Inside the Supply Base of the Southeast Military Region.
High walls towered overhead, and the heavy machine guns on the watchtowers gleamed coldly in the setting sun.
The air was thick with the mingled smells of steel, machine oil, and a faint trace of blood.
Unlike the orderly Base City, this place had a rougher, wilder air.
Most of the warriors coming and going were in a hurry, their gazes sharp.
They carried the smell of gunpowder and the wilderness on them.
Following the location sent by Captain Gao Feng, Luo Feng soon found the Fire Hammer Squad's temporary lodgings.
It was a small two-story building on the outskirts of the Supply Base.
Standing before the door, Luo Feng took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement surging in his heart.
They had been apart for more than two months, during which he had experienced great ups and downs.
Now he was finally about to see these teammates again, the men who had fought shoulder to shoulder with him and whom he could trust with his life.
He straightened the collar of his combat uniform, raised his hand, and knocked.
The door was pulled open almost immediately.
"Luo Feng!"
With a low, delighted shout, Gao Feng's familiar, tall figure appeared in the doorway.
He looked even more fit and capable than before, and his skin had grown darker.
"Captain!"
Luo Feng called out with a smile.
"Good lad! You really are back! Come in, quick!"
Gao Feng clapped Luo Feng hard on the shoulder, the smile on his face growing brighter.
He pulled Luo Feng inside and shut the door behind him.
The first floor was a spacious combined living and dining room.
The aroma of food and the lively sound of voices filled the room.
A large round table was laden with a generous spread of dishes.
There was braised beef glazed in an enticing sauce and a small mountain of braised delicacies.
There were also several plates of fried peanuts and two large packs of ice-cold beer giving off a chilly mist.
Chen Gu, Wei Tie, and Wei Qing were sitting around the table. Hearing the commotion, they all turned their heads.
"Luo Feng!"
"Haha, it really is Luo Feng!"
The three stood up almost at once, their faces all alight with genuine joy.
Chen Gu was as lean as ever, but his gaze was calmer.
The twin brothers Wei Tie and Wei Qing seemed to have grown a size more muscular.
"Brother Chen, Brother Tie, Brother Qing!"
Luo Feng greeted each of them, warmth welling up in his heart.
"It's good to have you back! Good to have you back!"
Chen Gu came over and gave Luo Feng's hand a firm shake.
"I heard you've recovered, and you're even stronger now?"
"Good! That's great! Our Fire Hammer Squad's combat strength has doubled!"
"Don't just stand there. Sit down, sit down!"
Gao Feng urged, pressing Luo Feng into an empty seat.
"We knew you were arriving today, so we prepared all this especially! Consider it a welcome-back feast."
"It's also our send-off meal before we leave! Once we're in the Wilderness Zone, things won't be this comfortable!"
Luo Feng looked at the table full of food and drink, touched.
At the Supply Base, food like this was far more expensive than in the Base City.
Fresh meat and ice-cold beer in particular showed how much the captain and his teammates valued him.
"Thank you, Captain. Thank you, everyone!"
Luo Feng said sincerely.
"What are you thanking us for? We're all brothers here!"
With a wave of his big hand, Gao Feng popped open a bottle of beer and thrust it into Luo Feng's hand.
"Come on, let's start with a drink! To celebrate Luo Feng's return to the squad, and to wish ourselves a smooth trip to City 003 and a return with a full haul!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone clinked their bottles, and the ice-cold beer rushed down their throats with the aroma of malt.
The mood immediately grew lively.
"Luo Feng, don't hold back. Eat all you want!"
Chen Gu enthusiastically handed Luo Feng a large piece of braised beef.
Wei Qing grabbed a handful of peanuts and put them on the plate in front of Luo Feng.
"That's right, eat more and build up your strength! Once we get to City 003, we'll have to eat dry rations every day."
Luo Feng didn't stand on ceremony. He ate great mouthfuls of meat and took hearty swigs of beer.
After several rounds of drinks, the mood at the table grew even more convivial.
Gao Feng wiped his mouth, his expression turning a little more serious as he began to discuss business.
"Luo Feng, our target this time is the outskirts of City 003."
As he spoke, Gao Feng took out a crumpled paper map and spread it on the table.
It bore quite a few marks in red and blue ink.
"There are relatively few Lord-level Monsters in this area, but the density of Beast General-level Monsters isn't low."
"And the buildings are complex, which suits our squad."
"We can hone our coordination and hunt Beast General-level Monsters for materials. If we're lucky, we might even find some antiques from the old era."
As his voice fell, Gao Feng pointed to several spots on the map.
"These are several routes we've planned, along with backup evacuation routes."
"You've only just recovered, and your strength may have changed."
"Would you rather provide support and coordinate with the main force, or be part of the main force yourself?"
Luo Feng pondered for a moment and was just about to answer.
But Gao Feng suddenly frowned and raised a hand to rub his temples, apparently a little tired or uncomfortable.
He turned to Wei Tie.
"Give me a Huazi to perk me up. Planning these routes really takes a toll on the brain."
"Sure thing, Captain."
Wei Tie grinned and pulled an elegant cigarette case from the shoulder bag he carried.
When he opened it, more than a dozen fine cigarettes lay neatly arranged inside.
He first took one out and handed it to Gao Feng, then offered another to Chen Gu.
Then he looked at Luo Feng and naturally offered him one as well.
"Luo Feng, want one? Relax a little before we set off."
Wei Qing also smiled and took out a lighter, ready to light it for Luo Feng.
Luo Feng looked at the cigarette held out to him and paused briefly, then smiled and waved it away.
"Brother Tie, Brother Qing, thanks, but I don't smoke."
"Hm?"
Wei Tie's hand stopped in midair, a little surprised.
Chen Gu looked over too, while Gao Feng lit his cigarette and took a puff.
He looked at Luo Feng through the pale blue smoke, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes as well.
At the Supply Base and in the Wilderness Zone, cigarettes were practically standard equipment for warriors.
They spent long periods under intense mental strain, hovering on the edge of life and death.
A cigarette could often help them loosen their nerves and relieve stress during a short break.
Almost everyone had a smoking habit.
They hadn't expected Luo Feng, who seemed so steady and mature, not to smoke.
"You don't smoke?"
Wei Qing put the lighter away and said, somewhat surprised,
"Luo Feng, that's pretty rare."
Knowing his teammates meant well, Luo Feng explained,
"I tried it before, but I didn't really like the taste, and..."
He paused and didn't continue.
Just then, Lin Mo, who had been quietly watching the show in his sea of consciousness,
suddenly let out a low chuckle, distinctly teasing.
"Hehe..."
Lin Mo's voice rang out in Luo Feng's mind with a teasing tone that said he understood.
"Kid, why are you hemming and hawing? Are you afraid that little girlfriend of yours will look down on you if she finds out you've picked up a smoking habit?"
Luo Feng's consciousness froze. Though he kept smiling at his teammates,
he felt helpless inside.
That's what Teacher's paying attention to...
Lin Mo was in his sea of consciousness, and Luo Feng had been paying attention to Xu Xin these past few days.
Lin Mo knew all about his conversations with Xu Xin.
"Let me guess."
Lin Mo seemed to have taken an interest, his mental fluctuations carrying a mischievous note.
"Is it that young girl called Xu Xin? Ah, to be young and innocent."
"But Luo Feng, I must remind you of something as your teacher: the universe is vast, incredibly vast."