With the threat of the Arctic Bear gone, they traveled with frequent stops and, thanks to ample captured supplies, the group had few worries. When tired, they rested, and at night, they practiced knife skills in the snow, finding things to keep themselves busy. Otherwise, facing the stark white snow mountains every day, they would have gone crazy.
Five days later, their captured rations were running low, but fortunately, they had exited the snowy mountains. Seeing the grasslands ahead, everyone's spirits were lifted, and they excitedly rushed forward. With no one around, there were no constraints, and they all ran to a river, stripping off their clothes. Having not bathed for several days, everyone could hardly stand it anymore.
Lan Xue understood everyone and didn't mind, but she went upstream alone, found a spot where the reeds were dense, undressed, and jumped into the river. Won love cleanliness; not washing for several days was too much for Lan Xue too. When they rushed down from the snowy mountains and realized the area around them was clear of other people for miles, they felt secure in washing.
About ten minutes later, they climbed out, got dressed, and sat on a patch of grass to rest. It was noon, and the sun was warm overhead. The ground in the grasslands was not as cold as the snowy mountains; their thick coats spread out made comfortable beds. Lying there, basking in the sun, they moaned in comfort. Having survived the ordeal of the snowy mountains, their demands for life were very low.
Soon, Lan Xue, also neatly dressed, joined them. They sat together, ate so dry food, and Luo Zheng looked up at the sky and said, "Guys, according to the clues we have, it's another week's journey to our destination after leaving the snowy mountains. This place is remote; no one is likely to co here. The temperature will rise as we move forward. We can't set off imdiately; our bodies need to adjust. Does everyone have frostbite?"
Everyone laughed but did not reply. Luo Zheng and Lan Xue exchanged a glance. Lan Xue nodded and said, "Let's rest here for tonight and leave tomorrow. Firstly, to rest and regain so strength, and secondly to adapt to the climate change. Our bodies really need ti to adjust. Going directly from an extrely cold place to a hot one is unbearable and can make us sick. The view here is unobstructed, the temperature is moderate, and there's water—it's perfect for recuperating."
Everyone agreed. Luo Zheng added, "First, check and maintain the equipnt, then try to make a fire. It'd be great if we can catch so fish or ga. It's been a long ti since we've had hot food; our stomachs are almost on strike."
Ten minutes later, Luo Zheng had maintained his weapon, put down his backpack, and ard with a gun, he traveled lightly along the river, keeping an eye on the ground for tracks. Animals also need water sources, so the riverbank naturally beca a gathering place for them. After about fifteen minutes, Luo Zheng found a nest of grassland mice and imdiately called everyone over for help. They found several exits, and each person guarded one, using helts to scoop water and pour it inside.
A few minutes later, four grassland mice erged, each as fat as a grown wild rabbit. Everyone was thrilled. After killing and gutting them, they cleaned them thoroughly, returned to their campsite, and within minutes, they gathered so combustible dry grass and reeds, made a fire, and started roasting.
Before long, they were eating roasted grassland mice. While the taste was poor, it was hot food, which, after more than ten days of surviving on compressed biscuits, was a delight for them. They ate enthusiastically, filling up with hot food helped them recover more quickly.
After eating, they continued foraging for food. By evening, they had found so wild rabbits. They were very hungry and couldn't resist roasting them in the middle of the night, cleaning them out and sleeping soundly afterward. The next morning, feeling much better, they ran to the river to wash their faces with cold water, used their Tiger Teeth to shave, applied camo paint, and restored the appearance and deportnt of soldiers. They ate the last of the compressed biscuits for breakfast, filled up with water, and continued along the river.
Along the way, they weren't in a hurry, always keeping an eye out for ga. Staying alive was fundantal to completing their mission. At noon, they found a wind-sheltered hillside to stop at, made a campfire, and roasted the small animals they had caught along the way.
After eating and drinking their fill, Luo Zheng took out a GPS locator, confird their position, and said to Lan Xue, "Should we contact headquarters to have them locate the target and plan the route?"
"Yes, it's about ti," Lan Xue replied, pulling out a satellite phone and quickly dialed Yi Jing's number, who was at the information command center. Upon receiving the call, Yi Jing imdiately had the technicians locate Lan Xue and asked about everyone's recent condition. Having reached the grassland territory, Lan Xue wasn't worried about being discovered by Arctic Bears and explained leisurely the place they were heading to, asking Yi Jing to help determine the route.
Wu Jin quickly saw the images of Lan Xue and others through satellite surveillance, and had the technicians imdiately plan a route. Soon, the results were out. Wu Jin got the results and told Lan Xue the coordinates, then continued, "Move slowly, you should arrive in about seven days. You're currently within the border, without proper identities. It's not appropriate to take weapons across, do you need my support?"
"First, tell us about the situation in the place we're heading to," Lan Xue said after thinking for a mont.
"The area is divided by warlords, primarily consisting of Gobi and desert. The roads are impassable, transportation is inconvenient, and the local governnt doesn't have control over there. It's very unsafe," Wu Jin hurriedly explained.
"Then we can only rely on ourselves," Lan Xue said, her expression growing solemn. She pressed the speakerphone on the satellite phone, and everyone heard Wu Jin's warning. They all fell silent, exchanging knowing glances, and no one spoke.
Luo Zheng thought for a mont and asked, "Commander, what identity should we adopt to cross over appropriately?"
"Disguise yourselves as rcenaries, a neutral identity. That will be much better. Rember, do not intervene in local affairs or be nosy, or you will get dragged in and bring a lot of trouble upon yourselves," Wu Jin quickly advised.
"rcenaries? That's indeed a good identity," Luo Zheng laughed, looking around as everyone revealed a knowing smile, then continued, "Let's settle on that then. How about we call ourselves Dragon Tooth?"
"Dragon Tooth rcenaries?" Ghost Hand and the others were montarily shocked, thinking of the Japanese katanas behind them, then they all laughed.
"That's an interesting na. Go ahead if you like it. Also, do you need to send a Special Agent to assist you? You don't speak the language or know the local customs, you might easily run into trouble," Wu Jin asked, concerned.
"How long will it take to get here?" Luo Zheng asked. Having soone familiar with local affairs would indeed make things much easier.
"Two days," Wu Jin roughly estimated the ti and gave an answer.
"That works. We'll keep moving forward, and let him catch up," Luo Zheng and Lan Xue exchanged glances before responding. It's good to have a trustworthy person by their side to translate, considering the language barrier.
After ending the call, everyone gathered their gear and continued on their journey. Under the sun, their steps were firm, casting long, long shadows.
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