You Really Are the Most Timid

The three of them quickly got into the car and drove toward the hotel.

The gas station wasn't far from the hotel, and they arrived back at the entrance in about seven or eight minutes.

At this time, Pan Ning and the others also walked out of the hotel.

Su Yang and the other two got out and carefully checked their cars' tire pressure and other basic issues.

Because Su Yang now possessed professional vehicle maintenance skills, he also helped check Meng Wenzhou and Liu Bo's cars. All three vehicles were in excellent condition.

"Okay, inspection complete. No problems."

"Then let's hit the road!"

"Alright. Oh, right, we need to buy water."

"We've already bought it~" Zhang Ziming and his group hadn't just bought water; they also bought a large bag of steamed buns and some dry goods.

Last night, after deciding to take the Keriya ancient route, everyone had gone back to the hotel and looked up information about the area.

Knowing that the altitude there was almost all over 5,000 meters and that it would be very cold, they were worried their cassette stoves wouldn't ignite. So, they bought a bunch of food that could be eaten without cooking.

"Very thoughtful!" Liu Bo looked at Zhang Ziming and smiled.

"Of course~"

"Alright, get in!"

Everyone chatted as they got into their vehicles.

"Wait a second." Su Yang thought of something and called out to them.

"What's wrong?" Chu Qiunan tilted her head and asked.

"Give me two minutes, I'm going to buy a bottle of baijiu."

"Baijiu? Don't we have beer in the car?" A few girls looked at Su Yang in confusion.

"Beer won't cut it. You'll know later." He smiled, turned around, and jogged toward a roadside convenience store.

Watching Su Yang's back, Liu Bo smiled. "I know what Brother Yang means~"

"What does he mean?"

"Hehe, you'll find out in a bit."

Soon, Su Yang bought the most expensive bottle of baijiu in the store.

Afterward, all twelve people got into the cars.

Su Yang drove out first, with Meng Wenzhou and Liu Bo quickly following behind.

With that, everyone officially began the final leg of their road trip, which was also the ultimate challenge: crossing the no man's land!

It was 9:30 in the morning, and the three cars drove northwest along National Highway G226.

Before long, the scenery before them once again turned into a vast, boundless expanse of land. The road looked as if it had been cleaved open by an ancient divine weapon, stretching straight across the desolate plateau.

At this time, apart from the three cars belonging to Su Yang and his friends, there were no other vehicles on the road.

The three cars drove on in solitude. Two hours later, they arrived at the final checkpoint before entering the no man's land: Xianqian Township.

By the roadside stood a large stone monument engraved with the names of many martyrs.

They parked their cars by the road, got out together, and approached the monument. Su Yang took out the baijiu he had bought in the county town and opened it.

Only then did everyone understand why he had bought it.

Zhang Ziming and the others silently gave Su Yang a thumbs up. Su Yang looked at the monument, took a deep breath, and poured the entire bottle of liquor onto the ground before it.

Afterward, the boys wordlessly lit a cigarette and gently placed it on the steps of the monument.

"Alright, let's go."

"Let's go."

After paying their respects to the martyrs, everyone got back into their cars.

They soon reached a simple checkpoint set up along the national highway. Passing through the gates of this checkpoint meant truly entering the heart of the no man's land.

From this moment on, cell service would gradually disappear, and they could only use walkie-talkies to communicate between cars.

The deeper they drove into the no man's land, the more they witnessed various unprecedented landscapes.

At that moment, a song perfectly fitting their current mood was playing in the car.

Su Yang turned up the music, and everyone sang loudly as they drove forward.

Various wild animals, such as wolves, Tibetan wild asses, and wild yaks, occasionally appeared on both sides of the road.

At 2:00 PM, the three cars arrived at a beautiful lake, Meima Co.

Everyone was feeling a bit hungry, so they drove to the lakeside to have a simple lunch.

They took out their specialized electric kettles, poured in mineral water, and plugged them into the vehicles' power supplies.

The water boiled shortly after, and naturally, their simple lunch consisted of instant noodles.

Soon, all twelve people were squatting by the lake, each holding a bowl of instant noodles and eating heartily.

"Woohoo! I declare this an even more delicious place to eat instant noodles than a rest stop," Liu Bo laughed, shoving a mouthful of noodles into his mouth.

"Nonsense. It's completely deserted here. It would be weird if a hot bite of instant noodles didn't taste good," Chu Qiunan said with a smile.

