Chapter 22 Crisis Approaching
The fortress, amidst the continuous melting snow and the desolate apocalyptic landscape, stood like a stubborn, out-of-place reef, gradually becoming impossible to completely conceal by the murky snowmelt and oblivion.
Wen Yu was always very careful.
He deliberately maintained the dilapidated and abandoned appearance of the fortress's exterior, buried most of the energy-consuming facilities deep underground or hidden inside the mountain, strictly controlled lighting at night, and only retained the minimum power for security and monitoring. Moreover, the light sources were specially treated to prevent leakage to the outside as much as possible.
The exhaust vents of the ventilation system are disguised and dispersed, and the trace amounts of water vapor emitted condense rapidly in the extreme cold, making them difficult to detect.
However, absolute perfection does not exist. The fortress's massive size, continuous energy consumption, and the temperature difference between its constant internal temperature and extreme external cold will inevitably leave traces in certain subtle ways.
For example, in the quietest part of the night, if a breeze happens to blow from a certain direction, a keen ear might be able to detect the low, almost illusory hum emanating from the buried equipment.
For example, after a series of gloomy days, the frost that forms on the surface of some of the fortress's metal walls melts slightly faster than the surrounding natural rock, revealing a darker underlying color.
For example, under certain angles and lighting conditions, those dark bulletproof glass windows occasionally reflect an extremely faint, cold, hard luster that is different from the surrounding snow and belongs to an internal light source.
These traces are meaningless to the vast majority of survivors struggling to survive in the mud, cold, and hunger. They have no time for such things, or have long since lost the energy to observe details. But for certain forces that have begun to establish themselves and have the leisure and ambition to expand outwards, they may become clues worth exploring.
It was this group of people who had their eyes on the Cuiping Mountain fortress.
They call themselves the "Snow Wolf Gang," a mob that has grown in size and influence since the post-apocalyptic era, based in an abandoned resort on the other side of Cuiping Mountain. Their leader, nicknamed "Vulture," is a ruthless middle-aged man with a criminal record dating back to before the apocalypse.
By initially plundering supplies from nearby villages and scattered survivors, they consolidated several small groups and now number over thirty, mostly young and strong men, equipped with a variety of but threatening weapons—from homemade knives, guns, and clubs to several homemade hunting rifles, and even two police crossbows of unknown origin and condition.
They seized control of the few remaining relatively intact buildings of the resort, stockpiled some food, and became a formidable force in the mountains.
Wen Yu was not entirely unaware of the existence of the "Snow Wolf Gang." In his memories from his previous life, this gang was quite active in the early stages of the apocalypse, and was known for its ruthless methods. However, it seemed to have been severely weakened by internal strife and a failed raid, and gradually disappeared.
He deliberately avoided the direction of the resort when choosing the location and had been monitoring the area using drones and remote surveillance. However, recently, with the melting snow, the other party's activity range seems to have expanded.
The fortress was discovered by a low-ranking member of the "Snow Wolf Gang," known for his sharp eyes and cunning, nicknamed "Rat." A few days earlier, he had led two men deep into Cuiping Mountain to scout for any overlooked hunter's huts or hidden resources. By chance, while on a ridge, he spotted a seemingly abandoned villa halfway up the mountain in the distance using binoculars. Initially, he didn't pay much attention; abandoned houses like this were common in the apocalypse.
But when he observed it from different angles on the second and third days, some discordant details began to catch his attention: although the house was dilapidated on the outside, its structure was unusually intact, with no obvious collapse or damage; the materials of the roof and some of the exterior walls looked too "new" in the muddy melted snow, without the sense of decay that comes from complete abandonment; what made him most suspicious was that one evening, when it was getting dark, he seemed to glimpse a faint light flashing very quickly through a window facing a certain direction of the house, as if someone inside had quickly drawn something to block out the light.
He reported this discovery to "The Vulture." "The Vulture" initially dismissed it, thinking "The Mouse" was overthinking things. But "The Mouse" persisted and persuaded "The Vulture" to send someone to observe from a distance at night.
For two consecutive nights, with the help of night vision goggles, they confirmed that the house did indeed have extremely faint but regular light sources in the middle of the night. Moreover, on windless nights, near the foot of the mountain, they could vaguely sense extremely faint and unusual air currents and temperature changes.
"There are definitely people in there! And they're doing well! There's electricity! Maybe even heating equipment!" "Rat" excitedly told "Vulture." "Boss, this is a piece of fat meat! The location is remote, easy to defend and hard to attack. The people inside have managed to hold out until now, they must have stockpiled a lot of good stuff!"
"Vulture" was persuaded. In the apocalypse, having a stronghold and abundant resources is the foundation for becoming a king. He decided to test the waters first.
