Chapter 348 - 310

Chapter 348: Chapter 310

Alex carried Gu Ning with one arm and strode forward without looking back, his steps swift and steady as he left the chaos far behind.

A moment later, the two black and white figures vanished from Gu Ning’s sight.

"Alex," Gu Ning said, her arms wrapped around his neck. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Was that Zone 15? Did they follow us?"

’I heard some Beastmen mention the Heavenly Beast Clan?’

Alex’s expression faltered for a moment before he said, "It wasn’t the people from Zone 15. Beastmen who fail the security check often try to force their way through at stations in the Middle Lower District. Don’t worry, the station security is well-equipped. They’ll handle a minor scuffle like that quickly."

Gu Ning looked back at the ticket gate, which was growing more distant. Several Beast Police had already surrounded it, and some Beastman travelers were temporarily blocked from passing through.

If they had been any slower, they probably would have been stopped as well.

While Gu Ning felt a sense of relief, a wave of unease also washed over her.

Before long, Alex carried Gu Ning out of a long, narrow corridor and onto a spacious station platform.

The next train was scheduled to depart in less than half an hour, and many Beastmen were already waiting on the platform.

Only then did Alex glance back. He paused for a few seconds at the top of the stairs, then held Gu Ning tighter and squeezed into the bustling crowd.

Gu Ning scanned the platform for any sign of Barto and Cook. The sudden chaos in the main hall had made her very worried about them.

After searching the crowd several times without spotting them, she felt for the terminal in her inner jacket pocket.

The sight of Alex carrying her was drawing many curious and scrutinizing looks from the Beastmen. Afraid of causing more trouble, Gu Ning decided against taking out her own terminal and instead used Kaper’s to contact Barto.

Gu Ning opened Kaper’s contact list and scrolled down, looking for Barto’s contact ID.

She scrolled to the bottom but didn’t see his or Cook’s contact ID.

Kaper’s contact list didn’t have many people saved, but one of the profile pictures was familiar to Gu Ning.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the handsome, stern face that looked like an official ID photo. Just as she was about to enter Barto’s contact ID, the terminal vibrated.

The stern, handsome profile picture popped up with a message notification.

Gu Ning’s finger froze. She stared at the message:

[Have you passed the station’s security check?]

It took her a moment to register. She opened the message window and replied: [Wolf Team?]

[It’s me,] Vine replied. [I saved my contact ID in his list.]

Gu Ning replied: [We’re on the platform waiting for the train.]

Vine sent back an [Okay], and then there were no more messages.

Gu Ning dialed Barto’s contact ID.

She turned off the display projection and ringer, staring at the cracks on the terminal’s screen as she waited for Barto to pick up.

’As long as I can reach Barto, it’ll be fine. He’ll know it’s me calling him.’

After about ten seconds, the call connected just as she’d hoped, only to be immediately disconnected.

Just as Gu Ning was about to send Barto a message, a slender arm reached out from behind and gently tapped her on the head.

She turned her head. Barto was standing behind her, looking at her with his hand still raised.

His red hair stood out in the crowd, and his features and aura were just as striking. The way he stood there, with his tall and slender frame, he looked more like a Beastman than the Beastmen themselves.

If you didn’t look closely at the lower half of his face, hidden by a cowl and marked with faint traces of fur, you would never know he was a Mixed Breed.

Gu Ning opened her mouth, so excited she almost called out his name.

Barto met her gaze silently for a moment, then held out his arms, beckoning for her to come to him.

Instinctively, Gu Ning loosened her grip on Alex.

A smirk played on Barto’s lips as he crossed his arms.

Seeing the teasing smile in his eyes, Gu Ning realized the little fox was messing with her and shook a fist at him.

Alex, still holding her, shifted his body slightly, shot Barto a look, and began to move toward the edge of the crowd.

He had smelled Barto’s scent from a distance.

"Worried about me?" Barto asked, pushing aside a Beastman who was crowding them and leaning closer to her.

