On the Edge of Life and Death

Flames roared to life in the long corridor, creating a wall of fire over ten meters long that blocked the advance of the horde of rodents. Some braved the inferno and darted through, but they were driven back by even fiercer flames. The unlucky ones tumbled and struggled within the fire, ultimately becoming part of the blaze, fueling it with their burning bodies. Despite this, the relentless rodents continued their attempts to break through. Hu Yang cursed loudly, "Damn it, you little pests! Let me show you what I've got!" He grabbed a bottle resembling insecticide from Kirk's backpack, tossed it into the swarm on the other side of the fire, and immediately fired at it with precision. The bottle exploded with a loud bang, followed by the hissing sound of gas dispersing. A cloud of smoke billowed out, spreading through the corridor. The rodents, catching a whiff of the fumes, panicked and fled in all directions. Watching them retreat, Hu Yang collapsed onto the ground, sweat dripping from his face as he panted heavily, muttering, "So, they really are afraid of this. Finally, I know… I know."

Barely sitting for a moment, Hu Yang suddenly jumped to his feet, grabbed Kirk by the collar, and yelled, "Where are Tashi Danba and Zhang Li? Where are they? Where are they?"

Kirk stared blankly at Hu Yang, unable to respond, still shaken and speechless from the chaos. Hu Yang paced back and forth, his anxiety growing until he suddenly realized, "This is bad! They must have gone back the way we came. They don't have ice spikes, ice axes, or even safety ropes—how are they supposed to cross the ice bridges?" He glanced at the wall of fire behind them and the rodents retreating into the distance, his face clouded with worry and unease. Finally, he made up his mind and declared, "Let's go back and see if there's still a chance to save them."

Kirk stammered, his voice quivering, "W-We have to go back?"

On the ice bridge, Zhang Li's body spun halfway around. Tashi Danba missed his arm but managed to grab hold of the safety rope hooked over Zhang Li's shoulder. Tashi Danba tried to stabilize himself and pull Zhang Li up, but his over-leaning posture caused him to lose his own balance, sliding toward the opposite edge of the ice bridge. Realizing the danger, Tashi Danba quickly wrapped the rope around his wrist while shouting to Zhang Li, "Hold on to the rope!"

The safety rope stretched taut between them, suspending Tashi Danba and Zhang Li in mid-air, swaying back and forth. The rope, anchored to the middle of the ice bridge, had been wrapped multiple times around Tashi Danba's arm and palm, securing his grip for the moment. Zhang Li, meanwhile, had tightly bound the rope around his wrists, creating a figure-eight loop that ensured he wouldn't lose his hold.

Tashi Danba's heavier weight was counterbalanced by the gear Zhang Li carried on his back, creating a precarious equilibrium as they dangled. If either of them loosened their grip, both would plummet into the icy abyss below—a fate far colder than the freezing waters.

A chilling wind swept through, and Zhang Li glanced up at the ice bridge. "This is a 10.5-millimeter waterproof climbing rope. I've used it before as an engineer. It's incredibly strong, so we're not going anywhere for now. But… this rope is too thin. There's no way we can climb up it."

Tashi Danba, regaining his composure, asked, "How are they? Did you see them?"

"The others?" Zhang Li, snapping back to reality, replied, "I was too panicked at the time, just focused on running with you. But I didn't hear them shout, and when we turned the first corner, it seemed like there were a lot fewer rodents behind us. I think…"

"Ah! That's great, they must have taken another route," Tashi Danba, trying to sound optimistic but clearly lacking confidence, said with a forced smile. "Captain Hu seems experienced; they probably managed to fend off the rodents. We'll just wait for them to come back and rescue us."

Zhang Li laughed, looking up at the ice bridge where the silhouettes of rodents scampered methodically between the ice columns. "It's hopeless, if either of us lets go, we both fall. It seems we won't even be able to say our last words," he remarked sarcastically.

"Don't talk nonsense," Tashi Danba reassured. "Don't worry, I once had a fortune teller tell me I'd live a charmed life until I'm fifty. If I'm not dying, you're going to be fine too. We just need to wait patiently."

"I'm sorry, but I once met a living Buddha who warned me against getting too close to snow and ice, saying the worst that could happen would be dying without a trace. Looks like his words are proving true. Now, I don't know if my bad luck is dragging you down, or if your good luck is keeping us both alive. We'll see whose fate is stronger, Mr. Danba," Zhang Li responded with a wry smile.

