Sighing, Zhou You said, "I never planned to bring it to the base. I wanted to release it back into the forest. I didn't expect it to follow me."

Shao Qi reached out and stroked the young white tiger's head. Having grown up with a pet cat, he appreciated the soft and harmless creature. Who wouldn't love it?

What a pity.

"I have a suggestion, if you'd hear me out."

"Go ahead," Zhou You replied, not sensing any malice. He figured Shao Qi wouldn't mislead him.

"You could sell it to me. I promise not to resell it and will allow you three visits. That's a better deal than selling it to someone else."

Stepping back, Zhou You said, "So you want it too? What would you do with it? Aren't you a martial artist? Why keep a tiger?"

"As a training partner. The military uses mutated beasts for combat training. Private forces secretly domesticate them as well. My family... well, I won’t reveal that now. But if you agree, we can discuss the price."

Zhou You placed the little white tiger on the table. Tired, it started licking its fur. If not for its head, one might mistake it for a docile kitten.

"I didn't catch it to trade for money. But now that people know about this little white tiger, if I release it, someone else will capture it. They won't let me just release it into the wild."

"So, what have you decided?"

Letting the tiger lick his fingers, Zhou You smiled, "Let me think it over for a few days."

He wasn't a saint, just fond of the little creature.

Sitting opposite him, Shao Qi said with admiration, "It’s surprising that a penniless man can resist such a tempting offer."

"Misjudged me? Just because I'm broke now doesn't mean I can't earn. There are certain lines and principles I uphold. Please, Mr. Shao, don't mock me for being naive."

"Of course not. Kindness is a commendable human quality. Even in an apocalypse, we should retain compassion. It's natural to empathize with the vulnerable."

"You'd make a good soldier. You have a strong sense of duty, kindness, and righteousness - qualities soldiers before the apocalypse had."

"Why say 'before the apocalypse'? Aren’t soldiers today just as noble? Aren't people like Captain Yao great?" Zhou You said, not agreeing with Shao Qi’s insinuations.

Shao Qi gave him a look, "You've met them a few times and think they're great? Sure, most armies are under the central military's control, but local forces often have their own agendas. Everyone has selfish desires, including soldiers. Once you reach the base and see more, you'll understand."

Zhou You heard the tiger whining, signaling its hunger. He checked its teeth, remarking, "Oh, its teeth have come in. Can it eat meat now?"

Shao Qi snorted, "What did you expect? It to be vegetarian?"

"Shouldn’t it start with milk?"

"Relax. Mutated beasts have a strong survival instinct. They'll eat anything. It needs meat to grow faster."

Fortunately, Dr. Zhao had a few pieces of grilled meat left, which he offered to feed the little white tiger. At first, Zhou You sliced them smaller, but noticing how rapidly it ate with such powerful tearing strength, he allowed it to gobble up the entire portions. After feasting, the little tiger comfortably sprawled across the table, inviting Zhou You to scratch its belly.

Shao Qi couldn't resist reaching out to pat it, chuckling, "You might want to feed it raw meat. As it grows a bit more, it'll be time to let it hunt."

Out of curiosity, Zhou You inquired, "Has anyone ever tamed a wild beast to use as a hunting dog?"

"The key is if you can tame it. A too weak one is doomed once out in the wild, and very few can tame the excessively strong ones. So, nurturing this one might get you a powerful ally, or there's an even greater chance that the beast ends up devouring its trainer."

"I suppose someone like Mr. Shao wouldn't have such concerns, right?"

"Well, I might be slightly more skilled than Mr. Zhou, but let's make one thing clear — if it can't be tamed, it might end up on a cold, sterile examination table at the research institute."

Zhou You turned away, murmuring, "Perhaps by then, it wouldn’t even remember me."

Author's note: Zhou You: "You're no saint either, trying to steal Xiao Bai from me."

Shao Qi: "How could that be? Clearly, I’m aiming to steal you."

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Chapter 034: Peerlessly Naive Beauty

The convoy made good progress the following day, emerging from the vast mountains by the next evening. Expansive farmlands stretched before them, and a long electric fence at the forest edge separated the Yunlan Mountains from the world. Overcome with emotion, everyone wept for joy.

"We've finally made it out!" Li Hongxi and others alighted from their vehicles, taking a deep breath as if even the air tasted sweeter, instilling a profound sense of relaxation.

A worker from the Jiangnan base remarked, "These farmlands belong to our base. I remember we used to harvest once a month, and the yield would sustain our base for an entire year. We'd sell the surplus to other bases. Our rice is of the highest quality nationwide."

"How long will it take to get to your base from here?"

"Just half a day. We'll be there in no time."

Zhou You whispered to Dr. Zhao, "Why doesn’t everyone just relocate to the Jiangnan base? They have abundant food and favorable climate."

Dr. Zhao explained, "When deciding where to settle, the Jiangnan base was a contender. But as you've observed, it’s perilously close to the Yunlan Mountains. If a large group of beasts were to emerge, the Jiangnan base would be jeopardized. Yangcheng base is much safer in comparison."