Chapter 1: Top Secret Mission (1)
A wave of scorching wind blew in, causing the golden sand to roll like flowing water under its influence, filling in the inconspicuous pits and hollows on the ground, resulting in a flat, even, and smooth surface
It is ! ''
Zhao Ziyang
to ! ''
Cracked lips and sand in the mouth are rolled in with their tongues and chewed, using the power of chewing to dispel all negative reactions in the body
Indeed, this is a mirage
Safety at the 10 o'clock position
The assistant glanced at the figure of Sun, who held a doctor's degree, cleared his throat with effort, and nodded slightly to signal Zhao Ziyang to let him go
Latitude 40.1872, Longitude 90.8239, Tarim Basin, Lop Nur
A sense of unease arose in Zhao Ziyang's heart; from the captain's anxious gaze, he could also perceive the captain's similar unease
International mercenaries fully armed have appeared here, clearly for the iron box they retrieved from the depths of the Canglong's severed ear.
The scorching sun mercilessly baked them, while the dry sand winds incessantly swept away the remaining moisture within their bodies. The dehydrated bodies, under the strain of intense running, caused their breaths to grow heavier. With each deep gasp, the moisture within them diminished further. Yet they could not stop; once they halted, they risked being unable to rise again, waiting for thirst to claim their lives
There are still at least 200 kilometers to the edge of the basin. If they proceed at this speed, it will take at least five days to walk out. During these five days, without a water source, they will lie in the desert and become mere corpses.
The captain and his team became exceedingly cautious as they entered the center of the flat basin. The five of them formed a fan shape, raising their guns towards the summit of the sand dune opposite, advancing carefully with tactical steps. This terrain is the most dangerous; if it were not for the lack of options, they would absolutely not enter such an exposed landscape.
"Shut up!" The captain glared fiercely at the soldier who had spoken, reprimanding in an almost growl: "Secrets that should not be spoken, do not speak; secrets that should not be known, do not ask; secrets that should not be seen, do not look! Zhao Ziyang, when you return, copy the confidentiality regulations a thousand times for me!"
The captain, positioned at the very center of the fan formation, waved his hand to signal to continue moving forward, with the muzzle of his firearm always pointed upwards to prevent sudden ambushes
With a loud snap, Zhao Ziyang stood up, grabbing the young assistant by the collar and, gritting his teeth, whispered fiercely at him: "If you want to stay alive, you had better tell me the significance of this item you found, otherwise..."
A profound silence envelops the area, with nothing but yellow sand as far as the eye can see, devoid of any signs of life
A group of people ran rapidly eastward for several kilometers, entering a basin terrain flanked by two sand dunes. To pass through, they must traverse the extremely low-lying basin and then climb over the opposite sand dune to continue their journey
"Yes!" Zhao Ziyang replied with absolute obedience, but his eyes darted towards the metal box that the biochemist was tightly guarding against his chest
The direction of 2 o'clock is safe
The special forces instantly dropped to the sandy ground, taking cover behind the sand dune, guns drawn and in shooting position, their eyes deeply set, radiating the light of battle
Ten days ago, a special operations unit from Northwest China received a top-secret mission to venture into the depths of the Long Dragon's Broken Ear in the Lop Nur region to locate and retrieve scientific personnel in possession of important items in the field of science, and to escort them to Base No. 13.
various ethnic groups, Belleville 550ST desert combat boots, desert MCCUU, M4-A1 carbine
This is a mirage. Dr. Sun, with a doctorate, remained fixated on the vanishing scene in the southwest, and said with a worried expression: Typically, the refraction of a mirage is reversed; the physical objects appearing in the southwest should be located in the northeast.
Zhao Ziyang met the captain's gaze and nodded slightly at him, then continued to assist Sun, who held a doctor's degree, in moving forward with a careful step, all personnel becoming exceptionally vigilant
Where there are people, there are water sources; where there are people, there is hope
With the captain's command issued, the four special forces soldiers formed an alternating cover formation, swiftly moving towards the basin with their guns drawn, clearing the way for the mission objective behind them
Zhao Ziyang lay on the sand dune, biting his cracked lips, firmly holding his rifle, and through the sight, he intently stared at the opposite sand dune. No unexpected events occurred, and the five members of the team successfully entered the flat area in the center of the basin, preparing to cross the flat ground and ascend the opposite sand dune to ensure safety
A team of six Chinese special forces soldiers is escorting two experts in the field of biochemistry, advancing eastward at a rapid pace. Their faces are covered in sand, their dry lips are cracked with numerous bloodied fissures, and their bloodshot eyes are filled with intense anxiety.
Zhao Ziyang protects Sun's doctoral degree, while the others take turns providing cover
Support the pursuit of a doctoral degree!
With a swift motion, the captain extended his left hand in a gesture resembling a grasping cage. The team members, upon receiving the sign language instruction, immediately moved closer to the captain
Distance? The captain furrowed his brow tightly as he asked Sun about the doctor's degree
Zhao Ziyang released his assistant, his eyes fixed intently on him
A palm-sized sealed metal box was tightly held against the chest of a biochemist in his fifties, who was walking forward with a stagger, supported by an assistant. Six special forces soldiers formed a diamond shape around them, escorting them at the center.
