Fighting for Survival

The next day, early in the morning, I heard a group of Radiators fighting in the training grounds.

Their fierce fighting was incredibly noisy, naturally waking up all the newcomers.

Everyone gathered in front of the railings, watching the Black Hands train outside, completely engrossed.

Around noon, the group finally stopped, and then a large batch of Wa people entered from outside.

Leading them was Fúshé, with Rou Si also present, and several others who were unfamiliar but seemed like high-ranking officials.

Just by looking at their appearance, their clothing, and their weapons, it was clear they were very distinctive.

One of them was even leading a monkey on a leash.

The monkey was extremely strong, no weaker than a gorilla, with glossy black fur and bright, spirited eyes.

But it wore a metal collar around its neck, connected to a heavy chain.

The Wa person leading the monkey wore a black leather jacket and had six scars on his face, as if made by some kind of sharp claws.

"Lord Fúshé, you must allocate more newcomers to our Prey Group this time, we're running out," the man with six scars said excitedly, laughing.

Fúshé glanced at him, "Kimura, the quality of the newcomers lately hasn't been good."

Six Scars made the monkey lie down on the ground and sat on it, "It's precisely because the quality isn't good that you should give them to me. I'm not picky!"

Just then, a stern and upright man walked over. He immediately assumed a horse stance, as if sitting on air.

His voice boomed, "If all the people are given to you, what will my Redemption Squad do?"

Six Scars laughed, "Ono Shinsyo, those Glass People are useless to you anyway. Instead of sending them to die in the Redemption Game, it's better to let me raise a few more radiation beasts."

"The little ones at home are crying from hunger."

Ono Shinsyo frowned, "How can they be useless? Are they not dying when they go to you? It's always the people the Redemption Squad doesn't want that end up with your Prey Group."

Six Scars shrugged, "Every time you pick a bunch of assorted Glass People to send to you, how boastful are they before they go? How many survive after they go? In the end, isn't it the strong who have a higher survival rate?"

"In my opinion, we shouldn't look at talent or education. Just test their strength. You take the Superior Glass People, and give me the rest."

Ono Shinsyo glared at him, "Lord Fúshé will assign them. It's not your place to decide."

Regarding their argument, Fúshé merely smiled faintly and instead asked a bare-chested Black Hand, "Hirao, does your Laborer Group need people?"

Before he could answer, Six Scars interjected, "How could Mizusawa possibly need people? His Laborer Group has the most people. If you ask me, we should pull some dead weight from him to my side."

Mizusawa Hirao looked at him coldly, then respectfully said to Fúshé, "Sir, the Laborer Group does not need people. If there is a need, we will accept deployment at any time."

Fúshé remained noncommittal and then asked with concern, "How is Tianshe?"

Mizusawa replied, "Much better. He was supposed to come today, but I stopped him."

"Mmm, let him rest well. I will personally preside over this matter," Fúshé said, then gave Sasaki a look.

The latter immediately scurried over with people to the fence where the newcomers were, and brought everyone to the center of the training grounds.

"You! Come up!"

Sasaki pointed at one person in front of him. The latter's legs felt weak, and he didn't know why he was singled out. Trembling, he stepped forward.

But he remembered Fúshé saying yesterday that he liked brave people, so he forced himself to calm down and stood straight, as if being inspected by his master.

"Name!"

"Zhou Fangjiang..."

Sasaki tore off his prisoner's tag and threw it onto a recorder's desk.

"Crime."

Zhou Fangjiang lowered his voice, "Murder... man... manslaughter."

Sasaki didn't ask him why he killed someone, and just casually asked, "Work experience."

Zhou Fangjiang was stunned, "No work..."

Sasaki asked again, "Then what skills do you have? What are you good at?"

At this moment, everyone knew this was to see what use they were.

If they were useless, their fate would be very bad. This was the moment that would decide their destiny.

Zhou Fangjiang immediately said eagerly, "I can make desserts! What I make is very delicious. The neighbors all say so!"

"Idiot!" Sasaki slapped him, shouting, "Substandard Glass Person, next."

Zhou Fangjiang was bewildered. Wasn't cooking a skill? Didn't so many households in the village need someone to cook? Weren't there also shops?

Hearing "Substandard Glass Person" meant a bad outcome.

"My signature desserts are really delicious, really delicious!" He was dragged away by a Wa person, blood seeping from his mouth, still trying to argue.

At this moment, Fúshé spoke, "Let's test their physical fitness. This time, we'll only assign the five grades of Glass People according to strength... Go, bring the machine."

Many Black Hands were stunned. Were they really listening to Six Scars Kimura?

Six Scars clapped his hands and praised, "Lord Fúshé is wise."

