From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

But she didn't cry, and she looked like someone who couldn't cry.

I didn't offer any comfort or say anything more; I just sat quietly to the side.

Some emotions can only be processed by oneself, and some knots in one's heart can only be untied by oneself.

After a moment, Su Wan took a deep breath, slowly composed herself, and her expression returned to calm.

The heavy burden that had enveloped her for years seemed to have faded considerably.

"Thank you," she said softly, her voice much gentler.

I looked at her and asked calmly, "You say you've let go, but ask yourself honestly, after all this time, have you truly let go completely?"

The firelight shone brightly, illuminating her serene eyes and brows.

She didn't answer me because she herself didn't know.

I know that her inner struggles are not something I can resolve with just a few words.

As I said before, some relationships require you to reconcile with yourself.

……

The next morning, I took Su Wan and Luo Peng to the Shuanghu County Meteorological Station.

Our purpose for this trip was very clear: to find out the actual weather conditions in the no-man's-land over the past two weeks.

However, the results of the inquiry were not optimistic.

Staff members responded that the weather in the uninhabited area has been generally bad recently, with frequent convective weather, and advised against crossing it rashly.

Just as my heart sank slightly, an old meteorologist who had been stationed on the plateau for many years quietly pulled me aside and told me the truth.

He said that most of the meteorological data currently monitored by the system is taken from points on the edge of uninhabited areas, which is very different from the actual weather in the hinterland.

The terrain in uninhabited areas is complex and the climate is constantly changing. In addition, local monitoring equipment is limited, so it is impossible to accurately predict the actual situation.

Often, while the edges are battered by blizzards, the interior remains clear and sunny.

These words instantly eased most of my tension.

This means we are not in a dead end; we have a chance to gamble.

He also told me that there would be a brief window of stable weather three days later.

I immediately decided to set the official start date for the mountain trip for three days from now.

For the next three days, we rested and reorganized in Shuanghu County, replenished supplies, prepared vehicles, and got ready to go into the mountains.

Back at the hotel, we immediately divided up the tasks.

Luo Peng took the initiative to handle the vehicle preparation work, driving three cars to the repair shop to maintain and inspect the chassis, tire pressure, oil and electrical systems, and also to get high-frequency wear parts such as easily damaged belts, water pipes, filters, and tire repair tools.

Su Wan and I stayed in the hotel courtyard to finalize the crossing route.

The initial route was a reference plan that Brother Wang had given me earlier.

Brother Wang had specifically instructed that a route on paper is ultimately fixed; the road conditions and weather in the uninhabited area are too unpredictable. Once you actually enter the mountains, it is difficult to follow the planned route exactly; you can only adapt to the situation.

Based on information obtained from meteorological stations, and considering the changeable climate characteristics of the plateau.

I made a bold adjustment to the original route.

I laid the map flat on the stone table and carefully analyzed the route with Su Wan.

"Look, the route that Brother Wang originally planned was to enter from the Sanjiangyuan Ruolacuo entrance and finally exit from Jieshan Daban to connect with National Highway 219."

"This is the classic route that most hikers in the industry choose, it's the shortest and most popular... but that's where the biggest problem lies now."

"If Lacha is the closest to Shuanghu County, all meteorological monitoring data is based on this area, so the weather here is basically accurate. Now, forcing our way through this area is like walking into the eye of a sandstorm; the risk is too great."

After I finished speaking, I picked up a red pen and circled a new area on the map, then redrawn a long route.

"My idea is to abandon this entrance, change the route northward, and cut in from the Purogangri Glacier."

"Traveling from the heart of the glacier eastward and northward, traversing the edge of the Hoh Xil region, then crossing National Highway 109, and finally exiting from the Sanjiangyuan area—do you think this plan is feasible?"

Su Wan bent down, her gaze fixed on the map, carefully examining the route I had drawn.

After a moment, she looked up at me and said calmly and objectively, "This new route is like taking a huge detour, so the distance will be much longer, right?"

I nodded and said frankly, "That's right, it's about a thousand kilometers more roundabout. But it perfectly avoids the recent high-risk weather areas, and it's currently the route with the highest margin of error."

With a solemn expression, I said in a deep voice, "This is also the core issue I'm considering, so for the next three days, we must streamline to the extreme. All unnecessary idle equipment and redundant clutter must be removed and simplified."

"The entire vehicle's space should be prioritized for fuel, dry food, clean water, and emergency medicine. Human life is paramount; supplies must be stockpiled in excess to prevent supply disruptions along the way."

Su Wan stared at the map and pondered in silence for a long time, weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, before finally nodding decisively.

"Okay, let's go with your new route plan. Avoiding risks is more important than taking shortcuts."

I felt instantly relieved and said with a smile, "With your words, I can go all out. We'll rest and replenish our supplies for the next three days, and then we'll set off on time."

No sooner had he finished speaking than his cell phone rang in his pocket.

During the daytime, the power supply to the base stations in Shuanghu County is stable, and mobile phone signals have returned to normal.

I took out my phone and saw that the caller ID was "A Qiu".

This is the first time they've contacted me since the convoy disbanded and they returned to the city.

I casually pressed the answer button, but instead of Ah Qiu's voice, I heard Wang Ge's slightly hurried voice through the receiver.

"Lin Ye, have you arrived in Shuanghu County yet?"

Hearing the urgency in his tone, I immediately replied seriously, "Yes, I just arrived yesterday. What's wrong, Brother Wang? Is it urgent?"

"I've been keeping an eye on the weather data in the no-man's-land these past two days, and I forgot to tell you beforehand."

"All the weather forecasts we can find on the external network are based on data from monitoring points on the edge of the Sanjiangyuan region. They cannot measure the actual conditions in the uninhabited areas, so they have very little reference value."

It turns out that Brother Wang called in such a hurry to tell me this news.

I quickly replied, "I understand. We just checked with the weather station this morning, and the staff said the same thing."

Wang Ge immediately offered advice: "Then you should change your plan as soon as possible and not enter through the original entrance. I suggest you abandon Ruolacuo and instead enter from the Altun Mountains."

As expected, experience matters, and Brother Wang's judgment coincided with my own.

However, my proposal is a bit more radical than his.

I immediately gave a complete reiteration of the proposed route relocation plan for the Purogangri Glacier that I had just finalized with Su Wan.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a clear sound of papers turning over.

It seems that Brother Wang is looking through the paper map in his hand, checking the route.

A full minute later, he slowly spoke: "Entering from the Purogangri Glacier? You've got guts."