Volume One: The Planet of Beasts Chapter 28: The Shark

An hour later, Li Juxu met Shark. He had expected the man behind such a nickname to be a towering, brawny fellow like Black-Headed Bee, but to his surprise, Shark was only 1.7 meters tall. Yet, he was lean and wiry, carrying the aura of steel tempered a thousand times—unyielding and resolute.

"Black-Headed Bee has already briefed me on your situation. Thank you for coming to help," Shark said. He seemed to be the type who struggled with small talk, and even though he tried his best to offer a warm smile, it still felt stiff and forced.

"You're welcome. It’s my honor that Black-Headed Bee recommended me," Li Juxu replied, shaking his hand. Shark’s grip was hard and powerful; Li Juxu could tell that if Shark exerted himself, he could crush his palm.

"What do you need? I'll get it ready immediately!" Shark went straight to the point.

"12.3mm sniper rounds—you decide the quantity—and five boxes of chocolate," Li Juxu said. Asking for extra chocolate wasn't about taking advantage; desert nights were frigid, and he knew from basic common sense that he would need high-energy food to maintain his stamina.

The supplies were ready in less than 20 minutes. In addition to the ammunition and chocolate, Shark had provided a heavy fur coat and a pair of gloves to ward off the cold.

"When do we leave?" Li Juxu felt a surge of goodwill toward Shark. Fur coats weren't cheap. He had neglected to bring one, and while Shark was under no obligation to provide it, the gesture earned his genuine appreciation.

"If you have nothing else to attend to, we leave now," Shark said, watching him.

"I’m ready. We can go at any time." Li Juxu had originally wanted to say goodbye to Cao Gang, but he could sense the urgency beneath Shark’s calm exterior. Having accepted the mission, he had to prioritize it. He would just have to explain to Cao Gang upon his return. With Black-Headed Bee’s endorsement, Cao Gang wouldn't have any objections.

Shark’s team consisted of 14 people, a relatively large size for a small squad. It was clear they were well-off; they possessed one combat vehicle and three motorcycles.

The combat vehicle was a modified pickup truck. It couldn't compare to Pu Shaoyun’s, but to Li Juxu, any team that owned a combat vehicle was a heavyweight. His own group couldn't even afford a motorcycle.

The car raced down the road at high speed. Li Juxu glanced at the speedometer—it was over 100 km/h. It was reckless, but the road leading out of the settlement was paved and relatively flat. Still, the pickup’s suspension was mediocre, and sitting inside felt like being trapped on a rollercoaster.

Black-Headed Bee had not come along. Li Juxu didn't ask why, and Shark offered no explanation. Shark sat in the passenger seat, while the other team members stared at Li Juxu with curiosity.

"Little brother, how old are you?" There were two women in Shark’s team—one cute, one a femme fatale. The latter, with a curvaceous, explosive figure, was the one who spoke.

Li Juxu glanced at her and quickly lowered his gaze, saying nothing. She wore a tight leather jacket that showcased her figure, and the zipper was only half-done. As she leaned forward to speak, a mature, alluring scent wafted toward him.

"Oh, shy, are we? Do you have a girlfriend? Still a virgin, perhaps?" The woman giggled, her body swaying.

"Lin Lu, tone it down. Don't scare the kid!" A muscular man glared at her and turned to Li Juxu. "Brother, don't mind her. She’s always like this, no malice intended. My name is Shi, everyone calls me Stone."

"Night Owl," Li Juxu replied.

Etiquette usually dictated that Shark should introduce Li Juxu to the team, but the hunter community was different. Many were protective of their identities. Since they weren't well-acquainted, Shark kept it brief, introducing him only as an external hire. Everything depended on Li Juxu; if he wanted to reveal more during the mission, he could, but no one would press him if he didn't.

"My name is Lin Lu—remember, like the dew on the grass, not 'exposed'—don't get it mixed up," she said, extending a fair hand. Li Juxu hesitated but shook it. Lin Lu took the opportunity to lightly graze his palm with her fingernail. He pulled his hand back in a panic, causing her to erupt into another fit of laughter.

Stone shook his head helplessly, and the other members watched the show with amusement. Shark ignored the antics in the back, focusing intently on a paper map.

The Planet of Ten Thousand Beasts was vast, large enough to contain dozens of home planets. Its terrain was diverse and its climate complex; in many places, the weather changed every ten miles. It would be a prime destination for tourism and exploration if not for the inherent dangers. The most criticized aspect of the planet was its lack of infrastructure.

Large road-building machinery from the home planet couldn't be transported here, and relying on manual labor was unrealistic. The government wouldn't do it, and corporations certainly wouldn't undertake such thankless work. Beyond the few dozen kilometers around the settlements, there were no real roads.

The driver, a mechanic named Wrench, was passionate about vehicle modification. The pickup was his masterpiece; despite its ugly appearance, its performance was top-tier, allowing it to hit speeds of up to 160.88 km/h. Once they were over 200 kilometers away from the settlement, the speed dropped to a steady 55 km/h; any faster would risk a rollover.

Lin Lu had teased Li Juxu at first, but after five or six hours, everyone was exhausted and sore. Silence fell over the group. They tried to doze off but couldn't; they had to keep their hands firmly gripped to the car to avoid being tossed around. They ate on the move, stopping only for necessities. By the afternoon of the third day, they finally reached their destination. It was Li Juxu’s first time seeing a desert—a vast expanse of yellow sand that was utterly breathtaking.

Standing at the edge of the desert, he felt a profound sense of human insignificance, like a single grain of sand in the ocean. The car stopped at the perimeter; the rest of the journey had to be made on foot. Quicksand was a major threat in the desert; if a person fell in, teammates could help, but if a car sank, it was gone for good.

Fortunately, Shark said the destination wasn't far—three hours on foot, barring any accidents. Li Juxu breathed a sigh of relief. Three hours was manageable. When he worked with Cao Gang, they often walked for three or four hours, sometimes even seven or eight, occasionally trekking for days. However, once he stepped onto the sand, he understood the true weight of those three hours, and why Shark’s team left most of their supplies in the vehicle. Walking in the desert was nothing short of torture.