Ono Shinsyo and the others were dumbfounded, wondering if it was because the losses this time were heavy, and coupled with the fact that no high-quality newcomers had joined for several consecutive times, Fúshé was actually going to reform the composition of the Redemption Squad's Glass People.

Mizusawa Hirao stared intently at Six Scars, thinking that the newcomer was so disrespectful to Lord Fúshé, yet Fúshé wasn't angry? Instead, he was actually listening to his suggestion?

Regardless of what the group was thinking, the newcomers who heard this were stunned.

Especially Gaoxin, who stared blankly as a group of Wa people brought over all sorts of machines.

"Test... strength?" Gaoxin's scalp tingled.

He had spent over three thousand points to max out his intelligence, and now they were only testing strength?

This sudden change by Fúshé had completely disrupted all his plans.

Before this, they had always considered all aspects of a person's abilities.

Previously, Meimei had only worked in legal affairs, and Fúshé had agreed to send her to the Redemption Squad. Luo Yan had merely said he graduated from vocational school and had read many books, and despite his courtesan's beauty, Fúshé still sent him to redemption.

Gaoxin had clearly learned from Liu Xu that while physical fitness might be one aspect, other abilities could also earn points. It had been like this every previous year.

But now, it had changed for him?

Luo Yan also knew this was terrible, especially since he was aware of what the Prey Group was like... Sule, Meimei, and the others turned pale.

If their strength wasn't up to par, they would become food?

Luo Yan glanced at Gaoxin, and Gaoxin glanced back at him. Both felt a profound sense of sorrow.

Plans couldn't keep up with changes...

"What do we do?" Luo Yan asked in a low voice.

Gaoxin said bitterly, "If you've strengthened your strength, you can still fight for it."

He then looked at Meimei, "Fúshé promised you yesterday. If he doesn't go back on his word, you'll have a chance too."

Luo Yan clenched his fist, "What about you?"

Gaoxin gave a tragic smile, his eyes flashing with a hint of madness.

Luo Yan said in a deep voice, "We have to find a way to make them change their minds. It's just a word from Fúshé, after all."

Gaoxin shook his head, "There's no way. This isn't Fúshé's sudden whim."

"I don't know who this Six Scars is. He calls Fúshé 'Lord,' but he doesn't act like a subordinate at all."

"He speaks so disrespectfully, yet Fúshé so naturally adopted his suggestion."

"Heh heh heh... I doubt we can change anything, no matter how much we argue."

At this moment, Sasaki had already had people bring over a pile of machines. Zhou Fangjiang stared blankly, not knowing what they were for, only recognizing the one for measuring height and weight.

He was arranged to be weighed first, and then tested on things like bench press and punching power.

Finally, Sasaki sneered, "Your strength isn't even one times your weight. You're pure trash!"

He saw that Zhou Fangjiang not only couldn't lift an equivalent weight but also winced and rubbed his wrist after a full-power punch on the boxing machine.

He shook his head even more, "Substandard Glass Person."

This time, despite his cries, Fúshé didn't say anything, and Zhou Fangjiang was dragged to the side.

As for how he would be assigned later, it wasn't mentioned!

However, Gaoxin and the others looked grim. They knew very well that this person would be sent to be food.

The other newcomers might not know, still guessing he might be sent to make salt, work as laborers, or worse.

But the unknown breeds fear. Having witnessed operations where a slave was casually killed for a heart, many of them were terrified just by their own imaginations.

This made everyone very anxious. A label of "Substandard Glass Person" wouldn't lead to anything good, so they had to strive for a higher evaluation.

"Next!"

The inspection of the newcomers proceeded in this manner, one by one.

At first, everyone was confused, but later they understood.

Here, Glass People were divided into five grades: Superior, Good, Mediocre, Inferior, and Substandard.

Those with a bench press strength below 1x their body weight were Substandard.

Those with strength at 1x or above were Inferior.

Those who could lift above 1.5x their body weight were Mediocre.

And those who could lift more than 2x their body weight were Good Glass People.

Only those whose strength reached above 2.5x their body weight would be Superior Glass People!

If it were in the past, then having other combat experience, precise skills, or academic qualifications could earn bonus points.

These had to be genuinely useful skills that could be utilized in the Redemption Game. Skills like cooking or singing wouldn't be considered here at all.

However, that was in the past...

Now, with a single word from Fúshé, all bonus points were abolished! Only strength mattered!

"W-what do we do?" Sule murmured. It was almost his turn.

Gaoxin had been thinking, his mind about to explode. But precisely because he was so clear-headed, he understood very well that the testing method had been decided and was unchangeable. Arguing until they were blue in the face would be useless.

