Xiao Han vividly described the bustling scene in the Mission Hall, likening it to a post-apocalyptic version of a vegetable market where people scrambled for discounted cabbage, and it was a limited-time offer at that.
Lu Shiyan tapped his fingertips on the table, pondering for a few seconds.
"It seems that to survive here, taking on missions is an unavoidable hurdle."
"Let's check it out tomorrow," he decided.
Su Wan suddenly raised her hand.
"I'm going too!"
The little abacus in her mind was clattering away.
The book mentioned that there was a mission in the Central Base with an astonishingly high death rate, known as the "Protagonist's Exclusive Retreat Package."
Although Lu Shiyan had the halo of the chosen one, what if?
She didn't want to find a strong leg to lean on only to have to visit his grave soon after.
She had to stick close and absolutely not let Lu Shiyan accidentally tear off those flashy, especially red and black, death warrants.
The next day, at the Mission Hall.
The crowd density was comparable to rush hour, and the air was a mix of sweat, dust, and the cloyingly sweet, strange smell of cheap energy bars.
People were packed together, pushing each other, curses and haggling combining into a boiling pot.
Su Wan was like a little tail, following closely behind Lu Shiyan, standing on tiptoes, stretching her neck long.
Her gaze swept back and forth across the huge metal board covered with paper slips, focusing on the brightly colored areas, bold red, and black outlines, afraid that Lu Shiyan would even glance at them.
Lu Shiyan, however, was calm, his gaze moving steadily between the slips, as if calculating cost-effectiveness.
Xiao Han stood by with his arms crossed, watching the show with interest.
He watched Su Wan's nervous demeanor, ready to cover Lu Shiyan's eyes at any moment, and a grin spread across his lips.
"How about that yellow one?" Lu Shiyan suddenly raised his hand, pointing to a well-placed yellow slip.
"Clear out mutated spiders from the South District Abandoned Factory, recover factory supplies, a three-person squad is recommended, and the reward is decent."
Su Wan quickly scanned the surroundings.
The white mission slips were mostly gone, and only a few scattered gray ones remained.
The yellow ones were indeed the safest and most profitable option available now.
It was much better than those deep red and shiny black ones.
Moreover, the South District Abandoned Factory, she remembered, seemed to hide a batch of firearms.
She immediately nodded like a pecking chicken.
"This one's good! Safety is the most important, only by staying alive can we win!"
Lu Shiyan said no more, using his height advantage, he extended his arm, pushed aside a person who was fruitlessly reaching, and precisely tore off that yellow slip.
The slip was just in his hand, not yet warm.
"Wait a moment!"
A sharp female voice pierced through the clamor.
Before her words even finished, a three-person squad had already pushed their way in front of them.
Two men and one woman.
The one who spoke was the woman, her hair dyed in various colors, and her makeup was so thick she looked like she'd just come off a stage.
She glared at Lu Shiyan, her eyebrows raised high.
"This mission is ours!" Her volume suddenly rose, leaving no room for discussion.
Many eyes around them were immediately drawn over.
"We already arranged it with the publisher!" She repeated loudly.
Lu Shiyan turned around, calmly looking at the three people.
The yellow slip in his hand was gently folded in half, held between his fingers.
He didn't speak.
Xiao Han stepped forward first, shielding Su Wan behind him, and let out a scoff.
"I say, Big Sister, this thing is posted on the wall, clearly priced, first come, first served."
"Since when did pre-orders become popular? Do you think this is a popular milk tea shop from before the apocalypse where you take a number?"
His words were thick with sarcasm.
The man next to the colorful-haired woman immediately spoke up.
His facial muscles twitched, forcing out a smile.
"Brother, I'm really sorry, but our squad did talk to the publisher about this mission; it was specifically reserved for us."
He deliberately slowed his speech, but his gaze lingered on Lu Shiyan's hand gripping the slip.
"Look, why don't you pick another one?"
His words sounded polite, but the underlying tone of "you must agree" was clear to everyone.
More and more onlookers gathered, their whispers buzzing like flies.
Su Wan poked half her body out from behind Xiao Han.
"No."
"The rules of the Mission Hall are, whoever tears it off, it's theirs."
Her gaze swept over the three people opposite her, finally settling on the woman's defiant face.
"This is our mission."
"What do you intend to do?"
This was a mission she had painstakingly chosen; she absolutely couldn't give it up.
The colorful-haired woman seemed to have heard the biggest joke, first stunned.
Then, the thick makeup on her face almost cracked from anger.
"What did you say?"
"Little girl, is it your place to interrupt here?"
The man next to her, who had been trying to play the nice guy earlier, instantly dropped his friendly facade.
He stepped closer, his gloomy gaze falling on Su Wan's face, his threat undisguised.
"Little sister, if you don't understand the rules here, don't meddle."
"Hand over the mission slip, and we'll let this go."
Another man, who had remained silent but was more robust, quietly clenched his fist.
His knuckles rubbed together, producing a faint "crack" sound.
The sound wasn't loud in the noisy hall, but it was enough for those nearby to hear clearly.
The surrounding onlookers' excitement grew, and their discussions became louder.
"This little girl is something, really brave."
"Those three, aren't they from the Hyena Squad? They're notorious for not following rules, greedy and ruthless."
The sarcastic curve on Xiao Han's face grew wider.
He moved forward, almost completely shielding Su Wan behind him.
"What? Can't win with words, so you're going to try with fists?"
Lu Shiyan looked up, his gaze shifting from Su Wan to the approaching man, his eyes turning cold, and the air around them seemed to solidify slightly.
He gently tightened his grip on the yellow mission slip, his words low but carrying an unshakeable weight.
"Rules are rules. The mission is already in hand; there's nothing more to say."
"Good kid, quite arrogant!" The burly man took a step forward, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. "Do you know who we are?"
The surrounding crowd very cooperatively stepped back, clearing a circular space in the middle for them, clearly accustomed to such scenes.
"No need to know." Lu Shiyan's expression was as calm as deep water, but beneath the surface, strong currents surged. "The mission slip is in my hand. If you have the ability, come and take it yourself."
The colorful-haired woman let out a cold snort, pulling a small dagger from her waist and tossing it in her hand.
"Are you a new hothead? You don't know your place! The Hyena Squad has never failed to get what they set their sights on!"
A Mo silently moved to Lu Shiyan's side, his tall figure like a solid wall.
Xiao Han, meanwhile, remained in front of Su Wan, his lips curving into an obvious sneer.
"Oh, three against three? That's great, perfectly fair." Xiao Han even exaggeratedly shook his wrist.
Just as the tension was about to spark, a deep voice suddenly cut in, breaking the momentary silence.
"Everyone, stop!"