"Enough! If they want to see us, they will. We're the ones who sought them out. Do you expect a grand welcome?"

"I just feel it's a waste for you, Captain."

Internally, Zhang Ding Shan raged: Waste? Who do you think you are? He knew even the city's chief had to wait for an invitation from Lychee Mansion.

There's speculation about Zhou You and Shao Qi's identities. While Zhou You being Zhou Hua Jin's son was certain, could there be other concealed identities? Shao Qi was definitely from the central military, but many suspected Zhou You was too. Their closeness suggested a covert mission.

The Zhu family's sudden collapse was a shock. The mysterious weapon and the elusive special forces were terrifying. Many families and businesses lived in fear, wondering if they might be targeted next, which led to the collective visits.

"I heard you've been close with Young Master Wang. Didn't you get any valuable information from him?" With Zhou You and Shao Qi absent for days, people grew restless, fearing they might be on a secret mission.

Song Jin An grew nervous, fearing his duplicity was exposed. "I just met Young Master Wang online and gamed together a few times. He's not even as informed as you, Captain."

Song Jin An initially thought of siding with Young Master Wang, seeing potential benefits. But with recent disappearances of those from the Peak Exploration Team and police being ineffective, he feared retribution, most likely from that particular group.

After days of contemplation, he felt Zhang Ding Shan was more reliable. Known for his loyalty, sticking with him seemed to be the safest option.

Zhang Dingshan remained noncommittal. Although he found Young Master Wang distasteful, the latter did have a powerful father, and even Zhang had to give some respect.

Just as their vehicle was about to cross the icy river, a woman appeared from the side of the road, wielding a large knife. She thrust it into the ice, blocking their way.

"Wait, isn't she..." Zhang Dingshan recognized the woman as one who had traveled with Zhou You and the others. He quickly ordered the driver to halt.

He stepped out of the vehicle and approached her, stopping a few meters away. Sincerely, he asked, "Excuse me, are you from the Litchi Mountain Mansion?"

"Step aside, I'm here for Song Jin'an." Li Yunxi looked at him coldly.

The two had met before and had teamed up in a game, but neither knew the other's name, so they could hardly be considered acquaintances.

Zhang Dingshan, uncertain of the grievance between them, quickly said, "Song Jin'an is a member of our Gale Team. If you intend to harm him here, I won't stand by. If you have a personal feud, settle it privately."

"Settle? Step aside!" Li Yunxi pointed her knife at Zhang Dingshan, but he resolutely shook his head.

From inside the car, Song Jin'an stared intensely at Li Yunxi. He remembered her; she was stunning and the sister of Captain Li from that other team. He was sure now - it was them.

Seeing Zhang Dingshan not yielding, Song Jin'an discreetly began to worry. While he trusted Zhang Dingshan, there's only so much one can do. The best option was to leave Yang City, but where could he go in this weather, especially with no convoys leaving the city?

As the snow continued to fall, Li Yunxi shouted, "I'll ask one last time: move or not?"

"We can sit down and talk it out... Wait, you..." Zhang Dingshan swiftly dodged the incoming blade and found himself reluctantly fighting. To his surprise, she was more skilled than he'd assumed.

Li Yunxi had already reached the level of a senior martial artist. Although she couldn't best Zhang Dingshan, killing Song Jin'an would be easy for her.

Song Jin'an recognized this too. He also believed that if Li Yunxi flaunted her connection to Litchi Mountain Mansion, Zhang Dingshan might not protect him indefinitely. So he had to run.

Quietly, he slipped out of the car and darted into a nearby park, exiting through another path. Everyone witnessed his escape, leading Li Yunxi to sheath her knife and smirk, "We'll conclude here for today. I'll seek guidance from Captain Zhang another time."

Zhang Dingshan seemed more interested in her last comment, chuckling, "So you know my name. I thought I might have to introduce myself."

Li Yunxi responded coldly, "Captain Zhang is quite well-known. But be informed, I'm determined to kill that man. It's only fair to give you a heads-up so you don't seek revenge when he's gone."

Zhang Dingshan's smile faded, replying earnestly, "I won't intervene in personal disputes. As long as you don't kill in my presence, it doesn't concern me if he lives or dies." In these times, everyone had their enemies. It wasn't always black and white, so all he could do was protect those within his sight.

"Very well, farewell." Li Yunxi mounted her sled and left. Watching her depart, Zhang Dingshan muttered, "Quite the audacious one."

The festivities in Yang City had no connection to the two men hiding in the livestock farm during the New Year. Once outside the base, the world split in two: those inside couldn't communicate with the outside and vice versa. It was said that the Central Information Department was tirelessly working on setting up communication stations in the wilderness. The communication delay was causing countless problems.

On New Year's Eve, the two men woke up early. Shao Qi shoveled snow while Zhou You prepared meals in the kitchen. Even though the two couldn't eat much, Zhou You still prepared a feast that would last all day.

Bai Hu played in the snow, occasionally tossing snow where Shao Qi had cleared. Shao Qi playfully chased and swatted at Bai Hu, then crafted a beautiful snow tiger. This thrilled Bai Hu, who circled it excitedly before smashing it to pieces.