Although Haha earnestly expressed his grievances and confusion, the speechless creature was still ruthlessly blamed by the wealthy beauty.
Fortunately, Ha doesn't really care about these trivial things. Ha is just wet and tired right now, and if it weren't for the sake of his life, he would have collapsed.
Even energetic and mischievous dogs like huskies feel tired, let alone people walking on muddy mountain roads while carrying backpacks.
The feeling of complaining never dissipated from the very beginning; the only difference was that some people kept nagging, some muttered curses under their breath, and some cried quietly.
The most exhausted are families with children and elderly members.
Children are physically weaker than adults and are too young to fully control their emotions. When they are tired or in pain, they will express it without reservation. Crying is the most basic response at this time. Most of them will lie on the ground, throw a tantrum, and refuse to leave.
Although the elderly are more patient and silent than children, not wanting to add burden to their families, all their patience and understanding crumbled instantly when one of them suddenly collapsed to the ground clutching his chest.
"Dad! Dad!! Help! Someone's in trouble! My dad's collapsed!"
The urgent shout came from the fourth squad behind Gou Fugui and his group, and the crowd began to stir. Two train medical personnel who had received the message ran over quickly, while Hua Jie's husband, the bespectacled, refined-looking man, turned and walked away with a sharp look in his eyes.
Gou Fugui and the others looked at Sister Hua, who smiled proudly: "My husband, Liu Jin, is a field medic!"
Everyone looked on with a mixture of surprise and admiration. Healers who save lives are always respected in any world, but those who are willing to risk their lives in danger and war possess an even greater love in their hearts.
At this moment, Jin Mantang suddenly remembered the couple's strange speed at which they quickly passed through the crowd and left them behind before getting on the bus. He knew that if they hadn't gotten on the bus so quickly, Erha wouldn't have been exposed to them.
Given this woman's somewhat fiery personality, Jin Mantang couldn't help but ask, "And what about you, Sister Hua?"
Hua Yingchun smiled with narrowed eyes: "I'm just a reporter."
Everyone understood. This reporter was no ordinary entertainment or social news reporter; he was a war correspondent on the front lines of the battlefield.
"No wonder you ran so fast, Sister Hua!" Jin Mantang exclaimed. Then he added, "Amazing!" Amazing in every sense of the word.
While Liu Jin and the train's medical staff were urgently treating the elderly man, train conductor Lu Chengfeng, feeling the relentless wind and rain and carefully observing the expressions of the people following behind him, sighed and stopped.
By this time, the train-walking team had already crossed the mountain where half of the tunnel had collapsed and had been traveling along the railway for more than two hours. They had set off at 4:45 p.m., and it was now 7:20 p.m.
According to Lu Chengfeng's original plan, they should first walk for five hours, reaching the second mountain tunnel that the train had to pass through around 10 p.m. That mountain tunnel was the last tunnel leading out of this mountain range. Reaching that tunnel meant they were about to leave the mountains, and perhaps they would then see villages and encounter human habitation, which would provide more security for the passengers he was leading.
Moreover, if there isn't much standing water in a mountain tunnel, it becomes a natural "cave camp" that can shelter you from the wind and rain, where you won't be exposed to the elements.
But the current situation clearly makes it impossible to proceed according to the original plan—
The team's accumulated negative emotions had reached a breaking point, and the elderly and children were also physically exhausted. Although staying in the mountains for a longer period of time would increase the risk of illness and accidents, pushing themselves beyond their limits would inevitably be fraught with danger.
Ultimately, after discussing with the four train police officers, Lu Chengfeng decided that they could only adopt the second option.
He temporarily stopped the team and let everyone rest, then used a loudspeaker and walkie-talkie to inform everyone of the next arrangements.
Listen, everyone! I know you're all exhausted and feeling terrible right now. You want to rest, eat, and even sleep. But not now!
This isn't a place for us to set up camp. We just looked around with our binoculars, and the surrounding area is all rocky mountains and dense forests; there aren't any caves suitable for us to take shelter from the rain. If we stop now, are we going to sleep in the rain? Even though it's only August, in this kind of weather, deep in the mountains, even if we were all wearing raincoats and getting soaked all night, we'd definitely get sick. So we can't stay here; we have to keep going!
