Chapter 93: Arrival

What he said was just talk—they could never actually run people over.

They hadn’t been able to carry guns on this trip; otherwise, they wouldn’t have gotten through the checkpoint.

There were no firearms in the vehicle, but there were other lethal weapons.

The people outside were pounding so hard the windows looked like they might shatter, and the whole vehicle shook slightly.

But at that moment, no one inside reached for a weapon.

In their training, there had never been a lesson about aiming weapons at civilians.

Zhao Fei said, “I’ll get out and negotiate.”

Luo Yuan replied coldly, “The moment you open the door, they’ll rush us. We’re holding back, but their lives are on the line—they won’t.”

“Damn, this is frustrating. Back home, I never knew what it meant to sit and wait to die.”

“Heh, back home, ordinary people don’t treat us like this. Hostility only ever came from criminals.”

Zhao Fei ran a hand through his hair, agitated. “This is why I hate being sent abroad—nowhere to vent my energy…”

Luo Yuan smacked him on the head.

Giving him a sideways look, he said, “Watch it.”

Zhao Fei pouted, “It’s true, though…”

But he didn’t go on.

He only said, “So what now? Are we just going to sit here and wait for them to tear through the car body and dig us out?”

Qin Qing looked at Zhao Fei. Why did everything he said sound like a horror movie?

No one asked for Qin Qing’s opinion. They didn’t expect the person under protection to solve the problem.

Qin Qing looked at the flickering health bars above the heads of the crowd outside and spoke. “Start the vehicle. Take out the supply crate in the back. Crack the windows and toss the supplies far away.”

Everyone turned their gaze to her.

She explained, “These people are starving—they’ve been hungry a long time. They’re not really expecting us to take their kids out. They’ve run into convoys before, all of which were violent. They don’t know where our line is. In this situation, even getting some food is something. They won’t turn it down.”

Zhao Fei said, “They’re wrapped up so tight, doesn’t look like they’re starving.”

Still, since Qin Qing had spoken, Luo Yuan made the call. “Let’s do it. Dou Xu, get ready to break through when there’s an opening.”

“Yes!”

Their teammates were all big guys, with barely enough room to move inside the vehicle, twisting around awkwardly to grab things.

The embassy had prepared regular food and snacks, not military rations like those in Qin Qing’s survival pack.

They opened packages of mini buns and sachima, breaking them into small pieces. They cracked the window open just enough for two fingers to slip through—narrow enough to keep hands out, but enough to toss supplies.

They threw, not handed, the supplies out.

Sure enough, eyes followed the arc of the tossed items, and people broke off to scramble for them.

Not everyone in the crowd had children small enough to fit in a trunk.

But some still ignored the food and pressed closer to the car, shouting through the narrow cracks.

Still, the strategy worked to some extent—the crowd wasn’t as tightly packed as before; there was more space.

Dou Xu nudged the vehicle forward slightly. The people in front weren’t completely fearless; startled by the movement, they backed off a couple of steps.

He seized the moment and pushed forward through the opening.

They made it out.

Some people chased after the car at first, but two legs couldn’t outrun four wheels.

They stopped, jumping and cursing at the car.

Though they couldn’t understand the words, it was likely nothing pleasant.

Qin Qing kept watching through the rear window. After they left, more vehicles arrived, and the refugees quickly re-formed their blockade.

Luo Yuan asked, “How much supply is left?”

Zhao Fei shook the crate helplessly. “We threw out more than half.”

He rummaged through the rest. “Probably enough for the few of us to have two meals.”

“Alright. Split it up, put it in your bags.”

Zhao Fei and the others followed the order.

Luo Yuan, sitting in the passenger seat, pointed ahead as the car reached a spot. “Stop here.”

Aside from Qin Qing, the others instinctively grabbed their bags and got out.

When Zhao Fei got out, he slung Qin Qing’s pack onto his own back as well.

She had no choice but to follow.

As the driver, Dou Xu stayed behind.

Luo Yuan shut the passenger door and said, “Be careful. Regroup at Fuyade.”

Dou Xu grinned, flashing white teeth. “No problem. Mission will be completed.”

He waved at her. “See you, Consultant Qin.”

She didn’t wave back.

She’d figured it out—Luo Yuan was splitting them into two teams.

Dou Xu wouldn’t be traveling with them.

She glanced at the System Panel hovering above his head, its misty white background oddly calming.

Dou Xu, traveling alone, wouldn’t be in danger.

