It seems the other party doesn't have a generator and can only rely on the most primitive method to keep warm.
It was late at night, and the cave was warm and cozy. Today was New Year's Eve. Although we didn't have much food prepared, the way we ate it was quite novel.
On these cold and hazy days, a hot pot meal is enough to touch one's heart.
Lu Wuyai glanced at the sauce and then at the dark fish slices boiling in the hot pot, and couldn't help but swallow.
One morning before the Lunar New Year, Song Xiaoyou went to fetch water but found several black fish in the pond, much to the delight of the others.
They are used to eating crucian carp and whitebait, so the sudden appearance of snakehead fish was a real surprise for them.
Moreover, the flesh of the blackfish is very tender, and when paired with a carefully prepared sauce, it is simply irresistible.
In addition, there are a large quantity of vegetables. Thanks to the black stones, not only is the vegetable growing cycle greatly shortened, but also, under hydroponics, there are no pests, and safety is greatly enhanced.
Moreover, it tastes crisper than vegetables grown in soil.
Everyone enjoyed the meal and completed the CD procedure.
Lu Wuyai patted his stomach. After the hot pot, there were still grilled meat skewers. The grilled meat was tiger meat. Of the three tigers he killed last time, two were still alive. This kind of tiger meat was so rare and delicious. He really enjoyed it.
"Give me another bunch." Gu Yuxin reached out and grabbed it, her mouth full of grease.
Even Lu Wuyai felt full by midnight.
However, everyone felt warm. Tiger meat is indeed very nutritious for the human body.
Lu Wuyai lay on the bed, feeling a tingling, itchy sensation coming from his wound.
Perhaps it was the effect of the tiger meat that made Lu Wuyai unable to sleep for a while, so he quietly went into the cave, looked through the periscope, and passed the time.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard the barking of the wolfhounds and discovered that two pure white wolfhounds were licking his trouser legs.
“Little things.” Lu Wuyai patted them, and when he saw the white wolf, he recalled the scene when he met the white wolf and the general back then.
In the blink of an eye, almost three months have passed since they disappeared.
Lu Wuyai arrived at the cave, opened a plastic box, took out the army's rations, soaked them in warm water, and gave them to the little wolfhound.
I had so much fun tonight that I forgot to prepare dinner for these guys.
Seeing their serious expressions while eating, Lu Wuyai realized that finding inner peace is very rare.
Back in the cave, Lu Wuyai sat on a stool and looked into the periscope. He found the surroundings completely silent, the thick ash silencing all sounds of the night.
After observing for a while, Lu Wuyai got off the stool, walked to the bedside, looked at the ancient tiger painting opposite him, and fell asleep quickly this time.
The next day, Lu Wuyai woke up very late. When he opened his eyes, it was almost noon.
He got out of bed and tried stepping on the ground with his heels, finding that the tingling in his muscles had lessened considerably.
"It seems almost finished." A hint of surprise flashed through Lu Wuyai's mind, but he knew it would take at least a month. After all, his left leg had been bitten by a tiger last time.
Amazingly, with the help of this plant extract, the almost useless left leg gradually improved.
The muscles, in particular, have not only not atrophied, but are now fuller.
Standing by the wall, Lu Wuyai walked into the cave and found Tang Xin steaming buns. On the table were bottles of tofu and spicy dishes.
"Have some water first, call me if you need anything." After saying that, Su Xi quickly left. The women in the cave and the laboratory had been busy all morning; there was just too much to do.
Lu Wuyai drank a glass of water and ate two steamed buns. He had eaten more last night and wasn't very hungry now.
After lunch, Lu Wuyai habitually went to the periscope and looked at the stone mountain.
As it turned out, he saw that the group of survivors from the previous night were still there.
However, due to the thick layer of volcanic ash on the surface of the rocky mountain, Lu Wuyai could not see what the other party was doing, so he used a drone to approach the group of strange survivors along the flight path of yesterday.
