Chapter Twenty-Three: Back to Base
On the way back to the base, the schedule was tight and the vehicles were crowded.
The support team consisted of 5 people in 2 vehicles, plus 6 people from the second team and Yang Yuning. After clearing out a back seat to accommodate the patient, the rest of us were practically crammed into a can!
Since everyone present was a tall and strong soldier, Qi An, the only little chick, was extremely popular in every vehicle.
Despite the hectic schedule, Tang Long still made perfect use of every 15-minute break, searching the mountains and fields for a bunch of wild vegetables, and even dragging Zhuang Xiao to hunt a small wild boar.
"These few beetroots can be sold for contribution points at the base," Tang Long said with a smile, showing off his spoils.
Qi An embraced a learning attitude, and whenever she didn't need to take care of the patients, she would follow Tang Long around, catching a bagful of all sorts of wild game.
As the convoy passed through a tunnel, they also saw early-blooming mountain peach blossoms in the valley!
Qi An broke off a large bunch and stuck them into a glass beverage bottle he had picked up.
They met up with the medical team on the evening of March 2 and returned to the base on the afternoon of March 3.
Guan Ling was sent directly to Qi An's old unit, the First Military Hospital, and Yang Yuning went with him. The team members gathered in the Chengfeng Corps office for a brief mission report.
Looking at the six people who were covered in dust from their journey, Wei Fengduo couldn't hide the smile on his dark face, no matter how hard he tried to keep it up.
"I have a general understanding of the mission process. You all worked very hard! Whether it was reconnaissance or rescue, you did an excellent job, exceeding expectations!" He said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"I'll give you half a day off. You'll come back at 10 o'clock tomorrow to give a detailed report."
"Everyone, dismissed for a rest!"
Everyone stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, sir!"
The atmosphere immediately relaxed. Zhuang Xiao, Tang Long, and the others couldn't wait to go home or to their dormitories. Qi An also walked out, but Yu Shuang leaned back at the door and asked, "Headquarters, this time... can we get an award?"
She winked and made Wei Fengduo unable to hold back his laughter, but he waved his hand and said, "Go, go back and wash off the smell. There's no commendation today."
That means it will be available tomorrow.
Any day is fine; let your salary, bonuses, and medals all come to their team's bowl with their little wings!
Yu Shuang was so satisfied that she practically skipped away.
......
Qi An bid farewell to her teammates, carrying her eye-catching bag of wild game, and hugged Tao Hua as she returned to her small apartment.
She hadn't been back for half a month, and the house had accumulated a lot of dust. She didn't have time to clean it up, so she took the most extravagant shower she had ever taken with water, changed the sheets, and went straight to her small bed.
During the mission, she either slept in the car or in the wilderness, and she missed this soft bed terribly!
But she only needed one hour of deep sleep to make up for the fatigue of taking care of the patient day and night before getting up to clean the room and then taking out a thin diary from the drawer of her small desk.
The notebook was completely blank. Qi An sat at the table for a while, then picked up a pen and began to write.
On February 17, 2055, I joined the Wind Chaser Team 2. On March 3, I completed my first mission.
Takeaways: A deeper understanding of the habits and fighting capabilities of the Fallen Insects.
Learn where to hide and where to find water if you encounter a sandstorm in the wild.
Learn to identify common wild vegetables in Northwest China and learn some techniques for hunting rabbits and wild boars.
On the way back, I drove for a while and my driving skills have improved.
I learned a lot about nursing from taking care of Professor Guan.
They discovered they could sense the location of the fallen insects within a range of 1-2 kilometers.
My weaknesses: I'm too weak, so I need to do weight training.
His marksmanship is too poor. Practicing target shooting at the base and shooting on the battlefield are completely different things. He needs more practical training and guidance from experienced soldiers.
My thoughts: Although everyone fears pollution, there are too many powerful warriors in this world. In the struggle between people, I am too weak.
As he wrote this, Qi An rested his chin on his hand and glanced out the window at the spring rain that had begun to drizzle.
Another feeling: I really like my teammates. When they need me, affirm me, and invite me to eat together, I feel very happy, like I'm wearing a warm, plush blanket on a cold winter night.
However, a blanket is just a blanket; getting through the cold winter still depends on your own body's ability to withstand the cold.
She paused again, then wrote:
The vice-captain is intelligent, but also suspicious.
......
Among the members of Team 2, Yu Shuang, Su Qingran, and Zhuang Xiao have no family members.
