I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

"Click—"

The entrenching tool cut into the hard soil, bringing up a large clump of tangled grass roots.

Lin Mo straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Although the exoskeleton shared the weight, the intense obstacle clearing over those few hours still left everyone drenched in sweat.

Beside him, Renn was lifting a rotten log and throwing it onto a pile of rubble in the distance.

The setting sun hung on the western city wall, turning the entire camp orange-red.

The once waist-high weeds have been mostly leveled, revealing the grayish-white rammed earth layer underneath.

"This place has a really good foundation."

Lin Mo rubbed the ground with his toe; it was as hard as cement.

He pointed to the open space beneath his feet, then turned to look at Long Fei, who was directing his team to move rubble:

"Once this area is cleared and leveled a bit, it will be a standard tactical training ground. I've also checked the open space behind it; it's quite large."

Long Fei handed the tablet computer in his hand to the communications officer next to him, and strode over, his combat boots creaking on the gravel.

"I've also measured that plot of land behind it."

Long Fei took off his tactical gloves, pulled out a water bottle from his waist, and took a swig.

"Once those collapsed walls are cleared, there's no problem parking ten Z-20 helicopters. Once the road is repaired, Mengshi assault vehicles and even infantry fighting vehicles can drive right in and park there."

Lin Mo nodded, his gaze sweeping over the row of barracks in the distance. The main structure of the buildings was still there, but the doors and windows were all gone, and he frowned slightly.

"The hardware is good, but it's too outdated."

Lin Mo sighed and kicked aside a piece of broken tile at his feet:

"If we want people to live here, it needs major repairs. The roof needs patching, doors and windows need to be installed, and there's water and electricity... Oh wait, there's no electricity here, we need to get a generator."

"With just our few dozen people, even if we work non-stop for three days, we can only get a rough outline. We lack manpower, and even more so, we lack materials."

Long Fei followed Lin Mo's gaze and saw that the dark windows looked somewhat eerie in the setting sun.

"I was just about to discuss the materials with you."

Long Fei hung the water bottle back on his waist and lowered his voice: "We don't need to take all of that Moonstone Soil back with us."

Lin Mo paused for a moment, then turned to look at Long Fei.

"Think about it, this thing is priceless to us, and it's also a form of hard currency here."

Long Fei pointed in the distance, where twinkling lights were already appearing:

"We don't know when we'll be able to come back after this trip. Now that we've taken over this camp, we need to get it running."

"Repairing houses costs money, and hiring people to look after the premises also costs money. When the large group arrives, we'll have to deal with the locals for everything, from food and drink to basic necessities, so there will be expenses everywhere."

Lin Mo's eyes lit up, and he instantly understood what Long Fei meant.

"You mean, keep some for expenses?"

"right."

Long Fei nodded, his eyes shrewd:

"Besides, we can't just bring back soil. You know Professor Sun and his group. If we could bring back some local specialty minerals and plant samples..."

"They'd probably be ecstatic if they even got some magical materials back."

"Exchange soil for money, then use the money to buy samples." Lin Mo stroked his chin, pondering for a moment:

"That's a good idea. But the quantity needs to be carefully controlled."

"The Moonstone soil we have is too pure. If we sell it off on a large scale, the prices in Shiguzhen will collapse, and it will become worthless."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Long Fei grinned, revealing a set of white teeth:

"Things are valued for their scarcity. We'll release only a tiny amount, about the size of a fingernail, and lock the rest in the warehouse as reserves."

At that moment, Captain Tiger's voice came through the communication channel.

"Team Leader Long, the perimeter has been cleared, and the sentries are in position."

"receive."

Long Fei pressed the headset, his expression turning serious again:

"Attention all squads, cease operations. Tiger, Snow Wolf, and Eagle, the three team leaders, meet at the command post to finalize the night patrol schedule. Everyone else, disperse and prepare for dinner."

"yes!"

The orderly responses echoed across the empty camp.

The sky grew completely dark.

A campfire was lit in the center of the camp. Although everyone had brought self-heating rations, the flickering firelight seemed to dispel the gloomy atmosphere that had been abandoned for twenty years.

"Click, click."

A metallic clasp clicked as it was unfastened.

The soldiers removed their heavy exoskeleton armor and neatly stacked it aside.

Stripped of their black steel shells, these usually ruthless and decisive elite soldiers look no different from ordinary young men at this moment.

Ryan sat by the fire, hugging his knees, holding a steaming box of braised beef self-heating rice, looking somewhat awkward.

He looked around.

The female military doctor named Li Na was holding a photo and grinning foolishly. The photo showed a little girl with pigtails.

"Hey, Lao Zhang, your daughter should be starting elementary school this year, right?"

A soldier who was wiping his gun barrel went over and took a look.

"It will be released in September."

Li Na carefully tucked the photo into her inner pocket, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"I'll be able to take her to school this time. I promised to take her to the amusement park last time, but then an emergency assembly call came, so I had to break my promise. The little girl cried all night."

"Go back and finish it."

Old Zhang held the gun barrel up to the flashlight to make sure there wasn't a speck of dust inside before reassembling it.

"I also need to go back and see my old mother. She called last time saying her leg hurt. I wonder if she's feeling any better."

Ryan couldn't understand what they meant by "primary school" or "telephone," but he could understand the look in their eyes.

That was the look in his eyes when his neighbors in Fernwall Village talked about their families.

Warmth, and a touch of longing.

"Hey Tiger, that grenade you fired today was a bit off target."

On the other side, Captain Snow Wolf, holding a lunchbox, pointed at Captain Fierce Tiger with his chopsticks:

"If it had been just half a meter to the left, those cat demons would have been airborne, and there would have been no need for follow-up shots."

"You don't know anything."

Captain Tiger shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth and mumbled a reply:

"That's to protect the historical structure. If I blow it up too hard, the wall will collapse and block the way. How are we supposed to escape? Are you going to fly out carrying Moonstone?"

"Tch, excuse."

Captain Snow Wolf chuckled, not angry at all, and tossed a piece of beef into his mouth:

"But the booby traps you set were really clever. We just blew up the north gate and evacuated, and those cat demons came into the city. When they stepped on them, tsk tsk~"

The crowd burst into laughter.

As Renn watched this scene, he felt a sense of unreality.

During the day, these people are as calm as machines on the battlefield, and their coordination is frighteningly precise.

But now, they also sabotage each other and miss home.

"What's wrong? Don't you like the food?"

Lin Mo sat down next to Raine with his lunchbox and nudged his shoulder.

"No...it's delicious."

Ryan quickly took a bite, and the rich aroma of meat and spiciness exploded on his tongue, a taste he had never experienced before.

He swallowed his food, looked at Lin Mo's young face illuminated by the firelight, hesitated for a moment, and then asked:

"Mr. Lin... will you come back?"

The laughter around seemed to subside a little.

Several soldiers who were nearby paused for a moment; although they were still eating, their ears perked up.