Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Qu Yixian squinted slightly, studying the convoy behind them through the rearview mirror.

The distance was a bit far, and the night was too dark. Under the glaring white high beams, almost painfully bright, she could only make out the types and number of vehicles in the convoy; all other details were impossible to see.

In the Northwest, she had never encountered anyone daring enough to chase her like this.

She glanced sideways at the road sign standing by the street trees—two kilometers straight ahead was the Dachaidan highway toll station.

Unlike in bustling cities, minor highway toll stations in the Northwest rarely had police stationed; usually only staff responsible for collecting fees were present.

Trying to lose the convoy on the highway wasn’t realistic.

But a kilometer ahead, there was an intersection. Going west via the ramp, there was a provincial road that led straight to the desolate National Highway 315.

National Highway 315 traversed the uninhabited areas of the Qaidam Basin and was often compared to the U.S. Route 66. On either side of the highway stretched nearly twenty thousand kilometers of Yadan formations.

No one knew those roads better than her.

Qu Yixian was not the type to sit and wait for disaster. She glanced at the fuel gauge: “Not enough to get to Dunhuang. If we take the highway, we might be forced to stop halfway. There’s a spare can of fuel in the trunk. We’ll get onto the national road and shake off the tail, otherwise we’ll be stuck here tonight.”

She pulled out binoculars from the storage compartment and nimbly climbed into the backseat: “Can we find a way for me to see the lead car?”

This area was far from Dachaidan’s urban center, without streetlights. Aside from the lights from the convoy sticking to their Cruiser, the view was a blur of darkness.

Fu Xun kept an eye on the road while one hand searched coordinates on the GPS.

“Remember that construction site on the way back?” Fu Xun asked.

Qu Yixian recalled, “You mean the one near National Highway 315?”

He nodded, reminding her, “It has lights.”

Had he not mentioned it, she wouldn’t have remembered. That construction site was a commercial tourist development invested in by a construction group from Zhejiang. Adjacent to Emerald Lake and Salt Lake, it had been developed into a small town called “Sky City.”

Besides the natural sights of Emerald Lake and Salt Lake, the area was equipped with hotels, restaurants, and commercial streets. Beyond these basic facilities, they ambitiously added family sports and indoor amusement projects.

The scale was grand, like a medieval castle built on flat land, with high walls.

When she passed by today, she vaguely remembered that some of the scaffolding around several buildings had already been mostly removed.

Qu Yixian climbed over the front passenger seat, reached past Fu Xun, and took the GPS from his hand to replan their route.

The Cruiser would take a detour into the construction site. She would copy the license plate of the lead car, then take the shortcut into National Highway 315.

She calculated the kilometers and fuel, her expression slightly tense: “The fuel is only enough to reach Nan Baxian.”

Fu Xun glanced at her through the rearview mirror: “Nan Baxian?”

“Right.” Qu Yixian handed the GPS back after finishing the route map, sat cross-legged on the mat in the trunk with her back to Fu Xun: “In 1955, eight female geologists from Zhejiang went into the Yadan formations seeking oil. On their return, they encountered a sandstorm and tragically all perished. The place name ‘Nan Baxian’ was given to commemorate these heroes.”

The Nan Baxian Yadan formations were the most visited free site outside Dunhuang’s Devil City. They stood along both sides of National Highway 315, majestic and grand, like long-buried tomb mounds, with heights scattered.

Qu Yixian often brought teams here, but only along the highway edges; she had never ventured deep inland.

“I heard the Nan Baxian Yadan formations are where the heroic spirits rest. Vehicles entering at midnight risk being trapped, like walking in circles, never getting out.” She toyed with the binoculars and asked Fu Xun, “Scared?”

Fu Xun was divided, needing to watch the road while maintaining distance for the convoy to enter the construction site. He took a few seconds to fully grasp what she meant.

He glanced into the trunk using the dashboard light: “If you’re bored, see if there’s anything in the trunk you can throw.” Then, suddenly accelerating, he made a sharp turn at the red light at the intersection.

The Cruiser locked all four wheels, kicking up a trail of smoke. The tires screeched against the ground as the vehicle scraped the curb, drifting into the right-turn lane.

After briefly slowing, Fu Xun whipped the steering wheel, slammed the accelerator, and raced past the “Construction Ahead, Slow Down” sign like lightning.

Behind them, the convoy chasing the Cruiser slammed on brakes repeatedly, ears ringing from the shrill screech, like the cries of hawks.

Qu Yixian, concentrating on interpreting Fu Xun’s earlier comment, was caught off guard and nearly slammed into the inner wall of the car. Luckily, she reacted quickly, hooking the anti-roll bar in the trunk before her head hit. She braced with her wrist, narrowly avoiding a head injury.

Damn!

She held her head, dizzy, and grabbed a gas-stained glove, tossing it toward Fu Xun’s back of the head.

The glove hit the back of the seat with a soft sound and quickly fell onto the car mat.

Fu Xun glanced through the rearview mirror at the convoy that had caught up again.

The searchlights on the construction site landing gear shone brightly, and the lead car drove from darkness into the light, fully exposing itself in his sight.

Fu Xun pursed his lips slightly: “Qu Yixian.”

