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墨書 Inktalez
This was my first time ever riding in a helicopter! Although the turbulence was intense, and I had to strap myself in with special harnesses, I felt exhilarated! Watching the trees below rush past, I curiously looked around, feeling a bit like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden.
It wasn't just me; I noticed that several of the soldiers accompanying us were also experiencing this for the first time. However, Old Li across from me appeared quite calm, as he was actually leaning against the cabin wall and sleeping?! Was it because he was older and the novelty had worn off? I wondered. As I continued to think and look around, after about an hour of flying over a few low mountains, we finally arrived at our destination.
It was an open area surrounded by mountains, with sparse trees. The helicopter's downdraft caused the grass to bend and scatter as we slowly landed on the clearing.
The captain jumped out first, vigorously waving to each group, signaling for all Cadets to assemble. Everyone lowered their heads and ran a distance away from the helicopter, forming a line to wait for the captain's instructions.
The captain emphasized loudly at the front of the line that soon a plane would take people into the deep mountains and drop them off one by one along a fan-shaped arc. Everyone's journey would be the same, but before sending everyone into the mountains, there were two things to do. First, check that all Cadets were not carrying excess gear; second, each plane would be accompanied by a soldier Supervisor who would help everyone put on blindfolds before takeoff and only remove them once we entered the mountainous area during low-altitude descent.
How ruthless, I thought. Since it was still daylight and we had flown this way, anyone paying attention would have remembered roughly the direction and route. If they were dropped now, many could probably find their way out without much trouble. But with blindfolds on, it would be entirely different; it would completely disorient people. Descending into the mountains with blocked light made it even harder to discern direction. Many would likely waste a lot of time in the mountains, and whether they had enough food and water would become a problem. It seemed this assessment also tested people's survival skills.
The captain continued, stating that a temporary command center and rescue team would be set up here. The plane would travel several dozen miles further before dropping off the Cadets and then return here. At 4 PM, someone would be on duty to observe; if any distress signals were detected, personnel would be organized for immediate rescue. Afterward, Pig Head meticulously searched each Cadet before all team members began boarding in groups. Once settled in, they were individually blindfolded. At this point, the helicopter's propellers started to spin faster and faster until we finally lifted off the ground and headed toward the mountains.
As I watched the helicopter depart, I silently wished Old Bi and the others well, hoping they wouldn't encounter any accidents and could reach their destination as soon as possible.
As if reading my thoughts, Old Li walked over. "Wang, pack up your medical supplies; you'll need them soon."
I looked at Old Li in surprise. He smiled lightly and said, "These Cadets are like flowers in a greenhouse; once exposed to wind and rain, they'll surely wilt or get hurt. Just watch; tonight there will be distress flares."
"Why?" I asked, confused by Old Li's cryptic words. He just smiled without answering.
I couldn't hold back any longer. "Old Li, what exactly are you? You don't seem like a Cadet." Honestly speaking, even someone dense would sense something was off at this point.
Old Li replied calmly, "You'll find out soon enough. By the way, Wang, are you really a Military Doctor?"
I paused for a moment. "I used to be; then I changed careers to become a Squad Leader."
Old Li looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "No wonder." Then he turned away to call for soldiers to set up tents.
I felt increasingly puzzled as I turned to see Team Leader Ding waving at me from beside a nearly completed tent. I hurried over. "Instructor Wang," he said apologetically with a smile, "I'm sorry to impose on you; tonight you'll stay in this tent with me. Some supplies are stored here as well; the pilots will stay in one tent while everyone else will split into two others."
After our Combat Assessment, I held great admiration and respect for Team Leader Ding. I quickly reassured him that it was no trouble at all. Seeing that this tent was already set up made me wonder if there was anything I could help with. However, under Team Leader Ding's leadership, the soldiers worked swiftly and coordinated well; before long, several tents were completely erected.
Watching Team Leader Ding digging drainage ditches with tools made me grab a shovel to help around the tent perimeter. When he saw me working alongside him, he smiled and said, "Dig a bit deeper than usual; it's going to rain heavily tonight." I looked at him in surprise. "How do you know?"
Team Leader Ding smiled mysteriously, "Did Old Li not tell you?" Old Li again?! Who exactly is this Old Li?
After the drainage ditch was dug, Team Leader Ding led one corner of it to a shallow trace that led to lower ground. I hesitated for a moment and called out, "Team Leader Ding!" He didn't turn his head and replied, "Call me by my name; I'm Ding Yuan."
"Then, Ding Yuan, what do we do tonight?"
"Tonight, you just need to sleep. We have someone on duty, and if we need to mobilize, I will call you. If all goes well, the rescue techniques the professor taught you will come in handy."
