Chapter 104: malaria

I don't know how long I slept, but a slight voice made Lin Rui suddenly alert. ＠乐＠文＠小＠say
This is the slight, crisp sound of footsteps breaking the dead branches on the ground. Animals will not make such a sound. Because the animal's feet are very soft, this sound is made only when wearing hard-soled military boots.
Lin Rui suddenly awoke, clinging to a branch of the tree, and gently pulling out the dagger worn under his ribs. There was indeed someone approaching in the darkness, and there was more than one. Lin Rui was concealed in the tree, his palms were already sweating slightly. The sharp and heavy combat dagger has been treated with a matt finish, and there is no light in the dark. But it is even more deadly and dangerous.
The people below scattered forward, shaking the flashlights and lighting fixtures in their hands, whispering some language that Lin Rui didn't understand. While the light and shadow flickered, Lin Rui saw the weapons behind them. It's the rebels under General Denby!
These people should have been notified by the mine guards and came to search for Lin Rui overnight. Fortunately, Lin Rui was alert and considered this problem first, climbing on the tree to rest. To avoid temporary panic, what happened to be discovered. These armed rebels didn't seem to realize that the person to be searched was just above their heads. Instead, all of them bent over and carefully stared ahead and walked over.
Lin Rui breathed a sigh of relief, if not necessary, he really didn't want to cause unnecessary battles. Now that the enemy is very few, it is very unwise to initiate a fight. I just don't know how long these rebels will search in this area.
Lin Rui moved her body slightly on the tree, making herself closer to the branches. Just like a cicada attached to a tree in a summer night, no one will notice its existence as long as it does not actively sing. The search by the rebels passed quickly. Just as Lin Rui was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he found someone approaching in the distance. Lin Rui secretly cursed his bad luck because he discovered that the person approaching this time was probably a member of that mysterious force.
They are far more cautious and careful than the rebels. Lin Rui noticed that they did not have flashlights and other lighting devices, which shows that these people are better equipped, and they are probably equipped with low-light night vision devices or thermal imagers specially used for night combat. If it is the latter, then Lin Rui will be easily spotted. The temperature emitted by his body will make him show a bright area in the thermal imager.
No matter how good he was hiding, as long as someone raised his head a little, he could easily find someone hiding in the tree, and then he would provoke a burst of random shooting. To make matters worse, gunfire will attract more enemies. Lin Rui felt his scalp tightened when he thought of this. He realized that he couldn't stay in the tree like this anymore, so he had to find a way to go around quickly.
So Lin Rui didn't hesitate anymore, put his weapon behind him, and slid down the tree trunk silently. But under the tree, it means he is easier to find. He didn't dare to have any extra stops at all, and moved lightly to the left because there was a pond there, which he might use as a temporary shelter.
Just when Lin Rui came to the pond lightly, he was dumbfounded again. Because this pond looks not small, but it is too shallow. The depth of water of twenty or thirty centimeters is not enough for him to dive to hide his figure. Lin Rui's heart jumped wildly. According to his estimation, those enemy troops would be able to search here in five minutes at most, and he would have nowhere to hide.
In a hurry, Lin Rui turned his heart back, took the mud in the pond with both hands, smeared himself all over his head and face, and then rolled in the mud. It was not until I made sure that I became a mud man covered in sticky mud, and then he rolled to the side and squatted down, quietly taking out the ak47.
Although he didn't want to make too much noise, once these militants found out about himself, a fierce battle was inevitable, and he couldn't care about so much. The only hope now is this cold mud on his body, maybe they can cover up the heat radiated from his body, so that the militants will not find themselves so easily. Thermal imagers need to sense heat to show different contours of objects. The higher the temperature, the higher the light emitted. In theory, as long as his body surface temperature is not read by the thermal imaging camera, then he will not be discovered.
But whether this mud can insulate the heat radiated from his body, and whether this is effective, Lin Rui's heart is also beating. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, Lin Rui picked up the ak47 in his hand and was ready to shoot first after he was exposed. His fingers have been pre-pressed on the trigger, but his heart is almost jumping to his throat.
Perhaps this cold and sticky mud really had an effect. The search team did not find Lin Rui crouching in the bushes, but continued to walk forward cautiously. Waiting quietly for them to disappear into the jungle at night, Lin Rui breathed a sigh of relief as if prostration, his life was picked up again.
