Chapter 3: The Homebody with a Task

"What are you talking about, you bastard?" Lu Qiang listened, originally intending to slap him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, as Hu Zhuang's response touched a soft spot in his heart. It had been so long since anyone, apart from his parents, had treated him so well. Glancing at Hu Zhuang, who had shrunk back at his raised hand, Lu Qiang couldn't find a reason to hit him. The slap he had intended turned into a gentle pat on Hu Zhuang's shoulder. "The injured are the priority. Now that my injury has healed, I should give up the good room. We are all brothers," Lu Qiang said.

Where are the medicines?" Lu Qiang asked again

"Devil." The monkey said these two words without hesitation

"It is possible, but..." The monkey paused for a moment, revealing a face full of helplessness

The bobcat... the monkey hesitated to speak, lowered its head, and shook it, while the tiger beside it wore a gloomy expression

Bang bang bang ... ... Soon, gunshots rang out outside. Hu Zhuang and the monkey were shooting. Lu Qiang felt a surge of excitement upon hearing the gunfire; he also wanted to fire a few shots, but he was afraid of embarrassing himself if he didn't shoot well. After much contemplation, he ultimately could not resist the temptation and rolled outside.

Time passed second by second, and Lu Qiang was sweating nervously, gripping the rifle tightly. After a few minutes, Lu Qiang saw the shadow of the enemy for the first time. This was his first encounter with the real enemy, which was completely different from what he had seen on television. Their military appearance was very orderly, though they were somewhat short and had some bow-legged individuals. Nevertheless, it was still evident that they were a formidable army, far superior to the Nationalist troops, although their uniforms in a fecal yellow were quite off-putting. A dozen or so enemy soldiers marched in two rows, led by a squad leader. Lu Qiang did not recognize the enemy's ranks, so he was unsure of the position of the leading soldier, but he guessed it might be a sergeant or something similar. However, it was still clear that they were a formidable army, far superior to the Nationalist troops, although their uniforms in a fecal yellow were quite off-putting.

Upon seeing this, Lu Qiang understood what was happening and estimated that it was about to end. "Then take me to see," Lu Qiang thought it would be better for him to take a look. He was unsure of the lynx's injuries and whether there was still hope for rescue, after all, it was one of his trusted subordinates, a rare asset.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! After a series of four gunshots, upon examining the target, aside from a bullet grazing the edge and leaving a mark, there were no other traces. His face darkened, comparable to that of Zhang Fei, while the two individuals beside him struggled to contain their laughter

After finishing the task, Lu Qiang fell silent. This was quite a challenge for him, so he turned to the monkey and asked, "Can the bobcat be cured?"

Boss, there is no one within a radius of several miles. I ran over while you were unconscious.

All the ammunition was laid out. Upon seeing this, Hu Zhuang wanted to step forward to stop Lu Qiang's madness. Although this was the largest amount of ammunition he had ever possessed, he felt heartache and concern upon seeing his leader prepare to use it this way. However, he was stopped by the Monkey, who reasoned that without good marksmanship, one could not hit the target; no matter how many bullets there were, they would be useless if one could not hit the enemy. These things would just be waste.

"Over there on the main road, we discovered more than ten enemy soldiers," Hu Zhuang said

"Yes, but first move the bobcat to my house; it's too messy here, and my condition will worsen," said Lu Qiang

The vision of this body is quite good, much better than his nearsightedness, effortlessly seeing a target 50 meters away. Upon visual inspection, there are no bullet holes on the target, which means it has not been hit. Looking at the two who are snickering, Lu Qiang's face darkened, and without saying a word, he raised his gun and shot again

The Type 72 anti-personnel bouncing mine absorbed the design experience of advanced foreign mines at the time, incorporating pre-set fragmentation technology, which significantly increased its power. The Type 72 bouncing mine features a unique Chinese design that wraps lethal steel balls in a plastic mine casing, resulting in an astonishing 650 fragments. Upon detonation, there are no blind spots within its 14-meter lethal radius. Additionally, in response to the reliability issues of the fuse in the Type 69 mine, a new type of dissolvable safety mechanism was designed. The ingenuity of this safety mechanism lies in the fact that after the mine is deployed, it requires a certain period to enter combat status, thereby ensuring the safety of the mine layers and preventing accidental detonation that could lead to casualties among friendly forces. The price is set at 1.1 for ten units, and only two are needed to deal with a dozen enemies, which is more than sufficient.

Hehe... Lu Qiang smiled faintly, then showed a pained expression. How could he not know how his marksmanship was? How to put it? One word: trash; two words: very trash; three words: extremely trash... That's just how it is, and only in this way can it reflect Lu Qiang's utterly poor marksmanship.

