Тhе light snоw сontinued tо fаll, grаduаllу dyeing the surrоundings whitе. White lights glowеd inside the оrаngе аnd bluе tеnts, standing out stаrkly in the darkness.
"So cоld..." Yе Xun shivеred аs hе brоkе aраrt а рiеcе of comрrеssed bisсuit. The watеr in the pоt hadn’t fully bоilеd уеt, аnd еvеn if it did, it would onlу rеaсh аrоund sixtу or sеvеnty degrееs. Hе was increаsingly feeling thе hаrshnеss and sеverity of thе nаturаl envirоnmеnt.
Sinсе еntеring the Uninhаbitеd Arеa, thеir food vаrietу hаd dwindlеd, now rеduсеd tо simple items likе compressed bisсuits, instant noodlеs, picklеd vegеtаbles, аnd sausages. If they emptied the back seats and trunk, one vehicle could carry it all. These foods had the advantage of being easy to preserve and didn’t require long cooking—just heating water to rehydrate them. They had only one barrel of mineral water left, and from now on, they would have to start searching for clean ice and snow to melt for water.
"Old Zou, where the hell have you gone... May heaven bless me, please don’t let me go back empty-handed this time!" he gritted his teeth and prayed.
The sound of an engine approached from afar. Though Ye Xun was in low spirits, he mustered his energy and rushed out. From a distance, he heard Hippo’s voice shouting:
"We! Found! It!"
These words were like a shot of adrenaline, thrilling Ye Xun beyond measure. What did finding the body mean? 20 million!
Everyone rushed out of their tents and saw the four people getting out of the vehicle, covered in grime and with faces smeared, especially Hippo, who looked ashen-faced. Some handed out hot water, others fetched clean clothes. Ye Xun, rubbing his hands like a fly, circled the tightly wrapped body bag in the pickup truck’s bed, repeatedly pulling at everyone to confirm—
"Is it him? Are you sure it’s Old Zou?"
Bayunye jumped up and pointed at the body. "Why don’t you call out to him and see if he answers?"
Ye Xun refused to give up, persistently demanding an answer from Diao Zhuo.
"Aren’t you even going to ask why we’re in such a sorry state?!" Bayunye was covered in mud. After repeatedly getting out to push the vehicle and dig through sludge, even an iron body would ache.
Though Ye Xun wore a forced smile on his face, it was clear to everyone that he had shed his friendly mask. His purpose for coming along had been achieved—his top priority was confirming whether the body was Zou Kaigui. As for the hardships others had endured to find the body, it had nothing to do with whether he could get his 20 million.
"Suspected," Diao Zhuo, who had previously been certain about the body’s identity, now gave a vague answer. "Confirming the identity requires DNA testing."
Ye Xun frowned. "What if it’s not him?"
Diao Zhuo retorted, "Shouldn’t we bring it back even if it’s not him?"
Ye Xun fell silent.
At present, no fewer than three people had gone missing while traversing Qiangtang alone, with varying lengths of disappearance. However, the routes taken by the other missing individuals were completely different from Zou Kaigui’s. As far as was known, Zou Kaigui was the only person in the country who had gone missing while traversing the east-west route.
Ye Xun, feigning patience, said hypocritically, "No matter who it is, as long as we find the body, we should properly bring it back for burial."
Everyone knew the little schemes in his heart and didn’t engage further.
With the heavy burden lifted from his heart, Bayunye patted Hippo’s back and said, "Come on, cook me some more noodles. I need to replenish myself properly tonight."
Hippo whispered, "Master Ba, you don’t seem like someone a few bowls of noodles can replenish. The method truly suited for you is absorbing yang to nourish yin."Bayunye couldn't help but glance at Diao Zhuo. Though he was also covered in mud, his face smeared dark brown from the sludge she had rubbed on him, his tough and heroic aura was in no way diminished by it. With limited conditions here, she could only tease him with words, but she felt Diao Zhuo was quite a challenge to deal with. At the same time, she was probably a challenge for him as well.
Ye Xun sensed Bayunye's intention to head back, and thinking of Diao Zhuo's sharp eyes that could even discern fingerprints, his mind suddenly cleared. He smiled, seemingly reverting to his previous slightly ingratiating demeanor. "Everyone's tired. This time, I'll take charge of cooking noodles. You all take a rest."
