"This big brother isn't a bad person," Tian Mo whispered in Bai Xi's ear.
Bai Xi pinched Tian Mo's chubby little cheek and unzipped her backpack. It was stuffed with food, and Tian Tian's backpack next to it was just as full.
"We really do have food."
"...I thought you were just being polite. Since you have your own food, I'll leave you to it."
An apologetic look appeared on Han Dong's face. He had underestimated them—girls could absolutely survive in the apocalypse too.
After breakfast, Bai Xi and the siblings went downstairs.
Tan Mingshan's team consisted of eight people. A benevolent-looking old man was Professor Chen, and next to him was a beautiful girl in her early twenties—his granddaughter, Chen Feifei. In addition, there was a student couple, Li Meng and Fang Xiang, a middle-aged man in his forties named Qian Qishan, a career woman in her late twenties named He Mei, and finally, Tan Mingshan and Han Dong.
"I'm sorry! We disturbed you last night," Professor Chen apologized as he saw the three of them come downstairs. He seemed very amiable.
"It's no bother," Bai Xi smiled. She was the kind of person who would be polite to you if you were polite to her.
The other five people in the team gave the trio an expressionless glance before turning back to their own business or chatting with the others.
Bai Xi didn't care at all about being blatantly isolated by the group. Completing the mission required a ten percent survival rate, which meant that more than half of these people were going to die anyway. She needed to scout the surroundings to better prepare for any unexpected events or sudden mutations.
Tian Tian also led her younger brother out of the house and pointed toward the village. "Sister Bai, Momo and I will go check over there."
"Be careful."
Bai Xi didn't tell them to just stay in the house and let her handle it. She deeply understood that in this game, one could only rely on themselves. If they weren't strong enough, death was only a matter of time. Tian Tian had a younger brother with no ability to defend himself, so she had to become stronger even faster. And Tian Mo also had to learn to be strong, or at least not be a burden to his sister. So far, he was doing a great job.
Bai Xi and the siblings entered the village in two different directions.
The further she went, the tighter Bai Xi's frown became. The village was just as terrifyingly quiet as it had been yesterday. There were no chirping bugs or singing birds; she couldn't even see a single ant.
She carefully approached a spacious, well-lit house and peered through the window. No one was inside. She circled the house, but there was still no one. She checked several more houses in a row, all of which were completely empty.
"Why is there no one in this village?" Bai Xi murmured in confusion. This place shouldn't be as dangerous as the city, so where did all the villagers go?
She continued forward and searched a few more houses. The uneasiness in her heart grew heavier.
Suddenly, Tian Tian and her brother emerged from the side. "Sister Bai, don't go any further."
"What's wrong?" Bai Xi asked.
"The smell ahead is really weird. There's a stench of blood and rot, along with a nasty, sour reek," Tian Tian sniffed the air and said with certainty.
"Was there no one on your side either?" Bai Xi continued.
Tian Tian nodded. "Not a single soul. The houses are all covered in dust. It feels like no one has lived in them for a long time."
"Forget it, let's stop searching. This village is way too weird. Since we arrived yesterday, I haven't heard a single bug or bird." Bai Xi wasn't the type to blindly walk into the lion's den. She had always trusted her intuition. She had once read an article that stated intuition was the conclusion drawn from the subconscious mind's precise calculations.
The three of them hurried back as quickly as possible. Halfway there, they ran into Tan Mingshan and Han Dong, who had gone to check the nearby fields. As they compiled their information, they realized something was very wrong.
"It's about the same in the fields. I didn't see any insects, big or small," Tan Mingshan said, his expression grave.
"Uncle Tan, we should leave as soon as possible. Who knows what's hiding in this village? Over half of the dozen of us have zero combat ability. If something goes wrong, the casualties will be massive," Bai Xi suggested.
If Tan Mingshan and his group refused to leave, she would take Tian Tian and Tian Mo and leave on her own.
"Alright, we leave immediately." Tan Mingshan was decisive. Since they were certain there was a problem, there was no point in staying.
"Where are we going then?" Han Dong asked.
"Let's head west! The office mentioned before that there's a main military force over there. We'll go look for them. With the army's protection, Professor Chen will be a bit safer." Tan Mingshan looked at Bai Xi. "Bai Xi, do you want to come along? We can look out for each other."
Bai Xi looked at the siblings, wanting to ask for their opinion, but Tian Tian spoke up first. "We'll go wherever Sister Bai goes."
Rubbing the top of Tian Tian's head, Bai Xi turned to Tan Mingshan and said, "Then we'll go together!"
It was a bit strenuous for her to lead Tian Tian and Tian Mo on her own. Tan Mingshan and Han Dong were both capable fighters; staying with them would increase their safety. Bai Xi silently made up her mind. Once she returned, she definitely needed to learn some combat skills. Otherwise, she would be too passive.
After returning to the house, Tan Mingshan gave a brief rallying speech, but the group seemed somewhat reluctant.
"This place is pretty nice, why do we have to leave?"
"Yeah! Isn't it normal not to hear bugs and birds? Everything has mutated now. We should only be scared if there actually were any."
Li Meng and Fang Xiang, the young couple, were full of exhaustion and didn't want to travel anymore.
Professor Chen shook his head and explained, "Even if mutations occur, it wouldn't be this fast. It's a gradual, step-by-step process. It's impossible for everything to mutate in just a few short days. Besides, we haven't encountered any mutated creatures along the way."
"Uncle Tan and Brother Han are very experienced. Since they said so, there must be a problem with this village," Chen Feifei comforted them, her voice gentle and soft.
Li Meng rolled her eyes silently and stopped arguing. Qian Qishan and He Mei, who had remained quiet the whole time, also agreed to go look for the main military force.
The group soon set off once again.
Heading west required passing through the village, so Tan Mingshan led everyone around its outskirts, which lengthened their journey.
By 10:00 AM, the sun had risen high in the sky. The blistering heat was making everyone feel miserable. They all looked unwell, and the group grew increasingly silent.
"Uncle Tan, can we find a place to rest for a bit? Grandpa is having a hard time holding on," Chen Feifei said, looking at Professor Chen with worry.
Tan Mingshan glanced at Professor Chen; the old man indeed looked like he couldn't hold on much longer. "Then let's find a place to rest."
They found a relatively clean house on the edge of the village. Bai Xi was also feeling exhausted, the intense sun making her irritable. She pulled a bottle of mineral water from her bag and gulped it down. Tian Tian also took out a bottle of water, letting Tian Mo drink first before finishing the rest herself.
Before they came downstairs this morning, Bai Xi had packed plenty of food and water for them. The others were running low on water and could only take small sips. Seeing Bai Xi and the siblings easily polish off half a bottle made them extremely envious.
In the corner, Li Meng whispered something into Fang Xiang's ear, and the two quietly slipped out.