The male supporting character was actually myself.

Chapter Thirty-One: Divergence

Zhao Yi and the resistance fighters waited on a hillside a few kilometers away.

Many people were yawning, and some had even started to doze off against the trees.

"We were careless," Liu Yihong leaned closer and whispered, "Can we really count on this group of people?"

Wang He glanced at it furtively. "It's really unreliable, but we don't have a better option right now. Let's see how things go with Xiao Yao. If we can really take over the mine and rescue the miners, maybe we can build a decent team after expanding our ranks."

"We have no weapons, no elite troops, how are we supposed to fight the Federation army?" Sun Dieqi said dejectedly, deeply worried about the bleak future.

"Let's take it one step at a time..." Before Liu Yihong could finish speaking, he suddenly saw a signal flare rise from the mine.

The red signal flare soared upwards like a flame, exploding in the air like a brilliant flower, illuminating most of the sky.

People who had been waiting for a long time were startled. Zhao Yi stood up abruptly, staring intently in the direction where the signal flare had disappeared, his heart pounding as he waited.

"Whoosh!" Immediately afterwards, a green signal flare rose into the air.

A few seconds later, a green flare illuminated half the sky, and then all the lights around the mine were turned on, shining brightly from a great distance.

"The signal we agreed on! Xiao Yao really succeeded!" Sun Dieqi jumped up excitedly. The petite girl's status in her heart had been elevated once again; she was practically a valiant female warrior!

Wang He's eyes twitched and he whispered, "I told you she was amazing. One Qin Xiaoyao is worth a thousand troops."

"Let's go, we'll go make backup!"

Liu Yihong's suggestion did not receive a response from anyone other than the three of them.

"A skinny little girl could kill more than twenty garrison soldiers? I'm not being paranoid, but who knows if she was in cahoots with the garrison?"

"Yeah, those guys suddenly showed up to stop us, and then they went off to carry out their own operation by themselves. They were going to make a move sooner or later, so why didn't they attack us all at once when there were more of us?"

"Something's fishy! Don't fall for her tricks, everyone! The garrison might have gotten wind of this and be waiting for us to walk right into their trap."

"It's better to be cautious. After all, she's a 'big star.' Why would she give up a good life outside and come back to suffer and fight a war? That's ridiculous!"

"But we see on TV that actors don't have it easy either, right?"

"It's all an act, who knows which is real and which is fake? What if she's been bribed by the Federation and comes back to betray us..."

…………

When Qin Xiaoyao was about to venture into the lion's den alone, no one said a word. Now that she's sending a signal for support, all sorts of doubts are pouring in.

"Everyone, please be quiet!" Zhao Yi wasn't really sure himself.

But he still waved to signal the noisy people to quiet down and said loudly, "We have only just met and are not very familiar with each other, but we agreed before that she would go first and we would bring up the rear. We can't just leave a young girl like this."

Why didn't you just say so when you had a question?

"Going back on your word at the last minute after agreeing on something—that's not something a grown man should do!"

Wang He coldly observed the group of ragged "resistance soldiers," silently noting the troublemakers by the firelight. He knew he could never associate with such fickle individuals.

When they were discussing it before, no one objected or questioned the identities and purposes of the four of them. But now, after being provoked, most people are suspicious, and even the way they look at the three of them has become menacing.

He gave Liu Yihong a look, and the two of them took out the guns from their waists, which finally intimidated some of the guys with suspicious eyes.

"Since neither of you trusts us, we won't force you." Wang He shielded Sun Dieqi with his right hand as they stepped back, and said coldly, "Xiao Yao is waiting for reinforcements, so let's part ways here!"

Zhao Yi felt a little embarrassed; as the leader, it was somewhat disloyal of him to go back on his word.

But he was also worried that if it was a trap, wouldn't it be pointless to bring his brothers and sisters there rashly and harm them for nothing?

Regarding the question of whether Qin Xiaoyao could be relied upon, it should have been considered when she proposed to venture into the mine alone. At that time, he thought a lot and felt that there was no need for her to set up such a big trap.

After all, Qin Xiaoyao and her group were able to accurately locate the rebels in the mountains and forests. If it were really an inside traitor, the main force would have been hit by gunfire long ago. Why would they wait until the middle of the night to go through all this trouble?

Logically and emotionally, none of the four of them would do that. What would they be after?

