The people, who had initially worried that joining the base defense had taken up too much time, let out a collective sigh of relief upon hearing the good news. However, the Lieutenant Colonel continued: “Although we achieved victory in the battle just fought, our casualties were not light, and we are now short-handed. Therefore, I still hope you will not head to Whiskey Base. I trust the Hard-Nosed Squad will escape in time. Here, we still require a large number of patrols and scouts. While these tasks are complex, they are surely much better than you rushing blindly to Whiskey Base to meet your demise!” The Colonel’s last sentence was met with near-universal scorn, as it was plainly an offer for compensatory missions. If the Contractors had suffered too heavily during the preceding insect tide assault and were forced to abandon the main objective, they could accept this lower-difficulty task as compensation. But for this temporary team, despite combat losses, everyone felt confident due to the presence of Reef, an incredibly powerful defender, and none were inclined to retreat now.

Yet, at that moment, one person stepped forward and addressed the Lieutenant Colonel with an unshakeable tone: “Sir, I am willing to serve.” This person was none other than Fang Senyan. Ignoring the intensely curious looks from others, he continued without hesitation: “Though I have only been here for a few short hours, I have come to love this place, brimming with friendship, solidarity, and honor. Clearly, fighting under your command is a great privilege. Therefore, I refuse to go to that damned Whiskey Outpost. I’m not going anywhere; Iron Frontier Base is my home.”

The Colonel’s grim expression finally softened into a smile. Fang Senyan immediately received a notification: Iron Whip Outpost Reputation increased by 400 points (200 points based on Fame). One could imagine that if this were Tulip, a Contractor with 25 Charm, the increase might have been at least five or six hundred points. Reef and Joel frowned deeply, clearly understanding that the Contractor known as Sailor, by raising this issue at this juncture, had made up his mind to part ways with the team.

The Lieutenant Colonel rendered a crisp salute to Fang Senyan: “I had already heard mention of your reputation, +1 Fame. Welcome to the Iron Frontier Base, soldier. You may rest for a while, then proceed to the Quartermaster to collect your standard-issue gear.”

“Wait a moment.” Another voice rang out. It was Mogansa. Most of his face was obscured by his combat helmet, so his expression was hidden, but the moment he stepped forward, even the usually resigned Reef’s expression shifted.

Mogansa also stated calmly to the Colonel: “Sir, I too am willing to fight under your command.” While this statement seemed directed at Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Fickwin, it was actually a declaration of steadfast allegiance to Fang Senyan. Evidently, Mogansa’s Charm far exceeded Senyan’s. Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Fickwin laughed heartily, clapping Mogansa on the shoulder: “Soldier, you have made a very wise choice.”

He then looked expectantly at the remaining Contractors, hoping another would be conquered by his personal charisma. Regrettably, almost all the Contractors turned their gaze in unison toward Reef. Even though he had made it clear he no longer wished to be the team leader, given his special status, his decision would still be the final word. Even the ambitious Joel and the frantic Haneek instinctively looked toward Reef at this moment.

Reef remained silent. He had intended to instinctively voice his decision, but in that instant, the sight of his recently deceased teammates—their helpless gazes, their bewildered faces—flashed before his eyes. The words that had reached his lips retracted, and he slumped back onto the nearby sofa, saying nothing. Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Fickwin was clearly displeased by their tacit refusal, snorting coldly: “I can give you more time to think about it, but you must report to me within an hour! The two of you, follow me.”

The two individuals the Commander indicated were naturally Fang Senyan and Mogansa, whom he then led away directly.

If only Fang Senyan had left, the team's strength reduction wouldn't have been so severe. But with Mogansa gone, the team’s overall strength in all aspects was bound to drop substantially! Consequently, a sense of unease began to ripple through the remaining team members. However, for the ambitious Joel and the frenzied Haneek, this felt like a strategic maneuver by Mogansa, realizing his bid for leadership was futile—if everyone abandoned the main quest, they would implicitly obey his directives.

