“The 103rd Regiment has suffered heavy losses.”
“The First Battalion of the 108th Regiment, which returned from the front lines to the station for reorganization, gathered troops to set up defenses along the way to block a surprise attack by aberrations on the rear. In the end, every last one of them sacrificed themselves.”
“I heard they sent out a reconnaissance team to carry out a mission, but no one knows what their situation is…”
“The situation on the front lines is also very bad. The headquarters has lost contact, and there’s been no news until now.”
…
Sitting by the hospital bed, Qin Ya spoke with a long sigh.
…
Chu You lowered her head slightly, her brow furrowed.
The situation on the battlefield was so dire, and the identity given to her by the Dead Realm was in the rear that had just been attacked.
For a moment, she couldn’t think of where to even begin.
Where were Lin Mo, Gao Yuan, and Du Qiang right now?
Thinking about them only gave Chu You a worse headache — was the current battlefield situation something that had actually happened in history, or was it the result of their efforts to change it?
If she acted rashly, would it interfere with their plans and efforts?
These were all questions that needed to be considered.
The atmosphere in the hospital room became heavy for a moment, so oppressive it felt like it could be wrung out like water.
…
Qin Ya’s sigh still echoed in the air.
Chu You fell into deeper thought, her knuckles unconsciously twisting the rough bedsheet.
She rapidly calculated Lin Mo and the others’ possible positions and actions in her mind, but she was afraid of interfering with them and didn’t dare to act blindly.
Just then, a burst of chaotic noise suddenly came from the corridor outside, mixed with heavy footsteps, suppressed groans, and a few hurried shouts.
Qin Ya immediately listened intently, keenly catching fragments of words like “critically wounded” and “urgent first aid.”
She stood up with a swish, the small trace of sorrow on her face instantly replaced by professional alertness.
“Ling, you rest first. Remember to call me if you feel unwell,” she said quickly, already heading toward the door.
“It looks like some critically wounded soldiers have arrived outside. I have to go and see what’s happening.”
Chu You was pulled back to reality from her thoughts and nodded quickly, responding softly, “Okay.”
Qin Ya pushed open the simple, wooden hospital door, its paint already peeling.
The door had just opened a crack when it was blocked by people outside.
Seven or eight wounded men, covered in mud and dark red bloodstains, were crowded at the door.
They leaned on each other, nearly blocking the hallway.
The heavy scent of blood, sweat, and gunpowder instantly wafted in.
“We’re from the reconnaissance team of the First Battalion, 108th Regiment…”
The leader’s combat uniform was practically in tatters.
His face was a mixture of black ash and dried blood, his eyes bloodshot and filled with exhaustion and anxiety.
Seeing Qin Ya push the door open, he seemed to grab onto a life-saving straw and immediately stepped forward, his voice hoarse and urgent.
“Where’s the doctor? Get a doctor over here quickly! We have brothers who aren’t going to make it!”
Seeing this, Qin Ya frowned slightly.
Her gaze swept across the anxious squad leader quickly and professionally, then landed on the scarred soldiers leaning against each other behind him.
She kept her voice as steady as possible to calm him down.
“The reconnaissance team of the 108th Regiment? How did you… find this temporary settlement?”
This location was relatively hidden and had only recently been moved here after the attack.
Hearing this, the leader’s expression became even more anxious, even carrying a hint of imperceptible irritability.
Clearly, his brothers’ injuries made him feel like his heart was on fire.
“Can we skip the nonsense, Nurse? Get someone to save them! Lives are on the line!”
His voice rose with excitement, causing people in other nearby rooms to peek out.
Qin Ya didn’t get angry at his attitude; she completely understood this kind of reaction under extreme pressure.
She continued to explain patiently, though her speaking speed unconsciously quickened.
“Comrade, don’t be anxious. Listen to me.”
“The rear was just attacked, and we were urgently moved here. Currently, there are only four or five doctors in the entire medical point.”
“They’re all giving their all to rescue the wounded.”
“The noise just now must have already notified the doctors. They’ll be here soon!”
Hearing this, the anxiety and tension on the leader’s face eased slightly.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm his surging emotions.
He nodded and said in a much softer tone, “Right, right, I understand… I was too impatient. My attitude was bad, please don’t mind it.”
After speaking, he raised his hand and used the back of his relatively clean hand to wipe the sweat and bloodstains from his forehead.
