"He won't tell you because he has no reason to. He doesn't upload the information to the Dawn Tower Intelligence Department because he feels the benefit of earning those few Survival Points is less than the benefit of keeping it secret. He believes that if everyone knows and everyone survives, his own value will decrease. Everyone has their own calculations; it's just a matter of difference in perspective and position."
Jie Xi sat in her seat, wiping her greatsword while slowly explaining to Wang Zhi.
Indeed, as Jie Xi said, some people are satisfied just surviving in the Dawn Tower, while others strive continuously in the Apocalypse, just through different means of advancement.
"People often call the light in the darkness 'salvation,' but often, the light cannot save those who willingly degenerate," Jie Xi continued speaking.
"Then, Captain Jie Xi, do you have no other plans? Are you planning to stay here forever?" Wang Zhi asked, looking at the somewhat lonely Jie Xi before him.
"Oh? For example?" Jie Xi looked up and countered.
"For example, one day returning to the surface! To take back the homeland that once belonged to us!" Wang Zhi said with longing.
"Hehe! Then I'll entrust this great task to you? You can be a lord on the surface then too. I think the Tower Master would be very happy to know you have such an idea," Jie Xi said with a laugh.
"No, no, I don't have that ability. I still want to live a while longer down here!" Wang Zhi quickly refused. Dealing with just one Mutated Zombie was enough trouble for him; challenging them actively was out of the question.
"However, what you mentioned is actually already being planned and prepared by the Dawn Tower."
"What?!" Wang Zhi exclaimed, surprised and uncertain.
"It's called the Reboot the Dawn Plan. That's all I can tell you; it's the Tower Master's top-secret plan," Jie Xi's smile vanished, replaced by that solemn expression as she spoke to Wang Zhi.
A moment later, Wang Zhi walked out of the headquarters with Jia Liuli. The Reboot the Dawn Plan kept repeating in Wang Zhi's mind.
"Liuli, what are your thoughts?" Wang Zhi turned and asked Liuli.
"Hmm... I think we should tell Sister Ying and the others," Jia Liuli thought for a moment before looking up at Wang Zhi.
Wang Zhi looked at Liuli's insightful gaze and questioned himself why he was even asking Jia Liuli such a question.
"Very smart. You thought the same thing I did. Don't mention today's events to anyone else," Wang Zhi continued.
The two returned to the residence and found Fatty and the other two huddled on the sofa, watching a soap opera on the Ling Lingyao with Su Muying. Wang Zhi looked at the three of them; although the plot was boring, the three were enjoying this brief moment of ease.
Wang Zhi also walked over and joined them. As soon as he sat down, Su Muying, who was staring at the Ling Lingyao beside him, suddenly blurted out, "Where did you take my Liuli messing around again?"
"It's not me, Sister Ying. Can we change the word? What do you mean 'messing around'?" Wang Zhi said helplessly.
Fatty, engrossed in the drama, heard Wang Zhi and Liuli 'messing around' and immediately turned his head, his eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.
"Hey, hey, hey! Fatty, what's with that expression!" Wang Zhi got annoyed just looking at Fatty's shifty eyes.
"Sigh! My poor Sister Liuli!" Fatty shook his head, then turned back to watch the show.
"We just went to see Jie Xi for a bit. What are you all thinking? Your minds really need some serious purification!" Wang Zhi said, looking at the strange glances from the three.
"Captain Wang, it's not that we want to think that way, but you make it hard for us not to think in that direction!" Fatty said earnestly.
"Damn it, Fatty! You're the sleaziest one here, and you have the nerve to talk about me?" Wang Zhi said to the bafflingly confident Fatty.
"It's precisely because they all know I'm sleazy that they guard against me, but Captain Wang, you're a wolf in sheep's clothing," Fatty continued.
"Enough, Jia Liuli, you tell them," Wang Zhi said, not bothering to debate with them further, and poured himself a glass of water.
"Jia Liuli, come here, tell your sister what Captain Wang did to you," Su Muying asked, pulling Jia Liuli close to her side.
"The Captain first asked what my thoughts were, and then said I was really smart, that I thought the same way he did," Jia Liuli replied truthfully.
"Oh? Is that all?" Su Muying raised an eyebrow.
"Mmm... and the Captain also said not to tell outsiders about today's events," Jia Liuli recalled.
"Pfft! Cough, cough!" Wang Zhi, who was drinking water, choked on his drink because of Jia Liuli's reply.
"Oh~" Fatty's eyes widened, his mouth agape as he pointed at Wang Zhi.
Wang Zhi was also gradually dumbfounded. In total, he had only said three sentences to Jia Liuli; this was already enough?
Wang Zhi rapidly recalled his recent conversation with Jia Liuli. Jia Liuli had only said one sentence in total, which was that she would tell Sister Ying. If Su Muying continued to press Jia Liuli on what she said, then this statement coming out would undoubtedly mean....
"Wait!" Wang Zhi suddenly jumped up from the sofa and shouted.
The four looked at the agitated Wang Zhi with some confusion.
"Let me say it!"
Wang Zhi almost recounted everything that happened at Jie Xi's place in one breath, which prevented a major misunderstanding.
"Reboot the Dawn Plan? What kind of plan is that?" Old He asked.
"I don't know. Jie Xi said it's the Tower Master's top-secret plan, but judging by her tone, it seems to be related to going to the surface," Wang Zhi recalled.
"Go to the surface? Isn't it better just staying down here? Why bother going up top?" Fatty remarked.
"There must be a reason for doing this. Even if no one wants to go to the surface, the Dawn Tower surely has a way to make you willing, just like they make you willingly accept missions outside," Su Muying commented from the side.
"Ying is right. The Dawn Tower controls vast resources, and what the Dawn Tower intends to do is definitely not just letting us live peacefully underground," Wang Zhi concurred.
"Going outside isn't impossible. After all, there was that camp living outside before," Old He said, remembering that previous settlement.
"But they never encountered any Mutant Species! Enough said, that single Giant Python alone could wipe out that camp," Fatty said, still somewhat shaken by the memory.
"Let's not overthink it; let's just take care of the present," Wang Zhi rubbed his temples. Thinking about those Mutant Species now gave him an inexplicable headache.
After Su Muying finished watching that soap opera episode, Wang Zhi had Ling Lingyao pull up the team's data. Their total accumulated Survival Points had reached 48,000. This meant that with just 2,000 more Survival Points, they could become the Dawn Tower's first Level Four Team!