The thought of divorce weighed heavily on Wang Xuewei's mind like a mountain. She didn't know when she had become so sensitive to those two words.
The thought of being completely separated from Zhou Ziwei after returning to Dangyang, becoming two people with no connection whatsoever, filled her with a vague sense of grievance and pain.
Wang Xuewei really doesn't want to face the day of actual divorce, but where can she go after the divorce? Move back to the Wang family home? Does the Wang family home truly belong to her?
In the past, Wang Xuewei might have sacrificed her happiness for her family, for her father, and for Xinda Daily Chemicals. But this time, after experiencing the Wang family forcing her to divorce Zhou Ziwei, she finally saw through the true colors of her family.
Is it really worth sacrificing everything for these people?
Sigh... Perhaps dying before the official divorce would have been the best ending for her!
In order not to delay the expedition team's departure time, the old commander sent military fighter jets to deliver the equipment that Zhou Ziwei requested. Of course... there were two sets of equipment in total. Although the old commander firmly refused Zhou Ziwei on the phone, he immediately lost his temper when he heard that Zhou Ziwei wanted to give his set of equipment to Wang Xuewei.
There was no other way... In order to protect Comrade Zhou Ziwei, a national treasure even more precious than the giant panda, the old leader could only make some compromises on principle.
This expedition gear looks a bit like a spacesuit, with everything from shoes to pants, clothes, and hood connected together with a sealed zipper once it's on.
Even if the sealed equipment is submerged to a depth of 1,000 meters, there will be no risk of leakage.
Moreover, the mask has an automatic oxygen circulation system that can provide a person with breathing needs for up to thirty hours.
The equipment itself is highly pressure resistant and suitable for use underwater and in vacuum environments. You could use it as a spacesuit or a diving suit without any problems.
What Zhou Ziwei coveted most were the few gadgets that came with the equipment, including an energy-based weapon—the electric beam gun.
This thing can be considered a simplified version of an advanced weapon, the electronic cluster cannon, which was first developed in China. Its power is far beyond that of an ordinary stun gun.
Its appearance is not much different from an ordinary flashlight, and it does have the lighting function of a flashlight. However, as long as you turn on the safety switch on top and press the red button, a beam of current as thick as a finger will be shot out from the top.
This current beam has extremely strong penetrating power. At close range, it can easily melt through a three-inch thick steel plate, and its maximum range can reach about thirty meters, a distance that ordinary stun guns cannot match.
However, the energy consumption of this electric beam gun is terrifying. Although the battery on it has enough power to keep it burning for two or three years if used as a flashlight, it can only fire three times at most before completely exhausting all its energy if used for electric beam attacks.
In addition, the equipment is equipped with steel wire marbles, which are very useful for climbing cliffs and steep walls. They can also be used to attack enemies when necessary. After activating the mechanism, a steel ball pulled by a steel wire can be launched from the arm. The steel ball is covered with dense small spikes, which will immediately entangle the target once it hits it.
If this thing is used to shoot a tree or rock, and then the mechanism is activated to tighten the steel wire, it will quickly suspend a person's body, allowing them to easily climb over any natural barrier within fifty meters.
Besides the dangers, the equipment also has some miscellaneous functions that even Zhou Ziwei couldn't figure out for the time being, but even so, he was already overjoyed.
You know, when Zhou Ziwei saw those expedition members get this equipment yesterday, he was so envious that he almost drooled.
The leader of this expedition team was named Wu Dongping, a former instructor of a special forces unit. He was furious that his superiors had suddenly put two more people in his team. Although he had seen Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei at the outpost these past few days, he had no idea that Zhou Ziwei was the one who found the mysterious cave. He had thought that they were the family members of some general who had come here for sightseeing.
What Wu Dongping found most intolerable was that his team leader was only a major, while Zhou Ziwei was a lieutenant colonel, which made his position as team leader somewhat awkward.
Actually, the higher-ups originally intended to appoint Zhou Ziwei as the captain of the expedition team, but Zhou Ziwei was very afraid of trouble and firmly declined.
Because he is a fairly responsible person, if he is not the captain, he naturally doesn't have to worry about other people's affairs, he only needs to take care of his own and Wang Xuewei's safety. But if he becomes the captain... he can't just abandon his team members and run away when danger comes, can he?
Once he ventured deep into the underground cave, he had no idea how many dangers and crises he would face, so he absolutely refused to take on the role of captain.
However, even though Zhou Ziwei refused to be the captain, Wu Dongping still felt that Zhou Ziwei's presence posed a threat to his position, so he naturally didn't treat Zhou Ziwei well.
