One Hundred and Sixteen, One Hundred and Seventeen, One Hundred and Eighteen

Breaking Space and Time

Could the rebel forces have intentions to move in this direction? Zhao Li felt somewhat puzzled. What was on this planet that warranted such deployment by the rebels? This place was known as a fringe planet, and the very name indirectly indicated that this was a remote and isolated star system. What benefit would occupying it bring them?

Resources? It seemed that even though the government had maintained a nominal presence here for over two hundred years, no resources worth exploiting had ever been discovered. If there were, why would the Federal Government have allowed terrorists and drug traffickers to occupy this planet for so long?

Could the rebels also know about the possibility of Sanders possessing that kind of miraculous medicine? Judging by Sanders's cautious demeanor, it was practically impossible for any outsider to know, unless Sanders—the very man in Zhao Li's mind who refused to reveal secrets even in prison, Sanders the firearms instructor for the African Special Forces—had made a fatal error in terms of confidentiality.

Incomprehensible as it was, Zhao Li did not doubt it for a second. It was just that he had not encountered any specific intelligence regarding the rebels in recent years; he only knew that by the time the prison incident occurred, the rebels had already occupied two immigrant planets. However, those two planets should not be very close to the fringe planet; how could they expand toward this area?

As a military commander, such proactive measures had to be taken first. Major General Lucas probably thought this news might make Zhao Li nervous, so he offered a few words of consolation: "Just be careful, don't worry too much about it. After all, it's only a sign, and the true intention hasn't become clear yet."

"The interrogation experts will arrive randomly as well. Just prepare a quiet room for them." Zhao Li had mentioned before that Major General Lucas should dispatch a few interrogation experts, and the general had caught the hint. It seemed this was also a reason for the higher-ups to change their attitude and show more concern for him. Such an attitude also indicated that Zhao Li's recent actions were probably aligned with the intentions of the upper echelons.

With this silent guarantee, Zhao Li naturally felt quite happy. Coupled with a secret account and an unknown amount of dividends, he figured that out of the twenty billion purple crystals, even if the lion's share became military funds, his own share wouldn't be too small. Of course, Zhao Li didn't harbor too many extravagant hopes; the general had already hinted rather tactfully that military funds were tight and combat was intense recently. Even if his share turned out to be a bit less, Zhao Li wouldn't find it strange.

His very first reaction after hanging up the communication with the general was to open that passcode briefcase. Looking at the neatly folded garment inside that resembled an ordinary piece of undershirt, Zhao Li knew this must be the new type of bulletproof vest the general had mentioned.

This was a good thing. What Zhao Li needed most right now was his own personal safety. With this garment, while it might not be of much use against top-tier martial artists, it would certainly be no problem at all for stopping ordinary bullets. This was not the standard-issue bulletproof vest of the military, which could only block low-powered rounds; he wouldn't dare claim anything else, but according to the general's introduction, coupled with his own defensive internal energy, it was sufficient to resist even large-caliber sniper rifles.

Without wasting time, and since this was given to him anyway, Zhao Li directly took off his outer coat and slipped the bulletproof vest on. The fabric was very light and thin, made of some material he couldn't identify. That wasn't Zhao Li's concern; he only wanted to know if the boasted bulletproof effectiveness was true.

However, it didn't seem to be a lie. At least with Zhao Li's current internal energy, pulling and tearing at it with all his might caused not the slightest bit of damage to the garment. Most importantly, this bulletproof vest was styled like an undershirt, meaning it could completely replace regular underwear, much like the invisibility suit Li Mengdie wore. When going on missions, he could still wear a layer of standard-issue bulletproof vest over it for double insurance, making it extremely safe.

As for the secret account, it was just a card, revealing nothing visually. There were no devices here that could connect directly to the civilian network, so it was truly impossible to know how much money was actually inside it.

"Oh. Did the loot-splitting funds finally come down?" As Zhao Li was holding the card and examining it, a familiar voice came from the doorway.

"Old man, knock on the door before coming in, would you?" Facing Kang Hongyuan at this moment, Zhao Li was able to maintain his usual demeanor, calmly putting the card away. There was nothing else in the passcode briefcase, so he casually closed it and placed it by his feet.

"You didn't close the door properly yourself!" Kang Hongyuan wouldn't pay attention to such details. No matter when, Old Kang seemed capable of shifting the blame onto others whenever he pleased. As he spoke, he even reached out to help Zhao Li close the office door, then, under Zhao Li's watchful gaze, leisurely poured himself a cup of water before sitting down opposite Zhao Li.

"What is it?" Kang Hongyuan coming over at this time definitely meant something was up. At least in Zhao Li's memory, whenever Kang Hongyuan sought him out proactively, something was bound to happen, including the time he provided intelligence proactively.

