Lone Journey

Colin's unusual warmth did not make Maggie feel awkward.

On the contrary, simple-minded Maggie quickly adapted to her new "home" under Colin's enthusiasm.

Looking at Maggie's innocent appearance, Colin's eyes were filled with suspicion—as a girl who had been surviving on the streets from an early age, Colin did not believe there were still people this innocent.

However, after glancing at Qin Ran, who was going back and forth and quickly moving all kinds of supplies, Colin did not show it.

If she's pretending... let's see how long she can keep it up!

With a cold snort in her heart, Colin stopped paying much attention to Maggie and began helping Qin Ran move the supplies.

Colin was truly eager for these supplies!

Food, water, weapons!

No one understood their value better than Colin, who had lived through four months of war.

Maggie also joined the moving crew.

Although she was not very strong, she worked hard to help.

With the three of them working together, everything on the handcart was quickly moved underground, including the handcart itself.

Neither Qin Ran nor Colin would give up such a practical tool for carrying supplies.

"You emptied Vulture's nest?"

After going over all the traces Qin Ran had left along his route and cleaning them up again, Colin asked.

After all, that much food and water was truly astonishing.

"Only a little over half of it!"

Qin Ran did not mind Colin's caution at all. Even though he had been extremely careful on his way back, trying not to leave any traces and immediately covering up or cleaning away whatever he did leave, there were bound to be oversights. Having someone check everything again was exactly what he wanted.

After all, the opponents he would face next would definitely not be as easy to deal with as the gun-toting thugs from before.

"Colin, we're going to have even bigger trouble!"

Just as Colin was marveling that a bastard like Vulture had managed to gather so many supplies, Qin Ran spoke. He explained everything about the rebel major in detail.

"My heavens! Are you crazy?"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Why did you provoke a rebel officer?"

Upon hearing Qin Ran's explanation, Colin growled again, her emotions incomparably agitated, just like when Qin Ran had planned to sneak into Vulture's Lair alone.

The only difference was that Colin was even more worried now!

Even... despairing!

Even a child understood the difference between a gang of street punks and an army.

Let alone a girl like Colin, who had practically witnessed the rebels' strength firsthand?

So, without waiting for Qin Ran's answer, Colin said without hesitation, "Go! Take some food and water, and we'll leave before dawn! No matter how well hidden this place is, it won't escape the rebels' carpet search!"

After saying that, Colin walked toward the neatly arranged canned food and bottled water.

However, before she had taken two steps, Qin Ran grabbed her arm.

Colin turned around in astonishment and looked at the smiling Qin Ran.

"At a time like this, you can still smile!"

Colin said in exasperation.

"Relax! Things aren't as bad as you imagine—at least, that major can't command all the rebels like you think he can! He's only a mid-level rebel officer!"

Qin Ran comforted Colin in a gentle tone.

Colin's refusal to abandon him even after learning that he had provoked the rebels made Qin Ran feel even more favorably toward her and acknowledge her more.

Colin could clearly sense the change in Qin Ran's tone.

It no longer carried that polite yet distant feeling.

If this had been a few minutes earlier, before she knew Qin Ran had gotten himself into such enormous trouble, Colin would have been very happy.

But now...

Colin felt only anxiety!

If Qin Ran had been a stranger, Colin would definitely have cast him aside and fled for her life alone. But Qin Ran had fought beside her, and they got along well. He could definitely be considered a friend!

Colin would never allow herself to do that to a friend.

What was more, that stir in her heart had given Colin a different kind of feeling toward Qin Ran!

So Colin was extremely anxious right now.

"Even a mid-level rebel officer has several hundred subordinates—fully armed ones! And they're well-trained! They're absolutely not comparable to trash like Vulture!"

Colin's words were full of worry.

"I never underestimate my enemies! When I brought back that bag of jewelry, I already knew what I was doing. I have a good plan..."

That was what Qin Ran said.

Just as Qin Ran was about to explain it to Colin, the phone in his shirt pocket rang.

A name appeared on the white screen—

Major!

Qin Ran hung up without hesitation, then removed the phone battery. After that, he said to Colin, "That guy noticed something was wrong at the mall! There's no time to explain. Help me prepare food and water. I need to leave alone for two or three days! Don't worry, I'll come back safely!"

