Chapter Forty-One: Speed is Paramount

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When it came down to it, everyone would choose to cooperate with a team that was strong, firm in its stance, and reasonable rather than share a pot with pressure freaks and entitled bullies.

Qin Tianshuo understood that the crux of the matter was still whether their application would be approved.

If the higher-ups protected North 1, their own team, and issued both teams a warning for “making false accusations against an officer,” then they would be in serious trouble.

Yu Shuang and Li Yi both looked at Qin Tianshuo. Yu Shuang’s gaze was relatively calm, while Li Yi seemed uncertain whether to make a gentle request or force the issue with his customary icy stare.

But that icy stare, not yet withdrawn, instantly kindled Qin Tianshuo’s anger.

If you had no real ability, then admit defeat! He had already done so, yet Li Yi still refused to tuck his tail between his legs. It irritated him.

“Count me in!” Qin Tianshuo declared.

Li Yi’s face went pale, and he could not help taking a slight step back.

The uninjured members of North 1 who were still able to attend the meeting were all somewhat anxious.

Yu Shuang merely glanced at them before joining Qin Tianshuo and Yang Yuning to deliberate over the statement.

They contacted North 1’s command center through two channels—the Starlink network and radio. Only Li Yi possessed the code for the radio channel that could contact higher command.

However, the tablets carried by the two captains could access the Starlink mission platform, which had an appeals portal.

They gathered evidence, stated the facts, supplemented and corroborated one another’s accounts, and added Yang Yuning’s “testimony.” Then the three of them each pressed Send.

The ruling would certainly not come back immediately, so the others either collected their equipment or extracted insect oil.

The cargo they were transporting was insect oil. The vehicles had no shortage of fuel, but leaving hundreds of Fallen Insect corpses lying in the wilderness would be a terrible waste.

The truck drivers were especially enthusiastic about collecting the oil, and as they worked, they kept wincing in distress.

Because of the time, they could not collect it all. Otherwise, even with their rudimentary extraction equipment, the amount of oil they obtained could be sold for a fortune on the underground market of any base.

At seven that evening, despite some disorder and stumbling along the way, the battlefield cleanup was successfully completed, and everyone returned to the vehicles.

“Let’s move first. Find somewhere safe to spend the night,” Yu Shuang said.

Li Yi said nothing. Qin Tianshuo said, “Send one person to the lead vehicle. You drive the front vehicle, and I’ll take the rear... all right?”

He had started in a commanding tone, but after saying the last three words, he realized how he sounded and awkwardly added the question.

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Yu Shuang said, “The rear vehicle may come under considerable pressure afterward.”

“Anyone who backs down is a coward!” Qin Tianshuo laughed. “I’ll take the rear vehicle. Let’s go!”

The members of Morningstar 1 were somewhat resistant, but there were only five of them, and two were injured. Under the circumstances, they simply lacked the leverage to resist. In silence, they changed positions.

The convoy set off again.

Sun Yiran from North 2 took a place in the lead vehicle.

Actually, they should have sent Jia Wenxuan, who could see in the dark, but no one called for him.

Sun Yiran had defeated Zhuang Xiao with hearing ten times sharper than an ordinary human’s and successfully entered the lead vehicle.

The girl was only in her early twenties. She had chestnut curls and very round eyes. The moment she got into the vehicle, she sat extremely close to Qi An and gazed at her with shining eyes.

Qi An went from calm to thoroughly uncomfortable, then crawled through the gap between the front seats into the passenger seat, feeling as though she had narrowly escaped disaster.

Why were these clients becoming more and more unhinged?

In fact, there was no truly safe place. The convoy struggled onward through the darkness for another three hours. Because they were afraid of getting stuck, they were moving even more slowly than a person could run.

At ten that night, they finally stopped in a village where there were few traces of Fallen Insects.

Everyone was utterly exhausted, but they still could not rest just yet.

They had to stand watch in two shifts and wash their field uniforms, which were soaked through with Fallen Insect blood, flesh, and muddy water, using the icy river water.

In the apocalypse, every piece of clothing was precious. They could never simply throw something away because it was dirty, nor could they leave behind a source of contamination that reeked of filth. It had to be washed as soon as possible.

Qi An went along to do the laundry, until both her hands were numb with cold.

But when she returned, Tang Long discovered a large patch of spinach inside the half-collapsed courtyard wall of one of the houses.

There were also scallion and garlic shoots, all growing more luxuriantly than the weeds.

Tang Long’s spirits soared. He rushed in and vigorously harvested them. After returning to the courtyard where they were staying, he immediately strained a bucket of water. By the next day, everyone would be able to drink fresh spinach soup.

The discovery greatly lifted Qi An’s spirits. When she entered the vehicle, she found Yang Yuning taking apart the drone that had been shot down, working beneath the ceiling light.

“You know how to repair this?” Qi An asked in surprise.

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Yang Yuning looked up. Before he could answer, he noticed her hands, reddened from the cold. He hurriedly rolled up one of his clean field uniforms and handed it to her.

“This one’s fleece-lined. Warm your hands.”

Qi An did feel a warmth in her heart. She took the uniform and tucked her hands inside.

“Of course I can repair it.” Yang Yuning felt a jolt of electric excitement under Qi An’s surprised, admiring gaze. Raising his brows, he said, “I can program too. Later, I’ll find the newest model of combat drone and add terrain-scanning and map-generation functions, along with a system that lets the operator enter coordinates through brain waves and carry out tracking bombardment. It’ll be perfect for you!”

Qi An paused slightly. Lowering her eyes, she said softly, “Thank you.”

Her lashes fell like butterfly wings, yet the starlight in her eyes still shone through them, captivating the soul.

Yang Yuning froze. The tiny screwdriver in his hand nearly slipped from his fingers.

But Sun Yiran, who had finished building the fire and hanging up the clothes, broke the quiet. She leaned her head between the gaps in the front seats.

“The captains’ application has received a response. Command authority has been changed. All three captains now have the final say.”

She smiled sweetly at Qi An. “Doctor Qi, there’s a meeting. Let’s go together.”

The coquettish tone gave Yang Yuning a chill. He looked at Sun Yiran with an expression of utter disbelief.

Sun Yiran ignored him completely. Like a kitten, she secretly edged closer to Qi An, sniffed the hem of her uniform, and then climbed out of the vehicle to wait for her, content.

In the living room of the house at the head of the village, several flashlights had been placed around the room to serve as light sources. Everyone who was not assigned to the first night watch had gathered, forming a highly uneven circle.

“Three hundred kilometers east of here is North 3 Base. The area around North 3 should be safe, but between here and North 3, and from North 3 to the provincial border, the villages and towns are densely packed. It’s impossible to make the journey without encountering Fallen Insects.”

Qin Tianshuo had tied his hair up again, restoring his handsome appearance, though his expression was somewhat grave.

“We still have to move fast.

“We can detect the approach of Fallen Insects in advance. No matter which direction they come from or how large their numbers are, our principle is the same: do not stop. Charge straight through.

“If we encounter roadblocks while being pursued, we’ll use the vehicles as cover, form a defensive line on the spot, and clear the way as we fight.

“Once again, the principle is speed! If we can keep moving, we must not waste time!” Yu Shuang said crisply.

It was the best possible tactic, and Qin Tianshuo had no objection to raise. The corner of Li Yi’s mouth seemed to twitch, and he gave a cold laugh, but said nothing.