"Is that an anonymous account, or a secret account?" Without stating his purpose, Kang Hongyuan instead asked Zhao Li a question.

"A secret account," Zhao Li answered truthfully. Kang Hongyuan was fully aware of the reasons behind this, and Zhao Li had only done what he did later after seeking advice from Kang Hongyuan, so there was no need to hide it.

"Terrible!" Kang Hongyuan frowned and muttered softly.

Zhao Li's ears were very sharp, and he heard it clearly. "What is it? Is there a problem?"

"If it were an anonymous account, everything would be easy to handle," Kang Hongyuan furrowed his brows further. "But a secret account is very troublesome. No matter what, this account was opened under your name."

"Is it trouble?" Zhao Li still hadn't figured out the crucial point. Seeing that Kang Hongyuan thought it was inappropriate, he naturally asked for guidance immediately. To be honest, when it came to these matters, Zhao Li was basically a failing student.

"Big trouble," Kang Hongyuan dropped the words coldly. "Just think about it. A few months ago, your prison was hijacked, everyone was killed, and you were the only survivor left behind. A few months later, a secret account suddenly appears, containing a large sum of money far exceeding your income. If these records fall into the hands of those who suspect you, what do you think the outcome will be?"

Zhao Li had never thought about it from this perspective. In his heart, the prison incident was already a thing of the past. What was there to care about regarding things that had already passed? But now, prompted by Kang Hongyuan and imagining the consequences, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

"Furthermore, once it's discovered that I and Sanders are by your side..." Seeing Zhao Li's expression pause, Kang Hongyuan continued with the rest of his words, "You wouldn't be able to clear your name even if you had a thousand mouths."

He had never imagined that getting some dividend payouts from his superiors could carry such huge hidden risks. Moreover, Kang Hongyuan's arguments were completely logical, and even Zhao Li himself could analyze from his guidance that this was an extremely critical problem of the highest degree.

"Why?" After a brief moment of panic in his heart, seeing Kang Hongyuan still sitting as steady as a mountain, Zhao Li quickly calmed down. Since the old man wasn't nervous at all, there must be some solution. Besides, although the source of these funds wasn't entirely formal, he believed that after being vetted by the higher-ups, they were surely as clean as a lotus emerging from the water. What was there to worry about?

"Who knows!" Old Man Kang took a sip of water nonchalantly. "Maybe they didn't think of it, or maybe they're just using this leverage to keep you firmly under control. Anyway, when the higher-ups want to control their subordinates, they have plenty of ways."

Didn't think of it? That was utterly impossible. It was normal for Zhao Li not to have thought of it, but for those high-ranking, aged, and crafty figures above to not have thought of it would be a joke. Even Kang Hongyuan could spot the problem at a glance; Zhao Li refused to believe the higher-ups hadn't foreseen it.

In that case, it was very likely a method to control him. Who was targeting him? The old warden? That seemed unnecessary. If the old warden wanted Zhao Li to do something right now, Zhao Li wouldn't slack off. Or perhaps several other military region commanders? It was possible, but he couldn't determine which one, nor could he be sure if this was truly the reason.

"What should I do?" While pondering, he casually asked Kang Hongyuan.

"Think for yourself, don't always rely on others. I can't be by your side every moment." Kang Hongyuan seemed determined to only point out the problem to Zhao Li rather than solve it for him. This forced Zhao Li to face the issue on his own.

Under this pressure, Zhao Li's brain spun at the speed of a motor, countless possibilities revolving in his mind like a revolving lantern, and scenarios he had never considered before came flooding in. Furthermore, one point left Zhao Li extremely puzzled: General Thomas had clearly promised it would be an anonymous account back then, but now it had been changed to a secret account. Was there some other hidden reason behind this?

After sitting in silence for a long while, Zhao Li smiled faintly. Kang Hongyuan saw this smile and knew he had come up with some answers, so he asked with a smile, "Any ideas? Let's hear them!"

"This account wasn't opened by myself; even if investigated, it cannot serve as direct evidence," Zhao Li figured out the crux of the matter, and his heart immediately steadied. "Even if they discover I have a secret account, it can only serve as a basis for suspicion, not direct evidence to convict me. Since the higher-ups could easily set up a secret account for me, anyone else could do the same."

"Aren't you nervous about being suspected?" Kang Hongyuan turned the question back on Zhao Li, seemingly using this method to remind him, and also to test Zhao Li's solution.

"Aren't they suspecting me right now anyway?" Zhao Li replied noncommittally. His current position was already somewhat awkward; he was inherently in a state of being suspected, so one more thing didn't matter. If the higher-ups wanted to deal with him, they wouldn't need to go through so much trouble.

Seeing that Zhao Li could think so clearly, especially about his own predicament, this could be considered progress. Kang Hongyuan nodded, but still pressed further: "What if they harp on this endlessly? What if they discover me and Sanders?"

