Chapter 74: Micro-Battlefield and the Light of Life

The sky gradually brightened, but it was difficult to disperse the thick smoke and oppression lingering on the Cuiyun Mountain peak.

The open fire had been restrained under the power of the united cooperation of the military and civilians, but the real threat often hid out of sight.

Inside the temporary command, the atmosphere did not ease because of the arrival of dawn.

The general commander pointed to the dark red areas marked on the three-dimensional situation map, his brows locked: "These hidden fire points are too fatal!"

"The surface looks fine, but it might be burned hollow underneath; if a person steps on it, they fall into a fire pit!"

"And the 3rd squad that lost contact before, their last signal disappeared in the P1 area, where the terrain is complex, full of loose rocks and cracks, and large equipment cannot get in at all!"

His gaze turned to Feng Yan: "Team Leader Feng, can your 'little things' drill in and take a look?"

Feng Yan responded immediately: "No problem! The 'Insect Reconnaissance Squad' is prepared for this situation!"

He turned to Chen Guang, "Guangzi, prioritize the P1 area, scatter the mechanical spiders, and conduct a carpet-style search for signs of life!"

"Mechanical centipedes, scan the damp gullies for hidden fire! Butterfly clusters, provide area illumination and communication relay!"

"Instruction issued." Chen Guang's voice was calm and waveless, his fingers tapping on the console.

The next moment, in the broken zone of the P1 area on the edge of the fire scene, which looked like it had been gnawed by a giant beast, several "Mechanical Spiders" drilled out silently from rock shadows and scorched earth crevices.

Their eight bionic legs climbed nimbly over the craggy, strange rocks, delving deep into narrow crevices unreachable by humans.

The micro-thermal imaging sensors and life sign detectors integrated in their heads operated at full capacity, transmitting data back in real time.

"Spider-03 reports, coordinate (P1-A7) detected strong heat source, depth about 1.5 meters, judged to be internal smoldering of a large tree trunk."

"Spider-07 reports, coordinate (P1-B2) detected weak heat source at the bottom of the crack, accompanied by a small amount of smoke overflow, suspected to be the ignition of a small animal nest."

"Spider-11 reports, coordinate (P1-C4) no abnormal heat source found, but the terrain structure is unstable, there is a risk of collapse."

Information poured into the central processor, constantly refining the danger map of the P1 area.

At the same time, two "Mechanical Centipedes" were crawling along the edge of a stream that had not yet completely dried up, their multi-segmented bodies sensing soil moisture and temperature changes, marking natural barriers that might block the fire and dry areas that needed key monitoring.

In the air, several "Mechanical Butterflies" hovered over the P1 area.

They adjusted the angle of their wings, focusing the micro-LED lights they carried on the complex terrain below, providing valuable lighting for the "spiders" deep inside and the search and rescue personnel who might enter later.

More importantly, the "Firefly" laser communication system they carried forcibly supported a stable communication window in this signal blind zone.

"My God, what are those flying things? Glowing big moths?"

"Those crawling below... are spiders? Why are they made of iron?"

"This... this technology is too fantasy!"

Several search and rescue team members who were trying to find an entrance on the periphery of the P1 area couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice as they watched this surreal scene.

Just then, an alarm marked with high brightness suddenly popped up on the screen in front of Chen Guang!

"Spider-05 reports, deep in coordinate (P1-D9), detected irregular heat source outline... comparison analysis, suspected human body shape! Life signs are weak, but exist!"

The command vehicle fell into a silence instantly, and everyone's heart was lifted!

"Amplify the signal! Lock the specific location!" Feng Yan ordered immediately.

Chen Guang operated quickly, mobilizing another two spiders nearby to move toward the D9 area, scanning and confirming from different angles.

Soon, a blurry but indeed human-shaped heat source image was pieced together, curled up deep in an extremely narrow rock crevice, with the outlines of scattered equipment around it.

