Human strength was sometimes limited, so they could only do their best and wait for fate to decide.
Ye Qing had been watching the search team's every move for the past few days. Every time they came back in the evening, Ye Qing could see that the search team's walking posture had become very strange.
Some of them were walking like penguins.
Ye Qing knew that this was the result of severe muscle soreness in their legs.
Even in the search team that came from Tan Zhou, two members were accidentally injured because they were not familiar with the terrain.
They tried their best, but they found nothing.
At noon, a deputy county magistrate of Anya County held a press conference in the lounge at the entrance of the scenic spot.
The disappearance of the college students in the scenic spot had become the headlines of the entire Hua Xia.
College students had always been one of the groups that society paid the most attention to. This time, nine college students disappeared.
Therefore, many domestic TV news reporters gathered outside the Anya scenic spot. They reported the details of the search and rescue operation to the public from various angles.
At the press conference, the deputy county magistrate looked serious.
He held a speech and first described the current search progress to the reporters. Then, he repeatedly emphasized that this search and rescue operation would last for 20 days. No matter how big or small the hope was, they would do their best to search.
After reading the speech, the deputy county magistrate answered a few questions from the reporters and said that once the search and rescue team made progress, they would immediately announce it.
Instead of calling it a press conference, it was more like a precautionary measure for the media.
Of course, Anya County, who organized this search operation, knew that the hope of finding these students was getting slimmer and slimmer.
But now, the public opinion on the Internet was paying attention to these nine college students. There were even outdoor anchors who secretly entered the mountains from the periphery to look for the college students.
They really didn't know if they wanted to help or take advantage of the popularity.
Anya County didn't want to suddenly find the bodies of these nine college students.
If that happened, the public opinion would explode. Anya County's most proud national 5A scenic spot would bear the brunt of the criticism from the reporters and netizens. It would be difficult for them to make a comeback in one or two years.
First, they held a press conference to show their determination.
Then, they would lay the groundwork and remove the search team bit by bit. After seven days, it was just a show. To let the reporters and netizens understand that it wasn't that Anya County didn't work hard, but that their manpower was sometimes limited.
…
Today, for the entire search team, was the day that determined their morale.
Anyone who could participate in the search was either an expert in the field or a veteran enthusiast.
Of course, based on the belongings of the nine college students and the current weather conditions in the Anya Geological Scenic Spot, they could roughly calculate the survival period of these students.
Eliminating the possibility of a miracle.
After today, those university students would fall into the countdown to their deaths.
If they didn't find any clues today, then at night, the search team from Tan Zhou would quietly return home.
After another day, a third of the team would give up and go home.
They sympathized with the college students, but they also had their own families and careers to take care of. It was impossible to waste time on the dwindling hope of rescue.
Ye Qing was more well-informed than the reporters. There were pilots from Monster Industries in the search and rescue team, so Ye Qing could get the latest news at any time.
Ye Qing waited from morning until noon, but there was still no good news from the pilot.
In the afternoon, Ye Qing sat in the co-pilot seat of the Nighthawk.
However, as soon as he got on the aircraft, Ye Qing realized how difficult the search and rescue operation was. Sitting in the aircraft, if they wanted to see the details of the ground below because of the fog, they had to open the observation window on the side porthole.
As soon as the observation window was opened, the bean-sized rain outside mixed with the strong wind blew straight at them.
To visually observe the details of the ground, the aircraft could only fly slowly at an altitude of several hundred meters. At this distance, it would be fine if the nine college students stayed on the ground.
If they were trapped in a slightly hidden place, the people on the aircraft wouldn't be able to find them at all.
That afternoon was no different from the afternoons of the previous few days.
The aircraft was equipped with a short-range handheld radio to keep in touch with the people on the ground. However, very few people on the radio were willing to speak. Everyone was climbing the mountain step by step.
That day, the search team members didn't stagger back to the scenic spot until it was completely dark.
After dinner and a few hours of rest, the team members gathered in the canopy again for a meeting.
Captain Wang Chailong opened two packs of Pride and gave one to everyone. Through the lingering smoke, Wang Chailong said expressionlessly, "The search team from Tan Zhou has worked hard for the past few days."
The members of the Tan Zhou team were all present. They nodded silently.
"We all know that the success rate of the search will get smaller and smaller in the future. Many of you here are volunteers who voluntarily joined the search. You have no obligation to accompany us all the time.
"So tonight, if you have a busy career or something at home, go back with the Tan Zhou team members. When the meeting is over, I'll have the scenic spot arrange for an electric car to take you down the mountain."
One after another, more than a dozen team members raised their hands and said that they would go back together tonight.
The rest said that they would hold on for one more day. After all, they had considered that the students had brought some compressed biscuits with them. If they could find a way to avoid the rain, they should be able to hold on for another two days.
