Sun Fatty's sudden action startled the wolf pack. When he retracted his rifle, one wolf, stepping over a fallen comrade, leapt up—half its body already inside the window. If Sun Fatty had been any slower, that wolf would have bitten off his arm.
Bang! I fired a shot straight to the wolf's head. The wolf let out a howl and died right on the windowsill. Its corpse wedged in the window frame, blocking the rest of the pack from rushing in. For now, we were safe here. Taking advantage of the moment, Ruan Liang dashed into the inner room and returned moments later carrying a bed board. He shouted to me and Sun Fatty, "Nail this window shut!"
Ruan Liang found two hammers and some cement nails inside the room. The wolf corpse stuck in the window was in the way, so I kicked it out. Then I sprayed the outside with bursts from the assault rifle, forcing the wolves to back off. Next, I pushed the pile of wolf corpses stacked beneath the windowsill aside with my rifle butt, followed by another volley of gunfire. After the last bullet was fired, I stepped back and yelled, "Seal the window!"
Sun Fatty hoisted the bed board horizontally onto the windowsill, pressing it firmly. Ruan Liang and I each took a hammer and grabbed nails, hammering the board hard onto the wall. After a while, the bed board was densely nailed all around. Once Sun Fatty let go, thumps came from outside—wolves ramming their heads against the board, but it didn't budge. It seemed secure. For extra safety, Sun Fatty had Ruan Liang bring out another bed board, nailed vertically above the first. With no foothold outside and two boards blocking, the wolves simply couldn't break through.
I left Ruan Liang to guard the window and, with Sun Fatty, went to Hao Wenming's position. We did the same there, sealing that window shut. When the last nail was in place, I finally exhaled in relief. Though the bed boards creaked occasionally, it seemed we were safe.
"This isn't a usual matter," Hao Wenming checked the board's stability once more and said, "We've dealt with weasels and foxes plenty, but this is the first time facing creatures like these. Also, the intelligence was off—the wolves outside aren't just a hundred or so, but at least four or five hundred."
Sun Fatty sat down, then suddenly recalled something. "Did anyone see that biggest wolf just now?"
Everyone at the scene froze when he mentioned the white giant wolf. I recalled that when the wolf pack charged earlier, that white giant was among them. But when they regrouped by the door, I hadn't seen it again. Could Sun Fatty's earlier volley have taken it down? Judging by the imposing presence it had as if the wolf pack's leader, it wouldn't be so easily dealt with.
Rubbing his eyes, Sun Fatty said, "My right eyelid keeps twitching, and when it twitches, it never means anything good. I just can't shake the uneasy feeling. We've sealed the windows. Those wolves outside shouldn't be able to get in, right?" Just after he spoke, the banging on the bed boards stopped suddenly. Outside was deathly silent except for the howling wind and snow.
Could it be that the wolves gave up because they couldn't get in? I pressed my ear to the boards but heard nothing unusual. The more unseen and unheard the outside was, the more uneasy I felt. After hesitating, I decided to check the front gate.
When I reached the gate, I saw Old Qiu and Lin Feng stretching their necks to peek through the small window atop the door. Unfortunately, the window was tiny and only allowed a view straight ahead, barely showing anything else.
I approached and asked, "Two Directors, can you see what's happening outside? Where is the wolf pack now?" Old Qiu reacted coldly, ignoring me as if I were air, not even grunting. Lin Feng was friendlier; he glanced back, gestured for me to take his spot, and said, "Come see for yourself."
I thanked him and moved over. My face almost touched the glass, but even then, I couldn't see the ground outside the door. As I tried to peer around, a foul, fishy wind wafted through the door crack, making me wrinkle my nose and instinctively cover it. Before I could continue looking, Old Qiu suddenly pulled me back and shouted, "Get away!"
Both he and Lin Feng wore grim expressions. They braced themselves firmly against the door. At that moment, a lone wolf howl rang out—different from the chaotic howls of the pack before. This howl was piercing, powerful enough to make my heart skip a beat. When it stopped, my heartbeat returned to normal.
