Chapter 0013: The Meaning of a Team

Ning Fan froze.

It was now certain — this commission was a trap set by Yang Beihai, and there would definitely be an ambush waiting ahead.

Worse, they knew nothing about the enemy's strength, while the enemy already had all their information.

In a situation like this, shouldn't the right move be to pull back immediately?

So why, knowing full well it was a pit of fire, were they still walking into it?

What surprised Ning Fan even more was that the others barely paused — each found a corner, sat down, and fell asleep in their clothes.

They were genuinely resting and recovering their strength.

Even Huizi, Qiao Fei, and Dazhuang — the three who had been against a direct confrontation earlier — didn't raise a single objection this time.

Why?

Ning Fan couldn't figure it out.

"Kid, if you've got questions, ask."

Lin Chuan was still sitting by the fire, warming himself, but the look in his eyes as he gazed at the flames had taken on a deeper, more distant quality.

Ning Fan stared at him for a long moment before finally asking: "Why?"

Lin Chuan was quiet for a moment, then said calmly, "Remember that busted wooden sign Huizi used to prop up every day back in the zone?"

The image surfaced in Ning Fan's mind immediately — Huizi sitting on a rock, the worn plank carved with [Hound Shelter] resting in front of him.

"That's why."

Lin Chuan slowly raised his head and looked at Ning Fan with a serious expression. "The name [Hound Shelter] was built by the people who came before us. I don't have the right to drag it through the mud."

Ning Fan felt like he understood — though not entirely.

"Yang Beihai definitely sold us out. That much is certain," Lin Chuan continued. "But if we go back to Zone F32 now and drag him out, what exactly does that prove?"

"Our team came out intact and came back intact — only the cargo in the truck went missing. If Yang Beihai flatly denies it, what evidence do we have?"

Ning Fan understood now.

Catch the thief in the act.

Catch him with the goods.

"Brother Chuan, you're planning to... capture someone from [War Bear] alive and bring them back to confront Yang Beihai face to face?"

Ning Fan licked his dry, chapped lips.

Lin Chuan nodded. "We need to slam the evidence right in his face. That's the only way to prove that the [Hound Shelter] name is clean."

An inside job — that was not a reputation [Hound Shelter] could afford to carry.

Ning Fan was moved.

This man who seemed so rough and casual on the surface, who appeared to do everything off the cuff — he had never stopped holding the line on his own principles.

In [Hound Shelter], Lin Chuan might not be the strongest fighter, but he was the one everyone respected most.

The moment Lin Chuan gave the order, everyone understood exactly what he meant — without a shred of doubt.

That was a team.

That was cohesion.

They could joke around and mess with each other all day long, but the moment the [Hound Shelter] name was at stake, it became the most serious thing in the world.

Ning Fan had to admit — he'd always thought of the word "team" too simply.

"But Brother Chuan, we know nothing about [War Bear]," Ning Fan said.

He understood Lin Chuan's reasoning, but the worry ran deep. "They know us; we don't know them. We're at a serious disadvantage."

"That's why it's up to you."

Lin Chuan suddenly smiled.

"Me?"

Ning Fan pointed at himself in disbelief, then turned slightly red. "Brother Chuan, stop messing with me. I don't even have a Spirit Servant..."

"You know why I took you in?"

Lin Chuan cut him off.

Ning Fan thought for a moment, then laughed bitterly. "Don't tell me it's because of my scores?"

At this point, Ning Fan genuinely didn't think his so-called Ninefold Mastery scores carried any real weight in the eyes of a Walker.

"You're actually right. That's exactly what caught my eye."

Lin Chuan's answer caught Ning Fan off guard again.

"Kid, your scores prove, first of all, that you've got grit. Across all of Zone F32, you were the only one to get a perfect score in all nine areas. I don't believe in luck — I only believe in hard work."

"But more importantly, from what I've seen, you've got a head on your shoulders. Don't laugh at me, but in my little dog kennel, everyone can fight — but someone with an actual brain? That's a rare commodity."

Lin Chuan glanced over at Huizi and pursed his lips. "Look at that guy. Put him in a fight, sure. But ask him to come up with a strategy? I'd end up losing my shorts."

Ning Fan didn't react to the joke. His expression was unusually grave.

Lin Chuan continued, "What our team is missing is someone who can think. And you just happen to have that kind of mind. So it doesn't matter that you don't have a Spirit Servant. It doesn't matter that you're not strong yet. Fists — we've got plenty of those."

As he spoke, Lin Chuan pulled a folded piece of paper from his chest pocket and spread it out on the ground.

"This is where we are now. Ahead of us is Ghost Mist Forest."

It was a map.

"I'm going to go over every team member's abilities with you right now. For the next thirty minutes, they get to rest — but you don't. By the time they wake up, I need a viable battle plan from you."

Lin Chuan didn't give Ning Fan any room to argue. He simply handed him the task.

Ning Fan stared at him, stunned.

"Brother Chuan! I'm just a newcomer. Are you seriously putting something this important on me?"

"Everyone starts as a newcomer. You don't have experience — so I'm giving you the chance to build some. Once you've built up enough, you give it back to the team. Isn't that the whole point of having a team?"

Lin Chuan laughed easily. "Didn't the Academy have a tactics course? You scored a perfect mark in it. You should know how to put a plan together. There's no one better suited for this."

But Ning Fan didn't feel nearly as relaxed about it.

Back at the Academy, that was just theory on paper.

If a plan fell apart there, you'd just scrap it and start over.

But now?

Now he was betting the lives of all seven members of [Hound Shelter].

Once it started, there was no going back.

The pressure on Ning Fan was immense.

A hand came down on his shoulder with a firm slap.

He looked up and met Lin Chuan's steady, deep gaze.

"Kid, if you're going to be a Walker, you need to learn to carry responsibility."

Lin Chuan said quietly, "I didn't bring you out here for sightseeing. You need to pull your weight."

After going through each team member's abilities, Lin Chuan went to find his own corner to rest.

Only Ning Fan remained by the fire, his face stiff as a board.

He felt the weight of something he had never carried before pressing down hard on his shoulders.

Looking at the others with their eyes closed, Ning Fan fought to keep his body from trembling.

Finally, after a full three minutes of forcing himself to calm down, he steadied.

He began to study the map spread out on the ground with focused attention.

But what he didn't notice — the black sword he always carried on his back...

Trembled ever so slightly.

While Ning Fan was still inside the cave, poring over the map and working on his plan...

Zone F32. Inner district. Ning Fan's home.

His mother slowly opened her eyes from where she lay in bed, her whole body weak and heavy.

"You're awake."

A voice — rich and magnetic — reached her ears. "To fully purge the Miasmic Poison from your body, I used two full doses of Special Remedy."

Her vision was blurred; she could barely make out the figure in front of her.

"Who... are you..."

Her voice came out hoarse.

"Fang Yan, don't tell me you've forgotten an old friend?"

The man chuckled. "That would be rather heartbreaking."

Her body went rigid.

The outline of the figure before her slowly came into focus.

The moment she saw him clearly, her face flooded with sheer, undisguised terror.

"You — you..."

"Heh. It's coming back to you now?"

The man's voice was soft. "It's been a long time..."

She was about to speak when she suddenly noticed — behind the man, in the corner of the room, two figures were lying on the floor.

Two bodies, to be precise. Both drenched in blood.

One was chubby. The other wore glasses.