By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 114 The First Day After Transmigration: Mushrooms! [8 words!]

Li Younan blinked and exchanged a glance with Ma Jing.

Ma Jing silently put away her phone, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Um, do you have any plans for the next few days?"

Li Younan said calmly, "There are no major arrangements. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hmm..." Ma Jing said, "Are you interested in time travel?"

Li Younan silently looked up at the sky and replied casually, "Time travel? I've never done that before. Hmm, it's alright..."

Ma Jing leaned against the car window and said earnestly, "Aren't you a travel blogger? And you have an off-road vehicle. Actually, this is very interesting. You should try it out." She rattled off a whole bunch of things in an attempt to persuade Li Younan.

Li Younan found it amusing, but still nodded with a "whatever, it's fine" expression: "Hmm, it sounds quite interesting."

Seeing that Li Younan seemed somewhat interested, Ma Jing pressed her advantage, saying, "It's like this, there just happens to be a vacancy in our team." Before she could finish, Li Younan interrupted, "I overheard you on the phone earlier. Someone suddenly couldn't make it, right? We need a... replacement?"

Li Younan's bluntness exposed her, so Ma Jing simply stopped pretending and nodded: "That's right. Our convoy needs to gather six cars to set off, otherwise they will have to postpone it."

Ma Jing's candor surprised Li Younan somewhat. He nodded and said, "Well, and then?"

Ma Jing took a deep breath and said solemnly, "So I'd like to invite you to join our racing team. I can cover the expenses for you. What do you say? Do you agree?"

Li Younan found it amusing. He himself had wanted to experience it, but Ma Jing felt like she was getting the better deal.

However, he also knew that Ma Jing was the kind of girl who was decisive and independent, so he shouldn't tease her by being mysterious at this time.

Li Younan said, "That would be so embarrassing."

Ma Jing thought Li Younan was going to reject her, and sighed slightly. Fortunately, Li Younan said the next moment, "Well, okay then."

A smile finally broke out on Ma Jing's face, and she nodded: "That's great, it's settled then. Can you promise you won't go back on your word?"

“No, I’m not that kind of person,” Li Younan said.

Ma Jing was in a great mood and immediately took out her phone to call the team leader: "Tell them I've found my people here. Hmm, not bad efficiency. Don't let me down this time. The time and place will proceed as planned. Okay!"

After hanging up the phone, Ma Jing thought for a moment and then said, "There are still two days left. You can make some more preparations and replenish supplies. Of course, there are dedicated support personnel in the convoy. I'll go back to Chengdu first to make some preparations as well, and then we can go together."

After settling the matter, Ma Jing drove away.

……

That evening, when he got home, Li Younan briefly told his mother about the incident.

He didn't go into much detail, only saying that he was about to embark on another trip to western Sichuan.

My mother didn't ask any more questions. After all, time travel carries certain risks, and I didn't want to worry her if I explained it in too much detail.

Afterwards, Li Younan returned to her room and spoke with JK Long again.

JK Dragon's reaction was much more excited. He replied, "That sounds interesting. Don't forget to film it. Oh, and if you're going to the wilderness, you can get a drone to film some aerial footage. The edited footage will be even better."

Then JK Long thought for a moment and said, "You're going with that Ford Fiery Horse owner, right? Then I'll cut some more content from that modified car video to make it a preview for the fans, to build up their anticipation."

Finally, JK Long added, "You must still need to make some improvements to the car, right? We'll film it all and try to make the car as comfortable as possible so that the anticipation will be even higher."

Li Younan chuckled and replied, "Why are you even more excited than I am?"

JK Long paused for a moment before saying, "I'm not excited. I just think your video is bound to be interesting, and as your editor, I'm just a little happy."

Li Younan felt that JK Long's words were not sincere, but she was too lazy to investigate further and simply replied with an "Oh".

JK Dragon replied: "Then go ahead and get busy."

Over the next two days, Li Younan began preparing for his departure.

First of all, the tires definitely need to be replaced. The original tires on this car are highway tires, which are high-quality highway tires, but they still can't handle the conditions on unpaved roads in the wild.

