207: Chapter 206 Aid in the Cold Night! Multi-line Rescue Ignites Sparks, Mutual Support in Crisis Forges Warmth (1)

With Lin Wei brought to justice and the rescue from the dangerous building concluded, the Xuanguang Energy Base had barely a moment to catch its breath before new crises and missions followed one after another.

The lights in the Command Center remained on throughout the night, and the pulsing Dark Energy signal curves on the screens were like the beat of a death knell, constantly reminding everyone present—there was less than 24 hours left before the arrival of the Void Temple army.

Mu Li stood in the center of the command console, his eyes bloodshot, yet his gaze remained as sharp as a torch.

He had just finished a video conference with the National Headquarters. The nation had initiated the highest level of emergency response, mobilizing military forces nationwide to assist the Xuanguang Team in defensive deployment. At the same time, they were ordered to complete rescue missions in the remaining ice disaster areas while preparing for battle, ensuring no fellow citizen was left trapped in danger.

"Engineer Mu, the latest rescue briefing has been compiled." Zhao Gang walked quickly to Mu Li's side and handed over an electronic document, his voice carrying unmistakable exhaustion, with traces of weariness from the previous round of rescues still lingering between his brows.

"There are currently three priority areas in urgent need of rescue: First, the snow mountain pasture in Northwest Yunnan, where 17 herdsmen and over 300 head of livestock are trapped. The only path between the pasture and the outside world has been blocked by an avalanche, the fodder in the pasture is about to run out, and the cattle and sheep are showing signs of frostbite and starvation.

Second, the mountain primary school in East Jiangxi, where a small landslide occurred behind the teaching building, causing some classrooms to collapse. 12 students and 2 teachers are trapped, including 3 injured students whose conditions are unknown.

Third, the fishing raft village along the coast of West Guangdong, where a strong cold wave caused the seawater to freeze, freezing a large number of fishing rafts in place. Over 50 fishermen are trapped on the rafts at sea, lacking food and heating supplies, and some elderly people are already showing symptoms of hypothermia; the situation is critical."

Mu Li quickly browsed through the briefing, his fingertips tapping lightly on the screen as he rapidly calculated the rescue deployment in his mind.

[System Prompt: Extreme environmental risks detected in all three rescue areas. There is a blizzard warning for the Northwest Yunnan snow mountain pasture, a risk of secondary landslides at the East Jiangxi mountain primary school, and a risk of ice cracking at the West Guangdong fishing raft village. Optimal routes for multi-line rescue have been generated, matched with corresponding Xuanguang rescue equipment, and vital sign concentration points for each area have been marked and synchronized to each team's terminal.]

"Divide into three teams immediately!" Mu Li made a swift decision, his voice low and firm, carrying an indisputable resolve.

"Zhao Gang, you lead the first team, carry the Xuanguang Clearing Equipment and emergency fodder, and head to the Northwest Yunnan snow mountain pasture to rescue the herdsmen. Prioritize the safety of both humans and livestock, while also providing fodder supplies.

Li Rui, you lead the second team, carry the Xuanguang Reinforcement Equipment and medical rescue gear, and head to the East Jiangxi mountain primary school. Prioritize rescuing the injured students and reinforce the classrooms that haven't collapsed to prevent secondary disasters.

I will lead the third team, carry the Xuanguang Ice-breaking Equipment and emergency warm supplies, and head to the West Guangdong fishing raft village to rescue the fishermen. Focus on rescuing the elderly and children, and quickly evacuate the trapped personnel.

The technical team will remain at the base to continue debugging the defense system and Dark Energy tracking equipment, provide us with support at any time, and closely monitor the movements of the Void Temple!"

"Understood!" Zhao Gang and Li Rui replied in unison, without a hint of hesitation in their eyes.

Although they knew that a life-and-death battle would be faced in 24 hours and the shadow of the Void Temple was already looming, the trapped fellow citizens before them were equally a concern they had to guard. Rescue and preparation for battle—neither could be dispensed with.

