The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

Fortunately, Bai Zhengyuan made a new discovery. He led his second team in a flanking maneuver from the east. While crouching and searching a dried-up ditch filled with fallen leaves, his shoe suddenly stepped on something hard. Bai Zhengyuan bent down and picked it up; it was a bright yellow bullet casing. He rubbed it with his thumb; the casing was spotless, without a trace of rust.

"These spent cartridges have been here for no more than three days." Bai Zhengyuan stuffed the cartridges into his pocket, his eyes narrowing.

Meanwhile, Zhou Liguang's three teams were also busy. They searched carefully near the ridgeline and found a clue in a patch of mud deliberately covered with branches and wet fallen leaves. Zhou Liguang squatted down, brushed away the fallen leaves from the mud, and revealed several clear footprints.

"There are about seven or eight people, heading towards the dense forest to the northwest." Zhou Liguang stood up, pointed to the dark forest ahead, and whispered to the soldiers behind him.

……

That night, it was pitch black. The rain was still pouring down, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

Lu Baizhou, Bai Zhengyuan, and Zhou Liguang met up at the foot of a recessed, sheltered rock face. Without even bothering to wring out the water from their clothes, they spread the map out on a relatively dry rock by the dim light of their flashlights.

"Come on, let's check the situation." Lu Baizhou wiped the rain off his face, his voice hoarse.

The three of them combined their findings and marked the locations on a map with red and blue pencils. Soon, all the clues pointed to the same place.

"Here it is." Zhou Liguang pressed his finger heavily on a steep mountainside in the northwest direction of the map. "There is a natural cave here."

Bai Zhengyuan leaned over and took a look: "This place isn't recorded on our intelligence map."

"Yes, this is a blind spot." Lu Baizhou stared at the location, his eyes sharp. "But from a terrain perspective, this place is perfect for hiding people. It's high up, with a wide view, and the cave entrance faces east. As soon as it gets light, they can see everything happening at the bottom of the mountain clearly. Moreover, the space inside is large enough to easily hide dozens of people. The most dangerous thing is that there are four or five hidden paths around this cave, leading in all directions. If we launch a strong attack, they can easily break out and escape at any time."

Lu Baizhou straightened up, placed his hands on his knees, pondered for a moment, and said:

"Approaching from the north is best because the forest is dense and the terrain is most concealed. However, that section of the road is too narrow, making it difficult for the main force to maneuver. The southern slope is gentler and easier to traverse, but it's too barren; sneaking across in broad daylight would make us easy targets. My idea is to lead a small team to scout ahead from the north first, get a clear picture of the situation, and then decide which direction to launch the main attack."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhengyuan immediately shook his head in opposition: "Old Lu, are you crazy? I've estimated that the road to the north is at least 600 meters long, and it's all steep slopes! It's been raining all day now, and the mud on the ground is as mushy as paste. If you slip even slightly, you'll tumble down and immediately alert them! It's too risky for you to go alone. I don't approve."

"I'll take three men. Fewer people, less of a target, that'll be enough." Lu Baizhou's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "You two groups will each guard the north and south exits. Remember, wait for my signal. If I don't send a signal or return within two hours, proceed with plan two: a direct assault!"

Zhou Liguang, who had been standing to the side wringing out his wet clothes, suddenly raised his head, a resolute glint in his dark eyes: "I'll go with you."

Lu Baizhou frowned and looked at him: "You stay on the south side. Your group of soldiers has the most experience in mountain warfare, and the south slope is the easiest to expose. I can only feel at ease if you are here to hold the line."

"The north slope is ten times more dangerous than the south slope." Zhou Liguang took a step forward, looking directly into Lu Baizhou's eyes. His voice was low but firm. "Last time we were on a mission in this area, I learned how to navigate these muddy, steep slopes from an old Miao hunter. You are indeed physically stronger than me, but on those steep, downward slopes, experience is more useful than physical strength. Take me with you, and we'll avoid some detours."

Two equally outstanding young soldiers stared at each other for a good five or six seconds against the dark rock wall, as if sparks were crackling in the air.

In the end, Lu Baizhou compromised. He knew Zhou Liguang was telling the truth; on the battlefield, experience could indeed be a lifesaver.

"Alright." Lu Baizhou relented, then turned to Bai Zhengyuan, "Then let's adjust the plan. Zhengyuan, you take two people and guard the south side. Zhou Liguang, you come with me to the north slope."

As soon as he finished speaking, a very faint rustling sound suddenly came from the woods to the south.

The sound was very faint, mixed with the patter of the rain. If it weren't for the soldiers' keen ears, they wouldn't have been able to hear it at all. It was definitely not the sound of wind rustling through leaves, nor was it the chirping of birds. It sounded more like someone was trying hard to keep their voice down, and the sound of their breath escaped unintentionally.

"Shhh."

Lu Baizhou's expression changed, and he instantly raised his right hand, making a gesture to hide on the spot.

The three of them held their breath almost simultaneously, as if they had melted into the black stone wall behind them.

Lu Baizhou crouched low, his body pressed against the damp rock wall, moving forward five or six meters like a silent black panther. He tilted his ear, closed his eyes, and listened carefully for a moment before quietly retreating.

"There's movement about a hundred meters to the south," Lu Baizhou said in a low voice. "It's their patrol. There aren't many of them, only four, and they're sneaking in our direction."

Bai Zhengyuan frowned and asked in a very low voice, "Have we been exposed?"

"Probably not." Lu Baizhou shook his head. "They weren't walking fast, and there was no sound of guns being cocked, so they're probably on a routine patrol. But we can't wait here. If we run into them and a shot goes off, everyone in the cave will be alerted."

Lu Baizhou's mind raced, and he decisively said:

"The plan is on track! Zhou Liguang, you and I will go around to the north slope right now. Zhengyuan, you take your men and set up an ambush. Stop these four bastards! Remember, be quick, don't let them make a sound, and definitely don't let them fire a shot!"

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Bai Zhengyuan gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

Bai Zhengyuan turned around and gave a few crisp hand gestures to the soldiers behind him. A dozen elite warriors immediately dispersed silently, like ghosts, each slipping into the nearby bushes and crevices in the dark rocks. The heavy rain and darkness became their best camouflage; within seconds, the entire clearing was so quiet that only the sound of raindrops hitting the mud could be heard.

Almost as soon as the soldiers of the second group had concealed themselves, several blurry dark figures appeared at the edge of the woods to the south.