Chapter 328: Learning the Hard Way

"In every match, the winning side gets twenty percent of the supplies. Very fair, wouldn’t you say?"

Zhou Jiangye stared at Xie Ning, as if trying to read something from her expression.

Unfortunately, he came up with nothing. There was something inscrutable about this woman.

To speak so confidently under everyone’s gaze, she had to be extraordinary.

However...

’Damn it. In this predicament, it’s hard for me not to accept the challenge.’

If he refused, the people from Golden City Base would probably mock him to high heaven, wouldn’t they?

Chaoyang Base couldn’t afford that humiliation.

Zhou Jiangye turned his head to look at the deputy base leader, Teng Hongming.

The latter immediately understood and nodded. "Yes, Base Leader. I’ll arrange for our people to come over right away."

"Please wait a moment."

"Base Leader." Zhang Biyun wanted to say more, but Zhou Jiangye shot her a cold glare that silenced her completely.

"As the captain of Golden City Base’s Starfire Team, Miss Xie must have some extraordinary qualities." Zhou Jiangye offered a gentlemanly smile, his expression calm and composed.

"I hear Miss Xie is a Gold Ability User?"

Zuo Li reached out and pulled Xie Ning behind her. "You’ll find out when the fight starts. What’s with all the questions? Is there anything worth asking?"

"Zhou Jiangye, have your people arrived yet? How long are you going to make us wait?"

Zhou Jiangye simply smiled without a word, his gaze on Zuo Li brimming with tenderness.

His look made Zuo Li’s skin crawl; she felt uneasy all over.

"Ningning, don’t you think he looks like a pervy psycho hiding behind a gentlemanly facade?" Zuo Li muttered under her breath. "To be honest, every time I see him smile at me, my hair stands on end. It totally freaks me out."

"Trust your instincts." Xie Ning nodded, deadpan. "I also get the feeling he’s not a good person."

"Right? I knew there was something wrong with him."

"Don’t worry, Captain. Once we disable all of them, there should be no one left to fight us for the supplies." Xie Ning slung her backpack over her chest, looking eager for a fight.

’I’ve been looking for some real combat practice. Aren’t they just delivering themselves to my doorstep?’

Hopefully, Chaoyang Base would send some skilled people, or Xie Ning would be very disappointed.

"Base Leader." Teng Hongming strode over with a group of five and nodded at Zhou Jiangye.

The latter gave a faint smile, turned to Zuo Li, and asked in a gentle tone, "Captain Zuo, have you chosen your combatants?"

Zuo Li snorted. "They’ve been ready for a while. We were just waiting for you."

"Since Captain Zuo is all prepared, let’s begin." Zhou Jiangye smiled cheerfully and waved his hand.

Five young men and women stepped out from Chaoyang Base’s side. Their sharp gazes swept across the area before finally landing on Zuo Li.

Zuo Li rolled up her sleeves. "I..."

"Captain Zuo, the decision to settle resources with a martial competition was yours. The one-on-one relay race format, where the winner continues and the loser is out, was also your rule. So now, shouldn’t our base get to pick the first opponent and set the specific rules?"

Zuo Li narrowed her eyes at the fox-like Zhou Jiangye. "Go on."

The first person to step forward from Chaoyang Base was a woman. She crossed her arms and looked at Xie Ning. "I hear you talk a big game. You’re up, then. But in our fight, no superpowers are allowed."

The woman shot a provocative grin at Xie Ning and Zuo Li. "You can also choose to forfeit if you’re scared."

Xie Ning blinked. "How about I give you another chance to choose?"

’Why is she so dense? The Chaoyang Base leader already won them the right to pick their opponent first, so why isn’t she using it properly?’

’She’s a real idiot.’

"Mary." Zhou Jiangye frowned. "You’re an Earth Ability User. If I were you, I would definitely choose to fight the Water Ability User next to Captain Zuo."

He had spelled it out so clearly. If Mary still didn’t understand, she was truly hopeless.

Xie Ning glanced at Zhou Jiangye, her expression blank. "Is that considered sideline coaching?"

Zhou Jiangye smiled with calm composure. "Is it? Alright then, I won’t say another word."

"You shouldn’t have been talking in the first place. You talk way too much!" Xie Ning retorted bluntly.

Zhou Jiangye didn’t look the least bit embarrassed.

Xie Ning was stunned.

’I’ve never seen such a shameless bastard. I really want to rip that fake smile off his face.’

No wonder Zuo Li felt uncomfortable looking at him. Just looking at the man now was an eyesore for her, too.

Xiao Qi Zi bounced forward with a grin. "Pick me, pick me, pick me?"

The Earth Ability User named Mary shot him a cold glance, her gaze still fixed on Xie Ning. "What, you were jumping around so eagerly before, but now you don’t dare to fight?"

Xie Ning took a step forward. "Since you’re insisting on a fight with me, what reason do I have to refuse?"

With that, she took a few more steps, slowly walking out from the crowd of Golden City Base members.

"No using superpowers. That’s the specific rule I’m setting for this match."

"Okay." Xie Ning nodded obediently, then suddenly took a stance with both fists raised. "Come on, stop wasting time."

Mary snorted, a hint of contempt welling up in her eyes.

She stomped down hard, and the entire ground trembled slightly.

She was an Earth Ability User and possessed a very strong physique.

Strictly speaking, the Earth Element’s most notable trait was defense; its offensive capabilities were secondary.

Even if she couldn’t use her superpower, as an Earth Ability User, Mary’s physical defense and stamina were much higher than other Superpower Users of the same Level.

Not using superpowers was actually more advantageous for her!

As for that woman, Xie Ning, it was a different story.

She was an Attack Ability User. The consequences of her not being able to use her superpower were almost predictable!

"The moment you use a superpower, it counts as a forfeit!"

Xie Ning’s response was to suddenly whip out a K30 and open fire on her.

Everyone present was stunned, especially the members of Chaoyang Base standing in rows opposite them. They scrambled to dodge, terrified of being hit by a stray bullet.

Mary was shocked. As she desperately jumped and dodged, she hurriedly reached for her own gun.

At the same time, the gun she had just drawn was shot out of her hand. Her opponent fired a volley of seven or eight shots, spraying bullets at her.

No matter how fast she dodged, she couldn’t avoid taking a bullet in the end.

Blood spurted from her shoulder, and the pain instantly jolted her nerves.

Mary’s eyes were splitting with rage.

Behind her, the people from Chaoyang Base emerged from behind the trees, disheveled and furious. "You! You...!"

’Fucking shameless.’

’Who fights so shamelessly?’

’Damn it, she just shot straight at someone’s face without any warning or sign.’

"I didn’t lose!" Mary roared in anger. "You’re cheating!!"

Xie Ning looked up at her with a completely baffled expression. "Did I use my superpower?"

Everyone felt a breath catch in their chests, unable to inhale or exhale. They had no idea what to say in response.

’Yes, you didn’t use your superpower, but you fucking tricked us!’