"I'll drive," Gu Yuxin called out, opening the door and telling Lu Wuyai to get out of the car.

Gu Yuxin drove the rest of the way herself. Lu Wuyai was sitting in the passenger seat, looking out the window, feeling extremely anxious.

"We'll be there soon," Gu Yuxin said.

Lu Wuyai naturally knew this, and he was already holding the gun in his hand, his eyes fixed on the cowshed not far away.

It's almost noon now, but there's not a single cow to be seen near the fence, which is very unusual.

"Parking lot," Lu Wuyai suddenly said.

Gu Yuxin stopped the car, her pupils immediately shrinking. She saw that many traps near the fence had been triggered, leaving large craters at the scene.

"Sure enough, something happened." Lu Wuyai's voice lowered, secretly thinking that something had gone wrong.

Although not all the traps were triggered, at least half of the bombs were detonated. Even more strangely, there were no bodies nearby.

At this moment, Gu Yuxin pointed in the direction of the stone mountain, where a plume of black smoke was slowly spreading out.

"Go take a look," Lu Wuyai shouted.

In the time that followed, Gu Yuxin drove her car toward Shi Qiu.

As a result, in the area between the rocky hill and the cowshed, they found a group of women dragging a corpse. The black smoke was from where they were burning the body.

At this moment, seeing Lu Wuyai and Gu Yuxin return, the group of women immediately surrounded them.

Lu Wuyai immediately asked if something unusual had happened last night, why the bombs near the cowshed had been triggered, and why many traps next to the rocky hill were stained with blood and exposed on the ground.

"So that's why we thought of looking for you when we saw you hadn't come back last night..." Su Xi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them return, and quickly recounted what had happened from last night to this morning.

It turned out that last night, these women had intended to drive to the dangerous peak, but on a small hill outside the cowshed, they encountered a group of patients with red eyes who had suddenly arrived. Because there were too many of them, they had to turn back.

Given the traps set ahead, the car circled the cowshed as much as possible. Although many infected were killed, the beasts inside were more terrifying than expected.

"You've never seen a black cheetah faster than a car." Su Xi, standing to the side, was also startled, patting her chest, trying to shake off the memory of last night's events.

"Later we returned to Stone Hill and started sniping using the traps there. Although they didn't dare to come closer, they never left. The stalemate ended this morning."

Lu Wuyai nodded and noticed many corpses on the rocky hill. Each of them looked ferocious, and there were also wild beasts that had been shot. Their fur was an unhealthy color, but they were more powerful than ordinary fur of their kind.

“If all the animals on this deserted island get infected, then we’re really in trouble,” Yu Mengrou said, distressed, but there was absolutely no way to stop it.

But soon, Lu Wuyai discovered that Li Ruisi was not among the crowd. He asked around and learned that the girls had all hidden in the cave that night.

“Li Ruisi has a mental illness, so this kind of thing can only be done slowly,” Morroy said.

Lu Wuyai nodded. Later, as he began unloading supplies from the vehicle, he explained what had happened during the dangerous peak hours the previous night.

Upon learning that they too had been attacked by people with conjunctivitis, everyone gave a wry smile.

"It looks like this winter is going to be tough," Lu Wuyai said worriedly.

December is almost over, and the harsh winter has only just begun. Besides animals needing food, even these patients with conjunctivitis need energy.

“In the worst-case scenario, we won’t leave the cave. I don’t understand how these patients found us,” Lu Wuyai muttered to himself.

That noon, Lu Wuyai and the others drove to the dangerous peak again, packed up all the remaining supplies, and finally arrived safely at Shiqiu in the evening.

This time, the supply of provisions filled the gap again.

Looking at the crowded shipping containers in the underground world, everyone smiled with satisfaction. Some of the necessities inside could last for decades.

As darkness fell, Song Xiaoyou followed Lu Wuyai into the outside world and set up new traps nearby.

"Song Xiaoyou, I feel like you've gained a lot of weight recently." Lu Wuyai said while shoveling dirt, looking at his university classmates.