“It’s understandable that everyone has concerns.” Zhao Yi watched the three of them disappear into the night, and it took him a while to quiet down the unruly and noisy hundred or so people. “I’m definitely going. I believe they don’t need to go through all this trouble.”

In that case, I won't force you.

Those who are willing to believe in me and Qin Xiaoyao, come over here and let's go over and see what's going on.

Those who don't believe, stay where you are and wait. If we haven't returned by dawn, you can decide for yourselves what to do next!

These words were spoken so decisively that the more than one hundred people looked at each other and eventually split into two camps.

About forty people decided to go to the mine with their leader; the remaining sixty or seventy people remained silent and did not express their opinions, but just stood by the fire without moving their feet.

With things having come to this point, Zhao Yi said no more, waving his hand to signal his brothers and sisters to follow the large group that had left in the direction Wang He and the others had gone, heading towards the mine.

"Why are they so slow?" After successfully dealing with the garrison at the mine with Mr. Devil's help, Qin Xiaoyao sat at the entrance guard post, yawning. "Mr. Devil, have you finished counting and packing up all the supplies?"

Although it was a live stream, He had previously warned that their communication would be covered by magic, so there was no need to worry about being noticed by the audience.

Therefore, she was very relaxed at this moment, cupping her face in her hands as she looked at the noble and handsome devil.

Jiang Chen folded his wings and sat on the table, stroking the cat in his hand. He nodded and said softly, "Zhao Yi's team was assembled too casually. If we want to accomplish great things, we need to screen them step by step."

Tonight's attack on the mine to seize supplies is the first step;

There are quite a few people with ulterior motives who want to take shortcuts, and we can't let them reap too much profit, so I need to deposit some for you first. The next step is selecting miners; just follow the route I've planned for you, don't worry about anything else.”

"Thank you, Mr. Devil!" Qin Xiaoyao said sincerely.

If He had not answered his call and come out of the darkness, he would not know where he would be now.

Even if she wanted to destroy the world, how far could a skinny little girl with no means, no ability, and no beauty possibly go?

They didn't have to wait long before Wang He and his two companions arrived first.

Two men, each carrying a gun, cautiously appeared in the light-filled area with Sun Dieqi. The spotlights, so bright they were almost blinding, illuminated the surrounding area for dozens of meters as if it were daytime.

When they saw the first body lying in the grass, the three of them couldn't help but gasp.

I knew Qin Xiaoyao was fierce, but I didn't know she could be this fierce!

Those were well-trained regular troops who were far superior to her in terms of physique, physical fitness, and equipment. Yet, the only trace left in the grass was that the victim's throat had been slit.

Judging from the scattered state of the encirclement, they didn't even engage in any direct combat.

Otherwise, the other ambushing soldiers would have been alerted long ago. Once they fired, the sound would carry far in the quiet jungle, and anyone on the hillside would definitely hear it. It's impossible that they wouldn't have left any trace in the grass.

“So many people have died!” Sun Dieqi’s legs trembled slightly. She lowered her voice, full of questions, “Didn’t those two rebel scouts say… the garrison troops had already left for the rotation? They clearly said there were only about twenty people left to guard the mine!”

A quick glance revealed that, even under the lights surrounding the mine, the number of people lying dead in the grass alone was more than twenty.

"Look at the positions they've taken," Wang He explained, circling the area with his finger. "This is clearly an encirclement formation aimed at the resistance!"

Liu Yihong bent down and picked up the scattered scope on the ground, glancing at it. "Equipped with a thermal imager, this purely military-grade scope can see through any living thing three kilometers away. With this kind of equipment, they must have been able to see every move of the people the rebels sent over very clearly. The twenty-odd people were just a facade, a way to lure them in."

"Hiss..." Hearing their words, Sun Dieqi belatedly realized, "The mine garrison knew about the resistance's plan all along. They set up an ambush? Then, how did Xiao Yao..."

Wang He shook his head with a solemn expression. "I can't figure out how they could have successfully launched a surprise attack while surrounded by such professional equipment and soldiers, and how they could have slit so many throats without being discovered."

"So, Xiao Yao has awakened some terrifying bloodline inheritance?" Liu Yihong thought it was so bizarre that it was almost mythical.

General Lu Wei was indeed very capable, but he was a figure from more than three hundred years ago.

They still used cold weapons to lead their troops into battle, and their transportation relied almost entirely on warhorses. How could they possibly compete with the various high-tech guns and cannons of today?

