Chapter 229: Arrival from West Hill Base
As the story unfolds, after Zhang Yi, Yang Xinxin, and Lu Keran left Tianqing Academy, Liang Yue led the remaining students to climb up the snow-covered surface. Unbeknownst to them, the cat demon, Huahua, had also followed Zhang Yi and Yang Xinxin. They might have stayed obediently at Tianqing Academy if they had known, given that the supplies there were still enough to sustain them for some time. But fate is unpredictable, and they were unaware of the full situation.
Upon reaching the snow-covered surface, the group was hit by a bitter cold wind that made them shiver uncontrollably, forcing them to retreat back into the snow cave for shelter. The class monitor, Wu Chengyu, was thrilled as he pulled out his phone and called his father, Wu Jianguo, for help. When the call connected, Wu Chengyu indeed heard his father's voice on the other end. After inquiring about the situation at Tianqing Academy, Wu Jianguo instructed them to stay put, assuring them he would send someone to rescue them.
The group was elated by this news.
“Finally! We're saved!”
“We won’t have to stay in this hellhole any longer!”
“Monitor, you’re amazing! Truly dependable.”
Although others had tried contacting their families, they were all children from wealthy backgrounds with prominent family connections. Yet, none of them managed to reach their families, except for Wu Chengyu. This left a bad feeling in their hearts. Could it be that their families had already met with disaster? The students dared not dwell on such dreadful thoughts. The ongoing pain and despair over the past few days had already numbed them. The inability to get through on the phone perhaps still left them with a sliver of hope.
However, as Teacher Liang Yue observed the commanding presence of Wu Chengyu, a peculiar feeling stirred in her heart. Could Wu Chengyu's father really have the capability to rescue them? If he did, wouldn’t he have already sent someone to investigate, even if Wu Chengyu hadn’t been able to make contact earlier? Why wait until now? But why would he agree to come if Wu Jianguo couldn't save them? Liang Yue couldn’t explain it, but she instinctively felt something was off.
“My dad's here!” Wu Chengyu excitedly scrambled out of the snow cave. The other students quickly followed, afraid of being left behind if they were too late. Liang Yue, who had regained some strength, also stood up and climbed to the snow-covered surface with the help of two students.
On the snow, they saw several dog sleds, each pulled by large Alaskan Malamutes, wrapped in custom-made winter gear. These were clearly well-trained, specialized dogs. Seven or eight people disembarked from the sleds, dressed in white clothing, helmets, and even weapons wrapped in white cloth, blending almost seamlessly with the snowy landscape. Yet, their presence exuded an aura of authority and danger. Being familiar with such individuals, Liang Yue recognized them at once as battle-hardened veterans, and not just any soldiers—these were elite troops!
The soldiers glanced at Liang Yue and the students, exchanged a few words among themselves, and then started inspecting them, nodding occasionally. Their eyes seemed to be assessing a group of goods, though the excited students failed to notice this.
Wu Chengyu stepped forward and asked, “My dad is Wu Jianguo. Did he send you to rescue us?”
At that moment, a man stepped out from behind the soldiers, lifting his mask to reveal a somewhat haggard face. He spoke excitedly to Wu Chengyu, “Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu! It’s me, your dad!”
Wu Chengyu stared for a moment, taking a couple of seconds to recognize his father. It was no wonder he didn’t recognize him immediately. In the past, his father, who held a high-ranking position in Tianhai City, was rather plump with a face full of wealth. But after just over a month, his once chubby face had slimmed down so much that he was almost unrecognizable!
Although puzzled, Wu Chengyu was still overjoyed and rushed forward to hug his father.
“Dad, you finally came! You have no idea what I've been through during this time.”
Wu Jianguo patted his son's back, equally emotional, “It’s alright as long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters!”
Wu Chengyu, however, was a bit dissatisfied, “Dad, why didn’t you send someone to rescue us earlier? I’ve suffered so much here. I almost died!”
Wu Jianguo's expression became somewhat awkward, “Let’s not talk about that now. What matters is that you’re safe! Come, let’s go home.”
Wu Chengyu pointed to his teacher and classmates, “What about my teacher and classmates?”
At this point, the soldiers in white armor approached. The team leader asked, “We heard your school has stored a lot of supplies. Could you show us the way? We need to take all the supplies back to the base.”
Liang Yue frowned, sensing something was off. Weren’t they supposed to be here to rescue people? Why, after all this time, hadn’t they mentioned rescuing anyone but instead started asking about supplies?
Wu Chengyu eagerly responded, “The supplies are beneath the snow! But there’s a mutated creature down there. We didn’t dare go near it!”
The soldiers discussed this among themselves briefly before the team leader said, “No need to worry. Any monster that shows up, we’ll take care of it!”
“Young man, why don’t you lead the way for us?”
Wu Chengyu’s face suddenly turned pale. “I…” He certainly didn’t want to go back to that dangerous place.
The team leader assured him, “Don’t worry, we have experience dealing with mutated creatures. There’s no need to be afraid!”
Despite the reassurances, Wu Chengyu was still extremely anxious. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and pointed at Liang Yue.
“It’s always been our teacher, Ms. Liang, who handled the supply searches. She knows better than I do where the supplies are!”
Without hesitation, Wu Chengyu threw Liang Yue, who had protected them for so long, under the bus to save his own skin. Many classmates secretly looked at him with disdain.
Liang Yue felt a heavy weight settle in her heart. But she only sighed, then stepped forward.
“I’ll show you the way,” she said.
The soldiers confirmed Liang Yue's identity and then followed her down. The other students approached, asking the soldiers how they would be cared for.
“Don’t worry, arrangements will be made for you later,” one soldier responded coldly.
The students dared not press further, sensing that something was off and that the situation wasn’t what they had imagined.
After a while, two soldiers came out and instructed the students, “Come help move some things!”
The students obediently followed. Since Huahua had already left, there was no longer any danger. The soldiers directed the students to pack up all the supplies they could find and carry them to the surface.