Lin Ying said, "It's not dangerous. Hu Zi and Niu Niu are with us too."

Shanyubang's eyes widened again: "What? You brought two tigers? Aren't you afraid they'll go berserk and enter the crowd?"

Lin Ying explained, "We don't go into crowds, and we rest outside. We prepare all the food we need. We only go into crowds if there's no water source nearby and we need to get water from someone."

Shan Yubang said helplessly, "You've already thought it through, so what are you saying? You come to the army first, and I need to make sure you're safe before I go."

Lin Ying didn't mince words: "Then tell me your address."

Shan Yubang told Lin Ying the exact address of the military base, and Lin Ying drove there. Along the way, the children watched the ever-changing scenery outside the car window, both curious and excited, chattering incessantly with questions.

"Mom, when will we get there?" Shuanzi asked curiously.

While focusing on driving, Lin Ying replied, "It'll be a little while, babies. If you're sleepy, take a nap. Mommy will wake you up when we're almost there."

But the children weren't sleepy at all; they were wide awake, discussing what they would say to their father when they saw him, and imagining his surprised and happy expression when he saw them.

Finally, Lin Ying drove to the location of the military base. Shan Yubang was already waiting at the gate. When he saw Lin Ying's car, especially the two tigers lying behind it, he couldn't help but frown again.

"Comrade Lin Ying, you've really opened my eyes! You actually brought two tigers with you," Shan Yubang said helplessly.

Lin Ying smiled and said, "Commander Shan, don't worry, they're very obedient and won't cause any trouble." As she spoke, Lin Ying led the children out of the car, and the two tigers also slowly walked down, obediently squatting beside Lin Ying, showing no fierce appearance at all.

"What about the child? Isn't Haoyu still in school?"

Lin Ying said matter-of-factly, "I took leave. Such a meaningful family trip can't be without anyone!"

Haoyu watched Lin Ying from the side, unable to stop smiling.

Seeing this, Shan Yubang was both amused and exasperated. He then took Lin Ying into the military base and to the office. He asked Lin Ying in detail about the book belonging to the Lin family and the clues she had discovered. Lin Ying recounted her analysis and deductions in detail, speaking clearly and logically.

After listening, Shan Yubang pondered for a while and said, "Comrade Lin Ying, what you said makes sense. Judging from the current situation, you might really be of great help. However, the journey is too long, and we may encounter all sorts of unexpected situations along the way. I'm still not comfortable with you taking the children alone."

Lin Ying quickly said, "Commander Shan, I know you're worried about us, but I'm already prepared. I've modified the vehicle, and we have plenty of supplies. Plus, with Hu Zi and Niu Niu with us, we can handle most dangers. If you send someone with me, it might actually slow down our journey. After all, more people make us a bigger target, and it's not as convenient to move around."

Shan Yubang was still hesitant, pacing back and forth in the room, pondering what to do. At this moment, the guard beside him spoke up, "Commander, how about this, we equip Comrade Lin Ying with some communication equipment and emergency relief supplies, so that she can stay in touch with us at all times. If she encounters a danger that she can't handle, she can ask us for help in time."

Upon hearing this, Shan Yubang thought it was a good idea and nodded, saying, "Alright, we'll do it your way. Also, I'll draw up a detailed route map for Comrade Lin Ying, marking some potentially dangerous areas along the way and places where supplies can be replenished, so that we can have an extra layer of protection."

Lin Ying said gratefully, "Commander Shan, thank you so much. With these, we feel much more at ease on the road."

Afterwards, Lin Ying followed the communications soldier arranged by Shan Yubang to the room where the telegraph machines were kept. Looking at the slightly old but meticulously crafted telegraph machines, she felt both curious and a little nervous. She knew that learning to use these telegraph machines would be crucial for finding Zhao Qinghuai and dealing with unexpected situations on the way.

The communications soldier first gave Lin Ying a general introduction to the structure of the telegraph machine in front of him, pointing to the various parts and saying, "Comrade Lin Ying, look, this is the telegraph key. We mainly rely on it to operate when sending messages. By pressing different rhythms and combinations of long and short presses, we can form Morse code and then send it out. This is the receiving device, which can convert the received Morse code signal into content that we can recognize."

Lin Ying nodded earnestly, her eyes fixed on the telegraph machine, listening carefully to every detail of the explanation. The communications soldier then began to demonstrate how to sit correctly at the control panel, adjusting his posture so that he wouldn't get too tired from operating it for a long time. Lin Ying quickly sat down in the same way, imitating the communications soldier's movements.

“Come on, Comrade Lin Ying, let me demonstrate a simple telegraph operation for you. Pay attention to my finger movements and the rhythm of pressing the telegraph key.” As the communications soldier spoke, his fingers skillfully moved across the telegraph key, and with a crisp click, groups of Morse code were sent out. “This is the Morse code for sending ‘SOS’: three short taps, three long swipes, then three short taps again. Try it and feel the rhythm.”

Lin Ying took a deep breath and placed her hand on the keypad. However, on her first attempt, her fingers were unusually stiff. She either pressed too hard or completely lost her rhythm, producing uneven and unrecognizable sounds. But she didn't give up. She bit her lip and tried again, recalling the signalman's demonstration while trying to control the pressure and rhythm of her fingers.

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