Тhе vеhiсlе jolted its wау tо thе сheckpоint. Аfter reviеwing their seаrсh аnd rеsсuе letter, аrmed police offiсеr Zhang Shun lеd them аlоng thе еdge оf thе lаkе tо the оppositе sidе, wherе the Changrе Protеction Stаtiоn stооd. Тhе stаtion’s white wаlls аnd blaсk windоw frаmes stоod оut stаrkly agаinst thе eхpanse оf yellow-brоwn grаsslаnd—a сolor schеmе сommоn tо mоst hоusеs in thе Tibеtаn regiоn. Thе persоn in chаrgе hеre wаs а dаrk-skinnеd Tibetan mаn in a long robe namеd Cidan, assistеd by two еnthusiastiс hеlpеrs, Nima and Suolang.
This was the third time Zhang Shun had taken out the logbook bearing Zou Kaigui’s name to show rescue teams entering Qiangtang for the search. He was unaware that the previous two rescue teams had failed to locate Zou Kaigui.
Zhang Shun explained, “He (Zou Kaigui) carried a gasoline stove, a handheld GPS, and batteries. The earlier teams said finding the handheld GPS would mean they were halfway to success.”
Diao Zhuo asked, “Did he mention encountering any difficulties or complain about any physical discomfort?”
Cidan thought for a moment and replied in a long stretch of Tibetan. Bayunye, familiar with the language, smoothly translated for the group: “They said Zou Kaigui arrived at the protection station on the fifth day after entering Qiangtang. After being sternly warned by the armed police, he promised to return the same way to Rutog County. They kindly checked his bicycle and found that the welding points on the cargo rack had completely cracked, and the tires were wobbly. He said he had taken a hard fall while going downhill. They could only help him secure it with straps and wire, and applied some oil. They believe that since Zou Kaigui has been missing for nearly 80 days, the chances of him surviving are zero.”
Diao Zhuo said, “Ask them how Zou Kaigui behaved when he arrived at the protection station.”
After Cidan’s response, she translated again: “They said he ate ravenously when he arrived, consuming as much food as the three of them combined. When he left, he mentioned that the water in his hydration bladder was almost gone, so he refilled three bladders at the station before setting off.”
“Did he mention anything about his daughter?” Diao Zhuo gestured toward Cidan with his chin.
After listening to Bayunye’s translation, Cidan looked confused, seemingly unaware of any connection between the missing middle-aged man and a daughter.
Bayunye found this unbelievable. “They don’t know the story about Zou Kaigui searching for his daughter. He never told them.”
This information left everyone involved in the rescue feeling deeply puzzled.
“Maybe he thought the people at the protection station couldn’t possibly have seen his daughter, so telling them would be pointless,” Ye Xun offered a vague explanation that sounded somewhat evasive.
In truth, it would have been better if he had remained silent at a time like this, as his words only invited more speculation.
Bayunye crossed her arms, her tone casual but deliberately probing Diao Zhuo’s capabilities. “Captain Diao, what’s the next step?”
“The principle remains to search along routes deviating from his original plan. However, I believe he wouldn’t have strayed too far, as three bladders of water wouldn’t sustain him for long. He would have returned to routes with vehicle tracks, especially those with relatively clean water sources. We’ll split into three teams and expand the search northeast and southeast.”
Bayunye pressed further, “Zou Kaigui has extensive cycling experience. To avoid inspections, he wouldn’t have wandered aimlessly. Captain Diao, you need to provide a more specific principle.”
“Follow the tributary channels of freshwater lakes.”
“Why?”"He ate a huge amount at the protection station, which shows that in the previous days, his body was in a state of abnormally high energy consumption. But because he restrained his appetite and didn't eat much, it indicates that he cared about the durability of his supplies during the crossing. Only by following a route that could provide water at any time—even if it meant taking extra time to melt ice for water—would be better than detouring to find another water source. Moreover, the terrain near the riverbed is relatively flat, avoiding further physical exertion. Of course, wide river basins can be ruled out. If the ice layer melts too much, his snowmobile would struggle to cross and would get his shoes and pants wet." Diao Zhuo raised an eyebrow. "Here, getting wet is no fun."
Bayunye deliberately looked him up and down, revealing a mischievous smile. "I think getting 'wet' sounds pretty fun."