So, about a week after Wen Yu recovered from his injuries, the sensors around the fortress began to detect some unusual activity.
Initially, flocks of birds would occasionally take flight at inappropriate times in the distant mountains and forests. Then, during a routine drone patrol, fresh footprints and tire tracks, not belonging to any animal, were discovered in the woodland near the resort.
Then, at night, thermal imaging cameras on several high points a kilometer away from the fortress discovered sporadic human heat sources that had been lurking for a long time, seemingly observing and recording.
Wen Yu noticed these anomalies immediately. He increased the frequency and range of the drone's nighttime patrols, adjusted the angles of some hidden cameras, and closely monitored the suspicious observation points.
His expression remained calm, but the warmth in his eyes had clearly subsided, replaced by the cold sharpness that belonged to a hunter and a guardian.
That afternoon, fine ice particles began to fall from the sky again, pattering against the outer walls of the fortress. Wen Yu decided to personally conduct a close-up survey of the outer perimeter. Some traces could not be completely confirmed by humans, even with sensors and drones.
He put on the dark gray polar jumpsuit, over which he wore a matching hooded tactical vest. On his back were a compound bow and quiver, and his waist and legs were fully equipped with tools and weapons. The scar on his left arm was barely noticeable when he moved, except that the new skin was more sensitive in the cold.
He stood in the airtight chamber conducting final checks, his posture upright as a pine tree. The bodysuit perfectly outlined his broad, straight shoulders, lean waist, and long, powerful legs. He pushed his goggles up to his forehead, revealing a pair of deep eyes, which were now slightly narrowed as he scrutinized the world outside, where ice particles were flying everywhere, through the observation window.
His profile was even more distinct in the cold light, with a high nose bridge, lips pressed into a cold, straight line, and a taut jawline, exuding a predatory alertness like that of a hunting animal poised to pounce.
Su Ran stood a few steps behind him, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. He was wearing a light brown turtleneck sweater today, which made his small face appear even whiter, and his black hair was smooth, but his brows were slightly furrowed, and his clear eyes were full of worry. "Mr. Wen, do we really have to go out? It seems to be hailing outside again, and those people..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"It's precisely because they might be nearby that we need to confirm." Wen Yu's voice came through the mask, deep and steady, carrying a reassuring power. "The fortress's defense system needs the latest environmental parameter calibration. I'll stay on the perimeter, not far. Keep an eye on the surveillance, especially those high points on the west and north sides. If anything happens, the usual procedure."
"Yes, I understand." Su Ran nodded vigorously, her fingers tightening their grip. "You... must be careful. Come back soon."
Wen Yu gave the equipment a final check and glanced back at Su Ran. The young woman stood in the warm yellow light, dressed in soft loungewear, her slender figure a stark contrast to the cold and dangerous world outside.
The undisguised worry on his face seemed to gently touch the taut string in Wen Yu's heart, as if touched by something extremely soft.
"Lock the door," he said as a final word, then turned, opened the inner door, and quickly disappeared into the airtight chamber. The heavy door closed silently behind him.
Su Ran immediately rushed to the secondary monitoring screen, staring intently at the divided images on it, especially the directions from which Wen Yu might appear.
As Wen Yu stepped out of the fortress, the icy air, thick with hard ice particles, instantly enveloped him. He pulled down his mask, reset his goggles, and quickly adjusted to the outside light and temperature. Instead of taking the usual patrol route, he chose a more secluded path, closer to the mountain's shadow and piles of rocks, moving with the agility of a cat, leaving almost no trace on the muddy, slippery snow.
He first sneaked to the vicinity of several high points where the observer had been previously detected by thermal imaging.
Sure enough, in one of the sheltered rock hollows, he found traces of the past: several snowdrifts that had been deliberately compacted, discarded simple food wrappers, and even two cigarette butts. In the apocalypse, tobacco was a form of hard currency, and the fact that they were willing to smoke and observe here indicated that the other party was determined to get this "fat piece of meat" and had a certain amount of resources.
Wen Yu picked up a bit of cigarette ash with his gloved fingers, brought it close to his mask and smelled it; it smelled like cheap cigarettes.
His eyes grew colder as he carefully restored the traces to their original state and continued to track the possible paths the other party might take.
At a location where the trees were relatively sparse and the fortress could be seen in the distance, he discovered more messy footprints and traces of heavy objects being dragged. Judging from the direction of the footprints and the age of the marks, the other party had stopped here more than once, observing the fortress for an extended period of time with tools such as binoculars.
Wen Yu even found a fresh, simple arrow mark carved with a knife on the trunk of a spruce tree, pointing in the direction of the fortress, next to a crooked symbol representing a "house".