"Hehe, hurry up and eat. We'll hit the road as soon as we're done."

"How much further until the off-road point?" Ji Bo turned to ask Liu Bo.

"About two hundred kilometers or so."

"Still that far?"

"Yeah. I figure by the time we reach the off-road point, it'll be around five or six o'clock. We'll find a place to set up camp around there for today."

"Will there be wild beasts out there at night?" Meng Qianyu asked, looking at the boys with concern while eating her noodles.

"There definitely will be~" Liu Bo winked and smiled.

"Ah?" The girls immediately gulped.

"Hehe, don't worry. With us guys around, unless it's a dragon..." Liu Bo was interrupted by Meng Wenzhou: "That's going too far, we can't beat a tiger either."

"True. I was just making an analogy, haha. At most, there are just some wild wolves in the no man's land. As long as they aren't in large packs, it won't be a big problem."

"You're making me feel a bit nervous. By the way, Lao Pang, where are those self-defense tools you bought?" Zhang Ziming asked.

"They're all in my car~"

"Take them out after we finish eating, and we'll divide them up."

"What's the rush?"

"Having a weapon in hand will make us feel a bit safer~"

"You really are the biggest coward."

.....

Everyone quickly finished their fragrant instant noodles, and Liu Bo took out a large black bag to throw the empty bowls into.

"We can't litter~"

"Let's put it in your car first, and we'll dispose of it all together later," Meng Wenzhou smiled.

"Alright~"

After dealing with the trash bag, Liu Bo took out the two boxes of self-defense tools he had bought earlier in Haicheng from his car.

The girls came over to take a look as well, but seeing the strange gadgets in the boxes, they lost interest and got back into the cars.

The boys, however, had their eyes shining.

Su Yang went straight for his favorite pair of brass knuckles. "I'll just take these two~"

"I wouldn't even take those if you gave them to me for free~" Zhang Ziming took out an entrenching shovel and claimed it.

"This is the kind of thing that gives you a sense of security~" He said, picking up the shovel and swinging it a couple of times.

The others also picked out handy tools for themselves, and then everyone got back into their cars to continue the journey.

......

At 6:20 PM, after driving for several hundred kilometers, the three cars finally arrived at the off-road point near the Keriya ancient route.

Liu Bo had already driven his car to the front. He had studied the route thoroughly and knew exactly where the off-road point was and what landmarks to look for.

Inside the car, Ji Bo grabbed the walkie-talkie and shouted, "Brothers and sisters, slow down! We're going off-road in about a hundred meters!"

"Copy that, over~"

After the people in the other two cars replied and reduced their speed, Liu Bo, driving in the lead, quickly turned left onto the vast, boundless sandy terrain.

Su Yang and Meng Wenzhou, following closely behind, also quickly reached the side of the road and turned off.

With that, the paved national highway officially came to an end. What awaited everyone next was a variety of complex and treacherous terrains.

However, the sandy land they were currently entering was a vast, endless, and flat expanse. This stretch of the route was extremely easy to navigate.

The three vehicles instantly shot forward like wild horses slipping their reins, kicking up three plumes of yellow dust that trailed for dozens of meters behind their wheels.

"Woohoo!!"

"This is awesome!! Driving an SUV on this kind of terrain is absolute bliss," Liu Bo shouted in delight.

After speeding along for a few minutes and getting their fill of the thrill, everyone slowed down to follow Liu Bo's Navigator at the front.

At that moment, Meng Wenzhou's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie: "Fatty, hurry up and find a suitable spot to set up camp. It's going to be a hassle once it gets dark."

"You got it, I'm looking right now."

Su Yang picked up his walkie-talkie and added, "Try to find a place with a slope to act as a windbreak, otherwise the wind will be brutal tonight."

"OK, OK."

Since leaving the paved road, they had already driven continuously for over ten kilometers.

After proceeding for a few more kilometers, Liu Bo in the lead finally spotted a modest dirt slope in the distance. They could pitch their tents at the base of that slope for the night.

Liu Bo accelerated toward it, but after barely covering a hundred meters, Su Yang, who was trailing behind, saw the Navigator suddenly decelerate.

Simultaneously, Ji Bo's slightly panicked voice rang out from the walkie-talkie.

"Brothers and sisters, slow down, slow down. It looks like there's a problem with Pang Ge's front left tire."

...