Yun Lisa rushed to Tianyu Mountain. To her surprise, Mu Jungkook was not there.
The butler said that Mu Jungkook had not been back in two days, and he did not know where he had gone.
Yun Lisa tried to call him, but he did not answer. She called Jin Lei and Li Ryujin too, but neither of them knew where he, Qi Jimin, and Feng Rui had gone.
Just when she was as anxious as an ant in a hot pot, a military off-road vehicle suddenly stopped in front of Mu Mansion.
Yun Lisa looked at the figure getting out of the car and ran toward him.
"Young Commander, something has happened. Feng Yang is missing!"
"I already know about it."
Mu Jungkook removed his sunglasses and pulled her into the house. Feng Rui and Qi Jimin followed behind them, and Grey Wolf was also there with them, holding a laptop.
"You know about it? When did you find out?" Yun Lisa was a little surprised that he had received the news so quickly.
" I just found out. The person I sent to follow Feng Yang said that the three of them were missing, so I hurried back. Grey Wolf's intelligence network is gathering information, and we should be able to find out their whereabouts soon. Let's wait patiently in the meantime."
Yun Lisa turned her head to glance at Grey Wolf's laptop and put down her laptop beside him.
"I just saw a subordinate of Feng Yang. He rushed back and told me that Feng Yang had disappeared in Xingi Town. Feng Yang must have been onto something, which caused his sudden disappearance. I checked the mountainous terrain around the town. If they are not hiding in the town, they must be in the mountains. You see, this mountain terrain is unique, and this area and town have experienced war in the past. The terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack."
"Feng Yang's subordinate came looking for you?" Mu Jungkook's eves darkened. "How did he know where you live?"
If it had just happened, then she should have been on the way back to her apartment and was not at the university.
"I gave my address to Feng Yang. In case of any emergency or accident, he was going to send someone to look for me."
Grey Wolf answered the phone and looked up. "Young Commander, their people may be on the lookout in Xingi Town. If we rush to the town, it will create a big scene, and they will easily catch wind of our arrival."
"Don't enter the town then. We'll go straight into the mountains and search throughout the mountains."
Yun Lisa looked at the mountains on the map and shook her head. "Going into the mountains with a search party will expose us. Our position will be evident if they are hiding in the shadows. Moreover, we are not sure how many of them there are or whether or not they are in the mountains. If they have weapons, we will easily be destroyed once we are in the mountains. If the people who kidnapped him are from drug gangs and have mercenaries, it could be extremely troublesome."
It was hard for her to remain calm at this time. Mu Jungkook nodded and said, "No matter who it is, we will send people to check it out first.
With so many people living in those mountains, there will certainly be people in the town who have seen strangers come and go. Grey Wolf, get them to send me reliable information."
"Yes, sir!" Grey Wolf immediately passed on the orders to his subordinates after responding.
Xing Town was neither big nor small, but precisely because of its unique terrain and the fact that they did not know how strong their opponents were, they did not dare to act rashly in this matter.
Mu Jungkook turned to look at Yun Lisa, who was beside him. He frowned and said, "We will take care of the rest. Stay here tonight and don't go home today. The butler will take you back to school tomorrow morning."
Yun Lisa raised her head to look at him and shook her head resolutely. "I can't go back yet. Feng Yang was implicated because of me. I can't sleep soundly until his safety is confirmed."
He was the only child of the Feng family. If anything happened to him, how could she ever face Old Chief Feng?
Moreover, listening to Mu Jungkook's tone, she could tell that they did not have the upper hand and things were not looking positive.
Evidently, he did not want her to get involved.
Very soon, the people Mu Jungkook had dispatched to survey the situation had news for them.
Xingi Town used to be a crucial military site in the past, and several battles had taken place there. Later, local people had discovered ore in the mountains.
Therefore, excavation and mining operations began in that area.
Decades had passed, and the mineral resources had gradually dwindled away, resulting in the original miners leaving the mines to live in the small town.
Later, the government developed the tourism industry locally, and more and more people came as tourists to the small town. Few people bothered to venture into the abandoned mining areas that were still up in the mountains.
In addition, after several landslides, the mining area became more deserted, and almost no one went there.
In recent months, a group of people had gone up into the mountains. They claimed that they were conducting geological surveys in response to the government's request to plant more trees. They'd brought a group of experts to the mountains to inspect the foliage.
This group of people lived up in the mountains and seldom went down to the town. No one knew what they were doing, and they did not even know their exact location.
