Chapter 33 Wolves
Chu Qiang suddenly stood up, the soda bottle slipping from his hand. His eyes widened, and the hairs on his arms stood on end: "Wolf...wolf meat? Xiao Jiang, you're not kidding, are you? Where did you get wolf meat?"
Jiang Rong didn't want to explain further. He pointed at Guan Shao and said, "It wasn't me who did it; Guan Shao hit him."
Guan Shao glanced at Jiang Rong, clearly indicating that they wouldn't explain the details of how they hunted the wolves to Chu Qiang. He vaguely replied, "We encountered a pack of wolves yesterday and just killed two of them."
Chu Qiang finally relaxed. "I knew it. With your skinny arms and legs, how could you possibly be a match for a mutated wolf? If it were Guan Tou'er, there wouldn't be a problem. With Guan Tou'er's skills, he could take on ten of them without any problem."
Chu Qiang said happily, "Thank you so much! I've never eaten wolf meat before, and thanks to you, I can finally have some today." As he spoke, he raised his voice and called out to the door, "Mom, you and Dad take a break, I'll cook in a bit."
Jiang Rong raised an eyebrow slightly. "It's good to have meat to eat, but it seems we've gotten ourselves into a bit of trouble."
Chu Qiang bent down to pick up the soda bottle. "Hmm? What's up?"
Jiang Rong said, "We've attracted the wolves. If I'm not mistaken, the wolf howls you heard this morning came from near my house."
Chu Qiang's relaxed expression vanished like water being boiled, replaced by seriousness. "This... is troublesome. I've heard that wolves are very vengeful animals. I guess you weren't careful when you were hunting them, and they followed your scent to your doorstep."
Jiang Rong nodded. "Yes."
After thinking for a while with a serious expression, Chu Qiang came to a conclusion: "We have to get rid of this pack of wolves, otherwise they'll be squatting at your door every day, and you won't be able to live like this."
Jiang Rong smiled and said, "That's what I think too."
Chu Qiang said seriously, "Xiao Jiang, when are you going to hunt wolves? Remember to call me. Although I don't have much experience, I'm still strong. If all else fails, I can hold out for a while by fighting them head-on."
Jiang Rong smiled and said, "Okay, Guan Shao and I need to go back and observe the number of wolves, and also choose a suitable location to set up traps. We'll let you know in advance if we need your help."
With the child still at home, Jiang Rong didn't dare leave for long. After exchanging a few words with Chu Qiang and the others, they prepared to go home. As the two were about to leave, Jiang Rong saw Lei Lei.
A pretty young girl was sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a book, her movements slow and deliberate. Seeing her reminded Jiang Rong of Jiang Hao.
Although Jiang Hao was slow to react, he could still respond to external stimuli. Lei Lei, however, was different; she was immersed in her own world, completely oblivious to her surroundings. Fortunately, Wang Chunlan was a doctor and could provide Lei Lei with targeted treatment; otherwise, who knows what might have happened to the little girl.
Thinking of this, Jiang Rong suddenly remembered something: "By the way, Qiangzi, what kind of doctor is Sister Chunlan? Is she a surgeon or an internist?"
Chu Qiang thought for a moment, "She's a gynecologist. Sister Chunlan used to be the director of the Red House Reproductive Center in City C, specializing in infertility. What? You need to see her for something?"
Jiang Rong's lips twitched and her expression twisted: "It's alright now."
They had hitched a ride on Uncle Li's tricycle on their way there, but they weren't so lucky on the way back. They had to take a back path and cross several hills to get home. The path was overgrown with weeds, which hindered their movement. However, Jiang Rong was now more skilled at using his supernatural abilities, and a path quickly appeared where he had been.
Guan Shao walked beside Jiang Rong, wary of any danger lurking in the bushes. After walking for a while, he asked, "You asked about Wang Chunlan's situation earlier...did you want her to check on Xiao Hao?"
Jiang Rong responded, "Yes, I was thinking that if she could help determine whether the child's problem was physical or psychological, it would be more effective when taking the child to see a doctor in the future." Unfortunately, Wang Chunlan was a gynecologist and couldn't offer much help.
