Responding to a police call late at night, especially in harsh conditions like heavy snow and strong winds, is difficult. However, when the report came in online with a photo of a group of people tied up and abandoned by the roadside, the urgency increased significantly. After all, if they didn't act quickly, those people could freeze to death.
Mu Nan, seeing that Qin Huai had also sent the photo, asked worriedly, "Will this cause any problems? Will they confiscate our weapons?"
Qin Huai, pulling Mu Nan to sit beside him, reassured, "Don't worry, it's fine. I left the handmade crossbow outside. Even if they confiscate it, we can make another one if we find the materials. There's nothing to fear."
Mu Nan clutched his chest. "I was so scared. My heart still hasn't calmed down."
Qin Huai hugged him gently. "I thought you weren't scared. You handled it so well. If it weren't for your quick reaction, we might have had someone hurt today."
Mu Nan replied, "I was a bit scared. So many people climbed over our wall. If we didn't have weapons, close combat would've been really dangerous. I didn't think about it much at the time, but now, I'm quite shaken. Our wall is already high, and we even put glass shards on top, but they still managed to climb over."
Qin Huai explained, "They were wearing thick winter clothes. With a ladder, it's not hard."
Mu Nan, still worried, asked, "What are we going to do in the future? Now that it's happened once, there will surely be a second time. In this area, it seems we're one of the few houses with walls, making us an easy target."
Qin Huai comforted him, "This is inevitable. The barter stations are closed, and it's so cold that many can't go out to work. In this environment, if you don't work, you can't earn food. Although families with absolutely no food can ask the government for help, like getting temporary jobs or credit, some people don't want to go that route. They prefer to get quick cash, which is normal. Even in peaceful times, there's robbery and theft, so it's no surprise now. Choosing to live in a walled house is actually safer. We can shoot from the upper floors. If we lived on the ground floor, and someone broke in, it would be much more dangerous because of close contact."
After such an incident, sleep was impossible, especially with a group still tied up in the courtyard. The soldiers would definitely need to come in and ask some questions. Once everyone had calmed down, a wave of fear hit—not fear of the injured attackers, but of what could have happened if Niu Niu hadn't alerted them. They might not have noticed the intruders until they were already inside the house. These people even brought a ladder, which they could've used to climb to the second floor and break through the glass balcony doors. That would've been disastrous.
The soldiers arrived quickly, driving a snow vehicle. Seeing the group of tied-up individuals already on the brink of freezing, they left two soldiers while two others took the intruders away. After all, they couldn't let them freeze to death before investigating. The remaining two soldiers went inside to ask about the situation while waiting for the vehicle to return.
When they heard noise outside, the people in the house noticed it. Niu Niu barked once, but was quickly calmed down. He hadn't barked as incessantly as before when people climbed over the wall, showing that Song Jia had deliberately not stopped him barking earlier to alert them of intruders. It was faster than making a phone call.
Yu Zibai and Xu Ming opened the door and let the soldiers in, showing them the large machetes they had confiscated. "These are the weapons they were carrying. They also had a ladder."
One of the soldiers asked, "What did you use to injure them?"
Xu Ming replied, "A homemade crossbow."
He then led the two soldiers inside. Although the first floor was a garage, it also had a small sitting room. The floor heating wasn't on downstairs, but the upstairs heating had somewhat warmed the area, making it much better than the minus forty degrees outside. They couldn't just leave the soldiers standing in the yard to ask questions, so they brought them inside.
Qin Huai told Mu Nan to stay at home while he went next door. Since he had done most of the fighting, it wouldn't be fair to let the neighbors take all the questions.
Mu Nan responded with a quick "Okay," then warned him, "Be careful. If they try to confiscate anything or punish us, don't get upset. Try to communicate calmly. If it comes to it, we can just pay a fine."
Qin Huai, not wanting to worry him, agreed to everything and, after putting on his coat, he headed to the garage next door. Jian Chu opened the door, letting him into the small sitting room, where the two soldiers were examining the homemade crossbow.
Xu Ming addressed the soldiers, "It's not like before. We need to have some protective weapons at home. Otherwise, if they had broken in, it would've been us who died. You saw the machetes they brought; they weren't planning to leave anyone alive."
The soldier put down the crossbow. "We'll need to report this to our superiors. For now, we'll take the weapon with us. If it's cleared, we'll return it. Are there just a few of you in this courtyard? I heard a dog barking."
Jian Chu replied, "The building next door has a dog. That building houses four girls, while another house has two brothers and a dog. The older brother is bedridden with frostbite, and the younger one is only in his twenties, likely scared out of his mind. Only the dog has any fight in it and knows how to protect them."