"Target confirmed! One lost personnel! Location depth about three meters, entrance partially blocked by falling rocks!" Chen Guang's speaking speed accelerated a bit, "Life signs are weak, ambient temperature is high, rescue is needed as soon as possible!"

"Search and rescue team 1! Search and rescue team 1! Go to coordinate P1-D9 immediately!"

"Specific location marked! Found one lost team member, rescue urgently needed!" The general commander's voice carried excitement and urgency, reaching the standby search and rescue team through the communicator.

Almost at the same time as the lost personnel were found, another technology related to the lives of more people was also playing a role quietly.

Near a material transport channel just opened by "Xiao Bai" and the motorcycle team on the west line, thick smoke was still the biggest threat.

Visibility often plummeted, and volunteers riding motorcycles, even following "Xiao Bai," often had to slow down or even briefly lose their way due to suddenly surging smoke.

"Haozi, laser scanning system, can you provide real-time path marking and danger warning for the transport channel?" Feng Yan looked at the yellow warnings (visibility reduction) that appeared from time to time on the west line on the screen, and contacted Wang Hao.

"No problem! Look at Guangzi's laser show!" Wang Hao responded in the communication channel, and then shouted to Chen Guang, "Guangzi, shine a light for our 'civilian iron cavalry' and point out a clear path!"

Chen Guang didn't answer, but the action had already begun. He controlled the laser scanning modeling system deployed on the commanding height and adjusted the emission mode. It was no longer building a fine three-dimensional model, but emitting several low-power, visible laser beams.

These laser beams were like living elves, drawing clear paths in the smoke.

A stable green light pillar pointed straight toward the direction of the safe passage, penetrating the smoke like a lighthouse.

In the danger zones on both sides of the passage, such as soft ash pits and mountain slopes where rocks might roll down, they were outlined by rapidly scanning laser beams with clear red boundaries, like warning tapes.

When encountering obstacles that appeared temporarily ahead (such as fallen trees), the laser beam would project a flashing yellow cross-shaped mark in front of the obstacle.

"Damn! Look! Green light! Pointing the way!"

"Is the red light flashing over there meaning we can't go?"

"What is this yellow cross? Is there something blocking the road ahead?"

The motorcycle team struggling in the thick smoke was shocked again.

"Follow the green light! Avoid the red light area! Slow down and bypass the yellow cross mark!" Wang Hao's voice sounded through the loudspeaker of "Xiao Bai" at the right time, giving a clear interpretation.

"Understood! Follow the light!"

"This is ten thousand times more intuitive than looking at a map!"

"Brothers, follow! This is simply a sci-fi movie scene!"

With the clear guidance of the laser path, the speed and safety of the motorcycle team were significantly improved.

They no longer needed to struggle to identify the direction or worry about falling into a pit; they just needed to follow the green light pillar penetrating the smoke and avoid the red warning areas to efficiently transport materials to the destination.

This "light guidance" dancing in the smoke and dust became a lifeline connecting the rear and the front.

On the micro-battlefield, "Mechanical Spiders" were still shuttling tirelessly, looking for other possible signs of life and marking hidden hidden fire traps.

In the macro vision, the laser cut through the smoke, illuminating the way forward for the busy warriors.

Chen Guang pushed up his glasses, the light of multiple screens reflecting on his lenses.

One was the weak life heat signal from the narrow rock crevice transmitted back by "Spider-05," and the other was the green channel winding forward in the smoke outlined by the laser scanning system.

He didn't speak, just silently adjusted various parameters to ensure that these two technical lines that maintained life and hope would not be interrupted.

Just as the search and rescue team members began to struggle to clear the falling rocks at the entrance of the D9 coordinate according to the precise location provided by the "spider."

Another screen in front of Chen Guang, representing the "Mechanical Centipede" icon, issued an alarm again.

Deep in another stream valley, it sensed an exceptionally vast and extremely high-temperature area.

That meant... a more fatal hidden fire belt lurking under the surface was forming. ===== CHAPTER 75 =====