You're sending max-level players to be cannon fodder?

The scarred-face man, named Guan Bao, and the short man, named Sun Shouli, were indeed the leaders of this group. However, when asked about their mobile business, they stammered and couldn't give a clear answer.

Sun Shouli, with his typical smooth-talking and mercenary face, quickly steered the conversation toward escaping the "malaria" with just a few words, clearly not wanting to stay in this awful place for even a second longer.

Guan Bao is a near-A-level Alpha with sharp, piercing eyes and bulging muscles that seem ready to spring out and strike at any moment, making even the sight of him somewhat physically uncomfortable.

Guan Bao first noticed the pot of leftover chicken soup.

Someone behind him swallowed hard and called out in a low voice, "Second Brother..."

Guan Bao's eyes darkened for a moment, then he suddenly smiled: "Sir, even if we're going to interrogate us, we should at least feed the prisoners, right?"

Xie Wencheng followed his gaze and then sneered, "What are you thinking?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Bao's shoulders and arms suddenly sank, a subconscious reaction of a skilled fighter preparing for battle. But then, Guan Bao noticed the gun in the Arbiter's hand.

"Forget it, brother." Guan Bao pulled Sun Shouli aside and whispered, "Haven't you had enough of these past few days of hardship? These Arbitrators may not kill people indiscriminately, but they look down on us. They won't even share a bowl of chicken soup with us. With supplies so scarce, save your breath. The sun is about to set..."

The last sentence was spoken very softly, yet it was loaded with meaning. Sun Shouli's expression changed slightly, a fleeting emotion passing through him. He met Guan Bao's gaze, and Guan Bao nodded.

"Pah! Arbitrator, huh? All for humanity? That sounds so good, I almost thought I was saved."

"If they were going to be saved, they would have been saved long ago. They're probably not that formidable, otherwise they would have broken through the 'malignancy' already. Oh well, let's go back to sleep."

"Yeah, now that a new person has arrived, hmph..."

These people were afraid that Zhong Xun and the others wouldn't see through the impending conspiracy, so they deliberately left their words unsaid, waiting for the arbiter to speak so they could reverse the situation. But after watching them enter the room one by one, Xie Wencheng raised the tip of his gun: "Close the door."

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The sun was half-set, and darkness enveloped the earth.

"What they had in their pockets looked like canned food," Zhong Xun said.

The canned food was definitely unopened, like today's rations. Where did they get it?

The situation is clear: Guan Bao and his ilk are not law-abiding citizens. If it weren't for the strong-arm rule, any ordinary person who had wandered into the "malaria" would have been robbed long ago, and who knows what would have happened to them.

Curious, Fang Qian asked Zhong Xun in a low voice, "Aren't you humans the most united people?"

"Oh, there are many kinds of human unity," Zhong Xun replied. "To be unable to unite now, and to force unity when you know the other side is going to do something bad, that's just plain stupid."

Fang Qian: "..."

"Are you angry?" Fang Qian asked again.

Zhong Xun looked up at him: "What are you angry about?"

A sudden gust of wind swept across the desert, blowing Fang Qian's seaweed-like hair back. Under the open night sky, the faint smile on his face revealed a hint of sorrow.

He didn't even give you a chicken leg.

Honestly, Zhong Xun didn't immediately realize what chicken leg was.

But he was quick-witted and could recall the details in a moment.

Zhong Xun rarely showed a look of helplessness: "I now believe that even if pollutants have intelligence, their way of thinking is completely different from that of humans."

Fang Qian: "That's sophistry."

Zhong Xun: "Do you know what a 'leader' is? My Alpha is the supreme arbiter. He is responsible for every one of his subordinates and it is his responsibility to allocate resources reasonably to ensure the team's close cohesion."

Fang Qian said in a serious tone, "Since you are the supreme arbiter, you should be given all the good things."

Xie Wencheng hugged the last frozen chicken in his arms tightly, "Why don't you ask the boss to stew me next time?"

Meng Jing chuckled.

Sun Chen shoved Fang Qian from behind: "Let's go. I think you're up to no good and want to send our boss to a military court."

Fang Qian fell silent, as if pondering the conversation that had just taken place.

The sky was pitch black, and all was quiet.

The moonlight was only a sliver, but by sheer coincidence, it illuminated the pond outside.

Zhong Xun recalled the expectant yet malicious look in Guan Bao's eyes before he closed the door.

Zhong Xun looked at Meng Jingting and asked, "Did we choose the wrong room?"

"It's not important." Meng Jingting boiled a cup of water, threw in a chipped sugar cube, shook it, and handed it to Zhong Xun: "If we can find the source of the pollution, that would be just what I want."

Yeah, wouldn't a beating solve the problem?

Meng Jingting placed his coat on the wooden board, then took out the hard object from his backpack and used it as a pillow for Zhong Xun. The pheromone barrier gently spread around, leaving no gaps. Although there was no blanket, Zhong Xun did not feel cold at all.

Zhong Xun yawned.

"Take a nap," Meng Jing said. "I'll call you if anything happens."

Zhong Xun blinked her sore eyes: "Then sit next to me."

Meng Jingting: "...Don't act cute."

"..."

Zhong Xun's hand was enveloped in warmth, and with a gentle caress of his fingertips, he could feel the thin calluses on Meng Jingting's tiger's mouth.

He slept on and off, but occasionally he could hear coughing from next door, and Xu Hengzhou's stern voice: "If you keep nagging, I'll shoot you dead!"

Meng Jingting gazed at Zhong Xun, whose expression was calm under the faint moonlight. In just two days, this person seemed to have lost some weight. The collar of the temporary combat uniform that was originally tailored to fit well had slipped down, and his hair gently fell over his eyebrows and eyes. His nose was high and straight, and his shadow was distinct.

When Meng Jingting first saw Zhong Xun as a child, he thought the child was incredibly handsome. People love to be around beautiful things. For a long time, it was Zhong Xun who took him out to play. After his parents' sacrifice, Meng Jingting became withdrawn. But he opened a transparent window for Zhong Xun, waiting for him to knock on it every day and say, "Come out."

Meng Jingting slowly bent down.

Just then—

Whoosh!

A splash of water, followed by perfectly synchronized footsteps.

Zhong Xun suddenly opened his eyes and met Meng Jingting's gaze from close range. The Grand Judge, disregarding the strangeness outside, felt a stiffness and embarrassment, as if he had been caught red-handed.

But Zhong Xun certainly wouldn't have either of those emotions. He gave a brief laugh, got up, and kissed Meng Jingting.

dong dong dong-

Something is knocking on the door.

Meng Jing patted Zhong Xun's shoulder to signal him not to move, then walked to the door almost silently.

dong dong dong-

There was a knock on the door next door.

The faint sound of bullets being chambered could be heard.

Meng Jingting leaned against the window frame, his head slightly tilted outwards, and with this tricky angle, he could see clearly what was standing in each doorway.

Two frogs, each half a meter tall.

Its body was covered in sores, and the abscess on its spine visibly swelled up before bursting open with a "pop," releasing pus and blood. The frog stretched out its webbed feet and scratched itself before continuing to knock on the door.

"The rookie competition is about to begin, and we're here to deliver invitations."

Zhong Xun sat up silently. Why was he talking?

Meng Jingting opened the door with a gloomy face.