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Currently, Yatang City is divided into a safe zone and a danger zone.

At the moment, there are soldiers from the national government patrolling the safe zone. With the area around the airport as the boundary, urgent evacuations are still underway here.

The International Alliance has recalled 30 of its seventy small teams that were on missions abroad.

Over three hundred people have started a rat hunting plan in Yatang City.

But the most pressing issue is this.

The two Rat Kings that once escaped from the International Alliance laboratory have vanished without a trace.

This poses a significant threat not only to Lan State Country but also to the entire western region as an unpredictable ticking time bomb.

If those two Rat Kings go berserk, no one will be able to stop them.

Previously, Quan Shaoqing used a knife to hack and slash, but he could not kill them.

Gu Xiaoxi led his team through the Yatang City streets.

Their current mission is to quickly eliminate the rat infestation in Yatang City.

Moreover, each person has been equipped with a counter.

Every time they kill a Giant Rat, the kill is recorded.

Eventually, the team that kills the most Giant Rats will receive a certain reward.

As they walked through the streets, nearing nightfall, Gu Xiaoxi and his team discovered a civilian residence that had been ravaged by a Giant Rat.

After killing some Giant Rats, they also found some dead bodies.

The scene, needless to say, was certainly very gruesome.

"This way of doing things is no solution! Before, we encountered too many Giant Rats. If they escape and proliferate rapidly around the world, not only Yatang City, but other cities will suffer destruction as well," Yun Xiao said anxiously upon seeing the horrific scene.

"Fortunately, for now, only Yatang City has seen an appearance of Giant Rats... but I fear other cities won’t have many days of peace. I’m very curious about how these rats are breeding." Gu Xiaoxi shared Yun Xiao’s concerns. These rats had legs, they could run on their own.

The vast numbers would ultimately become a threat to humanity.

As for the solution!

Sniping them as they run amok across the world would be impossible to accomplish.

Species overpopulation would disrupt the balance of nature.

Walking down the deserted street, Gu Xiaoxi sighed.

Meanwhile, key executives from the International Alliance and Lan State Country were present. Their worries were even more grave than those of Gu Xiaoxi.

In the end, after national deliberation, it was decided to offer a reward for catching the two Rat Kings, and the reward amount was raised to 3 billion.

For the Giant Rats, the International Alliance and Lan State Country have now dispatched military, police, and law enforcers to eliminate them.

Late into the night, Gu Xiaoxi led everyone to continue the hunt.

In just one day and night, they had exterminated over a thousand Giant Rats.

Until the next morning, everyone had been busy all night and were very exhausted.

Some of the International Alliance teams had already returned to the camp to rest.

Gu Xiaoxi and the others were staying at a business hotel in Yatang City, where she happened to share a room with Yun Xiao.

In the morning, just as she lay down, her phone rang.

The screen showed an unfamiliar number.

After Gu Xiaoxi answered, there was a brief silence on the phone.

"Who is this?" she asked out of curiosity.

Soon, a cool voice came through.

"It’s me! I’m downstairs at your hotel, come down, I need to talk to you about something," Ya said sternly.

As soon as Gu Xiaoxi heard this, she had no more desire to sleep.

She quickly got up and dressed.

Yun Xiao, puzzled, said, "Xiao Xi, it’s rest time now. We have to head out on another mission in a few hours, and it’s a long one. How can you fight if you don’t rest well?"

"You go ahead and sleep. I’m fine!" Gu Xiaoxi reassured her, "I’ll be back shortly."

She looked at Yun Xiao’s worried expression and felt it was nice to have someone worrying about her.

With Yun Xiao’s anxious eyes following her, she smiled, waved goodbye, and left the hotel.

Dressed in a simple black T-shirt and camouflage shorts, she walked out of the hotel.

From a distance, she could see Ya sitting in a car not far away.

Gu Xiaoxi strode over, peered through the car window at him, and asked with puzzlement, "If it’s about the Rat Kings, why don’t you discuss it with the International Alliance? Why look for me?"

"Of course I want to cooperate with you," Ya said, donning a rare blue shirt that made his fair face look exceptionally handsome.

Gu Xiaoxi looked at him and clicked her tongue, "Do you need to cooperate with me? With your abilities, you could collaborate with higher-ups and get more rewards."

"Don’t you want to make a merit in this matter and solidify your position in the International Alliance?" Ya looked up, his deep eyes colliding with Gu Xiaoxi’s indifferent gaze.

