There are no roads in the deep mountains, so we can only walk through the gaps between the trees. When we encounter very dense bushes, we even need to use a knife to cut them open to continue. In addition, the road surface is uneven, so walking one kilometer here may take more energy than walking ten kilometers on a flat road.

I was worried about Ye Zhi. Even though the light from her headlamp kept swaying in front of me, I would still turn around and look at her every now and then.

I wanted to talk to her to ease some of the fear of being in the dense forest, but I couldn't find a suitable topic. My mood was quite chaotic. I was scared, extremely worried about Yang Sisi, and also had to take care of Ye Zhi... So, it wasn't that I had no topics to talk about, but I didn't have the energy to deliberately find any.

Before we knew it, we had been walking in the dense forest for twenty minutes. I started calling Yang Sisi's name. I called it very frequently. Ye Zhi told me to take turns calling her name every half minute because it would be a waste of my energy to shout so loudly, and it wouldn't be very effective.

Ye Zhi's concerns were valid. I had been cutting down bushes with a knife, and since we were walking uphill, my strength was gradually waning.

"I'll do it, you take a rest."

I turned to look at Ye Zhi. Normally, even if I was just being stubborn, I would have held on a little longer. But at this moment, saving lives was the priority. To ensure efficiency, I handed her the knife I used to cut branches and bushes.

At the same time, she handed me the satellite phone.

This satellite phone is very practical. Not only can we make calls to each other without a base station signal, but we can also monitor the specific locations of our groups in real time... I guess only true professional mountaineers would equip themselves with such sophisticated equipment.

Ye Zhi is indeed very professional, which can be seen from the way she cuts down the bushes. She can cut down very thick branches with little force, which means she must have used a trick, and this kind of trick can only be developed through experience.

...

After walking for another ten minutes, Ye Zhi stopped. She asked me for the satellite phone, glanced at it, and then said to me, "Sisi's location is very likely not on the route we chose..."

"Then what should we do?"

"Don't worry, the four routes we've chosen have been meticulously calculated... If it's not on our route, it's very likely on the path chosen by Kemin (the professional she brought) and Chen Jin... We now have two choices: either follow the original route or change our route and move towards the one that's more likely to lead us to her... The choice is up to you."

I wish I could be there for Yang Sisi the moment she was in a panic. I know that I am the one who can put her at ease after she has recovered from her initial shock.

I was inclined to change the route, so I asked Ye Zhi, "Are you sure the route we've chosen is wrong?"

"I wouldn't say 100%, but based on my experience..."

"Look, Kemin and Chen Jin's team has the best chance of finding her."

"If your judgment is inaccurate; and the fact is she is on the route we chose, does that mean that if we change the route, no one might be able to find her?"

"Um."

After some deliberation, I replied, "Let's prioritize the bigger picture and make sure someone can find her first."

Ye Zhi didn't say much, nor did she give me any further advice. After returning the satellite phone to me, she turned around and used a knife to cut off a tree branch blocking our way. Compared to her clean and efficient actions, my heart was a little 'chaotic'.

I trusted her judgment completely, so I knew that the path we were about to take was almost entirely futile... But it was precisely because of that tiny bit of possibility that I dared not risk changing our course, and I hated that feeling!

...

The route Ye Zhi and I chose was incredibly difficult! Not only was it full of bushes, but in some places it was also very close to a fault line. No wonder the guide Ye Zhi brought insisted that I wear professional hiking boots. If I slipped and fell into the fault line, it would be a matter of life and death.

I stopped again and said to Ye Zhi, "Let's call Ke Ming and Chen Jin... If their route is correct, they should have found Si Si by now."

"Whichever group finds someone, they will notify the other groups immediately... Let's not stay here too long. It's the rainy season in Dali recently, and there's a high risk of rockfalls..."

"It's not that scary. Let's make a call and ask... We can keep each other company. I feel creeped out in these deep mountains, let alone her alone. We don't know when she'll be able to get out. She must be terrified... You should ask her. I'm really worried!"

Ye Zhi has always been a woman of principle, but this time she chose to respect me... probably because she was also hoping for the best. Although she knew there would be falling rocks, she thought that even if they fell, they might not hit us so precisely.

Under my watchful eye, Ye Zhi took out the satellite phone and immediately dialed the number for Chen Jin and Ke Ming's group... However, because the satellite phone is not connected to the ground base station, there was a slight delay in transmission...

She seemed very patient, while I remained impatient, constantly cracking my knuckles.

During the process, I heard something loosen. I subconsciously looked up and saw a stone about the size of a basketball falling from a height, right in front of Ye Zhi.

"careful!"

I yelled and lunged at Ye Zhi, shielding her tightly. The stone bumped against the rock wall, then fell close to my back and into the lower part of the fault line... The satellite phone in Ye Zhi's hand also fell down with the stone.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!