Zhang Xiao heard Liu Jialin out, and her taut nerves relaxed slightly.
She looked up at the sunset on the horizon. The sun had already shrunk to less than half its size, and the colors of the evening clouds were gradually deepening. She then asked,
"Captain, since we've finished patrolling both sides, are we returning to camp now?"
Liu Jialin nodded. "Yes. It's been three hours since we left camp. We've finished patrolling most of the surrounding area and found no major dangers."
She raised a hand and pointed at the sinking sunset. "The sun is about to set. After dark, the mutated beasts in the wilderness will become much more active, and the danger will increase greatly. We have to get back inside the camp before nightfall."
The team members nodded one after another.
Then Liu Jialin turned first and headed back the way they had come.
Zhang Xiao led the other team members after her. The reconnaissance team that had gone out to investigate the dangers began retracing its route.
On the way back, the team members remained vigilant, their eyes constantly sweeping over the surrounding environment to avoid encountering any sudden trouble.
By the time they returned to camp, the sunset had completely sunk below the horizon. Only a faint blush remained, gradually fading across the sky like ink diffusing through water. Night was slowly descending.
Liu Jialin entered her tent, picked up the kettle from the table, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip of warm water, easing some of the fatigue from the patrol.
She had just set down the kettle when footsteps sounded outside the tent. A team member responsible for managing the mine pushed open the flap and came in.
"Captain, I'm here to report today's mining progress."
Liu Jialin gestured for him