Chapter 24: Venturing Once More into the Valley of Death

“There’s no problem, but you’ll have to wait until I get back!” Gu Jianfeng said to everyone with a smile.

“What’s going on? Is something up?” Su Weiguo asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, I’ve just been assigned a last-minute task. I have no idea when I’ll be done. But if you really want to practice, you can have the company commander teach you instead!” Gu Jianfeng quickly shifted the responsibility to Long Fei—for after all, he was the one truly in charge of the first company, and Gu Jianfeng couldn’t let himself get too comfortable just handing things off all the time.

“That’s right!” everyone exclaimed, suddenly slapping their thighs.

For so long, the unassuming Long Fei had all but faded from their memories. Even though he’d made an impressive showing recently, he still hadn’t left a deep impression on them. Only now, with Gu Jianfeng’s reminder, did they retrieve Long Fei from the recesses of their minds.

Many people in the first company were now breaking out in a cold sweat. They’d never really paid Long Fei any attention before, but now they realized just how shortsighted they’d been.

That night, everyone in the first company, except for Long Fei, slept particularly soundly—the day’s exertions had worn them out completely.

The arrival of Gu Jianfeng brought Long Fei tremendous hope, and the real combat experience reignited a passion in his blood that had lain dormant for years.

Tossing and turning as he thought back over the past few months, a familiar yet blurry figure appeared in Long Fei’s mind: Lin Guo—a girl he didn’t quite know how to face.

That summer, Long Fei had led a team to conduct military training for freshmen at a university, and Lin Guo had been one of those new students. Long Fei’s excellence had deeply attracted her, and an unnamed seed quietly took root in her heart.

In her sophomore year, Lin Guo, defying her family’s objections, resolutely enlisted in the army. She wanted to find Long Fei and finally say what she’d held back for a year.

But when she found him, the first company had gone through a drastic upheaval, and Long Fei was no longer the company commander who had once trained them. His heart had become cold and unfeeling.

Even so, Lin Guo never gave up. All this time, she continued to support Long Fei in silence. But Long Fei couldn’t see a future for himself, so he didn’t dare accept her feelings—he didn’t want to hurt her, not even a little.

With these tangled thoughts, Long Fei drifted into sleep, and that night, he slept more soundly than he had in ages.

Before dawn the next day, Gu Jianfeng quietly got up, careful not to disturb the others in the dormitory. He picked up his packed luggage and slipped out.

“Woof!”

Sensing Gu Jianfeng’s presence, Tianjiang couldn’t help but bark.

At first, Gu Jianfeng hadn’t planned on bringing Tianjiang along, but after thinking it over, he realized no one else could really handle the dog in his absence. It seemed better to go talk to Tianjiang himself.

Gu Jianfeng arrived at the kennel and saw Tianjiang standing at the door, as if waiting for him.

“Tianjiang, I have to go take care of something. For the time being, you need to stay here and behave yourself. No causing trouble, understand?”

Gu Jianfeng opened the kennel door and spoke softly to Tianjiang.

“Woof, woof, woof!”

Tianjiang was much smarter than most dogs. As soon as he heard Gu Jianfeng’s words, he wrapped his front paws around Gu Jianfeng’s leg, his meaning unmistakable.

“Be good, Tianjiang. This mission is dangerous,” Gu Jianfeng said, trying to reassure him.

Tianjiang let out a low whine, and Gu Jianfeng understood—this was a vow to stay by his side through thick and thin.

Gu Jianfeng laughed, genuinely delighted.

“All right, then let’s go together!” he said, and left with Tianjiang.

Qiang was barking, too, but Tianjiang quickly quieted him down.

The sky was still dark, and the wet, muddy mountain path was treacherous. Fortunately, Gu Jianfeng’s senses were far sharper than most, so he managed without much difficulty.

Returning to the J65 region, Gu Jianfeng was struck with a completely new feeling.

He reviewed the information from the files and from what he had known in his previous life, his mind racing.

Soon, three mountains emerged clearly in his mind: Ningmen Mountain, Baoguang Mountain, and Yongshi Mountain.

Combining all the information, Gu Jianfeng decided these three mountains would be his primary focus.

Ten days passed.

Gu Jianfeng finished searching Ningmen and Yongshi Mountains without finding anything unusual, and now he made his way to the foot of Baoguang Mountain.

“This is never going to work, just searching like this,” he muttered. “Since the state spent so much effort searching before, I doubt the reactor would still be on the surface. If we’re certain it’s within the Nu Mountains, but not aboveground, then where could it be?”

Tianjiang’s bark snapped Gu Jianfeng out of his thoughts.

“Are you feeling unwell?” he asked, uncertain.

Tianjiang nodded in a very human-like way.

A surge of joy filled Gu Jianfeng’s heart. How could he have forgotten such a crucial detail?

His soul power not only shielded him from nuclear radiation, but could also sense it. Now, because Tianjiang also possessed soul power, the dog could detect the radiation, too.

If not for Tianjiang’s reminder, Gu Jianfeng might never have thought of this.

“Hahaha! Tianjiang, you’ve helped me out tremendously this time!” Gu Jianfeng exclaimed, overjoyed.

“Woof!” Tianjiang wagged his tail, looking especially pleased. He didn’t quite understand why Gu Jianfeng was so happy, but as long as his master was delighted, he was, too.

Gu Jianfeng sat cross-legged. Mighty soul energy continuously radiated from his body.

Suddenly, a vast surge of energy emanated from the middle of Baoguang Mountain, spreading in all directions.

“Found it!” Gu Jianfeng opened his eyes, a glint of excitement flashing within them.

But where was the entrance?

He searched around, but found no sign of a way in.

“For such a massive project, the entrance can’t be small. I refuse to believe it’s impossible to find!” Gu Jianfeng had to be sure that what lay inside the mountain was truly the reactor.

“Tianjiang, there must be an opening at the foot of this mountain, though it might be sealed up. Listen closely—if you hear any echoes or odd sounds coming from the mountain, let me know immediately!” he said.

“Woof!” Tianjiang barked, then perked up his ears, listening intently.

After more than ten hours, neither Gu Jianfeng nor Tianjiang had discovered anything, but Gu Jianfeng was not discouraged.

After eating some food to restore his energy, he and Tianjiang resumed their search.

Suddenly, Gu Jianfeng heard the rush of running water.

He approached and saw water flowing out from within the mountain itself. A smile broke across his face.