Chapter 21: The Solution

Chapter 21: The Plan

Of course, Xu Qiao was no fool; she wouldn’t greet them before leaving. The camp was so large that she could easily slip out of their sight with just a turn of her body.

Quickly stepping out of the convoy’s view, she entered the heart of the camp.

It became clear that the issue wasn’t a lack of security here. Rather, this place was a bustling hub where people constantly came and went.

The entire camp was set up within a logistics plaza in Honglin Town. Perhaps it had been requisitioned temporarily, and some civilian equipment hadn’t yet been removed.

What was once an open space was now filled with temporary tents, each stocked with various supplies. Vehicles from other units were scattered everywhere, collecting materials.

“A logistics unit?” Xu Qiao muttered to herself as she observed their situation while walking.

Her guess was correct—the Blue Army had only recently entered the exercise, and their logistics supplies needed to be coordinated. Since not all units were fully stocked, they had to come here to pick up provisions.

Moreover, the logistics troops themselves didn’t maintain strict vigilance, so naturally, the camp was somewhat chaotic.

Seeing this, Xu Qiao let out a laugh.

She had initially worried that she might be questioned further upon arrival, but she had already resolved that she wouldn’t wash her face if she could avoid it. Since her appearance somewhat resembled the photo and her face was smeared with dirt, it would be hard to tell the difference.

So, she set about doing what she could, quickly blending in.

Without hesitation, wearing her disheveled appearance, she approached. “Squad leader, um… is there anything to eat right now?”

In such a large camp, it was impossible for her alone to take down anyone easily.

Her current state left the others both amused and exasperated. “I say, where have you been... off hiding in the woods?”

Even so, Xu Qiao remained cautious, carefully moving around the camp while mentally noting what supplies were stored in each tent.

The cooks, busy with their tasks, were startled by the sound and looked up.

But it wasn’t enough—people might fall, but the supplies were still there, and the Blue Army could continue distribution.

At a time like this, no one cared about leftovers; they shoveled food into their mouths without hesitation.

Hearing this, Xu Qiao hurried over and took the leftover breakfast he had found earlier that morning.

“How did they let you… deliver food?” the sentry asked, surprised.

Before she could respond, he swallowed the last bite of a bun. “Squad leader, I’m not going to eat your buns for free. Anyway, there’s nothing for me to do here at the moment, so I’ll help out.”

Though no one paid much attention to her, she dared not make any large movements and confined herself to small tasks.

The cook squad leader never expected her to say that and chuckled. “You’re right; I was being narrow-minded.”

As they helped and chatted, with some guidance, she soon learned roughly what supplies were stored where.

The cook squad leader sighed, “Alright, alright, but your clothes won’t do. Go wash up and change before coming back.”

Xu Qiao knew when to lie and when to tell the truth and simply smiled. “Back home, I didn’t even know how rice was made from raw grains. It was only after joining the military and helping the cook squad that I learned.”

“That won’t do,” she replied without hesitation. “If I eat, I have to do something. Otherwise, I feel restless.”

She stepped forward.

“Alright, alright. You must have done your share of chores at home, huh?” the old squad leader remarked, keeping an eye on her while working.

Thinking back, Squad Leader Wu probably wasn’t even sure what kind of unit this was. Judging from the clues on the communication vehicle, knowing there was a Blue Army presence in a camp was already impressive. No one could expect him to determine the exact branch.

Xu Qiao snapped back to reality. “That’s not what I meant.”

Even if it was a logistics unit, if she could single-handedly take it down, it would greatly aid the exercise.

Feeling relieved, Xu Qiao seized the moment when they turned their backs to add some seasoning to the pot.

After bidding farewell to the cooks, she headed straight to the tent where bombs were stored.

She never imagined the convoy would bring her straight into the camp, where everyone was busy with their own affairs and no one paid any attention to her.

When the squad leader heard her, he was reluctant to put her to work. He waved his hands. “No need, no need. Have you eaten your fill? If not, there’s more here. As for work, forget it.”

The old squad leader suddenly understood. “No wonder, cooking in the cook squad isn’t something you can do just because you can cook at home.”

Xu Qiao held up the lunch she had brought along. “I’m here to help deliver lunch.”

Lunch was soon delivered to each tent. If Xu Qiao didn’t leave soon, she’d risk exposing herself.

Although her movements were decent, no one expected she had only recently learned from the cook squad.

Seeing her like this, they took her for a soldier who liked to keep up appearances and let her be.

At that moment, they spotted the cooks busy preparing lunch and an idea occurred to her.

If before she was a master at causing trouble, now, though not an expert, she was at least familiar with the cook squad’s work.

“Squad leader… Everyone has a duty to the nation’s rise and fall… What’s wrong with a girl? I’m a soldier too,” Xu Qiao swallowed her bun in one bite. “There were female soldiers even during wartime. Why not now?”

The cooks looked at her with pity. “You’re a girl, why stir up trouble? Why get involved in fighting?”

“Squad leader, I really did spend a whole night in the woods. Someone rescued me this morning, and since then, I’ve only had a bite of compressed rations,” Xu Qiao said pitifully.

The squad leader immediately realized. “Oh dear, you haven’t eaten all night. You must be starving. Come over, I’ll find you something to eat.”

“Stop! What are you doing?” A sharp command rang out before she could get closer.

Xu Qiao glanced down at herself—she was indeed filthy.

She realized that although this was a logistics unit, it was still important. Such a large and varied supply was crucial to the Blue Army troops.

The tableware was the same, the portions were adequate—only the person had changed.

She smiled awkwardly and quickly found a place to wash up and change clothes. Within minutes, she was back.

Xu Qiao didn’t mind the odd tone in his voice and smiled lightly. “They’re too busy. Luckily, I have time. I didn’t know it was so strict here. That stuff is just kept here? I’m heading back now.”

As she passed by, other tents had no guards, but this one not only had guards but even posted sentries.

Not having achieved her goal yet, Xu Qiao remained calm. She had only one chance and couldn’t afford to act rashly.

Seeing her place the lunch and leave without hesitation, the sentries at the checkpoint glanced at her instinctively but said nothing further, taking the lunch inside the tent.

(End of chapter)