Chen Liang asked, "How long has each of them been in there?"
Zhang Ming raised his wrist to check his watch. "We tracked them to this mining area with Regimental Commander Gu just after six yesterday morning, when dawn was barely breaking! It was almost eight when we lost contact with him. It was pitch-black inside, but fully light outside. Most of our men stayed inside to keep searching, while a smaller group secured the perimeter.
"Yang Qi returned to the base to request reinforcements-not just men, but specialized equipment too! He led another group into the mining area at eleven that morning."
Chen Liang said, "So Regimental Commander Gu has been inside for eighteen hours, and Yang Qi for thirteen!"
Zhang Ming replied, "Yes! Yang Qi took plenty of equipment when he led his men down!"
An uneasy worry weighed on everyone. They had been down there so long... Even with equipment, they might not come out unharmed. And when Gu Zheng had gone after them, he had no protective gear at all...
Chen Liang conferred quietly with Han Xiao, then selected two men with strong individual combat skills from the soldiers who had accompanied them. Together with Xiong Gang and Song Ning, they formed a six-person team.
They prepared to descend into the mine for a search and rescue.
The remaining men reinforced the perimeter detail under Zhang Ming, focusing on guarding the exits of several mine tunnels.
Why only six people?
There was no other reason! The equipment left aboveground was only enough for six.
Song Ning and the others put on safety helmets fitted with explosion-proof mining lamps, strapped on self-contained oxygen breathing apparatuses, and picked up explosion-proof flashlights. Then they followed Zhang Ming underground.
The mine had been out of operation for several years. As