A man who had been quiet all along turned around and looked at them, saying, "Have you all forgotten what Chairman Han told us before?"
The noisy chatter instantly fell silent.
"Is that guy really as incredible as Chairman Han said?" The green-haired woman glanced around and murmured quietly, "Looking at him, he doesn’t seem special at all. He’s not even handsome."
"Exactly."
Those words immediately resonated with the red-haired woman, who curled her lips and said, "More than just not handsome, he’s got a common face you’d lose in a crowd. Even our Xiaozhang looks better than him."
"Sister Qing, what do you mean by that?" An unhappy young man beside her said, "What do you mean even our Xiaozhang? I was the hottest guy in my high school class, you know?"
"Alright."
Leading at the front, Qin Jin suddenly slowed down, waiting until everyone caught up, then said seriously, "Haven’t you heard the phrase ’Don’t judge a book by its cover, don’t judge the sea by its surface’? Chairman Li does look pretty average, but from him, I can sense a profoundly unfathomable aura. He’s definitely an A-level Awakened, no doubt."
With those words, the group fell silent once more, their eyes averting.
Indeed, the strength gap between a B-level Awakened and an A-level Awakened is enormous, describing it as "crushing" is not an overstatement.
"Captain, can just those few people really stop over two hundred thousand Fierce Beasts?" someone asked.
"Not too sure."
Qin Jin shook his head, "However, since Chairman Han said so, it should be quite credible. Besides, this time he brought over three thousand Elite-level Fierce Beast materials to our association; there will only be more Mid to High-level Fierce Beasts. This kind of thing is hard to fake because once we reach Anshan City, just asking the locals will tell us what’s true."
"True, what’s real can’t be faked, and what’s fake can’t be real. We’ll know the truth just by asking around."
"Humph, if it’s fake, I’ll definitely report back to Chairman Han." The green-haired woman said complacently.
This guy surnamed Li doesn’t just have an ordinary appearance; his aloof demeanor also annoys her.
Of course, considering the pay and Chairman Han’s face, she would definitely cooperate on the surface unless she was out of her mind to openly disagree.
"And if it’s true?"
"If it’s true, then I’ll pretend I never said anything." The green-haired woman shrugged.
If it’s actually true, she wouldn’t dare criticize the other party no matter how brave she was.
"You guys..." Qin Jin said helplessly.
"At this point, you’re still doubting that person’s strength. Haven’t you noticed? We’ve been chasing for so long and haven’t even glimpsed him."
His words caused their expressions to change dramatically.
Yes, as they talked, at least two or three minutes had passed, and during those minutes, they had been going all out.
Yet, their target was nowhere in sight.
"Now you know how formidable he is."
Qin Jin glanced at them, "Regardless of whether this is a test from Chairman Li, we must perform well. We have to reach Anshan City in two hours!"
"What! Two hours!"
"Captain! You’ll kill us!"
Groans of despair filled the air.
More than an hour later, Chen Fan had already arrived at the Awakened Association.
"Chairman, you called for me?"
Hua Jun also rushed over and asked.
"Yes."
Chen Fan was looking at his computer as he said, "I need you to help me gather intelligence on the situations in cities around Anshan City since the Beast Tide broke out. Which cities have fallen, which are under attack, the types and numbers of Fierce Beasts attacking, with particular focus on those attacked by underground beasts. The more underground beasts, the better."
"Yes, Chairman, I’ll get people on it right away."
Hua Jun hurriedly replied.
Though he didn’t understand Chen Fan’s intentions, he didn’t ask, just followed orders.
The Beast Tide had significantly increased the difficulty of gathering intelligence, but with enough manpower, they could manage.
Soon, a large conference room was filled with over a hundred people, some browsing the web, some making phone calls, some typing away, everyone bustling.
Intelligence was soon being handed over to Chen Fan.
"A small city about 300 kilometers from Anshan City, Wang City, has fallen, with nearly 80% casualties, and more than half the Awakened there are dead or injured..."
"To the west, a small city about 200 kilometers from Anshan City, Shu City, repelled one wave of the Beast Tide, but over a thousand underground beasts suddenly appeared, including one at Commander Level. The city suffered heavy losses, even among the Awakened, and is barely holding off a second wave, currently calling for help but receiving no response."
"To the southwest, Stone City, about 400 kilometers from Anshan City, also faced a Beast Tide with around thirty thousand beasts, successfully repelling them for now. However, scouts report over two hundred thousand beasts assembling to attack Stone City."
"Stone City."
The name sparked some memories in Chen Fan.
This was where he had taken the Awakened Association’s test.
He had a minor scuffle with the local Awakened over points back then.
"Over two hundred thousand beasts, I wonder how many of those are underground beasts."
If there were plenty, he could make a trip.
If not, he might skip it. With Beast Tides like wildfires across a vast prairie, he could only be in one place at a time. Save one city, another might fall, he had to choose wisely.
"Chairman, news just in!"
At that moment, Hua Jun excitedly walked in with intelligence in hand.
"Underground beasts, lots of them!"
"Let me see."
Chen Fan took it, quickly absorbing the details.
"A medium-sized city 500 kilometers southeast of Anshan City, Yu Feng City, is engaged in a fierce battle, with nearly a million beasts laying siege. Thousands of underground beasts, over six thousand, and more than three thousand flying beasts are attacking. Awakened and Martial Artists in Yu Feng City are fighting valiantly but can’t stop the beasts pouring in through gaps in the walls, wreaking havoc with underground beasts. They’re sending out constant distress signals for help from nearby cities."
"A million beasts, six to seven thousand underground beasts..."
Chen Fan took a deep breath.
In two days, the Beast Tide at Anshan City would be on par with this, or perhaps even more dangerous.
"With thousands of underground beasts, it’s worth the trip."
He nodded and stood up from his chair.
"Chairman!"
Hua Jun was shocked, "You, you’re going to aid Yu Feng City?"
A million beasts!
And Anshan City wasn’t close; who knew if Yu Feng City would hold until the Chairman arrived...
His departure could be a death sentence.
"Yes."
Chen Fan nodded, "Keep gathering intel, I’ll be back soon. Also, if six individuals come looking for me, give them this file."
He handed over an envelope.
"Six people coming?"
Hua Jun was taken aback but agreed, "Chairman, please be careful."
Everyone knew why Anshan City was still standing.
If anything happened to Chen Fan, it would be disastrous for Anshan City’s people.
Chen Fan gave him a look, then vanished from the office.