Nana turned the camera to the right, her voice low: "A heat source has appeared, 400 meters away, and is rapidly approaching."
Chen Hao's heart sank suddenly, as if something had yanked it hard. Before he could even speak, Nana had already raised her hand, and the robotic arm quickly deployed its side detection modules. The screen flashed, and a data stream rolled rapidly.
"Seven or more, arriving within three seconds!" she said rapidly. "They are moving in a fan-shaped encirclement, intending to block their retreat."
Susan immediately stood up, flicked the torch across the dry leaves on the ground, and sparks flew, igniting a small patch of hay. Black smoke billowed into the air, swirling with the wind towards the edge of the bushes.
"Back to back! Chen Hao in the middle!" she shouted, shifting her feet sideways and quickly pressing herself against a fallen metal frame.
Chen Hao, panting heavily, frantically pulled the metal rod he had used to repair the signal device from his backpack. One end of the rod was still connected to half a wire, but he didn't care; he gripped it tightly in his hand and turned to move it towards the middle.
A wolf darted out from the bushes on the right, its gray-black fur flashing in the dim light, its front paws landing with a dull thud. It didn't pounce, but instead crouched low, letting out a short, sharp growl.
Immediately afterwards, shadows appeared one after another—to the left, behind, and in front. Some were crouching on rusted shipping containers, others were hiding between broken supports, all staring at them with eyes that gleamed with a yellowish-green light.
"This commotion..." Chen Hao swallowed hard. "Did they think I was here to deliver goods because I said I wanted to pick up power banks yesterday?"
No one answered. Susan gripped the torch tightly, her gaze fixed on the giant wolf that had leaped onto the wreckage. It was a size larger than the others, with a hump on its back and shoulders, and its tail swayed slowly, as if it were checking its prey.
Nana stood to Chen Hao's left, and the camera kept updating the data. "The muscle contraction frequency of the individual on the left is increasing, and a probing attack is expected within three seconds."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the wolf charged forward, its speed almost imperceptible. But it didn't pounce straight at them; instead, it sliced diagonally, its target the weakest point in the three-man defense—the right rear corner.
Susan was prepared; she flicked the torch backhand. The flame streaked through the air, striking the ground thirty centimeters in front of the wolf and igniting the pile of fallen leaves. The fire instantly flared up, forcing the wolf to stop abruptly and retreat.
“It works,” Nana said. “The pressure from the right wing has been temporarily relieved.”
But on the other side, two more began to circle around, their steps slow but steadily closing in. Suddenly, the wind changed direction, and the smoke that had been used to obscure the view began to drift back, smearing Chen Hao's face.
"Cough cough... Why is this smoke still spreading like guerrillas?" He wiped his face, his eyes stinging from the choking.
"Don't move," Susan whispered a reminder. "They're waiting for us to make a scene."
No sooner had the words been spoken than a long howl came from above. It was the alpha wolf standing high above, its mouth open, the sound piercing through the forest, causing the leaves to rustle. The rest of the pack responded in unison, rising and falling like some kind of signal.
"This is an order." Chen Hao's voice trembled slightly. "Was that a roll call just now? Did they start serving the food after the roll call?"
"Shut up," Susan gritted her teeth. "Save your energy."
Nana is still scanning. "Latest statistics show nine visible heat sources, three of which are stationary and hidden in underground structures, possibly left-behind cubs or individuals guarding the nest. The encirclement is now complete, and all escape routes are blocked."
"So we're trapped like fish in a barrel now?" Chen Hao said with a wry smile. "And the kind with an insulation layer too?"
"Probability analysis shows that the success rate of a forced breakout is less than 12 percent," Nana said calmly. "I suggest switching to a defensive counter-attack mode."
“Then we’ll defend,” Susan said coldly. “Whoever moves first dies first.”
She bent down and pulled a short knife from her boot. The blade was thin and sharp, gleaming coldly in the dim light. She stuck the knife into the ground, then tore off a corner of her coat and wrapped it around the handle to prevent it from slipping.
Chen Hao watched her movements, then looked down at the metal rod in his hand. The rod was too thin, making it unsuitable as a weapon, but he dared not let go. He knew that if he panicked, the entire formation would crumble.
A wolf suddenly pounced from the front, moving with incredible speed, its front paws kicking up a spray of rubble as it landed. Chen Hao instinctively raised his pole to block, but the wolf hadn't actually attacked; it immediately retreated after landing, as if testing his reaction.
"You scared me..." he breathed a sigh of relief. "So you're a feinter too?"
“They’re looking for weaknesses,” Nana said. “You were their target just now.”
"Why me?" Chen Hao stared wide-eyed.
