72: Chapter 72 Procurement of Supplies – You call this strategic reserves?

The Tianqiong Academy Logistics Supplies Center was the biggest "money pit" in the eyes of all the students and teachers.

Not only did it sell Medicinal Pills and weapons, but it also sold daily necessities and luxury goods of all kinds. As long as one had enough credits or club points, it was said that even mutated Dragon eggs captured from the forbidden zones could be exchanged.

The hall was packed with people, and the noise was deafening.

Buyers from various clubs were engaged in a final, frantic shopping spree.

"Ten boxes of Grade One Jinchuang Ointment! And that Hemostatic Powder over there, we want it all!"

"Armor! We want the sturdiest heavy armor! The kind that can withstand a claw strike from a Third-rank Vicious Beast!"

"The last Black Iron Mountain-Splitting Saber? Don't fight me for it; I'll pay double the club points!"

The air was thick with the tense atmosphere of war preparation.

Everyone wanted to wear their entire fortune on their backs. After all, the Hundred Clubs Battle was a life-and-death struggle with real weapons; one lapse in attention could result in being carried out with broken limbs.

However, amidst this murderous army of shoppers, there was one group whose style was completely different.

Pushing an oversized hovering shopping cart, they were... leisurely strolling through the daily necessities section.

"President, what do you think of this tent?"

Gu Fan pointed at an exorbitantly priced tent, his eyes shining. "Starry Sky Luxury Spatial Folding Villa Tent. It has three bedrooms and a living room, a built-in constant temperature formation, mosquito and moisture protection, and can even simulate the sound of thunderstorms to help you sleep. Only 998 credits or 600 club points!"

Xiao Fan stared at that impressive description, his lip twitching.

"Pre... President, we're going to war, not on vacation. Isn't this thing too big a target? Besides, how are we supposed to bring it onto the battlefield?"

"You don't understand."

Gu Fan shook his head and tossed the tent directly into the cart. "This is called psychological warfare. Think about it: while other clubs are shivering in cold, damp caves, we'll be drinking hot tea in a villa. What a blow that will be to their morale!"

"But..."

"No buts. Buy it!"

Gu Fan pushed the cart forward, his hands moving swiftly as items piled up at an alarming rate.

"Oh, an Automatic Psionic BBQ Grill? Grill and eat fresh game in the wild—it's a Divine Artifact! Bought!"

"Premium Smokeless Spiritual Charcoal? Good stuff, won't irritate the eyes. Bought!"

"Portable Sunshade Umbrella? Must bring it. If he gets a sunburn, The Vain will be unhappy."

"This is... Tianxiang Spicy Hotpot Base? Double beef tallow version? Clear the shelves! I want them all!"

Following behind, Lin Xue felt a bit numb looking at the shopping cart that was almost stacked to the ceiling.

She picked up a packet of base labeled "Insane Spicy," her voice trembling slightly:

"President, let me ask a question... is this hotpot base intended to be thrown as a biochemical weapon?"

"Your vision is too small."

Gu Fan picked out dipping sauces while educating her without looking back. "Who says hotpot can't be a weapon? When the time comes, we'll set up the pot in the middle of the battlefield. When the aroma wafts out, will those opponents who've been starving for three days still be able to hold their blades steady? This is the highest Realm of 'subduing the enemy without fighting'."

Lin Xue opened her mouth but couldn't say a single word.

Just then, a large, furry head leaned in.

Wangcai rested his front paws on the edge of the cart, staring intently at the pile of pork belly preserved with freezing talismans. Long strands of drool hung down, and his tail wagged rapidly.

"Woof! (This! I want that Snowflake Fatty Beef too!)"

"Fine, fine, fine, I'll buy it all for you."

Gu Fan doted on it, rubbing its lion-like head, and tossed in a few bags of premium Vicious Beast meat. "We can't mistreat our club's mascot."

While they were happily engaged in their "family shopping spree," a mocking voice drifted over from the side.

"Tsk tsk, I've really seen it all today."

"I wondered who had so much free time; turns out it's the academy-renowned 'Trash Club'."

Gu Fan's movements paused, and he turned his head.

A boy wearing bright silver armor with a longsword hanging at his waist was walking toward them.

Behind him followed several equally well-equipped members, all wearing a golden badge on their chests—the symbol of the Iron Brotherhood, a powerful club ranked in the top ten of the academy.

The leader was named Zhou Kai, the vice president of the Iron Brotherhood and a close friend of Zhao Tiezhu.

He glanced at the pile of pots and pans in Gu Fan's cart and snorted.

"What? Knowing your strength is lacking, are you planning to change careers and become a battlefield chef?"

Zhou Kai pointed at the BBQ grill and laughed exaggeratedly. "Or are you planning to open a farmhouse restaurant in Thunder Roar Canyon? Gu Fan, you didn't actually think this trial was a field trip, did you?"

The surrounding students were also drawn over, pointing at Gu Fan's group and bursting into laughter.

"He's the Gu Fan who was shouting on the forum? This is his preparation?"

"Buying a bunch of food and drink... that's hilarious. Is he here to be a comedian?"

"He's probably just given up. He's destined to be eliminated once he gets inside anyway."

Facing these taunts, Xiao Fan's face turned bright red. He gripped the greatsword on his back, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Lin Xue also silently reached into her pocket, clutching a smoke grenade.

Only Gu Fan acted as if nothing was wrong.

He looked the fully armed Zhou Kai up and down with interest, shook his head, and had a hint of pity in his eyes.

"This... Tin Can student."

Gu Fan sighed. "Aren't you hot wearing such thick armor?"

Zhou Kai was stunned.

"What did you say?"

"I said, your armor looks impressive, but the breathability must be terrible, right?"

