Chapter 155: Cordyceps-Stewed Snow Chicken, Delicious and Nourishing

He took two steps, then slapped his head and chuckled softly.

"I have a drone—why be so cautious?"

Chuckling, he launched the auxiliary drone, then manually switched the main unit's display to its camera feed, swiftly following the bloodstains and Footprints.

After flying over two hundred meters, a reddish-brown shadow suddenly appeared on the screen, motionless in the snow, half its body buried under accumulated snow, utterly still.

Qin Yun's eyes brightened slightly; he guided the drone downward, slowly approaching.

The livestream viewers instantly recognized what lay in the snow—a reddish-brown chicken, streaked with white, black, and crimson patterns.

It was large, fully fifty to sixty centimeters long, plump and muscular, substantial in weight.

"Looks like it's dead? Its head's buried in snow—if it wasn't dead, it'd have suffocated."

"It's huge! Bigger than a domestic duck—how much meat must it yield?"

"Tasty?"

"If you're not afraid of jail, go ahead and try."

"It's only Level Two—won't land you in jail, maybe fifteen days detention at most."

"Never tried it—let Brother Qin taste it."

"Brother Qin says: what else did you think I came here for? You don't think I actually came to save a chicken, do you?"

At this point, Qin Yun hurried forward; the three- or four-hundred-meter stretch, with deep and shallow steps, took him seven or eight minutes to cover.

He brushed aside the snow, checked the Dark Belly Snow Chicken's breath, and exhaled slightly as he faced the camera: "I'm relieved… no, I'm sorry—it's already dead."

"Didn't I hear you say 'relieved' just now?"

"Pfft… Brother Qin just spoke his true thoughts."

"Hahaha, this is hilarious—can you be any more ridiculous?"

"Don't say that—Brother Qin means he's relieved it's dead, so he can eat it secretly."

Qin Yun flatly denied it, solemnly: "Defamation. This is defamation."

He turned the camera away, smirking inwardly—truth be told, he'd already set his sights on this Dark Belly Snow Chicken. But he couldn't do it himself—he'd need to use others, like the soldiers at Tian Shuihai Station.

He hung the snow chicken on the side of his backpack, then quickly returned to the main national highway, strapped on his snowboard, and pressed onward.

His focus remained on large rocks that might appear on the road; though his speed wasn't fast, it wasn't slow either. At 1:10 p. m., his vision caught the Tian Shuihai Station blending into the snowy landscape.

No extra buildings—just a few rows of low, flat barracks, their roofs thickly covered in snow, merging seamlessly with the surroundings.

But what first caught his attention wasn't the station as a whole—it was the red flag fluttering in the bitter wind.

Pure white earth and sky, howling wind, vast and desolate—yet that vivid splash of color moved him deeply.

"Seeing this, I feel strangely moved."

"Same here—I suddenly feel safe."

"Wherever the national flag flies, our soldiers stand guard—that's the ultimate security the PLA gives us."

Qin Yun nodded: "Yes. In such an extreme environment, soldiers remain stationed here year-round—imagine how harsh their duty conditions must be. It inspires deep respect."

"I've felt nature's cruelty all the way here, yet they've held this post for years on end."

"By the way, this station is a military-controlled zone with strict drone regulations—I'll be turning off all camera feeds now. Sorry."

Saying this, he retracted both auxiliary and main drones, shut off the video feed, and quickened his pace.

When he appeared outside the station gate, he was surprised to see three figures there—one, likely a platoon leader like Sui Yang, with a stern, resolute bearing; the other two were non-commissioned officers, roughly his age but with far worse skin condition.

Qin Yun retracted his snowboard, descended from the highway, and walked toward them.

The ground before the station gate was clear of snow, and the flagpole flew the Five-Star Red Flag, snapping loudly in the wind.

"Snap—!"

The lead officer saluted, his voice steady: "Comrade Qin Yun, I'm Xiao Guoquan, duty platoon leader of Tian Shuihai Station. This is Sergeant Shen Ge of First Squad, and Sergeant Fang Xingtong of Second Squad. Welcome to Tian Shuihai Station."

The formal welcome startled Qin Yun; he hurriedly returned the salute.

"Platoon Leader Xiao, Sergeant Shen, Sergeant Fang—hello. I'm Qin Yun. Sorry to disturb you in this snowstorm."

