Xiao Lou had heard that the temperature difference between day and night in the desert was huge, but he didn't expect the nighttime temperature to be this low, almost like a snowy day in the dead of winter in the north. When they entered the final stage of the Twin Kings secret room, they were all wearing summer clothes. In a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius, they could really freeze to death.
Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou: " Can Bai Juyi's charcoal be used?"
Xiao Lou said helplessly, "The charcoal fire can only last for 3 hours. Besides, my Compass is broken and can't be used as a heater. If I put the charcoal fire in the tent, it won't keep me warm if I leave it in the open on the sand."
Tang Ci came up with an idea and said, "My mecha badge might come in handy."
After saying that, he summoned five combat mechs. Back in the Weekly Secret Chamber of the " Tomb of the Headless General, " Tang Ci had used these mechs to shield his teammates from the sweltering heat of the sauna. These mechs were made of a special metal, so they were naturally resistant to charcoal fire.
Tang Ci removed the mecha's head and handed it to Xiao Lou: "Put charcoal inside, and you can use it as a temporary heater."
Xiao Lou happily accepted the metal mech, put charcoal inside to make five heaters, and distributed them to his teammates. With these heaters, at least they wouldn't have to worry about freezing to death at night. Shao Qingge then suggested, "Didn't we each get a set of ancient clothing in the ancient secret chamber? If it's cold at night, we can put that on."
Traditional costumes consist of several layers, which are troublesome to wear, but they are indeed much better at keeping warm than short sleeves and shorts.
Ye Qi, disregarding the fact that he was wearing a long red dress and was sneezing from the cold, quickly took out the card after hearing Shao Qingge's words and conjured up an ancient costume to put on.
Lu Jiuchuan looked him up and down, a half-smile on his face: "Xiao Ye's women's clothing is quite pretty."
Ye Qi coughed lightly, his face flushed, and said, "Staying alive is the priority; appearance can be ignored."
The others also put on their clothes. Yu Hanjiang said, "We'll take turns keeping watch tonight to prevent any nocturnal animals from attacking us. Xiao Lou and I will keep watch from now until 4 a.m.
Lu Jiuchuan said, "Then Xiao Tang and I will be together from 4 o'clock to 7 o'clock."
Shao Qingge was about to speak up to join in when Yu Hanjiang stopped him: "Everyone else should rest well. We'll rotate again tomorrow night."
The others had no choice but to stop talking and went into their tents to prepare for sleep.
It was already past midnight. As soon as midnight struck, a notification popped up in everyone's chat window at the same time—the second day of desert survival had begun.
The teammates went to sleep, while Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang sat on the sand to keep watch. Beside them lay the drone monitoring terminal that Tang Ci had set up, and at their feet was a makeshift stove.
The wind wasn't strong at night, but the temperature was dropping. Xiao Lou wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, stretched out his hands to warm himself by the fire, and whispered to Yu Hanjiang, "We've teleported three times, but Liu Qiao and Lao Mo haven't responded. Haven't they woken up yet?"
Yu Hanjiang said in a low voice, "They probably lost consciousness somewhere safe. Otherwise, if they had been blown into a wild animal's den by the tornado after a whole day, they would have been dead by now."
Their names are still on the contract book; at least they're all alive.
Xiao Lou was very worried about the situation of his four teammates. Unfortunately, there was no other way to rescue them at the moment, and it was impossible to search for them in the vast desert. He thought for a moment and said, "I'll try to summon the team again in an hour. Maybe Liu Qiao and the others will wake up in the middle of the night. We don't know what we'll encounter the next day. It's better to get everyone together as soon as possible before dawn."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Yes, Li Qingzhao's mark can be modified 2 more times, we still have 2 more chances."
A night wind blew, stirring up the surrounding dust. The firelight only illuminated an area of about ten meters around; in the distance, everything was shrouded in mist, pitch black, but the stars in the sky shone exceptionally brightly.
Xiao Lou looked up at the sky and said with a wry smile, "This is my first time in the desert."
Yu Hanjiang gently took his hand and whispered, "Me too."
The temperature was dropping, and Xiao Lou was shivering. Yu Hanjiang sat down next to him, reached out and hugged him, and said softly, "It's too cold at night. If you can't stand it, go to the tent, cover yourself with a blanket, and sleep for a while."
