Zheng Zha allowed the two of them to bandage his wounds, merely straining his ears to listen intently. When the dressing was complete, he murmured to them, "I heard gunfire. Zhang Jie, did you hear it?" Zhang Jie started, quickly cocking his head to listen for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I caught the faint sound of gunfire... Does that mean they succeeded? Did they find firearms in the armory?" Zheng Zha gave a wry smile. "They must have found weapons, but I estimate they are currently locked in a standoff with those two Aliens, otherwise the gunfire wouldn't be so fierce... How many grenades do you two have left? Give them all to me. Zhan Lan, hand over the Spiral Spikes you're holding as well."

Both Zhang Jie and Zhan Lan paused, dumbfounded. Zhang Jie grimaced, opening his hands. "None left. I gave all mine away earlier to them. Damn these bastards..." Zhan Lan, however, fished out two grenades from her pocket, smiling faintly. "Good thing I kept a spare in mind... What are you planning? These are the last two we have."

Zheng Zha also retrieved two grenades from his ring of holding. He then took one, biting down hard on the pin’s ring with his teeth. Under the gaze of Zhang Jie and Zhan Lan, he violently hurled the grenade with his left hand. In the deafening explosion that followed, both Zhang Jie and Zhan Lan were simultaneously thrown to the ground.

"The detonation time is about figured out..." Zheng Zha watched the spot where the grenade detonated, not turning back as he spoke to Zhang Jie. "Quickly, tear some long strips from your clothes. Tie all the remaining grenades securely to the Spiral Spikes! Make sure they are bound tightly!" Zhang Jie needed no further instruction; he immediately stripped off his shirt, ripping off strips of cloth with a shhhk-shhhk sound, then began binding the grenades to the Spiral Spikes. Seeing this, Zhan Lan sighed softly. "Are you planning to go throw yourself into danger again? Your wounds..." Zheng Zha turned back and gave a slight smile. "It’s fine. That last grenade was loud enough; they all must have heard it. As for the other two, I can’t say for sure, but given Chu Xuan’s intellect, he will certainly keep the Aliens fully occupied. I just need to launch a sneak attack on those two Aliens from behind. Besides, wrapping the grenades around the Spiral Spikes means that as long as I can stab them into the Alien’s body before detonation, the explosive force will definitely inflict massive damage on the creature. So, rest assured."

Zhan Lan sighed and said no more. Only Zhang Jie, while lashing the grenades tight, spoke up. "It seems I misjudged you all along, Zheng Zha. You possess an innate talent for combat. To use our instructor's words, you are a born warrior. The more desperate the situation, the more your potential manifests—both in fighting prowess and strategic thinking..." Zheng Zha took the grenade-spiked weapon Zhang Jie had finished binding, testing the aim with his left hand before giving a bitter chuckle. "What warrior am I? I’m just desperately trying to survive. Anyone in this situation would show some quick wits and desperate strength. If someone as pathetic as me counts as a warrior, then what are Chu Xuan and the others? Super-warriors? Or super-geniuses?" "You can't put it like that."

Zhang Jie chuckled a few times, tying the final Spiral Spike. "In their original world, they were all involved in professions of killing, and mostly at the apex of their respective fields. You? You were just an ordinary office worker. Even if your augmentations have an element of luck involved, the fact that you fight so fiercely without dying, and are gradually adapting to this brutal combat... that is your hidden talent. Deep down, you are a warrior who refuses to admit defeat!" "A warrior?" "Just trying my best to stay alive..." To recover his strength as quickly as possible, Zhang Jie continued to move forward, supporting Zheng Zha on his back. Zhan Lan also kept jogging, holding the few remaining steel rods of the Spiral Spikes. As she ran, Zhan Lan suddenly murmured, "Why are we going to save them? Won't this put us in danger?" Zheng Zha, who was slowly circulating his internal energy, let out a breath and replied, "In reality, we are always in danger. If we can’t eliminate the Aliens, we are only postponing our deaths. Therefore, Chu Xuan’s analytical and strategic capabilities, and Zero Point and Overlord's mastery of modern weaponry—these are crucial fighting forces..." Zhang Jie suddenly asked as well, "Then why did you split off from them back then? If we hadn't separated, we might have decent weapons now, instead of you having to fight alone. And I believe with our strength, Chu Xuan wouldn't have simply cast us aside, would he?" Zheng Zha let out a sigh. "Yes, if we had stayed with them, not only would we not have been abandoned, but before Zero Point and Overlord died, the three of us would have been safe... at least I and Zhang Jie would have been safe. But! That is precisely one of the reasons I chose to leave!" "One reason is certainly that I couldn't stand Chu Xuan’s methods—treating those who are already comrades as disposable resources to be thrown away. The other reason is that I absolutely refuse to let someone else determine my fate! While grouping with them might ensure our safety for a short time, what about the long term? I don't concern myself with how I might die; I only concern myself with how to live as long as possible! As comrades, I will use every bit of my ability to help and protect them, and equally, as my partners, they absolutely cannot abandon me when I need help! Chu Xuan cannot do that, so I chose to leave, because I need to stand on ground equal to his."

"Yes, since being his comrade means being abandoned! Then I must become the kind of person who can access his wisdom even without being his comrade... an Ally! Mutually independent, yet mutually supportive. This is the only form of cooperation I can conceive."

Because Zhan Lan was clutching the Spiral Spike in one hand, she couldn't touch her forehead. She paused to think before saying, "Won't allies also get abandoned? What's the difference from being partners?" Zheng Zha smiled. "The biggest difference between an ally and a partner is this: Allies exist independently and will help each other, but even if one is lost, the other can still fight on their own and won't become a burden to the other—at least they don't have to bear responsibility for the other's mistakes. The difference with partners is that people with diverse specializations combine to form a team that must guard one another. I cannot trust Chu Xuan to guard his comrades, so to gain the strength of those three, I had no choice but to become their ally."

"Only by leaving can one truly understand the importance of the other team. And precisely because of this, there is a possibility for us to become their allies. Otherwise, we would only end up as pawns to be discarded by him... That bomb earlier served both to test the exact timing of the explosion and to inform them... The Ally has arrived!"