Chapter 120: The Outline of a Small Town

As the saying goes, a man and a woman working together never tire.

But for Qin Yun, having Laura added another burden.

Fortunately, Laura wasn't a whiner; though exhausted, she never complained. Perhaps having faced death, she no longer found physical hardship unbearable.

"Qin, do you earn money doing this?"

Watching Qin Yun skin the wolf and collect its meat, one drone flew far off to film the scenery, while the other now faced her, Laura asked curiously.

Qin Yun didn't look up: "It's decent—better than my old job. If you're interested, download Douyin's China version after we get back, follow me, and next time I go live, I want to see your name at the top of the leaderboard."

"Pfft… Qin Ye 666."

"Hahaha, the beauty looks confused—probably didn't understand what he meant."

"Germany has TikTok too; how could she not understand?"

"She's probably never met someone as blunt as Qin Ye. She thought all Chinese people were reserved."

Laura understood perfectly—she used TikTok too.

"Qin, you're very different from the Chinese people I've met."

"How so? Obviously I'm handsomer—that goes without saying."

The livestream viewers immediately burst into laughter and scolding.

"Damn, Qin Ye is shameless. Your looks are barely better than mine—what's there to be proud of?"

"Your charm index is three points lower than mine, yet you dare boast?"

Laura smiled brightly: "Qin, you're definitely handsome, but beyond looks, you're more charismatic."

"Hahaha!" Qin Yun laughed loudly, his voice echoing across the desert. "Don't fall for me, or you'll get homesick when you return home."

"Qin, has anyone ever told you you're narcissistic?" Laura asked seriously.

"Nope. Everyone says I'm humble, honest, and self-aware. I agree."

"…."

After spending an hour cleaning up yesterday's mess, the two set off again.

Qin Yun walked ahead, the bharal followed behind, and Laura trailed farther back—distantly, they looked like a couple on a tourist trip with pets.

"Baa—baa—"

He gave Laura the water bottle and warned: "Even if you're thirsty, don't gulp. Just sip lightly to moisten your mouth—unless you find a reliable water source."

Only then did Laura realize she hadn't truly escaped danger.

It was only because she was with Qin Yun that she felt safe.

They walked slowly along the desert.

Because of Laura's condition, they had to rest every half hour for ten to fifteen minutes, so progress was slow.

"Qin Ye, Qin Ye, the police have responded!"

The livestream comments suddenly flooded with repetitive messages—Qin Yun noticed immediately.

He perked up, glanced at Laura, and said quickly: "Oh? What did the police say?"

"The police checked traffic system data—Mia, Lukas, and Tom, who entered with Laura, have all left the country."

Qin Yun wasn't surprised. According to Laura's account, this was clearly premeditated. By the time he discovered it, a full day and night had passed—the killers would've fled immediately.

"Got it. Thanks, brother."

"No need to thank me, Qin Ye."

Qin Yun turned to Laura: "The three who tried to kill you have left the country."

Laura nodded, her expression calm—even slightly pleased: "Thank you. I understand."

But Qin Yun didn't press further—it was her private matter. Besides, they'd left the country; Chinese law couldn't reach foreign nationals—not unless the victim was Chinese.

Soon, the two continued forward.

Watching Qin Yun ahead, Laura felt a chill: Mia, Lukas, Tom—I hope you're still alive. I want to see your faces when I appear before you.

After another two hours, nearing noon.

Qin Yun suddenly spotted a distorted figure on the distant horizon.

"Camel!"

It was a Bactrian camel—rare indeed.

Wild Bactrian camels in Qaidam were nearly extinct, classified as critically endangered.

He identified it as wild because its body was small, legs slender, and humps triangular.

"Qin, it's a camel, a camel!" Laura cried out, thrilled. "We can follow it to find water!"

"666, the beauty actually knows something."

"Follow the camel, you get water."

"Qin Ye, we can ride the camel now!"

"Quick, get closer—Qin Ye's about to hunt again."

"Hahaha, wild Bactrian camels are protected species. If Qin Ye kills one, animal protection will drop from the sky and shoot him dead."

Qin Yun rolled his eyes, ignored them, and answered Laura:

"Why do camels have humps? To store fat and energy. One drink can sustain them for long periods without water or food. And their range is enormous. Following one won't guarantee water—it'll just exhaust you."

He pointed at the camel: "Most importantly, wild Bactrian camels are extremely alert—they bolt at the slightest disturbance."

Suddenly, he yelled, "Waaah!"

On camera, the camel froze, then turned and sprinted away, vanishing from the drone's view within seconds.

Laura's face fell: "Now what? My water bottle's almost empty."

Qin Yun grinned: "If there's truly no water, you'll have to drink urine."

Laura was stunned. The livestream viewers were stunned.

"Fucking Qin Ye, eats so well."

"Dude, are you that twisted?"

"Qin Ye, where's your dignity? Your dignity's fallen off."

"Hahaha, Qin Ye's clearly joking."

