The Story of Tashi Damba

Tang Min cried out anxiously, "This time they're not aiming at the ground—they're targeting our car directly!"

Zhang Li didn't respond. His focus was razor-sharp as he shifted gears, braked, turned the wheel, shifted again, countersteered, and engaged the clutch. He knew that whether they could evade the attack depended entirely on this maneuver. Steering the car around a man-sized boulder, he created a massive cloud of dust with the car's rear end, hoping to obscure the Hummer driver's vision. If they crashed into the boulder, that would be ideal. If not, at least it would make it harder for their gunner to aim accurately.

The Hummer emerged from the dust cloud unscathed, as steady as if it were driving on a highway. Zhang Li's pupils narrowed in disbelief. This opponent was beyond anything he had anticipated. And then he saw it—flashes of fire.

The "bang" that followed wasn't the sound of the rocket hitting their vehicle but the explosive pop of a tire. At this critical moment, the Hummer's tire finally gave out under the strain of the rocky terrain. The rocket veered off course the instant it left the launcher, soaring over the Xiaolong's roof and disappearing into the distance, leaving a smoky trail in the sky.

In the rearview mirror, Zhang Li clearly saw the Hummer flip onto its side, rolling twice across the riverbed before coming to a halt. Although the vehicle seemed battered, its occupants were likely shaken but alive. Zhang Li pushed the Xiaolong to its limits, speeding away from the scene.

Meanwhile, the Hummer's door was kicked open, and a tall, blond man stepped out. His steel-plated military boots crunched against the gravel as he walked. Casually leaning against the vehicle's hood, he removed his sunglasses, revealing piercing, hawk-like eyes. Fixing his gaze on the dust trail left by the Xiaolong, he smiled faintly and muttered, "The kid's got decent driving skills. Next time, we'll see who's better."

With a loud clang, another masked man tumbled out of the back seat, looking disheveled. In broken English, he stammered, "Boss, our satellite tracking system is damaged. We can't follow them anymore."

The blond man's expression twisted in anger. The veins on his face bulged as he reached under the Hummer's front panel. With a roar, he lifted the vehicle's hood entirely off the ground, then slammed it back down, sending up a cloud of dust. Inside the Hummer, the other masked man cowered in fear, knowing their boss was prone to violent outbursts. However, the blond man quickly regained his composure. A sly grin spread across his face as he lit a cigarette and murmured in halting Chinese, "Zashi Damba, Boss Zhuo… Even if I can't catch you, I'll find the Parbara Temple before you do. Just watch."

Inside the Xiaolong, silence hung heavy in the air. Death had brushed past them, and everyone was still processing the close call. Zhang Li's hands trembled slightly, the adrenaline still coursing through him. Of the three, Tashi Damba seemed the calmest, though even he couldn't fully explain what had just happened.

Zhang Li broke the silence. "They can't follow us for now. What's the plan?"

Tang Min said, "I think if we get past the mountain ahead, we should be able to see the protection station's signal balloon, right?"

Zhang Li sighed wryly. "Miss Tang, it seems you've already forgotten the situation we were just in."

Tashi Damba said, "It's fine, Xiao Zhang. She doesn't understand—don't blame her. Minmin, our current situation isn't as optimistic as you think. The damage to the vehicle behind us might not be severe. Off-road vehicles are highly durable. If they just replace the tire, they could catch up very quickly."

Zhang Li added, "An experienced driver can change a tire in under five minutes."

Tashi Damba nodded. "Exactly. If we stop at the protection station or rest, it'll just give them a chance to close the distance. What we need to do now is pick a route they won't anticipate or find a safe place where they won't dare use force. Since we're already deep in the Kekexili wilderness, finding a truly safe spot is unlikely. Our best option is to head straight for the rescue station where your brother was found, retrieve the notebook, and return as quickly as possible."

Tang Min asked in confusion, "But how could they possibly track us in such a vast area?"