Then, with quiet curiosity, he asked: "I thought this place had no signal—how did you know I was coming? Did Sergeant Sui from Dahongliutan tell you?"

Xiao Guoquan grinned broadly: "Yes. Sui Yang called this morning and briefed me on your situation. That's how we knew."

So that was it.

Qin Yun thought of something and patted his drone: "Platoon Leader Xiao, all my drone cameras are off now—only audio is still live. Is that acceptable?"

"I was just about to remind you," Xiao Guoquan laughed. "Drone flight is strictly prohibited here, but audio-only streaming is fine. Comrade Qin Yun, go ahead and livestream freely."

As they spoke, they ushered Qin Yun inside.

"Comrade Qin Yun, are you planning to rest here today?"

Qin Yun shook his head: "I'll just replenish supplies and keep going—I'll rest overnight at the Siren Gou Checkpoint."

Then he suddenly remembered something, unslung the Dark Belly Snow Chicken, and opened his mouth: "Platoon Leader Xiao, what should we do with this snow chicken?"

Xiao Guoquan gestured for Shen Ge to take it, smiling: "Comrade Qin Yun, we'll report this snow chicken for official disposal by the designated department."

Qin Yun inwardly sighed—thought he could sneak it past the rules, given the remote location and its Level Two protected status, but it turned out the rules were just as strict. Then again, he realized—it made sense. This was a harsh, isolated station; only those with iron will could endure here.

He'd seriously underestimated them.

"Comrade Qin Yun, our station raises some ordinary snow chickens—they're domesticated poultry, safe to eat. Today's lunch is Cordyceps-Stewed Snow Chicken; there's still some left in the mess hall."

Qin Yun's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Platoon Leader Xiao—I won't be polite then."

The livestream viewers couldn't see the visuals, but they could hear the audio.

"Heh, old trickster Qin—Cordyceps-Stewed Snow Chicken? Just thinking about it makes me hungry."

"Damn, black screen livestream—what a mess—but why are viewers still so high?"

"It's just black screen—no big deal. I can play games while listening."

"No choice—this is a military zone, secrets everywhere. Can't just stream freely. Lucky Brother Qin knows the rules—if he'd flown over here with cameras on, he'd be done for."

Qin Yun followed Xiao Guoquan to the mess hall, and perhaps because they had prepared for his arrival, there was still plenty of food left.

When a steaming bowl of cordyceps-stewed snow chicken was brought out, Qin Yun's mouth watered.

After so long, he was already starving.

While eating, Xiao Guoquan left and returned to the guard room, where he reviewed the documents on the desk—his heart was truly shocked.

But if Qin Yun had seen these documents here, he would have been even more stunned.

All his data since his livestream began was right here, thoroughly investigated—even his basic personal information was included. And it was precisely these documents that explained why Xiao Guoquan had paid little attention to his livestream.

If anyone else had launched a drone within the garrison's perimeter, they would have been arrested immediately.

"Ah—so delicious! Cordyceps-stewed snow chicken, tasty and nourishing."

"This meat is so tender—the soldiers here have excellent cooking skills."

"Natural cordyceps, snow chicken raised on the plateau—I feel warmth spreading through my whole body."

Qin Yun ate while praising the meal, leaving his livestream audience utterly exasperated.

"Damn, if you didn't know, you'd think he was doing something shady instead of just eating."

"Fucking bastard, eating so well—when the soldiers get back, they'll shoot you."

"This beast… hey, Qin Yun, beast—I think I just discovered a secret."

Looking at the comments displayed on the desk monitor, Qin Yun was speechless.

"You're just jealous. Drinking a nourishing soup like this in this frozen wasteland? That's an unmatched luxury."

After finishing his meal, Qin Yun stepped out of the mess hall and saw Fang Xingtong outside.

"Sergeant Fang, sorry to have kept you waiting."

Fang Xingtong smiled and shook his head. "Water and rations are already prepared for you—at the guard post by the gate. Let's go."

Qin Yun nodded and followed Fang Xingtong back to the garrison gate. The guard post inside was quite warm—but the temperature difference between inside and outside was fully thirty to forty degrees.