But this was still a war zone, where things could change in an instant.

Qin Qing opened the door again, but didn’t get in. She stood outside and said to Dou Xu, “Come a little closer.”

Dou Xu glanced at Luo Yuan. Seeing no reaction, he leaned in.

With a snap of her fingers, a visible ball of light shot into his forehead.

She had spent 5 virtue points to give him a protective charm.

Because of the angle, Dou Xu didn’t see it, but the others did.

Zhao Fei exclaimed, “Uh… what…”

Dou Xu was puzzled.

Qin Qing smiled, shut the door, and stepped back. Then she finally waved. “Go. Be careful. See you.”

The SUV roared away on the dirt road, leaving a cloud of dust lingering in the air.

Qin Qing turned and looked at Luo Yuan. “Alright, explain.”

Luo Yuan didn’t answer right away. He looked back the way they came, pointed to a spot, and gestured to the others.

Palm down, fingers together, pressing downward.

Aside from Qin Qing, the others were military comrades—it was probably a habitual signal.

But Qin Qing hadn’t taken those crash courses for nothing. She knew it meant “take cover.”

She had no baggage, so she immediately took the lead, heading toward the cover Luo Yuan had indicated. There happened to be shade there.

Behind her, Luo Yuan belatedly muttered, “Take cover,” his voice scattered under the blazing sun.

The cover was a cluster of towering rust-red stone pillars.

No need for camouflage—these ancient, towering, jagged rocks concealed the four of them perfectly.

Soon after, two vehicles sped past.

It was the same convoy Qin Qing had seen the refugees swarm earlier.

Judging by the timing, they had gotten free faster than her team.

Only when he was sure they weren’t doubling back did Luo Yuan relax.

He explained to Qin Qing, “We were tailed shortly after leaving the embassy. They were highly coordinated—not ordinary people. We didn’t have a chance to shake them earlier. That refugee blockade actually came at a good time.”

There had been no time for discussion when they left the embassy.

Qin Qing asked, “All of you noticed?”

Zhao Fei replied, “It was obvious. In a big city, their tracking skills might’ve passed for elite. But out here, where you can go half a day without seeing a car, using those same tricks? No way we wouldn’t spot them.”

Luo Yuan added, “This was within expectations. We followed the prearranged contingency plan.”

So… was that his way of saying she hadn’t been excluded?

Qin Qing didn’t really mind either way.

Luo Yuan continued, “We’re not far from our destination. The rest of the way, we go on foot.”

Qin Qing had no problem with that.

She was thankful for the months of physical training, and for the stamina boost she had redeemed earlier.

Luo Yuan’s “not far” translated to a straight-line distance of 30 kilometers.

By car, that was just over half an hour. On foot, it would take most of the day.

But to them, it really wasn’t far.

They trained every day, regularly running 20 kilometers with full gear.

Thirty kilometers just meant they’d be late for lunch.

Qin Qing could only promise herself not to drag the team down.

They moved through the towering stone forest, like ants among giants.

The grand rock formations were full of wind-carved marks of time.

Back in China, this would be a major scenic attraction.

If it weren’t for the circumstances, Qin Qing might’ve stopped to take a picture.

Seeing her companions trudging silently ahead, she realized that if she really stopped to take a picture, it might leave a strange impression, which wouldn’t be helpful for future teamwork.

So she gave up, reluctantly.

Even though it was a tropical desert climate, the northern hemisphere in January was still fairly cool overall.

Walking among the sand and rocks, the temperature felt no more than 25°C—though the sun was quite harsh.

The scarf the flight attendant gave her last night came in handy. Hiding beneath the breathable cotton gauze made it much more bearable.

There were four of them. One companion led the way, Luo Yuan took the rear, and Qin Qing and Zhao Fei walked in the middle.

Among them, Zhao Fei was the most talkative.

Even if no one responded, he could keep muttering to himself, making the march feel a little less dull.

He had been chatting nonstop until he finally asked Qin Qing, “What was that you gave Brother Dou earlier?”

Qin Qing didn’t want to talk. She was conserving energy, sparing words like gold.

“A talisman.”

“It wasn’t a magic trick?” He asked again, “What does it do?”

“Saves lives.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

His expression showed that he believed her—and genuinely thought it was a good thing.

Even for something so precious, he only sighed in admiration and never hinted at wanting one too.

“Can you really tell fortunes? After the mission, can you read mine?”

Qin Qing said, “I can do it now.”

Zhao Fei’s eyes lit up.

