Chapter 177: Flagpole (Alliance Chief Bonus 3/10)

They waited for Tong Bin and the others to walk out of the hall.

Shi Yuanjun gestured and called Song Yu to his side, speaking gently: "I know you don't like Tong Bin, but Qingbei wants to develop in a higher direction, so it should have the magnanimity to embrace all; as a leader, you should even more set aside personal preferences."

"Principal, I don't have that idea……"

"You've seen my situation; sooner or later, Qingbei will be led by one of the three of you."

"Why can't we……"

"Do you still remember what I told you?" Shi Yuanjun interrupted him: "Everyone having rights equals no one having rights; this principle holds in peaceful prosperous times, let alone now. Organizational matters can be discussed and opinions given, but ultimately only one person can decide, even if that person is Tong Bin."

"Aren't you afraid our internal strife will let Yi Zhong profit?" Song Yu, not knowing what came to mind, felt somewhat disinterested.

Shi Yuanjun shook his head: "Yi Zhong is merely a stumbling block on the road ahead; you shouldn't regard them as opponents. Moreover, resolving internal strife is a basic course for anyone in power; if even this level of conflict cannot be quelled, there's no point thinking about the future."

Song Yu wanted to say something, but ultimately just nodded in acceptance.

After speaking too much at once, Shi Yuanjun's breathing became uneven; after a few breaths, he asked again: "What exactly is the situation with Chen Mu?"

"Everything I said is true."

"Are you sure there's no way to recruit him?"

"I was doubtful at first; he also gathered a group behind him, now confirmed to be the No. 9 gathering point. Judging by their ability to repel Yi Zhong head-on, I estimate their numbers are no less than fifteen."

"I still know a bit about Chen Mu." Shi Yuanjun suddenly sighed.

"Oh?"

"The head of the welfare institute where he stayed as a child was my classmate; he once greeted me and asked me to look after him a bit. You know, it's not easy for a welfare institute to produce such a seedling, but that kid was too low-key; I later didn't think of him—he was in Class Five, right……"

"Class Four." Song Yu interjected, without adding more.

Shi Yuanjun looked a bit embarrassed: "Is it Dong Junwei's class?"

"Yes."

Song Yu said: "I just suspect that Chen Mu is together with Dong Junwei and them."

"If it's Class Four, that's indeed possible." Shi Yuanjun nodded, lost in thought.

"Because of Dong Junwei?" Song Yu could talk about this topic all day without getting tired.

Shi Yuanjun gave him a half-smile glance that made Song Yu a bit embarrassed, then said: "Dong Junwei is indeed outstanding, and it's no wonder you can't forget her, but the person Class Four should really focus on is not her."

"Who then?"

"Did you used to know Tang Jing?" Shi Yuanjun asked.

Song Yu smiled: "Principal, although I didn't devote much thought to studies, I still know Tang Jing, the top of the grade, though I've never spoken to her." Song Yu said.

"If this girl were still alive today, she'd probably be Qingbei's biggest rival."

"Is that an exaggeration?" Song Yu blinked in surprise.

"You've also seen the strength of the No. 9 gathering point; to say Tang Jing had no contribution there, I find it hard to believe." Shi Yuanjun said: "Because of Dong Junwei's family connections, Class Four recruits according to elite class standards, though it's not openly stated."

"Dong Junwei's family……?" Song Yu's ears perked up.

"Old Dong is a figure with far-reaching influence." Shi Yuanjun sighed: "But talking about this now is meaningless."

Song Yu actually wanted to keep talking about Dong Junwei, but felt embarrassed to bring it up himself, so he hinted: "What about Tang Jing……"

Shi Yuanjun took a deep breath before saying: "If Tang Jing is indeed leading the No. 9 survivors' gathering point, I still suggest opening the situation through cooperation."

"But what if they don't agree?"

"Then we might as well resolve it with force as soon as possible; otherwise, once they grow, none of you will be a match for Tang Jing." As Shi Yuanjun spoke these words, his speech slowed and grew increasingly labored.