The enemy not only discovered the fortress, but also marked it and made plans.
Wen Yu's heart sank. This wasn't a case of stray survivors wandering in by mistake; it was an organized, targeted spying and reconnaissance operation.
He retreated silently, completely concealing himself in the shadow of a boulder. He took down his composite bow, nocked an arrow, but did not draw it. Instead, using the tree trunks and rocks as cover, his sharp gaze, like the most precise scanner, swept inch by inch across the silent, ice-covered forest ahead.
The wind wasn't strong, but it carried icy particles that rustled against my goggles and clothes, interfering with my hearing. The air was filled with the earthy smell of melting snow and a faint acrid odor. As far as the eye could see, there was only grayish-white snow, dark brown tree trunks, and jagged black rocks; it seemed deserted.
But Wen Yu's intuition screamed. The feeling of being licked by a hidden, malicious gaze was like a bone-deep ailment. The other side likely also had observers lurking nearby, perhaps even more than one.
He remained absolutely still, even slowing his breathing to its slowest point, as if he had become one with the rocks and shadows. Only his eyes, hidden behind his goggles, occasionally moved with the slightest movement, capturing any discordant movement.
Time ticked by. The ice pellets seemed to have shrunk a little, but the sky remained overcast.
Just as Wen Yu judged that the other party's observation for the day might have ended and was preparing to quietly withdraw, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a very faint reflection flash by behind a bush half-covered by snow about seventy meters ahead. It looked like metal or glass.
He immediately focused his gaze. The bushes were situated on a slightly raised slope, an excellent vantage point for observing the side and rear of the fortress. The reflection did not reappear, but Wen Yu noticed that the snow at the top of the bushes seemed to be trembling very slightly and unnaturally, not like the wind, but rather as if... something had gently adjusted its position behind it.
He didn't act rashly. Slowly, with millimeter-level precision, he moved his bow-holding hand, subtly adjusting the arrow tip, silently aiming in that direction. His other hand gently rested on an electronic jammer disguised as a toolbox at his waist.
He needs confirmation, and he also needs a warning.
He maintained his aiming posture and waited patiently for a few more minutes. The other person seemed very patient and did not move.
Wen Yu decided to take the initiative. With the tip of his boot, he very lightly kicked a fist-sized pebble that was half-buried in the snow at his feet.
"Gurgle..."
The sound of the pebbles rolling was exceptionally clear in the silent mountain forest.
Almost the instant the sound rang out, the "thing" behind the bushes moved abruptly! Although the movement was extremely small, Wen Yu could clearly see that it was a small, rapidly retracting black tube-like object, resembling the tube of a telescope! Immediately afterward, a short, suppressed gasp came from behind the bushes, and then everything returned to silence.
Sure enough, there was someone there! And they were very vigilant.
Wen Yu's fingers tightened on the bowstring, but he didn't pull it back. He was assessing the enemy's numbers, equipment, and intentions. Was there only one observation post, or was there an ambush nearby?
He didn't receive the expected attack or retreat. The other side seemed to be assessing the situation as well, resulting in a stalemate.
About a minute later, Su Ran's voice, deliberately lowered but barely concealing his nervousness, came through Wen Yu's earpiece via the encrypted internal channel: "Mr. Wen! Thermal imaging at monitoring point number three on the west side shows two human heat sources rapidly approaching! They are about 800 meters from the wall! They are moving very fast, it seems... they are riding something!"
A diversionary tactic? Or coordinated reconnaissance?
Wen Yu's eyes sharpened. Without further hesitation, he pressed the switch on the electronic jammer with his thumb, aimed it at the bushes, and at the same time, his body, like a cheetah that had been poised for a long time, suddenly darted out from his hiding place. However, instead of rushing towards the bushes, he used the rocks and trees as cover and zigzaggled towards the west side of the fortress!
"laugh--"
An invisible electromagnetic pulse of a specific frequency spread out from the jammer. Almost simultaneously, Wen Yu heard a low curse and a muffled thud as something fell into the snow from the direction of the bushes behind him—the other party's communication or observation equipment had likely malfunctioned temporarily.
Without looking back, Wen Yu pushed his speed to the limit. His figure flashed quickly between the gray-white snow and dark trees. His dark gray jumpsuit provided excellent camouflage, and only the occasional ray of sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves could be seen on his taut back muscles and the powerful lines of his legs as he ran.
Like a silent gray lightning bolt, he pierced through the mountains and forests, rushing towards the west side of the fortress, towards the direction where an unidentified, rapidly emitting heat source had appeared.
The fortress's first real crisis has arrived, with these ill-intentioned spying and approaching forces already at its gates.