Ma Jing has sent over a rough route, and Li Younan has also checked it out. The route is several hundred kilometers long, which is not very long. There are basically no particularly difficult off-road sections along the way, and some extreme enthusiasts have even driven sedans without fear of damaging their equipment and have traveled it.

However, just in case, Li Younan still changed to a full set of KO3.

The Land Cruiser has larger tires, 285 tires, plus a spare tire, for a total of 5, which cost about 1 yuan.

After being fitted with all-terrain off-road tires, this vehicle looks significantly more imposing.

There's no need to expand the storage space further, as the Land Cruiser is already spacious enough, and since Li Younan is the only passenger in the car, there's even more room to put things.

Besides, adding things like roof racks to a Land Cruiser would look very out of place.

Because the convoy had pickup trucks with professional repair tool kits, Li Younan didn't need to bring any more repair tools.

After thinking it over, Li Younan realized there wasn't much he needed to bring. However, to ensure a good night's rest, he upgraded the power bank in his car, adding two more. Combined with the original power bank, he now had a total of 4 kilowatt-hours, more than enough to carry a small car refrigerator.

He used a carpenter to fix this set of equipment to one side of the trunk, making it look very neat and beautiful.

In addition, he also brought a portable solar panel with a maximum power of 1800 watts. If the sunlight is good, it can fully charge the power bank in two hours. It also doesn't take up much space when folded up.

Besides these things, there are also some camping supplies and equipment.

Finally, to give the vehicle a more off-road feel, he added an entrenching tool behind the door and a flag clip on the other side.

In the past, you could often see off-road convoys with a flag on their backs, which looked really cool. This time, he can show off a little too.

Li Younan had no idea if there was anything she had overlooked.

After all, this was his first time undertaking a long-distance trek, and with more experience, he would know better what to bring.

He also filmed the modification process and sent it to JK Long.

JK Dragon quickly edited the video and sent it over.

Li Younan checked it and found no problems, so he uploaded the video.

The video ends with a shot of a door closing, captioned: "Officially setting off tomorrow, please stay tuned!"

Not long after the video was posted, people started urging for more: "Even though you're not leaving until tomorrow, can't you update today?"

Although Li Younan knew it was just fans making a joke, she still couldn't help but laugh.

……

The cross-country convoy met in Chengdu this time.

Li Younan first drove to find Ma Jing, who was staying in Chengdu.

It's worth mentioning that Ma Jing is not from Sichuan; she and Chen Kunjie are from the same hometown, Chongqing.

After meeting up with Ma Jing, she took Li Younan directly to meet up with the rest of the team.

The meeting point was a farmhouse in the suburbs of Chengdu.

When their car arrived, there were already seven or eight cars parked in the courtyard of the farmhouse.

Judging from the scale of their journey through western Sichuan, their convoy was already considered a relatively large one.

There were two support vehicles, both modified pickup trucks, both Great Wall Cannon models.

Li Younan recognized the support vehicle at a glance, because the cargo bed was filled with all kinds of support supplies.

The remaining vehicles included one for the team leader and the others for players like Li Younan and his group, who were also participating in the time-travel trip. Naturally, the people in this time-travel trip convoy were mostly beginners, but their equipment was quite luxurious.

Li Younan saw a Raptor, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Formula Leopard 5, a Jeep Wrangler, and a Land Rover Defender.

After Ma Jing arrived, she called the team leader. Soon after, a middle-aged man came out of the farmhouse and greeted her warmly: "Then we're all here!"

Ma Jing introduced Li Younan to the team leader, and then said to Li Younan, "This is the team leader for this trip. His name is Qi Shunyi. You can just call him Lao Qi."

Qi Shunyi took the initiative to shake hands with Li Younan: "Welcome to join our cross-country car team this time."

Li Younan was naturally not intimidated and calmly shook hands with the team leader.

The next step is lunch. Everyone sits around a table, and the team leader will give a brief overview of the basic situation and requirements after departure. Then, everyone stands up and introduces themselves.

Li Younan naturally sat with Ma Jing. He noticed that apart from him and Ma Jing, and an old man surnamed Zhang who rode alone, most of the players participating in this time travel trip were in pairs, and most of them were a man and a woman.

