Laba spoke gravely, "Yes, the entire mountain range might very well be the activity zone of the Goba people. Young Master, do you fully understand what you're facing? The highest peaks, the coldest weather, thin air, impassable roads, and weeks of walking without seeing a single soul. The mountain winds can blow yaks away, and overnight snow can bury entire tents. Even snow eagles can't cross these barriers."
Hearing Laba's description, Professor Fang Xin had to reconsider. He muttered, "Indeed, Damba, think carefully. This isn't like your previous expeditions. The place we're heading to is no ordinary mountain—it's the sacred peaks that even highland eagles cannot traverse. Mountaineering teams only conquer single peaks; we are challenging the entirety of the Himalayas."
Tashi Damba nodded. Fang Xin pressed further, "An average altitude of 6,300 meters, ten peaks over 8,000 meters, and over fifty peaks above 7,000 meters. Daily temperatures averaging minus 30 degrees Celsius, tens of thousands of square kilometers of uninhabited wilderness, hurricane-force winds at the mountain passes capable of rolling boulders or vehicles, and oxygen levels less than 10%—barely half that of the lowlands. Blizzards, avalanches, crevasses—every step could be fatal. And yet, our objective lies…"
"It will be found; I am certain of it," Tashi Damba interrupted, turning with a confident smile. At that moment, his tall, powerful frame added weight to his words. Looking at Laba, he pleaded, "Uncle, please lead us there. What I seek is something I've longed to find my entire life."
Laba's gaze softened as he caressed the head of the young master he had raised. Yet he shook his head firmly. "Young Master, Laba is old. I cannot accompany you to the great sacred mountains. I will recite the auspicious sutra a hundred times daily, praying for Tseringma to guide your way and for the great King Gesar to clear your path of all demons."
Tashi Damba, now anxious, said, "But Uncle, without your guidance, how could we dare enter the Great Snow Mountains?"
Laba fell into deep thought. The atmosphere froze; time seemed to stretch endlessly. Suddenly, Laba had an epiphany. "Young Master! I can recommend someone for you!"
"Oh?" As Tashi Damba prepared to listen, he noticed two sharp, sinister eyes watching him. The gaze carried an evil, venomous quality, like a serpent's hiss, yet faintly familiar as if he had seen it before. When he turned his head, the person had already vanished into the hall, blending into a group of pilgrims in loose Tibetan robes and felt hats, indistinguishable from the crowd.
Professor Fang eagerly asked Laba, "Who is it? Has he been to that region?"
"Yes," Laba replied. "He is my younger brother. I believe he knows that area well; as far as I know, he has been there at least five times. Moreover, I think he has seen the Goba people."
"Then take us to him, Uncle Laba," Tashi Damba said, refocusing his attention.
Laba hesitated. "However, you'll need the master's permission before you can see him." He looked troubled.
"Why?" the two asked in unison.
Laba hesitated, then stammered, "Because… he's in Zaki Prison."
Tashi Damba and Fang exchanged a glance. Both were familiar with Tibet and knew that Zaki Prison was the region's largest and most comprehensive prison. Judging from Laba's expression, it seemed unlikely that his brother was employed there—it was more likely he was incarcerated.
Laba explained further, "Whenever I visit him, it's only because the master makes arrangements. Otherwise, I wouldn't be allowed to see Basang."
"Ah!" Tashi Damba exclaimed. "Is he a high-security prisoner?"
Laba replied, "Not quite, but… he seems to have experienced something that shocked him, leaving mental scars. When I last visited, he appeared normal, but the medical staff warned me that under certain conditions, he could relapse."
"A mental condition!" Tashi Damba and Professor Fang simultaneously thought of Tang Ming's brother Tang Tao and the madman from Menghe. It seemed that something truly horrifying had occurred in the Goba people's territory, causing those who went there to lose their sanity.
Tashi Damba asked, "Did your brother ever tell you what happened to him?"
Laba shook his head. "The doctors specifically instructed me not to ask about it, as it could trigger a relapse. They said whenever they thought Basang was cured and tried to inquire, he would attack them. Two doctors nearly lost their lives. I don't know if he's fully recovered now."
At that moment, Zhang Li walked over, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, it's all set! De Ren Laoye's reputation is incredible. We can borrow the regiment's Leopard vehicle. As for weapons, we can pick anything from the CQ 7.62 to the QCW05, from the Type 54 to the DCV05. If needed, we can even bring a QJZ-03 heavy machine gun."
Recalling the mysteriously missing madman and that unsettling gaze, Tashi Damba said, "Then there's no time to lose. I'll immediately seek my father's guidance. We must strive to depart as soon as possible."
De Ren Laoye ended the call and said evenly, "The warden has agreed, but only three people are allowed. Decide among yourselves."
Tashi Damba surveyed the group. Laba, as the guide, was essential; he himself needed to go. Between Professor Fang and Zhang Li… Zhang Li spoke up, "You go ahead. I'll return to the regiment and prepare."
"No," Laba interjected. "My brother used to serve in the army. If an incident occurs, he could be difficult to subdue. Professor, I think…"
Professor Fang nodded. "All right. I'll stay here and see if I can glean more clues from the items the madman left behind."
