“Headquarters received, weather is harsh, and the enemy is cunning. The operation team must be cautious,” came the voice of the coordinator through the headset.

All members of 3A replied, “Understood.”

After completing the check-in, the audio from headquarters switched to their team’s frequency.

Qin Luo instructed everyone to split into several groups.

However, the distance between them should not exceed ten meters, so that anyone in need of help could receive timely support.

As usual, Xu Duoduo followed him.

Everyone confirmed that there were no issues.

Chen Xiaofei stretched lazily. “Oh! The mission officially begins!”

With a quick flap, he flew up into the sky, circling around as he could see further from above.

Bai Shu was also agile, climbing to the top of a building, moving across rooftops, window ledges, or air conditioners.

He had the advantage of being high up.

He carried his gun on his back, moving silently while holding the gun tightly.

Wang Weihuo, a big guy with earth-type abilities, had some earth in his space, which he could use at any time.

He wasn’t afraid of the lizardmen.

He just kept his ears sharp, a habit from the battlefield.

His background in formal military training gave them all good habits, making their movements silent and careful.

Qin Luo, with Xu Duoduo, was patrolling below. The arrival of the all-black day brought total darkness. The lights in the city center of the base were bright during the day, but since most civilians stayed indoors and didn’t go out, the street lights in this area were dimmer than elsewhere.

Inside, however, the lights were blazing.

Qin Luo and Xu Duoduo moved cautiously through the dim streets and narrow alleys, always alert for any movement.

The winter wind howled, but Xu Duoduo was well-prepared in winter gear, so she wasn’t cold.

Patrolling required a lot of patience.

Even if they found nothing, they kept moving around the Liu’an district while communicating.

“North side, all clear.”

“West side, all clear.”

“East side, all clear.”

It was close to noon.

Chen Xiaofei, Bai Shu, and Wang Weihuo reported back with the latest updates.

Qin Luo and Xu Duoduo made their way back to the daycare center’s rear, where they also reported, “South side, all clear.”

Afterward, Qin Luo took a big sip of hot ginger tea to recharge and said to his team, “Find a place to rest for a while.”

The outdoor temperature was extremely low.

Ordinary people couldn’t withstand such extreme weather; they’d freeze after just a few minutes outside.

Qin Luo glanced at the temperature display—it was -65°C. “Ugh, this is crazy. Xu Duoduo, come here, sit on my lap; the stone slab is freezing.”

He led her to a second-floor balcony, where he set up a comfortable resting spot. He pulled her onto his lap, saying, “Don’t stick to the stone slab.”

Xu Duoduo gave him a look but didn’t refuse.

She habitually sat sideways on his lap, letting him take a blanket from his space and cover her up. “Drink something warm and rest for a bit.”

Chen Xiaofei couldn’t resist teasing over the comms, “Hey, Qin Ge, you’re letting the little squad leader sit on your lap? You forgot to turn off your mic, huh, no shame!”

Bai Shu also teased, “Yeah, it’s cold, teammates need to warm each other up, right, Qin Ge?”

Qin Luo, laughing but annoyed, told them both to shut up. “Can’t you pretend you didn’t hear that? You’re both a bunch of trouble.”

Chen Xiaofei and Bai Shu were laughing so hard.

Wang Weihuo also chimed in, saying he’d used his earth abilities to make a three-meter-high lookout tower, which could block the wind and snow while allowing him to survey the area below. “Are you all nearby? You can come rest here.”

Chen Xiaofei and Bai Shu immediately responded, “On our way!” “Wow, Old Wang’s skill is awesome!”

His earth abilities were pretty impressive.

Though earth-type abilities were great, Wang Weihuo took it to the next level—he could create fortresses, small beds, lookout towers, and much more. He truly balanced offense and comfort.

Qin Luo and Xu Duoduo were on the second-floor balcony of the daycare building. Since the weather was cold, the balcony doors were locked, offering a perfect place for them to rest without going to Wang Weihuo’s spot.

However, unexpectedly, the curtains were drawn open. The little kids inside saw them in their combat suits and became excited, yelling and waving at the window.

“Teacher, teacher! Look! It’s the soldier brothers and sisters!!”

“They’re not afraid of the cold!”

“Wow! So cool!”

“Teacher!! Those brothers and sisters are sitting together?!”

“Ah? Big brother saw us! He picked up his sister and ran away!!”

Qin Luo was startled, and just as he thought Xu Duoduo looked adorable drinking tea, he suddenly heard the noise and turned to see a group of kids staring at them! Shocked, he quickly grabbed Xu Duoduo and ran off.

He rushed toward Wang Weihuo’s lookout tower.

Through his earpiece, he could still hear the teachers scolding the children, “Don’t open the curtains randomly.” “Soldier brothers and sisters are just doing their job to protect us.” “Stay away from the windows!”

Qin Luo ran to Wang Weihuo’s lookout tower, where Chen Xiaofei and Bai Shu were already laughing hysterically.

“We told you to come here, but you didn’t listen, huh? The kids got to watch the show? Hahahaha.”

Qin Luo could only sigh in resignation. “Stop laughing! I can’t even have a peaceful moment with her!”

Chen Xiaofei and Bai Shu laughed even harder.

Wang Weihuo reminded them to rest, “There hasn’t been any movement this morning, I can’t tell where the lizardmen are hiding. I sensed the ground below but couldn’t feel anything. Maybe the headquarters reinforced the foundation, which affected my abilities.”

Without dirt, he couldn’t feel anything.

Qin Luo wasn’t in a rush. “Let’s wait a bit. If it were that easy to solve, we wouldn’t have needed to mobilize so many people.”

Xu Duoduo, wrapped in a blanket, was sitting in the lookout tower. Chen Xiaofei and Bai Shu were sitting cross-legged below, with moisture-proof mats and thin blankets underneath.

Chen Xiaofei handed over his thermos, saying, “Squad leader, I need a refill of hot water.”

Xu Duoduo blinked, refilling his cup. “Here, drink up.”

Qin Luo saw it and muttered, deliberately sounding annoyed, “Don’t give him any! He talks too much with Little Bai all day. Let them get thirsty!”

Chen Xiaofei wasn’t scared of him. He took the hot water and gulped it down. “Hmph, the squad leader is so nice! I’m not listening to you.”

He was quite the character.

Bai Shu also refilled his tea, saying drinking tea helped stay alert.

Patrolling in this dim light was tiring, and artificial lighting was no match for natural light.

Wang Weihuo said, “Before, we always complained about the sun being blocked by the fog, but now there’s no light at all. Who knows when this will end?”

Qin Luo took a bite of a rice ball and quickly finished it, “The all-black day has just begun. I don’t think it’ll end anytime soon.”

He glanced at Xu Duoduo eating the rice ball, noticing a grain of rice on her face, which she didn’t realize. He casually wiped it off and ate it, leaving Chen Xiaofei staring in shock.