Tashi Danba approached the gray wolf with a nearly reverent expression, slowly walking up to it until he was less than a meter away. He crouched down, pressing his right hand against his chest and offering a friendly smile, saying, "I mean no harm. I am your friend."
The gray wolf growled lowly, its voice causing its fur to shudder. Tashi Danba maintained eye contact, showing a kind, almost motherly compassion in his gaze. He kept the crouching position, not advancing further or making any other movements. The man and the wolf locked eyes like statues, their breath condensing into mist and intertwining in the air. Tashi Danba read an odd emotion in the wolf's eyes, a mix of fear and threat, yet with a desire to approach. He thought to himself, "What are you trying to tell me? A friend? Do you desire closeness but fear it at the same time? I understand, the guns of humans have made you distrust us, but please, believe me, I truly want to be your friend."
Behind him, Zhang Li's back was covered in cold sweat, feeling like time had frozen. Every second passed slowly, and the wolf, with just a slight movement, could snap Tashi Danba's neck. From its unfriendly expression, it seemed ready to do just that. Yet, Tashi Danba wore an expression of nonchalance, one that Zhang Li had never seen on him before. The powerful and stern businessman seemed to revert to an ordinary man in this moment—seeking friendship, longing for connection, yearning to share a conversation with another. Zhang Li couldn't understand why everything felt so surreal, as if the events on the icefield were some kind of dream.
Under Tashi Danba's friendly gaze, the gray wolf's stance seemed to soften. The growling grew quieter, its bristling fur slowly flattened. The wolf pulled its claws from the frozen ground, and its hostile glare turned into one of suspicion, as it tilted its head and began examining Tashi Danba—the bipedal creature unafraid of death. It still emitted a couple of low growls.
Just then, another wolf approached from behind Tashi Danba. Zhang Li couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Run! Master Danba!" Tashi Danba slowly turned his head but remained unmoved. Zhang Li's shout startled the wolf in front of Tashi Danba, which shrank back, immediately raising its hackles and arching its back, letting out a threatening growl toward Zhang Li. Zhang Li's sweat soaked through his shirt.
Tashi Danba said, "It's alright, don't be too afraid. Hunting is an instinct for them. Unless it's a wolf starving to death or you present a threat, they usually won't waste energy on unnecessary fights. As long as you don't yell at them, their hostility will slowly fade. You can even walk over slowly."
The wolf behind Tashi Danba approached and tossed something at his feet. Tashi Danba looked down to find a piece of scorched metal, still faintly showing its camouflage colors. He picked it up and examined it closely, "This is…" He recognized it as a piece of their off-road vehicle. He nodded at the wolf and said, "You've been watching us all along, haven't you? Yes, this is our stuff."
The wolf continued to gaze at him, still not understanding his words. Tashi Danba thought for a moment, placed the metal fragment into his pocket, patted it, and nodded. He didn't know why he did this; he just hoped the wolf would understand. The wolf seemed to grasp his intention and looked at its companion, and both wolves made soft sounds, though Tashi Danba didn't know their meaning.
Zhang Li now felt that perhaps these wolves had no ill intentions. Cautiously, he lifted one leg and asked, "Can I come over?"
Tashi Danba replied, "Come over slowly." Zhang Li moved carefully, when one of the wolves suddenly raised its head and howled, a long, eerie sound typical of a full moon night. The other wolf joined in, and the ancient sound echoed across the barren icefield, startling Zhang Li, who nearly stumbled.
The two wolves stopped howling, but soon another howl echoed from afar. Tashi Danba understood: they were communicating over a long distance. Zhang Li finally reached Tashi Danba's side, seeing the wolves still glaring at him with hostility. Trying to mimic Tashi Danba's approach to friendly communication, Zhang Li awkwardly waved and forced a smile, "Hi… um… hello."
Tashi Danba was still observing the two wolves closely when suddenly his eyes widened as he realized something, "I understand now!"
Zhang Li, already on high alert, was startled by Tashi Danba's sudden reaction. His heart nearly skipped a beat. He clutched his chest and said, "Danba… Master Danba, what did you understand?"
Tashi Danba replied slowly, "They are not the natives of this icefield."