However, new faces were entering the town frequently. They went up to the mountains after their arrival, but no one saw them again.
This was the only piece of news that was sent back, but Mu Jungkook had figured out the general gist of the situation.
The group of people who claimed to be geologists obviously had an ulterior motive that they were carrying out in the mountains. Mu Jungkook's people would have to conduct some investigations in order to find out what was really going on.
"Grey Wolf, check if there are any recruitment listings of late. The location would be in this small town. Keep an eye out especially for the recruitment of outsiders."
"Yes, sir!" Grey Wolf quickly tapped on his keyboard after responding. He swiftly retrieved several sets of job advertisements from the database.
"These job advertisements are recruiting workers who are from outside of the town. They only recruit people from outside the town who live in the villages and towns nearby. The jobs they are recruiting for are for miners and long-distance truck drivers. I guess they are recruiting for these positions to increase their credibility. After all, this place was originally a mining site. They are not targeting the people in the town because if they didn't return, someone would alert the police to go up the mountain to search. They are very cautious about their operations."
"It seems that their plan has been laid out very carefully. Since they are so cautious, it must not be any simple tree-planting activity."
Furrowing his brows, Mu Jungkook studied the topographic map on Yun Lisa's laptop and rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"Grey Wolf, could you check the database to see if there were large quantities of hazardous biochemicals in Jun Country that were reported missing or stolen recently. Hurry!"
"Okay!" He responded immediately. Yun Lisa's heart sank a little as she considered what Mu Jungkook had said. Coupled with his previous analysis, a wave of worry arose in her heart.
She raised her head and glanced at Mu Jungkook. The two seemed to have an unspoken understanding and could recognize the anxiety in each other's eyes.
"If.." Yun Lisa paused and took a deep breath to compose her emotions. "If those people have entered the mountain to develop biological weapons to use for biological warfare, those who applied for the jobs but have not left have probably become lab rats."
They could not find detailed data, neither did they know how many people had applied for the jobs posted. If they were doing some forbidden obscure research, then the fates of those people were looking grim.
Recalling back to her past life when she had experimented on herself, Yun Lisa still felt an unspeakable pain and chill in her bones.
If she had guessed it right, Feng Yang and the people who had been taken with him were in a dire situation.
Moreover, they were not familiar with the topography there. If the captives could not find their bearings in time and were in a passive situation, they could be at a higher disadvantage the longer they were there.
"Young Commander..." Yun Lisa turned to look at him, but before she could open her mouth to speak, Mu Jungkook had walked over and patted her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. I will deal with it." Mu Jungkook reached out and pressed her toward him in a hug. He raised his head and locked eyes with Grey Wolf.
"Inform our spies in the town to send us a guide who is well-versed in the topography of the mountains. This must be done stealthily and not draw any attention at all."
Everyone was working at top speed.
They were in a hurry, and no one dared to delay for a moment.
"Feng Rui, contact the biochemical department and ask them to send a batch of protective clothing immediately just in case."
"Yes, sir!"
"Qi Jimin, get Jin Lei to send two special forces teams to Tianyu Mountain right away."
"Yes, sir!"
As soon as he finished giving out the orders, Mu Jungkook took out his mobile phone and called Li Ryujin.
"Come on up to Tianyu Mountain.
This is a Grade B mission."
Yun Lisa stared at Mu Jungkook, who was giving orders. The atmosphere in the living room had never been as tense as it was right now.
"Young Commander, I found it!" Grey Wolf connected to Yun Lisa's laptop and sent the information to her so he could view it.
"There was a vehicle loaded with experimental supplies on its way to a medical laboratory in a southern city that went missing. The vehicle overturned with the driver inside and fell to the bottom of a cliff. However, the people sent to recover what was in the vehicle did not find the test supplies in the truck. Only a destroved vehicle frame was left behind "
Mu Jungkook frowned as he looked at the photos taken at the scene with a thoughtful look. "Clearly, this was a planned heist."
Yun Lisa sat down abruptly and turned to look at Grey Wolf. "Show me the list of the experimental supplies that were in the vehicle. I want to know what the other party has taken away."
"All right!" Grey Wolf quickly pulled up a list of experimental supplies and sent it to her.
Yun Lisa studied the chemicals on the list. The more she looked, the more shocked she became.
"Look at this, Young Commander. These chemicals can develop a virus similar to Lassa fever. This virus is a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus belonging to the Arenaviridae family. Lassa fever is known to exist in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and parts of Nigeria, but may also be present in other West African countries. Lass fever was first discovered in the 1950s and is a zoonotic disease, which means that humans get infected through contact with animals. The animal host of the Lassa virus is a rodent of the genus
Mastomvs."