Don't worry, everyone, we won't have to walk for much longer. Just hang in there for another hour! In just one hour, we'll reach the next tunnel entrance. That tunnel is a short tunnel, less than 500 meters long, and it's not located between two mountains; it's a higher, relatively more sturdy train tunnel!
If we can reach that high-short tunnel, we'll have a natural cave tonight that can shelter us from the wind and rain! Inside the cave, we can make a fire to dry our clothes, cook some warm and delicious food, and then get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll be able to finish most of the journey in one go!
So everyone, don't stop here! Let's keep going, we can rest in just one hour!
Lu Chengfeng's words were clearly very convincing.
Although complaints and cries of pain arose when he told everyone not to stop, once they heard his reasons, especially when he said that they could dry their clothes in the tunnel and eat hot soup noodles, even the most reluctant people shut up.
As Train Conductor Lu Chengfeng said, this was by no means a suitable place to stop. They couldn't find any modern buildings here; the only shelter from the wind and rain was a few relatively lush trees around them.
Even the most lush and leafy trees couldn't completely block the rain, which was carried by the evil wind and seemed to penetrate almost everywhere, and they didn't have any rain protection such as tents. If they stayed in such open conditions, most of them would probably be sick when they woke up the next day.
But it's much more comfortable inside the tunnel.
So those who had been sitting on the ground slowly stood up again, and the crying children were pulled up by their parents, some gently and some firmly, to keep walking. Some elderly people who were truly unable to walk were then helped up by strong young people in the same carriage to continue moving forward.
The elderly man, who had been given emergency treatment and was completely unable to move, was carried on Xie Tianlang's back.
The old man's son had originally planned to grit his teeth and carry his father on his back, but he himself was not a strong man. As the pillar of the family, he was already carrying most of the luggage, and when he tried to carry his father, he almost stumbled and fell.
Then, he was steadily supported by a strong hand.
The old man's son looked up and saw an exceptionally handsome face, yet one that was somewhat fierce and intimidating. He stammered as he tried to thank the man, but the tall, strong man simply carried the old man on his back.
He looked so relaxed, it didn't seem like he was carrying an elderly person weighing over 100 pounds. It was more like he was carrying a small bag.
It wasn't until Xie Tianlang had already taken several steps forward that the old man's son, nudged by his wife, finally reacted and, with tears in his eyes, loudly thanked her: "Thank you! Thank you, brother!"
Xie Tianlang didn't turn around at all; he simply waved casually with his back turned. His posture was decisive and dashing.
Gou Fugui watched the man walk past him with ease, a smile returning to his phoenix eyes. Then he walked over to an elderly man who was not in good health and began to help him.
Xie Tianlang, carrying the old man forward, was like a silent signal; though he didn't utter a word, he roused the young people in the entire group to action.
The struggle for survival amidst disaster is painful, making one want to cry or curse, and sometimes even breeds unspeakable darkness. But until truly reaching the brink of despair, no one wants to walk into darkness.
The light of humanity will eventually shine.
In that very short moment, train conductor Lu Chengfeng noticed the change in the silent yet united atmosphere of the entire hiking group. He quickly turned around and saw Xie Tianlang walking with unusually steady steps. At this moment, Xie Tianlang was not only carrying one person on his back, but also holding two children who were too tired to walk any further.
Even in the darkness of night, his tall figure was impossible to ignore.
Behind him were many more silent yet increasingly determined figures, supporting and guiding each other as they moved forward.
Lu Chengfeng even spotted the black police dog following Xie Tianlang, carrying several heavy backpacks. Its eyes were sharp, its back was straight, and it had a cell phone in its mouth for lighting, giving it a strange kind of coolness.
The train conductor's eyes reddened slightly. He took a deep breath and turned around, never before believing that they could work together to get out of the mountains.
When people's hearts are aligned and their minds are in harmony, all difficulties will be trampled under their feet.
The next hour on the mountain road went even better than Lu Chengfeng had anticipated, both in terms of the best possible outcome and the fastest possible speed.
They arrived at the second tunnel entrance at 8:30. When they saw the sturdy tunnel, intact and undamaged by the rain and rocks, everyone cheered.