Guan Shao's deep voice came through: "Thank you."
Jiang Rong smiled and said, "There's no need to thank me. It was just a small favor."
Before long, the two passed through Uncle Li's orchard via the path. Just as they were about to enter the house, Guan Shao suddenly spoke up: "Jiang Rong, can you come out with me for a moment?"
Jiang Rong was taken aback for a moment: "Huh? Now?"
Guan Shao nodded slightly: "Yes, right now." Fearing that Jiang Rong might have some concerns, he added: "Don't worry, we won't go far, just near your house. If possible, it would be best to use a military truck."
After leaving the cactus, the military truck drove west along the mountain road, and soon arrived at the winding mountain road beside Lingshan Reservoir. After turning off the side road and driving downhill for a few hundred meters, a bend appeared in front of them. General Guan Shao pulled the truck over to the side of the road: "We've arrived."
Jiang Rong turned his head and only saw the shimmering surface of the lake. This puzzled him; why had Guan Shao parked the car here?
However, he still followed Guan Shao out of the car, and the two walked towards the reservoir. Due to the recent drought, the reservoir's water level had dropped significantly, exposing the embankment, which was dozens of meters high. Jiang Rong glanced around and spotted a gray car on the embankment near the lake. The driver's side door was open, and two winding sets of footprints extended upwards from the door.
Now he understood why Guan Shao had brought him here. On the day of the black rain, Guan Shao had driven his car off the highway. Fortunately, the embankment had a gentle slope and thick silt, and the car's four wheels sank deep into it, giving the two of them a chance to escape.
Just by looking at it, Jiang Rong could guess how dangerous the situation had been. If it had been him and his son who fell, they might not have made it back up.
The people got out, but the car was left on the embankment. Without a tow truck, it will be submerged forever when the heavy rain comes. After a major crisis, transportation is crucial; more cars mean more help.
After attaching the tow rope to the back of the military truck, Guan Shao carried the remaining rope toward the embankment, saying, "Wait for me here for a while."
Jiang Rong replied, "Okay."
Guan Shao pulled on the tow rope and slid towards the vehicle, quickly reaching the back. Seeing that he had secured the tow rope to the back of the vehicle, Jiang Rong climbed onto the military truck and started the engine.
Towing a vehicle stuck in the mud is a skill; you can't go too fast, you have to apply force little by little. As the vehicle slowly moved forward, the pulling force taut the tow rope. Jiang Rong was a good driver, and soon he could see the taillights of the other car in his rearview mirror.
Standing on the shore, the vehicle didn't seem very big, but when it steadily climbed onto the road, Jiang Rong was astonished: "A military off-road vehicle?"
The off-road vehicle in front of me had wheels several times larger than those of a regular car, and its body was tall and wide, with camouflage peeking through the mud. Whether before or after a major crisis, such a vehicle was every man's dream. Especially now, a reliable vehicle can significantly increase one's chances of survival in a world rife with crises.
Seeing the burning desire in Jiang Rong's eyes, Guan Shao pointed to the SUV and invited, "Do you want to drive it?"
Jiang Rong asked expectantly, "Is it okay?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a heavy car key appeared in his hand. Guan Shao opened the driver's side door of the SUV: "Get in, I'll show you the gears."
Under Guan Shao's guidance, Jiang Rong quickly figured it out. The military off-road vehicle was powerful; it was like a wild horse, and you could feel the hidden strength beneath its steel body as soon as it started.
Guan Shao closed the car door and untied the tow rope: "You drive the SUV back, I'll drive the military truck."
Jiang Rong responded and stepped on the gas, sending the car flying like an arrow. Guan Shao, holding the tow rope, watched the taillights disappear quickly, shaking his head with a smile, his eyes filled with a hint of doting affection.
The place where Guan Shao crashed was very close to his home. Jiang Rong hadn't even settled in his seat before his yard came into view. He reluctantly touched the steering wheel; a good car definitely felt different. However, such a powerful car must be a gas guzzler, and the amount of gas he had stored at home couldn't withstand its consumption.
Just as he touched the steering wheel, the military truck came to a stop behind the cactus. Guan Shao walked to the SUV and knocked on the window: "How is it?"
