A note from the author:
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Chapter 103
Su Cheng frowned deeply. She now understood the source of Zhang Yuwen's anger towards her when they first met.
The other party did not believe her previous account of waking up from a vegetative state, and regarded her as someone with ability but hiding in some corner out of fear.
She met his sharp gaze, her expression even colder, "Whether I have special abilities or not, or whether I should appear or not, is my business. I have no obligation to save all of humanity. Don't take your bad mood out on me."
She sometimes helps people out of a sense of duty, but she is not a saint and never accepts this kind of "responsibility-based" moral blackmail.
Putting aside the fact that she is not a native of this instance, Zhang Yuwen is only seeking comfort from her because he is unable to bear the psychological pressure of returning alone.
There was no point in saying more; she went into the room.
Zhang Yuwen's face was pale and pale; Su Cheng's words were like stabbing him in the heart.
Although he completed the mission in this Yellow Sand Operation, he lost eight team members.
Upon seeing the video of Su Cheng using her special abilities, his first reaction was not surprise, but anger.
If she had arrived sooner, his teammates might have had a glimmer of hope...
He knew this idea was unreasonable, but he couldn't accept his dereliction of duty, so he could only seek solace in this "what if" scenario, thinking "it wasn't your fault."
Now, Su Cheng has bluntly pointed this out.
He hadn't expected that even though he was the team leader, the other party wouldn't show him any mercy.
Isn't she afraid of being isolated and helpless during the operation in Green Vine City?
Knowing that her ability to burn spores has a cooldown period, she might need to rely on others for protection when facing numerous dangers...
Since becoming the head of the shelter's security team, Zhang Yuwen has received nothing but admiration and respect. He is a brave hero, and everyone thinks so.
After this Yellow Sand Operation, how will people view him now that they know he failed to bring his teammates back...?
A flicker of pain crossed his eyes as he turned and went into his room.
Recalling Su Cheng's icy gaze, her overwhelming aura, and the leader's high regard for her... his expression darkened further.
Su Cheng was unaware of Zhang Yuwen's complex thoughts; his abilities were insufficient for her to take him seriously, and he was quickly forgotten.
She was leaving for Green Vine City tomorrow morning, so time was tight, and she hadn't yet decided on the payment she had agreed upon with Leader Yu.
Currently, she is most interested in N92 Fuel, but Lin Xi says it is especially precious.
If she wants to get fuel from Leader Yu, simply going to Green Vine City isn't enough; she must at least ensure the entire squad's safe return.
It's not impossible, but considering Zhang Yuwen's attitude just now, and his influence on the other team members, it would probably be very troublesome.
She dislikes trouble at all.
After much deliberation, I decided to take it one step at a time and decide on the next plan after recovering all the meteorite fragments.
Thinking this, Su Cheng finished washing up and lay down on the single bed. The bed wasn't as soft as the one in the apartment, but it was alright.
They sought refuge underground because of the lower temperatures, but fortunately it was the height of summer.
Once winter arrives, it will likely get even colder.
Moreover, people who stay underground for extended periods without sunlight are prone to developing various illnesses, both major and minor.
This may be why, after developing protective suits and fuel containers, humans began to increase their ground-based activities.
He touched the bracelet; Mu Ling was in a deep sleep while cultivating, and there was no need to disturb her at the moment.
Su Cheng closed her eyes. Before dawn, there was a gentle knock on the door. "Are you awake? We'll be meeting in fifteen minutes."
She is a team member named Xuewen.
"Okay," Su Cheng replied, and the other person left only after hearing her voice.
When Su Cheng went to the office to gather everyone, almost everyone had arrived, and each person was given bread and milk for breakfast.
"Ten minutes later, head to the equipment room. A vehicle is already prepared outside the shelter," Zhang Yuwen instructed.
Before leaving the office, Leader Yu solemnly saw the eight people off, saying earnestly, "Be careful in everything you do. I'll be waiting for you all to come back together."
"We're back safely, Chief, don't worry," Xuewen said with a light smile, waving her hand.
"Yes... Don't worry, Chief, I guarantee the mission will be completed and we'll return safely!"
"Don't worry, Chief, we will all return safely."
"..."
The team members waved goodbye with smiles, as if this trip was just a short vacation.
Six team members walked ahead, Leader Yu remained uneasy and finally left Su Cheng and Zhang Yuwen behind to give them a few words of advice.
"You haven't told me the reward you're asking for this mission yet. Make sure you come back safely, and I hope you can take good care of them..."
Leader Yu, sitting in her wheelchair, addressed Su Cheng. She acted like a patriarch, valuing Su Cheng's abilities and hoping she could bring everyone back.
Su Cheng shook her head. "I can only do my best."
After she left, Leader Yu's gaze towards Zhang Yuwen became more serious. "You must remember everything I told you. Being too tolerant will only harm you sooner or later. Su Cheng is capable. If you disagree with her, try to listen to her."
