The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

The yellowish sand curtain seemed to be partially lifted by an invisible hand. First came a few hazy, undulating silhouettes, like solidified islands in a turbulent sea of ​​sand.

As they struggled to get closer, the silhouettes gradually became clearer—camels! A herd of more than twenty wild camels!

They knelt quietly in a large, relatively sheltered sand dune, forming an irregular but remarkably solid circle. Their long necks hung low, their heads pressed close to their companions' bodies, silently welcoming the desert's wrath.

Their thick furs were covered in sand and dust, and if you didn't look closely, they almost blended into their surroundings. Yet, a unique, quiet, and powerful vitality surrounded them.

"They're camels! A huge herd of wild camels!"

A soldier shouted, his voice filled with the ecstatic joy of escaping death.

Anyone who has ever worked in the desert knows that where there are camels, there is one word: vitality!

These ships of the desert know far better than humans how to survive in this sea of ​​death. The place they choose is always the safest spot in the storm; the formation they form is the strongest natural barrier.

Without any orders, the instinct for survival drove them to scramble and crawl toward that island of life.

The closer you get, the more awe-inspiring it becomes.

The camels stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a small hill. Their massive bodies acted like warm, breathing walls, effectively blocking out the fiercest sandstorms.

What's most surprising is that these wild camels seem neither alarmed nor repelled by the sudden intrusion of humans. They merely slightly raised their eyelids before continuing to maintain their posture against the wind and sand.

Brigade Commander Bai arrived first. Before he could even sit down, he pulled the young soldier behind him over. The soldier looked at the tightly packed herd of camels and asked with anticipation, "Brigade Commander, can we squeeze in? It must be safer inside."

Commander Bai knew, of course, that the center of the camel herd would be the ideal shelter, but the camels were packed so tightly together that there wasn't even a gap between them. How could he possibly get these creatures to move to a new position? He could only pat the young soldier on the shoulder: "Just make do with leaning against them for a while. You're lucky to be even next to a camel. Haven't you noticed the wind has subsided considerably?"

The young soldier nodded, and without even taking a break, turned around to help his other comrades.

Before long, Liang Zhe, carrying Tian Tian, ​​also reached the camel herd. The little girl twisted in her father's arms, her little head peeking out curiously.

Liang Zhe quickly pressed her down: "Sweetie, don't move, it's still windy."

"Daddy, I want to talk to the big monster," the little girl said in her childish voice.

In her limited knowledge, all the animals she couldn't name fell into two categories: big monsters and little monsters. She had never seen a camel, so naturally she didn't know what these "friends" who protected them were called.

"That's not a monster, it's a camel. The wind's so strong, let's wait until it calms down before we say hello to them, okay?"

"No, Daddy, put me down! I have something to say to them!" The little girl kicked her legs anxiously, her mind full of things to say, afraid that her "monster friends" would get impatient.

Liang Zhe couldn't persuade his daughter otherwise, so he carefully placed her on the sand. As soon as Tian Tian stood up, a camel beside her slowly turned its head, its yellowish eyes fixed on her.

Liang Zhe's heart tightened, and his palms instantly became sweaty—although camels are gentle, they are still wild creatures after all. What if they get angry and bite someone?

Before his worries could even subside, Tian Tian had already toddled over on her short legs and stretched out her little hand directly to the camel.

Thanks to the camel herds blocking the wind, the wind here is much calmer, and even the raging sand no longer pelts down.

The camel stared at Tian Tian's little hand, seemingly wondering what the little one was up to. Liang Zhe held his breath, his gaze fixed on his daughter. If the camel made any move to attack, he would immediately rush forward and shield his daughter in his arms.

But Tian Tian simply placed her little hand lightly on the camel's body—she was too small, and even though the camel was kneeling, she still couldn't reach its head.

But this did not affect their "conversation" at all.

"Big monster, Grandpa Wind is so fierce! Sweetie is tired from walking, Daddy is tired, and Uncle and Grandpa are all exhausted. We really want to sleep."

Sweetie tilted her little face up, her voice soft and gentle. The unique pungent smell of camels mixed with the scent of sand wafted over, but she didn't seem to care. Instead, she moved even closer, her little hands gently stroking the camel's rough fur.

The soldiers who arrived one after another gathered around. Although they were all exhausted and wished they could collapse to the ground immediately, they stared at Tian Tian and the wild camel "communicating" with their eyes wide open, and no one dared to make a sound to disturb them.

"Can you help Sweetie find a comfortable place to sleep?" the little girl tilted her head and asked earnestly. "When you come to visit Sweetie in the future, Sweetie will prepare gifts for you."

Dad said that good friends should give to each other and not just make demands. She doesn't have a gift now, but Dad will definitely prepare one for her.

The twenty-odd pairs of eyes gathered around, listening to the child's innocent and naive words, not one of them showed any mockery or doubt. Their lives had been saved by Tian Tian; at this moment, they wouldn't believe her even if she told them the moon would fall from the sky, let alone ask her to find a place to sleep!

The camel lowered its head, staring intently at the tiny figure before it, remaining motionless for a long time. Everyone had the same thought—it seemed the camel hadn't understood.

It's definitely not that our Sweetie didn't express herself clearly; it must be that this camel has an intelligence problem. If we just ask another camel, it will surely make sense.

Before the thought could even finish, something strange happened: the camel lowered its head, seemed to take a deep breath, and shrank its massive body inward.

As if receiving a signal, another camel behind it also shrank inward.

A gap had appeared between the two peaks.

Just enough for one person to squeeze in sideways.

It's just the right width for one person to squeeze in.

More than twenty soldiers stared at each other, completely dumbfounded.

This... this means the camels understood Sweetie's words and opened up the safe area in the center of the herd to them?

Without hesitation, Brigade Commander Bai immediately said, "Liang Zhe, carry Tian Tian inside!"

The people in front immediately turned around to make way, and Liang Zhe didn't bother to refuse. He was willing to do anything, but he couldn't let anything happen to his daughter.

"Sweetie, come inside with Daddy."

Sweetie shook her head. "Daddy, I want to thank the big monster too."

"Well... Brigade Commander, please go first."

Brigade Commander Bai turned to a soldier: "Go in, it's safe inside."

The soldier turned around and said, "Aiguo, did you twist your ankle just now? Come in."

"I'm fine! Xiao Zhang is carrying the equipment. He'll go first."

Everyone pushed and shoved, no one willing to step into the safe zone first.

Song Dazhuang grew impatient and roared, "What are you all doing! Is this the time to back down? The wind hasn't stopped yet! All of you, go in in order! What if the camels change their minds if we waste time?"

Left with no other choice, the leading soldier squeezed through the gap.