"Nan Yue, ID FCY091452, resident of City State 66, participating project: Scavenger Daily Work."
"Evaluation format: Team evaluation, current team size: 2 people."
"Multiplayer evaluation mission, code 34163: Multi-fortune Town."
"Topic: Obedient children will gain eternal life, and obedient children will be buried here."
"Wishing you a successful evaluation. Eden is waiting for you."
As her vision returned, Gu Xiang Kai was right beside her. Nan Yue and he began to scan their surroundings with perfect synchronization.
They appeared to be in a forest.
More than a dozen people were standing in a clearing at the center of the woods, making it feel a bit crowded. It seemed they were all the scavengers for this mission.
The ground beneath them was soft, sinking yellow mud, with a small path extending deep into the forest.
Gu Xiang Kai gestured with his eyes toward a dilapidated minibus not far away, which had left a series of deep ruts in the yellow mud.
"Alright, I can only take you this far. Multi-fortune Town is just a few minutes' walk down this road."
The crowd parted to reveal a driver wearing dull green overalls. His white gloves had been turned black by engine oil.
He shook his head. "I told you, but you wouldn't believe me. Multi-fortune Town just has a lucky-sounding name. There is nothing special about it. Old towns are everywhere, I don't know why you insisted on coming here to play."
"There is no scenery here, just mountains on all sides, and the town isn't that big. Whatever fol... folklore rituals you want to see are just feudal superstitions. We don't believe in them..."
The driver rambled for a while before finally remembering he was just a driver and twitched his face.
"Anyway, the charter contract is very clear. I will come back here to pick you up in seven days."
With that, the driver waved, climbed into the minibus, and took a while to start the engine. He rattled away back the way he came, the black smoke from the exhaust making the vehicle look a bit blurry.
"So... it seems we are companions for this mission."
A male voice stood out, sounding inexplicably oily.
Everyone looked over to see a middle-aged man around fifty years old. He had a large head, a long face, and small eyes, giving him a stern appearance.
His hair was quite sparse, yet he kept smoothing the few remaining strands back and forth with his hand, trying to cover his bald pate.
"I am but a humble man, He Jiang. It seems I am the oldest here, so I will have to be the big brother and lead everyone through this trip."
He Jiang's words clearly drew attention. Some people studied him, some slowly moved closer, and others remained indifferent.
The older a scavenger was, the longer they had survived, which usually meant greater ability and experience. Having such a person leading indeed made it seem easier to clear the mission.
Thinking this, a few people gathered around He Jiang, but the majority did not react.
Teammates were indeed a help, but many already understood that scavengers were not necessarily good people.
To stay alive, some people were capable of anything.
"Some people think they are so young and look down on their elders. They will learn the hard way."
Since the number of people gathering around him didn't meet his expectations, He Jiang squinted at the other scavengers.
"When you run into danger, do not even think about asking me for help."
Hearing this, a few more people were swayed.
He Jiang's implication was that he had the ability to save people, which was far more practical than just making empty promises.
As a few more people huddled around him, Nan Yue finally noticed a familiar face among the scavengers.
Zhu Xi Ning looked at Nan Yue with a expression that was somewhere between a smile and a sigh. Was this fate? Just as she was hesitating whether to give up on this promising teammate she had found, the heavens had placed them in the same mission.
The two exchanged a glance without acknowledging each other immediately. By now, the others had mostly split into factions.
There were five people standing on He Jiang's side, while the other ten either had their own teams or stood alone.
He Jiang's gaze lingered on Nan Yue and Zhu Xi Ning for a long time. This kind of look made Nan Yue very uncomfortable, as if she had been licked by a slimy tongue.
"What do you two ladies think?"
He Jiang, wearing a dress shirt, pulled at his hem and offered what he considered a friendly smile. "I like young people like you. I do not mind saving a spot for you in the team."
The other men nearby discreetly sized up Nan Yue and Zhu Xi Ning, sharing a knowing smile.
Nan Yue was wearing her T-shirt and long pants, looking quite ordinary, but her face and overall aura were very striking.
Zhu Xi Ning was even more so, possessing the look of a fragile little white flower that men tended to favor, and her carefully chosen outfit only added to her charm.
Nan Yue had not encountered many scavengers, having only completed two missions since leaving the academy. This was the first time she realized that some people could be this unpleasant.
Just a single look and a seemingly polite sentence were enough to make Nan Yue feel utterly repulsed.
"No thanks."
Gu Xiang Kai glanced at Nan Yue. Her eyes were as cold as ever, and her expression remained flat.
However, from his limited understanding, Nan Yue was generally quite polite to people. She seemed truly annoyed by this He Jiang.
Gu Xiang Kai had been through many missions and seen all kinds of people. Being a man himself, he knew exactly how filthy the thoughts of his own kind could be.
Seeing He Jiang looking over again, Zhu Xi Ning hurried to hide behind Nan Yue. "I do not need it either."
She poked Nan Yue with her finger. "Can I come with you?"
Nan Yue stepped slightly in front of her, her protective intent clear.
Having hit a wall, He Jiang frowned, putting on the air of an authoritative elder. "Do you two girls have no manners? I am so much older than you, do you not have any basic respect?"
"I am willing to look after you because I think highly of you. If you insist on going your own way, do not drag everyone else down later."
He Jiang let out a heavy snort and wanted to lecture them further, but Nan Yue didn't give him the chance. She turned and began walking toward the small path.
"What are you doing! I am not finished speaking!"
Nan Yue stopped and turned to give He Jiang a flat look. "It is about to get dark. If you want to stand here, do not follow us."
After saying that, Nan Yue never looked back, leading Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning away.
The others looked up at the sky. The dimming light seemed to be filled with danger, and a few more people followed her.
"He... Brother He, should we also get moving?"
A small, sharp-featured man standing next to He Jiang spoke up. He Jiang just stood there blankly, his thoughts unknown.
That girl was beautiful and had a unique aura, which was attractive, but it wasn't as if her one provocation would actually stop them from moving.
The sky was truly about to turn black.
"Ah... let's go! We're going too."
He Jiang put on a magnanimous front and called for the people around him to move.
He hadn't been spacing out just now; he had been unable to move.
In the moment that girl turned to look at him, He Jiang felt as though he had seen something utterly terrifying.
Rate on N.U.