"Then I'll make the two of you disappear before they gather solid evidence," Zhao Li answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Disappear? What kind of disappearance?" Kang Hongyuan was quite interested in Zhao Li's answer and pursued it with great zest. "The most direct kind, the kind where nobody ever finds out afterward and it can no longer be used to threaten me," Zhao Li knew what answer the old man wanted, so he readily satisfied his wish.

"Very good, very good. It seems you're starting to understand how a bastard in this line of work should operate. Barely passing!" Kang Hongyuan obtained his answer and nodded with a smile, showing no anger or resentment whatsoever over Zhao Li saying he would make them disappear.

He truly was a calculated and scheming politician; even when guiding Zhao Li, he didn't hesitate to use himself as an example. If Sanders had heard this answer, Zhao Li believed he certainly wouldn't have accepted it as thoroughly as Kang Hongyuan did.

"No matter what you do in the future, first think about what benefits and harms it will bring. Once you weigh things more often, you'll naturally understand." This was Kang Hongyuan's concluding remark, considered a piece of experiential wisdom. Zhao Li took it deeply to heart. Whether or not he would choose to do things this way in the future, guidance like this was truly worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Since the conversation had reached this point of clarity, Zhao Li actually hoped even less that the money inside would be too much. The more there was, the more dangerous it was for him. Anyway, the war insurance for those soldiers had all been settled, and there were temporarily no urgent needs for money here. Zhao Li simply decided to put the matter out of his mind and began to focus on the interrogation results.

The two interrogation experts who arrived were both in their prime, around fifty or sixty years of age, with expressionless faces, as if everything they looked at was an object for extortion. A sweep of their gaze naturally brought a silent sense of oppression. The moment he met them, Zhao Li felt that pressure.

Fortunately, Zhao Li's management of the troops recently had been strict and orderly. Although the few months were short, they had cultivated a unique temperament. Facing that kind of majesty, Zhao Li remained unmoved. Although his heart tightened slightly, it didn't show on his surface. It seemed the current Zhao Li was already capable of controlling his facial expressions and gaze, preventing his thoughts from leaking out too much.

Wen Tianming was personally inspected by Zhao Li every day and had never found an opportunity to escape. Now, seeing the appearance of the two interrogation officers, he likely guessed their identities and stared at Zhao Li with venomous eyes, as if wishing to devour him alive.

"Lieutenant, may we question him alone?" The words of one of the interrogators dashed Zhao Li's intention to broaden his horizons and learn a thing or two.

"No problem!" Zhao Li replied briskly, turning to leave and closing the door behind him. "If there is anything you need me for, just call."

True to being professional interrogation officers, their efficiency was shockingly high. In less than two hours, they emerged expressionless from inside, nodded at Zhao Li, and signaled that they had obtained the desired results. Peeking through the crack in the door, Zhao Li saw that Wen Tianming showed no signs of having been abused at all, and his spirits even seemed quite alert. He couldn't help but feel extremely curious about their methods.

After seeing off the supply ship and the interrogators, Zhao Li returned to Wen Tianming's cell. Seeing Zhao Li appear, Wen Tianming was instead quite happy: "Kid, I used tens of billions to buy your superior to take you out. Let's see if you die this time!"

"You'd better worry about yourself first!" Zhao Li gave him a disdainful look. "If you had coughed up this money before I dealt with you, there might have been a chance. Handing it over in this situation—if you even manage to survive the public trial of the local court, consider it your ancestors burning incense." Having experienced more, he naturally drew inferences about these things. Almost the moment he heard Wen Tianming's threat, Zhao Li had already anticipated this outcome.

A few words caused Wen Tianming's expression to change drastically. He was considered a decisive and ruthless figure, which was why he had run amok in the Golden Five Star region for decades. Captured this time, and seeing the interrogation experts go straight to the point demanding his hidden wealth, he had stirred up intentions to use the military to teach Zhao Li a lesson, thus readily making a deal with the military—one of the key conditions being to bring Zhao Li down.

As a result, Zhao Li's words made Wen Tianming understand the truth. The military had never intended to make a deal with him; they only wanted the money he had secretly hidden away. As for the promises made, who would remember what a dying man had said? Zhao Li understood this, and Wen Tianming understood it just as well. It was just that his hatred had blinded his eyes, causing him to be bogged down by circumstances and failing to see through this layer just moments before.

Training in the camp was proceeding completely as normal. After this incident, not only was military morale greatly boosted, but the enthusiasm of all the soldiers for training soared as well. Without even needing supervision, everyone spontaneously increased the intensity of their training. That desperate kind of drive deeply inspired Zhao Li.