Tashi Danba sternly replied, "Relax, it's not as bad as you think. If we keep holding on, we'll eventually be rescued."

"I'm really sorry, it looks like I'm dragging you down this time. I… I can't relax anymore, this is my limit," Zhang Li said, his voice strained as he clenched his teeth tightly, clearly at the end of his endurance.

Observing Zhang Li closely, Tashi Danba realized something was amiss. As Zhang Li passed under a beam of light, Tashi noticed his bandaged hand soaked with blood, staining the white bandage completely red. The painful expression on Zhang Li's face revealed the struggle he was enduring against the severe pain.

Summoning all his strength, Tashi Danba pulled himself up, wrapping the rope more tightly around his right arm and started to breathe deeply, speaking softly but firmly to Zhang Li, "It's not time to give up on life yet, my fellow soldier. Hold on for just another half minute. You must hold on!"

As Zhang Li swung by him, Tashi Danba suddenly kicked out, sending them swinging in opposite directions. When they swung back towards each other, Tashi stretched out his hand in an attempt to grasp Zhang Li. Despite the distance being too far and Zhang Li's hands tangled with the rope, Tashi could only reach him with the tips of his toes, unable to grab him with his hands. That one kick caused Zhang immense pain, sweat beads formed on his forehead and froze into ice as they rolled down his face.

Despite the bleak situation, Tashi Danba refused to give up. He prepared for another attempt, saying, "I'm going to try one more time, are you ready? No matter how painful, don't let go!"

Zhang Li braced himself and Tashi kicked off once more. They swung apart and then back together again, the pain excruciating as the rope dug deeper into their flesh. Just as Zhang Li felt his hands slipping from the rope, he felt a sudden support, followed by a firm grip on his wrists. Looking up, he saw Tashi Danba straddling the air, his legs clamping around Zhang's waist, his hands each gripping the rope, hanging like a swing beneath the ice bridge—alas, this swing had no seat. Tashi used all his might to twist his wrist, securing the rope even tighter, and said, "Quick, grab onto my legs, I can't hold you much longer."

Zhang Li immediately freed his hands and clamped his arms and elbows around Tashi's thighs, locking themselves into an awkward, yet secure, mid-air embrace. They were now temporarily safe from falling.

Time slowed to a crawl as Tashi Danba, bearing the weight of both of them, felt his bones nearly breaking under the strain, his muscles taut like overstretched tendons ready to snap at any moment. The rope cut painfully into his flesh, his blood nearly freezing as his arms turned a dark purplish hue. Tashi was acutely aware of his diminishing grip strength and knew he couldn't hold on much longer, but he was determined not to give in until he had exhausted his last ounce of strength.

Looking up at Tashi, Zhang Li saw the large man from this angle towering and muscular, more magnificent than Michelangelo's David, a veritable Hercules. Noticing Tashi's distant gaze, Zhang asked, "What are you thinking about, Mr. Danba?"

Tashi smiled bitterly, "I was thinking about Minmin. Thank goodness she was sick earlier and didn't join us."

Zhang was silent for a long while before saying, "Instead of worrying about Minmin, shouldn't we be more concerned about our current situation, Mr. Danba?"

"I'll hold on until the very last second, don't worry," Tashi grunted with effort.

Zhang Li saw Tashi Danba's arm turning a different color and understood what it meant. He also knew that if he let go first, Tashi Danba could hold on for a few more minutes. After much contemplation, he finally said, "Let me go, Mr. Danba! You still have unfulfilled dreams, and I only have one small wish. Please tell my mother—"

Tashi Danba angrily interrupted Zhang Li's plea, raising his voice, "Shut up! Stop overthinking; I'm not letting go unless we fall together. I brought you to Kekexili; we go back together, or not at all. Save your wishes for someone else; telling me is pointless." His gaze was intensely determined, leaving no room for Zhang Li to argue.

But Zhang Li had little hope left. The situation with Hu Yang and the others was unclear, with the most likely scenario being that they couldn't save themselves. Now, as he and Tashi Danba dangled precariously, with carnivorous rodents silently drawing near, he knew the danger was imminent. He was very aware that if anyone were to rescue them, it would be nothing short of a miracle. The so-called waiting for rescue was merely a comforting lie they told themselves, a fact both Tashi Danba and Zhang Li knew all too well. At that moment, Tashi Danba noticed the light dimming and murmured, "What? Is the weather changing?"

Zhang Li laughed helplessly and said, "They're here, Mr. Danba. I guess we should prepare."

