Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Life and Death in the Taklamakan Desert

The sandstorm in the Taklimakan Desert has a characteristic, that is, it is regional, or blows in one direction, and the area is not very large, but it is precisely because of this that the power of the windstorm is particularly concentrated and powerful.Wang Zhongnan saw with his own eyes that the sandstorm pushed the big sandbag and moved hundreds of meters eastward. Yuan Sen had just arrived in Yingawati Village, and the Uyghurs have always been hospitable, so Kurban repeatedly asked him to rest first, and let him go with Wang Zhongnan and Bayi to find Bahar Guli in the desert.Let's talk about other things when they come back.

Yuan Sen insisted on refusing.Maimaiti's death hides too many mysteries. If he can't enter the "death boat" to feel the mystery of the sand sea, he will probably never be able to find anything in his lifetime the truth. And the legendary raw mine is nothing but an unsolvable mystery. The "Desert King" ran wildly along the direction of the Hotan River, and the two vehicles threw two huge clouds of dust on the long yellow sandy road, one in front and the other behind.Yuan Sen was sitting in the co-pilot seat, and Wang Zhongnan was driving the car at a distance of three or four meters behind Bayi's car. The two chatted one after another.

Wang Zhongnan smiled honestly at Yuan Sen and said, "This is your first time in Xinjiang?" Yuan Sen shook his head and said, "I've been to southern Xinjiang before, and I went to Loulan for an expedition, and I was with the expedition team." Wang Zhongnan turned the steering wheel and said: "There is no value for exploring there anymore. After you go to a place, you may not be able to return. That is called adventure. When everyone can come and go freely in this place, that is Traveling." Yuan Sen burst out laughing, and said, "I can't see that you still speak the same way."

Wang Zhongnan said: "I have spent most of my life in the desert. I have been to places where people can die. Walking in the desert is like traveling." Yuan Sen said: "That's it. You made it so mysterious just now. To be honest, I'm still a little worried about going into the desert. I don't have to be afraid if I have a tour guide, haha——" Wang Zhongnan looked at Yuan Sen, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes, Yuan Sen caught it very keenly, and his heart sank for no reason.Wang Zhongnan said slowly: "But that place can only be described in two words, nightmare."

Yuan Sen became excited all of a sudden, and asked curiously, "Have you been there?" Wang Zhongnan was silent for a while, then said calmly: "No, if I went there, can I still drive here for you?" Yuan Sen was at a loss for words for a while, Wang Zhongnan looked at the scene where the headlights of the "Desert King" car were torn apart in the dark night, as if he was talking to himself, "That place has a name, the City of Death, and many people have entered it. But no one came out." "So, do you think Maimaiti's death has something to do with that?" Yuan Sen wanted to probe his words.

Wang Zhongnan didn't speak, and pulled the gear to the end, the speed of the "Desert King" was pushed to the limit, roaring on the vast and boundless sand, quickly overtaking Bayi and the car of the mine manager Kurban.Wang Zhongnan shouted to Bayi amidst the roar of the engine: "I will guide you through this sea of ​​death." Two military off-road vehicles galloped one after the other in the vast sandy sea. The water level of the Hotan River has gradually decreased, and many places have experienced stagnation.Moreover, when entering the desert area, the wind picked up. Yuan Sen's ears were filled with the angry roar of the engine and the sound of wind and sand hitting the car body.The strong "Desert King" seems to have become a boat in the desert, which may be overturned at any time.

Wang Zhongnan stared straight at the direction illuminated by the headlights, with a very serious expression.Yuan Sen felt strange after thinking about it, and said, "Is something going to happen?" Wang Zhongnan turned his head, gave Yuan Sen a meaningful look, and said, "The devil is here, we are really unlucky today." "devil?" There was a slight red light on Wang Zhongnan's dark and bright face, and Yuan Sen could feel the excitement exuding from this calm and capable middle-aged man.Wang Zhongnan yelled, "Sit still!" After saying that, he turned the steering wheel violently, Yuan Sen's body tilted, and his forehead hit the carport firmly.

