Volume 1: The Dragon in the Abyss
Chapter 5: Night Watchman of Cloud Temple
V. Above the Snow Line
[Part 1: Emergency Mission - Into the Death Zone]
3 a.m. The satellite phone's ring shattered the base's silence.
Old Zhang bolted upright, grabbing the receiver. Provincial dispatch center's voice was urgent: "Cloud Temple base station communication interrupted for over six hours. It's the relay node for three northern Nujiang counties' communications—must be restored immediately."
Old Zhang glanced outside—pitch black, only distant snow-capped mountain silhouettes faintly visible in starlight.
"Cloud Temple?" He frowned. "That's 4,500 meters elevation. Winter now, mountain storms..."
"We know. But if that station isn't restored, three counties' mobile communications and emergency command systems will collapse. Old Zhang, can you send someone?"
Old Zhang fell silent several seconds. "I'll get Chen Yang."
Ten minutes later, the conference room blazed with lights.
Chen Yang stood before the map, finger hovering over Cloud Temple's location—a red triangle suspended at 4,500 meters above the snowline. Small text noted: Unmanned base station, winter operations prohibited.
"Communication failure cause identified?" Chen Yang asked.
"Preliminary assessment: fiber optic junction failure, possibly feed line crushed by snow accumulation," Old Zhang said. "But specifics require on-site confirmation."
"Can drones reach that altitude?" Lin Xiao suddenly spoke from the doorway, hair slightly disheveled—clearly just awakened.
Old Zhang shook his head. "Sky Eye drones' ceiling is 4,000 meters, plus current mountain wind speeds unknown. Even if they struggled up there, fine operations would be impossible."
Lin Xiao bit her lip, then said: "Then I'll go with Chen Yang."
"You?" Old Zhang froze.
"Yes." Lin Xiao's tone was firm. "Chen Yang said I should learn tower climbing. Now it's time for lesson two—surviving in extreme environments."
Chen Yang looked at her, admiration flickering in his eyes. "You're certain? Cloud Temple isn't yesterday's Tower #18. That's a true death zone—oxygen content only 60% of sea level, temperatures possibly negative twenty Celsius."
"Precisely why you need a partner." Lin Xiao met his gaze. "If something happens to you, at least someone can call for help."
Old Zhang sighed. "Alright. But one rule—if weather deteriorates, retreat immediately. Don't push it. Communications are important, but human lives more so."
"Understood." Both voices synchronized.
[Part 2: Ascent - Into Thin Air]
6 a.m., dawn barely breaking.
Two SUVs struggled up the mountain road. Conditions were abysmal—rubble and snow everywhere, some sections exceeding 30-degree grades. Xiao Li drove, Xiao Wang in passenger seat continuously monitoring meteorological data.
"Wind speed 8 m/s, temperature negative 15°C, visibility good," Xiao Wang reported. "But weather bureau says cold front may arrive this afternoon—recommends completing work before noon."
Chen Yang and Lin Xiao sat in back, eyes closed, resting—standard procedure before high-altitude work, conserving energy maximally. Chen Yang's pack contained rope, tools, emergency tent, high-calorie food. Lin Xiao's gear was more complex—besides personal items, portable satellite communicator, medical emergency kit, three portable oxygen bottles.
At 3,800 meters, the vehicle could go no farther—road ahead completely snow-covered.
"Remaining path, only on foot." Chen Yang shouldered his pack, checking equipment. He passed Lin Xiao two pills: "Altitude medicine. Take beforehand, prevents altitude sickness."
Lin Xiao swallowed the pills. She could feel breathing already becoming difficult. Each inhale like sipping thin soup, unable to fill her lungs. Heartbeat amplified in her ears, thump-thump-thump, like a drum.
They began trekking upward.
From 3,800 to 4,500 meters—700 vertical meters, approximately 5 kilometers horizontal distance. Trivial on plains, but above the snowline, every step was torment.
Snow beneath their feet was deep, each step sinking to mid-calf. Chen Yang led, probing beneath snow with his trekking pole, ensuring no missteps. Lin Xiao followed, stepping in his footprints.
One hour later, 4,200 meters elevation.
Lin Xiao began showing obvious altitude sickness. Headache—like someone hammering her temples with blunt instruments. Nausea—stomach churning. Heart rate accelerating to 130 BPM, yet still feeling oxygen-deprived.
"Rest." Chen Yang stopped, offering glucose water.
Lin Xiao waved it off, forcing out: "I can..."
Before finishing, her legs buckled, nearly collapsing. Chen Yang caught her quickly.
"Don't be stubborn." Chen Yang's voice was calm but unwavering. "Altitude sickness isn't willpower-conquerable—it's physiological limits. Your blood oxygen saturation is definitely below 85% now. Must use oxygen."
He extracted portable oxygen from his pack, fitting the mask over Lin Xiao's face.
The instant oxygen flooded her lungs, Lin Xiao felt the entire world brighten. Headache eased, nausea lessened, heartbeat gradually stabilizing. She breathed deeply, like a beached fish returned to water.
"Thank you." She gasped.
