Chapter 237: 237, Wartime assembly

"Brother, may I venture into the mountains to behold the Wolf King?" Yuan Sixuan inquired with a curious tilt of his head, "It feels as though it knows me, somehow."

Before, Ren Xiaosu had privately confided in Yuan Sixuan about his pact with the wolf pack, and so Yuan understood well that Ren now maintained a cooperative bond with them, even having once joined forces to hunt nanowarriors.

It sounded peculiar, yet Yuan had long grown accustomed to Ren’s eccentricities.

Ren pondered a moment before replying, "Yes, but you must follow behind me."

Though their alliance with the wolves had endured for ages, Ren still harbored unease—what if the Wolf King, in a fit of madness, sought to harm Yuan?

As they prepared to ascend the mountain, Ren suddenly spotted the glint of vehicle lights speeding upward from below. His brow furrowed as he spoke, "You go inside and rouse Li Qingzheng."

"Alright," Yuan Sixuan went to wake Li Qingzheng.

Li Qingzheng emerged from the dwelling clad in a military overcoat, his voice carrying a note of surprise: "Xiaosu, you summoned me?"

"Someone approaches the mountain. Likely the Lee clan’s men," Ren said.

"Who would dare scale these peaks during the New Year festivities?" Li Qingzheng marveled, the two of them standing at the outpost’s threshold, awaiting the arrival. A jeep halted before them, and a soldier hurled a parchment envelope through the air: "Private army mobilization—this is the directive. By seven o’clock tomorrow, all must report for assembly. Failure to comply will be treated as desertion, with full accountability for the entire unit."

The Lee clan’s desertion laws were merciless—not only would the offender face criminal punishment, but their kin would suffer too. Among the refugees in the settlement, those who failed to secure water rights would perish swiftly in this era, where survival hinged on such allocations.

Some ventured into the wilderness to seek water, but doing so invited peril.

The messenger climbed into the vehicle with a sneer: "What use are your pleas? If you refuse to assemble, so be it."

Ren glanced at Li Qingzheng: "Do you still have kin in the settlement? If not, you could flee."

Li Qingzheng’s face twisted bitterly: "How could I flee? I have no family left, but over ten of our comrades in the unit do. If even one deserts, the entire group faces the same fate."

It was the Lee clan’s venomous stratagem—forcing comrades to monitor one another, ensuring no one could escape.

Ren stared at Li Qingzheng, marveling at his resolve. Knowing full well he was destined for cannon fodder, he chose to stay, thinking of others.

Hu Shuo had spoken of this before the New Year feast—all might become sacrificial pawns.

Each would judge for themselves: What could a private army achieve on the front lines? Could they storm fortresses or overcome hardships? They were merely cannon fodder.

Yet Li Qingzheng was peculiar—before their bond, he’d strip Ren of every resource; now, as a friend, he upheld loyalty.

When Hu Shuo had granted them military identities, only Ren and Li Qingzheng had received them. Now, Li Qingzheng could exploit that status to flee alone, a simple task.

In truth, Ren had intended to lead Yuan and others into the stronghold. With his Special Tactics Division credentials, the matter would be effortless.

But now, if he took them away, the rest of the unit would perish.

Ren sighed after a pause: "Then we’ll rouse everyone. We depart at once—first, I’ll escort my kin back to the settlement, then we’ll report for assembly."

"Agreed," Li Qingzheng replied.

Suddenly, Ren recalled something: "Could you teach me to drive?"

Should he ever leave the Lee clan’s domain—whether for the 88th stronghold, the 178th, or elsewhere—a truck would prove the most comfortable means. Thus, Ren resolved to learn.

Moreover, after this mobilization, they’d surely rush to the northern front. If only Li Qingzheng could drive, he’d be exhausted to death.

Ren mused that he’d never mastered a bicycle—why not leap straight to automobiles?

Wasting precious learning capacity on such a mundane skill seemed unjust, especially since he lacked any skill map. Even if he had one, he’d prefer studying someone like Hu Shuo.

Li Qingzheng blinked: "Sure, I’ll teach you on the road. We’ve time enough! Driving’s no great feat. You can’t navigate mountain paths, but on open roads, you’ll grasp it swiftly."

Indeed, driving required no adherence to stronghold traffic codes—just a short jaunt to understand.

The outpost soldiers stirred groggily as Li Qingzheng bellowed: "Stop sleeping, damn it! Gather all supplies into your packs—don’t load them onto the vehicle. If they discover all that cured meat, we’ll starve before we eat."

Someone asked curiously, "Wolf King, what’s this about?"

Li Qingzheng surveyed the group: "Prepare for war..."

All froze: "Now? Without finishing the New Year?"

"War waits for no festival," Li Qingzheng sighed, "Gather your things. We assemble here in fifteen minutes."

The soldiers’ faces crumpled. They’d grown close as kin these past months, even planning to settle here. Now, they were thrust into battle as cannon fodder.

"Can we refuse?" someone pleaded, "Staying here is better."

When they’d first arrived, the outpost seemed harsh. Yet over time, they’d found it far more comfortable than the settlement.

Li Qingzheng’s tone turned grave: "If we don’t assemble, our comrades’ kin in the settlement will perish. The Lee clan will hunt us down—we cannot escape."

Ren observed the group: the outpost held barely a dozen automatic rifles, no grenades, no mortars or landmines, not even basic radio communicators. On such a vast battlefield spanning two mountain ranges, they’d have no chance to call for aid.

The enemy would soon realize these private troops were the perfect breach—too feeble to withstand a single strike.

Of course, if the foe deemed Ren’s unit as contemptible as the rest, perhaps Ren alone could teach them a lesson.

Whether the wolves would follow remained unknown. Ren glanced back at the mountain, but the Wolf King had vanished.

Chen Wudi approached: "Master, we’re off to war too?"

"We’ll assess the situation first," Ren said, "Help everyone carry supplies. I’ll prepare as well."

"Yes," Chen Wudi agreed.