"What exactly is special about her?" Song Yu, for a moment not noticing the principal's change, frowned in thought.

"I can't explain it clearly, but she……"

As Shi Yuanjun was saying this, he suddenly went "wah" and spat out a mouthful of blood.

……

After a frantic rescue effort, Shi Yuanjun fell into a deep sleep in his own room.

Song Yu closed the door for him, then went down the spiral staircase to the floor below.

This is the fifteenth level of the round building, also the second level from the top.

The top level, namely the sixteenth floor, is occupied solely by the principal.

The fifteenth floor houses three people—Song Yu, Tong Bin, plus a female student.

Of course, they each have a single room.

But the lower you go, the worse the living conditions become.

The lowest level is the hall.

Above the hall, the second level has six rooms, each housing eight people.

……

Song Yu returned to his room.

The room is still rather simple, but at least it has a set of table and chair and a bed; know that below the sixth floor, people sleep directly on floor mats.

Qingbei can guarantee the safety and food of all its core members, but compared to before, it's naturally far off by eighty thousand miles; of course, no one would judge today's life by past standards—even the lowest members, eight people sleeping on floor mats in one room, are better off than sleeping out in the wind and dew.

Song Yu walked to the window.

On the steel wall is embedded a transparent plastic sheet—this is the window.

Naturally, it cannot be opened.

One reason is safety; another is that the technology isn't sufficient yet.

Song Yu looked out through the window at the vast playground that seemed boundless; he imagined himself turning into a small bird, flying through the window freely outward.

Flying mid‑air, he turned his head back and saw a huge metal pole standing before him.

That is the flagpole in front of the playground.

……

Yu Yuan hardly slept all night.

He was really too excited.

The three of them chatted all night, and when they started feeling sleepy, they discovered it was already daylight.

After only dozing for a short while, they heard people in the neighboring rooms getting up and leaving one after another.

As newcomers, they dared not stay in bed at this time; the three of them could only struggle to get up, bearing dark circles under their eyes.

Besides being tired, Yu Yuan also noticed a slight change in his body.

He actually felt hungry.

He hadn't experienced this feeling for so long that it made him feel both novel and frightened.

Before, when it was just the three of them, Yu Yuan could also feel his sense of fullness decreasing day by day, but that decline was very slow, allowing him to roughly estimate how much longer he could endure.

However, after only staying here one night, upon waking he became ravenously hungry, which made Yu Yuan somewhat worried, fearing that his superpower might suddenly disappear.

Losing his superpower wouldn't be a problem in itself, but he was afraid that others would then despise him because of it.

Just as he was at a loss, he heard someone shout from not far away: "Breakfast is ready!"

"There's still breakfast?"

Yu Yuan instantly cast aside his worries and rushed toward the cafeteria.

Everyone sat down neatly, and Feng Xiao Yu and Qian Fei distributed the food.

The breakfast was relatively simple: rice mashed and formed into patties, plus each person got a carrot and a tomato.

For Yu Yuan and the other two, this was already quite abundant.

However, after everyone had received their portions, Yu Yuan discovered that he alone had been overlooked—even Li Bo and Zhou Xu Liang had gotten theirs.

Could it be that they already knew his superpower had disappeared?

Yu Yuan instantly fell into despair.

But the next moment, he heard a girl's voice say to him: "Yu Yuan, your breakfast isn't here."

Yu Yuan recognized that senior girl; her name was Tang Jing.

Everyone in Qiming held her in great respect, so he certainly dared not be careless.

"Senior Tang, what should I eat?"

"Over there."

Tang Jing pointed behind him.

As Yu Yuan turned around, Wei Dalei's tall figure blocked his view; all he saw was Old Wei shouldering a huge wooden crate, which he slammed to the ground with a boom.

The crate was filled to the brim with tomatoes.

"Come, try eating a crate first."

Tang Jing revealed a warm, hospitable smile,