Afterwards, Uncle Li chatted with them about the waiting room for the high-speed train. Xu Anran then sent a message to the task group.

Old K: [I'm very pleased that this mission was successfully completed. As the one who initiated this mission, I want to inform everyone that, based on your performance, you will be given priority consideration for becoming core members and joining the guild on the advanced train in the future.]

Someone asked: "Has anyone become a core member yet?"

Old K: [Based on performance in this mission, one core member and two reserve core members have been selected.]

Who is it?

Old K: [Information about core members is confidential. However, you all still have opportunities. In future missions, you will be given priority consideration. Furthermore, core members will be recommended based on your performance.]

They don't even know what constitutes good performance.

[Is that all? This mission is complete?]

Old K: [Yes, now that the mission is complete, everyone can go about their own business. However, the mutual aid group has received a message that will be prioritized for those who participated in this operation, and we will inform everyone in about 3 days. Please pay attention to the group messages.]

That's good, there was still some learning.

[I wonder what the news is?]

...

The discussion in the group lasted for a while.

The next day, around 10 a.m., the Taoist priest and the cake arrived at the villa one after the other.

They exchanged names, but used code names when going out.

The Taoist priest's name was Zhao Chang'an. He had already taken the train five times, and after two more times he would be able to enter the VIP waiting hall.

Cake is a seemingly naive and innocent-looking girl, soft and cute, making it easy for people to lower their guard around her. Her name is Song Mingzhu, she is about the same age as Xu Anran, and she is a shooting athlete. She has taken the train twice so far, the last time being in the virus world, where she was added to a group chat by a kind passenger.

Their arrival made the villa even more lively. Seeing that everyone had code names, Xiao Feng insisted on having one too, so everyone jokingly asked him what he wanted. Xiao Feng pondered for a while and finally decided on "Blade," a slightly cheesy name, but much more serious than their code names. Everyone immediately praised his code name, making Xiao Feng very happy, and he even ate an extra bowl of rice at lunchtime.

Xu Anran asked Mingzhu and Chang'an if they had found their train tickets. The two said they had, and coincidentally, both of them had found tickets for trains with two months to go.

So for the rest of the time, they didn't go out. Every day, in addition to training, they also learned some medical knowledge, fighting and shooting skills, and listened to Uncle Li's previous experiences in the higher world.

And so, on the third day, Xu Anran, as agreed, posted a message about the "Fishman" in the mission group. The group naturally became lively because of this, with everyone engaging in heated discussions and planning to find tickets to leave as soon as possible.

Someone in the group asked Old K when the fishmen would arrive at the latest. Xu Anran couldn't give a specific time either, only saying that the fishmen would come ashore within one or two weeks.

Someone asked her if she should tell the people in the main group. Xu Anran replied that she would. Four days later, on the night before they left, Xu Anran sent the message to the main group.

As for the message sent to the mutual aid group, she didn't ask any further questions because she was busy packing her things.

The group packed their things. Xu Liang still had plenty of space in his spatial ring, and with Xu Anran's, they filled it all with coal. They couldn't fit any more wood, so they had to throw it away.

Because the snow was too deep to drive, everyone packed essential supplies into large backpacks and took turns hauling them using snowmobiles. Xu Anran wore a heated suit, and gave another one to the younger Xiao Feng; although it was a bit big, it was still manageable.

After making preparations, dawn broke. Uncle Li led the way; he knew of an air-raid shelter in the suburbs of a neighboring city, surrounded by dense jungle, which should be enough to last until they left.

Along the way, besides them, they encountered a number of other people, most of whom were passengers involved in the mission. After exchanging greetings, they hurried on their way.

Some people, seeing that there were quite a few of them, wanted to join them. Xu Anran and the others didn't stop them; having more people was better. They had all done missions together before, so they weren't complete strangers, and they might be able to look out for each other. However, they were told to maintain a safe distance and not get too close.

Because the snow was so thick, they shoveled snow as they walked, and they only managed to walk thirty or forty kilometers a day.

That evening, Xu Anran pitched a large tent and lit a coal stove inside to keep warm. Mingzhu asked curiously, "Huh? I don't remember bringing a coal stove? And where did the coal come from?"

Xu Anran explained, "In each world, you may encounter all sorts of amazing things. The coal stove is a storage space obtained from one of those worlds. Like the virus world you were in before, the medicines there were particularly advanced."

Taoist priest Zhao Chang'an said, "I once visited a world where a meteorite disaster occurred. According to the scientists there, some of the meteorites that fell from the sky had spatial abilities."

Xiao Feng asked curiously, "Brother Chang'an, did you get the space?"

Zhao Chang'an pulled out a small black stone from his person and showed it to everyone, saying, "I did get one, but it hasn't been developed yet, and I don't know how to use it."

Uncle Li walked closer and took a look, saying, "Keep this safe for now. Who knows, you might be able to use this stone to make spatial artifacts when we reach a higher world."

After hearing this, Zhao Chang'an put the stone away and kept it safe. The group continued working. They set up beds inside the tent, and outside, following Uncle Li's instructions, they built a large igloo. With many hands making light work, it was finished in about two or three hours.

A group of people cooked a large pot of instant noodles on a stove inside the tent, and ate it with bread. After finishing a bowl of instant noodles, most of the chill in their bodies dissipated. After the meal, they arranged for night watch. Xiao Feng was still young, so he went to sleep, while the other four adults each watched for two hours until dawn.

They walked for another three days, finally reaching the vicinity of the air-raid shelter. The heavy snow along the way had covered their tracks, making them undetectable. However, about ten other people had followed them all the way here.

Uncle Li, acting as their representative, went with Xu Anran to find the dozen or so people who had come with them and asked them what their plans were.

The people who came along meant that they wanted to follow Xu Anran and her group to find a place to hide.

However, as they approached their destination, Xu Anran did not want to hide in the same place as these people, because if they went out, their location would likely be exposed.