Chapter 316 - 280: None of Them Can Withstand It
Chapter 316: Chapter 280: None of Them Can Withstand It
"Don’t make a big fuss." Flynn glanced down the hall outside and reminded him in a low voice, "Just tail them and keep an eye on things. As for that team from Zone 3, just turn a blind eye. They’re with the team from Zone 19, and they’ll be gone in a few days. Don’t go looking for trouble."
Brooke thought of the bruised and swollen faces of the Special Security Team members and immediately understood. "Is the Special Security Team’s current investigation the same case I’m working on?"
’If that’s the case, then the fight that night...’
Seeing Flynn remain silent, Brooke’s tone grew heavy. "Chief, there might be a female in the hands of those scoundrels. We can’t just stand by and do nothing."
Flynn ran a hand through his hair. "It’s probably not a real female. That team from Zone 19 brought a Mimic Mixed Species. Maybe they’re trying to drag us into their mess. Just go through the motions."
Brooke recalled the scent he’d smelled and said firmly, "I’m sure it was a real female..."
"You’ve seen her?" Flynn cut him off.
"No."
"Even what you see with your own eyes might be fake," Flynn said. "It’s just a scent. It could just be an object that smells like a female. Once they leave, this whole affair will be over. Understand?"
Brooke was silent for a moment. "But didn’t the higher-ups say..."
Flynn cut in, "I’m your superior. You listen to me."
Brooke fell silent again for a moment before saying, "I still think we need to investigate this thoroughly. If they’ve really captured a female, she could be in unimaginable danger right now."
Flynn ran a hand through his hair again in frustration. "Why are you so damn stubborn? Did you not understand me? Two bigwigs from the military are using this to fight each other. It’s all just a smokescreen. Real or not, we can’t let them stir up trouble in Zone 15."
Brooke slammed his fist on the desk with a loud THUD! "Why shouldn’t we care if it’s real? Are we going to ignore whether a female lives or dies just to maintain Zone 15’s reputation?!"
"Hey, why are you taking it out on me?" Flynn quickly steadied Yuanbao’s picture frame. "If we don’t maintain Zone 15’s image, you can forget about any females wanting to settle here. All the work we’ve put into building up this zone over the years will have been for nothing."
Brooke felt a surge of anger churning in his chest. He wanted to flip the table, but he knew Flynn was right.
"Here." Flynn signed another document and handed it to him. "I’m giving you another squad. I’m giving you the Eighth Brigade, too. It’s not that I won’t let you investigate, I just need you to be smarter about it. Do I really have to spell everything out for you?"
*
*
"This word goes here, at the front. You can say them together."
Alex used a pen to circle a few words in Gu Ning’s textbook as he read the passage to her.
Gu Ning propped her head on her hand, listening in a daze.
Her translation headset had been removed. Plus, she had stayed up all night grinding away at post-production for her "material," barely finishing it by two in the morning. She’d wanted to send it to Idelos, but there was still no network connection. She could only save it for now and wait for a signal.
Now, learning the Beastman language with Alex first thing in the morning, she couldn’t even last half an hour before she started to feel drowsy.
Gu Ning secretly pinched her palm, forcing her eyes wide to concentrate.
"All right, read it after me," Alex said.
Gu Ning, who hadn’t really understood any of it, replied, "...Oh, okay."
She stumbled through the passage. Alex listened patiently, waiting until she was finished to point out her mistakes.
Gu Ning forced herself to pay attention to the lesson.
Alex noticed she wasn’t feeling well. "Is your stomach hurting again?" he asked.
"No..."
She had been taking half of one of the painkillers Philinos gave her before bed each night, so her stomach hadn’t hurt. Besides, her period was almost over. She just hadn’t slept well.
Alex closed the textbook, took her pen, and put the headset back on for her. "That’s enough studying for now. You need to rest. There’s no rush."
The terminal hadn’t had a network connection for the past two days. He was worried she’d be bored cooped up indoors, so he was keeping her company.
Gu Ning’s estrus scent was too strong, so he couldn’t exactly ask Seth and the others to come in and play with her. Forgetting for a moment that it might expose her identity, the scent would make it impossible for the young wolves to remain calm. In fact, it would affect Gu Ning as well.
Even Vine and the others couldn’t handle it and kept their distance voluntarily.
She was much weaker during this estrus cycle than the last one. After careful consideration, he decided not to mask her scent as he had before. It was better for her to get through this period in a comfortable, quiet, and clean environment.
He had also carefully examined the painkillers she was taking. There was nothing wrong with the medicine itself, but it had a sedative effect. For an injured Beastman, it would not only relieve pain but also calm their emotions. However, based on his observations over the past two days, Gu Ning’s constitution was different from a Beastman’s—and much weaker. For her, the pills acted as a sleep aid.
But if she didn’t get proper sleep, it would have the opposite effect.
Hearing Alex’s words, Gu Ning relaxed and lay down, planning to get some sleep right then and there.
She pillowed her head on her arm and closed her eyes. "I’ll just rest my eyes for a bit," she said. "Just a bit."
Alex picked her up. "Go sleep in your room."
His movement jostled her awake. She grabbed his arm. "Alex, let me sleep on the sofa."
It was just her and Alex in the house. To avoid disturbing her, Barto had even taken Cook away, only bringing him back for meals.
She felt too cooped up in her room, even though it was quite spacious for her.
"All right."
Alex gently placed Gu Ning on the sofa. He got a throw pillow to cushion her head, covered her with a blanket, and brushed the hair from her cheek. "Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to eat."
"Mm."
"Alex." Gu Ning found she couldn’t sleep now. She looked at him and asked, "When are we leaving?"
Alex replied, "We’ll leave when you’re feeling better. Don’t worry, it’s safe here."
Then he asked, "Do you want to leave?"
Gu Ning shook her head. "I’ll go wherever the team goes."
Alex could see her anxiety. Instead of offering empty platitudes, he leaned in close and sniffed her scent. "We’ll leave as soon as you’ve completely stopped bleeding."
.
"Xiao Ning isn’t awake yet. Hold still."
"Cook, go wash your paws before you eat!"
"Leo’s dealing with that group."
"It’s handled, for now."
"I’m going to look for a nearby port and see if I can get online."
"..."
Gu Ning slept until high noon, awakened by the aroma of food and the sound of hushed conversation.
After catching up on her sleep, she felt much more energetic. She sat up, gave a big stretch, and turned her head to see Vine sitting down on the sofa beside her.
He must have just come in from outside; a cold, damp chill clung to him.
"W-Wolf Team," Gu Ning stammered, taken aback. She gave him an awkward greeting.
She had barely seen Vine for the past two days, and with the network down, she’d had no opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding between them.
Ever since her talk with Barto the day before yesterday, Gu Ning felt like a weight was pressing on her chest. Her perception of the Beastmen was quietly changing. Sometimes, she felt that even the way Cook looked at her was tinged with resentment.
Vine’s sudden appearance made that feeling even more intense.
"Mm," Vine grunted coolly. He pulled his gaze from her face, opened the first-aid kit on the table, and took out a roll of bandages. Biting one end of the bandage, he deftly wrapped it around a wound on his right arm.