Wang Zhifan wasn’t nearly as tense as his subordinates; he didn’t even glance back, keeping his eyes fixed on the alien landscape illuminated by the bus’s headlights, marveling at how this was truly a scenery Earth could never offer.
In the brightly lit area, there was a vast expanse of black soil and chaotic, differently sized purple stones, so adorned with crystal-like peculiar flowers, or unknown small creatures hopping about, like scenes from a fantasy ga.
Looking up at the sky, one would notice a sparse collection of stars interspersed with a conspicuous gaseous planet. This blue gaseous planet had a huge reddish-brown ring that appeared quite beautiful.
"According to the map on the communication watch, the mining area is about ten minutes away."
After admiring the alien nightscape for a mont, Wang Zhifan then checked his captain-level tool, which clearly showed the current route and location of the bus, updating in real-ti.
In fact, they had just left the mining base, which was set at the center connecting all the mining areas, allowing them to reach any mining site within at most half an hour.
Usually, such a journey wouldn’t likely encounter any mishaps, but tonight was clearly not usual.
Wang Zhifan soon perceived many unidentified creatures approaching, and then a mass of red dots appeared on his watch, finally triggering automatic alerts inside the bus.
"Warning! Detected highly aggressive biological swarm approaching! Prepare for battle!"
"Warning! Detected highly aggressive biological swarm approaching! Prepare for battle!"
...
In an instant, the 20 security personnel and 100 miners inside the bus grew tense, especially the guards, who seed to be reminded of the nacing swarm, their faces turning visibly paler.
The prisoner miners securely fastened to their seats mostly felt fear as well, except for a few newcors who seed clueless.
At that mont, Wang Zhifan paid no mind to the others’ reactions, focusing instead on the enemy closing in, quickly determining that they were a group of large dog-sized, carapace-clad flying creatures.
They flew rapidly in the air, their nauseating appearance leaving a deep impression on him, prompting him to mutter, "Alien cockroaches?"
Within seconds, a few team mbers inside the bus, upon seeing his delayed instructions, couldn’t help but shout:
"Captain! It sounds like battle mantises! Please call for ergency support from the base! We can’t handle them without the cha!"
"Captain! The battle mantises can chew through tal! The bus won’t last long without support!"
...
"Everyone, be quiet! I’ll handle all the enemies outside!"
Amid the crowd’s panic, Wang Zhifan maintained a calm deanor.
First, he halted the impending chaos inside the bus with his voice, then made a bold move:
He swiftly opened the side window of the driver’s seat and aid his captain-level rifle at the dark outside.
"Captain! You mustn’t open the window!"
"Captain! There are too many battle mantises! You can’t take them alone!"
"Don’t open the window! The battle mantises will get in!"
Seeing their captain’s absurd response, the team mbers couldn’t hold back, rushing forward, faces full of terror, issuing grave warnings.
But Wang Zhifan remained unmoved, imdiately waving a hand back and loudly responding:
"I told you to stay quiet and sit tight! You won’t lose a single hair! Does this captain joke about his own life?"
His unquestionable words silenced the shocked team mbers.
Primarily, they sensed a calmness and confidence in Wang Zhifan, not the madness of soone losing control, which was precisely the leadership quality they most desired to see in the current situation.
During this brief negotiation, the alien creatures pursuing them finally reached the bus’s position, appearing clearly outside the windows for everyone to see inside the bus.
They were indeed a swarm of roach-like beings flying inwards, but apart from their significant size difference from Earth roaches, their mouths and forelimbs were also notably distinct.
Their mouths had sharp, frightening serrations, and their robust and elongated forelimbs ended in flat, blade-like points, making anyone suspect that these offensive tools could cleave through steel like mud.
"Ah! They really are battle mantises!"
"We’re done for!"
"We’re dood!"
...
The people inside, already in a panic, couldn’t suppress their terrified screams at the sight of the creatures, indicating their deep impression of these alien creatures’ horror.
However, given that outside it was clear they were surrounded by battle mantises, the people did not resort to frantically abandoning the vehicle to flee, resigning instead to staying inside the bus, hoping the vehicle’s body would protect them for a bit longer.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the sa ti, Wang Zhifan in the driver’s seat began shooting thodically, undistracted by the number of enemies spread out in all directions.
With each pull of the trigger of the high-energy rifle provided to him by the base, the battle mantises outside the bus fell, one by one, their carapaces shattering on the ground, like a shooting ga where you aim at balloons with a toy gun.
However, anyone could tell that this level of attack was a drop in the ocean.
Not to ntion the sheer number of battle mantises outside; how many bullets would Wang Zhifan have to fire to eliminate them all?
Just considering directional constraints, Wang Zhifan couldn’t resolve all the crises—it wasn’t like his bullets could curve to attack the creatures on the opposite side of the bus.
Almost everyone inside the bus thought this way at the mont, feeling despair at having such an unreasonable captain in their midst.
They had no interest in appreciating Wang Zhifan’s subli marksmanship, dismissing it as a desperate struggle of a fool, believing that tonight, all of them would perish here.
Wang Zhifan likewise paid them no mind, still aiming out the window to discharge bullets, continuing his relaxed shooting ga.
Only after three or four more seconds did the people inside begin to notice that the life-and-death crisis they expected did not materialize.
"Why did those battle mantises... retreat?"
"They didn’t retreat; it seems they couldn’t keep up with the bus’s speed and fell to the ground."
"Did you notice that not a single battle mantis attacked the window just now? That’s very strange."
"Could it be that the captain attracted the attention of the battle mantises and then drove them away with firepower?"
...
Whether security personnel or prisoner miners, at this mont, they couldn’t understand the bizarre scene before them; the alien battle mantises, previously known to be ferociously mouthful of even hard tal, now seed to have collectively beco dumbfounded.
One by one, they either couldn’t keep up with the moving bus and fell to the ground, or they suddenly froze and abandoned their attack in front of the windows.
After being singled out for a few more shots by the gunfire from the front seat by Wang Zhifan, none of them pursued again, and their earlier terrifying montum vanished, leaving the bus nearly unscathed after the lee.
Especially the player’s miners couldn’t comprehend the disparity between reality and their expectations; they had prepared for a fight with the mantises, only for it to be much ado about nothing, requiring not a finger lifted.
"Alright! The battle mantises have retreated, everyone get ready to enter the mine and get to work!"
When all were engulfed in confusion, Wang Zhifan seamlessly closed his gun, shut the window, and shouted, yanking them back to task.
Because they were about to reach their destination, there was no ti or energy to be wasted elsewhere, pondering questions they might never comprehend.
"Yes, sir!"
The 20 security personnel almost unanimously responded loudly, showing a high degree of coordination with Wang Zhifan’s words.
This undoubtedly reflected personal prestige; Wang Zhifan had instilled fear in his subordinates by punishing slacking back at the base, and now his solo resolution to the mantis crisis accentuated his personal strength, letting the others realize his unparalleled leadership.
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