Xiao Lou shook his head: "It's okay, I'll keep watch with you."
Seeing his resolute expression, Yu Hanjiang said nothing more and silently tightened his grip on him.
Perhaps it was because they were huddled together to keep warm, but Xiao Lou felt his body getting hotter and hotter, as if he were surrounded by a furnace. However, the furnace was clearly a little distance away from him; it was Yu Hanjiang's body radiating heat.
Xiao Lou suddenly realized something was wrong, reached out the back of her hand to feel Yu Hanjiang's forehead, and asked in surprise, "You have a fever?"
Yu Hanjiang frowned slightly, his body feeling as if it were being roasted on fire one moment and plunged into an ice cellar the next. His head gradually became dizzy, and he could barely hear Xiao Lou's voice. Yu Hanjiang said in a hoarse voice, "It seems like I have a fever..."
Xiao Lou placed his fingers on Yu Hanjiang's wrist and felt his pulse, which was alarmingly fast. Yu Hanjiang's face was also flushed unnaturally. How could he have suddenly fallen ill? Xiao Lou's mind raced as he carefully considered the events of the day.
First, they encountered a sandstorm, and he used Compass's invincibility circle to protect his teammates; then, CEO Shao pulled them to the Mirage, where they were attacked by desert scorpions; then, they were unlucky enough to encounter quicksand, and Yu Hanjiang was swallowed by quicksand while trying to save him, and was bitten by a rat living beneath the desert.
Yes, a mouse!
think
Xiao Lou, whose small wound had been healed by Shao Qingge, suddenly broke out in a cold sweat: "After you were bitten by the rat, was there any bleeding on the back of your hand?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Hmm, the wound is very small. What? Could it be a problem with the rat?"
Xiao Lou's face gradually turned pale: "It's very likely the plague."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
When Yu Hanjiang was bitten by a rat, thanks to Shao Qingge's timely treatment, the wound on the back of Yu Hanjiang's hand healed quickly without leaving a trace, so Xiao Lou was not worried.
But now it seems that Xiao Lou was too careless!
Why would the two kings be so kind as to only let the rats inflict one or two small wounds on them?
The desert is teeming with animals, including wolves, snakes, spiders, and centipedes. Sending out a whole group of them would be enough to give everyone a headache. But what's so special about mice, which are small and hard to kill?
This is like a math problem on the college entrance exam suddenly asking you to solve 3 × 7 =?
In retrospect, the trap set by the two kings has far exceeded Xiao Lou's expectations.
Rats can carry the plague.
In real life, plague has almost been eradicated thanks to widespread vaccination and the availability of antibiotics to combat it in hospitals worldwide. However, historically, plague was a highly dangerous and feared infectious disease that caused the deaths of countless people!
Once they contracted the plague in the desert, they had absolutely no medical means to save their teammates' lives!
Moreover, the plague is highly contagious.
If Yu Hanjiang were to transmit this disease to Xiao Lou or any of his other teammates, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Seeing Xiao Lou's pale face, Yu Hanjiang realized the seriousness of the problem. He consciously withdrew his arm, let go of Xiao Lou, walked a few steps away, and whispered, "Is it difficult to treat?"
Xiao Lou's eyes reddened, and her voice trembled slightly: "We have no antibiotics, no vaccines, and we can't find a hospital in the desert. CEO Shao's bug king card can only heal wounds, but it can't clear the bacteria and viruses from the body..."
Yu Hanjiang stood up: "I understand."
He turned and walked away, but Xiao Lou hurriedly called out to him, " Hanjiang, where are you going?"
Yu Hanjiang turned to look at him: "The plague is contagious. What if I infect you?"
Xiao Lou gritted her teeth, unsure of what to say.
Yu Hanjiang said, "What if something happens to me..."
Xiao Lou immediately interrupted him: "Don't say things like 'If something happens to you, let me lead everyone out of here.' I'm not Superman. Without you, I don't have the ability to lead everyone through this. Come back. I'm not afraid of getting infected."
Xiao Lou knew that, as a medical professional, it was a big no-no to actively approach patients carrying pathogens.
Besides, he hasn't been vaccinated at all.
