The Xiaolong drove steadily at 90 kilometers per hour across the Kekexili wilderness as dusk approached. A crescent moon had already risen early from the horizon, hanging in the eastern sky, while the sun had yet to set, glowing in hues of fiery orange in the western sky. The evening sun wasn't blinding; it appeared like a coral-red crystal orb, shifting its hues in a mesmerizing, ethereal display. Tang Min gazed at the vast sky for a long time. Here, the twilight sky wasn't golden but a deep blue, with clouds that looked like strokes from the hand of God on a cerulean canvas, forever the pursuit of human painters.
As the sky darkened, the blue deepened into teal, and the clouds were tinged with a rosy glow, becoming even more enchanting. The blue sky, white clouds, crimson setting sun, and the silver crescent moon accompanied by the evening star created a breathtaking scene that could move one to tears. Beneath this celestial spectacle stretched a boundless wilderness and ice-capped distant mountains. Kekexili's mountains, a southern branch of the Kunlun range, were unlike those of Tibet. Tibetan mountains, formed by crustal collisions, stood tall and sharp like towering blades and spears. In contrast, Kekexili's mountains were gentle and isolated, appearing like massive, soft blankets draped over the earth. Beyond them lay a vast horizon where the greens of the land seemed to merge with the blues of the sky.
Along the way, wild Tibetan donkeys grazed leisurely, with mother donkeys affectionately licking their young, their shadows elongated by the setting sun. Occasionally, two playful brown bear cubs darted about, chasing each other. On the edge of the horizon, a massive wild yak stood solitary against the backlight of the crimson sun, casting a large, dark silhouette that seemed to vigilantly observe the strange intruders.
Everywhere the eye fell, the scenery was stunning. With each step forward, the view transformed into another masterpiece of nature—a canvas too vast for any artist to capture and a poem too profound for any poet to fully extol. Tang Min sighed in admiration, "It's so beautiful, so stunning. I wish I had a camera to capture every bit of this."
Zhang Li, however, veered away from the direction Tang Min was admiring. Annoyed, she asked, "Why are you driving away?"
Focused on driving, Zhang Li didn't answer. Tashi Damba explained, "We can't get closer. Yaks are herd animals, but solitary wild yaks are extremely dangerous. They're either old bull kings driven from the herd or ambitious challengers who lost a fight. After leaving the herd, they become solitary and aggressive, attacking anything that approaches. These beasts weigh over a ton, and if one were to attack us, the consequences would be catastrophic! Their sharp horns could even flip a truck."
Tang Min stuck out her tongue and dared not make any more unreasonable demands. To avoid getting lost, the car followed a shallow riverbed. Various wild animals occasionally darted past, and the red sunset tinged the clouds as the sun sank behind the mountains. Tang Min was continually delighted by new sights, but Tashi Damba's hand on her shoulder grew colder. The tranquility and harmony around them felt jarringly at odds with his unease. Since leaving Zhiduo, Tashi Damba had felt a pressure coming from behind them, yet he couldn't find anything unusual. He hoped his concern was unfounded, but the chilling sensation was growing stronger.
Suddenly, the car lurched forward as Zhang Li accelerated. He said coldly, "Hold on tight!"
Tashi Damba's heart finally settled slightly as he thought, So it's finally happened.
Tang Min asked in surprise, "What's going on?"
Zhang Li replied, "We've got a tail. It seems someone is following us."
Tang Min looked back and said, "Where? I don't see anything."
Zhang Li said, "It's hard to spot. Use the yak on the left as a reference point. About two hand-widths to the right of the yak and between the two mountain ridges—what do you see?"
Tang Min squinted and said, "Nothing, just a big rock."
Zhang Li pressed, "And behind that rock? What do you see?"
Tang Min stared intently and suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, there's smoke! Why is there smoke?"
Zhang Li explained, "That's likely a camouflaged vehicle keeping its distance from us, staying just on the edge of visibility. Now it seems to be accelerating. The 'smoke' is dust stirred up by its speed. I noticed that rock over ten minutes ago, but I mistook it for part of the distant mountains. Out here, distant features don't change much even after traveling hundreds of kilometers. But the rock has been getting closer the whole time."
