"Boss Ge, don't speak carelessly. What if it gets back to the higher-ups?"
One of Ge Nixon's confidants quickly whispered to him, but he clearly didn't care and continued to curse.
"What, I don't even have the right to say a couple of words anymore? You let those dogs try to touch me, and I'll tear down their entire nest!"
The group of people who had been surrounding him quickly scattered. It wasn't that they were disloyal, but in reality, only Ge Nixon dared to say such things.
In the entire Iron Forest, besides the people at the top, Ge Nixon held the most power. He could curse here, or even run to headquarters to cause trouble, and it was unlikely anything would happen to him in the end.
But they were different. If these words truly reached the ears of those above, even if they couldn't vent their anger on Ge Nixon, they would surely be used as scapegoats.
To put it plainly, anyone standing next to Ge Nixon now would be in trouble!
Even his confidant quickly moved to the side. He had advised his boss as much as he could. If his boss insisted on this, what could he do?
In an instant, only the base management personnel remained beside Ge Nixon.
"Let's go inside first. Wait another half hour. If the beast tide erupts after half an hour, there's nothing we can do."
The base management personnel clearly didn't want to discuss those matters with Ge Nixon. He changed the topic and beckoned to the base personnel behind him.
Soon, the tightly shut large iron gate opened a crack. The beast tide inside had been temporarily suppressed, and no mutated creatures rushed out for the moment.
Everyone then followed Ge Nixon into the base.
After they set up heavy defenses at the passage entrance, on the second layer of the beast tide, Xi Wen, carrying Old Niu, successfully rendezvoused with the remaining teammates.
The original daredevil squad of over a dozen people, including them, was now only six. This mission could be described as tragic without exaggeration.
Seeing Xi Wen emerge alive, the four breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked, "Captain, what's the situation inside?"
Xi Wen's expression was complex. After putting Old Niu down, he walked to the side and sat down.
The group was now inside the electric fence's protective layer, so they were temporarily safe. Xi Wen took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a deep drag, his gaze fixed on the distance.
The four immediately fell silent, their faces filled with deep sorrow.
"They're dead. All of them are dead," Xi Wen murmured, his voice full of self-reproach.
A team member walked up to comfort him, "Captain, it's not your fault. From the moment we joined, we were mentally prepared."
Just then, another person suddenly remembered something and spoke up, "Right, where's Xiao Li? Wasn't he supposed to be guarding here? Why isn't he here?"
As soon as the name Xiao Li was mentioned, the sadness on Xi Wen's face subsided slightly, replaced by an even more complex expression.
"Xiao Li, he's still on the third level..."
Xi Wen recounted what had just happened. The four were stunned into silence. Their sorrow was instantly diverted.
"Holy cow, Captain, you're not kidding, right? Is he really that amazing?"
"Why would I joke at a time like this? That Xiao Li is a hidden supreme expert," Xi Wen retorted with an eye roll.
"In that case, we can't just call him Xiao Li anymore. I'll have to call him Brother Li!"
"Captain, why don't you let Brother Li take your position?"
The few of them teased each other, and the atmosphere instantly became lighter.
Xi Wen understood their intentions. Some people and things were in the past and only needed to be remembered. Although they all seemed as if nothing had happened, Xi Wen knew that their sorrow was no less than his own.
"Alright, don't worry about me anymore. People have to move forward."
Xi Wen composed himself and stood up.
"With Xiao Li's strength, there's no need to worry about him. Let's take the news back first. The beast tide is basically stabilized now."
The group hesitated, as only Xi Wen had witnessed Li Chonglou's strength. The others only had psychological trauma from the mutated beast.
However, Xi Wen didn't say anything more. He directly picked up the still unconscious Old Niu and led the four back.
When they reached the passage on the first level, Xi Wen immediately saw a familiar figure.
"Old Ge? Why are you here?"
"Damn it, you brat are still alive!"
Two completely different voices rang out almost simultaneously. Xi Wen's words were filled with confusion, while Ge Nixon's were filled with surprise.
He then moved in a flash to Xi Wen's front, smiling, "There's still some left. Not bad, not bad. It seems your strength has also improved. Go rest first, we'll take over from here."
Xi Wen immediately rolled his eyes. "Take over what? The beast tide is basically resolved. If you have nothing else to do, hurry back. I don't have any good wine left for you."
"Damn it! I was so worried about you, was it to chase after wine?"
Ge Nixon was so angry he puffed out his beard and glared. Xi Wen's eyes blinked a few times before he smiled and said, "Oh, so it wasn't to chase wine? Then everything's negotiable!"
Someone was instantly stunned, then realized he had fallen into Xi Wen's trap.
"Damn, I knew you brat had a dirty mind!"
However, he soon remembered Xi Wen's last words and asked again, "Wait, what did you just say? The beast tide is already resolved?"
With this last sentence, Ge Nixon raised his voice slightly. The faces of the people around him changed, and their gazes all fell on Xi Wen.
The scene suddenly became quiet.
"Yes, barring any accidents, the beast tide should be over," Xi Wen nodded calmly.
"What do you mean by that? What do you mean 'barring any accidents'? Did you resolve the source or not?" Ge Nixon's brow furrowed slightly, seemingly unsatisfied with Xi Wen's answer.
"I resolved it? I almost died by its hands. What did I resolve?"
Seeing Xi Wen suddenly start cursing, Ge Nixon's confusion deepened.
"Damn it, brat, can you just explain things clearly in one go? What's the situation?"
Xi Wen then spoke about Li Chonglou. "What other situation is there? I was lucky enough to take in a supreme expert as my subordinate! The guy who was slaughtering us is probably getting beaten up right now. But speaking of which, who exactly is this guy? Where are the base personnel? Come out!"
As Xi Wen spoke, he looked around, searching for the person in charge of the base. The man who had previously liaign with Ge Nixon quickly walked out.
"Mr. Xi Wen, what is going on? Who are you looking for?"