The sun was setting at this very moment.
The afterglow of the setting sun burned the sky fiery red, intertwining with the neon lights that had just lit up in the center of Vanden, forming an ambiguous purplish-red hue.
The weather was clear today, and the visibility was high.
From this angle, one could even faintly see the cityscape of the city center dozens of kilometers away.
Buildings stood densely packed, and elevated highways wound around the city’s torso, with the traffic of people getting off work flowing ceaselessly upon them, like the city’s blood vessels.
However.
In front of the colossal building at the very center, all the surrounding structures appeared much lower.
At the top of a thousand-meter-tall gray tower-like building, four massive white metal blades were slowly rotating, driven by the wind.
The sun was setting at this very moment.
The afterglow of the setting sun burned the sky fiery red, intertwining with the neon lights that had just lit up in the center of Vanden, forming an ambiguous purplish-red hue.
The weather was clear today, and the visibility was high.
From this angle, one could even faintly see the cityscape of the city center dozens of kilometers away.
Buildings stood densely packed, and elevated highways wound around the city’s torso, with the traffic of people getting off work flowing ceaselessly upon them, like the city’s blood vessels.
However.
In front of the colossal building at the very center, all the surrounding structures appeared much lower.
At the top of a thousand-meter-tall gray tower-like building, four massive white metal blades were slowly rotating, driven by the wind.
Whether in the bustling Central Business District or the city’s outskirts, as long as one looked up, they could basically see this building named “Vanden Tower.” Eighteen years ago, this building was constructed and completed, and the name Vanden originated from it.
To outsiders, this was an irreplicable industrial miracle, but to the locals of Vanden, it was a commonplace landmark, a city totem etched into their very bones.
The two walked along the bustling street, arriving at an old apartment complex before long.
As they passed under the shade of a tree, several old men playing chess immediately swarmed around Leon with enthusiasm, their voices a chorus of exclamations.
“Ah Leon!
Ever since Richard lost to you a few days ago, he hasn’t dared show his face in this neighborhood!” “Ha!
He kept bragging about being an Amateur 9th Dan, only to get utterly crushed by you in five minutes.” “I can still see the look on his face!
This old man will never forget it!” One of the men chuckled, rubbing his bald head.
“Next time something like this happens, we’ll be counting on you again.
And of course, I won’t forget our usual arrangement.” Leon nodded and carried his bags toward the apartment building.
“Amateur 9th Dan…?” Following behind him, Shayla’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“You beat an amateur chess player?” Leon offered no comment.
Or rather, he simply couldn’t be bothered to prove himself.
Shayla’s eyes widened.
“I thought your constant talk about being a gaming expert was just bluffing or some Chuunibyou phase.
I never imagined you could actually beat an amateur player.
Where did you learn to play?
Have you been playing since you were a kid?” —”Amateur” was only in contrast to professional players.
Between amateur players and casual enthusiasts, there was often a massive gap in skill.
“Daily Chess.” Leon took out the key he had already prepared and replied without looking back.
“Is that…
the name of a chess academy?” Shayla asked, confused.
“It’s on Chess.com.” “…Huh?” What was Chess.com?
Was it one of those game shops students hang out at after school?
Or some kind of arcade?
Shayla froze for a moment, feeling like she had figured it out, but then she became even more excited.
“You taught yourself just by playing a game, and you can still beat an amateur player?
Could you be one of those novel protagonists?
Did you stumble upon a blood-stained chessboard in your family’s old warehouse, only to be possessed by the soul of a Chess Saint from a thousand years ago, all for the sake of that legendary Divine Move?” “You’re overthinking it.” Click.
With the soft sound of the key turning, Leon pushed open the door to his apartment.
Shayla, acting completely at home, slipped inside in a flash.
She stood in the entryway, her large eyes darting around as she took everything in.
The interior was unexpectedly sparse, even a bit empty.
There was no extra clutter, and the wooden floors were mopped spotless, giving off a cold, monotonous feel.
But this cleanliness couldn’t hide the sense of age permeating the entire place.
In the center of the living room sat a dark red solid wood square table.
Its design was clunky, looking like an old piece from a decade or two ago.
The clear varnish on the tabletop had long since peeled away, revealing the mottled wood grain beneath, and the corners had been worn smooth from years of use.
The cushions of the matching wooden chairs were also slightly sunken.
Only the area in the corner of the room looked a bit more rugged.
There, a pair of adjustable dumbbells, a pull-up bar, several resistance bands, and a hand gripper worn shiny from use were all neatly arranged.
While Shayla was busy observing, Leon had already walked into the kitchen.
She turned to close the door, but the moment her hand touched the handle, her movement paused slightly.
She hadn’t noticed it in the dim light of the hallway just now, but the outside of the door was covered with cheap little advertisements for “professional lock-opening,” “drain clearing,” and “certificate processing.” It looked filthy, blending in perfectly with this dilapidated old building.
Only now, standing inside the room, did Shayla realize that this was actually a brand-new and sturdy security door.
Even the door frame had been extra reinforced, it was just that it had been disguised exceptionally well.
She closed the door gently, and hearing that heavy, dull thud of it shutting, a meaningful smile curved on the corners of her lips.
Classmate Leon, you’re practically writing the words “I have a secret” all over your face.
But…
if that’s the case, why are you still willing to let me in?
Shayla thought of something, and her mood instantly improved.
She kicked off her sandals and, without caring at all whether the floor was clean, trotted on her bare, fair little feet to the side of Leon, who was busy in the kitchen, and asked curiously, “Leon, what was that ‘old rule’ the old man mentioned just now?” “Go put on the slippers in the shoe cabinet.
I just mopped the floor before I went out.” “Hmph.” Shayla stuck out her tongue, but she was actually obedient and went to put on the slippers.
“He’s the landlord here.
He owns the whole building.” Leon began sorting the groceries he had bought, replying, “He made a deal with me: if I win a game, next month’s rent is halved.
I just did it on the way.” Leon suddenly said something that would sound bizarre to an ordinary person: “Simply put, it’s like doing a time-efficient side quest.” Shayla, however, understood exactly what he meant.
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Since you’re playing a real-life game and like doing quests for rewards, how about you play ‘Boyfriend Game’ with me, and I’ll give you rewards instead?” “The rent in this old place is at most 1,500 marks a month.
How about I pay you 800 for five minutes, which is 9,600 an hour?
Of course, during that time, you have to obey any of my orders.” “If you perform well and make me happy, I might even double the pay.” As she spoke, she tilted her head back, a beautiful smile curving her lips, looking as if she had caught Leon’s tail.
But all she saw was the boy’s sympathetic gaze, as if asking “Are you stupid?” He said with utter conviction: “Playing games is for entertainment, not to wrong yourself.
Besides, dating isn’t worth my time.” “…” The triumphant look on Shayla’s face froze.
She ground her small canines, thinking this guy was truly impenetrable, and could only forcibly change the subject: “So, are you really not considering becoming a professional chess player?” “It’s meaningless.” Leon, who had witnessed the development of artificial intelligence in his past life, shook his head.
“I’m not particularly good at purely mental games like this either.” Shayla seemed to have a moment of realization.
She glanced at the chicken breast he’d taken from the fridge, and the prepped vegetables.
“So, that’s why you’re working out despite being a ‘gaming expert’?
Because you want to master games that require physical coordination and neural reflexes, like darts or bowling?” “Not exactly.” Leon’s expression remained calm.
He took four eggs from the carton with one hand, tapped them against the rim of a bowl with a precise flick of his fingers, and let the contents slide in.
The movement was steady and precise, without a single tremor.
“Then what’s it for?” “So I can transform into Ultraman.”