With that, he eagerly picked up the last remaining bucket of water and trudged back to the tent to start cooking. Seeing him so enthusiastic, the Rescue Team members didn't pay much attention. With 20 million in hand, who wouldn't be happy?
Those with dirty clothes went into their respective tents to find replacements. Bayunye took another look at the photos of Gama Mountain she had just taken, lost in thought. After what felt like a long time, Ye Xun loudly announced that dinner was ready, and she finally stepped out.
Entering Ye Xun's tent, she glanced up and saw Diao Zhuo changed back into his Rescue Team uniform, wearing a headlamp as he wrote in his rescue log. His side profile was sharply defined, his brows slightly furrowed in deep concentration. Veins stood out on the back of his hand, flickering faintly with each stroke of his pen.
She crept over and saw his elegant handwriting—fluid yet forceful strokes, with sharp hooks and bold sweeps. Even a simple horizontal line was written with distinct edges. In comparison, her own handwriting was like a dog's scrawl. Her Chinese teacher from back in the day should be grateful she couldn't remember her full name.
"You dress really fast. I haven't even finished changing yet," she said, causing Diao Zhuo's pen to pause mid-stroke.
Diao Zhuo looked up at her. This woman had a knack for making even the most serious matters sound utterly improper.
He lowered his gaze, seemingly responding to her teasing but with a hidden meaning in his words. "So, have you finished changing or not? Do you need me to help you get dressed again?"
Bayunye sat on a folding stool, Zou Kaigui's small diary hidden in the inner pocket of her clothes, pressing uncomfortably against her chest. "If I'd known you were so eager to help, I wouldn't have been so flustered earlier."
"It seems you missed an opportunity for my assistance," Diao Zhuo nodded, indicating he understood her implication.
Ye Xun eagerly served everyone noodles, chattering away. "There's not much we can use for toppings here. Once we get back, I'll treat everyone to a super, super good meal... Ah! Just talking about it makes my mouth water..."
Hardship and deprivation have a way of stimulating the most primal appetite. That's why many people crossing the Uninhabited Area lose control over their food and water intake halfway through, leading to supplies running out before they even leave the area.
"I'm looking forward to your feast," Bayunye said without hesitation. "I know where the most expensive restaurant in Lhasa is."
"Absolutely, absolutely!" Ye Xun handed her a lunchbox of plain boiled noodles and scooped a large spoonful of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce into it. "Master Ba deserves the most credit. From now on, whenever any relatives or friends want to travel to Tibet, I'll make it clear to them—if they don't ride with you, I'll cut ties with them!"
"That's wonderful. Since they're friends of Director Ye..." Bayunye paused, then smiled again. "I won't give them a single cent of discount.""Alright, I'm at your mercy." Ye Xun seemed to be in a good mood, appearing ready for anything.
With the body found, the Rescue Team had essentially completed their mission. There was no need to detour further; they could head straight east to Naqu County and bid farewell to Qiangtang. Everyone relaxed. One pot of noodles wasn't enough, so they opened a few more packs of compressed biscuits, soaking them in hot water and adding pickled vegetables and Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. Surprisingly, it tasted exceptionally good.
"Tired... eat more." Ye Xun served tea and water without a hint of boss-like airs.
"Why aren't you eating?" Bayunye pointed at his lunchbox. "Boss Ye being so polite makes me a bit uncomfortable. Let me scoop some noodles for you!"
"No need, no need! Please, you go ahead! You go ahead!" Ye Xun held his lunchbox, eating with a pig-like slurping sound.
Bayunye was especially tired today. After filling her stomach, she returned to her tent. Before crawling into her sleeping bag, she deliberately took out her diary and tucked it into the innermost layer of her clothes. Curling up, she intended to reminisce about the hardships of the journey and the fun of teasing Diao Zhuo, but she fell asleep almost immediately.
She slept soundly through the night without any dreams, more deeply than she had since entering the Uninhabited Area.
"Master Ba! Master Ba!!"
"Wake up!! Hey! Wake up!! Something's wrong!!"
