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

Chapter 263 Encountering an Avalanche! [Two-in-One]

With Yuan Ke's help and coordination, Li Younan successfully obtained the necessary permits and certificates to legally raise Tuantuan.

If you encounter a checkpoint or inspection, you don't need to worry that the police will confiscate it on the grounds of illegally hunting a nationally protected animal.

Once you reach the county town, you'll naturally have internet access.

Li Younan showed Yuan Ke his homepage, and only then did Yuan Ke realize that the young man in front of her was actually a popular online influencer with tens of millions of followers.

In return, Li Younan said that he would be willing to be invited to give lectures at their university if needed in the future.

Such a promise was not arrogant at all. Whether it was his expertise in ancient architecture, cultural relics, or the knowledge of botany and zoology he was demonstrating at the time, teaching a group of college students would be a piece of cake. The only thing he lacked was a degree certificate.

The owl's injuries will take several more weeks to heal, and it will be unable to fly.

Having them around adds some fun to the trip, which is great.

If the little creature's injuries heal and it wants to fly away, Li Younan certainly won't stop it.

After leaving Bomi, Li Younan's next destination was Motuo.

There is only one route that private vehicles can take to get to Motuo, and that is the Zhamo Highway.

The Zhamo Highway is not on National Highway 318, but that doesn't matter to Li Younan.

The so-called self-driving 318 is a general direction for him, but when actually traveling, it is impossible to strictly follow the rule of driving on this road.

For example, the Zhamo Highway might be the most interesting part of the entire 318 route; it would be a real shame not to experience it.

The Zhamo Highway follows the rule of entering on even-numbered days and exiting on odd-numbered days.

Liu Li and Li Younan went to the vicinity of the county town to make another round of purchases, replenishing the vehicle's supplies.

The distance from BM County to the entrance of Galongla Tunnel is 24 kilometers. There is no traffic control on this section of the road. Li Younan and Liu Li drove all the way to the entrance of Galongla Tunnel.

Mount Galongla stands in front of the entrance to the Galongla Tunnel.

The mountain exposed dark brown rocks, with remnants of snow embedded in the crevices. Some snow chunks rolled down the rock surface and piled up in the low-lying area at the foot of the mountain.

The wind swept across the hillside, swirling up fine snowflakes, and scattered some gravel on the road, which had fallen from the mountain.

In the distance, the mountain peaks are covered with thick snow, their edges meeting the gray-blue sky. Sunlight falls on the snow, reflecting a soft glow that illuminates the exposed rocks, creating patches of light and shadow.

At the foot of the mountain, there are scattered low shrubs with bare branches and a few snowflakes hanging between them. When the wind blows, the branches of the low shrubs sway gently, and the snowflakes fall down in a flurry.

Even though Liu Li had seen many snow-capped mountains, she was still awestruck by the Galongla Snow Mountain when she arrived at the entrance of the Galongla Tunnel.

I had only ever seen snow-capped mountains from afar before, but this time I was standing right at the foot of one of them, with thick snow covering the entire mountain – a scene I had never witnessed before.

Li Younan appeared quite calm, after all, this snow mountain was much less impressive than Mount Gongga, which he had climbed before.

However, Li Younan was more concerned about something else, namely the highway itself.

Medog was the last county in China to be connected by a road, and it took a full 58 years to build.

Only when you actually come here can you truly understand why it took so long to build such a road.

Any Chinese person who sees such a highway will feel genuinely proud of the strength of their motherland.

It should be noted that this highway has almost no economic value, and only China would spend more than 50 years and billions of dollars to build such a highway with little return.

All this was done so that every county in the country could be connected by road.

After a brief moment of reflection, Li Younan did not rush into the tunnel.

The tunnel entrance is an open space where many people choose to camp for a while and quietly admire the snow-capped mountains.

At this moment, Li Younan also received a check-in task issued by the system. Just as he had guessed, the task was to successfully travel along this highway to Motuo.

Li Younan looked outside and saw that there was only one car in the open space at the entrance of the Galongla Snow Mountain Tunnel.

However, to Li Younan's surprise, it was a small-displacement POLO.

Seeing this car stirred up long-dormant memories for Li Younan. He suddenly recalled the girl named Zhizhi he had met when he climbed Huangshan Mountain.

Li Younan met the other person by chance at the stargazing campsite in Huangjian Township.

A young woman in her early twenties, fresh out of university, drives a secondhand POLO and travels around aimlessly before starting a job.

When they parted, Li Younan casually remarked, "You can take some videos with your phone."

In the vast sea of ​​people, we later had almost no contact.

Wait a minute!
Li Younan suddenly paused, then his eyes widened: "Huh?"

……

The bright pink POLO was parked on the side of the road.

