Chapter 247 - 154: The School’s Number 1 Team, a Meeting to Announce the Rules, and Jia Wen’s Thoughts

Chapter 247: Chapter 154: The School’s Number 1 Team, a Meeting to Announce the Rules, and Jia Wen’s Thoughts

Ning Yu sat by the simple sickbed, her face etched with exhaustion. She had clearly been on watch all night.

The laborers and maids saw Chen Chong and moved to bow, but he raised a hand to stop them.

’Figures recruited with Recruitment Cards are too hung up on hierarchy,’ Chen Chong thought. ’No matter how many times I tell them not to, they still act like this.’

’But it has its perks. They show absolute loyalty to their "master," which is clear from the Loyalty Value I can see...’

"How are they?"

Chen Chong asked as he approached Ning Yu.

Ning Yu looked up, her eyes bloodshot.

"They’re okay for now. Their lives are saved, but a full recovery will depend on how they heal."

Chen Chong gazed at the two figures lying before him, their bodies wrapped in white bandages stained with a reddish-green mixture of blood and herbal medicine. He nodded slightly.

"As long as they’re alive, that’s what matters. Here, this is for you."

Taking the seven-foot Bone Sword Whip from Wang Biao, Chen Chong held it out to Ning Yu.

Ning Yu stared, slightly taken aback. The weapon looked completely different from her previous seven-foot blade.

’Did he get me a different weapon?’ she wondered.

Chen Chong noticed her hesitation and explained, "It’s yours. Don’t worry that it looks different. Check its information; you might be pleasantly surprised."

Curious, Ning Yu accepted the Bone Sword Whip. Information about the Extraordinary Weapon instantly flooded her mind.

Her expression shifted rapidly, shock flickering across her face again and again.

After a long moment, she looked at Chen Chong, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Satisfied?"

Ning Yu nodded emphatically. "Very satisfied!"

"That’s good then."

"Thank you."

Chen Chong just smiled, saying nothing more.

After giving the Bone Sword Whip to Ning Yu, Chen Chong glanced around the room.

He saw Shen Xinrou and the Medicine Lady, each busy with their duties and tending to the injured. Since they hadn’t noticed him, he decided not to call out to them.

’After all, they’re already physically and mentally exhausted dealing with so many wounded and a constant stream of new patients every day. I can’t help with any of this, and drawing attention to myself would only add to their stress.’

’It would be great if I could find more medical-type recruits in the future.’

’Even if I can’t, I could select some of the new female members and have them help out in the infirmary to ease their burden.’

Once Chen Chong confirmed the infirmary was running smoothly and everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion, he didn’t linger. He quietly led his people out...

Leaving the infirmary, the group headed straight for the gymnasium.

It had long since become the team’s main base of operations.

Not only was it filled with various structures and stockpiles of food and resources, but it was also slated to be the main activity area for future team members.

Before they even reached the building, they saw groups of people gathered in twos and threes near the entrance.

Some stood on either side like sentries, while others huddled in conversation, their low murmurs occasionally punctuated by loud talk and laughter. They were clearly discussing something interesting.

Just then, the students at the entrance spotted Chen Chong and his group approaching.

They froze for a second, then quickly began tugging on their companions’ sleeves.

"Brother Chong!"

The greeting echoed from one person to the next.

Chen Chong looked at the unfamiliar faces, a little surprised.

’It’s obvious,’ he thought, ’these must be the new members.’

’Even though I don’t recognize them, it’s clear they recognize me from my speech and actions in the plaza yesterday.’

With a faint smile, he nodded to them one by one as he walked into the gymnasium.

The students outside watched him go with reverence, their eyes filled with unconcealed admiration and longing.

In their eyes, Chen Chong, a Transcendent, was an almost godlike figure.

They had joined the team not only for a better chance at survival in this new world but also to chase the dream of becoming Transcendents themselves.

Chen Chong was their benchmark, the very ideal they aspired to be...

The scene inside the gymnasium was even more bustling than outside.

The once-empty space, which had only contained a couple dozen small structures and assorted clutter, now had neat rows of wooden racks, tables, and chairs arranged at the front, all being used to air-dry chunks of Blood-tooth Python meat.

In a nearby corner, a large crowd was gathered around piles of burning firewood and workstations laden with basins of coarse salt, systematically smoking and curing batch after batch of the python meat.

Everyone had a clearly defined role, and they worked with incredible speed. At a glance, it looked like the beginnings of a factory production line.

The sanitation, however, wasn’t quite up to code.

’Then again, in an environment like this, it would be weirder if it was...’

"Brother Chong."

"Brother Chong!"

"Brother Chong..."

As Chen Chong and his group moved deeper into the gym, more and more people noticed his arrival, and the same greeting kept echoing.

The calls rose and fell, one after another. Everyone who saw Chen Chong immediately stopped their work to call out a greeting.

The reverence in their voices and the longing on their faces were identical to the students outside.

Just then, Zhong Fang, who was on the second floor, caught sight of Chen Chong’s party. He hurried downstairs, a broad, hearty smile on his face.

Even before he got close, he called out cheerfully, "Brother Chong!"

Before Chen Chong could respond, Xu Jun, who was beside him, started to tease.

"Well, well, Zhong. Did you and Zhang Meng cook this up beforehand? Why is everyone suddenly calling him ’Brother Chong’?"

Zhong Fang wasn’t the least bit embarrassed, just chuckled slyly.

"Isn’t it only natural?" he said. "I’m with Chen Chong now. If I don’t sound buddy-buddy, what happens when the team gets bigger and they decide to kick me out?"

His banter sent the whole group into a roar of laughter.

Chen Chong shook his head in resignation. "Alright, that’s enough joking around. I was at the library all last night dealing with the first wave of Parasites and didn’t get back to rest until late. I couldn’t check on the recruitment progress. How’s it going?"