Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Pushing open the door, a biting cold wind hit him. Lin Ze stepped forward, his feet sinking into the thick snow.

"Colonel."

"Colonel Lin."

Two soldiers guarded the entrance to the command center that had been set up overnight. When they saw him, they respectfully opened the door.

Lin Ze nodded his thanks. Once inside, warmth enveloped him. He removed his mask, revealing his fair, translucent face.

"Colonel, all this equipment has been checked and is working normally," Lu Mo said, moving aside for him.

They had decided just before departure to have Lu Mo come assist him. With him here, things were indeed much easier.

Lin Ze checked the detection, tracking, transmission and other systems. Finding no issues, he stood up and headed back outside.

Lu Mo followed him.

A very large open area was located not far from the command center. A plane was parked there, with several drones alongside it.

Seven soldiers stood in front of the plane, fully equipped and ready to go.

At Lin Ze's command, the seven men boarded the plane in an orderly manner.

Soon, the aircraft roared to life, and an even fiercer gust of wind swept through. Lin Ze shielded his face with his arm, planting his feet firmly in the snow. He returned to the Chief Commander Center only after the roar had faded into the distance.

On the large electronic screen, images showing sections of the mountain landscape appeared. A blinking red dot moved slowly deeper into the snowy mountains. Two hours later, it reached a narrower pass at the foot of the mountain, where the snow lay deeper.

"Colonel, the aircraft can't proceed any further."

"Wang Wei, get your team off the plane now. Continue to the destination on foot."

"Received, Colonel."

A single red dot soon became seven. Drones circled above them, using their sensors to transmit the real-time environment back.

Everything in sight was a vast expanse of white. The only audible sound was the crunch of protective boots sinking into the snow.

Only one kilometer remained to the destination.

Lin Ze spoke into his headset:

"Wang Wei, report physical status."

"Normal."

"Su Qian, report physical status."

"Normal."

"Chen Zi, report."

...

After confirming all seven men were in normal condition, Lin Ze instructed Lu Mo to send a drone ahead of them. On the other side of the mountain range lay a seemingly endless white plain.

Based on the coordinates from the last mission, Lu Mo guided the drone there. However, the drone, which should have emitted an alert signal, remained silent.

The drone circled the area several more times but still detected nothing.

"Colonel, we're scanning based on the previously recorded coordinates. But why is there nothing?" Lu Mo asked.

Lin Ze frowned. "There are two possibilities. One, the combustible ice deposit is too deep, and the drone alone can't detect it. The other is that it has already been completely excavated..."

The first scenario wouldn't be a problem. But if it was the second...

"Colonel, what do we do next?"

"Wait for them to arrive, then run another scan with the precise instruments."

An hour later, Wang Wei reported back: "Colonel, no substances detected. Next..."

"Colonel, there are signs of blasting here," Su Qian's voice suddenly crackled over the headset.

Several photos flashed onto the large screen. The originally flat permafrost was cracked open into a large hole, just big enough to accommodate a person.

"Could it be from your team seven years ago?" Lu Mo asked.

"No," Lin Ze replied almost without hesitation. "Damage left in a place like this would heal over within a year. Someone must have been here recently."

"Recently?"

Lin Ze didn't answer further. Instead, he instructed via the headset: "Wang Wei, take your team down to investigate."

"Yes, sir."

"Colonel, a tunnel has been dug inside, but it's empty."

"Return for now," Lin Ze ordered.

The seven men retraced their path back. Lin Ze had them rest first. After pondering for a long time, he decided not to report to Su Wang immediately. Instead, he first questioned the nearby villagers.

"The only people who have come recently are you," said the village chief, a white-haired man in his seventies. He puffed on his cigarette, carefully thinking it over.

"Have you heard any unusual noises?"

"Unusual noises?"

"Well... we did hear an explosion sound in the middle of the night."

"What was the specific time?"

"I'd have to think carefully about that." The chief called his wife, who was cooking. "When was it that the dog kept barking at night?"

His wife came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands, and recalled, "It should have been over a month ago."

"Did you only hear the explosion?" Lin Ze asked again.

"There was also a sound like your aircraft, a loud buzzing noise."

"Colonel, we can now confirm that someone secretly came here over a month ago," Lu Mo said as they left the chief's house.