"Hey, I'm over here!" Qin Xiaoyao waved and greeted people as she walked out of the guard post. "The miners are all locked up in cages. The garrison is having a big operation tonight, so they haven't let them work."

When she saw that only Wang He and two others were walking towards her in the light, she was taken aback. "Why are there only the three of you? Where are the others?"

To his utter surprise, not a single member of the resistance showed up. Jiang Chen scratched the horn on his head with his fingernail, looking troubled. "The morale is low, and the team will be difficult to lead! It seems I'll probably have to choose from the miners..."

Before he could finish speaking, he looked up at the distant jungle and smiled with relief. "Thank goodness, not a single one came. Although there are fewer than I expected, it's enough."

Sun Dieqi's admiration for Qin Xiaoyao had become almost blind. She ran a few steps quickly, hugged Qin Xiaoyao, and asked excitedly, "Xiaoyao, how did you do that? You're like an invincible female warrior! You're so amazing!"

She couldn't find any adjectives to express her ecstasy.

Being able to latch onto such a powerful backer, at least my life shouldn't be a worry anymore...

“Those people are really troublesome,” Liu Yihong said indignantly. “When we were discussing things together, they were all secretly plotting and no one said a word. But after you gave the signal, someone stood up and said that we were spies, that we were putting on a show with the garrison to wipe them out. They’re all a bunch of idiots!”

Wang He shook his head with a wry smile, "Indeed, there are quite a few of them who are upright and have no ulterior motives."

If we were really some kind of mole, we would have reported it as soon as we discovered their presence. How many of the hundred or so men would be left after one shell? Nobody thought about the logic involved, afraid of being taken advantage of or tricked.

Just you wait and see. If they find out there's no scam and there are still plenty of supplies to share, those people will definitely swarm over and loot again.

Qin Xiaoyao felt very angry.

Not only did my good intentions backfire, but I also felt that those people were a disgrace to Luoyue City!

She grew up in a small village with her mother. The people there were not wealthy, but they would help each other. In addition, the hometown filter made her feel that the people of Luoyue City were humane and not as cunning, mercenary and calculating as city people.

Unexpectedly, the resistance fighters, who believed the people to be poor and simple, were proven wrong.

Thinking back to her earlier promise to bring Sun Dieqi and the others to join the army and to guarantee that the Luoyue City resistance would never follow the same path as the Federation, Qin Xiaoyao felt her face burning.

The rebels certainly didn't collude with the Union troops, but they weren't exactly ethical either!

They let others charge into battle, shrink back when there's danger, but are more eager than anyone else when there's a benefit.

This group of people is exactly the same as the bastards my mother encountered when she was seriously injured and hospitalized!

"If they don't want to come, they don't have to. We don't need cowardly, scheming comrades." Qin Xiaoyao said angrily, "I've confiscated some guns. Sister Sun, you should learn how to use them too. We still have a lot to do. We need to gather all the spoils together and select reliable miners."

Extreme caution: Many of them are genuine criminals, involved in fraud, swindling, arson, murder, and robbery. Don't trust anyone until you've confirmed their identities.

Wang He handed over the scope he had found, saying, "This is a very important strategic material. We must keep it safe so we can use it later."

"There should still be some guns in the bushes that I haven't had time to search them all. Don't overlook those soldiers either; there might be something good on them..."

Qin Xiaoyao had just finished assigning tasks when she saw a group of people emerge from the woods under the bright headlights.

She immediately became alert and cocked her gun. "What are you doing here?"

"Miss Qin, please don't misunderstand, we really came to help." Zhao Yi raised his hands and explained, "Your companions should have told you about the situation. Many people are worried about being ambushed, after all, we've encountered this situation before. We trust you."

"If Miss Qin doesn't trust us, we can just share some supplies after we help clean up the battlefield. Our cooperation will be temporary, and then we'll go our separate ways."

She glanced back at Mr. Devil.

Jiang Chen nodded to indicate that he could accommodate them, and Qin Xiaoyao then softened her tone, "Since Brother Zhao trusts us, let's come and clean up the battlefield together."

As for whether to cooperate or part ways, we'll discuss that after everything here is resolved.

The mine is so large that there are still hundreds of miners waiting to be screened.

With only the four of them and the timid Sun Dieqi to disregard, it would indeed be difficult to control the situation without help. They couldn't let Mr. Demon have to do everything himself; he had already provided so much help before, which was already quite a lot.