“Really.” Song Xiaoyou looked up, his eyes sparkling like stars, seemingly very surprised by what Lu Wuyai had just said.

Lu Wuyai laughed and said, "I must have gained weight; my baby fat has increased a lot."

Song Xiaoyou subconsciously touched her cheek and couldn't help but smile.

Lu Wuyai was taken aback and said, "Why aren't you sad? Don't women usually pay attention to their figure?"

"That's because I think being fat is a blessing," Song Xiaoyou said earnestly.

This stunned Lu Wuyai once again. Originally, he had only intended to tease Song Xiaoyou, but he never expected that this woman would be so surprisingly serious.

Being fat is a blessing...

Lu Wuyai took a deep breath, lowered his head and continued shoveling soil to rework the hole that had been blasted open earlier.

Half an hour later, the two returned to the rocky hill and dealt with the traps near the hill.

The temperature was very low at night, and even Lu Wuyai, who was shoveling soil, felt a bit of the biting cold, not to mention Song Xiaoyou, who was standing in the cold wind.

But Lu Wuyai couldn't handle the trap alone. Someone had to help install it.

“You should go back first. You should be fine tonight,” Lu Wuyai said, but Song Xiaoyou refused. He had no choice but to speed up his shoveling.

An hour later, the traps near the rocky hill were set, and the two men returned from the cave. The warm environment made them doze off.

In the small cubicles, most of the women were already asleep.

The heating wasn't on. After living on a deserted island for three years, everyone had developed a habit of enduring hardship and were always prepared for the worst.

Before going to bed, Lu Wuyai went to the fruit orchard and harvested the freshest green fruit. This was key to their night vision ability.

That night, the northwest wind howled, and although it clearly didn't snow, the temperature still plummeted.

In the middle of the night, Lu Wuyai woke up from the cold. When he opened his eyes, he was startled to find that the walls of the container were covered with a thin layer of frost.

"Is it that cold?" Lu Wuyai took a breath, put on his shoes, and could still feel the biting cold when he stepped on the ground.

When we arrived at the cave, the conditions were already quite good, but one by one, the women in the private room woke up from the cold. They were wrapped in down jackets, their long, white legs exposed. They sighed and quickly turned on the electric heaters.

Lu Wuyai walked to the cave entrance and took out the thermometer that was placed outside. The temperature reading suddenly showed minus ten degrees Celsius.

"No wonder it's so cold." Lu Wuyai hurriedly returned to the cave and drew down layers of curtains to insulate against the heat.

The following night, he slept in the living room, enjoying the warmth around him, and soon fell asleep again.

The temperature was still high the next morning. Although Lu Wuyai and the others were awake, no one wanted to leave the bed until three in the morning.

Leaving the cave, Lu Wuyai saw damp, yellow grass, with cattle and sheep leisurely walking on it, and the midday sun was dispelling the chill of the place.

Even so, the temperature was still frighteningly cold.

Lu Wuyai dared not breathe too heavily. The chill in the air was truly suffocating. He returned to the cave, put on his mask, and then reappeared outside.

Near the cowshed, Gu Yuxin and Han Shuyi sat on the stone benches by the fence. As for Li Ruisi, he sprayed desiccant inside the cowshed to ensure it was clean and tidy.

"You're out early enough." Gu Yuxin looked at Lu Wuyai with a hint of sarcasm.

Lu Wuyai rubbed his nose. It was too cold outside; no one wanted to come out. At that moment, he and Moro were exploring for traps nearby.

"Nothing happened last night. The trap is intact and shows no signs of being triggered."

Not long after, Li Ruisi also came out of the cowshed. When he saw Lu Wuyai, he was stunned for a moment. Then, as if remembering something, he went back into the cave. When he came out, he was carrying a plastic bucket, which looked like he was struggling.

"This is milk." Li Ruisi gasped, her face turning pale.

To be precise, this is heated raw milk. It has a very short shelf life, but it can be extended by one to two days in winter.

Lu Wuyai walked over, carrying a bucket in one hand. Looking at the white milk inside, he suddenly thought of using it to take a bath.

