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Chapter 209: First Snow
The heavy rain had poured relentlessly for three days. On the morning the rain finally stopped, a sudden drop in temperature swept through, bringing with it a chill that seemed to arrive without warning.
Zeng Yadong pulled back the curtains, revealing a layer of frost on the glass. Outside, the air was cold and desolate. Soldiers were energetically distributing supplies onto trucks, while Shaoshan's cheeks were flushed as he rubbed his hands together, exhaling puffs of mist. It was still not yet nine o'clock; the sun looked decent, but its rays seemed to lack warmth, casting a cold hue instead.
The fire in the hall had not yet extinguished. Ming Junwei was sound asleep, while Summer Rain was using a damp towel to cool him down. Jin Bo and Xiao Wei sat with their arms draped around each other's shoulders, gathered around the fire smoking cigarettes and occasionally exchanging words with Jiang He. The three of them looked rather unwell. Song Yao and Luci were busy packing luggage, even Wheat was caught up in the hustle; only two people remained silent, their eyes vacant and faces haggard.
Zeng Yadong sighed and stepped outside in a thin coat. The sight of the graduate student made her uneasy; even now, the heart-wrenching cries of the graduate student echoed in her mind. As she pushed open the door, a rush of cold air hit her face like a knife, stinging painfully. Puddles outside had formed a thin layer of ice that shattered at the slightest touch.
"Go back inside and rest; it's cold out here," Shaoshan urged when he saw Zeng Yadong wrapped in her coat. The supplies from two trucks needed to be redistributed, and they would have to go get more gasoline in the afternoon. If all went well, they could set off by tomorrow morning at the latest.
"It's too stuffy inside; I just want to soak up some sun," Zeng Yadong replied with a slight smile. Before she could finish her sentence, her glasses fogged up completely, obscuring her vision.
"It is indeed stifling," Shaoshan agreed, feeling the same way about her description of 'stuffy.' The atmosphere was too oppressive; it made it hard for him to breathe. In his view, these young people were still too naive; losing a few people in such times was normal—there was no time for sorrow.
Zeng Yadong took off her glasses and tucked them into her pocket. Her nearsightedness wasn't severe enough to hinder her from taking a stroll without them. The nearby restaurants had been swept clean by Brothers in Arms; aside from salt, there was hardly anything useful left. Jiang He’s group reuniting also added pressure on Shaoshan—more people meant more resources consumed. After all, he wasn’t part of a humanitarian rescue team; these past few days had given him quite a headache over resource issues. The return journey to Bohai Bay base was over two thousand kilometers long; food, water, and fuel were significant problems along the way.
Weiwei's unexpected death had dulled the joy of Jiang He's reunion with his group and served as a wake-up call for them all. Indeed, they had escaped Kenny's sphere of influence, but danger had not been fully lifted. They had been entangled with living threats for so long that they seemed to have forgotten who truly ruled over the city now. Wandering through this desolate cityscape, they faced not only scarcity but also threats from Zombies. A moment's relaxation could cost them dearly.
Ming Junwei's condition remained unstable; Wang Zhongyu’s accompanying medic performed a simple debridement surgery on him. According to the medic, if treated earlier, they might have avoided removing his eyeball altogether; however, time had dragged on too long, leading to necrosis of both the eyeball and surrounding tissues. If not removed, it could threaten his life. Medical conditions now were far from what they used to be; performing surgery on someone’s head was no small matter. To be safe, Zeng Yadong took everyone to a hospital where at least there were necessary facilities that could provide some assurance.
The medic was a young man around Ming Junwei's age—about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Wang Zhongyu mentioned he was one of the key young medics; despite his youth, he had considerable clinical experience. They waited outside the operating room for over three hours, nearly going mad from anxiety. The surgery was successful, but recovery afterward was less than ideal due to limited conditions; it was already fortunate that Ming Junwei hadn’t died on the operating table, so they couldn’t demand too much more from him.
Ming Junwei is in a dire situation. The day after the surgery, he began to run a high fever and soon fell into a coma. According to Xiao Wei, since they left the Gobi Desert, Ming Junwei had hardly eaten anything. Coupled with the resurgence of old injuries along with new ones, his body had finally given out.
Jiang He understood that Ming Junwei was indeed at the end of his rope. He had witnessed Ming Junwei coughing up blood back in Daliugou and had suspected he had sustained some internal injuries. With everything that happened afterward, he had forgotten about it, only to find out that Ming Junwei had suffered another severe injury in the Gobi Desert. Given the harsh conditions, Wheat had nearly lost his life to gastroenteritis; how could Ming Junwei survive with such terrifying wounds and ailments?
The three young men sat around the campfire discussing the matter. Shaoshan and the others were already preparing to set off, but Ming Junwei's current condition made it impossible for him to endure a long journey.
"The chances of survival are better if we stay," was the medic's final suggestion, which aligned with Jiang He's thoughts.
"You guys go ahead; I'll stay here to take care of Brother Ming." Xiao Wei stubbed out his cigarette and waved his hand to interrupt Jin Bo, who was about to argue. With a heavy heart, he continued, "Our situations are different. I'm the only one left in the entire squad. The Vice Commander promised not to leave anyone behind this time, but in the end, I was still abandoned. I don't want to keep running; when will it end? We've been on the run for months, and so many have died. I'm tired."
"I'm not trying to stop you," Jin Bo yawned and lit another cigarette for himself and his comrade. "I feel the same way; screw Base Camp, I don't want to go either." After saying that, they exchanged glances and laughed heartily while slapping each other's good arm.
Jiang He frowned at them, unable to suppress a laugh himself. After sighing for a while, he realized that these two had already made up their minds about what to do.
"So... you both have decided?" Jiang He asked.
"Not just us," Jin Bo nodded toward behind him with a strange look in his eyes. "She isn't leaving either."
"Huh?" Jiang He turned around just in time to see Summer Rain blowing on a spoon before feeding it to the unconscious Ming Junwei. Surprised, Jiang He turned back and quietly asked, "What's her situation?" He wasn't very familiar with Summer Rain; during their entrapment in the Underground Base, she had taken control of the elevator, blocking access and buying time for Wang Zhongyu and others. Later, when they escaped during a prisoner exchange, she came along too. Jiang He initially thought she was An Zheng's friend but later learned she was actually a teammate who had been turned by Ming Junwei.
"I think she cares about him."
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