Arctic survival, starting in hell at minus fifty degrees Celsius

Lin Can placed the pieces of seal meat skewered on tree branches around the fire and slowly roasted them.

The meat chunks quickly changed color, from deep red to dark brown, with fine oil droplets appearing on the surface. These droplets gradually gathered and sizzled as they fell into the fire below, igniting a small cluster of flames.

A strong, pungent smell of cooking oil wafted over, not exactly pleasant, but for them, who had long lacked fat intake, it was an irresistible stimulus.

Su Wanqing stood nearby, using a small twig to occasionally turn the meat pieces to prevent them from burning.

On the other side, Sun Chengwu cut the internal organs into small pieces.

Then turn the cleaned seal's stomach pouch inside and put the chopped internal organs back in.

He tied the opening of the stomach sac tightly with tree bark and hung it on a nearby tree.

This method can maximize the freshness and flavor of the food, and also prevent the spread of odors.

Sun Chengwu then smashed some bones and threw them into the iron can.

Accompanied by the gurgling sound of hot water, bone marrow and white foam float on top, all of which are nutritious.

While waiting, Sun Chengwu began to process the large pile of pale yellow fat that had been cut off the skin.

He cut the fat into smaller pieces and placed them on a thin stone slab.

The stone slab was placed at the edge of the fire, and the temperature slowly rose.

At first, the fat deposits just ooze oil, but gradually they begin to shrink and turn yellow.

Soon, a buzzing sound could be heard.

A strong smell of animal fat wafted out, and it was somewhat sticky.

But for them now, it's the best smell.

The grease was rendered from the fat block, gathered in the depression in the center of the stone slab, and then dripped into the empty can underneath through a shallow groove that Sun Chengwu had carved in advance.

The grease accumulated and formed a shallow layer at the bottom of the box.

He didn't waste the remaining oil residue either. He washed the stone clean and used it to press down hard on the stone, squeezing out all the remaining oil.

These oil residues will air dry naturally and can then be eaten as snacks.

Their process is very rudimentary; the oil residue still contains a lot of grease. Eating a few pieces will keep you full all morning.

The aroma of meat filled the air.

Sun Chengwu looked at the campfire.

The meat was almost done roasting, with some charred edges.

Lin Can poked it with a twig to make sure no blood was seeping out, then removed it.

Without any seasoning, the grilled meat emitted an unpleasant, gamey smell.

What might be delicious to some is, for Sun Chengwu, quite addictive.

The oil simmering in the pot intensified the fishy and gamey smell in the air.

Sun Chengwu nearly vomited several times.

But he still finished his portion.

With the fat and protein in his stomach, Sun Chengwu's body quickly warmed up.

The leftovers were put into stomach sacs, a snow pit was dug, stones were placed on top, and traps were set to prevent anyone from stealing them.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the crowd, in the distant woods behind a tree, two pairs of eyes were intently watching their every move, drool dripping from their mouths.

At 6 p.m., Sun Chengwu and Huang Shi went to the beach to try their luck again.

It seems that because a baby seal died, no more seals have been seen coming ashore.

No salmon were found on the shore.

Their luck seemed to have run out.

As darkness fell and the night quietly slipped into the 10 p.m., only the crackling of the campfire remained in the camp.

Sun Chengwu sat with his back against the rock, a stone spear across his knees, wrapped tightly in whatever he could to keep warm, his eyes constantly scanning the places where food was hidden.

Lin Can, Su Wanqing, and Huang Shi were already curled up asleep in the tent, with occasional soft snores coming out.

The fire was constantly being fueled.

In the Arctic at night, without fire, you're practically dead.

Sun Chengwu would get up every now and then, pick up a couple of pieces of firewood and throw them in, while also moving his hands and feet, which were numb with cold.

The watch hands ticked away, so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

After midnight, around one in the morning, he had just finished adding firewood and sat down when he heard a strange noise.

creak... creak...

It was the sound of footsteps on snow, very soft and careful.

Sun Chengwu's entire body tensed up instantly, and his sleepiness vanished completely.

He collapsed, his body lying face down on the snow, his eyes fixed on the direction the sound came from, the place where he had buried the food.

In the darkness, two shadowy figures, hunched over, stealthily moved toward the snow pit.

Take a couple of steps, stop, and turn to look into the camp.

They actually dared to come!

Sun Chengwu slowly touched the shaft of the stone spear. He didn't move or make a sound, but stayed in the shadows by the firelight.

The two shadows reached the edge of the snow pit.

After looking around again and finding nothing amiss, he then began to move the large rock that Sun Chengwu had placed on top of the pit.

The stone was frozen solid and heavy. The two of them struggled a lot, huffing and puffing, and finally managed to move it a crack.

The light from the distant bonfire flickered, barely illuminating any outlines.

Sun Chengwu squinted, staring at the two profiles.

One of the young men, who appeared to be in his early twenties, was extremely thin, his face covered in black and purple patches from frostbite and grime, and his hair was tangled in clumps.

But he recognized them at a glance. Weren't these the couple who had turned around and run away because they thought following the group was suicide?

If Sun Chengwu remembers correctly, the man was Wang Yu and the woman was Zhao Na.

Wang Yu excitedly pulled out the contents of the snow.

Zhao Na stood beside her, her body tense with nervousness, clutching a sharpened wooden stick in her hand, her eyes darting around anxiously.

When Wang Yu saw the object, he couldn't hide the joy on his face and reached out to grab the stomach sac...

Just as his fingers touched the oily stomach lining, Sun Chengwu slowly stood up from the shadows.

Click.

The sound of snow being compacted underfoot was eerily clear in the quiet night.

Wang Yu and Zhao Na froze on the spot, then abruptly turned their heads away.

The firelight illuminated Sun Chengwu's silent face and the outline of the stone spear in his hand, as well as the two men's instantly pale faces and wide, terrified eyes.

The next second, Wang Yu grabbed the stomach sac from the ground. Without even glancing at Zhao Na beside him, he turned and was about to disappear into the dark woods.

"Wang Yu!"

Zhao Na was both shocked and frightened. Seeing that he was about to abandon her and run away, she instinctively grabbed his arm tightly, her voice trembling, "Don't leave me! Don't run away!"

"Let go! You fucking let go!"

Wang Yu panicked and abruptly pulled his hand back, his face contorted with rage, all traces of the gentleness he had shown Zhao Na earlier gone.

At times like these, food is the only thing that can keep them alive. They were cold and hungry in the forest. It had snowed a couple of days ago, and the temperature had dropped in the last two days. They almost froze to death.

It has to be said that they are very lucky to have survived until now by finding a cave and living on animal droppings and snow.

No emotion is more important than life.