Through the car window, he saw two huge yellow dragons rushing behind him, and the buttocks of Bayi's "Desert King" had already been drawn into the yellow dragons, and the headlights of the car were shaking unsteadily.The two yellow dragons were moving faster and faster, Bai Yi's car was gradually out of support and was being swallowed up bit by bit.The sand and soil on the surrounding ground rushed into the hurricane at an extremely fast speed, and the outside of the car window became more and more blurred. Yuan Sen only heard the sound of sand and stone hitting the car window, and his eardrums were about to be shattered.

Wang Zhongnan gripped the steering wheel tightly, looked at the rearview mirror, and kept turning the steering wheel sharply. The vehicle body was shaking violently. If it wasn't for the high chassis of the "Desert King", the "Desert King" would have been overturned long ago due to such a strong sandstorm. The body shook more and more violently, and Yuan Sen tied the seat belt firmly on his body. Even so, he still felt that the world was dark and dark, and his whole body was rotating 360 degrees. Suddenly, Yuan Sen yelled, "The cars of Bayi and Mine Manager Kurban disappeared, and their lights went out—"

Wang Zhongnan gritted his teeth, turned the steering wheel with a ferocious face, pushed to block, and stared at the front.At this time, the world outside the car window suddenly became pitch black, and the roar of the hurricane made the two people in the car lose all hearing, and they couldn't hear anything. Wang Zhongnan and Yuan Sen looked at each other, neither of them had any expression on their faces, and then Yuan Sen's ears tingled, yellow sand poured in, and the lights in the carriage were instantly extinguished. The world fell into a deathly tranquility, and the roaring wind outside the carriage became more and more distant. Yuan Sen felt that his consciousness became more and more blurred, and he gradually lost consciousness.

