Chapter Seven: Knife

Under the astonished gaze of Luo Xingyu, Gao Yuan concealed the bicycle again using wood and branches, then brushed the dust off his hands and said: "In addition, we have and are currently using tools including a spear, a long-handled axe, a short-handled axe, which is the one hanging at my waist, a folding saw, a entrenching tool, and some ropes. Oh, right, we also have some good items."

After hesitating for a moment, Gao Yuan placed his hand on Luo Xingyu's back and gently patted it, saying, "Don't cry, okay, don't cry, it will be better in the future"

What!

Pull it out

Luo Xingyu followed Gao Yuan into the bedroom, where Gao Yuan took out two knives of different lengths from his bag and placed both knives directly in front of Luo Xingyu.

Gao Yuan continued softly, "We are all survivors of this apocalypse, we are companions, I can only rely on you, so of course I must give you all these things, you should understand that to survive, the advantage of two people is much greater than that of one person, so you need not be too moved, what I do is only right."

After putting away his own knife, Gao Yuan took the small knife and handed it to Luo Xingyu, saying: "This knife is a purchase, a Swedish Mora, made of stainless steel, with a Scandinavian edge, very sharp, best used for dealing with wood. Of course, you can also use it for eating meat or peeling fruit."

Luo Xingyu was taken aback for a moment, then she nodded and said, "I understand, I will definitely do it."

Why are you crying again

The short knife appears quite ordinary, with a plastic handle and plastic casing, resembling a fruit knife

Luo Xingyu raised her head, and after shyly wiping the wet spot on Gao Yuan's chest, she said: "You are truly a fool. Moreover, even if two people can survive more easily, there will never be anyone willing to share everything like you do."

Crying uncontrollably, Luo Xingyu suddenly embraced Gao Yuan, resting her head against his chest, and began to weep loudly

Luo Xingyu unfastened the buckle on the sheath and drew out the knife

The hardness of the birch burl is not high, so the handle is relatively fragile; please be careful when using it. Additionally, this knife's handle has been designed according to my hand shape, so it may feel too thick for you. If you find the handle too thick, I can help you adjust it to the most suitable thickness for you, but the length cannot be adjusted as I do not have the appropriate tools.

Clapping his hands, Gao Yuan said: "I really feel a bit reluctant to part with my knife, but alright, now I will give you something else"

Luo Xingyu cried out loud, sobbing as she said: "You are too kind, this is not just a token of goodwill; I am simply very excited, and I feel so happy right now. You must be sent by heaven to save me"

Today, Luo Xingyu was just focused on crying

Gao Yuan spread his hands and said: "Otherwise? This knife was certainly made by me, and it is my first piece that I am truly satisfied with. Moreover, this steel plate is quite expensive. It is very troublesome to make a knife with heat-treated steel plates. It pained me to buy the steel plate, it gave me a headache to make the knife, and it pains me to give it to you, so you must take good care of this knife"

I am really about to starve to death, I don't know how long it has been, I can only eat cabbage and radishes, I am so cold, I truly feel like I am about to freeze to death, I am also very scared, I cannot sleep, I am unable to do anything, I am in despair, I really feel like I am going to die soon, thank you, thank you for saving me

Yes, that is why I am considered a lunatic by others

The blade is very shiny, and the wood handle has a beautiful pattern

After expressing her astonishment, Luo Xingyu suddenly said, "May I see the knife you use?"

He pointed to a backpack attached to the front of the bicycle and said, "What is secured in front is a Bob backpack, a spare one, containing three days' worth of food and water, a knife, and an axe. If we encounter danger and need to escape, even if there is no time to take anything else and we cannot push the bicycle away, we can just grab this backpack and run.

With a look of deep emotion, Gao Yuan handed the bag to Luo Xingyu, who was surprised and said, "You also carry this bag every day?"

Luo Xingyu said in surprise: "When you called on the radio just now, you referred to yourself as a blacksmith. Could it be that this knife was made by you?"

Gao Yuan said with a stern face: "The handle is made of stabilized burl wood, the blade length is 33 centimeters, the widest part is 3 centimeters, and the thickness is 5 millimeters. It uses S30V powder steel from the American Crucible Company, with BOS heat treatment and a Rockwell hardness of 61. Both edge retention and toughness are excellent, sufficient for a lifetime of use."

After speaking, Gao Yuan patted Luo Xingyu on the shoulder and smiled, saying: "I am very afraid of death, so I would not easily trust others. I say this to remind you that whenever you encounter strangers in the future, you must be cautious, for in this apocalyptic world, the deepest goodness within humanity will manifest, but so will the deepest evil."

Luo Xingyu asked with some curiosity: "You have many knives, so why do you use this one?"

Gao Yuan hesitated for a moment; he truly hesitated, yet he still drew his knife.

The knife that Gao Yuan uses does not appear to be as beautiful as the one belonging to Luo Xingyu

After walking a few steps with Luo Xingyu, they arrived at a shed behind the house where they lived. Gao Yuan bent down and lifted a few wooden planks, revealing a bicycle inside.

