Ling Cage, pick up Lu Mingfei at the start.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden outline on the ecological base, and the busy work gradually subsided into an orderly conclusion.

Bai Yuekui stood on the metal platform extending from outside the central control room, his fingertips gently brushing a strand of silver hair that had been blown across his forehead by the breeze back behind his ear.

Standing in front of her was the administrator stationed at the base, a middle-aged man with a serious expression and a data tablet in his hand.

"Have you checked the types and quantities of ingredients that each household applied for?" Bai Yuekui's voice was calm, yet carried an unmistakable quality.

The administrator immediately straightened his back, nodded respectfully, and quickly scanned the data panel in his hand again. Each item had been marked with a clear green confirmation mark.

"Yes, Boss Bai, everything has been checked and it matches the total requirements sheet sent by the logistics department of Longgu Village perfectly. The error is within the allowable range." He handed over the data panel with both hands. "Please take a look."

Bai Yuekui took the screen, his gaze calmly sweeping over the densely packed yet neatly arranged items. Various hydroponic vegetables, processed meats, poultry and eggs... each item was followed by a precise number and the recipient's family's number.

The annual food festival has long transcended a simple gathering for meals, becoming an important ritual for maintaining community cohesion and igniting hope for life.

From the storage and distribution of ingredients to safe transportation and final processing, every step involves the expectations of hundreds of people and cannot tolerate the slightest mistake.

These lists all need to be submitted to her for final confirmation and endorsement.

After confirming that everything was correct, she tapped the corner of the screen with her fingertip to complete the electronic signature and handed the data board back.

"Alright, notify the warehouse to start preparing the goods in order and get them ready for loading."

"Yes!" The administrator breathed a sigh of relief, took the data panel, and quickly left.

Almost at the same time he turned around, a sound that came from afar, mixed with light footsteps and faint laughter.

Bai Yuekui looked up and saw Lu Mingfei and his group, who were visiting the base in the morning light, walking towards the control room.

Xia Dou was still excited, Mai Duo listened with a smile, Xu Tong followed behind with his hands in his pockets, and Lu Mingfei walked in the middle.

Bai Yuekui stood quietly, watching them approach. Sunlight cast long shadows behind her, making her silver hair appear to be edged with gold.

"Boss Bai!" Xia Dou was the first to wave, running over with rosy cheeks. "We're back! The base is so much fun! Lu Mingfei was mesmerized several times!"

Bai Yuekui's gaze passed over Xia Dou and landed on Lu Mingfei, who was a step behind, a slight smile curving his lips.

"How was your time?" she asked.

Lu Mingfei stopped and met her gaze. He opened his mouth, thinking of many things to say, but when the words reached his lips, he felt that these words were too pale and powerless.

Towering hydroponic towers, neat wheat fields, tranquil fishponds, and bizarre symbiotic nurseries swirled in his mind… In the end, all his emotions coalesced into two words, which he uttered heavily, carrying all his feelings:

"It's very impressive."

He paused, feeling that one word wasn't enough, and added, "I thought it was already a miracle that we could establish Dragonbone Village surrounded by the Mana ecosystem, providing everyone with a place to live and a relatively safe order. Coming here today, I realize..."

He shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the fields and buildings bathed in the glow of the setting sun in the distance. "My vision is still too narrow. This is not a farm. This is a living ark, carved bit by bit on the edge of an abyss with technology and unimaginable perseverance."

His voice wasn't loud, and unusually, he didn't utter any vulgarities, but rather spoke with an unprecedented seriousness.

Bai Yuekui listened quietly, her eyes deepening slightly. She could tell that behind these words, something in the young man's heart was being reshaped and strengthened.

This was the change she wanted, and one of the ways she reinforced Lu Mingfei's sense of belonging here.

"You should feel awe," she said, her voice calm and steady. "The Ark's existence isn't just about producing food. It's a mirror, reflecting what we're fighting against—not just the fangs of the Devouring Beasts, but the 'entropy increase' trend that drags everything into chaos, disorder, and ultimately, utter silence. Here, every successfully domesticated crop, every protected benign mutant creature, even every drop of recycled water, is a tiny yet crucial piece we've thrown at that trend. We're using order to fight chaos, using creation to fight annihilation, no matter how small that order may be, no matter how difficult that creation may be."

Bai Yuekui's words carried a philosophical chill, yet contained a burning core, which Lu Mingfei seemed to understand but not quite.

He suddenly understood why Bai Yuekui and the villagers who worked silently had devoted so much effort to this land.

This is not just about survival; it is a silent and tragic war for the survival of civilization.