Established in 1960, the Tibet Autonomous Region Prison, located in Zaki Village in northern Lhasa, is also known as Zaki Prison. It is Tibet's only facility for housing high-security inmates, female prisoners, and individuals charged with endangering national security. In 1990, the prison officially opened to domestic and international visitors.
Tashi Damba and the others now stood before its imposing iron gates.
A guard named Chaxi was assigned to escort the three. Recognizing Laba, he greeted him warmly, saying, "The doctors have preliminarily diagnosed that his condition is fully recovered."
Laba grasped Chaxi's hand, expressing gratitude, "Thank you, thank you all."
"This way, please." Chaxi led the trio deep into the prison.
On the way, Zhang Li, who had roughly understood the situation, asked, "Uncle Laba, your brother must be close to your age. What exactly led him to…" Before he could finish, Tashi Damba gave him a sharp glare.
Laba smiled, showing understanding, and explained, "No, my brother is almost 30 years younger than me. Our parents didn't get along well back then, so when he was ten, he moved away with our mother. I only learned of his arrest when I was contacted by the prison authorities. As for the details, I think Chaxi would know better than I do."
Walking ahead, Chaxi chimed in, "It's quite a strange story. It happened on my first day here. Basang looked terrifying—his face fierce, unkempt, his clothes tattered and torn. Everyone thought he was some madman. But then he demonstrated unbelievable strength, injuring seven or eight guards in quick succession. That's when we realized how serious the situation was. It took the entire prison staff and tranquilizer guns to subdue him. Even then, he was screaming something that still sends chills down my spine: 'I need protection!' And he kept repeating it in a foreign language."
Chaxi glanced back at them. Seeing their puzzled faces, he continued, "Yes, despite being so formidable, he was desperately screaming for protection. We couldn't figure out what he had encountered. Initially, we didn't plan to detain him here, but he insisted on staying, saying he would only feel safe surrounded by heavily armed guards. To remain in our custody, he confessed to repeatedly poaching endangered Tibetan antelopes. At first, we thought he was rambling, but he accurately identified several locations where antelope pelts were hidden. From those locations, we recovered over 500 Tibetan antelope pelts—an enormous case."
Zhang Li frowned. "To deliberately get into a high-security prison for protection, even confessing to crimes… his logic seems very clear."
Chaxi nodded. "Exactly. When he's not having episodes, he behaves like a completely normal person. But when triggered, he becomes dangerously violent. Many doctors have tried identifying the triggers but failed. Dr. Luo Zhui now claims he's cured, but who knows? No one dares test him by asking certain questions."
Tashi Damba and Zhang Li exchanged uneasy glances, wondering what kind of person Basang, Laba's younger brother, could be.
After passing through several layers of iron gates, Chaxi stopped and said, "We're here. Basang is inside this small room. For safety, we'll follow protocol—Laba will go in first to speak with him. Then one of you can enter. The doctors say he's afraid of crowds; too many people might agitate him."
Laba entered the room. Tashi Damba observed the area. The doors were reinforced with metal sheets, and the windows were embedded with bulletproof glass, treated to allow one-way visibility—those outside could see in, but not the other way around. Inside, Basang sat, his close-cropped head slightly pointed, and his wiry beard extended from his upper lip, down his chin, and connected with his sideburns. Though not particularly tall, his muscular build radiated explosive power. His hawk-like eyes gleamed with piercing sharpness. The brothers embraced briefly before beginning a slow conversation.
After about ten minutes, Laba emerged and nodded to Tashi Damba. "You can go in. He said he's willing to talk about something that might interest you."
Before Tashi Damba could step forward, Zhang Li interjected, "Let me go first, Mr. Tashi. I'm more experienced in interrogations." Despite knowing Tashi Damba's reputation, Zhang Li still believed his training as a soldier made him better suited.
Tashi Damba considered for a moment and then said, "Fine. I want to know what he saw and where."
Zhang Li entered the room and immediately felt the space was much smaller than it appeared from the outside. Basang, known for his aggression, sat within arm's reach. Basang spoke first in Tibetan, which Zhang Li didn't understand. Switching to Mandarin, Basang asked, "Who are you?" His head was slightly lowered, but his eyes fixed intently on Zhang Li.
Forcing a smile, Zhang Li tried to appear casual. "Relax, let's both stay calm, okay? I'm Zhang Li from the military. I'm here to—" Before he could finish, a fist hurtled toward him.
Zhang Li barely dodged the blow, but Basang's follow-up left hook came even faster. The sheer speed left Zhang Li scrambling to evade. As he leaned back, his balance faltered, and he instinctively reached for Basang's arm. But Basang was quicker—mid-punch, his fist transformed into a claw, grabbing Zhang Li's wrist. Using a push-and-pull motion, Basang twisted Zhang Li's arms behind his back and lifted him effortlessly.
Outside, Laba shouted, "Basang, let him go!" Tashi Damba, already rushing inside, confronted Basang. As the door swung open, Basang, without looking, thrust his hand forward to push away the incoming person. He hadn't expected to meet the immovable wall of Tashi Damba's chest.
Tashi Damba quickly clasped Basang's left hand with both of his own. Pivoting his massive frame, he pressed Basang to the ground. With his overwhelming physical advantage, Tashi Damba pinned Basang down, rendering him immobile.