"Of course! That's how our team has always operated—those who prosper first help others catch up, and we level up together as a group! Everyone gets their chance." Old White Dragon in the Waves added a few more words, mainly to explain things to the newcomers, Crushed Ice Lamb and Happy Big Girl.
The two immediately understood and nodded in agreement. "No problem! We’re totally fine with this. It’s a great approach."
The biggest reward from this trip wasn’t the loot but successfully joining Whirlwind Boss’s core team. In a survival game, having a reliable squad is worth more than anything!
Qi Xu had originally planned to do an "on-the-spot loot division," but time ran out, and everyone was teleported back to their respective vehicles.
At the same time, Ball Ball began setting off fireworks in celebration.
[Warm congratulations to Subzone 666 of Zone 88 for yet another victory in the Cross-Zone Arena Challenge! A flawless 7:0 win against the opponents. Under the leadership of Whirlwind Boss, we believe Subzone 666 will continue its legendary streak and scale new heights of glory!
To celebrate this exhilarating victory, all players in the zone will unlock the "Glory Feast BBQ Banquet" at noon sharp!]
Below, Ball Ball even attached a list of all participants in this Cross-Zone Arena Challenge, each name gleaming in golden letters—festive and auspicious, even Fortune God's Only Daughter was included! Though she was placed at the very end...
Cursed by Misfortune: "Insane! Whirlwind Boss is invincible! Brothers and sisters, this is too cool!"
Forever Love Mountains & Seas: "Just joined the subzone and already witnessed a glorious moment—so lucky! And we even get a free meal at noon. I’m gonna cry from excitement!"
Through Thick and Thin: "Unmatched brilliance lights the arena, iron steeds charge through battle formations. Strategies divine drive mighty forces, fame reforged in triumph’s song!"
Big Boss: "Always supporting Whirlwind Boss! Everyone worked hard—thank you for your efforts! And wow, the poetry from the uncle above is amazing. I’m not that eloquent, so forgive my plain words."
Negative Times Negative: "Agreed! Whirlwind Boss is broad-minded and straightforward. It’s our luck to follow a leader like him. My brother and I messed up before, but thankfully, Whirlwind Boss didn’t hold it against us. We’ll prove ourselves from now on—feel free to keep us in check!"
Qi Xu did find the nicknames Big Boss and Negative Times Negative somewhat familiar—and not in a good way.
A quick search reminded him: these two used to follow Heroic True Colors. After Qi Xu swiftly eliminated Heroic True Colors, he’d expected their underlings to come seeking revenge, ready to be turned into scrap.
But to his surprise, all of them backed down—not a single one came knocking.
Qi Xu didn’t bother hunting them down either. Now, seeing how meek and polite they’d become was almost amusing.
Still, that didn’t stop Qi Xu and Bian from marking them as high-priority surveillance targets. Bian made a habit of checking their recent contacts every few days...
Buried Love 2009: "I thought I was pretty strong, but I didn’t even make the top 20. Whirlwind Boss, when can I join the fun?"
Ex-Girlfriend’s Future Dad: "I’d love to participate too. Can you show me the way, Whirlwind Boss?"
Qi Xu hesitated for a moment before directly tagging Ex-Girlfriend’s Future Dad in the chat hall: "First, change that name. It’s a mood-killer."
Ruan Persimmon: "@Invincible Black Whirlwind Done! What else do I need to do?"
Escaped Beef from Lanzhou Noodles: "Bro, bro... damn, the new name’s fire!"
Top Battlefront: "What about us, Whirlwind Boss? Is it a name issue for us too?"
Heartbroken Kitten: "Yeah, give us a path forward, Boss. We really wanna level up too."
With Ex-Girlfriend’s Future Dad promptly renaming himself, nearly every player from Subzone 444 was stirred into action.
Despite their conflicts with Fortune God's Only Daughter, it was clear to even the densest observer that Invincible Black Whirlwind was assembling his own team.
Anyone with decent strength and initiative stood a chance—except those from Subzone 444. Whirlwind Boss had only accepted Fortune Hound (Fortune God's Only Daughter) and left the rest out.
As zone mergers and arena challenges became more frequent, being left out of Whirlwind Boss’s circle would be a huge loss.
She was leagues ahead—no one else could even come close. The top 10, even top 20, would inevitably be Invincible Black Whirlwind’s people...
So why not lay it all out today?
Qi Xu didn’t dodge the issue. He responded bluntly: "Fortune God's Only Daughter is my comrade—someone I’d trust with my life. If you’ve got issues with her, I can’t comfortably bring you into the team. That’s the core reason.
I don’t know the details of your conflicts, but I know Fortune God's Only Daughter is solid, so I’ll stand by her unconditionally! The rest is up to you to sort out among yourselves."
Before the arena challenge, Qi Xu had been adamant about staying out of their drama.
But while swapping teammates earlier, he’d caught a glimpse of the tangled emotions in Zhu Fu’s eyes—reluctance to forgive, yet an even stronger reluctance to sever ties completely.
If these feelings weren’t confronted head-on, they’d only fester. So Qi Xu forced the issue in the group chat.
Bian felt the same and was even more direct: "@Fortune God's Only Daughter, what do you think?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "To me, you’re the priority. @Fortune God's Only Daughter"
The chat hall, which had been buzzing with congratulations and hype over the arena victory, fell dead silent...
Several players from Subzone 273, who’d been mysteriously transferred to this zone, had been about to voice their confusion in the chat.
But sensing the tension, they wisely held their tongues, waiting for the player known as Fortune God's Only Daughter to respond.
Zhu Fu, inside her vehicle, was pacing anxiously—yet there was also a faint, indescribable emotion stirring within her. Having entered the survival game early, Zhu Fu had never learned how to handle many of these feelings.
The most tangled part was this: none of them were purely villains. Everyone had made mistakes—herself included. Immaturity, overconfidence, assumptions—failures born from countless reasons.
But undeniably, there had been warmth too. After meeting Qi Xu and seeing how she navigated relationships, Zhu Fu finally understood why her old team had fallen apart.
.........
