"water……"
The hoarse, weak voice struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer. Mu Xue froze for a moment, then burst into ecstatic joy, rushing to Ning Yu's side and asking in a trembling voice, "Ning Yu, you're awake! Do you want some water? I'll get you some!"
Ning Yu slowly opened his eyes. The blinding sunlight made him squint slightly, and the blurry shadows in his vision gradually became clearer. He saw Mu Xue's anxious face, the worried eyes of his teammates, and the mottled bloodstains and mud on their bodies. He knew that they had just gone through a life-or-death battle, and that he was lucky to be alive.
"I'm fine..." Ning Yu tried to raise his hand, but found himself powerless, and the excruciating pain made him gasp. "How are the others?" He endured the discomfort and struggled to sit up.
"Don't move!" Mu Xue quickly supported him, her voice full of worry and concern. "You were unconscious for a whole day and night, and you're still very weak. Don't worry, everyone's fine, it's just..."
As Mu Xue spoke, her tone became hesitant, and her eyes dimmed.
Ning Yu keenly noticed her change. He forced his weakened body to brace himself, his gaze sweeping over everyone. He saw the shocking wound on Lao San's arm, the blood seeping from Xiao Wu's leg, and the various injuries on the others. He knew that Mu Xue's "It's alright" was merely a way of comforting him.
"Are you badly injured?" Ning Yu's voice was low, with a slight, barely suppressed tremor.
One of the team members lowered his head and said in a heavy voice, "Boss, we've lost nearly a third of our brothers..."
Ning Yu's heart sank, an indescribable sadness and anger welling up inside him. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and asked, "Where's the medicine? How much is left?"
The team members looked at each other, and no one spoke. Silence, like an invisible pressure, enveloped everyone's hearts.
Mu Xue bit her lip, her grip on Ning Yu's hand tightening unconsciously. She took a deep breath and slowly said, "Ning Yu, I... I have something to tell you..."
Tears welled up in Mu Xue's eyes, and her voice choked as she said, "Ning Yu, during the battle... our last remaining supplies were destroyed... Now everyone is not only facing hunger, but also lacking medicine to treat their wounds..."
These words struck Ning Yu like a bolt from the blue. He leaned weakly against the wall, his vision blurring. The destruction of supplies was undoubtedly adding insult to injury. In this resource-scarce post-nuclear world, the lack of food and medicine was tantamount to a death sentence.
"How could this happen..." Ning Yu murmured to himself, his voice filled with despair and helplessness. Looking at the tired and wounded faces around him, a deep sense of self-reproach welled up inside him. He was their leader, yet he had failed to protect them and had led them into this desperate situation.
"We can't give up!" Mu Xue suddenly stood up, looking at Ning Yu with a firm gaze. "Even if there's only a sliver of hope, we must fight with all our might to survive!" Her words were full of strength, and they rekindled the dying embers of hope in Ning Yu's heart.
"Yes, we can't give up!" Ning Yu suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with determination. "There must be another way! We'll go look for resources; there must be other survivor bases or leftover supplies nearby!"
His words were like a shot in the arm, injecting renewed hope into the team members' eyes. They helped each other to their feet and began searching the surrounding area.
However, the harsh reality soon dealt them a heavy blow. The surrounding area was desolate; as far as the eye could see, there were only ruins and scorched earth, with almost no sign of life. They found some abandoned cans and plastic bottles, but they were already empty.
Time ticked by, the sun relentlessly scorching the earth, their clothes soaked with sweat. The torment of hunger, thirst, and pain made their steps heavier and heavier, and the glimmer of hope gradually faded.
"Cough cough..." Suddenly, a team member walking in the middle of the group lost his footing, let out a painful cough, and swayed and fell to the ground.
"Xiao Qi!" Ning Yu and Mu Xue exclaimed simultaneously, rushing to his side. Xiao Qi's face was pale, his lips were cracked, and a wound on his arm had begun to fester.
"I...I'm fine..." Xiao Qi shook her head weakly, trying to struggle to stand up, but collapsed helplessly into Ning Yu's arms.
"Don't speak, conserve your energy!" Ning Yu anxiously checked his injuries, his heart filled with worry. Xiao Qi's injuries were more serious than he had imagined; he had to find medicine as soon as possible, or the consequences would be unimaginable...
"There seems to be something over there!" Mu Xue suddenly shouted, pointing to a distant pile of ruins, her voice tinged with surprise. Ning Yu and Mu Xue exchanged a glance, a glimmer of hope igniting in their eyes. They helped Xiao Qi and walked towards the ruins... Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the ruins appeared exceptionally desolate. Rubble and broken stones were scattered everywhere, with a few twisted steel bars occasionally protruding from the ground, silently recounting the past disaster.
"Cough cough..." Xiao Qi's cough grew weaker and weaker, and his already pale face became even more bloodless. Ning Yu felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly. He carried Xiao Qi on his back and quickened his pace, while Mu Xue vigilantly observed their surroundings from the side.
"Ning Yu, look there!" Mu Xue suddenly pointed into the distance, her voice tinged with excitement. Ning Yu followed her gaze and saw a dark cave entrance vaguely visible amidst the pile of rocks.
Hope is all the more precious in the face of despair. Without thinking twice, Ning Yu and Mu Xue supported each other and ran towards the cave entrance. The other team members struggled to keep up.
As you approach the cave entrance, a cold, damp atmosphere hits you, mixed with a strange, indescribable smell. The entrance is very narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.
"I'll go in and take a look first. You guys wait for me outside," Ning Yu said in a low voice, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness.
"No, it's too dangerous. Let me go first." Mu Xue stopped Ning Yu, drawing a dagger from her waist with a serious expression.
Ning Yu gently grasped Mu Xue's hand and shook his head. "You take Xiao Qi with you. I'm more familiar with this place." He knew that now was not the time to be reckless. Someone had to be there to provide support, and Mu Xue, with her meticulous mind and keen observation skills, was the best choice.
Mu Xue wanted to say something more, but seeing Ning Yu's determined gaze, she finally nodded. She knew that once Ning Yu made up his mind, it was difficult to change it.
Ning Yu took a deep breath, took out a flashlight from his waist, turned it on, and a beam of light instantly pierced the darkness of the cave. He bent down, crouched low, and slowly entered the cave…
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