Next to it was a simple canopy, and under the canopy sat a pretty girl wearing an Arale baseball cap and a thick down jacket, leisurely leaning back in a camping chair.

He was holding a large thermos in his hands; it was the kind of thermos that you could suck on.

She slowly opened the lid of her thermos, took a sip, then yawned, while holding a selfie stick on her phone and chattering away.

"We are now at the entrance of the famous Galongla Tunnel. The entire tunnel is about 3.6 kilometers long. After passing through the tunnel, we will reach the legendary Eight Turns. We will continue down the mountain road, and soon you will be able to see the wonders of winter to spring and even the tropical rainforest in my video."

It was clear that she had only been here a short time and was resting for a bit.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and her sky began to sway, which startled her so much that she quickly stood up.

Fortunately, compared to a year or two ago, her tent-pitching skills have improved significantly, and the windproof pegs are very secure.

The wind looked fierce, but it didn't blow her canopy tent away.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief and sat down again.

Just then, a large, imposing SUV, resembling a truck, slowly drove up from the roadside and stopped in front of her.

At this moment, she was holding the water bottle and gulping down her water, staring blankly at the car.

What are you doing, stopping right in front of me?

This vehicle looks like the legendary Unimog, right? If I remember correctly... Brother Li also has one.

Wait a minute, could it be his car?

Liu Zhixin suddenly realized something and immediately stood up.

……

Li Younan stopped the car.

At this moment, Liu Li was not sitting in the passenger seat, but in the living area in the back.

After parking the car, Li Younan first went back to the residential area.

Liu Li used a chopstick to pick up a piece of raw beef and fed it to Tuantuan in the cage.

Watching the owl obediently eat the beef strips, Liu Li cupped her face in her hands and said, "You're just like a Pidgey."

Liu Li always felt that the Pidgey from Pokémon, which she watched when she was a child, must be based on an owl, because only owls have such big eyes.

Thinking this, he added, "If only there were a Poké Ball, I could just tap it on your head and you could go inside."

She glanced at the cockpit and said with a wicked grin, "Give Li Youran a tap on the head too, and put him in there."

Where are you taking me?

While he was muttering to himself, Li Younan got out of the cockpit.

Liu Li lowered her head and tossed her hair, saying casually, "What do you mean, put it in? You misheard me."

Li Younan said, "Let's rest here for a while. The famous Galongla Snow Mountain is right outside. We can take a picture here."

Liu Li nodded, then said to Tuantuan, "You stay inside and behave yourself. Don't wander around. We'll be right back."

Liu Li placed the owl on the floor. It moved clumsily, walking like a silly hen.

Liu Li straightened her clothes and stood up: "Let's go."

Li Younan nodded, thinking that Zhizhi outside should have already seen his car.

I don't know if she follows my account. If she does, she should be able to recognize that the car is hers.

Thinking this, Li Younan opened the door to the living quarters.

The next moment, a joyful voice rang out: "Brother Li, it really is you!"

What came into view was Zhizhi's youthful face, which was both innocent and a little naive.

"When I saw your car just now, I wondered if it was you. I didn't expect it really was you! Oh my god, I'm so excited. I never thought I would actually run into you here."

"Hmm." Li Younan stepped down the ladder, and when he turned around, Liu Li was still standing at the door, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Her gaze then swept over Zhizhi.

"What's wrong? Come down."

Liu Li snapped out of her daze and softly said "Oh".

At this moment, Zhizhi was also observing Liu Li—she had always been a loyal fan of Li Younan, and naturally she had been watching Li Younan's videos.

Several of the videos Li Younan posted while driving the Unimog on Highway 318 were shot in third person, so it's clear that Li Younan wasn't traveling alone.

He never expected that his companion would be such a girl.

Li Younan gave the two girls a brief introduction.

When introducing Zhizhi to Liu Li, she said, "This is a friend I met when I first started doing self-media."

When introducing Liu Li to Zhizhi, she said it even more simply: "She is my good friend."

Zhizhi did not inquire about the relationship between the two.

It's such a wonderful coincidence that we met in this place.

At this moment, Zhizhi was completely immersed in the wonderful experience brought by fate. After getting off the car, she chatted with Li Younan like a chatterbox, just like before.

Since parting ways in Huangshan, Zhizhi has indeed taken Li Younan's advice and tried to shoot some videos.

Unexpectedly, she became quite popular while being photographed—the pink secondhand POLO and the recent college graduate were keywords that really caught people's attention.

Having tasted success, she persisted.

Since they parted ways, she has driven this second-hand POLO to many places in China, and her driving skills have improved significantly.

At the beginning of the year, I also thought about driving along the 318 National Highway.

Li Younan admired Zhizhi's courage; a young girl, riding alone on a bicycle—not even an off-road vehicle, just a small POLO—dared to go on the 318 highway.

