Chapter 53: Putting the Cart Before the Horse

"Qin Hao, when we hunt down the Fang Demons, we earn Hero Points. If we do the hunting, we can use those points to buy the Star Mark Body Refinement Technique, so that others can become Evolvers too. Only then will our fighting power be strong enough, and we'll be able to protect more people."

Hearing this, Qin Hao was impressed by someone so selfless at the dawn of the apocalypse, but his admiration was tinged with a kind of regretful sigh.

In reality, what the other person was doing was putting the cart before the horse.

They earned Hero Points by killing alien creatures, then used those points to buy the Star Mark Body Refinement Technique for others.

"Taking from the people and giving back to the people," Qin Hao thought it was almost laughable. "You're missing the point."

Zhuo Fan was momentarily stunned, not understanding Qin Hao's meaning.

"Mr. Qin, did I do something wrong?" Zhuo Fan asked, at a loss.

Qin Hao replied, "Do you know why, during the earlier car accident, I acted the way I did? The power of thought can be converted into Hero Points. The gratitude, admiration, astonishment, even fear of countless people is all converted into Hero Points by the Hero System. I stopped a car barehanded, creating a sensation and earning tens of millions of Hero Points. Zi Hui saved people from the rooftop of a high-rise; when news of that spread, she earned twice as many Hero Points as I did."

"Just now, when I killed the Venomous Demon Spider with a single punch, do you know how many Hero Points the people here gave me?"

Zhuo Fan’s mind was reeling.

Qin Hao then spoke a number that Zhuo Fan simply could not accept.

"So, if you serve the masses but lack power, you won't earn their respect. Is that still what you'd call a hero?"

In that instant, Zhuo Fan felt as if he’d been struck by lightning.

The others who overheard became anxious.

"But… but heroes are so important! What if the hero gets hurt or killed? Doesn’t that mean no one else will be able to become an Evolver?"

Qin Hao replied coldly, "Is that really a contradiction? If the hero is powerful enough, he can hunt even more monsters. With Hero Points, why would you worry about not being able to become Evolvers? On the other hand, if you can’t become Evolvers yourselves, why bother helping the hero resist the monsters? Just let the hero protect you."

"If you protect the hero, you get to make decisions and have a say. If the hero protects you, he loses his say—after all, isn’t he just a minor policeman?" Qin Hao looked meaningfully at the middle-aged director.

At this, Zhuo Fan finally understood.

"Director Feng."

The Star Energy Crystals they’d obtained earlier were all in Director Gao’s hands. Once they’d collected a thousand, they had Zhuo Fan buy potions. Although Zhuo Fan got a portion, four of the potions went to Director Feng Qun.

He was a Strength-type Awakened. After taking two strength potions, one agility, and one defense potion, his power soared. He could even hold his own against the Serpent Demon—he was truly formidable.

Now, Zhuo Fan realized he’d basically been sold out, and he’d even lost money in the process!

Understanding all this, Zhuo Fan felt like the biggest fool alive.

But would Feng Qun ever admit to his own schemes?

Feng Qun frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "Zhuo Fan, this hero isn’t wrong, but I don’t want all we’ve been through, fighting side by side and supporting each other, to be misunderstood by you. Just a few days ago, you were still a young man who’d never seen blood, never fired a gun at anyone. Wasn’t it me who led you out of the police station, fighting every step?"

"I may have no great merits, but surely I deserve some credit for hardship?"

Zhuo Fan took a deep breath.

"Director Feng, I didn’t mean anything by it—don’t take it to heart."

In truth, only Zhuo Fan knew what he was really thinking.

But Feng Qun wasn’t wrong either—even if he had no merits, he had endured hardship. Feng Qun had led their battles and helped form the group. His contributions were undeniable.

The officials always inspired awe. If Zhuo Fan stood up and shouted, "I’m a policeman," a crowd would surely expect him to hold back the monsters and protect them.

But if the director raised his arm and proclaimed, "I’m the director," most ordinary people’s first reaction would be: Director, please find us a solution. You tell us what to do, and we’ll do it. You’re the director, you must be right.

That’s the reality.

Zhuo Fan lacked both charisma and influence.

And over these past days, Feng Qun had been protecting him through countless crises.

No matter what happened before, it was all water under the bridge. But from now on, Zhuo Fan knew he had to change.

He had to become strong.

"Director Feng, I want to hunt monsters on my own. But right now, I’m exhausted. I need to rest for a few hours before I act."

Hearing this, Feng Qun realized Zhuo Fan was no longer someone he could manipulate.

"Zhuo Fan, sometimes water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. Right now, you are everyone’s hope. Go back and get some rest. Think about these things after you’ve recovered."

It was a blatant threat.

Zhuo Fan wanted to argue, but in the end said nothing. The veins on his forehead bulged with suppressed anger as he stormed back into the city government building.

Once he’d left, Feng Qun turned to Qin Hao, his expression unfriendly.

"Mr. Qin, your reputation precedes you. But sometimes, you can’t just be selfish. You may be a hero and able to protect us, but this is a global disaster. It’s not the time for individual heroics."

Qin Hao laughed coldly at that.

"I hope you can still say that in a little while."

He checked the time. In just three hours, the Razorclaw Insect Swarm would descend.

What they were about to face might be hundreds or even thousands of Razorclaw Insects, all with the power of a Level One Evolver.

Qin Hao’s current strength was still not enough for such a situation.

So he took out the Star Energy Crystals, sent his mental tendrils into them, and began to absorb madly.

In an instant, the crystals turned to dust as his mental power surged.

His mental force broke through the narrow gap of the second gene lock, widening the path.

In that moment, Qin Hao’s presence transformed utterly.

[Your mental power has increased. You are now a Level Two Evolver.]

The aura of a Level Two Evolver caused a huge stir among those nearby. At that moment, Qin Hao seemed almost godlike—compelling worship, his overwhelming presence even more terrifying than the Venomous Demon Spider’s.

Not only that, but the Fang Demons and Serpent Demons seemed to sense this unique power, and began fleeing in all directions.

The crowd was ecstatic at the sight.

The Hero System absorbed their awe and admiration, granting Qin Hao a massive amount of Hero Points.

"So this is what it means to become a god? The monsters are retreating!"

"It’s not that easy to become a god, but this hero is so powerful that the monsters are afraid of him."

"So the monsters really can fear humans..."

They gazed at Qin Hao with burning eyes, as if looking at their savior.