Fang Lei didn’t stay with Lu Lingxi for long before he was called by his colleagues to prepare for the mission. This time, because of the participation of the border police, the large-scale search was handed over to the border police. The anti-drug police from Kunnan City, in cooperation with the local police, only had to search a fixed area.
The area they were going to search happened to be the area around the monster flower, and that was why the local police wanted the workstation staff to cooperate with them and lead the way through the rainforest. After all, the rainforest was full of vines and there were no normal paths, so it would be difficult for first-timers to find the right way by simply relying on directions. Of course, the police explained in advance that the operation would be dangerous, including both dangers from the rainforest itself and from the drug dealers who had slipped through the net, and didn’t force the staff to participate.
The two staff members looked at each other and hesitated for a few seconds before Yan Yue took the initiative and said, “I’ll lead the way.”
Compared to the two staff members, who were good at research but over forty years old, the younger and stronger Yan Yue was in better shape and had more physical strength. He had experience in fighting and shooting and was more suited to the search activities in the rainforest than the workstation staff. He wouldn’t need police protection, nor would he be a burden to the police, and could even help them. As for the most crucial issue – leading the way – Yan Yue had already memorised the entry and exit paths after walking back and forth twice. Even if he encountered places he was not sure of, he had Xiaohei to show him the way, so he didn’t need to worry about getting lost.
When he said this, everyone was taken aback for a moment.
Fang Lei immediately said, “Yan Yue, don’t try to be brave.”
Yan Yue smiled, his tone confident, “I’m not trying to be brave, but I’m more suited for the job of leading the way than the others. I’ve been trained in combat and shooting abroad, I don’t need police protection, and I’ve just been near the monster flower in the morning, I still remember how to get there. Let me go.”
He spoke sincerely, and the leader of this operation gazed at Yan Yue and the other two staff members, and after a long time patted Yan Yue on the shoulder, “Okay, brother, you do it.”
The police were more willing to take Yan Yue along than the researchers who looked like they didn’t have enough strength to bind a chicken. Not to mention Yan Yue’s better physical condition, Yan Yue’s psychological quality was a cut above the other two. Moreover, in the event of a firefight with drug dealers, Yan Yue’s physical strength would allow him to defend himself, which would be less worrying than taking the other two staff members.
When the matter was settled, the leader of the operation found Yan Yue a bulletproof vest. After putting it on, Yan Yue rubbed Lu Lingxi’s hair and said softly, “Xiao Xi is unhappy?”
Lu Lingxi lowered his head and didn’t say anything. He knew that this operation was dangerous, and he also knew that Yan Yue’s physical condition was better than the other two staff members’, and seriously speaking, it was more appropriate for Yan Yue to go to the rainforest. But… it was because of the danger that he didn’t want Yan Yue to go.
Yan Yue knew what he was thinking and assured, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon, it’ll be fine.”
Lu Lingxi nodded hesitantly and looked seriously at Yan Yue, “You promise?”
Yan Yue smiled gently, his heart softening as he said in a deep voice, “I promise.”
He had just finished reassuring Lu Lingxi when Fang Lei hurriedly ran over with Xiaohui in his arms. “Xiao Xi, take care of Xiaohui for me.”
Lu Lingxi agreed and reached out to pick up Xiaohui, but Xiaohui easily broke away from Lu Lingxi’s embrace and agilely jumped onto Fang Lei’s shoulder and stopped there, looking as if he was going to follow Fang Lei on the mission. Once again, Fang Lei picked him up and made him stay by Lu Lingxi’s side.
Xiaohui: “Meow.”
Fang Lei was helpless and talked to him, “Xiaohui, be obedient, I will be back soon. When I come back, you’ll eat dried fish any time you want.”
Xiaohui’s golden pupils narrowed and he unceremoniously swatted Fang Lei with his paw, meowing loudly.
Fang Lei: “……”
One person and one cat couldn’t negotiate, so Fang Lei had to agree to take Xiaohui along. Luckily, since Yan Yue was there, Xiaohui could be considered to be with Yan Yue and it didn’t count as Fang Lei breaking discipline. The group soon left the village and entered the rainforest. Lu Lingxi, Wang Chaoliang and others sent them to the edge of the rainforest.
