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墨書 Inktalez
Immediately, the Zhou Team jumped up, their eyes wide as they counted the number of people present.
Our Archaeology team consisted of eleven members, so it was glaringly obvious when one was missing—there was no need for a detailed inspection. I was the one Zhou Team was most worried about; he had allowed Xiao Team to take me away alone. The others all had experience in Desert Archaeology, and Song Guilong had been involved with this project since its inception. No one would expect him to encounter any issues. Of course, this also related to the chaos during the evacuation.
Not long ago, Captain Zhou had been in communication with the command center, arguing about the fate of the Excavation Pit at the site. He had exhausted both his mind and body. The sudden emergence of this unexpected situation weighed heavily on him. Clearly fatigued, he sat back down in his chair and took a moment before saying, "Go find them immediately; we must locate Song Team in the shortest time possible."
Upon hearing this, we rushed outside.
"Come back." Before we could exit the shelter, Zhou Team called out from behind, "Don't all go out. Xiao Team, you report this situation to the command center. Cao, you, you, and you." Zhou Team pointed at several individuals. "Go inform the transport team, Material Expert group, Engineering Corps, and communications unit about this matter—have them assist in locating people. The rest of you stay put."
Xiao Guolin and others quickly dashed out of the shelter, heading purposefully in different directions. Captain Zhou picked up the telephone from the wall and began dialing repeatedly, inquiring if any departments had news about Song Guilong.
I could see Captain Zhou's concern. However, we couldn't enter the shelter before the Sandstorm arrived; the consequences would be catastrophic. Even I, a novice in Desert Archaeology, understood this well—Song Guilong knew even better the stakes involved. Therefore, I didn't believe that Song Team hadn't reached Bunker One; I thought it more likely that he had mixed in with another convoy or was still on the road, perhaps even already arrived but entered a different Yurt.
At that moment, I remained relatively optimistic. This was partly because I wasn't in Zhou Team's position and couldn't fully grasp his feelings or the weight of his responsibilities. However, Song Guilong's status within our Archaeology team—and indeed within our entire Desert Archaeology system—was extremely significant. He was second only to Captain Zhou in our team and served as the director of B Institute; his qualifications in Desert Archaeology were unmatched. Thus, when there was no report confirming Song Guilong's arrival at the shelter sent to the command center, One Commander personally inquired about it.
Once this matter escalated in priority, information was compiled as quickly as possible. One thing became certain: among those who had already reached Bunker One, there was no sign of Song Guilong.
At that moment, all personnel had already left the project base, and most had arrived at Bunker One; all hopes rested on a few vehicles that were still en route. The command center did not simply wait but continuously communicated with the convoys via Walkie-Talkies. Although not every vehicle was equipped with a Walkie-Talkie, each convoy would have one as part of their discipline; thus, the command center could reach every convoy.
The task of searching for and verifying whether there were any Archaeology team members among the vehicles on the road was a rigorously executed order amidst chaos; progress would not be swift. However, soldiers' strict adherence to orders became evident at that moment; every piece of feedback received was confirmed without doubt—personnel numbers, names, and affiliations were meticulously accounted for. If there was any commonality among these reports, it was simply this: none had found Song Guilong.
This was news that no one could accept. The command center immediately ordered a vehicle from Guard Company at the very back of all convoys to turn around and return to search for Song Guilong. A strict order was issued: they must find Song Guilong at all costs.
The news hit Captain Zhou hard. With all the leaders gathered in our bunker, it had become a temporary command center. At that moment, a Combat Engineer was brought into our shelter, and the Engineering Platoon Leader saluted, saying, "He saw Captain Song before the evacuation."
This statement immediately stirred excitement among those in the bunker. It dawned on me that I hadn't seen Song Guilong during lunch.
The soldier appeared somewhat nervous with all the commanders present, but he recounted his encounter with Song Guilong. He had seen Song Guilong after the alarm sounded; at that time, Song Guilong seemed ready for evacuation, carrying a backpack and hurriedly passing by him while wearing goggles. However, Song Guilong was heading towards the excavation site. Out of curiosity, the soldier had warned him. Song Guilong's response was that he was going to grab something and would return shortly, instructing the soldier to gather with the unit and evacuate quickly.
The soldier's words clarified two points: first, Song Guilong was indeed prepared for evacuation; second, he was fully aware of what he was doing at that moment. The fact that he did not evacuate with the team suggests that something unexpected may have happened while he was retrieving an item.
When the unit commander asked this soldier where exactly he encountered Song Guilong and which Test Pit Song Guilong was heading towards, there was a discrepancy in descriptions and understanding, making it difficult for both parties to pinpoint the location quickly. This wasn't surprising; the construction site was vast and chaotic due to ongoing hardening work. The soldier couldn't possibly recall under which specific hoisting equipment base column he had seen Song Guilong or from which base column Song Guilong had walked past.
One Commander did not dwell on this issue. He looked up at the Engineering Platoon Leader and said, "I order you to take this soldier back to the Construction Site immediately to search for Song Guilong. The Guard Company soldiers returning to the Construction Site are under your command; you must bring Song Guilong back."
I noticed his choice of words—he didn’t mention bringing him back alive—just ordering to bring him back. Perhaps I was overthinking it. Yet I couldn’t help but interject, "I'll go too; I'm familiar with that area and can help with the search."
"The Archaeology team must send someone," Captain Zhou added this time. "We can't leave the Song Team behind. Zhang has been close to the Song Team recently; having him along will be beneficial. Cao Mingzhe should go too; you two represent the Museum and know him better."
"Then I'll go as well," Xiao Guolin stepped forward. "This operation is led by us JD; if we lose someone from the Museum, we won't be able to explain ourselves when we return."
Time constraints left no room for debate, and the commander's approval of the Archaeology team's request came swiftly along with an additional Engineer. This was an old acquaintance—Liu Squad Leader, who loved to show off. In terms of diligence and responsibility in his work, Liu Squad Leader was absolutely trustworthy.
Engineer Li Squad Leader drove personally as their sturdy Pajero roared out of Bunker One.
My mood was not unsettled by the bumps of the car; I firmly believed that I could find Song Guilong. At that moment, this was indeed my thought.
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