"Ah?"
Yi Bai froze, realizing that not only could he see Lin Yue's perspective, but he could also hear the sounds around her.
But Lin Yue seemed too cautious, not responding to his voice. She assumed it was just some survivor's ability.
"Lin Yue, it's really me. I've mastered a new skill. I can share your vision."
Yi Bai tried again, his voice low. He felt his stamina draining, but it wasn't too much. He could still sustain it.
"Someone is definitely watching us!" Lin Yue's vigilance heightened. Her body tensed, and her finger hovered near the trigger.
"This voice, this tone... it's really the Chief!"
"Li Yang, stay alert! If you hear anything, don't trust it blindly!"
"Many survivors in this city have strange abilities. I've seen people who can't die!"
Lin Yue still didn't respond, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, the tension palpable.
Yi Bai chuckled inwardly. "This girl is too cautious!" But he couldn't blame her—it was better to be overly cautious than to be reckless.
"Lin Yue, it's really me."
Seeing Lin Yue remain silent, Yi Bai took a deep breath and threw out his trump card.
"Remember when you were injured? I took care of you... You have two moles on your inner thigh."
"And there's no hair."
"Chief!"
Lin Yue gasped in shock, her voice a mix of disbelief and relief. "It's really you, Chief!"
This was a secret only Yi Bai and Li Ya knew, since only they had seen her during that injury.
"Now you believe me." Yi Bai smiled wryly. "I can share your vision now, but I can't communicate too often—it drains my stamina."
"I can hear you, and see what you see. I plan to use this skill to find a suitable target for parasitism."
Lin Yue's eyes reflected amazement, though she accepted it slowly, her disbelief fading.
As long as it was really the Chief, she trusted him.
Still, a bit of wariness remained. She nodded and spoke quietly, "Understood, Chief."
"Is it really him?" Li Yang asked from behind.
Lin Yue nodded slowly, then shook her head, "Let's finish the mission first. We'll talk later."
"Stand down."
"Yes."
Liu Rui, hidden in the bushes, started to move out but was stopped by Lin Yue. "Stay hidden. Follow us, but stay concealed."
"Today's mission is to thoroughly search the entire district."
"There are many buildings here, and plenty of cover. Liu Rui's position will be more effective if he stays hidden."
She was speaking partly for Yi Bai's benefit. If he wasn't really the Chief, knowing there was a sniper hidden among them would raise concerns.
Yi Bai remained silent, watching Lin Yue's instructions unfold.
After giving the order, Lin Yue headed towards the first building on the left. "Our shelter is in Building 6, but there are 12 buildings in total. We'll start with the first one."
"We need to clear all floors by nightfall."
"Remember Miss Jiang's orders—spread our influence, and ensure the safety of the area around the shelter."
"Miss Jiang allows us to shoot freely, but unless they're true enemies, we shouldn't harm anyone needlessly."
Lin Yue was more merciful than the other soldiers. If they encountered the old, weak, or ill, Lin Yue might not even be able to bring herself to strike, even if there was hostility.
This was why Jiang Xiaoci had assigned Lin Yue to lead the search—she hoped Lin Yue's compassionate nature would send a friendly signal to any survivors in the district.
Of course, if things escalated and Lin Yue hesitated too long, Jiang Xiaoci would have no qualms about cleaning up the situation—an approach that mixed diplomacy with efficiency.
The district was large and old, with spacious distances between each building.
Lin Yue's group didn't try to hide their movements. They moved cautiously to the first floor of a building and began searching door-to-door.
"Is anyone in there?"
"We're survivors from the district. We mean no harm, just trying to gather everyone to resist the apocalypse together!"
Lin Yue knocked gently with the insulated part of her rifle, calling out loudly.
Behind her, Li Yang stood guard, watching their surroundings, the two of them coordinating their positions.
"I know you might be wary, but if anyone wants to contact us, head to Building 6—the one with a fence."
"We're soldiers! We promise protection, food, water, and are working to restore peace to the district."
She repeated the message a few times, but no response came from the first floor. She turned and moved on to the next building.
"Lin Yue, should we break down the door?"
"No need," Lin Yue shook her head. "Miss Jiang said not to leave a bad impression with possible survivors. That's bad for the shelter's reputation."
Lin Yue's voice was calm, "Miss Jiang said to show our military identity, but leave the decision to open the door to the survivors themselves."
Jiang Xiaoci's strategy was relatively gentle in the early stages of the search. But Lin Yue knew that after two days, things would turn much more brutal if they didn't succeed.
"Don't anger this woman. She's prepared to wipe out the district in two days."
Her concerns were quickly alleviated when they reached the second floor.
As Lin Yue knocked on one door, a voice from inside asked nervously, "Are you... really soldiers?"
"Yes."
"Liars! Soldiers went to the apocalypse's war zones. There's no regular army left in the country!"
"We're not from the PLA, but we won't harm you," Lin Yue replied sincerely. "If you need help, open the door. If not, we'll leave."
The old wooden door creaked open slowly, revealing a disheveled woman, her suspicious gaze sizing up Lin Yue.
"Hello."
Lin Yue stood firm, her posture straight, rifle in hand, exuding the unmistakable air of a soldier.
She wore military camouflage, and her presence was so resolute and confident that it was impossible not to trust her.
"Really... soldiers? A female soldier?"
The woman muttered, and Yi Bai overheard a young boy's voice from inside, "Mom, it's really rescue, it's really soldiers!"
"No, it's too dangerous. We don't know her, what if she's lying?"
"She's got a gun, if she wanted to kill us, she'd have barged in already."
"We have nothing left, just half a bucket of instant noodles. She's not here to steal anything. We've got nothing but our lives!"
"Maybe the war didn't take women soldiers, but if she really is a soldier, we'll be safe!"
Inside, the debate continued for a moment, and then the woman opened the door cautiously, blocking the way of several older boys behind her.
Lin Yue saw them—teenagers, clearly too young to fend for themselves.
Yi Bai already knew that when the apocalypse first broke out, minors without means of survival and elderly people would have been placed in shelters with direct family members.
Lin Yue nodded and said, "Hello, we're here to rescue you."
"Really soldiers!"
The woman seemed taken aback but slowly opened the door. She might not have trusted her own family, but she certainly trusted the uniform.
The soldiers might be her only hope.