Chapter 5

Gao Yang did not want to regret in the future, when he was too old to move, that he had not experienced more in his youth. But now, Gao Yang wished more than anything that he was still at home, able to spend the rest of his life with his parents in peace and stability.

It was only now that Gao Yang truly understood a principle: guns are not toys, they are weapons. Guns are not made for play, but for killing.

Gao Yang's wish to play with guns in Africa had come true, but the price he paid was too high. He had only intended to shoot at targets, but ended up killing four living people. Moreover, he might end up buried on the African savannah, all because he wanted to play with a real gun.

For the first time, Gao Yang felt that gun control might not be such a bad thing. If given the choice now, he would definitely choose to live in a place like China, where there are no guns to play with, but also no fear of being shot at any moment. People only realize the value of something after they have lost it.

But Gao Yang, who had never even killed a chicken before, had now killed several people, one of whom he had stabbed to death face-to-face. Although he did not feel anything at the time, now that he had calmed down, Gao Yang felt nauseous and terrified. However, he was relieved that it was the others who died and not him.

Killing was just for self-preservation. Gao Yang did not regret the consequences of killing four people. A Western proverb put it well: it's better to face eight seated jurors than to be carried away in a coffin by eight people.

However, Gao Yang deeply regretted coming to Africa. All he wanted now was to return home, to be with his parents.

Thinking of his parents gave Gao Yang the motivation to live. He stopped wallowing in self-pity and began to think about how to survive and get back home.

After calming down, Gao Yang realized he needed to figure out where he was. He thought Ethiopia was relatively stable and should not have such intense gun battles.

Gao Yang tried to recall if there had been any news of unrest in Ethiopia before he left, but he could not remember any. He assumed he had encountered a tribal conflict, which would be better because if he could find tourists or ordinary people, it would mean he could be saved.

Gao Yang did not have time to think much. The sky was gradually brightening, and he dared not stay in one place for fear that the gunshots would attract the pursuers.

Gao Yang, who was already starving, was not willing to waste the most readily available food. Although hyenas are scavengers with a foul smell, Gao Yang thought that if he could thoroughly cook the hyena meat, it should be edible.

Gao Yang could not carry the entire hyena, nor could he stay to start a fire. In desperation, he cut off the hyena's four legs with a knife. This was not an easy task, and the sight of his blood-soaked hands was hard to bear.

When pushed to the limit, a person can do anything. Gao Yang tied the four bloody, foul-smelling hyena legs with a rope and slung them over his shoulder. He also cut a branch to use as a cane and limped on his journey.

Before leaving, Gao Yang took the AK-47 with him. After walking a considerable distance, he threw the gun into a bush. Without bullets, the gun was only a burden and a danger. Gao Yang threw the gun away after walking a distance to prevent the pursuers from knowing he was unarmed.

When the sun rose and the sky was bright, Gao Yang estimated he had walked about two to three kilometers. This distance was not safe, and Gao Yang wanted to walk further, but he was thirsty, hungry, and injured. Walking this far was already a testament to his willpower.

Gao Yang decided to stop walking until he had something to eat and drink. Otherwise, he feared he would collapse and never be able to stand up again.

Seeing a dead tree in the distance, Gao Yang felt like he had found a treasure. It was July, the rainy season in Africa, and finding firewood on the savannah was not easy. A dead tree would make things much easier for him.

As he slowly approached the dead tree, Gao Yang was disappointed to find that, although the tree was only about seven or eight meters tall, its branches were high above the ground, with the lowest branch about six meters up, like an open umbrella. The trunk was as thick as Gao Yang's waist.

To get the branches, Gao Yang would have to cut down the entire tree, but he could not be foolish enough to try to cut it down with a hunting knife.

After walking a long way to the dead tree, Gao Yang felt frustrated when he could not burn the wood. However, there were some fallen branches on the ground, and although there were not many, he could collect them to cook some meat and fill his stomach.

Gao Yang used his cane to push aside the grass and search for and collect branches. After a few steps, he saw a branch as thick as his arm in the grass.

Gao Yang had never thought he would be so excited to see a broken branch. He eagerly reached out to pick it up, but as he lifted the branch, he felt a sharp pain in his left hand.

When he felt the pain, Gao Yang immediately dropped the branch and jumped back. He saw a large brown snake coiled on the ground. The snake was thick and its upper body was raised in an S-shape, hissing at Gao Yang.

