It was supposed to be a casual game, but the Long March dungeon brought tears to everyone's eye

Kuang Ge opened his mouth, wanting to refute.

The old squad leader didn't give him a chance at all. He pointed directly at the big black pot on the ground and then at the endless muddy swamp in the distance.

"You're the one who should take the blame."

"This pot contains all the belongings of our entire class, do you still have the energy?"

Kuang Ge was speechless.

The old squad leader turned to Eagle Eye and pointed to the misty fog ahead.

"You're the one who needs to explore the path from here on out."

"If your eyesight fails you, your legs go weak, and you step into the mud, our whole class will be buried with you!"

The implication was that the old squad leader was no longer going to show off and was going to let Hawkeye scout ahead.

Upon hearing this, Hawkeye was unsure whether to be happy or unhappy.

Finally, he looked at Ruan Ruan.

Ruan Ruan shrank her neck, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Girl, you're a medic." The old squad leader's tone softened slightly, but it was still stern.

"Our class has the most injured students. If your legs can't move anymore, who will take care of them? Do you expect Xiaodouzi to carry you?"

The three remained silent.

This was the first time the old squad leader had so openly said "such things".

There is no fairness.

Here, fairness means ensuring that the strongest people are well-fed and that the most useful people live.

Then these people dragged the remaining old, weak, sick, and disabled out of this hellish place with all their might.

Extremely cruel, yet extremely clear-headed.

"If we eat our fill, we'll have the energy to take everyone out tomorrow."

The old squad leader picked up his bowl, which contained only a few wild vegetable leaves and murky soup.

He tilted his head back, downed the bowl in one gulp, then turned the empty bowl upside down and looked at Kuang Ge and the others.

"That's an order."

Silent Madman glanced at Hawkeye.

Hawkeye, who is usually calm, avoided Madman's gaze at this moment.

He silently picked up the bowl, took a big gulp of soup, and the rising steam blurred his vision.

Then, he drank very quickly and forcefully.

"Yes."

Kuang Ge let out a low growl, his voice hoarse.

They clearly understand that only by living can they contribute, and only by eating meat can they shoulder the burden and the lives of these people.

Kuang Ge picked up the bowl, took a piece of horse meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.

It wasn't as delicious as I had imagined.

The meat was sour and tough, with coarse fibers that felt like chewing on straw rope, and had a lingering earthy smell.

Without any seasoning to mask it, the smell went straight to the top of my head, even making me feel a little nauseous.

But... it smells so good.

That's the taste of protein, the taste of energy, the taste of life's continuation.

Ruan Ruan ate while tears streamed down her face.

The scalding hot slices of meat slid down the esophagus like a ball of fire, instantly igniting the long-dormant stove in the stomach.

And the tears that fell into the bowl became the only salt.

The chat in the live stream was much sparser.

Those who usually enjoy scrolling through posts like "I'm hungry" or "I want to eat a late-night snack" are now as quiet as if they are observing a moment of silence.

"This is clearly the worst-tasting boiled pork in plain water, so why did I cry?"

"The look in the old squad leader's eyes... he really regarded these three players as the pillars of this squad."

"This kind of trust is too heavy a burden."

……

The wind has subsided a little.

Even after we finished eating, the fire burning over the pile of cow dung was still going out.

The glowing embers flickered in and out of the ashes, radiating their last bit of warmth.

The group's spirits were noticeably higher.

With something in my stomach, my body felt warm, and the ever-present shadow of death seemed to dissipate somewhat.

Everyone sat around the fire, trying to get as close as possible to each other and absorbing each other's body heat.

Little Bean touched his slightly bulging belly and smacked his lips.

Those two pieces of horse meat had long since been digested, but the taste of the meat seemed to linger in my teeth.

"Class monitor..."

Little Bean hunched his neck, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the embers in the fire, his voice soft and filled with a childlike innocence and longing.

"Do you think that once we get out of here... we'll be able to eat this kind of meat every day?"

These words made Kuang Ge feel a pang of sadness.

Do you eat boiled horse meat every day? Or the kind that's sour and tough?

