CH 3.1

The excitement from finding Captain Qin, the exhilaration that was then snuffed out by cold, icy water poured on their heads, everybody became silent.

“Colonel, even though there’s no one on Captain Qin’s side guarding him, but…” Lu Jianhua had wanted to say it since early on. However, on the way, the colonel had not stopped asking him about Captain Qin’s injuries, and he never found the opportunity to open his mouth and mention it.

Now that the people on the car entered a mourning-like state, Lu Jianhua dully said: “It’s pretty safe, I think.”

“I made an agreement with them. If nothing happens, they’ll stay put guarding Captain Qin…”

Lu Jianhua thought about that eye-catching tiger. Even when it was laying down, it could not hide its mightiness. His internal organs quivered.

Song Bei was confused. Lu Jianhua’s words did not match with what he said before: “Just now, you said that you were alone and that there was no way to bring back little Qin, so why do you say now that nothing will happen to little Qin?”

“Little comrade,” Song Bei lectured him meaningfully: “You’ve already made a great achievement. Even though the way you did things wasn’t the best, you still shouldn’t feel too stressed.”

Lying isn’t good.

Lu Jianhua, who was not very eloquent, scratched his head, not knowing how to explain. As he considered what to say, a rapid and anxious cry from the medical team at the back that was following them closely on another car was transmitted: “Colonel, we can’t go faster.”

The people that were on the car that Song Bei was in were soldiers that had followed in a hurry in case something happened.

It was not important if their car bumped around, but the medical team in the car behind them carried first aid equipment. It did not matter if the people inside were tossed all over, but if the equipment was damaged, it would become a big problem.

“How about this, we’ll hurry there first, and you’ll lower your speed, following in the back.” We can’t go slower just because of them[1], Song Bei deliberated, then he called some of the doctors at the back to change to the car in front. The car where he was in galloped rapidly ahead, while the car that contained some of the first aid equipment followed in a slowed pace.

Wheels ran over, sending dust flying the whole way. In the time that it took for the people to move to another vehicle, Lu Jianhua, who had previously been interrupted, made up his mind and seriously said to Song Bei: “Colonel, I didn’t know how to tell you just now, but after thinking about it, I believe that it’s still better to tell you directly. Don’t not believe me, the things that I’m about to say are all true.”

“These days when I was on duty, there was a Persian cat that loitered by the entrance of the base, as if it was looking for someone. I’ve always heard in the countryside that cats are supernatural, so today, I changed shifts with my comrade and couldn’t hold back from going to look. It was the cat that led me to find Captain Qin, and Captain Qin was also brought there on the back of a tiger.”

“…”

Probably because he was too shocked, Song Bei’s face was stoic, completely expressionless: “Are you being serious?”

It had been many years since Song Bei had heard these types of stories.

Just by listening to that tone, Lu Jianhua knew that Song Bei did not believe in him: “Colonel, why would I lie to you? Wouldn’t that be in vain? Once we get there, it’ll be exposed at once.”

“Wait a moment,” by their side, a patrol captain of a team that oversaw the search and rescue felt very curious, his face was not expressionless like Song Bei’s, and he interjected while laughing: “Persian cat? Was it a white one?”

Lu Jianhua paused and then nodded in surprise: “Deputy Captain also knows, have you seen it?”

About ten to twenty people were in the car, and there were also three doctors from the medical team. Every single one was confused and tried their best to stretch their ears into a rabbit’s ones to listen to this novel story.

Song Bei was also surprised. Guo Chao Ming left early and returned late, staying in the mountain for long periods. It was such that he was very tired from not sleeping for two days and two nights, and he had only returned to the base this morning because of his urging and nagging.

Lu Jianhua had encountered that cat in the entrance of the base, so how could Guo Ming Chao, who was someone who moved in the big mountains, have seen it?

“Aiyo! I knew that that cat was weird, it was so intelligent?” Guo Ming Chao slapped his thigh hard and said regretfully, “If it’s true, then I should’ve followed it first back then.”

The colonel’s face became even more stoic: This cat’s network is somewhat broad? Since Guo Ming Chao also saw it, then maybe that story is true.

The little comrade indeed has a simple and honest appearance and doesn’t seem to be someone that would speak nonsense.

When Guo Ming Chao thought about Bai Xia Xia, he also felt that it was very rare: “Colonel, when I returned today, didn’t I tell you, that the search and rescue team encountered a weird event.”

“It was precisely this Persian cat.”

“When I was resting with my team members, we saw this cat around three to four times.”

“It kept staring pointedly at me while sitting on a rock. That cat was very, very white, pretty, and good-looking. When it appeared out of nowhere in the mountain, it was a bit scary, like an evil spirit.” Now that Guo Ming Chao thought about it, he felt that it was interesting: “Who would’ve thought that it came looking for us. I thought that it was raised by the forest rangers and that it had run to us to ask for food.”

Guo Chao Ming narrated their encounter with Bai Xia Xia in detail, and when he finished, he patted Lu Jianhua’s shoulder while exclaiming and tsking in amazement: “We’ve run into a very novel incident. Captain Qin’s life is not meant to end, such good news, Colonel!”

“When it realized that it wouldn’t be able to get attention from my side, it went to the base to get attention!” Guo Chao Ming gave Lu Jianhua a big thumbs up: “You deserve this achievement. Who among us would’ve thought that a cat could lead people to find Captain Qin?”

“Only you.”

Doctor Jiang who had followed them: “A snow-white Persian cat? Aiya, I’ve seen it too, the one that has heterochromatic pupils, it was extremely beautiful! For the little comrade to have followed it, good job!”

Song Bei… You’ve all seen it? Why have I, who has lived in the base and gone into the mountains, never seen it? Am I being discriminated or what?!

Lu Jianhua blushed from embarrassment, shyly accepting the praises: “I didn’t do anything, it was all Captain Qin’s luck, the heavens were also willing to help.”

Otherwise, why would that cat have appeared out of nowhere right in this moment.

Everyone in the car was dying from curiosity, they also wanted to see how smart that cat was.

Translator’s comments:

Song Bei isn’t favored by Cat.

Translator’s notes: [1] Idiomatic expression ‘因噎废食 (yīn yē fèi shí)’: not eating for fear of choking. It means to not stop doing something just because of a problem that isn’t very significant.