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墨書 Inktalez
On the tenth day after their return journey, Bai Yujing finally saw the sunlight. The area covered by the polar night was still limited to the interior of Antarctica, but it was now nearly covering the entire continent. Bai Yujing had departed from the capital airport on April 3rd, and it was now May 20th. He had been traveling through the icy wilderness of Antarctica for over a month.
Even with Bai Yujing's physical condition barely holding up, his mental state had deteriorated to its limits. They were not staying at the Research Station; most of their time was spent on the road. Along the way, they either battled blizzards or explored the cold interior of Antarctica during the polar night.
Li Xiang and Zhou Jun crawled out from under the vehicle, looking somewhat unwell. Bai Yujing immediately looked over and asked, "How is it?"
Li Xiang shook his head. "It's no good; it definitely can't be repaired. We've had too many problems along the way. We've patched it up so many times, but this time it's really beyond repair!"
Halfway through their journey, the vehicle began to have continuous issues, which worried Bai Yujing greatly. They might not reach their destination if the snowmobiles broke down. Furthermore, Wen Feng had developed a fever again that morning, and they were still three hundred kilometers away from Zhongshan Station. Their fuel was running low, only enough to boil water and cook food, leaving them unable to use it for warmth.
As for food, there was less than three days' worth left, even with rationing. Bai Yujing looked at Li Xiang and Zhou Jun and said, "There's no other way; we have to abandon the snowmobiles and proceed on foot for the rest of the journey!"
"But what about Wen Feng?" Li Xiang said with great difficulty.
Bai Yujing waved his hand. "You don't need to worry about that; I'll pull him back on a sled. You two take as much supplies as you can carry. Whatever you can't carry, put it on my sled; I’m strong enough to pull it!"
Zhou Jun immediately said, "White Collar Team, I know you're physically capable, but I want to say this isn't something you can just force through. Walking in temperatures below minus forty degrees requires careful calculation of your pace and physical endurance. If you exceed your limits, you could collapse halfway!"
Bai Yujing nodded. "I understand; don't worry, I can do this!"
The expedition team had come this far and was utterly exhausted, hanging on by a thread of hope. Everyone's body was showing signs of distress and warnings; even Bai Yujing felt a bit drained. Li Xiang occasionally coughed and relied on a breathing apparatus to support himself.
But no one could bring themselves to say they would leave Wen Feng behind; Bai Yujing's plan was approved by the three of them.
Bai Yujing approached the vehicle and looked at Wen Feng nestled in his sleeping bag with only his head sticking out. "Wen Feng, we need to get out of the vehicle and move forward. The journey ahead might be tough; hang in there! We're not far from home now; we'll soon reach Zhongshan Station where you can go back to your cozy little place with heating, a bed, and good food—no more of those awful instant biscuits!"
Wen Feng smiled weakly, his lips dry and pale, his face flushed. "White Collar Team, don’t kid me; we’re still three hundred kilometers away from Zhongshan Station! Even if we hurry, it’ll take at least five days to get there. I’m afraid I won’t make it; my legs... my legs are giving out! Even if I go back, I probably won’t recover!"
Bai Yujing immediately shouted, "Wen Feng! When I say I'm bringing you back, I will bring you back! What's wrong with one leg? It can be treated! Science has advanced so quickly; there must be a way! Besides, once we complete this mission and return home, you'll be a hero! Our actions and adventures will go down in history; we're just a short distance away! Hold on! When we get back, you'll be the pride of your parents, relatives, friends—everyone! Don’t you think it would be a shame to die here?"
"Cough cough! Really?" Wen Feng's parched lips moved slightly.
"Of course it's true! We will never give up on you! Don't think like that; we're just one step away! You have to hold on!" Bai Yujing said firmly.
Bai Yujing and Zhou Jun worked together to drag Wen Feng down from the vehicle and secured him onto the steel plate of the sled, placing plenty of warm materials underneath. Wen Feng lay in the sleeping bag, tightly wrapped up!
They slowly pulled Wen Feng out of the darkness, and the road ahead began to brighten. The sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light that felt somewhat blinding. This made Bai Yujing, Zhou Jun, and the others, who were accustomed to the dark, shield their eyes. Bai Yujing put goggles on Wen Feng to prevent snow blindness.
The three formed a team, with Bai Yujing leading the way. Each person stepped onto their snowboards, moving step by step from darkness into light. The sunlight warmed them in a way that was indescribable, as if their bodies were suddenly filled with energy.
"Look, Zhongshan Station is just ahead! We're only one step away!"
Bai Yujing shouted this out, feeling that everyone's motivation surged. He walked at the front, head held high as he moved forward.
The next day: "Only a little over two hundred kilometers left; we can make it!" Bai Yujing's voice was still full of energy, though he was somewhat fatigued.
