Zhuo Hao checked the time, advising his team, "Take a fifteen-minute break here. Eat something. We'll then head back the way we came for another hour."

Zhou You had no objections. Swiftly, he climbed a tree. Snowflakes fluttered down, showering Zhuo Hao. Just as he was about to look up, Zhou You called from above, "Catch! These fruits taste quite good!"

Several fruits dropped from above. Zhuo Hao skillfully caught them all. The fruit was cold to touch but looked delicious once the snow was wiped off.

He shared some with nearby soldiers and took a bite from one. It was crunchy and sweet, but also so cold it numbed his teeth.

Seeing this, others climbed trees to pick fruits. Some saved them in their backpacks to take home.

The fruits sold at the base were artificially cultivated and required minimal management. Though they were decent, there was a limited variety. The base couldn't afford to allocate vast resources to cultivating various fruits, so they chose those with high yield and resilience.

"All right, let's move on. If you wish to forage for fruits, you can venture into the mountains come springtime. There'll be plenty then," said Zhuo Hao. His team was accustomed to outdoor journeys, never lacking in supplies. Often they'd hunt so much game they couldn't finish all the mutated creature meat. They were unaware that the Jiangnan base trained their soldiers this way due to infrequent combat experiences.

"Colonel Zhuo, did you drive all the way from Dawn City?" There were convoys from Jiangnan base to Dawn City, mainly for trade. They'd sometimes be tasked with escorting goods, and each journey was perilous with significant casualties.

"No, we flew in with fighter jets." Zhuo Hao and his two companions were temporarily assigned as escorts upon learning that Marshal Shao Qi was headed to the Jiangnan base. There were rumors that the Marshal was critically injured and couldn't fight, which, in these apocalyptic times, made him a vulnerable target. But upon their arrival, they found that he had already secured a formidable bodyguard.

Zhou You jumped down from a tree, cradling a bird's nest in his hands, and handed it to Zhuo Hao. "Look, over a dozen eggs. Didn’t see the mother bird; wonder if she's dead."

Zhuo Hao looked around and inquired, "Who has children at home?"

"Me, me, me..." A young soldier rushed forward, gingerly taking the bird eggs. Seeing so many, he hesitated to take them all.

"Take them," reassured Zhou You. "If there are more later, we can distribute them among others."

The eggs were unmistakably from a mutated bird. Consumed by children, they'd enhance their physical constitution. The Dawn Patrol team had once found such eggs and given them all to infants.

Zhou You thought of Li Hongxi and their group, and also of the ordinary people who had settled in the Jiangnan base. They truly owed gratitude to this team; otherwise, they wouldn't have found a home here. Regrettably, Li Hongxi and his group never received their deserved rewards.

Everyone initially anticipated a fierce battle in the mountains, but they encountered surprisingly few mutated creatures that day, allowing the novices to practice their combat skills.

"I thought the mountains would be swarming with mutated beasts," remarked a naive rookie.

"Fool! We haven't traveled far at all. Probably not even ten kilometers. We're merely at the periphery of the Yunlan mountain range. Most wild creatures have fled further than we've ventured. It's natural to see fewer beasts here," another soldier retorted.

Zhuo Hao established communication with the fighter jet overhead. Only after it had scouted ahead and confirmed the absence of any nearby threats did the team decide to turn back.

"What a beautiful flower! To see a blooming tree amidst the snow is so rare. I wonder what it's called. Bringing a few branches back would be lovely," remarked a soldier, noting that children of the post-apocalyptic era only knew plants from online images.

"Don't touch!" Zhou You shouted as he saw the soldier attempting to climb the tree. In a flash, he was up the tree himself, kicking the soldier down.

A horrified scream echoed as the soldier tumbled into a snow pit.

The crowd was flabbergasted, questioning Zhou You's motives. Did he detest people picking flowers?

A brave lieutenant stepped forward, asking, "Mr. Zhou, what's the meaning of this? It's just a few flowers; it wouldn't have taken much time."

Zhuo Hao had observed the tree too. Unfamiliar with its species and not finding it in any database, he couldn't decipher Zhou You's intention. He sternly reprimanded the soldiers, "During a march, refrain from any distractions, especially in these mountains where danger lurks everywhere. Do you believe you have multiple lives?"

Standing on a tree branch, Zhou You approached the flower-laden twig. Suddenly, a buzzing sound filled the air. As the exquisite flowers unveiled their inner petals, they resembled monstrous mouths releasing a swarm of tiny insects, promptly torched by Zhou You's lighter.

Jumping down, he informed the group, "I've seen this tree on previous expeditions. It blooms year-round, harboring these tiny insects. Harmless as they seem, their bite can cause severe allergic reactions, endangering lives. If I remember correctly, these insects are called 'Wending'. Check the database if you need more information."

The soldier who had been kicked into the snowpit thanked Zhou You profusely. Had he brought those flowers home, his entire family might have suffered.

The lieutenant who had previously confronted Zhou You was now embarrassed, stuttering, "I apologize, Mr. Zhou. I acted in ignorance. Please forgive me."

"It's okay," Zhou You replied. "But Colonel Zhuo is right. The mountains are riddled with dangers. Always be cautious and consult or check before bringing anything back to the base."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers affirmed.

The journey ahead was smooth. Zhou You discovered a few bird nests along the way, even cooking one of the female birds he found. His movement was swift and steady, climbing trees as if he were a monkey, eliciting envy from the others.