Chapter 3: I've finally found you guys

  Kang Fan cooked the fish he caught yesterday with instant noodles and ate them. He put a can of food, a pack of crackers, and two bottles of water in the two large pockets under his windbreaker. The lighter, flashlight, military knife, and four 5.6 semi-automatic rifle clips were each placed in one of the four pockets on his vest. He tightened his pant legs, sleeves, and shoelaces, put on the hood of his windbreaker, and then put on a pair of thin leather gloves he found in the car. Carrying his 5.6 semi-automatic rifle and leading Adolf, they set off. On the way, he shot a wild rabbit for Adolf to eat, and after it finished eating, he climbed to the top of a nearby mountain and searched downstream along the ridge. He planned to go to the valley entrance, find a way to cross the river, walk to the upstream valley entrance on the other side, and then cross the river back to their original location.

  The mountain wind was cold in the early morning, and the morning mist had not yet dispersed. Kang Fan's face felt stiff every now and then. His body didn't feel cold, thanks to his pure cotton sweater, vest, and windbreaker. He rubbed his face and quickened his pace. His hiking shoes were comfortable and suitable for walking on mountain roads. Adolf ran around, startling various unknown birds and discovering many bird nests with eggs. Kang Fan carefully collected the eggs: these were now rare delicacies! After walking for about two hours, he started to feel hot. He sat down on a rocky outcropping at the top of the mountain with a broad view, resting while taking in the sights. As far as the eye could see, there were layered peaks and lush greenery, but not a single person in sight.

  Where will they be? Kong Fan couldn't help but feel a little depressed.

  They walked and stopped, and by noon they arrived at the exit of the valley. The continuous mountain range was separated from here by the river, forming an outlet about 60 meters wide, with a river surface width of about 10 meters, but the water flow was very rapid. Just now, because the mountains blocked the view, it was impossible to see the situation outside the valley exit, so Kang Fan decided to cross the river first and then go downstream to take a look. As he walked along the riverbank, he found some human traces again: cigarette butts that had been deliberately trampled out, discarded paper towels, etc. Unable to suppress his inner excitement, he followed Adolf in a small run. Adolf ran while sniffing with his nose, running tirelessly. Kang Fan closely followed, and before he knew it, he was already panting. After running for about ten or twenty kilometers, at a river bend, Kang Fan suddenly heard several gunshots! There were rifles and handguns. He pulled Adolf back, hiding in the woods, searching in the direction of the gunfire. Finally, they saw people, and it was exactly that group of students he had been thinking about day and night!

  At this moment, the sky was near dusk. In the twilight, a pack of wolves surrounded them between two cars, one was that large passenger car, and the other was a civilian light 4-wheel van. Facing his direction was a middle-aged man in casual clothes, holding that 88 sniper rifle, with very professional gun movements, he must have been a soldier. A wolf lay not far in front of him, bleeding all over the ground. On the other side, a female student named Mei Xiang held her own 92 pistol and confronted the pack of wolves, her eyes wide with anger, showing great courage. The remaining students were squeezed between them, holding branches of varying lengths as weapons. The situation was already quite dangerous, and the wolf pack would knock them down with just one charge, so they had to act quickly.

  Kang Fan unfolded the 56 semi-automatic pistol, loaded it and patted Adolf on the head, shouting: Adolf, follow me!

  The shout had barely fallen when Adolf shot over like an arrow, biting down a wolf's head with one mouthful. At the same time, his robust body crashed into the wolf pack with great momentum, immediately causing chaos. Kang Fan took advantage of the chaos to rush into the wolf pack, firing his gun and killing several wolves that were closest to him. Before he could reload, he used his bayonet and rifle butt to knock down a few more wolves. The stench of wolf blood splattered all over his body and face, making him look like a ferocious and terrifying devil as he rushed to Mei Xiang's side in a whirlwind.

  Mei Xiang was stunned, holding the gun but not knowing how to fire it. Kang Fan snatched the gun away, embracing Mei Xiang with one arm and protecting her, then raised his hand and fired repeatedly, the muzzle flashing, the sound of gunfire ringing out, and several more wolves fell to the ground in front of him, the rest scattering with a mournful howl, disappearing into the twilight.

  Why didn't you fire?! Kang Fan, still shaken, couldn't help but roar at Mei Xiang in his arms.

  Plum fragrance itself was in a daze, tiredly looked at him, closed her eyes and softly fell down.

  Kang Fan immediately regretted his attitude just now: This Mei Xiang classmate, beautiful and tender, was already a feat to hold a gun against the ferocious wolf pack! He had been so violently violent towards her, it was really not right. Whether it was due to the excitement of the great war, the joy of reunion, or the guilt in his heart, Kang Fan couldn't help but shed hot tears.

  The people around him were infected, and they burst into tears instantly. Amidst the sobbing sounds, Mei Xiang unknowingly opened her eyes, but Kang Fan was completely unaware of it, with hot tears streaming down Mei Xiang's face. When Kang Fan realized it later, he hastily tried to push away Mei Xiang in his arms, but Mei Xiang's hand that was wrapped around his waist gripped his skin tightly and couldn't be pushed away.