Eight individuals almost simultaneously extended their tongues and gently licked their lips, fixating their gaze on the figure approaching them from a distance
Temperature 46, wind direction southwest, wind speed 6.5 m/s, humidity 8%
One o'clock direction is safe
What exactly is in the iron box that can attract international mercenaries?
"Doctor Sun, we must make a dash; otherwise, we will all perish in this desert." The captain approached the biochemist and made an undeniable demand in a hoarse voice
The mysterious Lop Nur, the enigmatic severed ear of the Azure Dragon
This pattern has never been seen before, giving a very strange feeling. An ominous premonition hovered around Zhao Ziyang's alarm clock, as if his sixth sense was warning him of the existence of danger
With the words of Dr. Sun's degree, a fully armed team of international mercenaries gradually faded from view before the crowd, ultimately disappearing completely
In short, everything was in a dire state; the sudden storm had driven them into a desperate situation: the radio was destroyed, the compass was malfunctioning, and venturing outside relied solely on their legs and a map
Zhao Ziyang's mind flashed with scenes of a mirage, as faces of various ethnicities appeared before him. He particularly noticed the emblem on the mercenary's bicep within the mirage: a horizontal diamond shape, with an inverted V pattern embedded below it, resembling a pair of binoculars, or perhaps two eyes staring back at you
The captain made a gesture to stop, crouched on the sand dune, and took out a telescope to carefully observe the terrain before him.
No one knows, absolutely no one knows, this is classified information, and they have no authority to know it
Conceal! Mercenary! The captain suddenly let out a low and urgent roar
"No, this is false, this is a mirage." Dr. Sun, with a doctoral degree, struggled to rise from under Zhao Ziyang's arm, looked at the distant group of mercenaries, and with a self-deprecating smile said, "Having frequently entered the desert, I am about to leap from the field of biochemistry to the realm of natural sciences."
Dr. Sun revealed a difficult and bitter smile, his blood-stained lips gently moved, yet no words came forth. His right hand pressed firmly against the metal box on his chest, indicating that its contents were more important than anything else
If this speed is maintained, it may be possible to reach the edge of the basin before the body collapses, and perhaps even encounter a team heading to explore the Lop Nur...
The heat waves rising from the distant beach became more intense, even creating an illusion that they were immersed in a tumultuous sea. The emergence of this illusion proved that their physical stamina had been severely depleted, and they could only rely on their willpower to continue their relentless pursuit.
Continue east!" The captain spoke in a hoarse voice, casting a deep glance towards the east and said: "The current situation does not allow us to change our course. Prepare for encounters and ambushes!
This item has the potential to overturn the entire scientific community the assistant said this and then caught up with Sun, who holds a doctor's degree
Zhao Ziyang immediately stepped forward to support Sun, who held a doctor's degree, and together with that assistant, they rushed forward. The deep and shallow footprints behind them formed a continuous line, which was then filled and submerged by the dry wind sweeping up the sand, completely placing them in a desolate sea of sand.
This is the heart of the Lop Nur Canglong Duaner region, where the surface temperature reaches as high as 80 degrees Celsius, devoid of any vegetation and any form of life, comparable to the lifeless expanse of the Taklamakan Desert.
Under the intense glare of the sun, the boundless desert shimmers with heat waves, creating a mirage-like pattern reminiscent of rippling water. All sources of water have been exhausted, and they must traverse the Tarim Basin on foot towards the east at the fastest possible speed, seeking to find damp sand containing a small amount of moisture at the periphery for replenishment, and then attempt to establish contact with the command center to seek rescue. All sources of water have been exhausted, and they must traverse the Tarim Basin on foot towards the east at the fastest possible speed, seeking to find damp sand containing a small amount of moisture at the periphery for replenishment, and then attempt to establish contact with the command center to seek rescue.
"Captain, this mission..." A hoarse voice emerged, but it was abruptly interrupted by the captain.
Safety at the 11 o'clock position
A sudden desert storm destroyed their communication equipment, severing contact with the command center. Under the influence of the storm, the sand dunes underwent extensive movement, completely altering the terrain and leaving them in a perilous state of disorientation
The special forces, having experienced a false alarm, rose from the sandy ground, gasping for breath. The momentary tension in their nerves had once again drained their remaining strength.
A line of figures appeared in the southwest, becoming increasingly clear, to the point where one could even see the water bottles hanging from their camouflage uniforms
This low-lying basin made the team uneasy: if there were enemies lying in ambush on the opposite hillside, they would be completely exposed to the enemy's gunfire upon entering the basin, and would inevitably be picked off one by one without any unexpected events.
Perhaps several kilometers, perhaps hundreds of kilometers. However, the mirage in this desert usually occurs at 8 to 9.5 kilometers. After Dr. Sun finished speaking, he touched the metal box on his chest, glanced at the weary special forces soldiers, and let out a deep sigh
This task is part of the nation's highest level of classified missions, and no one knows why they have come to this damned Lop Nur, nor does anyone know what exactly is contained in the metal box carried by the biochemical expert.