Chapter 8, Embracing

Qi Tianlin is not a very talkative person, nor is he of a gloomy disposition. Most of the time, he sits beside others with a smile, watching them show off. Occasionally, he might playfully trip someone or sneak a touch of a bag. Oh, Qi Tianlin is quite skilled at picking pockets; he learned the technique from an old thief in Southeast Asia. However, this skill is of little use in Africa, as the locals do not carry wallets. He only secretly relieves his boredom by reminiscing about his teammates. These days, being alone seems to have led him to think too much, and he is not quite adapting. It was a rare opportunity to have someone to talk to, but now it seems he is just another closed-off person.

On the stove, salt and chili sauce could still be found. I carefully prepared a bowl of flavor for myself and scooped up a large bowl of noodles from the pot

Qi Tianlin indeed had little experience interacting with women, and even less with young girls. He did not notice at all that when he picked up the little girl, her long eyelashes trembled violently for a moment before closing tightly. It was only after he covered her with the blanket that her eyelashes seemed to flutter gently a few times.

Qi Tianlin smiled wryly and shook his head. He first placed the noodles on the table, then collected the cookies and water from beside the bed and put them on the table. He reached out to pick up the little girl and, following this intertwined motion, placed her and the books on the bed, pulling over a sheet to cover them.

It is still necessary to take some time to visit the mosque in Aviland, to contemplate the plan. In any endeavor, one must be well-prepared in advance. This is a good habit cultivated by Qi Tianlin over the years while completing various tasks.

Qi Tianlin poses a riddle: "Do you want to learn this?"

As I finally sat down at the table, I began to eat the first bowl of steaming hot food I had had in many days, especially since it was knife-cut noodles that had the complete flavor of my hometown; it was truly fragrant

Qi Tianlin shook his head and thought about it, not paying much attention; as long as no outsiders were brought in, it did not matter.

Suddenly, a sound startled Qi Tianlin awake. He quickly reached under his pillow for his handgun. In the pitch-black room, a sobbing sound could be heard. Qi Tianlin, with a headache, fumbled for his lighter and discovered that the little girl had once again assumed the posture of hugging her knees, leaning against the corner of the bed, her small shoulders shaking intermittently.

Upon waking from a deep sleep and turning my head, the little girl had already vanished without a trace

Qi Tianlin did not know what to say, so he lit a candle he found in the kitchen and placed it on the table. He pulled up the blanket to cover the little girl and then turned over in bed to go back to sleep

Qi Tianlin retracted his fist and squatted in front of her with a can of cola: "Shall we go eat something first?"

The young girl finally showed some reaction, slowly shaking her head. She only tightened her grip on the dagger, wanting to raise it for Qi Tianlin to see, but she truly lacked the strength. Having gone a whole day and night without food, she had been crying in sorrow the entire time. A grown woman would likely have little strength left under such circumstances, let alone this girl who was only about fourteen or fifteen years old. Moreover, Qi Tianlin had not seen any food in her home, and it was likely that she had not eaten much before either.

Qi Tianlin did not stop his hands, but merely glanced sideways at the little girl's movements

Seeing the little girl crying, Qi Tianlin felt relieved and began to practice boxing again in the shade near the big gate.

As he just opened his fist style, he saw a small figure far away crouched on the grave mound. Qi Tianlin shook his head, focused his mind, and continued to practice his boxing.

Qi Tianlin scratched his head: "Do you want this?"

The water tank is large enough, the temperature is high enough, and several liters of clean water can be collected each day. Now, with the sound of the whistle from Qitianlin, who is mixing a large spoonful of flour into the dough, he then uses a defense claw to directly cut the noodles. Watching those little fish leap into the boiling water, the somewhat gloomy mood of these days gradually eases.

The young girl nodded firmly, her gaze also directed towards the hand and the book gun that Qi Tianlin had placed at his feet

Qi Tianlin stood up and said, "Alright! Come back with me to have dinner first!" He turned around and headed to the cafeteria, as today they could finally have noodles together.