After a pause, she blurted out the rest of the knowledge she had just found out, "Although this kind of virus is rampant in West African countries, it is not present in our country yet. However, we cannot deny the possibility of the virus being man-made. If one follows its formula and researches the same infection intensity virus, they could use the biological weapons to wage biochemical warfare. This kind of virus spreads extremely fast, and it can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with a patient or contact with the patient's contaminated blood or body fluids. It is nearly impossible to prevent! After the initial outbreak of the Lassa fever virus, scientists had developed antibodies and Lass fever virus antigens. But if they enhance the virus or even produce a similar virus source, then the real Lassa fever antibodies will have no effect. Once the virus is created, the people behind this could also produce antigens and antibodies and sell them to countries at war. This would be an extremely lucrative operation."
Everyone knew what this meant.
Biological warfare had long been illegal throughout the world, and this practice no longer existed due to international prohibitions.
Regardless, there were still people who intended to use such despicable means to make a fortune from warfare. They even went to the extent of conducting experiments on living people. It was simply unforgivable.
Mu Jungkook realized that this was not a simple kidnapping case, but it involved biochemical drug production. There was no way to solve it privately. He would have to call on the highest levels of the President's Office to seek further instructions.
Although it was yet to be determined whether a virus was being developed, no one dared to take this matter lightly.
After Si Jingting received Mu Jungkook's call, he did not dare to ignore the situation. He issued a direct order from the highest level, summoning all departments to cooperate with Mu Jungkook to eliminate the hidden dangers and prevent such biological weapons from falling into the hands of those who wanted to exploit them.
After Mu Jungkook had made sure that the arrangements were in order, he headed back upstairs and changed into his camouflage uniform.
When he went downstairs again, Yun Lisa had also changed her clothes in the guest room and stood silently in the living room waiting for him to come down.
Standing by the staircase railing, Mu Jungkook looked down at Yun Lisa, who had changed into her camouflage uniform. He strode downstairs with a dark face.
He had had no plans to take her along on this mission.
She seemed to have read his mind and acted first, changing her clothes and waiting for him, so there would be no room for discussion.
"Must you go?" Mu Jungkook raised his hand to readjust the collar of her camouflage uniform, his thin lips pressed into a stiff line. He looked rather helpless.
The uniform she wore had been especially tailored to her size by Mu Jungkook. The clothes were still very new, and there was a faint smell of laundry detergent on them.
Compared with his camouflage uniform, she looked like a newcomer who had just started out on the battlefield. She was full of the vigor and vitality of a new recruit.
Evervone else was different from her.
They had all been on the battlefield for a long time.
They were survivors who had persevered through rains of bullets.
Their bodies reeked of the stench of death and the icy coldness of the forest, and they had no traces of life and vitality.
"If you leave me here, I won't be able to be at ease. I have some experience with these kinds of biological weapons and may be able to help. I promise I won't hold you back. I can take care of myself."
"Since you have decided, let's go!"
Mu Jungkook nodded quickly and turned to look at Li Ryujin and the others, who had already applied camouflage face paint, then walked toward Great White, who was standing by the stairs.
Mu Jungkook took an ultra-thin bulletproof suit from a compartment in the wall and put it on Great White. After he had disguised him, he raised his hand and touched his head.
"Our hopes are on you, Great White!"
The mountain forest was his playground. Since they did not know who they were facing, he had decided to let Great White go over and use a positioning device that was attached to his suit to determine their opponents' location. If they were out in the open while their opponent hid in the shadows, their army could be ambushed before they could even get near to their nest.
Great White opened his mouth and rumbled as he rubbed his head lightly against Mu Jungkook, obedient and well-behaved.
The group quickly boarded the helicopters, and the five helicopters flew to Xinqi Town.
Qi Jimin, Feng Rui, and Li Ryujin went to pick up their guide near the town, while the others flew directly to the mining area near Xingi Town.
The helicopter hovered over the forest near the mines, and the group of people quickly descended into the dense foliage.
On summer nights, the woods were a little bit cooler. The cacophony of cicadas and insects echoed like a symphony and resounded through the night sky.
The night sky was void of light and facilitated their secret movements.
Great White made his way quickly through the woods, while Grey Wolf followed the team holding his laptop, and the laptop screen glowed with a faint blue light.
The light indicator that showed Great White's position flickered and moved on the screen.
