Upon hearing Zhou Rui's voice on the walkie-talkie, Zhuang Rui quickly took it and said, "Brother Zhou, I'm trapped here and can't get out."
"Don't worry, we'll drive the wolves away right away."
After Zhou Rui finished speaking, he put down the walkie-talkie, told Liu Chuan to open the sunroof of the Hummer, stood up straight, held his gun in both hands, and began to look for the target.
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out, but it wasn't Zhou Rui who fired it. It was Zhuang Rui in the SUV. He put down the walkie-talkie and then noticed the gun next to him. His courage immediately surged.
Zhuang Rui steeled himself, rolled down the car window a crack, and thrust the barrel of his Type 56 assault rifle into the mouth of a wolf. He then pulled the trigger hard, and the wolf's skull was ripped open by the force of the impact. The wolf's body flew backward four or five meters, and a trickle of blood splattered from the car window onto Zhuang Rui's face.
The crisp gunshots echoed across the vast grasslands, and the wolves that had been surrounding the off-road vehicle scattered in panic into the grass, but they did not go far, still keeping a close eye on the Desert Prince off-road vehicle that could no longer move.
It was freezing inside the car. Qin Xuanbing, despite wearing a thick coat, was already shivering. If they waited any longer, they might both get sick.
"Xuanbing, take this gun, let's get out of the car!"
After firing the shot, Zhuang Rui felt his blood boiling. He didn't wipe the wolf blood off his face, but grabbed the bottle next to him and gulped down two big mouthfuls of strong liquor. As the alcohol hit him, he took off his somewhat bulky coat, handed the gun to Qin Xuanbing, and picked up the machete he had used to clear the dry grass.
"Brother Zhou, drive the car over here, we're getting out."
Zhuang Rui threw away the walkie-talkie, pushed open the car door, and stepped out of the SUV, holding a machete horizontally in his hand.
Qin Xuanbing was somewhat stunned. She had never imagined that Zhuang Rui, who always seemed so refined and gentle, would have such a passionate side. Just now, she almost didn't recognize him; his face was contorted with rage, and his face was covered in blood, yet this appearance filled Qin Xuanbing with a sense of security. The surrounding wolf pack no longer seemed so terrifying.
Qin Xuanbing's parents both hold important positions in their family company. Since Qin Xuanbing was old enough to understand, she rarely saw her parents. Most of the time, she was accompanied by a nanny, and sometimes she was with her grandfather. This made her feel very insecure since she was a child, and she often wondered if her parents had abandoned her.
This taught Qin Xuanbing self-protection at a young age and instilled in her an almost instinctive sense of defensiveness towards people. At twenty-three, she had never been in a relationship, largely due to this mindset. However, after witnessing Zhuang Rui's actions, a blockage in her heart seemed to melt away. Even Qin Xuanbing herself didn't realize that this unassuming man had quietly entered her heart.
At this moment, the Hummer turned around and rushed towards the Desert Prince where Zhuang Rui was. The bright headlights illuminated Zhuang Rui's surroundings as if it were daytime. Zhuang Rui could clearly see three skinny, hungry wolves pouncing from the front, right, and left.
As the saying goes, "alcohol emboldens the timid," and Zhuang Rui is even more audacious at heart. Zhuang Rui can be considered a good student since childhood because he always gets excellent grades. However, Zhuang Rui is definitely not a good kid. When it comes to being mischievous, he surpasses Liu Chuan. However, he always prefers to solve problems with his brain. Nevertheless, he has been in many fights since childhood. If you provoke Zhuang Rui too much, he is willing to kill you.
When they were in junior high school, they were stopped by a group of thugs outside the school and asked for protection money. One of the thugs, trying to show off, slapped Zhuang Rui. This enraged Zhuang Rui, who picked up a brick from the ground and smashed it down on the man's head. The thugs, who usually only bullied students because of their numbers, scattered and ran away when they saw blood. But Zhuang Rui didn't stop there; he chased the man for two blocks, knocking down two more people before Liu Chuan finally pulled him down. The ferocity Zhuang Rui displayed at that moment even made Liu Chuan a little scared.
