Although the temperature was hot, and the sun was slowly coming up causing the temperature to rise, it was still more comfortable to eat something soaked in soup than to gnaw on hard naan. After finishing the meal and drinking a warm bowl of soup, one would feel cooler after a while. It was much more comfortable compared to the temporary coolness of ice water, which only made one feel hotter later on. Drinking something warm was definitely more soothing.
Some people watched them longingly, several times wanting to approach and ask for some soup. The supply of salt, which is crucial in such intense sweating, was very important. Unfortunately, the few people eating seemed to be a group of tall men, and from their food consumption, it was clear they probably didn't have any extra to share.
Indeed, each person had one naan and a bowl of soup, and they ate it all cleanly, with nothing left over.
Mu Nan didn't eat much most of the food was consumed by Qin Huai. He was too hot to have much of an appetite. Wearing protective gear and walking outside in such high temperatures for so long, he was already drowsy by the time he sat down, even before finishing his meal.
Naturally, he lay down to sleep right where he was. With not many conditions available, Qin Huai loosened his clothes a bit, wiped him down with a wet wipe, and used a small fan to cool him. Throughout the entire process, Mu Nan didn't move a bit.
Jian Chu couldn't help but comment, "As expected, the 'good older brother' series."
Qin Huai smiled and said nothing. He felt Mu Nan's forehead and neck, noting that the temperature wasn't too high. Though there was some sticky sweat, it was manageable. Confirming that Mu Nan was truly exhausted and deeply asleep, Qin Huai then lay down himself.
On this first day of constant movement, almost everyone hadn't yet adapted and fell asleep in exhaustion as soon as they stopped. Many people, possibly still lacking the awareness that comes after a disaster or feeling safer with soldiers guarding them, fell asleep with snoring like thunder. Because they were outside and potential emergencies could happen at any time, Qin Huai did not sleep deeply. He never felt comfortable leaving his and Mu Nan's safety to others. Despite his fatigue, he did not allow himself to fall into a deep sleep. Even the quiet exchanges of the soldiers rotating shifts responsible for their group instantly woke him.
One of the older soldiers glanced at him, seemingly surprised by his alertness, smiled, and then found a spot to lean against the wall and close his eyes.
After sleeping through the day, they had another meal around five or six in the evening. The meal lasted an hour, and they set off promptly at seven. Mu Nan looked at the naan and shook his head. It was too hard, not like ordinary naan but so tough it could be used as a helmet. Even though Qin Huai had boiled it in the soup, it was still difficult to eat. Feeling that this was an ordeal, he decided not to eat the naan and instead had a few small pieces of bread.
Jian Chu sighed while eating, "Luckily, I'm young and have good teeth."
Yu Zibai laughed and said, "Otherwise, you could skip it and just eat dried meat. Cook the naan a bit more if you want to have it in the evening."
Jian Chu bit into it in frustration, his cheeks aching, and still asked, "Do you know where we are? How far are we from the university city?"
Yu Zibai replied, "We're on Wuyang Road."
Jian Chu was instantly disheartened, "We haven't even left the district. We've walked all night, and it's only the distance of a few bus stops from before."
Yu Zibai shook his head, "Some areas have collapsed and are impassable, and the group is large, so naturally, we move slowly."
Qin Huai said, "Our city has fifteen administrative districts. If we follow the route, we'll need to pass through at least three districts. This is assuming the main roads are clear and we don't have to take too many detours. If the Qingsha Bridge hadn't collapsed, it would be the fastest route, allowing us to pass through just one district. But given the current situation, the bridge's collapse is inevitable, so we don't know how we'll detour."
Jian Chu lamented, "If I didn't experience it myself, I wouldn't know how tough the Long March was. We haven't even exited one district and it already feels like we're approaching the end of our lives."
Yu Zibai gave him a light pat on the back, "Knock on wood and don't say such things. We're in an area plagued by epidemics; saying things like that is bad luck."
Though Jian Chu wasn't superstitious, he followed along and knocked on some nearby wooden furniture.
Mu Nan, munching on bread, smiled, "It's just tough for the first couple of days. Once we adapt, it won't be too bad."