Old Zhang was clearly the stubborn old man who didn't think things through. He glanced at Li Younan and Ma Jing, then chuckled and said, "You two are so young and already out off-roading? Don't run out of gear halfway through and leave the group early!"

Ma Jing frowned and ignored Lao Zhang.

Li Younan ignored it and let the words fall to the ground.

Seeing this, Qi Shunyi stood up, toasted everyone, and said, "First of all, it is a great honor to be your leader for this time-travel trip."

"We have three routes for this trek, and the whole trip will take about 4 days and 3 nights. One day will be spent camping in the wild, and the other two days will be spent staying in nearby counties."

"The journey will not involve particularly dangerous roads, but since it is an off-road adventure, there will still be some uncontrollable factors. We hope everyone will follow the unified instructions."

"Of course, don't be too nervous. Generally speaking, there isn't much danger in crossing western Sichuan, and the route we've chosen is very suitable for new players to experience for the first time."

"Along this route, you can basically see 80% of the country's geological landscapes. Next, I'd like to introduce you to some of the people who are in charge of this expedition: our chef, Lao Zhou, the mechanic..."

He briefly introduced the support staff, and then asked each of them to take turns speaking and introducing themselves.

Everyone stood up one by one to introduce themselves and give a speech.

People who can make long-distance travel their hobby are different from ordinary travelers.

This group is often wealthy and has plenty of free time.

There aren't many young people like Li Younan and Ma Jing; most are middle-aged, and even if they aren't successful in their careers, they belong to a group that has acquired certain resources in society.

Therefore, those who stand up to speak are usually quite eloquent. They first give a brief introduction, and then express their expectations for this journey, such as "I hope everything goes smoothly for us on this trip."

When it was Li Younan's turn, he stood up and didn't say much. He just smiled and said, "My name is Li Younan. I'm very happy to join the team."

Ma Jing, on the other hand, was even simpler. She stood up and said only two words: "Ma Jing".

The person who left the deepest impression on Li Younan among his fellow cyclists was an uncle who looked remarkably like Dao Lang, sitting opposite him.

It wasn't because he was particularly unique, but because his girlfriend was a young woman in her early twenties.

Judging from his age, the older man is more than capable of being the young girl's father.

His surname is Chen, so let's just call him Old Chen.

After Li Younan and Ma Jing finished introducing themselves, Lao Chen burst into laughter and said, "I didn't expect there to be such young people in our team."

The mechanic in charge of vehicle maintenance said somewhat seriously, "Although the route we chose isn't particularly extreme, there are still some places with axle crossings and shell craters. When you're going through them, especially you two young people, you must be very careful. If necessary, you can ask other people in the convoy to help you drive. Don't try to be brave."

At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing glasses nodded and said, "The performance of the car is also very important. What kind of cars do you two drive?"

The middle-aged man with glasses was the most scholarly-looking person present. Judging from his appearance alone, you would never imagine that he had anything to do with off-roading.

The middle-aged man's surname is Xu, and his given name is Xu Chengcai. He is also the only owner of the team's hybrid car, the Formula Leopard 5.

When he introduced himself, Xu Cheng said that he was an industrial engineering engineer, which, like Li Younan, is also a science and engineering major.

Li Younan smiled and said, "I drive a Land Cruiser V8, and she drives a Ford Strix."

As he spoke, he pointed at Ma Jing.

Xu Cheng nodded and said, "The Ford Strix is ​​alright, but the Land Cruiser's wheelbase is too long, so some sections of the road are still a bit difficult to navigate. Don't stray too far from me, and I can help you with your car if necessary."

Li Younan knew that the Formula Leopard, as an electric vehicle, was powered by an electric motor, which could generate a great deal of torque at very low speeds. Apart from being too heavy, it had virtually no drawbacks. In terms of off-road capability, it was indeed much better than the Land Cruiser, and it also had strong power and a strong ability to provide rescue.

Li Younan nodded and said thank you.

However, during the subsequent chat, Li Younan also vaguely sensed the other car enthusiasts' concern, or rather... distrust, of him and Ma Jing.

