Going Solo

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 expression, Colin's eyes were filled with suspicion—as a girl who had been scraping by 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 sorts 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 had a genuine passion for these supplies!

Food, water, weapons!

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

Maggie also joined in carrying things.

Though she was not very strong, she did her best to help.

With the three of them working together, all the items on the handcart were soon moved underground, including the handcart itself.

Neither Qin Ran nor Colin was willing to give up such a practical tool for hauling goods.

"Did you clean out Vulture's nest?"

After sweeping over all the traces Qin Ran had left along his route once more, Colin asked.

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

"Only a little over half of it."

Qin Ran did not mind Colin's caution at all. Although he had been extremely careful on his way back, trying not to leave any traces and immediately concealing or clearing away any he did leave, some oversights were inevitable. Having someone check over 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 those gun-wielding thugs from before.

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

Just as Colin was marveling that an asshole like Vulture had managed to acquire so many supplies, Qin Ran spoke up and explained everything about the rebel major in detail.

"My God! Are you insane?"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Why did you provoke a rebel officer?"

Upon hearing Qin Ran's account, Colin growled again, her emotions incomparably agitated, just as they had been when Qin Ran wanted to infiltrate Vulture's nest 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 immediately said, "Go! Take some food and water, and we'll leave before dawn! No matter how well this place is hidden, it won't escape the rebels' carpet search!"

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

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

Colin turned her head in astonishment and looked at Qin Ran's smile.

"How can you still smile at a time like this?!"

Colin said in exasperation.

"Don't worry. Things aren't as bad as you think—at least, that Major isn't capable of commanding every rebel like you imagine. He's only a mid-ranking rebel officer!"

Qin Ran comforted Colin in a gentle tone.

Colin's refusal to leave after learning that Qin Ran had provoked the rebels gave Qin Ran an even better impression of her and made him acknowledge her a little more.

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

It no longer carried that polite but distant feeling.

If this had been a few minutes ago, before she knew Qin Ran had gotten himself into such huge trouble, Colin would certainly have been happy.

But now...

All Colin felt was anxiety!

If Qin Ran had been a stranger, Colin would definitely have abandoned him and fled for her life alone. But Qin Ran had fought beside her, and they got along well enough to be considered friends!

Colin would never allow herself to treat a friend that way.

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

So Colin was utterly frantic at this moment.

"Even a mid-ranking rebel officer has several hundred subordinates—fully armed ones! And they're well-trained! They're absolutely nothing like trash such as 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 pretty good plan..."

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, removed the phone's battery, then said to Colin, "That guy has noticed something 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 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 into it.

Qin Ran picked up the strange-looking "sniper rifle," checked it briefly, then packed four magazines and two pistol magazines into the backpack as well.

"Be careful!"

Looking at the magazines and firearms in the backpack, Colin said with pursed lips.

"Mm!"

Qin Ran nodded.

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

Once everything was ready, he smiled at Colin again. Without waiting for any response from her, he swiftly 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 dropped helplessly.

"Qin Ran will definitely come back safely!"

Maggie, who had watched the entire scene from the side, racked her brains before coming up with that comforting sentence.

"Of course!"

Maggie's words reminded Colin that someone else was beside her. She immediately put away her inner weakness 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 his fist viciously onto the table. The pens, folders, and ashtray on its surface all bounced into the air from the force of the impact.

The adjutant beside him shuddered.

He knew that the superior before him was infamous for being ruthless.

He treated enemies that way.

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

As Saruka's third adjutant, he had no desire to follow in his two predecessors' footsteps.

Thus, the adjutant stood even straighter, not moving an inch.

Saruka paid no attention to his adjutant at all. His heart was already filled with rage!

"Damn it! Bastard!"

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

After discovering that Vulture was dead and that its nest had a new leader, Saruka had not trusted that unseen new boss. So he sent his best scout to investigate.

But the news his subordinate brought back greatly shocked Saruka.

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

Saruka immediately knew he had been deceived.

And the call that had been hung up a few minutes ago was irrefutable proof of it.

"You sewer rat, you maggot! Do you think your little tricks can help you escape safely? After talking to me, you should have immediately left Vulture's nest. That was forty minutes ago, and there are still thirty minutes until dawn—one hour and ten minutes. Carrying such heavy things and relying on your legs alone, how far could you possibly have gone?"

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

Then he directly ordered the adjutant beside him, "At 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 the screen.

"Activate the tracker!"

Saruka immediately cut himself off and roared at the adjutant.

The latter quickly went to the tracking device at the side of the room and began operating it.

In fact, he had been waiting there earlier, ready to track the other party.

The adjutant had absolute confidence in this military tracking equipment. In less than ten seconds, he could pinpoint the other party's location!

He had even thought about how he would display his superb skills and make his superior see him in a new light.

But... the previous call had not connected.

And it had also provoked Saruka's fury!

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

Now, the opportunity had come again!

The adjutant absolutely would not let down his guard.

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

Faced with the threat to his life, the adjutant completed the equipment setup in an exceptionally sharp state.

It took less than two seconds!

Seeing the adjutant signal that everything was ready, Saruka answered the call.

"You liar!"

The instant the call connected, Saruka's low roar reached Qin Ran's ears through the receiver.

"Major, what are you talking about?"

Qin Ran asked as he ran, pretending to be confused.

"You damned liar, do you think you can escape?"

Saruka said coldly, his voice radiating killing intent.

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

Qin Ran replied leisurely, with a faintly teasing tone.

The other end of the line immediately fell silent.