He felt that this life was much easier. Although wearing protective gear made it noticeably hotter than in his previous life, the mental ease made the journey feel less arduous. Probably because he had friends like Qin Huai and Jian Chu with him this time, whereas in his previous life he was always alone, facing hardships alone made everything feel heavier.
When it was time to assemble, the soldier in charge of their team's radio crackled with the command from Shi Yuanfei to gather. The veteran in charge of their team was named Xu, and everyone, whether older or younger, generally called him Brother Xu. He called out the team number. Since a battalion has thirty people, with five in each squad, it's hard to remember everyone, so each squad had to remember their number. This way, when calling roll, they only needed to check squad numbers, saving a lot of time.
Their team was fine, with no overly fussy individuals. Everyone waited quietly and didn't wander off, so they quickly assembled and prepared to set off. Other teams had more issues. It was reported that two people fought over a sleeping spot during the day, which surprised many. After such a long walk, they still had the energy to fight. Shi Yuanfei said this was due to not being physically exhausted enough. Today, they would speed up, and by the time they were too tired to speak, they wouldn't have the energy to fight.
However, despite the talk, the pace didn't actually speed up and even slowed down slightly. Many people were not used to such forced marches, and at first, their legs couldn't handle it. Today, a lot of people would have preferred to find a stick to use as a crutch, their legs aching as if they weren't their own.
Shi Yuanfei was somewhat surprised by Mu Nan. He looked at Qin Huai and said, "Your brother's physique is quite unexpected." Given his seemingly frail appearance and wearing protective gear, which consumes more physical energy, it was surprising that he could keep up. Normally, someone not used to regular exercise would be out of breath after a short run. He was impressed that Mu Nan managed to stick it out on the first day.
Qin Huai said, "It's okay. He runs at home every day to build up his stamina."
Shi Yuanfei smiled, "Not bad, strong sense of crisis." He really thought Qin Huai would have made a good soldier, given his physical and mental resilience.
The next day, Mu Nan discovered a new cooling method, putting ice cubes in his mouth from a stash he had prepared for iced drinks. The ice cubes were originally meant for drinking water, but he wished he had also frozen some glucose or saline solution to replenish sugar and salt. Still, having ice cubes was satisfying. However, since it was still light outside, he couldn't sneakily feed ice cubes to Qin Huai.
Initially, it seemed their journey would just repeat the previous day's pattern, walking all night, taking a short rest, eating and sleeping during the day, then continuing. However, the second day brought new problems.
Once it was completely dark, Mu Nan loosened his protective suit slightly, wiped himself with a cooling wet wipe, and fanned himself. Using the pretense of wiping Qin Huai's sweat, he quickly slipped two ice cubes into Qin Huai's mouth. With his mouth full of ice, Qin Huai could only give him a look, as he couldn't speak. Luckily, he didn't have dental issues, or his teeth might have suffered from the cold.
As the ice melted slightly, Mu Nan reached out with more ice, and Qin Huai grabbed his hand, "Walk properly."
Mu Nan said, "I want to wipe your sweat."
Qin Huai adjusted his hat, "If I'm too hot, I'll wipe it myself. Focus on walking carefully in this darkness and watch your steps."
Seeing Qin Huai reject the ice cubes, Mu Nan sighed.
Jian Chu, observing from the side, remarked, "You two are so clingy."
Mu Nan grinned, "Of course." Just then, he felt something run over his foot. Although he was wearing running shoes, he had placed sweat-absorbing pads underneath and his shoes had a breathable mesh upper, making him very aware of anything moving over his foot.
Surprised by the sensation of a creature running over his foot, Mu Nan let out a reflexive yelp.
Qin Huai quickly turned to check, "What happened?"
Mu Nan looked down and around, "Something just ran over my foot."
People nearby, already tired and hot, and possibly envious of their gear, especially the fan-equipped hats, scoffed at his reaction. They found his alarm over a small creature trivial, adding a touch of mockery, "There are so many pests around; why make a fuss over one or two? Stop being so melodramatic."
Qin Huai's expression turned cold, but before he could act, Mu Nan grabbed his hand and frantically yelled, "Rats! Brother, there are rats!"
