The hospital is too busy, so I'm going to join the army and become a top soldier!

Looking at this group of excited veterans.

Chen Gang's face darkened!

Good grief, you're all happy to see your fellow villager's family missing?

Of course, Chen Gang knew.

They weren't happy because something had happened to their fellow villager's family.

Anyone who dares to be happy about this, Chen Gang will kick them flying!

What excites them is the close bond between the military and the people!

Finally, I have the opportunity to participate in a mission where I can earn merit!

Oh no, I finally have the opportunity to use what I've learned to help the people!

If you can also earn some merit while saving lives...

Wouldn't that be better?

"What are you still standing there for?"

Luo Zhiyong shouted loudly.

"Go back and prepare your equipment!"

"We'll depart immediately in five minutes!"

The group immediately dispersed.

Wei Shanjia and Du Chengwu went to fetch the stretcher and first aid supplies.

Xu Guodong and Liu Kai prepared lighting equipment and ropes.

Ma Huijun brought maps and recording tools, while Song Yuan and Wang Guoqing quickly checked the winter supplies and communication equipment.

Everyone moved very quickly, without the slightest delay.

Shen Yan then looked at the drone equipment box parked at the edge of the training field.

"Company Commander!"

"We can use drones for aerial search first!"

"The girl was herding her flock of sheep into the mountains, and she may have left some obvious traces of her activity along the way."

"Her brother is also riding a motorcycle."

"If we can find a flock of sheep or a motorcycle, we can quickly narrow down the search area!"

"This is much more efficient than our manual search!"

Chen Gang had the same thought.

If we rely solely on personnel to search the mountains, it's unclear how long it would take to find them in such a large area.

But when he looked up at the sky, his brows furrowed again.

The sun had completely set behind the mountain ridge.

The distant mountains began to darken, and some of the shaded areas had merged into one.

"Can drones be used at night?"

Chen Gang immediately asked.

Does it have night vision?

Shen Yan shook his head.

"This equipment is only equipped with ordinary optical observation devices and does not have a dedicated night vision function."

"After it gets completely dark, although we can still fly, it's difficult to distinguish ground targets in the transmitted images."

"With so many obstacles in the mountainous terrain, continuing to fly would increase the risks!"

Chen Gang turned his head and looked at the sky.

"How much longer can it be used?"

Shen Yan quickly made a judgment based on the current weather.

"Two hours at most."

"If it's any later, the transmitted footage won't be able to be used for a proper search!"

The hearts of everyone in the class sank immediately.

Only two hours?

The mountainous area is so big.

I still don't know where the girl from my village went today.

Finding two people within two hours is no easy task!

more importantly.

This is not a search and rescue drill!

If the target is not found during training, the most that can be done is to come back and summarize the problems.

Keep up the good work next time.

This is a rescue operation!

Every minute that is wasted increases the danger faced by the brother and sister!

"Don't waste your time!"

Chen Gang immediately said:

"Luo Zhiyong, lead the ground search and rescue team to move towards the outer perimeter of Heishigou!"

"Shen Yan, you prepare the drone equipment!"

"yes!"

Wei Shanjia and Du Chengwu immediately lifted the equipment box onto the vehicle.

Shen Yan quickly checked the drone and battery status.

Xu Guodong and Liu Kai began preparing lighting equipment and ropes.

Ma Huijun took out a map, while Song Yuan and Wang Guoqing loaded first-aid kits, stretchers, and winter supplies onto the vehicle.

Soon, I finished packing my things.

Two military vehicles quickly drove out of the camp.

The fellow villager sat in the SUV in front, giving directions.

Shen Yan was carrying the drone equipment box.

Ga Wa sat down beside her and continued to ask the villager about the route the girl usually took when herding sheep.

Then, together with Luo Zhiyong, they began marking on the map.

Inside the transport vehicle at the rear.

The group of people, carrying their equipment, swayed back and forth on the bumpy mountain road.

Wei Shanjia held onto the handrail with one hand and protected the first aid kit with the other.

"What did I say again?"

"Cling to Shen Yan's coattails, and the credit will come naturally!"

"This kid's only been back a few days, and we already have a formal mission!"

Du Chengwu glanced at him.

"The person hasn't been found yet, so don't worry about the credit!"

Ma Huijun then said:

"That's right."

"Only after we rescue them can we talk about anything else."

"If we can't save him, then we won't be clinging to Shen Yan's coattails anymore."

"Let's not even talk about merits; we're probably going to get punished!"

Wei Shanjia immediately shut his mouth.

The carriage fell silent again.

As everyone watched the mountains outside the window rapidly darken, their excitement gradually turned into tension.

A dozen minutes later.

The vehicle finally stopped near the entrance to Heishigou.

"get off!"

