American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 334 The Power of Technology

Night falls.

Forced by the firelight, the thick fog retreated beyond the rock shelter, completely isolating this small camp from the unknown and dangerous world outside.

The seven people sat around the roaring campfire. Although the atmosphere was heavy, it was no longer as tense as when they first set off.

The daytime coordinated operations and successful pursuit forged an invisible bond of trust between them.

The crackling of the flames was the only warm sound in this desolate mountain forest.

The soldiers meticulously carried out their daily routine maintenance. The firearms were completely disassembled, and every part was polished to a shine with special gun oil and cleaning cloths.

In this humid environment, any oversight could cause the weapon to malfunction at the most critical moment.

The cold metal reflected a deadly glint in the firelight, creating a striking contrast with the focused and resolute faces of its owners.

Lin Yu'an then took out the rough sandstone and rubbed it against the deer antler, making a rustling sound. He repeatedly polished the tip of his rugged deer antler spear.

It doesn't need antlers to be as sharp as blades; what it needs is a sharpness that can pierce through everything.

Lin Yu-an broke the silence first, "Based on today's tracking progress, we have successfully compressed the time difference of more than seven hours at the start to within two hours now."

Then, using a charred twig, he drew a simple topographical map on the dry sand, conducting a final review.

The lines in the sand represent ridges and streams. A few small pebbles indicate their location and that of the poachers.

"This result is even better than I expected. The poachers' loads were a much bigger burden than I had imagined."

"They are like prisoners chained to iron balls, paying the price for their greed with every step they take."

Looking at the simple yet clear map, Yang Zhen frowned and added, "The last location we tracked is very close to that open area downstream of the valley—Buffalo Beach."

"If your previous judgment was correct, Professor Lin, that place is very likely near their rendezvous point." His voice carried a hint of seriousness.

"Given their level of professionalism, they are very likely to have set up sentries and traps around the area while they are waiting for their backup. If we rush in, we could easily alert them."

“That’s right.” Lin Yu’an completely agreed with his judgment and used a twig to draw a large circle around the stones representing Bison Beach.

“Captain Yang, our goal should not only be to catch these few poachers in front of us. There must be a criminal network behind the scenes that can organize such poaching operations and transport stolen goods.”

"Our ultimate goal should be to capture all those who come to meet us, along with them!"

This bold idea caught the attention of all the soldiers present.

A sly glint flashed in Lin Yu'an's eyes. "So, we can't keep chasing after them like we did today. That would only alert them."

"We need to transform from pursuers to observers."

He raised his head, looked at the soldiers who had gathered around him, and began to explain a bolder framework for his plan.

After listening to Lin Yu'an's proposed macro strategy of shifting from pursuit to surveillance and besieging the enemy's stronghold to attack reinforcements, a terrifying glint flashed in Yang Zhen's eyes.

He didn't speak immediately, but instead took out a military green tactical tablet from his backpack.

Upon opening the tablet, an extremely high-precision, incredibly detailed 3D electronic military map was presented to everyone.

On the map, the contour lines of the mountains, the vegetation cover, the depth of the water flow, and even every abandoned path are clearly marked.

"Teacher Lin, your tactical thinking is very suitable for the battlefield." Yang Zhen's voice carried an air of appreciation.

Pointing to the lines representing the stream on the tablet, Yang Zhen added, "Based on our tracking progress, they will definitely reach the open area downstream—Buffalo Beach—before noon tomorrow."

“If your previous judgment was correct, Mr. Lin, they will go downstream. But Buffalo Beach is too big and too open. I don’t think they will choose to trade there directly.”

“Buffalo Beach is just a geographical coordinate, a reference point. The real trading point must be nearby, but it is more hidden and easier for motor vehicles to enter and exit.”

"Now let's use the most accurate intelligence to find the perfect battlefield for your audacious plan."

His finger rapidly zoomed in on the area of ​​Buffalo Beach on the screen.

A nearly invisible dotted line on the map moves about two kilometers toward a valley behind Buffalo Beach.

"look here."

A crosshair axe icon appeared on the screen.

“Laoya Gold Mine (now abandoned),” Yang Zhen read out the place name, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp.

"According to our intelligence database, this gold mine was abandoned in the 90s. However, a simple mining road was built back then to connect the mine directly to the outside world."

He switched the map to satellite imagery mode, and a yellowish-brown line, faintly visible amidst the green vegetation, became clearly visible.

"Most of the highway is damaged, but the last few kilometers of roadbed are still there. Cars can't get in, but there's something that can."

“All-terrain vehicle (ATV).” Lin Yu’an blurted out almost immediately.

“Exactly!” Yang Zhen said confidently, using his finger to lock the abandoned gold mine on the screen with a red circle.

“This abandoned mine is the perfect place for their transaction! It’s well hidden and can evade aerial reconnaissance.”

"It's also secure enough, with only one entrance that needs to be defended. Plus, it has a quasi-highway leading directly to the outside world! There's no more perfect trading location!"

