I'd like to thank our new Patreon Diamond member, "melonpan," for recommending this novel for translation. I've read up to chapter 50, and it's a truly engaging read. It boasts a 4.4 rating on NovelUpdates. So you know it's going to be good.
Thank you again, Melonpan, for the sponsorship
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"Tang Xuhai!!!" Fu Shiwu's eyes widened uncontrollably.
His mind went blank, and in his perception, several alien creatures and Tang Xuhai, along with the squad leader, formed a clear three-dimensional image. The movements of the aliens and the two men slowed down continuously.
Fu Shiwu's heart pounded. Without hesitation, he pulled out the pistol from his back, swiftly released the safety, gripped the handle with his right hand, supported it with his left hand, raised his arm, and aimed.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Kaa! Kaa!"
Flames flickered as all six bullets from the pistol were fired. The trajectory of the bullets seemed to draw a line on the three images in his perception. One bullet hit the alien's head, another passed through the lower jaw of another alien and struck the chest of the one above it, while the remaining four bullets all hit vital points of aliens leaping down from higher levels.
Everything in front of him seemed like someone pressed the play button. Screams, alien hisses, and falling aliens, impacted by the bullets, twisted and fell to the ground.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Tang Xuhai roared, pulling out his military knife and throwing it towards the aliens. It hit the forehead of one alien that Fu Shiwu missed.
Only then did the squad leader react, lifting his leg to kick the alien falling towards him.
The encircling circle of eight aliens fell awkwardly to the ground, knocking down the squad leader and Tang Xuhai.
"Tang Xuhai!" Fu Shiwu's head was in a daze as he rushed over. "Tang Xuhai!"
The soldiers on duty, like a hornet's nest, under the deputy commander's roar, reluctantly left half of them to guard the position, turning their heads anxiously to watch.
"Commander! Commander! Are you okay?!" A veteran and a soldier who followed behind him rushed over, crawling and rolling.
Some aliens were not completely dead yet, still convulsing. The soldiers angrily drew their bayonets and stabbed the aliens' heads.
In a short while, the ground was soaked in fresh blood.
"Tang Xuhai, are you okay?" Fu Shiwu pushed aside the alien corpses and helped Tang Xuhai, who was pinned underneath.
Tang Xuhai's face and body were covered in blood, and his reaction was a bit sluggish. He blinked and wiped the blood off his face. "I'm fine, not dead."
Fu Shiwu's expression was strangely intense, a mix of sadness and joy on his face.
Tang Xuhai looked at him, raised his hand to pat his head, and said, "Well done!"
Fu Shiwu's shots were timely; otherwise, both he and the squad leader would have been severely injured.
Wearing combat gear protected them from losing a layer of skin when the hooked tentacles of the aliens smashed down.
But even so, the exposed hands, due to the protection of the head, still suffered several bloody cuts.
Because of the intense impact, Tang Xuhai's hands were shaking with pain. He shook off the blood droplets, solemnly telling the squad leader, "We can't defend here anymore! The aliens are becoming more experienced; they might attack us from the high ground. Both sides are elevated, and we could be surrounded at any moment!"
The squad leader, with a grim face, nodded and turned to roar behind him, "Deputy Commander! Organize a retreat!"
The squad leader walked a few steps to Fu Shiwu and saluted him earnestly. Fu Shiwu, feeling awkward, wanted to return the salute but wasn't sure if it was appropriate.
"Young comrade, thank you for saving me! Your shooting is really accurate!" The squad leader sincerely said, giving a thumbs-up.
Fu Shiwu, who had never received such enthusiastic praise, felt embarrassed. He shyly said, "You're too kind. I haven't practiced enough, and my time learning the gun is still short."
Thinking he was being modest, the squad leader praised him again.
Fu Shiwu, lacking in social skills, tried to explain that he genuinely hadn't been practicing for long. The squad leader was a bit puzzled; was he being humble, or was he telling the truth? It seemed unlikely.
"Ah—" a painful cry half-suppressed echoed. Fu Shiwu turned to see Wen Zhaoming crawling under the car door, his legs stuck under the seat.
"Zhaoming? What happened to you?" Fu Shiwu hurried over.
Wen Zhaoming frowned, raised half of his body, and looked at his palm.
Fu Shiwu helped him up, and Wen Zhaoming, with a calm demeanor tinged with embarrassment, said, "Just now, seeing so many aliens attacking Mr. Tang, I panicked and forgot that I'm still not accustomed to my prosthetic limb. I used force wrongly, and I fell out."
Fu Shiwu glanced down at his palm. Wen Zhaoming, startled at the time, tried to step out after opening the car door but got stuck and fell out directly from inside. He landed on his hands briefly, scraping both palms, causing them to bleed continuously.
