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Chapter 458 Struggle and Choice [4000 words]

"I still feel something is wrong."

As soon as Anqin and Lin Feng left, Vivian immediately lowered her voice and moved closer to Chen Kong, Liu Ma, and Isabel, her tone clearly serious.

"I can't trust Anqin, and the two people she brought don't seem like they're going to cooperate on this exploration at all."

“Especially when Anqin introduced them, it seemed like she was deliberately hiding something, which made me feel very uneasy.”

"Also, the way Lin Feng followed behind An Qin just now wasn't the demeanor of an ordinary teammate; it was more like... a supervisor."

"supervisor?"

Chen Kong frowned and said, "You mean, An Qin was forced to join the team?"

"I don't know."

Vivian shook her head, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

"I have no evidence; these are all just my guesses."

“The judgment of the AI ​​Star Envoy should be based on data and evidence, but this time… my intuition has been warning me.”

Looking at Vivian, who still seemed hesitant, Chen Kong tapped his fingers lightly on the shoulder strap of his tactical backpack. His gaze swept across the metal walls of the rest pod, and the words of the Heavenly Dao echoed in his mind.

'Always prepare for the worst; sometimes intuition is more convincing than any evidence.'

After a moment, Chen Kong looked at Vivian and said in a calm tone, "Vivian, Zhao Yu's statement is actually not wrong. Exploring the occupied territories allows for temporary team formation, and their willingness to offer one-third of their points as compensation is not excessive, but..."

"Intuition is not necessarily wrong. We don't need to rush to find the answer; we just need to stay vigilant."

"When Anqin comes back later, I'll subtly ask her about her relationship with Lin and Zhao to see if I can find any clues."

He knew that Vivian's caution was not unfounded. The combined effect of the Heavenly Dao's reminder and Vivian's intuition made him more cautious about this mission.

Looking at the two serious-looking men, Liu Ma subconsciously scratched his head, a look of naivety and confusion on his face.

"Chen Kong, Vivian, I still don't understand why you two have such a strong prejudice against An Qin. I think she's a decent person, right?"

"Besides, two more people mean more strength. Lin Feng looks like he's a good fighter. With him in front, we'll be safer from behind."

After Liu Ma finished speaking, he even raised his chin towards the door, completely unaware of the strange atmosphere at the moment.

Isabel had no interest in joining in their conversation.

She leaned against the corner of the rest pod and pulled up the 'Desert of Bones' map on her data terminal.

"Actually, compared to those ambiguous speculations you've mentioned, I feel that we should focus our main efforts on the occupied areas, since that's where the real danger is."

“The energy ruins that Anqin mentioned are on the edge of the desert. Although it is close to the safe zone, the terrain of this unexplored area is very complicated. It is surrounded by abandoned building ruins, and there may be star beasts lurking there. We need to plan our exploration route in advance.”

Upon hearing Isabel's words, Chen Kong and the others quickly ended their original topic and began to formulate various contingency plans based on the information about the 'Desert of Bones'.

Meanwhile, in the corridor outside the starship's cockpit.

An Qin's face was as cold as ice as she faced Lin Feng.

She stared coldly at Lin Feng, making no attempt to hide her hostility.

"Lin Feng, what do you mean by that?"

Facing this nominal teammate, Anqin's right hand emitted dark purple star energy.

The star energy transformed into a dagger gleaming with a cold light, leaving no doubt about its power.

An Qin pointed her weapon at Lin Feng and said coldly, "I don't need you to teach me how to do things. The reason I advocate letting Chen Kong and the others go is simply because I feel that their identities are too sensitive and that they are too close to the Heavenly Dao Fate Master."

"If something goes wrong with them, that monster might notice something amiss and then track them down to us."

Anqin's statement is not without merit.

But Lin Feng was quite certain that her starting point was definitely not that, but rather that she had other selfish motives.

He ignored Anqin's warning, leaning lazily against the metal wall of the corridor, his arms crossed, the scars on his face looking particularly grotesque under the pale green light.

Looking at An Qin's frosty face, Lin Feng sneered and said sarcastically, "An Qin, don't forget who you are."

"You've survived this long entirely thanks to the organization's help; in other words, your life doesn't belong to you."

