When you're in the Wolf Pack, your ability to obey orders becomes stronger.

Chapter 234 Sweetwater Sea.

Guo Yuanshuai and the other two were waiting outside. As soon as Xu Ge came out, they went to press the elevator button.

"We need to hurry, my old comrade-in-arms is waiting for us to have dinner!" Guo Yuanshuai urged.

As Xu Ge walked, he asked, "Did you get my medicine?"

"Take it, it's with me!" Luo Shan shook the bag in his hand.

Xu Ge looked at the large bags and packages in the three people's hands: "Why did you buy so much stuff?"

"Half is for you, and half is for Lao Zhou. The mountain will be closed soon, so it's always good to have more supplies!"

Guo Yuanshuai said with a smile, "There are still quite a few left in the car!"

Xu Ge seemed to remember something and reached out to take the bag from Guo Yuanshuai's hand: "Squad leader, your back is injured, let me carry it!"

There was a sudden moment of silence in the room.

Xu Ge was somewhat surprised: "Squad leader, why are you crying?"

"Nothing, nothing, the squad leader just suddenly thought of something happy! Hahaha!"

Guo Yuanshuai quickly wiped away his tears, forced a smile, but his body trembled slightly with excitement.

Xu Ge's condition is really improving!

After half a year, he finally saw a trace of that familiar feeling in the other person!
After going downstairs, Xu Ge indeed saw that the trunk of the car was already full of various supplies.

After stuffing everything inside, the four people and the dog got into the car and headed straight for their destination along the national highway.

After dark, Du Hu consciously slowed down. Although there were fewer cars on the national highway after winter, it was still freezing cold, and safety was the most important thing.

Therefore, when Xu Ge felt the car stop, it was already almost eight o'clock in the evening.

Drip!

Du Hu honked the horn twice, and a large gate in front of him slowly opened.

Xu Ge felt that this place looked familiar, and through the car window he saw five big characters on the wall: Sweetwater Marine Station.

Oh oh oh!
The cold wind is raging, and the temperature at high altitudes is unpredictable.

The temperature here is at least -5 degrees Celsius, but unlike down in the mountains, the plateau where the military post is located has no snow and is completely bare!
Xu Ge sensed the altitude and knew that this place must be above 5000 meters.

"Get out of the car, Old Zhou is still waiting!"

The car had already entered the military station. Guo Yuanshuai called out, and the four of them opened the car doors and got out.

"Old Guo! Hahaha!"

"Hey Lao Zhou, you look old!"

Guo Yuanshuai shook hands warmly with Zhou Qiang, the station chief of the Tianshui Marine Station.

Zhou Qiang patted Guo Yuanshuai's shoulder enviously, noting the thick, bushy canes on his shoulder: "The rank of First-Class Sergeant Major looks more imposing!"

Xu Ge looked at Zhou Qiang's shoulder; three thick stripes on his shoulder indicated he was a second-class sergeant major.

"Xu Ge, come here, let me introduce you. This is Station Chief Zhou Qiang, also my old comrade-in-arms. You'll be working under him from now on!"

Xu Ge was pulled over by Guo Yuanshuai, nodded to Zhou Qiang, and didn't say anything.

Zhou Qiang, however, didn't seem to care at all, and exclaimed, "What a young private! It's been many years since any conscripts have come here!"

Du Hu and Luo Shan were unloading things from the trunk, while Bai Hu wandered around the yard on his own, even running to the base of the wall to urinate.

"Wow, you've brought quite a lot of stuff!" Zhou Qiang exclaimed in surprise.

Guo Yuanshuai laughed: "Half of these things belong to Xu Ge, and the other half were specially brought for you!"

"Oh no! That won't do!"

Zhou Qiang rushed over to stop him, but Guo Yuanshuai punched him on the shoulder: "Why are you being so polite with me? Hurry up and move the stuff to the warehouse. We're staying here tonight. We haven't eaten yet. Is the hot pot I asked you to prepare ready?"

Zhou Qiang seemed to be both excited and at a loss, sometimes wanting to go to the trunk to help move things, and sometimes wanting to go to the cafeteria.

"It's all ready. The pot has been boiling several times already. I've even started stewing the cured pork I brought from my hometown!"

Guo Yuanshuai took a case of liquor and two bags of hot pot ingredients out of the car: "Come on, I bought a lot of beef and mutton. Let's have a good drink tonight, and then we'll get drunk and sleep it off!"