Following the direction in which it moved, the small team led by Mu Jungkook followed behind.
Li Ryujin led a small team to occupy a vantage point. After meeting up with the guide, Qi Jimin and Feng Ru led another group to block the possible escape points.
The team led by Jin Lei was the last layer of response. All the arrangements were carried out silently under the cover of night, and they agilely and swiftly approached the mines.
Soon, the location indicator from Great White's body stopped moving.
From Mu Jungkoo's training, Great White would move left and right slightly to indicate his target's location after discovering the target.
Grey Wolf looked at the slight left and right movements on the screen, clicked the marker, and zoomed in on the position. After determining where it was, the bulletproof suit on Great White sent him a small electric current, summoning him back to convene with the group.
Squatting in the grass, Mu Jungkook looked at the location on the laptop's screen, which was less than 500 yards away from them.
Taking off his wireless headset, he ordered Li Ryujin to confirm the direction and location.
Soon, the group of people quietly arrived at the location that Great White had just confirmed. They were on high ground, and the other party was in a low indented place between the mountains called a col.
A faint light emanated from a zinc-roofed shed in the mountain col, and they could hear low voices talking.
Yun Lisa was holding her sniper rifle and the periscope she had brought with her. After she'd measured the distance and orientation based on the level gauge, she turned to look at the man beside her.
"This time, will you let me be your spotter?"
This was actual combat in the true sense, at least for her.
"Okay." Mu Jungkook nodded and handed her the binoculars he was holding. He turned around and put his loaded sniper rifle on the ground.
Their location was on high ground, and it was the best vantage point, but this was not the mountain peak, and they were uncertain whether there would be snipers around them.
Through the periscope, Yun Lisa looked at the figures in the green lens. These instruments were her eyes in the dark night.
Many people were stationed in the mountain col, and she did not dare miss out on a single location, even the vantage points on the mountain. After surveying everything carefully, she had indeed discovered two snipers.
If there were snipers in this kind of place, it meant that there were also mercenaries with weapons and equipment guarding the mountain col.
"Two snipers in different positions."
Mu Jungkook added a silencer to his sniper rifle, pressed on the mic button of his headset, and said to Li Ryujin, who was on the other side of their vantage point, "There are two snipers, so it's one each. Don't give us away."
Li Ryujin looked at the surrounding scene through her binoculars and curled her lips. She said to Yun Lisa on the the headset, "My spotter is not here now. Girl, come on over."
Yun Lisa answered faintly, "All right."
After determining the specific positions of the two snipers, Yun Lisa said to Li Ryujin, "He is at 9:00 o'clock in the direction of the light in the mountain col at 260 yards elevation, and the wind is southerly."
She continued after a pause, "You need to get rid of them at the same time. Otherwise, if one is shot before the other, the remaining one will sound the alarm immediately."
Mu Jungkook understood this. As he was a sniper and Li Ryujin was a spotter, they had the most basic teamwork.
"Young Commander, look toward three o'clock at an elevation of 190 feet to the left. On your mark, three, two..."
Before she finished counting down, two pops sounded from the headset into one another's ears. The two snipers had been killed silently in the darkness.
After they shot down the snipers and eliminated the hidden trouble on the higher ground, Mu Jungkook put away his sniper rifle and commanded Li Ryujin to keep the situation at the vantage point under control and shoot down the enemy after they emerged.
Mu Jungkook stroked Great White who had come back and positioned himself next to Grey Wolf. "When we come out, immediately notify
Jin Lei to come over."
"Yes!"
In the dark, a few lonely stars dotted the night sky. The shadowy night shrouded the entire mountain forest in darkness.
Mu Jungkook passed his and Yun Lisa's sniper rifles to Grey Wolf and gave her a hand pistol, "For close combat, this is more suitable for
you!"
After receiving the pistol with a silencer and four bullet cartridges from Mu Jungkook, Yun Lisa quickly loaded the gun and turned to look at the dark-eyed man next to her. In the night, her faintly twinkling eyes were as bright as stars.
"Baby, do you regret meeting me? You've had to face this kind of scene only after meeting me."
Yun Lisa smiled. She did not expect that he would ask such a question at this time. She blinked twice and said, "It is a great honor to give one's life on the battlefield for our beloved country. Since this is your belief, it is also my belief."
His beliefs had gradually influenced her. As she was on her way to becoming stronger, it had become her unwavering belief.
He had never regretted this path, so how could she regret it?