“You had the highest breathing rate, the most sweat, and the most noticeable odor,” Nana answered truthfully. “And you shifted your position twice, exposing gaps in your defense.”
"I'm not fat, I just need to dissipate heat a lot!" Chen Hao muttered. "Besides, who doesn't pant when they're nervous?"
The second round of probing arrived quickly. This time, both sides approached simultaneously, their rhythm synchronized, clearly a coordinated operation. Susan stared at the one on the left, her torch slightly raised.
Nana warned again: "The left wing is about to accelerate, the right wing is delayed by half a second, and the main attack direction is still the left side."
Without hesitation, Susan tossed the torch to the left. The flames crackled against a pile of rotting planks, spreading along the dry moss. The wolf, startled, leaped away.
But the one on the right pounced in the fleeting flash of firelight! Too close, Susan didn't have time to grab her weapon and could only roll to the side to dodge. A wolf's claw grazed her shoulder, tearing off a piece of fabric, but fortunately, it didn't injure her skin.
"Damn it!" She flipped over and stood up, grabbing a piece of scrap metal in her hand.
Chen Hao watched in horror, his palms sweating profusely. He knew he couldn't retreat or move, but his legs were already starting to feel weak.
"You tell me..." his voice trembled slightly, "if I lie down and play dead now, will they let me go? After all, I'm not exactly a new one."
“No,” Nana said. “These types of predators are more sensitive to moving targets, but they are equally aggressive towards stationary living beings.”
"So that means certain death?"
“Not necessarily.” Susan took a breath. “If we can hold out until they lose patience, or find us difficult to chew, they might retreat.”
"When will that be?"
“I don’t know,” she said, “but I do know one thing.”
"What's up?"
"If you dare to move now, I'll push you out as bait."
Chen Hao shrank back and stood still obediently.
Time seemed to stretch out. Every second felt like walking on a knife's edge. The wolves stopped attacking frequently and instead took turns approaching, growling, and retreating, as if trying to wear down their will.
The alpha wolf remained perched high, its eyes cold. It did not participate in the probing, as if waiting for the perfect moment.
Nana's cooling system emitted a slight hum, but when she adjusted the power, the sound immediately decreased.
"You even know about energy conservation?" Chen Hao exclaimed softly. "You're truly an all-rounder."
“Power consumption needs to be controlled during combat,” she said. “Otherwise, the battery will run out in seventeen minutes.”
"Then you absolutely have to hold on," Chen Hao said seriously. "If you turn off your phone, the three of us will have to rely on telling jokes to survive."
“Try telling me one,” Susan suddenly said.
"ah?"
“You said you could ease the tension,” she said, staring ahead. “Now is the time.”
Chen Hao paused for a moment, then grinned: "Okay, I'll tell you one. There used to be a top student in our class who loved to show off. Every time after a test, he would stand up and shout, 'I got them all right again!' But one time, the teacher handed out the papers and said, 'No one got full marks this time because the last question was gibberish, and the computer malfunctioned.' That guy immediately burst into tears, saying he clearly solved it..."
As he spoke, he laughed first: "Isn't that outrageous? He made up an answer to a question that no one else could answer!"
No one laughed. Even Nana's data reports didn't stop.
"Is that all?" Susan asked.
"It's over."
"It's not funny at all."
"I tried my best!" Chen Hao said, feeling wronged. "It's not easy to come up with a joke when you're facing a life-or-death situation."
Just then, the alpha wolf slowly lowered its head, its ears perking up. Its forelimbs slowly lowered, and its rump slightly raised—this was the posture before an attack.
Nana immediately noticed: "The enemy has entered a state of general offensive preparation and is expected to launch a cluster attack within ten seconds."
Susan gripped the metal sheet tightly, her breathing becoming deep and slow. She glanced at Chen Hao, then at Nana.
"Hold your position," she said. "Don't worry about getting hurt. If they dare to come near, beat them to death."
Chen Hao gripped the metal rod tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white. He felt his clothes were soaked with sweat and clung to his back, feeling icy cold.
"If I survive..." he murmured, "the first thing I'll do is lose weight."
"On the condition that you can survive," Nana said.
"Thank you for the encouragement."
The alpha wolf raised its head, letting out a deep, guttural growl. The next instant, all the wolves simultaneously lowered their bodies, tensed their limbs, and narrowed their eyes to slits.
Susan exhaled, her shoulders slumping slightly.
Nana's camera focused on the one in the very front.
Chen Hao bit his lip until it bled, and the taste of blood filled his mouth.
The wolves suddenly pushed off the ground with their forelimbs and pounced towards the center of the three.
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