Forest Ranger, starting from Picking Up a Lynx Girl

They set up the tent with its back against a dirt mound, with the two vehicles parked at an angle to shield the other two sides of the tent.

Despite being the hottest season in the uninhabited region, the nighttime temperatures still caused people to shiver from the cold.

All of them were not short of money and had brought enough clothes to keep warm.

The coats prepared in the car were given to Yin Li and two other team members.

Yin Li wasn't short of money either, but he always wore the same clothing and gear as the other team members, without any special treatment.

The Bird Research Student who was studying birds had been on the highland for a significant period and was prepared for the night's cold, but Dao Meihua was not very resistant to the cold; it seemed like her teeth would clatter the moment she opened her mouth.

Chen Ying had her wrap up in a down sleeping bag to rest, placed an oxygen canister by her head, and even draped a military coat over the sleeping bag.

"Will she be okay?"

"She should be fine, the temperature isn't low these past couple of days, and she's gotten used to it at the emergency station, there should not be any major issues. If something does go wrong, we'll evacuate promptly."

The car that Yin Li had driven over was specially modified, with solar panels installed on top, generating enough power to charge a hand warmer without trouble.

"If she really can't handle it, let her sleep in the car, I've modified the back so it can lay flat like a bed, and there's an electric blanket too."

If it wasn't for the necessity of Dao Meihua entering the Core Zone, Yin Li would have been reluctant to drive that car into the wilderness.

But in fact, they were not entirely entering the Core Zone; the designed route essentially skirted along the edge of the Core Zone and Buffer Zone.

The first night passed relatively easily, but it would get harder as they went on due to varying degrees of exhaustion, which would make the highland altitude sickness and sudden weather changes more taxing.

They had walked past three lakes without finding the Tanggu Rhodiola they were looking for, and as the fifth day approached, they would have to give up if they couldn't find it, as they had to start their return journey, or insufficient supplies could be fatal in this area.

"The mountain ahead is a bit high, with snow on its peak that never melts. It is the most important water source for this lake, and there's a Streamstone Beach on the Yang slope. Let's go up and have a look; if we can't find it here, we'll have to wait until next time."

They had traversed several places in five days that had previously been known for the growth of Tanggu Rhodiola, yet this time they found nothing, an issue which required botanists and environmental scientists to conduct in-depth research to understand.

After climbing, they finally discovered a trace of Tanggu Rhodiola at an altitude close to five thousand meters.

Dao Meihua was almost at her limit, barely able to muster the strength to speak; the subsequent measurements and photographs were mostly assisted by Yin Li and Chen Ying.

The Bird Research Student had caught a cold by accident last night and was lying in the car after taking medicine.

"Alright, let's go, both their conditions aren't looking good, we should get back early to avoid any trouble."

Chen Ying supported Dao Meihua, who clutched an oxygen canister, struggling to walk on the Streamstone Beach.

"Hold on, Brother Ying, listen, does it sound like someone is talking?"

What sort of ghost story is this? Who would be talking in such a place!

Chen Ying was about to make a joke when a faint voice reached their ears.

"Holy shit, is there really someone?"

Chen Ying and Yin Li's expressions changed, and Yin Li pulled out his walkie-talkie to call for support from the Mountain Patrol Team.

"Brother Ying, get Dao Bo back to the car for some oxygen, I'll go check out the situation."

The voice seemed to be coming from behind them.

The mountain was all sharp, cold rocks; it was entirely possible that someone was in trouble behind the rocks.

"Don't worry about me, Brother Ying, I can manage; I'll make my way down slowly by myself. Go help Brother Yin."

Dao Meihua pushed away Chen Ying's arm. "It's dangerous for him to be up here alone; I'll be fine if I just follow the same path down."

Chen Ying was genuinely worried about Yin Li going alone; if something happened, it would be impossible to shout for help.

"Okay then, take it slow going down, and don't skimp on the oxygen, there's more in the car."

Dao Meihua lacked the energy to speak and just gestured okay, then started down the mountain in small, shuffling steps.

Chen Ying watched her for a few meters until it seemed like she wouldn't have any problems, then he quickly followed after Yin Li.

Around the ridge and behind a large rock, he saw two cars parked at the foot of another part of the mountain, and there were three people in a rock hollow halfway up.

Yin Li carefully moved down the rocks.

The rocks on the mountain were much weathered, and a careless step could break them apart.

Above the heads of those three people, about twenty meters away, a Snow Leopard lay on a rock, seemingly interested in watching them navigate the difficult terrain.

Yin Li moved quickly and soon reached the spot where the three people were. Meanwhile, two men had come down from the cars below and were climbing up towards them.

Chen Ying had made it two-thirds of the way when the supporting team members already caught up to him from behind.

One of the two team members who stayed behind had come, as the other needed to stay with the Research Student and Dao Meihua in the cars.

"Brother Ying, take it slow; I'll go ahead and help the chief."

Chen couldn't keep up with the agility of those who lived at high altitudes year-round; watching the team member's nimble movements, he tried to balance his body to reduce unnecessary oxygen consumption.

After about ten minutes, he finally reached where the people were and saw that among the group of three, a young man's foot was stuck in a crevice and couldn't be pulled out.

One might think it's easy to go down and climb back up, but sometimes, it's a matter of angle, or the crevice being larger on top and smaller below, so the foot can't be pulled out in reverse.

The young man's condition was already bad, his face was pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

In such weather, sweat-soaked clothes can cause a cold if not changed promptly.