"We're all just ordinary people. There are so many things in this world. After struggling and fighting to the very end, we still fail. What can you do when someone can destroy all your efforts with just a thought or a word?"

"It's like how gene protectors used to be dirt cheap, even free in the past, but for our generation, they cost a million coins."

"The rules have always been like this, and he changed them with a single sentence. What can you do?"

He frantically worked his brain, thinking of countermeasures, but his mind was only at the peak of an ordinary person, not superhuman.

At this moment, Sasaki pointed at Sule and said, "Next!"

Sule stood there blankly.

Gaoxin immediately said from behind him, "Fight! You're very strong, maybe you can do it. If you can lift more than twice your weight, I'll step forward and persuade Lord Fúshé to include the Good Glass People in the Redemption Squad."

He wasn't confident he could persuade Lord Fúshé.

But Sule heard him and his confidence surged: "Okay!"

He stepped forward, handed over his identification plate, and stated his crime: "Intentional assault, ten-year sentence."

Intentional assault could lead to a ten-year sentence. Who did he injure?

But Sasaki didn't care. He had Sule stand in front of the machine, and the test began quickly.

First, weight: 80 kilograms.

Then, Sule let out a roar and lifted a heavy object weighing a full 200 kilograms.

He gritted his teeth, enduring, pushing the weight over his head and struggling to support it.

Afterward, Sule released the weight, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected to succeed and went on to the next test.

After all the tests were completed, Sasaki said with satisfaction, "Not bad. Finally, a Superior Glass Person has appeared."

For a moment, everyone looked at Sule with envy.

Gaoxin and Luo Yan were stunned, not expecting Sule to actually be able to lift such a heavy object.

He... was already a Superior Glass Person!

Luo Yan mumbled, "I couldn't tell. He's that strong?"

Gaoxin knew Sule was strong; he had been completely outmatched by him multiple times in the game, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong.

Luo Yan tilted his head, "Then I should be able to do it too?"

Gaoxin looked at Luo Yan again, a pang of bitterness in his heart.

Luo Yan always worked out, as was evident on the beach. He had even strengthened his power last night. If the Wa people reduced the difficulty because he was missing an arm, he might actually be able to do it.

But what about him?

Gaoxin assessed himself internally.

"2.5 times body weight is the standard for a Superior Glass Person. I weigh 70 kilograms, meaning I need to lift 175 kilograms..."

Gaoxin's internal assessment made him extremely ashamed. It was too heavy, absolutely impossible. He was very far from being superior.

He calculated twice his body weight and found that wouldn't work either. He remembered struggling to push a 140-kilogram motorcycle, let alone lift it.

What about a Mediocre Glass Person? For him, that meant lifting 105 kilograms.

"That's 210 jin, the weight of my fat neighbor!"

Gaoxin's expression turned grim. Recalling the physique of the fat man in his memory, he realized he could barely lift him, let alone hoist him up... heh.

"So I'm just an Inferior Glass Person here... Even if I use all my strength, I'd only be at best of average ability."

Gaoxin's expression was desolate. Although he was committed to escaping this place, he had to face reality for now.

Without a doubt, this evaluation was extremely important and would determine his fate.

"I have to risk it all. I didn't expect to be gambling my life again just one day later..."

Gaoxin's eyes were firm. Although he was just an ordinary person, he absolutely didn't want to live a life of petty scheming and die in humiliation.

He survived one day, but what about the second? The third?

Precisely because of this, in the game, his goal from the very beginning was never just to survive, but to win everything.

He thought that getting over 3,000 points and strengthening his brain would change his situation, but he didn't expect it to get worse! He should have just added points to strength...

But no one has a crystal ball. At this moment, there was only one way.

"Next, you!" Sasaki pointed at Gaoxin.

Gaoxin walked forward. Sasaki asked, "Name."

"Gaoxin." He took off his identification plate and handed it over.

Sasaki tossed it aside without looking up. "Crime..."

Gaoxin looked down at his hands and said, "Murder."

Luo Yan and Meimei, listening from behind, were stunned. Gaoxin always claimed he was framed and innocent, but now he wasn't saying that.

Was it because he had actually killed someone?

Sasaki didn't care, simply recording it.

"Test it."

Gaoxin said coldly, "I have a special skill."

Sasaki frowned. They had already agreed not to ask about that and to test his physique directly.

"Cut the crap, get on the machine!"

Gaoxin refused outright. "With my special skill, there's no need for a test."

Sasaki was confused. "What special skill?"

Gaoxin took a deep breath, his voice clear and resolute.

"I'm a really good fighter!"

Fúshé's head shot up, and many people looked over in astonishment.

p.s: Sorry.