Chapter 175: Zhou Qinglang! I Have Come to Save You

Damn it, let my brother go right now!

The gang leader wore a ferocious expression, his eyes wide open with fury. The muscles on his face twitched with rage, and he looked as though he wanted to execute Zhou Qinglang on the spot.

Yet, he hesitated to make a move, for he dared not take the risk. Too many of his brothers had already perished over the past few days. He could not afford another gamble; he could not bear to lose another brother.

Auuuuuuuuuu!

The howling of wolves drew closer, growing increasingly loud and clear. The expressions of the others turned grim, and a tense atmosphere hung heavily among the crowd.

Boss, what should we do? Make a decision already! someone shouted anxiously.

Gritting his teeth, the leader glared fixedly at Zhou Qinglang, his eyes flashing with a mixture of rage and desperate resolve. Let my brother go, and I will spare your life.

He sneered inwardly: the moment this fellow let go, he would immediately shoot him dead.

However, Zhou Qinglang merely smiled faintly, as though he had seen right through the man's intentions.

Do you take me for a fool?

His voice was calm yet resolute, exuding an unquestionable determination. He would rather wait for the wolves to arrive and seize the opportunity to escape in the ensuing chaos than easily surrender his advantage.

At that moment, the desperate criminal being held by the throat suddenly spoke up.

Boss, the wolf pack is coming, it's too dangerous! Just leave quickly, don't worry about me!

His face bore a fearless expression, as if he had long since cast aside all thoughts of life and death.

This display deeply stirred the other ruffians, who immediately declared that they would never abandon him.

No way! If we go, we go together. We've been brothers for years, we can't leave you behind!

That's right! There are only a few of us brothers left at the end, how could we possibly abandon you and run?!

For a moment, emotions ran high among the men. They gripped their weapons tightly, preparing for a desperate, life-or-death battle against the wolf pack.

Before long, the wolves truly arrived. Beneath the dim moonlight, their eyes glowed with an eerie green light. Baring their sharp fangs, saliva dripping from their teeth, they glared viciously at the group of humans.

One of the criminals happened to be standing closest to the wolves. Terrified to his core, his legs turned to jelly, and he could barely manage to stand.

Awooooo!

A massive grey wolf suddenly let out a fierce roar and lunged directly at the terrified man. Its speed was blinding, swift as lightning, accompanied by a thick, foul stench.

Startled out of his wits, the ruffian almost dropped his gun. In a panic, he raised his weapon and fired continuously at the grey wolf.

Bang, bang, bang!

Gunshots rang out, and several flowers of blood bloomed on the grey wolf's body. Struck by the bullets, it crashed heavily to the ground, letting out a painful howl.

Seeing this, the rest of the wolves grew even more ferocious. Opening their jaws to reveal razor-sharp fangs, their eyes flashing with a brutal light, they all lunged toward the criminals.

Aaaah! It's biting my arm, let go!

One of the ruffians shrieked in terror as a wolf clamped its jaws onto his arm, blood spurting freely. The other criminals opened fire wildly in an attempt to drive back the fierce pack of wolves.

For a time, the sounds of battle and gunfire blended together into a chaotic uproar.

Seizing this exact moment, Zhou Qinglang instantly snapped the neck of the captive ruffian in his grip. Then, he dove into the nearby bushes to conceal his figure.

The gang leader's gaze had been locked on him the entire time. Seeing that another of his brothers had been killed, he flew into a mad rage and fired his gun directly at the fleeing shadow.

After several muffled bangs, that figure vanished from sight completely.

Brothers, that son of a bitch is running away! You deal with the wolves, I'm going after him!

The leader roared at the top of his lungs and plunged into the bushes as well.

Yet, no sooner had he entered than he sensed something was amiss, as if someone were watching him. Lowering his head, he found himself locking eyes with a pair of deep, dark pupils.

The leader's mind went blank with a loud buzz.

It was that son of a bitch! He had been lying in wait in the bushes to ambush him!

Before he could even react, the leader's ankles were swept out from under him, and his pistol tumbled to the ground. By the time he scrambled back up from the underbrush, a dark, ominous muzzle was already pressed against him.

You... you can't kill me...

The leader widened his eyes in horror, but before he could finish his sentence, a gunshot blew a hole straight through his head.

With an icy expression, Zhou Qinglang put away his pistol.

Not far away, several ruffians, all nursing various injuries, were locked in a desperate, life-or-death struggle with the wolves.

Zhou Qinglang cast a calm glance in their direction and turned to leave.

The moment he pivoted, a foul stench rushed at him from behind.

Zhou Qinglang's brows twitched, and his right hand flicked the pistol in a swift flourish. Tucking it against his waist, he whirled around and fired. With a single bang, a giant creature collapsed to the ground.

The bullet struck the grey wolf right between the eyes, killing it instantly.

