Chapter 8 – Su Ziyun Goes on the Offensive

Time passed quietly as Ye Chen stayed with Gu Qingci.

To help the girl in his arms forget her sadness completely, Ye Chen resorted to his old tricks, the same playful antics that had never failed since they were children. He imitated the meows of the stray cats they used to feed together when they were kids, then recounted embarrassing stories like the time he blew up half the lab during a chemistry experiment.

At first, Gu Qingci listened quietly in his arms with a faint smile on her lips. But soon, Ye Chen’s exaggerated performances and vivid storytelling made her burst out laughting.

That smile was like sunlight breaking through after rain, instantly dispelling all the gloom in her eyes.

Seeing her smile again, Ye Chen let out a sigh of relief.

Night had fallen without them realizing it.

The noise and shock of the day seemed to have been swallowed by the boundless darkness.

Beside the bus, a campfire was burning brightly. The crackling orange-red flames dispelled the chill of the wilderness and brought a touch of warmth and security to this small team.

The restless Qin Lan had already scouted the safe zone for several kilometers around during the day.

The results were exactly as the system said. Apart from the seemingly endless straight road and the boundless desolation on both sides, there were no signs of any wildlife activity. It was almost too safe.

Now, everyone was gathered around the campfire, enjoying their first dinner in this world.

At An Ran’s strong recommendation, the preparation of food had to be healthy.

They crushed the compressed biscuits, mixed them with purified water in precise proportions, and heated the mixture into a thick paste over the fire.

In An Ran’s words: “Liquid food is easier to digest and absorb, maximizes energy replenishment, and reduces gastrointestinal burden.”

Although the taste was really not good, no one complained.

In the apocalypse, being able to eat something warm was already a luxury.

The atmosphere inside the bus was warm and peaceful, like a camping trip in the wilderness.

But this tranquility was soon broken.

Su Ziyun set down the bag in her hands. Her gaze swept briefly over Lin Wanqing and Zhou Siyu. The three exchanged a knowing look.

“Everyone, there is something we need to decide on now.”

Su Ziyun’s voice wasn’t loud, but it immediately made everyone stop what they were doing and turn their attention to her.

“Regarding our vehicle’s SSS-rank talent, [Many Children, Many Blessings].”

The moment those words were spoken, the faint warmth that had just risen in the air instantly cooled down.

The girls’ expressions became somewhat complicated and unnatural again.

“Now?”

Qin Lan frowned. She was the first to raise an objection.

“Didn’t we just acquire a massive energy reserve through Lin Wanqing’s trades? We’re not short on resources right now. Is there really such an urgent need to…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

With resources not being scarce, immediately activating a plan that involved ethics and emotion didn’t seem so urgent.

“Yes, there is.”

It was Lin Wanqing who answered.

Her lenses reflected the light of the campfire, making her look cold and sharp.

“Qin Lan, you need to think from an asset allocation perspective. What is our greatest asset right now? It’s not the resources that can be bought and traded, but the [Many Children, Many Blessings] talent itself.”

“It is an SSS-rank talent with a unique attribute as rated by the system. That means its output will most likely surpass any other resource acquisition method we know of.”

“A top-tier production tool begins generating incalculable cost the very second it sits idle.”

“By not using it now, we are wasting our team’s core advantage.”

“From the perspective of return on investment, this is absolutely the wrong decision.”

Lin Wanqing’s analysis was filled with a capitalist’s cold ruthlessness.

Before Qin Lan could say anything, Zhou Siyu, who had been quietly thinking, also spoke up.

“Lin Wanqing’s utilitarian perspective is logically sound.”

She spoke in her unique tone, as if deconstructing a concept.

“I’d like to add something. From an existential standpoint, as long as the [Many Children, Many Blessings] talent exists, it will inevitably become an option we must use for the sake of collective survival.”

“Its use is only a matter of time.”

“Since it is inevitable, the difference between sooner and later boils down logically to the amount of returns.”

“According to Lin Wanqing’s analysis, starting earlier yields higher returns.”

“Therefore, from a pure rational perspective, we should activate it now.”

Lin Wanqing argued the necessity from an economic perspective. Zhou Siyu argued the inevitability from a philosophical one.

Together, the two top geniuses formed an irrefutable logical loop.

Qin Lan opened her mouth, but ultimately chose silence, which can be considered as a tacit acknowledgment.

Although the other girls still showed traces of inner struggle, as geniuses in their own fields, they understood that this decision was the right one.

“Since there are no objections, then…”

Su Ziyun’s gaze swept across everyone, and she posed the most critical and most sensitive question.

“Who will be the first?”

By the campfire, dead silence descended instantly.

The only sound was the crackling of the flames.

The girls instinctively avoided each other’s gaze. No one spoke.

Even if their reason could accept all of this, being the first to break the taboo still required immense courage.

Seeing the hesitation and difficulty on everyone’s faces, a glint of determination flashed in Su Ziyun’s eyes.

She stood up and looked calmly at everyone.

“I’ll do it.”

Short and simple words, yet they were like a stabilizing force, instantly steadying everyone’s wavering hearts.

“As your teacher and the head of this team, it is only right that I bear the responsibility of being first.”

Her voice was steady and firm, devoid of any personal emotion, as if she were announcing the most ordinary decision.

“Today, I will be the first.”

“Starting tomorrow, for the sake of fairness, we will determine the daily participant by drawing lots.”

This arrangement not only demonstrated her sense of responsibility but also established fair rules for the future, instantly dispelling the last traces of doubt and awkwardness in everyone’s hearts.

“Teacher Su…”

Gu Qingci looked at Su Ziyun, her eyes filled with conflict. She was about to say something.

But Su Ziyun seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She gave Lin Wanqing and Zhou Siyu a subtle glance.

“I agree with Teacher Su’s arrangement,” Lin Wanqing immediately said, her voice cold.

“This is the optimal solution under current circumstances, balancing efficiency and fairness.”

“Logically consistent. I have no objections.” Zhou Siyu also nodded in agreement.

“I… I have no objections either.” Qin Lan scratched her neat short hair, a hint of admiration in her voice.

“Agreed.”

“I second that.”

As the other girls chimed one after another, Gu Qingci’s unspoken words were completely cut off before they could even leave her mouth.