Commander Ren massaged his temples, "His idea is merely to strengthen everyone. Naive! Evolution is a global phenomenon, but not every individual is bound to excel. How can we possibly realize a utopia where everyone's a warrior?" He knew Shao Qi well—doing thankless tasks with pure intentions, some people are just selfless by nature.

"Isn't this a good thing? If a few more elites emerge from our base, our strength will step up, enhancing your authority."

"Authority? What if, once the base strengthens, they think my leadership is obsolete? And him... Forget it. Let them handle the inner city matters. Ensure that the third lab remains a secret from Shao and his group."

The adjutant shuddered slightly, bowing his head to say, "Rest assured, we're nearing the final phase on that end. Everything should be fine."

Miaomiao and her team returned before nightfall, bringing back nearly a hundred mutated beast carcasses. The entire city defense team was astounded, and even the military district came to claim a share.

But the city defense stood firm this time, retorting, "Last time, when you guys in the military hunted so many mutated birds, you didn't share a single feather with us. These spoils were brought back by our team through wind and snow; we barely have enough for ourselves."

"Nonsense! Who doesn't know that it was Mr. Zhou who hunted these? Mr. Zhou is our military district's honored guest."

Lin Zihua said smugly, "Yet Mr. Zhou gifted these spoils to our city defense, not the military. If you have any complaints, go talk to him."

The news of Zhou You saving the livestock farm staff spread fast. Everyone knew he was powerful, having slain many mutated beasts. But hearing rumors paled in comparison to seeing it firsthand. Especially when the snowmobiles entered the city, and the media reported on it; journalists were busy all day, occasionally taking breaks to watch live broadcasts.

"Gosh, those carcasses look terrifying. I've only seen them on TV before. Real-life mutated beasts are even more bizarre."

"They're so massive! I guess evolution does promote a second phase of physical development. We ordinary people haven't changed much. Can we really become martial artists?"

"Why are some people obsessed with height and physique? Look at Mr. Zhou; he seems just like an ordinary person, but his strength is unfathomable. He dealt with all these beasts by himself."

"I've heard his weapon is exceptional. Haven't you noticed the mutated beast corpses are mostly intact? Rumor has it he uses a crossbow that never misses."

"Ssshh... Now I get it. That crossbow is the ninth-ranked Meteor Iron Crossbow from the weapon list. No wonder he could effortlessly kill so many beasts."

"Bullshit! Even if you had the ninth-ranked crossbow, go out there and try hunting mutated beasts. Let's see if it's all about the weapon."

"True, Mr. Zhou is genuinely skilled. I wish we could go out and hunt beasts too."

Everyone longs for freedom on Earth, rather than being confined in a city, stuck in repetitive jobs, collecting meager wages, and planning every aspect of their lives with no real freedom.

"Once we finish the live broadcast lessons, we should be ready. We'll surely become martial artists!"

Miaomiao kicked open the heavy door of the mountain mansion, dragging a live mutated deer behind her. The antlers had been removed, and the remaining body was their share of the meat.

Qin Lifen and Zhuo Hao each dragged a mutated creature, even larger in size, but already lifeless. Only Miaomiao insisted on bringing a live catch back to please the little white tiger. They almost lost their way in the wilderness while chasing this deer.

With the current weather, there's no worry about the meat spoiling. The natural cold acts like a fridge everywhere. These three mutated creatures should last them a while.

"We're back!" Miaomiao shouted as she entered Zhou You's yard, showing the meat to the little white tiger and saying, "Look what your big sister brought for you!"

The little white tiger rushed over, circling the deer and intimidating it to shiver uncontrollably. The deer kept spinning in place, wanting to flee but trapped.

Watching the little white tiger and the deer play chase in the yard, Zhou You laughed, "Since it's still alive, let's keep it for a few days before we kill it. Fresh meat tastes better, but I wonder if our esteemed tiger can hold back his hunger."

Zhou You told the others to freshen up, waiting until dinner before introducing Li Yunxi to them.

People in this post-apocalyptic world have become indifferent, especially soldiers who have witnessed life and death. Yet, the three expressed sympathy for the Dawn Squad's ordeal.

"Now that we know there's a murderer, I'll help you take revenge in the future! Those who harm others for small gains don't deserve to live!" Miaomiao, fiery by nature and happy to have a female companion, was very enthusiastic towards Li Yunxi, even offering her food, shelter, and martial training.

Seeing the whip she was using, Zhou You recalled something and asked Shao Qi, "Is that tail you took used by Miss Miaomiao?"

"Yes, but we don't have skilled weapon masters here. We need to go back to make her a new whip."

On the third day, Zhou You noticed Li Yunxi's knife technique was still a bit clumsy. He took the knife and demonstrated, explaining each move step by step.

This is why martial artists need mentors. Martial arts can be challenging to grasp independently. You may perform an action, but its efficacy could be off. Having guidance accelerates progress.

Even as Zhou You deliberately slowed his movements, the knife technique flowed seamlessly. When he infused inner strength into the last few moves, the surrounding snow danced, creating a picturesque scene.

Everyone was stunned. They'd seen this knife technique many times before, but when Zhou You executed it, it felt like an entirely different martial art. This was the prowess of a true martial arts master!