Regarding the news that the Experimentals were still alive in this world, the Pyro Company did not try to conceal the fact. Instead, they openly told Ji Yi about it and got him to relay the news to Hope Media.
The Pyro Company felt that it was necessary to let everyone know that the culprits that led to the destruction of Stronghold 74 were still alive. Moreover, everyone had to be even more careful because the Experimentals that had appeared this time consisted of those that transformed from the stronger barbarians.
Actually, this news was mainly meant to be shared with the Wang Consortium. After all, only the Pyro Company and the Wang Consortium were fighting the enemy in the North now.
The Wang Consortium had not informed the Pyro Company of the impending war in advance, but the Pyro Company still magnanimously shared their intelligence with them this time. Jiang Xu even singled out such transparency for praise on a new page and condemned the Wang Consortium for their secretive behavior the last time.
However, Ren Xiaosu could not read about what was reported in the newspapers since P5092 had left for the front lines.
Honestly, Ren Xiaosu also felt the Pyro Company had made the right decision this time. Just as he had warned the Pyro Company about the Experimentals, the Pyro Company was also obliged to warn others for the greater good.
After all, compared to the barbarians, the Experimentals were a species that sought to exterminate all of humanity and turn them into gray-skinned monsters. They were even more detestable than the barbarians.
The Trinity Institute, the Qinghe University students, and the Pyro Company’s Supply Corps headed north together. The Pyro Company had finally managed to consolidate all of the undamaged supplies at the forward operating base after much difficulty and found only a quarter of the original supplies to be still usable.
This left all of the Pyro Company’s soldiers looking worried. Because they knew it meant the soldiers at the front lines would probably not get enough to eat their fill!
The soldiers at the Pyro Company’s rear would have to quickly gather all available resources and transport them to the front lines. Otherwise, their campaign might collapse even before the barbarians’ probing attacks were done.
The Pyro Company’s soldiers were indeed strong-willed. But if they could not even fill their stomachs, how would they have the strength to fight?
At this moment, Ren Xiaosu and the others from the Trinity Institute were seated together in a military transport truck. The vehicle traveled the bumpy mountain roads and drove unsteadily towards the North.
With only a dozen or so of them in the truck, they were considered to have been given preferential treatment. At the beginning, everyone thought the Pyro Company had arranged for them to sit in a separate vehicle out of gratitude for treating patients and saving their lives. But when they realized the other doctors and nurses at the medical center were all squeezed into the other vehicles that transported them, the Trinity Institute’s team realized they were the only ones with this privilege.
Then the members of the Trinity Institute remembered that when they left the forward operating base, P31921 had specifically said to Ren Xiaosu, “Commander P5092 is looking forward to meeting you again at the front lines.”
As such, everyone came to a realization. So it turned out this privileged treatment was only given to Ren Xiaosu, and that they were just beneficiaries through their relationship with him.
The Qinghe University students were not so lucky. As a large number of trucks in the forward operating base had been destroyed, they could only wait for the Pyro Company to load up the cargo first before sitting on the supplies when they set off for the North.
The cold wind brushed across the students’ forlorn faces before drifting off into the distance.
Earlier, Ji Yi had looked for P31921 from the forward operating base to try to resolve this arrangement. Ji Yi said very seriously, “These students came here to specially deliver the material assistance. We’ve sent so many supplies and medicine to you all, so how can you treat them like that?”
P31921 answered very calmly, “On behalf of the Pyro Company, I thank you all for your donation of supplies. However, I don’t think this will make much of a difference to our battle plans. Mr. Ji, as you can see, there aren’t enough vehicles.”
P31921 continued, “And I think it’s absolutely right that you all place your hopes on our Pyro Company. If the Pyro Company gets destroyed, who can stop the barbarians dead for Luoyang City? The Kong Consortium? The Kong Consortium has already ceased to exist.
“So if the Pyro Company falls as well, the entire Central Plains will have to face the expeditionary army as they march straight in. The Kong Consortium has already had a wave of refugees who are trying to flee farther south. But if the Pyro Company gets wiped out, it’ll be useless wherever they run to.”
Just as P31921 had said, a large number of Kong Consortium residents and refugees had started fleeing southwards.
Some people did so because they were afraid of war, while others fled because they could not find food to eat.
The Pyro Company had taken away all the supplies that could be collected from Strongholds 31 and 32. At this moment, those stronghold residents could not buy any food even if they had the money. They could only choose to leave the strongholds and find another way to survive.
In less than half a month, the tree bark in Strongholds 31 and 32 would be stripped bare!
Ji Yi thought for a moment and said, “But we came to the North out of our goodwill. Surely you can’t treat a group of students like that.”
P31921 shook his head. “I know they all did it out of kindness, but emotions are useless in war. The Pyro Company only seeks to achieve results.”
This was probably why a lot of people hated the Pyro Company. The students were clearly here to deliver material assistance, yet they were made to suffer. However, the Pyro Company did not think they had done anything wrong.
Thus, regardless of how hard Ji Yi tried, he still did not manage to change the students’ situation in the end.
In the Trinity Institute’s vehicle, Liang Ce and Meng Nan’s relationship started to rapidly warm up due to him carrying her on his back to escape.
As soon as they got into the truck, the two of them started whispering to each other. It was so sweet the others were sick.
This made everyone realize what the sayings “the pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first,” “true love blooms in adversity,” and “distant water can’t quench a nearby fire” really meant.
No matter how much Meng Nan liked someone else, she would not be able to go against the feelings that arose in her from being in danger.
As they chatted and Meng Nan saw no new breakthrough in their relationship, she took the initiative to apply some hand lotion onto her hand. Then she exclaimed, “I’ve squeezed out too much. Liang Ce, give me your hand. I’ll apply some of this lotion for you too. Look at you, your hand is all chapped.”
Then Meng Nan took Liang Ce’s hand and started applying the lotion for him. This was the first time Liang Ce had held hands with Meng Nan. He got excited and confessed decisively, “Actually, Meng Nan, I’ve always wanted to tell you that I’ve liked you for a long time. Ever since we started our internship together, I’ve been watching you quietly. Will you be my girlfriend?”
Meng Nan restrained herself for a moment. “But I’m not pretty. Look at those female students from Qinghe University. They’re so pretty.”
Liang Ce expressed his loyalty. “Don’t worry, I only like those who aren’t pretty!”
Meng Nan was confused.
Ren Xiaosu was speechless. Yang Xiaojin was speechless. Wang Jing was speechless too.
Everyone in the vehicle was dumbfounded. They had not expected Liang Ce to answer that way!
Meng Nan was just slightly restraining herself from appearing too enthusiastic. If he had just praised her a little more and said something nice, wouldn’t the matter have been settled?
With a whoosh, Meng Nan retracted her hand and said coldly, “In the past, I didn’t have any criteria for choosing a partner. But after I met you, I told myself I won’t ever accept someone like you!”
Ren Xiaosu sat next to Yang Xiaojin and muttered, “I’m still a little better than him….”