As he spoke, Tashi Damba and Tang Min both saw the gray "rock" split in two, revealing a menacing steel frame. Despite the distance, Tashi Damba immediately recognized the bold, angular silhouette—it was a Hummer.
Zhang Li caught sight of it in the rearview mirror and muttered, "A Hummer? What are the odds? Two Hummers in just a couple of days?"
Tashi Damba thought to himself, It's not a coincidence—it's the same vehicle. They just removed the license plates. He couldn't understand how someone could have managed this. If they hadn't known his destination in advance, they must have started tailing him from Lhasa, including chartering a plane and transporting the vehicle with them. Who were they? Why did they have such resources, and why were they following him? Tashi Damba had too many questions.
Tang Min asked nervously, "Could they be poachers?"
Zhang Li shook his head. "No, poachers wouldn't use a vehicle like that. Their cars are always disposable. The camouflaged setup, the patience to wait until we're deep into the uninhabited zone before acting—it's clearly premeditated and targeted at us. Something must've gone wrong. Tashi Damba, any ideas?"
Tashi Damba mumbled, "I have no idea. What could it be?"
Tang Min exclaimed, "They're getting closer!"
Zhang Li stared at the rearview mirror and said grimly, "How is this possible? As far as I know, a Hummer's top speed is around 130 kilometers per hour. We're already going 135, which is reckless for off-roading in Kekexili. How are they faster?"
Tang Min scoffed, "What's the big deal? My brother used to off-road at speeds over 150 kilometers per hour."
Zhang Li thought to himself, "Miss, your brother was clearly a daredevil." He replied, "Miss, the advantage of an off-road vehicle lies not in its speed but in its ability to endure challenging terrain and time. With its four-wheel drive, it gains far more traction than two-wheel drives and can traverse mountainous paths and rugged areas that regular vehicles can't. However, due to the complexity of the terrain, off-road vehicles are designed for cautious, slow driving. Their average top speed is only about 80 kilometers per hour. For a Hummer to reach over 100 kilometers per hour is already pushing its limits. Any mistake could result in a catastrophic accident."
Tashi Damba asked, "Can we go any faster?"
Zhang Li replied, "No, this is the maximum speed. We're fortunate to be on relatively flat ground right now, or the car would have flipped long ago."
Tashi Damba said, "The car behind us is catching up."
Zhang Li noticed it too. The Hummer's boxy windshield resembled a pair of giant eyes fixed firmly on their Xiaolong. Its flat, hulking body was visibly larger than their vehicle, much like a lion pursuing a cheetah. To his shock, Zhang Li saw someone in the Hummer lower the side window and lean their upper body out. The figure, masked and wearing sunglasses, held a carbine rifle in their hands.
Zhang Li veered sharply left, but the Hummer followed suit, unable to be shaken off. Alarmed, he shouted, "Get down! It's dangerous!"
A series of sparks flew from the Xiaolong's rear as the carbine fired, the bullets clanging against the steel plates. Zhang Li made a sharp 90-degree turn, causing Tang Min to tumble inside the car. Fortunately, Tashi Damba held her tightly, preventing her from being thrown out. Remaining calm, Tashi Damba said, "Don't panic, just drive. This car is bulletproof."
Only then did Zhang Li let out a sigh of relief. The rear window sparked again as bullets ricocheted off the bulletproof glass. Zhang Li asked, "Tashi Damba, it seems you were well-prepared?"
Tashi Damba explained, "I had a bad feeling. Back in Lhasa, I sensed this trip might not go smoothly. I didn't expect it to come true."
Zhang Li muttered, "What's going on here? How can they have weapons like this inside China?"
Tang Min, curled up in Tashi Damba's arms, asked, "Are they trying to kill us? Why?"
Zhang Li speculated, "It doesn't seem like that. It looks like they want to capture us alive. This is bad—they're targeting the tires. If they hit one…"
Tashi Damba responded coolly, "Don't worry. Haven't you noticed? These tires are made of solid rubber, and the dual fuel tanks are well-hidden within the chassis. Let's put it this way: unless we drive over a landmine, this car won't be easily disabled."
