usatvline Chapter 418 Rescue!
Chapter 418 Rescue!
Old Ma was struck dead by lightning. Meanwhile, a group of missing members of the previous search and rescue team were discovered. They used communication equipment to contact the outside world, informing them of the situation and requesting that someone be sent to remove the bodies. The team continued onward. Having learned a terrifying lesson from this experience, everyone was extremely cautious and dared not underestimate the danger again. This canyon was indeed eerie in every way; no one could guarantee what would happen next.
As the team ventured deeper into the canyon, the environment gradually became desolate, with endless stretches of gray Gobi and desert. Fortunately, no further extreme weather events occurred in the following days.
Another night passed, and the team found shelter in the desert, a hollowed-out spot offering relative protection from the wind. Some pitched tents, others started a fire. These past few days, Zhang Haiyang had been getting quite close to a young woman on the expedition team. She was also from Beijing, a university student—a top student from the China University of Geosciences. It was unclear how they'd gotten together, but they were always sticking together. Judging by her passionate yet reserved nature, it seemed she'd truly fallen in love.
They set up the tent and put away their luggage before this guy finally strolled over.
"It's all set up? Looks like I don't need to lift a finger!"
He plopped down next to them and started warming himself by the fire.
Seeing Zhang Haiyang's smug expression, Zhong Yuemin couldn't help but poke at the campfire with a branch, causing sparks to crackle.
He glanced sideways at Zhang Haiyang, his tone a mix of teasing and seriousness:
"Haiyang, are you serious this time, or are you just like before, looking for something new and playing around with some young girl?"
He paused, lowering his voice slightly.
"Let me remind you, I've observed that Liu Qian. She's from a respectable family, a college student from Beijing, a top student from the China University of Geosciences. She clearly has little social experience and is very naive."
If you're just looking for some fun out of boredom, you should stay away from them as soon as possible and not ruin a good girl's life.
Zhang Haiyang was displeased upon hearing this, and threw the dry branch he was fiddling with into the fire, sending up a few sparks.
"Yuemin, what do you mean by that? What kind of person do you take me, Zhang Haiyang, for? I genuinely think Liu Qian is a great girl!"
As he spoke, that silly grin unconsciously crept onto his face again.
"Really, we get along really well. She knows geology and can explain the rock formations of Death Valley to me in great detail. I like listening to her talk about school, and she loves listening to me brag... no, I mean, listen to me talk about my time in the military."
We have similar interests; we both like listening to music and watching movies... Hey, it's almost like we've known each other for a long time!
He looked at Zhong Yuemin and complained with a hint of grievance:
"Didn't you always urge me before, saying I'm getting old and should find a serious partner to settle down? What, now that I've finally found someone I like and think they're a good match, and I want to seriously pursue it, you're objecting?"
As if suddenly remembering something, his eyes widened, and he leaned closer to Zhong Yuemin, lowering his voice.
"Hey, Yuemin, you wouldn't happen to... have your eye on Liu Qian too, would you? I don't do that kind of thing!"
Zhong Yuemin was amused by his thought process and gave him a playful kick.
"Get lost! Do you think I'm that kind of person? I'm just reminding you! If you think she's a good girl and genuinely want to be in a relationship with her, then show some sincerity and treat her well."
Don't act like you used to loiter around outside the performing arts troupe, so unprofessional. Feelings aren't child's play, especially with young girls.
Zhang Haiyang then stopped joking, patted his chest, and said confidently:
"Alright, alright, my Captain Zhong, although I, Zhang Haiyang, am usually fond of joking, I know what I'm doing in this kind of thing!"
Don't worry, I'm absolutely serious, I promise I won't do anything reckless!
He paused, then regained some of his roguish charm and chuckled.
"Besides, I'm not a complete novice who doesn't know anything. I know how to treat girls well!"
In the dead of night, the Death Valley desert camp was silent except for the howling wind swirling sand and constantly pounding against the tents, making an unsettling sound. Everyone, exhausted from a day's journey, had long since fallen asleep.
"Sister Qing! Xiaoqian! Where are you? Sister Qing...!"
A sudden, urgent, and panicked shout shattered the stillness of the night.
Zhong Yuemin sat up abruptly almost the instant the sound rang out, his face showing no sign of sleepiness.
Once inside this eerie canyon, he dared not fall asleep, maintaining the alertness of a cheetah at all times.
He glanced at his watch; the luminous hands showed it was just past two in the morning.
Zhang Haiyang and Ning Wei, who were standing nearby, were also awakened. Zhang Haiyang rubbed his sleepy eyes and muttered irritably:
"Who is it? Making such a racket in the middle of the night, can't a person get some sleep?"
Zhong Yuemin ignored his complaints, quickly dressed, and crawled out of the tent. The biting cold wind and sand immediately hit him in the face.
He called the two team members responsible for tonight's shift over and asked in a deep voice:
"what happened?"
The team member looked tense and pointed into the depths of darkness, saying:
"It's Miss Yang and Liu Qian from the expedition team. They said they were going out for convenience, and they haven't returned yet. Engineer Wang and the others are looking for them!"
Zhong Yuemin's brows furrowed immediately, his tone stern:
"Haven't I repeatedly told you to keep a close eye on everyone and absolutely not to let anyone act alone?"
The team member felt wronged and defended himself:
"Captain, we've already explained... but Miss Yang said she's nearby and wouldn't let us follow. She even said... it's convenient for women, and it's inappropriate for us men to follow... She's in charge, so we... we didn't dare to forcefully stop her..."
Zhong Yuemin's heart sank. He knew now was not the time to assign blame, and immediately gave the order:
"Light all the torches and flashlights you can! Everyone get up immediately, split into groups, and search quickly!"
Upon hearing that Liu Qian was among the missing people, Zhang Haiyang was instantly wide awake and more anxious than anyone else, rushing to grab a torch first.
Soon, a dozen torches and flashlight beams lit up the dark desert, like flickering will-o'-the-wisps.
The group split into several groups and, braving the increasingly heavy sandstorm, trudged outwards from the camp, calling out the names of Yang Qing and Liu Qian.
"Miss Yang—!"
"Liu Qian—!"
"Where are you—!"
However, all they received in response was the howling wind and the swirling yellow sand.
The night was dark and visibility was extremely low. The torchlight could only illuminate a small area in front of us, as if it could be swallowed up by the boundless darkness at any moment.
Just as everyone was in a state of extreme anxiety, a faint, intermittent cry for help seemed to be carried on the wind, faintly coming from the darkness ahead:
"Yue... Yuemin... We're here... Yuemin... Save us..."