The weapon refiner is not doing her job properly

Chapter 218 Streamlining the Team
Both Suninglong and Quanwang invested considerable effort and made thorough preparations for the bid from Kaibixing. They carefully studied the tender documents and prepared detailed qualification certificates, technical solutions, and commercial quotations, striving to stand out in the fierce competition.

On Kabi Star, even the governor's subordinates presented the five best-performing company proposals to him for final approval.

After reviewing the documents, the governor said, “I have examined them in detail. These two companies best meet the bidding requirements. Their overall scores are equally high. You can choose one of them.” He gently delegated the decision-making power.

This move temporarily lowered the guard of those forces that had initially suspected the governor of having arranged for people to enter Kebi Star in advance.

"It's understandable that the Star Chief chose these two companies. If it were me, I would also choose between them. The local businessmen of Kebi Star have recently formed a monopoly, and their behavior is really unpleasant. They have even begun to ruin Kebi Star's reputation as the 'best tourist destination' that they have built up over the years."

Which company do you think is more suitable?

"I think we should just forget about this Gemini company. It might be another hidden accomplice colluding with merchants from Kabi Star."

"Is that so? This company has shares in Suninglong. As far as I know, the industries invested in by Suninglong are basically outside the sphere of influence of Kaibi Star businessmen, and they don't have much overlap."

"Then there's even less reason to choose them. With Star Alliance hunters involved, it's easier to assume that even the Governor was pulling strings behind the scenes, adding to the misunderstanding."

"Sigh, the owner of this place is quite far away. If it weren't for her high score, I would have thought she was just playing around."

"Personally, I think choosing Suninglong is a better choice. But since everyone has different opinions, let's vote to decide."

Their conversation was full of probing and hints, but even the consul remained silent, leaving the choice to them.

In the end, Quanwang won, of course, since it would be much easier to kick an outsider out of the competition.

Two days later, a set of "endorsement" photos taken by Suning Long for the collaboration were released.

Sally posted it in the comments section of her own account, with the caption: "Isn't our little Susu pretty?"

As soon as the photos were posted, Sally's account was flooded with comments from fans of Suninglong's looks:
"Beautiful! Ninglong's figure wielding the sword is absolutely stunning!"

"Why is it only posted in the comments section, and why is there a 'anti-theft' label? I need the original, ultra-high-resolution image!"

"I want that small crossbody bag; it looks really nice and is also very practical."

"You don't think you can become like Xiao Su Su just by having the same item, do you?"

"Mind your own business when it comes to pretty girls, hmph!"

……

These days, the clouds hang low in the sky, a gray and oppressive atmosphere, much like the current mood at the school.

The Star Alliance has finally announced the captains for entering the slaughterhouse contaminated zone: Tong Zi will serve as the captain, and Zhao Piku will serve as the vice captain.

Surprisingly, Yun Fei was not on the list!

The specific list of hunters has not yet been finalized. Currently, it is mainly based on voluntary application, and a unified selection will be conducted later.

"Yun Fei isn't participating?"

"Tong Zi and Zhao Piku were both promoted to four-star hunters just two years ago, right? Would it be a bit risky to follow them?"

"It also depends on who else participates. Five-star hunters are basically out of luck. The youngest one in the Star Alliance is over seventy years old. I don't know how many young people in their twenties will be needed to lower the average age. Among the hunters who graduated internally, the more promising ones are around thirty years old, barely qualified to enter the contaminated zone."

"Sigh, the Star Alliance really knows how to give us a hard time. Hopefully, their people won't hold us back, otherwise our hunters will have a hard time."

Relying solely on voluntary registration may not be enough to assemble a team with a reasonable combination of superpowers.

Hunters are generally self-aware; for a two-star hunter to challenge a four-star contaminated zone is practically suicide. Hunters of three stars or higher generally do not meet the age requirements, so even if they wanted to join, Tong Zi and Zhao Piku could not give them an immediate response.

Therefore, Tong Zi and Zhao Piku also need to actively seek out suitable teammates.

Tong Zi's first thought was Song Hu and Ying Gu, while Zhao Piku contacted experienced veterans such as Wu Mo and Xuan Min.

As Song Hu and Ying Gu had said in the group chat before, they did not refuse the invitation.

The day after finalizing the basic roster, they held an internal meeting.

