With a thought, the one-button cooking function in the small kitchen instantly started.
In the blink of an eye, two steaming bowls of beef noodles, along with two golden-brown fried eggs, were served on the table.
Looking at the fragrant and appetizing beef noodles, Qin Ye felt a warm and tender feeling in his heart.
He ate the noodles in big mouthfuls, as if he wanted to eat up all the tenderness of that hour.
Su Tang sat opposite him and quietly told him about her trip to Xishan.
Qin Ye paused in his chewing, looked up, and his eyes were filled with undisguised worry.
"West Mountain? I've heard of Devil's Slope. It's too dangerous."
“I know what I’m doing.” Su Tang looked into his eyes and said seriously, “There are things we urgently need there, and I have to go.”
Qin Ye remained silent for a moment.
He knew her abilities, and he knew even more that no one could change her decisions.
All he could do was to trust and support them unconditionally.
"Be careful." He put down his chopsticks, reached out and took her hand. "I have an urgent mission here, I have to leave tonight, and my return date is uncertain. The house... is in your hands now."
"Don't worry." Su Tang grasped his hand in return, her fingertips gently stroking the calluses on the back of his hand, calloused from years of training. "I'll be waiting for your triumphant return."
The meal ended in a warm atmosphere tinged with a touch of melancholy.
After finishing the last bite of his meal, Qin Ye had to return to his unit and set off. The mission was urgent, and his return date was uncertain.
The two said goodbye at the door of their home, without many sweet words, only a deep embrace.
Qin Ye gave her a deep look before turning and leaving, his tall figure quickly disappearing into the night.
...
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
Su Tang and Lin Fan, carrying simple bags, appeared at the entrance of the equipment warehouse in the research institute's exploration team office.
Lin Fan hadn't slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot, but he was unusually excited.
Following Su Tang's request, he prepared basic equipment for field exploration, such as climbing ropes, entrenching tools, and water bottles.
However, just as they were about to collect their equipment, an angry voice boomed behind them.
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!"
It's Geng Xiangdong.
With a dark expression, Geng Xiangdong, along with Fang Da and several other veteran team members, blocked the entrance with an aggressive demeanor.
Qian Xuedong rushed over upon hearing the commotion, following behind with a troubled expression, clearly having failed to dissuade him.
Geng Xiangdong's face was ashen, his eyes piercing as he stared at the two men. "Lin Fan! I order you to return to the team immediately!"
Lin Fan's face turned pale instantly, but he still stubbornly stood beside Su Tang without moving.
Seeing that Lin Fan remained unmoved, Geng Xiangdong shouted, "Lin Fan! Do you even respect me as the chief engineer? Do you have any sense of discipline? Did you ignore what I said yesterday? Believe me or not, I can fire you right now! I don't need soldiers who disobey orders!"
Lin Fan shrank back at his outburst, but still mustered his courage and whispered in defense:
"Engineer Geng, I...I think Comrade Su Tang's analysis is reasonable, we should go..."
"Shut up!" Geng Xiangdong was so angry that his beard was trembling. "Reason? You dare to joke with your own lives over a mere young girl's theoretical nonsense! Weren't the lessons from the four people who died six years ago enough?!"
Su Tang keenly noticed this, and her suspicions about Geng Xiangdong deepened.
This Engineer Geng is probably not just conservative and stubborn; his near-obsessive obstruction goes beyond a leader's concern for a subordinate, and seems more like he's covering something up...
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