“Ning Yu, they just need time to adapt. We need them.” Mu Xue’s voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
Ning Yu took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger. He knew Mu Xue was right; now was not the time for infighting. He glanced around; the evasive gazes only fueled his frustration, but he finally nodded. "I understand. I'll handle it."
He arrived at the square where the new members had gathered, and looking at their numb, fearful, and doubtful faces, he felt a mix of emotions. He took a step forward, about to speak, when a sarcastic voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, "Oh, isn't this our great leader? What brings you to care about us little people?"
A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, interspersed with a few curses. Ning Yu suppressed his anger, his gaze sweeping around, trying to find the ringleader, but he found that the people had their heads down, and no one dared to meet his eyes.
“I know some of you have doubts about me and about us,” Ning Yu tried to make his tone sound calm, “but I want to say that the purpose of establishing this base is to provide all survivors with a safe home…”
His words were interrupted by an even louder burst of laughter. "A safe home? Look at us now, we live in fear every day. Who knows if you'll swallow us up tomorrow!"
"Exactly! We're not some small force you can just manipulate!"
Faced with these hostile and mocking voices, the hope that had ignited in Ning Yu's heart gradually died out, replaced by endless exhaustion and anger. He turned and left the square, the laughter of those people growing even more unrestrained behind him.
That evening, Ning Yu summoned all core members and announced a new decision: to strengthen internal management, requiring all members to obey orders unconditionally, and to increase training intensity to improve combat effectiveness.
This decision was immediately met with opposition from some team members, who argued that "we should focus on dealing with those opportunists instead of wasting our energy on these pointless things!"
"Yes, we should take the initiative and teach them a lesson!"
"Quiet!" Ning Yu slammed his hand on the table, his powerful aura silencing everyone. He surveyed the room, his eyes sharp. "We are now beset by internal and external troubles. If we don't improve our strength quickly, we'll only become someone else's prey!"
"But……"
"No buts!" Ning Yu's tone was firm and brooked no argument. "This is an order!"
Looking at the team members who dared not speak out in anger, Ning Yu felt no joy of victory. He knew better than anyone that this was just a temporary measure, and the internal conflicts had not been resolved. On the contrary, they might have been exacerbated by his strong-willed approach...
Late at night, Ning Yu stood alone by the window, gazing at the dark night sky. He knew a much bigger storm was about to break… and he had no way out. Just then, there was a soft knock on the door, and a deep voice sounded from outside, “May I come in?”
"Come in." Ning Yu rubbed his temples wearily and turned around.
Mu Xue pushed open the door and entered, holding a steaming cup of tea. "Still worrying about those things?"
Ning Yu took the tea and smiled bitterly. "With internal and external troubles, how can I not be worried? External forces are eyeing us covetously, and internally, morale is low. I'm really afraid..."
"Afraid that everything we've worked so hard to build will be destroyed in an instant?" Mu Xue continued his words, her tone calm but carrying a hint of coldness.
Ning Yu remained silent, gazing out the window at the crumbling walls swaying in the night wind, which seemed to mock his powerlessness. He knew full well that those spreading rumors and inciting discontent were nothing but clowns; what truly terrified him were the forces lurking in the shadows. They were like a pack of greedy wolves, waiting for their chance to tear apart and devour this newly emerging piece of meat.
“I’ve already sent people to deal with those people.” Mu Xue walked to his side and placed a list on the table. “These are the core members who were secretly colluding. You can decide how to deal with them.”
Ning Yu picked up the list, his gaze sweeping over the familiar names, a mix of emotions welling up inside him. These people had once been his comrades-in-arms, having gone through life-and-death trials together, but now, due to suspicion and ambition, they had come to his opposite.
“I know you can’t bring yourself to do it,” Mu Xue said, as if she could read his mind, “but sometimes, a woman’s compassion only brings greater disaster.”
Ning Yu closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and clutched the list tightly in her hand. "I know what to do."
“External pressure should not be underestimated either,” Mu Xue walked to the wall and opened an electronic map. “According to reliable sources, several large forces have reached an agreement to join forces to put pressure on us and force us to hand over resources and territory.”
On the map, the red markers representing opposing forces resembled a sea of fire, completely encircling them. Looking at this shocking scene, Ning Yu felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. He knew a major battle was inevitable, and they had nowhere to retreat.
"We must come up with a solution as soon as possible," Ning Yu said in a deep voice, "otherwise, we will become like turtles in a jar, at the mercy of others!"
“I have already arranged for people to gather intelligence,” Mu Xue calmly analyzed. “Although they are powerful, they are not a monolithic entity. We may still have a chance.”
Ning Yu nodded. He knew this was not the time to despair; he had to remain calm and find a way out. He forced himself to calm down, carefully analyzing the situation before him, searching for a glimmer of hope.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he abruptly raised his head. "I remember when I was on a mission, I heard an old man say..." His voice trailed off, finally turning into an incredulous murmur, "Could it... really exist?"
"What are you talking about?" Mu Xue noticed his unusual behavior and pressed him for an answer.
“If I’m not mistaken…” A glint of light flashed in Ning Yu’s eyes, “We might be saved!” He suddenly stood up, strode to the bookshelf, and began searching for something.
"Found it!" Ning Yu pulled out a notebook from a pile of yellowed books and said excitedly, "This is it!"
"What's this?"
“This is…” Ning Yu opened his notebook and pointed to a page, “a legend about ancient ruins!”
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