The "they" naturally referred to the four with abilities. The leader nodded toward them and introduced himself. "My surname is Li. Just call me Brother Li."
After that, Brother Li turned to Brother Zhang, asking about what had happened along the way.
Brother Zhang ordered his men to bring out the giant ant and hand it over to Brother Li. Then he said, "We've never seen this species before. There were also several smaller ones. Make sure you secure them properly."
Catching ants was easy. But what about the big cat? For now, it was safely sealed in ice. Once released, if it grew violent, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Fortunately, the rescue team had already prepared. "Don't worry. We came ready. It's not suitable to act at night. Tomorrow morning, we will thaw the ice."
No matter what methods the others used, the group of four had gone without food for an entire day. Their hunger was unbearable. Soon, pots were set up, and dinner began.
It was curry chicken, and the smell was mouthwatering. Lan Jin only took one bite before she noticed the difference. "It must be the chicken. The beef we ate yesterday wasn't nearly this good."
"Exactly. Before mutation, this was a mountain pheasant, a wild bird. Its meat was already delicious. After mutation, the flavor became even better. But they move very fast, and their eyes confuse people. Catching them is no simple task."
And this was only curry. If they had roasted or braised the bird, it would surely taste even richer.
But whether it was difficult or not did not matter. If they could catch it and eat it, then that was enough. In the end, hunger overcame all obstacles.
…
Because time was tight, the rescue team did not rest after dinner. Those who could repair vehicles worked quickly. For the ones that could not be fixed, usable parts were stripped and salvaged. In the apocalypse, energy sources and parts could not be replaced. Every loss was permanent, so saving whatever they could was essential.
Some repaired cars, others stood guard. As for Lan Jin, Ling Jiang, Lao Gao, and Huang Jinghe, the four with abilities, they rested to conserve energy for the coming battles in the mountains.
Only once everyone was occupied did Brother Zhang and Brother Li have time to talk quietly.
Brother Li said, "When I saw the devastated battlefield along the way, my heart went cold. I never expected your casualties would be so few."
Naturally, Brother Li wished for as many of his men to survive as possible. But given the state of the world, no one could guarantee survival.
Even Brother Zhang admitted, "I thought the same. You don't understand how powerful these four are. Our base has ability users of the same type, but they are nothing like these four. Along the road, they made it look easy. Every creature in our way, they destroyed it."
Brother Li frowned. "Easy? You call that easy?"
"It was. Far too easy. Killing mutated beasts for them is effortless." Brother Zhang still sounded astonished. "Even if the powers are the same, it proves something. Some people in this world are simply born stronger."
"If they are that strong, then keep them in our base. I heard you gave them only a month's residence permit. Why temporary? They don't want to stay?"
"I did want them to stay," Brother Zhang admitted. "But people like this, our H city base cannot hold them. They deserve a better place."
Their destination was the Capital city base, so it was not about loyalty. It was about their level of strength. Keeping them in H city would only be a waste.
Brother Li pressed, "So you just let them leave?"
"What harm is there in leaving? With strength like theirs, they will shine anywhere. Even if they stayed here, the higher-ups would notice soon. The result would be the same. Why should we play the bad guy? But… if they leave before the extreme cold ends, the road ahead may be very dangerous."
Brother Li laughed. "You really worry too much. Your mission is already so dangerous that none of us know if we'll even survive. And you are worrying about them?"
"But we know the truth," Brother Zhang said. "The extreme cold is nearly over. No one can say the exact time. If they reach their destination before it ends, all is fine. But if they are caught midway when the cold breaks, who knows what will happen?"
…
The night passed without incident. In the morning, when they awoke, all the necessary preparations had been completed. Supplies were sorted, vehicles fixed, parts salvaged. After breakfast, it was time to deal with the big cat.
Brother Li ordered a large, long net to be brought out. At first glance, Lan Jin knew this was no ordinary net.
Seeing their interest, Brother Zhang explained. "It looks soft, like rope, but it isn't made of rope. Its toughness is exceptional. It won't burn, it cannot be torn, and it conducts electricity."
As he spoke, several soldiers attached additional equipment to the net. Lan Jin asked, "Those generate electricity?"
"That's right. A single generator isn't much, but together they produce enough current to kill an elephant."
Of course, an elephant would not die instantly. Continuous current was required. So their plan was to shock the big cat into paralysis, then cut the power, and immediately inject it with a super-concentrated tranquilizer. Once sedated, they would transport it back to the base.
Lan Jin gave him a faint glance. "You had better be certain. This big cat can crush a car with one step. If it wakes halfway, without abilities, these people won't escape."
"Relax." Brother Zhang pointed to a nearby vehicle with a unique design. He smiled. "That car's interior is fully electrified. If the beast wakes, we shock it again. At times like this, we don't hold back. We wouldn't dare."
If that was true, then there was little reason to worry.
…
The great net was draped over the big cat. Around it, the power units buzzed to life. Lao Gao stepped forward. Using his fire ability, he burned steadily at a section of the ice.
But using abilities continuously was exhausting. Before long, other men replaced him, bringing fuel burners to melt the ice instead. Lao Gao retreated to rest.
As the ice melted, it turned to water. And water, combined with electricity…
The moment a patch of fur was exposed, the big cat convulsed. Every hair stood stiff as current surged through its body.
The more the ice melted, the more surface area the current reached. Before long, the big cat stopped moving entirely.