Chapter 410: Without My Order, No One May Act on Their Own

Below the Zhuoyue Gongsi building of the expedition team, morning light streamed through the gaps between the tall buildings, and the air still carried a hint of early‑morning coolness.

"Huo La, are we... are we joining the expedition team right now?" Paipa looked at the coming and going expedition team members, face full of disbelief, tone tinged with a hint of daze.

Huo La took a big bite of the sandwich in his hand, chewed it slowly and swallowed, then said in a flat tone without a ripple: "Not us, it's me."

As soon as his words fell, two figures arrived with a squad of expedition team members dressed in matching uniforms, walking briskly toward them.

Leading them were two people: one was the sullen Spinel, the other a youth with blue bangs, whose brows and eyes carried a hint of carefree cynicism.

Spinel merely gave Huo La and Paipa a brief glance, his gaze lingering little, his expression still cold.

The blue‑bang youth stepped forward, rubbing his chin, his eyes scanning Huo La back and forth, and said with a teasing tone: "Spinel, this is the new recruit you just took in? Doesn't really match your taste, and there's nothing special about him."

"Shut up," Spinel snapped coldly, his gaze a brief glance, his tone devoid of any warmth, a rebuke that left no room for reply.

The blue‑bang youth shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands indifferently, politely closed his mouth, yet his eyes still held a playful smile as he covertly sized up Huo La.

Huo La looked at the blue‑bang youth and realized internally—this person was most likely Yindi, one of Spinel's most capable right‑hand men.

"Are you ready?" Spinel said, his tone still concise and icy. "If you're ready, board the spaceship."

Huo La nodded slightly, raised his eyes and asked, "Where are we going?"

"When we arrive, you'll know naturally," Spinel said without extra explanation, turned and walked toward the expedition team's spaceship docked not far away, his steps steady and unhurried.

Seeing this, the blue‑bang youth waved at Huo La, his tone light: "Let's go, let's go. I'm Yindi. Let me remind you, our group hates waiting; being late will be punished."

As he spoke, he also fell in step with Spinel, a squad of expedition team members following closely behind.

Huo La inhaled deeply, his fingertips tightened around the strap of his backpack, suppressing the doubts in his heart, and hurriedly followed.

Behind him, Paipa saw this and immediately sprinted after him, shouting while running, "Huo La, wait for me! I want to go with you too!"

The spaceship's hatch closed slowly, and the interior lights lit up one after another.

In the control room, Spinel leaned against the main pilot seat, eyes tightly shut, brows slightly furrowed, clearly meditating, a low‑pressure aura that warned strangers to stay away enveloped him; no one dared to disturb him.

Beside him, Yindi was unusually active, leaning over to stare at the flashing navigation map on the screen, his fingertips occasionally tapping the panel, muttering continuously—whether he was complaining about the long distance or murmuring about mission details.

The spaceship rose smoothly, soaring through the clouds, and Paipa led Huo La onto the deck.

The oncoming wind carried the crispness of high altitude, dispersing some of the heaviness; the clouds spread beneath their feet, and the distant horizon glimmered with a faint light.

Huo La stared at the distant sea of clouds, his tone heavy, and slowly said, "You shouldn't have come along; this journey is dangerous, we don't know what we'll encounter."

"Huh, what are you scared of?" Paipa shrugged nonchalantly, his tone carrying a hint of stubbornness, "My parents didn't stop me, Spinel didn't say I couldn't come, what are you worrying about?"

He paused, scratched his head, his tone softened a bit, with a hint of sincerity: "Although I don't know what's in your mind, nor what you're ultimately going to do, I think you might be the person who can change the world."

"My abilities are insufficient, I might not be able to help you much, but at least—I can give you a first‑class delicious sandwich, so you won't go hungry; that should be something, right?"

Huo La turned his head toward Paipa, the boy's face full of openness and sincerity, those clear eyes without any impurity.

He kept watching, and in his daze he suddenly thought of Xiao Gang—the partner who always put his heart into every meal, silently protecting everyone.

A sour feeling rose in his heart, and Huo La let out a light sigh.

In fact, he had long ago used his phone to search for news about Xiao Gang and Bilan, but the information he could find was pitifully scarce.

All he knew was that four years ago, after his sudden disappearance, Xiao Gang and Bilan had finally managed to bring the news back to Professor Oak, and then each went their separate ways, never contacting Professor Oak's party again, as if they had vanished from this world out of thin air; no one knew where they went or whether they were doing well.

Just as Huo La and Paipa were talking on the deck, in the control room Yindi quietly slipped into the seat beside Spinel, lowered his voice, and, with a hint of concern, asked, "Spinel... taking these two people to handle the next matter, is that really okay?"

Spinel still kept his eyes shut, not opening them, but his tone now carried a trace of coldness: "Are you questioning me?"

"No," Yindi hurriedly shook his head, his tone even more cautious, "It's just that we've been dormant for so long, and suddenly we act... it feels a bit too hasty."

Spinel gave no reply; after a moment he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze cold and clear: "Take care of your own affairs."

He paused, then asked, "What about Lubeila's side, how's it going?"

Hearing the name Lubeila, Yindi suppressed his joking expression, replied seriously: "Lubeila reported back, they've already traced Aimeijiao and Ji Er's whereabouts, but Ke Ni Ya hasn't shown up yet."

"Understood," Spinel replied lightly, "Let him keep watching; without my order, no one may act on their own."