Then, a heavy thud shook the gate violently. Through the window, I saw the white giant wolf ramming the door with its head. If not for Old Qiu and Lin Feng holding it back, the wolf might have torn the door open. The latch was badly bent, and the glass in the window shattered into a few jagged shards clinging to the frame. Both directors stumbled but quickly regained their footing, leaning back against the door.
Sensing danger, I pushed a long table from the outer room against the door. Lin Feng and Old Qiu nodded in understanding and slipped behind it. Soon, Hao Wenming and the others rushed out. Seven or eight of us held the other side of the table firm.
The white giant wolf rammed the gate again but couldn't break through. It stepped back about ten meters, then charged the door once more with even greater force. Thud! The impact was far stronger than before. If Old Qiu and Lin Feng had tried to hold it alone like last time, who knows what would have happened? Luckily, with so many of us bracing the table, the door held firm and didn't give way to the white giant wolf's assault.
Watching the massive white wolf retreat again, preparing for a third charge at the door, I quickly jumped onto the table before it could hit. Carrying my assault rifle, I rushed to the door in a few strides and aimed the muzzle out the window, firing a burst at the charging white wolf. Unfortunately, the rifle was still loaded with standard issue rounds—I didn't have time to reload with the Bureau's special ammo—so I emptied what I had.
The bullets hit the white wolf but seemed to have no effect. It kept its head low and charged forward. Boom! The wolf slammed into the door with tremendous force. This time the door cracked open slightly but was immediately pushed back by the table. Luckily, Haowenming and the others were holding the table with all their might, preventing the door from giving way. I was nearly shaken off the table from the impact.
The wolf began to pull back again. I quickly removed the magazine and was just about to reload with the Bureau's specially-made bullets when Sun Fatty shouted, "Lazi, here, take this! Use it on that wolf!" At the same time, he tossed me a dark object. Catching it, I saw it was a double-barreled short-handle shotgun brought by Huang Ran and the others.
Before I could switch rifle ammo, the wolf charged again. I braced myself, flipped off the shotgun safety, and pulled the trigger twice. Boom! Boom! A dozen or so pellets struck the wolf. It howled miserably, flipped, and fell to the ground, tumbling several times in the snow, disappearing from my sight. Who would have thought Huang Ran's homemade weapons packed such a punch?
"Dasheng, give me some of those shotgun shells!" I called to Sun Fatty. He dashed into the room on the right and came back holding a handful of red shotgun shells. "Lazi, this is all we have left. Honestly, it's more than enough to kill that wolf." I took the shells, loaded the shotgun, and stuffed the rest into my pocket.
Holding the shotgun, I scanned the window for a long time but saw no sign of the white wolf.
Taking advantage of the moment, I loaded the assault rifle with the Bureau's special rounds. I didn't want to part with the shotgun; luckily, its barrel was short. I flipped on its safety and tucked it behind my waistband.
I raised the assault rifle and scanned the surroundings again. Within sight, there was no trace of the white wolf or even the pack that had recklessly charged earlier. After a while, the tension among those leaning on the table began to ease.
Sun Fatty leaned his back against the table, freeing a hand to pull out a pack of cigarettes. Five directors stood nearby. He lit one without ceremony, inhaled, and said, "Lazi, still no sign of that wolf? The view here is too narrow. Why don't we open the door and you go out to take a look?"
I glanced back at Sun Fatty, about to retort, when Lin Feng suddenly jumped onto the table carrying an assault rifle and silently approached. His steps made no sound; if I hadn't just looked at Sun Fatty, I might not have noticed him getting so close.
Without hesitation, I yielded the window spot to Lin Feng. He peered outside repeatedly, then turned to Haowenming and the other directors. "It's out of sight, but it hasn't gone far. I can still feel its demonic aura. You all move the table aside; we'll go look for it." Then he looked at me but said nothing, only nodded slightly.
I was momentarily stunned, unsure what "we" meant. Who was included? Certainly not just the two of us. Even if we could handle the white wolf with our weapons, there were hundreds of wild wolves outside. The open terrain and harsh weather gave us no advantage. Facing the wolf pack meant survival was hardly guaranteed.
