19: Chapter 19 The Poisonous Snake in the Cesspit! A Call from the Deep Forest!

"Why?! Why does that nerd get to be chosen by the Patriarch too?!"

A girl used a wooden ladle to scoop up a spoonful of foul-smelling filth, a mixture of excrement and kitchen waste, and hurled it fiercely toward the distant trash pit, her voice filled with resentment and deep jealousy.

Her name was Zhang Li. She used to be the class social butterfly, relying on her bit of beauty to always have a group of boys surrounding her.

But here, her meager looks were not even worth mentioning in front of beauties of Su Qingyao and Lin Waner's caliber.

Because she had slacked off several times and defied Lin Waner's orders, she had been completely marginalized. Along with Zhao Lei, she was banished to the filthiest and most disgusting corner of the Tribe—the waste disposal area.

Zhao Lei did not speak.

She numbly repeated the movements in her hands, shoveling a pile of fish bones and fruit peels into a hide bag.

The bursts of meat fragrance and the suppressed gasps of wonder from the girls coming from the cave were like red-hot steel needles, stabbing ruthlessly into her heart.

She didn't even need to look to imagine how glorious that glasses-wearing, closeted nerd and top student Liu Wei was right now.

Taken away alone by that man...

And then, returning with a miracle.

It was like this again!

It was like this again!

Chen Xiao was like this, Su Qingyao was like this, and now even that unremarkable Liu Wei was the same!

As long as they were "favored" by that man, they could reach the heavens in a single bound, transforming from an ordinary survivor into a high-and-mighty Transcendent!

And what about herself?

Zhao Lei lowered her head, looking at her hands, which had become rough, dirty, and even emitted a foul stench from handling garbage for so long.

She remembered how, a few days ago, she had crawled on the ground like a dog to lick the dust off that man's boots.

That humiliation, that bone-deep hatred, was gnawing at her heart every single minute and second!

She was not willing!

She was not willing to accept that she, the wealthy young miss of the Global Group, would have to stay in this stinking hellhole for the rest of her life, watching those women she once looked down upon climb over her head one by one!

"Leilei, say something!"

Seeing Zhao Lei remain silent, Zhang Li became even more frustrated.

"Are we really going to spend our whole lives here dumping trash and cleaning up feces?"

"If this continues, we'll either die of exhaustion or be stunk to death!"

"That Lin Waner, now that she's become some bullshit Chief Manager, I think she's just using her position for a personal vendetta! Why do we have to do the filthiest and most tiring work?"

Another girl who was also being punished began to complain as well.

Zhao Lei remained silent, but deep in her eyes, that malicious light grew stronger and stronger.

Say?

Say what?

What is there to say to you idiots who only know how to complain?

Qin Yu's prestige was currently at its peak; he was like a god!

Anyone who dared to oppose him or question him would face only one end—death!

Resist?

With what?

With us few weak women?

Zhao Lei knew better than anyone that in a direct confrontation, they weren't even fit to carry Qin Yu's shoes.

To turn the tables, to get revenge, they had to wait for an opportunity!

An opportunity for a fatal blow!

"Enough, stop arguing."

Zhao Lei finally spoke, her voice hoarse and cold.

"If you don't want to die, then get to work."

"Throw these things into the trench furthest from the camp. Don't let the stench waft back and upset the 'Patriarch'."

Her tone was full of mockery toward Qin Yu, but even more so, it held a suppressed fear.

Although Zhang Li and the others were unwilling, they didn't dare say anything more. They could only accept their fate, picking up the heavy and foul-smelling hide bags and trudging toward the waste trench at the edge of the jungle.

This waste trench was over five hundred meters away from the camp, almost at the outermost edge of the defensive fortifications.

Usually, very few people came here.

"God, it stinks so much!"

Zhang Li pinched her nose and swung the hide bag in her hand with force. The filth inside immediately poured out, rolling into the deep trench.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly glimpsed something strange on the trunk of a giant Cyathea tree across the trench.

