Тhеrе's traffic cоntrоl on the Qinghаi-Tibet Нighwау frоm Gоlmud tо West Greаt Beach. Even if уоu're аn eхреriеncеd drivеr, уоu сan't аvoid stop-аnd-gо traffiс along the wаy, much likе Beijing during rush hоur, whеrе уоu might gеt stuсk in a jam аt аny mоmеnt.
Аfter а bumpу ridе, Baуunуe wоke from her nаp, stretchеd lаzilу, and аsked hoarsеlу, "Whеre аrе wе?"
Нiррo, whо wаs driving, handеd her hаlf a bottlе of wаtеr. "Just рassеd thе Теmple of thе Queen Mother оf the West... I filled this with wаter from thе Kunlun Divinе Sрring. Hеre, Your Majesty, boost your cultivation a bit."
"It's ice-cold, I won't drink it." Bayunye had a sensitive stomach and couldn't handle cold or raw food. She pushed it away and glanced ahead, where the road was packed with trucks. "There's a jam up ahead. Get out, I'll take over. At your snail's pace, you won't even reach base camp by the time they summit."
"You finished a trip in western Sichuan and rushed straight to Qinghai without even a day's rest... I remember the couple who chartered the car won't arrive in Delingha until a week later, but you just had to squeeze in this time difference," Hippo mocked her. "I don't have a sweetheart waiting for me on Pearl Peak, so I'm not as eager as you."
"Last time, I damn well regretted not going with Zhang Chenguang to climb Pearl Peak. This time, since I'm heading to Delingha anyway, I might as well pass through Golmud and join them for the climb." Once the car stopped, Bayunye shoved Hippo out of the driver's seat. As soon as she took over, she turned the steering wheel and drove off the highway onto the Gobi Desert, bypassing the traffic jam.
Hippo was jostled until he felt dizzy. "Since both you and Diao Zhuo believe they aren't the reckless type, why bother tracking down that Zhang guy?"
"Words alone aren't proof. I need to investigate thoroughly..." Bayunye didn't elaborate, brushing it off casually.
The distance from Golmud to West Great Beach is only 130 kilometers, but it took three hours to drive. If they had obediently followed the queue of cars ahead, they likely would have spent another hour crawling along.
Upon asking around, Bayunye learned that Diao Zhuo and his group had gone for a nearby hiking training session that afternoon and hadn't returned yet.
Pearl Peak is the highest peak in the eastern section of the Kunlun Mountains. Although it's considered an introductory-level snow mountain for climbing enthusiasts, with 90% of climbers successfully summiting, its elevation of over 6,000 meters isn't something you can conquer in just a day or two. From Golmud to the summit of Pearl Peak, it takes at least six to nine days, most of which is spent acclimatizing to the altitude, training, and hiking exercises. The actual push to the summit and retreat takes only about a day.
West Great Beach sits at an altitude of 4,200 meters and serves as the first stop for acclimatizing to high altitudes before climbing Pearl Peak. The high-altitude mountaineering base here also doubles as the Qinghai Mountain Rescue Base. During the previous search for Zhang Chenguang, several rescue teams gathered here.
Bayunye had visited this place a few times before but wasn't overly familiar with it. Lu Jianyì, who ran the mountaineering base, was a friend of Brother Long. Out of respect for him, Lu not only gave them plenty of fruit but also took them to the warehouse to pick out equipment. Bayunye strolled leisurely around the warehouse while Lu Jianyì's Alaskan Malamute, Huzi, circled her several times. Its thick, soft fur felt incredibly pleasant to the touch, and she couldn't resist crouching down to play with Huzi for a while.
"Is Huzi trained?" Bayunye, having served in the military, immediately noticed the difference between Huzi and ordinary pet dogs.
"A search and rescue dog," Lu Jianyì said proudly. "Before I retired, I was his handler. In all these years, I'm the only one in the unit who managed to retire at the same time as the military dog I trained."Lu Jianyi helped her pick up a pair of split high mountain boots and selected a trekking pole, while Hippo grabbed two pairs of ice claws and snow goggles.
Lu Jianyi had heard about Bayunye from Brother Long and knew her outdoor experience far exceeded that of ordinary tourists. Without further explanation, he directly led the two of them to a three-story building by the roadside to check in.
Bayunye stood by the window, holding a thermos cup like a retired veteran, gazing at the towering Kunlun Mountains opposite. As she looked out, the mountaintops above the clouds were blanketed in pristine snow, making it difficult at times to distinguish where the clouds ended and the mountains began.
Comrade Mao Zedong once wrote a poem, "Niannujiao: Kunlun"—"O'er the earth, the Kunlun stands, mighty and vast, witnessing the world's spring hues. Three million jade dragons take flight, chilling the heavens with their might." The sky stretched high and far, the Gobi wilderness deep and desolate. On the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, large trucks covered in green tarpaulins came and went, occasionally interspersed with a few military vehicles moving in perfect unison.