Lu Qiang walked to a shooting point 50 meters away, crouched down, raised his gun, and forcefully pulled back the bolt. This is a drawback of the Zhongzheng model; pulling the bolt is relatively laborious. During sustained firing, the magazine and the bolt become tightly adhered to each other due to thermal expansion, making it even more difficult to pull the bolt back at that time

"Devils?" Lu Qiang was startled upon hearing this, and then he felt a surge of joy. It was truly a case of thinking something and it coming to fruition, indeed the 'protagonist effect.' An hour ago, when he was shooting, they did not appear, but now that he thought of them, they indeed showed up. Amidst his delight, Lu Qiang began to ponder how to eliminate this squad of devils. At the beginning of the War of Resistance, the devils were exceptionally formidable; with just the three of them and three guns, it was like delivering vegetables. He needed to come up with a plan. That's right, landmines. Suddenly, Lu Qiang thought of this powerful weapon and hurriedly flipped through the system's sales page. Sure enough, there were landmines for sale. Lu Qiang immediately set his sights on the relatively good Type 72 anti-infantry bouncing mine.

Without hesitation, I purchased 10 units of the Type 72 anti-infantry bouncing mines. Lu Qiang immediately called for Hu Zhuang, asking him to accompany him to lay the mines and ambush these enemies.

Lu Qiang fell silent upon hearing these two words. However, his mind was in turmoil, thinking that the medicine was in the hands of the enemy, and it was undoubtedly in the hospital, which was a stronghold for the enemy, as the wounded were all inside. Attacking a hospital was purely a suicidal act. Right, killing the enemy, one enemy is worth a point; just five, no, four, as long as four are killed, one small first aid kit can be bought, which should be enough for such injuries. With this thought, Lu Qiang clenched his fist and slammed it into the palm of his other hand, making a loud "pa" sound, startling the two who were in silence. Right, killing the enemy, one enemy is worth a point; just five, no, four, as long as four are killed, one small first aid kit can be bought, which should be enough for such injuries. With this thought, Lu Qiang clenched his fist and slammed it into the palm of his other hand, making a loud "pa" sound, startling the two who were in silence.

"It can be saved, but there are no medicines," the monkey gritted its teeth and said

Boss, you are here too?! The one speaking is Hu Zhuang, who stopped shooting upon seeing Lu Qiang

Boss, something's wrong, something's wrong, over there, over there... Suddenly, Hu Zhuang came running, out of breath and unable to speak clearly

I refuse to believe in this nonsense. Lu Qiang was furious, seeing that complete target filled him with rage, taking away what belonged to him, 145.

With three points forming a straight line, how could Lu Qiang not know? Aiming at the distant target, Lu Qiang took a deep breath, held his breath, and focused his gaze ahead. These were things he had read in books; as a military enthusiast, he had certainly read many such books.

Over there, over there... Hu Zhuang can no longer articulate clearly

The monkey on one side glanced at Lu Qiang, clearly surprised by what Lu Qiang had said

But hasn't the boss always preferred to live alone..." Hu Zhuang said softly

Suddenly, a blue exclamation mark appeared on Lu Qiang's retina, indicating a standard task. The task is to save one of his trusted subordinates, the Lynx. Success will symbolize a reward of 5 war points (Note: This is your attribute, and also your trusted subordinate. Saving him is your duty and also your support. Receiving a reward is already a grace; what more do you desire?). If the task fails, there is no punishment (Note: If the task fails, your attribute will die, and you will permanently lose a capable and highly loyal subordinate. How do you perceive this loss?). The task time is 7 days (Note: He only has 7 days left to live)

"Is anyone actually living in a house like this?" Lu Qiang said angrily to the two people.

Under the guidance of two individuals, Lu Qiang arrived in front of a rather dilapidated house, which was much worse than the one he had previously lived in. It is worth noting that Lu Qiang is currently in an unknown village, which appears to have about a dozen households. However, the village is deserted, likely because the residents fled after the enemy's arrival, leaving behind a series of broken houses. The one Lu Qiang resides in is the best in the village, presumably belonging to the village chief.

Under the intense gaze of Lu Qiang, a small team advanced at a run, gradually approaching the landmine. It seemed that due to Lu Qiang's piercing stare, the team leader suddenly raised his hand, halting the squad. He then furrowed his brow, surveying the surroundings; just moments ago, he felt as if he were being watched by something, experiencing a sensation akin to being targeted by a venomous snake or a fierce beast

Lu Qiang looked at the prices and felt like he was going to bleed from his mouth; he couldn't even afford the smaller ones, let alone the larger ones and the boxes. "What should I do?" Lu Qiang was anxious, after all, he was a trusted confidant, with loyalty above 90; it would be too regrettable to lose him like this

"When did I ever like living alone..." Lu Qiang said this with evident lack of confidence; he indeed liked living alone, and it seems that both his current self and his former self shared this habit. "Let's go see the lynx." Lu Qiang, feeling guilty, immediately changed the subject and walked towards the bedside.

As he pushed open the door, it emitted a harsh "creak" sound. Upon entering, Lu Qiang discovered that the house was somewhat damp; the floor, which should have been a dry whitish color, was instead a dark bluish-black, indicating a significant amount of moisture.

"Where do you live, boss?" Hu Zhuang, seeing that Lu Qiang was about to give up his residence, expressed some concern

By the way, why haven't I seen the bobcat? It has been such a long time, and Lu Qiang has not seen a bobcat nor has he heard the two of them mention it.