In today's China, even the most ordinary meal would be looked down upon.

Even if things are really bad, there's always some salt.

But for Xiaodouzi at this moment, this was already a paradise.

Little Tiger, who was standing next to him, also came over and sniffled.

"I want to eat flatbread, the kind my mom makes, golden brown on both sides, soft in the middle, and crumbly when you bite into it."

"I want to eat dumplings," another soldier whispered.

"I want to drink soup with some oil on it, the kind without any wild vegetables."

Their varied and heartfelt wishes were so simple they were almost painful to hear.

The old sergeant sat on the outermost edge, shielding himself from the wind, wiping his gun with a tattered cloth.

Hearing what the children said, he stopped what he was doing, looked up and smiled.

The smile looked especially warm in the firelight, smoothing out some of the deep wrinkles on his face.

"Promising!"

The old squad leader reached out and rubbed his chin with the collar clipped with the "golden fishhook," then gently tapped Little Bean's head.

"Is that all you're after? Horse meat? Flatbread?"

The old squad leader snorted, his tone carrying a sense of heroic pride.

It was as if he wasn't sitting in a mud pit, but in the main seat of a magnificent banquet hall.

"Once we successfully reunite, we'll drive those Japanese devils away..."

A light gleamed in the old squad leader's eyes.

That light was brighter than a bonfire and hotter than the sun in the sky.

"You'll get to eat braised pork then!"

"Braised pork?" Little Bean's eyes widened. "What's that?"

"That's good stuff!" The knowledgeable old sergeant gestured with his fingers, spitting as he spoke.

"Cut it into square pieces, with a good mix of lean and fatty meat! Don't boil it, stir-fry it with caramelized sugar!"

"Add soy sauce and cooking wine, and stew until tender and juicy."

"Take a bite, and the juices drip down your chin—it's sweet and fragrant!"

"Then, you'll eat it every day, at every meal!"

"We'll eat until you feel like throwing up, until you want to run away at the sight of meat!"

"Wow……"

Xiaodouzi and Xiaohu exclaimed in unison, their throats emitting a unified sound of swallowing saliva.

"Can we really eat this every day?" Ruan Ruan couldn't help but interject on behalf of Xiao Hu and the others, her voice slightly choked with emotion.

"Yes!" the old squad leader answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"As long as we go out and win the battle."

"Our dolls, our dolls' dolls, will surely live that kind of life!"

"What day was that..." Little Tiger murmured to himself, his eyes glazed over.

It was as if I could really see it, with huge chunks of braised pork dancing in front of me.

Kuang Ge lowered his head and looked at his hands, which were covered in mud.

The Dragon Kingdom on Blue Star should be the future of the old squad leader and his comrades.

In the timeline of Kuang Ge and his friends, braised pork was indeed a common dish.

Some people even find it too greasy and start pursuing weight loss and vegetarianism.

But for that future they're "tired of," this group of people are willing to sacrifice their own lives, along with the lives of those horses, to this grassland.

"hey-hey."

I don't know who laughed first.

Immediately afterwards, a low, hoarse laugh rippled through the crowd.

The laughter echoed across the wilderness.

Although weak and panting, it possessed a tenacity that could pierce the sky!

【

Thank you all for the little gifts! Here's an extra chapter. The author's note thanking you for the extra chapter is in the author's comments.

Lolo actually wrote this book slower and slower because he had to ensure quality and communicate with the editor frequently—it's awful! Lolo's ideas have been rejected so many times, the kind of rejections that would kill him if he tried them. Lolo can only give up.

Therefore, Luo Luo has to pay attention to what can and cannot be written at any time. She writes while feeling anxious and cautious, and it often takes her half a day to write a single chapter. But please rest assured, Luo Luo will not stop updating even during the Chinese New Year!

And also, everyone's continued support is really, really important. Please, please try not to let the book become a "book cat" (meaning it's not actively being updated). With your support, I have the motivation and the energy to keep writing. Thank you so much!

Finally, could you please give me a little bit of a positive review? Hehe~

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