I see. It seems they had planned to bring me along from the start. Thinking further back, selecting Health Instructor must also be part of their plan. Were all the assessments merely a prelude? What kind of people were they ultimately trying to select through these evaluations? However, it's not too tiring for me at work, I thought.
After everything was done, I realized it was almost two o'clock. Like all the other Cadets, our food consisted of water and compressed biscuits we brought ourselves. I managed to swallow a bit when Ding Yuan urged me to rest quickly. Most of the Cadets had probably already turned in; the plane would be back soon, and the pilots could take turns on duty. As for medical support, I was the only one here and needed to conserve my energy.
I couldn't help but feel amused; did they really look down on us Cadets that much? Perhaps everyone could get through the night safely and march again tomorrow? With good wishes for everyone, I lay down fully clothed on the tent's Mainland mat. Once I relaxed, my long-established habit of napping kicked in. In the distance, I seemed to hear the roar of helicopters growing louder and louder; however, it didn't seem to dispel my drowsiness as I eventually fell into a deep sleep.
I don't know how long it had been when I was shaken awake. "Get up! There's a rescue request!" The voice was urgent. I struggled to sit up; it was Ding Yuan! The light hanging in the tent turned on, accompanied by the sound of helicopters outside.
"Grab the first aid kit! Follow me!" Seeing that I was awake, Ding Yuan dashed out of the tent. I quickly rubbed my eyes, grabbed the first aid kit beside my head, stood up, and followed him.
As soon as I stepped out of the tent, I realized it was already nighttime and raining. Just as I processed this information, a strong gust of wind carrying large raindrops rushed toward me. I swayed slightly and immediately bent down like Team Leader Ding, rushing toward the helicopter.
Once aboard, I noticed that besides the on-duty pilot and Pilot, there was also a soldier and Pig Head's Deputy. The pig-headed man glanced at me and said, "So slow!" Then he turned away and commanded, "Let's go!"
I hurriedly found a spot to secure myself while wondering who might be in need of rescue and what their situation could be.
I raised my hand to check my glow-in-the-dark watch; it was almost 9 o'clock! Had I really slept for seven hours?
"What’s going on?" I asked. The pig-headed man ignored me and muttered to himself, "I don't know which useless person couldn't last even seven or eight hours; it's affecting my sleep. People like this should have been eliminated long ago!"
Ding Yuan shot him a glance before turning to me. "Captain, Deputy Team Leader, Old Li is on shift now; we’re taking turns. A distress signal has been spotted in the northeast direction; we need to rush over."
I silently thought that nothing should happen; these Cadets had it tough. From the beginning, I had opposed this elimination system. Competitions can have winners and losers—that's fine—but this elimination system continuously stratifies people. Regardless of whether one wins or loses, it may not be beneficial for these Cadets' mental and physical health development in the future.
The helicopter jolted through the rain as water seeped into the cabin through unsealed areas. Everyone gradually became soaked while lost in their thoughts in silence. Suddenly, a green light shot up before my eyes—another Green Signal Flare ascended!
Not far ahead, everyone clearly noticed this situation. The pig-headed man hesitated for a moment before ordering, "Let’s check that out first."
The plane suddenly accelerated, taking advantage of the signal flare still rising slowly, quickly approaching the ground!
As the signal flare began to fall, we reached our destination. Through the curtain of rain outside, we strained to discern the situation below. At this point, the pilot had lowered the altitude to its minimum, about seven or eight stories above the ground.
As the signal flare descended, we spotted two figures beneath a sturdy low tree—one lying down and one standing.
"Fasten your safety harness and rappel down!" Pig Head ordered with a grim expression.
The soldier immediately grabbed a safety harness and clipped it around his waist. He tossed the rope from inside the cabin down, wrapped his legs around it, and with both hands gripping the rope, he slowly slid down.
Seeing Pig Head preparing as well made me feel a bit uneasy; I had never done this kind of rappelling before! Before I could show my hesitation, Ding Yuan had already clipped a safety harness onto me, removed the medical kit from my body, handed me the rope, and patted my shoulder, saying, "Hold on tight and let it out slowly."
Looking at Pig Head's mocking smile, I steeled my courage. It was only seven or eight stories high! With determination, I mimicked the soldier's movements—crossing my legs around the rope and gripping it with both hands—I jumped from the plane!
Years later, I would learn that rappelling requires gloves; going down without them meant that my hands bore the brunt of my weight. With the rain making everything slippery, I felt pain in my hands after descending just three to five meters as they were being chafed. After sliding down a few more meters, it felt like my palms were about to be crushed!
(To be continued; stay tuned for more exciting developments!)
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