RNP Page 216
Page 216
Even a longing, when shattered so bluntly, is not something most people can bear.
Qin Hehuan had anticipated this, and let the noise below continue until it gradually subsided before speaking again:
"I know it's hard for you to accept this result right now."
"But I don't feel guilty about it."
"Even if I could do it all over again, I would still stick to this choice."
"Because given the current situation, even if government rescue forces do arrive, the only person on the rescue list will be me, not you."
"So what I have to do is get most people alive and teach you how to continue living."
Upon hearing this, the conference hall fell silent once again.
Everyone's expression was different, but without exception, they all revealed a hint of disappointment.
No one feels good when their illusions are shattered without any room for doubt.
But no one hated Qin Hehuan.
Because everyone here is an adult and knows their own limitations.
In fact, without Qin Hehuan, the vast majority of them would not be alive today.
Especially those who were later rescued and brought back to the complex.
They understand even more clearly the hardship and despair of a person trying to survive alone in a foreign land.
I have also witnessed the exploitation and oppression suffered by the weak in a free and unregulated environment.
At least in this complex, they can get a good night's sleep and have something to eat.
You can even exchange labor for resources to become stronger...
As long as I can live in human form, that's enough.
Nobody cares whether this is a monopoly on violence and oppression.
Compared to what had just been said, they were now even more curious about what would happen next.
Just as the audience was buzzing with discussion again, Qin Hehuan spoke up once more, this time with a much more serious expression than before.
"Now, we have initially solved basic livelihood issues."
"But if we want to achieve long-term development, what we have so far is far from enough."
“Our enemies are not only monsters, but also other human organizations similar to us.”
"The struggle for resources will become the main contradiction and conflict that will inevitably occur in the near future."
"I can't protect all of you by myself..."
"Life is about learning to find your own way."
At this point, Qin Hehuan cleared her throat, glanced at Nie Qingyun, and then said:
"Just recently, our personnel who were out on missions were attacked."
"At present, the enemy's motives and numbers are still unclear, but what is certain is that the enemy is very strong, and conservatively estimated to be stronger than most of the people present."
"In view of this, we must accelerate the pace of improvement."
As she spoke, Qin Hehuan turned and gestured to Saotome.
Without giving anyone time to think, the girl stood up and took over the conversation.
"According to reliable sources, we have now located the hideout of a boss-level monster."
"As of today, the preliminary investigation into it has been completed."
"If they succeed in conquering it, the participants will reap extremely substantial rewards."
"This includes, but is not limited to, Primal Crystals, weapons and equipment, skills, and so on..."
"In contrast, this boss monster is also very difficult and dangerous, and requires teamwork to successfully defeat it."
"After internal discussions within the Freemasons, it has been decided to establish a special task force to handle related matters, with Nie Qingyun serving as the task force leader."
"Members are selected through a voluntary application and secondary screening process; participation is not mandatory."
"Participants are exempt from all outings and will receive daily supplies from the Freemasons. All personal income earned during this period is exempt from all taxes. In addition, group members have unlimited priority access to all functions of the Supply Center."
"This notice is effective immediately. Registration closes at midnight tomorrow. Those who are interested can register at the Student Union office after the meeting. That's all."
One bombshell after another dropped, leaving everyone looking at each other in disbelief, struggling to process what they had just heard.
This is definitely not a small matter for them, and some people couldn't help but show excitement when they thought about the attractive benefits that followed.
But then everyone calmed down.
The more favorable the conditions, the more it shows that this is not an easy task. Once everyone understood this, they hesitated again.
Meanwhile, Qin Hehuan subtly gave a urging look to the other side of the long table.
Seeing this, Nie Qingyun's lips twitched. He then stood up and tried to build up his emotions, while inwardly complaining.
"Why do I always have to play the bad guy... tsk, I need to get some compensation for this."
Chapter 299: "Putting Yourself in Someone Else's Shoes"
"Hey! Wait a minute," Nie Qingyun suddenly stood up, his fingers gripping the table tightly.
"This is different from the conditions we agreed on before..."
"Oh?" Qin Hehuan suddenly leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs.
"Then tell me where it's different."
Upon hearing this, everyone at the meeting turned their attention to Nie Qingyun. The latter realized that he had become the focus of attention, hesitated for a long time, and ultimately said nothing.
"Since you can't speak, then let someone else speak for you," Qin Hehuan said, turning her head to the other side.
"Yayi."
"Yes," the girl replied, standing up. She picked up a thick folder from the table, flipped through a few pages, then coughed lightly and resumed her "business-like" voice, much like a female announcer.
"Effective immediately, all Freemason members, except those in the raiding team, will have their daily rations halved and will be required to contribute an additional 20% of their daily income in Primal Crystals for regular monster boss battles. Furthermore, all members will be required to purchase green-quality or higher equipment, which will be redistributed by the raiding team..."
"What a joke!"
"Are you trying to kill us?!"
Before Saotome could finish speaking, she was interrupted by someone in the audience with a loud cry, followed by a series of questions and rebuttals, creating a noisy uproar.
For most people, the Freemasons are not really aware of the crisis they are facing.
