What does she want with kindling?
"Crackle."
The bonfire flared with a spark.
Xu Yao came back to her senses, looked up, and met Gong Yixing's eyes. "What's wrong? Is something up?"
Why did he look like he had something to say but didn't?
"Nothing." Gong Yixing shook his head, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "The commander notified us that we need to set off early tomorrow."
Xu Yao stared at Gong Yixing suspiciously for two more glances, then decisively put away her communicator and turned to squeeze into the blankets with Liu Fangfang and the other girl.
Sigh, men's minds are so hard to understand.
Best to go to sleep early.
The next day, the team continued their slow progress through the forest.
Liu Fangfang and Wang Mengling were on duty for the School Team today and were not by their side.
Gong Yixing was unusually silent again.
Xu Yao could only look around out of boredom, keeping an eye out for useful materials.
"Goo goo..."
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed.
Xu Yao looked up, gazing around curiously, but found nothing unusual.
However, Gong Yixing, who was walking ahead of Xu Yao, suddenly stopped.
"I'll go take a look." Leaving those words, Gong Yixing turned and strode quickly in the direction of the sound.
Watching the direction Gong Yixing disappeared, Xu Yao narrowed her eyes, her gaze complex, deep in thought.
Following the sound, Gong Yixing entered the forest.
Soon, he stopped beneath a giant tree.
A burly man in black with fiery red short hair jumped down from a nearby tree, landing a few steps away from Gong Yixing.
"Sir." The burly man bowed respectfully to Gong Yixing.
"Get up." Gong Yixing nodded calmly, paused for a moment, and then spoke again, "Have you investigated the laboratory incident?"
This man was Zheng Zhuo, one of his trusted subordinates.
"I have. It's related to the Zhao family," Zheng Zhuo nodded and took a stack of documents from his backpack, handing them to Gong Yixing.
Gong Yixing took the documents and flipped through them rapidly, page by page. His brow furrowed, and the pressure emanating from him caused even the leaves nearby to tremble slightly.
It was just as he had expected.
The entire laboratory was funded by the Zhao family behind the scenes.
Did they think that by imitating the Gao family's clan emblem, everything would be smooth sailing?
"Sir, your injury is healed?!" Zheng Zhuo exclaimed with surprise. After being injured by the Zhao family, his ability could not be restored with medicine. To avoid wasting his ability, he hadn't let his aura show for a long time.
"Mm," Gong Yixing nodded faintly. "It's temporarily okay. You've worked hard during this period."
"This is our duty." Zheng Zhuo's face was filled with emotion, but then he shifted to a worried expression. "Sir, our escort team has reached the Safe Zone in Yongguang City. According to the safety convention, they cannot proceed further, and we need to rendezvous with them."
"It doesn't matter." Gong Yixing's expression was cold.
"But the Zhao family hasn't stopped searching for you. You..."
"I have my own plans." Gong Yixing waved his hand, cutting off Zheng Zhuo's words indifferently.
Hearing this, Zheng Zhuo said no more, standing respectfully to the side.
Returning the documents he had finished reading to Zheng Zhuo, Gong Yixing slightly raised his eyelids and commanded in a cold tone, "Check if there is any mutated kindling nearby. If there is, collect it."
"Yes." Zheng Zhuo bowed and left, asking no further questions.
"Try to find some of higher grade," Gong Yixing added as an instruction before turning to leave.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Xu Yao was silently calculating the materials in the Workspace in her mind.
Zhu Siyu, accompanied by a team leader teacher, arrived and said to Xu Yao unceremoniously, "Xu Yao, where is the person who has been following you?"
Yang Yue's prediction was correct. That man isn't here, there must be something fishy. Let's see what Xu Yao can say this time.
"Is it related to you? What? Are you not focused on your Senior Wu anymore?" Xu Yao glanced lazily at Zhu Siyu.
"Stop with the nonsense. You left the team for no reason." A sinister glint flashed in Zhu Siyu's eyes. "Tell me, did you lead the Mutated Beasts here a few days ago?"
Xu Yao let out a laugh upon hearing this, straightened up, her gaze swept over the teacher, and slowly settled on Zhu Siyu. Her lips parted slightly. "I suggest you use your brain a little."
"What did you say?" Zhu Siyu said angrily.
"What? I need the school's protection myself. Why would I lead Mutated Beasts here?" Xu Yao's tone was contemptuous, her arms crossed over her chest. "Tsk, let me guess, you came to accuse me based on something you overheard? You really are stupid if you're called stupid."
As she spoke, Xu Yao's gaze scanned the crowd. As expected, she saw Yang Yue lurking behind the crowd.
Given Zhu Siyu's intelligence, she wouldn't have thought of this.
Looking at Yang Yue's expression, this was likely her doing again.
"Then... then what did you say that man went to do?" Zhu Siyu's expression was uncertain.
She had indeed overheard Yang Yue talking to Wu Haowen, and wanting to prove herself, she had impulsively brought the teacher here.
"I'm hungry. He went to pick some wild fruits for me. They're on that tree over there." Xu Yao tilted her head towards the teacher, indicating a direction.
The teacher nodded and was about to go check when.
"Xu Yao, here are the fruits you wanted." Gong Yixing appeared from the direction Xu Yao had pointed, holding two fruits in his hand.
Seeing the people around, a look of surprise appeared on his face, perfectly timed: "What's going on?"
"Nothing, just some idiot who got tricked." Xu Yao contemptuously glanced at Zhu Siyu and tilted her chin. "She said we might have attracted Mutated Beasts."
"Mutated Beasts?" Gong Yixing's tone sounded somewhat helpless. He looked at the teacher. "You need a better excuse to falsely accuse someone, don't you?"
"I understand the situation. It was all a misunderstanding."
The teacher gave Zhu Siyu a displeased look and turned back to report. Zhu Siyu also quickly followed, constantly trying to explain herself to the teacher.
Xu Yao glanced at Yang Yue, who was hiding behind the crowd, and suppressed the killing intent in her eyes.
This person must be dealt with as soon as possible.
Sensing Xu Yao's fleeting killing intent, Gong Yixing patted her arm reassuringly, his eyes cold.
Fortunately, his hearing was good, and he had heard Xu Yao from afar.
If he hadn't picked the fruits and brought them back, things would have gotten worse.
He would need to be more careful in the future.
"Thank you." Gong Yixing lowered his voice and thanked Xu Yao when he was sure no one was paying attention.
"It's nothing." Xu Yao shook her head, looked at Gong Yixing, and also asked in a low voice, "What was that sound? Was someone looking for you?"
Gong Yixing paused for a moment, his gaze evasive.
Since it involved the Zhao family, it was best not to involve her for now.
After a moment of silence, he shook his head. "No."
Xu Yao was stunned by his answer and frowned almost imperceptibly.
What did that mean?
Did he think she was being nosy?
And she had just helped him cover for him.
Hmph! Men are so troublesome.
In that case, she would just keep her distance from him.
Xu Yao stopped talking and resentfully put more distance between herself and Gong Yixing.
The team set off again. Gong Yixing didn't pay much attention, knowing that Xu Yao was following behind.
It wasn't until they set up camp that evening that he habitually offered Xu Yao a stamina candy.