Jiang Nuan's shoulders instantly stiffened.
Lu Shiyan was standing in the morning mist just a few steps away.
He was dressed in a sharp, high - end black commander's uniform, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.
His gaze fell on her and Ye Que without a trace of warmth.
Above Area E in the distance, the dense energy of the restricted zone formed a suffocating haze. The roar of collapsing buildings, the tremors of the ground, and the screams of survivors tore through the sky.
Ye Que didn't let go of Jiang Nuan's hand. Holding it firmly, he quickly walked up to Lu Shiyan and awaited the mission.
Jiang Nuan forced herself to stay calm. This was definitely not the time for internal strife.
Shen Wu and Chen Ping'an casually joined them from the side.
He seemed completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere and naturally stood in the middle of the group, blocking most of Lu Shiyan's view of Jiang Nuan.
"You guys got here really early," Shen Wu said in a calm tone.
He slightly stepped aside to let Chen Ping'an behind him come forward. "I picked up this guide, Chen Ping'an, on the way. He's a new federal observer with an A - class lightning - type ability. He's a local from Area E and knows the terrain well. His request is to save his family if our routes coincide."
It was concise and full of useful information.
Lu Shiyan's cold gaze landed on Chen Ping'an, scanning him up and down with an extremely oppressive look.
After just one second of scrutiny, Lu Shiyan retracted his gaze and nodded slightly to show his approval.
Then he directly raised his wrist and activated the tactical terminal.
A faint blue beam of light lit up in the dim morning mist and quickly projected a three - dimensional holographic map of Area E.
"Tell me the current situation," Lu Shiyan said calmly, his voice without a single ripple.
"Our operation is divided into two steps: First, assist in evacuating the survivors; second, clear the core of the restricted zone."
"The core of the restricted zone has been temporarily suppressed in the center of Area E by three investigation teams sent by the Investigation Department."
"Right now, the top priority is the evacuation."
His fingers swiped across the holographic projection, bringing up several key data.
"Currently, those three investigation teams have lost contact, and the energy leakage has been continuous, rapidly eroding the surrounding areas."
"The main roads from No. 1 to No. 4 are completely blocked by abandoned vehicles and panicked, fleeing crowds, making the progress of the rescue extremely inefficient."
Jiang Nuan's eyes followed his movements.
On the holographic map, the shocking red - contaminated areas were wriggling and expanding like living things, and the constantly jumping and soaring casualty figures beside them stabbed at her eyes.
A huge and real sense of crisis loomed.
Her brain began to run at full speed, instinctively searching for possible breakthroughs along the terrain information on the map.
Lu Shiyan tapped his fingertip on the map, marking two red lines.
"Qinian, Qi Sui, Jiang Ce."
"You three are responsible for clearing the main roads No. 1 and No. 3. You must open a life - saving passage for the survivors in the shortest possible time."
"Qinian's fire - type ability can clear physical obstacles the fastest. Qi Sui will provide close - range and long - range control support. Jiang Ce will be in charge of defense and assault."
Lu Shiyan looked up, his voice getting deeper. "Execute immediately."
"Tsk, all the dirty work is dumped on us. I haven't even had a good reunion with Nuannuan yet," Qinian said, curling his lips. His eyes scanned Jiang Nuan with a rather aggressive look.
Qi Sui pressed his younger brother's shoulder. "Let's go right away."
Jiang Ce's tall and burly figure was like an iron wall. He glanced at Jiang Nuan and left a message, "You guys be careful," then turned around and followed the two brothers.
As the first group left quickly, the number of people on the scene decreased, but the tense atmosphere that had been deliberately suppressed rebounded exponentially.
Ye Que subconsciously took half a step closer to Jiang Nuan.
His straight body almost touched her shoulder, clearly showing a non - yielding attitude, which was a silent declaration.
Lu Shiyan lifted his gaze from the holographic map.
His eyes paused briefly on Ye Que and Jiang Nuan.
"Ye Que, Shen Wu, Chen Ping'an," Lu Shiyan said again, his voice still showing no emotional fluctuations.
"You three will form a reconnaissance team."
He looked at Ye Que and stated the tactical arrangement.
"Ye Que is responsible for advancing ahead to scout the way and providing long - range sniper support."
"Shen Wu will be in charge of spiritual perception to collect intelligence on a large scale."
"Chen Ping'an is a living map and will be the guide."
Lu Shiyan paused for a moment and said calmly, "This is the most efficient reconnaissance configuration at present. Your task is to figure out the energy diffusion pattern on the periphery of the restricted zone and mark all the abnormal points."
"Set off now."
Jiang Nuan felt Ye Que beside her tense up.
Ye Que knew this was a well - calculated move.
From a rational perspective, the tactical configuration given by Lu Shiyan was flawless, making the best use of combat power and terrain advantages.
As the main combatant of Team Zero, he couldn't find any reason to reject this reasonable order.
But he knew what hidden motives lay behind this order.
Ye Que stared at Lu Shiyan.
Lu Shiyan calmly returned his gaze, his eyes carrying the absolute pressure of a superior.
The moment their eyes met, it was as if invisible electric sparks were crackling in the air.
Finally, Ye Que's gaze stayed on Lu Shiyan's face for half a second, then he slowly turned his head and looked deeply at Jiang Nuan.
That look was filled with deep affection and reluctance.
Suddenly, a familiar soft laugh echoed in the depths of his mind.
【Tsk, did you see that?】
Shen Wu's voice sounded in the spiritual connection that the three of them hadn't broken yet.
【Look, this is a textbook - level use of public resources for private gain.】
【Turning a well - calculated move into an art.】
Jiang Nuan's eyelids twitched, but she didn't say a word.
In fact, this could completely be regarded as a normal and reasonable tactical arrangement.
After the reconnaissance team left, the dilapidated street fell completely silent.
Only Lu Shiyan and Jiang Nuan were left.
The surrounding temperature seemed to drop a few more degrees.
Lu Shiyan's slender fingers operated on the terminal, zooming in on the map and locking onto a high - rise building that kept flashing a glaring red light.
"Poseidon Building," he finally turned around, his gaze firmly fixed on Jiang Nuan's eyes.
"Thermal scans show that there are more than five hundred survivors trapped here. It's the most densely populated known area at present. However, the building structure is being eroded by the energy of the restricted zone and could collapse at any time."
Jiang Nuan's attention was immediately drawn to it.
"The situation inside is unknown, and communication is completely cut off. A forced entry will only cause stampedes and more casualties," Lu Shiyan took a step forward, his tall figure completely overshadowing her.
He looked down at her intently.
"I need a deputy on - site to quickly build an evacuation model based on the real - time situation and plan the optimal escape route."
Jiang Nuan carefully examined the map.
"You have strong analytical skills," Lu Shiyan's voice suddenly softened a bit.
"For this perimeter evacuation mission, you'll be my tactical analyst."
Jiang Nuan's breath caught slightly.
A tactical analyst.
It was a position placed beside the main commander to strategize together.
A sense of satisfaction she had never experienced before welled up from her chest, mingling with the secret tremor at the thought of carrying out a mission alone with him, and creeping up her back.
"I understand," Jiang Nuan replied firmly, clenching her fingers tightly.
Finally, a hint of a smile flashed across Lu Shiyan's eyes.
He simply turned around, and his black commander's uniform cut a sharp arc in the morning breeze.
"Follow me."
The moment Jiang Nuan took a step forward, the chip on the inside of her wrist seemed to give another gentle pulse.
It was like a silent and continuous declaration.
No matter where she went, the invisible thread that tethered her had never loosened.
