Outside the house, a howling blizzard raged, while inside, the only sounds were the crackling of the bonfire and the scratching of a pencil on paper.
As the condition of the two children gradually improved, Trist and Elise were engrossed in their drawing.
Occasionally, they would discuss the forgotten places.
Lin Yuan was not idle either, he was sewing a cloak with white fabric.
What Trist had given him earlier was just a bedsheet, and it needed some modification.
It could be said that Trist was doing quite well in the White Eagle Federation. Small cabins were everywhere, and inside these cabins, apart from computers, medicine, and weapons, basic necessities were not lacking. There were also basements storing plenty of smoked meat, sausages, and wine.
This setup would be considered quite good in Huaxia, as it included two guns. However, in the White Eagle Federation, this place had not become a neighbor's granary, probably due to its remote geographical location.
Time ticked by, and the blizzard outside showed signs of weakening.
It was just getting dark.
In the kitchen, Elise was preparing dinner.
With the blizzard as cover, no one could detect the smoke rising from the cabin.
As soon as Elise brought out a pot of braised pork with potatoes, Trist saw Lin Yuan trying on clothes.
"Holy shit?! Zhu Mingjun, you look awesome in this outfit!"
"Ah? No, no?" Lin Yuan, complimented, felt a bit embarrassed. He had only added a white cloak to his existing combat uniform, and the cloak would be tied tightly during combat.
Looking cool for a moment felt good, but if the cloak got caught while running, it would be a lesson for the next life.
He was now camouflaging Vector, wrapping it with white cloth strips. Although it might affect accuracy, he couldn't care less in this situation.
This was a genuine infiltration!
Lin Yuan had also sewn parts of white fabric onto the lower body, not just the upper body.
The combat suit had now turned gray-white. Against the backdrop of the falling snow, it was difficult to discern unless one looked closely.
"Will sewing this affect its bulletproof performance?" Trist, having never seen this type of body armor before, was still a little worried that Lin Yuan might sacrifice bulletproof capabilities for better concealment.
"Hahaha," Lin Yuan smiled and waved his hand, "Don't worry, Trist. This is a new type of combat uniform from our Huaxia. The outermost layer of fabric only serves to unify the style. The truly life-saving part is inside."
Since Lin Yuan had said so, Trist didn't bother about it anymore.
"Darling, go to the cellar and get a bottle of red wine, from the innermost compartment."
The innermost compartment held his uncle's prized collection, a red wine worth around fifty thousand dollars, something he wouldn't even bear to look at usually.
Today, it was going to be opened.
Having narrowly escaped death and with the children's condition improving, it was worth celebrating with a drink.
A moment later, Elise's voice came up from the cellar: "Trist! Come quickly and see what this is?!"
There was something in the cellar?!
Lin Yuan and Trist both stood up and rushed down.
"Darling, stay put and wait for us!" Trist yelled as he descended the stairs.
He was truly afraid that the people from town might have dug a tunnel.
However, when they reached the cellar, they found that everything was fine. Elise was just standing in front of a box, unsure what to do.
This box had been there for some time, covered in a thick layer of dust, as if it had been placed there when the cellar was first built.
"What is this?" Trist was also puzzled. He never bothered to look at the last wine cabinet, only his uncle ever did.
Only his uncle knew what this was.
His uncle should have crossed the ocean by now, heading for the Bridge of Helplessness. He wondered what the seas in the underworld were like.
Would the Black and White Impermanence come to fetch him?
Shaking his head, he cast aside the rambling thoughts in his mind. He brushed the dust off the box, and English letters were revealed.
"m18A1"
The moment Lin Yuan saw these words, he froze.
This thing?
Could it be an M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine?
Carefully opening the box, he found rows of "thick green tiles" neatly arranged inside.
They were marked with "frnottowArdenemy."
Without a doubt, these were M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mines.
Facing sixteen "This side toward enemy" labels, Lin Yuan felt immense pressure.
Although these mines were not activated, the sense of oppression was palpable.
Elise, although unaware of what these things were, clearly understood the meaning of the English letters on them.
"Trist, please turn this around properly, my legs are getting weak."
What use was this thing? It needed detonating wires, not pressure sensors or infrared sensors. Could it be fitted with a timed fuse as a time bomb?
That seemed like a good idea!
But there were no timed fuses either.
The remaining box contained M57 firing devices and detonating cords, with no other special detonating devices.
Lin Yuan had never learned about the modification or disarming of such mines, so he dared not attempt it rashly.
"Is this it? Are there no other weapons?" Trist rummaged through the cellar frantically but found no rifles or handguns.
What was his uncle thinking? Bringing so many anti-personnel mines without any guns?!
This question was destined to remain unanswered. Trist could only vaguely accept a box of M18A1s.
"This thing is quite good. I'll take two later."
He could only take two; any more would be too much.
Trist had no objections to this, as the item was of little use to him at this stage.
The three people, having been startled by a false alarm, went up and began eating heartily. This was the first proper meal they had had, and they were starving.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two men retreated to another room to smoke. This was half a pack of cigarettes from Lin Yuan, which he had "borrowed" from Ying Tianlong before leaving.
"This is my first time smoking Chinese cigarettes. I'm so tired of smoking the local White Eagle Federation brands."
"Sigh, you came to the White Eagle Federation after retiring, and didn't expect to develop a smoking habit." Lin Yuan took a deep drag, puffing away some of his anxiety.
"How long until you leave?"
Probably at midnight. First, I'll move closer to scout the area. If there's an opportunity, I'll strike.
"I suggest not to. Their combat effectiveness at night is completely different from during the day. The blizzard has also stabilized now, and I estimate it will only lessen tomorrow night. There's no need to rush," Trist, unaware of Lin Yuan's objective, naturally advised him to be cautious and steady.
"The weather is unpredictable. No one knows if the snow will stop in the next moment. I must take advantage of the heavy snow to achieve as much as possible, to avoid wasting time and gaining nothing."
Even Trist, who had lived here for nearly three years, couldn't predict the weather changes, let alone Lin Yuan.
From the moment he fell from the plane, this had been a game for him. He needed to make a swift decision and complete the game in one life.