A jet-black Red Flag LA sped along the road leading to the wasteland, its speed approaching two hundred kilometers per hour—like black lightning streaking across the highway. The slightly chilly sunlight shone over the forest, illuminating trees of all shapes and sizes both near and far.
As for highway surveillance, Andrew Han paid it no mind. It was the middle of winter in Jiangnan.
The Red Flag LA, assigned by Jiangnan Province's unified Defense Formation system, operated outside ordinary government traffic jurisdiction. The closer one drew to the wasteland, the sparser the highway cameras became. Some trees had withered completely, leaving only sparse branches, while others remained a vivid green, dotting the bleak winter landscape.
Not a soul in sight.
The winter wind cut through the silence.
Andrew Han sat in the driver’s seat, continuing his QQ voice chat with Monica Zhang. He smiled lightly and asked, “You sound a little excited. What’s happened?”
Monica pursed her lips, a soft smile escaping her.
She imagined—
Andrew Han surely knew what day it was—
Perhaps he was already driving to Linhaven City, planning to give her a surprise. But she had overestimated Andrew Han—after all, he had spent almost twenty years without experiencing Valentine’s Day, so the holiday had no meaning for him. Naturally, he had completely forgotten about it.
“Why are you laughing?”
Andrew Han frowned, sensing that Monica’s gentle laughter carried a trace of shyness. His curiosity and confusion only deepened.
He pondered for a long while, but still couldn’t make sense of it.
“Monica.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to be direct: “Is there something good happening today? Why are you so happy?”
On the other side—
Monica Zhang, cheeks flushed, mumbled for a while, thinking Andrew was testing her. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Girls, after all, must maintain a certain reserve.
She shook her head softly.
Too flustered, and far too embarrassed... She muted herself, rolled across her bed twice, kneaded her soft pink pillow, and finally returned to the phone.
"Don't buy too much for me," she finally said before hanging up.
Monica Zhang steadied her breathing and replied in her usual tone, "Don’t buy too many things for me, okay? I’m hanging up now—hmph."
Ding-dong.
The QQ voice call really was disconnected.
Driving, Andrew Han was genuinely puzzled. He stared at his phone screen in surprise: "What’s gotten into Monica? Did the New Year scramble her brain?"
In truth, this had nothing to do with emotional intelligence.
For someone who’d never experienced Valentine’s Day, encountering the holiday for the first time, it was natural to exclude himself—he simply didn’t consider it at all.
Valentine’s Day? What is that—can you eat it?
"Sigh."
Andrew Han let out a sigh.
He still couldn’t figure out Monica’s strange behavior, so he put down the phone and kept driving toward the wasteland.
Beep beep.
Up ahead, a cream-white Mercedes was crawling along.
Andrew Han frowned and slowed down a little, glancing inside the car... The white Mercedes held a family of three, with the young daughter at the wheel and the whole family chatting leisurely.
Beyond that point lay the wasteland.
"Hmm."
"There’s a restricted checkpoint ahead. Even if they reach the end, it’s pointless—they’ll have to turn back."
Turning these thoughts over, he continued onward.
Vroom vroom!
The roar of the engine echoed along the highway. With no other cars in sight and the wasteland’s emptiness all around, Andrew Han pressed the accelerator to the floor, feeling a rush of exhilaration as his speed soared.
He sped along the road without stopping.
White clouds drifted overhead as the scenery shifted.
The closer he got to the wild region, the clearer the air became, giving an illusion of returning to nature’s tranquility.
But it was only an illusion.
Because hidden throughout this wasteland were countless Demons and Specters—bang!
The car door slammed shut.
Andrew Han, clad in a jet-black windbreaker, got out and checked his parking spot, then grabbed a simple backpack from the trunk and headed toward the border zone.
"As of now—"
"I’m still three Specters or four Demons short of fulfilling the penalty quota." He strode forward like the wind, silently calculating.
He’d come here before the New Year.
In fact, before deciding to kill Wade Wang of the Martial General Realm, Andrew Han had made thorough preparations, fully considering the consequences. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have recklessly killed him on the spot.
Andrew Han was no longer the impulsive youth he once was.
Before making any decision, he always weighed it carefully.
He’d work out a detailed plan, make sure even the worst outcome was bearable, then execute without hesitation—once he acted, it was with maximum efficiency and decisive force.
These traits came from Miles Ning.
Though he hated to admit it, the subtle influence was undeniable. If Andrew had apprenticed under someone purely kind, his temperament would surely be softer and gentler.
Too bad.
What could he do? He’d ended up with a great master—noble, virtuous, and full of countless virtues.
......
The winter sun hung high in the sky.