"I never thought we actually held out!" A young guard with a bandage wrapped around his arm gulped down a mouthful of thick soup, his face filled with disbelief.
“Yes, thanks to Sister Xi! And Brother Luo Lin and Brother Sun! And, and that red ‘eye’!” An older resident chimed in, his face full of awe.
"The battle down there is truly brutal; I heard that Flamescale and the others went berserk!"
"Those monsters outside are still ramming in! The sounds are terrifying, but they just can't get in, haha!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down, don't be too careless. Boss Sun said the enemy could come back at any time. Daytime defense is not as good as nighttime defense."
Amidst the laughter and cheers, there was admiration for heroes, amazement at the weapons, and pessimism about the future.
Sun Yiming carried a large plate filled with freshly grilled, sizzling fish pieces. He moved through the crowd, occasionally patting someone on the shoulder or cracking a joke, using his unique way to soothe people and maintain order.
"Eat and drink well! We've won a great victory today, but we can't let our guard down! Only when we're well-fed will we have the strength to defend our home!"
His voice was loud and clear, and he was all smiles, as if all the tension and fatigue from before had been swept away.
Lorraine also appeared at the banquet, but he stayed quietly in a corner, holding a data terminal in his hand, occasionally looking up to observe his surroundings, but most of the time he was immersed in his research.
When someone offered him a "drink" (which was actually some kind of refreshing seaweed juice), he simply nodded politely and took a small sip.
Sun Yiming brought over the fish pieces: "Lorraine, try my freshly grilled fish? I added some special spices, I guarantee you'll like it!"
Lorraine looked up at the glistening fish pieces, then at Sun Yiming's enthusiastic face. She took a small piece, put it in her mouth, chewed it carefully, and then gave her her evaluation.
"Hmm, there's been progress."
Sun Yiming's lips twitched: "...Couldn't you just say 'it's delicious'?"
Lorraine glanced at him, and finally nodded, "Delicious!"
Sun Yiming was both amused and exasperated, shook his head, and walked away. Communicating with this naturalist sometimes really requires a lot of patience.
Gu Xi arrived as well. Her appearance immediately caused a stir among the crowd, and all eyes were on her, filled with respect and gratitude.
She didn't say much, but calmly nodded to everyone, signaling them to continue, and then walked to a relatively quiet spot.
Sun Yiming quickly handed over a bowl of the thickest seafood soup, saying, "Sister Xi, you've had a long day, have something hot to warm you up."
Gu Xi took the soup bowl, but did not drink it immediately. Instead, she held it in her hands, feeling its warmth.
Her gaze swept across the faces in the square—some excited, some tired, some hopeful—and the heavy sense of responsibility in her heart made the decision she was about to make even more difficult.
"How's the situation outside?" she asked Sun Yiming.
"Same as always, those lunatics are still banging their heads against the wall, and they'll probably keep doing it for a long time," Sun Yiming replied, then lowered his voice, "Yanlin has led a team to keep watch on the perimeter, and so far no new enemy activity has been detected. The defenses at the top have also been reinforced, and Lorraine has been keeping a close eye on things."
"Hmm," Gu Xi responded, her gaze returning to the cave entrance, as if she could see through the rock to the outside world.
Sun Yiming noticed that Gu Xi seemed preoccupied, quite different from her usual calm and collected demeanor. He wanted to ask, but didn't know how to begin. (This chapter has been read. Please click to continue reading the next chapter!)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