. . .

. . .

The charcoal inside the stove glowed red-hot, making the copper pot sizzle and steam.

Outside, it was freezing cold, but inside the canteen, the five people were eating and drinking enthusiastically.

Guo Yuanshuai kept urging Zhou Qiang to drink, and Du Hu and Luo Shan also kept clinking glasses with him.

Xu Ge picked out the cured pork ribs from the hot pot, blew on them for a while after picking them up with chopsticks, and then put them into the white tiger's food bowl at his feet.

quack!quack!
The white tiger gnawed at the food, shaking its head as it ate.

After several rounds of drinks, several pounds of fresh beef and mutton had already been eaten by everyone. Du Hu then grabbed a handful of garlic sprouts and baby bok choy and put them into the pot.

Guo Yuanshuai reminded him, "There's also tofu. Put it in and cook it together. It'll be most flavorful at this time!"

Zhou Qiang patted his stomach and exclaimed, "Wow, this vegetable dish is more expensive than the meat! But at least I've had a good meat meal today!"

No one knew how to respond to that.

The supplies at the mountain outpost were scarce, and they certainly wouldn't normally be willing to spend so much on food and drink.

Guo Yuanshuai took a sip of baijiu and looked at Zhou Qiang: "Old Zhou, you should have at least two people here, right? Why are you the only one here today?"

"I knew Xu Ge was coming today. Xiao Cao just got married and has been looking forward to his vacation every day, so I let him go home early this afternoon," Zhou Qiang explained with a smile.

Only then did everyone suddenly realize.

Zhou Qiang continued, "I've already talked to Xiao Cao. He'll come up in two or three months and replace me. Ah, at least I can finally spend the New Year with my wife and kids this year!"

Du Hu asked, "Station Chief Zhou, shouldn't family members of someone your rank be allowed to accompany you to the military? Why didn't you let your wife come to the station..."

"You've had too much to drink, haven't you?"

Guo Yuanshuai glared at Du Hu, "At an altitude of over 5000 meters, not only are supplies hard to come by, but there's also a lack of oxygen. Do you think just anyone can stay here?"

Du Hu quickly apologized, but Zhou Qiang just smiled and picked up his cup to say it was nothing.

Xu Ge, holding chopsticks and staring blankly at the tofu bubbling in the pot, suddenly asked, "Why is this place called Sweetwater Sea? I don't see any sea here."

The dinner table fell silent, and everyone looked at Zhou Qiang.

Zhou Qiang downed the rest of the wine in one gulp, exhaled a breath of stale air, and laughed: "There's neither sweet water nor lake here!"

"On the contrary, decades ago there was a small puddle behind the military post. However, because the soil here has a high salt content, the water in the puddle was bitter and astringent and could not be drunk at all. We had to go to a very far place to fetch water every time."

Xu Ge turned to look at Zhou Qiang: "Then why is this place called Sweetwater Sea?"

Zhou Qiang picked up a piece of tofu and put it into Xu Ge's bowl: "Many years ago, there was an old soldier in the outpost who was dying. Before he died, he held his station chief's hand and said, 'Station chief, I want to drink some sweet water.' From then on, this place gradually became known as Sweet Water Sea. It can be considered a beautiful expectation of generations of people in our outpost!"

Xu Ge's previously expressionless face underwent a slight change, and his eyes no longer looked numb, as if he was thinking about something.

Guo Yuanshuai picked up the bottle and poured Zhou Qiang another glass: "Come on, Lao Zhou, we agreed to drink until we drop tonight!"

Zhou Qiang quickly waved his hand: "Old Guo, any more drinking would be too much, and what if something happens tonight..."

"What could possibly be wrong? The three of them are here too, and there's even a military dog. Come on, have a drink!"

"Okay, then it'll be the last one..."

. . .

. . .

The wind picked up even more early the next morning.

Xu Ge woke up on the lower bunk in the dormitory. Hearing noises outside, he got dressed and opened the door.

A chill ran through him, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

It's okay since there's heating in the dorm, but the outside temperature is unbearable for anyone to stay in for long.

"I was just about to wake you up."

Guo Yuanshuai came in carrying a basin of half-filled hot water. "Quickly close the door! Come and wash your face, breakfast is ready."

Xu Ge quickly washed up and followed Guo Yuanshuai to the cafeteria, where Zhou Qiang had already cooked a large pot of egg and shredded pork noodles.

