There had just been a heavy snowfall at that time, and the snow in the forest was more than 40 centimeters thick.
When they approached the target area, they found it was completely white and could not find the poachers' footprints.
Seeing this situation, Conway decisively ordered the soldiers to divide into three groups, and pull the net forward from the left, middle and right to search for clues.
After marching forward for about 10 minutes, the group on the right discovered the traps and covers left by the poachers buried in the snow. When the snow was brushed away, the footprints underneath were clearly exposed.
Conway looked at the direction in which the footprints extended.
He said with a serious look: "50 steps forward there is a fork in the road. They will definitely take the road on the left that leads to the forest." He squatted down and took off his gloves to feel the texture and thickness of the footprints, and then looked at it again.
The untrodden snow all around confirmed his judgment: "We are moving forward at full speed, and we estimate that we can capture them today."
The next scene confirmed Conway's judgment. The poacher indeed followed the fork in the road and headed toward the mountains on the left.
The soldiers advanced at full speed.
Gu Mengmeng was able to maintain their speed at first, but then gradually slowed down.
When the hygienist saw her lagging behind, he couldn't help but pick up the folding stretcher and open it for her to lie on.
"Reporter Gu, come here! Let us carry you!"
Gu Mengmeng quickly waved her hands and said, "I can leave, really! I can catch up with you!"
The hygienist looked helplessly at the more than 40 centimeters of snow and said, "Come up here and we will get there faster."
Faced with this situation, Gu Mengmeng was no longer so pretentious. She lay on the stretcher and placed the camera as close to her hand as possible, without having to turn over and increase the burden on the soldiers.
Sure enough, carrying her moved much faster.
However, when Conway was worried about her and was waiting on the roadside in front to see how she was doing, what was waiting was Gu Mengmeng, who was lying on a stretcher taking pictures.
Seeing his wife holding back the troops, Conway frowned and said angrily, "I'll deal with you when I get back!" without waiting for the health worker's explanation. He turned around and strode off to chase the main force in front of him.
Gu Mengmeng looked at each other with the hygienist with a grimace, feeling that the future was ill-fated and unpredictable.
They followed the footprints in the snow from 10 a.m. for 6 hours without finding a single poacher. However, the traps, holsters, traps and other hunting tools planted by the poachers in the forest were confiscated one by one.
.
At around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the soldier carrying the satellite locator exclaimed: "Something's bad! Company commander, the locator doesn't work!" Everyone was shocked, and when they came up to take a look, they found that this precision instrument had been affected by the extremely cold weather.
The impact is that the fault cannot be located.
Everyone's expressions became serious and cautious.
You must know that satellite positioners are as important as human eyes at critical times, especially in the wild.
In the vast sea of snow, if you want to find the poacher in the lost forest, unless a miracle happens.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Gu Mengmeng, who got off the stretcher, also realized the seriousness of the problem. This was not only the danger of facing poachers, but also the difficulty of survival for everyone.
Company Commander Qi is a veteran border guard. Although it was his first time encountering this situation, he still calmly told everyone not to panic.
He called the instructor and Conway together and asked for their opinions.
Conway is a special operations commander with extensive field experience. Facing the terrain he had little contact with, he pondered for a while and said: "Now the only option is to take risks. Finding the poachers and completing the pursuit mission is the first priority."
"I'll explore the way ahead, and the troops will follow me."
Company Commander Qi stood silently in the wind and snow. Finally, he patted him on the shoulder and said only one word: "Okay!"
Conway's keen observation ability was brought into full play in the snow. After he led the soldiers to pursue for 10 kilometers along the footprints under the snow, he suddenly shouted in surprise: "They should be right in front. The footprints are new, and the snow cover
It can’t be covered anymore!”
It was getting dark at this time, and the small group of people walked deeper into the dense forest.
No one noticed that the freshly fallen snow had covered all their footprints.
On a low-lying slope, Conway stopped the marching team with his hands. He silently pointed at several nearby soldiers from the sharp knife company, and followed him as a commando up the small mountain on the slope. They walked for a while.
, he stopped and used gestures to summon Gu Mengmeng, who had jumped off the stretcher in a hurry, into the team.
He said to her silently: "Keep a safe distance from us, and don't rush over if there is any danger!"
Gu Mengmeng had a tacit understanding with him for a long time. How could she not understand that his seemingly risky move at the moment was actually to fulfill her passion for work. He knew that she would be unwilling to do so later and would try her best to grab the news. Rather than let her do that
If she is in danger, it is better to put her in a safe position now, so that she will not have to worry about anything later.
She nodded firmly at him, indicating that she understood.
Company Commander Qi sent several other soldiers to protect Gu Mengmeng up the hill.
Just as Conway expected.
A dozen or so armed poachers were huddled in a mountain valley to keep warm and rest. Their shotguns were scattered on the snow. They looked like they had had a good meal, and some of them were still taking a drowsy nap.
Conway surveyed the situation.
Decided to end the battle quickly.
He used the special combat gestures taught to the soldiers of the Sharp Sword Company to give them battle instructions.
Surround, fire, and quickly disarm and subdue!
As soon as the "Start!" gesture fell.
I saw the border guards descending from the mountain like tigers, firing warning shots into the sky, and then swooped outside the circle formed by the poachers to surround them.
The group of people were so frightened that they stretched out their hands involuntarily to beg for mercy.
With quick eyesight and quick hands, Conway rushed into the crowd, and with a twist of his hands, he killed a man who wanted to pick up a gun and resist. The man's knees were bent in the thick snow, and he kept shouting for mercy.
This battle was won very beautifully.
10 shotguns and countless poaching tools were seized.
It was completely dark. Although they successfully completed the task, they were tested by fatigue, hunger and cold, lost, wild beasts and dangers threatened them.
Relying on the compass, Conway led the soldiers to stop and go in the dark dense forest, lighting fires to keep warm, and waited from dusk until 7 o'clock the next morning before meeting up with the company officers and soldiers who were looking for them.
Gu Mengmeng walked down the second half of the journey by herself. I don’t know where the will came from to support her to accompany Kangwei, all the way north, along the Ergun River, next to her lover, and towards peace.