The lone wolves naturally slept soundly on their first day back at base, but their experiences varied.
Zhuang Xiao slept soundly, Su Qingran dressed up beautifully and went out, while Yu Shuang went to the training ground after sleeping for two hours.
She slowly ran laps to warm up.
As they ran, Zhao Bohan caught up with them.
Yu Shuang was speechless: "I'm really fed up. Whenever I try to sneak a tuck, you always find out!"
Why didn't you go see your brother and sister-in-law?
Zhao Bohan said calmly, "I've let them know I'm safe. They're all very busy and can't leave work until curfew."
"Oh, so this is the trouble of an all-elite family," Yu Shuang said, not without a hint of jealousy.
When the apocalyptic disaster occurred, Yu Shuang was 8 years old. Of all her relatives, only her cousin remained.
She and her cousin fled to the nearest Central Plains Base No. 3, where the two depended on each other for survival.
Her older cousin joined the army first and died in battle 5 years ago. Yu Shuang was left all alone, with no one to rely on except her teammates.
After running two laps, Yu Shuang sensed something was wrong and asked Zhao Bohan, "Do you have something to say? Is it about that broken drone?"
“I meant Qi An,” Zhao Bohan said.
"What happened to Xiao Qi?" Yu Shuang immediately stopped in her tracks. "Did she purify too much, or are there any aftereffects?"
"No!" Zhao Bohan was a little speechless. When Qi An came back, he went up and down mountains and rivers. How did he look like he had any aftereffects?
"Her purification ability and mental enhancement value are not quite matched," Zhao Bohan said. He had also studied purification and had an understanding of the industry's standards.
"No one with a strength value of less than 8 or 9 would dare to touch a level 4 mutant, as they would be 100% assimilated."
But Qi An dared to touch it, and successfully purified it. Afterwards, he even insisted on purifying it again, and it remained uncontaminated. Isn't that a bit unusual?
......
After Qi An finished writing in his diary, he tore off the paper, burned it on the gas stove, and the notebook returned to its blank state.
She took some wild vegetables and peach blossoms with her when she went out.
The sky was already dark, and a fine drizzle was falling. Due to emissions from the insect oil refinery, the air had a damp, hazy appearance.
Qi An went to the research department.
The research department is a six-story building with a U-shaped structure. Like other buildings, its exterior is mottled and dilapidated, but the interior is clean and bright.
The entire fourth floor is a biological laboratory. Among them, the mental enhancement scientific training laboratory where Tang Xinying is located and the gene enhancement laboratory, which is said to be the most gloomy and has the highest level of secrecy in the entire building, are located at opposite ends of the same floor. Both belong to the advantageous scientific research fields of the Central Plains No. 3 Base, and they have a majestic presence with two strong forces standing side by side.
Qi An was already familiar with the mental strengthening scientific training laboratory. He greeted the guard at the door and went into Tang Xinying's office.
Teacher Tang was as beautiful and dignified as ever, but her face seemed tired and dull from a busy day's work.
But she was pleasantly surprised to see Qi An and immediately stood up. "Little Qi? You're back from your mission?"
Qi An smiled and said, "Yes." She handed over some bright green wild vegetables and delicate, almost blooming mountain peach blossoms. "I saw them on my way back, and they immediately reminded me of Teacher Tang."
Tang Xinying's beautiful eyes were illuminated by the peach blossoms, and a smile overflowed from her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes.
Overjoyed, she immediately took Qi An to the best restaurant on the street for a meal.
Even though Qi An tried to stop her, Tang Xinying still ordered three signature dishes, giving Qi An a sumptuous dinner that would be considered New Year's Eve dinner at the base.
However, the taste is still far inferior to Tanglong's wild game feast.
Qi An avoided discussing classified information and instead recounted some of the twists and turns and interesting anecdotes from the mission.
She tried to downplay the story, but Tang Xinying, who had battlefield experience, raised her eyebrows and pondered several times, perhaps already guessing the dangerous truth behind the anecdote.
"Has your purification ability improved?" Tang Xinying asked suddenly after listening and pondering for a while.
Qi An's heart skipped a beat; sure enough.
Teacher Tang has always been very concerned about her strength, especially the growth of her mental strength.
"Uh... I guess so. You can't think about safety when you're doing emergency purification. The mental energy mobilization is much more intense and thorough than it is in the base," Qi An said hesitantly.
Upon hearing this, Tang Xinying immediately pulled Qi An up and said, "I'll take you back to get tested."
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