The doors opened, and the group of people quickly jumped off the transport vehicle.

Wei Shanjia and Du Chengwu carried the drone equipment box off the plane.

Xu Guodong and Liu Kai inspected the lighting and ropes.

Song Yuan and Wang Guoqing took out the stretcher, while Ma Huijun simply laid the map on the hood of the off-road vehicle.

Shen Yan quickly completed the equipment inspection.

Based on the information provided by his fellow villagers, Ga Wa marked three possible routes on the map.

"The terrain to the east is flat."

"The little girl often brings sheep over there."

"But recently there's been a shortage of grass there, and if the sheep don't have enough to eat, they might continue to move northwest."

"There are also several dry gullies here."

"It doesn't look very steep on the map, but in reality, some parts are quite steep!"

"If a person or sheep falls down, they might not be seen from outside!"

Shen Yan wrote down all this information.

Time is limited.

It's impossible for him to control a drone to search every inch of the entire mountainous area.

We must first rule out areas with low probability!

It was impossible for the girl, leading a large flock of sheep, to cross the steep slopes and move up the desolate mountain.

She is more likely to move along grasslands, water sources, and relatively gentle gullies.

My brother rode his motorcycle into the mountains, but he could only take a few routes suitable for vehicles.

By combining terrain, time, and mode of operation, the area that truly needs to be prioritized for searching has been significantly reduced.

"Device connection complete!"

"Image transmission successful!"

"Requesting takeoff!"

"Clearance for takeoff!"

The drone's rotors spun rapidly, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It then slowly rose into the air and flew towards the northwest.

The drone first flew along the route the girl usually used to herd sheep.

The scene repeatedly shows hillsides, gravel, dry gullies, and scattered vegetation.

Shen Yan kept changing his observation direction.

The drone flew for a long time but couldn't find the flock of sheep or any signs of human activity!

Twenty minutes have passed!

Route 1 is ruled out!

The drone quickly flew towards the second pasture.

At this point, the brightness of the transmitted image has begun to decrease.

Some shady areas blend into the shadows of the rocks, making it difficult to determine whether anyone is hiding there.

Shen Yan could only reduce the flight altitude appropriately.

Just as the drone rounded a ridge, several moving black shadows suddenly appeared at the edge of the frame.

Shen Yan originally thought they were a lost flock of sheep.

But when he adjusted his observation direction, his movements suddenly stopped.

Those dark figures weren't sheep at all, but a caravan of horses!

Several people were leading horses across the river from the shallows of the valley on the other side of the ridge.

Instead of taking the nearby normal roads, they deliberately chose a secluded location hidden by the mountains.

Even stranger is...

In addition to the horses carrying people, several other horses also had bulging waterproof packages on their backs.

Upon seeing this, Shen Yan immediately became more vigilant!

Something's off about this group!

He turned his head and glanced around.

Chen Gang is arranging the ground search and rescue route.

Ga Wa was pulled along by the villagers to continue checking the terrain inside Heishigou.

The others were busy organizing their equipment.

Shen Yan didn't make a fuss, but simply controlled the drone to move closer to the valley and quickly zoomed in on the image.

The next moment, he saw what those people were carrying on their backs.

His expression turned quite serious!

gun!

Every single one of the men in the cavalry was carrying a gun!

Although it was dark and the exact model couldn't be seen, it was definitely not an ordinary hunting rifle!

It looks more like a standard-issue weapon!

After thinking for a moment, Shen Yan decided not to disturb the group for the time being.

Although there were many of them, none of them carried any weapons.

If we get targeted by this group, we'll be in trouble!

Moreover, what if they were to catch the two missing siblings...

The consequences would be unimaginable!

Shen Yan quickly started recording, capturing the number of people in the cavalry, their weapons, the horses' packs, and their crossing point.

The drone only stayed for about twenty seconds.

After confirming that the faces of several people had been recorded, Shen Yan immediately saved the footage.

Then, control the drone to fly away quickly!

The most important task now is to find the missing siblings.

He couldn't let chasing this mysterious horse caravan delay the rescue!

……

In the valley.

A man with a full beard suddenly stopped in his tracks.

What was that sound?

A faint buzzing sound came from above the valley.

He looked up and could only see a blurry little black dot in the sky.

That thing had no wings, yet it could hover in the air.

The bearded man had never seen such equipment before.

But the annoying buzzing made him instinctively uneasy.

"What is that?"

"It seems like it's been following us the whole time!"

The bearded man took the long gun from his back, raised the muzzle, and prepared to fire.

The older, bearded man next to him grabbed the barrel of his gun and said in Uyghur.

"Don't shoot!"

"This place isn't far from the village, and there might be herders nearby. The gunfire will attract them!"

"But that thing..."