Yuan Sen was woken up by Wang Zhongnan. His whole body was covered in yellow sand, and he was buried in the sand from the neck down. His limbs were cold and he couldn't move.Wang Zhongnan was pushing away the sand around him along his neck, and Yuan Sen's breathing gradually became easier. The sand reached below his chest, and Wang Zhongnan suddenly picked up the repair wrench on the car and smashed the front-view glass of the "Desert King". The sand on the top covered his head again, Yuan Sen bit the sand with his mouth full and cursed, but the sky suddenly brightened.Wang Zhongnan climbed out from the front of the car and dragged Yuan Sen out. Yuan Sen's body came out of the sand. His limbs were so stiff that he lost consciousness. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't feel it.Wang Zhongnan skillfully rubbed his hands and feet. After more than ten minutes, his hands and feet gradually warmed up, and the sun gradually rose. Wang Zhongnan patted Yuan Sen on the back and said, "Okay, you can stand up now." Only then did Yuan Sen notice that they were on top of a big sandbag, and the "Desert King" was buried by the yellow sand. Just now, Wang Zhongnan smashed the front-view glass, and part of the yellow sand sank in, exposing a little bit of the front of the car. .Yuan Sen muttered, "What a wind and sand!" Wang Zhongnan smiled honestly at Yuan Sen, and said, "It's just a sneeze from the devil. If you have been to that place, you will know what fear is. But this time it's okay, if the yellow sand didn't bury our car , I fear we shall all be torn apart by the storm." Yuan Sen said: "Where are Bayi and Kurban mine manager?" Wang Zhongnan shook his head and said, "I carefully observed the surrounding sandbags just now, but I didn't see the shadow of the 'Desert King'. Maybe they were also buried. Your body has recovered now. Let's look for it separately." So, Wang Zhongnan and Yuan Sen got off the sandbags, one south and one north, and walked straight forward.The huge sandstorm pushed the sand dunes forward. The road they came here last night was already covered by sand dunes, leaving no traces. Their search now can only be carried out around the big sandbags. If they hadn't been buried, God knows where this devilish sandstorm had blown them away? Yuan Sen didn't know what was going on with Wang Zhongnan. Wang told him to focus on the big sandbag, and if he couldn't see the sandbag, he had to go back quickly.A large amount of food and supplies were placed in Bai's car, without food and water, once lost in this vast Taklamakan desert, it would mean death. It was the first time for Yuan Sen to face such a vast desert. Countless sandbags, big and small, stretched to the end of his sight.On the edge of the sky, there are icebergs and snow peaks that go straight into the sky, crystal clear and white. In the great desert, the temperature difference between day and night is extremely large, and the temperature can often drop to tens of degrees below zero at night, but it can approach more than 40 degrees above zero during the day. Now the sun was hanging directly above his head, and Yuan Sen's sweat dripped down his body like oil. After walking a few kilometers, his mouth was dry and his body was weak. When they separated from Wang Zhongnan, Wang also emphasized that finding Bayi and Kurban's mine manager is the top priority, but if they can't find them, then they must find a way to find water.If there is no water, they will definitely not be able to live for three days in the desert, and they will definitely die of dehydration. Yuan Sen turned towards the north, walking farther and farther, looking around, there was a vast expanse of yellow sand everywhere, and even the color of the sky was gray.Walking on the sand, the shoe boards were so hot that they were about to burn. Now he truly felt how good water is.If someone could give him a bottle of water now, he would definitely be grateful to that person, no, even just a sip of water would be fine. In this way, they walked forward for a few kilometers, and the sandbags they used as a reference had disappeared from sight. Yuan Sen had no choice but to go back. He walked along the original road for a while, but found that the big sandbag he used as a reference was gone. . There is no way to make marks in the desert. The only difference between the big sandbag is that it is much larger than other sandbags, so they chose to use the big sandbag as a reference. And Yuan Sen can be sure that the direction he judged through the sun and the mechanical watch should be correct, and now the sun has a tendency to slant to the west.The time displayed on the watch was already in the afternoon. Yuan Sen pointed the watch directly to the north, and the shadow was on the left side of the watch, which meant that the direction he judged was correct. However, how could such a huge sand dune disappear inexplicably? Yuan Sen suddenly felt great fear, which was incredible. There was no water, and he lost contact with the guide Wang Zhongnan in the desert. This would mean that he would die in the desert soon, be dried by the scorching sun, and become a legend. mummy in. He quickened his pace and walked back. He always felt that there was something strange in the process. It was impossible to say that such a big sandbag would disappear, it was incredible. Yuan Sen walked south all the way, and Wang Zhongnan was going in the south. He believed that if he walked in this direction, even if the sandbag disappeared inexplicably, he could still find Wang Zhongnan. The sun was sinking to the west, but the temperature in the desert continued to rise. Yuan Sen was sweating with oil all over his body, and his skin was scalding frighteningly.Suddenly, he saw a black thing lying in front of him, tens of meters away from him.Yuan Sen walked over quickly, and he saw that the black thing turned out to be a Uighur's flower hat.When Yuan Sen saw the flower hat, his brain exploded. Isn't this Bai Yi's hat? He picked up his hat, accelerated his pace and rushed forward, turned over