Chapter 141

After her family moved away, there was no longer any need to continue living in this house.

Most of the residents in this neighborhood were ordinary people.

Once they had all moved into the safe zone, this area would probably become an uninhabited district.

Li Zhi had no intention of living alone in an abandoned area.

The move was scheduled for tomorrow.

Li Zhi asked Yao Mingfeng for the new city planning map and discovered that, besides the Eastern District and Western District designated as safe zones, there was another area at the junction of the two districts called the Free Zone.

The Free Zone had been specially designated by the authorities to provide players living outside the safe zones with a place to exchange supplies and obtain daily necessities.

After all, once civilians and factories had all moved into the safe zones, they couldn't just let the players outside starve to death.

The authorities would maintain order there.

Although the outside world was full of chaotic dungeon items, the authorities had also acquired many such items by now.

If trouble broke out, no one would come out ahead.

As long as someone wasn't an utterly vicious criminal, they presumably wouldn't cause trouble in the Free Zone.

Besides that, the authorities had not completely abandoned control over the areas outside the safe zones.

After all, everyone's goal was to drive out the system.

Once the Ghost Monster system left the human world, everyone hoped to move back.

No one wanted to spend the rest of their lives confined inside the safe zones.

So the authorities' requirement for the areas outside the safe zones was simple:

They could be chaotic.

They could not be lost.

After studying the map, Li Zhi felt that finding a new home close to the Free Zone would be an excellent choice.

It would be both safe and rich in resources.

Perhaps once the Free Zone developed, they might even be able to order food delivery.

The safe zones had not yet been officially announced, so she needed to quickly choose a good location and a good house.

This was not something she wanted to trouble Yao Mingfeng with.

She called Tan Manyu instead and asked her to help find a larger house, preferably a villa.

Tan Manyu said,

"I was just about to tell you about this. Buying now is absolutely the right move. You have to hurry! Houses in locations like that are definitely going to be in high demand."

Li Zhi: "............"

She hadn't expected that even with the end of the world approaching, people would still have to fight over houses.

Tan Manyu continued,

"I've actually found a house that fits your requirements, but the seller is asking a very high price. Do you have enough money?"

Li Zhi replied,

"Wait a moment. Let me make a phone call."

A moment later—

"Yiyi, didn't you say before that you wanted to give me a villa?"

Chi Yi: "?"

...

When the neighbors discovered that the Li family was moving, those who were close to them all came over to ask what was happening.

The matter of the safe zones was not confidential.

After all, anyone paying attention had already noticed the authorities' sweeping actions.

Yao Mingfeng had said that the official announcement would be released by next week at the latest.

After that, there would be surveys and registration, followed by relocation according to districts.

Li Zhi told the neighbors that they would soon be moving into a safe zone, giving them time to prepare.

Grandma Luo grabbed Meng Yuhan's hand excitedly.

"Then does that mean our Hanhan won't have to enter dungeons anymore?!"

Although Meng Yuhan always said she wasn't afraid, after returning from the previous dungeon she had suffered nightmares for several nights.

If she had a choice, she really didn't want to enter dungeons anymore.

After all, her grandmother's heart disease had already been cured.

Li Zhi looked at Meng Yuhan's personal follower count.

It was only thirty thousand.

She gently rubbed the little girl's nervous yet hopeful head.

"You can. But starting today, don't livestream anymore. Your popularity can't increase any further."

Meng Yuhan let out a joyful cheer.

Grandma Luo hugged her little granddaughter with tears streaming down her face.

Toward evening, a large moving truck arrived downstairs.

Li Zhi went downstairs to meet them.

When she saw the leading man jump down from the truck, she walked over in surprise.

"Big Brother, why are you back?"

Li Feng smiled and rubbed her head.

"I heard you were moving, so I submitted a request to come back and help."

They hadn't seen each other for quite some time.

Li Zhi realized that her older brother had become even stronger.

The muscles beneath his jacket seemed to contain explosive power.

He looked like he could punch a cow to death with a single blow.

