Chapter 220 - 219: Not Good-looking

Chapter 220: Chapter 219: Not Good-looking

After Han Xu left the pool hall, Feng Ling turned to Ye Zheng, dumbfounded. "How can you have no reaction at all?"

’Didn’t you hear him say he was going to give me a funeral just like yours?’

Ye Zheng was as calm as Han Xu had been at the very beginning. "You’ll get used to it. Just do what you need to do. Don’t pay too much attention to these propaganda campaigns."

Feng Ling tilted her head. "...Propaganda?"

Ye Zheng said, "It’s just as his words implied. The populace needs a morale boost, so the authorities will capitalize on any opportunity for propaganda to create the illusion that victory is assuredly ours. Historically, in every long war, high public morale and fighting spirit have been paramount. You could also understand it as a kind of faith."

She paused for a few seconds, looked at Feng Ling, and said, "There’s a dedicated class on this in the Inspector’s initial training. When Inspectors are alive, they fight and kill to strive for victory. When Inspectors die, they lay the foundation for victory. So, whether in life or death, everything is for the final victory. Humanity will prevail."

Feng Ling couldn’t help but say, "That sounds a lot like hypnotic brainwashing."

Hearing this, Ye Zheng was silent for a moment before saying, "It depends on how you interpret it. We prefer to think of it as a beautiful vision, like how people are always saying, ’Things will get better.’ So, to avoid unnecessary internal friction, making Inspectors firmly believe that humanity will prevail and recognize their own self-worth allows the entire Inspector corps to realize its greatest potential."

Feng Ling noticed that when Ye Zheng discussed these topics, she was always exceptionally clear-headed. She didn’t regret becoming an Inspector at all because of her physical distortion; instead, she just lucidly hated the Alien Species and the Star Association.

"Alright... In this situation, there really isn’t much difference between self-hypnosis and a beautiful vision," Feng Ling sighed. "Believing you’ll win is a lot better than worrying you’ll lose every day."

Ye Zheng gave a slight nod and said in a low voice, "The reasoning is actually simple. As long as the people continue to have faith, the country won’t descend into chaos, order won’t collapse, and socioeconomic activities will function as usual, allowing ordinary people to live their lives in peace. You might not know this, but some countries have already fallen into a state of anarchy. The United Nations Security Council once tried to form an international rescue force, but now, everyone can barely protect themselves, so they can’t spare the extra personnel for rescue missions."

As Ye Zheng spoke, she thought of the Hunter Alliance project, a collaboration between the Pei Group and the Supervision Bureau.

It was a business.

Although she deeply resented viewing people as resources, she had to admit that Inspectors and Hunters were now like a new kind of "oil" that every country in the world was desperate to possess.

The great fanfare surrounding Feng Ling’s entry into the Maze today might very well be a "military exercise" designed to showcase their international influence.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Feng Ling touched her face. "Is there something on it?"

Ye Zheng withdrew her gaze. "It’s nothing... I was just thinking, if you can successfully conquer the Maze this time, an international rescue organization might invite you. After all, Hunters with your level of strength are few and far between in this world."

Feng Ling’s mouth twitched.

Though she hadn’t said a word, Ye Zheng could read it all on her face: ’What a hassle,’ ’I don’t have time,’ ’Whoever wants to go can go.’

Ye Zheng thought, ’I should drag her to a couple of political education classes to raise her ideological awareness.’

’No, a couple might not be enough. It’d take twenty.’

Footsteps sounded at the entrance of the pool hall, and Xu Yiming returned from outside.

He wiped the sweat from his face and said, "I brought the truck back. Captain Han had the workers remove the stone bollards blocking the front of the pedestrian street, so we can drive the truck right onto it. We can put our luggage in the truck too."

The amount of gear they were bringing this time, from daily supplies to weapons, was several times more than their trip to Sanqing Mountain. Huangfu Miaomiao’s few inventory slots weren’t enough to hold it all, so they planned to drive the truck into the Maze.

The Maze was in the city, so having a vehicle would make getting around more convenient.

Feng Ling glanced at the time and asked the others, "We still have a few hours. Why don’t we all get some sleep? It’ll probably be hard to get a peaceful night’s rest once we’re in the Maze."

Xu Yiming gave a wry smile. "I was thinking the same thing, but I can’t sleep."

The thought of entering the Maze so soon had his mind in an uproar; he couldn’t get a wink of sleep.

Not only could he not sleep, but he also couldn’t stop looking at the news online—the expert analyses and netizen comments about the Maze. The more he looked, the more the algorithm kept pushing them to him.

The calls had also been coming one after another. He had told two or three friends he was going into the Maze, and word had spread like wildfire. Now, almost every Hunter knew he was going in.

Some Hunters even had friends pass messages to him, asking if they could tag along into the Maze.

Xu Yiming sent back Feng Ling’s four-word reply, "Your fate is your own," and the other side went silent.

You couldn’t say these people were cowards; it was just that when they weighed the risks against the rewards, the danger of entering the Maze far outweighed the benefits. That’s why most were content to just watch.

After all, this venture into the Maze was entirely Feng Ling’s private operation, not an officially organized event like the one in Daling Forest. There were no guarantees.

As Xu Yiming mulled over these things, he suddenly felt something was off.

He looked at Feng Ling in confusion and asked, "How come your phone has been so quiet?"

Feng Ling smiled at his words. "I turned off my internet. I plan to turn it back on after we enter the Maze. Several TV stations contacted me for interviews, and some people even wanted me to shoot a commercial endorsement. Hahaha."

Xu Yiming chuckled as well. "Those people are trying to invest early. If they waited until you came out of the Maze, you’d command a whole different price."

Feng Ling waved her hand dismissively. "I won’t be considering it even after I get out of the Maze."

Xu Yiming immediately understood and laughed. "Oh, I get it! Our Ms. Ling must remain mysterious and inscrutable. How could ordinary mortals casually lay eyes on Ms. Ling’s true form? Hehehe."

He was clearly several years older than Feng Ling, yet it didn’t feel the least bit awkward for him to call her Ms. Ling.

Feng Ling replied with a straight face, "I just think my first public appearance should be a pretty one to leave a good impression. It’s not too late to accept interviews after I get better-looking. Anyway, as long as I’m not dead, there will be plenty of opportunities."

Xu Yiming paused, stunned. "You’re not good-looking now?"

He subconsciously sized Feng Ling up—she had refined features and a spirited air, an agile figure, and her every move exuded a sense of power and beauty. Though not a conventional beauty, the sheer vitality she radiated was a deadly charm in itself. So how could she want to be "better-looking"?

If he really had to nitpick, it might be the unsettling glint of madness that sometimes flashed in her bright, dark eyes, which made Xu Yiming subconsciously feel that she was a little terrifying when he tried to judge her looks...

Feng Ling frowned and said, "It’s really weird right now. The top half is human, the bottom half is a snake. It’s strange without clothes, but it’s even stranger with them. And the snake part has all these stripes on it. Anyway, I just think it’s not pretty."

Xu Yiming: "..."

’Oh, so that’s the kind of ’not pretty’ you meant...’

’My mistake.’