"Hmm?" Zhang Li looked around, thinking the wolves looked the same as the ones they saw earlier. Tashi Danba said, "This place is cold, windy, and snowy, but look at them. Their fur isn't fully grown, and they still have dark brown coats. This means they originally lived in a warmer place. I don't know why, but they came to this wilderness that doesn't belong to them. They herded the big bear across the Kokosili icefield because they want to return to where they came from!" Tashi Danba exclaimed, "I understand! I understand! You want me to take you back with the vehicle! You know that the vehicle, wrapped in metal, is a good mode of transportation, right? Is that it?"
Tashi Danba asked eagerly, but then realized the wolves didn't understand him. However, this complicated matter was hard to express with actions alone. Then, he remembered their vehicle had been burned into scrap metal, and they were struggling to survive. They might even need help from these wolf friends. He looked at the smallest wolf with compassion and murmured to Zhang Li, "Poor thing, look, its four legs are trembling from the cold."
"Oh," Zhang Li replied weakly, thinking to himself, "You don't see it, but my legs are shaking too." He had broken out in a cold sweat earlier, and now, with the icy wind blowing, he felt as though he was wrapped in a layer of ice.
"Clang—" Tashi Danba suddenly stood up and drew his Tibetan knife. The two wolves jumped back and immediately adopted a defensive stance. Zhang Li was confused. What was Master Danba doing? Was he about to attack? At least he could have given some kind of hint. But he then saw Tashi Danba walking toward him with the knife.
Zhang Li shouted, "Master Danba, what are you doing?"
Tashi Danba crouched down, grabbed Zhang Li's coat, and said, "We… we should help them!" With that, he slashed the knife across Zhang Li's coat, cutting off a large section.
Though all three of them wore coats provided by Tashi Danba, they were slightly different. Tang Min's was a silver fox fur coat, and Tashi Danba's was a snow marten fur coat. Now, both coats were wrapped around Tang Min, leaving Zhang Li with only a lambskin coat. Lambskin is also a very warm material, but it is rare and expensive, with only high-ranking figures like the local chieftains being able to afford it in the past.
Tashi Danba, with an almost reverent demeanor, slowly approached the gray wolf. When he was less than a meter away, he stopped, crouched down, pressed his right hand against his chest, and showed a friendly smile, saying, "I mean no harm, I am your friend."
The gray wolf growled softly, its body trembling as it emitted a sound that seemed to shake its fur. Tashi Danba maintained eye contact, his gaze showing a near-maternal kindness, and stayed crouched without advancing further or making any other movements. The man and the wolf locked eyes like statues, their breath forming white mist in the air, intertwining with each other. Tashi Danba read an odd emotion in the wolf's eyes—fear mixed with a sense of threat and a desire to approach. He thought to himself, "What are you trying to tell me? A friend? Do you long for human contact but fear it? I know the gunfire of humans has made you distrustful, but please believe me, I truly want to be your friend."
Zhang Li, with cold sweat on his back, felt like time had frozen. Every second seemed to drag on. The wolf could strike and snap Tashi Danba's neck with one movement. With its unfriendly expression, it seemed ready to do just that. Yet, Tashi Danba remained unfazed. Zhang Li had never seen Tashi Danba so kind. The strong, stern businessman seemed to transform into an ordinary man in this moment, longing for friendship, for connection, for the opportunity to share his inner thoughts. Zhang Li couldn't understand it—everything was too surreal, like a dream unfolding on the icefield.
Under Tashi Danba's friendly gaze, the gray wolf's posture seemed to soften. The growling diminished, and its bristling fur lay flat. The wolf slowly pulled its claws from the frozen ground, its fierce gaze turning into suspicion as it tilted its head and began to observe Tashi Danba—the bipedal creature unafraid of death. It still let out a couple of low growls.
Then, another wolf approached from behind Tashi Danba. Zhang Li couldn't contain himself any longer and shouted, "Run! Master Danba!" Tashi Danba slowly turned his head but remained unmoved. Zhang Li's shout startled the wolf in front of Tashi Danba, which immediately shrank back, raised its hackles, and arched its back, growling threateningly at Zhang Li. Zhang Li's shirt was soaked with sweat.