Li Zhi immediately felt much more at ease.

Smiling, she linked her arm through his steel-like arm.

"Mom and Shuangshuang will definitely be very happy to see you."

Li Feng glanced sideways at her.

"Go on then. Explain what's going on between you and Li Jianxi."

Li Zhi: "............"

Li Feng spoke coolly.

"Didn't you say you were just friends? Didn't you say you knew your limits? Why didn't it look that way to me in the last amusement park dungeon?"

Li Zhi tried to change the subject.

"You've only just come back and you're already settling accounts with me? Big Brother, guess what reward I got this time?"

Li Feng snorted coldly.

"I don't care what you're thinking.

"In any case, absolutely not.

"Get over it while you still can."

"Li Jianxi isn't an NPC."

Hearing those words from his younger sister so suddenly, Li Feng was stunned.

He frowned.

"You're certain now?"

Li Zhi nodded.

"I saw his memories.

"He should be a player from another world.

"For some unknown reason, he lost his memories and was imprisoned inside the dungeons by the system."

She paused.

"I suspect the key to driving out the system lies with him."

Li Feng had watched his sister grow up.

One look at her expression told him exactly what she was thinking.

"You want..."

"...to bring him out of the dungeon world?"

Li Zhi nodded.

"What if you can't?"

Li Feng's voice softened.

"What if, when the time comes, you can only choose between driving out the system and saving him?"

Li Zhi blinked.

It seemed she had never considered that possibility.

Li Feng sighed.

Once again, he reached out and ruffled her soft hair.

"Giving up a casual friend you happened to meet is completely different from giving up someone you deeply love.

"Zhizhi, if you ever have to make that choice, it'll be too painful for you.

"Listen to your brother.

"Before you've found the final solution, don't invest your feelings."

After a long while, Li Zhi smiled at her brother.

"I understand, Big Brother."

When they returned home, Shang Jinru and Li Shuang, who were doing the final bit of packing, were indeed overjoyed to see Li Feng.

Shang Jinru repeatedly regretted putting away the kitchen utensils too early.

Otherwise, she could have cooked several of Li Feng's favorite dishes.

It had been a long time since all four members of the family had gathered together like this.

Even exhausting work like moving felt much easier because everyone was in such good spirits.

Aside from Shang Jinru, however, all three Li siblings were exceptionally strong.

They didn't need the movers Li Feng had brought at all.

The three siblings could easily handle everything themselves.

After loading all the furniture and luggage onto the truck, Shang Jinru looked at the empty apartment where they had lived for more than ten years.

She couldn't help crying.

Standing inside the apartment, Li Zhi looked around once.

Then she tried retrieving the Black Tortoise Shell item that she had previously used on the house.

The item description had never said whether it could be recovered and reused.

She was only trying on a whim.

Unexpectedly, it actually worked.

However, the two Black Tortoise Shells merged into one.

The shell became even smoother and shinier, while also becoming lighter.

By the time they went downstairs, it was already dark.

The streets had been deserted even during the daytime.

At night, there wasn't a single person in sight.

The once bustling city now resembled an empty ghost city.

Shang Jinru and Li Shuang had not gone outside for a very long time.

Seeing the outside world so desolate left both of them deeply shaken.

Li Zhi smiled and said,

"Everything will be fine once everyone has moved into the safe zones.

"It'll gradually return to how it used to be."

Li Feng nodded as well.

"The authorities have invested enormous manpower and resources into building the safe zones.

"Other than the area being smaller than before and management being stricter, there's really no difference.

"When the time comes, after dinner, you'll still be able to go downstairs and dance in the public square with the aunties."

Shang Jinru laughed.

Li Feng then turned to Li Shuang and instructed her,

"Although you haven't graduated from university yet, you'll be able to find a job after entering the safe zone. Everything is waiting to be rebuilt, so jobs are easy to find. Don't be lazy."

Li Shuang gave a military salute.

"Roger!"

Shang Jinru held her son and daughter's hands, her eyes slightly red.

