The setting sun, like blood, cast long shadows across the broken walls and ruins. The air was thick with dust and the smell of decay, a testament to a hopeless apocalypse.
Ning Yu huddled in a corner of the makeshift shelter, using the dim light to count his remaining supplies: half a moldy loaf of bread, a few compressed biscuits, and a small bottle of murky water. The food crisis once again loomed over his mind like a persistent nightmare.
"I can't just sit here and wait to die!" Ning Yu clenched his fists tightly, making a silent resolution. He grabbed a rusty iron rod, a self-defense weapon he had found in the ruins, something that was better than nothing.
He crouched low as he slipped out of the shelter, cautiously surveying his surroundings. The ruins were deathly silent, save for the mournful sound of the wind whistling through the crumbling walls, as if telling a story of past splendor and present desolation.
Following the route he remembered, Ning Yu headed towards a large supermarket on the outskirts of the city. It had once been a shopping paradise, but now it was part of the ruins, perhaps still holding a glimmer of hope.
Along the way, he carefully avoided areas where mutated creatures were clearly present, while also keeping an eye out for signs of other people's activities. In a post-nuclear world, besides mutated creatures, the human heart is even more terrifying.
Finally, the half-collapsed supermarket building came into view. Ning Yu suppressed his excitement and approached slowly and quietly. He carefully searched every corner, hoping to find some food that had been missed.
Time ticked by, and hope dwindled little by little. Just as Ning Yu was about to give up, he suddenly noticed a familiar package peeking out from under a pile of rubble—it was a type of military compressed biscuit produced before the war, with an extremely long shelf life, and should still be edible even under the influence of nuclear radiation.
Ning Yu's heart leaped with joy, and he quickly moved the rubble off the pile. Just as he was about to hopefully retrieve the package of compressed biscuits, a rough, hoarse voice suddenly rang out behind him: "Kid, what are you doing?!"
Ning Yu was startled and turned around abruptly. He saw a burly man with a face full of scars standing not far behind him, his eyes greedily fixed on the compressed biscuits in Ning Yu's hand. He recognized the man; he was a notorious scavenger in the area named A-Qiang, who frequently committed murder and robbery.
When A-Qiang saw the compressed biscuits in Ning Yu's hand, his eyes lit up. Without saying a word, he pounced on Ning Yu, shoving him roughly and shouting, "Hand over the stuff, or don't blame me for being impolite!"
Ning Yu clutched the compressed biscuits tightly in his hand, glaring angrily at A-Qiang, and said, word by word, "I found these first, why should I give them to you?!" A-Qiang looked at the damaged but still intact package of compressed biscuits in Ning Yu's hand, his Adam's apple bobbing, his eyes gleaming with even greater greed. He licked his dry lips, grinning maliciously, and said, "Why? Because my fists are bigger than yours!"
Before he could finish speaking, A-Qiang pounced on him like a hungry wolf attacking its prey. He grabbed Ning Yu's shoulder, trying to snatch the compressed biscuits from his hand. Ning Yu was prepared and dodged to the side, avoiding A-Qiang's attack. He held the biscuits tightly, roaring, "If you want them, go find them yourself! What kind of skill is it to steal from others!"
"You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!" Enraged, A-Qiang glared fiercely at Ning Yu and suddenly blew a sharp whistle.
With a piercing whistle, clumps of grayish-black things emerged from the shadowy corners of the supermarket ruins. They moved swiftly, squeaking, and quickly surrounded Ning Yu.
"Mutant rats!" Ning Yu's heart sank. These mutant rats were several times larger than ordinary rats, with sharp teeth and claws, and were ferocious. They were mutated creatures produced after being contaminated by nuclear radiation.
Driven by A-Qiang, the mutated rats swarmed towards Ning Yu. Ning Yu wielded his iron rod, desperately defending against the rats' attacks. He moved nimbly, each strike landing precisely on the rats' heads, knocking them to the ground. However, the number of mutated rats was simply too overwhelming; several soon broke through his defenses, their sharp teeth tearing at his clothes and leaving deep, bloody gashes on his body.
"Ah!" Ning Yu couldn't help but cry out in pain, but he dared not relax for a moment. If he stopped, he would be completely overwhelmed by the swarm of rats. He swung his iron rod while moving his feet with difficulty, trying to find an opportunity to break through.
A-Qiang stood not far away, watching Ning Yu being besieged by the rats, a cruel smile on his face. He didn't rush forward, but instead watched Ning Yu's struggle with great interest, as if watching a wonderful performance.
"Give up, kid, you can't escape," Ah Qiang said gloatingly. "Hand over the stuff obediently, and I might consider letting you die a quick death."
Ning Yu paid no heed. His strength was rapidly dwindling, and his wounds were multiplying, but he still refused to give up the fight. He gritted his teeth, his swing of the iron rod slowing down, and his movements becoming sluggish.
Finally, he stumbled and fell to the ground. The surrounding mutated rats swarmed forward, engulfing him in a gray-black wave…
"Haha, you overestimate yourself!" A-Qiang laughed as he stepped forward, stomping on Ning Yu's back and pinning him to the ground. He bent down and reached for the compressed biscuits in Ning Yu's hand. "Now, these are mine!"
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