CH 29

TL: Moonlit

“Never mind, we can’t do anything about the Gu Langu for now. Let’s think about how to safely get through this winter. Cang Zhan Star is becoming more difficult with each passing year. Every day we survive is a gain…” Liu Po couldn’t help but complain about the environment on Cang Zhan Star in recent years.

Liu Po could only believe about 70% of Cheng Que’s words. Although Cheng Que had been involved in the Gu Langu transformation project, everyone who survived on Cang Zhan Star understood one thing: you can’t fully trust others, not even yourself, and it’s best not to have absolute trust.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Que remained silent, still looking out the window. It was evident that Cheng Que only became enthusiastic when discussing the Gu Langu issue; once the topic shifted, Cheng Que’s interest waned.

Liu Po dismissed it as Cheng Que’s special interest in Gu Langu and didn’t think much of it. Instead, he worried about this year’s simulators. In no time, he went out to contact the teams searching outside to gather information. If it weren’t for the recent influx of people into Zone B and the potential risks it posed, Liu Po would have gone out personally to search for the simulators.

The sound of the door closing came from behind, followed by receding footsteps. Cheng Que, sitting by the window, slightly turned his head and looked at the closed door reflected in the glass. His expression was complex, showing some pity, envy, and unwillingness.

“It’s so good not to know anything,” he murmured softly, as if implying that he possessed some important secrets.

Who was Cheng Que? He was the youngest professor of Micro Synthetic Fibers and Artificial Intelligence in the Cang Star System. He had personally participated in the Gu Langu reconstruction project, focusing on the coordination between Gu Langu’s brain and its various artificial fibers. It could be said that he was someone who once understood Gu Langu’s thinking and was a crucial means of control for the Gu family. His glory was no less than that of a former war god, and many people hoped he would create more powerful half-mechanical beings to counter the Xian Ge Galaxy. Even after the war ended, Cheng Que’s status did not suffer a fatal blow like Gu Langu’s.

At least until a month ago, Liu Po would never have believed that Cheng Que would appear on Cang Zhan Star. After the war, many people needed half-mechanical prosthetics or organ replacements due to illnesses. Although the loss of control of Gu Langu had some impact on Cheng Que, a comprehensive investigation by the Star System Alliance did not find any fault on Cheng Que’s part. In other words, Cheng Que wasn’t responsible for Gu Langu’s loss of control.

Such an outstanding talent in the star system would never be banished to Cang Zhan Star unless he had made some fatal mistake. Cheng Que kept silent about the reasons for his exile, and Liu Po couldn’t find any clues among the others who were exiled with him. However, Liu Po had an inexplicable intuition that Cheng Que’s exile was likely related to Gu Langu.

But none of that mattered now. Before being banished, Cheng Que had obtained some basic information about Cang Zhan Star this year. He brought valuable information about this year’s cold wave pattern, the quantity of simulators to be deployed, and even some predictions about the landing points of some simulators. So, several days ago, Liu Po dispatched a team to quickly head toward the target location.

On Cang Zhan Star, every powerful faction estimates the landing time and location of the simulators. The timing of simulator deployment is not that difficult to deduce since there are only a few days during the seasonal transition with suitable weather conditions for deployment. The challenging part is predicting the landing location of the simulators. Simulators are deployed globally, except for confirmed uninhabited areas. Every other place is a potential landing site.

To ensure that exiles on Cang Zhan Star won’t use simulators to escape the planet, the simulators are deployed outside the atmosphere. The material of the simulators prevents them from igniting in the atmosphere or generating visible light like meteors. The simulators can safely pass through the atmosphere, and upon reaching a certain altitude, their built-in parachutes open, slowing them down as they drift with the wind until they finally land on the ground.

Therefore, the weather on Cang Zhan Star itself also affects the landing of the simulators. The slightest deviation in micrometers outside the atmosphere can cause significant numerical errors. Coupled with various uncontrollable factors, predicting the landing points is incredibly difficult, making prior knowledge of the landing points all the more crucial.

While Zone B was heading towards the target location, the team with Gu Langu was also heading in the same direction. However, it wasn’t Gu Langu who predicted it. After all, even someone like Gu Langu, a humanoid computer, couldn’t predict the landing point without knowing the precise point of deployment outside the atmosphere.

