Chapter 276 I'm a Lone Wolf

Time passed second by second...

In the afternoon, the small boat approached the island where the lighthouse was located.

From a distance, the lighthouse was just a long gray needle on the horizon.

But after the distance was reduced to less than a nautical mile, the structure truly revealed its massive scale.

The tower rose from the ground; the diameter of its base was impossible to estimate by eye, seemingly endless.

The height of the tower?

It far exceeded any known skyscraper from before the apocalypse!

The entire tower stood silently between the iron-gray sea and sky!

Seeing this, Chen Yu, a person without megalophobia, was almost developing it!

"Skreeee, skreeee~"

The boat pulled up to the edge of the rocky reef, making a dull grinding sound!

Zhang Lieyang was the first to jump off the boat, firmly tying the rope to a rock!

Chen Muqing and Song Xingmian followed closely behind...

Chen Yu also stepped down, with Shui Bobo perched on his shoulder, its two small black dot eyes looking upward,

letting out a gurgle.

The tower seemed to have triggered its instinctive alertness.

"car owner Chen, how high is this tower?"

Zhang Lieyang asked with a sigh of admiration.

Chen Muqing shook his head: "I'm not sure. The sense of oppression from this lighthouse is too strong. It's best to be careful..."

"Yeah."

Song Xingmian nodded and looked at Chen Yu: "Lu Heng, how are you?"

Chen Yu shrugged: "I'm fine, I just don't know what counts as clearing the stage? We've clearly arrived."

"Let's walk a bit further."

Chen Muqing explained and led everyone forward.

The island didn't look like anyone lived there at all; the surroundings were extremely quiet.

"Could we be the first ones to reach the island?"

Song Xingmian asked suddenly.

But no one could give an answer.

Until everyone stood completely beneath the lighthouse.

Only then did they see a giant arched stone door on the front of the base. The door frame was completely integrated with the tower, and its edges were carved with runes emitting a grayish-white glow.

And on the door, the number 61 was written.

Just as everyone stepped inside...

At that moment,

"Buzz—"

[Stage 2 · Settlement]

[Needle in a Haystack — Clear Confirmed]

[Huaxia · Haicheng Team]

[Total tide needles held by the team: 61]

[Real-time Ranking: 1]

[Please enter the Lighthouse Waiting Area]

[Note: Final rankings will be announced collectively after all teams have completed settlement. The current ranking is real-time and may change based on the submissions of other teams.]

[Reiteration of Advancement Rules: The top ten teams with the highest total needle count will qualify for Stage 3. Teams ranked outside the top ten will be directly teleported to the Central Waiting Area.]

[Remaining waiting time: 6 hours]

The lines of text in their vision faded out one by one.

Zhang Lieyang suddenly asked, "Um... did we arrive too early? We have to wait here for several hours; it's a bit of a waste of time."

Chen Muqing shook his head: "It's not early. Lu Heng contributed 55 needles by himself; others won't be able to catch up."

Song Xingmian sighed in relief: "True..."

Zhang Lieyang turned to look at her: "Miss Song, you haven't closed your eyes for days either. We can take turns resting during these few hours. I'll take the first watch, you guys sleep first."

Chen Muqing nodded in agreement: "Officer Zhang is right. We don't know how long Stage 3 will take; we need to make sure we have strength when we go in..."

"Mhm!"

Song Xingmian immediately assigned everyone's rest times...

Indeed,

everyone had been drifting at sea for two whole days, experiencing sieges, rearguard actions, rainstorms, and night sailing,

everyone had reached their limit.

And the six hours of rest passed in a flash.

At midnight, while everyone was sleeping soundly...

[Huaxia · Haicheng Team]

[Total tide needles held by the team: 61]

[Real-time Ranking: 1]

[Entering Stage 3, Eternal Lighthouse]

[—＞——＞——＞——＞——＞]

[I walked into this lighthouse]

[This tower full of shackles]

[It knows what I fear]

[It takes those things out one by one and places them before me]

[I thought I had forgotten]

[It says, no]

[You haven't forgotten]

[It covers the eyes, covers the sounds]

[I can't see what's ahead]

[Nor do I know who else is behind me]

[I can only grope forward]

[My hands and feet feel as if they are filled with iron sand]

[Until I discover]

[The shackles on my body]

[Are becoming heavier and heavier, more and more uncontrollable]

...

...

...

"Buzz!!!"

"Buzz!!!"

"Buzz!!!"

When several buzzing sounds rang out—

Chen Yu, who was asleep, suddenly snapped his eyes open!

