Chapter 101: Shui Ling’s Father

A battle destined for the history books is about to commence, yet the combatants have time to bicker?

Yes, precisely because this is a battle for the history books, the combatants are bickering.

Based on the tone of the burly man earlier and these two young men, Zhou Shu could already infer a few things. However, not entirely certain, he decided to test the waters. When asked his age, he replied, "Just turned eighteen a few days ago, and I just joined the Demon Suppression Division."

The two young men were surprised. The one who spoke first said, "Good for you, brother! Your family must be something else. I’m Du Liangcai, care to make an acquaintance?"

"I’m Zhou Shu. My family is just ordinary," Zhou Shu replied truthfully.

Such honesty went ignored. The other man laughed and said, "I’m Xu Junyan. Let’s go over there; I’ll introduce you to the others. They are all the future pillars of our Great Qin Empire."

Zhou Shu: "..."

Good grief. He wouldn't even dare call himself a future pillar of the Great Qin Empire. These people had a lot of nerve—did they think they were some kind of big-shot celebrities? He was now certain why the burly man had used that tone earlier; he had clearly been driven to distraction by this bunch.

Sure enough, once he arrived, Du Liangcai and Xu Junyan revealed a few key details to the group of young men and women, which immediately caused them to look at Zhou Shu with newfound interest. He was, after all, handsome and carried himself with a unique air, drawing glowing gazes from the young women present.

However, once the conversation started, they realized they couldn't find common ground with him. They talked about family background, status, future prospects, and leisure, while Zhou Shu listened in silence, occasionally asking questions.

The topic turned to why they were participating in this mission.

"A mission destined for the history books is something you have to be part of. Not only can you earn military merit, but it also pads your resume. You don't get opportunities like this often; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance."

"It’s a pity my family doesn't have the pull. I’ve always been a Demon Hunter trainee, so I’m just tagging along to fire a few shots and snag some minor benefits."

"The 'minor benefits' of a mission like this aren't actually small. We don't need material rewards; we just need the participation record."

"Exactly. Be content. And if they really let you go to the front lines to go toe-to-toe with those monsters, would you dare?"

"Hahaha, no way."

"There you go. We have our status; there’s no need for us to fight like those brutes. We just need to secure some combat records so that when our families arrange our promotions, we won't be held back by a lack of merit points."

"Right. Once we’re promoted, we’ll have plenty of ways to order those brutes around to contribute points to us directly..."

Listening to them brag, Zhou Shu understood. He also realized this was inevitable. Every time there was an ultra-large-scale mission, some inexplicable people would show up, performing trivial tasks while ensuring their names made it onto the reward lists.

Although they ranked at the bottom, it was enough to disgust others and push out the small-time contributors who actually earned their keep. These people knew not to overstep during such major missions, so they avoided trying to claim primary credit, settling instead for minor honors. They knew the stakes were too high for them to meddle with the primary objectives.

But minor credits were fine. Unlike ordinary people, they had the resources to quickly accumulate a large number of "minor credits," which added up to a significant total. When the time came, with a little help from their families, they could easily be promoted and transferred elsewhere. Such actions were "within the rules"—no one could find fault with them, and they wouldn't offend the big players or even those with moderate status. As for the truly insignificant people? Well, that was their problem.

Zhou Shu had been a small-timer before, and he didn't feel like a "big player" now. The talk of family background, status, and future prospects was far from his mind. Moreover, none of these people were truly talented; there wasn't even a Level 1 Demon Hunter among them. They were all trainees, a completely different caliber from the young Demon Hunters who had come to support Dongyuan City. Even the "Water Spirit" girl he had initially dismissed had ended up being a huge help.

Clearly, the families of these people weren't particularly powerful. It seemed that those at the very top disdained such petty maneuvers, while those at the bottom weren't in a position to pull them off. Only those stuck in the middle were the ones causing all the trouble.

Zhou Shu didn't want to chat with them anymore. He regretted coming over. Just as he was looking for an excuse to leave, someone from the technical team rushed over. "Engineer Zhou, a bug appeared during the startup test of the support weapon platform. Professor Li wants you to take a look."

"Alright, I’m coming."

Without another word to the group, he followed the technician, leaving the young men and women in a state of confusion. Some were stunned, while others began to sneer.

"Hah, did you really think he was some genius from a noble family? You didn't notice, but he couldn't even join our conversation. Now it looks like he’s just a lowly repairman who gets ordered around."

"Exactly. Liangcai and Junyan, too—bringing just anyone to our circle. Just because he joined the Division at eighteen doesn't mean he’s a Demon Hunter. Even the cleaners are technically part of the Demon Suppression Division."

"Haha, I never liked that kid. Just because he’s a bit handsome? Pretending to be someone special at eighteen, what a joke! Bah!"

A few of the less attractive ones were making a scene. While the women felt Zhou Shu hadn't been on their level, they had been willing to overlook it because of his looks. Du Liangcai and Xu Junyan, however, looked sour. Even though they hung out together, they weren't exactly close; the group was divided into several smaller cliques.

Du Liangcai caught Xu Junyan’s eye and said viciously, "Next time we see him, we’ll make him pay. If it weren't for the big shots in the technical department, I’d go over there and slap him right now. Damn it, trying to pull a fast one on me."

"Exactly," Xu Junyan agreed. "Lin Yingjun and his crew found an excuse to mock us today. Look at them, acting all high and mighty, yet even a repairman is better looking than them..."

Zhou Shu heard none of this, and even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered. After today, they would have no further contact anyway.

He returned to the maintenance workshop, resolved the bug, and continued inspecting the remaining power armor. While working, he mentioned the incident to Li Decai. Li could do nothing about it; he could only ensure fairness within the technical team. He had no authority over the combat groups. Of course, the technical team actually required skill; if they failed to inspect or repair properly, the entire operation could be delayed, and they would be the ones punished. Unlike the combat groups, who could operate from the rear and claim credit even by adding bullet holes to a monster that was already dead.

By nightfall, a meeting was called. Both Li Decai and Zhou Shu received notification to attend.

The meeting announced a major development: the lair of the Ascension Society had been located. However, the problem was that the Society hadn't hidden in the snowy mountains as everyone expected, but rather in a small county town. This was the worst-case scenario. Because they were hidden among civilians, they couldn't simply saturate the area with firepower, and even the thirty power armor units had to be used cautiously. It wasn't about scaring the locals; it was about preventing the Society’s leaders from escaping.

The Demon Hunters were tasked with the responsibility; they would have to engage in direct, close-quarters combat. Zhou Shu would also be sent to the front lines. They had read the battle reports from Dongyuan City; Zhou Shu’s super-sniper capability was tailor-made for monsters trying to escape in the chaos.

Zhou Shu had no objections; he had even brought his sniper rifle.

However, during the meeting, a man who looked like Zhang Fei kept staring at him, his large eyes wide as if he wanted to eat him alive. Once the strategy of "deep reconnaissance tomorrow to determine the Society’s level of control over the town" was set, the meeting adjourned. The "Zhang Fei" character walked straight toward him.

"You’ve got guts, kid. You don't fear the fight. From now on, you’re with me. I’ll look after you."

Zhou Shu: "???"

"Oh, right, forgot to introduce myself. I’m Liu Zhangfei, Liu Shuiling’s father!"