Sample acquired. One of the core objectives for this trip was now complete.
The team wasted no more time and began the return journey, following their planned route.
...
As evening approached, the team made camp again under Uncle Cai's guidance. They chose a flat, sheltered slope near a water source.
Campfires were lit and tents were pitched.
The experts busied themselves with organizing and archiving the day's data and performing the initial encapsulation of the samples.
Meanwhile, the graduate students and technicians were in charge of boiling water, cooking, and cleaning up the campsite.
The sky grew dim as twilight enveloped the land.
Just as everyone was settling in for what they thought would be a peaceful night, the anxious voice of a middle-aged expert suddenly rang out.
"Where's Xiaoxu? Has anyone seen Xiaoxu?"
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at each other in confusion.