Zhao Li's words were executed even more thoroughly within the military camp. Perhaps it was because Zhao Li had not hesitated to fall out with the Black Prison mercenary group and completely wipe Black Prison from the region just to seek justice for two ordinary soldiers. Especially since Zhao Li later ventured alone into the enemy's lair, single-handedly breaking the limbs of hundreds of men—while greatly saving face for the military camp, it also thoroughly settled the blood debt for the two humiliated soldiers. Combined with the arrival of the war insurance payout, everyone looked at Zhao Li with expressions of absolute reverence.

Right now, Zhao Li was dressed entirely in jungle camouflage, his face smeared with matching camo paint, trekking through the jungle. Accompanying him was Sanders, dressed in the exact same gear and attire.

Long before treating Li Mengdie, Zhao Li had promised Sanders that he would accompany him on a trip to a certain place. At the time, no specific location was mentioned, and Zhao Li hadn't asked either. When everything in the military camp was properly arranged, Sanders formally put forward this request.

The higher-ups had demanded that Zhao Li avoid any major actions recently, so he had the time. However, finding a suitable pretext wasn't easy since Zhao Li was, after all, a military commander. Heading out alone with Sanders was rather difficult to justify.

"We'll just go under the guise of routine training." Sanders didn't care about these details at all. "Didn't that wild survival training you guys played last time last two or three days? Just continue with that this time. Your training will be personally supervised by me, how about that?"

This turned out to be a good excuse. Zhao Li thought about it and agreed to the method. After discussing it with Christine and Li Mengdie, the elite squad once again carried out a wild survival training exercise. Although there were five fewer people than last time, the elite squad's establishment remained intact, and a few ordinary soldiers had already shown momentum that could earn them a spot in the elite squad.

Under the supervision of Li Mengdie and Christine, the group entered the jungle once more, resuming the wild survival training. Not long after the training began, however, Zhao Li and Sanders boarded a warship, veered in another direction, and left the vessel at the edge of another stretch of jungle, entering the greenery together with their weapons.

Li Mengdie was very cooperative and didn't ask Zhao Li why he arranged things this way. From the very beginning, she firmly believed Zhao Li would never do anything bad, so she asked no questions about his actions and gave him her complete trust.

Sanders certainly lived up to his reputation as a special forces instructor. Although he specialized heavily in firearms, that didn't mean his other subjects were lacking. At least in the jungle, Zhao Li's performance fell far behind.

"The plant species here are relatively sparse, but the trees in this jungle have grown for at least several decades. This brand-new biosphere has formed in less than two hundred years. Therefore, everything must be adapted to local conditions, and experience from other places cannot be copied blindly." Along the way, while cutting a path through the jungle, Sanders gave Zhao Li a lecture.

"Two hundred years?" This was the first time Zhao Li had heard such a theory. "Isn't this the native biosphere of the planet itself? How can its history be this short?"

"You've never been exposed to the discipline of planetary terraforming, have you?" Sanders instantly pinpointed a weakness in Zhao Li's knowledge.

"No, what's wrong?" Did wild survival training have something to do with these subjects as well?

"Do you know why this is a barren planet? Almost no mineral deposits with large reserves exist here." Sanders found a small water source, and the two sat down not far from the water's edge to rest briefly and recover their strength. After a forced march lasting nearly two hours continuously, Zhao Li estimated the distance they had covered should be around forty kilometers. Averaging it out, it was nearly twenty kilometers per hour, which was no easy feat when marching through a jungle.

"I don't know!" In front of instructors, especially when it involved training content, Zhao Li always sought truth from facts. If he knew, he knew; if he didn't, he didn't. Planetary terraforming was definitely not something Zhao Li knew very well.

"Not all planets are suitable for human habitation," Sanders said while instructing Zhao Li on how to set up a simple campsite, clearing up his confusion. "Take Mars, for example. Before humans set foot on it, the surface temperature was too low, and the atmospheric composition was unsuitable. Planets like this all require a certain degree of modification before immigration is possible."

Zhao Li understood this point; Mars immigration reportedly underwent over a century of preliminary modification. As for the specific methods of modification, Zhao Li only had a vague impression rather than clear knowledge. He only knew it utilized the greenhouse effect to drastically raise surface temperatures, followed by transplanting hardy plants to slowly alter the atmospheric environment until human survival needs could be met.

"The process is similar, but do you know how the greenhouse effect is generated?" Sanders kept his hands busy while asking Zhao Li, having already dropped a purification tablet into the water he had just scooped from the small pool, waiting for it to dissolve.

"I don't know." Did this have anything to do with the planet being barren? Zhao Li wasn't sure, but since Sanders said so, he was definitely imparting some knowledge. After answering honestly, he waited for the answer to be revealed.

"Actually, it's very simple, but you've just never thought of it." Sanders gently shook the small water bottle to help the purification tablet dissolve faster. "Don't stop, we only have half an hour to rest. Get the food ready, and no lighting fires."

