52. A mixture of reality and illusion

They decided to go on vacation right away, and that very evening, the group gathered in the kitchen to make dumplings. This kind of time-consuming and laborious work was something they simply wouldn't be interested in doing when they were out.

As darkness fell, Fu Yunong casually switched on the ceiling light, and warm light instantly filled the space.

While rolling out dumpling wrappers, Xiao Linfang asked, "Does this place cost money for water and electricity?"

"Yes, I'll take it." Fu Yunong was putting on gloves and mixing the minced meat. "How much you need will be deducted directly from your points."

Huangfu Jinrang held a crooked dumpling in his hand and said, "This system is quite good at doing business."

The group chatted and laughed, and their efficiency was quite high. Before long, two pots of dumplings were cooked: one pot of soup dumplings with scallions floating on top, and the other pot of dry dumplings to be eaten with vinegar and chili oil. They could choose whichever they wanted.

The freshly made dumplings were bursting with juice when you bit into them; they were so fresh and fragrant that everyone ate several large bowls.

In such a safe and relaxed environment, Fu Yunong took out a bottle of good wine from the storage room and poured some for everyone except Huangfu Jinrang.

Dumplings with wine, the more you eat, the better.

After everyone had finished eating, Fu Yunong put down her chopsticks, cleared her throat, and said, "I have something to tell you."

Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces, Fu Yunong took a deep breath and slowly confessed: she said she was not from this world, and that there was a "Return Ticket" in the system. Once she had enough points to redeem it, she could return to her original world.

She hadn't originally planned to say any of this; coming to this strange world alone, it was always better to be cautious. But after the bombing during the day, she hadn't hesitated to expose her "safe haven," so she might as well just lay everything out in the open.

The atmosphere at the table instantly fell silent upon hearing this.

Huangfu Jinrang was the first to tear up, grabbing her arm and asking, "Sister, are you leaving us? Don't go!"

As they spent more time together, the girl, though stubbornly keeping the scar on her face, became increasingly lively, and she had long regarded Fu Yunong and the others as family.

Fu Yunong quickly patted her shoulder to comfort her, "It's still early. I don't even qualify to buy it yet."

For a moment, the group didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed.

Shi Dong, who had spent the most time with Fu Yunong, lowered her eyes, her fingertips gently stroking the rim of her cup, remaining silent.

"Hey, don't be so down!" Fu Yunong clapped her hands. "Let's go see a movie after we eat! It's a vacation, everyone should be happy!"

Unexpectedly, the TV in the space could connect to the network in her original world, and she could find movies and TV series from various countries.

Shi Dong and the others were very receptive to Fu Yunong's recommendations. Over the next few days, they watched several highly-rated movies with her, covering a wide range of genres, and thoroughly enjoyed them.

That day, Xiao Linfang took an old cell phone out of her pocket and tentatively asked Fu Yunong, "I don't know if it still works. There are some things stored on it."

Fu Yunong took the phone and plugged it into the socket in the space. After a short while, the screen actually lit up.

Xiao Linfang opened the photo album and showed the group the photos and videos inside.

Before the disaster, she was a housewife. In her spare time, she loved to stroll around the shopping mall near her neighborhood and watch people dance in the square.

She pointed to a lively video, "This is the opening of the shopping mall at the entrance of our community. There were so many people there."

Fu Yunong recalled that when she and Shi Dong arrived at that time, the entrance to the residential area had long been reduced to ruins.

Xiao Linfang then pulled out several old photos, which showed her parents and their vegetable garden.

“My parents used to love taking care of these things. Every time I came home, they would fill the trunk of my car to the brim…” As she spoke, her voice choked up, and she covered her face with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Lin Songsong's eyes also reddened. She thought of her mother and her teammates who used to train with her.

Although Huangfu Jinrang had mixed feelings about her parents, she hoped that the disaster would not happen if she could.

Fu Yunong silently shed tears, cursing the god of this world in her heart: Why does everyone have to be ruined and destroyed just because you're angry?

Shi Dong lowered her head, her eyes reddening. As a soldier, she witnessed the devastation of the country and the suffering of its people; her heart ached no less than anyone else's.

Because of their low spirits, they all went back to their rooms to rest early that day.

The next morning, Fu Yunong suggested, "Let's sing!"

There was a karaoke machine in the space. Although Shi Dong and the others didn't know the songs, Fu Yunong found a few catchy hits that they could learn after just one listen.

The group sang and danced, with snacks and drinks spread across the table. They sang from noon until evening, their voices were hoarse, but they laughed heartily, and their previous low spirits dissipated considerably.

After a few days of fun, the group resumed their daily training. The danger was not over, and strength was the only thing that mattered.

In her spare time, Fu Yunong encouraged them to watch TV dramas and played games with them.

The group huddled together on the sofa, watching TV shows and playing games, filling the space with cheerful laughter.

As for the question Huangfu Jin had been curious about regarding toilet use, the answer has finally been revealed—regardless of whether it's urination or defecation, it automatically transforms into bags of fertilizer after use, piling up in a corner of the storage room. The quantity varies, and the sizes also differ.

