Just as he was about to take a step forward, a "bang" sounded, a gunshot exploding suddenly.

Whoosh.

A bullet whizzed past his foot, sparking a dazzling trail on the ground.

The sudden noise snapped the man out of his reverie, banishing all his confusion and daze.

He turned his head to see Luokuke approaching with a grim face.

"Don’t look underwater, do you want to live?"

"Yes, yes, Inspector Luo!" The team member quickly responded, apologizing with a pale complexion.

In that moment just now, he had actually forgotten that the dangerous White Water River lay ahead, mistaking it for a steaming hot spring instead.

He dared not imagine what would have happened if Luokuke hadn’t reminded him in time and he took another step forward.

"Listen up, everyone!" Luokuke raised his voice, calling to the entire team, "The infected sources in the water only have a few tricks, mainly to lure you into the water with them. Remember one thing: don’t touch the water, ignore those hallucinations, and no infected source can parasitize you! Understood?"

"Understood!" The team members replied in unison.

Having made an example, and seeing everyone more alert, Luokuke felt somewhat assured, turning around to continue patrolling along the light string.

This group’s overall quality wasn’t bad; they just lacked nighttime wilderness patrol experience.

Luokuke said no more, turned, and continued to inspect the traces of tracking powder along the riverbank with his flashlight, stopping only when he reached the pier.

There was a row of stone steps leading down at the pier, directly into the water. The two missing team members from earlier in the day most likely entered the river from here.

He cast the flashlight beam across the waterfront sealed with tracking powder.

The powder was undisturbed, showing no signs of being trampled or destroyed.

"Fortunately, the river’s flow seems to have quickened again." Luokuke breathed a sigh of relief, thinking internally, "As long as no infected bodies come ashore, tonight should pass smoothly."

He didn’t linger, continuing the patrol forward with the team.

A complete circuit around Dapo Town took about half an hour, and after two rounds, the patrol team finally returned to the abandoned warehouse.

Garcia, who was sitting on the ground nodding off, immediately jolted awake at the sound of footsteps.

"I scattered tracking powder along the shore, check it once when you take over the shift," Luokuke specifically instructed, "If you notice anything unusual, don’t rush to investigate. Report to me immediately and contact the Blue Zone."

"Remember, no heroics."

"Don’t worry, I know the importance." Garcia nodded, rising to wake the 32 resting team members in the warehouse, preparing to take over the patrol.

By now, night had deepened to ten o’clock.

The night fog in the air was thicker than before, draping distant objects in a layer of blurred white shadow, their outlines no longer distinct.

Following Luokuke’s instructions, Garcia led the team first to the riverside, turning on the flashlights to inspect the ground.

The phosphorescent trail created by the tracking powder remained conspicuous, a long continuous line glowing in the night, slightly calming the nerves.

Yet, after only a few steps forward, he suddenly furrowed his brow, instinctively turning the flashlight beam towards the water’s surface.

There was a strange feeling.

In that instant just now, he clearly felt something watching him from below the water, at most only a few meters away.

However, as the beam cut through the fog and into the water, only the swift current of the river was visible, not even a shadow.

"These damned things..." he cursed inwardly, unwilling to take any risks, and immediately signaled everyone, "Stop walking along the riverbank, retreat to this path! No need to spot anomalies with the naked eye, just check if the fluorescent powder is intact from a distance."

The group retreated, surveying nearly a kilometer of the riverbank along the path.

The fluorescent powder was intact, showing no signs of disturbance.

"Alright, let’s inspect other areas of the town!"

Hastily finishing a round of observation, the uneasy feeling intensified.

Garcia simply turned his head, leading the team swiftly away from the riverbank side of the town.

As they approached the Blue Zone supermarket, he deliberately slowed down, glancing towards the mobile units in the parking lot.

Dim light seeped through the unit gaps, accompanied by rhythmic snores, inducing a sense of restful sleep.

Compared to the oppressive underground quarters of the Red Zone residents, the Blue Zone was clearly much more comfortable.

After watching for a moment, he couldn’t help but smile wryly to himself.

If he were a resident, he would probably prefer the Blue Zone too; who would want to stay in a cramped underground space?

But after just a few more steps, he abruptly stopped, spotting Cheng Ye leaning in battle armor against the supermarket wall, silently guarding the vicinity like a motionless scarecrow.

Was he standing and resting?

Garcia stared wide-eyed in disbelief, almost doubting his own eyes.

Only when Cheng Ye seemed to sense his gaze and looked over did they briefly lock eyes, prompting Garcia to avert his eyes as if startled like a rabbit, hurriedly leading the team away from the side.

Even after walking hundreds of steps forward, the astonishment in his heart had not dissipated, leaving a complex emotion he couldn’t articulate.

It was unimaginable, prompting him to recall his own time as an Intern Inspector.

Back then, the inspection post still had night shifts, from 10 PM to 6 AM the next day.

At that time, he couldn’t even think of guarding alone, trembling in fear even while accompanying the senior inspector for night duties.

Yet now, this guy, whom Luokuke had called a "genius," was actually standing guard alone outside while everyone else was resting?