Everyone was intimidated by Jiang Ning’s gaze, especially since she held a weapon in her hand. They could only watch helplessly as the car drove away. 

At the security booth at the foot of the mountain, there were no longer any security guards in uniform. 

The waves were still roaring, and they were crashing against the shore from time to time. The tails of waves surged onto the road, splashing against the car windows. 

On the road, there were occasionally desolate survivors. Their few belongings had been swept away, and they trudged along, injured and numb, like soulless zombies. 

A twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl stood barefoot by the roadside. 

As the Hummer passed her, Jiang Ning noticed her feet were covered in shocking wounds, her eyes were swollen like walnuts, and blood was oozing from her forehead. 

So young, she must have come to the seaside with her family to make a living, but a tsunami took her family away, leaving her alone. 

Jiang Ning’s heart trembled. She instinctively turned to look back, but the girl was no longer there; only the endless roaring of waves remained. 

Perhaps life and death hold different meanings for everyone. 

After driving for over 20 minutes, they reached the checkpoint they had passed earlier. 

There were more survivors here, with a temporary medical station set up and soldiers distributing relief food. 

This higher ground had been converted into a rescue point. 

Looking around, there were hundreds of stranded survivors, all in a sorry state. Some were reluctant to leave and wanted to return to the seaside once the waves went down, while others were uncertain about their future, unsure whether to move to the next coast or return to the city to face death. 

Huo Yishen stopped the car. “They should belong to the same unit. How about leaving him here?” 

The soldier’s fever had subsided, and he was in much better condition. With proper care, he should survive. 

Jiang Ning took out a box of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicine, and three fever reducers, along with five kilograms of rice, and packed them all into a black bag. 

This was all she could offer. Whether he survived would depend on his fate. 

Huo Yishen got out of the car and waved to a nearby soldier. 

A moment later, the soldier came over. 

Huo Yishen briefly explained the situation, and Jiang Ning reminded him, “He needs to rest well, eat something nutritious, and make sure his wounds don’t get wet.” 

She handed the bag over. “This contains some medicine. It’s our token of goodwill, and we hope it will really help him.” 

The soldier understood. Seeing his unconscious comrade in the car, his eyes reddened. He saluted Huo Yishen and Jiang Ning, “Thank you.” 

Huo Yishen was touched. “Take care of yourselves. Only by taking care of yourselves can you save more people.” 

The soldier carried his comrade on his back, took the medicine and food from Jiang Ning, and walked steadily towards the distant tents. 

The Hummer was too eye-catching, and it attracted frequent glances from others, so the two quickly drove away. 

Along the way, they encountered many refugees walking back to Fengcheng. They carried their belongings and clung to hope, but now their belongings had been swallowed by the tsunami, and they had even lost their loved ones. 

Jiang Ning turned her gaze away and sank into the passenger seat, lost in thought. 

A few minutes later, the car slowed down, and Huo Yishen said, “Anning, get some toll money.” 

Jiang Ning snapped out of her thoughts, and her expression darkened. 

This time, the toll collectors were different from last time. 

It was clear that another gang was taking advantage of the survivors. 

This place looked familiar—it was probably the same spot where they had been scammed and where Huo Yishen had hit someone with the car last time. 

Now, instead of running scams, they were blatantly setting up checkpoints to extort protection money. 

A toll of 20 kilograms of food was demanded for the car to pass. Jiang Ning swallowed her anger and was about to hand over some potatoes when the other party arrogantly demanded, “10 kilograms of grain and 10 kilograms of meat.” 

More than a dozen people rushed over and surrounded the Hummer. Some were holding knives, and some were holding weapons. They are making it clear that refusal means death. 

Jiang Ning took a deep breath and handed over 10 kilograms of potatoes and 10 kilograms of dried seafood. 

They paid to save their lives, and the car was allowed to pass. 

But not ten minutes later, they were stopped again, this time by the same bald men who had extorted them before. 

The men swarmed the car again, but this time they didn’t ask for food. Instead, they kicked the car door and shouted, “Get out!” 

Each of them looked fierce, and they were aiming their weapons at Huo Yishen and Jiang Ning through the glass. 

The two exchanged looks and then got out of the car. 

As soon as the back door of the car was opened, the bald men’s eyes lit up at the sight of a plump dog and a fair little girl. 

“Get out!” 

Doudou’s eyes were full of fear, and she instinctively tried to run to her brother, but a bald man roughly grabbed her by the collar. 

At the same time, several bald men surrounded the dog; all of them were drooling. 

This dog was fat enough to provide a good meal for the group. 

The dog whimpered and it was trembling with fear. 

The leader walked over, waving his gun at Huo Yishen. “We’re taking the car. Leave the kid and the dog and get lost!” 

Jiang Ning frowned. These people collected several truckloads of supplies every day and didn’t lack food or drink. So why insist on taking Doudou? 

As she was thinking, a bald man with a tattoo suddenly picked up Doudou, his smile filthy. “Little girl, don’t be afraid. We’re taking you to play. We have lots of fun things and big birds to see. How about it?” 

Doudou was so scared that she spoke through her tears, “Uncle, I want to go home.” 

The bald man laughed wildly. “From today, you have a new home. We’ll take care of you.” 

The other bald men joined in, completely ignoring Huo Yishen and Jiang Ning’s presence. 

Doudou turned to look at her brother. 

Jiang Ning took a deep breath and forced a stiff smile. “Brothers, she’s just a child. Please show some mercy and let us go.” 

Before they left, she had disguised herself. Not only were her clothes shabby, but her face was also full of freckles, while Huo Yishen looked disheveled and cowardly. 

These people hadn’t paid attention to the two of them but had their eyes on the two others. 

“Are you deaf?” Seeing the two standing still, the leader pressed his weapon against Huo Yishen’s head. “Piss me off, and I’ll kill you all!” 

Huo Yishen didn’t say a word but gave Doudou a look. 

The bald man holding Doudou suddenly stumbled backward several steps. 

His eyes widened, his mouth gaped open as he struggled to breathe, and his bulky body fell heavily to the ground. 

His chest was stained with blood as he tightly clutched his neck, his eyes wide in terror. 

Doudou flipped deftly, landing steadily on the ground. 

She held a bloodstained knife, her innocent face looking at them cutely. 

The sudden turn of events stunned the other men. Lao Liu was dead? 

He was not only stabbed in the chest several times, but his throat had been slit. 

This child was only six or seven years old. No, this wasn’t a child; this was a demon! 

At the moment when they were distracted, the trembling dog suddenly jumped up and pounced on the most ferocious bald man. 

The man was knocked down, and his throat was ripped before he even had time to struggle. 

The dog was as fast as lightning and then pounced on the second one. 

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