"Alright, stop complaining. Our Third Training Institute has always been the stepchild—this isn't the first day you've known that." Another instructor who had come along with him advised calmly.
Their Third Training Institute had poor student quality, weak teaching staff, and always finished last in the annual competition. As a result, they received the worst resources the next year—a vicious cycle that was hard to break.
"Wasn't it said earlier that that Chu family girl was going to enroll? The principal was thrilled when he saw the sponsorship money from the Chu family. Ha, but it all came to nothing—she didn't show up."
"I told the director not to get his hopes up. The ordinary folks don't know what the Chu family has done, but do we? Having her Spiritual Power destroyed twice—anyone with a shred of pride wouldn't accept the Chu family's sugar-coated bullets."
The instructor in front laughed. "You always tell me to keep my pride in check, but your words aren't holding back at all. The Chu family isn't something the two of us former soldiers can evaluate."
"But it's just you here—are you going to report me?" the other instructor teased.
"Definitely not. I despise the Chu family's ways too. Still, it's better that Chu Ran is mediocre. Even now, there are plenty of eyes secretly watching her."
"Alright, let's transport these back. Just in time for the new rookies who are a bit restless—time to let them blow off some steam."
The next day, Chu Ran followed Wang Ping'an to the Garbage Dump.
Three or four months had passed, but the bloodstains from the Zerg invasion were still visible at the dump. The buildings near the entrance had been repaired, but the farther in they went, the more dilapidated it became—crumbling walls were everywhere.
Wang Ping'an pulled Chu Ran behind him. "Stay close. The order here has gotten even worse lately."
During the Zerg invasion, it became clear what "equality" really meant. Whether you were a high-level big shot or a low-level grunt, everyone died in seconds before the Zerg.
Many of the territories that had been carefully divided became ownerless, fought over by those who survived. The constant conflicts gave ambitious people opportunities.
Like these eight standing in front of them.
The leader had a fierce look, a face full of mean muscle, and a bloodstained steel pipe in his hand. The ripped clothes on his burly frame made the muscles stand out even more.
There had been a few people on the street earlier, but they had all run away.
"You're living pretty well, kid—hot girl by your side, making money too." The leader's tone was hostile.
"Man Er, what do you think you're doing? Your boss warned you just two days ago." Wang Ping'an's expression was alert, his right hand secretly reaching for his laser gun.
"Doing?" Man Er sneered, gripping the steel pipe and swinging it viciously at Wang Ping'an's hand that was reaching for the gun. "Taking this chance to set up my own turf."
The force was so great it whistled through the air.
Wang Ping'an had survived in the dump for so long, so his reflexes were naturally fast, but at the same time, two men lunged at Chu Ran, startling him. That moment of hesitation was all it took—the steel pipe was about to smash into his wrist.
The next second, the pipe was kicked away.
"Don't space out in a fight!"
Before the words had faded, Chu Ran turned and swung her leg in a roundhouse kick at the two men charging at her.
Wang Ping'an snapped out of it and didn't hesitate. With a bang, his laser gun shot through Man Er's right leg, then he quickly turned and fired at another man.
Man Er fell to his knees, his right leg gushing blood. He spat, his eyes vicious, and shouted back at the people behind him, "What are you waiting for?! I didn't bring you in as partners just to watch!"
The men behind exchanged glances, figuring Wang Ping'an probably didn't have any other illegal items on him, so they drew their guns and aimed at him. "Wang Ping'an, how about you just give up? We don't want your life—just want to borrow some startup funds."
"Bullshit! That's my money!" Wang Ping'an obviously knew the men behind, and he cursed angrily.
"Sure, but money always flows to the strong, right?" The speaker suddenly paused, his eyes uncertainly fixed on Chu Ran.
In Chu Ran's hand, a meter-long rod had appeared out of nowhere. It was pure black, with faint golden light glimmering at its tip.
"A... a Special Artifact?"
Hearing that, one of the gunmen's expression shifted, and he turned to run. But he wasn't faster than the rod as it came crashing down.
The rod struck him accurately on the temple. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Another man quickly reached out to grab the rod, but he grasped only air. It seemed to have a mind of its own, nimbly dodging his hand.
With a graceful arc, the rod returned to Chu Ran's hand.
The remaining men stared at the rod, their eyes filled with greed and awe.
A Creation imbued with divine power—even a Basic Creation was something ordinary people could hardly obtain.
Chu Ran's mind stirred slightly. She felt a twitch in her heart, but it soon quieted down.
She had tried this many times at home before, but it had never reacted like this.
What was different this time?
Wang Ping'an swallowed. Damn, she was holding a Central Star apartment in her hand!
He wondered if he'd get a chance to touch it later. Wait, no—there were so many people here. They needed to figure out how to keep this Special Artifact safe first!
If he'd known she had a Special Artifact, he would've just given away the money in his Light Brain accounts. After all, he had more than one Light Brain and more than one account.
Wang Ping'an cautiously watched the four men not far away, secretly pressing a hidden button on his laser gun. They couldn't leave any witnesses this time.
Lucky for him, Chu Ran had the same idea.
Without the golden light, the black rod looked exactly like the Basic Creations sold online.
To avoid suspicion that she had made it herself, Chu Ran had even ordered some identical-looking Basic Creations from StarNet.
If she wanted to minimize trouble, it was best if everyone who saw it died.
Almost simultaneously, both sides attacked.
The men aimed to kill Wang Ping'an this time, attacking ruthlessly. But Chu Ran and Wang Ping'an were just as ruthless, their weapons aimed at the opponents' heads.