Chapter 20

Chapter 020: Team Leader of the Special Task Force

The framework of the special task force was established in accordance with the proposal, adhering to the principle of "quality over quantity."

The team leader was personally appointed by the proposer, Zhuang Hongwen, which meant the task force would have direct access to the highest decision-making level, possessing extensive authority to mobilize military forces and other resources as needed.

According to convention, the top leader typically handles overall coordination and final decisions, while the command and execution of specific tasks are often delegated to a deputy specializing in such matters.

Therefore, the selection of the deputy team leader became a matter of utmost importance.

Several elites were successively nominated within the group, all of whom were highly capable individuals with illustrious resumes.

These people were more than qualified to serve as team members, but when it came to shouldering the responsibility of deputy team leader, it always seemed like something was missing.

This wasn't a lack of trust in their abilities, but rather because "facing the top of the list" carried immense weight.

The faction contribution points displayed at the top of the list, far surpassing everyone else, made the prospect of catching up seem almost hopeless.

The rules of the Trial Ground had long made clear the importance of faction contribution.

Moreover, this person was highly likely to be the mastermind behind the Fate Net.

Dealing with such an individual made the command and execution of related matters critically important.

It was no exaggeration to say that this task force represented the higher-ups' proactive preparation for the evolving power structure of the future.

Those in the group were well aware that they themselves were the remnants of a bygone era.

When it came to dealing with what might be a rising sun, they naturally proceeded with extreme caution, weighing every option repeatedly.

The discussion hit a deadlock.

Until someone turned their attention to the name ranked second on the Personal Contribution Ranking—

"Yu Jing."

"Perhaps... we could consider her."

"Her?"

At these words, a brief silence fell over the group.

Although, after the sudden crossing into the Trial Ground, past files and records no longer existed,

they had already arranged for personnel to re-collect information on the key figures on the list.

Yu Jing, who had revealed her true identity on the Fate Net Forum, had long been included in the relevant list.

Soon, her information was concisely presented in the discussion: a PhD degree from a law school, a clean family background, proper political roots, and a strong grasp of political awareness.

More importantly, her sharp insight demonstrated on the Fate Net, her provocative rhetorical skills, and her ability to shape her personal image and guide public opinion were particularly remarkable in the current special environment.

"Aside from the top-ranked anomaly, Yu Jing's ability to surpass everyone else and secure second place shows she has exceptional qualities."

"Contribution points alone may not fully equate to ability, but being able to amass such a massive amount of faction contribution in such a short time—this indicates her understanding and application of the Fate Net Forum's rules are extraordinary."

"Exactly. We need someone who is familiar with the Fate Net ecosystem, capable of potentially engaging in dialogue with the 'top of the list,' and at the same time politically reliable and adaptable."

"According to the data, she was just about to report to her unit right before the crossing?"

"That's right. She just graduated not long ago and is still very young."

"Will this work?"

"In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken."

"At least for now, this is the option that best fits all conditions and is most worth activating."

"Seconded."

Though doubts had not fully dissipated, in the absence of a better candidate, this choice—which met nearly all requirements—gradually gained consensus. Finally, after another round of brief weighing of pros and cons, the proposal to invite Yu Jing as Deputy Team Leader was approved within the group.

...

At the same time, in another area of the Trial Ground.

Within a primeval forest, Yu Jing walked alone. She held the silver long-barreled pistol with its thick muzzle in her hand, her steps unhurried yet resolute as she advanced deeper into the woods. This behavior was a stark contrast to the "fear of the wilderness" persona she had meticulously crafted on the Fate Net.

Although that persona was fabricated, had this been before, she would never have risked venturing so deep into such unknown danger. Her newfound confidence came from the gift of the golden chest she had obtained not long ago.

Her steps now seemed casual, even a bit hurried, and she only gave her surroundings a cursory glance, appearing utterly unwary. Yet, if anyone could glimpse the depths of Yu Jing's eyes, they would see a completely different scene.

A faint, ethereal blue data stream flowed silently within her gaze, like a precision scanning matrix, converting all surrounding information—light, temperature, air currents, biological heat sources, vegetation density, and more—into data. This flood of information poured into her mind, was efficiently processed, and sketched out a meticulous Holographic Situation Map.

