While Li Juxu rested, Wang Xiaoxin had already treated the relatively minor wounds of Cao Gang and Haozi. Afterwards, the two began to take stock of supplies. Anything they had taken earlier had to be retrieved; now that their enemies were dead, the enemy's supplies became their own. These were spoils of war, and also the only comfort for everyone.
Treating Wild Boar's gunshot wound was straightforward—remove the bullet, apply medicine, and bandage it. Wang Xiaoxin had brought anesthetic, so Wild Boar did not suffer much. Drummer's injury was far more troublesome: he had been shot in the abdomen, and there were no surgical facilities out in the wild. Wang Xiaoxin only administered simple first aid to stop the bleeding; they had to return to the settlement as soon as possible, or his life would be in danger.
As the greatest contributor to the battle, Li Juxu was awarded the enemy sniper's rifle and several rounds of ammunition. No one else received special rewards, yet no one objected—it was the team's established rule. All other loot taken from the enemies would be sold together, and the money divided equally among the group.
Among the supplies was a folding stretcher. They carefully placed Drummer on it, with Li Juxu and Cao Gang taking turns carrying him. After cremating the bodies of Monkey and the hunting dog, the others loaded up the supplies and quickly evacuated. Less than half an hour after they left, blood wolves drawn by the scent of blood appeared—more than fifty of them. If Li Juxu's team had still been there, those fifty-plus blood wolves would have wiped them all out.
Settlement No. 11.
On the thick, towering city walls, cannons lined up neatly along the battlements. The most eye-catching were the four electromagnetic cannons, capable of easily blasting tanks into scrap. The main gate was open; unless a crisis occurred, it generally stayed that way. Many people passed in and out, most of them hurrying along.
"Cao Gang, run into any trouble?"
While waiting in line to enter the settlement, a 10-man team approached from behind. The man speaking had a dark face and slightly yellow front teeth, his eyes wandering over the wounds on Cao Gang's group.
"Wild Dog, you're still alive?" Cao Gang replied coolly. Wild Dog was not an insult—it was the man's nickname. Most hunters used aliases; those who went by their real names, like Cao Gang, were rare.
Wild Dog was a core member of the Black Spider team. Next to him, a quiet middle-aged man barely said a word—this was Flower Spider, the leader of Black Spider.
"If the heavens don't want me dead, what can I do?" Wild Dog said smugly. His gaze shifted to the stretcher, and he grinned. "Drummer, if Little Hong from the Pleasure Court hears you're hurt, she'll probably grieve for two months."
Drummer opened his eyes, glanced at him, huffed, and closed them again. Hunting was an extremely dangerous profession, constantly teetering between life and death. The pressure was immense, and they needed an outlet. As a result, nearly every settlement had plenty of places similar to the Pleasure Court, and business boomed. Little Hong was the prostitute Drummer often visited.
Cao Gang's team and Black Spider had worked together briefly on a mission, so they were somewhat acquainted—but not close. After a few probing words, they fell silent. Every team had its own secrets; unless they were comrades bonded by life and death, they rarely shared much.
The Black Spider group tried to hide it well, but Cao Gang and the others were seasoned veterans. They could tell at a glance that Black Spider had come back with a big haul and made good money. In contrast, their own team had suffered casualties, making them even less willing to chat. No one wanted others' happiness built on their own pain.
Entering the settlement required a fee: 20 copper coins per entry. Even if you left and came back a minute later, you had to pay again—no matter how short the interval. Anyone passing through the gate's infrared scan had to pay. Frequent visitors usually bought weekly, monthly, or yearly passes, which were more cost-effective.
Cao Gang's group mainly went out on missions, spending most of their time in the wild. They only entered the settlement to resupply, so they paid per visit instead of getting a monthly pass.
Once through the gate, a lively atmosphere washed over them. The streets were packed—shopkeepers, street vendors, passersby… It warmed their hearts, as if they had suddenly stepped from a primeval forest back into human society. The gate was the dividing line between two worlds.
Their first task was to get Drummer medical treatment. Once that was done, Wild Boar booked a few rooms in a cheap motel for everyone to rest. The team had come to the Beast Planet to make money—everything was for profit, not comfort. They could not afford high-end hotels; cheap motels were the norm. Meanwhile, Cao Gang went to contact a middleman who traded in supplies.
Selling directly to buyers was possible, but it took time—sometimes a day or two with no luck. Middlemen offered lower prices, but the advantage was a quick sale.
The loot stripped from the burly men's team included Type 38 rifles, daggers, shields, bulletproof vests, electric batons, pistols, smoke grenades… over a hundred items in total. They kept what the team needed and sold everything else. Keeping them would only mean the hassle of guarding them, something no one wanted.
The middleman was extremely experienced at this kind of deal and quoted a price for each weapon without hesitation. After some haggling, they finally received a total of 10,358,000 copper coins.
"Robber!" After the middleman left happily with the goods, Haozi could not help muttering. Under normal circumstances, they could have gotten at least 11.3 million copper coins. The middleman had pocketed nearly a million, while they had risked their lives in a hail of bullets—and each would only end up with around a million.
"That's just how this world works. Don't be angry; we can't change anything," Wild Boar said philosophically. Information was also a resource. They had none; the middleman did, so the money was rightfully his.
"I'd like to keep the Strength Potion for myself. I ask for everyone's favor. Next time, I won't compete for any loot." Cao Gang held up the Strength Potion taken from the burly leader—easily the most valuable item in the spoils.
It was a Tier 1 Strength Potion, worth around 12 million on the market, with fluctuating black-market prices. When consumed, it could increase strength by roughly 10 kilograms, though the exact effect varied by person. Some gained 15 kilograms; others only a kilogram or two—it was up to luck.
Everyone knew Strength Potions were rare and hard to come by; there would likely not be another chance. But since Cao Gang had spoken, even though everyone wanted it badly, they had to give up—he was the team leader. Even by seniority, it was his turn first.
The Strength Potion belonged to the team, so Cao Gang could not take it for free. He paid 10 million copper coins—an internal purchase, not at market price. Ten million was considered fair, and everyone silently agreed.
With the Strength Potion settled, it was time to split the money.
Total: 10,358,000 + 10,000,000 = 20,358,000 copper coins.
Drummer's surgery cost 258,000.
Death compensation for Monkey and the hunting dog: 2 million each.
Remaining: 17,100,000.
Half of that—8,550,000—was set aside as team funds.
The final 8,550,000 was split equally among the eight surviving members: 1,068,750 copper coins per person for the mission.
The money for Monkey and the hunting dog would be transferred to their families' accounts—standard team practice, and a main reason for loyalty. Their equipment would also be sold, with the proceeds added to the family accounts. After that, Monkey and the hunting dog were no longer part of the team.
When a man dies, his debts are cleared; when the lamp burns out, the light fades. On the Beast Planet, that was just how cruel it was.
This was the usual way of dividing rewards. But this time, Wild Boar voiced an objection.
"I disagree!"