"This is what I've decided." Wang Chailong put out the cigarette and said, "As our search area grows, a very awkward problem is placed in front of us.
"We go into the mountain in the morning and come back at night.
"Today we've already spent more than half a day on the road. Sometimes when the rain gets heavier, we have to find a place to take shelter. When we wait until tomorrow, we'll waste even more time on the road and consume even more energy. "
Regardless of whether the team members decided to stay or not, they all nodded in unison. Even if they were taking a walk on the road, it was not easy to walk ten to twenty kilometers without stopping for a day.
The team members' bones were almost broken from climbing the mountain these past few days. Not to mention the time it took to go back and forth, whether their physical strength could take it was also a big problem.
"So I've decided that starting tomorrow, the other members of the forest fire team and I will not come back at night."
Wang Chailong continued, "This is the decision of our forest fire team.
"The members of the search team who continue to participate in the search tomorrow must come back. This is responsible for your safety."
"How can that be?"
The team members who decided to stay immediately objected. They all expressed their opinions at once.
"With the current weather conditions, if you want to stay in the mountains overnight, you have to bring waterproof tents and sleeping bags.
"The key is, can you find a flat place to set up a tent?
"With a tent, how will you make a fire to make hot food and clothes at night?
"It's not enough to bring a tent. It's very humid in the mountains. You have to bring a set of moisture-proof air mattresses.
"And bring enough food."
"These things weigh dozens of kilograms. What kind of international joke are you guys carrying this to search?
"We'll only bring sleeping bags." Wang Chailong's tone was firm. "We've had experience staying in the mountains before, although it wasn't like it was raining non-stop.
"But we can build a waterproof shelter ourselves."
The other team members also expressed their determination. "No, you're joking with your lives. When night comes, I'll drag you guys back."
"That."
"Can I say something?" Ye Qing, who had been sitting with the pilot in the meeting and listening in the front, stood up.
Everyone heard the voice and turned their heads.
They knew that these two were the representatives of Monster Industries. They weren't familiar with the young man, but they respected the pilot who didn't like to speak next to him.
This was because the pilot flew a super advanced aircraft and volunteered to join their search team.
Yesterday, one of the team members was accidentally injured while climbing the mountain, and it was this pilot who sent him back.
Wang Chailong hurriedly made a "please speak" gesture. In the past few days of the meeting, the two representatives of Monster Industries had almost never spoken, so their words were particularly important.
"What I mean is that everyone can give up on this search operation.
We all understand that it's almost impossible to rely on manpower to find these university students. "
"So, everyone, please give up."
As soon as the words came out, the cigarettes in the mouths of many team members fell out.
They suspected that they were too tired and were hallucinating. But after exchanging glances with the team members next to them, they found that they didn't hear wrong.
"Sir …" Wang Chailong hurriedly stood up and said anxiously, "I think that those university students can still be saved."
"If it's not possible, tomorrow our forest fire department will search the mountain by ourselves. We don't need the aircraft to follow us. I know that the cost of flying an aircraft for an hour is enough for a car to run for a year."
"We're very grateful that you're willing to support our search for the next few days."
"I'm asking everyone to give up, but it doesn't mean that the search operation will end." Ye Qing stepped forward and patted Wang Chailong's shoulder. "It's like this, Monster Industries intends to take over this search."
Wang Chailong and many of the team members raised their heads in confusion.
Wang Chailong, who was closest to Ye Qing, first felt that the young man in front of him seemed to have an indescribable mysterious aura.
For some reason, when the young man stood up and spoke, Wang Chailong, who had been in charge of the overall situation, felt ashamed.
But he didn't understand the meaning behind the young man's words.
Monster Industries to take over the search operation?
Did their company have a more professional mountaineering team?
He didn't expect the young man to shake his head when he asked this question.
"I also think that those university students can still be saved."
"But with the current weather, the search team obviously won't be of any use in the mountains."
"So, Monster Industries has decided to try a technological method to find them."
"A technological method …" Wang Chailong and the other team members were even more confused. Could it be that the search a few days ago wasn't a technological method?
They even used a very sci-fi small aircraft, and the team members went into the mountains with a handheld radio.
"Yes."
"A technological method." Ye Qing nodded to Wang Chailong. "I didn't mention it before because this method would cost a certain amount of money."
"This amount of money is not worth mentioning for Monster Industries, but it's an extra and unnecessary waste. From the company's perspective, we should try to avoid this kind of waste. "
"I mentioned it now because there's no hope for a conventional search operation."
"If we can find those nine university students, I think this unnecessary cost is not a waste."
"Then … how do we find them?" Wang Chailong felt like he was listening to a book from heaven, and his face was full of unconcealable suspicion.
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