"When will our family finally be together again?"

Players with high popularity could not enter the safe zone because they would damage the magnetic shielding device.

With Li Zhi's and Li Feng's current popularity, neither of them could go inside.

They would have no way of knowing what things were like in there, where their mother and younger sister would be arranged to live, or whether they would be bullied after moving to the new place.

Li Zhi held her mother's hand and said with a smile,

"Although Big Brother and I can't go in, you and Shuangshuang can come out.

"The inspections are just very strict, so entering and leaving will involve more procedures.

"When the end of the year comes, Big Brother and I will come pick you up.

"Then we'll have New Year's Eve dinner together and stay up to welcome the new year.

"After the New Year is over, we'll take you and Shuangshuang back."

She looked at Li Feng.

"Right, Big Brother?"

Li Feng smiled.

"That's right. I'll submit my leave request in advance then. With Zhizhi and me around, you two won't be in any danger when you come outside."

Only then did Shang Jinru finally feel that life had something to look forward to again.

The truck swayed all the way toward their new home.

During the journey, Li Feng gave Li Shuang many more instructions.

Actually, apart from not being able to see each other in person, as long as they weren't inside dungeons, they could still stay in touch exactly as before.

The shielding device only blocked the system's magnetic field.

It didn't block phone signals.

Furthermore, given Li Zhi's and Li Feng's status, together with Yao Mingfeng's assurances, their mother and younger sister should not be bullied inside the safe zone.

Two hours later, the truck stopped outside a sturdy iron fence.

Yao Mingfeng personally came with a group of people to receive them.

After getting out of the truck, Li Zhi looked around.

In the darkness, all she could see were rings of iron fencing.

Red lights swept across the distance from time to time.

Beyond that point, she and Li Feng, as highly popular players, could go no farther.

Yao Mingfeng said,

"Leave it to me. Everything has already been arranged."

Suppressing the sorrow of parting, Shang Jinru hugged each of her children in turn.

She knew that only by entering the safe zone could she truly put her children's minds at ease.

She couldn't help them with anything.

The least she could do was avoid becoming a burden.

Li Shuang could no longer hold back her tears.

She clung to her sister without letting go.

"Big Sis... Big Brother... you both have to stay safe! Mom and I will be watching from inside! I'll work hard to get you more votes, Big Sis!"

Li Zhi closed her eyes briefly.

She lowered her head and kissed her younger sister's forehead.

Her voice was gentle.

"Mm.

"I promise you.

"I'll come back safely every single time."

Li Shuang burst into loud sobs.

It seemed that throughout their entire lives, their family had never experienced a farewell like this.

The vehicle brought by Yao Mingfeng took their mother and younger sister away.

Only after the vehicle's silhouette had completely disappeared into the night did Li Zhi and Li Feng return to the moving truck.

Inside the truck was only Li Zhi's own luggage.

Li Feng asked,

"Where are you staying tonight?"

Li Zhi adjusted her emotions.

"I'll stay at Chi Yi's place for one night first. Tomorrow she and I are both getting ready to move into our new homes."

Li Feng nodded.

"Moving in ahead of time is good too.

"I'll take you there first, then head back to report in."

The brother and sister chatted for a while about what had happened in the dungeon.

Li Zhi tried giving him some dungeon items again.

This time, Li Feng refused.

A few days earlier, he had entered a dungeon, and the items he had obtained there were already more than enough.

By the time they arrived downstairs at Chi Yi's apartment, it was already very late at night.

Li Zhi didn't have much luggage.

It was only a couple of suitcases containing a change of clothes and daily necessities.

Everything else had been taken into the safe zone by Li Shuang.

The place where Chi Yi currently lived was an upscale residential complex where many celebrities also lived.

Li Zhi had called ahead.

The moment she got out of the car, she saw Chi Yi waiting outside.

The moment she saw Li Zhi, she happily rushed over.

"I've finally lived to see the day I get to sleep together with Zhizhi!"

Li Feng: "............"