Chapter 58: Sincerity, Kindness

Seeing that the soldiers were hesitating, Liu Yun placed the mineral water bottle down, bowed slightly, then sincerely said, "Thank you, Comrades, for your hard work."

Without waiting for their response, she turned around and returned to the corner.

Watching Liu Yun sit down and close her eyes, one of the soldiers stood up and went to pick up the mineral water bottle. He shook the bottle a few times, then looked at the clear, golden-colored liquid inside.

Giving Liu Yun one more look, he walked back to his comrade. Sitting down, he showed the mineral water bottle to the other soldier and said, "This doesn’t look like an energy drink."

The other soldier reached out to take the mineral water bottle, then opened the cap. The moment he opened it, the refreshing smell of lemon wafted out of the bottle.

Inhaling the refreshing smell, a square-faced soldier said with a hint of surprise in his voice, "Brother, this is not an energy drink, but a lemon tea!"

The other soldier, who looked younger, inhaled a few more times, then froze in shock.

Seeing that he didn’t say anything, the square-faced soldier worriedly asked, "Brother, are you alright? How about you get some sleep? I can stand guard alone."

The younger soldier came back to his senses when he heard this. Staring at the bottle of tea, he swallowed hard, then looked at the square-faced soldier.

Lowering his voice, the younger soldier asked, "Brother, do you feel anything after inhaling the lemon tea’s fragrance?"

Scratching his head in confusion, the square-faced soldier uncertainly replied, "Erm... It smells good?"

Hearing this, the younger soldier frowned slightly, then inhaled a few more times.

Not understanding what he was doing, the square-faced soldier curiously asked, "Brother, what are you doing? You are acting like a dog."

Glaring at him, the younger soldier motioned for him to lean closer, then whispered, "Brother, after inhaling the tea’s fragrance, I feel refreshed, and my headache has dissipated slightly. You should give it a try."

When the square-faced soldier heard this, he was surprised for a few seconds, then quickly inhaled the tea’s fragrance a few more times.

Staring at him, the younger soldier eagerly asked, "How is it? Do you feel better?"

The square-faced soldier’s eyes lit up as he nodded in response like a chicken pecking on rice. After giving his answer, he took a deep breath, inhaling the lemon tea’s fragrance.

Now that they had confirmed that smelling the lemon tea’s fragrance could lessen their headaches caused by lack of sleep, the younger soldier carefully asked, "Should we try the tea?"

Although he was cautious, the square-faced soldier had had enough of the headache and insomnia. Clenching his jaw, he nodded in agreement.

Receiving his answer, the younger soldier added, "Then... I will try it first. If something happens to me, quickly arrest that young lady."

The square-faced soldier wanted to stop him, but when he met the younger soldier’s determined eyes, he swallowed his words.

"Alright."

Taking the bottle from the square-faced soldier, the younger soldier took a deep breath, then bravely sipped the tea.

Glug...

When the lemon tea entered his mouth, a strong, uplifting burst of citrus flavor and fresh lemon zest hit his tongue at once.

Before the younger soldier could react to the strong flavor, the lemon tea’s zesty and tangy flavor hit him again, leaving him with a beautifully balanced sweetness and the refreshing fragrance of green tea.

The second he swallowed the lemon tea, a clean, crisp, and revitalizing aftertaste that washed away heavier flavors slid down his throat, instantly warming his body and clearing his mind.

Smacking his lips, the younger soldier looked at the bottle of lemon tea with bright eyes.

"This lemon tea is really delicious!" he praised sincerely.

Looking at his comrade’s unsatisfied expression, the square-faced soldier rubbed his hands eagerly. "Brother, let me try it, too."

Handing the bottle of lemon tea to him, the younger soldier said, "Brother, try a small sip first. Otherwise, you might choke on it later."

"Understood."

Following the younger soldier’s advice, the square-faced soldier took a small sip of lemon tea.

Watching his expression change every second, the younger soldier nodded in satisfaction. ’That’s right. That’s the right expression when you drink something so delicious.’

Licking his lips, the square-faced soldier took another sip, then handed the bottle back to the younger soldier.

"Drink another sip. This lemon tea really can make our minds feel more refreshed. We should leave some for our brothers."

Receiving the bottle from him, the younger soldier took a small sip, then closed the lid and carefully stored the remaining lemon tea in his backpack.

Patting the backpack in satisfaction, he turned to the now-sleeping Liu Yun and said, "That young lady is really a good person."

Following his line of sight, the square-faced soldier added, "Mhm. With someone like her around, our hard work and sacrifices are not in vain."

While the soldiers didn’t need people to remember their sacrifices, having someone sincerely thank them was enough to give them the motivation and strength to continue protecting humanity.

While the two soldiers were chatting in a low voice, time flew by in the blink of an eye. By the time the military convoy found a good place to rest, the sun was already at its highest point.

Sitting inside one of the military trucks, Liu Yun was jolted awake when one of the soldiers knocked on the metal door and shouted, "Come on! Get out of the truck now!"

Following his order, the survivors climbed out of the military trucks one after another.

Standing on top of an abandoned car, Lian Tianci announced, "We will rest here for now."

Pointing to four soldiers standing to the side, he continued, "Those who want to join us in searching for supplies can now register with them. There will be ten soldiers leading each team, with a maximum of fifty survivors joining them."

"There will be only four teams going out today. Once the slots are full, we will close the registration."

The moment he said this, low murmurs spread among the survivors.