"Don't mention it." Chen Yang smiled. "My first time above 4,000 meters, I was worse off than you. Vomited the whole way, thought I'd die on the mountain."
"You get altitude sick too?" Lin Xiao seemed surprised.
"Of course." Chen Yang said. "People aren't machines—bodies have limits. I've just trained my body to adapt through long-term conditioning. But adaptation doesn't equal immunity. Every high-altitude trip, I take medicine beforehand, control pace, use oxygen when necessary. That's not weakness—it's respecting your body."
Lin Xiao nodded thoughtfully.
[Part 3: Cloud Temple - Abandoned Sacred Site]
10 a.m., they finally reached Cloud Temple.
Once a small Tibetan Buddhist temple built into a natural rock cave, cave opening faced south, sheltering from strongest northern winds. The temple had been abandoned for years—walls mottled, roof half-collapsed, but main structure remained solid.
Beside the temple stood a 15-meter communications tower. Silver-white steel conspicuous against snow, like a flagpole planted at world's end. Tower top mounted antennas and solar panels, fiber optic cable extending from tower, disappearing into snowdrifts.
"Found the problem." Chen Yang crouched, brushing aside snow. The feed line was severed, break showing metallic gleam. Clearly crushed by snow weight.
"How long to repair?" Lin Xiao asked.
"If all goes smoothly, one hour." Chen Yang began extracting tools from his pack. "But we must first clear snow, then rejoin fiber optic, then test..."
Before finishing, sudden gale howled.
Wind so strong Chen Yang had to grip the tower to stay upright. Lin Xiao was blown backward several steps, nearly falling. Sky suddenly darkened—storm clouds surging from behind northern mountains like a black tsunami.
Xiao Wang's anxious voice crackled through radio: "Chen Yang! Engineer Lin! Weather bureau emergency warning—severe cold front arriving early, wind force exceeding 10 within the hour, with blizzard! You must retreat immediately!"
Chen Yang glanced skyward, then at tools in hand, making his decision: "Too late. Retreat requires at least two hours. By the time we reach safety, we'd freeze to death en route."
"Then what do we do?" Lin Xiao's voice trembled slightly with fear.
"Into the temple!" Chen Yang grabbed his pack, pulling Lin Xiao toward Cloud Temple's cave. "Wait out the storm inside!"
[Part 4: Predicament - Facing Death]
When they burst into the cave, the blizzard had arrived.
Snow didn't gently fall but slammed horizontally like countless small knives slicing faces. Wind deafening, mingled with beast-like roars. Visibility instantly dropped below five meters—entire world became white chaos.
Inside the cave, Chen Yang and Lin Xiao collapsed, gasping. Their clothes were soaked—sweat and melted snow mixed. In negative-twenty-degree conditions, wet clothes would rapidly freeze, stealing body heat, causing hypothermia.
"Must change clothes, make fire." Chen Yang immediately acted.
From his pack he extracted an emergency tent—aluminum foil insulation blanket capable of reflecting body heat. He found a relatively sheltered corner in the cave's depths, hanging the insulation blanket to form a small "room."
Then fire.
No firewood in the cave, but Chen Yang found dried grass roots and wooden board fragments left by predecessors. From a waterproof bag he produced a lighter, carefully igniting it. Flame tiny, precarious under wind's assault, but finally burned stubbornly.
"Remove wet clothes." Chen Yang turned away. "I won't look."
Lin Xiao hesitated, but reason told her this wasn't the time for modesty. She quickly stripped off jacket and sweater, changing into dry backup clothes from her pack. After she'd dressed, Chen Yang also changed.
Both sat by the fire, beginning to feel a hint of warmth.
But warmth was fleeting.
Outside the cave, the storm intensified. Temperature continued dropping—Lin Xiao checked the thermometer: negative 28°C. Firepit heat couldn't counter this cold invasion. She could feel fingers and toes losing sensation—frostbite precursors.
Worse, oxygen grew increasingly scarce.
At 4,500 meters, oxygen content was already extremely low. Combined with the cave's enclosed space and flame consuming oxygen, she began experiencing severe hypoxia symptoms—dizziness, tinnitus, vision edges blackening.
"Chen Yang..." Lin Xiao's voice was weak. "I'm so cold..."
Chen Yang rapidly assessed. He extracted the two remaining portable oxygen bottles, fitting one to Lin Xiao, inhaling a few breaths himself. Then he made a decision—
He removed his down jacket, covering Lin Xiao.
"What are you doing?!" Lin Xiao tried pushing it away, but Chen Yang held her.
"Listen." Chen Yang's voice was calm. "Your thermoregulation ability is worse than mine, your altitude adaptation worse. If we both get hypothermia, neither can save the other. But if I stay conscious, I can care for you and call for rescue when the storm weakens."
"But you..."
"I've trained in polar conditions." Chen Yang said. "Negative thirty degrees, I can endure six hours. Trust me."
What he didn't mention: during that training, he nearly died.
[Part 5: Long Night - Dialogue of Souls]
Time passed minute by minute.
Outside storm showed no signs of weakening. Chen Yang continuously fed the fire—dismantling wooden tool handles from his pack, tearing notebook cardboard, even burning his backup gloves.