"Remember, rescue comes first, safety is paramount!" Mu Li patted both of their shoulders and added, his tone filled with concern and exhortation.

"Each team is equipped with two Assault Boats. You must complete the rescue mission within 6 hours and return to the base on time to assemble for defense. Do not delay the war effort!"

At four in the morning, the night was still thick. The three rescue teams departed simultaneously. The roar of the Assault Boats' engines broke the silence of the cold night as they sped off in three different directions.

The third team, led by Mu Li, piloted the Assault Boat and flew towards the coast of West Guangdong.

Outside the porthole, the night had not yet faded. The sea was covered with a thick layer of ice, like a giant piece of white jade, gleaming with a cold luster under the faint starlight. Not a single ripple could be seen; only the cold wind howled as it beat against the boat's hull, making a "woo-woo" sound.

The fishing raft village was located in the offshore area. Densely packed fishing rafts were firmly frozen by the ice, like building blocks floating on the ice surface. Looking from afar, no moving figures could be seen, only a few faint lights flickering in the frozen world—that was the last hope of the trapped fishermen.

"Engineer Mu, that's the fishing raft village ahead!" the pilot reported, while lowering the Assault Boat's flight altitude, carefully avoiding the protrusions on the ice to prevent collisions.

Mu Li observed carefully through the porthole, seeing that the roofs of some fishing rafts had been crushed by the accumulated snow, and the walls of the makeshift houses on the rafts were cracked; some were even tilting and could collapse at any moment.

Inside the makeshift houses on the fishing rafts, faint lights were flickering—a signal that the fishermen were holding on in the cold wind.

[System Prompt: 48 vital sign signals detected in the fishing raft village area, 12 of which are weak, suspected hypothermia patients, mainly concentrated on the few rows of fishing rafts on the west side of the fishing raft village. Priority rescue required.]

"Prepare to land!" Mu Li ordered.

The Assault Boat landed slowly on a mudflat near the fishing rafts. The cabin door opened, and the biting cold wind instantly rushed in, mixed with the saltiness of the seawater and the chill of ice and snow, instantly piercing through their heavy combat suits.

Mu Li led the team members to jump off the Assault Boat and walked across the thick ice toward the fishing raft village.

Under the ice, the seawater surged in the darkness. Stepping on it, one could hear a slight "crack" sound, as if it could break at any moment. Every step was taken with extreme caution, and the team members subconsciously activated their xuanguang shield, ready to deal with the ice breaking.

"Is anyone there? We are rescue personnel!" Mu Li shouted, his voice echoing over the silent sea, piercing through the cold wind and reaching every fishing raft house.

Soon, the door of a fishing raft house was pushed open, and an elderly person with gray hair poked their head out. Their face was covered in wrinkles, and their eyes were cloudy. Seeing Mu Li and the others, tears instantly welled up in their cloudy eyes, their lips trembling, and they couldn't speak for a long time.

"Res... the rescue team is here!" the elderly person shouted excitedly, their voice hoarse, carrying the choked sobs of someone who had survived a disaster.

Hearing the elderly person's shout, the doors of other fishing raft houses were also pushed open one after another, and the trapped fishermen walked out one by one.

Most of them were wearing thin clothes, their faces and hands frozen red, some even had frostbite, and some elderly people even needed support to stand steady. They were shivering uncontrollably, their eyes filled with exhaustion and despair, with a glimmer of hope upon seeing them.

"Thank you, Management Administration! Thank you!" a middle-aged fisherman said chokingly, gripping Mu Li's arm tightly, the force trembling slightly. "We have been trapped here for two days. Our food and firewood have run out, and there is no signal on our phones. It's freezing outside, and we have no way to get out. We thought we would never wait for rescue."

Mu Li's heart tightened. Looking at the pale, shivering fishermen before him, a feeling of bitterness welled up in his heart.

He immediately said, "Everyone, don't panic. We have brought food, water, and warm supplies. We will arrange to transfer everyone to a safe area right now!"

