Exit?

Despite having secured first place, Chen Qingshan felt no joy at all.

First, there was the matter of dealing with the wave after wave of probing from other factions within the organization, all of which he had to deflect. Having grown up immersed in this environment, it wasn't particularly difficult for him, but what truly troubled him was the high expectations his own faction was once again placing upon him!

"Qingshan! You've really made something of yourself now! If your father could see this, I don't know how happy he would be!"

"Qingshan is a capable child. When you all said he was wasting his time before, I knew you were wrong. The children of the Chen family are late bloomers. Look! How impressive Qingshan is now, taking first place in the Epic-level dungeon twice in a row! And this time, he's so far ahead of second place!"

"The only other person to achieve this result before was that girl, Angry Crow Takes Flight! Truly impressive!"

"With a child of ours being this capable, why should we let that kid from the Zhu family get the upper hand over us?! Let's try one more time! We old bones will swallow our pride and ask one more time! I refuse to believe our Qingshan can't surpass them!"

...

As the system announced the top 100 of the Epic-level dungeon, Chen Qingshan was reading messages in the group chat.

He didn't dare say a word, choosing to act as if he hadn't seen the messages.

Of course, stalling wasn't a long-term solution; he could put it off for a moment, but not forever.

Besides, he knew the temperament of these old men who frequently visited his home to talk to his father.

If Chen Qingshan didn't express a stance for too long, they would simply stop consulting his opinion altogether.

Stiff, stubborn, and controlling! That was exactly what these old relics were!

Just as Chen Qingshan was struggling with what to do, he suddenly received a private message from none other than Zhu Xuan, whom he considered his arch-rival.

【Zhu Xuan】: What do you think?

What did he mean by "what do you think"?

Chen Qingshan frowned deeply. He already looked old for his age, and with a frown like that, he looked like a man in his forties, but no one cared about that right now.

What Chen Qingshan found most annoying was the tone Zhu Xuan used when speaking! And the things he said!

He was clearly a young man in his thirties, yet whenever he dealt with serious matters, he acted like an old bureaucrat in his fifties or sixties!

Usually, this was what he could stand the least, but there was something even more detestable about Zhu Xuan: occasionally, when he arranged certain matters, his tone and demeanor were uncannily similar to his father, who had yet to make an appearance!

Chen Qingshan already found him annoying, and after realizing this, he couldn't control his disgust at all.

Moreover, for this guy to contact him now, could it be that he felt threatened? Did he feel his seat of power was becoming unstable?

Chen Qingshan admitted it was unethical to speculate about others like this, but he truly couldn't help it.

He shook his head and replied irritably, "What?"

Zhu Xuan sighed. These matters shouldn't have been his concern, but it was specifically because of this person that they were.

When Zhu Xuan had just graduated, he had spent some time under Chen Qingshan's father. Although it was a short period, the old gentleman had sincerely taught him many things.

Unfortunately, they had parted on unpleasant terms, and he hadn't seen his mentor in nearly ten years.

He hadn't expected that after the highway merge, he would end up in the same region as his mentor's son, Chen Qingshan, and even less did he expect that this young master, whom everyone called "unproductive" and "frivolous," would have such talent for this survival game.

It was a pity that Chen Qingshan had received incorrect information about the disaster at the time; otherwise, let alone him, the position of leadership and his entire faction would have had nothing to do with him.

Zhu Xuan sighed and asked straight to the point, "Do you want to be the leader?"

Chen Qingshan frowned the moment he saw the message. What was this supposed to mean?

Their relationship hadn't reached that level, had it? Was this something that could be asked?!

Was he trying to trap him into saying something?

Out of caution, Chen Qingshan only replied with two words: "Watch your words."

Zhu Xuan stared at the two words for a while, then suddenly smiled helplessly.

He was the old gentleman's son after all; how bad could he really be?

Zhu Xuan shook his head and decided to speak plainly.

【Zhu Xuan】: Leave the organization. It's better for both of us.

Chen Qingshan's pupils dilated. He stared at the line of text with a deep frown.

Was Zhu Xuan crazy?

He had to be absolutely crazy?!

Even if he, Chen Qingshan, had made mistakes, it wasn't for him to suggest he quit! Not to mention that Chen Qingshan hadn't made any mistakes; in fact, he was currently at the peak of his influence! His reputation and prestige had reached an all-time high!

And yet, Zhu Xuan was here advising him to quit?

It was absurd!

Chen Qingshan directly closed the private chat with Zhu Xuan.

There was no point in talking to someone like that! He must have been out of his mind to chat with this person.

【Zhu Xuan】: I'm worried about you.

【Zhu Xuan】: Our factions have never gotten along. You and I are both people pushed to the front; it sounds glorious, but we're just pawns in a power struggle. Either we both go down in a fight to the death, or I find a way out for you. I don't have many resources to mobilize, but using them to pave a path for you is definitely enough.

【Zhu Xuan】: Plus, there's Glory. There was never a conclusion to that business where he contacted "Zhibai De Zhi" without authorization, but staying in the organization won't lead to anything good for him. You might as well leave together. You two are old partners, and you can look out for each other.

Chen Qingshan had said he wouldn't look, but he couldn't help but open the messages anyway.

He didn't like this person, but since it concerned his own well-being, he had calmed down quite a bit.

After reading Zhu Xuan's message carefully, Chen Qingshan had to admit that every word he said was true.

As for the power struggle, he knew just by looking at the uncles and elders praising him in the group chat that as long as he stayed here, these things would be unavoidable.

Quitting... it wasn't actually impossible. He wasn't relying on the organization for survival anymore, and he still had to pay a 20% tax, leaving him in a state of loss every day.

He had always loathed this kind of life, and he had absolutely no desire to be the leader. After all, he had been so rebellious in his previous life that he went to repair cars despite it being safe; how could he be trapped here in this life where he could die at any moment?

And... why was Zhu Xuan willing to use resources to pave a path for him? Was this a condition for him to quit?

As expected, he was just worried that his position wouldn't be secure if Chen Qingshan stayed!

This thought made Chen Qingshan curl his lips, but they soon fell back down.

Even if he had no issues with the above, what was the deal with Glory?

Was he a free gift? Was it a buy-one-get-one-free deal?

Chen Qingshan raised a hand to cover his eyes, amused by his own thoughts.

He couldn't help but open a private chat with Glory. They weren't very close, and their conversation had stopped at the time they discussed the disaster. If he really thought about it... it was actually he who had caused Glory to lose his job.

Leave together? Look out for each other?

Chen Qingshan sighed, shook his aching head, and rested his forehead in his hands for a long time before finally agreeing with Zhu Xuan's words.

However, the date for the formal exit hadn't been decided yet.

He didn't intend to let Zhu Xuan pave the way for him; they weren't relatives or friends, and he didn't want to owe anyone anything.