Later, Liu Chuan's father, who handled the matter, said this about Zhuang Rui: "This kid has guts, he's a real man."
"bring it on!"
Seeing the three hungry wolves pouncing on him, Zhuang Rui showed no fear. At this moment, his bloodlust was fully ignited, and the boiling blood made Zhuang Rui forget his fear. Facing the three hungry wolves pouncing in a triangular formation, Zhuang Rui did not retreat but advanced, and went to meet the wolf in the middle.
Having raised dogs since childhood, Zhuang Rui was very familiar with the habits of wolves. There is a saying about wolves: "copper head, iron tail, tofu waist." Only by attacking the wolf's most vulnerable waist and throat can a fatal blow be dealt. Therefore, Zhuang Rui's forward lunge was just a feint. Just as the hungry wolf leaped up, he suddenly stopped and slashed the machete in his right hand across his chest. The sharp blade cut open the wolf's entire throat, and the spurting wolf blood instantly sprayed all over Zhuang Rui's face.
A foul, fishy taste almost made Zhuang Rui vomit, but his movements didn't stop. Because of his forward momentum, the wolves on his left and right missed their targets. Using the momentum from swinging his knife to slash at the wolves, Zhuang Rui spun around in a half-circle and kicked out hard with his right foot at the waist of a wolf on his left.
Zhuang Rui was wearing high-top police boots that Liu Chuan had gotten. The soles were made of high-strength rubber with large particles for slip resistance and wear resistance. The toes and heels were made of hardened and shaped cowhide with a layer of steel plate. When he kicked out, it was like a heavy hammer, slamming hard into the wolf's waist. The hungry wolf immediately let out a "whimper" and lay down, rolling around on the ground.
However, Zhuang Rui could no longer avoid the wolf that pounced on his left. Facing the wolf that had already pounced into the air, Zhuang Rui could only raise his left arm to block it. He felt a slight numbness in his left arm, followed by a violent tearing sensation. Sharp wolf teeth had already pierced through Zhuang Rui's clothes, and the entire wolf's body was hanging on Zhuang Rui's left arm.
"Damn it, go to hell!"
With a low growl, Zhuang Rui ignored the excruciating pain in his left arm and used the machete in his right hand as a dagger, stabbing it into the wolf's soft belly. The sharp blade instantly sliced open the wolf's stomach, and the machete, which was over a meter long, went out through the wolf's back.
"Open it for me!"
Zhuang Rui shouted and put all his strength into his right hand, swinging it forcefully to lift the wolf into the air and rip it open from the abdomen.
Chapter 72 Terrifying Experience on the Grassland (4)
The wolf's body was disemboweled. Its internal organs were sprayed all over the ground. Zhuang Rui was covered in blood. His leather jacket was completely stained brownish-red. Above his left elbow, half of the sheepskin sleeve was gone, and the mangled arm could be vaguely seen underneath.
After slaying three wolves, Zhuang Rui was exhausted, and his left arm had lost all feeling. He wiped away the wolf blood that was obscuring his eyes and saw four more dark figures rushing towards him. Forcing himself to stay alert, Zhuang Rui struggled to raise his machete, only to hear a series of gunshots, "rat-a-tat-tat... rat-a-tat-tat."
With the sound of gunfire, several hungry wolves howled and fell to the ground. Zhuang Rui turned around and saw Qin Xuanbing standing behind him, white smoke billowing from the barrel of her Type 56 submachine gun, emitting a pungent smell of gunpowder. This instantly diluted the bloody stench clinging to Zhuang Rui.
"Good marksmanship, Xuanbing. I shot by sticking the gun into the wolf's mouth. I'm not as good as you, haha."
Zhuang Rui turned around, wanting to make a few more jokes, but unexpectedly a wave of dizziness hit his head, and his legs went weak. The machete in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
"We can't faint, that would be too embarrassing."
