"I don't know." The Mailman shook his head. "But the more people there are, the greater the impact will be. The higher-ups will take it seriously, and the Silver Tower will provide support to the greatest extent possible. Isn't that still better than us roughnecks trying to figure out how to deal with it ourselves? You don't seriously think the higher-ups will come rescue you just because there are a few of you, do you?"
Yu Hong fell silent for a moment, then asked again.
"Are Large Glowstones useful against Evil Shadows?"
"I heard they're somewhat useful. Someone escaped relying on a Large Glowstone. And it was one with a much lower number than yours." The Mailman nodded.
From the traces on the surface of the Large Glowstones he had received, he could tell that these items had most likely been made by the man before him. Even if Yu Hong had not made them himself, he definitely knew the person who had—and they had been made recently, because they were too new.
The reason he had said so much was that he wanted the reward for recommending a talented person.
The United Army had various benefits and rewards for recommending talented people. That was also why he was willing to speak with Yu Hong.
"Thanks for the concern, Big Brother. I've still decided not to leave. Who knows? Maybe if too many people leave this area, the Evil Shadow will lose interest and stop coming here." Yu Hong spoke softly.
The Mailman frowned and carefully studied Yu Hong's expression, but could not read anything from it. He tried persuading him a few more times, but when Yu Hong remained unmoved, he finally gave up.
"Sigh. No matter what, this area isn't fit to stay in anymore. Since you're unwilling to leave, Little Brother, I wish you luck getting through this crisis."
"Thanks for the good wishes, Big Brother." Yu Hong nodded. "And I wish you a safe journey and smooth sailing in all things."
The Mailman sighed, rose, and walked toward the Stone House.
Yu Hong also stood up, carrying his things as he prepared to leave.
But the moment he rose, he heard movement behind him and immediately turned around.
It was Doctor Xu. She was carrying a bag and leaning against a tree trunk, seemingly having waited there for a while.
"I heard you can make Water Filter Cups yourself?" Doctor Xu adjusted her glasses as she asked.
"Would you trade one?" she asked.
Recalling how she had looked down on Yu Hong before and thought he was Yi Yi's burden, Doctor Xu's cheeks felt hot now.
But there was no helping it. A good Water Filter Cup was the minimum guarantee of good health. Since it could be washed and reused, it offered extremely high value for money.
"I have one more. I'll trade." Yu Hong held no grudge against her. Although the woman was sharp-tongued, she was fairly sincere. Her attitude and assessment of people were written all over her face. No wonder she had been beaten when she went to town.
"What do you want to trade for it? I have some extra Iodophor for disinfection. Do you want it?" Doctor Xu asked.
"They can still produce Iodophor?" Yu Hong asked in surprise.
"Mm. Many industrial chains in the major cities are complete." Doctor Xu nodded. "One bottle of Iodophor for one Water Filter Cup. How about it?"
"Sure." Yu Hong nodded.
Disinfectant supplies could not be lacking. Wound infections often meant the difference between life and death. If a wound was treated promptly, there would be no need to take Anti-inflammatory Medicine.
He quickly completed the trade with Doctor Xu. One bottle of Iodophor, roughly two hundred milliliters, in exchange for the cup.
Afterward, Yu Hong was preparing to return.
Suddenly, another soft cry called out to him.
He turned around and saw that it was Jenny, with whom he had traded before.
"Little Yu, do you still have any Large Glowstones? Will you trade?"
Jenny slowly approached with the beautiful blonde girl beside her.
"They're all gone. You came too late," Yu Hong replied. His gaze paused briefly on the beautiful girl beside Jenny before moving away.
Being pretty and clean was certainly good, but the environment mattered too. In times like these, someone actually dared to bathe with filtered water. Hearing the voices, Doctor Xu, who had not gone far, turned around and saw the two of them. Her brows furrowed as she swept her gaze over the beautiful girl, seemingly wanting to say something. But she quickly held back, glanced at Yu Hong's calm gaze, and turned to leave.
After Doctor Xu left, only Jenny, the other girl, and Yu Hong remained.
"None left? What a shame. Then can I reserve the next batch of Large Glowstones in advance?" Jenny asked with a frown.
"It's hard to say right now. I'm not even sure I'll be able to get any more." Yu Hong did not want to become a tool for producing Large Glowstones. That depended on whether he had time to stay and enhance the Black Mark.
