Under the duress of terrible weather, one US Army CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter exploded and crashed, while another managed a smooth descent.

The American soldiers who leaped from the remaining helicopter stared at the wreckage of the other, which was still burning, with a sense of melancholy; simultaneously, an ominous premonition began to stir in their hearts.

The remaining CH-47 Chinook was transporting a ragtag assembly of personnel from the US base; due to the sudden nature of the emergency, the base had no organized troops immediately available, so this makeshift unit was dispatched.

After disembarking, this unit immediately established contact with the command base behind them. They reported the catastrophic explosion and heavy loss of one CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, simultaneously requesting immediate support from the rear.

Liu Hui concealed himself near the American soldiers, observing their military maneuvers with cold detachment. With his current strength, he could easily eliminate every single soldier. But what purpose would killing them serve? Was he expected to fly the helicopter back alone? Never mind that he didn't know how to pilot a helicopter; even if he did, if this chopper failed to check in with the base for too long, they would realize something was wrong. They would certainly find a way to track the aircraft, lay an ambush, and in the end, he would still face the fate of being shot down by the US military, unable to escape the Antarctic continent.

Therefore, Liu Hui conceived an ingenious plan: to infiltrate the American unit and leave this extremely harsh Antarctic environment aboard their aircraft. Once away from here, he could swiftly return to the "Star City" with his capabilities. Although he was deeply worried about the affairs of the Star Group, he knew he couldn't afford to rush, lest it significantly delay his return.

After receiving instructions from the rear base, the team of over forty American soldiers, led by their captain, decided to move out immediately. They activated their signal receivers and quickly located the position indicated by the tracker on Liu Hui.

When the soldiers reached the location, they found only a vast glacier, with no sign of any person in sight. However, the instrument indicated the tracker was precisely there, and it was still moving.

The US team then realized that the person carrying the tracker was not on the glacier's surface but likely inside a cavern or crevasse beneath it. They needed to find an entrance to descend and retrieve the individual.

The base command center urged the unit to expedite their actions, fearing that if the target remained in the extreme cold for too long, he might perish, rendering their efforts completely fruitless.

Thus, under the captain's order, the soldiers fanned out, searching for an entrance to an underground ice crevasse in the brutally cold environment characterized by a Force 9 gale and heavy snowfall.

The soldiers stumbled and searched everywhere, finally locating a subterranean ice fissure after half an hour. Although they couldn't be sure if this crevasse led to the target’s location, the external conditions were unbearable; as soon as they found the opening, all the soldiers retreated inside to escape the biting cold.

Just as the last soldier was about to enter the crevasse, a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around his neck. With a swift twist, the man’s neck snapped. Liu Hui appeared like a phantom, dragging the soldier aside, snatching the goggles from his face, memorizing his features, stripping off his uniform to put on, and finally, morphing his own appearance to match that of the soldier.

Liu Hui ripped off the dog tag hanging from the dead soldier's neck and saw the name: "Jim." After silently reciting the name a few times, Liu Hui tucked Jim's corpse into his storage space. He adjusted the uniform, grasped Jim's weapon, and after a moment of familiarization, before he could step into the crevasse, someone emerged from within.

Liu Hui instantly aimed his rifle at the newcomer, who shouted in anger, "Jim, are you still this timid? Afraid to enter a mere ice crevasse? Do you want to freeze to death out here? I don't know how someone as cowardly as you managed to enlist; you bring shame upon us soldiers. Hurry up and get inside; everyone is waiting for you."

Liu Hui immediately feigned timidity and followed the man into the crevasse. The group ahead saw them enter and continued their advance.

This US unit was incredibly fortunate; apart from encountering one very deep ice chasm, their path led entirely through naturally formed caverns. The captain walked at the front, constantly checking his signal tracker. After walking for over two hours, he finally detected the signal source just a short distance ahead of them.

The captain made a silent signal, and the group quickened their pace. Liu Hui followed discreetly at the very rear, showing no sign of anomaly.

After rounding a bend, the US team entered a large cavern—the exact location of the signal source. The captain signaled again, and two soldiers stepped forward, pulled the pins on two tear gas grenades, and tossed them into the cave ahead. The grenades detonated, instantly filling the space with tear gas, followed by a sound of animalistic, pained shrieks from inside.

The captain flicked his wrist, and three soldiers, already wearing gas masks, rushed into the cavern. They immediately let out surprised cries: "Captain, there’s no one in here. Also, you should come see this."

The captain and the other soldiers donned their masks and entered the cavern. Under the beams of their flashlights, they saw three team members wrestling a large, fat penguin, which was still shrieking and weeping profusely. Besides the distressed bird, there was no human presence in the cave.

"Boss, could this fat penguin be the target? The folks back at base didn't tell us clearly when they sent us out," asked a soldier whose intelligence seemed notably lacking.

The captain shot him a fierce glare, and the soldier wisely clamped his mouth shut. The captain checked his tracker again; the target was supposed to be in this cave, but no person was visible. Could the target truly be this penguin?

"Captain, look, this penguin has a pouch around its neck. By the look of it, someone tied it there," one of the team members pointed out.

The captain finally noticed the small bag around the penguin’s neck. He brought his signal tracker close to the pouch and found that it was the source of the signal. His face turned ashen as he ripped the bag from the penguin's neck and immediately found the black tracker inside.

"Shit, we've been tricked; the target found this tracker long ago," the captain exclaimed in shock.

As the captain spoke, a soldier next to him suddenly screamed and collapsed. Startled, the others saw a bloody hole in the soldier's chest; he was already dead.

"The target is among us! Everyone, be careful!" the captain roared. His soldiers immediately turned their rifles toward the surrounding darkness, shining their flashlights into the gloom.

However, the American soldiers found nothing. After a tense standoff, the captain signaled, and two soldiers went to check the perimeter, shaking their heads at him after searching.

The captain commanded, "Hold your positions and maintain vigilance."

So, some soldiers continued their watch while others knelt to examine the cause of death of the fallen man.

"He was killed by something resembling a bullet entering his heart, but without a full autopsy, we can't determine the weapon used," the unit's medic concluded after examining the wound.

The captain frowned deeply. Their mission had started poorly; they had already lost half their manpower to the helicopter crash before even beginning their real objective. Now, in this strange cave, they had lost another comrade, filling him with frustration.

The captain’s eyes scanned the area and landed on Liu Hui, disguised as Jim. He pointed and ordered, "Jim, you are responsible for carrying Byrne's body. This will also be a way to temper your courage."

Liu Hui first pretended to be terrified, then, under the captain's implicit threat, hoisted Byrne's corpse onto his back, his body trembling as if deeply frightened. Normally, Liu Hui’s behavior would have earned him ridicule from the other soldiers, but in the eerie atmosphere of this day, no one could muster a laugh.

The captain contacted the base command center, reporting the events that had transpired and again pleading for support.

The command center evidently deliberated on a countermeasure, then informed the captain to continue searching for the target's presence, assuring him that reinforcements would be dispatched at first light the next day.

The captain considered the immediate situation and decided to proceed with the search. They moved toward another exit of the cavern, with Liu Hui carrying Byrne's body positioned among them.

Seeing that no one was paying him any attention, and owing to the intense darkness, Liu Hui swiftly launched another steel ball, striking the chest of a soldier beside him. The soldier let out a muffled cry and again collapsed onto the ground.