Zhuang Rui forced himself to stay alert, but the excessive blood loss in his left arm, coupled with the exertion of killing the wolf, had left him somewhat exhausted, and his vision was blurry. Zhuang Rui staggered and quickly reached out his right hand, trying to grab something to steady himself.
"Huh? Why is it so soft?"
Zhuang Rui felt his right hand grasp a soft, spongy object, which felt very nice to the touch. He couldn't help but squeeze it a couple of times, but then he heard Qin Xuanbing's embarrassed and angry voice in his ear: "You pervert, let go!"
"ah!"
Zhuang Rui struggled to open his eyes and saw that his right hand was gripping Qin Xuanbing's prominent breasts, which were still visible even under a thick coat.
Zhuang Rui, who was still a little dazed, instantly snapped back to reality and quickly let go of Qin Xuanbing's hand. His still somewhat weak body leaned against the SUV, his head bowed, unable to look at her.
If Zhuang Rui saw Qin Xuanbing now, he would realize that she wasn't angry. Qin Xuanbing, who always appeared poised, elegant, and noble in public, was experiencing a similar feeling to Zhuang Rui at this moment—her mind was blank. It's just that Zhuang Rui was feeling dizzy due to excessive blood loss.
Just as Zhuang Rui's large hand touched her chest, before Qin Xuanbing could even feel annoyed, a tingling sensation rose from her chest and quickly spread throughout her body. Since Qin Xuanbing was old enough to understand, no man had ever touched this forbidden area of hers, and the sensation in her body told her that she did not resist this man.
With her face flushed, Qin Xuanbing appeared so shy and helpless at this moment, captivatingly beautiful. The ice and snow that had chilled her to the bone, once melted, revealed a passion that could drive any man mad. It was just that Zhuang Rui, feeling guilty, hadn't witnessed this scene.
"Xuanbing, watch out!"
Just as Qin Xuanbing was still savoring the experience, the pack of wolves driven away by the Hummer regrouped and formed an encirclement from all sides, pouncing on Qin Xuanbing and Zhuang Rui who were standing outside the SUV.
At this moment, Qin Xuanbing had no strength left to fire the gun. Zhuang Rui's actions had left her weak and powerless, and she even dropped the gun in her hand. When she went to pick it up, several hungry wolves with bluish-gray fur pounced on the two of them.
"Da...da da...da da da..."
The crisp, rhythmic gunshots rang out, and seven or eight wolves that had approached the two were all hit in the head and fell to the ground. Just as the wolf pack retreated slightly, the Hummer finally pulled up in front of the two, and the door was suddenly pulled open.
"Hey, Wood, not bad, you're a real man, hurry up and get on."
Lei Lei is now driving the Hummer. Liu Chuan is standing at the door, waving to the two of them. Although the above scene only happened in a few minutes, it was all seen by the people in the Hummer.
Gunfire continued to ring out, golden bullet casings constantly ejecting from the roof of the vehicle. Zhou Rui stood through the sunroof, precisely targeting any prairie wolves that tried to approach the Hummer, buying the two enough time to get into the car.
"Xuanbing, you get in the car first."
Zhuang Rui leaned back in the SUV to rest for a while, feeling some strength returning. He pushed Qin Xuanbing in front of him with his right hand, but unexpectedly, Qin Xuanbing had already put one foot on the vehicle, and Zhuang Rui's hand landed squarely on Qin Xuanbing's buttocks. An amazing elastic force came from his hand, and Zhuang Rui quickly withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted. Qin Xuanbing's body stiffened visibly. Bai Mengyao in the car pulled her up, and she finally got into the car.
"God, you don't have to play this on me!"
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but grumble inwardly. He had already touched places he shouldn't have before, and now he was going too far by touching someone else's butt. With Qin Xuanbing's cold personality, he wondered how she would treat him in the future. But a real man should be responsible for his actions. He figured he could just let her touch him a few times. At this moment, Zhuang Rui had the air of a rogue.
