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墨書 Inktalez
"We can't be lying! The woman we rescued is still on our Speedboat!" Before I could explain, Sheng Xiong interjected.
"What?! Where is there a woman?!" Ding Sheng leaned over to look inside our Speedboat, surprised.
We were all taken aback and turned to glance at the back of the Speedboat.
To my shock, when Flashlight shone the light, I broke out in a cold sweat! The back of the Speedboat was completely empty except for a Camouflage Uniform! Where was the woman?!
Wait?! What happened to the Young Woman who was curled up at the back of the Speedboat just moments ago?!
I rushed forward to grab the Camouflage Uniform. It was still wet; I remembered that I had asked Sheng Xiong to take off his outer coat for her because he was tall enough for it to serve as a large coat!
But the uniform was here, where was she?!
I turned back to look at the others on the Speedboat, and we all exchanged bewildered glances. We had been moving this whole time; it was impossible for her to have fallen into the water without making a sound. How could she have disappeared so silently?
"This is really strange!" I muttered.
"Maybe there really are ghosts?!" Xuanhua said from the side, his face looking somewhat pale in the dim light of Flashlight.
"Don't be ridiculous!" I shot a glance at Nong, who was huddled in the corner, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Should we report this?" Jinghe timidly asked from the side.
I waved my hand; it was unclear what was happening—what should we report?! After thinking it over, I realized how bizarre it all seemed. We had all heard the woman's cries for help, but when we went to rescue her, there was no sound. Moreover, she had only said one thing before going silent, appearing quite calm—definitely not like an ordinary person in distress.
However, there was no time to ponder too much now. I whispered, "Stay calm! For now, let's document what happened. We'll decide whether to report it later."
"Brother, sorry for the trouble," I turned to Ding Sheng and said calmly.
"Oh? No problem!" Ding Sheng looked confused for a moment but quickly returned to normal.
"Brother, how long will it take to clear everything?" I changed the subject and asked.
"Very soon. The flow is fast, and the debris will be washed away quickly," Ding Sheng wiped the rainwater from his face.
"Do you need help?!" I asked with concern.
"No need, save your strength. You'll need it to rescue people later!" Ding Sheng smiled. "Consider it a way for us to save more people and recover more property for the citizens."
"Don't worry, brother! That's our duty!" I felt an inexplicable fondness for Squad Leader.
"Ding, there's another blockage here!" a soldier shouted from the embankment. "Okay, I'm coming!" Ding Sheng smiled at me, "I won't keep you any longer!"
"Mm!" I nodded, watching as Ding Sheng's figure blended back into the night.
More speedboats and assault boats were arriving, spreading out on both sides to avoid the central rapid area. I opened the intercom to check; it wasn't just my unit—Team Three had also arrived.
Seeing that there was still no signal ahead, I began to feel anxious. Just then, a flashlight beam shone in our direction, and a figure ran over. "Alright, alright!" It was Ding Sheng!
He had taken off his raincoat and was completely soaked as he shouted to us, "The front has been cleared! You can pass now!"
"Start the speedboat! Full speed ahead!" I commanded.
The speedboat roared to life, adjusting its direction as it slowly pushed against the current into the gap. As we passed through the gap, I stood up straight and saluted Ding Sheng and his team. The others on the speedboat followed suit except for Jinghe. Every speedboat or assault boat that passed by also saluted, while Ding Sheng stood on the embankment with his soldiers, returning the gesture with solemnity.
Watching Ding Sheng and the others gradually Disappear into the night, I couldn't help but shout, "Brothers, goodbye!"
"Take care! See you after Flood Control!" That was the last thing I heard from Ding Sheng.
After passing through the Gap, I ordered the entire unit to move forward at full speed! At the same time, I commanded to turn on all the lights and to be vigilant for any movements on the River Surface. In an instant, the River Surface was illuminated, with Speedboats and Assault Boats powering upstream.
Before long, visibility improved significantly. The closer we got to our target point, the more shocked I became. Looking upstream, there was an endless expanse of floodwaters, the muddy flow appearing yellowish as it cascaded down, submerging villages, houses, and roads, devouring all life in its path. Floating on the surface were the corpses of Livestock, weeds, and debris... all swirling in large eddies.
The submerged trees revealed branches above the water's surface, entangled with snakes fleeing for their lives. There were so many that they writhed in clusters, occasionally joined by other animals clinging to them, a sight that was utterly disgusting.
The Speedboat slowed its thrust, nearly coming to a standstill against the current. We looked around; we were Surrounded by Mountains, with only one exit in the direction we came from. The road had long been submerged, leaving no trace of the village.
"Company Commander, where is the village?!"