"All right. The Water Filter Cup you made before worked very well. I hope we can trade again next time." Jenny sounded slightly disappointed.
"No problem." Yu Hong nodded.
"Mom, aren't you going to introduce us? He actually made that Water Filter Cup himself? That's amazing!" the beautiful blonde woman beside her suddenly said.
Before Jenny could speak, she reached out toward Yu Hong.
"Hello, I'm Eve. You're Yu Hong, right?"
Yu Hong glanced at her clean, fair palm, then reached out and shook her hand.
He had not expected her to discreetly scratch the back of his hand while withdrawing hers.
Yu Hong noticed the girl called Eve smile secretly at him. Before he could figure out what she meant, they had already let go.
"That's right. Nice to meet you. If you have anything good to trade, you can come find me anytime. Candles, food, other strange and unusual things—I might be interested in all of them." Yu Hong kept it simple.
In an environment like this, he did not care whether the other party was beautiful. He only cared whether she could obtain the things he wanted.
His current Safe House was still far from his ideal state.
At the very least, he wanted to build a Safe House that could provide its own food, water, and energy.
A Safe House that could support them for at least several years without needing to go outside to trade.
For now, it was still a long way off.
"Do you trade with Large Glowstones? Or things like Water Filter Cups?" Eve asked curiously.
"Mainly Large Glowstones," Yu Hong replied.
"That's wonderful, then. I happen to have some miscellaneous odds and ends. They aren't here at the moment, but next time you come, I'll bring them out for you to see. You can see how many Large Glowstones they're worth." Eve smiled.
Yu Hong nodded.
He always felt that there was something improper and unreliable about Eve. But with Jenny standing beside her, there was nothing suitable for him to say.
He had traded away everything he brought this time, and his gains were substantial. The Solar Power Generator was the biggest harvest of all. If he could enhance it properly, life in the Safe House would become much easier afterward.
The Atomic Lamp was another. It provided uninterrupted light. Although it was rather dim, he would not have to keep getting up to add fuel. Maybe he would finally be able to sleep well in the future.
Before long, carrying the items he had traded for, Yu Hong agreed with Jenny on the date of their next trade—the same day one month later—then turned and headed back.
On the way back, he happened to see the Mailman gathering all the nearby residents who were preparing to leave.
They each carried huge backpacks and stood in an open area, listening as the Mailman loudly explained the rules for traveling together.
Doctor Xu and Jenny and Eve were not among them. Clearly, they had decided to stay.
Carrying his club and large bags, Yu Hong left the Post Office and steadily made his way toward the Cave.
On the way back, he remained extremely cautious, constantly watching for any unusual movement nearby, afraid that a Ghost Shadow might suddenly emerge and attack him.
Since it was still early, he also began picking up dry firewood along the way.
In an environment like this, the safe hours during the day were extremely precious. They absolutely could not be wasted; he had to do something, no matter how little.
Before long, carrying his parcels and club and cradling some dry firewood in his arms, he returned to the area near the Cave.
Just ahead of him, behind the rock wall of the Cave, two figures in camouflage quietly pressed themselves against the stone wall and waited in silence.
As long as he reached the entrance and tried to climb the steps to open the door, he would have to pass the place where the two were lying in ambush.
Yu Hong slowly approached the Cave, getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, his gaze froze on the stone steps before the Cave.
There were several muddy footprints there—fresh footprints.
Bang! Yu Hong dropped his things and took off running!
Without the slightest hesitation, without the slightest delay.
He turned and charged toward the distant woods.
By the time the two ambushers reacted, he had already run more than thirty meters away!
"Fuck! Chase him!" The two men immediately sprinted after him.
They had received a death mission from Team Leader Zhao. If they failed to bring the man back, the punishment would be severe, and all their rations would be cut in half.
But if they caught him, all their future rations would be doubled. The difference between the two outcomes was enormous.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
In an instant, the three of them began racing through the woods, one behind another.
Yu Hong had already walked a long distance, and his strength had been greatly depleted. Once he began running, he soon felt fatigue setting in.
The forest flashed past his ears, the wind howled, and his feet never stopped.
This explosive, all-out sprint made his stamina plunge at an absurd rate.