"Let's go," Bai Yuekui said, not delving deeper into the topic. He turned to the convoy of transport vehicles that were already ready. "Keep the sentiments in your hearts, but we still have work to do. You guys go to the warehouse and help load the ingredients that are going to be transported back to the village onto the trucks."

"Okay!" they all replied in unison.

When they arrived at the warehouse area, several trucks that had come from Longgu Village were already neatly parked next to the loading platform.

Shandong University was directing the workers at the base to move boxes of packaged ingredients out of the warehouse. Seeing Lu Mingfei and his group arrive, a smile spread across his rugged face: "Perfect timing! Give us a hand, hurry up and load the truck, before it gets completely dark and the roads are easier to travel!"

Without saying a word, Lu Mingfei rolled up his sleeves and joined the unloading team. This time, in addition to some daily supplies, the main items to be transported back were "special" ingredients prepared for the food festival: heavy bags of wheat flour that exuded a clean grain aroma, various fresh hydroponic vegetables packed in insulated boxes, cleaned meats chilled with ice packs, and some tightly sealed special ingredients.

Since his accidental awakening during the shielding tower mission, the mysterious "something for nothing" within him seems to have left behind a kind of permanent "gift"—even without actively activating it, his basic strength, endurance, and even recovery speed far exceed the range of ordinary people, maintaining a constant state of about one percent increase.

Moving these boxes, which would be quite heavy for an ordinary person, seemed effortless to him.

He moved steadily, lifting two large boxes at once without any hesitation, which made the young workers at the nearby base secretly marvel.

Shandong noticed this too, and while easily lifting an even larger box, he grinned at Lu Mingfei and said, "Not bad, kid, your strength has improved! Looks like you can help me carry more ammunition on the next mission!"

Lu Mingfei smiled sheepishly and didn't say much. He just buried himself in his work. The feeling of being full of energy and able to contribute to the group gave him a sense of satisfaction, unlike when he was a director in the literary society but was always assigned to do odd jobs.

With the combined efforts of everyone, the cargo compartments of several trucks were quickly and neatly arranged, filled with hope and joy.

The setting sun almost completely sank behind the distant mountains, leaving only a trail of dark purple and orange-red glow on the horizon, outlining the silhouette of the base and the convoy.

"All done! Ready to go!" Shandong dusted off his hands and shouted.

Everyone climbed into the cab or cargo compartment of the truck. Xia Dou leaned against the window and waved vigorously to the people seeing them off at the base. Mai Duo called Cha Gai back to her shoulder. The little falcon seemed a little tired and quietly folded its wings.

Lu Mingfei stood still, waiting for the red and white motorcycle that was parked quietly next to him. It was definitely more comfortable to ride on that one!

Bai Yuekui was making the final handover with Lin Yue at the base when he turned around and saw Lu Mingfei's gaze at the motorcycle, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Boss Bai," Lu Mingfei walked to her side, his eyes shining with anticipation, "I still want to ride back in your car; it's fast enough!"

Bai Yuekui looked at him, a faint smile flashing in her usually calm eyes. She didn't agree immediately, but turned to the administrator, quickly finished her last few instructions, and then turned back to take the helmet off the motorcycle rack and casually toss it to Lu Mingfei.

"Get on the bike." Bai Yuekui was still wearing the same smart rider outfit he wore that morning, straddling the bike with a spirited air, just like when he set off that morning.

"OK!" Lu Mingfei gave an OK sign with his hand, took the helmet, and put it on neatly. His movements were much more practiced than in the morning. He then nimbly straddled the back seat. The motorcycle's surface still retained the warmth of the daytime sun.

The low growl of the engine once again ripped through the tranquility of dusk. The red and white phantom, like an arrow released from a bow, was the first to rush out of the base gate, instantly leaving the slowly starting convoy behind it far behind.

The biting mountain wind swept over me again, but unlike the chill of the morning, the evening breeze carried the warmth of the setting sun and the growing coolness of the wilderness, lashing against my helmet and whistling continuously.

The speed was still astonishing, but this time, Lu Mingfei didn't scream. He held Bai Yuekui's waist firmly, his body naturally adjusting its center of gravity with each curve and leap of the motorcycle. There was no fear, only excitement and adaptation to the speed. He even began to try to distinguish the sound of the engine at different RPMs amidst the wind noise, and through the gap in Bai Yuekui's shoulder, he watched the road ahead being cleaved by the headlights, the scenery on both sides turning into blurry, iridescent streaks of color that flew backward.

"Boss Bai!" he couldn't help but raise his voice and shout through the wind.

"Speak." Bai Yuekui's voice came through the helmet's built-in communication, clear and steady.

