Вауunуе sаt in thе cramреd аirрlаne cabin, fееling uncomfоrtable in еvеrу wау рossible. Аfter driving for so long, she pаrtiсularlу hatеd flуing. It wаs fаst, sure, but еvеrуоnе was рacked likе sаrdines in а tin can, with a сonstant buzzing in hеr ears. Тhе mоuntаins аnd rivеrs bеlow loоkеd tiny, аnd оnlу the mоnotоnоus clouds driftеd рast bеneath the рlane. Evеrу timе turbulenсe shook thе аirсraft, Вауunуе’s hеart trеmblеd alоng with it. Thе feeling оf having hеr fаtе in the hаnds оf thе рilot was utterlу dreadful.
But to get tо Baotоu as quicklу as роssible, shе had no choice.
Bayunye recalled how, after snapping back to her senses last night, she had roared at Diao Zhuo, “What’s with all the hesitation? When it’s time to step up, you step up!”
Soon after, Brother Long told her he had been to Badanjilin and had signed up for the search and rescue of the three college students. Bayunye wondered if it would sound better to the public if “Master Ba” also joined the search and successfully brought the three back safely. Hippo overheard and said he wanted to go too.
“Copycat.”
Hippo shot her a glare. “I’m just worried about you going alone as a woman.”
“Do you even see me as a woman?”
“Whether I do or not, you still are one.”
“Thanks a lot,” Bayunye retorted with a pout.
So, Brother Long quickly arranged for two off-road drivers from the club to replace Bayunye and Hippo, sending them off to their positions immediately.
“Bayunye and Diao Zhuo will meet in Badanjilin, Inner Mongolia.”
When He Zhengren saw the message, his brow furrowed tightly. He tried calling, but the other party seemed unavailable and didn’t answer. He could only reply by hand, “What are they going there for?”
“To find someone.”
“Who?”
“Three college students.”
“I think it’s just a cover,” He Zhengren muttered, his mood unusually irritable. He had often felt this way when Rao Qinghui was bedridden with illness, and after Rao’s death, it felt like a weight had been lifted. But ever since Diao Zhuo met Bayunye, he hadn’t had a single peaceful night’s sleep.
“They’ll have it out sooner or later. There’s no stopping it. And once they do, they might turn on each other, especially with Bayunye’s personality.”
“I don’t know much about Bayunye’s personality, but I understand Diao Zhuo’s. Deep down, he doesn’t believe me. I suspect Rao Qinghui told him something, but he’s keeping it to himself.”
There was no further reply.
“Ahao!”
Li Haozhang hurried in.
“Bayunye and Diao Zhuo have gone to Badanjilin…” He Zhengren said, “I have a bad feeling about this…”
Li Haozhang replied cautiously, “Are you referring to… Song Fan?”
He Zhengren nodded, his expression growing even darker.
“Brother Long hasn’t driven in a long time. I wonder if he can still handle it,” Hippo chuckled, covering his mouth.
“A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. I was trained by Brother Long myself, so I know what he’s capable of.” Bayunye had nothing but respect for Brother Long.
When Hippo first joined the team, he saw Bayunye acting casually with Brother Long and assumed she was his woman. Later, he learned that she had met Brother Long at sixteen, pestering him to teach her how to drive, and officially joined the team after leaving the military. To her, Brother Long was an elder brother, a benefactor, and a mentor—but not a lover. Rumor had it they had been through life and death together, but neither Master Ba nor Brother Long ever spoke of how. No matter how fierce Bayunye acted, she always behaved properly around Brother Long.
Train K9711 departed at 9 p.m., a nearly fourteen-hour journey that would arrive in Ejin Banner close to noon the next day.Bayunye and Hippo made their way through one carriage after another in search of Brother Long and Diao Zhuo. The train cars were filled with the smells of instant noodles and raw iron, punctuated now and then by the cries of an infant. Most passengers wore expressionless faces, their bodies swaying slightly with the motion of the train as they stared blankly out into the pitch-black night, simply waiting in a state of numbness.
Diao Zhuo was seated facing the direction she came from, and she spotted him from afar. Wearing a white T-shirt under a black jacket, with his stubble cleanly shaved, he looked more refined and youthful. When they first met, she had thought he was nearing forty, but now he appeared to be just over thirty, matching the birthdate on his ID card.