"You have to do whatever the organization tells you to do; you have no right to refuse."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Feng took a step forward, his enhanced star energy surging within him, creating a sense of oppression.

"The organization has its reasons for choosing Chen Kong and the others, and you have no right to question them."

"..."

Hearing Lin Feng's words, An Qin's body trembled slightly.

In a daze, she recalled how, during the Explorer's Certificate assessment, Chen Kong had unhesitatingly chosen to help her younger self, as seen in the memory projection at the time.

Although that memory was false, the impact it had on her was real.

Thinking of this, she did not back down, but instead retorted, "I still stick to my idea. I don't want to be targeted by a monster like the Heavenly Dao because of this."

"That's not something you should be thinking about right now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Feng took out a black miniature device from his pocket. The device was engraved with strange patterns.

"When the starship is halfway through its journey, this 'star energy jammer' will automatically activate, which can subtly weaken their star energy, making them tired and sluggish."

"Once we arrive at the site, Zhao Yu and I will work with you to guide them into the conversion area. Once Chen Kong touches the core device, your mission will be complete."

As he spoke, Lin Feng tossed the device to An Qin.

"Take this. The activation password is the organization's core identifier, so don't mess it up."

Anqin reached out and caught the device; the cold touch made her shiver.

As she looked at the patterns on the device, the image of Chen Kong's gentle gaze came to mind.

A strong sense of resistance welled up inside her, and she clenched the device tightly in her hand, saying in a hoarse voice, "What if I don't do as I say?"

Lin Feng's eyes instantly turned fierce, and the oppressive feeling of the enhanced star energy suddenly intensified, almost freezing the air in the corridor.

He approached Anqin, lowered his voice, and said with a threatening tone and a forced smile, "You won't do it? Then you and the rest of them will become useless bodies that have failed to transform."

"Also, why do you think the organization made me follow you? It's to prevent you from acting on your emotions."

“Anqin, face reality. You can never truly become a ‘human being’; you can only be a pawn of the organization.”

Anqin froze on the spot. Lin Feng's words were like a sharp knife, piercing through her last bit of hope.

She knew Lin Feng was telling the truth. The organization's modifications had left indelible marks on her body, and if the organization so desired, it could cause her unbearable pain or even death at any time.

Her hand holding the miniature device trembled slightly, her eyes filled with struggle and despair.

In the end, he could only lower his head helplessly and whisper, "I understand..." Seeing this, Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction and withdrew his enhanced star energy.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time. Let's go back so they don't get suspicious."

"Remember, your task is only to guide them into the conversion zone. Leave the rest to me and Zhao Yu."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the cockpit, leaving Anqin alone in the corridor.

Anqin stood there in silence for a long time. She slowly raised her hand, looked at the miniature device in her palm, and the struggle in her eyes was gradually replaced by a resolute look.

She concealed the device in a hidden pocket inside her uniform, took a deep breath, composed herself, and turned to walk towards the rest pod.

She didn't know what she could do, but she didn't want to just watch Chen Kong and the others fall into the trap. Even if there was only a sliver of a chance, she would try to stop them.

The door to the rest cabin was pushed open, and Anqin walked in with a gentle smile on her face, as if the conflict in the corridor had never happened.

She held several virtual exploration route maps in her hand and distributed them to everyone: "The navigation route has been confirmed. We will arrive at the Bone Desert on time in three hours."

“This is the detailed exploration route. We will split into two groups. Lin Feng, Zhao Yu, and I will be in one group, responsible for exploring the core area of ​​the energy site from the front.”

"Chen Kong, you, Vivian, Liu Ma, and Isabel will form a group and be responsible for checking the surrounding abandoned buildings and keeping an eye out for traces of star beasts."

Chen Kong took the route map and quickly scanned the markings on it. He found that although the two groups' routes were separate, they were very close and could support each other at any time.

He looked up at An Qin and noticed a fleeting hint of weariness in her eyes. He tentatively asked, "An Qin, how long have you known Lin and Zhao? They seem to work together very well."

An Qin paused slightly, then smiled and said, "I only met them recently. We met when we were handing over documents at the field department. They are quite capable and should be able to help."

She deliberately avoided Chen Kong's gaze, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible panic, afraid of revealing her true intentions.

Vivian stared intently at Anqin's expression, catching a fleeting moment of panic, which deepened her suspicions.

