Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 323 - 20: Leisure under the Night Sky

Chapter 323: Chapter 20: Leisure under the Night Sky

After barely escaping from the Terror Crocodile squad, the physically exhausted newbies crumpled to the ground. Given that it was getting dark and visibility within the rainforest was poor, they decided to rest.

"Get up, all of you, just another two kilometers." Tang Zheng walked amongst the newbies who were all sprawled out on the ground, urging them to wake up.

"We’re too exhausted. Let’s set up camp here." Chris leaned against a tree, eyes half-closed, and was about to doze off.

"Yes, otherwise, we’ll be too worn out to even scavenge for dinner." Jenny had more energy, but she didn’t want to waste it moving around.

The others chimed in, their faces filled with worry at the thought of having to set up camp and prepare food.

"No, it’s not safe here. Everyone, get up." Tang Zheng kicked Jenny, but she didn’t react, instead shooting him a flirtatious glance.

Tang Zheng ignored her. Persuasion had failed him, so he resorted to physical means and started kicking everyone, regardless of gender. Thus, shrieks of women filled the forest.

"Hey, aren’t you being too harsh?" Natalie couldn’t bear to see her companions being maltreated. Backed up by Danny, she wasn’t afraid of Tang Zheng.

"Oh really, then I might as well be harsh!" With a calm expression, Tang Zheng nudged Miranda with his foot.

Miranda, who had been dozing off, instantly sat upright.

"Tang is only looking out for our best interests." Jenny retorted, refusing to let this golden opportunity to impress pass her by. Besides, many were already irked by Natalie being constantly protected by Danny.

Many newbies thought alike - who was she to talk back? Without Tang’s assistance, they would’ve been devoured by the Terror Crocodile. They didn’t have any Conquerors protecting them. Plus, without the food that Tang brought back at noon, they wouldn’t have the energy to make it to the present moment.

Just as Natalie was about to retort, she found that even though she was speaking on behalf of the newbies, they did not support her. They treated her as a stranger.

"If anyone of you wish to die here, go ahead and sleep. Robert, you wouldn’t be foolish enough to rest here, right?" Tang Zheng, after speaking, didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he glanced at the electronic map and continued deep into the rainforest.

He knew this was unnecessary. He only needed to convince the Conquerors to march forward. The newbies knew straying from the group was dangerous and they would follow eventually. His actions were merely a facade of concern for them.

"I’ll go with you. David, Maggie." Robert ignored Leonard’s discouraging attitude and immediately called upon two of his closest teammates to advance.

Seeing this, the other newbies also managed to stand up, and with their exhausted bodies, continued their journey. If they were left behind, they would only face certain death. They also didn’t wish to team up with Leonard and become cannon fodder.

Leonard’s expression hardened at this, almost as if he wanted to eliminate the newbies right there and then. He was gradually losing control over the team.

Tang Zheng, however, didn’t push them onto the road eternally; that would only give rise to defiance. Instead, he cleverly employed a group of Horned Dragons that appeared on their path.

"There’s food up ahead." This single statement from Tang Zheng caused a ruckus amongst the group, to the point that some seemed to reflexively salivate.

"Is it those dinosaurs?" Jenny looked at the silhouette of the resting dinosaurs about fifty meters away, seemingly seeing prepared meat steak and wished she could immediately rush over to eat.

Tang Zheng handed Lu Fan to Nicole and tiptoed towards them carrying a rifle. Plant-eating dragons weren’t anything to be afraid of. Five minutes later, gunshots resonated in the ears of the newbies. Seeing one of the dinosaurs fall, they all cheered and ran towards the hunting site.

"Carve up the meat, this is your dinner."

The newbies carved quite a lot of meat, even preparing for the next morning. They felt much better now that they had sufficient food.

Twenty minutes after, Tang Zheng finally found a satisfactory location to set up a temporary camp. As he declared that they could rest now, the newbies let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, this difficult day is over."

Some of the more lazy survivors wanted to rest. But seeing that others were collecting firewood to start a campfire, they couldn’t sit idle and started to get busy.

Soon, the entire campsite was bustling. Jenny didn’t move, only staring at Tang Zheng. After identifying his sleeping location, she immediately ran over to flag her claim next to him.

The newbies were taken aback, then quickly understood and moved closer to Tang Zheng. Sticking with him not only offered security, but there was also a chance to freeload on a hearty meal. Of course, newbies like Derek and Rolin would disdain to do such things.

"Jenny, Jack, Nicole, you three go gather dry firewood, enough for the whole night," Tang Zheng understood Jenny’s intentions and didn’t want to appear unsympathetic, so he let them work, making it a fee paid for seeking his protection.

Jenny, on the other hand, was thrilled; this meant Tang Zheng would surely give her a share of dinner.

Tang Zheng took out his military shovel. With the aid of the light from Robert’s fire a few meters away, he began leveling the ground, removing weeds and ensuring no nests of dangerous insects were present. He then sprinkled a thin layer of lime and proceeded to spray insect repellent.