“Boss, it’s been a day, and we haven’t seen any signs of the simulator. Could it be that it’s not time for deployment yet?” Yu Jin didn’t lead a separate team this time since the target was quite far, so he came along with Fei Luo.

Gu Langu has already deployed three probes, but their flight altitude is limited, and they haven’t found any simulators. In this situation, either the deployment hasn’t started yet, or the number of simulators this year is very scarce. “Let’s prepare to rest. It’s getting dark, and we need to be cautious of mutated creatures.”

During the night, visibility is poor, and there is a higher risk of attacks from mutated creatures, making it unsuitable for searching. After receiving orders from Gu Langu, the team halted their progress.

The team consisted of only ten people. With no significant findings after a day of searching, they were somewhat dispirited. Once the campfire was lit, they arranged for night watch shifts. Groups of three gathered together to eat and chat.

Meanwhile, Gu Langu, relying on its night vision, left the camp to patrol the surrounding area.

“Is Gu Langu really as powerful as the legends say?” A group of people gathered by the campfire, and one of them murmured cautiously, keeping their voice low since Gu Langu was not present in the camp at the moment, but Yu Jin was.

In this team, apart from Yu Jin, who had been following Gu Langu before, everyone else came to Cang Zhan Star after hearing about Gu Langu. However, things didn’t turn out as they had imagined. Gu Langu didn’t dominate the world or reach the pinnacle of life. Instead, Gu Langu seemed like an invisible person, leading a leisurely life even more carefree than them in the past six months.

Although the situation was far from what they had imagined, at least they no longer had to endure a wandering and destitute life. Their lives had stabilized in Zone C. No one dared to provoke Gu Langu there. Although living conditions were challenging, they chose to stay. However, now the sudden cold wave shattered this tranquility.

“Do you think Zone B is really safe?” another person asked.

No one responded, which indicated that everyone was hesitating. They were all contemplating whether they should seek refuge in Zone B before the cold wave arrived. The flames flickered, casting alternating shadows on the ground. The crackling of the fire was the only sound breaking the silence of the late night.

On the other side, Gu Langu felt a bit upset, a feeling akin to anxiety. Before departing, Gu Langu had placed a probe near Shu Shuishui. However, Gu Langu didn’t expect the dormouse to run so fast, and with the obstruction of the grass, the probe lost sight of the dormouse.

Gu Langu never doubted Shu Shuishui’s survival ability, but now, it had been eleven hours, thirty-three minutes, and fifty-eight seconds since the dormouse’s disappearance. There was no dormouse to quietly touch his hand, no dormouse to brush his teeth, no dormouse to say goodnight. Gu Langu had a sense of enduring a long day that would continue without end.

When Gu Langu returned to the camp, he sensed a somewhat somber atmosphere, and Yu Jin’s expression looked grim.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Langu didn’t have the desire to inquire, but he still asked based on the prompts and experiences in his brain.

Yu Jin didn’t expect Gu Langu to ask, as before, Gu Langu had shown no reaction to anything in the outside world and had no desire to inquire. “Boss, they want to leave.”

Gu Langu looked towards the group of people by the campfire.

All the people by the campfire instinctively stood up, as if it could give them a sense of security and resistance. One of them, under the gaze of Gu Langu, nervously spoke up. “Gu Lan… Sir.” The general’s words were suppressed, realizing this, Cui Changye gained some confidence. “We don’t want to return to the base. We want to go directly to Zone B. We will still reach our destination in the next three days as planned to complete the mission of finding the simulators. But after that, we won’t return. We plan to go straight to Zone B. We only want to take what belongs to us and nothing else.”

The weather had been good for the past few days, and they could collect some supplies and food along the way. If a few people hurried, there was still a good chance of safely reaching Zone B. As for the simulators, they weren’t that easy to find. Even if they found one, the few of them might not be able to defend it.

The eight people by the campfire stared nervously at Gu Langu. Each person’s heart was pounding fast, afraid that Gu Langu would actually take action.

However, Gu Langu simply nodded faintly after listening. “Alright.”

The eight people, who had thought a fight might break out, were left speechless. What kind of development was this?

