The five trucks left the base in an orderly line.
Lan Jin and the others rode in the medical truck, which was at the back. The journey was smooth, passing over the ice without incident.
Seeing Brother Zhang so alert in the front seat, Lan Jin asked curiously, "Brother Zhang, why are you so tense?"
"Whenever we pass this road, something usually attacks us. Strange… today, nothing," Brother Zhang replied.
The four weren't particularly surprised by Brother Zhang's observation. Lao Gao said, "When we came up, nothing attacked us either. Do they attack only when they see people?"
Still, Lao Gao found something odd. "H City has so many mutated creatures. Why doesn't J City?"
Brother Zhang explained, "First, you need to understand how mutated creatures come about. They need an environment they can survive in. H City is surrounded by mountains. The mountains are full of strange things. If the creatures didn't mutate, they wouldn't survive. That's why we have so many mutated creatures nearby.
But J City is a city by a lake. It's mostly flat. After floods and extreme cold, animals can't survive, so no mutated creatures are normal. Even if animals mutated, they still have territorial instincts. Their activity range is limited to nearby areas, around the mountain base. Those animals don't wander far."
On top of that, people outside the base had abilities. Honestly, if they all attacked together, it wouldn't do much damage to them, and they might even get a meal out of it.
But that's only for now. Once the ice melts and the floods recede, water creatures that had been temporarily frozen will awaken. They will be far more dangerous than the mountain animals.
This was not exaggeration. Some officials had already gotten this information. Leaving J City before the extreme cold ended seemed reckless, but it was wise. Brother Zhang just couldn't say it outright.
"J City must be even more frozen than here, right?" Brother Zhang asked.
"Of course," came the answer.
The four marveled. It was like two different worlds. They had traveled many places in J City, but most were buried under ice now. The difference was obvious.
"So, mountains are actually better, right?" Huang Jinghe asked.
"Not necessarily." Brother Zhang said, "Mountains are different too. We have our own troubles. Survival… is just too hard."
…
The mountain they were heading to for the weed-clearing mission was behind the base.
It looked close, but the back was impossible to walk through. They had to drive the trucks out of the base, then cross the ice to reach the back of the mountain. Thanks to the ice, the two-day trip was manageable. In the past, it could have taken who knows how long.
Besides some small chatter at the start, Lan Jin noticed that Brother Zhang and the driver were both tense and vigilant. Even if she wanted to chat, it didn't feel right. Fortunately, the journey went smoothly. Around 3:30 p.m., Brother Zhang picked up the walkie-talkie. "It's late. Let's camp up ahead."
Soon, the five trucks stopped one by one.
The four in the backseat finally relaxed, exhaling deeply.
It wasn't a real camp. The wilderness was cold, with countless mutated animals. Who could sleep outside? But they still needed to eat.
From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., they hadn't eaten. It wasn't surprising—everything had been rushing forward. After extreme cold, night fell early. No one could travel at night, so they had pressed on non-stop.
Once everyone got out of the trucks, someone started setting up pots for cooking.
Lao Gao, however, was worried. "What about night time? Is it safe?"
"Definitely not safe," Brother Zhang said helplessly. "After dark, I'll give everyone night vision goggles. Especially you with abilities. Be alert. Night time is when these creatures are most active."
Huang Jinghe asked, "So, what mutated creatures appear at night?"
Brother Zhang laughed. "Anything and everything."
Well, they couldn't imagine it anyway.
Dinner was curry with divine soup, two large bowls per person. Both nutrition and portion were good. Lan Jin hadn't eaten curry in a long time.
Holding her food, Lan Jin found a slightly larger rock to sit on and eat.
Ling Jiang followed. Hearing Lan Jin mention curry, she said, "Not just curry. Steak, pasta, cake… I haven't eaten these in so long."
It wasn't that she didn't have them in her space, just no one prepared them, so she hadn't eaten.
Lan Jin whispered, "Why didn't you say anything last time when I made noodles? I had so many. Could eat anytime."
Ling Jiang replied, "I didn't know about the pasta. Lao Gao was clearing inventory last time. Next time, after we leave here. Also, cook more steak. Haven't had that in a while."
"Just make a big batch. Or better, have Grandma Ling cook it in the space. I'll tell her before bed."
This wasn't pushing Grandma Ling. Since drinking the spirit spring water, Grandma Ling had been energetic. She stayed comfortably in the space, tidied the garden, and cooked extra food for them. So asking her was fine. Besides, it wasn't just for one person.
Ling Jiang nodded. "Alright, my grandma makes good steak too."
Their voices were low, far enough from the main group so no one overheard.
But in the back-and-forth conversation, both heard heavy footsteps slowly moving toward them.
Lan Jin, still eating, tilted her head back and frowned. "Did you hear that?"