Bayunye was groggy, clearly not fully rested. She didn't know who was calling her, thinking it was still a dream, so she turned over and continued sleeping.
"Pour water." A deep male voice said, "Quickly."
Then, bone-chilling ice water splashed over her face with a "splash." She finally woke up, then erupted in fury, roaring, "I'll fuck you—"
Before she could finish the sentence, she saw Hippo, Diao Zhuo, Da Qin, and others all crowded into her tent. Outside, the sky was already bright. For some reason, they all looked serious, especially Hippo, who was visibly furious, his already compact features tightly knit together as if in an emergency assembly.
"What's going on?" Bayunye sat up. Perhaps because she had been abruptly awakened, she couldn't immediately remember where she was or what had happened yesterday.
"Damn it! Ye Xun ran off! He's gone!!" Hippo said angrily.
"Huh?" Bayunye still looked bewildered, not yet grasping what "ran off" meant or why Ye Xun would have any reason to run.
Da Qin waved his hand in front of her face a few times and said to Diao Zhuo, "Master Ba's lost it too. Ye Xun's drugs are fucking despicable!"
"What drugs..." Although she still didn't understand what had happened, Bayunye instinctively clutched her chest. Fortunately, the diary was still there.
"Ye Xun drugged us." Diao Zhuo stepped aside, letting the cold outside air rush into the tent, clearing Bayunye's mind a little. He patiently explained, "While everyone was dead asleep, he left alone, driving the pickup truck carrying Zou Kaigui's body and taking the remaining food. Not only that, he also went into others' tents and took the Beidou boxes and GPS."
"The satellite phone was stolen by him too," Hippo added.
After understanding, Bayunye took a moment to react, then recalled yesterday's discovery of Zou Kaigui's body. After that, everything became hazy. She couldn't remember what she had eaten or drunk, or how she had fallen into such a deep sleep—it was all a blur.She had previously read some popular science articles on a public account, saying that some people with ill intentions specifically set up a drug group to sell various drugs that can make people lose consciousness. Some men use these drugs to harm young girls and can still get away scot-free the next day. The victims not only have no memory but remain completely unaware even if they are violated.
She wiped her face, and a sudden surge of anger rose, burning her mind hot and waking her up completely. "Damn it, he brought this kind of drug into the Uninhabited Area! He never had good intentions from the start!"
Diao Zhuo was also somewhat irritated. He pulled out a cigarette and held it in his hand but didn't light it. He gestured toward Bayunye's sleeping bag with his chin. "How are you?"
In Bayunye's view, life was more important than anything else. She crawled out of her sleeping bag, her clothes still relatively tidy, and put on her jacket while cursing loudly. "If he dared to sneak into my sleeping bag, I'll find him no matter what and chop off his hands!"
Walking outside, they saw that every vehicle looked as if Ye Xun had rummaged through them overnight. The remaining food in several cars had been scavenged by him. This despicable style was exactly the same as those poachers, directly pushing the eight of them into a desperate situation.
How could there be such a vile two-faced person in the world!
Xiang An handed over a cup of hot water. Bayunye took it and was about to throw it on the ground to vent her anger, but just as she raised her hand, she gritted her teeth and held back.
Without food, water was even more precious.
"He's such a scoundrel!" she said through gritted teeth, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the cup.
From here to Nagqu County, it would take a full two days. Until they were completely out of supplies, they couldn't harm animals, meaning that for the next 48 hours, they could only rely on drinking water to sustain themselves. If something else delayed them, they would have to endure even more hunger.
Bayunye stood in the cold wind, her mind still feeling dull, as if someone had struck her hard on the back of the head with a club. Her stomach growled loudly, seemingly aware that it would have to rely on drinking the northwest wind for the next few days.
Diao Zhuo lit a cigarette and stood quietly smoking half of it, seemingly calming down. "One person, one car..." He tossed the cigarette butt and suddenly narrowed his eyes with a contemptuous smile.
Bayunye turned around just in time to see this scene and was somewhat struck by how handsome he looked. Her mood suddenly improved. Fine, it was just a few days of hunger. If she got too hungry, she'd just eat Diao Zhuo, ahahaha!
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