9 Global Evolution
A Rottweiler slowly approached, its thick paw pads making no sound as it moved. However, the heavy panting, filled with the smell of blood, sent shivers down their spines in the darkness.
The two people dared not move, trying to shrink their bodies as much as possible into the back seat of the car, but they knew it was futile.
The Rottweiler had already spotted them. Its massive head entered the car, its green eyes greedily staring at them. It bared its teeth slightly, revealing fangs as long as a person's fingers, which looked terrifyingly ferocious. Droplets of mixed blood and saliva dripped from its mouth.
Cong Xia couldn't bear to look at it and tightly shut his eyes, while Cheng Tianbi glared fiercely at it, showing no sign of backing down. He tightly gripped a military knife in his hand, his eyes never blinking as he observed the creature's movements. Both sides were locked in a standoff, neither making the first move.
Cheng Tianbi had been a sniper in the special forces. His personality was indeed suited for the role of a sniper. The more dangerous the situation, the more he could maintain a calm composure. Sniper skills were honed through bullets, but willpower was forged through immense endurance.
In that critical moment, Cheng Tianbi suddenly heard a sound that shouldn't have been present there... the cry of a baby.
It was crystal clear, no more than five meters away from them.
In the instant the cry sounded, the Rottweiler, which had been ready to strike, suddenly pounced, attempting to bite Cheng Tianbi's shoulder and drag them both out of the car.
Cheng Tianbi had been prepared long ago, and the jungle king's military knife in his hand fiercely stabbed toward the Rottweiler's eyes.
A high-pitched scream of pain resounded as the Rottweiler fell in agony inside the car, twisting and rolling in the cramped space.
In an instant, the other three Rottweilers on the outskirts jumped onto the car. They relentlessly rammed into the vehicle, trying to overturn it. However, due to the heavy load inside the car, they couldn't budge it. So they circled around to the rear passenger door and used their sharp teeth to gnaw at the metal.
The two people watched helplessly as the long fangs sank into the car's metal, tearing it apart and leaving their mouths dripping with blood. They didn't stop; instead, they became even more frenzied.
When one Rottweiler's face attempted to squeeze through the ruptured gap in the car's metal, Cheng Tianbi punched it in the nose.
His fist, carrying a gust of wind, struck the most vulnerable part of the canine's nose. The Rottweiler howled and fell to the ground, appearing in excruciating pain.
The violent shaking of the car and the biting of the canine teeth eventually made it impossible for the two people to hide inside the car any longer. They could only crawl out in a sorry state. Cheng Tianbi took out a handgun and fired relentlessly at the remaining two dogs.
However, the two Rottweilers were extremely agile, and none of the shots hit them.
However, the gunshots prevented the two dogs from attacking them.
As Cheng Tianbi pointed his gun at them, he pulled Cong Xia toward the underpass of the highway. After walking four or five meters, they noticed another dog by the roadside. However, it was the size of an ordinary, non-evolved Rottweiler. It appeared to be a female.
Due to the lack of light on the road, the visibility was extremely low. They wouldn't have been able to discover it if they hadn't come close.
But that female dog didn't attack them. Instead, it let out a low, hoarse whimper of fear and took steps backward. Behind that female dog was a white bundle.
As Cheng Tianbi approached the female dog, the male dogs barked wildly, completely disregarding everything, and charged toward them. Cheng Tianbi aimed his gun at the female dog, which cowered in fear. Although it looked terrified, it didn't retreat and instead protected whatever was behind it.
The Rottweiler that Cheng Tianbi had hit on the nose also stood up. The three male dogs kept barking but dared not approach, staying three meters away from them.
Trembling, Cong Xia said, "There should be its puppies behind the female dog. This dog has just given birth."
In a deep voice, Cheng Tianbi said, "Go to the car now and take my backpack. Throw your backpack at them."
Cong Xia shivered heavily, not saying she wouldn't go, but also not daring to move.
"Go," Cheng Tianbi pushed him.
Cong Xia clenched his fist, enduring immense fear, and slowly walked toward the wrecked car. The three dogs watched him intently, and under their scrutinizing gaze, Cong Xia's legs trembled uncontrollably.
Eventually, he safely reached the side of the car, crossed over the lifeless body of the Rottweiler, and pulled their backpacks from the back seat. He threw his backpack, filled with food, far away and held Cheng Tianbi's backpack in his arms. He quickly ran back to Cheng Tianbi's side.
The two of them retreated step by step. When they passed by the female dog, they were surprised to find that the bundle in the white cloth wasn't the dog's puppies—it was a human baby!
The baby in the swaddle was dirty, and its little face was grimy. It appeared to be only one or two months old, crying out to be fed.
The mother dog trembled all over, and her fur stood on end, but she still protected the baby in front of her, glaring fiercely at the two people.
