King of the Wilderness

Chapter 694: Chapter 330: Calling the Forest Police

The massive roar echoed through the entire valley. Birds and beasts scattered, and everything fell silent.

The helicopter circled nearby and finally hovered over a relatively flat, sparsely wooded hillside not far away.

The cabin door opened, and several thick ropes were thrown down.

Soon after, six armed soldiers in special combat camouflage and tactical helmets descended.

Like agile leopards, they executed highly professional tactical movements, descending from the sky and quickly forming a circular perimeter on the ground.

Lin Yu’an’s heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of security and excitement; it was the power of civilization, it was the iron fist of the nation.

He waited until the helicopter ascended and left, and when the surroundings returned to silence, he emerged from his hiding place, raising his hands, and walked toward the squad.

The squad quickly spotted him, and two soldiers immediately raised their guns, maintaining a high level of vigilance, their actions textbook-perfect.

”Don’t move! Who are you!”

”Don’t shoot! I’m Lin Yu’an! I reported this!” Lin Yu’an shouted loudly, simultaneously slowly lowering his hands to show his harmlessness to them.

A tall, dark-skinned, middle-aged officer with eyes sharp as a hawk’s made a tactical gesture, signaling the team to lower their guns.

He swiftly approached, maintaining a safe distance from Lin Yu’an, scrutinizing the man before him who appeared like a wildman, his gaze like a knife.

”Are you the person who reported this, Lin Yu’an?” His voice was powerful and commanding, filled with undeniable authority.

”Yes, comrade. The site is over there.” Lin Yu’an pointed in the direction of the bear corpse.

The captain nodded and immediately dispatched two team members to scout, while the others remained on guard.

As they waited for confirmation, the captain’s gaze never left Lin Yu’an.

He assessed Lin Yu’an’s peculiar handmade gear—willow basket, beast hide water flask, bamboo tube, and that bold deer antler spear gleaming in the sunlight—an increasing look of astonishment in his eyes.

”What... do you do? Are you a forest ranger?” The captain asked with a frown, his tone tinged with suspicion.

Lin Yu’an shook his head. ”No, I’m a wilderness survival expert and an outdoor adventure blogger. I’m here for a personal extreme survival challenge.”

”Survival challenge?” The captain was clearly unsatisfied with this answer, viewing it as nothing short of a dangerous game.

Just then, the youngest-looking soldier widened his eyes in disbelief.

He hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help quietly reporting to the captain, ”Captain... he seems to be Lin Yu’an... the guy who won the international ’Alone in the Wilderness’ challenge, the very Chinese champion a lot of our brigade has watched his videos!”

The word ”champion” seemed to carry a special magic. Anyone standing at the pinnacle in any domain is worthy of respect.

The captain’s expression instantly changed, and the scrutiny and vigilance were quickly replaced by a solemn reevaluation mixed with surprise.

He looked at Lin Yu’an again from head to toe; this time, he no longer saw a reckless wildman, but a battle-tested hero in an equally extreme field.

The captain’s tone softened considerably though it remained serious, ”It seems you are very professional, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re in a dangerous situation now. This should not be your challenge venue.”

Just then, the reconnaissance team confirmed through their tactical earpieces everything that Lin Yu’an had reported.

The captain’s expression became more solemn, and he saluted as he formally introduced himself, ”Comrade, hello. We are the Yunnan Corps of the Armed Police Force Mobile Brigade.”

”My name is Yang Zhen. After receiving the report, we departed from the nearest station and arrived in fifty-eight minutes.”

His tone was authoritative, ”Now, we have taken over here, your task is complete. We will take full responsibility for the subsequent pursuit and investigation.”

”For your safety, please return to the drop-off point immediately, and wait patiently for the forest public security colleagues with police dogs and professional forensic equipment.”

”It will take them at least two more hours to arrive; the helicopter will soon make a second landing to evacuate you safely.”

These words were both gratitude and a clear order.

”Captain, I can’t leave!” Lin Yu’an blurted out.

Yang Zhen’s brows immediately furrowed, his eyes sharp, ”Comrade, I’ll say it again, this is not a negotiation, it’s an order!”

”Ahead are armed desperados, and fire exchanges could occur at any time. This is not a joke; people will truly die! We cannot allow a civilian to take risks along with us!”

”I understand this is not a joke!” Lin Yu’an stepped forward, fearlessly meeting the captain’s gaze, ”Precisely because it’s not a joke, you need me even more!”

”Oh?” Yang Zhen’s lips curled into a cold arc, curious to hear what this champion had to back himself up, ”Give us a reason.”

”There are three reasons.” Lin Yu’an extended his fingers, his voice steady and powerful.

”First, I have professionally extensive tracking knowledge; this two-hour wait for police dogs is a golden opportunity for those people to escape.”

”And look at the sky, it’s about to rain. By the time the forest public security’s dogs arrive, the scent may be washed away by the rain.”

”But I can read the language of this forest, the trampled grass, the scratches on branches... these are tracks they cannot erase.”

”I can lead you to catch up with the poaching group immediately, maximizing the chance of capturing them!”

Yang Zhen did not speak, but a trace of disdain in his gaze diminished.

Lin Yu’an continued, ”Second, I am a wilderness survival expert. Captain, with all due respect, you are the sword on the battlefield.”

”But in this primitive jungle, your advantages would be significantly weakened. Here, this is my home ground.”

”A high-intensity pursuit will inevitably lead into the night. How to orient oneself in the forest, how to quickly set up a safe camp, how to conserve strength, how to handle poisonous snakes and miasma...”

”I’m more professional than anyone in these areas. I can ensure I won’t be a burden to the team but instead can enhance the combat sustainability of the squad.”

”Third, and most importantly,” his voice filled with undeniable firmness.

”I am a Chinese citizen, and in my territory, where such crimes occur, every citizen of the People’s Republic of China is obliged to help bring the criminals to justice!”

”I cannot in good conscience sit in a helicopter and leave. With great power comes great responsibility, and I have the ability to contribute to catching them!”

These words were solid, filled with professional confidence and patriotic feeling. The young soldiers present now looked at Lin Yu’an with eyes full of admiration.

Yang Zhen was silent, looking deeply at Lin Yu’an. He saw in this man something akin to the responsibility and duty inherent in their uniforms.

He admitted to being convinced, but the discipline of a soldier and the responsibility for life would not allow him to easily relent.

”I recognize your determination and professionalism. However, the risk of having you with the team is too great. I wouldn’t...”

Just as Yang Zhen was about to continue his refusal, a sudden urgent call came through his tactical earpiece. It was those two who went scouting the scene!

”Captain! The scene... there are new developments! You better... come take a look personally!”

————

(I’ve dreamed of catching poachers, and it was quite satisfying to read about it in the book.)