"No, that's too extravagant." Lu Wuyai shook his head, somewhat speechless at his own earlier thought.

Li Ruisi was taken aback and said, "Brother Lu Wuyai, you are really strong."

"Alright, you'll see later that my strength is not only great, but also very enduring."

Li Ruisi blinked and immediately understood what Lu Wuyai meant. She spat and cursed inwardly, "Men are all the same."

Soon, Lu Wuyai returned to the cave with the milk and told the women to hurry up and drink it.

This is the first bumper harvest since the dairy cows were put into captivity. The previous few times, the milk had been spilled due to Li Ruisi's operational errors. This time, it's the first truly successful operation.

"Lu Wuyai, help us find another reservoir. The current cave is too small," Gu Yuxin said to Lu Wuyai from the ground.

"Didn't we expand it once before?" Lu Wuyai had a headache.

"But last time, didn't you take a lot of things? They were all packed up, except for a place to sleep."

Lu Wuyai went into the cave and looked around. Just as Gu Yuxin had said, it was true. The cave was indeed too small to accommodate three people.

Moreover, having only one entrance and exit is somewhat unsafe.

After considering various factors, Lu Wuyai and the others ultimately decided to help Gu Yuxin and the others renovate their cave dwellings, which added some "trouble" to their daily lives.

On this day, Lu Wuyai smashed one of the cement walls and began to excavate and expand the surrounding area at the fastest speed.

That afternoon, the cave's volume doubled compared to its original size.

"That's enough for today, we'll come back tomorrow," Lu Wuyai said. Before leaving, he made a ventilation opening to ensure fresh air in the cave.

By the time we returned to the cave, it was completely dark.

Lu Wuyai walked around the stone mountain. After not seeing any other strange figures, he left the stone mountain and headed towards the rice paddies.

It was harvest time for the rice in the two paddy fields again. Su Xi and the others hadn't returned all afternoon, and Lu Wuyai was getting anxious, so he decided to go check on them.

Upon arriving at the rice paddy, Lu Wuyai found it deserted. Just as he was beginning to feel anxious, he happened to spot a bright light in a potato and sweet potato field not far away.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that potatoes and sweet potatoes are also harvested at this time.

Sure enough, inside the cave, the women were all squatting on the ground, looking at the sphere on the ground, and they all smiled.

To Lu Wuyai's surprise, he saw two raccoons sitting on a black rock, each holding a huge potato in their hands, chewing it with relish.

"Raccoons eat potatoes." Lu Wuyai's eyes widened, thinking he was still half asleep.

However, Lu Wuyai quickly took a breath. The reason was that, besides eating potatoes, the two raccoons were actually licking the black stones.

This scene was witnessed by other women, who were immediately startled.

"Spit it out quickly." Yu Mengrou, who was closest to them, changed her voice. They all knew that animals that ate black stones would explode.

But the raccoon had already licked it, and the palm-sized stone in his hand softened immediately upon contact with the saliva, becoming like jelly, making it impossible to stop him.

"It's all over, it's all finished, get away from them!" Gu Yuxin shouted, leading the way away from the two raccoons.

Lu Wuyai was also very worried. The bloody scene of the explosion was still vivid in his mind.

But in the end, the raccoon was completely unharmed, without a single trace of "self-destruction," which surprised everyone once again.

"It seems there is a certain probability of self-destruction."

"Why are these two raccoons here?" Lu Wuyai asked in a moment, but kept staring at the other raccoon.

“They came by themselves at dusk, didn’t you notice? The seeds sown in the summer have now sprouted into saplings, which can grow even in cold weather.”

After hearing Gu Yuxin's words, Lu Wuyai realized why he always felt there was something strange near the rice paddies whenever he came here. It must have been his imagination caused by the growth of the nearby trees.

Afterwards, everyone continued to observe the raccoon's condition. Gu Yuxin even had two vials of blood drawn and immediately went back to do some research.

In the potato field, the raccoon seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere, stopped, let out a burp, and finally walked towards the bamboo forest in the night.

“Let’s go back and rest,” Lu Wuyai said.

The women got up and left. They were naturally pleased that the raccoon was unharmed.

