46: Chapter 46 The Troublemaker

The logistics captain was leading Lin Mo and the others toward the dormitory area with a sycophantic expression.

After turning a corner, several people walked toward them.

Walking at the very front was Wu Feng.

When he saw Lin Mo, his eyes lit up, and he strode forward to meet him.

"Lin Mo! Did you really bring the people back safely?!"

Lin Mo nodded.

Wu Feng slapped his shoulder hard, with enough force to kill a man.

Subsequently, Wu Feng's gaze drifted past Lin Mo, looking behind him.

He was searching through the crowd.

Then he saw them.

No Fang Ming. No Zhou Zhengguo. Not a single veteran.

Wu Feng's smile froze on his face.

"Where is Old Fang..."

"They all sacrificed themselves," Lin Mo said.

Wu Feng fell silent.

He stood there, opening his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

Standing behind him, Yi Xiaoyu's eyes had lit up when she saw Lin Mo just now, and she had instinctively wanted to rush forward...

Then, she saw the three girls behind Lin Mo.

Three of them. All female.

Lin Sisi stood at the front, the look in her eyes as she watched Lin Mo...

That look was all too familiar to Yi Xiaoyu; she often saw that same expression when she looked in the mirror every morning.

Ye Zhixia wasn't staring at Lin Mo constantly, but her peripheral vision kept darting toward him—a glance, look away, then another glance a moment later.

The one called Shen Yi wasn't looking at Lin Mo, but the way she looked at her... it was a bit strange.

The smile on Yi Xiaoyu's face faded bit by bit.

When Lin Mo walked over, she let out a "Hmph" and turned away to leave.

Lin Mo: "???"

Wu Feng was also stunned: "What's wrong with this girl?"

Lin Sisi watched Yi Xiaoyu's back, the corners of her mouth curling into an arc.

"Who is this?"

"A teammate, from our squad..." Lin Mo said.

"Oh—"

"A teammate, huh."

Lin Sisi drew out the sound, her tone meaningful.

...

At night.

Lin Sisi and Ye Zhixia lay side by side on the bed.

The lights were out, and moonlight leaked in through the cracks in the window.

A long silence followed.

"Xiaoxia," Lin Sisi suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Do you like Lin Mo?"

Ye Zhixia's body stiffened for a moment.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

"How could I possibly..."

"Don't pretend." Lin Sisi turned over to face her.

"I saw the way you looked at him this afternoon."

Ye Zhixia didn't speak.

A long silence ensued.

"I..."

Ye Zhixia began, her voice hoarse.

"Sisi, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't..."

She didn't finish, but Lin Sisi understood.

"What are you apologizing for?"

Ye Zhixia was taken aback.

Lin Sisi looked at her, the moonlight falling on her face, her expression too serious to be a joke.

"You like him, and I like him too. Let's compete fairly."

Ye Zhixia opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.

"But..." Lin Sisi changed the subject.

"You saw that Yi Xiaoyu tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

Ye Zhixia nodded.

"We need to form a united front; don't let Lin Mo get snatched away by other girls..."

...

The next morning, Lin Mo slept in until after eight.

Just after stepping out the door, Lin Mo noticed that there were many more people in the stronghold today.

It turned out that since last night, veterans and students had been withdrawing from the front lines one after another; at this moment, wounded soldiers and remnants could be seen everywhere in the stronghold.

Lin Mo stood at the dormitory entrance, listening to a few veterans whispering to each other.

"The situation on the main battlefield isn't optimistic either. I heard the War Zone Command Headquarters has already ordered our 2nd Armored Infantry Regiment to retreat and hold the Second Defense Line."

"What about us here? Do we have to retreat further?"

"In forty-eight hours, we have to retreat too. There's no help for it; the casualties are too high. We have to contract the defensive lines and concentrate our forces to hold the Second Defense Line!"

Lin Mo pondered for a moment, then turned and walked toward the room where Team Leader Wu Feng was staying.

...

By noon, the stronghold was packed with four or five hundred people.

Aside from a few veterans, most were students from Qingyun City and Beihe City.

These students, with different school uniforms and accents, were all mixed together, filling the already small stronghold to the brim.

The cafeteria was even more chaotic, like a pot of porridge. The food line stretched for dozens of meters, and curses and complaints rose one after another.

Lin Mo took Lin Sisi and the others to find a corner to sit. They didn't need to wait in line, and their food was different from everyone else's—this was something Li Chengxi had specifically arranged.