"Ignore it!"

"Just escort our goods!"

The older man looked up again.

The drone changed direction and quickly disappeared on the other side of the ridge.

Although he didn't know what it was, he inexplicably felt like he was being watched.

He hesitated for a moment, then gave the order to the cavalry!

"Notify all the horse caravans behind to speed up!"

"Cross the river as soon as possible!"

"We can't stay in these mountains tonight!"

One of the six men was chosen to ride his horse backwards.

The other five men stopped talking, led their horses quickly across the shallows, and disappeared into the ravine on the other side.

……

Soon, the drone returned to its original search area.

Nearly thirty minutes have passed.

"Shen Yan!"

Looking at the time, Ma Huijun couldn't help but remind him:

It's getting dark!

"I'll go and scout out the third route as soon as possible!"

Shen Yan controlled the drone to enter the third route, flying forward along a mountain road leading into the interior of Heishigou.

Soon, two intermittent tire tracks appeared in the transmitted image.

"Motorcycle tracks found!"

Chen Gang immediately came over.

The fellow villager stared intently at the screen, his breathing becoming rapid.

The tire tracks are not obvious on the hard ground.

In some places, they have even disappeared completely.

Shen Yan could only rely on the weeds trampled by the vehicle as it turned, and the occasional tire tracks left on the soft soil.

Determine the direction the motorcycle is traveling.

The drone flew northwest.

Two minutes later.

Suddenly, Ga Wa pointed to the edge of the screen.

"There!"

"There's something black!"

Shen Yan immediately turned on the observation equipment.

A black motorcycle appeared beside the mountain road.

The vehicle was overturned on its side, less than 200 meters from the entrance to Heishigou!

The villager swayed.

"It's my family's motorcycle!"

"That's the bike my son rode out on!"

Shen Yan quickly lowered the drone's altitude.

There were no people near the motorcycle, and no obvious bloodstains.

Judging from the way it fell, it looks more like it stopped too quickly, lost its balance, and overturned on its side by the roadside.

This suggests that the villager's son may have discovered something here.

He then abandoned the motorcycle and hiked into Heishigou!

"Ground search and rescue team, move to the motorcycle's location!"

Chen Gang immediately issued the order.

"Pay attention to road conditions, don't rush!"

"yes!"

Luo Zhiyong led his group and set off quickly.

Shen Yan continued to operate the drone, searching deeper into the Black Stone Gully.

The sky grew darker and darker.

The clarity of the returned images continues to decline.

The rocks and shadows in the ravine have merged into one.

In the future, even if drones fly over people's heads, they may not be able to see the targets below!

"It will be completely dark in about fifty minutes!"

Ma Huijun's voice came through the communication equipment.

Shen Yan did not arbitrarily increase the speed.

Based on the direction of the gullies, he prioritized checking low-lying areas where sheep tended to gather and locations that could be sheltered from the wind.

The first location was not found.

The second area was still deserted!

The transmitted image is almost grayish-black.

Just as the drone flew over the last bend in the ravine, some scattered white dots suddenly appeared at the edge of the image.

Shen Yan immediately stopped moving forward.

"sheep!"

Ga Wa's eyes suddenly lit up.

"There are sheep below!"

The drone quickly descended to a lower altitude.

A dozen or so sheep were gathered deep in the ravine, circling around a rock.

Beside the flock of sheep, a small piece of dark red cloth peeked out from behind a rock.

Next to the red fabric, there was a figure squatting down wearing a blue shirt!

The man seemed to hear the sound of the drone.

He struggled to his feet, raised his hands, and waved them repeatedly in the air!

After seeing the scene clearly, the villagers burst into tears.

"It's them!"

"That's my child!"

Shen Yan continued to zoom in on the image.

The girl in the red coat was lying on the ground, motionless.

Although the young man in blue could still stand up, his movements were very slow, and he swayed unsteadily, clearly indicating that he was very weak!

Shen Yan quickly confirmed the location and sent the coordinates to the ground search and rescue team.

"Report!"

"Two missing persons have been found!"

"The target is located at the second bend in the gully on the northwest side of Heishigou!"

"One of them is unable to move, and appears to be injured!"

"Ground search and rescue team, proceed to the target location immediately!"

"receive!"

Luo Zhiyong's voice came quickly.

Shen Yan controlled the drone to return to base.

The drone had just left Heishigou when the last ray of sunlight disappeared completely.

The transmitted image was quickly covered by a large area of ​​darkness.

The timing is perfect!

Two minutes later, they wouldn't have been able to find the brother and sister by drone today!

After the drone landed, Shen Yan completed the power outage and equipment protection, and then picked up the first aid kit.

"Company commander, let's go in with the search and rescue team."

Chen Gang nodded.

"Walk!"