Man's space

  Not all tree stumps are closely connected, some are separated by a foot of distance, but they all have one thing in common: the outer layer of bark is brittle and the core is empty. This fact proves that this place has a long history, and also reflects its originality and simplicity.

  The previous ten minutes, after digging three holes in a row, he came back to call me together, because he had already foreseen that the situation behind might be similar. Since it was impossible to climb up, there was only one way to go forward from below. The direction choice was still based on the map point displayed on the mobile phone, relatively speaking, it was a bit faster than walking on the treetops.

  At first, we took turns peeling the bark, but later to save time, I also found a sharp tool to help dig together. As we pierced through layer after layer of tree trunks, we discovered that we were getting closer and closer to our destination. If we could reach that place by this method, the holes in these tree trunks would be our best cover. It's like digging a tunnel all the way to that location, no one would think we're hiding inside the tree holes.

  But the process was also difficult, and after passing through dozens of tree stumps in a row, my palms were worn out. After all, not all trees are hollow and rotten enough for people to drill through, some still need to be chiseled open with our tools bit by bit. Even though such situations are rare, they are also consuming our physical strength. Later on, even lifting our hands became difficult, we continuously threw the things in our hands to the ground, clanging loudly, "I'm exhausted, let's take a break." After saying that, I leaned back and sat down limply.

  I also stopped and raised my wrist to check the time, it was already past six o'clock. I had just noticed that it was dark outside. The map showed that we were not far from our destination, but with this pace, it would still take a lot of time, mainly because our physical strength couldn't keep up.

  "Let's just rest here for the night and use that bag to block the entrance of the cave."

  "Aren't you afraid something will happen to Liang Ge and them?"

  "If something were to happen, it would have happened already. No matter how fast we hurry, we can't catch up with them. They are a hundred times more familiar with the roads in this mountain forest than we are. Moreover, at night when wild beasts roam about, if we make any noise and come out of the trees, it will be extremely dangerous."

  He was right, but after a moment of silence, I asked firmly: "The tracking devices on Liang Ge and San Kuai's bodies are special devices, or have you had a secret agreement? They should be fine for the time being, otherwise you wouldn't be so calm."

  He suddenly narrowed his eyes, and the bright pupils in the dark were a bit like a leopard in the dark night, but only for an instant. He quickly smiled, "Xiao Jiu, can't you just not be so sharp all the time? Leave some space for us men."

  He ignored his nonsense and although he didn't answer me directly, it was an acknowledgment of my previous guess.

  The space was small, and if no one spoke, you could even hear the other person's breathing clearly. After half a beat of silence, I realized that the people around me were breathing evenly, with almost the same frequency. Turning my head to look, he had closed his eyes as if he had fallen asleep.

  His eyes lingered for a moment, confirming that he had indeed fallen asleep in just a few minutes. To be honest, I was also very tired and my eyes felt sour as soon as I closed them, but my brain kept racing and I couldn't sleep no matter what. Just as I was spacing out, I suddenly felt a heavy weight on my shoulder, opened my eyes to look, and found that Lu Xun had leaned over onto me, sleeping soundly.

  If it were before, my instinctive reaction would have immediately moved my body away, letting him fall to the ground. But at this moment, I hesitated for a moment, and finally supported his head, gently putting him on the ground, and then moved a little distance to the side. However, the space of this tree stump is not much larger than before, with a diameter of just over one meter, so the movement position is limited, my knee is still against his, and he can only curl up and lie down sideways.