He didn't stand up immediately, but remained in his prone position, his ears pressed to the ground. The vibration of the sand told him that the sniper was northwest, about two hundred meters away. At this distance, in the high temperature, the bullet would be affected by the heat wave, greatly reducing its accuracy.
Xiao Yi slowly moved his body, using the ruins of the gas station as cover. He pulled a small mirror from his backpack and observed the sniper's position by the reflected light. Sure enough, behind a mound in the northwest, he could vaguely see the barrel of a sniper rifle.
"Don't shoot!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the empty Gobi Desert. "We can talk!"
In response, a bullet accurately shattered the mirror in his hand. Xiao Yi cursed inwardly. This sniper was clearly not a good person. He quickly took off his heat-insulating suit, cut off a piece of cloth with his saber, and took out a metal water bottle from his backpack.
The high temperature of the air would cause refraction, which was his chance. Xiao Yi wrapped the cloth around the kettle and threw it violently to the left. Almost at the same time, he rolled out in the opposite direction.
Bang! The bullet hit the kettle, making a crisp metallic clang. Xiao Yi had already taken this opportunity to rush to the other side of the gas station. There were several rusty oil drums stacked there, perfect for shelter.
He held his breath and listened carefully to the sounds around him. Suddenly, he heard a faint groan coming from the basement of the gas station. The sound was very soft, but it was particularly clear in the dead silence of the Gobi Desert.
Xiao Yi's heart skipped a beat. This sniper was probably protecting something. He carefully moved to the basement entrance and found that the door was ajar. Through the crack in the door, he saw a shocking scene: a thin figure huddled in the corner, surrounded by various supplies.
At this moment, a crisp sound of a rifle being loaded came from behind him. Xiao Yi slowly raised his hands and turned around. A woman in camouflage uniform was pointing a sniper rifle at him. There was a hideous scar on her face, but her eyes were unusually calm.
"Don't move." The woman's voice was hoarse and cold. "If you move, I'll blow your head off."
"I understand your vigilance," Xiao Yi said steadily, keeping his hands raised. "In this environment, no one can be easily trusted."
The woman's finger was on the trigger, motionless. Her eyes wandered over Xiao Yi's face, as if assessing his credibility. Xiao Yi noticed that her lips were also chapped and her face was pale, obviously on the verge of dehydration.
"But," Xiao Yi continued, "if you shoot now, the sound will travel far. In a place like this, any noise may attract something that shouldn't be there."
The woman's eyes flickered. Xiao Yi knew his words had worked. In this deadly desert, besides humans, there were even more terrifying creatures—creatures mutated in the heat, which were extremely sensitive to sound.
"My name is Xiao Yi," he said slowly, "and I'm a survival expert. I can help you."
"We don't need help." The woman finally spoke, her voice still cold, but the muzzle of the gun dropped slightly by an inch.
Xiao Yi seized the opportunity: "The child needs water, right? I saw that his lips have turned purple. If he continues like this, he won't survive today."
The woman's hands trembled slightly. At this moment, a weak cough came from the basement. The woman's eyes softened instantly, and she quickly glanced in the direction of the basement.
"I have water," Xiao Yi slowly lowered his right hand and pointed to his backpack, "and medicine. Let me help, I swear I won't hurt you."
There was a long silence. Sweat trickled down Xiao Yi's temples, and he could hear his own heartbeat. Finally, the woman lowered her gun.
"If you dare to play tricks," she said coldly, "I will make you regret coming into this world."
Xiao Yi breathed a sigh of relief and slowly lowered his hands. He noticed that the woman's movements were a little stiff and her right leg seemed injured. This explained why such a professional sniper would let him get close.
In the basement, a boy about ten years old was huddled in a corner, his face flushed, clearly suffering from heatstroke. Xiao Yi immediately took out the last bit of water from his backpack and carefully fed it to the boy.
"My name is Lin Yuxuan," the woman leaned against the wall, still watching Xiao Yi's every move warily, "He is my younger brother, Lin Xiaobei."
Xiao Yi nodded and began to check the boy's condition. He had a simple medical kit in his backpack, essential for surviving the apocalypse. He took out antipyretics and electrolyte supplements, and wiped the boy's forehead with a wet towel.
"How long have you been here?" Xiao Yi asked while dealing with it.
"Three days," Lin Yuxuan's voice was filled with fatigue. "Our supply truck was hijacked, so we have no choice but to hide here."
Xiao Yi's hand paused. He thought of the bloody metal box outside. It seemed that the brother and sister had been through a lot.
"Listen," he turned and looked directly into Lin Yuxuan's eyes. "I know a place, an underground shelter twenty kilometers to the west. There's plenty of water and supplies, as well as medical equipment."
Lin Yuxuan's eyes became sharp: "How do you know?"
"Because that's where I came from," Xiao Yi smiled bitterly, "I came out to look for more survivors. In this disaster, we need unity to survive."
At that moment, a strange noise suddenly erupted from outside. The three of them froze simultaneously. It was a low roar, accompanied by the rubbing of sand, coming from far away and gradually approaching.
Lin Yuxuan's face turned pale instantly: "They found us."
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