As evening approached, a huge bonfire was lit in the grass at the entrance of Qifeng Village. The students of Combat Training Class Four returned to the village entrance one after another, sitting around the bonfire and chattering about their experiences that day.
"Ahem!" A thin boy wearing glasses and a checkered shirt coughed loudly, interrupting the murmurs.
Seeing that his classmates were looking at him inquisitively, especially his crush, Chen Wen's face flushed with excitent. He straightened his back subconsciously but didn't speak imdiately.
"Co on, Four Eyes, stop keeping us in suspense. Just say what you want to say already," a boy said impatiently, seeing Chen Wen cough but remain silent.
"Hahaha..." Hearing soone call Chen Wen by his nickna, the students around the bonfire burst into laughter.
Chen Wen's face turned even redder, and he glared at the boy who spoke, feeling both embarrassed and angry. He hated being called by that nickna, but so mischievous classmates often teased him with it.
Of course, this was also because it was rare for soone in the Combat Training Departnt to wear glasses. Although Chen Wen was not particularly handso, he had a high opinion of himself and liked to show off, making himself seem like he stood out from the crowd. Gradually, his classmates found amusent in making fun of him.
Despite his anger, Chen Wen didn't dare to really start a conflict. He glanced at his crush once more and decided to rise above the common folk.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Let tell you, today I t a bearded explorer at the foot of the mountain. We hit it off imdiately and had a great conversation. Guess what I heard from him."
Chen Wen paused for effect, sweeping his eyes around with a mysterious look. Under the blazing firelight, there truly was an atmosphere of storytelling.
"An explorer!!! You actually t an explorer, Chen Wen? Really? Tell us what a real explorer is like." A sharp-voiced girl asked eagerly.
Although the students were attracted by Chen Wen's words, their focus clearly wasn't on his question. They all began asking about the explorer's deeds. No wonder they were curious—explorers were indeed a unique presence among the Combat Training Masters.
They didn't shine as brightly as the stars of the Combat Training Masters or command as much respect as the Combat Training Masters in the military.
But those who road the wilderness for years, exploring this changed world, spread countless tales. After several films featuring explorers as protagonists beca hits, these unrestrained and free-spirited explorers, endowed with various halos, were regarded as heroes and role models by students who grew up in the city.
Chen Wen's claim of eting an explorer instantly ignited the curiosity of the teenagers. They bombarded him with questions. Though it wasn't exactly as he expected, he still succeeded in capturing their attention. With a face flushed with joy, he began to recount his interactions with the "explorer."
Though much of it was exaggerated and mixed with tales from other stories, the teenagers who were encountering the wilderness for the first ti listened with wide-eyed amazent and responded with exclamations.
For a mont, the atmosphere around the bonfire beca even more lively.
Sun Qiang, sitting on the roof of the minibus, looked at the rising moon and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. The Giant Battle Bear lay quietly beside the minibus, its back almost level with the minibus's top. Slling the smoke, it disdainfully covered its nose with its huge paw and glanced at Sun Qiang.
As long as no one was around, Petty Minded Qiang didn't mind being despised. He was used to it anyway.
Turning to look at the teenagers illuminated by the firelight, Sun Qiang felt a rare sense of accomplishnt. Despite his pettiness, vengefulness, enjoynt of seeing his students embarrassed, and smoking—a slew of bad habits—he considered himself a good teacher.
The bursts of exclamations from the bonfire caught Sun Qiang's attention. He jumped down from the minibus and walked over quietly.
"Let tell you, that explorer, who is my sworn brother, said..."
"What did you say!"
Before Chen Wen could finish his prideful statent, a loud voice sounded behind him, startling him into stiffness. His expression froze, and he turned slowly to see Sun Qiang standing behind him, his bald head shining in the firelight, his face frighteningly grim.
"Mr...Mr. Teacher, I don't know anything," Chen Wen stamred, looking at the towering Sun Qiang.
"Tell , which explorer," Sun Qiang demanded, his face growing darker as he stared intently at Chen Wen.
"I, uh, I t a man at the foot of the mountain who claid to be an explorer. He asked us where we were from and what we were doing here... Teacher, that's really all. I was just bragging earlier. I'm sorry, teacher, for lying to my classmates." Chen Wen's legs trembled as he spoke, no longer stuttering. He finished with a deep bow.
Standing there, Sun Qiang's presence quieted the students. Although they were dissatisfied with Chen Wen's confession, they didn't show it imdiately. They just looked at him with disdain, as if he were a heap of garbage.
"Nonsense! How could there be an explorer in this godforsaken place like Su City! This is our school's private training area; there's no way an outsider could be here! Have you all lost your minds? Sun Qiang, take a headcount," Sun Qiang bellowed, glaring around angrily.
The teenagers were taken aback by his scolding and bowed their heads in unwillingness. It wasn't that big a deal if an outsider showed up, they thought. Besides, it was Chen Wen who encountered him, not us.
By now, it was getting late. Class President Sun Qiang began to check the attendance list carefully, while Sun Qiang stood with his arms crossed, watching him with a blank expression.
"Report, teacher... There are twenty-one people in Class Four, twenty present, but Shao Zifeng, the new transfer student, hasn't returned." Sun Qiang lowered his head after reporting, not daring to et Sun Qiang's gaze, feeling ashad for joining in the earlier commotion.
"Got it. Everyone turn off your positioning devices and sit here without moving," Sun Qiang ordered in a deep voice before rushing back to the minibus to turn on the search equipnt.
The search device screen resembled a radar, with a beam rotating from the center, searching for signals. Monts later, the screen locked onto a house in Qifeng Village, where a red dot blinked intermittently.
...
Sun Qiang stood in front of a house in Qifeng Village, holding the search device, watching the blinking signal light on the ground, his face cloudy.
"Damn it!"
He cursed loudly, punching the wall heavily. The old wall, long in disrepair, shook and so dirt fell off.
"Squeak~"
A mouse, awakened from its sleep in the grass, poked its head out of the darkness and looked at Sun Qiang with a scared expression. Then it noticed the device in front of him.
Using its not-so-bright mind, it rembered that device was dropped by the person who gave them bread.
Glancing at Sun Qiang and the positioning device, it tilted its head in thought, then turned to look at its children.
Two small mice were still asleep, each holding a half-eaten piece of bread and occasionally licking it in their sleep, making happy squeaky sounds.
Seeing this, the big mouse gritted its teeth and ran towards Wutong Mountain.
This guy looks like a bad person; he must be here to hunt down that person. I need to warn him quickly.
Squeak squeak~
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