After all, they're both young.

After lunch, everyone prepared to set off.

The team leader gave everyone a flag, which looked really cool when stuck at the back.

The mechanic checked the condition of each vehicle, mainly the tires and the power system.

Before setting off, the team leader gave each vehicle a walkie-talkie.

This is an outdoor walkie-talkie with a display screen showing the frequency.

The team leader gathered everyone together and said, "The walkie-talkies we're giving you now will be our primary communication tool for the rest of our trip."

"You should know that there are many places where there is no signal and you can only maintain communication through walkie-talkies."

"The effective communication range of this walkie-talkie is 3 kilometers, so please do not leave this range."

"Once we officially set off, my car will be at the very front, and the support vehicles will be at the very back. I will report the location to the last vehicle at all times to ensure that everyone stays within the convoy and our communication range." Li Younan received the walkie-talkie and played with it for a moment.

His car has a radio, which is much more reliable than this walkie-talkie.

Walkie-talkies don't exceed 5 watts of power, while Li Younan's vehicle radio has 50 watts. Furthermore, Li Younan has a Class C operator's license, so theoretically, he could use that vehicle radio to communicate with people anywhere in the world... under specific conditions.

Even during this time travel, when used as a normal walkie-talkie, its communication range can reach twenty or thirty kilometers, far exceeding that of a regular walkie-talkie.

The team leader then said, "The frequency has been set for everyone, so please don't adjust it. If there are no other problems, let's set off!"

Everyone boarded the vehicle.

Li Younan got into his little cooler, patted the steering wheel, and said with a smile, "Old buddy, let's go!"

He was naturally quite excited as he gripped the steering wheel.

This was his first time participating in off-road adventures, a niche hobby. Although he had done some research beforehand and had a general understanding of the upcoming journey, to be honest, seeing it online and actually going to those places were two completely different experiences.

Li Younan also filmed all the preparations before departure, planning to send them to Brother Long after arriving at the destination.

Starting from Chengdu, the first stop is Shimian County.

Li Younan did not use the walkie-talkie that was given to him, but instead used his own car radio to connect to the frequency for making the call.

For a radio operator, this is not even considered operation.

The walkie-talkie wasn't entirely useless; it might come in handy occasionally after getting off the vehicle, so Li Younan kept it in a place where he could easily reach it.

He moved the car refrigerator to the passenger seat so he could easily grab a chilled drink.

He sipped his drink, listening to the joking conversations of fellow cyclists on the radio, occasionally snapping photos of the scenery along the way as material, quite enjoying himself.

Since most of the participants in this cross-country trip were newcomers, you could sense that even the older men were very excited.

The distance to Shimian is over 200 kilometers, and it takes just over three hours to get there.

Although the distance wasn't short, the experience was different from driving alone; it was very easy, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the starting point of the route.

During this process, some people naturally didn't drive that fast, while others drove quite aggressively, keeping a large distance between each other.

Fortunately, the last car kept the distance of the convoy under control. No matter how fast you go, you can't outrun the first car, and no matter how slow you go, you can't let the last car overtake you.

The two ends of the convoy ensured that the entire convoy arrived in Shimian without any major incidents.

After a short rest, it was already past 4 p.m.

Asbestos is the official starting point of this journey.

Their destination today is Wanba Town, and they will also be staying there tonight.

What excited Li Younan a little was that Kowloon, which was a midway point in their journey, also had a checkpoint, allowing them to complete a checkpoint task while traversing the land.

Leaving the county town, the road narrows noticeably, and we climb up the mountainside.

The greenery outside the window grew thicker and the mountains became steeper.

In the mountains at the end of September, the sunlight slanted in, no longer scorching, but rather warm and gentle.

The higher you go, the fewer vehicles you encounter, and the sound of the engine becomes exceptionally clear in the empty valley.

Occasionally, when passing through a small village, you can see scattered houses and corn drying in the sun, but you quickly leave them behind.

The air did indeed become crisper, and Li Younan took a deep breath, which carried a hint of plant and earth scents.

After a day of driving, the casual conversations on the walkie-talkies had stopped. Everyone seemed a bit tired, with only the team leader occasionally cracking a joke to lighten the mood.

