Chapter 344 - 233: Act First, Report Later

Chapter 344: Chapter 233: Act First, Report Later

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

Dahuang and the other two dogs were also let loose to roam freely. With Dahuang leading them, Zhao Wendong was confident nothing would happen to them. The three dogs dashed around the surrounding mountain forest, showing off their new collars to each other.

Soon, several bonfires were lit. Everyone took out their lunchboxes—or bowls, for those who didn’t have one. Because this was just a short break, Zhao Wenwu’s large iron wok went unused. After they boiled some water, ate their meal, and rested for a bit, Xiaojin still hadn’t returned. Zhao Wendong led the men onward, deeper into the mountains.

After walking for another two hours or so, Xiaojin returned. However, it brought no sign of the White Wolf, only an unlucky wild rabbit. Combined with the few pheasants Dahuang and the others had caught, at least they would have some extra food for dinner.

Although he had prepared himself for this, Zhao Wendong was still a little disappointed, but he didn’t let it show. As dusk approached, he immediately began arranging for the team to make camp.

The moment the sun set, the temperature in the mountains would plummet like a roller coaster. It would be a huge hassle if they didn’t quickly prepare a place to rest for the night. With fewer people, they could dig into a snowbank, but with a large group, their only option was to build a shelter.

They stopped in a hollow sheltered from the wind. Nearby stood several old, densely branched pine trees that could block some of the wind and snow. They were evenly spaced, making them perfect supports for a shelter. The tarps they had carried from the production team’s warehouse were unfolded one by one, and a simple tent was quickly assembled. Many hands make light work; some held down the corners of the tent, while others went to find dry firewood. A special iron frame was set up so the large iron wok could be placed directly on it.

A fire was lit inside the tent, and old quilts were spread over the ground where all the snow had been swept away. For now, these were the best conditions they could manage. The rabbit and pheasants were stewed to supplement everyone’s meal. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, a few men were assigned to take turns on watch duty and tend the fire. The rest lay down to sleep.

The next morning, Zhao Wendong woke up aching all over. After breakfast, they packed up their things, and the large party of fifty men continued their march deeper into the mountains. Another two days passed with no results. They had even managed to hunt two roe deer, but there was still no sign of the Wolf Pack.

"Brother Dong, it’s already been three days. Do you think the Wolf Pack ran off?"

"Hard to say, but they probably wouldn’t have. Let’s keep looking. If we still can’t find them today, we’ll start heading back."

Zhao Wendong looked at Li Dawei’s haggard face. The others had also lost the high spirits they’d had when they first entered the mountains; every one of them was listless. Zhao Wendong figured he was in similar shape. After all, with poor food and poor sleep, no one could last long. The exception was Zhao Wenwu. With Jin Xiuying by his side, he felt like he was on vacation.

Many of the men had developed frostbite on their hands. Fortunately, Zhao Wendong had brought the ointment he’d made before, as well as some wintergreen, which helped get the situation under control.

"SCREE~!"

With a cry, Xiaojin descended from the sky, its mental voice filled with joy.

’I found them.’

Its master had made it search for the White Wolf King for three days straight, which had put a lot of pressure on the eagle. Hearing Xiaojin’s mental voice, Zhao Wendong’s face instantly lit up with joy. He shouted, "The Wolf Pack has been spotted! Everyone, prepare for battle!"

The men instantly erupted. Everyone excitedly began checking their equipment, their previous fatigue vanishing in an instant. Zhao Wendong fed Xiaojin three strips of rabbit meat—from a rabbit it had caught itself—before sending it back into the sky. Dahuang, Dahei, and Erhei also seemed to sense something, their muscles tensing in anticipation.

"Let’s go! Move out! Everyone, keep up!"

Seeing that everyone was ready, Zhao Wendong gave the order, and the men followed him in Xiaojin’s direction. They were all fired up, eager to see for themselves just how cunning the White Wolf Zhao Wendong had described truly was.

Zhao Wendong led the way, carrying a Type 56 carbine. Li Dawei was beside him, holding Zhao Wenwu’s Type 38 rifle, his eyes sharp and excited.

After advancing for more than ten minutes, they saw messy paw prints and scattered drops of blood on the snow-covered ground in a larch forest. The sight of the Wolf Pack’s tracks made the men even more excited.

A short while later, a few wolves appeared up ahead. Spotting Zhao Wendong and his group from a distance, they immediately turned and fled into a valley.

"There they are! After them!"

Li Dawei excitedly raised his rifle and was about to charge forward, but Zhao Wendong grabbed him and held him back.

"Wait. Something’s wrong."

The men all looked at Zhao Wendong in confusion. They had already seen the wolves, what could be wrong?

"Look at Xiaojin’s position. Xiaojin’s target is their Wolf King. The pack is moving, but Xiaojin hasn’t. That means the White Wolf hasn’t moved. Why isn’t it moving?"

"Why?"

Li Dawei asked hesitantly. Zhao Wendong didn’t answer. Instead, he looked toward the few wolves that had fled into the valley.

"See those wolves? They’re limping as they run. They’re the injured ones. It’s using the old, weak, sick, and injured to lure us in."

As he finished speaking, Zhao Wendong’s gaze swept over the slopes flanking the valley, and a thought suddenly struck him.

"I get it now. That bastard wants to ambush us!"

"Alright, listen to me. In a moment, after we chase them in, the wolves will definitely attack us from both sides. Form two columns, and be ready to fire toward your respective outer flanks. Got it?"

Zhao Wendong hadn’t expected the White Wolf to ambush them instead of running. ’Since it wants to play, I might as well play along and show it just how terrifying humans can be.’ After hearing Zhao Wendong’s words, everyone except Zhao Wenwu and his companions was skeptical. ’Is this Wolf Pack really using a military tactic like luring the enemy into a trap?’

However, no one voiced any objection to Zhao Wendong’s arrangements. Everyone loaded their rifles, and the two columns ran toward the valley. As they neared the entrance, Dahuang and the other dogs suddenly became extremely alert.

’The scent of so many wolves.’

Dahuang’s mental voice confirmed Zhao Wendong’s suspicions. Zhao Wendong patted the dog’s head, signaling that he knew what he was doing. They entered the valley, and everything seemed normal. Just as many of the men were starting to think Zhao Wendong had made a misjudgment, a wolf howl suddenly rang out. Then, dozens of gray wolves abruptly surged from both sides of the valley, charging the militia fearlessly. Even the old and injured wolves that had served as bait turned and lunged at them.

The men were stunned. They never imagined Zhao Wendong would be right—these wolves actually knew how to set an ambush! Leaping down from the valley slopes was, in theory, the best way to do it. But Zhao Wendong had still walked right into the Wolf Pack’s encirclement, a move born from his confidence in the militia’s firepower and combat prowess.

"Don’t panic! Hold steady! Each side, take responsibility for your flank! Aim before you shoot!"

Zhao Wendong’s roar instantly calmed the nerves of those who were starting to feel their hair stand on end.