At this moment, Lin Yu'an's macro-strategic deduction and Yang Zhen's precise positioning based on high-precision intelligence perfectly overlapped!
Yang Zhen stood up, his face filled with powerful confidence and murderous intent.

"Alright, the battlefield is set. Now, it's our Nighthawk's turn to check if the enemy is in position!"

He turned to the communications soldier, Xiao Li, and ordered, "Xiao Li, prepare to launch the drone! We're going up in the air now to see exactly where these bastards are!"

"Xiao Li, starting from our current coordinates, conduct a fan-shaped search along the valley downstream, focusing on all open riverbank areas."

"The flight altitude is maintained at 300 meters, which is likely to penetrate most of the low-altitude fog layer. A wide-area heat source search mode is adopted."

"understand!"

Xiao Li quickly opened a hard-shell tactical case and took out a folded, high-tech military quadcopter drone.

It is entirely black, allowing it to blend into the night as much as possible. A dual-light gimbal, resembling an eagle's eye, is mounted beneath the drone.

Xiao Li skillfully extended the arm, checked the battery and gimbal, and a few seconds later gave Yang Zhen an OK sign.

Yang Zhen glanced at Xiao Li, who was conducting the final checks, and added a crucial instruction.

"We are now at the bottom of the canyon, where signal is severely blocked. We will switch to Skylink relay mode to communicate with the drone via satellite link to ensure everything goes smoothly."

"Received! Tianlian mode activated, connecting to satellite... Connection successful!" Xiao Li reported.

Lin Yu'an watched from the sidelines, secretly alarmed. He knew that after connecting to the satellite, the drone's combat radius was no longer limited by the pitiful radio signals on the ground.

Instead, it can reach any corner covered by satellite signals, which is the real terror of a modern military.

"take off!"

With a very faint buzzing sound, the drone took off vertically and quickly disappeared into the thick fog and darkness above the camp.

Everyone gathered around Xiao Li and the remote control screen in front of him.

The screen displays a black-and-white grayscale world with obvious noise and blurred edges.

The dense fog severely interfered with the thermal imaging signal, making the entire image appear as if covered by frosted glass, and distant objects became difficult to distinguish. "Signal attenuation is 30%, and image quality has decreased," Xiao Li calmly reported. "However, the core sensor is still working normally."

"This level of interference is enough to hide a weak heat source the size of a human, but it definitely can't hide a campfire!"

The drone flew silently above the thick fog, and the blurry images on the screen flashed by.

Lin Yu'an could sense that everyone's hearts were in their throats. Conducting aerial reconnaissance in such weather was a gamble in itself.

Time ticked by, and the drone had flown nearly five kilometers away. The image on the screen remained blurry, showing only large areas of deep black representing the low-temperature mountainside.

Just as even Yang Zhen's brows began to furrow, Xiao Wang suddenly pointed to a corner of the screen, "Captain, look here."

Everyone immediately crowded around, and in the upper left corner of the screen, against a blurry gray background, a faint white halo was stubbornly flickering!

"A strong infrared signal source!" Yang Zhen's eyes flashed instantly. "That's it! It's been attenuated by the fog, but it's definitely firelight! Xiao Li, lock onto it!"

"Lower altitude and conduct close reconnaissance! Even if it means going through the fog, make sure you can see what's below!"

"Understood! Altitude has decreased to 150 meters, we are now penetrating the fog!"

As the drone descended, the interference on the screen became more severe, and the image even briefly showed static.

But once the drone penetrated the thickest layer of fog, the image suddenly became clear!
The blurry halo instantly transformed into a dazzling, blazing white ball of light—it was a bonfire!
Around the campfire, several smaller humanoid and canine-shaped dots of light were clearly visible!
"Gotcha, you scum!" Yang Zhen swung his fist fiercely.

Xiao Li switched the camera, and the screen instantly changed from black and white to a noisy, low-light night vision image. The drone hovered silently above the target like a ghost.

In the video, everything around the campfire is clearly presented before their eyes.

Two camouflage tents that were set up quite professionally.

Four blurry figures were sitting around the campfire, working on something, with several heavy canvas backpacks piled up nearby.

On the outskirts of the camp, three smaller heat sources, sometimes lying down and sometimes moving around, were faithfully performing their guard duties—they were three hunting dogs!
"It's 5.2 kilometers away from us, and the coordinates have been locked," Xiao Li reported the key data.

"Well done!" Yang Zhen clenched his fist and then immediately picked up the microphone to connect to the command center.

"Reporting to command center, at 19:27, we successfully located the poaching gang's campsite using aerial reconnaissance! Coordinates..."

He reported a series of precise coordinates: "The target consists of four people and three dogs, carrying at least two tents. The camp is located in the middle of the riverbank, with a campfire. Repeat, four people and three dogs!"

"Based on the available intelligence and Comrade Lin Yu'an's professional judgment, we confirm that this location is very likely the contact point between the poaching gang and the outside world!"

Yang Zhen's voice became calm and filled with murderous intent; his thoughts were now completely in sync with Lin Yu'an's strategy.

