At six in the morning, the north gate of Bac Thien City had opened.
Three military vehicles parked in a row outside the assembly area.
Soldiers inspected guns and ammunition, food, drinking water, and communication equipment.
Everything took place quickly and neatly; no one spoke too loudly.
Thuong Sinh arrived neither early nor late.
On his shoulder was the small cloth bag Lam Thanh Moc had prepared since last night.
The Trach Huyet Sword was still wrapped in cloth bandages, worn across his waist as usual.
Before leaving, Lam Thanh Moc did not say much.
She only handed him a small water bottle.
"Remember to drink on the vehicle."
"Yeah."
Thuong An was carried in her arms, still sleepy.
The little boy rubbed his eyes, his small hand unconsciously grasping Thuong Sinh's finger.
Thuong Sinh bent down.
"Be good at home."
"Ah..."
Thuong An did not understand, merely looking at him and smiling.
Lam Thanh Moc stood beside the door, looking at him for a moment before saying:
"Return early."
"I know."
Thuong Sinh nodded, then turned to go downstairs.
—
The assembly area was crowded compared to when he arrived.
The scout team this time was not too large, totaling only more than twenty people, divided into four units.
Each unit had esper abilities users, superhumans, and soldiers going along, with different responsibilities.
Thuong Sinh's unit was Unit One.
Besides him, there were four other people.
The team leader was a man over thirty years old, with a tall build and a sun-tanned face.
On his back he carried a rifle, on his waist wore a military knife.
His aura was not overly prominent, but his footsteps were very firm, obviously a person who had undergone no few missions.
"I am Do Khang." The man extended his hand. "Leader of Unit One."
"Thuong Sinh."
Do Khang nodded.
"Already know. Have heard your name for a long time."
He did not speak further polite words, merely turning to introduce the remaining people.
"This is Tye Van, in charge of perception."
A short-haired girl who was checking equipment on her wrist raised her head.
Her gaze was very alert.
"Hello."
"Yeah."
"And this is Khoi." Do Khang pointed to the large man standing near the vehicle. "Enhancement type. When needing to clear paths, he does it."
Khoi chuckled, raising a hand to scratch his head.
"I don't know how to use complicated things. If there's anything, just speak directly."
The final person was a female soldier named Nha.
She possessed no esper power, but on her body carried full handguns, daggers, and medical equipment.
"I am in charge of communication with Unit Two and Unit Three," Nha said. "If there is a path change, I will report."
Thuong Sinh softly nodded.
This lineup was not bad.
There was no person trying to act superior.
Everyone knew the work they needed to do.
Not far away from there, Van Binh was standing beside the second vehicle waving a hand toward him.
"Thuong Sinh!"
Thanh Dao stood beside Van Binh, seeing him then softly nodded.
So Sinh still crossed arms leaning against the vehicle container, a lazy appearance as if not having slept enough.
Van Binh looked over at Thuong Sinh's unit and then lowered his voice.
"Is your unit the lead unit?"
"Yeah."
"Then don't run too fast," he said.
Thuong Sinh looked at him.
"I know."
Van Binh was slightly stunned.
Afterward he only then smiled.
"Yeah, knowing is fine."
Not long after, Tran Tinh Gia stepped over.
He wore neat military uniform, holding a folded map in hand.
Everyone around automatically became silent.
"Hear the mission clearly," he said.
"From here to Biological Observation Station No. 7 is twenty-three kilometers. The group will travel along the old national highway, not going deep into the forest."
"Upon arrival, Unit One inspects the outer area. Unit Two is in charge of support and sentry. Unit Three inspects the retreat route. Unit Four remains to guard vehicles and communication equipment."
"Do not act on your own."
"Do not leave the team."
"If discovering abnormalities, report immediately."
He looked once across everyone.
"This is a reconnaissance mission. The goal is to obtain information, not trying to win or lose with any thing."
"Understood!"
Everyone answered in unison.
Tran Tinh Gia turned to Thuong Sinh.
