Chapter 125: A Moment of Crisis

In the snowy mountains.

Wang Baoguo scanned the surroundings. The footprints in the snow had long since been covered by fresh snowfall; there was no trace left to follow.

Anxiously, he asked the soldier behind him, “Which direction did Doctor Zhu go?”

The soldier looked around, the snowy landscape all looked the same; it was impossible to distinguish clearly. “I only remember there was a small stream nearby. We followed to that point but lost sight of Doctor Zhu.”

“A stream?”

Wang Baoguo thought for a moment, then turned and ran in the opposite direction. “We’ll split up to search! Be sure to return to the cave before nightfall.”

He recalled that the stream was about a kilometer away, exactly where he had just seen the mountain goats. Zhu Yan must have gone that way after hearing the gunshots.

Fortunately, the snowfall was easing, and visibility had improved to over fifty meters.

“Zhu Yan! Where are you?”

Wang Baoguo called out as he walked, the echoes ringing through the silence, but there was no response.

Meanwhile, Zhu Yan hurriedly searched for people, paying no attention to direction. It was her first time on the mountain, and when she finally looked back, she found herself lost. The heavy snow and wind, coupled with a full day without food, had left her physically exhausted.

Eventually, she found a place to take shelter from the snow. Curling up, she fell into a drowsy sleep.

When she woke, twilight had fallen, but the good news was the snow had stopped.

She moved her numb limbs; if she couldn’t find shelter for the night, it would be hard to endure.

With just enough light to see the path, Zhu Yan faced two choices: descend the mountain or go up to find the main group…

After much hesitation, she gritted her teeth and headed uphill.

What she did not know was that in the distance, a snowy shadow was crouched, fixated on her.

Back in the cave, the soldiers who had gone out searching gradually returned.

“Should we contact the regiment to inform the battalion commander?”

“I think so. It’s almost dark; the political officer and Doctor Zhu haven’t returned. What if something dangerous has happened?”

“Then what are we waiting for? Radio operator, contact them immediately.”

They gathered, discussing the plan.

The radio operator took out the communication device and sent an urgent distress message down the mountain.

At that moment, Lin You had just returned to his home courtyard. Entering the room, he saw his wife spreading out the bedding. “Honey, you’ve been busy all day. Take a break.”

Xia Yan straightened her back. After a full day, her waist was sore. Being a housewife was truly not a job everyone could handle well.

“I’m really a bit tired. How about porridge for dinner? I saw Mom and Dad brought plenty of pickled vegetables.”

“Good idea. I haven’t had our hometown’s pickles in a long time. My mom isn’t as good at cooking as you, but her pickling skills are famous far and wide. Many people pay for her pickles.”

Hearing this, Lin You found himself craving the taste of those hometown pickles.

At the mountain regiment headquarters, Jiang Weiguo’s face was grave.

Lu Haiyang stood beside him, equally serious. “Old Jiang, I think we should inform Lin You. He knows the mountain conditions better than any of us.”

“There’s no other way. I’ll make the call. You take some soldiers up the mountain. It’s almost nightfall; we can’t afford to waste a moment.”

“Understood.”

Down in the valley, Lin You was building a snowman with three children in the courtyard. Xia Yan watched them smiling, feeling content.

“Captain Lin! Captain Lin!”

A knock interrupted this warm moment.

Lin Hongzhuo went to open the door and saw a soldier standing anxiously outside.

“What’s going on?”

“An urgent telegram from the base. They want you back immediately!”

“Did they say what happened?” Lin You set down the child he was holding, a chill running through him. Being called back at night could only mean trouble.

“No, just to return quickly,” the soldier shook his head.

“All right, I’ll leave right now.”

Lin You didn’t waste a second. “Honey, I’m heading back to the mountain. Please take care of the house.”

Xia Yan nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ve got everything covered.”

At that moment, Lin Hai and his wife came out. “What’s going on?”

“Mom, Dad, there’s an emergency at the base. I have to go back immediately.”

Chen Qiumei looked at the darkened sky and warned, “It’s slippery after the snow. Drive carefully.”

“Don’t worry, Mom.”

Xia Yan watched Lin You’s car drive away, unease tightening in her chest. “Please, nothing bad happens.”

In the mountains, guided only by moonlight, Zhu Yan stumbled forward. “It should be this way… why haven’t I reached it yet? *cough cough cough*…”

Suddenly, two glowing eyes appeared in her line of sight, terrifying her. Zhu Yan hastily drew her gun and fired two shots, but the figure was agile, and her fingers stiffened; she failed to hit it.

The white shape seemed enraged and charged toward her.

It moved swiftly; in the blink of an eye, it was only ten meters away. By the moonlight, Zhu Yan finally saw its face: a snow leopard!

The snow leopard growled several times, lowering its body for a deadly strike.

Zhu Yan aimed and pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed…

In the snow, she was no match for the snow leopard.

Despair… unwillingness…

Her mind flashed through the years of memories.

The snow leopard leapt, and Zhu Yan instinctively raised her arm to block; a sharp pain shot through her arm. Luckily, her military coat was thick, so the leopard’s teeth didn’t bite into flesh.

But the force of the bite made her scream in pain, and she nearly lost consciousness.

When one attack failed, the snow leopard opened its jaws again, this time aiming for her neck.

“Am I going to die?” Zhu Yan’s despair deepened; she couldn’t dodge this fatal blow.

Bang!

Zhu Yan felt a sudden lightness on her body. The snow leopard howled, followed by several more gunshots. She vaguely saw a figure running toward her, but the next second, she could no longer hold on and closed her eyes…

At the mountain base,

Lin You stopped his car and headed straight to the regiment headquarters. Jiang Weiguo paced anxiously inside.

As soon as Lin You entered, he asked, “Old Jiang, what urgent matter brought me back?”

“You’re finally here. The troops on the mountain have had an accident!”

“What?!” Lin You was shocked. On the way back, he had wondered what could have happened, but never imagined it would be the mountain troops… That morning, when Xia Yan told him, he had tried to persuade her not to hide, but now…

Lin You pressed on, “What happened?”

“Doctor Zhu Yan is missing!”