As soon as it was dawn, the people in the makeshift camp had already begun to pack up their equipment, gather their garbage, and prepare to start the search as planned.

Team Leader Li also got up early, washed his face and rinsed his mouth with clean water, and began to check the situation of the team while eating compressed dry food.

Although the company kept all kinds of secrets about them and didn't explain anything clearly, which made Team Leader Li a little unhappy when he performed the task, he had to say that the treatment was still quite good, so that he could completely ignore this unhappy feeling.

Not only do they have generous remuneration and benefits, but they also have high field subsidies and bonuses, and when they go out on a mission, they are equipped with equipment and various supplies.

Just like this piece of compressed dry food in the hand, it is not available on the market, it is specially developed and made for them by the company's R&D department, and there is nothing on the packaging except the expiration date.

In fact, Team Leader Li suspects that this kind of thing is likely to be made by the researchers hired by the R&D department with high salaries when they are idle, otherwise even if there is no market for listing, there will still be a lot of orders and income if they cooperate with the military casually. These compressed dry foods were much better than the standard products he had been eating before.

In less than an hour, the team was in order, and when they left, there was no household waste left in the area, except for the traces of camping.

"Dr. Fang, take a look at today's search plan, is there anything you want to revise?"

Team Leader Li handed a very heavy tablet to the female doctor accompanying him, as if he wanted to follow her opinion.

Dr. Fang looked to be in his thirties, his skin was not much whiter than Team Leader Li, his facial features were also rough, he looked a little masculine, and he was no less quick than those male team members who had experience in the military camp.

She glanced at the tablet, didn't take it, and said, "Mr. Liang just approves it." ”

Team Leader Li retracted the tablet a little helplessly, in fact, it was his authority to arrange the search plan, he didn't need to ask Dr. Fang's opinion, the reason why he wanted to ask was actually to use this conversation to talk to Dr. Fang, as long as she put forward her opinion, she could follow this conversation and naturally ask for more information. Although he thinks that these researchers who used to sit in the laboratory may not know all the situation, they should be more than those of them who go to the field.

A few minutes later, Team Leader Li and Mr. Liang had a phone call through satellite connection.

Their way of searching is peculiar because most of them don't really know what they're looking for.

There are four team members with cameras on the ground, and three small drones in the air also carry cameras, searching and shooting everywhere, and transmitting the picture to "Mr. Liang" thousands of miles away through the drone platform at a higher place.

Mr. Liang can choose which camera to switch to for viewing, or watch all the frames at the same time.

Generally speaking, unless there are obvious traces of anomalies, or Mr. Liang directly orders, they will follow the planned route all the way through the rapid walk, and there is no need to do any detailed searching.

But in the deep mountains of this Qinling no man's land, he was searching for unknown creatures that might exist and didn't know what the specific situation was, and Team Leader Li didn't dare to relax in the slightest, and was always observing the surrounding environment and the situation of the team members through various equipment.

This state of search lasted for five days, and just when Team Leader Li was calculating the consumption of supplies and felt that this time he might have to return from the mountain, Mr. Liang put forward the order to change the search plan for the first time.

A few hours later, Mr. Liang again gave instructions to conduct a "deep investigation" of an area.

At this time, it was Dr. Fang who brought several researchers to the scene, and Team Leader Li took his team members to be responsible for guarding the perimeter.

After arranging the vigilance, Team Leader Li cautiously approached Dr. Fang's side, looked at the big tree they were surrounding and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with this tree?"

Dr. Fang didn't ignore his question this time, and while watching several researchers collect samples, he replied, "I was drenched from above by some kind of strong corrosive liquid, and I am dying." ”

Team Leader Li raised his head and frowned at the top of the half-blackened tree: "Is this man-made?" Or is it the kind of creature we're looking for?"

Dr. Fang shook his head: "I can't be sure for the time being, but judging from the situation of this tree, it should have been attacked ten days or even more ago." It's a pity that there have been several rains in Qinling during this time, and the traces around it have been almost washed away. ”

"Whether it's a human or some other creature, so much corrosive liquid is pouring down from there, it should be a sneak attack, right? What about the target of the sneak attack? If it is injured, how many traces will be left? When you came, didn't you find it?" Team Leader Li judged based on his experience.

When it comes to the analysis of living things, of certain specific substances, he is certainly not as good as the doctors, but when it comes to the ability to survive in the wild, to adapt to changes, to follow the track, and to deal with enemies, he is much better than them.