"The drastic deterioration of Earth's living environment is caused primarily by pollution. Industrial, agricultural, and domestic pollution—part of the consequence of this pollution is the generation of massive amounts of greenhouse gases, leading to a rise in Earth's temperatures." The purification tablet had dissolved, and Sanders filtered the water once through a tiny filter cloth, took a sip himself, and then handed it to Zhao Li.

"The preliminary modification involves using various industrial instruments capable of generating pollution, finding appropriate locations, and then producing wildly. While stockpiling raw materials, they also produce greenhouse gases." Since the two of them still had rations on them, there was no need to hunt in the jungle just yet. Although Sanders said the main purpose of this trip was to find those miraculous sand grains with him, since he promised to give Zhao Li wild survival training, he wouldn't slack off by even a fraction.

"It's that simple?" Zhao Li already understood somewhat, but still found it a bit hard to believe.

"Of course. Otherwise, why do you think those companies producing obsolete machinery for the Federation still haven't gone bankrupt to this day?" What Sanders said was a fact. Currently, there were quite a few large industrial conglomerates producing outdated industrial machinery, a practice that had once even sparked civilian protests back when Zhao Li was in school. They had never been shut down, presumably because they were used for this very purpose. The strange thing was, these items shouldn't have been classified secrets; as long as they were made public, it should have naturally placated the anger of environmentalists. Why hadn't anyone done that?

"Do you think everything they produce is used for stellar terraforming?" Sanders sometimes found Zhao Li's naivety truly hopeless. "After following that old man for so long, why haven't you learned more of his shrewdness? If things were truly that ideal, where would all the strife in this world come from?"

Though scolded, Zhao Li didn't feel wronged at all. He had memorized all of this in his mind. These fragmented pieces of knowledge might sound like hearsay, but one day in the future, a single piece of it might just save his life.

"During this preliminary stage, basically all mineral deposits within about fifty meters underground that can be detected are used to produce waste gases and stockpile raw materials." Sanders finished chewing his rations and signaled for Zhao Li to lean against a tree and rest for a bit. Of course, this was out of consideration for Zhao Li; Sanders's own cultivation had already stepped into the threshold of the eighth rank and could recover at any time.

However, Zhao Li actually didn't need any special rest either. Right before setting out, he and Li Mengdie had engaged in another round of passionate intimacy, draining away the nameless internal energy he couldn't refine. Since then, Zhao Li had maintained the practicing state of the foundational bodybuilding art, which prevented the generation of nameless internal energy and allowed him to sustain this state for a much longer period. When necessary, it could also unleash strength surpassing his original baseline. Naturally, Zhao Li wasn't foolish enough to blurt this out; he simply followed Sanders's instructions and leaned back in a comfortable position to rest.

"This phase can basically last for fifty to a hundred years, depending on the distance from the star and the atmospheric composition. Basically, over such a long period, even under those backward mechanical operations, the mineral deposits are almost completely mined out. After all, say what you will, those are automatically controlled machines; aside from not needing to handle the generated exhaust gases, their extraction efficiency is also extremely high, and raw materials equal money." As if wanting Zhao Li to understand these things thoroughly, Sanders showed not a shred of impatience, patiently explaining every detail.

Throughout the explanation, Zhao Li listened quietly. By now, even without Sanders spelling it out, Zhao Li already understood why there were no exploitable mineral deposits on this fringe planet. Even if any remained, they were merely the lower-grade deposits that wasn't worth major corporations investing in. For instance, the small iron-smelting plant in Golden Five Star could basically only meet some civilian demands, and even then at a high cost.

"What comes next?" Though he understood the cause of the barrenness, Zhao Li still wanted to learn more about stellar terraforming.

"Next, specific fungi and microorganisms are selected based on the atmospheric environment of the different planets, and they slowly begin to construct the biosphere." Sanders also consciously helped wipe away Zhao Li's blind spots. "These fungi will consume the toxic and harmful gases in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, and reproduce massively, providing the necessary nutrients for the next stage."

"Following that are algae. These algae can survive in extreme environments. This phase mainly focuses on suppressing and absorbing greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide to achieve the role of regulating the planet's temperature." Zhao Li listened quietly, feeling as though he were listening to a science fiction novel.

"Algal plants can also release massive amounts of oxygen, modifying the atmospheric composition." Sanders looked at Zhao Li's earnest expression and couldn't help finding it a bit amusing. "Next are herbaceous plants and woody plants, which further improve air quality. Of course, these plants are all chosen to suit the environment at that time."

"Only afterward is the introduction of various diverse plants and animals to form a biosphere and begin establishing a complete food chain. In short, while it sounds simple, the process is very troublesome. If you ever get the chance to meet a few biologists and alien environmental experts, you can ask them for detailed instructions." Sanders finally concluded his remedial lesson, leaving Zhao Li able to understand the general process at the very least.