Zhang Li replied, "They're probably using GPS. In these high-altitude regions with thin air and clear skies, spy satellites from countries like the U.S. or France can detect even a grasshopper on the ground. A vehicle this large would be even easier to spot. But now that it's completely dark, using such technology might not be as effective. That's probably why they were so desperate to stop us before nightfall."

Tashi Damba asked, "Are there other reasons?"

Zhang Li explained, "At night, in this rocky, uneven terrain, visibility and braking distance become major concerns. Nobody would dare drive over 50 kilometers per hour. That means the Hummer's speed advantage is entirely neutralized. Even if they can locate us, they'll still lag behind."

Tashi Damba turned to Tang Min. "How far is the rescue station from this protection station?"

Tang Min replied, "Still several hundred kilometers. But the road ahead is very difficult. It's not something we can cover in just a few hours. If the car breaks down or runs out of fuel halfway, then we're…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

Tashi Damba reassured her, "Don't worry. This modified Xiaolong has dual fuel tanks and a backup. Fuel won't be an issue. I'm confident the mechanical systems will hold up too. The only concern is the driver." He looked at Zhang Li.

Zhang Li nodded. "Normally, it's too risky to drive in such conditions at night, but we don't have a choice. Let's just hope we don't hit a boulder or fall into a crevice."

Tashi Damba said, "Alright, I'll rely on you. We'll head northwest, and the two of us can take turns driving."

Zhang Li reduced the speed to 50 kilometers per hour. The powerful headlights illuminated the uneven ground ahead. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Tashi Damba, who modified this car for you?"

Tashi Damba replied, "I don't know. I paid someone to do it. Why?"

Zhang Li thought, "My lady, your brother was a daredevil." He replied, "Miss, the advantage of an off-road vehicle isn't in its speed, but in its ability to withstand the test of time and terrain. With four-wheel drive, the traction is much greater than a two-wheel drive, allowing it to climb hills and travel where ordinary vehicles can't. Given the terrain we'll be facing, what we need is to drive cautiously and slowly. The maximum speed of off-road vehicles is usually only around 80 kilometers per hour, and even a Hummer, with a top speed of over 100 kilometers, is pushing the limit. If we're not careful, we could end up in a serious accident."

Tashi Damba asked, "Can we still increase speed?"

Zhang Li replied, "No, this is the top speed. Luckily, we're still on relatively flat terrain; if we were on more rugged ground, we'd probably have already flipped the vehicle."

Tashi Damba said, "The car behind us is catching up."

Zhang Li also saw the Hummer's rectangular windshield, resembling two large eyes, locked onto their Xiaolong. The flat body of the Hummer seemed much larger than their car. It felt like a lion chasing a cheetah. At that moment, Zhang Li saw, with surprise, that the side window of the Hummer was rolled down. A masked figure stuck half of his body out, and in his hands was clearly a carbine rifle.

Zhang Li quickly turned left, and the Hummer followed closely, unable to shake off. Zhang Li shouted, "Get down! It's dangerous!"

A spray of sparks erupted from behind the Xiaolong, as the carbine shot at the steel plating, making a loud "clang" sound. Zhang Li immediately executed a sharp 90-degree turn. Tang Min was tossed inside the car, but luckily Tashi Damba held onto her tightly, preventing her from being thrown out. Tashi Damba calmly said, "Don't panic, just drive steadily. The car is bulletproof."

Zhang Li let out a long breath, seeing sparks again from the rear window. It seemed that the bullet had been deflected by the bulletproof glass. Zhang Li was puzzled and asked, "Tashi Damba, looks like you were prepared for this?"

Tashi Damba replied, "It was a bad feeling. When we were still in Lhasa, I sensed that this mission might not go smoothly. I didn't expect things to play out exactly as I feared."

Zhang Li murmured, "What's going on? How could they get weapons inside China?"

Tang Min, curled in Tashi Damba's arms, asked, "Do they want to kill us? Why?"

