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

Chapter 116 Achievements at This Stage [7.6 thousand words!]

After driving for another ten kilometers, Li Younan checked his phone and found that there was no signal. He thought back and realized that they had been in an area with no signal for about eight or nine kilometers.

If it's an iPhone, the distance might be even longer.

The problem now is that after Lao Chen sends the people down, he will definitely have to turn back to find them.

Old Chen's walkie-talkie only had a range of 3 kilometers.

Realizing the problem, Qi Shunyi immediately called out on the walkie-talkie, "Everyone, wait a moment..."

All the cars stopped.

He jumped out of the car and sighed heavily... Damn it, what's going on?
Such a simple route has caused so much trouble.

The car was parked in an open space beside the road, and everyone got out.

Everyone was puzzled. Qi Shunyi gathered everyone together, sighed slightly, and explained the situation: "Everyone, take out your phones and take a look."

At Qi Shunyi's prompting, everyone took out their phones. Then Qi Shunyi's voice rang out: "I think everyone's phones are out of signal right now. Old Chen will definitely turn back to find us after he drops the people off, but our walkie-talkies only have a range of 3 kilometers, and the area without signal is about 8 or 9 kilometers away. We'll have to wait another 5 kilometers before we get a signal."

After a pause, everyone present, being intelligent, immediately understood the meaning behind Qi Shunyi's words.

Xu Cheng frowned slightly and said, "I understand what you mean. In order to ensure that Lao Chen can keep up with the team when he comes back, we need someone to meet him in the signal edge area, right?"

Qi Shunyi nodded: "That's the idea. But don't worry, everyone, this will definitely be handled by our support team."

"At that time, the deputy leader will turn back and meet Lao Chen at the fork in the road. We will continue forward and walk another 10 kilometers or so to reach our first checkpoint, which is also a highlight of our trekking route. It is an unnamed lake."

“There is a large open space by the lake. Originally, our plan was just to use that place as a rest stop. However, as you can see, we encountered a small problem today, which will delay our journey by at least several hours. Therefore, I suggest that we change our campsite to the lakeside for today.”

Hearing Qi Shunyi say this, the others had no objections, only Ma Jing thought for a moment and asked, "Won't our schedule be very rushed for the rest of the time?"

This question hit the nail on the head. Qi Shunyi hesitated for a moment, then nodded frankly and said, "There are two options. One is to shorten the rest of the trip and complete the journey in the original number of days. The other is to adjust the number of days and extend the trip so that everyone can have more fun."

Qi Shunyi then hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

However, everyone present understood Qi Shunyi's meaning: if the number of days was extended, then their support team would definitely charge more for the extended days.

Qi Shunyi didn't spell it out, but Xu Chengcai still conveyed Qi Shunyi's meaning: "I understand what the team leader means, it's about whether or not to add money."

He thought for a moment, "Personally, I'd prefer to increase the number of days. After all, this is the first time most of us have come out to play, so we should enjoy ourselves to the fullest. However, this is just my personal opinion."

Immediately, someone chimed in, "I also agree to extend the number of days. What does everyone else think?"

Others then shared their opinions, and most people were inclined to extend the number of days. As for the additional costs associated with the extension, everyone expressed their understanding.

After all, everyone saw the support provided on the first day. Qi Shunyi and his team did a great job in terms of support, providing everything from meals to itinerary planning, which gave these newbies no worries.

Old Zhang was an accident, but it was entirely his own doing and had nothing to do with the support team.

Ma Jing glanced at Li Younan, her eyes conveying a question.

Li Younan shrugged, indicating that he didn't care.

Having received an affirmative reply, Ma Jing said, "We both agree, and I'll settle the bill with you later." Ma Jing still had no objections and voluntarily covered Li Younan's expenses.

After the matter was settled, a smile appeared on Qi Shunyi's face.

We were lucky; the team members this time didn't dawdle.

Next, we need to meet up with Lao Chen. Qi Shunyi said, "Then let's continue slowly and have the deputy team leader go and meet him."

The deputy team leader and the cook were in the same vehicle, a Great Wall Cannon loaded with supplies. The deputy team leader nodded and was about to set off when Li Younan suddenly looked up and said, "Wait a minute."

Everyone turned to look at him, and Qi Shunyi smiled and asked, "Brother Li, what's wrong?"

Li Younan shook his head: "Going there to provide backup is too much trouble. It's just that the two of them might have taken the wrong turn..."