"This later process of building the biosphere takes several decades or even longer." Tapping casually on the tree he was leaning against, Sanders introduced to Zhao Li, "Look at these plants; the varieties aren't many. Although they look lush, ultimately there are only these few types—just the suitable plants chosen back then. The animals are also those that once existed on Earth. The only thing different from Earth is that the forest coverage rate is very high. Aside from these, very few other plants could survive here, since the soil composition is still different, after all."

No wonder that apart from deserts and oceans, most of the fringe planet was covered by dense forests; this was the reason. All cities were built after clearing a patch of jungle. However, this also made Zhao Li suspect another issue: "Then why do these people grow drugs instead of running a timber business?"

"Because this is a fringe planet. The distance is too far, and other planets have materials of much better quality than this one, plus transportation costs are much lower." Sanders explained the problem away with a single sentence.

"So that's how it is." Zhao Li nodded. Yet, even as he nodded, he suddenly heard a peculiar sound coming from the sky above, prompting him to look up involuntarily. "What is that?"

Within his field of vision, however, there were no suspicious objects whatsoever. When he looked at Sanders, he noticed the exact same expression of surprise on his face.

Mystery Monster

Looking toward the sky once more, aside from a few patches of clouds, there was nothing. The sound had echoed just once and never occurred again. The sky was completely normal, without even a breeze.

However, both of them had heard that strange sound; it was definitely not a hallucination. It was impossible for both of them to experience a hallucination simultaneously, especially since Sanders was an eighth-rank powerhouse.

That sound was very similar to the engine noise of certain starships, yet nothing could be seen in their field of vision. Perhaps it was just a passing spacecraft, after all.

Observing carefully for a long time without discovering any anomalies, the two looked at each other, at a loss for words. In the end, Sanders just shrugged. "Maybe it was thunder or something else, who knows?"

With rest time over, they hit the road again. During the day, it was relatively easy to distinguish directions in the jungle, and with someone like Sanders around, getting lost wasn't a worry. Zhao Li didn't know where the destination was; he simply followed Sanders forward.

Two days and two nights were spent entirely on the march. Whenever they encountered danger, Zhao Li and Sanders could handle it with their twin military daggers. After all, on an immigrant planet like this, there were no top-tier apex predator species of any high caliber. To be honest, creatures like these were already scarce back on Earth.

Along the way, they practically lived off the land, consuming raw meat. Deep in the jungle, Sanders strictly supervised Zhao Li, forbidding the lighting of fires and forcing him to rely entirely on jungle survival methods, fully demonstrating his role as an instructor. Even when Zhao Li ran into trouble, Sanders didn't step in to help, leaving Zhao Li to solve it himself.

The training along the route this time was far more professional than the one Zhao Li had organized previously. Zhao Li genuinely put the theoretical knowledge he had learned before into practice.

The strange sound heard two days ago never surfaced again, and both men assumed nothing of it. However, just as Zhao Li was carefully burying the traces of his passage, another crisp gunshot suddenly rang out from the distance.

This time, not just Zhao Li, but Sanders as well heard it clearly. Just as they exchanged bewildered glances, a rapid series of gunshots broke out in succession.

"Assault rifle, bursts, at least four people firing." Sanders was a firearms expert; listening to the incoming sound, he could roughly determine the number of shooters over there.

Yet, this was the deep interior of the jungle, a place where even drug traffickers and local farmers had no business venturing deep into. How could there be gunshots? Judging by the location of the gunfire, it was roughly a few kilometers away from their current spot.

The two exchanged glances, and Sanders decisively pulled out the rations he had prepared from his backpack, which he hadn't used yet since they had subsisted entirely on foraging for the past two days. Now that there was gunfire, they could no longer afford to continue their training.

Devouring their rations at speed, the two rested silently for twenty minutes. After a few more scattered shots sounded, the area fell silent once more. Even so, Zhao Li and Sanders moved cautiously toward that direction.

A march of a few kilometers would normally take twenty minutes, but this time they had to conceal their tracks and move with extreme caution. They gripped the assault rifles stored in their backpacks; with the situation turning abnormal, twelve parts out of ten caution was required.

The location where the gunfire had just erupted was quite obvious. Not only did the heavy smell of gunpowder in the air clearly point the way for Zhao Li, but following that scent of gunpowder revealed bullet holes blasted into several tree trunks just a short distance ahead.

Without needing a careful examination, the four corpses lying there explained everything. Four soldiers wearing military uniforms tightly clutched their assault rifles, each chest bearing several long bloodstains, and one had a wound right at the throat—presumably the fatal blow.

The surroundings were an absolute mess, and similar claw marks could be seen on several trees. All four soldiers wore expressions of utter shock, their eyes wide open in death, which deeply startled Zhao Li and Sanders.