"Quickly, eat it while it's hot!" Zhou Qiang served everyone a large bowl. "Drink more noodle soup, it'll help you sober up!"

The five men sat around the table and began slurping noodles. When they had almost finished eating, Guo Yuanshuai handed a stamped document to Zhou Qiang.

"This is Xu Ge's transfer order, Lao Zhou, I'm handing over my men to you now!"

Zhou Qiang nodded: "Don't worry, everything here is fine except for the hardship. Most importantly, it's peaceful."

Xu Ge was eating his noodles with his head down when he heard Guo Yuanshuai's words. He subconsciously looked up at the other person, and although he wanted to say something, he ultimately said nothing.

Guo Yuanshuai noticed Xu Ge's gaze. Although he pretended not to see it, his fists under the table were clenched so tightly that the veins bulged.

He kept reminding himself that he must not show any reluctance at this moment. In Lin Wan's words, the more natural the better!

Luo Shan had already gone out to warm up the car. Du Hu called Bai Hu, who had just finished eating noodles, to his side and said to Xu Ge, "Xu Ge, Bai Hu will stay here with you for now. You have to take good care of him!"

The white tiger looked up at Du Hu and then at Xu Ge: "Woof?...Woof woof!"

Xu Ge reached out and patted the white tiger's head: "Isn't it a military dog? What's it doing here with me?"

"Anyway, there aren't any missions lately, so I'm just thinking of taking a break," Du Hu said with a smile. "Just feed it whatever you eat, and the white tiger likes your cooking!"

"What if the mountain is completely sealed off then? The White Tiger won't be able to come down the mountain even if it wants to?"

"It's alright, we'll all come to see you during the Chinese New Year!"

Xu Ge stopped talking and continued eating his noodles, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Guo Yuanshuai stood up: "Alright, Xu Ge, take your time eating. We still have a long way to go, so we'll be going now!"

"I'll see you off!" Zhou Qiang also stood up.

Xu Ge continued to rummage through the noodles in his bowl with his head down.

Du Hu looked at Xu Ge with a complicated expression, and wanted to say something more, but Guo Yuanshuai forcibly pulled him away.

"Woof...woof woof."

The white tiger whimpered softly twice and lay down against Xu Ge's calf.

pat!

Something seemed to have fallen on him, and the white tiger curiously looked up: "Woof?"

Xu Ge rubbed his eyes, only then realizing there were tears. He muttered to himself, "White Tiger, why am I feeling a little sad? Why do I feel like I've forgotten something?"

"Woof!"

At the entrance of the military post, Guo Yuanshuai pulled Zhou Qiang aside and gave him a long list of instructions and pleas, making Zhou Qiang almost swear to God that he would take good care of Xu Ge before he finally got into the car.

"Slow down, it's still early!"

Under Zhou Qiang's waving gaze, the car drove onto the national highway and began to accelerate.

The car fell silent for a moment, and none of the three spoke.

After a while, Du Hu was the first to lose patience with the atmosphere and said, "Squad leader, are we really just going to leave Xu Ge here?"

Guo Yuanshuai's tears instantly welled up, and he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve, his voice hoarse as he said, "Xiao Wan said that none of us can contact him first during this initial period!"

"Oh dear! But I really can't bear to part with him!" Guo Yuanshuai's voice trembled. "My poor Ge Bao, just thinking about him being there all alone... oh dear..."

Guo Yuanshuai couldn't continue speaking.

Luo Shan's eyes were also a little red, and he sighed, "I came out early just now because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to resist taking Xu Ge back with me at the last minute. It's actually been quite nice for the two of us to stay in Class 9 these past few days..."

Du Hu felt a lump in his throat, trying to comfort himself as well as the other two: "It's alright, it's alright. Didn't Baihu stay behind to keep Xu Ge company? They've been close since they were little, Xu Ge won't be lonely!"

. . .

. . .

Around 10 a.m., the vehicle drove into the brigade's repair company. Guo Yuanshuai said a few words to Du Hu and Luo Shan before getting out of the vehicle and going into the repair shop.

At this moment, Guo Yuanshuai was in an extremely heavy mood and had no heart to do any more research. He sat down on his own recliner, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then realized that he had left his lighter in the car.

"Xiao Xing, do you have a fire?" Guo Yuanshuai called out habitually.