  Just hold on like that. Mei Xiang, regardless of the gaze of dozens of pairs of eyes around her, said with a slightly shy smile, her clean and tidy white teeth shining with lively light in the evening sun.

  Kang Fan was at a loss whether to hug or not, his face looked embarrassed. Some people were laughing, but most of them remained silent.

  Adolf trotted over, seriously sniffing the Mei Xiang lying in Kang Fan's arms. Mei Xiang exclaimed "Mom!" and struggled free from Kang Fan, taking off in a sprint. Adolf chased after her at a leisurely pace, ignoring Kang Fan's hoarse shouts as he didn't look back. Amidst the laughter, Kang Fan rushed over to grab Adolf's fur on the back of his neck, finally stopping him.

  After the wolf pack suffered this heavy loss, they must accumulate strength to launch a new attack. Moreover, even if the wolf pack does not return, the corpses of wolves all over the ground will attract other carnivores, so they must return to the river valley camp before nightfall. Kang Fan and the middle-aged man exchanged names, and the middle-aged man was called Zhong Hanqiang, a very Chinese name. There was no time for courtesy, Kang Fan hastily washed off the wolf blood on his body in the river, drove the big truck, took the students forward, and Zhong Hanqiang drove his own truck behind, locking Adolf in the carriage to be on guard.

  Mei Xiang had already established herself as the leader of the group due to her bravery and composure when facing the wolf pack earlier, and she was the first one to fire a shot, although she didn't hit anything, but the flashing flame from the gun muzzle was enough to intimidate the wolves. At this moment, she was silent like the other students, seemingly still shaken, but her facial expression was calmer and more nuanced than the others. Along the way, Kang Fan was enveloped by her piercing gaze, making his heart feel hairy.

  Due to the poor road conditions, it wasn't until after 10 pm that they returned to the campsite. They rearranged things: expanding the clearing in the woods, parking the two SX2300s on either side, placing the large passenger vehicle in the middle, and positioning the van-type cargo truck across the entrance/exit. This layout would effectively protect the sleeping quarters of the large passenger vehicle. After some consideration, Kang Fan decided to use the supplies from Xiao Gong's car to solve the students' food problem.

  This batch of supplies includes some vacuum-packed military field rations, and some fresh meat, eggs, vegetables, and flour. Roughly estimated, with the minimum amount for two meals a day, it can last for over ten days. Now, there's no time to think about that much, using up the supplies is a small matter, but if the students make any mistakes, that would be a big deal! So he called Mei Xiang over and instructed her to strictly distribute the food according to the allocated amount, one portion per person, not more or less, and to keep a record of the distribution. Mei Xiang happily agreed and went off to do it. Only then did Kang Fan have time to talk to Zhong Hanqiang.

  Old Zhong, tell me about the situation. Kang Fan said.

  Zhong Hanqiang was repairing his car with a flashlight when he saw him coming over and stopped what he was doing. The two sat down by the bonfire, lit cigarettes.

  Here is the translation:

  It happened like this: After Kang Fan got out of the car and left, Zhong Hanqiang was driving out of the military compound. He was three years older than Kang Fan and had served in the military five years ago. So to speak, he and Kang Fan had been in the military at the same time, but Kang Fan didn't have any impression of him. The military compound had thousands of people, so it wasn't unusual that they hadn't met before. This time Zhong Hanqiang was on his way back from transporting goods to a distant place and happened to visit some old comrades in the military compound. As he drove out, he coincidentally encountered those students blocking the road with their car, honking the horn and slowing down. But those students were completely indifferent to his presence, and when he got anxious and wanted to step on the brakes, what followed was exactly the same as what had happened to Kang Fan earlier.

  After arriving in this unfamiliar place, they tried to find a way back to civilization, searching for a route. They saw Kang Fan's fire and made a simple wooden raft to go upstream, but were blocked by a pack of wolves and couldn't get ashore. The wooden raft was damaged when it hit a rock on the shore, so they had to repair it and didn't come again until the next day. But unexpectedly, they encountered the wolf pack again. Just as they had extinguished the bonfire and were about to rest in the car, the wolf pack suddenly appeared. Zhong Hanqiang shot and killed the lead wolf, and Mei Xiang fired three shots before they managed to scare off the wolves and gain some time. The water bottle was thrown by a student on the wooden raft who was anxious and wanted to hit the wolves, and it just so happened that Kang Fan found it.

  Kang Fan suddenly realized that when he saw the students evaporating like steam, he was also undergoing the same transformation in the eyes of those students. The reason why they were unmoved by Zhong Hanqiang's behavior was that those students had already entered a state where they could not hear or see anything. Zhong Hanqiang's joining was purely an accident, but this accident happened at just the right time! Without his care, the situation of these students would have been completely different. As for the whereabouts of the two drivers, it is still unexplainable now.

  Why didn't you fire a shot to signal? Kang Fan asked with a smile.

  Zhong Hanqiang spread his hands, fearing unexpected events, and left the two guns with the students waiting in the car. I only brought a few strong and sturdy boys to explore the road, going upstream, too many people would be a burden.

