Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

The room fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at him.

Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat. Judging from Liu Shuqing's expression, it probably wasn't good news.

Sure enough, Liu Shuqing took a breath. "I just got back when I received a notification from my superiors. Comrade Zhou Yanshen and two other comrades lost contact while carrying out an important mission in a complex karst cave and pool area on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains. They have been missing for... five days."

"Don't panic, everyone! Although that area is complicated, there aren't many dangerous creatures. The higher-ups have already sent a lot more people. I'm here to let the families know so everyone can have peace of mind and wait for news at home."

"Missing? Or in the pool cave?" Lin Tingting exclaimed first, grabbing Zhou's mother's arm. "Auntie! There are only three of them, and they've been missing for five days in a place like this. They're probably in grave danger! I heard that place is cold and dark, and there are underground rivers..."

Zhou's mother waved her hand impatiently, "Didn't Secretary Liu say that the danger is not high? It's just a disappearance. He won't die from starving for a few days. Your cousin is lucky. He was in much more danger when he was on a mission before, and he still came back."

It's no wonder she thought that way. Zhou Yanshen had been in the army for eight or nine years, carrying out countless missions, big and small. Getting injured was commonplace for him, and six months ago he was carried back on the verge of death. The initial anxiety had long been worn down by the repeated close calls, leaving only the belief that "he's tough."

Su Wanqing felt slightly relieved. As long as she wasn't confirmed dead on the spot, there was still hope. She immediately seized on the key point and asked:

"They've been missing for five days? Are they in a closed cave or an open pool area? If it's a completely closed cave, the situation would be worse due to the lack of food."

Liu Shuqing sighed, hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to speak or not.

Su Wanqing: "Please go ahead and say it."

Liu Shuqing said, "I can't go into the specific details of the mission. All I know is that they had to pass through a pool at the entrance of an underground river, then got lost in the vast network of underground waterways, and we haven't heard from them since. The water in that underground river is very cold, and there really is no food source underground."

At this, the whole family's expressions turned sour.

"Five days... you haven't eaten anything? You've only been drinking water?" Lin Tingting's voice trembled.

Ding Zhigang shook his head and patted Zhou's mother: "Auntie, based on my experience, you should prepare yourself. The chances of survival are very small. Although there is a pool of water over there, is the water drinkable? And the temperature must be low. Without food to replenish your energy, the probability of dying from hypothermia is very high."

Uncle Ding's face was also very ugly. Although he didn't want to admit it, his son was right.

Zhou's mother punched Ding Zhigang hard, "Don't you dare curse your cousin. Yan Shen is very lucky. He has survived countless gunfights. He will definitely turn bad luck into good this time. I believe he will come back."

Liu Shuqing quickly reassured her, "Aunt Zhou is right, Dr. Su, don't be too anxious. There's no use in being anxious. We've used all available resources to search. I'll let you know as soon as we have any news."

"Hmph, she's anxious? I didn't see her in any particular hurry." Lin Tingting glanced at Su Wanqing, who had remained unusually calm since hearing the news. "My cousin is usually so good to her, so devoted. But when it comes to this crucial moment, she really sees right through people. If anything really happens to my cousin, I bet she'll pack her bags and remarry right away—"

"Snapped!"

He hadn't finished speaking.

Su Wanqing slapped Lin Tingting across the face, leaving a clear handprint instantly.

"Shut up! Your cousin's life is hanging in the balance. What can you do besides gossip and curse your relatives like a long-tongued woman? You can't even utter a single useful fart."

Su Wanqing appeared calm on the surface, but she was actually quite anxious inside. The reason she didn't completely panic was because she had packed a lot of compressed biscuits for Zhou Yanshen before he set off. Those biscuits were enough for six or seven days' worth of food, meaning that even if Zhou Yanshen was trapped, he wouldn't starve or freeze to death due to lack of energy.

Lin Tingting was stunned by the beating, covering her face. "Auntie, cousin, cousin, look at her! She's not even pretending anymore, she's just hitting me like that!"

Zhou's mother was very annoyed. "Alright, stop arguing. Just tell us to wait for news. What else can we do but wait? Yan Shen will definitely come back."

Seeing this, Liu Shuqing prepared to take his leave to follow up on the news. Su Wanqing stopped him, saying, "Secretary Liu, wait. I'll go with the messenger in his car."

Liu Shuqing was taken aback: "Dr. Su, I understand your feelings, but there are already many professionals searching and rescuing over there. If you, a woman, go there, you won't be of much help and might even cause more trouble..."

Su Wanqing slung a military water bottle over her shoulder and quickly packed some simple things. "Secretary Liu, don't forget, I'm first and foremost a doctor, and one who has treated all kinds of emergency injuries. If we find wounded people who need first aid during the search, I'm better at it than many others."

"Secondly, I have knowledge of hydraulic geography and rock structure, which can provide insights into determining the direction of groundwater flow and possible hiding places. Don't forget, I was the one who found the location for our regiment's well."

Of course, these are just the stated reasons. Her greatest asset is her Insightful Grid. As long as Zhou Yanshen is alive within a certain range, she can scan for his vital signs, which is far more efficient than blindly searching by manpower.

Although the range of her Insight Grid is short, she can spend a fortune to expand it to several hundred meters! Thank goodness, she still has over a hundred pounds of gold, enough to squander!

Liu Shuqing listened to her clear and logical explanation, realizing that she could indeed play these roles, and said, "Okay, but I need to consult with the organization first."

Upon hearing this, Lin Tingting immediately exclaimed, "I want to go too! I'll help with the cooking and take care of the wounded!"

Su Wanqing turned around and gave her a cold look: "Don't make me slap you."

Lin Tingting trembled in fright and looked for help from Zhou's mother, Ding Xiaomei, and Ding Zhigang, but found that no one paid any attention to her, so she had no choice but to shut her mouth in embarrassment.

Su Wanqing quickly packed a bundle, taking as much of the ready-made food at home as possible—fried fish pieces, meatballs, steamed buns, and boiled eggs—as she could carry with her. She preferred to carry it herself rather than leave it for Lin Tingting and the others.