No, that's not right, it didn't seem like an attack. Zhou You found a safe spot and observed. A mutant wild boar charged at a swarm of insects, but before colliding, it tripped and lay motionless. The insects quickly swarmed over it. Once they passed, the boar's body was unrecognizable, with some bugs still clinging to its wounds.

A once robust mutant pig quickly turned into a withered carcass. Zhou You approached it out of curiosity. Though the flesh seemed intact, the body was shriveled. What was missing?

After observing a few more times, he noticed that any mutant creature would inexplicably collapse upon nearing the swarm. After being attacked, their bodies became mummified. Could these be blood-sucking insects?

It wasn't impossible. What were they using to bewitch their prey? Why did these mutants rush in recklessly as if on a suicidal mission?

The scene was eerily unsettling. Zhou You wanted to investigate further, but a rare distraction for the insects presented an ideal opportunity to escape.

Zhou You recorded a video to submit to the research institute for analysis and then pursued the direction his team had departed.

After about an hour of chasing, he finally caught up with his team. Settling into the vehicle, he panted heavily. Even with his superior stamina, the evening's exertion had been excessive.

Xuan Yue looked back and, seeing the insects hadn't followed, asked Zhou You, "Master, what kind of bugs were those?"

Zhou You hadn't officially taken him as a disciple yet, but the boy had already taken to calling him "Master" and was unyielding in doing so. Zhou You simply didn’t bother correcting him.

"I'm not sure. Here's a video. Watch it carefully. Maybe you can discern something." He sent the video to them and also to Shao Qi and Geng Qinglu from the institute. They had exchanged contacts during their previous encounter in Jiu Cheng.

The video remained in a 'sending' status in the chatbox. Calls wouldn't connect either. Signal reliability varied in the wilderness and seemed notably poor within the forest.

"This terrible signal," Zhou You muttered. He played the video directly for everyone to watch in turn. The footage startled everyone. Even those accustomed to the outside had never witnessed such a scene: endless mutants charging at the insect swarm, collapsing one after another, and becoming mummified after the swarm's touch.

"I've never seen this before. Once we reach Jiangnan Base, we should immediately report to the institute. We also need to notify the base about this. We're too close; the swarm might attack the base."

The convoy sped up and entered Jiangnan Base territory by noon the next day. As they encountered other outgoing teams, Zhou You instructed Xuan Yue to climb on top of the car and use the loudspeaker to warn them about the insect swarm. Some believed the warning, some didn’t. Nonetheless, a few teams decided to turn back.

"I've always said, we're too inexperienced and are still junior warriors. Hunting outside now is premature. We should first hone our skills."

"Coward! If you're afraid of dying, just admit it. You think we will definitely encounter those blood-sucking insects? Even if we do, we can run away. Look, they escaped, didn't they? If we're scared of everything, who would dare to venture out? There are man-eating mutants everywhere."

"I agree with Sun Lu's view. We all decided to hunt, and danger is everywhere. If we can't take this step, can we even call ourselves warriors?"

"But..."

"Hey, Xiao Mi, don't argue. We came out together, but if opinions differ, there's no need for dispute. Let's just return," Li Yanqing interrupted, trying to pacify the agitated Mi Ai. To the rest, he said, "The two of us will head back. Wish you a smooth journey."

"Cowards!"

Li Yanqing and Mi Ai collected their belongings and left the vehicle. Watching the convoy move on, they ran towards Zhou You's vehicle, waving and shouting, "Hey, can we hitch a ride? It would take half a day on foot to reach the base from here."

Xuan Yue spotted them first, tapping the roof signaling the driver to stop and then consulting Zhou You.

Zhou You recognized the two faces but couldn’t recall their names. However, he was sure he had met them at Jiangnan Base before.

"Let them in."

Li Yanqing and Mi Ai hopped on, eager to know about the insect swarm and curious about the origins of the team. They posed endless questions, but thankfully none that were uncomfortable to answer.

Upon reaching the city gates of the base, they disembarked for routine checks. At the forefront, Li Yanqing recognized a tall man's silhouette. When the man turned around, he gasped, "It's... it's Captain Long!"

"Who?" Mi Ai followed his gaze, eyes widening in shock. "It really is Captain Long! Why has he returned?"

As Long Gan opened the car door for Zhou You, Li Yanqing instantly recognized him when he stepped out. Elated, he rushed over, exclaiming, "Mr. Zhou! Mr. Zhou!"

The bodyguards from the Xuanmen quickly blocked their path, watching the two with vigilant eyes.

Zhou You waved at them and smiled, entering the city. From the moment he entered, news spread like wildfire throughout the city. Soon, everyone knew that the heroic Mr. Zhou had returned, causing a sensation.

Chapter 196: Return in Triumph

Zhou You made no effort to conceal his presence this time around, entering the city with grandeur. He checked into the best hotel and then instructed everyone to rest.

Upon entering the base, they finally felt safe. Without anyone on guard duty, everyone went to catch up on sleep. However, some were soon awakened by noise. Peering out the window, they found the hotel surrounded by crowds.

"What's happening? Is there a celebrity staying here? Are those crazed fans?" Xuan Xuan observed the crowd below, which included both men and women, many holding flowers and banners. It was clearly a fan gathering.