Chapter 6

Due to the time zone, the sunset time in the northwest in July is generally around 7 o'clock. Complete darkness occurs after 8 o'clock

Visibility is too low, Fu Xun turns on the high beams: "The sandstorm has just started, and it won't stop anytime soon"

Unable to find anyone, then proceed as originally planned. Shengzi will return to Dachaidan Shaliang to search for a suitable campsite and make preparations first

Initially, one could occasionally see the barbed wire fences along the roadside, although the enclosed area was a piece of wasteland, it could still be considered to have had some human presence.

Before Qu Yiqian could recover from this unprecedented shocking conclusion and save herself, a bony hand accurately grasped the back of her neck, mercilessly pulling her out of the ground

Qu Yixian was completely unfamiliar with this instruction and did not know how to respond

Eventually, not to mention the barbed wire, even the tire tracks took a sharp turn and disappeared

Seeing that the soil was not buried too deeply, Fu Xun let out a sigh of relief and changed his grip from lifting to holding.

The vehicle is to go only to the signal base station. If no one is found on the way, it will return to camp near Shaliang. The big G will head north, regardless of whether there are any clues, and will return to camp before dark

Given the current wind conditions, it is highly likely that there will be sand and dust storms in the latter half of the night.

The driver, Shengzi, is the team leader of the Qinghai Skywalker Outdoor Club. He arrived at the signal base station located by Qu Yixian according to the GPS navigation.

She stood in a position that was both within his line of sight and outside the danger zone of the winch trailer

As the sky darkens, the western side of the Yadan no longer sees sunlight, only a dimly lit sliver of the sunset stained red. The afterglow of the colorful clouds streaks across the horizon, dyeing the golden-edged skyline as if it were a celestial palace in the heavens.

As the strings of the tune resonate, I think of the tourists who, at this very moment, are still lost in some corner of the desert—without water, lost, their phone batteries depleted, and all alone

Not causing any trouble at all

As her hand just passed through her two ribs, not yet leveraging any strength, Qu Yiqian cast a strange glance at him, her hands tightly gripping his forearm above her head

In addition to the elusive difficulty, the terrain from Yumen Pass to the Yadan Devil City is complex, and the supporting rescue forces must expand the search area to a radius of 200 kilometers

Worse still, they are still forty minutes away from the camp

The return route differs from the one taken to arrive, passing through a deep ravine within the Yadan landform and traversing the river valley.

Qu Yixian followed closely behind Fu Xun for a while, but did not find an opportunity to help. After thinking it over, she realized that the assistance she could provide would likely just be a hindrance, so she decided to retreat to a safe zone

I wonder if he regrets it now

Qu Yi's reaction was relatively quick; although he did not fully understand what was happening, he instinctively protected his head with his elbows and made an effort to lunge forward.

Under the two beams of straight light, he walked against the light, making it impossible to see his expression. It was only vaguely discernible that his gaze was directed at a point above her head

Otherwise, we would not have entered the desert in the morning and run out of supplies by noon, leaving us with no choice but to seek help

The layer of salt crust on the surface is exceedingly brittle, and the powerful G engine has left deep tire tracks on the ground, almost carving out a trench in the muddy terrain, revealing the soft fine sand beneath the salt crust

Across a deep Yadan ravine, the tranquility of the distant sunset is obscured. A gust of wind sweeps out from the bottom of the gorge, stirring up sand and stones.

She recalled the last moment she saw in her vision, momentarily dazed, and finally came to her senses

His expression changed dramatically as he shouted sternly: "Get out of the way!"

The situation is urgent, and Fu Xun must be planning to use the winch to save himself

"Where is it nearby?" Fu Xun inquired

Qu Yi Xian rushed into his embrace, whispering nervously: "Something happened... it caught my foot..."

Fu Xun remained calm. He assessed the current situation, his gaze fixed on the engine RPM on the dashboard, and without any hesitation, released the accelerator.

Such terrain makes it exceptionally difficult for even the most capable individuals to advance

This news was within Fu Xun's expectations

As soon as the accelerator was released, the engine's RPM immediately dropped like a spinning top that had been abruptly pulled back.

After discussing with the driver of the security vehicle, Fu Xun and the others split into two groups

Qu Yi Xian immediately understood.

In the shallow areas of the river valley and the Gobi Desert, there is a sheltered spot surrounded by earth mounds, or more precisely, a narrow crack that has opened up.

After Big G returns, we will converge based on the coordinates

I drove all the way here and did not see anyone

Almost at the moment she fell to the ground, a faint buzzing sound echoed in her ears. In the midst of the dizziness, the weight pressing down from behind was as heavy as a rock, causing her chest to constrict and nearly suffocating her

The mobile signal base station is located to the east, which is not on the way

Damn, I have been buried alive!

Shh

Upon entering the valley, the concentrated flow of water has sculpted the ground into textures resembling a riverbed that has been instantly drained. One moment, the sediment is being stirred by the flowing water, creating ripples, and the next moment, the river has dried up, leaving the surface parched and cracked under the relentless sun, forming patches of salt crust.

After the weather changed, the sky darkened very quickly

In the moment when the wind suddenly rose, Da G was violently pushed down the sandy ridge, and Qu Yiqian could almost hear the faint sound of the salt shell being crushed.

In just a breath, the setting sun outside the deep ravines was no longer visible, as the yellow sand, thick and overwhelming, surged in waves, pushed by the wind, crashing towards me.

The force was too intense, and the surface of the salt crust was completely crushed. The fine sand buried beneath the salt crust emerged like hands reaching out from hell, ensnaring the four wheels and continuously dragging them down.