Zhang Li responded, "It doesn't seem like they want to kill us. They just want to capture us alive. It's bad though—they've been targeting our tires. If they hit them…"

Tashi Damba interrupted, "Don't worry. Haven't you noticed? These tires are solid rubber. The two fuel tanks are well hidden beneath the chassis. Unless we step on a landmine, this car won't be easily damaged."

Zhang Li was still uneasy. "But they're faster than us. How can we shake them off?"

The man with the gun in the Hummer seemed to realize the attack wasn't working and pulled back. The Hummer accelerated again, closing in. Zhang Li floored the pedal, and both vehicles raced across the vast plain, leaving a trail of dust behind them. Tang Min was too nervous to make a sound, and Tashi Damba remained silent, not wanting Zhang Li to be distracted. At such speeds, one wrong move could cost all three of their lives.

Zhang Li kept glancing at the sky, which was darkening, and the road conditions were starting to change. The grassland had turned into a desert, the soft soil becoming harder and littered with sharp stones. The wind carried sand and dust, and the visibility was poor. If it got completely dark, driving in these conditions would be extremely dangerous. The Hummer, too, seemed to understand this, as another person emerged from its window, holding something that looked like a rocket launcher.

Zhang Li swallowed hard, recognizing it as a recoilless rocket launcher. "My God! Tashi Damba, what kind of people are chasing us? Do you really not know, or are you pretending?"

Tashi Damba and Tang Min saw it too, and Tang Min gasped, "Rockets! A rocket launcher! They have a rocket launcher!"

Tashi Damba held Tang Min tightly and calmly said, "Don't worry, it's nothing." But his voice was tight, betraying his own tension. He tapped on Zhang Li's seat and said hoarsely, "It's up to you now!"

With a sharp "whoosh," the rocket arced through the air, and in a flash, Zhang Li did his best to swerve left, simultaneously pulling the handbrake and footbrake. He had disabled the ABS and EBA systems, and the car nearly spun 180 degrees in place before speeding off in the opposite direction. As they made the turn, the rocket flew over the car, and with a deafening "boom," a massive shockwave hit the ground, sending rocks flying and shaking the car. Zhang Li put all his strength into maintaining control, preventing the car from flipping.

The three of them were left shaken, the roar of the engine filling the silence. Zhang Li knew that their pursuers were deliberately avoiding hitting the car, just trying to cause enough damage to stop them. He thought to himself, "If they're doing this to slow us down, they clearly aren't friends. The key is that Damba doesn't know what's going on either. We need to find a way to shake them off, or we'll stay on the defensive."

Suddenly, Zhang Li's eyes locked onto a rocky riverbed ahead. He yelled, "Hold on!" and steered the car straight toward it!

As they entered the riverbed, the stones grew larger, with sharp edges facing upwards, and the vehicle started to bounce violently. Zhang Li reduced the speed to 100 kilometers per hour—at 130 kilometers, they would have been airborne. "Whoosh!" The second rocket exploded on the car's right side, sending a deafening sound and more rocks flying. Zhang Li was alarmed when he saw the bulletproof glass crack. He feared the next rocket might shatter the window.

Seeing the Hummer still right behind them, Zhang Li finally grinned through gritted teeth, swerving the Xiaolong in a zigzag pattern across the riverbed. "If they're going to chase us down, they'll be following wherever I go. They don't know which direction I'm going, so they'll be stuck right behind me. Unless their tires are solid rubber too, they'll never keep up on these sharp stones."

He kept maneuvering through the rocks, even using drifting to get around larger obstacles. Behind them, the Hummer's driver showed impressive skill, mirroring Zhang Li's every move. The Hummer's speed was at least 20 kilometers faster than the Xiaolong's, and Zhang Li couldn't help but admire his opponent's driving skills.

As they continued, someone in the Hummer lifted the rocket launcher once again. This time, they weren't aiming at the rocks but directly at the Xiaolong. Zhang Li swerved left and right, but the rocket launcher's barrel never left his rearview mirror.