Long Gan calmly remarked, "You can look, but I'm afraid it might scare you."

"Ha! That means it must be something great. Makes us even more curious," one of them chuckled.

At that moment, a team member cheered, "Captain, Mr. Shao and Mr. Zhou are back!"

Members of the Dragon Line team eagerly turned their heads. Even the injured tried to get a better view, prompting the city gate guards to curiously ask, "Are those your friends coming?"

Long Gan solemnly replied, "Our saviors."

Another team member added, "And our employers."

As the two vehicles approached and Shao Qi and Zhou You stepped out, the guard, a city defense soldier, recalled the night he'd witnessed these two dismantle a major sect.

Recently, the city's buzz was all about the Heavy Sword Sect affair. Rumors said that Hu Shi'en's closest disciples were sentenced to hard labor in the mines, while the rest of the sect was disbanded.

Long Gan stepped forward, seeing the two walk side by side. There was an unexpected sense of equality between them. And Shao Qi, even after just two days, seemed changed—like a tiger descending a mountain, imposing and formidable.

"Mr. Shao, Mr. Zhou," Long Gan greeted, suppressing his astonishment.

“What a coincidence. Why not hand that item directly to us?”

"Yes, I have an additional request. Since both of you saved us, could we perhaps organize a gratitude banquet in your honor?" Such banquets have become a trend in recent years, usually thrown for significant benefactors. It's a way to publicly acknowledge those to whom one owes a debt, solidifying alliances whether political or otherwise.

But this was Zhou You's first time hearing about such a banquet. Unfamiliar with the tradition, he immediately declined, "It was merely a gesture of goodwill, and we acted out of our own interests. No need for such formality."

However, Shao Qi knew that the Longxing Exploration Team was considered one of the top teams at the Jiangnan Base. They held considerable power. While they might not be of use to him, they could certainly be of assistance to Zhou You, who was new to the human base.

“Alright, Captain Long. Once you've set the date and venue, we'll be there.”

To outsiders, their differing responses painted a picture: one altruistic and the other self-centered; one cautious and the other confident. Yet, these two contrasting personalities had found common ground.

At that moment, the inspection reached the two large trucks Zhou You and his group were traveling in. There were quarantine officers with virus detectors, guards holding guns, and city management personnel with recorders, all working together.

“Isn’t this an army truck? What's inside?" A city management official asked Long Gan.

However, Long Gan gestured towards Zhou You and his group, replying, "These trucks belong to Mr. Zhou and his group. You should ask them." They had been startled themselves when they saw the mutated beast corpses inside the trucks; perhaps it was time for others to have a similar experience.

Zhou You whispered to Shao Qi, "Is it okay to let them see?"

With his hands in his pockets, Shao Qi nodded, “Open it and see for yourself, but you might want to stand back."

He whispered to Zhou You, "We can't hide these two things anyway, and there's no need to. It'll provide cover for the young white tiger. It’s grown so big that it can't even fit into its cage anymore."

They had once again brought the young white tiger with them, but it had grown too large for its cage and now lay atop the armored vehicle.

As the truck door opened, a rush of cold air made everyone shiver, fog obscuring their view. Everyone noticed the members of the Longxing team instinctively stepping back.

“What’s in there?” Someone asked curiously.

When the fog cleared, someone exclaimed, “Is that... a leopard?" While there are various types of leopards, the low-level ones are intermediate mutated beasts. Catching a high-level one is a significant achievement as it showcases a team's strength.

But Long Gan had mentioned the trucks belonged to the two outsiders, which made the sentiment a bit sour.

“Wait, it’s not a leopard, it’s a tiger species. Look at its head!" A worker shone a spotlight, revealing a huge mutated beast, clearly a tiger-leopard hybrid.

Not everyone was familiar with every kind of mutated beast. Some hadn’t even heard of certain species. It was Long Gan who informed them, "This is a high-level mutated tiger-leopard, with a danger rating above 90."

Everyone hastily retreated, maintaining a considerable distance from the truck. Even in death, such an unheard-of high-level mutated beast invoked fear.

"This creature is terrifying!"

"Thankfully it's dead; otherwise, we might not have made it out of here."

"To encounter such a legendary mutated beast, we must indeed be fortunate today."

"I can't fathom how one would take on such a ferocious creature. They are truly formidable!"

"Truly worthy of a man chosen by the Heavy Sword Sect!"

"Quickly shut the door! We can't risk contamination!" The quarantine officer exclaimed, both shocked and elated. No matter who captured this fearsome creature, it's a boon for the nation, reducing a significant threat and aiding scientific research.

Approaching the next vehicle, someone remarked, "Why do the wheels on this vehicle seem odd?"

Long Gan kindly informed them, "They were retrofitted from an armored vehicle. The original wheels couldn't bear the weight."

A guard from the city defense team joked, "Is there an elephant inside?"

Elephants are not found at the Jiangnan base, but mutated elephants are rumored to be as massive as a small hill with thick skin. Although not particularly aggressive, they're challenging to capture.

Due to the height limitations of the truck's cabin, the roof had to be removed, rendering the refrigeration feature useless. The tarp-covered, domed shape on top made everyone wary.

"It can't possibly be an elephant, can it?"

"Come on, where would we get an elephant around here?"

"But the size of whatever's inside... I've never seen a mutated beast this large."