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Fu Shiwu's eyes scanned the area; his gaze paused as he saw Tang Xuhai, who was standing by the open car door, wearing a menacing smile.
"Agree to it," mouthed Tang Xuhai.
Fu Shiwu, puzzled, still nodded as instructed, saying, "Alright..."
"You're amazing, Brother Fu!" Miao Jia, moved, rushed over to hug Fu Shiwu.
Startled by his action, Fu Shiwu halted. Tang Xuhai's smile turned even more dangerous.
That brat! How dare he skip training! I'll teach him a lesson!
Grumbling inside, Tang Xuhai took advantage of Miao Jia's distraction and left.
He knew exactly what Miao Jia was up to!
Earlier, in private, Tang Xuhai had mentioned helping Miao Jia with physical training, inquiring about his combat and firearm skills. Miao Jia couldn't hide it, so he confessed.
Tang Xuhai's face turned grim, immediately vowing to intensely train him.
If Miao Jia hadn't graduated from the police academy, he might not have faced this treatment. He pleaded, but Tang Xuhai was firm.
Observing that Tang Xuhai and Fu Shiwu were closer, Miao Jia sought an indirect approach by giving the gun and bullets to Fu Shiwu. He hoped to avoid one aspect of training. Clever move!
Tang Xuhai wasn't as ruthless as thought. If Miao Jia's gun skills were indeed lacking, he'd temporarily give the weapon to someone in need. Later, in a military setting, they could focus on it. However, without the gun, Miao Jia had to comply with close combat and physical training!
So, Miao Jia tried to gain a little and ended up in a hellish training regimen, tempted by Tang Xuhai with promises of better "noodle soup" and enhanced computer equipment.
Tang Xuhai drove, Fu Shiwu beside him, while Wen Zhaoming and Miao Jia sat in the back. The other seven split between two cars, planning to leave through the warehouse center's main gate.
Not being present during introductions earlier, Miao Jia was curious now.
He asked, "Wen Ge, what criteria did you use to choose people? It makes sense to have a water-based ability for managing water, but why someone with a sand-based one?"
Wen Zhaoming was momentarily speechless. What did he mean by managing water with water-based abilities?
Facing Miao Jia's somewhat nonsensical question, Wen Zhaoming didn't know how to respond.
Interrupting, Tang Xuhai said, "Enough, stop. We'll talk later."
Terrified of Tang Xuhai now, Miao Jia immediately shut up. Fu Shiwu, through the rearview mirror, chuckled and exchanged a glance with Tang Xuhai.
Unable to resist, Fu Shiwu remembered when Miao Jia had thought he'd tricked them but ended up in a pitiable state. It curved his lips slightly.
Tang Xuhai's lips twitched slightly before he focused on the road ahead.
"Hey, what's happening outside?" Miao Jia's surprised voice rang out.
The other three looked out the car windows.
Their SUV parked within the military compound inside the warehouse center. Their exit meant passing through the main road, with warehouses bustling on both sides—people rushing in and out, packing things, and vehicles causing congestion.
Wen Zhaoming furrowed his brow, "Could it be that those seven leaked the information when they went back to gather supplies?"
If so, he had misjudged them.
"Not necessarily. If they informed us, they would've notified these people too," Tang Xuhai said indifferently. "Staying here means certain death. Leaving might offer a chance, and it reduces the burden on the military."
The occupants fell silent.
After a while, Fu Shiwu suggested, "Shouldn't we inform the troops about the current situation?"
Seeing Fu Shiwu's concerned expression, Tang Xuhai paused before saying, "They likely know more than we do."
"Right, Brother Fu, don't worry. With satellite imagery, I can track their route and there'll be communication with their radio operators," Miao Jia reassured.
Fu Shiwu sighed inwardly; indeed, that's why Captain Wang asked them to leave quickly.
"I'm just concerned. Without weapons and ammunition, how long can they hold on?" Fu Shiwu spoke with a heavy heart. "Why can't we leave together?"
"They're soldiers; obeying orders is their duty. Even in this situation, without orders, they won't step back," Tang Xuhai said impassively.
