74: Grand Tournament - Midnight Flying Chess

"Are you jealous?" Jiang Feifei blinked her large eyes craftily, watching Jiang Xin's slightly complex expression. Her lips curled into a mischievous arc, like a cat that had just stolen some fish.

Jiang Xin shot her an annoyed glare, his eyes a mix of helplessness, affection, and the embarrassed anger of someone whose thoughts had been exposed. "You little brat, you're getting bolder and bolder. You even dare to tease the Commander? I'll deal with you when we get back!"

He deliberately lowered his voice, sounding like he was gritting his teeth, but in his heart, he secretly vowed: sooner or later, he would have to harden his heart and "devour" this vexing little vixen completely to see if she could still be so arrogant!

Commander's Residence

This residence stood tall in the center of the military district like a lighthouse in the apocalypse.

The seven-story detached villa had streamlined silver-gray exterior walls that shimmered with a cold, sci-fi luster under the sun. Covering four hundred square meters, it was magnificent. Surrounding it was a refined courtyard of nearly a thousand square meters: bluestone paths wound through meticulously manicured flower beds dotted with various tenaciously surviving plants; small pavilions stood elegantly, their upturned eaves half-hidden amidst the greenery; and a clear blue swimming pool sparkled.

The huge garage was enough to accommodate several armored vehicles. Most striking was the wide helicopter landing pad on top of the villa, capable of launching armed helicopters at any time.

Not long ago, Jiang Xin had officially moved into this fortress, a symbol of the base's core power, with his parents and Major Zhang Lei's family. Tanya and Jiang Feifei had also moved in.

Jiang Xin strode through the grand courtyard gate. The Conscripts standing like statues on both sides snapped to attention in unison, presenting arms with eyes full of reverence: "Greetings, Commander!"

"Greetings!" Jiang Xin stopped, his gaze sweeping over the two loyal guards. He solemnly returned a military salute, his movements standard and forceful.

Entering the first floor of the villa, he went straight to the core area—the War Room. This was the brain of the base. Huge circular screens were embedded in the walls, displaying real-time surveillance from across the base, resource maps, troop deployments, and status information for all Red Alert buildings and vehicles. The complex consoles glowed with a faint blue light as countless data streams flowed silently. The air was filled with a calm, efficient atmosphere.

"Operator," Jiang Xin sat in the main seat and ordered in a deep voice that was exceptionally clear in the quiet space, "Notify Adjutant Zhang Long, Major Zhang Lei, and all officers at the company level and above, as well as the Red Alert Legion Evolvers. Assemble in the meeting room in one hour!"

"Understood!" The operator immediately straightened his back, his fingers flying across the console... An hour later, the spacious meeting room was packed. Both sides of the rectangular meeting table were filled with the base's core strength. Everyone was dressed in crisp military uniforms with shining epaulettes; the officers looked solemn, sitting as straight as pines.

A faint scent of iron, blood, and power permeated the meeting room, the invisible pressure making people hold their breath. Jiang Xin had not notified the civilian Evolvers; the core of the Red Alert Legion would always only be the Red Alert units and the two of them—Jiang Xin and Major Zhang Lei.

Jiang Xin scanned the room, his gaze steady and powerful. "Everyone, with the base's population skyrocketing, uniting people's hearts is key. I'm thinking of holding a grand military competition in three days! All Evolvers in the base must participate. At the same time, we'll invite one-third of the survivors to watch the event! There is only one goal—to boost morale! Let everyone see what kind of power we wield! What do you all think?" His voice wasn't loud, but it reached every corner clearly.

"Brother Jiang, are you planning to...?" Major Zhang Lei sat in the first seat to Jiang Xin's left, his posture as straight as a javelin. A hint of confusion flickered in his sharp eyes. Accustomed to fighting and leveling up, he was somewhat unfamiliar with this kind of "performance" activity.

Jiang Xin smiled slightly and explained, "It's been over a month since the apocalypse broke out. Fear and depression have been the main themes. We need a grand event to give everyone's frayed nerves a break! At the same time, let everyone witness the power of the Evolvers with their own eyes! This will boost confidence more than any slogan, making everyone believe that under the protection of the Red Alert Legion, the apocalypse is not a dead end! We can not only survive but also become stronger and eventually take back our homes!" His words were powerful and carried a strong sense of inspiration.

Major Zhang Lei heard this, and a flash of understanding crossed his eyes, which then turned into firm support. "I see! I agree!" He was the first to raise his hand, his movement crisp and decisive.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

"I'm in favor!" ... Following Major Zhang Lei's lead, a chorus of agreement instantly rang out in the meeting room. Officers and Evolvers raised their hands one after another to express their full support. At this moment, there were already many second-tier powerhouses in the base. Besides Major Zhang Lei and Jiang Xin, there was the cold and powerful war goddess Tanya, the veteran powerhouse as steady as a mountain, Sandstorm Warrior Li Wei, as well as Chen Hao, Li Ang, Blaze Ash, Yang Yi, the giant beast Big Bear, and the Military Dog Howling Heaven. Their duels would be the absolute highlights of this grand event.