"This car...can I learn to drive it myself in the future?" Lu Mingfei asked, finally voicing the long-held desire in his heart.

Ahead lay a long, downhill bend. Bai Yuekui didn't answer immediately, but instead maneuvered her motorcycle into a precise and fluid arc, the tires screeching against the road with a thrilling yet mesmerizing screech. Once she exited the bend and entered a relatively straight stretch of road, her voice rang out again:

"Can."

Lu Mingfei was secretly delighted.

"However," Bai Yuekui's words followed, with his usual calm, "you first need to learn how to ride a two-wheeled vehicle steadily on a normal road, without driving it into a ditch or turning yourself into a meat patty. This vehicle is not a toy; one wrong move and it can really throw you far away. Before you prove you have enough control, don't even think about it."

"Okay, okay, no problem!" Lu Mingfei assured loudly.

Bai Yuekui seemed to chuckle softly, a sound so faint it was almost swallowed by the wind, but Lu Mingfei felt a slight tremor in her back.

The motorcycle continued to speed through the mountains and fields as dusk deepened, like a burning meteor streaking across the silent, apocalyptic landscape.

Lu Mingfei stopped talking, watching the vast land recede beneath the wheels, his heart filled with anticipation for the upcoming food festival.

As the familiar glow of lights from Longgu Village finally appeared on the horizon, night had completely fallen. The motorcycle slowed down, smoothly passed through the gate, and stopped at the village entrance, followed by several trucks.

Having received the news, Nanji Xing was already waiting at the village entrance with a team of people. This person, who was in charge of logistics in Longgu Village, immediately stepped forward when he saw Bai Yuekui get out of the car and briefly reported: "Boss Bai, the cold storage is ready and we have enough manpower. We can unload the goods and put them into storage immediately."

Bai Yuekui nodded: "Store them according to the list, mark them properly, and notify them to come and collect the food festival ingredients they applied for tomorrow or the day after. You personally supervise the process to ensure that it is orderly and the allocation is accurate."

"Understood." Nanjixing replied crisply, then turned around and began directing everyone to unload the cargo, everything proceeding smoothly and efficiently.

Watching the ingredients being carefully carried into the village box by box and sent to that huge underground cold storage, Lu Mingfei could almost smell the aroma of a feast of a thousand flavors that would fill the village half a month later.

Following Bai Yuekui back to that familiar residence, the warm lights dispelled the chill of the night.

Bai Yuekui didn't cook many dishes today. Dinner was a simple hot noodle soup, made with fresh vegetables brought back from the base. The soup base was rich and the noodles were chewy.

The fatigue from a long day gradually subsided under the comforting warmth of the food.

Just as Lu Mingfei was holding his enormous bowl, sipping his hot soup and letting out a satisfied sigh, a private communicator placed on the table by Bai Yuekui emitted a low, rhythmic "beep beep" sound.

Bai Yuekui put down her chopsticks, picked up the communicator, glanced at the code displayed on it, her eyes flickered slightly, she opened the message and quickly scanned the brief text.

Lu Mingfei looked at her curiously, wondering what the news was.

After a moment, Bai Yuekui put down the communicator, looked up at Lu Mingfei, and chuckled softly:

"You've got good news, kid. Belikov just sent word that your Six-in-One Spear is finished. Tomorrow, you can go to his workshop and retrieve your weapon."

"Clatter".

Lu Mingfei dropped his chopsticks on the table.

He looked up abruptly, his eyes shining brightly under the light, filled with unbelievable ecstasy and impatient excitement.

"Really?! Tomorrow?!" His voice trembled with excitement, and his face beamed with an undisguised, radiant smile.

The spear that Mydo had promised him a long time ago, the "fang" that would truly belong to him and accompany him in battle, was finally about to appear before him!

Bai Yuekui looked at him, a gentle light in her eyes. "Yes, tomorrow. Get some rest and be well-rested. There are many rules in Belikov's place, and retrieving weapons is a serious matter."

Lu Mingfei nodded vigorously, his heart pounding in his chest, almost bursting out of his chest. He quickly finished the rest of the large bowl of noodles, his mind already filled with all sorts of images about that gun.

As night deepened, Dragon Bone Village gradually quieted down.

But for Lu Mingfei, it was a night filled with joy and anticipation.

He lay on his bed, gazing at the sparse starlight outside the window, tossing and turning. What lingered in his mind was the greenery of the ecological base under the setting sun, the howling wind in his ears as the motorcycle sped by. In the end, everything was fixed on a Six Harmonies Spear that he had imagined, radiating a chilling light, waiting for him to grasp it in his palm.

His "fangs" are about to be forged.