Except for Huo Yishen, everyone else looked very tired. Dou Dou’s eyes still had tears, and her little face was extremely pale—clearly terrified.

No one spoke. The three men silently carried the water tower.

Jiang Ning put away the assault boat and carried the firewood upstairs.

Zheng Weili walked ahead but stumbled and almost fell.

Jiang Ning was busy and couldn’t free his hands, so he used his body to steady her.

They continued upwards. Zheng Weili walked awkwardly, obviously injured in her foot.

Jiang Ning’s nose was sensitive and faintly caught the scent of blood.

Did they get into a firefight this trip?

There were countless eyes watching the apartment complex. Now was not the time to show weakness. Once people discovered that the 18th floor was compromised, many would immediately rush in like mad dogs.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Ning returned to the 18th floor. Zheng Weili placed the firewood in the corridor, her expression full of pain.

Jiang Ning supported her into the room. “What happened?”

Zheng Weili’s calf was injured, blood soaking the gauze red.

It wasn’t a knife or gun wound but a bleeding hole.

Zheng Weili winced in pain. “A wild boar gored me.”

Jiang Ning frowned. “You went back into the mountains again?”

“What else can we do if not go into the mountains?” Zheng Weili forced a bitter smile. “Everything alive is submerged underwater. Outside, people are starving every day. When we went out today, we saw bodies being thrown down from upper floors—and it wasn’t just one.”

“We can barely hold out seven or eight months, but supplies are becoming harder and harder to find. What will we do later?”

Dismantling water towers was secondary—the main goal today was the mountain.

They crossed several mountains, and as expected, Kele found a wild boar den—five wild boars in total, all quite large.

After unanimous discussion, they decided to attack.

Jiang Ning felt nervous for them. “Wild boars aren’t like farmed pigs—they’re very aggressive.”

It was dangerous, but wild boar meat could save lives. No matter how big the risk, they had to hunt!

Jiang Ning took out gauze and iodine, then searched for surgical tools and sutures. “The wound’s too big to stop bleeding easily. Should I take you to a hospital or sew it myself?”

“It’s not a big wound. Just sew it for me.”

Zheng Weili was used to injuries from fighting and didn’t take it seriously. Besides, the hospital had no medicine—better to handle it at home.

Last time, they had some anesthetic. Jiang Ning disinfected the wound, injected anesthesia to block the pain, and began stitching.

It was his first time sewing a person, but he had practiced countless times on pork. His hands were steady.

Next to him, Lu Yu turned pale, tightly holding his girlfriend’s hand. “A Ning, Weili’s life is in your hands.”

Zheng Weili pushed him lightly. “You’re squeezing my hand too hard.”

Zhang Chao rolled his eyes. “Stop showing off your love.”

Not only Zheng Weili was injured; Zhang Chao and Lu Yu were hurt too, but just scrapes, nothing serious.

Huo Yishen’s arm was cut and bleeding, yet he calmly comforted the frightened and crying Dou Dou.

The mountain was slippery from rain. Zheng Weili fought a wild boar barehanded and killed it, but was gored by its tusks.

Kele was extremely brave and worked perfectly with Huo Yishen to kill the remaining four.

Zhang Chao and Lu Yu helped too, but it wasn’t the same level. If not for Huo Yishen’s timely rescue, Zhang Chao might have been done for today.

Because of this, Huo Yishen’s arm got scratched.

Dou Dou didn’t participate; she was tied high up in a tree by Huo Yishen, completely terrified by the fierce battle below, and cried.

After stitching Zheng Weili’s wound, Jiang Ning treated 1801’s injury.

There was a shallow cut, not too deep. After disinfecting, he stitched 10 stitches and gave painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicine.

Everyone sat down to discuss how to deal with the wild boar meat.

Without a fridge, they couldn’t store it at home.

“Why not make jerky?” Lu Yu suggested. “We brought several boxes of charcoal last time.”

Jiang Ning shook his head. “Jerky uses too much charcoal. Besides, five boars—how long would that take? The whole neighborhood would smell like roasted meat.”

“Do you guys remember Sharp-mouthed Monkey?” Zhang Chao, always resourceful, said. “They don’t just sell stuff, they also buy. We’re short on food now—why not trade the wild boar meat with them?”

Last time, they traded five times in a row, and the other side was quite trustworthy.

This was a good idea—maybe worth trying.

They stuffed one boar into the water tower, already butchered into four large pieces.

Wild boar meat was tough, the skin thick and rough, deep red meat, almost no fat.

Jiang Ning disagreed with bringing the whole boar over. “Cut a few pounds first to test. Don’t tell them how much we have. If the deal works, then trade in batches.”

Two people were injured, so Zhang Chao and Lu Yu volunteered to go to the department store to find Sharp-mouthed Monkey.

In the apocalypse, no one can take care of anyone forever—how far you get depends on yourself.

Jiang Ning didn’t stop them but told them to be careful.

After comforting Dou Dou, she fell asleep. Huo Yishen carried her back inside to sleep.

Zheng Weili told Jiang Ning about the situation at the mid-mountain villa. This time they dismantled six water towers and collected many pure wooden furniture pieces and two unfinished gas cylinders.

They had to figure out how to bring these back quickly, or they’d soon be taken by others.

“The wild boars are hiding in the mountains. For now, they probably won’t find them.”

An hour later, Zhang Chao and Lu Yu returned.

“We gathered intel. Sharp-mouthed Monkey’s boss is named Qin. They’re willing to trade food for pork, but they take advantage of the situation.”

“One pound of wild boar meat exchanges for two pounds of broken rice; new rice only trades for one pound.”

“They took five pounds of meat and gave back five pounds of new rice.”

Jiang Ning looked it over—good quality silky seed rice. “You weren’t followed, right?”

“No, we took the assault boat and purposely circled around.”

“They really want this batch of meat. The new rice is all vacuum-packed with the latest expiry dates.”

He called Huo Yishen over, and everyone discussed the deal.

Jiang Ning agreed to trade meat for rice. It looked like a loss, but Zheng Weili and the others couldn’t preserve wild boar meat, and many people couldn’t even buy rice—how many would buy meat?

Rice fills the stomach and lasts longer.

Five wild boars, cleaned and butchered, averaged 200 jin each, so they could exchange a lot of food.

Still, they decided to keep some meat and trade only four boars.

Four shares of wild boar meat: 1803 got two, 1801 one, and Kele’s share was given to Jiang Ning.

Wild boar meat and firewood made good barbecue and chili meat sauce, which could be preserved for a long time.

But whether barbecue or sauce, both took time and had a strong smell. It was best not to make it on the 18th floor.

Besides the smell, the closed doors would make it unbearable for people.

Huo Yishen suggested, “The villa area is already empty. Why not prepare it there and then come back?”

Jiang Ning was thinking the same.

No one else objected.

So the three men packed the wild boar meat into bags and big backpacks, boarded the assault boat, and set off to trade.

They didn’t forget to bring Kele along.

They met at the department store, avoided the crowds, and traded quietly amidst the silent floodwaters…