The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

In the live stream, the various factions that had been arguing fiercely seemed to have been put on pause.

Especially those "rationalists" and "logic kings" have completely disappeared at this moment.

The entire screen was filled with excitement, gratitude, and ecstasy.

Occasionally, a few discordant voices might emerge, but they would be instantly drowned out by the vast ocean of public opinion.

Where's that guy who talked about Ponzi schemes before? Ever come out for a walk?

[And to that guy who's really good at analysis, could you help me analyze this again? What kind of marketing strategy is the official team using this time? Are they just fooling us too??]

[Hahaha, just asking, does your face hurt? Is it swollen? Should I apply for a miracle cure to treat my face?]

Stop with the baseless smear campaign! What the authorities are offering is real, life-saving technology—a hope that money can't buy! Your laughable business logic is utterly worthless compared to human lives!

[I hereby declare that from today onwards, I am a die-hard fan of Wasteland Era! Anyone who criticizes it will face my wrath!]

[I'm not a fan. I must have some serious illness. Games with cheap in-game items cause me to have an allergic reaction.]

Wang Banxian chuckled as he looked at the comments.

He skillfully completed the transaction, buying all the source crystals from the man, and then turned and walked towards the rune tower not far away.

......

dark night.

All sounds are silent.

Only two figures, panting heavily, circled back and forth on the track.

"Huff...huff...Old Qin, slow down!"

Lei Yue was a little out of breath, and his back was soaked with sweat, which clung to his body, making him feel wet and cold.

He turned his head and looked at Qin Feng beside him, whose expression remained unchanged and whose breathing was still steady, and felt speechless.

"We have to run a full fifty laps! That's twenty kilometers!"

"You've used up all your energy; what are you going to do later?"

Qin Feng did not answer, but simply maintained his own pace and continued running forward without looking to the side.

Lei Yue was speechless, but still caught up with him: "Why do I feel like the captain is a completely different person after returning from this mission? He's being way too strict with us."

"Also, your response was strange?"

"I'm angry for you, but you haven't reacted at all."

Lei Yue mimicked Chen Feng: "The captain also said something like, 'I don't care what you do, but if you can't do it, then you're incompetent.' I think he just wanted to find an excuse to mess with us."

Lei Yue rattled off a long string of words, only to find that Qin Feng beside him didn't react at all.

In fact, their speed actually increased quietly, and they slowly overtook him by half a body length.

You bastard...

Lei Yue felt a tightness in his chest, gritted his teeth, and sped up again to catch up.

Then, with a burst of speed, he rammed into Qin Feng's shoulder forcefully.

The sudden action snapped Qin Feng, whose eyes had been somewhat unfocused, back to his senses. He looked at Lei Yue with a puzzled expression and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Yue was displeased.

"Hey! Old Qin, you're so heartless!"

"I only took the punishment because I was trying to help you, and you're not going to say a word to me?"

Qin Feng seemed to have just woken up from a dream, blinking blankly with a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"Were you just talking to me?"

It's hard.

Lei Yue's fist hardened!

He felt his blood pressure soaring!

"Don't tell me you didn't hear a single word I said!"

Qin Feng nodded honestly: "Sorry, I was thinking about something and my mind wandered."

Lei Yue felt a lump in his throat, unable to go up or down, which made his face turn red.

"...What's wrong with you all? The captain's acting strange, and so are you."

"And Old Zhou too, he actually showed up with Old Chi."

"I feel like you've all been acting strangely lately, like you're all hiding something from me!"

Qin Feng smiled apologetically: "I was just reviewing some things. Now that everything's alright, go ahead and tell me."

Lei Yue stared at him, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"What else is there to say? I have nothing more to say..."

Qin Feng nodded: "Oh."

Lei Yue: "..."

"You've gone too far!"

Qin Feng laughed and said, "Didn't you say you had nothing to say?"

Lei Yue clenched his fists.

This feeling was like punching cotton, making him feel uncomfortable all over.

The two ran another lap in silence, but Lei Yue finally couldn't resist.

"Are you really not angry?"

Qin Feng retorted, "What are you angry about?"

"It's about the captain making you run laps!" Lei Yue's voice rose several decibels.

Qin Feng's answer was calm.

"Why should I be angry? I think the captain did nothing wrong."

Lei Yue: "..."

Qin Feng laughed and said, "To be honest, I also think I acted without thinking. I kept thinking that it was just in a game, so my behavior was a bit impulsive."

He paused, then continued, "But a mistake is a mistake. Some habits, once formed in a comfortable environment, are very difficult to change."

"That's not good."

"..."

Lei Yue opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't refute it.

He just felt frustrated.

"...Then wouldn't I have stood up for you for nothing?"

Qin Feng glanced at him and chuckled softly, a rare occurrence for him.

"What else?"

"You!" Lei Yue was furious and raised his hand to punch him.

Qin Feng chuckled and quickened his pace, dodging his "attack".

"We're all brothers, and I'm grateful in my heart."

A single, casual remark instantly extinguished any remaining anger in Lei Yue's heart.

He snorted, accepting the explanation, and chased after them again.

"By the way, did you check the information online just now?" Lei Yue took the initiative to change the subject.

"The sale of Source Crystals in Wasteland Era has caused quite a stir online."

"What do you think Elder Chi and the others are really thinking?"

"Why set the recycling price so high? Doesn't that clearly tell everyone how important this thing is?"

Lei Yue became more and more agitated as he spoke, completely forgetting that he was still being punished.

"There are all sorts of skeptical voices online now, such as 'the country has discovered a new energy source' or 'alien technology,' and all sorts of guesses."

"There are even more outrageous ones; they have the nerve to guess, but I'm too embarrassed to say."

"I just don't understand. If you're going to hide the truth, why not just hide it well? Creating so many loopholes just invites others to expose it, doesn't it?"

Qin Feng listened silently without interrupting him.

Sometimes, he really envied Lei Yue's simple personality, at least he lived a simple life without much trouble.

After Lei Yue finished speaking, Qin Feng slowly opened his mouth.

"Is it possible that Elder Chi and the others did this on purpose?"

Lei Yue paused, almost tripping over himself.

"Intentional? What exactly do you mean by that?"

He felt like he was about to grasp something crucial, but it was so slippery that he couldn't hold on to it no matter what he did.

"You mean, all of this was deliberately leaked by the authorities?!"

"How is this possible! What are they after?"

"Besides, if they're going to release the information anyway, why should we bother hiding it?"

Qin Feng glanced at him, just about to say something.

A cold figure appeared on the track in front of them without warning, like a ghost seeping out of the darkness.

Chen Feng stood there quietly with his hands behind his back, blending into the night.

If he hadn't spoken up, neither of them would have noticed his presence.

"Are you guys very free?"

That calm tone, devoid of the slightest emotional fluctuation, sent chills down Lei Yue's spine.

"You're still chatting while you're doing penalty runs? Should we make you do another twenty laps so you can chat all you want?"