Chapter 222: 222, Refuse to admit even to death

Listening to the gunfire on the hillside, the others were already restless, gathering near the outpost to peer downward, while Hu Shuo remained as composed as ever, sitting there eating meat. He asked, "Did you buy enough seasonings today? Wild game is delicious, but always having only salt makes me uneasy. Seasonings are the real business!"

Ren Xiaosu glanced at him and said, "We bought everything. We bought everything."

This transaction between Li Qingzheng and Lao Wang had been quite successful—not only had they brought back enough salt to cure bacon, but also rice vinegar, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and the like. In truth, Sichuan peppercorns were not rare; in the wilderness, a single grab would yield a pile.

Li Qingzheng had felt at the time that doing business with Lao Wang was far easier than slowly selling cured meat.

At that moment, someone from the combat squad approached and said to Hu Shuo, "All five have been neutralized."

"Good," Hu Shuo nodded. "Take them to the Rampart to settle the score. Tell them to be careful of Huozhong Company. A force like Huozhong—one kill, one death—will never mistakenly harm the innocent."

"Understood," the man replied, then led his team away.

Yet Ren Xiaosu watched them with slight bewilderment. Their attire was not the combat uniform unique to Li's faction, yet they were far more formidable than private troops. What kind of operational sequence was this?

Hu Shuo laughed as he ate, "Finally settled one matter, and I feel much lighter. You don’t know, these past few days, this issue has weighed on my heart so heavily I couldn’t eat or sleep properly."

Ren Xiaosu turned to the student beside him and asked, "What did you study today? Let me borrow your notes to catch up. While Teacher Hu is still awake, I’ll ask him about anything I don’t understand."

But the moment he spoke, Hu Shuo immediately stood up, "Hahahaha, I’m sleepy! I’m going to bed!"

After Hu Shuo entered the house, Ren Xiaosu called for everyone to move the truck’s cargo inside. Xiao Yu Jie had also distributed winter clothes to them.

Chen Wudi returned to the room to change into new clothes, delighted. These items were prepared for Ren Xiaosu, Chen Wudi, and the other eight students. When Li Qingzheng witnessed this, he felt a pang of melancholy: "It’s nice to have family."

Late into the night, Ren Xiaosu quietly ventured deeper into the mountains. He needed to warn the wolf pack again, lest those nano warriors ambush them.

After all, the wolves now had their young in tow. If Li’s elite forces launched a surprise attack, and the wolves fled without time to carry their pups, would that not be a tragedy?

He had not walked far into the mountains when he spotted the wolf king waiting on a narrow path. The wolf king, as if understanding, led him straight to the wolf den.

Ren Xiaosu muttered, "Their wounds should be healing by now. Have they been following my medical advice and eating properly?"

The wolf king ignored him entirely. Upon reaching the den, the pack seemed friendlier than before. Ren Xiaosu first inspected the wounds of several wolves, only relaxing once he saw they had healed.

He sat on a large stone and said, "It seems Li’s side intends to send their elite forces to test you. Do you have confidence?"

The wolf king glanced at him with disdain. Ren Xiaosu continued earnestly, "Those are super warriors armed with nano robots, specifically sent to besiege you. Li’s faction isn’t foolish—they wouldn’t dare attack without assurance."

The wolf king still scorned him…

"Fine," Ren Xiaosu sighed. "If you kill them, don’t eat the bodies. There are nano robots inside. You might get diarrhea. When the time comes, hide the corpses and bring them to me—I’ll trade them for black medicine."

The wolf king’s eyes brightened at the mention of black medicine.

"But you’ll need to relocate your den farther away," Ren Xiaosu added. "Those wolf pups can’t run fast. If stray bullets hit them, it’d be a shame."

On his way back, Ren Xiaosu wondered: With the wolf pack’s help, could his accumulation of nano robots speed up?

At the thought, his heart stirred with excitement…

The next morning, everyone was busy retrieving the stored meat to cure bacon. Before, salt shortages had halted the process.

A few tables were set up outside the outpost, and the men worked sweatily, yet the thought of improving their meals filled them with satisfaction.

If an outsider stumbled upon this scene, they might mistake it for a bacon workshop rather than a military outpost. Everyone’s guns lay inside the house; some hadn’t touched theirs in days.

Truthfully, if not for survival, none would willingly serve in this godforsaken place. They had no loyalty to Li’s faction.

Now, they had no faith, no nostalgia—only survival mattered.

Thus, meat was better than anything else.

Someone laughed, "When spring comes, let’s gather grape seeds from the mountains. Plant them on the open land behind the outpost. By summer, we can harvest grapes and brew our own wine."

"Right, build a grapevine trellis. Plant garlic, scallions, cucumbers, and carrots nearby. In summer, toss together garlic paste and cucumber salad, mix carrot shreds with wine—this life would be comfortable!"

Laughter and chatter filled the outpost. The harsh cold of winter seemed to melt away. As the year drew to a close, their hearts turned toward festivity.

Ren Xiaosu said, "There’s something—I still have family in the settlement. For the New Year, I plan to drive the truck to fetch them and live together. But the house won’t fit everyone. We’ll have to work hard these days to build a wooden cabin. Anyone skilled in carpentry?"

"I am!" Li Qingzheng laughed. "I worked two years in carpentry. I’m experienced."

"Alright, once the meat is cured, we’ll help Ren Xiaosu build the house," someone else chimed.

This man had once been a refugee fleeing with Ren Xiaosu, bullied by Li Qingzheng upon arriving at the outpost. But over time, they had all merged into a single group, and old grievances faded.

At one moment, Ren Xiaosu mused: Living here with just a few people, self-sufficient in the mountains, wasn’t so bad.

Just then, Gong Palace suddenly spoke, "Side quest unlocked: If the wolf pack suffers no deaths within seven days, the vending machine will unlock new products: seeds."

Ren Xiaosu froze. Was it because he had developed a desire for self-sufficiency in the mountains that Gong Palace had timely triggered this seed-related side quest?

Yet Gong Palace hadn’t specified what these seeds would grow. Were there hidden wonders?