Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Found the Traces of Those People
Yunyi was taken directly to Huo Jingrui’s temporary residence at the commune.
Huo Jingrui had just finished communicating with the expert sent from above. Seeing her walk in, his eyes instantly brightened. "Comrade Chu, you’ve arrived."
Yunyi nodded to the people in the room, which served as a greeting.
Huo Jingrui pointed to Yunyi and introduced her to the people in the room. "This is the Chu Zhiqing I mentioned. She was the one who accidentally discovered that cave."
Huo Jingrui turned to Yunyi. "This is Comrade Lu Jingming, and that’s Comrade Si Huaida. They’ve come specifically because of the secret cave you discovered."
His words were vague, but Yunyi understood that they were mostly here for the items behind the specially-made door. "Hello, I am Chuyunyi."
Lu Jingming stood up. "Comrade Chu, could you please tell us in detail about the cave again?"
Yunyi nodded and described the situation in the cave again, precisely and thoroughly.
It was clear Lu Jingming could hardly wait. "When do we depart?"
Everyone looked towards Huo Jingrui.
After scanning the group, Huo Jingrui’s gaze settled on Yunyi. "After dinner, rest early. We will depart before dawn."
He then said to Yunyi, "There’s an empty room left in the courtyard; I’ll take you there."
When Yunyi entered, she noticed that the bedding on the bed was all new and couldn’t help thinking to herself: This treatment is indeed good.
What she didn’t know was that Huo Jingrui had arranged for comrades from the county armed forces department to bring the bedding over that morning. He had specifically requested brand new ones during a phone call the previous night.
Huo Jingrui briefly gave her some instructions and pointed to a pack of pastries on the table. "Dinner might be a while. If you’re hungry, have some pastries to tide you over."
Yunyi turned her head to look, and a warmth spread through her heart. He seems so cold, but he’s actually very thoughtful.
If those familiar with Huo Jingrui heard this, they would likely all shake their heads vehemently; the moniker ’Cold-faced King of Hell’ was not earned for nothing.
In the army’s cultural troupe and the residential compounds of the military region, scores of girls admired him. Anyone who tried to curry favor with him was rebuffed. He was not only cold-faced but also sharp-tongued.
Yunyi thanked him. As Huo Jingrui walked out, he said, "I’m staying just to your left. Call for me if you need anything."
Just as he reached the door, he heard someone ask, "Where’s Boss?"
Huo Jingrui stepped out of the courtyard. "Why are you back?"
The man wiped sweat off his face. "Boss, there’s a situation."
The two swiftly entered the adjoining room. "Speak," Huo Jingrui said.
The man was parched. Spotting a tea mug on the table, he grabbed it and gulped down the water, then wiped his mouth. "We’ve found traces of those people."
"They’ve kidnapped three Zhiqing who went into the mountains to forage for mountain goods. We didn’t dare to act rashly. The squad leader sent me back for reinforcements."
Huo Jingrui immediately understood the perpetrators’ intentions. To ensure the hostages’ safety, it was clear they couldn’t wait until tomorrow. "Check the kitchen," he instructed. "See if the food is ready. We’ll leave right after dinner."
After exiting, he first knocked on Yunyi’s door. "Apologies, the situation has changed. We’ll probably have to leave right after dinner."
Yunyi, naturally, wouldn’t cause a fuss. "Alright, I understand."
After briefly explaining the situation to Yunyi, Huo Jingrui strode out of the courtyard. He had to notify the county armed forces department, who were coordinating with them, to dispatch their personnel promptly.
Soon, someone came knocking. "Comrade Chu, dinner is ready."
Yunyi quickly came out from the room and took her portion.
They had just finished eating when people entered the courtyard. Huo Jingrui hurriedly shoveled a few more bites from his bowl and called out to those in the yard, "Grab your things! Prepare to depart!"
The people in the courtyard had made arrangements in advance, departing in groups of two or three to avoid unnecessary trouble.
As dusk settled, few people noticed their departure.
They boarded a Jiefang truck parked at the street corner. After driving for about twenty minutes, the truck stopped.
This location was still some distance from Songling Village, but entering the mountains from here would shorten the journey considerably. Moreover, the path was easier to traverse than the route from Songling Village.
Initially, everyone worried that Yunyi, as a young woman, would slow them down. However, they hadn’t expected that it would be the assistants accompanying the experts who repeatedly encountered issues.