Qu Yixian picked up the binoculars, muttering: “Got it.”

She adjusted the focus, and through the blurry lens, the black Land Rover gradually revealed the Explorer badge.

Her gaze moved upward, aiming at the driver’s seat.

Against the light, she couldn’t make out the face, only seeing the jade Guanyin pendant hanging on the person’s neck.

The car body jolted, charging onto the gravel-paved ribbed road.

Qu Yixian steadied herself and didn’t delay; the lens landed on the license plate, and she quickly memorized the number.

Fu Xun noticed her stillness after a while and asked: “Did you see it?”

“Yes. A discontinued Land Rover Explorer, exterior unmodified, Qinghai plates.” She tossed the binoculars aside, ready to turn back.

Fu Xun noticed her intention and called out: “Modified engine. The Cruiser can’t match it in endurance.” The Explorer had nearly caught up several times; without taking advantage of the terrain, Fu Xun couldn’t have shaken it off.

The moment he spoke, Qu Yixian understood. No wonder he had asked her to see if there was anything in the trunk to throw. Once they reached National Highway 315, the road would be flat, and the modified Explorer would be able to flank them; it was just a matter of time.

Her gaze fell on the storage box in the corner. Without hesitation, she emptied the tools inside, leaving the box completely clear.

Having done that, she returned to the front passenger seat and pulled out the satellite phone to call Yuan Ye.

Yuan Ye had just settled Jiang Yun and was about to sneak back to the hotel when he got Qu Yixian’s call.

Knowing the urgency, he answered while retreating back to the room.

“Qu Yixian.”

As Yuan Ye closed the room door, Jiang Yun’s room across the hall quietly cracked open.

“It’s me.” Qu Yixian found a black pen and wrote the license plate number in her palm, reporting it to Yuan Ye: “A black Explorer. Help me check whose car this is.”

Yuan Ye acknowledged and hesitated for a few seconds before asking: “Qu Yixian, are you and Fu Xun safe?”

“Can’t die.” Qu Yixian switched hands holding the phone: “We’ll talk in Dunhuang tomorrow. Take care of yourself.”

After hanging up, Qu Yixian prepared to climb back into the trunk.

Just as she moved, Fu Xun suddenly reached out and held her: “Not yet.”

He kept his eyes on the road, not even glancing sideways, only slightly pressing her hand to make her sit back in the seat.

“Seatbelt on.”

Around them, the wind of the open plains screamed past at high speed.

The modified Cruiser’s chassis was stable; with only one hand on the steering wheel, the car remained steady, not deviating even slightly, like a blade cutting through the wind.

Behind them, the persistent Explorer pressed closer. The accelerator floored, the lead of the vehicle lunged forward, gradually closing in.

In the rearview mirror, the Explorer flared into the light, flanking the Cruiser from the right rear. The hood overtook the Cruiser’s tail, closing in aggressively.

Fu Xun had no choice but to release Qu Yixian’s hand, grip the steering wheel with both hands, and press the accelerator.

With the difference in acceleration capabilities between the two vehicles, the Cruiser was forced into the oncoming lane, facing a large truck approaching over the slope.

At the same time, the truck, noticing the conflict, honked frantically and flicked its high beams repeatedly to warn the two off-road vehicles in front.

The national highway’s lanes weren’t wide, asphalt on both sides turned into sandy terraces. The side wind whistled into the lane as the two off-road vehicles sped by.

The wind shrieked sharply, crazily rushing into the gaps between vehicles.

Seeing the distance closing with the truck, Qu Yixian’s face paled slightly. She looked up at Fu Xun.

Under the dashboard lights, his profile was tense, lips pressed lightly, yet he remained calm and composed despite the danger.

“The sides of the road are all embankments. At this speed, even a one-inch deviation could mean death and total destruction,” he said calmly, completely unaffected by the long honks from the oncoming truck.

“He’s leading the charge to force the Cruiser to stop, then have the cars behind sandwich us. Unless someone’s suicidal, there’s no way to break through their layered encirclement,” his voice gradually hardened. “But he doesn’t realize his convoy simply can’t keep up.”

After speaking, his gaze dropped, checking the coordinates approaching the turn of the fork in the road. Suddenly he eased off the accelerator and pressed the brake.

An emergency brake at this speed would almost certainly flip the vehicle. Fu Xun controlled the speed with a series of brake taps, and with only five meters separating them from the oncoming truck, he slammed the brakes fully. At the same time, he adjusted the steering slightly, flowing like water, slipping past the flanking Explorer by a car’s front.

Qu Yixian’s heart leapt to her throat.

She heard the almost eardrum-shattering screech of brakes and the truck’s horn, the car lights spinning and intersecting wildly. The Cruiser, perfectly avoiding the Explorer, nearly brushed the Explorer’s rear and returned to its original lane.

The truck, unable to stop or steer in time, passed by the Cruiser with mere inches to spare.

For a moment, the wind roared like ten thousand wailing ghosts, sharp and piercing.

Qu Yixian gripped the roof handle with all her strength. Yet, with the violent braking and lane merging, the front-to-back impact pressure felt as if invisible hands were squeezing her insides. Dizzy and disoriented, she swore to herself—never again would she ride in Fu Xun’s car!