Chapter 1708: Special Training Ends, Yanlong Rejoins the Team

At eight the next morning, Yanlong finished the final special training session for Xia Qing and the North-South wolf pack, her gaze settling on Handsome Giant Wolf—the one who had made the greatest progress among this batch of trainees—and she couldn't bear to look away.

Seeing Yanlong throw a challenge at it, Handsome Giant Wolf, lying on the ground, flipped up without hesitation to accept the fight, but was pressed back down by Xia Qing's arm.

Xia Qing hadn't used much force; Handsome Giant Wolf only resisted for a moment. Realizing Xia Qing had no intention of moving her arm, it stopped struggling, lay back down on the snow, and stared at Yanlong with a murderous icy face.

Its appearance was no different from the non-cerebrum-evolved beasts in the Evolution Forest, so the human arm around its neck looked especially jarring.

Yanlong shook her head hard, flinging off the sweat that had frozen on her hair, ducked into the tent to clean the scent off her protective suit, then opened her pack and changed into a fresh one, so as not to bring the wolves' scent back into human territory.

The special training was over, and the energetic little wolves ran off nearby to keep roughhousing.

Xia Qing reminded them, "Fourth, Broken-Back, Giant Wolf Bro, and the little ones—special training ends here. You don't need to come tomorrow. Fourth, don't forget to remind Tiger-Stripe later; Broken-Back, keep an eye on the survey team; don't forget to send wolves over for a sweep…"

After Xia Qing ran through the key points, she noticed Handsome Giant Wolf glaring murderously at her, so she earnestly promised it, "The survey team leaves tomorrow. If Giant Wolf Bro wants a medicinal bath, you can have one after the sun goes down tomorrow."

Because the human survey team was staying in North Sector One, Handsome Giant Wolf hadn't had a proper medicinal bath in two weeks, which made it extremely unhappy. However, upon hearing it could bathe again tomorrow, Handsome Giant Wolf still wore its big icy face, lazily rolled over to dodge Xia Qing's arm, and went to sleep.

Hearing Yanlong finish changing, Xia Qing turned to head into the tent to change clothes, only to see Tilt-Head Little Wolf lying at the tent's edge, looking thoroughly displeased.

This little wolf wasn't the one with the highest cerebrum evolution, nor the most outstanding performer in the special training, but it was the most earnest one.

Xia Qing walked over and gently asked, "Tilt-Head, what's wrong?"

Tilt-Head Little Wolf raised its fuzzy little head and let out two listless "aowu"s at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing understood, and in a gentle voice negotiated with it, "You liked the special training, and you're unhappy there's none tomorrow. I liked it too, and I'm unhappy too. If Tilt-Head still wants to train tomorrow, you can come find me, and we'll practice together. Deal?"

Broken-Back Wolf watched Xia Qing murmuring with Tilt-Head Little Wolf, thoughtful.

After Xia Qing changed into a fresh protective suit, she and Yanlong switched to another spot to spar again, getting covered in snow, ice, and dirt, before they could return to the territory.

This time, both fought at full strength. Within six minutes, Xia Qing had her throat pinned by Yanlong's elbow—she lost.

Yanlong stood up, pulled Xia Qing to her feet, and praised her, "Not bad. This time your improvement in special training is second only to Handsome Giant Wolf's. You've mastered all the techniques you should have, stayed calm in combat, and applied them flexibly. Before May this year, you need to defeat Wu Lianmin; before August, defeat Di Ming; by year's end, fight Huo Zhun to a draw. If I have time, I'll come back this time next year to teach you the dagger."

"Got it." Xia Qing replied confidently, waiting for Yanlong to give her a few warnings.

But the two of them walked all the way to the north gate of North Sector One's wire fence, and Yanlong said nothing—just turned and left, crisp and clean.

