Chapter 18 The Great Wild Mountain

Following the orders from above, the Falcon Squad decided to set out immediately for the Great Wilderness Mountain to conduct further investigation.

Unlike the coastal city of Jiangcheng and Fuzhou, which is surrounded on three sides by the sea, the Great Wilderness Mountain lies deep inland in a semi-arid region. The population is sparse, and vegetation is scarce—hence the name “Wilderness.”

The journey from Fuzhou to the Great Wilderness Mountain was long. Though it didn’t pass through any heavily afflicted areas, the sheer distance meant that if anything unexpected occurred, rescue would not arrive in time. To ensure safety and save time, the Falcon Squad secured a military helicopter, just big enough for five people and their luggage.

One had to admit—the skies were now the safest place to be. The team could finally relax a little and enjoy the scenery along the way. Well, if one could call it scenery; the route was lined with ruined towns and toppled high-rises.

The distance from Fuzhou to the Great Wilderness Mountain was about fifteen hundred kilometers. The helicopter couldn’t make the trip in a single flight and would require two to three refueling stops at military bases along the way. Fortunately, these stops presented no danger.

After more than half a day’s journey, the team arrived at Shazhou City, the closest city to the Great Wilderness Mountain.

“We’ve reached Shazhou City. We have to land at the Shazhou military base and return the helicopter—everyone, hold on tight!” Lin Xiaofeng, the pilot, reminded them.

“Can’t we just fly straight there?” the androgynous woman complained. The wind and sand here were so harsh, and her skin was already sensitive. A little sun in this desert and it would take forever to recover. She regretted coming along.

“No way! There’s nowhere to land a helicopter in the Great Wilderness Mountain. This is the latest model; if we lose it, we’re looking at prison time. I can’t take that risk!” Lin Xiaofeng’s tone left no room for negotiation.

Shazhou City was a small urban outpost on the edge of the Great Wilderness Mountain, its population barely comparable to a large town in the east, half of whom were stationed military personnel. Still, a city was a city; for all its size, it had every essential service. Here, they returned the helicopter, requisitioned a desert off-road vehicle in the name of the Special Task Division, and stocked up on supplies—these, at least, they paid for themselves. Once everything was ready, they set out. Brother Long insisted on driving, with Nana beside him. Damin and Xiaofeng took the second row, and the androgynous woman sat alone in the back.

“This car handles beautifully!” Brother Long, a wild spirit by nature, felt right at home in the expansive wilderness, exhilarated as he shouted with excitement.

“Of course! This is a brand-new off-road model, just rolled off the line last year—not even available for civilian use yet! It’s made for the desert; this semi-desert terrain is nothing. Let me drive for a bit next!” Lin Xiaofeng, sitting in the back, was itching for a turn at the wheel.

“You men are reckless! Driving this fast is going to shake me to death!” the androgynous woman griped from the back, feeling left out as the others laughed and joked.

“Sis, you’re one of the guys too. Wait until you’ve had that thing snipped off before you criticize us! See how calm the real lady next to me is—learn from her!” Brother Long teased, unwilling to argue with a ‘woman.’

Their destination was somewhere in the Great Wilderness Mountain, but the mountain’s range spanned thousands of square kilometers. If they searched aimlessly, not even the car would last. They could only start by following the official patrol roads, circling the area to get a sense of things and narrow down the possibilities. Even so, they’d need to refuel along the way.

After two refueling stops, they still found nothing amiss. The group began to grow dispirited.

“This won’t do! If we keep searching blindly like this, we’ll die out here from exhaustion!” Brother Long, who had lost his initial excitement despite taking turns driving with Xiaofeng, was clearly worn out.

“Agreed! It’s getting dark—should we keep looking or head back for further instructions?” Nana, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, was weary from staring at the monotonous landscape.

As they stopped to discuss turning back, a faint cry for help drifted over from a short distance away. They followed the voice, climbed over a low hill, and found a young man sprawled in a nest of dry grass, chewing on some stalks, looking utterly disheveled. Only as they drew closer did they realize it was an old acquaintance.

“Flathead! What are you doing here?” Brother Long asked, baffled, staring at the man on the ground.

Upon seeing Brother Long, Flathead burst into tears, snot and all, and wailed, “Brother Long! I never thought I’d meet you here! I was wrong! I shouldn’t have listened to others, shouldn’t have betrayed you! For the sake of our old friendship, please save me one more time!”

