Chapter 448: The Night's Surprise
Chapter 448: The Night's Surprise
An hour later, everyone returned to the open area within the base camp and reported the situation to Chen Chuan. However, everything seemed normal, and they hadn't discovered much.
At this moment, Chen Chuan had a guess in his mind, but he couldn't be sure. Still, he knew he had to make some preparations, but since it was already late, he decided to focus on getting through the first night and deal with the rest tomorrow during the day when they had more time.
To ensure the team's safety and avoid potential dangers when they were scattered, this time, they didn't let the team members stay in the soldier barracks. Instead, they gathered everyone in the training hall of the fortress.
As night fell, Chen Chuan released the ten combat creatures he carried with him. These were locally produced battle insects from Dashun. Although they might not match the products of the Compound Eye Corporation in various aspects, they were sufficient for sentry duty.
When a field creature was present, they could also establish a field connection and determine its condition.
After everyone entered the training hall, Chen Chuan took one last look outside and slowly closed the main gate.
As darkness enveloped the outside, the lights in the hall illuminated the space. To prevent unexpected situations, they had moved a small generator into the sealed underground room and rerouted the circuits to it, sealing off the underground power plant.
Despite the biting cold wind and pitch-black night outside, the gathering of so many people, along with the generator, made the training hall feel relatively warm.
Fortunately, the base camp was well-stocked with various supplies, including the food in the officer's mess hall. Chen Chuan decided to have these items brought out and let all the soldiers enjoy a hot meal.
Furthermore, he distributed sugar sticks and hot drinks to everyone, a privilege usually reserved for officers and fighters. They wouldn't have to resort to gnawing on nutrient paste.
After this warm meal and the distribution of sugar sticks, the team's morale visibly soared. Each member held a hot drink, wrapped in thick blankets, and smiled.
Although this squad hadn't accompanied Chen Chuan on his previous mission, they had still received commendations and bonuses. They knew that following him was a reliable choice, so even though they understood the difficulty of this task, they remained highly motivated and had no complaints.
As the team relaxed, one member spoke up, "Captain, can you tell us about yourself?"
"Yeah, Captain, can you share something about yourself?"
Most of the team members were curious about this young captain. They wanted to know more about him, so they could have something to talk about with other squads. But one of the junior captains immediately scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? The captain is a fighter, and his background and identity are confidential. Do you want to get us all in trouble for leaking secrets?"
"But it's so boring to keep quiet like this, and we can't even play cards. Can't we talk about something else?"
A usually lively team member joked, "If I were to say something, I think telling a ghost story would be pretty good." He playfully looked at a tall team member, "Just be careful not to scare DaKui into wetting his pants. If you do, go clean yourself up in the next room. No one will accompany you."
"Who, who would wet their pants?"
The tall team member's face turned red, and he looked at Chen Chuan, "Captain, don't listen to their nonsense. It's all made-up."
"Alright, then we'll talk about it."
One of the teammates chimed in, "I want to hear it too."
The other team members joined in, cheering.
Yuan Qiuyuan, standing nearby, found the atmosphere amusing. Indeed, the setting and mood were perfect for telling ghost stories.
He glanced at Chen Chuan, who was currently reviewing the base personnel's files, especially those of the fighters. Seeing Yuan Qiuyuan's gaze, Chen Chuan nodded.
Noting Chen Chuan's non-objection, Yuan Qiuyuan cleared his throat, "Since everyone's in high spirits, I'll start by telling one."
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead!" The team members applauded and whistled.
Yuan Qiuyuan straightened his chest, "Let me tell you about something a friend of mine experienced firsthand..."
"Yuan Executor, is this friend not you yourself?"
"Hey, do you want to listen or not? Does it matter who it is?" Yuan Qiuyuan said, slightly annoyed.
"Listen, we want to listen."
The surrounding team members gathered closer, some bringing snacks, and they sat on the carpeted floor.
At this moment, the sky outside had completely darkened, and the window revealed only pitch blackness, except for the light source where the people inside were sitting.
Yuan Qiuyuan began, "It's like this... When I was little, my friend loved playing at a nearby temple. The statue there was unique—a goddess, and the statue was exceptionally beautiful. The statue's colors were so vibrant that it attracted my friend's attention.
"One day, my friend was playing hide-and-seek with others, and he hid under the altar. After a long time, no one came to find him, and he fell asleep..."
The team members listened intently, and no one spoke.
"When my friend woke up, it was already night. The only light in the temple came from the candles on the altar. His first thought was whether his family had left food for him, so he hurriedly crawled out."
