Chapter 155 - 143: Hunting Celestial List

Seeing the upper echelon remain silent, Zou Jianghe spoke up. "Why isn’t anyone saying anything?"

He looked toward Zhang Bo.

Zhang Bo glanced around and immediately said, "Chairman, you know me. My family only has a single Salt Well! I might have a shot at number one if we were ranking from the bottom up, but number one from the top? There’s no way."

Zou Jianghe averted his eyes, looking to Zhang Bo’s left at He Biao, captain of the first Hunting Team. He was one of the old guard who had followed Zou Jianghe the longest.

He Biao’s expression was unperturbed. He said slowly, "Chairman, you know how I am. My place is tiny, and I don’t even have an Expansion Card. How much could I possibly store? There’s no way number one could be me."

Zou Jianghe looked to his right.

Huang Tao quickly coughed. "Don’t look at me, Chairman. You know me. All the lumber and goods from my place go through the Alliance’s official channels. My income is public and transparent. I’ve earned a little, sure, but it has absolutely nothing to do with being number one."

Zou Jianghe surveyed the room. The higher-ups of the Alliance Association all started talking over each other, but every one of them denied being number one.

Zou Jianghe suddenly chuckled. "Interesting. So, by your logic, I guess that makes me number one?"

Huang Tao spoke up. "It doesn’t have to be someone from our Alliance Association."

As soon as he said that, Zou Jianghe’s gaze drifted into the distance, landing on Qin Ziwen.

"My Lord," Du Yu said, narrowing his eyes. His gaze locked onto Zou Jianghe, who was walking their way.

Zou Jianghe drew closer and said with a chuckle, "Ah, Younger Brother Qin, this new group insisted on meeting the top-ranked expert in our Gated Community. It’s a shame that person isn’t from our Alliance Association. I thought about it long and hard, and in the end, I figured it had to be you."

Qin Ziwen smiled without a word. He took a couple of steps forward, then glanced back to see Zou Jianghe standing still. "Chairman Zou," he called out, "let’s go."

’So it really is him.’ Zou Jianghe was inwardly shocked. He pushed his thoughts aside and quickened his pace to catch up.

Once he was beside Qin Ziwen, he lowered his voice and said, "Captain Qin, when we get over there, we are on the same side, aren’t we?"

"Of course."

"Good! Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease." Zou Jianghe laughed heartily.

In an open area outside the north gate of Yujing River City, piles of wood, firewood, and other materials had been gathered.

A middle-aged teacher in a gray suit and glasses stood silently by the entrance, flanked by seven or eight powerfully built students.

The moment Qin Ziwen stopped, he could feel eyes on him, watching from every floor of the teaching building before him.

He calmly raised his head and, in full view of everyone, began to carefully survey the building.

The first-floor walls of the teaching building were almost completely covered in dark brown bloodstains and black scorch marks. The doors and windows were nearly all destroyed. Peeking through the windows, he could see the rooms inside were empty—all the desks and chairs had been dismantled.

It looked as if the first floor had been abandoned.

The central staircase leading to the upper floors was blocked by a thick wooden door.

’Starting out in the residential buildings was so much better than starting here in this school,’ Qin Ziwen thought with a sigh.

This school building was crowded, with too many people and not enough rooms, offering almost no privacy.

On the upper-floor corridors, numerous students—both male and female—leaned over the railings, brazenly observing the newcomers.

"You’re number one?" The one who spoke was a young man in a basketball uniform, his arms wrapped in beast-hide bracers. He had a buzz cut, three scabbed-over scars on his face, and a piercing gaze. He exuded an air of lean, dangerous competence.

"Are you number two?" Qin Ziwen countered instead of answering.

The young man froze for a second, then shook his head, slightly embarrassed. "I’m fourth."

"Then who are second and third?" Qin Ziwen asked, scanning the area.

"I’m third," Zou Jianghe said calmly from the side.

Qin Ziwen couldn’t help but glance at Old Zou a few more times. ’Looks like Old Zou has been putting in the work at the Alliance,’ he thought.

Sensing Qin Ziwen’s gaze, Zou Jianghe stared at the ground, pretending he hadn’t noticed.

"I’m second. To be honest, I only achieved this rank thanks to the trust and help of my students." The bespectacled teacher pushed up his glasses. "My surname is Luo, given name Gang. I’ve invited you all here today mainly to discuss four matters. From now on, we’ll all be companions living in the same Gated Community. A little communication beforehand can help us avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

Qin Ziwen picked up the conversation. "My surname is Qin, Qin Ziwen. This is Zou Jianghe, the chairman of the Gated Community’s Alliance Association. The Alliance is also the largest organization in our community at the moment."

Zou Jianghe seized the opportunity to extend his hand, giving Luo Gang a firm shake. He then turned to the young man who had claimed to be fourth.

"I just follow Teacher Luo’s lead. My name is Cao Biansheng." The young man laughed, stepped forward to shake Zou Jianghe’s hand, and then turned to Qin Ziwen, offering his own.

As their palms met, Cao Biansheng raised an eyebrow. Seeing that Qin Ziwen’s expression remained unchanged, he began to subtly increase the pressure.

Five seconds later, they released their hands simultaneously. Cao Biansheng’s smile grew wider as he gave a thumbs-up. "Interesting. Very impressive. No wonder you’re number one. Seems the real masters are starting to show up."

"I should be the one saying that." Qin Ziwen could feel that Cao Biansheng’s strength was in no way inferior to his own.

’This can only mean his physical attributes have also reached the Five Stars level.’

Behind them, a couple of stifled gasps came from the group of students.

"Holy shit, Old Cao actually didn’t get the upper hand in that handshake."

"Damn, and Old Cao’s a beast who’s used two Enhancement Cards."

Cao Biansheng’s gaze burned as he looked past Qin Ziwen to Du Yu, eager for a challenge. He could sense that Du Yu was also a master. Moreover, Du Yu’s full set of Mountain Armor and the weapon in his hands were incredibly appealing, suddenly making the Iron-Plated Long Spear in his own hands feel a little lackluster. "Dude, that whole getup is sick. Can I touch it?"