It was as if they had accomplished a great feat together.
Alright, everyone! We've arrived!! Let's enter the tunnel! Then, divide into teams. Those who are still able can collect some branches from the surrounding area, while those who are too weak can help clear the tunnel floor.
Everyone, please keep your backpacks secure! Take good care of the elderly and children, and don't let the children run around!
Lu Chengfeng and his exploration team were the first to enter the tunnel. After roughly confirming that the tunnel was relatively dry and safe, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Although there was water accumulation at the entrance of the tunnel and rainwater was seeping in, it was perfectly fine once you went a little deeper.
By this time, everyone was truly exhausted, but they followed the train conductor's instructions and entered the tunnel in small groups to put down their luggage and rest.
The tunnel wasn't very wide, but it was wide enough to accommodate a small team sitting in a circle.
Gou Fugui and his team were the third team, and they were relatively close to the tunnel entrance.
Then, the people in the team who were less physically fit took charge of sorting the items in their backpacks by helping everyone with the plants, while the people with better physical strength, such as Xie Tianlang, Qin Feng, and the other three, planned to go out and collect some dry branches and leaves to burn.
Gou Fugui went along too.
This made Qin Feng, Lu Hu, and the other physically strong guys take a few more glances at him. This kid clearly looked like someone who couldn't take a beating and had little patience, but he hadn't fallen behind at all along the way and had even been helping others the whole time, showing off his superhuman physical strength.
This made Qin and Lu Hu, who had both trained, feel a subtle sense of incongruity.
But faced with Qin Feng and Lu Hu's intense gazes, the wealthy beauty simply pulled her black rain hat down even further before saying impatiently, "What are you looking at? Hurry up and gather some firewood. I'm soaked through."
After speaking, the wealthy and beautiful woman walked out of the tunnel in the rain, leaving Qin Feng and the others with even more conflicted and somewhat shocked expressions.
"Hiss... Why do I feel like Brother Fugui's temper has suddenly become irritable?" Lu Hu scratched his head.
Team Leader Qin thought he had found the answer: "You've walked this far, aren't you irritable and tired? Stop talking nonsense and go find Mu Tou, I want to eat instant noodles."
Only Xie Tianlang laughed as he watched the wealthy beauty's retreating figure. Wasn't he suddenly becoming irritable? Just like that day when he fought three people at once and had dyed his hair white.
Xie Tianlang followed Gou Fugui outside.
At this moment, the wealthy beauty—no, the wealthy elder brother—felt that he was full of energy. He was holding a jar of honey and drinking it sip by sip. Each sip was incredibly sweet, but after drinking it all, he felt incredibly refreshed.
That's right, this road was really difficult to walk. When it got completely dark, the beautiful and wealthy woman had secretly transformed into the human form of the honey badger, Fugui!
Then, with his overall combat strength and physique enhanced, the humanoid honey badger Fugui was basically not much worse than Qin Feng and the others. In particular, Fugui's bloodline bonus included a 20% increase in self-healing ability and the skill "Spicy Snake Strips" that allowed him to quickly restore his stamina by drinking honey. Relying solely on his super self-healing ability, he hadn't had much trouble getting there.
And now, he's even taken five sips of honey!
Although his mouth was so sweet it tasted bitter, he had completely regained his strength.
Then, the humanoid honey badger carefully put the jar of pure honey into his pocket, and was about to energetically gather twigs when he suddenly heard a voice beside him:
"It tastes so sweet. Are you drinking honey?"
Badger Fugui almost swung his claws back, but in the end he managed to hold back.
He turned around fiercely: "Don't you walk silently?! You know how scary that can be?!"
Xie Tianlang squinted at Huan Fugui's glistening lips and fierce yet equally bright eyes. He laughed and walked forward: "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. What have you done wrong?"
Badger Fugui, who secretly transformed: "...Hmph."
Dad won't play with you anymore.
Badger Fugui rolled his eyes and turned to pick up branches in another direction. Xie Tianlang paused when he saw that he was going in the wrong direction, but then stopped when he saw that he hadn't gone far.
Don't push too hard, or you'll get scratched.