"Damn it, Liu Chuan. Couldn't you have gotten out of the car and helped me up?"
Seeing Liu Chuan waiting calmly at the car door, Zhuang Rui was furious and, unusually, swore. This guy was so clueless.
Human potential is limitless. In emergencies, some people can unleash abilities and strength several times greater than their bodies can handle. However, after such an outburst, their bodies are incredibly weak. Zhuang Rui was in this situation. Although he had regained some strength, what was flowing from his arm was blood, not water. The massive blood loss made it almost impossible for him to even lift the submachine gun, which weighed only seven or eight pounds, from the ground.
Liu Chuan was oblivious to Zhuang Rui's exhaustion. He didn't realize Zhuang Rui was out of breath until he heard Zhuang Rui shout. Only then did he notice the bloody wound on Zhuang Rui's arm. He quickly jumped out of the car, picked up the submachine gun from the ground, kicked the SUV door to close it, and then helped Zhuang Rui into the car.
"Lei Lei, drive, but don't go too fast. Just keep circling the SUV."
Seeing Zhuang Rui get into the car, Zhou Rui shouted loudly. This wolf pack was quite large, with more than a hundred grassland wolves. He had already killed more than ten of them. The wolf pack also changed its strategy, avoiding the headlights and hiding in the grass. This made it difficult for Zhou Rui to continue hunting because he lost his target.
However, Zhou Rui had no intention of letting the wolves go. Firstly, he had to drive the off-road vehicle his boss had given him back. Secondly, Zhou Rui was not one to suffer losses, and being attacked silently by the wolves made him feel humiliated. In addition, Zhuang Rui's injury also made him feel guilty, since he was the one who planned the route to the Nagqu Grassland. Now that something had gone wrong, he naturally took the blame upon himself.
"Zhuang Rui, didn't I tell you to wait in the car for a while? Why are you in such a hurry to come out? How badly are you hurt?"
Zhou Rui shrank back into the car, first putting the safety off the gun in his hand, before looking at Zhuang Rui, who was covered in blood.
“Brother Zhou, it’s not that I don’t want to stay in the car. But the car won’t start, and it’s as cold as an ice cave. If we stay in it for a few more minutes, Xuanbing and I are afraid we’ll get sick from the cold.”
Zhuang Rui was getting more and more comfortable calling Qin Xuanbing by her name, while Qin Xuanbing's eyes remained fixed on Zhuang Rui's wound, her face full of worry.
"I had forgotten about that. Here, let me check your wound."
Zhou Rui sat down next to Zhuang Rui, took his left arm, glanced at him, and then frowned slightly.
"What's wrong? Brother Zhou, are you alright?"
To everyone's surprise, before Zhuang Rui could even ask, Qin Xuanbing had already asked anxiously. However, everyone assumed that Qin Xuanbing was concerned because Zhuang Rui had been injured for her sake, and didn't take it to heart.
"It's nothing, just a bite from a wolf, don't worry. Rogue, go find the Yunnan Baiyao spray we brought, apply some medicine and it'll be fine."
Zhuang Rui said nonchalantly, but when he called out Liu Chuan's nickname, he suddenly remembered that Qin Xuanbing had also called him a hooligan earlier. He felt a surge of warmth in his heart and turned to look at Qin Xuanbing. Their eyes met, and Qin Xuanbing seemed to have thought of something as well, blushing as she lowered her head.
“Wolves have a varied diet. In winter, food is scarce, so they must have eaten carrion. Moreover, the bite wounds are very deep. If they are not cleaned properly, they can easily cause fever or rabies infection. Lei Lei, drive closer to the campfire. Liu Chuan, get out of the car again later and bring up a few bottles of that box of liquor on the ground.”
As Zhou Rui spoke, his hands didn't stop either. He flipped his right hand, revealing the small knife he used for barbecuing. Zhou Rui first used the knife to cut open all of Zhuang Rui's clothes on his right arm. Because of the cold weather, the bloodstains had frozen together with Zhuang Rui's underwear, making them very difficult to clean. It took more than half an hour to clean the pieces of clothing from the wound.
