Chapter 208: Quit?

Even though he took first place, Chen Qing Shan couldn't feel happy at all.

First, he has to deal with wave after wave of probes from other factions within the organization; he brushed them all off, after all, it's something he's been exposed to since childhood, so these aren't difficult for him. What truly troubles him is the renewed high expectations his own faction places on him!

"Qing Shan! You really have made a name for yourself now! If your father could see this, who knows how delighted he'd be!"

"Qing Shan, this kid's got prospects; when you said he was neglecting his duties, I said you were wrong. The Chen children are all late bloomers; look! Qing Shan is now so impressive, winning first place in two consecutive epic‑level Instances! This time he even led the second place by a huge margin!"

"The only one who had achieved this before was that little girl Wu Ya! What an accomplishment!"

"Our kid is so accomplished, why should that Zhu family brat dominate us?! Try again! The few of us old bones will stake our faces again! I won't believe that Qing Shan is any worse than them!"

The system is announcing the top hundred of the epic‑level Instance, and Chen Qing Shan is checking the group chat messages.

He didn't dare say a word, pretending he hadn't seen the messages.

Of course, stalling is not a solution; he can stall for a moment, but not forever.

Besides, those old men often come to his house looking for his father, and he knows exactly what temper they have.

If Chen Qing Shan stays silent for a long time, they'll simply stop taking his opinion into account.

Stubborn, controlling, and overbearing! That's exactly what those old antiques are like!

While Chen Qing Shan was agonizing over what to do, he suddenly received a private message, surprisingly from Zhu Xuan, whom he considered a mortal rival.

【Zhu Xuan】: What do you think?

What do you mean, think?

Chen Qing Shan furrowed his brows hard; already looking old, this frown made him look like a man in his forties, but now nobody cares about that.

What irritates Chen Qing Shan most is Zhu Xuan's tone! And what this person says!

Even though he's just a guy in his thirties, when he gets down to business he acts like a fifty‑ or sixty‑year‑old senior official!

Usually that's what he can't stand, but with Zhu Xuan there's an even more loathsome point: when this person occasionally arranges something, his tone and demeanor oddly resemble those of his father, who has never even shown his face!

Chen Qing Shan was already annoyed with him, and after discovering this, he could no longer control his disgust.

And now this guy contacts him; could it be that he feels threatened? That his footing has become unstable?

Chen Qing Shan admits that such speculation is unethical, but he truly can't help it.

He shook his head and replied irritably, "What?"

Zhu Xuan sighed; these matters didn't originally require his involvement, but it's this person.

When Zhu Xuan had just graduated, he spent a short stint under Chen Qing Shan's father's supervision, and that elder gentleman sincerely taught him many things.

Unfortunately, things later became somewhat unpleasant, and he hasn't seen his mentor for almost ten years.

He didn't expect that after the zones merged, he could be in the same zone as his mentor's son, Chen Qing Shan, and he certainly didn't anticipate that this playboy, whom everyone calls "unfocused" and "wasting his life on toys," would have such talent in this survival game.

Unfortunately, Chen Qing Shan had the disaster information wrong then; otherwise, not to mention him, the leading position and his whole faction wouldn't have much to do with it.

Zhu Xuan sighed and got straight to the point: "Do you want to be the leader?"

The moment Chen Qing Shan saw the message, he furrowed his brows. What does this mean?

Their relationship hasn't reached that level yet, has it? Is it even appropriate to ask that?!

He can't be trying to trap him, can he?

Out of caution, Chen Qing Shan only replied with two words: "Speak cautiously."

Zhu Xuan stared at those two characters for a while, then after a moment, gave a helpless smile.

After all, he's the elder gentleman's son; how bad can he possibly be?

Zhu Xuan shook his head and decided to be blunt.

【Zhu Xuan】: Quit the organization; it's better for both you and me.

Chen Qing Shan's pupils dilated as he stared at the line with his brows tightly knit.

Zhu Xuan must be crazy, right?

Absolutely crazy, right?!

Chen Qing Shan hasn't committed any wrongdoing, so it's certainly not his place to urge a withdrawal! Moreover, the current Chen Qing Shan hasn't even erred, and he's at the height of his fame and prestige!

Zhu Xuan actually comes to persuade him to quit at this moment?

Unreasonable!

Chen Qing Shan immediately closed the private chat with Zhu Xuan.

If we don't click, not a single word more! He must be insane to be chatting with this person.

【Zhu Xuan】: I'm worried about you.

【Zhu Xuan】: Our factions have always been at odds; you and I are both people pushed out, speaking of glory, but in fact we're just pawns in a power struggle. Either we both die in a mutual disaster, or I find you a way out. I don't have many resources to mobilize, but they should be enough to pave a path for you.

【Zhu Xuan】: Moreover, Guang Hui, the incident last time where he independently contacted "Straight‑forward Zhi" still hasn't yielded any result, but staying in the organization won't bring any good, so it's best if you all just leave together. You are old partners, and you can still look out for each other.

Chen Qing Shan said he wouldn't look, but he couldn't resist opening it.

He truly doesn't like this person, but since it concerns himself, this meeting has also calmed him considerably.

After carefully reading Zhu Xuan's message, Chen Qing Shan had to admit that every point he made was correct.

Whether it's about power or not, just looking at the uncles and elders in the group who praise him, it's clear that as long as he stays here, such matters will inevitably keep happening.

Quitting... actually isn't out of the question; he no longer depends on the organization to survive, yet still has to hand over a 20% tax, so every day is a deficit.

He was already fed up with this life and had no desire at all to become a leader. After all, in his previous life, he was so safe that he rebelled by becoming a mechanic; now that he could die at any moment, how could he stay trapped here?

And... why is Zhu Xuan willing to pave a way for him with supplies? Is this a condition for his exit?

Sure enough, he's worried that Chen Qing Shan's presence makes his own position unstable!

This thought made Chen Qing Shan curl his lips, but it quickly faded.

Even if he has no issue with all the above, what's up with Guang Hui?

Is it a freebie? Like buy one get one free?

Chen Qing Shan raised his hand to cover his eyes, laughing at his own thoughts.

He couldn't resist opening a private chat with Guanghui; they actually weren't that close, and the conversation had stalled at the last time they talked about the disaster. If we really count it... actually it was him who got Guanghui fired.

Go together? Look out for each other?

Chen Qing Shan sighed, shook their slightly swollen head, rested their hands on their forehead and thought for a while, but still agreed with Zhu Xuan's words.

Just that the exact time of the formal withdrawal hasn't been set yet.

They also don't plan to ask Zhu Xuan to pave the way for them; they're not close acquaintances, and they don't want to owe anyone anything.