Lin Sisi looked around and whispered, "Is our food... a bit too good?"

Lin Mo didn't say anything, keeping his head down to eat.

Just then, someone on the other side of the cafeteria finally couldn't help but explode.

"What the hell is this?! Is this for people to eat or for pigs!"

A veteran who had just withdrawn from the front line slammed his lunchbox onto the table, pieces of meat rolling out, stained with blood streaks. "I'm out there risking my life on the front line, and this is what I get when I come back? The meat isn't even cooked; even pigs wouldn't eat this?!"

Several veterans nearby joined in the cursing, using foul language. The students sitting with them also voiced their dissatisfaction. One bald student accidentally glanced toward Lin Mo's side and froze.

"Wait, look over there."

He pointed at Lin Mo and the others' lunchboxes, his eyes wide.

"What are they eating? Why is that meat stewed until tender? And there's fresh vegetable leaves?"

Several people turned their heads in unison to look over.

In Lin Mo's lunchbox, the braised pork glistened with oil, and next to it was a pile of vibrant green vegetables. Lin Sisi and the others' bowls were the same.

The bald man's face flushed red instantly.

"Why?!" He slammed the table and stood up.

"We're out on the front lines fighting for our lives against beasts, and we come back to eat raw meat! These guys, enjoying themselves in the rear, get to eat better than us?!"

The veterans exploded too. A man with a scar on his face rushed directly to the serving window, slamming his palm onto the counter, making the bowls and plates clatter.

"You better give me an explanation, what's up with their food?! Why is it different from ours?!"

The young soldier serving the food retreated in fear. The cafeteria manager quickly ran over, bowing and scraping to explain: "Everyone, don't get excited, don't get excited. Those few were specially arranged by Staff Officer Li; their dining standard is the same as a Major's..."

"Specially arranged by Staff Officer Li?"

"Major's standard?!"

"Who are they? Why?!"

The bald man led those students and rushed directly to Lin Mo's table, glaring down at them.

"Hey, you guys, how come you get special treatment?"

Lin Mo didn't even look up.

The bald man's temper flared even more.

"I'm talking to you! We're risking our lives on the front line, eating raw meat, while you guys are enjoying yourselves in the rear, eating better than anyone else. How can you be so damn shameless?"

Lin Sisi stood up, angry: "Watch your mouth! We just fought our way out of the 17th Patrol District!"

"Fought your way out?" The bald man sneered, "Just you guys? A bunch of girls? Who are you trying to fool?"

Shen Yi also stood up: "It's true! We almost died there yesterday; it was Lin Mo who saved us..."

"Lin Mo?" The bald man swept a glance at Lin Mo, and seeing him still keeping his head down to eat, he felt instantly insulted.

"Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!"

Lin Mo finally put down his chopsticks.

He raised his head, looking at the flushed face before him, his voice as calm as a stagnant pool:

"If you have questions, go find Li Chengxi. Don't bark like a dog here."

"You mother—"

The bald man grabbed Lin Mo by the collar, his fist already raised.

"Stop it, all of you!"

A roar came from the doorway.

Li Chengxi strode in, followed by Uncle Zheng and several guards.

His gaze swept across the room, landing on the hand the bald man had clamped onto Lin Mo's collar, his face darkening like the bottom of a pot.

"Let go."

The bald man's hand shook, and he instinctively let go.

Li Chengxi walked up to him, staring into his eyes, enunciating every word: "What were you trying to do just now?"

"Officer, I... I just couldn't stand them getting special treatment..."

"Couldn't stand it?"

"Is it your place to speak here?!"

Li Chengxi sneered.

The bald man was stunned.

The captain behind him immediately walked up to explain: "Staff Officer Li, this isn't his fault. It's just that the meat in the cafeteria wasn't stewed properly today..."

Li Chengxi ignored the student and turned to look at the captain.

"I will arrange for the food situation. If anyone dares to cause trouble again—"

"Don't blame me for being impolite."

The cafeteria quieted down, and the students all lowered their heads to eat.

Li Chengxi walked over to Lin Mo, his tone softening: "Are you alright?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"Alright, you go ahead and eat. I'll be leaving then!" After saying that, Li Chengxi left with his men.

The troublemakers scattered away dejectedly, but as they left, the bald man and his group glanced back at Lin Mo, seemingly still very unconvinced.