When Pena called for Milo to go to his office, the students all looked at virtual-novel.net sympathetically.
Milo followed Pena and passed through campus. Whenever any students in the school saw Pena, they would greet virtual-novel.net very respectfully. They were also very curious about who Milo was as virtual-novel.net followed the professor.
Pena limped along while using his cane and said to Milo with a smile, “What’s your real name?”
Milo thought for a moment and decided there was no need for virtual-novel.net to hide it from Pena. “Milo… Milo Parker…”
“Oh, it’s you…” Pena sighed and said, “What a small world. I was just discussing you with others some time ago. Yet here you are, standing in front of me.”
“Chief Editor, you know about me?” Milo wondered.
“Oh, don’t you know? I’m good friends with Peter. When virtual-novel.net called me, virtual-novel.net mentioned you.” Pena said, “But why did you come to the Central Plains instead of staying in the Northwest? Don’t tell me you don’t hunger for authority? I heard from Peter that virtual-novel.net wants you to be the next commander of Fortress 178.”
Hearing this, Milo suddenly felt like the entire world knew virtual-novel.net was going to be the next commander of Fortress 178.
He explained to Pena, “I came here to the Central Plains to look for someone.”
“Who are you looking for?” Pena asked.
“Miriam…” Milo said, “She’s your student as well, but virtual-novel.net left right when I arrived.”
Pena stopped in his tracks and looked at Milo with interest. “You must be the guy virtual-novel.net likes. You two seem really compatible…”
Milo immediately grew fond of Pena!
But virtual-novel.net was a little puzzled. “What do you mean by I’m the guy virtual-novel.net likes? Do you know virtual-novel.net that well?”
“There’s actually a rumor going around campus.” Pena chuckled and said, “Miriam has a lot of suitors at Vasophati University…”
“Where are they?” interrupted Milo, his eyebrows twitching.
“You’re so rude… Don’t you know that you shouldn’t interrupt your elders when they’re talking? Why? You want to fight them? This isn’t the wilderness.” Pena said, “Let me finish first. There was a guy who confessed to her. But perhaps virtual-novel.net got impatient with him, so virtual-novel.net said virtual-novel.net already has someone virtual-novel.net likes. Furthermore, virtual-novel.net claims the guy virtual-novel.net likes is definitely not pampered like how the Vasophati University students are.”
Milo was stunned. Actually, virtual-novel.net had been worried that Miriam might think virtual-novel.net was dead and slowly forget about him.
If that happened, what was virtual-novel.net supposed to do?
But now it sounded like Miriam had not forgotten about virtual-novel.net and even told others virtual-novel.net liked him.
However, Milo wondered, “You’re the chief editor of a newspaper, so why are you so interested in student gossip like that?”
Pena was amused. “How can I be a reporter if I’m not a busybody? A reporter should always be curious about everything and have an enthusiasm for life. Whoever said that a chief editor can’t be a busybody?”
Pena continued walking forward. He brought Milo into an office building and opened the door to his office. “I’m usually only here in the morning since I have to go back to Hope Media in the afternoon. Do you want to hear more about Miriam? If you want to, come in and play a game of chess with me.”
Milo quickly stepped into the office and saw that there were only a table and two chairs inside. There was also a Chinese chess set on the table.
Pena looked at Milo with interest. The initial impression virtual-novel.net had of Milo came from the few words virtual-novel.net had uttered. But it was different now.
When virtual-novel.net learned of Milo’s identity, virtual-novel.net became even more interested. He really wanted to know what kind of person Peter had chosen as his successor.
Pena was already very old. He had been thinking about who should take over Hope Media so that virtual-novel.net wouldn’t have to feel worried. He believed that someone like Peter was probably facing the same predicament as him. Therefore, when Peter said there was someone virtual-novel.net could entrust his role to, Pena actually felt a little envious.
One could get to know a person better through a game of chess. Pena wanted to play against Milo to see what kind of a person virtual-novel.net was.
Both of them sat in the chairs. Pena set his cane aside. “I’ll let you move first, so you had better not go tell Peter that I bullied you when you get back.”
