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

Su Wanqing's tone gave off a very professional feeling.

Commander Zhao took the letter, quickly glanced through it, and his expression softened slightly. "Comrade Su Wanqing, I understand your feelings. Comrade Zhou Yanshen is an important member of our team, and we are just as anxious as you about his disappearance. However, rescue work is highly specialized and dangerous; it's not something that can be done with just enthusiasm. Go to the rest area and wait for orders. We will notify you if any comrades are injured. Xiao Liu, your task for the next few days is to take good care of Comrade Su and ensure her safety."

This is a disguised way of "keeping an eye on" her.

"Commander Zhao, I have professional knowledge, and I request to attend the meeting."

Just as Commander Zhao frowned, a geologist next to him waved his hand and said, "Old Zhao, let her listen. In this situation, having another clear-headed person is never a bad thing."

After a moment's thought, Commander Zhao said, "Alright! Comrade Su Wanqing, you can sit in. Xiao Liu, you stay too. But you must strictly abide by discipline and obey all orders!"

"Yes!" Su Wanqing and Xiao Liu replied at the same time.

·

A mysterious underground river, on a rocky platform somewhere.

"Captain Zhou, Wang Zhiming... I'm afraid he's not going to make it." A soldier with lips that were turning purple from the cold said dejectedly.

Zhou Yanshen leaned against the cold rock wall, his face ashen from days without seeing the sun, but his eyes remained calm. He stuffed the fish he had caught into his mouth and chewed expressionlessly. The fish was cold and slippery; he forced himself to swallow it, along with a few crumbs of compressed biscuits.

Food is fuel, it is the hope for survival, and it cannot be wasted.

"Hmm." He responded briefly, swallowed the last bite, and then spoke, his tone as calm as ever, "Our compressed biscuits and fish can last for four or five days, but we can't just sit here passively waiting for rescue. I've already identified six dead ends and marked them. Today I'll continue to find a way out."

He stood up and stretched his limbs, which were stiff and numb from being submerged in cold water for so long. The wetsuit clung to his body, chilling him to the bone, and the headlamp battery was almost dead.

Who would have thought that what was supposed to be a simple underground exploration to find a target would turn out to be a maze of hidden reefs?

On the first day, he and two comrades were swept into this place. He immediately started making marks to find a way out while searching for food. On the second and third days, he brought back a total of four comrades. Unfortunately, they were soaked in the cold water for two days and fell ill. Their condition is now very bad.

To make matters worse—of the five men sent to find them, he only brought back four comrades. As for the other comrade, all that could be said was that he was lucky.

Zhou Yanshen finished the whole fish expressionlessly, not even leaving the innards behind. Since they had no fire, they could only eat it raw. He reluctantly ate another piece of compressed biscuit.

Fortunately, his wife brought him a lot of compressed biscuits. He put them in a sealed tin box when he went into the water, so they didn't get wet. These compressed biscuits were high in sugar and calories, which sustained him all day and allowed him to catch a lot of fish, which is why he survived.

He misses his wife.

"Wanqing, thank you." If it weren't for his wife, Zhou Yanshen wouldn't know how pathetic he looked right now.

He absolutely cannot get hurt; he must get out alive and see his wife.

Thinking of this, he got up again to check on his comrades.

"I'll continue scouting. You stay here, conserve your energy, and look out for each other. Sun Liguo, Li Jianjun," he pointed to two soldiers with minor injuries, "pay close attention to changes in water levels and air currents. If anything happens, move to another location immediately, and remember to leave a mark."

"Yes, Captain!" the two replied. The tide was rising here from time to time, so one of them had to stand guard at night.

Zhou Yanshen walked to the inner side of the platform, where four wounded comrades lay. Prolonged immersion in the cold, dark river water had caused them varying degrees of hypothermia, wound infection, and severe exhaustion. Wang Zhiming, in the worst condition, had a persistent low-grade fever and was delirious.

Sun Liguo crushed the biscuits and fed them to Wang Zhiming.

"Wang Zhiming, you have to eat! How can you get through this without food? Captain Zhou caught a lot of fish, we have food! Cheer up!"

Wang Zhiming said weakly, "Old Sun, don't bother. I know myself. I'm shivering from the cold one minute and delirious from the fever the next. I'm afraid I can't hold on. It doesn't matter if I die, but we need to get the news about Lan Jing out here. The country has been waiting for this for a long time."

"Yes, Captain Zhou, we're doomed. You must get this message out..."

The good news is that the core objective of their mission—a special strategic mineral codenamed "Blue Crystal"—is located in these reefs. If they can bring back a sample, it would be enough to earn them a first-class merit.

The bad news is that four seriously injured people are in critical condition and cannot afford any more delays. Every day they are trapped in this situation, their chances of survival slip away.

Zhou Yanshen crouched down and reached out to feel Wang Zhiming's forehead. "Don't say discouraging things. You won't die. Hang in there, and once I find a way out, I'll take you to the doctor immediately. My wife is the best doctor. As long as she has a breath left, she can snatch you back from the jaws of death. I believe in her."

He said this not just once, but every day.

Wang Zhiming forced a smile. "Okay, Captain Zhou, these past few days, I've heard you mention your wife the most... If I can get out of here alive, I will definitely thank her in person..."

"Captain Zhou, you must stay safe. Don't make your wife sad. If things get really bad, don't worry about us. Take the clues about Lan Jing and get out of here first. We're the ones who are dragging you down..."

That's true. Zhou Yanshen was responsible for the food of the other six people. If he hadn't had to catch more fish every day, he could have explored many more exits.

Zhou Yanshen pursed his thin lips, his face appearing even colder and harder in the dim light.

"Listen up, all of you! Now, conserve your energy, and don't even think about giving up! You must eat on time and in the correct quantities. Sun Liguo, Li Jianjun, break up the fish and biscuits and try to feed them, even if you have to force-feed them! This is an order!"

"Yes, Captain!" The two straightened their backs and replied in a low voice.

"As for the way out and the mission," he took a deep breath, suppressing his physical exhaustion.

"I'll take care of everything."

After saying that, he put a military dagger in his mouth and jumped into the icy water.

At this moment, Zhou Yanshen just wanted to find the exit as soon as possible, report the news, and then meet his wife. His wife must be getting impatient, right?

Unexpectedly, his beloved wife came to find him in person, and she had a big surprise for him.