Chapter Seventy: The Fireplace

  "Alright then, hurry up and go, we're all waiting to hear the sound." Xu Ming urged Kapur to quickly release the snake, while he gathered everyone together, sitting in a circle.

  "We are now waiting for the results, but we still need to make a contingency plan in case there really is an enemy. Our escape route." Xu Ming opened up the map and pointed at it saying: "We are only sixty kilometers away from Kala City, but that's just as the crow flies. We can't take the highway, we'll have to abandon our vehicle and go on foot. If we hear any noise over there, the first thing we need to do is probably run up into the mountains."

  "After passing through two big mountains, we will circle back to Kala City. However, this way, the distance from us to Kala City will be over 100 kilometers, enough for us to run. Xu Ming continued to say, "This is not the most critical thing, this is just a relatively safe route we have set. The key is, what kind of enemy are we facing, and how many people?"

  Wing Wolf said: "If according to the officer's guess, I estimate that at least a regiment of troops would be needed to set up such a large encirclement, and at least two thousand people. It's too ridiculous for two thousand people to ambush our ten men..."

  "Your estimate of the number is quite good," Xu Ming said with a smile. "But don't think it's impossible, I reckon these two thousand people aren't here to ambush us, but have other plans. I remember the general saying that there was a battalion stationed at Zhamat's villa."

  Yi Lang's face was incredulous, his complexion instantly turning deathly pale, as he trembled with voice and said: "This...this is impossible..."

  "If we really have an army of two thousand people in front of us, I can only say that we've become cannon fodder and haven't even played any role yet. However, it's not impossible for two thousand people to surround ten people, after all the battle line is so long and the geographical environment is so complex, and we are special forces. Just a few days ago, weren't we passing through a small town of five thousand people in Bas without being detected? Of course, if our old special forces team had looked at the map, they would have understood. It only takes five hundred people, mobilize an artillery company, and blow us up when we pass through the narrowest road."

  "Of course, it's not ruled out that they're too lazy to repair the road. We can't outrun artillery shells, and if the other side really has 2,000 people, there might be a large number of mortars." Xu Ming took a deep breath and said cautiously, "I must reiterate one thing, who has a way to remove this time bomb from my wrist?"

  Xu Ming's eyes swept across the three Winged Wolves. If they couldn't do it either, Xu Ming would have to make other arrangements.

  "Perhaps... I should be able..."

  Everyone's eyes were focused on Xiaozhu, if Xu Ming was right, then having such a dangerous thing on him at all times was really terrifying.

  "In theory, as long as the temperature fluctuation doesn't exceed ten degrees Celsius...” Little Orange said in a low voice, looking somewhat tense. “I have an electric heater that I originally prepared because of the cold weather, considering that everyone might be hiding out for extended periods at night and I was worried you'd get frostbite on your legs. This heater can provide a maximum temperature of less than one hundred degrees, but if adjusted to around thirty or forty degrees, it's still quite close to body temperature."

  "Moreover, the temperature of this heater is very stable and suitable for treating frostbite." Little Orange continued to say with embarrassment, "Others don't need such a useless thing. Once it runs out of power, it's useless, and the heating is limited. But I'm a doctor, I know that using high temperatures to roast frostbite will cause sequelae, so I brought a few more."

  Xiao Cheng forced himself to say a bunch of nonsense, and Xu Ming couldn't help but ask, "How much do you have on you now?"

  Little Tangerine felt even more embarrassed and stretched out two fingers.

  "Two?" Xu Ming was somewhat disappointed, if there was a possibility, he could only remove the bombs from two people.

  Little Tangerine shook his head and said: "It's twelve."

  Xu Ming was overjoyed and hastily said: "While there is still some time, first remove the bombs from our bodies."

  Little Tangerine said with some difficulty: "This is just your theoretical inference. If it's wrong, wouldn't that be very dangerous?"

  Xu Ming said firmly, "Even if it's dangerous again, we must remove the bomb from our wrist. Otherwise, none of our teammates will be able to keep their bodies intact, and there is a possibility that they will harm themselves. You just need to adjust the stove to around body temperature, we'll handle it ourselves."

  Little Tangerine ran quickly into the train car and carried out a pile of heaters from it. The heater was very small, like a 100ml bottle, but there were scales engraved on it, which seemed to be temperature display.

  This small bottle can hold one reverse temperature test instrument with ease, but holding two is a bit cramped. Fortunately, the little orange brought so many, otherwise it would not have been enough.

  Xu Ming took out a heater and said to Xiao Cheng: "You tell Maya how to use this thing, I'll let Maya disarm it for me, and everyone else retreats twenty meters away."

  Maya smiled and walked over, she was willing to live and die with Xu Ming, Xu Ming had put his life in her hands, her heart was very happy. If Xu Ming really died, she would not survive alone either.

  Xiao Chengzi blocked Maya and firmly opposed saying: "No, I object. I am a doctor, you can't do this delicate work, I'll do it."

  Seeing Maya's persistence in her eyes, Xiao Chengzi said: "We know you're not afraid of death, but don't make unnecessary sacrifices."

  Maya hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xu Ming, and Xu Ming nodded to her and said: "Let Xiaocheng come over and disarm the bomb for me. I'll go twenty meters away with Xiaocheng. You pretend to repair the car, don't let them see through it."

  As he spoke, he led the way out of the highway and into the nearby wasteland. Little Orange followed with a medical kit and a portable stove.

  Su Jie ran over again and said to Alba: "Sir, have they discovered us? Why did they suddenly stop moving? Do you want me to take someone over?"

  Alba put down the telescope and said faintly: "They shouldn't have, there's no sign of them escaping. It looks like they're fixing their car, it seems like it won't start."

  Su Jie said discontentedly: "It's just those ten or so people, I'll take someone and rush over, that's all."

  Alba glanced at him and said, "Don't worry, they can't escape anyway. Besides, the boss's intention is to annihilate them completely, so it doesn't matter if it takes a little longer. Don't underestimate those dozen or so people, intelligence says they're very formidable, Quqi had 5,000 guards but was still sniped by them."

  "How can that scoundrel be mentioned in the same breath as us?" Sergei muttered under his breath.

  "Shut up," Albion said in a low voice. "No matter what, Qiu Qi has made great contributions to the party. Although his subordinates' combat quality is not good, they have also participated in many battles and are not much worse than us. The terrain here is so complex that if anyone runs away, we can't bear the responsibility. Hurry up and get out of here, just do your job."