Yu Jin had a look on his face that seemed to say he had expected this. In the six months since arriving on Cang Zhan Star, if Gu Langu wanted to establish a power base, he could have achieved it long ago. However, ever since Gu Langu arrived at Cang Zhan Star, he showed no interest or curiosity about anything. He didn’t care.

“Boss, people at the base have been leaving continuously. If our team also leaves, more people will likely leave the base,” Yu Jin explained earnestly, weighing the pros and cons.

“I know,” Gu Langu naturally understood this, but what did it matter? As long as the little dormouse didn’t leave, it was fine.

Yu Jin felt somewhat frustrated. “Boss, what if one day I want to leave?” Although he knew it was normal for Gu Langu to be this way, Yu Jin still felt uneasy. The old boss wasn’t like this. The old Gu Langu, although not invincible, left a strong and profound impression on Yu Jin’s mind.

Gu Langu listened to the question and asked, “Go? Where do you want to go?”

Yu Jin’s eyes lit up. He knew it, the boss still cared about him, the boss still had emotions. “Go to a very faraway place, a place where we’ll never be the same.”

Gu Langu replied, “That’s great. Take that cat with you.”

Yu Jin “…”

The eight people by the campfire couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Facing Yu Jin’s dangerous gaze, they forcefully held back their laughter. But in their hearts, they couldn’t help but ponder. Leaving was indeed the right choice. Gu Langu didn’t have any feelings for Yu Jin, so how could he care about them?

Yu Jin continued to sulk by himself, but then he realized he was being unreasonable. It wasn’t Gu Langu’s fault. He got angry at himself for a while and then rolled over to sleep.

Observing this, Gu Langu quietly closed his eyes and repeatedly replayed in his mind the scene of Shu Shuishui waving his chubby paw and saying goodnight. “Goodnight, Ah Shui.” Before long, he entered a dormant state.

The camp was safe that night. The eight people who had decided to leave had to admit that even though Gu Langu never showed his strength in front of them, as long as he was there, they felt a sense of security.

In the distant north, on a slightly desolate hillside, a little dormouse was just beginning to prepare for setting up camp. Shu Shuishui had walked with two grasshoppers for a whole day. Although he had deduced that there would be a favorable place in the north, he hadn’t been able to find it. Even the grassland was hard to come by as he continued walking.

Shu Shuishui hoped to find a place with a good view to rest, but after a whole day, the vegetation became scarcer, and the environment became more harsh. Shu Shuishui turned his little head left and right, observing the surroundings as he realized that things were not looking good. Shu Shuishui didn’t know how the environment was in other parts of this planet, but if they were all like this, the planet would eventually become a desert.

For the first time, the little dormouse had the idea of improving the environment and greening the planet. After all, whether it was hazelnut trees or grasshoppers, they all needed a stable natural environment. If Shu Shuishui wanted to live on this planet, he couldn’t allow the environment to deteriorate. Shu Shuishui decided to quickly write a plan to green the environment.

Since this planet had energy stones, there was no need to worry about the lack of spiritual power. And with spiritual power, he could cultivate various types of spirit plants. Although Shu Shuishui’s spiritual storage space was not large, he still had many seeds, including seeds of ordinary plants from Earth and various spirit plant seeds given by Shu Bao.

For example, he could plant a forest of salt cypresses or create a pond filled with Nine Realms Golden Lotus flowers. It could even plant a Hantan Through-the-Sky Tree. Perhaps these spirit plants could also cultivate into spiritual beings, and then would the grasshoppers become spirits? Would the spirits of grasshoppers taste better than they do now? Would it be enough to feed them as pets?

Shu Shuishui continued to walk leisurely, his little head filled with wild thoughts, and questions kept popping up one after another.

After walking until late at night, Shu Shuishui couldn’t find a suitable camping spot, so he had to make do with this small hillside.

Shu Shuishui tied up two grasshoppers and found a sheltered area to set up a flat stone as a bed. He took out his long-unused little nest from the spiritual storage and rubbed it against his chubby cheeks before placing it on the stone. He also took out a cotton handkerchief to use as a cover, preparing a small blanket and a small pillow. Anticipating the possibility of mosquitoes, it took out an umbrella-shaped dust cover.