"What did they see?" Walking cautiously to the side of the bodies, Zhao Li saw the blood had already coagulated and body temperature had vanished. They were dead beyond saving, with no hope of rescue. He could only stand among them, looking at the chaotic scene around him and guessing what had happened. The equipment on the corpses looked extremely well-maintained; besides firearms and weapons, they also carried individual tactical communication systems, but unfortunately, the equipment on all four men had been clawed to pieces and was completely unusable.

"The bullet impacts are scattered very widely. If targets didn't appear all around them, it means the targets were moving extremely fast." Encouraged by Sanders's gaze, Zhao Li voiced his conjecture.

Sanders shared the same view, which made the purpose behind these soldiers opening fire very much open to question. Aside from the soldiers' bloodstains, blood was only found near those claw marks, though it couldn't be ruled out that it was the soldiers' own blood.

"The target's size isn't very large, roughly the size of a normal human." From the surrounding traces, the size of the target could be roughly estimated. With his rich experience, Sanders began guiding Zhao Li.

What kind of creature was this? Roughly human-sized, equipped with five-fingered sharp claws, yet none of the beasts that came to mind could be associated with lightning-fast speed. There were also no shed furs or anything of the sort around, making it basically impossible to identify what it was.

"Let's move!" After examining the scene for less than a couple of minutes, Sanders gave Zhao Li a decisive order. Zhao Li vaguely sensed something was wrong as well, and without a word, he followed Sanders away.

They had not moved far when the sound of someone pushing through the jungle reached them. Speaking of which, Sanders was an expert, and Zhao Li could barely count as a minor expert; their cooperation was extremely tacit. With a single hand signal from Sanders, the two moved in unison, silently grabbing tree trunks and scrambling upward.

Some dozen meters high in the air among the canopy, the two carefully concealed their bodies within the dense foliage. Their jungle camo blended their figures so seamlessly that they didn't need to worry about being spotted.

"Quick, quick, Group Seven has lost contact. Search thoroughly, and leave no obvious traces." Five or six figures emerged from the jungle, clad in full military uniform, approaching this direction in a standard jungle-marching formation. As they walked, the men scanned their surroundings, looking upward a few times, but because Zhao Li and Sanders were well hidden, they went unnoticed for the moment.

After the group searched and passed by, and when their footsteps could no longer be heard, Sanders moved slightly. The two remained aloft without coming down, communicating through visible hand gestures.

"Who are they?" Zhao Li asked.

"I don't know! Active-duty soldiers, but I can't tell which military branch they belong to." Sanders replied. Abandoning the plan, they slowly slid down the tree trunks and crept back toward that direction. Fortunately, they had been quite careful when leaving earlier and hadn't left any obvious traces, otherwise they surely would have been spotted. Still, there was no need to worry about that for the moment; although those men marched cautiously, their movements were full of flaws, and their direction of travel was easy to discern. Even if discovered, those troops would likely just assume the tracks belonged to the missing Group Seven.

Maintaining a distance where they could occasionally catch a glimpse of the group through the line of sight, Zhao Li and Sanders cautiously observed their actions. It wasn't that the two of them liked meddling; this place still belonged administratively to the Golden Five Star region, but due to the dense jungle, no one had ever operated here. For the military to have personnel operating here was thoroughly abnormal.

If those men were special forces operatives executing a special mission, Zhao Li could write it off as training, but they were clearly just ordinary soldiers.

Another reason was that there had never been any rumors of fierce beasts existing here. After all, this was merely an immigrant planet; all biospheres had been brought over from Earth, and large predatory beasts were fundamentally impossible to exist here. Unless there was some intense radioactive fallout capable of causing mutation, the conditions for that were lacking here as well. Relying purely on natural selection, generating mutated beasts like this within a mere one or two hundred years was utterly out of the question.

That being the case, the purpose of those men operating here became very intriguing. Especially for Sanders, who had come here specifically to find those rare life-saving sand grains; if outsiders found out, all his efforts would be wasted. In terms of urgency, Sanders was even more anxious than Zhao Li.

Suddenly, a grey shadow flickered within their field of vision. Just as Zhao Li thought his eyes were playing tricks on him and intended to look away in another direction, a chaotic flurry of sounds erupted over there, interspersed with gunshots.

Hiding behind cover, Zhao Li and Sanders kept their eyes glued to that direction. Though the distance was somewhat far and they could only catch glimpses of shadows, they clearly saw a figure darting about erratically amidst continuous gunfire. Intermittent screams rang out alongside the shots. The shadow moved at incredible speed, swiftly silencing the screams until complete quiet fell once more.

"What was that?" Zhao Li asked Sanders, staring at the flickering figure.

