Chapter 226 Lost Contact
Gregorio received an urgent report the moment his army retreated.
"Sir, we can't contact the cleanup team!"
Gregorio frowned upon hearing this. The cleanup team was responsible for collecting valuable samples so they had to head deeper into the province. "When did we lose contact with them?" He asked in a low voice.
The messenger handed an iPad which showed the information about their last communication with the cleanup team.
Seeing this, Gregorio's face turned even more serious. According to the data, they lost contact with the cleanup team yesterday at around 6:48 p.m. The last information they got from them was that they found a cave filled with undiscovered minerals. "Call Wolf and tell him to see me."
"Yes, sir!"
Not long later, a bald soldier with ferocious facial features arrived and greeted Gregorio with a salute. "Sir!"
Gregorio didn't beat around the bush and said. "I believe you already knew about the matter with the cleanup team."
Hearing this, Wolf nodded his head solemnly. "Yes, sir!"
Gregorio pondered deeply and said. "We need to search for them, but we can't endanger the army." He couldn't leave their comrades behind, but he also didn't want to risk the safety of his soldiers. The number of evolved creatures in the province has increased dramatically along with the sudden growth of the forest.
"Sir, I'm willing to lead a team to search for them!" Wolf said without hesitation.
Gregorio nodded his head. He was confident in Wolf's skills. Among his subordinates, this guy has the highest success rate in his missions. "Good! This task will be dangerous so you have to select the most capable men under you. Remember that your mission is only to search for the cleanup team. Avoid conflict with the evolved creatures as much as you can. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Wolf answered.
"You may go." Gregorio waved his hand. After Wolf left, he contacted the headquarters and informed them about the news.
Meanwhile, Wolf summoned his most skilled subordinates. There were fifty of them standing in front of him. They were injected with the Body Enhancing Serum and they also possessed the best equipment.
"We have lost contact with the cleanup team. The last time we…" Wolf informed the group about the mission.
When the soldiers heard about the mission details, they all revealed solemn expressions. They knew that the forested area of the province was now a dangerous place. However, despite the risk, none of them showed any intentions of leaving. All of them were iron-blooded men who had gone through numerous life-and-death situations even before the apocalypse.
Wolf was satisfied by their reactions. "We are leaving now so you guys should write your will in case something happens!" Death was a common occurrence in the army. It was especially true for elite soldiers like them who were sent to the most brutal and deadly missions. Before they leave for a mission, they would always write their last message for their families in case something unexpected happens.
After everyone had written their final message, Wolf collected them in person. He then handed the letters to a messenger and told him to send them to Commander Gregorio.
When the letters reached Gregorio's hands, he sighed and stared at the gloomy sky. He prayed that his soldiers would be safe and that they would come back unharmed.
***
Arlan also received the news. He immediately headed to the headquarters to inquire about the situation.
"Mr. Roa, you are finally here. You have to see this." Lieutenant General Rivera showed Arlan the discovery of the cleanup team. It was a raw ore that emitted a dull blue light. Arlan didn't know anything about ores so he stared at the commanding general in confusion.
"Mr. Roa, there is no information about this ore. It's a newly discovered mineral. The cleanup team discovered this inside a cave in Palawan. This is also the last information they sent before we lost contact with them." The commanding general said.
Arlan frowned upon hearing this. "Have you guys sent a search and rescue team?" He asked.
The commanding general nodded his head. "Commander Gregorio sent a team of elite soldiers injected with the Body Enhancing Serum to search for the cleanup team. However, the chances of them finding the cleanup team were slim." The situation in Palawan was becoming increasingly dire. It was the only province In Maharlika that experienced this problem.
Arlan leaned on his chair and rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger. "Where is Sigurd?" He asked. He could only send more people to search for the cleanup team and Sigurd was the first person that came to his mind.
Lieutenant General Rivera replied. "Commander Sigurd is still away for a mission. The only commander that we can send is Khalon, but he is responsible for keeping Last City safe."
"It looks like I have to go there in person…" Arlan suddenly said.
"Absolutely not!" Lieutenant General Rivera immediately rejected this idea. Arlan was the leader of the base. If he was gone, the people under him would be uneasy. "Going there is dangerous. I won't agree to that, Mr. Roa."
"We have no choice. There is no one else in the base… Wait… Actually, there is still one person…" Arlan suddenly thought about someone.
The commanding general was stunned and he tried to guess which person he was talking about. "Wait. Don't tell me you're talking about that person…" His mouth twitched.
Arlan nodded his head helplessly. "She is the only one we can send right now, but I don't know if she would go." He scratched his head in embarrassment. In the base, the only person he couldn't control was Winter.
"Do you want me to persuade her?" The commanding general suggested in a hesitant voice. He was also uncertain if he could persuade Winter.
Arlan shook his head. "No. It has to be me. At least, she will consider it if it comes from me."
The commanding general didn't say anything. He just gave Arlan a look of encouragement.
Seeing this, Arlan stiffly stood up and headed towards Winter's office.
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