Hearing this, everyone's expression turned somewhat strange. Qi Shunyi frowned slightly. He didn't understand Li Younan's meaning and subconsciously thought that Li Younan thought Old Chen could find him on his own, so he explained, "Although there are only two forks in the road, we must contact him to make sure Old Chen doesn't get lost."

Qi Shunyi was also a little frustrated. Because this trip was on a simple route, they hadn't prepared a maritime phone with the best call quality.

The satellite phone function on my Huawei phone wasn't working well because of the clouds and mountains blocking the way. I tried calling Lao Chen just now, but the call was intermittent for two minutes and cost me over 20 yuan. I still couldn't get the conversation going.

To be on the safe side and to save costs, it's still the most reliable way to contact them using a walkie-talkie.

In addition, satellite phones can only be used to make outgoing calls; others cannot call in, making communication very inconvenient. They can only be used for confidentiality in emergencies.

Qi Shunyi was about to explain to Li Younan in more detail, but Li Younan shook his head and said, "You misunderstood me. What I meant was that as long as we can contact Lao Chen with the walkie-talkie, that's fine. As long as he goes back to where Lao Zhang had the accident, I can contact him."

Hearing this, everyone else was stunned, and Qi Shunyi didn't understand what Li Younan meant for a moment.

The place where Lao Zhang had the accident is at least 20 kilometers away from here.

Ma Jing's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "Can your radio call that far?"

Upon hearing the word "radio," most of the people present were somewhat bewildered, except for Qi Shunyi and Xu Chengcai, whose eyes flickered.

Xu Cheng asked curiously, "You have a radio installed in your car?"

Li Younan nodded: "There's a 50-watt one."

Qi Shunyi was quite surprised. As a veteran off-road enthusiast, although he did not have a radio operator's license, he had naturally come into contact with people who played radio games.

To be fair, those who specialize in radio broadcasting have, in some ways, a higher ceiling than experienced off-road veterans like him.

He asked curiously, "A 50-watt radio, that would require at least a Class B license, right?"

Li Younan didn't hide anything and nodded: "I have a C certificate."

He spoke casually, and the other newbies present didn't understand the value of a C certificate, but Xu Cheng immediately showed a surprised expression: "A C certificate?"

Ma Jing's eyes widened even more: "What? You have a C certificate? Aren't you a B certificate?"

Li Younan said with a bit of a laugh, "When did I ever say I had a B certificate?"

Ma Jing then thought about it and realized that Li Younan hadn't explicitly stated what kind of certificate he had last time.

The difference between a C certificate and a B certificate is not the difference between the Nascent Soul stage and the Deity Transformation stage, but the difference between the Tribulation Transcending stage and the Ascension to Immortality; those are two different realms.

Ma Jing snorted, her eyes darting around: "I didn't expect you to be so amazing!"

Seeing that most of the people present were a bit confused, Xu Cheng explained, "Well, theoretically speaking, a radio can communicate with people anywhere on Earth or even on a space station. You can think of it as an unlimited version of a walkie-talkie."

"However, you must have a radio operator's license to operate a high-powered radio. The C license is the most advanced operating license, and the exam is very difficult; there are only a few hundred people in the whole country who have it."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Li Younan with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

The deputy leader was naturally the happiest, since he had also felt quite bad about going back, and today's itinerary had been changed, so there was no need to rush at all. They could arrive at the lakeside around noon.

Twenty minutes later.

Under Li Younan's guidance, everyone waited a while longer, and everyone's walkie-talkies heard Lao Chen's voice.

This means they've caught up.

The slight unpleasantness that Lao Zhang felt from eating the poisonous mushrooms suddenly vanished at this moment.

Everyone got back into the car and slowly drove towards their next destination.

The convoy was moving slowly, and it wasn't long before Old Chen's car caught up with the main group.

After catching up with the main group, Lao Chen realized that he had been hearing Li Younan broadcasting the route on the walkie-talkie and thought they were only two or three kilometers apart. He never expected that Li Younan had started broadcasting from 20 kilometers away.

After hearing Xu Chengcai's explanation of radio technology, he exclaimed with admiration, "Looks like you're the most experienced outdoor enthusiast among us!"

Qi Shunyi was the most satisfied. Although the walkie-talkie had a range of 3 kilometers, the effective distance would be reduced or the call quality would be worse due to weather, rocks and trees blocking the view. Li Younan set up his radio with a repeater function, making his car the call center of the convoy. This ensured that Qi Shunyi's road condition tips were clearly transmitted to the walkie-talkies of every car.

Inside the walkie-talkie.