"Therefore, I request that the command adopt the new final plan, and my unit will abandon the proactive raid and switch to the highest level of covert surveillance."

"To become a nail driven here, providing the command with real-time intelligence 24 hours a day."

"Our target is no longer these small fish. We're after the big fish that comes to their rescue!"

"I request that the command center utilize the entire night and tomorrow daytime to mobilize all available forces."

"To lay a tight, hidden, and discreet net around all possible land and water routes around Buffalo Beach."

"Our department will be responsible for monitoring poaching gangs and transmitting key intelligence such as target characteristics, vehicles, and number of people to the command center in real time as soon as the accomplices appear."

"Once they are caught red-handed, the command center will issue a unified order to close in and capture both groups of criminals in one fell swoop!"

This is no longer a simple capture plan; it's a meticulously planned operation! Its core strategy is to use this group of poachers as bait to lure out a much larger criminal network behind them!

A brief silence came through the headset, clearly indicating that the command center was assessing this bolder and riskier plan.

A few minutes later, an even more authoritative voice rang out: "Plan approved! Yang Zhen, your Sharp Blade Squad is our eye planted in the enemy's heart!"

"Remember your mission—surveillance! Covertness! Absolutely no exposure before the operation is complete!"

"I guarantee I will complete the mission!" Yang Zhen answered resolutely.

After the call ended, Yang Zhen put down the microphone, and the atmosphere in the entire camp instantly changed from the previous impulsive desire for revenge to a deeper, more patient lurking.

Yang Zhen glanced at Lin Yu'an, his eyes filled with unprecedented trust and admiration. They looked at each other, a silent understanding forming between them.

Just then, a pattering sound came from outside the rock shelter.

At first, the sound was very faint, like silkworms nibbling on mulberry leaves. But in just a few breaths, the sound suddenly intensified and turned into a torrential downpour.

"It's raining!" Yang Zhen ran to the edge of the rock shelter and exclaimed in astonishment as he looked at the dense curtain of rain outside, "What heavy rain!"

The icy rain, carrying the cold mountain wind, poured into the rock shelter, making the already cold night even more unbearable.

Everyone instinctively moved closer to the campfire, and the flames began to flicker and become unstable under the onslaught of wind and rain.

Lin Yu'an looked at the rain that could wash everything away, a hint of relief on his face: "Luckily we caught up with them today."

"With such heavy rain, all traces on the ground will be washed away completely. At that time, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Yang Zhen's face also showed a hint of relief as he glanced at the heavy rain outside. "Yes, luckily they caught up in time. But the heavy rain is just right for us to have dinner!"

"Squad leader! Take two men and pull up our military raincoats on the outside of the rock shelter to make a makeshift drainage channel to collect rainwater!"

"Yes!"

The three soldiers immediately sprang into action. They quickly connected three large raincoats with ropes and cleverly used the sloping angle of the rock wall to build a huge, sloping surface for collecting water.

Rainwater gathered along the smooth surface of the raincoat, eventually forming a continuous stream that precisely poured into the military water bottles and cooking pots they placed below.

Lin Yu'an said, "It's time to eat. Let's have something hot and try my cooking."

He stood up and took out the tender spring bamboo shoots he had collected during the day, as well as banana stems and several pieces of dried roasted fish that he had carefully prepared.

“Captain,” he said, “keep the compressed biscuits for emergencies, let’s have something warm tonight.”

Without waiting for Yang Zhen's reply, he busied himself with his own tasks.

Slice the bamboo shoots thinly with a tactical knife, wrap the bamboo shoot slices, banana cores, and shredded dried fish inside, making several wrapped buns, and then bury them in the hottest charcoal ash at the edge of the campfire.

"The principle of wrapping and roasting is the same: use banana leaves to lock in moisture and aroma, and let the food slowly cook under the heat of charcoal. This way, the bamboo shoots will be tender and sweet."

Seeing Lin Yu'an's busy figure, the young soldier named Xiao Wang glanced at the compressed biscuits in his hand, then looked at his captain, and said somewhat embarrassedly in a low voice:

"Teacher Lin...actually...we brought our own food..."

Lin Yu'an didn't even look up, and said cheerfully, "I know, but compressed biscuits and energy bars can't compare to hot roasted bamboo shoots. Don't worry, there's definitely enough for me."

Xiao Wang's expression became somewhat troubled. He looked at Yang Zhen again, his eyes filled with a hint of pleading.

A barely perceptible smile flashed across Yang Zhen's face. He gave Xiao Wang a wink, signaling him to stop talking.

Then, he turned to Lin Yu'an and said in a slightly expectant tone, "Okay. Then let's look forward to Teacher Lin's wilderness feast tonight."

Lin Yu'an didn't realize the subtle difference, assuming that the captain was too enthusiastic to refuse, so he worked even harder.

More than half an hour later, when the banana leaves were roasted to a golden brown and emitted a rich aroma of roasted plants, Lin Yu'an knew that the time was right.

(End of this chapter)