Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Director Wang spoke rapidly, pointing to the chaotic crowd: "See those people pushing and shoving? And over there, some people keep trying to cut in line! And those children, crying from hunger, the adults are getting anxious too… Water! There's not enough water! A truckload of water just arrived, and it's gone in the blink of an eye! This weather is terrible!"

Jin Aimin's eyes flashed like lightning as he quickly scanned the entire area and immediately made arrangements: "Xiao Liu, Xiao Wang, you two go to the left-hand line! Keep a close eye on those who are causing trouble! Wei Chen, you come with me to the right! Watch out for the elderly and children! Everyone, stay alert! Keep your eyes peeled! Get your whistles ready! If you see anyone deliberately causing trouble or inciting crowding, blow the whistle immediately as a warning, and take coercive measures if necessary! Remember, we are here to maintain order and protect the safety of the public, not the enemy! But we will not be lenient with those who cause trouble!"

"Yes!" Wei Chen and the other two team members responded in a deep voice, quickly spreading out like several reefs, firmly inserting themselves into the edge of the surging crowd.

Wei Chen followed closely beside Jin Aimin, heading towards the longest and most chaotic queue on the right. A wave of heat, carrying the stench of sweat and despair, hit them, almost nauseating. He forced himself to steady his breathing, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd.

"Line up! Line up properly! Don't push!" Jin Aimin's voice was like a booming bell, carrying the penetrating power and unquestionable authority unique to soldiers, instantly drowning out the noisy waves.

His imposing figure stood like a moving wall, forcefully blocking the path of several burly men trying to cut in line from the side. His large, bell-like eyes glared at them: "Get back! Line up properly! If you push again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

The men were intimidated by Jin Aimin's imposing presence, and seeing Wei Chen behind him with an equally stern expression and a police baton in hand, they muttered a few words in frustration and reluctantly returned to their ranks.

Wei Chen focused more of his attention on the elderly, women, and children in the line. He saw an elderly woman with gray hair and a thin frame stumble and fall in the shoving of the crowd in the middle of the line!

"Watch out!" Wei Chen reacted quickly, stepping forward and firmly supporting the old man's arm with his strong arms. Upon touching the old man, he noticed his shockingly thin frame; through the thin, patched clothes, he could almost clearly feel the shape of the bones, making his heart sink.

"Auntie, are you alright?" Wei Chen softened his voice and carefully helped the old woman to her feet.

The old woman was still in shock, her cloudy eyes staring blankly at Wei Chen. Her chapped lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a clear sound. She just instinctively gripped Wei Chen's arm tightly, her withered fingers like eagle claws, revealing a will to survive.

"Don't be afraid, please stand to the side." Wei Chen protected the old lady and carefully led her to a slightly more spacious area outside the line, letting her sit down against the wall. Then he took off his water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her. "Grandma, have some water, take your time."

The old woman's cloudy eyes lit up for a moment, like a dying fish seeing water. Trembling, she took the kettle, not even bothering to thank her, and greedily sipped the water, as if it were the most precious elixir in the world. After a few sips, her ashen face seemed to regain a glimmer of life.

"Thank you... thank you, comrade..." She was finally able to utter a weak voice, her wrinkled face filled with gratitude.

This scene was witnessed by several equally exhausted disaster victims nearby. Their gazes toward Wei Chen held less of the numb hostility and more of a complex mix of emotions.

However, not everyone could be calmed down by goodwill. At the front of the line, near the warehouse distribution point, the commotion suddenly escalated!

"Mine! This is mine! Give it back!" A young woman, dressed in tattered clothes and with hair like dry straw, screamed shrilly, clutching half a dark, mushy cornbread from a man's hand. A three- or four-year-old child in her arms was crying loudly from hunger.

The man was thin, but his eyes held a fierce and malevolent glint. He shoved the woman to the ground and cursed viciously, "Get out of here, you bitch! Whoever gets it keeps it!" He then tried to stuff the cornbread into his mouth.

"Stop!" A sharp shout rang out like a thunderclap!

Wei Chen moved like a cheetah through the crowd, appearing in front of the man in an instant. He didn't even use his baton; his left hand moved with lightning speed, precisely seizing the man's wrist as he held the steamed bun, his thumb and forefinger clamping down on the man's pulse like iron clamps!

"Ah!" The man felt a sharp pain and numbness in his wrist, and he couldn't use his strength on half of his body. The steamed bun slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Wei Chen pushed the man with his right hand, and the man staggered back several steps before falling to the ground with a thud, looking at Wei Chen in horror.

"One item per person at the registration point, follow the rules!" Wei Chen bent down to pick up the dirt-covered cornbread and handed it to the woman who had been pushed to the ground and was crying while holding her child. His voice was cold and clear, reaching the ears of every disaster victim around him. "Anyone who dares to grab or disrupt order will suffer the consequences! If you want to get something and survive, you'd better line up obediently!"

His icy gaze swept over the man sitting on the ground, and also over the several people around him whose eyes were darting around, seemingly eager to make a move. His gaze was like a tangible ice pick, carrying a powerful sense of oppression that instantly extinguished the evil fire in their hearts.