Not only Mu Nan but the entire group erupted into chaos. It wasn't just one or two rats but a whole swarm. The rats weren't afraid of people and even climbed onto them. The sight of these creatures, with their small claws and long, hairless tails, was both disgusting and terrifying. They scurried wildly through the crowd, climbing onto people. Even though their team was all men, the sight of the rats made everyone jump and slap at their bodies to get the rats off. Those already on their faces and heads caused even more terror and shouting.
Qin Huai, disregarding his own safety, pulled Mu Nan away and brushed the rats off him. Despite his fear and disgust, Mu Nan knew that being scratched or bitten by the rats could be fatal, so he quickly helped Qin Huai, even though he was also frightened.
The screams of the crowd were incessant. Some people yelled for help, others ran away in a panic, some were so scared they cried, and others, in a fit of anger, threw the rats to the ground. Every rat that scurried over the floor was smashed underfoot.
The entire team was thrown into disarray by the sudden appearance of the rats. Some instinctively tried to flee and ran in all directions, despite Shi Yuanfei's repeated commands to stay calm and not panic. However, with rats climbing over everyone, it was impossible to stay calm, and no one could hear his instructions.
Qin Huai, while driving away the rats, kept an eye on the surroundings. Seeing some people blindly crashing into each other, he pulled Mu Nan to safety. They both tried to get to higher ground, ignoring their small cart and its contents, which were not worth risking their lives for.
Qin Huai remained calm and was not startled by the sudden chaos. He quickly moved out of the crowd, and Xu Ming reacted promptly, pulling Yu Zibai and Jian Chu, who were still busy with the rats, to safety, urging them to get as far away from the panicked crowd as possible.
Not long after they had moved to safety, some people collided in their panic, causing many to fall to the ground and roll in a heap. The rats, emboldened, climbed onto more people, and those trying to run either stumbled or stepped on those who had fallen. The ground was littered with debris from collapsed buildings—rocks, steel bars, and broken furniture with sharp edges. Falling onto such a surface could cause serious injury, and some people were seriously hurt.
The entire team was engulfed in screams and chaos, completely out of control.
Qin Huai noticed some tattered cloths pressed under the rubble, which seemed to be used by previous residents to block the sun. He asked Mu Nan to stand carefully and went to pull out the cloth and a steel bar trapped in the rubble. He shouted, "Who has a lighter?"
Shi Yuanfei, not far away, quickly understood Qin Huai's plan. He ran over with a lighter, wrapped the cloth around the steel bar, and managed to get it burning after some effort. Shi Yuanfei then used the flaming end to drive away the rats on the ground.
Seeing this, others also started searching for cloth in the rubble to use as makeshift torches. When they couldn't find cloth, they used other available objects to smash the rats, killing one rat at a time.
The rats, seemingly drawn out in droves, had been mostly driven away by the fire and the trampling. After a period of panic, only a few scattered rats remained, which were gradually cleared out.
Some of those who had fallen were either injured by the debris or bitten by the rats. Many couldn't get up, and some, still in shock from the rat swarm, were unable to regain their composure. The scene was chaotic with people wailing, crying, standing, and lying down.
Qin Huai, after ensuring the rats were gone, pulled Mu Nan to his side with shaking hands and asked, "Is there anywhere that hurts? Did any rats bite you? Don't hide anything from me."
Mu Nan shook his head, still in shock and unable to fully process what had happened, "I don't know. I don't know if I was bitten."
Qin Huai went to their cart, retrieved a package of disinfecting wipes, and removed his protective suit. "Hold the flashlight while I check."
He meticulously cleaned Mu Nan's body, checking for any rat bites or injuries, both inside and outside his clothes, and even his feet. After confirming that Mu Nan was unharmed, Qin Huai finally relaxed a bit, pressing a firm kiss to Mu Nan's forehead. With a trembling voice, he said, "It's alright, you're okay. There are no more rats."
Mu Nan, still trembling, tried to remove Qin Huai's clothes to check him in turn. Like Qin Huai did for him, he used the disinfecting wipes to clean and inspect Qin Huai for any injuries. Fortunately, their protective suits had likely prevented any serious bites from the rats.
Qin Huai took the discarded protective suits to a side, thoroughly spraying them with disinfectant since they had been infested by rats. Meanwhile, Jian Chu and others checked each other. Although they didn't have protective suits, they found some scratches and red marks from rat claws.
