"Here's how the terrain looks around us," he said, glancing at the group of men, all varying in age from middle-aged to young. Tang Xuhai observed that these individuals were likely members of the former Wild Wolf Gang. Coerced into wrongdoing under Shi Zheng, they all had some experience combating anomalies and showed no signs of fear.
He addressed them, "Introduce yourselves."
One older man spoke up, "I'm Zhou Weihua, specializing in electrical systems."
"Shao Le, wind specialization," another followed, and the introductions continued with "Wei Zhuting, fire specialization," "Lu Yu, stone specialization," and "Mo Zhiyuan, earth specialization."
Fu Shiwu sat quietly, observing them. It seemed that Shi Zheng's underlings primarily consisted of those who initially manifested attack-based abilities. Later advancements in water and wood abilities were nowhere to be found. This indicated Shi Zheng lacked access to the latest research findings.
Tang Xuhai nodded to them, "Tang Xuhai, specializing in metal." He then gestured towards several nearby hills, "You're more familiar with your own people. Organize yourselves into groups. Divide your fighters into four groups, placing them here, here, and here, with the last group here."
"Our position will be in the middle. Night duties will rotate every two hours to maintain focus. If you encounter an anomaly you can't handle, signal us. Everyone has flashlights, right?" Tang Xuhai inquired.
Several nodded in agreement, confirming they did.
"Good. When you signal, it'll be like this," Tang Xuhai demonstrated with his own flashlight, tapping the switch three times in quick succession. "Two long, one short. Got it?"
They all affirmed, "Understood."
Tang Xuhai continued, "Unless I call for support, do not leave your assigned defensive position. We're stationed in the middle, ready to assist the signaled group."
Only when Tang Xuhai assured them he wouldn't micromanage did they relax. While they had faced higher-level anomalies before and even defeated some, lacking a leader left them feeling unsettled, solely obeying Shi Zheng's commands.
With his extensive combat experience, Tang Xuhai efficiently arranged cross-defensive positions for each group, optimizing manpower without creating blind spots. He even organized resting areas for the regular civilians.
Tang Xuhai's concise language and confident demeanor instilled trust. The unease among these outdoor dwellers gradually dissipated.
After seeing them off, Tang Xuhai arranged their night shifts. Although survivors from Pingnan gathered around them, Tang Xuhai didn't assign them night duties, unfamiliar as he was with these individuals.
Fu Shiwu was assigned to the third shift. He settled into his sleeping bag early, staring at the tent's ceiling, a wave of sadness washing over him.
Without the hard drive, how could he contact his parents? He couldn't recall the location of their big courtyard. Having left their home in Yun City, there was no way for his parents to send mail based on geographical information.
But... their estate had soldiers; it shouldn't be dangerous...
Drowsiness soon overtook Fu Shiwu. Perhaps due to his pondering before sleep, he dreamt about his childhood, a time of pure joy playing with other children. They were all young, chubby, with faces still adorned with baby fat.
In his dream, while playing with other kids, Fu Shiwu suddenly remembered something and wanted to find his parents. However, his friends held him back.
This dream made him uneasy. Abruptly, he transitioned from the courtyard to a gloomy environment, hearing sharp mocking voices, reminiscent of when he was bullied by boys in primary school, trapped in a corner.
Someone pounced on him, and he fell to the ground, someone grabbing his T-shirt collar.
A T-shirt? Why was he wearing a T-shirt? He never did because...
Right! It seemed to be because of that time...
He was pinned down, unable to move, the person holding onto his collar. Children's T-shirt collars usually sit higher, and he soon felt suffocated.
"No hitting him! I'm calling for help~~~ Let go!" A distant girl's voice echoed. The pressure on his back lifted abruptly.
He could breathe again, but the near-death experience left him with a fever for a long time. Someone took care of him... like a nanny?
Tang Xuhai entered the tent, waking Fu Shiwu.
"Bad dream? You're all sweaty," Tang Xuhai remarked, hugging his arms.
"Yeah, probably a nightmare," Fu Shiwu touched his throat. The vividness of the dream was terrifying; it felt like another near-death experience.
At that young age, with such terrifying memories, his brain automatically suppressed these recollections.
No wonder he disliked wearing T-shirts. Anyone nearly choked by a T-shirt would naturally develop an aversion.
Fu Shiwu got up, preparing to leave the tent.
Tang Xuhai placed a hand on his shoulder, "Wait until you've cooled down; it's chilly outside now. You'll catch a cold."
