Chapter 1229: The Difficulties Mount

Zhang Zian carefully looked at the Excel spreadsheet. Besides the appalling average fuel consumption data, there was some surprising information.

The information pertained to Car No. 1, which Nabari and Salem had taken. It was loaded with two people, but the fuel consumption and the consumption of drinking water were much lower than the other cars. The reason was nothing more than this: Nabari had rich experience in desert driving and controlled the car well. Secondly, the Bedouin people adapted well to the high temperatures and rarely need air conditioning. They also did not need to drink a lot of water to replenish sweat, since they did not sweat much. This helped to save fuel and water.

However, the oil and water they’d saved were not enough for the rest.

He took a closer look at other people’s data. The fat man Xiao Tianyu was the most afraid of heat. His water consumption was also the largest. According to the data, his drinking water was twice the average daily drinking water of ordinary people. For the largest fuel consumption, that title went to Du Xuetao… The ruthless facts proved that the data of the members of the believers team was relatively average, while that of the expedition team was lower.

Zhang Zian looked towards Wei Kang and Peter Lee. As captains, they had to come up with a solution and not let the situation continue to deteriorate.

Now, while there was still a surplus of fuel and water, they needed to plan ahead. If they followed things as they were, no one could guarantee the future situation, especially after what had happened to Car No. 10 on the sand ridge.

His opinion was very clear: the safety of the team members must come first. If the situation deteriorated, regardless if it was the pure energy of the universe or the scientific research, these would be secondary goals. Their option was a full retreat, which meant that they would retreat when they still had that option, and not when it was absolutely impossible.

They were standing next to a buggy to talk. The laptop had been placed on the hood. The hood, which had been hot enough to melt anything during the day, was now cold enough to hold it.

It had only been a half-day of work. Yet the dramatic temperature change, plus the thermal expansion and contraction, had caused the paint on the car to start cracking.

Peter Lee knocked on the hood with his knuckles and said, “From tomorrow onwards, we move early and overnight. We try to cover as much ground as possible. We stop moving from eleven o’clock a.m. to three o’clock p.m. to avoid the hottest time of the day.”

From 11:00 a.m. onward, the sun was almost vertically above the desert, and the temperature reached the highest peak of the day. The car would be hot like a furnace, and it would be impossible to turn off the car’s air conditioner. This would likely overload the engine and increase fuel consumption. The strong reflections caused by the sun’s blinding rays could also affect a driver, increasing the chances of mistakes. Driving during this period of time just did not make sense.

Wei Kang nodded and agreed to the plan. He added, “I also want to mention that what happened to Car Number Ten today is too dangerous. Fortunately, the car is safe and sound, but I can’t say it will be in the future. So I suggest that when encountering higher sand dunes, we all come to a stop, walk up the sand dunes, check out the situation on the back of the sand dunes, and then finally walk along the sand ridges to find the best location where the sand density is high and the slope is gentle.”

Before, regardless of who it was, whenever one drove over the sand ridges, everyone’s heart was in their throat. This was because it was almost impossible to make out what was behind the sand dunes. Without knowledge, no one could adequately prepare for the steep difference in height when trying to cross them. Therefore, it was understandable that Du Xuetao was unwilling to step on the gas pedal—made more extreme, what lay after the sand dunes might even be a cliff.

Wei Kang’s proposal called for a stable approach, but it had its advantages and disadvantages. The problem that came with it was that it would greatly slow down the itinerary.

Peter Lee decided to agree with Wei Kang. After all, even if it was slowing down the journey, it was better than a car facing a similar issue as Car No. 10. It may have led to a complete car failure, and it would definitely delay the entire trip, affecting the morale of the entire team as well.

Zhang Zian did not interrupt. He also felt that Wei Kang’s proposal was a double-edged sword. The speed of consumption of diesel and supplies was not optimistic. Delaying the itinerary would definitely aggravate this concern, but there was no other way. They had to place safety first. Even if they eventually ran out of supplies, the bottom line was still everyone’s safe exit from the desert.

Food consumption was currently normal. They had prepared extra food, and there was plenty to go around. Besides, with the weather being so hot, no one had much of an appetite.

As for the consumption of drinking water, it was still somewhat acceptable. In the future, however, by avoiding the hottest time of the day, the amount of drinking water consumed should be reduced. Even if they maintained current consumption levels and there was no reduction, it did not matter.

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They were apologetic to the Egyptians. Empty mineral water bottles and cans were thrown away in the desert in order to minimize the weight of the off-road vehicles. They could not be civilized tourists for this trip. Besides, any sandstorm that came along would soon bury everything.

At the center of the camp, the team had already lit the camping stove and started to make dinner. Although their food was all fast-food meals, the scent nevertheless whipped up an appetite for the people who hadn’t eaten during the day.

They sat around the camping stove and talked and laughed. They chatted about the experience of the day and talked about their past experiences. It temporarily allowed them to put the difficulties of the day behind.

“The status of the supplies—don’t tell the rest for the time being. I don’t want to affect morale.” Wei Kang glanced at the fire while speaking to Zhang Zian.

Zhang Zian nodded. “I know.”

“Well, you should go ahead and settle down Fina and Famous,” Wei Kang said.

Zhang Zian guessed that Wei Kang and Peter Lee had other things to discuss and left. He had just walked a few steps when suddenly he heard a girl scream. It seemed to come from the direction of the camp.

“Ah!”

The sound was crisp and sharp, and it was far-reaching in the silent desert.

It was He He!

Regardless of whether it was Zhang Zian, Wei Kang, Peter Lee, or the rest of the team members, when they heard the scream, they left whatever they were doing, jumped up like a spring, and ran in the direction of the screams.

Why had she screamed? What had happened? Everyone was full of doubts, but it was important to save people if they needed help.

“What the…”

Someone saw a faint black shadow flashing out of a tent. It was faster than everyone else, but because it was too dark to see what it was, it was only possible to know that it was an animal.

This black shadow moved swiftly. Once it saw the tents, it went straight for it without even taking a detour. The members of Peter Lee’s team were stunned.

Of course, that was Famous.

Peter Lee’s team members had known that Zhang Zian had brought a cat and a dog into the desert, but what they had not known was that the dog was the famous actor in the film “War Dog”!

It is very difficult to run at high speed in the desert and especially easy to fall into the sand. Famous was not as fast as its usual self, but it nevertheless still caught people by surprise. Before long, people started reaching the place where the scream had come from. It was a space that the team had deliberately reserved for women.

He He was paralyzed with fear and shivering. The female Detective held her in her arms, comforting her, and wiped her tears.

A skull was half buried in the sand, and from its hollow eye socket, out climbed a desert scorpion.