"We've arrived at Wanba Town."

Li Younan's car didn't fall too far behind. He heard the leader's words on the car radio and caught up with the leader in a moment.

Li Younan was a little surprised.

It's simpler than I imagined...

It's a short street lined with low-rise houses, small shops, and restaurants.

There were very few people, and it was very quiet. Only their few dusty cars broke the tranquility.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, the sunlight was partially blocked by the surrounding mountains, and the town had already entered a feeling of dusk, with a slightly chilly atmosphere.

Their planned campsite was on the edge of town, a flat, open space near a stream.

After parking the car and opening the door, the cool mountain air immediately enveloped him, and Li Younan quickly put on his coat.

Setting up tents and moving luggage were all part of the busy work.

The accompanying staff would help set up the tent, but Li Younan and Ma Jing didn't need to. Watching them busily setting up the tent, Ma Jing's lips curled up slightly. It was only at times like this that she felt that the money she spent was worthwhile.

Besides the two of them, Xu Cheng, who drives the Fangcheng Leopard 5, also doesn't need to set up a tent.

Li Younan finally had time to visit Xu Chengcai's car.

Xu Chengcai's trunk was also converted into a bed, but it was rather rudimentary, consisting of just an inflatable mattress.

However, this car has its own power source. In addition to the thirty-odd kilowatt-hours of electricity that the car itself carries, it can also generate electricity while parked. Theoretically, it has a power reserve of several hundred kilowatt-hours, and the air conditioning can be run all night.

In some ways, it's even more comfortable to sleep in than Li Younan's car... because of the freedom of air conditioning.

However, after visiting Li Younan and Ma Jing's cars, Xu Chengcai was still a little envious. Compared to the modified big bed, his air mattress seemed rather shabby.

There's a small stream beside the campsite, and the gurgling sound of the flowing water is the main background noise here.

Once everything was settled, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the "sea of ​​clouds."

This is also the first must-see spot on this trip.

The townspeople told them that during this season, if they went up the mountain at dusk, they would be lucky enough to see a spectacular sea of ​​clouds on the hillside near the town.

During the vehicle inspection, it was discovered that one of the tires had low pressure, and the mechanic quickly inflated it.

Team leader Qi Shunyi laughed and said, "It's alright. Right now, it's just a slight issue with tire pressure. Hopefully, we won't have a tire blowout on this trip... although the probability is quite low."

Hearing this, Ma Jing frowned slightly and said, "Do tire blowouts often occur on this road?"

Qi Shunyi nodded and said, "However, there's no need to worry too much. Tire blowouts are very normal. When we encounter difficult roads, I will stop and wait for everyone to arrive before we go through them one by one."

Next up is the plan to go up the mountain to see the sea of ​​clouds.

"If we go up now, it'll probably be dark by the time we get there."

Qi Shunyi spoke calmly, as if stating a fact, “I will lead the team up. The chef and our deputy team leader will prepare dinner for everyone down here, but it’s not mandatory for everyone to go up. Those who are going up, please gather here in 10 minutes.”

His words were like a reminder.

Li Younan looked up and saw that the sky was indeed darker than before, and the sun on the western mountaintop was almost invisible.

They knew that it got dark quickly in the mountains.

I did some mental calculations: if I drive up now and get to the place where I can see the sea of ​​clouds, I'll probably only have less than an hour of light left, and I'll definitely have to walk in the dark when I come down.

They looked at each other, and almost no one hesitated.

"It's all here."

"Go up and take a look; if it's not good, then retreat."

"go!"

The sound of the engine starting again carried a stubbornness that knew time was tight but was unwilling to miss it.

The car left the town's flat road and turned onto a narrower, steeper dirt road, climbing up a higher, twilight-shrouded hillside.

The headlights had been turned on in advance, and two beams of light pierced the deepening darkness ahead.

The roadside trees cast dark shadows as the car headlights swept across them.

Whether or not you can see the sea of ​​clouds is not so important at this moment; it's more like a ritual that you have to try.