several sandbags, walked several hundred meters, and saw Bai's kimono falling on the desert.He was even more sure that Bayi was nearby. Sure enough, on a small sandbag not far away, he saw Bayi lying naked on the hot sand, already in a coma. Yuan Sen ran over and quickly pinched him, but it didn't have any obvious effect.It's just the vague breath under his nose, which proves that he is still alive.Yuan Sen knew that he needed water now, and Bai Yi was unconscious because of dehydration, and only water could save him. In desperation, Yuan Sen carried the heavy Bayi on his back and walked towards the south, hoping to find the lost big sandbag soon.There is still a small amount of water in the "Desert King" that he and Wang Zhongnan were riding in. If they can arrive in time and give Bai Yi a drink of water, Bai Yi should be saved. There is no wind around, and the west-slanting sun is still scorching the earth, but the sky is very dark, and large pieces of yellow sand are falling down in circles, like sand rain. Yuan Sen braved the sand and rain and headed south all the way. His whole body was scorched by the sun and he was carrying the heavy and compact Bayi on his back, making it difficult for him to walk.The sun was sinking quickly, and now he could only rely on his senses to distinguish the direction. The darkness gradually fell, and Yuan Sen suddenly found that at the end of his sight, a black spot was getting closer. The black spot should be about 100 meters away, but it was getting dark and it was very blurry. I don't know what kind of animal it is.Yuan Sen put Bayi down and hid behind the sandbag, he waited for the black spot to approach.In this great desert, there are all kinds of animals, but there is no doubt that the animals that can survive in such a difficult environment must be carnivorous. The black spot was getting closer and closer. The man was tall and tall, standing like a wall in the darkness.When he was less than 30 meters away from the sandbag where Yuan Sen was hiding, Yuan Sen was finally sure that it was a person, and he heaved a sigh of relief. The person who came over was Wang Zhongnan, Yuan Sen shouted, Wang Zhongnan was very happy when he heard Yuan Sen's voice, and walked over quickly.When he saw Bayi lying on the ground, he was startled. Knowing that he was seriously dehydrated, he hurriedly took out the water bottle from his backpack and gave Bayi a few mouthfuls of water. After drinking the water, he slowly opened his eyes. Eyes opened. Seeing that Bayi was out of danger, both of them breathed a sigh of relief, and sat on the sandbags to chat.Yuan Sen was very surprised at the disappearance of the big sandbag, and asked Wang Zhongnan what happened, and Wang Zhongnan told the story.It turned out that Dynasty South searched for Bayi and Kurban mine manager and came back, but found nothing. At this moment, a strong wind blew up. Wang Zhongnan was shocked, and hurriedly took out a small amount of food and water in the car, and stayed away from the sandbags before the big sandstorm came. . The sandstorm in the Taklimakan Desert has a characteristic, that is, it is regional, or blows in one direction, and the area is not very large, but it is precisely because of this that the power of the windstorm is particularly concentrated and powerful. Wang Zhongnan saw with his own eyes that the sandstorm pushed the big sandbag and moved it several hundred meters to the east. Yuan Sen's location was not in the sandstorm area. There is no wind, but it is full of sand and rain. Wang Zhongnan fed Bayi some food and water again, and Bayi rested for a while, recovering a lot of physical strength.Bayi came to his senses and was very emotional. Hu lost his temper when he even said that he couldn't come to this place.Going forward, they will all die here. Of course Yuan Sen didn't care about Hu Da. In this deserted desert, survival was the most important thing.He and Wang Zhongnan comforted Bayi and asked him what happened last night and where the mine manager Kurban went. The "Desert King" driven by Bayi crashed into the air vent last night, and was quickly swept away by the strong wind. The glass on the car was smashed. Bayi only remembered that he and the mine manager Kurban got out of the car. was thrown out. When Bayi woke up, it was already high in the sun. He had lost his way in the desert and could only survive by walking forward. The food and water were swept away by the sandstorm, and waiting there could only be waiting for death. Yuan Sen and Wang Zhongnan had supplemented a little food before setting off from the big sandbags, while Bayi was exposed to the hot sun for a whole day, severely dehydrated and physically exhausted.His consciousness gradually blurred, and he took off his clothes while crawling, so that he could reduce some weight and climb a little further. After Bayi finished speaking, the three of them were silent. Since the situation was like this, Bayi's "Desert King" was buried under which sandbag, which meant that their supplies had run out.The mine manager Kurban is nowhere to be found, and his life and death are uncertain. He has already fallen into this situation without finding Bahargul. Wang Zhongnan gave the food and water in the backpack to the three of them, and said, "The rest of our food can be saved for two days, and it is impossible for us to walk out of the desert in just two days. If we can't find the oasis and water, we shall surely die." Yuan Sen and Bayi didn't speak. After they finished eating and drinking, the temperature dropped dozens of degrees, and the breath from their mouths turned into white mist.Wang Zhongnan dug a hole in the sandbag, got in and took sand out of the hole to cover his body, only his nose and mouth were exposed, and soon he started snoring. Yuan Sen and Bayi also followed his example, digging sand holes and burying themselves in them.There is still a good temperature in the yellow sand, and it is quite warm when you get into it. Today, after a long day of running around, Yuan Sen and Bayi fell asleep very quickly.