Chapter 26: First Mission

Despite the worry in her heart, this comment nearly made her burst out laughing.

Only now did Old Master Bai notice his granddaughter had arrived. The young girl’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him without blinking. Feeling a little guilty, Old Master Bai gave a cough and muttered, “Uh… you’re here… Did you hear… everything just now?”

Bai Yalan didn’t respond directly. With a calm expression, she walked over and poured some of the fresh spiritual spring water she brought into his cup. “Grandpa, you must be thirsty. You’ve been talking for quite a while. Have a drink.”

“Oh.” The old man obediently took a sip.

After he finished, Bai Yalan took the cup and set it aside. Then, without saying a word, she quietly began tidying up the place. She didn’t ask a single question, which made Old Master Bai a bit uncomfortable.

“Xiao Lan, don’t you have anything to say to Grandpa?”

Seeing the usually resolute and decisive elder act sheepish like this, Bai Yalan found it both amusing and touching. But she only said one thing:

“You’ve already made your decision. What difference would it make if I said anything? In any case, I’ll go with you when the time comes. No matter what, I’ll be right by your side.”

Didn’t all those high-ranking officers just get scolded by him? She saw it all.

Her words made Old Master Bai feel both awkward and deeply comforted.

After all, she was his granddaughter—when it came to important matters, she still had a solid grasp of the bigger picture.

And so, he softened his tone, patiently explaining and advising:

“Xiao Lan, this time it’s an emergency military operation—an important mission. You’re a smart girl, and as you must’ve noticed, it’s not typical for someone of my rank to be sent out unless absolutely necessary. That means this mission is different. As military doctors and as soldiers, our duty always comes first. In the face of military needs, even our own lives are secondary. Everything else is even less important. Do you understand?”

Bai Yalan straightened up, her expression solemn, and nodded firmly. “I understand, Grandpa.”

Old Master Bai nodded. “I trust that from the moment you chose to follow me into the army and become a military doctor, you were prepared for this mindset. Bai Yalan, go back and get ready. We’re heading out on a mission tomorrow.”

“Yes, Sir!” Bai Yalan stood at attention and gave a crisp military salute.

After she left, the stern old man finally relaxed, coughing twice and muttering smugly, “Finally managed to fool that girl. Otherwise, I’d have gotten another earful from her.”

Imagine, someone of his age still being lectured by a junior. Where’s the justice in that?

The day of the mission happened to be a Thursday. Bai Yalan had originally been assigned to the medical department on duty and was not scheduled for field training.

But since her grandfather was now heading out with the troops on a mission, she, as an intern military doctor, was allowed to go along.

Naturally, preparations were essential. Although she had done some prep work in advance, under her grandfather’s meticulous guidance, she realized there were still many gaps.

For example: What medications should a military doctor carry for such a mission? Where was the best place on the uniform to carry them? The emergency medical kit had to be kept on her person, and just in case, they’d bring a larger medical box in the vehicle, fully stocked with medical tools and supplies—better to have extra than to be caught unprepared in a crisis like this.

Bai Yalan focused intensely, listening more attentively than usual and following her grandfather’s instructions to the letter.

After a flurry of activity, it was time to depart.

Bai Yalan carried her medical pack, and a few soldiers helped load the larger box and other supplies onto the vehicle.

She followed behind her grandfather and boarded a military pickup truck. The two of them found seats and sat down.

Not long after they were settled, the truck started moving.

The vehicle was already full of soldiers in camouflage uniforms. They all greeted Old Master Bai with deep respect.

When they saw Bai Yalan sitting next to him, they looked on with curiosity.

Old Master Bai straightforwardly introduced her, “Everyone, let me introduce you. This is my granddaughter, Bai Yalan. She’s an intern military doctor and will be joining us on this mission.”

Bai Yalan also greeted everyone confidently, without the slightest stage fright. “Hello, everyone. I’m intern military doctor Bai Yalan. It’s my first time out—please take care of me.”

The young girl was pretty and fresh-faced, with her black hair tied back. The uniform brought out her fair complexion and bright features, giving her a commanding presence despite her youth. The men quickly responded:

“Doctor Bai, you’re too polite! We all need to look out for each other when we’re out in the field.”

As they spoke, they couldn’t help but sneak glances at her. A group of rough soldiers rarely saw such a pretty young woman, so some were curious, and others a bit flustered, their faces turning red.

After her greeting, Bai Yalan sat quietly by her grandfather’s side, focused and calm. She wasn’t bothered by the soldiers’ stares.

But Old Master Bai cleared his throat a few times, amused and understanding.

He had been young once too and understood that curiosity toward the opposite sex at that age was only natural.

So, he simply closed his eyes and began to rest.

The truck journey lasted nearly four hours, the road bumpy and winding—either narrow mountain passes or muddy trails.

After crossing mountains and rivers, they finally arrived at their destination: a remote mountain village near the border.

Their truck could go no farther due to the dense forest ahead.

Fortunately, someone was already there waiting.

The person waiting wore a serious expression and quickly briefed them:

“The suspects are a family with the surname Tian—four members: a husband and wife, and their two adult children. They’ve got several men with them, and they’re armed with firearms and heavy weaponry. All of them once held important positions at an arms factory. They were recently investigated for suspicious affiliations and possibly leaking national secrets. Before we could apprehend them, they caught wind of the operation and are now trying to flee the country. Everyone must stay alert. Now, follow me.”

Without wasting time, the man led the way, and the soldiers quickly followed, moving swiftly toward the target location.

One of the personnel stayed behind to assist Old Master Bai’s group. He only had time to say a few words: “You must be Dr. Bai. Please follow me—we need to catch up quickly. A firefight has already started up ahead.”

Then he took off at a jog, not wasting another word.

His grave tone and concise instructions immediately put Bai Yalan on high alert.

Her grandfather hadn’t been wrong—this mission was far from ordinary.

She and her grandfather quickly followed the team. Old Master Bai, with his wealth of experience, showed no sign of panic. As he strode forward, he even found time to ask:

“Anyone injured yet?”

“Yes. The situation isn’t looking good,” the man replied with a frown.

Bai Yalan’s heart tightened. Old Master Bai’s expression turned serious too, and he stopped asking further.

When he first caught wind of this mission, he’d suspected something major was going down. Otherwise, the military leaders wouldn’t have insisted on getting him involved—even while he was still undergoing treatment.

Fortunately, he’d learned about it in time and volunteered to join, resolving a major problem for the unit.

But there was no point dwelling on that now. The priority was to assess the injured as soon as possible.

Bai Yalan followed closely behind her grandfather, doing her best not to fall behind.

At this moment, she had never felt more deeply how, even though military doctors didn’t fight on the front lines, excellent physical fitness was still essential.

She silently resolved to double down on her physical training once she got back.

Watching her grandfather walk steadily and confidently, with even breathing and unshaken steps, she couldn’t help but admire him.

Her grandfather’s physical strength was truly formidable—even at his age, he was this strong!

She felt a bit ashamed of herself. Despite being so much younger, she was already slightly out of breath just trying to keep up.