As she spoke, Ding Ling took out a color photograph from the inside pocket of her black uniform.
The main subject of the photo was a man in his twenties, on the thin side, slightly dark-skinned, wearing black-rimmed glasses, with his hair clearly combed and neatly slicked back.
"This is a photo from almost ten years ago. He'd be more, more mature now, and his hair wouldn't be so neat," Ding Ling added earnestly.
She handed the photo to Shang Jianyao, who had proactively extended his hands, pausing for a moment before saying:
"If you happen to meet him somewhere in the icy plains, remember to tell him, tell him that someone is still waiting for him to return."
As she finished speaking, Ding Ling's tone unconsciously became quite gentle.
"No problem!" Shang Jianyao answered decisively.
He carefully examined the photo, as if trying to imprint the person on it in his mind.
"Okay," Jiang Baimian agreed.
At the same time, she sighed inwardly.
Based on similar things she had heard and experienced, she knew very well that someone who hadn't returned for two years and had no news was likely never coming back.
However, Jiang Baimian didn't shatter Ding Ling's expectations or force her to accept reality, because living on the graylands, having a little hope and a little fantasy wasn't a bad thing.
Jiang Baimian could also understand why Shang Jianyao was so excited.
She was sure he was thinking of his father, who had disappeared many years ago.
Shang Jianyao's father had also vanished without a trace while on a mission to investigate the cause of the Old World's destruction, never to be heard from again.
Since joining the Old Task Force, Shang Jianyao had been searching for his father's whereabouts, and now he had a slight clue, knowing that a city destroyed by "Heartless Disease" after the New Calendar held some leads.
Therefore, Shang Jianyao most likely empathized with Ding Ling's request to find her husband and deliver a message to him.
He must be valuing emotions right now… Jiang Baimian took the photo of Ji Qiang from Shang Jianyao and took a serious look:
"We'll keep an eye out."
Ding Ling didn't leave the photo with the Old Task Force, but took it back, carefully placing it back in the inside pocket of her black uniform.
Bai Chen thought she might only have this one photo left for various reasons.
"What about your wedding photo?" The honest Shang Jianyao obviously thought of a similar question.
Jiang Baimian didn't even have time to stop him.
Ding Ling, who had been maintaining a polite smile when talking about Ji Qiang, faltered for a moment before saying:
"Last year, when we retreated into the mountains, we were pursued by people from First City, and it fell into, fell into the ravine during a fierce battle."
At this moment, her sadness seemed a little difficult to contain.
She had been carrying it with her all the time… Jiang Baimian deliberately changed the subject:
"Does your settlement have a photocopier?"
"Not this year," Ding Ling shook her head. "It was taken away by the people from First City when we abandoned the settlement last year. I've been applying for one all year, but it hasn't been approved. It seems like supplies are a little tight, otherwise I would have just made a copy of the photo for you."
"It's okay, she has a good brain and a strong memory," Shang Jianyao didn't help Jiang Baimian be modest at all.
After exchanging a few more words, Ding Ling led Zeng Pingan towards the settlement gate.
On the way, Zeng Pingan glanced back at the Old Task Force with a slightly complicated expression.
After they passed through the gate and entered the settlement, Bai Chen withdrew her gaze and said in a low voice:
"That Zeng guy likes Captain Ding."
"No way?" Long Yuehong blurted out.
The age difference is a bit big, feeling even bigger than Yang Zhenyuan and Zhou Qi, at least ten years apart!
Moreover, Yang Zhenyuan and Zhou Qi were married through the company's unified allocation; under normal circumstances, it's unlikely they would have become a couple.
Jiang Baimian smiled upon hearing this:
"Isn't it normal for a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth to like an older sister?
"Besides, this border settlement is isolated. Zeng Pingan has very little contact with people every day. The male-to-female ratio here isn't very balanced, and he often has to worry, with the secretion of danger-catalyzed hormones. He unconsciously falls for a mature and reliable woman nearby. What's so surprising about that? Ding Ling is also quite good-looking, right?"
"You know so much!" Shang Jianyao was almost applauding.
"Expanding on that would make for a professional psychology paper," Genaeva echoed Shang Jianyao's words.
Yes, yes... Long Yuehong expressed his agreement in his heart.
Jiang Baimian smiled modestly:
"Actually, I realized it belatedly. If Little Bai hadn't said it, I wouldn't have thought there was a big problem. I thought it was just camaraderie from fighting together."
