Chapter 29 The Guide Who Was Tireless
Yun Zhao was carrying a bunch of things and squatting by the sink washing vegetables.
The bonfire nearby is ready, just waiting for the ingredients to be prepared before grilling.
They only had one hour, so everyone worked very quickly. Because there were so many people, the sentries at the outpost were worried that there wouldn't be enough food, so they even started steaming rice.
Xie Tu stood a little further away, in the shadows under the opposite tree, appearing somewhat aloof and unsociable.
He was checking his communications at that moment.
[Minister Duan]: "How is Yun Zhao adapting?"
Xie Tu looked up and his gaze accurately locked onto the slender figure washing vegetables by the sink.
She lowered her head slightly, looking very focused. Her profile was serene as she gently stirred the vegetables in the water, separating the leaves one by one and carefully rinsing every wrinkle.
She is quiet, reserved, and has a well-behaved appearance.
Xie Tu's first impression of her.
He replied, "It's alright, but my constitution is too weak."
Even getting on the bus was a struggle.
The vegetable leaves were being torn and crushed in her hands again and again; it was uncertain whether they would still be edible later.
[Minister Duan]: "Then you need to be even more careful. Once she enters the contaminated area, someone must stay by her side."
Xie Tu: "I know."
[Minister Duan]: "In addition, Minister Bai did a few simple tests with her today."
[Xie Tu]: "What was the result?"
[Minister Duan]: "She's very strong! Her mental strength is far superior to that of an A-level guide; they're not even in the same league."
A guide who can condense spiritual energy into a physical form.
Being able to detach from the spiritual realm and establish a spiritual barrier externally is equivalent to being able to freely create an independent barrier outside, shielding all senses.
These two points alone are enough to shock everyone.
Not to mention, according to the Dawn Base sentinels, she can even control mutants.
[Minister Duan]: "So, this mission can fail, but the S-rank guides cannot be lost, understand?"
The implication is that Yun Zhao's safety is above the level of the mission.
Xie Tu's eyes darkened, and after a long while, he replied, "Understood."
The sentries over there had already started grilling meat.
The rabbit waited for a long time, and seeing that the guide was still washing vegetables, it ran to the pool and said, "Sister Yunzhao, let me help you..."
Her eyes fell on the mess of vegetables in the dish, and her whole body froze instantly.
That's so cruel!
What kind of torture did these dishes undergo in her hands?!
"No need, I'm done washing."
Yun Zhao thought the vegetables were washed quite clean, so she picked up the basin and stood up.
The rabbit quickly took the vegetable basin. "I'll take it. Oh, by the way, if the apples aren't washed, leave them there so we can wash them!"
Yun Zhao turned to look at her. "The apples are all washed. Do you want to eat them now?"
The rabbit glanced at the intact apples on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. "No need, there are only a dozen or so, not enough to go around. We'll take them to the car and eat them on the way."
"Okay." Yun Zhao bent down, put the apples into the bag, and walked towards the armored vehicle.
Xie Tu stood not far from the car.
Seeing her coming over, he opened the car door for her.
"Thank you," Yun Zhao said, getting into the car and placing the apple on the seat.
The apples were big and round, and they cost five points each. She had five thousand points at the time, but she couldn't bear to buy one to try.
I wonder what apples taste like...
Although carrying out missions is dangerous, everyone lives a good life. The points earned with their lives might be spent without batting an eye, since they could die any day from now.
Xie Tu stood by the car waiting for her. When he saw her get out of the car, he said calmly, "Let's go eat."
Not only is he physically weak, but he is also lazy and doesn't do any physical labor.
She's both weak and incredibly strong; yet, she struggles to carry even a dozen apples.
This was Xie Tu's first time examining guides, a special type of soldier.
He hadn't had much contact with the guides at the base, and wondered if all guides were like this, full of contradictions.
Or is she just an isolated case?
*
The atmosphere around the campfire was lively, with the sentries sitting together, chatting and laughing, creating quite a commotion.
The roaring campfire illuminated everyone's faces, and the sizzling meat on the fire emitted an enticing aroma that made one's mouth water.
Yun Zhao sat in the middle with a plate in his hand, with Rabbit on his left and Xie Tu on his right.
The rabbit would occasionally stand up and run to check if the meat was cooked.
Xie Tu kept his head down, checking and replying to messages. When someone came over to speak, he would respond with a few words.
