Chapter 130: The Ambition of Youth

After all, someone has to manage the base within the dungeon, right?

Yu Yan, however, lacked any real management experience. She was used to being a loner, and her limited experience in collaborating with others had either ended in unpleasant friction or left her seething with frustration after being bossed around by arrogant, high-level enhancers. Her current approach was merely something she had picked up from movies and novels before the dungeon world descended. She could play the part of a leader who balanced rewards with discipline, but when it came to the nitty-gritty of daily operations, she was completely lost.

As for handing the reins over to the former village chief of Fenghe Village and his cohort, that was not even a consideration. She had gone to great lengths, exhausting so much spirit beast meat to establish this base for everyone within the dungeon, and she wasn't about to let others reap the rewards of her hard work. Even though her initial intention was simply to save people, that outcome was unacceptable to her. Therefore, the base had to be managed by her own people.

Yet, Lou Yuhui and the others, including the twins, were hardly management material. As a layman herself, Yu Yan was forced to take on the role of the "manager," though it was a temporary fix at best. It was not a long-term solution.

Both Zuo Changyu and Tang Yan were better candidates. One was a squad leader, and the other had a military background; even at a minimum, they could apply military-style discipline to team management. Compared to Yu Yan, they were clearly better suited to be the actual administrators of a base. Given all these factors, Yu Yan’s eventual departure from the Fenghe Village base was inevitable.

Since that was the case, she had to find a way to ensure the villagers could protect themselves. Forming hunting squads and cultivating one or even a dozen teams of ability users through her own resources was undoubtedly the fastest way to arm them. Furthermore, this had another benefit: it would exponentially reduce the difficulty of establishing a base within the dungeon.

On one side, the villagers’ combat proficiency and survival skills would improve; on the other, if they remained stagnant, they would not only be unable to help Yu Yan but would become a burden during her dungeon expeditions. The contrast in efficiency was massive.

"Little one, you're still too young to join the hunting squad!"

Yu Yan’s train of thought was interrupted by Yu Wenmin’s gentle voice. Looking up, she saw a seven or eight-year-old boy, his face etched with stubbornness and suppressed emotion, his eyes rimmed with red. Tears pooled in his eyes, but he held his head high, as if afraid that letting them fall would cost him his dignity as a young man.

"Big sister, I'm not little anymore. Please, let me join the hunting squad!" the boy pleaded. "My dad went into the dungeon with you last time and didn't come back. When my mom heard the news, she fainted. Now she’s just dazed and unresponsive, and my grandparents are old. I’m the only one in my family who can join. If you don't let me join, my mom and grandparents will have no way to survive."

"But you're only seven..." Yu Wenmin looked troubled, casting a pleading glance at her brother, Yu Wenjing.

Yu Wenjing didn't know what to do either. Letting a seven-year-old join a hunting squad was not a good idea. Those who joined had to enter dungeons to slay monsters. Even if they tried to look after him, the chances of a seven-year-old surviving were slim. But the boy was right. If his situation was as he described, they had no one else to rely on, and they couldn't just let his whole family wait for death. Besides, Yu Zhiye—the boy's father—had died in the dungeon while with them. Thinking of Yu Zhiye’s tragic end, Yu Wenjing felt a pang of sorrow.

Eventually, he sought out Yu Yan and explained the situation. "Yan, what do you think we should do?"

Yu Wenjing was filled with hesitation and anxiety. He had already decided that if Yu Yan refused to make an exception for Yu Bin, he would set aside some of the spirit beast meat Yu Yan allocated to him to give to the boy. Yu Zhiye had been something of a comrade-in-arms. He felt he owed it to the man's orphan to look after him. Unfortunately, without joining the hunting squad, the boy couldn't bring his family along for the migration. Yu Wenjing gritted his teeth; if necessary, he and his sister had four spots for dependents between them. Since their grandfather had passed away long ago, leaving only their grandmother living with their parents, they had one extra spot. He could just bring the boy along. But that still left the boy's mother and grandparents without support, which was an unsolvable problem.

"What's with that look on your face?" Yu Yan asked, feeling slightly speechless. Did she really look like such a cold-hearted person?

Even setting aside the fact that Yu Bin’s father had lost his life while following the twins into the Firefly Soul-Devouring Sea, Yu Yan was willing to give the boy a chance simply because he was willing to stand up and take responsibility for his family at such a young age.

However, she added, "He's still too young; joining the hunting squad isn't appropriate. Tell him to go find Duoduo and stick with her."

If things went as planned, everyone in Yu Yan’s family would become a member of the hunting squad. Even excluding her unreliable father, Yu Yongde, there were still six of them: her mother, her mother's lover, the twins, herself, and her daughter. With twelve dependent spots available, and the boy’s family totaling four people, Yu Yan could easily accommodate them without any pressure.

Yu Wenjing’s mouth curled into a grin he couldn't suppress, and he rushed off to tell the boy the good news. Duoduo was Yu Yan’s own daughter—if the boy could latch onto that connection, he wouldn't have to worry about his future.

"What? You don't want to?" Yu Wenjing stared at the boy, who was looking down in silence. "Why?"

"Uncle Wenjing, please don't say anymore. I want to take care of my mom and grandparents with my own strength," Yu Bin said, his lips pressed thin. He wasn't calm, but if he were alone, he knew he would be well-taken care of by Duoduo. But with his mother and grandparents involved, he couldn't expect Duoduo to take on the burden of his entire family. Just thinking about it made him feel it was wrong.

"Uncle Wenjing, even though I'm young, if you give me a chance, I promise I won't hold you back! Whether it's carrying spirit beast carcasses or going to the front lines to fight monsters, I..." Yu Bin’s voice wavered, showing his lack of confidence, but he puffed out his small chest defiantly. "I will work hard to overcome my fear and finish whatever tasks I am given!"