As they watched Yan Yue’s back disappear, the two staff members looked at Lu Lingxi apologetically; they should have been the ones to lead the way. “Xiao Xi, we…”
Lu Lingxi interrupted them, “Big Brother Yan is physically fit and runs fast in case of danger, it’s most appropriate for him to go.”
Wang Chaoliang patted Lu Lingxi soothingly and said, “Those drug dealers won’t stop in one place for long in the rainforest. They were near the monster flower in the morning and they must have left by now. Yan Yue and the others shouldn’t be in any danger.”
Lu Lingxi nodded vigorously, hoping that it was like Wang Chaoliang had said.
They returned to the village together, and near the entrance of the village they came across a man dressed in local minority attire sitting by the roadside, holding his foot, seemingly injured.
Wang Chaoliang kindly went over and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you twist your foot?”
The man looked up with a bitter smile and answered honestly, “I was just looking for herbs in the forest and was accidentally bitten by a snake.”
They didn’t doubt it; Wang Chaoliang took the initiative to help the man up and asked, “Are you from this village?”
The man shook his head and pointed to the mountain in front of him and said, “I am from another village over the mountain.”
Wang Chaoliang hesitated and discussed with the man, “Then let’s help you get to the village ahead to get some medicine, do you think that’s okay?” The four of them were either too old and too young to take the man back to the other side of the mountain.
The man nodded gratefully and said loudly, “Sorry for troubling you.”
While they helped the man to the village to apply medicine, Yan Yue had already led the police team to the spot where he had found the binoculars. The police quickly dispersed in the surrounding area to try and find more clues. Xiaohui meowed, jumped from Yan Yue’s arms to the ground, ran a few steps to a tree and crouched there, motionless.
Hearing his meow, Fang Lei followed him over and searched carefully under the tree, finding a small puddle of coagulated black blood and a small pinch of yellow powder on the leaves. “What’s this? Has someone been injured here?”
A local colleague came over, rubbed the powder and sniffed it, affirming, “It’s a native medicine we use here, to put on wounds after being bitten by a snake.” He carefully picked up the blood-stained leaves on the ground and was even more certain when he saw the black blood.
“Team Wu, a drug dealer was injured, I think it’s the one who lost his binoculars.”
The man addressed to as ‘Team Wu’ rushed over and quickly judged, “This man should have been alone and left in a hurry after being bitten by a snake, otherwise he wouldn’t have left the binoculars. As for why he came here alone, he should have followed Yan Yue and others.” He looked at Yan Yue as he said this, his tone very sure.
Yan Yue nodded and didn’t say anything. Xiaohei, who was wrapped around his wrist, hissed twice, and the corners of Yan Yue’s mouth curled up slightly as he listened. Xiaohei was coquettish with him, reminding how useful he was. “So where does Team Wu think this person will go?” Yan Yue asked.
Team Wu frowned, “He won’t be able to move too easily even if he applied the medicine on his injuries. He definitely won’t be able to survive inside the rainforest alone. He will either find the others or risk going out of the rainforest to recuperate.”
When he spoke of venturing out of the rainforest, Yan Yue snapped his eyes at him. Team Wu waved his hand, “I know what you’re worried about, Yan Yue, I’ll contact the village right away and ask them to keep an eye for an injured man. If he didn’t make it out of the rainforest, then with his slow speed, Scar’s group definitely won’t get far. Let’s continue our search, we must not let them escape this time.”
The group continued to advance towards the depths of the rainforest, and Xiaohui consciously jumped into Yan Yue’s arms. Team Wu looked at Xiaohui and praised him, “This cat is quite amazing. It was the first to find the blood just now, right?”
Xiaohui meowed and looked at Fang Lei smugly.
Fang Lei laughed when he heard it and whispered to Xiaohui when Team Wu wasn’t looking, “Got it, Xiaohui is the best, when we come back, Xiaohui will eat a lot of dried fish.”
Xiaohui: “Meow.”