Before him...

was a familiar Western restaurant,

a familiar crystal chandelier,

and a beautiful meal set on a familiar white tablecloth.

The red wine swirled gently in the goblet, reflecting the familiar face opposite him.

Li Mengyao.

She was wearing a short skirt and a knit vest, her face full of smiles.

"Chen Yu, my roommate likes you too."

"She thinks you're a really reliable person."

Li Mengyao rested her chin on her folded hands, looking at Chen Yu with sparkling eyes.

But,

Chen Yu's head felt heavy, as if someone had poured a bucket of paste into it.

There was something important he should remember, but he couldn't recall anything now.

"Buzz—"

Another bout of tinnitus.

He looked down at his hands...

"What's wrong?"

Mengyao leaned forward and waved her hand in front of his eyes.

"Did you work overnight again? I've told you so many times not to take so many shifts at the milk tea shop. As long as the money is enough, it's fine. Working three jobs by yourself, your body will break down sooner or later."

She cut her portion of steak, poked a piece with her fork, and reached across the table to feed him.

The steak sauce smeared the corner of Chen Yu's mouth and was gently wiped away by her with a tissue.

"Buzz—"

The sunlight outside was just right.

The streets were bustling with traffic, and pedestrians looked as normal as ever.

Chen Yu chewed the piece of steak in silence.

Returning home in the evening,

his aunt opened the door.

She was wearing a deep purple coat, one hand propped against the porch, the other patting Chen Yu's head.

"Mengyao called and told me you've lost weight recently. I've stewed some pork rib soup especially for you!"

She said with a smile, slipping on an apron and walking into the kitchen.

Li Mengyao wrapped her arms around her waist: "You'll spoil Chen Yu like this."

"Buzz—"

Chen Yu sat on the old sofa in the living room. The warm yellow light from the kitchen spilled out, and the aroma of the pork rib soup filled the entire house.

His aunt stirred the pot with a ladle, softly humming a very old song.

He tilted his head to glance out the window.

The streets were still brightly lit, and the neon lights were still flashing.

"Buzz—"

"Buzz—"

"What on earth am I worried about?"

Chen Yu murmured, "Isn't this what I wanted?"

Later, many things happened.

Later, he saved enough money to buy a small two-bedroom apartment on the same street where his aunt lived. He was a bit short on the down payment, but his aunt had insisted on giving it to him.

Later, one evening, he stood before that familiar door, holding a ring, his hands shaking.

Later, the wedding was golden. Li Mengyao wore a red and gold Dragon-and-Phoenix Gown with a phoenix embroidered on the skirt; she seemed to glow with every step she took.

His aunt stood beside her, holding the wedding ring box, her eyes red.

The audience was full of people.

Wang Mengmeng finally admitted he was worthy of Mengyao, but she still gritted her teeth when clinking glasses with Chen Yu, saying that if he ever treated her badly, she would be the first one to come after him.

The ring exchange ceremony was over.

The traditional name-changing greetings were finished too.

The applause from the audience was like thunder, with laughter and cheers rising and falling.

Some people pounded on the tables and heckled, while others stood up and whistled.

Everyone was laughing.

They were wearing decent suits and gowns, with exquisite makeup and shiny leather shoes.

The master of ceremonies smilingly held the microphone to him: "Groom, today is a day of great joy. On behalf of all the friends and family present, I'd like to ask you a question."

"Whether in good times or bad, in wealth or in poverty, in health or in sickness, are you willing to spend your life with her, never to leave her, until the end of time?"

"Buzz—"

Chen Yu held the microphone.

The tinnitus started again.

Everyone in the audience was looking at him.

"Buzz—"

He frowned and suddenly shook his head.

But from below the stage...

"You are willing."

The people in the first row spoke in low voices.

Immediately after, someone in the second row followed: "You are willing."

Then the third row, the fourth row... everyone was repeating the same phrase—"You are willing you are willing you are willing you are willing you are willing you you are willing willing you are willing you are willing."

It was like a prayer, like an urging, like someone repeatedly chanting the same spell in his ear.

They looked at Chen Yu with smiles, their lips moving in unison, the rhythm becoming more synchronized and dense.

"I'm not willing."

Chen Yu suddenly laughed and put the microphone to his lips: "Asking on behalf of friends and family? Hehehe, but where the hell did I get any friends or family? No parents, no friends..."

"Then who are you people?"

"Oh, I remember now. I'm not the groom; I'm a lone wolf."