CHAPTER 130: CHAPTER 125: SUCCESS! TAKING ON THE MISSION OF THE ENERGY CRYSTAL MINE CAVE

And so, the group split into two factions, both gathered around Chen Pingchuan.

"Classmate Chen, Classmate Jiaqi, and Classmate Ye Luo, I’m delighted to be on a team with you. In the coming days, I sincerely hope we can work together to successfully accomplish the combat mission assigned by the school."

"Well said, Brother Feng."

"Brother Feng is right."

Hearing Liu Haofeng’s words, his two lackeys chimed in with their support.

"Alright, let’s skip the pleasantries and decide on a mission."

Chen Pingchuan’s cold words instantly chilled the atmosphere.

He had every right to be angry. During the last simulation, if it weren’t for this two-faced Liu Haofeng sabotaging his efforts, he would have successfully scouted out the Energy Crystal mine. If he weren’t still recovering, Chen Pingchuan would have already slapped him a few times.

Hmph! Trying to play tricks with me? Watch me shatter all your schemes with brute force.

Sensing Chen Pingchuan’s disdain, Liu Haofeng merely smiled even more brightly.

"Classmate Chen might have a misunderstanding about me. No worries. You’ll slowly change your opinion of me as we get to know each other."

"Hey, can you cut the crap? Didn’t Chuanchuan just say to hurry up and pick a mission? We have other things to do."

Standing to the side, Feng Jiaqi couldn’t stand his act and called him out bluntly, causing Liu Haofeng’s smile to freeze on his face.

Bitch. So you can act all high and mighty just because your family’s powerful? I’ve been sucking up to you for so long, and you always reject me. But the moment a pretty boy shows up, you fall for him instantly. You’re so brainless you can’t even see my hidden potential.

Of course, Liu Haofeng only dared to say these words in his heart. On the surface, he did his best to maintain the gentlemanly demeanor of a nobleman’s son.

"Classmate Jiaqi is right. Let’s discuss which mission to choose for our coming-of-age ceremony."

When Feng Jiaqi heard Liu Haofeng call her "Classmate Jiaqi," she felt a wave of disgust. Worried that Chen Pingchuan might misunderstand, she was about to lash out at him when she suddenly felt a warm touch on her hand.

Feng Jiaqi’s face instantly turned beet red, and her mind went completely blank, too distracted to care about the nonsense spilling from Liu Haofeng’s mouth.

This small exchange was not lost on the others.

Liu Haofeng’s eye twitched. Pretty boy! Gigolo! Just go and die! he roared inwardly.

Li Qiang and Zhang Lei saw Feng Jiaqi’s reaction and instantly realized their boss was losing his grip. They exchanged a look, their eyes flashing with a complex expression they hadn’t shared before.

Forcing down his fury, Liu Haofeng dropped his pretense. But in order to complete the mission, he put on a stern face and began his analysis.

"I’ve just reviewed these missions. Based on my experience, Task One is the most difficult. Although it seems the Glory Point reward is tied to our efforts, the apocalypse has been going on for a year. The amount of useful supplies left in the outer districts must be limited."

"Moving on to Task Two, with a supervising instructor present, hunting Black Demons might seem perilous, but I believe it’s the most suitable for us. We only need to hunt ten Black Demons to meet the minimum requirement. If we can, we could hunt even more. After all, opportunities to gain combat experience under supervision are rare."

"As for Task Three, rescuing survivors? Forget it. The Crimson Rain Calamity ended a year ago. Any wanderers who survived this long are not to be trifled with. The risk is too high, and it’s simply not worth it."

"..."

"Task Twelve, clearing the Energy Crystal mine. This mission, uh..."

It had to be said, Liu Haofeng wasn’t just some brainless fop; he had some substance. His analysis was concise and reasonably logical. However, when he mentioned Task Twelve, his expression turned grave again.

Even Chen Pingchuan, who had seemed utterly uninterested until now, lifted his head to listen, his expression focused and serious.

A surge of satisfaction swelled in Liu Haofeng’s chest.

"Task Twelve is a huge problem. Let me explain why."

"First, the Energy Crystal mine. The name alone tells you it’s a strategic resource point, which are usually located far from cities. That means we’ll spend a lot of time just traveling, and the longer we’re on the road, the greater the risk."

"Second, it says it’s led by a Level 5 instructor, but it doesn’t specify if it’s just one or several. If you think about it, there might even be Level 6 Genetic Warriors hidden among them. We have no way of knowing. For other missions, we’d be lucky to have a Level 4 instructor. For students like us, who haven’t even reached Level 2, what good would we be?"

