Read Novel Full Chapter 482: The Two Countries Are Like One Family
Chapter 482: The Two Countries Are Like One Family
While the United base was celebrating its victory, the Russians braved the snowstorm and reached the underwater base.
The Arctic was frozen at that time, but the entrance and exit of the underwater base remained above the ice.
After eliminating the guards, they poured crude oil down the ventilation shaft and threw in a few smoke bombs. Once the fire had burned sufficiently, they sealed the vent.
Anyone who tried to escape from inside was immediately shot.
That single attack left half of the base personnel dead or wounded.
There were several more battles later, and neither side gained a clear advantage.
There was another bloody fight yesterday. The Russians not only ran out of ammunition but also completely ran out of medicine. But they couldn’t watch their companions die, so they ventured out and try their luck.
They didn’t expect to meet the Chinese, but after being forced to retreat, they could only dig out bullets with their bare hands.
Today the situation to worsen, so they had to take the risk again.
Ivanov expressed his intention again, “As long as it can save people, we’ll trade alcohol, ham, corn, or potatoes.”
Jiang Ning didn’t say anything but made eye contact with Huo Yishen.
Huo Yishen looked down at Bai Xue and thought for a while, “We can try.”
There was a scar on Bai Xue’s body, likely caused by a tool, confirming the presence of other survivors in the Arctic. If the Russians had harmed the wolf, it wouldn’t have remained so calm.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Close alliances weren’t necessary, but in these times, cooperation was preferable to conflict.
Jiang Ning agreed after weighing the options.
The most precious things in the end times are food and medicine. The Russians are not short of food, and as for medicine…
Traditional Chinese medicine was complex. Let alone giving them herbs, even the survivors in China may not use them.
Jiang Ning warned right away, “We don’t have Western medicine, and there isn’t much herbal medicine left either. We can’t promise it’ll cure you.”
Ivanov was pleased. “No problem. If it works, great. If not, you still get a ham and two bottles of alcohol as a gesture of friendship.”
Jiang Ning nodded. “Bring the patients over.”
They could only drag them one by one, and the others waited in place and were not allowed to get close.
Ivanov walked back through the snow and asked a companion to drag the unconscious patient over on the sled.
As expected of Russians, they were born resistant to the cold.
With how sick they are, dragging them through the snow like this and they’re still alive is surprising.
On the sled, there was also a ham and two bottles of vodka.
The amount of food that Russian eat is proportional to their bodies. The authentic pork ham still weighed more than ten pounds after being air-dried.
Huo Yishen asked Ivanov and his companion to retreat fifty meters, and Jiang Ning squatted down to feel the patient’s pulse and check his eyelids.
He was infected.
The infection was severe, and outdoor cold prevented a full examination.
Jiang Ning searched the two people and made sure they had no weapons, then she called Doudou to drag the two back home.
Huo Yishen and Coke stayed where they were, staring at Ivanov and the other Russians in the distance.
The house was warm, and after they regained some strength, she started checking their wounds.
Russians were really tough. They sprayed vodka on the wound and then dug out the bullet with a dagger.
But as expected, it’s definitely going to get infected.
Jiang Ning needed to remove the dead tissue from the wound and then stitch it up.
Not wanting to use anesthesia, Jiang Ning used acupuncture to numb the pain and stop the blood flow. She sealed the patient’s mouth, tied them up with rope, disinfected the tools, and then began the process.
Sure enough, the unconscious Russian was awakened by the pain and cried out loudly.
He looked at the unfamiliar environment, and when he realized that he was being treated, he forced himself to endure the pain.
But his body was too weak, and he soon fainted from the pain.
After handling the first one skillfully, Jiang Ning repeated the process for the second one.
After handling the external injuries, she went into the room to get medicine from the space.
Some were for brewing, while others were for cleaning the wounds.
Ivanov mentioned that several more comrades had external injuries. Seeing that the Russians were generous, Jiang Ning prepared a few extra doses of herbal medicine.
Then she sent them back, along with the patients and medicine.
She only provided enough medicine for three days and explained to Ivanov how to take it, along with a few basic acupressure techniques.
Fortunately, Ivanov had been in China for a few years and had some knowledge of Chinese medicine. “Jiang, Huo, thank you. We’ll try this when we get back.”
At the same time, he did not forget to remind them that the people in the United base were ruthless. “Be careful, don’t let them find you.”
Jiang Ning smiled, “Hurry up, or they’ll freeze if you don’t get going.”
Watching them disappear at the end of the snow, the three of them patrolled the area before returning.
After entering the house, Jiang Ning unscrewed the bottle.
It was indeed vodka, with a smooth yet strong aroma, a high-proof liquor
The ham was also genuine and well preserved, with no peculiar smell.
However, Jiang Ning did not try it right away but put it into the space for preservation.
For the next two days, everything remained quiet. The Arctic was unusually calm. Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen shoveled snow in front of the house while Doudou took the two to keep watch on the snowy hill.
On the third morning, Ivanov returned again.
Knowing that Jiang Ning was on guard, he came alone, carrying an unloaded gun just for appearances.
It was freezing cold, and he almost froze to death on the way here. Shivering, he took two sips of vodka to warm his body.
When he warmed up, he rubbed his hands and smiled. “Jiang, your herbal medicine is amazing. Those two guys pulled through. Thank you.”
This time, he came to trade for more herbs.
“Do you have any vegetables?” After months in the Arctic, he salivated at the thought. “I’ve heard every Chinese person can grow them. Your research team once grew vegetables here, and our team used to enjoy them too. Back then, we were like family. Could you share some with us now?”
Every day, it was either potatoes or corn, or frozen meat jerky, and the smell made them want to vomit.
They missed the green vegetables.
Chinese people are very unique. I’ve heard they’re studying how to grow vegetables on the moon, so isn’t it normal for them to grow vegetables in the Arctic?
“No,” Jiang Ning replied coldly.
Even if there were, Jiang Ning would not give them.
People’s appetites get bigger. Last time it was herbs, this time it’s vegetables, and next time they’ll probably want something different.
Disappointed but determined, Ivanov insisted on trading for more herbs. “Many of our people are sick. We’ll exchange supplies.”
In addition to potatoes, corn, and ham, they also had crude oil.
They might not have other things, but Russia is rich in crude oil, and he brought a lot of it.
But unrefined crude oil would be useless to Jiang Ning. At most, it can only be used as fuel, but it creates a lot of black smoke.
Burning crude oil in the Arctic? Isn’t that just giving away their location and inviting the enemy over?
She’s not that stupid.
As for medicine, she agreed to provide some. They didn’t need to be friends, but avoiding enmity was wise.
Before, they got some wine and ham. To show they weren’t exactly rich, Jiang Ning listed the herbs they could offer and then asked for 100 pounds each of corn and potatoes.
Ivanov thought it wasn’t a great deal, but since he was out of medicine, he didn’t bother to bargain.
At the same time, he reached out with an olive branch, telling Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen, “In your culture, there’s a saying: When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold…”
The purpose of his visit today was not only for medicine but also to form an alliance.