Everyone had bought hard-seat tickets at the last minute. He and Brother Long sat in the same row—one strong and muscular, the other somewhat portly—making the originally spacious seats feel a bit cramped.
Brother Long sat with his eyes closed as if asleep, his right hand slowly turning a smooth and glossy Jade-transformed Star-Moon Bracelet. Among the 108 beads were meticulously strung small ornaments like old silver cross-shaped vajras, Alashan agate stones, and Tibetan yak bone carvings. At the bottom hung a sandalwood carving of a dragon subduer, gleaming with a cold light. This was his constant companion, taken with him wherever he went.
Hearing the noise, he rubbed the sandalwood carving and slowly opened his eyes, calmly saying, "You're here."
Hippo enthusiastically shook Diao Zhuo's hand. "Long time no see!"
Diao Zhuo stood up and extended his hand, but before he could grasp Hippo's, Bayunye rushed over and gave him a bear hug. "I missed you so much, Captain Diao!"
Diao Zhuo was pushed back by her embrace but steadied himself in time.
Missed me, my foot. You didn't miss me at all... but I missed you.
Hippo's hand hung in mid-air, and he exchanged a glance with Brother Long, both feeling a bit awkward. Out of the corner of their eyes, they noticed that Diao Zhuo not only didn't avoid the hug but even cooperatively wrapped an arm around her waist. They were puzzled, but Bayunye was quick to move on, plopping herself down in the seat opposite them, so they didn't dwell on it.
After finally explaining why she hadn't realized the three college students intended to cross the desert, Bayunye spat a few times and ran to the restroom to rinse her mouth—the sandstorm was so intense that after talking for a while, her mouth was full of sand, nearly getting stuck between her molars.
Diao Zhuo sat upright, glancing at her.
Her figure was slender and graceful, yet she always dressed in a windbreaker and jeans, hiding any curves, with neither chest nor hips to speak of.
When she wasn't around, his thoughts were a whirlwind, but now that she was right in front of him, he felt strangely calm, without any surge of emotion.
This was good.
"...Those three kids are so young. I hope they don't end up lost in the desert," Brother Long said, having traveled far and wide for half his life and even ventured into deserts. The horrors of the desert Uninhabited Area couldn't be summed up in just a few words.
Diao Zhuo pulled up Google Maps. "The route from Gurinai to Bilutu Peak is relatively well-established. Many people have successfully completed it on foot. As long as they follow the route northeast by southeast, replenish their water at the well in Haershalaleji, and continue south, they'll encounter a large oasis and eventually reach Bilutu Peak."
"They're not cut out for hiking," Bayunye summed it up in one sentence.
Hippo nodded in agreement. "The one surnamed Zhang might manage, but the other two... hard to say. Judging by their physique and demeanor, they seem like ordinary tourists."
"What really worries me is that they might hold each other back. Especially the female student—I hope she gives up midway and sends a signal," Brother Long said.Bayunye crossed her arms. "You're looking down on women."
"If that girl were you, we wouldn't even bother searching. You'd definitely lead them both out," Brother Long flattered her.
She was pleased, wanting to laugh but deliberately holding it in.
As the night deepened, the carriage lights dimmed. Bayunye slipped on her U-shaped pillow and clasped her hands together toward Brother Long. "I want to sit next to Diao Zhuo. Brother Long, could you please make a sacrifice and be the bigger person?"
Brother Long had no choice but to stand up. Hippo was furious. "What's so bad about sitting with me?!"
"Shh—" Bayunye raised an index finger.
Hippo gave her the middle finger. She glared back and returned two middle fingers. Suddenly, the image of Abu from the foodie group popped into her head. She playfully pouted and imitated a child's voice, "Brother Diao Zhuo, can I borrow your shoulder to lean on later? Meow?"
Diao Zhuo glanced sideways at her, his expression stiff.
"Meow meow meow?"
He wasn't buying it. "I don't understand. Speak like a human."
Bayunye revealed her fierce side. "I'm going to lean on your shoulder when I fall asleep later. If you dare push me away, I'll beat you up!"
Diao Zhuo turned to look out the window. "If you dare lean on me, I'll beat you up first."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Haven't I beaten you before?"
Bayunye was speechless. Remembering the pain in her backside, she stubbornly insisted, "No!"
"Try it later."
