Wu Yong wiped his sweat, instructing, "I'll have the medical supplies sent over. Use them sparingly; we're running low."

Zhou You circled back near the main ant army. The forest buzzed with life and was filled with the sounds of animals.

The ants, feeling threatened, tightened their formation. This time, even if Zhou You attacked their queen, they wouldn't dare send soldiers after him.

"Here's a parting gift for you." Zhou You, channeling his inner energy, leaped onto a tall tree. There was a large beehive, with bees busily swarming around.

With one punch, he knocked the hive off, using his inner power to direct it towards the ant swarm.

It was more effective than any bomb. The ant formation was immediately disrupted, with bees diving into the ant crowd, causing a skirmish.

"That should be enough. Hopefully, the convoy hasn't gone too far, or catching up will be tricky."

Zhou You turned back to follow the convoy, thinking of how to rejoin unnoticed, hoping no one saw his brief absence.

Chapter 010: A New Landscape

Li Hongxi ordered the convoy to stop and rest for ten minutes, checking for any injuries. These mutated insects were venomous, and without prompt treatment, victims could die.

Li Hongxi specifically checked on a ten-year-old boy in vehicle 4521. Orphaned, the child had been saved by Li Yunxi. He'd always been quiet, and it was unfortunate he got hurt this time.

After Li Yunxi administered medicine, she approached Li Hongxi, "Brother, I want to check on Zhou You. He's in the last vehicle. I hope he's alright."

Li Hongxi frowned, "Why worry about him? He's a grown man. What could've happened with so few ants?"

"But he's so frail. What if he was bitten?" While others had been bitten, Li Hongxi wasn't overly concerned. If adults couldn't fend off an ant, they might as well not survive the apocalypse, he thought.

"I'll radio his vehicle to check." Li Hongxi turned on the intercom, "Is the captain of vehicle 3256 there?"

After some static, a voice replied, "3256 here. Captain speaking. Any orders?"

"Check if the young man named Zhou You is injured."

"Zhou You? The short, dirty-faced guy?" The captain instantly recalled the young man who'd been sitting atop the vehicle, the newest member of their group.

"It's him."

"Alright, please wait a moment." The train conductor descended from the train, perplexed, wondering: Could this audacious young man be the captain's relative? Did he cross a line by pointing a gun at him earlier?

He pulled back the canvas of the carriage, shouting, "Zhou You, come out! ... Zhou You! Zhou You! Where is he? ... Zhan Cheng!"

The man who handed Zhou You tobacco in the morning squeezed through the crowd, smiling and asking, "What's the matter, Brother Ning?"

"Where's the guy named Zhou You on the train?"

"Who's Zhou You?"

"The young man who just arrived."

"Ah, him. I think he left a while ago; I wasn't paying attention." Zhan Cheng nudged a man sitting by the door, asking, "Was he sitting next to you earlier?"

The man muttered, "I think so. Haven't seen him in a while though."

Ning Xufeng froze, thinking: Could he have fallen from the roof and been devoured by ants? If so, there would probably be nothing left of him.

Just as he was about to report this over the radio, a deep voice came from behind, "Looking for me?"

Ning Xufeng turned to see the young man who had climbed onto the roof earlier, now covered in mud, looking as if he had rolled in the mire. Despite his dirty face and panting breath, his eyes sparkled. He appeared lean yet spirited, which probably explained his daring roof climb.

"Where the hell were you?" blurted Ning Xufeng. Recalling that the youngster was under the captain's protection, he softened his tone, "Are you alright? Where did you go?"

Wiping sweat from his brow, Zhou You replied fearfully, "I saw an ant crawling up and as I tried to swat it, the train jolted, and I fell off. Thankfully, I wasn't too far from the train, or I wouldn't have made it back."

Given the rough terrain and occasional incidents of people falling from moving vehicles, especially during evacuations, Ning Xufeng didn't overthink it, merely asking, "Did you get hurt? If you're injured, you can get medicine from Deputy Captain Wu."

"No, no, just a bruise. It'll heal in a few days." Zhou You showed Ning the bruise on his arm, which perfectly matched the injuries of a fall. His fair skin made the bruise all the more prominent.

Ning Xufeng's gaze lingered on Zhou's pale skin. In these times, a woman was worth her weight in gold, and any physical contact was taboo. Many single men led celibate lives, seeing everyone as more attractive than before. Considering Zhou's striking features and skin tone, Ning Xufeng wondered...

Swallowing hard, Ning Xufeng cleared his throat, admonishing, "Good, just avoid taking such risks in the future." He then resumed his conversation with Li Hongxi.

Ten minutes later, as the convoy proceeded, all Ning Xufeng could think of was Zhou You's arm, speculating if Zhou might be the captain's secret lover. Why else would the captain be concerned about an ordinary person?

"Brother Ning... Brother Ning... What are you thinking about? I've called you several times," said the driver, turning his head.

Shaking off his thoughts, Ning Xufeng replied nonchalantly, "What is it?"