Qing Zhang took the water and drank several mouthfuls, then took a bite of the compressed biscuit. His fierce posture was as if he was biting Zhong Jue's neck. "I was shot in the thigh. When I fell to the ground, my head hit the car door and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found that there were corpses of my comrades all around me. Only Sister Qiao was nowhere to be found."
Zhong Jue leaned against the wall, exhausted, and took a few deep breaths. "Luckily, they didn't take anything from our backpacks. I've survived until now thanks to the food and weapons we brought with us."
Ji Yueyao blinked, somewhat shocked as she processed what she had just heard. Judging from Qing Zhang's words... it seemed that all of this was orchestrated by Zhong Jue. "Qing Zhang, you mean... Sister Qiao isn't dead yet?"
Qing Zhang nodded, "I didn't find Sister Qiao when I woke up, so it's very likely that Sister Qiao is still alive."
Ji Yueyao lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before turning around and immediately packing her backpack. "Xu Lingnan, the mission is canceled. We need to return to the Xiyu base immediately."
Xu Lingnan was taken aback, and almost without thinking, he stepped in front of Ji Yueyao, "Captain, we haven't done our mission yet!"
“Mission? We can’t worry about that now.” Ji Yueyao frowned. “Reconnaissance will take at least two days. We must get back to the Xiyu base as soon as possible.”
"Captain, why are you in such a hurry to go back to the Xiyu base?" Xu Lingnan shook his head in a panic, still blocking Ji Yueyao's way, showing no intention of moving away.
“Sister Qiao might still be alive. Although now is not the time to confront Zhong Jue, we can go back and find Sister Qiao through him.” Ji Yueyao made sure all the backpack zippers were zipped up before steadily putting the bag on her back. “Sister Qiao is very likely still alive. The later we find her, the more dangerous she will be.”
"Captain! So what if we find her! You now... now..." Xu Lingnan gritted his teeth, but ultimately didn't say the last sentence.
"Xu Lingnan, what's wrong with you?" Ji Yueyao had noticed that Xu Lingnan had been acting strangely these past few days, but he wouldn't say anything... which only made people worry unnecessarily.
"I..." Xu Lingnan turned his face away, gritted his teeth and stopped talking, but he didn't move an inch.
Although Qing Zhang found Xu Lingnan's reaction strange, he didn't know much about other teams' affairs. In fact, he agreed with Ji Yueyao's approach and planned to return to the Xiyu base with Ji Yueyao. Thinking of this, Qing Zhang suddenly reached out and patted Ji Yueyao's shoulder, "Ji Yueyao, are you here to carry out a mission?"
"Hmm." Ji Yueyao nodded slightly. "It's a reconnaissance mission."
“Then I advise you to suspend the mission.” Qing Zhang shook his head and said, “Yesterday I saw about a dozen people come to this deserted city. They were all carrying weapons, and I noticed that each of them had a blood-red cross painted on their backs.”
"Blood Fork?" Ji Yueyao glanced outside and became alert. The blood fork on the back was a unique mark of the people in the Tianyu Base. It was said that the terrorists in this desolate city used the blood fork on their backs to identify their classmates.
If they are from Tianyu Base… Ji Yueyao bit her lower lip, then they definitely can’t stay in this desolate city.
"Xu Lingnan, we...you should..." Ji Yueyao was about to look up at Xu Lingnan when she suddenly heard a gunshot. Then she felt her left leg go numb and she fell to the ground.
"So they've already arrived..." The dark muzzle of the gun was pointed directly at Qing Zhang in front of him, and Xu Lingnan raised his hand and fired several shots.
Ji Yueyao stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the bloodstain on Qing Zhang's chest, at him lying lifeless on the ground.
Ji Yueyao opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't even make a sound.
"Captain." Xu Lingnan pointed the gun at Ji Yueyao's other leg again, turning his eyes away to avoid seeing Ji Yueyao's face. "I'm sorry."
Gunshots rang out suddenly, followed by splattering blood on Ji Yueyao's legs. Seeing her curl up in pain, Xu Lingnan couldn't bear it any longer and turned his head away.
"Why? Xu Lingnan, I'm asking you why!" Tears welled up reflexively, and Ji Yueyao felt as if the waves of pain were suffocating her.
This can't possibly be real!
“Because…” Xu Lingnan looked down at Ji Yueyao, “Compared to the captain, I care more about my only family member, my sister… Ya Jun.”
"Captain, don't blame me. Blame yourself for being too weak." Xu Lingnan's voice became hoarse at this moment. He stood there, looking down at Ji Yueyao's pale face. "My sister was captured by Zhong Jue, and what can you do? You keep saying that you can let me see my sister when you go back. Don't make me laugh. You can't even protect my family... Since you can't protect my family... then I have no choice but to come myself."
Xu Lingnan's voice was very low, but in this place where there wasn't even a breeze, every word he uttered clearly entered Ji Yueyao's brain.
Was it because she was too weak? Ji Yueyao couldn't quite describe her feelings; they were chaotic, yet also as clear as a mirror. At this moment, she couldn't even feel the pain in her legs.
"Zhong Jue made me leave you with the people at Tianyu Base. They should be heading this way now that they've heard the gunfire." Xu Lingnan looked at the boundless sky in the distance and finally turned around.
He didn't look at Ji Yueyao again, he just walked further and further away. Yes, he did the right thing... As long as it's for Ya Jun, he can abandon everything else.
Xu Lingnan kept telling himself this, but the memories that kept flooding his mind were not of living with Xu Yajun, but of spending time with Ji Yueyao and the others.
From our first meeting in the training area, to joining the search department, to carrying out missions, to now, it's all over.
He betrayed his memories, betrayed his captain, and betrayed his friends.
But he no longer had the courage to turn back.
Xu Lingnan's figure was gradually becoming blurry, and the massive blood loss and intense pain in his legs were causing Ji Yueyao's consciousness to gradually become unclear.
Is this the end for me? I'm not reconciled... I'm not reconciled at all.
...
Meanwhile, at the West Base.
"Lin Xuan, hurry up and pack your things, we need to leave the Xiyu base immediately!" Kaqi rushed in and grabbed Lin Xuan, who was still sleeping on the sofa. Then she quickly ran to her room to pack her things.
"What's wrong?" Lin Xuan yawned and asked vaguely.
"Hurry up and pack!" Kachi quickly stuffed the food and other supplies into her backpack, not even having time to look up. "Hurry up and pack! Something's happened to the captain!"
"What?!" Lin Xuan hadn't even finished yawning when he was so shocked he almost bit his tongue off.
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