Chapter 67: Nightmare

The team marched forward in a straight line like a flock of geese, led by Bi Fang at the front. The cold wind felt like blades cutting into their faces, leaving snowflakes on their skin. The blizzard had subsided, but they were now in wolf territory. Even if their vehicles were larger and more easily spotted by helicopters, they could not stay still.

Bi Fang did not want the helicopters to find a group of well-fed wolves. After walking for a while, he took out his water bottle to quench everyone’s thirst. Everyone had brought thermos cups, but melting snow with body heat was not working, and they were now far from the stream. They had to save water as much as possible.

However, Zheng Tianfang and the others only took a few sips, leaving most of the water for Lin Xue. Everyone had been taking care of her since learning her identity; she wasn’t allowed to carry a backpack even though she wanted to share the burden. It was Bi Fang’s first time learning that even Lin Xue’s colleagues didn’t know she was from Shen Hua Group. The confidentiality work was impeccable. She was clearly a strong-willed and determined woman, likely considered a progressive individual in the past.

The wind remained strong, and the vast expanse of white felt dangerous. They worried about whether they could all escape this time. A new viewer entered the live broadcast, asking if it was taking place in the Arctic. The question was quickly answered as others explained the reality of the situation, and the wolves chasing them.

Many new viewers remained glued to the stream after learning the truth. Bi Fang estimated that his mission should have been completed much earlier if not for the low average viewership caused by continuous broadcasting the night before.

As the group struggled through the sparse snow forest, the wind battered Wu Mingtao’s body, sending shivers up his spine. He didn’t know how much further they needed to go, but his steps were becoming increasingly unstable. With anxiety growing in his heart, he shouted out, his voice swallowed by the wind.

Suddenly, three shadows emerged from the snowy distance, closing in on Wu Mingtao. Wolves! Three of them! Terrified, Wu Mingtao tried to run, but his weakened state couldn’t compete with the agile creatures that closed in on him.

Blood splattered on Wu Mingtao’s face as he saw the pale bone exposed in his forearm, fragile and easy to break like a cookie. He heard the crisp sound of it breaking. Another wolf bit into his calf, sending a sharp pain shooting through his body. Wu Mingtao’s vision blurred as if all the air in his body escaped with that bite.

‘Am I about to become a skeleton too?’ Frustration, regret, and resentment filled Wu Mingtao’s heart, but it was all useless. Agile wolves stepped on the snow, leaving clear footprints that were stained by their prey’s blood.

The putrid stench of rot emanated from the wolves’ maws, resembling dead fish in a seafood market. Exhausted, Wu Mingtao wished for a good night’s sleep. Accepting that he would never leave the snowy forest, he closed and reopened his eyes, hoping to see a familiar room and family members. But all that remained was a bloody scene and painless wounds.

Cold gradually seeped into his body, and Wu Mingtao knew he couldn’t sleep. Fatigue was too powerful an enemy. ‘Can’t…. can’t go on….’

Suddenly, a loud slap echoed through the air. “Hey!” “Hurry up and wake up!” “Don’t sleep, don’t you dare fall asleep!” Shouts filled the atmosphere.

Bi Fang slapped Wu Mingtao’s face forcefully in an attempt to rouse him from unconsciousness. Thankfully, the situation wasn’t dire, and Wu Mingtao eventually awoke. Surrounded by his team, he instinctively felt his uninjured arms and legs. “What happened to me?” he asked.

“You collapsed from exhaustion!” Bi Fang explained. Wu Mingtao’s sudden fall had frightened him. Everything had been just a nightmare.

‘If only everything were a dream…’, Wu Mingtao thought.

“Ha, you were terrified, weren’t you?” The bearded man laughed, pulling Wu Mingtao up from the snow and brushing the snow off his back. Relief replaced their worry. The moment he’d collapsed had startled them all, but luckily it was just exhaustion that had taken its toll.

Injured and lacking rest, the long journey and the wolves chasing them pushed everyone to their limits. Despite that, the resilience of the group was commendable. They were all good comrades.

The drone at the back had a clear view of the whole team, which was done by Bi Fang to prevent anyone from falling behind; thus, many viewers had a clear view of Wu Mingtao suddenly collapsing. Bi Fang glanced at the snowy forest in the distance, then at Wu Mingtao’s pale face, deciding to find a wind-sheltered slope to rest for a bit and eat something first.

In their backpacks, there were some compressed biscuits and five seven-gill eels. It was just right for one each. When they reached the wind-sheltered slope, Bi Fang reignited the fire and took out the seven-gill eels from the backpacks to distribute.

“What is this?” The big-bearded man took the frozen stiff seven-gill eel and was suddenly frightened by its head, almost throwing it away.

“It’s good stuff!”

On the other side, Zheng Tianfang was delighted. He was familiar with the creature. The fish market of Mohe often had these eels, which were delicious whether steamed, fried, or grilled. Moreover, there was a saying “replenishing one’s form.”

‘Replenishing one’s form? You’ve got to be kidding!’

‘I suddenly find it cute!’

‘What do they mean by “replenishing one’s form?”‘

‘Young man, you don’t understand; this matter is deep. Let it go, and let me replenish!’

Seeing that none of them had tried it before, Zheng Tianfang, the “local guide,” volunteered to introduce it. “The seven-gill eel is easy to process. Just cut off its gills, its body is hollow and different from regular fish. It’s delicious when grilled. These have been processed, so they can be eaten right away!”

Zheng Tianfang skewered the eels and grilled them over the fire, inviting others to join in. “You all should try it; it’s really good!” Perhaps driven by hunger, everyone grabbed tree branches, ready to try. Since the seven-gill eels were frozen hard, they could only be pierced from head to stomach. They watched as the eels slowly softened over the fire, their oil dripping.

Zheng Tianfang was the first to eat. He was already familiar with the process, and during the best season to eat river and seafood, he would often go to the night market to taste the freshest grilled seven-gilled eels. He found it delicious. Without salt, they sprinkled some crushed compressed biscuits with onion flavor, adding a different taste.

With someone leading the way, the others tried it one by one, realizing that it tasted just as Zheng Tianfang described. The taste was not only good but, because of their hunger, even more delicious. Bi Fang took a bite, and although the texture was due to freezing, the taste was still “pleasurable.” Combined with the compressed biscuits, it turned out to be a decent lunch.

The viewers on the screen saw them eating with relish and also wanted to try. “I want to eat too. It’s mid-October now and a nice season for river food. Is this available in the Heilongjiang night market? I’m from Heilongjiang, but I’ve never seen it.” “Perhaps more to the north? Mohe is the northernmost part of Heilongjiang.”

After they replenished some water, Bi Fang and the others continued their journey. They needed to reach the denser snowy forest before nightfall. The previous forest had been too sparse, barely offering any protection against the wolf pack. Initially, Zheng Tianfang and the others had decided to drive in rather than take a detour, but it led to a significant issue.

However, before they continued their journey, Bi Fang had climbed higher for a better view and discovered a bare and treeless area between the two snowy forests, which made them uneasy. The landform was very suitable for a wolf pack to surround and hunt…