Chapter 881: Binding the Birth System to Become a Winner in Life Chapter 882 Global Evolution (42)

·

·

·

Main Character:

Shen Yao

A warm, airtight environment could help people relax.

After finishing the hunting, Shen Chengyi stayed in the renovated building to rest, as did everyone else. Thanks to the earth and wood ability users' competence, and the daily services provided by fire and water ability users, the big shots were no longer panicked as they were at first, and everyone felt confident.

Wei Ran angrily put down the communication device in her hand. Losing contact was something she could imagine—being cut off again and again after just a few hours, she had no idea what exactly had happened at the temporary camp.

Perhaps the problem they encountered was big enough? But the temporary camp had protection and supplies; they shouldn't be as overconfident as other small teams.

Wei Ran couldn't help but bite her lip. Cheng Nan, seeing this, quickly raised a hand and patted her, "Don't panic."

What they needed most right now was to protect these team members in front of them. Many were ordinary people without ability users' powers, nor many warming measures. They could stay safely inside the building thanks to the environmental modifications and stored supplies of the past two days.

No one knew how long the sharp temperature drop would last. Shen Chengyi and the other hunting teams were risking their lives to bring back edible supplies, and earth and wood ability users were desperately reinforcing the building, but cold air erosion was everywhere. They needed to breathe, and any openings left unrepaired would only grow larger.

Wei Ran grabbed Cheng Nan's wrist, the force she used unconsciously increasing. "I hope everyone can get through this."

Cheng Nan:...

Cheng Nan silently nodded. The sniper rifle in her arms had been polished bright by her. Although her personality was silent and taciturn, she understood the pressure Wei Ran was facing very clearly.

The two huddled together speaking softly; besides the calm sound of the bonfire, there was nothing else in their ears.

Shen Chengyi took out tools to clean her long blade. This blade had truly accompanied her for a long time, as she had killed countless mutated creatures and even people with it.

Wiping the long blade clean and putting it away, again and again, Shen Chengyi stood up contentedly. She began walking around the enclosed perimeter. The thick yellowish-brown walls looked very secure, and every certain distance there was a lit bonfire for illumination.

"Deputy Captain Shen"

"Mm"

"Deputy Captain Shen"

"Mm"

"..."

Shen Chengyi was still the deputy captain of the small group. Even though she was rather derelict in her duties as deputy captain, what did it matter? She had won everyone's respect through her own abilities.

After a simple circle, she found several openings were quite large, some even revealing the wind and snow outside, with frost flowers all around.

"Seal them up, just plaster a layer, pay attention at all times." At this temperature, it wouldn't take long to freeze someone stiff. Shen Chengyi herself had a protective suit, but she relied more on ability users' powers to resist the low temperature. Ordinary people didn't have this trump card; relying solely on external objects was truly difficult. "Call for help anytime if there's a problem, don't handle it yourself."

"Deputy Captain Shen, I understand," the youth nodded quickly. At the same time, the green ability on his hand spread above the opening to form a green cover. After he finished, another earth ability user came to fill the gaps, making them similar to the surrounding yellowish-brown walls, though the protruding pictures looked rather ugly.

Shen Chengyi didn't care whether it looked good or ugly. As long as it could block the temperature inside from dropping, it was a very perfect repair.

"Not bad. Remember to check at all times." If there were loopholes, just pay more attention.

Shen Chengyi turned back to her resting position. As soon as she sat down, she saw Wei Ran bringing Cheng Nan over.

Huh?

"There's something that needs communication." Wei Ran didn't hide from Shen Chengyi and the others the situation with the temporary camp. Losing contact had long been routine, meaning they currently couldn't rely on anyone other than themselves. "Staying in the building won't do. We need to eat, drink, and relieve ourselves, and the longer it goes, the more passive we become."

They couldn't just hide until the last moment and then run out, or all previous preparations would be wasted.

Cheng Nan patted Wei Ran's shoulder. "The two of us plan to go out once after the temperature drop outside stabilizes. At that time, we still hope you can stay behind."

This time they didn't call Shen Chengyi along, because they weren't sure if it was safe. If they died, it didn't matter, but they couldn't bring themselves to drag others down.

"I'll stay behind. Can you two handle the situation outside?"

Shen Chengyi remained skeptical. Because no matter how cold the weather, there would be mutated creatures present. Environments difficult for humans to live in were like various playgrounds for certain creatures.