Jiang Rong blinked. "It felt great, but I wasn't satisfied."
Guan Shao laughed: "Why don't you drive another lap?"
Jiang Rong jumped out of the car: "No, we need to save some fuel." Resources should be used where they are most needed and not wasted.
Looking at the mud on the vehicle, Jiang Rong suggested, "I'll go get a few buckets of water to wash the vehicle, and then you can park it next to the military truck to avoid it being exposed to the sun."
Guan Shao responded, but his hand reached towards the trunk. With a click, the trunk opened, revealing more than a dozen black boxes tightly secured together with straps.
Jiang Rong laughed and said, "So there's something inside." She wondered what it contained; it seemed quite mysterious.
Guan Shao didn't avoid Jiang Rong. He untied the straps and opened the top box. A pitch-black gun suddenly appeared in Jiang Rong's line of sight, and for a moment he froze, his mind blank.
While superhumans and mutated animals are indeed terrifying after the Great Crisis, most of them, in their early stages of mutation, cannot be compared to the firearms invented by humans. It's just that ordinary people rarely come into contact with firearms and ammunition in their entire lives, let alone become proficient in using them.
Jiang Rong joined the Peace Base in his previous life because he heard that its leaders came from the military and had a lot of weapons. However, after staying at the base for two years, he never saw the guns and ammunition that the base had advertised. Ordinary people could only defend themselves against external attacks with their own flesh and blood and cold weapons.
Seeing Jiang Rong standing there in a daze, Guan Shao asked gently, "Were you scared?"
Jiang Rong then came to her senses: "It was a bit unexpected, but it's alright." Guan Shao's identity was special, so it wasn't surprising that he owned a gun. He was a mercenary and often carried out international missions; it would be abnormal if he didn't have something to protect himself.
Guan Shao gently stroked the gun, his movements as tender as if caressing a lover's face. Jiang Rong knew nothing about guns, let alone their model. He only knew that the gun looked imposing, especially its long barrel, which looked menacing.
As someone seeing the actual object for the first time, Jiang Rong was somewhat curious: "What kind of gun is this?"
Guan Shao clearly wanted to test Jiang Rong: "Guess?"
Jiang Rong thought for a moment: "AK?" He wasn't a military enthusiast, but the AK was just too famous.
Guan Shao smiled slightly and explained gently, "This is a sniper rifle, capable of killing any living thing within a kilometer."
Upon hearing these four words, three words popped into Jiang Rong's mind: "□□?" The □□ was as famous as the AK, and it was one of the few guns that Jiang Rong could remember by name.
Guan Shao nodded slightly: "More or less." He patted a box below, "This is the AK you were talking about."
Jiang Rong felt her hands trembling slightly. "You're not going to tell me that these boxes are all filled with guns, are you?"
Guan Shao shook his head: "Of course not."
Jiang Rong also disagreed. Having a sniper rifle, a gun, and an AK was already quite remarkable; how could there possibly be a whole trunk full of guns?
Guan Shao calmly replied, "There are only six guns here, the rest are bullets. Oh, and a dozen or so hand grenades. Is there room in your house to store them?"
Jiang Rong stiffly turned to look at Guan Shao. It turned out that he had not only picked up a snail prince, but also a mobile ammunition depot.
*
Just as Jiang Rong had predicted, Guan Shao was using his usual weapon to deal with the mutated wolves. Although he could kill a mutated wolf with a single arrow, the arrow required extremely high accuracy and range. It was fine to use in non-urgent situations, but if surrounded by a pack of wolves, it would be impossible to aim and fire.
Seeing Guan Shao carrying the boxes, Jiang Rong was actually quite nervous: "Won't the things inside explode?" The ammunition was extremely powerful, and if the boxes storing the ammunition exploded, his house would be gone.
Guan Shao explained, "Don't worry, it's not that easy to explode. If handling or high temperatures could cause ammunition to explode, wouldn't weapons become death traps when used in harsh environments?"
After Guan Shao finished explaining, Jiang Rong realized how lacking his knowledge was in the field of weapons.
After settling the suitcase, the two turned on the security camera. His house had several cameras mounted on the roof, facing the mountains in all four directions; if a pack of wolves had indeed roamed the vicinity last night, the cameras should have captured them.