If Shu Bao were here, he would recognize this mesh umbrella-shaped dust cover used for covering vegetables and fruits, but for Shu Shuishui, it served as a mosquito net.

After carefully arranging his little nest, Shu Shuishui ran around picking up small stones and arranged them in a circle to make a fire barrier. He tirelessly gathered twigs, grass, and leaves to start a bonfire.

As the fire grew brighter and the temperature rose, Shu Shuishui stretched his paws and warmed them with the fire. He looked back at the two grasshoppers, then swallowed and resolutely turned his small head, diverting his gaze.

“You don’t want to eat grasshoppers today, Shuishui!” After comforting himself like that, Shu Shuishui took out a potato and started roasting it. He placed the potato near the bonfire and used a small stick to turn it occasionally.

Soon, the enticing aroma of roasted potato filled the air. When the potato was cooked, Shu Shuishui couldn’t wait and used his little paws to move it onto the cool stone to let it cool down.

After a while, amidst the flickering firelight, a small, warm, furry brown mouse with two paws carried the roasted potato and approached the two tethered grasshoppers. He crouched down, staring at the grasshoppers with unwavering eyes, while his little mouth chewed the potato honestly. With each bite, his little ears trembled slightly, revealing a satisfied expression.

The two grasshoppers seemed to sense the intense pressure. One of them restlessly jumped around, while the other curled up like a cocoon, constantly touching its own antennae.

“Potatoes taste good with grasshoppers!” After imaginatively devouring the two grasshoppers, Shu Shuishui finished eating a roasted potato. Then, he stood up, poured some water into a bottle cap, and carefully washed his paws before walking to the flat stone where he made the bed, ready to sleep.

Lifting one side of the mesh umbrella, he gently raised it and a small, furry, flexible creature rolled into it. Then, he flipped into the little nest, patted the pillow, lay on his back, feeling that today was a perfect day, and was about to fall asleep in the next second.

One minute later, Shu Shuishui, lying on his back in the nest, opened his eyes. His small head turned to the right side out of habit, but there was no Gu Langu there today. Shu Shuishui stretched his paw to scratch his head, and after a while, his eyes brightened. He stretched his paw to pat his own head. “Goodnight, Gu.”

After receiving a goodnight pat for Gu Langu, Shu Shuishui finally entered a peaceful sleep and fell deeply asleep in an instant.

On the quiet small hillside, the firewood in the bonfire occasionally made faint sounds, but eventually, the firelight dimmed, the firewood burned out, and it was extinguished. By the side of the ashes, Shu Shuishui, covered under the dust cover, slept soundly, his little belly moving along with the cotton handkerchief.

Late at night, as the temperature gradually dropped, Shu Shuishui curled up into a ball, lying on his back, embracing the cotton handkerchief and his fluffy tail, showing no signs of waking up.

A buzzing sound gradually grew clearer. During summer, everyone is familiar with this sound. Shu Shuishui was quite foresighted and had prepared a mosquito net in advance, so the arrival of mosquitoes didn’t bother him.

However, sleeping Shu Shuishui didn’t see that the mosquitoes here were almost as big as himself. The sound outside the dust cover flew around, hovering and coveting the warm blood of the furry mammal.

The long mouthpart of the mosquito touched Shu Shuishui’s chubby cheek through the netting. It vigorously flapped its wings, hoping to move forward a bit and taste the desired blood.

Shu Shuishui’s plump cheeks were quite tempting, and they were also quite elastic. So when the mosquito finally managed to move forward a little bit and was about to make a deeper puncture, it found that its mouthpart had only left a small dent on Shu Shuishui’s cheek but hadn’t pierced through.

The persistent mosquito refused to give up the food near its mouth. Its giant mouthpart, resembling a needle, wouldn’t have left a shallow dent on Shu Shuishui’s cheek if it wasn’t trying hard enough.

In his deep sleep, Shu Shuishui furrowed his brow, stretched his paw to wash his face, and groomed his whiskers. His eyes remained closed, indicating that it was just a behavior in his dream.

The giant mosquito circled around the net, trying countless positions and angles. Eventually, it realized that the positioning of the small nest inside seemed to be carefully calculated, making it impossible to reach the blood. As the sky gradually brightened, the mosquito had to shift its target. It flew towards two grasshoppers nearby. Although insect fluids were not its first choice, it was better than nothing.