"Huh? What's that?"

Curiously, she took a few steps closer.

It wasn't a natural tree pattern, nor was it a claw mark from a wild beast.

It was... a symbol carved with some kind of sharp tool!

A circle with three wavy lines drawn in the middle.

The symbol was ancient and primitive, but there was no doubt it was man-made!

"Hey! Come and look! There's something here!"

Zhang Li shouted excitedly, as if she had discovered a new continent.

Hearing her, Zhao Lei and the other girls walked over with furrowed brows.

When they saw the symbol, everyone's expression changed.

"This... was this drawn by a person?"

"Does this mean... there are other people nearby?"

"Is it... is it a rescue team?!" one girl cried out in surprise.

This thought made all their hearts start to race!

If they could find other survivors, or even a rescue team, would they no longer have to be under Qin Yu's control?

Zhao Lei's heart also began to beat wildly at this moment!

But she thought much deeper than these simple-minded women!

She stared fixedly at the symbol, her brain working rapidly.

Su Qingyao's prophecy...

Seven days later, the Blood Moon in the sky, Humanoid creatures... purging... sacrifices!

Could this symbol... have been left by those "Humanoid creatures"?!

A massive fear instantly gripped her heart!

But then, another even more insane and daring thought, like a poisonous snake, poked its head out from the abyss of fear!

If...

If I can get in touch with them?

If I can sell the intelligence of Qin Yu's camp to them?

No matter how strong Qin Yu is, can he fight an entire Tribe of natives alone?

When the time comes and the two tigers fight, I, Zhao Lei, might just be able to profit from it!

At the very least, I can borrow their blade to kill him, watching that bastard Qin Yu die without a grave!

Once this thought took root, it was like a wild vine, instantly entwining her entire soul!

"Everyone, be quiet!"

Zhao Lei suddenly turned around, glaring at Zhang Li and the others who were still chirping in discussion with an unprecedentedly stern gaze.

"No one is allowed to speak of this! Not a single word can be leaked! Do you hear me?!"

Her cold gaze startled Zhang Li and the others, and they subconsciously nodded.

"Lei... Leilei, what do you mean? This is a big deal. Aren't we going to tell the Patriarch?" Zhang Li asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Tell him?"

A cold and eerie smile curled at the corners of Zhao Lei's mouth.

"Tell him, so he can go contact those 'people' and then give us away as gifts?"

"Or do you think, with our status as 'trash', he would reward us for finding such an important clue?"

"Don't be naive! He'll only take all the credit for himself and then keep making us clean up feces here!"

These words were like ice water, dousing the hope that had just ignited in the hearts of Zhang Li and the others.

That's right...

Given Qin Yu's personality, how could he possibly give them any face?

"Then... then what should we do?" one girl asked, lost.

"What should we do?"

Zhao Lei's gaze crossed the deep trench, looking toward the darker, deeper parts of the jungle.

It was as if in that direction, a pair of eyes was staring back at her.

She slowly reached out her hand, gently stroking the cold symbol, feeling the marks carved as if by knives and axes.

"We..."

Zhao Lei's voice was extremely low, as if she were talking to herself, or making a promise to some unknown existence.

"...will find the answers ourselves."

She raised her head and looked back at the brightly lit, bustling cave camp, the malice and madness in her eyes almost turning into something tangible.

Qin Yu...

You treat me like a dog you can trample on at will.

Then I will be a poisonous snake that bites!

Don't you want to be your little local emperor?

I want to see if you, this god, can still sit firmly on your throne when your 'subjects' and the 'savages' outside work together!

"Starting tomorrow, we'll find opportunities to follow these marks and take a look in the forest."

Zhao Lei turned around and commanded the girls, whose faces had already turned pale with fear, in an unquestionable tone.

"Remember, this is our only chance!"

"Choose whether to be trash that cleans up garbage for the rest of your lives, or choose... to grab hold of your destiny once again!"

"You, choose for yourselves!"