  "What's your take on this sudden change?" Kang Fan asked.

  Zhong Hanqiang smiled wryly, I couldn't judge. But I knew this was no longer the same world as before.

  Although this conclusion has been silently recited in Kang Fan's heart many times, it still feels a little thrilling to hear someone else say it out loud.

  In the past when I was a soldier, I ran all over this area. Zhong Hanqiang continued to say that if the accident we experienced happened in this area, I could lead everyone back with my eyes closed. But now the terrain here... He paused for a moment, and overall it seems similar to the original terrain of the military department, but it looks like it's from several centuries ago. Everything that should be there is there, and everything that shouldn't be there isn't.

  Kang Fan nodded and said: Yes, those who should have died are gone, and the beasts and forests that should have disappeared have reappeared.

  At this point, the two of them fell silent at the same time and lowered their heads to eat.

  The interior space of the large car is very spacious, with enough legroom between seats, and the seats are also wide and large. The backrest can be reclined to a certain angle, making it comfortable for sleeping. After dinner, all the students went to rest in the big car. In the battle against the wolf pack, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. Kang Fan's appearance brought them a great sense of security, and they could finally temporarily escape the turbulent days. They also had a high-quality and filling dinner, and were able to sleep soundly. Before long, snoring sounds filled the car.

  Kang Fan walked over and closed the car door, leaving only two windows closest to him open for ventilation, locking all the other window glass and pulling up the curtains. He transferred all the items he brought with him to that SX2300, putting them in order. He took off his jacket, put on a combat vest over his close-fitting cotton T-shirt, inserted the 95 military knife, 92 pistol and magazine into the special pockets of the combat vest, and then covered it with the assault jacket. Originally, he had given that 95 military knife to Zhong Hanqiang, who in turn returned an 88 sniper rifle to him, and he replaced it with a 56 semi-automatic rifle.

  Lao Zhong, you go to sleep, I'll keep watch. Kang Fan said to him.

  Zhong Hanqiang didn't bother with pleasantries either and went off to sleep in his own car. Tomorrow's your turn, he said.

  Kang Fan opened the accessory pack of his Type 88 sniper rifle, replacing it with a low-light night vision scope. He observed his surroundings for a while. The scenery in the lens presented an eerie green hue, and he could see clearly within 300 meters. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he sat back down beside the fire pit, adding some dry wood to the flames. The fire crackled to life, licking at the charred bottom of the aluminum canteen, as steam rose from the water inside, filling the air with a savory tea aroma.

  A spotted leopard appeared silently and lay down on the opposite side of the fire, its eyes gazing calmly at Kang Fan.

  Hello. Kang Fan really likes this beautiful feline animal and smiled as he greeted it.

  The leopard narrowed its eyes, opened its mouth as if yawning, then lay down and began to lick its two front paws with its tongue, occasionally casting a glance at Kang Fan with an adorable expression.

  After midnight, Adolf and Mei Xiang got off the car and sat down next to Kang Fan. It was strange that Adolf saw the leopard didn't make a sound, it just stared at him from afar for a while before ignoring him, quietly enjoying Mei Xiang's caress. Throughout the night, Adolf had been chasing after Mei Xiang playfully, Mei Xiang was initially a bit scared, but later seeing Adolf meant no harm, she wasn't afraid anymore, now they have become a pair of intimate friends.

  Adolf, you're really shallow, seeing a beauty and abandoning me. Kang Fan said with a smile while lightly kicking Adolf's foot.

  Adolf grumbled discontentedly and looked at Konfan, shifting his body.

  Mei Xiang covered Adolf with her hand and gave Kang Fan a white eye, what are you doing!

  Kang Fan smiled and turned his head to continue watching the leopard. Animals, like humans, also have beautiful and ugly ones. Beautiful things, no matter what they are, make people feel comfortable. Kang Fan thought so. Mei Xiang's scolding look just now was very cute, which is why he had such a feeling.

  "Why aren't you sleeping? It's still early before dawn." Kang Fan asked.

  Plum fragrance closes her eyes and smiles, you are more tempting than a beautiful dream.

  Kang Fan laughed and said: If I were more tempting than beef, your rations could be saved for others.

  Alright, if you want to do it that way. Mei Xiang said, but I'm so hungry that I've become pale and thin, which doesn't look good. You'll definitely treat me like a ferocious wolf then, instead of looking at me with affection like you're looking at that leopard now.

  Kang Fan said: I won't let you go hungry. If that happens, I would be greatly derelict in my duty.

  I know you will do well, we all believe you will do well, Mei Xiang said.

  Kang Fan silently recited in his heart "I will treat you well", feeling the burden on his shoulders growing heavier.

  The night wind blows gently, the leaves rustle, and when I look up, a silver river runs across the starry sky.

  Mei Xiang fell asleep, leaning on Kang Fan's thigh and sleeping sweetly. The faint scent of her body floated to the tip of Kang Fan's nose, stirring his emotions. Adolf lay at their feet, occasionally raising his head to look around, faithfully guarding them. The leopard stood far away, facing them for a long time, unwilling to leave.