Of course... Wu Dongping didn't show too much hostility towards Wang Xuewei. After all, beautiful women are welcome wherever they go. However, Wu Dongping was quite helpless about Wang Xuewei's physical condition. A few days ago, he had personally witnessed how this young lady was almost too tired to walk after just going to fetch water from the glacier a few miles away from the outpost with two female members of the expedition team, Hu Zhenzhen and Xiao Lijun.
With this level of skill, they'd probably have a problem even climbing Mount Kashgar, let alone exploring the mysterious cave. Normally, Wu Dongping and his male teammates would be happy to carry a beautiful woman like Wang Xuewei, but now they were facing a life-or-death crisis at any moment. Every bit of energy wasted could cost them their lives, so Wu Dongping naturally wouldn't, and wouldn't allow his teammates to, show any mercy to a beautiful woman at this time.
Therefore, before setting off, Wu Dongping solemnly warned Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei, claiming that they had been preparing for this expedition for a long time, but they were still not entirely confident about the safety of the trip, so he advised Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei not to participate.
Otherwise, if any dangerous situation arises, they will absolutely not lend a hand, because sometimes helping them could endanger their own lives.
Even if Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei were to fall behind, they would absolutely not waste a single second waiting for them.
Therefore, if Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei want to join the expedition team, they will have to rely entirely on their own strength, leaving their lives to fate.
Zhou Ziwei was somewhat displeased that Wu Dongping would say such a thing, but he didn't care. Since Wu Dongping had already said that he wouldn't care about their lives if they were in danger, then Zhou Ziwei wouldn't have to bear too much psychological burden if he didn't care about Wu Dongping and the others when they were in danger in the future.
The team then set off. Wu Dongping completely disregarded Wang Xuewei, a rookie team member who had never been trained and had never even climbed a step of Kashgar Mountain. They immediately set off at their fastest speed ever used in training towards the location coordinates of the mysterious cave on the mountain.
Wu Dongping originally thought that with their super-fast speed, which even surpassed that of professional mountaineering teams, Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei would have no chance of keeping up. Once they reached their destination and shook off Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei, they would naturally not have to bring these two "burdens" into the mysterious cave.
However, to Wu Dongping's utter surprise, when he led the team at the fastest speed he could only occasionally unleash during training, covering about half the distance and exhausting everyone, with several nearly falling behind, he discovered that Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei were completely unaffected, closely following in the middle and rear of the team, without falling behind at all.
Wu Dongping was quite puzzled by this. Logically speaking, even if Zhou Ziwei's physical strength was barely enough to keep up with their pace, wasn't Wang Xuewei usually out of breath after walking a few miles on flat ground? How come she suddenly appeared so strong now?
However, since everyone was wearing adventure gear and their faces were covered by masks, Wu Dongping couldn't tell whether Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei were already slightly out of breath. He could only maliciously guess that the two of them were probably just trying their best to save face! Or... if they walked a few more miles, the two of them would completely collapse!
So when several team members asked to rest, Wu Dongping ignored them completely and instead urged everyone to speed up and climb the mountain at top speed again...
We finally arrived at the designated location, where we could see the entrance to the cave guarded by four special forces soldiers.
At this point, even Wu Dongping himself felt like his legs were about to break. Four people in his team had fallen behind and were far behind, out of sight.
What utterly horrified Wu Dongping was that the two newcomers, whom he had always thought were the weakest in terms of physical fitness, were now leisurely following closely behind him, without falling behind even for a moment.
How is this possible? How could that woman suddenly become so powerful?
Although Wu Dongping saw Zhou Ziwei helping Wang Xuewei along the way, most of the time Wang Xuewei climbed up alone. Given Wang Xuewei's usual performance, Wu Dongping found it hard to believe that Wang Xuewei's physical strength was so formidable.
In fact, not only Wu Dongping, but even Wang Xuewei herself could hardly believe that she had become so powerful.
The reason she changed so much in just one day was simply because Zhou Ziwei gave her a cup of tea.
At the time, Zhou Ziwei simply said that the tea was specially prepared for Wang Xuewei, and that drinking it would enhance her physique. Wang Xuewei, naturally, had no doubts and drank the tea in one gulp.
Then Wang Xuewei felt as if a ball of fire was burning all over her body, but while her whole body was hot, she also felt a very comfortable sensation.
This feeling startled Wang Xuewei. She thought Zhou Ziwei had given her some kind of aphrodisiac... because this feeling looked exactly like the effects of an aphrodisiac... Fortunately, Zhou Ziwei left the room after handing her the tea, otherwise, given Wang Xuewei's temper, she might have attacked him.
The so-called aphrodisiac only lasted for a few minutes before its effects wore off, and the hot and comfortable feeling vanished. Afterward, Wang Xuewei felt as if her whole body was filled with boundless power, which greatly surprised her.
