Chapter 235 - 149: Scrambling for Vine Fragments! Become a Transcendent by Eating Vines? The Only Solution

Chapter 235: Chapter 149: Scrambling for Vine Fragments! Become a Transcendent by Eating Vines? The Only Solution

Though Chen Chong had already left the Central Square, more than half of the thousand-plus students remained.

Below the high platform, over two hundred people were lined up, waiting to register their names.

As core members of the team, Zhang Meng and Huang Mao had also stayed behind to help Zhong Fang handle the follow-up matters.

The line wasn’t short, but Huang Mao looked at the crowd with a displeased expression.

"How is it only this many people? Back when the Survival Association was recruiting, that guy Sima just made a few casual promises and the line was at least three hundred people long. We’ve only got a little over two hundred. Something’s not right!"

Zhang Meng, who had a clearer understanding of the situation, patted Huang Mao on the shoulder.

"You have to consider the timing. In the first few days after we arrived, the school’s population hadn’t really decreased, and most students were so hungry they were seeing stars. Sima just had to sweet-talk them a little, and naturally, they joined in droves."

"But now, the number of surviving students is at most two-thirds of what it was back then. They all have their own minds and methods for survival. While you couldn’t say they’re living in luxury, they at least won’t starve in the short term, so naturally, they’re not in a rush."

"Besides, Brother Chen Chong’s show of force before he left was meant to deter those who just want to leech off others and wait to die, the ones with crooked intentions. With that in mind, it’s understandable that fewer people would sign up."

"But the upside is also obvious. The people signing up now are the ones who genuinely want to join the team. It won’t be like the Survival Association, where more than half the members took off just three days after joining."

Zhong Fang chimed in, "There’s one more thing. Brother Chong said our recruitment isn’t time-limited. People can join anytime, as long as they can accept the strict conditions."

"So, a lot of people are still on the fence, just watching. If you said it was for today only, the number of people in line would at least double."

"Oh, so that’s what’s going on." Huang Mao nodded, then suddenly realized something was off and looked at Zhong Fang. "I’ve been meaning to ask. You used to call him Brother Chen Chong, didn’t you? Why the switch to ’Brother Chong’?"

Zhong Fang smiled. "The team is getting bigger, and Chen Chong is our leader. We can’t be as casual as we used to be. Besides, I’m a part of the team now, so I have to set an example for the newcomers. Calling him Brother Chong is the proper thing to do. By the way, Zhang Meng, you should start calling him that too."

Zhang Meng was taken aback for a moment, then agreed. "Sure. I’ve wanted to change it for a while now. Never mind anything else, just based on everything Brother Chen Chong does for us, plus his ability to slay Extraordinary Creatures... calling him Brother Chong is hardly a loss for me!"

The men shared a hearty laugh, then went back to maintaining order around the high platform, chatting idly amongst themselves...

Initially, there were fewer than two hundred people lined up below the platform, but as time passed, the number gradually grew, with students joining the queue from time to time.

Clearly, they had weighed their options. Although the team’s rules were strict, even bordering on unreasonable, the benefits were also tangible.

Following a Transcendent like Chen Chong would drastically increase their chances of survival, and they could also get a share of the Blood-tooth Python soup.

They were taking a gamble—a gamble that they were making the right choice this time.

However, most people remained scattered throughout the square, merely watching the people lining up to register and the three large pots of snake meat soup gurgling and bubbling away.

It was unclear whether they were just waiting to see what happened or if they had no intention of joining at all.

The earlier scene of Chen Chong slaying all the Parasites had left everyone in utter shock, completely shattering their worldview. They all understood that within the school now, he was probably the strongest person there.

But that didn’t mean everyone was willing to follow him unconditionally.

After surviving for half a month in the Primitive Jungle, everyone understood the truth that the human heart could be treacherous.

No matter how appealing Chen Chong made the conditions sound, many still remained on their guard.

After all, if they were the type to believe everything anyone said, they never would have survived this long; they would have been eliminated in the first two weeks.

What’s more, besides the benefits, Chen Chong had also mentioned the drawbacks before he left.

Compared to other teams, the rules for joining this one could no longer be described as merely "strict"....

Because of this, a portion of those who remained were skeptical. They planned to wait and see for a while, to find out if those who joined were being exploited.

If it was truly as Chen Chong said—that he wanted to unite the school and lead everyone to a better life—then it wouldn’t be too late for them to join later.

Another group didn’t believe him at all, even thinking that Chen Chong had ulterior motives.

Not only did they have no intention of going forward to learn more, but they also scoffed internally, thinking that the people signing up were bound to suffer a major fall sooner or later.

The members of the Survival Association were the most prominent example of this mindset.

Sima stood in place, surrounded by dozens of Survival Association members.

Seeing this, someone couldn’t help but ask, "Chief, do you think what that guy Chen Chong said is true?"

Before Sima could answer, other members began to speak up disdainfully.

"Hmph, you even have to ask? Of course it’s fake. You think he’d be kind enough to share what he has with his subordinates? He even brought out Extraordinary-class items. Who does he think he’s fooling!"

"Exactly! It’ll probably be just like with us. They’ll have a lot of people at the start, but they’ll run off later. In this school, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a price!"

"The most crucial part is, if you join their team, you can’t even leave if you want to. The final outcome will be getting squeezed dry, no different from being slaves. The more they want to join now, the more they’ll regret it later!"

"I bet Chen Chong is after the Cards in these people’s hands. Otherwise, why would he go to all this trouble?"

"Definitely. I’ve known Chen Chong was no good from the very beginning. If these people follow him, they’re going to have a miserable end..."

Sima paid no attention to what his men were saying. His eyes were fixed on the high platform, his mind completely consumed by a single word: Transcendent.

After witnessing Chen Chong’s terrifying power and the bizarre nature of the Bloodthirsty Vine with his own eyes, he knew in his heart that to survive in this world, food was only the most basic requirement.