Looking at his left hand, Gao Yang saw two large fang marks on the edge of his palm. For a moment, his mind went blank. He regretted not heeding the advice to avoid disturbing stones and dead wood on the savannah, as they might hide venomous snakes. How could he make such a critical and fatal mistake?

But soon, Gao Yang regained his composure. Driven by anger, he raised his cane and struck the snake's head with all his might, pinning it to the ground. He then stepped on the snake's head and pulled out his knife to cut off the snake's head.

Gao Yang felt he could not survive, but he killed the snake out of anger. After cutting off the snake's head, he suddenly realized he should not give up.

Recalling what to do when bitten by a venomous snake, Gao Yang frantically pulled out a paracord from his waist bag and wrapped it tightly around his left wrist, biting one end with his teeth and tying a knot with his other hand.

In the short time it took, Gao Yang felt the pain in his palm intensify, and blood began to seep out. He did not dare to delay and, with the hunting knife still covered in snake blood, he wiped it on his body and, with a deep breath, made a deep cut along the fang marks.

The cut was too deep, and the knife blade hit the bone, causing Gao Yang to scream in pain. He then made two more cuts horizontally across the fang marks.

As blood began to gush from his left hand, Gao Yang's body shook with pain. Seeing the wound swell and the bleeding stop, he knew he had to suck out the venom.

If his gums bled, sucking out the venom would only hasten his death. Unfortunately, Gao Yang had a history of gum bleeding. Despite the extreme pain, he did not lose his wits. In a life-or-death situation, his mind worked faster than usual.

The condom in his waist bag came in handy. He had originally intended to use it to carry water, but now it had a greater purpose.

Gao Yang tore open a condom and put it on his hand. He then placed his hand near his mouth, ready to suck out the venom through the condom to prevent it from entering his mouth.

Ironically, this was the first time Gao Yang had used a condom. As he placed his hand in his mouth, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.

"Damn it, others use condoms for pleasure, but I'm using one to save my life. Others use condoms on women, but I'm tasting the condom myself. What the hell, I might as well die."

Despite his anger and frustration, Gao Yang forcefully sucked out the venom. His efforts paid off, but soon the wound stopped bleeding.

Seeing his left hand swollen like a bun, Gao Yang suddenly remembered something. If he kept the paracord tied around his wrist for too long, the lack of blood flow combined with the snake venom would cause his hand to necrotize, leading to amputation or death.

Reluctantly, Gao Yang loosened the paracord around his wrist. After his hand regained blood flow, he sucked out more venom. He then tied the paracord again and repeated the process.

The intense pain, excessive blood loss, the effects of the snake venom, and his fatigue and hunger made Gao Yang feel increasingly dizzy and lightheaded.

Fearing he would pass out and not be able to loosen the paracord in time, Gao Yang untied it and tore open another condom, tying it around his wrist. The elasticity of the condom helped prevent the venom from spreading to his heart and the rest of his body while still allowing blood flow to his hand.

Gao Yang did not know what kind of snake had bitten him, only that it was not a cobra. He also did not know if his actions were correct, but he had to do everything he knew.

Recalling his actions, Gao Yang suddenly remembered that he had used the hunting knife to dissect the hyena earlier. Hyenas are scavengers and carry many bacteria and viruses.

The thought of dying from the bacteria on the hyena rather than the snake venom made Gao Yang shudder. Fortunately, his medical kit contained antibiotics.

Gao Yang's medical kit was small but well-stocked with antibiotics, antimalarial drugs, diarrhea medication, and mosquito repellent. Although the quantities were limited, the antibiotics came in handy.

Gao Yang took out all the antibiotics from the waterproof bottle, opened the packaging, and swallowed all sixteen pills without hesitation. Although he knew this was not a good idea, he was more concerned about not having the chance to take the medication at all.

As Gao Yang strained his neck, rolled his eyes, and forced the pills down his throat, his blurred vision seemed to see several people running towards him.

His first thought was that the pursuers had finally found him. This shocked Gao Yang, and he stood up from the ground. After a dizzy spell, he saw that indeed four people were running towards him.

Gao Yang could no longer hold on and fell backward, losing consciousness. His last thought was, "I'm going to die anyway, so whatever happens, happens."