Openly flirting!
Diao Zhuo pretended not to hear.
Xiang An asked, "Do you have any leads?"
"I know which direction to go. Just follow my vehicle tomorrow," she replied confidently.
"Master Ba is amazing!" Ye Xun said happily.
Hippo also swelled with pride. "Our Master Ba is a living map."
Considering everyone's physical and psychological adaptability upon first entering Qiangtang, Bayunye suggested staying at the protection station for one day before setting out again. After all, beyond this point, they might not encounter another human being.
In the afternoon, aside from strong winds, the weather remained unchanged, and it was estimated that the night wouldn't be as cold as the previous one. Xiao Zi fiddled with her camera and asked if she could take a photo of the starry sky at night. Bayunye readily agreed, saying that with the lake and mountains outside, the starry sky would look especially beautiful—provided she could withstand the extreme winds and low temperatures. She also reminded her that if the temperature dropped too low, the camera could break.
Nima and Suolang prepared a dinner with meat and vegetables—four large bowls and two big pots of highland barley noodles floating with minced meat and scallions, steaming hot and placed on the round table. The conditions at the protection station weren't as good as outside, so Nima and Suolang had frozen the minced meat in advance. When the noodles were cooked, they scooped a few spoonfuls of the minced meat into them, and the meal was ready.
The men filled large bowls with highland barley noodles and dug in eagerly. The noodles made from highland barley were darker in color than wheat noodles, lacked chewiness, and had a light broth. They were soft and tender, without any fancy toppings, but the pure meaty aroma of Tibetan fragrant pork made up for it.
An old-fashioned radio played Tibetan folk songs, sounding very cheerful, with strong, uplifting drumbeats. After two days without a proper meal, everyone suddenly understood how Zou Kaigui felt when he ate enough for three people.
The warmth of the Tibetan people was fully displayed at the dinner table. Cidan started dancing to the music, and Bayunye put down her chopsticks, singing as she joined in, her movements graceful. The men from the Rescue Team, who had already considered her one of the guys, were momentarily stunned by her charm. Eventually, almost everyone joined in, dancing in a circle around the table, regardless of whether their moves were correct or not. They simply followed what the person in front did, singing and dancing until they were all panting heavily.
Diao Zhuo remained seated, his gaze unconsciously following Bayunye through the crowd. A woman with striking looks could attract men's attention even if she stood still in a crowd, let alone when she danced like a spirited fairy. She twirled over, using her scarf as a ceremonial hada, draping it over Diao Zhuo's neck. Joyful as a bird darting through the clouds, she panted lightly and said, "Come join us, Captain Diao!"With that, she grabbed his hand and pushed him directly into the dancing crowd.
“Crazy, crazy!” Ye Xun was swept up by the crowd, waving his arms and stomping his feet, unable to resist the infectious energy. Without a second thought, he grabbed Xiao Zi’s hand and began spinning her around the room. Xiao Zi had been quite cheerful, but as soon as he pulled her, her expression darkened instantly. She tried to shake him off twice but failed, then lowered her head numbly, swaying unsteadily as she followed his lead.
“Whoo-hoo—” Some of the team members, still craving more excitement, leaped onto another person’s back like victorious athletes, waving scarves or hats in their hands.
Diao Zhuo seemed to have anticipated it. Sure enough, Bayunye leaped onto his back like a monkey, shouting “Giddy up!”
He didn’t reach back to support her legs, instead turning his head to ask, “Do you believe I’ll throw you off?”
“You can try.” She clamped her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind in a classic rear-naked chokehold.
Diao Zhuo had trained in mixed martial arts for a while and knew how dangerous this move could be. Since she was only joking and not applying any real force, he didn’t resist. In a real fight, if someone locked you in this hold, struggling even slightly could mean a broken neck with just a bit of pressure. He had experienced her aggressiveness firsthand—this one was definitely someone you could treat as a brother.
With a click, the entire room went dark, leaving only the solar-powered streetlights outside still glowing.
Cidan said, “It’s fine, probably just a gasoline generator issue. I’ll go check it out.”
The roomful of dancing people fell silent, their panting breaths rising and falling in the darkness. Singing and dancing at an altitude of 5,000 meters was no easy feat for ordinary people. Still, everyone felt quite happy. As the saying goes, every gathering is a blessing.