However, compared to yesterday's astonishment, Wang Xuewei was now even more surprised. She never imagined that just a cup of tea would make her physical condition seem to be several points stronger than most people here. Not to mention those who had fallen behind, when Wu Dongping announced that everyone should rest on the spot, the others except Wu Dongping immediately sat down on the spot as if their legs were broken. Two of them even lay down on the snow. But Wang Xuewei did not seem to feel much fatigue. She felt as if she had just strolled around the street for a couple of minutes.
What kind of tea is that...? How can it be so magical?
Turning her head to look at Zhou Ziwei beside her, Wang Xuewei couldn't help but feel a little surprised again because of this man.
Zhou Ziwei, however, did not heed Wu Dongping's instructions to rest on the spot. Instead, he took the lead and slowly walked up to the four special forces soldiers guarding the cave entrance. He gently pushed up the visor on his helmet, waved to the soldiers, and greeted them with a smile, "Hey... Tiger, Gu Bin, it's your turn to be on duty here today!"
"Director Zhou, it's you..." Several special forces soldiers were shocked when they saw Zhou Ziwei push up his mask, and exclaimed in surprise, "Director Zhou, you... you're actually a member of the expedition team too!"
Zhou Ziwei smiled and shook his head, saying, "I'm not really part of the expedition team. The team leader doesn't even acknowledge our identities. I was forced into the team through connections. Oh... by the way, this is my wife, Wang Xuewei. You've been staying on the mountain all this time, so you haven't met her yet, have you?"
Zhou Ziwei then called Wang Xuewei over and gave her a brief introduction to Hu Zi, Gu Bin, and the others.
The two then went into the cave to rest.
The temperature inside the cave was very comfortable, much better than being freezing outside.
Seeing Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei walk into the cave together, Wu Dongping frowned slightly and followed them inside. The few people who had fallen behind would probably take another half an hour to come up, and he didn't want to wait in this freezing weather.
However, to Wu Dongping's surprise, as soon as he approached the entrance of the cave, he was stopped by several special forces soldiers with guns pointed at him. "Excuse me, please show your identification!"
Volume 2: The Assassin's Nightmare, Chapter 374: Entering the Black Hole
Wu Dongping had already come up to this cave to check it out yesterday, so he knew that this place was now strictly controlled by the military and that no unauthorized personnel were allowed to enter.
He was only allowed in yesterday by showing his own identification.
However, when he saw Zhou Ziwei and the other two, they entered the cave without showing any identification. He assumed that the order had been given from above, and that these special forces soldiers must know about the expedition they were going to carry out today. Moreover, they had checked his identification yesterday, so there was no need for such trouble today.
But to everyone's surprise, the special forces soldiers immediately changed their attitude when they saw him. The enthusiastic demeanor they had shown when they met Zhou Ziwei vanished instantly, as if he were a foreign spy.
Wu Dongping was slightly taken aback, then remembered that he was still wearing his helmet and mask. Although he had come once yesterday, they naturally wouldn't recognize him. So he quickly followed Zhou Ziwei's example and pushed up his mask to reveal his face. He smiled slightly at the special forces soldiers and said, "Gentlemen, it's me... Wu Dongping, the captain of the expedition team. I came here yesterday."
After saying this, Wu Dongping nodded to the group, then waved to the others and said, "Everyone, go inside the cave and wait! The four of them know the coordinates and the footprints we left ahead. If they still can't find the place, then there's no point in us taking them on this adventure."
After giving his instructions to his teammates, Wu Dongping swaggered toward the cave entrance again, but before he could take a step forward, he was immediately blocked by Hu Zi's rifle with a bayonet.
The gleaming bayonet was less than three inches from his exposed face.
"Excuse me, please show your identification. If you dare to trespass again, don't blame us for being impolite."
Upon seeing this, Wu Dongping became furious. He angrily pointed at Zhou Ziwei, who had just walked in, and roared, "Identity... Of course I have identification, but since he can go in without identification, why can't I? You need to understand, I, Wu Dongping, am the captain of this expedition team. What is that kid?"
Upon hearing Wu Dongping's words, the faces of the four special forces soldiers standing at the cave entrance immediately darkened.
After the life-or-death experience of the previous two days, all the special forces soldiers here have an extraordinary respect for Zhou Ziwei, and this respect is genuine and cannot be won by power or influence.
It could even be said that without Zhou Ziwei's help, they might have already been captured by those two traitors and foreign agents...
Therefore, when they heard Wu Dongping speak rudely to Zhou Ziwei, the group's expressions naturally turned sour.
Tiger, with his quick temper, roared, "You dare insult Director Zhou? I'll stab you to death!"
After saying that, he brandished his rifle and swung the bayonet at the tip of the rifle fiercely at Wu Dongping's face.