Since everyone present was a trusted partner, Tong Zi got straight to the point: "After the initial list is finalized, we need to conduct a period of training together. Do you have any other hunters you would recommend?"

After saying that, he shared the list of volunteers with each team member.

The list mainly consists of Samsung Hunters, many of whom Song Hu has never worked with before, and they are generally older, so a few younger people are needed to cooperate.

Tong Zi and Zhao Piku felt that this approach would create even greater limitations.

“Personally, I prefer to cooperate with Lian Xinyi and Xuan Xi.” Song Hu paused, then looked up at Tong Zi and Zhao Piku, “If they are willing to join, will the team accept them?”

"Their strength seems to be somewhat lacking at the moment." If it were a normal mission, Tong Zi would certainly be willing to take them along, but what about later? Once they join, they will also be part of the team.

Song Hu was silent for a moment, then handed over the action plan written by Feng Ying. "I hope everyone can take a look at this document first. Perhaps for our team, we don't necessarily have to rely on so many three-star and four-star hunters. If we control the number of people at the beginning, it will be much easier to add more people later."

Tong Zi was the first to take the proposal and slowly began to read it.

For a moment, only the soft sounds of tea being sipped and the rustling of papers being turned filled the meeting room.

Feng Ying's action plan was truly impressive.

Her analysis of the area contaminated by the Filthy Spirits was thorough and insightful, drawing on the ideas of several veteran hunters. Her personnel (ability) configuration was also both innovative and bold.

However, the problem is also obvious: even with the Tranquil Earrings, Mental Anchor, and Disintegration Pointer, two-star hunters still find it difficult to resist the mental pollution of high-star Mystic Spirits.

Once contaminated, it's like being slowly boiled in a sealed jar of warm water; distortion is almost inevitable until the entire contaminated area is cleaned up.

“Actually, there’s a solution to this problem.” Song Hu simultaneously projected three images: Charlie, Sally, and Lian Xinyi. “You should all be familiar with Charlie. As long as he’s bound to a teammate, they can share life, no matter when or where. Lian Xinyi has extremely strong self-healing abilities; even if her heart shatters, she’ll almost certainly survive as long as she gets nutritional supplements. As for Sally, she can create illusions to stabilize mental distortions. As long as she can stabilize one person’s distortion, all teammates connected through Charlie will be safe.” “What about her?” Zhao Piku immediately pressed. “She can stabilize others’ distortions, but how will she maintain her own? What if even she can’t hold on?”

“They don’t need to go inside the contaminated zone.” Song Hu was optimistic about Feng Ying’s plan, but there was a part that wasn’t written in the plan. He smiled calmly, “Don’t we need to set up logistical support points on the outskirts of the contaminated zone? With Lena’s support, and with Charlie and Lian Xinyi working together, Charlie will be extremely difficult to die. As long as he doesn’t die, all the two-star hunters who share his life will not truly die, which will also greatly reduce the risk of mutation.”

Some people couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. Who came up with this brilliant combination?
Charlie, Lian Xinyi, Sally, and Lena—this group of four is practically a "hunter perpetual motion machine."

There is absolutely no need to include these four people in the list of those who actually entered the contaminated area.

As for whether this involves "cheating," if you expect your opponent to be honest and not use any tricks, you might as well just admit defeat.

Being rigid and inflexible will only lead you further down the wrong path. Why fight a tough battle when you can solve a problem with strategy and cooperation?
"So, who exactly are you recommending to participate?" Tong Zi hadn't finished reading the proposal, but she asked tentatively, "Will Su Ninglong participate?"

“Su Ninglong can participate, but if she joins, she cannot be fully integrated into the team combat system.”

"why?"

"Simply put, you can't put all your eggs in one basket. She has her own way of breaking through the contaminated area. You advance according to your tactics. If you still can't solve it after doing your best, she still has the trump card of summoning a 'divine beast'."

Everyone fell silent for a moment: "..."

“That’s right…” Tong Zi agreed with the arrangement.

As long as Su Ninglong is involved, it's like having an extra layer of insurance. But the ultimate measure should be avoided if possible.

After all, even a powerful "divine beast" would find it troublesome to be summoned too often.

"If Su Ninglong and the people you recommend join us, we can appropriately reduce the number of hunters on our side."

The problem of contaminated areas is not solved simply by having more people in them.

