Chapter 166: I Don’t Like the Look of It
Chapter 166: Chapter 166: I Don’t Like the Look of It
Initially, Xu Qingsui had only felt disdain for Chu Tian’s old-fashioned ideas and had no intention of getting tangled up with him.
But while she was willing to let it go, he had brazenly stepped forward and aimed his criticism directly at her.
And with her temper, now that he had started something, there was no way she would let it end so easily.
Xu Qingsui immediately gave a cold smile. She looked at Chu Tian with a feigned, innocent confusion and asked, "Captain Chu, how old are you?"
Chu Tian had been bracing himself, already planning his comeback for when Xu Qingsui inevitably argued with him.
He never expected her to ask about his age out of the blue.
Her question threw him for a complete loop. Chu Tian stared blankly at Xu Qingsui, unable to guess her intentions. After a long pause, he finally answered, "I’m thirty. Is there a problem?"
Hearing his answer, Xu Qingsui put on a look of utter shock. "Only thirty? Listening to you talk, I would’ve thought you were from the thirties! The 1930s, that is!"
The team members present had been with Chu Tian for a long time. They had all heard his chauvinistic tirades before.
So when he started talking, everyone knew exactly what he was getting at. They were all sweating for Xu Qingsui, worried she would be shut down by his arguments.
That’s why when Xu Qingsui asked Chu Tian his age out of nowhere, everyone was just as stunned, not understanding what she was up to.
But now, hearing her latest remark, the words echoed in their minds for a moment before they finally understood her meaning.
Instantly, many of them couldn’t hold back their laughter. They looked at Chu Tian with expressions of people settling in to watch a good show.
Captain Chu’s opinions were infamous within the Survival Team. In the past, his words had driven many women to tears, which was why they had been worried for Xu Qingsui.
But it turned out their concern was completely unnecessary. Xu Qingsui was nothing like the women he’d dealt with before.
The words finally registered in Chu Tian’s head, and he realized Xu Qingsui was calling him a dinosaur.
His face instantly flushed so red it looked like it would bleed if you touched it.
He had never been roasted so thoroughly. For a moment, he was at a complete loss for words.
This was only the first step of Xu Qingsui’s attack. Seeing that he was still fumbling for a response, she didn’t waste any time and immediately turned to Shen Yan.
Shen Yan was currently trying to hide his laughter at Xu Qingsui’s words, marveling that Chu Tian had finally met his match.
When he saw Xu Qingsui suddenly turn to him, he quickly wiped the smile off his face, worried her verbal firepower was so intense she might drag him into the line of fire.
"Boss Shen, have you changed your mind? Has Captain Chu convinced you that a momentous decision like this should be made by you, the man in charge?"
Every one of Xu Qingsui’s words was barbed. Shen Yan made a mental note: ’Never, ever get on Xu Qingsui’s bad side, lest I get roasted too.’
"No. I’d still like to hear your opinion."
Chu Tian also felt the sting in Xu Qingsui’s words and was glaring in fury. When he saw that Shen Yan was still going to let Xu Qingsui decide, he was so enraged he nearly choked, his face turning from red to purple.
Xu Qingsui paid no mind to his changing complexion. Instead, she shot him a triumphant glance before turning and walking toward a fork in the path.
She had already used her spiritual power to scan each path. The range was limited, but after scanning all of them, she still detected something unusual.
She locked onto the path where the unusual feeling was strongest. At the mouth of the path, she turned back to look at Chu Tian. "Let’s take this one! This one just rubs me the wrong way!"
There were some things she couldn’t easily explain, so she deliberately gave him the one reason he would find most difficult to accept.
In this situation, everyone would just assume she was doing it to spite Chu Tian and wouldn’t question the real reason for her choice.
Sure enough, her words only made Chu Tian even more furious. He quickly turned to Shen Yan. "Boss Shen, you heard her! This is being treated like a complete joke! You can’t indulge this!"
Xu Qingsui rolled her eyes and cut in, "Who says I’m treating this like a joke? Someone once challenged me to a contest of luck, and the contest was picking the right path at a fork in the road. I won that time, too. So I’m being serious."
She was serious, alright—seriously dedicated to roasting Chu Tian.
Chu Tian’s eyes widened. Realizing he couldn’t win an argument against her, he could only turn to Shen Yan, hoping his boss would listen to reason.
But when Shen Yan’s hand landed on his shoulder, his heart sank.
"Captain Chu, sometimes luck is an important factor. With so many paths, none of us can be sure. Why not trust Guide Xu’s sixth sense? Who knows, maybe this will help you change some of those ideas from the 1930s!"
Xu Qingsui’s zinger was just too good. It had been replaying in Shen Yan’s mind, and he couldn’t resist borrowing it.
At that, the others could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing, ignoring Chu Tian’s expression.
After all, this was the Apocalypse. Most people no longer subscribed to the old generation’s way of thinking and weren’t fond of Captain Chu’s opinions to begin with.
Normally, they wouldn’t dare say anything due to his status as captain.
But since Xu Qingsui had started it, and even Shen Yan had chimed in, they didn’t feel the need to hold back anymore.
Chu Tian shot a fierce glare at his gleefully laughing team members, but they all pretended not to notice.
He knew this was all Xu Qingsui’s doing, and that Shen Yan wasn’t on his side.
He ignored his team members and prepared to lobby Shen Yan directly.
But Shen Yan, guessing what he was about to say, put a finger to his lips in a ’hush’ gesture, forcing Chu Tian to swallow his words.
"Alright, we’ll listen to Guide Xu. If we find the Mutants’ lair, that’s great. If not, we just come back out and pick another path. The outcome is the same no matter who decides, so there’s no need to agonize over it."
Shen Yan’s tone was final. After he finished speaking, he gave Chu Tian a pointed look.
Knowing the decision was final, Chu Tian lowered his gaze, finally conceding.
He may have been the captain of the Survival Team, but Shen Yan was his boss.
Once Shen Yan made a decision, he had no choice but to accept it.
Round one: Xu Qingsui wins!
Xu Qingsui shot Chu Tian another look, then announced, "This path. Let’s move out!"
Shen Yan nodded. Seeing Chu Tian’s low morale, he said, "Guide Xu and I will take point. Captain Chu, you take the rear. Make sure no one gets left behind."
Hearing that Shen Yan would be leading the way, Chu Tian grew anxious. That wasn’t a job for the boss.
But the sight of Xu Qingsui next to Shen Yan made his stomach churn.
He really didn’t want to face Xu Qingsui, so in the end, he accepted Shen Yan’s arrangement.
After rearranging the formation, Shen Yan and Xu Qingsui took the lead, heading into the path Xu Qingsui had chosen.
Once they were on the path, Xu Qingsui asked Shen Yan in a low voice, "Boss Shen, are you really not afraid that I just picked a random path and put everyone at risk?"
Shen Yan chuckled. "Wouldn’t it be a risk no matter who chose? Who could possibly pick the right one on the first try?"