What a great expression: to sacrifice one's life for one's country, perhaps never knowing one's final resting place.
He could never have imagined that his conviction, which required a lifetime's devotion, would become her faith also.
"As I could only expect of the woman whom I, Mu Jungkook, have fallen in love with... If you have no regrets, I will be by your side, till death do us part!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Mu Jungkook reached out and grasped her neck and pressed his head down to claim her lips with a ravenous kiss.
"..." The phrase "I will be by your side, till death do us part!" landed a direct blow on Yun Lisa's heart.
Lying on the ground feeling baffled, she blushed from head to toe, feeling moved but also awkward.
Thankfully, there was no moon and it was pitch dark so no one would notice her predicament at the moment.
What the h*ll! Is he not aware that they were surrounded by a small group of his special forces team members?
More important, Grey Wolf is sitting behind the tree right next to her. She wished he could be more aware of their situation.
Where is the dignity of your position as the Young Commander? What happened to the noble, cool, and arrogant Young Commander?
"Come on! Let's head down. Watch your steps, everyone."
Mu Jungkook instructed the team with the headset and flicked Yun Lisa's nose, "Especially you, you should be the most careful!"
Yun Lisa nodded. When it came to her own safety, she certainly would not take it for granted.
The group slowly descended down the mountain pass in the dark. With Li Ryujin on the higher ground fighting off any enemies who might discover them, no one had any qualms. Moving with skill and agility, like panthers through the night, taking the initiative silently.
With the help of a periscope and a good hiding spot, Li Ryujin kept an eye on every movement within the mountain pass and reported the location of each enemy to Mu Jungkook.
"Five houses, a total of six armed men on either side of the door... I'll take care of the two innermost ones for you, leaving four..."
Crouched in the bushes, Yun Lisa looked at the two patrolling in front of her with dark subdued eyes, "I will deal with the middle two."
Mu Jungkook looked at the two closest to him and lightly crooked his lips into a smile. "The rest are mine."
The three of them worked together in perfect sync. Just as Li Ryujin finished the last one, that person simultaneously fired a shot overhead as he was shot.
Just a shot, but a resounding loud sound that instantly alarmed the people in the houses with zinc roofs.
Li Ryujin cursed under her breath. Mu Jungkook frowned and ordered Li Ryujin, "Guard your vantage point! Everyone else, break out with me!"
"Group A, you're in charge of the left side. Group B, you're in charge of the right side. Yun Lisa and I will deal with the middle."
The task was quickly distributed, and the team fired quickly as the people inside the house rushed out.
Crisp gunfire rang out in the darkness, as the people inside all the shelters rushed out. However, one of the structures in the middle did not show the slightest movement.
Yun Lisa and Mu Jungkook exchanged glances. Then the two of them bypassed the houses on the left and right and rushed toward the house in the middle.
At that very moment, there was a gunshot from the other side of the mountain.
The two did not delay. While the A group and the B group held the fire on both sides, they rushed to the innermost house.
The house had no lights on. Mu Jungkook nodded to Yun Lisa and gestured, and she covered his rear while he went inside.
Groping for the lock, he quickly threw a flash bomb inside.
The light flashed and illuminated the whole house at the same time.
Two gunshots suddenly came from inside the house. Mu Jungkook quickly dodged one shot, but the other grazed his arm.
Yun Lisa watched as the bullet grazed Mu Jungkook's arm and reacted instinctively. At the same time as the light was extinguished, before the other side could fire a second shot, she determined the other side's position and fired a shot.
With Mu Jungkook injured, Yun Lisa couldn't have cared less about the people in the house. She supported him to a place where he could hide behind a barrier.
"Go and save them now." Mu Jungkook clutched his arm, soothingly squeezing the back of her hand. "It's just a scratch, I'm fine! Save the people first!"
"All right!" At a time like this when there was no room for consideration, Yun Lisa did not insist. She picked up her gun, checked the bullets, and quickly stood up.
"Be careful, make sure to check if there are still any enemies left in there before you enter."
Yun Lisa nodded and threw the flash bomb she'd brought into the house, while she stood by the only window.
The moment the flash bomb went off, she quickly determined the situation in the house, crawled to the door, and pushed it open with the muzzle of her gun.
Just as the people on the other side of the door heard the sound and stared intently at the door, thinking she would come in through there, Yun Lisa crept back to the window.
Looking through the window into the house and adjusting her gun's position, she fired a shot at the position where she had just determined one of the enemy lay.
With a BANG!, the sound of a person being struck by a bullet and collapsing came from within the house.