On the third day: "Less than two hundred kilometers left; we have to hold on!" By this time, when Bai Yujing said this, he sounded a bit weak. No one responded; everyone kept their heads down, silently packing their things and preparing to set off.
On the fourth day, one hundred kilometers away from Zhongshan Station, everyone huddled inside the tent, too exhausted to speak. Wen Feng's face was frighteningly hot; he coughed as if wind were blowing through a broken hole in his throat. His feet were black and purple, looking extremely alarming.
There was only a little food left, and the gas had almost run out; even the fire was starting to dwindle. Bai Yujing knew they couldn't hold on much longer!
"There's only this little food left; everyone should eat until full now and stop saving it. One hundred kilometers left—I’ve decided that we won’t rest anymore; we’ll push through all at once. Given our current situation, we can't afford to delay any longer, especially for Wen Feng. If this continues, he might not make it. Li Xiang, if you can’t hold on anymore, just say so!" Bai Yujing glanced at Zhou Jun and Li Xiang. Zhou Jun was an Arctic explorer; it must be said that his survival experience and skills were quite impressive. This is not to say that Li Xiang was incapable—being selected for the expedition team meant Li Xiang's physical condition had been assessed; being able to endure in such conditions for over a month was already far beyond what most could imagine.
Li Xiang coughed twice, took a vial of medicine and inhaled sharply through his nose before using scissors to pop a blister on his foot. He wrapped several layers of bandages around it and nodded: "Don't worry; I'm fine! I can hold on!"
Bai Yujing didn't shout any slogans anymore. Everyone set off early in the morning, discarding unnecessary supplies—even leaving behind the tent—traveling light. Everyone remained silent as Bai Yujing continued to lead at the front, bending down to pull the sled through the snow, leaving a deep trail behind him. At first, Li Xiang and Zhou Jun could keep up with him, but by the next day, they began to fall behind slowly.
Watching Zhou Jun and Li Xiang lagging behind and stopping intermittently showed that both of their bodies had reached their limits—cold and hungry—they had been walking for nearly thirty hours straight.
Bai Yujing shouted: "You two need to hurry up! We're almost there; today we can reach Zhongshan Station—just one last push!"
However, neither of them felt much motivation anymore; slogans and encouragement had lost their effect. Both of their heads felt dizzy as if they could barely comprehend anything anymore. Bai Yujing even saw Li Xiang crouch down and lean over into the snow without moving!
Bai Yujing dropped the sled and immediately rushed back to see Li Xiang collapsed in the snow. His lung condition combined with severely worn feet had led him to take painkillers continuously since yesterday morning without eating anything. At this moment, his body finally reached its limit; Zhou Jun wasn't doing much better either.
Bai Yujing took out the water bottle that had been warmed inside his clothes. The snow water inside had already melted, and he poured it into Li Xiang's mouth. After Li Xiang swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, he finally opened his eyes and said, "I'm not leaving anymore, I can't move anymore. It's so cold, so cold!"
Bai Yujing didn't say anything and helped Li Xiang up, looking at Zhou Jun. "How are you holding up?"
Zhou Jun was squatting on the ground, propping his forehead with his hand as he looked at Bai Yujing. Bai Yujing noticed that Zhou Jun's beard was covered in ice, and long icicles hung from beneath his goggles. He was panting heavily and shook his head. "Li Xiang can't go on either?"
Bai Yujing nodded. "I'll carry Li Xiang, and we'll each take a rope for the sled. Just hold on a little longer; we should be close now. We should be able to make it today!"
Zhou Jun nodded and managed to stand up, almost falling back down again. Knowing that Zhou Jun was in extremely poor condition as well, Bai Yujing had no choice but to drag the sled while carrying Li Xiang, heading towards their destination.
After walking for another seven or eight hours, Bai Yujing felt somewhat dazed. The wind blew against his face; the tingling sensation he had felt earlier was now gone. It felt as if his feet were no longer under his control but were moving mechanically by inertia.
"Ku ku ku ku!"
At that moment, Bai Yujing suddenly saw a helicopter flying in from the sky. The helicopter approached them against the backdrop of the setting sun, gradually getting closer to Bai Yujing and the others. In that moment, Bai Yujing felt as if the helicopter was filled with a sense of divinity, as if it were a messenger sent by the gods to guide them.
The helicopter finally landed not far ahead of them, creating a gust of wind that stirred up snowflakes all around, nearly blowing off their hats.
Bai Yujing widened his eyes and finally saw the red star on the helicopter. "It's our helicopter!"
"Zhou Jun, Wen Feng, Li Xiang! Look! It's a helicopter! Our people are here to pick us up! Someone is coming for us!" Bai Yujing felt happier than ever before, tears and snot streaming down his face as he laughed.
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