After briefly asking about what happened, the soldiers made some notes and then advised them to keep their doors and windows tightly shut. They still needed to check with the neighbors.
Next door, the two brothers were doing alright. The soldiers went upstairs to verify the bedridden brother's condition, finding him indeed immobile from frostbite. Their dog, though not particularly attractive, was loyal and alert, watching the soldiers closely without showing aggression but clearly on guard. One of the soldiers commented, "This dog is great."
Song Jia, petting Niuniu's fur, responded, "But he also attracts attention." He suspected that this disaster may have been caused by Niu Niu.
Considering the current situation, the soldiers didn't comment further. They advised them to secure their doors and windows and went to the girls' house next.
Entering, the soldiers were greeted by a scene akin to monks entering a den of temptresses. The girls had been hiding inside, terrified, but couldn't have missed the loud barking next door. When they saw the soldiers, they broke down in tears, leaving the two young soldiers unsure of how to comfort them. Just then, the sound of the arriving vehicle outside saved them, and they quickly made their escape from the house.
Once the soldiers left, the previously crying girls instantly stopped. Sun Sisi worriedly asked, "They won't punish the guys next door for being too harsh, will they?"
A quieter girl replied, "No way. In times like these, self-defense is essential. You can't punish people for that."
Yang Jing, who had been crying the loudest, calmly wiped her tears. "When they assigned us these houses, I complained about being surrounded by men. Now, I'm really grateful to the soldier who assigned us here. I hope we never have to face something like this again. It was terrifying."
Sun Sisi sighed, "It's a shame they're all taken. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind one of those handsome guys."
A short-haired, quick-witted girl rolled her eyes at her. "You may be willing, but they might not be."
The crossbow was returned to them on the third day, with no further issues. Qin Huai, who worked as a local network maintenance technician, had access to internal channels used by the soldiers. Through the internal reports, he learned that their house wasn't the first to be targeted that night. Earlier, a six-person family had been attacked in a nearby building. They had occupied the house and hoarded supplies like electronics and clothes, later trading these items for food when the military started rebuilding. The family had enough to survive the winter and had shut themselves in. When the soldiers arrived on patrol, they found the door ajar and discovered that the only survivor was a little girl hiding in a closet.
After questioning, the soldiers found the stronghold of the gang of bandits, located in a farmhouse behind a vocational school. Although the farmhouse didn't have underfloor heating, it did have a heated kang (a traditional heated bed), and a cellar filled with clothing, food, and various valuables that had been stolen from the outside. It was hard to tell how many families these people had robbed to fill the cellar to the brim.
Mu Nan noticed Qin Huai reading the report and curiously asked, "Did it say how they dealt with those people?"
Qin Huai poured him a cup of hot water. "If you want to talk, send me a message. It's better for your throat."
After that physical exertion, Mu Nan already felt a heat within him, and shortly after, he experienced something traumatic and cold. As expected, he caught a cold. Luckily, he only had a slight cough and his tonsils were a bit inflamed, but he didn't have a fever. Otherwise, he would have to take his temperature every day, which could lead to being taken away. At this moment, his voice was hoarse, and Qin Huai wanted him to talk less.
Holding the cup of water, Mu Nan took a sip, and then Qin Huai continued, "Two of them didn't make it back. Xu Ming's arrow probably hit a lung. The leader had injuries to one shoulder and one leg, and after freezing in the snow, he couldn't survive when they dragged him back. The others couldn't withstand the interrogation and confessed to some past crimes, including murder. There's no longer any trial process; once guilty, it's straight to life imprisonment."
Mu Nan was taken aback and was about to speak when his throat itched, causing him to cough uncontrollably. Qin Huai patted his back, and after he calmed down, he shoved his phone into Mu Nan's hand. "Don't talk; drink some snow pear water later."
Mu Nan typed a message back: "Is there still life imprisonment now?"
Qin Huai replied, "Life imprisonment now isn't just sitting around waiting to die. They're all sent to work on construction sites. In this cold weather, even those with a bit of conditioning can't withstand such low temperatures. But whether it's a heated room or a temporary shelter, there's no way to stop for now; these require manpower. Those who committed crimes don't have the freedom to choose whether to work or not. Not working means death, but if they do work, they can at least get meals and survive for a bit."
