Chapter 114: One piece of news, in exchange for your water, food, and medicine.

In the end, they didn’t catch a single rabbit. However, that didn’t stop them from patrolling with flashlights at night, and two days later, they actually stumbled upon a rabbit den.

The rabbits inside had short, prickly fur. Once brought back and carefully processed, the group held a small feast, enjoying roasted rabbit and stir-fried diced rabbit meat. A native of Sichuan lamented that it was a real shame they couldn’t eat the rabbit heads. "Back home, we used to say that no rabbit could ever walk out of the province alive."

Now, they couldn't even manage a proper hotpot. The mood dimmed briefly, but as soon as the rabbit meat was served, everyone immediately focused on their chopsticks. In the apocalypse, you had to specifically set aside time if you wanted to be sentimental.

With the new materials, everyone could stay outside even when the temperature was below fifty degrees during the day. They spent their time working near the greenhouse or cooling off in the pits, visiting the companions who had moved there. When Jiang Huan went to dig for gold, she noticed vines growing in the excavation pit—slender things that perfectly concealed the small door she had recently carved out. Knowing who was responsible, Jiang Huan returned the favor with two bottles of chilled drinks as a thank-you.

That evening, just as everyone had started their meal, a patrol member ran over to say someone was looking for Jiang Huan. Learning it was a survivor from the base claiming to have a piece of intelligence to sell, Jiang Huan decided to go and see for herself.

The visitor was none other than Bai Weishuang. She looked incredibly haggard; while not exactly skin and bones, she clearly wasn't faring as well as she had under Jiang Huan's command. Jiang Huan raised an eyebrow. Why was she still coming around? She had already made it clear: one act of disloyalty, and you’re never trusted again. She couldn't possibly think that by looking pathetic and down on her luck, she could guilt-trip her way back into Jiang Huan's favor.

Jiang Huan maintained a distant, polite expression while her hand rested on her pistol. Bai Weishuang likely knew she was unwelcome and didn't harbor any illusions about being taken back. "I want clean water and some medicine," she said. "I have insider information to sell you."

Jiang Huan hummed. "What kind of insider info could I not get by just asking the base directly?"

"You couldn't. To avoid panic, they aren't disclosing this—at least not yet. Even Captain Guan, whom you know well, isn't authorized to know. I got this from..." Bai Weishuang bit her lip, unwilling to reveal her source. "But this information is truly valuable, Jiang Huan. For the sake of the time we were partners, trust me. I swear."

Jiang Huan wasn't particularly interested. "Tell me first. Whether it's worth the water and medicine is for me to decide."

Bai Weishuang didn't get a firm commitment, but seeing Jiang Huan ready to turn and leave, she shouted as if taking a vow: "I'll tell you! Sea beasts have appeared on the outer edges of the Taiwan Strait, and the pods are moving toward our country's coastal cities. They aren't ruling out the possibility of deep-sea variants that have evolved to be amphibious. If you join the core combat team, you get high pay, enough to live comfortably, and a guaranteed spot for your family in the safest zone. But you have to pass an assessment and selection process. The base is treating this as an internal affair, recruiting from within."

Jiang Huan let out a scoff. She couldn't help it. Even though their relationship with the base was mutually beneficial, they had at least reached a verbal agreement to share intelligence and had even been given a satellite phone. So, was that satellite phone just for a small fry like her to receive orders from superiors?

Don't think her cynical for seeing it that way. Any normal person without a people-pleasing personality would figure it out. They wanted to keep such a good opportunity within their own circle? In their dreams! Whether she wanted to go was one thing, but being kept in the dark was another.

Seeing Jiang Huan silent for several seconds, Bai Weishuang felt uneasy. In truth, the base wasn't entirely wrong in their thinking; the only people of real value at Jiang Huan's camp were Jiang Huan herself and Xie Congzhou, whose combat power was quite high. Neither was particularly obedient to absolute commands, so losing or gaining them wouldn't make much difference. They didn't realize that Jiang Huan was currently plotting how to force them to grant more spots to her air-raid shelter camp.

"So... I've told you the news. My supplies..."

Jiang Huan glanced at Bai Weishuang and asked a few follow-up questions to clarify the details. She learned that the deployment would involve one month of service followed by one month of leave, with permanent protection for the families of those killed in action and benefits equivalent to high-ranking military officers. Satisfied, she finally said, "The information is indeed valid. I'll give you a crate of water, five packs of biscuits, two cans, three blister packs of fever medication, and two packs of anti-inflammatories."

Bai Weishuang was overjoyed. With twelve bottles of water, if she was careful, she wouldn't suffer the torment of dehydration for at least a month, and the food and medicine were treasures.

Jiang Huan retrieved the items and handed them over. Watching Bai Weishuang leave in high spirits, Jiang Huan gathered everyone for a meeting to share the news.

"Is this information verified?"

"I probed from different angles and weighed the consequences she would face if she were lying. The information is likely eighty percent true. I'll verify the rest," Jiang Huan said, making a gesture like holding a phone. "After all, they did leave me this."

The group realized she meant she could verify it directly with Captain Wu.

"In that case, I think we should try for it. What if we get selected?"

"I can't. My health isn't good."

"Nobody is forcing you. I'd go for those benefits even if it was just for a logistics role." The speaker was Xie Li’s husband. For some reason, a sudden, fierce sense of paternal responsibility had welled up in him, and he insisted that even if he ended up as cannon fodder, he had to secure a future for his wife and child.

Jiang Huan remained silent. She figured the selection would likely be based on a combination of physical fitness, endurance, and character. If all else failed, being able to take on several opponents at once would probably suffice.

The meeting was extensive, and half of those present wanted to go. However, to understand the specific conditions and limitations, Jiang Huan called Captain Wu. The captain was stunned for several seconds when he heard her question.

Eventually, he could only conclude that Jiang Huan had eyes and ears everywhere. "Alright, since you already know, I won't pretend otherwise. Those conditions and limits do exist. First, no one under eighteen or over forty-five, unless they are skilled enough to take on several of our average special forces members at once. There will be a physical exam, an interview, and a session with a psychologist. After passing the initial selection, there’s two weeks of training, followed by a final three-day assessment and evaluation of the top performers to determine the final roster."

The requirements were severe, but the benefits were top-tier.