Snapped!
A hand reached out from behind, and the flame of a lighter lit the cigarette.

After taking a puff, Guo Yuanshuai subconsciously patted the other person's hand, but felt the hard calluses on the knuckles and was stunned for a moment.

He realized that this was not Tang Xiaoxing's hand.

Turning around, he saw a round-faced man with a black eye patch covering his left eye grinning at him.

"Hey, class monitor, it's me!"

Old Wang casually took a cigarette from Guo Yuanshuai's cigarette case and lit it for himself.

Guo Yuanshuai's face immediately darkened: "What are you doing here, you one-eyed bastard? You're not welcome here!"

"Squad leader, I just finished a meeting with my superior and stopped by to see you."

Old Wang moved a stool over and sat down next to Guo Yuanshuai, calling out, "Junior Brother Tang, why are you here without a cigarette or tea?"

Bang!

Tang Xiaoxing, who had just crawled out of the armored vehicle, casually threw the hammer on the ground, looked at Guo Yuanshuai and then at Lao Wang, and immediately started cursing:
"Damn it, didn't you hear my squad leader say you're not welcome?"

Old Wang: You son of a bitch...

"Get out, get out! I'm annoyed, get out of here!" Guo Yuanshuai kicked Lao Wang off the stool.

Old Wang patted his butt and stood up, saying in a low voice, "Squad leader, I came to tell you that the military has decided to take action against SSG in Stan. We've found out who the mastermind is!"

After the last survivor was captured and interrogated using special methods, it was confirmed that he was indeed from SSG, the Special Service Group, of the country of Stan.

Guo Yuanshuai's hand trembled slightly, and a look of pain appeared in his eyes. He said indifferently, "A bunch of useless trash, they've been investigating this kind of thing for half a year!"

"These people, like us, belong to a top-secret unit, so it's not so easy to investigate them," Old Wang explained.

Guo Yuanshuai exhaled a puff of smoke: "Why did you come over here to tell me this?"

Old Wang glanced at Guo Yuanshuai's expression and whispered, "Squad leader, where's Xu Ge now? I was thinking, maybe we should take him with us on the mission. Just a little provocation might help him recover... Holy crap, squad leader!"

Before Old Wang could finish speaking, he quickly did a backflip and darted two meters away.

Bang!
The bench he had just been sitting on was kicked apart by Guo Yuanshuai.

"Squad leader, your back isn't good, don't hurt yourself!" Old Wang exclaimed.

"Xiao Xing, stop him!" Guo Yuanshuai picked up the large iron hammer that Tang Xiaoxing had thrown on the ground earlier, and swung it around to hit Old Wang on the head.

Old Wang was shocked; if he hadn't dodged, he really would have been crushed to death!

"I'll kill you!"

Guo Yuanshuai completely lost it, chasing after Lao Wang with red eyes, only to be hugged by Tang Xiaoxing.

"Squad leader, calm down! Don't twist your back!"

"You son of a bitch! Are you trying to wipe out my last few soldiers?! Do you even know why Kaiyumu enlisted again? He wanted to join your Sky Wolf!"

As he cursed, Guo Yuanshuai burst into tears, "What a good kid! What a good kid! If you hadn't given that damned order, would I have let them go? Huh?"

"Fuck you, you promised to go to Sirius, but you got diarrhea at the crucial moment and missed it. Didn't I say that the SSG people are all experts? Why do you insist on capturing them alive?"

"And San'er, he said he was discharged early, but don't think I don't know you tricked him into doing fieldwork! Wang Lai, you fucking deserve to die!"

"Xu Ge is the only soldier I can still see around. He's only 19 years old! Look what he's become! You son of a bitch, Wang Lai!"

"I'm telling you this now: if any of you dare to get close to Xu Ge and cause him to suffer a worsening of his condition, I'll take you all with me even if I have to die!"

Wang Lai, hiding behind the armored vehicle, poked his head out and said, "Squad leader, Niu San went voluntarily. I really didn't lie to him!"

"Let me go!"

Guo Yuanshuai flung the hammer over, and Lao Wang quickly pulled back.

Tang Xiaoxing snapped, "I'll fuck your mother Wang Lai! You just had to come here and fuck your mother! Get lost!"

Old Wang quickly fled.

Guo Yuanshuai looked like he'd lost his soul, plopped down on the ground, and didn't say a word for a long time.

(End of this chapter)