Qin Ya shook her head, her eyes filled with understanding and determination.
“I understand how you feel. It’s okay. It’s good that you’re back. It’s a miracle you could make it.”
“Leave the treatment to us. Don’t worry.”
Her voice carried a reassuring power.
Hearing this, the leader nodded, as if he had found a pillar of support.
He subconsciously straightened his already exhausted back.
Although the movement was somewhat stiff, he still tried to stand tall.
He raised his right hand and gave Qin Ya a standard military salute, his voice solemn.
“Squad Leader Luo Yong of the First Squad, Second Platoon, Third Company, First Battalion of the 108th Regiment. On behalf of my brothers, thank you, Nurse!”
Just then, another burst of hurried and forceful footsteps approached from a distance, breaking the brief exchange.
Everyone turned their heads toward the sound at the same time.
A middle-aged doctor in a slightly wrinkled, bloodstained white coat walked over quickly.
As he took off his mask, revealing a serious and tired face, his eagle-like gaze swept over the newly arrived wounded.
His eyes instantly caught a few of the most shocking injuries.
One young soldier’s entire left arm was severed at the shoulder.
The wound was only messily wrapped with emergency hemostatic bandages, and dark red blood was still seeping out, soaking the bandages.
Another soldier, supported by his comrades, had a right lower leg bent at an extremely unnatural angle.
Bone fragments even pierced through his combat pants, exposed to the air.
All his weight was pressed onto his other leg, and his body trembled uncontrollably due to the severe pain.
There was also a soldier who was unconscious from heavy injuries, laid flat on the ground.
Beneath him were the torn jackets his comrades had taken off.
His face was as pale as paper, and his breathing was so weak his chest barely seemed to move…
The other standing soldiers were also all wounded.
Some had gashes on their faces, and others had blood-soaked cloth wrapped around their arms.
Everyone’s eyes were filled with the exhaustion and grief of a bloody battle, as well as a hint of daze from surviving a disaster.
Doctor Chen’s gaze was as sharp as a scalpel.
He quickly scanned the group of scarred soldiers and finally fixed on the critically wounded man lying unconscious on the ground.
He strode over to him, knelt down, and while checking his vital signs, asked at a rapid speed.
“This wounded man’s condition isn’t good. I suspect internal bleeding. He needs surgery immediately!”
After speaking, Doctor Chen quickly stood up and looked at Qin Ya, giving serious instructions.
“Ya, go call Old Wang and Old Liu.”
“Then notify them to clear out an operating room. This patient must be rescued immediately. Every minute of delay adds to the danger!”
As Doctor Chen spoke, he looked at the two soldiers supporting each other, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, the conditions here are too poor. We might not be able to perform limb reattachment.”
Hearing this, the soldier with the severed arm shook his head with a bitter smile.
“It’s fine, Doctor. It’s good enough that we’re alive. Besides, my arm was already eaten by an aberration… Most importantly, please, you must save our brother!”
He looked down at the unconscious man on the ground as he spoke.
“Our battalion…”
“These are the only brothers we have left.”
“I beg you, Doctor, you must save him!”
In the hospital room, Chu You strained her neck to observe the situation outside.
Seeing the state of the wounded, her heart grew heavy.
“Leave it to me, rest assured.”
Facing the soldier’s plea, Doctor Chen nodded seriously.
Without any hesitation, he turned to prepare for surgery.
“We’re short-handed. Arrange for a few of the lightly wounded to carry the patient over. Remember — support the legs and shoulders and lift simultaneously. You must be steady, maintain balance, and be extremely careful!”
The few lightly wounded soldiers nodded, stepped forward, and carefully bent over to try and lift the unconscious, critically wounded soldier.
At this time, Chu You’s attention in the hospital room was not on the critically wounded man.
After Doctor Chen turned to leave, Luo Yong, who was standing at the front, was perfectly exposed to her line of sight.
The moment she saw the bandage wrapped around his arm, Chu You’s expression changed almost instantly.
She dragged her body and tried to get out of bed.
Outside the room.
Luo Yong was about to follow his comrades.
Just as he was about to leave, a voice suddenly came from the hospital room behind him.
Luo Yong subconsciously paused and turned toward the door.
He saw a young girl he had never seen before, leaning against the doorframe and looking at him.
