The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

He tracked them all the way here, but before he could find the person, he discovered this sea buckthorn forest first.

Wan Hongxin certainly recognized sea buckthorn berries, one of the best fruits in the desert, not only rich in nutrients but also life-saving in critical moments. If the people at the base received these fruits for nourishment, their weakened bodies would recover quickly.

But once they recover, won't that mean the damn missile development will have to be accelerated again? How will he explain that to the organization then?

No, absolutely not!

He absolutely cannot let these clueless fools realize their so-called missile dream!

He wanted to show them what wishful thinking and overestimating their abilities meant!

Therefore, the two most urgent tasks are to capture Tian Tian and destroy this forest.

"Sweetie, stop hiding. Uncle knows you're here. Dad sent me to pick you up. Uncle will take you to see him."

"Liar," Tian Tian cursed inwardly. This person is so wicked, even lying to a child.

"Sweetie, are you hungry? You haven't had dinner yet, have you? Uncle has some cornbread here, how about you have some?"

Hmph, Sweetie won't eat bad guys' food.

"Then Uncle will take you back to the base. Look, it's already so dark. There are big gray wolves in the desert. Aren't you afraid of them, Sweetie?"

Don't be afraid, Sweetie, you're much worse than the Big Bad Wolf.

Wan Hongxin tried several different explanations, but still couldn't get a response from Tian Tian. He quickly searched the woods again, but still found nothing.

As night deepened and the sea buckthorn branches grew denser, it would be incredibly difficult to find Sweetie if she were hiding in this dark forest.

The longer he waited, the more anxious he became. Seeing that he couldn't trick Tian Tian out of anything, his patience gradually faded, leaving only a resolute ruthlessness in his eyes.

"Sweetie, if you don't come out soon, Uncle won't be so polite."

He pulled a box of matches from his pocket and struck one with a "snap." He casually broke off a twig and held it close to the flame, instantly igniting a small fire.

The firelight illuminated his face, which was originally refined but was now twisted and contorted with rage.

"Sweetie, I'll count to five. If you don't come out now, Uncle is going to burn all the little trees here. Then let's see where you can hide!"

"five--"

The drawn-out sound was like the bared fangs of a big bad wolf, just waiting for its prey to take the bait. Sweetie, buried in the sandpit, curled up in a ball, too nervous to react. She had never encountered anything like this before and had no idea what to do.

"Four--"

Wan Hongxin broke off a few more tree branches and tied them into a makeshift torch. The poor leaves were burned and turned black in the fire, thick smoke billowed out, and crackling sounds continued. The entire sea buckthorn forest was shrouded in a tense and terrifying atmosphere.

The shadows of the trees swayed helplessly in the moonlight, their branches and leaves rustling as if groaning in pain. To Sweetie's ears, it was clearly the saplings calling out to her for help!

The poor little trees must have been terrified!

Sweetie clenched her fists, her initial fear instantly replaced by raging anger!

How can there be such a bad person?

The little tree and the red fruit are such good things, they are the treasures that can save the uncles and aunts at the base, and this bad uncle actually wants to burn them all?!

"You bad guy! You big bad guy!" she cried out in her heart, "Sweetie will definitely beat you!"

"three--"

Wan Hongxin took another step, his shoes sinking into the sand. Tian Tian stared at his feet, a thought flashing through her mind like lightning—if the sand could save her, perhaps it could also protect the sapling and the red fruit!

"Second! Sweetie, if you don't come out soon, Uncle is really going to burn down the forest!"

Of course, even if you come out now, I will burn the forest down.

He thought with a touch of malice.

"Sand, help me!" Sweetie screamed in her heart, "Trap the bad guy! Don't let him burn the tree!"

The grains of sand seemed to have truly heard her call and began to tremble slightly.

Wan Hongxin's lips curled into a sinister smile. He was certain that the little girl was in the woods, and that she would run out crying as soon as the fire started.

He took another step forward, preparing to pronounce the last number.

Suddenly, the sand beneath my feet sank in.

Wan Hongxin frowned slightly, glanced down at it, and assumed it was just loose sand common in the desert, paying it no mind.

"one!"

He raised his voice, held the torch high, and prepared to throw it into the woods.

"Sweetie, don't blame Uncle. It's your own fault for being so disobedient!"

The moment he made a move, the quicksand beneath his feet suddenly accelerated its collapse, as if an invisible hand had abruptly grabbed his ankle.

"Huh?!" Wan Hongxin's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively tried to back away. But this movement only caused him to sink even deeper!

The quicksand seemed to come alive, spreading over his calves at an astonishing speed, climbing up to his knees, and continuing to devour him upwards!

"What the hell?!" he cried out in alarm, the torch slipping from his hand and falling to the ground, instantly swallowed by the churning quicksand. He struggled desperately, trying to pull his legs out of the sand, but the sand's force was beyond his imagination—the harder he struggled, the faster he sank!

He tried to reach for the pistol in his pocket, but before he could even raise his arm, quicksand had already reached his chest, trapping his arms firmly at his sides!

"Help...help me!" he cried out frantically into the darkness, his voice trembling with fear. "Sweetie? Is that you?! Did you do this?!"

"What exactly did you do?!"

The only answer he received was the rustling of the sea buckthorn leaves in the night wind.

"Let me go! I'm your father's comrade-in-arms! I'm a good person!"

He screamed desperately, pleading with the empty woods, "Sweetie, come out! Uncle was wrong! Uncle won't burn the trees anymore! Let me go!"

"Pah! You big liar!" Sweetie scoffed from the sandpit. "I'm not going to go up there."

The quicksand continued to slowly creep, little by little, over his chest, up his neck, and finally stopped at his chin.

He was firmly nailed to the sand, with only his head sticking out, like a strange plant forcibly planted. He twisted his neck in vain, gasping for breath, his mouth uttering a mixture of vicious curses, weak pleas, and desperate cries.

The night was as dark as ink, all was silent, and no one responded.

Sweetie finally let out a long sigh of relief. But as soon as she relaxed, an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion washed over her, leaving her with no strength even to lift her eyelids.

In a daze, she seemed to hear the praise and gratitude of the small trees around her, the leaves rustling as if applauding her.

"Sweetie is amazing!"

Sweetie smiled, wanting to respond, but drowsiness washed over her like a tide.

In a daze, she was hugged tightly by her mother again, and even her father kissed her little face. The two of them looked at her tenderly.

"Daddy, Mommy... Sweetie is a little warrior..."

She murmured indistinctly, tilting her little head to rest in her mother's imaginary arms.

The sandpit was warm and safe, and she drifted off to sleep soundly.

The full moon hangs high, its clear light shining down, and the sea buckthorn forest returns to silence.

Only the man trapped in the quicksand continued to wail in vain, one cry after another like a trapped beast.