With this thought, Joel immediately clapped his hands: “Let me state my opinion first. I do not support staying.” His immediate and clear opposition was intended to give everyone a first impression of him as ‘decisive.’

“Although Mogansa and that Sailor have left the group, I truly don’t believe the team’s strength has diminished that much. Firstly, the insignia I just earned grants me the support of two machine gunners. Everyone has seen their firepower; even if it’s not quite as good as Mogansa’s, it’s not far off. More importantly, we can sacrifice these two pawns at any time—an advantage Mogansa wouldn’t have had within the team.”

“My reputation also allows me to hire one machine gunner to accompany us,” Haneek, who was now deranged, interjected.

“If two machine gunners aren't enough firepower, then three certainly should compensate for the loss of Mogansa’s support, right? Furthermore, Sailor’s strength lies in the genetic concoctions he can mix. Although his serums only have a 120-second effective duration, suggesting the need for on-the-spot preparation, I possess an item obtained from the Iron Man world called a Micro-Fridge. I use it specifically to store Viper venom, as the venom applied to weapons must have a freshness window not exceeding two hours. It has never failed me over this long period. So, we can simply buy a batch of serums from that Sailor fellow, store them with me, and drink them when needed—regardless of what you all think, I absolutely refuse to lose three points in my highest attributes and hard-earned commendation medals for nothing.”

Hearing these two speak, the rest of the Contractors began whispering amongst themselves, finding their arguments quite reasonable.

Suddenly, Tulip let out a cold laugh: “How do you know Sailor will sell his potions to you? If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t sell!”

At this moment, Reef suddenly let out a low grunt, stood up, and said gravely: “I will go find them. If they refuse to sell, then they must obediently return to the group! Since we are a temporary team, personal likes and dislikes absolutely cannot supersede the needs of the group!”

Joel immediately frowned. While he might have delivered that line more smoothly, Reef, having been the leader before, occasionally displayed that autocratic manner. What frustrated Joel even more was that he felt powerless to change the situation. At that moment, Reef stepped in front of the frantic Haneek and asked seriously: “Are you absolutely certain that micro-fridge will work?”

Haneek hesitated slightly: “Perhaps we should try buying one bottle from him first?”

Reef nodded and addressed those around him: “Everyone will pay me 1000 universal points for medicine purchase fees first. If anyone is short, I will cover it; the contract will be returned upon completion of the stage. No one doubted that Reef would embezzle a mere 1000 universal points; they all handed over the funds obediently, and even the two Contractors who couldn't produce the cash signed a contract with Reef. When Reef and Haneek found Fang Senyan, Reef first urged Fang Senyan and Mogansa to stay with the team. However, Fang Senyan, clearly set in his decision, refused him.

But when Reef subsequently requested to purchase some genetic serums, Fang Senyan showed considerable cooperation, voluntarily handing a free sample of the serum to Haneek to verify whether his fridge could preserve the 120-second efficacy of the potion. Haneek’s miniature fridge performed as hoped, successfully preserving the genetic serum Fang Senyan had created. Thus, when Reef and Haneek left, they took nearly fifteen bottles of the serum with them, and Fang Senyan earned 8000 universal points from the transaction.

After they left, Fang Senyan was silent for a moment before turning to Mogansa: “Honestly, I really didn’t expect you to follow me.”

Mogansa stated blandly: “Since we decided to gamble, we must go all in. The outcome of trying to hedge often results in gaining nothing. I understood this principle when I was twelve, biting down hard and running through a minefield to snatch a bag of corn.”

Fang Senyan suddenly smiled: “That’s right. Since you followed me, I owe you an explanation. However, I will only tell you after they have left. So, if you regret it now, there is still time.”

“I never regret what I do,” the dark-skinned Mogansa affirmed. “Then I’ll take a short rest.” Saying this, he used his Golden A assault rifle as a pillow, lay down, and soon began to emit faint snores. This was a habit only possessed by those who spent their lives constantly facing death—the ability to utilize any moment of perceived safety to rest. Otherwise, they often weren't killed by enemies, but worn down to death by fatigue.