Chapter 507 - 521: Saved

An Ning rested underground for several hours, drifting in and out of a dazed sleep.

The bone-deep exhaustion made it difficult for her to truly wake up.

"Ugh... in this frozen wasteland, where am I supposed to find land to farm?"

Lying on the floor, An Ning stared at the ceiling, its color indistinct. Her limbs were sprawled in the most relaxed position possible, but the throbbing pain in her head was a constant reminder of her injuries.

’It feels like these injuries won’t heal unless I farm a few hundred acres.’

"Help me up."

The little robot that had been guarding her pushed against her back with its small arms, effortlessly helping her to her feet.

"Thanks. I’m lucky to have you."

After a brief rest, An Ning, with the robot’s help, slowly made her way out of the secret underground laboratory.

Her weight had plummeted from just over a hundred *jin* to a mere seventy-something, leaving her emaciated beyond recognition.

Before leaving the underground lab, An Ning summoned an interstellar weapon into her palm. She was afraid those white creatures might still be outside.

They seemed to be waiting for a resupply of the blood mist from within.

CLICK-CLACK—

The heavy door opened again, and the blinding white light forced An Ning to shut her eyes.

The little robot stood by her feet, ever vigilant.

To some extent, the cold air eased her pain and fatigue, making her feel much more alert.

After she got out, An Ning recorded the coordinates. A place like this had to be reported to the higher-ups.

’Good, they’re not here.’

"Let’s get out of here."

An Ning left quickly, not wanting to get into a conflict with the creatures in a place like this.

In the snowy fields, the north wind howled. A tiny object was moving at an unscientific speed.

It was dragging a rope, which was tied to a sled carrying An Ning.

After an unknown amount of time, the little robot in front stopped. Someone was approaching.

An Ning immediately sat up, put away the robot, and took out the electric stone she had prepared in her space, placing it on the sled. She then took the robot’s place.

"Giddy-up— HOHOHO—"

"Whoa—"

A man dressed in a fur-lined coat halted his team of sled dogs a short distance from An Ning.

"Ma’am, are you out here by yourself?"

"..."

"Yes."

The young voice startled the man. ’Did I get it wrong? She’s not an old lady?’

’But that white hair...’

An Ning pulled down her scarf, revealing a harmless smile. "I went gray prematurely."

"Ah... my apologies."

The man gave an awkward laugh and looked around. He never expected to run into anyone out here, let alone a young, prematurely gray girl traveling alone.

’A bit suspicious.’

"Um... where are you headed? I can give you a ride."

As he spoke, the man tugged the reins, turning his dogs around.

An Ning was about to refuse, but the man’s next sentence made her change her mind.

"I’m from the nearby military corps. Here’s my ID."

"Thank you."

An Ning looked at his ID and asked for the nearest place she could go. All she needed was a telephone.

Hearing this, he told her the closest place was the corps’ station.

In the end, after finishing his patrol of the border, the man took An Ning to the station.

"Giddy-up— Comrade, Comrade, we’re here!"

Riding behind the dogsled, An Ning groggily opened her eyes. She saw low-rise buildings, soldiers on guard, green fences, and a red flag. It was the aura of An Xin.

"Thank you. I just need to borrow a phone."

"You’ll have to wait a moment for that. We need to verify your identity."

An Ning nodded, understanding it was standard procedure.

An Ning dragged over her tattered sack and handed over her ID, student card, and other documents. The person who took them was a bit silent.

The soldier holding the documents looked from the ID to An Ning, then asked doubtfully, "This is you?"

"It is. You just need to look closely."

The soldier looked at the photo of a girl with black hair and full cheeks, then back at the current An Ning, and uttered a rather fantastical question.

"Did you run into an old demon or something?"

"Heh, you could say that."

An Ning was telling the truth, but the soldier didn’t believe her.

"If I look really close, I guess I can see a bit of a resemblance, but I’ll need to report this up the chain."

"Fine. When you report it, please call this number. Someone should recognize the name. If there are no issues, please call and tell him that An Ning has been found."

The man across from her took the slip of paper from her hand and glanced down at it.

’This name... looks familiar.’

"Alright, please wait a moment."

The man took An Ning’s documents and the note, went into the barracks, and began the verification process.

The first place he checked was Shili Gou. But when he asked about An Ning’s hair color, the person on the other end insisted it was black. When he mentioned white hair, they chewed him out.

For a moment, the verification hit a snag.

The second call was to Beijing University, where he ran into the same problem regarding her appearance.

The man held the slip of paper, staring at the name Zhao Chunlai again and again. ’Why is it so familiar?’

"Aiguo, what are you doing here?"

"Comman—"

"Skip it. What are you up to?"

Comrade Aiguo explained An Ning’s situation, holding up the note. "This name is really familiar, but I’m afraid she might be an enemy agent trying to expose our position."

"Hey— Comman—"

"Comman-my-ass! Just make the call! Did you sleep through your news and culture classes?"

"You think it looks familiar? Here, take a look and see how familiar it is!"

The man tossed Aiguo a newspaper, grabbed the phone number himself, and ran out.

’This is a big deal, bigger than I can handle. I need to call for backup!’

Inside, Aiguo stared at the newspaper, saw the name on the front page of the central news, and was instantly dumbfounded.

’It can’t be someone with the same name, can it?’

’I mean, who would believe it? He just went out on patrol and managed to pick up a VIP?’

"Wait for me!"

Regardless, Comrade Aiguo chased after him.

In an office, a group of people finally confirmed that the number really belonged to *that* person—and it was for his innermost office line, at that.

In other words, an ordinary person would never have this number.

So the question was, who exactly was the An Ning waiting outside?

Inside the office, several people stared blankly at the small slip of paper.

"What are you all spacing out for? Call!"

With one word, the call was made.

After they relayed An Ning’s message, the person on the other end repeatedly instructed them to take good care of Comrade An Ning, guarantee her safety, and satisfy her every need.

After the call ended, the people in the office sprang into action. The first order of business was to invite An Ning inside.

Before anyone could go out, the phone rang again.

"Hello? Yes— yes, we will definitely complete the mission."

’Complete the mission?’

Several people stared at the man who had answered the phone. They watched him hang up and grab his hat from the coat rack.

"Let’s go. I’ll go myself."

The group went downstairs and ran all the way to the gatehouse at the speed of a five-kilometer sprint.