"Slave?" Lin Banxia shivered slightly and instinctively leaned closer to Yu Lei. She fully comprehended the implications of regarding women as mere slaves, and she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards Yu Lei for saving her; otherwise, she would have faced a fate worse than death.
Yu Lei's expression turned gravely serious as he pressed, "The other side of the mountain? How far is it from here?"
Tang Nuo pondered for a moment before responding, "It takes me about ten minutes to reach there."
The average walking speed of a person is five kilometers per hour. Considering that he was speaking to a twelve-year-old boy and that the ground was littered with tree stumps, he would be fortunate to manage three kilometers in an hour. Thus, ten minutes would only amount to a few hundred meters away.
Yu Lei hurriedly reduced the fire, leaving only a small flame, and used his military coat to block the cave entrance, preventing any glow from escaping.
"It's fortunate we didn't light the fire during the day; the smoke alone could have revealed our location," Yu Lei remarked, frowning in disbelief. It had only been a few days since the catastrophe, and already these people had sunk into such madness? "Are you saying they drink bottled water and eat rations too?"
"Yes, that's what I've seen," Tang Nuo confirmed with a nod.
"Do they wear clothing like this?" Yu Lei asked, gesturing towards the military coat drying near the fire.
Tang Nuo leaned in to examine it closely. "It seems somewhat similar, yet also quite different... I haven't seen them up close! Once, while foraging for food in the branches, I overheard two people passing by mention a woman and something about slaves... I didn't dare eavesdrop any longer and ran away quickly."
Lin Banxia queried, "Yu Lei, do you suspect these people are soldiers? But how could that be?"
"Only the base has bottled water and compressed rations. To my knowledge, there are several bunkers nearby, so it's possible that others have survived in the launch pits, just like us," Yu Lei said, poking at the dying fire with a stick, rekindling its flames slightly. "Kid, they have food and water; how did you manage to survive?"
Tang Nuo pointed to a backpack nearby, his mouth still busy chewing the compressed rations. "I brought some snacks, bread, and rations when I ventured into the cave. But I ran out of food two days ago, so I started searching for animal carcasses outside. I drink from the cave; there's dripping water from above. It rained yesterday, and there's some pooled water inside the cave too."
"What a poor child," Lin Banxia said, her spine tingling at the thought of eating raw meat. Compared to him, she felt incredibly fortunate to have rations and fresh water.
"It's alright! I used to come up here to play often; drinking blood and eating meat isn't a big deal. But had I not run into you today, I wouldn't have lasted much longer. I didn't expect the water level to rise so dramatically this time," Tang Nuo replied, his face suddenly darkening as he lowered his voice. "Uncle, did the village down the mountain get flooded?"
Yu Lei sighed. "Yes, haven't you figured that out for yourself?"
Tang Nuo nodded with difficulty, taking another determined bite of the rations as he proclaimed tearfully, "I want to live! I must survive!"
Lin Banxia wished to embrace him in comfort, but he stubbornly turned away. Instead, she gently ruffled his hair, saying, "It's alright. Since we are three, we have a much greater chance of survival together than if we were alone."
Tang Nuo cast a sidelong glance at Yu Lei, his expression unusually cold for someone his age. "Three people means splitting food into three portions, dividing the water into three parts; resources will be divided three ways. I don't believe you'll be so kind as to keep me around as a burden."
Yu Lei mimicked his tone, coldly adding, "Indeed, you remind me that I could always keep you as emergency rations!"
Tang Nuo froze, momentarily forgetting to chew, staring at Yu Lei with a mixture of confusion and fear, unsure if he was jesting or serious.
"Yu Lei! Why are you frightening the child?" Lin Banxia scolded playfully.
Yu Lei shook his head. "I'm not scaring him; I'm just making him aware. Fortunately, he hasn't encountered those people. If they've already adopted the mindset of treating women as slaves, cannibalism wouldn't be far behind."
A chill crept up Lin Banxia's spine at the thought of cannibalism. She hesitated to approach Yu Lei, who had spoken such chilling words, yet she instinctively clutched Tang Nuo to her, who was thoroughly startled and allowed himself to be held without resistance.
Yu Lei glanced into the inky darkness outside the cave and said, "The situation out there is slightly better than I imagined; at least there's still land. Unfortunately, that land has been submerged by seawater, turning it into salt flats where nothing can grow. This means we cannot cultivate any crops, and nearly all animals have perished, leaving only humans as the surviving creatures."
"What... what should we do?" Lin Banxia hadn't anticipated such dire circumstances—not only was farming out of the question, but their safety was also at risk.
"Hey, kid, are you sure they don't know you're here?" Yu Lei scrutinized Tang Nuo, trying to discern something from his ashen face.
"Yeah, they definitely don't know," Tang Nuo replied, pushing away Lin Banxia and attempting to sound strong. He understood that Yu Lei's earlier remarks were likely meant to intimidate him, especially with Lin Banxia present; there was no way this uncle would consider him food.
Yu Lei pointed at a trap between two large trees outside the cave. "I don't know how you set up that trap, but it needs to be dismantled."
"Why should I take it down?" Tang Nuo asked, puzzled. He had felt secure sleeping at night due to the trap outside. But then he recalled that this man had managed to reach the cave without falling into it.
"Because it's utterly ineffective," Yu Lei sighed, patiently explaining. "In this darkness, I was able to locate the cave. If it were daylight, it would be even more conspicuous. Besides, your group is certainly exploring this isolated island; they'll eventually discover this trap and realize other people are present. Moreover, your trap could never ensnare a soldier; it's a futile effort."
Tang Nuo pressed his lips into a thin line, contemplating before rising. "I'll take it down right now."
"No need to rush; we can do it tomorrow during the day," Yu Lei said, pulling him back gently, holding onto his slender wrist and silently lamenting how strong this child truly was. "By the way, do you have any unspoiled meat? It would be perfect to roast over the fire."
Tang Nuo's eyes brightened at the mention of food. Without a word, he dashed outside.
Lin Banxia approached Yu Lei, her voice low with concern. "What are we going to do?"
Yu Lei touched the military coat beside the fire, draping a half-dry one over Lin Banxia's shoulders. He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry; everything should be fine."