Before long, he was gasping heavily, sweat pouring down his entire body.
Fortunately, his legs had held up after this period of training. They had not gone weak or cramped.
"Faster! He's almost done for!"
As he ran, Yu Hong faintly heard shouts from behind him.
He did not know who had come, but he knew that anyone bearing good intentions would not have hidden in ambush near the Safe House waiting for him.
Run, run, run!
He drove his legs at full speed, desperately wringing out the last trace of strength from his body.
In the blink of an eye, another hundred-plus meters passed.
The three of them had completely left the terrain around the Cave and reached an unfamiliar area far from White Mound Village.
The ground around them became increasingly difficult to traverse. Much of it was untouched grass and sloping terrain.
They climbed one slope and descended another. Sharp or thorn-covered plants dragged line after line across the Anti-Stab Suit on Yu Hong's body.
On the two men behind him, however, those marks were not scratches but wounds.
Amid a string of muffled groans, the two men still refused to give up and doggedly pursued Yu Hong.
The distance between them was no more than a dozen meters, and it was slowly shrinking.
Yu Hong's lungs burned fiercely, and he was breathing hard. He felt himself beginning to suffocate. No matter how rapidly he breathed, sucking in huge gulps through both mouth and nose, he could not replenish the oxygen he was consuming at high speed.
No more.
My stamina still isn't enough. I can't hold on.
His sweat soaked through his close-fitting clothes beneath the suit, yet his hands continued parting the grass blocking his path.
Hearing the panting behind him draw closer and closer, Yu Hong finally could not endure it any longer.
With a thought, he controlled the thread of Cooling Qi in his lower abdomen and quickly set it in motion.
The Cooling Qi left his lower abdomen and naturally followed its own path, flowing upward from his abdomen through his chest, neck, and forehead. It passed through the Baihui acupoint at the crown of his head, then flowed downward all the way to his coccyx, passed through the perineum, and returned to his abdomen.
The moment this stream of Cooling Qi emerged, something miraculous happened.
Yu Hong's body, which should have been nearing exhaustion, quickly recovered as though it had been given a long rest.
His sweat stopped flowing. His lungs no longer heaved. The fatigue in his heart vanished.
It was as if the great distance he had just run had all been an illusion.
Everything was once again almost the same as before he had left to trade, and his condition had returned to its starting point.
Yu Hong was on the move again.
With the two men behind him, he began circling around the Cave.
One lap, two laps, three laps. At least a mile had passed. Running at full speed, Yu Hong was soon exhausted again.
But while he was tired, the two behind him were already panting like oxen, their legs trembling.
"Yu, Yu Hong! Don't run, anymore."
"I fucking—can't, anymore! We can't, let him keep running!"
The man who had opened the door finally could not endure it. He reached behind his waist, gripped the Pistol, and pulled it out.
At that moment, the second thread of Cooling Qi suddenly surged from Yu Hong's body, which should have been completely exhausted.
His strength instantly recovered. He turned and lunged.
Bang!!
Caught off guard, the man who had drawn the Pistol was hit head-on and rolled violently down the slope.
As the two rolled, they also collided with the other man, who was climbing the slope a short distance behind them.
Aah! Aah! Amid two screams, both men were knocked by Yu Hong and tumbled down the slope.
The two men were already utterly exhausted. Yu Hong, whose strength had recovered once more, quickly rose and swung his club once at each of them.
Clang! Clang! The blows landed squarely on their foreheads.
Already exhausted to the limit, they had been dazed by the collision and fall. Before they could recover, Yu Hong struck each of them on the forehead with his club.
Both men rolled their eyes back and collapsed onto the ground, unable to rise.
Yu Hong quickly reached out and snatched the Pistols from their bodies, his heart filling with lingering fear.
"They were carrying guns!" He could not imagine what a miserable state he would have been in if he had reacted even a moment too slowly and been shot.
The intense fear and dread made him raise his club again and deliver another blow to each man's forehead.
Clang! Clang!
This time, the two men could no longer withstand it. They fainted on the spot and lay unconscious on the ground.
Fortunately, the club was hollow and light. Otherwise, those two blows, delivered in anger, would have killed them on the spot.
Even so, blood slowly seeped from their foreheads, and two enormous lumps swelled up.
Before you continue