CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: THE BOTTOM-RANKED SQUAD

"Ji Nanhong’s card is even more useful than I imagined." Chen Guan smiled, but he was quite pleased with Shi Zhimen’s reaction.

Although Chen Guan wasn’t someone who bullied others by relying on connections, he wasn’t going to suffer needlessly either. Acting like a submissive little flower being trampled on would just be creating trouble for himself.

Since he could make his life a bit easier, why not use it? Besides, Chen Guan hadn’t done anything untoward, he simply let Shi Zhimen see Ji Nanhong’s Heavenly Meal Card.

"Thank you, Captain Shi. Why don’t we, as one of our own, not be so formal and eat together?" Chen Guan said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, let’s eat together as our own people." Shi Zhimen was greatly pleased to hear this, realizing Chen Guan didn’t hold a grudge about the morning’s events. He quickly introduced the rest of the team to Chen Guan.

Although Chen Guan wasn’t particularly talkative, he didn’t make people feel awkward. Plus, with Shi Zhimen’s deliberate cheerleading, the group felt quite harmonious.

Hmph!

Just as the group was chatting enthusiastically, they heard an inappropriate cold snort from the side.

Chen Guan originally didn’t care, but seeing Shi Zhimen and the others’ faces change as they angrily glared at the next table, he followed their gaze.

At the nearby table sat seven or eight people, both men and women. Aside from one young man engrossed in his meal, the others were all looking over.

"Ximen Ding, what are you huffing about?" Shi Zhimen said with a gloomy face, glaring angrily at one of the handsome and tall men.

"I huff because I like to huff, I’m happy to huff, I want to huff, what’s it to you?" The man named Ximen Ding said disdainfully.

"Looking for trouble, are you?" Shi Zhimen and the others immediately got angry, standing up to confront Ximen Ding.

"If you say it’s looking for trouble, then let’s call it that. What can you do? Why make a fuss here? If you have the ability, complete a task and show us, or win a place in the big competition to prove your last-place team’s strength. If I let you take first place, that would be me being disrespectful, lacking character, not understanding your difficulties. If you can get second to last instead of last, that’d be something. If you can do that, you can even curse me as much as you want, and I won’t utter a word." Ximen Ding, arms crossed with an air of arrogance, didn’t take Shi Zhimen and the others seriously at all.

"You..." Shi Zhimen found himself momentarily lost for words.

But if he just let it go, it would seem very embarrassing, and he found himself awkwardly stuck there.

"Alright, let’s eat. We have tasks after the meal, don’t waste time." The young man engrossed in his meal spoke up to stop Ximen Ding from saying anything more.

Ximen Ding obediently lowered his head and continued eating, while Shi Zhimen and the others from team 17 took the opportunity to sit back down. Despite their suppressed anger, they didn’t say anything further, and the atmosphere wasn’t as joyous as before.

It wasn’t until Ximen Ding and his group left that Shi Zhimen’s team’s spirits improved a little.

"Captain Shi, what’s going on, do you have a feud with those people?" Chen Guan finally asked.

"I won’t hide it from you, our 17th squad has been at the bottom of the Reserve Team for years, those guys are from the 9th squad, always in the top three in competitions. It’s normal for them to look down on us." Shi Zhimen explained.

"Captain Shi, we’re all on the same side, feel free to speak your mind, there might be more to it, right?" Chen Guan thought the situation wasn’t that simple.

Shi Zhimen blushed and lowered his voice to say to Chen Guan, "Most of us in the 17th squad have parents who are veteran members of the Celestial Court Army, and they pulled some strings to get us in. This kind of thing is quite normal in the Reserve Team, but those with real connections usually send their kids to the stronger teams. It’s just us with some connections, but not strong enough, who spent money to get in and have average abilities, who get placed in our team."

Chen Guan understood from this that the teammates in the 17th squad all had average backgrounds and abilities, and even paid to get in.

So initially, Shi Zhimen didn’t take Chen Guan seriously, as being in the 17th squad meant not having any real background.

"Those in the 9th team are all specially recruited talents, and they really look down on us. But they’re skilled, and we can’t compete with them, so there’s nothing we can do." Bu Changning said gloomily.

"We all have some connections, if we can’t compete in the open, can’t we do so in secret?" Chen Guan wondered, thinking they should have some connections since they’re all descendants of veterans in the Celestial Court Army.

"How could we win that way? Those specially recruited talents often come from good backgrounds, some even from the Ten Great Families. Take Jiang Tianqing for example, from the Jiang Family, we can’t provoke them." Shi Zhimen unveiled the background of the 9th team.

After listening for a while, Chen Guan finally got a complete understanding of his current situation.

The 17th squad, the bottom squad of the Reserve Team, has come in last for seven consecutive years in the big competition. None of the truly capable people are willing to come here to be squad leader. Over these seven years, the squad has switched leaders countless times, and members have come and gone, but no one has managed to change the status of the 17th squad.

The previous squad leader left because he found the last-place team too lousy, unable even to complete tasks and earn points, so he used his connections to get transferred. Now, the 17th squad doesn’t have a squad leader, and Shi Zhimen, as the deputy leader, is taking charge temporarily.

Due to limited strength and lack of a leader, completing even the regular tasks is challenging for the last-place squad. They cannot meet the monthly task quota, the only one of its kind in the Reserve Team, let alone hope for any ranking in the big competition.

After listening, Chen Guan understood why he was placed in this squad. It was definitely Ji Nanhong’s idea, likely wanting him to be the squad leader.

Only by becoming the squad leader could he gain attention from above, and if the squad’s performance was good, it would greatly help his future endeavors in joining the Celestial Court Army.

Other squads’ leaders either had background or were extremely capable themselves. Joining other squads, who knows how long it would take to become a squad leader.

Although the 17th squad is not great, the ability to become a leader right away is something other teams can’t offer.

Chen Guan thought this wasn’t bad, as he wanted to rise higher, and this starting point seemed just right.

"Alright, after you’re full, let’s get on with our respective tasks. Chen Guan, I’ll continue teaching you Riding Skill and formation drills. If you don’t mind, I have some of my personal Riding Skill insights that I can teach you too," Shi Zhimen said, dismissing the others and taking Chen Guan to the paddock.

"Are there no tasks for our squad?" Chen Guan asked.

"Of course there are tasks, but we can’t complete them anyway, so there’s no rush." Shi Zhimen replied indifferently.

Chen Guan chatted with Shi Zhimen while learning horsemanship, feeling quite relaxed, unlike the tiring morning, but still learning a few things.

"Captain Shi, your Riding Skill is really something, quite impressive." Chen Guan said somewhat surprised, finding Shi Zhimen’s Riding Skill quite exceptional, indeed unique.

"My family runs a pet racing ground, so I’ve ridden all sorts of pets since I was young. My Riding Skill is indeed decent." Shi Zhimen said smugly.

After practicing for a while, Chen Guan asked about the tasks, and Shi Zhimen carefully explained.

Each squad has fixed monthly tasks, and completing these tasks is essential to receive all the monthly resources and benefits, especially the elixirs that aid greatly in cultivation.

Since they lost a squad leader, they couldn’t complete the fixed monthly tasks, and last month, they only completed one. The elixirs they received were less than one-tenth of the full amount.