The grasshoppers sensed the threat and instantly began struggling, but they couldn’t escape the silk thread tied around their necks.

Meanwhile, Shu Shuishui, who had been sleeping soundly, twitched his little ears. In an instant, he sat up from the nest, opened his eyes, and looked directly at his two grasshoppers.

Just as the mosquito was preparing to use its hard, sharp mouthpart to suck blood, a warm brown figure pounced from behind and firmly pressed it down.

The gigantic mosquito naturally started to struggle, attempting to use its mouthpart as a weapon, but it was firmly held by two paws. Shu Shuishui grasped the mosquito’s mouthpart and forcefully lifted the mosquito, repeatedly slamming it onto the nearby stone four or five times until the mosquito finally stopped moving.

Shu Shuishui then released his grip and hesitated for a moment. He had never expected that this creature trying to steal his livestock would turn out to be a mosquito. Shu Shuishui stretched his paw to scratch the motionless mosquito and scratched his head. “They say mosquitoes have meat, even if their legs are small, but there’s no meat here!”

Yes, Shu Shuishui was also a picky eater. Even though the mosquito was so large, it was not within Shu Shuishui’s food range. Holding the mosquito’s mouthpart, Shu Shuishui dragged its lifeless body and flung the mosquito away, throwing it off the small hillside.

Violent dormouse patted his paws. He didn’t expect this extraterrestrial mosquito to be so difficult to deal with. He walked back to the mosquito net, looked at the net, and then glanced at the two grasshoppers. Finally, he lifted one side of the mosquito net umbrella, holding the net, and walked towards the grasshoppers, covering them under the mosquito net.

Only then did he return to his own nest, rolled over, patted the pillow, lay down on his back, covered with the cotton handkerchief, and fell asleep again.

After struggling with the mosquito net all night and ending up miserably dead, the mosquito: “…”

Obviously, for Shu Shuishui, being eaten while he slept was acceptable, but it was not acceptable for his livestock to be eaten while they slept! They were caught for Gu Gu, and only Gu Gu could eat them. This was a dormouse, a miraculous species, and this was Shu Shuishui, a dedicated and reputable dormouse.

Presumably, it was because of this that no one on the Cang Zhan Star knew Shu Shuishui’s species. After all, in the treacherous environment of Cang Zhan Star, even if there were dormice in the past, they would have likely gone extinct long ago.

Having fallen asleep again, without any other creatures visiting, Shu Shuishui slept until morning.

The little dormouse opened his eyes with satisfaction, then turned his head to the right side, stretched his paws, and patted his own head. “Gu Gu, good morning.”

After receiving the “good morning” head pat on behalf of Gu Langu, Shu Shuishui didn’t get up. He lay in his nest, stretched his small body, yawned, and extended his two little paws, extending beyond the cotton handkerchief.

Suddenly, a shadow passed over the top of the head, and Shu Shuishui thought it was a bird flying by, so his gaze shifted. He realized it wasn’t a bird but a small parachute.

Shu Shuishui: ?

Something seemed to be tied under the parachute. Although the morning light wasn’t glaring, it was still difficult to see against the light. Shu Shuishui could only make out a dark lump about the size of a human fist. The parachute wasn’t large, similar to his mosquito net.

Shu Shuishui sat up alertly, wondering if there were other people around. The first instinct of a little dormouse is to hide, so he retreated into his nest. Shu Shuishui quickly hid behind a rock but noticed that two grasshoppers were still outside.

Looking up at the descending parachute, Shu Shuishui eventually mustered the courage and swiftly rushed to the grasshoppers’ side. He folded the mosquito net and carried the two grasshoppers, then quickly dashed back and hid behind the rock.

Once Shu Shuishui was safely hidden, the parachute in the sky slowly descended and finally landed about three meters away from Shu Shuishui.

The small hill was quiet, and Shu Shuishui remained motionless, but his eyes were fixed on the parachute without blinking.

After a few minutes, there was no movement beneath the parachute. At that moment, Shu Shuishui cautiously emerged. Before coming out, he made sure to settle the two grasshoppers. Taking small steps, he approached with his body leaning back and poked the object beneath the parachute with his claws.