Based on the information provided by Uncle Li and the others, the two of them checked the surveillance footage back to the early hours of last night. About an hour after Guan Shao and Jiang Rong entered the house, some red frames indeed appeared on the mountain to the northeast. Within the frames, large, fat wolves were silently approaching Jiang Rong's house.
Yesterday, Guan Shao skinned a wolf on the cement ground in front of the fairy, and there might still be wolf blood on the ground. The wolves followed the scent to the west side of the courtyard wall, but as soon as they peeked out from behind the wall, sharp cactus thorns flew out.
The mutated wolves had thick hides and tough flesh, and the sharp spikes couldn't penetrate their bodies. However, the intense pain from the impact made them feel threatened. The alpha wolf howled, and the pack retreated to the northeastern mountain.
The surveillance footage showed a series of wolf howls, which sounded quite eerie.
Guan Shao did a rough calculation: "There are more than thirty wolves. It seems we need to make proper arrangements."
Jiang Rong nodded seriously: "Okay."
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, and Jiang Xiaoheng's little head peeked out from the crack. He said in a soft voice, "Daddy, Uncle Guan, can my brother and I have ice cream? We'll each have one, we won't eat more than that."
Jiang Rong checked the time and realized it was already lunchtime; the two children must be hungry. He quickly stood up and apologized, "I'm sorry, Xiao Heng, Dad and Uncle were busy with work and forgot the time. We'll cook right away."
Jiang Xiaoheng said considerately, "It's alright, Dad. Work is more important."
Faced with such a considerate child, Guan Shaoxin softened. If he had any ice cream, he would definitely give it all to him without hesitation.
Jiang Xiaoheng quickly secured his and Jiang Hao's favorite macadamia nut flavored ice cream, while also thinking about the little fairy outside: "Daddy, can the little fairy eat ice cream?"
As Jiang Rong rinsed the rice, he glanced at the cactus outside the courtyard wall. "Probably not." He'd never heard of a cactus eating ice cream, but he could give the little fairy some special abilities later.
Why is the little fairy so quiet today? They were unloading things in front of it just now, and it didn't even jump out to make its presence known; it just stood there quietly. The little fairy's sudden lack of liveliness is a bit unusual for him.
While the rice was cooking in the pot, Jiang Rong poked the little fairy in his mind's eye: "What's wrong, little fairy? Are you in a bad mood today?"
The tiny cactus shrank back, actually avoiding Jiang Rong's touch. You see, it used to love it when Jiang Rong touched it in its mind's eye; each touch granted it some wood-type abilities.
Jiang Rong asked with concern, "Little fairy, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
After a long while, the fairy finally spoke dejectedly, "Engineer Jiang..." Her voice was both aggrieved and pitiful.
It seemed the fairy was still a long way from being able to express her wishes fluently. Jiang Rong directly looked at the fairy's memories. Upon reading them, he finally understood why the fairy was so listless; she was truly depressed.
Last night, it fired spikes at the mutated wolf that was peeking out, but the spikes fell to the ground upon touching the wolf's fur. It fired so many spikes, yet not a single one harmed the wolf.
The fairy's self-esteem was hurt.
Jiang Gong loved it the most. He used it to guard the house and protect Xiao Heng and Lele the dog, but it couldn't even kill a mutated wolf. It was a failed cactus; it didn't deserve to watch cartoons.
The little cactus in the sea of consciousness curled up sadly, its tiny body trembling slightly, much like a sobbing child. Jiang Rong's heart melted. He gently channeled some of his supernatural power into the little fairy: "Little fairy, you're already amazing. If it weren't for you, the wolf pack would have run into the yard yesterday. You're wonderful!"
The fairy's body stopped trembling. It twisted its body slightly, and the originally vertical edges on its body surface twisted into regular arcs.
Jiang Rong continued to praise, "It's okay if you can't hurt the wolf pack right away. You're still young, you can grow slowly. I believe that one day the spikes you shoot will definitely drive away all the intruders."
"Don't be sad, you've done a great job. Cheer up, I'll show you Team Meow, okay?"
