American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 332 Military-Civilian Cooperation in Chasing Poachers! (Seeking monthly votes~ Remember to exchange for the little polar bear!)

The team members' voices didn't convey the enemy's tension, but rather a heavier emotion.

Yang Zhen's expression changed instantly. "Stay on guard, we're on our way!"

He immediately gave the signal, and the squad quickly moved in combat formation to flank the bear carcass.

This time, Yang Zhen ignored Lin Yu'an and tacitly approved of his subsequent actions.

When they returned to the blood-stained forest clearing, the two young soldiers were crouching beside a fallen bush.

"What's going on?" Yang Zhen asked sharply, raising his gun to warn his surroundings.

The soldier didn't speak, but silently stood up and used his hand to push aside a huge patch of ferns.

Behind the ferns, hidden beneath a huge rock to the side and rear of the mother bear's carcass, lies a nest partially concealed by withered branches and fallen leaves.

This place should have been a carefully chosen nursery by the mother bear, providing shelter from the wind and rain while remaining relatively secluded.

But now, this place has become a hellish drawing that instantly froze the blood of all of them.

Three small, hairy, black, ball-of-fuzz-like corpses lay sprawled in a pool of blood.

They were the mother bear's cubs, three black bear cubs that looked only two or three months old.

Lin Yu'an's heart sank, and he instantly understood why he hadn't discovered this place when he was conducting a large-scale reconnaissance mission.

This depression under the rock was also in a blind spot, and the wind direction perfectly masked the cub's scent under the mother bear's stronger bloody smell.

But now, he wishes he hadn't discovered it.

The scene before my eyes was a hundred times more cruel than the mother bear's death.

The bodies of these three cubs were not professionally dismantled like their mother's. Their deaths looked more like they were toyed with until they died.

Their fur was torn to shreds, and their bodies were covered with tiny teeth marks and claw marks.

One of them had its throat bitten off, while the other had a huge gash torn in its abdomen. The worst-hit one even had half of its small skull bitten off.

This wasn't to obtain any parts; their paws were still intact, and their abdomens were only torn open. Nobody bothered to take their pitifully small gallbladders.

Combined with the dead hunting dog next to him... a horrifying scene instantly reconstructed in Lin Yu'an's mind.

He looked at the gruesome corpses, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"They must have let the hounds rush into this semi-open den while they were taking the mother bear's parts."

"Then they treated these three bear cubs, who were completely defenseless, like toys, tearing them apart and torturing them to death..."

"This is purely a sadistic entertainment show!"

"boom!"

A dull thud was heard as Yang Zhen slammed his fist into the trunk of a large tree next to him!
His face, as black as iron, was covered in bulging veins, and his eyes were bloodshot, exuding an intensely suppressed killing intent!
"Damn it, they're a bunch of animals...!!!"

A roar, suppressed to the extreme, burst forth from his throat, shaking the leaves in the forest.

All the soldiers present fell silent. They had seen the most vicious criminals and faced the most dangerous situations.

But this scene before them, this cruel killing of innocent cubs, ignited the most primal rage in their hearts.

This is no longer poaching; it is a desecration of life itself! It is a trampling of the law!

Lin Yu'an silently raised his camera, capturing this outrageous scene in the frame.

He stepped forward, meeting Yang Zhen's gaze, and said, word by word, "Letting such scum stay in this forest for even a minute longer is an insult to this land."

"These people may be ruthless butchers, but they are by no means top hunters. Every habit and every choice they make will leave a flaw in the forest."

"And what I'm best at is finding the prey's weakness. Let me join! Military-civilian cooperation won't violate any rules."

The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and all the soldiers looked at their captain, awaiting his decision.

Yang Zhen's bloodshot eyes were fixed on Lin Yu'an, the flames of anger in his eyes fiercely battling against the commander's calm rationality.

He knew that Lin Yu'an's request implied enormous risks and responsibilities. But he was equally clear that his analysis had hit the nail on the head.

He raised his wrist to glance at his tactical watch, then looked up at the clouds slowly gathering in the sky.

“We really can’t wait any longer. It’s already past three o’clock, and it will be dark soon.” Yang Zhen’s voice was hoarse and resolute, as if two rocks were rubbing against each other. “The forest police will take at least two hours.”

"And by the time they arrive, who knows if it will rain. If it rains, all traces will be washed away. This two-hour window is our only chance!"

He made his first decision: he wouldn't wait any longer, he would chase after them immediately!
But when his gaze fell on Lin Yu'an again, it became incredibly sharp and full of scrutiny.

Yang Zhen said in a deep voice, "I admit that your determination and anger are the same as ours."

"But I won't take a group of people on a risk just because I'm passionate. I have to be responsible for every decision I make to everyone present."

He took a step forward, almost face to face with Lin Yu'an, and his powerful military aura pressed down on him as if it were a physical presence.

"Now, prove your worth. You say you can track it, then come up with your solution."

"Tell me, how do you plan to pursue them? Where do you plan to pursue them? What is your basis for your plan? If your plan can convince me, I will take you with me."

“If not,” his voice turned icy, “you’d better stay here quietly and wait for backup.”

