What Lan Jin said was reasonable, but Brother Zhang still twitched at the corner of his mouth. The request wasn't excessive, though, and eventually Brother Zhang took them to exchange the crystals for ones corresponding to their abilities.
But when they went to make the exchange, new details emerged that they had never known before.
Abilities actually had ranks, and crystals of the same type also had levels. Lan Jin's lightning ability, Ling Jiang's ice ability, and Lao Gao's fire ability all counted as high-level abilities. Among them, Lan Jin's lightning ability ranked highest. A single fire crystal wasn't enough to exchange for a lightning crystal.
Brother Zhang explained, "Three fire crystals for one lightning crystal. Two fire crystals for one ice crystal."
Even Brother Zhang couldn't help them bypass this rule.
In the end, they exchanged as much as they could. No matter how many crystals they had, life was more important. It was best to have extra for safety.
Except for Lao Gao, the other three opened their backpacks. They exchanged as much as possible. Lan Jin's pile was still a bit small, so Lao Gao casually handed her some from his own bag. With that, she was able to get 23 lightning crystals.
Lao Gao chuckled. "High-level abilities are the best for survival. Don't be stingy."
After exchanging the crystals, Brother Zhang said, "We set off tomorrow at 9 a.m. Be here at 8:30. Put on your gear and we'll leave together."
"Understood," they replied.
…
After Brother Zhang left, they had nothing to do. Lan Jin flipped through her base card booklet. "Nothing much to do. Maybe we can check out the supermarket, or just walk around. The base is built on a mountain, but the surroundings are transparent, so we can see outside."
Of course, the view wasn't spectacular, but it was better than wandering aimlessly.
As they were about to head to the supermarket, a sharp siren sounded from the base entrance. Ling Jiang frowned. "Sounds like the ambulance before."
Just as she said that, several doctors and nurses in white rushed to the door.
Lan Jin and the others stepped aside but couldn't help worrying.
Ling Jiang asked, "Someone's hurt, huh? But they look badly injured. Could something have attacked again?"
"No. If something attacked, how could doctors and nurses be coming? They must have been hurt on a mission and are returning," Lao Gao guessed correctly.
Sure enough, the hurried footsteps and stretchers carrying injured people confirmed it. Some people in the hall recognized the injured and whispered among themselves.
"Wow, this squad was strong. There were eight when they went out. How are only three back?"
"These three must be powerful to return, but… these injuries are serious."
To prevent panic, the soldiers at the entrance quickly shooed away onlookers. But Lan Jin and the others understood the key point: things here were dangerous.
Still, they had to continue their own errands. The four of them went to the supermarket to buy needed or wanted supplies.
H City's base environment was indeed better than J City's. The supermarket alone was half again as large, and almost every counter was filled with goods. Water was still rationed, one person two bottles per day.
Time passed leisurely as they browsed and walked around.
Before 8:30 a.m., they arrived at the hall to meet Brother Zhang.
Seeing five trucks at the entrance, Lan Jin asked, "Brother Zhang, how many people are going on this trip?"
"Not many, about 35. The rest stay to protect the base. Of the five trucks, one carries food, one carries medical supplies. The front is a two-row design. You'll ride with me in the medical truck."
Brother Zhang added, "Give me your residence permits. I'll extend them for another month of temporary stay. We don't know how long the trip will take, but we should return in half a month. If injured, recovery time is included. Your stay, water, and electricity for the next month are free. The capsules are the same as before."
Though they were capsules, the setup was user-friendly. They handed over their residence permits and quickly put on their combat uniforms while Brother Zhang processed their information.
The combat uniform was just a vest, but Lao Gao inspected it carefully. "This is definitely a light armor vest. Didn't expect something this thin. Will it work?"
A single vest couldn't cover the whole body, but protecting the heart and other vital areas was already good. Brother Zhang had also prepared a uniquely designed and practical waist pouch.
The pouch could hold the Longyuan, explosives, ammunition, crystals, small weapons, chocolate for energy, and even a compressed biscuit. Every opening had a magnetic closure, so nothing would fall out while running or jumping.
"This pouch is so useful. Everything fits," Lan Jin said.
"Yeah, very handy," Ling Jiang agreed.
Once their gear was ready, the four got into the truck. After Brother Zhang's roll call, all 35 soldiers boarded, and they left the base.
Although Brother Zhang said 35, he hadn't counted them, the drivers, or those in military uniforms. Including everyone, the actual number on this trip was 46.
Not a small team by any means.