No one blamed the crowd for being astonished; the idea Yang Lin proposed was simply too outlandish.
The Yellow River Station was more than 1,200 kilometers from the North Pole.
This distance might be insignificant on land, reachable in less than a day.
But in the Arctic, this distance increased the difficulty tenfold, a hundredfold.
Furthermore, the North Pole wasn't a fixed point. To this day, fewer than ten people from Longguo had successfully trekked to the North Pole.
Of course, after Yang Lin's parents made the journey, that number would increase by two.
"Director Yang, you must reconsider. This isn't a laughing matter. While the polar night has passed, the dangers of trekking to the North Pole are still immense."
"Indeed. Not to mention, in this vicinity alone, there are at least 5,000 polar bears, more than the human population here."
"The temperature is rising now, and the ice floes are becoming increasingly unstable. If you fall into the sea, it'll be trouble."
"I think you should first accompany the Xue Long. We'll reach Greenland in about a week at most. Once we're there, we can look for clues."
...
Almost everyone was trying to persuade Yang Lin not to act impulsively.
However, faced with their pleas, Yang Lin simply shook his head.
"There's no time. My parents left the North Pole over half a month ago."
"I need to get there as quickly as possible to find the clues they left behind."
"If we go to Greenland first and then set out from there, it will delay things by at least another half a month."
"Besides, you all have your own research tasks; I can't interfere with them."
"Moreover, I didn't say I was going alone. Don't I have these two?"
As soon as Yang Lin finished speaking, the two brothers, Goudan and Gousheng, who had been freeloading at the station, emerged excitedly from the research base.
Since arriving on land, they had been like fish in water, unable to stay still for a moment.
"Director, Elder Brother, when do we leave!"
"Yeah, I'm already brimming with excitement!"
Seeing the two brothers wagging their tails so enthusiastically, Teacher Xiao Liang immediately looked enlightened.
"So Director Yang, you had this planned all along. That explains why you brought them."
"But can these two really do it?"
"Whether they can or not, we'll only know by trying." With that, Yang Lin looked at Li Qing beside him.
"Station Chief Li, do you have any sleds here?"
"Sleds? I think so. Wait for me to look."
After some thought, Li Qing returned to the research station.
When he came out again, he was dragging a sled left behind from some unknown period.
"This is all I could find. Try it and see if it works."
Taking the sled from Li Qing, Yang Lin immediately fastened the harness to Goudan and Gousheng.
"Go! Give them a demonstration run."
With a gentle tug on the reins, the two brothers shot off like wild horses, pulling the sled at top speed.
Yang Lin, weighing over a hundred kilograms, plus the sled of another hundred kilograms, seemed to weigh nothing as they were dragged along. Their speed even surpassed that of snowmobiles.
Witnessing this, those who were not well-acquainted with Goudan and Gousheng's capabilities showed astonishment.
"My goodness, I thought these two dogs were just for show, but they're incredibly strong."
"Even the dog breeds specially developed by the Inuit aren't this spirited."
"With them accompanying him, Director Yang might actually be able to cross the ice floes to the North Pole."
"Crossing the ice floes requires more than just transportation; too many preparations are needed."
"Let's still hope Director Yang reconsiders."
...
Ten minutes later, Yang Lin, having circled the vicinity of the base several times, finally had Goudan and Gousheng stop.
What surprised everyone even more was that after a full ten minutes of furious running, the two brothers seemed as if they had only just begun warming up.
"Director Yang..."
Just as everyone was about to try persuading him again, Yang Lin interrupted.
"I understand what you mean, but I'm truly worried about my parents. They might be waiting for me to rescue them."
"I believe you can all understand this feeling of filial obligation."
The words that were about to be spoken by the crowd were swallowed back after Yang Lin's statement.
Li Qing, the deputy station chief of the Yellow River Station, patted Yang Lin's shoulder with a look of firm support.
"Director Yang, I support you. But please wait a moment. I'll go prepare some things you might need."
"I have some things here that might be useful for you too."
"And me..."
Knowing that they couldn't change Yang Lin's resolve, everyone sprang into action.
Before long, they had brought him a pile of various emergency supplies.
These included food, thermal blankets, first-aid medicine, a satellite phone, a GPS tracker, emergency power sources, and everything else Yang Lin might possibly need.
When it was Teacher Xiao Liang's turn, he took out a set of sea fishing gear, a bottle of vodka, and a sports camera from his backpack.
"Director Yang, when you reach the North Pole, remember to take some footage for me. Of course, if you have time along the way, record it too."
"When we return to China, I'll produce a special documentary for you."
"As for this bottle of vodka, you can have a couple of sips if you feel scared. Just don't go punching polar bears if you get drunk."
As soon as he finished speaking, laughter erupted from the entire crowd, and the farewell atmosphere became slightly less somber.
After Yang Lin checked that he had all the necessary items and bid everyone farewell, he boarded the sled once more.
"Arctic, here I come!"
"Yeehaw!"
With Yang Lin's long shout, the two brothers, Goudan and Gousheng, took off running towards the distance.
At that very moment, Teacher Xiao Liang took out his phone and recorded this scene. Using the research station's wireless network, he posted some photos from the journey and the video he had just taken on his social media account.
He also added the caption: "Wishing Director Yang a safe journey, may he reach the North Pole soon and find his parents. See you in Greenland!"
As soon as this post went live, it immediately attracted a large number of followers.
Most netizens didn't quite understand the caption, but Teacher Xiao Liang soon provided an explanation.
When netizens learned the real reason why Yang Lin was heading to the Arctic, the entire internet was in an uproar.
"What the heck, why is it that everyone else goes to the Arctic for scientific research, but Director Yang is participating in 'Wilderness Survival' and 'Where Are My Parents'?"