"Didn't find it. Dr. Fang said, controlling a drone to slowly approach the top of the tree to shoot and observe.

Mr. Liang's ugly voice sounded from the communicator: "Collect the samples you need, don't spend too much time here, take this tree as the center, and start a search on three sides, starting from the east." ”

Mr. Liang spoke, and both Team Leader Li and Dr. Fang naturally did so.

For this strange-sounding "Mr. Liang", Team Leader Li's curiosity will not be less than the unknown creature they are currently tracking.

You must know that after he was introduced and entered the special department of this company, he even met Mr. Lu Chengan, the founder and chairman of "Shenxing Technology", who has little news from the outside world, but this "Mr. Liang" has never heard of him and has not seen him.

However, Chairman Lu explained that their department is fully responsible for "Mr. Liang", and everyone must follow the instructions of "Mr. Liang" to do things.

Team Leader Li looked at Dr. Fang, who was doing things silently in front of him, and couldn't help but guess in his heart, these researchers working in the laboratory, I don't know if they have ever seen "Mr. Liang"?

But he would definitely not ask at this time, because now he was wearing a communication device, and Mr. Liang could hear every word he said. Inquiring about the unknown creature can also be said to be for its own safety. But when you inquire about Mr. Liang, it is very likely that you will have to cross the line, which belongs to "information outside the scope of listening authority".

Before the sun went down, they found a very special "trace".

It was half a footprint, and it was clearly a human footprint.

However, the only obvious marks are the edge of the thumb, and the rest of the parts have been blurred.

This is also because the footprints were obscured by the protruding rocks and surrounding weeds, and were not completely washed away by the previous heavy rains.

"Keep your people out of the way, there may be footprints elsewhere. Dr. Fang immediately explained to Team Leader Li.

Team Leader Li responded and radioed the surrounding team members to stand by and be on alert, paying attention to the surrounding situation.

"Look at these footprints, it must have been a while. Team Leader Li observed and said from the side.

"Scan the footprints and look around to see if there are any other traces. Mr. Liang also commanded.

Although this seems to be just an ordinary human footprint, it is a big suspicion to appear in this Qinling Mountains no man's land.

What kind of person would walk barefoot in the deep mountains and old forests?

Even a well-equipped and experienced team like theirs would have to make it a lot of effort to get here, and I'm afraid no lone tourist would have the ability and courage to do so, let alone have no shoes on.

"Could it be a savage?" asked Team Leader Li tentatively, and by the size of his thumb on the footprint, he preliminarily judged that the owner of the footprint was a tall adult male.

Mr. Liang did not speak, and Dr. Fang scanned the footprints intently with an expression, and did not answer.

In the past, if this kind of footprint was to be collected in the field, liquid paraffin wax would be used as an impression for preservation. But now it doesn't have to be so troublesome, the portable scanner scans it, records the details of the footprints, and then restores it with a 3D printer.

After a few researchers carefully and carefully took pictures of the surroundings, they began to scoop up the dirt from the footprints and collect it back.

Walking barefoot in such a place can easily leave body tissue residues.

Watching Dr. Fang and several research institutes slowly search around, trying to find more footprints and other traces, Team Leader Li was also inexplicably a little excited in his heart.

If it weren't for some unlucky tourist who came here and broke his shoes and could only walk barefoot, it is likely that the owner of this footprint was already living in the depths of this Qinling Mountains.

Could it be that the unknown creature they're tracking down is human?

But in the video taken by the anchor, how was the wound on the dead boar caused?

Is it a bow and arrow?

So this is a wild man who lives in seclusion in the deep mountains and old forests?

What is so special about this wild man?

Team Leader Li didn't believe that "Shenxing Technology" would spend so much money, just to find savages. And from the previous situation of leading the team on field missions, it must be that he is not simply looking for savages.

"Hope that guy is still around. ”

Team Leader Li checked the tranquilizer gun used to deal with the large beast, and tightened his tactical gloves.

It's a pity that they searched for a long time, and although they also found a few mud pits that were suspected of footprints, none of them had a relatively complete shape like the previous footprints.

However, this also proves from the side that the footprints are unlikely to be left by tourists who wore out their shoes and had to go barefoot.

"Continue to the east. Mr. Liang gave instructions again.

A day later, at the prompting of Mr. Liang, they discovered a cave in the cliff face.