Right now, just surviving requires them to give it their all.
The aforementioned conditions are almost tantamount to inhumane exploitation, undoubtedly making the already difficult living conditions even worse.
Not to mention that they don't have much [Primordial Crystal] to begin with, even if they had some savings, they wouldn't easily hand them over to others.
Therefore, it's easy to imagine how intense the reaction will be.
Seeing that the time was right, Qin Hehuan turned her head and gave a look. Immediately, some members of the student council used loudspeakers to forcefully silence the entire place.
"Since you don't quite agree with my personal decision..." Qin Hehuan looked at Nie Qingyun, and while speaking, she scanned the entire room with her gaze:
"Then let's use the old method and have everyone vote to decide."
Before Nie Qingyun could even speak, some members of the student council began to raise their hands to vote.
The result, unsurprisingly, showed a one-sided trend.
Apart from Yuwen Chaolu and others, almost everyone sided with Qin Hehuan.
The girls looked anxious, feeling isolated and somewhat lost.
Actually, it's not just them; everyone else is pretty much the same.
The mobilization meeting was packed with information and didn't give them enough time to think. Most people just subconsciously followed the student council's lead, and before they knew it, things had turned out this way.
Before they could even offer any opinions, the meeting ended. When they came to their senses, they found themselves "dismissed" to their respective posts to continue their survival journey for another day.
When they left, Cheng Yuqiu was essentially an "asset" of the student council, and was taken away by Saotome alone.
Yuwen Chaolu deliberately slowed her pace and kept looking back, as if she had a lot of questions to ask. However, before she could speak, she was pulled out of the conference room by Bai Yelinyin.
Whether or not to join the task force is the most pressing question for everyone right now, but of course, there are always exceptions.
"Brother Hao..."
In the corridor, a young man in a brown jacket, with a fawning smile on his face, took two steps forward, approached the slightly overweight man walking in front, and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, offering it to him.
"Brother Hao... what do you think President Qin means by this...?"
"I've never heard of that leader monster before. Should we join?"
"I can't say for sure," Qian Zhenhao said absentmindedly as he took the cigarette, glancing at the conference room door behind him out of the corner of his eye.
"Find a few quick-witted people to go and find out privately what others think."
"Okay," the young man in the brown jacket quickly replied, took out his lighter to light the other person's cigarette, and started muttering to himself again.
"Speaking of which... Cheng Yuqiu has returned to the student council, so is it possible that she might join our group later...?"
“We’re in charge of the gashapon machine area now. If Cheng Yuqiu could come too…”
"If any of us brothers get injured in the future, we won't even need bandages, we'll just take off."
The young man became increasingly excited as he spoke, then suddenly paused, smoothed his messy hair with his hand, and said somewhat embarrassedly:
"I feel like I'm just as good-looking as that Nie Qingyun guy... How about, Brother Hao... I go and try to get him?"
Qian Zhenhao paused, turned his head to the young man, and stared at the man's face, which was not even "neat" in the traditional sense, and his eyes widened slightly.
How thick-skinned does this guy have to be to say something like that...?
Although he was reluctant to admit it, objectively speaking, unless Cheng Yuqiu was blind, it would be more practical to take action than to rely on looks to win against Nie Qingyun...
Qian Zhenhao was already preoccupied with his own thoughts, and having this incessantly chattering guy following him around made him feel irritated. He raised his hand and slapped the other guy hard on the back of the neck.
"Are you bored?"
"If you have nothing else to do, go and clear out the zombie corpses near the gashapon machine."
Upon hearing this, the young man's face immediately turned sour, and he dared not say another word. He led his men away sheepishly.
Once he was alone, Qian Zhenhao suddenly turned into the fire escape and then leaned against the wall in the shadows.
He frowned, his mind replaying the details of the previous meeting.
What happened today made him feel that something was strange.
Before he was approached by the mysterious man who called himself "Grizzly Bear," the relationship between Nie Qingyun and Qin Hehuan hadn't deteriorated to this extent.
Although he wasn't exactly a great leader, Nie Qingyun was immediately placed in the management team upon arrival, making it hard not to see him as Qin Hehuan's henchman.
Has "the other side" already taken action...?
The attack made the two of them feel a sense of crisis...
If that's the case, then Nie Qingyun's suggestion is correct.
Centralized management of resources, prioritizing the rapid enhancement of the combat effectiveness of a small group of people, is the effective strategy for dealing with emergencies.
But Qin Hehuan did not do that...
No, I had thought about it before... but then I canceled it at the last minute.
It's obvious that she wants to protect herself.
However, what she didn't know was that Cheng Yuqiu was the ultimate target...
That's why he was willing to break ties with Nie Qingyun just to separate Cheng Yuqiu from him.
In that case... everything makes sense.
Before he knew it, the cigarette butt had burned down to the base. Qian Zhenhao threw it on the ground to extinguish it, then frowned again.
Another thing that puzzled him was that Cheng Yuqiu had remained unusually calm throughout.
There was neither a big fuss nor any attempt to negotiate...
This is very different from her usual image.
There must be some reason for this...