Chapter 1: The Lonely Traveler

"My name is Su Yuan, and this is the sixth hour I've been here in this place. I don't know exactly what's going on. All I knew was that I woke up and was here. I suspect I've crossed over, but I have no proof.

The weather was always in a dim state and I couldn't see the sun. I can't tell if it's the Earth, or if it's in a specific direction. All around me, there is an endless Gobi desert, and there is not the slightest iconic reference or man-made structure in sight. There is no cell phone signal here, and I can't call for help.

I can't tell the location from the temperature. It just felt a little colder, but I couldn't deduce what that meant, or the more detailed geographic coordinates. Sorry, geography has never been my strong suit.

For six hours, I didn't eat a single drop of food or drink a drop of saliva. The continuous movement has brought my physical fitness to the limit, and the battery of my mobile phone is no longer sufficient. I wanted to keep my phone charged so I could at least know how long it had been. But for six hours, there was not the slightest hope around. So, I decided to leave this video. Memory cards are able to be stored for a certain period of time. That way, if someone comes looking for me, they'll at least know what's going on.

I'd love to leave some more information, but the battery is running out of power. After ten seconds, the phone will automatically turn off. I can only say one last word, Dad, Mom...... I love you. I'm sorry I couldn't say this in front of you, but if I can go back, I'll be in front of you......"

Before the words were finished, the phone screen went black. Su Yuan looked at the phone in a daze for more than ten seconds, and then put down the phone weakly. He reluctantly stood up and looked around.

He was now on a small hillside. But this weak supremacy did not allow him to get the information he wanted. The surrounding area is still the endless Gobi. Vast, desolate, without a hint of popularity.

Su Yuan sat weakly on the somewhat cold ground again. Holding his shoulders with his hands, he twitched quietly. Although only six hours have passed, the psychological pressure on people in this deserted Gobi is unimaginable. Su Yuan is just an ordinary person, a codewriter who has not received the slightest military or survival training. In this environment, physical exhaustion seriously amplifies mental stress. He was about to lose it.

After more than ten minutes, Su Yuan forcibly cheered up. Dragged his tired body to his feet and began to move forward again. In any case, he has not given up, at least in a certain direction, until he can no longer walk.

He locked onto a large weathered rock in front of him and walked towards the other man. It's an easy way for him to keep his way from getting lost. Select a reference and move towards each other. Upon arrival, select a reference object again in the same direction, and repeat one after another. This does not guarantee the exact direction, but at least maintains a general consistency of direction.

Without his phone, he didn't know how long he had been gone. I just feel that the sky around me is starting to get darker, and the temperature has dropped significantly. He wrapped his thin shirt and continued to move forward. It was getting dark, so in this way, from the time calculation, this place was not much different from the day and night of the earth, and it was very likely that he was still on the earth.

It's not about rejoicing, it's not about being frustrated. Now Su Yuan has lost this emotional fluctuation. The physical exhaustion had already made him a little numb.

But the wonderful thing about fate is that it always stimulates you from the limits of your emotions. Just when Su Yuan was about to find a random place, lie down and sleep without hesitation. He saw a figure.

Su Yuan rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked at it again. Yes, a figure. Not far in front of him, a tall, somewhat thin figure was walking briskly.

"Hey......" Su Yuan didn't even think about it, and yelled with his last strength. Ignoring the sharp pain in his chapped throat, he shouted and ran towards the other party.

He himself was amazed that he was still able to run at this time. The figure not far away shuddered, as if startled by his shouting.

The other party turned around, and Su Yuan saw that it was a white man in his thirties. The other party didn't catch up, but just looked at Su Yuan who was rushing with a vigilant gaze.

At a distance of less than 100 meters, Su Yuan quickly ran to the other party. This makes the other party more guarded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm lost, please, help me. I need food, water. Is there a village around here or something? I need to call, please, help me. ”

Su Yuan went up to ask for help in Chinese. But seeing the other party's blank expression, he came to his senses again.

"Okay, Hello, I'm a lost man, I need help." As soon as Su Yuan, who was not very proficient in English, spoke, the other party's eyes changed. Then he spoke:

“Come with me. It's dark. It's not safe here. We have to find a place to stay.”

To be honest, with Su Yuan's English level of not even level 4, he didn't understand the meaning of the latter sentence at all. But the first sentence, he still understood. The other party asked him to follow.

He followed the other party in a sluggish way, only to feel that most of the fatigue on his body had disappeared. Only then did he have time to look at the somewhat abrupt white man who had appeared.

The other party is not tall, a little shorter than Su Yuan, who is one meter seven. The clothes on his body are a little shabby, but they are clearly modern. This is also the reason why Su Yuan asked for a call. There is a backpack on his body, which is estimated to contain food. There is also a kettle on the waist.

The other party obviously noticed that Su Yuan was staring at the kettle, and untied the kettle on his waist very well and handed it to Su Yuan. The kettle can hold about two litres of water. At this time, there are still most of them, which means that there are human settlements or supply points not far from the vicinity.

Holding the kettle, Su Yuan was not polite, and raised his head to pour it violently. I drank half a liter of water in one go. He restrained his desire to drink and returned the kettle to the other party. Don't be too greedy, in case something goes wrong with the supplies, this could be their last source of water.

Because of Su Yuan's English proficiency, the two sides basically did not continue the dialogue. The other party just took him silently and walked around the Gobi. Before it was completely dark, I actually found a cave under a small hillside. Looks like this man has been here more than once. The cave obviously has traces of artificial repair, and it is obvious that this is a resting point on the Gobi.

On the inside of the cave, there is even a large reserve of firewood, as well as a small spring that is constantly dripping. The white man naturally placed the kettle under the dripping spring to catch the water, and then he brought some firewood and started to make a fire.

When the other party did all this, he was familiar with the road, and it seemed that he had done it more than once. Su Yuan also went up to help, and the experience of growing up in the countryside as a child made him no stranger to these things.

The other party used an old-fashioned kerosene lighter and lit the flames. Then the firewood was constantly added, and soon a large fire was formed. The cave began to get warmer, even a little hot.

Su Yuan felt that there was no need for the fire to be so big. But thinking that he was not familiar with the environment here, and that the night in the Gobi might be unexpectedly cold, he understood the other party's approach.

The other party took out some food and meat and heated it over the fire. The huge flames, grilling a few pieces of food, made the scene a little comical. Su Yuan couldn't help but want to laugh. I thought to myself, such a big fire, it's almost enough to roast a person.