### Killing Wolves
The sky had darkened, and the moon had just risen, casting a cold silver light over the land.
Under the bright moonlight, the surrounding gentle plains were clearly visible, with green waves stretching for miles, boundless as far as the eye could see. A gentle breeze blew, making the grass sway like waves.
A dirt path, intermittently visible, struggled to be seen beneath the thick grass.
It patiently extended forward, resembling a curved knife, stabbing toward the seam between heaven and earth.
A green military jeep was parked on the dirt path but hadn't moved an inch; not even the headlights had been turned on.
In stark contrast to the stillness of the jeep was the chilling sight surrounding it: dozens, if not hundreds, of shining green eyes floated like ghostly flames, encircling the jeep.
The windows of the jeep were tightly shut, yet they could not block the fear seeping in from outside. Looking out at everything, Zhu Jiar was pale. Her body felt numb, and her breathing was rapid.
Upon closer inspection of those eyes, one could see that besides the green glow, they were eerily similar to human eyes, clearly reflecting the greed and bloodlust within.
Those were the eyes of wolves. They had long tails, standing ears, limbs as thin as bamboo poles, and their bodies were covered in fur...
These features were vastly different from humans, yet they shared one identical organ.
That was the eyes.
One could say that all wolves had a pair of human-like eyes.
"Damn it, don't these wolves ever get tired or need to sleep? ... If we just had two minutes, we could get out and fill up the tank!" Under the pressure of the fear of death, Zhu Jiar finally couldn't hold back any longer and erupted in hysteria.
"No way, miss," replied a young soldier in the driver's seat, forcing a smile. "As soon as we open the car door, countless claws will tear us to shreds. Besides, we won't survive long enough to wait for them to get tired and leave.
Wolves are the most persistent hunters; just a few of them can chase a lone buffalo for one or two weeks, not letting it rest or eat until the buffalo exhausts itself and is killed. Let alone now, when all they need to do is surround us."
"It's all my fault; I shouldn't have fired the gun earlier. The gunshot and the dead wolf will attract even more wolves," another soldier in the passenger seat lamented, gripping a '79 Type rifle tightly, vigilantly watching outside. He could see blood on many wolves' mouths, and numerous scattered bones on the ground, remnants of wolves that had been eaten by their companions.
"Let's not talk about that. If you hadn't fired, I wouldn't have come back. Who would have thought the wolves would be so cunning, lurking in the grass and following the vehicle, suddenly pouncing when we stopped…"
"Oh my god, why am I so unlucky…" Listening to the two bodyguards in front, Zhu Jiar felt a suffocating despair rise from the depths of her heart.
She was truly unlucky; if it weren't for her stubbornness to shoot a documentary on prairie wolf problems, she wouldn't have ended up in this place. If it weren't for the jeep getting a flat tire, they wouldn't have stopped to fix it. If they hadn't coincidentally encountered a wolf pack nearby, they could have easily dealt with a dozen wolves with their guns. If it hadn't been for the fact that they were in an area without satellite signals, they could have called for help via phone or laptop…
This series of coincidences had trapped them in a dead end, and Zhu Jiar even doubted whether she had stumbled into a deadly trap like in the movie "Final Destination."
But even in the movies, people died instantly; how could it be so torturous like now?
She could see countless claws, countless furry bellies, countless sharp ears, countless flickering eyes, countless heavy tails, and countless stark white teeth…
The wolves were busy, countless claws scratching at the car windows, the sound extremely unpleasant.
With each scratch, Zhu Jiar's heart twisted painfully.
She knew that many men had had their eyes on her body; they tried every means, offering flattery, throwing flirtatious glances…
But this flesh was about to be fed to the wolves! They would tear the flesh off her body in an instant, devour her brain, eyes, and internal organs, and finally grind all the bones into dust, sucking out the marrow.
To achieve this, they would fight for it, and perhaps one of the wolves would be killed in the process.
When they left, the car would be left with nothing but a pile of hair and crushed bones…
However, when the despair in her heart peaked, Zhu Jiar surprisingly calmed down. She took out her camera, adjusted the angle, and started filming the wolf pack outside the window.
"Even if I die, at least I can leave behind a thrilling documentary on wolves eating humans…" Zhu Jiar thought with deep bitterness.
"Awwooo…" Suddenly, the wolves outside howled, their voices rising and falling, filled with agitation.
"Something's happening!" The soldier in the driver's seat immediately straightened up, his eyes glued to the outside.
"Is someone coming to save us? Or is another beast approaching?" In her desperation, Zhu Jiar's spirit lifted as she quickly asked.
"Doesn't seem like it. If it were people, there would be car sounds and gunshots. If it were a fierce beast, there's nothing on this prairie that could threaten wolves; with so many wolves gathered, even tigers would think twice about approaching…"
The soldier in the passenger seat responded, but he quickly fell silent, for he had already spotted the source of the commotion among the wolves.
It was a person.
A man who wasn't driving a car or carrying a handgun, but was merely wielding a spring knife, fighting against the wolves.
