The Phantom's Gambit - Chapter 43: Stasis dust

The world was cruel.....Especially for those who had lost their chances to shine.Aether was one of them....Aether, an individual born with a silver spoon, found himself discarded like a defective product. He had longed for love and tenderness, but what others showed him was nothing but pain.Even in the face of that pain, he smiled not because he wanted to, but because he had no other choice. Despite the heartbreak, he entered into a hell called society with a beautiful smile.....“Can't you do a single thing!!”“...”“You are fired!!!”“....W-Wh..”“I am sorry, Sir, but you need at least a bachelor's degree to enter our company!!”“....I-I am...”“I am sorry, Sir, but we cannot provide a loan for your ideas without reassurance!!”“....W-Why?”“I heard your father is a politician.... So, You know....”“...”After a long struggle, he finally got a job, but his brother's words rang in his ears:“Yeah, yeah… I know you got the job thanks to me, of course. So, don't ever contact me or even MY parents” his brother declared.“...Heh...”Just as he believed he had earned society's recognition, an unforeseen event claimed his pathetic, seemingly worthless life....“HONK!! HONK!!”Yet, amidst the cruelty of society, he defiantly cried,“I JUST WANT TO LIVE!!!!!”Witnessing his heartfelt cry and desire to live in the hellish place called society, he was granted a second chance.~Ding!~However, even in this new life, his situation remained unchanged. He continued to struggle not only to live and eat but also..... seduction.“HOW DARE YOU SEDUCE THE PRINCESS!!”“.....he..he... B-But I didn't seduce her!!”“HOW DARE YOU SEDUCE MY MOTHER!!”“...Hehe”“YOU HAVE SOME NERVE TO SEDUCE MY WIFE, DON'T YOU?”“HEHEHEHEHEE.....”

Nicole d'Armand never expected to walk into her apartment and find her fiancé *bleep*-deep in another woman's lady bits. What's a girl to do?Well, after obliterating an 18th-century Meissen vase, delivering a punch that would make a heavyweight boxer proud, and embarking on a night of raucous drinking, Nicole figures she might as well embrace the chaos.But when alcohol and pheromones collide, her wild night spins into something unexpected... Like a ride on the Logan Everett express.Which, naturally, leads to a whirlwind of its own: She's his fated mate. Because of course she is.And he rejects her. Because of course he does.Now embroiled in a mystery bigger than her post-breakup hangover, Nicole finds herself the prime suspect in a murder she didn't commit—no matter how tempting the thought might have been. And the only person who believes her innocence? The same guy who shot down the idea of being her fated mate.Great. Just what she needed: her love life is a crime scene, and the man stupid enough to let her go is holding her freedom in his hands.

– The planet [Earth] has entered the abnormal state [Apocalypse].

What is it like to own an abandoned oil town in the West? At first, Xu Xing simply wanted to provide some convenience for travel enthusiasts and camping enthusiasts traveling by car to the northwest.

However, it has been out of control since then…

The stall has been upgraded to a convenience store with a unique style, the instant noodles cooked in an earthen pot have been transformed into a restaurant that provides hot and authentic beef noodles, and the shack has been transformed into a hotel that is unique in the country and can look up at the deep starry sky. The tire point has been upgraded to become a gas station and maintenance station….

after that,

The town unknowingly became the size of a small county town…sixth tier, fifth tier, fourth tier, third tier…a few years later it became the only new first-tier city in the northwest Gobi Desert…

- Description from novelbuddy