The cafeteria uses a vaporizer, and in this oil-rich town, the least coveted items are these. Looking at a row of cans by the wall, Qi Tianlin is contemplating whether to indulge in a luxurious hot bath

After a set of punches, I was slightly sweating. I grabbed a piece of rag as a towel to wipe myself. Looking over, that small figure was still crouched there. Worried about any unforeseen circumstances, I took my handgun and tucked it into the small of my back, then walked over.

The little girl remained in the same position, sitting in the corner of the bed against the wall. Qi Tianlin looked at the water and biscuits, which had not changed, and upon getting a little closer, he discovered that the little girl, with tears streaming down her face, had actually fallen asleep

I found another small bowl and two pairs of chopsticks, but just as I was about to leave, I remembered that the chopsticks were only for my own use. I turned back to look for a small fork before returning to the nearby electrician's room

A broken large water tank contains the groundwater he has pumped up, placed in an open area exposed to direct sunlight. A plastic sheet covers it, with a stone placed in the center of the sheet. All the evaporated water vapor is trapped by the plastic sheet and drips down along the slope into a fixed bucket at the center of the tank. This evaporated water is the drinking water for Qi Tianlin.

There were no unnecessary movements; Tiya seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by hunger and thirst. She sluggishly made her way to the door, leaned against the doorpost, and held the dagger close to her heart, staring blankly at Qitianlin's martial arts movements.

Lost in thought and instinctively throwing punches, I caught a glimpse of a small figure slowly getting up. It pulled out the dagger that was stuck in the sand, stared at it for a moment, then stood up, staggering several steps, and wobbled over in the direction of Qitianlin.

Qi Tianlin shook his head again, picked it up, placed it on his shoulder, and sat down to go to the cafeteria

Completing such infiltration tasks alone, without any support, can be quite troublesome. Currently, my strength has significantly increased, and my endurance has improved as well. However, these enhancements seem to hold little value in actions requiring stealth and concealment. It appears that Otar back in the day must not have possessed any lightness of foot.

Gently rubbing the belly, letting out a satisfying burp, taking off the jeans, pulling back the sheets on another bed to snuggle in, and going to sleep

Tiya, in a daze, wrapped her hands around Qitianlin's head, feeling a deep sense of tranquility within her heart

Qi Tianlin felt that the dough was no longer tasty, so he finished off the portion that he originally intended to save for the little girl in one go

The young girl's gaze remained fixed on hetushu.com, and she nodded vigorously.

The young girl nodded, but she tried her best to wrest the dagger from Qi Tianlin's hand, making a stabbing motion

Let us hold on like this forever

Hearing the loud sounds of eating and drinking, Xiaojie Mao trembled a few times, secretly opened her eyes a little, and observed the figure before her, which was not very tall but gave her a particularly heavy feeling.

Wearing only square-cut shorts, I walked barefoot to a shaded area outside the electrician's room, placed the P226 within easy reach, and began practicing military boxing. This has been a habit formed over many years; whenever I have such leisure time, I practice boxing, primarily because it allows me to think while I train.

A thud sounded behind me; turning my head, I saw that the little girl was indeed so hungry that she was swaying unsteadily.

As usual, he first removed the bullets from the Type 54 pistol beside his pillow. Over the years, this Type 54 pistol, obtained in Southeast Asia, had accompanied him to sleep. Although it was somewhat old, it provided a sense of security. However, upon waking, he preferred to use the P226, as its accuracy, aiming, and feel were more suitable. Most importantly, he had more ammunition for this one.

Qi Tianlin grabbed and raised it, saying: "Do you want to learn this too?"

Qi Tianlin extended his right hand, pinching the blade of the dagger between his index finger and thumb, only to find that the little girl was gripping the handle very tightly, her eyes seemingly stubbornly expressing something.