Gathering tree branches wasn't difficult, as the heavy rains and strong winds had blown many branches down from the mountains. Badger Fugui collected a pile of branches in just over twenty minutes, then carried them towards the tunnel.
Before leaving, he still had a conscience and called out to Xie Tianlang and the others. After receiving a reply, he walked back with peace of mind.
On his way back, he suddenly caught a faint, fishy smell. The smell was very faint because of the wind and rain, but he was still able to detect it because of his enhanced bloodline.
The moment he smelled the scent, Badger Fugui instinctively tensed up. His bloodline instincts told him that the smell was extremely dangerous.
But after looking around in the rainy night, he found nothing unusual and could only return to the tunnel with some unease and doubt.
Soon everyone lit a fire.
Although thick smoke billowed out when the fire was first lit, the warm flames quickly and completely calmed everyone's hearts.
The warm and bright fire seemed to dispel all the gloom and dampness. People sitting around the fire dried their clothes and ate food, never feeling that life was so wonderful.
Ah...it's so good to be alive!
"Haha, I feel alive again now. Before, I cursed this damn weather every day, but after this trip, I think, let it rain whatever it wants, I'll take it one day at a time, and I'm definitely not going to give in to this weather!!"
"Yes, we're almost at the Qingchuan Plateau. We can go to the official shelters or rent a house to do whatever we want. I don't believe this rain can keep falling forever, and I don't believe it can flood the world's highest plateau!"
"Our predecessors survived so many disasters, there's no reason why we can't. As long as we unite and work hard, just like today, we can overcome any difficulty!"
Perhaps it was the flames that restored everyone's strength and courage, as the people around the fire gradually began to relax their furrowed brows.
The child was fast asleep in his parents' arms, and a gentle, melodious tune drifted through the tunnel.
Everything seemed perfect.
But suddenly a fierce bark shattered the tranquility.
"Woof!"
This roar suddenly awakened countless drowsy people, frightening the elderly to clutch their chests and children to wail loudly.
"What's going on?! Whose dog is barking?!"
"Where did this dog come from?! Is it a stray?!"
Many people tensed up immediately, and some even instinctively grabbed their backpacks and weapons.
Meanwhile, the members of the third squad and the second and fourth squads in front and behind them all looked at Gou Fugui, their faces showing surprise, doubt, dislike, or disgust.
"Hey, what's wrong with your dog?! What are you barking about in the middle of the night? Can't a person get any sleep? I've told you before, you don't understand any manners at all. Bringing a dog on the car is one thing, but such a big dog and you don't keep it on a leash at night? Are you waiting for it to bite someone to death?!"
The young lady, who already disliked the Black Backs and their gang, exploded in that instant. Still harboring resentment towards Gou Fugui for pushing her, she immediately stood up, pointed at Gou Fugui's nose, and began yelling:
"I'm telling you, shut that dog up right now! Or I'll have everyone beat it to death and stew it into a pot of dog food!"
"Woof woof woof woof woof woof!!"
Woof woof woof woof woof woof woof!!!
"Meow!!!"
Before the young lady could finish speaking, the Labrador, Husky, and black cat that had been obediently surrounding Gou Fugui began barking wildly.
At this moment, the first police dog to bark, the German Shepherd, pounced forward fiercely and fearlessly like a black lightning bolt!
After the teeth-grinding sounds of muscles and bones colliding, everyone in the tunnel witnessed the shocking scene—
A large black dog rammed precisely into the gray figure that was lunging through the air, and bit down hard on the gray figure's neck!
As they fell from mid-air, they stirred up dust on the ground.
"Awooo—"
"Woof!"
Everyone's mind goes blank for a moment.
Then came the uncontrollable screaming.
Outside the tunnel, unnoticed by them, dozens of eerie green eyes gleamed menacingly in the darkness.
Gou Fugui instantly sprang to his senses, grabbed the wooden stick in his hand, and charged forward.
"What the hell are you all standing there for! The wolves are coming!"
"Hit them!"
As the voice faded, the young man's rain hat fell off, its silvery-white color from his forehead to the tips of his hair dazzling everyone's eyes.
Thump!
He knocked a gray wolf away with his bare hands.
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