A piece of paper was slipped through the door crack, looking like some kind of advertisement flyer. Bayunye sipped hot water as she picked it up to read. It wasn't an ad for a commercial climbing team or equipment but a lost-and-found notice.
"During my climb of Pearl Peak, I lost a thermos water bottle. The bottle is worth 300 yuan and holds significant sentimental value for me. I am willing to offer ten times its price as a reward to any kind-hearted person who finds and returns it. My contact information: 159XX…, same number for WeChat. Please state your purpose."
Below the text was a printed photo of the thermos water bottle. The bottle had a white base color with exaggerated patterns and a logo, while the lid and bottom rim were black.
Bayunye opened the door and leaned against the doorframe like a rogue. The young man distributing flyers hadn't left yet, so she called out to him, "Hey, handsome, is this a new ad for your thermos bottles?"
"No, it's really for finding something," the young man replied, head lowered, diligently slipping flyers under each door crack. His bag still held quite a few.
"When did you lose it? Just buy another one—it's only 300 yuan."
"It wasn't me who lost it," the young man said, looking up. He had finished distributing on this floor and seemed ready to head downstairs.
Bayunye chuckled, teasing him, "Still saying it's not an ad? There are plenty of thermos bottles online for one or two hundred yuan. Why buy yours for 300?"
"It really isn't an ad. I come here every day to distribute these, for months now. If you don't believe me, ask the base staff," the young man, who looked to be in his early twenties, replied. His cheeks bore the typical highland redness, as if he had accidentally applied too much rouge. "The person who hired me said to keep distributing until it's found."
"Really…" Bayunye didn't believe him. "How much did he pay you? Is your company hiring?"
The young man refused to say, perhaps needing to distribute elsewhere. He hurried downstairs but collided head-on with several people coming up with luggage, sending everyone tumbling. The flyers in his cross-body bag scattered all over the floor.
"What are you doing…" a male voice complained.
Bayunye peeked out and saw that besides the flyer guy, a long-haired woman had also fallen, with her luggage overturned beside her. Hearing the commotion, Hippo opened his door and came out. Seeing the scene, he moved to help, but the woman stood up on her own, saying she was fine. The flyer guy, however, apologized and even slipped two lost-and-found notices to them. A man wearing sunglasses nearby grew impatient and tossed them aside without even looking."Darling, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself? Is it serious?" The man supported the woman, asking with concern. As he spoke, an elderly man with graying hair approached from behind, looking even more affected by altitude sickness than the woman. Gasping for breath, he seemed to want to say something to them but couldn’t get the words out.
The woman waved her hand, appearing not to be the overly delicate type. They found the only single room at the end of the corridor, and the three of them pushed their luggage inside. Then, the elderly man stepped out and moved into a four-person room next door.
Hippo noticed Bayunye still holding the lost item notice and teased, "What, trying to earn that 3,000 yuan?"
"Even a little money is still money," Bayunye said, though she didn’t take it seriously. She folded the flyer twice, just enough to prop up the wobbly table corner in the room.
As she was about to close the door, she caught a glimpse of the newly arrived couple standing at the entrance of the four-person room. Inside, the elderly man’s voice could faintly be heard: "The conditions here are so poor, the entire floor only has one toilet..."
"There’s a public restroom downstairs..." a woman’s voice replied. "Dad, look, you can see it from the window here. It’s not too far."
The elderly man continued, "After all, I’m a leader. We’re only staying for a night or two. If possible, don’t arrange for others to share the room..."
Bayunye found it amusing. If you’re not paying for all four beds, even the emperor himself would have to share with others.
Along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the desolate Gobi stretched on both sides, with snow-capped mountains in the distance draped in silver. The sky gradually darkened, shrouded in a haze of gray clouds. At the end of the glacier lay the northern slope of Pearl Peak. Compared to the southern base camp at over 5,000 meters, many climbers chose the lower-altitude northern base camp for acclimatization training.
In the afternoon, Diao Zhuo and a climbing assistant named Pulan took a few of his friends on a glacier trek for training, returning to the base only a few hours later.
His friends had previously climbed Haba Snow Mountain, and for this ascent of Pearl Peak, Diao Zhuo had contacted Pulan, one of the climbing assistants who had guided Zhang Chenguang’s group on their last climb. During the training, Diao Zhuo asked about the day Zhang Chenguang went missing. Pulan was evasive, unable to recall exactly when he noticed Zhang Chenguang’s disappearance. Pressed further, he revealed a thought-provoking detail—several foreigners had temporarily joined his climbing team, increasing its size. When the weather suddenly changed, they couldn’t keep track of everyone.