Fortunately, Wu Dongping was no pushover. To become the captain of this expedition team, he not only possessed certain professional skills, but his combat abilities were also quite good. He had retired from the special forces a few years ago. When he saw the bayonet so close, there was no time to dodge. In his haste, he could only retreat while shouting and raising his right arm to block in front of his face.
With a soft "sizzle," the sharp bayonet slashed across Wu Dongping's arm, but it didn't even tear the specially made combat uniform. Instead, it sparked a string of dazzling sparks.
Although his combat uniform wasn't torn, Wu Dongping still felt a sharp, piercing pain in his arm.
Tiger was quite strong. If Wu Dongping hadn't also practiced hard qigong for a few days, this knife might not have cut him open, but it would have at least caused some hidden injuries to his arm.
Wu Dongping was both shocked and furious. He quickly took a few steps back before pointing at Hu Zi's nose and saying, "You...you dare to lay a hand on me...If this delays the exploration operation personally overseen by the Military Commission, can you...can any of you bear that responsibility?"
Tiger rolled his eyes dismissively and said, "What responsibility do I have? We've been repeatedly warned that this cave is now an SS-level classified area. Anyone wanting to enter must show a registered ID. You refused to show your ID and tried to force your way in. Hmph… I don't care what kind of captain you are. In this situation, even if I kill you, I won't bear any responsibility. You believe me? If not, try forcing your way in again and see if I dare stab you to death!"
Wu Dongping felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. He subconsciously touched his arm, which was still throbbing with pain. He knew that this guy probably really had the guts. In fact, if he hadn't blocked the blow with his arm, that bayonet would probably have killed him. And if he hadn't been wearing the super equipment that had just been issued to him, but instead was wearing an ordinary cotton coat, his arm would probably have been ruined.
Although he felt a chill in his heart, Wu Dongping still couldn't let it go. He pointed angrily at the cave entrance and said, "What do you mean we have to show identification? That kid surnamed Zhou didn't show any identification at all, and you let him in without stopping him at all. If that kid surnamed Zhou can go in like that, why can't I? If you can't give me a reason, I... I'll sue you for abusing your power!"
"Tch... Go ahead and sue me if you dare, and see if I'm afraid of you!" Tiger was not intimidated by Wu Dongping at all and still showed a fearless look.
Seeing this, Gu Bin snorted and said, "Don't think you're so great just because you're the captain of some expedition team. How can you compare to Director Zhou? You should know that this cave was discovered by Director Zhou, and he was the first to find out its wonders. Moreover, Director Zhou has been on missions with us for a while now. He's our comrade-in-arms and superior. How can you compare to him?"
Wu Dongping was slightly surprised, not expecting that Zhou Ziwei had discovered the cave. However, he was unwilling to swallow his anger and still rebuked, "What? Since this is an SS-level classified area, everything must be strictly reviewed. Just because he is your comrade-in-arms and your superior, does that mean you can make exceptions for him?"
"What's going on? What are you arguing about here?" Before Hu Zi and Gu Bin could retort, four more special forces soldiers in thick cotton-padded coats emerged from the cave. It turned out that it was time for the shift change.
Seeing this, Gu Bin stopped Hu Zi, who was about to go and teach Wu Dongping a lesson. They each handed over their weapons to the next person in line, thus completing the handover. Then, Gu Bin let the other two special forces soldiers who had come off duty go into the cave first. He grabbed Hu Zi's arm and followed him into the cave, turning back to Wu Dongping and saying, "Why aren't you yelling for them to check our IDs now? Hehe... After the handover, we're no longer responsible for checking IDs. But according to your theory, um... even though we're their comrades, shouldn't we at least have our IDs checked before we can enter? Haha... idiot!"
After saying this, Gu Bin laughed heartily and entered the cave with Hu Zi, leaving Wu Dongping and the others there dumbfounded.
Perhaps feeling ashamed after being mocked by Gu Bin and Hu Zi, Wu Dongping and the others waited until the four who had fallen behind earlier had all arrived outside the cave before each of the twelve of them took out their identification documents, obediently went through the inspection, and then entered the outer cave of the mysterious cave one by one.
Upon entering the outer cave, they saw Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei had already taken off their tactical helmets and were sitting on a dry rock, chatting and laughing with Hu Zi and the others.
Wu Dongping didn't pursue the matter with Zhou Ziwei any further. Seeing that all the team members had entered, he immediately put on a stern face and said, "Everyone, rest here for thirty minutes, then prepare to enter..."
After saying that, Wu Dongping immediately sat down on the spot, without even taking off his helmet. He leaned against the stone wall behind him, as if he had entered a state of hibernation.
Thirty minutes later, Wu Dongping suddenly sat up from the ground like a robot, startling the other expedition members.