Chapter 322: A Bad Feeling
Regardless of which of the two went, Wang An wouldn't feel at ease with such a matter.
So, just as Mu Xueli was about to continue speaking, Wang An interrupted
"Enough. It's the thought that counts. Both of you shut up. Just do what I tell you to do; your only job is to be obedient, got it!"
With Wang An's final word, the two looked at each other and shut their mouths resentfully. Although both were eager to help, they feared Wang An more.
After speaking, Wang An slung the Type 56 semi-automatic over his shoulder, pulled out the Type 54 pistol to check it and chamber a round, then turned and left, carrying the Type 54.
However, after taking two steps, Wang An suddenly stopped. He turned around and unhitched Da Hei from the sled.
Among this pack of dogs, Da Hei was the most impressive. Not only was he a "head-up" scent dog, but he was also fierce and skilled in combat. Most importantly, Da Hei could understand Wang An's words.
After walking for a while, Wang An spoke to Da Hei as they moved
"Da Hei, I'm counting on you in a bit. If you smell anything, you've got to tell me immediately, otherwise we're both screwed."
Da Hei seemed to understand Wang An and let out a couple of whines.
After a moment's thought, Wang An added
"You saw that female wolf at our place, right? If you perform well, I'll let you ride that female wolf in a while."
In truth, regardless of whether Da Hei performed well or not, Wang An wanted the female wolf and Da Hei to get together.
Whether it was a wolf or a dog, once the pups were born and the nursing period was over, they would go into heat again.
Animals in heat were incredibly fierce and irritable, so Wang An had to find a way to solve this problem.
Although Wang An knew that Fang Xiu'e and her sister had medicine to suppress heat in livestock, a wolf-hybrid dog was always a rarity to mountain hunters.
Therefore, no matter what, Wang An wanted Da Hei and the female wolf to give it a try. What if these two hit it off? What if it worked?
No matter what you do, you need the determination to try—in other words, one must have dreams; you never know if they might come true!
Unexpectedly, after hearing Wang An's words, Da Hei immediately began wagging his tail, stood up on his hind legs, and lunged into Wang An's arms.
It seemed as if he wanted to pat Wang An to express his praise.
Wang An was momentarily stunned by Da Hei's reaction. He had never expected that Da Hei had been craving that female wolf for so long.
Wang An hugged Da Hei and patted him, laughing as he said, "Alright, alright, just perform well."
This scene between Wang An and Da Hei left Mu Xueli and Wang Li, who were providing cover with their guns, completely bewildered.
Wang Li asked, "Brother Mu, what do you think Fourth Brother and Da Hei are doing over there?"
After thinking carefully, Mu Xueli replied bluntly, "Every single day with this... you're asking me, who am I supposed to ask?"
While Wang An and Da Hei—one man and one dog—chatted as they headed toward the dense forest, Sun Nian and her group encountered new trouble.
The person carrying the radio next to Sun Nian said, "Captain, several squads are reporting that they haven't seen any human footprints for a long time."
Another person with a radio added, "Captain, other detachments are encountering the same situation, and the areas that haven't been searched are becoming larger and larger."
Sun Nian's martial arts were decent, and her physical stamina was naturally excellent, but even with that, she was now panting for breath.
One had to realize that this group had been conducting a forced march through the snow for nearly three hours.
When mountain hunters entered the mountains without a sled or a horse, relying only on their two legs, they generally carried only a gun, ammunition, a hunting knife, rope, and dry rations.
All these things combined weighed a bit over ten pounds; they carried nothing else.
As the saying goes: "Do not carry a needle for a thousand-mile journey."
These words were not nonsense, but a fact. Even if one weren't walking mountain paths but entirely flat roads, walking for a long time was exceptionally exhausting.
At that point, people would discover that everything they carried was a burden; even a single needle would feel as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Mountain hunters walked exclusively on mountain paths, but there are no real roads in the mountains; simply walking was an incredibly draining task.
Walking in the snow was even more exhausting. Therefore, aside from essentials, mountain hunters entering on foot absolutely brought nothing.
But this group was currently in full combat gear.
Full gear meant that in addition to rifles, pistols, daggers, ammunition, and grenades, they also had water, food, and first-aid kits.
Furthermore, besides those carrying radios, many were carrying army tents and cooking pots.
In short, the average load per person was over fifty pounds.
Mountain hunters accustomed to the wilderness carried just over ten pounds, while these public security officers and soldiers, who didn't always walk in the mountains, were carrying over fifty pounds while performing a forced march.
Comparing the two, it was clear how exhausted these people were.
However, although they were tired, they were used to it; after all, daily training was meant to handle such emergencies.
Hearing this, Sun Nian became even more anxious and worried, muttering to herself
"How can we have unsearched areas? What if Shu Ya is in one of those places?"
Sun Nian frowned and thought for a long while before finally making a difficult decision.
While struggling to keep her breathing steady, Sun Nian said word by word
"Pass my order: ten-man squads are to be split into five-man squads to increase the search area. Each squad must retain one radio and one military dog."
As soon as Sun Nian's order was issued, the two people carrying radios beside her were visibly shocked.
The ten-man squad deployment had been decided by higher-level leadership before entering the mountains, but Sun Nian was now clearly violating regulations.
However, at a time like this, obeying orders was their primary duty. Though shocked, the two began to relay the command.
After they finished, Sun Nian said to them
"Our squad can't be an exception. You two split up as well."
The two immediately wanted to object. As the leader of these 100 people, Sun Nian absolutely could not lose contact with her team members.
The two radios were actually a precaution; while batteries could be replaced if a radio ran out of power, if a mechanical failure occurred, it would be a total disaster.
But Sun Nian continued, "If I cannot be reached, everything will follow Deputy Captain Zhang's lead."
Having said that, Sun Nian continued forward.
The two radio operators, however, had a bad feeling.
Because the phrase "speaking it into existence" usually meant nothing when talking about good things, but when it came to bad things, it was damn near always accurate.
Unfortunately, as long as a leader was the leader, even if she was wrong, you had to listen as if she were right; in the end, you had to follow through.
Thus, not only the two radio operators, but the other seven members automatically split into two squads. A group of four followed Sun Nian forward, while the other five automatically deviated from the original route.
Similar operations were taking place elsewhere, and soon all groups were divided.
If viewed from above, one would see these twenty small groups spreading outward in an expanding fan shape.
At this time, Wang An, led by Da Hei, began to delve into the dense forest.
Just before entering the woods, Da Hei had barked. Clearly, Da Hei had caught a scent.
Hearing Da Hei's bark, Wang An immediately entered a state of high tension, every muscle in his body tightening. His left hand gripping the gun instantly slid his index finger into the trigger guard.
Of course, while being ready to fire was one thing, Wang An was also ready to run at any moment.
For the sake of one's life, running was nothing to be ashamed of.