At that moment, after a night of ashes, all the tents were buried in the ash.
A man emerged from the tent. Through the drone's camera, Lu Wuyai could see a girl in another man's arms. She was motionless, her head drooping, her face deathly pale. At first glance, Lu Wuyai... assumed she was malnourished.
But after that person arrived in the forest, Lu Wuyai suddenly realized that the girl was already dead, and that person was burying her with a shovel.
Seeing this, Lu Wuyai took a deep breath, as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't speak for a long time.
The smog this winter has buried too many people.
After getting off the stool, Lu Wuyai was in a very depressed mood.
In his view, the survivors would have a hard time surviving the coming winter, and more and more people would die.
"Do you want to help them?" Lu Wuyai frowned. He hadn't thought about it yet. Once this "hole" was opened, Shi Qiu would be in even more trouble in the future.
But if he didn't do something, Lu Wuyai always felt uncomfortable.
During lunch, the women noticed that Lu Wuyai was unhappy and assumed that his left leg injury had worsened.
“This isn’t a wound,” Lu Wuyai shook his head, expressing his thoughts.
As a result, a silence fell over the dinner table.
Lu Wuyai glanced at the woman and noticed a faint smile on her face. Finally, Song Xiaoyou spoke first.
"In fact, it is not difficult to provide support without exposing ourselves."
“As long as we go out at night in the dark, they won’t be able to find us. By then, with some unused blankets, food, and fresh water, these people should be able to survive the winter.”
Hearing Song Xiaoyou's words, Lu Wuyai gradually opened his eyes. As expected, he had overthought what had happened before.
They can operate at night using the simplest methods. First, they can provide assistance to these people; second, they cannot expose themselves at all.
They possess night vision, which is almost like having a magical skill on this deserted island.
That afternoon, Lu Wuyai spent the entire afternoon sorting through supplies in the containers, packing some clothes and blankets. He remembered that most of the survivors were naked.
In addition, some marching rations were also tucked inside the blankets.
Of course, such rescues won't last long, nor will they happen every day.
Lu Wuyai hoped that after this winter, this group of people could leave this place and survive in other parts of the deserted island.
At midnight, Su Xi and Yu Xin each took their packed luggage and left, arriving at the tent in the darkness.
They put down what they were carrying and left quietly, silently praying that the survivors would be alright that night.
The next day, You Li discovered through a drone that her luggage from the previous day was missing.
“It must have been taken,” Yuxin said to Lu Jian beside her.
Hearing this, Lu Wuyai breathed a sigh of relief, then took the drone from You Li and continued to watch everything on the rocky mountain.
You Li quickly left the cave and went to the orchard. New green fruits could be harvested again, and new vegetables were growing in the garden. Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
"These green fruits may be the only ones on the entire deserted island." Looking at the fruits in his hand, Lu Wuyai told himself that he must protect these fruit trees, because he would need them in the future.
The drone flew across the ash-covered sky and soon malfunctioned.
Lu Wuyai put away the remote control, ignoring the crashed plane, even though it had just collided with the survivors' tent.
At the end of February, exactly two weeks had passed since the survivors arrived.
During this period, several more people died on the other side of the river, which is very likely related to the sudden drop in temperature.
"It's almost the end of February, and the temperature is getting colder and colder," Su Xi complained as she put down the periscope.
Not only is the temperature bad, but the slightly improved foggy weather has returned. For at least 23 out of 24 hours a day, we won't be able to see anything.
"Very strange weather." Song Xiaoyou walked in from outside, carrying a square box. Inside the box, besides ashes, there were also white snowflakes. They naturally melted after entering the cave.
"It's started snowing."
"Spring is almost here, and it's actually snowing now." Some people hunched their shoulders, feeling cold even in the electrically heated cave dwellings.
Lu Wuyai frowned, unable to help but worry about the survivors.
Yesterday, they took advantage of the darkness to deliver some tools and food, hoping the other party could survive the winter.
