Chapter 327

"Did everyone sleep well?"

In the multimedia classroom, Qin Yun looked at the five of them and smiled faintly.

After a day of rest yesterday, Fang Yuan, Ryan, Tian Zhongkui, Elizabeth, and Qin Yuwen had clearly grown more comfortable with each other, leaving behind yesterday's awkwardness. Each wore lightweight, durable training uniforms, and after morning exercise, they all looked energetic and alert.

"Pretty good!" "Very nice!" "The dorms here are comfortable."

Amid the overlapping replies, Qin Yun turned on the projector.

"Good. This morning, we'll focus on three core theories—the foundation of desert survival: terrain recognition, climate assessment, and danger prediction."

The screen displayed an aerial photograph of the Taklamakan Desert, endless dunes crisscrossing in every direction.

"First, terrain recognition. We all know deserts aren't flat—fixed dunes, semi-mobile dunes, purely mobile dunes, salt-crusted hard ground, hidden quicksand pits—each terrain type differs drastically, and so do their risks. Who can tell me the defining characteristics of a purely mobile dune, and what its most lethal hazard is?"

After drawing lots, Qin Yun had already provided them with all relevant materials and told them to memorize every detail.

His gaze swept over the five, finally settling on Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan felt as if he'd been thrown back to middle and high school—the scalp-twitching sensation of being singled out by a teacher, now pressing down on him again.

He scratched his head, stood up, and recalled what he'd read: "Uh… purely mobile dunes have no vegetation to anchor them, the sand is loose, and the whole structure shifts continuously with the wind… the most… most lethal hazards are: one, no fixed landmarks, which leads to disorientation; and two, a hidden layer of soft sand beneath the slope—step on it, and you get trapped."

"Basically correct." Qin Yun's approval made Fang Yuan exhale slightly.

…

"Dunes have gentle and steep slopes—the gentle slope is the windward side, so the steep slope is naturally the leeward side. This happens because wind continuously deposits sand gently on the windward side, while sand slides down the leeward side, making it steeper. By observing the uniform orientation of the entire dune field, we can quickly determine wind direction—this is crucial for avoiding sandstorms and setting up temporary shelters."

With that, Qin Yun snapped his notebook shut with a sharp snap.

"Alright, that's enough theory for the morning. Let's go eat. After lunch, rest for an hour, then begin simulated desert field training."

The group, having sat all morning, immediately relaxed.

Among the five, only Fang Yuan, Qin Yuwen, and Tian Zhongkui spoke Chinese, but only Fang Yuan didn't speak English—he wasn't completely clueless; he had high school-level English, just enough for "fine," "thank you," and "and you."

So communicating with Ryan and Elizabeth was difficult—he could only rely on others to translate for him.

But for him, this was also an opportunity: it forced him to communicate in English, a method long proven to be the fastest way to improve language skills.

Following Qin Yun, the group arrived at the dining hall!

Because there were so few of them, Qin Yun wouldn't settle for cafeteria-style fast food—he'd specifically hired a chef team to reside on-site, providing all three meals daily, each far exceeding the quality of any restaurant outside.

To accommodate different national dining habits, the menu was incredibly diverse.

Ryan and Elizabeth, for instance, had completely different preferences.

After lunch and a one-hour nap, the group appeared at the artificial desert training ground of Liye Camp. Though the thousand-square-meter fine yellow sand couldn't fully replicate Taklamakan's terrain, the artificially piled mobile dunes rose and fell in patterns nearly identical to those of a real desert.

Around the perimeter stood large temperature-control units, wind-simulation systems, and fine-sand spray arrays, capable of precisely recreating extreme desert conditions: high heat, dry hot winds, and small-scale sandstorms.

When everyone entered, the ground temperature was raised above 55°C—the searing heat instantly surged over them, making them feel as if they'd been thrown into the scorching embrace of real desert sand.

The afternoon's field training consisted of three core components: stable movement on sand, identifying and escaping quicksand, and avoiding danger in sandy winds.

In truth, every single lesson Qin Yun arranged wasn't meant for anything else—it was to prevent sudden, extreme emergencies. He wanted everyone, even if caught in danger, to survive long enough for his rescue.