Gu Ning let out a soft "hmph" and tapped him on the forehead.

’Of course I was worried.’

The smile in Barto’s eyes widened, and he booped her nose through her mask.

’Where’s Cook?’ Gu Ning thought, turning her head to look for him near Barto.

"He’s with Philinos," Barto said, pointing to the right. "They’re on Platform 1. It’s easier for him to get through security with the Military Department."

Gu Ning followed his finger, but the platform was packed with Beastmen. She was on Platform 12, a long way from Platform 1, and couldn’t see Cook or the others at all.

But she knew Barto could smell their scent, so she relaxed.

"Did you guys get through okay?" Barto asked, his gaze shifting from Gu Ning to Alex, his tone carrying a subtle gravity.

Alex knew at once what Barto was really asking. He exchanged a quick, knowing glance with him, and they both looked over at Gu Ning.

By now, Gu Ning’s identity was an open secret among the core members of the team. While the other team leaders might not have been fully in the loop, both he and Barto were exceptionally intelligent and perceptive Beastmen. Some things they could understand without needing to spell them out.

Gu Ning, thinking Barto was asking her, couldn’t speak freely and just nodded in response.

’There was a small incident at the end, but it didn’t involve us. A close call, but we’re safe.’

Barto ruffled her hair and didn’t press the issue. He stood with them at the edge of the platform, waiting somewhat restlessly for the next train and occasionally glancing behind him.

’They had run into all kinds of bad situations on this journey, and he’d even anticipated worse. But he had never imagined those bastards from the Heavenly Beast Clan would track them down here.’ 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

’Zone 15 was already in the Central District. Even with the vast wilderness and abandoned cities between the Lower Districts, they would have had to get through the No Man’s Land and the heavy security checkpoints in several other Lower Districts to reach this place.’

Thinking back to what he’d seen in the ticket hall, Barto hesitated before asking Gu Ning, "Were you scared by what happened in the ticket hall earlier?"

Gu Ning shook her head. ’After all I’ve been through since coming to the Beastman World, something like that isn’t enough to scare me. I was just nervous we wouldn’t pass the inspection.’

Barto couldn’t see her expression, but he could sense her calmness. He exchanged another glance with Alex, who had turned to look over, and instantly understood. Gu Ning probably had no idea who those two were, and Alex obviously hadn’t told her.

’There were only two of them,’ Barto thought to himself. ’The armed forces in Zone 15 should be more than enough to handle them.’

’But were there really only two?’

’They managed to reach the Central District and nearly passed the station’s rigorous security check. He refused to believe it was only two of them.’

On the surface, Barto and Alex remained calm, but their nerves were stretched taut as they kept a highly focused watch on their surroundings.

While waiting for the train, Gu Ning discreetly took out her camera and started taking pictures.

Through her lens, she noticed that the surrounding Beastmen weren’t paying them much mind. Most had their heads down, looking at their terminals, and many were watching videos.

With a casual glance, she saw that the images projected from a few of the Beastmen’s terminals looked familiar.

She zoomed her lens in for a closer look, then silently panned away.

"When is that Gu Demiao Ning fellow going to be online?"

Gu Ning heard a nearby Beastman mumble to his companion, "Did he really go into hibernation?"

"I heard from Forest that he’s from the Bear Clan..."

Gu Ning’s ears perked up. ’Who said I’m from the Bear Clan?’

"That guy Forest also said he and Gu Demiao Ning grew up together. He said that after Gu Demiao Ning finishes hibernating, he’s going to shoot a new movie with Yuanbao in the spring."

The corner of Barto’s mouth twitched.

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"No way. Doesn’t everyone say he’s from the Fox Clan? That white fox is always reposting Yuanbao’s videos and photos on his column, and he was the one who posted Yuanbao’s latest video."

Gu Ning: Huh?

Hearing this, Alex and Barto simultaneously glanced at the Beastman who had spoken.