Cong Xia took a deep breath. "Could it be that they consider this child as their own puppy?"
Cheng Tianbi remained silent, his full attention focused on the male dogs. He didn't let his guard down for a moment. It wasn't until they crossed the barrier of the highway and plunged into the wild grass that they finally caught their breath and ran frantically.
Cong Xia had never felt that he could run so fast before. He felt light, as if there was no resistance ahead. Instead, a gust of wind swirled beneath their feet, providing them with assistance. Even while carrying such a heavy package, he didn't feel the strain as they ran.
As expected, the three dogs chased after them. The two of them sprinted, their bodies disappearing into the tall grass.
Although the dogs knew their whereabouts, the complex terrain and obstructed vision hindered their pursuit. They engaged in a desperate chase through the endless grass, with no end in sight.
They had no idea how far they had run. They couldn't see the road beneath their feet or the path ahead. The wild grass completely obscured their line of sight. If Cheng Tianbi didn't have the ability to discern direction when visibility was obstructed, they might have ended up running in circles and returning to their starting point.
Gradually, Cong Xia's stamina began to wane. The barking of the dogs behind them grew closer. Suddenly, the ground disappeared beneath their feet, and their bodies plummeted uncontrollably.
"Ah!" Cong Xia screamed in terror.
The next second, both of them crashed onto the ground. Despite the thick cushion of wild grass beneath them, they still landed with a jolt, their vision filled with stars. Cong Xia, who had just experienced a car accident, now found himself in free fall. His bones felt as if they were about to shatter, and he lay motionless on the ground.
Cheng Tianbi quickly jumped up, holding his gun cautiously, and whispered, "Where's my backpack? It had a flashlight inside."
"The backpack..." Cong Xia felt around him but had no idea where the backpack had ended up. He quickly took out his phone, which still had sufficient battery, and turned on the flashlight. When he looked around, he saw the backpack not far from them.
Cheng Tianbi hurriedly went over to retrieve the flashlight.
With the bright flashlight illuminating the surroundings, the space instantly became clear.
The place they were in resembled a cave, completely covered by overgrown vegetation. They had rolled down the grassy slope, and the distance from the ground was at least three stories high. If it weren't for the thick vegetation below, they would have been seriously injured. They were unable to climb up the nearly ten-meter distance.
But how could there be a cave under the highway?
The barking above them echoed for a while and then disappeared. It seemed that the Rottweilers had finally given up.
Cheng Tianbi circled around and concluded, "It's an abandoned drainage pipe."
The inner walls of the pipe were covered in vegetation, making it impossible to discern its original appearance. Cong Xia carefully observed the shape and location in the light and analyzed that it indeed made sense for it to be a drainage pipe. Thankfully, it was abandoned, as he didn't want to fall into a stinky sewer.
"How do we get out of here?" Cong Xia asked.
"We can't climb up; we can only go further inside," Cheng Tianbi replied.
Cong Xia glanced into the dark depths of the pipe and nervously swallowed.
Who knew what awaited them inside? He didn't want to take another step forward.
Cheng Tianbi began arming himself fully. He strapped two military knives to his body, carried two handguns, and assembled a Chinese-made Type 56 submachine gun, hanging it on his chest. To Cong Xia, it seemed like they were heading into a battlefield, but their situation wasn't much better.
"We should wait until dawn before proceeding. The underground drainage pipe could stretch for several kilometers, and the surface is already covered in vegetation. Once we go in, we might never come out. It's better to wait for daylight when the visibility is better and come up with a plan," Cong Xia suggested.
"After dawn, the visibility here will be limited to about a hundred meters. Going further, it will still be pitch black. Is there any difference?" Cheng Tianbi countered.
Cong Xia was momentarily speechless. He was simply afraid and reluctant to go inside.
Cheng Tianbi saw through his thoughts and handed Cong Xia the strap of his backpack. "Hold on to this and watch your step."
In the dim, gloomy light, Cong Xia looked at Cheng Tianbi's impassive face and felt a wave of warmth. Although they had only known each other for less than a day, they had already faced two life-and-death challenges together. Cheng Tianbi might appear detached and unemotional, but he had never once abandoned Cong Xia. Perhaps Cheng Tianbi considered him nothing more than a mission objective, but Cong Xia regarded Cheng Tianbi as a friend in life and death.
Unable to resist, Cong Xia threw himself at Cheng Tianbi and hugged him tightly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Cheng Tianbi's eyes.
After the embrace, Cong Xia let go and patted Cheng Tianbi's shoulder. He took a deep breath and said, "Even if we die, we can be companions on the journey to the afterlife. I'll follow your lead. Let's move forward."
With that, Cong Xia grabbed the strap of Cheng Tianbi's backpack, and together, they ventured into the dark, vegetation-filled interior of the drainage pipe.