"It must have been completely submerged. Keep searching!"
"Understood!" Jinghe maneuvered the Speedboat, still drifting about as several people spread out on board, scanning the area in hopes of finding any signs.
By this time, the rain had mostly stopped, and visibility had improved significantly. Suddenly, we heard a flapping sound above us; it was Pudding. It had followed us from somewhere and circled overhead before soaring past us to hover over a section of Water Area.
"Pudding must have discovered something!" I muttered to myself.
I patted Fatty on the back, and we steered the Speedboat towards Pudding. Before long, someone shouted, "Over there! It looks like there are people?!"
Following his point direction, we saw something vaguely visible on the water's surface just a few dozen meters ahead. "Hurry over there!" I commanded.
The Speedboat roared as it sped towards that direction. The closer we got, the more anxious I became, fearing it might not be our intended target. With just over ten meters left, I could finally see clearly: there were many black elongated shapes protruding from the water's surface. Why were they elongated? Because those were the rooftops of houses! If we estimated based on typical house heights, the water depth here had already exceeded four meters!
On top of the nearest rooftop sat a child who appeared quite small and was wailing loudly. I quickly said to Fatty, "Get closer slowly; watch the waterline—don't hit the roof!"
Fatty acknowledged with a grunt as he carefully maneuvered the Speedboat closer. When we were still some distance away, he shouted, "Company Commander, we can't go any further!"
The chubby man used the engine to steady the Speedboat, and Pudding dove down, flying to the driver's stage. The chubby man pulled a Pudding from his pocket and fed it to him.
I estimated the distance between the Speedboat and the child, took off my raincoat, tossed it onto the boat, and with my hands braced against the side, I jumped. "Splash!" Water splashed everywhere as I landed on the roof. The water had just reached my legs, and after a few steps, I made my way to the ridge, preparing to bend down and pick up the child.
It was a boy, about five or six years old, with a bald head and big eyes that were incredibly cute. However, his clothes were completely soaked through, and he was shivering all over, looking extremely frightened and helpless. Perhaps his tears had long dried up; his voice was hoarse, yet he was still making soft whimpering sounds. When he saw someone approaching, he stopped crying and reached out his hands for a hug. My heart ached at this sight as I bent down and held him tightly in my arms.
"Be good! Don't cry; Uncle PLA is here now!" I whispered soothingly.
The boy continued to stare at me with terrified eyes. I silently stroked his head and slowly turned back toward the Speedboat, intending to place him on board. To my surprise, he thought I was going to drop him again, and his cries resumed.
"Be good! Don't be afraid; Uncle PLA is here! Be a brave boy!" I gently reassured him. I glanced at Xuanhua and Nong. "Pull me in!"
Just like that, Xuanhua and Nong nearly lifted me into the boat. The boy was still sobbing softly, so I patted him again and pointed at the chubby man. "Be good; don't cry. Look, Uncle has snacks for you! And there are birds to play with if you want. After you eat enough, Uncle PLA will take you to a place without water."
After all, he was just a child; he immediately stopped crying and stared wide-eyed at Pudding and Pudding.
"Chubby man, bring some snacks!" I walked over to him while holding the boy. I knew that his pockets were like Doraemon's magic pouch, filled with all sorts of snacks.
The chubby man hurriedly rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a pile of snacks for the boy. Perhaps because he was hungry, the boy eagerly tore open the packaging and started gulping down the food. His voracious eating startled Pudding, who jumped back several steps.
"Boy, what's your name?!"
"Doudou!" he mumbled.
"Doudou? Then Doudou, tell me where are your mom and dad?"
Perhaps I shouldn't have asked that question; suddenly, the boy began to cry again, sobbing as he said, "Daddy! Daddy is under the house! Mommy is in the water! She’s gone!"
The vague expressions left me confused about their meaning. I quickly hugged him tightly. "It's okay, don't cry. Look, look, the birds are laughing at you!"
I grabbed Pudding and showed it to the child. Pudding reluctantly croaked a couple of times, watching Doudou warily.
"Alright, be good. I'll let you play with the bird, but no more crying!"
Doudou wiped his nose and nodded. I placed the live Pudding into his hands and handed him over to Nong. "Now, your task is to take care of this child! Play with him! Look after him! Until we get back!"
After handing Doudou to Nong, I whispered, "The woman from last night was likely Doudou's mother. She's gone now, yet still worries about her child. Nong should have reminded me earlier."
Nong looked down at Doudou, who was curiously observing Pudding, sighed, and sat back at the rear of the Speedboat.
Just as I settled the child in, Xuanhua leaned in closer. "Company Commander, look over there!"
(To be continued, more exciting content tomorrow!)
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