But perhaps this couldn't even be called a fight; it was slaughter!
A one-man slaughter against a pack of wolves!
That man walked leisurely, the spring knife effortlessly slicing through the air, leaving trails of cold light, piercing through blooming blood flowers.
His knife didn't move quickly, nor did it strike hard, yet it was exceptionally precise and vicious. No matter from which direction the wolves pounced at him, he could maneuver the knife around their fangs and claws, accurately hitting the wolves' throats.
One cut to the throat, and it was a certain kill! He didn't need to exert effort; one after another, the wolves couldn't even make use of their sharp claws and strong limbs before dying in his hands.
All three in the jeep were dumbfounded. The two soldiers, experienced fighters, had never imagined there could be such one-man killing skills in the world, while Zhu Jiar had regained her composure amidst the fear and astonishment, her professional instinct urging her to rotate the camera and film the incredible slaughter scene.
However, it didn't take long for the wolf pack to recognize the man's immense threat. The expressions of the wolves were no longer distracted; their eyes became eager, fierce, frenzied, even carrying a hint of fear.
Immediately, seven wolves coordinated and lunged at him from all directions and varying heights. Even if that man was swift, fierce, and precise with his knife, he could only kill two or three before the remaining wolves would overwhelm him.
But the man showed no signs of panic. He simply swung his right hand, slicing the air in a beautiful crescent, sealing the throats of the two fastest wolves in mid-air.
At the same time, he kicked out.
Unlike the silent and precise kills with his knife, this kick was like a giant battle axe cleaving through the air, emitting a heart-wrenching howl. The heads of the two wolves caught in its arc produced two resounding cracks as their skulls shattered, their bodies sent flying five to six meters away.
Then his left fist came crashing down onto another wolf's head with a muffled thud, a deep, resonating sound, akin to the dull thud of explosives buried in the ground during a mountain blast. It wasn't a fancy sound, but its destructive power deeply struck fear.
The wolf hit by this punch seemed to dive into water rather than land; it disappeared into the ground.
However, two more wolves were still attacking, one of which had its gaping maw almost at the man's neck; the stench of drool was about to splash onto his face. At this distance, he had no time for another punch or kick.
Faced with this situation, the man suddenly stomped his foot.
This stomp made the three people in the jeep feel the ground tremble violently, and the man's previously still figure transformed into swift motion, much like a SSC Ultimate Aero supercar suddenly accelerating to full speed.
With a loud "bang," the man crashed shoulder-first into the wolf, the immense force akin to a racing car sent the wolf flying backward, colliding with another wolf behind it, producing a series of crackling, shattering sounds like a bag full of dry twigs being stomped on, sending them both flying over ten meters and landing in the grass on the other side.
Moreover, this massive reaction force, reminiscent of a supercar revving up, sent debris of stones and dirt flying around his feet, like a sandstorm, engulfing the approaching wolves in a cloud of dust and stones.
Then the man's figure disappeared into the swirling dust, and the howls and screams of the wolves continued to echo from within.
"What… who is he? Is he even human?" As the man's silhouette was temporarily obscured by the dust, Zhu Jiar finally snapped back to reality from the immense shock, stammering her question.
"I don't know... I just know that all the combat techniques I learned in the military are useless. While I can easily handle five or six ordinary strong men at the same time, I'm like a baby compared to him," replied the soldier in the driver's seat, eyes wide and fixed on the outside. As an expert, he was ten times more shocked than Zhu Jiar, who knew nothing.
"Oh my god! 0.56 seconds! That man actually killed seven wolves in 0.56 seconds!" Zhu Jiar had initially looked down on the man's series of actions; she thought he just moved, and a bunch of wolves went flying. Now, replaying the footage at one-tenth speed, she discovered this terrifying truth.
"That means he could kill even more in the same amount of time. Even if those people had guns, they wouldn't have time to react to his speed and accuracy!" said another soldier, his tone filled with shock and reverence, as if a carpenter had encountered Lu Ban or a scientist had met Einstein.
In the few moments they exchanged words, the howls and chaos from the wolf pack outside had completely quieted down, leaving only the distant sounds of surviving wolves fleeing into the grass, while the recently stirred dust had yet to settle, preventing them from seeing the condition of the wolf-slayer.
Suddenly, there were a few knocks on the back window of the jeep.
This sudden change made Zhu Jiar scream, and the soldier in the passenger seat reflexively pointed his gun outside.
Outside stood the wolf-slayer, a young man in his twenties, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, with short hair and an average height of about 1.8 meters, of medium build, without a beer belly or exaggerated muscles, looking ordinary at first glance, but with a healthy and vigorous presence.
However, a closer look revealed his uniqueness.
For someone of his average build, most people would have some excess fat, but he appeared slightly lean, with sculpted facial features and an exceptionally proportioned body. His muscles, while not bulging like a mountain, had perfect, smooth lines, full of elasticity and flexibility, and his skin had a remarkable sheen, combining the look and feel of a bronze sculpture.
Indeed, it was as if his body were crafted from some essence, exuding a metallic sharpness.
