Lucia didn't answer Lan Xue's question right away, but instead gestured for Lan Xue to call everyone over before speaking. Lan Xue gave a shout through the headset and Luo Zheng and the others, having packed up, gathered at the village. The content of the conversation was heard by everyone through the headsets, so there was no need to repeat anything. Lucia didn't ask any further questions and gestured for everyone to follow along.
Through the muddy path at the village entrance, with earthen houses on both sides, many curious villagers watched as the group passed by. To show goodwill, everyone handed out the few compressed biscuits they had to the curious children who crowded around. The children, never having seen such things, were initially hesitant to take them, but once the braver ones did, the others also accepted and ran off to the side to eat, gaining the trust and acceptance of the surrounding villagers.
Up ahead the path opened up into a small square, with houses built around it at varying heights, forming alleys that resembled a labyrinth. Lucia didn't stop but led everyone straight to an earthen house with a wooden gate, pushed open the gate, and they entered a small courtyard with mud walls, stopping at the door of another room.
Lucia opened the door, revealing an array of neatly stacked weapons inside. Luo Zheng and the others went in, opened a few boxes to inspect, and found bullets, AK47s, and grenades. They closed the wooden lids, stepped back into the yard, and curiously looked at Lucia.
"Curious, aren't you?" Lucia said, noting everyone's expressions. Her face turned to sorrow, and after a pause, she continued, "Three months ago, a cache of arms passed through the grasslands in front here, fell into a Wata ambush, and both sides suffered. We ca out the beneficiary. You should know, in this chaotic region, without guns, you're bound to get hit. So we hid these weapons, but it wasn't long before Wata people ca by, claiming we had swallowed their weapons and captured all the n."
"Why didn't you just explain the situation and give them the weapons then?" asked Lan Xue curiously.
Lucia's face was filled with bitterness as she replied, "This is a chaotic area. To protect ourselves, we hid these weapons. Once the situation was exposed, even if we handed them over, Wata wouldn't spare us. Besides, Wata wasn't sure the goods were in our hands; they were just looking for an excuse to capture people. n from other villages around here were also taken away, said to work on so underground construction, specifics unknown. If Wata were sure we had the things, no one in the village would survive; they'd massacre the village for their own authority and position."
"That makes sense, but with just you guys, can you rescue your families?" Lan Xue asked, her mood heavy.
"No, but we can protect ourselves. There are still children left after the n are gone. Maybe when the children grow up, we can't rescue anyone, but we will always have the chance for revenge. We need to defend ourselves, we need hope, so we must arm ourselves. Giving up ans losing everything." Lucia's words echoed with a heavy heart.
"Okay, we'll definitely teach you how to use these weapons," Lan Xue said seriously to Lucia. They were both won and Lan Xue could feel the suffering of these people, sense their relentless strength, and fully agreed to help since it was just a matter of a few days.
Lucia smiled and spoke loudly to the others, eliciting cheers. Everyone then moved back to the small square in the center of the village. Not wanting to waste ti, Lan Xue gathered everyone, said a few words, then imdiately took on the role, asking Lucia to help translate as she started explaining the use of the weapons on the spot.
These people had suffering in their hearts, hatred, and goals, and they learned very seriously. Half an hour later, soone brought over steaming hot mutton and large flatbreads. Luo Zheng and the others, upon seeing the at, were green with hunger and ate voraciously, having not eaten hot food in a long ti.
After eating and drinking their fill, Lucia arranged accommodations in a deserted little courtyard. Once settled, Luo Zheng and the others continued training the villagers. Having received their hospitality, when everyone went for live fire training, they consulted with Lucia about where the village needed to be guarded and fortified and how to improve the village's defense.
Having no military knowledge, Lucia saw that Luo Zheng and his people were genuinely teaching everyone, holding nothing back. She chose to trust and began adjusting the village as suggested by Luo Zheng. This brought the village to life, bustling until the evening, after which Luo Zheng and the others ate the dinner prepared by the villagers, then returned to their temporary lodgings and unpacked their sleeping bags.
"I'll take the first guard shift. You guys rest first," Lan Xue said, her mood heavy.
Luo Zheng, guessing that Lan Xue felt pity for the villagers, didn't argue and said that he'd take the second shift, then crawled into his sleeping bag and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, while everyone was still asleep, Lucia ca running anxiously, holding a weapon that startled everyone. Lan Xue asked curiously, "Training so early in the morning?"
"No, soone ca by, saying they were your guide and was stopped at the village entrance. I ca to confirm," explained Lucia hastily.
"Guide?" Lan Xue was taken aback, then quickly realized it must be an intelligence agent sent by the holand to help. The guise of a guide was appropriate, so she quickly said, "Right, we've hired a guide being unfamiliar with the place."
"Then it's good," replied Lucia, speaking to soone nearby who swiftly left. Lucia then made pleasant conversation with the group, asking after their well-being warmly.
Soon, a girl in her mid-twenties, her skin tanned, wearing a robe and a hat, and looking every bit like a local, arrived surrounded by a crowd. Luo Zheng looked at her with surprise, and she gave everyone a curious glance before suddenly speaking in Huaxia's language, "Who is Lan Xue?"
"You are?" asked Lan Xue, uncertain as she stepped forward, with Luo Zheng and the others unconsciously spreading out to form a circle around the newcor. Their hands reached down quietly towards the pistols strapped to their thighs, their eyes stern.
"GR131, soone sent here, saying you need help," the visitor said with a faint smile.
Seeing the visitor ntion their squad's code number, which was also a contact passphrase known only to their own people or those they trusted, Lan Xue's expression relaxed and she smiled, "What should I call you?"
The newcor didn't imdiately answer Lan Xue's question but spoke in the local language with the surrounding people. Lucia and the others glanced curiously at the newcor, then Lan Xue, then promptly left the courtyard. At that point, the visitor's deanor beca serious, and after saluting formally, she said, "National Security intelligence agent Xinzi, reporting as ordered. Please give your instructions."
"Xinzi, so long as the Fire of Life is ignited, one can partake in the riches of life, signifying victory, competition, joy, love, happiness, admiration, tenacity, and life. A very nice codena, I'm pleased to et you," Lan Xue responded politely, knowing the National Security Departnt had recruited many foreigners as intelligence agents for their work. She continued, "Having you as a local guide will make our job much easier."
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