“You are…”
Luo Yong looked at the pale girl and asked in confusion, “Is something wrong?”
Chu You’s gaze was fixed on the bandage on Luo Yong’s arm.
To be more precise, she was staring intently at the knot that seemed ordinary but was tied with a special technique.
She was far too familiar with the way that knot was wrapped and finished!
“Who bandaged you?” Chu You’s voice carried a hint of imperceptible trembling.
Her gaze jerked up from the bandage, looking directly into Luo Yong’s eyes as she followed up.
“This bandage — who helped you tie it?”
Hearing this, Luo Yong’s expression blanked.
He clearly didn’t expect this strange girl to suddenly ask that.
A trace of vigilance and suspicion flashed in his eyes as he looked Chu You up and down.
“Why are you asking?”
In this chaotic post-war environment, any unusual attention was worth being wary of.
Chu You’s heart beat rapidly.
She pursed her dry lips, knowing she had to give a reasonable explanation.
She pushed down her surging emotions and tried to keep her voice steady.
“That knot… it’s very special. It’s a unique technique that only… only someone very important to me would use.”
Her tone carried an undeniable certainty and a deep, hidden urgency.
Luo Yong’s suspicion eased slightly, but his gaze remained scrutinizing.
He was silent for a moment, seemingly judging the truth of Chu You’s words.
Finally, he spoke in a low voice with a hint of imperceptible hoarseness.
“It was our Company Commander. He gave me an emergency bandage before the breakout.”
“Your Company Commander?” Chu You’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.
She followed up almost impatiently, her voice rising subconsciously.
“Where is he now?!”
A thick, inseparable loneliness and grief instantly flashed across Luo Yong’s face.
He lowered his head, avoiding Chu You’s burning gaze, and his voice dropped.
“When we were on our mission… we were ambushed by a large number of aberrations.”
“To cover us few who could still move so we could break out with the intelligence… the Company Commander and a few brothers with heavier injuries volunteered to stay behind and hold off the monsters… Now…”
He didn’t say the rest, but that heavy pause, the instant dimming of his eyes, and his clenched, white-knuckled fist laid the worst possibility bare before Chu You — staying behind to cover the retreat meant the hope of survival was minuscule.
Hearing this, Chu You felt a freezing chill surge from the soles of her feet throughout her body.
Her heart seemed to stop beating suddenly, only to be seized by a large hand, hurting so much she could barely breathe.
She stumbled uncontrollably and subconsciously reached out to grab the cold doorframe to steady herself, her shoulders trembling slightly.
That knot — there was no mistake!
Before she crossed over, in that peaceful world, she had learned it from a female colleague who loved outdoor sports.
It was a special knot that few people knew, which was both strong and easy to untie.
After arriving in this crisis-ridden world, she had only taught it to one person by chance — Lin Mo.
In other words, the Company Commander who had bandaged Luo Yong and tied that knot was definitely Lin Mo!
But… he had actually…
Immense panic and heart-wrenching pain instantly overwhelmed Chu You.
Had something happened to Lin Mo?
That sinister and cunning guy… how could he?
‘No, it won’t happen. It definitely won’t,’ a weak but firm voice shouted in her heart.
‘That guy wouldn’t die so easily! He’s Lin Mo! Definitely not!’
She took a sharp, deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as her chaotic thoughts began to race.
Since Lin Mo chose to stay behind to cover them, given his personality, he would never recklessly go to his death.
He must have known what he was doing and had something to rely on!
Furthermore, at such a critical moment, when he bandaged Luo Yong, he chose to use that extremely special knot that only the two of them knew…
This was clearly a signal he had deliberately left behind!
Lin Mo didn’t know she had also entered the Dead Realm, but he had considered the possibility.
So he helped this person by tying a knot that only the two of them knew.
He wanted to use this knot to tell her his identity.
Even in such a dangerous situation, he still left such a subtle arrangement.
With his mind being so meticulous, that bastard definitely wouldn’t have anything happen to him!
Chu You constantly comforted herself.
Her heavily heaving chest calmed down slightly, and she slowly lowered her hand from her heart.
Yes, it must be so!
An old cunning dog like Lin Mo, with his deep calculations and endless ways to stay alive, how could he possibly fall here so easily?
He wouldn’t!
He must still be alive, somewhere, waiting for rescue, or… carrying out his own plan.