This group of ability-users might be pawns used by someone to gather information about this area. Or perhaps someone was watching their team and using them as bait.
Without evidence or hints, he couldn’t reach a conclusion. Right now, they could only detain these people and bring them back to the Lin’an City base for further investigation.
Reaching this conclusion, Shen Jinzhe said, "Xiao Qi, give them some food and water."
The moment he heard this, Xiao Qi stood up and walked over. With a wave of his hand, he took out a box of mineral water and a basket of scallion pancakes. These pancakes had been prepared by Shen Jinzhe’s parents before they left the base.
Since they were tied up, they couldn’t reach the food and water, so Xiao Qi divided the food and water for them.
When he was done, he let out a sigh and said, "Brothers, next time you take a mission, you have to open your eyes wider. Don’t be so stupid and be used by others as pawns. No matter how high the payment is, if you die, it’s game over."
After he said this, he turned and joined his team members. They would take a ten-minute nap before continuing to clear the zombies.
The group of ability-users stared at the Phantom team, and one of them asked, "Boss, why do I feel that they are right?"
The leader glanced at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense."
"That person only gave us two hundred crystal cores as a down payment. He said that he would give us five thousand crystal cores after we completed the mission. But he only asked us to get five oxygen tanks."
"No matter how rare they are, he would be able to get the oxygen tanks with only several hundred crystal cores if he went to Poplar Base. There’s no need to hire us at all. I still feel that we were used as pawns by that person," the man said with a frown.
When his team members heard this, realization dawned on them. They couldn’t help but feel a chill run down their spines.
If that person was using them as bait or pawns, then even if they survived and completed the mission, that person wouldn’t let them live.
Since they could think of this, the leader could as well. His face paled at the thought, and it took him a long time to regain his composure.
He coughed to hide his fear and said, "We didn’t do anything wrong. As long as we don’t go against those people, we’ll be alright."
His members nodded after hearing his words. They didn’t do anything bad, so those people shouldn’t do anything to them. As for that person, they would take it one step at a time and act accordingly when the time came.
With these thoughts, they finally relaxed and ate their lunch.
Meanwhile, in the Lin’an City base, Xun Che looked at Chen Qianxiao, who was sitting across from him, and asked, "How is it? Did you get any useful information from them?"
Chen Qianxiao placed a folder on the table and replied, "Those spies have a tough bone. It took me a long time to break their minds. Last night, one of them finally opened his mouth. Here is the information you want."
"Those spies are death row criminals. Their minds are not as simple as normal people. It’s normal for them to be able to hold on for so long," Xun Che said as he opened the folder.
He read the information for a while before he closed the folder and sneered, "I thought they were sent by other bases. Unexpectedly, they were those rats’ spies."
Chen Qianxiao took a sip of his tea and asked, "Now that you know the ones behind them were those old men, what do you plan to do?"
"Although we have different goals, I never wanted to take their lives, so I let them go back then. Unexpectedly, those old commanders didn’t know how to behave. They even dare to use these people and ignore the lives of the innocent," Xun Che said through gritted teeth.
"You are still too soft-hearted," Chen Qianxiao sighed.
After a moment’s pause, Xun Che looked at him and asked, "Do you have any plans in the next few weeks?"
Hearing this, Chen Qianxiao raised his eyebrows and asked him back, "What? You want to hire my team to assassinate those old fools?"
"If I want to hire your team, will you accept this mission?"
Chen Qianxiao let out a chuckle and said, "Now I’m only a leader of a mercenary team. As long as the payment is enough, my team will accept this mission."
When he heard this, Xun Che thought for a moment and said, "Ten thousand crystal cores for one head."
Rubbing his chin, Chen Qianxiao said, "I never expected their heads would be so cheap."
Xun Che took a deep breath and replied, "Twenty thousand crystal cores. This is the highest price. If you don’t want it, then I will find another team."
Just after he finished his words, Chen Qianxiao laughed. "Brother, with our relationship, how can I refuse your request? My team will accept this mission."
Even though he was cursing him as an old fox in his mind, Xun Che didn’t show it on his face and said, "Then I will leave this matter to you."
Chen Qianxiao finished his tea and stood up. Before leaving, he said, "When my stupid brother returns, please tell him that I will return in two months at the latest."
"Okay."
As the sky darkened and the sun set on the western horizon, Jiao Lizhi, Du Beiye, and Li Qixuan finally finished collecting everything in the warehouse area. Even the machines in the factory were taken away, leaving nothing behind.
When they rejoined the Phantom team, the number of zombies lured over by the group of ability-users had been reduced by more than half.