That evening, Fu Yunong organized a late-night snack party, with a table full of various fried skewers, crayfish, and grilled dishes. The group ate while watching a period drama.

When they saw the words "Your Majesty, I must accuse Consort Xi of adultery," everyone stared intently, and even their eating slowed down.

For the past two weeks, Fu Yunong has been observing the outside world every day and has found that those people on the other side are really persistent. Not only have they not retreated, but they have also sent more people and brought in several heavy artillery pieces, clearly intending to fight them to the bitter end.

Meanwhile, in the study of the city lord of Cloud Peak City.

The subordinate was reporting to Ru Feng, "Their group was indeed hit by heavy artillery fire, and there is still no trace of them. I'm afraid they are in grave danger."

Ru Feng sat down in the chair and sighed softly, "If you can't have it, destroy it. That really suits those guys' style." She then asked, "How's the Watcher Base doing now?"

"As you predicted, after Mr. Yin passed away, it was that person who took over his position."

Ru Feng waved for her subordinates to leave, then leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. A hand gently landed on her forehead, massaging her temples. Ru Feng didn't open her eyes, her voice soft, "Xiao Ya, it's so hard."

The person behind them didn't speak, but simply stayed by their side.

Watchers Base.

The subordinate was reporting with his head down, "We still haven't found any trace of them."

The chair at the head of the table had its back to him, and a woman's voice came from behind, "Continue to monitor them. They are cunning and cannot be taken lightly."

“But…” the subordinate hesitated, “the commander has already expressed his opinion, saying that we are wasting too many resources on these few people.”

"Idiot!" The chair spun around abruptly, and the woman roared with a ferocious expression, "How can I be at ease until I've completely crushed them!" She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, "Just do as I say, I'll handle the rest."

The subordinate dared not say anything more, bowed his head and replied "Yes," and left.

Fu Yunong originally thought that the other party wouldn't last too long, but she didn't expect their determination to be far stronger than she had imagined.

During this time, the soldiers did withdraw once. Fu Yunong was about to go out when Shi Dong stopped her, saying, "Be careful, it might be a trap."

Sure enough, those people soon returned, bringing with them a lot more ammunition.

Huangfu Jinrang looked at the screen and asked curiously, "If we go out now, will these people also be unable to escape?"

Shi Dong crossed his arms and nodded, "Of course."

Based on her understanding of those so-called upper echelons, these people were nothing more than pawns, who could be discarded at any time.

They remained confined in the space for almost two months. Consort Xi became Empress Dowager, Dehua grew old, and the people of Shuangmendong moved out of their old house. The ice and snow outside gradually melted, all things began to revive, and the soldiers guarding the giant pit finally withdrew.

Before leaving, Fu Yunong overheard them complaining, "Are the higher-ups out of their minds? Making us guard this crappy pit for two months!"

Just to be on the safe side, the group waited in the space for two more days to make sure they were really gone before finally coming out.

Fu Yunong looked at the Cheetah Base in the distance, her eyes turning cold. "It's time to settle the score."

Under the cover of night, Fu Yunong and her companions quietly approached on foot.

Upon reaching the base of the wall, we found that it consisted mostly of old barbed wire and makeshift sentry posts, with very lax defenses.

Lin Songsong took a step forward and exerted force, causing the barbed wire to automatically open a hole on both sides, through which the group silently jumped.

The base was more dilapidated than expected, mostly consisting of low, mud-brick houses, and was about the size of a small town. The group easily found the most conspicuous brick house, with two armed guards standing at the entrance—clearly the leader's residence.

Huangfu Jin focused his attention, his pupils contracted, and the guard collapsed without uttering a sound.

Upon entering the courtyard and observing briefly, the group tiptoed up to the second floor.

The door wasn't locked, and Shi Dong pushed it open a crack, revealing a figure on the bed.

She made a gesture, and the group quietly entered, with Hua Hua standing guard at the door.

Shi Dong walked step by step to the bedside. Chen Donglong seemed to sense something and suddenly opened his eyes. A cold dagger was already at his neck, and several dark gun barrels were in front of him.

"..."

Chen Donglong stood frozen in place. When he saw who it was, he slumped his shoulders in dejection.

Shi Dong's voice was cold and low, but he said with certainty, "You recognize us."

Chen Donglong's eyes darted around quickly. Shi Dong tightened his wrist slightly, and the dagger sliced ​​through the skin of his neck, drawing a bead of blood. "Don't try anything funny. Who sent you to kill us?"

Chen Donglong's face turned pale. "It was...it was the people at the Watchers base who made me do it! They said they'd give me another batch of weapons after it was done!"

Fu Yunong raised an eyebrow, revealing an "I knew it" expression. It was expected that they would be retaliated against by the Watchers Base after killing the Yin family father and son.

Shi Dong then asked, "What's the name of the person you contacted?"

Chen Donglong frowned and thought for a moment, "It's a woman... surnamed Zhu? No, no, her surname is Sun! Her name is Sun Hui!"

The expressions on their faces changed simultaneously.

Shi Dong slapped his hand sharply, "Go down and apologize to Tang Lan."