Colin's lips trembled slightly. She still wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

She turned around, picked up Qin Ran's backpack, and began stuffing canned food and bottled water inside.

Qin Ran picked up the strange-looking sniper rifle. After checking it briefly, he put four magazines and two pistol magazines into the backpack as well.

"Be careful!"

Looking at the magazines and firearms in the backpack, Colin pressed her lips together and said.

"Mm!"

Qin Ran nodded.

He gave his dagger and the M1905 at his waist one final check.

Once everything was ready, he smiled at Colin once more. Without waiting for any response from her, he quickly left the hideout and vanished into the dawn.

Colin watched Qin Ran's retreating figure disappear and unconsciously raised an arm.

But in the end, it fell limply.

"Qin Ran will definitely come back safely!"

Maggie had witnessed the entire scene from the side. After racking her brains, she finally came up with those words of comfort.

"Of course!"

Maggie's voice reminded Colin that someone else was beside her. She immediately put away her vulnerability and began acting incomparably tough.

"Qin Ran will definitely come back safely! He's Colin's... ally!"

After a pause, Colin said that.

Rebel camp.

Major Saruka slammed a fist down onto the table. The pens, folders, and ashtray on its surface all bounced up from the impact.

The adjutant beside him trembled all over.

After all, the superior standing before him was notorious for his ruthlessness.

He treated enemies that way.

He treated his own people... the same way!

As Saruka's third adjutant, he did not want to follow in the footsteps of the first two.

Therefore, the adjutant stood even straighter, not moving at all.

Saruka did not pay any attention to his adjutant. His heart was already filled with wrath!

"Damn it! Bastard!"

Saruka's face twisted as he forced those words through clenched teeth.

After discovering that Vulture was dead and that Lair had changed leaders, Saruka did not trust the new leader he had never met. So he sent out his best scout to investigate.

But the news his subordinate brought back greatly shocked Saruka.

Vulture's Lair had actually been wiped out. Not a single person had survived!

Saruka immediately knew he had been deceived.

And the call that had been hung up on several minutes earlier was irrefutable proof of it.

"You sewer rat, you cockroach, do you think your little tricks will let you escape safely? After speaking with me, you should have quickly left Vulture's Lair. That was forty minutes ago, and there are only thirty minutes left until dawn—one hour and ten minutes. On foot, carrying such heavy things, how far can you possibly run?"

The wrath in Saruka's heart did not make him lose his reason. He carefully calculated.

Then he directly ordered the adjutant beside him, "After dawn, send out everyone under my command. Using Sixth Avenue Mall as the center, search every place within a twenty-kilometer radius where someone could hide..."

Ring, ring-ring!

Before Saruka could finish, his phone rang again.

Vulture!

That was the name displayed on it.

"Start Tracking!"

Saruka immediately stopped speaking and roared at the adjutant.

The latter hurried to the tracking device on one side of the room and began operating it.

In fact, he had already been stationed there, ready to track the other party.

The adjutant was extremely confident in military tracking equipment. In less than ten seconds, he could Lock-On to the other party's location!

He had even thought about how to display his exceptional skill and make his superior see him in a new light.

But... the previous call had not connected.

And it had also provoked Saruka's wrath!

Faced with Saruka's wrath, the adjutant had been terrified. At the same time, he had cursed the person he was supposed to track and Lock-On to ten thousand times.

Now, the opportunity had come again!

The adjutant absolutely would not let his guard down.

He could fully imagine that if he failed again, the enraged Saruka would definitely shoot him dead.

With his life on the line, the adjutant completed the equipment setup in an exceptionally focused state.

It took less than two seconds!

Seeing the adjutant gesture that everything was okay, Saruka answered the call.

"You liar!"

The moment the call connected, Saruka's low roar traveled through the receiver into Qin Ran's ears.

"Major, what are you talking about?"

Qin Ran asked innocently while running.

"Damn liar, do you think you can escape?"

Saruka's voice was icy, overflowing with killing intent.

"Respected Major, do you still want your jewelry?"

Qin Ran replied lazily, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

The other end of the line immediately fell silent.

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