Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 758: Chapter 371: A Bit Too Cautious

Sun Yang chuckled.

"But let’s get this straight, you have to buy me the ingredients first.

I only make top-tier cuisine, with the finest ingredients!"

"Cut the crap. A guy who’s too cheap to even buy a few pieces of fruit dares to talk about top-tier cuisine!"

Shen Qiuyue tossed out coldly as she walked past the doorway.

"If you really want to eat well, wait until you’ve saved up enough Battle Merit Points!"

"Ouch, Sister Qiuyue, that stings a little!"

Sun Yang rolled over and looked up at Shen Qiuyue.

"A man can be poor but still have high aspirations! Besides, doesn’t our squad have a big spender like you? Lend me some Battle Merit Points, I’ll pay you back with interest!"

"Dream on!"

Shen Qiuyue shot back curtly, casually hanging her Dueling Sword back on the weapon rack on the wall.

"Sigh, these days, it’s so hard to even borrow a few Battle Merit Points!"

Sun Yang sighed, then looked at Li Chang’an.

"Chang’an, do you think our missions... are they going to get harder and harder? Those enhanced Insect Race types from earlier were already a huge headache!"

"Much harder."

Li Chang’an replied as he sat in a chair, taking off his Armor.

"The Insect Race is evolving faster than we thought, and their tactics are getting smarter.

Every mission will be more complex than the last!"

"Can’t you be a little more tactful?"

Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but complain.

"Just say it’s going to be deadly difficult. Why do you have to analyze everything and make us all more panicked!"

"A clear analysis is to get you mentally prepared,"

Li Chang’an said flatly.

"What’s there to panic about? There’s only one way to survive: be prepared and don’t make mistakes."

"Fine, fine. You’re the Captain, you call the shots."

Han Ruoxi pouted, lying on the floor and stretching languidly.

"Anyway, no matter how hard the mission gets, with you holding the line, we won’t be totally screwed!"

"Don’t pin all your hopes on me."

Li Chang’an looked up at her.

"I’m the Captain, not a babysitter. Everyone needs to take responsibility for themselves."

"I know, I know. You can start one of your lectures anytime, anywhere!"

Han Ruoxi let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I’m done talking. I need to catch up on sleep. If I don’t, I’ll be a useless lump tomorrow!"

"Catching up on sleep is fine, but remember to clean your gear before you go to bed,"

Li Chang’an reminded her.

"Some bug blood got on the gear during today’s mission. If you don’t clean it off, it’ll corrode the material."

"Clean gear again..." Han Ruoxi’s brow furrowed instantly.

"Brother Chang’an, I really think we should request a logistics team to help us with these chores!"

"The Combat Groups with logistics teams are all main-line forces."

Shen Qiuyue walked back to her spot, taking off her Armor and placing it on the table.

"We’re a rookie squad. If we can handle something ourselves, we shouldn’t expect others to do it for us."

"Alright..." Han Ruoxi grumbled, getting up to start cleaning her gear.

Bai Lin had been sitting in the corner the whole time, fiddling with his terminal with his head down.

He looked up and said suddenly,

"I just received a message from Command. The results of the follow-up investigation on that Insect Hive are in."

"This fast?"

Li Chang’an’s brow furrowed slightly.

"What are the results?"

"The Insect Hive in that area is indeed a temporary hatchery,"

Bai Lin said calmly.

"However, based on current speculation, this hatchery might just be part of a larger Insect Hive—an outer defense line."

"An outer defense line?"

Sun Yang’s scalp tingled with fear as he heard this.

"In other words, the real main hive is hidden somewhere deeper?"

"That’s right."

Bai Lin nodded.

"We don’t have definitive intel yet, but Command has already decided to send more squads to scout and clear the area."

"What about us? Were we assigned?"

Shen Qiuyue asked coldly.

"Our squad’s name hasn’t been mentioned for now,"

Bai Lin said.

"But Command will likely put us on the reserve list for subsequent missions."

"Reserve again!"

Sun Yang pouted.

"When is our squad ever going to be treated as a main force?"

"A rookie’s lot is to handle these odd jobs on the side."

Li Chang’an stood up and stretched.

