Lin Chen stepped forward quickly, squatted down beside the elderly man, and checked his injury carefully. The old man's leg was scratched by a fallen shelf in the corridor, with a deep wound and blood soaking through his trousers. Although it was not a fatal injury, the old man was weak and couldn't stand up or walk on his own, so he could only lie on the ground and wait for help.
"Don't be afraid, I'll help you," Lin Chen said in a soft and steady voice, trying to calm the old man's nervousness. He carefully supported the old man's back, letting him lean against the wall slowly, and then gently lifted his injured leg to check the extent of the injury.
The old man gasped in pain, but he tried not to make a sound, fearing that it would attract mutated beasts. He looked at Lin Chen gratefully and said weakly, "Young man, thank you so much... I live alone here, and I accidentally fell when I wanted to go out to find some water..."
Lin Chen didn't say much. He knew that time was precious, and the longer they stayed in the corridor, the more dangerous it would be. He carefully helped the old man up, letting the old man lean on his body, and slowly walked back to his home. His parents saw this scene and immediately stepped forward to help, supporting the old man to sit on the sofa.
His mother quickly took out the first-aid kit that Lin Chen had brought back, found iodine, bandages and cotton balls, and carefully cleaned and bandaged the old man's wound. Her movements were gentle, and the old man's painful expression gradually eased.
Lin Chen poured a cup of warm water for the old man and took out two pieces of compressed biscuits and handed them to him. The old man was already hungry and thirsty, so he ate the biscuits slowly while drinking water, and his face finally regained a little color.
After the old man rested for a while, he looked at Lin Chen's family with tears in his eyes and thanked them repeatedly. He told them that his children had gone out to work before the disaster came, and he hadn't heard from them since the red fog descended. He had been hiding at home alone, and today he finally ran out of water and food, so he mustered up the courage to go out, but he didn't expect to get injured.
Before leaving, the old man suddenly thought of something, grabbed Lin Chen's hand tightly, and whispered anxiously: "Young man, you must be careful... There is a huge mutated beast on the top floor of this building. I heard its roar a few days ago. It's extremely fierce. Don't go upstairs easily!"
Lin Chen's eyes sank slightly. He had long felt that there was a powerful threat in the building, and now it was confirmed. He nodded seriously, thanked the old man for the reminder, and then carefully sent the old man back to his home, telling him to lock the door tightly and not go out casually, and that he would bring some food and water over regularly.