"I think so," Campbell replied with a wry smile. He took the bottle from Caroline's hand, twisted the cap, sniffed it, then took three cups and poured a little brandy for each of them.

After drinking, everyone felt a trace of warmth, and at this time it was already dark, and everyone's topic unconsciously shifted to what they saw and heard today.

"There is nothing mysterious, the facts are already clear." Caroline said, "It's all Chinese ghosts." ”

"The Chinese have built a secret military base here." Campbell remembered the powerful and strange fire-breathing plane just now, and his eyes were full of worry, "Obviously, the Chinese don't want others to know the secrets here." ”

"That plane is terrible." "I've never seen such a scary plane. ”

"And it's also strange that our plane was struck by lightning." "It's the first time I've seen a ball lightning like this, and it's during the day. ”

"I've always felt that the lightning bolts that hit us didn't come out of nowhere." Neil said again.

"yes, I also think that those lightning bolts seem to have something to do with that tower." Caroline agrees with Neil, "What kind of secrets do the Chinese have hidden from the world?" ”

"Don't care about the secrets of the Chinese, we'll leave here at dawn." Campbell said calmly. He tried hard not to let his emotions affect others, and at this time, he was isolated and helpless, and he did not have the heart to continue to explore the maze; He has now realized that the whole thing is no longer an exciting expedition.

The wind raged throughout the night, and Campbell kept watch all night. Now, he is still able to face the reality frankly and rationally think about ways out of the predicament.

He estimated that the flight had already moved far beyond the peaks of the western Himalayas and toward those lesser-known peaks in the Kunlun region. By this reasoning, they had now reached the highest and most desolate stretch of the earth's surface, the Tibetan Plateau, where even the lowest valley was two miles high, and that most of the uninhabited, windswept plateaus had never been explored. They were now in a corner of that bleak and remote mountain land. In this isolated and helpless wilderness, there is no better feeling than being banished to a desert island.

Suddenly, a very shocking change occurred, as if something more mysterious hinted at in return for his curiosity. The full moon, which had been hidden by the clouds, hung over the edge of the shadowy highlands, and at the same time half-concealed and half-concealed the dark curtain ahead.

Campbell's eyes gradually took on the outline of a long valley, flanked by low peaks that looked melancholy and melancholy in the shape of round hills, and the dark colors of the mountains reflected the porcelain blue night sky. And his gaze was irresistibly drawn to the valley in front of it, where a majestic mountain towered in the starry sky, shimmering in the moonlight.

In his mind, this should be the most beautiful and lovely mountain in the world.

It was almost a perfect cone of ice, with a simple outline that seemed to come from the hand of a child, and it was impossible to estimate how big or tall it was, and how close it was to the bottom. It was so radiant, so quiet, that for a moment Campbell wondered if it was real. As he stared blankly at the mountain, a gentle cloud of smoke covered the edge of the pyramid-like peak, indicating the reality of this magical landscape.

An urge welled up in his heart to wake up the other two companions to share the magnificent scenery. However, consider that this may affect the tranquil atmosphere of this area. More than that, if you think about it from a conventional point of view, such a primitive spectacle only highlights the isolation and potential danger factors. It is quite possible that it is at least a hundred miles from here to an inhabited place. They have nothing to eat; They had no weapons other than a few shotguns and pistols; The plane was badly damaged and unusable, and although they were prepared with clothing to protect against the terrible cold and wind, he knew very well what would happen if the pain and hardship continued.

The night dragged forward slowly, and every minute seemed so heavy and palpable; It was as if it had to be pushed to make way for the next minute. After a while, the moonlight faded, and the ghostly shadows of the mountains in the distance were hidden; Then there was a doubling darkness, and the cold and the standing wind played on and on until dawn slowly approached. When the dawn fades, a pale triangle is outlined in front of us, and the pyramidal mountain is in front of you. At first, it was gray, then it changed to silver, and later, the first rays of the sun appeared, and the peaks at the top of the mountain were decorated with pink rouge, which was very beautiful.

In a fading haze, the valley came to light. Pebbles and gravel piled up to form a slope-like ground and appeared. It's not an intimate picture. Campbell looked around and observed the scene in front of him, and couldn't help but feel a little nervous. It wasn't until the sun finally rose into the blue sky that he felt a glimmer of relief.

As the temperature warms up, Neil and Caroline wake up, Caroline begins to prepare breakfast for everyone, and Campbell and Neil discuss their next move.