This was not mere visual observation but a more comprehensive form of sensory perception. Thus, when a seemingly ordinary patch of grass about a dozen meters away swayed with an extremely subtle disturbance, Yu Jing instantly detected the anomaly.

Her steps halted, and almost simultaneously, she raised her arm and aimed the gun, the muzzle steadily pointing at that spot. A stream of blue data light, like a living thing, spread from her arm, rapidly crawling over the silver gun body. Finally, it converged and compressed furiously inside the chamber. The entire pistol seemed infused with energy, emitting a sci-fi and deadly glow.

Just as the blue light blazed to its peak—

"Roar!"

A low, ferocious beastly roar exploded!

The grass burst apart to both sides as a massive, striped beast resembling a saber-toothed tiger lunged out. Its limbs pushed off the ground, muscles bulging, carrying a gust of foul wind as its gaping maw snapped directly at her.

Facing such a terrifying charge, Yu Jing's eyes held a steady blue light, her calmness bordering on indifference. She merely adjusted the angle of her gun-holding arm by an infinitesimal amount, as if she had already calculated everything. Then, she pulled the trigger.

There was no deafening blast, only a low hum of energy. A condensed, blazingly bright blue beam shot from the muzzle! It was not a solid bullet but more like a highly concentrated energy bolt, moving at an inconceivable speed. This shot seemed to track its target, precisely entering the beast's wide-open mouth and exiting through the back of its skull!

The beast's fierce forward charge abruptly froze.

The massive head vanished as if instantly vaporized by extreme heat the moment the blue beam swept past.

Only a ring of charred, carbonized marks remained at the severed neck, not a single drop of blood splattering out.

The enormous body slid forward by inertia.

Yu Jing's expression remained unchanged.

The moment she pulled the trigger, her right foot, clad in a black boot, had already been elegantly raised.

Just before the headless beast's corpse was about to crash into her.

The tip of her boot precisely pressed against the sliding, heavy body, stopping it with ease.

And with that, the hunt was over.

The entire process was fluid, calm, precise, and efficient, carrying an almost artistic composure.

As if this wasn't a life-or-death struggle, but a meticulously choreographed drill.

"Elegance never goes out of style."

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, and the blue light in her eyes gradually faded.

With a thought, she stored the entire several-hundred-kilogram prey through the Fate Net space.

Since processing this giant beast alone would take too much time.

On her way back to the cabin, she directly listed it on the Trading House.

She set a high price, but one that still left room for profit.

[Complete Headless Tiger Beast x 486 kg]

[Description: No time to break it down and process it. Selling the whole thing cheap. Price already leaves room for profit. Buy now while supplies last.]

[Seller: Yu Jing]

[Price: 3,000 Fate Points]

[Status: For Sale]

As Yu Jing's description indicated, this price still held a huge profit margin.

If someone took the time to break it down and sell it piece by piece, the final profit could more than double.

However, at the moment, there were very few individuals or teams who could come up with three thousand Fate Points at once.

But she also believed that by now, some smart people had already earned their "first pot of gold" and were in need of this kind of high-quality, easy-to-sell meat source to solidify their advantage or continue accumulating.

Sure enough, the prey was quickly purchased.

Having raked in a fortune, Yu Jing calmly began browsing the Trading House for lunch.

The Trading House had been online for over two hours now.

It was a bit late for lunch, but the food items for sale had become more varied as a result.

Yu Jing simply put together a meal for lunch.

Of course, it only looked simple—in reality, this single meal cost over a hundred Fate Points.

At this moment, that was nothing short of extravagant.

She considered it a celebration for her renewed self after opening the Golden Chest.

She savored her meal slowly.

Fifteen minutes later, Yu Jing had just set down her utensils.

A communication came through on the Fate Net.

"I am Zhuang Hongwen."

After a brief exchange, a thoughtful look appeared in Yu Jing's eyes.

"A special task force with extremely high authority, huh..."

She hesitated for almost no time, her expression suddenly calm:

"I'm in."