At this moment, Tang Xuhai walked over. He glanced at Wen Zhaoming, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Just call me by my name. Fu Shiwu, from now on, just call me by my name. It's awkward when you use both my first and last names."
Fu Shiwu's eyes lit up with joy. Did this mean he officially had two friends? He couldn't be happier.
Surprisingly, in this attack by the aliens, the most severely injured was Wen Zhaoming, who had mobility issues.
The squad leader saw the rumored fire elemental ability user but regretted finding out that this person was actually disabled, instantly dispelling the thought of recruiting him as an asset.
It wasn't that he looked down on disabled individuals, but in the battlefield's rapidly changing situation, someone unable to run with their legs couldn't even manage to escape.
Fu Shiwu and Tang Xuhai tried to persuade him. Fu Shiwu's intentions were not there; Tang Xuhai now considered both Fu Shiwu and Wen Zhaoming as his own, naturally unwilling to abandon them in this post-apocalyptic world.
Merging with another unit defending the rear, Tang Xuhai drove alongside the group, retreating towards the warehouse center.
A week passed, and finally, they were approaching their destination. The three felt considerably relieved.
Fu Shiwu kept glancing at the back of Tang Xuhai's hand. The cuts from the hooked tentacles had stopped bleeding, leaving behind red marks.
Fu Shiwu had suggested driving, but Tang Xuhai stubbornly refused. If it weren't for mentioning the wounds on his hand, Tang Xuhai might not have been so insistent on driving to prove that he had no issues. These minor scratches were hardly even considered injuries.
Understanding Tang Xuhai's stubbornness, Fu Shiwu gave up the standoff with this stubborn person.
"Don't keep staring; it's just a small wound," Tang Xuhai said impatiently.
Fu Shiwu withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.
He knew Tang Xuhai disliked being treated as fragile, but Tang Xuhai was one of the few friends he had managed to get. Unconsciously, he worried.
He used to contact acquaintances from his previous workplace; he still worried enough to want to see for himself. So, he cared even more about the wound on one of his only two friends.
Although the wound didn't look deep, it covered almost the entire back of Tang Xuhai's hand. With the weather being so hot, any chance of infection could lead to fever.
Once they arrived, he decided to use antiseptic on the wound. Fu Shiwu adjusted his glasses, a glint of determination flashing across the lenses. If anyone dared to resist, he'd confiscate their cigarettes!
Tang Xuhai had no idea that Fu Shiwu's stern and ruthless appearance was about confiscating his cigarettes. Their days together had taught Tang Xuhai that despite his intimidating appearance, Fu Shiwu was actually caring and attentive. Having become accustomed to this dual-sided nature, he didn't mind and continued casually driving with the team ahead.
Wen Zhaoming sat calmly in the back, but internally, he felt a bit uneasy, unsure about what was going on with Fu Shiwu, who appeared to be putting on a frightening act.
Perhaps it was because of being awakened earlier by Fu Shiwu's intimidating aura when he was unconscious, but facing Fu Shiwu now, even though the other party hadn't done anything, Wen Zhaoming couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
Wen Zhaoming also felt a bit embarrassed. Despite being a former influential manager in the workplace, facing someone seemingly harmless like this guy, he couldn't erase the impression from his mind.
With different thoughts in their minds, they arrived at the warehouse center, where the remaining survivors of Cloud City had gathered.
This warehouse center was initially set up as a temporary quarantine site, designed to accommodate tens of thousands of people.
However, the living conditions there weren't ideal.
They hadn't utilized Wen Zhaoming's connections, even if they had wanted to; his phone had long run out of battery. Fu Shiwu and Tang Xuhai didn't bring their phones because they had no one to contact. Under the army's arrangement, the three moved into a larger warehouse with better living conditions.
This warehouse was where the first batch of people who had received notices to evacuate had stayed—those who were alert and had various connections.
The warehouse was tall with numerous windows and well-designed vents, so even though it was noisy inside, the air wasn't unbearable.
However, the other peripheral warehouses, where later escapees resided, weren't as comfortable—poor lighting and unpleasant odors made them less enjoyable.
Knowing the diverse composition of the people here, Tang Xuhai parked the car in the military parking lot and, together with Fu Shiwu, carried their belongings into the warehouse.
As Tang Xuhai had scavenged quite a bit, Wen Zhaoming's legs also had to accommodate some items.
The three carried three large buckets containing some water as they entered the warehouse.
As they walked past the backlight at the warehouse entrance, a few people sitting there glanced at their backs and exchanged looks among themselves.
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