Mu Nan quickly provided disinfectant for them to clean the wounds. Although unsure of its effectiveness, it was better than doing nothing.
After handling what they could, Mu Nan sat on a stone pedestal, still slightly shaking from the terrifying encounter. Facing a swarm of rats charging at them and climbing onto people, he felt incredibly relieved that he was wearing protective glasses and a mask, otherwise, a rat might have climbed onto his face.
The protective suits had been thoroughly washed with disinfectant and were still damp, so Qin Huai draped them over the small cart to dry and then came over to pat Mu Nan's head. "It's okay now, don't be afraid."
In this sweltering heat, Mu Nan was chilled to the bone from the shock. It wasn't just him; many others were still stunned by the fright, and some, seeing rat bites on their bodies, broke down in tears. It was only the second day, and they were already facing such a disaster. If they had known, they would have stayed at the camp. Even with the plague around, they might have lived a few more days.
Xu Ming looked at the still-dazed people. "Have all the wounds been disinfected?"
Yu Zibai, holding Jian Chu's hand, nodded. "They're just scratches, no bites. Are scratches a big deal?"
Xu Ming shook his head. "I don't know. Even scratches could be problematic if you pass through a virus-infected area. We don't know where these rats came from or what they've been exposed to. If there is an infection, it should show symptoms soon. You all must keep your masks on and avoid close contact with others. I've seen many people over there who have been bitten and are bleeding."
Yu Zibai looked at Jian Chu. "Put on your protective suit later."
Jian Chu replied, "I don't want to. Don't say that. If we're going to die, we'll die together. It's not a big deal."
Yu Zibai said, "You wear the protective suit, and I'll wear the raincoat."
Jian Chu insisted, "No, you wear the protective suit, and I'll wear the raincoat. It's the same anyway."
Yu Zibai couldn't argue further and, fearing the conversation would go back to neither of them wearing anything, reluctantly agreed.
Shi Yuanfei and some soldiers were tending to the wounded in the group, dealing with those injured from falls and rat bites. They needed to treat everyone, but they didn't yet know if the rats carried any diseases. The bitten individuals would be placed at the end of the line, and if any symptoms of illness appeared, they would be abandoned immediately.
No one expected such severe injuries on just the second day. Some speculated that another earthquake might be coming, as the rats seemed to be migrating in large numbers, as if they were fleeing.
But no one could provide answers. Given the current situation, if there were another earthquake, it would either cause them to fall into fissures or they wouldn't be hit again; most of the buildings on the surface had already collapsed.
The group of over three hundred people was in disarray due to the rats. It wasn't something that could be quickly resolved. Shi Yuanfei ordered everyone to regroup. Those with serious injuries should help each other and leave the area first. Continuing the journey today seemed impossible, and they needed to find a place to rest and recover.
The group, still shaken and frightened, continued forward. However, some, severely injured from the fall, couldn't travel far. They had only managed to apply makeshift bandages that didn't even stop the bleeding, so Shi Yuanfei had to find an area with some partially intact buildings to stop. They would rest there and, if they couldn't move again today, they could at least stay inside the buildings to avoid the sun when daylight came.
After they settled in a corner, Xu Ming said, "I'll go see if there's anything useful at the military hospital." If there were any medicines, he could handle some external injuries.
Qin Huai touched Mu Nan's forehead, wiped his sweat, and fanned him. "Do you feel any discomfort?"
Mu Nan shook his head. Looking at the heavily injured or bitten people in the distance, he couldn't help but ask, "Are we going to have to turn back?" It was only the second day, and they had suffered such severe losses. Although no one had died, if those rats were carrying diseases, their group might be in serious trouble.
Qin Huai said, "We shouldn't. No matter what, they'll insist on reaching the university city. If we turn back now, we won't find a place to avoid the city center, and more people will die."
Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, not even Jian Chu and Yu Zibai who were quietly talking nearby, Mu Nan pulled Qin Huai's mask aside and stuffed a piece of meat-filled flatbread into his mouth, followed by a rice ball. Afraid he might choke, he also gave him a bite of watermelon. Despite the terrifying rat swarm, Mu Nan's concern for Qin Huai's well-being never wavered, and he continued to feed him whenever he could.