When to depart...
Zhou Shoushan's expression was complex, "The sooner the better."
"Okay, then we'll leave tomorrow," Luo Xiaole replied cheerfully.
She had actually anticipated this day, so during the many days of waiting, she had been quietly preparing some things.
Zhou Shoushan watched her small, retreating figure, his eyes inexplicably warming.
After a long while, he sighed towards the window, his tall back appearing somewhat desolate.
Zhou Kaifeng, though an abandoned infant he had taken in, he had never, not for a single day, treated him as anything less than his own son.
The reason he had previously prevented him from taking over the base was that he had seen how preoccupied his mind was, wanting him to hone his skills further.
But he never expected that all his fatherly love would be perversely twisted by Zhou Kaifeng into another meaning.
Leading to this tragedy.
And now, he saw Luo Xiaole as his daughter, yet he had to send her to another place of nine deaths and one life with his own hands.
In his life, as the guardian official of Luocheng, he had no regrets towards any citizen, no regrets towards this city.
But he could not be guilt-free towards those around him.
For those in high positions, the mountains on their shoulders destined them for a constant struggle between personal love and greater love.
...
In the lobby of the mission base and on the bulletin board, a piece of information was circulating.
"Holy crap, Luo Xiaole, seriously, I'm crying my eyes out..."
In the announcement, Luo Xiaole's name, along with those of her companions, was included in the battle report.
Not only for her merits in eradicating the Green Dragon Gang, but also for her contribution of the detoxification buff this time, she had received a special contribution award from the Luocheng base.
She had directly earned 1 million base points!
She had surged to become the number one on the Luocheng base's mission points leaderboard!
Watching her "rise to prominence" once again, even reaching the top spot, this time the forum was not filled with gossip. There wasn't even anyone questioning her.
In the Luocheng base, the battle report was generated from the comprehensive accounts of all survivors and preserved footage, cross-referenced from multiple sources, and compiled through extremely rigorous investigation into the most precise report.
Even Zhou Shoushan had no authority to alter its contents.
Therefore, everyone believed the information within it without reservation.
Witnessing everything that happened in this great battle, everyone felt the process was too perilous and felt a wave of lingering fear afterward.
Not to mention, Luo Xiaole later, without holding grudges, contributed the buff, allowing everyone to recover their health!
This was witnessed by all.
Anyone who dared to find fault would be worse than an animal, simply heartless!
"We really... I said so many bad things to her back then, I feel so guilty..."
"Exactly, they did so much for the base silently, was I blinded by greed before, actually believing the words of those haters..."
"Words are truly like swords, I will never believe these unsubstantiated 'reports' again!"
"Luo Xiaole and her team are amazing, Commander Zhou is awesome!"
For a time, the entire forum was cleaner than the stairs in front of Notre Dame de Paris...
The forum was going crazy over Luo Xiaole, but she was completely oblivious to these external matters.
"Try some~" Luo Xiaole, smiling, placed a pot of very tender chicken soup in front of Mo Shen, going with the flow.
To compensate Mo Shen for the pain of being startled by her loud voice back then, she made sure to prepare very nourishing food for him every day to help him recover!
After all, he was going to be hers from now on, and she would feel heartache if he became thin from hunger.
The rich, fragrant scent of chicken soup wafted into Mo Shen's nostrils. He scooped up a large spoonful, brought it to his lips, and patiently blew on it.
Then, he carefully fed it to Luo Xiaole's lips.
Seeing Luo Xiaole obediently swallow, he fed her half a bowl more.
Only then did he close his eyes with satisfaction and pick up the remaining chicken soup, drinking it with great enjoyment.
"These two have been so lovey-dovey since that big battle, are they together?" Zhou Xiaojun watched them like a thief, rubbing the goosebumps on his arm.
Luo Shu hugged her arms with a worried expression and sighed, "Alas, a daughter is no longer yours once she grows up... she's already been snatched away..."
"You bunch of rascals, you gossiped about them constantly when they weren't together, and now you're sighing when they are? Do you want a beating!" Lin Ruoshui suddenly appeared and threw a fireball directly at them!
"Well hit! Humph hum, no pain no gain!" Lin Xia also chimed in, her sister's personality was exactly like hers!
She was very satisfied!
"Goddess, don't worry, I'll help you teach them a lesson!" Pi Jiajia also darted out, groveling as she rushed over and started a scuffle with Luo Shu and the others.
Only Chen Xiaolin stood aside, looking genuinely dejected. Either they were flirting, or they were paired up, man and woman interested in each other.
Only he, was a serious lone dog! And one that was half-human, half-corpse!
Precisely because it was the apocalypse, he longed for companionship even more...
Feeling lonely, empty, and cold? Only he was hurt in this world...
By evening, Luo Xiaole led everyone to a place on the outskirts of Luocheng base.
There were only two factories that had not yet been put into use. Besides that, it was all dirt or barren grassland, appearing desolate.
"Xiaole, although we can't stand your constant flirting, you don't have to bring us to this desolate place to bury us alive! Cruel!" Zhou Xiaojun pretended to tremble.
"..." Luo Xiaole really wanted to sew his mouth shut.
He was so talkative!
"Look over there." Luo Xiaole smiled, pointing her hand to a patch of open ground nearby.
Several giant flowers looked spectacular, standing neatly in that open space, forming a scene that seemed to merge into the colors of the sunset sky, pleasing to the eye and awe-inspiring.
"Heavens!" everyone exclaimed involuntarily.
"Xiaole, you go out early and come back late every day, just to plant flowers? It's too beautiful, too healing!" Having seen enough flying limbs and ruined walls, seeing such a brilliant sea of flowers suddenly touched their hearts with something soft.
"Don't stand too close." Luo Xiaole suddenly warned.
"Such beautiful flowers, of course, we have to touch them!" Zhou Xiaojun, with a mischievous hand, reached out.
"Be careful!" Luo Xiaole cautioned.
What was so careful about a bunch of flowers! Zhou Xiaojun cheerfully approached the most radiant one...
The seemingly delicate petals, the moment he got close, seemed to come alive, flailing wildly!
The flower actually jumped out of the soil, turned around, and the large mouth that grew from its center opened, revealing a row of teeth more terrifying than a shark's!
"Man... man-eating flower! Oh my god!!!" Zhou Xiaojun immediately wet his pants.
"Hua Hua, be good, come here!" Luo Xiaole called out softly. The flower's mouth instantly closed, and its two petals "pata pata" lifted its legs and ran, even faster than Zhou Xiaojun had been, running to Luo Xiaole's side.
It even rubbed against her twice like a puppy seeking favor...
"..." Everyone's jaws dropped in unison...
Luo Xiaole had actually grown so many man-eating flowers...
And that flower was actually a sycophant?
And it even had a name?!
Everyone's brains felt like they were no longer sufficient...