At this moment, though he was being aimed at by a loaded gun, there was no hint of disturbance in his eyes. He calmly said, "Gentlemen, could you give me a ride? Also, if you have tea, I'd like to have a sip."
Aside from some wolf blood and dust on his clothes, he looked and sounded like an ordinary person politely asking for a ride.
"Who exactly are you?" With the jeep now filled with gas, Zhu Jiar could no longer hold back her curiosity and asked the young man beside her.
"My name is Wang Zongchao, currently serving in the military… hmm, this tea is nice…" While answering, the young man took a sip of tea. Despite the bumpy road, he held the cup steadily; whenever the vehicle jolted, he barely adjusted his grip, preventing a single drop from spilling.
"Are there people like you in the military? I thought you were a martial arts expert trained in the deep mountains!" Zhu Jiar initially intended to say "monster." After all, her father was a high-ranking official in the military, and her bodyguards were all elite soldiers. But compared to this young man…
"Can experts really be found deep in the mountains? Haha… without practical combat, without killing, what is martial arts? At most, it's performance!
As for experts in the military, there are plenty, but they aren't known to the outside world! After all, true swords only shine when they're used to kill, not when they're hung on the wall as decorations." Wang Zongchao said casually.
"By the way, my identity is highly classified, so I can't let you make public the footage of me killing wolves, so please hand over the film."
"Stingy… fine!" Zhu Jiar, though a young lady from a powerful family, had interacted with enough people to understand that Wang Zongchao's words were not something she could refuse. She pouted reluctantly and took the film off her camera, handing it to him.
"Why so mysterious? My dad is a military commander, and my grandfather is… in short, if I just tell him, he could smooth things over for you."
"Don't say commander; even if your dad were the district commander, it wouldn't reach the unit I belong to." Wang Zongchao glanced at Zhu Jiar and smiled.
"What kind of unit is so mysterious?" Zhu Jiar was taken aback, but the soldier in the passenger seat had already turned around and said, "Miss, please don't ask. There are indeed some units in China that are not to be inquired about."
"Is there really such a unit?" Zhu Jiar was stunned but wisely refrained from asking further. She shifted the topic and asked, "How did you end up in this prairie all alone?"
"I just returned from a month-long personal leave. Since I had nowhere to go, I came here after hearing about the wolf infestation in this area, looking for some excitement."
"Looking for excitement?" The three in the vehicle were drenched in cold sweat. There were at least over 100,000 wolves on the prairie, and they were in a period of extreme food scarcity, frantically hunting other animals and even turning on each other. Yet this man had come alone with just a spring knife seeking excitement.
"What's so strange about that? Nowadays, people often go to theme parks to find thrills during their holidays, right? I'm just looking for something that can stimulate my nerves, but it's time to leave now." Wang Zongchao spoke casually.
"…" The three in the jeep were left speechless.
"Oh, here's the film back to you." Wang Zongchao suddenly tossed the film he had just taken from Zhu Jiar back to her.
"You're giving the film back to me? Aren't you worried I'll make it public?" Zhu Jiar caught the film, stunned.
"I don't want you to make it public; taking away a roll of blank film is meaningless." Wang Zongchao suddenly revealed another roll of film he had seemingly pulled from nowhere. Zhu Jiar immediately jumped up like a cat, nearly hitting the ceiling of the vehicle.
"You… you actually stole my film!" Zhu Jiar hurriedly searched her body, but indeed found nothing.
"Who told you to play tricks? You thought a blank roll of film would trick me? If you hadn't given yourself away when you took the film out—your heartbeat selling you out, and then your hidden hand subconsciously tightening around something, I almost wouldn't have noticed." After speaking, Wang Zongchao suddenly tightened his grip, the film in his hand crumpling into a series of cracking sounds as if crushed by a machine, then he molded it into an unrecognizable ball and tossed it out the window.
"All right, I helped you with a big favor by tossing out a roll of film; that's no big deal, right? By the way, can you lend me your laptop? We should be out of the satellite signal blackout zone now, and I want to check the latest news."
"After ruining my film, you want me to give you something in exchange!" Zhu Jiar sulked, though the young man's violent actions and words were terrifying, she felt a calm and composed aura about him that didn't frighten her.
It was like a legendary ancient sword; when drawn, its sharpness radiated in all directions, enough to terrify anyone, yet when sheathed, its sharpness was contained and returned to the ordinary.
"No problem." Wang Zongchao handed over the spring knife, now retracted. "This knife is just a cheap trinket I bought two weeks ago. I didn't want to carry a weapon, but it's convenient for cutting meat and barbecue, so I'll leave it as a memento for you."
"Who would care about your knife?" Zhu Jiar mumbled but didn't refuse to accept it, handing over her laptop, which Wang Zongchao casually took and began operating.
"Hmm?" Wang Zongchao suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, as when he entered DOS, a dialogue box popped up on the LCD display, reading: "Want to understand the meaning of life? Want to truly… live?"
"DOS has ads now?" Wang Zongchao found it strange and clicked on it.
He clicked—"Yes!"