A few seconds later, Lu Qiang felt it was about time, and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. "Bang!" With the sound of the gunshot, a burst of flames erupted from the muzzle, and Lu Qiang only felt as if something had struck his shoulder, causing some pain. However, he couldn't afford to think about that; he immediately began to assess the results.

"Well, I will give the gun a try as well," Lu Qiang said, raising the gun in his hand.

"Isn't the room I live in fine? It's so spacious, more than enough for two people," Lu Qiang asked loudly, not knowing where he found the courage to confront this big guy.

"Boss, is there any way yet?" Hu Zhuang was the first to speak, and the monkey also looked expectantly. They have been old comrades for a long time, and their relationship is very close.

"Alright." Lu Qiang sat gloomily on the threshold, waiting like this, wondering when the enemy would arrive. It was better to take the initiative, but where was the enemy? Lu Qiang sat there in contemplation, while Hu Zhuang went out to hunt. The food for the past few days had all come from Hu Zhuang's hunting, as he had learned a great deal about hunting from his father, who was a hunter, during his childhood. After his father's death, he sold himself to Lu Qiang's family and had not hunted since. Now, it seemed he was picking up the old skills again, and he was doing quite well.

"Alright," Hu Zhuang replied, and then he and the monkey carried the bobcat into the house where they lived.

"Is my importance greater than that of the injured?" Lu Qiang scolded

After firing the twentieth bullet and hitting the bullseye, Lu Qiang finally put down the gun in his hand, stood up to stretch, and rubbed his shoulder, which ached from the recoil of the gun. He pulled open his shirt to take a look, and saw that the area had already turned blue.

However, this is the only good house in the entire village; the other houses have all been demolished. Hu Zhuang said somewhat aggrieved

Lu Qiang rummaged through the system in hopes of finding something useful. To his surprise, he actually found something: there was a first aid kit, the small one costing 5 points and the large one costing 20 points. In addition, there was also a first aid box available for 50 points

"Do not rush, speak slowly, what is the matter?" Lu Qiang raised his hand to signal Hu Zhuang to take a deep breath and not to hurry

After Lu Qiang went out, he arrived at a simple shooting range, which was built by Hu Zhuang and the monkey. At present, the two of them were having a great time shooting.

What exactly is going on? Give me a sentence." Lu Qiang urged anxiously

"Alright, stop standing around and quickly get the person into my room," Lu Qiang suddenly raised his voice and said

After bringing the bobcat into his room, Lu Qiang began to contemplate how to deal with the Japanese. The Japanese had just captured Nanjing, and they were all full of vigor, walking with an air of confidence. Groups of three to five would often venture into the countryside to plunder. Lu Qiang thought he could take advantage of this situation by locating a Japanese squad and secretly eliminating them. However, since the Japanese were plundering in the countryside, it was essential to find areas inhabited by villagers. In places as desolate as this, where not even a ghost would come, let alone a Japanese soldier. With this in mind, Lu Qiang called for Hu Zhuang, saying, "Hu Zhuang, go see if there are any villages around here." Lu Qiang instructed Hu Zhuang.

"The boss is important," Hu Zhuang said without hesitation

"I wonder how your marksmanship is, boss?" the monkey said anxiously from the side

On the main road where the enemy was about to leave, Lu Qiang took out four 72-type landmines. Although two would suffice, it was better to be safe than sorry, so he prepared a few extra. After digging four pits, Lu Qiang and Hu Zhuang buried the four so-called "child-killing" bouncing mines in the ground, then covered them up, and next, they waited quietly for the enemy to step on them

Hu Zhuang watched Lu Qiang's back from behind, opened his mouth but said nothing, and then turned to look at the monkey. The monkey shook its head at him, walked past him, and ignored him. Seeing this, Hu Zhuang lowered his head, revealing a face full of helplessness; he truly felt defeated by these two.

Pulling back the bolt and loading 5 rounds of ammunition, he prepared to shoot, "Watch closely, this is how your esteemed uncle demonstrates his prowess," Lu Qiang said proudly to the two onlookers

Upon hearing Hu Zhuang's words, Lu Qiang felt frustrated, "Why is there no one here?"

After firing more than ten shots in succession, Lu Qiang finally found some tricks, and the probability of hitting the target with the bullets increased. He also felt more cheerful, and his face was no longer dark.

Approaching the bedside, the lynx is still running a high fever at this moment. The wound has not become inflamed due to the cold weather, but the persistent high fever is indeed life-threatening. Additionally, there is a large gash in the abdomen, resulting in excessive blood loss. Even if the fever subsides, whether it can survive remains uncertain

The village is there, but it is completely empty; all the villagers have fled.

What happened? Upon hearing the words "Not good," Lu Qiang was startled and immediately stood up to ask.

Hu Zhuang looked at Lu Qiang with some surprise; for the first time, he did not hit him, almost bringing him to tears. When Lu Qiang saw the glistening look in Hu Zhuang's eyes, he was covered in black lines, realizing that this old fellow had been bullied quite a bit by the original owner.