9 Global Evolution
A Rottweiler slowly approached, its thick paw pads making no sound as it moved. However, the heavy panting, filled with the smell of blood, sent shivers down their spines in the darkness.
The two people dared not move, trying to shrink their bodies as much as possible into the back seat of the car, but they knew it was futile.
The Rottweiler had already spotted them. Its massive head entered the car, its green eyes greedily staring at them. It bared its teeth slightly, revealing fangs as long as a person's fingers, which looked terrifyingly ferocious. Droplets of mixed blood and saliva dripped from its mouth.
Cong Xia couldn't bear to look at it and tightly shut his eyes, while Cheng Tianbi glared fiercely at it, showing no sign of backing down. He tightly gripped a military knife in his hand, his eyes never blinking as he observed the creature's movements. Both sides were locked in a standoff, neither making the first move.
Cheng Tianbi had been a sniper in the special forces. His personality was indeed suited for the role of a sniper. The more dangerous the situation, the more he could maintain a calm composure. Sniper skills were honed through bullets, but willpower was forged through immense endurance.
In that critical moment, Cheng Tianbi suddenly heard a sound that shouldn't have been present there... the cry of a baby.
It was crystal clear, no more than five meters away from them.
In the instant the cry sounded, the Rottweiler, which had been ready to strike, suddenly pounced, attempting to bite Cheng Tianbi's shoulder and drag them both out of the car.
Cheng Tianbi had been prepared long ago, and the jungle king's military knife in his hand fiercely stabbed toward the Rottweiler's eyes.
A high-pitched scream of pain resounded as the Rottweiler fell in agony inside the car, twisting and rolling in the cramped space.
In an instant, the other three Rottweilers on the outskirts jumped onto the car. They relentlessly rammed into the vehicle, trying to overturn it. However, due to the heavy load inside the car, they couldn't budge it. So they circled around to the rear passenger door and used their sharp teeth to gnaw at the metal.
The two people watched helplessly as the long fangs sank into the car's metal, tearing it apart and leaving their mouths dripping with blood. They didn't stop; instead, they became even more frenzied.
When one Rottweiler's face attempted to squeeze through the ruptured gap in the car's metal, Cheng Tianbi punched it in the nose.
His fist, carrying a gust of wind, struck the most vulnerable part of the canine's nose. The Rottweiler howled and fell to the ground, appearing in excruciating pain.
The violent shaking of the car and the biting of the canine teeth eventually made it impossible for the two people to hide inside the car any longer. They could only crawl out in a sorry state. Cheng Tianbi took out a handgun and fired relentlessly at the remaining two dogs.
However, the two Rottweilers were extremely agile, and none of the shots hit them.
However, the gunshots prevented the two dogs from attacking them.
As Cheng Tianbi pointed his gun at them, he pulled Cong Xia toward the underpass of the highway. After walking four or five meters, they noticed another dog by the roadside. However, it was the size of an ordinary, non-evolved Rottweiler. It appeared to be a female.
Due to the lack of light on the road, the visibility was extremely low. They wouldn't have been able to discover it if they hadn't come close.
But that female dog didn't attack them. Instead, it let out a low, hoarse whimper of fear and took steps backward. Behind that female dog was a white bundle.
As Cheng Tianbi approached the female dog, the male dogs barked wildly, completely disregarding everything, and charged toward them. Cheng Tianbi aimed his gun at the female dog, which cowered in fear. Although it looked terrified, it didn't retreat and instead protected whatever was behind it.
The Rottweiler that Cheng Tianbi had hit on the nose also stood up. The three male dogs kept barking but dared not approach, staying three meters away from them.
Trembling, Cong Xia said, "There should be its puppies behind the female dog. This dog has just given birth."
In a deep voice, Cheng Tianbi said, "Go to the car now and take my backpack. Throw your backpack at them."
Cong Xia shivered heavily, not saying she wouldn't go, but also not daring to move.
"Go," Cheng Tianbi pushed him.
Cong Xia clenched his fist, enduring immense fear, and slowly walked toward the wrecked car. The three dogs watched him intently, and under their scrutinizing gaze, Cong Xia's legs trembled uncontrollably.
Eventually, he safely reached the side of the car, crossed over the lifeless body of the Rottweiler, and pulled their backpacks from the back seat. He threw his backpack, filled with food, far away and held Cheng Tianbi's backpack in his arms. He quickly ran back to Cheng Tianbi's side.
The two of them retreated step by step. When they passed by the female dog, they were surprised to find that the bundle in the white cloth wasn't the dog's puppies—it was a human baby!
The baby in the swaddle was dirty, and its little face was grimy. It appeared to be only one or two months old, crying out to be fed.
The mother dog trembled all over, and her fur stood on end, but she still protected the baby in front of her, glaring fiercely at the two people.