Qin Qing stared at the top of his head and began to recite, “When you were little, you were drawn to shiny things. Before you even learned to walk, you tugged on strangers’ jewelry, nearly causing bloody altercations; at one, you were learning to walk and dove headfirst into a chicken coop, face covered in chicken poop and egg yolk…”

Zhao Fei: “Hey, I… you…”

Qin Qing continued, “At two, you already showed amazing linguistic talent, but you annoyed everyone by mimicking them all day. At three, in kindergarten, you’d swap kids’ shoes during nap time, making some cry after they couldn’t find theirs. At five, you liked a little girl, but while playing together, you had food poisoning…”

Zhao Fei quickly cut her off, covering his face: “Okay, that’s enough, I don’t really want to know what my future holds.”

“The future…” Qin Qing smiled, “Stable career, die peacefully of old age—how’s that?”

“That’s great, really great!” Zhao Fei nodded vigorously.

With his chatter silenced, the world grew quiet again. Qin Qing didn’t have to talk anymore.

She felt that was nice.

A 30-kilometer straight-line distance didn’t mean the actual walk would be just 30 kilometers.

Due to the rugged terrain and uncomfortable weather, they were still on the move after nightfall.

To accommodate Qin Qing, they stopped to rest every hour and a half.

The sun went down, and the moon rose.

Stars filled the sky, twinkling.

Luo Yuan said, “Let’s rest and eat something to regain our strength. It’s cooler at night—better for travel.”

He checked his watch: “We’re about four hours away. Should arrive before midnight. Better than sleeping out in the wild.”

He said that for Qin Qing’s sake.

She agreed.

You couldn’t rest properly out here anyway.

They continued on.

Around 11 p.m. local time, they reached the vicinity of the factory. It was located in the suburbs, so they didn’t need to enter the city, and encountered no rebel checkpoints along the way.

They approached the gate. It was locked, but the steel doors appeared twisted and misshapen.

There was no way to enter through normal means. Luo Yuan looked at the wall height. “We’ll climb over.”

Everyone looked at Qin Qing.

She said, “Agreed.”

Luo Yuan offered, “I’ll carry you.”

“No need.” Qin Qing tightened her headscarf and nodded toward Zhao Fei, who was nearest the wall. “Mind giving me a boost?”

Zhao Fei exchanged a glance with the other companion. The two stood facing each other, one leg forward, forming a three-step human ladder with their knees, clasped hands, and shoulders.

Qin Qing took a deep breath, stepped back, mentally recalling her coach’s tips. With a short run-up, she sprang up using the human platform.

She hadn’t used much energy today like she had on previous days, so this move—which had been smooth in the training room—didn’t feel easy now.

But she made it up.

No one had to carry her.

Luo Yuan silently gave her a thumbs-up.

But Qin Qing thought it was a bit early for that.

Sitting astride the wall, she faced a new problem.

The drop on the inside was much higher than on the outside.

She didn’t dare jump. From that height, it felt like her knees would shatter.

Luo Yuan asked quietly, “What’s the situation?”

“Come up and see.”

The three soldiers climbed up easily. Working together, they nimbly perched beside her.

Luo Yuan reached into his pocket and found some small stones he didn’t even remember putting there. He tossed a few in different directions down below.

“It’s solid ground, no water. Use the rope, it’s in the bag.”

Zhao Fei and the others began prepping.

Luo Yuan asked, “Have you learned how to do this?”

Obviously, that was directed at Qin Qing.

“I have, though I’m not very practiced.”

“No problem. You don’t have calluses on your hands—take off your scarf and wrap it around to prevent rope burn. The key is to lean back into a sitting posture, use your dominant hand to control your descent speed. Don’t rush, go steady. Don’t grip too tight.”

All of that the coach had taught her before.

Zhao Fei went down first.

“Most important thing—don’t panic. Worst case, I’ll catch you down here.”

“That’s not funny at all.”

But Qin Qing did relax a bit.

She lost her footing halfway and slipped down a little.

Even with the scarf wrapped around her hands, it still burned—but she managed to regain control and landed safely.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Qin Qing shook out her hand. It hurt a little, but she wasn’t injured.

The map Qin Qing had provided earlier ended here.

Luo Yuan stuffed the map back in his bag. “What now?”

Qin Qing wrote the name Yang Zhongjiao in her notebook.

There was no immediate response on the page.

That meant they were still more than 50 meters away from Yang Zhongjiao.

“Let’s walk around a bit and take a look.”