Chapter 124: True Fan

"Your targets are those two women, aren't they?"

Yu Qun gestured toward Xue Feifei and Tuan Tuan, who was on the ground, before looking back at the two men with a confident smile. "And my goal is the equipment and food they possess! I don't think there's any conflict between us. In fact, your other companion already spoke to me earlier and we reached an agreement. We help you deal with these people, and in return, you give us what we want. It's just a pity that the man is now dead, and I'd like to know if that agreement still holds?"

The Explosive Man's eye twitched as he cursed Han Ke's ancestors in his mind. *Damn it, why did that guy go around blabbing about our business? Did he really think we considered him a companion?*

However, he dared only think this; he certainly couldn't say it aloud. Since this guy put it this way, he could use the strength of these people to help him get rid of that brat.

"Of course it counts!"

"Good!"

The two began to conspire on the side.

...

Kong Zhe frowned as he watched this scene; it was obvious to any fool what they were plotting. He couldn't help but sigh, smiling bitterly to himself. If he had known, he should have finished off this Yu Qun from the start. Now, he was being bitten back by the very person he spared.

"Hong, Hong Ling? You are Hong Ling, right?"

A fat man suddenly emerged from the crowd, approaching Hong Ling step by step with an expression of shock and disbelief. As the distance closed, the smile on the fat man's face grew wider.

"It's Hong Ling, it really is! My god, I'm actually seeing a living goddess!"

The fat man grew excited, the rolls of fat on his face wobbling continuously.

"Damn, who the hell are you?"

Hong Ling frowned at the man who looked like a ball, especially when she noticed the greasy fat on his face. She made no effort to hide her disgust.

"Goddess, I'm your loyal fan! Our school even established a fan club for you! I'm one of the core members!"

The fat man's eyes sparkled like stars. He clutched his hands to his chest like a young girl, breathing heavily as he continued to edge closer to her.

"Crap, stop grossing me out. Get lost, you fat pig!"

Hong Ling cursed with a look of revulsion. Seeing a mass of fat waddling toward her, she even took a step back, her expression turning fierce as she cracked her whip with a sharp snap. The meaning was clear: if you dare come any closer, I'll whip you!

If this were the old Hong Ling, even if she encountered such a pig-like fan, as long as he was there to support her, she would at least wear a smile. But she had long since abandoned such hypocrisy. She spoke her true thoughts directly. To use a trendy phrase, she had seen through the vanity of the world. Her past identity only brought her shame now, and she wished she could discard it entirely.

Furthermore, the situation was clearly dire. Looking at the two men whispering deviously in the distance, a battle could break out at any moment. She had no time to waste on a fat idiot.

"Ah! I, I, you, you..."

The fat man was completely stunned. He simply couldn't believe these words came from the pure, gentle goddess he had always seen on screen. His mouth hung wide open, his fingers trembling uncontrollably as he touched his face.

"Get it? The woman standing here now isn't the woman you used to know. I can't be bothered to play along with you people. Hmph, if you understand, get lost!"

Hong Ling cracked her whip, spewing profanities and threatening him fiercely.

Kong Zhe couldn't help but twitch his eye. *Has her public image collapsed a bit too thoroughly?*

...

However, even if this guy was a die-hard fan, he should give up now, right? Just as Kong Zhe thought this, the fat man’s face flushed with a sickly, excited red. Instead of giving up, he became even more invigorated. He actually fell to his knees: "My Queen, please, keep scolding me! You can even whip me if you want!"

"..."

This time, it was Hong Ling who was stunned. She stood frozen, mouth agape, completely bewildered. She thought that by showing her tough side, no one would dare approach her, but she had actually stumbled upon a masochist?

Hong Ling couldn't help but shiver, instinctively hiding behind Kong Zhe.

...

In the distance, Yu Qun, who was in the middle of his plotting, seemed to notice the commotion. He glanced at the fat man kneeling on the ground and frowned, but then his expression cleared. He sneered at Kong Zhe and the others, snorted, and walked to the front of the students and faculty.

"Students, do you see the ring on his hand?"