This knife is forged from high carbon steel. I used rail steel, which is old rail from several decades ago. I designed, forged, and tempered it myself. The length is 32 centimeters, and the Rockwell hardness is approximately 58. The advantage of carbon steel is that it sharpens quickly and is easy to hone. This knife is very sharp, but its edge retention is not as good as yours, which is made from modern powdered steel. Mine can at best be considered traditional craftsmanship.

Do not cry, do not cry, if you feel very happy, shouldn't you be smiling instead

Tears glistened in Luo Xingyu's eyes as she softly said, "Thank you, besides my parents, you are the best person in the world to me"

Gao Yuan let out a light sigh and said: "From now on, keep this knife on you at all times. No matter what you do, do not let this knife be out of reach. Familiarize yourself with it, use it, and treat it as an extension of your arm. If you encounter a bad person, do not hesitate to stab him with the knife. If you encounter a beast, stab it with the knife."

Watching Luo Xingyu prepare the knife, Gao Yuan finally took her out of the house and then pointed to an abandoned pigpen, saying: "Inside, there are 90 compressed biscuits, and 64 boxes, with four small pieces in each box. A person can consume two small pieces a day to have enough calories. There are also twenty 400-gram cans of beef, canned beef produced in Russia. It may not taste good, but it is made of real ingredients"

Luo Xingyu widened her eyes, and Gao Yuan, feeling somewhat embarrassed, said: "Well, toilet paper is very precious, I have given it all to you, try not to use it usually, save it for when you have your period."

After a moment of contemplation, Gao Yuan, with a determined expression, said: "Follow me, oh, now hang the knife up, the large knife on the belt, and the small knife can be hung on the waist pouch."

Gao Yuan let out a sigh and said, "Actually, I am telling you this because I fear that I might die one day. If I die and you are still alive, then these things can still be of use. You should understand that, given the current situation, we could really encounter an accident at any moment."

Gao Yuan smiled, then he sheathed the knife and said, "This knife... I have become quite adept at using it."

Luo Xingyu also became serious, nodding her head: "I understand, I will definitely cherish this knife well"

Take this knife

Luo Xingyu drew out the short knife and looked at it, saying: "It is not as beautiful as what you have done."

Gao Yuan took a waist bag out of his backpack. After holding the waist bag in his hand, he said: "This is a PSK waist bag. Inside, there are fire starters, allergy medication, diarrhea medicine, as well as cold medicine and fever reducers. A small box of water purification tablets contains three pieces of chocolate, and there is also a whistle and adhesive bandages. These are all PSK items I use in my daily life, which can be conveniently taken on the subway and bus, although the contents are somewhat limited. However, if you had this bag earlier, you wouldn't have had to endure so much hardship in the past few days"

However, Gao Yuan did not hand the knife to Luo Xingyu

Luo Xingyu stared blankly at Gao Yuan, and then her tears began to flow again

Luo Xingyu couldn't help but exclaim: "So beautiful, and you sound so professional!"

You look quite handsome when you smile ... ... Thank you

It may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it is practical; this is a utility knife that you will use every day in your daily life. Therefore, carry this knife with you, and you will find that it is the tool you use most frequently

I am truly grateful to you... Thank you, brother

Luo Xingyu appeared shocked once again, and Gao Yuan pointed to the other side, continuing, "Behind that dilapidated house, on the cliff wall, there is a small hole behind a slab of bluestone, inside which are fifty cans, including luncheon meat cans and domestically produced military cans"

Wow, I have discovered that you are truly multi-talented, it's amazing! Thank you, Brother Yuan

Gao Yuan smiled and said, "This depends on the situation. For instance, if I encounter two people, I would never expose myself, as these two might already form a small group. Two people will always have more to share than three. If I meet a man, I also wouldn't easily bring him here, nor would I give him everything, because human nature is difficult to gauge"

twenty toothbrush sets, small soaps, shampoos, and so on, and there are also two rolls of toilet paper

There are no rust spots, but there are oxidized black spots, along with many signs of use. The leather sheath also has numerous scars, and the black handle appears quite ordinary

A bicycle, with a large escape pack tied to it, contains enough food and water for a week, a tent, a set of clothes, an axe, a long knife, two short knives, a saw, plenty of fire starters, numerous medicines, two bottles of liquor, two packs of cigarettes, two cans of small packaged tea leaves, and a total of dozens of boxes of various medicines. All of these were purchased shortly before the disaster occurred, with a long shelf life remaining, and many items inside can be used as currency.

Gao Yuan waved his hand and said, "Don't be in a hurry to thank me, because there are still many things for which you need to thank me. Let's save the thanks for the very end."

Luo Xingyu's cathartic crying left Gao Yuan somewhat at a loss, as he did not know where to place his hands

Luo Xingyu was somewhat surprised as she took the longer knife

Luo Xingyu paused for a moment, but she soon cried even more intensely

Gao Yuan continued, "This knife is very sharp, but because it is too sharp, do not use it to cut particularly hard objects, as it will damage the blade. The knife is the most important tool for your survival in the wild, more important than anything else. Treat it well, just as you would treat yourself."

Gao Yuan, with a strong sense of self-deprecation, burst into laughter