Tashi Danba said, "It's okay, don't be too scared. Hunting is their instinct. Unless the wolf is starving or you pose a threat, they usually won't waste energy fighting. As long as you don't shout at them, their hostility will gradually fade. You can even walk toward them slowly."
The wolf behind Tashi Danba approached and dropped something at his feet. Tashi Danba looked down and saw a piece of scorched metal, still faintly showing camouflage colors. He picked it up and examined it closely. "This is…" He recognized it as a piece of their off-road vehicle. He nodded at the wolf and said, "You've been watching us all along, haven't you? Yes, this is our stuff."
The wolf continued to gaze at him, still not understanding his words. Tashi Danba thought for a moment, placed the metal fragment into his pocket, patted it, and nodded. He didn't know why he did this, just hoping the wolf would understand. The wolf seemed to understand, looking back at its companions. The two wolves made soft sounds, though Tashi Danba didn't know their meaning.
Zhang Li now felt that perhaps the wolves didn't have bad intentions. Cautiously, he raised one leg and asked, "Can I come over?"
Tashi Danba replied, "Come over slowly." Zhang Li moved carefully when one of the wolves suddenly raised its head and howled—a long, eerie sound typical of a full moon night. The other wolf joined in, and the ancient sound echoed across the barren icefield, startling Zhang Li, who nearly stumbled.
The two wolves stopped howling, but soon another howl echoed from afar. Tashi Danba understood: they were communicating over a long distance. Zhang Li finally reached Tashi Danba's side, seeing the wolves still glaring at him with hostility. Trying to mimic Tashi Danba's approach to friendly communication, Zhang Li awkwardly waved and forced a smile, "Hi… um… hello."
Tashi Danba was still observing the two wolves closely when suddenly his eyes widened as he realized something, "I understand now!"
Zhang Li, already on high alert, was startled by Tashi Danba's sudden reaction. His heart nearly skipped a beat. He clutched his chest and said, "Danba… Master Danba, what did you understand?"
Tashi Danba replied slowly, "They are not the natives of this icefield."
"Mm?" Zhang Li looked around, thinking the wolves looked the same as the ones they saw earlier. Tashi Danba said, "This place is cold, windy, and snowy, but look at them. Their fur isn't fully grown, and they still have dark brown coats. This means they originally lived in a warmer place. I don't know why, but they came to this wilderness that doesn't belong to them. They herded the big bear across the Kokosili icefield because they want to return to where they came from!" Tashi Danba exclaimed, "I understand! I understand! You want me to take you back with the vehicle! You know that the vehicle, wrapped in metal, is a good mode of transportation, right? Is that it?"
Tashi Danba asked eagerly, but then realized the wolves didn't understand him. However, this complicated matter was hard to express with actions alone. Then, he remembered their vehicle had been burned into scrap metal, and they were struggling to survive. They might even need help from these wolf friends. He looked at the smallest wolf with compassion and murmured to Zhang Li, "Poor thing, look, its four legs are trembling from the cold."
"Oh," Zhang Li replied weakly, thinking to himself, "You don't see it, but my legs are shaking too." He had broken out in a cold sweat earlier, and now, with the icy wind blowing, he felt as though he was wrapped in a layer of ice.
"Clang—" Tashi Danba suddenly stood up and drew his Tibetan knife. The two wolves jumped back and immediately adopted a defensive stance. Zhang Li was confused. What was Master Danba doing? Was he about to attack? At least he could have given some kind of hint. But he then saw Tashi Danba walking toward him with the knife.
Zhang Li shouted, "Master Danba, what are you doing?"
Tashi Danba crouched down, grabbed Zhang Li's coat, and said, "We… we should help them!" With that, he slashed the knife across Zhang Li's coat, cutting off a large section.
Though all three of them wore coats provided by Tashi Danba, they were slightly different. Tang Min's was a silver fox fur coat, and Tashi Danba's was a snow marten fur coat. Now, both coats were wrapped around Tang Min, leaving Zhang Li with only a lambskin coat. Lambskin is also a very warm material, but it is rare and expensive, with only high-ranking figures like the local chieftains being able to afford it in the past.