Cong Xia took a deep breath. "Could it be that they consider this child as their own puppy?"
Cheng Tianbi remained silent, his full attention focused on the male dogs. He didn't let his guard down for a moment. It wasn't until they crossed the barrier of the highway and plunged into the wild grass that they finally caught their breath and ran frantically.
Cong Xia had never felt that he could run so fast before. He felt light, as if there was no resistance ahead. Instead, a gust of wind swirled beneath their feet, providing them with assistance. Even while carrying such a heavy package, he didn't feel the strain as they ran.
As expected, the three dogs chased after them. The two of them sprinted, their bodies disappearing into the tall grass.
Although the dogs knew their whereabouts, the complex terrain and obstructed vision hindered their pursuit. They engaged in a desperate chase through the endless grass, with no end in sight.
They had no idea how far they had run. They couldn't see the road beneath their feet or the path ahead. The wild grass completely obscured their line of sight. If Cheng Tianbi didn't have the ability to discern direction when visibility was obstructed, they might have ended up running in circles and returning to their starting point.
Gradually, Cong Xia's stamina began to wane. The barking of the dogs behind them grew closer. Suddenly, the ground disappeared beneath their feet, and their bodies plummeted uncontrollably.
"Ah!" Cong Xia screamed in terror.
The next second, both of them crashed onto the ground. Despite the thick cushion of wild grass beneath them, they still landed with a jolt, their vision filled with stars. Cong Xia, who had just experienced a car accident, now found himself in free fall. His bones felt as if they were about to shatter, and he lay motionless on the ground.
Cheng Tianbi quickly jumped up, holding his gun cautiously, and whispered, "Where's my backpack? It had a flashlight inside."
"The backpack..." Cong Xia felt around him but had no idea where the backpack had ended up. He quickly took out his phone, which still had sufficient battery, and turned on the flashlight. When he looked around, he saw the backpack not far from them.
Cheng Tianbi hurriedly went over to retrieve the flashlight.
With the bright flashlight illuminating the surroundings, the space instantly became clear.
The place they were in resembled a cave, completely covered by overgrown vegetation. They had rolled down the grassy slope, and the distance from the ground was at least three stories high. If it weren't for the thick vegetation below, they would have been seriously injured. They were unable to climb up the nearly ten-meter distance.
But how could there be a cave under the highway?
The barking above them echoed for a while and then disappeared. It seemed that the Rottweilers had finally given up.
Cheng Tianbi circled around and concluded, "It's an abandoned drainage pipe."
The inner walls of the pipe were covered in vegetation, making it impossible to discern its original appearance. Cong Xia carefully observed the shape and location in the light and analyzed that it indeed made sense for it to be a drainage pipe. Thankfully, it was abandoned, as he didn't want to fall into a stinky sewer.
"How do we get out of here?" Cong Xia asked.
"We can't climb up; we can only go further inside," Cheng Tianbi replied.
Cong Xia glanced into the dark depths of the pipe and nervously swallowed.
Who knew what awaited them inside? He didn't want to take another step forward.
Cheng Tianbi began arming himself fully. He strapped two military knives to his body, carried two handguns, and assembled a Chinese-made Type 56 submachine gun, hanging it on his chest. To Cong Xia, it seemed like they were heading into a battlefield, but their situation wasn't much better.
"We should wait until dawn before proceeding. The underground drainage pipe could stretch for several kilometers, and the surface is already covered in vegetation. Once we go in, we might never come out. It's better to wait for daylight when the visibility is better and come up with a plan," Cong Xia suggested.
"After dawn, the visibility here will be limited to about a hundred meters. Going further, it will still be pitch black. Is there any difference?" Cheng Tianbi countered.
Cong Xia was momentarily speechless. He was simply afraid and reluctant to go inside.
Cheng Tianbi saw through his thoughts and handed Cong Xia the strap of his backpack. "Hold on to this and watch your step."
In the dim, gloomy light, Cong Xia looked at Cheng Tianbi's impassive face and felt a wave of warmth. Although they had only known each other for less than a day, they had already faced two life-and-death challenges together. Cheng Tianbi might appear detached and unemotional, but he had never once abandoned Cong Xia. Perhaps Cheng Tianbi considered him nothing more than a mission objective, but Cong Xia regarded Cheng Tianbi as a friend in life and death.
Unable to resist, Cong Xia threw himself at Cheng Tianbi and hugged him tightly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Cheng Tianbi's eyes.
After the embrace, Cong Xia let go and patted Cheng Tianbi's shoulder. He took a deep breath and said, "Even if we die, we can be companions on the journey to the afterlife. I'll follow your lead. Let's move forward."
With that, Cong Xia grabbed the strap of Cheng Tianbi's backpack, and together, they ventured into the dark, vegetation-filled interior of the drainage pipe.