Both of them were stunned for a moment.

Ya saw a trace of tiredness in the bottom of Gu Xiaoxi’s eyes, and unexpectedly, he felt a twinge of heartache.

And Gu Xiaoxi suddenly realized that Ya’s eyes were incredibly bright, amber-colored, yet they shimmered like stars, dazzling with brilliant light. One glance at them gave an intoxicating feeling that made it hard to pull away.

"First, tell me the conditions you need my help with," Gu Xiaoxi turned away, her tone indifferent.

She never believed in the world offering help without a reason.

Especially since she wasn’t particularly close with Ya.

Although, she had always wanted to make friends with him. But she also didn’t dare to get too close to such a mysterious person.

Ya looked at her, her demeanor full of defenses. Obviously, she still couldn’t completely trust that he would help her selflessly.

"What if I have no conditions? I simply want everyone to get along, since daring not to do so still results in action. Naturally, I have to help you, a friend I know."

The man sitting in the driver’s seat spoke with a calm voice, yet there was a sincerity to it.

Gu Xiaoxi sized him up for a while before saying, "Are you sure you’ll help me unconditionally?"

"If my unconditional help makes you uneasy, then just give me half the reward you get," Ya gripped the steering wheel and said, "Don’t you ever consider me a friend?"

After saying this, he was actually nervous, seemingly afraid she would negate it.

Gu Xiaoxi fell silent for a moment, thinking perhaps she was overthinking.

The first time she met Ya, he only offered a verbal condition and helped her. And she still owed him a Phoenix Feather.

Afterward, he gave her Crystal, and even though it was a trade, he indeed helped her a great deal.

Or perhaps to say, without him,

The journey thus far wouldn’t have been so easy.

This friend, should truly be deserving of the title.

"Since you want to help me for the sake of friendship, it would be rather hypocritical of me to refuse! Tell me, what have you discovered?" Gu Xiaoxi asked.

Ya looked at the passenger seat and said, "Get in the car with me!"

"Where to? I’m on my rest time right now!" Gu Xiaoxi still wanted to rest a bit since they had a long-distance mission later that night.

"You’ll know once you come!" Ya said mysteriously.

Gu Xiaoxi opened the car door and sat down.

The car moved, driving through the empty streets.

In just a few days’ time, the city had become deserted.

Gu Xiaoxi still remembered how, not too long ago, despite the issue with the Giant Rats, kids were still attending classes, and people were living in the residential buildings.

People were still going to work at companies.

In just over ten days, there were no lights in the residential buildings at night, and even the daylight seemed to shine coldly in the city.

Now, the stores on both sides of the streets were closed, and at any moment, a Giant Rat might dart out.

Many elderly and children were casualties in this massive exodus.

When she wasn’t working, when she visited the city again as a tourist, her heart felt a different emotion.

The car left the urban area farther and farther behind. Gu Xiaoxi looked at Ya with confusion and asked, "Didn’t you say you wanted to discuss the Rat King with me? Where are you taking me?"

"I’m taking you to break through!" Ya spoke calmly, "With your current level of cultivation, you won’t be able to deal with those two monsters."

"Don’t I still have you? Besides, we don’t have time for a breakthrough right now. You see, I have a mission tonight..." Gu Xiaoxi protested.

"Sharpening your axe won’t delay the work of cutting firewood. Let’s talk about everything else once you’re stronger!" Ya said expressionlessly, driving even faster.

Luckily, the city was now empty, otherwise, such speed would definitely result in a fine.

The car drove for two full hours, leaving the city area, and headed towards a remote mountain road.

Finally, even the mountain road was gone, replaced by dense woodland.

Ya parked the car by the roadside, turned to look at Gu Xiaoxi, and found she had actually fallen asleep in her seat.

At noon, the warm sunlight filtered through the car window, casting a sacred glow upon her as if bathing her in a halo.

Her long black lashes, thick and curling, cast a shadow at the corner of her eyes.

Her nose was straight and tall, and with each breath, the sides quivered lightly; her red lips slightly pursed, her beauty in this moment, like a lotus rising from the water, as pristine as jade and ice.

He watched, finding himself unable to look away for a moment.

On reflection, he realized that throughout his acquaintance with Gu Xiaoxi, he had never taken such careful and serious time to appreciate her.

In this moment, there was no one around to disturb them.