Chapter Thirty-Eight: Meat and Weapons

“Don’t worry, it’s so massive that cutting off a small piece like this is no different than plucking a single hair from a person’s body—it won’t even feel it.” As Li Qingshui spoke, he hastily caught the severed root with his palm wrapped in a worn cloth. Shining the flashlight over it, the two of them saw the root thrashing and writhing like a gecko’s severed tail, spraying corrosive sap in all directions and scorching a large hole in the cloth.

“What a marvelous plant.” Li Qingshui stared intently at the twitching root, eyes brimming with the kind of awe one might have for a priceless treasure.

“Alright, alright, let’s get moving. I feel like you’re turning into a madman.” Liu Chang stepped in front of Li Qingshui and forcibly dragged him toward the iron ladder. “Hurry up and get out of here! Who knows, that giant tree might wake up any minute!”

“Alright.” This time, Li Qingshui offered no rebuttal; after stowing away his knife and securely wrapping the twitching plant, he climbed up the iron ladder.

“Lunatic,” Liu Chang sighed, following from below. They emerged once again into the world shrouded in crimson mist.

“Let’s go.” Climbing out of the sewer, they quickly found the anxious, waiting Fatty and the little girl, as well as the soldiers on the other side, tugging at the wild grass growing on the ground.

“That stuff isn’t edible.” Glancing at the soldiers plucking at the grass, Li Qingshui patted their shoulders. “Eat that and you’ll have diarrhea so bad you might pull your guts out.”

“Oh.” The soldiers, half-convinced, half-doubtful, tossed aside the leafy green plants that looked so much like baby bok choy. “That’s a shame. Guess we’d better head back.”

“Agreed,” Liu Chang said at once. He never wanted to linger in this place again.

The rest of the journey was silent. Accompanied by the soldiers, Liu Chang, Li Qingshui, and the others returned to the military district. They were then led by several soldiers into an office-like chamber, where a military officer had clearly been waiting for them. Upon closer inspection, Liu Chang realized he had seen this man before—it was none other than the competent company commander whom Xiaoyong’s father had tried, and failed, to complain about the last time.

“Good day, sir.” Remembering his favorable impression from before, Liu Chang took the initiative to greet him.

The commander, startled for a moment upon seeing Liu Chang, clearly remembered the young man as well.

“Hello. Please, have a seat.” The company commander gestured to the stools in front of his desk. “There are only a few matters. First, to thank you for providing the army with food. Second, I’d like to ask about the source of your food—specifically, how you obtain it.”

As he spoke, the company commander lifted a bundle from below. “This dog weighed seventy jin in total. I’ve already had the inedible parts, over ten jin, removed. That leaves more than fifty jin of edible meat and bone. If you agree, we’ll take away the inedible parts plus another twenty or so jin of meat and bone, leaving you with thirty jin. Or, if you prefer, we can reverse the arrangement.”

“Of course, if you can provide us with an efficient hunting method, we won’t take any of the meat. In fact, we’ll even provide you with some biscuits in addition. What do you say?” The company commander looked at Li Qingshui and Liu Chang, evidently seeking their opinion.

“To be honest, there’s no secret to it. Just pay more attention to the prey’s sense of smell and hearing. All of that is written in books; I don’t have much else to add,” Li Qingshui replied when the commander looked at him. “The rest comes down to luck—there’s nothing more to it.”

“Is that really all?” The commander’s gaze drifted over the little girl, the Fatty, and Liu Chang. “There’s an altered human among you, isn’t there?”

“Hm?” The group was startled.

“No need for that look. Mutants began appearing a few days ago. With so many men in the army, it’s only natural that some of us have changed—a very small number, but still.” The company commander tapped the table. “Have you considered serving the army?”

“We were just lucky, that’s all,” Li Qingshui muttered, his face expressionless.

“It’s up to you. If you change your minds, you can come find me at any time. Let’s not dwell on that subject. Let’s talk about how to split the meat.”

“We’ll just take the parts that are edible,” Liu Chang said quickly.

“Alright.” The company commander nodded and pushed the thirty jin of meat toward Liu Chang. “Be discreet when you eat—don’t cause a disturbance. You all know what the situation is outside. The army will lend you a kitchen, eat in secret, and be careful not to stir up trouble. Also, it’s been over an hour since the dog died. The meat is already starting to go off. If you don’t eat it soon, it’ll spoil—don’t try to store it!”

“Understood.” Taking the meat, Liu Chang’s hungry stomach contracted at the strong odor, but instead of leaving immediately, he asked, “Can I trade some of this meat for a gun?”

“A gun?” The company commander frowned.

“Yes—a gun, for hunting in the future.” Liu Chang cradled the meat in his arms. “We can’t finish thirty jin at one meal, and anything left will just go to waste. So I’d like to trade ten jin of meat for a powerful military rifle suitable for hunting. It would help us survive in the future…”

“No can do. I don’t have the authority to give you a gun!” The company commander cut him off before Liu Chang could finish. Just as Liu Chang, disappointed, was about to switch to asking for biscuits instead, the commander spoke again. “Guns are out of the question, but for hunting purposes, a military assault crossbow is an even better choice.”

As he spoke, he signaled to a soldier beside Liu Chang, who caught on and left at once.

A moment later, the soldier returned carrying a green crossbow, which he placed on the commander’s desk. The crossbow bore the distinctive colors of the military, its body patterned with the green camo of field uniforms—perfect for jungle concealment. It was a crossbow as wide as a grown man’s lower arm, and twice as long, the metal gleaming. It looked formidable.

“Well? This military assault crossbow is a top-quality weapon. In the wild, it’s easy to use—no flash, no noise, perfect for ambushes. At close and medium range, its bolts have far more stopping power than bullets from a standard assault rifle. Sure, it’s slower and less accurate over distance, but you’re not looking to spray bullets or kill people—nothing could be better for hunting,” the company commander said, running his hand over the weapon. “How about it? Fifteen jin of meat, and I’ll throw in seven large and ten small crossbow bolts.”

“Deal!” Liu Chang’s eyes lit up at the sight of the military-green assault crossbow. With this weapon, his field of vision, the girl’s senses, and Li Qingshui’s experience, he was sure that future hunts wouldn’t be nearly as difficult.

“Excellent.” Seeing Liu Chang agree, the company commander took away half of the pre-cut meat. Once he had left, Liu Chang reclaimed his share—the deal with the military was now complete.

“If there’s nothing else, you may go,” the company commander said, glancing anxiously at the meat on the table, already starting to turn.

“Alright.” Gathering their things, Liu Chang and the others waved goodbye.

“One last word of advice: when you eat, don’t cause a disturbance. A hungry crowd is a terrifying thing, and riots, once started, are contagious.”