Looking up, Tashi Danba saw the underside of the ice bridge crowded with tiny paws. The rodents gathered, covering the entire surface of the bridge like a black behemoth ready to devour them, bones and all. Zhang Li's question about preparation was really asking when Tashi Danba would let go. Tashi Danba joked, "Always ready!"

Now, Tashi Danba faced two choices: hang in mid-air and be devoured by the rodents, leaving nothing behind; or let go, fall into the rushing undercurrents below, and be frozen into a mummy. There was no third option.

Zhang Li knew their final moment was approaching. He smiled and said to Tashi Danba, "I'm glad to die with you, Mr. Danba. Meeting you in the last moments of my life has been an honor. I've heard many stories about you in Tibet, about a heroic figure who left epic tales on the plateau, respected and admired by many. Honestly, when I first met you, I was disappointed because you seemed just like anyone else despite your size. But the more I got to know you, the more I appreciated your qualities. Today, I truly admire you, Mr. Danba. If fate allows us another chance at life, I'll follow you to the end."

Tears appeared in the eyes of this iron-hard man. Zhang Li felt incredibly brave confessing his admiration to another man, which he thought required more courage than facing death before an enemy. Passion surged through him, his body hotter than ever as he found his life's purpose, perhaps the same purpose that drove Mr. Danba to pursue those legendary Tibetan mastiffs. Regrettably, just as he discovered the meaning of life, he faced its end. Zhang Li wasn't sure whether to feel content or resentful.

It seemed a long time had passed when Zhang Li felt he was still hanging in the air, not yet fallen. He looked up at Tashi Danba, who clenched his teeth with veins bulging from his forehead down his neck, still holding on, not yet ready to let go. Above them, the rodents had arrived, some beginning to gnaw at the safety rope, with the bolder ones descending along it.

"What are we waiting for, Mr. Danba?" asked Zhang Li.

Grinding his teeth, Tashi Danba responded, "I don't know, maybe it's just hard to give up!" He was using up his last bit of strength, his whole body trembling slightly. He turned away painfully to face a rodent climbing towards his arm, locked eyes with it briefly, then furiously bit its head off as it ran across his collar. He spat out the rodent far away, cursing, "You want to eat me? It'll cost you your life!" More rodents were already descending the rope, hungry from a winter's fast, unstoppable in their quest for food.

Seeing Tashi Danba's hesitation, Zhang Li said, "Drop me first, Mr. Danba. Otherwise, if people find our bodies frozen together in such a posture thousands of years from now, who knows what they'll think."

Tashi Danba, surprised Zhang Li could still joke at such a moment, laughed and replied, "Thousands of years from now, if our bodies are discovered, people will probably think that homosexuality was quite popular among the primitive inhabitants of Kekexili."

Zhang Li also laughed, but his laughter quickly faded. Tashi Danba's smile also slowly vanished, and he finally said resignedly, "Ready? Smile, so that future generations won't see our faces in agony."

Zhang Li forced a smile, and suddenly, as if gas was leaking somewhere, the previously aggressive rodents began to act confused, reversing and scattering in every direction, many pushed off the bridge by their peers into a bottomless abyss. The rodents cleared, and sunlight streamed through again. Zhang Li couldn't believe such a miracle was happening, murmuring, "What's happening? What just happened?"

From the bridge edge, Hu Yang's rough voice bellowed encouragingly, "Tashi Danba, hold on! If you let go now, it's all over." His voice, unexpectedly, sounded so comforting.

Hu Yang quickly assessed their situation and shouted, "Hold on for three minutes, at least three minutes!" He quickly pulled out a safety device from his bag, and with Keke's help, they quickly set up rivets. Hu Yang fired a launching gun, embedding several ice cones linked by quick loops into an ice beam. They swiftly assembled a pulley system with four static and four dynamic pulleys, dropping down a 'D' shaped lock attached to a safety rope. Keke, anxiously, said, "This is risky, Zhang Li might fall while grabbing the gear."

Hu Yang replied, "No time to waste, Tashi Danba can't hold on much longer." He aimed carefully and yelled, "Bite the rope, Tashi Danba! You can do it, just hold tight!"

As Keke quickly lowered another safety rope with a harness, Zhang Li wrapped his arms and upper body through it, separating from Tashi Danba. Initially holding the rope in his teeth, Tashi suddenly grabbed it with his hands again, shouting, "Wait! Lower me, slow…slow…slow…"