"You did not kill, but the crime of intentional murder is now fully established," Captain Zhang said impatiently. "Stop talking nonsense and take her down."
Intentional murder. That was a serious charge. Even though the professor team was the core of the base, fairness could not bend for personal ties. Especially since Pei Xin pushed someone from another base.
Of course, Captain Zhang was not saying anyone in his own base could push someone and get away with it. But the team leader of the R City base had no ability to intervene, and with the Shen siblings having both background and military assignment, Pei Xin's actions added layers to the crime. If this got out, it would not only affect their base leader, but also their parents.
In short, Pei Xin's behavior embarrassed the H City base and put Captain Zhang in a difficult position. After all, would Professor Pei abandon his own granddaughter? No matter what, the one in trouble was only Captain Zhang.
…
Amid a flurry of noise, Pei Xin was finally taken away.
As the Shen siblings were about to thank her, alarms and walkie-talkies sounded again. The whirlpools formed by the small fish earlier suddenly appeared around many boats at the base.
In each whirlpool, there were people waiting for rescue.
Captain Zhang no longer worried about Pei Xin. He quickly reported the situation over the walkie-talkie. Saving the people was the priority, but Deck A's safety had to be secured as well.
The reason the Shen siblings and others stayed on the same boat as Lan Jin was strategic.
First, the professor team was on that boat, so only strong individuals were assigned there.
Second, while the Shen siblings were very capable, they had no powers. Ordinary creatures posed no threat, but if the enemy required powers to handle—
Then a power users was necessary.
Combined, this setup protected both Deck A and the professor team. The base considered it a win-win, so they were assigned together.
This did not mean there were no strong people on other boats. After effort, the aggressive large fish were handled without issue.
However, the people on the small boats—
They had only been out for one day, and already so many were gone. It was not a good start. Even after leaving this area, the fear in their hearts had not lessened.
…
The small boats could not be used again. Under no circumstances could they set sail. If anything happened again, no one could explain it. After tidying Deck A, the next shift planned to rest in the cabin. But as they entered, they ran into Professor Pei and the others and were ordered not to leave.
Was there an end to this?
Professor Pei and the others were not unreasonable like Pei Xin. In fact, many in the professor team were already dissatisfied with Pei Xin. This incident did not surprise them in the slightest.
But Professor Pei was Pei Xin's grandfather. Seeing that his granddaughter had not returned and hearing she was detained, he naturally needed an explanation.
After the explanation, although Professor Pei looked grim, it was not unacceptable. With a nod, the students escorted him back into the cabin.
With that resolved, the students could finally take turns resting.
…
The rest area was comfortable. Each base member had a single room with a bed, wardrobe, desk and chairs for guests, and a private bathroom. The rooms were spacious, perfect for resting.
Just as Lan Jin was admiring her room, there was a knock at the door.
"Sister Lan, Sister Lan, are you sleeping?"
"No." Lan Jin opened the door and saw the Shen siblings standing there with a large bag of fruit and snacks. They were clearly here to thank her.
Lan Jin invited them in.
Once inside, Shen Zhiyu placed the bag on the table and said,
"Thank you so much, Sister Lan. If not for you, Yan Yan might have…"
"No need to thank me. Yan Yan is skilled. Even if I had not acted, there likely would have been no problem," Lan Jin said.
Lan Jin spoke truthfully. Even near Deck A, there were places for Shen Zhiyan to grab. If she had been pushed, a timely reaction could have saved her. But it was better not to rely on that.
"But we still need to thank you, Sister Lan. Do not be polite. Before the end of the world, we would never just bring these things to say thanks. It is too little."
For the Shen siblings, a bag of snacks felt small. But everyone was on Deck A, and returning to the base to get better gifts was impossible. So even a small gift expressed their intent. They added,
"When we return to the base, I will treat you well. And your power team members too. If we visit R City base, we will host you properly."
"You are too polite. It is nothing. And in the future, we will still help each other. I might be the one needing your care someday," Lan Jin replied.
The Shen siblings wanted to ask about Lan Jin's powers.
Shen Zhiyan asked,
"Sister Lan, your powers are strong. When you electrocuted the fish, the effect was huge. But you said you did not use full strength. Is that true?"
"Yes. That was the weakest current. If I used full power, I once electrocuted a lizard several floors high in Maolin and killed it instantly. At that time, my powers were weaker. After using them, I was drained. Captain Zhang had to give me a booster injection to restore my powers. After that, my power became much stronger than before."
Captain Zhang knew this and would report it to the base. Everyone in the base knew, so there was no need to hide it.
Shen Zhiyu said,
"So your powers increased only after being drained and receiving the booster injection. But we have seen this before. Even powered squads in the base, after running out of energy and receiving boosters, do not get stronger."
Lan Jin paused. If it was not the injection, the only other reason could be the lotus seeds in space. She could not reveal that. She said instead,
"Maybe electricity is just naturally strong."