Watching the neat and clean four-square-meter ground, the newbies constantly gazed at Tang Zheng. Wasn’t this fellow being overly meticulous? They then looked at the place where they were supposed to sleep and sighed; insects were crawling all over it, and a single bite wouldn’t be pleasant.

"Tang, this isn’t camping, there’s no need to waste your strength here." Miranda attempted to persuade him. "Even Leonard and his group only use sleeping bags in their camp. It’s not as good as yours."

The newbies all nodded in agreement. In essence, they didn’t want to see others in comfort while they were struggling.

"I am physically fit." Tang Zheng shrugged nonchalantly. If the conditions didn’t permit, he could sleep in a patch of weeds, but since it was only the first day, of course, he needed to rest well.

"I can’t stand it anymore, Tang, lend me some lime." Robert jumped up, pulling out his military shovel from his backpack. He simply wanted to tidy up the ground to get through the night, but seeing Tang Zheng’s arrangements, he couldn’t sit still.

"You should have done this sooner. You people are just lazy. This takes only minimal effort and at most three minutes to complete, but it can ensure a comfortable night’s sleep. Oh right, do you need insect repellent?"

Miranda’s face turned a mixture of blue and red. Even though she knew Tang Zheng meant no harm, his words were still irksome.

The newbies had already started their campfire and were roasting dinosaur meat on tree branches for dinner. Tang Zheng, at his own pace, was laying out moisture-proof mats and blankets, then brought out a two-person dome outdoor tent to set up. The orange-red exterior, under the glow of the fire, seemed to radiate warmth as well.

Lu Fan wasn’t idle either. He took out a small pot, chopsticks, and even a small mountaineering gas stove from his space wristwatch. It was compact and lovely, and even had cartoon patterns on it. Little Lolita could easily move it around by herself.

"Uncle, what are we having tonight?" Lu Fan held several packs of dehydrated vegetables in each hand, and asked Tang Zheng for his opinion. Then he added, "Or perhaps, should we have seafood?"

"Whatever you like." Tang Zheng wasn’t particular, then frowned, "Please don’t tell me you put a refrigerator in the space wristwatch?"

"Rest assured, I’m not that silly. Every nook and cranny is filled with useful stuff." Lu Fan murmured to himself that even the teddy bear was useful for inducing sleep.

The newbies all stared at the duo, absolutely flabbergasted. They had originally thought that eating grilled meat would be the greatest joy, but they hadn’t expected that the resources of these two were even more abundant.

"It really seems you guys are camping." Robert admired, "How thick-skinned do you guys have to be? Aren’t you afraid of dying at any time?"

"That’s why we need to enjoy each and every day." Lu Fan set up the stove, put the iron pot on it, added water, and began to fire it up.

When Nicole and the others returned with the first bundle of firewood, they saw Tang Zheng’s tent. They couldn’t help it. In the whole camp, his was the most eye-catching. The Conquerors had set up tents too, but their grounds were sloppy. As for the newbies, well, they just slept on the ground.

Tang Zheng arranged the firewood, then shredded some dry wood into fine pieces. He then took out his magnesium rod and scraped off some magnesium powder with his folding knife.

"I have a lighter." Robert shook his ZIPPO in his hand, puzzled, "How come you’re not prepared with fire-starting tools? And besides, isn’t there a campfire already?"

"I just want to experience the fun of survival in the wilderness." Tang Zheng forcefully scraped the magnesium rod. Sparks immediately flew out and after a couple of tries, the wood shavings caught fire. He carefully adjusted the firewood and in a minute, the fire was stable and the campfire began to burn brightly.

"You really are masochistic, huh?" All except Little Lolita had spasms at the corners of their mouths. So, this guy had strange habits too.

"How could you possibly understand the feelings of someone who carries a survival folding knife all day, even attaching a magnesium rod to his mobile phone as a keychain?" Lu Fan thought Tang Zheng probably relished these troubles. Every time they cooked on the fire was his happiest time.

The newbies’ grilled meat was either too tough or too charred, making it hard to swallow, but they had no alternative but to eat it.

However, this was none of Tang Zheng’s concern. Sitting on his sleeping bag, wrapped in a blanket, sipping delicious vegetable soup, savoring roasted meat, and appreciating the clear, star-studded night sky of the Cretaceous Period, could there be anything more enjoyable than this?

"Uncle, look, Sagittarius." After having her fill, Lu Fan, lying on the blanket, was filming the starry sky with a DV, her little face filled with excitement and curiosity.

Their leisurely demeanor evoked jealousy in many. Keep in mind, at this moment, the newbies were squatting next to the campfire hugging their knees, cursing the cold, hungry, and tiring Cretaceous Period. Even the Conquerors seemed somewhat dispirited, remaining silent and feeling uneasy about the journey ahead.

A single team, two totally contrasting reactions, Miranda believed that only people like Tang Zheng and Lu Fan could survive till the end!