Gu Fan analyzed seriously, "The environment in Thunder Roar Canyon is muggy and hot. If you move even a little, the sweat won't be able to escape, and the inside will become a pressure cooker. When the time comes, we won't even have to lift a finger; you'll be steamed to death yourself."

"You!"

Zhou Kai was choked up. "What the hell do you know! This is Third-rank Black Iron Armor! It's invulnerable to blades and spears!"

"Oh, invulnerable to blades and spears."

Gu Fan nodded and suddenly turned to Wangcai. "Wangcai, this big brother says his shell is very hard. Go help him inspect the goods."

"Woof?"

Wangcai tilted his head.

He didn't understand complex human speech, but he could feel an unpleasant aura coming from this tin can in front of him. Just now, when this guy walked over, he had accidentally stepped on Wangcai's tail.

So, Wangcai cooperatively opened his mouth, revealing a set of snowy white, sharp fangs, and faced Zhou Kai—

"Ha..."

He didn't bite; he just let out a lazy yawn.

However, because he had just eaten Gu Fan's specially made "Garlic-flavored Energy Bar," the power of this single breath was comparable to a biochemical weapon.

A stream of air, almost visible to the naked eye, rushed straight at Zhou Kai's face.

"Blegh..."

Zhou Kai was completely unprepared and took a huge breath of it.

The destructive smell, a mixture of aged garlic and fermented leeks, instantly pierced his sense of smell.

Black Iron Armor could defend against swords and spears, but it couldn't block this kind of opportunistic gas attack!

Zhou Kai's face first turned pale, then green, and finally a deep liver-purple. His eyes rolled back, and he clutched his throat, retching violently, unable to stand steady.

"Vice President!"

Several lackeys were terrified and rushed to support him. When they looked at Wangcai again, their eyes were filled with horror.

This lion (Flame Lion)... is toxic!

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Gu Fan waved his hand with zero sincerity. "My dog's stomach hasn't been great lately, so his breath is a bit strong. It seems that while your armor's physical defense is good, its chemical defense is lacking. I suggest you install a gas mask."

The surrounding students, who had been laughing, now covered their noses and mouths, retreating several steps in unison.

"This wasn't just 'strong breath.'"

"This was clearly a walking gas bomb!"

"[Ding! Detected intense 'disgust and anger' from 'Zhou Kai' and his gang.]"

"[malice points +500!]"

"[malice points +300!]"

"[Current Malice Value progress: 98.9%.]"

Hearing the System's pleasant notification, Gu Fan's mood improved even further.

Pushing the shopping cart, he leisurely prepared to check out.

But as he passed the still-retching Zhou Kai, Gu Fan paused as if he had just remembered something.

He glanced at the bill on his cart—'Total: 3,000 credits or 1,500 club points'—and then his gaze landed on the bulging credit card pouch at Zhou Kai's waist.

An idea popped into his head.

"Hey, Tin Man student."

Gu Fan leaned in with a smile. "Seeing you in such pain, do you want me to call a medical team for you? A friendly price: only 500 credits or 250 club points."

"Get lost..." A single word squeezed out of Zhou Kai's throat.

"Don't be so distant."

Gu Fan wasn't angry. Instead, he reached out and patted Zhou Kai's shoulder, a trace of imperceptible Luck quietly shifting. "I see your forehead is darkened; you're definitely going to lose money soon. Why not proactively 'spend money to avoid disaster' and lend me some credits? Consider it an early investment in our 'Championship Celebration Banquet'."

"You... keep dreaming..." Zhou Kai was so angry he nearly fainted.

He was about to explode with rage when his foot suddenly slipped.

It turned out that the puddle of drool Wangcai had left was quite large. In his haste, Zhou Kai hadn't noticed and stepped right in it, losing his balance.

Thud!

Right before everyone's eyes, Zhou Kai fell to the ground once again.

To make matters worse, his face landed right in the puddle of vomit he had just produced.

The surrounding laughter was cut short, as if someone had grabbed it by the throat.

Gu Fan shrugged.

"See, I told you a disaster was coming. If you don't listen to good advice, you suffer the consequences."

Having said that, he ignored Zhou Kai, who was now on the ground questioning his life choices, and pushed the cart toward the checkout counter while humming a tune.

Behind him, Xiao Fan and Lin Xue looked at each other, their expressions as somber as if they were at a funeral.

The Hundred Clubs Battle hadn't even started yet, and their president had already offended people to the death.

How was this going to a competition?

This was clearly going out to draw fire!

But... why did it feel a little satisfying?

Three minutes later, at the checkout counter.

Gu Fan looked at the "Insufficient Balance" prompt on the terminal and turned to look at Xiao Fan, who was wiping sweat.

"Xiao Fan, where's your secret stash? Contribute it, and I'll pay you back tenfold once we win the championship."

Xiao Fan protected his pockets with both hands, tears in his eyes.

"President, that's the money I've been saving to buy a Heart-Protecting Mirror..."

"How can a Heart-Protecting Mirror be more important than hotpot? Hurry up!"

Gu Fan snatched Xiao Fan's credit card and swiped it efficiently, muttering:

"Those who achieve great things don't sweat the small stuff. When we win the championship, I'll treat you to Dragon meat hotpot!"

He pushed the mountain of supplies out the door, looked back at the despondent Xiao Fan and Lin Xue, and grinned, showing a row of white teeth.

"Don't look so down. Think about it: while others are miserably chewing on dry rations and sleeping in caves, we'll be eating hotpot and singing songs. This massive psychological gap will cause our opponents' mentalities to collapse. When the time comes, we won't even need to act; they'll die of anger themselves. This is how you play the high-end game!"