In the absence of any light, relying only on the flash bomb to determine people's positions, it is fairly easy to make mistakes about the locations of people and things.
Any subtle deviation could cause a shot fired to miss its target, and yet she had accurately eliminated her opponent in the dark.
Whether it was her marksmanship or the calmness of her mind, it made Mu Jungkook narrow his eyes with a sense of pride.
To be able to react so quickly despite his injuries, his little vixen is really something, both smart and perceptive.
After eliminating the last enemy, Yun Lisa entered the house and touched the wall to quickly find the button to turn on the lights.
Only after the lights had been turned on did she see the people who had fallen to the ground and their opponents who had been shot down.
Seeing her enter, the restrained Feng Yang struggled. Yun Lisa hurried over and untied the ropes on his hands and removed the tape from his mouth.
"Luckily you were quick to react and got all of them, otherwise it wouldn't have been easy to kill the people standing behind you."
Once again rescued by Yun Lisa, Feng Yang didn't seem as happy as he should be. His face was grim as he stood up and helped untie the others.
"What on earth is going on? How did you guys get tied up too?"
Yun Lisa looked at the man who helped them untie the ropes. Only a few of them had been locked up in the house. How about the other people who had been recruited to come work up on the mountain?
"There's no time for explanations at the moment. We have to hurry to the other side. This is just a temporary post for them. The other place has imprisoned a lot of people. They are conducting biochemical experiments on living people."
His words confirmed Yun Lisa and Mu Jungkook's speculations. Yun Lisa turned to look at him and asked, "What is the location? Are you sure?"
Just as he spoke, a round of gunfire suddenly sounded from the other side of the mountain pass. Then it got quieter.
"It's probably fine. Let's go!" Feng Yang came out of the house with his men, Yun Lisa helped Mu Jungkook, who was sitting behind the barrier, and they all rejoined the small team that had been following behind them.
Feng Yang looked at Mu Jungkook, who had injured his arm, frowned, and said quietly: "There are still many people in the laboratory on the other side. We have to hurry over there!"
Without waiting for Mu Jungkook to speak, Yun Lisa decisively gave the order: "Follow him over to save the people. I'II stop the bleeding on Mu Jungkook's arm. Remember to change into your biohazard suits! We will be right over!"
Even if it's only a penetration wound, if it hurts the vascular artery and the bleeding is not stopped in time, too much blood loss can lead to shock and coma, or even death!
Mu Jungkook nodded. "You guys hurry over. I'll send Jin Lei over for support!"
"Yes, sir!" The squad leader answered and followed Feng Yang to quickly disappear into the night.
In the dim light, Yun Lisa hurriedly poured out the contents of the medical bag she had brought with her, identifying hemostatic powder and bandages to temporarily stop the bleeding for him.
The cool night air was filled with the strong metallic stench of blood.
She seemed to be gradually getting used to this tense environment and was also able to accept the psychological pressures that comes with actual combat.
Mu Jungkook watched her skillful dressing of his wound. His sweetheart is growing up and will eventually mature into the woman he wants.
But seeing her like this, he was inexplicably heartbroken.
"Babe, all hell is empty and the devil is on earth. Such a h*ll on earth! Do you have any regrets about becoming involved with me?"
"Young Commander, why do I feel like the one who is regretting it now is you?" Tying up the bandages, Yun Lisa raised her head to look at him.
This road was her own choice, and she had never regretted it.
Although it was not because of him that she had become involved in the beginning, she would inevitably have had to face these things eventually on her path to becoming stronger.
However, she has no regrets. It is her honor to fight alongside him.
To be able to stand by his side at the end... This is now her faith.
Mu Jungkook smiled and did not speak. He would not say even if he did regret it.
"I should take responsibility for causing you to get hurt." Indeed, the person who should have regrets should be her.
If she had not cooperated with Feng Yang in an attempt to lure Crocodile out, this mess would never have occurred, and he would not have been implicated.
The fact that he had to help her clean up the mess was indeed her fault for not thinking everything through enough.
"It was not your responsibility at all. However, if Babe wants to be responsible for me, I won't refuse."
"..." Yun Lisa glared at him in exasperation. What a time to be making jokes!
"I don't care about anything else, and I don't lack anything. If you really want to be responsible for me, why don't you...give the rest of your life to me?"
"..." The sound of gunshots in the mountain pass were still sounding in their ears and this man, who was not even afraid of death, was now confessing his love in this situation.
