Upon hearing that his parents were missing, Yang Lin initially suspected a scam call. After all, his parents had rarely contacted him since they went abroad, not even calling during the Lunar New Year. This was practically the same as being out of touch.
"Da Linzi, I'm really not a scammer. I'm your maternal uncle, your mother's older cousin," the voice on the other end said. "Remember when you burned down my house when you were five? Have you forgotten? And when you were seven, you used a red spider to blow up my toilet, splashing yourself with excrement. When you were nine, you buried your dead turtle and then dug it up..."
Before the man could finish, Yang Lin quickly interrupted him. "Stop, stop, I believe you are my maternal uncle."
Though he was reluctant to admit it, the things the person on the phone mentioned were indeed things he had done as a child. No ordinary person would know these details; only his maternal uncle, whom he had apparently inconvenienced so much that he only got married at forty, would know them so clearly.
However, in his memory, his uncle had lived abroad since becoming successful and didn't interact much with his parents. With this thought, he quickly asked, "Uncle, you said my parents are missing. How long have they been missing? Can you tell me the specifics?"
As soon as Yang Lin finished asking, his uncle on the other end recounted the entire situation. "It's like this, your parents went abroad last year, and they stayed with me for a while. Then, about two months ago, they traveled from my place to Iceland, and after that, they told me they were going to Greenland. And then, there was no more news."
Listening to his uncle's account, Yang Lin felt a headache coming on. "They really know how to travel. It's as if my existence has been a burden to them for the past few decades. They must be trying to make up for lost time. But speaking of which, Uncle, they've been missing for over a month. Why are you calling me only now?"
When Yang Lin asked this, his uncle sounded a bit embarrassed. "I didn't expect it either. Your parents often go out of touch, and you know they aren't very interested in the popular electronic devices these days, so I didn't think much of it at first. Now, I roughly know they should still be on Greenland, perhaps they've entered the tundra region, with the ultimate goal being the North Pole. But don't worry too much. One of them was a soldier, and the other is a professor in zoology. They've even climbed Mount Everest, so the Arctic shouldn't be a problem."
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he had let something slip. "Mount Everest? What Mount Everest? When did my parents go to Mount Everest?" Yang Lin asked suspiciously. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something. "I remember, the year I burned down your house, they disappeared for a few months. Could they have been climbing Mount Everest back then?"
Upon guessing the truth, Yang Lin was momentarily speechless. Most parents worried about their children getting into trouble, but in his case, his parents were far more adventurous than he was. If something had happened to them back then, he would have been an orphan.
"Alright, Da Linzi, that's all the information I have about your parents. You're in China, so see if you can find a way to look for them. I've heard you're doing well in China, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'm hanging up now."
After his uncle hung up, Yang Lin immediately looked at the world map on the wall, focusing on Greenland in the northernmost corner. As the largest island in the world and one of the closest places to the North Pole, reaching it through conventional means was almost impossible. Even by plane, there were only one or two flights annually during the summer, and the same applied to ships. If he waited until then, he might truly become an orphan.
"Oh, right, Teacher Xiao Liang mentioned before the Lunar New Year that there was an Arctic expedition planned," a sudden flash of inspiration struck Yang Lin, and he quickly rummaged through a drawer, pulling out an invitation letter from the World Wildlife Protection Organization. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the date was fast approaching. Realizing this, he immediately called Teacher Xiao Liang.
When the call connected, Teacher Xiao Liang's familiar voice came through. "What is it, Director Yang? Do you have any new outdoor arrangements?"
"No, I just wanted to ask when the Arctic expedition is scheduled to start and if we could depart earlier."
Hearing Yang Lin's request, Teacher Xiao Liang was taken aback. "What, has your park run out of polar bears recently?"
"You mention it, we don't have polar bears. But this time, it's really not about polar bears. I mainly need to go to the Arctic to find my parents; they've gone missing in the Arctic." While on the phone, Yang Lin detailed the entire situation.
Upon learning the details, Teacher Xiao Liang immediately took it seriously. "Director Yang, don't worry. I'll report this immediately. Also, there have been some changes to this expedition. It was originally initiated by the World Wildlife Protection Organization, but now it's being conducted independently by our country, in collaboration with multiple departments. After I explain your situation, we should be able to depart earlier." With that, Teacher Xiao Liang promptly hung up.
After waiting for about half an hour, Yang Lin received a call back. "Director Yang, I have good news for you. After I explained your situation, the Joint Operations Command Center has explicitly stated that they will make every effort to contact the staff at the Yellow River Station and conduct a search in the surrounding area. They have also moved up the departure date to tomorrow. Please be ready to depart at any time and prepare whatever you need to bring."
Receiving this response, Yang Lin felt a warmth spread through his heart. Such large-scale expeditions always consider all factors before departure. Departure dates, in particular, are meticulously calculated. The fact that they moved up the departure date to rescue his parents, and even contacted the Yellow River Research Station personnel in the Arctic to assist in the search, filled him with a sense of security that only citizens of Longguo could experience, stemming from their nation's strength.
After being moved, Yang Lin suddenly asked, "Uh, can I request permission to bring my dog on this mission? If not, that's fine."
Hearing Yang Lin's sudden request, Teacher Xiao Liang was first stunned, then pondered, "It should be fine. Are you sure you want to bring a dog to the Arctic? Ordinary dogs can't withstand the low temperatures there." As he said this, the images of the two canine brothers, Goudan and Gousheng, flashed through his mind.