20demayo Chapter 404 The mission begins!
Chapter 404 The mission begins!
After hearing this, Zhang Haiyang couldn't help but shrink deeper into the covers and mutter a curse.
"Damn, this sounds so weird. If we had known this would happen, why did we come all this way? It would have been so comfortable staying in our own unit, with plenty of food and drink..."
"Alright, stop grumbling. We're already here, what's the point of saying all this now?"
Zhong Yuemin turned over, his back to everyone.
"Go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow, so make sure you're well-rested."
Haiyang and Ningwei stopped talking, closed their eyes to rest, and, having already sat on the train for so long and walked all day, were indeed exhausted. Before long, they fell into a deep sleep...
Outside the tent, the biting wind still howled like a knife across the vast Gobi Desert.
The campfire had long since died out, and the last embers were buried by the wind and sand. In the world, only boundless darkness and deathly silence remained, as if all things had perished.
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The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the distant horizon was beginning to show a pale white, tinging the clouds with a faint orange-red hue.
After a night of silence, the Gobi Desert once again revealed its desolate and vast outline in the dim light.
Zhong Yuemin, Zhang Haiyang, and several other soldiers from other units were still resting in their tents. Ning Wei, who had woken up sometime earlier, rushed in from outside and woke them up.
"Brother Zhong, Brother Haiyang, something's happened, get up quickly."
Zhong Yuemin got up, still sleepy-eyed, his voice hoarse, and he mumbled something.
"What happened?"
On the other side, Zhang Haiyang was also woken up. His hair was a messy, unkempt "bird's nest," and he yawned several times, mumbling a complaint.
"Ning Wei, you little rascal... instead of sleeping properly, you ran out so early in the morning... did you wet your pants? What happened?"
Ning Wei frowned, his tone urgent.
"I can't explain it clearly in a few words, you should come out and see for yourselves!"
At this moment, a commotion of voices and footsteps could be heard outside the tent. Clearly, not only they had been disturbed, but the entire camp seemed to have been awakened or gathered together.
Zhong Yuemin didn't ask any more questions. He quickly dressed, tied his shoelaces, and was the first to crawl out of the tent. Zhang Haiyang, Ning Wei, and the other awakened soldiers followed closely behind.
In the early morning in the Gobi Desert, the air is bitterly cold; your breath instantly turns into white mist.
A number of people had already gathered in the open space of the camp, chatting in hushed tones in small groups.
There were quite a few military green packs, probably fifty or sixty, placed in front of the open space.
Seeing this, Zhang Haiyang joked.
"That's so nice, they even give out food. It's all bulging, there must be a lot of good food in it."
Zhong Yuemin patted him on the shoulder and chuckled.
"Haiyang, are you still sleepy? Rub your eyes! Didn't you see that big sign up there?"
Following the direction the man pointed, Haiyang discovered there was indeed a sign surrounded by a crowd. He went closer to take a look and saw that it was a 'notice,' hastily written in scribbles using leftover charcoal from last night's campfire.
The content is brief, simple, and direct, yet carries an undeniable ruthlessness.
The gist is that a special forces selection competition has begun. Each person is given a backpack and is not allowed to bring any other personal equipment. From now until this time on the third day, they must cross the Gobi Desert and reach a designated location to succeed. Those who do not arrive on time are eliminated.
Zhang Haiyang initially thought he was still half asleep and his eyes were playing tricks on him. He rubbed his face, looked again, and sure enough, it was correct.
I couldn't help but swear.
"Damn it, this is ridiculous! We're all adults here. You're playing these kinds of tricks on us. Yuemin, it's all because of your jinx. Look, it's all come true now."
Zhong Yuemin remained silent, but he hadn't expected this to actually happen.
The other soldiers around them also began to stir, with whispers and complaints rising and falling.
"Are you kidding me? Is this all you have?"
"Three days? Where's the water? Where's the food?"
"This godforsaken place has no landmarks at all. How am I supposed to find the designated spot?"
Despite their dissatisfaction, those who were standing there were no cowards. They had come all this way, and before it even started, they couldn't go back looking defeated; they wouldn't be able to explain that to their superiors.
After grumbling a few times, most people silently walked towards the pile of packs and began to check their "equipment".
Zhong Yuemin also walked over, picked up a bag, and found it quite heavy, but definitely not because of the food.
Unfasten the straps and take out the items one by one. After inspecting them, you'll find a folding entrenching tool with a gleaming blade, a sheathed military dagger, an old-fashioned flashlight with two batteries inside, a sturdy roll of rope, a compass similar to a compass but not as precise, and a conspicuous red flame signal flare.
No food, no water, absolutely nothing.
A compass gives you a general direction to prevent you from getting completely lost in the vast Gobi Desert, while a signal flare gives you a final choice: give up or call for help.
Zhang Haiyang also rummaged through his bag, looking dejected.
"Yuemin, you were absolutely right. This is going to kill us! With this thing, you think it can survive for three days in the Gobi Desert? And get to the designated location? Is that even possible?"
This wasn't a complaint, a affectation, or a grumble; he genuinely felt uncertain. Back in Vietnam, no matter how dense the rainforest or how cunning the enemy, at least there were towering trees overhead, mountain streams to quench thirst, and if you were lucky, you could find some wild game to fill your stomach.
With a little caution, given their abilities, it's not impossible for them to manage things inside for ten days to two weeks.
Now, standing in the vast Gobi Desert, surrounded by endless yellow sand, and most importantly, where can you find water on this barren land? You might not even be able to collect a few drops of dew.
food?
There was nothing but sand and stones; it was hard to find even a blade of grass, let alone any living creature.
A place to live? It's hard to even find a small earthen embankment to block the wind.
And this awful weather! It can bake you alive during the day and freeze you to death at night... Either one of these, if not handled properly, could cost them their lives.
At this point, before it even begins, the mindset is already almost hopeless!
Of course, he wasn't the only one; most people present felt the same way. Even Ning Wei, this kid, didn't have the same calm and composed expression he had when he first entered enemy territory. He wasn't exactly desperate, but he was feeling panicked and wasn't 100% sure he could succeed.
However, there are exceptions, and that's him. Food, water, and habitat are crucial for others, but he can obtain them easily. With his spatial ability, others would face near-death experiences crossing the Gobi Desert.
he?
Just like traveling, it's carefree and relaxed!
Time was of the essence, and taking advantage of the less intense sun, everyone shouldered their packs, formed small groups, and set off in the general direction of their destination.
Besides Haiyang and Ningwei, there were also three others who had slept in the same tent the night before. They formed a temporary team and entered the vast, desolate Gobi Desert.