Yun Lisa couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
"If you don't like the idea, how about I give the rest of my life to you!"
"Is there a difference?" In order to hide her embarrassment and reddening face, she reached out and helped him up from the ground.
"There is!" Mu Jungkook frowned a bit. The pain from the wound had subsided with the shot of anesthetic that she had administered, but he disliked the feeling of weakness and numbness in his right hand.
Our chances of success are particularly low if you are not willing to give the rest of your life to me. But if I give the rest of my life to you, then the success rate will be much higher. After all, I am more than happy to do so from the beginning to the end!"
"Oh, to become a member of our Yun family, aren't you afraid that Commander Mu will break your legs?"
Gathering up her medical supplies, she dragged him in the direction of the shooting. At this moment, Grey Wolf and Great White also descended from the mountain.
"My marriage is out of his hands. I'm the one in charge of the Mu family. I'lI make my own decisions on marriage."
Yun Lisa paused in her tracks. She really wanted to give him a compliment for being able to joke about such a thing on the battlefield.
"Young Commander, if you want to join the Yun family, there are conditions."
"For example?"
"Only those who return alive from the battlefield are qualified."
She only wants him to live. She doesn't care about any other external conditions, any identity, any person in power.
In the past, she might have thought that she would have to be strong enough and her status high enough to have people not underestimate her, in order to be truly worthy of him.
Now, she would like to add one more condition: she would like both of them to be alive and well.
Only by being alive can we go on to do more things.
"All right, I promise you," Mu Jungkook nodded, raised his left hand, and petted her head. "I will return alive to see you, no matter what!"
This was his promise, a promise that he used his life to bet with.
The gloomy night was illuminated by scattered orbs of light and the air carried a heavy scent of blood.
The three who followed Great White found a temporary research institute that was hidden in the valley of another mountain. Compared to the metal shelter on the other side, there were a few fully completed buildings made entirely of glass. However, the research institute emitted a dark and chilling presence.
After the sudden burst-in by Qi Jimin and Feng Ru, the researchers of the research institute had been apprehended by the special forces soldiers.
The forces had also freed 20-something living people who had been locked in the labs and used for experiments. The medical staff and biology experts brought in by Jin Lei had taken over the isolation for these people to prevent a second infection.
"Young Commander! He escaped!" Qi Jimin and Feng Rui reported. After surveying the area, except for a few men who were injured, many others they had found lying around had been brutally murdered.
The mastermind behind the human experiments had escaped from their clutches.
"How did he do it? We had guards stationed at every possible exit in the mountains when we arrived. Our men are all out there. How could they have escaped?"
Suddenly, Yun Lisa turned toward the guide who had been escorting the men and asked urgently, "Is there any other exit in these mountains? Like an abandoned mine shaft?"
The guide thought deeply and replied, "There is one last escape route. That would be one of the underground mine tunnels, but it has been years since it was last used. With all the internal collapses of rocks inside the mountain, many tunnels have been completely buried. Unless they dug another mine tunnel toward the outside while they were here.. Just as the guide finished speaking, Feng Rui rushed in from the lab. "
"Young Commander!" He spoke while he was panting, "We found a tunnel near the back gate of the lab. There were footprints on the ground, he must have escaped through there!"
"Update the units. One unit will follow Grey Wolf and survey the base of the mountain. Observe any movement in every inch of it! B unit follow me!"
"I'm going too!" Yun Lisa marched up to Mu Jungkook, but once she got there, Mu Jungkook blocked her path immediately.
"Why would you go in? We don't know what the situation is inside yet. It's safer to wait outside!"
"No! Your wounds need immediate medical attention. What if something happens inside? I need to go in with you!"
The injuries on his arm had extended beyond the layers of skin into his muscles. The wound could be infected, or worse, the bleeding would continue if it was not treated within three hours. Additionally, with what little oxygen there was in the cave, he might go into shock or even die.
She was the only one equipped with medical tools, and she was worried about what would happen if someone else went in instead of her.
With a pause, Yun Lisa turned to face the special force soldiers behind her and made an order on behalf of Mu Jungkook.
"As we lack knowledge of the situation and for the sake of keeping everyone safe, we will avoid going in in large groups. Young Commander, Feng Rui, Qi Jimin, and I will head in, the rest of you will wait outside for any updates.
Turning around, Yun Lisa signaled to Grey Wolf with a nod and raised her hand to secure the tracking watch on her wrist.
"Since we all have tracking devices on us, Grey Wolf, could you use the tracking directions to determine the estimated point of exit. We need to catch him fast. He will be harder to track if we let him get away!"
