We exchanged glances, Fatty and I.

A plan?

Zoe said with a serious and earnest expression,

"Today, Han Yu and I reflected on the recent events and made a prediction. If the Z organization continues to track us, it will take them, at most, five days to find us if we travel like Han Yu and I did today. Our vehicle is too conspicuous."

She continued, "Instead of hiding like this, we should take the initiative. Our plan, simply put, is to go mountaineering in the Himalayas..."

Fatty and I stared at Zoe with eyes as wide as copper bells, unable to believe what we were hearing, but we didn't dare say a word, afraid of interrupting her explanation of the plan.

"This plan actually has two purposes. First, the Z organization is still conducting investigations in the Himalayas, especially near Devil's Gully. There must be an investigation team from the Z organization there. We're going to do the opposite. The more dangerous the place, the safer it is. They definitely won't expect us to go to the Himalayas. Another benefit of doing this is that we can observe them from behind and look for the reasons why the scientific expedition team disappeared back then, following the results of their research and investigation."

"Second, our continued escape will inevitably lead us to a dead end," Zoe said, looking at Han Yu.

Han Yu said timidly, "If we continue to escape like this, we will all be caught in no more than three months. If we flee overseas, we might be able to hold out for two or three years at most, provided the Z organization continues to track us."

Fatty was silent on the side, his gaze fixed on Han Yu.

I picked up the conversation and asked, "The Himalayas are so dangerous. None of the four of us has any mountaineering experience, let alone going to that terrifying, man-eating Devil's Gully."

Zoe nodded thoughtfully. "Han Yu and I discussed this issue. Han Yu made a probability calculation. If we only operate on the periphery of the gully, stay away from the Z organization's investigation area, and have sufficient supplies, we can survive near the Himalayas for at least half a year."

If we were lucky, we might be able to find a glimmer of hope.

"A glimmer of hope?" I looked at Zoe questioningly.

"Yes. If we can grasp the secret one step ahead of them, or know the next move of the Z organization, perhaps we can find elements from it that are enough to check the Z organization," Zoe explained.

Upon hearing this, Fatty quickly asked Han Yu, who was next to him, "Little Yu, what's the probability of success? Can you calculate it?"

Han Yu nodded, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "About... about 1%..."

Fatty was so frightened that he almost fell to the ground.

I said, "Isn't this just going to die?"

A slight hint of sadness appeared on Zoe's face. She looked at Fatty and me and said, "Do you know what our chances of survival are if we don't go to the Himalayas?"

"Zero," Zoe blurted out.

Fatty and I looked at each other and sighed.

That night, everyone was silent. Except for Han Yu, I, Fatty, and Zoe drank a lot of wine.

The next day, I woke up from the bed around eight o'clock in the morning. Fatty and Lao Zhang Tou had already returned from their patrol, but only Lao Zhang Tou was in the house, Zoe, Fatty, and Han Yu were gone, and the car outside was also gone.

I quickly found Lao Zhang Tou and asked about the situation. It took Lao Zhang Tou both speaking and gesturing for me to understand that they had gone out to take care of some things. I then asked Lao Zhang Tou what time they would be back, Lao Zhang Tou shook his head and waved his hand, saying he didn't know.

Lao Zhang Tou started a fire and cooked lunch: porridge, corn bread, and pickled vegetables. Without Fatty, the food quality took a nosedive.

Last night, Zoe told us that we would leave in three days, first heading west, passing through Gansu and Qinghai before entering Tibet. This was the route she and Han Yu had planned. The advantage of this route was that it would avoid the Z organization's surveillance and pursuit, as they wouldn't have many members in Tibet. Secondly, it would be unexpected, choosing a mountaineering path that they wouldn't have thought of. The Z organization's previous investigation path was to go up the mountain from Nepal or Bhutan. However, the route we chose was obviously longer and had worse conditions. It was equivalent to climbing another mountain to reach the Devil's Gully area. The destination was exactly opposite the Z organization's investigation team, with a Devil's Gully in between, which was a safe zone.

Actually, I didn't have any objections to Zoe's plan, but I had a big question mark in my mind about our team's outdoor survival skills. Apart from Fatty, who had previous experience in field reconnaissance and survival, and Zoe, who I wasn't sure about, Han Yu and I were just two weak scholars. I was okay; I could run if I encountered danger, but when I thought of Han Yu's thin, pitiful appearance, what would happen if she encountered danger?

However, as things stood, there seemed to be no other way.

They hadn't returned by dinner time. Lao Zhang Tou and I had already eaten. Lao Zhang Tou wasn't in a hurry either. I guessed that they had already told him that they might be back later.

After eating, I felt a little bad, so I thought about washing the dishes. Lao Zhang Tou stopped me, "Yu guo wan fan ta mi mei hui lai, jiu yang li shou shi xing li."

I looked at him questioningly. He gesticulated anxiously and repeated it for a long time before I understood. He was trying to say, "If they don't come back by dinner, then let you pack your luggage."

I quickly returned to my room and glanced at Fatty's room. Damn it, this guy had packed his things before he left, thinking that drinking delays things. I packed up the big and small things again, annoyed, and thinking that this was an escape, I put those important things in a small bag to carry with me.

After packing up, I waited until late at night, and Lao Zhang Tou had already turned off the lights and rested, but they still hadn't returned.

I waited and waited, and fell asleep without realizing it.