3.Resistance Story

Qin Hu slightly pushed the steel pipe in his hand, making it press against the thin man's skin. "Don't move!"

The thin man stiffened and slightly shook his head, signaling that he wouldn't resist.

"Sit down!" Qin Hu wrapped one arm around the man's shoulder while keeping the steel pipe pressed against his waist. Together, they sank into the corner, bodies tightly pressed together.

Survivors who had lasted this long usually carried weapons, but Qin Hu didn't have time to search the man. Staying close ensured he could detect any sudden movements and react accordingly—one hand covering the man's mouth while the other drove the steel pipe straight into his kidney if necessary.

However, Qin Hu had no intention of killing him. He only wanted to prevent the thin man from acting recklessly and alerting the Weisen gunship.

The thin man understood the danger he was in and remained rigid, not daring to move.

Trapped like a fish on the chopping block, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.

Just as Qin Hu settled in, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. Several figures vaulted over the broken wall, entering their line of sight.

These people wore dirt-streaked military armor, yet their movements were astonishingly swift.

The thin man's eyes widened in shock, wondering if they were Qin Hu's accomplices.

The newcomers noticed them immediately but didn't spare them a second glance. Instead, they spread out and retrieved thick, arm-length devices from their packs, quickly setting them up on the ground.

Qin Hu's eyes went wide—that was a missile, a military-grade man-portable air-defense system!

One of the resistance fighters approached their corner and sternly whispered, "Stay put and don't move. Understood?"

Qin Hu nodded vigorously. Once the man left, he scanned the group, trying to figure out who they were.

The resistance wasn't a single unified organization but rather an umbrella term for all civilian insurgent groups.

Some were remnants of the military, some were trained civilians, but there were also con artists using the resistance's name for personal gain, and outright bandits who were worse than the Weisen forces themselves.

However, impostors were usually cowards who wouldn't dare to directly engage the Weisen. These people had ambushed enemy soldiers and were now aiming at a gunship—Qin Hu would bet the thin man's life that they were former military personnel.

The resistance fighters moved swiftly. As soon as the missiles were in position, they scattered and concealed themselves within the ruins.

Their camouflage was so effective that, had Qin Hu not witnessed it himself, he wouldn't have believed they were still there.

The distant whine of the approaching gunship grew louder. Qin Hu tensed, worried that the area would be leveled by enemy fire, or worse, that the missile would miss its target.

Taking out a lone patrol had already prompted the Weisen to send a gunship. If they lost that too, they would undoubtedly escalate their response—perhaps even deploy a warship to raze the entire area.

Qin Hu resolved to flee as soon as the missile struck its target. He would never return here again—unless he could join the resistance.

A distant whistle broke the silence—the sound of another missile being launched from a different location.

So they had more than one! Qin Hu couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. He hoped they would bring down the gunship quickly.

At that moment, one of the resistance fighters suddenly bolted into the thick fog.

Qin Hu was stunned. What the hell was going on? If the Weisen forces spotted him, everyone here would be doomed!

How could a traitor exist within the resistance?

Qin Hu hesitated, torn between running away before the gunship arrived or staying put. The thin man glanced at him, his eyes filled with helplessness and fear.

Gritting his teeth, Qin Hu prepared to make a desperate move when the missile suddenly ignited with a flash of fire and shot into the sky, disappearing in an instant.

It felt like forever, though only a few seconds had passed before a powerful explosion rumbled through the sky.

Qin Hu jumped to his feet. "Did it work?"

The hidden resistance fighters emerged. "Did it hit?"

Even the thin man was elated. "Bullseye!"

The resistance fighters wasted no time. They sprinted away, vaulting over the broken wall like acrobats.

Qin Hu followed suit, leaping over in one fluid motion.

The thin man nearly panicked. "Wait for me!" He scrambled up the wall but, realizing he lacked the strength, quickly opted to go around instead.

The wall was too high for him. By the time he reached the other side, the others had already disappeared into the fog. Eyes reddening with desperation, he yelled, "Hey! Wait for me!"

Qin Hu ran with the resistance, covering hundreds of meters in one breath before noticing that the fog had thinned.

Ahead, a courtyard billowed with thick smoke. Dozens of resistance fighters in armor surrounded the wreckage of the Weisen gunship, aggressively dismantling it.

Qin Hu was puzzled—what were they stripping it for?

Many resistance fighters noticed him but chose to ignore him, continuing their work.

Only one man, seemingly of higher rank, scrutinized Qin Hu before calling out to a resistance fighter ahead of him. "Wang Zuo, where did this guy come from?"

Wang Zuo turned and was equally surprised. "Captain Zhao, we just ran into him… This kid's got guts. Kept up the whole way."

Captain Zhao was intrigued. He gave Qin Hu another assessing look, and Qin Hu suddenly wondered if following them had been a mistake.

Zhao seemed about to speak when another resistance fighter shouted, "Captain Zhao, we found it!"

"Good!" Zhao responded. "Everyone, be ready to move! Now! Quickly!"

The resistance fighters immediately halted their dismantling and split into several groups. Each group carried salvaged parts from the wrecked gunship and dispersed rapidly into the ruins.

Before leaving, Zhao pointed at Qin Hu. "Wang Zuo, you brought him, so he's your responsibility. Take him back."

"Understood!" Wang Zuo nodded.

Zhao and his team swiftly departed, leaving Wang Zuo to turn to Qin Hu. "What's your name?"

"Qin Hu."

Wang Zuo gave a rare smile. "Come with us. We have food."

He knew exactly what would entice a survivor, and with those words, he struck right at Qin Hu's weak spot.

The mention of food made Qin Hu forget everything else. He nodded enthusiastically. "Alright!"

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed through the fog, followed by a breathless voice stammering, "W-wait! Take me… me too!"