He turned to his team members and ordered, "Group one, carry the Xuanguang Ice-breaking Equipment to open a safe path on the ice, connecting the mudflat to the fishing rafts. Reinforce both sides of the path with Xuanguang Energy to prevent cracking. Group two, distribute emergency warm blankets and food to the fishermen, focusing on the elderly and children; give them some ginger tea to warm their bodies first. Group three, check the ice condition of the fishing rafts, inspect for hidden dangers one by one to prevent the ice from cracking during the transfer, and ensure the safety of the transfer!"

The team members immediately took action, each performing their duties, carrying out the rescue work in an orderly manner.

Mu Li walked up to the gray-haired elderly person and handed over a cup of steaming ginger tea and a Xuanguang emergency thermal blanket. The moment the Xuanguang thermal blanket touched the elderly person's body, it released a gentle heat, dispelling some of the chill.

"Elder, drink some ginger tea to warm your body first, don't freeze."

The elderly person took the ginger tea, holding the cup tightly with both hands, the stiffness in their fingertips gradually easing. They said gratefully, "Young man, thank you. My name is Granny Chen. There are a few other elderly people on this fishing raft who have difficulty moving, as well as a child who just turned one year old. They are all very weak. Could you please save them first?"

"Rest assured, we will go immediately!" Mu Li immediately followed Granny Chen, walking toward the west side of the fishing rafts, his steps hurried, fearing to delay the rescue opportunity.

In a makeshift fishing raft house, Mu Li saw three elderly people lying on the bed and an infant wrapped in a blanket.

The elderly people were pale, their breathing weak, their lips purple, and their bodies ice-cold; they had already fallen into a semi-comatose state. The infant was crying incessantly, its voice hoarse, its little face frozen red, and the crying so weak that it seemed like it could stop at any moment.

"Not good, these elderly people's hypothermia is very serious!" The medical soldier among the team members immediately stepped forward, skillfully checking the elderly people's bodies, and said in a grave tone, "Their body temperature is too low and their breathing is weak. They must be transferred to a warm place for professional treatment as soon as possible, otherwise, their lives will be in danger!"

Mu Li nodded and said to the team members beside him, "You wrap the elderly and the infant in thermal blankets first and take warm measures. I will open the path!"

He quickly activated the Xuanguang Ice-breaking Equipment. The golden energy beam shot precisely toward the ice, without causing the slightest vibration, precisely cutting a safe path one meter wide and fifty meters long on the ice.

The ice on both sides of the path was firmly reinforced by Xuanguang Energy, glowing with a faint golden light, effectively preventing the ice from cracking and providing a safety guarantee for the transfer work.

Just as the team members were preparing to lift the elderly onto stretchers, a loud "crack" was suddenly heard. A piece of ice at the edge of the path suddenly broke, opening a long gap. A team member accidentally stepped into empty space, and half of his body fell into the ice-cold seawater. The biting seawater instantly soaked through his combat suit, freezing his whole body stiff, and his face instantly turned pale.

"Careful!" Mu Li shouted. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately rushed over, reached out, and grabbed the team member's arm tightly. The Xuanguang Energy in his body instantly erupted, and the golden light wrapped around the team member's body, forming a warm barrier to resist the chill of the seawater.

The seawater was ice-cold and biting. The team member's body soon became stiff from the cold, his lips purple, and speaking became difficult.

"Engineer Mu, don't worry about me, save the elderly and children first!" the team member said with difficulty, his eyes full of urgency, not wanting to delay the rescue progress because of himself.

"Nonsense! I will not abandon any brother!" Mu Li roared, his tone firm. The Xuanguang Energy in his body erupted again, increasing his strength, and he pulled the team member out of the seawater bit by bit.

When the team member was pulled up, he was already shivering from the cold, and his consciousness was a bit blurred.

Mu Li immediately wrapped his own thermal blanket around him and said to the medical soldier, "Perform warm treatment on him immediately, use the Xuanguang heating equipment to warm him up, don't let him suffer any major harm from the cold!"

After handling the team member's situation, Mu Li reinforced the path again to ensure there were no safety hazards.