The little fairy cheered up again, wiggling her body and saying happily, "There's a problem! There's a problem!"
Jiang Rong breathed a sigh of relief and saw Guan Shao looking at him with concern. He smiled and said, "It's truly an art to coax a child."
Guan Shao smiled: "You've studied this subject very well."
*
For the next two days, every night around midnight, the wolf pack would appear on the mountains near Jiang Rong's house. Whenever they entered the fairy's attack range, they would be met with a barrage of sharp spikes from her.
The wolves weren't stupid; they quickly discovered that the cactus's spikes had a blind spot in their range. If they came down from the hillside at the northeast corner of the house, the wall would block the spikes. They had already jumped in from the east wall last night, but Jiang Rong's house was sturdy, and they hadn't found a way in yet.
Jiang Rong and his team have been setting traps these past two days. Tonight is their decisive night against the wolves. Whether they are pounced on and killed by the wolves, or they wipe them out, depends on tonight.
Chu Qiang kissed the gun a few times, then rubbed his cheek against the barrel, saying, "It's real, it's real! Xiao Jiang, I can die in peace now. I've finally held a real gun in my hands in my lifetime. It was all worth it!"
Jiang Rong took two steps to the side to distance herself from Chu Qiang, "You talk as if what you touched the other day was a toy." Ever since Guan Shao took out the gun, he had called Chu Qiang to join in the practice.
Chu Qiang snorted twice and hugged the gun tighter: "That's different. We practiced aiming and trigger-pulling for two days, and there wasn't a single bullet in it. This is real combat, you know?"
Seeing that his childhood friend had fallen into a semi-manic state, Jiang Rong wondered if the mutated wasps had damaged Chu Qiang's brain: "Brother, you know this is real combat, can you be a little more serious?"
Chu Qiang was muttering something, but Jiang Rong didn't want to listen at all. He turned to look at Guan Shao. Unlike the incessantly rambling and seemingly insane Chu Qiang, Guan Shao was frighteningly calm. He had set up his sniper rifle on the parapet wall in the northeast corner and was now carefully wiping the gun with a white gauze.
Sensing Jiang Rong's gaze, Guan Shao looked up and smiled at him: "Don't be afraid, they are essentially wild beasts." Even if they mutated, they are no match for humans, let alone the three of them who are all superhumans.
Fearing Jiang Rong would be nervous, Guan Shao deliberately distracted him: "You have so many solar panels on your roof, more than a hundred, right?" Behind the three of them, the densely packed solar panels were neatly arranged, no wonder Jiang Rong's family could run air conditioning and appliances 24 hours a day.
Jiang Rong responded, "Yes, there are 117." He bought these solar panels from a photovoltaic company before the major crisis; each one was pressed with tempered glass. Solar panels are said to have a lifespan of 20 years, and fearing they wouldn't be replaceable if they broke, he bought a thousand.
Guan Shao looked up at the dark forest: "Jiang Rong, you're really amazing." He remembered the first time he met Jiang Rong, Jiang Rong gave him some advice, telling him to buy more things.
At the time, Guan Shao thought Jiang Rong's suggestion was just a joke, but he never expected it to come true. Luckily, he had taken the advice and prepared quite a few things. He himself found it unbelievable while shopping; he had only met Jiang Rong once, yet he had taken his words so seriously. Now, it seemed like fate had intervened.
Jiang Rong smiled and said, "Just consider it as me taking precautions."
Time passed slowly, and Guan Shao put on his night vision goggles and said in a low voice, "That's about enough."
Through thermal imaging night vision goggles, gray wolves appeared in a fan-shaped formation descending from the northeastern mountains. They silently swooped down the ridge, heading straight for the courtyard halfway up the mountain.
Jiang Rong took a deep breath and stared straight at the scope, her finger on the trigger slowly tightening.
The wolf pack was incredibly fast, and in no time most of them were within firing range. Just then, Jiang Rong heard Guan Shao's decisive voice beside him: "Fire!"
"Smack!"
A flash of light from the sniper rifle ripped through the long, dark night.
Author's Note:
Fairy's EMO today: I'm a useless ball, I don't deserve to watch cartoons.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
