Tang Xian's thoughts were something that Dong Ran had not yet been able to adapt to, and having her convenience snatched away left her somewhat dumbfounded.
What concerned her even more was Tang Xian mentioning that someone would come after them soon.
"What do you mean? Are there other people in these desolate hills?"
"Mhm, they should be able to catch up to us in a bit," Tang Xian said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at a fish in the river.
"Then we'll be robbed!" Dong Ran suddenly realized, a man and a woman, without any equipment, carrying a boss-level creature's Soul Crystal Mine.
This was definitely a robbery waiting to happen.
This time, Tang Xian didn't look at Dong Ran as if she were an idiot, since he needed to keep his eyes on the fish.
He simply said, "Didn't I already tell you we're about to be robbed? But it doesn't matter. If you take out your money openly and honestly, rather than sneaking it into your pocket, it gives off a different impression."
Dong Ran didn't know how Tang Xian had deduced that someone was coming, and anxiously said, "Shouldn't we be running now?"
"Run? If we run, our footsteps will sink deeper. Humans aren't animals; we have brains and can analyze prey behavior. If we start running after we've come this far, it would expose our emotions. Emotions often confirm the other party's guesses."
This time, Dong Ran picked up on the fact that Tang Xian was implying she lacked brains.
Just then, Tang Xian suddenly bent down and accurately grabbed a fish.
"Nice, we can have grilled fish tonight. This is a red phosphorus fish – its meat isn't as good as that of a green phosphorus fish, but if you get the grilling right, it can be just as crispy and delicious."
Dong Ran was not cheered by the prospect of grilled fish, and Tang Xian went on to say,
"Don't take my words seriously. You're not dumb. Even if I say you are, it doesn't actually mean you are. Besides, in this world, some people are just plain dumb, but you're different."
Feeling that Tang Xian was about to compliment her, Dong Ran asked expectantly,
"Different how?"
"You have big boobs."
"..."
"Having big boobs means you can be legally brainless. That's better than those who are brainless and flat-chested. If you went to the third mining team where I am, and met Song Zhe, at least you'd fare better than those temporary workers with brains."
Tang Xian really believed he was offering a compliment; having big boobs was definitely a plus in his eyes.
But Dong Ran was still hung up on the brainless part. As for who Song Zhe was, she didn't care, figuring he was probably some sleazy guy.
Seeing that Dong Ran was still somewhat worried, Tang Xian said,
"The human heart can indeed be sinister, but for most people to actually go against their moral principles, aside from a few real psychopaths, the majority will struggle and resist. It's not so much about conscience as it is about considering the risks. If you truly can't grasp it, just listen to me and later just put on a cool and composed face."
Dong Ran didn't understand, and Tang Xian didn't elaborate further.
He put the red phosphorus fish into his bag. The bag was one of the few items that could be used in the mining area, after all, it was made from blue-quality inorganic mines.
It could hold quite a lot of stuff, but it wasn't a magical dimensional pocket. The items put in the bag didn't shrink; rather, things like food could be preserved from rotting.
Tang Xian's bag was filled with various cooking utensils, and it looked like quite a bulky pile.
After securing his bag, Tang Xian casually found a tree to lean on and soon, four figures appeared in the distance in his line of sight.
Four people, three men and one woman.
According to Tang Xian's knowledge, a squad typically consisted of six members: four combatants, one healer, and a lookout.
At a distance of only about a hundred meters away, Tang Xian could see their stats. He hadn't really thought of a set way to deal with robbers before.
But now, he had an idea.
The three men and one woman, judging by their gear, were all wearing combat suits transformed from green-level mining armor. Such an outfit was not common in ordinary teams; with such equipment, the group was likely well-equipped and not understaffed.
Dong Ran was somewhat tense, while Tang Xian retracted his gaze, looking back at the surface of the river.
He suddenly thought that one fish might not be enough to eat, so he checked to see if there were any other fish.
The four approached.
Dong Ran forced herself to stay calm, trying to appear as collected as Tang Xian.
The leader of the four was tall and burly, wielding an axe which seemed to be of blue quality. Blue weapon, green armor – such a team was usually trouble. But why were there only four of them?
Behind the leader was a short man with shifty eyes and a mustache, whose green-converted dagger suggested his role.
The man on his right was tall yet thin, clean-cut and seemingly well-mannered, but his weapon was of the same quality as the leader's; it was a blue heat gun.
Warrior, assassin, archer.
A standard setup. The woman behind the three men, fairly attractive, had breasts that couldn't compare to Dong Ran's, but to Tang Xian, they still seemed rather inviting, and the medical kit in her hands clarified her role.
The team configuration was missing eyes and a combat member, but that wasn't the core role. A team like this could still operate.
Tang Xian toyed with the bead in his hand and seemingly glanced unintentionally at the four of them before his gaze continued to fall on the river's surface.
The burly man holding the battle-axe wanted to speak, but at that moment, Tang Xian had his back to him and made a shushing gesture first.
"Shh! Don't talk right now."
Tang Xian stared at the river, one hand twirling the Soul Crystal ore, and the other ready to reach into the water at any moment.
The group looked at Tang Xian with confusion, but each had their own concerns and remained silent.
A few seconds later, Tang Xian's hand plunged into the water and once again caught a fat red-scale fish.
The burly man asked, "What are you doing?"
"Fishing," Tang Xian replied without looking back, pondering whether there were more fish in the river.
No need for bait to attract them, the fish swam by the riverbank themselves; either the weather was about to change, or the river was simply teeming with fish.
Tang Xian was certain it wouldn't rain tonight.
The four had arrived with a bold stance and their positioning was strategic, suggesting they knew a fair bit about formation knowledge from survival education.
He had planned to feign friendliness, then pry into whether the two had visited the lair of the Cerberus and offer that his team was short of people.
This would have allowed him to further extract the details about the others, to decide whether to steal their Soul Crystal ore.
But what they hadn't anticipated was how calm these two seemed. The woman looked as if she had known they would come, and the man completely ignored them.
Was he seriously fishing?
And he was brazenly playing with the Soul Crystal ore?
Perhaps making a bit too much movement, Tang Xian noticed that the red-scale fish were mainly in the center of the river. He couldn't be bothered to go after them, thinking that two fish would suffice—one large for himself and a smaller one for Dong Ran.
It was still early, but it was time to find a place to rest.
Thus, Tang Xian turned around and said indifferently:
"A bunch of you from Five-One Fortress have been following for a while now, what is it?"
All four were shocked; how did he know they were from the Five-One Fortress?
And how did he know they had been following?
By their expressions, Tang Xian knew he had intimidated them.
Putting aside the information brought by scents, just the panel of the leader explained much.
Gender: Male.
Good-Evil Value: 32.
Greed and Lust Index: 49.
Favorability: 1 (strangers).
Financial Assessment: 6 (destitute).
Loves: Soul Crystals from various mine creatures.
Hates: The third-floor mercenary commander of the Five-One Fortress.
Fears: Perfect-level boss·Elk Bear.
Current Sincerity Level: 11 (straightforward).
Charm Value: 17 (unnoticed).
Current Luck Value: 14 (minor misfortune).
Current Needs Analysis:
[Get close to Tang Xian and Dong Ran (54%)]
[Rob Tang Xian and Dong Ran (21%)]
[Leave the mine area (15%)]
[Flirt with Zhang Yuan (5%)]
[Other (5%)].
Their goal in getting close was so obvious to Tang Xian that he didn't even have to think about it. Next would be to play along with them, acting the part of a ripe sheep ready to be robbed.