Do you think we'll believe that statement? Long Yuehong muttered silently.
Bai Chen nodded:
"I'm quite sensitive to things like this."
Uh... Long Yuehong became nervous and uncomfortable.
The honest Genaeva followed up by saying:
"I didn't notice this, but I analyzed another problem."
"What is it?" Long Yuehong asked proactively.
Genaeva moved his metal neck:
"Ding Ling and her husband have been married for almost ten years, and she didn't mention children at all.
"In most of the larger factions in the graylands, encouraging childbirth has always been a top basic policy, and the Savior Army is no exception."
Jiang Baimian looked around and sighed:
"It's possible they had children but didn't raise them, or maybe she didn't realize she was pregnant right away, and when someone broke through or First City launched an attack, she accidentally miscarried.
"There are many reasons. The outside isn't as good as inside the company. The birthing environment isn't that good."
"Alright," Jiang Baimian clapped her hands. "Let's prepare dinner."
Just as the Old Task Force was cooking the newly traded canned sauerkraut pork, a bumpy, dilapidated green jeep drove from east of the creek and stopped at the settlement gate.
"Captain Ding, we're here to update the data!" A head popped out from the passenger seat of the jeep.
He had shifty eyes, wore a thin felt hat, and was covered in dust.
Ding Ling knew him, but still followed the usual practice of having her subordinates search the two people and inspect the vehicle before letting them in.
"Why are you so late? Didn't you say you'd be here in the morning?" Ding Ling came down the wooden stairs of the wall and asked the shifty-eyed man head-on.
Unlike the gentle restraint she had shown when talking to the Old Task Force, she was now shrewish and assertive.
"Oh, it's a misunderstanding! Captain Ding, our car broke down on the way, and it took a lot of time to repair it," the shifty-eyed man quickly explained.
His name was Zhang Chenguang, a staff member of the Ubei Hunters Guild, and he and his partner were responsible for regularly updating the hunter information in a large area around the settlements and border outposts to ensure the data was unified.
Ding Ling didn't say much, and led Zhang Chenguang and his partner into the two-story building with fire damage in the depths of the settlement, pointing to a portable computer and saying:
"Also, take a look at why it's so laggy. I tried to check the information of a few hunters before, and it took a long time to display, and even then it wasn't complete."
"Okay!" Zhang Chenguang was a professionally trained technician.
Of course, he also worked part-time as a relic hunter, because by running around like this, some tasks would naturally be completed, such as delivering letters home for soldiers in certain outposts.
After some cleaning, Ding Ling's computer returned to normal, and then Zhang Chenguang plugged in a USB drive and imported the latest hunter information from all over the graylands, overwriting the original.
Ding Ling nodded slightly as she watched:
"Help me check Xue Shiyue, Zhang Qubing, Qian Bai, and Gu Zhiyong these four hunters again. I haven't seen why they were wanted by First City before.
"Their hunter numbers are..."
Ding Ling picked up a piece of paper next to her and read out the numbers on it.
"Okay," Zhang Chenguang typed on the keyboard quite vigorously.
Soon, he pulled up the information of Jiang Baimian and the others.
"A bounty of 20,000 ore?" Zhang Chenguang stood up abruptly as if there were nails under his butt.
How many pounds, no, how many tons of pork could that buy!
How dangerous would a hunter team be to have such a large sum of money on their heads!
"I know that," Ding Ling said with a look of disdain. "Help me see why they're wanted."
If the Old Task Force didn't have such a high bounty and weren't going to the icy plains anyway, she wouldn't have asked them for help.
Zhang Chenguang sat down tremblingly, as if there were several monsters lurking outside the room.
"Planning, uh..." Zhang Chenguang was stunned. "Planning a grand conspiracy against First City."
Ding Ling doubted her ears:
"A grand conspiracy? Against First City?"
Just the four people and a robot outside?
Zhang Chenguang nodded mechanically:
"That's what the information says."
"Well, the reasons for First City's wanted lists aren't necessarily true. Sometimes, they'll just find an excuse to cover up the real reason," Ding Ling quickly regained her composure. "However, to be valued so much by them, those people outside must have done something incredible. I need to report this and see if we should make further contact."
Her gaze turned to the radio transceiver in the corner of the room.