Hearing the tone in his voice, Fu Shiwu glanced at him, finding Tang Xuhai expressionless.
With more people, the convoy naturally slowed down. Fu Shiwu noticed Wang Ziping urging his family into a vehicle, looking surprised when he saw Fu Shiwu, then urging them even more urgently.
Frowning, Fu Shiwu pondered why Wang Ziping was so well-informed and why he was in such a rush.
As the modified vehicles reached the warehouse center's gate, the original defensive structures had been moved, replaced with a makeshift barrier, similar to those seen in TV dramas, with wire-wrapped wooden fences.
The guards, seeing the vehicles leaving, didn't inquire. Silently, they moved aside the wooden barriers.
Witnessing these silent soldiers, Fu Shiwu felt deeply touched, while Tang Xuhai respectfully saluted.
The soldiers, slightly surprised by the gesture, saluted back before stepping aside.
"Stop staring," Tang Xuhai said to Fu Shiwu, who kept looking back. "Stay alert; it's dangerous out there, be attentive!"
"Yes!" Fu Shiwu nodded solemnly, sitting upright.
Leaving the warehouse center meant truly departing from their familiar human territory, entering a post-apocalyptic world filled with unknowns, from facing alien waves to mutated flora and fauna and paranormal beings.
Following Tang Xuhai's team as the first to leave the warehouse center, soon, one after another, other groups hurriedly departed this sanctuary that had sheltered them for some time.
"Miao Jia, keep an eye on the situation upfront!" Tang Xuhai's sharp gaze fixed on Miao Jia through the rearview mirror.
Miao Jia's skin tensed, feeling a tingling sensation on his scalp. "Yes, Captain Hai!"
He understood the weight of his responsibility; in simple terms, he was the eyes in the sky!
Miao Jia's fingers swiftly tapped the laptop, using the open satellite antenna to retrieve images from the satellites orbiting in the near-Earth.
"They're out!" Miao Jia's spirits lifted. Even Wen Zhaoming, seated next to him, leaned over to look at the screen.
Though there was a slight delay, the surveillance capability was sufficient.
"Only scattered alien activities, no sign of an impending alien wave!" Miao Jia reported.
"Good!" Tang Xuhai responded in a deep voice. "Watch out for large alien waves, ignore the scattered ones."
"Understood!" Miao Jia replied seriously. "Until we reach the main road out of
the suburban area, no significant alien wave in sight. The nearest contact time with an alien wave, at our current speed, is in 20 hours!"
Tang Xuhai nodded in approval but stayed focused on driving.
Relieved, Miao Jia set his car as the focus on the computer, marking alien waves and fast-moving entities as alert targets. They would trigger an alarm if they got too close.
Now with some time, his curiosity piqued again. "Wen Ge, tell me, why did you choose someone with a sand-based ability?"
He was immensely curious. He could understand water and wood-based abilities, for drinking and eating, but what could someone with a sand-based power do? Create sandstorms? He didn't seem capable of that!
Wen Zhaoming looked speechless; this kid wasn't giving up!
"Don't underestimate sand-based abilities. Sand can be extremely useful," Wen Zhaoming said seriously. "Quick sands can silently consume any life, making it undetectable. Even if an alien steps on it, they'd sink and suffocate."
"Oh! Quick sand! I thought it would be some sandy blinding technique during combat!" Miao Jia exclaimed.
Wen Zhaoming was speechless.
"What about the other four mutants? Tell me more," Miao Jia eagerly asked.
"The other four mutants each have their strengths. Liu Zhao and Wu Shan are strong and fast runners. They dare to confront aliens and, when together, manage to kill a few. Orland excels in archery and has a crossbow. Wang Dan is a women's self-defense coach. She mentioned working at a high-standard club before," Wen Zhaoming explained.
"A women's self-defense coach?" Miao Jia gulped.
But soon, he couldn't dwell on the shock of this revelation. The car had already left the urban-rural combined area, and vast, sparkling rice fields appeared on both sides of the road!
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