The team members carefully lifted the elderly and the infant onto stretchers, wrapped them tightly with thermal blankets, and walked along the safe path toward the mudflat.

Granny Chen held the infant tightly, following behind step by step, constantly comforting the crying infant: "Be good, don't cry, we will be in a warm place soon, the uncles and aunts of the rescue team will protect us."

Just at this moment, the infant suddenly stopped crying, its face turned pale as paper, and its breathing became weak.

Granny Chen panicked, holding the infant and spinning around anxiously, shouting with a trembling voice, "What's wrong with the child? You guys take a look! Why did he stop crying?"

The medical soldier immediately stepped forward to check, his face becoming increasingly grave as he said, "It's shock caused by acute hypothermia. We must perform emergency warming immediately, it will be too late otherwise!"

Mu Li immediately said, "Activate the Xuanguang emergency heating equipment!"

The team members immediately took out the Xuanguang emergency heating equipment. The golden energy beam gently enveloped the infant's body, without the slightest scorching sensation, precisely controlling the temperature, rapidly warming the infant's body, while not causing any harm to its delicate skin.

A few minutes later, the infant's complexion gradually returned to a rosy color and it began to cry again. Although the crying was weak, it made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Granny Chen held the infant tightly, tears welling up in her eyes again, and thanked Mu Li and the others repeatedly: "Thank you, thank you for saving my great-grandson! You are our lifesavers!"

Mu Li smiled and said, "This is what we should do. Elder, don't be too excited, we will send you to a safe place soon."

He turned to look at the other fishermen and found that most of them had already moved along the path to the mudflat, their faces gradually regaining color, and they were huddling together drinking ginger tea and warming each other.

Only in the last fishing raft house was there still one fisherman who hadn't come out.

"Is there still someone who hasn't come out?" Mu Li asked, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.

"It's Old Wang, he refuses to come out!" a fisherman said, his tone carrying helplessness. "He says he still has a lot of catch on his fishing raft, all of which he worked hard to raise for a year. If he leaves them here, they will all be ruined, and no matter how we try to persuade him, he won't budge."

Mu Li frowned, feeling a bit anxious in his heart, and walked toward the last fishing raft house.

Pushing open the door, he saw a middle-aged man crouching on the fishing raft, carefully organizing the catch in the fishing net, his face full of anxiety and reluctance, sighing continuously while organizing.

"Old Wang, hurry up and go! The ice could crack at any moment; it will be dangerous if you don't leave now!" Mu Li said, his tone urgent.

Old Wang looked up, shook his head, and said with a firm gaze, "No, this catch is my hard work for a year. My whole family relies on this catch to make a living. I cannot leave it here. Even if there is danger, I must take it with me."

"Your life is almost gone, what are you still worrying about the catch for!" Mu Li said anxiously, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "The Void Temple army will be here soon. Before long, this place will become a battlefield. We must move to a safe area as soon as possible; preserving your life is the most important thing! If the catch is gone, you can earn it again, but if your life is gone, everything is gone!"

Old Wang was stunned for a moment, obviously not knowing about the Void Temple, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

Mu Li briefly explained to him about the upcoming invasion of the Void Temple. Old Wang's face instantly turned pale, his eyes filled with fear, and the fishing net in his hand dropped to the ground.

But he still hesitated and said, "But this catch... I'm really not reconciled."

"We will try our best to help you transfer some important things and take away the most valuable catch, but you must leave immediately now!" Mu Li said, his tone firm. "If we delay any longer, not only will you be in danger, but it will also affect the evacuation progress of all of us, which will not be worth the loss."

Old Wang looked at the catch, then at Mu Li's firm gaze, and finally gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Okay, I'll go! Please help me take more of the catch." Mu Li and the team members immediately started helping Old Wang pack up some important catch and daily necessities, and took him along the path to the mudflat.

At this time, all the trapped fishermen had been evacuated. Mu Li led the team members and the fishermen onto the Assault Boat and flew toward the safe area.