Chapter 65: 65, Withdrawal symptoms

The two soldiers who had yet to return had only ventured out after confirming that Yang Xiaomu and the others were unharmed, and they had gone in pairs, taking every precaution. Yet nearly ten minutes had passed, and the two still had not returned. Xu Xianchu stood at the edge of the cave, surveying the forest beyond. Though it was only just after dusk, the rain had darkened the sky to near midnight. "Could something have happened to them?" someone asked. "But there’s been no sign of anything," another voice called from the shadows of the cave. "Surely not both were ambushed without a sound?" Logically, this made sense, yet wasn’t this very silence the most terrifying part? Xu Xianchu had sent people out in pairs, and yet even with such measures, misfortune had struck. "Don’t overthink it," Xu Xianchu said. "They might have simply been delayed. It’s only been ten minutes." The cave fell silent. Though Xu Xianchu tried to reassure everyone, time slipped by, second by second, and the two had yet to reappear. "Who’s willing to come with me to find them?" Xu Xianchu said. Ren Xiaosu hesitated. Xu Xianchu was actually willing to brave the unknown dangers and the acid rain to search for his subordinate. But no one in the cave responded. Who would venture out to die at such a moment? Several soldiers from the private army urinated in the innermost part of the cave, leaving a pungent odor that permeated the entire space. Ren Xiaosu and the others could only sit at the outermost ventilated area, where it was colder but at least spared them the stench. Xu Xianchu sighed. "If you won’t save others, don’t blame them for not saving you when it comes to life and death." Ren Xiaosu didn’t care. He had never expected anyone to save him. Even their ally Yang Xiaomu would likely abandon everyone in the face of danger. After all, they were strangers, bound by no blood or kinship. To avoid mutual destruction was already a mercy. The rain outside drummed relentlessly against the trees. Ren Xiaosu told Yang Xiaomu, "I’ll keep watch until midnight. You rest first. This rain will make tomorrow’s journey treacherous, requiring immense effort and stamina. Be careful of those private soldiers—they mean no good." Ren Xiaosu had already noticed that since they had seized the guns, the private soldiers had been whispering among themselves. It was a hidden threat, but he had yet to devise a solution. "Mm," Yang Xiaomu nodded, leaning against the cave wall to rest. Even now, her gun remained trained on everyone, including Ren Xiaosu. He smiled, unfazed. He would have done the same. An eleven-person squad had inexplicably dwindled to nine. Ren Xiaosu glanced at the remaining private soldiers inside the cave. One sat smoking, the acrid smell still making him queasy. He could hardly fathom how these soldiers, even within a refuge, had resorted to stimulants. How fragile must their defenses be? Was this unique to the 13th Fortress, or were most private armies in such refuges the same? These soldiers had brought ample cigarettes, and Liu Bu had even provided ten packs. Yet during their escape, they had lost most of them. Now each carried only half a pack or a full one, while others had none left. The group sat inside, enveloped in smoke, though Ren Xiaosu, Yang Xiaomu, and Luo Xinyu sat at the outermost edge, spared the worst of it. "Lend me one," a soldier called out. "I’ve none left." "Neither do I. This is the last one," the soldier beside him shifted away, though his pocket still held half a pack. But who knew when they’d leave? His own supply wouldn’t last. The soldier seeking a cigarette turned to the others. "Lend me one. When we return to the fortress, I’ll repay you!" At this point, the craving had taken hold. He’d offer any promise just to smoke, for even in the fortress, cigarettes weren’t cheap. "Who knows if we’ll ever make it back?" someone sneered. "What’ll you repay us with—your life?" Ren Xiaosu sighed. These private soldiers were a sorry bunch. With two comrades missing, they were already quarreling over cigarettes. The soldier denied his smoke sat trembling, sweat beading on his forehead. Though their cigarettes were finer than those of the township workers, the withdrawal was far more violent. If danger struck now, these addicts couldn’t even stand, let alone resist. Ren Xiaosu glanced at the sleepless Luo Xinyu. "What’s it like inside your fortress?" This was one of Ren Xiaosu’s most pressing questions. He had long yearned for life within the fortress, where all the finest supplies from the township were shipped in. The people there didn’t eat coarse food, could wash their faces daily, and supposedly even had electricity. He and Yan Liuyuan had once believed it was paradise. But now it seemed far from the utopia they’d imagined. Luo Xinyu, delighted that Ren Xiaosu had initiated conversation, whispered gratefully. "Actually, the private army here is deliberately led astray. Once, a fortress’s private soldiers rebelled. Gradually, the administrators and soldiers of other fortresses grew wary. The higher-ups wanted protection, yet also desired loyalty without ambition. These cigarettes were the best way to dull their ambitions." "Does this stuff harm you if you smoke too much?" Ren Xiaosu asked. "Of course it does," Luo Xinyu replied. "Some discharged soldiers in the fortress are like walking corpses… others have wives who’ve run off with other men." "Your fortress is truly chaotic," Ren Xiaosu marveled. "That’s nothing," Luo Xinyu said. "I’ve seen a sixty-year-old woman keeping ten young lovers. An old cow eating tender grass!" Ren Xiaosu blinked. "Sixty? That’s not even enough to describe it." Luo Xinyu paused. "What’s that?" Ren Xiaosu mused. "Having children in old age?!" Luo Xinyu: "..." Luo Xinyu realized Ren Xiaosu’s mind worked differently from others, no wonder the township folk said he was mentally ill. Though he wasn’t ill, he possessed a natural air of madness. What kind of twisted logic had shaped his thoughts? Just then, someone in the cave cried out, "Something! It’s wet!" A group rushed out as if terrified, but Ren Xiaosu peered inside, puzzled. There was nothing there.