Still uneasy, Zhang Li asked, "But they're faster than us. How do we shake them off?"
The masked man in the Hummer seemed to realize his shots weren't effective and retreated into the vehicle. The Hummer accelerated, closing the distance. Zhang Li floored the accelerator, pushing the Xiaolong to its limit. The two vehicles sped across the vast grassland, leaving twin trails of dust behind them. Tang Min was so tense she barely dared to breathe, while Tashi Damba remained silent, fearing he might distract Zhang Li. At this speed, the slightest lapse in attention could seal their fate.
Glancing at the sky, Zhang Li saw it growing darker. The terrain transitioned from grasslands to rocky Gobi desert. Soft soil hardened into a bed of gravel, with countless small stones scattered across the ground. Wind swept the area, carrying clouds of dust. If night fell completely, driving under such conditions would become exceedingly dangerous. The Hummer behind them seemed aware of this, as another figure emerged from the window, this time holding a cylindrical object. Zhang Li swallowed hard. If he wasn't mistaken, it was a recoilless rocket launcher. Inwardly, he cried, My god, Tashi Damba, who are these people chasing us? Are you really clueless, or just pretending?
Tashi Damba and Tang Min noticed as well. Tang Min screamed, "A rocket! They have a rocket launcher!"
Tashi Damba tightened his hold on Tang Min and said calmly, "Don't panic, Minmin. A rocket launcher is nothing." However, even he could hear the strain in his voice. He patted Zhang Li's seat and said hoarsely, "It's all up to you now."
With a "whoosh," a rocket shot through the air, leaving a trail of smoke. In a flash of light, Zhang Li jerked the steering wheel leftward, simultaneously activating the handbrake and footbrake. With the ABS and EBA systems deactivated, the result was a near-instantaneous 180-degree spin. The Xiaolong rocketed in the opposite direction just as the rocket whistled overhead. A deafening explosion followed, shaking the ground as debris struck the vehicle. The shockwave made the car shudder violently, but Zhang Li managed to keep it from tipping over.
Having narrowly escaped, the three inside were pale and silent, the only sound being the engine's roar. Zhang Li realized their pursuers were deliberately avoiding direct hits. Instead, they aimed to disable the vehicle, using shrapnel and shockwaves to immobilize them. He thought grimly, They're definitely not friends. Tashi Damba clearly has no idea what's happening. I need a plan to lose them before we're completely cornered.
Suddenly, Zhang Li's eyes locked onto a rocky riverbed. He shouted, "Hold on!" and steered toward it.
The riverbed was strewn with increasingly jagged stones, some the size of millstones, their sharp edges pointing skyward. As soon as the Xiaolong entered, it began to jolt violently. Zhang Li reduced the speed to 100 kilometers per hour. Any faster, and the car would surely flip. Another rocket whooshed past, exploding on their right. The thunderous blast and flying debris cracked the bulletproof glass. Zhang Li feared that another hit might shatter it entirely.
The Hummer continued its relentless pursuit. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Li began zigzagging along the riverbed. He thought, If they're so determined to follow, they won't know which direction I'll take next. Their tires aren't solid rubber like ours. A few sharp turns and the frozen rocks should shred their tires.
He swerved sharply, sometimes drifting around large boulders, kicking up plumes of white smoke and dust. Inside the car, Tashi Damba and Tang Min clung tightly to their seats as the vehicle tilted precariously multiple times. Thanks to Zhang Li's skill, the car stayed upright. The Hummer's driver, however, proved equally skilled. It maneuvered the zigzags faster than the Xiaolong, maintaining a speed advantage of at least 20 kilometers per hour. Zhang Li grudgingly admitted, Whoever's driving that Hummer is an absolute beast.
The figure in the Hummer's window raised the rocket launcher again, this time aiming directly at the Xiaolong. No matter how Zhang Li swerved, the black muzzle remained fixed in his rearview mirror.