The Frail Guide Who Devoured an Entire Pollution Zone

Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Young Man, Think Bigger

Feeding on the grand promises Qiu Fang had made, Shen Ling’an’s eyes lit up again.

"Young man, don’t be so impatient and hot-headed. You must learn to settle down. Don’t let a moment of recklessness ruin your bright future." Seeing that Shen Ling’an had calmed down, Qiu Fang added this subtly.

To him, Shen Ling’an was merely a suitable candidate who had appeared at the right time, by no means the only one.

And Shen Ling’an’s earlier actions had displeased him, so he had to make the young man understand his place.

Shen Ling’an naturally understood the meaning behind Qiu Fang’s words, and his expression turned slightly stiff.

But he was flexible. In an instant, he resumed a humble demeanor. "Elder Qiu, I was reckless. Please forgive me."

"Today, I fought with all my might and barely escaped with my life. The fear of death made me lose control and act irrationally. I offended you, and I ask you to forgive me this once."

The plan was now on track, and Shen Ling’an was getting his first taste of what it was like to be treated as a hero.

There was no way he could abandon the plan now. He had to achieve his ultimate goal.

He knew in his heart that for everything to proceed according to their plan, Qiu Fang’s manipulation was indispensable. Therefore, he had to swallow his pride.

’Once I obtain real power, once I truly become a figure like Lu Jingyu, I’ll find a way to break free from Qiu Fang’s control. Then, I’ll make him feel just as I do right now.’

Shen Ling’an’s posture was extremely deferential, but the fleeting cunning in his eyes did not escape Qiu Fang’s notice.

Qiu Fang smiled without saying a word. ’If I dare to orchestrate this, it’s because I’m absolutely certain I can control it. A puppet will always be just a puppet. Nothing I want will ever escape my grasp.’

"Alright, let’s just pretend that nothing happened. Ling An! You’re now the new rising captain of the Heiyu Alliance. Enjoy the adoration of your team members. But from now on, whenever you face a crisis, you’ll have to act just as you did today to maintain your current status!"

"I may have personally put you in this position, but whether you can hold onto it depends on your own abilities. Don’t disappoint me!"

The plan was not yet complete, so Qiu Fang only gave a slight warning before reverting to the demeanor of an elder with high hopes for his junior.

Shen Ling’an could only force a smile and agree. "Please rest assured, Elder Qiu. Ling An will not fail to live up to your mentorship. I will do everything in my power to fulfill my duties as captain."

Qiu Fang nodded. "Then I shall look forward to your performance! It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay for dinner? However, we weren’t expecting you, so I’ll have to send someone out to buy groceries. You don’t mind if we eat a bit later, do you?"

Qiu Fang invited Shen Ling’an to stay for dinner with a broad smile, but Shen Ling’an understood the true meaning behind his words and quickly said, "I appreciate the thought, Elder Qiu. Unfortunately, I’ve already promised Rumeng that I would have dinner with her. She’s still waiting for me, so I’m afraid I must decline your kind invitation."

’Even in the Apocalypse, how could a residence of someone with Elder Qiu’s status not be stocked with food?’

Shen Ling’an knew the other man wasn’t genuinely asking him to stay, so there was no need to linger and make things awkward.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries with a tacit understanding before Qiu Fang had someone see his guest out.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Shen Ling’an suddenly thought of something else.

"Elder Qiu, please allow me to ask one last thing."

Qiu Fang nodded.

"Elder Qiu, although our plan today went smoothly..." Even though Qiu Fang had given an explanation, Shen Ling’an still held a grudge about nearly losing his life, and he couldn’t help but emphasize certain words as he spoke.

Qiu Fang acted as if he hadn’t heard, continuing to watch him with a faint smile.

"But because of that snake-like Mutant at the end, the Alliance members suffered heavy casualties. Wasn’t the price of our plan this time a bit too high?"

No matter how excited he had been at the time, Shen Ling’an had still noticed the ground littered with the wounded.

He wanted to become captain not just for the title, but to be like Lu Jingyu—to make all the members respect him from the bottom of their hearts, to make them follow him willingly, and to hold real power in his hands.

And achieving this goal was, first and foremost, based on the Alliance members being alive.

But today’s operation had caused severe losses among the members. How was he supposed to find satisfaction from these people now?

Therefore, he had some complaints about this matter as well.

’If only Qiu Fang’s men had acted sooner, things wouldn’t have been so tragic, and there would be more people left to submit to me.’

Qiu Fang smiled as if he couldn’t care less about the members who were caught in the crossfire and killed or injured.

At that moment, Shen Ling’an even began to wonder if this man was truly one of the founding elders of the Heiyu Alliance, given how little he seemed to care for its members.

"If so many people hadn’t been killed or injured, would the survivors truly understand how great you are? And if we hadn’t created such chaos, wouldn’t someone have figured out how the snake-like Mutant was *really* dealt with?"

Shen Ling’an was left speechless. Elder Qiu continued, "You need to think bigger. The sacrifices made now are for the sake of a better future. Once you’ve completely replaced Lu Jingyu, you can recruit more members for the Alliance, and they will all look to you for leadership."

Qiu Fang’s words swayed Shen Ling’an. He nodded and finally turned to leave.

After seeing Shen Ling’an off, Qiu Fang’s expression immediately turned to one of impatience.

Just then, a servant came in to announce that another guest had arrived.

After clarifying who the visitor was, Qiu Fang hurriedly told the servant to show them in.

Immediately, wrinkles crowded Qiu Fang’s face as he forced a smile, waiting to receive his guest.

"Those two elders you took me to see just now definitely know something, but they have their reservations, so they weren’t willing to reveal anything. However, judging by how they readily provided the reagents after learning your purpose, they also didn’t want to see today’s events unfold. The two of them are probably neutral."

Having followed Lu Jingyu to meet the two elders, Xu Qingsui had been watching their reactions closely and had formed an assessment after they left.

Lu Jingyu nodded. "Those old foxes are all incredibly slick. They definitely know what’s going on, but since they’re not sure of the outcome, they don’t dare to rashly pick a side."

"The remaining elders, aside from the ones who have already taken a side, are probably just like these two. But that’s good. It makes it easier for us to collect the reagents."

"So, which elder’s house are we going to next?"

The corners of Lu Jingyu’s mouth lifted. "The next one’s stance is already crystal clear. But he’ll definitely make some kind of gesture. We might just have our biggest haul at his place today."

’Crystal clear?’

’Isn’t that Qiu Fang? But I thought...’

Xu Qingsui was confused, but seeing that Lu Jingyu was already walking away, she could only hurry to catch up.

’Anyway, once we get there, everything will become clear.’

"What brings you here? How has your rest been? Have you resolved your issue?" As the steward ushered the guest in, Qiu Fang greeted him with a beaming smile.

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