Xia Qing quietly watched her walk away, then swiped open the north gate and returned to her own territory to shower and eat breakfast. In forty-five minutes, Xia Qing would, in the capacity of a top sniper, escort the second survey team to Mountain 49 for their survey. After returning in the afternoon, the survey team would also tour the territory.

Today was another busy day.

After Yanlong returned to Territory 15 for a meal, she took Tan Qi, Little Eleven, Lu Fangchun, and Wang Bo—who were already on winter break—and completed their final special training session.

The patrol car shuttling between the safe zone and the territories delivered the goods the lords had exchanged, then stopped outside the north gate of Territory 15.

Yanlong shouldered her pack and stepped out of the territory, only to see Huo Zhun and four others lined up in a row, raising their hands in salute to see her off.

In an era of calamities, life and death were uncertain. The Jiaolong Special Ops Team, which carried out at least twenty Grade-S or above missions a year, had a casualty rate higher than ordinary combat units—those who survived to retire were the lucky ones. Yanlong was returning to the special ops team; the next time they met might be in the next life.

Huo Zhun and the four others had resolute expressions, while Tan Qi and the three following behind Yanlong already had reddened eyes.

Yanlong's gaze swept over her team members one by one, finally settling on Huo Zhun. Huo Zhun's skin prickled all over; he didn't dare say a word, afraid that saying the wrong thing would earn him a beating.

Yanlong's gaze swept around once more, then she said calmly, "If the four of you lose to Xia Qing, or can't take down Tan Qi and Lu Fangchun within ten moves, or take down Wang Bo within six moves, don't ever say I trained you."

"Yes!" Huo Zhun and the four others shouted at the top of their lungs, but without much pressure. Tan Qi and Lu Fangchun, standing at the back, had their fighting spirit roused.

Little Eleven tilted her little head up and asked crisply, "Auntie Yan, what about me?"

Yanlong looked at this little girl, more agile than a macaque in the Evolution Forest, and said gently, "You're too young. This year's mission is to eat well and sleep well."

"Yes!" Little Eleven pretended not to feel the complicated aura Yanlong was giving off, puffed out her little chest, and answered brightly.

Yanlong patted the four children's shoulders, told the electric ray to rest well and recover, and finally looked toward the lords of North Sector One's territory, who stood a little farther away to see her off, and gave them a gentle nod.

Tang Huai immediately scampered over and handed Yanlong a pack of dried mealworms. "Sister Yan, these are green-light mealworms. Take them back as snacks for the brothers in the team."

Shi Du also handed over a pack of food. "These are green-light fried dough balls my mom made. Sister Yan, take them to eat on the road."

Right after, Hearing Zhu Li handed over a pack of roasted sunflower seeds, and Yuan Yan handed over a big pack of steamed corn cake…

In an era of calamities, giving quality food was the most sincere gesture of goodwill.

Yanlong accepted each one, got in the car, and left North Sector One's territory. This was everyone's heartfelt gift; she would take it. When she went out on missions and found good things, she'd just send them back to everyone.

She would note this matter in the little notebook she carried, and tear out the page once repaid. If she died on a mission, her comrades would help her return this rare warmth from an era of calamities.

Zhang San and Seeing Xin Yu? The supplies they'd sent were already in Yanlong's pack, together with Xia Qing's. Because by the time she left, Xia Qing had already led the team to escort the experts to Mountain 50 and couldn't see her off.

Under the perfect arrangements of Xia Qing, Zhang Song, Zhang He, Fourth, Broken-Back Wolf, and Tiger-Stripe, the second batch of survey experts ended their survey of Mountain 50 with full harvests and lingering reluctance, returned to North Sector One, drank a nutrient solution, and without pausing headed off to survey the territory's Ninth Center.

Xia Qing was busy until dark before she finally finished the reception task. After dinner, she picked up her phone and saw a group message from Broken-Back Wolf:

Tomorrow morning, six o'clock!

Xia Qing…

What was that lesson? Six o'clock, where, doing what?