Lin Yu'an knew this was a rigorous interview that would determine whether he could get into the program.

He wasn't intimidated by the other person's aura. He took a deep breath and explained the tracking plan he had devised in the previous hour.

"Captain, it's simple. The answer lies in load and efficiency."

He pointed to the shoe prints on the ground, "This group is very professional. They chose this mountain pass as their crime scene. It's a natural decoy point because it's a maze of roads."

“They have three options: return the way they came, continue climbing over the mountain, or cut down into the valley.”

"But they're not empty-handed now. They took all the valuable parts from the bear, and there's no guarantee they didn't catch other illegal prey. Their total load has increased by at least several tens of kilograms."

"Under such a heavy load, returning the way you came is too slow, and continuing to climb the even steeper ridge ahead is tantamount to suicide."

“So, there’s only one path left,” he pointed in a clear direction.

"They will choose the easiest and most covert way to evacuate—following the contour lines of the mountain, cutting across the valley I came through, and then going downstream!"

"Although the road is curved, it doesn't have any major ascents or descents, making it ideal for marching with heavy loads."

At this point, Lin Yu'an squatted down again, pointing to the clear footprints on the muddy ground, his eyes becoming even sharper.

"Moreover, I'm certain that the load they're carrying is far more than just this one bear!"

"What do you mean?" Yang Zhen immediately pressed.

“Look at this footprint,” Lin Yu’an pointed to the edge of one of the deepest footprints with a twig. “Look at the forefoot part of the footprint, the indentation is extremely deep, while the heel mark is relatively shallow. This indicates that the person’s center of gravity is severely forward.”

"This is not a normal walking or running posture, but an unconscious movement of the body to maintain balance when carrying a heavy load!"

"The parts of a bear, even if distributed among several people, wouldn't cause all of them to experience this degree of shift in their center of gravity."

"So I deduce that their backpacks were already full of other illegally hunted animals before they killed this bear! This bear was just part of their poaching operation."

"What does this mean?" A glint of excitement flashed in Yang Zhen's eyes.

"This means they're moving much slower than our most pessimistic estimates!" A hunter's smile crept onto Lin Yu'an's lips. "They're like a group of tortoises carrying gold bricks, which gives us a golden opportunity!"

“My tracking plan is that we won’t take their safe route.” Lin Yu’an’s eyes gleamed with an almost insane confidence and adventurous spirit. “We’ll go in a straight line!” He drew a straight line in the air with his hand, from their current position towards the valley he predicted!
“We’ll cut straight down from here! This route might involve steep slopes or even cliffs, and the physical exertion will be more than twice that of them.”

"This is exactly the route they would never choose! But we're not carrying heavy loads; we're racing against time!"

"My plan is to use our superior mobility and physical strength, and at a great cost, to take this shortest but also the most dangerous route."

"We must intercept them before they reach the valley! Even if we can't stop them, we can find the resting traces they will inevitably leave behind downstream."

“Even if we can’t catch up before dark, it’s okay. Nighttime is our time to shine!” He looked at Yang Zhen, “Captain, I bet you brought a thermal imaging reconnaissance drone with you on your helicopter, right?”

Yang Zhen nodded slowly.

"That's great!" Lin Yu'an's plan formed a perfect closed loop. "After dark, people will inevitably light fires to keep warm. In the dark and cold mountain forest, a campfire will be as dazzling as the sun in the field of vision of the thermal imaging drone!"

"We don't even need to bother searching for their footprints. During the day, we use the most primitive tracking techniques to constantly close the distance to them. At night, we use modern technology to precisely locate them from the air! No matter where they run, they can't escape!"

Lin Yu'an clearly presented a hunting plan that combined primitive tracking wisdom with modern technological power to everyone.

It instantly illuminated everyone's thoughts and completely dispelled the last trace of doubt in Yang Zhen's mind.

Yang Zhen gave Lin Yu'an a deep look, his eyes filled with approval.

He didn't reply immediately, but turned to a soldier in his squad carrying a tactical backpack and growled, "Li! Set up the data link! I need to speak directly with command!"

"Yes!"

The communications soldier named Xiao Li immediately took off his backpack, pulled out a foldable directional antenna from the side, and quickly unfolded it.

He glanced at the multi-functional tactical watch on his wrist, confirmed the satellite's location, and then precisely pointed the antenna in a direction in the sky.

He turned on the device and his fingers flew across the keyboard.

Lin Yu-an noticed that in the densely forested canyon area where they were located, ordinary satellite phones would likely not be able to find a signal at all.

This specialized military equipment, with its high-gain directional antenna, is clearly capable of establishing stable connections in more demanding environments.

A few seconds later, the communications soldier whispered into his throat microphone, "Captain, the encrypted data link has been established, and the signal is stable!"

Yang Zhen then picked up the microphone on his shoulder and began to quickly and accurately report Lin Yu'an's bold and meticulous plan, as well as his suggestion to Lin Yu'an to join the operation, to the rear command.

The entire team waited quietly, with only a faint static sound coming from their headsets.

Lin Yu'an could sense an invisible data stream spanning hundreds of kilometers, exchanging data at high speed with the distant command center above this primeval jungle.