But that evening, Lu Wuyai continued flying the drone at low altitude and discovered that the survivors had already left.
"They're gone." Everyone was surprised to hear Lu Wuyai's words, but they quickly realized why these people were leaving.
It's too cold on the rocky mountain. Even with tents, it's hard to keep warm. They need a new shelter.
The departure of these survivors brought a sigh of relief to Lu Wuyai and the others.
After dinner, the women began their work, and Lu Wuyai used a periscope to observe the situation in the forest.
However, due to the thick layer of ash on the rocky hill, not much could be seen from the periscope's height.
In the pitch-black world, they can't see anything, but thanks to their night vision, they can see as clearly as during the day.
Feeling bored, Lu Wuyai leaned against the wall and went to a deserted fruit grove. As soon as he opened the door, a rich aroma of fruit wafted out.
Lu Wuyai saw the heavy durians hanging on the branches, almost touching the ground.
In addition, apples and apricots have ripened, their red fruits resembling small lanterns and light bulbs, reflecting a sliver of light in the dim environment.
Lu Wuyai picked an apple and took a bite. The sweet juice created a rich storm in his mouth.
"So thoughtful."
"Furthermore, it can quench thirst." Lu Wuyai discovered that the water content of fruits cultivated with black seeds is like a portable water bottle. Just one apple's worth can meet one's daily needs.
"Juicy." Lu Wuyai looked at the apple in his hand and couldn't help but sigh.
With these fruits, they can survive even if they are short of water.
"The apricots are good too." Lu Wuyai tasted a few pills and was surprised to find that his hunger was slowly disappearing and his eyes were gradually brightening.
"That's amazing too."
These apricots are all orange-yellow, and they actually make a better filling than marching rations.
At this moment, Lu Wuyai was probably taken aback, wondering if the fruit had mutated because of the black seed.
If that's the case, they have a huge treasure.
This also means they must obtain more black kernels in order to better protect these fruit trees.
"Once my leg injury heals, we'll go to Black Cloud Mountain," Lu Wuyai said.
But to his surprise, he didn't see Tang Xin, You, and Gu Yuxin that night. After questioning them, he discovered that the three women had actually gone to Black Stone Mountain.
Upon hearing this news, Lu Wuyai's eyebrows almost furrowed.
"That's incredibly brave." Lu Wuyai sighed, looking at the injury on his leg, knowing there was nothing he could do.
Song Xiaoyou said, "Don't worry too much. We'll set off at dusk and we have guns, so there shouldn't be any major problems."
But Lu Wuyai felt uncomfortable whenever he thought of those tigers.
And so, amidst continued anxiety, the third night arrived.
That night, Lu Wuyai sat near the tomb chamber, but Su Xi and the others did not appear for a long time.
Midway through, Song Xiaoyou came over, looked at the clock hanging on the wall, and comforted Lu Wuyai, though he also felt a little anxious.
Most importantly, this time, without Lu Wuyai's company, there were only three women, which gradually became worrying.
Jin Xilu and the others were in the same boat. Time passed by, and soon it was late at night.
Lu Wuyai rubbed his temples, feeling drowsy. He listened to the sounds outside the iron gate, but still no car wheels ran over him.
"On the third day, according to past experience, I should be back soon."
Jin Xilu walked out of the passage behind Lu Wuyai, her voice sounding particularly gentle.
Lu Wuyai glanced back and nodded. Under normal circumstances, he should have returned by dusk, but the mountain roads were difficult to navigate, so a longer arrival time was to be expected.
But as the night wore on, the three women still hadn't returned, and the people sleeping in their cubicles could no longer lie down. One by one, they got up and discussed whether they should go check on them.
In the end, everyone agreed to go see it together, and Lu Wuyai was no exception.
"Get your weapons ready."
"Don't forget to eat and drink, and wear the protective suits from last winter."
"Bring medication, anti-inflammatory drugs, and alcohol."