Qi Shunyi said sincerely, "It would be even better if the team leader knew radio, but the radio certification is really too difficult to pass. The questions for the A certificate were a bit difficult for me, let alone the B certificate... Only the B certificate can use a 50-watt radio... Ma Jing, the brother you brought this time is really reliable!"

Everyone burst into laughter over the walkie-talkie.

……

A little past noon, we finally arrived at the lake that Qi Shunyi had mentioned.

Indeed, as Qi Shunyi said, this is a very suitable place for camping.

The lake is neither too big nor too small, and the water is a vibrant green. There is a large open space on the shore, surrounded by shady trees.

The girls in the car convoy happily spun around and gathered together to take photos.

Qi Shunyi smiled and said, "Then let's rest here for the afternoon. Next, everyone set up your tents, and we'll start preparing lunch and dinner. You can move around in the vicinity, but for safety reasons, everyone must take their walkie-talkies with them when leaving the campsite, and it's best to go in pairs. Of course, my advice is not to stray too far from the campsite. There are fish in this lake; if you're interested, you can come fishing with me."

Old Chen had clearly done his research. He said with a grin, "This is that nameless lake? They said we could go boating here. Luckily, I brought a kayak."

It's clear that Old Chen is also a boatman.

After learning that we would be spending the whole afternoon here, I didn't object to everyone's decision at all. Instead, I wholeheartedly agreed with the arrangement and happily went to the trunk to get the kayak.

Qi Shunyi went to the car to get his fishing gear.

Seeing this, Li Younan had reason to believe that Qi Shunyi himself also wanted to spend another afternoon there.

Because of Li Younan's two previous highly noticeable performances, Qi Shunyi treated him with great friendliness.

Qi Shunyi beckoned Li Younan over and asked him, "Do you go fishing?"

Li Younan smiled and shook his head: "I haven't had any contact with them."

Qi Shunyi chuckled, mixing his bait, and said, "I have plenty of fishing rods in my car. I'll get you one later, you can cast a couple of times." Then he added, "If you're into outdoor activities, what's the point if you don't fish?"

Several people present strongly agreed with Qi Shunyi's statement.

They all brought out folding chairs, sat in a row, and chatted with smiles in turn.

"This spot is perfect, ideal for fishing!"

"Hehe, I wonder if the air force will be in the air today?"

"Well, I'll just sit here for the afternoon anyway."

Seeing everyone's enthusiastic expressions, Li Younan couldn't help but become interested as well. Without being coy, he took one of Qi Shunyi's fishing rods, sat down next to him, and set up his phone on a tripod to film himself.

Qi Shunyi enthusiastically introduced fishing, a fun sport, to Li Younan.

Yes, Qi Shunyi defines fishing as a sport.

He used Li Younan's fishing hook to catch a clump of bait he had prepared, and then taught him how to put the hook into the lake water, without adding a float, as that was too complicated for Li Younan.

Then all that's left is to wait quietly.

Several of the men present enjoyed fishing, and they were all very focused on it.

Li Younan could sense that everyone was secretly competing to see who could be the first to catch a fish.

Li Younan had only fished once or twice as a hobby before, so his experience was basically zero.

Several times, he felt the hook move, so he hurriedly jerked the fishing rod, but nothing came out.

He secretly hoped that, as a newbie, he could make a splash during the so-called newbie protection period.

It would be a great sense of accomplishment to be the first to catch a fish among all these experienced anglers, and it would greatly satisfy one's vanity.

Unfortunately, there isn't that much luck in this world.

Several middle-aged men around him caught fish one after another, but Li Younan's fishing rod remained motionless.

Not long after, Qi Shunyi, who was standing next to him, also caught his first fish, a tiny fry that was not much longer than a finger.

Qi Shunyi pulled the fish off the hook, casually tossed it into the fish basket, and said with a smile, "This kind of fish is the most common fish in this area. This kind of fish is very suitable for deep-frying. Just do a simple cleaning, remove the internal organs, coat it with flour and egg, and fry it. It tastes very delicious."

He paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Don't worry, this won't be poisonous. You can have it as an extra dish."

Li Younan was taken aback for a moment, then the two of them burst into laughter. There were indeed many fish in the lake, and Xu Cheng, who was in the distance, had a good catch, catching one fish after another.

Qi Shunyi also caught two larger fish in succession.

Li Younan didn't know the species of these fish, and seeing that everyone else had caught something, he couldn't help but feel a little restless.

Finally, this time he clearly felt a slight pull coming from the fishing rod. He quickly pulled, and as the hook was pulled out of the water, a fish was also pulled up.

