The Only Player in 'Child of Stardust'

·

Xinhu International Airport.

The tarmac.

"Zhao Junlang, why aren't you tracking down the suspects? What are you doing at the airport?" Director Wang Dong of the Xinhu Control Bureau glanced coldly at Zhao Junlang and his team, who had just arrived.

"We got the news and came over to join the fun.

Xu, I heard the task force this time is heavyweight, care to spill the beans?"

Zhao Junlang, in a friendly manner, put his arm around Wang Dong's shoulders but was mercilessly shrugged off.

"Get lost, don't make me hit you."

"Come on, we've known each other for years… alright, alright, my bad." Zhao Junlang laughed it off and pushed aside the blade at his neck.

Clang!

Wang Dong sheathed the sword in his cane, then looked at the plane slowly descending in the night sky.

"Haven't seen you in a while, your sword has gotten faster."

Zhao Junlang stared at his cane, "Are you about to make it?"

"Almost." Wang Dong responded coldly.

"Damn." Zhao Junlang cursed under his breath, finally putting away his playful demeanor.

A pink-haired hottie, Mi Qi, nudged him with her elbow, "Captain, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Zhao Junlang's face clouded over.

"Oh." Sensing the tension, Mi Qi didn't dare ask any more questions.

This bastard is about to make it… Zhao Junlang's heart sank in utter frustration.

He and Wang Dong had been high school classmates, rivals since high school, each wanting to outshine the other. Over the years, they had experienced their share of victories and defeats, but if Wang Dong truly mastered that sword technique, Zhao would be forever overshadowed.

No way, he needed to figure out how to advance quickly!

Before long.

The plane landed, and as the cabin door opened, a dozen men in black suits descended the stairs.

Among them, a tall, blonde woman raised her arm and let out an ambiguous cheer:

"Reached the world's highest city, Xinhu! How beautiful Xinhu is!"

"Wait! She is—"

Zhao Junlang's eyes widened in shock, disbelief written all over his face.

"Hiss—"

Even Zhao Junlang's subordinates, along with all the investigators present, gasped collectively. Being insiders, they clearly knew who this woman was.

There were many anomalous creatures in the world related to dragons: pseudo-dragons, dragon-blooded, dragonkin...

Thanks to the dragon blood flowing in their veins, they naturally excelled over other species, possessing enviable super talents in various fields.

For example, an arcane master within the Control Bureau, who was a pseudo-dragon with white dragon bloodline, was a master in ice magic, a veritable founder in the field, holding an indispensable status.

Then there was a premier forge master, a dragonborn with diluted red dragon bloodline, who became a master forger within just three years of entering the field. Such talent was terrifying.

And these were mere hybrids with impure bloodlines.

True dragons were even more terrifying.

The number of true dragons in the world could be counted on two hands, and the most active and well-known among them was undoubtedly the Golden Dragon, Aurelia, now standing in front of them.

As for why she was so well-known...

Because Chen Guangxi was nothing like the legendary elegant, erudite, and talented golden dragon. The disparity was so stark that everyone made a lasting impression upon meeting her, spreading her fame far and wide in the circle.

"Director Wang."

Gu Honggao approached, an old acquaintance of Wang Dong.

"Gu, glad you're okay." Wang Dong smiled, a rare sight.

The Alpha Mobile Task Force's mission was assigned by him, and their week-long silence in Yingzhou had him worried sick.

Seeing them return safely without casualties took a load off his chest.

"We've retrieved the item; let's discuss it in detail later."

"Alright, let's get in the car."

·

Back at the Control Bureau, they entered the conference room, where Gu Honggao recounted their recent experiences to Wang Dong.

"Joy Castle, Demon Tree... so that's what happened."

Wang Dong nodded, no wonder the task force had been out of contact for so long.

"Who is this Wang Zhen, then?" Zhao Junlang rubbed his chin, intrigued by the wild extraordinary person who led the task force out of the predicament.

"I figured he's probably a Yingzhou student who accidentally awakened to supernatural abilities and actively sought out supernatural incidents to understand them better. There are plenty of such reckless wild extraordinaries, nothing special about it, except for some secret tricks."

Chen Guangxi was busy devouring a bucket of fried chicken, not even spitting out the bones.

"Sis, watch it, this is the conference room." Jiang Wuming whispered.

"Damn, I starved for days and barely escaped. Can't I enjoy a little? I'm gonna eat until it's all gone!"

Chen Guangxi ate even more voraciously, grabbing another bucket.

"It's fine." Wang Dong didn't mind at all.

"The Yingzhou Control Bureau will handle Joy Castle properly. We not only solved a huge problem for them but also gifted them something valuable.

Despite that, they still have some interest in the jade pendant.

Good thing there are smart people over there who halted the strife; otherwise, this issue could have escalated, leading to small-scale clashes between the Dongzhou Control Bureau and the Yingzhou Control Bureau, which would benefit no one."

As he spoke, Gu Honggao took out a black and white jade pendant from his Storage Ring.

—The Yin Yang Pisces Jade Pendant.

Wang Dong took the pendant, perceived it for a moment, then nodded slightly, "Thank you all for your hard work. Rest and recuperate in Xinhu; I've arranged everything."

"It was our duty," Gu Honggao replied.

"Is it a presidential suite?" Chen Guangxi seemed more concerned about the sleeping arrangements.

"Rest assured, only the top-notch service."

"Woohoo!"

"Ah!!!"

Suddenly, Jiang Wuming screamed while looking at his phone.

"The Stars Network headquarters is gone??"

"Damn, I was waiting to play 'Child of Stardust!'"

Only now did he see the news, struck as if by lightning.

"What?!" Chen Guangxi turned her head in shock, she had been eagerly waiting for 'Child of Stardust' too.

"Oh, you guys didn't know? This wasn't just a fire." Zhao Junlang laughed as he explained the whole story to everyone.

Jiang Wuming was furious after hearing it, "Damn it, where are Nangong Yi and the Red Robe Monks Association? They should be dead! Couldn't they have waited until the game was released?"

Chen Guangxi was equally furious, "I'd kill them a thousand times, and it wouldn't be enough!"

"Hehe, you asked the right person." Zhao Junlang chuckled mysteriously, "We've already tracked them down; now we're just waiting for the right moment to nab them all."

·

Three days later.

After finishing his morning exercise, Zhou Yuan received a text message.

It was from Mr. Wang.

"Zhou, the company's a bit short-handed lately. Have you found a new job? If not, would you be interested in coming back as a security guard?"

Huh? They still hadn't hired security?

Zhou Yuan felt puzzled and replied: "I'm planning to rest for a while before looking for a job. Thanks for checking in."

"Are you free tonight? We're planning a memorial for the deceased colleagues."

Zhou Yuan thought it over; this he could do. After all, the executive who pulled strings to get him into the Stars Network had also died in the fire, along with a few colleagues he got along with. It made sense to pay respects.

"Sure."

"Great, see you at 6 PM at Xinhu City Funeral Home."