Listening to their bickering, Brother Long chuckled through his nose. He tore open the instant noodle packaging, neatly arranged the seasoning packets, placed a jar of chili sauce from his luggage on the table, and got up to make the noodles.
The night grew even deeper. Passengers in the carriage who could find a comfortable position were dozing off. Hippo lay sprawled on the table, already fast asleep. Though sitting, Brother Long had his eyes closed and had stopped fiddling with his prayer beads, like a monk in deep meditation.
Bayunye wore her U-shaped pillow but slept restlessly. The train chugged along with rhythmic clanks, occasionally braking, the friction of steel against steel as sharp as chalk scraping a blackboard.
"Lie down," she heard Diao Zhuo say in her drowsiness.
Then he seemed to get up, leaving his seat empty. She opened her eyes and saw Diao Zhuo heading toward the carriage junction with a cigarette pack and lighter. She stretched out horizontally across the seats, much more comfortable.
But she couldn't fall asleep.
She got up, gathered her messy hair into a ponytail, and walked toward Diao Zhuo. Sure enough, he was smoking there. In the deep quiet of the night, surrounded by swirling smoke and dim light, his profile appeared even more sharply defined, every shadow on him perfectly placed.
She reached out for a cigarette.
He glanced at her, placed a cigarette between his lips, and took out another for her.
She didn't take it, instead nodding toward the one in his mouth. Seeing him unmoved, she reached over and took it. Squinting slightly, she held it between her index and middle fingers like a cheongsam-clad dancer from a 1930s nightclub, bringing it to her lips and taking a deep drag.
"Cough, cough, cough!!"
"If you can't handle it, why show off?" Diao Zhuo raised an eyebrow.
"So I didn't waste your cigarette, did I?" Bayunye's eyes were red, tears welling from coughing, but she was truly no longer sleepy.
Diao Zhuo took back the half-smoked cigarette. "Still sleeping or not?"
Just as Bayunye was about to answer, he added, "If not, wait here."
Bayunye leaned against the power distribution room with her arms crossed. Three steps away, opposite her, was the restroom, where someone seemed to be inside. She smirked. "How old are you? Need someone to accompany you for a pee?"He gave a soft hum, its meaning unclear.
Half a minute later, the person inside the restroom came out. "Your turn," she said.
Diao Zhuo didn't respond, having just finished his cigarette.
Bayunye looked at him curiously as he walked to the sink to wash his face and rinse his mouth. When he straightened up, his face was wet, and his short bangs clung damply to his forehead.
Bayunye thought it was pointless and decided it would be better to go back to sleep. But as she turned to leave, he pulled her back. Before she could ask what he wanted, his lips were on hers again.
Oh, so he wanted to kiss her—just had to wait for him to finish his cigarette first.
Bayunye wrapped her arms around his neck, while he held her tightly by the waist.
"Are you here for the rescue mission or for me…" Bayunye pinched his waist when she finally caught her breath.
"Who the hell called me here?"
"Wasn't it justice?" she retorted, but before she could finish, Diao Zhuo took her earlobe between his lips, sending a shiver down her spine and making her legs go weak.
"Justice my ass. More like cleaning up after Master Ba," Diao Zhuo muttered against her ear, giving her a sharp slap on the backside that echoed with a crisp smack.
Bayunye yelped softly in pain, and he kissed her again.
A train attendant passed by, and Diao Zhuo turned sideways, shielding her behind him as she clung tightly to him.
As dawn broke, the window revealed an endless expanse of desert outside. Lonely telephone poles stood stark against the horizon, and when the autumn wind stirred, a hazy curtain of dust could be seen sweeping across the distance like a ghost before vanishing just as quickly. Fine sand seemed to seep into the carriage through unseen cracks—if left unattended, a thin layer of yellow dust would settle on the tables, and even the floor would accumulate small mounds that crunched underfoot. Aside from checking tickets, the attendants' most important task was to sweep and wipe away the sand from the floors and surfaces.
Hippo woke up, his shoulder aching and his hand numb. Stretching and yawning, he glanced over and saw Diao Zhuo sitting upright, while Bayunye leaned against him, fast asleep. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking, Master Ba really knows how to take advantage.
Brother Long had been awake for a while and had just returned from washing up. Hippo winked at him, and Brother Long smiled knowingly. The night before, the two of them had left their seats one after the other, taking a long time to return—something an old hand like him couldn't miss.
Interesting.
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