Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 14: The Cave

“Have you lived here before?” After taking a quick look around—and watching Wang Hao busily tidy up—Zhang’s father immediately formed a suspicion. “Yes, Uncle, we often come here to eat wild game,” Lan Wei said. Wang Hao nodded slightly as well, glancing around the cave. “Brother, what are you doing?” Zhang Xin watched Wang Hao’s actions with some confusion. “Just checking to see if anything’s taken over our home…” Wang Hao tapped on the cave wall as he looked around. Upon hearing Wang Hao’s words, Zhang Xin suddenly froze for a moment… a hint of tension flitting across her face. “It’s nothing. Lan Wei, you stay here and tidy up a bit… Fang Bing and I will go get something to eat,” Wang Hao said after walking around the cave. “It’s so late—why don’t you just stay in?” Zhang’s mother said with some concern. “It’s fine. The man standing next to me is determined to reach the top of the food chain,” Wang Hao said with a slight smile as he patted Fang Bing on the shoulder. “Go ahead, but be careful.” Mr. Zhang didn’t say much more… There probably weren’t any particularly ferocious wild animals here; at most, there might be some wild boars. Although he was a little worried, he didn’t try to stop them, because the confidence on the two men’s faces filled him with confidence as well. Wang Hao nodded slightly, and he and Fang Bing stepped out of the cave one after the other, heading into the woods. “Bro Bing, are you really planning to go live-stream this summer?” Wang Hao and Fang Bing strolled through the woods as if they were just out for a casual walk, chatting casually. “Yeah, I’m planning to do two months of outdoor livestreaming. School’s just so-so anyway—maybe being a streamer suits me better.” Fang Bing nodded; this was something he’d been planning for a long time. “Alright. If it’s outdoors, I’ll give you a little something when the time comes.” Wang Hao nodded slightly, then glanced around and his eyes lit up with delight. “Over here…” Wang Hao casually plucked a few leaves from the ground and walked off in the other direction... “I know—where there’s fennel, there’s bound to be a rabbit hole…” Fang Bing chuckled and said. “Good to know. Let’s go.” Wang Hao smiled faintly. Fang Bing had always wanted to be a wilderness explorer… so he often dragged Wang Hao along, camping out in the wild with nothing but a knife… The reason back then was simple: Fang Bing was afraid to go alone, and he also wanted to help shape Wang Hao’s personality. Since Fang Bing was, after all, one of Wang Hao’s few friends, Wang Hao eventually agreed after being repeatedly pleaded with. To ensure their safety out in the wild, Wang Hao had specifically sought out numerous books on wilderness survival, raising his survival skills to Level 5—nearing Level 6. He naturally became Fang Bing’s mentor; every time they went on an expedition, Fang Bing would drag him along, hoping to learn more about wilderness survival from him. Wang Hao didn’t hold anything back; he passed on to Fang Bing, step by step, the knowledge he’d gained from the books and through his own practical experience. “This must be the spot,” Wang Hao said, looking at a small hole in the ground, a smile spreading across his face. “Hehe, watch my depth charge,” Fang Bing chuckled, immediately balling up the fennel in his hand and tossing it directly into the small hole. The fennel had a vinegary scent—the smell rabbits feared most. As soon as they tossed it into the hole, the two sensed movement inside the burrow. Their faces lit up with delight, and with lightning-fast reflexes, they grabbed the two rabbits darting out of the hole, holding them in their hands—the rabbits were slightly grayish-black from the dust. “Let’s go back…” Wang Hao’s face lit up slightly. Inside the cave... Zhang’s father and the other three stared in astonishment at Lan Wei, who was vigorously rubbing the wooden stick. A moment later, a speck of sparks appeared, accompanied by a wisp of smoke. Lan Wei carefully placed the Mars sparks onto the dry grass he had prepared earlier. With a gentle puff of air, flames instantly leapt up from the grass. “Wow, that’s so impressive.” Zhang Nan’s eyes widened in astonishment. He had originally thought that making fire by rubbing sticks together would be extremely difficult, but after she had tidied up the cave, she managed to start a fire in an instant. “That’s not exactly powerful. It took me at least two or three minutes. If it were the teacher, he’d probably have it done in ten or so seconds. Huh… the teacher’s back…” Lan Wei heard footsteps coming from outside the cave. Wang Hao and the others nodded. They moved the flames to a large rock outside. The two rabbits had already been prepared; Wang Hao, fearing the process might be too gory, had prepared them beforehand and brought them back. Along with the rabbits, there were also two fish that had been prepared. Originally, the two hadn’t planned to catch fish, but using Lan Wei’s small knife, they whittled two skewers from bamboo. Watching Wang Hao prepare the rabbits, Fang Bing couldn’t resist and simply skewered the two fish onto the sticks. “This is so delicious,” Zhang Xin said as she began gnawing on a rabbit leg. Wang Hao smiled softly. Of course, he hadn’t simply grilled the rabbit dry; there were plenty of flavorful plants in the mountains and forests. While the flavors created from these plants couldn’t quite match those of pre-made seasonings, Wang Hao’s culinary skills were no slouch—he possessed one of the few Level 6 cooking skills. With such expertise, combined with the natural surroundings, a unique flavor emerged. Everyone was eating with such delight they couldn’t stop smiling. Even Fang Bing, who was used to eating Wang Hao’s cooking, couldn’t help but indulge. After they were full, they admired the moon hanging high in the sky. Though it wasn’t as full as the Mid-Autumn Festival moon, its bright, white light shone down on the lake, creating a beauty that was hard to put into words. As everyone admired the scenery and shared amusing stories, the conversation inevitably centered on Wang Hao. Meanwhile, Wang Hao was staring blankly at the lake, his gaze somewhat unfocused, lost in thought... “Bro, bro…” Zhang Xin, noticing Wang Hao’s distracted state, gave his arm a gentle shake. “Ah, hold on a second, I need to jot something down.” Wang Hao spoke quickly, pulling his phone out of his pocket in a flash and starting to take notes. The others were taken aback by Wang Hao’s sudden action and began peering curiously at his phone. As Wang Hao typed rapidly, the others were completely baffled—they couldn’t make head or tail of it, as it was all code. Zhang’s father stared blankly; he didn’t understand a single line of it. What Wang Hao was actually typing on his phone wasn’t code at all—it was simply a security measure he’d adopted out of habit. The Longnao software he used on his computer in his rented apartment wasn’t stored on the computer’s hard drive, since he was often in class and feared that thieves might break in and discover it. Instead, it was stored via wireless technology in a separate compartment—precisely to prevent thieves from breaking in after class and making off with his old computer. The same applied to his phone: all the records on it were entered in encrypted form, and without the corresponding password, no one else could make sense of them. Similarly, to prevent loss, both his computer and cell phone were equipped with backdoor tracking features, as these devices contained a great deal of his important data, and he certainly didn’t want all his hard work to go down the drain.