Super Gene Hunting Ground

A few moments later, a guard came in with a large jar of rice wine, and as soon as he entered the room, the fragrance of the wine filled the space.

Soon, the logistics team arrived. In addition to firewood, they also brought all kinds of ice fish and started grilling them on the bonfire in the center of the hall.

"Yang Xiao, today you'll get to enjoy the delicacies from Star Moon Lake."

Yang Xiao looked up and immediately smiled.

Basin-sized crabs, eels as thick as buckets, loaches, freshwater shrimps three meters long… Dozens of varieties of fish were piled in the center of the room for everyone to grill and eat as they liked.

Zhou Qiang held a three-meter-long ice shrimp and said:

"This is best eaten as sashimi, and I have wasabi here too."

"Damn, Zhou Qiang, you guys are living it up." Zhao Gang teased.

"We're just making the best of a bad situation. This wasabi was obtained from Xu Nanqiang in Nanmu City last time; I've been reluctant to use it. I usually just squeeze a little bit into the soy sauce for flavor. Today, with the boss coming over, I'm offering up all three treasured tubes of my wasabi."

Everyone roared with laughter.

The logistics team quickly set up a long table next to the bonfire and placed a kettle filled with rice wine beside the fire to warm, then poured a bowl for each person.

Once the rice wine was warm, the aroma wafted through the air, and the entire room was filled with a heady fragrance.

The three-meter-long ice shrimp had been cracked open to remove the ice blocks and cut into more than a dozen segments on the table.

A bottle of soy sauce poured into a sea bowl, while Zhou Qiang squeezed all three tubes of wasabi into the soy sauce and stirred evenly with chopsticks, the pungent scent of wasabi immediately filled the air.

Yang Xiao picked up a piece of crystal clear shrimp meat, peeled off the shell, dipped it in the soy sauce bowl, and took a bite. The sweetness of the shrimp combined with the stimulating spiciness of the wasabi, along with the saltiness of the soy sauce, was an indescribable taste sensation.

Especially since it was a mutated giant shrimp, the flavor was sweet, the meat tender and elastic, offering a full-textured chew.

"Boss, how is it?"

Zhou Qiang asked proudly.

"Not bad, really good."

Yang Xiao said while taking another bite, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, this was what life should be. In contrast, swallowing the bodies of mutant monsters by the hundreds or thousands of pounds raw, as he normally did, made him feel like a low-level animal.

Eating a couple of pieces of sashimi shrimp, sipping on some warm rice wine, sitting by the fire, chatting and laughing with a group of friends, such a life, in the cold winter, was a true delight.

Soon, various grilled fish and meats on the bonfire also began to emit a delicious aroma.

Rarely, the logistics team also brought barbecue sauce and a variety of seasonings.

Xia Luo said with a smile:

"Yang Xiao, we're all benefiting from your presence today, having a feast. If you hadn't come, Zhou Qiang would have arranged for us to eat boring big pot stews of various fish and rice every day—we were almost sick of it."

Even though the shop, supermarket, and mall stocks in Nanmu City were relatively abundant, the consumption of the over 20,000 people in Nanmu City was immense. After Xu Nanqiang took control of logistics resources, the situation was extremely tense, and he dare not waste anything. Many special seasonings were available only in limited supply.

Yang Xiao laughed and said:

"Don't worry, once the cold winter is over, I think everyone's days will be much better. At least then, we'll have vegetables to eat."

"I really hope this cold winter will pass soon. Boss, when do you think the cold winter will end? It's been more than half a year."

Yang Xiao sighed and said:

"I don't know either, but my gut tells me it might be over soon."

Yang Xiao was reminded of the upcoming City King conference in Xuanming District, where this issue should have an answer.

After everyone had their fill, they cleared away the food and began the main topic of discussion.

"Today, I've assembled everyone here in Star Moon Town, and you all know my purpose. Tomorrow morning, we will go to Shanyun City across from us. After taking Shanyun City, we should be able to rest easy for the next one to two years."

Xia Luo asked nervously:

"Yang Xiao, have you really decided?"

"Mm, do you think there's any issue?"

"Boss, I just want to know, how confident are you? We don't necessarily have to conquer Shanyun City now, within a year or two, they also cannot pose a threat to us, what if..."

Xia Luo looked quite worried.

Zhou Qiang, Zhao Gang, Long Yongjun, Huang Wen, and others were actually just as concerned.

Yang Xiao smiled with ease,

"I know what you're worried about, but don't worry too much. Last time we were the weaker side, yet we successfully took Star Moon Lake, this time, we won't fail either."

"Last time was an attack on us, Star Moon Town, being isolated, was hard to defend. This time we are advancing on them; the situation is the complete opposite. Boss, please be cautious!"

Zhou Qiang seemed to recall something and spoke:

"Boss, we sent a scouting team into Shanyun City a while ago, they got an uncertain piece of information, it seems like Yue Ying is about to enter the Enhanced Gene Primary Level. Since this information hasn't been confirmed, we haven't reported it to you yet. Our people infiltrating Shanyun City have been looking for an opportunity to confirm this news. We are not afraid of the ten thousand possibilities, just the slight chance."

"What level of genetic evolution has Shanyun City reached?"

"Level 14, the progress is incredibly rapid."

Zhou Qiang said.

Yang Xiao nodded, "A Level 14 city, I estimate Yue Ying has also broken through to the Enhanced Gene Primary... The items I asked Xiao Zhe to prepare ten days ago, do you have them ready?"

"You mean the ice skates? They are ready, everyone has been training on the ice lake these days, and are already very proficient."

"Then take me to see."

Xia Luo, startled, said:

"Okay."

Thus, Xia Luo led Yang Xiao and others to a spot on the ice of Star Moon Lake, three kilometers away. From afar, the ice was crowded with people, all skating boisterously.

Yang Xiao and the others walked over slowly to watch everyone practice ice skating.

These were the one thousand five hundred Elite Guards that Xiao Zhe and Xia Luo had arranged together ten days ago, in preparation for Yang Xiao's attack on Shanyun City.

Yang Xiao had Xiao Zhe prepare two thick wooden boards for everyone, with a simple groove carved in the boards, enough to fasten the shoes in, and then each person was provided with two wooden sticks.

With their feet on the boards and using the sticks to push off the ice, they slid across the ice surface.

After about ten days of training, this group had become very skilled. Once they started sliding, they were incredibly fast.

"Are the three days of rations prepared by the Logistics team ready?"

"Everything is prepared, whole roasted fish meat, plus the biscuits stored in Nanmu City."

"Good, since everything's ready, after breakfast tomorrow morning, all personnel will assemble here, and we will attack Shanyun City."

"Boss, are you really decided?"

Long Yongjun asked.

For this battle, aside from Yang Xiao, no one else felt reassured; they all attempted to gain some reliable information from Yang Xiao's hints, but Yang Xiao remained tight-lipped, stubbornly set on attacking Shanyun City and seemed composed and at ease, as if this were a very easy task, like picking something out of one's pocket.

If it weren't for Yang Xiao's brave performance in the past, everyone would surely try with all their might to dissuade Yang Xiao from taking the risk.

Xia Luo looked at Yang Xiao and finally nodded firmly.

"Yes! Boss!"

(Five updates complete, thanks to the book friend Demon Sovereign for the reward of 500 Qidian Coins; thank you for your support!)