Compared to when the "Old Task Force" had just returned from Qifeng Town, the scenery on the wasteland was even more desolate, as if it had gone from late autumn to early winter overnight.

"Is it going to snow soon?" Long Yuehong looked at the leaden sky outside the window and guessed expectantly.

He had only seen snow scenes in textbooks and slides.

"At this time of year, it's about time for snow." Jiang Baimian replied casually while driving.

Bai Chen, in the passenger seat, glanced at the rearview mirror and said:

"North of the swamp, it might have snowed several times already."

The northernmost part of the Black Marsh Wilderness was connected to the ice field, a world of freezing cold.

However, because the Black Marsh Wilderness was very large, the area south of the swamp was not so extreme in weather, belonging to a type with distinct seasons.

"I really want to see what a vast expanse of white looks like," Long Yuehong said with emotion, withdrawing his gaze.

Shang Jianyao, who was sitting upright, immediately responded:

"That's not a lucky thing to say."

"Why?" Long Yuehong knew that Shang Jianyao couldn't say anything good, but he couldn't help but ask.

He was very sensitive to topics like luck, misfortune, and fate.

Shang Jianyao laughed:

"Think about it, when everything on the earth is covered by a blizzard, leaving only a vast expanse of white, can that be lucky?"

"Yeah..." Long Yuehong had to admit that Shang Jianyao had a point.

Listening to their conversation, Jiang Baimian added:

"Every winter, countless wasteland wanderers freeze to death. Snow is a disaster for them, right, Bai Chen?"

"Yes." Bai Chen pulled up the gray scarf around her neck. "Many settlement houses are dilapidated. When it snows heavily, they easily collapse. Many people don't have enough clothes, let alone heating."

Long Yuehong listened in silence for a long time before sighing:

"The company is still good."

In any case, employees could have winter clothes and real hot water bottles.

At higher levels, with more energy allocation, they could turn on a heater for an hour or two from time to time – if they could buy it or trade for it.

Speaking of "Pangu Biology," Long Yuehong suddenly thought of something and asked, quite afraid:

"Team Leader, do you think that if our mission plan is really seen by someone from the 'Ceremony of Life' cult hiding among us and leaked out, will the cultists on the surface ambush us in Shuiwei Town?"

The route could be changed, but the destination couldn't!

"Faced with this situation, we can first send bait to test the waters." Before Jiang Baimian could answer, Shang Jianyao's smile had become radiant.

He patted Long Yuehong on the shoulder and said:

"This glorious task is entrusted to you."

"Why me?" Long Yuehong didn't want to admit it, but he knew that he was the weakest in the team, and he couldn't really bear the responsibility of being bait.

On the one hand, it was really dangerous, and he was very scared. On the other hand, he felt that his psychological quality had not reached the level of the team leader and Bai Chen, and he would easily screw up the bait mission.

– Long Yuehong divided the psychological qualities of the "Old Task Force" members into four levels. He himself was at the lowest fourth level. One level above was Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen, who were both at the second level. Shang Jianyao was in a level of his own.

Shang Jianyao "seriously" explained:

"Because you look like bait."

"..." Long Yuehong couldn't figure out the logic.

"Don't scare him!" At this time, Jiang Baimian, who was driving, scolded Shang Jianyao with a smile.

She turned to Long Yuehong and said:

"I'll ask you one question:

"Do people at the company know where Shuiwei Town is?"

"I don't know." Long Yuehong answered subconsciously, then suddenly realized. "That's right..."

He remembered that one of the important reasons why Shuiwei Town was able to continue relatively stably to this day since the destruction of the Old World was that its location was hidden, and it was difficult for outsiders to find.

And when Jiang Baimian reported this matter, she consciously concealed the specific situation of Shuiwei Town, only saying that she encountered their hunting team on the wasteland.

After figuring it out, Long Yuehong was quite ashamed:

"I actually forgot that."

"The main thing is that you tend to panic when you encounter potentially dangerous situations. Remember to calm down and think more in the future." Jiang Baimian first taught him a lesson, and then comforted him, "But, you were able to think that external members of the 'Ceremony of Life' cult might ambush us at the predetermined destination. For you, who is only on the surface for the second time, that's pretty good."

Receiving praise, Long Yuehong's confidence doubled.

His thoughts turned, and he said excitedly:

"So, this possible danger isn't in Shuiwei Town, but in Weed City?"

The "Old Task Force's" two predetermined destinations were Shuiwei Town and Weed City.

Compared to Shuiwei Town, Weed City was a relatively well-known city between the areas of the three major forces of "Pangu Biology," "First City," and "White Knights," and was familiar to many relic hunters and wasteland wanderers. There was no problem in finding it.

Before Jiang Baimian could speak, Shang Jianyao had already said to Long Yuehong in the same excited manner:

"This state is good, keep it up!"

