Chapter 159: Chapter 149: The Joy of Crystal Stones

"Xiao Shiba, come here."

Qin Ling shouted, and a thin, small boy who looked very quick-witted ran over.

"You fly the helicopter back with Nineteen, Twenty, and Twenty-One. The four of you. Then bring back three more helicopters."

Qin Ling had discussed this with the people at the base for a long time. The number of Crystal Stones mentioned in that email was definitely huge—it wasn’t just a matter of one or two.

Besides, although he didn’t know how Tang Mo had estimated it, judging from the circle she drew, the payload of a single helicopter would definitely not be enough.

He couldn’t trust anyone from the base with this matter, so he could only have his own men make another trip.

"Roger that." Xiao Shiba received the order and immediately went to gather the others, moving with swift efficiency.

"The names for your men are certainly convenient. Is that big guy Number Two?"

Tang Mo pointed curiously at the burly man who had carried Xianxian out.

If Qin Ling was the boss, then they naturally started counting from Number Two.

From the looks of his size and strength, Tang Mo felt that the big guy had to be one of the top men.

"No, Number Two is that guy over there smoking, see?" Qin Ling pointed him out to Tang Mo.

Tang Mo followed Qin Ling’s gaze and saw a tall, thin man smoking a cigarette with one hand while swinging an electric pickaxe with the other.

"Lao San is indeed the one with the strongest individual combat ability here, but in a team, relying on your own Strength alone is far from enough. Brains are more important."

The hierarchy in Qin Ling’s team wasn’t based on age, and certainly not on size.

It was based entirely on Overall Strength. The stronger you were, the lower your number.

"If one day someone among them surpasses me, I’ll give up this position as leader for them to take."

Qin Ling had never treated these men as subordinates; they were more like brothers who had gone through life and death together.

Looking at Qin Ling and his men, Tang Mo suddenly felt a pang of envy.

All this time, she had felt that moving through the world alone was more freeing and convenient, with far fewer troubles.

’Perhaps I should rethink my ways. Having a group of brothers-in-arms to whom you can entrust your back would be a pretty great thing, too.’

"Look! I dug up a blue Crystal Stone!"

"What’s all the fuss about! I’ve got a few red Crystal Stones over here."

"Where, where? I’m coming."

The more the group dug, the more energetic they became, feeling no fatigue at all.

Tang Mo watched as the mountain of Crystal Stones in front of her grew higher and higher.

There was only a small pile of blood-red High-level Crystal Stones, while the blue Crystal Stones formed a mound half a person’s height.

Meanwhile, white Crystal Stones were piled all over the ground. A single glance might mistake it for a sparkling ocean.

After digging for the entire afternoon, all the Crystal Stones buried below were finally unearthed.

They didn’t just stick to the circle Tang Mo had drawn; the group spontaneously doubled the search area.

Only when they truly couldn’t dig up any more did they reluctantly stop.

The blood-red and blue Crystal Stones were loaded inside the four helicopters.

The white Crystal Stones were packed into container-sized bundles and slung beneath the helicopters with ropes.

It was a perfect fit; the four aircraft could carry all the Crystal Stones back. Tang Mo couldn’t help but admire Qin Ling’s foresight.

The men stood in a row, tools in hand, their eyes all sparkling as they gazed at Tang Mo.

No one was saying this mission was a waste of their talents anymore. This was totally worth it!

They had figured it out. In the future, if there was another mission related to their sister-in-law, they would have to fight tooth and nail to be on it!

"Where are you heading next? Want me to give you a lift?"

Having to part with his wife, Qin Ling’s mood sank a little.

"No, that’s okay. You’re bringing so many Crystal Stones back this time, you’ll have plenty to do when you return."

Tang Mo declined with a smile. Wuxi Village wasn’t far from here; she could get there quickly and didn’t need a helicopter at all.

"Alright then." Qin Ling reluctantly hugged Tang Mo again and bid a reluctant farewell.

"Let’s go. Get on the helicopter."

Hearing their leader give the word, the men all grabbed their things and prepared to board.

"Wait a second." Tang Mo pulled Qin Ling back.

"Hm?"

Before Qin Ling could react, Tang Mo walked over to the group of men holding their tools.

She sized them up one by one, and when she got to the fourth man, Tang Mo even reached out and squeezed his arm.

Lao Si was a somewhat short and chubby man. Seeing his sister-in-law suddenly reach for him, he hurriedly tried to back away.

"Sister-in-law, this isn’t right."

"What’re you talking about, you brat? Stand still and let the boss’s wife check you out, what’s wrong with that? Useless."

Lao San, standing beside him, slapped Lao Si on the back of the head.

He was a die-hard fan of the boss’s wife now; whatever she said or did was right.

Tang Mo’s face darkened. ’What is wrong with these people’s minds!’

"What’s wrong? Is there a problem with their bodies?"

Watching Tang Mo’s actions from the side, Qin Ling seemed to understand something. He had clearly seen the output of spiritual power when Tang Mo healed Xianxian just now.

"Your men... they have old injuries piled on top of new ones. Several of them are just toughing it out. If this keeps up, their bodies will be ruined soon."

Tang Mo sighed. Her admiration for these men grew even stronger.

The bodies of several of them were in such a severe state that they had to endure inhuman pain every day. Repeated fractures and contusions had brought them to the brink of collapse.

Qin Ling’s expression darkened. Of course, he was mostly aware of this.

But there was nothing to be done. As members of the team, they had to train and do missions every day to improve their strength. Each mission was extremely dangerous, making it impossible to set aside any significant amount of time for anyone to recuperate.

It wasn’t easy standing at the top of the pyramid. Everyone, including himself, was just toughing it out.

"Hah, so that’s what this is about. Don’t you worry, Sister-in-law, we’re just a bunch of rough guys. This is nothing."

Lao San laughed it off. His own left leg had a lingering injury that ached after every battle.

But what man who’s been on the battlefield doesn’t have a few scars?

"You’ve almost completely lost your sight in both eyes, haven’t you?"

Tang Mo stood before Lao Er.

"Sister-in-law, you... how did you know?"

Lao Er looked up, his face full of astonishment.

They were all brothers who had faced life and death together. Seeing the look on Lao Er’s face, everyone understood: what the boss’s wife said was true.

"Second Brother, what’s wrong with your eyes?"

"Second Brother, why didn’t you say something sooner?"

"Second Brother..."

Qin Ling’s expression suddenly turned grave. In terms of strength, Lao Er wasn’t the strongest here, but when it came to strategy and intelligence, he was absolutely number one.

His own workload had always been heavy, and it was Lao Er who helped him manage the entire team—he was one of his most loyal brothers.

"Lao Er, when did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?"

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