Back in the cave, Su Xi and the others started preparing dinner. Lu Wuyai and Song Xiaoyou arrived at the laboratory and found Gu Yuxin adjusting the microscope.

Dusk fell over the deserted island, and the temperature began to drop.

In the laboratory, Lu Wuyai was staring blankly at the raccoon cells on the screen.

"Is there anything special about the raccoon that ate the black stone?" Lu Wuyai asked curiously.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuxin raised her head, adjusted her body, and then said, "There's nothing special about it. It's probably just that the genetic mutation doesn't exist in the blood."

Lu Wuyai remained noncommittal. After leaving the laboratory, the aroma of rice in the living room grew even stronger.

It must be said that the rice grown with black stones is incomparable to the white rice I used to eat, both in appearance and aroma.

"It's time to eat." As soon as Su Xi finished speaking, everyone stopped what they were doing, sat down at the table, and began to eat seriously.

That night, the temperature inside the cave was extremely cold. Around midnight, Lu Wuyai simply went to sleep in the living room. The electric heater was on, making the environment warm.

And so, the days passed by, and before we knew it, the New Year arrived.

On the evening of January 1st, Lu Wuyai and the others were herding cattle and sheep back to the cowshed. The northwest wind was howling, and fine snowflakes had even begun to fall from the sky.

“It looks like there will be a heavy snowfall tonight,” Lu Wuyai said.

In the northwest sky, white clouds drifted by, dense and numerous, like cotton blankets.

"A blizzard." Song Xiaoyou exclaimed. She could see further ahead; a terrible snow disaster was brewing in the white clouds.

After returning to the cave, Lu Wuyai and the others began to prepare for the cold, and at the same time, they handed over some supplies to Gu Yuxin and the others in advance.

In the pitch-black night, Lu Wuyai parked the car at the cave entrance and knocked on the cave door.

"Come out and unload the goods," Lu Wuyai shouted at the three women.

Five 20-pound bags of rice, two barrels of diesel fuel, three modified solar-powered balance scooters, and ten barrels of water. In addition, after much hesitation, Lu Wuyai gave each of the three women a pistol.

"Take care of yourself and don't go for walks when the blizzard comes."

“Where’s the cowshed?” Li Ruisi said.

“It won’t die even if we don’t feed it for a few days.” Lu Wuyai told them to close the door. The cave had expanded by the end of December, doubling in size.

Back in the cave, Lu Wuyai saw that the rocky mountain was covered with weeds, which provided some protection against the cold air.

That night, a blizzard arrived as expected.

Listening to the howling northwest wind, Lu Wuyai opened the door to the cave, but was unexpectedly struck by a pressure surge that almost knocked him to the ground.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the women on both sides closed the door, and the cold air was gradually cut off.

"This evil wind is too strong." Lu Wuyai got up from the ground, still terrified.

Back in his cubicle to rest, Lu Wuyai slept in the living room instead, which reduced the use of the heating and maximized its efficiency.

Soon, the women gradually fell asleep after a long day of work, and did not wake up until the next day.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Lu Wuyai opened the door to the tomb, looked at the pure white snowflakes, and dug them out with a shovel.

“It’s not very thick,” Lu Wuyai said; the snow only reached his ankles.

However, Lu Wuyai soon discovered that the snow was not as thick as he had imagined because the nearby saplings had successfully blocked some of the snow.

Those trees, after a year of growth, generally reach a height of three meters. Although they cannot compare to the ancient trees, they represent a rapid evolution.

“The black stone does indeed have magic.” Lu Wuyai left the tomb, put on the skis he had prepared beforehand, and rushed towards the cowshed.

Snow was still falling from the sky, and Lu Wuyai's traces were quickly buried.

Upon arriving at the cowshed, Lu Wuyai could hear the restless sounds of cattle and sheep inside, as the buildings were partially obscured by the absence of large trees.

The cowshed is twice the size it used to be.

After circling the fence, Lu Wuyai couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Just as he had expected and feared, with the area covered in snow, the traps originally placed on the ground were almost entirely untriggerable.