"Where's the team leader? Has Yin Hu returned?"
Bai Shan Jin remained in place, as Wang Xiao Xin had told him when she rushed off that someone had to stay behind to wait.
No one answered.
Zheng Meng Meng's tactical goggles were blurred with tears.
"The team leader and Yin Hu, they've both sacrificed themselves!" Jiang Hai stifled his tears, explaining in a trembling voice.
"Then why didn't you save them, huh, why!" Bai Shan Jin grabbed Jiang Hai's collar, questioning him angrily.
Jiang Hai didn't answer. Zheng Meng Meng stopped her crying and replied word by word, "It was the team leader's order for us to leave. Both his legs were broken then, and he couldn't stand up at all.
Besides, the spore concentration was about to reach 90%. Even with spare filters, we wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes."
"You!" Bai Shan Jin wanted to say something, but couldn't bring himself to, only blaming himself endlessly in the air.
"Enough!" Jiang Hai couldn't stand watching anymore. He waved to stop the remaining team members and said in a deep voice, "What's the use of saying all this now! The poisonous fog is about to spread. The team leader has sacrificed himself. Now, as the deputy team leader, I'm taking over command.
Everyone, evacuate immediately and ensure the safety of the data first. I'll report to Commander Lin immediately to have him request reinforcements from the safe zone for a large-scale encirclement. We must not let a single one of them escape!"
Although Jiang Hai said this, the team members knew clearly that with a premeditated action like the enemy's, they would have thought through their escape routes. They might have already slipped into the vast mountains while the poisonous fog hadn't yet dispersed.
Without a force of over ten thousand, it would be difficult to find them in these mountains. Moreover, how could the safe zone possibly deploy ten thousand troops for reinforcement in such a short time?
Once night fell, all traces would vanish, and they would be impossible to find.
"The helicopter is here! It's the reinforcements the team leader called earlier! Quickly, have them wash this area with rockets and aircraft cannons!" Wan Chang Feng was already burning with rage, losing some of his reason.
"Are you crazy?! Firing rockets and cannons here, are you forgetting about the tens of thousands of zombies in Qing Snake County?! What if Team Leader Lin and the others are still alive? Aren't you endangering them?"
"But..."
"Alright! We'll retreat first. I also think Team Leader Lin and the others might still be alive," Zheng Meng Meng supported Jiang Hai's statement because she was holding a piece of paper.
But she didn't show it to anyone.
It only contained a string of numbers.
"20010518"
Although Zheng Meng Meng didn't understand its meaning, she knew that Lin Yuan must have had his reasons for doing this.
She didn't believe Lin Yuan was dead.
The other team members couldn't understand why Zheng Meng Meng was so confident. This wasn't the time for long discussions. The zombies in Qing Snake County had already discovered them.
If they didn't leave now, they really wouldn't be able to.
A large portion of the zombie horde had evolved a new group consciousness. They were like packs of mad hyenas. Without the lure of fresh blood, different members had different roles, with scout zombies possessing the ability to transmit some information.
Only the Alpha variants and higher-tier variants were not affected by this group consciousness, and ordinary fungus monster variants were also on their menu.
It wasn't uncommon for fungus monsters to prey on each other.
A food chain had gradually formed.
"Board the helicopter and send the data first. Chen Long and Si She, you two stay here and see if you can find them. Pay attention to your safety and don't act rashly!"
"Understood!"
On the other side, Jiang Hai's guess was mostly correct. Lin Yuan had followed Carol Anna into the mountains. He and Wang Xiao Xin, who was under anesthesia, were both on other people's backs.
Lin Yuan could clearly feel the pressure from the foreign guy carrying him.
He couldn't help it; he was too heavy.
The group walked straight to a leeward hollow and stopped. This place seemed to have been dug recently, and it was just right for hiding.
Lin Yuan and Wang Xiao Xin were now lying together. The wound on his leg was almost healed, and new skin was growing.
The cave was equipped with various living facilities. They had even set up an alcohol stove. Solid alcohol burned with little smoke and was convenient to carry, which was very useful for survival.
"Boss, what kind of topping are we using for the noodles today?" This foreigner couldn't say "saozi" correctly in Chinese, making it sound awkward, as if he were mispronouncing "sa ozi" (sister-in-law).
"Where did this guy learn that word? It sounds so weird." Lin Yuan moved his calf. There was still a stinging pain; the bones inside hadn't healed yet and needed some time.
Carol Anna gave Lin Yuan a charming, seductive look: "He's Anderson, the one who's been with me the longest. He grew up with me in China and only returned in recent years. However, his Chinese has always been poor. He can only understand what you say but can't express himself.
Perhaps it's related to talent."
Hearing this, the person she mentioned looked up at them, scratched his head, and said sheepishly, "Ye xu, wo de tiao fu zhen de bu rong."
Lin Yuan smiled kindly at him, then looked at Wang Xiao Xin. This girl was still unconscious. Her breathing was very stable, indicating the anesthesia was quite potent.
And this was only three-quarters of his usual dose. Thinking about the preparations this woman had made made him exclaim in disbelief.
It was simply excessive. This wasn't picking someone up; it was clearly abducting them, and the kind that tried to abduct them to death.
Noticing Lin Yuan's gaze, Carol Anna also seemed a bit troubled. While cooking noodles, she said casually, "What about your little girlfriend?"
Why did this woman's words carry a hint of killing intent?
"Don't get any ideas about her. When she wakes up, I'll explain to her," Lin Yuan warned her mildly.
"Little Yuan bro~ Now you're in my palm, and you're still so defiant."
Nonsense, if I'm not arrogant, who will be? You must need me for some part; with leverage, I naturally speak with confidence.
However, Lin Yuan didn't want to make things too stiff. He said jokingly, "Hey, don't call me that. The last person who called me 'Little Yuan bro' is now my wife. Don't tell me you want to try too?"
This might work on some girls, but Carol Anna wasn't swayed. The more Lin Yuan said this, the more interested she became.
She took off her combat suit, leaning so close that her upper body was almost in Lin Yuan's face, and teased, "Sister will give you a chance. Tonight, we'll go to the woods and discuss in detail whether you're truly defiant."
Looking at the snow-white cleavage within reach, Lin Yuan flinched and turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.
Carol Anna immediately lost interest. She poured her canned food into the boiling instant noodles and said sarcastically, "It's said that most men from Shuzhou and Yuzhou are henpecked. It seems you're no exception, Lin Yuan."
"Oh, you know culture quite well, little girl."
However, Lin Yuan would never admit to being afraid of his wife in this regard. He immediately argued, "This is called respecting her, not being afraid of her, you know? This is love, do you understand Sichuanese?"
Good heavens, he said that so righteously.
Even Wang Xiao Xin, who was pretending to be asleep, couldn't stand it.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Lin Yuan and Carol Anna instantly noticed this movement.
"Old Wang, are you awake?"