A few minutes later, Yang Zhen ended the call.

"Comrade Lin Yu'an, the command has approved your tracking plan."

"We have also approved your joining us as a special tracking consultant. Your safety will be one of the highest priorities in this operation."

As he spoke, he began to unfasten the bulletproof vest under his tactical vest.

The young soldier closest to him panicked upon seeing this and rushed to unfasten his own bulletproof vest: "Captain! Use mine! I..."

"Shut up!" Yang Zhen roared without turning his head. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an iron-like authority.

"Have you forgotten the rules? The commander is always last! Put on your gear and get on with your job!"

Xiao Wang immediately stood at attention, a hint of guilt flashing across his face, but more so, admiration for his captain.

Yang Zhen quickly took off the thick bulletproof vest and handed it directly to Lin Yu'an.

"Put it on." Yang Zhen's tone left no room for negotiation.

Lin Yu'an was stunned; he hadn't expected the other party to be so decisive. "Captain, this won't do! You're the commander, your safety..."

"That's an order too!" Yang Zhen interrupted him, his eyes sharp as knives. "I've already said, your safety is one of the highest priorities in this operation."

Lin Yu'an stopped arguing, silently accepted the heavy bulletproof vest that carried the warmth of a soldier, and put it on.

A sense of security that went beyond just physical security enveloped Lin Yu'an's entire body.

Immediately afterwards, Yang Zhen pulled out a military black tactical dagger from his tactical belt with a whoosh and handed it to Lin Yu'an along with its scabbard.

"I can't give you the gun. But you can take this for self-defense." It was a Type 95 military dagger with sharp lines, far sharper and more reliable than Lin Yu'an's stone shard.

"Don't use it unless absolutely necessary. But if it really comes to that, remember, stab it in the neck and abdomen, don't hesitate."

He then took a black metal flashlight off his tactical vest and handed it to Lin Yu'an.

"High-powered tactical flashlight. Press hard for continuous light, press twice for a burst of light. It can instantly blind someone. Use it to aim at the enemy's eyes in a critical moment to create an opportunity for us."

Finally, he took out two sealed, military-green strips from his backpack.

"A high-calorie energy bar, one can keep you going for half a day. Eat one to replenish your energy, and let's set off!"

Lin Yu'an took the equipment, nodded vigorously, and then ate the energy bars in big bites.

Yang Zhen then said to the soldier in charge of communications, "Xiao Li, leave the military beacon here. It will continuously emit encrypted positioning signals to guide the comrades who follow to find this place accurately."

"Yes!"

After finishing all the arrangements, Yang Zhen took one last look at the few small corpses, and the sadness and anger in his eyes transformed into an iron will.

"Everyone else, get your gear checked, and prepare to move out!"

At this moment, the personal survival challenge has become a revenge pursuit that stakes on dignity and justice.

The joint manhunt operation was a completely different world from Lin Yu'an's previous leisurely pace of exploration.

The seven-man elite squad plunged into the Ailao Mountains like a sharp blade. As planned, they did not choose the conventional route, but instead embarked on the treacherous straight path.

This is not a road, but a near-vertical obstacle course consisting of steep slopes, slippery mossy rocks, and tangled tree roots and vines.

Each step downwards was accompanied by the sliding of gravel and mud, testing everyone's courage, skills, and physical strength.

The squad advanced in a highly professional alternating cover formation, with three of the most elite soldiers taking turns leading the way.

They clung to the mountainside like geckos, constantly digging their tactical knives into the soil to test the firmness of their footholds, while simultaneously using short, forceful tactical hand signals to alert their teammates behind them to safe grip points and potential loose rocks.

Captain Yang Zhen and Lin Yu'an were in the middle. Yang Zhen was in charge of overseeing the overall situation and constantly used binoculars to observe any possible anomalies below.

Lin Yu'an, on the other hand, was like a mobile biological radar, his eyes constantly scanning the most subtle anomalies in the surrounding vegetation, changes in smell brought about by the wind, and any unnatural traces.

The other two soldiers took turns covering the rear and guarding the flanks, ensuring the team would not be attacked from the rear or above.

At first, Yang Zhen insisted on keeping Lin Yu'an in a relatively safe position in the center of the team and assigning two of the most experienced scouts to track the trail.

But he soon discovered that even his best soldiers were dimensionally inferior to Lin Yu'an in terms of basic tracking experience.

"Captain, stop!" After nearly half an hour of forced descent, the vanguard at the front of the team, number one, gave a hand signal to the team to stop.

He crouched down on a small, rare patch of flat ground, pointing to a series of fairly clear footprints on the ground. "Report, target traces found, northwest direction, very clear."

The entire team's morale was boosted!
Yang Zhen immediately raised his binoculars to observe the terrain to the northwest, while Lin Yu'an frowned. He didn't speak, but squatted down to carefully examine the footprints, and then turned his gaze to a clump of bushes to the side.

"What's wrong, Teacher Lin?" Yang Zhen asked in the lowest possible voice, noticing Lin Yu'an's unusual behavior.

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(End of this chapter)