The rescue operations outside proceeded intensively. Various equipment was set up on the flat ground, and rescue teams entered the mine one by one. Their entry represented the hope and chance for life of those trapped underground..
Later, Jacques persuaded Josephine to return. to the base and rest. The nighttime temperatures here were too low, and women were prone to hypothermia under this kind of temperature.
“Miss Jacobson, if you want to see Mr. Ethan return safely, you must ensure your own well- being. If something happens to you, Mr. Ethan will definitely chew my head off, Jacques advised earnestly.
Although reluctant, Josephine ended up agreeing to his suggestion. Before getting into the car, she grabbed Jacques’ arm and urged, “If there’s any news about the rescue, please inform me immediately.”
“I will, I promise, Jacques assured her. Josephine returned to the base and was directly escorted to Ethan’s room. As she pushed open the door, the sight of some documents and a cup on the desk tugged at her heartstrings.
“Miss Jacobson, there’s hot water here. You can take a shower. If you need anything, just let me know,” an assistant said. “Thank you, I appreciate it.” Josephine nodded. She had no problem conversing in Chinese.
After the door closed, Josephine sat at Ethan’s desk and looked at the computer. The documents on the side had his signature on them. She gently picked up the pen he had used, holding it in her palm as tears uncontrollably streamed down her face. The quieter and more alone she was, the harder it was to let her fragility show.
The news of Ethan’s accident had been kept under wraps, and the outside world was still unaware of it. There would be a significant impact on the stock of the Quarles Group otherwise. Speculation from the public could
cause the stock price to potentially plummet. Ethan was the sole heir of the Quarles Family. If something happened to him, the shareholders. of the Quarles Group might start having other thoughts.
Edward was also arranged to stay at the base overnight because the Arctic temperatures at night were unbearable for the human body, and precautions had to be taken to prevent hypothermia.
The rescue teams were ensuring safety and maintaining the temperature inside the mine. At this moment, six rescue teams had entered the mine, advancing through six different tunnels that potentially connected to Ethan’s location.
Ethan and his team had been trapped in the cave for over a hundred hours by now. As for their supplies, resources were not an issue as long as they were still alive.
However, the crucial outcome the rescue teams needed to determine was whether the people inside the cave were still alive. There would be hope for a successful rescue only if they were alive.
The six rescue teams kept close communication, reporting their positions and sharing any relevant information. Deep inside the cave, Ethan and his team were also trying to find a way toward the main mine tunnel, as their retreat had been blocked.
Instead of a natural one, Ethan suspected that the initial earthquake was caused by someone detonating explosives at the entrance behind them, which resulted in the entire cave shaking.
He recalled the unidentified signal King had reported to him about, but he didn’t want to add to his team’s anxiety at this moment. He instructed his team to only move forward and not backward to avoid encountering the mercenary group that might be behind them.
After analyzing the situation, Ethan deduced that the mercenaries had indeed intended to: seal off the entrance, burying them all inside the cave. However, they hadn’t anticipated that the explosion would trigger a massive avalanche, burying themselves as well under meters of snow, leaving them with no chance of survival.
On the other hand, although some members were injured by falling rocks, at least no lives were lost. With Ethan and his team’s retreat blocked, they had no choice but to proceed forward since they had entered the cave.
“Mr. Ethan, please take a look at this.” One of the bodyguards called out to Ethan. Hearing that, Ethan took a flashlight and approached the bodyguard who then asked him to reach his hand into a small hole. As Ethan reached out, he felt a cold gust of wind rushing out from the hole. His face lit up with joy in that instant. This indicated a ventilation opening. If they could clear this passage, they might be able to go deeper into the mine.