"Besides you and your teammates, very few people know the exact location."

Lin Ze stared at the vast expanse of white snow, his expression grave.

It would be easy to trace. Why take such a huge risk?

Returning to the command center, Lin Ze issued an order to deploy all drones to probe again for locations with deposits of combustible ice. After two days and one night of searching, the detector finally began to beep.

With their prior experience, the team set out even faster this time. Upon reaching the destination, the seven of them divided up the tasks and worked around the clock, using explosives to blast their way down to a depth of one hundred meters... The detector beeped more urgently, so they stopped using explosives. Carefully, they chipped away with tools and finally glimpsed a hint of sky blue.

However, their joy was short-lived as alarms started blaring.

Wang Wei was the first to react: "Run!"

After three months of training, everyone responded swiftly, getting clear just before the explosion.

A dazzling burst of flames erupted across the vast white snowfield.

"Wang Wei, Su Qian..." Lin Ze shouted.

A few minutes passed before a response came.

"Colonel, we're fine."

Lin Ze breathed a sigh of relief.

Learning from last time, everyone proceeded with greater caution. After digging it out, they quickly broke it down and sealed the samples into canisters, then placed them in their backpacks.

"Colonel, we've got the samples."

"Finally succeeded!" Cheers suddenly erupted in the control room.

The professors and researchers working alongside them also engaged in lively discussions.

Lin Ze gave a brief smile before quietly gazing at the endless snowscape on the screen.

"With this mission accomplished, I plan to marry my girlfriend," Lin Ze suddenly heard his teammate Yang Zhihui say. "What about you, Lin Ze? What do you plan to do after this mission succeeds?"

At the time, Lin Ze was reviewing data. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Continue working."

"You're impossible. Professor, you tell him. He needs to learn to relax a bit instead of working all day."

Then came the professor's resigned voice: "You're the one lacking ambition, yet you drag others down with you?"

"But still, Xiao Ze, after completing this mission, take a break for a while. You're at that age—find an omega to date..."

What Lin Ze replied at the time was now forgotten, but he remembered that during that mission, his teammates and professor had trusted him completely, believing he could lead them to a guaranteed success. They trusted him so much that they had already planned what to do afterward.

However...

"Colonel, what's wrong?" Lu Mo noticed that something was off with Lin Ze.

Lin Ze shook his head.

Returning with the first batch of samples, everyone wore expressions of joy and pride.

They handed the samples to the accompanying researchers, who connected a section of piping, turned the switch, and a blue flame emerged.

"Besides fire, it can also generate electricity for heating and power vehicles," the researcher said, turning off the switch with a smile. "It won't be long before our country returns to a state of abundance."

Hearing this, Lin Ze felt genuinely happy.

Although he hadn't led the team personally, at least he had contributed to its success. This alleviated some of his guilt. He reported the matter to Su Wang, requesting additional personnel.

Crawler vehicles for extraction were airlifted in, assembled on-site, and driven one by one to the permafrost zone for mining.

Lin Ze put Lu Mo in charge while he went to talk to the local villagers, hoping to gather more information about any strangers who might have come to the area over a month ago.

"Haven't seen any, but the Luan family who sells tobacco and alcohol might know," an elderly middle-aged woman told Lin Ze. "Anyone who comes hiking or for research like you folks buys supplies or stays at their place."

Following her directions, Lin Ze soon found a simple shop by the roadside leading into the mountains.

Inside the shop was a girl bundled in thick clothing but with delicate features. She was organizing goods and froze for a long moment upon seeing Lin Ze enter before asking, "Sir, what would you like to buy?"

Lin Ze smiled, picked up a bottle of water, and after paying, asked her, "Over a month ago, did any strangers come here to buy things?"

"Many people come here. It's been too long; I can't remember clearly."

With all sorts of people passing through such a shop, it was normal not to recall. Lin Ze didn't press further but said, "If you remember, could you let me know?"

"Sure."

"I'm stationed not far from here, where there are many soldiers."

The girl's expression brightened with realization, her eyes gleaming slightly. "So you're an officer."

"Just an ordinary staff member," Lin Ze replied.