It felt hard and had a metallic texture. This reassured Shu Shuishui that it wasn’t a cat!

Holding the parachute with his claws, Shu Shuishui prepared to open it. However, as he touched the parachute, he suddenly discovered that the material felt good, like silk, but despite poking it with his claws, it couldn’t pierce through. Shu Shuishui became intrigued. This parachute would be a waste if it wasn’t used as a tent!

As a dormouse, Shu Shuishui had only experienced flying a few times before. Either he was carried by Shu Bao while flying on a sword or he was placed in a cage and transported in the cargo hold of an airplane. Shu Shuishui hadn’t experienced flying on his own yet.

Once upon a time, young Shu Shuishui had a dream of becoming a bat. However, after studying biology, he learned that this dream was probably impossible to achieve, so he gave up. Therefore, the appearance of the parachute sparked an unprecedented interest in Shu Shuishui.

Carefully lifting the parachute, Shu Shuishui saw the previously dark lump. It wasn’t just a lump; it was a square object resembling a Rubik’s Cube with a sci-fi blue glow.

Instead of popping the Rubik’s Cube-like toy, Shu Shuishui carefully separated it from the parachute. The little dormouse happily hugged the parachute and rubbed against it, but soon he fell into hesitation. Should it be made into a tent? Or should it be made into a tent?

But Shu Shuishui also wanted to have a parachute. It imagined climbing to the top of a tree and then jumping down, experiencing the feeling of flying.

Just as Shu Shuishui was undecided, another shadow floated over the top of his head. Shu Shuishui looked up, raised his small head, and happily bounced in place.

Because another small parachute was slowly descending.

Shu Shuishui joyfully rolled up the parachute in his hand, stashed it in his spiritual storage, then turned around and carried his grasshoppers, ready to pick up the next parachute. While passing by the Rubik’s Cube, Shu Shuishui hesitated. He hadn’t seen this object in books, but if it could be landed with such a good parachute, it should be something good. So, Shu Shuishui organized his spiritual storage space, reluctantly made a small area available, and stored the Rubik’s Cube in his spiritual storage.

Although the Rubik’s Cube didn’t seem edible or sleep-inducing, it could serve as a makeshift stool.

Carrying the two grasshoppers, Shu Shuishui tidied up the campsite. Then, happily humming the tune of “Seaweed, seaweed, seaweed~” he bounced away towards the sunrise.

When Shu Shuishui was picking up the parachute, Gu Langu’s squad also began their journey towards the target point. The squad advanced in a somber atmosphere. Although the eight people who were supposed to leave were relaxed, Yu Jin’s expression was grim after being asked to take the cat with him last night. So, the others didn’t dare to be too reckless.

The team led by Liu Du, the younger brother of Liu Po, went out of Zone B. Apparently, the names of these two brothers were not very creative, as Shu Shuishui, a little dormouse, could easily combine their names if they were to encounter him on a slope.

According to the information provided by Cheng Que, they had already obtained one simulator. They hadn’t found the others yet because they were far from Zone B, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the Zone B squad.

When they found the first simulator, Liu Du was basically certain that the information provided by Cheng Que should be accurate. This meant they could at least collect three simulators.

Three might not sound like much, but compared to the hundred worldwide, it was already a considerable number.

The sudden decrease in simulators must have a reason. Perhaps the simulators had been updated, or maybe the Cang Zhan Star had lost its value for deploying simulators. Liu Du hoped it was the former.

If Shu Shuishui had a bird’s-eye view, he would have noticed that the spot where he picked up the parachute was exactly on the path of the Zone B team. After picking up two parachutes, Shu Shuishui happily realized that the place he was looking for wasn’t far away. So, he changed direction, leaving without a trace.

When the Zone B squad arrived at the designated point, they searched the area multiple times but found no trace of the simulator.

“Brother Du! Look here!” one of them seemed to have found something.

Liu Du walked over and found a small piece of rope. The material of the rope was very special, exactly what was used to attach the parachute of the simulator. “The location Cheng Que mentioned is correct. Someone got hold of the simulator before us. Let’s hurry to the next drop point!”