Yun Zhao seemed a little out of place, so he obediently sat down with his plate and waited to be fed.
It didn't take more than a few minutes.
"Guide Yun, have a taste!" Song Liang finished grilling the meat and picked out a few pieces for her first.
Yun Zhao got to eat barbecue as he wished.
It smells amazing!
The meat is tender and juicy, yet possesses a unique chewiness. The outer layer of the roasted meat is grilled to a slightly crispy texture; one bite releases bursts of juices and a rich aroma.
She remembered how, when her uncles were alive, they would occasionally be lucky enough to hunt some small mutated animals while out searching for supplies.
In the evenings, several families would sit together around the campfire, just like now, roasting meat. The uncles would chat and laugh, telling her stories about the outside world.
There aren't many seasonings in the town, so salt is used sparingly, or it's used to pickle vegetables to preserve food for longer.
From what I remember.
The meat of mutant animals is hard to eat; it has a fishy smell and is tough and dry.
But that scene was one of the few warm memories she had from her childhood.
Yun Zhao thought, no wonder the mutated animal meat at the base could be sold for such a high price.
In the future... I can try to make my life a little better.
The teammates of Team Zero, fearing that the quiet guide wouldn't be able to compete with the bandits, took the initiative to put a few pieces on her plate after the food was cooked.
Yun Zhao only needed to stretch out his hand, and the meat automatically came to the plate.
She ate with great satisfaction.
The outpost had three Class A sentry teams, three monitoring personnel, and several support staff. The meat they brought out was quickly wiped out.
Tao Haohao and the others weren't full, so they went to get more rice.
He boiled another batch of water, threw in the rotten vegetable leaves that Yun Zhao had washed, sprinkled some salt on them to make vegetable leaf soup, and used it to soak rice.
Everyone tacitly chose to remain silent about their new teammate's terrible vegetable-washing skills.
Good times always pass too quickly.
After finishing your meal.
Xie Tu greeted the people at the sentry post, took some rice and flour from the post, and told everyone to get on the bus.
Besides the meat, there were only compressed biscuits and some fruit left in the car. The guide was too thin, so he brought some rice and noodles to eat on the way.
Xie Tu took over driving at night.
"Everyone, go to sleep first and get some rest."
"receive!"
The four team members quickly boarded the vehicle.
Two rows of folding chairs can be pulled out and joined together to instantly form a simple folding bed, where people of all genders can lie down and sleep.
Seeing that they were done, Yun Zhao was about to get into the car when Xie Tu called her back.
"You sit in the passenger seat."
The space was cramped, and the three bandits were big and had no sleeping posture, so the guide who had just joined the team might not be able to adapt.
"Okay." Yun Zhao walked around to the other side of the car and climbed into the passenger seat.
Xie Tu tilted his head and sat in the driver's seat, pressed the button, lowered the partition between the front and rear seats, and casually adjusted the passenger seat to a reclined angle where he could lie down and rest.
He looked up at the opportune moment and saw Yun Zhao watching him operate the vehicle intently. He casually asked, "Can you drive?"
Yun Zhao shook his head, "Our town used to have only one vehicle, which was used by the sentries to go out and find supplies."
Over the years, the No. 6 pollution zone has been encroaching on the town, and the town has long been preparing for relocation.
They saved up points for many years before they finally had enough to buy the bus.
Those used cars had only been back for a few days when, sure enough, the sixth contaminated zone began to spread, and she had no time to learn to drive.
Xie Tu frowned. "It's troublesome if you can't drive. I'll teach you when we get back."
His words revealed an air of arrogance.
We firmly believe that the entire team will be able to complete the mission safely and return home.
This arrogant and conceited attitude infected every teammate.
Even though they knew the four-star contamination zone was very dangerous, everyone was still cheerful and went about their business as usual, with a very relaxed attitude.
"Okay." Yun Zhao really liked the atmosphere.
Xie Tu stopped talking, started the car, and drove to Pollution Zone No. 88 overnight.
Outside the car window was a thick, inky blackness.
The dim interior lights of the car outlined the man's strong facial features; his jawline was taut, and his profile appeared even more profound in the light and shadow.
Yun Zhao glanced at it twice, then felt sleepy, turned his back, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
The little bluebird seems to dislike him, probably because of that fire phoenix.
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