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"Welcome to Xingyan Group. May I ask who you are?"

Gao Zheng led the directors of Xingyan Group to greet the group of people descending from the convoy.

A young woman with delicate features and hair styled into two sharp, horn-like buns stepped forward. She reached out to shake Gao Zheng's hand lightly and said, "We escaped here from Chuilong Town. Chuilong Town has already fallen."

Gao Zheng looked at the young woman with curiosity, surprised that she was the leader of this group, and asked, "May I ask your name?"

"My name is Xi Qing. We hope to stay at your base for the night and will decide on our next steps tomorrow depending on the situation." Xi Qing tilted her head slightly, meeting Gao Zheng's gaze directly, completely unbothered by his scrutinizing look.

Gao Zheng glanced at the directors beside him and, seeing no objections, nodded. "Then please come inside to rest. We will discuss how to settle you properly once we finish our repairs here."

Gao Zheng called Li Yueqi over and instructed, "Yueqi, take them to the cafeteria. Prepare some porridge and soup so they can fill their stomachs, warm up, recover their strength, and calm down."

Li Yueqi acknowledged the order and led Xi Qing and her group into the base.

Gao Zheng looked toward the direction of Chuilong Town, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It seems Chuilong Town is gone. We are still dozens of kilometers away from the county seat; it seems unlikely we will receive any aid."

Ma Tianxing snorted and said, "Did the people in Chuilong Town make no preparations at all? To fall so quickly—how could they justify themselves to the people who entrusted their lives to them? Negligence, pure negligence."

He Qishun said disdainfully, "Given the defensive strength of Chuilong Town, we shouldn't have held any expectations for them to begin with. It's just a pity for all the people in the town."

Lin Chenxing was silent for a moment before saying, "The speed at which Chuilong Town fell must be related to the number of monsters. I fear the Beast Tide they faced was much larger than ours. Assuming that more people attract more monsters, we only have four or five hundred people here, while the town had over thirty thousand. The number of monsters they attracted could be nearly a hundred times ours—thousands of them. Without organization, training, or coordination, it was indeed impossible for them to hold out."

He Qishun glanced at the refugees entering the base and said, "Chenxing makes sense. But if that's the case, we must prepare in advance."

Guo Qichang chuckled. "What's there to fear? I'll kill every monster that comes, and if they come in pairs, I'll kill them both. Isn't it more advantageous for us to have more people? As long as we train them well, they'll become combat power. Even if they can't fight, they can help with chores and logistics."

Ma Tianxing agreed, "Indeed. Judging by the situation tonight, our base still has many areas that need improvement. Absorbing more people is good for our construction. Besides, I believe these days won't last long. We must trust that the authorities will soon drive these monsters back into the mountains."

He Qishun's eyes were deep as he said slowly, "I'm wondering what benefit these people's arrival actually brings us. Also, whether we can find a way to keep them all here."

Gao Zheng waved his hand. "No need. If they want to stay, they stay; if they don't, we must still ensure their safety. What we should do most right now is look out for one another. We do what is right."

Lin Chenxing was not surprised by Gao Zheng's reaction. After all, in their time together, Gao Zheng had always shown a distaste for underhanded tactics. He acted uprightly and openly, competing fairly and constantly driving the momentum of events to achieve success.

Not wishing to comment further on the matter, Lin Chenxing turned his head to look at the distant mountains and forests. "This forest is still too close to our base. We must clear an open space so we can spot them early and have time to prepare. We should also set up traps to hinder the charge of the beast herds and slow them down as much as possible."

Gao Zheng nodded with a faint smile. "Let's wait until tomorrow morning. We will take a group of people to push forward gradually and ensure safety."

Seeing that the wall was only one final step away from completion, Gao Zheng led the others back into the base through the main gate.

Inside the base cafeteria.

About forty people sat scattered throughout the room, the atmosphere exceptionally heavy.

Few could bring themselves to drink the porridge placed before them.

Understandably, how could those who were weeping manage to eat?

Xi Qing watched her companions, who had fallen into silent sobs or collapsed onto the tables once they felt safe, and could only sit in her seat, watching and listening helplessly.

About ten minutes later, most of them had calmed down, with only the occasional sob breaking the silence.

Seeing this, Xi Qing stood up and asked, "Now that we have arrived at the Xingyan Group base, do you have any thoughts on whether to stay or leave?"

A woman with slightly dark skin, holding a young girl who looked only twelve or thirteen, showed a hint of apology on her face and said in a low voice, "I don't have any family in the county. My daughter and I are exhausted from this journey. The county is still over eighty miles away, and we don't know what we might encounter on the road or what the situation is like there. We have decided to stay here. I'm sorry, Miss Xi."

Hearing this, many who had intended to follow Xi Qing to the county seat fell silent, beginning to weigh the pros and cons, or simply unwilling to endure the pain of fleeing again.

At this moment, a man who looked quite fierce slammed the table and said, "Miss Xi Qing led us here through so many dangers along the way; I think everyone knows that well. In any case, I, Old Qi, will not act like a coward and shrink away from such a small amount of danger."

Of the forty-plus people who fled to the Xingyan Group, nearly twenty had been saved by Xi Qing. The rest, while not directly saved, owed her for her pathfinding and leadership throughout the journey.

Under Old Qi's words, those who had felt the urge to retreat due to fear of danger began to feel a sense of shame.

After signaling for Old Qi to quiet down, Xi Qing said, "Xingyan Group is indeed a good place for refuge. If you intend to stay, I will discuss it with the base's person-in-charge to secure better conditions for you. As for the situation in the county, it is indeed unclear, but based on what I know, the county has made many preparations for this crisis—it might even be better than here. If you are willing to go to the county with me, please decide and let me know as soon as possible."

Su Mo, who had been silently following Xi Qing, was the first to stand up. "I was saved by Xi Qing. I trust her, and I am going to the county."

With the first person taking the lead, voices of response gradually grew.

However, sometimes, things do not change as one wishes.