But the man in front of him was not a patient, but Yu Hanjiang, his Hanjiang.
How could he bear to leave Yu Hanjiang to fend for himself in the desert?
Without vaccines and antibiotics, are they just going to abandon Yu Hanjiang? What's the point of Xiao Lou surviving and going out alone then?
Yu Hanjiang stood still, watching Xiao Lou walk towards him step by step.
Under the moonlight, Xiao Lou's face was pale, but his gaze was gentle. He held a bottle of water and half a piece of chocolate in his hand. He walked up to Yu Hanjiang, placed the water and chocolate in Yu Hanjiang's hand, and said, "You need to drink water and eat something to replenish your strength. If you really contract the plague, you may develop a high fever, swelling and pain all over your body, and in severe cases, you may even bleed."
Xiao Lou took a deep breath, gently grasped Yu Hanjiang's hand, and said earnestly, "I will take good care of you until we find a cure... Trust me, okay?"
Yu Hanjiang paused, his feelings a complex mix of emotions.
This was the first time someone had ever told him, "I will take good care of you."
Growing up, his parents were always too busy with work, so he had to take care of himself. During his university years, he underwent the most rigorous training at the police academy, developing the ability to handle any difficult situation independently. After starting his career, he faced danger countless times, walking a tightrope every day; he is the most trusted captain among his colleagues at Police Station.
But now, listening to Xiao Lou's words, he suddenly felt as if his heart was being gently and tenderly held in a pair of hands.
He is cherished by others, and some people want to do everything they can to take good care of him and prevent him from suffering any harm.
This person is Xiao Lou.
As expected, the people he likes never disappoint him.
Yu Hanjiang suppressed the urge to hug Xiao Lou tightly and whispered, "Okay, then I'll leave the rest to you."
Xiao Lou nodded: "You go back to your tent and rest. I'll keep watch. Since you're sick, don't push yourself and make your condition worse."
Yu Hanjiang had a terrible headache, and the high fever made his head spin. He had no choice but to listen to Xiao Lou and turn to go into the tent. Xiao Lou woke up Ninth Brother and told him that Yu Hanjiang might have contracted the plague.
Lu Jiuchuan cursed under his breath, "When I saw him get bitten by a rat, I knew something was wrong. The Two Kings were definitely up to no good! What do we do now? Hanjiang is sick, and four teammates are missing..."
Xiao Lou calmly said, "I'll try teleporting to see if I can summon my teammates back."
He changed Li Qingzhao's marker to a nearby location and initiated a team teleport.
Liu Qiao and Lao Mo still didn't react, but Long Sen and Qu Wanyue suddenly appeared in front of them.
To Xiao Lou's shock, Long Sen was already unconscious and had been forcibly dragged here by Qu Wanyue.
His skin was covered in bluish-purple patches from bleeding. Qu Wanyue's eyes reddened with anxiety, and her voice trembled slightly: " Professor Xiao, I'm so glad to see you! I don't know what happened, Long Sen suddenly became like this..."
Xiao Lou carefully examined the bruises on Long Sen's body and said with a grim expression, "Was he bitten by a rat?"
Qu Wanyue quickly explained, "We encountered quicksand. After we were swallowed by the sand, Long Sen's leg was bitten a few times by rats. We were swept far away by the quicksand, and by the time I helped him climb out, we could no longer see everyone."
Lu Jiuchuan glanced at the unconscious Long Sen and asked in a low voice, "Did he also contract the plague?"
Xiao Lou said with a stern face, "It is very likely to be septicemic plague."
Qu Wanyue and Lu Jiuchuan clearly didn't understand this technical terminology and looked at each other blankly.
To avoid Yu Hanjiang hearing, Xiao Lou deliberately lowered his voice and explained, "This kind of plague, also called explosive plague, develops extremely rapidly. Within a short period of time, symptoms of septicemia, such as systemic bleeding and loss of consciousness, will appear. Patients usually die within 3 days. Due to extensive bleeding in the skin, the corpse will turn blackish-purple after death..."
He took a deep breath, looked at Ninth Brother and Qu Wanyue, and said, "Have you ever heard of the Black Death, which swept across Europe in the Middle Ages and caused the deaths of more than 25 million people?"