A forced march through the night.
Early the next day, everyone ca to rest on the shaded side of a sand dune, had so dry rations, and along this forced march, everyone discovered that Tiger Girl was like any other unaffected person, her frail body seemingly possessed with endless strength. She was also very familiar with the desert. After spending the night together, everyone grew much closer, and the terms of 'brother' and 'sister' were sweetly exchanged. She was a very sensible child, and everyone quickly grew fond of the little girl.
"After crossing over that sand dune in front, it'll be half a day's journey to our destination," Tiger Girl observed the terrain and said, while swallowing mouthfuls of dry rations as though she could never be full. On this journey, most of everyone's rations had ended up in Tiger Girl's stomach. Seeing how much the little girl could eat, everyone felt a pang of heartache. She was at an age to live worry-free and go to school, yet she had to endure so much hardship. By comparison to Tiger Girl, everyone else felt like they were living in a blissful paradise.
"Da da da!" Suddenly, several faint gunshots rang out, startling everyone, who pricked up their ears. Luo Zheng noticed Tiger Girl was also lying on the ground listening, her expression grave, eyebrows tightly knit, as if facing a formidable enemy. Her alertness was not to be underestimated, evidently, she too was a seasoned campaigner. Yet, she was still an underage child.
"Tiger Girl, don't worry, we've got you," Luo Zheng consoled.
"Around ten people, in that direction, at a straight-line distance of about three kiloters," Tiger Girl suddenly said calmly, her youthful face reflecting determination, giving the illusion that she wasn't a child, but rather a battle-hardened warrior with extensive experience.
"How did you hear that out?" Luo Zheng exclaid in surprise. He had also discerned the general distance and direction from the gunshots just now but couldn't be as precise as Tiger Girl, and he asked out of curiosity.
"Heard it out? My godfather taught ," Tiger Girl earnestly replied, her gaze moving past the others and towards the direction of the gunfire, "It seems like they are coming this way."
"Everyone spread out. Mountain Eagle, take the high ground on the left. Xue Er, take the high ground on the opposite side. Snow Leopard, Ghost Hand, find a defensive position on the right. Tiger Girl, you stay with , don't run around. Everyone, act as you see fit," Luo Zheng quickly issued tactical commands, and the others responded instantly, springing into action.
After everyone had dispersed to take cover, Tiger Girl, curious, looked at Luo Zheng and asked, "Are you their leader?"
"No, that sister is our team leader," Luo Zheng replied offhand while checking his weapon.
"Then why do they listen to you? Shouldn't orders on the battlefield co from the highest-ranking officer? Why doesn't the team leader issue orders?" Tiger Girl pursued with curiosity.
"This?" Luo Zheng paused, unsure how to explain. Seeing Tiger Girl's curious gaze, he felt that without an explanation, he might be hounded endlessly. The continuous march had turned Tiger Girl into a curious baby, barraging everyone with countless 'whys' that led to much exasperation. However, the matter was difficult to explain. Suddenly, he had an idea and said, "Every mber of the squad has their own role. The team leader makes decisions and there's no question that she issues orders, but I am responsible for tactical suggestions in the squad. The team leader is my love, so whether I issue the orders directly or she does, it's all the sa. There's no need to waste ti with repetitions."
"Uh?" Tiger Girl nodded, seemingly understanding.
Luo Zheng heard the ambiguous laughter of his teammates through the headset, as well as Lan Xue's stifled amusent, and said with embarrassnt, "What are you laughing at? Move quickly, we're about to engage in combat."
"Yes," everyone hurriedly responded.
"Do you talk to them through the thing in your ears?" Tiger Girl asked again with curiosity.
"Hmm, if there's a problem, we'll ask about it later. Soone is coming. Don't make a sound, don't run off, understand?" Luo Zheng quickly interrupted Tiger Girl's curious questions, seriously cautioned her, and seeing that Tiger Girl quickly crouched down beside him, her head poking out curiously to look ahead, he handed her the binoculars, reminding her, "Rember, you must not talk."
"Mhm," Tiger Girl quickly nodded in agreent, taking out a short, iron crescent knife from her embrace; it was not long, with a spotty rust, yet its edge was sharpened to a fine point. Seeing this knife for the first ti, Luo Zheng asked curiously, "What's this knife of yours?"
"I sneaked into the kitchen and stole it when I ca out; it's very sharp," Tiger Girl explained quietly.
Luo Zheng opened his backpack and took out a Tiger Teeth combat knife. Since everyone was dressed in plain clothes when they ca out to avoid being exposed, all military gear was in their backpacks. Luo Zheng passed the Tiger Teeth combat knife to her, saying, "This knife is for you, consider it a welco gift."
Taking it, Tiger Girl pulled it out to look—its cold blade gleaming, exuding an aura of lethality. She had never seen such a fine knife and imdiately fell in love with it, saying gratefully, "Really, it's for ?"
"Yeah." Luo Zheng confird.
"That's great, thank you." Tiger Girl fondled the Tiger Teeth combat knife with affection, as if feeling the spirit within the blade, and casually pocketed the crescent knife close to her body.
Before long, a person entered everyone's field of vision. Luo Zheng took the binoculars for a look and saw, to his surprise, five individuals dressed like Snow Bears, looking utterly exhausted, with three figures cloaked in black robes following behind. It seed as if the black-robed figures were hunting the Snow Bear warriors, and although they were only two to three hundred ters apart on the flat desert terrain, curiously, no one was firing their guns—strange?
"Is it them?" Lan Xue's voice sounded in the earpiece.
"Black-robed figures hunting Snow Bears, three chasing five. When have the Snow Bears fallen to such a state? Moreover, they look very exhausted," Ghost Hand's surprised and suspicious voice resonated in the earpiece.
Luo Zheng, too, curiously observed this scene and asked softly, "Tiger Girl, what's the deal with those black-robed individuals?"
"I don't know, I'll take a look." Tiger Girl took the binoculars to observe. She soon expressed her surprise, then putting down the binoculars, she said with a serious face, "I've seen those three. They often visit my godfather to learn knife skills. They are very powerful; however, they have only learned the fake Invisible Blade Skill. I can beat them."
"Uh?" Luo Zheng looked at Tiger Girl in surprise, took back the binoculars, but did not take her words seriously, and continued to observe. He spoke into the earpiece in a lowered voice, "Dog-eat-dog, let's just enjoy the show. Everyone stay concealed, don't move; wait until the end to make our move like a mantis stalking the cicada."
"Understood." Everyone whispered through the earpiece.
"You don't believe ?" Tiger Girl asked anxiously on the side, noticing Luo Zheng put a finger to his lips to signal her to be silent, she quickly swallowed the rest of her sentence, carefully watching the scene unfold in front of her while gripping the Tiger Teeth tightly, ready to prove herself with action if necessary.
Luo Zheng did not pay attention to Tiger Girl's emotional changes but was instead intrigued by the approaching Snow Bears. He had heard of the Snow Bears being hunted by various organizations for the killing of civilians and had not expected it to be true, and even less so that five elite Snow Bears were actually being chased by three black-robed figures—what was going on?
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