But when she released the observation again, there was nothing unusual.

Vivian subtly averted her gaze, suppressing the urge to ask further questions, and instead looked at the route map.

"Your grouping is generally fine, but we need to maintain real-time communication and notify the other party immediately if any abnormalities are found."

"In addition, Zhao Yu is good at fast close combat, and my AI ability can help him lock onto targets. Why don't you let me join your group?"

Surprisingly, Zhao Yu had no objection to this, and nodded with a perfectly timed smile.

"No problem, Vivian's assist in reconnaissance is excellent. With your help, I'm sure I can perform even better."

His smile looked incredibly sincere, but a hint of coldness lurked deep in his eyes.

It was obvious that Vivian wanted to observe them up close.

But it doesn't matter, because from the moment they stepped onto this star-powered ship, the ending was already predetermined.

After thinking for a moment, Anqin nodded in response to Vivian's suggestion, saying, "Then let's adjust the groups as you suggested. Chen Kong, Liu Ma, and Isabel will be in one group, responsible for the left side area."

"I, Lin Feng, Zhao Yu, Vivian, and I are in a group, responsible for the right side area."

"After arriving at the ruins, we will first gather in the safe zone and confirm that there are no star beasts around before we begin our exploration."

Her gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Chen Kong, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Remember, safety first. If you encounter a star beast that you cannot handle, do not fight it head-on. Retreat to a safe zone immediately."

Although Chen Kong noticed that An Qin's gaze was somewhat strange, he didn't think much of it, assuming that she was just reminding the ordinary team members.

"Don't worry, we'll be careful."

A brief silence fell over the rest cabin for the next few minutes.

Liu Ma leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and hummed an off-key tune.

Vivian was adjusting the robotic arm's sand-proof system, her fingers rapidly moving across the control panel.

Isabel has been constantly honing her Star Source Absolute Zero technique to maintain her peak condition.

Chen Kong repeatedly rehearsed the tactical coordination after the group was formed, constantly refining the plan to deal with unexpected situations in his mind.

After an unknown amount of time, the starship's broadcast suddenly came on, and a sweet electronic voice broke the silence inside the cabin.

"Attention all crew members, the starship is about to enter the warning zone above the Bone Desert and is expected to land in thirty minutes. Please prepare your equipment and get ready to land on the island."

Upon hearing the announcement, Anqin stood up, took a deep breath, and said to everyone, "Get ready, we're about to arrive."

"Remember the group assignments and routes we just discussed. Keep communication open during the exploration and report any developments immediately."

After saying that, Anqin turned and walked towards the door.

Seeing this, Lin Feng and Zhao Yu immediately followed.

As An Qin passed by Chen Kong, she paused slightly, gave him a complicated look, and then quickly walked out of the rest cabin.

Watching An Qin's departing figure, Chen Kong felt that something was amiss.

He turned to look at Vivian and found her also frowning and staring in the direction of the door.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes, yet neither could pinpoint exactly what the problem was.

"Let's go, it's time for us to leave."

Chen Kong withdrew his gaze, picked up his tactical backpack, and spoke in a calm tone.

"No matter what the problems are, we'll find out when we get to the site."

"Remember, stay vigilant and always prepare for the worst."

The four of them tidied up their equipment, quickly walked out of the rest cabin, and headed towards the starship's boarding gate.

Outside the starship, the outline of the desolate wasteland was already clearly visible.

The yellow sand dunes gleamed blindingly under the blazing sun, and a sweltering wind blew in through the starship's ventilation system, carrying an air of desolation and danger.

What appears to be an ordinary exploration of the occupied territory is now shrouded in layers of undercurrents.

Meanwhile, the Dust Sky Squad is walking step by step into this meticulously planned trap.

Meanwhile, on another starship heading towards the Bone Desert.

"Heavenly Dao, why have you suddenly set your sights on this occupied area? I thought it was pretty ordinary."

Jing Liuli looked at the information about the Bone Desert on the data terminal, a hint of doubt on her face.

In response, Tendou, who was resting in a massage chair, said meaningfully, "Because... I think this place is going to be very interesting."

"very funny?"

Jing Liuli gave Tiandao a strange look, but ultimately said nothing and went to find Caroline, who was not far away.

(End of this chapter)