I avoided Lin Feng's gaze and looked to my direct superior, Haowenming. Fortunately, he understood my concern and said, "Better not. The demon wolf might be manageable, but there are hundreds of wild wolves out there. Even if you kill the demon wolf quickly, the pack—no longer controlled by it—will almost certainly attack. Frankly, that's hundreds of wolves, not something we're equipped to handle. Let's wait until this storm passes tomorrow, and after High Commissioner contacts Consultant Xiao and the others, then decide."
Haowenming's words immediately won the approval of the other three directors. Even the haughty Old Qiu opposed going out. I quickly jumped down from the table, deciding it was safer to keep my distance from Lin Feng.
Lin Feng accepted the advice. He sat on the table, back against the main door, silently conceding to Haowenming's plan to stay put. Haowenming then called over Ruan Liang, asking him to find a piece of clear plastic to cover the window, blocking the relentless wind and snow.
After setting up the plastic sheet, Ruan Liang stayed to help guard the door. He had witnessed the giant wolf smashing against the door clearly from the adjacent room. Taking the chance, he whispered beside me, "What kind of animal was that? I've never seen anything like it. It looked like a wolf from the head but resembled a bear in size."
I chuckled and said, "What you saw is a nationally protected species—the wolf bear. It's a critically endangered animal. Maybe it was starving, so it dared to attack the outpost."
"Wolf bear?" Ruan Liang looked at me suspiciously. "I've never heard of such an animal."
"There are plenty of animals you've never seen," Sun Fatty chimed in with a grin. "Consider yourself lucky today—you won't get another chance to see one..." He hadn't finished joking when a sudden loud bang shook the whole house. The noise came from the right room where Ruan Liang was guarding.
Haowenming gave me a meaningful look and I followed him inside. Nothing seemed unusual.
Just as I was about to leave, the house trembled again suddenly—this time the epicenter was right outside the main door.
Along with the shaking came crisp gunfire. Sun Fatty shouted, "Lazi! Come help! Wolves are breaking in!"
By the time I ran out, the gunfire had ceased. Seven or eight wolf corpses lay scattered across the ground. The door was still closed, and Haowenming and the others were leaning heavily against the table propping it up. Lin Feng stood on the table, scanning outside with his assault rifle.
I stayed away from Lin Feng's side and ran to Sun Fatty, bracing the table with him. "Dasheng, what's going on? How did those wolves get inside?"
Sun Fatty, sweat pouring down his face, glared fiercely at the door. "We were too focused on your side earlier and didn't notice the door being cracked open. The wild wolves rushed in recklessly. Luckily, we reacted quickly and blocked the door again. That big white wolf learned its lesson—once the door opened, it ran away. Lin Feng fired a full magazine but didn't seem to hit it."
Looking at Lin Feng by the door, I noticed his assault rifle magazine marked with a red line—the Bureau's special ammo. Ouyang gave only eight magazines to four people. That rifle seemed to be Haowenming's. After firing so many rounds and Lin Feng's burst, it was probably ruined.
Lin Feng pulled his head back inside and told us, "Someone toss me some ammo—Ouyang's special kind."
Sun Fatty and I both ducked our heads, pretending not to hear. We had no real relationship with Lin Feng, so we ignored him. But Pujun was slower and got caught by Lin Feng: "You! Pujun! Toss the ammo over."
Pujun reluctantly unloaded a half-full mag and tossed it to Lin Feng. "Lin Director, this is all I've got. Use it sparingly."
While Lin Feng changed magazines, Old Qiu jumped on the table. He didn't use firearms but wielded his large blackened knife, walking up to Lin Feng. They whispered a few words quietly, seemingly not wanting us to hear.
The six directors in the Bureau had a complicated relationship, roughly split into three and a half factions. Haowenming, Ouyang, and I formed one group. Lin Feng and Old Qiu had a good rapport. Wu Rendi acted independently, and Hugo was a fence-sitter, often leaning toward Wu Rendi, but Wu ignored him completely.