"Go when you're ready, we'll wait for you in the vegetable garden."
The garage was built near the former vegetable garden. Gu Yuxin and Lu Wuyai were the last two to arrive.
"Let's go," Lu Wuyai said.
Although he can't walk, driving is no problem for him.
The three women drove off in three cars, leaving Lu Wuyai and the others in an SUV and an MPV.
Since there was no sun, the MPV couldn't start, so we had to drive an off-road vehicle.
Finally, everyone decided that Gu Yuxin and Xia Qingming would stay in the cave, while the others, including Lu Wuyai, would drive off-road vehicles towards Black Stone Mountain.
Inside the car, Jin Xilu, Song Xiaoyou, and Gu Yuxin remained mostly silent. Lu Wuyai also seemed rather sluggish while driving. Ashes raged across the deserted island, stubbornly clinging to the car windows.
Song Xiaoyou sat in the passenger seat, her large, dark eyes shining brightly in the dim light, making her look unique.
Because he was in a hurry, Lu Wuyai drove very fast.
Even so, it still took them eight hours to reach Blackrock Mountain.
“The vehicle is still there,” Song Xiaoyou suddenly said.
Lu Wuyai also saw three cars parked inside the Black Cloud Cave, but no one else was nearby.
After parking the car, none of them got out immediately. The four of them looked carefully through the car windows at the nearby forest.
After confirming that it was safe, Lu Wuyai opened the car door first and limped towards the vicinity of the mine.
At this moment, the mine was completely exposed to everyone's gaze, with no blind spots. Lu Wuyai knew at a glance that there was no one inside.
Not only is there no one left, but even Blackstone is almost gone.
The thing Lu Wuyai and the others feared has happened: the ore in Black Cloud Mountain has finally been exhausted.
“It looks like an accident has happened,” Song Xiaoyou said.
However, there were no clues nearby. With such a large amount of ash falling, even if there were footprints, they would have been covered up long ago.
For a moment, everyone stood on the edge of the mine pit, not knowing what to do.
Lu Wuyai looked around, momentarily at a loss, but he quickly thought of the group of survivors who were also mining black stones.
He remembered the forest where the other party had previously camped, so he suggested that they go and take a look.
"Be careful," Song Xiaoyou said.
Soon, the car drove forward. Lu Wuyai carefully recalled the journey, because the earth was now covered in ash, and many places had lost their former appearance.
About half an hour later, the car suddenly skidded, and Lu Wuyai quickly stopped it.
But when I got out of the car, I found that one of the tires had been punctured. Upon closer inspection, I discovered a bear trap embedded in the tire.
"How could there be bear traps in a place like this?" Lu Wuyai asked in confusion.
You should know that the ash in this forest is about two stories high, and someone actually set up bear traps here.
Lu Wuyai took a breath, his eyes gradually brightening. Perhaps the person they were looking for was nearby.
With the help of three other women, Lu Wuyai changed the car to a spare tire and hid the car in the nearby ashes.
Later, Lu Wuyai circled around with a stick in his hand and gradually found a special path.
Click it.
A bear trap shot out of the ashes, gripping the stick tightly. Lu Wuyai picked it up and tossed it aside for the next person.
Lu Wuyai discovered more than a dozen such traps along the way.
Behind him, Song Xiaoyou and the others walked cautiously. Then they noticed that the terrain was starting to slope down, and Lu Wuyai realized that they were about to reach their destination.
Last time, the survivors hid in a basin that looked a lot like this.
After walking for a short while, a depression appeared in front of Lu Wuyai.
This is a gentle slope with a steep incline. There is only one road in and out. In the open space at the bottom of the slope, there are a dozen or so tents. It seems there are many survivors here.
Lu Wuyai took out his binoculars and looked carefully for a while. He noticed that, probably because of the cold weather, there were very few people walking around.
"Will Su Xi and the others be here?"
Lu Wuyai wasn't sure, and neither were the others, so they could only go down and find out.
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