Wang Zhi and the girl arrived at the second-floor cafeteria, where very few people were present. In the last few days, the number of people going out had reached its peak.
After Wang Zhi bought the food and was about to leave, he spotted a familiar face.
"Yo, An Qing, why are you with the Guard Team?"
Wang Zhi walked over to An Qing's table and asked.
Upon seeing Wang Zhi, An Qing was delighted. "Brother Wang? I just joined the Guard Team. This Sister here is Captain Jie Xi, sent to guide me."
Joined the Guard Team? An Qing was a Migrant, and he hadn't bought her Citizen status; how did she suddenly join the Guard Team? Wang Zhi was somewhat confused.
"That's good. Did Captain Jie Xi approach you proactively?" Wang Zhi asked.
"Mm! She said you recommended me to her."
Had he recommended An Qing to join the Guard Team? He had no idea. What was this Jie Xi up to? Wang Zhi couldn't quite figure it out, but seeing that there were Guard Team members around An Qing, he didn't show his confusion.
"Ah, yes, it was my recommendation. You must study hard in the Guard Team."
"Also, Jie Xi asked me about you all. I was afraid she might cause trouble for you, so I didn't tell her anything."
"So that's how it is. I'm sorry you had to endure that," Wang Zhi patted her shoulder.
"Eh? How did you know..."
"Heh heh, nothing. She just likes to put people in their place initially; actually, she's quite a good person." Wang Zhi recalled the scene where Jie Xi nearly crushed his shoulder the first time they met.
"Alright, we should head back now. Goodbye."
Wang Zhi turned and left with Jia Liuli.
When they returned, the others were still asleep. Wang Zhi placed the food on the coffee table and woke everyone up.
"Morning, everyone! Whoa, Captain Wang, where did you guys go to get all this?!" Fatty looked at the several boxes in the hall, all filled with supplies Wang Zhi and the others had brought back from the outside stores.
"Oh, we happened to run into a store while we were out. Everything inside was pretty well preserved."
Wang Zhi spoke as he opened a bottle of the "Otaku Happy Water" they had brought back from outside.
"Whoa, is this the legendary Cola? I haven't had one in over two months, I really miss this!" Fatty exclaimed dramatically again from the side.
Wang Zhi smiled without speaking, then took out four more bottles, one for each person.
"Hey, Captain Wang, why did you guys get back so quickly this time? Tell me what happened!"
"...."
"Uh, that's pretty much how it went." Wang Zhi briefly explained the process.
"This was practically a freebie; earning these 5000 Survival Points was truly too easy," Fatty exclaimed after listening.
"Freebie my foot! If we hadn't had good gear, we'd have been dead out there,"
Wang Zhi got annoyed hearing Fatty say that. He had risked his life to go out, only for Fatty to describe it so lightly.
"Wang Zhi is right. We are training and strengthening ourselves, and the Zombies are doing the same. If you don't train properly, you might not be so lucky next time we go out," Old He chimed in alongside him.
"Got it, big brothers. I promise I will train hard, sixteen hours a day of suicidal training," Fatty said, then comically made a salute gesture.
After the meal, Wang Zhi activated the Ling Lingyao. November was fast approaching, and the outside temperature would drop significantly during their next excursion. It seemed proper warm clothing preparations were necessary. At the same time, Wang Zhi noticed a new message. It was from Jie Xi, asking him to come see her.
Seeing the message, Wang Zhi smiled. He had just been intending to ask about An Qing, and now Jie Xi was proactively summoning him.
"I'm going to see Jie Xi," Wang Zhi told everyone after turning off the Ling Lingyao.
"Liuli, go with Wang Zhi."
Su Muying, lounging on the sofa, instructed Liuli to accompany Wang Zhi.
Wang Zhi looked at Liuli following him, finding it somewhat amusing. Su Muying had clearly found a real spy for the job, arranging for Liuli to stay by his side to monitor him constantly. Did she suspect he was fooling around outside? However, having Liuli along wasn't a bad idea either. She was obedient, honest, quiet, and had a very low profile; if necessary, she could strike unexpectedly for a decisive win.
Wang Zhi proceeded all the way to the Guard Headquarters. Upon seeing it was Wang Zhi, the guards did not stop him and let him walk straight in.
Arriving at Jie Xi's room, Wang Zhi knocked on the door.
"Enter."
Jie Xi's voice came from inside.
Seeing Wang Zhi and Liuli enter, Jie Xi closed her book, placed it on the table, and then spoke: "Congratulations on your triumphant return."
"Thank you for your concern, Captain Jie Xi. This is some dessert we brought back from outside; a gift for you." Wang Zhi placed a box of Dove chocolate they had retrieved from the wooden cabin onto Jie Xi's desk.
Jie Xi glanced at the chocolate, "It seems your expedition yielded quite a harvest. A box of chocolates like this could fetch quite a few Survival Points here."
"We are old friends, Captain. A small token is the most natural thing to offer. By the way, I heard you brought An Qing into the Guard Team?" Wang Zhi changed the subject, finding a place to sit down as he asked.
"Yes, it was Dr. Yang Liu's request. Dr. Yang Liu preferred An Qing not know it was her request, so I casually mentioned it was your recommendation."
Jie Xi dismissed the question that was on Wang Zhi's mind with a single sentence.
"Tell me then, how were things outside."
Wang Zhi had already anticipated her question, so he repeated the account he had already narrated several times.
"You mean... you encountered infected animals?"
"Yes, their speed is nearly double that of the uninfected—they are extremely difficult to handle. Bullets barely hit them." Wang Zhi recalled the Zombie Wolves that had appeared that night. Moreover... some Zombies moved exceptionally fast; it was hard to land a shot on their heads, so usually, Liuli had to finish them off with her knife."
"Yes, this is a known issue. They are indeed undergoing subtle mutations. Before long, the battle losses for most teams will rise sharply."
"Do you have a plan for the next steps?" Wang Zhi inquired.
"We do."