Xu An watched Zhou Haimai without speaking. Upon hearing Zhou Haimai’s words, Laoshu also composed himself.
The three walked forward in silence, none of them mentioning rescuing people anymore.
It was only after leaving the Ling Shui District that the faint, probing sensation from behind finally disappeared completely.
“It seems this place is definitely not a simple winery, and these female workers were likely controlled as soon as they entered.”
“In that case, why did they allow us to go in and investigate? Wouldn’t that expose them?” Zhou Haimai asked, bewildered.
After returning from the Ling Shui District, the three sat in silence in Xu An’s home, the atmosphere heavy.
“Perhaps they aren’t afraid of exposure at all?” Laoshu suddenly spoke after a long silence.
“What do you mean?”
“When we went today, Xiao Cui had almost lost her mind. Even though Zhou Zhou could communicate normally, the look in her eyes when she saw us was clearly wrong.”
Xu An nodded, agreeing with Laoshu’s assessment.
However, the three couldn’t come up with a solution.
Xu An suddenly felt tired, as if the troubles she had encountered recently were endless, one wave after another.
The matter with Yueyue was not yet resolved, and now there was the issue of the abused factory workers.
Just as Xu An felt weary, Laoshu beside her suddenly said, “I heard you’re participating in the Extreme Cold Competition?”
Xu An and Zhou Haimai exchanged glances. They remembered they hadn’t told Laoshu about this.
So, where did Laoshu get the news?
Seeing Xu An’s suspicious expression, Laoshu chuckled.
“You don’t have to look at me like that. I didn’t intentionally pry into your affairs. It’s just that the organizers of this Extreme Cold Competition have friends of mine, and I saw the participant list. When I saw your names, I couldn’t help but ask.”
Xu An nodded, “Yes, we plan to go.”
“Are only the two of you going? In this kind of team competition, two people are at a significant disadvantage.”
Xu An was unsure of Laoshu’s intentions. Her words sounded like she might want to cooperate, but she hadn’t stated it directly.
Xu An tactfully inquired, “Do you have something in mind? Or do you want to join us?”
Laoshu shook her head and smiled wryly, “I’ll pass. I’m good at strategizing, but when it comes to fighting and killing, I’m not suited for it. However, going like this is no different than fighting alone.”
Xu An was about to explain that their individual combat abilities were quite strong and, combined, they were no less than a team.
But before she could speak, she heard Laoshu say, “I saw the participant list for this competition. Because there are no restrictions on team size, one team has registered one hundred people.” Laoshu looked at Xu An’s hesitant expression, as if preempting what she was about to say.
“I know what you want to say, but no matter how strong your individual abilities are, it’s impossible for just two people to defeat a team of a hundred. Moreover, at least half of the people in such a team are just there to make up the numbers, and there will definitely be a main force. If their main force has abilities comparable to yours, you will be at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.”
Zhou Haimai nodded in agreement after hearing this. She also felt Laoshu was right.
“But we don’t have suitable candidates right now. On this lighthouse, we don’t know anyone’s background. Rather than inviting strangers who might have ulterior motives, we’d rather go by ourselves. Although we’re at a numerical disadvantage, at least we can feel at ease, without worrying about someone stabbing us in the back.”
Listening to Zhou Haimai’s words, Laoshu also lowered her head and pondered for a long time.
This was indeed a problem.
If the team members were unreliable and caused unease, it was indeed better to have no one.
Xu An also nodded, “Yes, that’s my concern, which is why I haven’t thought about finding helpers.”
After all, she possessed special abilities. If Zhou Haimai’s abilities could also awaken, there would truly be no one on this lighthouse that Xu An feared.
“Leave this matter to me. I will definitely find a solution for you.” After thinking for a long time, Laoshu felt that the people needed to be reliable and their strength could not be too poor.
Although she felt it was difficult, she decided to help the two.
After the group finished discussing the matter, Xu An transferred a large sum of money to Laoshu.
Laoshu was astonished by the amount of transaction currency she saw.
“Where did you get this money?” Laoshu’s face was full of doubt, unable to believe that someone who lived so simply would do something for this money.
Xu An smiled and explained, “You can rest assured about the source of the money; it’s absolutely safe and reliable. Finding the virus antibodies is up to you. Yueyue is still waiting for me to bring her home.”
“As for the remaining money, you can split it with the sisters.”
Seeing Laoshu’s determined refusal, Xu An felt a surge of guilt.
Why hadn’t she discovered this person sooner?
“Everyone is not living well right now. I know you’re constantly scrambling for the future of those children and women in the alley. I can’t do much for you, so I can only support you materially. Don’t worry, we will always be your friends.”
“No matter what you encounter, we will always stand by your side.” Be your eternal friends.
When Laoshu left, her eyes were red, making Xu Yan mistakenly believe that Laoshu had been bullied.
She kept chasing Xu An and asking.
After everything quieted down, Zhou Haimai looked at Xu An expectantly.
“An’an, about what you mentioned before, about awakening special abilities, are you ready?”
“Have you thought it through?” Xu An asked.
Zhou Haimai nodded, “I’ve thought it through. Let’s do it.”
Just then, Ze Yuan also emerged from the spatial dimension. He first circled Zhou Haimai once, then looked at Xu An critically.
“Her bone structure is good, but her talent is slightly lacking. How much she can awaken will depend on Zhou Haimai herself.”
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a glowing blue stone the size of a pigeon egg appeared in Xu An’s palm.
“An’an, what is this thing?”
Xu An looked at the crystal core taken from the zombie’s head, feeling a touch of revulsion.
It was purely a physiological disgust.
Even though the item had been purified behind Ze Yuan’s back, Xu An still felt it carried an indescribable bloody scent.
But this bloody scent had a lasting impact on Xu An; she even felt a slight craving for that scent.
Zhou Haimai looked at the blue, stone-like object wrapped in Xu An’s palm and immediately felt that it looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen such things before.