Geng Qinglu adjusted his glasses and landed a punch on Shao Qi's chest, rasping, "You're still so humorless. No wonder you're single at your age."

Zhou You felt uneasy, shifting his gaze between the two, suspecting some undisclosed relationship between them.

"How revolting! How can the researchers tolerate your pretentious demeanor?"

"Amongst the researchers, who are mostly mad, I'm the most normal one," he signaled a heart to Zhou You and added with a smile, "Brother Zhou, we won't have much time to chat now. Next time you're in Shuguang City, I'll treat you to a meal and we can spar. I'll be waiting!"

He gestured, and an assistant behind him handed a large box to Zhou You, "This is your payment. I picked the armor for you, so there's no need to tailor it. Trust my taste; you'll be satisfied."

Zhou You noted his white lab coat and ordinary blue shirt underneath, nodding in acknowledgment, "Thank you."

Professor Zeng managed to escape from Ren Zhiyuan's clutches and approached Zhou You, remarking with a hint of curiosity, "You look familiar. What's your name?"

"I am Zhou You."

"Ah, the Zhou family..." Professor Zeng seemed lost in thought for a moment before changing the topic, "The elite mutated bear you hunted will be beneficial for our research institute. Apart from your due compensation, the higher-ups have also granted you VIP status within our institute. If you need anything, you can place an order internally." He then handed Zhou You a card.

"Alright, we must leave now." As Professor Zeng and his team left, the takeoff of their cargo plane caused a gust that knocked many off balance. Yet, the allure of observing the research institute's stealth aircraft up close held them in place.

When the plane vanished into the clouds, everyone began returning to the base. However, due to the disturbance from the departing aircraft, several flocks of gigantic birds were now approaching from different directions.

"This is bad! Get inside the base quickly! The mutated birds are here, and there are too many of them," yelled Ren Zhiyuan as he led the group in a sprint. The base was less than a kilometer away, and at their speed, they'd be inside the city gates in under a minute.

Zhou You and Shao Qi trailed behind, occasionally glancing skyward. The diving mutated birds had clearly spotted the humans below, and their menacing intent became palpable as they closed the distance.

"Two of them are high-level, three mid-level, and the rest are low-level. We can take them," Shao Qi assessed the flock. By his estimation, Ren Zhiyuan should rally his troops for a counter-attack, promising a significant reward if victorious.

Seeing the leading soldiers enter the city without a backward glance, Zhou You sighed, "They didn’t even consider that option."

"Hurry! Get inside! We're closing the city gates!" Soldiers who had already entered shouted at those still outside.

At that moment, three motorcycles charged out from within. A whip lashed out, anchoring onto one side of the city gate. With a strong pull, the half-closed gate was flung back open.

"What are you doing?" A group of soldiers leveled their guns at Miao Miao and his companions.

Miao Miao parked his motorcycle in the middle of the city gate and scornfully remarked, "Merely a few mutated birds and you're frightened? What if more ferocious mutated beasts come? Do you think they'd be kept at bay by just a wall and a gate?"

"It's you again! What's your intention? Causing trouble over and over, even if you're from the Central Military Region, you can't act recklessly in our Jiangnan Military Region!" An irate young Major shouted.

Since arriving at the Jiangnan base, not only have these three disrupted the rules by extensively teaching civilians martial arts, but they have also been committing outrageous acts. Just yesterday morning, they were discussing secret martial arts techniques leaked from other sects. Although those secrets are now widely known, it's not easy for the average person to learn without proper guidance.

"Am I wrong? If we don’t eliminate these mutated birds when their numbers are still low, it'll become problematic as their numbers grow," Miao Miao observed, having discerned the way the Jiangnan Military Region operated. They all seemed to prefer idleness over hard work.

Only after entering the city did Ren Zhiyuan realize something was amiss. Marshal Shao was among the troops. His earlier behavior amounted to fleeing in panic, an act viewed as the utmost disgrace by the battle-loving Marshal Shao.

He quickly interjected, "Zhao Jinghao! We must not be rude to our guests. They’re right, it’s just a flock of mutated birds. Our entry to the city was merely to activate the high-voltage mechanism of the gate, ensuring a safer and faster containment of these birds."

Approaching Miao Miao and his companions, he suggested, "Please don't block the entrance. Our Jiangnan Military Region’s walls aren't easily breached. We’ve retreated to minimize casualties."

Shao Qi and Zhou You entered from the gate. The mutated birds, halfway through their charge, suddenly stopped attacking, hovering low outside the city wall and occasionally crying out.

"What are these damned creatures up to?" Zhao Jinghao, observing the increasingly large flock outside, nervously inquired, "Commander, are they deterred by the presence of ultrasonic waves and hence reluctant to enter?"

Shao Qi cut through his speculation, stating, "They're likely summoning their kind."

Zhou You agreed, noting the growing number of mutated birds approaching from the sky. This formation suggested something more than a mere gathering.

The base has ultrasonic devices harmful to birds’ hearing, making them wary of entering. However, this deterrence is temporary. Ultrasonic waves won’t kill them; birds that test it will find out the truth.

"Why haven't you closed the city gates? If you think these mutated birds are easy targets, then go out and face them!" Zhao Jinghao, already disliking this group, taunted, "You consider yourselves experts, prove it!"

Shao Qi signaled Miao Miao to follow him into the city. The hefty steel gates rapidly closed, and many heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that behind these gates, they were safe.

Climbing the city walls, Ren Zhiyuan felt an even more imposing threat from the flock of mutated birds, whose numbers were continuously rising. A battle seemed inevitable.