"Those foreigners seemed to have argued with Zhang Chenguang. I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Later, I remember a foreigner with a red beard saying halfway that he wouldn’t go on and wanted to turn back, refusing to let any of our people accompany him. Oh, and when you were searching for Zhang Chenguang, didn’t you find a foreigner? I think he was one of them. But turning back was their decision, nothing to do with us." Pulan shrugged.
Diao Zhuo had heard earlier that the foreigner found by the Blue Sky Rescue Team was determined by a forensic examination to have died of hypothermia, attributed to being separated during a blizzard and freezing to death. Before coming to Qinghai, Diao Zhuo had specifically asked an acquaintance from the Blue Sky Rescue Team, who said that after confirming the identity, foreign police brought the family to claim the body. Surprisingly, the family had no idea the deceased had come to China.
This account was strikingly similar to that of Song Fan’s family. Whether it was Zhang Chenguang’s disappearance, Song Fan’s death, or the discovery of the foreigner’s body, all now seemed suspicious."They say even people with zero climbing experience can summit Pearl Peak, is that true?" Da Qiang panted heavily but still asked Diao Zhuo with great enthusiasm.
Diao Zhuo adjusted his breathing rhythm, walking at a steady pace. "The southern slope of Pearl Peak is like a steamed bun—this route is relatively safe. The mountain's microclimate generally cycles every 5 to 7 days, with a low probability of sudden blizzards. But low doesn't mean none. If you encounter sudden conditions, you must retreat promptly. For most people, the biggest challenge of climbing Pearl Peak isn't blizzards, cold weather, or climbing skills—it's altitude sickness. The base camp on the southern slope is at 5,100 meters. Due to sparse vegetation, the actual oxygen level is similar to that at 6,000 meters on Mount Everest. So, before summiting, you need to give yourself time to acclimatize."
Pulan nodded. "Some routes' biggest challenge is low temperatures, like the domestically reputed most dangerous hiking trail, the Ao-Tai Line. Some routes face fierce winds and blizzards—like Everest. However, many who have summited Everest first summited our Pearl Peak. As long as you've summited Pearl Peak, climbing Everest in the future won't be a problem."
Upon hearing this, Dong Bai pushed up his glasses and laughed heartily. "For me, the biggest difficulty in climbing Everest isn't altitude or climate, but..." He rubbed his fingers together and said loudly, "—no money!"
"Don't say that. Your magazine meets so many wealthy sponsors—just find a godfather, and you'll have everything."
"Bullshit! What nonsense are you talking!"
The burly men from the northwest laughed boisterously, startling a few pikas that had just peeked out nearby, causing them to dart back into their holes.
As they walked, getting closer to the base, several took out cigarettes. Dong Bai offered one to Diao Zhuo, lighting it while muttering, "You didn't light up the whole way..."
Diao Zhuo didn't take it. "Quit."
Dong Bai froze, cigarette dangling from his lips. "What's going on?"
"Master Ba won't allow it." Actually, he was just told to smoke less.
Da Qiang was taken aback and nudged him. "Your wife has you on such a tight leash!"
Still refusing, Diao Zhuo walked ahead.
"No big deal..." Da Qiang grinned cheekily and leaned in. "Have a smoke to celebrate your successful quitting."
With everyone around puffing away, Diao Zhuo didn't insist further. He took the cigarette, lit it, and the day's exhaustion seemed to ease with a few puffs.
The group noisily headed to eat near the base. The row of small buildings along the road had poor lodging conditions, but food and accommodation were adequate—just no showers. Like Tibet, many Sichuanese did business here, so the food leaned toward Sichuan cuisine. Diao Zhuo sat down, the distinct aroma of Sichuan red oil mixed with tobacco smoke wafting into his nostrils.
Outside, the sky had completely darkened. Passing trucks rumbled loudly, and the wind grew fierce and strong. Latecomers wore thick hats, unwilling to take them off even after sitting down. The plateau wind was harsh, easily giving people headaches.
"I'm starving! Order already, hurry up!" Everyone shouted as they sat around a round table by the window, ordering several hearty dishes and calling for a case of Qinghai Lake beer.A young guy was handing out missing item notices one by one. When he reached their table, Da Qiang, while prying open a bottle cap, half-jokingly said, "Looking for a water bottle, right? If we find it, we'll bring it back for you. No need to keep handing these out to us."
The ones previously slipped under their room door had probably been tossed by the guys. Diao Zhuo glanced at the flyer that had fallen under the table, seemed to notice something, picked it up to look, then pulled out his phone as if comparing it to some photos.
"Hey! Diao Zhuo! Look who that is..." Da Qiang stared ahead, dumbfounded, tugging repeatedly at his elbow.
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