"To the Xiongbing Company, cheers!" Everyone stood up and downed their first drink together. This was the most unified moment the Xiongbing Company had experienced since its formation.
After that, the group indulged in some casual banter. Zhao Xin was especially eager to impress the three women, making them giggle constantly. As the three women chatted and drank on the side, Liu Chuang, slightly tipsy, turned to Zhao Xin and the others and asked, "Which one of the ladies do you think is the most attractive?"
"I think they're all goddesses. You know, do you think the Shenhe genes affect looks? How come they're all so beautiful?" Zhao Xin responded, not missing the chance to flatter the women. He was still single and wasn't about to answer Liu Chuang's blunt question directly.
"I think Rose is the prettiest, with the best figure," Liu Chuang commented. Seeing the look from Di Leina, he quickly added, "But Nana's got the best body."
Zhang Zheng noticed Di Leina's threatening glance at Liu Chuang but ignored it, focusing on grilling the lamb instead. He silently calculated the mental toll on Liu Chuang, guessing it wasn't small. Out of the entire Xiongbing Company, only he and Liu Chuang had actually been punished by Di Leina. Now even he was somewhat cautious around her, let alone Liu Chuang, who had been thoroughly beaten by her.
"Xiao Lun, who do you think is the most beautiful?" Liu Chuang, trying to protect himself, decided to drag Ge Xiao Lun into the conversation.
"I think they're all beautiful," Ge Xiao Lun replied. He wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was a top student in the university's liberal arts department. Even though he liked Rose the most, he wasn't about to be reckless and offend Di Leina or Qi Lin. As a tank, offending Di Leina, the team leader, would mean endless trouble for him. And without Qi Lin's sniper support, he'd be in serious danger, which would ruin any chances he had with Rose. So, Ge Xiao Lun wisely decided to play it safe, preserving himself to pursue Rose later on.
All of them were smart, as Zhang Zheng realized while watching the group cleverly avoid conflict. He couldn't help but look at them with a bit more respect.
"The lamb is ready. Xin Ye, grab some plates," Zhang Zheng called out as he placed the roasted lamb on the table. As Zhao Xin fetched the plates, Zhang Zheng swiftly sliced the lamb with a sharp knife.
Seeing the lamb ready, the members of Xiongbing Company couldn't help but feel their mouths water, dropping their beers and gathering around the table. Di Leina, always direct, didn't even bother with chopsticks. She grabbed a piece of lamb with her hand and began to eat, savoring every bite.
"Delicious," she said, after finishing a piece and washing it down with a gulp of beer. She gave Zhang Zheng a thumbs up. Watching Di Leina's hearty appetite, the others couldn't help but admire her. Not everyone could handle the scorching temperature of the freshly roasted lamb. Only Di Leina, the sun goddess, could eat it with such gusto.
Seeing Di Leina go for another piece, everyone else followed suit, carefully picking up pieces with chopsticks and savoring them, drinking beer to cool their mouths.
"Nice job, Zheng Ge," Zhao Xin said while eating, not forgetting to praise Zhang Zheng.
"Yeah, who knew you could roast lamb so well," Liu Chuang chimed in.
"It's nothing, really. I used to love gourmet food, so I often grilled it myself. After doing it enough, I just got good at it," Zhang Zheng replied modestly. Then, he sat down, grabbed a beer, and began drinking. He had been busy while the others chatted and fooled around, seriously focused on grilling the meat.
"By the way, Nana, what's our next training task?" Zhang Zheng asked Di Leina, curious. The original story didn't describe it in detail, just that they kept running—first on the training field, then on the Great Wall.
Everyone turned their curious gazes toward Di Leina, who paused her eating.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll conquer the Great Wall in the mornings. In the afternoons, we'll begin targeted training," Di Leina explained.
"Conquering the Great Wall sounds intense," they all thought, but they didn't dwell on training topics any longer.
"I won't be returning with you this time. I'll be leaving for a while to do some special training," Zhang Zheng announced to the group, who were enjoying their meal.
"Why? Can't you train with us? Why do you need to go alone?" Di Leina asked, puzzled by Zhang Zheng's sudden request for leave.
"Well... my training method is a bit different from yours. While you train to enhance your strength and speed up your supergene awakening, I need to focus on controlling my strength. Until now, we haven't encountered any particularly strong enemies, but if we do, my lack of control and combat experience could be a huge disadvantage. If I don't rely on brute force, I might not even be able to defeat Xiao Lun in a fair fight. So, I need to venture into the universe, find some strong opponents, and gain more combat experience," Zhang Zheng explained.
The group seemed to understand after hearing his explanation.
"How long will you be gone? Earth is still facing constant danger," Di Leina asked, concerned.
"I won't be gone for long, and I have spatial abilities. As long as you can contact me, I can return to your side at any time," Zhang Zheng assured them. "Also, unless it's a life-or-death situation, I won't intervene. I've explained this to Xiao Lun and the others before—it's not that I don't want to, but I can't."
Zhang Zheng then looked at Ge Xiao Lun, and the others stopped questioning him. Trusting your teammates is part of being on the battlefield.
"Do you really have to leave Earth? If you encounter danger on an unfamiliar planet, there won't be anyone to support you," Qi Lin asked worriedly. After all, several of her police colleagues had sacrificed their lives due to the alien invasion, making her especially concerned about her comrades' safety.
The others also felt concerned for Zhang Zheng's safety. After two months of training and bonding, they were genuinely worried about him.
Seeing their concern, Zhang Zheng was touched. He decided to reveal some of his abilities to reassure them and boost their confidence in the upcoming battles.
"Nana, do you know about the Fourth Generation God Body?" Zhang Zheng asked Di Leina.
"Of course. The Sacred Body, indestructible. Even if it's blown to atoms, it can rapidly regenerate as long as it has enough energy. As far as I know, only the Angel King Holy Kaisa possesses it," Di Leina replied, instantly understanding what Zhang Zheng was implying.
"Yes, although it's not exactly the same, my abilities are similar. Atomic recombination is an innate ability of my body. Even though I can't consciously control it yet, passive regeneration is automatic, like a reflex. As long as I have enough energy, I'm essentially immortal—and energy is something I have in abundance," Zhang Zheng explained confidently.
"Bragging about having more energy than a goddess who controls the sun? That's bold," Di Leina teased, knowing she was trying to lighten the mood.
"I mean it. The energy I have on me far surpasses the sun's," Zhang Zheng countered.
"You're bluffing," Di Leina retorted playfully.
"You're the one bluffing," Zhang Zheng shot back.
Their playful banter quickly dispelled the somber mood, and the group resumed their festive atmosphere.