Chapter 487: Chapter 487: Can’t Abandon Companions
Each off-road vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracker and specialized map navigation. Even if the guests encountered accidents along the way and failed to reach the destination on time, the rescue team of the show could accurately locate them based on their position. As such, this desert crossing seemed to pose no significant issues.
Once the cars were filled up with fuel, the guests set off one after another, with the rescue vehicles arranged by the show trailing a short distance behind.
After all the guests departed, the director suddenly let out a sharp scream in the control room. When had the schedule included a desert crossing?
He hurriedly pulled up the itinerary on the computer, only to discover traces of alterations. The original plan for this afternoon had been a hot air balloon ride across the desert. When had it been changed to a desert crossing?
Zhou Rui quickly gathered the rest of the production team to inquire about the situation, but everyone’s memories were hazy. They only vaguely recalled that a last-minute schedule change had been decided after a meeting, but when exactly was the meeting held, and where? No one had the slightest recollection.
The guests had already ventured deep into the desert zone. Zhou Rui investigated the area and confirmed that it was specifically cleared for tourist experiences before finally relaxing. He used the walkie-talkie to instruct the staff to keep a close eye on the guests’ conditions.
After making all the necessary arrangements, he collapsed into his chair, feeling mentally fatigued. It seemed his brain wasn’t functioning so well lately, and his memory had significantly declined. Once this season’s filming wrapped, he would need to take some time off to recuperate.
——
Half an hour later, Sang Ning and Li Juezhou arrived smoothly at the first supply point. There was a vending machine here where they could purchase water, bread, basic medicine, and other essential items. As their off-road vehicle already had these supplies in the trunk, they didn’t stay for long. They simply took a photo with the handheld camera and the vending machine as proof before heading to the next checkpoint.
The area they were crossing was actually on the edge of a genuine desert. The distance from the starting point to the endpoint was merely around a hundred kilometers. Despite occasional stops and breaks along the way, they would be able to exit before nightfall.
Leaving the first supply point, Li Juezhou took over the driving while Sang Ning watched the rearview mirror. Not seeing other guests’ vehicles made her question, "We’re not driving particularly fast. Could it be that they’re not on the same route as us? Why haven’t we seen them after all this time?"
Li Juezhou checked the car’s built-in map to ensure they hadn’t deviated from the route before responding, "The road is fine. Why don’t we slow down and wait for them?"
The off-road vehicle reduced its speed, and upon arriving at the second supply point, Sang Ning and Li Juezhou got out to take a break.
This spot featured a small green oasis with tall cacti casting considerable shade under the sunlight, providing a welcoming place to cool off.
Sang Ning scooped up some water from the oasis and splashed her face. Once her mind cleared, she returned to the shaded area. Li Juezhou twisted open a bottle cap and handed her a bottle of mineral water. Sang Ning took it, gulped it down in one go, and then sat beside Li Juezhou. Uneasy, she voiced her thoughts, "People often say the desert’s magnetic field is different from normal places. I didn’t feel much about it before, but now that I’m actually here, it feels very strong."
Li Juezhou raised his hand, gently ruffled her hair, and reassured her, "Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll be right here with you. Don’t overthink it."
Sang Ning nodded and rested her head on Li Juezhou’s shoulder. She closed her eyes to relax, but beads of sweat gathered on her forehead and the tip of her nose from the heat. Li Juezhou used his hand as a makeshift fan, continuously waving it to try to bring her a bit of coolness.
About ten minutes passed before the tranquility of the oasis was suddenly broken by the roar of approaching off-road vehicles. Sang Ning opened her eyes and saw three more vehicles pull up one after the other, prompting her to breathe a sigh of relief.
The people in the three vehicles got out, and Lu Yujing and Qin Feng immediately began looking for a place to retch after exiting. The rest quickly gathered around to check on them.
Lu Yujing appeared pale, and Qin Feng slumped to the ground, repeatedly waving his hand. "We’re done for, done for. We can only drive; we can’t ride as passengers. We get carsick as soon as we’re in a passenger seat. Can someone be kind enough to give us a vehicle so we can drive ourselves?"
Jiang Xiaoti was the first to volunteer. She had been worried about getting sunburnt while driving and was eager for a swap. "Leaving Sister Jing alone in a car isn’t ideal either. Qin Feng, maybe you should switch with Xiao Ye?"
Song Shiye had no issue with this suggestion. If he couldn’t partner with Sister Sang, he didn’t mind who he paired up with.
Qin Feng and Lu Yujing’s stomachs were likely still unsettled from the rough ride, so they agreed to the proposal almost instantly, without hesitation.
Although there was an element of competitive racing in this desert crossing, seeing how unwell Qin Feng and Lu Yujing looked, everyone chose to wait until their conditions improved before continuing.
By this point, the journey was halfway through. The latter half would have a sprinting vibe to it, so after starting together, everyone pushed their vehicles to try to be the first to exit the desert.
For the third segment, Sang Ning took over driving. The vast desert made for open terrain, but driving for too long led to visual fatigue. Despite Li Juezhou insisting he could handle it, Sang Ning insisted on switching places with him for safety.
After resting, Qin Feng seemed to recover well, speeding ahead in the lead. Li Haidong and Wei Lan’s car closely followed.
Sang Ning wasn’t rushing but maintained a steady pace. For some reason, she felt unsettled and needed the sight of others to feel reassured.
However, halfway into driving, Lu Yujing’s car suddenly slowed down noticeably. Something didn’t seem right. Concerned about Song Shiye and Lu Yujing possibly facing trouble, she talked it over with Li Juezhou and reduced her speed further to wait for them. With this adjustment, Qin Feng and Li Haidong’s cars soon disappeared from view ahead.
Not long after, even the silhouette of Lu Yujing’s vehicle behind them vanished.
"Sangsang, maybe we should speed up and head to the endpoint to wait for them. The show’s rescue vehicles are behind; they should be fine," Li Juezhou suggested.
Sang Ning thought about it for a moment and agreed. Just as she was about to hit the accelerator, Song Shiye’s panicked voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie: "Sangsang, help!"
She didn’t even have time to ask what happened before the walkie-talkie began emitting static noises and abruptly went silent.
"Hello, hello, Xiao Ye." Sang Ning repeatedly called out into the walkie-talkie, but it yielded no response.
Li Juezhou quickly switched to the channel for communicating with the production team, but it was filled with the same static noises.
Unable to reach Song Shiye or the production team, Sang Ning spoke gravely to Li Juezhou. "We should drive back and check on them."
Li Juezhou nodded in agreement. Leaving others behind was not his style. "You’ve been driving for a while now. For safety, I’ll take the wheel for the return trip."
Sang Ning didn’t argue. They promptly swapped places and began retracing their route.