Xiao Guoquan wasn't inside. Only a few supplies sat on the table: water, dried rations, and nothing else.

Fang Xingtong looked puzzled. "Comrade Qin Yun, wait here a moment—I'll go find out where the squad leader is."

"Alright, Sergeant Fang, go ahead."

Fang Xingtong hurried inside and found Xiao Guoquan in the duty room.

At that moment, Xiao Guoquan's face was grave, gripping the phone: "Understood. We have the medicine, but it's eighty to ninety kilometers away—snow has buried the roads, vehicles can't move. The soldiers will take… alright… I'll get there as soon as possible…"

After hanging up, Xiao Guoquan turned to Fang Xingtong. "The Quanshui Lake checkpoint (Dead Man's Gully) has a soldier injured—severe trauma. Medicine is urgently needed. Vehicles can't get through. It must be carried by hand."

Fang Xingtong snapped to attention and saluted. "Squad leader, assign this mission to me—I guarantee completion."

Xiao Guoquan nodded. "Good. Prepare quickly. Depart immediately."

He turned and strode out.

But just as he stepped out of the duty room, he suddenly remembered something: "Has Comrade Qin Yun finished dinner?"

"Yes, he's already eaten. He's waiting at the guard post by the garrison gate."

Xiao Guoquan slapped his forehead, a thought stirring in his mind: "What if we ask Comrade Qin Yun to transport the medicine? After all, he's heading to Quanshui Lake checkpoint anyway."

Fang Xingtong froze. "That doesn't seem right."

The military and civilians are one family, but their boundaries are clear.

This is our mission—how can we entrust it to a civilian?

Xiao Guoquan hesitated. "The medicine is urgently needed. The soldier's injuries are serious—he must receive it within six hours. In this kind of field operation, you really can't match Comrade Qin Yun."

Fang Xingtong clearly didn't believe it. They were seasoned PLA soldiers—how could they possibly be outperformed by an ordinary civilian? Even if this civilian dared to trek through the uninhabited region in winter, that didn't prove anything.

But Xiao Guoquan had seen Qin Yun's file—he had no doubts about this.

After thinking for a moment, he walked out: "I'll ask Comrade Qin Yun—see what he says."

"…."

"Squad leader, you're serious?"

At the garrison gate guard post, Qin Yun had already packed the water and rations.

"Comrade Qin Yun, you still have nearly ninety kilometers to Quanshui Lake (Dead Man's Gully). Even by vehicle, you won't make it before dark. Are you sure you won't rest here?"

Qin Yun smiled. "No problem—I've got this." He patted the snowboard strapped to his back.

Xiao Guoquan instantly recalled the part of Qin Yun's file describing his skiing skills.

He no longer hesitated. He explained everything in full detail.

After speaking, he quickly added: "Comrade Qin Yun, this is not a mandatory request, not an order. Even if you carry the medicine, we'll still send soldiers out—both teams will depart simultaneously. You bear no burden."

Fang Xingtong, who had been about to object, said nothing in the end.

If both teams depart simultaneously, then it's fine.

After hearing this, Qin Yun didn't hesitate at all. Not only was he planning to spend the night at Quanshui Lake checkpoint, but anyone in danger—he would step forward.

"Squad Leader Xiao, no problem at all. It's my duty."

"Good." Xiao Guoquan exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Comrade Qin Yun."

Soldiers are efficient. The matter was settled in under fifteen minutes.

Qin Yun's backpack now held a sealed box of specialized medical supplies—he didn't know what was inside.

"Comrade Qin Yun, safe travels."

"Thank you!"

Qin Yun thanked Xiao Guoquan and Fang Xingtong once more, then walked out of the garrison gate without hesitation.

Looking up at the national flag fluttering in the wind, Qin Yun turned back to the two men. "You've worked hard."

Xiao Guoquan and Fang Xingtong saluted. "Watch your step."

Qin Yun nodded, stepped onto his snowboard, leaned slightly forward—and in the next instant, he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, gliding swiftly along the national highway.

The snowboard raced against the biting wind, astonishingly fast.

The two at the door stared, momentarily spellbound.

Only after Qin Yun's figure vanished completely into the snowstorm did two more shadows depart from the outpost, braving the wind and snow, step by step, stepping into the snowfield.

The snow still fell.

The wind still howled.