"Welcome back, hero!" Amidst the deafening cheers, Ning Yu's initial joy of victory was completely washed away by the scene before him. The stronghold, which should have been filled with laughter and jubilation, was now nothing but ruins.
He suppressed the bitterness in his heart, walked up to Mu Xue, opened his mouth, but said nothing. The tears in Mu Xue's eyes tore at his heart; he knew these were not tears of welcoming a hero, but tears of worry and unease.
"Don't be too happy yet. Hurry up and treat the wounded and assess the losses!" Ning Yu took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, and turned to instruct the third brother beside him.
After a simple welcoming ceremony, Ning Yu, without taking a break, immediately convened a meeting with several squad leaders.
"The situation is worse than I imagined." Ning Yu looked at the report in his hand, his brows furrowed. "We lost nearly a third of our houses, and many of the rest need repair. What's worse is..."
His gaze swept over everyone, and his tone was heavy. "Our ammunition and supplies are almost exhausted, and even our food and medicine are running low."
The atmosphere in the room immediately became heavy. They had given their all to prepare for this battle, and had thought that victory would give them a chance to catch their breath. But what awaited them was an even more severe test.
"How many people are available to participate in the reconstruction work now?" Ning Yu asked, rubbing his temples.
"Report to the captain, 112 lightly wounded, and..." The third brother's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
"Tell me as much as you have!" Ning Yu said sternly.
“Thirty-seven people, and five more...five people sacrificed their lives…” The third brother’s voice was choked with sobs.
Ning Yu fell silent. He knew this was the best possible outcome, but each lost life weighed heavily on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Captain, what should we do now?" a squad leader couldn't help but ask, his voice tinged with panic.
Ning Yu took a deep breath. He knew this was not the time for sadness and despair. He was the backbone of this team, and he had to lead them out of this predicament. He looked around at everyone, his eyes firm and powerful: "Tell everyone to assemble in the square in half an hour!"
In the square, hundreds of survivors gathered one after another. Their faces still showed the joy of welcoming victory, but more so the confusion and anxiety about the future.
Ning Yu walked to the front of the crowd and looked at the familiar faces. He knew that these people had entrusted their lives to him, and he could not betray their trust.
He spoke slowly, his voice low but firm: "Brothers, we won!"
A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd, but Ning Yu did not stop. His tone gradually became serious: "But, this is only the beginning..."
"...The victory horn has just sounded, and we are about to face an even more severe test!" Ning Yu's voice echoed in the square, suppressing the cheers of the crowd and presenting the harsh reality to everyone.
“We have lost our brothers, lost our homes, and our resources are almost exhausted…” With each sentence he spoke, a sigh rose from the crowd, the joy of victory was diluted, and unease spread.
"But we have no time for sorrow, and we have no right to despair!" Ning Yu suddenly raised his voice, his eyes flashing with unwavering determination. "We are warriors who have been tempered by blood and fire, we are the last line of defense protecting our homeland, and we will never admit defeat!"
The crowd erupted in cheers once again, this time fueled by courage and determination from the heart.
"Now, I need you to take immediate action and rebuild our homes with your own hands!"
Ning Yu's order was firm and decisive; the crowd quickly dispersed and began the intense reconstruction work according to their pre-arranged groups. However, reality proved far more brutal than they had imagined.
"Captain, we don't have enough manpower! The brothers with minor injuries are all holding on, and if this continues, their bodies will break down!" The third brother's anxious voice rang in Ning Yu's ears.
Looking at those figures gritting their teeth and persevering, yet swaying precariously due to their weakness, Ning Yu felt a pang of pain in his heart. He was well aware of their current predicament, but they had no time to wait; danger would show no mercy because of their weakness.
"Prioritize repairing the fortifications; put other work aside for now!" Ning Yu decisively ordered. He knew that in the face of extreme resource scarcity, only by ensuring safety could other matters be discussed.
He personally led a team to carry stones and timber collected from the ruins to reinforce the walls of the stronghold.
"Captain, these materials are far from enough!" A team member wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice filled with despair.
Ning Yu looked around. The once towering walls were now just ruins. To restore them to their original state, a massive amount of materials would be needed.
"Go search further afield!" Ning Yu gritted his teeth and said, "Third brother, you take some men to the west, I'll go to the east. Remember, be careful!"
The team set off again, but this time, they faced not only ruins and devastation, but also unknown dangers lurking in the ruins.
"roar--"
A deafening roar came from afar, breaking the brief silence. Ning Yu's heart sank, and an ominous premonition surged into his mind.
"Warning!" he growled, the weapon in his hand gleaming coldly.
The next second, several dark figures sprang out of the ruins, reeking of a nauseating stench, and pounced on them...
"Mutant creatures! A lot of them!" The third brother's voice came from afar, tinged with fear.
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