In just a few days, mastering every desert survival skill was impossible.

So when designing the curriculum, Qin Yun emphasized foresight—training them to instantly recognize certain situations, or when danger struck, to act in the split second before being swallowed whole.

Endless yellow sand, the air burning hot.

Six figures walked through it; apart from Qin Yun, all were deeply uncomfortable.

Even with face veils, the wind stung their skin. Under this heat, sweat poured out rapidly, and physical stamina plummeted at an alarming rate.

But the simulated area was only a thousand square meters—soon, they emerged again.

Qin Yun tilted his chin. "Tian Zhongkui, go in. Observe carefully—can you make it through safely?"

Hearing this, Tian Zhongkui stepped forward without hesitation.

Qin Yun glanced at the others. "You'll each go in next—observe closely."

With a signal to the staff, conditions inside the artificial desert instantly changed—the wind vanished, but the dunes' shapes shifted.

"Tian Zhongkui, there's a quicksand pit somewhere in this desert. See if you can identify it and navigate around it safely."

Tian Zhongkui's heart tightened; her focus sharpened instantly.

She was slender, youthful, brimming with energy.

"Slow your pace, plant your feet firmly, don't lift them too high—this reduces stamina drain. In the desert, every bit of stamina is precious," Qin Yun said calmly, watching the artificial desert. "Lean your body slightly forward, walk along the dune's natural contours."

As Tian Zhongkui advanced, Qin Yun offered occasional guidance.

Fang Yuan and the others listened closely—they knew this wasn't just advice for Tian Zhongkui, but for them too.

"Crack!"

One foot stepped down—Tian Zhongkui's face changed instantly. She felt a sucking, swallowing force seize her ankle, then her whole body was pulled forward—her left foot sank half a meter, and her balance vanished.

Seeing this, Fang Yuan and the others realized immediately: Tian Zhongkui had stepped into a quicksand pit—she hadn't avoided the trap.

When the staff shut off the equipment and pulled her foot free, her expression was clearly disappointed.

"Normal. I didn't expect you to identify it right away—even veterans get fooled sometimes, let alone a beginner like you," Qin Yun comforted her. "Ryan, you're next."

"Yes!"

Ryan, though Black, wasn't a bulky brute—he looked even somewhat handsome, fitting Asian aesthetics.

One by one, each person tried—and each, without exception, was pulled into a quicksand pit.

Qin Yun had anticipated this. He felt no disappointment.

Before ending the simulation, Qin Yun had them experience a sandstorm.

When the wind machines activated, gales whipped up a blinding haze of yellow sand—their vision vanished in swirling dust. The wind roared, sand stung their faces, perfectly simulating a sudden desert sandstorm emergency.

Instantly, everyone panicked—their initial confidence and calmness were obliterated by the sudden storm.

In chaos, all theory flew from their minds. Within moments, the five lost their bearings and became separated from each other.

When the five-minute sandstorm ended, the five stood scattered in five different directions, looking utterly lost.

"The sandstorm here can only simulate one percent of the real thing; the actual one would be a hundred times more terrifying than this."

Qin Yun's voice echoed across the training ground.

"Do you remember what I did when I encountered a sandstorm in the Qaidam Desert, Qin Yiwén?"

Qin Yiwén brushed sand from her hair, thought for a moment, and said, "Find cover immediately."

Qin Yun nodded. "Good. At the time, I immediately sought cover, hid myself, curled up, used my clothing to shield my mouth, nose, and eyes, and waited quietly for the sandstorm to pass. Remember this: sandstorms are beyond human resistance. All we can do is endure—but how you endure matters."

"When you encounter a sandstorm, turn your back to the wind and sand immediately—never face it head-on. Then, look for cover when you can, and wait for the storm to pass. Never get separated. Don't act recklessly. Any unnecessary movement can bring unpredictable consequences. Understood?"

"Understood!" everyone replied in unison.

Qin Yun nodded and waved his hand. "Get ready. Meet in the multimedia classroom at seven after dinner. Tonight, we'll learn how to identify plants and animals in the desert and judge which are edible."