"In conclusion, I think Task Twelve is a trap. Everyone knows that raw Energy Crystals from wild mines are highly unstable and thus can’t be harvested by machines. I suspect that if we go, we’ll most likely be used as miners. As for the part about guarding the miners... we’re in the apocalypse, what kind of idiot would still be digging in a mine? And even if there are a few, there can’t be many."

"I’ve said my piece. Now everyone can share their thoughts. To be fair, we’ll go with the majority vote."

"Agreed."

This time, even Chen Pingchuan didn’t raise any objections. Everyone nodded in agreement with Liu Haofeng’s proposal.

A flash of delight crossed Liu Haofeng’s mind. I have my own plan. Two of the six are my lackeys, and with me, that makes three. If we decide by majority, my side is, at the very least, unbeatable.

The gloom on Liu Haofeng’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a warm and friendly expression. "I’ll share my view first. I choose Task Two, for the reasons I just explained."

"Me too," Li Qiang said.

"Yeah, I’ll choose Task Two as well," Zhang Lei added.

The trio’s decision was swift. There was nothing to think about—they just had to back their boss.

In the other faction, both girls turned to look at Chen Pingchuan.

He pondered for a moment. A voice inside told him that Liu Haofeng was right. This mining mission was extremely dangerous. It would be better to wait for the simulation to cool down, run it, and then see what to do.

But another voice told him that great opportunities never come without risk. Those seemingly safe options can dull your edge, erode your confidence, and break your will, ultimately destroying you as a person.

"My choice is Task Twelve."

"What? Are you insane?" Liu Haofeng shrieked. "Chen Pingchuan, I know you can’t stand me, but this is a serious matter! Please, don’t be childish! If I did something wrong before, I can apologize, but choosing Task Twelve is a death sentence!"

The moment Chen Pingchuan spoke, Liu Haofeng snapped. Even if they had issues, was embarrassing him in front of the girl he liked worth risking their lives? His roar drew the attention of the surrounding students, who all turned to look with curious expressions.

Chen Pingchuan’s expression remained cold.

"I said, I choose Task Twelve. And let me be clear, my choice has nothing to do with you. I wouldn’t make an impulsive decision just because I dislike you. I have my reasons."

After speaking, Chen Pingchuan turned his gaze to Ye Luo.

Ye Luo didn’t really want to get involved in their dispute. Though she inwardly agreed with Liu Haofeng’s analysis, she had just accepted money from Chen Pingchuan yesterday morning. She couldn’t bring herself to break her promise now. Left with no choice, she gave a slight nod, signaling her agreement with his proposal.

Feng Jiaqi, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to speak up. "What’s with you? So little courage, and you have the nerve to judge others with your own small-mindedness? Hmph! If we’re choosing, we should choose the hardest one. I trust the school wouldn’t send us on a suicide mission. How can we grow stronger without facing adversity? We’re choosing twelve!"

In stark contrast to Feng Jiaqi’s cheerful optimism, Liu Haofeng’s mood was foul.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Chen Pingchuan issued a direct challenge. "Talk is cheap. Strength reigns supreme. If you don’t agree with our choice, let’s have a 3v3 battle. The winning side decides."

Liu Haofeng’s face grew even darker. Considering the prodigy Ye Luo and Feng Jiaqi, who had a terrifyingly powerful background, what would beating Chen Pingchuan accomplish? The result would be the same.

He scoffed, "You’re all crazy! A bunch of lunatics! I..."

So enraged he had lost his mind, Liu Haofeng blurted out his true thoughts. The entire classroom fell silent. Realizing his blunder, his face instantly turned deathly pale.

"Sorry, that’s not what I meant."

"Liu... Hao... Feng. Who did you just call a lunatic?"

Feng Jiaqi’s voice drifted over. When it reached Liu Haofeng’s ears, it was stripped of its usual sweetness, leaving only bone-chilling cold.

He had no choice but to go against his conscience and throw his own lackeys under the bus.

"I said Li Qiang and Zhang Lei are lunatics! Choosing Task Twelve is a fantastic idea! Not only will it train our long-distance travel skills, but it will also temper our will to survive hardship! We might even break through our physical limits when faced with danger!"

"We’ll choose it! We must choose Task Twelve!"

At this point, Liu Haofeng couldn’t afford to worry about the future risks of Task Twelve. If he didn’t placate the matriarch in front of him, he feared he might not have a future at all.

After all, his father had more than one son.