Chapter 523: Chapter 254: No Sense of Humor at All
Han Ruoxi shot him a glare. "Donāt exaggerate. If we had really been relying on you alone, we probably would have been wiped out long ago!"
"Hey, hey, Ruo Xi, you canāt say that!" Sun Yang feigned hurt. "I may have been charging at the front, but the Captain led the team with rock-solid stability. Thatās why we were able to complete the mission smoothly!"
"Enough nonsense!" Shen Qiuyue cut in coldly. "Everyone, hurry back. The mission isnāt completely over, so donāt dawdle here!"
Sun Yang scratched his head and said with a grin, "Sister Qiuyue is right, but... I was just trying to lighten the mood. You see, we were all so tense during that fight just now. Itās not a crime to relax a little, is it?"
Li Changāan walked at the very front, a slight smile playing on his lips as he listened to his teamās banter. "Alright, thatās enough, everyone. We can talk more once weāre back at the base.
Sun Yang, Han Ruoxi, stay alert. We canāt let our guard down for a second until the mission is officially complete!"
"Donāt worry, Captain, we get it!" Sun Yang nodded. Though he was still joking around, his Pulse Gun remained ready to fire at a momentās notice.
Han Ruoxi huffed softly. "The Captain is right. We need to stay vigilant at all times.
Donāt think that just because we beat one Insect Queen, there wonāt be any other dangers ahead!"
"Alright, I know, I know!" Sun Yang shrugged helplessly. "You guys really donāt have a sense of humor!"
The group continued forward. The surrounding environment grew more and more familiar as they neared the baseās safe zone.
"Captain, youāre almost at the base!" Bai Linās voice came through the headset. "Iāve already hacked into the baseās surveillance system. Iām not detecting any other anomalies. You can head straight back!"
"Good. Bai Lin, stay in contact and keep monitoring," Li Changāan replied softly, his eyes still scanning their surroundings to ensure he didnāt miss any potential threats.
A few minutes later, they finally saw the baseās perimeter wall. Guards in the distance were already waving at them.
"Weāre finally back!" Sun Yang let out a sigh of relief. "Iām starving. Iām definitely going to have a huge meal when we get back!"
"Is eating all you think about?" Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes.
"Hey, Ruo Xi, you have no idea. When I was firing off those Pulse Bullets just now, all I could think was, āIf we win this fight, Iām going to go back and eat like a king!ā" Sun Yang said with a grin.
"You wish!" Shen Qiuyue sneered. "But this mission really wasnāt easy. Everyone worked hard."
"Thatās right, everyone did a great job," Li Changāan said, stopping and turning to look back at them. "Especially you, Han Ruoxi. That electric shock was crucial. It delayed the Insect Queenās neural response!"
Han Ruoxi smiled. "I donāt dare get arrogant just because the Captain praised me.
In truth, everyone performed well. Shen Qiuyueās Swordsmanship, in particular, was clean and decisive!"
"Alright, enough with the mutual praise!" Sun Yang waved his hand. "Instead of patting each other on the back, why donāt we just go eat? Iām starving!"
Li Changāan chuckled. "Alright. Weāll rest up properly once weāre back. The mission was a success, so everyone can relax a bit!"
The group finally walked into the base. The guards nodded to them in acknowledgment, clearly already aware that they had completed a difficult reconnaissance mission.
Li Changāan led his team straight toward the command center to report the mission status to Commander Liu Na.
"Captain, I really think we deserve a big feast as a reward this time. Otherwise, itād be an insult to the life-and-death battle we just fought!" Sun Yang was still muttering on the side.
Han Ruoxi glanced at him and shook her head helplessly. "You really canāt think about anything but food, can you?"
"Eating is a basic human need! Whatās so embarrassing about it?" Sun Yang spread his hands, unconcerned. "Ruo Xi, you should learn from me in the future and enjoy life a little more!"
"Oh, please. Donāt try to preach your philosophy to me!" Han Ruoxi couldnāt help but smile. "You should be thinking about what our debriefing is going to be like when we get back!"
"Ugh, I could recite those debriefing meetings in my sleep!" Sun Yang sighed helplessly. "Itās always the same old routine: āHow did you perform during the mission, and where do you need to improve?ā"
Li Changāan listened to their conversation with a faint smile on his face.
Not long after, the group arrived at the command center, where Liu Na was already waiting for their report.
"Li Changāan, whatās the status of your reconnaissance mission?" Liu Na asked, looking up at them as she flipped through a battle report in her hands.
"Mission complete," Li Changāan nodded. "We located the Insect Hive and confirmed the Insect Queenās position within it.
We defeated the Insect Queen and gathered the relevant intel!"
Liu Naās brow furrowed slightly. "Defeated the Insect Queen? Did you run into trouble?"
"I wouldnāt call it trouble," Li Changāan said, his tone calm. "The Insect Queen attempted to counterattack, but through our teamwork, we successfully eliminated it."
Liu Na glanced at him, a flash of approval in her eyes. "Good work.
However, you need to remember that reconnaissance missions donāt always have to end in a fight.
On your next operation, try to avoid direct conflict. The intelligence is whatās most important!"
"Understood!" Li Changāan nodded in response.
Liu Na closed the battle report in her hands. "Alright, go get some rest. You completed the mission well. Iāll formulate a new plan for the next operation based on the intel youāve brought back."
Li Changāan led his squad out of the command center, and the team could finally breathe a collective sigh of relief.
"Okay, okay, can we go eat now?" Sun Yang asked, looking at everyone with an expectant expression.
"This guy," Han Ruoxi said, shaking her head helplessly. "Always thinking with your stomach."