professor Mo's handwritten notes, the Apocalyptic Environment near Shang Shan City's First High School seems to be crawling with countless undead fantasy creatures. Except for a few elite variants, most of them are only half as strong as an average human—but their numbers are overwhelming, and they're immune to all non-Apocalyptic shard weapons and abilities. I don't know what 'overwhelming numbers' means exactly, but it's always better to prepare for the worst. What truly worries me, though, is that this is only a Level 1 Environment. I can't even begin to imagine what horrors exist in the highest Level 9 Environments…"
"Maybe something like the legendary Black Mountain Demon King?" Liu Zhan laughed, patting Huang's shoulder. "But I don't think we need to worry. The scientists said that with the current energy accumulation, Level 3 Environments won't even open for at least another year. As for Level 9… We'll probably be long retired by then."
"If you can survive Shang Shan City's three Environments, then we'll talk," Huang sighed. "Two Level 1s and one Level 2… I don't even want to think about how many of our comrades will die this time."
Wait—three Apocalyptic Mirage? Could there be two more in this city besides the one near the school?