The streets were a little bleak today. Most roadside shops—especially convenience stores and shopping centers—were closed.
“Mister Chen!”
Chen Yining heard someone call out from behind then, but did not entertain it.
On the other hand, Chen Jing thought the voice was familiar and turned around, finding several youths waving at him.
“Students from my class,” he told his brother.
Aside from three students, there were four older people who must be their parents.
“Mister Chen, are you going to hunt for magical beasts in the suburbs as well?” a girl with a ponytail, dressed in denim shorts that revealed her long, fair legs asked excitedly then.
“Yes.” Chen Jing nodded, throwing them a glance.
While he studied their group, they were observing him and his brother as well.
It certainly goes without mentioning that Chen Jing, a PE teacher who stood at 1.9 meters tall was very imposing. Chen Yining was slightly shorter than his younger brother but was still 1.85 meters, putting him among the taller group of Mountain Water City, which was in the southern reaches.
“Mister Chen, should we team up?” The ponytailed girl quickly asked then.
Chen Yining had not said a word from the start.
Chen Jing glanced at his brother. Knowing his sibling’s attitude and understanding his silence, he could guess that Chen Yining would turn the kids down.
“We’ve got something else to do, and we’re heading into the forest after we’re done,” Chen Jing said apologetically.
“You’re going into the forest?!” Another girl, who had round, pudgy cheeks could not stifle her gasp.
“Yeah.” Chen Jing nodded.
“We wouldn’t dare to go inside the forest since the city council was saying that it’s very dangerous and told us to kill magical beasts only within the suburbs. It’s risky there, sir—why don’t you join us at the suburbs, where there’s strength in numbers?” the round-cheeked girl asked Chen Jing.
“Xiao Yu, that’s quite enough. Mister Chen must have his business in the forest—let’s just stick to the suburbs.” One of the adults—a woman in a jersey patted the girl on the check and spoke quietly.
For adults, not agreeing to something was equal to a refusal. And since Chen Jing had indicated that he was going to refuse anyway, pressing him further would only be a cause for disgust.
With that, both sides shared a nod before going their separate ways.
“Were all those kids your students?” Chen Yining asked after they’ve gone far.
“Yeah.”
“A third-year?”
Chen Jing stopped in his tracks and turned to look uncertainly at his brother.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Chen Yining frowned.
“She’s a first-year.”
“…”
Chen Yining thumped a fist on his brother’s chest. “As a teacher, you need to act as a role model. Don’t keep thinking filthy thoughts all day long.”
“Why did you even ask… there’s a dozen of them in the class I teach. To tell the truth, I don’t even remember her name—she just look a little familiar.” Chen Jing appeared perplexed.
“It’s nothing. I just find that kids these days eat more than we do, and grow up much quicker than we do,” Chen Yining replied, saying what came to mind.
“…”
Chen Jing rubbed his chest at that.
Why did he suddenly have the feeling that he had taken his brother’s punch over nothing?
***
It was a completely different scene when both Chen Yining and Chen Jing arrived at the suburbs today.
There were people everywhere.
It was as if some grand carnival had taken place, with groups of people parading their summoned beasts grandly across the streets.
Some even approached the brothers, inviting them to join their team.
“Come on, join us! The forests are very dangerous, bro, and no more than a handful of people would dare to enter. Bro Zhang here has been in there twice—he’s quite familiar with the place!” one of them exclaimed excitedly as he tried to recruit Chen Yining.
Chen Yining could not help laughing at that. He wondered what the veteran hunters of the mountains would think if going in a forest twice was all it would take to become familiar with the landscape.
Still, there was something he was curious about. “Why are there so many people around here today? There weren’t this many when we came yesterday.”
“Ah… you came here before…” That man smiled awkwardly, and only then did he study the brothers closely then.
He had tried to recruit them because he saw that both men looked strong enough to handle two goblins at the same time, and presumed they were newbies… but they turned out to be ‘elders’ who had already been there yesterday.
The man himself lived closer to the suburbs than most city folks, which was why he had encountered magical beasts where he lived yesterday. Since that was still earlier than most others, he subconsciously considered himself an ‘elder’, and finds himself superior compared to the other newbie hunters.
While he never sensed that he was carrying that air of superiority, it did exist.
It was just like when a flock of people grouped up to visit a certain scenic spot. If one of them had been there before, even if just once, he couldn’t help showing off in front of his companions. Still, such actions did not exactly embody ill-will, because it was merely a sort of mindset: I have what others don’t, and when they finally have it, I have something better.
“I’ve got a question, Brother.” Chen Yining handed the other man a cigarette then.
The man accepted the cigarette, his attitude easing up just then as he whipped out a lighter from his pocket to light it.
“You want to ask why there are so many people around, right?” The man grinned, revealing his big, yellowed teeth.
“You really understand me, bro,” Chen Yining replied with a smile.
“The fact is that the city council has sent word over three districts last night near the city center. They approached the community council and the estate management, giving them a lot of information about the magical beasts in the suburbs. That’s why so many people have come—word has it that some of them got up as early as four before coming over.”
Chen Yining understood right then.
So that was what it was.
He had thought of the possibility that the vehicle parked outside their residential complex just this morning was from the city council.
That means that the others staying at the residential complex would now be aware of the forest that appeared around the city, as well as the magical beasts that dwelled within.
With that being the case…
Glancing at the suburbs, which was now overcrowded, Chen Yining mourned for the magical beasts that would step inside the suburbs.
Not even ashes would be left of them.
Thanking the man and declining his offer once more, Chen Yining led his younger brother toward the edge of the forest.
Though the forest lay at the edge of the road ahead, there were many others crowding it.
The towering trees of the forest stood in the distance, stretching on endlessly.
The space beneath the trees were covered by the lush canopy. Strands of golden sunlight left tiny beams as they pierced the gaps between the canopy to which the dark places beneath, making it appear at once mysterious and dangerous.
Nonetheless, it was completely different from when Chen Yining first came. After all, with so many people around, no insect cries or bird singing could be heard at the edge of the forest now.
A group or two would enter the forest occasionally, while others stared enviously as they watched them go.
They tend to desire following them inside, but being wary of the unknown threats in the forest, they would only enter after they had formed groups. For that, the best candidates would be familiar faces who had been in the forest before.
In the end, you only live once, and this was no game. You get nothing if you die, which was why everyone was planning meticulously to stay alive.
“Recruiting hobgoblins, recruiting hobgoblins.” A voice speaking through a megaphone echoed in the distance.
Chen Yining looked out to find a very fat man wearing a suit, yelling as he stood atop a very fearsome ORV.
“I’m offering anyone who could get me a hobgoblin this Humvee beneath my feet! One full tank along with three large barrels of gas!”
Someone who recognized the vehicle exclaimed, “It does look like a Humvee! It’s at least worth a million bucks, and that one looks high-spec, which is at least two million!”
“My gosh… that thing is extremely great off the road, has low gas consumption, and is equipped with bulletproof glass. It would be great if I could get a hobgoblin—I’m definitely trading it!”
Several people were soon standing around and telling the others how impressive the vehicle was, as if they were afraid that they didn’t know what that ORV was.
On the other hand, Chen Yining found himself chuckling at the sight. Those people must be actors hired by that bigwig, and they were really dedicated to their job too… probably earning a hundred bucks per day.
Still, one must say that it was effective, as Chen Yining saw that some among the crowd were convinced.
Others aside, the appearance of the black Humvee was certainly attractive, and it appeared even more extraordinary with the two-million-dollar halo revolving around it.