"Do you need to supplement anything?"
Thuong Sinh shook his head.
"No."
"Good." Tran Tinh Gia nodded. "Board the vehicles."
Engines started one after another.
The convoy left the north gate of Bac Thien in the early sunlight.
The city gradually receded behind, replaced by old road sections full of wild grass and abandoned vehicles.
Thuong Sinh sat in the seat row next to the vehicle door.
Tye Van sat opposite, eyes half-closed, two fingers placed on the perception device.
Do Khang sat in front reviewing the map, while Khoi leaned back against the vehicle side, wiping repeatedly the large axe placed beside him.
Nha sat beside the vehicle door, occasionally checking the walkie-talkie.
No one spoke much.
Yet the atmosphere was not heavy either.
The vehicle drove for nearly an hour when the convoy slowed down.
Ahead was an old rest stop situated beside the national highway.
The signboards had fallen off half, the parking lot covered with dry leaves and earth dust.
Do Khang looked outside.
"Stop for ten minutes. Inspect vehicles and short rest."
The vehicle door opened.
Everyone stepped down one after another.
Thuong Sinh stood beside the roadside, looking toward the forest not far away.
Morning wind blew through tree tops, bringing the scent of humid grass and cold earth.
Tye Van walked over beside him.
"Ahead has no signs of abnormality," she said.
"Yeah."
"But there are tracks of vehicles having passed through here."
Thuong Sinh looked at the road surface.
Amidst the thin dust layer, indeed there were a few old tire tracks extending toward the north.
Perhaps some survivor group.
Could also be Bac Thien's army having passed through.
He did not pay too much mind.
Do Khang called everyone onto the vehicle once again.
The reconnaissance team continued setting out.
After leaving the rest stop, the two sides of the road gradually had fewer houses.
Old street rows were left behind, replaced by vacant land, tall-growing grass patches, and stretching low forests.
The path was not too bad.
Yet many sections were blocked across by fallen trees or old vehicles, forcing the convoy to reduce speed.
Every time like that, Unit One would dismount first to inspect, only then signaling the vehicles to continue.
Nearing noon, they only then saw the directional sign.
The sign was rusted, lettering almost completely peeled off, yet still readable:
Biological Observation Station No. 7 — 2 km.
Do Khang told the vehicle to stop.
"Dismount to inspect once."
Everyone quickly dispersed out.
Tye Van stood by the roadside, eyes closed perceiving.
A moment later, she only then opened her eyes.
"Within a one-kilometer radius, there are no strong life forms," she said. "There are a few scattered Zombies, not many."
"Keep going," Do Khang said.
The vehicle rolled wheels again.
About ten minutes later, a low facility complex appeared amidst the wasteland.
Station No. 7 was not as large as everyone imagined.
It consisted of three old gray concrete buildings, the outside being an iron fence taller than a person's head.
The main gate was locked tight, but one side had collapsed down due to a large tree falling across.
At the farthest corner was a small observation tower.
The window glass on the tower had shattered long ago.
Do Khang raised his hand to signal.
"Unit One inspects outside the campus."
"Unit Two follows behind, maintaining distance."
"Unit Three inspects the path around the west side."
Everyone immediately moved.
Thuong Sinh walked in front together with Do Khang and Khoi.
Nha followed behind, hand holding walkie-talkie, while Tye Van walked while observing surrounding fluctuations.
In the station yard grew full of wild grass.
There were a few old research vehicles parked tilted beneath tree shades, paint layers peeling, tires long deflated.
On the ground foundation were also newer tire marks, but not clear as having been almost completely covered by grass.
"Someone has come before," Nha said.
"Possible," Do Khang replied.
"Yet not necessarily recently."
Khoi stepped near a small pickup truck, extending a hand to dust off the layer on the vehicle door.
"No signs of prying open."
Thuong Sinh looked through the window glass.
In the vehicle remained a few rotted paper boxes, some files damaged by rainwater soaking, nothing worthy of attention.
