The blood-red sunset stained half the sky, and the air above the ruins and broken walls was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. Victorious cheers echoed in Ning Yu's ears, but he felt no joy.
He slowly raised his right hand, gently stroking a cold piece of steel debris. The icy touch on his fingertips pierced his heart. It was part of their fortifications, now twisted and deformed, just like his current feelings.
“We won…” Mu Xue walked to his side, her voice tinged with the exhaustion of victory, yet unable to conceal a hint of joy.
Ning Yu didn't turn around, but simply responded with a faint "Mm".
He walked slowly along the dilapidated fortifications, his gaze sweeping over every gap torn by artillery fire and every patch of land stained with blood.
"Have the casualty statistics been released yet?" Ning Yu's voice was low and slightly hoarse.
Mu Xue, who was following behind him, changed her expression slightly, and her smile gradually disappeared: "Still counting... preliminary estimate..."
"explain."
"More than two hundred brothers were killed in action, and many were seriously injured..." Mu Xue bit her lip, seemingly finding it difficult to speak.
Ning Yu stopped and took a deep breath. He knew that the price of this victory was far greater than he had imagined. Repairing the fortifications required a large amount of resources, which they were now stretched thin.
What worried him even more was that the battle exposed numerous weaknesses in their defensive system. Although the enemy was just a disorganized rabble, they had managed to inflict such heavy casualties; what if they encountered even stronger enemies in the future…
“Chief, look…” A squad leader pointed to a huge gap in the city wall, hesitating to speak.
“I know.” Ning Yu’s voice was devoid of emotion. He walked to the edge of the breach, gazing at the devastated wasteland outside, a grave look flashing in his eyes. “These all need to be repaired as soon as possible, otherwise we…”
Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly arose behind him.
"What's wrong?" Ning Yu turned around abruptly and saw several soldiers carrying a stretcher rushing over in a panic. On the stretcher lay a wounded soldier covered in blood, his face as pale as paper.
"Leader, Captain Liu, he..." The soldiers' voices were anxious, yet tinged with despair.
Ning Yu's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward. He saw that Captain Liu on the stretcher was breathing weakly, his chest was wrapped in thick bandages, and blood was still seeping out.
"Where's the doctor? Call a doctor right away!" Mu Xue's voice also carried a hint of panic.
"Report, the medical supplies have..." A soldier was about to report when Ning Yu stopped him with a sharp gaze.
"I understand." Ning Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his unease. He reached out to check Captain Liu's pulse, his brows furrowing tightly. The pulse was weak, almost imperceptible... The afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded, night fell, and the stench of blood on the ruins grew even stronger. Inside the medical room, painful groans rose and fell, making Ning Yu feel as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly.
He stood beside the operating table, watching the doctors busily working, his brow furrowed. There were too many wounded, but medical supplies were pitifully scarce. Bandages had run out, and they could only make do with old, washed and dried cloths; anesthetics were a luxury, and many wounded could only grit their teeth and endure the excruciating pain to undergo surgery.
"Chief, what do we do now? Many of our brothers' injuries can't be delayed. If this continues..." The speaker was a medic, his face full of anxiety and helplessness.
Ning Yu closed his eyes helplessly, knowing the medic was telling the truth. "I understand. You go ahead and do your work. I'll figure something out."
As night fell, the dimly lit, rudimentary conference room was filled with an unusually heavy atmosphere. Ning Yu sat at the table, his face grim. Opposite him sat several core members of the organization, each with a worried expression.
"We must replenish our medical supplies as soon as possible!" A burly man broke the silence. "I suggest we immediately send a team to search nearby cities."
“No!” another thin man immediately retorted, “It’s too dangerous outside now, there are traps and remaining enemies everywhere, we can’t take any more risks!”
"Are we just going to stand by and watch our brothers die?" The burly man slammed his fist on the table, his eyes wide with rage.
"Quiet down!" Ning Yu stood up abruptly, his powerful aura instantly enveloping the entire room. He looked around at everyone and said, word by word, "Now is not the time to argue. We need to calm down and come up with a practical solution."
After a brief silence, everyone offered their suggestions, but they were all rejected. Time ticked by, and the atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense.
"This can't go on; we have to make a choice." Ning Yu took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes. "I've decided..."
"I've decided to go there myself." Ning Yu's tone was calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable firmness.
As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room erupted in chaos.
"No! Chief, you can't take that risk!" The burly man was the first to object. "You're our pillar of strength. What if something happens to you..."
"Yes, Chief, let us go!" the others also urged.
Ning Yu raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet. He looked around, his gaze firm: "I know you're all worried about me, but the situation is urgent. We can't just sit and wait to die. Rather than pinning our hopes on a hopeless wait, we should take the initiative and do everything we can to fight for a chance of survival for our brothers."
"But……"
“No buts!” Ning Yu interrupted him firmly. “I’ve made up my mind. I will personally lead the team, select elite personnel, and search for medical supplies in nearby cities.”
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