From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

The wolf's howl was both shrill and clear, and it clearly reached the ears of the three of us.

One second the carriage was filled with laughter and warmth, the next it was deathly silent.

All the joking and relaxation vanished without a trace at that moment.

The smile on my face froze instantly, my nerves tightened, and I went into a state of alert.

Luo Peng, who was beside him, also fell silent instantly. The satisfaction on his face vanished in an instant, and his eyes were fixed on the dark car window. He even subconsciously slowed down his breathing.

Even the usually calm and composed Su Wan regained her usual cold and sharp demeanor, gazing intently at the dark night outside the window.

The entire carriage was eerily quiet, with only the howling wind and snow outside the window and the three of us breathing softly.

After a long, silent standoff, Luo Peng finally asked in a very low voice, "You...you all heard it, right?"

Su Wan and I both nodded; we hadn't misheard, it was definitely a wolf's howl.

This is the first time we've heard wolves howling since entering this no-man's-land.

Moreover, the sound was extremely penetrating; it was not a faint sound coming from afar. It felt very close to us, most likely from the snowfields surrounding our camp.

A wave of fear washed over me, and a cold sweat inexplicably broke out on my back.

At that moment, I was incredibly glad that I had impulsively decided to take the roasted rabbit back to the car to eat.

If you're having a barbecue outside, the wolves, with their keen sense of smell, will definitely charge right over.

We won't have time to react then, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Brother Lin, what do we do? Can we still sleep in a tent tonight?" Luo Peng asked cautiously, his voice tinged with trepidation.

Without a second thought, camping in the wild at night, facing a pack of wolves, is tantamount to handing yourself over to the jaws of wild beasts.

My brain raced, quickly weighing the pros and cons, and I immediately said, "We'll sleep in the car tonight. Everyone, quickly move the supplies around in the car, squeeze in a little, and we can barely manage for one night."

"it is good."

Su Wan and Luo Peng nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

Fortunately, we have three cars in total, so we don't have to squeeze all three of us into one car.

This ensures that each vehicle has its own rest space while also forming a vehicle formation that allows them to rely on each other.

However, each vehicle was crammed with camping equipment and rescue gear, and the interior space was already cramped and narrow. If you wanted to lie down and rest, you had to rearrange and stack the supplies.

Having gone through life-and-death experiences together, the three of us had already developed a tacit understanding. Without needing any unnecessary words, we each acted swiftly.

The night outside the window was as black as ink, with only boundless darkness and howling wind and snow.

We acted swiftly, quickly securing all kinds of supplies, moving heavy equipment to the back seats and trunk, and clearing out resting space in the front.

I glanced at Su Wan's car; the items in her car were the most neatly and orderly arranged, showing that she was extremely self-disciplined.

However, because the supplies were placed so compactly, there was almost no extra space in the front row, making it impossible to lay out a cold-proof and moisture-proof mat.

At night on the plateau, the temperature drops to minus twenty degrees Celsius. The enclosed carriage is not resistant to the cold at all. Without a blanket or mattress to keep warm, it is very easy to catch a cold after sleeping all night.

At an altitude of 4,000 meters on the plateau, the worst thing to do is to catch a cold.

A common cold can easily worsen into pulmonary edema here, which can lead to high fever, paralysis, and inability to walk, or even death.

Without saying a word, I silently opened my trunk and took out a thick, windproof, and waterproof windbreaker.

Through the car window, I handed the clothes to Su Wan.

"The temperature drops quickly at night, and the car is not very warm. Cover yourself with a blanket to keep warm and avoid catching a cold. Colds at high altitudes can easily lead to pulmonary edema, which is not worth it."

Su Wan didn't mince words or stand on ceremony; she immediately took the clothes and softly replied to me, "Thank you."

Two simple words: gentle and sincere.

In just a few minutes, everyone was settled in.

The wasteland fell into complete silence, and even the sound of wind and snow seemed to have weakened.

But this silence only made people more uneasy.

I turned off all the interior lights and completely concealed the vehicle's light to avoid attracting any wild animals roaming the area.

Even through the closed car windows, all the sounds outside could be heard very clearly.

From afar and nearby, the intermittent howls of wolves rose and fell, mournful and lingering, hovering around the camp like ghosts, impossible to shake off.

Occasionally, you can hear the soft sound of footsteps on the snow, making a soft rustling sound as they step on the snow.

The wolves hadn't gone far; they were circling our three vehicles, repeatedly probing them.

Wolves are highly intelligent, patient, and shrewd apex predators that never attack rashly.

They are adept at lurking and observing; even after locking onto their prey, they will follow it from a distance.

Only after thoroughly understanding the prey's background and condition, and confirming that they are completely safe, will they launch an attack.

They are not rushing in now, but observing and waiting for us to reveal a weakness.

I was exhausted, my body was completely drained, and my eyelids were so heavy I could barely keep them open.

But the howling wolves and footsteps that lingered in my ears kept my mind alert and my whole body tense to the extreme.

After an unknown period of tense standoff, Su Wan's voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie in the quiet night.

She kept her voice extremely low, afraid of disturbing the wild animals outside.

"Still not asleep?"

I immediately lowered my voice and replied, "I can't sleep. It's not completely quiet outside, so I can't relax."

A brief silence filled the channel, the sound of wind and snow clearly audible.

A few seconds later, Su Wan's voice rang out again: "Don't worry, it's just a probe. Wild wolf packs are naturally afraid of groups of vehicles and the scent of humans, so they won't dare to launch a direct attack. As long as we don't expose ourselves or turn on any light sources, we'll be safe."

Su Wan shared the same thoughts as me, but it was clear that she was also constantly on guard against everything happening around her.

At that moment, Luo Peng's voice came through the walkie-talkie again, also in a very low voice:

"Brother Lin, Sister Wan, you two take turns getting some sleep. I can handle it. I'll keep watch tonight, and I'll call you immediately if there's any movement."

I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. I had just celebrated my birthday and should have had a good night's rest.

Yet he still stepped forward to shoulder the pressure and protect his teammates.

But the three of us remained tacitly vigilant, and at that moment I felt very at ease.

At that moment, I suddenly realized that being in dire straits is not scary; what is truly terrifying is being alone with no one to rely on.

Su Wan, Luo Peng, and I are teammates who walk side by side, and companions we can entrust our backs to.

The night grew deeper, and time passed slowly.

After an unknown amount of time, the howling of wolves that had been rising and falling in the surrounding area gradually became sparse and distant, and the faint sound of footsteps moving across the snow also gradually disappeared.

The wolf pack eventually chose to retreat, and the camp returned to peace.

……

After a long and agonizing night, dawn finally broke.

I was in a semi-conscious state all night, my nerves constantly on edge. The slightest sound or movement outside would instantly wake me up.

Su Wan and Luo Peng are in the same situation as me.

No one is really resting; everyone is on high alert.

As dawn broke, the plateau remained bitterly cold.

I raised my hand and rubbed my throbbing, heavy temples. My neck was stiff, my back ached, and all my muscles felt sore and tired from overexertion.

In high-altitude, uninhabited areas, even just sitting curled up in a car all night without being able to stretch and rest is an extreme form of exhaustion.

I took a deep breath and reached out to open the car door.

A biting gust of cold wind suddenly rushed in, seeping into every pore of my body through my collar, freezing my skin instantly, and even breathing felt painfully cold.

Looking around, the world was still a vast expanse of white.