Looking at Zhao Mingzhu and Old Ge lying on the ground, my heart felt cold. Our backpacks were all gone, but fortunately, we had eaten some dry food in the morning, giving us a bit of energy. Otherwise, the situation would have been even more dire.
As I was struggling to figure out what to do next, Zhang Yihan suddenly said, "We can't stay here any longer. We need to get out of here quickly." With that, she bent down, hoisted Old Ge onto her right shoulder, and started walking.
Damn, watching her carry Old Ge so effortlessly, I broke out in a cold sweat. Whoever dares to marry this woman won't live past forty, no, thirty...
I knew that even someone as fearless as Zhang Yihan was scared after being bitten by Old Ge.
Seeing her carry Old Ge away, I couldn't afford to wait any longer. I quickly lifted Zhao Mingzhu onto my shoulder and followed Zhang Yihan.
As soon as I caught up with Zhang Yihan, I praised her, "Sister Yihan, you're amazing, truly my idol."
"If you say I'm amazing one more time, I'll kick you," Zhang Yihan glared at me.
Damn, she even gets angry when praised.
But then I thought about it from her perspective. If you tell a man he's amazing, he likes it. But telling a woman she's amazing is like saying she's a tomboy.
I quickly corrected myself, "Haha... Sister Yihan, I mean you're amazing in critical moments, but usually, you're very gentle."
"Hmph... that's more like it." Zhang Yihan finally smiled. Her sharp, melon-seed-shaped face looked especially charming when she smiled.
But watching her walk briskly while carrying Old Ge, I instantly lost all feelings. This woman was not my type; I couldn't handle her. Having any romantic thoughts about her would be like a moth flying into a flame.
The fog during the day wasn't too thick, so we moved quickly and soon reached the small path leading up the mountain.
I told Zhang Yihan that I had come up this way, and she immediately started climbing the mountain with Old Ge on her shoulder.
This woman was too strong-willed.
I was already tired from carrying Zhao Mingzhu, but she was still pushing herself.
Forget it, I'll surrender first!
"Sister Yihan, let's rest for a bit. I can't take it anymore!" I said.
"Look at you, you wimp. Are you even a man?" Zhang Yihan said, putting Old Ge down.
I really admired her. She was clearly exhausted, yet she was still pretending to be tough.
After a brief rest, we continued our journey. It wasn't that we weren't tired, but we were worried about Old Ge and Zhao Mingzhu's safety. Zhao Mingzhu had been unconscious for a long time, and I was afraid he would end up like Jin Zhijian's two subordinates.
Carrying someone weighing over a hundred pounds up a slope was no joke. At first, we could walk for ten minutes before resting, but gradually, our rest intervals shortened. By the end, we could only manage two or three minutes before needing a break, moving at a snail's pace.
The worst part was that just as we were about to reach the mountain top, misfortune struck again.
Zhang Yihan suddenly collapsed without warning.
She passed out while we were resting briefly. At first, I thought she had fallen asleep from exhaustion, but after calling her several times, I realized she was unconscious, just like Zhao Mingzhu and Jin Zhijian's subordinates.
She had been pushing herself too hard.
I cursed at the unconscious Zhang Yihan, "Why didn't you say something if you couldn't take it? Competing with a man, are you? Do you really think you're a tomboy?"
Great, now we were in trouble.
With three people unconscious, it was much worse than just two. Even though it seemed like only one more, it meant I had to carry each one up separately, making six trips in total.
It was already 2 PM. If I didn't make a decision quickly, we would be in serious trouble once night fell.
I couldn't leave the three of them here to go for help. If the old man who wanted to harm us showed up, they would all be in danger. I had no choice but to carry them up one by one.
If the old man appeared and tried to kill them while I was transporting the others, there was nothing I could do. I had no other options.
I decided to carry Old Ge first, as I couldn't leave him with anyone. If he went berserk and broke free, it would be disastrous.
The human body can tap into incredible potential.
Despite being exhausted, I carried Old Ge up the mountain in one go without resting, covering the last bit of the distance to the top.
To be safe, I tied Old Ge to a tree with several thick vines, ensuring he couldn't move if he woke up.
Then I grabbed my walkie-talkie and tried calling for help on the county police channel. Our phones had no signal in the valley, so we left them in our backpacks. I had to rely on the walkie-talkie for help.
Unfortunately, after calling for a long time, I got no response.
The distance to the county was too far, and my signal couldn't reach them. The police walkie-talkie frequency didn't match civilian channels, making it impossible to call for help. I soon gave up.
I went to an open area and shouted down the mountain, "Help, somebody help!"
After shouting for a long time with no response, I couldn't waste any more time. I hurried back to carry the second person.
Returning to Zhang Yihan and Zhao Mingzhu, I left a note for Zhang Yihan, hoping she might wake up soon. Then I carried Zhao Mingzhu.
Zhao Mingzhu was heavy, and I had to rest several times before reaching the top, where I hid him in some bushes away from Old Ge.
Then I went back for Zhang Yihan.
By the third trip down, I was nearly exhausted. Hungry, thirsty, and dizzy, I stumbled several times on the way back to Zhang Yihan.
Reaching her, it was already past 5 PM.
The fog made it dark quickly in the mountains. I had to get her up quickly; otherwise, I couldn't take care of all three in the dark.
"Hold on, hold on..." I kept encouraging myself.
But human potential has its limits.
After carrying Zhang Yihan a few steps, I collapsed.
I landed on top of her, my head resting on her chest. It felt comfortable, and I wanted to sleep there.
But I couldn't give up. If I did, I would be abandoning all of us.
They were my comrades, and I couldn't leave any of them behind. Leaving them to save myself was not an option.
I tried to get up, but after a few more steps, I collapsed again.
I knew I was done. This time, I lay on Zhang Yihan's chest without intending to get up. I knew I couldn't carry her up.
I weakly reached out and pinched her philtrum, but she remained unresponsive.
She was likely in the same state as Zhao Mingzhu and Jin Zhijian's subordinates, not waking up anytime soon.
Lying on her chest, I didn't intend to take advantage of her, but I didn't have the strength to move.
At that moment, I didn't think about food or water. I thought about my mother.
Half-conscious, I spoke to Zhang Yihan, "Sister Yihan, if I die and you survive, please look after my mom. She's not well, and without me, she'll be alone. I know you're also from a single-parent family, but I'm luckier because my mom is still here. If you don't mind, treat my mom like yours. She'll love you..."
Just then, I heard a long, mournful cry. Zhang Yihan suddenly hugged me tightly, "Xiaolin, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so stubborn. I wasn't really unconscious; I was pretending..."
"Haha..." Hearing her words, I was furious. I cursed her in my mind but couldn't muster the strength to shout.
"Xiaolin, don't be angry. I was just too tired and wanted to rest..." Zhang Yihan sat up, trying to act sweet. If it were any other time, I'd be surprised and charmed, but now I was just annoyed.
She had gone too far this time. Without her stunt, we wouldn't be in such a dire situation.
"Xiaolin, let me help you..." Zhang Yihan tried to support me, but she was too exhausted herself.
"Go, leave me. If you don't, we'll all die on this mountain..." I had no energy left to be angry.
"No, I won't leave you. I can't..." Zhang Yihan cried.
Just then, I heard rustling in the nearby woods.
Looking over, I saw a wrinkled old man grinning at me, "Hehehe..."