Chapter 2: The Retreat

“Everyone, time to pack up. The Cleaning Squad is already here.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll be right there.”

Wu Yin switched off the communicator and turned around, finding that all his squad members had already arrived.

“Looks like everyone’s fine, aside from your tattered clothes,” Wu Yin teased.

“Aren’t you the one who knows best whether we’re fine or not, Captain? And your first instinct is to notice the damage to our combat suits… guess that’s just how you are?”

“Haha! Don’t say that, Le Paxi. It just shows I’ve always got my eyes on you. I need to know exactly what’s going on with all of you, since I’m fully responsible for you.”

The woman named Le Paxi didn’t reply, instead pressing a finger to her lips as if holding back a laugh.

“Captain, I want a head pat.”

The girl in a black coat that dragged on the ground rubbed against Wu Yin’s arm, seeking her desired reward.

“Oh, right, right. Come here, good job, Hai Shi.”

The girl named Hai Shi closed her eyes in comfort.

Wu Yin scratched her chin while patting her head, and sure enough, she let out a purring sound.

“Hehe, every time I see you and Hai Shi being so close, I get a little jealous.”

The woman in a nun’s habit said with a gentle smile.

Despite her words of jealousy, her tone was full of fondness for the relationship between Wu Yin and Hai Shi.

“Hmm? Xi Si Te, do you want a head pat too?”

Wu Yin extended the hand that had been scratching Hai Shi’s chin, reaching toward Xi Si Te’s head.

“Huh? Is it okay? If it’s alright, I…”

Xi Si Te hesitated, then made up her mind and leaned her head toward Wu Yin’s palm.

“Alright, Wu Yin’s head pats are mine!”

But suddenly, a woman in a skintight outfit cut in, shaking something as she slipped between Wu Yin and Xi Si Te, snatching the head pat away.

“Hehe, so comfy~~~.”

“Umm… Ou Mi You, I believe it’s wrong to take what someone else deserves. If what you took were more valuable than a head pat, you’d be sentenced to death by fire.”

“Ugh, Xi Si Te sometimes has a really scary look.”

Ou Mi You put on a frightened expression and pressed herself against Wu Yin’s chest.

Hai Shi, who had been squinting her eyes, opened them and looked left at Xi Si Te, then right at Ou Mi You.

“Xi Si Te, if you want it, I’ll give you mine.”

Hai Shi grabbed Wu Yin’s hand that had been patting her and pulled it onto Xi Si Te’s head.

“Don’t pull so hard, you’ll break my arm.”

Wu Yin squeezed his own shoulder, confirming it wasn’t dislocated.

Relieved, he followed Hai Shi’s lead and started patting Xi Si Te’s head.

“Umm… Thank the Lord for granting me such comfort, and thank you, Hai Shi. Your generosity will surely be blessed by the Lord.”

“Mm, thank you.”

“Hey, no thanks for me?”

“Hehe, of course, thank you for your generosity too, Captain.”

“It’s nothing really.”

“Then why were you sulking just now?”

Ou Mi You couldn’t help but tease.

“Seeing others get thanked while I’m left out feels terrible.”

Ou Mi You pressed her hand to her forehead in exasperation.

But everyone in the squad was well aware of Wu Yin’s nature, so they all somewhat helplessly overlooked this bad personality trait.

While the squad members were chatting idly, a group of orderly Cleaning Squad members in heavy protective suits walked past them.

The lead member only glanced at the squad and gave a slight nod before hurrying to the battlefield.

He pulled out a tube and sprayed the disinfectant from the tank on his back all over the battlefield.

Even from that distance, they could almost smell the strong stench of disinfectant.

But compared to that pile of rotting flesh, it was still acceptable.

“Alright, let’s head back too. It’s getting cold, and your body temperatures will drop in those torn clothes.”

Wu Yin and the other members didn’t pay much attention to the strange looks from those people.

After all, caring about it would be exhausting, and they’d been stared at like that for so long that they had to get used to it.

They got into the squad’s off-road vehicle, which was covered in strange patterns.

Wu Yin gripped the steering wheel, took out the key, started the engine, and gestured for the other members to get in.

“I call shotgun!”

Ou Mi You pushed off the car door with one hand and vaulted into the passenger seat.

“Ou Mi You, get in the car properly.”

Xi Si Te opened the door and sat in the seat behind the driver.

“That’s too much trouble.”

Ou Mi You picked up a newspaper that was already in the car—not to read about recent scandals like which celebrity had an affair or which company boss was exposed for manipulating employees—just to cover her face and sleep.

“Do you want to take a nap?”

Wu Yin turned to look at the three in the back seat, who exchanged glances with each other.

Finally, seeing no one spoke, Hai Shi couldn’t hold back.

“Only Ou Mi You can sleep through your driving, Captain. We’d be lucky if we don’t throw up.”

His driving skills were mercilessly exposed, and by a child with such sincere, clear eyes.

Wu Yin’s heart took damage that couldn’t be quantified.

Wu Yin awkwardly sat back in the driver’s seat, then floored the accelerator.

The off-road vehicle, which had been sitting like a dead thing, let out a wild roar, as if scolding the driver.

But it was useless.

The driver was the type who never let off the gas and never hit the brakes.

That’s why each seat had an emergency brake lever, to prevent accidentally crashing into who knows where.

Everyone gripped their brake levers tightly and tightened their seat belts.

They were fully prepared.

The rear wheels kicked up a cloud of dust.

With a sharp screech, the vehicle launched off a cliff, landing hard on the ground twenty meters below.

“Ugh…”

“Hai Shi, hold on.”

Xi Si Te gently supported Hai Shi’s back, trying to keep her body from shaking violently during the fall.

Le Paxi, sitting by the door, pressed a finger to her forehead.

Though she looked fine, the bulging veins on the back of her hand made it clear she was holding on as best she could.

Only Ou Mi You in the passenger seat dozed off peacefully.

The newspaper had long since flown away from the dive, and the howling wind whipped against her face, making her frown.

So Ou Mi You simply pulled the hem of Le Paxi’s skirt over her face and continued sleeping.

She could sleep again, but Le Paxi’s expression turned sour.

Dust filled the air.

The tires crushed countless pebbles along the way, making crackling sounds and causing the vehicle to bounce constantly.

A thought had long since solidified in the minds of the squad members.

They absolutely had to change the driver.