Chapter 118: Knowing How to Listen Is an Art in Itself

Jiang Huan had no time to ponder, for the countdown from the shore had begun.

"Five!"
"Four!"
"Three!"

Before the number two could be called, Jiang Huan submerged, a swarm of people already rushing beneath the water's surface.

Suddenly, with a sharp hiss, a bullet grazed the glass of her mask. Jiang Huan flinched, instinctively diving another two meters deeper. Even at this depth, she could still hear the frantic splashing of gunfire sweeping across the surface above.

They were actually playing for keeps!

Jiang Huan hovered in the seawater, controlling her buoyancy. Once the barrage ceased, she noticed a red glow emanating from her gear. Seeing another person whose suit had also turned red swim to the surface without being fired upon, she realized the signal.

Suddenly, her own vision flashed red—her oxygen levels were critical. She hurried upward, breaking the surface, and the red glow on her suit protected her from further attack.

Back on shore, Jiang Huan stripped off her outer layer, discovering that the clothes underneath remained perfectly dry. It felt like something out of the science fiction stories she used to read; at this rate of technological advancement, mechs couldn't be far off.

She silently gathered with the others, waiting for the rest of the team to return.

There was a slight mishap when Xie Congzhou came up. A man near him had snagged his gear on something, tearing his suit. Though he still had oxygen, he had been riddled with bullets while surfacing to help someone else. While everyone knew the bullets were made of harmless plastic, the people just emerging from the water didn't, and both were left thoroughly shaken.

Jiang Huan had been standing nearby. As she rushed over, everyone else was focused on the unconscious man, but Jiang Huan was the first to notice a bunch of green leaves in Xie Congzhou’s hand. If someone were to see that...

She reached out, quickly sweeping the herbs into her palm before pretending to offer him a hand up. Xie Congzhou gripped her hand, though he didn't rely on it for much force, using his other arm to pull himself up.

As he stood, he said to the crouching Jiang Huan, "Thank you." In that life-or-death moment, his reflexes had been focused on neutralizing the threat, leaving him little time to handle the aftermath properly.

Once everyone had regrouped, Xie Congzhou received a word of praise from the captain, followed by instructions for the next training exercise.

After a grueling, exhausting day, Jiang Huan felt completely wilted by the time she reached the dormitory. Time was too tight to even think about recuperating. She resisted the urge to collapse onto her bed and instead pulled up a wooden stool to sit.

Arlin came in and gulped down a large amount of water. Sister Chen warned her not to drink so quickly. Jiang Huan leaned against the wall, legs slightly spread, looking utterly listless and unwilling to move.

"Rest up, then let's go line up for dinner early. I saw it—tonight they’re serving big steamed buns, meat sauce, and a bowl of seaweed soup."

"There’s soup?" Sister Chen looked delighted; she was a fan of soup.

Jiang Huan sat for about twenty minutes before getting up to move around. The three women took turns massaging each other’s muscles before heading to the canteen. She opted for a regular portion and shared half her soup with Sister Chen. Seeing most people clamoring for extra buns, she didn't feel a hint of envy.

During the break that followed, she pulled Xie Congzhou into a wind-shielded corner, and they secretly shared some wraps. Jiang Huan had made a large batch on a whim—the fillings were rich, and the crusts were charred, crispy, and fragrant.

The portions were generous. Xie Congzhou ate two, and once full, he found a patch of dirt, dug a hole, dropped in two seeds, and used his ability to accelerate the growth of a cherry tomato plant.

Jiang Huan: ...

Though she had seen him accelerate the growth of medicinal herbs before, witnessing a cherry tomato plant go from seed to bright red fruit in under a minute was still a shock.

She could only manage one wrap, but she popped a dozen cherry tomatoes; Xie Congzhou finished the rest.

They washed their hands and rinsed their mouths with water before heading back. No matter how careful they were, their pattern of disappearing together was noticed. The others smiled knowingly. After Jiang Huan left, they crowded around Xie Congzhou. "Brother Xie, your stamina is impressive—still have the energy to romance someone?"

Xie Congzhou, having recovered his energy and spirit quickly, simply accepted the comment with a nod.

After two more days of training, the head coach suddenly divided everyone into groups.

Teams of three, one five-person inflatable kayak, two oars—they would be dropped by the main ship onto the coastal lands of Wannan Island and could only return after three days.

As for rations, they were only given one meal's worth. "There are various survivor outposts in that area. The leaders there have always been factional; even after the apocalypse, they haven’t stopped bickering and splitting up. You won't know if the teams you encounter are friends or foes, so please, protect yourselves."

"Oh, and one more thing: there are flags hidden there. If you find them, you can return a day early and earn extra credit. If they find them, they can trade them with us for supplies. As for how many resources you can squeeze out of their territory using those flags, that’s up to you."

The moment Jiang Huan heard this, her first thought was: This is definitely a collaboration!

Even though the coach made it sound like they were heading to a savage island filled with unpredictable danger, the reality couldn't be that high-stakes. Since it was common knowledge that flags could be traded for supplies, she didn't believe for a second that they hadn't colluded ten or eight times before.

Furthermore, the goal of this selection and training was to prepare them to fight sea beasts or other enemies. Selecting the best soldiers was the objective, and there was definitely some trickery involved.

Learning to read between the lines of what people say is a skill in itself.

Still, that didn't mean she could lower her guard.

Because human nature is the one thing that is never under control.

Two minutes later, the grouping began.

I overslept today, boohoo, I owe two chapters...
(End of chapter)