After Qin Huai finished speaking, he saw that Jian Chu and the others had messaged him. It seemed they were still haunted by the previous incident and wanted to start making crossbows. However, with what they could find now, making one was too difficult, so they were considering stepping back and making bows and arrows instead. Qin Huai thought that was feasible; bows and arrows were much easier to make than crossbows. He couldn't provide any other materials, but he knew what they had brought back before, so he could offer them bowstrings.
A bundle of bowstrings was distributed, one to each family. Whether they could successfully make weapons depended on their own skills. After pulling out the prepared bowstrings, Qin Huai said to Mu Nan, "I'll take these down to them. If your throat itches, drink some water. If you can't drink plain water, use the snow pear water."
Mu Nan agreed, cuddled with a pillow, and curled up in bed. Yu Zibai was waiting in the garage. After Qin Huai came down, he handed him Xu Ming's share. "This is it. There are no blueprints, so you'll have to figure it out yourselves."
Yu Zibai nodded. "Okay, let's try first. If it doesn't work, we can grind down the wood we collected into arrows. It's never a bad idea to have more."
While they were pondering weapons next door, Mu Nan was at home recovering from his illness, even stopping his daily running. They had medicine for anti-inflammation, cough relief, lung nourishment, and additional food supplements. They were continuously taking these, but his cough still worsened. He coughed painfully every day, his throat hurt so much that he couldn't eat, and he would even vomit from coughing too hard, leading to noticeable weight loss. Qin Huai applied hot towels to his back three times a day. Seeing Mu Nan suffering from the cough made him feel distressed.
During these moments, he often regretted not having learned more about medicine. Leaving aside other skills, if he had only learned to make medicines and give injections, it would have sufficed. He had previously asked someone to prepare some basic medicines, but those medications required specific ratios to be effective. Now, Mu Nan had some medicine in his space, but he didn't understand it. This wasn't something you could learn just by reading. Incorrect ratios could cause serious issues if injected into a person's body.
Qin Huai took the information he had researched before and asked Mu Nan to pull out some of the categorized medications. Mu Nan looked at him in confusion, and Qin Huai said, "I'll ask Xu Ming if he knows anything. If he does, let him come over and give you an injection. Coughing like this is really bad for your lungs; if it turns into pneumonia, that would be troublesome."
Mu Nan frowned and pulled out his phone to text Qin Huai, but Qin Huai pressed down on his phone and tucked him back under the blanket. "It's fine. Xu Ming probably won't ask about the source of the medicine. Besides, they know I'm familiar with people from the military, so they might naturally connect the dots about private purchases. Don't worry; just take out the medicines, and let's see which ones we need."
There are antibiotics like cephalosporins available outside, but the supplies mainly focus on severe cases and are scarce. For ordinary people, it's hard to get the medicine, but if there's a channel, it's not impossible to obtain it.
Mu Nan then pulled out the medicines, and Qin Huai compared each name to what he had before, having previously consulted with a doctor about basic configurations and required amounts. He laid out some penicillin and cephalosporins, while others that were not particularly applicable he asked Mu Nan to put away for now.
Mu Nan sighed. While others recovered from a cold in just two days, his cold felt severe. He was coughing so much that his chest hurt, and even breathing was painful, not to mention that his throat was swollen, making it hard to drink water.
Just as Qin Huai was about to contact Xu Ming, the doorbell rang downstairs. Qin Huai frowned slightly; he had been focused on the medications and hadn't noticed anyone entering the yard. Since someone could ring his doorbell now, it must be a neighbor who let them in. He glanced at his phone—it was time to take temperatures—so he pulled Mu Nan up from the bed. "Time to check your temperature. Wait for me upstairs; I'll let them in."
Mu Nan nodded and waved at Qin Huai, telling him to go open the door. He was coughing a lot, but he was still able to walk.
When Qin Huai went downstairs and opened the door, he saw a noticeably petite person standing there. As soon as the door opened, the person who rang the bell walked in and lowered the mask on their face. "Good evening, Team Leader Qin."
Seeing Zhu Peipei, Qin Huai didn't react much. After closing the door, he asked formally, "Taking temperatures?"
Zhu Peipei expected Qin Huai to have some special reaction upon seeing her, so she felt a bit disappointed when he didn't. "Yes, I'm in charge of your area today." She took out a thermometer and scanned Qin Huai's forehead, recording his temperature. "I see there's also a brother listed in your records."
Qin Huai nodded. "He's upstairs. You can wait here, or I can go up and check his temperature for you."
Zhu Peipei said, "You're not even inviting me up? Are you still bothered by what Shi Yuanfei told you last time?"
