Xiong Da chimed in, "Let's talk as we walk. This attack seems different from the previous ones."
Seeing Xiong Da's serious expression, Mei Niang's brows also furrowed slightly. She agreed, and the three of them, led by Xiong Da, headed in another direction.
Li Chonglou, filled with questions, could only change his guide and continue following.
As they walked, Xiong Da suddenly stopped and looked back at Li Chonglou.
"Right, does he have a Gong Shi yet?"
Mei Niang asked in confusion, "Didn't the captain tell you? Where would a newcomer like him get a Gong Shi?"
Xiong Da fell silent.
"But without a Gong Shi, won't the kills he made be wasted?"
Hearing this, Li Chonglou could no longer hold back and spoke, "Seniors, could you first explain what a Gong Shi is? What's the use of this thing?"
The two exchanged a glance, and Li Chonglou clearly saw the confusion in Xiong Da's eyes as he looked at Mei Niang.
The latter cleared her throat and immediately explained, "A Gong Shi has many uses, but its primary function is to absorb residual souls. With it, the invaders or strange beasts you kill here will be recorded."
Mei Niang paused here. Li Chonglou had already formed a guess, but fearing she would keep him in suspense, he pressed on, "What's the use of recording these?"
Seeing she couldn't avoid it, Mei Niang directly stated, "Once you accumulate a certain amount, you can exchange it for Blood Crystals. Every camp here has an exchange point."
It was indeed related to Blood Crystals!
When he saw Mei Niang faltering, he had already suspected it. This woman must have intended to hide it from him, letting him use her Gong Shi to farm monsters!
In fact, Li Chonglou's guess was spot on. Mei Niang had kept quiet precisely for this reason. However, it wasn't about tricking a newcomer; after all, she had gone through the same process.
What she hadn't expected was that Xiong Da would be accompanying them. Within the Red Coast, Xiong Da was one of the few considered upright individuals.
"Then let's help him get a Gong Shi first. No matter how urgent, we can't neglect this."
In the temporary team formed by the three, Xiong Da was clearly the leader. Li Chonglou could tell this from Mei Niang's reaction. So, when he spoke, Mei Niang could only nod.
Even though she was still a bit reluctant.
Li Chonglou was speechless but also felt a bit of goodwill towards the big guy.
In this day and age, a captain who considered his new teammates was already rare. It was a pity that they hadn't interacted much yet, and Li Chonglou didn't have a clear understanding of Xiong Da's personality. He still had reservations about other aspects.
For instance, when Xiong Da led him to an administrative office in the camp.
"You can go in," Xiong Da said.
Li Chonglou didn't move and asked, "Will they know who I am?"
Xiong Da explained, "A Gong Shi isn't some treasure; it's quite common here. People often lose theirs and come to get replacements. If you go in and say you need a Gong Shi, they'll handle it for you."
Li Chonglou still didn't move, his gaze shifting to Mei Niang. "Uh, Mei Niang, perhaps you could come with me? I'm afraid they'll ask me other things I won't know how to answer."
As he spoke, he winked. This was no longer a hint; it was practically a direct suggestion!
Mei Niang showed no mercy and directly exposed him, "Xiong Da, this kid isn't being shy; he doesn't trust you and is afraid you'll set a trap for him."
Both their expressions changed simultaneously. Li Chonglou hadn't expected that the elder sister, who seemed to have some goodwill towards him, would betray him so easily!
Indeed, all his initial impressions were mistaken!
Of course, this was a joke. Mei Niang's reaction was within Li Chonglou's expectations. Before Xiong Da could speak with displeasure, he quickly said, "Not at all. I'm just genuinely afraid they'll ask a lot of questions that I won't be able to answer, wasting time. If you can guarantee they won't ask too much, then it's fine."
With that, he strode forward.
Xiong Da thought for a moment and then followed, "Forget it, I'll go with you then. It's not good if it wastes too much time."
Li Chonglou appeared calm on the surface but was relieved inwardly. Mei Niang's words weren't wrong; he was indeed afraid they would set a trap for him.
It wasn't for any other reason; since he had arrived, aside from the two of them, he hadn't seen anyone else active in the entire camp!
Fortunately, everything seemed normal. Upon entering, it was a typical administrative hall. In the back of a spacious hall was an office, where a man was slumped over, fast asleep.
He was as idle as Elder Tie when the scattered organization of the General Bureau first opened. Xiong Da stepped forward and directly woke him.
"Hello, we're here to process a Gong Shi."
The man squinted his eyes and looked up. He was a man in his fifties, with a trace of something glistening at the corner of his mouth, showing no sign of nervousness whatsoever.
Weren't there invaders attacking?
Li Chonglou was curious but didn't speak. The man then asked, "One or two?"
Xiong Da pointed at Li Chonglou, "Just him, a newcomer."
The man said "oh" and, after reaching down to pick up a stone identical to the one Mei Niang held earlier, he reached down again.
Then, he picked up a black machine.
It was square, with no patterns on it. If not for its metallic texture, one might mistake it for a black brick.
The man pushed both items forward and said calmly, "First, drip blood on the left. After it makes a sound, drip it on the right."
The machine was on the left, and the stone on the right.
It was just a matter of dripping blood, so Li Chonglou didn't hesitate. He bit his fingertip and dripped a drop of fresh blood onto it.
Bang.
When the blood hit it, it disappeared rapidly, as if absorbed by something. Soon, the originally black machine glowed red, and an electronic voice sounded.
"Identity verification successful."
Identity verification? What body do I have here? Is it randomly generated, or did the Wu family assign it to me?
Li Chonglou pondered silently but didn't speak. Instead, as the man had instructed, he squeezed another drop of blood onto the stone on the right.
The man then took the machine back and waved, "Alright, you can take your things."
So simple?
Li Chonglou was stunned for a moment, not expecting it to be as Xiong Da had said.
Xiong Da patted Li Chonglou's shoulder, "Kid, it's okay to doubt me now, but don't pull this kind of stunt when we're on a mission. Otherwise, I'll get angry."
Fine, I was being overly suspicious.
Li Chonglou shrugged his shoulders and then obediently followed behind Xiong Da.
Xiong Da's strength was at the peak of the fifth level, but compared to Mei Niang, his aura was clearly stronger. It was unclear if it was due to their cultivation techniques or their gender.
After coming out, Mei Niang glanced at Li Chonglou, seemingly asking how he felt now. However, Li Chonglou didn't respond, pretending not to see.
An honest man, and a cunning one. Li Chonglou had now grasped a bit of the current situation.