"But that’s a good thing. Main force missions are more dangerous. At least now we can catch our breath."

"Catch our breath? Look at the state we’re in. Do we look like we’re catching our breath?"

Han Ruoxi held up her dust-covered bracer.

"We’re crawling through the dirt in this crappy place all day, tired as dogs!"

"Being tired is better than being dead,"

Shen Qiuyue said flatly.

"If you have time to complain, you have time to train more."

"You really are a training maniac!"

Sun Yang glanced at her.

"Sister Qiuyue, I’ve gotta hand it to you. Do you feel sick if you go a single day without training?"

"Training keeps me calm."

Shen Qiuyue’s answer was brief.

"Then you go be calm. Count me out!"

Sun Yang waved his hand dismissively.

"What I need right now isn’t calm, it’s a hot meal and a soft bed."

"Go on and get to sleep. Don’t be a nuisance."

Li Chang’an waved his hand, his tone laced with a hint of resignation.

"We’ll rest for a day tomorrow. Use this chance to get back in top condition."

Early the next morning, the dormitory was quiet, with only the faint sounds of people turning over and the occasional cough.

Han Ruoxi was the first to wake up. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes, her hair a messy bird’s nest.

She yawned, looked around, and seeing that the others were still asleep, she quietly got out of bed.

’So lazy. A bunch of grown men sleeping in later than me!’

She grumbled, walking over to the sink to splash her face with cold water.

After washing up, she changed into a simple training uniform, ready to head to the mess hall for breakfast.

Just as she opened the door, she saw Bai Lin standing there, a terminal in his hand.

"Bai Lin, what are you doing up so early? Didn’t you sleep?"

Han Ruoxi was taken aback for a moment.

"I’m used to it. I get up early to check for messages."

Bai Lin glanced down at his terminal, then looked back up at her.

"You’re up this early to go to the mess hall too, right?"

"Duh, what else would I be doing besides eating?"

Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes.

"You wanna come?"

Bai Lin nodded, and the two of them headed toward the mess hall, one after the other.

On the way, Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but ask.

"Bai Lin, do you spend every night studying that Insect Race data? It seems like you never get enough sleep."

"Whether I get enough sleep isn’t important. What’s important is figuring things out."

Bai Lin’s voice was as calm as ever.

"Especially the Insect Race’s evolutionary patterns. We know too little about them."

"Tsk tsk, you really think you’re a scholar, don’t you?"

Han Ruoxi shook her head with a sense of resignation, nibbling on an Energy Bar.

"We’re bug fighters, not researchers."

"Before you fight bugs, it’s best to know their weaknesses. Otherwise, you’re just relying on luck,"

Bai Lin said flatly, his eyes still fixed on the terminal.

Han Ruoxi was left speechless and could only focus on gnawing her Energy Bar.

When they arrived at the mess hall, it wasn’t breakfast time yet, but cooks were already busy in the kitchen.

Han Ruoxi stretched, picked a seat by the window, and sat down. Bai Lin sat across from her, continuing to fiddle with his terminal.

"Seriously, aren’t you hungry?"

Han Ruoxi asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"I haven’t seen you eat a proper meal since yesterday."

"Eating isn’t that important to me."

Bai Lin replied without looking up.

"Energy Bars provide all the nutrients needed for a day."

"You’re really no fun!"

Han Ruoxi pouted.

"When we retire from service, what do you plan to do? Keep burying yourself in all that cold data?"

"I haven’t thought about retiring."

Bai Lin glanced up at her.

"What about you? What do you want to do?"

"Me?" Han Ruoxi thought for a moment, the corners of her lips turning up slightly.

"I want to open a fruit wine tavern. I’d sell the kind of fruit wine I like, drink, and listen to people shoot the breeze. Now that’s what I call living!"

Bai Lin was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting her to say that.

He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Sounds nice."

"Of course it’s nice! I’ve been thinking about it for a long time."

Han Ruoxi raised her head proudly.

"Unlike you, staring at data all day. There’s no joy in a life like that!"

Bai Lin didn’t argue, just lowered his head and went back to his terminal.

Han Ruoxi sighed in resignation.