"What do you want me to give in return?"
Huang Gang's words made Chu Fei fall into deep thought.
There's no such thing as a free lunch—
Unless you can kill the one offering it.
Countless thoughts flashed through Chu Fei's mind.
What exactly does the other party see in me?
His performance was decent, but only just that—decent.
Even if Dawn Squad wasn't the best, they were still far above what any normal person could reach.
After thinking it over, Chu Fei pushed the question back. "Captain Huang, you tell me. What do I need to give? Or rather, what do you see in me?"
Huang Gang laughed heartily, then said each word slowly and clearly, "I want a promise."
Chu Fei stayed silent, watching Huang Gang and waiting for him to elaborate.
Huang Gang spoke seriously, "After watching your battles and your learning performance, I believe you'll at least reach the level of a Half-Awakened in the future.
If, one day, you become a Half-Awakened, please consider joining Dawn Squad first.
And if you manage to become a full Awakened, I hope you can look after Dawn Squad."
Chu Fei suddenly understood. "So this is an investment?"
"No, not an investment!" Huang Gang shook his head. "An investment has clear requirements.
First, the squad must put in real resources—like brain neural enhancement drugs or training materials.
Second, the recipient is under obligation—such as being required to work at a certain place for a number of years after graduation.
Third, exclusivity—one person can only accept investment from one squad.
In contrast, Dawn Squad is just offering a simple training environment. All we ask is a verbal promise. Nothing more."
Chu Fei looked at Huang Gang in slight surprise. "Captain Huang, your terms… seem a bit… soft?"
Huang Gang sighed, a bit helpless. "Poverty limits ambition. Same goes for squads. Compared to Feiyun Squad or Greed Wolf Squad, Dawn Squad is just too small."
"But isn't Dawn Squad part of Dawn Academy? Doesn't the academy support you?"
"Alright, alright, too many questions. I'm just planning ahead!"
Chu Fei muttered, "When we first met, you said I was a young man with ambition but few words."
Laughter rang out around them.
Huang Gang snorted and tossed a few books into Chu Fei's chest. "Since you agreed, take these books home. Once you finish them, I'll teach you Gun Combat Techniques!"
"What books?" Huang Gang had spoken quickly and indistinctly—Chu Fei didn't quite catch it.
A veteran who had been maintaining equipment alongside Chu Fei chuckled. "They're about Gun Combat Techniques—a way of fighting using firearms. But in Dawn Squad, only Captain Huang has grasped its true essence. He's even taken down more than one real Awakened."
He actually killed real Awakened? Chu Fei's eyes lit up. "Can Gun Combat Techniques make bullets curve?"
"Curving bullets is nothing. They can even dance!" Captain Huang muttered as he walked off.
The old veteran clapped Chu Fei on the shoulder and left laughing.
Chu Fei flipped through the books—introductions to gun mechanics, structure, types, ballistics, and so on.
"Is this some kind of secret technique?"
Muttering to himself, Chu Fei hugged the books and left the squad base.
The sun was half set, and the tall city wall blocked half the sunlight, dyeing the top of the hill crimson while the lower half was steeped in shadow.
Looking at the dark, winding path up the hill, Chu Fei hesitated, then chose a smaller trail. It was a path left behind by Huang Gang and others when they patrolled the mountain.
He chose the smaller path because he remembered the angry looks from class leaders Li Honggang and Lu Hong, and how he had unknowingly offended the Greed Wolf Squad.
Maybe he was being overly cautious—but a man's life is his own.
Until he reached the top, he had to survive.
"I really need to grow stronger, fast," Chu Fei sighed, feeling the invisible pressure.
The sun fell quickly. Soon, the entire hill was cloaked in darkness; at the base, the forest paths were barely visible.
A gentle breeze blew through the mountain, carrying faint, intermittent voices.
At first, Chu Fei didn't pay attention. But as he walked on, the voices grew clearer.
"That's… Li Honggang's voice!
Are they really going to ambush me?!"
Chu Fei's eyes narrowed.
He instantly consumed a drop of Wisdom Dew. His consciousness sharpened.
His hearing could now distinguish even subtle sounds, and his vision became much keener.
He carefully examined his surroundings, determined the direction of the voices, and crept forward.
After advancing a hundred meters or so, Chu Fei stopped. He went no further.
Now, he could hear three voices—Li Honggang, Lu Hong, and Zhao Xiaofeng!
As he eavesdropped, Chu Fei's expression changed.
It turned out that Li Honggang and Lu Hong had already attracted the attention of Feiyun Squad. They had accepted an initial investment and were now bound to them. Even their positions as class leader and vice-leader were influenced by the squad.
But squads aren't charities. If you take my money, you do my work!
Their current task? Retrieve a certain item from a teacher's office.
Li Honggang and Lu Hong clearly panicked. They hadn't expected Zhao Xiaofeng to make such an "extreme" request.
As they hesitated, Zhao Xiaofeng "gently advised" them:
"You're already feeling the pressure of learning, right? How confident are you two about becoming Awakened?"
The mountain wind howled, bringing heavy breathing with it.
Clearly, the two were struggling.
Zhao Xiaofeng spoke softly, "Feiyun Squad always pays in advance. These are four doses of Super Brain Serum. The main ingredient is tetrahydrobiopterin bio-nucleoside, which optimizes brain neural systems by 3%, lasting about a month.
They cost at least ten thousand each and must be acquired through special channels.
If the job is successful, you'll get four more doses.
And regardless of whether it succeeds, it won't affect your current investment."
Finally, Li Honggang's coarse voice came. "We'll do it! But that Chu Fei guy is really ungrateful."
Lu Hong added, "Can we get rid of him?"
Chu Fei: …
Zhao Xiaofeng paused, then said in a serious tone, "Don't stir up trouble for now. The mission comes first.
Take the serum and see how you perform.
With the Super Brain Serum, you should be able to surpass Chu Fei."
Footsteps and rustling branches followed as the voices slowly faded into the distance.
Chu Fei didn't move. He waited another five or six minutes before returning cautiously via a different route.
When he finally reached the small plaza, he looked at the benches and wooden frames and felt a strange sense of familiarity.
What kind of twisted familiarity is this?
Suddenly, footsteps and voices sounded behind him. Turning around, he saw Li Honggang and Lu Hong walking toward him.
They circled around too?
Or had they already taken the serum?
Chu Fei greeted them enthusiastically, "What a coincidence! You guys came to train too?"
Li Honggang was stunned—and a little wary.
But before he could speak, Lu Hong smiled broadly and said, "Yeah, feels like I made some progress. You better keep up!"
Chu Fei gave Lu Hong a deep look. Compared to Li Honggang, this Lu Hong... might actually be dangerous.