Keep Going to the Top

Lu Zhe ate four, Ning Shu ate three, and left the rest for Tang Xiaoguo to eat when she woke up. Then Ning Shu lay down next to Tang Xiaoguo to take a nap.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, both Ning Shu and Tang Xiaoguo woke up.

Lu Zhe speculated that around this time, Shen Bing should come to find them. But she didn't. They didn't hear any shouting from below, nor any whistles.

Tang Xiaoguo said aggrievedly: "Have they forgotten about us?!"

Lu Zhe shook his head: "Maybe there are also pressing issues to resolve at the campsite, or maybe she'll come a bit later."

"What if something happened at the campsite?"

Lu Zhe shook his head again: "That shouldn't happen. The cave is very safe, with lots of timber and campfires, as well as fences and secure areas laid out with bear meat. Sister Bing and the others should be able to handle things."

Just then, Lu Zhe received a new mission in his mind: "Set up an effective signal for your companions, +3 potential points!"

Ning Shu asked: "Should we keep waiting?"

Lu Zhe shook his head: "We can't get down now, and there's no meaning in waiting any longer. Let's leave them a signal, eat something, and we have to keep heading up the mountain."

Tang Xiaoguo asked: "Is there anything good to eat?"

Lu Zhe handed her the snake eggs: "There are four eggs here!"

"These eggs look so dodgy."

"They are snake eggs!"

"Snake eggs??"

Tang Xiaoguo peeled one and started eating. It actually tasted pretty good: "Little Zhe, how should we leave a signal for them later?"

"We'll have to toss something down, I guess?" Ning Shu thought for a while, then worried: "What if they don't notice?"

"Hmm!" Lu Zhe pondered for a moment, then said:

"I thought about it just now. There are a few key points to leaving a signal for our companions below the cliff:

First: It can't blow away in the wind!

Second: It has to be as visible as possible. As long as they come, they'll discover it!

Third: It should convey our direction as clearly as possible, and give them definite clues, so they won't have to come looking for us and end up going the wrong way."

Ning Shu nodded: "So what should we do?"

"Find a rock, a rope, and a long stick. Then tear out a page from the journal to write them a letter. Tell them we are all safe, and ask them to stay at the campsite if possible, since we may be gone for a few days. If they have no choice but to leave, they can leave us some signals, so we'll have a sense of purpose when looking for them later."

Tang Xiaoguo stuffed another egg in her mouth and mumbled: "Got it. Sister Bing's hand is injured, so I'll write the letter."

Rocks and branches were abundant all around. They had rope from their supplies.

Lu Zhe tightly tied a section of a long branch to the rock: "Later, we'll toss this down the cliff. Due to air resistance, the smaller but heavier rock will hit the ground first, while the branch will stand upright in the grass, and be quite conspicuous."

Ning Shu nodded and said: "But they could still easily miss it!"

"If we tie something else we often use to the top, there will definitely be no issues."

"We didn't bring any cloth strips. What item that isn't too useful for us now could catch their attention?"

After reading the letter twice, Lu Zhe tied it to the middle of the stick. He tied a red plastic bag to the end of the stick, then went to the edge of the cliff holding the signal marker. After making sure no one was below and he wouldn't hit the girls, he tossed the rock down.

"Whoosh... thud!"

As expected, the rock landed with a thud in the grass below. The branch stood upright in the grass, and the goose-yellow bras fluttered conspicuously in the wind.

As long as someone comes, they will definitely see it!

Lu Zhe clapped his dusty palms together: "Done! Seeing this, they probably won't worry now."

He obtained three potential points.

"Shall we get going then?"

"How are you doing, Xiaoguo?"

"Still a bit tired, but alright!"

"Let's keep going towards the peak, but we can slow down. We should also search for supplies along the way - water, nuts or mushrooms, but I'll have to check if they are poisonous."

Tang Xiaoguo nodded: "Got it. Let's head out!"

The three continued uphill.

The slope was at a 45 degree angle. Whenever it got too steep, they had to make a detour up from another spot, so progress was very slow.

All around were strange cries and calls from unknown beasts and birds. Occasionally there would be a rustling sound in the trees when something startled some animal.

Here, they were like uninvited guests, arousing the curiosity and wariness of the native residents.

By noon, they had climbed halfway up the mountain. There was still a last stretch before the peak. The two girls were completely exhausted and couldn't walk any further.

By now, they had finished all the water. Going further would accelerate fluid loss and risk heat stroke.

Lu Zhe was relieved he didn't use the water to boil the snake eggs. If they had half a bottle less, their situation now would be much direr!

In any case, they had to rest for a while.

He gathered some firewood from the vicinity, and easily started a fire with the bow drill to serve as a temporary camp.

Lu Zhe knew they desperately needed to find more water now!

Otherwise, going forward would be nearly impossible for them.