From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

After a brief pause, Wang Ge said seriously, "I studied this route years ago, and it does indeed avoid the recent storm belt. However, the increased mileage will double the pressure on supplies. Do you have enough reserves?"

"By sharing the load among our three vehicles, we can expand our capacity. Streamlining some unnecessary equipment shouldn't be a problem."

Wang Ge pondered for a moment, then said, "Okay, I've checked the terrain and weather. Your new route is even more secure than the Altyn Tagh entrance I suggested. As long as supplies are sufficient, it's entirely feasible."

I felt a slight sense of emotion.

To be honest, Wang Ge has long since left the team and has no contractual ties with us, so there's absolutely no need for him to bother helping us analyze the route anymore.

His urgent call, made specifically for this reason, was purely a testament to his reliable character.

I humbly asked, "Brother Wang, do you think there are any hidden loopholes along this route?"

"No loopholes."

Wang Ge paused for a moment, then sincerely praised, "To be honest, Lin Ye, I really admire you. This was your first time entering the no-man's-land, and you had no practical experience, yet you were able to decisively change your route based on the weather and terrain. This composure and analytical ability are stronger than many veteran outdoor enthusiasts."

I smiled wryly and said, "There's no way around it. This is a life-or-death situation, and I can't afford to be careless."

"Get ready," Wang said in a deep voice. "Once you successfully cross the chasm, you'll be a true veteran outdoor enthusiast. I won't bother you any longer; I'll wait for your triumphant return."

"Okay, I'll come out and have a drink with you."

After hanging up the phone, I checked the route against the map twice more.

Make sure you know every turning point and every section of the road by heart.

When I put away the map and looked up, Su Wan was no longer in the courtyard.

I turned my head and saw that she was actively chatting with the local hotel owner.

Su Wan has a reserved personality and doesn't take the initiative to chat or make small talk with others.

The reason we are asking for advice now is simply to learn more about wilderness survival skills that only locals know, so as to add another layer of protection to our journey.

I'm increasingly convinced that she's truly an extremely reliable teammate.

Taking advantage of a free moment, I opened my phone and sent a message to Su Qing.

Then I told her the whole story of how we changed our hiking route and postponed our trip into the mountains by three days.

She, thousands of miles away, will always be the one who cares most about my safety.

Within minutes, her reply popped up on my phone.

"Isn't changing the route at the last minute too risky?"

Looking at the text message Su Qing sent on my phone screen, I can imagine how anxious she must be right now.

Even from a distance of thousands of miles, you could feel her anxiety.

I patiently typed a reply to soothe her emotions and prevent her from overthinking.

"It's not exactly risky; on the contrary, it's the safest option at the moment."

"The original planned entrance had terrible weather conditions, with sandstorms and blizzards coming one after another. Trying to force your way in would be gambling with your life. Although the new route is more than a thousand kilometers longer and the journey is more tiring, it avoids that high-risk area and reduces the overall risk by a lot."

The message had just been sent when Su Qing's reply popped up within seconds.

"But this adds thousands of kilometers to the journey! Fuel consumption, food, and stamina will all be excessive. That no-man's-land is barren; every extra kilometer increases the risk of unknown danger. How can you be so indifferent?"

I stared at those words, and a warm feeling welled up inside me.

What others care about is whether I can successfully cross the river and turn my life around, gaining both fame and fortune.

Su Qing, however, did not ask for my success, but only for my safety.

I calmed myself down and continued typing to reassure him: "I just discussed this new route with Brother Wang. After listening to my plan, he approved of it. It's much more stable than the original route."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Su Qing immediately replied emotionally, "Why are you still in contact with him! I've always felt that he doesn't deserve the title of 'wilderness master' at all."

I knew she still harbored resentment towards Wang Ge, so I could only patiently explain:

"He contacted me first. He's already left the team and has no contract with us anymore, so he has absolutely no obligation to concern himself with my affairs. But he still called to remind me of the weather leak. He's actually a pretty reliable guy, so don't hold a grudge against him."

There was a two-second silence on the screen before Su Qing's tone softened slightly: "Alright, at least he has some sense of responsibility. Now that the route is set, when exactly are you leaving?"

Three days later.

"Alright, remember to act within your limits and don't overexert yourself." Her tone instantly became serious.

"Don't worry, I won't act impulsively or fight recklessly. I won't do anything I'm not confident about. I'll definitely come out safe and sound."

After the message was sent, there was silence on the other end for a while.

Immediately afterwards, a message filled with trepidation popped up on the screen:

"It's not that I don't trust your judgment, I'm just uncontrollably afraid."

"Lin Ye, I've been researching a lot about uninhabited areas these past two days. Once we venture deep into the heart of the region and completely lose signal, we'll be completely helpless."

"Promise me you won't push yourself to your limits. If you sense anything is wrong, turn back immediately, okay?"

Even from just a few paragraphs, I could feel the worry in Su Qing's heart.

I took a deep breath and replied seriously, "Okay, I promise you."

"I have to come back to keep my promise to you, and I have to accompany you to see all the stars, moon, mountains and rivers. I will absolutely not let anything happen to me."

After the message was sent, the screen remained silent for a long time.

Just when I thought she wouldn't reply anymore, a new message suddenly popped up:

"Remember what you said today. If you really can't get out of here, I'll find someone else to be my boyfriend and I'll never wait for you again."

Those harsh words warmed my heart yet also made me feel a pang of sadness.

I know better than anyone that's not what she meant at all.

They were just too scared, so they used this method to force me to return safely.

This concern that spanned thousands of miles became my strongest source of confidence before I faced the desperate situation.

Before I could even type a reply, a voice call came through.

I immediately pressed the answer button.

Su Qing's sweet voice came through immediately: "Typing is too much trouble. You have a signal during the day, so let's just make a voice call."

"Sure, the signal is fairly stable during the day, but it gets intermittent at night."

"Then I'll call you every day during the day before you leave."

It feels good to be someone's constant thought and concern.

I smiled and then asked her, "You went to the hospital for a follow-up checkup? What did the doctor say?"

A soft sigh came from the other end of the phone: "It's similar to the conclusion from the Lhasa hospital."

"What kind of treatment is needed?"

"It seems... I need to have surgery."

She spoke listlessly, with a hint of grievance, "I hate surgery, I don't want to have surgery at all."

"Afraid of pain? It's okay, they'll give you anesthesia, you'll just take a nap and it'll be over."

"It's not that I'm afraid of the pain!" she immediately retorted. "I'm afraid of scarring. What if you feel uncomfortable seeing it later?"

I burst out laughing instantly, and the oppression in my heart vanished.

"You're overthinking it. I don't care about any of that. You're fine with me no matter what."

After saying that, I immediately followed up with, "Has the surgery been scheduled?"

"not yet."

"If the illness isn't urgent, we can postpone it until I travel back in time to be with you."

But Su Qing was remarkably carefree, saying earnestly, "Just focus on completing your time travel and don't get distracted. I'm not a child; I don't need you to take care of me."

"I'm just worried that you'll be hospitalized alone, without anyone to take care of you," I said in a low voice.

"I still have Leng Shanshan. Although I really want you by my side, I hope even more that you can focus on your work without any distractions. Your safe and sound recovery is more important than anything else."