In the darkness, Diao Zhuo felt the arms locked around his neck loosen, thinking she was about to get down. He waited silently, but instead, she blew a soft breath into his right ear.
Diao Zhuo clenched his fists, his throat tightening. To say his heart remained unmoved would be a lie.
She acted like a man most of the time, yet she knew exactly how to flirt.
Then, her soft, warm tongue flicked against his earlobe.
Diao Zhuo stiffened all over, a surge of heat rushing from below straight into his brain. Every brain cell roared at him, warning that he’d be finished if this continued! He reached back, gripped her waist, and yanked her off his body.
She let out a small “ah” as she landed. He turned around, and she punched him, her fist bouncing off his rock-hard body. Cursing under her breath, she muttered, “I twisted my ankle…”
Good—let’s see if you’ll keep causing trouble now!
The electricity returned as suddenly as it had gone out. Cidan called out breathlessly from outside, “It’s fixed, it’s fixed!”
Bayunye limped to the other side of the crowd, deliberately putting distance between herself and Diao Zhuo, as if afraid he might hit her.
Diao Zhuo glanced pointedly at her leg… Served her right.
Even so, he pushed through the crowd and walked over to check on her. She truly had no sense of propriety, sitting right on the ground, taking off her shoe and rubbing her foot. Diao Zhuo pointed at her foot as if to make a point. “Lucky it’s your left foot—you can still drive.”
“Can’t drive now. Someone will have to carry me the whole way,” she said shamelessly.
“Really?” With that, he actually raised his leg as if to stomp on it.
Though she was lower down, Bayunye still tilted her head to glare up at him, wearing that fearless, infuriating expression of hers.This guy! Although Diao Zhuo wouldn't actually step down, he still made a show of moving downward.
She reacted extremely quickly, suddenly wrapping both hands around his raised leg and twisting it to the side, while simultaneously pulling out one hand to strike his waist. With this set of movements, as long as the other person lost balance and tilted, the next second she would have him pinned to the ground.
Diao Zhuo had already braced one of her shoulders a step earlier, his tone intensifying, "Is that really necessary?"
The hand poised to strike his waist relaxed its force, giving his hip a light pat, "Just teasing you."
Diao Zhuo, who had inadvertently let her take a little advantage again, felt a vein bulge on his forehead. Suppressing the urge to immediately give her a shoulder throw, he reached out and pulled her up. Hippo had been holding back laughter while watching for a long time. As Diao Zhuo turned and walked over, he quickly offered a cigarette, smiling as he said, "Captain Diao, Master Ba isn't easy to mess with, right?"
Diao Zhuo lit the cigarette, not responding immediately, but thinking to himself, not just not easy to mess with—she's got a whole set of skills for overpowering men.
Xiang An walked over with some concern, "How about you ride in my passenger seat tomorrow, and let Da Qin drive your car."
Bayunye winked at him and gently shook her head.
Xiang An was taken aback, then suddenly understood, chuckling as he reached out, "Want me to help you up?"
Bayunye extended her hand without any hesitation. As he pulled, she smoothly stood up and plopped back into her chair. Still hungry from earlier, she slurped up a few more noodles.
Xiao Zi put on her hat to go out and photograph the stars, while Ye Xun followed with a tripod to watch. The other team members helped Cidan and the others boil water.
Is this girl really going out to take photos... Bayunye shook her head, thinking she probably wouldn't last long before the wind made her dizzy and she had to come back. After driving all day, she felt a bit drowsy, considering that she'd just fetch a basin of hot water, give herself a quick wipe-down, and then head off to sleep.
Tonight was also cold, but not as freezing as the previous night. The thermometer showed -10°C, with few clouds. The moon looked larger than usual, and the starry sky was fully visible in the clear air. The wind remained strong, whipping the plastic sheets covering the dried yak dung with loud slaps—even stones weighing down the edges were no use.
Xiao Zi had no intention of waiting for Ye Xun. Stepping onto the frozen lake surface, she walked quickly on her own. He called out to her several times from behind, but she acted as if she didn't hear.
Ye Xun slipped, falling flat on his back. Getting up, he suddenly lunged like a hungry tiger, grabbing her shoulder with one hand and yanking hard, "Are you deaf?!" Xiao Zi glared back at him, feeling more and more that he was exceptionally ugly.
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