Chapter 688 - 685: Lost and Found
The blizzard gradually subsided, and the black felt had long been completely covered by snow and gravel, blending with the ground as one.
After a sound of rustling, a small patch of snow suddenly collapsed, and gradually, a hole emerged on the ground, from which a dog’s head popped up abruptly.
Goudan stuck out its tongue, and the shockingly low temperature instantly froze the saliva on its tongue, scaring it into quickly closing its mouth.
After confirming that there were no abnormalities, Goudan howled, and its two companions immediately began to dig; soon, a large patch of snow around the hole started to collapse.
Bi Fang employed all his skills and forcefully lifted the musk oxen off him; the snow slipped off with a swoosh, raising a large cloud of snow dust.
Finally dug out, Master Fang relaxed and said, "Phew, I almost got buried alive."
The thickness of the snow increased at an astonishing rate every day. If it weren’t for the air vent above their heads that remained clear, Bi Fang and Sanshao might have been buried alive and suffocated long ago.
Waking up today was even more exaggerated; it was completely dark inside the hole, completely buried alive.
If it weren’t for the fact that Master Fang and Sanshao had dug out a large enough space within three days, and there was sufficient oxygen reserved, who knows if they could have held on until they got out.
[Mom, are the blizzards in Greenland always this terrifying, more than three days this time.]
[Been here for more than half a month, and it’s blizzard one week after another (laugh cry).]
[Finally out.]
[Why is it so dark? Is it early morning or dusk?]
[Although there’s a time difference, but I checked, and it seems to be midday right now in Greenland...]
[Midday? F*ck, are you kidding? The sun can’t even come out halfway at noon?]
Bi Fang looked around and indeed, just as the viewers had said, the sky was dim and lightless, but it was twelve o’clock at midday.
He turned his head, and finally saw the sun of noon, revealing only half a circle, no, not even half a circle, as if it was fleeting.
"The polar night is coming within these two days, it could be tomorrow or the day after."
Master Fang’s expression was serious. Time didn’t allow for any more delay, he pulled out the sled and the musk oxen, quickly finished packing, and blew a whistle to call back Sanshao, who was still frolicking.
Fugui and Wangcai immediately came trotting over, Master Fang harnessed them back up, and shouted towards Goudan, who was about to run a hundred meters away.
"Goudan, come here!"
But Goudan didn’t move an inch, running into the snow and sniffing at something everywhere.
Old Fang found this strange; large dogs are generally intelligent, and he’d been training for so many days, in theory, this guy should know his own name. Old Fang thought that maybe he didn’t call out loudly enough, or perhaps Erha’s "Lead Dog" mindset was getting in the way. Just as he was about to walk over, he noticed that Goudan suddenly stopped, and then started digging ferociously.
[What is Goudan doing?]
[Did it find something to eat?]
[Rather than finding food, I’m more inclined to believe it’s marking its territory.]
Old Fang, driven by curiosity, walked over to Goudan. By this point, the fellow had already dug a hole nearly half a meter deep.
After watching for about fifteen minutes, the original half-meter deep hole was fast approaching one meter. Just as Old Fang’s patience was about to run out and he was preparing to forcibly drag Goudan away, Goudan suddenly barked, and then dragged something out.
A huge skull with a pair of large and sharp horns was pulled out of the deep hole by Goudan.
It was actually a Horn Helmet that had been discarded after the blizzard hit.
"Woof!"
Erha barked excitedly, stuck its head into the snow, and then pushed forward with all its strength, successfully putting on the Horn Helmet on its own head. It spun around, its tail creating a blur.
Bi Fang looked back at the dugout he had excavated as a refuge and then glanced down at the nearly one-meter-deep pit, the distance between the two was nearly a hundred meters apart.
How could this be found?
Bi Fang gave a wry smile. The Horn Helmet was heavy and not easily blown away, but under the power of the blizzard, he hadn’t harbored any hope of finding it again.
"You’re really something."
Bi Fang slapped the Helm on Goudan’s head, then grabbed the rope around Goudan’s neck and ran quickly toward the musk oxen.
"Goudan, get ready to work!"
...
An hour later, the sun had fully set, and darkness fell.
The short day, lasting less than three hours, was an eye-opener for everyone, a natural occurrence that most people would never witness in their lifetimes.
Before long, before spring arrived, the sun would sink into perpetual silence, never to rise again.
As complete darkness approached, Bi Fang shivered, his biological clock already somewhat disrupted even now.
This was all foreseeable, starting with the inability to eat meals regularly, the tendency for the biological clock to be disrupted came naturally.
Most people are unlikely to experience polar night, and it’s indeed difficult to endure. One important way to adjust the rhythm disrupted by polar night is to eat meals.
Researchers at Yellow River Station have a schedule for meals. All national expedition teams must go to the canteen to eat, ensuring that they meet and communicate daily, fostering regular habits.
So during those few days when food was scarce, Bi Fang had anticipated today.
Now, he himself couldn’t confirm whether he was indeed following a normal daily routine or not.
"It’s my first time encountering such a situation, which inevitably makes me a bit nervous," said Bi Fang as he dragged the musk oxen, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to the disruption of his usual perceptions.
[Master Fang gets nervous too?]
[A rare experience]
[Note down Old Fang’s embarrassing moment.]
"Enough talk, I need to conserve some energy and strive to get back today."
[But why stick to that valley?]
[Yeah, isn’t there a forest where Old Fang is catching the musk oxen?]
"Forests are good for making tools and serving as fuel, but the key is still the river in the valley."
"With the river, it means a stable and straightforward food source. Catching animals in the forest is not that easy."
Bi Fang changed his tone and answered the audience’s questions.
Trees are certainly important, but food is still the key, even though Bi Fang now had musk oxen to eat for at least a month. But what if an accident happened?
For example, meeting a wolverine, an Arctic Wolf, or a polar bear—such scenarios are not impossible, and then everything would be lost.
Therefore, there must be a fail-safe option, a Plan B that allows Bi Fang to bounce back quickly without affecting the overall situation even after losing everything.
Changing his tone, Bi Fang moved quickly with the help of Sanshao.
Perhaps because the blizzard hadn’t completely ceased, snowflakes still fluttered in the air, but the wind was not strong and did not hinder Bi Fang’s progress much. Despite the snow blinding him, he arrived at the valley once again before the sun rose.
What do you think?
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