The woman took the cornbread, hugged it tightly to her chest, and while comforting the child, nodded repeatedly to Wei Chen, tears mingling with the dust on her face.

Jin Aimin witnessed the entire process from a short distance away, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. Wei Chen handled the situation cleanly and efficiently, both deterring the villains and protecting the rights of the weakest party, striking the perfect balance.

After a long day of intense work, Wei Chen's work clothes were soaked with sweat, which then formed a layer of white salt stains under the scorching sun.

The baton felt slippery in his hand. His throat was parched, and his water bottle was empty. But he remained rooted to the spot, his eyes scanning the restless crowd warily.

As the sun set, it cast long, enormous shadows from the warehouse, and the daytime heat subsided slightly, but the air inside the containment facility remained stuffy and foul.

The day's registration and distribution of limited food and water came to a temporary end. Exhausted, the disaster victims sat or lay down, searching for shelter in the limited space of the warehouse. Groans, coughs, and children's suppressed cries mingled together, forming a somber background of despair.

Wei Chen, Jin Aimin, and the others took a short break at the temporary guard post outside the warehouse, taking turns drinking water and eating dry rations. Director Wang from the street office and Chief Zhang from the police station also huddled together, exchanging information in hushed tones, their faces etched with a deep sense of unease.

"This can't go on, Chief Zhang," Director Wang's voice was hoarse and anxious. "The number of people we've taken in today has far exceeded the warehouse's capacity! Food and water, even at the bare minimum, will only last two days! Medicine is extremely scarce! Several children and elderly people have fevers... When... when will the higher-ups be able to allocate more supplies?"

Director Zhang, a stern-faced man in his forties, took a deep drag on his cheap cigarette, his brows furrowed. "Old Wang, there's no use in rushing! The disaster is too severe, and it's not just at our location! The higher-ups are already coordinating everything! The biggest fear now is that before the supplies arrive, chaos will break out inside! If it weren't for the timely support from the steel mill's security department, especially that young man named Wei Chen, things would have almost gotten out of hand several times!"

Jin Aimin took a big gulp of water and wiped his mouth: "Director Zhang, Director Wang, don't worry! Now that we, the security department, are here, we'll stay here! We'll deal with the problems as they come! But supplies... are indeed a big problem." He looked at the densely packed crowd in the warehouse, crammed together like livestock, his eyes heavy.

Wei Chen silently gnawed on his dry, hard cornbread, but his gaze involuntarily drifted to the darkest, most cramped corner deep inside the warehouse. There, piled up were the haphazard belongings of the disaster victims: tattered quilts, rotten sacks, chipped earthenware pots... The air was thick with the stench of sweat and mildew.

Just then, Big Yellow, which had been quietly resting at Wei Chen's feet, suddenly raised its head without warning! Its pupils, which looked like molten gold in the twilight, suddenly contracted, and its ears, like radar, instantly stood up and turned, locking onto that dark corner deep in the warehouse!

A low, threatening growl, rumbling from the depths of its throat, brewed within Big Yellow's chest. Its muscles tensed instantly, and the fur on its neck bristled like steel needles!

No longer the docile and gentle creature it usually was, Da Huang was now like an ancient beast that had discovered a deadly threat. Its golden eyes shot out a cold, piercing light as it stared intently at a slightly wriggling, bulging, old burlap sack in the corner!

The sack was inconspicuous among a pile of tattered luggage. A man with triangular eyes looked around warily, but Da Huang reacted as if facing a formidable enemy!

Wei Chen's heart sank! He knew Da Huang too well. This kind of reaction only occurred when facing an extremely dangerous or highly malicious target! In the game world, this was a top hunter locking onto its prey!

He immediately put down the dry rations in his hand, stood up calmly, and his sharp gaze, like a searchlight, pierced through the dim light, precisely targeting the wriggling sack. At the same time, his hand had already quietly rested on the baton at his waist, and his body leaned slightly forward, entering a state of readiness to explode at any moment.

Jin Aimin immediately noticed Wei Chen's unusual behavior and the strange appearance of the yellow dog at his feet. His experience told him quickly that something was wrong, and he asked in a low voice, "Wei Chen? What's going on?"

Director Zhang and Director Wang also stopped talking and looked over nervously.

Wei Chen's gaze never left that corner, his voice low and icyly wary: "Section Chief Jin, Chief Zhang, Director Wang, watch that corner, that moving sack… Big Yellow's reaction is off! There… there's probably something inside!"

Everyone's heart leaped into their throats. The weary air seemed to freeze, and an invisible, chilling tension, like a cold, venomous snake, crept up everyone's spine. The last rays of the setting sun cast the warehouse's enormous shadow onto their solemn faces.

The daytime hustle and bustle of the shelter had temporarily subsided, and in the deep twilight, undercurrents surged. Big Yellow's low, menacing roar, like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, foreshadowed some hidden crisis that was about to break through the cover of the tattered sack and stir up new waves in this place of despair.