Lin Xiao huddled under the insulation blanket, consciousness alternating between clarity and fog. She watched Chen Yang's silhouette—sitting by the fire, posture upright, statue-like. But she could see his hands trembling faintly—body's instinctive resistance to severe cold.
"Chen Yang..." Lin Xiao whispered. "Talk to me. Don't sleep."
"I'm not sleeping." Chen Yang turned, smiling at her. "What do you want to discuss?"
"Anything." Lin Xiao said. "Why... why do you like this job?"
Chen Yang fell silent briefly. "Because it's simple."
"Simple?"
"Yes." Chen Yang gazed into firelight. "In extreme sports circles, everything was too complicated. Sponsors, media, fans, competitors... everyone wearing masks. You never knew who genuinely appreciated you versus who just wanted to exploit your fame."
He paused. "But electrical work is different. You climb the tower, fix the fault, village below lights up. That cause-effect relationship is direct, pure. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone—just do your job well."
Lin Xiao listened, feeling resonance: "Me too..."
"Hmm?"
"I'm also here because it's simple." Lin Xiao said. "Working abroad, every day facing complex interpersonal relationships. Boss wanted profits, colleagues wanted promotions, clients wanted price cuts... All my research ultimately became bargaining chips at negotiation tables."
Her voice slightly choked: "But when I initially studied engineering, it wasn't for those things. I simply loved solving problems—seeing a broken system, fixing it. That simple."
Both fell silent.
Then Chen Yang suddenly asked: "Do you regret it? Returning to China, coming to places like this?"
Lin Xiao thought, shaking her head. "No. You? Leaving extreme sports?"
"Also no." Chen Yang smiled. "Although salary decreased, fame gone, I sleep soundly."
"Me too."
Another silence.
This silence wasn't awkward but a strange rapport. Two people, sitting in a cave at world's end, facing common cold and death threats, yet feeling unprecedented peace.
[Part 6: Dawn - The Watchman's Victory]
4 a.m., the storm finally ceased.
Chen Yang shakily stood, body stiff as wood. His lips purpled, fingers swollen—obvious mild frostbite. But his eyes remained alert—he'd succeeded, survived the night.
Lin Xiao also awoke. Her condition better than Chen Yang's, protected by down jacket and insulation blanket. Seeing Chen Yang, her eyes moistened. "Are you... are you okay?"
"Won't die." Chen Yang flexed his fingers, grimacing. "Just hurts a bit."
He walked to the cave entrance, gazing out.
Wind stopped, snow stopped, sky regaining clarity. Rising sun emerged from behind eastern snow mountains, golden light flooding the entire world. That radiance so brilliant, as if celebrating two lives' tenacity.
"I'll repair the fiber optic." Chen Yang said. "While weather's good."
"I'll help." Lin Xiao stood.
Both exited the cave. Last night's blizzard had piled thick snow layers, but also miraculously cleared old snow around the cable. Chen Yang located the severed junction, beginning splicing work.
His frozen hands weren't very flexible, but years of muscle memory enabled precise completion of every action. Stripping, cleaning, aligning, fusing, sealing... the entire process fluid.
Lin Xiao assisted—passing tools, holding equipment. Their coordination as seamless as if trained countless times.
Forty minutes later, fiber optic splicing complete.
Chen Yang pulled out the satellite phone, calling dispatch center: "Cloud Temple station, cable repair complete. Test communications."
Ten seconds later, excited voice from the other end: "Signal restored! Communication normal! Chen Yang, you... you're alive!"
"Of course alive." Chen Yang laughed. "We're the watchmen."
He hung up, turning to Lin Xiao. Sunlight illuminated her face, revealing the flush on her cheeks and light in her eyes. In this moment, she was no longer that lab engineer, but a true warrior who'd experienced life-and-death trials.
"We should descend." Chen Yang said.
"Wait." Lin Xiao suddenly walked toward the cave, extracting chocolate from her pack, breaking it in half, offering Chen Yang one piece. "Celebrate?"
Chen Yang accepted the chocolate. They clinked pieces. "Celebrate what?"
"Celebrate we're both still alive." Lin Xiao said. "And..."
She paused, looking seriously at Chen Yang: "Thank you for saving me. Without you, I definitely wouldn't have survived last night."
"Don't mention it." Chen Yang said. "We're partners."
"Right, partners." Lin Xiao repeated the word, smile curving her lips.
Both stood before Cloud Temple, gazing at distant rolling snow mountains. Those mountains remained towering, dangerous, mysterious. But now, they were no longer insurmountable obstacles, but witnesses to two souls' shared conquest.
At 4,500 meters above the snowline, in this place called the "death zone," two people from different worlds completed true fusion.
And when they descended, awaiting them would be even greater challenges.
Next Chapter Preview:
Chapter 6: "Guardian System 1.0" - Back at base, inspired by the Cloud Temple experience, Lin Xiao begins full development of the "Guardian System." She wants AI to become linemen's "second pair of eyes." Chen Yang starts teaching other team members climbing techniques. Their collaboration enters a honeymoon phase, but a sudden decision from Provincial HQ will shatter this calm...