The Filthy Banquet Spirit is particularly unique; the contaminated area is turbulent and unpredictable, and blindly gathering people may actually increase uncontrollable risks.

But in this way, everyone here doesn't have to enter the contaminated area.

"Why don't you, Wu Mo, just stay out of this?" Zhao Piku said with a smile. "You've always doted on children, and Su Ninglong is someone you've watched grow up..."

Wu Mo crossed his arms and snorted coldly, "Who was it that went to great lengths to beg me to come here in the first place?"

Zhao Piku still smiled and said, "I just wanted to buy some extra insurance! In case someone in the team has to take over at any time."

Making a four-star hunter a candidate just to make room for the younger generation sounds absurd, but it actually reflects the current reality of the hunter roster being updated.

Helpless, Wu Mo could only empty his mind and choose to "lie flat": "Fine, you young people can do whatever you want."

A week later, the official list of those entering the contaminated area, along with the list of support personnel, was posted on the campus website and made public, accessible to anyone.

Originally, the Star Alliance did not actively publicize the news of this competition, and the outside world did not pay much attention to it.

However, Star Alliance had been too flamboyant in the past, which had accumulated a group of real "fans" who were very serious and even vowed to do something for the "idols" they supported.

After Star Alliance released the list, it was immediately forwarded to public online platforms.

At first, most netizens were a little confused.

"Only six hunters entered the contaminated zone? Isn't that a normal number? What's so 'shocking' about that?"

"A contest? Can't the Star Alliance handle it on their own? Why do they have to cooperate? I don't believe that if you spend tens of millions of star coins to buy the Key of Prophecy, the Star Alliance's hunters will still refuse to give you face."

"'Key to Prophecy,' just from the name, you know it must have prophetic abilities. How could something like that be sold for tens of millions of star coins?"

Just as everyone was discussing and confused, some loyal fans of the Star Alliance stepped forward and explained the ins and outs of the matter in detail.

The internet suddenly became lively again:
"Getting back to the point, I've carefully studied the specifics of the slaughterhouse's contaminated area. The Mystic inside is called 'Feast Spirit.' Don't worry about why you can't find this name in the 'Mystic Collection Encyclopedia'; it's because it's classified as extremely high-danger, requiring extreme caution even during the collection process, making it completely unsuitable for public disclosure. It's one of the most difficult Mystic Spirits to completely eradicate to date. I specifically consulted three veteran net hunter friends, and they unanimously agreed that this contaminated area is practically a '100-player dungeon.' The meaning is clear: even by the most conservative estimate, it would require at least one hundred hunters working together."

"What exactly is the Star Alliance trying to do? Even if we split a hundred hunters with the Star Radiance Alliance, we'll still need fifty of them!"

"Wait, the person at the top of the list is actually Su Ninglong?"

"To say that the Star Alliance wasn't serious is an exaggeration, as they did indeed bring out the most promising young talents; but to say that they valued it is an exaggeration to say that they only sent six people? That's practically a joke."

That's right, there are only six people on the list: Su Ninglong, Tong Zi, Song Hu, Xuan Xi, Zhao Piku, and Ying Gu.

To confirm whether only these six hunters were participating in the competition, the Star Alliance's top brass even had a heated argument.

However, Tong Zi and Zhao Piku agreed with Feng Ying's plan and insisted that having more team members would make it even more difficult to take care of and coordinate them.

In fact, the reason why this contaminated area has been shelved is that if hundreds of hunters were dispatched according to conventional thinking, some of them would inevitably be sacrificed.

Pre-calculating the number of casualties before the operation even begins is completely contrary to the Star Alliance's usual practices, which is why it has been delayed until now.

Tong Zi could only assure the higher-ups that the six people were deployed according to the standard configuration for thoroughly cleaning up the entire contaminated area, but she could not disclose the specific battle plan.

When Yunfei found out, she immediately scolded her for being ridiculous, and Principal Yan also felt that the configuration was too weak.

Under repeated pressure, Tong Zi finally compromised and went with the flow, agreeing to add Qi Rui as well.

The Star Alliance leadership was speechless for a moment: "..."

The small group chat that Su Ninglong belonged to was also bustling with activity at this moment.

Feng Ying felt extremely complicated and conflicted. She hadn't expected that Su Ninglong would actually carry out her plan exactly as she had planned.