Chapter Thirteen: A Hero's Departure
The doves also had spy drones, as well as reconnaissance drones that were half the size and had better stealth capabilities. With these clearing the way, they moved cautiously and did not encounter any danger.
However, the terrain in Hualin County is increasingly fragmented and complex, with numerous gullies and ravines. The convoy proceeded cautiously, taking a full five hours before finally stopping in the ruins of a quiet village.
Dove changed into a brownish-yellow camouflage jacket, carried a tactical backpack that wasn't particularly bulky, and had a long nylon bag clipped to his lower back, the contents of which were unclear—perhaps a gun or something else.
“You can use any of the equipment in my car if you need it,” he said, and then turned to leave.
Yu Shuang stopped him and said earnestly, "Comrade, there are some things I must say upfront."
There are only three possible outcomes if you venture deep into the Zerg hive. First, you complete your mission, emerge safely from the hive, send us your location, and we'll come pick you up so we can all return to base safely.
Secondly, if you complete the mission but emerge in poor condition and are discovered and hunted by the Fallen Insects, we will also come to pick you up and fight alongside you to escape their pursuit.
Third, you were discovered and surrounded during the mission, or after completing the mission but before leaving the core of the hive...
Yu Shuang paused slightly before continuing, "In that situation, even if you sent a distress message, we wouldn't come to your rescue. My task is to provide support from the outside; my priority is the safety of my team members."
Everyone in both teams looked at Yu Shuang, but no one said anything to refute her.
The boy's reaction was very calm, without the slightest ripple in his tone or eyes: "Okay. My locator can control signal jamming. If I am surrounded and unable to communicate in time, I will flash the locator signal."
He demonstrated: "Two flashes at this frequency indicate the presence of a mother nest, while three flashes indicate the absence of one."
In this way, regardless of whether he comes out or not, the mission information can still be transmitted.
After the boy finished speaking, he turned and left.
He ran like a black panther, and within minutes his figure disappeared into the wilderness.
Without complaint, worry, or fear, he pressed forward, heading into a perilous situation where death seemed the only possibility.
"The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs..." Zhuang Xiao murmured, but was immediately stopped by everyone: "Quick, 'Pah!' No cursing your teammates!"
No matter what the circumstances, keep hope in your heart!
Yu Shuang patted his face to cheer himself up and said to everyone, "Our next step won't be easy either. First, we need to stay hidden. We can't let others enter the insect nest unscathed while we attract a bunch of fallen insects to chase us down."
"Old Zhao, tell me your plan."
The vice-captain, always thoughtful, replied without hesitation, "The mission will take anywhere from two or three days to four or five days. We need to wait."
The insect nest is very likely in Hualin County. We should find a safe place not too far away to hide in, which will save fuel and electricity. Then we can move around as needed based on the location of the 'cuckoo'.
Additionally, the vehicle should be painted over, and scrap metal and batteries should be collected to disguise it as a scavenging vehicle that has strayed into the area. If it encounters the fallen insects, it should run away and not linger in battle.
Yu Shuang patted Zhao Bohan on the shoulder: "That's it! Everyone check your stomach and bladder. If there's anything wrong, deal with it quickly. If not, help with vehicle camouflage. We'll meet up and depart in ten minutes!"
She glanced at the sky, which was covered by thick clouds and was filled with rising dust, and muttered, "The base said they'll send a second wave of support. Let's hope we can get our hands on it."
......
However, good luck never seems to give those who pray for good fortune a chance.
The base held a series of meetings regarding the mother nest. Wei Fengduo of the Wind Chaser Brigade strode briskly to arrange the second batch of support teams, but a high-ranking figure casually remarked with a smile:
"The purifiers in Team 2 were recommended by Teacher Tang. They are all elites. Even without backup, do you think they can't come back safely?"
The team that planned to provide support and supplies to the second team set off hesitantly, exploring the area on the outskirts. However, as they approached the mission area, they were met with a fierce sandstorm that was raging in the northwest in spring.
Another dark day passed, but the wind gradually subsided in the afternoon, and the six-person team huddled in a cave in a valley.
Even with the wind subsiding, the opposite mountain wall was clearly visible, and the visibility was excellent.
Yu Shuang, Tang Long, and Zhao Bohan wrapped themselves up like three fat pigeons and prepared to leave the cave.
"Keep an eye on the computer and the radio, don't miss any news from 'The Cuckoo'!" Yu Shuang repeatedly instructed before leaving.
The three people in the cave nodded, and Yu Shuang and the other two stepped into the sandstorm, where they were quickly swallowed up.
The three of them went to find water.
Today marks the 9th day since the dove left.
The situation was far more serious than they had anticipated. Not only had the mission lasted longer than expected, but they had also completely lost contact with Jiu, and his fate was unknown.
The last time the two sides contacted each other was five days ago, when he was already far away from Hualin County.
He said that no metal objects could be carried into the area they were going to explore, so he would bury the equipment and contact them again after they came out.
Plans can't keep up with changes. Once Jiu buried the equipment, the situation suddenly went beyond the three possibilities Yu Shuang had mentioned. It turned out that Jiu had died in the insect hive, but he might not be able to send out intelligence or a distress signal. The team didn't know whether he was alive or dead and had to keep waiting!
Qi An looked at the three cars parked close to the edge of the cave dwelling.
By now, they are experiencing a significant shortage of supplies, primarily water, followed by electricity.
The continuous strong winds and overcast skies rendered the solar panels unusable. While their other electronic devices were fine, as they had plenty of batteries in the car, the car's own battery level was truly critically low.
The terrain around Hualin County was too fragmented and complicated, coupled with the terrible weather, and the fact that the Fallen Insect strongholds were too dense and appeared and disappeared unpredictably. They went around to the north side of Hualin County, taking countless detours and wasting a lot of electricity!
The promised supply team from the base has yet to arrive, and their communications have been disrupted by the sandstorm, cutting them off from both sides.
Qi An sat by the now-extinguished, cold fire, wrapped in all the clothes she could, but she was still very cold. Across from her sat Su Qingran, who always put a lot of effort into her appearance, but now she was covered in dirt and grime.
“He should be dead by now,” Su Qingran said, her voice weary and cold.
Qi An remained silent, but still said, "Perhaps..." Perhaps there is still hope. That person even seems to have special enhancement abilities. Maybe he can survive?
As soon as Su Qingran finished speaking, she was about to say something like "Don't have any unrealistic fantasies," but Zhuang Xiao in the car suddenly excitedly opened the car door: "The radio is responding! It's Bird Brother!"
The two girls jumped up.
"Really?!" Su Qingran exclaimed.
"Quickly answer! See what he says!" Qi An urged.
But at the same time, she also sensed something.
A large number of fallen insects are approaching here!
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