The wheels rolled over the gravel, the car swayed slightly, and they plunged headlong into the night of the mountains, heading towards that unknown, anticipated mist.

The feeling at that moment was very clear: in my tired body, there was a stubborn thought that was holding me up—since I've come this far, and the mountain is right in front of me, even if I only see its blurry outline, I have to go up and confirm it for myself.

The town lights grew smaller and smaller behind us, while the darkness and unknown ahead grew ever stronger.

This impromptu mountain journey was less about chasing the sea of ​​clouds and more about fulfilling their own obsession.

The mountain night wind seeped in through the cracks in the car window; it was a bit cold, but Li Younan's grip on the steering wheel was very steady.

……

The car bumped along the gravel road for about half an hour, and the light disappeared faster than expected.

On the last steep slope, the headlights could barely pierce through a few meters of thick darkness ahead, with towering, silent tree shadows on both sides.

The parking spot was a relatively flat dirt slope. After turning off the engine and getting out of the car, the mountain wind immediately penetrated my coat.

The world beneath my feet was completely plunged into darkness, as if the earth had vanished.

Looking up, the night sky above was exceptionally clear, with several bright stars.

Everyone turned on their headlamps, casting beams downwards. At first, nothing could be seen but emptiness.

Eyes, adjusted to the darkness, struggled to discern.

Finally, in the deepest, farthest distance below, the scene began to emerge: it was not the vast sea of ​​clouds they had imagined, but a huge misty lake submerged at the bottom of the valley.

It was not still; grayish-white mist slowly surged and flowed in the abyss, like the breathing of some enormous creature in its slumber.

The moonlight occasionally struggles to pierce through the thin clouds, casting a few hazy, silvery-gray spots of light on the surface of the mist. These spots flicker and change with the movement of the mist, revealing the vastness and depth of this misty lake.

It was so far away from them, cold and mysterious, silently filling the entire valley.

The wind whipped against their faces, carrying a damp, chilly feel. Everyone watched in silence, then someone whispered, "So this is where it is..."

His tone conveyed a sense of relief at finally seeing someone after a long journey, mixed with a profound sense of awe.

After expending great effort to climb up in the dark, what they saw was not a magnificent panorama within reach, but a distant, flowing abyss of mist in the deep valley.

It wasn't as shocking as I'd imagined, but it possessed a unique, breathtaking sense of loneliness.

Reality differs from expectations, but it's not without its merits; it just requires a change of mindset to accept it.

Li Younan also brought a special video camera with him on this trip. The camera had better light intake, and the footage looked more impressive than what you'd see on a mobile phone.

He carefully captured the scene before him and took several more photos.

After staying for about ten minutes, the chill had become bone-chilling.

The road downhill required even more caution; the headlights carefully probed in the darkness, moving at an extremely slow pace.

When they returned to camp, the town was already pitch black, with only a few headlamps and the light of a campfire illuminating their camp.

The sound of the stream was especially loud at night.

The tension that had been building up inside me finally dissipated, and a feeling of exhaustion pressed down on me like a mountain.

Qi Shunyi and his team prepared a very good dinner. Everyone gathered around the campfire to warm themselves and eat, chatting animatedly about the sights they had just seen. Some felt it was worthwhile, while others thought the road was too difficult to travel.

Just as everyone was warming themselves by the fire and recovering their strength, Lao Zhang from the same team came over to the fire carrying a small plastic bag.

The firelight illuminated his somewhat excited face.

“Hey, look,” he said in a low voice, opening the bag with a hint of pride, “I found this while I was waiting for you guys to watch the clouds on the mountain!”

There were a few mushrooms lying in the bag. Their shapes weren't particularly unusual, their caps were light brown, and their stems were thick and covered in fresh soil.

"Hey, Old Zhang's got some skills!"

"Is this edible?" Several people nearby crowded around to take a look and asked all at once.

Old Zhang chuckled confidently: "I know it! We have this kind in the mountains back home, it's called buckwheat mushroom or something, it's amazing in soup! Purely wild, a real gem!"

He carefully put the bag away. "I'll add it to breakfast tomorrow morning, so everyone can have a treat!"

Li Younan looked over and frowned.

(End of this chapter)