Night, Commander's Residence

The residence was brightly lit, yet it carried the unique tranquility of the night. Tanya and Jiang Feifei's rooms were on the second floor, while Jiang Xin occupied the third floor alone.

Tanya gently pushed open her door, her snowy white bare feet stepping onto the soft carpet almost soundlessly. She wore a form-fitting black training tank top and shorts, fully revealing her nearly perfect curves, especially those legs with their incredible proportions, which shimmered with an ivory luster in the dim light. She walked with cat-like grace and a sense of power, silently heading up the spiral staircase.

The door to the neighboring room quietly cracked open. Jiang Feifei bit her lower lip, staring through the gap as Tanya's swaying figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs. Her face flushed red with anger, she slammed the door shut, threw herself onto the soft bed, grabbed a fluffy down pillow, and pounded it ventingly. A muffled low growl escaped her lips: "Stupid Commander! Dead Jiang Xin! Big jerk! Pervert! You only know how to look for Tanya!" The pillow was crumpled out of shape.

As time passed, Jiang Feifei grew angrier and more aggrieved. She sat up abruptly, grabbed the internal communicator on the bedside table, and without hesitation, dialed the number directly to Jiang Xin's bedroom.

At that moment, Jiang Xin was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, playing Aeroplane Chess with Tanya. Colored game pieces were scattered across the board, and the atmosphere was relaxed with a faint, lingering hint of ambiguity. The sudden sharp ring of the communicator startled him! He saw the name "Jiang Feifei" flashing on the screen.

Jiang Xin's heart tightened. He quickly answered, trying to make his voice sound normal. "Hello? What's up?" His tone carried a hint of annoyance at being interrupted.

"What are you doing? Dear~ Com~man~der~!" From the other end of the line came Jiang Feifei's voice, which was deliberately drawn out and sickeningly sweet, yet clearly sarcastic. Every word was like a honey-coated needle.

"Sleeping! Why?" Jiang Xin lied through his teeth, his eyes involuntarily darting to Tanya, who was looking at him with a half-smile, making his guilt even stronger.

"Oh! Is that so!" Jiang Feifei's voice instantly turned cold, carrying a chill. "Then go to sleep! Have a good dream! Preferably a dream about your long-legged sister!" Click! The communication was cut off decisively, leaving only the busy tone echoing in Jiang Xin's ear.

Jiang Xin held the communicator, frozen in place with a bewildered expression, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

"Commander, it's your turn." Tanya's voice broke the awkwardness, carrying a faint, barely perceptible hint of amusement. Her fair fingers lightly tapped the game board.

"Oh... right! Let's continue!" Jiang Xin snapped back to his senses. Feeling a bit flustered, he grabbed the dice and tossed them—it was a six! "Ha! A six! I can launch a plane!" He forced himself to perk up, trying to regain the relaxed mood from earlier.

"The Commander's luck is very good today." Tanya smiled slightly. Her smile was intellectual and gentle, and her voice was deep and pleasant, like the sound of a cello string, carrying a captivating mature charm. Unlike Jiang Feifei's lively and flighty nature, she was the embodiment of coldness and wisdom.

However, everyone in the base knew that this "intellectual sister" was a famous battle maniac. Aside from Major Zhang Lei, no one had yet been able to gain an advantage against her elusive movement, peerless physical techniques, never-missing dual pistols, and that war god blade which could tear through any defense of the same level.

Hearing Tanya's praise, Jiang Xin's heart also fluttered. He thought to himself: teasing a naughty girl during the day and playing Aeroplane Chess with an intellectual sister at night... this apocalyptic life didn't seem so bad? With that thought, his mood improved again.

The two went back and forth, the dice rolling on the board. Jiang Xin's gaze, however, couldn't help but drift toward Tanya's crossed, breathtakingly long legs. Under the soft light, the lines of those legs were simply like God's most perfect masterpiece. Beneath the fair and delicate skin lay explosive power; the balance of proportion, length, fleshiness, and firmness was astonishing. Tanya stood at 1.78 meters tall, and her leg length was visually well over a meter, with the proportion below the navel reaching the nearly perfect 0.618 golden ratio. One could never tire of looking at those beautiful legs.

"The Commander seems... very interested in Tanya's legs?" Tanya suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of lazy raspiness and straightforward aggression. She leaned forward slightly, one long hand gently pressing down on Jiang Xin's wrist just as he was about to throw the dice. A warm sensation came from her palm, like a faint electric current that instantly surged through Jiang Xin's arm and straight to his heart, making him itch with desire and causing his breathing to hitch.

"Huh? Uh... they're... they're quite white." Jiang Xin was caught red-handed. He stammered like an elementary student caught doing something wrong, a hint of embarrassed flush appearing on his face. Although he had known Tanya for many days, such intimate physical contact and hint still caught him off guard.