Liu Du hoped it was a coincidence, but the two drop points were too close. It was possible that the other simulator had been taken as well.

When Liu Du and the others arrived at the next drop point, they only saw the body of a mutant mosquito with small yellow flowers on it. There was also a circle of stones arranged as a fire barrier, and the ashes inside had already cooled. However, the scattered ashes indicated that it was left there last night.

“Weird! There was clearly a bonfire, but we can’t find any other signs of activity. It was the same at the previous drop point. We found the rope of the parachute, but not even a footprint. Could it be that this person was walking without leaving a trace?” Liu Du was very puzzled, as this situation made it impossible for him to find a direction to pursue.

“Perhaps that person deliberately erased their own traces,” someone speculated.

But Liu Du still felt that something was off. If a person was powerful enough to not leave a single footprint or any trace, then why would they leave behind the binding line of a parachute? Was it an intentional provocation?

Liu Du was furious. They had been traveling for so many days and even gave up a drop point closer to Zone B just for these two closely located drop points, only to return empty-handed.

Originally, the Zone B team had planned everything well. The route was to collect the closest one first, then come to this location to collect these two simulators, and finally, on the return journey, collect the last simulator. The route they took happened to form a triangle.

“Notify everyone! We won’t rest at noon today. Full speed to the last drop point!” In Liu Po’s plan, the two simulators near this drop point were practically guaranteed because the area nearby was desolate, lacking dense vegetation and human presence. It was unlikely that anyone would come to this area.

A few kilometers ahead of the Zone B squad, the joyful little dormouse who had just obtained two parachutes hopped merrily along the path, searching for grasshoppers. His little head swayed from side to side with the rhythm of the seaweed song, bringing some liveliness to this desolate area.

“Like a seaweed~~ seaweed~~ seaweed~~ seaweed~~ swaying with the waves~~ seaweed~~ seaweed~~”

Unbeknownst to Shu Shuishui, Gu Langu’s squad was getting closer ahead, while the Zone B squad was hurrying on the road behind, puzzled and eager to find answers.

However, after walking for most of the day, Shu Shuishui changed direction. As the distance shortened, Shu Shuishui continuously located the areas with favorable wind and weather. So, there was a slight deviation in the direction.

In the evening, Shu Shuishui finally found the place it was looking for—a slightly steep mountain range. The continuous mountain range stood lush on the gentle plain, like ripples caused by the north wind on the earth’s surface. Compared to the path he had traveled before, this place could be considered rugged. The vegetation on the mountain was abundant, indicating that it hadn’t experienced any major natural disasters.

However, the entire mountain range wasn’t uniformly lush with greenery. The distribution of green on the mountain was uneven, and Shu Shuishui had to find the lushest small area within the mountain range. That small area might only be a few square meters, but it was covered with tender green grass, standing trees, accumulated fallen leaves, and perhaps even a couple of mushrooms. Shu Shuishui’s little ears twitched, and it immediately set off towards the mountain.

Running a marathon is difficult, let alone for Shu Shuishui, who had two short legs. When the moon reached its zenith, Shu Shuishui finally climbed halfway up the mountainside. Eventually, Shu Shuishui decided to continue the search tomorrow and set up camp for the night.

As usual, he took out his nest and mosquito net, but this time the mosquito net was placed over the heads of two grasshoppers. Shu Shuishui picked a few tender leaves and threw them to the livestock before eagerly setting up the tent.

Don’t doubt Shu Shuishui’s handiness. Although the dormouse was small, its paws were agile, and its teeth were sharp. Using available materials, it didn’t take long to assemble the tent made from the parachute. Shu Shuishui placed his little nest inside and imagined the scene of sleeping in it. He immediately decided to skip dinner tonight and sleep early.

The appearance of the giant mosquito made Shu Shuishui more cautious. He planned to set up two defensive formations around the camp to prevent the grasshoppers from being stolen.

As the night fell, the mountain forest became windy, and the temperature gradually dropped. Shu Shuishui had just finished setting up the formations and was about to return to his nest to rest when he noticed a small patch of pure white feathers, the size of a fingernail, falling on the nearby grass. Shu Shuishui took small steps and walked over, intending to pick them up and lay them in his nest.