Chapter 12: Sandstorm Assault

I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep when I was suddenly awakened by a strange sound. I sat up and saw a group of shadowy figures moving in the distance. Judging by their size, they were no small creatures.

My heart skipped a beat—could it be a pack of wolves? The thought instantly drove away all traces of sleepiness, and I hurriedly crawled out of my sleeping bag, ready to wake the others. But before I could make a sound, a cold hand suddenly covered my mouth!

Panic surged through me—had we been ambushed? Just as I was debating whether to fight back, a familiar voice whispered in my ear, "Don't make a sound. Don't wake the others. That's a herd of wild camels."

Hearing Ding Yi's voice, I finally relaxed. But even then, his hand remained firmly over my mouth. I could only make a few muffled protests.

"Shh… Don't startle them. Let them leave quietly."

I had no choice but to endure until the dark shadows faded into the distance. But something was off—Ding Yi's hand was ice-cold, almost completely devoid of a living person's warmth.

When he finally let go, I took a few deep breaths before whispering, "Why are these camels traveling at night?"

"It must've been too hot during the day, so they're traveling at night and resting during the daytime," Ding Yi replied indifferently.

I watched the herd disappear into the darkness and suddenly thought of the mother and baby camels buried under the sand not far from our camp. They must have fallen behind and perished in this merciless wasteland…

I turned to Ding Yi, startled. "You mean… you stayed awake the entire night?"

Ding Yi gazed into the darkness and calmly said, "Someone has to keep watch. It's not safe here."

That was true. In a desolate land like this, danger could be lurking just beyond sight.

Noticing the fire was dimming, I got up to add a few dried branches that Zhao Qiang had gathered. Then, I crawled back into my sleeping bag, trying to fall asleep. But the ground beneath me had turned chillingly cold. Earlier, the sand had retained some warmth from the day's scorching sun, but now it felt like ice seeping into my bones.

Unable to sleep, I pulled out the pocket watch that Uncle Li had given me and traced its surface with my fingers. It was an old Shanghai-brand pocket watch, certainly older than I was. Back in the 70s and 80s, this was a coveted item—clearly a treasured possession of "him."

Perhaps he had left it behind on purpose, fearing it would be lost during the expedition. I focused all my attention, trying to sense the lingering presence attached to it…

He was parched. His water supply had long been exhausted. The relentless sun scorched his skin, and he knew he was severely dehydrated. He glanced at his wristwatch—a leather-strapped mechanical watch—the time was 4:25 PM, likely the hottest time of the day. He could barely keep going, yet his survival instinct kept him on his feet.

Suddenly, a mirage appeared ahead—a black, ancient city shimmering in the heat, surrounded by misty water vapor. Within its walls, strangely dressed figures busied themselves with their daily work.

Even someone like me, who had never been to Lop Nur, knew this was nothing but an illusion. And as a scientist, he surely understood that too. Yet, in his desperation, he chose to believe in it and stumbled toward that phantom city…

Then, the vision abruptly ended. A sharp pain throbbed in my head—I had overexerted myself. Drowsiness overtook me, and before I knew it, I had drifted into sleep.

By the time I woke up again, daylight had arrived. Ye Zhiqiu and Zhao Qiang were preparing breakfast, while Uncle Li was deep in discussion with Luo Hai and Liu Ziping.

I turned my head, searching for Ding Yi, and finally spotted him asleep inside the car. It seemed he truly hadn't rested the entire night.

After breakfast, we resumed our journey. Since Ding Yi needed to catch up on sleep, I took over driving. Though I was only a novice driver, in this vast wilderness, I was confident enough to manage.

After spending the night together, I had started warming up to Zhao Qiang and the others. However, Luo Hai and Liu Ziping still gave me an unsettling feeling—especially whenever I walked past them, I could sense an eerie presence, almost like a trace of "death."

I had been driving for nearly three hours when exhaustion started creeping in. I glanced over at Ding Yi, who remained fast asleep. He must have been truly exhausted after driving all day yesterday and keeping watch all night.

Our two Cherokee vehicles sped through the desert, but the sky was growing darker, and visibility was decreasing. Just then, the radio crackled to life—it was Zhao Qiang from the other car.

"Uncle Li, we need to stop! I think a sandstorm is coming!"

Uncle Li's face grew serious as he peered outside. It was clear that we couldn't continue forward.

Zhao Qiang led us to a slightly sheltered area and turned off the engine, preparing to wait out the storm. Even though we were inside the vehicles, the experience was far from pleasant. The world outside turned into a swirling mass of yellow haze, making it impossible to see even a short distance ahead.

Fortunately, our vehicle was well-sealed, but small stones, carried by the howling wind, rattled against the windows with a constant ping-ping-ping sound.

The moment the storm hit, Ding Yi woke up. His brows furrowed as he stared outside, as if he could make out something in that blinding yellow chaos… Amid the roaring wind and flying sand, I could almost hear faint wails and howls, like ghosts crying in the storm.

Among the three of us, I was definitely the least composed. To be honest, if I had known we were coming to a place like this, I never would have taken this job. Money could always be earned, but life? You only had one.

What was the point of making money if you lost your life in the process? No amount of gold would be worth it.

Unexpectedly, the usually quiet Ding Yi spoke, attempting to reassure me. "Don't worry. Sandstorms of this scale are common here. We're safe inside the car."

Lips pale, I muttered, "That… that's good. Uncle Li, if we ever get another job this dangerous, count me out. My life is more important…"

Uncle Li must have seen how terrified I was, because he suddenly chuckled and said, "Do you know who the missing person we're searching for actually is?"

He had been so secretive about it before, yet now he was bringing it up in the middle of a sandstorm? Naturally, I was curious.

"The files didn't say. You've been acting all mysterious this whole trip. How would I know?" I replied. "But… the man in that black-and-white photo looks familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."