Yu Qun pointed at Kong Zhe's right hand, where a plain, unadorned ring sat on his index finger. "That isn't an ordinary ring; it's a legendary storage ring containing a massive amount of food. So—as long as we take these people out, you will have food to eat."

Yu Qun wore a confident smile as he gestured to the crowd: "Alright, follow the tasks I assigned! Spread out!"

Five Awakeners took the lead, and the crowd began to disperse. Before long, they formed a massive perimeter, surrounding Kong Zhe and his group. Many students still hesitated, but everyone else was moving; stopping now would make them stand out too easily. On one hand, it was the herd mentality, and no one dared to withdraw; on the other, for people who were starving every day, the temptation of food was simply too great.

Kong Zhe touched the ring on his finger, an odd expression on his face. He didn't believe Yu Qun actually knew about the storage ring. It was a high-grade item from a silver treasure chest, and from the outside, it looked nothing like a magical artifact.

Therefore, the storage ring and the food were purely fabricated by Yu Qun. He didn't need to know if Kong Zhe actually had them; he just needed a reason to entice the students. But Yu Qun probably didn't expect that he had actually guessed right about both the ring and the food.

"You two, leave that giant snake to us! As for these Awakeners, we will handle them," Yu Qun sneered.

"Just as I planned!" The Explosive Man laughed heartily, then looked at Kong Zhe with hatred in his eyes. "Oh, and you can do whatever you want with the others, but I want those two women alive!"

The Explosive Man pointed at Xue Feifei and Tuan Tuan.

"Of course, that's part of our agreement!"

...

The two conspired right in front of them, causing the expressions of Xue Feifei and Hong Ling to sink. It was clear the enemy was fearless. Skills couldn't be used within the safe zone, and even Awakeners were only slightly stronger physically than ordinary people. But facing over eight hundred people! They could be buried by sheer numbers alone.

"Look, 'fan club,' is this how you welcome me?" Hong Ling sneered at the fat man on the ground.

"Th-this, no, no! I would never hurt you, Goddess! The people in the fan club are the same; we are your die-hard fans! We are absolutely loyal to you and would never harm you!" The fat man explained in a panic. Although he was starving and had initially agreed to Yu Qun's incitement to attack, seeing Hong Ling had wiped all of that from his mind. This was the goddess he had dreamed of; he had wasted countless tissues over her. Now that his idol was right in front of him, there was no way he could attack her.

The fat man stood up and rushed into the crowd behind him, grabbing a timid-looking boy. "Qiangzi, this is Hong Ling! Why are you still standing there? We should be protecting her!"

However, faced with the fat man's questioning, the boy stepped back awkwardly and averted his gaze. The fat man froze, then snorted and looked at the others. "Xiao Zhuang, Brother Jun, Xiao Guo, what about you guys?"

Without exception, they all turned their heads away, ignoring him. One even hurried away from the fat man as if afraid to be associated with him.

"You, you people! Have you forgotten? We knelt together and swore we would become members of the Hong Ling Guard!"

"Damn it, get lost!"

The fat man's words caused many nearby to laugh. The three men felt their faces burning. They hadn't expected the fat man to bring up such childish behavior in public. One of them roared in frustration.

The reaction of the others left the fat man in despair. He never imagined that the core members of the fan club, who always boasted about their love for Hong Ling and their willingness to give everything for her, would be so heartless.

"Screw you guys! Fine, don't join! You bunch of ingrates! I'll do it myself! From now on, I am the captain of the Hong Ling Guard!" The fat man stomped back to Kong Zhe's side and declared this to the crowd of students.

This time, Hong Ling gave the fat man a second look without mocking him. To stand firmly by her side at a time like this—it seemed she had encountered a rare, genuine fan.

"Students, don't believe Yu Qun!"

Just then, a female voice rang out from the crowd. Yang Fang pushed through the people and strode into the perimeter. Behind her lay a muscular man, clutching his crotch and curled into a ball like a shrimp.

In the distance, Yu Qun, who was directing the operation, frowned deeply and whispered, "Damn it, can't even handle a small task like that!"