Zhou Qinglang felt a surge of relief; fortunately, it was his left shoulder that was injured, while his right hand remained fully functional.

The commotion here quickly drew the attention of the wolf pack, and several wolves lunged toward him.

Realizing the situation was turning critical, Zhou Qinglang pulled the trigger repeatedly, only to find the magazine empty.

A jolt of shock ran through him. With no time to overthink, he whirled around and sprinted at top speed.

Several grey wolves followed closely at his heels, baring sharp fangs and flashing cold, murderous glares. Zhou Qinglang dared not look back, running for his very life.

The wind in the mountain forest whistled past his ears, and his heart pounded as frantically as a war drum. At that moment, only a single thought consumed Zhou Qinglang's mind: he had to survive!

Sweat drenched his clothes, and breathing became increasingly difficult. Yet, he did not dare to slow his pace for even a second.

Had he been in his prime, even without any weapons, he could have fought off several wolves bare-handed. But after so many violent skirmishes tonight, he had depleted a vast amount of physical stamina, and with a bullet wound in his left shoulder, he was entirely incapable of counterattacking.

Once overtaken by the wolf pack, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Grit-toothed and desperate, Zhou Qinglang lunged forward with every ounce of his remaining strength.

Yet, fortune was not on his side; the path ahead abruptly led to the edge of a cliff. Below the precipice rushed a roaring, violent river.

The river seemed like an immensely ferocious beast, opening its cavernous maw, waiting for its prey to fall.

Zhou Qinglang, a man renowned for his fearlessness and invincibility, harbored one closely guarded weakness: he possessed an absolute terror of water, bordering on a severe phobia. An accident in his childhood had nearly claimed his life in a river, leaving him with deep psychological scars. Despite trying to overcome this vulnerability during his military training later on, he had ultimately failed.

At this very moment, hungry wolves stalked him from behind, while the merciless river blocked his path ahead.

Hesitating for merely a single second, Zhou Qinglang threw himself off the cliff without a second thought.

Accompanied by a heavy splash, his body sank rapidly into the ice-cold, biting river water.

The winter river water was freezing to the bone, piercing his skin like countless tiny ice needles. Zhou Qinglang felt as though his entire body was about to freeze solid. He struggled frantically, the cold and fear draining his strength away bit by bit.

Just as he believed he was certain to die, a clear, familiar voice rang out from above:

Zhou Qinglang! I'm here to save you!

With immense effort, Zhou Qinglang forced his eyes open.

An exquisite figure was swimming toward him swiftly through the water. The girl possessed peerless features and skin fairer than snow, her beauty all the more breathtaking beneath the water's surface.

Her graceful silhouette drifted amidst the crystal waves, her enchanting posture resembling that of an immortal fairy.

Zhou Qinglang's heart hammered violently against his ribs of its own accord.

Just days ago, he had adamantly decided to treat her as nothing more than an ordinary friend. Yet at this moment, tumultuous waves battered his inner world, and his emotions surged like a rising tide.

In that fraction of a second, Zhou Qinglang suddenly realized...

...He truly seemed to have fallen for Lin Xiaodou.

He remained in a mild daze even after being pulled ashore.

Zhou Qinglang? Hey, how are you holding up? Why are you staring with your eyes wide open without saying a word? Are you feeling unwell?

The girl's soft, gentle hands pressed and felt around his body.

The tips of Zhou Qinglang's ears turned crimson, and he coughed twice. I'm not feeling unwell.

You're injured?! Lin Xiaodou spotted the bullet wound on his left shoulder.

Zhou Qinglang shook his head. It's nothing.

It was just his left shoulder; the rest of his limbs were still functional.

You've been shot, how can that be nothing?

Lin Xiaodou furrowed her brows and said, Let's go. We need to find a place to settle down so I can check your wound.

They were deep within the mountain forest, and walking all the way out would likely take the better part of a day. She worried Zhou Qinglang wouldn't last that long.

Lin Xiaodou helped Zhou Qinglang to his feet and guided him into the trees along the riverbank.

Zhou Qinglang asked, Has Comrade Liu Yan'er been safely evacuated? And how did you know I was here?

Lin Xiaodou replied, When you didn't show up for so long, I had the little Tibetan mastiff lead Yan'er away first. Then, as I was heading back along the same path, I discovered a pack of wolves attacking those ruffians...

A tight knot formed in Zhou Qinglang's chest. Were you hurt at all?

Lin Xiaodou laughed. What could possibly happen to me? After those wolves tore the ruffians to pieces, they tried to attack me too, so I punched them out one by one. It was all settled in no time.

She wasn't lying in the slightest. Originally, she had assumed that because she could communicate with wolf packs, a conflict could be avoided. But those bloodthirsty wolves had murder in their eyes, completely ignoring whatever she tried to communicate and charging straight at her instead.

Left with no alternative, Lin Xiaodou had been forced to fight back.