"I don't know, couldn't see clearly." Sanders wasn't entirely certain either; the figure moved too fast, completely outside the scope of a normal human, and vague hints of fur resembling a beast could be seen. It was hard to say what it was.

"What should we do? Should we go take a look?" Zhao Li looked at Sanders. Since this trip was to help Sanders, the command authority naturally rested with him.

"Don't meddle, maintain strict vigilance." Hearing the gunfire cease over there, Sanders didn't seem to have any intention of approaching. "We still don't know who those people are; let's not cause extraneous complications."

Sanders made sense, and the primary issue remained the unknown identity of those soldiers. Moreover, their mysterious behavior coupled with the fact that they weren't special forces made their motives deeply suspicious.

This time, Zhao Li and Sanders dialed their vigilance up to the absolute maximum, stealthily creeping away in the direction opposite to that commotion, trying their best not to alarm the unknown monster. The gunshots over there had died down entirely; if their estimate was correct, that six-man squad was likely doomed.

*Rustle.* A strange sound came from the front left. Without thinking, Zhao Li raised his rifle and prepared to sweep the area with gunfire, only for Sanders to reach out with lightning speed and press the barrel down, gently shaking his head.

"Careful, there's something weird about this place. Don't expose our position too easily." Practical combat experience made Sanders a hundred times stronger than Zhao Li. Confronted with this situation, he was naturally the one to make the right judgment.

That particular rustling sound was not the normal noise of the jungle. Despite being told not to shoot, Sanders still drew his military dagger, listened intently in that direction, and scanned the surroundings with heightened vigilance.

The sounds of the jungle never truly ceased, but this time, even Zhao Li felt a sense of danger. A strange noise drew closer from afar, as though something was scaling the tree branches and charging straight toward them.

Mimicking Sanders, Zhao Li drew his military dagger, assumed a defensive stance, and stared intently at the source of the sound.

*Swish.* A grey-white figure appeared, its military uniform glaringly conspicuous against the jungle backdrop. Before Zhao Li could react, the opposing figure lunged directly toward him. Even while still airborne, he could see a pair of sharp claws resembling miniature daggers on its hands.

The figure closed the distance far too fast; Zhao Li barely had time to cross his military dagger horizontally in front of his chest. With a sharp *clang*, a violent shock traveled through his hands, as if the weapon had been struck by a high-velocity impact hammer. The dagger was knocked completely out of his grip, flying off to the side. *Thud*, a crisp sound rang out as the blade buried itself deep into a nearby tree trunk, plunging so deeply that the hilt didn't even vibrate.

The moment he lost his dagger, Zhao Li kicked off the ground and retreated rapidly. Even so, the clothing across his chest was slashed horizontally by the monster's claws, causing the bulletproof vest worn on the outside to emit a tooth-grating noise as three long tears were ripped open.

Missing its first strike, the monster instantly changed direction, scaling the adjacent tree trunk at lightning speed without showing a single awkward movement.

A cold sweat broke out all over Zhao Li in an instant. In a single exchange, he had lost his weapon without even managing to touch the opponent. There was no time to panic, however. Climbing mere steps higher, the monster leveraged its height advantage and lunged at him once more.

Blood-stained, snow-white claws stabbed toward him like short swords. Without thinking, Zhao Li reached out and grabbed those claws. The moment his fingers brushed the creature, the nameless cultivation technique—practiced until it felt like pure instinct—activated instantly. At that exact same moment, a jarring impact struck his left shoulder like a sharp arrow.

The airborne monster let out a shrill, miserable howl as its body recoiled backward in a flash. However, one of its claws remained firmly gripped in Zhao Li's hand. Leveraging the momentum of its retreat, Zhao Li flicked his wrist with a sharp twist. A cracking sound echoed, followed by a sudden lightness in his hand—a snow-white, bloody claw had been snapped off entirely at the joint, remaining clutched in Zhao Li's grip.

Across his left shoulder, the outer bulletproof vest now bore three finger-sized holes. Faced with the monster's claws, standard military bulletproof vests were practically as useless as paper, failing to offer the slightest bit of protection.

The claw in his hand, meanwhile, had been broken clean off the monster's paw by sheer physical force, explaining the piercing shriek the creature had let out.

This was the first time he had campaigned for votes for a new book, and he lacked experience.

His previous books had never vied for monthly tickets, so he didn't know how to lobby for them.

That was why he had simply gone on a crazy update spree; aside from New Year's Day and the two days before the New Year when he had worked overtime, he had posted over 9,000 words every single day without a single break in serialization. Anyone who had followed his previous books knew what his release speed was like; this time, he had truly risked his life.

He had originally thought being ahead by over 200 votes meant he was safe, but he hadn't expected to be overtaken even after gaining another 200-plus votes. He was utterly speechless and could only brazenly appeal for votes once more.