The stall owner picked up the small wooden gun she was pointing to. It was about two-thirds the size of an adult's palm, entirely black, and exquisitely designed—perfect for a child like Liu Yue. The stall owner didn't look down on her because she was a child, saying, "This is a women's gun. It has low recoil, is easy to fire, and holds five bullets. Since you're young, I won't rip you off. If you want it, you can trade it for a large piece of gold jewelry. No bargaining."
Although Liu Yue was young, she had shopped here with Fatty before and knew the market well; the price seemed fair. So she agreed without hesitation, "Okay, but I want to try it out first." The stall owner showed her a gun, and the two reached an agreement: Liu Yue traded a large gold bracelet for the gun and a gold necklace for ten bullets as spares.
A trail of footprints marred the pristine white snow as Xu Anran and her two companions trudged through the snow. Uncle Li and his team had ceased their work; without official oversight, society had descended into chaos.
Uncle Li said that the authorities are currently busy building shelters and have no time to deal with the social unrest. Without food supplies, water, or heating, people are forced to leave their homes to search for food and timber. Some have even resorted to malicious acts, looting shops, warehouses, and shopping malls, and some have even robbed ordinary people.
Recently, a gang has been operating across various regions, committing heinous crimes. According to people in online groups who have seen them, the group is quite large, numbering around thirty or forty, and they possess weapons such as guns. Like wolves, they plunder every place they visit, killing or even joining the gang. Women and children are used as playthings and objects of their amusement. Many people have died at their hands, some of whom were passengers.
This group is currently still active in the city center. Xu Anran and her friends live in the suburbs, far away, and haven't encountered them yet. Today, the three of them came to the city to look for train tickets and ran into this group near an upscale residential area.
They were a large group, with a group of thugs carrying sticks and weapons in front, people in the middle carrying guns, and a group of people pulling women and children with ropes behind them.
They are trying to break into this upscale residential complex. There are no guards in the complex, and the residents should all be hiding in their homes.
Upon seeing them, Xu Anran and her two companions kept their distance, hiding behind the shops along the roadside and peering out. From this angle, Uncle Li could see a woman at the very back, about thirty years old. Like the others, she was being pulled by ropes, her eyes vacant and dazed.
Uncle Li pointed at her and said to Xu Anran, "I know this person. She's Old Yao's granddaughter. Back then, we all came into this world in the same batch. Old Yao was very lucky; he and his son never separated. After arriving here, his son got married and had children. I even attended this child's birthday banquet back then."
"Then how did she get arrested?"
"After Lao Yao died, we gradually lost contact. I saw her a few years ago when Lao Yao's son died of cancer. Her family didn't tell her about the train incident; they just lived like ordinary people. It seems she has also suffered a lot."
Xu Anran frowned and asked, "You want to save her?"
Seeing Xu Anran's unpleasant expression, Uncle Li knew that she didn't want to meddle, but he still said, "She is the descendant of an old friend of mine. Her grandfather saved my life. I know that doing this will put you in a difficult position, but I have an idea. You might as well listen to it before making a decision."
Uncle Li pulled Xu Anran aside, while Xu Liang remained where he was, watching the group of people.
Uncle Li continued, "We can post tasks in the group under your identity, Old K, and then the people in the mutual aid society can try to rescue these people."
"Why should I do this? What good will it do me?"
"This way, you can train your members by organizing their actions, laying a foundation for establishing squads and guilds later. Moreover, you can treat this as a trial mission; we can infiltrate and discover talent. We can gather information first, hide among them, and quickly evacuate if it fails."
Xu Anran hesitated: "But what benefits would this bring to the members of the mutual aid society? Would they be willing to cooperate?"
"This operation is a good training opportunity for both you and the members of the mutual aid society. This group doesn't seem too difficult to deal with, and they are not very dangerous. When you form a guild and travel to various worlds in the future, you will inevitably encounter dangers. This operation will be a good opportunity to train your organizational skills and the teamwork among the members. It will also help to filter out a group of people and gradually distinguish between the core and peripheral members."
Xu Anran felt that what Uncle Li said made some sense. After thinking about it for a moment, she glanced at Xu Liang and said, "Then tell me, will Xu Liang be suspicious when I issue this mission?"
"He might not be able to tell now, but given time, he'll definitely start to suspect your identity. How about we give him a heads-up this time, let him know that you're not a simple person and that you're connected to Old K, pretend to be Old K's direct subordinate, and then explain to him when you feel he's trustworthy after some time has passed?"
Xu Anran nodded: "That's the only way. Are you so sure I'll listen to you and organize this mission?"
"I may have selfish motives for doing this, but it's also from the bottom of my heart. I feel this is a good opportunity for me to grow. When this world ends, we will be separated, and I hope that during this training, I can be there to help you."
Looking at Uncle Li's sincere eyes, Xu Anran knew that he wanted to become stronger and a leader. Although Xu Anran wasn't too keen on forming a union, as he had said before, his abilities were special, and only sufficient power could protect him, so he had no choice but to give it a try.
Xu Anran gestured for Uncle Li to take over Xu Liang's shift. Looking at the group of people, she wanted to talk to Xu Liang alone.
Xu Liang walked over with a curious look on his face and asked, "What's up, girl?"
"Just now, Uncle Li suggested to me that we help rescue that person he knows. What do you think?"
“Actually, I have no objection to whatever decision you make. It’s just… I feel that this is not a good idea. We’re not related, and besides, those people are armed and look difficult to deal with. We didn’t even manage to save others, and we’ve been dragged into this mess.” Xu Liang scratched his head, looking troubled.
“You’re right, I initially thought the same as you. However, I told another person about Uncle Li’s suggestion, and he thought it was worthwhile to help rescue people.”
Xu Liang, with an expression that seemed to say, "Let me see which one of these saintly types is it," asked, "Who?"
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