Section Ten Preparations

  When Zhao Zhong set up his tent, Xu De was still praying. Faced with this situation, he didn't dare to say anything rashly.

  From the first day Zhao Zhonglai arrived at the transportation team, the first order he received was that he must not disturb the local people when they were praying. Having lived in the harsh environment of the Gobi Desert since childhood, the local people had some religious beliefs. Usually they would not show it, only when facing real difficulties and problems, they would reveal their most sincere side.

  This is unlike those who live in comfort and ease, who always have their so-called good intentions on their lips.

  He turned and crawled into the tent, Zhao Zhong began to inspect the inside of the tent, his elbows occasionally pushing the tent slightly outward, forming a circular shape.

  The internal inspection of the tent is slightly different from the external inspection. The external inspection checks for firmness, while the internal inspection checks for sealing. As long as it's in a high-altitude area and related to life safety, no one will think it's troublesome to check multiple times.

  "Zhao Zhong, go move things."

  After Zhao Zhong had inspected the tent inside and out, Xu De also finished his prayer on the other side and turned around to toast Zhao Zhong.

  "Move things? Are we going to use the stuff in the car?"

  For a long time, in the unpredictable Gobi Desert, every motorized infantryman would prepare a certain amount of emergency supplies for himself. Because of the special nature of this mission, they even brought twice the usual standard of emergency supplies.

  These items, apart from the snow mountain tent that two people are setting up, are mostly emergency food. Although there is a lot of it, it's not to the extent that you'd call it 'moving'.

  "What's so strange about that, or do you think those few emergency rations can really get us through the blizzard? Maybe we won't have to use them, but we must be prepared. Relying solely on numbers will never allow us to survive in the highlands."

  Everyone in the transportation team knows that "numbers alone cannot survive on the plateau" is Xu De's motto, and also the patent of all snow mountain guides. However, those 'climbers' from cities often don't believe this point, and various mountain disasters often occur because of this.

  City people live in dependence on numbers, rural people live in dependence on nature. Leaving the natural order but wanting to challenge nature is ignorance itself.

  Knowing that he had no ability to defend himself in front of Xu De, Zhao Zhong followed behind Xu De towards the car. Of course, he didn't think this was a difference between city people and plateau people, but rather a difference between track and field events and road racing.

  "Alright, it's settled then."

  Two wooden crates stuffed with straw were moved out, and Xu De's face showed a satisfied smile. However, when Zhao Zhong saw what he had moved out, he couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

  One box is wine and another box is also wine.

  "Hey, class monitor, is it really necessary for us to take two boxes of wine?"

  Because there was no condition for a fire in the tent, wine can be said to be a must-have warming product. But considering the amount needed for two people, Zhao Zhong still felt that two boxes of Daqu were a bit too much.

  He glanced at Zhao Zhong, and a sly meaning seemed to lurk in the smile on Xu De's face.

  "What's wrong with you, Zhao Zhong? You think this is for drinking? This is for wiping your butt!"

  His face turned red for a moment, although Zhao Zhong knew that Xu De was teasing him, but he also understood what he meant. These wines were not for drinking, but for wiping the body to warm up.

  The freezing point of ethanol is -117°C, although different types of liquor may vary slightly due to differences in ethanol content. However, it can be said that liquor is a substance that will not freeze in low-temperature environments. In normal environments, wiping the body with liquor only takes away heat, but in low-temperature environments, wiping the body with liquor can also bring heat and replace frostbite prevention effects.

  "Aren't we carrying anti-frostbite medicine?"

  "Each snowy mountain has its own characteristics, and the blizzards in each place have their own special features. Just think of it as a way to pay respects to the mountain gods."

  Xu De said this with a pout, looking at Zhao Zhong with some resentment. Seeing this, Zhao Zhong also shut his mouth and followed behind Xu De, carrying the wine box.

  All Sherpa guides have learned survival skills on the snow through their own hands-on experience, which is completely different from those mountaineers and rescue teams who only learn from books and experiments. They don't distrust rescue teams, but rather the rigid style of rescue teams makes them untrustworthy.

  Zhao Zhong carried a crate of wine behind Xu De, and the scattered snowflakes began to fall on him.

  The snow on the plateau is completely different from that in other places, and it doesn't come down all at once with a whoosh. The snow on the plateau doesn't need thick clouds, when the last ray of sunlight is hidden, the snowflakes have already started to fall slowly. From the time the snowflakes start falling to the arrival of a real blizzard, some time will pass.

  Stepping on the dry and frozen ground, it's unclear whether it was the rubber-soled shoes or the ground that made a "creaking" sound, this is a sign that the temperature has started to drop.

  "Should we remind Xu De?"

  Looking at Xu Dejing's trembling figure as he moved forward to leave, Zhao Zhong still gave up. Compared to his own worries, Xu Dejing's survival experience in the snowy wilderness was even more important than his own.

  Arriving outside the tent, the two of them put down the wine boxes on their shoulders. Xu De also began to make a final inspection of the tent set up by Zhao Zhong.

  "I'll go get the life jacket."

  Life-saving package is just a nickname, in fact it's two people's life-saving supplies. Seeing Xu De nodded, Zhao Zhong also turned around and ran towards the car.

  As for the "ding-dong" sound coming from behind, Zhao Zhong would not feel strange, because that was Xu De making the final reinforcement of the tent.

  Nothing can be taken for granted, and setting up a snow tent is no simple task. First, the internal seal of the tent must be ensured, and the final reinforcement work is often done by those who are confident. The firmness of the tent determines its wind resistance, not only must it be solid, but also have a certain degree of elasticity, only then can the tent withstand the stormy snow.

  Their tent won't last just for a short while, who knows how long this blizzard will last. On this point, Zhao Zhong also knew that he couldn't be too trusting of the weather forecast.