Ayana's condition was considerably worse than Terry's.
Initially, Baimu wasn't quite sure how she lost to that officer, but as Aggron dug out a charred Skuntank from the pile of stones not far away, he pretty much understood.
Was she caught off guard by the Big Explosion or a detonation?
Or perhaps it simply spewed flammable gas before a big explosion, causing a tremendous blast.
"Don't worry, one shot will surely wake her up!"
He said to the anxious Quagsire, whose injuries were almost as severe as Ayana's, but out of concern for its Trainer, it had persisted until now.
Chansey's Healing Fluctuation continuously enveloped it, restoring its strength.
When Baimu took out a syringe from his bag and injected it into Ayana's abdomen, a long inhalation was heard, and her pupils instantly sharpened from a dazed state.
"Have some water."
He gave Ayana some water, and her breathing gradually steadied, uttering a hoarse voice.
"What happened to that person?"
"He's already passed out, tied up with ropes."
"There's still an officer unaccounted for; we need to move quickly..."
"I took care of that officer. If the one at the mechanical warehouse is also gone, then the Evil Dog Team is leaderless, just waiting for you to lead us in a counterattack."
While saying this, Baimu could feel Ayana's intense stare on him, but he continued speaking without blushing or losing his breath.
Then.
Ayana slowly sat up, gazing at the bright flames on the horizon, murmuring, "No need, it's already over."
"Huh?"
"Do you know the origins of these people?"
"Uh... seems like they're under Jiama, the highest officer of the Evil Dog Team?"
"The highest officer currently confronting our leader at the No. 2 mine is Luo Qi, which means two high-ranking officers of the Evil Dog Team have retaliated against our attack, a situation that was actually foreseen."
Ayana spoke seemingly nonsensical words.
Baimu was initially uncomprehending until he heard a crackling electric sound from her bosom, which quickly transformed into a human voice, and then he understood everything.
"Ayana! Ayana! We've reached the location. What's the situation on site? Why did something explode?"
"This is Ayana... details later. You can... come in and clean up."
After saying something into the walkie-talkie, Ayana ignored the continuous voices from it.
"The Stone Team has arrived. If you have the energy, you can cooperate with them. I must first get some sleep." Ayana turned and hugged Quagsire.
Without caring how dirty or dangerous it was, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Baimu gave a slight tug at the corner of his mouth; the shot just administered would make anyone, unless seriously injured, delirious with strength, yet Ayana fell asleep in just a moment?
He didn't believe the drug had worn off.
Well.
It's already over, don't know when the situation at the No. 2 mine will conclude.
Baimu exhaled a long breath.
——
In the battle to defend the No. 1 mine, both sides suffered heavy casualties.
Of course.
There were also more captives.
Over a hundred ordinary members, more than ten squad leaders, with two seriously injured and one in critical care among the officers.
Overall, setting aside various losses, the Quicksand Team achieved a sweeping victory.
And having personally taken down one officer and assisting Ayana with another, Baimu naturally became the biggest hero of this defensive battle.
Even though his initial plan was to flee with his accomplices, in terms of achievements, no one could outdo him.
Such an impressive achievement also meant that later reinforcements from the Stone Team dared not claim the credit, fearing to provoke this rapidly rising "Demon Wood."
He could already defeat officers within a few months; what if given a few more months?
No one dared to imagine.
On the other side.
After the defensive battle ended, although the standoff at the No. 2 mine continued, Baimu was allowed to return to Pyrite Town with the injured Sand Group members.
This made him realize his mission was completely over, but he wondered how big a slice of the victory Cang Zhilang would offer him.
"You can never have too much money."
Baimu looked at his savings, which had fallen below eight million but a couple of weeks as a private cook had not only prevented a decrease but launched them towards ten million.
Once this mining battle fully concluded, he'd find a chance to use the clues.
He mused silently, awaiting news from the No. 2 mine.
Meanwhile.
In the Evil Dog Team's base, Jiama smashed object after object, "Losers! You're all losers! How could this happen!?"
Who would have thought a seemingly foolproof strategy would be easily quashed, leaving no one returning, all captured by the Quicksand Team!
The force of three officers and over two hundred official members wasn't just a matter of bleeding; it was tantamount to cutting flesh!
With such a drastically reduced bargaining chip, he'd be at a massive loss in every aspect going forward.
"Have they been found!? Report back!"
"Terribly sorry! We've searched the entire base and haven't seen a trace of him!" The subordinate bowed deeply, and as expected, he was hit with an object by Jiama for his incompetence.
"You're a loser too! Get out!"
"Yes!"
The man slinked away, hearing Jiama's furious voice after stepping out, filled with a deep sense of anxiety.
The situation with the Evil Dog Team was growing increasingly complex; where would they head in the future?
——
Two days later.
After numerous battles at the No. 2 mine, the two sides were both at their limits.
Food and water supplies in the mine were dwindling, and Luo Qi's group from the Evil Dog Team grew exhausted with repeated assaults, causing many members harboring unrealistic ideas to return to reality.
They, a mere ragtag group, genuinely had no desire to keep fighting.
Even if their superiors kept insisting that holding out a few more days would lead to the collapse of the No. 2 mine and a grand victory imminent.
Then.
Finally sensing something wrong due to multiple misleading intelligence reports, the mayor personally came to the outskirts of the town, halting this futile battle and urging both sides to sit down for negotiations.
Luo Qi of the Evil Dog Team was reluctant to heed the mayor, but the latter was not alone, possessing an armed escort distinctly different from these gangsters, comparable to a "regular army."
These personnel wielded cutting-edge Ore Region technology.
Thus, despite reluctance, Luo Qi had to sit down for talks with the Quicksand Team.
The negotiations lasted half a day.
Both sides clashed several times over disputes.
The final result, however, as foreseen, was that the Quicksand Team, with a nominal financial cost, absorbed both mines, including some large machinery inside.
As for the miners and the captured Evil Dog members, they were still in ongoing disputes.
Nonetheless, both sides knew, even with prey already in their mouths, hard to reclaim, the fight was inevitable.
The news of the Quicksand Team's large victory quickly spread throughout Pyrite Town, causing all factions to either envy or remain vigilant, and forward-thinking people pointed out that the Quicksand Team's offensive wouldn't end just like that.
Of course.
Such discussions didn't affect the Quicksand Team as they began distributing accolades internally.
Baimu, who shone brightly during the defensive battle, once again became renowned, with the name "Demon Wood" echoing through the ranks of Pyrite Town's extremist force.