But the girl didn't believe him. His demeanor was unlike that of an ordinary worker, and she had never seen such a fair-skinned alpha. The moment he walked in, the entire shabby shop seemed to brighten. It was clear he was accustomed to a life of privilege.

Having only encountered rough alphas at the foot of the mountains, she quickly became infatuated.

Unable to uncover anything for the time being, Lin Ze also lacked the time to investigate further. Locating the site was challenging, and the subsequent extraction and transportation were equally difficult. Due to its unique shape, the combustible ice had to be broken down before transport, requiring significant manpower.

Aside from directing the team, Lin Ze also pitched in despite his pregnancy when manpower was short.

However, on one occasion, Lu Mo set the temperature too high, causing the processing combustible ice to explode. Lin Ze pushed Lu Mo aside but couldn't dodge in time, injuring his calf.

Lin Ze was helped to the makeshift medical tent. Rolling up his pants revealed his entire calf reddened from burns.

The doctor applied medication.

Lin Ze was about to ask about the ingredients of the medicine but noticed Lu Mo still hovering worriedly nearby. He asked Lu Mo to step outside. Reluctantly, Lu Mo left, and Lin Ze asked somewhat awkwardly, "Is this medication safe for pregnant individuals?"

"It is."

Lin Ze felt relieved.

The doctor glanced at his belly. Though his clothes were thick, a closer look revealed a rounded shape.

"Colonel, you're pregnant?" the doctor asked in surprise. "Why are you involved in such dangerous activities while pregnant?"

"Let me give you a check-up!"

Though only his calf was injured, the baby should be fine. Still, to be safe, Lin Ze nodded.

Fortunately, the baby was unharmed.

"Is there any scar-preventing ointment?" Lin Ze asked the doctor.

If Xiu Jin discovered the injury on his leg upon returning, he would surely be angry.

"Scar-preventing ointment?"

At that moment, Lu Mo's voice came from outside the door: "Who are you? Why are you looking for Colonel Lin?"

"So he's the colonel? He said I could come find him here if I remembered anything."

At this, Lin Ze said, "Lu Mo, let her in."

Luan He entered and her gaze immediately fell on his slender, bright red calf.

Lin Ze pulled his pant leg down and asked, "What did you remember?"

"About a month ago, someone in a uniform like yours did come to buy cigarettes."

"What did he look like? Do you remember?" Lin Ze frowned.

"He was tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. But it was so long ago, I really can't remember clearly."

The description was too vague for Lin Ze to identify anyone. He could only have Su Wang send him the list of people who knew the specific location and investigate them one by one.

Luan He wasn't in a hurry to leave. "Did you burn your leg? My family has a special ointment for burns. It heals quickly and doesn't leave scars."

Hearing "doesn't leave scars," Lin Ze was intrigued.

The next day, Luan He brought the ointment. Lin Ze thanked her and gave her a generous payment.

"I see you all have been eating compressed rations. How about I ask my mom to cook some home-style meals and bring them over?"

"Great! That sounds great!" Wang Wei, Su Qian, and several other soldiers eagerly agreed. They were sick of the portable compressed food.

Every day for the next few days, Luan He brought meals. Gradually, everyone realized she had taken a liking to their Colonel Lin.

*

Li Xiujin finished a joint conference. Though he should have stayed overnight, he boarded a plane instead. On the flight, he repeatedly watched news reports about the successful methane hydrate extraction. In occasional flashes of on-site footage, he could see Lin Ze moving about.

After a ten-hour flight back home, he immediately got in a car to Lin Ze's workplace.

The car stopped at the command center. As soon as Li Xiujin got out, he overheard two soldiers on guard duty chatting.

"Gotta say, the food is really good."

"You should thank Colonel Lin."

"Why?"

"Guess you're the only one who hasn't noticed. That omega likes Colonel Lin."

"She likes Colonel Lin? How does Colonel Lin react?"

The voice sounded off, but one soldier didn't notice and continued, "No reaction so far. But with the long-distance and her being so attentive, who knows?"

"Is that so?"

The voice was slightly icy.

Finally sensing something wrong, the soldier looked up. Recognizing who it was, he was so frightened he nearly knelt on the spot. "G-General Li!"

"Where is Colonel Lin?"

His terrifying expression left them no room for concealment.

"In... in the main control room."

Li Xiujin headed straight for the main control room.