Normally, people would head north or west to find supplies because there are uninhabited areas to the south with harsh environments unsuitable for hiking. Now, they're driving, with plenty of gasoline and fresh water, and with Minister Sun as their guide, they have more confidence in venturing into the uninhabited areas.
Everyone who entered the base was told that there was a no-man's land to the south, and that they should not go south to find supplies, and everyone should avoid the south. Despite this, they still encountered several groups of survivors heading south along the way.
They were dressed in rags, wearing mismatched shoes, some even in straw sandals. Their hands, feet, and faces were covered in frostbite, oozing pus, yet they walked numbly. Their hair was dry and yellow, making it impossible to tell their age.
If they weren't desperate to survive, who would come out and suffer in this kind of weather!
Upon seeing Xu Lin and her group's car, some people quickened their pace to try and stop it, while others, knowing no one would care, simply walked blindly. Some even collapsed and never got up again.
To save gasoline, Xu Lin and her companions didn't turn on the air conditioning in the car. The three of them and their dog relied entirely on their own righteous spirit to keep warm, and white breath would float out of their mouths as soon as they opened them.
Fearing they would freeze, everyone chatted casually along the way. Minister Sun recounted his experiences serving in the army in southern Xinjiang, explaining what precautions to take when entering uninhabited areas and what to do in case of danger. Zhou Pin and he had much in common, and Xu Lin occasionally chimed in as well.
After driving for about an hour, I started to see some plants along the road, although they were frozen to death. Anyway, at least there was some hope, so the trip wasn't a complete waste.
There were no survivors left on the road. Minister Sun took over driving from Zhou Pin, as he had a better sense of direction and could make judgments about what was ahead based on the roadside plants.
When they came to a fork in the road, Minister Sun decisively chose the narrower path between the two mountains. Xu Lin and Zhou Pin didn't say anything about it; Minister Sun was the expert in this regard.
“The road looks difficult to travel, but there might be an oasis in the middle of the snow-capped mountains. Let’s try our luck,” Minister Sun said.
After walking for another hour, the road was indeed difficult to walk on. Xu Lin could no longer catch up on sleep as before, so she had to take her binoculars and observe the surroundings.
"Zhou Pin, look! Isn't that an oasis?" Xu Lin suddenly grabbed Zhou Pin's arm.
Zhou Pin took the binoculars, and the distant scenery came into view: first a lush green expanse, with a lake in the center. Xu Lin was holding high-definition binoculars, and could even see several sheep drinking water by the lake.
“That’s right, it’s an oasis, Uncle Sun, take a look.”
“It’s surrounded by several snow-capped mountains, forming an oasis. Judging from the sheep drinking by the lake, there are probably no other survivors. Let’s look for supplies over there,” Minister Sun said, pointing to the oasis not far away.
The group got back into the car and headed towards their destination.
"Looking at a mountain makes your horse run itself to death." The oasis appeared close enough through binoculars, but it still took the car an hour to reach it. Four hours had passed since they left, and they were about 300 kilometers from the base—not far, but not close either.
When the three arrived at the lake, the flock of sheep had already left, much to Xu Lin's disappointment, who was eager to "steal a sheep." However, the lake was still there, and other animals would come sooner or later; there were none now because it was noon.
The temperature here is around 15 degrees Celsius, which is very comfortable. Looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the lake nearby, and the green plants surrounding them, the three of them felt very content.
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