"Brother Li, I really want to thank you properly."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"If you hadn't reminded me back then, I would never have thought of becoming a self-media blogger. Now I have over 100,000 followers, hehe. Although I can't compare to you, I'm already very satisfied."

"Uh...you're welcome..."

"Brother Li, I've watched all your videos, you're amazing! I've been following you closely! I was just wondering if I'd run into you on 318, and guess what...!"

The two chatted as if no one else was around, when suddenly Li Younan thought of something and turned to look at Liu Li.

Liu Li remained silent, simply blinking her large eyes as she looked at the two of them.

Noticing Li Younan's gaze, Liu Li tilted her head and asked, "What's wrong?" Li Younan shook his head and replied, "Nothing."

……

We rested for a while at the foot of Galongla Snow Mountain.

Li Younan took photos of the two of them and then treated Zhizhi to lunch in the RV.

Zhizhi naturally praised his car highly, but ultimately did not intend to stay there for too long.

We planned to set off after noon.

Zhizhi drove her car behind Li Younan's car.

After thinking it over, Li Younan borrowed a walkie-talkie for Zhizhi before setting off.

After all, the road conditions will become very complicated from here on out. Although the Zhamo Highway is a proper highway, it is probably the most difficult section of highway to travel in the country.

This was Zhizhi's first time driving to a place like this. Although her driving skills had improved in the past two years, she was still driving a small-displacement car, so she should take care of the other party.

The car entered the Galongla Tunnel.

At this moment, Liu Li was already sitting in the passenger seat, leaning against the window, seemingly lost in thought.

When Li Younan spoke to her, she was in a daze, often taking half a second to come back to her senses, and then responding with "uh-huh" or "ah-ah".

On the other hand, Zhizhi kept chattering on the walkie-talkie, asking all sorts of questions. Even when Li Younan didn't speak, she would share some interesting things she had seen and heard while driving the 318 highway.

We soon exited the Galongla Tunnel.

With a slight turn of the steering wheel, the RV traveled along the Zhamo Highway towards Motuo.

Without this tunnel, getting here through the pass would definitely not be an easy task.

In the past, the only way to transport supplies to Motuo was by horses and people carrying them on their backs.

Just as he was thinking this, Li Younan suddenly felt a pang of fear for no apparent reason.

Because he possesses both mountaineering and driving skills, Li Younan's judgment of danger is almost abnormal.

This feeling of palpitations is more of a subconscious rather than a sixth sense—the eyes and ears have already integrated and processed the surrounding environment.

Li Younan suddenly looked towards the hillside on the left.

On the mountaintop, several pebbles, covered in a thin layer of snow, rolled downhill.

avalanche!

These two words immediately popped into Li Younan's mind.

Even from the slightest clues, Li Younan had already developed a near-Spider-Man-like sense of perception.

At that moment, his mind entered an unprecedented state of calm, and everything in front of him became clear and slow: the wheels rolled over the concrete of the road, the engine roared, and the headlights of Zhizhi's pink POLO in the rearview mirror were still steadily lit, with a slight crackling sound in the wind.

Li Younan looked up and saw black cracks appearing in the snow line on the left ridge.

He pressed the intercom: "Zhizhi, stay close to my car!"

Zhizhi on the other end of the walkie-talkie was clearly taken aback: "What's wrong, Brother Li?"

"It's too late to explain!"

As Li Younan spoke, he turned the steering wheel fully to the left.

As the tires climbed the slope and the vehicle tilted, he said into the walkie-talkie, "Press the accelerator to the floor!"

The car veered off the road in an instant, rolled over a gravel slope, and rushed toward a depression in the ravine ahead.

As the wheels rolled over the snow, splashing up snowflakes, Li Younan suddenly glanced at the rearview mirror—the pink POLO followed suit, tracing the same arc.

It's alright. Although she's a bit naive, this girl is quite decisive when it matters.

At that moment, the snow on the mountaintop collapsed with a deafening roar.

A tremendous roar resounded as white waves of snow swept down, carrying rocks and scattering trees and rubble.

Fortunately, they didn't arrive at safety at the last minute like in the movies... Thanks to Li Younan's foresight, he subconsciously completed the route planning in a very short time and made his move ahead of time.

Before the avalanche hit, Li Younan and Zhizhi's cars arrived at the ravine one after the other.

At this moment, Zhizhi's rapid breathing came through the walkie-talkie, clearly still shaken. Li Younan said, "Pull the handbrake all the way up and duck!"

The next moment, snow fog engulfed the windshield, and a deafening roar followed.

The rocks absorbed the impact, and the snow split off to the sides.

……

After a long while, it finally quieted down outside.

Li Younan brushed the snow and fog off the windshield. The road ahead had disappeared, and the road behind was blocked by piled-up snow walls.

