"Who knows? Maybe, in most people's eyes, infighting is like boiling a frog in warm water. Better a short, sharp pain than a long one." Han Xiao shrugged.
The Battle of Andia was the final battle of the long war, the pivotal conflict that established the balance of power among the Six Nations.
Andia was the name of a landmass where several countries had once existed. After the war broke out, the countries on the other continents seemed to reach a silent understanding. They all made the Andia Continent their main battlefield, containing the war to keep it from destroying the entire planet's ecology. Countless missiles, tanks, and aircraft bombarded the land, and over a hundred million people lost their lives on the Andia Continent.
After the war, vegetation withered across the Andia Continent, scorched earth stretched in every direction, and its people suffered terribly. Rivers and lakes reeked of rotting corpses, while dark yellow gloom veiled the fertile fields and green mountains. It had become a dead zone. The Six Nations, meanwhile, dusted themselves off and withdrew their troops, leaving a complete mess behind and abandoning the Andia Continent entirely, like a scumbag who pulled out and walked away. The surviving population on the Andia Continent was now sparse, and every one of them hated the Six Nations with a passion.
Han Xiao noticed the calluses on Hu Hongjun's palms. "Were you a soldier?"
"Yeah, I served in the army for over ten years."
"I thought soldiers who'd lost their countries would all choose to join the Germinal Organization."
Hu Hongjun shook his head. "My homeland was annexed by Stardragon through military negotiations. Those leaders all compromised, so why should a soldier like me hold such a grudge? I don't like the Six Nations, but I cherish this hard-won peace. The war went on for so many years, and just when it was about to end, Germinal appeared out of nowhere, calling for the overthrow of the Six Nations. They attracted countless soldiers from fallen countries who shared their hatred, and they want to start another war. Sigh, I'm just a simple man. I don't understand the ideas of the Six Nations or Germinal, and I don't want to get caught up in another war."
An chimed in. "Yes, war is just too cruel. My eyes were blinded by a dud flashbang that suddenly exploded. Old Hu took me from place to place, and we finally managed to settle down. Life as wanderers is a little hard, but it's much better than before."
As they spoke, the meat in the pot gradually began to give off an aroma. Han Xiao sniffed greedily, then asked curiously, "You can't see, so how do you cook?"
An said, displeased, "Don't look down on me. I may be blind, but I still have my sense of smell, hearing, and touch, and I'm nimble enough. It's not like I'm helpless."
Hu Hongjun smiled wryly. "She's strong-willed and absolutely refuses to let me take care of her."
"I can't just be helpless and drag you down." An's voice was full of tenderness.
Hu Hongjun scratched his head awkwardly. He seemed unaccustomed to flirting with his wife in front of an outsider, and hurriedly changed the subject. "Oh, right, let me show you my treasure."
Han Xiao's expression changed slightly. Thinking of something indecent, he quietly edged backward.
Fortunately, Hu Hongjun didn't whip out his big treasure. He opened a nearby box and took out an old rifle wrapped in strips of cloth. "Let's see if you know a good gun when you see one," he said proudly.
[Saber Rifle (old)] [Quality: gray (white)] [Basic attributes: attack 38-40, rate of fire 0.9 rounds/s, magazine capacity 20 rounds, effective range 200 meters, output energy level 25, durability 5/300] [Attribute bonus: agility +1] [Length: 0.77 meters] [Weight: 7.1 pounds] [Additional effect: accuracy - stable trajectory, wind has extremely little effect] [Note: this weapon has accompanied its owner through many battles.]
"Fine gun!" Great Technician Han's professional instincts burst forth as he exclaimed, "It's been used for quite a few years, but it still feels so smooth. The barrel is long and straight, giving the ammunition plenty of room to accelerate. Its spurting force must be powerful. The outside is dark and glossy, brimming with killing intent, impressive and erect. Mm, what a deadly weapon."
Huh? Why did the mood suddenly turn so gay? Was it my imagination?
"This is my old buddy. It's been with me for almost ten years." Hu Hongjun laughed. "It only looks new because I oil it often. The parts inside have actually aged, and I haven't used it for hunting in a long time."
The two chatted happily, and before they knew it, night had fallen.
An had finished cooking: a pot of richly fragrant meat soup. The broth was thick and pure white, with a milky texture, and the chunks of meat had been stewed until tender. Slices of wild greens floated on the oily surface, adding touches of emerald that made the dish mouthwatering.
The meaty aroma was like a bewitching little demon, holding Han Xiao's gaze fast. He swallowed, his stomach, which had been tormented by dry rations for seven days, rumbling nonstop. "Affection for Hu Hongjun +1 +1 +1" kept appearing above his head.
After they wolfed down dinner, Hu Hongjun asked Han Xiao to stay the night.
Unable to refuse such hospitality, and considering that it really was difficult to travel at night, Han Xiao agreed. A curtain was used to divide off a compartment in the tent, and Hu Hongjun and An made him a bed.
"Your backpack is too big. I'll put it outside for you," An said.