Right at that moment, a hoarse growling sound rang out from the bushes to the left.
Three Zombies rushed out.
They were not fast, bodies also having no signs of mutation.
Yet the distance was too close; one had pounced straight toward Nha.
Khoi stepped forward.
He did not use his axe.
Merely swung his arm to block.
His large palm covered in a layer of tough gray skin, snapping straight onto the Zombie's head.
The sound of bones breaking rang out dryly; its body instantly went limp and fell down.
The remaining two before having time to close in were shot down by Do Khang and Nha.
Three handgun shots rang out.
Everything ended very quickly.
Thuong Sinh stood beside, not drawing his sword at all.
The whole team continued walking across the yard.
Not long after, Unit Two also advanced into the campus.
Van Binh upon seeing the Zombie corpses immediately shook his head.
"These guys are truly unlucky. Hiding so well yet still smashed to death by Big Brother Khoi."
Khoi hearing so then laughed loudly.
"Next time let you smash."
"Nah," Van Binh waved his hand. "Me using a sword is still better."
Thanh Dao did not participate in the story.
She was standing beside a low wall, bending down to pick up a piece of metal buried in grass.
"Here has signs of being destroyed," she said.
Thuong Sinh stepped over.
That was a piece of iron mesh cut very neatly.
The cut mark was not like being eroded by black liquid, nor like bite marks of mutant beasts.
Like a cut mark from a tool.
"Someone entered using this direction," Thanh Dao said.
Do Khang looked for a moment.
"Record the position. Do not conclude hastily."
"Yeah."
After finishing inspecting outside, Unit One advanced into the main building.
The door was locked from the inside.
Khoi stepped up, using force to push test.
The door vibrated strongly, but did not open.
"Let me," Do Khang said.
He took out from his pocket a thin metal strip, carefully inserting it into the door crack.
After a few minutes, the sound of the lock latch popped up.
The door opened.
The smell of old dust and rotted paper immediately flooded out.
Inside was a long corridor, on two sides having small rooms.
Desks and chairs remained intact; most papers on table surfaces had yellowed due to time.
Nha turned on the flashlight.
"No electricity."
"Normal," Do Khang replied.
Tye Van stood at the end of the corridor, eyes closed perceiving.
"There is nothing living inside this building."
Everyone split up to inspect each room.
Thuong Sinh stepped into a room with a sign reading Data Room.
On the wall was a map of the northern area, many locations marked with red pen, but mostly faded illegible.
At the desk corner was a small notebook.
He opened it.
The first page was an old duty schedule.
Subsequent pages recorded data on soil, water sources, and a few primary mutant plant species.
There was no information related to black liquid.
Thuong Sinh placed the notebook back to its original position.
Outside, Do Khang's voice rang out:
"Finished inspecting floor one. Up to floor two."
The afternoon passed slowly.
The scout team inspected all three buildings, yet discovered no additional mutant creatures or clear traces of Bac Thien's attackers.
Only a few entrances cut open and broken.
A few old tire marks.
And a laboratory at the rear building cleared almost empty.
When the sky began turning toward late afternoon, Do Khang gathered everyone in the main hall.
"Halt here today."
"Vehicles still parked outside, Unit Four is guarding," Nha reported.
"Good. Tonight rest at the station, taking turns on sentry duty. Tomorrow morning continue inspecting the basement area and the forest region behind."
No one opposed.
Thuong Sinh stepped out to the corridor, looking at the late day sunlight shining down on the wild grass patch in the yard.
Van Binh walked past, holding a package of dry rations in hand.
"Did you find anything?"
"No."
"Us as well," Van Binh sighed.
"Thought going on a far trip would have something better."
Thuong Sinh looked at him.
"Not encountering trouble is what's good."
Van Binh paused, then nodded.
"Also true."
In the evening, flashlight and oil lamp lights were lit inside Station No. 7's hall.
Everyone ate and drank, rechecked weapons, and arranged sentry shifts.
Outside the yard, wind blew through the old iron fence.
There was no strange noise.