Chapter Sixty-Six: The Most Important Person

"I think I can smell the scent of our future enemies' deaths," Liu Chang said, looking at Li Qingshui. "No wonder the old folks used to say, 'Never provoke a clever man...'"

"Don't make me sound like some schemer. I'm just trying to survive, to protect myself. One can never have too many tricks up their sleeve," Li Qingshui replied as he carefully hid the metal box. Then he turned to Liu Chang, asking, "How far away are they now?"

"Just ahead—not far," Liu Chang responded.

"Then let's take off this outer layer. It’s covered in pollen."

"Alright." Liu Chang nodded, and together with Li Qingshui, they stopped and carefully peeled off the second layer of clothing that covered their bodies.

"Do you think we can reach Zhengzhou by the end of today?" Liu Chang asked as he undressed, raising a question that had been on his mind. "According to your food web theory, isn’t it true that all creatures are more aggressive now than in the old world?"

"Yes. Evolution, especially towards gigantism, requires organisms to absorb vast amounts of nutrients. In nature, the quickest and most efficient way to get those nutrients is through predation. So, I fear the road ahead will be very difficult for us."

"Well, difficult or not, we still have to go on." After removing his outer pants as well, Liu Chang sighed. Together with Li Qingshui, he returned to the group.

When the two of them rejoined, the soldiers who had been waiting hopefully showed expectant looks on their faces. "Did you find the compass?"

"Yes," Li Qingshui replied, taking out the metal box from his pocket and giving it a shake. "We found it." Then he turned to Dr. Huang. "How is everyone’s injuries?"

"Two are badly hurt; the others can still move," Dr. Huang said, pointing to a wounded soldier lying on the ground and the little girl beside him.

"Is Xiaojing badly hurt?" Liu Chang walked over to the girl, squatted down in concern, and gently touched her forehead. In truth, he had already sensed that she was not well before they set out; otherwise, with her usual temperament, she would have clung to him as always.

"Yes, she’s just too young. Even with the same injuries, it hits her much harder than it would an adult."

"Brother..." Seeing Liu Chang return, the little girl moved her pale lips. She struggled several times but only managed to utter a single word.

"It’s alright, don’t move or speak. You’ve just lost too much blood. Rest for a while and you’ll feel better." Stroking her hair, Liu Chang forced a smile.

"Alright..." The girl’s response was still just one word. Clearly, she had managed to remain conscious up to now only by sheer willpower, but her frail body was spent, her spirit and strength exhausted. After uttering that final word, or perhaps after confirming that Liu Chang was safe, she slipped decisively into a deep coma brought on by blood loss.

Liu Chang let out a heavy sigh as she drifted off—without her warnings, the road ahead would be even more perilous.

Li Qingshui, too, for the first time, sighed deeply as he watched the girl lose consciousness. Then, after a glance at the other incapacitated soldier lying beside her, his brows furrowed. "Shen Mingyi, can you carry him?"

He pointed at the wounded soldier.

"I can," Shen Mingyi nodded, stepping forward to easily hoist the man onto his back.

"Good. Now that everything is arranged, let’s move out. We can’t afford to lose any more time. Take what’s useful and leave the rest. Move quickly." With Zhao Yue gone, Li Qingshui had assumed temporary command. "Liu Chang, you and Shen Mingyi take the lead. I’ll walk beside you to guide the way. Fatty, carry Xiaojing. The rest of you, grab your guns. Let’s go."

"Yes," the soldiers answered in unison. After some shuffling and adjustment, the remnants of the team—now no more than a handful—set off once more, following their guides.

This time, they had no water and had discarded most of their packs. Though each of them was wounded, their reduced numbers kept the pace from slowing.

"Even at this speed, we won’t reach Zhengzhou before nightfall," Li Qingshui said, checking the compass and frowning. "And that’s assuming we don’t run into trouble..."

He hadn’t finished speaking when a scream erupted from within the group. By the time they rushed over, the victim was already lying on the ground, his face dark blue. At the same time, a fingernail-sized flying insect shot out from his neck.

"He’s dead," Dr. Huang checked the soldier’s pulse and informed the others.

"Keep moving!" Li Qingshui waved his hand, turned away from the fallen man with a sigh, and led the group onward—the team had barely taken a few steps before losing another member.

Now only ten remained.

As the group moved through the jungle, the thick growth made progress even harder. Trees and vines crowded together, vying for space; some areas were nearly impassable. At the front, Shen Mingyi hacked at the obstructing vines with a machete, while carrying a wounded comrade on his back—a most awkward sight.

"If we left that wounded man behind, we could travel faster," Liu Chang whispered to Li Qingshui.

"Yes, but I don’t have that authority," Li Qingshui replied just as softly, glancing back at the soldiers following behind. "I don’t even dare to suggest it. Human nature is a strange thing—if we abandon him, I lose their trust, and the team could fall apart."

"Right. If we abandon him, the others will lose any sense of security." Liu Chang was lowering his head to speak when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. With a cry, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

"Ugh!"

"What happened?" Li Qingshui quickly bent down to check.

"Damn it, something tore a chunk of flesh off my ankle!" Liu Chang shouted, clutching his wound. He caught a glimpse of a fist-sized black shadow, a piece of fresh flesh in its mouth, darting into a tree hollow so quickly that he couldn’t make out what it was.

"Is it serious?"

"It could be worse. Thankfully, the tendon’s intact—otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to walk at all." With a tearing sound, Liu Chang ripped a strip of cloth from his clothing and tied it tightly around the wound, staunching the blood flow. "Without Xiaojing, we’re really at a disadvantage. That thing got right up to my foot and I didn’t even notice."

"Yes, with her, we could avoid most dangers," Li Qingshui sighed. "Honestly, in this vast jungle, neither Shen Mingyi nor you nor I are as important to this team as Xiaojing. She is the most vital among us all."