"There might be a lama temple near this valley." Campbell looked at the valley with a telescope and said, "Those lamas are always willing to build their temples high up." ”

"I don't see that there is a lama temple there." "I don't think anybody wants to live here. ”

As the two men talked, their eyes somehow turned to the snow cone that shimmered slightly, and the valley stretched towards this majestic peak. Under the harsh sunlight, the whole mountain looks even more majestic.

Suddenly, Campbell and Neil's eyes widened in staring - they saw figures walking towards them along the hillside in the distance.

"God forbid! There really are people here! Caroline saw them and exclaimed.

When the figures came down the hill into the valley, they could be vaguely seen to be numbering about twelve or thirteen, but among them were three men wrapped in trench coats, and they were unusually tall.

Without waiting for the two sides to get closer, Campbell rushed forward, and he walked unhurriedly. He understands the etiquette of meeting in the East and is happy to spend time on it. Not far away, Campbell stopped, and he bowed politely. At the head of the group was a young Han officer, dressed in a camouflage uniform with a dignified and prudent look on his face, who approached and extended his hand to Campbell.

Campbell shook his hand, and he noticed that the Chinese major officer in front of him said in plain, perhaps standard, English, "I'm here to look for you." ”

Campbell was taken aback, and for a moment he was speechless.

"My surname is Zhang." The other person continued, "Are you all right?" ”

After a polite pause, Campbell began to give a brief account of how he and his two companions had been left in this deserted place. At the end of the speech, Captain Yang expressed his understanding. "It's great that you landed here safely," he said, looking intently at the broken plane, and then added, "If you don't mind, let me take you to safety." ”

"You're nice, but it's not too far from here, is it?" Neil came up to Campbell and grunted.

"It's not far, but it's not easy to walk either. You can't get there on your own. ”

"I believe that."

"I'll take you there."

"That's great, we can't thank you enough."

Captain Yang looked at the broken plane again and asked, "Do you have anything we need to bring for you?" ”

"We don't have a lot of stuff, if it's convenient......"

Before Campbell could finish speaking, Captain Young waved his hand, and the three men in trench coats strode forward and walked to the wreckage of the plane.

Campbell and the other three watched in amazement as the giants dismantled the plane and took out the useful items inside. At this time, a Tibetan girl brought up wine and fruits, and these exquisite foods were taken out of the parcels by some sturdy Tibetans wearing sheepskins, fur hats, and yak leather boots.

"Let's get something to eat, we'll have to walk a little bit of a mountain road in a moment." Captain Yang said.

The wine gave off an intoxicating aroma, Campbell took the glass and tasted it, the wine tasted quite good, not inferior to the best wines, and the fruit was even mango, and it was thoroughly ripe. It's a pleasure to eat such a fruit at a time like this. Campbell wondered how mangoes could be produced at such altitudes, and he was more interested in the mountain beyond the valley. It is a dazzling mountain that induces pride and excitement. He wondered that British travellers did not depict much about the mountain in their books on their travels to the Tibetan plateau.

At this time, the sun was warm and warm, and although it could not be said that it was completely full of food and drink, the hunger and thirst had been alleviated a lot. The air here is as pure as if it came from another planet, and a mysterious, poetic thought swells through Conway's mind, but strangely aligns with Campbell's skeptical subconscious. He realized that he had not been bothered to meditate on this horrific scene. Soon after the meal, the arduous journey began.

Throughout the morning, the whole group climbed slowly on the mountain path, the slope of which was not too steep; However, walking at such heights, coupled with the sparse air that is difficult to adapt to, requires a lot of physical exertion, so no one has more energy to speak.

The slope of the valley for about a few miles became steeper, and in a moment the sun was completely obscured by dark clouds, and a light silvery mist cast a hazy shadow over the view. All at once the air became cold. Later, with the sudden change in the mountain, the temperature was even colder. A gust of wind blew in, and the rain carried the snow particles up and drenched everyone, adding to the difficulties and discomforts of the people, and Campbell couldn't help but feel that it was impossible for him to go any further. But it didn't take long for us to reach the top of the mountain. By this time, both Neil and Caroline had suffered a lot and were always lagging behind, while the Tibetans were clearly anxious to make their way, and gesturing to show that the rest of the road would not be so torturous.

