Chapter 180
Chapter 180
“Captain, should we go down and collect the bodies?”
A squad member’s hesitant voice came over the comms.
“Hmm…”
The woman they called Captain lazily drew out the sound. She stroked her chin absentmindedly, then said, “Sanqi, come to my position and guard the equipment.”
“I’ll go down myself.”
………..
“Qingshui! An Xiaolin!”
Elsewhere, Ye Que and Wu Wujie had practically fallen to their knees in the snow. They frantically checked Qingshui’s and An Xiaolin’s injuries as blood stained the pristine snow a horrifying crimson.
“Stop the bleeding first! Hurry!”
Ye Que’s voice trembled. Clutching a roll of gauze, she wound it around Qingshui’s waist again and again, but the blood quickly soaked through every layer. There was no stopping it.
Just then, the crunch of footsteps through the snow sounded behind them.
“Who’s there?!”
Ye Que’s pupils contracted. Almost on instinct, she drew her gun and whirled around.
A tall figure, nearly six foot three, stood behind her. The newcomer was completely wrapped in heavy black tactical gear, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed-deep and cold as a frozen pool. Amid the raging wind and snow, she looked particularly out of place.
She regarded Ye Que, who had a gun trained on her, then Wu Wujie, who was struggling to his feet. Tilting her head slightly, she seemed to assess the situation before her.
Then she slowly raised both hands. Her voice came through her mask, tinged with amusement. “Don’t shoot. I’m here to help you.”
Dangerous.
Extremely dangerous!
Every alarm in Ye Que’s head instantly went off, her finger clenched tightly against the trigger.
The woman had her hands raised and appeared to be at a complete disadvantage, yet Ye Que felt as though she were facing a dozing cheetah. If she let down her guard for even a moment, it would pounce and tear out her throat.
“Don’t come any closer!” Ye Que barked.
The woman remained exactly where she was. She lowered her hands and stood there casually. “With the way you’ve bandaged them, neither of them will last much longer.”
Ye Que’s heart tightened.
Before she could think further, the woman pulled a tightly sealed military pouch from her backpack and tossed it over.
“Do exactly as I say.” Her tone carried an authority that brooked no argument. “Open the pouch. Now.”
Ye Que’s wariness had yet to fully subside, but when she saw how pale Qingshui and An Xiaolin had become, their breathing growing weaker by the second, she finally forced down her misgivings. Crouching, she swiftly opened the pouch.
Inside were professional field dressings, anti-inflammatory gel, and sterilization equipment-several times more advanced than the first-aid supplies they had brought.
“Press down three centimeters above the wound to cut off the arterial blood flow,” the woman instructed from where she stood. Her voice was lazy, but every word was clear and every command crisp. “Spread the gel evenly around the edges of the wound. Don’t apply it directly to the exposed tissue. Wrap the compression bandage upward from below the wound, and keep the pressure steady. Too loose and it won’t stop the bleeding; too tight and the tissue will become necrotic.”
Ye Que and Wu Wujie didn’t dare waste any time. They followed her instructions step by step.
Under the woman’s guidance, they soon managed to staunch the bleeding that had seemed impossible to stop.
Throughout the process, she remained at a safe distance without taking a single step forward. She displayed no aggression whatsoever, yet maintained complete control over the pace of the emergency treatment.
Once the two gunshot wounds had been treated methodically and Wu Wujie’s injury rebandaged as well, Ye Que finally let out a long breath. She looked up at the tall Mysterious Woman before her. Her fingertips were still stained with blood as she asked solemnly, “Are you a soldier?”
The woman chuckled and lifted her chin slightly. A trace of nonchalance shone in her deep eyes as she replied with calm certainty, “Wasn’t it obvious?”
“Why… did you save us?”
The wind swept flurries of snow against the woman’s body. She stood there quietly, the oppressive air around her receding slightly as she looked toward the two wounded women.
Her tone was calm, but her words carried undeniable conviction.
“Does a soldier need a reason to save civilians?”
As the words fell, Ye Que was momentarily at a loss for words. She turned to look at Wu Wujie; his face was pale, clearly still forcing himself to hold on.
The woman, however, seemed to not notice their strange expressions. She just cast a brief glance at the bandaged wound, confirmed it was properly dressed, and slowly averted her gaze. Her tone returned to its initial languidness: “It’s stabilized for now.”
“Don’t waste time. They can still be saved.”
“Head out east, take the G297 Expressway, exit near Shengze, and go north. There will be checkpoints along the way-don’t panic.”
“I can only help you this far.”
A light flickered in Ye Que’s eyes. “A shelter…?”
The woman just looked at her impassively, offering no answer. But Ye Que’s heart suddenly began pounding wildly-the ecstasy of finding hope in the depths of despair.
She gazed deeply at the woman, and finally decided to trust her.
Qingshui and An Xiaolin’s injuries could not wait any longer. If what the woman said was true, this would be a chance at survival for them-no, for everyone.
Ye Que swiftly holstered her gun, tightened her backpack, and turned to Wu Wujie, murmuring, “Wu Wujie, wait here for me. I’ll find a car. Hang on.”
Wu Wujie stood before the unconscious Qingshui and An Xiaolin, his face drenched in blood. There wasn’t a trace of panic on his face; he seemed eerily composed. But the knuckles of his hand gripping the pointed shovel had already turned white, all the strength in his body anchored to that iron tool.
Only by leaning on that single fulcrum could he barely keep his staggering body upright, not letting the woman glimpse any sign of weakness.
The woman chuckled softly, watching Ye Que as she searched desperately for a car while still keeping a wary eye on her.
Her gaze fell upon the two girls on the ground, and beneath her mask, the corner of her mouth curled into an interested smile.
She liked these two. They were crazy enough.
That breathtaking car chase battle-their whole team had watched it clearly. People like these, once at the base, would be powerful assets to the country.
Ye Que finally found a car that was in reasonably good condition. She hurried back to Wu Wujie and said in a low voice, “Let’s go.”
The two of them laboriously moved Qingshui and An Xiaolin into the car, and then Wu Wujie, with great difficulty, squeezed into the passenger seat.
Suddenly remembering something, he shook his head forcefully and looked at Ye Que.
“You… can drive, right?”
Ye Que gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes calm. Hearing his question, she turned and said, “I… can’t.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve… I’ve seen others do it.”
Wu Wujie braced his injured body and reached for her hand, his voice trembling. “Let me…”
“Rest,” Ye Que said, not letting him touch. “With your face covered in blood and barely able to stand–if I let you drive and you pass out at the wheel, I won’t have the strength to drag you out.”
Wu Wujie gasped for air, no longer having the energy to argue. He could only stare straight ahead and give her instructions through gritted teeth:
“Press the clutch, ease on the gas… keep the wheel steady.”
The car moved.
The engine rumbled deeply, and the wheels slowly rolled past the Mysterious Woman.
Just as the vehicle came alongside her, Ye Que subconsciously turned her head.
The woman still stood in place, her exposed eyes devoid of emotion. She merely met Ye Que’s gaze with indifference.
No extra words, no extra gestures-just two strangers brushing past in the weave of fate.
The next second, the car sped away completely, and the two lines of sight were severed by the wind, snow, and distance, never to cross again.
Watching their departing silhouettes, the woman then turned her gaze to the Cat on the ground. She pulled out a large bag from her pocket and completely enclosed the Cat within it.
She turned and left, her dark figure gradually melting into the blizzard. She didn’t spare a single glance at the other corpse lying on the ground.
She didn’t care, and no one else did either.