Chapter 24: The Hunt

"Damn, that's disgusting!" Liu Chang's face reflexively twisted as he took the food offered by the little girl, feeling its soft, sticky texture in his hand. He frowned and said, "Is this still bread? It feels more like a ball of yarn!"

"It's really completely inedible," the fat man said, gazing at the food with regret etched on his face.

"What should we do? We haven't had a proper meal in two days," someone remarked. The ongoing tension and the constant running about had sapped everyone's energy, making hunger all the harder to bear. After two days without real food, they were all exhausted and famished.

"The military should send us some rations soon. Even though the grain in their storage is all spoiled, they must have some way to provide for us," Li Qingshui replied weakly, leaning against the bed. "Let's just wait and see."

Everyone nodded, sinking into a brief silence.

Their wait did not last long. First, Xiao Yong's family returned, and soon after, the military personnel arrived to distribute food.

"Half a pack of compressed biscuits or half a can of canned food per person. One portion each, no extra," the distributor said curtly. In the blink of an eye, he finished allocating the food according to headcount and pushed his cart away.

"Military compressed biscuits do last much longer than those with supermarket expiration dates," Li Qingshui observed as he studied the packaging of his ration. "The sealing technology is much better, and the moisture is drawn out thoroughly, making them ideal for storage."

"The canned food is sealed well, too—no contact with the outside," the fat man said, twisting open a can and sniffing it. "It's a bit sour, but still edible!"

"But half a portion per person isn't nearly enough," Zhu Lin said softly from the edge of the bed.

"Let's make do," Liu Chang muttered, taking a bite of his half biscuit, washing it down with mineral water, swallowing the biscuit that expanded in his mouth.

In truth, half a biscuit or half a can amounted to only three or four mouthfuls. Having gone hungry for so long, they all devoured their rations quickly.

After finishing what should've been a day's worth of food in just a few minutes, they lay back on their bunks, staring up at the ceiling.

"Have you noticed you feel even hungrier after eating?" the fat man asked, rubbing his stomach as it grumbled.

"Maybe it's because eating triggers more gastric acid," Liu Chang agreed, feeling the hunger intensify after eating. Still, after lying down a moment, he sat up, gathering his resolve. "Hungry as we are, at least we've replenished some energy. We need to take advantage of this and get moving, or we'll starve eventually."

"You're right. I don't think the army's reserves will last long. Even now, half a biscuit or half a can per day is barely a drop in the bucket," Li Qingshui replied. "The biscuits are manageable, but the canned food will soon spoil. If we want to survive, we'll have to find our own food."

"Although the outside is dangerous, plants and animals are thriving and reproducing like crazy. With a bit of luck, we could still find quite a bit to eat."

"Yes, the stems, leaves, and branches of plants are edible, and animal meat can be prepared. Here’s what I propose..." Liu Chang lowered his voice, listening to Li Qingshui's suggestion to forage for food. "Li, you're familiar with plants and can tell which are safe. Take the fat man and Zhu Lin to gather plants within or around the military compound. I'll go with the little girl to see if we can find any vulnerable animals and get some meat. If we split up, we’re bound to find something."

"You’re going hunting alone?" the fat man asked, shaking his head. "That’s too risky. I don’t know much about plants. I’ll go with you."

"You’re too big a target; it’s not safe for you to come with me," Liu Chang joked, rejecting the offer. "Just stick with Li. I have the little girl with me—nothing will happen."

"Not necessarily," Li Qingshui countered, shaking his head. "When you encountered the monster in the restroom, the little girl didn't sense it beforehand."

"No," the little girl replied, shaking her head. "I only sensed it after its tentacle emerged."

"So this sensing ability is like a cell phone signal—it can be blocked?" Liu Chang frowned. "Anyway, it’s not a big deal. Monsters burrowing underground are rare. We’ll just search nearby and not push our luck. Don’t worry."

"I..." the fat man started, but Liu Chang cut him off. "It’s settled, no fussing. I’m lucky—I won’t die. Just wait for meat tonight."

With that, Liu Chang took the little girl's hand and left the room.

"Come on, let's go," Liu Chang said, leading the little girl out of the dormitory and into the world outside, shrouded in thick red mist.

Outside the barracks was not a silent world.

Because too many people were crowded into the compound, and it was food distribution time, the courtyard was not lively but certainly not as eerily quiet as the world outside.

Ignoring the crowds waiting for their share, Liu Chang led the little girl out of the compound.

At the gate, he saw people continuing to arrive from all corners of the city, seeking shelter.

"The numbers keep rising. Too many mouths, not enough food—the army won’t hold out much longer," Liu Chang observed, pulling the little girl toward a secluded corner. Even in the apocalypse, where the crowd was thickest, traces of mutated creatures were rarely seen.

This phenomenon—where one group gathers in numbers and other creatures automatically avoid them—boils down to a territorial instinct, born from animals' innate self-preservation, an iron law of nature.

"Let’s search over there where there are no people. Don’t go too far. Keep an eye out for dangerous creatures or large concentrations of animals," Liu Chang instructed as they walked. "If you spot anything overly dangerous or numerous, hide yourself immediately and tug at my clothes to signal me. I won’t stray far."

"Our hunting targets today are solitary creatures with a danger rating below one. Understood?"

"Yes, I understand," the little girl replied, nodding vigorously.

"Alright, let’s go," Liu Chang said, taking the lead. He pulled out two surgical knives he'd prepared in advance, gripping them tightly, about to embark on his first hunt.