The rocky area exposed the black surface of the earth, like an island in a river.

Zhizhi's POLO was parked two or three meters to the side of his car, its windows covered with ice crystals.

Fortunately, only some snow had fallen in this mountain hollow.

Li Younan breathed a slight sigh of relief—the experience he had just had was the most dangerous he had ever been, even considering his life in Canada.

However, the current outcome isn't too bad.

Only then did Li Younan look at Liu Li in the passenger seat.

Liu Li gripped the handrail of the passenger seat tightly, biting her lower lip gently. Her already fair skin looked even paler now, and she was deathly pale, staring silently out the window.

Only when she noticed Li Younan's gaze was directed at her did she come to her senses and turn her head to look at Li Younan.

The next moment, she sniffed and tears welled up in her eyes.

She unbuckled her seatbelt: "Li Younan, I'm scared."

After saying this, Liu Li burst into tears.

Li Younan understood Liu Li's feelings at that moment, so he unbuckled his seatbelt and moved closer to her.

He raised his hand, hesitated slightly, and then gently stroked Liu Li's head.

Liu Li wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "Li Younan, hug me... I... I'm scared."

At this moment, Li Younan really wanted to remove the obstructive center console area from the car—

They didn't manage to hug.

Fortunately, the person was unharmed, but it was not convenient for them to get out of the car to check on them at the moment.

Compared to the cockpit, the armored living quarters at the rear are safer.

Li Younan took Liu Li back to the living quarters.

At this moment, Liu Li's emotions had stabilized considerably.

It's a little disappointing that if I wanted to hug Liu Li again now, the atmosphere from before would be gone.

Li Younan patted Liu Li's shoulder, which was still trembling slightly.

She said softly, "It's alright, I'm here, you're safe."

Liu Li bit her lip and nodded.

In this moment, Li Younan gently pulled Liu Li closer to him...

But just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Liu Li suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Ah! By the way, how is your friend?"

Only then did Li Younan remember Zhizhi, and he quickly went to open the door.

The next moment, Zhizhi, looking completely devastated, crawled into the RV and threw herself into Li Younan's arms.

"Brother Li, I'm scared."

Li Younan raised his hands, looking innocent, and subconsciously glanced at Liu Li next to him—only to see that she looked completely bewildered and hadn't reacted either.

……

About 20 minutes later, both girls calmed down.

The owl, Tuan Tuan, stood carefree on the clothes rack, quietly preening its feathers and occasionally blinking its big eyes.

Li Younan poured a cup of hot tea for the two of them.

He has just made contact with the outside world via satellite phone.

This avalanche was larger than expected, and rescue teams will not be able to get up in a short time.

Li Younan reassured the local rescue team that everything was safe there and that they had food and water, so they didn't need to worry.

Seeing that it was completely quiet outside, Li Younan decided to go out and check the situation.

He told the two girls to rest for a while, then opened the car door and got out.

It was quiet outside the car, except for a few snowflakes falling from above and making a sound as they hit the snow.

Two snow walls, several meters thick, stood prominently in front of the vehicle and behind it, with pebbles and broken branches embedded in the snow and gullies left by avalanche impacts on the surface.

On the right side of the hillside, large areas of brownish-black rock are exposed, with remnants of snow clinging to the crevices.

Zhizhi's little POLO was fine, and the scattered pebbles and branches were blocked by the massive Unimog.

Li Younan's car was parked in a ravine, where the hard rocks blocked most of the impact.

Although some loose stones hit the Unimog, the thick armor was well worth the cost, and even the explosion-proof paint on the vehicle was not damaged.

There was snow on the roof of the car, and Li Younan planned to go up and sweep it away later to clear out the drone's compartment and use the drone to check the surrounding area again.

At this moment, the ground not far away was covered with a thick layer of snow, up to ankle height, and stepping on it would cause you to sink into a deep pit.

The low shrubs around the valley were bent under the weight of snow, their branches close to the ground.

Looking at the highway again, it had completely disappeared.

Li Younan climbed onto the roof of the vehicle, cleared the snow, and then launched the drone.

After reviewing the panoramic view of the avalanche again, my heart sank slightly.

This avalanche was much more serious than he had imagined. To be precise, it wasn't just an avalanche problem; many sections of the road were damaged by heavy snow and falling rocks, and both sides were completely blocked.

Li Younan flew the drone a little further and saw an even more troublesome scene: the mountaintop was covered in snow, while there were mudslides and landslides on the mountainside.

Even without any new secondary disasters, it will take at least several days to clear this section of road.

Li Younan flew the drone back and looked up at the sky again.

It was already afternoon, and dark clouds began to gather, with snowflakes starting to fall.

Li Younan smiled helplessly: "Well, it's really one misfortune after another."

(End of this chapter)