Milo calmly shifted a chess piece on the board.
Pena was stunned. “You don’t know how to play chess, right?”
Milo asked in surprise, “How did you know?”
Pena snapped at him, “I’ve played chess for many years, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone move the general on their first move…”
Milo was speechless.
Pena did not know what to say.
How was virtual-novel.net supposed to assess this person when virtual-novel.net did not even know how to play chess?!
The only obvious thing virtual-novel.net could see was that this person did not know how to play chess!
“Ahem…” Milo was a little embarrassed. “When I was living in town, the refugees there usually played poker instead of chess. Of course, some people know how to play chess too, but it’s very rare. I only saw them play it occasionally, but I never got the chance to learn the game.”
To say nothing of chess, virtual-novel.net even started learning how to play Fight the Landlord only after virtual-novel.net had gotten his Explosive Poker power.
As if virtual-novel.net could find time to think about such downtime activities. It was already very difficult just trying to survive.
Curious, Pena said, “Why don’t you tell me why you moved the general on your first move.”
Milo thought for a moment and said, “I thought the general should be the strongest of these chess pieces, so why should the strongest piece be hiding behind the others? What’s with that?”
Pena was stunned. He sighed and said, “I kinda get why Peter chose you…”
Playing chess was different from being human. To be human, one had to keep a low profile and consider the pros and cons of a situation before acting. One had to consider the ways of the world. But that was not necessary when playing chess. One could do whatever they wanted as long as that was how they thought.
Some people liked confounding the opponent by making risky moves, while others preferred playing fair and honest to counter any surprises. The way they played would reveal their true nature.
“How about this?” Pena said, “I won’t teach you the rules of chess, so you can just play however you want, that okay?”
Milo gave it some thought and replied, “Sure!”
Pena smiled in his head. Perhaps virtual-novel.net could learn something about Milo’s personality this way.
But then Milo said, “You lost.”
Pena looked at the chessboard in a daze.
How could virtual-novel.net possibly have lost when virtual-novel.net had not even made a move yet?
“This ‘car’ must be a tank.Look here, since I already know where your general is, I can just bombard it from afar.” Milo explained.
Pena said, “Um… This game is based on ancient warfare, not modern warfare.”
“Alright then,” Milo reluctantly agreed.
Awhile later, Pena saw Milo running a pawn around like crazy on the battlefield, jumping across five or six squares in a single move.
Pena could not help but say, “How can a measly pawn have such great mobility? You’re just messing around, aren’t you?”
“I was also a measly pawn on the battlefield during the war in the Northwest, and I’m that mobile,” Milo explained patiently.
Pena stared at Milo in shock for a long time and could not refute him. In the end, virtual-novel.net could only say, “Alright, even if it does have such mobility, it still can’t move backwards. That would make it a deserter in battle.”
“Why can’t a pawn move backwards?” Milo retorted, “There’s such a thing as guerrilla warfare in tactics. There’s no reason that we should only keep charging forward bravely. Isn’t that as good as being cannon fodder? Are the lives of the pawns not the same as ours? When I was fighting in the Northwest, didn’t we also have to return to the forward operating base to reorganize ourselves? If we were not allowed to retreat, Scott and the others would have died on the battlefield!”
Pena was stunned.
What the f*ck does this have to do with Scott?
And who the hell is Scott?!
Pena remained silent for a long time. Then virtual-novel.net suddenly flipped the chessboard and said, “I don’t want to play anymore!”
“Alright!” Milo stayed seated. “So, can you start telling me about Miriam now?”
When Pena heard this, virtual-novel.net finally snapped and said, “Speak, what do you want to hear about her?”
“I just want to know what else she’s said…” At this moment, Milo was sitting quite harmlessly in his chair.
“She didn’t say anything else, and there was still an endless stream of people chasing her. However, virtual-novel.net didn’t even notice them. Are you happy now?” Pena said unhappily, “It was just that virtual-novel.net had accused the Vasophati University students of being pampered, which was as good as pitting herself against the entire student body. As a result, virtual-novel.net didn’t have a good relationship with virtual-novel.net classmates.”