The second half of the course wasn't as tough as Campbell had expected, and the slope was much lighter, so you didn't have to climb as hard as before. The trail was a zigzag corridor hewn into the side of a rocky overhang, only two feet wide in some sections, and Campbell noticed that in addition to the three of them, Captain Young and the three giants carrying all the equipment they had taken out of the plane, were able to navigate the trail with such agility and ease.

Before they knew it, the team had climbed a steep and short slope, and shortly thereafter, the ground began to flatten. Everyone also stepped out of the fog and plunged into the crisp and sunny air. Just in front of you, a temple-like modern building sits quietly.

It is a colorful classical Chinese pavilion nestled tightly on the mountainside. It does not have the eerie and eerie Rhineland castle and the deliberate artificiality of the English castle, but is cleverly set on the cliff with a petal-like delicacy and elegance, which looks rich and elegant.

Campbell's gaze shifted from the blue-gray tiled roof to the gray rock bastion above, as majestic and deep as the corner towers of ancient city walls. In the distance, on top of that glorious pyramid, towering the Snow Wall of Silver Peak. Campbell couldn't help but think, this must not be the most uninspiring mountain scenery in the world, right?

Looking down, the sight is even more fascinating. The cliffs of the snow-capped mountains go down and crack almost vertically into a fissure, which may have been the result of a catalytic fission in the earth's crust in ancient times.

The bottom of the gorge is deep and indistinct, showing a verdant green, and the wind is kept out, while the castle overlooks it from above, and it is a delight to look at in Campbell's mind.

Campbell stared at the canyon and suddenly felt a hint of nervousness and apprehension in his heart.

He already felt that this mysterious building built here had the same aura as the "magic tower" on its body.

He has no way of knowing for sure what these Chinese will do to their three "invaders."

In a trance, Campbell couldn't remember how he had entered the building. After entering, he and his companions were surprised to find that it was very spacious, warm, and very clean.

His first meal here gave him a familiar warmth and intimacy, but he also suspected that these delicacies contained some kind of herb or potion that would improve respiratory function. He is particularly fond of the delicate and intriguing Chinese cuisine. Because, he was not the only one who had a strange feeling, and it was obvious that his two companions had also felt much better.

The environment itself makes Campbell feel like home. The room is cleverly laid out, succinctly decorated with velvet tapestries and one or two fine lacquered panels. The lighting is electric light, which conveys light in the tranquil air. He felt a wave of relaxation and solace throughout his body, in fact, the mood and atmosphere here were more Han Chinese than explicitly Tibetan.

At the end of the meal, Campbell began to light a cigar handed by his host, and after a few smokes, he appropriately led the conversation to what he wanted to know, "You are so warm to strangers. I don't think you entertain guests very often. ”

"Very little," replied the Han officer, whose name Campbell now knew was Yang Zhaoguo, with a steady and measured measure, "this is not a place for tourists. ”

At this moment several beautiful Tibetan girls appeared, one of them brought fruit, another brought hot milk tea, and the others hung their beautiful lanterns on hooks on the wall, all of which were electric lamps, and the cannons under the painted lampshades glowed softly, but they were not connected by wires at all, Campbell noticed this strange phenomenon, and could not help but open his mouth in surprise.

"Is this a military exclusion zone?" Neil asked.

"Yes." Yang Zhaoguo nodded and gave an affirmative answer, and Campbell's Neil's face suddenly became a little unnatural.

"We're not the first to visit, are we?" Caroline asked boldly.

"Yes." Yang Zhaoguo seemed to understand the purpose of her question, and replied with a smile.

"I wonder, what did you do with them?" Caroline asked again.

Yang Zhaoguo smiled and did not answer.

"We may have broken the rules here, but be assured that we didn't mean to." Campbell said in a sincere tone, "We didn't expect this to happen. ”

"I understand, rest assured, that you will be well received here, and I promise to send you out of here safely." Yang Zhaoguo said.

After listening to the assurances of the Chinese captain, all three of them were relieved.

As they ate fruit, they began to chat with their master, and it was only then that Campbell realized that the young captain had more knowledge than he had ever imagined.

"You may be tired, so get some rest. Early tomorrow morning, I will arrange for a plane to take you back. After finishing the discussion, realizing that they might be tired and need to rest, Yang Zhaoguo stood up.

Campbell wanted to stand up, but he suddenly felt an indescribable sleepiness coming, and he resisted the ** that wanted to yawn and said goodbye to his master.

After seeing off his master, Campbell ignored Neil and Caroline, and went straight to his bed, where he fell asleep.

(To be continued)