Chapter 1442: Chapter 1442: Something’s Off
A Ke lowered his head, taking small bites of the oil pancake. He ate very slowly, savoring it, as if afraid that if he didn’t pay attention, the oil pancake in his hand would be all gone.
Granny Chen sat beside him, eating nutrient solution while watching A Ke with loving eyes.
There were other people around, all sitting and eating, mostly nutrient solutions. Only a few strong men like Uncle Liang held a small porcelain cup in their hands, sipping it carefully, even more cautiously than A Ke with his oil pancake.
This was white alcohol, a beverage mixed with alcohol, but Uncle Liang and the others treated it like a delicacy, wishing they could even lick the bottom of the cup.
Before Uncle Chen, Granny Chen’s son, had his accident, he often would, like Uncle Liang and the others, grit his teeth to buy a pound of white alcohol after a good harvest. Uncle Chen even gave A Ke a sip, and after trying it, A Ke thought it was spicy and bitter, choking his throat, not good at all.
A Ke preferred to drink beverages, milk, juice... In short, even plain water was better than that expensive white alcohol. He really couldn’t understand why people regarded it as a treasure.
Uncle Chen would tease A Ke, saying, "A Ke, you’re a man, how can you not learn to drink white alcohol? That’s what real men drink."
A Ke shook his head, insisting, "No! Milk is the best drink in the world."
Uncle Chen laughed heartily and said, "You’re just a little kid, you don’t understand, you’ll know when you grow up."
Will I understand when I grow up?
No.
Just like now, he’s grown up, but he still doesn’t understand.
In fact, A Ke thinks he might never understand.
Uncle Liang and his group were talking in low voices about gathering resources. Nowadays, the protective shield of the 381 garbage planet is completely useless since everyone has moved away, even the outskirts are quite dangerous, so everyone speaks in hushed tones to avoid unnecessary trouble.
As they talked, Uncle Liang suddenly looked towards A Ke and asked, "A Ke, are you going into the woods later?"
A Ke shook his head and said, "No, it’s getting late now, I have school tomorrow, I’m afraid to go in."
Uncle Liang’s group consisted of 11 young men, who would usually stay for 2-3 days, or even 3-7 days on their trips, which meant they occasionally ventured deep into the wilderness which required several days. A Ke didn’t have that much time.
Uncle Liang sounded a bit regretful hearing this and said, "This time we found an abandoned mine, a secret silver mine, maybe we can find some remnants? Are you sure you don’t want to go?"
A Ke wasn’t tall, and his body was somewhat frail, but his spiritual power level was good, and he was very clever. Uncle Liang thought taking him could help keep watch for everyone.
Moreover, this was a real secret silver mine, finding ore here could be very profitable.
Uncle Liang trusted A Ke’s character, knowing he wasn’t the kind of person to create trouble, which is why he decided to include him in the team.
A Ke, hearing this, his eyes lit up, he was truly tempted.
But!
A Ke thought it over carefully and still shook his head, refusing, "Uncle Liang, thank you, but I really can’t this time, we have mid-term exams coming up soon, I need to get back to school to study."
"Oh?" Hearing A Ke mention exams, Uncle Liang immediately dropped the idea and chuckled, "Alright then, go back and focus on studying, get a good grade and aim for the school’s reward, don’t end up like my kid."
A Ke was in the same class as Uncle Liang’s son, and they both had good grades, but A Ke’s were even better. Uncle Liang, who valued education highly, often encouraged his son to learn from A Ke, but unfortunately, his son’s grades never quite matched up to A Ke’s.
Sigh!
Uncle Liang sighed heavily.
A Ke whispered, "Uncle Liang, actually Qiangzi’s grades are quite good, he’s really diligent."
Hearing A Ke say this, Uncle Liang felt a bit comforted. Though his son couldn’t surpass A Ke, he was still quite good and had even applied for Lanyue Star Military Academy. They were just waiting for the graduation exam results, if they met the requirements, he could get in.
Lanyue Star Military Academy was a very good school, not as prestigious as the Alliance First Military Academy, but still one of the Top Ten Alliance Schools.
Uncle Liang glanced at the sky, seeing the sunlight was good, and estimating there wouldn’t be any extreme weather like storms. However, since the 381 garbage planet no longer had protective measures, safety was still an issue. He thought for a while and said, "It’s good that you go back early. The noon flight will probably arrive soon, you and your Granny can take this flight back, then rest well and prepare for the exams."
A Ke nodded, "Alright."
He finished the last piece of oil pancake, his fingers greasy, just about to lower his head to carefully lick them when suddenly he felt something strange.
Hmm?
Initially, A Ke didn’t think much of it, but somehow his heart skipped a beat, feeling as though something might be watching him.
A Ke carefully scanned his surroundings, finding nothing out of the ordinary.
But!
A Ke still said, "Uncle Liang, something feels off, you guys shouldn’t go into the woods for now."
"What?"
"Something feels off?"
"Where?"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Liang and the few young men around him immediately tensed up, grabbing their weapons, readying for a fight!
A Ke closed his eyes, feeling carefully, but everything around remained calm as ever, as if there was nothing at all.
Uncle Liang asked nervously, "A Ke? What’s wrong?"
A Ke replied, "I can’t put my finger on it, but I just have a bit of a creepy feeling inside."
Hearing this, Uncle Liang immediately told everyone around him, "Stop eating."
Seeing someone couldn’t help but sneak a sip of alcohol, Uncle Liang’s eyes turned stern, "Stop drinking, stay sharp, there might be danger."
"What kind of danger?" The drinking person snorted, but he still stood up, no longer daring to indulge, grabbing a knife he said, "We’re staying here at the former Dock, it’s all barren around, nothing to hide behind, even if there’s something big hiding, we should be able to spot it in advance..."
A Ke pursed his lips, not commenting on this, he held his weapon tightly, quietly moving closer to Granny Chen, saying to her, "Granny, the spaceship hasn’t arrived yet, the two of us need to stay cautious, let’s not get too close to the woods, we should move to an open area."
Granny Chen nodded.
Ideally, they should find a place with some cover, like stones or abandoned buildings, but with so many lurking threats here, who knows what might be hiding underground? Carrion Rats love to hide under stones and can jump up to bite you when you least expect it. If bitten, there would be nowhere to cry.
So, it’s better to stay in an open area.
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