"But at that moment, a gust of wind blew, and he saw the statue's clothes fluttering. He realized that the clothes weren't clay but were worn by the statue. Intrigued, he walked up to it, and just as he..."
"Bang, bang, bang..."
At that moment, there was a knocking sound from outside.
Everyone was startled and displeased, looking towards the hall's entrance. Who was outside and hadn't come in? Wasn't this an inappropriate time to disrupt the atmosphere?
But then they realized, no one had left earlier.
The people present couldn't help but jump in surprise. Everyone was here, and no one had been seen outside just now. So, who was knocking on the door?
They all turned their gazes towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan glanced outside and said to Yuan Qiuyuan, "Yuan Executor, please continue."
Yuan Qiuyuan's eyes shifted, and he sighed, spreading his hands in complaint, "Captain, I was just trying to set the mood, but this interruption ruined it. I'll leave it for next time... next time..."
His words instantly caused dissatisfaction among many. Hey, you're only telling half the story and leaving the rest hanging. Aren't you afraid of being hanged from a lamppost?
However, his words did have an unexpected effect. The initially tense atmosphere was somewhat eased, and the crowd felt less anxious than before.
At this moment, the small team leader stood up and said, "If Yuan Executor doesn't want to continue, then I'll tell a story."
He shared a tale about a local water ghost, not particularly captivating or original, but it was a start. Soon, another person took over, and the atmosphere was quickly enlivened.
Meanwhile, the knocking on the door outside had stopped at some point, but after a while, a different sound emerged—the rhythmic footsteps of soldiers on patrol, reporting their presence.
As each soldier's name was called, they would respond. These were the original garrison troops of the fortress. But after over a hundred names were called, the roll call continued without pause.
"Yin DaKui!"
"Present!"
The tall man named DaKui responded, his face turning pale. "I... I..."
This is the correct version, with no errors, in a 16:9 format!
Not only DaKui, but all the team members present had their names called out. Though they didn't respond, their hearts were filled with unease, and they became restless.
Chen Chuan remained calm and said, "There's no need to overthink it. Just continue with your stories." Then, addressing Qin Qingque, "Qin Executor, please take a seat by the door."
"Yes, Captain!"
Qin Qingque promptly stood up and moved to the seat closest to the door. From here, she could hear the outside noises most clearly, but her face showed no sign of panic. Instead, she calmly took out a set of data and began reviewing it.
Seeing Chen Chuan and Qin Qingque's composed demeanor, the other team members were influenced, and their anxiety gradually subsided. One by one, they took turns telling stories, each louder than the last, ensuring a round of enthusiastic applause and cheers.
The clapping and cheers were so loud that they drowned out the outside noises. And at some point, those sounds had completely vanished.
By the late-night, every team member had taken their turn. They then consciously retreated into their sleeping bags to rest.
Chen Chuan remained seated, reviewing the data by the lamplight.
The night passed.
When the team members woke up, they found the outside world already brightened by daylight.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
The team members emerged from their sleeping bags, standing tall and saluting him.
Chen Chuan stood up from his seat, returned the salute, and then, under everyone's watchful eyes, walked towards the main gate.
He reached out, unlocked the safety latch, turned the door handle, and pushed the door open. A ray of bright daylight streamed in, accompanied by a gust of cold wind that quickly filled the hall.
The snow outside had stopped, leaving a thick layer on the ground.
Chen Chuan's gaze fell to the ground, where there were footprints of some unknown creature below the door, each about half a meter in diameter.
These footprints should have been deeply embedded in the snow, but as some time had passed since their creation, they were partially covered, and the trail could be seen extending towards the gate.
Yuan Qiuyuan approached, saw the footprints, and couldn't help but squat down to examine them. He then looked up and said, "Captain, this is..."
Chen Chuan didn't respond but looked outside and said, "Ask the others to clear the snow outside. We have a lot to do today."
"Yes!"
As they went outside, the combat creatures on guard duty also returned, the same number as yesterday, without any losses. It seemed there hadn't been any incidents the previous night, but the footprint by the gate suggested the situation wasn't as simple as it appeared.
Chen Chuan gave instructions to Yuan and Qin, then returned to the commander's office alone. From the window, he could see the door of the training hall below.
He placed the data in his hand on the desk and looked down, saying, "This angle allows me to observe the situation below, right? Sentinel Fei?"
After he finished speaking, a voice came from behind him after a while. "How did you know it was me?"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
