Chapter 360 The situation is not optimistic
Xia Lili squatted in front of the stall selling low-quality tobacco, her fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the dry and blackened tobacco leaves, all her attention focused on the back of the short and thin man.
She watched him stagger across the muddy village road, turn into a narrow alley, and completely disappear from her sight.
She did not act immediately, but observed patiently for a few minutes to confirm that no other suspicious people were paying attention to this place and that only ordinary villagers were going about their daily activities. Then she slowly stood up, brushed off the dust on her skirt, and walked slowly towards the big banyan tree covered with prayer flags.
Under the shadow of the tangled roots of the banyan tree, she exchanged the predetermined secret code with the vigilant middle-aged contact.
The process went smoothly and the other party did not show any abnormalities.
The contact person whispered to her to follow, and the two of them walked silently, one in front and one behind, through several crooked stilt houses and came to the vegetable garden behind the house, which was surrounded by a bamboo fence and appeared in the illusion.
The contact person followed the procedure and whispered the agreed signal towards the pile of debris in the corner.
A figure staggered out from behind the debris in response.
When Xia Lili saw the appearance of the person coming, her heart trembled slightly.
This is a man who looks to be around 40 years old, codenamed "Birthday Celebration".
He is not good-looking, with dark and rough skin, the kind of person who would be inconspicuous in a crowd.
However, a hideous scar ran from his left brow bone to his cheek, almost cutting off half of his eyebrow, and his exposed arms and neck were covered with new and old scars.
There were circular scars left by injuries, long marks left by sharp objects, and even twisted flesh similar to burns.
It was obvious that this was a man who had struggled through gunfire and on the brink of life and death countless times, and he exuded a fierce aura tempered by blood and fire.
When Qingsheng saw that the person who came to pick him up was actually a young-looking woman, he was obviously stunned for a moment, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his calm expression and just nodded heavily at Xia Lili as a greeting.
Without any unnecessary words, he quickly took out an object the size of a fingernail, tightly wrapped in oilcloth, from his inner pocket and stuffed it into Xia Lili's hand.
It feels hard, so it should be the chip storing the key evidence.
Xia Lili took the chip and put it away carefully, while subconsciously looking up and looking at Qingsheng.
No foreseeable visions emerged.
Xia Lili felt a little relieved, at least there was no imminent danger to her life.
However, before she could finish her breath, she keenly noticed that Qingsheng's face looked very ugly, with an abnormal grayish-white tint amidst the sallow yellow, fine cold sweat oozing from his forehead, and his breathing was more rapid and heavier than that of an ordinary person.
"What's wrong with you?" Xia Lili asked in a low voice.
Qingsheng waved his hands and tried to stand up straight, his voice a little hoarse: "It's okay... old problems, a little fever and dizziness."
"Hold on until the mission is over... no problem."
But when Xia Lili saw his slightly trembling fingers and slightly distracted eyes, the alarm in her heart immediately sounded.
In this environment, any physical condition could become a fatal weakness and must not be taken risks.
"No, we must have our doctor check it out immediately!"
Her tone left no room for doubt. "Follow me. We'll go out the back door and reunite with the team as soon as possible."
Xia Lili quickly took off the backpack and took out a set of old local men's clothes that had been prepared in advance and fit the body shape of the locals. She handed it to him:
"Put this on quickly and disguise yourself."
At the same time, Xia Lili also took out a compact weapon and two spare magazines from the interlayer of the backpack and stuffed them into Qingsheng's hands: "Take this for self-defense."
Qingsheng did not refuse, he knew that now was not the time to be polite.
He changed his clothes swiftly. Although he seemed a little slow due to his physical discomfort, his movements in holding the gun and checking the ammunition were still skillful and precise, showing his profound training.
He put his weapon behind his waist and nodded to Xia Lili to show that he was ready.
Xia Lili took a deep breath and vigilantly observed the movements outside the back door of the vegetable garden. After confirming that it was safe, she gestured to Qingsheng.
The two of them, one in front and one behind, slipped out of the back door silently and quickly disappeared into the shadow of the denser and more chaotic jungle behind the village, rushing towards the meeting point agreed with Li Qihan's team.
Xia Lili took Qingsheng through the dense rainforest. Relying on her memory and the brief instructions from Li Qihan through the encrypted communicator, she finally arrived at the agreed meeting point.
This is a long-abandoned Southeast Asian-style cemetery located deep in the jungle.
The atmosphere here is weird and depressing.
Tall tropical trees block out the sun, casting dappled light and shadows.
Weather-beaten pagoda-style small mausoleums or cement coffins are half-buried in the fallen leaves and soil. Many of them have collapsed and been damaged, revealing their dark interiors.
The faces of many Buddha statues carved on the pagodas have been blurred by moss and rain, adding a bit of eeriness.
The air was filled with the stench of rotting plants and soil, and the occasional rustling of unknown insects made the place seem even more dead and silent.
Even during the day, it sends chills down one's spine.
Although Xia Lili was determined, she couldn't help but feel uneasy in this environment.
She led Qingsheng, whose condition was getting worse, and quickly walked around several damaged tombs, and finally stopped in front of a relatively intact large cement tomb with an entrance covered by vines.
Xia Lili tapped gently on the peeling cement wall according to the agreed rhythm.
A slight noise came from deep within the tomb, and Li Qihan emerged from the shadows like a ghost. He glanced warily behind Xia Lili and Qingsheng to confirm that there was no one following him, then signaled them to quickly enter.
The interior of this temporary hiding place was small, cold and damp, but at least it provided a relatively hidden respite.
"Did you pick up the person?" Li Qihan's eyes quickly swept over Qingsheng and his tone was concise.
"I received it, codename Qingsheng. But he is in a very bad condition." Xia Lili replied immediately.
Li Qihan nodded and looked at Qingsheng. Although he didn't ask any more questions, the concern and scrutiny in his eyes were self-evident.
He stepped aside and called the team doctor: "Doctor Su!"
Su Ye, who had been prepared, immediately came forward with a medical bag: "Comrade, sit here, I will help you check."
Qingsheng followed his instructions and leaned against the cold wall of the tomb. Su Ye skillfully began to check his vital signs, lifting his eyelids to check his pupils, and listening to his heart and lungs with a stethoscope.
As the inspection progressed, Su Ye's brows furrowed more and more.
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