The large-scale withdrawal of personnel caused quite a commotion.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Shen Huaichuan quietly slipped back into the mountains.
This time, however, he was all alone.
He didn't take the obvious route that the kidnappers might have left informants on.
Instead, relying on the professional skills of top-notch reconnaissance soldiers, they chose the rugged and difficult mountain forests and climbed them with great difficulty.
He carefully observed the blurry marks on the ground, washed away by the rain, and determined the direction.
However, the most crucial thing is the button that Zhou Qiqi left behind.
Once inside the mountains, the van had great difficulty navigating, giving Zhou Qiqi more opportunities to lose buttons.
Shen Huaichuan discovered that on certain sections of the road, especially at bends, there would be two or three buttons.
This was definitely not a coincidence; Qiqi must have taken the opportunity to drop a few more when she turned around!
Based on these observations and clues, he quickly sketched out the kidnappers' general route in his mind.
This is combined with the perception of wind direction.
Ultimately, he focused his attention on the abandoned mining area within this mountain range.
It might take an ordinary person one or two days to figure out the way in the mountains and forests.
In less than half a day, Shen Huaichuan quietly approached the core area.
Sure enough, not long after, he discovered traces of human activity on the edge of a desolate mining area.
It's almost certain that the kidnappers' hideout is in this area.
However, finding the approximate location is only the first step.
The edge of this mine was where the miners used to live. There had been a major accident there before, and Shen Huaichuan had participated in the rescue.
He had a general understanding of the terrain here.
The situation here is very complicated, with abandoned mine shafts crisscrossing and branching paths everywhere.
Finding the one where Zhou Qiqi is imprisoned among so many caves without alerting the kidnappers is impossible.
We need to think of another way.
As Shen Huaichuan was intently observing and pondering countermeasures, he noticed a rather inconspicuous mountain stream flowing gently beneath the rock face.
After climbing the mountain for half a day, he was a little thirsty and needed to replenish his water.
Just as he was observing his surroundings and approaching the stream, preparing to scoop up water...
A faint reflection in the stream caught his attention.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered an orange plastic button lying quietly in the clear stream!
His pupils contracted, and he bent down, his fingers quickly dipping into the icy water to pick up the button.
He was afraid he had misread it, so he held it in his hand to confirm that it was indeed the button Zhou Qiqi had left behind.
His heart skipped a beat.
He carefully collected all the buttons that Zhou Qiqi had discarded along the way, and now they were all in his handbag.
The one in the stream in front of us was definitely not his.
Its location is completely different from those he found on the road before!
It wasn't that Zhou Qiqi threw it away on the street.
The scout's keen intuition, along with the unspoken understanding between him and his wife, allowed him to understand instantly.
This is definitely a new clue deliberately left behind by Zhou Qiqi!
She wanted to use the stream to send out a message.
Without any hesitation, Shen Huaichuan immediately started tracking upstream against the direction of the stream.
He moved even faster, his gaze sweeping across the creek bank.
The good news is that, thanks to his abilities, the tracking quickly yielded results!
This winding mountain stream actually flows out from a dark cave high up in the mountain.
This means that Zhou Qiqi is very likely being imprisoned deep inside this cave with a water source.
But bad news followed.
The location of this cave is extremely dangerous.
It is located at the top of a mountain, on an almost vertical cliff, below which is a bottomless valley.
If you enter from the main entrance, this cave is at the very back, and you'll definitely alert the bandits along the way.
If you want to get close silently, the only way is to climb the cliff face by hand from the outside!
The rock face was wet and slippery after being washed by rain, and many places were covered with moss, making it almost impossible to find a reliable foothold.
The exposed rock edges are also unusually sharp.
The difficulty and danger of the climb are beyond imagination.
But Shen Huaichuan simply looked up and calmly assessed the situation for a moment, his eyes showing no sign of backing down.
He took a deep breath, secured his bag and equipment to his body, and without hesitation began his free climb.
His movements were exceptionally agile; his fingers gripped the crevice in the rock, his toes firmly planted on small protrusions, and his body pressed tightly against the rock face as he struggled to maintain his balance.
Rain and sweat quickly soaked his clothes, and the cold rocks constantly rubbed against his hands.
But he did not back down at all.
However, despite his exceptional skills, he was not immune to injuries.
While leaning upwards, a weathered rock suddenly loosened.
He slid down, and the sharp edge of the stone instantly cut a deep gash on the back of his hand, from which blood immediately gushed out.
The pain in my fingers was excruciating.
Shen Huaichuan merely frowned, let out a muffled groan, and forcefully suppressed his anger.
He didn't slow down at all, continuing to climb upwards with unwavering determination.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, which was only separated by a mountain.
Zhou Qiqi was leaning against the cold stone wall, dozing off in a daze.
Since being abducted yesterday, she has been on high alert and dared not close her eyes, fearing that something bad would happen if she fell asleep.
Only after Shen Huaichuan requested a personal letter did the bandits, in order to get the money, temporarily stop harming her, and she relaxed a little.
Overwhelmed by extreme exhaustion, she fell asleep without realizing it.
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