"Brother Chu, we've all shared our information. You can't be so ungentlemanly, keeping it all to yourself?"
"That's right. We risked so much to reveal all the information we knew, and now you're just brushing it off with 'I have another mission.' That's a bit unfair, isn't it?"
Chu Yu quietly listened to the accusations from those around him. He trusted that Qin Chuan had understood his intentions with that single glance.
Indeed, Chu Yu's secret mission was to dismantle and provoke Qin Chuan's team on the ground. The best outcome would be for them to perish without a burial place.
All of it.
When Xu An compiled this information, she was also quite surprised.
From the moment Chu Yu mentioned receiving a different mission, Xu An's gaze had never left him. It wasn't until she saw Chu Yu give Qin Chuan a meaningful look that Xu An managed to unravel all the intricate details.
However, to Xu An's surprise, she had always assumed that the task of dividing Qin Chuan's team was a directive Chu Yu received from the southern base on the ground.
This was not difficult to surmise.
Once the ground dwellers learned of the existence of the people on the lighthouse, for the sake of long-term survival and development.
Ever since the people on the lighthouse decided to abandon the ground, they seemed to no longer be on the same path.
Therefore, Xu An had no intention of exposing Chu Yu from the very beginning.
But now, observing Chu Yu's demeanor, Xu An could roughly guess that the person who truly issued the command to Chu Yu was actually a high-ranking official within the lighthouse.
This meant that the person who wanted Qin Chuan dead was actually someone from within the lighthouse.
A thought suddenly flashed through Xu An's mind, but before she could ponder it further, she was interrupted by an abrupt entrance.
The person who burst in was the highest leader of the lighthouse, and behind the resolute-faced middle-aged man stood Weng Quan.
Upon seeing Qin Chuan, Xu An keenly detected a hint of disdain and impatience from Weng Quan.
When Qin Chuan saw the City Lord, his expression showed little respect. It was as if he was just going through the motions, offering a lazy military salute, a perfunctory gesture.
"May I know why the City Lord has come?"
The imposing man, far from being angered by Qin Chuan's demeanor, instead displayed a sense of paternal affection.
"There's nothing much. Dr. Weng Quan mentioned that his people were captured by you, so I came to see what exactly is going on."
Qin Chuan's gaze then shifted from the City Lord's imposing face to Weng Quan's.
However, his eyes were filled with an overwhelming sense of disgust and disdain, almost to the point of overflowing.
Xu An watched the tense standoff between the three men.
She couldn't help but begin to re-evaluate their respective powers from behind the scenes.
Zhou Haimei, noticing Xu An's expression of keen interest as she observed the confrontation, couldn't resist providing some context to Xu An.
"The functional structure of the lighthouse is quite complex. From the R&D department that researches human food, clothing, housing, and transportation, to the Military Affairs Department Commander who ensures security and commands armies and various precision heavy weaponry, and even the logistics support department responsible for the lighthouse's normal operation, each has dedicated personnel overseeing it, forming distinct factions."
"Don't let Weng Quan's arrogance fool you; in front of Qin Chuan, he's really not much."
Xu An felt a surge of curiosity. She remembered that Qin Chuan seemed to have taken orders from Weng Quan and worked for him before.
When she voiced her confusion, Zhou Haimei let out a quiet scoff before explaining to Xu An.
"You don't understand the internal structure, so you wouldn't know. Weng Quan is nothing. Before the apocalypse, he climbed the ladder online by relying on a rich young lady. Later, he met Xia Jin, which allowed him to get onto the lighthouse."
"He thought that by working with Xia Jin and establishing a position in the second-level R&D department, he could erase the fact that he climbed his way up by relying on women. In reality, those stationed on the second level are more or less all former socialites and nobles. Everyone is somewhat related, and this circle is quite small. Even if Weng Quan lives like a person now, it cannot hide the fact that he was once a dog."
Xu An clearly detected the hostility in Zhou Haimei's words towards Weng Quan.
"Do you know Weng Quan?" Xu An was aware of Zhou Haimei's family background, so she was curious why she knew so many secrets of the upper class.
What puzzled Xu An more was why Zhou Haimei, knowing Weng Quan, had never mentioned him before.
"Then why didn't you show it when we met Weng Quan in the white building before?"
At that time, Zhou Haimei's reaction to Weng Quan was the same as hers, as if it were their first meeting. The natural expression didn't seem faked.
Zhou Haimei cast a disdainful glance at Weng Quan from the corner of her eye.
"I knew of him before. Although I don't like this kind of 'phoenix man,' he does have some abilities. Although he completed his achievements by relying on a rich girl and developed an electronic chip, he genuinely had some substance. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to work with Xia Jin, and I didn't pay much attention."
"After returning this time, I heard some things that absolutely disgusted me. That's when I realized how terrifying this man is."
"An'an, let me tell you, you really shouldn't get involved with men like this. People like Weng Quan, having suffered too much since childhood, don't care how much kindness others show them; they just feel that their self-esteem and dignity have been trampled upon."
"What they think in their minds is never gratitude; instead, they feel that your kindness to them is charity. They project their own fantasies onto others, ultimately harming themselves and others."
Xu An was inexplicably being lectured. She wondered how she could possibly think about finding a partner in their current precarious situation, with threats lurking everywhere.
Just as she was about to retort, she saw Zhou Haimei's earnest expression and found herself nodding involuntarily.
She agreed with Zhou Haimei's statement.
Initially, she hadn't been particularly interested in this person, but after hearing Zhou Haimei's words, Xu An suddenly became intrigued by Weng Quan.
"So, what exactly did this Weng Quan do that was so heinous? Tell me quickly."
Xu An confessed that her gossiping soul was almost unbearable.
After all, who could resist eating the melon placed right in front of them?
Zhou Haimei first glanced around, then pulled Xu An to a more secluded corner.
She whispered, "You might not know this yet, but it's already spread among the upper echelons."
"This Weng Quan really threw all dignity away to pave his own path."
Following that, Zhou Haimei recounted the story of Weng Quan and that rich young lady to Xu An in its entirety.
It was a simple, cliché story: a wealthy CEO recognized Weng Quan's ability and funded his research. However, due to a lack of profitable value, the funding was eventually withdrawn.
But Weng Quan believed in himself. He even thought that if he had enough money, he could research chips that surpassed those from Europe and America.
However, scientific research required significant investment.
And continuous input without obvious returns was clearly not the mindset of a businessman.
As expected, under Weng Quan's constant obstruction and arrogance, he was kicked out of the game.
They decided they wouldn't play with him anymore.