Zhang Yuwen was indignant, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. "My combat experience is definitely greater than hers. I'm the captain, why should I listen to her? Why do you distrust me so much? Is it just because I was the only one who returned from Yellow Sand Operation?"
The Leader Yu listened, the more uneasy he felt. His brow furrowed tightly. "What's wrong with you? Something's not right with you. Maybe you shouldn't participate in this activity. After all, the plan has already been made, and Su Cheng is leading the team..."
"No!" Zhang Yuwen gritted his teeth and refused. "The last operation was just a mistake. This time, I'll make sure everyone else returns safely, even if it means my own death."
Without waiting for Leader Yu, Zhang Yuwen pursed his lips, turned around, and left the room, radiating a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Yu Wenzhe was stunned by Zhang Yuwen's sudden outburst. After a long pause, she turned to look at Ruolin, who seemed invisible, and asked, "Did I say something wrong? What's wrong with him?"
Ruolin hesitated for a moment before saying uncertainly, "His abilities have been questioned by some people since he came back this time, and perhaps that's related."
Yu Wenzhe sighed deeply, "When you're young and impetuous, you crave things you didn't have before, and once you get them, you just want to hold onto them tightly. You become anxious and uneasy if you lose them even slightly."
"This is not a good thing..."
Ruolin could tell that although Yu Wenzhe was criticizing her, he was actually worried, so she gently comforted him, "Wait until he comes back, then you can teach him slowly. Captain Zhang will understand your good intentions."
"I just hope he doesn't succumb to his conscience at this crucial moment and make a mistake that harms both himself and others..."
Su Cheng followed the rest of the team into the equipment room to change into protective suits and masks, and also carried a spore collector.
A communicator was worn in the left ear to facilitate communication among team members, and a video recorder was worn in the collar to record the entire operation.
Water bags and compressed biscuits are stored inside the protective suit, and the time spent outside is generally limited to 1-2 days. Because it is very inconvenient to get water and biscuits, they will not eat unless necessary while outside.
After all eight people were dressed, they took the elevator to the shelter, which was not the entrance Su Cheng had entered through.
Instead, it's another exit.
What came out wasn't an open-air area, but a garage with seven or eight trucks of various sizes parked inside.
Because the journey was long, the eight-person team used the largest vehicle available for this mission. Two people sat in the front, and there was still enough room for six more in the back.
Zhang Yuwen: " Yi Ze and I will sit in the passenger seat."
"Yes, Captain."
Su Cheng and the others sat in the back seat, with Xuewen, who had knocked on the door that morning, sitting next to her.
Xuewen noticed her unfamiliarity with the spore collector when they were in the equipment room, so she sat next to her and explained the collector's operating buttons.
Although Su Cheng might not need it, she was genuinely interested in the large, backpack-like structure behind him and listened attentively.
Seeing that Su Cheng didn't find her nagging annoying, Xuewen's expression relaxed slightly, realizing that Su Cheng wasn't as "arrogant" as others had described behind her back.
The vehicle accelerated, gradually moving away from the location of the shelter. After passing through a muddy area, it reached a smooth asphalt road.
This avenue has long been abandoned, with broken guardrails and crooked warning triangles.
The overturned vehicle that had blocked the middle of the road was burned down to its frame and then crashed to the side of the road.
They were the only car traveling on the entire avenue.
Su Cheng looked out the car window. It was just dawn, but the surrounding environment was hazy, like a smoggy day.
"Today should be a sunny day. Although it will be hot after the sun comes out, it's a good thing for us as we head to a city covered in vegetation," Xuewen said.
It takes nearly 3 hours to drive to Green Vine City.
During this time, the gray matter in the smog gradually dissipated, and the sun's dazzling rays scattered across the earth.
The car windows blocked out the light, but the back seat still got warm because of the many people. However, unlike previous trips, there was the appearance of Ice Stone.
A single Ice Stone was enough to keep the six people in the back seat from sweating profusely in the sweltering heat.
For this operation Leader Yu only approved one Ice Stone, which was kept by Captain Zhang Yuwen. Therefore, Su Cheng was the one using the Ice Stone in the back seat.
"I never imagined there could be such a magical stone in the world," Xuewen exclaimed. " Su Cheng is so lucky to have you. I heard from Sister Lin Xi that she was able to come back safely all because of your help."
"Yes, yes, we thought only the captain had this stone, but we didn't expect the leader to approve one for you too."
"Finally, I don't have to endure the heat anymore. I'm prone to getting hot, and I always had to bear it because the protective suit was inconvenient when I went out."
Several team members exclaimed in surprise at their good fortune, Leader Yu did not explain that the Ice Stone originated from Su Cheng. He did this to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from targeting Su Cheng.
The team members assumed that Leader Yu had simply given Su Cheng an extra piece of money, since Leader Yu seemed to value her highly.