Qin Huai replied, "No, it's just better to avoid any misunderstandings." He preferred to be a little distant rather than risk giving the wrong impression, knowing that Zhu Peipei had feelings for him. He didn't want to lead her on or create unnecessary complications.
Zhu Peipei looked at him, feeling rejected. "I came here specifically today; I didn't need to go out, especially in this freezing weather. There are some things I want to clarify in person."
Qin Huai said, "Sorry, I'm busy right now. Can you please finish taking the temperature quickly? If you have any questions, we can discuss them over the phone." He didn't want to delay too long; every moment they spent downstairs meant Mu Nan would be uncomfortable for longer.
Zhu Peipei insisted, "It'll just take a moment."
Qin Huai sighed. "What do you want to say?"
Zhu Peipei began, "I just wanted to say that transferring military status is a chance. You don't have to think it's because of me…"
Before Zhu Peipei could finish, Qin Huai heard Mu Nan's suppressed cough and frowned slightly. "Dr. Zhu, if this is about that matter, I appreciate your kindness, but I've already planned my future, so I'm sorry."
Zhu Peipei heard the cough too. "Is your brother sick?"
Qin Huai looked at her steadily. "Yes, he has a bit of a cough, so please take the temperature quickly." He added, "He's not my brother; he's my partner."
Zhu Peipei's eyes widened. When she heard Shi Yuanfei say this before, she didn't believe it, thinking it was Qin Huai's excuse. But hearing it directly from him now, she felt skeptical and immediately headed upstairs.
Meanwhile, Mu Nan didn't know what Qin Huai was doing downstairs. Wrapped in a thick blanket, he walked to the stairs, only to see a girl storming up.
Qin Huai quickly approached. "Didn't I tell you to wait on the couch?"
Mu Nan looked at the girl in the thick coat, holding a notepad and thermometer, and waited for her to check his temperature.
But the girl just kept staring at him without moving. Confused, Mu Nan couldn't speak; he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would cough uncontrollably.
Seeing Zhu Peipei still standing there, Qin Huai grabbed the thermometer and quickly checked Mu Nan's temperature, then handed it back to Zhu Peipei. "Thanks, Dr. Zhu." He tightened Mu Nan's collar, urging him to go to the couch since it was colder by the stairs and he didn't want Mu Nan to catch another chill.
Mu Nan nodded, but then he noticed the girl still standing at the stairs, watching him and not moving, looking increasingly puzzled at Qin Huai. What was going on?
Zhu Peipei looked at Qin Huai. "Is he the reason you rejected me?"
Mu Nan's eyes widened at this question. Something was definitely up!
Seeing Mu Nan's reaction, Qin Huai's tone instantly turned cold. "Dr. Zhu."
He didn't need others' affection to feel valued and didn't want Mu Nan to feel jealous over someone else's feelings. He wanted to keep anything that could upset Mu Nan away from him. Zhu Peipei's inquiry crossed his line, especially since Mu Nan was already feeling unwell; emotional distress could seriously affect one's health.
Zhu Peipei didn't understand why asking that would anger Qin Huai, but she sensed from his cold tone that he cared more about his little partner than she had imagined. It was just as she had thought: being liked by Qin Huai brought a unique happiness, and he was truly focused on Mu Nan.
Zhu Peipei had her pride too. Being treated so coldly by Qin Huai made her feel unwelcome, so she turned and went downstairs in a huff.
Qin Huai rubbed Mu Nan's hair and turned his face away from Zhu Peipei. "Don't misunderstand. She used to be a military doctor responsible for our communications department. Although we know each other, we're not close. She might have a slight crush on me, but I made it clear that I have a partner. She's just curious, so she came up to take a look. I was straightforward with her."
Mu Nan pointed downstairs and nudged Qin Huai, signaling him to see her off. After all, she was a girl, and he should show a bit of gentlemanly courtesy.
Qin Huai said, "She can close the door herself. No need to send her off. Go lie down on the couch; I'll message Xu Ming to see if he can give you an injection."
Zhu Peipei felt even more irritated when Qin Huai didn't see her off. But once she got home, her anger inexplicably dissipated, replaced by a bit of sympathy. She knew that when someone was sick, they had to rely on themselves to get through it, and with limited medicine available, she couldn't help but reach out to Qin Huai. "If you need medicine, I can help figure something out." Although she knew he had someone he liked and that it was a man, she couldn't bear to see him worried, even if it was for someone else.
While Qin Huai was with Mu Nan, who was receiving an IV drip, he replied to Zhu Peipei, "Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary."
Zhu Peipei slammed her phone down in frustration. How infuriating!