Chapter 32: Appointment

Page 1

Yichen sat inside the vehicle, his brows tightly knit. The second team had originally numbered twenty-five, but now only five remained. The situation was not the worst—at least someone could drive, and they were able to return to Nanchuan.

But... how was he supposed to get past the city entrance's inspection? Every person entering the city had to undergo a medical check—no exceptions. Last time, he'd slipped under the car to avoid detection, but with outsiders present this time, any suspicious act would likely get him reported.

Should he cause a disturbance to slip through? That wouldn't be so easy. The Future Livestock Company's convoy was always a focal point during inspections; not only the people but all live animals aboard were scrutinized.

Lost in thought, Yichen realized the vehicle had stopped. Someone handed over the pass, and the guard ordered them out.

As usual, two medical workers handled the inspection.

"Line up," a woman's voice rang out, cold and stern.

Ling Lan? Yichen recognized the white coat and tightly worn mask—it was one of his own, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

She had reported for duty today as well, but Yichen hadn't expected her to take on this particular role.

Handling entry inspections carried more risk than working at the perimeter or inside the city, but she was clearly doing this to cover for him.

Ling Lan wielded the infrared thermometer, scanning from one side while her colleague covered the other. When she reached Yichen, she subtly altered the procedure, letting him pass smoothly.

Yichen acted entirely natural. As long as none of them exposed themselves, no one would know they'd arrived together the day before.

"No abnormalities," Ling Lan told the guard, just as she had for every returning convoy that day.

The truck moved on. Yichen glanced back at the fading figure in the white coat, thinking that he no longer needed to worry about inspections in the future.

The truck returned to the company. The other teams had all arrived ahead of them; theirs was the last.

Every team had suffered casualties—today had been fraught with setbacks. Still, only the second team had returned with so few survivors; it was the first time such a thing had happened since Future Livestock Company's founding.

Manager Xu Hao's gaze was sharp as blades, sweeping fiercely over the second team's survivors.

Except for Yichen, the others broke into cold sweats, their necks stiff. They'd brought back the most animals, but Xu Hao showed not a hint of happiness.

Page 2

"Only a handful came back?" Xu Hao snorted, then barked at an older employee on the edge, "Tell me what happened!"

"I... don't know," the man stammered, trembling in fear. He'd been trapping hares at the foot of the mountain and truly knew nothing.

"Idiot!" Xu Hao kicked him to the ground.

"Team leader Zhang made a poor decision, and most followed him to their deaths," Yichen stepped forward. He hadn't expected Xu Hao to resort to violence, and thought it best to explain quickly.

"You ran into infected lynxes, trapped in a cave by them?" Xu Hao's eyes widened as he asked, "How did you manage to make it out alive?"

"The three of them were trapping hares at the foot of the mountain. I and he... fought our way out," Yichen replied, glancing at Cheng Xianglong. He wasn't as skilled at acting as Ling Zhe; if he made up a story and Xu Hao saw through it, things would only get worse.

"Oh?" Xu Hao narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Yichen and Cheng Xianglong.

Their green work uniforms were filthy, torn in several places, and smeared with black-red blood, as if they'd survived a fierce struggle.

Xu Hao swung a fist, just grazing Yichen's head.

Cheng Xianglong yelped in fright—the punch carried enough force that, had it connected, Yichen's face would either be split open or left badly swollen.

"Why didn't you dodge—are you stunned?" Xu Hao sneered.

"No need to dodge. If you want to test my strength, don't hold back," Yichen replied honestly.

Though Xu Hao's strike was swift, it was still within human limits; to Yichen, it was as slow as a snail. From the motion's trajectory, the punch would never hit him.

"Arrogant!" Xu Hao flared up and immediately marked this new employee as trouble.

Dozens of team members stared at Yichen, their gazes weaving a complex web. No one had ever spoken to Xu Hao so bluntly before.

But Xu Hao had more pressing business than to quarrel with a teenager.

He'd had high hopes for hunter Zhang Yumin, who had performed admirably in previous days; he hadn't expected it all to end so abruptly.

Tomorrow, the labor agency would recruit new employees to replenish the teams, but the leader had to be someone with experience.

That person would have to be chosen from the current staff.

"Team leader Zhang Yumin has fallen. We must reorganize the second team," Xu Hao announced to everyone.

Page 3

At the mention of selecting a new second team leader, the veteran employees couldn't help but show hints of anticipation and longing.

There were certain privileges separating a team leader from ordinary employees. Taking on the role meant greater responsibility, but also more opportunities to stand out—and the ability to command a team of twenty-five, whose members must obey orders unconditionally during missions!

Yet leading the second team was a difficult prospect. Assigned to search the northern mountains for wild animals, the position demanded either an experienced hunter or a mountain native familiar with the terrain since before the apocalypse—otherwise, the burden would be too heavy.

Several seconds passed, but no one stepped forward.

"I'll do it," Yichen spoke calmly.

"You again? You only joined today, didn't you?" Xu Hao found this young man increasingly intriguing. Normally, after losing most of his team and the leader, he should be terrified, yet he was eager to shoulder the responsibility.

"Once the new recruits arrive tomorrow, I'll be a veteran."

"This isn't a joke—you saw what happened to your team today!"

"If I become team leader, and even one person in my charge dies, I'll accept any punishment you see fit."

"Arrogant!" The word crossed everyone's mind. He was like a calf unafraid of the tiger, unaware of just how ferocious Xu Hao could be—calling him a lion king would not be an exaggeration!

"Fine! Let's do it!" Xu Hao agreed, surprisingly.

He'd initially wanted to test Yichen's abilities, but decided against it.

Whether Yichen survived by skill or luck, his presence and courage were unmatched among this group.

Gold will shine, and even if he acted a bit wild, he was gold—pride was his right.

"From today, you're the leader of the second team. Your duties are the same as other leaders; I'll show no partiality. If you perform well, you'll be rewarded, but as you said... if even one person in your team dies, you'll be at my mercy!"

Yichen nodded. He had already steeled himself for this from the moment he promised Zhang Yumin.

Next, each team tallied their gains for the day and lined up to collect their rewards.

Cheng Xianglong nudged Yichen's elbow, saying, "Boss, you're so damn impressive—I see you in a whole new light today! Now that you're our leader, I won't have to worry about a thing anymore."