"We made the right choice. The leader of this base is very generous. Following him is the best way to survive!" James grew more certain that his decision had been correct.
Des nodded from the side. "He casually gave us five roasted squabs as a reward. That must mean our base has plenty of pigeons, and they can probably be mass-produced!"
"That’s right! The stronger the base, the better our lives will be!" James said with a smile.
The other Evolvers around them nodded while wolfing down their food.
After dinner, James handed the intelligence and video from the afternoon’s interrogation to Yu Ren, who immediately passed it on to Ren Yuanyang.
Ren Yuanyang nodded in satisfaction at what James and his group had done.
"Elder Hua, bring the poison. We’re going to the supply ship."
"Yes, Leader!" Hua Lingfang tucked the small pouch of poison into his pocket and followed Ren Yuanyang out.
Xin Wan immediately followed them.
The three of them soon arrived at the supply ship.
After finishing their meal, James and his group voluntarily returned to the cabin where they had been confined.
Yu Ren had been keeping an eye on them from nearby. When he saw Ren Yuanyang approach, he immediately went to meet him.
"Leader, what brings you here?" Yu Ren asked, stepping forward.
Ren Yuanyang smiled faintly. "I’m here to poison them."
Yu Ren was a little speechless. "Leader, do we really need to be so open and upfront about poisoning people?"
’He remembered how Ren Yuanyang had Elder Hua prepare poison right in front of him and then made him take it.’
"There’s no need for secrets within our base. We say what we mean. Beating around the bush is a waste of time!" Ren Yuanyang said as he pushed open the cabin door.
When James and the others saw Ren Yuanyang’s party enter, they immediately stood up.
Ren Yuanyang looked at them and asked accusingly, "Why did you betray Xi’an Base?"
James was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Because Xi’an Base is hell, and Bao Mu is a devil..."
James described Bao Mu’s brutality. Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly. "Now you have the chance to become members of Peach Blossom Base. All you have to do is take this poison."
"Poison?" James and the others were stunned.
They thought Xin Wan had mistranslated, but after having her confirm it several times, they understood that Ren Yuanyang had indeed said "poison."
"This poison will remain dormant in your bodies. You will have to receive an antidote from us every day to keep from dying," Ren Yuanyang explained briefly.
James immediately understood. The base intended to use poison to control them and prevent any betrayal.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he stepped forward, took a poison pill, and swallowed it.
Seeing his decisive action, Ren Yuanyang found himself starting to admire James.
The other Evolvers quickly understood and came forward one by one to take a pill and swallow it.
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly. "You don’t have to stay in this cabin. Go and manage the ordinary crewmen. You can also walk around the outskirts of the Banyan Forest, but you are not to go deep inside."
"Yes, Leader!" James and the others replied in unison.
Ren Yuanyang turned to leave, and the other three hurried after him.
"Yu Ren, you’ve worked hard these past two days. Go back and get some rest," Ren Yuanyang said to Yu Ren, who was walking beside him.
Yu Ren shook his head. "I was just keeping an eye on them; I didn’t do much. And I rested when I needed to. I’d better stay here and keep watching them, just in case they try to pull something."
Ren Yuanyang shook his head. "I have another mission for you."
Yu Ren paused. "What mission?"
"Go run surveillance on Dawn Base," Ren Yuanyang replied grimly. "We need more accurate intelligence so we can help the Aircraft Carrier Base take them down."
"Understood. I can leave right now," Yu Ren replied with a nod.
"Contact Haonan first. Rendezvous with him, get some rest, and then go scout Dawn Base," Ren Yuanyang replied.
"Understood!" Yu Ren replied before turning to leave.
"Leader, are you sure it’s alright for Yu Ren to leave?" Hua Lingfang asked, a little worried.
"It’s fine," Ren Yuanyang replied. "To survive, they completely betrayed Xi’an Base. They’ve burned their bridges. Besides, they don’t have the courage for mutual destruction. Otherwise, they would have made their move already."
Hua Lingfang paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Xin Wan, have all the damaged speedboats been repaired?" Ren Yuanyang asked casually.