Then Zhou Rui took out a Zippo lighter from his pocket and lit it on the blade until the thin, translucent blade turned slightly red. He then turned off the lighter and grabbed Zhou Rui's left arm with one hand.
Upon hearing that the injury could potentially lead to rabies, Zhuang Rui immediately abandoned his heroic act and let Zhou Rui do as he pleased.
"Brother Zhou, you don't need to get out of the car to get the wine. I brought a bottle with me when I got in the car."
Seeing that Zhou Rui had stopped moving, Liu Chuan handed over a bottle of Luzhou Laojiao that was still more than half full. Unlike Zhuang Rui, who had forgotten to throw away the bottle, Liu Chuan was reluctant to part with it. Even when he was helping Bai Meng'an into the car, he held onto the bottle.
"Bring me some clean towels."
Zhou Rui said to Bai Mengyao and Qin Xuanbing, who were sitting to the side.
Chapter 73 Healing
"Bite down!"
Zhou Rui rolled up a towel that still carried Qin Xuan's sweet scent and stuffed it into Zhuang Rui's mouth.
Liu Chuan, watching from the side, found it amusing and said, "Wood, you have to hold on! We can't be spies, we absolutely can't confess!"
With a towel stuffed in his mouth, Zhuang Rui couldn't refute Liu Chuan's words. He could only glare at him resentfully. In fact, Zhuang Rui wasn't too worried about getting rabies. With the spiritual energy in his eyes, although he couldn't say that his eye injury would heal completely, it would eliminate some potential bacterial risks, so the problem shouldn't be too big.
However, there were too many people around, and Zhuang Rui was afraid that if the spiritual energy had an excellent effect and directly healed the wound, then his secret would be lost. So he asked Zhou Rui to treat the wound first, and after the wound was bandaged, he would use his spiritual energy to clean it up again. At that time, no one would be able to see what happened.
"Hold on!"
Zhou Rui glanced at Zhuang Rui. He simply said two words and began to clean Zhuang Rui's wound with the liquor in his hand. As soon as the strong liquor touched Zhuang Rui's arm, Zhuang Rui felt a piercing pain from his arm. His body involuntarily tried to jump up, but Zhou Rui, who was prepared, pressed down on his shoulder with his left hand. No one expected that Zhou Rui, who looked slender, could actually hold down the tall Zhuang Rui with one hand.
"Damn it, being a hero isn't so easy. I would have preferred to freeze in the off-road vehicle than suffer like this."
The pain in his left arm made Zhuang Rui bite down hard on the towel in his mouth. His right hand flailed wildly in the air. Suddenly, he grabbed a soft object, finding an outlet for his pent-up emotions. Zhuang Rui gripped the object tightly, using almost all his strength. In his intense pain, Zhuang Rui didn't see that what he was holding was Qin Xuanbing's right hand. Qin Xuanbing's eyes were filled with tears from his grip, but she didn't make a sound.
Zhou Rui acted quickly. After cleaning Zhuang Rui's wound with aged wine, he immediately cut away all the bluish flesh from the wound with his knife until blood gushed out. He then took the Yunnan Baiyao spray and a roll of gauze from Bai Mengyao and sprayed it on Zhuang Rui's wound. Instantly, the entire carriage was filled with the smell of Yunnan Baiyao.
"Alright, no bones are broken. If you don't have a fever by daybreak, you'll be fine."
Zhou Rui also breathed a sigh of relief. The wolf's jaws have a very strong bite force. If Zhuang Rui hadn't been wearing a lot of clothes in winter, his arm would probably have been bitten off. Now it's just a superficial wound, and as long as there is no infection, it's fine.
Liu Chuan was rummaging through the trunk of the Hummer. He remembered that he had bought a lot of anti-inflammatory medicine at the supermarket and also grabbed two bottles of glucose water. By the time he found these items, Zhou Rui had already treated Zhuang Rui's wound and wrapped it thickly with gauze.