With a single punch capable of sending a sturdy ox flying, shattering a wolf's skull with one blow was naturally effortless for her.

Zhou Qinglang curved his lips into a smile. You've always been this formidable.

The two found a wind-sheltered spot along a hillside and sat down on the ground.

By now, dawn was approaching, and the sun was slowly climbing into the sky. Lin Xiaodou gathered some dry twigs nearby and, after struggling with a damp match for a long time, finally managed to get a campfire crackling.

As the firelight rose, the bone-chilling cold clinging to their bodies receded slightly.

Retrieving a small knife, rubbing alcohol, and a pair of tweezers from her soaked messenger bag, Lin Xiaodou said, Take off your padded jacket, let me take a look at that shoulder wound.

As a veterinarian, she habitually carried a variety of tools with her.

Zhou Qinglang paused slightly. You know how to treat gunshot wounds?

Of course, Lin Xiaodou answered. I learned a great deal of medical knowledge from Elder Wang. You happen to be my very first gunshot patient.

Back at the Guizhou pig farm, she hadn't felt entirely confident in her medical skills. But after more than half a year of tempering and study, she could now handle things independently. Even Elder Wang frequently praised her as a natural talent for medicine.

Hearing this, Zhou Qinglang asked no further questions.

He quickly shed his heavy padded coat, pulled off the black sweater beneath, and revealed the shirt already soaked completely through by rainwater.

Zhou Qinglang shivered, enduring the chill and pain wracking his body. Thankfully, a roaring campfire blazed nearby; otherwise, the cold would have been unbearable.

Leaning close to his left shoulder, Lin Xiaodou tore open the fabric surrounding the bullet wound.

As his bare skin was exposed, a shocking, bloody cavity came into view, with fresh blood still oozing out. Because the wound had been soaked in freezing water, the blood had turned a dark, bruised red, contrasting sharply with the pale skin around it and making the injury appear severe.

Lin Xiaodou drew a deep breath, forcing herself to maintain composure.

Try to bear with it as best as you can. There's no anesthetic here, so I'll have to pull the bullet out directly.

This was her first time extracting a bullet from a person, and she couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.

Without even a frown, Zhou Qinglang nodded with a smile. Alright, sorry to trouble you.

Seeing his relaxed expression, Lin Xiaodou unconsciously relaxed as well.

Picking up the small knife, she skillfully and steadily sliced open the flesh around the wound.

A low groan escaped Zhou Qinglang's lips.

Lin Xiaodou asked, Are you alright?

Gitting his teeth, Zhou Qinglang persisted. I'm fine, go on.

Alright, here I go.

With that, Lin Xiaodou lowered her head and focused entirely on the task at hand. First, she meticulously cleared away the blood and tissue to locate the bullet. Then, picking up the tweezers, she clamped firmly onto the projectile and slowly, steadily extracted it from the wound.

Although the process was intense, Lin Xiaodou maintained her composure and steadiness throughout.

Once the bullet was removed, she promptly bandaged Zhou Qinglang's shoulder with sterilized, dried gauze.

All done! Lin Xiaodou exhaled a long breath of relief. It was finally over.

With a gentle gaze, Zhou Qinglang looked at her. Thank you. You've saved me once again.

This marked the second time she had saved his life. It felt... as though he could never repay her kindness in this lifetime.

Don't mention it, we're friends, aren't we? Saying things like that makes you a stranger.

A sudden thought crossing her mind, Lin Xiaodou asked, Oh right, Xiao Kaile used to come over for meals all the time, how come I haven't seen you around lately?

Feeling somewhat guilty, Zhou Qinglang lowered his gaze. I've been too busy recently, practically living in the laboratory.

Oh, I see. Lin Xiaodou dropped the subject; everyone had things they preferred not to discuss.

However... Zhou Qinglang raised his eyes to meet hers. I'd like to come over for meals when I have free time too. Would that be alright?

Lin Xiaodou flashed a sly smile. Sure, as long as you don't show up empty-handed.

Deal. Zhou Qinglang chuckled along.

This girl remained as much of a penny-pincher as ever. Crafty, clever, and rather endearing.

After warming themselves by the fire for a while, their bodies finally regained their warmth. Seeing that Zhou Qinglang was in decent shape, Lin Xiaodou suggested:

Let's get moving now. We're deep in the heart of the forest, and walking out will probably take a whole day.

Once they got out, Zhou Qinglang would still need to visit a hospital; after all, suffering a gunshot wound and soaking in freezing water meant he needed proper medical attention.

Zhou Qinglang slowly rose to his feet. Alright, let's go.

Just as the two of them prepared to set off, a rustling sound suddenly erupted from a nearby bamboo grove.

Thud! It sounded like a heavy object collapsing onto the ground.

Walking over to investigate, Lin Xiaodou and Zhou Qinglang found a disheveled figure covered in dirt, sprawled motionlessly on the ground...