However, before he could even rejoice, the fish separated from the hook in mid-air, the hook was pulled ashore all alone, the fish spun in the air, and then fell back into the lake.

Qi Shunyi comforted him, saying, "You're too impatient. The fish hasn't even fully taken the bait yet."

Li Younan was also a little frustrated for a moment, because there was a lot of knowledge involved in just the simple act of hooking the hook.

If you pull too fast, the fish won't have time to bite; if you pull too slow, the fish might eat the bait and escape.

He sighed slightly, but to be fair, there was indeed a thrill that seeped into his bones the moment the hook was pulled, his heart raced, as if endorphins and dopamine were being released in a frenzy.

It's even more pleasurable than kissing.

This suggests that there is indeed a hunter's instinct in human genes, especially in men.

The thrill and reward of a successful hunt is also a major factor that has driven humans to evolve into what they are today.

Unfortunately, fishing does require skill. He didn't think so before, believing that fishing was all about luck.

He was completely convinced today.

Qi Shunyi began to patiently teach Li Younan fishing techniques.

However, the chef prepared lunch before they had been fishing for very long.

Lunchtime today was quite late, around 2:00 PM.

The sun sets early here, and today is another cloudy day; the weather is already a bit chilly.

After lunch, everyone was free to do as they pleased.

Qi Shunyi went fishing at the lake with a few other uncles as usual. Old Chen pushed his kayak into the water and paddled alone toward the center of the lake.

Li Younan planned to go back to his car to take a nap, but before he could lie down, someone gently knocked on his window.

He turned his head and saw Ma Jing waving at him.

Li Younan rolled down the car window, and Ma Jing poked her head in and said, "Are you just planning to sleep?"

Li Younan nodded: "Take a break, what's wrong?"

Ma Jing blinked, then pointed in the direction they came from and said, "There's a path over there that seems to lead to the hillside on the other side. The view there should be great. Want to go check it out together?"

Li Younan leaned over for a glance, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay then, wait for me."

Li Younan changed into a pair of non-slip hiking boots and also brought a pair of military tactical gloves.

After all, this is in the wild. These tactical gloves can not only prevent punctures and clear away some obstructive bushes, but also greatly increase friction and prevent slipping in places where both hands and feet are needed, even on slippery stone surfaces.

Then, Li Younan used a tactical belt to attach the walkie-talkie and a small dagger to it.

Seeing Li Younan's equipment, Ma Jing was stunned for a moment, then smiled wryly: "You're so professional."

Looking at Ma Jing, she wasn't dressed as lightly as she had been in Chengdu; she was wearing a dark-colored windbreaker.

The two told Qi Shunyi, and then slowly set off on their exploration in the direction they had previously planned.

The so-called path is probably just a trail worn out by nearby villagers going up the mountain, just as Lu Xun said: "There was originally no road in the world, but as more people walk on it, it becomes a road."

Before long, their path was blocked by low bushes.

Li Younan and Ma Jing exerted a lot of effort to get through the small bushes.

Looking ahead, the view became more open, but then both of them paused for a moment.

The hillside Ma Jing mentioned was still there, but there was no road ahead; a small cliff, seven or eight meters high, blocked the way.

To get to that hillside, you have to climb this small cliff.

Li Younan smiled and said, "It seems there's no other way. Let's go back to the camp."

Before Li Younan could finish speaking, he paused for a moment, because Ma Jing had already turned her gaze to a small path extending from the corner of the small cliff.

Strictly speaking, this isn't even a path; it's overgrown with weeds, but there are some traces that show someone has indeed walked on it.

Ma Jing said, "There's a path here; we can definitely get up there."

Li Younan sighed slightly; he didn't have particularly high expectations for the scenery on the hillside.

Seemingly sensing Li Younan's thoughts, Ma Jing simply said, "You wait here, I'll go scout ahead."

After saying that, she pushed aside a few branches and squeezed inside.

To be honest, Li Younan really admired Ma Jing.

She comes from a well-off family, but acts decisively and efficiently. If she were an adventure partner, she would have the sensitivity of a woman, but not be pretentious, and would be bold and have an exploratory spirit.

As he was thinking this, Li Younan looked up at the cliff again, and a strange feeling suddenly arose in his mind...

This small cliff is actually very low, just like a marble-paved road.

He blinked, his judgment of the cliff naturally stemming from his only two level-two skills... rock climbing.

