Chapter 33: Once a Member of Team China, Always a Member

At this moment, under the surprised gazes of Zheng Zha and Li Xiaoyi, a massive figure took a step forward.

"Uncle Mou..."

Seeing Mou Gang volunteer, Li Xiaoyi—who considered himself the weakest in the group—felt a wave of relief, though it was quickly replaced by a sharp sense of shame and self-loathing. Before he could speak, however, Mou Gang raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't misunderstand. This isn't about self-sacrifice; it’s a decision I’ve made after careful consideration."

"You all know that we’ve trained under the captain. You can see that while I have plenty of strength, I’m not actually skilled at combat. That’s why I chose to enhance my bloodline with the Giant race—I figured I could serve as a shield for the team, at the very least ensuring I wouldn't be a burden."

"Take the current situation, for instance. You, Captain, and the others are going to wipe out the remaining Xenomorphs. With your strength, it doesn't make much of a difference whether I’m there or not. Zhan Lan’s ability, however, is crucial for guiding the way; her safety is paramount. She needs someone sturdy enough to take a beating to protect her, and I happen to fit that role perfectly..."

This middle-aged man, who was even more reticent than Zero, had suddenly spoken so much. For a moment, even his "acquaintances" Zheng Zha and Li Xiaoyi were stunned.

Mou Gang then turned his gaze toward the silent Wu Xian. On his rugged face, coarsened by the Giant bloodline, appeared a simple yet resolute smile.

"Finally... I trust you, Captain. When we were in *Resident Evil*, it was you who saved me. From that day on, I, Mou Gang, have trusted only you!"

With that, Mou Gang bent his towering frame—nearly two meters and thirty centimeters tall—to be level with Wu Xian, and asked with a serious expression:

"So, I have one question for you, Captain... This time, are you confident that you can lead us all back to the God Space?"

"...I'm not the type to make empty promises. After all, sometimes plans simply cannot keep up with changes."

Wu Xian took a deep breath. He was not a hot-blooded youth like Zheng Zha, who enjoyed using grand speeches to boost morale; that was not his style. He simply stared unblinkingly into Mou Gang’s eyes, answering with a tone as solemn as an oath:

"The only thing I can guarantee is that no matter if the upcoming operation succeeds or fails, I will find a way to resurrect our fallen teammates. Not just in this horror movie, but in the future, no matter how many times you die in our missions, I will exhaust every effort to ensure you return to the God Space."

"And don't forget, you all still owe me reward points!"

"Once part of Team Zhongzhou, always part of Team Zhongzhou... It’s not going to be that easy to dodge your debts by dying."

At the final remark, Wu Xian broke into a laugh. Zheng Zha and Li Xiaoyi followed suit, their faces lighting up as if reminded of their time in the God Space, causing the heavy atmosphere to dissipate significantly.

"Haha! Then I have no issues."

Mou Gang smiled, scanned the others, and patted his chest. "Leave this to me. I, Mou Gang, guarantee that no matter what happens, even if I have to give my life, I won't let Zhan Lan suffer any harm!"

"I appreciate the guarantee, but... could you people hurry the hell up?! I can't take it anymore!!"

Amidst the heartwarming atmosphere, a discordant voice suddenly cut in. Zhan Lan, already bleeding from her seven orifices, let out a sharp roar before rolling her eyes back and fainting on the spot.

"Damn it!"

"What’s wrong with Sister Zhan Lan? Does she need CPR..."

"Move aside! I have medicine!"

...

In the ensuing scramble, Wu Xian retrieved a gene recovery agent from his spatial pouch, saving Zhan Lan from the side effects of her unlocked genetic potential. Once her condition stabilized, the team moved out with maximum efficiency.

As previously discussed, Wu Xian was responsible for eliminating the Xenomorph Queen and her nest. Simultaneously, Zheng Zha led Li Xiaoyi and Zero to clear out every Xenomorph currently detectable by the ship's scanners, under the guidance of a recovered Zhan Lan and Friday.

Finally, Chu Xuan would make the final call. If the main mission completion notification didn't arrive within the last five minutes of the countdown, he would initiate the self-destruct sequence to force the completion of the mission, provided the safety of the Team Zhongzhou members could be ensured.

*Bang—!!*

Amidst a dull explosion, a dark shadow flashed through the steel corridor like a ghost, crossing a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Along the way, explosions erupted periodically; a closer look revealed these sounds came from the ventilation ducts nearby, where hidden Xenomorphs or mutated variants were losing their lives one after another.

As for the cause of death, without exception, it was a sharp weapon piercing through their cranial armor and liquefying their brain tissue. They died instantly, not even a drop of the acidic fluid from their wounds spilling out...

[Killed one Xenomorph Prowler, gained 300 reward points.]

[Killed one Xenomorph Prowler, gained 300 reward points.]

[Killed one Drone Xenomorph, gained 300 reward points.]

[Killed one Xenomorph, gained 500 reward points.]

[Killed one Facehugger, gained 10 reward points.]

...

The notifications echoed in his mind, but the dark shadow—Wu Xian—paid them no heed. He sprinted toward the location identified by the mental scan, determined to prevent the Xenomorph Queen from taking any countermeasures once she sensed danger.

Faster! Even faster!

Five minutes passed in a flash. Wu Xian’s speed had exceeded the speed of sound; he was like a streak of black lightning, weaving through the complex corridors of the *Nostromo*.

Finally, after killing twenty hidden Xenomorphs or mutants, he reached the vicinity of the target cabin.

Before his eyes lay a surface corroded by acid, the ground covered in thick, phlegm-like secretions. The walls were riddled with holes, turning the path ahead into a labyrinth reminiscent of a spider’s web.

His mental scan swept over the area and was blocked, just as expected. However, Wu Xian remained calm; he remembered similar scenes from the original story.

He could easily imagine that beneath this acidic path, over a dozen Xenomorph guards were hiding, suppressing their presence and waiting for the prey to fall into their trap so they could swarm him.

"Heh! Trying to ambush me, are you?"

The corners of his mouth curled upward, making Wu Xian’s smile look exceptionally ferocious and terrifying.

"In that case, I'll play along... and have a little fun with you all!!"