Qin Yun glanced at the drone, walking as he spoke: "As long as you're healthy, urine is clean. Healthy human urine consists mostly of water, plus uric acid, urea, electrolytes, and shed urinary tract cells—all sterile metabolic byproducts. Water makes up about 96%. So if you're truly dying of thirst, drinking urine isn't a bad option."

Laura's expression was: (´•ω•)

She swore—even if she died of thirst, she wouldn't drink urine.

After another half hour, Qin Yun suddenly crouched, zoomed the drone's lens, and Laura hurried over.

He pointed to a footprint on the ground: "Look—this print is inverted V-shaped, made of two side-by-side hoof lobes. Guess what animal made it."

"Who the hell knows?"

"Qin Ye, you overestimate us—average education level is middle school."

"You're overdoing it—I dropped out of elementary school to haul bricks."

Qin Yun never expected them to know—he said directly: "If I'm right, this is the footprint of a goitered gazelle—a bovid antelope species, also a Class II protected animal in China."

"Damn, I feel like every wild animal in our country is protected by law now."

Qin Yun chuckled: "You're right. China's Wildlife Protection Law strictly prohibits hunting protected species—even non-protected ones face tight controls. We think long-term—to preserve biodiversity and ecological safety. Unlike abroad, where a permit is all you need."

He added a quick explanation for Laura.

"Qin, what's the use of the goitered gazelle?"

Qin Yun said: "Goitered gazelles depend heavily on water. They prefer areas with springs or rivers. So if we find their tracks here, there's likely water nearby."

In truth, by now, there was no doubt they'd find water.

As they drew closer to Lenghu Town, vegetation grew denser—clear proof.

"That's wonderful."

Laura smiled happily.

As they walked on, around 1: 0 p. ., a gray-brown shadow flashed across a distant dune—fast as lightning.

Qin Yun's drone zoomed in quickly—revealing a juvenile goitered gazelle, lithe and slender-limbed, playfully frolicking.

Behind the dune, not far away, lay a pool of water—dozens of goitered gazelles were gamboling beside it.

"Wow… Qin Ye found water so easily."

"Holy shit, that's a huge spring—can we drink it directly?"

"Of course—it's groundwater. Otherwise, how could it be so abundant? Without flowing water, it'd dry up."

Qin Yun smiled at the drone's screen: "Correct—it's spring water, safe to drink directly. But Laura can't. Her body is weak. Though the water looks clean, it's been used by countless animals—some bacteria are inevitable."

He waved his hand, landing the drone before Laura.

When Laura saw the scene on screen, she cried out excitedly:

"Qin, Qin, it's water—we found water!"

"Yes, yes, we found water. Now you don't need to ration it—drink the whole bottle. I know you've been eyeing it for ages."

Laura laughed, unhesitatingly downed the entire bottle.

Then she sprinted toward the other side of the dune.

Qin Yun and the bharal hurried after her. When they crested the dune and saw the spring, the gazelles immediately caught their scent—especially the strong odor of desert wolves on them—and fled in panic.

In an instant, they vanished without a trace.

Had it not been for the hoofprints left on the dune, one might think the scene had been an illusion.

The two slid down the dune and quickly approached the spring.

Qin Yun observed that the spring was not deep, about ten meters long and four or five meters wide; the water was clear and had no odd odor—undoubtedly fresh flowing water.

"Don't drink yet—I'll light a fire and boil it first. There are bacteria in this water."

"Mm, I'll follow your lead."

There was vegetation beside the spring—clumps of pale greenish-yellow plants that Qin Yun pulled up in handfuls; soon, flames rose up.

While waiting for the water to boil, Qin Yun gazed toward the northeast, where endless rolling dunes and hazy gray masses stretched on—no sign yet of the outline of Cold Lake Town.

…

"Slap—!"

An old man with white hair, eyes blazing red, struck the woman in front of him hard across the face, sending her sprawling to the ground.

The servants around stood motionless as statues, eyes downcast, noses straight, saying nothing.

The slap had been delivered with full force; Sophia felt stars bursting before her eyes and a metallic sweetness on her tongue. Yet she felt no pain—only a deep, inner satisfaction.

She suppressed her satisfaction, pushed herself up from the floor, and lifted her face with an innocent expression: "Dad, it has nothing to do with me. Why are you blaming me?"

"Ever since you were little, you gave all your love to your sister. Now that she's gone missing in China, you're blaming me again?"

"How dare you say that!" The man's lips trembled as tears streamed down his face. "She's your own sister. How could you? How could you?"

"Dad, don't you believe me?" Sophia cried. "My sister died in China—what does that have to do with me? Why must you assume I harmed her? As you said yourself, no matter how much I disliked her, she was still my own sister."

The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He staggered into a chair, leaning on his cane, silent for a long time.

For a while, the only sound in the room was Sophia's quiet sobs.

After a long while, the man opened his eyes again, his gaze settling on Sophia's sorrowful face: "Then tell me—where are Mia, Lucas, and Tang Mu?"