They first used the drone to make sure it was safe, and then prepared for more than an hour, slowly entering the cave from above.

Team Leader Li was one of the three people who entered the cave, the space in the cave was not large, nor deep, and there was a very complex stench, after making sure that there were only some beast remains in the cave, and there was no danger, he asked Dr. Fang to take people down.

When Dr. Fang, who was coming down the rope at the entrance of the cave, unfastened the protective buckle, Team Leader Li frowned and looked around the cave entrance, and said suspiciously: "This is the nest of the 'wild man'?

Shortly after Dr. Fang and several researchers entered the cave, they came to the verdict:

No fatal wounds were found on the carcasses of several birds in the cave, as if they had run into the cave and waited for their death. Judging by the degree of decay, he was probably dead for about half a month.

Dr. Fang and the others did not do too much detailed examination here, and after simply filming and recording the situation at the scene, they loaded the remains and hoisted them up the cliff by ropes.

"It's a little weird......" Team Leader Li felt more and more strange after wandering around the cave for a while, because he didn't find any trace of human life - even "wild people".

Then he stopped in front of a corner of the cave and shone a tactical flashlight on the corner of the ...... Woodcarving?

"Dr. Fang, come and take a look at this. ”

Team Leader Li didn't dare to directly inspect it, but called out to Dr. Fang, who was instructing the other researchers to bag the bird carcasses.

Hearing this, Dr. Fang, who came over, also frowned after seeing the wood carving thrown in the corner, "What is this?"

She carefully examined her surroundings to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, and picked up the wooden carving with her plastic gloved hand.

It is said to be a wood carving, but it is actually very rough, obviously made of a piece of wood that is folded casually, only the size of a fist.

The bottom half is a broken surface of the wood, apparently broken by brute force rather than sawn with a tool, and the top half is carved in the shape of a grinning cartoon rabbit.

This can only be said to be a rough blank, without any polishing, and it does not look like it was carved with special carving tools, but it looks like it was "chiseled" with fangs, so this rabbit looks very weird.

"Is this the god it believes in?" Team Leader Li muttered, "Dr. Fang, have you seen this rabbit before?" I don't think you have heard of it, what civilization believes that the totem is a rabbit?"

Dr. Fang shook his head and displayed the wood carving in front of the camera, slowly rotating it so that Mr. Liang could see the whole picture.

"Bring it back. Mr. Liang did not judge the wood carving, but said simply.

After packing up all the objects in the cave and hoisting them, Team Leader Li and Dr. Fang also left the cave.

After returning to the top of the cliff, Team Leader Li used his tablet to call up the map, and while making a follow-up search plan centered on this cave, he calculated that the supplies they carried this time could last for a few days - there was no need to worry about eating and drinking, but the energy of many equipment, including small drones, was a problem. He was considering whether to apply to Mr. Liang to send someone in from outside to support, and bring in some necessary supplies by the way.

After all, this time, it seems that it is likely that they are getting closer and closer to the unknown creature they are tracking.

It was the first time he had felt this way since he had been in the field so many times.

But unexpectedly, Mr. Liang suddenly said loudly: "It's okay, withdraw it." ”

Not only Team Leader Li, but even Dr. Fang, who has always been relatively taciturn, subconsciously replied: "But we have already found a clue......

Mr. Liang also explained in a rare way: "It's dangerous, you can't deal with it." ”

Dangerous?

Team Leader Li glanced at the equipment on his body and the equipment on his subordinates, that is, when encountering wolves, even if they encounter fierce beasts such as bears, lions, and tigers, they can easily deal with it. Even if they encounter a team of heavily armed bandits, with their current equipment, they will definitely be able to detect the other party in advance, and they may not be able to fight.

Why does Mr. Liang feel dangerous?

Then why did he spend so much money to invite them to investigate?

Or are they just in charge of the investigation, and there are other teams that they don't know about that are actually responsible for catching unknown creatures?

Although there were many doubts in his heart, he didn't ask any more questions, because he knew that Mr. Liang would definitely not answer.

So after Team Leader Li and Dr. Fang assigned the task of how to carry the "samples" packed out of the cave, the team began to move in the direction they had recalculated and left the fastest.

At night, Team Leader Li still skillfully arranged the guard and camping, and after telling his deputy that he was on duty in the second half of the night, he got into the sleeping bag early to rest.