Once everything was settled, everyone pulled out their vehicles. The survivors from the Research Institute divided themselves among the various teams and followed their lead.
Mu Mei, the captain of the Rose Team, made a point to come over and bid farewell to Qin Luo and his team. “Captain Qin.”
However, she noticed that it was Wang Weihu in the driver’s seat. Wang Weihu smiled and pointed to the back.
Only then did Mu Mei look toward the rear seats. In the middle row sat Bai Shu and the Withered Butterfly mutant, while Qin Luo was in the very back row, reclining next to a corpse insect.
“What’s going on here?”
“Ahem, one of our team members is... quite special. If I leave, she starts whining,” Qin Luo explained awkwardly.
Clearly, Qin Luo wasn’t going anywhere today.
Bai Shu, tapping away on his tablet, nodded in agreement. “Yep, our little squad leader can’t function without him.”
In the passenger seat, Chen Xiaofei started snickering uncontrollably, while Wang Weihu awkwardly rubbed his nose.
Zhou Siqi, the Withered Butterfly mutant, kept glancing back with curiosity. If the situation weren’t so inappropriate, she would’ve loved to take out her tablet and snap a picture of the back seat.
Mu Mei couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, I just came over to say goodbye. Thanks to your team, the mission went smoothly this time.”
She made it clear that she wouldn’t let Jin Chuanqiong hog all the credit. Everyone knew it was the 3A Special Operations Team that had done the heavy lifting. Without them, the mission might not have been completed.
Those zombie monsters were just too tough.
Qin Luo waved it off casually. “It’s all part of our job. Everyone worked hard.”
Except for that noob Jin Chuanqiong.
When they got back to the base, he’d have to settle the score. There was no way he’d let Jin off without a beating.
Mu Mei nodded and wished their team a safe journey. She even handed over several bottles of healing potions prepared by her team’s healer.
Bai Shu accepted them with gratitude.
Not wanting to linger, Mu Mei prepared to head back to the B City Survivor Base.
Everyone went their separate ways.
As the vehicles of the Cheetah Team and the White Dove Team passed by the 3A team’s vehicle, a cacophony of reluctant farewells erupted.
“Captain Qin! We’ll miss you! Brother Wang, take care of yourself!”
“Brother Bai, your marksmanship is godlike! Brother Xiaofei, you’re the coolest birdman ever!”
“The 3A team is the best!”
“Little Squad Leader, you’re so adorable! Leave us your contact info next time!”
Hearing the last comment, Qin Luo’s face instantly darkened. “Which punk is bold enough to openly poach my people?”
Chen Xiaofei and the others burst into laughter.
Even Bai Shu couldn’t contain his amusement. “Captain Qin, you might need to investigate this. Could it be a side effect of the serum? You’re acting like a protective dog over your food.”
The idea that Qin Luo couldn’t leave the little squad leader’s side even for a moment was truly bizarre.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Qin Luo was taken aback. “Wait, this is a side effect of the serum?”
No wonder.
No wonder he felt panicked whenever Xu Duoduo ignored him. No wonder he didn’t want to leave her side.
Bai Shu calmly adjusted his glasses and smiled. “Oh, no. I made that up.”
Chen Xiaofei laughed so hard he could barely breathe. “Hahaha! Oh my god, I can’t—hahaha!”
Qin Luo: …
Zhou Siqi glanced around at the group, finding them incredibly amusing. She couldn’t help but smile faintly.
Wang Weihu chuckled as he drove off. Their vehicle was the last to leave, continuing on their journey.
---
When Xu Duoduo woke up again, the sound of gunfire—*biu biu biu*—filled her ears.
There was also the splashing noise of water outside.
She realized that half of the view outside the car window was submerged in water. The vehicle was driving through it.
“Hurry up! Finish shooting and close the windows! Switch to submarine mode—wait, why is there suddenly so much water?!” Chen Xiaofei shouted from the passenger seat.
Wang Weihu didn’t even bother scolding him. “Captain Qin, Bai Shu, we’ve got one minute before the water reaches the top!”
“Roger!” “Understood!” Qin Luo and Bai Shu, both in the middle row, were firing their guns relentlessly.
Xu Duoduo noticed that Zhou Siqi was now seated next to her, nervously watching the scene outside. “Those giant beetles are catching up.”
The one-minute countdown began.
Qin Luo and Bai Shu quickly sealed the sunroof, and the vehicle successfully submerged underwater.
The water was teeming with mutated fish.
Xu Duoduo saw that none of them were edible. All of them were grotesquely mutated, more horrifying than anglerfish, and they were ramming into the glass.
If the car hadn’t been modified, it might have been smashed to pieces by now.
“Why is the northern district of N City like this? The whole area is flooded!”
“The water’s got to be seven or eight meters deep!”
“And those beetles were terrifying—each one was at least half a meter in diameter!”
“But they’re really afraid of water. I’ve noticed that the mutated animals and monsters here are all territorial. Back at the Research Institute, we didn’t see any mutated insects. It was all zombies. But here, it’s all insects and no zombies!”
The group quickly discussed the current situation. Bai Shu, meanwhile, was busy writing a report.
Zhou Siqi softly added, “Because of N City’s terrain, the northern district is prone to flooding during heavy rains, leading to waterlogging and even disasters.”
That explained why the area was submerged. If not for the car’s submarine mode, they’d be in serious trouble.
Chen Xiaofei sighed. “Good thing these fish aren’t ranked. Otherwise, we wouldn’t even be able to retrieve mutation cores underwater.”
After putting away his gun, Qin Luo noticed that the little zombie had woken up. He awkwardly turned his face away, hesitated, and then said, “Oh, you’re awake?”
He was clearly embarrassed.
Chen Xiaofei and the others couldn’t resist teasing him. Captain Qin had such thin skin.
They’d been teasing him the entire trip.
But for once, Chen Xiaofei let it go and instead turned to Xu Duoduo, whining, “Little Squad Leader, I’m hungry~”
Still groggy, Xu Duoduo was trying to process the current situation. Hearing Chen Xiaofei complain about being hungry, she instinctively pulled out a few rice balls and handed them over.
A chorus of gratitude erupted immediately.
“Thank you, Little Squad Leader!”
“Rice balls! I love rice! Thank you, Little Squad Leader—you’re the best!”
“It’s such a blessing to have the Little Squad Leader around.”
Finally, Xu Duoduo handed Qin Luo several cans of cola. The drink could quickly restore energy and lift spirits. Add some skewers, and it’d be perfect.
Zhou Siqi watched in astonishment, her eyes practically popping out of her head. “You guys are loaded! How many points does all this food cost? Do you even have time to cook at the base? The 3A team is amazing.”
Bai Shu, unfazed, lied smoothly. “We’re just too idle. We like eating, or else what’s the point of living?”
He put on a look of exaggerated despair.
Chen Xiaofei nodded enthusiastically. “Our Little Squad Leader is a great cook. We even have regular feasts.”
Like hotpot and such.
Zhou Siqi looked on enviously. “Your H City base doesn’t seem as competitive. Our B City Survivor Base is way too intense. There’s no time for anything.”
She barely had time to keep in touch with her friends. If not for this mission, she wouldn’t have messaged Da Qiao, which ended up saving her life by sheer coincidence.
Sometimes, it was good to have reliable friends.