Good state... Wait, why am I excited? This is such a serious and dangerous thing! Long Yuehong suddenly wanted to raise his hand and slap his face.

"What are you excited about?" Jiang Baimian scolded Shang Jianyao again, then said to Long Yuehong, "Not bad, not bad, it's very good to react so quickly. On the road ahead, we have to think carefully about how to enter Weed City without exposing ourselves, and how to determine whether there are problems with the company's intelligence personnel there. Hehe, don't worry, it's still early. Let's deal with the Shuiwei Town matter first."

"Yes, Team Leader!" Long Yuehong responded loudly.

He felt that he was slowly transforming into a reliable team member.

After the jeep drove for a while, Bai Chen looked outside for a long time and frowned:

"There are many signs of animal migration."

Hearing her words, Long Yuehong realized that on the gray-yellow, desolate wasteland, there were many footprints crowded in one place, as if they had stepped out a road connecting north and south.

"This year's climate is a bit abnormal. Many monster groups are migrating, and animals should be about the same." Jiang Baimian recalled the news and information she had seen and heard, and her expression seemed quite moved. "For many wasteland wanderers, this winter will be difficult."

As soon as she finished speaking, a flock of strange birds flew across the sky.

They were much larger than crows, their bodies were covered with black feathers, and their skulls were exposed, stained with filth.

The flock of birds flew lower and lower, and soon fell into the swamp not far away.

In the process, they did not make a sound, as quiet as if they did not exist.

Seeing this scene, Bai Chen said with a hint of emotion:

"Death Crows...

"It seems there are many corpses over there."

"Death Crows? Are they a kind of crow?" Long Yuehong asked curiously.

He remembered that the textbook mentioned that in many places in the Old World, crows were regarded as unlucky things, calling them Death Crows.

Bai Chen withdrew her gaze and explained in detail:

"This is a kind of aberrant creature. We call it Death Crow or Bone Crow.

"They only eat corpses. Where they gather, there must be death."

Jiang Baimian, who was driving, nodded slightly and added:

"This kind of aberrant crow is very magical. With its skull exposed, it can still live well.

"They have no aggression towards living creatures, but if you encounter them, you should be careful. They can stretch a tube out of their mouths, similar to a fly, from which they spit out digestive fluid. This digestive fluid is very dangerous and can very quickly melt a corpse into juice, making it easier for the Bone Crows to eat.

"Since this digestive fluid can melt corpses, I think the effect should be no less on a living person."

Long Yuehong thought about that scene and hissed.

"Then the question comes." Shang Jianyao said with great interest, "How is the meat quality of this crow? What does it taste like roasted?"

Jiang Baimian turned her head and glared at the guy:

"This kind of crow itself has been mutated, and combined with its food characteristics and living environment, who knows how many toxins and germs it carries."

After she finished speaking, Bai Chen suddenly said:

"The meat is very good."

Jiang Baimian held the steering wheel with one hand and touched her ear with the other:

"Have you eaten it?"

"Yes, it was a winter like this, with not enough food. Compared to humans, I think eating Bone Crows is more acceptable..." Bai Chen said in a reminiscent tone, "The meat is surprisingly good, and their eggs are the best eggs I've ever eaten..."

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong simultaneously raised their hands and wiped their mouths.

After making this move, Long Yuehong woke up and felt ashamed.

Shang Jianyao turned his head and said to him seriously:

"I controlled you with 'Reasoning Clown,' so you made the same move as me."

"Really?" Long Yuehong was both relieved and panicked.

"Just kidding." Shang Jianyao replied with a smile.

Jiang Baimian ignored the conversation between the two people in the back seat and asked Bai Chen curiously:

"Aren't you poisoned or infected with diseases?"

"The poisoning may not be obvious, thankfully." Bai Chen subconsciously looked out the window. "But there were about a dozen or twenty of us at the time, and about half of us got sick and died. Their corpses fed more Bone Crows..."

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, with a bit of ridicule, though it was unclear who it was directed at.

"In the Ashlands, sometimes, you can only choose the lesser of two evils." Jiang Baimian said with heartfelt emotion.

In this kind of exchange, the gray-green jeep galloped across the wasteland and entered the swamp, winding around to Shuiwei Town before dark.

Because they already knew each other, had traded before, and were trusted people, Bai Chen came forward and the guards directly let them into the town, allowing the vehicle to park in the old location – outside a wooden shed at the corner of the wall.

Jiang Baimian had just gotten out of the car when she saw a familiar face.

"Gouzi," she said with a smile.

The town guard member with the nickname Gouzi, wearing a gray windproof suit, blushed and muttered:

"I, my name is Ding Ce..."

Bai Chen didn't give Gouzi a chance to continue, and directly asked:

"Where is Town Chief Tian?"

Ding Ce's expression suddenly became sad:

"Town Chief, the Town Chief is sick.

"He's, he's about to die."