"But we have no experience at all. Instead of going out alone to figure things out, getting hurt badly and not even knowing if we can win, it's better to go with them this time… just to see a bit of the world," Lan Jin said after laying out all her thoughts.
She stopped talking, but nowhere in her words did she mention refusing the mission.
In fact, the other three felt the same. Combat experience was one thing, but the reward was too tempting to pass up.
Lao Gao said, "Whatever we do, our own safety comes first. We just left the neighborhood a few days ago. Don't just collapse on the road."
Ling Jiang scowled. "Can you stop talking like that? Can't you give us some good luck instead?"
"I'm just making you understand the importance and danger of this," Lao Gao said seriously. "Nothing is more important than our own lives. Don't rush to the front. I'm not saying this to them, I'm saying it to you. You don't even realize how impulsive you are. Fine, I won't scold you. Just pay attention.
Of course, since we accepted the mission, everyone must do their best. Brother Zhang chose us because of our abilities, so some things will require going forward first. But always remember, your life comes first."
Lao Gao repeated this so many times that everyone understood the seriousness. But knowing it in your head didn't help when things really went wrong.
"All right. Tomorrow we'll agree to take the mission. Before we set out, I'll give each of you a cup of Spirit Spring Water to carry. If we get separated or injured, take a sip to save your life."
Lan Jin nodded seriously, stating her decision. No one had any objections.
It wasn't that she was overanxious. They knew nothing about what awaited them, so the only option was to prepare for the worst.
…
The next day, after breakfast, the four of them found Brother Zhang and told him their decision.
Brother Zhang could hardly contain his joy. "Thank you so much. With your participation, I'm sure the success rate of this mission will increase greatly."
"Since we've agreed, shouldn't we be told the mission details?" Lan Jin asked.
"Of course," Brother Zhang said.
He led them to the seventh floor of the building. Opening a door, they found a small conference room.
Inside were computers, LED screens, and all sorts of equipment. For a moment, Lan Jin felt like she was back before the apocalypse, in a small group meeting. But that feeling vanished quickly. The tools weren't really necessary for their discussion.
…
Brother Zhang poured water for the four of them, then said, "This mission is a weeding task."
The four of them blinked. Weeding? Did he mean the kind they thought?
"Yes, just as you imagine. It sounds unbelievable, but I must say, this mission is far from simple. The grass in that area has all mutated. I haven't gone there myself, but a ten-person ability team from our base took the mission.
Based on the updates they sent back, the journey was extremely dangerous. By the time they officially entered the weeding area, only five remained. Two days later, even those five went missing. So besides weeding, our most important task is to confirm the status of those people."
Lao Gao asked, "What about the area? You must have a defined range. This mountain connects to another. Walking through all of it would take ten days or half a month, right?"
Brother Zhang took out a map. "Not that far. We can drive two days to reach the weeding zone. The ability team sent out a rescue signal on the second day. In two days, you can't get far.
Based on their misfortune and the satellite phone positioning, the area is right here," he said, pointing to a red circle. "We'll search within our safety limits. Find them if we can. If not, I won't linger there. Apart from you four, my team members don't have abilities."
"Since they have no abilities, do they have proper equipment?"
"Yes. You can rest assured. Even without abilities, the people I take out have combat experience. Once you commit, I'll also prepare a set of gear and food for each of you. Everything is ready for you."
He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Even though you've agreed, I must stress again, this mission is extremely dangerous. Be fully prepared."
It was obvious what preparation meant. They would encounter mutated creatures. Killable ones could be eaten, unkillable ones… they would become threats.
Injuries were inevitable. Even with military escort, equipment and medicine on the road would never be as complete as inside the base. Those injured seriously often didn't make it back.
This mental preparation had to be done beforehand.
Brother Zhang added, "Since you have abilities, aside from the standard weapons, we'll provide six crystals corresponding to your powers. In emergencies, you can use them to recover."
They hadn't expected this. But could crystals even be bought? Yesterday, on the twelfth floor, they hadn't seen any for sale, and not in the shopping center either.
Brother Zhang explained, "Ordinary people don't need them. Ability users communicate with us directly. You can exchange crystals if you want. Yesterday's fire crystals can be exchanged, the value remains the same."
Lao Gao had no objections. These crystals were part of everyone's shared achievement. "You packed them yesterday, right? Exchange them for matching ones. Easy to carry in the base, and useful on missions. If it's not enough, I still have more."