Chapter 238: Ancient Pine

Her heart was very uneasy now, but a firm voice told her.

Chen Xun is fine, Chen Xun is safe.

It could even be said that she was unwilling to believe that something had happened to him.

He had never promised her anything, just as she had never spoken to him of the future.

They both had their own goals, and both of them knew in their hearts that the other would not compromise for their sake.

They would forge ahead together, and they could also rely on each other.

But, right now, where have you gone?

Chen Xun, where have you gone?

I cannot find you.

The rescue team did not rest, nor did they dare to rest; if they stopped even for a moment, they would be covered by the heavy snow and frozen into ice by the extreme cold.

"Pass them out." The Rescue Team Captain divided the beef jerky among the people around him, and then it was passed down in turn.

Only those nearby knew that this beef jerky came from that Comrade An.

In this cold night, for someone to be able to give a piece of beef jerky, what a great kindness that was? Although it could not be called a life-saving grace, it was not insignificant either.

Why did everyone admire Chen Xun? Because he always charged to the very front.

The most dangerous villages were all handled by their Main Rescue Team; they carried back one living life after another from the danger zone.

At this moment, no one spoke, and there was no need to speak; they had to conserve their energy to fight for a path to survival.

The sky has brightened...

Military Command Area.

"Is there any news from the front?" Zhang Qian asked.

And what awaited him were the comrades-in-arms shaking their heads.

No news, not a single bit of news.

Zhang Qian paced around the tent a few times, then looked at Liu Tiezhu.

"Company Commander Liu, I leave this place to you; if there is anything, report to the Military District immediately."

"The resettlement of disaster victims brooks no delay; the supplies in the tent are getting fewer and fewer, so the things in that tent can be used now."

"The military doctors are under the full command of Qin Hao; we only need to take good care of the disaster victims."

Zhang Qian gave instructions one by one.

Liu Tiezhu looked at him, "Where are you going?"

These words, one after another, all sounded like a last will and testament.

He had arranged everything—the disaster victims, the supplies, the military doctors, and the matters that could not be handled, to be reported to the superiors in time.

"I am leading a team to bring them back." Zhang Qian was smiling at this moment.

It has been a day and a night; what are the chances of people being alive?

But he must see the person if they are alive, and see the body if they are dead.

Liu Tiezhu's face was full of gravity, "I will go, I will go and bring Snow Ghost and the others back."

"I will definitely bring the brothers home!"

Zhang Qian sighed, "Liu Tiezhu, this is an order."

This is a military order!

A military order that cannot be disobeyed.

Zhang Qian patted Liu Tiezhu on the shoulder; at this very moment, he seemed to have lost his anxiety and even let go of the burden in his heart.

"That fellow Chen Xun is always charging to the front like this; sooner or later, he will die on a mission."

"But it is precisely him who created so many miracles."

"And saved so many people's lives."

"Brother Tie Zhu, I don't feel at ease if anyone else goes."

Liu Tiezhu closed his eyes tightly; he could not let others discover his reddened eyes.

Snow Ghost once said, "Anyone can fall into chaos, but the command cannot; if you are to live, you must stand, and if you are to die, you must stand tall for me!"

He could not be in chaos; if he were in chaos, this Command Camp would be in chaos.

Before the sky had brightened, another rescue team set out, with Zhang Qian leading the team.

Along the way, they kept searching for the Red Mark; that was the marker they had left behind, and also the direction to guide the way.

"Commander, we see a Red Mark ahead."

Walking all the way, they finally arrived at the entrance of the Depression Area.

"According to the map, this is the location of the last three villages, but according to the coordinates of the Red Mark, it seems to have deviated from the village area."

The person in front came to report quickly.

Zhang Qian frowned, "Follow the Red Mark and rendezvous with the rescue team first."

He needed to know the latest news and also confirm the safety of the soldiers.

At this moment, the rescue team was still slowly feeling their way forward; even the Ancient Pine seemed to have been cut down by human hands.

But in this extreme weather, why was the Ancient Pine cut down? At a critical moment, the Ancient Pine is a life-saving tree.

In the north, the Ancient Pine is a life-saving tree.

It is also a glimmer of hope for the people of the north.

How could someone cut down the Ancient Pine? And where did the cut-down Ancient Pine go? Everything seemed like a mystery.

The sky gradually brightened, and the rescue team also expanded the scope of the rescue; from a slow moving speed, they began to organize and speed up.

It has been a day and a night, and everyone's heart is heavy.

"Look quickly, what is that?" a member of Team One pointed into the distance.

That deep green color, those massive trunks.

"Ancient Pine!" someone exclaimed.

And those Ancient Pines were layered and clustered together, some pressed down by the snow above, others swaying on the outside.

It was as if all the Ancient Pines in the low-lying areas had gathered together.

"Assemble," the Rescue Team Captain immediately issued the order.

Seeing the snow on those Ancient Pines, it was clear it had been deposited there before the second avalanche; some of the younger Ancient Pines had already had their main trunks snapped by the pressure.

The older Ancient Pines still stood proudly, supporting the weight.

Everyone lightened their footsteps, moving forward slowly, one footprint at a time.

Through the gaps in the branches and pine needles, everyone looked inside.

But there were simply too many pine trees, as if they covered the entire foot of the mountain, and those layered branches were packed so tightly that it was impossible to see what was inside.

Yet, the fact that these Ancient Pines were all here was, in itself, a strange matter.

The missing villagers, the gathered Ancient Pines, the stranded main team—all these conditions coming together seemed to point to only one explanation!

"Clear the snow slowly from one direction," the Rescue Team Captain quickly issued the order.

Looking at the crisscrossing trunks and pine branches, every one of them hoped that the main team and the fellow villagers were inside; if they were inside, they still had a chance of survival.

The clearing work was long and repetitive, and An Yinan also joined the clearing team.

A person who believed in nothing, she prayed in her heart that he was inside, waiting for her to save him.

Yet she forgot, how would he know that she had come to the disaster area?

In the afternoon, Zhang Qian's rescue team arrived in time, and after understanding the situation, they all joined the ranks of the rescue effort.

"Comrade An, I have brought some good news." Zhang Qian saw An Yinan, and upon seeing that she was safe and sound, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

If any accident were to happen to An Yinan, he wouldn't even know how to answer to Chen Xun.

After sending An Yinan out, he had also felt some regret.

But at the time, she was indeed the most suitable candidate; although she was not a soldier and her physical constitution could not compare to a soldier's, she surpassed all the military doctors.

An Yinan tilted her head and looked at him, her meaning very clear.

If you have something to say, say it! Do you think I want to pay attention to you right now?

Zhang Qian: "..."

In the end, he still said in a low voice, "The pregnant woman you saved has given birth, she has given birth..."

Before he could finish his sentence, An Yinan looked at him, "A boy."

Zhang Qian nodded, then turned his head, "How did you know?"