A Slap in the Face

Tu Ran turned around; the five members of her squad were also diligently checking their gear.

This was their first time facing real combat, yet they showed no signs of nervousness. Instead, their eyes gleamed with fighting spirit—there was even a hint of excitement in the air.

Having ranked in the top ten out of over three thousand in the second cohort, they were naturally competitive. This trip to the Sankar Arsenal was another chance to prove their mettle, and their excitement was palpable—a stark contrast to the anxious unease of the second-generation pioneers from other squads.

Tu Ran wasn't sure if this was a good or bad sign. As their captain, she felt a sense of responsibility and spoke up to warn them.

"Our Pioneer Team is different from the Executive Department. The Executive Department values merit—the more honors you accrue, the faster you climb the ranks. But for us Pioneers, what matters is points. To advance to intermediate or senior pioneer status, you need a corresponding number of points. And our points only come from the Threshold—nowhere else," Tu Ran said seriously.

She wanted to remind them that whatever Xie Hong's so-called "rewards" were, they weren't points. They shouldn't invest too much energy in them; preserving themselves should be their priority.

Based on Xie Xu's description, the gene monsters in the Sankar Arsenal were far beyond what ordinary people could handle.

Xie Hong was still sending these people without abilities in, simply hoping to kill as many as possible.

Gene monsters could multiply infinitely, so the only way to completely eliminate them was to contain their proliferation as quickly as possible.

He had abilities himself, but he alone couldn't kill all these gene monsters in a short time. Having pioneers and guards join the assault would ease some of the pressure on him. Some would die, but he didn't care.

But her warning didn't achieve the intended effect—instead, it provoked their defiance.

"Tu Ran, please don't try to impose your worldview on us. We're different. In our eyes, points are merely a byproduct beneath honor. The Federal Government spent a fortune training us for five years; it's our duty to contribute to the Federation without hesitation, not to have our minds and eyes fixated solely on points."

The speaker was a young pioneer named Shen Yunhe.

He had ranked first in the second cohort's pioneer assessment.

"We admire your abilities. You were the top graduate of the first pioneer class, the outstanding alumna that instructors always praised. Even though you're only a junior pioneer now, your brilliant performance at the graduation ceremony showed us that you could crush any first-generation pioneer. That's why we chose you."

"But we can't agree with your mindset. In fact, I think your way of thinking is contradictory. You seem to do everything for points, but with your abilities, if that were truly your goal, you wouldn't still be a junior pioneer. So you don't actually care about points that much."

"What really drives your behavior is your attitude toward your own life. You avoid harm and pursue advantage, putting your own safety above everything else. That's why you seem uncompetitive and lukewarm, only taking action when absolutely necessary."

Tu Ran listened quietly.

This was the first time she'd heard herself described as "uncompetitive" and "lukewarm."

Those words applied to her—Tu Ran almost laughed out loud.

She pressed her lips together, stifling the smile.

She couldn't laugh; otherwise, these five might think she was deliberately mocking their pride and launch into another passionate lecture.

Le Qin, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped forward. Her message was essentially the same as Shen Yunhe's, though her tone was more tactful.

"Senior Tu Ran, we won't ask you to change your cautious, self-preserving ways, and don't try to impose your worldview on us."

"We're just in the same team temporarily. Once the threshold gate opens, we'll go our separate ways and never cross paths again. So, for the few days we have left as a team, please just tell us what to do and how to do it. Keep your opinions to yourself."

Tu Ran looked at the five young, hot-blooded faces in front of her and sighed inwardly.

She shouldn't have bothered warning them in the first place.

For them, a lesson learned the hard way was the only kind that stuck.

"Fine," Tu Ran said, her smile not reaching her eyes. "I won't say another word of nonsense."

The five nodded in satisfaction.

They thought they'd won the debate.

They'd lectured the top graduate of the previous class, over and over again.

They were smug, convinced they stood on the moral high ground.

Little did they know, they had extinguished what little sense of responsibility Tu Ran had left—and thrown away the very hand that might have pulled them to safety in a moment of crisis.

When Xie Xu walked over, this was the scene he walked in on.

He knew Tu Ran well enough to guess what had happened.

Le Qin, Shen Yunhe, and the others all turned to look at the sudden arrival.

Though they didn't know who he was, given that he'd just spoken directly with General Xie Hong, he was clearly high up—likely one of the main planners of this operation.

"Something?" Tu Ran asked, her face expressionless.

"Mm," Xie Xu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the five faces. "For this operation, everyone will be split into four squads, led by General Xie Hong, Deputy Commander Li Wenchuan of the Pioneer Team, me, and you."

"Me?" Tu Ran frowned.

The five behind her exchanged surprised glances.

They could understand General Xie Hong, the Deputy Commander, and this seemingly important man leading squads—their ranks warranted it. But why Tu Ran?

She was only a junior pioneer.

Not to mention there were also the Executive Department's Eden District branch chief and several intermediate pioneers present.

"Yes, you," Xie Xu confirmed.

In this venue, he couldn't find anyone more suited to lead a squad than Tu Ran.

"The area you're responsible for and the specific action route have already been sent to Zero. Your squad roster has also been sent to you—you can look at it if you want, but I don't think it's worth wasting time. General Xie Hong is already preparing to launch the attack, and Li Wenchuan is on his way to the west gate. You'd better hurry to the south gate. A coordinated four-sided assault makes it harder for any to slip through the net."

With that one speech, he had her completely arranged.

Tu Ran gritted her teeth and craned her neck to look around. Li Wenchuan was indeed gone, and about a quarter of the remaining people had vanished as well.

"Got it."

Tu Ran turned and walked toward the south gate.

At the same time, she summoned Zero.

"Notify everyone assigned to the south sector. Follow me."

A quarter of the remaining three-quarters of the crowd on the wasteland stirred, found Tu Ran, and nearly jogged after her toward the south gate.

The five second-generation pioneers under Tu Ran's command exchanged glances, their faces darkening.

Tu Ran being appointed as one of the four squad leaders was like a slap across their faces—and it rang loud and clear.