As he spoke, Flathead tried to hug Brother Long’s leg. Brother Long stepped back in disgust. Flathead paused, then turned to Lin Xiaofeng, clinging to his leg instead. “Xiaofeng, please plead with Brother Long for me! Everyone says he listens to you the most! Saving a life is a great virtue—you’d be doing a good deed. In my next life, I’ll repay you as a beast of burden, just don’t leave me alone in this barren place.”

Lin Xiaofeng hesitated, his resolve wavering. If you looked closely, you might catch a sly glint in Flathead’s eye, but none of the men noticed. Zhao Nana, however, observed everything keenly. She walked over to Lin Xiaofeng and gave him a look, signaling him to stay calm and hold back.

Meanwhile, Damin and Brother Long conferred quietly.

“I don’t agree to taking him with us! You know as well as I do—he might have already been recruited by the Dark Organization. Besides, after all the messes he’s caused, we nearly died because of him. Who’s to say he won’t cause trouble once he’s in the car?”

“But think about it—the opportunity this represents! Fortune favors the bold! Let’s take the risk, Brother Long. The sooner we get there, the less we all have to suffer.”

“But none of the others have reported in! They’re all highly trained special forces, far more capable than our little ragtag team! What makes you so sure about this? Even without him, I can find the enemy’s hideout!”

“I know you’re concerned, but have you considered that bringing him might be the fastest way? Besides, there are five of us—do you really think he can overpower us?”

Nana and Xiaofeng, still locked in their own debate, joined them. Zhao Nana said, “Let’s take him. It’ll make it easier for us to settle old scores, too.”

“You all think we should bring him?” Brother Long asked in disbelief.

The three nodded.

“All right, majority rules! But let’s make this clear—if he doesn’t know where the enemy’s base is, or if we run into any danger, I’ll be the first to take him out!” With that, Brother Long strode over to Flathead.

Seeing Brother Long return, Flathead knew his plan to infiltrate the Falcon Squad was working. He kept up appearances, and when Brother Long approached, he quickly hugged his ankle, sobbing, “Brother Long! You’re not angry anymore? That’s wonderful!”

“Get up!” Brother Long, who couldn’t stand tears, kicked Flathead aside.

Flathead awkwardly climbed to his feet and embraced Brother Long, declaring, “I swear to follow you loyally from now on!”

Brother Long forced a smile, his gentle tone laced with ice. “We’re all brothers here—no need for formalities.”

He turned back to the car, calling out, “Hey, sis, come help him up!”

Back in the car, Brother Long resumed driving, and everyone else took their previous seats, the only difference being Flathead was now beside the androgynous woman.

“Ow, you’re squishing me! There’s plenty of space—why do you keep leaning this way?” After a particularly rough bounce, Flathead was jostled against the androgynous woman, who complained irritably.

Hearing the deep, magnetic tone of her voice for the first time, Flathead was momentarily stunned. Swallowing, he called out to the front, “Brother Long, where did you find a transvestite?”

Brother Long ignored the irritating voice behind him, but the androgynous woman was having none of it. She retorted loudly, “You bald jerk, who are you calling a transvestite? You’re the transvestite! Your whole family’s transvestites! If you say I’m a man, I’ll let you off today, but next time I won’t be so merciful!”

Growing angrier as she spoke, she recalled that, though the others might think so in private, they always addressed her respectfully to her face. This bald newcomer was insufferable—he needed to be taught a lesson. And so she did. Physically, she was still a man—tall and strong. When it came to a scuffle, Flathead couldn’t fend her off at all. The others, secretly pleased to see Flathead getting his comeuppance, were also grateful that, for the past few days, they hadn't angered their cross-dressing comrade.

When things had gone far enough, Damin and Xiaofeng intervened, pulling the two apart. Zhang Xingmin tried to soothe the androgynous woman. “Let it go, An, you’ve had your say and your swing. Listen to me, just let it be.”

“All right, Damin. I’m only stopping because you asked—anyone else, and I’d show no mercy,” she replied, willing to let things go.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaofeng helped the battered Flathead, saying, “Flathead, leave it at that. You can’t beat Ping’an—he studied taekwondo.”

Though Flathead was indignant, he knew he had a mission to complete. Fuming, he crossed his legs and turned his head toward the window.

As luck would have it, Zhang Xingmin happened to notice the mechanical leg hidden beneath Flathead’s artificial skin—the likely result of a high-heeled shoe, size forty-three, courtesy of the androgynous woman.