Shen Chengyi was the combat powerhouse of the team. She could do many things; the simplest was ensuring the safety of most people. With her warning or action, unless it was an opponent skilled in concealment and fast as lightning, otherwise they would all be pressed down and exposed by her.

Wei Ran's tone was low, indicating they couldn't manage so much now. Taking the initiative was better than passive response. Some things were easy to say but hard to do. Wei Ran and Cheng Nan's decision wasn't easy, but they were more worried that the team members would wait to death alive.

Shen Chengyi raised her head and silently looked at them. "If that's the case, then you be more careful."

Outside, the main issue was temperature. Besides that were daily supply and accommodation problems.

"I suggest still keeping contact with the temporary camp. They have transportation, which can solve most problems to a certain extent."

The worst thing for them was the lack of transportation affecting their journey's progress. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so passive.

Wei Ran nodded. "I will make preparations and will also bring other ability users out."

But after they went out, inside the building only Shen Chengyi, one person with high combat power, would remain to hold the line. They hoped Shen Chengyi could temporarily take responsibility, and didn't need to work herself to death like them—just ensure the internal order of the building remained stable.

"If, I'm saying if," Wei Ran couldn't help but lick her dry lips, "if we can't come back, then you decide based on the situation. Even if you just look out for yourself, it's fine."

At that time, it would be too late to turn the tide. Individual power was insignificant. Definitely, whoever could run out should run out.

What Wei Ran said was exactly the same as when she previously persuaded Shen Chengyi. Essentially, she was still too kind-hearted and didn't want to place the official's responsibility on the common people.

Shen Chengyi's tone was serious. "You don't believe I can lead them away?"

Cheng Nan shook her head. "It's not that we don't trust you, but the price is too high."

Even they themselves might not come back. Relying on Shen Chengyi alone to lead ordinary people away—the possibility of this being achievable was truly too low.

"Hey, by then I won't be here anymore," Wei Ran laughed and patted Shen Chengyi's shoulder in a second. "You're not military personnel; you don't have this responsibility. Do your best and leave the rest to destiny."

As for whether the ending was good or bad? Wei Ran wouldn't be there anyway. What did good or bad have to do with her!

In the first few days of the sharp temperature drop, Wei Ran and Cheng Nan were both preparing supplies needed for going out and selecting the manpower needed.

Shen Chengyi busied herself with her own affairs, unhurried and not panicked at all. On the other hand, the other ordinary team members inside the building subconsciously raised their hearts. They both hoped to go out with Wei Ran and the others and wanted to stay behind to ensure safety.

Anyone could see going out was dangerous, but Wei Ran and the others were going to find a way to survive. In other words, if they truly found one, Wei Ran and the few of them would most easily leave.

In the struggle of whether to gamble or not, Wei Ran and Cheng Nan's selection of people ended.

Most were official personnel, among whom ability users accounted for the largest proportion. Water and fire were indispensable, metal and wood were also essential, and earth was the top priority.

Before leaving, Wei Ran told others their attitude for this trip: they would definitely find a way to leave, and if they couldn't find one, they wouldn't come back.

In other words, it was do or die; they had set out this time with absolute confidence, and the final result could only be success.

Shen Chengyi stood in the crowd without speaking; right now, whatever she said would be wrong, so she might as well let Wei Ran and Cheng Nan make the arrangements.

Besides, the two of them weren't children anymore; they had already been briefed on what to say and do beforehand. If they really couldn't come back, it would be just as Shen Chengyi herself had said — she would do her utmost and leave the rest to destiny.

An opening was made in the sealed interior of the building, and the crowd in protective suits filed out in a queue.

Shen Chengyi watched their backs disappear into the ice and snow, then turned her head and solemnly arranged for the remaining wood- and earth-type ability users to seal the opening back up.

For the time being, they weren't short of fuel or food; even counting the daily eating and drinking of so many people, they could still hold out for another ten days or so.

Shen Chengyi waved her hand and discussed with Deputy Captain Liu beside her how to arrange the team members staying behind — they couldn't be left too idle, or people would overthink and it would affect morale. It would be best to give them something to do to divert their attention. If that really didn't work in the end, they'd resort to the most violent method: training, even if it consumed a lot of food.

Liu Mingfeng nodded. "There are plenty of tools here; we can do odd jobs to show we'll still be useful later on."