Space in the tent was limited, and his compartment was so narrow it could only fit a bed. There really was no room for a backpack stuffed with guns.
After some thought, he asked Hu Hongjun for an animal hide and picked out the spare firearms from his backpack. He unloaded them all, removed their triggers, wrapped them tightly in the hide, and placed the bundle in a corner. As a precaution, he tucked a leaf into the bundle, so he would know the next day if anyone had disturbed it.
All the ammunition remained in the backpack, which was just small enough to fit at the foot of the bed. Han Xiao loaded a Type 73 Wasp Pistol and slipped it under his pillow. Although he was grateful for Hu Hongjun's warm hospitality, he couldn't let down his guard.
Yet as soon as Han Xiao's head touched the pillow, the exhaustion he had held at bay for seven days erupted, and he fell into the deepest sleep almost in the blink of an eye.
Hearing his faint snores, Hu Hongjun smiled and shook his head. He said softly to An, "Looks like he's very tired. Don't disturb him."
An nodded and moved more quietly as she cleaned up. Carrying the pots and dishes, she left the tent to wash them outside.
"Uncle, Uncle! I'm hungry!"
Hu Fei barged in, dusty and disheveled, with a large lump on his forehead where a hard object had struck him. If Han Xiao had been awake, he would have recognized him as the long-haired young man who had robbed him that day, and who was also Hu Hongjun's nephew.
Hu Hongjun frowned. "Where did you run off to today? I haven't seen you all day."
"I... I went hunting outside." Hu Fei cringed. Ever since his father died, he had lived with Hu Hongjun, and he was very afraid of his uncle.
Seeing his nephew act so spinelessly, Hu Hongjun knew he was lying. He grabbed Hu Fei's ear and snapped in a low but stern voice, "Did you go out and fool around again? I told you last time, if you took that lousy gun out to scare passersby again, I'd break all three of your fucking legs!"
With his ear being twisted, Hu Fei was in so much pain that tears came to his eyes. He felt terribly wronged. Your nephew ran into someone tough today. Not only did I get beaten to a pulp, I was tied to a tree for most of the day, and I'm dizzy with hunger. I'm the one who suffered here! Uncle, can't you be reasonable?
"Don't, Uncle. Leave me one leg, please." Hu Fei looked ready to cry.
"Then do you want to keep the left one or the right one?"
"The one in the middle..."
"Forget it. I'm definitely breaking that one." Hu Hongjun raised his hand, but suddenly remembered he couldn't disturb Han Xiao's sleep. He let Hu Fei go and said bitterly, "I'll beat you tomorrow."
Hu Fei noticed an extra person in the tent and curiously leaned over, peering past the curtain to see who the guest was. He would have been better off not looking. The moment he did, his face went deathly pale.
Wasn't that the fierce guy from earlier today?!
Ow, my forehead hurts even more.
"What are you looking at? Get out and sleep outside tonight," Hu Hongjun said irritably. To his surprise, Hu Fei didn't argue. Looking as though he had seen a ghost, he scrambled out of the tent. Hu Hongjun was baffled. He touched his face and thought, Am I that ugly?
Hu Fei ran out of the tent in a panic. Only when the night wind hit him did he come to his senses.
"Wait, why am I running? This is my home!"
That fierce guy just had to fall into my hands. Can I let him off so easily? Hu Fei was about to turn back when the image of Han Xiao sending him flying flashed through his mind. His courage instantly failed him, and he stopped in his tracks. He didn't have the nerve to settle the score with Han Xiao.
Afraid as he was, it would have been utter bullshit to say Hu Fei bore Han Xiao no resentment. He didn't dare cause Han Xiao trouble, but he couldn't accept letting the matter go.
"Hu Fei, Hu Fei, show some manly courage! Pay back every grudge and settle every score!"
Hu Fei steeled himself and thought of a way to get revenge. He was extremely curious about Han Xiao's bulging backpack, and he had noticed the animal-hide bundle in the tent earlier. Hu Fei clearly remembered that his family owned nothing like it, so it had to be that fierce guy's luggage.
In the dead of night, everything was silent, and everyone in the settlement had gone to sleep. After waiting a long time, Hu Fei finally made his move. He crept into the tent on tiptoe like a thief and carefully felt his way toward the animal-hide bundle.
"Hehe, let's see what you brought with you."
As he unfolded the layers of hide, Hu Fei's eyes went wide, and he was so startled he almost fell on his backside.
Guns!
They were all high-quality guns!
Hu Fei's face lit up with delight, and his eyes turned greedy. They really were good stuff!
He wanted to take all the guns, but the moment he pictured Han Xiao's ferocity, his courage shrank. If that fierce guy discovered his luggage was gone, he would definitely beat him to death.
"I can't take them all..."
Looking reluctant, Hu Fei gritted his teeth and picked up two Type 73 Wasp Pistols. He didn't dare take any more.
"Forget it. My uncle did give you a warm welcome, so taking two guns from you isn't too much." Hu Fei convinced himself, restored the animal-hide bundle to its original state, and tiptoed away.
With only two small pistols missing, that fierce guy probably won't notice.