Xin Wan nodded. "They’re all fixed. Si Pu is the real deal; I’ve had him resume teaching the apprentices."
"It’s on our way. Let’s go take a look," Ren Yuanyang said, walking straight toward a lit-up speedboat.
"Battleships were rendered obsolete after World War II," Si Pu’s voice drifted from the speedboat.
"Obsolete? Why? Didn’t you just say Xi’an Base has a battleship?" an apprentice questioned.
"A battleship’s main features are its large-caliber cannons and heavy armor. After World War II, its strategic role was supplanted by aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines," Si Pu explained. "The ’battleships’ of today are just large vessels that have been temporarily retrofitted. They’re just there to provide an extra point of firepower against potential aquatic threats."
Ren Yuanyang was somewhat surprised to hear this. He stepped into the boat’s cabin and asked, "So, you’re saying that aside from aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines, battleships are the most powerful naval assets?"
"Leader!" Si Pu rose and bowed slightly. "For now, that’s correct. The geomagnetic storm destroyed most high-tech weaponry. Submarines can’t risk diving deep, and aircraft carriers are too resource-intensive to deploy lightly. That makes battleships the most powerful force on the water."
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly. "I see. But battleships must consume a lot of resources as well, right?"
"They do," Si Pu replied. "But right now, it’s a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils."
"I understand. Carry on, but don’t stay up too late. Get some rest," Ren Yuanyang said. He disembarked from the speedboat and headed deeper into the Banyan Forest.
Just then, Ren Yuanyang received a message from Yu Ren, who was already on his way to Qin Haonan’s position.
"Leader, can we use the same trick again and knock them all out with the Confusing Fragrance?"
Seeing the message, Ren Yuanyang smiled and shook his head, typing a reply. ’I’m afraid that won’t work anymore. First, they have too many ships. You can’t toss the Confusing Fragrance onto all of them at once. If even one or two ships are affected, they’ll likely notice, and you won’t be able to get close again. Second, when we captured James’s group, they had already reported back to Xi’an Base. They know we use the Confusing Fragrance, so they’ll definitely have countermeasures.’
"Countermeasures?" Yu Ren messaged back. "How could they defend against something like that?"
Ren Yuanyang smiled and replied, ’It’s easy to counter if you’re prepared. For example, they can use air filtration systems to create positive pressure inside the cabins. Outside air can’t get in, which means our Confusing Fragrance can’t either. And if the guards on patrol are wearing gas masks, it won’t be very effective against them.’
’I understand!’
’Your primary mission this time is reconnaissance. Avoid engaging the enemy if at all possible. Stay safe,’ Ren Yuanyang added.
’Yes, Leader!’ Yu Ren replied, and the conversation ended.
「Soon, Yu Ren arrived at Qin Haonan’s location.」
"Brother Yu, you’re finally here!" Qin Haonan greeted him with a smile.
Yu Ren nodded. "I’m heading to Dawn Base now to see what the situation is."
"No rush," Qin Haonan said, shaking his head. "You can rest for a bit. It’ll be easier to move around at midnight."
Yu Ren paused for a moment, then agreed. "Alright, I’ll wait until midnight then. I’m going to catch a nap."
「Midnight arrived quickly.」
After waking up, Yu Ren said a quick word to Qin Haonan and dove into the water.
"I’m so jealous of his ability to stay in the water for so long," Qin Haonan remarked wistfully.
Jianghu, who was standing beside him, asked with a laugh, "Are you sure you’d want to be just like him?"
"I’m just talking about the ability," Qin Haonan said with a shrug. "As for his appearance, I’m quite happy with my own."
While Qin Haonan and Jianghu were chatting, Yu Ren was already nearing Dawn Base. He surfaced cautiously and began to observe his surroundings.
On the nearest ship, soldiers patrolled back and forth. Just as predicted, they were all wearing gas masks.
’Just as the Leader predicted!’ Yu Ren thought, and began taking photos.
After taking a few pictures, he slipped back beneath the water and swam deeper toward the base’s perimeter.

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