There were also the pelts from the animals they'd eaten; properly treated, they'd not only keep them warm but could serve as cushions. Since they were idle anyway, making themselves more comfortable was a good thing too.

The people who had been idling no longer had time to be sad; Liu Mingfeng assigned them many trivial tasks, the most numerous of which was cleaning the feathers of wild chickens and wild ducks.

The long, thick feathers didn't smell very good; at the same time, although the feathers' insulating properties were good, the strong blood smell clinging to them made cleaning them thoroughly a very lengthy project.

However, what they lacked least was time, and there were also the piled-up pelts of wild rabbits left over from meals. These needed processing but they had no handy tools, so they could only slowly rely on long blades to scrape the skin and meat off bit by bit.

Shen Chengyi naturally didn't need to do this kind of work; she still maintained her persona, raising the security level guarding the building's interior so that all possible dangers were nipped in the bud.

One day, two days, three days... Wei Ran, Cheng Nan, and the others had been gone for several days, and the crowd's emotions shifted from initial worry to calm.

But the calm was only on the surface; deep down, they still harbored greater hidden worries.

The food left behind wasn't much to begin with. Although they weren't idle, they weren't all that busy either. A few people gathered together, and as they talked, the topic turned to those who had gone out.

"Don't know how Captain Wei and the others are doing?"

"Should be going smoothly, right?"

"They agreed to return in a week; there are still three days left."

"..."

Shen Chengyi passed by this group; they tacitly stopped talking — perhaps also afraid of being reprimanded if they said too much, because Liu Mingfeng managed the internal atmosphere this way: no one was allowed to hold pessimistic feelings about the people outside, as that would infect those around them and then affect the whole team, making everyone live in panic and unease.

"Deputy Captain Shen, this can't go on," Liu Mingfeng found Shen Chengyi.

Actually, Liu Mingfeng's mood wasn't good either; he was just a very ordinary person, only a bit more meticulous and patient in handling matters, which was how he got the deputy captain position.

And after getting this deputy captain post, Liu Mingfeng had always been in charge of rear-area affairs. Although he had never faced danger directly, his little heart had still been scared out of him.

This time he keenly sensed the problem lurking beneath the surface, and realized he couldn't solve it himself, so he came to seek help from Shen Chengyi.

Shen Chengyi:...

The essence of this matter was simply that Wei Ran and the others hadn't returned, letting everyone's expectations slowly come to nothing. Solving it was easy — as long as Wei Ran and them came back, these bad emotions would be swept clean in one go.

"Captain Wei and Captain Cheng and them..." Liu Mingfeng pursed his lips, not very optimistic.

"Let's wait and see a bit more. If the mood really can't be diverted, then let them vent it out.

The food here can still last a few days. Starting tomorrow morning, have them get up and move around. Of course, the work in hand can't stop."

Dual pressure forcing them to release it.

Liu Mingfeng helplessly raised his hand and rubbed his nose; for now, this was the only way to arrange things — the team couldn't blow up at this time, at least there couldn't be internal unrest.

The stay-behind team members found they had things to do again; early on they were led to exercise with each other — you punch the condensed wooden stakes, I chop the steel plates before my eyes — the quiet space instantly became lively.

Liu Mingfeng patrolled back and forth in the team; anyone he caught slacking off he made exercise. Even if unwilling to stretch their hands, they could run laps around the surroundings.

The signs of internal strife were finally temporarily suppressed. Liu Mingfeng nodded in satisfaction, but in his heart he worried for Wei Ran and the others still outside and unable to return.

Even if they really found no way out, coming back would still be a decent fallback. At worst, they'd continue hunkering down in this building and toughing it out. As long as they didn't give up, there was hope.

Outside

Wei Ran could no longer remember how long she had been running; her legs felt like they were filled with lead, and there wasn't a single spot on her whole body that didn't feel awful. But even more than the physical discomfort was the sacrifice of her teammates.

Her eyes had been stung to tears by the surrounding white snow; Wei Ran blinked hard, terrified that a moment's carelessness would make her miss the road and fall.

"How much farther?"

"Soon. Just hold on a bit more."

Wei Ran gritted her teeth and soothed the teammate beside her. She had no time for grief. Even though Cheng Nan had heroically sacrificed herself to protect their retreat, Wei Ran knew she couldn't let Cheng Nan's heart and blood be wasted. No matter what, they had to go back and bring back the intelligence bought with their lives.