She had given a thorough analysis of the situation, and Mu Jungkook knew he could not stop her even if he wanted to. Moreover, her order had covered all of what he had intended to say.
There was no point in putting others in danger because he is panicking about her being in danger.
"Sure, we will follow her orders." Mu Jungkook nodded and turned toward Grey Wolf. "Monitor the tracking constantly and maintain communication."
Once the orders were made, Mu Jungkook turned back to the girl beside him who was fully equipped and ready to go. Knowing what a collected and detailed person Yun Lisa was was truly a reassuring moment for Mu Jungkook.
Completely unexpectedly, the moment Yun Lisa and Mu Jungkook stepped into the tunnel a loud explosion could be heard from within it.
Qi Jimin and Feng Ru, who were following them, watched as a giant boulder fell right in front of them, blocking their line of vision. Then, just as they tried to rush in after Yun Lisa and Mu Jungkook, the tunnel exploded once more.
"Young Commander!" The strong explosion had completely shattered the rocks at the entrance of the tunnel. Now, since the tunnel was narrow to begin with, the explosion had blocked off any path of entry.
The special forces who were waiting outside tried to rush in after the booms and tremors of the explosion abated.
Qi Jimin and Feng Rui ran out from the entrance of the tunnel, head to toe covered in dust, and called out without catching their breath,
"Quick! Get help! Young Commander and Yun Lisa are trapped in the tunnel behind these collapsed rocks!"
"Get tools to free them! Quickly!"
The quiet valley instantly erupted into a panic.
All of the men mobilized as quickly as they could and went to scout for tools that could help rescue them from the tunnel. No one even considered the likelihood of a third explosion. All that was on their minds was to rescue the Young Commander and Yun Lisa.
In the pitch-black tunnel, the explosion had caused a collapse of the roof of the tunnel, and the falling rocks had filled up the space between the tunnel and the outside portal. It had sealed their way out.
Mu Jungkook had sensed something was amiss right before the explosion, because in the damp tunnel he had picked up the smell of gunpowder.
He had subconsciously cradled Yun Lisa in his arms at the moment of the explosion, and the two were now curled up tightly in a corner of the tunnel.
Thankfully, the explosion had not been super intense in its impact and had only sealed off the entrance to the tunnel with falling rocks.
But Mu Jungkook was not sure exactly where the exit had been located or how the tunnel was shaped. All he could see was darkness.
As he had been closer to the explosion, the aftershock had left a sharp pain ricocheting in his eardrums and the debris that had fallen on his back at the moment of impact had left him stinging with a dull pain.
"Babe, are you okay?" With the light from his torch, he pulled Yun Lisa from beneath him.
Yun Lisa shook her head. The loud bangs of the explosion had left her ears ringing.
Mu Jungkook had placed himself on top of her as protection at the very moment of the explosion. This reflexive decision had left Yun Lisa heartbroken.
The moment of the explosion in the split second between life and death, he had thrown himself over her to protect her without a second thought!
He was injured already, yet he did not care about anything but her.
"Are you okay?" She reached out nervously to examine his wounds.
Thankfully, his bulletproof vest had mostly absorbed the impact of the flying debris.
However, his neck and the back of his ear that had been exposed had been cut by the flying debris, and they were bleeding profusely.
The sight made Yun Lisa feel shocked.
Such a powerful impact could have led to potential brain damage.
"Don't move, let me check out your injuries." Yun Lisa pulled him toward a rather damp piece of rock, her hands shaking as she opened her medical bag.
"Young Commander!" His headset crackled with the panicked voice of Qi Jimin from the outside.
Mu Jungkook's ears were ringing, and because of that he hadn't heard the calls. Now, though, he could hear the faint sound of someone yelling.
"I'm okay! Confirm my position and start digging the tunnel from the outside. The other end has not been blocked so we will exit from there. Wait for our update!"
As soon as news of their survival reached the outside, the men could not contain their shouts of relief.
In the next moment, hands reached out to dig out the debris tirelessly.
Everyone started working in sections methodically.
Inside the tunnel, Yun Lisa was hastily cleaning the wound on Mu Jungkook's neck with help from the weak glow of a flashlight. Her hands were shaking, and she had spilled the medicinal power all over his collar time and again.
"Calm down, babe. Slowly, slowly."
Mu Jungkook turned around and gently stabilized her wrist with one hand. Even in this dim light, she could see his eyes were glowing with warmth and love.