Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Zhang Ye and his group had arrived a bit early and found a spot to wait.

Before long, Baili Changqing entered the venue. The moment he saw Zhang Ye, he rushed over to greet him.

”Hey, my captain! Why are you sitting here all alone?”

Baili Changqing walked over with a grin and affectionately threw his arm around Zhang Ye’s shoulders.

Zhang Ye did look rather solitary sitting there—at least compared to how popular Gao Changkong and Tu Yunlie were, he really didn’t have much of a presence.

Zhang Ye smiled faintly. ”Everyone loves crowding around the hot stove—no one likes reheating leftovers. As an Outer City Awakened, even if I’ve been appointed as the Celestial Hound Squad’s captain, I doubt Blizzard City’s big shots would bother to notice me.”

Baili Changqing stroked his beard-covered chin.

”That can’t be helped! No matter the time or place, there’s always going to be a strict social hierarchy.”

”As an Outer City Awakened, you’re looked down on by most of the people in Blizzard City. Honestly, you’re treated even worse than someone like Gao Changkong who climbed up from the bottom here.”

”Let them think whatever they want.”

Zhang Ye shook his head indifferently.

”By the way, Baili, who do you think has the better shot?”

Zhang Ye curled his lips into a meaningful smile as he looked at Baili Changqing.

Baili Changqing’s eyes flicked between the two groups—he glanced at Tu Yunlie, then at the wildly popular Gao Changkong.

He sat beside Zhang Ye and spoke in a low voice, ”Both of them submitted formal requests to Commander Zhu, hoping to take the lead in the Eclipse Moon operation.”

”But from the looks of it, Reincarnation Squad has the upper hand.”

”That’s because the Yanyun Guard has to protect Blizzard City. Even though Tu Yunlie is powerful and capable of leading large-scale battles, the higher-ups still need him for their own safety.”

”So if I had to pick between the two, I’d still vote for Gao Changkong.”

Yang Xinxin suddenly spoke coolly, ”Are they the only two you’re considering?”

Baili Changqing paused.

Then he caught the look on Zhang Ye’s face and realized he had overlooked him.

But… Zhang Ye, leading the operation?

Baili Changqing chuckled. ”Come on, Zhang Ye, quit messing around. You’re not that kind of guy.”

He knew Zhang Ye well—he wasn’t someone who liked chasing fame or competing for power.

If it were up to him, he’d rather be lying flat at home than getting involved in tasks that had nothing to do with him.

After laughing, he said leisurely, ”Besides, you’re from the Outer City. I don’t mean to look down on you, but let’s be honest—there’s a lot of exclusionary sentiment in Blizzard City. You might not notice it day-to-day, but it becomes obvious at critical moments.”

He shrugged. ”Wasn’t it the same in your Tianhai City?”

Zhang Ye smiled. ”If you say so, then sure.”

Not long after, Zhu Zheng arrived at the venue with Lan Xincheng and Sun Luxuan.

Everyone immediately quieted down and greeted Commander Zhu.

Zhu Zheng waved to them in response, then gestured for everyone to take a seat.

All eyes turned expectantly to Zhu Zheng, waiting for him to announce the leader of the third Eclipse Moon encirclement plan.

Blizzard City’s power structure was about to shift.

Both Tu Yunlie and Gao Changkong looked expectant.

Zhu Zheng stepped onto the stage and began his speech.

First, he summarized the reasons for the failures of the previous two operations and did a bit of self-reflection.

But very soon, he moved on to discuss the gains made during those missions.

”Here, I want to commend someone in particular. That is Zhang Ye from Tianhai City!”

”During the second operation, he single-handedly took down a member of Nishina’s Eclipse Moon squad, protecting the dignity of the Jiangnan Region.”

”Because of this outstanding achievement, Zhang Ye’s personal bravery, and his loyalty to the Jiangnan Region, I have decided to form a new temporary investigative team centered around the Black Robe Investigation Team and the Celestial Squad. It will be called the Celestial Hound Squad, with Zhang Ye appointed as its captain!”

The crowd broke into a buzz of chatter.

But their expressions weren’t overly surprised.

This news had already been circulating among the upper ranks.

Everyone understood that a new force was needed.

And given Zhang Ye’s combat experience with Eclipse Moon and his outstanding performance, it made sense for him to lead.

But what Zhu Zheng said next changed the tone for many people.

Because Zhu Zheng didn’t mention Tu Yunlie or Gao Changkong at all—instead, he kept singing Zhang Ye’s praises, calling him a once-in-a-generation talent.

”Effective immediately, for the sake of operational secrecy concerning high-level combat personnel, Zhang Ye’s real name will no longer be used externally. He will be referred to by the codename Chaos.”

”Similarly, all elite members of other combat units will also be referred to by their codenames.”

Those who had codenames were all elites—like members of the investigation teams or squad leader–level personnel within the Yanyun Guard.

In the past, these codenames were only used during missions.

But the Celestial Hound Squad was just a temporary formation.

And yet Zhang Ye had been assigned a special codename.

Moreover, the phrase “from now on” sounded anything but casual.

As people listened to Zhu Zheng’s tone, they sensed that something was off.

Gao Changkong lowered his gaze, deep in thought.

Tu Yunlie frowned.

”What does Commander Zhu mean by this?”

Baili Changqing, sitting next to Zhang Ye, gave him a new look. He lowered his head and murmured in his heart: No... no way, right?

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Zhu Zheng’s voice echoed through the room.

”After careful consideration, I have decided that in the upcoming operation against Eclipse Moon, the Celestial Hound Squad will take the lead! Reincarnation Squad will assist the Celestial Hound Squad.”

”And Zhang Ye will serve as the top battlefield commander! The Combat Command Center will provide strategic support.”

That announcement blew the roof off the meeting hall.

Though everyone present was highly trained and generally wouldn’t lose their composure in front of someone like Zhu Zheng, this situation was so shocking it left them speechless.

”What? An Outer City Awakened is going to lead the entire operation?”

”Does he have the qualifications? In terms of reputation or tactical skill, how does he compare to Gao Changkong and Tu Yunlie?”

”This feels way too reckless!”

”But... if Commander Zhu made this decision, he must’ve thought it through. Maybe this Zhang Ye really is something special.”

Some people were quietly considering.

”He managed to kill a member of Nishina’s Eclipse Moon. He’s strong, no doubt. But can he really command people like Gao Changkong and Tu Yunlie?”

Others quickly picked up on the subtext.

”Is Zhu Zheng worried that someone with too much merit will become a threat? So he picked an easily controlled Outer City Awakened to take this important role?”

”But if he’s not up to it, and the third operation fails, the consequences could be huge!”

Everyone had their own thoughts.

Tu Yunlie looked stunned at first, but quickly regained his composure.

Over on Gao Changkong’s side, Ji Yushen was visibly upset. He exclaimed, ”Who the h*ll is he to command us?”

But Gao Changkong shook his head at him.

”Commander Zhu must have his reasons. And I’ve heard that this Zhang Ye has something unique about him.”

Gao Changkong was good friends with Baili Changqing, so he’d heard a few stories about Zhang Ye.

Author’s Note