Fu Xun was driving and instructed Qu Yiqian to help him activate the hands-free feature.

The desolation of the uninhabited area is filled with nothing but mugwort, presenting a scene of utter bleakness

In addition to modifications made to the tires, engine, suspension components, and headlights, Fu Xun's vehicle has undergone extensive alterations to the front and rear bumpers, side steps, and spoilers. The front of the vehicle has been reinforced with a winch, while the rear has been equipped with a convenient tow hook.

Shengzi said: "I also drove around near the base station, but found nothing."

Although the gravel road in the first half is not very easy to traverse, Fu Xun drives steadily, and with the tires being modified MT all-terrain deep-tread mud tires, the grip is fierce, making the ride not too bumpy

Qu Yi Xian glanced at the increasingly low and gray sky on the horizon, listened to the rising sound of the wind across the desolate wilderness, and no longer hesitated: "Let us return to the camp"

The sky darkened exceptionally quickly, with wind and sand rising. Within the visible range, yellow sand mixed with gravel continuously battered against the vehicle's body

If the cruiser with a single string does not run aground halfway, the third waypoint of the rescue route will be this valley, which is also the essential supply coordinate agreed upon by her and Fu Xun.

She squinted her eyes, and in the valley where the only illumination came from the headlights of the large G vehicle three meters away, she gritted her teeth and thoroughly chewed on the phrase "everything is inappropriate" once again

Before long, the visible fine sand that could not be blown away accumulated into a thin layer of dust on the windshield, resembling a fine line, meandering and winding.

The top layer of sand is being devoured by the wind, continuously sliding down along the cracks. When it reaches the swan's neck formed by the cracks, the descent accelerates, pulling down the sand below along with it.

Fu Xundun came to a halt

The further one goes north, the more desolate it becomes.

In the afternoon, while waiting for the cruisers to descend at Shaliang, she idly took her time to carefully admire the entire area of the large G.

At the same time, the sound of the tires spinning in the sand pit buzzed to life. The fine sand, unearthed by the wheels, tirelessly washed over the vehicle's body again and again, producing a gentle sound with each grain.

The wind and sand outside are too strong; even wearing Fu Xun's coat cannot shield her from the wind that seeps through the thin fabric and grinds into her bones. Not to mention the pervasive sand, she hasn't even opened her mouth, yet the sound of sand being crushed by her teeth fills the air.

It is easy to imagine what a significant challenge this poses for the rescue team

Shengzi agreed and before hanging up the phone, Xiaoyi reminded, "The weather is not good today, the forecast predicts strong winds, and I estimate there will be sandstorms in the latter half of the night. Don't go too far, regardless of whether you find the person or not, make sure to return to the camp before dark, otherwise it could be dangerous."

While the vehicle was halfway through its journey, the driver of the escort vehicle received a phone call

In just a matter of a few dozen minutes, the sand and dust obscured the sky and sun

However, the situation of this missing tourist is different; he did not have a backup of his planned route, and even his entry into the desert was a spur-of-the-moment decision, completely unprepared

"It is indeed a sandstorm." Qu Yiqian glanced at the rearview mirror, the world behind was more perilous and frightening than the road ahead

Darkness inherently has the capacity to destroy a person's will; if one were to encounter a sandstorm... even the most resilient desire to survive would be gradually scattered by the winds of the desert.

Desert rescue, the most effective method is to search along the planned route map left by the missing tourists. Even if the individual deviates from the planned course, the subsequent search and rescue teams will still find it relatively easy.

The water source that flowed through this valley before it dried up was the ancient Shule River outside the Yumenguan Pass, with the river flowing westward and ultimately converging into the Lop Nur through the Sanlong Sand.

She vowed that after it was done, she would definitely buy a calendar to tear off a page every day to play with

Dust storms are common in the deserts of the northwest, but in July, Dunhuang has entered the summer heat, and dust storms rarely occur.

As the body of the vehicle sank, I pressed the accelerator again, only to hear the sound of the four wheels spinning idly.

This wind pattern has just begun to form, and it is estimated that it will take some time before the sandstorm matures

She tentatively took a breath, her nasal passages and lips completely blocked by sand

Fu Xun withdrew his gaze, intending to make the final adjustments to the winch. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the cracked clay behind her, teetering on the brink of collapse

His expression slightly tightened, initially thinking it was just his own illusion. He focused slightly and raised the flashlight to take a look.

Fu Xun replied softly: "I understand."

The fine sand raised by the rear of the vehicle is whipped into a vortex by the wind, rushing in from all directions

In the evening, the wind rose, carrying fine sand that swept across the surface. Small stones fell onto the windshield, producing a rustling sound. That sound resembled raindrops falling on a rainy day, coming and going intermittently

Fu Xun secured the winch on the support point, and after all the preparations in front of the trailer were completed, he glanced at Qu Yixian, feeling quite relieved.

He lowered the brim of his hat and took a sports jacket from the back seat, handing it to her: "Put this on and get out of the car with me"

But today the wind is somewhat strange. The sand content in the wind seems to have completely stripped away the entire Yadan landform, all of it swirling into the wind.

Unfortunately, it is too late

The vehicle is stuck

The entire vehicle suddenly lurched backward, about to sink into the sand pit. Fu Xun slammed the accelerator, rapidly increasing the RPM several times in succession. The roar of the engine momentarily drowned out the sound of the wind stirred up by the deep ditch. The front of the G-Class surged forward, like a fierce beast breaking free from its cage, charging out with great force