Fu Shiwu stood there awkwardly, mumbling, "Oh."
Putting on his glasses, any hint of shyness vanished from Fu Shiwu's demeanor. Tang Xuhai found it amusing and playfully tugged at his unruly hair.
"Stop messing with my hair all the time," Fu Shiwu said helplessly.
Recently, Tang Xuhai seemed fixated on that unruly tuft of hair on Fu Shiwu's head. Initially annoyed, now Fu Shiwu lacked the energy to even get upset, indicating how frequent Tang Xuhai's teasing had become.
Tang Xuhai was the type to engage in physical contact with close individuals, previously often sharing playful gestures with his friends. Since retiring, Fu Shiwu and Wen Zhaoming were his newly acquainted buddies, naturally initiating this behavior.
Fu Shiwu's conflicting reactions made Tang Xuhai itch to play with that tuft, always standing upright after waking up, tempting Tang Xuhai's hand to touch.
Admittedly, Tang Xuhai was probably one of those mischievous kids who loved hands-on interactions.
This time, Fu Shiwu pondered whether he should cut his hair short. Regardless of how silly it might make him look, the storm cloud atop his head was practically visible.
Tang Xuhai, inadvertently, comforted Fu Shiwu, thinking his bad mood stemmed from a malfunctioning hard drive, hindering contact with his parents.
Though mistaken, Tang Xuhai's reassurance managed to reach Fu Shiwu's heart.
He took a deep breath, "Hmm."
Tang Xuhai remained genuinely caring towards those within his circle. That night, they didn't encounter any challenging anomalies, no evolutions or high-level threats. It was just a large group of ordinary anomalies that approached due to their congregation. Tang Xuhai and his group didn't move, leaving Pingnan's anomaly users to handle them.
As dawn broke, they packed up and continued their journey, Tang Xuhai leading the way.
"After half a day's journey, there's a large lake," Miao Jia's eyes lit up.
The lake, called Water Mirror Lake, was a 5A-grade scenic area in H Province
, known for its picturesque views and the adjacent large resort.
"Oh..." Tang Xuhai glanced at Fu Shiwu's calm expression and turned to Miao Jia, "How far from Water Mirror Lake to the survival base?"
"Hmm?" Miao Jia was surprised. They were already halfway to H Province's survival base. Despite the group slowing them down, taking the provincial road had saved them considerable travel time. "If we count from Water Mirror Lake, it's a day's journey."
"Alright, then we'll spend tonight at Water Mirror Lake," Tang Xuhai decided.
"What?" Wen Zhaoming and Fu Shiwu were taken aback.
Wen Zhaoming straightened up, "Isn't that too risky?"
"It's alright. It's not much of a risk for our team. Last night's situation didn't show a sudden influx of advanced anomalies like the night before. I doubt we'll see such densely concentrated high-level anomalies again unless the phenomenon closes again," Tang Xuhai explained.
Upon reviewing the stats of the previous night's situations, Miao Jia concurred, "True, those white-skinned high-level anomalies didn't appear in large numbers again."
"Yeah." Tang Xuhai nodded firmly, "If higher-ranked anomalies take over a significant proportion, it will lead to internal conflict among them, fighting for leadership within the community."
"Meaning... it's like the later lone lions challenging those in a community?" Miao Jia grasped the analogy.
"Right... So, whatever's behind the phenomenon, as long as their brains aren't malfunctioning, they won't disrupt this balance," Tang Xuhai squinted his eyes.
"How does that relate to us spending a night at Water Mirror Lake?" Fu Shiwu questioned.
In his mind, the journey had been thrilling and tumultuous, and reaching the destination sooner seemed better.
Tang Xuhai rolled his eyes. Wasn't it because of your bad mood? I thought you could relax there!
He grumbled, "You should think about yourself and also consider the Pingnan city folks who've suffered for over two months. They've been oppressed for so long; some have even lost family members. Allowing them to relax before reaching the survival base will significantly help their mental health. Once inside the base, who'll have the time to accompany them for relaxation?"
Tang Xuhai's words left Fu Shiwu befuddled. It seemed to make sense.
Despite this, when they arrived at Water Mirror Lake, Fu Shiwu noticeably brightened up.
"What a huge lake!" Fu Shiwu marveled.
Observing Fu Shiwu's eyes behind his glasses, Tang Xuhai was surprised by his excitement, gazing at the vast, shimmering lake stretching endlessly. He lifted his chin triumphantly, "Hmph~"
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