Level 2 is defined as Master level. If Level 1 is the best in the world, then Level 2 is the strongest in the world, and Level 3 is the strongest in history, which can be regarded as Legendary level...

For the world's best rock climber, how different is there between this small cliff and climbing a staircase of the same height?

He glanced at it a few more times, and even an easy climbing route appeared before his eyes.

Li Younan thought for a moment, then reached out and grabbed a protruding spot on the stone wall.

The entire mountain was made of solid rock, posing no risk of falling off. He seemed to have the experience of climbing countless peaks, and made a firm judgment in just a moment.

very safe.

Then, he gently exerted force with his arm, placed his other hand on top, and moved his feet accordingly.

It didn't involve any exaggerated body postures; the most it could do was suspend its body in the air with both hands, slowly raise one foot, step on a protrusion about chest height, and then exert upward force to grab the next climbing position.

To be fair, from other people's perspectives, Li Younan's actions could be described as dangerous, but Li Younan just felt very relaxed and safe.

In just a few dozen seconds, he easily climbed up the seven or eight-meter-high stone wall.

After he climbed up, he heard Ma Jing excitedly shouting in the direction he came from: "Li Younan, I found the way! There's a path up here."

But she called out twice and didn't see Li Younan. She looked around with a puzzled expression.

Ma Jing's eyes searched for a moment, and she suddenly looked up and saw that Li Younan was already on the stone wall.

Her expression immediately turned as if she'd seen a ghost; she froze, her small mouth slightly agape: "You...how did you get up there?"

Li Younan didn't answer Ma Jing's question; his gaze was suddenly drawn to something not far away.

……

Not far ahead, a mountain stream flows down from a higher rock face.

However, it was not the mountain stream that attracted Li Younan's attention.

The mountain stream rushed down, forming a small pool with a diameter of two or three meters.

Li Younan slowly walked over, squatted down, reached into the pool, and then picked up a stone the size of an apple.

The stone was entirely black, and apart from being a little darker than the surrounding stones, it didn't look particularly unusual to the naked eye.

Li Younan placed the stone in the pool and rinsed it again, washing away the mud and sand and revealing its more natural appearance.

It's still black, but very fine and smooth.

Li Younan took out the tissues he carried with him, wiped the stone clean, picked it up and looked at it against the light in the sky; it was not translucent.

However, based on his experience in stone carving, Li Younan was already certain of the type of stone: it was a piece of black jade.

Li Younan held the stone in his hand, pausing for a moment.

Ma Jing emerged from a small path at the foot of the stone wall, panting, and said, "Finally, we're up."

She noticed the stone in Li Younan's hand and asked curiously, "What are you holding?"

Li Younan said, "It's a piece of jade that I found."

"This is jade? No way." Ma Jing walked over and held out her hand. "Can I take a look?"

Li Younan nodded and handed the stone to her.

Ma Jing held it in her hand and examined it carefully for a while, but couldn't figure out what it was about, so she returned it to Li Younan with a bored expression.

Li Younan casually put the stone away, chuckling to herself, "How could she possibly understand it?"

So far, despite a few minor hiccups, Li Younan is generally satisfied with the trip.

He tested his plant identification and rock climbing skills, gained a general understanding of what a trekking team was like, and earned everyone's respect through his abilities... The outline of this type of travel also became clear in Li Younan's mind.

Oh right, besides these, I've also gained another hobby.

Li Younan began to recall the feeling of almost catching a fish.

He squeezed the stone in his hand; this was also an unexpected bonus.

This stone is black jade, but of course, it's not like what many people imagine—just picking up a random stone in the mountains and it becomes a priceless treasure.

The market price for this quality of black jade rough is at most around four figures.

Although the stone wasn't expensive, it represented a kind of gain, which made people very satisfied.

Ma Jing took a long detour and climbed quite a distance to get up there.

But they were still far from the hillside they were looking down at.

Standing here, you can see more clearly that the path leading to the hillside is completely blocked by a higher and steeper cliff.

Li Younan said slowly, "We can't go any further. Let's go back."

Ma Jing glanced dejectedly at the cliff blocking her path and sighed softly. She had finally managed to climb up here after all that trouble…

There was no other way but to go down with Li Younan.

Fortunately, the scenery here was also quite nice, and the sound of their conversation soon spread through the woods.

"I'm exhausted! How did you even get up here?"

"They climbed up that rock face."

"Ah!"

"real."

"Is this stone really a type of jade?"

"I'll show you when it's polished up, then you'll see..."

"You can do this too..."

"I understand a little bit..."

(End of this chapter)