From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Leng Shanshan sighed, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

She probably understood Su Qing's personality, so she stopped trying to persuade her.

She looked at me again, her tone solemn: "Promise me you will take good care of her and bring her back safely."

"I promise," I replied in a deep voice.

Leng Shanshan was silent for a moment, then bent down and walked to the corner of the wall, reached out and touched the little dumpling's head, and whispered:

"Okay, I'll take the cat with me and take good care of it. But you have to promise me one thing."

"you say."

"As long as there's a signal, you have to send me a message every day to let me know you're safe," Leng Shanshan said earnestly.

Su Qing readily agreed: "No problem. Besides, we'll be live-streaming the whole thing, so even if you don't receive my messages, you can still keep track of our schedule by watching the live stream."

Leng Shanshan nodded, stopped trying to persuade her, and gently bent down to pick up the little dumpling.

The little dumpling was exceptionally docile, nestled in her arms without moving, snoring contentedly.

She held the cat, then looked at Su Qing one last time, repeatedly reminding her, "Be careful on your journey, and stay safe. I'll be waiting for you to come back safely."

"I know, I know, you're even more nagging than my mom." Su Qing waved her hand with a smile.

Su Qing stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the car lights gradually disappear into the alley. She stood quietly for two seconds before turning around, closing the gate, and walking back to the stone bench to sit down.

"Now you can rest assured, right?" she looked up at me and said.

I nodded gently: "Thank you for your cooperation."

She waved her hand casually, feigning nonchalance: "It's only for two months. I'm relieved that Little Dumpling has someone to take care of him. By the way, is there anything you want to tell me before you leave?"

My expression turned serious again, and I said earnestly, "We can joke and banter all we want normally, but once we're in the no-man's-land, safety comes first, and you must follow my instructions."

Su Qing nodded readily in agreement: "Okay, I'll listen to you. But I also have my own thoughts and judgments, and I can't just blindly follow your every word."

"You can have your own ideas, but you must tell me about everything and every decision immediately. You cannot act on your own."

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. You're so long-winded."

Su Qing rolled her eyes, muttered something under her breath, and turned to go back to her room.

In an instant, the noise subsided, and the entire courtyard became completely quiet.

I sat alone on the stone bench, gazing at the lights shimmering on the distant river, letting the cool evening breeze caress my face, my heart filled with mixed emotions.

This journey through the no-man's-land may seem like everything is ready and waiting, but in reality, every step is fraught with danger and the road ahead is unknown.

In the desolate Gobi Desert, in the vast and uninhabited wilderness, no one can guarantee absolute safety.

I don't know if any of us will be able to make it through smoothly.

The thought of that desolate desert and Gobi fills me with both nervousness and a touch of excitement.

At this point, the team members were all confirmed.

We originally planned to use two modified Raptors, but the morning before we set off, my phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed it was Ah Qiu.

I quickly answered the phone, but it was Brother Wang's voice that came through the receiver.

"Lin Ye, adjust the vehicle configuration."

His tone was crisp and direct, without any unnecessary preamble.

"Hmm, how do I adjust it?" I asked.

"Two cars are not enough. There are six of us, plus a full set of outdoor equipment, medical supplies, enough spare fuel, camping equipment, and camera equipment for live streaming. The loading space in two cars is too full, and we might even be overloaded."

"Overloaded vehicles are prone to breakdowns when driving on sandy, washboard, or steep slopes. Getting stuck or having a tire blowout can be a fatal hazard."

I suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.

I had only considered passenger transport, but I overlooked the strict requirements for crossing uninhabited areas.

When traversing uninhabited areas, it is essential to allow for redundant load capacity; two vehicles simply cannot carry the full supplies for six people.

Wang Ge's experience is indeed far beyond that of ordinary people; he saw through the loopholes in my preparations at a glance.

Without hesitation, I immediately approved his proposal and dialed Chen Yunqing's number.

Explain Wang Ge's professional judgment and the core needs for vehicle adjustments.

Chen Yunqing acted swiftly and decisively, without uttering a single wasted word, and immediately agreed to coordinate resources.

They replied to me that afternoon, saying that the partner club would allocate an additional professional off-road pickup truck.

Two Raptors and one off-road pickup truck, a three-vehicle convoy, with personnel, supplies, and fuel loaded separately – this is the most stable configuration for traversing uninhabited areas.

As night deepened, this was our last night before setting off.

I made a special trip to Wang Ge's equipment shop to conduct a final inspection of all the supplies, vehicles, and equipment with him.

From first-aid medicines, cold-proof liners, and sand-proof escape tools, to spare fuel, satellite phones, and full-size spare tires...

We repeatedly checked and inspected every piece of equipment and every detail of the vehicle's condition.

After confirming that all supplies were complete and without any omissions, I took out two cigarettes and handed one to Brother Wang.

The two leaned against the hood of the car, chatting and relaxing under the cover of night.

A cool evening breeze blew as three fully equipped SUVs sat quietly under the streetlights, their rugged lines standing out prominently in the light.

ready.

Wang Ge, who was usually quiet, spoke up at this moment and asked softly, "We're leaving tomorrow, how are you feeling right now?"

I lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "To be honest, I'm both nervous and excited."

"In all my life, I have never challenged myself with anything so extreme. This crossing of the no-man's-land is the biggest breakthrough I have ever made in my life."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ge did not respond. His face remained as calm and composed as ever. He simply smoked silently, his gaze fixed on the dark night sky.

I turned to look at him, smiled, and asked, "And what about you? You've been doing outdoor activities for years, experiencing countless extreme challenges, big and small. You should be used to it by now and not nervous at all, right?"

Wang Ge slowly exhaled a smoke ring, squinted slightly, and glanced at the three off-road vehicles in front of him that were ready to go.

A few seconds later, he gently shook his head and said something surprising: "To be honest, I'm more nervous than you."

I froze instantly, my face filled with disbelief: "Impossible!"

"You've been involved in outdoor off-roading for years and have been to so many uninhabited areas, are you nervous?"

With a cigarette between his fingers, Wang Ge said in an unusually serious tone, "No matter how much experience you have, it can't withstand the unpredictable changes in the no-man's-land."

"The road conditions, weather, and terrain in the desert and Gobi change every day. Even if I successfully made it out yesterday, today there may be raging winds, permafrost collapses, and sand shifts inside."

"In such places, a seemingly insignificant vehicle getting stuck, a sudden blizzard, or a mishap with fuel supplies could be enough to trap us all, ruin all our previous efforts, or even endanger our lives."

Wang Ge is usually very sparing with words, but he specially told me so much today.

These are genuine pieces of experience, meant to prevent me from taking any chances.

I suppressed the relaxation in my heart, but still forced a smile and said:

"We're leaving tomorrow, so don't try to instill a sense of crisis in me, making my morale unstable and causing me to back out overnight."