If he was discovered just now, Lin Rui had to go through a hard fight. Even if he could smoothly clear out this small search team, it would be difficult to guarantee that he would retreat under the attack of more teams. It was his eagerness to gain wisdom and saved himself. The foul-smelling mud in this pond literally saved his life.
About half an hour later, the militants and the rebels reunited. It was clear that they had nothing to gain and had to order their retreat.
After all these people were removed, Lin Rui was completely relaxed. The relaxation after a high level of mental stress, the cold muddy water, and the chilly wind at night made him fall asleep faintly. When he woke up, Lin Rui felt sore all over. In the injured left hand, his wrist was swollen badly and his dizziness was severe. Lin Rui realized that after barely walking a few steps, he panted badly, and he was shaking constantly.
It is definitely not a normal phenomenon to shiver in the cold in the early summer of Africa. Lin Rui knew that he was ill. She had chills, fever, sweats, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. This is a typical symptom of malaria. Although malaria, an ancient disease, is not a serious disease in modern times, it is still one of the biggest killers of mankind today, and it is one of the main deadly diseases in Africa, where sanitary conditions are relatively poor.
Lin Rui suddenly felt very sad. Maybe after experiencing battles and thrilling escape, he would die in this strange African jungle. The cause of death is not bullets, but disease. Perhaps the three characteristics of Africa are not gold, diamonds and ivory. It's hunger war and disease.
He leaned hard under a tree and took out his personal first aid kit. There are a few anti-inflammatory drugs in it, which may be able to relieve some symptoms in an emergency.
After taking the medicine, Lin Rui got up again and walked out of the woods. He looked at the GPS display and knew he was heading north. This is not the way back, but it is the closest way out of the rebel control zone. But he must pass through a more barren African wilderness. He didn't know if he could still drag his heavy body out of the wasteland. But he must try. Because compared to staying here, this is the only feasible way out.
He cheered up and tried again with the communicator on the helmet. Still no response, the main communication server is still under maintenance. Lin Rui seemed to have guessed the result, so he couldn't say how disappointed. Instead of waiting for rescue, it is better to fight for survival alone. In any case, if he wants to survive, he must leave this rebel control zone as soon as possible. So, he staggered on the road again, and walked towards the wasteland north of the jungle.
This is a typical African wasteland, calm and barren, the acacia trees in the distance, as well as the occasional wild animals, are full of vitality. But Lin Rui didn't want to appreciate this magnificent scenery. If a person is already sick, but still in the mood to appreciate it, then it only means that he is not seriously ill. But Lin Rui felt that he was going to die.
If it weren't for the extraordinary physical fitness and strong will, he would not even be able to get out of this wasteland. But Lin Rui leaned on his feet, dragged the sick body, and spent a whole day walking through the desert. When he saw the faintly appearing African villages in the distance, he could no longer hold on. The breath he had been holding back finally vented, and then he fell to the ground and completely mixed in.
When he woke up, he found that he was already in this African village. He didn't know how many days he had slept, but he felt his symptoms were much lighter. He was surrounded by a group of black people. These people were like a certain local tribe. They painted some white things on their dark faces, only showing two big piercing eyes, like applying a facial mask. The long hair is woven into neat and dense long braids. The long braids are fixed with earthy grease without breaking apart. The braids are inlaid with colorful beads of silver and copper rings. Some had their heads shaved neatly with long braids, and some had long braids with animal hair on them, and they wore two red and black strips of cloth.
Seeing Lin Rui woke up, these people were talking to each other, but it was obviously some kind of tribal native language. Lin Rui didn't understand a word. But it seems that I was saved by the villagers of these African tribes. Lin Rui shook his head and said with some effort, "Do you have water? Water..." He made a gesture of drinking water and repeated it in English.
One of the older black people nodded and handed him a bowl-like container with some liquid in it. Lin Rui took it and drank it. After drinking it, he frowned slightly, because what he drank was not like water, but like milk, but it had a and salty taste compared to milk. This turned out to be a bowl of milk mixed with cow blood.
Seeing Lin Rui drank the milk without frowning, these black people were surprised and delighted, and said loudly, "Morani!"
...